Borough of South River

The meeting included organizational matters such as the election of a President and Vice-President. Several resolutions were addressed, including the appointment of a Secretary and Assistant for the period of January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026; a recommendation for a stipend for the Deputy Registrar of Vital Statistics for 2026; the adoption of the compiled "Rules and Regulations of the South River Board of Health" for 2026; and the designation of the Home News-Tribune as the Official Newspaper and the Sentinel Publication for specific notices for 2026. Old business involved an update on the Food Bank operations, noting that patrons are limited to two visits per month for January, February, and March, and that shelves are full. Member comments addressed an upcoming rabies clinic scheduled for March 28 and discussions regarding scholarships for the Frost on the Pumpkin and Health & Wellness events.

Key discussions included honoring Brian Sicknick by proposing to rename the Volunteers Park playground in his honor, which is anticipated to occur in late spring/early summer after playground construction starts. The council addressed two ordinances: Ordinance 2026-01, concerning exceeding municipal budget appropriation limits for CY 2026 by establishing a cap bank; and Ordinance 2026-02, which amends Chapter 155 of the Borough Code to revise recreation program and park fees, detailing numerous new fee structures for various sports, programs, and field use. The Borough Engineer provided updates on multiple NJDOT Local Aid Program projects, including grants secured for road improvements and progress toward bidding. The CFO had no report. The DPW Director noted borough calendars are complete and awaiting delivery. The Fire Chief reported call statistics for 2025 and 2026 year-to-date. The Borough Clerk announced that starting March 1, public notices will transition to mandatory posting on the borough website instead of the local newspaper. The council also confirmed mayoral appointments to several boards and committees and adopted numerous routine Consent Resolutions, including authorizing the Municipal Clerk to administer Games of Chance Licenses, authorizing attendance at the New Jersey League of Municipalities conference, and approving the annual Cash Management Plan for the Borough of South River.

The meeting began with the administration of Oaths of Office to newly elected Councilmembers Donato and DaSilva. The body then proceeded with the nomination and approval of the Council President, Councilman DeSantis. Key resolutions adopted included the re-adoption of the Council's Rules for 2026, adoption of the 2026 Council meeting schedule, authorization of a Temporary Budget for 2026 covering various municipal functions and utilities, designation of the Official Newspaper, and the award of contracts for professional services including Borough Attorney, Borough Engineer, Borough Prosecutor, and Borough Planner. During the public comment section, residents discussed the number of meetings scheduled for the year. Governing body comments included New Year wishes and discussions on the meeting schedule and council pay.

Key discussion points included the upcoming opening of winter activities such as wrestling, basketball, volleyball, Zumba, and yoga, noting that competitive cheer has already commenced. The committee plans to coordinate the Halloween event, needing to determine a location, possibly the library. Consideration was given to hosting an activity for children and distributing program flyers during South River Day. The Director's Report noted the success of the fireworks event and suggested needing more face painters for future large events. The summer recreation program was reported to have gone well with a split structure for middle school and elementary school groups.

The new business section addressed several upcoming events. The Egg Hunt is scheduled for St. Mark's green area, with Good Friday evening as the rain date. Age groups for the Egg Hunt will be separated, with younger children from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and older children from 12:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. The Fishing Derby will be relocated to Dailey's due to construction at Grekoski park. Additionally, it was noted that Parks and Recreation now maintains an Instagram account. The Director's Report indicated strong signup numbers for spring sports, including the addition of Girls Flag Football, and noted that registration remains open for Pop Warner football/sideline cheer and local/travel cheer.