Millville commissioners approve 34 resolutions, table one and fail one for lack of second at Jan. 7 meeting

Millville City commissioners spent the Jan. 7 reorganization meeting considering a large package of resolutions that included professional‑services awards, equipment purchases and administrative designations.

The commission approved 34 resolutions and purchase orders covering municipal attorney and auditor appointments, engineering and legal services, and equipment purchases. One resolution (appointing Brock D. Russell, Esq., as municipal attorney) was tabled for further discussion, and one item (a $20,000 social media and advertising contract with Billhorn Media Group/Art C. Salters Inc.) did not receive a second and therefore did not advance.

Key items approved included: - A temporary 2025 municipal budget (resolution item 2). - Purchase order to repair Fire Engine 30 with FF1 Apparatus LLC, not to exceed $38,158.58 (item 12). The fire‑engine repair drew public comment earlier in the meeting from Tim Cardi, who questioned refurbishing a 26‑year‑old truck, and from commissioners who said refurbishing could be significantly less expensive than buying new apparatus. - Purchase of a 6,000‑pound forklift for parks and grounds, not to exceed $33,500 (item 13). - Appointment of Bowman & Company, LLP as municipal auditor for up to $112,000 (item 21). - Appointment of Phoenix Advisors LLC as financial advisor for up to $5,000 (item 23). - Awards of multiple professional‑services contracts covering bond counsel, labor counsel, municipal prosecutor, public defender services, engineering firms for projects and floodplain/landscape services, and environmental counsel. - Purchase order for a Mohawk front‑end alignment machine with lift for fleet management, not to exceed $74,800.59 (item 45).

A full list of resolutions and votes appears below, drawn from roll‑call tallies recorded in the meeting minutes. Roll calls were generally unanimous among the five commissioners present unless otherwise noted in the minutes.

Votes at a glance (resolution number — short description — outcome — vote tally):

1 — Appoint Brock D. Russell, Esq. as municipal attorney — tabled for discussion — yes:5 (motion to table carried) 2 — Adopt calendar year 2025 temporary budget — approved — yes:5 3 — Designate OceanFirst Bank as depository and signatures — approved — yes:5 4 — Adopt cash management plan (N.J.S.A. cited) — approved — yes:5 5 — Designated meeting dates/times for 2025 — approved — yes:5 6 — Designate official newspapers — approved — yes:5 7 — Shared services agreement with Cumberland County for Code Blue warming center — approved — yes:5 8 — Electronic tax sale service agreement with RealAuction.com — approved — yes:5 9 — Define powers and temporary filling of commissioner vacancies — approved — yes:5 10 — Reappoint Jeannie M. Parkinson (municipal assessment search officer) — approved — yes:5 11 — Reappoint Tracy Gregoire (tax and utilities collector roles) — approved — yes:5 12 — Award purchase order to FF1 Apparatus LLC to repair Fire Engine 30, not to exceed $38,158.58 — approved — yes:5 13 — Award purchase order to K & D Equipment for 6,000 lb forklift, not to exceed $33,500 — approved — yes:5 14 — First amendment to Barbara J. Bagley professional services contract, increase $22,000, new total $132,000 — approved — yes:5 15 — Authorize applications for development area bonds (not to exceed $400,000 aggregate principal) — approved — yes:5 16 — Authorize adjustments to tax and utility records — approved — yes:5 17 — Final change order South State Inc. for Columbia Ave/Riverside Drive: +$15,430.92 (new total $507,623.52) — approved — yes:5 18 — Authorize tax collector to cancel special assessment CC-252-10 $577.25 — approved — yes:5 19 — Performance guarantee release for Livonia American Corp. ($1,198,512) — approved — yes:5 20 — Appoint Commissioner Carol Kasaboon as Class 3 Planning Board member — approved — yes:5 21 — Appoint Bowman & Company, LLP as municipal auditor, not to exceed $112,000 — approved — yes:5 22 — Appoint Freshman Daniels Law Offices, LLC as bond counsel, not to exceed $10,000 — approved — yes:5 23 — Appoint Phoenix Advisors LLC as financial advisor, not to exceed $5,000 — approved — yes:5 24 — Appoint McManaman, Scotland & Bauman, LLC for bankruptcy counsel, not to exceed $10,000 — approved — yes:5 25 — Appoint Budwin Ross Roy Ladori for foreclosure services, not to exceed $15,000 — approved — yes:5 26 — Appoint Blaney, Donahue & Weinberg for labor counsel at $165/hour, not to exceed $100,000 — approved — yes:5 27 — Appoint D. Michelle P.C. as municipal prosecutor, not to exceed $70,000 — approved — yes:5 28 — Appoint Kavanaugh & Kavanaugh, LLC as municipal public defender, not to exceed $45,000 — approved — yes:5 29 — Appoint Rosenberg Perry & Associates LLC as conflict public defender, not to exceed $5,000 — approved — yes:5 30 — Appoint CME Associates as primary special projects engineer, not to exceed $100,000 — approved — yes:5 31 — Appoint Remington & Vernick as secondary special projects engineer, not to exceed $20,000 — approved — yes:5 32 — Appoint CME Associates as certified floodplain manager, not to exceed $5,000 — approved — yes:5 33 — Appoint CME Associates as landscape architect, not to exceed $5,000 — approved — yes:5 34 — Appoint JP Bainbridge & Associates as city appraiser, not to exceed $10,000 — approved — yes:5 35 — Appoint Testa, Heck, Testa & White, PA as special counsel tax appeal, not to exceed $15,000 — approved — yes:5 36 — Appoint Triad Associates as CDBG advisor, not to exceed $108,750 (certified funds shown for $69,350) — approved — yes:5 37 — Appoint Bay Hill Environmental as lead paint/inspection services at no cost to city — approved — yes:5 38 — Appoint Ritter Law Office LLC as collections counsel (contingency basis) — approved — yes:5 39 — Award social media/advertising/print media contract to Art C. Salters / Billhorn Media Group, not to exceed $20,000 — failed for lack of second — no vote recorded (no second) 40 — Appoint McManaman, Scotland & Bowman for environmental legal services, not to exceed $100,000 — approved — yes:5 41 — Appoint Sakaren Hensel as primary hearing officer, not to exceed $5,000 — approved — yes:5 42 — Appoint Garde Law Firm as secondary hearing officer, not to exceed $5,000 — approved — yes:5 43 — Appoint Hardenberg Insurance as broker of record, not to exceed $39,000 — approved — yes:5 44 — Appoint Wayne Johnson as municipal engineer (non fair/open), not to exceed $200,000 — approved — yes:5 45 — Purchase order to Mohawk Lifts for front‑end alignment machine with lift, not to exceed $74,800.59 — approved — yes:5

Meeting context: Most roll‑call entries read a unanimous “Yes” from the five commissioners present (Mayor Romaniuk; Vice Mayor Watson; Commissioners Hewitt, Kasaboon and Sui) except where the minutes record abstentions for earlier minutes approvals or where an item did not receive a second.

Why it matters: The approvals commit the city to multiple one‑year professional service contracts and capital equipment purchases that shape administration, public works and legal representation in 2025. The purchases and contracts include routine appointments (auditor, bond counsel), engineering and legal services linked to ongoing projects (roads, wastewater, airport) and specific capital equipment purchases for fleet and parks operations.

What’s next: The commission moved one resolution to a future discussion (municipal attorney appointment) and left open the advertising/social‑media contract after it failed for lack of a second; staff and commissioners indicated the items would be addressed again once additional information or presentations are available.