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Bernards Township Committee adopts wetlands conservation easement, sets 2026 appropriation cap
Summary
At its Jan. 27 meeting, the Bernards Township Committee unanimously adopted Ordinance 2591 accepting a wetlands conservation easement on 24 Rocky Lane and Ordinance 2592 setting 2026 appropriation limits and a cap bank; the committee also approved routine consent items and a sewage-authority appointment.
Bernards Township Mayor Dwarte McCarthy and the township committee unanimously adopted two ordinances during their Jan. 27, 2026 meeting: Ordinance 2591, accepting a wetlands conservation easement on property at 24 Rocky Lane (block 3602, lot 5), and Ordinance 2592, which sets the municipality’s 2026 appropriation limits and establishes a cap bank per the citation listed on the agenda.
Administrator Pat Monaco said the meeting opened with personnel announcements, including the swearing in of a new police officer, Christopher Debiasi, and promotions for Kendra Kelly (to deputy clerk) and Mark Chisum (to grounds division). “I’d like to welcome Chris Debiasi to Bernards Township,” Monaco said, and committee members offered congratulations.
Ordinance 2591, read by Clerk Christie, accepts a conservation easement conveyed to the township by the property owners listed on the agenda and was adopted after the public hearing was opened and closed with no public comment. The roll-call vote on the ordinance was recorded as unanimous.
Ordinance 2592, described on the agenda as setting calendar-year 2026 appropriation limits and establishing a cap bank as noted in the cited statute, was likewise presented at a brief public hearing and adopted by unanimous roll call. Mayor Dwarte McCarthy said the measure “gives us the additional one and a half percent” of cap flexibility and is recommended annually by auditors to help manage inflationary pressures such as rising health-benefit costs.
The committee approved the consent agenda and a township appointment: Janice Fields was appointed to the Sewage Authority for a five-year term expiring Jan. 31, 2031. The committee also approved the Jan. 13, 2026 open-session minutes. The meeting included liaison and committee reports: members praised the municipal storm response, noted upcoming community and health-department programs, and highlighted efforts on economic development and urban forestry. A public call box outside the police department was announced as active to connect people to county 911 when the lobby is closed.
The second public-comment period drew no speakers and the committee adjourned.
