Mayor and Council Meeting Summary **Thursday, August 27, 2026**
Posted by Jamie ยท
(SUMMARY CREATED WITH AI, so there are bound to be some issues)
The Bogota Mayor and Council held their public meeting on **Thursday, August 27, 2026**, at Borough Hall to address municipal business and citizen concerns.
### **1. Tributes & Administration**
* **Lee Clark Tribute:** The council honored the late Lee Clark, a Bergen County educator, veteran, and Leonia High School basketball coach who passed away on August 9, 2026, at age 93.
* **Roll Call:** Present were Mayor Pety, Council President Kohl's, Council members Carpenter, Hordern, McCale, Mitchell, Vegara, and Borough Attorney William Besl.
### **2. Citizen Concerns & Responses**
* **Legal & Contract Queries:** Joe Wyman noted that criminal harassment charges filed against him by Councilman Carpenter were dismissed for lack of evidence. He also questioned a \$7,500 monthly contract executed by the Borough Clerk rather than the mayor.
* **Fairview Intersection Barrel:** Mr. Ortiz flagged a dangerous traffic barrel obstructing Palisade and Fairview Avenue. The Administrator explained the barrel was a safety marker placed because a newly installed sewer line by a private building owner did not settle properly, adding that the owner promised a quick fix.
* **Hybrid Meetings:** Mr. Ortiz urged the town to restore hybrid WebEx access, noting that Bogota spent about \$80,000 on the system. The council explained that hybrid meetings require absolute reliability; if the remote feed fails during public participation, the Borough is legally required to shut down the entire meeting.
* **Debris Disposal:** Regarding home project debris disposal, the council noted that residents must typically hire private dumpsters, though the DPW will collect small amounts of wood if properly taped or bound.
### **3. Ordinances, Appointments, & Resignations**
* **Ordinances:** The council introduced **Ordinance 1659** to update stormwater control codes to align with annual state DEP guidelines. They also adopted **Ordinance 1658**, establishing reserved parking schedules for physically handicapped persons.
* **Appointments & Events:** **Derek Cabana** (junior firefighter) and **Join Matthew** (new firefighter) were appointed to Engine Company No. 3. The council also approved a Maple Street road closure on October 10, 2026, for an Oktoberfest homecoming event.
* **Library Resignation:** Longtime Library Trustee **Eileen Karpoff** resigned. The council appointed **Jamie Insilaco** to fill her unexpired term ending December 31, 2028, and approved sending Karpoff a thank-you note.
### **4. Committee & Administrative Reports**
* **River Road Flooding:** To address persistent flooding, administrators are scheduling a meeting with Congressman Gottheimer's office and plan to reach out to the Army Corps of Engineers. Other plans include painting the River Road train trestle with the Borough logo, purchasing barricades to prevent motorists from driving around flood cones, and executing underground sewer upgrades on Fischer and Cypress lanes.
* **Rec Center Access & Polling:** The county board of elections approved the newly renovated Recreation Center as a polling place. However, a recent committee meeting had to be held outdoors because members could not access the building due to contractor swipe-card issues. IT walkthroughs are scheduled to ensure the system is operational before mid-September open gym nights.
* **Halloween Closures:** The council debated Main Street road closures for Halloween, which falls on a Saturday. Concerns were raised regarding resident candy costs, security, and fire truck access. The Administrator plans to coordinate with Teaneck to see if they can push their closure three blocks north to create a safer transition.
* **Dog Park Soil Safety:** Regarding a resident's concern about testing the dog park's soil for mercury and arsenic (referencing a park closure in NYC), the Administrator clarified that the park is on private property (the former Hess terminal) and already holds a DEP "No Further Action" (Response Action Outcome) clearance letter.
* **Energy Resiliency:** The mayor discussed a potential state program for battery energy storage systems (Echo) to serve as zero-gas emergency backups for Borough buildings.
### **5. Executive Session**
The council entered a closed session to discuss litigation and personnel matters before returning to open session and adjourning.
The Bogota Mayor and Council held their public meeting on **Thursday, August 27, 2026**, at Borough Hall to address municipal business and citizen concerns.
### **1. Tributes & Administration**
* **Lee Clark Tribute:** The council honored the late Lee Clark, a Bergen County educator, veteran, and Leonia High School basketball coach who passed away on August 9, 2026, at age 93.
* **Roll Call:** Present were Mayor Pety, Council President Kohl's, Council members Carpenter, Hordern, McCale, Mitchell, Vegara, and Borough Attorney William Besl.
### **2. Citizen Concerns & Responses**
* **Legal & Contract Queries:** Joe Wyman noted that criminal harassment charges filed against him by Councilman Carpenter were dismissed for lack of evidence. He also questioned a \$7,500 monthly contract executed by the Borough Clerk rather than the mayor.
* **Fairview Intersection Barrel:** Mr. Ortiz flagged a dangerous traffic barrel obstructing Palisade and Fairview Avenue. The Administrator explained the barrel was a safety marker placed because a newly installed sewer line by a private building owner did not settle properly, adding that the owner promised a quick fix.
* **Hybrid Meetings:** Mr. Ortiz urged the town to restore hybrid WebEx access, noting that Bogota spent about \$80,000 on the system. The council explained that hybrid meetings require absolute reliability; if the remote feed fails during public participation, the Borough is legally required to shut down the entire meeting.
* **Debris Disposal:** Regarding home project debris disposal, the council noted that residents must typically hire private dumpsters, though the DPW will collect small amounts of wood if properly taped or bound.
### **3. Ordinances, Appointments, & Resignations**
* **Ordinances:** The council introduced **Ordinance 1659** to update stormwater control codes to align with annual state DEP guidelines. They also adopted **Ordinance 1658**, establishing reserved parking schedules for physically handicapped persons.
* **Appointments & Events:** **Derek Cabana** (junior firefighter) and **Join Matthew** (new firefighter) were appointed to Engine Company No. 3. The council also approved a Maple Street road closure on October 10, 2026, for an Oktoberfest homecoming event.
* **Library Resignation:** Longtime Library Trustee **Eileen Karpoff** resigned. The council appointed **Jamie Insilaco** to fill her unexpired term ending December 31, 2028, and approved sending Karpoff a thank-you note.
### **4. Committee & Administrative Reports**
* **River Road Flooding:** To address persistent flooding, administrators are scheduling a meeting with Congressman Gottheimer's office and plan to reach out to the Army Corps of Engineers. Other plans include painting the River Road train trestle with the Borough logo, purchasing barricades to prevent motorists from driving around flood cones, and executing underground sewer upgrades on Fischer and Cypress lanes.
* **Rec Center Access & Polling:** The county board of elections approved the newly renovated Recreation Center as a polling place. However, a recent committee meeting had to be held outdoors because members could not access the building due to contractor swipe-card issues. IT walkthroughs are scheduled to ensure the system is operational before mid-September open gym nights.
* **Halloween Closures:** The council debated Main Street road closures for Halloween, which falls on a Saturday. Concerns were raised regarding resident candy costs, security, and fire truck access. The Administrator plans to coordinate with Teaneck to see if they can push their closure three blocks north to create a safer transition.
* **Dog Park Soil Safety:** Regarding a resident's concern about testing the dog park's soil for mercury and arsenic (referencing a park closure in NYC), the Administrator clarified that the park is on private property (the former Hess terminal) and already holds a DEP "No Further Action" (Response Action Outcome) clearance letter.
* **Energy Resiliency:** The mayor discussed a potential state program for battery energy storage systems (Echo) to serve as zero-gas emergency backups for Borough buildings.
### **5. Executive Session**
The council entered a closed session to discuss litigation and personnel matters before returning to open session and adjourning.
0 replies