Attachment Z MINUTES FOR THE MILLBURN SHORT HILLS BUSINESS ORGANIZATION, INС. Special Improvement District Board of Trustees Meeting March 26, 2026-6:30 PM PRESENT - J. Lieberberg, A. Zaltsman, C. Best, B. Stoller, O. Buckingham, R. Wasserman (6:56PM) ABSENT - A. Schultz ALSO PRESENT - S. Grillo, T. Slattery SUNSHINE COMPLIANCE STATEMENT - Jackie Lieberberg SALUTE TO THE FLAG & SID MISSION STATEMENT - Jackie Lieberberg ROLL CALL - Steve Grillo APPROVAL OF MINUTES - Jackie Lieberberg . February 26, 2026 Public Session (Attachment 1) • Motion by A. Zaltsman, Second by B. Stoller - Approved Unanimously GUEST PRESENTATION - Donta' Bell - VReel • CityReel Online Business Directory/Municipal Intelligence Platform 이 Presentation on the online database platform provided by CityReel. Entire presentation can be viewed online. Comments were based on functionality of the site and ability for business owners to update promotions on their own, ownership of data and overall pricing for Explore. No action was taken at this time and further discussions may occur in the future. BOARD CHAIR REPORT - Jackie Lieberberg • No Report Scheduled FINANCIAL REPORT - Steve Grillo • Expenses through February 28, 2026 (Attachment 2) • Sponsorship Report (Attachment 3) • At the end of February we had $74,256 in the bank which increased to $90,931 when the report was run on March 6. As of the meeting, there was $85,670 which includes the first installment of the assessment collection on March 4 in the amount of $31,112. Collected $19,837 from reimbursements due to us from the town for 2025 and $2,200 from one final property owner who owed their 2025 assessment so both of those are completely closed out. We currently have $21,910 in committed sponsorships for 2026. Our goal for the year in our approved budget is $35,000 so we are doing very well. You will notice that we have $11,750 in outstanding payments but $5,750 of that we either just invoiced this week or are expecting the check this week. TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT - Committeeman Ben Stoller • No Report Scheduled� BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT - Omar Buckingham 이 Chatham Road Improvement Project Public Meeting (April 13) O Discussed the meeting logistics which involved a district within the BID ATTORNEY'S REPORT - Tom Slattery, Esq. • Bear Properties III - New Lawsuit Lawsuit was filed within the past week. Attempt to relitigate the case from Bear Properties II. Mr. Slattery has not been formally retained to represent Explore in Bear Properties III and the matter will be discussed further in Executive Session PROMOTION & DESIGN REPORT - Steve Grillo 이 • Girls Night Out 이 Girls Night Out is scheduled for Thursday, June 4. RWJ Barnabas and Paper Mill Playhouse have signed on as sponsors. The GNO committee has been meeting every two weeks and will begin meeting every week at the end of April. We are partnering with Pop Blossom and Genius Gems to provide childcare programs during the event as a way to free up parents who might not have a babysitter for the night while also helping to promote these children's-based activity businesses. Explore will handle the cost at an average of $37 per child ages 5-12. World Cup Events & Programs 이 World Cup planning is well underway, and we are partnering with Main Street Pops to bring our marketing, planning, and events to life. We have a variety of exciting promotions and events planned, including mailbox shopping contents, restaurant promotions, kids soccer skills day and World Cup Final viewing party Live Music Schedule (Millburn Courtyard) 이 Due to construction at Town Hall Plaza, we are hosting our summer music series at the Courtyard in Downtown. We already have seating there and we will add overhead lighting. I am also awaiting a quote from a powerwashing company to clean the area prior to the start of performances. We will have music on Friday and Saturday evenings from 6PM-9PM starting on July 10 and going through August 29. We did not schedule music on July 4 or Labor Day weekends. Because of the space limitations and adjacent restaurants, the music will be focused on jazz, blues, classical and acoustic. • Holiday Decor Ad-Hoc Committee Status - Christine Best • Christine is on the committee and provided the report. Recognized CM Serutto for organizing the group. Performed an inventory of snowflake lights owned by the Township and noted that there are 3 different styles. Discussed potential expansion of lighting along Millburn Avenue from Morris Avenue to former Annie Sez site.� ECONOMIC VITALITY & ORGANIZATION REPORT – Steve Grillo • New Businesses/Closed Businesses Ο We did not have any businesses open or close since our last meeting. We do have a couple of important updates including that Dilli Dilli Millburn (27 Main Street, Downtown) is planning a soft opening in late April and Aroma'z Home (344 Millburn Avenue, Downtown) is moving forward with construction. • Main Street Program • Millburn Avenue Construction Project Grant project that was funded last year for $150,000. We originally planned to remove the brick sidewalk on Millburn Avenue between Main Street and Lackawanna Place but the TC asked that different work be done on Millburn Avenue between Lackawanna Place and Holmes Street. The new scope includes: Four concrete bump outs at Whittingham Terrace and Holmes Street Angled Parking on the north side of the street to increase parking from 10 to 14 spaces Installation of new trees and poles to allow for banners to be hung across the street Improvements to the two areas near the Millburn Deli currently blocked from traffic by bollards including planters and artistic painting on the street to create a pedestrian oasis (south side only) • Repair and improvement of the sidewalk apron at Lot 12 (south side only) • Sign reduction project to increase aesthetics and increase clarity for drivers (both sides) • Main Street New Jersey 2026 Grant Cycle Application The application window for the 2026 Transformation Grant opens on April Ο 7. Since we received the maximum award in 2025, we are only eligible to receive a тахiтит of $20,000 in 2026. I plan to apply for funds to remove the old PA system in the Downtown and install Bluetooth speakers. Hopefully we can then leverage town funds to connect the network and install speakers on Upper Millburn Avenue and at Chatham Road since those areas cannot be funded by Main Street NJ money. Main Street NJ/America Board Training Resources Π S. Grillo asked all board members to select a month where they will read a report from Explore's Main Street America library and make a short presentation at the next meeting. A. Zaltsman and C. Best offered to report at the April meeting. ORGANIZATION/ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT - Steve Grillo • Consideration of Contract for Civic Centered Public Art Services for a Public Art Master Plan (Attachment 4) O S. Grillo read an email sent to him from Mayor Saccomandi concerning the RFP process and provided answers to three direct questions. These comments are included in these minutes. The comments and full discussion can be found at the� 1 hour 20 minute mark of the meeting recording. A robust discussion ensued concerning the scope of the RFP, the process of recommending the preferred consultant and design concepts versus planning process. The board decided to ask Mayor Saccomandi for a meeting to discuss his concerns and to have another Design Committee meeting which included reviewing the three candidate interviews again. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS The public is invited to provide comments at this point in the meeting. Clearly state your name for the record and limit comments to 3 minutes. Prepared statements may be sent to [email protected]. This is a business meeting and professional decorum must be maintained. If a speaker engages in disorderly conduct that disrupts the meeting or is meant to intimidate attendees, they will be asked to cease their comments. All questions must be directed to the Chair. At the conclusion of public comments, members of the board may respond or ask staff or the attorney to do so. Staff and the attorney will not answer questions without a request from board members • Committeeman Jamie Serruto - Commented on his interest in more recreational opportunities in the Downtown and cited indoor golf or a movie theater as potential options. Jeffery Feld - Resident & Attorney for Bear Properties - Requested access to the EMSH Main Street "library," discussed the Millburn 250 mural project, quested jurisdiction and oversight of the SID versus the township and provided information on Bear Properties III. Vicky Powell - Business Owner - See attached comments provided via email Perri Urso - Business Owner & Litigant in Bear Properties - Asked if local colleges were contacted about internship for public art RFP, asked if current SID website designer offers programming similar to CityReel, questioned March 19, 2026 social media post regarding Bear Properties III lawsuit RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENT & OPEN DISCUSSION Christine Best - Asked that legal matters no longer be posted on social media, asked about ads on CEDA tiles mural. J. Lieberberg responded that no private businesses are included in the mural S. Grillo - Spoke about the original intent of trying to include Upper Millburn Avenue in the original Main Street New Jersey application. Explained that only Downtown is included in the Main Street program but that does not mean that the other districts are not in the BID. They are two separate things.� EXECUTIVE SESSION • Resolution 26-002 Regarding Litigation Strategy re: Bear Properties III (Attachment 5) • Motion by R. Wasserman, Second by A. Zaltsman - Approved Unanimously •Motion to reopen to the public - B. Stoller, Second by A. Zaltsman - Approved Unanimously •Motion to adjourn - R. Wasserman, Second by A. Zaltsman - Approved Unanimously ADJOURNMENT • Next Meeting - April 23, 2026 at 6:3ОРМ� Comments By Vicky Powell, Business Owner Submitted in Writing after Being Read Into the Record Good evening, My name is Vicky. My Family has had a business in Millburn for over 41 years. I'm here tonight because I'm frustrated. And more importantly, I'm disappointed. I've seen this community through strong times and challenging times, and I care deeply about its future. We have a Business Improvement District that shows up every single day for this community. They support us. They promote us. They bring people into all of our business districts. They help small businesses survive - especially in challenging times. That is their role. And they are doing it well. So I have to ask - why does it feel like they are being challenged instead of supported? This recent situation around the Public Art Plan is a perfect example. As a business owner, not a board member, what I see is this: instead of collaboration, a formal letter was sent raising concerns before a discussion took place. If there were concerns, why not start with a conversation? Why not bring everyone to the table and work through it together? Because from where I stand, this approach feels like overreach. And more importantly, it feels counterproductive. You cannot say you support small businesses while creating friction with the organization designed to help them succeed. And this is not an isolated issue. We are heading into April, and two SID board seats are still unfilled. Two. These seats matter because they represent the business community - the people who are here every day, across all five districts, running businesses, creating jobs, and keeping this township vibrant. At the last Township Committee meeting, there was discussion about encouraging volunteers and getting people involved. So I will ask directly: Why is this board not being prioritized? Why are these seats still vacant? Because from the outside, it sends a message.lt tells business owners that we are not a priority.It tells us that our voices are not being heard. And after more than 40 years in this community, I can tell you - that is not acceptable. We are the backbone of these business districts. We bring people here. We create energy. We keep Millburn and Short Hills vibrant. We deserve partnership. We deserve communication. We deserve respect. Not politics.Not division. Not unnecessary back-and-forth. So here is what I am asking: Fill the open SID board seats. - Support the SID in doing its job. - And most importantly, continue to stand strong together as a business community. Because the goal should be simple: Thriving Millburn and Short Hills business districts. - A strong business community. - And leadership that helps move us forward - not hold us back. If you truly supportthis business community, now is the time to show it - by working with the SID, not against it.� Contract for Civic Centered Public Art Services for a Public Art Master Plan Read into the Record by S. Grillo As you may recall, we received a grant from Essex County to develop a Public Art Master Plan. We received three responses which were reviewed by the board's design committee. The committee instructed Michelle and Corinne to have one on one interviews with the respondents and Michelle and Corinne recommended that we proceed with Civic Centered Public Art Services. Their RFP response is in your packets. Prior to this meeting, I received an email from Mayor Saccomandi with concerns about this process and contract. I would like to read portions of that email - which is also included in full in your packets - into the record and answer his three questions. It has come to my attention that Explore Millburn-Short Hills has issued a Request for Proposals and convened a Design Committee to develop a five-year Public Art Master Plan (2027–2031). I am writing to ask you to provide a formal written explanation of the legal and operational basis for this undertaking before this process advances any further. Having reviewed the RFP in detail, I have significant concerns about its scope. The document describes the plan as a long-term roadmap for integrating public art into "the fabric of Millburn across a diverse range of locations." The scope of work directs the selected consultant to conduct "a visual and contextual audit of the SID and surrounding areas" - language that explicitly places the work outside the SID's geographic boundaries. The plan further contemplates initiatives tied to the Paper Mill Playhouse and its role in "Millburn's arts ecosystem" - a scope that has nothing to do with the commercial improvement district the SID was created to serve. The SID was established under Ordinance 2561-20 for the express purpose of encouraging the economic development of the Township's Special Improvement District. Section 4(a) of that ordinance explicitly states that special assessments "shall only be spent on those purposes permitted by N.J.S.A. 40:56-65." I recognize that the Corporation's bylaws (Article II, Section 2.01) contemplate some cultural and civic activities, but every purpose enumerated in that section is expressly limited to activities within or to the District. A township-wide public art master plan does not meet that standard. I would further note that the 2026 budget allocates $4,000 in SID assessment funds to this project - meaning assessment dollars are directly at stake. I also have concerns about the process by which a consultant has been selected. It is my understanding that interviews were conducted by staff without the full participation of the Design Committee, that the committee review meeting was subsequently cancelled, and that a consultant has already been informally notified of selection — all prior to a Board vote. These steps raise legitimate questions about whether proper governance procedures are being followed. The SID's jurisdiction is defined by its boundaries. When a project explicitly extends beyond those boundaries — as this one does by the SID's own written description - it is no longer solely an internal SID matter. It becomes a township matter. The Township Committee was not consulted. It should have been.� I want to be candid with you about something broader. This initiative is not an isolated occurrence, and I have observed a pattern of SID activities that appear to exceed the organization's core mission as defined in its enabling ordinance. Quite honestly, now that this situation has come to light, I believe we may be getting very close to the point where a more formal and comprehensive review of the SID's activities, budget allocations, and governance practices will become necessary. I note that the RFP schedule calls for a Board vote on contractor selection on March 26. I am asking that no contract be executed in connection with this RFP until the concerns raised in this letter have been addressed and the Township Committee has had an opportunity to review this matter. He then asked three questions which I will respond to now - 1. What is the specific legal authority under which this program is being undertaken, given that its scope explicitly extends beyond the SID's geographic boundaries Firstly, the scope does not extend beyond the SID's boundaries in any material way. Strategic partnerships with businesses and nonprofits both within and adjacent to the district are necessary to leverage additional funding, expand programming, and deliver measurable benefit to assessed stakeholders. The inclusion of a review of public art assets outside SID boundaries during a consultant's inventory is a standard planning practice. It ensures that recommendations are informed by the full municipal context, avoids duplication of existing infrastructure, and supports cohesive, town-wide planning. The notion of creating a music/public art trail to connect Paper Mill with the Downtown is an excellent way of physically connecting the #1 economic driver for the Downtown for pedestrians. Any future project that has aspects outside of the SID boundaries will require a relevant portion to be funded through partnerships, grants, or municipal collaboration. While the Township provides funding to the SID, it does not have authority to approve SID contracts or select vendors. The SID operates as an independent entity, and any suggestion that the Township Committee oversees these internal decisions reflects a misunderstanding of that structure. Furthermore, insistence that the Board delay approval of the contract until the Township Committee has reviewed the matter is inconsistent with the principles of non-profit independence, our bylaws and our ordinance. Neither the Township nor the Mayor has the authority to direct, oversee, or influence how this independent non-profit Board deliberates or votes. Section 7 of the establishing ordinance clearly states that the SID has the authority to "apply for, accept, administer and comply with the requirements respecting an appropriation of funds or a gift, grant or donation of property or money/make and execute agreements which may be necessary or convenient to the exercise of the powers and functions of the Corporation..."� 2. 3. A full accounting of all funds associated with this initiative, including the $4,000 in SID assessment funds reflected in the 2026 budget Essex County provided Explore with a grant in the amount of $5,060 which is matched by our funds for a total project allocation of $,10,119. $7,500 is allocated to this study, $1,000 is allocated to cover time dedicated to this work by Corinne Mahoney as stipulated in her contract and the remaining money is for maintenance of existing assets including the Postcard Mural on Haagen Dazs. When the 2026 budget line for this project was presented to the Township Committee for approval, what description of the project's scope was provided - and specifically, whether the TC was informed that the initiative would extend beyond the SID's boundaries to encompass a township-wide public art master plan. There were no specific questions about this grant asked of me at the time of the budget review. That could have been done by the Township Committee but it was not. I think the rest of the question has already been answered regarding Question 1.�