Essex County Commissioners Live Meeting October 7, 2026

The Essex County Board of County Commissioners’ meeting on October 7, 2026 included several procurement approvals, largely passed by roll call. Major capital and facilities actions included awarding Tascal LLC, the lowest of seven bidders, a contract not to exceed $3,172,000 to modernize bathrooms at a county reservation; approving a $220,000 change order for JA Alexander’s Livingston roundabout project, increasing its contract ceiling from $1,147,967 to $1,367,957; and approving a $62,500 HVAC change order for Air System Maintenance, bringing that contract to $375,000. The board also approved Green Valley Landscape Design and Maintenance for snow and ice removal at South Mountain Recreation Complex, not to exceed $344,600; a landscape-maintenance extension with Shoger Property Services, with the transcript’s amount garbled; and a two-year Signal Electric Corporation extension, not to exceed $159,600. Other parks actions included deer processing services capped at $40,000, an animal-waste disposal extension while a new contract is advertised, and arrangements for exotic-zoo veterinary services.

The board approved workforce-program agreements with Essex County College ($50,000) and Essex County Vocational School, as well as other service and legal actions, including retaining Case Shahin and John Tamasi to assist with negotiations for the county’s self-insured health plan. It approved a heating-oil agreement for seniors (the stated cap is garbled in the transcript) and a negotiated XT Direct LLC contract for emergency recorded calls after two solicitations received no bids; the contract amount is unclear in the transcript. Resolutions also authorized grant-funded health, substance-use, youth, and election programs, including opioid-settlement funds and election-expense reimbursement, generally with no county match stated. An ordinance was introduced providing 3% increases in 2027 and 2028 for specified officials, consistent with collective bargaining agreements, and another ordinance amended the county’s insurance-fund provisions. Public comment raised concerns about access to Eagle Rock Reservation for an outdoor education program; commissioners said they would seek follow-up with the administration, and discussed the need for clearer park-use procedures.