if I could ask everyone to find their seat [Music] please [Music] CA I would like to call to order I would like to call to order the reorganization meeting of Bernard's Township for January 2nd 2022 we will begin with the flag salute please stand United States the stands na indivisible andice for adequate notice of this meeting was posted on the Bolton board in the municipal building one Coler Lane basking rich on the township website an email to the Bernardsville news The Courier News Bridgewater tap in.net patch.com and filed with a Township Clerk on December 18th 2023 any motion to go into Clos session will include the matters discussed at such closed session will be disclosed to the public when such matters are finally determined and there is no further reason to prohibit the public from disclosure of the information relating to such matters no new business will be introduced after 10:30 p.m. public comment will be accepted at all meetings speakers will be limited to 5 minutes each all meetings will adjourn no later than 11:30 p.m. our first order of business is to swear in Mr Gary Balman and Miss Anna dardi McCarthy for three-year terms on the township committee Gary if you would please meet your family in front of the de assemblywoman Michelle masacus will administer the oath of office okay perfect ready okay let's do this okay I state your name I Gary Balman do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and that I will bear true faith and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and allegiance to the same and to the governments and to the governments established in the United States established in the United States and in this state and in this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and further and further I do solemnly swear I do solemnly swear that I will Faithfully that I will faithfully impartially impartially and justly and justly perform all the duties perform all the duties of Township Committee Member of Township Committee Member according to the best of my ability so help me God according to the best of my ability so help me God congratulations do you want to do pictures before you good [Applause] okay congratulations Gary would you like to say a few words well thank you one and all thank you Michelle assemblywoman mat cudas for coming and swearing the in thank you all for being here tonight it was certainly a long year plus process of of running it was my honor privilege and quite frankly joy to get to know so many of our neighbors and uh residents here in Bernard's Township to hear their thoughts hear their suggestions and to understand their concerns um all of which I believe will Center and focus my time and my service here here as a committee person in Bernard's Township I look forward to representing everyone we all chose Bernard's as a place to live that bonds us together regardless of our political affiliation and I believe it's important for us to work together for the common good the common goal and that is my pledge to you all thank you all so so much Anna if you would please meet your family and the de commissioner commissioner Sarah sui will administer the op of office I state your name I honor McCarthy do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and that I will bear true faith and I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and allegiance to the same and to the same governments and to the same governments as established in the United States established in the United States and in this state and in the state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and further and further I do solemnly swear I do solemnly swear that I will Faithfully that I will faithfully and partially and justly impartially and justly perform all the duties perform all the duties of the office of Township Committee Member of the office of Township Committee Member according to the best of my ability according to the best of my my Village so help me God so help me God [Applause] congratulations sorry one more oh just one more second great you congratulations Anna would you like to say a few words I would thank you Christie so thank you commissioner suie for coming here tonight and saring me in your support throughout the campaign and your partnership uh you are an inspiration to me as a young leader and I look forward to working with you and the County Commissioners in this new role and thank you as well to assembly woman mat cudas and congressman k for joining us for our reorganization it's an honor I wanted to just share that the late elanar Roosevelt once said do something that scares you every day and I did that last March when I decided to run for office maybe I wasn't scared enough but then again uh 10 months later I'm honored and humbled to be here sitting here tonight as the newest member of the township committee I'm really excited about supporting the great work that's already happened and being part of a team that will continue to work on the concern of all of our residents including among others meeting the needs of our senior residents uh development and safety I want to congratulate Gary on his election and mayor mcnali for his leadership this past year I also want to thank the members of the township committee and the administration who've been really gracious and welcoming since the election I look forward to learning from you and working with you in Partnership to achieve the best possible outcomes for our community I want to thank uh my daughter who's live streaming watching watchingg us uh from Boston uh Alissa you've been a wonderful partner and supporter my friends and family the Bernard's Township committee and in particular my husband Mike I always seem to forget to thank my spouse I don't know if that happens to any of you um he is a remarkable person and my compass someone I trust for guidance and Direction and and as Gary said you know we we are in a community that has different characteristics um and there are Republicans Democrats a number of growing un Affiliated voters but nonetheless We Are All One community at the end of the day regardless of whether you're Republican Democrat unaffiliated I'm here to serve you I'm here to hear you your voice matters and I look forward to being part of the leadership team here so thank you I will now call the role for attendance Miss Acy here Mr Balman here miss dardy McCarthy here miss Fields here Mr MCN here thank you the next item of business is the 2023 maril report from Andrew MCN good evening everyone happy New Year and a warm Bernard's Township welcome to all of you and a special welcome to county commissioner Sarah sui assemblywoman Michelle matsakas and Congressman Tom Kane thank you all for joining us tonight uh I'm Andrew MCN and it has been an honor to serve as mayor of Bernard's Township in 2023 consistent with tradition and with a new year upon us we'll be swearing in a new mayor tonight I'll remain a member of our local government but it's now time to pass the rents before I leave my role as mayor though I'd like to take stock of the past year and highlight some of our accomplishments public SA safety was among my highest priorities during 2023 as I mentioned when I first took office as mayor our region State and Country unfortunately face higher rates of crime compared to just a few short years ago that said Bernard's Township is still among the safest communities not just in New Jersey but in the entire country in early 2023 we swore in John berer as our new chief of police and Eric Getta as our new deputy chief under their leadership and the Exemplar service of all of our officers Bernard's PD has kept our community extraordinarily safe throughout the year we swore in four new officers provided our police with upto-date equipment and for the first time ever placed armed law enforcement at each and every one of our public schools to safeguard our children among my priorities for 2023 was the restoration of community policing and I'm pleased to report that our police department has delivered in that regard over the course of the last year members of the department held a public safety event here at Town Hall consistently communicated with the public about ways to avoid crime and our department brought back regular coffee with a cop events allowing residents to meet our officers ask questions and learn from them I thank our Volunteer Fire and Rescue companies for their outstanding service they provide to our residents 2023 presented a unique challenge stemming from the Liberty Corner first aid Squad voluntarily ending their operations in 2022 I'm pleased to report that in 2023 the town successfully and smoothly transitioned to Atlantic Health's Ambulance Service to replace the service previously provided by Liberty Corner Additionally the township committee ensured the squad's assets would continue to be used for the benefit of Town's Township residents Our Town held an unprecedented number of events throughout 2023 strengthening bonds among residents in Bernard's Township we greatly expanded our understanding Bernards and fabric of Bernard's events educating our residents on how government works fulfilling our commitment to transparency and showcasing the rich Mosaic of re residents that make up our town making good on an initiative I committed to when I was sworn as mayor we also held our first annual event featuring nonprofit organizations that do excellent work right here in our town I look forward to this initiative growing and evolving supporting our hometown nonprofits and the populations they serve and it's addition to new events we hosted many longtime favorites from past years like Charter day the mayor's Fall Festival field of Honor Veterans Day event our 911 remembered ceremony summer concerts plays in the park and more 2023 was also a banner year for improving our infrastructure in town we began the res resurfacing of our town pool responding to popular demand we installed more playground equipment at Harry Dunham Park and further restored the walking paths in botch courts there our public public works department removed hundreds of dead hazardous trees throughout Town repaired and rebuilt over 50 drains and catch basins replaced over 1,000 ft of guard rails and paved over 31,000 ft of Road throughout the township additionally we reduced traffic by developing a brand new road connecting the Ridge High School parking lot to the municipal complex and surrounding streets what's remarkable was that road had been the subject of discussions for decades but never got done until this past year additionally we we our Sewer Authority continues to deliver exceptional service at a reasonable cost for the six year in a row sewer rates will remain flat in 2024 all of the accomplishments I listed have one thing in common they all cost money when I was sworn as mayor I mentioned a concern about an inflationary environment and lingering supply chain issues from which the township is not immune we faced an extraordinarily challenging budget year in 2023 but we still delivered the services to our residents that they have come to expect importantly we were able to do this while holding true to our principles not to borrow a single penny to fulfill our obligations we maintained a municipal tax levy that is the Envy of surrounding towns throughout 2023 I'm proud to say that despite major challenges we kept our promises to you the taxpayers and delivered a transparent Municipal budget where local government lives within its means and our Municipal Taxes remain steadily low compared to peer towns finally we made a variety of other moves that shored up our fiscal position throughout 2023 we sold a new liquor license secured over $3.3 million in Grants and overhauled how we provide benefits to our Municipal Employees innovating in a way that will save both taxpayers and our employees money further we amended our salary ordinance to ensure that we can continue to attract and retain extraordinary talented staff I'd like to thank our CFO McCarthy and our head of HR Emily Kastle May Meer for their outstanding work in this Regard in that regard all of our accomplishments have something else in common they are team efforts I'd like to thank all of our fabulous staff across Township government led by our administrator Pat Monaco I'd further like to thank our municipal clerk Christian kefir who has kept the years of government attorning throughout the year I also thank all of our department heads Tom Timco Ryan Wallace sha McCarthy Emily kessle Meer John berer Gander Lucy foron and all those serving under them I finally thank all of our professionals including John Bardo our Township attorney we are truly blessed to have such outstanding public servants working for our residents I'm also grateful to the great many volunteers who serve on our boards and commissions the volunteers who serve in these roles for no compensation whatsoever really helped to keep our town running and you have our sinc serious thanks also thank my colleagues who served with me on this committee throughout 2023 Jennifer a Janice Fields Kake rala Gary Bowman and Jim baldari together we made countless decisions big and small some easy and some difficult through it all I couldn't ask for a better group of people to serve with and who are always generous with their time tension and wisdom regarding the Public's business I'd also like to extend my gratitude to all those who served on the burnard township Committee in years past our continued success is built on the foundation laid by so many dedicated public servants who preceded us without that vision in stewardship Bernard's Township would not be what it is today i' further like to thank my running M Jen AC and all of those who assisted Us in achieving elected office here in burner Township led by our campaign manager Paul Humber I would like I would not have been able to serve as your mayor for the past year if I had not first secured the trust of our residents through my election to the township committee everyone who assisted Us in that effort has my deepest gratitude and I believe that we fulfilled and will continue to fulfill our commit commitments to our residents finally I'd like to thank my wife Carrie and my two children Hannah and Alexander on countless occasions during 2023 I was dedicating time to our Township that I could have spent with my family their sacrifice and support helped made my public service possible I look forward to continuing to serve on this committee under a new mayor and I look forward to serving with Gary and Anna sworn in tonight as new members of this committee and congratulations to both of you thank you for this opportunity to have served as your mayor may God bless Bernard's Township may God bless America may God bless all of [Applause] you before we continue Andrew I'd like to present you of this momento for your time as mayor thank you everyone the next item of business is nominations for 2024 mayor I open the nominations for mayor Madam clerk uh I move that my dear friend colleague and running mate Jennifer Acy be nominated as mayor she is a person of extraordinary intellect and character and is a proven leader having served on this committee with distinction including as Deputy Mayor throughout 2023 Miss AC will make an outstanding mayor of Bernard's Township thank you are there any other nominations I close the nominations and will call the role for a vote for mayor Mr Balman yes Mr Ry McCarthy yes Miss Fields yes Mr MCN yes motion carried I hereby declare Miss Jennifer Acy as [Music] [Music] mayor Jen if you would please meet your family in front of the Das congressman Tom Kane Jr will administer the oath of office I state your name hi do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support that I will support the Constitution of the United States the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and that I will bear true faith and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and allegiance to the same and to the governments established and to the governments established in the united states in the United States and in this state and in this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and further and further I do solemnly swear I do Solly swear that I will Faithfully that I will faithfully and partially and justly and partially and jly perform all the duties perform all the duties of the office of Mayor of the office of Mayor according to the best of my ability according to the best of my so help me God congratulations spr [Applause] we need help okay the next item of business is nominations for 2024 Deputy Mayor Jen would you like to open um sorry mayor AC would you like to open the nominations I open the nominations for Deputy Mayor Madame mayor it is with great pride that I uh that I I moved the first order of business of your under your leadership and and uh I uh nominate committee woman Janice fields for Deputy Mayor 2024 are there any other nominations if there are no other nominations I close the nominations and ask the clerk to conduct a roll call Mr Balman yes Mr Ary McCarthy yes Mr MCN yes mayor Acy yes motion [Music] carried the next item of business is the mayor's address before I begin I want to thank everyone for coming as well as thanking Congressman Kane and assembly woman m Michelle matutas for coming this evening as well and Tom thank you for swearing me in so thank you to the entire Township committee for selecting me as mayor for 2024 I I look forward to working closely with each and every one of you I also want to congratulate Andrew MCN for his leadership as mayor in 2023 it is truly a privilege to serve with you to Janice I've appreciated your support and I look forward to working closely with you as Deputy Mayor and lastly I'd like to congratulate Gary Bowman and Anor DTE McCarthy on your successful elections and look forward to working with each of you I'm truly humbled and grateful to serve as Bernard Township mayor when I moved to town in 2007 this was never in the plan I was just a busy Mom working full-time volunteering in many capacities in my free time I knew we moved to town because of the Great Schools the Safe Community quaint character but honestly little else there were a lot of things that I did not know about my local government like while my why was my mailing address appearing as both burnard Township and Basking Ridge interchangeably while raising my older children I was very active in our community in their activities like Scouts Athletics Destination Imagination music and I leverage many of our communities resources this increased my understanding and appreciation of Bernard's Township here are five things that I learned about our wonderful Community one our town is well-run due to our awesome employees and fiscally responsible approach our Township employees are simply among the best in the state they're resourceful and responsible uh responsive to Residents our local government's fiscal responsibility assures money is spent only where it is needed to be spent trade-off decisions are made to ensure that money is spent efficiently the intentional Focus to keep the tax levy as low as possible while delivering excellent service is real second we live in a safe Community an article published in December of 2023 highlighted why Bernard's Township is one of the best places to live in New Jersey it mentioned that when it comes to crime and safety Bernard's Township boasts low crime rates significantly lower than the national average three education is important to our community men many residents like myself moved to town because of the excellent school system it's interesting to note many residents don't realize the township committee the mun ible form of local government is separate from the Board of Education we have separate elections and while taxpayers fund their remits Municipal Taxes comprise 16% while the Board of Education comprises 66% of taxes levied four Bernard's Township is a caring Community we are blessed with many selfless volunteers they serve on Township boards and commissions as firefighters or EMTs with our fire compan ianes or on one of many nonprofits that serve our residents or causes that are important to them and lastly five history is Rich within our community this ranges from the great old oak to Revolutionary War Stories or fast forward to 2023 with the sharp family singers who com competed in the America's Got Talent our community is Rich with inspirational history as we look at 2024 it's not lost on me that we're starting in an enviable position because of those who have come before us all of the previously elected officials Township employees and policies such as pay as you go and maintaining the debt-free status that Bernards currently holds each of us on Township committee brings something unique my personal interest always has been and always will be to Simply serve all residents when I initially took office I knew that most people had no awareness about the role of local government government like I had when I first moved to town as such I asked for our key department heads to do presentations in the evening for residents so they could better understand the role and scope of each department and to host question and answer sessions this is the understanding Bernards series I listen seek to understand and take action in addition to being active in many activities in town like coaching my son's wreck basketball team or are serving as girl scoutt cookie mom which by the way girl scoutt cookies here just started today I have also spent time reviewing data like the most current Census Data as well as speaking to Residents friends and neighbors who have a historical view of our town as well as those that have just moved to town in the last couple of years by participating engaging listening and inquiring I better understand where needs exists and work to create Solutions to address those needs I want every Bernard's Township resident to know your voice matters and we listen to you this includes anyone who contacts Us in any way whether it's be an email to Township committee coming in person to Township committee meetings or chatting with us at an event 2024 holds a promise for a lot of great things we look forward to the community events that typically bring us all together like Charter J in May or the Maris Fall Festival we'll continue to offer the educational speaker series understanding Bernards to provide information and transparency on how local government runs from our key Township department leaders we will also hold our fabric of burners programs that celebrates the diversity and inclusion of all of our residents while we rotate the groups highlighted annually we will repeat the tremendously successful senior Focus event this year but hold it on a Saturday morning to be more accessible to both our senior citizens and their caregivers we support our police department and their Community efforts like coffee with the cop and the safe exchange Zone in the police parking lot we are excited to host two townwide green yard sales one in the spring and one in the fall in 2024 this year we will also pursue participation in the mayor's Wellness campaign a Statewide Community Health Initiative that provides evidence based tools and strategies for Mayors and Community leaders to help their residents achieve healthier Lifestyles and to improve overall health and wellness in their communities this is all in addition to the vital and core Services provided by all of our departments that residents often commonly interact with specifically like Department of Public Works the Department of Health our amazing police department and the department of Parks and Recreation one could clearly encapsulate Bernards as extremely resident oriented while there is much promise we are also cognizant of the important issues that we will knowingly face in 2024 mainly INF uh inflationary pressures and downstream supply chain impacts potentially affecting tax rates attracting and retaining our excellent Town staff and overdevelopment threats due to affordable housing mandates in 2025 like last year keeping our Municipal tax levy low while maintaining top local government services will be difficult everyone is also aware of the competition for talent that exists in both the public and private sectors we need to ensure that we are providing competitive compensation and benefit packages and positive working conditions to attract and retain our amazing talent lastly the Potential overdevelopment Threat due to probable and unreasonable affordable housing requirements from the state to be made known in 2025 are coming this overdevelopment has the potential to negatively impact our quality of life and have serious adverse effects on schools traffic and Emergency Services we will work closely with other elected officials and Township employees to mitigate the potential negative effects of these three issues now I've shared the things that we and the town will do for our residents I'm now going to ask our residents for three things that they can do to help themselves and the town number one if you see something say something whether it's related to personal safety or a pothole please reach out to the department who can help you as quickly as possible if you see something in your neighborhood and something seems strange please contact the police either emergently or via the non-emergency line whichever is most appropriate if you see an issue with the road please contact the Department of Public Works via the phone or the report of concern functionality that's on the bernard.com mission for that particular group if your issue is not being resolved to your satisfaction escalate it to the Department's leader the next step is escalation to the township administrator and if there is still no resolution bring it to the attention of the township committee so we can look further into the matter this is truly the most efficient way to resolve a resident's problem sometimes people share their stories via social media or communicate to Township committee as a first step the quickest way to deal is to deal directly with the township employees first and third if you can make the time please consider to volunteer on one of our boards or commissions or with one of our amazing fire companies as a volunteer firefighter or Emergency Medical Services responder completing the tap the talent form or contacting one of these amazing fire companies is the way to raise your hand to help us help residents as I'm nearing the close I have a few more thank yous I need to thank my husband Derek and my children Reagan who is streaming from Indiana Brett who is in New York City Elise and Drew who are with us without your support I would not be able to serve in this capacity thank you to all of the residents in Bernard's Township I look forward to the opportunity to serve as your mayor working along with my Township committee colleagues and the Amazing Town staff we will do our best to ensure that each resident is able to have the excellent quality of life that we are accustomed to here in burnard's Township God bless you and God bless burner's Township thank [Applause] you next we have item 12 mayor's appointees for the sake of expediency I will not be reading each appointee name or resolution title aloud as we will proceed with remaining agenda I will refer to them by agenda number on behalf of the township committee I thank each and every appointee who will serve on behalf of the township and urge the public to consult the agenda for a list of tonight's appointees copies of the agenda are available on the table just outside the meeting room or on the Township's website and also I welcome everyone back to the Liberty Corner firehouse after the meeting adjourns for the mayor's reception agenda items listed under number 11 on the agenda are my 2024 mayoral appointments agenda items listed under number 12 on the agenda are my 2024 appointments subject to the township committee confirmation and I will ask for a motion to approve the same I'll make that motion second all in favor I I motion carried agenda items listed under number 13 are consent agenda items these items have been previously referred to the township committee for reading and study a copy placed on the website and our routine they will be enacted in one motion of the township committee with no separate discussion if separate discussion is required the item may be removed from the agenda by Township Committee Action and placed on the regular agenda under new business mayor I move the consent agenda second will the Kirk please call the role Mr Balman yes Mr dardy McCarthy yes Miss Fields yes Mr mcnell yes mayor AC yes motion carried moving on the next item of business is number 14 public comment comments are welcomed during the public comment period during this meeting on any agenda item or other matter over which the township committee has jurisdiction the public comment portion of the agenda is not structured as a question and answer session but offers an opportunity to share your thoughts with the township committee the township committee may or may not address these comments during the meeting however all comments are considered to address this body the speaker must come forward to the microphone and state his or her name and address for the P for the record each speaker is limited to 5 minutes the clerk will keep time please promptly yield the floor when the time is called and return to your seat your cooperation adherence to The Rules of Order will ensure an orderly and respectful meeting I open public comment hello uh Jane Conlin 110 Spencer Road um I wanted to say congratulations and thank you to both of our new Township committee members um and I wanted to also speak to Anna um I want to thank you on behalf of our whole town for running and being willing to serve our community the way you listen to understand and truly hear what people are saying and what they need and your ability to work with everyone will be such an asset to the committee and the community as a whole I also wanted to say some words on behalf of Joan Bannon um so I'm reading this on behalf of her I am so sorry the flu season has prevented me from being here tonight to say these words myself Bernard's Township is in great hands with you on the committee you have long been a compassionate intelligent leader and I am certain you will serve our community well having lived in burnard's town trip for many years I am sure you were aware of the wonderful Municipal Employees who serve our community I am also sure you will appreciate them on a whole new level level given you will be working with them over the next 3 years serving on the town ship committee is a great honor and quite a rewarding experience don't ever forget you are not alone the number of votes you received from our neighbors made that quite clear so good luck and best wishes Anna sending you much love and gratitude Joan thank you anyone else going twice I'll close public comment the next item of business is number 15 Township committee and staff comments would you like to start sure thank you mayor so Madame mayor I want to congratulate you and the deputy mayor on your appointment I want to uh uh congratulate our newest committee members uh Gary and Anna and uh you know pledge our support all staff and assisting you ramp up and you know working with you for the rest of the year and last but not least is outgoing mayor MCD thank you so much for your service for your support throughout the year your leadership and we look forward to continuing to work with you thank you mayor thank you Christine yes thank you mayor um first I want to thank Andrew for his time as mayor his service and support to the community as well as Township staff was phenomenal and I appreciate it I would also like to congratulate you mayor AC and Deputy Mayor fields and welcome Miss McCarthy dardy McCarthy and Mr Balman thank you Anna thank you thank you Jen well I want to start by congratulating you on your appointment as mayor and to Deputy Mayor Janice Fields I wish you both much success um and I'm here to support you in this du leadership so congratulations um addressing Jane Conlin's comment um yes I am the fourth Democrat elected in 90 years it's a little bit of a slow trend line I'm the second one this Century uh but and I'd also wanted to recognize Mr Bill Allen who's here he served on our Township Committee in two separate terms four terms in in total in two separate intervals um and it's just a pleasure having him here tonight so thank you Bill for your support and then congratulations as well to everyone who's being appointed or reappointed to our various boards and committees as uh mayor assay eloquently said uh being a volunteer is admirable uh I know there are others here tonight who would also like to serve so please continue to fill out those tap the talent forms um because our talent moves our community so thank you so much and we do meet every other week so you're all welcome back so so it's a nice Full House tonight so thank you again thank you commit uh I think I said it all uh before but congratulation again to all my colleagues and to you uh as our new mayor you're going to do a wonderful job representing our community so congratulations again and you have uh fantastic support in all of us uh but most notably your Deputy Mayor Janice F so congrats again thank you thank you committee owman uh thank you Andrew for your leadership last year your your speech was short but we know the tasks were tall and uh you you you carried them out with a plum um it was not an easy year uh and and and it was a year you served us admirably um congratulations uh mayor AC oh thank you congratulations mayor AC uh we look forward to your leadership this year you have the full support of everyone on the de um and um I want to thank staff for all the hard work last last year for your welcoming tenor of me when I came on to the the the committee midy year uh your orientation and and and brief on on how our Township Works was outstanding and really allowed me to hit the ground running um and and thank you again to all of the residents of Bernard's Township we're here for you I tell everybody my C phone number is on my business card so if you pick one up from me you will have it uh please uh uh you know adhere to Mayor AC's recommendations for how to resolve issues but if you just feel the need reach out we're here um so thanks again Deputy Mayor thanks so I wanted to say a few words with Andrew leaving and um as I did serve as mayor so I wanted to let everyone know my perspective um is that most people don't know is when you serve serve as mayor it's a different role than Township committee and it's a lot of responsibility so I want to say a few words about Andrew I want to thank you for serving Andrew um but most importantly being our leader TC's leader uh Jim baleri said it best as mayor you take all the accolades but you also take all the arrows so you did that want to thank you and a little perspective on Andrew um I want to say Andrew uh as mayor was authentic um it was always what you see is what you get which is great he never changed for for any situation or for anyone so thank you for authenticity um Andrew is a principal person as mayor he was never willing to compromise his values he was always collaborative he made a conscious effort to seek our ideas and our opinions and even when they weren't warranted because the lucky thing sometimes is Mayor you don't have to ask anybody's permission you can make a decision on your own but um Andrew always made sure to uh ask us what we thought it was important to him and we all appreciated that and um one thing is that uh that was really special I believe is that as mayor you get a lot of credit and Andrew used to always say I don't want to get all the credit I want to share it with all of you so every chance he got he always wanted to make sure that he shared the credit with all of us and that's much appreciated and he used to always say there is no I in team so thank you thank you J and he's very compassionate as mayor he was wholeheartedly he wholeheartedly cared about everybody whether it was an employee a resident or a colleague um he always listened he always helped and um he took an exceptional Joy it was a joy for him to hear all of our happiness so whatever anyone was going through if you were happy he was happy happy to hear it happy to listen and um I just want to say Andrew I truly respect you I admire your Integrity your family values Your Love of service to our community you are a remarkable person thanks again for serving as mayor and for an incredible year thank you thank you one last thing about the outgoing mayor um I don't know if I can take it this is this is actually the best part I think because I'm been lucky um I have to say when you serve as mayor it's very hard on your family sometimes you have to miss events family events your children's activities so I really want to thank uh Carrie his wife Alex and Hannah his children for the sacrifices they made so that Andrew can serve as our mayor so thank you it really means a lot I know the sacrifices that you made thank you MCN family thank you Jenice and I learned how to do this by watching you do it than and Jen congrat conratulations being mayor and the exciting part is uh Jen's very compassionate and driven person so I know we're going to have a wonderful and successful year and that we're all here to support you and especially me you can count on me I will always be here I will leave my phone on as TC you don't have to leave it on 24 hours so that's kind of good so and I also want to say congratulations to Anna and to uh to Gary because also what another thing is they've committed three years of their lives to service to our community and that says a lot for them to step up and I want to thank them for that I appreciate it and now back to my reports on my Leon and boards and commissions I want to congratulate uh I'm the leison for the Liberty Corner Fire Company and I would like to congratulate Ken white on becoming the fire chief for the Liberty fire company and also Pete Abra abrahamian I got it right on becoming president and I look forward to working with both of you so congratulations and while you're all here I'm going to give a plug for my Liberty Corner Fire Company our Liberty Corner Fire Company who will be hosting a fundraiser dueling pios presented by Howl's Howell at the Moon on Saturday January 20th at the Liberty Corner firehouse please we hope you will support them by purchasing tickets at their website Liberty Corner fire.org do.org so thank you appreciate all that you do and I want to say uh also the Bernard Police Department I want to thank our Police Department for an outstanding year their dedication and determination keeping us safe has led to several new initiatives this year which we will be announcing once we are ready to roll them out thank you and especially chief burer for your leadership thank you thank you mayor thank you if I have anything else to say um I mean I thought my remarks were kind of long honestly um but I do want to really um share the gratitude our Township employees are really remarkable and under your leadership Pat and Christie um you've been so instrumental um and the leadership with your leader your leaders like Chief Berger here and and others we are just so blessed so thank you for teaching me and continuing to teach me and for those on the de again I've learned from the best I've observed you Janice and obviously you Andrew and um I'm just beyond grateful so we're very lucky and um I don't know if there's anything else to say except next agenda item next item is number 16 new business we have none this evening mayor that would bring us to item 17 adjournment this concludes the agenda for this evening so if there are no objections I declare this meeting adjourned by unanimous consent here here here here [Applause] [Music] and again we have the reception at the Liberty Corner firehouse hope to see you there thank you is