e e e e e e meeting tomor please adequate notice of this meeting was provided in accordance with chapter 231 Public Law of 1975 s meditation please okay commissioner Maran leg Al to the flag of the United States of America and the stand andice before we start Madam clerk uh I hope I hope everyone had a very nice memorial day week we got a little lucky we had a couple nice days in there um it was a pleasure uh getting out and over at the parades and seeing all people uh you know not just barbecues and that kind of thing but also uh getting out the cemeter I feel bad because today is the only day that I was able to get to see my action my father was grave and put a flag today because we were out all over the place um but um we do need to remember the fallen and the service and the sacrifices that they made and I just want to thank you all for taking this time to come out here I know the meetings as well but um the military um is something that's so important to us uh to keep our country safe and I just want to say that uh I thank everybody for getting out there Commissioners um showing showing that you're you're out there and you're part of the community so thank you all and thank you all providing this all right um uh clerk can we get started please commissioner Al here commissioner luds pres commissioner Sor here commissioner Maran here commissioner Taylor pres deputy director Romero here director Soo here do I have a motion in second to accept and dispense with the reading of the minutes from the last public meeting move second all in favor a letter dated May 3rd 2024 the Ocean County Board of Commissioners notified the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners of a resolution adopted at a meeting of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners held on May 1st 2024 supporting HR 78 784 you earned it you keep it act to amend IRS code of 1986 to exempt future Social Security benefits from the federal income tax so older Americans could keep more of the money they have earned notice a filing and public hearings dated May 9th 2024 in the matter of the petition of Atlantic City electric company for approval of a portfolio of Energy Efficiency building decarbonization and demand response programs cost recovery mechanism and other related relief pursuant to the clean energy act for the period January 2025 through June 2027 BPU docket number Q 23120 871 do I have a motion and second to open a public comment on resolutions only direct director before we do this these two two things letters can we write a letter or support one of these ourselves the top one from moan County uh we have not done so these came in just recently we consider that a resolution good what want to bring up the discussion sure next next two weeks thanks sorry about okay proceed do I have a motion a second to open public comment on resolutions only move second all in favor public comment that your name address phone number Social Security number 510 being H C Deerfield um talking about resolution 339 this about the only thing I complain about anymore and this is ridiculous um it's the uh monetary cealing for legal expenses and they're increasing it by [Applause] $50,000 perhaps it's even necessary to pay this money perhaps it's correct to pay this money but I think we out here should be given more information men were ever given about this money and all the other suits that are going on we should know more about that now I realize there's limits but darn it let us know what's going on it is important to us it's our money and I'd like that be to have this put in a a regular procedure where we're told here's why the money is going up here's how it's going up and this is what the problem is I've seen this particular one come through so many times uh it's versus Charles Warren I don't even know Charles Warren um I think I heard he was the the uh the warden I mean what what could he have done so wrong that's costing us a total so far of $751,000 answer your question after we all the other public um comments are made okay and um we'll try to satisfy at least a tidbit of what you're at there okay I I I do realize there limits but this is this is obscene it really really is and just everybody know it's uh light depal Greenberg and afanador is the lawyers help us out let us know what's happening here please anyone else good evening everyone my name is Jennifer brener I'm the director of the K County Library want Sal about 2024 308 tonight um it is on consent agenda I'm hopeful that it will pass uh just want to throw some numbers out at you so um between down race River and Commercial Township they had 68 students take the standardized tests out of those 600 student 68 students 140 met standards only 140 you have zero school librarians in those three townships so I mean this is something that's important we're also offering Veterans Affairs office we're offering a Health Department office Human Services and Workforce Development to reach that part of the county that cannot get here so please I implore you to really think about this and the impact that it's going to have on the community and how much the community needs it we spent $260,000 on just toner cartridges I'm asking for $350,000 for an entire community so just put that in in perspective thank you for your time and I appreciate your vote thank you thank you Sandy ASO Upper Deerfield Township um I believe the bridon zoo is still on the agenda for tonight I I haven't looked okay um I have a flyer I just I come across this flyer and I thought it was appropriate since you're considering you know the supporting the the zoo it's a there's a fundraiser Zoo uh tastic fundraiser from a um I believe he's a high school student in at Salem High School so they're accepting uh donations um I have Flyers here paper towels bleach liquid soap um because if you can imagine owning a pet and experienceing the cost that's involved with just your pet on an annual basis multiply that over hundreds of animals that the zoo takes care of so it's a it's a costly Venture but it's well worth it because our children are being busted from school trip for school trips going to the zoo we have people coming in from other counties appreciating the zoo spending dollars in the restaurants and the community surrounding the zoo which is in cumber county okay we all know that so um if anyone's interested in the flyer to give support i' app appreciate it and I really appreciate the support that the Commissioners could continue to give to the zoo I know in the past it's either been voted no or bulked at similar to what it was at the last meeting um and that attitude needs to change thank you good evening my name is Mark chapini and I reside in Fairfield Township on Elmer Road 557 Elmer Road I formerly lived in Mars River Township years ago and I've been an educator my whole life until retirement and libraries are extremely important and I came here tonight to support the request for the funding for the extension library and to say one other thing about history and libraries a couple thousand years ago my ancestors sieged Alexandria and burnt their Library down and it had every single writing and every single book ever written before that from anywhere in the world and we have lost all that knowledge we will never find it for to combat yes unfortunate totally libraries are extremely important and I urge the funding thank you very much hello my name is Sharon chapen 557 Elmer Roode Fairfield tail chip I'm here in support of our library and the extension and I'm really asking you to approve this not only for the library and what it'll do for the communities out that way but also that it's going to bring offices that will bring services to that Community as well where they're so far out they really miss out on getting here to our cities and our County offices to get what they need so I think it's a win-win for every everybody and I hope you'll vote for it thank you thank you any else you go who are you namey richway from uper Deerfield and Fairfield townships well good evening there you go okay my phone remember anything you want good evening everyone I'm Nancy rich boy um on resolution 2024 308 that's the resolution to accept the grant awarded for the New Jersey SL Capital project fund Community Center digital connect in the amount of $3 [Music] million uh this is for the library I hope we do not lose this grant a lot of people spoke about it all already so that's all I'll say and then we have 2024 325 this is a resolution a shared service agreement with the city of Briton for the cahy C that's $330,000 I was at a meeting last week or the week before and one of our commissioners said that he would like to see a park system going from downtown fton all the way through Bron through the zoo through the zoo over to Hopewell Township and I've heard a lot of talk in this these meetings about a park system and the Kahan zoo is part of the city of Bron's Park system so like M Miss Taylor said at the last meeting that maybe we should be upping the amount of money that we contribute I think maybe we should you really want a park system in the county make Bron Park part of your county park system that's my recommendation so let's go for it you can't just have it over the coral area at the fairgrounds we got a lot of parks all over the county we got to support the parks all over the county we got a resolution in here to put a or or ornamental fence at the county fairgrounds but I saw it was going to be paid for with gra M so I won't say nothing I'm not done yet I got five minutes but I want to go to another pet peeve that I've been hearing a lot about and Matt you don't have to say anything it's all going to come out sooner or later we have a resolution 2 24 348 it's a resolution authorizing participation of come County as the designated negotiating entity in the state development and Redevelopment plan cross acceptance process now this is a very important plan that the state is doing you'll be hearing a lot more about it but I found it interesting when I was reading this resolution m I don't mean to interrupt but this is for consent agend any any resolution it's resolutions is it all resolution yes I hope my five minutes is enough um but the second paragraph says whereas the state planning act states that New Jersey needs integrated and coordinated planning in order to conserve its natural resources to revitalize Urban centers to provide affordable housing and adequate public facilities at a reasonable cost to promote equal social and Economic Opportunity for New Jersey citizens and to prevent spa and promote the Su suitable use of land now this is planning I have plans too for my property and I hope when you do this plan that you take into consideration that the citizens own property and they have plans for their property also thank you anyone else I so on uh the brown litigation I'm happy to report that this board exercised its uh its power to settle that case so this was a class action suit um it arose in the wake of uh well during uh Co it was um filed in 20 20 and um this board did something unique it came in and it looked to try to resolve litigation where it was all feasible or possible and this was complicated litigation this was a class action suit um alleging conditions at the jail um for substandards um alleging that there was deliberate indifference uh exercised as to our inmates um judge hman in the federal district court uh took it so seriously that he appointed Fox swwa troud one of the major firms um multi-state firm uh to represent the inmates and past administrations defended this litigation using the county uh litigation rfps and hired councel and uh went to battle ultimately U this Administration I guess last year so this more or less this Administration most of you were here determined that um in order to combat a firm like Fox Roth child uh there needed to be special consequences special actions taken and we um hired uh the firm uh that was talked about the the uh um Victor rador form firm uh like the Palama uh and they effectively got this litigation from after the 10 days of testimony spinning and reacting to the point where it was settleable this board voted to settle it and voted uh to accept terms that included a $900,000 payment for attorney's fees that included a $40,000 class incentive so that the inmates got something and the special master that was appointed by judge Hillman um William J Hughes attorney down by the sh stayed on as special master so uh to say that this was the actions of one person would be a misnomer in fact it's it holds responsible the county but what it doesn't hold responsible is this Administration for past actions right that this County had happened what this Administration did to distinguish itself was get around in front of it and resolve and uh that essentially in a nutshell is how we've ended up spending so darn much money on this suit that mentions um a pass Warden uh at this point it's resolved at this point you have paid your incentive payment at this point um borrowing any unforeseen circumstances the next time we should hear from this is at the end of this year when you owe the second installment as to attorney's fees and then in the early next year when we're going to pay the last install of the attorney's fees but for whatever um William Hughes uh raises when he comes through as in his position as special Master to look at the G so that in essence is probably a gross simplification of what was probably one of the most complex cases one of the more complex cases to hit this count so it's played this for a long time yeah and this firm has done outstanding like department does great job fact we chose to put like Department in to help litigate this situation they could they would think outside the box and they did they got the communication going that that's what got us moving to where we're at today the would Sol because they they they spoke up and you can feel it right away what the judge knew that they had a different firm when they said something it was the truth and they move forward with it so I would I would really like to know what Mr Johnson wants to say yes okay the corrections the Corrections Department is working feverously to make sure that the master will find nothing wrong in the Jil that's corre what we what we faced here was the Baton I call it the lawyers baton because it's the billables that's all it is and then before we put on light the Pama it just back and forth and back and forth and it just kept going because of the complexity of what uh solicitor Carr had just mentioned now when we brought the new firm in he got the ball rolling and we finally and like and again to help solidify and simplify a little bit what the solicitors said is that there's going to be one more uh payment on this that un unfortunately was uh two more payments two more pays this one and okay so one more after this and this fir is hand only one other matter for us related to co you might hear their name again but nothing of this this magnitude please go ahead is this UPS scene yes it's very upen the amount of money we're talking about and the problem is people come County are paying for as as far as I'm concerned mismanagement of the previous administration and we're going to pay next year to right so do you have every right to be upset yeah and so there's everybody in this room this should have never happened to this extent it should have never happened and we're going to pay but I will say one thing about this commission we plan to do a job they did the job Administration did their job and it's finalized now do you going to have little extraordinary expenses yes this is not going to be the total end of it but this is going to be real close to it so we're not happy about this either and I think we would have talked about this a lot sooner but of course we we want to make we want to make sure we didn't step out of balance with the attorneys and the law the the part of this which is very um promising is that in fact you're seeing less and less resolutions having to pay litigators um as you as we've gone over the last couple of months and it's important to know that these situations are being resolved Ro wasn't built in a day and you know how government moves it moves slowly and lawyers like to move even slower when it comes to hours Bal hours so and I and I I say that in yes but it's important to understand that we are moving in the proper direction um I hope insult some loers that are in the room by the way this firm is is in the process of wrapping up or has wrapped up it settled we're just putting the settl the strip search litigation known as parish for the jail same firm same quality that's right so that with that said yes sir goad I apprciate all all the comments there first of all where was the money already budgeted the $100,000 let let the solicitors speak to that because there's more there's more to it please uh so the budgeted for amounts for the settlement come out of the trust fund that we have set aside for um Insurance reserves uh so self insurance so it comes out of there $300,000 payment that comes out at the end of the year that's coming out of there any litigation fees related to the jail comes out of the Jail's operating budget okay I appreciate that now is this the jail that we plan on abandoning when we build a jail with sell it's not abandonment and I'd rather not go back and forth if we want to discuss that later we can do that sir me and you or anybody else in the room we can do that okay all right so all right um uh 308 I think was the next one I don't think there other question I know 30 thought a question no okay else the library support okay um all right then now before you go into consent is that what you're going to go into a motion for consent okay can I ask my questions after the motion sure second discussion okay good all right okay do I have a motion and second to vote by consent agenda on resolutions 202 24-36 through 2024 344 second discussion commissioner discussion have discussion discussion okay um on there's two resolutions uh 316 and 317 I must abstain personal conflict has to do with Transportation all right the last one is um uh 322 the anything thing I want to say about 322 I just want to explain to the people this is not a tax that the crumling county Board of Commissioners is putting on the people of comeing County I just want to explain that the tax is um Refuge that is brought to the ccia there's a $3 per ton I believe it is tax on it that's where this money's coming from all right I just want to make because the way I read it I've read it a couple times it sounded like I was we were putting a tax on sound confusing okay and it was a little confusing and I got the the information it is not not taxed by the board it is money received it's a state of New Jersey that puts this tax on all Refuge going to the landfill all right it's $3 am I correct $3 okay I just wanted to clarify that to everybody so you know was going on all right thank you I was just to go back and for I do have some please okay on um resolution 2024 324 regarding downtown I will have to abstain as I am a resident of downtown and um I do have a comment about the zoo but I'll save that for later um in my opinion the zoo is a valuable asset of kerin County and at the last meeting I did um suggest that we increase the budget to $50,000 for next year because we already have 30,000 budgeted this year so I just wanted to um say that publicly for those who weren't here last meeting okay commission Mor I don't have anything commission I don't have anything commission yeah this is 308 this to talk about the library just a real quick four stages of this this library is an therea it's much needed we've uh we pointed out that the literacy of this county is is something we're able to tackle and liary this extension of Library will help us in an area that desperately needed it's been our libraries librarian has already pointed that out with the numbers and this is not just a traditional Library our library has changed it's become more of a uh uh it's not just books it's a beating place it's a place where people get U uh re uh that back into society the classes uh uh children uh Kids U little ones up that this is a place where that they can come to and it's a safe place to be and this is a step forward taking that experience and moving down the road until the area that definitely needs it it's not just that also I've talked to you guys many times saying this is not just a liary it's also a Welcome Center uh I minute I started we started talking about it I said our Jen brider and she most said the same thing to me like we're talking about bathrooms bathrooms up front in this place because it could be kind of a tight like a visitor center walking Center down where our uh East Point Lighthouse our Baye Shore there are no places that people go there and they come back before they go trip back go just the simple process of going to the bathroom or washing their hands or clean it up before they get in their car and go this gives us ability to have something there right in front um it's so important if you're actually going to encourage Economic Development since throwing this idea out was the state because the state uh saw what we did with the and and I qu I I I graduate the board because it's probably the best board I've associated with because they have ideas that they put things together and they work hard at it but we did that with I say we they should be they did it the state came down and they were the ones initiated it how often does that happen the state is we think we do this with you guys cuz you pulled it off and when the state did that uh one of the the big things is that it also got things going with the townships more Township commercial that this is an economic Corridor that this could be a quar stone for that the Route 47 which if you driv it down Route 47. 347 is Barren and this is a good starting point a quarter Stone to start that Redevelopment they see it not me they see it what could be done just by starting there and one of our biggest property owners in in the county U I wish I remember their name the the sand County people yes they actually when they heard about this they were even thinking we'll donate land to this because that's what they saw as a in their Community what could happen so I just I can't stress enough that how important uh this is not just a library this is a a library on steroids basically because of what it could do in that area and really the goals we set can really make things happen for for this area at at the counts a home so um thank you commissioner thank you this what can't read your notes again I can't read my I get that fastor we're going move on I don't have any comments no coms okay very good commissioner Alber uh yes commissioner luk yes commissioner Maran yes commissioner sarrow I have you abstaining from 316 and 317 that is correct yes commissioner Taylor I have you abstaining from 324 yes deputy director rero yes director Soo yes do I have a motion in second to adopt resolutions 20243 306 through 2024 344 by consent do I have a motion and second move second commissioner Al yes commissioner Lo yes commissioner marshan yes commissioner SAR accept commissioner Taylor staining 324 yes deputy director Romero yes director SLO yes resolution 2024 345 resolution authorized the award of a non-fair and open contract for providing voting machine programming testing and support services for primary 2024 election and November general election do I have a motion and second so move second questions all questions or comments yes we're going to spend $192,000 having check over machines trying to figure out why nothing was done two years ago or whatever machines that I think are inadequate okay machines that I don't even think work properly I'm still trying to figure out why you need a machine where you use a computer then it prints as into pieces of paper and then you put the paper this all can't be done at one time this really makes a lot of sense to me and we used to laugh about we used to be able to put a man on the moon how many years ago that okay but what I want to know if we spend this kind of money what guarantees do we have that the day of election that if it goes down do we have to pay somebody to come out and fix it because if we do I'm not voting for this it doesn't make any sense at all because if I'm going to pay $192,000 to people and then they pay they charge us to go out and fix the machine anyway that's crazy that is ludicrous okay that makes no sense at all if you don't check them out and you have to fix them anyway what's the difference you're going to pay what $192,000 I remember the machines you went click click click click click you pull it it was done you opened up the back it gave you the number finished mechanical we can't get anything done with these machines and we got to pay $192,000 I got a problem with this I really do I have a problem with this I don't know what the rest of you feel like but that's my opinion I do have a question you have some from theard of election she's onlinee are you online yes I'm here hi Elizabeth this is not just for the primary this is also for the general correct yes it's both election 95 97 and this is for service as well as maintenance yes it's programming preap testing and election day we go to SCH do we currently not have election day and early voting support um that's with um the right and if we we didn't pay for this do we already have that so we didn't have that last year you paid for it last year as well we did yeah we did this is been this has been ongoing since we received the voting machine and we do only pay about 20% of that bill because most of it get by the early voting okay say that again Mrs they only pay a percentage of it because it gets reimbursed by the early voting Grant okay would that be important to have in our resolution if it is what's the percentage Miss Miss Hernandez of how much of the bill is paid reimbursed by the early voting Grant it always it just depends on how the bills written up but most of it gets paid by the early building I [Music] believe you paid 15,000 of the 190 I'm sorry you broke up a little bit was that what you said no we paid 15, 90,000 15 out of 90 or the general both and that was for the general election okay so Mr rway will'll get reimbursed for some of this I know we talked about this before in a different resolution we know how long it can fluctuate so at one point um not to speak for you Elizabeth but at one point we had requested an advance of funds from the state provision of Elections so I think we received like 80,000 in advance just for early voting expenses but then it's you're up to the State sched actually get reimbursed for the C amount um so and just remember the it's not a traditional Grant from division of Elections so it's not like we can set aside a reserve and then can expect payment because it's not there's no Grant agreement there's no obligation that we get it so we charge it against our operating budget that you guys adopt every year and then it reimburses us as a refund that's what I'm see so there may be there may be some transfers needed towards the end of the year anticipating that we don't have that money yet but um yeah there's no guarantees right unless you have a written agreement executed by theity County saying we're going to give you this am we did we did we figure this in our budget yeah okay have we been refunded for what we paid for last year already yes yes what percentage do you know what uh I assume the bill is somewhat similar to what we're getting I want to say we had a receivable in our books of around over 300,000 that we received in January between her and the clerk's office over a little over 324,000 yeah and then the okay all right so every year we pay for this bait it's Dory this every election this is done there's no this is nothing more than than last year or the year before nothing more dep than this is that true yeah yeah I got it here yes okay any other questions let's move on commissioner Al yes commiss loads my vote is yes yes the service and maintenance is required I do hope that U Dominion does a much better job than last year uh we saw a lot of problems at the polls on the day of the primary on the day of the general um we saw voters walk away that is simply unacceptable I hope that um the Board of Elections is communicating that to Dominion that the performance last year was very quite frankly subpar and that it that is not acceptable for this year um but however we must do this to continue maintaining um the machines that we do have in the investment the County's already made so yes my vote is yes commissioner Soro I'm going to vote Yes but I'll tell you right now I want to look for new machines I really do I I would I would actually vote for a bond to get rid of the machines we had that's you got my yesterday commissioner Maron yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Romero yes director Soo uh yes and I chime in with the others on this because when uh but the kind of traffic we're going to see this year on a presidential election is what concerns me when we had the other elections that were smaller and um it wasn't as a much of a burden uncertain of voting voting but it looked like all the high volume areas seem to have their difficulties especially time eting more than anything else this last election and um when you wait 20 30 minutes to to vote it should only take three or four minutes maybe 10 minutes tops in the line so um I'm a yes with this we know we have to have software back up and Tech technical backup in case there should should be something that goes down [Applause] so resolution 2024 346 resolution amending resolution 20246 designating regular monthly meetings amending scheduled as to July and August 2024 meetings do I have a motion at second move second any questions or comments director I have comments else so I I'm not in favor of this I we we have a job to do uh I don't know uh we do get I guess people get vacations I don't know but uh we work we have two two bucking me uh what a work session what a regular meeting I I don't see this being off the wall we have staffed that works that's here we pay I I don't see the advantage of it if last year July and August was probably one of the busiest years we had and County government attempted to do projects I I mean it's you slow down slow down then you have to you have to Gear Up September October we should be moving and roll it we plenty to do if we don't have enough to do we plenty to do so thank you thank you commissioner anyone else okay commissioner Al no commissioner LS I do agree that we should maintain our regular meetings with they are but this is the pleasure of the director will yes commissioner Soro yes commissioner Maran yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Amero yes director Soo yes resolution 2024 347 resolution awarding a contract for providing various youth services for the C County Youth Services advisory Council RFP number 24-10 do I have a motion and second motion second questions or comments commissioner Al yes commissioner LS yes commissioner SAR yes commissioner Maran yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Romero yes director Soo yes resolution 2024 348 resolution authorizing participation of a Cumberland of Cumberland County as a design ated negotiating entity in the state development and Redevelopment plan cross acceptance process do I have a motion in second move second questions or comments um well I will make a comment um you know this this really is in name only um and I I do implore the state of New Jersey having sat through several meetings with them to actually change their their formula for their planning um so that it does open up different funding opportunities for different municipalities within the county director the this is so important Mr re kind of tapped on a lot of it this is so important to this community this County that we tackle this process they're they're rushing through it yeah we got to go beat with our different uh townships in the cities we're they're rushing through this this is not a three month four month process this should be a year year and a half because everything that's dictated here and it will be dictated to us should be a year process should be the bottom line is that when we should be tackling this uh and should have different points of view and and look at our townships and talk with them not one meeting because the bottom line is that there are many things that affects and we don't even know how much it's going to affect down the road and this this should be the highest point of this this commissioner board because everything we do steps from this this uh this uh planning process and and I remember and I'll just say that as part of County the Planning Development at time that the whole gearing of the Planning Development this is years ago with the first time they were doing the state plan it it took we gearing up and and meet and talking and going back and forth in the state and discussing what we thought was important to our area not for them to tell us what what we should be or what is in their eyes we were telling them what we thought and it changed years and it changed and it changed and that's the problem they didn't fulfill what we thought what was negotiated we didn't have nodes that we decided that were set up that we could grow from and and we're paying the price now 30 40 years later because of that so I and I urge the director I urge this commission do not take this slightly and this planning I know they're not but we need to focus to have people there that that that shows what we believe is important to us in this County and it's right now this is our point I'll make one sorry director one time when the state person was talking at the ccia they invited that wasn't our planning department there but they were talking they had their vision of what C County was in her the glimp in her eye of well this is what we think C county is that's the problem they already know we are that's in their eyes not what we believe we are and where we want to go so so that's position of what the C County should look like and we don't have any say in this we don't we don't have any say they already detered we have to fight for it thank you commissioner anyone else commissioner Al yes have to commissioner lo my vote is yes and I I was at that meeting as well and I I do I know we have a lot of strong people um at the county level at the municipal level that are working with the state to make those changes for next year because the state you are correct Commission Al has made up their mind about what they think the parameters are here in this County and they are very unaware of what commissioner Sor well maybe we need somebody at the state level to help us out yes commissioner Maran my vote's going to be yes I think our commissioner's made some very valid comments and hopefully he can move forward with us in the future commissioner Taylor yes deputy director rero yes director SEO I think at this point I I yes but I touted this some time that this area needs to be decided by us on what happens to the car County and by the people and the people vote in that from that respect I think it's so that we as Commissioners are given guidance on how we want to take this County so I I agree both with the commissioner s and commissioner Alber um that we will take the Boo by the wars and and yes resolution 2024 349 resolution amending resolution 2023 687 in order to accept additional funding of $200,000 for the county comprehensive alcoholism and drug abuse Grant recovery mobile van program do I have a motion second second questions or comments commissioner Robert yes commissioner LS yes commissioner SAR yes commissioner Maran yes commissioner Taylor yes yes deputy director Romero yes director yes resolution 2024 350 resolution approving budget amendment comprehensive alcoholism drug abuse Grant $200,000 do I have a motion in second motion second commissioner questions comments commissioner Al yes commissioner loads there's no shortage of Need for this funding in this County absolutely my vote is yes commissioner commissioner Maran yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Romero yes director Soo yes resolution 2024 351 resolution approving budget amendment ffy 2023 Emergency Management agen agency assistance $55,000 do I have a motion and second move second commissioner alre yes commissioner LS commissioner s commissioner Maran yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director yes director Soo yes resolution 2024 352 resolution authorizing a Sheri of service agreement between Cumberland County and the Cumberland County Improvement Authority forfill facility maintenance services for the Rowan medicine building do I have a motion second second definitely comment it fascinates me that due to previous admin administrations that we come up with a contract to pay me for a brand new building at $20,000 and we don't get paid back we don't start getting it back am I correct 5 years from now got a nod here okay 5 years I don't know who made this contract but this is probably one of the worst contracts I've ever seen the only one that might be worse than this was the contract from down the street where they sold half of the complex to a school and split it now you have a school next to public works that really made a lot of sense to me okay but it is what it is we have to deal with and we're going to have to deal with this that's the problem with this contract it was already predetermined from another Administration that we had to honor $20,000 for a new building a building that's too small how's that and we're going to pay for that also because they didn't want to listen back then they well never mind anyway Comm I got I got to say yes to it but that's another thank you for your showing your discontent with dor I want to kind of go with commissioner Saros also that this building this facility everything about this has been off from day one when it was proposed here it was a 20,000 scrip builing what it was proposed it's 14,000 now and because Rand didn't want to P up any extra money that's how much they care about this building uh meat the needs of this it's paper signs and beat the needs of the community the now the band again the SP this contract which we're going to have to pay for and and this there were other alternatives to this building now it's spill milk now but there were other Alters of this building in this County that could have been much better could allow for more growth but here we are are because it's on the campus Because it's good but it's too small it's it's already outgrown uh it's a designated use they may had to expand other areas of the the the campus to fit what they needed and we're going to and as commissioner SAR says we will be paid they will be in here because they're going to have to grow and and we'll have another mained setting so hope better contract we're the better contract there you go commissioner Al yes commissioner LS yes commissioner Sor yes commissioner Maran yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Romero yes director Soo yes resolution 202 24- 353 resolution amending resolution 2023 325 to extend the contract for providing technology Consulting and telephone internet related services for the county of Cumberland RFP 19-16 do have a motion second motion second commissioner Al yes commissioner loads yes commissioner Sor commissioner Mar commissioner Taylor deputy director director SEO yes resolution 2024 354 resolution amending resolution 2023 433 to extend the contract for providing video recording services for the Cumberland County Commissioner meetings RFP 22-15 resubmission do I have a motion in second so move second commissioner Alber just is a question uh real quick director do we are we going to get the capabilities from this new program that we've brought in the our update of our uh what we these packets and stuff don't they have do they have any video recording at all capability at all I think it has a similar ability that you can in some way help and facilitate each other short answer no no okay all right yes loads yes commissioner s commission Maran yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Romero yes director s yes resolution 2024 355 resolution affirming emergency to exist on the marown bridge due to a hole in the bridge deck discovered on April 10th 2024 and affirming the repair thereof do I have a motion and second motion second question sorry uh the director of Public Works is here I don't know if you can answer where where is this hole located I'm notes does anybody know on the deck where the only reason why I asked is not many years ago they they went through this whole thing and it fascinates me that we're making another repair on ative was it's it's actually on theg that Doug Z okay ior yes sir um there were there was the one there were SE several holes one major hole which was the Catalyst for it's emergency repair is located on the lane going from Mars River Township toward kco Township approximately four to five spans from the mar over Township side immediately adjacent to one of the um one of the joints between going westbound right correct right so that's good size stud coverage from the previous repairs were done was over totally overall um excuse me commiss is correct in in remembering that we have done multiple Deb uh repairs out there over the past 15 or more years um with a deck of this age and also with it being withness the high fan our our Public Works groups Endeavor yearly to make sure that we do not have icing problems out there CU it is very susceptible to it being over the river and being so high off the water um but that on the flip side of that is we do have used and continue to use a large volume of salt on this particular deck and has taken its tole on the original concrete um some of these Pates that we just had to do with an emergency were in the original deck of concrete and they had propagated to some of the PES from the first contract approximately 15 years ago um we do uh do regular uh maintenance on the deck our Public Work crew do patches of the deck with to uh but they're just not capable of handling um the full de passes that the full de failures that occur the immediate vicinity of the the moer keeps penetrating the answer it with Thea thank you Mr whiter commissioner Al yes commissioner loads yes commissioner Sor yes commissioner Maran yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Romero yes director CLE yes resolution 2024 356 resolution approving budget amendment fiscal year 2021 local bridge fund program future needs project for the replacement of Chestnut Avenue over Grand structure $1,297 71 do I have a motion and second a motion second I did have a question about this I know SP to Mr rway but if you look at 356 and the next would be 357 it appears that we would have about a approximately almost a $300,000 shortfall but I think Mr R you informed me that we had some other Grant monies that came in on this correct there's two different fiscal years for local bridge funds so the one we were adding into the budget the other one was already so that's for the short calls com very good thank you is this sorry is this what the fire truck we you took a ride is this the okay just check it commissioner Al a free ride to yes commissioner Soro God Bless America this has been long time coming very serious this had this should have been done 10 to 15 years ago here thank you every we're here y commissioner Maran yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director yes Dro yes resolution 2024 357 you'll notice in here we got at the last minute a correction on the monetary money so I'm going to read the correct amount and then tomorrow I will email you the correct resolution we didn't get it to almost 4:30 there was a miscalculation resolution awarding contract for specifications for their basement structure 06b 0058 East Chestnut Avenue over Panther Branch city of bman County of Carland New Jersey bid number 24-17 in the amount of 1,584 65033 do I have a I just want to make a comment so on the certification of funds there would also be a corresponding change to the account uh and I just want to read into the record g02 R2 768 643 999 and that's that uh grant that we had in the budget already so just to sure that there is a certification of funds on the record as of this vote that is there motion second commissioner Au yes commissioner loads yes commissioner s yes commissioner Maran yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Amo yes director s yes okay we began the month of April with a cash balance of 12,436 $76.98 cash receipts of 7,661 12911 dispersements 11, 668 26826 ending the month of April with a balance of 7, 91,5 7783 cents seems low CU we were waiting for taxes to come in May and then attached is an itemized list of Investments totaling I don't have the second page $61 million properly 61 m997 3120 uh with a motion a second you can FAL as r i did Supply a copy of a budget to actual as of the end of April 30th compared to last year April 30th it's I really shouldn't have given it until May only because of when we adopted our budget last year versus this year there are some timings of um payments and moving money between trust funds that it gives a distorted look but uh all you need to know is that we're on on Pace uh nothing to be concertive right now that we can't work out in finance so um as stated Motion in second you can adopt and file can before you see director where did you get the 61 million so if you look at the investment report and unless maybe my copy doesn't so at the very bottom under investment cost it'll say 61 m996 but if your page is like the one I had originally brought up maybe you don't have that second page okay it's I'm not saying it's not true I'm just saying I couldn't find it how how are the Investments are we still doing very well with interest rates are still up so that's good for us uh because our we're primarily invested in US treasury notes and uh government money markets uh so if you I could just direct it so if you look again this is on the second page you might not have um so we have money markets total in about 54 I'm sorry 15 million in park 18 in Ocean first eight in Sentry eight in MJ arm which is a state asset rebate Management program 5 million St on there and those currently we've had some earnings of almost $800,000 thus far this year so it sits in there and then usually towards the end of the year we'll move it over into our budget but it's still there for cash purposes um but no we're doing as as well as we could expect and hopefully the rates stay up to accept as me to wait he had to step out he'll that I don't know the reason so we'll wait you're on hold [Applause] [Music] yes did he said wait yes just so you know that the certification was the Ridgeway spoke about with that last one it's been corrected thank you job Mr it again apologies k Mr rway here is on the edge of his seat so do I have a motion in second to accept the treasure all in favor all in favor do I have a motion and second for authorizing payment of all salaries and wages all in favor do I have a motion and second to open public comment period on new business only so move second all in favor state your name hi again Jen Brunner uh com County director dor of the library director of C County Library thank you all for the vote for uh the library and for Township appreciate it but I came up here today because I wanted to commend the uh division of Public Works and also the Office of Aging one of our um employees from the library got into a serious car accident on May 8th in front of the library and the public works the person who was cut in the grass ran right out to help her people office aging were in that front um office ran out to help her somebody grabbed a big uh trash truck and blocked traffic before AMS could get there so really they like were awesome and amazing and I just want you to know that we all do really take care of our own um as far as employee work as the county workers go so thanks public works thanks Office of Aging I just wanted to commend them so [Applause] thanks anyone else public comment yeah thank you how's everybody today good to see you yes my name is Rodney Dean I live at 43b South School Street Gibbstown New Jersey next to Paulsboro and I'm running for New Jersey Congressman House of Representatives so I wanted to put a face to the name okay so just just wanted to let y'all know that I'm running for uh House of Representatives New Jersey Congressman okay everybody say and I have cards to hand out if you want a card I'm not going to stay too long I appreciate this man right here cuz he let me know you know what was going on and how it was going on cuz I missed some things you know so thank you for your time thank you my boy though and this my son I'm sorry K Dean I brought him so he can understand some of this so when he gets older he canun okay thank you so much what's his first name Kane Kane come on over here [Music] come here you got to take your hood off too I work in school can't have that right P up here all right all right now this is going to be a premature but just let me take it first of all what I like to do is which which hand you right with right left not not not your not your your telephone and right okay all right take a picture of this right here like this thank you wait wait don't go anywhere one gra that g all right and I want you to say I want you to tap it three times all right and say JM all right one two three two three two more two more two more time good job I'm going to say a germ a ger thank you thank you thank thank you thank you thank you everyone thank you still Clos motion to close second all in favor all right start off um commissioner do you have anything so obviously another busy month of course but two things I wanted to bring up uh May is mental health awareness month and on May 31st uh we're going to light it up green so i' encourage everybody to wear green on this Friday on May 31st to support mental health awareness and I also know we have a blood drive coming up I believe it is on June the 11th at the library from 99 to 2: it's on it's on the website now all right so it's on the website but I would also encourage everyone if if you're able to to get out and donate blood I think only about 3% of Able Body people do donate blood so I think it's a worthy cuse I plan on signing up myself so that was all thank you commission have nothing this month okay commission uh no I just wanted to be positive about what's going on with dolls and we we are having a lead over there things are looking better uh we were able to was looking and signed off on uh six uh people that are appointed and some were higher also and uh accomodate the the the work the do is doing together as a team to uh to go ahead and start looking better to comate our community and I appreciate that uh I also visit uh Susan Susan Sor five six transportation and she's uh interviewing for two more positions uh I spoke with most of the people there on on uh by in the hallway by myself and everybody seemed to be happy and they were playing around with me and and all that thanking me for the new floor we put on a few months ago when I went there and things things are looking good uh Susan is doing a good job with that and um I also met with in the 57 with Mrs Pitman about the cemetery uh we we do an upgrade on the Braves uh bringing them hire some of them uh and we're working on that uh I think uh uh Public Works is uh doing a good job with that and um and we also recommend the some people for our Sheriff Department for uh Mike Donado and uh they they they went they fill some applications some of the youth in violent and uh that have come to me and said are you guys hiring I said sure we are we're always hiring a good a good person and a good leader so I appreciate the work you guys are doing Mike over there and Sheriff dado I'm sorry uh I let friendship go first I you know sometimes but I appreciate the things you guys do for our community and and uh sometimes I tell them uh I tell the kids you got to you got to go with our sheriff department they do a great job especially uh some of the females that are to have a family in the future uh the hours that we work having weekends most of the time off and all and all that is so we try to get people to come to our sheriff department and work there so I appreciate you guys what you guys are doing thank you okay thank you commissioner CIO uh I just really want to say that I'm very proud to be a member of this board I'm proud of this commissioner board for preserving the traditions of Memorial Day um everybody here on this board in some way shape or form supported that tradition and carried it forward and that is it might seem like a very minor thing but it is so very important I'm sure as many of you have seen in your own families if if the Next Generation doesn't continue to practice those traditions and remember the way that that you know the way that we want to believe and the things that are important to us they go by the wayside making sure that our veterans and our Arm Forces are never forgotten and that their services are of the utmost importance to us uh needs to be something that we continue to share and have an example for the Next Generation I know I saw a lot of our County Employees um out and about in the cemeteries um in the streets at the V at the Memorial Day ceremonies and I'm so very proud of our County and Administration board for continuing to set that example another thing is the liais on to the recreation committee uh I was very happy to see the zoo on the resolution list tonight and I I agree with you commissioner Taylor um that while this is a city of Bridgton Park uh it is a major resource that as a county we should continue to support and invest in I was an educator in the city of Bron for eight years and a lot of my students have not a lot of great things to look at they have a jail right in their downtown and sometimes that's all they have to look forward to it seems like that's the end of the line you have to show that example you have to give them those bright things and the zoo city of bridon zoo is one of those bright and Shining points I'm glad that the county is supporting it and speaking of giving our young people something to look forward to graduation SE season is upon us and I as an educator I have to tell you that a lot of our students don't have the examples that you think think that they do um they only know what they can dream if they see it and if they know about it and if they hear about it and so it's always been my quest as an educator and in this capacity as a commissioner to share my story of how my my work history my education story and encouraging everybody else to do that so as we enter graduation season I would ask everybody if you have young people in your family in your neighborhoods where you work share your story share your educational Journey share your work Journey what happened after high school how did you get there what were your mistakes what were your fumbles what were your great successes um to give them something to look forward to there's so many jobs and careers out there that our young people aren't even aware of share your story with them so they can continue to dream bigger upon graduation 2024 thank you Comm one of the hardest things about being a commissioner is this part right here it really is and here's the reason why you you know we all go to our commit and I have to Echo what the commissioner Lo said being very proud to be on this board um none of us have an agenda except to make PL County better we all go to our committee meetings and a lot of that is boring to some of you if you just sit here and say well I went to this committee I went to this committee but a lot of times what happens is that's not reported is how you have meetings with how you have meetings with groups how you have meetings with legislators that doesn't come up at this point in time only because like you're in the middle of a project you I happen to be on the Recreation Commission mat here um and I'm working on something with Senator Tesa has it come through yet no are we still meeting yes are we still talking about things so it's very very difficult to explain to you exactly everything that we do but I do there are two people here that I do want to recognize okay and that is our Sheriff M he's always back there he's always around he's always where you need him but nobody knows the amount of money that man has saved Cumberland County and I'm talking tens of thousands of dollars okay he is literally changing the sheriff and he's making it a police force but that's because that's what it is all right so I want to acknowledge our sheriff and please continue doing what you're doing and thank you so much for everything you've done so far Kevin is the director of Public Works he's kind of tossed into position clean up the situation it's putting it lightly and I think he's doing a great job and uh we just want to make sure you realize that we appreciate everything you're doing and we just know that the the Department's running better than what was that's all I have to say thank you yeah I just want to comment about the I got an opportunity to put Flags out this weekend and um the diverse group The Many people that were out there the and the many veterans groups that organiz this stuff is is pretty special and walk it to it starts in bille well actually all were B did but the the start there it's kind of barren and all of a sudden with did a couple went out the commissioner the director was there U I don't I don't know I about it actually commissioner was also there that that it starts out not but as it fills up and you see how special it looks when it's done moving to the other cemeteries it's it's really it's a really kind of an honor to be part of it U Don't one really says too much but there's a lot of groups learning a lot uh what they do that it's need I also got a chance to take part the violence ceremonies U and one of the things which out of that at the city of Wood U recognized the Bayard is a I think Sicilian organization donated money to deceptive redetachment over $5,000 and they did that because the 7 re Detachment does so many things and and the best thing it does is that many of these vet organizations have lost their headquarters they are legion BFW inoc in violent and many other areas are losing too even br's lost one of the PO they've allowed these organizations to meet in their building with nothing charge nothing allow them to use and beat there and the City of M kind of recognized that for for just by what they do and it $5,000 is a good that one but it's $5,000 more than they have now and it was pretty special uh kind of sumed up the whole event at the end what they honor and I also another thing that the city of is is doing the mothers Garden the Gold Star Mothers U that uh seldom get looked at or or you me you know who they are if you know them but they've redone it and uh the city council there has really been the spearhead for alha Argus the council it's going to be something special and I think it's September or whatever they actually kick it all right might September so I encourage people when that happens please come out for it because it is a special thing that U someone has lost a level one in U it's something that you can't feel you don't know unless you experience it it's hopefully no one ever experien but they do and uh Al Vargas took it on C Al Vargas took it on and really did it is doing something special it will be special um I just real quick and um East boy Lighthouse is still battling the DP they have they've given them a contract that they can't settle on anything um they constantly have to this is a volunteer group that gets beat up again and it goes back to the planning the planning uh process that here's a one of our our shining lights in this County run by a nonprofit organization that does all the work for the DP who ow who ows it or has given the right to it and instead of being uh kissed their rig and and and everything else to to help them they do everything to hurt them at their operation so I I stress that that this commission has been support of these Bo lies so is more of Township and and of course all ation underne it just this is a perfect example of again and again and again being beaten up it's something that should really be supported um I get a chance to I'll make a comment about our oldest parade or oldest in the state city C County uh cederville which is really I I love ridan I got chance to commissioner Marsh Comm s r in the relative little raid uh just just a very if you want to look at a hometown video of way I guess it used to be or a way people came out to Cate it's just neat and it's a short drive so I if you ever down the road it'll be I guess next year please uh attend and it's actually something really special makes you proud be for County so thank you commission thank you I don't think I'm going to uh bore you guys too much I'm just going to say that U Day weekend is very special to me um because of my dad and because of other relatives but more importantly it's about the community it's about seeing the entire every Township has lost someone either in war time or even in Feast time and um I implore you to get out enjoy the area enjoy County get out to the basore get out to the East Point Lighthouse talk to people um and we truly understand here what crin is all about it's about family it's about Co a cohesive feeling between the people when you're down here people when they come down here they go wow this people are really nice you know it's not like newth Jersey you know they're they're little you know and I know by the way I it but and uh it there's so much to offer down here and you just need to first of all look at our website we're starting to put out things that are going to show the different types of events um and any the other types of things that we're going to we're going to be moving this further and further Al it's going to be on Facebook so if you haven't joined Facebook for cring County please join I'm everybody that's watching today get on and then spread the word because we are looking to get this County to the point where we're not 21st we're going to be number one and I don't know if it'll be within my lifetime but we're going to move it as quickly as we can and if you don't do it for yourselves do it for the ones who sacrificed their lives so we can have the freedom here in K County and do what we wish one more thing I want to say is that I've had the chance to speak had several events this past weekend um not very long um but I I had several people more than several people come up to me and they like one portion of my speech and that was the fact that I noted that the generations today don't understand the Liberties that we've been given they don't understand that when they support socialistic type attitudes at for terrorism they don't understand the repercussions that they're going to basically come up with and it may not be right away because it's a very slow trickle down type situation where it'll just be on you and this guy knows better than anybody else because they they're just giving our they're giving their freedoms away we cannot give our freedoms away because what our military and what our forefathers fought for it's it's it's it's too cost so you get away so at that point I just want to say thank you all thank you for your time thank you for coming to meetings and I think we should bring to there's no executive session there's no reason for executive session reason for exective session okay do I have a motion 7 this has been a QBC television production in association with our partners and sponsors QBC broadcasts on Comcast cable channel 22 and live streams its programming on Facebook and YouTube All Rights Reserved by Quinn media and QBC programming that serves the South Jersey Market