all right Bob husk um Ary Schmid is not coming tonight Bill Connell here Bob Lort here uh Bob warn Locker here Robin sudam here okay Ted Chase here David Trix here John hurling here mayor Kramer here Stephany chel here is said Bill Connell did I miss anybody no I don't think so we know arie's not coming Mary's not coming and Nessa is not coming John oh John [Music] I at this point like to turn the meeting over to the mayor we need to reorganize we haven't done that yet that's right um are there any nominations for chair yes I would nominate Mr puskus for chair are there any other nominations for chair I'll second that you're going you're going to make me say it nominations don't need a second you're you're welcome to do that any other nominations have a motion to close nominations for chair I make a motion I um I'll keep that as a second all in favor closing nomination say I all in favor of uh Mr puskus to be our chair say I close say nay you're meeting all right now it's open meeting to nominations for vice chair I spoke to Ary before he left for Mexico he said he'd be glad to do it again I'll make that motion second I don't needan to you're talking about the most uh yeah this guy knows everything Vice shair all favor being I I well after just being reminded okay I guess the next one this list is uh nominations for secretary I nominate Billy Connell are there any other lination for secretary do you accept I accept about Sergeant at Arms see none I think this committee needs a Sergeant at Arms bil being secretary I I I iOS okay thank you apprach public comment um meeting will now be open motion to open the meeting to public okay ready anybody in public have anything to comment on yeah I do state your name and address please my name is Tony Gord I live at 37 County Route 518 and I'm here in reference to the hunting program and on 518 especially I met the chairman and some of the other I know Bob had met the mayor before uh I'm here to just give you an update uh if your Township manager hasn't uh I picked up a copy first meeting can't give him an update until I give him my report I'm just going to go off with some notes I put down I picked up a copy of the police report today this is the third report and let you all know what took place there's 10 of us that are allowed to hunt on this 518 program uh that piece of property the township acquired it's about 140 some Acres my property butts two ends of that uh piece it runs my property runs all the way to the pipeline like a bowling alley long and Arrow I noticed on it that uh there were people in 2022 that were on the program hunting that the program didn't even start didn't start until last year 23 the guy walked 30 yards away from me never saw me uh had a bow compound bow camo on pack on his back was Latino looking person male went down the end of the property I saw him come out of the property property at I'll give the address because I could care less tell you the truth 33 518 came out of the back of that property walked all the way down to the pipeline went towards Higgins to the right as far as I could see him I knew at night time he was going to come back at with a flashlight which he did because there's a lot of stickers and stuff went right back up to the property had no authority to stop him or say anything to him so I didn't anyhow uh 2023 10 of us appli for the program and I guess you know the procedures we had to put up a million dollars bond insurance so on and so forth and jump through all the Hoops which is common I also hunt in a program in Montgomery Township prior to uh the township taking over that that property I knew the person that owned it and I took care of that property since the early 70s posted it never had any problems there at all and I'll just give you some suggestions you can take them for what they're worth after like I said I picked up a copy of the accident uh the police report today uh the officer that did the initial report the detective Lieutenant did an excellent job on the report it's still under investigation and that as far as I know he outlined all the details uh your chairman Bob and Tara came with me on beginning of February I guess uh I injured my leg uh pulled the calf muscle so I didn't hunt in that latter part of the Season uh after the beginning uh before what they call shock gun season The Six Day season uh after that my leg got a little bit better better I didn't want to climb the tree stand with an injured leg I went I went on to the piece that I'm hunting on behind my house on Township property and I got to jump with all the wetlands I got to jump a couple Creeks so coming back it was dark at night I said I'm not jumping across those Creeks I'm do the one I'm going to walk down to the pipeline and walk out as I was walking out in the dark like I said my property meets the pipeline I see these white things on the pipeline and right at the edge of my property I couldn't tell what they were until I got up onto them there were five feed bags dumped on the property one of them had a seal on it I took pictures of it all the police have it in their report and terara took pictures of it when I showed him the property and what was taking place uh uh it it came it was a seal out of out of New York from a co-op and I'm saying to myself who buys corn in New York and brings it down here but needless to say I picked up all the garbage carried it back up to my house to threw it in one of the sheds and the next day I was doing something I was busy it was January the 1st I went out to see whoever in the program was throwing stuff all around I walked down to the edge of the property where I found it walked the pipeline I know the property very well and walked all the way to the end I didn't see anything didn't see any tree stands the only thing I saw was an empty 5 gallon white paale off to the side and I cut through the woods to come back up towards 518 and their piece of property uh between the houses on 518 and the township property it's like a slight L it belongs to Kendall Park Baptist Church and it bucks all the way to my property and that was walking on the edge of the township property and the church property property and I noticed through the woods I noticed a tree I couldn't put both of my hands around it it was cut off with a chainsaw I walked up to it had a game camera on it took my picture looked around saw a tree stand pretty high up right behind this cut off tree down on the ground there were guy most people use sheld corn it was cop corn just a cobs laying on the ground takes forever for them to rock so I took pictures of it walks back towards my house on the edge again I get up to the edge of the woods this used to be where the church property is now used to be a Hayfield I used to run my horses out on it and that it's all overgrown now on the edge of that there was another tree stand which I'll call climber that used to climb up and in the climber uh it just upset me a little bit I've been hunting for a long time I've hunted Africa with a bow I've hunted all over the country here's a dear Lake stuck in this climber and it was a pretty fresh kill just the lake part there's hair on the ground from where they took a deer harvested a deer uh you could see cone going off of it where he put these corrugated black pipes around to put corn in them off to the side a barrel there with a strap around it where they were baiting in the de and St on I took pictures of all of it called the police officer came out follow me through the woods I give him credit for that it was pretty muddy and what have you came back he made a report uh I let I think terara know about it it was around the 24th after we had that second snow and it started to melt off and I just happened I said let me go over and see whatever I picked up Footprints coming out of this house again from you can see the pathway that was beat down through the bushes going to it right uh came back Footprints came down from that I tracked him for two hours through the snow all the way around he went all different spots went deep from the pipeline the 27 um did the same thing littered on the ground a feed bag on the ground uh other stuff where they were bait and screw it into the trees and I found a commercial made ground blind that was caved in by the snow his Footprints walked up to it and around it and out they all went back to the same address dress over there I took pictures of all of it called the police again officer came out took a report he didn't uh come over and see the tracks he said I'm not going back over to the house and that so I notified tering that they all came out I don't know what day it was someday in February showed them all took pictures of it all and what have you uh today um there's more than one person hunting in there and the reason I say that is this guy that I saw in 22 who was carrying a compound bow on the pipeline I found they don't call it an arrow when you're using a crossbow they call it a bol and it's it's like an arrow but shorter it was laying on the ground so either there's another guy hunting or this guy's hunting with two different things they uh this person the police after he came in the two detectives lieutenants I believe they were uh they spoke to them they got a name my copy is redacted naturally so I don't have any addresses name but they picked up a name the report uh the police know the name whether they're going to charge him or not I don't know and I'll just like I said I walk the property today everything is exactly the same as we left it pop so nothing has been removed the other thing that was there they took a feed bag and they filled it with human clothes why I don't know outside it to dissipate the scent of a human or get let the deer get used to s I've never seen nothing like that in my life and anyhow that stuff is still out there the tree stands still up the one on the ground is still there I didn't walk down to the one the ground blind way down deep in if I can make some suggestions for you for next year for the future or whatever um you need to post the property you need whether any property that you have it has to be completely posted I called uh fishing game when I first found the stuff out there there they wouldn't get involved because the property wasn't properly posted number two the verbage that you're using on your posters you don't need all that PO that verbiage on there and I'll get into it a little bit those posters that you're putting up they're no good they're paper they fade only the block stands out on them the rest of the posters Fade Out and that I gave terara one the posters that I'll show you one this is this this is a cheaper one ter can keep it I got no interest in minuted Minute Man signs these are ones that are used in one area but I would leave out both just put hunting over you can use Franklin Township they'll last about 3 years they make a better one okay the better one that is single they're on a roll they are you can have it okay the ones that are single they will last 5 to 7 years still lasts about 3 years so it behooves you to pay better signs they'll last you don't have to go out there have somebody go out there and check them you won't have to re repost it every year with those I'm going to give you another picture for terara or whoever here's what you can post to keep up with your uh insurance that they want put them at every entrance that you have parking lot lot or whatever and you can use a wording like that on a metal poster and they will survice I think for what you want it just says warning gives all the the information it does from September the 1st to uh February to 28th and the whole nine yards on it I think that'll you know meet with your insurance carriers did you print this stuff up yourself no no there the signs actually uh Montgomery uses now but I'd leave out B cuz they have a bow and hunting area gun area and I just put hunting in progress you can put Franklin Township by Minal per the good signs they've been buying these lately but the real good ones I put them up go less a five years with no and the sun won't bother them I it's made by the same company and that but they're Pro they're single they're not on a roll um suggestion the program needs to be start not a week before telling the people who are in the program you got to start at a month or two months before to give them a chance to put up their stands do whatever get the everything post it and what have you the numbers on the tree stands they worked out they put the numbers up I took a picture or one of the guys as I was tracking this guy found one of the stands had it way up in the air you had to really look at it they you put in your things to try to keep them lower to the ground where if you walk up on it somebody can see it you don't have to do whatever to get to it and that uh the RightWay that's down by the lane uh between goes down to the township property they were going to use that that as the right way to go down until they built the parking lot smart idea to build the parking lot you're not messing with any of the neighbors or nobody gets you know mess that that right now it's a jersey plastic Jersey Barrier it's ugly I'm tired of looking at the thing okay it was used to stop the people you can have that one also just give that's a Terr or whoever uh it would stop them to go down the lane you should put a a barrier up there that has a lock on it where you can open it up for safety purposes or if you get a fire back there they can go in they don't have to go in off a 27 off the pipeline and ride all the way up and that just keep it clear to Falling trees and that you don't have to fix the road that good but this way here you put up a decent sign like they use on a canal or something like that not this ugly Jersey Barrier the only way they're going to move that is is with a forklift or to get it out of there I'm assume it's filled with water and heavy it's a big thing uh yeah the last thing I'll say is just check the wording on the paperwork that you sent out because it sort of conflicts with that area five and I'm only speaking of 518 I don't go on any of the other properties it's it's a bow and Firearm area and in some of the things there you didn't say bow and Firearm it's a little bit confusing on I think if you looked at I think whoever copied it they copied it probably off of 22 and then really realized it was for 23 also that you started it because it only started in 23 and that that's about it uh your zoning I spoke to them today CU I came over and paid my one bill uh my water bill and uh this is just an old sign but this you can have that one too that these aren't they don't last they're paper they they're not worth buying like I said the roll ones don't last about 3 years the good ones will last 5 to seven years it's about it if you have any questions I'll try to answer them for you but I was just here to try to pass some information on and try to get down to stopping these people who are coming on that property and actually destroying it because it's all our property now now that the township owns it and it just it really upset me that uh they just did what they did and they're they're not Hunters they're they're just bunch of SLS true thank you so much thank you I'm sorry your last name Gay Lord g a y l o r d those I don't know what you're going to do with those stands or property or whatever but Public Work get them down it's you're going to need a tree guy to get that one stand down we have them yeah it the guy who put it in there they use these climbers to go in there these screws and they're in on an angle and it's up there I mean there's no safety line or anything I use safety line and stuff you can snap them really easy climbing so you know there probably a young guy up there climbing it and that that doesn't really care and that uh so but like I said they cut down the township tree they did all kinds of stuff app all right thank you Tony any other comments for the public um just a quick introduction I'm an Marie oreski I'm the vice chair of the trails advisory committee Vanessa was unable to make it tonight so I'm standing in not for her cuz I'm not a Committee Member for you but I'm just coming in to help her so looking forward to the meeting right thank you very much here motion public comment period I'll make a motion fa second second all in favor approval of the minutes of November I those are the minutes of November I couldn't find in my notes anywhere that we approve those because December was cancelled and January was cancelled so I don't believe that those have been approved back all right does everybody get a chance to look at those motion to approve we have a second a few little comments the first of which on the second page about in the middle it says chairman fusus added that a large tree fell at the wof Garson house but according to the first page you weren't here you're down is absent but you were present were you present or was that the one that AR no AR was chair that meeting you uh you did you come late that meting I came late that you came late okay okay usually if somebody comes late and said so with time so will not tardy for B all right you okay um old business green infrastructure project I was not at that meeting I meant to be at that meeting I didn't look at my calendar early enough in the morning Miss um where was that t I'm sorry said old green infrastructure projects at nonan Williams Park oh yes you didn't come to that me I remember that okay right yep and then on the third page public session second paragraph as there was no public comment presented aric Schmidt made a motion to close it should be the second public session of the meeting okay got it thank [Music] you [Music] usually on to fill in for Ted Ted's not heretical correction such thank you Ted AR's absence I'm sure he's proud to have you back in your chair Ted all all correct Corrections too people in the wrong place hi wasn't here right okay moving along here financial report I only have one question sure sewer is is that like the sewer bill for the the sewer bill yes it is for both for Inman Park non Williams Park and uh middle Bush Park all have how is that determined for the parks the sewage Authority has a a standard Bill like you have a house bill and we get build for it and I guess water is the same right same correct when do they put the meter in that uh Park called Cory but the the park the meter for what not the meter the uh the target station at oh that was put in she about 6 months ago8 months ago months ago y that was a Volkswagen settlement grant that paid for the installation next one is Williams Park it's going to go over by the plround and and picnic pilion right in that area and in fairly close proximity to the concession stand so it's easy to run the electricity to it so correct me if I'm wrong the open space trust fund has 1.1 million new that's that's the ending bounds for the budget the temporary budget right now yeah we're temporary temporary budget budget hasn't been I and I this is one of those things that as roll over takes place don't hold me for this I think it's 17 million right now is the trust and there's other numbers in that 17 million and I definitely don't remember those numbers um like 17,5 46,000 it's not a round number got it yeah this is there's a there's an ual budget that we prepare and you know it's one of those things that we treat the expenditures out of the open space trust in the same manner that we treat the general fund budget however it isn't like that it is not the same because it is part of a trust so that that's a different method of of spending and accounting um do you get interest on the the Bal in the all of the money deposited is an interest VAR accounts yes um but the reason I say that is when when we have a temporary budget for the for the municipal and water um it's a percentage of the previous year's budget we treat the open space the same way so that operating cost can still be expended during the course of that temporary budget until the full budget is ad that you stop or you stop stop business and that's a hard it's a hard thing to do in this business is to stop okay any more questions on finan report how come you know just looking at the totals you got budgeted amount and then you've got balances of January 1st I would have thought that the totals would be the same and they're actually about $4,000 different may have to do with time because there my my guess is that on January 1st there was an expenditure that had to be paid immediately it's probably something that rolled from 2023 yeah there was one thing that and I have to go back into my report to find exactly it would have been in a January report Y and then the monthly expenditures were 28,000 yeah I guess that fits MH I'm hoping this is an Excel and IT did the right it is yes I have the yeah I definitely don't have those off on my own I use the formula that's all we need right all right there no further questions motion to approve the final report I'll make a motion second all in favor new business okay let me just close this all right so um okay I make this here this will be easier um here that one so we received can you just pass these around we received um request from The Meadows Foundation um as of February 8th and basically what it is is that they had requested if there was a way we could help them with some of their maintenance issues that they're having with their houses some bills that have to be paid immediately so that the houses can keep running things like propane oil um what else uh basically to heat the house um a push mower because their mower broke so when the lawn has to be mowed coming up which they take care of um so they had requested and suanne was going to come tonight but I think she's not here she's on her way I don't know um they you'll see on this sheet this is the original request that was made to us um Bob contacted our attorney and he did give us the guidance that we both thought we were going to get which is that you know I don't know if you want to say sure I I I can go through this so um it in conversation with Tara who had a conversation with send der cchu if you don't know is the president of The Meadows Foundation um they they are experiencing some cash flow issues currently um they maintain um three of our homes the van wickle house on easn Avenue uh actually Four homes I'm sorry van wickle house the garon house um the Hagman farm and the vanam home on on Bush near black H Mills um obviously it it would it would be in the Township's interest to see the uh The Meadows Foundation succeed and flourish unfortunately due to a lack of membership it's been difficult for them to do some of the fundraisers that they have done in the past um so they they're in all honesty just short on cash I there's no other way to put it um some of these expenses are not expenses that the open space trust fund can pay um we cannot pay their uh Insurance both workers comp and that the dno is director and officer and so we have well we certainly see I director officer I I looked it up now that I have an insurance expert in the in the committee she will she will certainly keep me guided as far as what type of insurance this is It's a director and officer and workers comp we cannot pay that um we cannot certainly pay their payroll for caretakers nor their accountant um nor their construction loan payments um we certainly can pay for a push mower to maintain the lawn at Hagman um and then we get into the Suburban Propane doing anticipated the public service Bill and Skylands oil um so so in in the immediate if there is an outstanding bill the open space trust certainly can be used for those purposes we pay for the buildings that they don't maintain for that now um there's oil that's paid for at done there's gas that's paid for at tulipwood um so that's not these are our houses we own them so since we are the owner we certainly can use open space trust funds to pay those bills to maintain those houses I know I I have said this in this meeting in this committee previously we need to keep these houses heated due to the fact that they have old plaster walls if they freeze it will destroy the plaster walls that's why we heat houses that are vacant um so so those expenses and and I did have a conversation with the township attorney and he said absolutely that that I was correct in that um we certainly can use those open space trust Monies to pay those bills to make sure that um that part of this is taken care of if there was no Meadows Foundation we'd be paying it um and there would be no Meadows Foundation to do the other things that they do so um I what what I think we're we're bringing this to your attention tonight um if it is the recommendation of this committee to assist The Meadows foundation with those bills um I will then bring it to the township council at the next council meeting and the reason is that we have leases and those leases clearly state that they're required to make these payments so it would require a resolution of council to authorize those expenses being paid I have a question sure when we had when they did the movie over there was there was there a fee that was aced and they and they accepted the they were paid yes we did not get that they've got that is this a one-time payment or well I mean if you see what they they do anticipate some some funds coming in um $8,700 through April from caretaker fees to be deposited um currently they have $2,000 available uh in in the bank um what I have been told is they're looking to uh they're working with a Financial Consultant to restructure their leases with their caretakers um to perhaps put them in a better financial position as far as that's concerned Rob you're a member right yeah I guess I am I my mother started it so I thought um so that that's so I I think that so I say that um I I think that for those things you know there there are other things that the lease calls for that if the times continue to be difficult for The Meadows Foundation I might be back here again and talking to you again they're responsible for all repairs on the buildings under $11,000 well I and that's like not $1,000 a year that's each individual repair to the house each invoice under $1,000 they're responsible to pay for for the lease well clearly again I go back to these are our houses you know for big things for instance the window replacement at Van Lusa Dam they got a grant I mean they apply for Grants they they do those things that they can do as a nonprofit organization to make repairs and make improvements to the houses and suan is good at she's very good hunting down and she's probably not here because this is not an easy time for her to deal with this she's having and I understand why she gives her heart and soul to it and and is is difficult um you know I I think that you know I would as the township manager and the one who has to oversee all of these things I want to see The Meadows Foundation um alive and well because they do a great deal of things for us for those houses can can we request to see their books we asked them one time before cuz there was some money involved one time before years ago and they refused to give them to us I I we can ask them for whatever you Rec my question is how much rent are they charging that's why I said they're looking to restructure all of that right now that's what we were told they are they're working with a um consultant like they're get pro bono services to restructure so they can be in a better situation but the rent they're charging right now is not realistic that we ask if we could see that new formula when it's developed yeah yeah they they you know I know that the the general formula is that they pay there's a a a minimum amount that they have to pay um and then if they don't do work on the property during the course of that then it costs more so and I the numbers off the top of my head marob I don't know um what those and I wonder if there's knowing that it's a in in a a form of partnership between the meadows and the township that um maybe in the next issue of the Franklin times we could run an article that the Township's fortunate to have The Meadows foundation and for people that are interested in history you know here are these four houses here's the dates of them we just give them a little publicity the times hits a lot of people people read ask for donations why they Don it well they can promote an event certainly and that's a well you they can't we do we promote all their events I mean every event that they have that all came as a result of Terry Thorson showing up at a council meeting and I said well I don't know if we don't know about your events we can't publish them on our social media and our website everything since that time that she showed up has been published on all of our in addition to that just an article describing the relationship might peque some people's interest to join you know to go to an event you could see it's on social media I'd like to think that maybe we can be yeah there should be a explicit encouragement of people to join I mean I'm just thinking I can't remember whether I've been asked to to pay dues for I don't know how many years i' pay dues even though I don't go think about what the dollar amount you want to I I think that I want to pay the bills that we can pay for the Heat and the Heat and the propane and the public service and the oil because and well and the push mower is simple I mean I honestly I was at the Public Works garage while we were plowing uh on uh on Tuesday of last week and there was a new push mower in a box and we would just give them that one was on the floor it was there so I mean that's not our looks like 18 or 19,000 if you Min us out what they what we are unable to pay it's this number of 24921 becomes 16 7869 and then if you minus their total anticipated funds which is the 10,700 the total would be 6,000 $869 so I'll make a motion to to move forward and bring it to councel okay second comment on the on a motion says Ted hasn't paid dues in the last 20 years maybe he could pay the $6,000 it's $300 it's $300 a year 20 I think that if any of the houses have the name of anyone on the committee they that house yes there we go we we go t picks up something call S for um okay Billy you made that second we got a motion on the floor from Bobby we have a second it was Bill Bill okay all in favor of the motion any discussion on a motion before one one thing I want to just comment on I like to see the books and the other thing is are we opening ourself up to other nonprofit we need they're the only nonprofits that manage our homes that we own okay I mean this is this is honestly the expenses that are are outlined here that I've talked about are are these are the expenses that we would have plus more if the meows Foundation wasn't managing the houses as as a leaseholder I'm sorry go no that's and can we see the new restructuring plan when right I'm sure that Su will be more than happy to come here and talk about it there's no doubt in my mind all right Mo on for all in favor motion to helping The Meadows out say I iOS motion carries and I never like to spend money do I historic stuff you get outside later yeah historic stuff you do I'm historic yes okay paway the final draft on fails plan so before the last meeting I had sent out a link to our updated Pathways and trails plan so I don't know if I had a chance to talk about it last time but the trails advisory committee has been working on this plan for a long time um and basically the reason there was a few reasons it took a long time basically instead of it just becoming a regular update we then got these ideas to update all of our mapping which meant we were going to update all our Trails Trails rad Shores which up meant we were going to update all of our Trails markers so all those three things had to be complete before we could put the final touches on the plan so the original plan is from when 2010 I want to say least um so I have it up on the screen you'll have to go through it at your at your leisure um it's very entertaining to read so you will all love it um but basically we go through and talk about what the vision and goals and objectives of the trails advisory committee are so for example compared to 2010 some of the changes in the vision and goals are you know um focusing on areas of need that don't have uh as many trails as other areas of the township and we do rely on some of the information from the local Health assessment for that we do look at um increased programming educational events um making all of our Trails inclusive for all ages and abilities so we go through all all of that the other main thing we did is that the original Trails plan kind of had um just drawn line about where we wanted to make connections and what the trails committee and I did and it was a good project is we had got a GPS tool from our it department and we on the ground gpsed every single one of our Trails so now we have the data and it can actually be put on all different Maps so the maps you see in front of you are have been walked and they have been ground roofed rat R RIT department at uh went through and verified them so I'll show you some of the maps let me back up real quick it'll be on the website it'll be it's already on the website I just want to show you one thing here so for example each Trail area we talk about in the plan we've updated the table here so it has the exact length of the trails and we've you know said what you can do what you can't do is it easy moderate um then if you go down to the bottom I there's a lot more in here but basically all of our proposed connections or new trails we've made a map for and discussed every one that has this has what the proposed Improvement is what the proposed surface type is why would that be what the exact measurements are so any proposed Trails obviously we probably haven't walked them they've been mapped by me basically and just measured so of course they might be off by a few feet but we try to get them as close as possible um and then a reference map for each one so that the reader can go through and refer to the map they want so that's kind of the whole gist of it we have all these Maps here this is for Memorial Forest so we put that concept plan in there and you know just kind how are you going to introduce this to the community so basically the first step is I don't know if the pathways and trails plan ever came to the open space committee the first iteration I wasn't sure if it did or not so I wanted to give it to all of you to review and give me your comments on Arie gave me some comments already which were great um he said there should be more trees on it um so's over two and a half inch yes that's only that's what is a tree definition so I figure the next step right now is we're talking about at the open space advisory committee we would like to do a presentation of it to the planning board who we are hoping will adopt it as and the council as part of our master plan but we definitely if it's going to be adopted as part of the master plan the municipal land use Law requires that we do two public hearings for it so we'll do that and we'll advertise it we'll put it up on the website um and we've been discussing in our Pathways and trails our Pathways and trails meetings our Trails meetings for quite a while it's something to really be proud of it is a component has everybody looked at this I mean Terra sent it out for a January meeting has everybody went through looked I mean it's a it's a long read but it's everybody I mean I think everybody should look at this before we vote on this because there's there's stuff like on that I've seen on the G D and Gunther one is just way out of whack the trail goes right through you know right through the middle of the place and then it goes through the biggest Wetlands that's on the property right well so this is a these are just concept land just to keep in mind that was kept in from the original plan so that that was there to begin with in the original plan I don't know if it ever came to this committee or not the committee always talked about when we discussed the north south trail and stuff was they go along along South Little Bush Road correct coming out of the parking lot at the State Property along the front of Road and just connected in by Led store correct I remember that yeah and we discussed that in our Trails meeting so in looking at properties that have since been developed and properties that we've acquired since and where there's safer access a lot of thought kind of went into where the the good parts are to connect and where not um but you should definitely look at it and give me your comments for sure absolutely dun and Gunther are not particularly well suited for hiking trails right there some there are some aspects on that property that would be ni nice to be able to get a trail too but unfortunately the mayor and I the mayor and I many many years ago once took a walk from Gunther it done that was not a necessary we were we were younger and more more uh kind of motivated and we were in muck up to our knees at some point as we made our way through the woods I think I lost a shoe at one oh that's the shoe I found well so the D and G but it must not have come to this committee right so I'm glad to for all of you to look through it give me your comments I would ask if you don't mind that by the next meeting I would say if we could have the comments in because we'd like to get the you know the if there's any edits that have to be made you know you going to send it out again because I didn't I resent it to you again so hopefully I hope your emails not blocking my link but if not I can I'll I'll get it to you some and and for something like the dun and Gunther so we don't hold up the whole thing can we put something in there like to be finalized to be developed so it's understood it's in Pro in progress um we could but if it's the really if it's the um consensus of this committee that it maybe shouldn't be in there I could take that back to the trails committee and if you know they're in agreement then we would just remove it you know so and if the trails committee says well we really want that in here for this reason I can then bring that back here so well if there's a question about the location of a trail you want to have the Trad you can say something about approximate location yes yes Absol exact location to be determined yeah that we can do if we have to move it around or but the good thing about this Pathways and trails plan besides the fact that it's updated because of it we've updated all our Trails brochures which now have all nice new color maps and they are where you're walking is actually the trail like it's been walk the other thing is and this was a part this is why we did the work that we did on the north south South mid was Trail years ago was that when you have a plan like this that's been adopted and made part of your master plan and it includes proposed Trails then you're considered shovel ready for any Grand applications so you're you're ready to go it's just the Grant application opens up and you have a shovel ready project because you've already determined the location and and connections put Chargers like that the amenities even go with it so like for example we put the Memorial Forest idea that open space was working on in there and that really would make a shovel ready for uh grants through like AARP for accessibility these other these organizations that it's not just a d or or you know there's these organizations that and there and the time for application can be as as short as a month right and so how do you put together a whole plan you now we already have it yeah so so Trails committee did an outstanding did yeah they worked hard worked hard everybody get a look at the plan but make sure you're pretty awake reading it pretty it's ly get out it's a boring read I me I three times into it and still haven't got through it oh I know it's so thorough it's like and you still need members uh no actually now we're full we're now full yes yep we just um got our last new member the other day so so I would say if by the next meeting if you could give me your comments if you have any and you can just email them to me if you want however you want to get them to me and do you are you looking for any ideas if you do have ideas like for connectors or anything for sure if you see something that you know would be better or doesn't make sense because you know the property that's great information for us to have yep okay next on the list is the done Diversion the done diversion so we are working on moving forward with the scoping hearing so the signs went up today the requir got my first phone call about it email about it about 3:00 this afternoon sign went up a quarter to 3 right so to have a it's way in advance which is so way I going tell you I got an email literally at 3:00 this afternoon yes Carl sent me a picture no I got an email from a resident asking oh no already it was only up for an hour the only the only concern I have then is that they put it in the right place because they identified a building and that that's not the corner where the sign should be I'm hoping that it's on the northwest corner and not the southwest corner because you don't own the southwest corner that would be L store I'm sure it is I can't imagine that they wouldn't put it in the right spot but must going up late today cuz I was by there yeah cuz I to 2 or 3:00 I went by there didn't see any signs up so we're required by d's green anchors program to First have a scoping hearing where we present to the public why we want to do the diversion as well as how we plan to mitigate any impacts and the requirements are that we have to publish um two notices in the newspaper of record which the first one is going in on February 26th and the next one goes in I believe it's like the end of um March I'm sorry end of febru February middle of March yes um then the signs were made up our sign our sign shop made them and they installed them and it has exactly the language that is required to be there there's very specific language it has to be on a white background with black letters there's certain when's the first public meeting so the public meeting is on not March April we changed it April 6 April 6 at 6:30 6 p.m. or 6:30 let me look at my calendar I thought 6 but here yes here and yes and we got this something that Tara and I can no no just no I'm saying this is this is a a the the public hearing is is to solicit input and all it is is a documentation of comments that thing gets sent to the it's April 3rd April 3rd 6 p.m here that's the Wednesday support for that it be good to have some I mean honestly a lot of times with these Green Acres hearings because Green Acres requires you to have hearings for really any change to a park a diversion is a bigger one of course or open space A lot of times a lot of people don't come but if you want to come you can actually and this is really just for us to solicit comments from anyone who wishes to make them they're documented in writing and passed on to Green Acres to so that when Green Acres makes their final decision as to whether or not to approve the diversion that's and you can and those comments can be made at that public scoping hearing and they can also be made directly to the D right by by anyone who wants to make a com so DP has looked at all of our what we've submitted our application they're good with us having the hearing which means that they've looked at everything we've submitted and they're good with it and once the hearing is done we submit the transcript and then they'll tell us you know how to proceed which hopefully will be that's the last step so moving forward and this is to separate the State House committee meets in June yes yeah so we can get it before then that's why we wanted to get it done as soon as we could get it before that this is to separate the house from from the rest of the property to subdivide a small portion couple two acres AC and then would and and we'll we'll look to move the the drive way away from the current easement across the property owner on S Dam Road and out to the CIS sack that was built off of people's sign to do the diversion it's been a longer process because we had to first get an approved facade easement from the state historic preservation office and they came out numerous times and we had to document everything that was to be preserved and get that approved and then we were allowed to apply for the diversion so it's been quite a process yes yeah the the the email that I got said said um that there's a sign that you're going to demolish a historic structure and I want to know what the town is going to do in its place I said there is no demolition in fact the the person who might acquire this house is required to not only keep the house but keep the historic facade as part of the de restriction so read this sign the correct ter I just driving by portion of it all right up the trails maps um I kind of did it we're just updating our trails maps and we're going to get them printed and put them out there okay the plaque for Melba oh yes the plaque for Melba so I got a quote from the original thought that we had was to um it almost looked like kind of a street sign and it said it was going to say you know Melba bat and way or whatever I brought to the trails committee it was way too expensive so I got a quote from Crown Trophy and to do the um 10 by10 bronze framed casting it's $300 and then they recommend that we just pick out a stone from they recommended Bridgewater Stone Works but of course I have to look at gr Stone from TR is that going to go on the ground it's going to go on the ground that's that's by just what T said 10 x 10 just so we're clear that's 10 in by 10 okay in the minutes that's one our our original thought was that we wanted there's a bird blind there and Mel really really love the bird blind that was one of her favorite places so the trails committee was saying maybe we could put something on the bird blind but when I spoke to the man at Crown Trophy actually went there and he said do not put any bronze on the bird like cuz someone will take it which I didn't realize mounted on a rock that's big yeah just go down a trap rock and get a rock yeah so we get the Rock and Trap Rock they have several make one available to us if when it gets installed should we have a little D yes absolutely we'll have a little ceremony and we'll invite her son we get Nancy there saying her daughter right around the corner so I guess the thing is is the now so will Trap Rock I don't know how much the Rock from Trap Rock will be okay so $300 is what we need to approve to you know or recommend be spent for the motion to approve $300 for the is there a way that you can to the Rock yes DPW or can affix it to the Rock so then it'll be there and the ones that were in front of the library for the 911 memorial the Rocks came from Trap Rock and they were fixed by the public works department TR what's the status of the bird blind because we talk about that we did yeah so the trails committee is really kind of taking the lead on that and trying to figure out is it best to replace the whole thing is it better to try and fix it so there's some people on our committee that think that repairs can be made I don't know that that's correct so I think the next thing is to meet Carl out there with some of our Trails members and if he determines that it's not fixable then we would just get a quote now we have been looking for quotes for the cost of new bird blinds but it really depends on what you want do you want just the simple bird blind cuz that can maybe be done with the help of you know Boy Scout I was would surprise me that's why I just said we have enough Scouts in talented can we back up the bus we didn't have an official approval on yes on the plaque yes a motion for the the $300 smoth got a seconded right oh Bob pusk moved okay I'm sorry who seconded I missed you did okay okay in favor motion carries excellent railroad beds so um the well actually Robin do you want to talk about it because it was your idea um we and actually Walter Andrews on the environmental commission asked us about the rail line that goes through the middle North End town and if there's something that could be done with that along the lines of Rails to Trails obviously then that that would mean that Walter Andrews was not on the environmental Comm or having anything to do with the township at the time that this was first proposed 2006 yeah about 2006 and got incredible objections from the people who own the properties along Amal Road on which the rail the midle bush end we're talking about from Veronica that's that's own by Conrail that Conrail owns that and we don't have any access a meeting tomorrow Friday with Walter Lane at the county to talk about this you can talk as much as you like what what area do you want to investigate as as Ted just said from Veronica but we don't own that and I just dealt with I'm going to let me just give you some insight we had to go jump through hoops to try to just deal with a drainage issue along a piece of property on Churchill Avenue to get Conrail permission they are in we we said will you vacate it will you aband they have no interest whatsoever in abandoning that rail line from Clyde road to Route 27 well I'm interest in having a conversation with Walter because or Mr Lane because if he thinks maybe it's worth a conversation let him do it I'm just telling you we just this is recent this isn't like something in the past I'm not going to tell him he can't do it I'm I'm just telling you that it's it's they're not going to relinquish down and and the rail line from south from Clyde we own two sections we own a section from South Middle Bush to Amwell I don't know we own that we ABS I am absolutely 100% positive of it that's where John loose got accosted by a property and our chairman we own both sections both SE the gold family bought the one section no the township owns the section okay the piece that's particularly interesting to me is where it crosses 27 into middle SE County and I'm telling you that there's no way we just went through and did and and literally had to jump through hoops to get a temporary access permit from Conrail to just go underneath to try to run a a pipe underneath the railroad tracks to try to get drainage of a I'm prepared now thank you I Robin what particularly interests you about it well Rails to Trails in general but connecting over to Jersey Avenue train station idea being people could bike to the Jersey Avenue train station and then get on the exactly and there already is a light at 27 at the railroads line and that section in New Brunswick is not exempt either so as much as it's completely overgrown in our town that was an issue that we dealt with so we'll have a conversation public portion we we got a waiver in the back public portion and public portion coming up oh okay so how old it is hold on all right moving on Old buness they know when this par rant okay so the path at non Williams has been repaved um that's been done it looks really nice and it's you know nice and flat DPW did put in some uh under drains in the two portions that have experienced flooding pretty bad in the past um which was great because we've been sending them our concept designs and working with um Carl so that it still needs to be closed up because it needs the water needs to be rerouted but the underd drains are there which is great um and I just set up a meeting today with Carl for next week to go over what materials we need to actually put the trenches in along the problem areas so it'll have a landscaping mesh gravel yeah to kind of soak up that water even further stop more water from coming on the path um and yeah there's some minor you know Ted brought up a good point when we were out there there was one place that I thought would be great for a rain garden and he pointed out we could just kind of make like a channel that so we're going to do that instead which I think is great so we're working on getting our supplies and uh materials list together and then we can start doing all that work and we have a grant for that we have a $220,000 grant from sustainable Jersey so we have the money for that and there's a a bit of a I don't know quite what you would call it depression for an intermittent stream through the woods there that just needs to be connected up to that then there's the more definite stream which is really mostly to the the lewood side the wood which you want to but there is if you go look at it I look and it really I think what you have to do is channel channel I like the word Channel because we talked about channeling the water from the Park area into the wooded area to make it go to the wet lands and Stream area and we clean that stream out to uh what is our responsibility um near Matilda Avenue that's the part that we clean now on the part that's further north um is the responsibility of lewood they have not been good at living up to their responsibility yeah when I went there and I came out on the other side what should I who should I meet but Vince domac looking at what had been the lewood office that they do not show any signs of they're just not being very responsive they've been an enforcement has G um I think is Council right able to CH to chime in on this because really who are we to deny coun right the chance to speak about this is there a possibility for shade tree plant trees there because trees obviously water and uh it's it's there there are a lot of trees there it's right on the edge of the woods but the last discussion we had at our last meeting was to remove trees because so do have some in the concept design there is some areas of the woodlands that we want to kind of like beef up with some more trees to do and we will work with SH Tree on that when it comes time yes absolutely so we'll be planting the trees that's the last thing we'll do because first we have to dig up a bunch of the side but we won't be removing any trees the discussion we had was we want we originally want to plant trees by the um playground Grove but we scrapped that idea because the residents in the area don't want it we want to be sensitive to what you know works also for the people in the area that was the one way you look out the apartment you yes yes yep I would to jump the ship here a little bit and open public comment up I think that's a great idea but do we have a motion to open immedate at this point to the public open it second all in favor I Council my right come on up uh just two things uh the train tracks I saw that on the agenda uh and our our esteemed uh fearless leader um the train track that that run along the people's houses um church that was a problem with flooding uh and I Bob I beat I've been beating him up about this every year every six months she beats up on me I beat up on B and man we did a bang up job of fixing that problem just ask her I knocked on her door she's very happy excuse me when I was campaigning I knocked on her door she's very happy y everyone back there that was a problem because we we we were looking at this I mean he told me comrel owned it I was about to blow the tracks up because no one used it and you're right it goes up to 27 uh uh and it goes over 27 and there's nothing to be done with it on the other end it's paved over isn't it yeah it is well we no no the re only reason why it's paved over at Veronica and Clyde was because we entered into a agreement with Conrail that if they reactivate the train line we're responsible for the cost to reinstitute the rails there you go that's why it was closed over and well you say it'll never happen but there's an agreement they were not they were not willing to relinquish it at that time either and my second thing is you brought up lewood and in the Redevelopment area we're working on that issue with our good friends lewood uh as you know they built all the tow houses but we're working with on that issue okay okay wait for the next to come up then I'll jump again any other com public comment I'll make a motion to close second all in favor oppose okay this back schedule here month report y the month cons monthly report anybody any questions on p on her report motion to approve second all in favor I I oppos carries you know what I want to talk about her because I don't think it's said now listen I I do because I don't think I I think that most members of this committee appreciate I don't know that how much you really do appreciate all the work that this woman to my left does um and why you know I realize you know she's a PID consultant and often times I hear this and that well she's the PID consultant I've heard this recently I I I don't think that you honestly know the amount of time that she puts that she doesn't build for um you know all of the phone conversations with me that never show up on her report and her bills all right and I so we we are truly lucky to have her in this position and I just want to say these reports detail all of the basic work that she does but it really is just a tip of the iceberg and I see it every month and I do appreciate all go out in the middle of the woods with Bob and and Tony Gaylord and tree stand okay when do I need to be a pretty pretty we've heard that story that's a short that's the short version the short version when I Bob called me about this whole issue and I and and I'll elaborate on the issue a little bit in a minute here but Bob called me he says please call this man and he said he's a little bit of a pain I said bigger than me Bob he said you let me come close I was I was in hack New Jersey that day and I called him for my truck phone I was leaving hackin toown and he says I give you the short version I was home he was so talking that's an hour trick we heard it all twice we heard the officer showed up we heard the whole thing over I I have known Tony Gay for 35 years for those of you who really don't know him he's the retired Chief of Police from Princeton Township when it was still Princeton Township um and he has lived on 518 for my entire career here and I'm sure a lot longer than that I think he said 1970s um he he's my secretary has his name and cell phone number on a Post-It note on her on her desk so just say that we appreciate what he did yeah no just you got idea you got to a little shorter with his explanation but his intentions he's good eyes for the for the township property that's what that's what we want the signage ideas are excellent well you know one of the things and I and I didn't talk about that but one of the difficulties that we have with signage on this particular piece of property is that the back property lines are not marked and it's not just Tony Gaylord's property that backs up to our property there's multiple properties along Route 518 that back up to our property and without I mean they were surveyed when we purchased the property but the the mark there's no survey markers out there to determine so it becomes difficult for Works to go walk through the woods and post the property that's why quietly over here I suggested you know if there's 10 Hunters on this property perhaps the hunter should post this property well and they would and he will he would do it I know he would at least his property the hunters are very helpful and if you look at the property lines these are not these are not right angle property lines so it makes it difficult to put them on the property lines which is where they they need to go we post the road and we post par the one we had a couple years ago driveway again it is and that's the that's what he's talking about the Jersey the plastic Jersey Barrier Waterfield that's to block off that access because we had that encroachment on our property there shade tree speaking of shade tree that's a piece of property that shade tree should look at to we so there's this 10t wide piece of land that we own between a a a there's a two private prop two developed private properties one person was very upset about the clearing of that piece of property it had just been scrub and overgrowth it really needs to have significant tree plantings and it is a wooded area but it needs to to be replanted it we're not looking at it as an emergency access point or anything like that it it needs to be restored to where it was and I I've talked to the property owner that was offended by the clearing of it by the her next door neighbor um and uh she would be very enthusiastic about tree plantings there both coniferous and deciduous there you go and and now we get rid of the barrier yeah I did the comment on on his um issue with the signs we we got sign we we know what needs to be on our signs we've got all this we shorten them up for many times but we need to have C head worked on them once too y we had to have certain verbiage on the sign but his theory of putting a sign up not having clst for 5 years isn't correct because you get you can do that but you have to go back out every year remark it with the year every year post it exactly do that the hunters will help us that is required by law it has to have the has to current year on on the post right um anyway um updates for other committees anybody got anything report well I just two things for you to to put on your calendars for those who would like to help us April 13th we're doing a stream cleanup at CES run so we're meeting by the IHOP on Eastern Avenue in Franklin called no um East Plaza the anyway well the very back of of the driveway that goes in there beyond the IHOP yes it's between IHOP and uh Franklin green now called the park it's between Rucker it all the way back 13th it's 9:30 to 12 the lower R watered brings us um picker uppers they bring water they bring gloves they bring garbage bags they make it super easy all you have to do is show up bring a kid or two because it's a nice opportunity for a young person to see how bad it looks and then to see how good it looks 2 hours later you look and say oh my God it's the Garden of Eden right so come along and send a neighbor we would like that and the other thing is we are officially this year Franklin is endorsing a save the mo till Earth Day program so we encourage you to leave your lawn growing till April 22nd it will allow the right plants for the pollinators to get a decent shot after that it's really not that important a growing season for us one of our members did the study Dr everything other parts of the country call it um don't mow till May no M May yeah that works in Wisconsin it doesn't work in New Jersey yeah so we would encourage a lot of ticks no you have a hell of a lot of complaints to the health department Bas but it only goes to April 2 sounds argument with my wife I was going to say isn't it sorry honey our local governments say like your lawn is so this date didn't come by randomly um this the our Municipal mowing season begins after that date and we've documented when we begin so we felt comfortable saying that we could make that recommendation and no one Mo before that so thank you the man who usually occupies that seat and I had a whole lengthy discussion about yeah um the only thing I want to say just from the trails committee at Anar knows is um National Trails day is the first Saturday of every June every year so it's Saturday June 1st this year and it's going to be at Bunker Hill Natural Area and we're going to partner with the our Watershed Ambassador and she's going to do a watershed based program there and also a walk oh and I forgot even before that March 11th we're doing a filming at um The Bard of bed building the old consolat and the film is called kiss the ground a film showing film showing yeah we're not making a movie We're showing yeah that that'd be interesting and um so 7 o'clock till 8:15 we're going to have a discussion afterwards it's uh the the movie features Woody harlson and talking about regenerative agriculture and how regenerating our soils can go a long way to help us fight climate change um I'm going to go back to something that you just talked about before though the stream cleanup um how Ted you've done that cely run stream cleanup before how far back do you go from eastn Avenue on that cleanup to the I think Petty Street or whatever to Petty Road okay you do go for all the way back to what is now the park which used to be Franklin green so for what for what it's worth and and I don't know what the current condition of the property is but I know that there was some dumping is from Petty Road to the stream to the back property lines of those houses on Foxwood Drive and all the way to the shopping center is a Township own lot we own that piece of property and and there there has been dumping on that property in the past so if you're feeling ambitious and you want to get out of the water maybe it's too cold that proper that property might have some some things to clean up as well and we of course save the big stuff for public works but yeah no exactly and I mean or or if you happen to you're there you know cuz it is overgrown if and you see big things then Public Work can go clean that out too great we do own that piece spread the furthest back I've seen them go with that is there's apartments back there and that's the worst part of it all back the apartments right I can tell you Ted Chase probably broke the record pulling shopping carts I I was just going to say was an embedded shopping cart that were so embedded we didn't deal with it because it was really going to take a somebody with a winch to get it out get CR but generally that's how far in the past that's how we go that's like the worst part everybody comes out of their apartment and just you should have seen one mile run oh by the way the film showing that we're doing we've invited Montgomery in Hillsboro environmental commission to spread the word and ask them to let us know when're fil to go next thing on the agenda would be executive session we already public comment and we need to go on Executive session yes we do yes we do oh oh yeah okay motion to go on Executive session don't make a motion all in favor there will be no will be no V or public no no votes taken after