in accordance with the open public meeting Act of the state of New Jersey adequate notice of this work session regular meeting of the Franklin Township Council was made as required indicating that this work session regular meeting would take place at the municipal building at 700 p.m on Tuesday May 28th 2024 thank you if we could all stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and remain standing for the invocation by councilwoman francea if there is to be peace in the world there must be peace in the Nations if there is to be peace in the Nations there must be peace in the cities if there is to be peace in the cities there must be peace between neighbors if there is to be peace between neighbors there must be peace in the home there is to be peace in the home there must be peace in the heart amen Adam clerk please call the role councilman and Barrison councilwoman Francois here councilman karazi here mayor Kramer here councilman o joa here Deputy Mayor pnik pres councilwoman uden here councilman vasella here councilman M thank you uh if you want to follow along on the agenda there by the clerk we are to item number five commendations and proclamations National Gun Violence violence Awareness Day Proclamation is there anyone here to receive that okay then I'll just read it from up here uh whereas every day 120 Americans are killed by gun violence and more than 200 are shot and wounded with an average of nearly 18,000 gun homicides every year whereas New Jersey has 427 gun deaths every year with a rate of 4.8 deaths per 100,000 people a crisis that cost the state $5.3 billion doll each year which 168 .9 million is paid by taxpayers New Jersey has the 45th highest rate of gun debts in the United States and whereas towns Across the Nation including Franklin are working to end sens senseless violence with evidence-based Solutions whereas protecting Public Safety in the communities they serve is a mayor's highest responsibility and whereas gun violence prevention is more important than ever as we see an increase in fire armed homicides and non-fatal shootings increased calls to domestic violence hotlines and increased gun violence now therefore I Philip Kramer mayor of the township of Franklin County of Somerset on behalf of the township Council declare June 7th 2024 to be National Gun Violence awareness day and encourage all citizens to support their local communities efforts to prevent the tragic effects of gun violence and to honor and value human lives thank you uh we are now up to item number six public discussion we have a motion to open to the public so moved second move then seconded all in favor say I I oppos say nay motion is carried we are open to the public anyone wishing to speak on anything related to government may do so please state your name and address uh may only come up once 5 minutes per person no yielding of time hello good evening Mr Mayor esteemed council members rashan mik 21 Woodfield Court Franklin Park as we just observed Memorial day yesterday I want to express my gratitude to all the soldiers for their service I respectfully request a Moment of Silence from the steam Council and those present here today let us remember those who lost their lives in service of this great nation as well as countless innocent lives lost in ongoing conflict overseas including those on October 7th and the 37,000 and Counting Palestinians who have lost their lives due to ongoing genocide let's take a 30 minute silence Mr mayor council members during our last meeting Franklin Township community came forward with heavy hearts seeking silence and action amidst ongoing genocide in Palestine they bravely share their personal experiences and mental trauma hoping for a United response from our leadership as a community we were left disheartened betrayed and frustrated by male words that lack the necessary conviction certain words were spoken that did not fit the occasion the community PE was simple condemn the atrocity on a humanitarian ground and call for a ceasefire in a unified voice recent events have only exagerated our anguish the bombing of refugee camp in Rafa that was meant for a safe Zone claimed over 45 lives predominantly women and children hundreds more were treated for severe burns fractures in shop wounds the hallowing images of parents cradling lifeless children and their wrenching scenes of bodies pulled from the burning tents are etched into our Collective Consciousness what is the moral equivalency in this face of such blatant disregard for human life regardless of your personal belief I trust that your conscious compels you to take action the community stands Resolute and with will continue to demand accountability therefore one once again I urge my council members to a call for immediate ceasefire two recommend vs our community communities can work together to be a voice of a change I I recall there were some suggestions last time so I wanted to follow up on that and lastly I want to ensure my tax dollars do not fuel a genocide I demand Franklin to divest from our businesses that may be complicit in funding this genocide I wanted to personally thank Dr red and and other community members that also call for an end of violence our Township has a moral obligation to stand on the right side of history let us not be remembered by our silence but what but for the unwavering commitment for peace Justice and Humanity thank you thank you good evening uh my name is shamsa Khan I live on 14th Sebring I'm a new Resident I'm new to Franklin I moved back to New Jersey after being away for about 20 years um and the first thing I did was purchase a home here I moved in early November of this last year people often celebrate becoming a homeowner it's such a big Benchmark in life but I have not done so there has been no housewarming party and my childhood friends and family understand because how can I find joy in setting down Roots When so many people are losing their everything on our screens by the end of December instead after seeing an endless stream of children dying and their are parents begging us us who are funding this to stop to help them I made the decision to reach out to my therapist in the West Coast because I needed help doing basic things functioning sleeping eating she was kind enough to file for a temporary New Jersey license uh in order to see me thousands of miles away on a screen and it is with my Jewish therapists encouragement that I'm speaking to you today I want to address what the mayor said in the last meeting it's been playing in my mind he said what would a ceasefire res ution do who would care about an unknown mayor from a small town or something to that effect these words I've been thinking about this a lot and I understand globally to some extent that that maybe it wouldn't have an impact but what about locally I've lived in many states seven states from the east coast to the West Coast and I have not found a place more diverse than than this town right here here to me a ceasefire resolution is a symbolic gesture that represents Harmony and diversity that I see in Franklin the diversity and Harmony in this board and in the people behind me people of all backgrounds successfully working and living side by side a ceasefire resolution personally would be the difference between continuing to work in the four walls of my home and feeling encouraged to actively meet my neighbors on my street which I have not yet done people in Franklin don't really know me it would reaffirm that the citizens of a diverse Community it would cement that citizens of a diverse Community can continue to live side by side peacefully as an example to others and I just want to add that the word ceasefire it means to stop it's not a poli itical stance for any side it's a humanitarian stance I've taught language arts to high school students I actually looked up the root word for it to make sure I was correct the root word is society which means to leave off I fully believe that as representatives of a diverse community stand standing behind a desire for a ceasefire which which is a resolution really it's a desire for a ceasefire should be easy thank you for your time thank you evening mayor council members uh my name is Samina satar I'm a resident of Franklin 18 Barberry Court Franklin Township um I hope some of you were able to enjoy the long weekend and had time to honor our service members although I know the parade was unfortunately cancelled my weekend was marred by news from Raa in Gaza of at least 45 people killed who were Sheltering in tents in a un refugee camp because they were displaced by Israeli air strikes on their homes in other parts of Gaza 23 of the 45 were women children and the elderly the images coming out of ru in the middle of the night were horrifying charred bodies of children adults I want to read one account of a mother in Rua she said I left my children playing in the tent I hugged them as if it felt like because it felt like the last hug I left to cook them something to eat I came back panicking when I heard the air strikes I found my six children that couldn't fit in the tent they were were burnt and became Ash I carried all six in my arms as if it were a handful of sand I continued hugging and kissing them my six children my world they became the size of a handful of sand how many dead children does it take to say this needs to stop why do we need experts to tell us this is not right who doesn't look at this and feel compelled to yell at from the rooftops that it's not right that we can't be funding this with our tax dollars or to yell in the streets and protest or through or say it through every Forum we have if you don't feel compelled I have to assume your heart is cold or made of stone I have two questions for the council one will you put forth a resolution that would condemn the violence against civilians that we've been seeing for 7 months and demand the US government stops providing the weapons you to kill children and civilians and number two do we as a Township have any Financial connections to Israel or to companies that are profiting off the violence in Gaza and that includes weapons used to kill civilians or surveillance used in the occupied Palestinian territories those are my questions and I hope the council has answers thank you [Applause] okay my name's F dormo I live about 1 hour south of here in Delano New Jersey 605 Hickory Street I came from work as a teacher we heard about we need peace in our heart but even more important than peace in the Heart Is Love in Your Heart and like the love I have for my mother who survived being starved by the na Nazis she survived it but seeing what is happening in Gaza is leading to anger in my heart I'm directing that anger and trying to give trying to help others have a voice so other people hear about this maybe they don't have a connection like I do but they need to hear about this all the billions that are being sent over in our name I remember when the Iraq War was happening and I was so busy with my young children and I heard the protesters say not in my name not in our name and I ignored them and now years decades later I'm saying that same thing this isn't not going to happen in my name I'll do anything I can we have good people people speaking out we have Larry Hamond the Democratic party but he'll be silent when June 4th comes and he'll have to support and he has said he will support the nominee I'm directing my anger into trying to get petitions for a green Party candidate uh Christina khil if anyone could sign who hasn't signed for her I know she'll lose but she'll be a voice she'll be a voice that's all I have to [Applause] say good evening uh mayor CR Kramer and council members my name is Muhammad Teran I'm a Somerset resident nine sunflower Road um I do applaud and appreciate the uh the move that was done a little earlier to recognize the victims of gun violence in the US I think it is a a huge step to take it's something that we we don't speak about enough I liked the phrasing you had there which was about to honor and value human lives and what I hope by the end of my uh little Spiel here today uh is that we can honor and value human lives whether or not they're American lives um so mayor Kramer last meeting you and the council uh referred to the narrow scope of your role as a primary reason for why you couldn't put forward a ceasefire res resolution and I I understand I don't envy the role you know you guys aren't dictating F federal policy I think most of us here hopefully all of us here understand that and I understand where you're coming from but I respectfully disagree there's some precedent that's here across the street in front of the library there's a 911 memorial and last I checked that didn't happen in Franklin that happened and affected us as Franklin citizens because it happened to us as Americans the World War II Memorial same thing no battles were fought or raged here in Franklin but the effect was felt by the constituents it's not controversial to say that the impact that it had on our town is you know reason for Memorial we're not calling for a memorial today we're strictly calling for a ceasefire we also mentioned that calling for a ceasefire could anger some constituents and again I could understand that but I think it's also important to understand that inaction and indifference towards human suffering also causes anger and to me that's really what's worth getting angry over um I'm a stats guy it's you know I can't can't help it uh and you know as we're talk talking about uh the beautiful town that we live in and you know driving you know past all the areas that we're at here when more more than half the homes inza have been destroyed or damaged 80% of commercial facilities are destroyed I'm a small business owner I understand what that that would mean 86% of school buildings uh the hospitals that we see are in shambles uh and then the frequency of deaths that have happened I don't think we need to go into the detail of that I think we get the general idea um frankly calling for stopping the Bloodshed and destruction that's going on alienates people alienates anyone in the words of my communic hero Larry David alienate yourselves right he punctuated with some more colorful punctuation but frankly this should not be controversial this aspect of it is not the complicated part if you want to talk about the mechanisms of a one state vers two-state solution we can table that have that conversation that gets more complicated don't kill babies not super hard to talk about I feel as though sometimes we're here asking for permission where we're saying cease fire now with a question mark and my point is that we're here today saying ceasefire now is with a damn exclamation point at this point the Muslim Community as a whole has never historically been one issue voters but that's really no longer the case we voted across party aisles historically the single issue that's uniting people here is whether or not you choose to call for a stop the senseless massacring of innocent people in our name from whatever position of power you hold at the end of the day we could deal with potholes branches not having freshly painted bike decals again I do live off of Van CLE but this is a priority this really means a lot it's also disingenuous to act like putting out a statement would be done in lie of those responsibilities because of course you know that's something we can do together uh and mayor counsel uh I have 23 eligible voters in my family for this upcoming election who live in Franklin if God gives us the life it'll be 28 by the end of your term mayor um I want to be clear in speaking for myself and my family that any public official and I've made this clear when I've called to my my congressmen my Senators they will not get a vote or a dollar from any of us in the community and I voted for you mayor I I respect so much of the work that you do at the end of the day I cannot bring myself to vote for people who don't have the ability to call for the simplest of things and that's a ceasefire to the Bloodshed and allowing for an unimpeded humanitarian Aid toward the victims of the state sponsored Terror uh historian once said that all history is a current event so what I'm thinking about here is you know where we choose to stand on the sidelines and quote stay in our lane as a council or as a people much like many good and decent people stayed in their Lane during 400 years of slavery or many good and decent people stayed in their Lane when people were brought to the ovens and killed because of their belief in World War II and my grandfather was one of the survivors of World War II in the camps there I understand intimately what that means I have two young sons and at the end of the day when they inevitably ask about what I did during this time and what I choose to do while thousands of little bodies like theirs were ripped limb from limb I want to be able to look at them in the face and tell them that I did not stand idly by I did not stay in my lane or stay quiet or anything else while my tax dollars and my voice was being used to continue this massacre I pray for peace and for Solace for all those who have lost and for you and the council to have the moral fortitude to do the right thing I close by sharing a message from 67% of Americans and 77% of Democrats ceasefire now exclamation [Applause] point honorable mayor respected members of the Franklin Township Council my brothers and sisters good evening and assalamu alaykum the latter is an Arabic greeting which may which says may peace be upon you as our Council woman also mentioned franu peace have to be there so that we can be peaceful across the world my name is Muhammad salahudin and I'm a proud resident of Franklin Township residing at 120 Del Monica Avenue Somerset for the past 12 years having voted for the mayor and the Slate of candidates in all the election Cycles I part today I would like to start my brief speech requesting for the council to adopt a ceas resolution by quoting our honorable mayor's word in the last council meeting let me quote that one the world doesn't care what a mayor in New Jersey is saying it's not my Lane when we have something about warehouses taxes water road paving I have experts around the building advising me I don't have an expert advising me on the world affairs I don't know world affairs and I don't think it's my Lane unquote honorable mayor you are an audite man a man of wisdom and so does other members of this great Township Council I'm stunned to see that such a learned person like you fing ignorance on the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding in a graphical manner in every before every one of us like the proverbial ostrich burying its head in the sand it seems that the mayor and the council members are deliberately or intentionally unintentionally refusing to accept the truth about something unpleasant my plea to you mayor and councilman please stop looking the plight of 34,000 Palestinian Ian and 1200 Israelis who are killed through the lens of religion through the lens of politics or through the lens of re-election please stop looking at the plight of the millions of Palestinians who are uprooted from their homes and treated even woren animals not from the lens of religion lens of politics or lens of reelection please stop looking at the plight of the 45 human beings most of them children and women who had burn to death in Rafa a few days ago which by the way the chief perpetrator himself has acknowledged as tragic mishap through the lens of religion or lens of politics or lens of re-election such a myopic view contaminates the basic human value the basic humanity is being contaminated hence honorable mayor if this is not your lane I'm sorry to say you're no Lane at all you must have lost your moral compass it's time to get it back that one how to fix your humanitarian GPS when I voted for you and your slay of council members I thought I was voting for the people with empathy with concern with human values I'm extremely disillusioned and deeply disappointed by the way honorable mayor you do not need to be experts on world world affairs to advise you on this topic what you and the council member are need is Humanity the basic quality which almighty God has bestowed upon all of us as an innate thing if after seeing the horrific images after reading that most of those who were killed in talas Sultan refugee camp in Rafa the children and women burnt Al their bodies charred and their limbs blown off we shrug it off and rest easy in the night where is our Collective humanity and Collective conscience honorable mayor and council members open your eyes and ears more than that open your hearts and mind do some introspection is this all right is this all right this non-stop killing of all innocent people for the past the burning of the 45 innocent people is this accept acceptable to all our conscience honor mayor you also mentioned during the last council meeting I don't know that I would be doing good for the town by calling for Seas file I don't think it would be appropriate for the council to do that unquote what a shame a learned person like you proclaiming or rather feing ignorance of the genocide that is being committed on the occupied by the occupier indeed you are doing a great harm to this Township to this community by not calling for a ceasefire as I want to quote Elis visel who is a noble La in the Holocaust survival we must always take sides neutrality helps the oppressor not the oppressed silence encourages the Tormentor not the tormented the opposite of love is not hate it's indifferent that's what we are doing in so please by not adopting the ceasefire resolution you and the council are denying this community to an opportunity to take a moral and courageous stand against inhumanity against genocide and pushing all of us the pr resident of this Township into the bystandard category many of you who have read the history may know about what bystandard means and pushing us to be passive and indifferent to the sufferings of fellow human beings May Angelo said during bad circumstances which is our human inheritance right now you must decide not to be reduced you have your humanity and you must not allow anything to reduce that we are obliged to know we are Global citizen disasters remind us we are World citizen whether we like it or not and this is one of the occasion for us today is the day for Franklin Township and its college and behave like a world Citizen and Statesmen caring for the future generations and not as a politician looking for the next direction thank you very [Applause] much mayor Kramer can you all hear me yeah if I could just move the microphone down is that better very close yeah thank you appreciate it um again I'll start hello mayor Kramer councilman Kazi councilman pra councilman pnik councilwoman Aden councilman onaka councilwoman Wright and councilman vasella and I apologize if I missed anybody or I pronounce impr pronounced your your names my name is fim Jed uh six napot Place Franklin resident for over a decade I'd like to begin by telling you that we are here today again not to teach you about what's going on in Rafa razza Palestine but rather to ask you to say something about it when we come to you with our hearts pounding out of our chests and you tell us that you need to stay in your lane I'm here to tell you this is your lane we're not asking you to make a political religious or personal statement we're asking you to make a human one we are not asking to you to change your mind about whether or not a state has a right to exist or figure out a just solution to the 75 yearlong catastrophe we are not asking you to take sides because honestly there's no side in genocide we are asking you to say that genocide must stop now we are asking you to say that the killing of innocent people anywhere is inexcusable this is everyone's business and this is in everyone's Lane we're asking you to stand byas your grieving constituents we're angry we're in pain and we're feeling at a loss we're asking you for your support while you may think that a Township statement will do nothing I'm telling you that it will it will tell us that we're not alone give us a shoulder to lean on perhaps console our very broken hearts at this moment and it may even be at the root of change while our Township has long celebrated the many differences their diversity right now no one is celebrating that diversity right now we are not United the way we have been so let's change that let's unite our community once more on the common ground of our humanity and once again recognize the diversity of our Township and that that diversity of our community is something to be celebrated I go out in my community and I look like this so to many I look very different and some people may be uncomfortable with that and to others I'm just another person I'm used to being different but that's what's so great about this Township as for those constituents that are uncomfortable that will dislike a human statement like end the genocide honestly it's the deafening silence that emboldens hateful people to act on their hate silence is what allows these things to happen at home and abroad silence is what allows things to perpetuate into worsen for over 7 months I woke up yesterday to is absolute horrorist from the most recent Rafa Massacre it's not on mainstream media Outlets you know actual raw footage not the debunked claims but I I digress I proceeded to collect myself as best as I could and then I went and hugged each of my children a little know it was a lot longer and my eldest she knew she's you know she's up to dat she's on social media and she asked if I knew and my eyes were filled with tears and I couldn't contain myself and my little one kept asking why I was was crying why I was so upset you know you have an entire Community that's hurting that is aching and we're asking you for your support we're asking you to be a loud voice in this Township and in Central Jersey a seed that produces change it starts now it starts today it has to start somewhere thank you so much for your time thank you hello my name is NAA D I'm a Jewish constituent of and resident of Somerset and I wanted to talk a little bit of today about the concept of what is and isn't in the purview of small local governments um I wanted to point first to the fact that when a few years ago when Ukraine was brutally attacked by an aggress aggressing outside force uh the township the county of Somerset came together and recognized a Ukrainian Freedom Square we're not even asking for that we're asking for a statement saying it's bad to kill children that includes that children that were killed uh that that were taken as hostages that includes the children that are currently starving to death in Gaza that includes the actual beheaded child that I saw a few days ago after the bombings in Rafa and not the ones that have been debunked by Major Outlets that spread the lialis reports and I want to talk about the Holocaust I want to talk about the concept of people being too small to make a difference there's a story about I believe it is Russian um air force during World War II who were hit with enough bullets that they should have gone down and when they landed none of them knew why they survived until they found one of the casings of one of the ammunitions that had struck their plane and inside it there was no um there was no uh gunpowder there was no ammunition to actually ignite just a note written in German from the uh from someone in a concentration camp who had been forced to work making munitions to fight against the people trying to save them and that note said I'm sorry this is all we can do because they have been removing the gunpowder from the bullets and that saved soldiers Lives who were fighting against Nazis I want to talk about the many local government officials throughout Europe and Asia who burned their lists of Jewish residents and filled out as many um past passports and papers for uh Refugee status as they could at Great risk to themselves and how that saved hundreds if not thousands of my ancestors and I want you to think about that and question if any Act is truly too small in the face of genocide and it is a genocide it's been stated as such by many organizations many Holocaust Survivors themselves it is not too no Act is too small because when we come together all of our acts create huge change and I think if the people with no elected power with minimal control of their daily lives are coming to you are elected officials to ask that you use the power we trusted with you make a statement that might just be a drop in the bucket but at least it'll be a drop in the bucket trying to put out the fire thank you my name is um Ian Hartman I live about an hour away in Bordentown New Jersey at 16 Miles Avenue um I'm not sure if you got if you can answer questions at this or not we answer after uh are you as far as I can tell as far as I can tell there isn't a single person in this room uh speaking yet there hasn't been a single speaker yet and there's a c of like a c of Cafe is um who like where is the push back coming from against this resolution like are there people sending you emails or whatever because there's no one here no one from the other side seem to bother to show up so why are you so opposed to passing this resolution if the people you know we're the vote we're the people who are motivated we're you know the residents here who came out are the ones who are going to come out to vote the people who stayed home why do like if they're staying home from this resolution they're not going to they're not going to come out to vote either uh so that's my first question um that's my question uh I wanted to read um a statement uh uh Vera my my friend ver already talked about the Christina K campaign but I just want to say again that Christina uh that Christina khil if she gets on the ballot she will not uh endorse Andy Cam in November she will be a voice on the ballot that people can vote for so I'll be outside um if anyone would like to sign I'll be collecting signatures for um at least the rest of public comment in a little bit probably a little bit longer after that um and uh Christina Cal uh is um she will also support a living wage and and a student debt so please anyone who's interested just come out and signed to get on the ballot we have to get on the ballot by June 1st um to get over the line uh thank you very much uh also uh four municipalities in New Jersey have already passed a resolution and over a 100 municipalities across the United States have passed these a similar resolution so this isn't something that is outside of the purview of local government um hi my speech won't be as long but my name is Anam and I've lived in Franklin Township for about a decade uh I'm a college student right now at Columbia University but before that I was a very proud member of the Franklin Township youth Council from seventh grade to my senior year I served on the Community Committee and for every two weeks I sat right down the road in the senior center for two to three hours um every Tuesday for six years and volunteered my time to plan events and engage our Greater Community last time you asked us to stay in our lane at my time at youth Council we were taught and trained to make a difference to spread good and educate people on how to be better and through our actions stand for our morals I've always been extremely proud to be from Franklin Township I volunteered over 500 hours of my life to this town I've been at multiple Franklin days proudly talking to parents about how their children will have the opportunity to grow and nourish into leaders here have the opportunity to develop their voice as people who will grow go forward and change the world and I'm ashamed that we haven't called for a ceasefire in this Township the youth will remember your decision when we vote and I'm already a voting member this is not a topic that you can simply just ignore echoing the words of the people who stood up here before me there are no sides in the face of genocide I've had the opportunity while at Colombia's encampment to talk to rabbis reverends imams and other community leaders who have all agreed that this is simply not a religious issue this is an issue about Humanity just a few few days ago the Atlantic put out an article saying quote it is possible to kill children legally as the mainstream media continues to push this harmful narrative that children lives are somehow not important because they don't carry an American passport will you continue to do the same will you continue to be complicit in the dehumanization of Palestinian lives of Palestinian children we be complicit as the media continues to villainize Muslims Arabs and Palestinians many of whom are your very own constituents in terms of scope as the people before me have said multiple cities have already called for a ceasefire as simple students my classmates and I quite literally faced multiple waves of police brutality protesting because we didn't have any other way to make an impact we aren't asking you all to set up your own encampment but you have the power to make a difference you have the power by putting out a statement you have the power to do more my name is sfia teron I lived in this Township for for more than 25 years I was in one of the homes the hu's homes before the library was even put in the main library here um I've raised my children in this town I have my grandchildren um who have participated you see my son there been very active in the community been friends F family I knew Samy shaan since he was a kid my father as my Jewish colleague the sister over there who spoke explained my father was from former Yugoslavia the Muslims during World War II to help their Jewish brothers and sisters put themselves on the line gave them documents saying that they were Jewish that they were Muslim so that they wouldn't be taken by the Nazis and they did this knowing that they were putting their own lives on risk many of them hid them their books about this with the albanians they have it they it's called the basa I'm not pronouncing it the the Albanian word correctly my father lost 140 members of his family his own family to a genocide as a teenager he raised us to be proud of being Americans I grew up in New Jersey all my life I grew up in North Jersey in EK and I came here later when I got married and I was always told you're supposed to speak out for Injustice that that's something that we count on that we're supposed to never again was something we were taught in our classes and when we studied the Holocaust when we studied about different types of genocide that were going on and we were told that it was wrong to be silent and as a mother and as a grandmother when I have a 5-year-old who says to me grandma Anna what did the Palestinian kids do wrong why are people killing them how can I just stand there I told him well not everybody's wants that to happen people are trying to stop it we can't use the word ceasefire which means stop stop the killing stop it that's not a political term that's a simple message this is wrong it doesn't need to continue and yes we will hold all of our Representatives accountable in local government I've called my Senators my congressmen I've called told President Biden's office number of times about this issue thank God one of our community members who I knew also as a youngster Dr Adam hamwe who just came back from Gaza who wasn't able to get out he went there to help in the hospital there with a whole humanitarian group through the World Health Organization and finally he was let out and he wouldn't go till other people who were in his group who were not Americans but were medical doctors who came came there to help others until they left as well and he's he's a war veteran and he's saying what he's seen and what's going on is beyond the scope of anything and he was in Iraq he saw what happened and he's just this is not combatants these are children these are women why is it impossible for us to say cease fire and I will keep talking out and I will know and 15 years down the line 20 years down the line when people will ask why were people silent why didn't people do anything it's going to be documented people weren't silent there were people who said this was wrong but then there were others who were in positions to just do something simple refused to do it and by the way I've lived in this town I know my neighbors really well we're from different faiths we get along really well I can tell you this situation though is is affecting Franklin Township not doing anything about it is affecting relationships in Franklin Township and if you're not worried about what's going on over there you should be worried about what how it's affecting our community thank you thank you for having me my name is afnan Alto 34 Margaret Drive I've been a resident of Somerset for roughly around six years I'm originally from a a lovely Town little south of Y called Philadelphia and uh Philadelphia raised me it made me who I am and one of the Striking things about Philadelphia as I imagine many of us here know is that there's a strong strong Legacy of civil rights there from the African-American community and the Jewish Community I went to a high school they were called Central High School uh many celebrities many politicians have got have graduated from the halls of that high school I was very very fortunate to learn and develop my critical thinking skills before I became an attorney in that high school that High School in that Library were books by the great author Nom chsky who was a valorian I'm sorry who was um a graduate of the high school many many years before I and he has written extensively before the nor Norman filic scenes before the El papies before uh the many uh amount the many numerous Scholars we have on the Israel and Palestine issue he uh he was uh he was there to teach me from his books uh my my teachers also were my uncle and auntie my friend Max's parents who were anti-zionist uh Jews I also went and attended the mosque that the late great malom X Allah has Mercy on his soul was a uh teacher at these things drive me to speak about this and I I can't stay quiet about this this morning yest yesterday morning what did we see when most of us when we open our phones we saw a headless baby we saw a child without its head and then a second time another child without its head a third time a child without its head a fourth time a child without its head sitting next to his father who had his eyes burned out his body the skin had peeled off and he was still alive another child felt and screamed in pain as its skin was melting off of him on video until it eventually and I would say mercifully but passed away I say this all to also bring you a piece of History the religion of Islam is around 1500 years old around 1450 years old to be exact and unfortunately unfortunately the tragic matter of history is that the Jews suffered a lot a lot and fortunately during 1300 years plus when Islam thrived when it FL the black and brown Muslims of the world and the Turks of the world they took in our Jewish brothers and sisters without any want they Incorporated them into their societies the late great rebi who is called mades flourished in Muslim empire I bring this up to you to show you that this dispels the notion that we hear even from politicians now that there is an ancient animosity between Muslims and Jews there is no such animosity when Christian Europe was ransacking raping and pillaging Jewish towns and Villages who took them in with open arms the Muslims the rabbis themselves to this day talk about in great with great love and uh and um Splendor about the greatness that the Muslim empire had and the welcome that they had I bring this because I also want to bring uh uh discuss the meaning of genocide as an attorney I know that the meaning of genocide I must pull this up because my brain is escaping me because I'm in my emotions um is uh uh the international criminal court the Geneva commission acknowledges it to be the intentional destruction of a people in whole or in part the politicians of Israel do not reflect the great great spirit of Judaism which incorporates human rights and the Civil Rights Movement which was very much inspired by that so I ask our people our our leaders here to consider this not from a Zionist rubric not from a Christian Zionist rubric not from a white or black or brown rubric but from a rubric of good and bad they calling for a ceasefire will not somehow make you a um treasonous to your principles but instead will Al only further vindicate you and I also say that this speaks to also the record we want on the written record the Franklin Township and its leadership even if we cannot do much even though we're just a drop in the bucket within the global politic that we on the record spoke against what is going on the travesties the atrocities going on and so I ask for you all to think about it from that what's good and what's bad and I ask you for that to vote on the ceasefire thank you so [Applause] much hello everyone most people are starting by introducing themselves my name is Kum I live on 43 Treetops but I'll start off by saying I'm probably a nobody the biggest thing that probably happened to me was the day I was born there was a blackout in New York City in 1977 some of the older people might remember that it's probably the most memorable thing that people will remember it wasn't easy growing up in New York looking different my family dressed differently we ate different food and you know everything changed 911 and I'm here to talk about my personal Journey right 911 was a finding moment for me islamophobic trends were all the rage being Muslim was basically being the enemy my wife is a strong woman she wore her hijab I had a very different story I had to find Dusty Corners to pray in do my personal rituals try not to you know be different blend in I got fris by NYPD I got stopped by Homeland Security I missed my flights I got questioned by the FBI those were my defining moments when I was young and I look at my community and please raise your hands if you understand what I'm talking about but this is our community and when we don't speak up it's not because we don't have anything to say but we're speaking from a place where we have been repeatedly told that we matter less not once not twice but over my lifetime and that's a reality am I alone in this I don't think so and I would start to think why me why are the rules for me but none for thee why are there freedoms for thee and none for me am I important am I equal and after all of this post 9911 Warfare where millions and millions of people who look like me who talk like me have been killed there's another genocide happening now the question is what do I do I'm raising a family in Franklin Township my wife my kids they're all here I'm no longer a New Yorker this is where I belong am I going to take a stand am I going to be alone am I going to let it happen maybe maybe not my neighbors are suffering my community is suffering and I'm not asking for a resolution that will make the headlines I'm asking the township not to leave me alone you are my community and much of my life has been alone so to me this resolution it's not about making the international papers it's not about anything it's about knowing that I live in a Township that empathizes with me that understands me that acknowledges me that acknowledges what's happening with me is there Community for thee but none for [Applause] me uh Benjamin guy 35 patent Drive um I just came here to uh I'm not going to speak on that because that's um I think that's enough to to get across and they probably going to have additional people that are coming here from from a human uh Humanity standpoint um I'm just talking about uh two things one is Mr W will come up and give his report but on um June 15th um there's supposed to be a parade in town I just want to make sure it goes on um I want to make sure that uh Mr V Locker just talks about the RS are are the things that might be blocked off during that period of time frame um I just want to make sure that he brings that up and then I also I just want to get not get lost in the sauce because you brought this up uh previously about three minuts ago about affordable housing study so my personal opinion a lot of stuff that that we can control I want to get to what we can control all together because that affects us based on what we're doing for the bylaws and everything else that we're going to go on budget wise going forward at all so I want to make sure that that's brought up and it's not it's not relinquished as we go on because as we get caught up in a lot of things that go on in the world I want to make sure that we're taking care of business at the same time frame and I'm not going against anybody for anything else second thing is the for third thing is before um before we leave all together whether not the clerk or Mr voner can actually talk about the pollings and the mailings that might have went out for voting uh for during the during the um during the primary season just to make sure that that's covered during this period of time frame because if the voices want to be heard as much as possible then they should vote on it because in this capitalist society that we live in you got to you got to put a pen to the paper you got to you know I'm saying you got to show your power during the time frame so if you really feel some way then change it by voting on something either writings or doing anything else you make your voice heard that's how you really get a message across coming to counsil meetings and everything else it's great but but the power's in the pin we've shown that historically wise that's the only thing we've done in the civil rights movement and we've done it in different different eth ethical moments before the power's in the pin so if you really want to get something done you vote on it you make everybody heard nationally you document it that's what you should really be doing I'm just giving you a advis because I can't really say nothing politically wi it's here but one I think one of the things I do want to uh address to the to the council and my last one of my last things is so we pride oursel on diversity here right we ask for these things to happen this has been warned multiple times in the past you have neglected other communities previously long periods of time frame this one's not going to go away this one's not going to go away and I've warned the council multiple times you have to be involved in the community because this is what you get when you don't you're not involved in the community and again there's nothing you can really do about this one but this is this one's not going to go away and it's going to get worse I've said this almost four years ago to you guys try to get ahead of these things you have not it's not going to go away because you're not involved in this you're not involved in it directly because I'll tell you this directly and you can we we can Snicker and we can laugh what we want all right but the reason why this is happened is because really you can't deal with it because you have no Community Outlets you have no voices for the community to come together you have no social Outlets to actually to actually work on that Direct ly with the community so that they can voice their opinion collectively and not come here as as an angry m a lot of stuff is you know what I'm saying when these people want to talk there's nowhere to go they have to go to their moscas they have to go to their churches they have to go other places they can't meet with political officials here can't because against like you got there's no no way that no way to get in touch with half you guys sometime so I'm just asking you that you guys need to really look at yourself as human beings and really look at what you're how you're involved in your communities because you pick and choose what you want to do you don't listen to people on a regular basis thank [Applause] you may RFI 13 Spring Street Somerset um respected mayor Deputy Mayor who's not here and uh all council members so oh there you are how are you um I think you switched up the seating or maybe I just don't remember so I came I think two councils meetings ago or maybe three to uh when we first initiated this uh ceasefire resolution uh wasn't here last time you know but I listened um so I'm just going to make it very short and speak from the heart I listen to the responses of all the council members of how to address this um you know the the it's it's real we all know it it's real right we live here um we interact with each other and when I hear from all the council members you know you you feel for us you hear us um you have tears for us I mean physically you know Ive seen individuals cry when we come up here and speak right especi especially with Sammy Shaban story which which which I feel and I I can understand from your perspectives but we need an action right actions speak louder than words and expressions up there so whatever it is that you can do because we are your constituents it has to be on equal level please do so cuz you it it's almost you know I don't want to dictate this but it's your obligation to us just like we obligated and voted for you because we believed in you that's it thank [Applause] you anyone else wishing to speak I see no one coming forward a motion to close the port public portion second who then second and all in favor say i i v closed carried public session is closed oh that's a lot to take in I had written something to read um want to address however how hard this is for we know that it is for you know the we we experience the pain of this too not just because we're up here but pain of watching this on television pain of knowing that affecting people down our main focus is despite what Mr guy says what's going on with the people in town and between people in town I have people contacting me who are scared because of things that other groups do I had someone contact me because there was a free Palestine sign up she was she said that was hate speech and I told her that's not hate speech just someone asking for freedom I explained that to her her and she seemed to be better I told her call me if there are other signs that go up and let me know but people are scared and people are are looking at every little thing that happens around them and we have to watch for all of them not just one group but for all of them um last time last meeting I made a statement that I'm an American a Jew and a Zionist and I been told that many people took objection to that particularly the word Zionist me that word is always simply meant that I believe Israel should exist all it meant to me but means other things to other people this makes my point of that we don't have the expertise here to to come to opinions on this and to make declarations on this I think everybody in this room wants a lasting peace certainly can call for that but to instruct a nation or other nations on what to do just I just don't think what we should be doing by complaining that I called myself a Zionist makes the point that we don't have the expertise all I was doing was saying disclosing to you this is where I come from this is what sets what sets my biases and I was reminding myself of my biases so that I could use them to try to not make mistakes of them but one simple [Music] word and it angered a lot of people someone objected to me saying I was an American because they thought that I what I was saying is Well I'm an American and you're not never occurred to me that what nationality anyone in this room was assumed we were all Americans maybe with rare exception but someone took offense to that we as for a ceasefire people will take offense to that to you it's a no-brainer people will take offense to that and we will we will in and you you're doing this but people will it will increase the animosity it no sir you cannot speak and you spoke very well before spoke very well before you moved me but you can't speak now people will take offense to it and it will create animosity between people this is not as simple as you're saying someone's shaking their head no it I know of people who have called me that say I shouldn't go call for a ceasefire because of the reasons they have I don't want to get into the the facts and the issues of it just think I think that oh go on I've addressed this word Zionist I've addressed the word American no one complained about me saying I was a Jew thank god um but what I do want to reflect on that is I was once at a Torah study and the rabbis was talking about God he talked about how God prays and I I said Rabbi what what what can you possibly mean that God prays god is God he does he doesn't have to pray what he said is no God prays to the people because people have free choice free will God prays to the people that they do the right thing I believe the right thing is that we don't call for a ceasefire because it will increase animosity in town it will divide people it will place a wedge between people it will not help the town it will hurt the town I pray with God that people do the right thing that people in the Middle East do the right thing have a lasting peace anyone else wish to speak mayor I had a courtesy to I believe one or two people had asked and I want to harp on it but as it comes to anything having to do with the vest I don't know the terminology but the investment or anything related to that they suggested we should be dealing with that on a local level I honest ly don't know enough about that aspect and I don't know if the attorney or the manager does but I just didn't want to ignore that question that somebody very specifically asked that we respond to the township doesn't there's only limited things that Township can do to to uh invest its money we do not invest in equities shares stock so we don't we we don't have ever have our money invested in anything like that our money is is kept it's very conservatively CD CDs money markets and the bank account and and also the state the the the state has a an investment fund that that we can participate in and not participate in but we don't we don't invest our money like the like a pension fund does we don't have a pension fund that does that just a followup question are there any vendors or in financial investments that we have that are aiding and fueling arms in I I don't know we have we would know the answer to that question Deputy Mayor I to be perfectly honest with you I I know that we are not permitted to do business in the state of New Jersey with those who um do business with Iran and we are not permitted to uh currently do business with those who do uh actually no I I'm going to take that back originally it was belus and and Russia but the state of New Jersey has backed off that now and there's no longer a form that's necessary to be completed buy a potential vendor in a bid you know the the bottom line is the tawnship buys goods and services on a daily basis from a a a wide variety of vendors um you know but primarily we're dealing with know vendors Like Home Depot um and WB Mason uh you know for office supplies certainly there's vendors for the police department for police equipment but I there's not a mechanism in place to identify those vendors I wouldn't know who they are and and then honestly nor nor could we unless the state gives us the authority to reject the bid for that reason we obligated to award to a lowest respons something out I don't big company and I don't know what the company is that blocki Martin has a subsidiary that bids on something if it's the lowest responsible bid we wouldn't be able to re we can't come up with our own criteria disclosure or anything thank you um I did want to say something else I did speak to a number of council members about what else we could do besides a resolution everything I came up with several ideas others came up with ideas and everything we came up with we worried that would make things that if you gather a group of people it takes one person turn that into a disaster so we were we thought about it we tried I went up to New Hampshire this past weekend uh as I had announced for uh Memorial Day um first time in 14 years I was going to miss the parade but it was rained out what did I do the entire trip I was listening to an audio book on the history of Israel in Palestine because I wanted to learn about it so I wanted to know more so I wanted to be able to do something I think all of us are trying want to do something but we are concerned because we hear the other side that we're going to make things worse by the way that audio tape made my head spin it's so complicated as to who was where and who was doing what talking about the history of the area I have one point I want to make so we're all One race and that's the human race I don't agree with the atrocities and the travesties that are going on right now in the world we're all hurting just as you are hurting so let's be clear about that let's be real clear about that I don't like my tax dollars going on going over there either I don't like it either so I just wanted to make that point [Applause] uh May I'd like to also make some comments as well uh first of all good evening everyone and um thank you for coming and uh stating your thoughts and sharing them with us um I'm thankful to see so many of you uh present tonight most importantly I appreciate everyone for being so respectful and we know many of you and um and we know that you've supported us we've seen our signs and your on your lawn as well during the campaign and we are very grateful I also wanted to extend thanks to some of you who wrote to us uh after the uh the meeting two weeks ago the fact that you are here to express your concerns and pains about this tragic War War reminds me of a famous poem that decorates the entr of United Nation the title of that is Sons of Adam and reads like this human beings are body parts of each other in creation they are indeed one Essence if a body part is Afflicted with pain other body parts uneasy will remain if you have no sympathy for human pain the name of human you shall not retain you we care and have sympathy for the suffering of others you are seeing Humanity in people you do not know and even feeling their pain and we want to thank you I have mentioned often that I see all of us equal in humanity I feel for everybody for suffering and we want the war to end and have a and have a lasting peace as the second most diverse community in New Jersey we are in a moment of noticeable Division and sreaming in our community over the events in Gaza as you heard from mayor as well in December the council had a pledge of stand up for the other and a resolution for peace however a a resol a resolution for ceasefire was not presented as a junior councilman I have learned that this Council had has had a longstanding policy not to present resolutions on the international Affairs and focus on matters that are relevant to the township not presenting the resolution on ceasefire does not mean to please one group and neglect another group or imply that we want the war to continue it is a simple matter of longstanding policy that Council wishes to continue of course Safety and Security of the community members are our top priority and we stand ready to address them as address those concerns and there is no hate no place for hate in our Township but let me also mention that the call for ceasefire is not by any particular group or faith group nor is new to our Township our own Council woman Bonnie wat and Coleman called for ceasefire a few months ago in our Township interface Council whose leadership includes Reverend Sonia red Rabbi garfinkel Imam rzan RZ Pastor George manani and ardman sink in issued a press release calling for ceasefire what we recommend or what I recommend that there is a need to bring the community and we believe that interface Council which is not part of the council continue to consider this important issue and take uh appropriate actions so with that mayor I will um anyone else oh sorry go you sure I can wait thank you greetings everyone m Alam alaikum my brothers and sisters assalam alaykum Council means peace be upon you um I applaud you guys for coming and it's been a couple meetings and I know you guys are voicing your opinion and it's wonderful to hear you I don't think um any of us again disagree with any of the sufferings that you guys are going through councilman karazi has mentioned what I was thinking of mentioning so thank you councilman for for sharing your thoughts resolution 23490 which councilman read was passed on December 12th after a few of our Muslim brothers and sisters came and talked about the ceasefire I understand it might have not represented what you wanted in terms of ceasefire and wording um but it talked about the hate in bory which is what I'm hearing today um I was hearing a lot of the residents talk and saying that hey my neighbors I haven't seen my neighbor I'm not talking to my neighbor I'm not talking to my friend my Jewish friend or my you know ex-friend which is very sadden to me because um I do a lot of walks right I walk around my neighborhood and when I see someone I invited to greet someone so if I see people are turning their backs on me um it's very depressing and sad so I would have want that for Franklin Township I call this my home as well I can't have my kids going and saying that their friends are now not talking to them because of this um so it's I I I I hear when you're saying that you feel it here um I have heard a couple people say that they're feeling it as well and it's really depressing sads me to um hear it hear even further that folks are going through this I pray every night I pray for lasting peace and we will continue to work on this um I think mayor mentioned we all met trying to come up with Solutions and something that will work um does it mean we'll stop know we'll continue figuring something out um but I just wanted to come on and say that I appreciate all of you guys coming out and I know you will continue to come in you know this is the session this is the public discussion this is where you voice your opinion so please don't feel you're being terminated or that you can't talk to us right when you guys send us an email please feel that you can absolutely send any of us emails so thank you once again and U mayor it's all yours just some brief comments mayor um well first of all I'm going to say what I don't believe I heard tonight is correct and I heard somebody suggest that this group resembles anything even remotely to an angry mob I was Pro as much as a lot of the comments made and I'm getting actually very shaky now that move mov D us that was a comment that makes all this only go in a worse Direction I see people in pain and I see people that just want to love and be loved I know you want us to do something and in your mind signifies that I don't want to repeat what was just said but Littest word just to give you an idea I don't mean up against like like we shouldn't be doing our job I mean up against and trying to do something that doesn't exactly what mayor said cause more divide than it does love I overheard they didn't know I was a council person somewhere somebody was talking about this they said oh they're going to do this I heard they're going to do a cease fire well they better say unconditional surrender by Hamas before they mention a word ceas fire word something that will create more love and healing in this Township then it will division confusion more bigotry I don't not that I think we have a lot here but understand the situation has festered some is nearly impossible not saying you shouldn't try but I'm going to say I think we've concluded in our own ways individually and and together that that risk is Not Practical and pragmatic it was mentioned longstanding it's not just that something's longstanding that makes it right but you have to do something that you dissect and say is it going to create more harm at the end of the day or more good I mentioned last time I've had a couple of informal conversations a couple of emails I continue to feel that the dialogue and I believe I don't know what the mayor was listening to I believe it is complex I've been studying this in one way or another for literally 45 years and I still don't understand it maybe that's my naivity I don't know but my point is that I support and I'm not saying counsil uh I think in the wrong way may they people can comment on their own I'm not saying that we construct it and do it here but I continue to support and endorse the idea that at the core what I'm hearing tonight is division upset confusion hurt dialogue educational there was a gentleman who was an attorney and I'm not saying because he's attorney he knew but obviously he understood a lot of complexities more so that maybe some of us have a form have a educational conversation but that really is why we have and someone mentioned we're not embedded in the community I beg to disagree we are more embedded in this community almost to a fault where people say you should do more legisla and get more potholes filled and not get so involved in the little emotional stuff well I'm proud that we get involved in little emotional stuff we we have to create a balance point being that we have these mechanism we have a sign inter fate way when a few places in town we name something in Memorial and that's the biggest road the biggest road in Franklin that we've named in honor of something or somebody is inter fate which some people can say that's Intercultural that's inter everything not that you have to subscribe to a religion I don't mean that but the fact that that's the biggest boldest and every single council person was there today we uh unveiled it so I don't want to go off on a tangent here but the point is that's why we have these things because we care because we're embedded in the emotions and feelings of this community this is probably one of the biggest most significant uh International upheavals that we've dealt with but it's by far not the first so um all I'm saying is Council in whatever way or the town wherever way we legally can meaning like providing space if a group came with the proper paperwork in one space to promote it in the channels if it meets the criteria because there are certain checks and balances to help promote it but I believe and it's not us running from from the issue in my heart I believe it's us trying to steer the issue where it really belongs and that's in groups of dialogue education going to a room where you can say leave your leave your uh let's just say egos at the door and I don't mean anybody here but where people go wanting to learn as much as they go wanting to teach wanting to go here about as much as what the other person in the room feels and they have a completely different opinion as much as it is about having that person understand what you feel different than them so I don't want to keep going on and on I support that type of approach for many reasons I think we'd be doing more harm than good than to try to micromanage with some kind of humanitarian or war strategies into a specific resolution so my mind could change I'm just saying that's where I'm at right now sorry to go on so long but I want to be as clear as possible about where I think this energy can go thank you mayor thank you councilman Mr manager did you have any questions that you thought you should I I did not Mr Mayor um moving on to council comments uh reports councilwoman oud thank you mayor actually I don't have any um current updates thank you councilman vasella yes mayor Just One update about public safety meeting I was going to save what had to say now RS not had as much so I'm sorry but I just wanted to be clear again on where right now my mind is with everything I've heard and believe me I've listened and taken very seriously what I've heard tonight um Public Safety Committee meeting is probably the most important meeting we attended recently and just a few quick updates um entry level tests that you might have seen signs around town uh that we're now handling um trying to attract as many people including Franklin residents uh to apply for this is so we can keep our police Staffing up to date and for what it's worth we had 279 applied 202 attended 175 pass 32 Franklin residents which is great so it's going through phases but looks like we'll have a good um group of people candidates to uh choose from going forward because we have retirements in our police force and people leave so we have to obviously keep filling those positions arve together alternative responses to reduce instances of violence and escalation uh we have 181 responses to date fortunately I believe none with a um a violent outcome that program from I believe started last November is is uh doing very well and I think a real asset to our town one other quick mention New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission will hold uh will be here on site to do things into registrations licenses all the kind of things you would do at uh what people call DMV it's actually MVC on May 30th coming up in a couple days and on 917 in September um the town has information on their website I believe but as they say kind of bring bringing it to you here the services so you don't have to go to the um travel outside of town and the last thing I'll mention is not National Night Out it's still a couple months away but tues say August 6th long running tradition of having a a a what is a lot of people think is a great National Night Out Here in Franklin that's at 5:00 pm on August 6 uh that's all mayor thank you uh woman franois I have no comments Mr Mayor other than I'll continue to pray for peace you councilman on jaka okay mayor I just want to briefly said that the the road the got the road including the bridge has been uh completed that it looks fine now and we're going to have a Le accident in that road it has been constructed as a double lad road so good to everybody we're happy to have that road back in that form thank you may cman karazi thank you Mr Mayor so I attended an excellent presentation organized by uh our own councilman J who forgot you he forgot to talk about it this was about the eastn Avenue safety and maintenance town hall meeting uh castman would you like to go mayor you know just so involved I'm just going to spoken it up just to mention real quick and thank you for bringing it up yourself and councilwoman uh oudin who has some of the eastn Avenue Corridor in her Ward was also there and I know other Council people would have been some of them had commitments uh very briefly we had a town hall here Town Hall style meeting some professionals from our uh Township senior staff and uh fortunately uh an important senior staff from the county we had a presentation we went over a lot of items long story short there are some things we can do some we could do locally some we could do uh the county can prior to bigger much bigger things being done down the road years down the road based on the federal studies I'm not going to go into to them tonight but I will have a little bit more detailed update um as to some of those initiatives some which are kind of already in motion I will do that next week and thank you again for uh coming and being supportive of that councilman C Cy thank you so much mayor I think that was the major one I want to just thank you deputy mayor pnik uh thank you mayor uh members of council um first of all I want to say thanks to all the folks who came out tonight really appreciate it um and you know not only what you expressed but the ongoing conversations so thank you for that um a couple of quick announcements um I'll be meeting with the superintendent of uh Franklin schools to talk a little bit with um some members of the environmental commission um stand particularly about electric vehicles and switching over the diesel buses which are are choking our children over to electric vehicles so they can breathe cleaner air and also keep our communities clean um that meeting is set for next week and then for those of you who are available this Sunday um we are doing our first which is in the fancy terms inaugural Franklin Pride for the LGBT plus Community as well as their allies to reaffirm Franklin as a welcoming inclusive community and that's going to be at 4:00 at the Gazebo and just for the I hope it's okay with Council for that one half hour speaking program ceremony I'm going refer to it as the Gazo but just a temporary renaming um we would love it if you could come out I think it's well if you want to come out at the event we can make arrangements for that but uh we would love it if you would come and join us to show solidarity uh with LGBT plus community that has um seen a lot of strain in recent years um in particular and one of the great things about being in the second most diverse town is that we have a great diversity one of the challenges is with the diversity comes uh sometimes a little bit of friction or feeling isolated um and statistically there are quite a few LGBT plus uh families in town and it's hard to know across 47 square miles where there might be another person that's like you so as the first openly gay uh council member and now Deputy Mayor I thought it was only a befitting to start with something small um we hope to keep it brief um no more than an hour we invited some f folks from Robert Wood Johnson they have uh in Somerville The Proud Family Health um they're unable to make it because it's also New Jersey Pride the same time so they'll be down in Asbury Park but they're going to be providing some materials folks from the county the township the police force and others um I think the mayor and all members of council please uh come and join us for that that's again at Sunday at 4M on June 2nd and that concludes my remarks thank you thank you Deputy Mayor I have no further remarks Mr manager thank you Mr Mayor I have just one thing to actually two things to report on um the first is um an upcoming event that is part of the mayor's Wellness campaign as well as stigma free Franklin and Empower Somerset and that is um first aid training for mental health um the township will be sponsoring a full day session on June 10th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Franklin Township community Senior Center here in the municipal complex um this full day training I'm going to read right from IT the full this full day training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care as well as a five-step action plan for how to help people in both crisis and non-crisis situations um it will help ID identify the common signs and symptoms of mental illness the common signs and symptoms of substance abuse how to interact with a person in crisis how to connect a person with help um ex and this new expanded content also on trauma addiction and self-care um and uh it is something that one of our staff members one of my staff members in particular uh safy K special projects manager has been working on very closely with the uh the stigma free Franklin Council that was formed um in conjunction with organizations like The Advisory Board of Health and uh sustainable Jersey uh so it's a worthwhile uh Endeavor it is a full day so it's a it is something that you have to commit to and it's also something that you would need to pre-register the information is on our website if you're interested in attending this training session um by all means the space is limited so register early again it is free and it's on June 10th from 9:00 a.m to 400 p.m. um the other thing is I and I I thought I had seen councilman right here but now he's not here so I I will just bring up the fact that the Somerset County juneth committee um will be celebrating juneth here in Franklin Township with a parade on June 15 15th um the public is certainly invited to not only the parade but the family friendly um events at NE Williams Park at the end of the parade um the parade will begin at 11:00 a.m. on the 15th and proceed uh up Highland Avenue to Hamilton Street and then down Hamilton Street to Matilda Avenue where it'll turn on to mlda Avenue and end in Williams Park so anyone who is interested that parade um will be held on the 15th and that's what I have tonight Mr Mayor thank you um we have no council discussion items no minutes to approve approval of the warrants in the amount of 17,488 3,586 86 on May 28th 2024 presented Township Council for payment to have a motion on the uh warrants I move that the warrants is right be paid second move then second anyone want to pull a warrant discuss a warrant Madam clerk councilwoman franah yes councilman karazi yes mayor Kramer yes councilman on jaka yes Deputy Mayor pnik yes councilwoman uden yes councilman vasella yes councilman Wright onto item number 13 adoption of calendar year 2024 Municipal budget um resolution 24 1992 amend calendar year 2024 Municipal budget is presented to the township Council for adoption to have a motion on the amendment I moved seconded moved in seconded amendment is DCA reviewed our um budget and found they they wanted to change where the opiate money how that was accounted for and the grant that um from the state that assemblyman Danielson got for us it's all kind of some bookkeeping and paperwork um it doesn't really change what we're how we're spending our money um do we have any other discussion Madam clerk councilman FR councilwoman franois yes councilman karazi yes mayor Kramer yes councilman o Jaa yes Deputy May pnik yes Council woman udine yes councilman vasella yes councilman Wright that being done we can now pass the budget resolution 24193 adoption of the calendar year 2024 Municipal budget as amended is presented Township Council for adoption so I have a motion on the budget all moved second moved and seconded there's no public discussion because we already had that last meeting uh any other discussion no Madam clerk Council wman franell yes councilman karazi yes May May Kramer yes councilman on jaka yes deputy mayor pner council councilman Vasa yes councilman Wright uh ordinance on introduction and first reading ordinance 44 43-24 and ordinance providing for various 2024 Capital Improvements um uh and Equipment acquisitions by and in the township of Franklin and the Somerset state of New Jersey appropriating 7,577 800 therefore and authorizing the issuance of 7,198 n57 bonds or notes of the township of Franklin uh to finance parts of the costs thereof uh there um the forging orance is presented the township Council for adoption of first reading and posting publication in accordance with law public hearing and final adoption at a meeting the township Council to be held on Tuesday June 11th 2024 at 7 p.m. in council chambers do I have a motion to set public hearing and introduce so moved second moov then second and so we just passed the budget and now we're going to spend the money and get the um Bond thing that we budgeted for any other discussion Madam clerk councilwoman fra yes councilman Kazi yes mayor Kramer yes councilman on joa yes Deputy Mayor pnik yes Council udine yes councilman vasella yes councilman Wright the next one is the same thing but for the water utility 44 44-24 Bond ordinance providing for various 2024 Capital Improvements for the water utility utility buying in the township of Franklin in the county of Somerset state of New Jersey appropriating $3,695 th000 therefore and authorizing the Assurance of $3,695 bonds or notes for the township of Franklin to finance the cost thereof the foregoing ordinances present to Township Council for adoption on first reading posting and publication in accordance with Law Public hearing and final adoption under a meeting of the township Council will be held on Tuesday June 11th 2024 at 700 p.m. in the council Changers to have a motion to introduce in set public hearing I moved seconded uh any discussion Adam clerk councilwoman franois yes councilman karazi yes mayor Kramer yes councilman on Jaa Deputy Mayor basnik yes Council mud councilman vasella yes councilman Wright thank you ordinance 444-4257 sorry $2,493 th000 from the open space trust fund to pay for various Capital Acquisitions and improvements for the township of Franklin in the county of Somerset state of New Jersey the four coring ordinances presents the township Council for adoption on first reading posting and publication in accordance with law on public hearing and final adoption at a meeting of the township Council to be held on Tuesday June 11th 2024 at 700 p.m. in council chambers to have a motion to introduce and set public hearing so Mo second who then second any discussion Madam clerk councilwoman Fran yes councilman karazi yes mayor kmer yes councilman on Jaa yes deputy mayor paza council woman UD councilman V yes councilman right now for something different ordinance 4446 d24 in ordinance of the township of Franklin County of Somerset state of New Jersey authorizing the conveyance of a utility easement to midon builders LLC within a uh portion of hel Park Lane forgoing ordinances presented the township Council for adoption on first reading posting and publication in accordance with law on public hearing and final adoption under a meeting of the town ship Council to be held on Tuesday June 11th 2024 at 700 p.m. in the council chambers have a motion to introduce in that public hearing some moved seconded and seconded cl I'm sorry any discussion Adam clerk councilwoman fra yes councilman karazi yes mayor Kramer yes councilman on joa yes Deputy Mayor Paz yes councilwoman yes councilman Vasa yes councilman right um consent agenda the items a through m is listing consent agenda portion of the meeting are presented Township Council for adoption to have a motion on the consent agenda I move a through M second move then second and any discussion anyone like to pull an item or discuss an item mam Clerk ccom Francois yes councilman Kazi mayor Kramer yes councilman on joa yes Deputy Mayor pnik councilwoman uden yes councilman vasella yes councilman Wright we have no resolutions to be voted on separately old business do we have any nominations for boards committees commissions vacancies see none uh we do have an executive session I present the following resolution to Township Council approval resolutions 24207 authorizing executive session attorney Colin privileg CDC developers agreement to have a motion to go into executive session so moved second second then seconded uh Madam clerk councilwoman Fran yes councilman Kazi yes mayor Kramer yes councilman un Chaka yes deputy mayor basnik yes councilwoman uden councilman vasella yes councilman n so Council will now go into executive session uh we'll come out of executive session for