[Applause] [Applause] okay you're good oh good evening good evening the April 24th 2024 council meeting of the long brand City Council will now come to order roll call please Mr Vieira I'm here Dr vote here Mrs whts here Dr s is absent Mr dangler here can we please please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge allegiance to the flag United States of America and to the Republic for stands one nation under God indivisible Liberty justice for all the LA Branch mayor city council and administration are committed to cultivating an environment of mutual trust and respect that values the diversity of our community we will strive to enhance the quality of life for all who live here by making La Branch a desirable place in which to live and prosper we will treat all members of the public with respect and expect the same in return Madam clerk I hear hereby certify that this meeting has been published in the newspaper in accord accordance with the open public meeting act and posted as required by law thank you the presentation the Arab American Heritage Month presentation by The Long Branch public schools good evening mayor city council Marcus Rodriguez office of diversity equity and inclusion for L Ranch Public Schools proudly here with our student Adam alad who is flowly representing the Arab American community of law Branch he's a sophomore at law Branch High School with an interest in finance so Mr Martin think he's got an eye on your job in a few years all right and with that Adam please go and to read your Proclamation thank you thank you hello my name is Adam ABD wahad and I'm part of class of 2026 at Long Branch High School today I'm here to read a proclamation declaring April as Arab American heritage mon in the city of Long thank you whereas for decades Arab Americans have made valuable contributions to virtually every aspect of American Life in science medicine education business culture and government and whereas The Works of many talented Arab American artists and writers Grace our museums and libraries throughout the United States and whereas since the first Arab immigrant came to these Shores more than a century ago men and women of Arab descent have shared with us the rich history and tradition of Arab culture with pride in their ethnic Heritage and with great faith in the principle upon which this country was founded Arab Americans have added to the strength and diversity of American society and whereas Arab Americans occupy positions of leadership and responsibility throughout our system of government setting a fine example of public service at the local state and National level Arab Americans have also enriched our nation with the Quiet power of strong families and close-knit communities and whereas Arab Americans have helped give us a more profound understanding of Rights and responsibilities we have as citizens of a free and prosperous Nation now therefore be it resolved in contribution of Arab Americans the city council of the city of Long Branch declares April as National Arab American day in the city of Long Branch thank you great job reading and approval of the previous minutes need a motion to approve the minutes from the April 10th 2024 meeting second roll call Mr Vieira yes Dr vote Yes Mrs whtas abstain Dr Su is absent Mr dangler yes consideration of ordinance and public hearing and final consideration we have none ordinance for introductions we have none public portion resolution and all General comments I need a motion to open up the public portion of the meeting for all comments so moved second all in favor I I opposed so moved if there's anyone in the audience that has a comment to make please step to the podium state your name and address clearly for the record you have you will have five minutes and may only speak one [Applause] thank [Music] you requesting one minute notification Vincent Lor 33 Ocean terce Long Branch found out over the last few weeks assembly in the state of New Jersey voted on a41 61 to raise Board of Education contributions as high as 10% from municipalities in lifting the 2% Municipal cap I forewarn people in this city about these bait developer of baits for eight years now he didn't listen but now you're going to pay you're going to pay for kushner's 30-year John palone peer Village tax abatement and you're going to pay good Mr Martin in response to an Oprah I received 10 pages of an audit report on Gary Barnett's Pier Village 3 tax Abad garage Mr Barton was that the total audit that I received on that Oprah those 10 pages I supplied you with what was supplied to be yes 10 pages did you proof that audit Mr Martin I did not you did not there cares mistakes throughout the audit particularly of making a balance sheet with blatant errors and construction the major mistake in construction the statement of finan position liabilities and members equity which should have followed was due to Affiliates mortgage term debt and accounts payable and acred expenses the construction was wrong another mistake and contradiction in the audit is at one point the audit notes in a misleading manner that condominium unit owners revenues are the primary source of Revenue then further on the concentration of credit risk States condo owners revenues only account for 32% of revenues for the period of 62122 to 12312 did you catch that mistake Mr Martin I just stated I didn't review it you didn't review it report furtherly mistakenly claims the acred interest of and as an expense on the income statement the auditor can't both claim interest as a paid expense on the 2022 income statement and also show it as an acrude expense on the 2023 year-end balance sheet Mr Martin you didn't review the audit but are you in still in agreement with your prior statements that the garage is in fact a separate for profit Enterprise or do you agree with City attorney r statement that the garage is part of the L condominium of residences and as such is not required to pay any property taxes at all Mr Martin will you hold to your price statement yes or no I think it is a for-profit entity yes it's a for-profit entity the auditor statement try to lighten the expectation one minute notification for the year end 2022 audit an attempt to deflect the fact the audit is 15 months after the due date in conclusion the audit does not specifically identify who it is being sent to it's inexcusable that signatures of the CPA and Mr Barnett are not present just a stamp of the accounting firm all Barnett provided was a loose collection of 10 non-numbered pages the audit is essentially a piece of financial mouth feasance the audit as a document has no legal standing the audit will be posted on West End Long Branch NJ Watchdogs this evening and the people viewing should ask themselves if Gary Barnett's perer Village 3 parking garage should be tax exempt should it continue with the John palone 30-year tax abatement which we're all going to be paying for now that's classic junk government we'll leave it to the Watchdogs to decide tonight and if there are any accountants out there as I certainly appreciate you jumping on board 5 minutes and proofing out the palong government's junk government yes sir thank get me uh Robert gerardi 309 Highland Avenue Long Branch New Jersey and excuse me I'm talking about the um last planning board when I went up there to talk to the uh the gentleman the lead engineer chief designer up there Robert could you raise the mic a little bit I'm sorry is that good thank you so we good and in there I saw some from what he said and what he submitted I saw some discrepancies and as I was in the process of talking to him about it I was cut off and told to talk at another time yet at the beginning of that meeting I was told that was my time allotted and I was just kind of confused as to why this happened you know I come from a background of you know civil engineering I've written software for this I've actually gone out done the surveys of the construction companies I've done all this work and all this stuff and I was just trying to put my input in here yet I was cut off which I feel was a little slided you know I feel this is very important for me to to speak and I just felt it was a little unprofessional when I come here you guys are fine professionally all that time type of stuff but when I went through that and I even talked to some of the other people The Neighbors about the the Bruce Springsteen Museum they all agreed with me so I just wondering if you guys had any words upon this why that happened because I was a little confused because I thought I was told to speak and then I was told not to speak any words nothing no I don't think any of us were there okay there yeah I don't to tell truth if I don't remember the time that you were cut off how you know I have to go back but we usually give everybody an opportunity to speak I feel like I feel I just wanted to bring it up to you I feel like it wasn't and you know was part of my nature I I saw the discrepancy talked to my neighbors about it and they agreed and that's what that was the gentleman was actually nodding his head and agree with it and then I don't know who it was but they just said you can ask those questions later and I was just kind of confused why that happened you know this is you know sir counil this is you know I found it very hope you guys have always been very polite professional to me and I did not get feel that I got the same treatment at the planning board meeting as I do here I don't know if it's worth anything but you know this is like I said I've done all that type of work so I felt that was quite qualified to do you know ask these questions and all that I don't know if you guys want to review I am going to take a take a review of this stuff why it happened I don't know but anything we look we'll look at the tape yeah we'll look at got it I first time I'm heard you know going up there I just it just bothered me at the time yeah thank you thank you thank you any motion to close the public portion of the meeting so move second oh I'm sorry okay uh hello um so I'm Daryl SPS uh I wanted to put a face to the name um so I got an email from Amanda I know a lot of familiar faces up here um so I was informed that I was appointed to for the zoning board and be a part of the Green Team um so I kind of just took the time out to come here I actually read the email again and I thought I was coming here to like do like the oath and everything but I see that she said afterward so I'm like I'm just want to put a face to the name one um second say thank you to all of you um third um yes I I I want to put my voice in the room that's that you know um you know I I went to school for business I came out a social worker I don't know how that happened um but I do enjoy you know helping others you know working working in communities and you know I just I'm here to to you know work alongside all of you and see what I can bring to the to the city of Long Branch thank you right all right thank you luck thank you anyone else any motion to close the public portion of the meeting so moved second all in favor I opposed so move Madam clerk are there any changes to the list of resolutions no changes have been made thank you we can take the list of resolutions as a consent agenda I'll move second roll call Mr Vieira yes Dr vote Yes Mrs witus yes Dr Sy is absent Mr dangler yes applications we have none Miss laneus business for for the good of the order councilman Vieira thank you council president I want to thank everybody out for coming out tonight and spend some time with us tonight thank you chief thanks you director and I want to thank um Adam for doing a great job with the AR Arab American and I also want to send out our great greatest condolence to president council president angam for the loss of his mom she was a special lady I got to know her for the last six years since we've been together and she left something in our heart so it's all I got to say is our condolences with the family councilwoman vote thank you thank you council president um so a few first of all darl thank you so much for taking the time to come out here to meet us for us to meet you um welcome to the team um someone who just comes up and says I look forward to the ways that I can you know that you can work with with all of us and bring something to Long Branch is just uh spectacular so we look forward to working with you you thank you for for for coming out tonight okay um certainly as usual um our student Adam um for uh coming up for the proclamation you know it's so it's so enjoyable to watch our students up here as they learn public speaking and you know represent their their Heritage it's just as enjoyable to see the parents and the smile on their face and the pride with their kids so from our perspective we get we get to see that and of course Adam did uh did a great job and and for Robert to come up and speak his mind on uh an experience that he had uh all that kind of feedback is important for us to hear so we appreciate all of you taking the time to come and join us and to share your thoughts with us and we will see you in two weeks thank you councilman wites um I too would like to to thank Adam for speaking this evening and Daryl for coming out and giving up your time to the city of La Branch it's truly appreciated and um i' too like to give my condolences to Bill dangler and his family your mom will be truly missed thank and thank you everyone for coming out this evening mayor palone thank you council president yes I want to offer my condolences to your mom as well I knew her for uh over over 50 years from when we were I was in Middle School so uh and she was a a beautiful wonderful woman um I have um just three upcoming events that I'd like to talk to mention the Lawn branch fire history museum is open again this Sunday from 1: to 4:00 p.m. admission is free some very interesting uh uh exhibits there including an 1880 bab cop a chemical engine that's really uh quite unique other vehicles and equipment that we have on display that's a Sunday 1:4 the city of Lawn branch is bringing back for the third um year our youth internship program it's open to all Long Branch high school and college students to apply go to Long branch. org um or just call 732 92320 42 it's on the website as well and finally The Long Branch disability resource fair is back this year on May 4th from 12: to 3 uh at Third Avenue and Broadway join us for a day of Community Resources games barbecue arts and crafts and live music this is open to everybody um and it's in partnership with motions thank you all for being here this evening and have a great week thank you I would like to thank um everyone for your prayers uh for my family all the textas well wishes uh certainly would like to thank the police department once again um the uh escort to the cemetery and past the house everything is very special very um very much appreciated by the family and um I've always said that Long Branch is a special place because no matter when we are in need Long Branch as as a community comes together and supports one another no matter what our differences is our relationships uh with with with uh Church our our ethnic backgrounds it don't matter when you're when when you're uh in need when you have a loss in the family La brand steps up and they step up big time as always so uh I I just want to say thank you and I'm very grateful for everything uh and again all of the prayers um and Daryl thank you um I could be wrong but you probably the youngest youngest person and uh in La branch that wants to actually be involved and volunteer uh to help make Lawn branch stronger and even better so thank you for coming out this evening and with that being said God bless you all and I need a motion to close all moved second all in favor I I opposed have a good evening all right to head 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