good evening I'd like to call the November 21st 2023 La brand city council meeting to order roll call Mr Vieira I'm here Dr vot here Mrs wed is here Dr Sally's absent Mr dangler here can we please stand for the pledge of allegiance to the of the United States of America to The Republic for which it stands one nation God indivisible for all the Long Branch mayor city council and administration are committed to cultivating an environment of mutual trust and respect and respect that values the diversity of our community we will strive to enhance the quality of life for all who who live here by making Long Branch a desirable place in which to live and prosper we will treat each member of the public with respect and expect the same in return Madam clerk I hereby certifi that this meeting has been published in the newspaper in accordance with the open public meetings act and posted as required by law and in a motion to approve the the uh minutes of the previous meeting so mooved second roll call Mr viea yes Dr vote Yes Mrs Wiis yes Dr s's absent Mr dangler yes consideration of ordinance and public hearing and final considerations we have none ordinance for INT introduction we have none public participation for resolution and all General comments I need a motion open the public portion of of the meeting for all comments so moved second all in favor opposed so moved if there's anyone in the audience that has a comment to make please step to the podium and state your name and address clearly for the record you will have five minutes and may only speak once questing one minute notification Vincent laort 33 Ocean terrist Long Branch right from the start resolution 292 renewal of the SPCA contract not a chance the performance was not Stellar at all this year in delivering a quality service there are at least several severe incidents that occurred on their hands this year in Long Branch particularly involving the deer in elberon the State Veterinary medical examiners board has found sufficient grounds for the State Attorney General's office to continue investigating the INF by and Fatality and the SPCA individuals involved those individuals from the SPCA responding to calls in Long Branch further potentially endangering both animals and humans in Long Branch trying to compensate on quality service and dealing with the SPCA for pseudo cost savings is not justified I stated one year ago and I'll state it again tonight the SPCA should put on a perum contract when needed as other Mammoth County towns do at $90 per call and impound fees and a City Animal Control part-timer should be added to assist the current full-time Animal control officer we've got more coming on the SPCA and Long Branch but we're not now at legal Liberty to State it but it's coming it's amazing how a couple of years years ago we never had problems with animal control in Long Branch and now we have problems I'm requesting a no vote resolution 292 Mr Martin resolution 293 can you provide a date for The Columns amount and useful life um useful life is approximately 13 years I think the DAT of sale is going to be the not sure the exact date but I think the second or third week in December and what was your other question all right what was the original useful life of refunding bond ordinance 2414 at origination 1541 15.41% do you have an answer uh no about my head no all when and how much would the next rescheduled payment of bond 2414 would have been if this measure tonight was not being presented we would had to make another pay excuse me we can't make any more payments you can only not it for 10 years Mr Martin what is the new Citywide taxable assessments generated on October 1st the new Citywide taxable assessments for which year generated on October 1st of this year yes just got handed to me today it's uh 8 billion and change all right Mr Martin how many times can you refund the bond I'm not sure okay Mr Martin what is the interest rate you expect to get through the MMO County Improvement Authority I think we're speculated between 48 and 5% 5% okay at the February 23rd 22 council meeting I asked on bond ordinance 2414 now 522 if 2414 would be refunded later in the year you stated no one minute warning now tonight since ordinance 2414 now 522 will now be refunded a second time where's the cost analysis of the projected savings on this partial refunding we're not refunding anything you don't call what we're doing now consolidating going through the mcia through a new rate not refunding it's not refunding it's not refunding you got a different way of looking at things it's not the correct way okay not refunding so you think I'm requesting a no vote there's no Clarity in the ordinance in the resolution excuse me it should have been done in an ordinance it's being shotgun through a resolution it is a refunding there's no Clarity on the read as I stated and there's something very very suspect involving ordinance 244 the parlaying of 2414 for the second time around 5 minutes there's something very suspect and we're on to it and this isn't ending here tonight on 24:14 cresting a no vote good evening good evening good evening my name is Kate Burns I'm supposed to give you my address right it's 506 nagit um I'm actually here today as well to talk about the SPCA in the upcoming contract um and I want to talk to you about my feelings why I don't believe the SPCA is the appropriate animal control for the city the best way I can do that is to share with you my story on September 23rd 2022 I was walking my 20 lb doodle in North Long Branch on a nice quiet street suddenly a menacing dog appeared on the street and seconds later a second one got out of an insecure backyard the owners did AB absolutely nothing to help and nothing to stop the two dogs from advancing two 60 lb pipes attacked me and my dog on the street they mauled him for minutes in front of me no matter what I did no matter how hard I tried I couldn't stop them they're in complete blood lust and I'm not saying that their pimples is any indictment on the breed at all I'm just trying to show you the difference in the size and what I was up against I lost my dog that day my companion my best friend and I have really extreme PTSD as a result of what I went through every single day of my life it affects me and while I understand that there is nothing and nobody that could have changed what happened to me that day or prevented that attack I believe everything that happened from that day forward I was failed by Animal Control here in Long Branch and most of that to me was the animal control on duty that day which was the SPCA an angel in the form of a Good Samaritan a neighbor heard my screaming heard the Ruckus and she called the police I think his name was Steve White it might be Steve Kelly I always get it confused but he arrived within just a few minutes and immediately helped me get my dog into his car to help me get to the vet officer Mecca arrived and met us there she helped me get Winston into the vet for treatment while Steve went back to file the report as I understand it the police and the dispatch requested animal control's presence multiple times unseen that day the SPCA was the record there our regular Animal Control was out I believe in quarantine with covid it was 1:00 on a Friday afternoon this was not outside of business hours and I believe it is a regulation in New Jersey that animal control answer an emergency call involving an animal yet they refused over and over to answer the call they said they'd write an unleash dog ticket later as if that was going to protect our town and my neighborhood from two bloodlust dogs running around they refuse not only to take the call but to do any of the basic work that you all have hired them to do I was later told they suggested that that officer could seize the dogs himself which obviously puts him and our First Responders at extreme risk their inaction meant that not one person their investigated whether these dogs had rabies or were up to date on their vaccines because I Was Bitten and injured I had to go through a cycle of rabies shots I had to go to the ER four times and I had to pay $2,500 out of my own pocket because the sbca refused during the rest of that business day to do anything to protect me or my neighborhood from those dogs it's not just the lasting effects of theer of the experience that causes me to say the SPCA is not an animal control and not fit to be the animal control here the public health and the public safety of the town is at risk and I urge you not to renew that contract their responses to animal related emergency calls are required and they are not following it new jerse njsa 419 D1 15.16 and 17 through 37 sets forth the guidelines for animal control as an agency on how to handle dangerous dogs and at every step they failed one minute warning best practices for New Jersey state requires timely response to calls and complaints from the public concerning suspected wild animals or animals creating a threat to public health safety or interfering with the enjoyment of property the response should be prompt even on nights weekends and holidays they did not do that number two capture of stray domestic animals threatening the safety and health of residents they did not do that proper equipment is essential to carry this out and that includes rabies poles trucks they suggested a cop put two dogs in his back seat they did not do that investigate reports of animal bites and vicious dogs incidents and season and pound they did not do that 3 days later on a Monday animal controll in Long Branch had to go get the rights to seize those dogs 14 months later I'm waiting to find out if they have rabies because nobody ever checked they did not do that thank you thank you I need a motion to close the public portion so moved second all in favor I opposed so moved Madame clerk were there any changes to the list of resolutions no changes were made we can take the list of resolutions as a consent agenda so moved second roll call Mr Vieira yes Dr vote Yes Mrs witus yes Dr s is absent Mr dangler yes applications we have none misscellaneous business for the good of the order councilman Vieira yes good evening thanks for coming I really feel bad for what happened to you I really it touches us you know one more all yeah um with that out no thanks for coming out tonight and Happy Thanksgiving good night council when we vote well I I also want to say my heart is with you um as a as a dog lover I how are you going so well I would urge you all to think that could be your job and if you continue to let them run as our Animal Control it may be council president ma'am if you'd like to wait the business administrator would like to talk to you just after the minute we'll be done in two minutes thank you and I I uh joined Council councilman Vier wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and I too would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and um you know our hearts go out to you for your dog I have a dog and I understand mayor palone just want to wish everybody Happy Thanksgiving and uh thank you for staying for a moment no one should uh witness a loved one and or a pet um go through something like that um but I'm sorry you you did like to wish everyone a safe Thanksgiving enjoy the family friends be safe and uh because it is the holiday and people are enjoying themselves please Uber don't drink and drive be safe God bless you all I need a m motion to uh to adjourn second in all in favor I oppos so move that was