microphones here we go one all right come on Carol I need help I'm unmuted that's Carol burn yes I know I'm call Carol burn calling everybody out let's go all right very good all right you ready I pledge pledge alleg to the flag very good thank you all right Carol would you give us the uh roll call and then let us know who's present sure I am still unmuted correct yes yes chairman Nolan here Vice chairman Abby here commissioner dagostino here Tashi V commissioner Tashi Vasquez um commissioner bisa here you have a quorum very good and who's pres yes also present uh tonight this evening uh is the executive director James polus William Brennan CFO to the authority I am Carol Berlin with Renown cofin manello as general counsel and Mr George deaney from keywood Associates the it for this evening are Nathaniel Rodriguez and seas Sharif very good thank you all for uh joining us this evening and would you would you give us the Sunshine Law this meeting today conforms with chapter 231 Public Law 1975 called the open public meeting act and as for the requirements of the statute notification of the meeting was published in the Star Ledger and home News Tribune filed with the clerk of M County very good thank you um Jim paos do we have any committee reports uh yes I can update you on the recycling and the couple of projects if you would like chairman please so um our recycling team uh continues to do a good job the vendor has been on point uh we are working through you know some great uh level of service uh recently which is wonderful I will tell you that we also had another state inspection by D at our Leaf composting facility and received a 100% rating so I'm very pleased with what's been going on out there and want to thank the team involved with maintaining that operation out there uh North bun train station our 30% design is complete our plans have been submitted we've received comments from New Jersey Transit awaiting them from amtr uh this is a major milestone for the development of that project so we're very pleased that that's been moving along and uh for our New Brunswick train station project we have selected Acom uh engineering through our process and uh we'll be having our first meetings with them uh very shortly to start some design scenarios for uh the new brunic renovation project of the train station which will be a signature um development for the downtown and with all the new projects going on so we're really excited about that terrific very good uh do we have any correspondents uh no we do not any old business uh no sir any new businesss no we do not very good okay so that we have a lot of uh resolution so I'm going I'd like to pursue with a consent agenda uh Jim I assume this has been published on our website that's correct chairman so if anybody wanted to read every single uh resolution they could correct that's correct Carol you can confirm that correct Carol Burns either car Burns for the posting on the website I believe Carol Burns takes I'm sorry I didn't hear that just want to confirm that the res all the the agenda with all the resolutions listed was was published on and put onto our website correct the resolutions are not on there but the agenda is the resolutions don't go on there okay then unfortunately the agenda no I think what she meant is not the actual the content of the resolutions but the agenda lists all the resolutions yes it does yes it does that is on there sir okay very good then okay so then uh I'm going to I'm going to make a motion to um to proceed with a consent agenda and and uh so I'm GNA make that motion and I'm gonna ask somebody to Second it second it Christine all those in favor I I Paul you in there did you respond yes I yes very good uh all right so we're going to we're going to proceed by consent agenda so um Carol BR you're not GNA have to read all of those they they are available on our website um so then we're going to move on to approval of the minutes uh can I get a motion to approve the minutes of our meeting of November e motion okay motion from Paul and I think Christine said second no that was um y think Lois Lois okay Lois sorry sorry Lois thank you all those in favor I I I anyone opposed so the uh minutes shall be approved all right uh now we're going to move to public comments on the resolutions anyone that would like to uh comment on the resolutions please raise your please raise your hand and identify yourself and you will be recognized do we have anybody uh raising their hand we do have one person raising their hand all right uh please uh identify yourself to Charlie you are correct sir Charlie crowville our stwart welcome Charlie good to be with you and uh it was nice running into here yesterday at Woodbridge I am I am uh gonna you know follow up on the discussion about the difference between posting the agenda and the resolutions themselves obviously I prefer the most transparency possible it' be great to have the resolution shared but even if you don't do that I think the agenda could be um you know the the titles of the resolutions could be more informative so you know for instance I'm going to ask about 8K which I I know was it was already said out loud that AECOM is the company that's getting the contract uh it would be uh I would say preferable to include that information in the title of the agenda so it makes or the title of the resolution so it makes it onto the agenda um I see a number of other agenda items where it's you know people are being hired or companies are being retained but we don't know which company uh or which person so I think that would be a way to improve transparency with the agenda and uh I did want to ask about 8K um can I find out the value of the contract the total amount of it and what what process was used to select uh aeom uh Jim po do you want to respond to that yes um yeah we use a uh for the selection we use an open uh process uh which is a the same process that New Jersey Transit utilizes um it we go out we create a specification and an RFP uh and then we solicit uh individuals who'd be interested we advertise it in multiple locations and promote it on our website uh and then we receive those proposals uh there's an evaluation committee that sits down to evaluate them and make a determination based on uh the content of the um proposal not the financial aspect uh but the content of The Proposal Visa V what the RFP requests to make a determination which of the vendors who submit is the best qualified to proceed with the project once that final selection is made uh there then is the opening of the financial aspect of it so that there can become begin a negotiation if you will of the fee and structure under the way the law is written okay and uh do do you have a figure for for how much uh the contract will be I have a base uh figure Mr poos if yes go ahead you can share it Cal absolutely I may uh base fee without allowance uh without the allowance items is 7,637 758 three cents okay thank you and I did want to ask um on the proposals were were there other proposals or was this the only one uh there were other interested parties but there who requested information initially this was the only um proposal that we received from the the only firm that actually submitted a full proposal got it and then uh there was one other resolution I wanted to ask about is um 8j right right before that on the prior page at the bottom the subcontract agreement for compliance consulting services and I wanted to just understand a little bit about what prompted this and uh who which which uh you know provider is going to provide these Services I I think I can speak to that sure this is the subc this is the CCM subcontract correct sub right yes um so Charlie the the we have a contract originally and still exists is a contract arrangement with um RWJ Barnabas to manage the webs to manage our our uh nursing homes and and RWJ utilizes uh CCM uh to perform some of the management functions for them uh actually at both locations right that's part of the terms of the operations and management agreement and this resolution has been done every year since they took over um it just formalizes that acknowledges that they are permitted to subcontract per the terms of the original agreement okay well I think that's all on the resolutions thank you thank thank you Charly um okay so next one approval of the minutes can I get a motion to approve the minutes of the agenda session and and the regular meeting of November 8th approve I think that was Christine for the the motion and Lois for the second all those in favor I I I anyone oppose no so that Shall Pass um I guess we will go to public comments on the resolutions uh please raise your hand and uh be identified that's what we just did chair uh chairman we're we're on to the approval of the resolution now somebody elseid Mr crille is waiting toting apologize my mistake all right um so then a motion to approve the resolutions motion Paul second I can't use none all those in favor I I I anyone opposed no so that will pass uh can I get a motion to uh approve payment of vouchers motion Christine second you n all those in favor I I I anyone opposed that will pass all right I apologize now we're going into the public session so uh anyone from the public uh that would like to comment I see a hand up I'm assuming that's Charlie so please identify yourself and be recognized can we uh identify Charlie crille here can you hear me yes Charlie sorry about that yeah thank you for recognizing me and I do appreciate the opportunity to address you from my desk here in New Brunswick um I did want to you know make a comment and a bit of an ask that you know going forward in the next year uh you know these meetings be more visible in terms of how they can be accessed by the public I think it's apparent from the comments we've heard tonight about uh you know Mr chairman you seeing people's microphones being muted or unmuted or you seeing the hands being raised or not raised I I want to remind you that the public is not able to see that same information we are just on the end of the phone line and not able to join the zoom meeting or or or whatever software you're using we're not able to to see what you're seeing and fully um you know participate in the same way that you are and I think that you know most boards at this time if you have a remote meeting you you let people use their computers rather than you know 20th century technology telephones and so um you know it's it's just uh you know something that that that um is annoying to me as somebody who goes to a lot of government meetings and I see this this being an outlier so I would ask that if you're gonna continue to have remote meetings which you know is is still an option um that you you uh uh you know improve the Public's access allow us to to be on camera and people who want to be on camera can be on camera and and those of us who uh yeah we can see who else is in the room and see who whose microphone is muted or not and all the things that you can see so um you know if you are going to stick with the remote meetings I think you should do that for the new year and I just wanted to um you know state that I that I you know appreciate the remote meeting option it does result in me being able to attend more frequently and to ask questions I hope that you you understand I'm coming from a good place with these questions and trying to gather information for um you know the people uh here in Middle sex County but um you know I think the meetings would probably be better if more people participated besides just me and I think that you know the the the method of the meeting has something to do with the low participation from others and um you know it was like I said it was great to run into you yesterday and see you face to face and have a you know a a a true you know inperson public uh public meeting and I think that uh you know this board can uh can at the very least uh help us feel more connected if we are doing the remote meetings by changing the technology you use and uh just wanted to ask if that was something you'd be able to consider for the new year and and if you you know I'm not even sure what you've decided for the new year you just passed resolution 8z is the board meetings going to continue to be remote are they going to go back to in person or or or something else um thank you Charlie uh as far as meeting is concerned I I believe it is Our intention to consider to continue uh remote meetings um but I will uh I will discuss um with uh Jim poos and others what our options are for um at least to see if we can maybe get the public onto Zoom uh with us so I will certainly explore that okay well I I appreciate it and uh yeah I'm happy to talk more more if you want to uh uh hear from me on what other towns or other entities are doing um I've seen it all uh good and bad and and in between but uh I do think that um you know uh the board would benefit from having more voices on the call and one way to help do that is to make it easier for folks to get on the call um by giving them more options so appreciate your time I wish you you and uh the rest of the board a really um happy and healthy holiday season and I'll talk to you in 2024 thank you Charlie same to you and we we appreciate your participation so uh thank you so that there is no executive section correct Carol correct there is no executive session alrighty then uh before we adjourn I'm GNA wish everybody a happy and healthy holidays and new year and all that and thank you so much for another great year and we will see you next next year so can I get a motion to adjourn motion Christine all all right all those in favor all we are done thank you so much have a great holiday