[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] he [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] good I'd like to call this meting to order please stand for a salute to the flag a pledge Al to the flag the United States of and to the repic for it stands one nation under God indivisible withy and justice for all this meeting is convened in accordance with the provisions of the open public meeting Act of New Jersey let the official minutes reflected adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by publish notice in the Asbury Park Press on Friday January 6 2023 Press of Atlantic City and the Star Ledger and also forward at the Toms River Times Tomer patch and wobm news on Thursday January 5th 2023 and thereafter posting same on the town hall bulletin board for such notices and filing same with a Township Clerk pursuant to a resolution adopted by the township Council on Tuesday January 3rd 20123 the meeting dates have also been posted on the township web page roll call please councilman here councilman cop here councilman lamb here councilman Quin here councilman rodri here Council vice president gagan here council president Lano here item five is the minutes from the regular meeting on November 8th 2023 move the minutes second a motion is made by councilman lamb and second by councilman quinis councilman lamb yes councilman quinas yes councilman Sosi yes councilman cop I have to abstain as I was not present councilman rodri I have to obstain as well Council vice president gagan yes council president Lano yes for tonight's honoring resolutions and presentations we have small business Saturday and toms of little league New Jersey State softball Champions move move the honoring resolutions and presentations second all in favor I I I Council if you join me down at the well please hates what I say he hates what I say okay so we we have uh Thanksgiving coming up this week and right after Thanksgiving we all know we have Black Friday and a little bit less known uh we have small business Saturday so I would like to invite Marin from the bid up uh to talk about small business Saturday and present her with a uh Proclamation from the township shorter so small business Saturday it was started with the American Express it reminds everyone to shop local our local businesses in the downtown are the backbone to our community so this weekend when you're doing your holiday shopping make sure you check out some of the small shops and even the restaurants uh if you follow us on Facebook at downtown Toms River you can see all the local specials that are going on in downtown thank you thank you all right uh next we're here to celebrate the uh girl softball team I'd like to invite up uh DK Delma please yeah yeah I knew I was too short Town Council thank you very much thank you everybody for being here we're here to recognize the Tom R little league softball program it all starts out at the Toms River L league program on Maple Tree uh it's the only softball program in town uh you play wreck there and then these girls traveled uh at home in Tom D they went to Jackson we went all the way to seille multiple times Mulla Hill and they became state champions which they ended up in the regions in Bristol Connecticut uh and we placed third overall in the Mid-Atlantic region so they're state champions first I'm going to call up is uh Maddie Keller Lily humic Lily boso Sophia van splinter Julie vardi oh look I got it Maya [Applause] bakoma Haley kraic walkoff state championship game hit summer Norton Banna Del Lima Bailey Flora we have Coach Carrie Norton Coach Joe HCK and Julia Sherman who is not here with us [Applause] today uh this team was awesome it was an awesome run it was uh out standing overall the league from the girls to the families and we're just very thankful for this opportunity to be here and to be state [Applause] champions so on be on behalf of uh the mayor and Council and all the Toms River residents we want to say congratulations uh again Tom's River softball and baseball uh prevails and uh we're proud of you guys and uh congratulations thank you at this time we're going to take a uh two-minute recess so if anybody does not want to stay for the remainder of the meeting that would be the time that you're more than welcome to leave and don't feel guilty thank you [Music] want [Music] [Music] [Music] moving to the consent agenda all matters listed under item consent agenda will be enacted by one Motion in the form listed below there will be no separate discussion of these items if discussion is desired on any item that item will be considered separately does any member of the council have any item they wish discuss separately just want to make a motion to table resolution G and resolution H please second there's a motion to table resolution G and H a motion to table G and H was made by councilman lamb and seconded by councilman rodri councilman lamb yes councilman rodri yes councilman zosi yes councilman cop no councilman quinis abstain counc vice president gagan yes council president Lana yes Gan h have been tabled okay does any member of the council have any item that wish discuss separately okay does any member of the public have any item they wish discuss separately yes k l m k l and m okay I see where this is going with that I'll take a uh a motion to move the rest of the consent agenda with the exception of g h h KL and M so moved second a motion made by councilman rodri and seconded by Council vice president gagan councilman rodri yes Council vice president gagan yes councilman Sosi yes councilman cop yes councilman lamb yes councilman quinlisk yes council president Lano yes Mr Castle do you have any specific questions k l and m please take well just please speak into the microphone for the record please uh transfer and what's the expansion they have planned uh L would be how much did you sell that liquor license for and what are his plans and address that he put in for it or he just buy it put in his pocket and same thing for M okay so with K that is the uh Spirits by shopright on Route 37 I forget the exact address um they are building a addition onto it and I guess ABC rules required you update your permit cuz it's um for an expansion purpose so they're just putting a little addition onto it um I is the liquor license that we auctioned off I think in the spring yeah that was a distribution license a d license um like a liquor store kind of license uh as opposed to like a a bar um and what was the question what did it go for yeah how much did it sell for and where his plans for the location for that license uh $1.6 million okay and um part of his um purchase he did not provide an address so someone spent 1.6 million just to put it in his pocket I believe that they're going oppr request get that RFP sure um it's just out there you can look it up right where we adver public all right and then what was the consumption because that one is a bar license uh that's correct so again he did not have to uh put an address down um I yeah I only know rumors I'd rather not repeat them okay but how much is that one sell for 710 is it yes 2.1 million basically the exact same number I said a year and a half ago any other questions on item k l or M okay see n move k l and m second a motion is made by councilman cop and second by councilman quinis councilman cop yes councilman quinlisk yes councilman Sosi yes councilman lamb yes councilman rodri yes Council vice president Gigan yes council president Lano yes yes moving to the approval of bills move the Bills second a motion is made by councilman cop and second by councilman quinas councilman cop I abstain from all bills payable to own a little Associates yes to the balance councilman Quin I have to abstain from all bills payable to Remington Vernick Engineers Tech elevator and yean Associates yes to the balance councilman Sosi yes counc lamb I need to abstain from P 23- 06483 I need to also abstain from all bills payable Dy McGuckin attorneys at law and also abstained from all bills payable s h barski yes to the balance Council rodri yes Council vice president gagan I have one abstention to United healthc Care as it covers retired Township employees yes to the balance council president Latana I have to abstain from 23- 00224 yes to the balance I'll look at officials comments councilman L thank you chair just want to wish everybody a happy and safe Thanksgiving it's big travel holiday and if you guys are everyone's leaving and traveling far I just hope you have a safe and uh and happy holiday that's all thank you councilman quinl same thing uh everybody have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving weekend and keep uh your thoughts and prayers with the people of Israel thank you councilman Rod I just want to thank uh all the voter and the folks who helped out on the campaign um we couldn't have done it without you and I'd like to wish everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving Council vice president gagan again Happy Thanksgiving to all and hope everybody stays healthy that's all councilman cop same thing Happy Thanksgiving that's all Council councilman Sosi I have a couple things to say tonight uh first it's a little one uh there's still uh a whole bunch of campaign signs out in about not on private property so uh who's ever in charge uh make sure that they're gone because it's way over two um I wanted to give a shout out to Cubs uh CB Scout Pack 57 and Scout Harrison they collected uh canned goods in my neighborhood and uh they did a wonderful job and um also I wanted thank uh several people here for volunteering with the food bags I mean last Friday what I saw was um it was incredible but it it kind of scared me at at how many people were there the cars and everything here on Hooper and Silverton so um Dana I want to thank you Dan thank you uh councilman turnock uh P the word I thank him and anybody else U it's uh very heartwarming and um and um actually a shame that uh that uh I I can't help more so thank you and um and I met a really good guy on Sunday at the Tom BR River Fitness I met the owner of the club finally and he was working there on a su so um he does a good job for the community they that family's been there for many years and uh and I enjoy going there and God bless everybody God bless our town and uh and be grateful for what we have thank you thank you uh I want to thank everybody who attended the Veterans Day Parade it was a uh a big success it was a great turnout uh they had to fly over with the planes which is always amazing um I want to thank the veterans commission that puts the whole thing together um they do a fantastic job it's not easy to Wrangle up that many people um so thanks for everybody that attended I want to draw attention to uh Tom River code blue program which uh when the temperatures dip down low they they put people in one of the township facilities um there's a growing number of people in that situation I just want to call attention to the good work they do there I also wanted to talk about the food distribution I drove down um Chestnut on Friday and the cars were backed up past Clayton block and concrete there was shocking amount of people in line for that I think that's that's very telling of today's times so thank you guys for all that you guys do um also we talked about it in the beginning of the meeting but small business Saturday it's nice to support the small businesses in your community mom and pop places um you know small businesses are the backbone of uh America and support them as much as you can and I with that I just want to say uh Happy Thanksgiving to everybody and remember when you're out on Friday morning trying to get a good deal on a TV to be nice to everybody and remember it's Thanksgiving with that I will open up public comment please yes sir Paul Williams good evening Paul Williams Broad Street time uh I just have a brief comment uh and a little bit is to follow up on what council president said about uh the code blue I was asked by the CEO of just believe uh who unfortunately wasn't able to make here this evening just to relate that uh this season alone and I think this season comprises maybe at most two months uh but this season alone that they have provided warming the provided the warming Center for for approximately 20 people each night that they've been open that they have been connecting people with rapid rehousing I think that's a service through Social Services Dan that's through Social Services the rapid rehousing all right so Social Services have been playing their position and they've been playing it well um but this is again through the relationship that just believe has been able to develop with other agencies working in part parip with each other and I think that was really the the point that he wanted to convey uh to the council and to the public is that uh it's not something that they just do and do on their own it's something that has to be done and done in conjunction particularly with our public agencies and the cooperation of our Council um but another another uh component that they have been having some success in is getting uh some of the people that they encounter into detoxes and then hopefully onto a rehab that's effective for them and then uh also again uh through cooperation with our YMCA that they've been able to provide showers for 18 of these people on a regular basis and as we go into Thanksgiving and then into the holiday season uh which kind of think we're there now um on a personal note I just want to remind everybody to um as you're out with your families and you're enjoying uh just keep in the back of your mind that there are some people that don't have um some things that we generally might take for granted but that are extreme luxuries to some other people so uh but on that note uh Happy Thanksgiving everybody and enjoy and be safe thank you does any other member of the public wish to be heard yes sir [Music] Mark mut 53 Mana Road Tom's River on the theme of food uh Thanksgiving uh uh I want to talk about foodfest uh foodfest uh is the successor uh Street wide celebration of our Township's Heritage going back to 1767 uh Founders Day began in 19 in the 1970s for the the 200 year anniversary of uh the Declaration of uh Independence and it grew into an annual Street Fair through uh the second half of the 20th century and as time went forward uh it needed to have some uh fresh blood U and we changed it uh in 2007 from Founders Day to Food Fest and the theme we continued the celebration of our Town's history uh with many organizations out on uh uh Washington Street uh promoting their activities uh but we changed the the overall theme uh when I was clerk uh to that of uh food entertainment and history it was an Eclectic celebration of our town and I understand that uh with covid uh uh we postponed the town postponed Food Fest for several years and if you've participated in Food Fest it was a good weather day and we all probably participated in one way or the other literally tens of thousands of people would be out on Washington Street celebrating the history of our town uh June 24th 1767 but with covid uh it was postponed and I understand that uh uh for safety reasons uh there was some speculation that Food Fest might be uh brought back in 20022 but the township de cided on um the side of caution and decided to uh not to hold it last year but we didn't hold it this year and uh I wonder why that was and more troubling for me is there was no Public Announcement uh uh that uh we would not hold the annual celebration of our Town's history so that's the past we can't change the past but I say to the new mayor and to the new Council uh that will be here next year 2024 bring back foodfest bring it back I understand it's a lot of work and some of the naysayers here inside this building over the years oh it wasn't worth all the work and all the energy I say it is it's the one year the one day of the year where Tom's River can celebrate Tom's River our Town's uh history so uh for uh our new elected officials uh uh that will take office soon I urge you uh to uh consider bringing back a food vest uh the celebration of our Community uh that we had done for so long in our history it's the one day of the year that we get to celebrate Tom serer so thank you can can we call it Founders Day again uh well we CH we changed the name uh back in 2007 uh and with a lot of debate uh one of the issues was founders day uh had been so long in our history and uh sort of had a bad bad reputation uh from the perspective well it's the same group in the same spot doing the same thing year after year after year so uh we changed it two Food Fest I don't care what we call it but we should have a birthday party for Tom's River and I urge you as our new mayor uh to think about doing it I'll bring it back but I think we should call it founders day all right well whatever we call it let's do it so sounds good any other member of the public wish to be heard yes ma'am Kathy Lazaro 11 Fair Acres Drive um I came here to address something with the current mayor but I see he isn't here so um I just wanted to State it anyway in case I don't come back that I think it's wrong for this mayor or anything to make big decisions before the newly mayor elect is elected with jobs employment everything else in this Township okay because I wish Mr amoruso would have stood but apparently he didn't stay when about jobs and if that's allowed and it's under the law he's protected now I want to address the elephant in the room apparently the township was just served with subers is that correct that's correct well okay well I just you like they say you don't always believe what you read in the newspaper right current and previous people right um is this going to be a a fight or are we gonna Just Surrender and hand them over money because isn't this the same organization who sued Us in the past I'm going give it to the attorney yes M molo penis were served on current and former members of the township council members of The Zone uh and members of the current and former members of the two land use boards these are two pending Federal lawsuits that were filed in 2021 just before we settled with the Department of Justice and changed our zoning code those lawsuits are currently pending in federal court the subpoenas were threatened um they were expected they're a fishing Expedition like I've commented and to the extent that we have to answer them we will if there's reason to move to quash them we will but um the subpoenas are not they're just part of the discovery process their a litigation tactic on the other side has nothing to do with the final outcome of the case right no I know that it's a proed I understand that but I just wanted to make sure that we were going to fight back and not just allow these people to come and file lawsuits or anybody under fictitious stuff just to gain it because whenever you sue a municipality or the state or any kind of government entity usually people say it's in the best interest to settle a case and you might not be here Mr Marino because I believe you're going to the big house choss street so good luck to that with you hopefully not the big house hope okay well it is the big house CHR Street it is a big house and I congratulate you on that and I also would like to say one more thing about Thanksgiving uh you know there's uh EMTs fire police officers that work that day but most important sometimes as a military family myself that a lot of our family members are not home that have family in that so it pray for Israel but also pray for our American soldiers because we're very thin on the line and we're being brought to so many other countries now where if they and they understand that when they signed up that that's their job to do and to fight and they're very proud to be an American but Thanksgiving will be Thanksgiving over there wherever they are but I just want people to just take a minute out of their day and remember them too that they're not here with us and Happy Thanksgiving thank you is any other member of the public yes ma'am Irene Watson Toms River I too was upset when when I saw that um article in the patch about the subas being served to a number of people that are here and on other planning boards and so on I feel there's really like a negative Cloud hanging over Tom Zer right now with the subpoena and with all the infighting and arguments amongst all of you up here okay now I'm not going to go into any Det details and give give um the information about the negative I'm going to tell you a story it'll be very brief in 1971 I worked in an inner city school Gatewood Elementary in nuk Virginia my students were for the most part learning disabled they were 12 13 14 years old there were two girls in the class Avis and Lily who did not like each other they called each other names they had verbal arguments and one day they came to blows right in my classroom of course they went to the principal and so on and so forth the principal Mrs Bunch was a very very wise woman after the girl after everybody went home I went to her office and she made this suggestion she said have them come for detention have them work on a project together have them work on a bulletin board and they did they grumbled they mumbled they were a little bit argumentative but at the end they made a very nice bulletin board so there might be a lot of grumbling and rumbling amongst people here but when it comes down to it I want a very nice Toms River okay the other thing that was like negative is you go past the library and I think as for the prosecutor's office there's no room for hate in Tom's River what kind of slogan or m a motto is that I I lived in Virginia Virginia is for Lovers now we don't want to go that far um I was in wilbury Pennsylvania when there was a flood you have a friend in Pennsylvania let's go the positive if your kids were fighting your own personal children were fighting you wouldn't call them into the room and say stop hating each other you would say why can't you get along share the football ask your sister if you could borrow her sweater and so on you know instead of having there's no room for hate have something like building a great Community together but anyway be positive it's a good suggestion thank you very much does any other member of the public wish to be heard seeing none seeing none I'll make a motion to close public comment second all in favor I I motion to adjourn the meeting second all in favor I thank [Music] you