happy St uh good evening to those joining us virtually and here in person uh tonight is May 24th and we are at our regularly scheduled 2 21st sorry 21st uh and we are at our regularly scheduled council meeting um we are going to begin with uh some presentations Madam clerk this is to inform the general public that this meeting is being held in compliance with Section Five of the open public meetings act chapter 231 Public Law 1975 the annual notice was emailed to The Star Ledger and filed in the township clerk's office on November 21st 2023 and published in the West Orange Chronicle on November 30th 2023 councilwoman celino is on her way councilwoman gber Michael present councilwoman Scarpa present councilwoman Williams present council president Rutherford here mayor McCartney uh we are going to begin with the presentation um I guess for National Gun Violence Awareness Day Moms Demand Action for gun sense in America Madam mayor good evening Council colleagues good evening everyone interesting this evening we have two proclamations today one is for um the the prevention of violence and the other is to protect uh people that were in violent situations so uh we have a proclamation you could join us please some statistics stes 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 uh this kind of sounds like good news but it's not really because New Jersey has 426 gun deaths every year a crisis that costs the state 5.3 billion each year of $594 which is paid by taxpayers due to our sting gun laws new New Jersey has the third lowest rate of gun deaths in the United States but still far too many I to say it sounds like good news but it's not really good news uh gun H homicides and assaults are concentrated in cities with more than half of all firearm related gun deaths in the nation occurring in 127 cities um gun violence prevention is more important than ever as we see in increase in firearm homicides non-fatal shootings across the country increased calls for domestic violence hot lines and an increase in gun violence this this evening I have claes with us and individuals from her Coalition you see they're wearing orange and they're going to explain to us why we need to wear orange on June 7th and with that I would like to present you with this Proclamation it's two pages I didn't read it thank you mayor mcartney and Town Council and good evening my name is Claire Keels I live in West Orange and I am a volunteer with Mom's demand action for gun safety in America and on behalf of every town for gun safety and Essence County Mom's demand action thank you for issuing this Pro Proclamation and for your support for gun violence prevention in West Orange we wear orange this year again with heavy hearts because of the continued gun violence in our country however we wear orange with renew determination to demand a future free from gun violence and to elevate the voices of the survivors of gun violence and those demanding an end to gun violence the mayor read some of the statistics about gun violence in the proclamation and I would like to highlight a few more that we often don't focus on or hear as much that guns are the leading cause of death for us children children by homicide suicide and unintentional shootings tragically 2023 saw the highest number of unintentional shootings by children since 2015 411 shootings resulting in 157 deaths and 270 injuries nearly six out of every 10 gun deaths are suicides and children between the ages of 10 and 14 have the fastest growing suicide rate of any age age group over the last decade an increase of 146% guns are being stolen from Cars it triple the rate they were 10 years ago in 2022 on average at least one firearm was stolen from a car every nine minutes based on FBI data according to the ATF gun theft is a significant source of guns that end up in the hands of Primitives secure firearm storage can help reduce all of those gun violence statistics we should not have to live in fear that gunfire can ring out at any moment however as incidences of gun violence have grown so too has the movement to stop it we will continue to educate raise awareness organize Advocate and rally for safer communities we will not stop until gun violence stops by uniting with us in our efforts to end gun violence by issuing this Proclamation together we can build a future free from all types of gun violence gun suicides gun homicides unintentional shootings and intimate partner shootings so thank you all for par ipating in our life saving Mission thank you we certainly do appreciate you highlighting this very important topic it is a national epidemic um and it's important for us to do what we can on the local level to help as well oh you want to take a picture okay okay well especially that hang on Joe oh one second this that's so much better thank you thank you next we are going to hear about the West Orange African Heritage organizations tutoring program who is coming to the podium for that sure okay and Brent you want don't you to come up and Doris yeah that's a lot of red over there pink is one of them also I don't want to reverse everything the doctors are doing okay as an SLP and an educator in our school we should definitely have the president of the organization come forward youon yeah everyone has had impeccable timing today no traffic as as an SLP and an educator in our schools it is an honor to present this resolution to recognize the longstanding commitment of Doris Moses and all of of the volunteers of the African Heritage Association they have been tutors volunteer tutors to the children of our schools and I have been lucky enough to be at Washington school with Doris and witness the wonderful work that she does volunteering contributes to our health our happiness and is at the heart of any close community so as we come to the end of the tutoring program I I think it's important that our committee acknowledge the importance of volunteering and the work that they do so I will read a proclamation whereas rigorous academic research has affirmed that educational tutoring enhances critical thinking problem solving skills and challenges children's to think analytically approach challenges systematically and consider multiple perspectives and whereas the leadership of the members of the West Orange African Heritage organization recognize the need for conceived of organized and orchestrated a tutoring program for K5 children of West Orange Township whereas the tutoring program of the West Orange African Heritage organization in its entirety is a volunteer effort of Resident citizens of West Orange Township and whereas volunteering is the penultimate and most selfless act of giving back to our community and whereas the West Orange African Heritage organization began its tutoring program in the home of Dr Maurice Sosi and today the dedicated volunteers educate our children in all five elementary schools whereas the leadership and members of the West Orange African Heritage organization have demonstrated their tireless and selfless commitment and Devotion to the children of West Orange whereas the West Orange African Heritage organizations tutoring program has positively and profoundly enhanced the lives of thousands of West Orange K5 students and proot promoted mentoring opportunities to the West Orange High School students and where at the African Heritage organization in 2024 cross this threshold of a quarter Century of citizen an engagement for the betterment of the children of West Orange now thereby resolved and I really would like to uh let Brent drer Scott just say a few words about the organization thank you councilwoman spark Scarpa I really appreciate that and we all um appreciate uh your sponsoring this resolution uh today uh for those of you who don't know I'm Brent Draper Scott I the vice president of the West Orange African Heritage organization and prior to being the vice president of the organization I was the organization's historian and I got to learn a great deal about the organization and the people and what they did and why the organization exists in the first place uh when I made the documentary Heroes Among Us So today we're here to Mark the Milestone a milestone that began in 1999 quarter of a century ago in that year the West Orange African Heritage organization was born it was born to address social cultural political and educational needs that were until that time unfulfilled in our Township good civic-minded people like Mike Taylor and Gwen Franklin and Greg and Linda bulock and others came together and organized what is today the indispensable Force within this Township that is the West Orange African Heritage or ganization immediately in 1999 they recognized that the children needed a little help in our Public Schools not that our schools were failing the children but that some of the children needed a little help and these civic-minded ordinary citizens came together and the first thing they did was to form a tutoring program for K through five in 1995 1999 as councilwoman Scarpa mentioned the program began in the home of Dr Marie sangos soses residents of West Orange being among the best educated people in the state did not have a shortage of parents who are professional many of them in the education field who knew exactly how to help young people they and many many others over the 25 years have been doing this volunteering which takes unwavering commitment and dedication to help not only their children but your children and our children today I want to thank councilwoman stara for sponsoring this resolution recognizing the volunteers the tutors the leadership and the members of the West Orange African Heritage organization who have crossed a milestone a 25e quarter of a century 20th century and 21st century Milestone of educating the children of West Orange thank you hello my name is darus Moses I'm a retired educator I worked in Newark and I retired from Orange after 38 years I was at a party a Christmas party and they were talking about I didn't know all the people and they were talking about this little guy at Hazel Avenue School who was difficult so somebody said well put him out of the program I said oh no we can't put him out of the program he's the one that needs it so I got elected to go to Hazel Avenue school and I met this young man and his family little did I know that I would be volunteering for the next 10 or so years it was wonderful it was wonderful uh I spent most of my time at Washington School uh and and Hazel Avenue School um so I'm I thank you for honoring me it's it's more than an honor I love doing it every Wednesday at three o'clock uh so now we're on vacation so again I thank you for coming and I thank you listening thank you Char I just want to say once a teacher always a teacher the first time I met Doris Rosary melli had introduced her to me and we had some coffee at Panera and we were talking and she talked to me about how she became the principal of the school and we talked about our in her interview and she's inspired me with her words since then she I said she said told me they asked me why do you think you can do this job and she said what my grandmother always told me I have good oldfashioned common sense and that's what I watch Daris offer these children every Wednesday when she comes to Washington school she her smile lights up that library and it lights up my myself my face too I we really look forward to her and all she does thank you councilwoman I also want to recognize Al Hughes who also was a tutor for a very long time and directed the program for a number of years Al good evening everyone my name is Al Hughes thanks me a few minutes to talk okay I have Park SC has didn't keep me from helping the children out though I was with the Washington School tutoring program through the West orang African Heritage organization I started with the program with d and I saw a need for the children to get that extra expertise from the residents of West Orange especially those who have educational back backgrounds so I jumped in and used my military training to help out as well those of you who don't know me I I've served 22 years two months 11 days in the military when I retired in ' 87 I came out and I didn't work or do anything for about a year when I started the tutoring program was starting up I decided to lend my expertise whatever I could do to help out despite my disabilities so now we're here 2024 but what a difference would they make so I'm very proud to be in the program I don't we're going to pram too much anymore because I had limitations but very happy to be here expect to be here a couple years to come whenever they need me in the program I'll be there to help them out thank you very much thank you all and finally I just want to recognize the new director for the uh tutoring program Sandra boon hello first of all happy birthday to Al happy birthday um standing here I am very humbl because I just started about a year and a half ago because president namb she asked me to do this and so that was very brave and I hope that I'm making everyone proud or I've made everyone proud I'm standing here before everyone from waho after having done this for years and years I'm standing here and I'm very honored flattered to be here um to I know that Doris before me she was the person in charge of the tutoring program and I lean on her and Al and Alia and everyone um in waho to help me to figure out what to do so hopefully um it's now operational after two-year hiatus because of covid and so it's ready to go and we couldn't have done it without the 10 adult volunteers we had at each of the six schools we would have to shut the school down if they didn't show up and they always came we wanted to we want to also thank on behalf of waho our students from West Orange um high school they they were who's here was T ah please stand all right thank you Doris we had 20 high school students who were chosen by um advisers from the high school and we also I know that um president namb will say thank you to um superintendent Moore for having us back to support the students and most of all the reason for the season our students they're the reason we kept coming back every Wednesday the joy in their faces and their eagerness so thanks again to waho thank you for um this opportunity and again just thanks for all you do waho you're such a tremendous contribution to our community and to all the tutors I hope you have many many years of lighting up the smiles of the children and myself hello hi good evening to everybody um of course by now you know I'm Ivan namb roach I'm the president of this wonderful organization and I'm proud to standing here of course with our fine tutors I came into the program as a tutor with Daris years ago I saw something in the paper or something about someone wanted to be a tutor that was a wonderful opportunity I said because I love to teach you know we're always teachers and I I I saw the opportunity for the West Orange African Heritage organization to carry on that tradition and I wanted to be a part of that and when I was with Daris at Washington school and I really and I wanted to be down the hill but in St Cloud I was there for a little while but I then went to to Washington a great experience we have to we as the organization wanted to make sure all of our students were being taught that everything that was not given to them in the classroom that we could take part of that we could be the ones to give them what they needed we wanted them to always not to just survive but to continue to be the greatest and the best they can be and who can do that but their own community so as our community we went right in and started t a tutoring program for our young people and I thank you all for having us here today and I want to really thank our chair of the two in Department she did a tremendous job the time that she was here and I am so glad I don't know that I am asked her to do it I couldn't have asked a better person she was I can say that I guess because she's a she was a principal at one point so she knew what we needed and she went right on and did what had to be done and the school system with the tutors she carried on so well that I don't know if we want to say this but she wants to retire so so give her a hand so that she doesn't retire again I don't want to take a lot of time we have already and I and I appreciate all that you the council has done for our organization and I thank you so much for having us here and honoring us with this tutoring program thank you thank you council president while you're lining up for uh photo I just want to mention one other thing the highest rank obtainable uh for a non-commissioned officer is a sergeant major and uh Al use is a retired sergeant major from the US own thank you we're going to add ask um Michelle Jacobson M to come with a uh presentation on the mayor's Wellness campaign good evening I'm Michelle Jacobs the senior public health nurse on behalf of the mayor's Wellness campaign I would like to introduce Dr Steven Shapiro who will be giving a presentation on stroke Dr Shapiro is the newly appointed medical director for stroke services at cooperman barnas Medical Center previously he served as an associate professor of Neurology and associate cler clerkship director for neurology at The Icon school of medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital he is originally from Essex County and graduated from Livingston high school he earned his undergraduate degree at John's Hopkins University his medical degree from New York Medical College he completed his neurology residency at Columbia University Irving Medical Center with further subpal specialy training in vascular neurology at Mount saai Hospital everyone can see this okay great everyone can hear me perfect all right hi everyone I'm uh Steve Dr Steven Shapiro uh Steve I'm a Livingston native and I've uh basically come back home uh I've recently started at Barnabas as a stroke director so I'm really excited to to come back to the community I grew up in and try to lead some of the stroke care in the in the neighborhood so um stroke is uh well may is stroke awareness month I think everyone in this room probably knows at least some person that suffered from a stroke if not had a stroke themselves stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States but it's also the top cause of serious uh disability it's the one of the most chronic of of diseases essentially in terms of robbing people of their ability to function in a normal in a normal State the but one of the important parts and one of the reasons I'm here is to is to give some education uh to the community about that stroke is actually it's not it's first of all it's preventable but more importantly if someone's actually in the middle of a stroke we now have the tools the medications some of the surgeries to try to reverse the stroke in freeze it in time and try to prevent further damage and try to restore functionality and reduce disability but part of that is recognizing the signs and symptoms and getting to a hospital right away because time is brain that's a a mantra we use um in neurology at Barnabas and that's it's very important to be aware of that time is of the essence in in stroke so what is a stroke um just so everyone's on the same page it's usually due to an interruption of blood supply to brain tissue that causes irreversible damage to the brain cells I like to call it as brain injury it's not necessarily brain damage that has you know negative connotations but it's definitely a form of brain injury most of The Strokes that the way people think of Strokes classically is due to a clot in the brain so it's an es schic stroke a lack of ox a lack of blood flow but you can also have hemorrhagic about 15% of are due to bleeding in the brain which is another kind of stroke that actually also paradoxically bleeding in the brain cuts off blood supply to parts of the brain that are encompassed in the in the hematoma in the blood cavity and again stroke it's actually you can think of it as like a strike and the main thing to remember is a sudden onset of symptoms so a sudden onset of symptoms that we'll go over should be a red flag to try to get to medical attention right away so just as a nice schematic of what an es schic stroke is versus a hemorrhagic stroke I copied this photo somewhere on the internet but in a schic stroke kind I know is there like a laser point in here no yes there okay great perfect thank you so an a schic stroke is you can think of this as the blood vessel it's just a you know random blood vessel and you can think of this as either a cholesterol plaque or sometimes not even cholesterol like a clot that comes from the heart and goes to the brain and you think of if blood's flowing this way this will interrupt blood supply so everything past this obstruction will develop injury also you can have essentially you know one of the blood vessels can rupture or or have a a leak in it such as an aneurism that that bursts or any kind of issue and again that will cause bleeding around the brain and part of the damage is initially you cut off blood supply but then you also have volume in the brain that there's a lot of pressure so those are the two main kinds of strokes and then so the reason I'm here is to tell everyone about ways to recognize a stroke so we have an acronym called B fast it's a it's a pretty well-known acronym um but it's very easy to remember and it's what I always educate uh my patients with so B fast try to memorize it B fast the b stands for balance so and again all these are sudden onset so it can't be someone you know it's not chronic dizziness or anything like that it's acute onset of issues with balance so suddenly feeling like you're drunk like you can't walk straight or suddenly being unable to balance or suddenly being on a suddenly feeling extremely dizzy when you're not a chronic uh vertiginous person should be a concerning feature the E stands for eyes so sudden onset of vision loss or inability to see out of one eye or inability to see half the world or sudden like suddenly having a significant decrease in VIs that could be an issue with the eyes but sometimes it can actually be an issue with the brain and people don't recognize it in time and they don't don't come to treatment right away the F stands for face so if there's one side of the face is drooping or basically you can see here it's drooping that you see one side of the face is is asymmetric to the other one then the a stands for arm or leg so this one's a more classic feature of stroke that most people recognize suddenly you know sudden Paralysis on one side is uh a warning sign but it can also be something as simple as weakness suddenly on one side unexplained weakness or sometimes you even wake up with the symptoms of suddenly their left side feels much much weaker than their right side it's typically not overall weakness that could have other causes but one-sided weakness is definitely a red flag or a risk factor then the last the S stands for speech so slur speech difficulty talking difficulty getting words out difficulty with language sometimes it's this one's actually a lot of times noticeable not by the patient but by their loved one when they notice that they're just speaking gibberish or it's we call it a word salad where they they keep talking but they're not making sense or sometimes they just stop talking they're completely silent and they're just looking at you so that that's the s for speech and T stands for time as well as terrible headache a bleed will have a terrible headache Thunderclap but the T stands for time and it's very very important to get to the hospital right away way um to the closest one here it's obviously Barnabas so we can try to treat the stroke and try to put out the fire I always think of a stroke as kind of like a forest fire where it starts Burning Down The Forest part of the brain and the goal is to try to put out the fire to prevent it from burning the rest of the forest down because then that will become an irreversible damage so what what can we do uh at Barnabas so we have a lot of tools at our disposal a lot of which are cutting Ed that we can help uh try to reverse a stroke and prevent a lifetime of disability the first one is thrombolysis which is basically any of you guys are familiar with something called TPA or alop place or tectop place this is a very powerful uh clot Buster what it does it dissolves clots throughout the body including clots in the brain and so it's meant to dissolve a clot but obviously it's a risky medication because it's dissolving clots everywhere so we only have about a four and a half hour window from the time that the stro started to give this medication safely or at that point the benefits no longer are worth the risks but then the the really the really important part is this something called endovascular neurosurgery or Interventional neurology or Interventional neur Radiology but it's essentially for some Strokes particularly large ones that if if there's a clot in one of the large Brain arteries like one of the big ones the kateed or other ones basil we can actually go in similar to Interventional Cardiology but this is you know Neuroscience with small catheters to get to the actual brain arteries and suck out the clot to basically retrieve it with a small not like a vacuum cleaner but a suction catheter and it tries to suck out the clot and restore blood flow and I'll show you some pictures but this is essentially the most powerful treatment in all of medicine in terms of versus The Natural History this treatment is so revolutionary that it only was pretty much brought into modern medicine in 2015 and in the last eight nine years it's completely changed our systems of care because we try to get patients with a large stroke to a thrombectomy capable Center or Comprehensive Center like Barnabas to treat them right away because the the magnitude of the of the effects is just so strong versus not doing the surgery and having someone suffer from a large stroke and then obviously and their treat window is 24 hours but it's actually extend extended past that based on the new studies we if there's salvageable tissue tissue that we can try to save we us should go for the procedure and then the last one is open neurosurgery that's usually a a situation of Last Resorts when there's a large stroke or a large bleed and you just need to relieve the pressure this one's more of a morbid sort of situation U but in terms of that's usually a last resort but in terms of endovascular therapy we've seen patients that have a a very severe stroke we take out the clot and on the table they return back to normal because there hasn't been any permanent brain injury yet so this is a very powerful treatment that I want everyone that's the reason to educate um the community about the importance of coming to the hospital right away because we do have tools to try to prevent a lifetime of disability and so here's some so basically endovascular uh treatment so the landscape changing therapy for stroke patients I said in 2015 and you can see here here is do I have another picture yeah okay so here is the blood vessel and you can see it just stops right here this there's no more blood flow so basically you have a catheter right here that's pushing contrast and you have x-rays to try to capture the image the patient is right here the operator is right here it's all kind of through small catheters and they you push the contrast and you can see on x-ray the contrast stops right here because there's a big clot in the right cored artery we go in to try to take out the clot and here's the little piece of the clot and here's the result here's all the blood flow to the to the right side of the brain that's restored so this is basically this patient this is an this is actually not a example from our Center I'll show you one from our Center but this patient essentially was at risk of losing the whole right side of their brain and now this restored blood flow so here's that example and so time is brain and this is actually a case that we had at Barnabas I believe a month or two ago where here's again an occlusion of the cored artery so this is the main blood flow to the brain I forget if this was the right or left side but here's the before and then here's the after all the blood flow that's restored to the brain so basically this person was deprived of oxy half half of their brain and here's the clot it was a pretty large clot this is one of my colleagues Dr Meta that did this and uh the goal is usually to get it done under 120 minutes because again time is brain and every minute is about a million neurons that are lost you got it done in 19 minutes from start to finish so and it it takes a team effort and that's one of the things that I'm I'm tasked with at Barnabas to try to even improve our times even beyond that because it's it takes such a coordinated effort because essentially if patient if a patient has a stroke we need to call the EMS the EMS has to get there they have to pack the patient up they have to bring him to the emergency room the emergency room has to activate the team then we have to get Neurology on board to you know start the process then get Radiology on board to get the Imaging and then get neurosurgery or the Cal lab so it's a a thing that has to work in concert to basically that's why you know the 120 Minutes is actually still a pretty ambitious goal to get all these different teams working together to try to open the blood clot as fast as possible so with a a pretty good case of 19 minutes um Dr Meta is pretty fast which is great um and so that's some of the things that we're bringing about in in barnabus but it's you know not unique to only Barnabas it's it's any comprehensive stroke center there's a few in the state this we're obviously the closest one um so definitely if you have any of the B fast symptoms make sure to get to the hospital right away any hospital but preferably a place that can do the whole spectrum of of Neurology care um let's see is that it yep I'll take any questions if anyone has it um time to get free medical advice great well C sure what um I wanted to know in terms of how do you prepare your staff to work in this very coordinated way because you don't have a lot of time here so folks have to really know how to work together and I'm just how do you how do you make that happen um that's a good question I mean I think it it's you know I think it's actually an evolving process as we try things out to try to shave the time off some things work some things don't I think the driving force that everyone recognizes like you guys saw that picture everyone recognizes the effect size of it so I think having that buy in for multiple share stakeholders neurology Radiology Ed um helps give a mission um to what we're doing and it becomes a little bit easier I mean the coordination does we try to do things in parallel try to activate the team while we're getting the Imaging while we're doing this while we're doing that so it's it's actually a lot of things are done in parallel behind the scenes um but that I think is how do we get it just explain why we're doing this and it usually is kind of easy then at that point so just uh you talk about the the timing uh with regard to emergency services and everything else like that are there certain criteria where it's reasonable or acceptable for a family member to do self transport sometimes that could actually happen faster than calling waiting for EMS and me going is there uh do you have any ideas or thoughts about how somebody could determine which would be the best method of transportation it's another good question I think um so we have systems in place for if patients arrive through EMS versus through the front door in the ER and sometimes people do pack up their family members just put them in the car even if they can't talk or they can't move half their body they somehow put them in the car and bring them over so in terms of advising how fastest to get there I think it would really be based on where you live how far you you live from the hospital and also is it safe to transport someone sometimes unfortunately people very large Strokes sometimes can't move their body but they actually can't control their Airway so their Airway can sometimes collapse because you know you're not only not able to move your arms and your legs you also can't move the right side of your throat for example muscles on that so the airway can close off so I guess it really is a judge there's no I can't give you a set criteria I think if it's reasonably safe safe and fast then it's OB I think it'd be better to bring them in through the front door than through EMS just because we have systems in place for both Pathways um so yeah so either one I guess that that answers the question I have a quick one council president just just for the uh thank you very much for your presentation it's very very enlightening is there a particular age group for either uh men or women that are prone to a stroke well there's definitely certain ages that have certain types of Strokes more common than others so the elderly most commonly so elderly women are more likely to have something called atrial fibrillation which is abnormal heart rhythm that can send class to the brain um older men for example that smoke have a history of smoking or other you know high blood pressure can sometimes have their karate like in this case a clude so um young people can also stroke you know one of one of the F unfortunately one of the fastest growing um segments for in terms of stroke is actually young stroke in the young it might be also because we're getting better at treating stroke in the old so relatively becomes more but you know young people also develop Strokes from a karate from a dissection or weird clot pregnant women are prone to stroke so there's no real um specific time I think the highest risks is definitely actually in the the newborn and in the elderly but um the newborn we actually we don't have as many good tools for that but I think in terms of our treatments uh TPA is approved by the FDA from 18 to you know in you know Infinity basically um and we do it off label for Pediatric cases from time to time endovascular thrombectomy is um I think per guidelines 18 to 855 but we did AA I did a case it was like 105 year old so there's really no age limit I think the the the um criteria we use to select particular a barnabus I'm trying to make it if not one of the most aggressive but defin if not the most aggressive one of the most aggressive centers in the state and also the fastest but our criteria is if there's a vessel closed that we can safely reopen that will benefit the patient I.E there is some tissue to save and the patient has some level of quality of life we we don't want to take patients that have you know dementia and are bed bound for a surgery that's not really it's not as appropriate but if they have some quality of life that we can try to preserve and there's a vessel that we can safely open up we usually just go for it so um the treatment this one particular for thrombectomy I think we don't have a protal yet for Pediatrics but definitely there's no upper age limit like we did 105y old so that doesn't really matter so thank you very much great sure is there any detection test that can sure uh sure so the question was are there any kind of you know preventative steps or or preventative steps to prevent a stroke from occurring in the in the first place so twofold one um yes um not to not to plug our our clinic but if you come to to the stroke clinic at Barnabas uh we'll try to do some of those screenings but but in general yes there's some things where if you're found with a high degree of stenosis in the neck if you have something called apib that obviously increases the risk if you have poorly controlled diabetes or great you know uncontrolled hypertension that definitely increases the risks so controlling those um they have the Apple Smartwatch that can detect aib I don't know how accurate that is but there there's going to be more you know bioinformatic tools that detect abnormal rhythms so there's definitely ways to lower the risk there's no unfortunate there's no medication there's no strategy that will eliminate the risk of stroke but what we do is try to reduce the risk of stroke and the same thing we do for people after they have a stroke um what I always tell patients that when they have a minor stroke is that it's actually good in a way because that means they're at risk of a large stroke they didn't get it they got a small stroke or a TIA but they're at risk of it and now is our chance to lower their risk of reoccurrence again we can eliminate the risk of stroke but we can put on the medications the right treatments some surgery sometimes to reduce the risk to try to reduce it as much as we can more questions thank you Doctor thanks want to remind West Orange residents um in West Orange we have some of the best response times you will find almost anywhere with regard to our EMS whether you use uh West Orange fire department or hot solid uh both uh respond uh very quickly uh so if you're unsure at all please do call 911 and have a first responder uh they can also provide some level of care on the way to the hospital um now we have one more presentation uh we're gonna ask Mr Stanley stall to come no she she M or Ms thank you council president Stanley stall thank you let me start with a thank you to Michelle Jacobson and our health department and to Dr Shapiro for being here um this is I'm we launched if you recall we launched the mayor's wellness program a few months back and we have developed a wonderful wonderful partnership with cooperman Barnabas and it gives me a chance right now to tell you that on June 23rd we will have another screening uh with cooperman Barnabas and it's a whole series of screenings so I didn't ask that question intentionally I was really curious to see if there was preventative detection test but there are so many screenings um that will be available to us on June 23rd at 11 o'clock at our new library location um what was the date Sunday June 23rd so more information to come so more good news is that I do have open Office hours typically the first Thursday of every month and I was so pleasantly surprised when Stanley stall showed up at my office because I had read a year ago about the Jewish Foundation of righteous Gentiles and I was so curious about that and I also saw that it was in West Orange and I had I really didn't know I I tried to Google it and search it and I didn't know and when um Miss stall showed up in my office and gave me this beautiful book up to talk about individuals that risk their own lives to help people during the war during the Holocaust um over 80 years ago and this Foundation has been remembering and supporting those Christians and Muslims and right every nationality uh that helped other individuals and I thought that was just a glorious story and I invited her here because not only is May um Stroke Awareness Month that we just found May is also National Jewish American month so I thought this was perfect Army thank you thank you mayor McCartney can can people hear thank you members of the Town Council I'm named for my mother's brother Stanley goam who was killed on May 28th 1944 in the Battle of Rome and is buried with the American at the American cemetery at Nuna and I'm Stanley with two weeks but that's okay when I went to college I was put in a boy dorm you that was a long time ago anyway thank you thank you members of the Town Council for giving me this opportunity I know you're running late so I'm really gonna cut my remarks in June of 2018 I moved our offices the Jewish foundation for the righteous JFR from Midtown Manhattan to 0 Main Street so if you have questions and want information come visit us we're on the third floor we have a dual Mission we do two things we provide monthly financial support to aged and needy non-jews mostly Christian because during World War II Europe was Christian and some Muslims who lived in Albania and what I knew growing up I'm dating myself as Yugoslavia now Bosnia herina most of the men and women we have sent funds to and I've been the director since September of 1992 so in my 32nd year we've sent $45 million primarily to Christian Heroes Protestants and Catholics and I have the best job in the world because I do home visits before covid most of the men and women we support live either in the former Soviet Union or uh communist block countries we did support some people in France and Germany the Netherlands Switzerland Italy but it was really in the Communist BL countries where senior citizens get very small pensions and they needed the funds so on behalf of the Jewish community and we receive donations not just from Jews we don't ask who you are how you how you pray but it's we paying a Deb of gratitude on behalf of the Jewish Community to Christian Heroes and I go I go to church with them and they'll talk about Jesus they'll talk about the gospel you know and their belief in Christ and they will tell me there comes a time when the law of God is above the law of man and you don't obey Hitler and the third Ro so I am truly blessed by the men and women that I get to be with over the last 32 years we've sent funds to 3600 people living in 34 countries and as the mayor just said 80 years ago like our veterans I see a picture of Eisenhower up there our veterans our Jewish Holocaust Survivors our beloved Christian Heroes our righteous Gentiles as they're known are passing on we're supporting 83 uh people men and women mostly women mostly in Poland in 10 countries we can no longer send money to the Soviet to Russia because of the bank sanctions and it's very hard to explain to a 98y old man in Moscow why he's no longer getting money because he thinks Ukraine is run by Nazis although they have a Jewish president and a Muslim fight you know and a Muslim Deputy um president our second mission oh so we send money every month and at Christmas we send a Christmas gift last year the Christmas gift was $3,500 this year will be a minimum of4 ,000 our monthly pensions are $400 which for most of the men and women we support is doubling what they get from their government so the funds go for food because Christmas is important that's why we send our money at Christmas so there's food home heating fuel warm clothing and medication and our commitment is to is to fund them to the day they die which is we've kept that commitment for 32 years and we will continue to do so our second goal is our Holocaust teacher education program so the teachers here and the Educators and it is a nationally recognized program we were at Columbia University until covid now we do our teacher trainings at the Hilton Nork Airport and we work with Holocaust centers across the United States uh they come for a weeklong academic graduate level seminar and we have three centers here in New Jersey Kane university Brooklyn Community College in Stockton and we do teacher trainings and the one last thing that I'm going to mention I'm trying not to take up time uh is we are launching a new online program that we have invested heavily in which we had two teachers in New Jersey who worked on it and it's a um entitled how is a possible a holocaust curriculum for and by Futures it's been vetted by Holocaust and for teachers and New Jersey is a mandated state it is mandated that you teach the Holocaust along with other genocides and atrocities my son didn't learn it in the school he went to that's all I'm going to say uh and this will enable Educators to teach the Holocaust and it's also Geared for students middle and high school social studies ELA teachers so if anybody is interested in I hope sometime to work with West Orange Board of Ed it's being piloted in Palm Beach County Florida the feeling was if it can pass in Florida with everything that goes on in Florida I'm not going to do politics it can pass anywhere okay so I thank you if people have questions let me know thank you oh I'm sorry [Music] thank you thank you want to thank everyone for joining us uh we are pressed for a time so we are going going to move um into our public meeting um Madame clerk okay this is to inform the general public that this meeting is being held in compliance with Section Five of the open public meetings act chapter 231 Public Public Law 1975 the annual notice was emailed to The Star Ledger and filed in the township clerk's office on November 21st 2023 and published in the West Orange Chronicle on November 30th 2023 councilwoman celino present councilwoman gber Michael present councilwoman Scarpa present councilwoman Williams present council president Rutherford here mayor McCartney will everyone please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance Pledge Al to the flag of the United States of America to the stands indivisible liy and justice for all the council is now in their public meeting we are going to open the floor for public comment public comment is for any issue on the agenda uh or not but it is only for those that are in person um for those of you that are joining us via Zoom please feel free to uh email the council uh any questions that you may have you can do so before council meeting uh or at any other time uh but we have restricted public comment to those that are joining us in person and we're going to begin with Mr Fagan thank you council president um tonight I'd like to open and acknowledge that West stn salutes Jewish Jewish American Heritage Month uh the many Jewish American uh in our nation and our community who have contributed greatly to our society um also uh the uh dates for the juneth uh Film Festival uh June 21st June 23rd I great thank so uh it begins Friday uh Council Council woman Williams if You' like to speak about this sure counil president so thank you uh Mr Fagan so on juneth uh starting on the June 21st we'll have our opening reception and ceremony it's going to be at the Cambria Hotel from 6:00 to 8:00 pm um our screening will be mosiah the story of Marcus Garvey um the actual act star actor lead actor will be um present and during the talk back the reception will include all of The Producers Executives filmmakers at the opening reception on Saturday we have a full day of activities we're starting the morning um at Luna stage this is going to be for our children ages 6 to 12 they're going to be three short films that they're going to be able to watch and learn how to uh create um then we're going to go over to AMC SX Green from 10: to 1 um they're going to be three screenings there Betty and blue um Dane Clark um from West Orange High School graduate is the producer and um actor in that he'll be doing a talk back with panelists three blind mice is our HBCU um movie it's a short about 20 minutes and then reflections of a blessed Soul um is an interview with Maya Angelou um at the West Orange Art Center later on in the day from 2: to 4 um we'll have um just a um screening and talk back with Nico Newark that's about the Newark fires in the 1960 Nico is actually the um son of a restaurant owner everything around his um building burned his building was the only building left standing and he gives you a personal um View and that's a short as well but again these are very powerful screenings and then later on that evening we'll be screening Freedom House ambulance which is the um story of the first um ambulance um carriers for people of color um based out of uh Pittsburgh and then reflections of a blessed Soul oh reflections of a blessed soul is twice that's going to be wrong and to be corrected um that's going to be um Marcus Garvey and um Dr MLK and it is a different title and then on Sunday um we're gonna have um a screening nothing but a man and a talk back with the artist and Blackbird is another short that she created prior to that on on Monday and again this is evolving and we added something else um we're going to be doing a a a panelist talk back on Sunday cannabis panel and a short screening on cannabis and the impact that cannabis has on communities all right that's it um everything is free except the opening reception is $25 um at the Cambria and that's a very very nominal cost um and we look forward to seeing everyone there registration is open there's a scan me code um please be thoughtful and mindful you know our venues don't have um a tremendous amount of occupancy so limit yourself to maybe you and one other person um and then spread the word so we can you know offer this to as many residents as we possibly can residents and Beyond it's open to the public so thank you thank you councilwoman um we have our uh annual Memorial Day ceremony coming up on Monday of course it's the dedication of the West Orange honor role uh the 80th anniversary um uh it's going to be uh here at town uh Town Hall uh we're hoping for good weather if there is rain we will bring the event inside because that's where the honor role is um I have a a program I gave it to the uh council members here there this program will be available on Memorial Day and it's interesting to see that on June 1st 1944 there were 3,000 people here uh at Town Hall who saw the unveiling of the Town Hall uh of the honor role in town hall um also want to mention the mayor's program for the uniquely gifted uh the program closed out its season with a Memorial Day themed barbecue it's that time of year uh it celebrated the many volunteers and supporters in with various Township departments Administration and critical team members I can see uh uh Recreation director Bill Kio there certainly the mayor's there I see Edwin Johnson uh there's probably a few other people uh that I don't recognize special thanks to West Orange rotary Unico and other service organization who uh they're great Community Partners and their generosity has helped make this program possible uh the uh Township Council has a budget Workshop coming up uh May 30th 5: PM uh in this room council chambers 66 Main Street public is invited but there is no public comment um June 2nd uh we have the official opening uh or dedication I should say the library is officially open on uh June 2nd uh from 1 to 3:30 10 Rooney Circle um uh there's going to be a whole uh list of of things happening there starting at 1:15 with a string Ensemble made up of West Orange High School students mayor McCartney uh Dave kubby Jen Nelson um and then of course at the end of the program I'll be giving a um presentation on the historical presentation of the West Orange Library uh you'd be surprised to learn that it actually dates back to 1858 uh the of the founding of the orange Public Library I'll have this handout uh will be a companion to my presentation and it traces the timeline of the uh first building in the orange Public Library through the current building of the West Orange Public Library uh friends of the P West Orange Public Library West Orange dog hat head of the year um this information is on our uh is on the libraries website um their entries will be accepted through June 3 and uh this will benefit the um all the funds raise are going to be put towards installing an activity wall that certainly will greatly enhance the children's section of the library of course June 1st uh can't believe the this year is going by so fast we have our uh street fair downtown uh councilwoman calina would you like to speak about this at all when I respond back to the public I will thank you uh there's also a car show uh uh which is a component of the street fair uh every year also it's worth mentioning that uh Township is hiring uh please call 325 4100 that's the mayor's office uh for uh for information uh it was mentioned before mayor McCartney has her open Office hours June 6th 6 8:00 p.m. in the mayor's office no appointment is necessary uh you're free to show up anytime and speak with the mayor uh offer your comments suggestions uh and anything you want to talk to the mayor about uh we have hydrant flushing uh still going on through May 24th I seen this get a lot of play on Facebook people were concerned that their water is turning brown and that's certainly as a result of the hydrant flushing um the uh West Arch Police Department is sponsoring a senior citizen prom an evening in Hollywood oh my goodness uh Wednesday June 12 5: to 8:30 pm. uh this is Town residence only and you can contact uh Karen mango from the West Orange Police Department her email is up there K mango Westar pd.org and um this is a repeat Sunday June 1st Rena house uh the redcross blood drive use code wfd to register at red redcrossblood.org and um we had the opening of the dog park this Sunday uh it was postponed from an earlier date uh but it was a much better day on Sunday the West Orange dog park we had um many Poes there you can see uh councilwoman castelino showed up with her dog was wearing a fire helmet um but it was a great event and I want to call your attention to the uh lower leftand uh corner there there are special designed water fountains just for dogs now there's two parts to the park there's the larger Park uh for all dogs that you see up there and then there's a special a special smaller part that's just for dogs 25 pounds or under and both sections have a um a water fountain and uh we still are seeking uh sponsorships uh this information is on our website ite you can contact Denise erso at the West orang Health Department her phone number is too small there for you to read but as they say it's on our website is 325 4121 and uh with that council president uh as you had mentioned there's no public comment from Zoom but anyone wishing to contact the council in a single email may do so at Council West orange.org thank you council president for your Indulgence thank you Mr Fagan um Mr Pugi can't be with us tonight um did he send something for us to to be read yes I'm sorry it's okay this this is Mr P's contact information uh which is displayed at every council meeting and he did send a flyer along about paper shredding day uh ess's County Department of Public Works in Cedar Grove is located at 99 West Bradford Avenue this information uh for all the details is on the uh essis County website and this is free to essis County residents that certainly includes West Daren residence so this is a uh this is on June 1st Saturday June 1st uh in the morning from 8:30 to 12: noon thank you thank you sir President we are now going to uh open public comment to those that are uh here in person if you would like to address the council you may approach the microphone you have 5 minutes uh to address whatever's on your your mind and uh please do give us your name and your uh street address before you begin your comment microphone is open anything first name Barbara last name monk m o n k address 10 Gaston Street West Orange one of the issues that I like to bring up that I really would like for the board to really work on seriously and that's the issue of the traffic light Main Street West Orange Valley Road cars coming from Orange cars coming from norfield that's a dangerous Loop and we need to do something seriously about that area regarding people trying to cross the street and the car is merging from different points because when they have the ride away the passenger has the ride away and this issue is not just for seniors it's for everybody that lives in the city of West Orange period that needs to be dealt with effectively you know no no down the road conversation it just needs to be dealt with period because I watched over the years standing there just watching people trying to Coss I said this is crazy the people that are coming out of benjes there's a walk path there and they have a um a poll that you push a button and you wait for it to change over and I watched this one guy last week he said look how many seconds that is and before I can step out in the street it's aart from I said don't cross by using that I said try another route I don't know what to tell you but just be cautious when you step out there because the car is coming from Main Street coming toward Northfield Point going perhaps the Main Street West Orange or perhaps going toward Valley they don't care they're just their movie you're in their way moving on to the next subject I also wanted to ask about what are we doing regarding the Jitney service for the weekends Saturday and Sundays for the people that need a Jitney service that will provide transportation for them to go up to the libraries on the weekends because we don't have that service as of yet as far as I know and when they have contra up there which obviously I used to go to all the time when they had them at the library it was walking distance for me now it's a question of a gentleman mentioned even last night for him to take a bus in the wheelchair to go up to the library he would have to get off at the bus stop and then maneuver his wheelchair all and and that's too dangerous nobody should have to walk from a bus stop all the way over to the library I feel that there needs to be some kind of way or just decision can be made to provide some type of bus transportation for people in the city of West Orange when they have events there that go past 8 o' that service still needs to be provided for them to get back home it's a small thing to ask when it comes to seeing them to and from the event a lot of people don't go to events because they don't have any way to get there I A lot of times hop a bus or either I'm taking the taxi that's my route to get there you know they had an event March 3D there was a Pianist that was in town performing and I wanted to see that and that day I just didn't feel like being out there you know taking the bus and coming back so I didn't go I did take the taxi up there when Ellie Lee was in town at the library so I just don't want to be pushed out of a lot of the concerts and the various type events that they do have in the library that I always like to go to whether it was something that I had an interest or not I still wanted to be there I just wanted to see for myself you know because I try to push a lot of people to go they don't want to come because they don't want to be on the bus okay um the other issue uh Mr Fagan was showing some of the uh slides regarding specific events some of the slides we do have in our building there are some of the slides I haven't seen in our building and I don't know whether Laura has these slides as of yet in terms of the Flyers and whether they already got sent to our building that's something that we've been back and forth talking about you know people in my building people on the outside different people saying well they didn't see this they didn't see that we do have a lot of people in our building that don't take the time to read the bulletin boards I'm going to be honest about that and I took some flyers that were given to me by Mrs scarper councilwoman scarper and I put them on all the floors okay so when she P me back to find out about the flyers I had several Flyers left so I traced myself on my floor and all the way down and took the Fliers and slid them under the doors even though they're on their bulletin boards I asked a lot of people are you going to the social event coming up which is tomorrow what social you been I said did you look at your bulletin board your time is up it's about taking the time excuse me it's about taking the time just to read what's on your bulletin board when you come out of your apartment just please take the time because a lot of times there's things up there they don't participate so being that my time is up I can't go any further but I appreciate your time just the saying thank you Sheila lco 703 Pleasant Valley way there's a toasted Spanish and that wishes all well Salud Dino Elmo paragoso health wealth and the time to enjoy it all I wish everyone in our town the best of health as we plan for a new system of garbage collection that will provide a safe standard of health and save money and continue to meet the needs of all residents I wish to see our town use a town calendar that will maximize the participation of all faiths in town meetings and celebrations I wish our government to seriously consider the needs of older adults and differently abled persons to have access to Safe sidewalks and roads I wish that our government strive to keep us informed about all that we all the activities so we can engage to make West Orange the best town it can be and speaking with my neighbors about the four options presented by Mr defo at last Town council meeting I learned that folks agree that the increasing cost of garbage collection needs to be um rained in to the extent possible without sacrificing excellent service folks are concerned about a pile up of garbage in in the event that they miss a once weekly collection date some residents expressed that families greater than four people 95 gallons is not enough trash space twice weekly garbage collection is a priority for most of my neighbors there's a concern about any misc collections due to holiday and that this mycollection should be made up in a timely fashion other concerns are bulk garbage and scheduling um scheduling Happ and it should be a minimum of twice monthly for the bulk pickup may I suggest that we considered modified Solutions such as garbage pickup on alternating weeks where week a would be would have a pickup would have one a one week once a week pickup and the B we would have two pickups a community calendar should be arranged by the town to include holy days from all faiths that include the participation of certain religionists from attending events meetings and celebrations to the greatest extent of possible all town events should be planned for the inclusion of all Town residents we also need to have heightened awareness that the highest level of kindness compassion understanding of all persons who are older adults or differently abled should be granted to those who need reasonable accommod ations I spoke to Tina in engineering this afternoon to inquire about the 10 sidewalks that are scheduled to be repaved in Englishtown in Pleasantdale Tina advised me that work has been begun on the sidewalks in Englishtown and that works will will resume will then continue into Pleasantdale and then the roads will be paved it would be very helpful if a representative from the department of engineering could attend this town council meeting to keep all residents in the know about the engineering projects that impact the safety of residents in this town if you as a liaison to the planning or zoning board or through your appointees to this board could please send the message that decisions on these committees take into account the reasonable accommodation of older adults and differently abled persons here here so we can have so that we all can safely Walk Drive cross streets and so that we all can participate in family and town events and live our best lives and many older adult board meetings I attend it is clear that many of our residents are having challenges with transportation and safety on sidewalks and Roads let's all work together to make our town where we can all have we can all make a toast L to life to the best life and that includes everyone thank you good evening Sally manga Ridge Road on behalf of our Green West Orange our members are eagerly awaiting a strong tree ordinance rebuilding our canopy is a crucial action that will protect us from climate change changes were made to the tree ordinance on May 7th that substantially weakened it here's the language we recommend to redress this on page five under the definition of a tree a tree should remain at 2 and a half Ines dbh not 4 in for consistent purposes reason is that we cannot have the definition of a tree conflict with the definition of a replacement tree which may be two and a half inches an ordinance should be clear and not contradictory if you wish to not require permits to cut trees under 4 Ines that is another matter we will have to analyze if we lose too many small trees and that would defeat our purpose on page six please add back the following language for colon a no person shall be granted permission to remove more than two trees within a 24mon period and add this if a person desires to improve their property with a structure it has to be a structure not just the idea of improvement because they'll have fewer trees in their mind and that structure requires tree removal of more than two trees or trees larger than 10 in dbh or more than 25 years old in other words a good old nice tree and if the property is three4 of an acre or less they may provide an application to the building department along with a tree removal request form to the Forester and if conditions are satisfactory be granted a tree removal permit without that people can cut as many trees as they want which would defeat our purposes on page six 4.2 we need to add back public notice in a website database the public needs to be informed of the addresses and when trees are permitted to be taken down the purpose is not to harass tree cutters but to stop residents from panicking when they see tree cutting happening they can swiftly look at the database to make certain a permit was issued the database needs to advise us the number of trees the species the size the replacement replacement site whether there was a tree fund payment and the date the replacement must be completed on page 91 we suggest revising the sentence to State preserve 50% of the tree canopy and 50% of the Andor 50% of the trees on each developed lot that way we cover all situations as we don't want to lose smaller trees that will replenish the canopy by just selecting one large tree on page 14-7 please delete only those who own the surrounding lots of someone who applies for a tree removal permit uh who were required to send the neighbor notification form shall have the right to appeal any Resident who objects to tree removal must be able to do so because there may be flooding downhill and any unforeseen issue regarding a tree removal may affect any Resident on page 115 A3 please add that neighbors have to be notified by certified mail otherwise how will the Forester know that they were notified lastly how sincere is our Administration about saving trees that as we work hard on a crucial ordinance they continue to allow the Department of Public Works to clearcut Street trees this is negligence of the public good compromising our property values increasing flooding increasing our flood insurance costs denying us Street calming and all the costeffective benefits from our street trees if a neighborhood is Savvy and vocal their trees will have sidewalks and curves that respect trees your time is up and if a neighborhood is not focal they come home to find Street Baron of trees this just happened on Maple Street please issue a resolution calling for a moratorium not on sidewalk repair just on the Mindless convenience of cutting Street trees for sidewalk repair thank you thank you Miss mango good evening Council good evening good evening neighbors uh my name is B Adams I am at 597 M Pleasant Avenue um last month one of our commissioners presented that the HRC will be doing a handbag Gage which I can honestly say that we didn't know what we going to expect but we were successful um the two organizations that were blessed with the handbags were the Sophia foundation and the Rachel Foundation both were present at the library um last week May 9th May 9th um it was a very small intimate Gathering but the impact was big um so I just want to say thank you for the support um we had several Commissioners who and volunteers who were able to support the initiative and with that effort we were able to successfully col 95 no more than 95 75 85 80 80 87 BS because our goal was 75 but we were able to successfully um distribute 87 bags um there were several bags that were not in the best condition so we couldn't present those to them because we didn't want to give them just anything um it was a combination of the volunteers the Commissioners making sure that we have all the essentials that we asked for for each of the BS and it was great success um what else the poem at the Endo now the poem at the end the poem that we all read at the end right I don't and I didn't bring it but the we had the phenomenal woman because it is Mother's it was Mother's Day and we wanted to make sure we wanted to make sure that the women knew how phenomenal they were and how much supported they have um within our town and within their Community organizations um what else did I want to say I only have two more minutes um we also highlighted the importance of kindness um we had the kindness cards which was gracefully um given and presented by Patricia West um which was given to each of the bags as well as the poem so I just want to say thank you um this was our first time doing it in West Orange and I know that through um another Vision that we have it will be bigger next time and we were looking for more support from our neighbors and the council okay I have two more minutes thank you and also you can see behind you there's a collage of what it looked like um the organizations were there the coun some of the council persons were there um and it was just good good energy thank you very nice thank you sorry council president we had to uh make a battery change that's all right Mr fate every uh pastor's favorite or least favorite person the sound man or woman thank you Joe uh Doug Adams Nine West over um I just really uh want to uh ask the council to uh think very deeply about the broader ramifications of the tree ordinance um I believe that we all have a responsibility to be good stewards over the wonderful Earth that we get to live in I uh believe that one of the most attractive things about West Orange it reminds me of my um birth home an arbor which is actually named an's Arbor because of the number of trees that were there um and so I appreciate taking the time time to do this um but I'm a little bit challenged by the impact on um some of our potentially on some of our seniors or some of our residents that have um maybe have less income uh in the last meeting um I understand the the thought behind it um but it was a little bit challenging to me when council president said that he wanted the ordinance to be somewhat honorous uh there's nobody who lives in a town and pays taxes to want to have to experience something that's onerous we all have to live within boundaries and parameters and I accept that but the ideal that something is honorous uh was a little bit uncomfortable for me particularly when I think about families that are doing everything they can to live in this community to benefit from the amenities that the community provides the school system and the other advantages um and then they have trees in their property that they have to take down um because they're in poor health and um they now have to go through this arduous process of uh notifying people uh Beyond uh their direct neighbors um and even a one for one replacement in some context uh can be very challenging and um Council woman Scarpa who um uh generally is uh pretty mindful of the impact on seniors and and other people who may have less capacity um literally said that if they can't afford to have somebody to plant it to plant it themselves and I don't know the last time that um you may have uh actually had to get a shovel and plant a tree um but that can be a very very difficult and intense experience and so I would just say that we want to be mindful of our dialogue as we're having the conversations around these things because doing important work to protect our tree canopy is the business of our town leadership and I appreciate you guys having that conversation doing it in a way that other people will be impacted by your choices um does require a little bit more sensitivity and the last thing I would say with regard to that is the size of the lot and so a lot of the regulations a lot of the things that have been recommended around the size of the lot and the size of the tree but particularly the size of the lot usually the smaller the lot um is kind of indicative of the household income and financial abilities and capacities as well sometimes that's not the case um but a lot of times because property costs are associated with the size of the lot and all of those things um and so um I just would be mindful of how the parameters around the ordinance and what a person has to do what are some of the unforeseen costs what are some of the unforeseen ramifications if somebody gets notified um you have to pay for the notification then somebody has the right to appeal then you have to pay to get representation in the appeal when the Forester is already actually spoken and identifi the tree is unhealthy and that it needs to come down um that can be unnecessarily odorous for some that has to take a tree down to protect a human life or to protect their family so the tree doesn't come down and injure someone or do property damage and so uh I just think that what you worked on the last time has some real legs to it it has some things that uh I might be a little bit uncomfortable with but it does have some legs to it um but the things that were recommended to put back in are things that would be really challenging to families that might have economic challenges thank you thank you y good evening Todd doovi Bernette Terrace um first I'd like to comment on the passage of the tree ordinance at the last council meeting during that meeting the council approved no less than 12 amendments to that ordinance uh there was a question raised by councilwoman Williams asking what happened since some substantive changes to the ordinance have been made and Mr Jenaro uh claimed that none of the changes were substantive um I disagree with that um so my my point in that is that it should be moved to First reading um to prevent it from being an illegal ordinance um I'd also like to point out that while this tree ordinances was was passed and the township itself is continuing to clearcut Street trees which is really unacceptable um an example was on Maple Street where most of the trees were cut down uh including uh big old cherry blossom um council president Rutherford advised that the decimation of our tree canopy is at disastrous levels uh yet the township continues to remove more and more of our canopy where it's most visible on our streets um many of the modifications made during the last meeting diminish the efficacy of the ordinance and will prevent the Township from ever reversing the continued reduction of the township tree canopy it won't be long before our canopy is below 20% it's at 27% now as a comparison Monclair is at 39% geographically and to pop top and the Topography of both towns is almost identical so what's the reason for the dis the difference I would suggest it's policy so policy needs to be enacted that's that has teeth to it um and maybe some of it might be honorous but follow the policy and it won't be onerous um so a strong tree ordinance is essential um with regards to the trash and recycling contracts I request that all three bids be posted on the town bit website so they're all accessible to every resident given the significant nature and significant expense involved in these contracts in addition the RFP should be also posted with the bids so anyone looking at this matter has the proper content text a specific reason for this request relates to Mr defo saying that one of the bids was rejected but he never said why it was rejected um is a large expenditure of taxpayer dollars it also is potentially a major change to the way trash and recycling is going to be collected in this town and for these reasons full transparency is called for before any resolution is proposed on these contracts s all too often this Administration provides little if any information to Residents and if it's provided it's limited and only what the administration thinks should be provided which invariably leaves out significant and substantively important information now is the time to embrace the need for transparency in West Orange governance and there's no better matter than the trash and recycling contracts given their importance from both a functional as well as economic standpoint Point residents should not be forced to submit Oprah requests for this information given its impact on each and every resident and business in town therefore I request that the trash and recycling rfps as well as complete copies of all bids received in response to those rfps be posted on the township web website thank you very much thank you recess after com before [Music] resp Rachel kleene how Drive um not gonna to say to hear your responses but I will be listening online it's it's my birthday just happy birthday but I just wanted to um to say that the bringing back some of the changes that um Miss MinGa mentioned to bring back into the tree ordinance I think um I think the idea of onerous on the lower income people that they don't realize is the people who are flaunting the the ordinances or who would FL the ordinances are not usually lower income people anyway so people with the larger properties who can afford to do it and can afford to take the hit for it so it would be good if we made it more painful or more honorous for them and especially for developers who you know just love to clear-cut um spaces that they're going to be uh developing on uh I really think the database is important I think it's actually more important even than the informing the neighbors because for example um this town is is very hilly with um two major valleys and um people who live in the grand all the way up on the hill at the highest point denic County in our town what they do has a huge effect on the people on Mayfair and nestro but they'll never know they'll never know that three four trees could be coming down that Walter Kip says all looks good but the people on nestro could end up again having landslides which they had when the ground was built so I think the database it's not going to be scoured by people who want to fight the people taking down the trees it's going to be looked at by people who want to talk to the people who might be affected who can then talk to Walter Kip who can then come and see their property have a look and then they could have you know he can then go back up to the people on the Grand and go maybe three trees is excessive maybe we could try to do one or two or or you may have to put up a retaining wall or something if you want to go through with this project um but there are people who are a half mile away who are the ones who are going to be the most affected in some of these cases um and lastly the garbage cans I I'm am a family of seven and I could easily get away with uh one garbage pickup a week but that's me and I think it comes down to just education and what you're used to uh I was raised by parents who were raised by Europeans and we we just that's what we do um so I think before we make major changes especially to once a week you'd first have to have a major education campaign to make people even see if they could do it or maybe maybe put it out to a referendum see if people in town are are even okay with it maybe more people are okay with it than we realize but I think that's a huge change that's a big I've lived here almost my whole life and it's always been twice a week garbage pickup it has always been um every week recycling pickup but definitely it's always been twice a week garbage pickup um so that's all thank you thank you thank you anyone else seeing none uh we are I don't want to stand in between anyone going home but I'll be very brief my name is elwin everley I ided 52 Gilbert can you spell your last name please last name is spelled e v is in victor e r s is in Sam l e y and your first name alwin a l w n so I I really rise here good evening everyone good evening to the board neighbors uh the reason I I'm here for three reasons the first one being um there's a budget meeting on May 30th that you announced but it would not be open to public comments so I want to make my comments now on behalf of that um the property taxes as we all know in West Orange is actually one of the highest in in New Jersey and also one of the highest in the United States of America our taxes our property taxes when compared to even more fluent areas such as Milbourne and also Montclair is actually much higher and I think it would be incumbent upon the board I respectfully asked that the board you're starting the budget process now would be a great time to reach out out to price Waterhouse kp& it would be great to have these individuals come in and audit the township to see where savings could actually be actualized do we need when people leave retire do we have to fill those positions or can somebody else take on those roles that's a great way of saving money I remember last year that was one of the discussions but it was not follow through so it would be it would really be of great benefits and benefit to the board and also to restoring trust in the community that the tax dollars that are being collected are being efficiently managed so if you were to in if you were to invite a kpg KPMG or Price Waterhouse whomever a respected outside Auditors to come in and to look at the books to see where savings could be actualized because it can't be done it can be done I mean the goal of the board should be really to control property taxes where it grows the rate of inflation we shouldn't be experiencing 6% 7% increases in our property taxes most of the people in the community their incomes do not go up six seven per. so I think that's really something we have to be mindful of of budgeting in the community you have people in this community who've lived here a long time I'm I'm a new Resident I've lived here almost two years but I've spoken to people who've lived here all their lives raised their families and they're having to lead because the property taxes are as I said it's one of the highest in the United States it's one of the highest per capita in New Jersey why is that why can't we look to other communities such as Verona they have a much lower tax base actually but their property taxes are much lower it's actually about half of what most of us pay in our property taxes when you look also at Montclair and also tck same similar Community same graphic same also property based and their taxation is much lower compared to West arage so we really have to think outside of the box and say why is that what can we do to control the cost I know this board is committed to that but I would really recommend bringing in an outside agency to audit the books that's a fair request that we can look to see if we can honor their request by having an auditor come in and by having an auditor come in that's not an indictment against uh anyone on the board or the county that's just to say Hey listen police officers they're retiring do we have to fill that role can we renegotiate the contracts with different departments to lower the rate of Taxation the other thing to look at also is the roads in the community we're paying a lot of taxes the roads are deteriorating I mean in Upper Gregory they're they've been they've been working those roads for two years they said psng will repave the road but when you drive down like Valley Road South Valley Road I believe it is by um CVS you're huge gaping potholes I've called about that before but there's been no action on that also uh the other thing I like to address also is the garbage right so we're going to go look to see if we can do one day a week that's all well and good but will that be will that also reduce the pro the uh taxes that we currently pay for the garbage collection since the service is being reduced it just seems in the community we're always being asked to to give more and get less it's like a oxy more it just doesn't make sense anymore to a lot of taxpayers in the community who being asked to pay more to get less service usually it's the other way around you're asked to pay more to get more service so I would really uh commend the board and really ask you to really look when you're doing the Appropriations for the coming tax year is to really look at it line by line to see if we really need all the services and if there's opportunities to make reduction it's the fairest thing to do for for property um for the taxpayers in this community the taxpayers in this community as you know you're all taxpayers yourself work very hard right and your time is up they're looking to do other things with their money for their children and things of that nature we really got to get a hold of the property taxes in this community I really urge the board to get an outside auditor to come in to to really look at the bo look at the numbers the way the money is being spent and to work with the boards to uncover efficiencies to make this a more thriving Community for the curent our property tax holders and to have more people come to move in also thank you very much thank you sir anyone [Music] else council members hello some of you have probably uh name name and address please Fredo Arden 284 watchong a as some of you probably know I have recently started working as a crossing guard for the last few months I have witnessed multiple incidents that could have been prevented from illegal u-turns people running red lights and vehicles stopping in the middle of crosswalks to someone almost being run over just today a vehicle traveling south on Main Street made an illegal turn almost hitting me and a group of kids that is why I urge you to update the location of the posted signage around town so that is more visible to drivers I also plead for the installation of cameras at Crossroads more importantly around school areas there have been multiple incidents involving crossing guards being hit by drivers as many of my fellow crossing guards can agree something has to change thank you thank you thank you anyone else want to thank all of you for coming out tonight and for Lending your voice in public comment public comment is now closed uh councilwoman Williams you wanted yeah I'd just like to ask for a two-minute recess please uh we're going to recess for uh take a short recess and we'll be right back before we respond to public comment thank you okay I will than e e e e we're gonna um comment yeah we need Karen to come back um is the clerk still here on we are going to thank you West orang for being patient with us especially those that are in the gallery uh we are going to um begin our responses to public comment councilwoman castelino sure thank you everyone for coming out this evening um both for the conference agenda and uh for the public one and thank you also for for waiting to speak um a lot of great stuff this evening so let me start off with uh uh Miss monk thank you for coming in I haven't seen you in a while um so communication is very important especially dealing with our seniors and making sure we get the information out to them so I I appreciate you making a plea to your fellow residents to look at the communication boards and to make sure that they are getting the information for making that effort with the Flyers also um for those who were on the computer and um I also registered to make sure I see The Correspondents um that miss van djk also has a newsletter that goes out um if not weekly maybe uh bi-weekly but she definitely every single event um she tries to do her best to get it from the other departments I know downtown we give her our events and um also residents could join the downtown uh West Orange website for all the downtown events because we try to get that out there as well so um we just have to keep uh working it um I'm sure you've gone to the senior advisory meetings and they could be a big help with getting the information uh out but yeah it's very important for folks to pay attention to the Flyers and I believe the salute to senior event is to tomorrow uh is that the highw I think or where was it uh it's at the high yes right it's at the high laon so um a lot of great events a lot of what they're doing um but yeah it needs to get out there and to Sheila um great idea with the community calendar um Sher cork before she retired used to do her best to put as many things up on uh the township website so um as folks to a point with uh Mr uh Everly's point with folks retiring and and um not replacing them that's a position that has not been filed yet and it was a full-time position the mayor's administrative assistant and you know then you have voids in the services to the residents and that's that is one of them she did a lot with Communications uh from the mayor's office and from all the Departments so um yeah Mr uh everybody else tries to fill in the void but that that's what sometimes happens so we've been filling positions uh or not filling positions and creating voids and some positions have come back into the budget because of the lack of services and residents um in need I hope you do come or watch the budget Workshop because we do go line by line and we have the directors from each department call into us so we get a very good understanding of their needs so if we do make a cut how that's going to affect the department uh directly and they get an opportunity to explain to us why or why not uh they have the need now last year it was an anomaly with that increase and we don't expect that this year uh in years past we had a lot of zero budgets which led up to I believe that that higher increase last year um you seem to know about budgeting and one OD so um also our property taxes a good bulk of it is from the school district as well and I'm not sure if you followed in and look at their budget they had a a $700,000 uh cut in revenue from the um um from the state this year so they had uh major layoffs they're dealing with but um for us it's it's about revenue and creating that extra Revenue we have a lot of uh construction going on in the township right now and um a lot of those um increased uh assessments will be coming online by next year which is really going to be helpful we'll see where the Cannabis leads us um not something that I was truly supportive of and and I you know again but it's more about the big construction projects that are coming online it's also about the um the fees that we raised in in regards not so much to the residents but to a lot of the uh um commercial and the building developers the past year so last year the ordinances and that we passed and the resolutions that we passed brought in almost a million dollars in Revenue uh that was desperately needed so it's um a variation but if you sit through the presentation we will go over it line by line and it will be taped so you'll get a great understanding now that won't be the final um budget presentation obviously that'll be a a summary report that we'll have we'll be uh giving with the public hopefully in the next month or so uh but this is the first cut so this will be the first review with all of us sitting there going line by line with the directors and um so it'll be a long process it's one that we um take very seriously in regards to the I guess you're stating a forensic auditor auditor we have a auditor each year that we I think we have a new one this year so we have a new pair of eyes on us um but if you're looking to an indepth forensic auditor I know they're costly and um again we're we're going to be looking at things line by line uh in regard to the uh to the Garbage Contract I'm going to be asking my colleagues to um for the bond ordinance I'll wait for administration later in the conversation I'm not ready to purchase the the cans quite yet I need some more information and um we also had um we also um I've requested from downtown we haven't had a chance to have meeting the chief has been away um um for so we gone till next week and um we also have Mr gross uh not available to us so I'm not ready to make any kind of decision yet there's a lot more information that uh some of us have all been requesting and questions that we have uh so that was a brief overall given us some kind of idea but a bid has gone out so of course there's restrictions so I believe maybe it was Sheila or no no no Rachel that had a lot of um great great recommendations and questions but the way the bid was written um we're only going to be able to go with one of the four options or else put it out to to bid again uh in regards to that respect in regards to um some of the traffic concerns thank you will for coming out this evening and for volunteering I didn't know also you're a great uh volunteer for us with the downan lines I did not know you were also a tutor uh so that was great to hear and um we're looking at a lot of um lot a lot of um with the a lot of changes on hopefully on Main Street the county in Valley on Valley Road and um where Benji is over on that that side uh the county is doing a street scaping project and because they own um their their uh it's a County Road Main Street so they are going to be streetscaping to slow down the flow of traffic hopefully they have to look at the signals and whatnot so all that is being uh looked at and hopefully there'll be a a great outcome uh downtown aliance this summer uh had received a grant for a pocket parklet uh which will be in front of Benji's again another method of uh slowing down calming traffic we'll see how that uh works is implemented so we'll be announcing that sometime this summer so uh always a work in progress I know Valley Road um there's a lot of Road repair that needs to be done Administration could probably talk about when uh that will be coming forth but we have a lot of road work uh on the books uh to get done in regards to the trees um I live right down the street on Maple Street and I I was on the phone with the mayor on the phone with uh uh Mr smar Aldo he could speak to that a bit uh today and after you know last week with our our uh engineer on the phone and Mr Kip here it it gets so frustrating that we that we just it's our departments that have to go out and cut the trees down and I don't know if it's something we could do with the way we we do the bids for for the road road work I know talking to the engineer and listening um to miss Carballo I know it it's tough it's tough to watch it's it's been really really been um upsetting but we don't help ourselves because we need to get the trees replanted and of course they're not going to you can never replace these gorgeous trees that have been uh removed from um our Township but um we also need to do a better job and getting the trees replanted and I had asked Mr smarald I'm not sure when you want him to speak about that council president but um I asked him to be prepared to say a few words whether it's now or later when we talk about the trees if if you want it then but um yeah it's it's been upsetting so we'll have that conversation about the tree ordinance um Miss MinGa it's it's about balance we were here to 2 am uh the last meeting because we worked through to to get it done I appreciate all your recommendations I appreciate everyone's input on the ordinance but again the ordinance the way we did this ordinance it it came straight from the committee and it didn't go through the all the department heads um so we we had to go through line by line to see what makes sense how does it work work uh not everybody got what they wanted and so to me I think that's going to be a fair ordinance because we all didn't um get at the end of the day we all don't want to take down a tree that doesn't have to be taken down and uh you know growing up in the township the my one of my favorite times of year is the first snowfall you know driving up and down I live on off Eagle Rock Avenue and it's just breathtaking and um you know it it's it's tough so with all that we'll have plenty uh discussion about that I'll save my comments for for then I don't want to take up too much time so my colleagues could get in their comments I just want to make sure I hit all the main points oh Jitney uh Jitney is another talk for the budget um you know I have about you Mr um everle you know we had a com you know and I appreciate your comments because it is frustrating your your um a new were resident as you say so we had had many things taken out of the budget tonight's a perfect example the need for Jitney service on the weekend for seniors so there's always so many needs and we have to figure them out we've been trying we have a great success with grant writing so we bring in a lot of Revenue uh with a lot of grants in the township uh you know we worked on I had worked on a a senior Grant uh years ago with partners for health and we're reapplying to Partners for health uh this year and again one of the positions last year that um that we almost lost was our senior liabilities coordinator and we we had a keep her in the budget be uh well not the position in the budget because we would have lost the grant money because when we received a a grant money we had to make sure we kept the position and it's a very valuable position to our our senior service department and uh our are those that are less Fortune as well so um we had to make sure we kept a position that's just one of the examples that's why I think it'd be great for you and I you ever want to talk offline uh about things that we we do it be more than glad to toh give you the time uh and I want to end on cheer cheerful notes um appreciate um again all the speakers tonight um the West Orange African Heritage organization and the great work they've done through the years I remember um uh uh Dr sesi um years ago when they came to the school board when I was a school board member and and coming into our schools and just to Value the service that they do for our students really makes such a big difference um just really thankful to all them to Dawn uh Pat West and and the group uh what a phenomenal fundraiser they did and and great help um for uh the the ladies us with suffering domestic violence and uh I'm sure that just made their mother's day and very welld deserved and um and I just want to plug in we're going to have a big volunteer meeting this Thursday night at the Edison Lofts at 6m for those who like to come out and help support the uh the street fair on Saturday June 1st um so it's begin at 11:00 a.m. but we need volunteers all day if you can't make it Saturday we also need volunteers to help out uh on Friday for uh Friday night for setup so thank you all again for coming in thank you council president thank you councilwoman councilwoman gab Michael good evening West Orange um in the effort to save time most of the public comment um had to deal with agenda items and then the other comments were addressed by my Council colleague um I do want to high a special student from West Orange High School and hopefully we can give um a proclamation to whoever it is these proclamations um West Orange High School junior this is really special uh roon Bennett has achieved acceptance into the esteemed Governor's school for engineering and Technology hosted by Ruckers University of school Engineering in New Brunswick Bennett nominated by West Orange High School joins a select group of fewer than 100 students admitted to this program annually with no financial burden to their families the Governor's School offers a unique opportunity for students to engage in collaborative research projects culminating in a final paper and presentation at a research Symposium alongside this participants benefit from workshops uh um corporate site visits and interactions with professionals PE and peers from across the state Bennett's dedication to stem extends Beyond this achievement in 2003 he took part in Cornell University's Catalyst program exploring various engineering disciplines while fostering diversity and inclusivity in stem additionally Bennett has initiate um has initiated the National Society of black Engineers uh initiated excuse initiated the National Society of black engineers at his at the high school which is very impressive looking ahead he's considering prestigious institutions like Cornell Brown and Lehigh University for his college education where he intends to pursue environmental and civil engineering his journey reflects not only academic Excellence but he's also commitment to diversity in and innovation in the field of engineering he also plays basketball on the high school team so I'm just really proud of him to hear his accomplishments It Was Written in a paper you know the he's a product of the school system I'm a product of the school system I graduate I grew up here I went from St Cloud to Roosevelt gradu the high school in 2007 so you know I'm really proud of our students and I'm really proud of him and he's in AP classes and he has an over 4.0 GPO GPA I don't know exactly off top of my head but I just want to highlight this phenomenal student so that's very nice where you go rson very nice thank you councilwoman councilwoman Williams thank you thank you always for remarks councilwoman sharing with us U what is going on around town thank you for the opportunity to again highlight the juneth festival um as far as the Jitney schedules are concerned I did just want to make a comment and ask the administration to uh clarify I was under the impression that if you called for a Jitney to get transportation to the library that is arranged and I thought we had um our director say that a day before or maybe two days before but I'm I'm I don't recall so if we could just get clarity this was the weekend we don't do the weekend the request was for the weekend we do not have any driver schedule on the weekend unless it's a special event okay our staff is Monday to Friday um from 6:00 AM to 800 p.m or 8 8:30 p.m. something like that so I just wanted to note that even today we were at the culmination of the Gen lit um Library um event with the high school students as well as um our our seniors and um I I don't know that the resources are always going to be available but there is a desire for if there is programming over the weekend to provide transportation so certainly that might be a budgetary item that we need to consider as we review the budget um is just making sure those services are available in addition to that some additional public comments since we're talking about Transportation um to the administration that we need to revisit this wasn't something that was brought to our attention and public comment this evening um but certainly something that a constituent resident brought to my attention this week and that is we have very very limited bus transportation into the city if you live on the Pleasant Valley Way Corridor um and we still have not had any type of uh remedy from any transportation company to come in um I do understand that there is something that goes into Verona um but then again we as a Township don't have any means to get people to Verona so if that's something that our Administration and there was a tremendous amount amount of disappointment because residents didn't feel that and again just communicating the message not necessarily putting um any accuracy to their feelings because obviously people feel how they feel um but there was some sort of disappointment in the lack of Engagement with West Orange when the bus company did close I tried to reassure that we were invited and at the table in many of those meetings um because the mayor told me she was there um and I and I I'm aware because we had feedback about it but again there's a tremendous amount of concern because we still have a lot of residents on that Corridor who just don't have transportation so we need to revisit that um and if you'll make a note I'd appreciate it I say if you'll just put that on your thank you thank you the chief was also at lot of those meetings because I had many conversations with them that exactly so I did I you know again just tried to communicate that yes we were at the table we were present but certainly because there has not been any result or yeah you know it feels that we haven't been there for our residents so we do need to to make sure that is done um again kudos to the HRC for a wonderful Mother's Day um program and opportunity um again the HRC is always trying to do something to help residents in our community and I I do always commend them um the Sophia Foundation um is absolutely a phenomenal organization and um we are happy to be able to support and put a smile on uh Mother's faces um totally we'll talk about the tree ordinance when we get there um there's one other comment that um I wanted to talk about the flyers to the senior buildings um I know that a lot of um events that I do don't necessarily get targeted to the senior building so I will make a note to make sure if there is anything that I'm aware of or supporting that we get those flyers out and if you said that if that you had success just sliding them under people's doors um so that might be a a level of communication um that we try and do in some of our senior buildings so that we can get more of our seniors engaged if they're not reading the bulletin boards you know I I can't say that I would read a bulletin board either if I lived in a building I mean I come in this building and I don't necessarily read the building boards but I I'm happy to do whatever it takes and to try new and creative um you know processes to see if we can get our our our older adults better engaged and involved so thank you for bringing that to us our attention no ma'am no ma'am M Mrs monk Mrs monk I'm terribly sorry but if I allow you to speak now I have to let others as well um yeah and we'll do better I apologize but we'll do better and I just wanted to bring that to your attention because that is something that um we haven't done all right and and uh Miss monk you can um call or email and if you're around at the end of the night I'm happy to speak with you directly as I'm sure my colleagues are as well but if we do it for one we have to do it for everyone and then the town calendar was another recommendation I wanted to ask our clerk to please speak about the town calendar because I know that is a painstaking um process that's done and the toward the end of the year um and you know just getting all of the Department's calendars of the commissions calendars um you all do do that and it does I don't know if it is on the township website I think a lot of our challenges are people don't know how and where to find things and then I also want to if I may um speak to our website which we all understand is challenging um and I don't know if it's been something put in this year's budget to address um but even if one of the interns this summer has the knowledge and capacity to clean up some of it's just basic cleanup it's not it's not even restructuring everything it's just cleanup so if we could have someone try and take a look at that anything that we could do to make our website userfriendly it's just a very very difficult system to navigate and you don't have to answer right now but again if you just put that that in our notes that would be great and I think um that's the only thing I I guess I want to speak to one last thing and that was about the garbage pickup and the concerns um as as my colleague indicated we certainly need more information we need to go through a workshop on um on the presentations for um the garbage we need to understand what the pluses and minuses are it would be very helpful if even the bids could be put in a chart format so that we could see what is and what isn't with each of the proposals and then try and figure out what we're willing to sacrifice um preliminarily I've just put out a little bit of a poll to some of our residents and there is a tremendous amount of push back to reduce um to one garbage pickup a day I think that is just an initial shock Factor once you understand some of the other elements of the contract it might calm some of your fears and having that large canister that's going to be provided might be something you know residents don't know that they can purchase another one if they need it and that doesn't impact anything um you know as long as they pull it to the curb but I just think we need to have an information session I'm not absolutely opposed and I know this is something that we need to do um quickly but if there's any way we could really engage the public and get their feedback I think that would be something um that they would appreciate you know I don't know what kind of poll we could put out or if we could give them a 10day window or 20 day window to just provide some feedback I just think we need to get a little bit I understand it's dollars and cents but but this is a lifestyle change to our residents so I think we have to be a little more um intentional and deliberate about how we go about this particular transaction that's all I had thank you thank you counc woman councilen Scara thank you um Barbara monk thank you so much for coming down tonight as for the decade that I've been passionate and an advocate for senior services communication and transportation have been the two areas that we have have not been able to solve um I want you to know that your voice has been heard you know that when you came to our older adults Advisory Board last meeting and made us aware that many of the residents are not on email we have many seniors who just are not on email and they need a piece of paper they need a calendar of events of what's going on in our Township that they could look at at the beginning of the month then find out what they want to go to and then make their doctor's appointment and all of their other engagements around those so because of your your coming and because of your voice I have a wonderful committee who's worked with me and we've I've created a calendar of events of everything that's going on in West Orange at The JCC some of the events that are going on in the county and even some of the surrounding areas things that are going on around the paper mill and as you see I delivered that to you and it was very effective I think in helping residents get a handle on the many many things that we have going on in our senior services department and around town that people just don't know about so I I am I've put together a community news and events letter that is focused on seniors I am funding myself it's my gift back to the seniors and I will be putting that out monthly and in addition I will make sure that I get the Flyers that Laura puts out which are wonderful detail of all these different events and give them to you so you can post them when we deliver and hopefully we've had such a wonderful response to it so far the colorcoded calendar and newsletter I believe we're going to continue to expand it um it's going to be available I'm setting up so it's available online so anybody that would like it online will be able to get it online and I think that's going to begin to solve some of the communication issues the transportation is a little more difficult as you may have heard that's something that we have a committee formed that we're working on which you're welcome to join anytime and I'll come down and pick you up if you want to join us for our meetings we have a subcommittee and we're looking thinking outside the box and looking at some of the things that other townships are doing one of the things that we're looking at is the Uber type service that Montclair is offering now it's a limited number of rides that a resident can have per month all of these things of course cost money and will need to be budgeted for we'll have Mike Vieira come in and talk to us a little bit about it and look at it and look at ways that we can enhance our own transportation and it is budget season and I am going to be a strong advocate for providing some monies for Senior Services they have very very little money in the budget they have been hit with a sewer tax disproportionate to their usage and um you just know that we are working really hard to solve these problems uh in terms of the transportation on the weekends hopefully we'll be able to solve that but I also want you to reach out when you want to go to something and you need a ride because there are many residents that go that might be in your area that might offer to pick you up on the way I pick up seniors all the time and take them back and forth from the pool with me and the summertime you know if I'm going to one of these events give me a call I certainly would come down to pick you up for something like the concert at the library so I think we're all going to have to just work together and support one another until we can budget for some um some more Transportation uh so hopefully that will be something we can work on now in terms of the traffic light on Main Street that's a tough one and um I will ask uh councilwoman gab Michael to look into that she sits on pedestrian safety and I will also bring it to their attention I don't know if it's something that you've looked at yeah yeah there's so many issues around town but I will ask them to take a look at that intersection and see if there's anything they can do to address that um Sheila lewitz um I know that a number of people in the community were concerned that the senior Gallow was falling on a Jewish holiday and and I agree with you that we need to just get the calendar the Jewish calendar and the calendar for a number of other cultures and we need to have it in front of us and look at us look at it when we put different township programs together um I will reach out to the Chief and um talk to them a little bit about doing that in the future um in terms of the the garbage uh I'll address that when we get to the garbage Todd deobi I agree with you that uh the trash and recycling contracts should be on the website the RFP I should be on the website I think we all need to get a lot more detail I think councilwoman gber Michael said that the county generally puts a lot more of this kind of information on the website for the public yeah but I know it's cumbersome to put a lot of that paper but I think we do need to get more information out there I know I would like to a little bit more information and I agree that we're really not ready to make any Capital expenditures for the garbage cans I think we need to get the public engaged I would recommend some kind of a general meeting where people in the public could come in and ask their questions it could be televised so that anyone who doesn't see it perhaps can send it to a friend and I like the idea of a referendum I had thought about that myself I mean we have a election season's coming up it's only November this is a major project that a lot of people have a stake in and I don't think it would be a bad idea to put it out as a referendum but educate the public first that would be my recommendation on that um to uh Sally and uh those who had the recommendations on tree ordinance I completely agree we butchered it up at 1:00 in the morning some of us I think didn't even know what we were doing I know I had a hard time thinking about it critically and have some buyers remorse and I will be making a number of motions to fix some of the problems with it uh particularly that with the database that Rachel had mentioned that's something critical we need to know what tree trees how many are coming down in a specific area to mitigate the flooding she I think articulated it very well when you cut down trees on the top of the hill it affects the Neighbors on the bottom of the hill and in the surrounding communities and we need to look at this more critically um Pastor Adams I do appreciate your concern and I I have the same for the elderly and those with a hardship but I think Rachel's right most of the people cutting down the trees are not the elderly and perhaps we could have some kind of hardship funding or we can you know look at ways to help those who really really are impoverished and don't have the means to deal with a tree I I like the idea of looking at that and to Dawn thank you for doing the wonderful job with the pocket books and the uh and the fundraiser so I think I'll wait and make the rest of my comments thank you councilwoman Scara uh thank you than you to my colleagues for their responses to Mr Fagan and Mr pesi as well um Mrs monk I will um certainly look into the traffic light uh timing um and reach out to the county to see what if anything can be done uh to change the timing for the crosswalk um we are looking at multiple streets in town I don't know if that is one of them I someone mentioned the county may be looking at it so um I don't know what they're doing you know in addition to what they're doing for the downtown stuff um but certainly the timing of the light is something that we've asked the county to do before on County Roads and um that's something we can do again um with regard to the garbage uh I uh Echo some of the comments of my colleagues uh I think we need to uh have a special meeting uh so that residents can weigh in and we can have robust debate um but I do think the garbage uh to Mr uh eversley I believe is his name to his comments I think the Garbage Contract is a good example of the competing interest we have to balance uh as Council people um certainly reducing the uh frequency of pickup is not something that any of us would uh choose as a first option uh but with the way the costs have risen and in an effort to maintain some stability with your property taxes we have to make tough decisions like that um and so you know I don't know what the right answer is um I I think we do deserve more transparency to Mr D's Point uh all of that information can and should be on the website um and that's not a heavy lift I don't believe um um and then you know residents can have uh some period of time to review before we have a special meeting and can hear from the public uh this will be a culture change for us um and while I I understand that the initial shock will probably subside over the course of time um I think it's important to engage as many members of the public as possible when making a major change like this uh so I will be supportive of it and I'll ask my colleagues to pull out their calendar uh when we get to new business to uh put a special meeting on the on the calendar to discuss it I don't think we can do a referendum for those that don't know we are already on a month-to-month contract with our existing contractor um and that provides some level of risk to us uh first um because it's month-to month it could be cancelled uh they could decide that this the because they're held over from the exact same rate of the last contract they could decide that this is no longer worth it for them at the rate that we're paying them and then we'd be in a a different Jam um but also um it it doesn't allow us to it doesn't allow us uh to solve the problem long term what we have to your point Mr eversley is a history of doing more with less uh that was the philosophy that uh two two Mayors ago uh introduced in managing town uh Town Affairs and while it worked then there's no less to do more with uh and so we've actually benefited in the short term on some of those decisions but now we're paying for it in the long run um many of our departments have been depleted we use contractors for much of the work that employees could do um and um you know so when we get to the budget we'll have a more robust conversation about that but uh your point about having Auditors is not lost on me uh that's why we have an auditor now a new auditor this year uh the last auditor um while they may be an outstanding firm the individual representing that firm did a horrible job of uh explaining some of the decisions that they made to include or not include information in their report um and they left out critical information that this Council needs to make decisions uh so um I was vocal about it as were some of my other colleagues and uh we have a new auditor now um that is not the same as a forensic audit and I don't think that's what you were requesting although I am uh I just have not yet narrowed down the spaces where I want the forensic auditor to focus uh which is a part of the process C uh but as soon as I am clear on the spaces that I want them to focus on so that we can actually understand what that cost will be I will present it to my colleagues as well and hopefully they will support it um um we I'll leave it at that I I think there are several uh decisions that have been made over the course of time that just have put residents at a significant disadvantage uh and without trying to Sully any particular individuals or or elongate this meeting um I think all of that needs to be reviewed um so that we can actually operate this town in a way that's fair for residents and the employees that are doing the work and provide the level of service that is befitting a neighborhood or Township like West Orange um I'm going to address the tree ordinance when we when we get to that I do want to uh thank the HRC the West Orange African Heritage organization and all of those others that made presentations tonight tonight um the only thing I will say since I was um directly mentioned by um Pastor Adams uh with regard to this ordinance being honorous um you you can choose a word or two should you uh choose to do so which is what you chose to do tonight um I think we have to be um we have to be serious about what the real issues are with regard to climate change and how they are affecting our Township um you may not know but almost every single neighborhood in this town has a flooding issue and uh trees are our first line of defense uh against much of that um and so if we keep cutting them down the way we are we're going to uh make a bad situation worse uh no one wants to make uh homeowners have to pay additional flood insurance um no one wants to overrun our rivers and streams other waterways um uh we have an issue with water that's coming from the top of the hill in one neighborhood uh one resident is bearing the brunt of it but in actuality we need to address uh the water runoff from the top of the ridge all the way to the river uh and if we just deal with a portion of it we'll continue to have the same problems so so part of the challenge uh culturally um that uh that I and others are trying to change is to stop taking a short-term bandaid approach to some of these issues take a superficial approach to some of these issues to be able to report something that sounds great to the public but doesn't really deal with the heart of the matter um we have real challenges in this town and the tree ordinance is meant to address those um and and when I said honorous it wasn't about low-income people it's actually the opposite uh the smaller lots are actually able to take advantage of opportunities within the tree ordinance that larger lots are not able to take advantage of uh so it is meant to provide relief for folks that can't actually do some of the things that are required under the ordinance on their own property um so but we'll have a more robust conversation about that when we get to um that ordinance um Mr doovi um to your point about the substantive changes uh just one quick um comment uh I do agree with Mr Jenaro that none of the changes that were made individually are substantive I do think that the number of changes we made is substantive um so uh we've already addressed that I want to uh thank Mr Jenaro for weighing in right away um and agreeing to address some of the concerns that uh both you and other members of the public have raised with regard to uh the vote we took at last meeting um and we're going to address that in Greater detail uh when we get to that ordinance uh finally on that issue with regard regard to still cutting down street trees it is disappointing to me that residents that we only find out about the issues uh of cutting down street trees to do Street repairs when residents bring it up um this Council has been clear that we don't want that we've said it almost unanimously uh we've said that that has to stop um and then to come into a council meeting and hear about uh and actually I heard about it earlier today in some of the background work we were doing for tonight or maybe it was yesterday um that Maple Street had trees cut down uh is very disappointing so uh I I think we should discuss that in in new business I don't know what if anything we can do Mr smeraldo uh to put a moratorium on cutting the street trees for Street repairs until we figure out what our long-term solution is going to be uh we've said multiple times that other municipalities have found ways to do Street repairs and save the trees um even going so far as to black topping right up to the stump of the tree um and those trees are viable uh they still soak up hundreds of gallons of water per day um and they still provide uh shade which you know lowers um you know the heat map as well as your heating cost for the homes that are nearby or the buildings that are near nearby so that's something that we can do uh and I was shocked to hear the data from Mr doovi regarding montclair's uh tree canopy they are at 39% we're at 27% and falling um we we have to do something now like we've already passed the amount of time that we have to be able to address this issue uh so yes what we do here has to be strong um and it has to put us on a long-term path toward not just stopping the decline but investing in replanting so that we can grow our tree canopy um and I do agree with regard to Garbage Contract that there needs to be an education campaign so we will talk about that during the special meeting portion as well uh um um M your comment on the Jitney was addressed uh someone mentioned something about the sewer tax I can't remember what it was I have a note here it may have been one of my colleagues um mror Alo we were supposed to from um get from Mr gross uh by now he said in the first quarter of this year we're now in uh middle of toward the end of May uh a a a a a an introduction of how we were going to transition from the current model for the sewer tax to a usage based model um and we still need to do that uh so that uh please uh uh let us know when and how we are going to address that issue uh like my colleagues have already stated we do feel it was unfair uh but to Mr everle Point again uh and Mr de as well on other nights um you know we sometimes are put in a situation where we have to choose from a bunch of um less than ideal options uh and so we were forced at one point to make a quick decision uh with regard to how we charge uh for the sewer fee and while it was not ideal if the the the alternative would have been worse um so uh we agreed to do it and we were promised that we would revisit first quarter of this year it is now May May 21st and we have yet to revisit it our goal as stated I think almost unanimously if not unanimously was to move to a usage based model for that particular fee so that people would only pay for what they use uh which would obviously be fairer um uh uh wifredo I can't remember his last name I'm sorry was is it well this gentleman that is the crossing guard the tutor and the volunteer all over town uh will will yeah what's his last name Ard Ardon okay Mr Ardon um your comments about better signage for pedestrian safety especially around the schools uh is very well received I do want to point out that our um Town engineer uh zth carbal is very responsive to um concerns like this when they are raised I raised a concern with her uh regarding the uh Crossing uh by the Dunkin Donuts at Edison school she immediately responded um and uh agreed to put one of the signs in the middle of the road to help remind uh vehicular traffic that that people are crossing there and uh doing uh some additional work which will require some data uh to see what we can do over the long term to address the crossing at Edison school that is just one uh but we will certainly um revisit some of these others as well uh and I will work with my colleague who is on The Pedestrian safety Advisory Board uh to see what we as a Township can do um in some of these areas um part of the problem is people speed through West Orange uh they don't speed through other towns um or maybe they do in some towns but a lot of towns they don't speed through because they are afraid if they do they will get pulled over and get a ticket um we've not been able to give in our um uh Labor uh shortage in our Police Department address some of those issues as effectively as other towns and that is a budgetary concern so if if we're going to um address some of those issues townwide it's going to cost some money uh which means we've got to take money from somewhere else or we've got to raise taxes and those are the kinds of decisions that this Council has been tasked uh with with solving or those are the kinds of problems we've been tasked with solving uh and that's why these these choices sometimes are very uh difficult um I think that's enough pres could I just make that yes absolutely please do thank you this um thank you we don't usually jump in I just wanted to uh because she still here um Mrs mon if you could just anybody that does not have a computer just have them call Laura van D because for folks who don't go online she has a small mailing list as she mails the Flyers too so they can request to get the Flyers directly mailed to them if they don't go online Okay I I neglected to do something um before we go into our regular meeting the and deal with the items on the agenda uh I want to thank uh West Orange Police Department uh and the New York police department for finding uh Roland St Timothy one of our West Orange residents and an officer of my church a former Deacon um and he was found um he's at he's in the hospital now we're grateful that he's okay uh but it was their Swift action and Broad communication that led to him being found so thank you to uh the police department very uh both in West Orange and nework and also for those that don't know it's graduation season so congratulations to every West Orange family that has either a college or high school graduate uh in this season We Salute You uh Madam clerk time to oh I'm sorry yes you had uh there was a calendar for the Madam Clerk and there was the Jitney and the website for you Mr smdo thank you council president just the notes I took here so um just regarding the sore fee update I did speak to Mr Bros a few weeks ago about that we all know that he's been in and out of work for a little bit um he does have some challenges with it and that has to deal with the um um getting the information so it's not forgotten I'm not going to speak to because I don't have all the information I know he's been looking into it so it's it's not being forgotten that's that's one um the calendar the calendar was normally taken care of out of the mayor's office um we had a recent retirement we now have a recent um conditional offer of employment so hopefully we'll have somebody Staffing the mayor's office 247 so we can get that calendar up and running again for those who don't know there is a calendar on our website it's you have to go to the main page you have to scroll all the way down to the bottom it actually has all the information that is given to us and we can place on there so if anybody wants to put information they just send it to the mayor's office right now it goes to maywest ar.org and we will'll handle an Administration so we can put anything on there if anybody needs it so uh it's just that it's all the way down at the bottom you got to scroll um and it does link meetings it does there are links to other sites so we can help out so we we try to do our best to make sure we get that on there but with a new person hopefully that will you know we'll see about a little bit more Improvement okay um pedestrian safety I know main Northfield Valley we were talking about it before I can also call uh the county Engineers um San y I can talk to him I speak to M lately it seems like a lot more so so I uh I can speak to him and ask him about the timing of the lights and everything else we are uh in the process uh right now with a grant to upgrade that intersection and other intersections across walks and safety and things of that nature so there are projects in the work it just takes these you know the projects um so we do have we do have that in mind and we are addressing that I had one um additional light for since he's G to contact can you just email it to him so that we can yeah you can give it to me I'll take care of it um I uh I hear um about the the Garbage Contract and I know we're going to talk about that in the ordinance um so I I will bring to the you know the administration that we going have a meeting and we'll try and set that up as um quickly as possible regarding the transportation um we last year as we know we took over the transportation of the Jitney and we had our senior bus services that's what it was called we made it into our Now new Transportation division we worked as I stated earlier from 6A to about 8:30 9 o' depending on the train our Jitney our our commuter service that we provide is mornings and nights it is directed toward the three train stations South Orange Orange and um Brick Church we don't we we haven't gone toward Verona because we we don't receive that notice to go out there um we have been our the supervisor director fanino and myself and others have looked at changing some of our routes to make it more effective and more efficient for us um and looking at other stops we've looked at splitting routes and creating you know um or you know different stops and things of that nature um we have the data for that kind of information but we we do not provide on them on the weekend because we and we've never we've never provided ever so um if that is a service we want to include that is that's that's a consideration for the council we'd have to get Staffing and things of that nature we have three full-time um drivers budgeted um we had a fourth who retired and I believe that position may be eliminated so we're talking about what we what we also have a dozen or so part-timers to help with the the commuter so that would be the weekends we'd have to look at so how we're going to run that service but we will make special trips we will hire people if there's considerations I know they've had trips down to North to the NJ PAC and and a few other places we will do that for the for the seniors and we will drop people off at the at the library um I will tell you from our data not a lot of people actually take the Jitney seniors take the Jitney during the daytime our numbers are low and it's not because we're not doing it it's just we're not getting the phone calls we do transport a lot of people to the medical so there's you know there when we talk data we have to really look at the real what what is what is we're going to provide and how much are we're going to provide it people have asked us to do a loop around the town it doesn't support it yeah right it doesn't support we've looked into it I'm just telling you what we've in the last eight nine months what we're looking it's a new Division and we're trying to provide a better service so you know we're looking at all the different aspects of it we've even talked to the county about maybe doing Partnerships so we've we've done a lot of different things behind the scene that you don't normally say um so that that's regarding the transportation regarding the tree replacement and the and the street replacement program I'm going to tie the two together because this has nothing to do with the tree ordinance previous uh policy was we did when we did Street improvements we never included trees in our our ordinance or our bid packages under the current director all the bid packages that went out for all the street improvements include trees in the pricing because we are taking trees down there's no doubt about it we're taking Tre I'm not hiding it I'm not do I just sent you a report today from Mr Kip in particular about Maple Street they provides you the details there was five trees taken down not hundreds five um the trees were taken down because they're in the rways when they're in the rways we have to put new sidewalks in if we cut those roots which are underneath that tree becomes a hazard and a lot of these trees are already dead if you read the report but those trees become a hazard we lost a a resident last year up on Kelly Drive Verona just lost a resident two residents a visiting Grand a six-month-old and a 61y old grandfather to tree that fell so yes we are cognizant of the trees but we're also cognizant of the hazards they're in the rways when it comes to Maple Street in particular every resident every time we go and we we have a two- week um buildout we tell we tell all our residents within two weeks we're coming in to do streets and and things that nature we also send out letters to every single residents to remind them that we're coming out there we also tell the residents trees may come down if they do we have a tree replacement program we will we send them a document say would you like a tree placed in front of your your house five trees came down one report came back to plant a tree and it wasn't a house that had a tree removed so I so spoke to Mr Kip today I said just in case they didn't get it please send that request out again to the neighbors of Cherry Street I mean Maple Street um you get old trees mixed up with the streets um and and we asked them please send it in again because if somebody does want a tree we'll plant it in these last uh Bond ordinances we've actually allocated up to 200 trees so we're prepared to plant 200 trees in this road Improvement project so it's not as if we're not thinking about it it's just that previous policy was they didn't include it in the bid SPS new director she's uh and we we don't we don't force a tree in front of somebody's house it's a RightWay that was always has been our policy if it's something that the council wants us to change our policy it's going to have to be funded for us to do it when we start planting trees everywhere because we just we've been bonding the money but we don't have the money funded on on a yearly basis and that's a that that is another budgetary question that we'd have to discuss together collectively well M Mr smal though just um I spoke with Mr kit myself regarding uh some of those rideway trees on another Street um and how if we did the sidewalk it would kill the roots there are alternatives to that he mentioned a couple one of which was a bridge over the roots that allows the roots to grow underneath the sidewalk uh and still allows us to have a compliant uh ADA Compliant safe sidewalk and save the tree so there you know all we're saying is let's look at those Alternatives now if there and and what I told him uh same thing I'll tell you you know we're in this budget season now if there is a cost let us know we got to figure it out one way or another but if we keep cutting down the trees we're going to have other costs with regard to you know storm water and other issues too no one wants a hazardous tree to stay up um we want the the Hazardous trees to be taken down that's a part of the tree ordinance as well um but with regard to viable trees I think we need to go above and beyond the Call of Duty to save them to the extent we can and I agree with you if the Forester says there's ways to do that then I think we have to look at that you know we hired Mr Kip for his expertise we we trust him to tell us what to do um so whether he tells us a viable tree or an unviable tree you know we'll listen to his expertise because you know he has more I know he has more knowledge than I do with when it comes to that and I and I appreciate respect that but if he if but if he tells us as you see in the reports I sent you that there are some trees that have to come down well I also respect part of it too so and he he's cognizant about putting trees in and I know he's very passionate about it having the same conversations with him and he wants to save as many as he can and you know I I'm sure that we can make sure that's included whenever we do the street improvements because you know that's what they should be doing so and and Miss carbal is very cognizant of like I said she in these last ones she these last U bids she made sure that there was a tree replacement program included so thank you councilman uh counc thank you council president um so just a couple things about that letter so the letters only go into the folks that um the residents that are getting the tree taken down in front of their house the letters the letters go up I I didn't get a letter if you didn't get a letter then we'll look into it because what they tell what what I've been told from the engineering departments any time they go into neighborhood they send a letter to let people know if you didn't get a letter we can look into but me the other end into the block but then I saw because I did when I saw the list you know they it was not right in front of me but a little little half a block away yeah because we and we always get in our emails a two- we push out Miss benevento she always sends out what we're getting and it goes to every so everybody sees that what's going out there so that should be it should be going out to the residents um that's what I'm being told but I'll I'll confirm with them to make sure that that it occurs and a few of them were marked healthy but they were because of this so the so it says is it sidewalk or Street and to the council president's point if they if it's sidewalk then if they could have a remedy the street I know and again I'll I'll share my story with with um with my daughter they in her town they uh they did not do the sidewalk but they had a street repair and the tree fell a year later after Street repair because the roots on the Street side they had cut out and so I I it is a safety hazard so I I definitely understand that and I I'll speak to Mr Kip to make sure that we have that understanding and I you know and you we can we can make sure that we have that understanding and just one last point to um Mr smdo is that when um the residents are of the understanding that they could get a tree we planted in front of their house is it being explained to them that it's not going to be a tree that they're going to have issues with the sidewalk like you're planting different types of trees that aren't as invasive as the prior trees that there I can't speak to that I don't know exactly what the letter says say can we find out yeah we'll find out again okay thank you that that's all council president thank you councilwoman mror we we um I just have a question about the letter we received in our packet this week with regard to the Colonial Woods uh Street lighting the col W Street lter yeah so I don't recall that one I'm sorry um is it or maybe maybe it was just me you guys didn't get that are you talking about the always stop analysis is that no sir no sir street light I don't see that one I'm I'm sorry I'll read into the record uh pursuing to New Jersey statute 40 col 55d hyphen 53.6 uh attached developers agreement uh section 5.3.3 Township of West Orange is hereby notified that the street lighting has been installed and accepted for service by public Service Electric and Gas certificates of occupancy were issued for 50% of the dwelling units as of August 2020 Township within 30 days following receipt of this notification shall make appropriate arrangements with psng for the Assumption of the payment of the cost of the street Lighting on a continuing basis um please notify us upon completion of the arrangements between Township PC andg I think that was just that came in the mail for you council president it was never opened by anyone ah yeah I thought all of us got that no oh so you didn't open that either I know it was unopen when I got it thank you all right so never mind because no one else has had a chance to it I'll circulate it to my colleagues and we'll discuss it um between now and the next meeting uh Madame clerk oh one question Council so I'm looking on our website I noticed that the 2024 budget isn't I'm sorry I apologize so I'm on our website and I noticed at the 2024 budget that we received isn't on the website for residents to view do you know when it'll be on there um I do not but I can ask that question yeah I mean it would be nice to give them plenty of time to review if we can get on there tomorrow tonight if possible it's not GNA be tonight yesterday well by time we get out of here it could be tomorrow thank you anything else before we move to the agenda will pass that along did you want me to yes please so as far as the calendar the C Township council meeting calendar it's very challenging because our meetings are held on Tuesday so many factors have to be considered we have the um School Board calendar that we need to consider we have the league of municipalities we have religious holidays um we have election day which falls on Tuesdays this year we had three meetings that we are um conducting on a Monday because of those issues um so it's it's very very difficult to try to schedule the meetings um that we need to have uh this year we actually scheduled a few more meetings we used to have one meeting in July and August we now have two in both of those months um so it's just it's really challenging there was a mistake made um during Passover this year uh normally I I'm very careful with that and I also asked um one of our former staff members to go over that as well um and it was just miss this year it was it was a mistake um and so it's ju it's just very very challenging and to add anything on top of what we already have to deal with we would I would find it extremely difficult to find uh other dates to have meetings because you also have to consider the fact that you know our meetings are on Tuesday and we have other commissions that have meetings on Wednesday and Thursday and many council members also have meetings that they need to go to so it would be almost impossible to add anything else to try to accommodate took us two years to get it took us two years and we still don't have a ABC hearing that was something that was right okay right so we finally did come up with our June date for that which is good it's in June so you're asking let's can we we do we need to we can put that in an email yeah can we get to um the agenda yes okay so um consent agenda approval of minutes previous meeting public meeting okay thank you report of Township officers none reading of petitions and Communications and bids none Bill list um for tonight consent consent okay resolutions are any resolutions being pulled this evening yes um not necessarily to vote no but I wanted to ask questions on 160 170 all that's it for me anyone else questions or yes question H uh i' like to pull I 166 and J 167 okay I'm sorry anyone else I have questions yes uh Council woman uh 164 you're pulling or questions questions okay uh no uh I know it's uh purchased through uh you know one of the whoever the entities where we don't have to go out for public bid but we had discussed in the past still putting an nte clause on all those oh okay so I did send emails today uh 164 and 169 did not have nte Clauses added they were added and The Originals were changed for council president to sign um but there were no hard copies provided okay no problem but that was taken care of this morning thank you else colleagues no no okay all right so we're not pulling any we we all of these are questions right uh Council M celin uh on V now on online that I pull 166 and 167 right okay um so I'm Cur all right so Madam clerk yes sir you got all of those yes I do okay did you um want to ask your questions before yes okay trying to understand with regard to 160 uh I am familiar with the streets um how did how did they was this as a result of residents complaining yeah there was a complaint of residents and what uh director carbal did was she uh went up to those streets when we look at those areas those two intersections are the only two intersections that the three that do not have a stop sign in any direction all the other intersections in that complex have at least one stop sign and the stop sign so what we're trying to do is prevent because it's it's a Speedway right there it is a Speedway on those two particular so what this is to to look at a study a feasibility study say hey should we put this in there I think the answer is kind of yes we need so hold on a second so but on Hagerty there are speed bumps right so you have a uh a traffic control mechanism there I could understand um I I'm just trying to understand I with Hagerty and Kelly um and I'm not opposed to it I'm just trying to understand how we got to uh it's hagy and Kelly and then hagy and visaya so hagard and Kelly Kelly is it it ends there so you naturally have you're making a left or right you naturally have to slow down to make a left or right onto Hagerty there's just no way to maintain your speed um and then Hagerty and visaya it's a similar thing viscaya ends at Hagerty and on both of those on One Direction is a a dead end or a culde saac and then the other direction is controlled by speed bumps so yeah we we we've received a lot of uh we received a lot of complaints from people and and near misses and and some accidents and that the whole the whole idea was just to do a study to say to warrant that we should have it and have the the data and the study to back it up whether we put it in or not I mean the idea is that we should put it in but we need to day to do it but I I know from traversing that road myself I cut through there to go to my doctor right on the corner of of mkaya in in Northfield I go through there and and you cut you make that right there's no stop sign so then people just go right through it yeah they do but there's like five houses to the left yeah there's never any traffic from the left yeah I know I'm just I no but they're just you're trying to figure out people coming from the right are controlled by speed bumps and Vis gu people go up there and they just make the turn and they yeah cuz there's like five houses to the left on that one and they and they just they're rolling the dice that somebody's not coming the other way so how many many complaints do we have that's going to Warrant spending $6,600 to put in a stoplight stop sign rather I actually sent something to you from Miss carbal today uh was it for that one the the no was creswood so that was for creswood but that was that was the that was the justif I understand but my concern is if we already have sufficient complaints and we know I mean I do the same thing that you just did you just articulated but I'm not gonna put it on the record I didn't put it on the record either I said I witnessed it I didn't say I did it um but anyway I just think 6600 $6,000 we know we need it how do we not spend $6,000 well it's not that so let me let me go a little further into this particular neighborhood which I know very well there are other always stops that are completely ignored right so and there the issue is not around Traffic Safety the issue is around kids playing in the street um at that particular intersection those two particular intersections this kayen hag and hag and Kelly we generally don't have kids playing in the street you may have kids playing in the street on the dead IDE uh you may have kids playing in the street on on some of the side streets over there generally speaking hagy doesn't now there is a portion of hagy that does get some kids playing in the street it is there are speed bumps on both sides of where that inter the the side street is I don't know the name of the side street uh where you do get some kids playing so you have a natural traffic control mechanism and um and so like if we're gonna if we're going to put it there and it's going to be as in other places ignored we're going to waste this 6600 then we're going to waste the you know 10 or 15 or 20,000 that it costs to put in the other traffic control mechanisms and then still have to come back and revisit it it's a it's an issue that I'm going to address with the other ordinance I'm not pulling it to vote no but I think I think if we're addressing if the concern I I don't know what the I don't know what the real issue is there I don't know what the complaint is if the complaint is that people are going too quickly um having a stop sign there is probably not going to change that behavior well it's not even so much the stop sign it's also I mean the quickly it's also that people are not common sense dictates you come to a te I I normally stop yeah but not everybody does not everybody has common sense I was in a business that will always be in business because people do things by accident they don't do it on purpose all the time but it's an accident you know things people just people people in human nature is OHA you're ahead of me I'm going to try and get you know it's just one of these things that we don't I get it and so and this was a complaint these and we were reacting complaints to the ne don't complaint well I mean or the reaction could be to have more traffic enforcement in there you know heavy for a period of time and then sporadic thereafter so that people are concerned if they are speeding if they're not being you know considerate motorist if they're being reckless in any way shape or form that a police office officer may pull them over and at the very least you know take up some of their time and possibly write them a ticket and well and and to your point is that if there is actually a a sign that says stop yield or whatever and somebody fails to do it it gives the officer more um um authority to issue that summons right so I that is really where I'm going with this and that's where I'm going with the ordinance as well I think if if we're going to do this we have to do the other thing right so one of those things at least in that part of town there are uh some sidewalks at least on one side of the road that's helpful um but there has to be some traffic enforcement um because people will get comfortable just doing what they've always been doing this neighborhood is now almost 20 years old people will continue doing what they've been doing if there's no consequence for blowing through the stop sign should one be put up there so this is not enough is the real point and if we're going to go down that road we've got to solve the problem and the sign alone and I can pass the concerns of enforcement to the Chief and see we can you know direct some officers up there at different times whatever what I and maybe the study will tell us the time that people are going through there it's just you know I I don't know what the data is going to reveal but at least we can maybe utilize that data to help the police understand the the times that are more violations are yeah I mean that that's why I didn't pull it to vote no I pulled it for uh the question so I do appreciate your responses and please do uh raise that with the chief and I I will do the same when I'll mention to I'll mention to miss car director carbal too retaing no I I want I had questions on I pulled it I want to pull it if you're not going to that's why I'm asking because I'm gonna pull it to vote now okay um so Madam F did you you're pulling 160 to vote no okay all right my other question was on 170 so just so that we're clear 170 now provides the 90day extension yes for chemistry yes Mr Jenaro do you want to address that for us so that absolutely the public is clear yes so um at the last council meeting Council voted to extend Chemistry by 90 days um for one reason or another given the time maybe it was my poor reading um my understanding was that the resolution that was on 1 15-24 did that when I reread it the next day I realized that it did the opposite so I sent an email over to Madame Clerk and we put up this resolution which essentially revoke we never sent 15024 to the state so no action was taken um and then 17024 definitely adds an additional 90 days to chemistry right it sends 150 correct correct so thank you for clarifying because in the last meeting that's what I thought it said and when I had said it and pulled it I was told it was the opposite and I thought maybe I was in pain I wasn't you know yeah that I read it wrong but I guess I was wrong all I know is when I read it the next morning I was like uh oh and are you had a headache that night too so I do rep does that I have a question councilwoman thank you does that go back to is their 90 days start now or does it go back to the last meeting start I think it would start now that's fine with me I don't mind that does that bother you no I just wanted to make sure we don't eat any of their th away I have was confusing what happened last time so it's only fair that it starts once it's if it's adopted tonight so my question is I want to make sure I heard the information correctly when they came up they said their new location is is it 747 Northfield Avenue that I'm not sure off the top well that that has nothing to do with this one though this just gives them the time to represent that I know but that's life Christian Church where they're going to have to deal with that I mean listen I I've been very clear I there that Betty Melina schools there so that wouldn't we're not obligated to vote in support of them all this resolution does is extend their time for the letter of supp conditional 90 days it doesn't say that's make sure whatever their new location is is still still going to require approval from us with a vote is that right Mr Jenaro correct yeah so if they present the Life Christian Church as a location I can assure you I will be a no vote I'm not voting for a cannabis operation inside or the same campus as a church all right yeah no I can't support that OB obviously yeah but we we will cross that bridge when we get to it and they have 90 days before they have to present it okay all right so um I think all of our questions were answered just so that we're clear Madam clerk we are we have 160 166 and 167 being pulled yes somebody had a question on 164 the resolution oh was answered okay sorry sorry okay yep so I have um yeah 160 166 167 not on consent so is there a motion to approve move in second all in favor any opposed the consent agenda is implemented uh councilwoman uh Williams yes thank you so 160 you pulled that was it just to vote yeah because I would rather us do a little bit more investigation than just so so I would like to understand we're saying that we had some complaints from um residents and that we're ordering a study I would like to understand how many residents that totaled and whether or not there's justification for $ 6600 being spent on a study let me um see if Miss Coro is available maybe I can get her on Mr Fagan is Miss uh carbal on the zoom I I I'm gonna can I add to your comment yeah so not on this one but on the uh on first reading the the multiple VAR streets that we have on first reading can we hold that one till first reading well it's it's similar to her com the concern she has because I had a conversation with Miss carbal but I'll let her Miss carbal speak or Miss carbal is available so she on uh council president I'm going to let her now are you bringing her over she miss carbal can you hear us good evening council president and council members yes I could hear you can you hear me good evening director we can hear you councilwoman cath uh Williams has a question for you thank you Miss carvalo or director carbal my apologies I am uh inquiring as to resolution 160-24 uh we are advised that there are some complaints from The Neighbors in the Belair district with these streets identified um for an analysis of Kelly Drive and Hagerty drive and Hagerty drive and viscaya Boulevard can you please advise how many residents um were complained and why we are spending $6,600 for a a study sure I this receive an email from one of the residents within the area who pointed out to me that apparent there was an accident recently and they were concerned about the wide turn creating a serious safety issue at this intersections so they were asking that we conduct or do something about a providing a three-way stop and the only way that we could justify a three-way stop in order to be able to put the stop signs up we need to do or be in compliance with what the mutcd which is the manual of uniform um uniform traffic devices requires us to do study to see if it warrants or not a three-way stop or if it warrants to put up a stop sign we cannot just put a stop signs just like you know I know that anytime that you have an intersection if you have a minor Major Street the major street is the one that has the higher volume they typically don't have to stop the one with the minor roads they typically have to stop unfortunately there are a lot of the uh Ro in town which do not have a stop signs and because of I guess this speeding that is been taking place in some areas and you know concerns coming from residents if the requests do come into my attention and I do feel that it is a legitimate concern and safety I will definitely reach out to consultants and see if we could have the study done because it's required thank you I understand my concern as an elected official is simply we're expending or proposing to expend $6,600 at the request of one resident that's going to set a precedent anybody can call and say hey we need a stop sign and if you only have one person that's called and this is the average cost of a study that's a precedent that I'm not willing to set for one complaint and you know as we indicated it might have some concerns but we do also have some other calm and speed mechanisms that are in place I think if we start off with some enforcement before we spend $6,600 that might be a more smart decision yes director it is true that the cost of this study seems to be expensive but let us keep in mind that if somebody does bring this to our attention and God forbid something happens in the future we are ignoring a safety issue and one thing that I do want to point out is that at this intersection there are crosswalks by not and by not having the stop signs it is an issue in regards to pedestrian there should definitely be a stop signs anywhere where we have crosswalks wait there are crosswalks or there's not crosswalks they are crosswalk crosswalks I think there's only one crosswalk crosswalk and that's that uh that's at the Kelly and Hagerty no I don't think Kelly and Hagerty has a crosswalk I think well they do actually side on the dead IDE there's a crosswalk and then there's uh one on the one crosswalk on the this Kaya Hagerty uh I just suggest that we do a little bit more of a enforcement practice before we expend 6600 that's just my recommendation good question so so the stop sign so we have a crosswalk why would we need to do the study why would we just put the stop sign in because you have to do the study in order to director do you have to do the study to put in one stop sign on uh on Kelly you have to do basically the study whatever you want to put a stop signs any stop sign even if it's just a one not a three-way it's any stop sign when did that start happening I thought Lenny popped only just Council MCG Michael No I um actually councilwoman Williams brings a very valid point and U my concern is you know we get emails from residents with traffic issues downtown the U on you know Park Drive North and other areas so does that mean if we do this for one resident are we gonna is this the Precedence that we're setting for any email or complaint we get from a constituent regarding a traffic study or a stop sign you know we can't pick and choose which residents we do this for which neighborhoods and not for others so we really do need to be careful because we represent everyone in town at large you know I I just think the enforcement first yeah enforcement first so and and I appreciate the director uh coming on I had a a very long talk with her because we're going to talk about it in a few minutes that the the ordinance it was in my neighborhood where my husband grew up so I knew the area very very well and I think it's just a little more than just like one or two people calling it in it's also what she feels as well like strongly and regards it is it she you know she actually goes to the spot and make sure it's a safety hazard before she just orders it so I would it would it be cheaper to do like a holistic approach and look at the different intersections and areas town and then reach out to an engineering firm to get a set price you know what I mean instead of doing a PC mail spending the 6600 every time this one I did it this one because it was only at this location what I could do because I have to do another set of studies I will probably I could cluster this one with a with the other ones that I'm planning on sending out so that you know the ones that are on the ordinance for tonight they were all clustered together or 12 of them or 10 and that the ordinance though we're right now we're on the resolution what is that same thing that I did for the ordinance like for that ordinance I put I cluster uh multiples areas of the Town together so I could do the same thing for this one and see if the price comes is likely lower yeah thank you thank you okay that soles that doing it every single time that's crazy is this helpful council president yeah yes this is very helpful thank you good TX and thank you director for being available and uh just making sure we are utilizing our taxpayer dollars wisely that's right thank you so so before she goes just hold on one second director so one of the things uh councilwoman celino pointed out was that um we are not just relying on Resident complaints we are relying on uh the director's uh recommendation and that's based on her skills and her training um and the second thing is I had a similar conversation with her and in some areas where there aren't any traffic control mechanisms um they just should be already there should have been already it just wasn't um my when I pulled it I my qu my issue was doing that alone is not enough we have to have some some enforcement absolutely I'm not saying that we necessarily shouldn't do it I'm just saying that that alone is not enough because we've seen in many neighborhoods people just blow through stop signs because they know they can um so you know if if my colleagues want to do the enforcement first um you know that's that's something that we can consider but I do think we we also set a president of not relying on the expert um who is employed to give us this advice and God forbid if something did go wrong I mean I think the one complaint and I didn't know this until tonight um because we didn't speak about that earlier we spoke about the ordinance um came as a result of an accident that is you know that's something that I think should should be considered councilman thank you I just want to state that absolutely agree with everything that you've said but we're the p and we've got to be mindful of how we spend money and I just don't think a one off is the most responsible way if we can hold off and do some others at the same time that might be forthcoming I I think that's the best use and she just indicated that she'll put some more together and give us a better price try enforement in the me in the meantime we we do ask the police department to ramp up enforcement in this particular area because we have had some close calls okay let's have the vote ju just just just a note from Mr moraldo because the chief isn't here if you don't mind true it I know it's hard because because of the number of officers we have to get out there but where's you know those trailers that they they Park and let you know shows your spe yeah we had them in Gregory for long yeah they're they're where they pop up around town even even that would be helpful this could go when I when I send the letter to the Chief and yeah back Chief I'm sure they'll get on it and they they'll send it to the traffic Division and then to look at you know Lieutenant Mulo will probably look at it if they have to put the speed signs or whatever the speed signs are for the most part most people know that they're speed signs they're not they're not enforcement signs so but it REM it doesn't remind you but you know the the hard the hard fact is that when you when you blow through an intersection and you get pulled over you know and so so to that point though this is not a speed issue yeah like if you just looked at the map is literally impossible house right it's a it's a 90 Dee turn this is not a speed issue this is someone's coming too close cutting the corner someone else is coming yeah and and making the turn at the same time driving and that has caused at least one accident so you know and the big concern too if you look at here is you look at the what would be the north side of the street U where the the crosswalk is that's AUM of that crosswalk to the other crosswalk so the kids or adults wherever the you know residents in the neighborhood can Traverse toward Kelly school and anywhere else so that is a concern when people come flying down I you know we've all a few of us have said they've witnessed it or whatever you know so that that is something that we have to be mindful of and that's part of the reason why we we present these to you and and we'll and we'll get our studies so it's something that you know we have to be careful of there is not a bus stop there that I'm there is a bus stop down here soon yeah I don't I don't know the bus schedule bus is not up there but that that cross yeah yeah oh so there's already speed yeah still yeah but still then you pick up speed I mean it's like well so if you go can you go up Mr uh F so it's a dead end up there you know it's it's not the it's not that end it's it's the it's traffic control down here with your speed o you can pick up enough speed over that H to make that left all right we're looking at the accident is TV yeah I think the accident is the issue but um we we may or may not agree I think we can express our sentiment with our vote uh Madame clerk okay is there a motion to approve 160-24 um so moved is there a second I am Warren I mean is she going to do this with others just with others she's just going to Cluster it with some other there are only two intersections that require it in that entire neighborhood between Route 10 which is Mount Pleasant Avenue and Northfield there are only two right but she say she would just cluster it with some other she has some other areas to look at it doesn't necessarily exclude you're happy to you don't have to V neighborhoods okay she said there are other neighborhoods there are other neighborhoods in other areas like Al Pleasant Valley Way let's say the what we call the English town area there's a neighborhood in there that I have to put together I mean the pricing that we obtain for this three-way stop study is no different than the same price that basically I we have we pay for the uh Presswood SL St for Avenue preway stop study and director I do want to re comment uh commend you rather I mean these range from the low of 6600 to a high of 36,000 yes so the fact that you were able to find someone to do it at 6600 I thought uh was excellent Yes actually uh Bri view engineering was recommended uh by the county as well as Dynamic traffic so I've been uh I've been you know going to them since they've been recommended by the our County engineering department can I can I ask a question absolutely um director do you think it's crucial that we vote in favor of this tonight or do you think by coming back to us in the next meeting with I guess the cluster to approve a cluster of these um studies is a better option I mean you are the expert I will honestly recommend passing it tonight because I will have to put another RFB together with all the other areas that I have to do for English town and other areas in town and by the time I get that to the consultant by the time I get a response back it's going to be probably a month and a half to two months from now and how long does a study take to do the study I would like to get I would like it to get done before a school is out yeah I I'll second yeah because the school is going to be over in June and you want to make sure that when they collect the data is during more or less the peak hours okay they actually have uh you know not outliers in the data that they collect thank thank you director that's all the questions that I have okay so I'm going to call for the vote councilwoman castelino uh yes councilwoman gber Michel yes councilwoman Scarpa yes councilwoman Williams no council president Rutherford yes okay the motion carries Okay 166-25 resolution partially lifting moratorium on applications for Resolutions of local support councilwoman celino you pulled this yeah sure I don't want to belor a discussion um because I know it probably is gonna pass but again I'll I'll just state it uh I'm not saying I'm opposed to to opening up down the road i' I I'm going to just stick to my position I want to see uh something open before I can move forward on any recommendations of accepting any further applications um and that's it so um I I unfortunately I can't support this this evening well I'd like to make a motion to adopt resolution 166 second okay councilwoman celino uh no councilwoman gber Michael Yes councilwoman Scara no councilwoman Williams yes but I have a question and no one called for questions really um in the resolution the time period is not specified it just says open and we specifically requested open for a 30-day period I'm not necessarily interested in when that clock starts or saying you know it has to start but it but we did request a specific period we didn't want it open is that your Rec so councilwoman uh Williams Mr Jenaro recalls that we requested it I I know that we discussed having a time frame I I I don't recall it being a request it may be a request now um is what is your recollection sir so there was a time frame but um Mr Moon had brought up an issue to me with regard to establishing a a firm 30-day um deadline now not fully familiar with all the and outs of the procedures without these things work but if you were to open it up for 30 days starting today for example you have to put out I believe a request for application yes which will take time to put together so I believe that there will be the request for application shall include a deadline for the submission of the application so that will be 30 days from where whenever we get the request for together understanding that makes sense but it's that's not what's articulated right it says that the request for application shall include a deadline for all submissions for a resolution of local support right but has nothing to do with the 30 days I'm not saying that the 30 days has to start now we're just saying whenever it gets open it's open for 30 days well I think that's what he's saying that sure that in the application will only be open for 30 days for 30 days yeah it says that in the resolution request for application shall include a deadline for the submission of applications for a resolution of local support and this is for cultivators and Manufacturing only so just so the public is aware of that and and part of that excuse me Mr CH part of that application process too all the uh operating agreement all that's request at the time of the application so I just make sure that's still wait say that again councilman uh I couldn't hear you please say oh oh my apologies just with our application process we um we require the operating agreement of the entity yeah at the time of orance right well I just want to make sure it's it's they're gonna not I'll make a note of it and make sure that it's and and no and and then the other question I have because this is what happened the last time we had applications again we were going through the process and finding our way but unless we have a completed package there should not be any interview scheduled all right well let's finish with the vote and we can tidy up those details sure um Madam clerk yes we were on councilwoman Williams voted I said yes and then I said but I had a question okay council president ruford yes okay so that was three to two so the motion carries that's 166 correct all right 167 um authorizing the township Council to retain goova Burns to litigation docket number esxl 4687 d23 at the hourly rate of $150 per attorney not to exceed $25,000 councilwoman Celina yeah again I'm not going to belabor this one I know it has a support but I am not um you know I not going to approve this to move forward Madam clerk any other questions before make a motion to adopt resolution 167 second okay councilwoman celino no councilwoman gber Michel yes councilwoman Scarpa yes Council um sorry councilwoman Williams no council president Rutherford yes okay three to two and the motion carries all right we um are now on uh the ordinances but this one um that's on for second reading so Mr Jenaro yes um because we made so many changes shouldn't this be back on for first reading so Happ to explain so I don't recall saying at the last meeting that the changes weren't substantive again it was late but nevertheless I realized the next morning a lot of the changes that were made I think that they are subst um and so I went to the municipal I went to the law state law regarding Subs exchanges to the ordinance and the procedures regarding the same and it states that if any Amendment be on second reading if any Amendment be adopted substantially altering the substance of the ordinance the ordinance as so amended shall not be finally adopted until at least one week thereafter and the ordinance shall be amended shall be read at the meeting of the governing body which may be by title and Karen and the Madam clerk was publish it uh within two before two days prior to the council hearing the ordinance so the Practical matter is that the amendments were made at the last meeting it effectively passed on first reading because they substantially altered the ordinance Madam clerk republished it I believe on the 16th correct and so it was republished on the 16th which is more than two days prior to today and it is also more than seven days from when we made the substantial alterations to the ordinance in accordance in that statute but for the record is njsa 40 49-2 could you repeat that pjsa 40 49-2 uh and it's section c regarding substantial alterations to ordinances on second read thank you so we so that could be considered which is what Madam clerk related to me uh last week or two weeks ago I guess that could be considered first reading since we've now had two weeks instead of one it could be considered first reading correct my colleagues have expressed and and I have uh some of the similar some some concerns as well um expressed uh some concerns about some of the changes that we made um can I start with one sure just it wasn't regarding the Chang that were made I spoke with um zoning official and Diana McGovern regarding the the planning board attorney regarding uh the appeal process so one change that would be a procedural change not a substantive change would be that the appeals are currently in the ordinance under Section 7 go through the planning board uh that I believe is an error I believe that they should be going through the zoning not the planning uh the reason being is because the ordinance is removed from chapter 25 so therefore it removes jurisdiction of the planning board would muck up the process uh that would be not a substantive change to the ordinance rather more procedural change um and I've run that by both Mr McGovern and Mr Tran and they are in agreement that that change would be procedural rather than Subs if if it were made today but that's still a land use board so if it's no longer in the land use chapter how would a land use board here an appeal my understanding is that uh under the municipal land use law the zoning board would be able even though this is no longer in the land use portion of the code that was my so are there other appeals heard by the zoning board that are not in the land use chapters of our code that I don't have the answer to off the top I but certainly happy to look into it if that's something that we want to of so that was a concern I wasn't sure how we would address it I I thought the the so that was one of the concerns that I was going to raise I didn't know how we would hear an appeal before a land use board if it's no longer in the L use section which is where they govern where they have their jurisdiction so that is a concern I don't know if there's something else that would have to be set up or if we can still refer it to zoning even though it's not in land use and I would like clarification on that okay my understanding is that we still can refer to zoning again I'm happy to go back and okay so we can go with that for tonight I'm happy to go back and confirm and if I'm mistaken I will reach out and we'll amend the ordinance and we'll fix it the whole n so so so that we're all on the same page on that um where is that found in here let me see it's uh section seven which is on page 14 go Section C 14 appeal and denial of tree removal replacement bear with me yeah page 14 yeah I want to make another motion on that okay all right so so there's some further doctoring of this um you know on on on the one hand obviously um Council Scarpa and I councilman gber Michael as well have spent separately separately without viol right um multiple different meetings at different times have spent the better part of a year and a half yeah on this ordinance um so we are very much interested in getting it done and off of our plate um but the other side of that is we certainly want to get it right so we do recognize that this may cause some additional delay um but there are some amendments that uh we that I would like to offer and I hear you want there's a number of things that I will not vote for it if the amendment possible we go in order at the beginning of the ordinance time for she voted yes for I voted yes you didn't vote no no I voted yes after we did all the I was so late I didn't realize I was delirious after we went line by line two o'clock in the morning until 2:30 in the morning some of the Amendments didn't get at it before the record I I was not finished talking and all I was saying recognized either but okay well councilwoman Williams thank you um we went line by line through the entire ordinance and ultimately we landed at a 5 agreement for every change that we made Council mgber Michael uh for the record I did ask at midnight that we not make these revisions at midnight we would be there for an hour an hour and a half which is exactly what happened so and with a clear mind after reviewing everything I you know I I am going to agree to some of these changes yeah and I'd like to say to I was not fully aware of what I was doing at 2:00 in the morning and if this meeting goes past midnight I will make a motion to adjourn and you could have did that last time I should have all right so so now let's go through it um councilwoman Scara did you do you want to begin uh you you you said you have some are there any questions on page one findings and purpose uh page two which continues it uh I don't think so anything on the definitions which are Pages three four and five on page five I have something what do you have on page five I think there needs to be the consistency between the 4 in and the 2.5 in then on out if we're changing it tree so so you're saying on definition for tree right we changed it to um at least four inches yes so if we take if we take out a tree that's 4 Ines we have to replace it with yes that's on the no the replacement only 2.5 so I'd be okay with the four if we are also going to replace it with a four it's true so let me so for clarity I understand what both of you are saying I just want to kind of help us move through this as quickly as possible what we agreed to in the last meeting was um and you would need a permit and Mr Jenaro correct me if I'm wrong you would need a permit to cut down a tree that is 4 in or greater but a replacement tree could be as little as two and a half inches correct it would be more of them so it'd be like I don't know that some of eight to one in some cases four to one in others right but the point is and I understand what you're saying and I and I I I heard our Green West oranges con concerns about that as well the concern was that we are listing we are saying what a tree is here and a tree is defined as something that's 4 inches in diameter DB H we don't necessarily have a different definition for replacement tree and the replacement tree could be two and a half inches so to fix that we would need to either um get rid of this definition as a tree or or edit it uh or have an additional definition oh there's replacement tree but it doesn't say 2 and a half inches so on page four the definition for replacement tree says native tree species approved by the township Forester and of Nursery grade properly bald and burlapped untreated with herbicides or pesticides and meeting the minimum measurements of a major or minor tree if you've got to go to another section to know what those are and the minor tree I think is two and a half inches it says on 17 required action for four to six Ines replaced with one two 2.5 in Native non-pesticide herbicide can can we add language to replacement tree that says of minimum dbh 2 and a half inch as stated in that chart so I I don't know that it makes a difference and you tell me if it does I wouldn't think that it made much of a I guess the I hear what you're saying I think that the point though is that if you remove the definition of a tree was changed two and a half to 4 in so that that means that if you wanted to remove a 2 and a half inch tree you could you could correct and when it's 4 inches you have to go to the chart and the chart allows you to remove to replace it with do a 4 in tree you could [Music] do one two and a half inch non pesticide non so I have a question so I I cut I want to cut down my 4 in tree I have to replace it with the two two and a half inches now I want to cut those two and a half inches I can cut them whenever I want plant them and then cut them because they're two and a half I can do so yeah that's kind of confusing okay so it's inconsistent I I hear what you're saying so one option so one option would obviously be to tree replacement chart and have it be only replaced with 4in trees that's that's what I'm asking what's the cost of a 4 in tree because I believe Mr Kip stated at the last little no said was he said it about ,000 that's why we did the two and a half exactly exactly all right let's not we don't have to get let's but that's $1,000 that's a thousand even for a tree that is damaged or diseased so not only do you have to pay to remove the damaged tree oh that's right because you guys left that in there but we now have to spend ,000 dollar to replant it no now we have to splend about you know three or 400 to replace it so it's if we change it to four in to go up to $1,000 approximately to replace that tree that was disease that I didn't cause to die that I didn't want to remove but I own the home and because I don't want a burden and damage I have to remove that tree but I I should not have to be forced to spend another, I agree to replace it that is burdensome on a homeowner so 400 is going to be burdensome on a homeowner too there are uh a number of homeowners hold on a second councilwoman there are a number of homeowners that any amount of money is going to be burdensome what what we need to do is just be clear about what the intention of the ordinance is and do the best we can to meet that intention the issue that was presented by our Green West Orange was in because of the way it's written you could replace a tree that you remove and this is a viable tree I have a Forin viable tree I get a permit to remove it I because I don't want it there not because I'm building a structure not because it's diseased I don't want the tree I get a permit I remove the tree I'm required to replace it I replace it with a 2 and A2 inch tree and now I can take it down no you can yes you can I'm going tell you why because in the ordinance it also states that you have to maintain that tree for c for at least two years for at least two years before or or or you have to continue to replace it show me that is that say that the the tree has to the replacement trees have to stay alive for a certain amount of time they they so so let's all right let's go read the language let's read the language I believe it's in section if any replacement it's in Section 8 on page 15 uh first paragraph last sentence if any replacement tree plan in pursuant of the section fails to thrive or dies within two years it shall be replaced by the property owner within six months and the same shall be viable for an additional two years that does not address if I cut it down I don't need a permit to remove it it says that would be failing to thrive no it's not that's removal failing to thrive you remove it it's dead it it's not dead at the time I remove it but you you killed itad you killed it and you can't do anything kill a tree just to be perfectly clear if the tree is cut down it is dead if the tree is cut down it is dead if the tree fails to thrive that's different cutting down a tree and it failing to thrive or it failing to die what failing to thrive means I plant this tree it doesn't it doesn't last for whatever reason I don't water it enough there's a drought something happens water from dep so it wasn't a good tree it failed to it failed to take it failed to survive right that's different than me saying I'm GNA take it out but you're required hold on one second hold on second I'm happy to answer thank you if any replacement tree planted pursuant to this section fails to thrive or dies within two years or dies within two years when you cut down your tree it is no longer thriving it is dead I get what you're saying I understand what you're saying so I'm happy to add in a sentence that says or is removed or is removed yes by the way for the record not be a substantive change because that is the same exact thing in my legal let's add that in there want to be clear you want to make it as clear as possible for residents that's all happy to so or is removed that's on there's a vote and there's a motion I second yeah I need to know so to be perfectly clear the last section the last sentence on the first paragraph in Section 8 on page 15 we'll Now read if if any replacement tree planted pursuant to this section is removed comma fails to thrive or dies dot dot dot the rest of the the rest of the that is the amendment that the councilwoman is offering on page 15 let me show you here it is paragraph that's not addressing the four for them that's a know we it's Section 8 tree replacement page 15 Section paragraph one this is the actual ordinance that's just the changes that's the red line so it's section A Tree replacement okay correct and what number it is it is in the first paragraph it is the last full sentence okay it begins if any replacement tree and then it should read planted pursuant to this section is removed comma fails to thrive comma or dies within two years it shall be replaced by the property owner okay so on and so forth okay yeah because I think dying and killing are two different things absolutely all right um so it's been uh moved and uh seconded yes so I'm G to take a vote on the amendment councilwoman celino yes councilwoman gber Michael Yes councilwoman Scarpa councilwoman Williams yes council president Rutherford yes thank you the motion carries on the amendment Council Scara you had the floor yeah for a yeah for a practical matter though we're not going to do the 4 inches I mean because I give you a practical for instance they cut down over a decade ago the Gregory School driveway was done they took down all the trees and they put up these sticks and it's a decade later and they still look like sticks I mean you have to put up a decent sized trip or it's going to be hundreds of years before this thing is replenished and the school districts don't follow ordinance anyway so yeah so I'm satisfied those sticks every day in a you're spting below Gregory as a result take all all right so so I think though the that particular thing has been addressed we're going to stick with the that's the only amendment on that unless you're gonna offer I got more yes please come up all right uh page six 4 a I want to put back in or I can can you give us the section section we may not be able to we may not have the same exact section 4 a six right on page six we need to put back in this was very important no person shall be granted permission to move within two trees within a 24mon period and we can add something like if a person desires to add a structure to their property that requires tree removal for more than two trees or trees larger than 10 in dbh or more than 25 years old they may provide an application to the building department along with the tree removal request form with the Forester so this was requested if um uh councilman correct me if I'm wrong um this was requested because there it is unclear about the ability so removing the language around the two trees per 24 months then allows people to potentially get around the ordinance I know every tree remover exactly has to have a permit um the concern that was raised is if we don't have a two viable tree limit per 24 months people could get around that um and remove more but if you're putting up an addition and may have to take down which is why the language was offered say if you and I would say it differently I would say if you want to proove your property exactly with a structure and this is what um uh one of the either Miss mango or um Miss Ruden Miss Ruden somebody said it tonight no it Miss Manga she was here missud wasn't here yeah um if you want to improve your property with a structure then you can apply to the Forester to remove more than two trees and so the problem with that that is that we are also in the process of looking at accessory growing units we're looking at that as an opportunity for people to age in place and so we have that as a concern we have an application right now pending um where again just doing these type of limitations on people speak to your microphone I'm speaking into my microphone you weren't but we don't have doing these types of limitations to people on their personal property when they may want to improve and or expand is not reasonable for just two years in a 24mon period I may be I may have to I may just do something as simple as expanding my driveway and we have a tremendous problem in this town with people being able to park and so now you're telling people that and again the the limitation isn't as important as being able to make sure we replenish so if the goal is to replenish and not to be punitive towards people then what difference does it make if I need to remove more than two trees as long as I'm responsible and obligated to replenish the goal is not to just the goal is to be able to not tell people what they can or cannot do on their property that's going to councilwoman is actually not the goal the goal is this is telling people what they can as many of our ordinances in town do tell people what they can and cannot do on their property your point about being able to improve your property is well taken we want uh a an ability for residents to be able to improve their property we just wanted to go through a process so that is not done without the Township's approval hly we don't yeah there there is a process and there is a process now to remove every tree it is it is not fair for us to sit here and say people are going to get around the process people are going to ignore the process people do that anyway so that's not the issue the issue is to make sure we have a replenishment program in place and we have a replenishment program you cannot take down any tree without a permit if you remove a tree you have to replenish the tree if the tree is damaged you have to replace that tree if the tree is of a specific size you have to replace it with a certain number of trees so this is actually accomplishing the goal that we have set forth in the beginning which is to replenish our tree canopy doesn't matter how many trees you take down as long as you replenish them so it is my desire for us to get out of here before midnight tonight um can I have a comment yes and then I'm going to offer an amendment counc okay so again I I'm really disappointed we're here again um because I thought it was important that all of us agree on this be because this is a lot on our our residents and it's a lot that we're losing our canopy it's all about balance and if we don't have a Balan ordinance we're going to have people going to go out and they're going to do what they want we just had a resident do that uh we found out two weeks ago so uh took down a lot of trees and it's about the we got to look at the the the cost with the fines even with they make sure they replenish and you don't want to get to a point you and and we we got to make sure that we advertise this because I was getting calls about how much is this going to cost in regards to if I want to make an improvement on my property so I know you can't poo poo $400 versus $1,000 because in my house that's that's a lot of money that's a big difference and for a lot of people it is and you will get people that could only afford to go to is that your house or your Lake your your house which house is that a lot of money what the regular house or the shore house which both I mean I you know so and you know what that's really rude and at the end of the day you have people could only afford to go to Home Depot and I'm saying the Home Depot story because my mother had a tree years ago and she lived in association where you have to follow very strict rules but her choice to live in association in a in a community and that tree kept dying on her and she had to keep spend the money and to replace it but that was her choice to live in in a strict environment and councilman I'm not giving you a hard time because I I want something done I was sickened going down my street seeing what happened on Maple Street I you know first thing I said to the mayor was here we have a street that's named after a tree and the trees are gone so we don't have to get snarky about things but people can't afford things and I grew up with most of my adult life paycheck to paycheck so I know how hard it is so again understood less recently but not for many many years did not appreciate that I'm I'm I apologize councilwoman okay um I think your point about the resident we learned about um and there are some differences of opinion about what was done properly or not um we learned about that two weeks ago that is actually what this is designed to stop this is designed to keep someone from moving 30 or 40 or however many trees from their property and and this is with regard to viable trees this is not a hazardous tree uh this is for viable trees so if we need to add viable in there that's that's fine um excuse me quick question so if but I thought it got turned down I know I supported if it was a hazardous tree and it fell you still had to replace it didn't that get poo poo no you have to replace it but not according to the tree chart it's only one it's a one for one okay the one okay if if you do a viable tree it's it's multiple for one and it's based on how big the tree is um the the the the the question that was raised is if we don't have the language that limits the number of trees you can cut down healthy trees you can cut down um is it possible for someone to argue that they could do it and if they did then we then have to go back and forth through the courts to figure out what that there would be a summons issued there would be some fine attempted to be levied and they would have their argument we'd have to spend our money rather than go through that let's just be clear in the ordinance is is that Mr Jenaro is that what would happen if we left the language without it being any limitation I see that's a loophole I I wanna I mean can you explain in the court system because you are the attorney how that would be a loophole you needed tree removal permit to remove a tree period yeah the township Forester is the first what I'll call level of Defense with regard to protecting the trees that is um and I would think that at least the Administration has confidence that Township Forester wouldn't allow somebody to keep removing trees and removing trees and removing trees and especially now that they're coming up with the um I forget what the proper word he called it the map of all the trees in West Orange so he'll know probably within the year I believe he said at the last meeting how many trees we have where they're located so when he's getting these tree removal permits I anticipate and I don't want to speak for him but I anticipate that he'll be looking at that to see okay um Mr smeraldo removed three trees or two trees on his property this past year to put a pool and now he wants to add to this is all hypothetical by the way two more Hees have what [Music] talking the authority to deny that tree removal bur so I don't see how it would be a loophole by any stretch of the imagination but um because it still requires that everything goes through the to it still requires you to get a tree well I mean we've we've also seen just to the councilwoman's point trees taken down like five or however many were just taken down on on Maple Avenue um so my here's what I I'm gonna offer that's not the same thing you're talking about a homeowner taking down coun um you're not recognized councilwoman I want to offer an amendment to 4A is it 4 a yeah 4 a I want it to read as follows no person shall granted permission to remove more than two trees within a 24mon period if a person desires to improve their property with a structure actually take with the structure R yeah you got to Define it could be right it could be a driveway or whatever so if a person desires to improve their property and requires tree REM removal of more than two trees they may provide an application to the building department along with a tree removal request form with the Forester second um you're not gonna put the larger than the 10 DB I think it's for any size any size any age buildingart the they're going to because that's where you would if you want to make your driveway bigger if you want to add an accessory dwelling unit if you want to put an addition onto your home you're going to have to put in an application with the building department this tree removal form is going to have to accompany that and the Forester is going to have to approve it that's the intention if it's not said properly let me know yeah I think they that's also requireed we may have to if you're changing like a driveway and that may require zoning not just building yeah that's whatever application you have to put in well if wherever you put the application in if I want to put if I want say something to say submit Pro applications to the appropriate departments okay something to that effect because then this way if it has to go to building planning wherever where has to go thank you very much sir so we can we a little help back in there all right let me first sentence first sentence States no person shall be granted permission to remove more than two trees period I assume a 24 month period period oh yeah so here's my question finish the the the senten if a person desires to improve their property and that requires removal of more than two trees they may provide an application to the appropriate Department along with a tree removal request form from the Forester all right they shall they shall they shall they may give them an option yeah they shall they shall provide an application thank you very much Council women they shall provide an application to the building department to I'm sorry to the appropriate Department thank you sir and then you don't need to stay from the Forester because if you're gonna stay from the Forester what if we change that just from to the appropriate department now the tree removal form comes from the Forester so so I want to support be supportive with this but my problem is we're we're we're changing the ordinance without having a pair eyes from the people that have to this would likely be a substantial alteration to the first read I'm just saying I want everybody on the same page I don't want like last first reading then it'll give them an opportunity to it would be a similar process last time if you all voted am one second you all voted to amend the ordinance and made substantial alterations again today the process would be that I would send you all the red lines again tomorrow um I would ask Madame clerk to republish the ordinance and we would go through the same process for the next council meeting second so the next council meeting will be second reading if you all voted to approve it today okay by the majority of the counsil correct gotcha good got it thank you sir councilwoman Williams did you want to say something okay so councilwoman C finish so if the directors kick it back that this doesn't work for them or you need to absolutely consider is that gonna be a consider okay then I'll support it then absolutely um so what I'm going to do is I'm going to draft this and I'm going to send it I'm gonna have Madame clerk send it to everybody please provide me any comments to the initial version before we publish it and circulate it just so that we make sure that I got this language correct here a little a little shaky I think I got it so it back to me yeah so what I got is no person shall be grants permission to remove more than two trees within a 24mth period period If a person desires to improve a property with by removing more than two trees comma they shall provide application to the appropriate department and then I was going to add to be reviewed by the township Forester as well no along with a tree removal request form from the Forester yeah along with tree removal request form from the Forester and that's it perfectly got it so that was a motion and seconded right yes and also what I'm going to do is so everybody's clear I'm going to accept the red lines that were already done so the one the version that you'll get tomorrow will only be redlined with the substantial alterations that were made today got it okay and it's only advertised by title not the full ordinance got it but anybody who desires a copy please reach out to Madam clerk they get a free copy of it once it's already ready that's true y I'm sorry that ready for the vote all right councilwoman castelino yes councilwoman gber Michael councilwoman SCA councilwoman Williams yes council president Rutherford yes can I um find out what the fees are going to be if there are going to be any added fees in doing this process in terms of added fees for like a uh to more than two trees is there an added fee for the application that I'm gonna have to submit understood I I'll look into that for the same fee but okay now the most important is on page six this is what Rachel Klein talked about and I cannot vote for it if this is not in it uh we need to revise the language here um 4.2 page six 4.2 where it says all tree removal and replacement permit shall be posted on the trees to be removed and in the property owner's front door window all that so the tree permit is visible to any member of the public not less than seven business days prior to remove remover removal it has to say all tree removal and replacement permits including emergency tree removal permit shall be accessible to the public subject to the confidentiality provisions of Daniel's law or any other similar law all permits issued pursuant to this chapter shall be posted on the town website within 7 Days by the township Forester including location number of trees species size replacement number replacement site refund payment date placement must be completed and date completed and that is to mitigate the the flooding and we've explained this so many times we have to look at this as Geographic areas and if you cut down trees on the top of the hill the people at the bottom of the hill get flooded we have to be able to look at a glance at a plan and see how many trees are Michael Council govern Michael go ahead so I do agree with some of what you're saying councilman Scarpa I don't think that we should put the entire permit on the website I mean if they want to have a section where it says you know tree removal and list just the address and the number of trees I'd be fine with it but I don't think we should be putting a permit with people's phone numbers and email addresses and um we could yeah we could we can make sure that confidential information I disagree with per but we have to say we the trees are coming down and what in front of what home the purpose is you need to be able to look at a couple blocks at a glance especially in areas that are flood areas who is you everyone the people in town the forest qualifications do they have to justify the information people know they got flooding there are areas in town where people have such flooding in their B in exactly right flooding is one of the major issues we have in town and it's not going to get any better anytime soon and we don't want it to get worse than it already is um to your point though about seeing it at a glance aren't we putting all of the trees and those that are going to be removed uh on the website now like isn't that a part of the plan already excuse me at the last Township council meeting I think it was a 3-2 vote to remove that language correct it was but what is Mr Kip doing with regard to the the map so he creating what my understanding is is he's creating an inventory of how many trees are in the township as it stands now I believe that that inventory I'm not I don't want to speak for him so I'm not exactly sure if that inventory I'm assuming it's going to be available to the public it's obviously available to the public under Oprah um I'm assuming that he would just put it on the website with this Mr Smo that's something I I have to object on the behalf of the administration putting this on the on the website you know we have to take into consider many different laws including Daniel's law what if a law enforcement officer is looking to take a tree down on his property we have to by law protect that officer or an officer of the court and and just not to mention the fact that our employees now are going to get tied up with every single tree we already have our forest we we're looking for staff I I I just think it's we could we it's very burdensome and I and I think it's intrusive you know we don't put anybody else's on the we don't put building permits we don't put fense permits we don't put anybody else's permits on there I think it's intrusive on behalf of the administration thank that is well noted is it is it possible all right so I hear your objection I hear uh your objection as well uh councilwoman that was the reason that it was voted down but my thinking my thought was that the map would address that the map is not going to address that I don't exactly know all the ins and outs of this inventory in the map so I really don't want to speed for Mr kid I know when and council president just to reiterate the Daniel's law is something that we cannot violate as municipality we can be held responsible if that's a law enforcement property then we can be held in violation of the of the law itself and and and so now we're going to have to take people to figure out where that is we have to protect the people totally understood Mr smdo I think that's what councilman gber Michael was referencing uh and I think councilwoman scarper actually had some language around Daniel's law in there but I I do understand the the burdensome aspect as well as um you know disclosing sensitive information councilwoman celino who's so uh if if it's a developer if it's a developer they already have to notice they have to go before the board they have to go to developer but but I get the point because we did have some calls with people that live down the hill actually these were shrubs and and and somebody pulled out all their shrubs and it caused the same effect with water running down but I I get I guess we're gonna have to trust leave it off to Mr Kip like so if he has a situation let's not say Mr Kip just say the the Forester sorry because he may not speaker exactly and I get what you're saying because there I feel bad for people who have been deeply affected by this but the other problem is this could become problematic I I why don't we amend it if it becomes so so much of a problem because it's privacy in general again I I have to I have to object because we don't put any people are doxing people right now like you can't like this this this it's privacy is important privacy you gotta trust privacy it's very important to me what doing is for 50,000 people not just for us I'm not saying privacy is not only I'm talking about the privacy of privacy is important to me for our residents okay and if we are going to put tree permits then why would we not put every other permit on blast that is applied for in this town that is discretionary that is being exclusionary for one I don't think we need to put I think councilman G Michael already I just finish my comments without you interrup to me please councilwoman I didn't even acknowledge you to begin with so come on please you skip me councilwoman it's 11 o'clock let's avoid an argument for once well if you would let me speak then we don't have to argue but you keep cutting me off so just for the record let me excuse me Council Council for the record the way that I generally run these meetings I don't step on people and I don't mind the debate back and forth I actually encourage it both amongst us as well as the administration in this particular moment you're not happy with it but it is something that happens regularly because I think that's a more efficient way than stopping and starting and calling on every single person in micromanaging the meeting I understand you're not happy with it I'm happy to let you speak but it doesn't have to be an argument because you're not happy about it's not an argument councilwoman you're recognized it's just me making my points and again as I was stating privacy is extremely important and it is not not fair for you to single out a tree permit unless you are going to do the same due diligence with every other application or permit application that is required why is tree permits Superior than any other permit the only thing that you have to do with any other permit is posted I think the same requirement is what we have now landed on with this ordinance it is cumbersome it is over intrusive for you to ask people to do something particular and that not make it across the board so if you're going to tr change and make tree permits have to go online then everything should go online and we don't have the staff to make that happen no we councilwoman did you offer a motion yeah I offer a motion for it to read just the way I I could reread it again I I offer a motion all right um You you're GNA have to read it so that Mr Jenaro can is it the language that was it's the same language that was before that we the language for the record is the amendment offered by Council scar correct me if I'm wrong please is to add language in section four paragraph two on page six to add a first sentence that says all tree removal and replacement permits including emergency tree removal permits shall be accessible to the public subject to the confidentiality provisions of Daniel's law Andor any other similar law all permits issu to this chapter shall be posted to the Township's website by the township for within that is the that's being offered it said within seven days right did you have that within seven days including the location the number of trees spe was in there previously that wasn't in there previously no what I just read was in there previously it's in the little blur that says deleted all right is it a problem to put in the rest you can offer your Amendment councilwoman all right so let's let's put in within seven days Forest including location number of trees species size replacement number replacement site the full Amendment tree fund payment date replacement must be completed and date completed so that is the amendment that's the amend is there a second is there a second there's no second sorry councilman motion fails per okay let's over so councilwoman do you have other amendments you'd like to offer uh yeah um let's see number seven we need to put back in 7B seven on what page page seven b on prohibitions wait a minute there's no prohibition what is the it's in section four tree removal and replacement permit oh section B cut or any tree older than 25 years with a dbh of 10 Ines or more with the exception of the building department structure approval and where the tree is in the way so basically we're reversing everything that was done at the last meeting that's that's what we're being asked to that's what's being proposed that's what I'm offering all right so make your motion yeah so just so we're clear as the ordinance reads now you can't do that so you you can't remove a you you you're you're allowed to remove uh no actually you could do that you could remove up to two of those per year right well I want to put back in this language so you want you want cut or remove any tree older than 25 years with a dbh of 10 in or more with the exception of a building department structure approval and where the tree is in the way all right that is your your Amendment offered yeah I'm I 10 in yeah I'm Happ well 10 inches is like probably like that so it's a substantial treat and I understand the I understand the the the purpose I get it I I think you know I I think we're moving into territory where we may face some unintended consequences um but you're free to offer your motion okay I'll offer the amend so the motion has been offered is there a second uh Madam clerk yes sir councilman Scara offered a motion it has not yet received the second is there a second there is no second on that one either page eight so the next one yeah back to the buffered area page 8 17 cut down or remove trees in a landscape buffered area there is no 17 on page eight it out was removed meting by vote but so the reason we removed that last time was because there is no definition of a buffered area I don't know buffered areas are screening areas definition I mean we could offer a definition if that's what you want to do but there is no definition in this Lang in this ordinance for a buffered area what is a landscape offered area so if I take coun Council if you I have a question I have a buffer area that maybe I wanted to take and change it landscaped area so landscape area and maybe I want to cut the tree down and now they're saying that I can't but maybe I want to cut that that tree down because I want to expand my driveway well that's handled under a different section if you want to expand your driveway that's there's a process for that but it's a landscape buffered area that I want well I don't know what a buffered area is I don't well let's play right there I'm I'm good we don't know what you may have crep myrtles is a buffer yeah you may have your defition May different than mine and there is none in here but I'm saying you may want to swap out of crate mle and put with those those it's a CRP Myrtle like it's a real pretty tree but it's or it's ornamental it's ornamental and you may want to put like the tall bushes or I forget what they're called the r varities I'm good I don't if unless we're going to go back to definitions and add a definition in I'm probably not going to support all right we'll move forward then forget that one all right so is that she didn't actually offer that I didn't offer it yet so let's go to page nine um I wanted to please let's delete tree canopy and replace with trees so the Forester and so this is in this is in section trees will punish the canopy will not yeah this is important it's on page nine section 4 E1 right yeah so the barest one wanted us to use canopy instead of trees because a particular tree one tree could have in disproportionate amount of the canopy but trees will replenish canopies could be confused so we're now not going to listen to the professionals and we're not and we're going to listen to I mean this is a specific request by our hired professional to make this change as he went through changes and requests as we went through changes and requests we just suggested that we yield to our professionals well I mean that's when we did the traffic thing a moment ago we were willing to not listen to it I mean I'm I'm glad you were I was but not all of us right so you can't like make that argument not listening to her what I asked was that we postpone cost and cluster it with other all right C Celina so so B that we're we've been focused on this every time I go anywhere out of town or anywhere in New Jersey even Pennsylvania I'm looking at parking lots now and how much tree coverage there is in regard well it's you know it's I get it you get it I mean you come crazy but you know we're talking about 50% I had trouble with this so the past two weeks I'm I'm looking at a lot of places they're they're not not even close to 50% of canopy coverage would be the shade the Shaded area on a parking lot because they want parking there so I was nervous to even approve this as it is and we we went with the um what was it over 25 years just for clarification councilwoman it is not 50% of the lot coverage no of the Tree Preserve of the tree canopy that's there preserve 50% that's there already okay okay because I got confused to what he was saying so I've been looking and there's not you know many trees and a lot of parking lots which they don't have to them yeah well that and I think you know they want more parking so do we have hold on one second I just want to be clear I think what council castelino is talking about is section e yes right didn't she say number nine E8 is in regard specifically to parking lots yeah that's page nine didn't she say page yeah that's page 10 sorry okay she's talking about E1 oh okay I and started talking about parking lots I got a little confus e sorry I was ahead of you guys so do we have support for E1 conne actually I'm fine with E1 is there is there a motion I didn't hear a motion to change oh she wants to take off and P support for that cuz if not can we go you want to you what is your what are you trying to do delete the word canopy and replace with trees 50% of the trees yeah so I think so on that one I I'm I'm more concerned about the coverage that's there than the actual number of trees I'm more concerned about the trees because the trees will replenish the canopy I get it I get it the canopy won't I'm I'm so I'd like to make the motion if it if there's a second if not we just move on and what was the motion for I'm sorry to replace um canopy with trees all right so um yeah I'm sorry Council I'm I'm good with everything that we have it took a lot for me to get to where we got and like I said um at the beginning of the meeting you know not all of us were happy with everything at that evening so so my apology so now I'm sorry so are you offering a motion uh Council Scarpa all right the motion is to replace canopy with trees trees Tre replace tree canopy with trees right that is the motion is there a second there is no second for that one motion fails so what's the next one okay the last one is 14 oh did you have something you want to say Council um page 147 the appeal or denial of the tree removal and replacement now that's the one we said the page I'm sorry page 14 number seven appeal of the of denial of tree removal and replacement this is the one we're talking about it should be the zoning board versus the planning board right do we change that I think we should wait until we're 100% sure yeah yeah I'm not sure so you'll what I'll do in the meantime um because we have to make substantial alterations the ordinance anyway I don't think that so we're going to have to republish this for second reading assuming that it passes on first reading tonight with these two as of now amendments in the case that it goes back on for second reading in two weeks if that's the next council meeting I'll have an answer for who can hear the appeal that change will not be substitutive because it's just changing the body of the it's more procedural than anything well we know it's not the planning board we know it's not the plan so if you w to put it as zoning board for now as a place marker and then if it does need to be changed we can change it then that would be up to you why don't we just wait so we know what well this one is wrong that's why we know it's not I to delete today and question that which is why it came issue but my other concern with this one is with the appeal process it doesn't have the time that's necessary the 45 days to get even to whatever board is going to go to the 45 days with the appeal process the times don't line us that the forest talked about when we needed to change the notification period but if there is an appeal this 45 days the treat could either be removed if they if he granted it it could be gone by this time so we need him to and the department to really look back at this timeline um I yes Council so I hear you with that and and everything that we're discussing I just want to remind everyone especially Administration Mr smdo that if we don't finalize this before those tax bills for the third quarter taxes get mailed out with the letter from the uh mayor you know with all these changes so folks know that we change this we don't have a shot of the public really knowing about this and you know PE and it'll be all for not because people even know that exists and they go out in August no no the third quarter tax bills do August first so they should be getting ready to prepare that now short soon within the month okay so I Mr um jaro I know I I know that it doesn't go before the planning board this was an issue I don't know that it goes before the zoning board I I I I think it's at least a question since we've removed it from land use um so but if if I think we do need a placeholder and I think the public is going to have to see something we know this is wrong uh planning board is not the right place so uh I want to uh offer uh an amendment to change planning board in um in this section to Zoning Board second um sure I all right I I'll accept it so so change it to appropriate board and you'll let know exactly I second that yeah all right so that was offered and seconded okay and add one more can is uh on sorry that's section seven appeal or denial right appeal of denial of tree remov amendment is changing planning board to the appropriate board throughout that second yeah correct just make sure that timeline is within the appropriate timeline discuss yeah you got Council Administration regarding the timeline to file the appeal whether or not that makes sense as well thank you okay uh so on this amendment councilwoman castelino yes councilwoman gber Michel yes councilwoman Scarpa yes councilwoman Williams yes council president right yes and this Still Remains non-substantive for this particular particular change yeah because we already made substantial alterations to it it'll have to be we'll have to go through the process we'll do the same process we did last so this would be considered first reading and the next time assuming that it was pass yes one last thing is there any appetite to delete only those who own surrounding Lots where are you who are in the same place um page 147 appeal or denial of the tree removal and replacement only those who own the surrounding Lots who were required to be sent the not neighbor notification form shall have the right to appeal the decision of the township Forester to Grant a tree removal permit just because a lot of other neighbors are going to be affected by this flooding and they should have the opportunity to weigh in so Council and I think the solution to that that honors the privacy concerns that we have is on this map that M that the Forester is going to post on the website to have not just the inventory but to update it with the trees that are going to be taken down the location yeah so that you can go in if he's got a specific location and it's shared on the website shared on the website yeah it doesn't have a a a name or permit or any other identified information just the tree yeah all right yeah any so I I I I think that would accomplish what you're trying to accomplish yeah okay so is that it do we have any more um I just ask that the this is an amendment this is a more of a Administration request um we don't have anything in here but to your point just for a report once we get the actual map of West Orange Tree coverage um we should get a quarterly report and that was going to be my solution to not putting everybody's personal information on the website um but a quarterly report of the trees that have been removed and the locations the numbers but a quarterly report not a weekly update with the address and the person and all that information so and so what is the information you want in the quarterly report just so we're clear replacement and removal just and by that you mean what like the address of the tree that is being number of trees the number of trees replaced and removed privacy I think should be maintained but I think on a quarterly basis we should know what has been removed and replaced because then we can also start to see where our Improvement do we do we need to put that in this ordance this is an Administration request I just wanted to make sure we get it on the record okay so that's a request of the Forester the administration to have the Forester provide that to the council correct okay councilwoman I just wanted to make a motion so we can vote on this first second move on it's 11:20 and second it okay councilwoman celino this is to approve on first reading with all amendments uh okay is it gonna affect the vote no it's not affect the vote but I have a question for the administration when we're done voting okay councilwoman celino yes councilwoman gber Michael Yes councilwoman Scarpa yes councilwoman Williams yes council president Rutherford yes motion Carri blow let me uh not blow things up here but in regards to the tree companies so and this is for Mr smarald for administration so how is this going to affect because I this came up in a conversation I had with uh one of our directors so what happens if they pay for the year they a tree permit and then now we pass this and now this prevents this company for not being able to cut down trees like when would this go in effect if they already have a permit huh they already have a perit uh no so say so there from what I understand the companies pay a registration fee with us the beginning of the year to be registered as a a tree company correct and now if tree companies don't have clientele or their clients can't do a project because of the new ordinance like when would this be going into effect and when will you be notifying them I don't think any any tree company that has a permit it's like anybody like a tow truck operator if you don't pick up a car in this town we can't help that they didn't pick it up you know we're not going to govern the tree company so I mean no no no no I'm just saying they already paid for us for the year okay okay and if they and they're going to get turned down for every single permit no no I don't know I mean are you gonna refund them or or no okay I'm just asking that's something that came up in a conversation yeah no no I think if yeah if somebody pays and they don't getal amount to register well this it reg I I don't I think I don't think it's that much money I can find out okay yeah but um I'm asking you yeah no I'm sorry but I just I was like anything else we once they register it's business risk right council president ma'am I just realized that we never I never called for a motion to uh well I guess it would be introduced on first reading tonight now that there are substantial alterations this would be a motion to hear the amended ordinance with the three proposed amendments on first reading so Mo first reading second just for the public because we've had a lot of discourse would you please repeat the Amendments yes so we'll try to go in order here section 4A on page six first sentence will now read or first two sentences rather will now read no person shall be granted permission to remove more than two trees with Excuse me within a 24mon period period If a person desires to improve a property with by removing more than two trees comma they shall provide an application to the appropriate Department along with a tree removal permit application uh second change sorry I'm just jotting down the word application uh second is section seven on page 14 uh there will be a non-substantial change to from planning board as a global in that section to the appropriate board uh which will before second reading have determined presumably and then on page 15 um the n non substantial procedural change that was made is to the last is to Section 8 tree replacement first paragraph last sentence it will now read if any replacement tree planted pursuant to this section is removed comma fails to thrive or dies within two years comma it shall be replaced by the property owner within within six months and shall be viable for an additional two years thank you probably motion and seconded to introduce that on first reading uh that ordinance as amended yes Madam clerk councilwoman castelino yes councilwoman gber Michael councilwoman scar councilwoman Williams council president rord yes thank you motion carries oops 2851 2851 oh uh an ordinance amending and supplementing chapter 7 traffic subsection 7- 32.2 restricted parking zones of the revised General ordinances of West Orange second thank you very much okay councilwoman castelino yes councilwoman gber Michael councilwoman s councilwoman Williams yes council president R yes okay public hearing on first reading oh no second reading yes um we are now opening public comment for uh ordinance 2851 uh for those in person only seeing none public comment is now closed I move for the um adoption on second and final reading I second it thank you councilwoman castelino yes councilwoman gber Michael Council Scarpa councilwoman Williams council president Rutherford yes the motion carries okay ordinances on first reading 2852-20 and ordinance amending chapter 5 Section 34.2 34.4 34.5 and chapter 25 so moved wait a minute let me I do have one change 24.2 of the revised General ordinances of the township of West Orange licensed cannabis entities um before we introduce I'd like to in I'd like to offer a minor Amendment we are dealing if you are looking at the uh ordinance uh the redline version on page two at the top this is section fivey 34.4 B it reads the number of licensed cannabis entities holding a local license shall be limited to four local licenses for cannabis retailers and three total local license it should say licenses for cannabis cultivators or manufacturers this cap of four licensed cannabis retailers with local licenses may be increased to allow pre-approved entities to move forward um in our language and in the actual business practice cultivators are often manufacturers also um it's and what we did earlier today by opening um the lifting the moratorium um um for cultivators and manufacturers um I think we should change that that or to and it could be seen as you know so if someone is a cultivator now and we um ultimately end up um allowing two other cultivators none of them would also be able to do manufacturing um and they those two things typically go hand inand so I would like our like us to consider that I second that that makes sense thank you council president don't we need to introduce it on a first reading and then make the Amendments we need to do it that way Madam clerk we didn't do the Cannabis one that way what do you mean we cannabis I'm sorry the uh tree oh the tree we we adopt it we we and then introd and we amended it had to go back out and then we went back then you adopted it adopted it again on first reading then you put it back after the second can can we just make that one change it's not a substantive change it's just one word have any objection to us doing it this way Mr Jenaro I do not can you just clarify the exact uh uh so in section page two on page two top of the page just change that one word or between cannabis cultivators or manufacturers It should read cannabis cultivators and manufacturers well well how are we seconding something that hasn't been adopted for first reading that's yeah can we how don't we make the motion to adopt first reading and then make the change was it I believe that that's the proper procedure I think you second it hold on a minute all right so I offer a motion to introduce whatever this one is on first reading okay this is 2852 and councilman gber Michael did second um then we go around and vote bring councilwoman celino to introduce on uh first reading um I'm okay with that Amendment but introduce on first reading I can't support this guys I'm sorry so you're not okay so it's a big no okay councilwoman gerer Michael Yes councilwoman Scarpa no councilwoman Williams yes council president Rutherford yes okay the motion carries want to offer an amendment to uh 2852 change that one word or to end that we just discussed on page two okay okay uh coun cwom celino yes councilwoman gber Michael councilwoman Scarpa you said no thank you councilwoman Williams yes council president Rutherford yes okay one the motion carries any other amendments being offered on 2852 okay 2853 and ordinance amending and supplementing chapter 7 traffic subsection 7-20 stop inter SE of the revised General ordinances of West Orange various streets is there a motion yeah in second I have some questions on this yeah hold on yeah but you can take the vote oh you want me to take the V yeah then I'll do the question okay I'm getting confused here hold on just give me one second please I'm getting is okay councilwoman celino yes to introduce councilwoman gber Michael councilwoman TPA councilwoman Williams council president ruer yes the most in carries so uh is um director carbal still on can you add her please good evening everyone good evening director thank you for sticking around so long um we do have some questions on 2853 I'm happy to allow my colleague to go first uh councilman castelino unless you want me to go first which I'm happy to do um if you're not ready no no no M were you on Stanford and Crestwood because I had spoken with with the director I've got some on all of them essentially okay because I was the only one going up the hill that I had an issue with but go ahead all right so um couple things uh and and I want to first thank you uh director for spending so much time with me going through this particular ordinance um my concern is we are adding uh stop signs similar to uh what we talked about earlier with regard to Kelly and Hagerty and Kelly and visaya we are adding stop signs that are not likely to adequately address address the issue so uh first I want to know uh if the recommended sidewalks in this um uh or if in this in the uh recommended the sidewalks that were recommended by the Consultants are they planned or can they be planned later on I will have to add them basically to our my future budgets probably the 2026 bu since currently we don't have anything so I I I would encourage you to do that I for the benefit of the public these changes first off this study and then the recommended changes uh came about because of Resident um complaints and issues and concerns around uh traffic flow through these various neighborhoods some of which affects kids playing in in the street some of which affects people walking dogs um and some of these recommendations included sidewalks but they're not included in the work that's going to be done so I would like the sidewalks to be included the other question I have is and and that's also for you Mr smdo please take that back to the mayor um if we don't do the sidewalks and PE you know the stop signs are on the minor streets the minor streets are the streets that uh where the residents were that uh created the complaints so they'll stop at the end of the street but in the middle of the street which is where the issue is there's nothing to to affect them to affect the behavior that they're currently seen so would like to see the sidewalk so people can walk their dogs and play ride their bikes on the sidewalk uh second thing similar to uh Hagerty uh the conversation we had earlier um and I know we have limited resources so the chief will have to kind of figure this out but I would encourage uh additional traffic enforcement I already sent an email good for for all of these two not for these ones no I sent it for um hagy and those right yeah that once the stop signs are up let's do some targeted enforcement um obviously I wouldn't want residents to be ticketed on their first uh offense if that's possible issue them a warning um but to have a presence there so that the behavior uh that you know created the need for this study and now these changes that that behavior is also addressed uh the second thing is do this help third thing is does this help us get closer to meeting Vision zero either you or the director I I would defer the director on that one director can you address that for us most of the vision Ser PL um recommendations and areas that need to be targeted deal with County Roads where a lot of the incidents have taken place so this does not help us get closer to uh you know our become like being compliant with vision zero doesn't mean we w't get points because Vision zero is mostly targeting streets in which we have had already like you know accidents um and are mostly located on County Roads there are some local roads gotcha but is this is not something that I would say is like you know specifically Invision zero okay and uh you know I think there were only like three crashes on in here so those don't count either I guess or they're not just it has to be a higher number of Crash of traffic uh crashes in order order to help us with vision zero is that right uh it has to do mostly with pedestrian crashes okay Vision zero all right just uh from a cleanup standpoint some of these uh the the the naming of the streets is inaccurate um so like uh on page where it talks about Abington Road and Deerfield Drive the first section and this is true for almost every one of the first mentioned of the streets so Abington Road it says is a Street between Deerfield Drive and Deerfield Drive it's it's between uh Seaman Seaman and Deerfield and then you've got a similar pattern with each of them the first time it's mentioned it mentions the it captures the street inaccurately uh so I would just clean that up uh sent the consultant some revisions maybe I attached the WR report or maybe it got missed but I will uh I will U contact the consultant again and just for clarity are the the site distance improvements that are recommended are we doing those too where it's recommended that we a lot of the side distant uh side distance improvements like some of them cannot be done for for example if you look at Crestwood in Stanford there's nothing I can do about side distance when you come up that hill there's nothing I can do to be able to see the car that is turning down Stanford nor can I see the car that is going to be going straight across grest to towards Presswood there is something in there that I really that's something that is existing it's a hump on the road and it's nothing really you can do about that which is the reason why this stop sign would actually help now in some of the other areas they're recommending to keep side distance and some of them I will probably have to send a letter to one of the property owners one of the intersections I can remember exactly which one it was I think it was one on Bell VI which actually do see that it's definitely an issue with side distance all of the other ones is just a matter of trimming the trees and making sure that you know we do our maintenance so with regard to trimming I just want to make sure that we're not taking those trees down that we indeed do just trim them um and I think everything else was addressed in our conversations earlier um I think we're doing some striping for crosswalks as well um as the stop signs I've encouraged the uh Administration to consider targeted patrols for enforcement um and I I I think that's it for me councilman celino you know I want to thank the director um I spent some time with her on the phone the other day but still Stanford Avenue Crest Crestwood I didn't get a chance to drive by there so I'm gonna haven't been on it in a while and I wanted to get over there yesterday and I I didn't get a chance uh that being said I'm going to it's on first reading I'm going to trust your you obviously your judgment um but the comment from one of our residents was it's a steep hill and driving to the top then you'd have to stop short in the winter like you know will they be able to get up the hill and that was a major concern on a Walker Road when a stop sign was put that's exactly and and so my question have we had any issues that anybody know uh is aware of I didn't think to ask you this yesterday um so apologize director um but I you know just just curious because that's very steep as well and have there been any issues I Know Chief isn't here to yeah to answer that question answer that question so that's not a question I like to have answered by the time we have this on second reading I have not heard of any I have some questions as well concerns regarding the uh the steepness of the Hill and being able to stop during the the winter months yeah I mean regardless and you're driving up that hill you still have to come to a stop but as of right now nobody's going to stop actually everybody has the every vehicle coming down in Standford towards Pleasant valleyway or coming from Pleasant valleyway to the intersection right now has the RightWay with the exception of Presswood residents who do have a stop sign on their side so the only crash that was recorded there was recorded in the winter time so I don't know but I do think that's a good question yeah um all right so I'm I'm I guess you know Mr smdo you can get that answer for councilman Celina let me some I'm going to go drive by there good uh councilwoman Williams thank you um I had some questions director carbal um as it related to the study the traffic study that was done so when we put in the various speed um table bumps as well as the stop signs on Walker Road do you recall whether or not that was done with an independent traffic study so what we did for Walker Road when we did the paving last year or the year before I can't recall exactly I think it was in 2022 I think towards the end of 2022 we ped Walker Road so a lot of the residents or I will say commuters of this road they started sending emails that they didn't want any of the uh speed homes put back in at that time we decided to actually have the police department put down a stat trackers in order to monitor the number of vehicles as well as the speed of each one of them when the data was collected it was showing that indeed they were speeding and also that the number of vehicles on that road was exceeding a threshold or a number I can't recall exactly what it is but I believe it's 3,000 vehicles per day which actually requires Us by law to go ask for permission from the commissioner of NJ do at that time then early last year I sent a letter to the commissioner of NJ do as well as the plans showing the location of the speed bumps and also the data from the police department and that's when we got authorization after I would say probably a month or two we received the letter from njd authorizing the township the municipality to install the speed homes so the reason why I asked the question was because after we put the stop sign in the middle of Walker Road as you're going going up the hill we got a tremendous amount of residents complaints um about the location you're coming down the hill it's making you stop midhill and then as you're going up the hill it's not a necessary stop as well so the reason why I'm asking is because in some of these cases I am familiar but all of them I am not because it is first reading I I am you know happy to accept it um but I did want to encourage my colleagues to actually drive through um so that we can make sure that some of these are real legitimate concerns um just hearing that we've had you know some traffic studies that have been initiated by a complaint or a single complaint um you know again looking at all of the data there's not a tremendous amount of accidents I really understand that we want to be cautious but I also understand that we want to keep the flow of traffic moving and you know sometimes you get an incident with a driver who may not necessarily be local it may have been a unique experience and then a resident becomes panicked or over concerned so I'm not negating that incidents do happen I just want to make sure our response uh is consistent with whatever the long-term implementation is that we decide and I think sometimes in trying to accommodate our residents we may go overboard and and not understand the the long-term impact that it has on everybody do we have crash data yeah it's it's in there only three crashes out of all of those uh streets but and and to your point I hear you and I had to Shar the same concern when I spoke with the director um you know part of her professional experience and I'll let you tell us do you think we should have stop or traffic control mechanisms on these streets anyway even if there wasn't a a resident complaint I do believe so yes and like I said to you earlier today there are many streets in town that should have a stop signs they're called Regulatory and warning signs and the purpose of them is that a vehicle or any motorist that is driving within a neighborhood knows when to stop and when to go and when does they have the right just to go or not but if we don't have any stop signs on some of this intersections whether they have a high n volume of vehicles or not everybody's going to think that they have every right for a passage so when one person might think that the incoming traffic or motorist from the Minor Road get to the major road might not stop because there's no stop sign to tell them to do so we also need to understand like for for example the neighborhood of Seaman Road Deerfield aington Stanley and bring more in that area I received a concern of complaint from one of the residents who came into the office there was also I received also emails from another resident regarding um issues that you know they cannot their kids cannot play in the street that somebody was speeding on Seaman Road and also they were asking for Speed homes we conducted a speed home survey within the neighborhood they didn't want it for those for those a street that actually qualified to have a speed homes installed based on the slope or or of the street streets when we send out the uh surveys and we got a lot of responses back a lot of the residents said to install the stop signs because it will be a lot cheaper than installing the speed homes thank you director I'm I'm comfortable with your level of expertise I just want us to as as a body as a board as a municipality I just want us to be mindful to the responses that we give to resident complaints I just want them to be a substantial amount of and and again it's not saying I want someone to get hurt by any stretch of the imagination it's just that we can't simply respond to one or two or three complaints when we have 55 50,000 people in our neighborhood and 12 miles of streets I understand and that's why every time I get concern or any uh resident that you know sends me an email or anyone I do myself Drive the streets and I do see to myself and I even say to myself like there should be a stops sign here so thank you director um uh to the councilwoman's point and uh to just to reiterate Mr maraldo once these stop signs are up should they go up should this actually pass and it be um implemented uh we're going to still need to do some targeted enforcement to change the behavior I'm send an email now do it anyway your best um did we vote on we make a motion to adopt did we do it streets I thought we were all the next what I got all exit are we are 284 let's move it okay 2854 an ordinance amending chapter 18 section 1.9 of the revised General ordinances of West Orange local enforcement of the uniform fire code permit SE thank you introduction on first in first reading to introduce have to say that anymore well yes uh okay that a motion was offered to introduce and it was properly seconded so councilwoman celino yes councilwoman gber Michael councilwoman farpa councilwoman Williams yes council president Rutherford yes the motion carries any questions or can we move forward forward 2855 Madam clerk 28 55-24 in ordinance amending chapter 18 section 2.1 of the revised General ordinances of the township of West Orange establishing a fire lane at Bernard mdan park for a motion to introduce second I have a question thank you after the vote yeah I have to vot councilwoman calino yes councilwoman G Michael councilwoman Scarpa councilwoman Williams council president retherford yes councilwoman celino you have a question thank you council president so my question is I'm for fire lane uh very important but where exactly we didn't get the schedule a so where exactly is that going that fire lane I'm just worry about uh the parking by dnan Park so that was already the fire lane already been established by this ordinance all this ordinance does is change the fees for not fees the amount that of the penalty if you park in a fir Ling be prescribed by resolution and what it also does is the ordinance as it was as it was written previously didn't deal with all fire lane violations so chiefo pointed that out to me so we added essentially that this applies to all um so it's been there we know if it it's that's that fire lane has always been an issue because especially going around the it's just you know people block it you have to so where where where's it at is it it's the whole place Bas it's basically from from the tennis courts okay all the way to oh yeah I'm sorry okay so oh okay so it's not up by the park where and a fire lane by code I I believe now is 20 foot wide so if you put a sign on one side of the street it covers the whole side of street unless it's over 20 feet okay all right the purpose and the purpose behind it is for the ladder so that they can get the yeah no no good reason operational I got a lot I got a lot of useless information how do you know so much I don't know I thought you are a wizard tonight uh 2856 Bond a bond ordinance providing for the capital acquisition of refug courts by and in the township West Orange appropriating two Mill $2 million therefore and authorizing the issuance of $1.9 million bonds or notes of the township to finance part of the cost thereof I'm going to move to table second if I if I can just uh tell you the justification why we put it on we know that this that you may not award the Garbage Contract the thought behind this was that even if you put it on first reading it's ready for any time you want to use it in the future so whether you want to do it now or the next one I'm just telling you what the the theory behind it isk okay so motion to table time councilwoman Celina yes was it seconded yes yes okay councilwoman gber councilwoman SCPA yes councilwoman Williams of course yes council president Rutherford carries so pinning matters new matters Council discussion I have do we need to do anything with this CCR well we never got the resume so and I have one resume that I'm waiting on I have one two that I'm waiting on I don't know what I'm I'll just keep putting it on the agenda okay all right before we go I do have one issue um Mr Jenaro I'm reading from our Township Code I'm not exactly sure I think it's uh it might be 3-5 agenda okay second it says an agenda for each regular meeting of the township Council shall be prepared by the clerk under the supervision of the president of the council all ordinances resolutions and any supporting supporting written material for cons consideration that the next council meeting shall be delivered to and received at the clerk's office by 3:00 p.m. on the Wednesday next preceding the meeting earlier if possible and if later shall require permission of the council president before placement on the agenda the agenda headings shall be written in plain English and each resolution in ordinance unless clearly self-explanatory shall include a brief description of its purpose also written in plain English by the department submitting it and it goes on a little further than that my question because what we've been operating under is the mayor puts on the agenda what the mayor wants and we don't have the ability to affect that and uh that I the way I read this and please clarify for me doesn't seem that that's the case it seems like the mayor would have to ask the president of the council so so help me understand why that's not the case it states that all ordinances resolutions and supporting written material for consideration shall be delivered to the cler's office by 3M and if later shall require permission from the council president to be before placement on the agenda right so it goes to say that if it essentially in layman's terms that if for whatever reason we put on something the administration tries puts on something after 3:00 or anybody for that matter I should say after 3:00 then we would need the permission of yourself the preceding sentence says or just starting at the beginning an agenda for each regular meeting of the township Council shall be prepared by the clerk under the supervision of the president of the council it doesn't say anything about the mayor that's right and I've read it that way too I've questioned them because I read it that way a year ago and I I think your interpretation appears to be the right but that doesn't have to do with so so how would anything be placed on the agenda that comes from the administration right that's why there's a separate ordinance for how items get placed on the agenda right there's a separate aside from this section yeah there's a separate section of the code I I've cited it cited it previously often uh let me all right because the way I read that the mayor would present those things and then the clerk and I would get together and decide what would go on and would not go on or whoever the president is no that that's never happened it doesn't mean that that's the right way we're just asking for clarification because that's the way it reads if you read it does read and I've read it that way too and interpret it the same way you a year ago I read a couple different you read it that way if it's read that way then the mayor would never be able to put on an ordinance on the agenda that no she would or whoever the mayor is they would submit it to the clerk and between the clerk and I we agree on what we would add I think to the agenda it would be under my or whoever the council president is yeah for the deadline yeah so just so Mr Jenaro I'm going to ask you to give us a short memorandum or something on it just to clarify this whole thing I don't have I don't have the exact that's fine I didn't I just wanted to raise it now on the record and and for my colleagues benefit and this is sincere I'm not trying to be this is not playing any games no and it's not this is how I think the council should be going forward regardless of who the mayor is it says it an agenda for each regular meeting of the township Council shall be prepared by the clerk which means she's going to write it up and put all of the stuff where it needs to go and do all the proper notices under the supervision of the president of the council not under the supervision of the mayor it doesn't say with permission by the council president it says uh you're you're supervising but you're not they're not the administration doesn't have to go to the council president to ask for permission to put something on the agenda so understanding as well but I'm happy to clarify it with some ties and draft short little memo regarding that that's all I I wanted thank you very much sir by way I I have two things real and there quick things one because I didn't want to go back during a vote but as we were looking at that map of the uh Seaman Road area and and something came to mind uh with Mont Clair Country Club so we keep talking about the percentage of the canopy lost and I know you know we have the strict ordinance we haven't spoken in regards to the golf clubs because we've lost a lot of trees between the all the courses um with trees dying so I wanted to know we've talked about trees dying well trees that are diseased and being taken down and the park so I'm just curious when we talk about the canopy or is down to 27% doeses that include all the all the properties in the town so the golf course is is in the old or in the ordinance as it's written and as it stands today 25-27 25-27 exempt sclf coures from the tree removal requirement so that's 20 I can't believe I know 25- 27.4 c as it's written today exempts golf courses from having to get a tree removal permit unless the tree is within 75 ft of the street line what about repl this proposed ordinance that was passed on first reading does no longer exempt scalf all the exemptions for golf courses were removed okay so now golf courses alike will need to go through Municipal Golf oh private Municipal private any doesn't follow us County doesn't follow us correct private golf courses will now need to follow the new if pass the new tree or as it stands now they only have to apply for a permit if it's within 75 ft of the street line I'm going off of memory here but that's I'm we didn't have a discussion about I just want to make sure it was covered I understand that was the letter that I I had one I had one more thing all right hold on one second yes okay so we have the budget hearing uh Workshop not hearing budget presenta uh Workshop next week uh we need organizational charts from the administration number one um also no they weren't they weren't in there um and also I just want to see where we're at because we obviously have to finaly the garbage contract so the budget can get set for next year I assume well make those decisions so because you want to have a meeting before we settle anything thank you C we can't we can't settle anything until we have your meeting okay so the reason being is last year we got the budget done so late third quarter taxes were in set and an estimated tax number was on third quarter bill which freaked people out so what what timeline do we need to stay within so that doesn't happen this year because the last thing I I would want to do is overestimate the third quarter out which isn't unusual I I mean it it happens in a lot of townships but if we could prevent it doesn't happen everywhere we can stop making yeah well we usually last year was anomaly no year before that year before that we had it it's Mr Smo so I think to answer your question councilwoman one we have we don't know how many budget hearings we're going to have we we already have the one we may have more than one I don't know based on previous history what's the the and uh I don't know what the exact date is yes so we need a timeline I can get you a timeline but if you're GNA also add in this garbage meeting and then we have to make a decision on the garbage and everything else I don't know I don't know what we could do for a realistic timeline to get it completed but we'll get you the timeline for the third quarter so what's frustrating about the garbage meeting is and I again I don't want to give out criticism this later of the evening but it's just frustrating that we started talking about garbage a year ago and now we're I we you know I don't want to be crunched for to make a decision but yet we're crunch we we we went through the process we went through the process but the sitting in on with getting all the um the information sending to the state going back and forth we had to go back and forth with the state State several times um getting their responses changing things we had to actually change things that they told us to change this was before the B went out yeah this was before the bid went out yeah then we had to send the bid out then we received the bid so I mean this process has been we've been working on it probably since I think September yeah and we're just now here at this point so it's it wasn't from a delay on we started working on this garbage TR right right I'm saying all right so so what we do need though is a special meeting to have discussion we can't do a workshop because we do want are we allowed to have public comment in Workshop if we choose so we need a special meeting so so can we get like a doodle poll sent out to the uh does that violate opma if you send out a doodle poll to us so we can respond with dates and times that we can meet I'll send you under you know what I'll do is I'll send you as I do a lot of the other stuff under BCC okay this way you can't reply to one another all right so let's get a doodle poll so that we can figure out when we can have a special meeting for the Garbage Contract in public um yeah do you have any dates right now that we can't do I mean I know we we all have C 12 we have the ABC hearing and I can't do the 13 I confused the ABC hearing with the budget Mark so June 12th is out yeah um yeah and yeah the 10th the 10th is the council meeting that's a Monday on 13 do it sooner guys we need to do this sooner so that soon we did you know I'm just throwing it out here you've had special meetings during the daytime may we can do it during lunch um how people from the public come if we can do it on June uh 5th or 6 in the evening supposed to be for the I'm not available on the how about June 5th is everyone available Wednesday June 5th I am a plan in the evening it's going to be more than an hour the planning board to board is the fifth is it board is the fifth planning board is the fifth so that's no how about next Thursday 30th we have one already how about next Wednesday what about Friday no yeah what about Friday 31st what do we do we doing something on Friday 31st mom's birthday yeah I mean we can do two hour what about Monday the 3 we have a meeting Monday I cannot do Monday Tuesday can't do Monday Tuesday okay and you can do fifth and six are done well I might have to be on Zoom how about say that again Monday the 10th to be on Zoom not yes can you do it on Zoom the whole thing on Zoom we don't have to do it in person no well the idea is to give the public they can weigh in on Zoom going back can we do it before the council meeting instead of a conference agenda like an hour before conference so actually that was the reason why I wanted to bring up the whole thing about the agenda we we would have been done yeah an hour and a half ago or hour and 45 minutes ago if we if we didn't do the like we we went that when we were inviting people to the conference agenda you have to make it very clear to them that they have up to 10 minutes and not 25 minutes to you know yeah maybe they don't even do it maybe we do it maybe we have Mr Fagan make the presentation on their behalf or something because we you know you can say that but then you become rude or you know people don't get I I get it I get it so with all due respect I have to leave I'm available any Wednesday or Thursday if you guys pick Wednesday I'll make myself available in the evening yeah I think so so did not work Wednesday the 5th did not work you have to I think we should send out the email and then we'll all respond to that all right let's do that so look look at uh the the the following Wednesday 12th and 13th yeah well somebody said they couldn't do the 12th so um no the 12th is the if that's fast we could get something be fairely time box in anyway look at the 13th are you talking would you like six o'clock so it's earlier yeah is this for garbage yeah so wait so so we could do a garbage Workshop meeting and then have the hearing at a council meeting what's the point of having a workshop because it hasn't even been explained to us we need a chart we need to see the differences we need The public's weigh in right why can't the council meet with the experts like you do with other things two at a time get all your question answered what do I do to you buddy you don't like Mee with you want us all the one night well sometimes it's helpful to have the feedback from my colleagues because you know yeah so let's see if we can get a a let's see if a Thursday do do do Thursday 13 say the 13th is going to be hard because the ABC hearing is the 12th you've not been through one yeah I don't want to do a it's going to be very late another animal yeah it's gonna be late it's like a trial we may not even done in one night it's bad it's a lot just put out the survey and then find out which best instead of beling this now and one of our colleagues is left motion to adjourn all in favor any oppos okay good night West Orange as