##VIDEO ID:GoKQnHilnBs## e we're ready I open the burnard township committee meeting for November 26 2024 please stand for the flag salute adequate notice of this meeting was posted on the bulletin board of the municipal building one colier lane Basking Ridge on the township website an email to the Bernardsville news whiy The Courier News Bridgewater tap into to.net patch.com and filed with the T clerk on December 18th 2023 any motion to go into Clos session will include that the matters discussed at such closed session will be disclosed to the public when such matters are finally determined and there is no further reason to prev the public the public from disclosures of information related to such matters the rules adopted by challer committee no new business will be introduced after 10:30 p.m. public comment will be accepted at all meetings speakers will be limited to 5 minutes each all meetings will adjourn no later than 11:30 p.m. that brings us to roll call Christie Mr Balman here miss DTE McCarthy here miss Fields here Mr MCN here mayor AC here brings us to Executive session resolution 2024 437 authorizing an executive session meeting of the township of Bernard's committee to discuss Personnel 2025 board and professional appointments may have a motion to temporar temporarily adjourn to Executive session move resolution 2024 0437 authorizing executive session I'll second it Christy roll call please Mr Balman yes Miss DTE McCarthy yes Miss Fields yes Mr MCN yes mayor AC yes motion carried thank you e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e y so we are officially back in Open Session we're going to move to presentations none this evening mayor that brings us to Public Work session none this evening any reports none correspondents none this evening then that brings us to public comment comments are welcomed during the public comment period during this meeting on any agenda item or any other matter over which the township committee has jurisdiction however if an ordinance is listed for its own public hearing on the agenda please hold your comments for that particular public hearing the public comment portion of the agenda is not structured as a question and answer session but offers an opportunity to share your thoughts with the township committee the committee may or may not address these comments during the meeting however all comments are considered to address this body the speaker must come forward to the microphone and state his or her name and address for the record each speaker is limited to 5 minutes the clerk will keep time please promptly yield the floor when the flo the time is called and return to your seat your cooperation adherence to these Rules of Order will ensure an order orderly and respectable meeting I open public comment hi Maria splendorio um I live at 3251 Valley Road I also own 3055 Valley Road and um I've been reading in the paper and all of you are aware of the incident that happened right on my street um with a Bonnie Bray student that had I'm not going to say escaped because that's a sensitive word but left without permission and um nearly killed somebody or or killed somebody I don't know the followup on that person um and it's very alarming I live two doors down from that gas station I send my kids there to fill up their G fill up their tires I fill up my tires there I use that body shop all the time and um it's very alarming um you know and I just this is not new this was a ticking time bomb that was about to happen and nobody did anything about it and I was in the traffic jam that couldn't get me back to my house because we were stuck there for many hours and when I finally got up to the cop because I thought it was just a severe accident um he said it was a crime scene and that he couldn't let me go through to get to my my driveway um that scared the hell out of me and um I'm not I'm not good at public speaking but it was enough for me to come here and and ask you guys you know I know you guys are still you know deliberating what you're going to do and work with Bonnie Bray but enough's enough I mean they have had enough chances and I want to go on the record saying I am okay with Bonnie Bray being in our town I am okay with those boys getting help help I'm just not okay with their security measures there is something lacking and you guys you know are allowing this to be in our town and we as our citizens and our neighbors are welcoming them with open arms a lot of times we're doing clothing drives for them and and everything we can to welcome them so this is not a attack on Bonnie Bray being in our town at all this is about them handling the security but if they can't do it and they haven't been able to do it in the last 50 years that they've been there and I did put it on Basking Ridge moms just to see what what was happening and I'm not sure if any of you are on basking rid moms I'm guessing you guys have to be but um I mean one person wrote that two days before somebody was you know banging on their door for a 12-year-old was banging on their door with just a t-shirt on and and was you know begging to come in and and just chose the phone um another one went in the back of the house while their kid was playing in the backyard I mean these could have been catastrophes that didn't happen because you know the boy wasn't really looking to do any harm but then you have one that that that did and you pushed the envelope and there's a guy who paid the price that's 30 years old that's just trying to get Phill his hair up with Tire you know you know Tire up with air I I'm not okay with this um and I'm asking what can the township do and take and do right away to make me my neighbor neighbors and everyone in this community feel more safe and you know allow this this to begin our town but take it out of their hands that they're not handling the security they're going to yes you to death they're going to say that they they're ramping it up and whatnot before it was in the paper 480 PE kids had had escaped or whatever you want to call it you know you know within the last four years 480 kids ran away from the facility and we're wondering why the love of the numbers we were wondering when this was going to happen I'm just wondering why it didn't happen sooner and I've lived in this town for 25 years I have no problem with Bonnie brgh I'm G to say it again but I am Pro I have a problem with the security we have silver alerts when elderly people are missing we have Amber Alerts when kids are missing I don't understand why immediately we cannot have some sort of alert system in this Township with all the social media that happens and all the emails and alerts that we can possibly do to let our the community know that someone has ran away so they can get they can lock their doors they can get their kids inside and and be on be on alert and then let let us know when they the kid has been found I mean there is no reason why the township cannot do that for this community right away and not wait until you guys figure it out with Bonnie Bray because you guys haven't not you but the last 50 70 years has not done it with Bonnie Bray up until this point point and I haven't attended any meetings but I have been reading the newspaper and I I have been following up on just the discussion that's going back and forth I think we need a little bit more than a discussion I think we need some action so that's all I'm trying to compel to you I was going to say um committee MCN has taken action and has an update may I ask if perhaps um you stay for his portion of the update and he can provide the action that he has taken on behalf of the township committee with that I was going to say that he made a comment at the last meeting Andrew and I are on the subcommittee for the police department and we did have a meeting so he's going to to his portion he'll he will update you on that okay I mean well we hear you trust me and he has an update okay does he want to say it now again from a timing perspective this is open public comment so I'd rather have other comment that's fine um I don't know if anybody else would be interested to hear there might be others as well and so that way then after all that then each Us address the body and the committee minority has been taken action and has an update to share pleas thank you appreciate your time thank you thank you for coming anyone else title sign Riverside Drive uh this is regards to um ordinance um change ordinance um 2567 where you're changing um permitted uses uh I know you're voting on it's only being presented tonight I might say it now I think um you should keep the light manufacturing there's no reason to do away with it I think um the zoning board did what they were supposed to do they saw that the F was too large and they knocked it down if they were to build a different facility a little smaller there shouldn't be any problems I think um people got really upset and made more mountain out of mle Hill about it but I think we should keep it putting labs in there is not that necessary the answer I worked at Merk and I worked at sharing pla I know about labs and labs are nasty also and um especially with um a lot of these um Pharmaceuticals are moving out of the state many have already moved out of the state move South I don't think it's really a winning project just to have labs in there I think um light manufacturing is really the way to go thank you very much thank you anyone else manufacturing on the agenda later on this is the opportunity to speak the public hearing for this is next meeting so this is an introduction for that at this meeting is so if you want to speak this would be your time my name is hary gearhard I live on 416 manary Road here in bassing Ridge and I would uh commend the uh planning board uh the uh zoning board for uh shooting down the light manufacturing uh plant that was advocated for um the Allen Road facility Allen Road area I think light manufacturing does not belong in our town I think the infrastructure of our town cannot tolerate light manufacturing um as we saw the uh number of tractor trailers that were um that were pushed would um really infringe on school children and on the neighborhoods in general so I I would assume that there would be um uh ordinances uh that could be put into place that would limit uh severely limit light manufacturer actually abolish it uh within our town um I that's Point number one point number two um during those hearings um there was uh there were it turned out that the citizens of our town the uh residents of our town were the ones who actually rallied around to do all the factchecking for uh The Proposal that was put into place and we realized that a lot of the plans that were in place really had no bearing on reality um we have status it's incredible we have quite a community here uh uh a community of people who are very intelligent and really knowledgeable about these things and we pointed out all these defects in the uh plans that were put forward now I would wonder why uh perhaps a rhetorical question why the township itself didn't have the environmental commission and the track traffic and the traffic people also testify before the um board uh open to public hearing I think that should be looked at as well in any further um applications um of any nature if it impacts on the infrastructure on the traffic on um school um things of those nature I think that the Committees that we have in town especially the environmental commit commission should have been asked to com to make a public comment on their thoughts on this type of endeavor so I'll leave it at that thank you thank you anyone else AI 22 ritan Place basking Rich so I think year 1982 or so these Lots were designed to have light man manufacturing then nobody lived in that area now there are multiple families living there small kids older people I don't think there should be anything like that allowed in that area we need to change that zoning as soon as possible for all three lots that they have 110 106 and 150 aler boat thanks thank you anyone else seeing no m I'm going to close public comment so let's move to staff comments Township committee comments and board leison reports Pat would you like to start please uh thank you mayor I just wanted to uh welcome our new hire Nancy Sheridan with the library um and I also wanted to congratulate uh amarie Sinclair retiring after 17 plus years she was my admin for the last six so I congratulate her and welld deserve retirement that's all I have mayor thank you Christie none this evening thank you mayor thank you Mr Bardo Happy Thanksgiving to all and your families thank you Anna thank you mayor um I also wanted to congratulate anarie on her retirement and wish her well and for her service to the township and as mayor AC stated committee mcandrew will be making an update on Bonnie Bray but we do appreciate your eloquently sharing the concern on this matter as well as the comments that were made on ordinance 25 67 we'll make some comments at its introduction but thank you again for your your input and for your and also to the Zoning Board of adjustment for its thoughtful deliberations over the past year plus and the drum beats from our residents who kept this going uh for me last week I was able to join other members of the township committee at the league of municipalities conference in Atlantic City it was the first time that I attended I found the experience quite valuable including attending a range of sessions on topics such as U affordable housing artificial intelligence in government Sustainable New Jersey and making connections with other municipalities I also went to a panel presentation as did mayor AC on health departments in action best practices for your community that included our own Bernard's Township uh board of health Team Member Caitlyn cartosio and she talked about the programming that's offered through our Municipal Alliance um as a best practice so as a great positive Spotlight on our community community on the Committees and boards that I serve as liaison to our golf advisory committee you'll see in the consent agenda has a resolution for our fees schedule for 2025 there will be no increase in fees which we believe is a positive um outcome for our residents and the agricultural advisory committee held the annual Farmers meeting last week with participation from our local farmers along with two from neighboring municipalities and the meeting included updates from dff who's the district director for Congressman Thomas Kan Jr's office as well as from Somerset County um I also wish to um have hopefully everyone has a peaceful and Happy Thanksgiving holiday and my thanks to all the folks who serve as volunteers to my colleagues on deas um to our staff here and uh hope that it's a wonderful and and joyous holiday for everyone thank you thank you Andrew we'll have you go please yes thank you um I too would like to thank uh the zone for on their work and the resolution of that application uh I may have more to say upon the introduction Andor at the public hearing of the ordinance that we're hearing tonight um uh which would in fact prohibit uh light Manufacturing in that zone um to the issue about you know our direction of any border committee uh to do something in that regard or for us to have taken actions your ourselves um there's a very uh um simple and distinct reason why that does not occur uh by law the zoning board is independent and uh we on this day are prohibited from commenting influencing or doing anything once the zoning board is vested with that sort of jurisdiction so certainly uh I understand uh some of the commentary uh but the law in many ways uh directs us uh what we can and cannot do in that regard um and that's a uh separation of powers sort of uh thing that's a feature of our law um with regards to um some commentary made at the prior meeting pertaining to the peach tree uh Road in Homestead Homestead Village area um there have been some concerns raised about uh traffic backing up there particularly during drop off and pickup times uh at the Cedar Hill School um and uh it has been something of concern to the residents there uh who have asked for some relief uh I have been in a series of discussions with Folks at the Boe the uh police department um with our own internal staff about potential solutions to alleviating some of the traffic issues in that area um we are certainly interested in doing something in this regard but that doesn't mean we'll necessarily do anything uh simply to um uh address a concern uh we want to make sure that we get it done right uh and that requires uh consultation with all of these folks I'm pleased to report that our engineering department has hired a consultant to take a look at the traffic patterns there and see what we can do to address that concern and then um finally with regards to uh Bonnie Bray um that is an issue that uh I have been working with um since that incident uh on November 8th of this year um but it has been part and parcel of a dialogue that has certainly uh been there between the police department and the school uh prior to the most recent incident which um I can refer you back to my comments on November 12th but it's something that we take extremely extremely seriously uh as does the police department and as does uh uh Bonnie Bray as well um that school has um a lot of success stories it's been in business for hundred years um and and and has done great work in in reforming um and helping uh uh really transforming uh young men and their families all that being said uh security is an utmost concern of ours and um we are looking forward to very concrete actions some of which I may be able to report on some of which you will be able to see in the the the the near future some of which will be at the dormatory level which you may not see but uh while it's a security matter I'm certainly happy to report what I can when appropriate and as appropriate as to the specific actions that me my colleague Janice Fields who's C the as on Police Department Department as well as our Police Department are are demanding that be enacted at Bonnie Bray there's also certain things at the state level uh pertaining to um how students are referred to Bonnie Bray in the first place that we're looking forward to assisting them with in achieving reform but uh that is a longer term issue that may enhance security as well but we're looking forward to very concrete actions in in the near future and I will report on those as soon as I am able that concludes my report and Happy Thanksgiving everyone thank you Gary thank you mayor um I I want to reiterate um our comments before on uh Commendation for retirement and welcome new hired Library um nothing on Parks and wreck this evening the pool commission wrapped up its year uh last night uh we had our closing meeting looking forward to uh opening again in March of next year the work of the pool commission and the uh Pleasant Valley pool um the sewage Authority last week met we had our public hearing we reviewed and approved the operating budget for the uh sewage Authority going forward and we reviewed and set user fees and rates and I would like to commend the staff at sewage as well as Township engineer with sound management practices and outstanding Financial stewardship you know we're proud to be able to report that there is no increase or change in sewage user fees going forward into next year um at a time when everything is going up in price uh it's nice to have something stay the same uh and um I want to uh also say that while um uh committee men MCN and uh uh Miss fields are liais on to the police and therefore have a particular focus on Bonnie Bray I want to reassure the public that every member of this committee is is tacitly aware of the situation and we are all focused as a team to to bring whatever resources we can to Bear to assist uh uh Janice and and and uh Andrew in in their work that they're doing in this regard this has an imp impa on all of us in the community and it is it's a real Focus for us now so so we we're all looking forward to Solutions that's it thank you so like he said um we hear you and uh Mr MCN and I had met with Bonnie Bray and Andrew has taken the lead as far as speaking about it but trust me we're serious about this we've told them that and we together are a team and everyone is plugged in and we're working together uh with them like he said we all have a vested interest our priority in this town is number one is safety and that's important to us so I just want you to feel secure and knowing that we're working on it and we're going to make sure that something gets done and there is no ifss or butts about it we are on this and we are taking care of it and when we can we will give you an update but just know that we've met with them we've asked them to do a few things and we we're going to meet with them again and continue and our colleagues with us will uh help them along and we'll make all the decisions together so just wanted you to feel confident in that and thank you for coming in I appreciate you coming in and and expressing how you feel thank you we're always here for you if you need us thank you also I want to say um I will miss Amory um just want to wish her good luck in her retirement I'm fortunate enough that uh when I call I gets to speak with her and she's always helping me here um in town hall um and I I really want to recognize Mary Jane postal for 2 24 years on Municipal Alliance and the reason is um I thought it was over 20 years and it is over 20 years I would run into Mary Jane I've known her a long time and she would always talk about Municipal Alliance she was always recruiting people she was always talking about programs she was always talking about how important Municipal Alliance is in the community and talking about fighting for grant money because Municipal Alliance mostly is funded from grant money and I just want to say thank you so much Mary Jane for your heart and soul and uh working with Municipal Alliance and you will be missed also um on Farmstead Farmstead Farmstead will be hosting a holiday Boutique at their location on King George Road Sunday December 1st from 12:00 to 5: um so stop by and browse they'll have some jewelry some knitwear artwar Ceramics and that's on Sunday December 1st 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. um at farmet Art Center also one of the most exciting things I got to do when I had you raising my children was uh sand on the truck so Liberty Corner Fire Company will be doing uh sand on the truck you can go to their website which is events. Liberty Corf fire.org or just go to the Liberty Corner um fire website and and register to have Santa visit your child on a truck and what you do is you will drop off on um Saturday December 21st they will be coming around um the different towns with Sant on a truck and and um he will be giving out gifts so um I it's a fundraiser for them and a good fundraiser for them um they're able to raise a lot of money and also bring joy to all our children in in Bernard's Township so that's another activity that's happening and I would like to say also I will be speaking about the uh ordinance 25567 probably during the public hearing con uh public uh hearing portion at the next meeting but I do want to say that like uh Mr mcnell um had stated you know we wish we could do something and say something when this goes to zoning but by law we can't but but we're we're thankful that this has a resolution and it's a positive resolution um in the end so now we can speak about it and we will so I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving I'm thankful to be part of this community for 33 years I'm also um proud to serve with such wonderful people um here on the Das who really care and are doing this for the right reason and our staff and I'd like to say most importantly I'd like to thank all the men and women who sacrifice um for this country and who won't be spending Thanksgiving with their family and they will be um abroad uh we think about them and they're in our prayers and we thank them for keeping us safe every day and our country safe thank you thank you and that makes me think thank you Janice to your son for serving he is one of those people that is serving abroad um to help keep us safe um so for the comments that folks had shared um I think you have heard we've beaten that U pretty well that um I was is very pleased that um as mayor I don't hear the information first and my leaon pipe in and um in like the very next breath that when Mr MCN was providing me an update the very next breath was and we are meeting and so um action was immediately U planned as soon as the report came in so um I look forward to the work um and ensuring again um safety of all of our residents is paramont and I look look forward to the work of Deputy Mayor and committee man MCN um in working with that organization um and we'll look forward to updates as they become available um and then any comments related to the um the new ordinance that we are introducing tonight I have some comments that I will speak to um right as we are interviewing uh introducing that tonight so let me speak about some updates uh so in the past um I am just pleased and I just you know in the spirit of Thanksgiving and and gratitude um I just have nothing but gratitude for our community the collaboration between the town and the Basking Ridge business Alliance to host the townwide food drive um I had the privilege to get to go to the food pantry on Monday um and I got to witness our Department of Public Works um as employees deliver the generous contributions and donations from our residents and um they are going to quantify it I did take pictures um they're going to quantify and I'll be able to report that back but um just high level they just said this is the largest donation that they have ever received in the history of their 13-year food pantry so that is just tremendous gratitude to help those with food insecurity um just tremendous gratitude um the other amazing uh wonderful collaboration also with the Basking Bri business Alliance was World kindness day that we held on November the 13th our six wonderful panelists were um and our leaders within our community that are very diverse parts of our community yet they shared their definitions of kindness and how they see that within Bernard's Township so I'm going to ask you to please watch the tape if you will that is posted on our website under Fabrica Bernards and um please listen to that um there was interest to continue uh this these types of efforts and so we'll look forward to that um adding to uh Anna's comments related to the league of municipalities it was my first time getting to go to is essentially it's a conference an educational conference for elected officials and uh Municipal Employees and and um other state employees as well and County of employees and it was wonderful um I attended sessions and collected information for the benefit of the Town um and um she already covered Caitlyn's speech which was wonderful to represent our community and I also learned that Lucy foron who many of you remember is our recently retired uh Health officer she also received award the Osborne award for her contributions to Public Health so I think that we can say Bernard's Township was uh well represented um in a lot of those sessions um and then the other comments of from a Thanksgiving perspective and and gratefulness for our community you know yesterday was very special to me in the sense that in the morning at 11 11 I was at the food pantry and then I was asked to come to the police department because some residents that live in the Hills had wanted to express their gratitude to the men and women of the Bernards Township Police Department and what started as a small number grew to well over 50 families and they gathered they collected money and they catered food for our Police Department for lunch and for dinner um and that's just not for one day but for two days and to see the um their smiling faces and uh I think they got to see some tours of the police department um it was wonderful um and just to to just see again from a gratitude perspective it's ironically it's this week um those were just two amazing um observances that I had and then to top it all off um we were asked to attend the Interfaith Thanksgiving service that was celebrating gratitude unity and peace it was hosted by Bishop James United Methodist Church um and it was an invitation by Reverend David Tish it also included many of our local Faith leaders and I was also joined by the deputy mayor as well as Mary Jan kenos the mayor of Bernardsville I was asked to speak about unity and you know my brief remarks really reflected around our fabric of Bernards and how every resident is a thread woven together into this tight fabric that we have in our community so yesterday just really symbolized um the gratitude that I have for each and every resident and the generosity um and giving nature that we have and celebrating each other so I really hope that that carries everyone forward and as we are hopefully around table with our friends and family on Thursday that we reflect and are just grateful for this wonderful community that we live in that we call home so other um updates that uh just as a reminder um on the town website christe and her team have been very busy publishing there's lots of upcoming holiday events so I won't me mention them all there are too many to count so please go to bernard.edu December the 12th at 700 p.m. the public works department maintaining our infrastructure and services provided so that is Ryan Wallace with a very important U presentation and um the last thing I want to report on is um you know I am still participating in the Somerset Hills Public Safety Committee and we as the Somerset Hills Mayors uh we all attended the league of municipalities at that meeting we jointly sponsored a resolution to combat auto theft so um by joining these forces we wanted to further address the alarming increase in the motor vehicle thefts throughout the Summerset Hills and New Jersey as a whole so what we did is um we presented and sponsored a resolution that supported additional measures to combat auto theft the resolution was reviewed voted on and unanimously approved then a New Jersey leak of um municipality resolutions committee and it will be sent to the federal and state senator Congressman the governor the president and the president-elect these are actions that we as our community not just Bernard's Township but all of Somerset Hills um are continuing to work forward for the safety of our community and there will be a press release as I understand that will be issued tomorrow on this particular topic so with that I would like to go ahead and move forward on the agenda fire and rescue appointments none this evening mayor any unfinished business none this evening excellent that brings us to new business and the consent agenda the items listed within the consent consent agenda portion of the meeting have been referred to the township committee for reading and study are posted on the agenda on the website are considered routine and will be enacted in one motion of the township committee with no separate discussion if separate discussion is required the item may be removed from the agenda by Township Committee Action and placed on the regular agenda under new business would anyone on the township committee like any item remove from in the consent agenda if not may have a motion so moved second Christy roll call please Mr Balman yes Miss Duarte McCarthy yes Miss Fields yes Mr MCN yes mayor AC yes motion carried thank you that brings us to Item B ordinance 2567 an ordinance of the township of Bernards County of Somerset state of New Jersey amending revising and supplementing the code of the township of burn chapter 21 Land Development regarding uses permitted in the E2 and E4 office zones and this is an introduction I'm going to make a comment um before we take a vote um on this particular topic so um as has been stated um numerous times our attorney Mr Bardo has shared that we as elected officials have not been legally permitted to be involved in or comment on the act of application before the Zoning Board of adjustment now that the denial was issued on November the 14th we are permitted to comment and take action and so here we are while we understand that this zoning permitting light manufacturing was put in place in the 1960s for the former and long departed light manufacturing uses such as ingersol Rand it is clear that this zoning still in place some 60 years later is no longer appropriate land use regulation in this area at that time most of what currently exists like the hills development Fellowship Village Shannon Hill and among other developments were not built the township committee has received extensive feedback from residents opposed the light manufacturing permitted use in the E2 zoning District the township committee has always had an obligation to amend zoning ordinances to effectuate what's in the best interest of our community as such we've moved expeditiously to take action at the very first Township committee meeting held after the board of adjustments denial decision we are introducing this revised zoning ordinance that removes the light manufacturing use and will hold the public hearing on this ordinance with a final vote on December 10th this action will protect our community from industry that is not congruent with the needs and wants of our community I want to thank the volunteers and professionals who serve on the board of adjustment for their objective thorough and diligent efforts on the application the residents for being engaged and vocal to collaborate and share their concerns and lastly my colleagues on the Bernard's Township committee and Township attorney for their support to take quick and decisive action on this important matter so with that I'd like to ask for introduction um mayor I move that ordinance 2567 be introduced on first reading advertised as required by law and scheduled for for a public hearing on December 10th 2024 I'll second that before we do the final vote would anybody else like to make any comments or hold comments until yes mayor if I may um I too want to recognize the quick action that's being taken with regard to the elimination of the use within the E2 and E4 zones um I want to recogniz that residents of Bernard's Township not just for their their their vocal opposition to the application as it was made before the zoning board but quite frankly some of the best cross examination of the applicants experts came from the public during their comment section they were researched reasoned and they were absolutely um um powerful and compelling so this to me was an Absol abute um um example of the process working we as a public body are not allowed to take position on these applications the Zoning Board of adjustment is pract is a quasi judicial body and it must hear an application using certain rules certain policies and procedures that have to be followed for the benefit of everybody for the fairness of the process um our people came out they spoke and as I mentioned it was just some of the best cross-examination they challenged planning assumptions they challenged traffic experts their mathematics the physical counts I mean it really was it's never a joy to to make a civics lesson out of something that people feel uh uncomfortable with or they're opposed to but it was certainly a pleasure to see the process at work um and uh I I support taking this action and introducing the ordinance uh uh for a public reading and hearing to come thank you any other comments before we take vote Yes I would add though thank you Gary that the township that we're in is on the corridor of I 87 and 287 so it's an attractive location for access to the Port Newark Elizabeth Marine Terminal which is currently one of the largest shipping ports in the country and how when and where people's shop has changed e-commerce is now thriving and to that extent there is a greater demand for warehousing that being said um what we're doing tonight is as was stated we are removing light manufacturing from the list of uses permitted in E2 office Zone which hopefully will help to be mitigation toward the potential for the opportunity for warehousing in this community I've lived here like you nearly 30 years um I view our role as stewards of this community to help preserve what is wonderful about it to support responsible development and so doing um we W unable to comment before but I feel it's critical for us to take steps and this is an important step and I'm fully supportive of this ordinance mayor um I'll try not to repeat what my colleagues have said but I too would like to thank uh the residents uh of burner's Township who engaged you know on this application um as as and also thank them for their patience um in in the spirit of what Mr Balman said you know due process uh often is not expeditious but um it's it's what it takes to get to a final result and in my judgment the right result uh in in on this application um I too agree that light manufacturing would not be appropriate uh for that zone and I'm pleased that this body uh not just its members but our professionals like Mr Bardo have moved as quickly as legally permissible to advance this ordinance that we're introducing tonight and uh voting on at the next meeting um so uh thank you all uh and Mr Bardo for uh moving this as quickly as possible I certainly appreciate it that is all I'm going to say just a little bit but um like I don't want to repeat but I do believe like Anna said I mean things have changed and people shop from home and the light manufacturing has become um the warehous has become a problem for a lot of towns and they're struggling um and I'm just so happy that the process worked out and um and that's by not by mistake uh we may not be able to um have a say in how the zoning votes but we certainly have a say on who we put on the zoning board and what we do is we work really hard um to find residents that I'm so proud that have spent so much of their time all volunteer and their energy to serve on that board and all the hearings and all the time time and so much was expected of them um and they were Troopers about it and um they made the right decision but along with the residents uh that also helped that's one thing about our town you know we we don't get a lot of people here sometimes um but you know what when there's a cause and and this community feels um strongly about something we will get a lot of people here and the same thing with the zoning and the same thing with the planning we're really blessed to be in a community where people really care about what happens here maybe not this small things but when it's important people really come out and so I'm so proud of our community the process worked out now we're just taking it another for further step and I do want to thank um our attorney Mr Bardo for for that and also um my colleagues because we're like I said again we all work together and we're a team and we all put this forward and it's the right thing to do so want to thank everyone the only thing I have to add is is this is specifically limited this action is to light manufacturing um and any other discussion of any other types of zoning is not under this particular purview at this point in time that will be something that we can review in the future and more to come on that so with that I'd like to ask us for chrisye May I have a roll call please Mr bman yes Mr orte McCarthy yes Miss Fields yes Mr MCN yes mayor AC yes motion carried thank you that brings us to approval of minutes November 12th 2024 Open Session minutes may I have a Mot please so moved second all in favor I I executive session none further this evening mayor if not then that brings us to adjournment so moved second all in favor I I thank you