I'd like to call the meeting to order thank you everyone for coming to the 2024 Cranberry Township reorganization meeting let's all stand for the Pledge of Allegiance FL United States of America and to the for it stands nation under God indivisible with liy and justice for all open public meeting open public meeting statement pursuing to the open public meetings act notice this meeting was sent to the cranberry press the Trenton Times and home News Tribune on December 29th 2023 post on the Township's website and send to those who requested a copy of this notice uh first um oath of office for Township committee person Matt Scott s Sol sare and I will support the Constitution I will support theti of the United States of the United States and the Constitution and the constition of the state of New Jersey St new and that I will bear true faith will bear true faith and Allegiance to say and to the governments established to the government established in the united states in the United States and in the state and in the St under the authority of the people the authority of people to help me go I do further Solly swear I do further that I will impartially and justly I willar perform all the duties per all the duties of T Committee Member according to the best of my ability [Applause] I gotta go tooll roll call yes uh Mrs elwi here Mr Fon here Mrs kiram here Dr Rogers here and Mr Scott here thank you do we have any agenda additions or changes none okay uh Nomine ntion for election of Mayor I would like to nominate my very dear friend Iman Elway second I would like to second that motion any further nominations seeing none call uh we'll move on tooll call Mr fronte yes Mrs kiram yes Dr Rogers yes Mr Scott yes and Mrs elada yes louder okay and now oath of office for the mayor just turn on that microphone and M to there go and point it whichever way you're going to stand in this side or that side whatever works for you yeah right hand right hand up I am I to solemly swear to solemly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and theti of the state of New Jersey and that I will bear true faith and that I will bear true faith and Allegiance and allegiance to the same to the same and to the governments established and to the governments established in the united states in the United States and in this state and in this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people so help me God so help me God I do further Solly swear I do furtherly swear that I will impartially that I will impartially and justly perform and justly perform all the duties all the duties of Mayor of Mayor according to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability so help me go so help me congratulations before you start minut [Music] [Applause] oh it's okay you can I can I say a few words is that okay is it there okay do you want me to turn this off no can I turn this off oh my goodness I cannot believe that just like that it happened thank you all um I I I first want to thank um my Creator uh for putting me on this Earth and putting all of you good people on this Earth and somehow our lives interconnected and uh we started on a project very many years ago and here we are I wanted to start by thanking assembly woman sedi joffer who I think in 2019 she made history as the very first South Asian Muslim mayor elected into office and at the time I looked at her and I thought w wow that's really cool and I didn't imagine that the day would come where I would be in a position to ask her to honor me as she swore me in and that I mean I'm still pinching myself assembly woman so thank you so much um we have with us today a couple of people that I wanted to recognize um um Charles Kenny are you here he was here hey thank you so much commissioner Kenny for making over here I can't believe thank you so much um who else is here commissioner compin here thank you so much for making it in here who else is here because I can't see everybody that's out there well I mean definitely all the residents um I mean thank you all for making it out here I keep thinking to myself God Bless America God Bless America God Bless America because how does a person like me make it um there was a set of sort of rules and regulations and a group of people that said listen we're here to H we're happy to support you and and um the people on this board right here were the most supportive of me my campaign started with one person and that's Matt Scott when he was running for office he sort of set the seeds of you know emen maybe you want to think about running and I thought no no no no my role is mom and wife is what I got and um and he added so many more roles to that so I want to thank Barbara and Lisa and Michael and Matt and Denise and Debbie for just making the last two years amazing I've learned a lot and I'm still going to learn under all of you with all of you and I thank all the residents of cranberry and the residents from all the other towns that came forward to support me today and to celebrate this so I can't say any more than thank you um I want to recognize from my family from my immediate family uh the matriarch of our family D Hussein this is my father's Young youngest sister uh the last one left with us and she came all the way from DC today yesterday my youngest brother Imran Dr Imran albed he flew in from Houston and surprised me um my eldest brother khed Dr KH albe he put aside his patients today he's a coloral surgeon in South Jersey he put aside his patients and he said I'm I'm here for you um mentors from the community I've had Dr Muhammad Yousef and his gracious wife tant TOA so many of you like I could just rattle off names after names after names my niece came in from DC's well Zoya my best friend and neighbor idania Rodriguez and her son Andres all my kids safe Leila Mona nisma aana did I forget someone Mona Bel yeah one more one more I love you all thank you thank you you guys are awesome thank you Omar well no I I you're right you're right I I can never do anything without Omar alhamdulillah alhamdulillah thank you so much [Applause] trouble it's real okay to proceed um the next order of attention today will be the election of the Deputy Mayor and I would like to open the floor for nom ntion for Deputy Mayor please I'd like to nominate Lisa Canam do I have a second I'll second are there any other nominations before we go to roll call perfect okay um we'll move on to roll call U Mr fronte yes Mrs canum yes with pleasure Dr Rogers yes Mr Scott yes and mayor of bway yes absolutely unanimous [Applause] Lisa thank you for taking this journey with me absolute pleasure going to be exciting uh we will now continue on to mayoral appointments and I will read these uh Debbie if you could help me I will read these by name and title is that correct yeah SK weed skip yours okay all right so we have a long list of Volunteers in this town who have chosen and agreed to step up in their volunteer positions and I couldn't be more grateful to all of them we have John reinfelder as chairperson of the environmental commission Becky ma Mathers as the member for the environmental commission Teresa vicaro member for the environmental commission John reinfelder again as a member not just a chairperson um Michael Cargill as the member of environmental commission Gabe leaderman as first alternate member of the environmental commission um we have one vacancy on the environmental commission we have Brendan H as member Class B for the historic preservation committee commission I should say Sarah Sant is a second alternate Class C historic preservation commission Debbie ruin as our mayor's representative for Housing andun Community Development thank you uh Michael fante as the uh mayor's representative on the library Board of Trustees Michael Kurt as a member of the library Board of Trustees Emma basard is a member for of the library Board of Trustees Sally o' Grady member of Parks Commission Brenden Hansen member of Parks Commission we have one vacancy for an unexpired term we have Priyanka Shetty as the first alternate member for Parks Commission uh we have the second alternate position for Parks Commission vacant uh myself ended by the way as a design class one planning board Dominique Jones for class two planning board board of education representative Jason milenberg as the class for planning board EC representative Jerry Thorne as the township representative to the middle sex County Solid Waste advisory Council Kevin McConnell member of the board of recreation Katie Harmon member of the board of recreation deepok ramakrishnan member of the board of recreation we have one vacancy for an unexpired term as the alternate um and we have another alternate to is also a an unfill position for Board of recreation this year I think that's all the the mayoral appointments for today um motion the consent together then say that again all the consent resolution yes can go together yeah okay so we're on to consent resolutions would anybody like consent resolution a through any of a through P um pulled out for any discussion would anybody like to move consent resolutions a through P I would so moved so moved can I I'll second it thank you that's mat and Barbara thank you move on to roll call Mr fronte yes Mrs kiram yes Dr Rogers yes Mr Scott yes and mayor el el absolutely yes yes thank you go get it thank you that was a very quick meeting and we are suddenly suddenly onto the public comment this is where ladies and gentlemen as the members of the public you get to speak for a limited three minutes if you would like to come up we invite you to the seat right here turn on the microphone and please sign in your name and you will talk we will listen and uh I don't think we're going to be dealing with any issues but if there is an issue we'll we'll figure out a way how to manage that public [Laughter] comment reminder turn on their microphone yeah all right okay uh good evening everyone I'm assembly woman s Jaffer um very very proud to be here today and just wanted to congratulate uh the mayor on this amazing accomplishment it's a it's a great day uh for the community for the entire state of New Jersey um as you mentioned when I was sworn in as mayor in 2019 I was the first South Asian woman to be mayor in New Jersey and the first Muslim woman to be mayor in the US and today we have you sworn in it's just fantastic um so just best of luck to you and congratulations to your community and I'm I'm so proud of you thank you thank you very [Applause] much I promise I will speak in Spanish or in English oh Spanish go ahead okay thank you hi everyone my name is azra Big I'm from South Brunswick and um I've known Iman for I don't know 20 years or so but I I was telling others that I have a twin sister she's in Michigan but she went to college with Omar and um we've gotten to know each other since we both moved to New Jersey and um it's been an honor she's always been active for others for the community and I don't know how she actually does it with having um her children her Farm all the community activities that she does she's a servant to others and um we are all here because we're so proud of you we're so proud of you the community is very proud of you and thank you to you and your entire um Council your committee for supporting her um that means a lot so um we wish you all the best may God bless you God bless everyone here all the best thank you thank you thank you okay hola I will not I will try not to cry um so yes I've known you for so many years I've taught you children which is wonderful you have the best children you really do um your kind heart is so giv and we really are blessed to have you as our mayor in this town um and I also thank all of you for supporting Iman because she is a wonderful Edition not just for us here in Cranberry for I think the United States in general see for for the country honestly because you you are teaching us the rest of us to really be open-minded and to be uh to welcome everyone the way it should be right whereas this is what our country is country is an Open Country where we welcome everyone and what you've done really opens doors for everyone not just one particular community of subsets but and us the woman right Las Moes so I thank you for that and I think you will have all of our support whatever you need we're here for you gracias thank [Applause] you good evening everybody as you knows I'm uh imman's father's sister and the only remaining member of the family of 12 I wanted to come and represent my brother because my brother was uh teaching in John's Hopkins in the 60s and he told me that I will never bring my family to this country because as all of you know what was happening during the 60s in this country but I came in the 80s and I liked what I saw and we sort of got together with her mother by that time my my brother was had passed away and they came over here and I'm so proud of her today but I'm also more proud of the country that she we are living in which gives us the opportunity to be ourselves and so I wanted to thank all of you on behalf of my brother and myself and the family and we are very proud of her and I hope that she has a lot of success doing what the country needs now thank you very much thank [Applause] you hi everyone like wean U my name is Naas shie and I am an allergist in the community um in my Civic role I'm the chair of the Muslim Center of Greater Princeton Interfaith committee and Iman has been on my committee now for two years she probably could have ran the committee but she had a lot of other engagements but I'll tell you even though I was the chair I relied on her so much for so much guidance and support and I really value all the work that she's done for Interfaith relations actually in the community both with Sisterhood of Salam Shalom and a host of other things with the ing all the roles that she plays she is an inspiration to our community she's an inspiration to the Interfaith community and she's an inter um an inspiration to really the Civic community so I congratulate you Iman this is such an inspiration for all of us and this is just an honor to be here today thank you thank [Applause] you know I I have to put my name first my name is Muhammad YF and imman was kind enough mayor by the way was kind enough to mention my name so I I really stand here mainly just to assertain there are still men around you know through I mean Vanishing breed thanks to my brother here just made me feel you know kind of breed that we still have or still around I mean I know that you know God created Adam and then from Adam Eve but you know I I knew that Adam eventually retired and eve took over if you study the history and you know but uh I didn't know that you know I want to make sure that you know you remember there's still men around that's but now as to a man you know I had the pleasure to start with her 219 I think campaign and Dr Rogers also had the pleasure of knowing her well at that period and uh I believe if my memory is correct you made it that year Iman didn't make it that year and she made it the following one so alhamdulillah Sisterhood is very strong and let it you know continue to prosper if you will and I just hope of course you take good care of us I mean and forgive us who did not take very good care of you but I think we tried our best you know we have limitations so I think me women are proving themselves now and I'm really happy about it now that time retire myself you know somebody else takes over so my wife now takes over in my house you know and so you know I'm very happy about it you just you know sit back and retire but anyway one thing about Iman I must say when I first got to know about her running that she really loved cranberry really did loved everything about cranberry about everyone in cranberry and just like give me a feeling that that's the type of person that you really want to have to lead and that's what it is I mean that when you love you want to lead and rather than say feeling Superior or feeling somebody higher up or something and then you want to feel that you have to be the leader you know like we I think we know some people around right now running for some Offices here think they are superior everybody else but that was not the feeling really that imman had a man always you know genuinely wants to S wants to be busy wants to do things and I see that in her lovely six children and as well as her husband work hardworking man and taking second place of course to her now his first his first man now but remember he still a first man I hope you don't take that out of us you know me still first man here so anyway congratulations and best luck to you it's a pleasure that you to meet all of you and wish you all the best again and good luck to you running the Affairs of beautiful kber thank you so much thank [Applause] you oh I turned it off okay hello everybody thank you for having me first I want to congratulate my longtime friend Iman v u my name is ABIA jabber I actually live next one town over right in Monroe um I was at my May mayor's ceremony yesterday and they were talking about how great Monroe is and I I love my town and I love my mayor but when my friend becomes mayor cranberry is probably a better town right but we'll keep that between us no don't send that recording anyway um I can say a lot of different things I've known Eman for a long time everything from what you all probably already know her humility her um wisdom uh our friend group has really benefited from youan just learning so much and just for you to be in our Circle but I would be remiss if I didn't bring up something that was that really touched me that I shared with her that I wanted to share with the group on the record too is that um I had the privilege of actually going to our Friday prayer at the Princeton musk uh just last Friday and our M our our um Imam was talking about um getting involved Civic engagement and all of that and he was talking about um the purpose uh and the intention behind why people get involved um for you know in in in Civic UH responsibilities and our responsibility to do so as well and he talked about people who are self-serving and how a lot of people just do it for the clout and for the attention and for the glory and then he said um but what we really need to do is actually lead as servant leaders and a true example of ser servant leadership is our community member and volunteer imman and I thought it was so beautiful that he brought her up and called her out specifically during the sermon so wanted to share that with the group you all have a wonderful servant leader among you she's gonna do a great job I'm sure of it and um well we'll see we'll have to partner Monroe and cranberry together thank you all for your time thank you I think I've known Iman for few years and she's an absolute inspiration for people who want to serve the public and a role model for such people so I want to say congratulations and thank [Laughter] you good evening Aron B Houston Texas thank you all so much for having me congratulations Iman congratulations Mr Scott thank you so much all of you Township committee for having us uh for having you man and um congratulations all my you know all the kids my family I know my father your father's he's smiling from above my mother is watching this or at some point we'll watch the video my kids are watching this right now in Texas my in-laws are watching this this is of course a big moment when I was a kid I got to sharpen my tools on Iman and she made me a better person and I know that you have allowed Iman to sharpen her tools on you and you've made her a better person and you've made her a better leader I don't take that for granted I'm incredibly grateful that as a team collectively you will make cranberry you know it just onward and upward I love this town I've spent many you know you know runs downtown and eating your food and I quite enjoy you know it's it's become part of me as well when I was a kid we would make tea much as your kids make tea every day as was a tea party one day your man said don't make tea just heat up the water and then she came in and clumped up this dark thing which was really smelly and very bitter it was coffee and I said what's coffee and from that day on I realized as a child drinking coffee that y man was not quite the same as the rest of us um so her love is unbridled she is fierce Furious and um I think she will make an excellent mayor I again I just I congratulate all of you thank you so much for lifting her and lifting one another I'm a bit of a wreck so um so thank you again for letting thank you last call for public [Music] comment I think I think we're we're you you took a good couple of minutes it was good it was good I don't know that anybody's keeping anything today this is this is definitely out of our normal league so I say something yeah okay you know she's the one okay okay thank you very one thing just share with you because your aunt mentioned it which is really very very important you know I came to America in 59 1959 probably many of you are not even born yet yeah and I lived the whole years of the Civil Rights movie so if you ask me at that time if I ever thought somebody like Iman or the sister behind me that was mayor it's mayor also would take place in my lifetime I would have set you absolutely no way no way America was different you know when I came here America was white the blacks were here I mean at the time they call them Negroes and the the Spanish were there all the Spanish but they they were there but they were absolutely no voice no voting nothing they had their own ghettos they had their own schools they had their own churches even I mean which I always question that point I say there black Christ and white Christ I mean that know Spanish Christ and white Christ anyway the thing of is that you know America is so beautiful country in really but it just needed time it needed almost 200 years to get over the color that was the truth about America when I came the reason I made maybe a little bit my life was a bit easier was my color was not that dark I had other Egyptians with me who were darker much darker than me and they had tremendously hard time I'm talking about social you know maybe not so much in the academy or something where universities but just in socially America was really white that's it you know the blacks went to their neighborhood their areas their clubs they this they that you know and the same the Hispanics but no voice also so now it just like amazing I must say that I don't want to really get that serious because I know it's very happy occasion I'm still happy but I could be serious but I'm still happy that really this situation would never have taken place in kber back in 1960s or even 1970s okay it takes time and America America proved one thing that the were a national immigrants it's only a question of how many many generations and maybe my children are first generation Americans okay I'm an immigrant in Amica you know but no matter what you see that second generation third generation fourth generation whatever it is but still we're all national immigrants and we're the better for it we're really now enjoying things that none of the rest of the world really enjoyed and tell me I've been traveling I've been gone going to other places on I lived in other places other than here nothing like America in terms of the variation of people when you go to the mosque here go to a church here go whatever you find so many colors and so many backgrounds no matter how it started you so I just want to tell you very very proud in that sense and also want to assure your aunt she did the right choice she had a good you know if you will Vision that America was improved I mean I I'm sorry that your dad was way back in the 60 which I also shared with him but you know at that time maybe he did not live long enough here to really appreciate the possibility of changing so congratulations new thank you thank you I'm Cassie Shay 7 would drive come on congratulations congratulations to everyone else here for thank you for serving another year or whatever your term might be at this point I was trying to think about when I met you and I can't pinpoint it because you're always there you're always present at every school function every Community event um volunteering at dances fig sales cranberry day any event that's in town Iman is present and you're a gift you're a gift to this town you are part of this town you and your family give so much to everyone here and we're all so grateful and I think it's such your brother said as well so congratulations I tear up thinking about this moment all day today and then seeing it happen is just wonderful so we couldn't be happier to have you as our mayor and prouder to be a member of this town thanks again thank you [Applause] Cassie okay to close public comment at this time yes going once going twice sorry public comment closed thank you all for coming this evening I would like to take a motion to adjourn this meeting today so moved I'll second excellent thank you all in favor I I thank you