e e e e please adequate notice of this meeting was provided in accordance with chapter 231 Public Law 1975 s meditation please friend of Jewish faith and Mr of the United States of America and to the rep for stands one nation under God indivisible with liy and justice for all commissioner Al here commissioner commissioner Sor here commissioner Maran here commissioner Taylor present deputy director Romero here director Soo here do I have a motion in second to accept and dispense with the reading of the minutes from the last public meeting second all in favor all Communications in a letter dated April 4th 2024 the state of New Jersey Department of Transportation informed the board of County Commissioners that Cumberland County will receive an allotment of $150,000 for money Island concept development project and a letter dated April 4th 2024 from Atlantic City Electric to the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners enclosing notices of filing and public hearings in the matter of Atlantic City Electric Company petition to reconcile and update the level it's not of it's non utility generation charge and its societal benefits charge vpu docket number ER 24274 I understand we have some presentations today we do uh first we're going to have Miss Coastal Shore 2024 Campell thank you bear with me as I figure out the technology I'm not the best when it comes to technology but I make it work okay good evening everyone my name is Ashley Campbell as wonderfully introduced I am your Miss Coastal Shore within the Miss America opportunity which was formerly known as the Miss America organization and that means I will be competing for the title of Miss New Jersey in a little under 50 days so wish us luck thank you for the Commissioners for allowing me to come the Commissioners have been a grand Support over the past three years as I've been a Miss New Jersey delegate and just as Ashley as a HomeTown girl and oh excuse me thank you to my mother for allowing us to be connected in this evening tonight so thank you so who am I this is a lovely baby picture of me because I just like for all of us to get acquainted um as I mentioned I'm a HomeTown girl I was born and raised in bridon New Jersey but I did spend a portion of my childhood in Prince Edward Island Canada so if anyone is familiar with anab Green Gables you can just imagine my face with that book series and it'll work um I'm a mental health Advocate which I'll get into in a little bit I recently turned 23 and I'm surprised that I put it on the slide and I remembered my age because after 21 everything is a blur I've noticed right and I have one here that I've been dancing since the age of before but if you ask my mother I've been dancing since I was in the womb so Life currently for me I currently a graduate student at Rowan University and I am studying my clinical mental health counseling degree my career aspiration is to become a licensed professional counselor here in New Jersey and I'm looking for the light at the end of the tunnel I know it's there I'm just pushing on and I graduated Magna Kum lad from Rowan University as well with my Bachelor of Arts in psychology as much as I've mentioned Rowan University I also work there as a community director and I supervise 11 resident assistants and a little over 500 freshmen in our resident's Halls I'm a busy girl um and then with that I the founder of the one step forward initiative which I will also get into I'm a member of alpha cap alpha s Incorporated and I'm also there's a lot of us that's okay no worries I understand and then along with this I'm also a member of the Cumberland County positive Youth Development Coalition and our trauma intervention and prevention work group here in the county so the thing you've all been waiting for me as Miss Coastal Shore um my platform also known as our community service initiative is the one step forward initiative which is something I created in 2019 with the mission of teaching our youth how to identify and articulate their mental health experiences and in another translation that means just helping our youth put their mental health into words and I'll get into that in a little bit too um I use the pillars of conversation arts and service to make this a reality and conversation is similar to what I'm having right now with you all um like I said I've been dancing so that is my talent when I go to compete this is my third year competing for Miss New Jersey and I previously have held the titles of Miss Cumberland County and I was fortunate enough to serve as the first African-American identifying woman in the in that role and then last year I served as Miss gler County and now I'm Miss Coastal Shore so a little more about what my platform but we call it a community service initiative is is like I mentioned the one step forward initiative I created this in 2019 as I was a high school senior after I first competed in my very first pageant here within the county and it allows me the opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with our youth give them the school the skills the tool set and just the confidence and validation that they need to feel okay in having those conversations with an adult figure or a friend um I have conversations often time with our youth and mental health isn't a conversation topic that happens in their home it's sad to hear but it's the truth so that's the reason why I created our initiative and also to bridge the gap between Youth and their families although I created this in 2019 my advocacy started in 2015 when I was personally diagnosed with lupus um Lupus if you're unfamiliar is an auto imun conditioned where your um organs or your blood tissue that is fatally affected and in my case it was manifested through my blood platelet counts fatally dropping so I was a 14-year-old high school student um dealing with a lot of uncertainty about specialty treatments being rushed to the hospital not knowing if I was going to make it to the next day but through all of that I had my support system I had people that adult figures and my friends and my family who would allow me to put my mental health into words and would allow me to ask for help and encouraged me to pursue therapy if I needed to and just to be confident in what I was experiencing but as I mentioned a lot of our youth don't have that opportunity at home and that's why I created the one step forward initiative to be that opportunity and to encourage our youth to take their first step in finding help I can go on and on and on about the one step forward initiative but I have promoted it over 300 times within our state and I hope to see it as a part of my career in the future these are some pictures from throughout the years with my initiative um some going back to as far as like 2019 and I'm just like wow I looked a lot different um but these were um some opportunities that I had when I first started and I just keep this Slide the same whenever I share it because it reminds me of where I came from and then these are some pictures of me as Miss Coastal Shore and this is our Miss New Jersey down here and like I said we go to compete soon so Y and then this in the corner is Riley will introduce herself in a second so I won't give her away but our new Miss Cumberland County and then her sister who was Miss Cumberland County and then me as I mentioned I was Miss Cumberland County so it runs in their family but that is all that I have on my end today I thank you all for your time and your respect and I will answer any questions if you need to later on but if not then I'll pass it along to miss Cumberland County [Applause] we're to have Miss cumland County 2024 Riley Howton je can you me favor can you move that flag yeah put it behind the American flag so it's thank you sir oh man you don't want the flag in my face darn come on I we want to see Mrs Miss C yes thank you um so I'm Riley Howton I'm Miss Cumberland County 2024 and like Ashley mentioned before my sister was Miss Cumberland County the previous year and what's funny about this year is that me and my sister she's Miss Northern Lights we are actually competing against each other this year which is like a sister brawl you know where we're doing that who wore best kind of contest which is really funny to me cuz I like to pick every color that she wants to wear just out of spite but it's sister L love of course um and we're actually the second set of sisters to go to Miss New Jersey and compete against each other so that's really big for us um a little bit about me I am 18 years old I'm still in high school I graduate in about a month and I'm currently enrolled in rcsj as a dual enrollment with high school but I am going as a recruit for track and field at the College of New Jersey I'm going to be entered in an accelerated 4 plus1 one double major program I'm going to be double majoring in deaf education and integrative stem education with a focus on chemistry right now on high school I am sumacum loud with a 4.1 GPA and in rcsj I'm also sumacum loud with a 4.0 GPA um school has always been a very very bigi priority um to me and with Ashley's initiative that she brought up I also have one of my own it's called choose wise words I wrote a book when I was 14 years old to kind of help get the message of Jews wise words across to younger kids so I go around and I educate not only children but also adults on the importance of the words we use in help in hopes of ending the word usage of ableist words in our community and society as itself since there's so many words that have been normalized in society that can hurt and offend others on their ethnicity their disability their sexual orientation and one fun fact about me is I'm actually on the autism diagnosis and if I didn't tell you guys that you guys probably would have never noticed and certain words that we might use that have been normalized can really hurt me or offend me so I make sure that I provide those with different words that we can use kind of like silly or wonky or goofy kind of funny words but that won't hurt or offend others um I'm actually the first contestant diagnosed with autism them to compete on the Miss New Jersey stage which is a really really big accomplishment to me and um one of my very very good friends Kim has had the opportunity to watch me grow as a person and she does not get to present me with my diploma this year since I go to an all girls college prep academy um she's actually on the board for violent high school and I went through Public School System practically practically my whole life and I've known C and it was always a goal to have her present me with my col or my high school diploma and this year she's invited to my high school graduation at Alma even though she can't give me my high school diploma I still want her to be there because she has shaped my life and shaped me as a person and every way in my educational goals so big thank you to you Kim of course so that's just a little bit about me thank you guys so much for having me come and talk to you guys um I like to throw in a couple little jokes because you know Ashley did too kind of lighten up the mood um I could stand here and talk to you 4 hours my mom likes to say I could talk to the wall sometimes too never shut up if you ask my teachers they probably say the same thing so thank you guys if you guys need me to talk at any other time stay right stay right where I am I'm staying here you don't have to put your hands in okay that's right Sheriff are you here it wasn't me I didn't do it I promise first of all I approprate here as well because since she's such a and I have here in my my well cigar um the presidential award for you only for your accomplishments that you achieved and continue doing the things you're supposed to be doing right that's one representing the county two representing yourself representing your family good job thank you congratulations um for those who don't know this is an award that is presented to people who complete a certain amount of hours in community service I was fortunate enough last year maybe two years ago I was presented with my Lifetime Achievement Award which is presented to those who have completed over 4,000 hours of community service so this is another uh community community service award for completing now that I'm 18 250 hours in one year of community service see you knew there was more about you oh I could sit up here and talk forever actually actually I am actually I am I'll be sitting up here talking with no one else in the room I'll just stay here and everyone else can leave I just can sit back um whack the G no yeah yes you can work the together but you can't can't all right so would be fun commission come up here with us and uh yeah we're going to here you go okay oh boy all right just don't like anybody here all right hold it up so I can she this say she's can you guys squeeze together oh that's awesome tell me win Mom okay wait do it again I didn't have it on you can't do it twice we make a don'ts that's right you want to work on the assembly we'll see what we can do if you like probably have future maybe one day president High go probably Ashley again thank you also appreciate it very nice very nice now you guys don't necessarily have to stay for the entire meeting if you get I I understand you know some of these things can get a little you know drab we won't make yes thank you all so much have a great day the rest of the weather the County employee nice see you have a good evening good luck thank you okay aanes please ordinance 20 24-3 we are in compliance with mjsa 40a colon 2-17 so that the ordinance may be read by title only do I have a motion and second that the ordinance be read on Final reading by title only some move second Voice vote I all in favor I Bond ordinance 20243 of the county of Cumberland providing for the funding of sewer improvements on behalf of the township of D in the county of Cumberland pursuant to a shared service agreement appropriating 33,6 74,2 therefore and authorizing the issuance of 33,6 74,2 Bond or notes of the county of Cumberland New Jersey to finance the cost thereof and authorizing the execution of certain documents related there too do I have a motion in second to open public hearing on on the ordinance move second all in favor comments public War is Over take your name five minutes motion to close second all in favor do I have a motion in second that ordinance 20243 be finally adopted move second commissioner albre yes commissioner LS yes commissioner Soro yes commissioner Maran yes commissioner Taylor OB deputy director Romero yes director SEO yes congratulations downtown thank you I was just going to get to that there's um supposed to be public comment but yes nobody spoke up do you guys still want to want to open it up again for public comment I they could say a couple words themselves if they it's up to them good evening all um for those who don't know my name is Mike Rothman I'm the mayor of down Township I'm here with with Mayor Bob Campbell who this was a vision of his so long ago and here we are today with me is Jim rala who has been the design behind this thing from day one uh we' like to thank you all for the support and what we're doing uh we look forward to this moving forward and serving the residents of downtown sh with SE service area so once again thank you very much for the time consideration and your support thank you thank you thank you sir anybody else Mr Campbell you went hard at it too for me a great big thank you to you guys for supp what we're trying to do down there it's been long road we're here for the county thank you thank you very much okay do I have a motion and second to open public comment period on agenda items only second all in favor Sandy aavo Upper Deerfield Township um on 2024 281 the public works department head I had three questions um is this a new hire is it a new position and in-house Personnel considered thank you thank you good evening I'm Nancy richway from Upper Deerfield and Fairfield townships on resolution 2024 290 the resolution adopting a revision to the County Personnel policy manual for broad waste and abuse policy as required by two cf200 I believe this is a federal requirement and I'm hoping that you're able to enforce it and that the employees will come forward I read it and I believe I understood that there would be no retaliation for people that come forward with information regarding fraud waste and abuse and hopefully your employees will be telling the truth thank you thank you Mr anyone else motion to close second all in favor you respond all right we have two questions no one question one question yeah was um as to the fact whether it was a new hire whether it's a new position and whether inhouse folks are from this so the answer to the questions would be the there was insight there was a position where some where Mr Riley resigned this is a replacement for Mr Riley in-house candidates were considered and my last question was that was it I think that covers new was it a new hire it's not a new I mean a new position existing position that we're fing because of a resignation and internal candidates were considered right so the position was vacant the position was vacanta One internal candidate app thank you okay okay con consent agenda resolutions when voting on resolutions all matters listed under the consent agenda are considered to be routine in nature and having been reviewed by the board of County Commissioners will be enacted by one motion any item may be removed from the consent agenda at the request of any commission commissioner board member and if so removed will be treated as a separate matter any items requiring expenditure are supported certification of availability of funds do I have a motion and second to vote by consent agenda on resolutions 2024-25 through 202 24-28 move second commissioner Albright do we have any comments we can make director before we do this well just a comment that this is on U 250 I asked to asked the the uh director Department of Aging that if if uh this in home is it's growing that people need support for many reasons in their house uh she she she says that it's a it's a a private company we deal with but for the future maybe we should consider looking at this that provide more funding this is a money we're getting for the a grant or something but maybe that's an area where at this County that every County but this County because of uh the Alzheimers demena um um parents and what that they need help so it might be something to look at in the future either look around for more money or develop more in budget I don't know all the numbers she's supposed to provide some more numbers for us to see if uh if if that was possible so ask us to consider that the future a lot of people need have that de so just for two hours of a day would do a lot of good for some families sure get some stimulation and so and you know outside absolutely okay thank you sir anyone else to vote now yes commissioner loots yes commissioner Maran yes commissioner Soro yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Romero yes director Soo yes do I have a motion and second to adopt resolutions 2024-25 through 2024 d283 by consent some move second commissioner albre yes commissioner LS yes commissioner Maran yes commissioner SAR commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Romero yes director SEO yes resolution 202 24-28 resolution awarding a contract for electric and Natural Gas Energy cons consultation for the county of Cumberland and the Cumberland County cooperative contract pricing system identifier number 181 CC ccps RFP number 24-5 do I have a motion and second so move second commissioner Al yes commissioner loads yes commissioner Saro commissioner Maran yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Romero yes director Soo yes resolution 2024-25 resolution awarding contract for supplying and delivering paper goods and miscellaneous janitorial items to Cumberland County bid number 24-11 do I have a motion in second move second commissioner Al yes commissioner Lo yes commissioner Soro yes commissioner marshan yes commissioner tayor yes deputy director Romero yes director Soo yes resolution 2024-25 resolution awarding a contract for area plan 2022 d224 summer camp assistance for older Americans act services for the elderly and disabled for the 2022 2022 through 2024 area plan contract do I have a motion in second so move second commissioner alre yes commissioner LS yes commissioner Soro yes commissioner Maran yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Romero yes director C yes resolution 2024-25 resolution awarding contract for providing specifications for a roof replacement at 2020 North Laurel Street 800 East Commerce Street Brion New Jersey bid number 24-8 do I have a motion in second sh Mo second commissioner alre yes commissioner loads yes we're maintaining our public property commissioner Saro yes commissioner Maran yes commissioner saor yes deputy director Romero yes director Soo yes resolution 202 24-28 resolution authorizing purchase from New Jersey state contract vendor for 1 2024 DOD Ram 1500 SSV 4x4 crew cab crew cab truck with 5x7 box and options for the County Division of Weights and measures do I have a motion in second so move second director is this vehicle replac for the W that had the accident or is this a new weights of bz's truck total if I'm not mistaken it's a new purchase and it's for repl back prior year so because you know how long it takes to get vles so is this the box truck that or the truck that drives around which it says it's a cat like a thing authorized repairs to the truck we were talking about last week um so this is a new purchase there was a proposal for two trucks to be purchased now they're purchasing one understanding they'll probably purchase next year this might be a big uh big heavyweight pickup truck sometime but but it's it's it's not being used just to uh for personal driver this is actually for the inspections and uh for use yeah our us okay it's a regular 1500 truck it's 1500 yeah yeah but actually says a 5.7 box at Option it's a h engine Dodge it's a heavy Hemy all right well all right this is a big truck even though it's a 150 it's a crew cab everything else it's got all the bells and whistles all right thank you he yes commissioner loads yes commissioner SAR commissioner Maran commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Romero yes director SEO yes resolution 2024-25 resolution of resolution consenting to the Cumberland County Improvement Authority awarding a contract to USA Architects for design of proposed Cumberland Gloucester Salem Regional Jail do I have a motion in second sh move second commissioner Al Mr Ridgeway director Mr Ridgeway is this uh the buddy that's been put aside I I notic divide it's just gler and and cover U kicking buddy this is the okay so sale was just because we it's part of their yeah that was the arrangement under the shared services I understand it okay I think we even got an email just recently I saw the about it was we were I seemed like was half we were paid half so so GL just kicking it because this is the desity to do the wings we're talking about well I I I think it's important to note that this money will also be contri contributed as we are contributing money towards the jail this is going to be used towards that correct correct this is going to be the facility that the Three Counties will joint exactly as a new one of our portions of is thisal what the MU reads mrar is that cumberl Bost and Salem will all get will all have a credit for the amount that they that they put into the jail Salems is 55 million based on the appraisal of their jail then we'll build and the theory would be we and go would build this addition onto their jail we would get a credit for that and Salem Cumberland and gler would be paid back that money over the years by the payments that are being made for the inmates that are I just want to verify that everybody is getting credit for what they're putting in now everybody's getting credit for what they put in and ultimately it will be reimbursed to the county through the payment over years correct but this is coming from the original Bond M Tak so that's where we're get okay and obviously trying to use the original bond for our part of the construction correct yes commissioner Al yes yes yes commissioner LS yes commissioner Soro yes commissioner Maran yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Romero yes director Silo yes resolution 2024 d290 resolution adopting a revision to County Personnel policy manual fraud waste and abuse policy as required by two CFR 200 do I have a motion and second so move second commissioner Al yes commissioner Lo yes and I agree with Miss briway I'm glad to see that we are adopting this as a policy as well commissioner SAR yes commissioner marshan yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Romero yes director Soo yes resolution 202 24-29 resolution awarding contract for preventative maintenance and repair for the security door system at the Cumberland County Department of Corrections bid number 24-12 do I have a motion and second so move second commissioner Al yes commissioner luds yes commissioner Soro yes commissioner Maran yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Romero yes director Soo yes resolution 2024-25 resolution authorizing a memorandum of agreement between Cumberland County policeman benevola Association local 231 and the county of Cumberland for 7 years effective January 1st 2020 through December 31st 2026 do I have a motion make motion second before we vote I make a comment please do uh one I want to thank the administration everybody did a great job with this also want to thank the union re that were involved this from what I understand everybody really worked together in order to get this thing through I think this this shows that uh this commission and this Administration is very serious about trying to take care of our employ director I want to make a comment too this u i I'm very pleased to see this it's it's uh this from coming what's that it's a long time coming long time coming and uh I appreciate the PBA 231 a lot they've been to a lot since I since I've sat here by myself they uh they took it on CH many times and I'm I'm glad that this commission has pushed this through with the support with the the people we put in place to negotiate I I every time I've talked to them it's very very cordial very Amal was different than they've ever been uh spoken to before or negotiated with which reflects how we do things and uh and I think it's uh it's just going to pay dividends down the road cuz we're doing bigger things as we're removing on so and they're part of it so so I think this is great yes commissioner Lo yes commissioner Soro yes commissioner marshan yes commissioner Taylor yes deputy director Romero yes director SEO yes and I'd like to make a comment and very I'll keep it very brief um we work day and night with this certain I want to thank you guys all of you and um I was very happy I was on the ball field the other day actually a couple times watching my grandkids and a few of the coaches were PBA 231 and they came up to me and they said thank you and that was probably the best day of my life I mean other than watching my grandkids of course but it just filled me up inside because how long they were without a contract just disgusted me and I'm glad you guys are at hold now and we're looking forward to hard work and coming through for us and doing the job so I want to thank you again and it's just been it's been a pleasure um and we're going to continue to do the job here with our commission thank [Applause] you you again every month baby comedy show okay yes Mr Rich we began the month of March with a balance of 35,6 58,7 7749 cash receipts of$ 42438 276 dispersements of 27,485 18757 ending the month of March with a cash balance of 12,43 76098 C itemized list of Investments are attached still 61,62 33259 with a motion to Second you can accept the treasur report as just read I don't have anything more to add motion to accept second all in favor good job Mr rway do I have a motion in second for authorizing payment of all salaries and wages I'll make the motion all in favor do I have a motion and second to open public comment on new business only second all in favor public comment please new business only get your name address and Social Security social security number birth date prove prove that I am who I say I am that's right I am good evening I'm ncy Ridgeway from Upper Deerfield and Fairfield Township I think it's tattooed somewhere on me plus I have a D um I want to thank you we have here my people to [Music] see this is the C County flag that we have so I thank you we also have the state of New Jersey flag and I thank you and we have the American flag which I really thank you for because it's supposed to be Justice for All which I kind of doubt that sometimes but um there's only one other thing my veterans got a hold of me now they want a p flag so I just thought I'd pass that along thank you thank you m that's that's sure you're doing uh Vic Bermudez uh taxpayer hope Township uh PBA local 231 president I definitely would like to thank this this board for for breaking records from what I see what they didn't and and it's U it's amazing because they're being so modest about what what really transpired over these years and I don't have to tell everybody how hard it was with the last uh few Decades of administrations we went through and uh I can honestly say that from what I understand our contracts usually took us five to six years this Administration got it done in close to eight months which is huge for us and from what I understand I think other unions have settled as well so we may be talking as many as six contracts in the same amount of time so I I see change but more importantly what happened in the past was my people not only my people the the government workers that they cut in half over the years not this Administration that they cut uh city workers County workers which was a huge Cornerstone to the to this uh County and they cut them in half literally in half and uh they put us in poverty marks I'm talking about I had officers that were not were was still up till now getting assistance and I you hear people here that work for the county saying they need assistance as well with food and and electric and gas and things of that nature but I can say that unprecedent I've seen them take us out of the poverty Mark we're out of poverty Mark with this contract in one shot so it could have been done but this group did it and I definitely like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of my guys for for standing by what you said you were going to do and doing it and and to some people may seemed like it took a long time but compared to the years that we've been through and how you caught us up and communicated with us like Doug thank you for answering the phone Joe Tony Vicky I'm sorry loads Miss loads I appreciate how everybody uh John and Ridgeway the the financial Guru right there I mean that was crazy like he did stuff right on the dime like I the call was for the Last 5 Years that we lost getting layoffs covid losing officers people dying we said we needed something now for all the time that we lost and he stepped up to the plate and and moved numbers like he's a genius like that move numbers to uh accommodate everyone and you guys definitely approved it and I appreciate you and I God bless you guys and I I I definitely uh remember that remember this in November for for everyone so I appreciate you guys Mr bermudes every employee to us in this county is a very important employee all the way from dos to you guys to the sheriff department you are a priority in this County and we promise you we would do that and I appreciate you coming forward and giving us credit for some of it and uh that's just a great group that we are that we're going to step up every time we can for the employees of our County and I'm very proud to work with his people I mean you saw me when I first got here I was uh Sly and I and dou were in a in a battle well I feel great we won that battle you know and you guys are all part of us you know and you are worth fighting for every one of you thank you appreciate please we also have to thank you and I'm mean is sincer because it takes two groups of people in order to get the contract through and you saw how serious we were but we also saw how serious you were to help us out too so we want to thank you and the organization and all the union members and we appreciate what you did too thank you so much appreciate it and one thing that Victor the ink is still wet yeah i s it today so good to go great and I I think something about you guys that maybe many don't know you don't guys don't say enough why you understand us because you guys are dub mechanic he gets his hands dirty every day Tony mechanic gets his hands dirty every same as us he the same is US regular people Joe construction uh Sor with you know with the with the plumbing you know I done this guy right here I remember when he was a public defender down in Briston and then he went to prosecut I've been me and him traded he he worked up in the ranks as well teacher who knows how it is to get paid not not get paid for what it is that you do you know what I mean you so you understand so I mean we have Working Class People working for the working class opposed to how used to be where the middle class was put down into the under class so I appreciate you guys thank you thank you real quick I'm just going to Pig you back off him cuz he he had the easy part that was the contract he took your five minutes yeah well we split that up that was the easy part he got the hard part was putting Administration together to bring this team together when Paige came along she brought my man stand Stan was the bridge to the administration come together Doug he glued it all up and then silly Romo Lou you you know the story what we've been through and I'm a type of person when I come to you I'm coming to you with a solution not just complaining none of that because where I came from employee the year employee the month I work hard wherever I go that's what I stand for but I'm not going to let you just take advantage of me when I'm trying to work hard we need to all to work hard together that's why we built this table these are all Republicans this what we voted in but they all for the people they know Republicans no more they put the people once they voted in and this is how we look at this thing this how we look at it and the reason this is not a mistake just because of failure from the other Administration and that's why we have this group and they working and you can see it and I'd like to thank all thank you thank [Applause] you do I have a motion in second to close public comment so move second all in favor commissioner reports um let's let's go to the right side of this Mr Maran on absolutely so when taking the seat one of the things I wanted to make sure when I was County Commissioner is that I was able to get around talk to a lot of people see the concerns that they have and try to get some ideas from them or try to resolve any problems so this last month's been busy I've been all over this County doing exactly that I had a nice long conversation with the deputy mayor of poell uh Tom Pesco we had a a nice conversation about hell different issues they have there different ideas that he has for the community and obviously we want to be a partner with that I had the opportunity Sheriff Donado he invited me and commissioner Taylor you came with me we had a nice tour of the sheriff's department we met a lot of nice people people and got some ideas and learned a lot about the daily activities that are going on at the sheriff's department I learned that there's some job opportunities over there so anyone who's listening if you're interested there's some job opportunities over the sheriff's department and as you can see we're we're trying to work with our County Employees to move forward and be very productive and try to work with everyone so that everyone's happy we have productive employees and we're able to move this County forward where we want it to be so it's been a busy month I plan on doing more of this I want to take more of these tours of various County buildings and I want to interact of course with more people to get more ideas and more thoughts from them so I look forward to doing that in the future and I appreciate every time well I'd like to um just let everybody know this month's been a busy month for all of us as I I was able to attend the the um Bron chamber luncheon they did have several of the Mayors there and the mayor spoke on what they were doing for their towns and municipalities there's a lot going on in the bridon area you know um whether you're for it or against it the um facilities that they're building to uh for you know I'm not sure how we say this show but for the pot you know to the way you say yeah manufacturer or you know process marijuana but but you know it's bringing jobs to the communities so um when you look at it that way that's a positive uh also you know we were able to meet with uh a different group of Mayors yesterday and they talked about what was important to them and how to move their Township forward as it related to septic um a lot a lot lot of our municipalities face not just down Township's problem but they they also have an an issue where they need uh waste treat wastewater treatment plant so we're working on solutions for our different towns and our different municipalities so that's like we're we're really busy and we want to move the county forward good okay all right commissioner I don't have a whole lot to say cuz I was out most of the this month but um I'm smiling I got a new teeth on and all that so so well no it's a lot of great things going on godmother yes is is you know I'm glad to see the uh PBA with her contract I'd like to see uh all the accomplishments that we have gone through since three years ago since I started here I mean all the fights uh that we used to have here to settle down and everybody's uh running a lot happier uh Mr richway doing a great job with us like they said that you know locating money uh and you know I'm just very happy that there's a lot of people coming up front and saying positive things about us instead of the negative that we used to have and um um you know I'm very proud of all the directors that are doing a great job in their in their departments and now the jail was a big thing I like to see we're going forward we looking at building a new Jail uh the the the site and and and architecture and we we talking about great things and Charlie's doing a great job you know uh keeping it all together uh I wish I to said the same thing uh about the sheriff department every time I want to visit the sheriff department he says no Tony stay where you're at I'll bring you a pizza so you know but uh Mike Donado I love you you know that so you guys are all doing a great job uh and uh there not much to say when things are rolling the right way you know everything is is falling in place thank you thank you commissioner commission over U just I'm looking for my notes but the baser council I got I learned more stuff of that there's some much information that has my head spit in with those meetings the I'm trying to remember because my notes I don't see here the what got what came out of they're looking at U they having issues there's actually some uh the some ships that are running a this is these are the things they tackle this there's ships that are going off uh are being stuck in in the uh the channel or off the channel they're trying to determine if the things are in the right place they think they are I wish the May was here because his he was on the call and he confirmed that he thinks uh that the booies and them were set up correctly there's been some changes but they're tackling this is an all volunteer group tackle of these issues they also they they talked about the dredging uh things that they're doing and where they're going to pile up they pile up the sand they brought up East Point Lighthouse that uh the cuz there are DP people on the calls that the idea is to to stabilize that building there have a lot of issues with water getting in and around these Point layouts which is very important tours the destination and they fight again a volunteer group fights to keep that thing going and the state doesn't make it easy um there are probably like I said two hours of discussion about many different things the Army Corps Engineers uh some issues there they are actually our first line of the feds when DP decides to create some new uh res new uh not law but rule they're the first group that sits there as a challenge I would say this commission it would be nice to kind of pay attention because they probably need more help than just themselves to uh to take on issues that affect a lot of this County they do work with s but they also work with K Bay so it was interesting I I learned a lot like I said by my head spits cuz they know there's so many acronyms they throw out I have to figure out which one they're talking about so uh the other thing and Sandy kind of alluded to we had a meeting with the about the uh the southern project which is the the Brick uh sewer that maybe water down the road but sewer to our uh Fairfield Lords Township um commercial and uh M Township and it's U the DP was in the room all the M players are in the room I think we got a good handle what we have to do next to what has to be step each step those those townships actually filled out a technical assistance paper that's how we got them in the room to start uh to say that they want to be part of this which comes with money for them to bring someone in help them get on par with everything the ccua is going to be a big player of this uh uh I didn't get a indication how they did say they get information quickly well DP doesn't move quickly so but they did mention what has to be done and we're just going to just step by step pick it up and run with it I I do mention I mentioned the director that the western side which has not filled out all the paperwork yet but they would be the next group that we have to expand the yeah there's a lot of things going to be done this is just a prelimary start and but it was a good start and you can't take D at their word but they seem the least receptive to what we were trying to uh understand or try to tackle 30-year crisis documented 30 years ago that means it's a probably a 50-year crisis that we're trying to to tackle and tonight down Township was in the room and that was the first big hurdle because they open the doors for everything else to in the county to be tackled and and everything's possible so thanks thank you commissioner s busy busy busy busy um it just seems like you just go down the list because I don't want to take a lot of time but you know between chamber functions with uh with Bron Bing chamber functions uh that we attended uh Zoom meetings with the middle Mile and the jail uh the ccua meetings that I attend including the ccia meetings also the south Georgia Economic Development district meetings that we have uh this was an organization I think uh the director will test to years ago when I was on it before it was almost broke and they've turned it completely around and they're they're going to start moving forward and I think they're going to be very instrumental in helping uh the counties in South Jersey so that's what it stands for South Jersey Economic Development District uh it's going to help turn us around they got a lot of projects that they're thinking about and we were talking about it at the last meeting and uh I think we're going to move forward on it I attended the the southern New Jersey uh County Commissioners meeting one of the best parts about that meeting is you get there and you sit there and you talk to other counties and what they're doing and you get ideas and I really do appreciate going over to these meetings uh we just I just enjoyed talking to these individuals did the Rolland Foundation had a Galla that we attended you think oh you went to a gall that's nice you sit down and eat my actual first thought was I got to go to this Gall you just want to sometimes you just don't feel like going to something but I went to the Galler I probably never met so many people that I was able to talk to and get ideas from was at that Gall I probably seriously got about 15 different cards so sometimes you go to an event that you think well you know why do I even want to go to something like this and it just turned out with a lot I met a lot of people and I think that uh there's a lot of ideas out there for comy County the college you know the County College here but uh they want to work together I I met individuals from row you know the main college campus and they're willing to work with us on a number of different issues uh from uh the actual campus in in glas so uh I was very happy that I attended that other than that the director's businesses thank you sir commissioner thank you director um I I kind of Vick and Donald you made me think of something tonight and that's a little phrase of the people for the People by the people and I think that that's kind of reflected in what all of the other Commissioners are saying here tonight it might seem counterintuitive to say that when you get into public service that you shouldn't have all the answers but in fact you should not have all the answers what you should have is all the ears and all of the experience and the willingness to go and experience what the people you represent are experiencing I think you heard a lot of that from the fellow Commissioners up here tonight um that they're going all over and they're listening I know for myself and you know why your contract is so important it started you know with my term here with the social services contract that was one of the first ones that we settled um and as a public school educator I've been in those rooms where school board members have turned their backs on us um and we haven't had contracts for years and that's that's a problem you know people can't afford health insurance people can't afford rent food and there's all kinds of issues and you you have to in order to understand it you can't just you have to be about it and I've been in those rooms I've been in those situations and another part of that is my upbringing was in a small business family everybody both grandparents my parents we all ran small businesses and so that's all I knew and your employees are your family you you celebrate their family's accomplishment ments you help them in their times of need and that's the kind of board that I know I want to be part of and I'm glad that my fellow Commissioners are making that a priority as well that being said I was raised in in a farming family it doesn't get much dirtier than that sticking your hands in the dirt and I will tell you I still do it um and I make my kids do it they get real mad at meair dirt out my fingernails one last weekend that's right dir dirt dirt's nicer yeah yeah so you're right sometimes times um but uh this month uh recently we went to uh Ruckers Cooperative Extension and we're discussing opportunities um with agriculture development here in Cumberland County and what the Ruckers Cooperative Extension could do we we sat down with the director Brian Schilling um and it's not just about farming but it's about our 4 program what they have to offer for our kids um and how we can further develop that um not only in our more rural areas because numbers show that that's where a lot of those kids are being are the kids that are being served the families that are being served are from those areas but trying to bring it into more of our urban areas in Cumberland County as well to offer those other opportunities not every kid is cut out for you know football and basketball practice where I spend a lot of my time but um you know working in a public school you understand that kids have all different interests um and needs to keep them interested and active in their communities and we talked about opportunities with 4 we talked about opportunities with our Master Gardeners possibly marrying that with our Recreation goals here in Cumberland County um and further talking about the changes that the state has adopted with Farmland preservation if you drive around Cumberland County you'll see that there's a lot of Farmland preservation signs around and that might seem wonderful and beautiful but as somebody who's the fifth generation farmer I can tell you that that means you're kind of giving up your land forever with a one-time you know payment um and that can be a big sacrifice because that's your full investment and so the state of New Jersey is recognizing that and kind of adopting some changes um to how they value Farmland preservation and if there is soil value Woodland value whatever it is um to maybe make it a little bit more appealing for Farmers to sort of get into this program and preserve more of our land um so that we can keep Cumberland County beautiful and still remain the Garden State because the Garden State starts right here in Cumberland County thank you commissioner thank you for giving us the dirt that's the dirt um I'm not going to say much because pretty much these guys have done a lot of the talking but I was down to see Emergency Management this week this past week um at the U scoop on how things operate there um I want to basically uh commend those people for staying on high alert when things are a problem in our area um that we had the ccua meeting which actually which a couple of Commissioners had have spoke to already um but the thing is that I asked the Mayors and I asked all the people in the room and it was quite was probably more people than in this room right now and I asked him I said do anybody ever ask you to bring everybody together to collaborate to actually come up with an idea and do things in in the county never been asked before skip home the mayor she said never had it happen before I was with him with John and a few other times talk about the damn you know this damn Dam that's going on you know things like just things like that we bring people in the room and we talk about Solutions so that's just that's just another little subject Public Works I was at Public Works speaking to uh the some of the employees there getting them ready for the uh the new employment of the new director uh of Public Works the gentleman is a fine gentleman and is also a great manager I hope to see good things from here um Veterans Affair we have spoke to the about Veterans Affairs and different problems what we have with it uh commissioner Romero myself we went to Veterans Affair for the State uh the same day spent a good hour and a half seeing what they do um and how we can make things work out work out in the future getting bigger outreach program for our veterans uh also I'm going to make some more out Outreach especially for um operation Green Lake um so um cats as well having sit down with the director there and also what I suggested is that we look at um more Western transportation to get over to the shelter uh and to Cod blue things of that nature where it's necessary um get started now not worry we not worry about it when it's November 25th and it's starting to get cold out um I can't I can't even read my hand handwriting anymore um and that shelter in cold blue I was also there in Bridgton and had um a nice little chat with uh mayor Kelly we sat in his vehicle what uh two hours three hours going from place to place to place to see what's going on there and what he's been doing with in in in city of bridon and what kind of things that we can do to help make things work for him other than that I think um it's been a busy month uh April's showers hopefully bring May flowers and that's hopefully a very good thing for everybody so thank you all um at this point and I think we call for a Jo we don't have resolution for executive session do I have a motion tojn motion to adjourn second second thank you everybody for coming Matt uh you're going to be called upon CC this has been a QBC television production in association with our partners and sponsors QBC broadcasts on Comcast cable channel 22 and live streams its programming on 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