##VIDEO ID:ZrIZpjp6DE0## mayor I like to call to there we go mayor I like to call to order the regular meeting of the elid park mayor and Council for November 21st 2024 to order at 7:02 p.m. on roll call we have council members Dennis here folo here gobec here pelen here tryy here council president Sheridan here mayor KY here we have a quorum thank you good evening ladies and gentlemen how is everybody doing this evening oh come on that's a little better now we're all one we have an interesting evening ahead of us we got some presentations that we are going to be taking taking place here so uh let's get started by everybody please rise in for our prayer and flag Salon oh God our Father we ask you to bless our meeting which we entrust to your fatherly care and protection please remove all selfishness and Prejudice from our hearts and implant therein a keen sense of justice and a greater love for you and our neighbors guide us in our deliberations so that our decisions will always please you and bring you peace and happiness to our community amen I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all whereas chapter 231 of the public laws of the state of New Jersey require at the commencement of every meeting a statement of compliance be read by the presiding officer now therefore be advised that the meeting requirements for this meeting have been met by publishing a spe special notice in the record inh Herald news and by posting such notice in the office of the burough clerk as well as in a public place within the municipal building also by notifying interested citizens said notice was posted and transmitted on January 6 2024 and published on January 10th 2024 okay first up we have approval of minutes we have the October 3rd 2024 special executive session October 3rd 2024 work session meeting October 3rd 2024 executive session October 17th 2024 regular meeting and October 17 2024 executive session may I have a motion to approve the minutes so move second call the roll please first by folo second by peline on roll call we have council members Dennis yes felo yes gabc yes pelen yes choicy yes council president Sheridan yes minutes approved at this time we're going to have a presentation um by the VFW who will be presenting a donation to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial okay are they going to come are they [Music] 2 that's what you just said these people here since incep of IDE and that's consistently we have small debt up to this2 this BR us down $5,100 all that money was raised these people and also other groups veteran groups themselves have I just don't want to isolate what we're seeing tonight but these people deserve a lot of you know we concerts in the park and they were out there instead of sit watching conc out there 5050 ra money for this St so this kind of team go [Applause] find was 95% paid by private enti and organizations now we're at 98% got that5 and then we could probably say that no taxpayer has spent a dollar on that statute it was that's the government here that we come good ideas everyone of these people here and every one of those people come up with a great idea the next question is how to pay and that's that's example we were setting here by going [Applause] and they just turned nine this week right yesterday yesterday uh could somebody explain to the audience what puppy girls are ahead the whole puppy thing head I got to get these out go for it all right so the the poppy girls during the parade um they went ahead and handed out they walked with us the the mile or so the whole parade and they handed out the poppies and they were kind of our our little Spirits along with another poppy girl and a poppy dog we had this year as well but they handed out little poppies as a remembrance of the veterans who serve and those who are no longer with us so they had and they had a blast a little gift and where do the um funds go that are collected from the poppies the veterans yes I think the poies go back to the veterans right yes the poppy money the poy money goes back into the Vet yes everything goes back to that goes into our Relief Fund which we use to um help the veterans yeah Hospital parties and veterans in need and this program has been going on for how long ever ever ever forever like day one 125 years yeah wow 125 years yeah all right well uh like they say in Italian jindan to these young ladies that means you're going to carry on for another 100 years is that okay one's smiling the other one's not you want to tell us about your experience a little bit has this been great for you guys or what yeah what what is special about this whole moment it's a great moment right okay you understand it too right you understand why you're here kind of kind of okay okay okay no more questions you want to ask me any questions get even if you had one question to ask me what would you ask do I have any candy no I don't yes I do we have candy in a vac here and do you have a question you want to ask right I tell you all we got a special moment here you take this and you take this and I'm taking these two girls and you're both going to be made for about a minute yell at me okay one at a time got picture go ahead young lady go ahead I believe this is the first female mayor in El Park [Applause] okay mayor you're welcome now you have something to tell you you got to get up you got to go now [Music] de happy birthday to [Applause] you all right now I also have for the Elward Park Police Department chief yes I have a check for you for the holiday tour tour yes well not for you but not for you but for you're very welcome thanks for the support Lorraine come on down I have a check for you for the resident assistance program for the food pantry and for your holiday toy shop it's not much but it'll feed and help somebody with your toys thank you all really appreciate it you and that's all on behalf of the BFW thank you so much thank you we want to thank the DFW for coming here t bringing all this money with them um and going forward I hope we can continue this process of uh helping people app if I can say we really appreciate this especially during the holiday season times are tough for a lot of people and this will way thank you all for your [Applause] okay at this time we have a donation from the homeowners association so I'd like to call forward Linda camini not sure who and Terry right uh and council president Terry Sheridan and mayor kiom oh and councilwoman tryy the uh on behalf of the homeowners association we are honored to stand beside you and present you with each check in the amount of $2,000 for our fire department and for our ladies of want to commend you on theing everybody an idea what happens here this when will be split up among companies and from there we'll be split up into many things soing some Bill personal protective it enables us fire okay yeah yeah yeah I just want yeah sure abely ladies and gentlemen what we have here is we have one group helping another group within the town of el Park uh this lady is she's going to be a steady customer here she keeps bringing money to all these different organizations I wait for phone calls from her I figure every two weeks she's coming in with more money but just goes to show you how we are Community minded and how it's important that uh we stay that way and all includ and we work together for this my whole our whole association and nice hand to these people do you want have them Council comments uh Tanisha we'll start off with you I just want to thank the VFW and the um homeowners association for continuing their generosity to the burrow to our programs it's really appreciated congratulations to our poppy girls your work was great this year we thank you for walking that parade out and and doing all that stuff that you guys did with your poppies and I just really wanted to wish you guys a very happy birthday I hope you have an amazing year before you turn double digits okay have a great school year and enjoy being nine because you're never going to be nine ever again all right thank you mayor thank you Mr F solo thank you mayor I also want to uh reiterate what uh councilwoman Dennis said Thank you to the VFW for their continuous support for our community and uh for all they're doing especially during the holiday season to give to the pantry and to the uh the toy shop was was very uh great uh also thank you to the homeowner association like the mayor said it's almost every week that they're doing something for our community so I'd like to thank them and happy birthday to the poppy girls you were great during the parade that's it thank you thank you Mr s Mr gck thank you mayor thank you poppy girls thank you VFW thank you homeowners association for everything you did to help move the ball forward in our community thank you mayor thank you Mrs Mrs Troy um happy birthday uh poppy girls and congratulations uh I would like to thank the VFW for their ongoing Fund Raising efforts for the Vietnam Monument and also um their uh contribution to the pantry your generosity is very much appreciated to the Elma Park homeowners association once again thank you for your um generosity to the um Elma Park fire department and auxiliary I'm sure the funds are going to go to some um much needed supplies so we thank you thank you councilwoman councilwoman peligre yes a big thank you to Linda colini and the entire Homeowners Association members for their generous donation tonight you do so much for our community Linda and all the members it's unbelievable you're back all the time and you want to give so much and we really really appreciate all your hard work and everything you do to make this possible all these donations so thank you and to our BFW for their ongoing donations to the Vietnam memorial it's a beautiful place to honor and remember all who have served and as we all witnessed the day when we all went there for the unveiling it was just a beautiful moment for our community and we really remember what our soldiers do and really what it's all about so thank you to everybody that's been a part of it all these donations made it possible and and we really have a place to go now to honor all of our men and women who have served so thank you to the poy girls great job glad you can be here tonight and glad you showed first and second woman mayor I'm so proud of you great job and again to the VFW for their generosity to our food pantry and toy store uh I can't even tell you what it means to us and um anybody that ever wants to come see our pantry or our toy store please contact me I'd like you to see where your money goes and what we do for those in Need You Really each and every one of you make a difference in our community so I thank you all thank you mayor thank you council president Sheran thank you mayor um happy birthday girls you did a great job thank you um as far as the fire department goes um thank you for your service thank you for keeping our town safe um my uncle was a fireman back in the day I'm going way back um so I basically know what you guys do and your young ladies do but I I just want from the bottom of my heart to say thank you for everything um that's basically it VFW I'll see you next week okay thank you ladies and gentlemen we're going to take a three minute recess uh so if you want to stay for the balance of the meeting you're welcome if you have to run off someplace that's also okay y ready okay mayor I like to reestablish a quum for the element Park regular meeting November 21st 2024 on roll call we still have council members Dennis here poo here gobec pel here choicy here council president Sheridan here mayor Ki here okay we have reestablished a quorum just need to take a breath okay moving on to ordinances on first reading we have resolution r- 35524 introduce ordinance number 24-25 and first reading be resolve that an ordinance entitled in ordinance amending borrow code section 4- 34.2 license required fees expiration to allow an additional Towing license be passed and adopted on first reading and be resolved that a final hearing on said ordinance will be heard in the municipal building on Thursday December 19th 2024 at 7:00 p.m. or as soon there after as same can be heard at which time any person's interested in said ordinance can be heard be it further resolved that the bur clerk being and she is hereby authorized to advertise in illegal newspaper a notice of introduction and final hearing as required by law ladies and gentlemen this basically is just allowing us to add an extra Tower to our list we have six we'll go into seven have a motion on the ordinance so move any discussion any second okay thank you call the roll please first by folo second by peline on roll call we have council members Dennis yes folo yes GOC yes pel green yes choicy yes council president Sheridan yes motion carries next we have resolution R-3 56-24 introduce ordinance number 24-26 on first reading be it resolved that an ordinance entitled an ordinance adopting burrow code section 26-13 privately owned salt storage to prevent stored salt and other solid diing materials from being exposed to storm water be passed and adopted on first reading and be resolved that a final hearing on said ordinance will be heard in the municipal building on Thursday December 19th 2024 at 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as same can be heard at which time any person's interested in set ordinance can be heard be it further resolved that the bur clerk B and she is hereby authorized to advertise in a legal newspaper a notice of introduction and final hearing as required by law Mr F now would you mind breaking this down for us yes mayor this ordinance establishes requirements for the storage of salt and other solid deicing materials on properties not owned by the burrow and it's to um prevent uh the exposure of these materials to storm water thank you we want to keep that salt nice and dry right hopefully we don't have to use it but uh we want to keep it dry may have a motion on the ordinance so Mo second any discussion call to roll please first by peline second by P solo on roll call we have council members Dennis yes poolo yes gobec yes Pelin yes choicy yes council president Sheridan yes motion carries next we have resolution r- 35724 introduce ordinance number 24-27 on first reading the resolve that an ordinance entitled an ordinance repealing and replacing burrow code chapter 21 Shad tree be passed and adopted on first reading and be resolved that a final hearing on set ordinance will be heard in the municipal building on Thursday December 19th 2024 at 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as same can be heard at which time any person's interested in said ordinance can be heard be it further resolved that the bur clerk B and she is hereby authorized to advertise in the legal newspaper a notice of introduction and final hearing as required by law Mr FL now yes mayor this uh ordinance establishes requirements for tree removal and placement in the burrow um it's kind of merging two things together and just cleaning up some old language thank you motion on the ordinance any discussion C the roll please first by pel Green second by Troy on Roll not on roll call we have Council memb Dennis yes for solo yes GC yes pelen yes choicy yes council president Sheridan yes motion carries hold up it's on it's okay I'll just project next we have ordinances on second reading we have resolution r- 35824 introduce ordinance number 24-23 on second reading where's the public notice has been given by the B clerk that an ordinance entitled Bond ordinance to authorize the acquisition of a new pumper fire engine including original apparatus and equipment and buying for the bur of el Park in the county of Bergen New Jersey to appropriate the sum of $1,490 th000 to pay the cost thereof to make a down payment to authorize the issuance of bonds to finance such appropriation and to provide for the issuance of bonds anticipation notes in anticipation of the issuance of such bonds was introduced and pass at a meeting held on Thursday October 17th 2024 and that further consideration of this ordinance will be taken up at this meeting and whereas all persons interested in set ordinance we're given an opportunity to be her concerning the same now therefore it be resolved by the mayor counsel of the B of el Park that an ordinance entitled Bond ordinance to authorize the acquisition of a new pumper fire engine including original apparatus and equipment and buying for the burough El Park in the county of Bergen New Jersey to appropriate the sum of $1,490 th000 to pay the cost thereof to make a down payment to authorize the issuance of bonds to finance such appropriation and to provide for the issuant of bonds anticipation notes and anticipation of the issuance of such bonds pass on Final reading ladies and gentlemen this is uh for purchase of a new fire truck but from what I understand there like a three or four year wait uh so it's a something that will be coming in the future may I have a motion to open to the public second anyone from the public care to speak on this ordinance and this ordinance alone if not I will close the public portion may I have a motion to adopt the ordinance second call the rooll please first by peline second by folo on roll call we have council members Dennis yes folo yes gobec yes pelen yes tryy yes council president Sheridan yes motion carries next we have resolution r359 d24 introduce ordinance number 24-24 on second reading whereas a public notice has been given by the Bor Clark that an ordinance entitled an ordinance amending and supplementing ordinance 21-15 entitled an ordinance to fix the salary wage and compensation of the officers employees and Servants of the baral enland Park County of berens state of New Jersey for the year 2023 regarding Chief Municipal finance officer and superintendent of Public Work salaries was in and passed that a meeting held on Thursday October 17 2024 and that further consideration of this ordinance will be taken up at this meeting and whereas all persons interested in said ordinance were given an opportunity to be heard concerning the same now therefore be resolved by the mayor and counsel of the B of EM park that an ordinance entitled an ordinance amending and supplementing ordinance 21-15 entitled an ordinance to fix the salary wage and compensation of the officers employees and Servants of the Barrow of Elwood Park County of Bergen state of New Jersey for the year 2023 regarding Chief Municipal finance officer and superintendent of Public Work salaries pass on Final reading may I have a motion to open to the public so Mo anyone from the public here to speak on this ordinance and this ordinance alone if not I will close the public portion may I have a motion to adopt the ordinance call the roll please first by peligre second by F solo and roll call we have council members Dennis yes goolo yes gobec yes pelen yes Troy yes council president Sheridan yes motion carries moving on to our consent agenda we have the following resolutions resolutions r- 36-24 approval a payroll r- 36124 approval of bills list r- 362 d24 Vietnam Veterans Memorial change order number two r363 d24 approval of transfers r- 36424 change in custody change in custodian of petty cash fund r365 d24 award Cherry Hill Park Paving r- 36624 resolution to refund 25 Main Street development r367 d24 authorized vacation buyback r- 36824 resolution to redeem third party tax lean r- 36924 resolution to refund overpayment r- 37-24 authorized execution of contract with Bon County Department of Health Services EAP r371 d24 authorized execution of contract with Bergen County Department of Health Services RS 37224 approv El Park fire department siphon program third quarter compensation r373 d24 authorized voiding of stale checks r- 3742 24 resolution lean attachment to property known as block 1011 lot 5 287 Market Street r- 37524 resignation of firefighter r- 37624 resolution to enter into a shared service agreement R d377 d24 appointment of firefighters and r- 37824 resolution to appr approve the consent agenda motion on the consent agenda second any discussion call the roll please first by pelig second by folo and roll call beh have council members Dennis yes P solo I need to recuse on R 372-4327 7-24 yes to the rest okay gobec yes Pelin yes choicy on r324 r354 and R okay council president Sheridan yes motion carries next we have mayoral appointments we have Eric Samson planning board member for unexpired term Jeffrey frag Jr planning board alternate number one unexpired term Charles canani planning board alternate number two unexpired term now for departmental reports we have the zoning board meeting minutes from September 25th 2024 Board of Health meeting minutes September 9th 2024 and the library board meeting minutes September 16th 2024 I have a motion to accept the reports so move second any discussion all in favor thank you Council mayor this concludes my portion of the meeting I will turn it over to you for Council reports okay we'll start to the left once again Council woman Dennis thank you mayor so the holidays approach us and next week I plan on wait first well tomorrow we plan on giving out turkeys right and and hams so the residents of umw Park uh it's an event we always look forward to and hopefully next week we're all able to sit around our tables with those that we care about and uh show the things that we're thankful for um but be before we get there I just have to address something um and Excuse me while I I catch my words um I have this thing you know we have these privileges um and I always say to my my family that I have this privilege to be here and every time that I I pray I always pray for the strength to go through whatever path is is put in my direction or whatever path I'm put on um and this year has been extremely difficult as we battle different challenges personally and professionally um at the start of this year there were a lot of words that um came towards the council um a lot of them were used called bullying harassment intimidation hostile work environments hate bigotry and it was a saddening experience because I wanted to see us celebrate our differences support one another create community and respect our differences um and I'm having a hard time just being being um professional here for a second and not being too personal but I'll I'll just give you this mayor um when my child was in second grade he was at Birchwood Park and he was surrounded by a group of children um who proceeded to call him all kinds of derogatory names um including one of his great friends um what happened after that was the lessons that we teach our children it's zero tolerance it's I don't care how long we've known a family or we've engaged with someone don't tolerate a certain kind of disrespect um because disrespect can permanently shut doors that apologies cannot reopen um I pride myself on holding myself my friends and family and those that I surround myself with accountable um I even sat down and I made a list of all the many hats that I wear and I'm pretty sure we all sit in the same categories but I'm going to tell you a few just so I can toot my own horn um and it's shocking you know but it's you know I'm a wife my mother a daughter A Friend a chef a nanny a Uber driver a referee a coach a caregiver a consultant a cousin a puppy Mom I'm Puerto Rican oh excuse me I am loud enough Chen much better thanks Shen um I am Puerto Rican africanamerican I am an honorary Jamaican I'm Catholic a party planner I'm the granddaughter of a Puerto Rican civil rights activist a scheduled coordinator I'm a huge fan of boxing basketball Golf and football I'm a council woman I'm a personal shopper I'm a woman I'm an auto disease autoimmune disease fighter and I am a Democrat and two weeks ago I felt like I was under attack for being an African-American Council woman that was a Democrat um it was disheartening it was upsetting it was um shocking because I I raised my children in the bubble of Elmwood Park and I I blame the chief for that because the chief has created a safe environment Within These these Square 2.5 square miles whatever the number is and my my family they walk around and they can address police officers by first name they're not afraid to go outside in the dark and run around the park um they feel comfortable and and I always tell them that's not what the real world is like the internet is a fake place um everything on the internet to me is for show um and I I try to teach that to my kids we don't live on the internet we don't live on Capitol Hill we don't sit here and and try to recreate the the craziness that we see online I'm disappointed that I was the target of someone else's um I don't want to call it hate I'm going to say um ignorance is the word I want to use because I thought I was doing the right thing and I thought I handled situation in the best of my abilities at that moment when I approached and I you know addressed my concerns and I wasn't met with um accountability I was met with the person doubling down on that I was met with um hostility and there was um reasons as to why they did that um everything that happens after you're put on notice is a lot about your character and integrity and one of the things that I say over and over again and my kids hate when I I call them out by name but they understand um you don't have to understand how I feel you have to respect it and I I practice that with everyone that I come into contact with and if there's something that I don't understand I will question I will educate myself and I'll move forward I don't sit here with the Privileges that I have to make anyone else uncomfortable I am not better than anyone else I don't hold myself to the a regard that I don't hold anyone else to I don't appreciate the online attacks by people who are ignorant to what's going on in Elmwood park within our own Community I don't appreciate um those that are in power or elected officials to to promote such um hate or disrespect and not only not take accountability for it not understand how it affects other people what I experienced here in Elwood Park two weeks ago and for a week up after that um after I informed someone of how I felt not only they double down on what they did um their family members started to repost it over and over and over again it was like every time I went online it was opening up the same wound and it was frustrating and it was more frustrating because I have children of Ages that can see it and when they start to question it and when they start to not be comfortable when they want to leave the bubble that we've created in the village that we have because they'll feel safer somewhere else I cannot say bye and be quiet it is not okay to judge anyone off for anything because we are no better than our counterparts um we have neighbors we have friends that are battling illnesses they have their quiet battles the things they battle out in public out loud and I don't think I'm better off than anybody else so it's hard for me to put myself in a position where I feel sorry for myself because I don't I feel sorry for the generation of kids that see these things online and think it's okay to reposted over and over and over again they think it's okay to say these things because the adults are showing them that this is what Society is like I coach a lot of young ladies way too many 5-year-olds if you ask me but I appreciate their parents for entrusting them with me um and then leaving them with me but it's fine um to know that we have elected officials that have influence over these young people and we don't hold ourselves accountable I'm not sure what we're showing that generation I can only hope that as my days on the council are almost over um we look back and on July I believe was July 2023 this Council passed a resolution denouncing hatred big um discrimination on all terms and every council member up here sat up here and they agreed that elw Park was not the place for this and it is so sad and heartbreaking that over a year later we're back at the same conversation with some of the same individuals promoting some of the same hatred within our community it's just not okay this is my story I'm not here speaking on anyone else's behalf I can allow everyone else to sit there and and speak their experiences but for someone to um try to make me uncomfortable in the home that I created in the town that I am privileged to serve in the town that I pay a lot of taxes and um I just can't I can't let it be quiet it was a nice evening the donations are appreciated we always respect the uh VFW and the uh homeowners association for always being so generous um a year from now I would love to watch a council meeting and ensure that this topic is not here again a year from now when election season comes up I would love for the excuse not to be that emotions are running high I would love to hear that we're holding each other accountable and we're celebrating each other for being different and we can agree to disagree but we can do it in an adult manner in a respectful manner where we're not attacking each other's family members each other's gender orientation um we're not attacking our education we're not attacking our racial divide we're not doing any of that we're supporting one another because this is the community that we all live in and no one should walk around here feeling unsafe especially when we have the police department that we do have so I just want to thank you for allowing me an opportunity to speak my piece and if anyone wants any of my titles I'm gladly to give them up because I wrote them down and they just this list has just waed too long but I know I've missed a few um I only pray that the next generation will maybe watch this and and get off of Tik Tok and Instagram and Snapchat and understand that this is your community this is your home there are adults that care about you that want to see you thrive and you have to do what you can do to make your neighborhood better thank you Chief thank you mayor thank you councel Mr folo Mayor yes so uh Tanisha I just wanted to comment I know you referenced accountability and what not um and and as you well aware there there's been resolutions and whatnot and there is a a robust anti-discrimination policy and the employee handbook and what um uh you do know there's an outside referral been made for investigation regarding what occurred so in terms of the internal administrative process the the burough basically waits to see how that plays out before it takes any action but I just want you to be aware that we're aware of that and that that's where we are right now I appreciate that Cal thank you thank you counselor and I guess one more point and to that point I I would suggest that in terms of of response by Administration and others you know be limited as a result to allow the to play out exactly okay okay Mr solo thank you mayor first off I want to start by congratulating uh Council councilman elect Samson on his victory uh this election day and also council president Sheridan on her Victory um it's not easy running for public office you take as we could see uh some unnecessary beatings in the public but uh we do it because we love our town and we do it because we have an investment in our town we pay taxes in our town we want to see our town do uh great things um I'm not sure if I can comment on what council woman uh Dennis had stated but as public servants were held to a highered standard it's our responsibility to lead by example to promote Harmony to ensure that everyone in this buau feels represented and respected this isn't Washington DC we should not conduct ourselves that way for our community sake and that's all I'm going to say on this topic thank you mayor thank you Mr golen thank you mayor thank you everyone for being in attendance tonight um I do want to start off with addressing the election on all levels a very hot hotly contested election um I wish all of our elected leaders luck of from the president down to our new Senator and so forth um here in Elwood Park Council uh council president Terry Sheridan you were reelected with the third highest amount of votes ever so congratulations uh councilman elect Eric Samson uh was also elected I congratulate him um as you know everyone knows uh councilwoman Dennis and Sandy bster were not successful um that's the process We Run The campaigns things are said on both sides you run to the finish line and there's a winner and there's a loser and there's a responsibility that comes on being on the winning side and there's a responsibility that comes with being on the losing side and um you know when you're on the Winning Side you can flex your muscles you can be very very proud of yourself you should be 1,000% and when you lose you can be upset but there's a level of class that comes with that um and I and you know and I thought we had that and then you know one of our colleagues you know put out put a thing out on social media I'm not a mind reader I can't tell what people's intentions were but if uh if opinions can split 5050 whether or not it was appropriate or totally disgraceful and potentially borderline um sexist racist then I think it's something to look at um you know um um this is not the first incident this is not the first time everyone has freedom of speech rights but I I appeal to the mayor to my other colleagues that have influence that something has to be done um you know we're we're here to do business we're here to move the ball forward for the town um I I've been in many strong arguments strong disagreements disputes with my colleagues on regardless of the party many a times and but it's all business we do business one side's argument wins the other side doesn't we get to the meeting we vote and we move on to the next issue and uh that's just how this has to go so um you know to to you know all right you have you know arguments over the year with a council member and then they're not successful in the election uh to to post something uh like that is immature and childish and I think it's important to note it is not the only time I I you know we all we all hear things all things get to us there have been numerous uh public incidents meltdowns about why parking wasn't closer to an event why why certain people had to stand on a line to get into an event and other people got in you know everyone knows what's going on and I appeal to my colleagues to do something about it to do something about it we can disagree and scream at each other about the business that affects the borrow but this other has to stop it's just got to stop it's got to stop and I don't know who can make that happen I don't know if it requires self-reflection and you know time away to figure things out or whether it's people up here people out there or people that are watching it but this  has to stop and that's all I have to say for now on this matter councilwoman sure first I would like to address the comment about waiting at an event okay me and my family attended this scarehouse event on the 27th of October me and my family got online and waited almost an hour and a half as my P family approaches the Rope I'm told I'm sorry you'll have to go with the next Group which is fine I've got no problem waiting except instead of the next group going the door was opened and another family was ushered in ahead of my family after we did the right thing we got on the line we waited for an hour and a half so yes this does not have to stop I will continue to speak up when I see things that are not right it might seem like a simple thing asking for a favor to be let in ahead of everybody else but what other favors are they asking for I'm not the one sitting here asking for any favors you you just proved every point I made thank you I want to address the council here before this gets out of hand let's all be and show dignity for each other all right let's and defoul language I heard come come from two Council people I don't want to hear that no more I was brought up on the streets of Pake New Jersey and I never heard my father swear once until I was 16 and he was chasing me because I played hookie at school so I ask everybody to control their emotions because they're running high right now and I won't tolerate it I'll call the next person out of order if I hear any foul language or anything that seems like it's inciting anything you finish Miss Miss try I'd actually like to give my update I'd like to congratulate Eric Samson on his victory and Terry Sheridan on her reelection um update for the wreck the registration for basketball closes tonight there will be no late registration or walk-ins taken at the draft a new bike rack was installed at burough field to provide a designated stop spot so people do not bring their bikes onto the turf surveillance surveillance cameras and bike signs have been placed throughout the burrow throughout burough field for added safety and organization bleachers for spectators are in the process of being installed and on track for completion in the next two weeks preparations are underway for the turkey giveaway and the Christmas tree lighting event congratulations to crw soccer U14 u5 boys for winning their division um the re Center will be closed November 28th through the 30th and the next Advisory board meeting will be held on December 16th at 7:30 p.m. um Board of Ed there's a single session on one day on Wednesday 11:27 and school will not be in session on the 28th and 29th for Thanksgiving recess next board ofed meeting will be December 17th at 6:30 progress mayor thank you councilwoman peligre yes good evening everyone my board of health update on Wednesday November 13th the rabies clinic for dogs and cats was held 13 dogs and three cats were vaccinated their next regular meeting will be held on December 9th at 700 p.m. all are welcome to attend my police update our police department and the residence assistance program will be Distributing free turkeys and hams for families in need the date is tomorrow November 2 2nd time is 2: p.m. location Elwood Park Recreation Center parking lot um the one free ham or turkey is on a first come first serve basis residents assistance program update last Sunday the AZ volunteers rake leaves for over 30 homes in our Elwood Park Community this was for our residents that needed some assistance these volunteers have been with our program for 7 years we truly appreciate all they do for our community also a big thank you to our police department for assisting us that day it was so appreciated lastly I attended the 2024 League of municipalities annual conference this week there was a lot of great networking and valuable information was given I will be sharing this information with the appropriate department heads and also my last thing would be on a joyous note tonight um today the residents assistance program received a $5,000 check from Schwab charitable and Anonymous donation and we have an angel somewhere in this community or somewhere close to us because a few months ago we received a $10,000 donation from this same Anonymous person and I can't tell you what this means to this program so many people are helped and I know I say it all the time but until you are at that pantry working as I do and some of my colleagues do you see the need some people have to choose between medication and food so this is an extremely hard time of year with holidays approaching because now they have to you know get gifts for their children and and put you know dinners on the table for relatives so this money really comes in in handy to us and I just want to say whoever you are out there I really hope that you see this tape and you know how really appreciate it you are from all of our hearts up here for this program you really truly make a difference thank thank you thank you council president thank you council president chevan thank you mayor um G Park homeowners association is having a Halloween party Wednesday December 11th 6:30 I mean uh Christmas party I'm trying to think what everybody said here I'm trying to get my thoughts together all right Elma Park homeowners association is having holiday party Wednesday December 11 6:30 it's over at Justin's um I have a menu if anyone is interested uh contact Linda at 20982 4919 by December 1st and Thanksgiving is coming which is next week so I just want to say to everybody um before you sit down and enjoy your dinner just be thankful for what you have for what for what everything is I mean we got to be thankful for our town for our Police Department our fire department I mean just take a little setb and think about it and Happy Thanksgiving to everybody that's it mayor thank you just like to talk a little about the um the election I think I have some Authority on the subject I've been through I want to say 25 campaigns and personally 10 elections I was successful in seven out of the 10 elections and I I was nonsuccessful when I ran for Senate New Jersey senate 2007 and once as a candidate for the Board of Education and once as a council person my point is it's a ugly feeling when you lose all the time you put into it your family the sacrifice it's just a horrible thing but you have to come to grips with it you have to say to yourself is this what I want well I had my first shot at it I had my second shot at it do I want to continue doing this and if if you have that impetus then you move on and you you grow and you come to a better a better place but I say to anybody that loses and they feel good about it you're a loser you should not feel good about losing and I say to the winners my congratulations uh nobody should be gloating about it either way and we should move on one good note well we had a couple of good notes tonight but this this one here should brighten up uh at least our Chief's face a little bit um I think it's safe to say that on the corner of Market Street and River Road we got Major League Baseball coming in with a full fullblown Studio they're going to spend $190 million to retrofit that building right here in elmood park uh I do want to say that the fellow in front of me it was his baby Mr fno he kept me in the loop all the time but he worked diligently because he knew what this is going to do for B for well not what we're going to do for baseball but what baseball is going to do for El would bark so uh it's a great moment uh for our town it's going to put us on the map and uh that's it may I have a motion to open the floor for public comments anyone from the public care to speak on any subject whatsoever please come to the microphone and please state your name and address one at a time please good evening uh my name is Benji wimble I represent you as your assemblyman for the 3 District Welcome Benny thank you Mary for I haven't seen you at blue 42 in a while but uh you know we'll catch up soon holiday been busy being mayor I I got you Council Val I was at Shop Right today I didn't see you so I worried about it there but we got to make a date make sure we definitely so uh the one thing I would say is uh during my time serving Elma Park uh I've been greeted with warm arms regardless of folks from race Creed color gender religion and um I can say I'm a proud representative of Elma Park um it's pretty disturbing when uh you know councilman Dennis uh was have to deal with such thing in his day and age and uh many people may not know the uh racial you know uh impact or something like that when it comes to your kids and stuff I'm a father of four um I'm unfortunately uh you know over the last couple of years with social media and and fake news and all types of stuff our kids have been subject to stuff that people haven't seen for generations and um the term you know B Felicia is very racially uh uh ignited uh Felicia was a drug addict black woman in a fictional movie uh and nobody wants to be preferred to as a drug addict fictional person in a movie there's nothing cute about that at all nothing um as a African-American male I think I have to remind people constantly uh here in America even some my my own African-American uh uh brothers and sisters that for 246 years Africans served as slaves in America 89 years we dealt with segregation 400 plus years of Oppression Millions were killed and died during the slave trade our women were raped or men were dehumanized we have to never forget that slavery is the biggest stain in American history you could try to ban books you could try to you know talk about uh a Dei there's no Dei when you put that type of price on the impact that African-Americans have had on American history we can't hide that we can't ever make it go away and unfortunately our kids are subject to this on a daily basis because of the society we live in I am somebody who has Republican friends Democratic friends independent friends African-American Spanish white gay lesbian it doesn't matter good people are good people and this is not a republican Democrat thing it's just about being a good human being a good person and councilwoman Dennis does not deserve to be subjected to that and more importantly the kids of the Elma Park Community do not deserve to be subject to that at all and it has to really that coffee table conversation of racism is destroying us it literally is destroying us I may not agree like you said mayor like I know you were very good friends with Congressman Pasquel and I remember me and him talking about you and talking about the relationship you guys had it wasn't about Republican or Democrat it wasn't about you being from P or the Patterson or anything like that was just about good people I could call the chief anytime anytime and he's there and I never call him as Benji wimbley the Democrat call this as a American citizen who needs what's best for our community and understand that the words that you say sometimes that hurt people can never go away they can never go away the tongue has no bones but it can break a heart so be careful what you say and this is not about losing or winning cuz Tanisha Dennis is a winner as a person forget councel forget anything else her sister's my neighbor we waiver at each other every day and I go there and I always think about her but this young lady is a winner a winner and it should not be a stain on the history of Elma Park when it comes to racism ever and as a sister city Patterson I mean you probably have so many former some residents here that like I said when I come here I'm at home please address this issue I know it's in the situation in the right hands but make sure this never happens again make sure that this conversation does not have to come back again regardless of who sits in those seats your legacy will be there forever so Tanisha I'm here to support you 100% Elma Park mayor Republicans Democrat I'm here for all of you regardless of who you are so please understand that God bless you and please do the right thing Jeff Carter president Bergen County NAACP I was shocked when I was called mwood Park I guess a couple of weeks ago um with the situation that most people have addressed here we are the Watchdogs the NAACP of the county we will be watching we will be looking racism has no place in Bergen County and obviously racism is in Elmwood Park um it's nice to be eloquent and everybody said eloquent but I'm going to be real and the reality is that you know you all have some racist on this Council and one in particular because you had to pass an ordinance and then even after the ordinance it still lives that goes to the moral character of that person and and it there's no other way to say it than the moral character and as assemblyman wimbley said you know our kids are watching some of the council people said our kids are watching if people are here I'm here to support council person but uh Miss Dennis and we will be watching after she leaves we will be watching Ood park because racism again cannot live here should not live here and when people's kids are demeaned by having to watch stuff on social media about a coach a mother a provider a caregiver moreover a citizen of Elwood Park who has given their third time to be to be a councilman I don't know what you all are paid but you're never paid enough for the work and and you're here to help everybody in the uh Town You're Not Elected for one segment you're elected for every segment so we we will be watching you all and I hope that I don't have to come back but I'm waiting to hear what the report is and if we have to do some things like call a press conference and bring in Wood Park uh out in the public for its racism we will do that thank you very much next good evening Council my name is um chaplain Barbara Marquez um I live in Elma Park um this was really hard for me the night of the election I was actually asleep my phone started ringing unstoppably and it were residents from Elwood Park some Elwood Village some in other places and they kept saying did you see the post how dare she do that why would she put something up like that I had no idea what was going on someone sent me the post I was mortified the post was sent from a council person Miss Troy it was disgusting whether you knew or you didn't KN know it was disgusting I was offended by it I was angry the residents are angry so I prayed about it and I'm here to speak about it today we're here to confront the serious problem that has flagged our society me for too long and that is racism racism in all forms is poison that corrodes the very fabric of our communities leaving deep scars that can last for Generations Martin Luther King eloquently said racism is a philosophy a way of thinking that is old as Humanity itself it is a form of idolatry a worship of a false god of racial superiority racis racism affects families it destroys bonds love and trust that hold them together it affects communities creating divisions and mistrust that can lead to violence and unrest Gandhi also said intolerance is a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true Democratic Spirit when I looked at that post that you put up I thought I said okay it was an election somebody won somebody lost Tanisha lost with Grace there were no winners here if the outcome was this the issue at hand is a pressing one and the council must make immed must take immediate action to address the racist Behavior exhibited by P atro it's heartening to see the community is standing up against this Injustice and is essential that the the council listen to their concerns and take these take divisive actions Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere and that was said by Martin Luther King also the council must recognize that racm is a serious issue that affects not only in individuals but also entire communities all these things are being said with the intention that the council must swiftly ratify this behavior from any council member the very nature of racism is offensive and disturbing on so many levels and cannot be tolerated in our community the council does if the council does not remove panel at try from receipt the message you will be sending is this behavior is acceptable and that there are no consequences for her dis disrespectful remarks on Facebook but this is not not the first instance when Miss trosy has behaved in an unprofessional and unethical manner on social media and should not be tolerated pain and suffering caused by this have reached the hearts of many in our community and to Mrs Dennis's family in which I apologize to you for this ultimately it is up to the council to decide what kind of community they want to build do you want to create a community that values equality Justice and inclusivity or do you want to perpetuate a culture of racism and intolerance the choice is yours but the entire Community will feel the consequences of your actions thank you thank you miss bber your name please and address good evening I'm Dr SU Zam mullings from Englewood New Jersey I just want to say I'm glad that the poppy girls are out of the building and didn't have to really sit and endure this dialogue and but it's unfortunate that other kids have to be here to witness such things that are not in Wood Park business last meeting you know that when this happened or it erupted I'm just a little disappointed in you Mr Mayor in terms of your response and your leadership to kind of put a cap on it now it's going to Legal so it's going to be a big deal when councilwoman Dennis stated that the information posted she found offensive with racial undertones it's very simple to apologize for what was posted to have a learning or teachable moment so that you can move on to conduct Elwood Park business but when we have to come to support Tanisha Dennis and her family who was clearly upset by the words and the posts that were put up because they're offensive so if people don't know about Elward Park and have to come to Elwood park for things like this that's not the Elward Park business you want to conduct so silence is complicity and last meeting you had the opportunity all of you all to end it because if somebody post something without knowing its impact and they're told of the impact it's an easy fix but when you double down that you're not going to do it then someone else will double down and it it creates havoc in your town now and I think as Leaders you should do better I'm here representing the Bergen County Black Caucus I'm the president and one of our missions is to increase the number of black elected officials in our Bergen County And if every time they are going to come across something that's people don't know as racist or they don't know the undertone that's going to continuously become an issue so I don't know how this can keep going on without it even having to be a legal issue it's one of humanity just apologize you heard someone's feelings and that's what we tell kids to do and I'm going to end by saying this because I also serve as a dean of Nursing and today I interviewed a young woman who wanted to come into the college and I asked her what did she do in a stressful situation you know what she said I'll say sorry I said would you say sorry even if you weren't wrong she said yes because that would give me the leg to create the environment I need to deal with the stressful environment or situation so that's what I want to say and I think you could do a better job to put a cap on it where everybody feels comfortable serving the public it's not something that is an easy job to do thank you there's no cap being put on this just so you know just a due process No Cap anyone else care to speak good evening my name is Courtney Johnson suffron I am from Englewood I am the second vice president of the Bergen County NAACP I'm here today to express my concern reading the recent uh social media posts which I found to be completely inappropriate and containing racial overtones the content of this post has caused significant hurt and disappointment within your community and is troubling to see that there has been no public acknowledgement or remorse for the impact that it has had as a public figure figure excuse me an elected official your words carries great weight and it is crucial that they reflect the commitment to fostering respect inclusion and unity I strongly urge you to reflect on the harm that your post has caused and address it in a way that demonstrates accountability in a genuine effort to heal the divided has caused I encourage your mayor and your council president who chose not to address this in their comments to do the same thank you anyone else here to speak if not I then will close the public portion may have a motion to do we have executive Mr counselor no executive okay so then just a motion to adjourn all in favor good night ladies and gentlemen