##VIDEO ID:GpYOq9dCXQU## what [Music] office coming into office hi hi Parker swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of constitution of the state and I will bear true faith and I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Saint and aliance to the Saint and to the governments of status and to the government of stat in the united states in the United States and in this state and in this St County County and bur and under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and that I will faithfully and I will faithfully impartially impartially and just in perform all the duties perform all the duties of councel of councel for the burough of FL according to the best my so congrat youly swear you that I support the Constitution of I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of the Constitution of the state of New Jersey and I would bear true faith and I would bear true faith and allegiance to the same allegiance to the same to the same and to the government's established to the government establish in the united states in the United States and in this state and in this state county county and bur and B under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and then I will Faithfully I will faithfully impartially and justly form all the duuds of council coun for the bur of B according to the best of my putting to get best in my so help me so help me congratul here here here here meeting organization meeting January 6 2025 is posted on website and on in addition available to the [Music] on welcome everybody tonight ex day our first C yeah conratulations for coming back um always had a great relationship with look forward to this year coming forward I just also want to acknowledge Senator drer good friend to the Bur you know last year Senator secured the bur quar million dollar from City Jersey off building still under construction C back a but yeah we very very very getting hello soit down but first thanks to everybody here um the council CC and mayor for making very very transition this um sorry and lastly know thank you for supporting me and I'm here because I I really want live Inon for basically all my life more like more uh yeah just more like PL you know we've been here for many years and pl a very great town great people and and yeah um also a huge thanks to my parents mom dad you know uh because of that they work very hard up to and sacrif this things are really Without Love thank you coun thank you mayor and yeah everybody call me the crime Council woman now that's a competition I guess no I'm really really happy to have you here there um happy New Year to everyone going to keep it short I'm excited about starting a new year and getting U going working on um some old stuff some new stuff um as far as this year's goals go for myself and this Council I uh definitely want to make sure that we take into consideration any adjustments that the school um Board of beds have on their budgets and and uh take that consideration um in relation to our Municipal budget um i' really love for something I kind of wanted to do for the last two years I'd really love to make sure I I focus on this uh this year specifically how both non for-profits and um and uh non taxpaying entities in town um interact and relate to other as well as to us as municipalities meeting churches um shelters uh community outreach groups um Town facilities senior facilities um so I'd like to try to focus on that this year one thing I'm really excited about is getting that $773,000 grant that um uh Council resid and I acquired as well as assisting with the new $50,000 grant that was received um later in last year really excited about getting the active Recreation um you know going in and implemented inan as well as the that the mayor um was able to help us get last year um uh as far as old days as well I definitely want to um continue to try to improve our construction departments I think that Community ster is really something that we're trying to improve upon from those departments and I'd like to continue to work on that um spoke to a lot of businesses over the holidays I like to jop and uh to continue to see our businesses interact with us and vice versa I'm not just um you know through the traditional SCS but on all issues related to zoning and um things things like that I I um got to speak to a lot of business owners the last few months um and unfortunately my husband did not like that too much because it reflected in my credit card but I really did enjoy talking to all the business owners and looking forward to interacting with them a bit more this year um and finally all those things that I just talked about I really want to take a look at how those um local issues relate to a lot of our national issues a lot of the items I just mentioned affordable housing um homeless um uh immigration environmental all of those items are both in life and Macs so even though we always say it's not so partisan on a local level and that's fine I do want to see how the the naal issues you know reflect on our day-to-day lives and try to get us to rest well and just looking forward to a good year and first Happy New Year to everyone thank you for joining us this evening We Gather tonight to sare coun please stop that welc each person individual BR different life experiences skills strengths andal knowled our but this is our citizen I participates more we are en job of our resid our business is to make every person here comfortable as until you live in7 square mile call us email us knock on my door at any time of night and ser hello my friends thank you all for coming tonight to Brandon congrats once again it's a pleasure working with you campaign I'm forward toing with you both we accomplished a lot in 2024 and I'm hoping that we can accomplish more this year I want to highlight two specific examples in the last two decades fewer than 100 housing units were built are converted in Bur Liberty Village alone with provision of over 11 million in public benefits including F third part will surpass that with the other approved projects we are on track to add over 300 much needed housing units in the next 30 Years while other towns May wind and complain spend millions and taxpayer dollars to prevent the single house ever getting built you're going to be the most recent round of affortable housing obligation while strengthening fing from economy reducing existing taxpayer burden and hopefully keeping F relatively important and we have started some excellent work through the parking or traffic or whatever it is committee you want to call that um and there's much more to be done but I thankful for the work of mayor council and Council men few sou times might not be a big deal but we are a small pwn and a small pwn small things still happen in taking steps in the right direction to make this town safe for all Transportation whether that's a car bike scooter wheelchair or your own keeping affordable and strengthening theability of what I campaign on while I know way take sole credit for either of the things I mentioned I'd like to think that I'm keeping my campaign promises whether it sheer Lu happening to be at the Finish Line in a years long process or that I'm a political Mastermind or something in between I believe that side I'm excited for the year to come excited for the businesses that will open the new resen come to to and the improvements are going to make including mark my we will have rapid rectangular beend in this town by the time my first was finished despite whatever nonsense make come down from the state or federal government not you of course sen coming year I Amon and the difference we can make right here we may have our disagreements with I am confident that the seven of us up here are going to do what's best for in 2025 be our year thank you hello good evening um again congratulations to Parker anoun Vari um each year I like to touch on a particular theme in my re oranization comments and this year I'd like to share a few thoughts Comm but first I'd like to take a note of some celebratory guids some mentioned by coun but I want to look back at the past year and I proud of this govern body's accomplishment courthous accompl Courthouse St Mak significant progress and the excitement is more powerful among resents and visitors alike business such rorn as resal area new neighbors will be joining us there and at the splice streets have been paved it is side I point these examples out because these are actually things you see your own eyes Concepts you know theories these are things we're hoping creating of being they're happen um construction project something new something fresh something adapted again but I want to focus tonight on some things you don't necessarily that's the work of volunteers doing the work a lot of people ask me like apparently what what's so great about what do you like about and there's some things I definitely don't like about it but the things I really like about it are most of the Unseen things it's the behind the scenes work which that's the excit you know that's when you have to work really hard and you have to solve problems and you have to build consensus and you have to settle disputes and you working working work and then fortunately if you're lucky you see some things happen were one small part the co part is there's all other people want and when I talk about volunteering I want to kind of course so I'm going to bring up Alex was task travel to America to work the prison system use it as an example to of study American society and in his published 1835 book of Mar in America to take special note of how americ formed and join what he called Association very EAS according to the quote Americans of all ages all stations of life and all types of disposition are forever forming associations these here are not only commercial and Industrial associations in which all take but others of a thousand types religious moral serious feudal very general and very limited imens large and very I like this this idea of making the imens large very some of people uh giving them equ rain weight in the arena of community so far as I'm concerned that's where the real good stuff happens um whether you're joining in on Town Event getting involved in Committee of commission joining our volunteer fire department our Squad getting involved in our C team there are all sorts of ways that you can get involved as res and I think what we need to do is strengthen the the awareness of that uh so that's going to be my goal this year moving forward building more engaged Focus engagement strategy um we need Civic infrastructure um every town needs it our town needs it we have new people coming in we have people who been here for a while we should be looking at and recognizing our diversity as an un spring uh and we can turn this down into a model and I believe a test to that Collective part behind the scenes and in front of face and one last thing um there's two individuals that are up here and I I thought the first time that c was elected I said all right that's I do that that and then cilas gets elected like okay this is weird now so I'm a proud public school teacher at and I run into I had you know L your kids I had a my old kids are there now uh it's sort of like when you're a public school teacher in the town like next to you're kind of like a f but met I knew him as name Jun English class uh and then this gu over here I had as a freshman in an English one class and I gotta tell you if you told me then hey guess what so so I just want to say community wise this is super awesome and I think that if I was a government teacher I would teacher I'm still so look it's just gonna be great we're gonna gonna do some good things we're going to see more things happen we got a good through up here uh this this seven this govern body is G get things first I need to say that I'm extremely honored that I was reelected I'm extremely honored by the support of financially and emotionally um I'm extremely honored that I have a husband that is absolutely 101% un I am who I am because um and he stands in the background a lot you have to understand that one one of the things when those doors are closed he is the one that actually keeps you so Scott thank you I love you and thank you for everything um and then I'm supported by I'm supported by a family my younger brother that's actually here um came up to be with me to represent the rest of the family um a lot of people could because of the weather um but that's okay we'll forg them we're not going to forget them but we'll for and but but what I what I'm happy about is that you know what when I first started found this Ro Jour I don't know that I was actually enthusiastic about it but as I started but as I started going getting momentum in a little bit I saw all the possibilities we first came here the first thing I said before we even B the house I said you know there's a lot Poss there's there is something here and that's how we end up here because I believe that if you're going to say that then you need to be a part of making that happen um you know my parents always said when when you're called to action you must answer and so that's exactly what we do um I want to address a couple things the first Brandon I want to address you I'm extremely proud of you and extremely proud of you and BR let me to say this your first SP on consult is like a world because it's what it's people say ask questions but there's questions that you don't know ask right so what do I ask if I don't know what to ask what I'm going to say to you is that you know one of the things I that I need someone sit in and outside of us to just talk about what means and what the responsibility is and what I also going to tell you you must run your home place you know what there's a lot of opinions up here but it's yours that you bring to the right that's what your voice you bring your your perspective to the table I'm extremely happy that we have two young people who want to be involved who's going to move us to the next level because we are not going to move us to the next level we will serve the PO but you need to move us to the next level so I'm extremely proud of that and also remember there's a very delicate between idealism and realism and some days you're idealistic and then there's other days where it just kind of Crums because you need to put it into realistic terms so I would say that to you that every once a while you will back up and say wait minut that may not be true but it's not that it can't happen it needs to be addressed so that you go in another way to make it so I'm assing part of Tri I telling you that you are probably one of the most enthusiastic um wonderful young person deal with I deal with a lot of people work in the whole there is something about Tren and I am telling you we going to read about Tren head ears this guy I am here to support you 1,000 I here to you I'm here to give you whatever I outside of because that's one part the other inside ISS strategy so I want I I think that's the first moving forward you know when I look at the past year when I ran there were certain things that I was about one was inclusion total inclusion it happened the other thing I just really really and and we have to keep making that happen having um having Brandon Brandon here helps that right he's not going to be the end all solves all the problems in the whole day putting a black person on St and say okay so you're going to take care of all it's just not that's not the way it happens but it is a start right and so that I'm just proud that that has actually started and we star to see more people come in and getting involved we have NAACP here here here that last year were not right we have africanamerican in which they were coming but she said was one drop of snow she wasn't coming true her but we have start start to talk the inclusion the other thing that that I had talked about Community pleasing I am so proud so proud these guys to stand back here because they actually step up to the [Music] um you know G and I worked together to we dance but but now the won and it's it's a great thing sometimes you just have to bring it all down to build it back up and so I'm extremely proud of that Redevelopment Redevelopment Redevelopment I'll talk about that the other thing I said is that we need it somewhere to help now it's not 100% and it's not it's not the best that we did started with letter now need to be taken to the next level is just the initial part to make something happen right so you got to make something happen and not just talk about it you got actually make it happen so that was the next step so I'm extremely proud of those things and then the other things that are behind the scene are things like personel and being on sever of these otheres withw andp a little bit which a lot of things are going on so let's talk about 202 right so you know I remember when I gave my very first presentation at Marland but it was years and one of the things I started off said I believe I can I truly believe I can because I truly believe this I truly believe if you see it and you can touch it then it becomes real if you keep saying that it's not it's not it's not never you don't have the strength and the things to move forward so some of the things that that my focus will be this year is is branding this town the way it needs to be branded and it's pretty much rebranded right because the town it is what it is but you need to Rebrand it to make people understand what it is what it has become we know what it was but what is it going to become and that's where you start grow right that's the first thing the other thing is really working with the businesses I am going to take a really deeper dive FCB because we do need the businesses are part of this community they must be they must have a say so they must be brought to the table that doesn't mean they rule it it just means that we get their info understand how they're surviving and what we need to do to support them support the survival um redevelop redevelop redevelop there's a building across the street that's going on right there's been some building a bit but I think the bottom line is that you don't want to intend this relationship here revelop what you want is when you try to set it up that it's a win lose everybody loses it's got to be a Winn and that means as we startel bringing more want we must really sit down and sit down and really understand what the expectations are they need to understand what our expectations are and we need to understand what their expectation that's the only way it works otherwise it's going like this right you need to keep it very focused um and support it so we need to understand what they need to support the other thing is that that I'm going to be raise a focus on the budget and what that actually means and what the impact is other thing that's really important to this community that we have to have is this public pool Community has got and got to happen um because I think here's here's the go there are a lot of people who just can't go outside the community and this just not we' got a lot of kids here we got a lot of kids here and as kids get older and there's nothing to do what happens right we all right story so we need to keep them engaged and there's not a lot for kids to do here and so we need to give them something we need to just give them something so I think that's one of the things that we can actually give them to so that they have something to look forward to all the time um the last thing I think I said this but I want to go a little bit into straty because it's one thing to set in agenda but it's another thing to set Str so the point of it is I can an agenda and say this is going to happen we're going to focus on this but what is the strategy behind it because if you have no strategy you have no plan and that means you're dis there and I'm all about strategy I'm All About Numbers I'm all about development I'm all about all of those things and I'm also all about we've got seven people up here everybody brings something to the table some people bring this other people bring that you don't have to bring everything you just have to bring what you bring and have conviction for that so you teach others what you know that's what our responsibility is right is to make sure that we collectively collectively use all of our strength to make things happen as opposed to n and then Cherry Pi it needs to be a United not saying that that didn't happen by the way I think that does happen but I think we need to have a strategy so I'm really for 2025 and my 2025 is looking fors 2026 because I come from the federal world where you are looking now for the next year right you're doing for the next year because that's called what I don't ever want to happen for this town is the stagnation that has happen now I keep hearing I've been here for 20 years okay I'm dead but you were here when going down what did you do when you saw it going down because that is the time you start making strategy to pick it up so when people say that to me and I know they get really pissed off at me but you know I think Sean emotion is really good but the point of it is is because you were a part of that you were a part of that I refuse to have satation I'm all about grow I'm all about getting us to the next level and so I just want people to understand it's not an easy task but it's the task that we're going to thank you guys and I look forward to I a few remarks my years my own town of and I basically four one was kindbody overall per of town and I think you can genuinely tell that um there's a lot a lot of love up here and Ed in the town town this um and I'm very happy about that um I also ran on physical stand um right about a year or so before exit office we were put on a for downgrading for our bond because the de was spiring and I'm so happy to say that with a cooperation and help of the council um last year year they supp and as we'll say the tax thousand increased interest um and never sto project you're able to pay down debt put away money plus and still do important road projects that include and again I'm really really proud of this Council for the first time 30 years not taking the can down the road and really addressing the infrastructure of water and sewer system in this town and road projects that are not just a bandage to make road but to make that long-term safety secure and healthy and you know we'll all be suffering to 5 of the M project and then hopefully for another five months with the continuation of the M project you know and then suffering online Street and we're all going to together but it's G to make this town stronger and better and I always say this you know above the ground it all votes but without what's going on below the ground is Count you got to have sewer system that really works long term and drinking water system that is safe um so so I'm just really pleased that this Council recognized the importance of that and we put money in capital where it is so important it continues to be so important and um we been able to secure loans with the state which will be cre anywhere from 75% to 100% in the millions of dollars um so it's all good um and regarding uh you know I also made promises about traffic over development um the parking committee it's parking committee with my grandchild this past year and compris of our professionals inff and attorney well two members of the council and of myself and we Council support mov so quickly his lights Flash I this year um M Street safer we have a lot of Misses putting in always stop Street in the next always to willfield and it's just making this town cmer and safer and um you know we're also looking forward when to come back January 27th not this coun traffic a traffic planal all the traffic going created by the new courthouse project as well as possible residential parking a lot of res parking in town so got plans talk about that as well um and then you know Village the Liberty Village project is a much better project today um because this council counc president president was willing to slow down uh quickly forward because coun and through that um this Council has secured at least twice as much money uh as the PRI Administration upfront from the developer there sound um other partion detention days flooding building that the municipality will be able to Lage longterm plan and did that all and cut the amount of down by just over 2% and we have we still have about 400 books in this town um one of our number one we have tra anding Police Department working on you know on that with with Transit been really great to work with as far as deing with tissues so you know we really we're plugging through that stuff um and my last help more viable and you know if that's a longterm commitment I get Courthouse and you know with the council Partners leadership onp um and other organizations that want to do things onet and bring life back I want to thank the Commissioners who have opened up this building to have art displays and other things happening here they' open up nonprofit organizations to have in this room concerts in this room and you were talking about bringing a lot of new down Main Street um here uh like in the old days I'm mov night so you know we want to see people come and building and shop and D on Main Street and it's going to be it's going to be great it's going to be great and U I think we all know you know in this community and there are days like we have the house Tores here that it's like my child it's on a Sunday afternoon you can't get to town and it's going to be those days again it'll Vision that people see it the way it is now and better um and that's that's [Music] what the agenda we have Council election you're nomination council president counc um [Music] yes yes yes yes I think so not here any yes yes thank second yes yes yes yes next one is the government B appointment to the Community Partnership for trustee 202 there nomin second second n yes yes yes yes may Council resolution 202 J juliani is the proper offic2 [Music] yes yes yes yes yes yes resolution 25 23 which is concessional service cont2 have yes yes that all potential servic contract will being at the same uh price as last year um record resolution 2025 resolu off contract Engineering Services [Music] Eng yes yes yes yes yes mayor appoint Board St appointments planning board number two member DPW director Michael inspiring 12312 CL four member meliss swingle expiring 12312 member show expir 12128 number one Scher expiring 12 3126 alter number two jeffa unexpired expiring 1231 alternate number6 alternate number four unexpire term 12312 presentation commission class fire 12318 last week show 12318 alterate number one ter expir 12 I do have alterate number two open and putting that out the public and looking for M from west side of the street every on is on east side street so you know somebody from or park orine or anywhere over there environmental commission M 1227 11 unexpired ter expir 12126 alternate number two sorry 12126 and Mays the [Music] chair um dates and member sh 12129 unexpired 12128 M 12127 and put public and two are Avail anybody interested in having very great Journeys um regarding sh trees in this town uh and getting way and looking at please let me know Library Bo J Haven 12329 M James 12329 and the parking committee appointed from the plan board death expired 12312 I want to thank um couple of members left day off it was extraordin some other stuff she wants to do uh and I also want to thank for service on the plan board and S us off after 30 years Public Service all of them and the mayor appointments Council um [Music] um control zoning fors Ewa negotiations part DPW Finance library commiss parking commit uh um Fireworks newsletter schools and fire rescue pars and Recreation Personnel Redevelopment and creating a new committee for you for cic engagement public Outreach for us C Parker you are a member on the public Arts committee since 2025 umg uh CWA negotiations environmental personel and development maras fireworks oneing Museum historic preservation commission Parks and Recreation and schools I pointing myself back on to administrations the wa negotiations BPW Finance newsletter with uh love par Personnel uh police commissioner agenda I'm going toot all of these V with resolution 2025 2 sorry all right resolution 25 202 um just for the public we are ining a full [Music] calendar last year probably at least the very [Music] resolution 251 resolution 25 res $252 resolu 25 resol 25 certain bills resolution 2025 14 resolution interest rate property taxes 2025 resolution 2055 temporary budget 2025 resolution 25256 resolution authoriz correction typal and Technical errors ordinances and resol resolution 20272 resolu 202 policy remot online2 resolution res2 resolution2 resolu auor mpal attorney toile appeals and claims instead of tax2 resolution 2025 21 Des the B mayor officer resolution2 res res6 res28 offici so I just have a [Music] question1 um the mayor [Music] cont [Music] yes thank you we're up to the public s public whichs to uh come up here your microphone your name and address [Music] record thank Youk happy my name us last P I just wanted to uh just congratulate the newly elected council members and from the bur Council I just wanted to a few words that the burrow has spoken and has spoken very clearly they reelected Tony Parker the council but also first time elected and SP um member of the counc that's a very big deal uh as someone who was been born raised life live a large portion in the um I can tell you that your reflection of who you are just your presence makes a huge difference all the people that you represent uh and ask to take ini um understand that you are inspiring people that you don't see uh all every single day still on Council woman all back I just want you to understand that we're all proud of you and look forward to you allely and I wish you well Wonder thank thank you mayor uh first my congratulations to two members of the council for but let me also Echo Flemington not just the cter is a quintessential small town and as each of you talked about during your remarks it's not just the history of this remarkable Community but it is and you know we are all so d by have a small people at first small businesses that are right here behind us right now as you mentioned infrastructure place are just so so critical when I go around the areas that we thank you [Music] to okay all of you a happy New Year and a very healthy [Music] year fa [Music]