##VIDEO ID:nCP4gdiGV3E## that's e e e e e e we're just waiting a thank you everybody for your patience e e e e welcome everybody thank you for joining us uh John we're good on the recording awesome okay welcome everybody if I could ask everybody to please stand uh this moment of silence will be dedicated to uh the late president uh Jimmy Carter um he was uh not only uh an important president but a a great humanitarian alance to of the United States of America and to the repblic stands one nation God indivisible with liy and justice for all adequate notice of this meeting was provided to the Union County Hawk and advertised on December 26 2024 notification was sent to the local Source Union County and is posted on the municipal website the municipal public bulletin board and filed in the office of municipal clerk informing the public of the time and place Accord according to the provisions of the open public meeting Law chapter 241 PL 1975 uh this meeting is called pursuant to the state statutes for the purpose of organizing the governing body for the year 2025 and to make appointments and to transact any business pertinent there to uh roll call please Miss Perry mayor blumenstock here councilwoman Bodo here councilman Carney here councilman Lazaro here councilwoman NY here so before um we do the first order of business which is to administer the oath of offices to uh councilman elect Sean Keegan Foley and councilman elect Chase padc I just want to take a minute to recognize a few people that are here tonight uh I want to thank our County Clerk Joanne reppy for joining us uh here in Garwood tonight it's always great to see you thank you for for for coming here tonight uh mayor Lombardo uh and Council former council members Kathy vagio and Bill mad thank you all for being here tonight I think I got everybody so um at this point I I would like to ask our County Clerk Joanne rappy to join us at the mic over there she will be administering the oath of office to councilman elect Sean Keegan Foley and Sean if you would like to have your wife come so to hold the Bible put got thank you councilman you can join us up here on the dis and now uh County clip Joanna JY is going to uh swear in councilman elect Chase pusc [Music] [Music] all allc the blue you're welcome the two blue ones I'm sorry yeah I'll do they can on and I know that yes thank you thank you Miss RI appreciate it congratulations to both of our council members and I know you want to take lots of photos with the families later so there would certainly be plenty of time for that afterwards um uhuh um when can I now have a roll call Miss Perry mayor blumenstock here councilwoman Votto here councilman Foley here councilman Carney here councilman Lazaro here councilwoman NY here councilman pusc here at this point if there's anybody in the audience who wishes to say a little something to our new councilman or make any sort of presentation they are welcome to come to the mic and do so now say my name and address but I'll say it anyway um Andy blumenstock um I am the President of the gar Democratic Club yes minutes all um I'm also the president of the G Democratic Club um I just wanted to congratulate councilman poy councilman kusc um it was a very long run to get here um but hopefully it was all worth it as you'll as you'll find out uh I just want to say two big years for each of you um councilman Foley decided to have a child start a business and you know run for counsil all in the same time and so you're three for three so good job um councilman pusc not as impressive only got his PhD this year and uh and RAM for Council in one so you keep working but two for two's not bad um uh I guess lastly just seeing this this Council and uh I think the diversity of people that we have in their professional backgrounds is is fantastic um from teachers to law enforcement to law professionals to psychology to Academia um it's just it's the type of um mixed views that we need for an effective Council and I look forward to a great year so thank you thank you um and with that just a quick uh small gift from the club thank you is there anybody else who wishes to say anything or make any presentations um with that I would like to say a little something um I have here um speaking on behalf of congresswoman L Monica mcgyver has uh given our two councilmen certificate of special Congressional recognition um and so I just want to pass these along from her and we thank you to the congresswoman um and as is tradition um fairly recent tradition I think but uh the mayor uh has in the past few years given uh Council shirts to our new members and Sean you got yours last year so now it's time for [Laughter] Chase so Chase gets his new Council Polo thank you very and don't go away and His official pen with the seal thank you very much you're welcome congratulations the official seal yeah we'll get one for if you've lost it um at this point I would like to ask the burrow Council to nominate and elect a council president uh mayor I'd like to make a motion to nominate councilwoman MDI second okay any other nominations okay all in favor to close the nominations hi any opposed okay Miss Perry if you can call the roll call vote for uh councilwoman ndi as uh council president okay councilwoman Bodo hi councilman Foley I councilman Carney I councilman Lazaro I councilwoman NY hi councilman biac yeah getting better you get it by the end of the meeting right all right congratulations okay we will move this along and give you a nice quick reorg everybody um we have our consent agendas they are broken up into a few different parts um and we have uh consent agenda a and again these are routine um uh items um and uh anything that needs to be anybody need to uh remove anything okay so at this point I will request a motion and a second to adopt consent agenda part A she second okay roll call please councilwoman Bodo hi councilman Foley hi councilman Carney hi councilman Lazaro hi councilman pusc hi council president ndi hi okay and again um consent agenda Part B routine items uh does anybody need anything uh removed from the the consent agenda for discussion okay uh citing none if I could have a motion and a second to adopt consent agenda B second who is that a roll call please Miss Perry councilwoman vodo councilman Foley I councilman Carney I councilman Lazaro councilman pusc council president NY I okay Miss Perry the can you please read the minutes minutes of the regular meeting of the mayor and Council held on December the 19th 2024 do I have a motion to accept the regular meeting minutes as presented so moveed second all in favor any abstentions any opposed okay thank you the minutes pass um so the next couple of pages as you can see are the mayor appointments they are several of our committees um our boards and then afterwards um we have some other appointments um Community Development Transportation um I won't go through each and every name but I do want to say that there are some new names on here here which I'm so glad and to see I think about each one of our committees has some new volunteers joining um so that that really um excites me that we have a lot of people ready to come and volunteer and we have some volunteers that have decided to reup and volunteer again and I want to thank so I want to thank all of all of the people that go into making these committees and these boards uh it is a thankless job uh we know a little something about that up here right you know volunteering the town but it is a thankless job um and you do a lot of work for our burrow uh and I just want to thank each and every person that are listed here we have our planning board our library Board of Trustees our Garwood Board of Health shade tree Advisory Board Green Team historical committee Recreation committee the Garwood Partnerships for arts and culture the Garwood Municipal Alliance the citizens advisory panel the small business advisory committee uh and the fire and offices Emergency Management committee uh and then there's the Union County development revenue and the Union County Solid Waste advisory and the Union County transportation advisory lisons so again thank you to each and every one of you who stepped up to help in 2025 did I miss a piece there we go no I have it okay um and then you will see uh at the bottom of page five moving on to page six we have our Council standing committees um our chair of Finance is councilman Sean Foley our chair of fire and OEM is councilman Mark Lazaro Community Development is councilman Chase pusc Public Works chair is councilwoman Karina Bodo uh police and Public Safety is councilman Vinnie Carney and Community engagement is councilwoman Clarissa ndi we then have a number of special reaons that everybody up here is kind of split up among themselves thank you to uh this Council for stepping up and I look forward to good work from these committees this year uh at this point I would like to move to council member comment if there's anybody who uh anybody up here who wishes to address the governing body and guests uh please let me know I'll go first because I'm sure council president guest go first I'm sure I have the shortest one not that sure uh so uh good evening everyone and uh congratulations and welcome to the adventure uh councilman pusc uh and a big welcome back to uh councilman Foley I'm thrilled to see you guys sitting up here this year um we should also recognize the very patient spouses uh in this room uh it's not possible for any of us to take on a council member position or to be the mayor uh without the support of our families because of the time and effort and involved both in running for the office and then actually doing the job well when we win it so uh thank you Gabby and Lena and uh of course our new favorite Council kid uh Jade Olivia who I'm positive I heard volunteering for committee out there just a minute ago so uh see the mayor after the meeting she'll she'll get you signed up we start them young uh look we have a lot of good things to accomplish uh with Chase and Sean both on board for the next three years and I for one I'm looking forward to it so uh Happy new everyone and let's get to work thank you is anybody else who wishes to address the council very short happy everybody it's nice to see everyone here congratulations welcome back and and welcome I Look to working with you thank you council president just a brief comment I would also like to congratulate Jason and Sean I'm really looking forward to working with the both of you um I would particularly like to express my gratitude to the community engagement committee uh councilman Carney and councilwoman boto as well as the many volunteers and Community Partners on the recreation historical and Garwood partnership for arts and culture 2024 was a year of well organized well- attended engaging community events interesting and creative creative recreational offerings and towin Remembrance events I appreciate the mayor's support for all of these various activities held under the banner of the community engagement committee and most of all I would like to thank Kaa lysc for her dedication and hard work on behalf of all of the recreational and community events over the past year she's a tremendous asset to the great team of professionals working for our burrow I look forward to working with everyone on all the new projects in 2025 thank you want to take it before the uh new councilman yeah um just wanted to yes congratulate uh Chase and Sean um happy that you guys are going to get a chance to uh dig your teeth into uh some you know get some work done and have uh you know an opportunity to make a difference in our town and I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year thank you councilman Foley thank you everyone thank you Council mayor uh thank you everyone in the audience I uh I sit here today um deeply humbled um by the trust that the people of Garwood have placed in me uh I'm reminded that public service is is it's not about personal ambition it is not about seeking attention and it's not about building a brand it is a profound responsibility to serve and care for the people of this community a responsibility I take deeply to heart this moment is not about me this is about Garwood it's families it's residents and what I can do to help make our town the very best it can be this past year I truly fell in love with Garwood I've walked miles upon miles here knocked on thousands of doors and with every conversation I gained a deeper appreciation for this town and its people Garwood has so much Heart A Perfect Blend of old and new I've met third generation garans who shared incredible stories of this town's history and I was moved by their generosity and kindness toward me my wife and my daughter who were often right there with me on the campaign Trail despite having lived here for Generations they welcome someone like me who has called gar with home for just to many years whether or not they supported me they listened they were kind and made us to a part of this community and made these Garwood newcomers feel like dag old I also met new families who have recently moved here briming with excitement and gratitude for this town and its people they they spoke with such joy and how happy they are to be here and how much they already feel at home how could my family not fall in love with this burrow through these countless conversations I've listened closely to your concerns and today I want to address initiatives that reflect what you've all share with me first is safety and affordability and as Finance chair my Focus will be on these two key priorities at the heart of every decision I will prioritize Investments that protect our families Safeguard our streets and ensure Garwood remains a place where everyone can live and Thrive without undue Financial stream every meeting I hold and every decision I make will be grounded in a deep respect for the hardworking people of this town gar is built on the dedication of its residents parents striving to give their children the best life possible and individuals who work tirelessly to support their families in this community whether through blue collar or white col work their contributions are invaluable I carry that understanding into every step of the budget process I recognize the sacrifices you make and the hopes you have for your children and your future I will work tirelessly to ensure that the town's finances reflect your priorities H your hard work and supports the community we all love I also want to emphasize that this process will not happen in isolation I am committed to transparency throughout the budget process your voices in this burrow are essential and I will actively seek Community input invite thoughtful questions and encourage meaningful dialogue together we can craft a budget that reflects the values and priorities of Garwood and serves everyone in our Community second one of the biggest concerns shared by community members was traffic safety the streets of our town are more than just Pathways for cars they are where families walk to school where children play and where seniors cross to visit friends yet far too often these spaces are overshadowed by speeding Vehicles turning which be places of connection into for many areas of fear and concern this is not merely an inconvenience it is a serious threat to the safety and quality of life I am deeply committed to implementing solutions that reduce speeding vehicles on our streets these efforts go beyond managing our roads they are about creating a community where every family child and individual can walk through our town safely and without fear and I will do everything in my power to make that Vision a reality the schem of safety it goes beyond the physical it extends to the psychological and technological well-being as well we cannot talk about safety without addressing the Mental Health crisis that impacts so many kadies including ours garet is not immune and tragically we have felt that way of this issue firsthand I'm committed to doing everything possible to ensure such tragedies never happen again I will work to expand access to community supports develop initiatives to educate families about mental health and mental health resources and make it easier for those in need to find help this will be a collaborative effort building stronger Partnerships with our school districts local organizations and families because no one in Garwood should feel isolated or forgotten psychological health is not a side issue it is Central to the well-being of our community and will make it I will make it a priority and one most significant contrib contributors today's Mental Health crisis is the ever evolving nature of Technology such as smartphones and apps our children are growing up in a world that was unimaginable a generation ago while technology offers incredible opportunities it also presents serious risks to their mental health development and safety Garwood may be a small town but that does not mean we can't lead the nation and ing this critical issue I'm committed to exploring every every Avenue to protect our kids from the harmful effects of Technology this is to me and is shown to be one of the most pressing public health concerns of our time and I will not stand by while families face these challenges alone the stakes are simply too high additionally I will work with our Police Department to address the growing threat of cyber crime with the rapid advancement of AI families and seniors are increasingly vulnerable to scams in digital theft I dedicated to finding implementing preventive measures to reduce these risks as we continue to embrace technological progress we must also ensure that our residents are aware of the crimes that come with it I will do everything in my power to safeguard them from being victims of this ever evolving digital age finally I know it's a lot I get it I'm sorry I'm supposed to be the one that talks I want to address one more thing and this is bigger than gar but it is the tone of our politics while this issue goes beyond Garwood I believe it's my responsibility as a councilman to work toward reducing Division and fostering community and connection over the past year I've spoken with so many of you and one thing is clear people are tired tired of the divisiveness the endless noise and social media the py Grievances and the constant bickering and the quote scripture the time has come to set aside childish things and what the people here want is a better more constructive approach and as councilman that is what I will offer and a mature style of leadership one that exemplifies self awareness emotional regulation patience humility and compassion I will work to create a burrow where we can all come together regardless of political or ideological differences because remember there is no Republican or Democrat way to ensure our sewer lines function properly or to make sure our roads are safe together we will set an example for what happens when a community prior prioritizes connection over division after all Humanity's gr strength has them ra power interact the r it has been a remarkable ability to collaborate to and build something greater together some issues but my work doesn't stop there I will continue to listen for better listeners and talkers who have two years right now for a reason and I'm going to listen the resence of Gara to guide me making the decisions to move our town forward your verses your concerns and new ideas will always be my compass that I promise finally I just want to say thank you to everyone in gwood to my Council colleagues and to all those who have helped me through this past year campaigning and not one but two elections it meant the world to me and I can never find the words express how thanful I am I want to thank you to people who are not here Paul and for always being here and seeing that part of me that a struggle to see thank you for showing me my mother uh my stepfather Brooke my brother brat uh my brother Charlie my brother Dylan my nephews Pierce King and Kaden my mother-in-law Olivia my father-in-law Miss Joe Uncle Jimmy my dogs NOA high and and to my beautiful r l and our my beautiful daughter jul Olivia I love you all so much thank you don't want councilman act it doesn't have to be that long I see like oh my God to be D I'd like to begin by saying thank you first of all thank you to Sean for going first I appreciate that thank you to everyone who helped us on the campaign Trail thank you to everyone who knocked on doors with us who put stakes and signs and we made phone calls thank you to Mayor branck and the members of the council past and present for your still service in the name of our little Community thank you to my family and friends many of whom have been cutting enough show up thank you guys uh his love and support have made life comfortable and joyous after hard work and long go and unseasonably hot weather and if you know me you know that I hate things more than unseasonable H WEA thank Gabby who faith in me and makes anything and everything I do possible above all thank you to the hardworking people of Garwood New Jersey I'm here to serve you I chose to run for this office because I felt a need in our town born here moved away for college then graduate school I've seen much change and we stay the same I've seen businesses come and businesses go buildings fall and rise again I wanted and I still want to help bridge those two worlds our past and our future that relationship was the north star of my campaign respecting our past and going into a vibrant tomorrow that is my promise to you how am I going to do that how do we ensure that g with the rooted in the past and aimed at the future we must remember ourselves and the size of our community aror is a small wholesome Place f with neighbors and friends who go out of their way to help one another GED rocks holiday food drives multiple activities parties in un park with the little girls and you know the greats uh we can lose sight of what makes us a small town with a big heart in a world in which it is all too easy to miss the forest through the trees to forget how special our burrow is we must keep that kindhearted generous history in mind I promise to do just that I promise to work for you and to the best of my ability represent your interest and those of the burrow I promise to treat constituents with respect and kindness the respect and kindness that they deserve I promise to do what I believe to be best for this the town where I grew up in which I now live I'm new to this and I expect it'll take some time to adjust but I have plans I'm ready to get to work first off I'd like to get going with designated film ready by the New Jersey film commission our little town has already had the honor of Hosting Columbo himself P FK hell Riser from stranger things and quite Rec Hugh Jackman Kate Hudson and a host of others I've seen as a member of gpac that this is a creative and a vibrant Town we're waiting for more and becoming film lady would supery and smoo in that process allowing them to make movies more easily in Garwood need to tackle the elephant in the room for affordable housing mandate I expect to be working closely with our planner our engineer the planning board and the B of other local officials Folks up here and and out there to get the best possible results for our residents the paperboard site has been empty for a while that needs to be addressed and with it the broader traffic housing and density issues that naturally affect a small town like ours in a state as densely populated as New Jersey G today it feels a little different than the GW of my youth but as much as has been lost to time has been gained in new ways more recreational opportunities for both kids and adults more community events and new businesses opening and preparing to open frankly like I've never seen before especially coming in the New Year we got some exciting stuff coming I am proud and honored to serve as your councilman to get to be a part of that glowing future that we can build together I promise to do my best for you thank you very much I'm very proud to sit up here with both of you congratulations again and at this point we will move to public comment if there's anybody in the audience who wishes to address the mayor and councel please step to the microphone State your full name and address and please limit your comments to five minutes anybody okay um that it do I have a I guess we will motion to close public comment then moved second all in favor opposed okay um don't worry mine's not that long either um I would like to say good evening of course to everybody and first and foremost I want to extend again my heartfelt congratulations to councilman Foley and councilman pusia councilman Foley your tireless work ethic has never been in question but this past year you have proven not just through your actions but through your deep commitment how much you care about both our residents and our beloved burrow taking on the role of Finance chair in your very first year is no small feat uh and you dedicated countless hours to mastering the intricacies of local government so I have no doubt that your unwavering dedication will continue to serve our community and I look forward to the initiatives and programs you will bring to life in the years ahead councilman pusc uh in the time I've had the pleasure of working alongside you I have seen the passion and pride you take in your hometown your heart is undoubtedly in this work and I'm confident that as chair of Community Development you will steer us forward with a strong Vision balancing progress with the preservation of garage's Rich Traditions as you spoke about I know that challenges lie ahead uh but with your leadership we will rise to them so I look forward to all that we will accomplish together learn this New Year alongside your colleagues on the council tonight provides us with the opportunity to reflect on the past year and to look ahead to the opportunities and challenges that await Us in 2025 when I think back over the collective work over the last 12 months uh I'm proud of all we've achieved from necessary improvements to initiatives that have fostered Community spirit and most importantly those that have directly enhanced the quality quality of life for our residents and businesses we have truly made significant strides one of the most pressing issues we addressed was the lack of parking in our commercial downtown so together we rolled out a comprehensive parking program on the south side of the burrow designed to meet the needs of both our residents and business owners the program which utilizes Park Mobile and implements strategic parking adjustments in nearby residential areas has already shown tremendous success through thoughtful planning and and collaboration we have assured that our residents can still access parking near their homes while providing businesses with the turnover they need to thrive the data collected by our Police Department just a few short months speaks volumes about the program success and I want to extend a special thanks to our Police Department for their unwavering dedication to making this initiative work we also took significant steps to enhance the health and well-being of Garwood residents under the leadership of our full-time Recreation director our Recreation Department not only expanded but evolved in response to community feedback our summer camp had another outstanding year including for the first time ever a uniform Council wide safety training key events such as the MLK Day of Service and the halloweed parade which was held in partnership with the Garwood Lions Club only furthered our mission of bringing the community together the addition of a full-time point of contact has proven invaluable in ensuring that our Recreation facilities re receive timely maintenance that our events run smoothly and that communication with our residents is clear and efficient in our commitment to improving public health and safety we also took important steps to increase access to life-saving resources the placement of an additional outdoor AED at Hartman Park in collaboration with a nonprofit partner will no doubt save lives in the future we also work to make our Parks more inclusive adding communication boards to Hartman Park and the Recreation Complex allowing non-verbal individuals to participate in recreational activities I am particularly proud of our efforts to earn recertification under sustainable Jersey which is a testament to garwood's ongoing commitment to sustainability from planting more trees to enhancing pedestrian and bike accessibility in yunami park our initiatives are making a real difference we also proudly joined municipalities participating in skip the stuff which reduces waste and supports our local businesses these efforts while they may seem small at the time are foundable sorry are foundational to a sustainable future for Garwood this year we also saw exciting growth in our local economy with the addition of retail establishments under the Bala building everb was joined by sweat house with Game Changer Fitness and apply Body Studio coming soon we are poised for even more growth with new businesses like Harmon U noodles and Kat enz's coffee shop opening in the coming weeks our downtown is becoming a hub of activity and I couldn't be more excited for what the future holds now looking ahead there is much work to be done we will be extending the park mobile parking program to the north side of the burrow in the first half of the Year creating new parking spaces along North Avenue and JF K Plaza while also introducing 15minute free parking spots on both North and South sides of town in addition we will continue enhancing our Recreation Complex completing the new shade structure and beginning upgrades to walkways and lighting one of the greatest challenges facing most municipalities in northern New Jersey including ours is traffic and pedestrian pedestrian safety as you heard councilman Foley mentioned as well and while we've made progress over the years I propose that we take a more comprehensive approach this year I am asking the council to allocate funds for a circulation element to our master plan which will allow us to access our successes to sorry to assess our successes and to pinpoint areas that still require attention we've already uh implemented some improvements such as narrowing the road lines on Center Street and pedestrian crosswalk signals with more planned for areas like South uh and west West Street by verela additionally discussions are underway regarding bike Lanes along Center Street and the possibility of bump outs at Center and Willow to further enhance safety with continued enforcement from our Police Department these steps will contribute to a safer gwood for both drivers and pedestrians alike another priority for 2025 is to position Garwood as a film ready Community as the entertainment Comm uh industry continues to grow in New Jersey G must be prepared to take advantage of these new opportunities I am excited to announce that along with councilman pusc uh we will be working to earn the film ready designation from New Jersey film commission with Productions increasingly choosing New Jersey for filming locations it's crucial that Garwood have the necessary codes and infrastructure in place to welcome these Productions so as councilman pusc takes the lead in this initiative I'm confident that we will position Garwood as a sought after location for film and media projects bringing both exposure and Economic Opportunity to our town and we will also continue our efforts to meet the new affordable housing mandates this includes finalizing negotiations for the paperboard property which will allow us to move forward with the construction of a new community center as a part of the Redevelopment we are working to ensure that the new housing master plan is ready before the June deadline and I I want to encourage residents to attend Council and planning board meetings to provide their input the decisions we make now will shape garwood's future so it is essential that we all come together to ensure the best possible outcome so these are just a few of the many initiatives we will be tackling this year as I enter my third year as mayor and my ninth year of service to Garwood I am acutely aware of the dedication required to make these very ambitious goals a reality it makes a concerted effort from every council member uh our dedicated borrow employees and most importantly our engaged residents we are facing critical funding decisions and as always we will be making them with a careful cost benefit analysis and ensuring we keep our Municipal Taxes in check we will listen to the data we will listen to our residents and we will continue working together to ensure that each decision is in the best interest of the burrow I look forward to a productive and successful 2025 and I'm confident that together we will continue making a g we will continue making Garwood a great place to live and work so thank you very much and here is to a prosperous and successful year ahead thank you everybody and at this time it's time to party right the the regular meeting of the mayor and Council will be held on Thursday January 23rd 2025 at 700 p.m. in Council me in council chambers information for meetings is posted on the Barrow website can I have a motion to adjourn all in favor I opposed time for pictures to