okay good Lu welcome everyone welcome every that's it there we go welcome everyone and good evening on behalf of the council I want to wish all the women who work tirelessly for our Township a happy women's month day or month and I just want to read a couple of my favorite quotes that I picked up for this evening and one is fight for the things that you care about but do it in a way that will lead others to join you and that is Ruth Vader Ginsburg if your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more learn more do more and become more then you are an excellent leader and that's down part right and uh good with that I'll read our statement of proper not adate notice of this meeting of the Lawrence Township Council being held on Tuesday March 19th 2024 has been provided through the posting of the annual meeting schedule of said Council in accordance with Section 13 of the open public meetings act said notice was forwarded to The Trentonian the times and the Princeton packet on December 11th 20123 and now we'll have an inspiration may we carry out our work at this meeting in a just honorable and sincere manner always bearing in mind our duties in continuing to keep warrs a wonderful community in which to live I pledge alance to the flag of the United States of America and to the repblic for it stands one nation under God indivisible liy and justice for all mad cler we have the roll call please Mr bobit here Mr Kaki here M Perry cannot be with us this evening due to a we conflict Mr Ryan here mayor Ryan mayor here thank you um do we have any special proclamations at this time recognitions no okay see none this brings us to the first opportunity for public participation you could come up to the podium state your name and you can write in your [Music] address good evening good evening good even my name is Tom R and I live at 747 Lake Drive I'm speaking this evening as a member of the nonprofit City organization friends with one year ago the friends of Cony Lake Park addressed Town Council ing the Township's intentions and what would happen with the chef parcel after one year our hearts were lifted after reading Le Khan's article creation of passive Park in the works for former Parson posted on Central jersey.com January 31 we were happy to read the decision for making the parcel a quote passive Park area we thank you for having the foresight to recognize the value and importance of that decision and the role it will play in the sustainability of colonial Lake and the Tranquility of the par this is particularly poignant when one considers the human ecological impact on the immediate vicinity around Colonial Lake Park over the past 100 years we're also delighted to read of the commitment to developing conceptual and design plans for the parcel we foresee the plan as being based on principles that will transform parel into a natural environmental setting that encourages native wildlife and vegetation to flourish improves the Waterway and includes elements for Access and minimize human impact in such a way as to enable people to observe nature and interact with the natural shedding and environmentally sound man and we don't mean to Second and guess your plans we say we we are hopeful there will be a budget for a landscape architect professional to develop the plans and various projects within the parcel as funds and grants become available someone who will be qualified to provide a comprehensive plan that not only defines passive Park as per Chef to Chef person but includes future elements and prioritizes various kinds of landscape restoration and interventions perhaps a plan that suggests phases for future work so that projects do not conflict with one another but are done in a logical sequence and are sustainable we also want to highlight the role of the lake I supported the shab con Creek Waterway and the Asen pink Creek water shed we envision a living Shoreline in the lake and that to native plants that thrive near water these not only filter runoff in storm but stabilize the sh these design principles if included in the plan will provide a resilience to the property and surrounding community and finally we cannot forget the Capstone feature the pedestrian bridge which will complete the main trail around the lake entirely within the park and with a much safer passage that that what exists now we we we are anxiously excited as we hope look forward to seeing Chef P will transformed into environmental Oasis that complements the rest of the par and finally we ask that you please consider forming an ad hoc Chef paral citizens committee to work with the professionals as the master plan is developed thank you for allowing us the time to share our concerns and our dreams cor Lake Park thank you thank you seeing no additional um comments we'll close out public participation review and revision of the agenda we have nothing okay an adoption of minutes from the previous meeting [Music] there oh was there I'm sorry just brought my um is there anyone who had additional public com this time I don't want to rush okay and next the awarding and rejecting of bids do we have a motion mayor I'll make a motion n a number 139 authorizes bid number 2401 lawn services to RJM landscape and design a second thank you madam BR any discussion sure um this just recommends awarding the bid uh number 24-1 to RJM Landscapes and design for $ 38999 for B services this is for the township land not cut by public works department Mr bobit yes Mr Kaki yes M Mr Ryan Yes mayor farmer yes [Music] so is there any public participation for the introduction of ordines see none we have a motion okay um I'll make a motion to move 10A ordinance number 24662 and ordinance amending chapter 435 of the Lawrence Township Administrative Code entitled motor vehicles and traffic and parking space at 72 North Brook Avenue second from time to time we get requests from property owners who uh become incapacitated in some Manner and seek to have a spot preserved on the street in front of their house and this is just allows us to amend our ordinance to provide for that type of Space Mr Bob yes Mr kak yes Mr Ryan Yes mayor yes we have ordinance number 2465 d24 is there any public participation mayor I'll make a motion so that we can have public participation I'll move 11a ordinance number 2465-20 calendar year 2024 ordinance to exceed the municipal budget Appropriations limits and to establish a cap bank for the township of Lawrence County of Mercer njsa 4A col 4- 45 period 14 second this is uh an ordinance to exceed the municipal budget appropriation limits to establish a cap Bank pursuant to njsa 40a 4-4 45-14 this is a standard and responsible budget practice under New Jersey budget law this authorizes the township to create an Appropriations cap Bank of up to 355,000 $254 12 if needed in the next two budget years it's not an expenditure but allows us to exceed the Appropriations cap set by the New Jersey Division of local government services which can range from 0 to 2.5% in any given budget year going to open the public hearing now is there any public participation see none move to close closing closing public participation we should have a motion close public participation thank you second I'll call the thank you okay Mr Bob yes Mr Kaki yes Mr Ryan Yes mayor yes manager report I I just have one item and I it's a followup on the federal City Road Federal Point um traffic light situation as you all may know Ying uh the B the longtime business administrator has retired a new business administrator has stepped in I've reached out to Mr Watson and M and the business administrator For Hopewell to again renew my request that they participate in the design work for two traffic lights one at oron Road and one at front of Federal Point Road um I'm yet to hear back from them uh we anticipate the costs for the design of these two lights to be approximately $100,000 and we were seeking a third um a third apportionment for all three municipalities um I I will need to seek your guidance if I don't get a response a positive response back um because I think that we should move forward with the Federal Point um light design work and and have it on ourselves if not break off and have hope that'll share that cost with us uh instead of doing two lights just may be too much for the other towns to take on for whatever reason but I think that it's important for us to protect our residents that are going in and out of federal point so um I really don't want to hold off much longer on the design work so if if you were to authorize me to set some sort of deadline um to Ying and hopel to get back to me um with their decision on whether or not they want to share in those costs uh that would be great and I would ask for you know 30 days um I would just put I would send out Communications to them we really need to know we're need to make a decision within 30 days does council have any questions are we all supportive can I can I have a yes I am you're G to have an expenditure you should probably tonight right but eventually you're going to have a substantial expenditure you should probably record a simple vote on it of support okay so yeah all I'm asking for at this point in time is to establish a deadline to give to the other municipalities so we could force a decision nudge not force nudge prompt request friendly reest nudge yeah I think mayor speaking to our friends our neighbors correct I yeah um and is 30 days sufficient time which is should be I would thinkk you I started this in December okay and so then just out of curiosity once we make a decision and start the the wheels meeting how long does something like that take I would think uh we go out Jim Jim Paris is here he understands the process um go what do we take get a proposal you think three months I think we need three four months three or four months three is that's pretty quick yeah I think a longer out here West Long wasn't it we did the study it was it was quite a few months for that that yeah this one um however is a new type of intersection that's already that's been built on the other side The Hope side so there's not we don't anticipate a lot of engineering work that's involved in this particular one we can move rather quickly so I mean that's just a gauge three or four months I think is approprate so um for the record I guess we could do a vote it's just it's just an affirmation of the request of the manager to uh uh go out for you know 30-day period for for some hopefully response because it's going to be a substantial expenditure at some point for for the chall you're going to go at a loone so I think it's nice to have a paper trail of what you're doing okay mayor uh for the record on for it okay all right I think we got yeah and I'm for it as well yes okay do we need is that sufficient just that's are you for oh yes I would for and Mr Kaki I know you're for he's for thank you now for the attorney's report we have anything yes uh we'll have a uh a short discussion of our litigation but that'll be an executive session okay thank you and Madam CL well just a reminder that March 25th is a cut off for nominating petitions and at four o'clock sharp the doors will do will be locked no but that's it okay yes uh do we have any unfinished business new business and this is our second opportunity for public participation we ask that you come to the mic and state your name and uh write your address on the sheet of paper and please keep it to three [Music] [Music] minutes so um I see here in resolutions um there is uh the resolution um 150 which is uh um 18 ag6 for the hero do Park um amending the contract bid um just one thing about the uh the dog park one of the enclosures uh get flooded regularly and uh it's the bigger enclosure it's the bigger runway for the dogs um I spoke to some of the my neighbors I live in that neighborhood so uh I spoke to some of my neighbors who are dog owners I'm not a dog owner so I have no really bid in that because I will not be taking any dogs there but they are already saying they would not be using and that would probably be for the bigger dogs the bigger enclosure so they already said they're not going to be using the that do Park just because it flat so much and as I drove by I drive by that Park on regular basis I live on Ohio avue the do Park is on Ohio Avenue um that big puddle right in the middle of that enclosure stays on for days after it trains so um before it's all closed closed and taken care of and ready for opening I would appreciate it if engineering department or uh whoever responsible for that check this out and make sure that um since we invested I'm sure quite a bit of money in in creating that l park um that it's actually usable for the neighborhood and uh since I've already heard from some neighbors that they love the equip equipment they're very they were very excited about it um it's just not going to be very fun for the dogs the dogs are going to get muddy very quickly and also um one other observation there's only limited parking spaces on one side right in front of the park the other side of the road is no parking so with uh on nice days with just kids uh coming with people coming to the park driving the kids there that parking lot gets filled pretty quickly and the other side of the road is no parking so um that might be an isue thank you for your time and have a good night thank you can I just ask a question Brothers um if if there were to be an issue but is there anything other know with stone it's been an open field for decades and decades and there there was no drainage um contemp and we've had a lot of water so I don't know if the town and the taxpayers have have the interest of providing a training system um at that location so that's something that we'll monitor we'll monitor okay and the town owns a piece of uh land across the street a little bit further down we have dog park in North Lawrence um we kind of understand how they are passively used um you know maybe in the beginning it will be used more often but I don't think that there's going to be a parking issue but as with everything we're going to closely monitor it make adjustments as we need to and if I'm more likely walking walking to the okay thank you yeah anything else any other public participation by anyway just just question uh I guess a month or two ago there was a man came here from some nonprofit or something and he was offering to build a park here and in different townships and it sounded like they were fairly professional and I wondered what if anything consideration was done about that yeah I do remember well um that was for the colonial Lake location um that he mentioned that one but I thought he wasn't limited to that one I didn't think yeah they came and asked for permission for that particular they came for that particular area um yeah I don't know that we were looking to do any other locations with that particular nonprofit but we are reviewing it mayor I do have more information did have some more information up yeah that that that individual and that Foundation has moved on um we we could not uh meet their timeline expectations that with meetings and we had other issues in our town that we had to deal with and we couldn't give them the focus that they needed and the commitment that they needed which is fair and so they've moved on thank [Music] you is there [Music] anyone to close public participation you can have now a resolution mayor if there's no objection from my colleagues I will make a motion to move 18 A1 through H7 in a block second the motion I have one question if I just get clarification on one thing should I ask ear that miscellaneous number four number 148 authorizing certification of L sta what do you what that that is a a part of our financial incentive uh for volunteer Firs it's like a retirement type of fund for volunteers who participate actively um in in fire response okay thank you okay Madam you call the RO Please Mr Bobby yes Mr Kaki yes Mr Ryan Yes mayor Farm yes okay this brings us to council initiatives any L on reports mayor I have none okay I'll just just a brief um just a little update to the public about our planning board um which has met on a couple occasions and we are in the active process of scheduling um our community meetings to discuss the master plan we just want to share that with the public you know that we're um having that in the works and mayor since M Perry is not here I'd like to just on her behalf discussed the fact that the Public Safety Committee did meet um um for their first meeting of the year uh did discuss the issues that have come up in the agenda but also discussed how they're going to um take care of and address the council's request um to study fire consolidation and the location if necessary of a Central facility um Miss Perry is um going to be creating a subcommittee from that total committee group that are going to meet more often to get through all the information and then at some point uh as they go through that process and are satisfied that they have the information they need they will compile a recommendation for the council okay thank you very much may may I ask questions um while the planning board is undertaking this uh master plan work uh would it be possible to just have uh Mr parvis or whoever is sort of forwarding those those sort of updates to the planning board members as a whole to also include the the councils on that as well absolutely that's a great idea thank you and uh I should add also that the planning board has also designated the subcommittee to work more closely with the planner in assisting with the Gathering of information um to present to the larger board so as for more efficiency to move the process along there is a subc committee that also has been created in the within the plan anything else okay uh written communication you have anything uh just to report that we did rece I did receive a letter of resignation from judge um Cora okay and all members of council received it along with the manager and our attorney and um just another communication I did receive a lovely note from the head of school of the lawrenville school um Thanking us for the firefighters and our assistance and helping them um contain that fire so they were very thankful and it's going to share that with the they did Reach Out us anything else okay closing out that um this brings us to an executive session we have motion I'll make a motion to go on EX executive session second okay thank you to the public for your time