##VIDEO ID:aDFuEAu674s## okay good evening everyone this is the statement of compliance with the Sunshine Law this meeting is being held in accordance with the open public meetings act an adequate notice of this meeting has been provided as required by law specifically the annual notice was emailed to the westex Tribune and the Star Ledger on January 2nd 2024 the agenda and resolutions for the meeting are available on WW w w. Livingston nj.org certain portions of this meeting may be closed to the public for purpose of personnel Andor other matters as outlined in the Sunshine Law decisions made and or discussed in closed session will be made known to the public at a later time notice to members of the governing body and Township staff any use of electronic devices during this meeting shall be solely used for the purposes of Township business and any Communications are subject to the open public records act to the extent possible this evening's town ship of Livingston council meeting will be live streamed via Facebook at www.face.com Livingston Township New Jersey NJ sorry NJ questions or comments will also be accepted by emailing live comments Livingston nj.org by 4M on the day of the meeting each speaker should follow the rules of order in Livingston code [Music] 2-15 um Carolyn roll call thank you mayor council member bani here via president Klein here Deputy Mayor mhart here mayor Anthony here um if we could all stand for a moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance uh in the uh moment of silence we did L lose uh Fred Pacini uh this week who was a uh not only a veteran who um did uh obtain medals in his time in the service but he also was an active member of the community uh in Unico and various organizations so if you could keep his family uh in your prayers flag unit States stand indice okay we're up to the Essex County updates uh I believe eileene Fishman isn't here tonight um so we are up to the proclamations and presentations uh we have one tonight and um we are celebrating uh the RIT Steiner on their 40th anniversary [Laughter] um we have a uh a plaque up here um I'll read it and then we could um take a photo and we also have our commissioner uh Pat seabold here who also has a proclamation from the county and uh Pat I'll give you uh a microphone if you'd like to read that as well um just you know from personally the Ritz to me is is Iconic it's uh the place to to to go to be to meet um I have meetings there I uh I do at lawyers all the time and they you know basic basically they just come to the Ritz if if you don't if you don't know the rits you don't know Livingston uh basically so I just think it's it's been a uh a Mainstay a Renown a great place at 40 years is is amazing I know my favorites I don't know the council wants to try in are the Marian salad uh the ball soup um and I just have a great time there we have a and I I think to the person up here we love the the RIT Steiner is that correct Ed it's since since since I might be the uh closest uh living to the red Diner where I can walk Michael I'm a Little Closer Than You Yes um just a little bit but yes it's been a main stay uh in my house for I lived in town now for 28 and a half years has fed many of meals of my kids uh and they when they come home uh there's certainly a meal waiting for them and uh since we're going with favorites I will go with the uh uh sezuan chicken over rice okay so veg that that's my since since we since we're talking about our favorites oh and the uh and the tuna fish my wife loves the tuna fish so you go anyone with a favorite or comment I would just say they might live closer but I've been going the longest all right because oh yeah yeah screw up and down so I I uh well not not including Like Pat bito but right Pat youn I'm just talking about the de the de here I've been going the longest and I grew up my you know um I always say to the kids in high school now where do you guys hang out we only hung out at the ri that's the only place we ever went so what we would do is we would do Ritz runs and literally everyone as soon as they got their their driver's license would get in the car and just do laps around the parking lot and run inside and eat some food and see who's hanging out in the rits maybe get into a fight in the parking lot back back at that time it was like there were there were fights in the parking lots back way back in the way back in the day um and uh not me of course not of course not me I'm a lover not a fighter um yeah um but it used to be the I mean it still is but at that time there was nothing else that anyone would talk about or or do everyone every meal was at the Ritz and uh and everyone would just say what time are you going to the Ritz and uh and we you know we still feel that way we still go through all the time but for my high school years there's nothing that I associate you know with the more fondness in my heart than than just being at the Ritz all night long with my with my friends so um thank you for uh making it that kind of special place for my childhood wait before Sean goes on I have to just correct you for one second because prior to the RIS I know it was before you Maran came along but prior to the Ritz it was the Heritage Diner and and Heritage too but I wasn't old enough to do that when scho so growing up growing up in in and going to Milbourne High School growing up in Short Hills we would come with our our Milbourne Varsity Sports jackets and get into the fights at the Heritage Dino with the Livingston people so I just want I just want throw that out there I just want to throw that there as well I know it was before your time but also a fond memory of my growing up deputy mayor I was waiting for you to say that Marian was at your bar mitzvah because everybody seems to be at your bar everyone said Bar Mitzvah but uh Marian and Dave congratulations um you know I'm there once a week actually uh I find a a quiet corner and I I get I get caught up on all my work uh that I have to do uh actually my favorite the last couple weeks has been the uh uh pami and corn beef with spicy mustard uh but uh I've been going for that for the last couple weeks but the mall soup and uh the progis are pretty good too and the desserts but uh congratulations again again and um I think um couple weeks ago Pat and I were uh were were there together and uh you know Pat actually saw how many people come in there that that she knew and she's like Michael you do this every every week I'm like yeah she goes you got to call me more often I'll go with you but uh congratulations again and uh you know for another 80 plus years and I I'll round up by saying that uh it's a default place whenever I say to somebody hey let's meet up in Livingston we often times don't discuss where we know where there it it has to be rich Diner so it's a default go-to place for probably almost everybody right it's it's that's how fantastic the business has built that's how fantastic the name you have created congratulations once again it's it's a great honor great honor to honor you as well let St today and my favorite I'm a vegetarian I mean I do eat eggs but it's no meat but I go with waffles I go with French toast and any omelets that has veggies so so there there you go but amazing thank you it's great thanks kid I wanted someone to go breakfast yeah excellent because the diner is everything um okay so this citation says uh the mayor and the township of Livingston council members are pleased to congratulate the Ritz Diner on their 40th anniversary founded in 1984 and serving the Livingston Community for over 40 years the Ritz is famous for its apple pie as featured on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives and the Maran salad as a main stay in the community where Generations return year after year the Ritz is a comfort spot to many thank you George mizuko for being the heartbeat of the Ritz for 38 years and congratulations Marion and Dave on your 40th anniversary yeah Pat you want to read that before and we'll take a picture let me get you the mic all right no I can I usually don't read proclamations but this is really really interesting and things go full circle first of all I moved to Livingston in 196 62 and I used to go to the Heritage Diner I remember the Heritage Diner well and now 40 years ago the Ritz Diner was started by George mizuko and Marian Feldman they both managed the restaurant but I believe that George mizuko has retired now correct and now her son David who was here with her manages the restaurant with with her and what's interesting is George mizuko was known as The Bagel Man because people knew him from the Watson Bagel in NK and I remember as a kid the Watson Bagel was on Watson Street then it moved to Clinton Place and I used to go to the Watson bagel with my father and then years later their grandson was my student at West Orange High School so things do Go full circle now Maran Feldman escaped an uprising in hungry in 1957 and came to the United States learned English and raised her family and whereas many of the Ritz Diner patrons are known as regulars who camp out for breakfast lunch late afternoon snacks dinner late evening coffee and really early morning morning cup of Joe and as was said before the Ritz Diner is very well known for its apple pie but I love its I love its chocolate bobka I have to tell you and I could go on and on about the RIT Diner but it EP epitomizes everything there is to love about a diner so with that I am really pleased to present this Proclamation for a wonderful wonderful feature here in Livingston that is so very important to our [Applause] community thank you thank you e e e e okay great again congratulations all right we um I'd like to uh recognize our states Senator is here John mcken hi John good to see you and our assemblywoman Rosie molie is here hi Rosie um okay we are up to let's see uh 2025 Essex County Community Development Block Grant application the cdbg public hearing R is this yourself in the public hearing i' like to open a public hearing for the uh Community Development block grant thank you second second all in favor I any oppos no okay not this onean no at this point I'd like to close the public hearing no she's not is she here for the public hearing no for the community block I'm sorry I'd like to close the public hearing for the Community Development block grant is there a second I'll second second okay all in favor I I okay any oppos no okay we're now up to the approval of the minutes I'd like to make a motion for the approval of the minutes for the November 25 2024 regular and Conference meting meeting second second okay all in favor I any opposed no okay like to make a motion to open the meeting to the public comment on agenda items only I'll second it okay all in favor any opposed no okay do you have something on the agenda okay so so that would be the public comment it'll be a yeah it won't be long all right so on the public comment on agenda items Mr no didn't Pat want to say something Pat yeah pat pat BTO that's your turn this is on uh agenda item public comment on agenda items only four minutes four minutes yeah I let I'll let you go along all right thank you Pat and just for everyone's benefit on the res on the agenda is a resolution approving a Grant application related to it it's an interesting procedure the state makes special legislative Appropriations and then after it's sort of announced you have to fill out a Grant application for money that's already been awarded and this is on the little leag field so if anyone wants to know what the agenda item is it's resolution 24271 thank you very much Barry uh and I just want on behalf of Livingston Little League I want to just say thank you to a few people um thank you to Mike viea who helped get the ball rolling to my good friend our County Commissioner Joe D who picked it up and carried the ball for us and then handed it off to Rosie and to John and their appropriation went through the state budget and I have nothing but thanks for everyone who's involved this is going to make a huge difference with our little league program the funds that we're going to use that we're using are going to help decrease our maint main costs and allow more playability on those fields because uh we intend to utilize them in the best way possible and we've already begun to look at different projects and aspects and uh it's our best effort that we're going forward to use the money wisely for the benefit of the children in town and uh we thank everyone who's been involved with it councilman thank you all and uh Rosie and John I can't say enough how much we appreciate all your support and help thank you mayor thank you Pat mayor usually I I would pull it off the agenda so we could vote on it uh uh separately but is it possible that I could just say a couple of words now of so we don't have to Pat I just want to uh say thank you to you um it was you who want who got the meeting going uh and I remember sitting at RIT Steiner with um with you and uh Jimmy rothenburger uh discussing the needs for the uh the baseball field and we sat there and you told me what your wish list was and um after that meeting I ended up calling commissioner Pat cold and uh both of us ended up going over to talk to do Joe Devan chenzo and I will tell you that if it wasn't for you Pat um it probably would have stopped right there but uh Joe has a place in his heart for you you you were at the co Center every single day at Sears uh during covid uh Joe knew who you were and when we told Joe what you wanted Joe was like we got to get this done he said you don't want County money because you know what if we have County money it opens the fields to anybody in the county however at that point he calls and yells get John mcken on the phone get John mcken on the phone and and um Senator mcken got on the phone right away uh to him and uh Joe told him what he wanted and um Senator mcke was like Yeah Joe thank you thank you thank you after the meeting I called uh I I called Senator M like Senator I don't think this is doable we just got $1.5 Million last year for uh a field and uh but I want to thank you and I want to thank uh assemblyman assemblywoman boli for all you did to uh to get the money the $1.5 million um for this Bas for the baseball fields um if it wasn't for both of you uh pushing for it uh maybe it would not have happened so you know you guys really deserve a lot of credit so thank you Senator thank you assemblywoman uh thank you Pat thank you Joe D thank you Pat and your entire baseball uh Community uh this is going to be really good there hasn't been any money put into that baseball field a very long time and I think this is uh a great start so so congratulations everybody and again thank you uh uh to the senator and the assembly [Applause] woman great thank you John do you want no I'm happy to I just have a I'll comment from back here first of all to honor yes you you're down to 350 345 yeah I I'm sorry I'm jumping in front of you too I feel so bad listen I I'm so honored to be here really among friends and and uh you know Heroes don't wear capes right uh always there's one in the back that doesn't wear a cape that's just an amazing person and thank you for thousands of kids that have benefited because of all the great things that you do I'm going to call you Professor because I know you teach at College as well uh but to all of you number one is uh I've got this really cool shirt now that has the uh now you were talking about the fights at the uh the diner before for the that was because you were all afraid to come to West Orange that that includes the kids from Milburn too yeah the milb the Milburn kids the Milburn kids were definitely afraid to come to both high schools back then so 100% agree but but this might violate my West Orange code but I will wear this proudly as far as being a part of uh Livingston God bless you all happy holidays to everybody and and it's an honor to be here thank you my colleague is here standing next to me I'm sure and uh Alex and uh Colossus Gil you know was also part of the 2017 team that uh that made this happen too it's great thank you no I just I wanted to mention that that we work together to put the the bill the appropriation forward but there's also co-sponsors on these bills that are important to mention because with their support we get these things through so while you might need a senate and an assembly sponsor to get the resolution in we also have co-sponsors that join us and I want to thank our assembly woman Alex and Kil who's not here here tonight mention her and and we're a team in the 27th so thank you for everything you're doing for Livingston we'll continue working on that as well thank you all right great thank you R and thank you Pat for all you do i' I've been on the board with you forever and I've seen real what is it John really Heroes don't wear capes or I I love that because I I watch this guy and he's a hero first aid he is a professor he's he's amazing and and what he does on the Little League the president of the Little League a lot of with a lot thank you if you consider what I do help you you're you're great pat you run the show um so anyway thank you thank you uh anyone else on let's see public comment on agenda items I'd like to make a motion to close this section from public comments and agenda items only second okay all in favor yes any opposed no okay we're getting close Jean okay we are now now up to the final hearing on uh uh Caroline you want to read this one ordinance 31-202 24 Bond ordinance amending Bond ordinance number 26- 2024 Department of Public Works make a motion to open the uh uh meeting public comment or for comments on ordinance 31 2024 second second okay uh all in favor I okay any opposed no okay so we are now open uh for the hearing on ordinance 31- 2024 motion motion to close Okay second second all right all in favor I any opposed no okay uh roll call on that discussion oh motion to adopt motion to adopt other second first yeah council member bani yes viea yes Klein yes wut mayor mhart yes mayor Anthony yes okay we're up to the consent agenda for resolutions by the way we have no uh new ordinances tonight to be introduced uh consent agenda for Resolutions uh all matters listed with an aster are considered to be routine and non-controversial by the council and will be approved by one motion there will be no separate discussion of these items unless a member of the governing body so request in which case the item will be removed from the consent agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda as part of the general orders uh is there anyone wants anything removed mayor just uh if there was going to be a motion there was in the conference there was a I believe an understanding to amend resolution 24267 uh specifically as to pickle ball fees uh resident fee to go to $30 is the amendment and non-resident to 300 25 May 25 25 and so mayor let's pull that resolution you want to move to amend that let's pull that resolution out and then we'll we'll vote on it separately after Amendment so move the consent agenda without that resolution okay so we'll read every everyone other than that one yeah got it okay carollyn go for thank you mayor resolution 24266 certification of the 2023 annual audit resolution 24- 268 corrective action plan resolution 24- 269 authorization to cancel 2024 sewer budget Appropriations resolution 24270 awarding a Professional Services contract to Lew Environmental services for performance of environmental and Management Services of lead testing of rental units resolution 24271 authorizing the filing of a Grant application with the NJ DCA resolution 24- 272 2024 budget appropriation transfers resolution 24- 273 authorizing the execution of the developers with a& M partnership relative to block 107 lot 8011 okay make a motion motion to move those second all in favor she's I am doing it council member vote T yes via yes Klein yes Deputy Mayor weinhard yes mayor Anthony yes okay the one we hold go ah I think I think uh as Mr lewi suggested we need a motion to amend resolution 24-2 I'll make a motion amend resolution 24- 267 per our conversation in the conference agenda changing uh pickle ball rates for in town residents to $20 and 25 oh $25 excuse me and out of town residents to $300 a second yeah did you get a second did I I second it oh sorry council member B joh yes Viera yes kleene yes Deputy Mayor Reinhardt yes mayor Anthony yes and I need a motion to approve the resolution as amended okay I'll make a motion to approve the resolution as amended second second all right roll call on that council member bani yes Vieira yes kleene yes Deputy Mayor mhart yes mayor Anthony yes I'd like to make a motion now to open the meeting to public portion on any subject with a three minute time limit second second okay any oppos no all in favor good all right Jean we are up to public comment first of all I'm glad to hear that uh you can have a different fee uh for residents and non-residents because that's one of the issues that I've been making I was a little distressed that I stopped by the manager's office and was told told not to come to the earlier meeting because it was closed but to come and I'd be uh first on this because I have to go somewhere else and I'm going to be late um it's okay I've been coming to you since the beginning of July asking you to check about what other towns are doing to make sure that we're not infringing on the law and anyway about uh demonstrations there have occasionally been a couple of problems and I just I'd like to know how many towns you uh you contact I wrote a a met a letter to the manager but I haven't heard back uh I want to know how many towns you contacted what the they uh gave got back to you about and what progress have you made in terms of my questions no you can answer me on your time oh yeah no uh so in in terms of contacting it's generally more most all the towns have their codes available so we've researched we've probably looked at 50 towns probably found 10 to 15 that have some regulation of demonstration type permits and probably I I think I've specifically downloaded five or six of them that I thought were in line with what we're thinking and what progress have you made in terms of developing one for Livingston uh I have a draft and we're evaluating the fee component of it I know you pointed out that you believed or you had some other lawyer who said you can't have different fees for residents and non-residents but well you can't your lawyer said that but I know you can because we pay taxes and the police are involved and their salary comes from my taxes the the people who come from out of town don't so it's not fair to charge uh me versus some who doesn't pay the taxes for their salary well that that's certainly an issue we're looking into well could you tell me what time frame you have in mind I think when when we get to we can't do move on an ordinance until January anyway because it has to be introduced and then published in advance so certainly wouldn't be before the first meeting in January that we'd have an ordinance could I ask that you notify me when you certainly when we have a draft that we're going to put on the agenda I'll make sure you get a copy although it will be posted publicly I hope you won't drag your feet as you have in the past as you know I'm persistent and I'm a little Disturbed that it's an issue like this that shouldn't be a problem I believe in being uh proactive because in Amsterdam I don't want the same situation to happen here because we haven't made regulations that will prevent it okay thank you Jean thank you may I just want to say I never gave an opinion of bees as it came to protest I gave an opinion that we couldn't stop non-residents from protesting on our sidewalks as our was unconstitutional I never gave an opinion on fees as it related to protest I gave an opinion that we couldn't we couldn't stop non-residents from from demonstrating on our sidewalks as our public sidewalks understood what you said I think you check the it may have it may not have been so easy to understand okay I apologize if I was unable to understand apologize for thank you okay thank you Jean um we'll continue with public comment hi Justin hi Mr Mayor uh Justin Albert 56 Amherst Place uh two things one we noticed that the uh two lots have been raised next to shoppr right and uh I think we're putting in 34 units where they're originally uh two units and to a lot of people on the internet it didn't really make a lot of sense to why we're doing this um perhaps the cfo's interns could take a look at this look at the real property see how it was transferred over the course of time uh reverse engineer what's being done see how the real property uh how the appreciated value of the real property is being realized and by whom um because that could really inform us how we move forward in developing this town as well uh it would be interesting to track uh the work that's being done there and where the workers live because as we're planning for growth we're going to want to de velop the workforce that uh is necessary to do the growth and rather than all that money flowing right out of the community you want to flowing back into the community so we developed the uh institutional knowledge how to grow and build and develop so I I if the cfo's interns could look into that would certainly appreciate it point two um any update on uh seeing the pricing for miking and cameraing the uh conference room so all the important work that we do back there uh can be witnessed by the public whom this Council was elected to serve pric that we didn't price it out because until the council has made the policy decision to go in that direction we're not going to price it out yeah but it's hard to make that decision without knowing what the price is can we get a price on that well I've never gotten the perception from the council that the concern was was the cost well I mean obviously the council would want the public to see the important work that they're doing back there in conference meetings so I mean can we get a pricing on it Mr Mayor just I I think what Barry is saying is that um the council he's going to be directed to to look into something certainly can get a price I'm not going to make anybody go through given us price and and and you've been certainly privy to the conversations I don't think any of the council members have ever expressed that cost was the concern I think there's been repeatedly that there's an informal more round the table back and forth nature of that but that's where all the good deliberation is done why are we not exposing that to the public Justin just so everyone on Facebook and TV everyone's invited to come to this conference room right here but all they see the pp in circumstance I understand that but the public is out there they're actually watch this back and it it wouldn't cost much money it wouldn't cost much to do why don't we broadcast that so people can see the deliberations thank you Justin thank you Mr Mayor any other public comment motion to close public comment second all in favor I anyos I just want to so with with the uh the new development that Justin's talking about and some of the other ones Maran will be good for your business as well so some of that money will stay into town we're going to get new customers uh for the RIT Steiner and for other establishments as well so it does so the money will some of the money will be staying in town not flowing out of town thank you Deputy Mayor okay we are okay no other public comment okay we're you want to close it close the public you close it that was you comment okay uh reports of Township officials and council members nothing to report thanks nothing to report okay thank you an Adam nothing at this time all right cool Barry uh just briefly and we did address it in in um the conference meeting but I think for the benefit of the public we did go out to refinance uh some of our long-term and short-term debt uh got extremely favorable rates which is based on the uh Financial sound financial standing of the community uh so uh again I think the public should be aware of that certainly Rec our CFO anochi uh our financial adviser Phoenix our Auditors Samuel Klein our bond counsel and it's just I think it's a credit to the overall team and the council and the Prudence uh with which you've governed the town uh that put us in a position to get those rates so that was the only report I had great thank you Barry and thank you an i i we heard the shout out and I think all of us uh kudos to you and the team thank you uh Russ uh nothing for tonight thank you mayor thanks Jared counselor uh nothing for tonight mayor thank you all right thank you Carolyn nothing for me either thank you all right this is great uh Kayon thank you mayor I think a couple of uh shoutouts for what we what we achieved I think first it goes again uh what an awesome uh celebration of a fantastic business in town that's RIT Diner uh so amazing to have them uh getting honored um I think last couple of weeks we have seen a few very good events and I would love to mention them here um we had uh cricket Batting Cages open all of us were there uh it was a it was a very uh live event and a a ton of players showed up and it was wonderful to see that uh like the way we celebrated Little League investment there was a good investment in cricket as well so all in all great work in in town for sports kudos to you uh for leading up the the little league historical I mean you have the names you your name on the on the Little League fields and we have some you know good stuff going on the other ball uh game as well um we had a very good uh grand opening of Joy du uh I know it wasn't really a ribbon cutting or anything but there's a fantastic new business that opened up and I W really give a shout out to them because that is a business which supports it's a nonprofit supports um uh the adults now who are needing care special needs kids that has graduated from their childhood into adulthood and the uh Medicaid support from government dries out how do the parents really support and then how how those adults support themselves what a wonderful business that is and I'm uh it's I hate to call it business but it is sort of a balancing out act there um LSD holiday party was fantastic fantastic and probably the cherry on top was kuso's holiday opening uh loved to be there I think uh Michael yourself Al uh I was there uh but it was was great to have all in all a wonderful um opening there and really looking forward to see a new grocery opening yeah later this week L grand opening right it's really Happ really looking forward to that and of course my volunteering on the cusa display uh look forward to being an elf there and I'm thinking I'm going to see a lot of uh lot of residents and looking forward to saying hi and hello to them that's all from me mayor thank you very much thank you Ken uh Michael thank you mayor um again Pat congratulations and thank you for everything that you do for this community from uh baseball to uh to uh the first aid to cuso to everything you have your hands in everything so thank you very much and and also again thank you to your entire baseball uh team that that you put together so uh again thank you um I want to recognize two people in the audience right now um from the Arts Council the Arts Council is uh one of those committees that I sit on that I'm that's very near and dear to my heart Barbara Sach and uh yumon I think everybody knows uh you uh as an art teacher but uh we know you uh Kon and I know you a as the artistic elf from the cuso display um and uh so thank you very much thank you for always coming to our meetings and uh making sure that the council is uh being heard um with the uh with the cuso I just want to thank all of the elves uh as Council mutani had said we had a great uh grand opening uh on Saturday it was fantastic that could not have happened with every single elf um working uh carrying um uh the figurines decorating the trees and and led by uh our our chief elf Tom Cooney along with artistic elf uh yahon um but uh some of the days dates that uh are on the agenda right now is uh the lacd is having um uh I believe a Christmas celebration or our holiday celebration on the 13th of December at 4:30 we have Unico with Santa coming on uh Saturday December 14th at 7 o'clock we have um hot chocolate with a police officer on December 18th at 6:30 we have the First Responders having um uh an event at the kuso on December 21st at 6:30 and we have a manora lighting on December 26 at 5 o'clock um as councilman bhani um also mentioned on Wednesday the long awaited uh grand opening of uh Leo I believe it's 720 7:15 in the morning or let's let's call it 7:30ish doors open at 8 for for for leadle on Wednesday um last thing I want to to mention is congratulations to my friend scottt Foster um who is became the worshipful worshipful master of the Masons uh during his installation uh this past Saturday so congratulations Scott mayor that's all I have thank you um first of all just it's uh great to hear Michael's list on on all the community groups that use cuso to like celebrate the community right like people have different nights at cuso in order to use the actual beauty of it and and warm of it to celebrate their own organization so I just think it's really a nice uh meshing there um I do uh want to just point out that uh that uh Hugh I I have not missed an opening for kuso in a long time I had emergency surgery it was the only reason why I wasn't there that night because I really it's been it's been probably 15 years since I've missed the opening of a cuso uh but um you thank you um and it's I I especially want to say um I know what a good job you do because you know you are my high school art teacher um and uh and thank you for that I I wouldn't say I'm artistic because of it I wish I was what if I told you that I would take all the credit with none of the so um I we I know what I know what a good job that you do and you I know I know how much bar how much you guys mean to the community how much you care about the community and thank you so much for being here and uh and all the work you do every year as part of that and to all the uh all the elves thank you so much um I wanted to um give a huge shout out to the National K through 12 chess Champions Livingston high school uh Livingston the entire Livingston LHS chess team is a co-champion in the nation it's just it's a second year in a row I think they've done it it's unbelievable this is a young program but there have been a few people in town who have stepped up to lead our chess team and to create a culture of Chess in this town and the the levels that we're seeing we are literally the best in the country it is unbelievable uh how far that program has accelerated um I wanted to give a hats off another one to Jared Fisk who had so many incredible accomplishments so um Jared Fisk was just named this is uh he plays um he he was a high school star for us just a couple years ago and now he's a junior at Vasser and he was just named to a third team All-American soccer player for division 3 uh it's incredible and the entire um Fisk family and all this all of our surrounding friends are very excited for him um the last thing I was going to mention we talked about Lial uh is the um the cricet cages I just think that was a really wonderful and warm event it was a freezing morning and it was early in the morning and there were a lot of people that came out to to for the ceremony of opening up those cages it's just really exciting how um how people in the community uh are are are excited by this and and thrilled to to have these resources and and uh you know we know that we're doing good things when we see that kind of enthusiasm so it's really special um that's all I have thanks mayor thank you Sean Edward all right I'm gonna I'll just ditto everyone because there was a big list of people so I'm not going to repeat it but uh Pat Palo it's been a long time and thank you for everything the memories that my son and daughter have playing on those fields will live for a lifetime and I know you had a lot to do with those memories that they still have and still talk about so thank you very much it's a great honor to be associated with you um I also just uh just take a second we uh I was invited along with the mayor yesterday to light the tree at the Full Gospel Church the Full Gospel Church and um it was just nice you know it was nice to sit stand with people um though I don't celebrate Christmas I really enjoyed singing uh the carols and being part of the community and uh like I mentioned to some of the parishioners there um I wish the the rest of the world would do what we do here in Livingston and make this place a lot better make the world a lot better standing side by side with your neighbors so I just wanted to point that out and uh I did miss a lot of the activities this past weekend um I'm going to give a big shout out uh I had the honor to watch my daughter present for three hours at the national social workers convention Orlando a three-hour presentation uh on the prevention of teen suicide um it was um a rough Topic at times um but very proud of my daughter and um uh I give a shout out Mr R I give a shout out to all the Educators here at Livingston high school where she got her start from without the Educators that she experienced uh through her years uh starting in kindergarten through high school and on to college and her master's program um she would not be able to uh present such an important topic in today's age so um it was a real very warming feeling for all of us to be there so I just want to thank all the Educators who have made her life possible thank you thank you Ed okay um again uh congrats to the Ritz uh and thank you Pat for coming here and uh providing that Proclamation and uh other Pat Pat yeah I we've known each other for years and years and what you do in in little league is is amazing and you're the consumate volunteer and uh little known fact on the first aid Squad uh you saved my daughter's life I believe when she with three older brothers eating sunflower seeds and she was choking on a sunflower seed you helped uh dislodge it uh it's just another uh Testament to how great a person you are so uh thank you so much for everything you do do and you UI as uh the chief elf calls you uh I I got to see in action the other day and thank you for all you do both of you with cuso that is really you know we did the the countdown it was an honor to be counting it down with the elves the other night and and what I said I really meant that I think of us as a volunteer town the best volunteer town in New Jersey and America of course um and I I just to look at that across from here right outside from town hall and it's just a constant reminder of the community we live in and that's all volunteer work I I could think of no better place than to look at it right there in the center of our town uh that that it's amazing and yeah I uh got to be an elf uh a little bit and it was it was fun helping you guys out um so thank you so much cuso just gets bigger and better every year and it's just uh the elves are amazing uh cricket the uh the batting cages that was great um of uh practice time now at the cages and everyone will keep getting better uh in cricket as well I want to thank the uh the high school uh for inviting me to speak at American Enterprise day to the Future Business Leaders of America um it was really fun um and we each class had at least you know we had about 75 or so people uh kids who um tough crowd uh I asked how many want to be a lawyer three out of 75 uh raised their hand uh most wanted to go into finance and the guy who spoke before me from JP Morgan uh he was he was way more questions for him on crypto and everything else and uh not many for the lawyer but it was good I think uh Jacob Glazer who appeared here uh with The Pedestrian light said maybe we uh converted a few who knows uh into to go into law um anyway uh we had grand opening of droyd we are going to have uh ribbon cutting this week but it was an informal tour there uh great program for um adults with with autism and they have about 40 stations there where they you you could work from there they contract with big companies and um the the uh the workers could go there and uh be centrally located rather than uh needing to travel to where the contractor's uh business actually is um I want to the laccd uh holiday party uh was fantastic as usual uh congratulations to Foster on the uh installation at the Mason's uh dinner uh what else the same thing I guess asn't matter you got to repeat a few of these Full Gospel Church at tree lighting it was their first tree lighting uh so that was really nice it was outside it wasn't as cold as the cuso night so that was nice um and they sang and actually Ed sounded pretty good I think he was leading everyone in the uh ok come you Faithful and uh all all the Christian songs actually because there they were noce s they suppli the the words on the piece of paper so I was able to S at the words we had our phone flashlights out and Ed was belting them out I mean it was he was terrific uh and um uh leadle is opening yes that's true that's on their websites it's on uh Facebook and um that is approximately 7:40 in the morning uh Wednesday with the doors opening at 8 a.m. and I think that may be it oh terrific um dinner uh the bell and siren who you've probably heard me mentioned a few times who came and supplied all our First Responders with food hot chocolate drinks uh during the the great Wildfire of 2024 um with a big huge uh mobile van they they had a nice dinner and they celebrated their 75th Anniversary so another shout out to the bell and siren and I I learned more about them all the time I I admitted I didn't know anything about them coming into this year uh that the president uh vice president and secretary uh all live in our town Tom POA I Ira Cohen and Spencer Palmer and a shout out to all of the uh those three for a a great organization and on their 75th anniversary and a and a beautiful dinner um I think that's it uh oh congrat Sean covered congrats to the chess team we just have a phenomenal chess team as uh as Ena walks in here of Chess and bagels and um yes and there are a bunch of people um that helped Advocate and uh help our kids and and we're the best in the nation so that's really nice to see um I think that's it does anyone else have anything to add I think I Mr we're going to close tonight one Clos session contract negotiations Harvest Lane so we we we'll be passing one resolution and Conference to go into Clos that'll be the only action taken by this Council following this meeting okay and we will go back into conference continuation of conference uh right now right Clos after conference and then close after conference okay anything else all right we're going back into conference our Open Door conference thank you Jess for