I pledge allegiance United States United statesis in Justice for All call please mayor M here council president carahan here councilman Carn here coun dinino here counsilman Dodie here cman Quinn coun Rex here administrator Le place here attorney corini here okay tonight uh first up we have a presentation Chief Guist the floor is yours good evening the uh police department recently initiated a traffic seing campaign uh to prevent traffic fatalities middle sex I recently discussed it with mayor Mel iek and he invited me to this meeting to say a few words about it tonight the New Jersey State Police released their 2023 traffic fatalities report the data shows a drop in traffic related fatalities and fatal crashes in New Jersey from 2022 to 2023 according to the state police report in 2023 New Jersey had excuse a total of 621 people that were killed in 589 traffic crashes this is a decrease from 2022 when 689 people were killed in 646 crashes Statewide 191 pedestrians were killed in 2022 and 171 were killed in 2023 the report also highlighted the safety of bicyclists on our roads with an increase in bicyclist fatalities that is consistent with the national average at the local level the middle sex Police Department investigated 45 crashes in 2022 and 383 crashes in 20123 of the 383 traffic crashes in 2023 injuries were sustained in 113 of them 337 crashes resulted in property damage and 72 of them were involved uh involved commercial vehicles in middlex we investigated one fatal crash in 20122 and one fatal crash in 2023 in my opinion one fatal crash is one too many the data shows the need for Meaningful traffic enforcement from an enforcement perspective in 2023 the police department conducted 5,441 motor vehicle stops and and made 54 DWI ARS it's incumbent upon us to continue active and visible enforement the motor vehicle traffic laws to continue this reduction in fatalities on our roadways since the first week in February the police department has implemented a new Traffic Safety campaign taking measures to prevent fatal crashes in our community this initiative specifically addresses four violations that are data proven to be leading contributing factors in fatal crashes speeding seat Bel violations improper cell phone use and distracting drivers we have an obligation to our community to change Poe driving behaviors for the safety of our children pedestrians residents and those traveling through our town our dedication to Traffic Safety is directly linked to our mission to safeguard life and property we will impl mement this campaign through the principles of education and enforcement for the education component we are sharing Traffic Safety messages with the public using our social media platforms through nixel alerts press release and the use of electronic variable message ports at strategic locations in town for the enforcement component through the support of our mayor and Council we are now capable of filling a much needed full-time traffic safety officer position additionally to have meaningful impact on PO driving behaviors we are implementing directly patrols with enforcement priorities that are focused on those on these contributing factors that I believe are worth repeating speeding seat Bel violations improper cell phone use and distracted driving through this campaign we hope to have impact on for driving behaviors of middle sex and throughout the state of New Jersey we ask that you join us on the journey to zero traffic violations in Middle sex bur this traffic safety campaign is in keeping with the highest standards and the long-standing traditions of the middle sex Police Department to serve and protect our community our mission for E5 years in County thank you for your time and attention you have any questions me at this point I know you and I spent a lot of time talking about this there is a definite need in Middle especially when it comes to to speeding and traffic you know there's a lot way too much you know in terms of especially on some of these side streaks they like mini highways you know we got the traffic signs up there some more targeted enforcement you know as as it's coming along which I expect is going to come as you have more officers coming on board um I mean basically that's that's where we are we need we need to get there because like you said one one fatality is too much I mean every month we're looking at 40 accidents you know a zillion tickets I mean a lot of people are just not paying attention and and it's going to be costly and and I think you need to do that because you need to educate the public because it's all ages you know you have the old guys like me that say Hey listen I've been driving a million years I don't have to worry about this but you do and then you have the young young kids that don't realize that they're not Invincible you know and a car is in effect a weapon I mean that's all I have to say anyone else no thank you so much I know like we talked about and maybe we talk about again in the future about even the double Lanes on 28 and the traffic then maybe that as well I don't know what I'm referring to so it's like that's also I don't know if that would contribute to help you in your mission but that's something that is costly that maybe in we can plan for to assist you and further that would be a long-term plan for for for here and now we're um we're implementing the direct controls and uh police officers doing a great job very AC very visible and uh we're just going to keep keep pushing forward so thank you for thank you don't go anywhere hold right there uh we have a little Proclamation coming councilman Dodie oh there he is okay Proclamation mboro Police Department 85th Anniversary whereas on February 1 1939 a burrow of middle sex adopted in ordinance to establish the middle sex B police department and abolish the Constable form of law enforcement on February 16 the first full-time paid Police Department was established with the appointment of a chief of police and one police office a little bigger than that now right and whereas middle sex burrow Police Department continues its growth as a modern professional and scientific law enforcement agency which unceasing provide a vital Public Safety and community service and whereas it is important that all citizens know and understand the challenges duties and responsibilities of their Police Department that members of our Police Department recognize their duty to Serve the People by safeguarding life and property by protecting them against violence or disorder and by protecting the innocent against deception and the weak against oppression or intimidation and whereas for the past 85 years the dedicated members of the mid sex Boro Police Department have and contined to play an essential role in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of the citizens of middle sex burrow now therefore I jack mishack mayor of the bur of middlex state of New Jersey along with the middlex bur Council and on behalf of the residents of middlex wish to thank our police officers past and present who by their FA faithful and loyal Devotion to their responsibilities have rendered a dedicated service to this community and in doing so have established for themselves an unenviable and enduring reputation for preserving the rights and security of all Citi upholding the highest values and traditions of service I'm have for the police department I just want to thank the mayor and counsel for their support for this recognition um on behalf of my whole department we just appreciate we're very much forther recognition so thank you very much all right thank you thank all right tonight we have uh some ordinances for introduction uh Linda okay we have ordinance 25 in the bur of middle sex to be sold at public sale in accordance with the njsa 4A col and 12-13 a all right I need a motion motion second second all right any discussion at this point no okay this is uh for the fire h y uh roll call please okay counc president caran yes Council corns councilman din yes councilman Dodie counc Quinn and Council yes okay all right uh the public meeting for this will be held on March 12th okay next ordinance please we have ordinance number 24-24 an ordinance to exceed the municipal budget Appropriations limit and to establish a cap bank and JSA 48 col 44514 motion to introduce motion second second okay right this is part of the municipal budgeting Pro process at every year uh roll call please counc president conahan yes councilman corn councilman dinino yes counsman doie yes counsilman Quinn yes and counsman re yes okay moving on number three we have ordinance 215-249-6315 a motion second second okay any comments real quick oh tons of comments yes um I do believe that this should be just dismissed immediately um I believe that through our Preamble the way that this ordinance was put together um it says number three right on our code be independent impartial and fair in their judgment um that just just simply did not happen in any aspect of the creation of this but also I'd like to draw attention more to our um code administ where on our un on our unofficial settings in our middle sex code it says make no promises on behalf of the burrow governing body Council Members will be frequently asked to explain the governing body action and giving their opinion on the issue as they meet talk with petion of burough it's appropriate to give a brief overview of the burough policy and refer to the burough staff blah blah blah it is inappropriate to do overly or implicitly promised governing body action or the promise of staff which has been happening that has happened it is happening right here and I'm just not sure what is what's going on or why it's happening this way um there are a few members here that do want to give their public a things which I will let them speak but there also our members that have not been able to make it here which I will ask for them to speak not that'll be at the public portion and at the public hearing that that's fine it's like so I'm speaking for them now that they are not in any way shape or form happy with what's going on because I realized what's been going on there was a sneaky way that this got brought on um there been promises made and I'm asking for this Council and this governing body if they're willing to move this to Executive session to discuss it so it's done in a in a more private session I'm not sure Mr corini how that is it's done like that okay thank you I'm not mayor I'm not s with my comments Sir Mr cour uh an executive attention could be added by majority voted the governing body if uh a uh matter is applicable under the open public meetings Act is that applicable from what you just heard with this concerning behavior I'm not sure that I understand um how that behavior is related to this particular ordinance uh which of the exemption which of the exemptions of the open public meetings act do you think applies so for number one oh you talking about Public Safety litigation personel does it personel then which personnel and it' have to be right it would be the mayor and the mayor's actions if you want to make a motion to add an executive Jeremiah that's your call me Personnel item involving the mayor I I think that's pretty tenuous but I don't know what that that jargon means um what I do understand is that the the number one I'm not sure that it's supported I mean but if you want to make a motion to you know you're entitled to make a motion I don't know how this follows our code of conduct at all they Inspire the confidence of the middle sex B of government how is this inspiring to like go about this to interview only people who had a grudge against me nobody else no active members no anything like it just didn't happen there was no um ethical way of approach to the the changing of this so like what I'm asking to bring it out is how does this happen because the how this got put up here is confusing to a lot of people that the committee you're literally taken apart a committee where people are actively doing projects serving our community and then asking them to go onto another committee I I don't understand the mayor's ability to change this so that's what I'm not trying to trying to follow the law and spirit of the law and the spirit of policy but I'm not a lawyer so the mayor has no ability to change this um a the governing body must change it and the instrument to change it is this coordin Cor but the only reason this is even here is because the mayor spearheaded this um spearheaded it made made conversations with people at the library made conversations with people in other places given them promises yeah you can have this you can have that they're ready to go and I'm like it's right here in our code and everyone's like I feel very attacked I feel very threatened I feel very like if I speak up I'm wrong but I'm just trying to understand how can an ordinance when the mayor does does the mayor ordinance who has nothing to do with ordinances how is this happening any member of of the governing body um any member of the public can suggest uh ordinances uh changes to the code um those can be discussed as I believe they were discussed here consensus was achieved um and ordinance was drafted uh the mayor entitled to suggest things as are you Cent K I suggested to ask for an executive session to handle this and I was met with silence so it's like you can make a motion if you want to have an executive session but I I don't know that it qualifies as Personnel other what you've said right I I just don't know that how that Personnel for the mayor fit an executive session right I don't really understand it but if you think it would I mean I think that you would so what I'm trying to understand is how do we we know that there is an issue here right with how this was put in here um I I don't know that that's true well I from my understanding like I have I haven't had much conversation with other Council people on this because I'm trying to be careful of um Sunshine Law and other issues but where was the discussion for this so right now we're supposed to have the discussion does anybody have any other I believe the discussion on this was had at previous meetings when a consensus was achieved you had the entire Council up here now uh by all means um engage with your governing body members and discuss with them so okay I remember a consensus being achieved that consensus no longer exists when I asked for the chairman to be interviewed and spoken to before we had to his vote it didn't happen um I asked again the second time after he did it and then he had to convince his vote and he called after the ordinance is already here the mayor is openly trying to convince the cting council people to go to other committees before the ordinance is even changed so like where is the spirit of honesty like that definitely doesn't Inspire confidence within me um and complies to letter both the spirit of polities and law like this is confusing to me I just recommend that the council either slaps us down and we can change it to where we can help the library who had a historical program and we can enhance it and we can give them things and we can work with them in an open transparent manner we can do stuff like that but there was no no discussion and you gave the committee no chance to to handle this in a healthy honest open um publicly discusted manner conduct and number five conduct public deliberation and process openly which unless legally confidential This Is Us discussing it and I just would like for the council to openly discuss their feelings on how this was formed and like the the terrible effects it's having on five volunteers that are actively doing things for their committee so so that's a good a good point councilman KS I think that now is an appropriate time for the council to continue the discussions they had in previous meetings I think it's a good point so mayor if you may ask F comments from other members of the council comments I mean if there are sitting people who are willing to talk they should be given a platform to do so so uh Council mcin I think that they will be um twice once the next and I mean frankly there's nothing nothing restrains members of the public who are here from this from discussing this um in open public session tonight uh you know during the PIV of the floor at section um 13 of the agenda so there's two two opportunities so at the end of this section at the at the end of the section 13 so privilege of the floor anyone who's here tonight should feel more than welcome to discuss issues that c after the administrative report for and then there is another opportunity um the the formal opportunity in two weeks the date of the hearing other you know plenty of opportunity people to speak on this issue and the council can speak as well yeah I think it's appropriate I mean in my opinion I mean Council M wasn't even involved with any of this so I think it's appropriate to give him the chance to ask questions as well I did Reach Out lightly to council Menino and poke on these things as well like what do you think then that's it so like that's think there's a lot of confusion in a lot of directions and I think that needs to be just so it's clear I took the I was instructed by the mayor and the administrator uh to prepare this based on the consensus that was taken over the course of several meetings up until you know prior meetings here I am here I have never once hesitated to answer any questions any member of the council any know the public has uh with regards to the construction of dis ordinance I'm happy to do it Cil mcar likewise certainly you're included in in Spades in that number so far away anyone can throw them at me I mean I have nothing to say Jeremiah I uh councilman I went through I did my research I contacted a number of people I uh presented it I presented Alternatives because it's not strictly a Personnel thing it's a matter of structure you have two two entities doing the same thing and to that end it made sense that the Heritage part went to the library the culture which was more of a culture and Fine Arts like I explained belongs more with the with the recck Department subsequent to your meeting because at the at the end of the day what started all of this was the fact that there was a lack of information coming our way for a number of months where we didn't get an answer as to what was going on and that's what prompted the whole thing so then after that at the last meeting I did go out and I did talk to uh three of the members that are on the the culture and Heritage and explain to him what we were trying to do I had one two people were two people did not care for going to the to the wreck portion of it one person was ambivalent into it but no one actually came back and said this is a big mistake actually I I take that one person did say Hey listen he didn't he didn't kind of agree with it we left off when I spoke to him that I was going to get a list of what he thought were the current members because that list didn't match mine also a listing of what the current projects are being done and the projects that were in process to make sure that they got handled um the the marching orders to the wreck department through the administrator was we don't want anything to fall off everything that's existing is going to continue like I said mayor um and we can discuss at the ending there was not appropriate or reasonable reaction to the committee there was no discussion I just wasn't appointed to the committee um what I believe was its political retaliation um and it's like because of doesn't make sense like I'm not appointed and all stuff are taken out so it's like when I when I'm dealing with a scenario where you did not communicate with Leon at all this committee has been in existence since 2020 there has there's never been an issue before all of a sudden there's a gr gaggle of people who are believing false and misleading information half truth statements there's a little bit of Truth to everything but nobody cares I'm not going to individually call everybody especially when the counil president told me I was dead to him in previous statements like how am I going to have any faith to talk to any form leadership when I can't even I don't even know where to go so I have the council president and the mayor openly both on directory like both doing things to where it's like I don't know what to do and I am lost on how to follow this code in an effective way we're not friends we are lefted to defend this this this which I have spent four years diving into to understand and I still am completely lost on how something like this is allowed it's gross to me and it makes me not even want to be a part of anything to do with up here I mean Everyone's entitled to their opinions and in box this is not easy to sit up here and discuss something like this but when our code is being manipulated for personal and revenge it makes no revenge and there's nothing personal it was nothing but pure facts what I said every single thing was backed up the attorney and the bureau administrator has every single record that I used including every document that I had and the letter that I used to read during that council meeting where we achieved the consensus that's what and you were there you sat right there that was the committee and that's theor I apologize for interrupting um sorry go ahead no I'm done so no I agree the whole point is if this discussion between me and you would have happened on a private matter in a private way and a thing with everybody this would even be here but in fact you twist and turned all around here I have no no confidence in you at all with my experience and being in here I think you're an amazing person I think you look great for doing what you're doing but this particular like action I don't understand it you are confusing me and in the spirit of the law I think you are acting in a very unethical manner so so I just want to be very clear mayor and Jeremiah I appreciate your passion on this issue and there are some personal issues here that I won't get this is why I was like should I move it but I would just say that um you know in terms of the code right in terms of the substantive and procedural portions of the code there is anything that happen here that doesn't happen every time for every ordinance we do and I have no issue with the procedure here the the background policy aspects of it you guys can debate as much as you'd like right but a consensus was taken an ordinance was you know requested all has drafted that ordinance you're G to have two B two bites at the Apple that consensus vote was taken before a single chairman was spoken to the thought was I don't believe Jeremiah sorry I interrup believe that's against the code that might be not be a procedure that you prefer and I think it's good you bring it up I encourage you to bring it up um but you know I don't think that there's anything against the code that says that that that X and Y have to be spoken to before the code's amended that person will be given a chance to speak now and in two weeks but not make promises and Promises Were Made To Go in different places because how else do we have this split to go here and this split to go here before the council even saw what happen I don't necessarily agree with with the your interpretation of the word promis there I yeah I think I think promise in that particular part of the code I think promisees meant unfortunately that was was used by a prior mayor at this burough who had to pay a heavy price promises are meant for some valuable consideration in return I don't really think a promises made as some action to be taken to for the change of the code I think that's what you're thinking you're trying to say is that that a promise was made to make changes to the code right based on a discussion that was had at this day you can correct me if I'm wrong I mean what's the point of voting on it you're you're gonna have a chance to vote on it because it was done in a constructive way here you this already feels like it's done like it feels like there's tons of discussion I guarant and what's scary is I know that there's like private emails in private text that this is done through so it's like how do I even check and we're issued government phones like we're issued to discuss to discuss these things so the public can have not only over awareness but to keep us keep us in check so if there are issues that come between us and the public this right here is something I can reference and I like have gone back to this and I don't understand how else to take the word promise like if you're promising somebody something yeah I think that in that provision of the code as I read it's for I think promise means for something return for valuable consideration as was you know you you think or we know I I wasn't here when it was written I mean what's the date on it 1960 something but as I interpret it you know and I welcomed the courts to chime in here if you wanted to take it that far but my view would be that promises made for valuable consideration of which no one on this governing body has ever undertaken that in my awareness and I'm 100% sure it's not happened so I'll move it later on so we can like move the meeting along but I definitely don't think this was done in an ethical way and if it was done in an ethical way the chair people and the other people that wanted to be a part of this and what's scarier is the recreation committee some of the members didn't even know what was going on like they're like what we're not we're already overburdened so they're already an overburden committee that you want to put programs on that doesn't seem to be ready for this I mean it it's not even fully t for good sake you have to assign um our own governing member to the to the committee so it's like now you want to have more all this is all this committee wants to do is an 11 person committee to give the power back to the people to give decisions back to the people to give events and everything back to the people and all I am seeing is people grabbing it and trying to use their own public for their public gain and their own power game it doesn't make any sense like what's going on here so it's like um I'm just not sure yeah I'm sorry thank you no it's okay it's time to move on I mean I mean and you know you we understand your points but you have to remember one thing if someone's looking to gain power why would you split something up and give it to a side organization it's just the main the main thrust of this is to have us achieve have greater achievements by having these items where they belong because you had a you did have a a a committee which was largely fractured because there was one part that was definitely about culture and Fine Arts and there was another part that was clearly about Heritage clearly and several people mention that and all this does is split it up chapter 19 is Wai when we've had this discussion is way more than what you're saying it is so much more than what you're saying and you're trying to minimize it and diminish it into something that's so simple we can still give the library the the the history like let them go work on the park go let let him go work on Lincoln Park let him go work on this stuff they've done the great stuff there was no discussion like it's just like what is going on here we this Committee just wanted to do good things you have people that are doing open night night you have people that are working on a community garden like for goodness sakes if I really wanted if I was like like toxic like Mr Edwards claims I was a few years ago I would have had that Garden done I would have put it exactly where I would have had and I would have been doing it and it would have been done but I waited for the people's voice I waited for the placement I'm waiting to understand where it's going and we're in an area to where there's a food crisis there are hungry families in this St there are people that need to learn how to grow and take care of themselves simply for the fact that they cannot afford to do it and you're dissembling you're you're given to to committees that really can't haven't gotten much done what they have done has been barely minimum it's it's cool and it's amazing but it's not this high impact volume that this committee can get done I am sorry that people did not understand the power that was Al allocated in here by the council which you agreed to you signed back in 2020 and there were no issues then you've been sitting up here a long time mayor you have been involved with Public Service a long time I'm I'm lost you all it wasn't all a sudden it's just not good anymore like how is that my fault and I'm being attacked no one's saying it's your fault I'm saying that it's not set up correctly and we took a vote and we and we got a consensus and that's the way we're moving forward effective committee you're saying it's not working properly but I'm arguing and telling you that you're wrong it has an an effective open mic night as has an effec of other other couplee those aren't disappearing Jeremiah but you're not letting the community grow like you assuming that the people are leaving then there's something wrong but I wasn't never the leader of that I only did my responsibilities as a leaon and you've I think you've come to that conclusion after interviewing correctly and not to people who are angry at me for whatever reason they're angry at me I don't know one of them just quit just quit Mr Edwards just quit didn't email my responses I have emails I have everything he just quit he got angry and quit 2010 it looked like the same thing just quit and it's like um what I don't understand I tried to ask for conversations I try to ask for communications the administrator knows that I've asked for communication the administrator knows that I've been open right in Ministry I've been very open to like have conversations and this was sneaky very sneaky Jeremiah nothing is sneaky this was on the table that my personal opinion I apologize my personal opinion this is sneaky I mean everything's out in the open it's all sitting there and we did the proper D due diligence and we're and right now I don't even vote Jeremiah so as long as the people vote it goes and that's as simple as it gets so we're at the point where we're going to take a roll okay we did a motion second we did a motion second already okay I have council president Conan yes uh vote for introduction for introduction for introduction of ordinance number 25-24 I have council president Conan yes councilman KS no councilman dinino yes councilman Dodie yes councilman Quinn yes councilman Rex yes okay all right motion carries all right the public hearing will be March 12th March 12th okay all right thanks moving on ordinance for public hearing and final adoption I have ordinance number 21112 d24 an ordinance authorizing the sale of property known as block 278 lot 52 on the middle sex bro tax math and located on Drake Avenue to the United States Department of the Army Corps of Engineers motion motion second second okay any questions da right the next two all right roll call open oh sorry this is the public hearing my fault uh open the public hearing right now second second okay all in favor I all right the public meet hearing for ordinance 2112 d24 is open at this point feel free to step up to the mic and voice your concerns is that the culture and Heritage one no no all right to to speak of the culture and Heritage you're going to have to wait until after the administrator report correct thank you all right uh at this point uh we're going to make a motion to close motion second all right all in favor I all right motion to approve motion second okay any discussion by is the um the uh equipment where's the equipment going the playground equipment this isn't all right roll call council president Conan yes councilman cors councilman dinino yes counc Dodie yes Council Quinn yes and councilman Rex yes okay all right adoption of minutes not no minutes to be adopted all right we'll move on to uh the mayor's report got a couple of things uh right here actually Four we had a meeting with the rescue squad it was an introductory meeting we haven't had one in a in a while I'd like to just say that I thought it was very constructive it was uh it was very open and we cleared the air and I look forward to uh continue good relationship with those guys all right they do understand the issues at hand which are we need a better hit rate and that's something that they're going to work on and and hopefully they get there okay uh the budget the budget is under way uh we've had several meetings with several of the Departments uh we're sticking to our promise the red pen has been out um we're still a ways away from being complete but it it is a long uh process and we are getting there okay uh one of the other things is that there's been some information flying back and forth uh between Linda and and Claire regarding the environmental commission we're going through the gyration of trying to get this set up and what needs to be done has to happen and all the the little details that go along with that um I'd imagine it's going to take a couple more before it's all done and dusted but it's something that we definitely want to get done and I appreciate Claire all your efforts thank you okay one of the things right now I have is that um I am looking for consensus because what we do is that we want to look into the structure organization of the construction Department with regard to construction and code enforcement you know so I'm just looking you know do I have a general consensus that we want to you know start the research this and see where we go from there sure yeah sure y yes y yep Jeremiah I don't know why we need to restructure it okay we have a majority there thank you very much you're welcome and um that's we're going to leave off for right now okay that's everything for me you're done yep um wanted to thank DPW uh thank you wenny when's here tonight for um another spectacular job last uh Saturday the 17th 9 Ines of snow thank you guys did a great job uh we're the mayor mentioned we're currently working through the budget process led by our business administrator Michael and our CFO Carol and she's not here this just started with uh each department head and will continue through March and April uh I'm working on a program that boost volunteerism through the burrow with fellow volunteers uh Barbara Benson and Lee pandle Barbara and Lee have truly Been instrumental in getting this program uh at least initiated and formulated we are planning to host the volunteer Fair on Saturday for the 20th in the community room but more details will come in March we had our first shared service meeting scheduled with the Board of Ed this morning uh we haven't had one since November or December but it unfortunately got canceled at the last minute uh waiting a hear back from the board V on a new proposed uh set of dates um lastly Recreation is hosting the annual bunny hop on Saturday March the 23rd at 10: a.m. to 12: noon in the back of Mount VI Park in the grow May okay thank you Jeremiah um I have not met yet with uh councilman doie or councilman Cino about the administration legislation or Department Services um I'm really heard anything else in regards to the uh News 12 they we have I have picked four people there are two businesses that email to participate and the other ones I kind of just was at and I asked if they would be interested and it was yes so I waited to get all that information back um those four businesses are going to be uh elies riton Ridge indoor golf Rising Star dance studios and uh Dana Mary and creary I was told that would there possibly could be a fifth business that could be involved um mayor I would like due to how this whole thing happened between me and you and how you've been treating me in this scenario I would like to just give that back to you and remove myself from the scenario um completely thank you for the opportunity but the amount of uh just bullying I guess you would say or toxic behavior from you in regards of dealing with this I just don't want anything to do with it anymore but everything else is good moving forward and that's it okay thank you all right Rob uh B not much so jayb meeting for the 28th has been cancelled um and our next meeting is March 13th one uh thing I want to say about bonad we've all noticed that that business that's been over there and causing havoc on our roadways seem to overnight move out so it's good thing we don't know why and how but they're gone so that's we should try to get those Gates locked while they're gone yeah um as far as DPW like I also want to thank Lenny for the great that the snowstorm what Mike said not much I mean there still doing both pickup and now they're prepping for a spring all the equipment they got some guys working on ball field and the park guys are still um doing world work um I'm sorry work along the the brook and the gille around all that area is clear it looks it looks so good over there and I also have my budget meeting today with Lenny and the administrator in carand so we made some some uh reductions so thank you Lenny for that that's all ad okay coun Dodie yes sir uh I'd like to reiterate our meeting with the rescue squad went very well I thought with them we laid everything out and they're actually uh recruited some new people so hopefully that can continue for them and things will get better um I have two reports one is from the municipal court and she sent me over uh a recap for last year for 20123 they did uh they dealt with approximately 3474 traffic tickets and 98 criminal complaints during that time they were only um able to do in person for loss of license a f is more than $750 a jail time that's uh what they were told by the state also they held 45 Court sessions 20 in-person sessions and 25 virtual that was for last year now this year for January uh 322 tickets 286 were moving violations they did um five local ordinance violations or zoning they did three court sessions had 2011 defendants 137 cases were deposed during court total collection of fines was $ 36,6 43.72 and the burrow portion is 8,587 120 she did mentioned that I know there was problems with the mail and she was just bringing me up to speed and hopefully that's one of these years will be taken care of because they she said they got a lot of notices back that they had sent out we reached out to the middle T yeah she she said that to me but she just made a note here um that's basically for the court and she will be she will be sending me a monthly from now on to us um for for the police department Calla of service in January 2002 in the first month of the year busy force over there um adult S9 there was five DUIs 312 motor vehicle summonses radar 41 motor vehicle crashes 36 see what our detective Bureau is doing I had Mark some stuff um some highlights for them they they're working on an aggravated assault burglary trespassing 2 F7 and motor vehicle the of1 that's some going to highlight for our detectives who are working around the clock with other towns and State Police everybody that they can get involved with I know the the auto thefts wind up being multi-jurisdiction um so it it was a good effort by them that's all I have all right very good thank you uh coun Quin I have nothing this evening okay all right councilman Rex no mayor I do not have anything to report this evening thank you all right thank you uh administrator's report thank you Mr Mayor MERS of the counc members of the public um as was mentioned earlier we've completed uh the preliminary round of 2024 budget meetings with Municipal departments I'd like to thank our Chief Financial Officer Carolyn Benson and the entire management team for its hard work in trying to develop a lean and sensible Municipal budget um it's a challenging year financially so everybody's really doing their best uh regarding the recent sow snowstorms I'd also want to thank our Department of Public Works for keeping the roads clear and safe and the middle Police Department for ticketing car ticketing cars parked in the street which is always a problem so thank you to both of the Departments for working so well together uh Council resolutions on the agenda this evening include wants to approve the 2024 HUD funding approval to purchase fencing for burough Athletic Field authorization to return the cash account to CP middle sex urban renewal LLC and approval to transfer use of a surplus vehicle to the fire department for training department uh burrow departments are working Clos with the middlex library board and staff to accelerate the development of a local history room and archives at the library um we surface furniture that was in the room that's being developed as the local history room was removed um at the request of the library by our department of public work so thank you to for that regarding the uh the long awaited downbrook road with 28 Street state beautification project of Street lighting are Engineers have promised that they will be soon telling us the date of installation for the light fixtures because apparently all the agency approv that are required re including from the Department transportation the next time I mention installation see the topic for discussion during the agenda Workshop session this evening is again hether Lane and the residential property impacted by the erosion situation there and then an executive session this evening we're going to be discussing um the real estate located at 1190 Mount naue and the stat of okay thank you all right that basically takes us to that hang on administr okay privilege of the floor all right please come up you have uh state your name and address for the record hi my name is Mark cron uh seven Park Place middlex um I'm the chairman of the culture and Heritage committee um have a lot to say um and disagree strongly with a lot of things the mayor said tonight um first I have to tell you I am extremely disappointed that the mayor and Council would vote to dissolve the committee that they all have no idea what the committee does none of them spoke to any members of the committee that are still active and meeting every month and working on projects so that is a huge disappointment I hope that you don't this is not the way you make decisions on everything in Middle sex if it is we're in trouble um the name of the committee means nothing it's what the committee achieves and what it does and Heritage is a lot more than just history Heritage is the people of middle sex ethnicity the growth of middle sex we had two people five people that left and that's what started this whole charade is that five people left two of the people disengaged from the committee over a year ago had nothing to do with anything they felt it wasn't a right fit they quit the committee way over a year ago the three women that left left because of a personality conflict with Jeremiah over an incident that happened at the park with the library person that they didn't even witness they left because apparently they don't like Jeremiah and they that was a way for them to get back at Jeremiah by leaving the committee as far as history one of the women all she wanted to do was history she had no interest in doing anything else on the committee I told her to go work with the library committee another woman wanted to work only on the uh Lincoln Statue I told her to go work with the library she could do that stuff with the library we didn't need to do that and the Third Woman quite frankly did nothing never opened her mouth more than once or twice none of them wanted to do anything except what they were invested in which I'm fine with because I guarantee you that if we did a straw poll on everybody on the council there are people that have strong interest in certain projects and could care less about other projects do you dissolve the count do do do you uh dissolve the council because everybody doesn't have an interest in every project project that's how the volunteer committees work people step up because they have an interest in a project and may not care about anything else on it the five members that are on the culture and Heritage committee none of them want to go to the rec or the library committee if you dissolve this committee you'll lose five volunteers and all all the projects will disappear the mayor's wrong in that respect they will all disappear because these people will be gone I've already spoken with one person she said she will not volunteer in Middle sex at all if this committee's dissolved is that what you're looking for to get rid of volunteers again you voted to dissolve this committee and knew nothing about it do you know did you even know we're working on trying to work on a family guard a a community garden uh did you even know did you ever go to any of the open mic nights like I have um did you know that that I have a connection that does documentaries and we're I'm working with him on trying to do a documentary on the history of middle sex their last documentary was on the horrific commuter train crash in 1951 in Woodbridge I went to it two weeks ago it was fabulous fabulous and this is the kind of stuff we're working on they will all disappear if this committee disappears I have no interest in being part of Parks and Recreation I have no interest in being part of the library committee um I've worked very hard over the years to try to get interest in the community garden which would be a tremendous benefit to the be of middle sex and finally people are starting to listen I have some you can do educational projects for kids there's a lot of things you can do you can teach people to grow there's a lot of educational things you can do with the community garden that's gone if this committee's gone I will not work on it I'll work on it as a private entity but I won't work on it as a volunteer for Middle sex um so it's uh and again the mayor didn't do research he didn't speak to any person on the committee that's still meeting on a monthly basis that's still working on projects until after your vote 2 weeks ago how do how are you properly informed to vote on something when you have no idea what's going on and nobody spoke to the existing committee members all the members that he spoke to left because they had a personal grievance on something that did not happen and had nothing to do with the culture and Heritage committee the disagreement with Jeremiah happened outside the committee was never discussed in the committee was never brought up those women never said anything I didn't know they left until they didn't show up they never talked to me about it just like none of you talk to me about the committee shame on you um so I mean I have a lot more to say I'll speak in two weeks again but um you just have to know I am so disappointed that you all would vote on something that you really had no idea what it was or what we were doing or any of the projects that we were doing doing I mean quite honestly as the mayor didn't know any of the projects we were doing until he spoke to us I knew of the ones that I knew about but I asked you for a complete list again but the vote took up place two weeks ago the vote already happened you never spoke to me prior to that vote again it would be like if you had a criminal that did something to a a private citizen and you only spoke to the criminal and you didn't speak to the private citizen to get the other side of the story that's what you did that's what you did that is wrong and again I just can't State enough how disappointed I am that you would vote on something that really none of you knew had any idea what was going on in the committee and which changed from years ago when some of you were probably around to vote this committee into existence nothing changed the committee took a long time to get going there were people to join that had no is interest they left I went to Jeremiah asked me a couple of years ago I went to a meeting and I have to be honest with you with the chairman of the committee then I would have never joined the meetings were snoozers they were doing nothing the chairman went through the motions there were no new projects all they discussed was the history the Lincoln statute and that was it there were no there was nothing discussed what they should be doing other projects or anything thank God he left because the committee would have been nothing would have been nothing we have members that are vested that are interested that want to do projects that have connections we have a guy that's a new member he he he knows the he knows the uh the governor very well he does charitable projects all over the place this committee will s now that we're starting sorry Mr Johansson was declined by the mayor he is not a member just so it just all right well he's a member just to show up I don't know why you decline him he was declined as a member of the cultural and Heritage committee because we're still in the process of trying to work out what's going to happen with this that's where it was before we put a new member on the cultur and Heritage you got to make sure there's going to be a cultur and Heritage to put a member on and and based on some of the statements that you just made you know you could you hear it well they weren't interested in this they were interested in that it just it almost begs to there's culture and Fine Arts and there's Heritage in history and that's kind of where the people's interest kind of fell one person Mar it was more than one person no it wasn't were you ever to one of our meetings you don't know no idea you don't know I know I I spent two years with these people I know I spend two years with these people I know so what if that was their only interest so what I understand that but you had a lot of people that left there was a lot of people that came forward and that's what we're not here to discuss it I'm just but that's okay it was more than that it was I think 11 or 13 over o over Over a four-year period a few of those members wanted to come to also argue and agree with Mr cron Mr Jackson is sick he just got out of the hospital with an a he was going to he was very disappointed as well and um Mr Johansson the other member was going to come but his daughter had to go to the hospital so again I can't before my time I have no idea I can understand why they left because the person that was running the committee was horrible and they weren't doing anything there was no activity there was no excitement there was no nothing so prior to me being there I can understand why they left like I said I told Jer that if this was the committee I didn't want to be part of it because nothing was going on I don't want to be part of something nothing's going on I certainly understand the way you feel I can tell you that there was plenty of time for people to step up before a decision was made it it was even brought out to the the currently aison do you have anything to say nothing was said at that time and a vote was taken now how this all fits out at the end and it's not final because we still got another vote to go and the other and the other side of the coin is it still sounds to me that there's a large element of this that is culture and Fine Arts you know and if if if you people are setting you know conditions that you're not willing to be part of wreck and all the rest of that I mean I feel bad but I can't help everybody on that but if we're offering a way to get things done and people don't want to take it there's only so much we can do you're offering a solution Solution that's not necessary you can't tell me there's no duplicity in any other committees or or Commissions in down that none of the other committees or commissions do maybe a little bit of what something else does that's not true I'm not saying it's true but I'm saying why would you pick on the C the culture and Heritage committee because they might do they might do something else that the library does because 11 members left over four years that's why and you started asking the questions it was brought to light because we weren't getting answers if we were having answers none of this would have went any further then why didn't you why didn't you call me why didn't you call me I could have answered any question I I asked I'm not going to argue about this I email please forward the email to where you asked me anything about the committee anytime not four months you're talking about when I had covid and I was sick then my children were sick you're talking about this 4 months where you didn't take any effort to reach out to me like blaming me like it's not my fault that you didn't reach out to me or call me or em me I had Co I was sick and then my children were sick and it all happened to fall in relations Jeremiah you're at order at this point councilman K you're you're you're out of order at this point okay and just last thing I mean if you couldn't get answers from Jeremiah why wouldn't you call me if if I call somebody and I can't get a hold of them I follow up with somebody else cuz I want an answer I'm not going to make a decision if I don't get an answer I can't hear anything so again I just strongly disagree with your reasoning um I strongly disagree with your reasoning it's not sound it's just not sound sorry you feel that way thank you good evening everybody my name is a hard shot at 34 M Avenue SE um I'm also one of the existing members of The Cure Heritage committee um I was introduced to the committee by councilman Cs and as a member of member of res resident it was the first time I ever came to know of the municipality the culture of Heritage and what it does what it stands for uh for me it was a way to give back to the community and one come across different individuals and become part of the commun uh when I heard that this community is getting dissolved or whatever personal reasons that took place between C cor and other people to me it didn't matter because at the end of the day my goal was to be involved with the culture and Heritage committee and create different programs and different events so that different people who new people who have moved into this community get involved one of the things I hosted last year for the first time was color flower festival I had people come to the event that has no clue what goes on in the town I met spoke to some of them and had they all had great times kids at great time people want to volunteer and work with the community but they just don't know who to go talk to they don't know how to get themselves involved I feel if you shrink or condense and dismal the community the culture and Heritage committee it would just s out a bad it would just stand out a bad message so my only request and I'm begging you instead of dismantling it or breaking it up because it's part of different things because Heritage could go through the library and culture could go through Park recreation instead of doing that I hope and wish you guys keep the culture as it is because as um chairman in form we all have different ideas we all want to do different things the the man power for the strength that let's a library has we may not have the power that we may have the connection that we may have Reach Out program that we may have they may not think of so at the end of the day it doesn't hurt to have culture and Heritage committee they work with the library on the same program or a different program and put together so this way the community benefits not us individual but it's for the community not for anyone else other than the community and that's all I want to do is reach out to the community get themselves involved um a lot of people move into this town they don't know how to interact with different programs they don't know how to interact with different committees councilman they don't know how to reach out to you guys so I My Hope and my goal is that when we are doing these events we want them to come to different events we want them to come to the the council meeting just so that they could hear you guys and the decision that you guys are making because they are taxpayers they are local they are the residents they should know what's going on Frankly Speaking but at the end of the day I wish you guys would keep this committee as is because the people that are there now are looking for different uh events different creative events creative things to do for this town so at the end of the day that's all I'm all right thank you and I am hopeful that Mr CR you do send me a list of the items that you are working on and current and the ones you were thinking about doing as well as the list of who you believe the members are I just want to make sure we reached out to everyone can I ask mark question mark how many members are on the Mark Mark how many members are on the committee we have well they're active let's say that with if m Jo Hanson continues to come even if he's not a member I would consider him a member five and then we have six member that is not directly involved with the committee but is's a landscape architect and he's agreed to do uh landscape design and stuff for the Community Gardens and if it was to stay at those amount of members would you be would it be a productive sure I mean I'm on the full committee we have seven members we have seven members on the school commission so we don't need I mean you always have other volunteers that are members of the committee that help out but you always have the base group of whatever the committee and commission that kind of coordinating projects all right yeah but do get me those two things that would be helpful hey chry 4 awood um want to thank you guys for um putting the bill list on the packet I saw that so I have a question about you um mil count um you guys paid County the mwa yeah it's quarterly I don't know I'm pretty it's a quarterly change and I'm that's to what's what's the difference between the two why do you pay some to ility countor the administration charge right administ to have connected on two points to scway Township and the rest to U MCA MC so that's why there pess corre that's that actually that that payment is the the the 90,000 that's the one we're trying to get rid of that was the the phase four of the sord project that's what that's why we're we're H to get that that that underway okay so I guess that is quarterly I think yeah it's about 400 on the One 360 a year so that that is May matter one time 1 that's 400,000 or something close to something okay just a couple of them um Lincoln National Life [Music] Insurance that might be that might be a pension payment it might be the it might be the fire um low sta could how much is it is it 41 we get back to on that one Dave am1 that's close I question um i' remember seen a few years ago when Lo Institute I think somebody estimated it's going to cost like 120,000 a year or something I remember somebody saying that you had to put in a certain amount of money you have to fully fund it assuming everyone anticipating that everyone was been qual year one based on how many calls you go to in this it shows how much the the membership is dropped is that for the is that 41 for the year oh probably not it might be it might be a payment I don't know 41 it's fully funded it's in 100 just over 100 someplace it's 41 we have 53 active members and then out of that 41 that were that met the that qualifying I know I know when we first did it Jack was was like 109 we had to do the full because first year yeah that was the way the statute was written then after that it's based on the actual membership oh okay and who qualifies okay yeah old days bud $100,000 but what if they the first time was the first year you had it when it was introduced okay okay um just a couple of those uh there was a state that said something State Health 155 gr and state fund retirees 122 I guess 255 I think they're quarterly usually I just one and I wanted to thank Mr for on this one um untable for us to sit in the audience and listen to them but there was a suggestion to move it behind closed doors and it should not have been that the community needed to hear this regardless of where they stand on this whether they want to see the committee stay they want to see it dissolved and they want to see it split up the community need to hear this it was not a Personnel issue it sounds to me like it's a policy issue and do we keep this group or do we not keep this group or do we divide the the duties up so I'm I'm glad Mr corini did not allow it to go behind closed doors and under the GU of being a Personnel issue because I really don't think it was a Personnel issue thank very much well I don't I don't um think I just didn't I wasn't sure what I was doing I'm not I'm not making yeah FR briyan 303 maple um it was brought up about the bakeland Avenue I'm cor that the junkyard or whatever it was is there a landlord or was this guy the owner or what's our responsibility to look at it or we don't to see what was done contamination in other words fine he's gone but who own it he own it and leave or is there a landlord fine now he's gone and I think at one time we were talking about changing something because when that guy got in there it was we didn't have the verbiage of no trucks and he kind of snuck in by saying um are we going to go back so that way it doesn't happen again and it was a junkyard and I don't think we need that got rid of a junkyard and we had a nice Warehouse built on it on the other side of the tracks but are we gonna follow up so that does not happen again and I talked about that today that we need to move on that so that is something so start moving left but yeah Frank we're going to work on that Bobby reached out today I I didn't know they left our chance to get so we're going to ask that um an ordinance I think Tyler may have one that that prevents a junkyard which we don't have don't you know that but but most people don't know somehow We snuck in by cars cars trucks we also have to look at the fact that that site there doesn't seem to be an improved site PL so it's just a big M so we have to also look about anything new comes in yes there got be the Cs that's really what caused all theun should have got and then um it was nice to see I'm looking over the Beyond family is here tonight and a couple weeks ago uh we brought up about honoring individuals and businesses and promoting them and I'm I'm going to say but they could correct me they've been in business more than 60 years and over the years they're still here and trying to make a buck and it's something I got to know Phil and walk in there and Glenn and it's just a nice H atmosphere it keeps Phil occupied otherwise Glenn said we'd have to put him away somewhere so that keeps him keeps him alive but these are the people that we want to promote and I'm saying promote them so this year when you go to we appreciate your recommendation Frank your geraniums don't go to home people CRA go to beond so that's it so he's a taxpayer the money comes back to us anyway so even if you pay a quarter more only get the money back so that's it it's good seeing all of them here and thanks Frank I think that should be the first honor for promoting whatever we we appreciate your uh feedback I got to show here tomorrow anybody else all right seeing nobody else uh we make a motion to close the public portion motion second all in favor I all right just moving down the line here all right L you gonna get a break it's not too long today all right uh new business consent agenda please we have resolution 79 2024 acceptance of standing reports we have resolution 80 2024 approval of the 2024 HUD funds resolution 881 2024 approval of the purchase of fening for The middlex Boro athletic fields from E fence LLC in the amount of $ 34,2 1839 resolution 82- 2024 approving the return of the cash account to CP middle sex urban renewal LLC block 38 lot 1.01 and 1.02 and resolution 83224 approving the transfer of the 2011 Ford Crown Victoria from Surplus to the fire department for training all right do I have a motion motion there actually sorry does anyone want to separate any out no all right motion please motion there second all right any discussion roll call please counc president Conan yes councilman KS councilman Dino yes councilman Dodie councilman Quinn yes and councilman Rex yes okay he's in there I heard him I heard okay nonc consent we have resolution 84224 pil claims have a motion second all right any discussion no all right roll call please counc president K hand councilman K I didn't get the chance to see it again okay councilman Dino yes Council Dodie yes Council Quinn yes and Council Rex yes okay okay very good all right let's move on to the agenda Workshop item this this is probably going to be a very brief discussion because I don't think the weather's been cooperating us the Heather Lane property erosion I guess we are uh well Lenny I hate to put you on the spot but you are here so where are we at uh you got call from other nature we're waiting on the obviously weather everything's here everything is here yes sir we have just just need some dry ground and dry weather we've all been praying for a drought so for three weeks long yes sir okay uh at this point let's move to the privilege of the floor on the agenda Workshop items only um motion motion second all in favor I all right anyone have anything to say on the agenda Workshop items I didn't think so okay uh make a motion to close motion second uh all in favor I okay uh we're going to move to Executive session now I have resolution 85 2024 executive session no you need to we don't need to okay I need a motion motion motion second second all right uh roll call council president Conan yes councilman KS councilman dinino yes councilman Dodie yes councilman Quinn yes and councilman Rex yes yeah he's in there sorry okay um there will be no action taken on these items tonight our next meeting will be uh on March 12th you people are here we're going to take 5 minutes for the room to clear and we can move on Okay C I'm Gonna Leave