##VIDEO ID:bkZw8mEY7Ik## okay mayor mlck here council president Conan here councilman corns councilman dintino here councilman Dodie here Council Quinn here counil M Rex administrator of the place here and attorney corini here okay you all you all checked in there we're good you're good all right I like to first of all before we get this thing started I'd just like to thank all the department heads and all the staff that came here tonight I do appreciate it the purpose of this meeting is uh it's a little bit open form uh we do have an agenda up there I am going to solicit for a couple of people with very neat handwriting much better than mine I have to say to help us out as we write these things down but what I'd like to just talk about first is why are we here you know one of the reasons that we're here is for Real Alignment now it's management term and I'm not sure what a lot of people would understand what that means but really what it comes down to is that where your strategy and your goals and your purpose of why are you going about doing things come together and the reason I say that is because a lot of times we have groups that are working independently of each other and what winds up happening is that when things are going on people don't realize that there's an end game to where you're trying to get to so not everybody's going towards the same direction towards getting that end game that's where we want to get to you want to get to the end game where everyone's doing the same thing understands where we're trying to get to and it's not necessarily even just for the public it's also for the staff so they understand what are we trying to accomplish you know where are we trying to get to because these guys go there they do their job every day and they do very well but do they understand that hey what we're really trying to do is solicit this type of of information trying to trying to move edge things in that different direction and some people are are more intuitive than others and that's not a thing on anyone there it's all a matter of us having specific goals of where we're trying to get to that everyone can relate to and we know where we want to go now the problem is is that we're up here and we're in the same book now when I say the same vot we think we know what you want we go around and we solicit we talk to a bunch of different people but the bottom line is is that really where we're trying to get to we hope so and we try and make the best decisions that we can one of the things that came out in the last year is that a lot of people came and said hey we never have a meeting where everybody can talk and just tell us you know what's going on how we feel about things no one ask for our input about anything you guys just make a budget and off you go and everyone's supposed to be happy and py and then they got a budget then they got a attack increase and no one understands why and no one wants to hear that Hey listen this is this is what we really need to do to run this burrow and keep it going in the right direction what we're trying to do is to get towards some of that today I mean it's like trying to say hey we're going to figure plot how to get to the moon in one shot and it's not going to happen but it's going to give us a road map that we can sit down and probably the followup which you probably hear about later on this is that we're probably going to have a workshop at one of the meetings where we discuss as a council what we all talked about tonight and what's our way of getting to where we want to get to all sounds very high and very fancy but the the real key thing is we need your input that's where we're at that's why I put on here transparency can't get much more transparent tell me what you think you know if we have an answer we'll we'll answer it I I have to let everybody know that I've made no request of the STA none I said if you want to talk talk if you don't want to talk don't talk we're not here to have to have a a dialogue going back and forth where you said this you said that that's not what it's all about what we're trying to get to here is that we're trying to address problems that middle sex has that we can move middle sex in in the right direction and one of the the vehicles that you use to get there is something called a squat analysis all right now people are familiar with that it talks about strengths weaknesses opportunities and threats to the Bur all right and what you do is that you'll talk about strengths first you list them all and then you'll talk about weaknesses you list them all and then you do the opportunities and the threats and then what you do after that is that you prioritize these are the things that are most important for us you know these are the these are the things that we really want to see you know in this town you know we do have some some good strengths you know we have some weaknesses as we all know and we have opportunities which you know a lot of times people you can present an opportunity to them they don't want to hear it because it doesn't exactly fit in in what they had what they've had all along because right right in this town you know I mean a lot of saints since I moved in and some of you guys have been here a lot longer than I have and I'm sure it's been it's well different than what it is and some of that is just because of Natural Evolution and some of it's just because of outside forces coming in and tell us that we got to react differently to some of the things that are happening around here you know I.E you know we're sitting here with with lincol Boulevard shut down why because there's a flood wall that's great when's it going to be done 10 years so we're working on stuff that that's happening now but it's it's way out in the future you know and when we talk about these strengths and the weaknesses and all that that's that's where we're going to get to we want to point these things out we're going to take a little bit of a break and then we're going to kind of go back with thinking about what our strengths are and weaknesses in in line with all the things that we we wrote down what do we want to see out of the Departments what can we do to help make our lot in life a little bit better now a lot of people come in I want taxes hey maybe that's where it winds up but a lot of times what we found and you know I want this I want that I want this I like 28 of these well I get these 28 things you can have them but guess what there's a price to be paid you know and some of the things that are that are threats in my mind can actually wind up being very costly for the town if we continue to ignore and but this isn't about me this isn't about these guys this is about you guys telling us what's on your mind now I need somebody that can help me who's got better handwriting than me so who's one of you guys getunte that's the way it go right you can't read it you know he probably didn't go to Catholic School rest all right and you look like you would love nothing more especially the direction that you're pointing in to take this side all right so next page there all right you got a break for a few minutes thank you I appreciate the help all right let let's talk about first all right some quick ground rules all right we want to have and we appreciate and we're going accept diverse opinions you guys are going to say stuff that we like to hear that's okay I would would caution you there we're going to treat everybody with respect this is not about personal attacks we're not going to get involved with that please raise your hand one speaker at a time because years of drumming has put me with a with a hearing block so if 10 people are sticking at once I don't hear any of so just want to let you know and when someone is speaking you know please try not to have any interruptions or your own private me behind after we do the squat analysis we are going to take a quick break so this way it gives you chance to think about things and then we'll come back with the departmental analysis um attorney corini is on the Gap so things get out of hand we start away we got out of here so let's let's just start with the basics what do you see when you look at middle sex what do you think when you come into this town what are we are we an industrial town are we a farming town um what do you see we're a broken downtown we're too we're too Progressive we're not Progressive you can't you don't even know they you're in Middle sex what do you see anybody Community I see a small community that is has good basis of people that really care for other so strong communi small strong Community okay anybody else I had to and going down the street I would say that I can't really IDE it no IDE lousy Brandy what lousy Brandy like we you can just drive through US Drive station okay anybody El I think that one of the reasons for that is you don't have a downtown I agree like downtown no downtown yeah anybody else uh urban sprawl we overbuilt our infrastructure Urban spraw we overbuilt our do me a favor expand on that a little bit the SE system you take a place that used to be a parking lot there were zero toilets and zero sinks zero showers and now you have 200 of them and they're all dumping into the same infrastructure okay so dur storm I was one time in real time I was on computer watching people talking about different things going on um people were instructed not to use the water they could avoid it not to use washers dryers take showers I'm curious if any of people in those apartment receive the same notification okay all right anybody else so that's what you see basically a community that really doesn't have too much of an identity going and we're just sort of here very little history everything old in this town like B room Schoolhouse the foill play house all that kind of stuff has been torn down other than the statue of linol what else is there from long ago in this town we keep changing the names of the parks all that okay good so now was a good term no Legacy no history no Legacy it's a good thing you're working on that history room huh all right okay what [Music] else well let me ask any question what would you like to see oh sorry she do you want to I think that our town uh shows that the residents have pride their town so Town Pride well I I think res so it's more the residents rather than the town is what you're saying well well I think that your child you know you sort of do what your neighbors do and like when they took down your school couple new houses came in and all of a sudden the whole area just got inated so um that that was a sign because the was reacting to that and uh was a good thing if you go and you drive around the street like you see people I think they care about their prop you don't one L you still got huh oh Tesla you said you see a lot of Tes oh Tes yeah all right just double check okay all right so let's let's take it to the next step what do we want to where where do we want to go what do we want to see for our town we do start focus more that many years we've been talking about that people have come develop a town centerel CER put a line and then put that underneath if you don't want it please all right develop the Town Center what else um the surrounding towns like and sumerville they have like craft and you know stuff like that and I think so we have lacking of community events yeah is that a good way to put in all right so you use more community events all right anything else yeah adding on that how about summer concert a lot of that okay well we're throwing it all so basically we we'll talk about that a little bit later so basically we want more Community Based events we would like to see okay not Al that exact same thing is there anything else you got look for ideas on development like the landfill uh the other area the other side of the track now that that's getting cleaned up some um ideas around so you like to see some some development of uh what's the word not bacon space there's under under something proper underutilized okay is that better utilization of of uh of I guess abandoned or neglected Properties or just a plan a plan that's all right that's that's where we got to get to after we we start talk anything else I'd like to be you know I've asked her before friend a it I don't agree that the hall is running that well I don't think it's run well for a long time and I think systems are broken and you can collect all the tax money you want you can get all the ratables you want you put that money a broken system it's not going to get us anywhere okay well let's just put it down there that's fine I disagree but that's all right that's what we're here for okay so having said that is there anything else that we're looking at right now where we want to go I lived here for quite a number of years and there's some intersections that look like they could be repaved they're really not that big of a deal so infrastructure upgrades like basically like maintenance road maintenance uh like road maintenance type stuff I guess just put Road Mains down that's good okay anything else since you brought we have to do something about the 300 and 400 block of Second Street people a par right on the Corner Market Street I've almost people stop well we're not speciic you're talking about basic traffic yeah traffic concerns down by the law right you got to get people stop okay no she's at school okay sorry oh that's okay that's those it's that way for years there of yes to we're trying to people Along on those there's a couple there's that bur tuing or been hanging out for too long okay so basically that comes down to like property maintenance issues you know uh industrial property in and people I get it I me there's a few that that need a little bit of work on that all right okay um is there a need to review the permit application for residents as opposed to uh developers you know what we're going to talk about that a little bit later because that comes under the strength weaknesses opportunities and threats that's where you get a little bit more into the weed when you do the departmental review this is more kind of like a global look at what we're trying to get to gotta all right anything else anybody all right uh you're on all right over here let's talk about you know as part of the swap we're going to talk about town strengths all right we talk about where where we're at and where we want to get to oh what are we good at in this town what are our strengths I mean that could be our residence that could be we have uh and I'll just throw out examples you know we have we have a a good DPW we got a good Police Department they're active they're visible they're they're they're doing work I mean is that a strength or is that a weakness I mean to me there're strength um another strength is is that we offer a lot of services that are included in our taxes that's a strength because a lot of people pay for garbage and this and that and every other thing you know that that's a strength um but that's what I think what do you guys think no strength no go ahead weakness no just strength right now it is both I'll come back we have you can put it on both now we have a lot of volunteers and a lot of volunteer opportunities that's the strength we have a lot of people that care a lot and town the other side we need more actually consider that it's a strength but it's also it's not even a weakness it's a threat and I'll explain that to you later all right um anybody else Rich well I really think that our police department does an excellent job all right please look it down I mean I I personally can go right to the Chief and sit down and talk and I think that's a real strength for for residents of middle sex they can do the same thing sure and uh especially if you step out of line you're going to wind up in front of the chief probably the ex-chief and everything else he knows my name problem sure but the but Jack along the the same the same line you know um DPW um they're doing a good job uh I'm working with the recreation department they're doing a good job um you know it's uh it's I I think overall if you stay small you can laugh at them more all right um and I think it's important to to keep that that that perspective that you know that that small town feel when you when you're dealing with all the all the people that so you're saying we have a small town field and we want to keep it well I mean I mean I've been here since 197 that's all right is that what you're saying yeah that's right okay anybody I think we have terrific departments department heads and departments all them we were here for the uh tax assessor who did a great job in explaining the new relow system that's coming up DPW I think is probably one of the best save Poli Department Library board we have good services in this town that okay anybody else um just to reiterate the fact I think DW does a stellar job and I know that it does come up every now and then talk about priv which I think is I haven't heard that a long long long every 3 four years you know it would come up and I just think the having the guys who are already used to the town some living in the town being the boots on the ground picking up the garbage is far more listen I agree with you I mean I think most of the complaints that we get on uh quote unquote garbage is our recycling guys that's where that noise comes from and uh you know we we've had to hammer on them a little bit because they get a little bit out of control so if I had a par sta is good you guys are pretty well satisfied with with the level of of work you're getting out of these guys not not work is the word term but they're doing their job they're doing what they're supposed to be doing and you guys are getting serviced properly absolutely that pretty much everyone's doing that n head yes no all right okay how many we got up there okay all right excuse me I think we have a good school system also okay put it on there all right so I think we have a good Mar I think can't get anywhere by buttering thewhere that guyed out over there that lost his property you kill them in and solve this problem yeah what well you know when we talk about weaknesses and we go into that a little bit more a little bit later we we'll have some things to to talk about about that because if on my on my opinion I think the weakness is that we don't get the state support that we should have as as a municipality I can't speak for the schools but I'm telling you on our side we' fall on some pretty deaf ears for a lot of these things and it's frankly it's a little frustrating and that's why why you know the reason that got done was because there comes a point where you got to say screw it they're not going to help us we're going to have to help ourselves and that's and that's been a theme that we're trying to carry through with that the train thing and and so of other ones we just got to get we have to we have to help ourselves you know and that also goes for the Navy over there helping us out you know I know I expect you to be out there couple weeks couple weeks that's all right it's all good all right but uh Kenny weaknesses up there you're right just write a little bit bigger you don't want me to do that it gets worse as it get Hey listen if it was me forget it weaknesses we had a volunteers that was a weakness weaknesses that's a that's a problem communication to get the volunteers that here like five years do you need to volunteer so we di in well let's just talk about the subject in general do you do you think our communication is weak could we do better communication I think that's definitely one the line you know as as we move forward Rich well there are two entities that spent a lot of money here and there appr 28 is there a line of Comm communication between this group and that group a one-way conversation I think it's a um I think it's really necessary that it's two ways um uh well that's that's that's okay we'll leave it at at communication that's fine anybody else how about shared services we have five towns or four towns services but that went up there yeah that way we can save money everybody's doing the same thing you know there's a lot of informal shared services that I would say go on I know uh I know Kenny and his group these guys are doing a lot of stuff I know Lord knows uh Craig your group you guys as much as we call them in you guys get called out and that that happens and I know Lenny uh you you've done your own unofficial uh shared services to to help other people and and have them help us at at times we so but there's always a need for more and I think that it's going to come down to that in in certain in certain aen we don't get the volunteers that we need or you know just in in order to to keep things more pal because you know if you if you look at the way things are going around here you know money's tighten it gets it gets tougher to be unsustainable I mean we you know and we have to be smart about what we're doing or we're going to absorb or be absor you know I think somewhere maybe way down the road but for right now you know you you'd be a fool not to at least say hey that might be that might be a possibility somewhere down the road uh anyone else Barber yeah I just have a comment with regard to communication volunteers because I will compliment uh at this point um are the entire Mar c for being so supportive of an entire program that went on for over three months on every type of media and items um that were mailed the mailing to every single household in the B middle sex with regard to the need for volunteers and I just would like to see specific of what they are looking for when every type of media was used to address and re the people because that would be very helpful yeah we we definitely need a little bit more work on like a communication plan cuz I'm not exactly sure of even all the websites and all the the Facebook things that go out there um and I'm having a mental block but Kevin probably remembers I mean there was something that we just did recently where the communication was poor happed at late the last minute and you know we we did it it was okay but we could have done a way better job and that's stuff that we we are working on and that's that that's definitely a weakness and that's definitely something we we got to we got to look for okay you mention State support I would we support threat as well as county Support we are we are more I call Point what do you have up there State support put a boat well on the health department side I would say they they were in service us well that's why we're making a move um anybody else U just the partes just through my own interaction to people I speak with a weakness to be Cod for I know so some folks talk about they didn't see cars sort parked or abandoned or flat tires you know properties property issues and and code enforcement I that's that's a that's a that's a valid point anybody else how benchmarking everybody's again doing the same thing for all these towns to we you can easily look up the data for another town to we Benchmark how we are compared to those towns and that may help you decide on budgetary things everybody's doing the same stuff so benchmarking on how we do does anybody look outside of our own c i I would say the the answer to that is not probably on on everything but I would say on certain things we definitely do I know Caroline looks around at a bunch of different things I I know the library definitely looks at other things the rec center I know you look at because they I mean let's face it I mean there's a there's a large amount of plagiarism in the world and and sometimes you want to see what other people are doing and that's and that's how you you move things forward I mean some of the things that have been helping us is that we have a couple of unique issues and we have been thinking a little bit out of the box on how we get around some of these things and still be compliant and moving things forward it's not easy but that's why where where these things come and you know one of the things I don't even know Claire how many how many other people around us have environmental commissions anymore don't not nobody right no so you know there are certain certain Avenues we we're we're ahead of uh ahead of it and and frankly one of the main drivers of that is is volunteers I mean we've had you know Claire come up and she's really grabbed the bull by the horns and we've gotten some results out of it which is which has been a good thing okay any other weaknesses I think we could do better with our parts I think if you're into football baseball soccer there's plenty of stuff doing your family to that but if you're I know you want hike want a bird want to go fishing Dy n we're working on that um what's it part utilization I think it's like more pass facility par facility maybe you mean more pass abuses not the more active organized events yeah pass so park passive uses yeah those three Sports okay just he mentioned the lake I wouldn't say it's unfortunate but I would listen put it on there that is for sure you know another weakness is also the the the train tracks over there that's a weakness access for Grants I know we do some but could we look at getting more grant money from either the county or the state is a weakness we it used to be a big weakness we've gotten better at that and I have to say that uh the the group that we use is pretty active as far as trying to help us solicit for Grants um we could always improve on that which we will but yeah you can put that there Grant just add to that mayor I mean in the last two years since we've used them buy our loan is almost $200,000 worth of gr that's the Fire part that's huge it's not publicized are not publicized you get money I know you got park benches we actually used the we put so we're back we're back to communication all right communication is a big one all right any other weaknesses we're lining up the weaknesses we got to work on the strength little a bit but that's all right that's what we're here for I I think we should try and attract this a lot of Economic Development that's a plus and a minus because then it brings traffic well there there's pluses and minuses but the bottom line is if everyone else is developing around you you're getting their traffic that you have to contain with and you get nothing for it you know whether you like it or not that's just the reality of this of the situation um you know so what I can't read it from here so we need more volunteers right communication shared services and County support from the outside code enforcement i Fishing to that and then about Pond right to Lake um Parks being passive other than do other than football soccer ATT tracks grants and if we are getting grants to publicize more which leads back to communication and then econ economic okay anything else yes I I don't know what the conversation was around volunteers we're talking about uh weaknesses of the town it's part of a SWAT analys we done strength now we're doing weakness and and and uh the various committees or just overall overall so I would just um factor into that the application process for volunteers and how that is fair and open for everyone so that to ensure that you are getting enough members that want to apply that um way that I mean that's basically communication again I I can't say on that that we definitely have that process and application on the website for all of our committees and everything I I heard what you said last time I'm just want to Echo the point that I ra before that it is a fair and open process for people participate we don't have enough people see I'm nearly everything you know what volunteers and and communication that's basically both of those tab on our website so maybe I think a good compromise put EAS your location button so they click on it no that's that's a good idea when we get to the second part of this that's where we do the the departmental review that's where we start about we fix okay good okay young lady you're back up here on this side what are we do uh we are going to op all [Applause] right all right as a town or burrow what opportunities do we have what opportunities do we have to make our lot better in life I mean an opportunity is we have the parks the parks are an opportunity I don't think you know are we utilizing them the right way should we be doing something better that's an opportunity we have Open Spaces that you know I mean no one likes to talk about ratables and stuff like that Redevelopment but you know there are certain areas in town where you know if we added a rable or or just basically got rid of lousy ratables and got better quality ratables in there we'd be we'd be a little bit better off that's that's along the lines of what I think I mean I think you know we don't have to like it but I think at certain there we need some type of Redevelopment I mean Redevelopment opportunities are exist you know but a problem with that is that we have to be welcome to Redevelopment opportunities you know a lot of times we got people that call and you know we've heard the whole thing oh you're not really talking to these people or they're not really interested or you make it very difficult for them you know so but that's it's an opportunity Redevelopment is is an opportunity fixing up our Parks is an opportunity um you know frankly an opportunity is better code enforcement you know the broken glass thing get rid of all you know take care of that type of stuff to to basically pretty up things I mean these are things that I'm thinking what are you guys thinking Jack did we get the most out of the Redevelopment that has recently occurred did we get the most do we get the most out of the 300 apartments that we have um uh some towns say you know what we have a five story building we do not have a a ladder that only goes four stories so if you want a five story building you're going to have to uh chip into the uh fire department that's what I'm saying you know I mean we're not looking to put up five that's what the master plan is for we're not looking to put up any five five story building but you know we have whenever we've done any of these developments there's always been what else can we get for it you know uh can we get a a section of Road done can we get stuff like that and I I wish I could answer that question a little bit better I mean I wasn't on the jayb for for a lot of that stuff but I know that a lot of these guys is part of putting up a building how to do you know either fix a section of Road uh put some signage do some different things to you know in addition to just I took behind the curves and fixed my little thing but they had to do you know B on improvements but yeah we do we do try and and work that in as part of of any Redevelopment package well those two big develops they both got fed agreements and they only pay 5% tax to the county and our tax I mean my tax in the county has gone from 133% to 15% so someone's paying it and it looks like we are that's you can't really look at it that way Rich cuz we're still getting you know we get a lot of money from those from those uh developments I mean they're we they're full we're getting a a good bank for a buck out of them okay you know and then you're always going to hear the stuff well the school doesn't get their money but the it's irrelevant of the schools because the schools present a bill and we have to pay it okay I mean I stay no that's okay young people your town will become stagnant unless you get younger people involved you do that somewhat through Recreation um you do that through some other programs in the town but that's an opportunity look for ways to get a younger generation in in the school systems involved in the community because that's what makes right well that's an opportunity and a threat and like I said we go over there because you know part of the problem with with trying to to get young people is that they're living in a in an environment right now where if you're looking at the 30 somethings to 40 something they got young kids a lot of times you know in order to make ends neat which you know it's the circular argument you know the guy's working a job a second job and you know it's hard to go back and tell the wife hey by the way I know I'm working two jobs but now I want to volunteer another 12 hours a week doing this and 12 hour you almost you almost have to get to the point you know and this is where the conversations come in where you almost have to like make it palatable to the guy that if they're going to do some volunteering that it takes away maybe some of the need for them to hack to work a second job you know people don't like to hear that but that's that's the reality because back in the day you know I know I know for myself it was like until my kids hit High School I was like a lock man I was going nowhere it was kids kids kids kids kids that that was all it was and then once that turned around you had some time and and you know what people don't realized is that you know a lot of people do things and all during that time I was already working for two jobs you know and and sometimes three whatever side job you could get that's kind of what what's the nature but if you want to if you're trying to attract people to do things like this especially at a younger age we're going to have to pull them forward their mindset is way different than ours that's just my two cents on that Sor I mean the school system though use your opportunities with the schools of the young people people using communication to get them more involved in your community de in your like one of the things I think really works well that they've done surpris me but like they had the high school band be a community day playing right so you need to get the young people motivated to give them Direction so it's just an idea you know no it's it's it's a valid point because you know the other thing that's come along with it I mean the two big things that we also try and Pull and I know uh Barb done very well with that trying to pull in the you know the the the certainty you know and and I mean you how many of you have that have which is we were down to what one no we started new right at the end of last year and now we have n right and you're and you're and you're bringing the kids still like a little bit more communication you got to work together on that but people need to see that there's an end game and there also has to be a way to to let people realize you especially the young ones it can't all be work there's got to be some element of like Community or social socializing or or something with that all right so all right evolve younger gener what else oh we got two Claire sorry she beat you too living in a flood town I think we need to consider more GRE infrastructure such as like green you the library but not just for public land but private land yeah I think you know it's going to come along as an as an educational process because like you said we've done that I mean you're going to have uh you know the next one probably is is going to be R Avy got a big plot of land over there that we can plant something over there you know and if it's done right it's going to be a boom to the town parks and then opportunities for the other generation consider the idea of either a skate park or pump track pump track be what was the first one skate oh skate park okay skate park a pump track people on bicycles skateboards hiking you know any one of those and there are already grants out there for that kind of thing PP PP uh pump PP and then the other thing is you know the state as a whole the film industry is moved to New Jersey and it's not going anywhere uh Netflix has spent 800 million in for m there's big out just on the sh of spending cl to billion and Lions Gate spending 125 million in okay so going to be filming going on throughout New Jersey and um it certainly brings money in I'm GNA have to lose weight all right who else anybody um we talk about communication and I'm talking years ago but there used to be the middle sex Chronicle paper that came out that everybody would love to to everything that but then we had the community news I think the paper reading there because not everyone is Tex happy and you know it would be I know it would be an expense to put out maybe some kind of a newsletter not every month but maybe I mean we do one right now but it's more online yeah a lot of people well young people do but you have a lot of older resid that also okay you know let them know what's going on and like the grants and different things I'm just saying but it it really circles back to communication we do we I mean you write the letters I write them too and you know I try it's hard I mean I I I'm just not I'm not well versed in that and I I need to improve I get that but you know we could do a better job communicating about what's going on in in ter stuff like grants and opportunities and things we're working on and we do have printed copies of all our newslet available in all our building she has she's saying sorry quter quarterly newslet our newsletters we have pred copies of them available in all of our buildings here the rec center the library we have tax window we do already have printed cotton we don't mail them to save on the postage have or maybe um I I have no idea that thank you know maybe maybe the an idea for that is print some extra ones and put them in like Quick Check and you know let him just put them out there I don't know we'll talk hang on guys we sign for Town Hall hey everybody the new newsletters out go online and check it out or stop into one of our buildings and pick up copy all right we're back to communication so we definitely need to work on that all right so that's any other opportunities does anyone see at this point the precious cop um have some dropped off at watch okay that's communication that's a general subject we got to work on anyone else opportunities okay Kenny you're up again all right now we're going to talk now after this what once we go through the threats what we're going to do is we're going to take these off we're put them hang them on the wall there we're going take a 5 minute break and we're to come back and we're going to start going like look at them in terms of what we have on there in terms of what our departments are doing that you think that we could use with the strength weakness opportunity to make our our lot in life a little bit better almost to see how are we going to push along you know what should be looking at when the when the uh when we start getting into the budget and all the rest of that stuff you know because that's why we're here it's to solicit uh solicit information um threats [Music] whatting cell phone volunteerism is a threat because if it goes away we're going to wind up paying for stuff what else do you guys see as a threat overdevelopment underdevelopment no development traffic traffic speeding okay speeding all right I don't know or just how about just unsafe driving in general okay know whether this would really be a threat but I saw in the paper that we have a requirement that we have to build another 81 affordable housing unit we're we're we're looking at that right now but that's over 10 years and I think the immediate need was for 14 but we really haven't dug down to the bottom of that to see where we're at with that but that is something that's that's on our radar because what we for a town like ours we're pretty built out where are they going to go or how do you do it you know does that mean if someone has a rental department and and they leave now all of a sudden they got to become low income I don't know I don't know how that works but it's something that we're definitely looking at because it's something that's got to be addressed all right other threat yes taxes taxes we're was waiting for that go took that long that's all right no listen high taxes are a threat if they if you price everybody out it's it's a problem but that's where we come in you got to have the balance because you know if you had the if we were the government we could just print up a few trillion dollars you can you can make a lot of things go away we don't have that opportunity okay yes I'll just take you back on that and say when the taxes are high portable hous you don't have people leaving the community and that's not Exodus so rents High rents well you lose turn turnover so you lose identity all right turnover might have to work on that a little more I don't really fully understand where you're going with that like M mass mass ex okay yeah turnover right low two high taxes get get your turnover I mean maybe it'll help the juice it a little bit this IDE give with McDonald's to be honest with you I consider that McDonald's to be a threat that's pretty 4i building directly across the street from your high school okay put it down McDonald's the property is just in a bad spot and nothing's happening all right anybody tax you really look at your tax bills majority of your taxes in school and you just said something about School get pay we have request that money absolutely and that's what we need to do it's been it's it's a largely a oneway conversation and part of the reason that it is that way is because the state has rules that they have to follow and honestly if they're following the rules the way it's supposed to be done there's very little we can do about it can't question the overabundance of we can certainly question it but that but we have we cannot do anything in a public forum that needs to be taken up at their meetings yeah what we want well we get much left enough of you turn out you'll get what you want yeah all right at at this point what else do we have what other threats nobody we all have EnV pardon me Environmental well that's I guess that's covered by like the flooding and stuff like that you know I mean in the bigger scheme I guess in in accordance with you know some of the stuff that I know Claire's working on what is it bees are a problem we need some pollinating going on there's a lot of there's a lot of like green team type of of things that they're working on I wish I could could explain them and and felt that we all understood exactly where we need to get to from there but you know at this point we're doing what we can we're walking our we're easing our way into it and and thankfully we got someone there who's been pushing us to get some results we've had a you know we got the tree farm this year you got the rain Garden going this year uh you know then there's she formed the Green Team um there's a lot of other things that are going to work on I mean one of the things that I know that that I think the county coordinated was the stream cleanup right you know maybe we need some more of those maybe we need to do a little side of the county do some more independently on us I'm not sure what it requires to get that and that doesn't mean that it has to be hey CLA we giving you 28 other jobs go H the stream and clean it all out you need it's volunteerism you need help hey mayor I just wanted to mention because I'm really proud of the work of all the departments on the environmental front uh for instance DPW has planted hundreds of trees this year shade trees throughout the burough um the library has helped sponsor a rainard behind it and there's Gardens pollinated Gardens in front of the library um Recreation always doing things to appreciate the parks and enhance the parks they weave that into all their activities so um I just think all the Departments have really taken environmental issue up because Christmas is coming I you know we also made just so you're aware um we have the thing Community coordinator that's Mark spit um he's a burough employee he's my Parks lead man um he's created this County cleanup and um they pay for everything a couple years so he's had several volunteers sometimes 40 sometimes 50 so we have been in our streams all paid for by the county all paid for by the state so just an FYI we have been in our streams oh well I I know I know that because I think you did it twice this year right I think they so they do it at least once a month so they once a month they holded two events TW yeah they've done two events this year you know but there's a lot of other projects that you know we were just kicking around because uh you know one of the things that we're talking about is Ren Avenue right and r Avenue is awful lot of grass that we have to M and maintain and there's a way that we could you know maybe you maintain 10 ft and all the rest of it back there you find some way to either put pollinators in there or trees or or very a bunch of different things and actually I heard there was uh and I think it was clear you threw out there what if you put like a little nature path through there you know who knows I didn't even think of that but it's a it's a good idea it could be something that that works for the town it's an improvement on a piece of property that's way underutilized but it's blood yeah but that's why you're doing it with all natural stuff you know all right anything else on the threat pleas we've done a lot of improvements in that area but you know the idea of these other towns doing to fund the police Police Department if you were to have issues that would be a threat to so a threat is don't defund the police so write that down all right so yes Jack do people feel threatened when the building inspector comes to look at a project on their house that may have been done by a contractor they feel threatened by the building do they well I'm sitting right here and it's been a little over 10 years and I haven't harmed a fly no I think that you know we I want you to know that we are doing our best to go out of our way to accommodate the taxpayers and uh we like to work with the contractors and but we will bang them over the head if they need it difference between a homeowner and a contractor if you go to their home is that correct you look at the homeowner differently then you look at well we're the homeowners Advocate you know we're we're we're there for you okay we're there to make sure the codes are being enforced and um and to make sure the contractors uh do what they're supposed to do you know to the extent that we can thank okay anything else with threats all right sorry L of all our Emergency Services well that's volunteer that's put it as a little sub thing to that that's pretty much what it is what about what happens at the carnival where you get these Mass social media things with a thousand people showing up we do about that well I mean there all I can tell you is that right now I'm glad you guys don't know what I know because there's an awful lot of stuff that goes on in the background there and you know things are changing on that on that whole front that that it's just not going to become a a runaway the way it was before because there there are a lot more stute to it um I I can't really explain how how it happened but there was another minor event that just happened happened a couple of weeks ago or a week ago over at place by feraros and that that got handled quickly efficiently and with a lot less you know a lot less hoopla than it had before but just so you guys know and Craig you could talk to us how many agencies came in 14 agencies came comp besides us that 22 other offic this is relation both the other other towns to help us out they put the call out Town Edon it's it's not not to say that it's old news but this stuff with the flash mods and stuff like that these guys have a network where they're all kind of listening to it and seeing what's going on and they they actually have an action plan that if if something goes it they're moving past on so you know that one time it was just a ridiculous amount ridiculously fast and the the same plan was in place but because of the traffic concerns and actually South Lincoln being down created a big part of that Nest over there because you didn't have another exit way out but they're on I mean there's a reason why we have the police officers that we have and why I was you know for a bunch of years was very vocal on the fact that we can't get too too low to a certain level because we will not have the staff and when you're calling in 22 other agencies you're not going to have you still never going to have the staff but we need feet on the ground and our department to be active invisible and that's what they do we're going to talk about that a little bit more when we get to uh the departmental review but but I got two more Laura first concerned about that inci that happened and how do we prevent that from starting up and just having more of those you know like that facility over there obviously have a limit on many people be there but obviously I can't talk about it what I can tell you is that it's well under control there's been there was a lot of stuff that went on there that that was questionable and I can I can tell you that these guys are questioning it no no doubt about it I'm just saying for the future we don't end up getting more interest like that right well that's part of what they're working on it's part of their their followup plan to that because you know there are certain things I mean some of it include actually what's going on you know I know that the the the Nea or whatever is supposed to have some meeting somewhere they got to go through the same rig R they got to put in the the permit and they got to go see where what it's going to be I mean yeah are you there there there was a paperwork Trail for that thing that did not match what they did believe they've heard about it and then so noise noise yeah okay we're we're working on that right now um we talked about you know we talked about having a noise ordinance um but what it what it's coming out to is that it's more going to be along the lines I think and we're not of of nor of noise enforcement of disturbing the piece was that it what on now uh the noise the noise stuff like what we're doing about the noise complaints yes yeah service of P right now under one of the um paragraphs within coordinates did you guys hear that local service of the peace is a 24hour noise ordinance it's affecting somebody they complain about it uh some's going to be issu by the person complaining or the officer investigating the officer you report by loud loud noise we get there and it's excessive we have the opportunity to sign a complaint if it's not test let complaint know what the opportun can sign complain if they wish we would address the place that's making noise let know the complaint com not we try to do leg work for the complaint and then we go back whoever call and let them know who we spoke to what they said let them determine all right good we we might run short at a time and I don't want to do that so what I would just want to ask is we have the strengths weaknesses opportunities and threats um I would be remissed if I didn't say hey you guys you have anything did we miss anything is there things that you think that that were we should answer that or we good good good good good good we're good tell you what guys take five minutes and then we're going to come back I'm we got a hard stop at 9:00 so someone in the middle of the second 9:00 everyone's running the door just out a look all right what we talked about now is you know we talked about a bunch of different things and we're gonna we're going to do like a little departmental review we're going to talk about a bunch of like departments and we're not going to get personal and we're just going to talk about what do you think that we can do to to improve some of these departments and we're going to do it Department by Department however before we do that we're going to stop and do one thing first because I did reach out to the schools Roberta cannot be here I know there's some members here the only thing because we do have a crowd here what I like what I like to do is solicit some respectful input let her write it down and we'll give it to one of the representatives and she can give it back to to rers and she knows hey we're not making it up this is what people think fair enough respectful please all right comments on the schools anyone got anything top heavy topheavy administrators versus teachers okay anything else Kevin uh re-registering students re-registering that's a big one I believe in that believe me I I can't see any anything major capital expenditure without having that done first I think that'll have no support none as much as it fad as it went down last time it go down worse if they don't do that yes communication at the meeting not the next day there should be people at that meeting sh you don't have to write this down we'll give it to you okay partipate iny went way too fast for write Jersey for schools yes they can get moneyo students at the te meeting night very excited suain Jersey school for school and just put in fren land right got it anyone else how about voting on the budget like we used to well that's a state mandate but that's right wrote it down write it down wrote it down I mean there's certain things you can do certain things you can anybody else rich I think their philosophy their philosophy of Dei is on its way out it's a political thing and I think if you go along with Dei missing out on Merit eii on it way out could be could be phasing out anybody else i' said better communication between the Le from hour and today okay anybody else quiet half budget make sure that people know what the budget is for them because that's what affects 60% tax so in general you just want to know what's in the budget I want to know line by line budget information y okay transparency okay usure budget information in regards anything you try to do with revelop within the bur no no it's not that type of but just schools yes I understand that oh go ahead sorry go ahead part of Redevelopment we have to think about the schools right the infrastructure the school side the class side right is there some type of plan or do they they budget or forecast the idea of adding on to the school adding on to the infrastructure to be able to support the income of more children into the classroom well at this point they probably have haven't done too much of that because the they did do a census and the census said they they're basically at the same number of kids as they were 20 years ago or 10 years ago and right now on our books we really have no additional uh Redevelopment plan not for apartments or anything like that but it's a good point I mean we should communicate if we're going to do re Redevelopment maybe that's the the way to Redevelopment communication my statement about Dei to be versus Merit not phasing out oh versus Merit okay you're lucky I wasn't writing that you would have got that right in anyway no matter which way I wrote that but I I mean I think here your philosophy is a little bit different than there and I think the community has to have one philosophy and I think it should be to hire the best person for that spot okay so hir in practice well that's yeah that's okay all right anybody else yes how about requiring them to come to here for a meeting because it affects our budget affects our time to present the budget where are we going where you know I know they do it probably within their meeting but why not present it to the they they've done that on on occasion I think a lot of times they do have a meeting so I mean it comes back to communication all right you got that down anyway communication budg communication that's I mean a lot of those meetings are are fairly well attended I think the last one I went to uh Mr doie and I we were it was it wouldn't fit in this room that's for sure but yes is re-registration the same as checking leases rental leases residency I mean I I can't answer to what the schools do but I mean it's like when they have a new kid that comes up and here's my address I don't know what they do you know as far as like on on our side for code enforcement and stuff like that I think basically what winds up happening if it's supposed to be a single family house and they go over there and they find 35 people living there there's a Rock and and they handle it from there on the school side anything else smort State issue but somehow getting the pilot money the school but that's not it's it's a non issue actually because it's not the way the pilots work anybody else Max me not Max before it becomes a referend so a budget up 2% every year year right not not doing that well that's that's basically you know budget constraint really I mean that's not that's on theirs I mean it's justifying what it's like anything else they have to justify what their cost are it wasn't necessarily that the the increase that that got a lot of people flared up was the fact that they got $4 million over the last couple of years and it seemed to just fade away without any type of you know you still had a a maximum increase I I would still write that up there that's not a bad point they don't have to take the 2% maximum they choose to right not go to the max not go to the max allowable percentage anybody else all right we're gonna conclude this in a couple of seconds really because gotta move out to our stuff yes you off about a new brother in town maybe schools can also do the same thing I know that there is a school messenger but from what I understand it's only for the parents of the um availability of newsletter I think it's the way to put it I think actually almost anybody can sign upward and they'll probably send it to them I don't know if that's the case all right anything else or we're goingon to move on from this all right we're going to we're going to move on from this um do you guys want this to take all right let me just uh grab my camera so we can keep it for our notes as a matter of fact you know I think I have I'll just take picture I believe they do I can't I can't answer that do the they get broadcast correct they're signal cast aren't they um currently they are live stre yes Bo meeting okay commit of the all right thank you all right any your turn all right listen during break you had a couple minutes to just take a look at those things and and you know as we go through because we are trying to get through this in in a lot of time let's talk about a departmental review let's start let's make it easy just I wrote it down this way so that's makes it easy for me not forget one police what do you think the police could do better more active more visible less tickets more tickets um I mean they're out there pulling people over I mean does anyone have any comments on it I mean I don't know go ahead I live also known as the C in 2019 I haven't seen a single cop in years during school hours specifically school hours going to school and coming back well I would tend to think that'd be pretty much all over town with stuff like that so better police presence during uh school hours what like drop off hours and pickup hours is that what you're referring to the stop sign stop at that but other than that I guess you're right but it is okay so traff traffic enforcement well listen I know about that because be be quite honest it was I I was when I was campaigning last year I was the one and you probably blame me for it that was actually very vocal on why you needed all those stops like there because it was I almost got run over like twice and the other part where I had an issue was uh over by over by Mr Po kage's house that that thing there people I mean for three months after the stop sign went up they were still driving through and every now and then I'm sure they still do because I I walk around anything else other like a little bit more visible trafficing portion you got that perfect yes about 15 20 years ago the police department had cop cards little trading C oh yeah remember that was really popular with the kids to the point where I remember we were down the shore and my kids went up to toop the seaside and asked for them were really disappointed that they get okay that would be something top cards you got it we we put that on the list anything else all right get more all right all right all right let's move on DPW I love it all right all right come on I noticed other towns have set up adop response and I'm wondering if we had a program like that it would take some of the pressure off your guys to cut those areas and maybe we get businesses or other land G companies that would take over that spot maintain it and leave you with more time to do more Essen adop spot I mean I think they used to do that back in the day because I remember at the the triangle by MB they had a a a might have been beyond these somebody came in there threw some flowers in kept the grass cut did a nice thing so that could be uh that could be something that's workable anybody else um I saw up in New York state my friend brought all his furniture to his DPW spot and they had an exchange area where good stuff was put there for anybody to take and maybe in town was it was it covered or just out no it was covered it it had to be a trail where and I'm sure that some good stuff I mean one man's junk is another man's uh but uh it it just might it might work out in town given the economic environment that we're in yeah Claire do they have a name for that like a CPW recycling swap or something like that I don't know write it down all right you can do an art par or art on the wall was that they won't let us CU it's all graffiti uh proof so that's what we're not allowed to touch it at all yes Paul Paul's back there so Paul thank you Paul that wall belongs to them you know and that that goes along with some of the committee work that these guys are doing that's something like for the beautification committee or or the culture and arts and stuff like that anything else for DPW next one re oh sorry one thing that I see and I know it's not going to win me any but you know when people I call it passive donations where they just walk it out to the curb and put Frey on it and then it sits there and full of grains and then these guys have to go pick it up I mean that a big problem good point um what would you call large junk day large day have this the most junk day down you got down okay I think one ladies they don't have it like we do big problem at the library leave their boxes of books leave their boxes of things book boxes of books with animals still in them um right in front of the sign that says Please Don't Leave donations here um there's nothing else what wait donation control in general I would say ideas on that is something that we've been fighting with and trying to figure out how to fix for 17 years well you know what maybe you know we don't communicate that that's a problem that well either so that that's a part of it and they drop it right from the sign that says not drop it maybe they can't I don't some people aren any anything else all right let's move on because we we're getting down to short Strokes here re what do you think more programs less programs what can we do to get more kids less kids more activities for the kids uh are we missing an age group that we're not getting um by the way if you guys missed the Hornet house you missed a good one that was uh that was pretty good can I talk about that we did have the National Honors Society come and help us for that event so we do and girl G also so we do get with younger generation all right but what about the the middle kids teens oh okay that like the Key Club and those guys all right is there any possibility getting somebody you involved with what's going on in Bur Hall I mean these kids don't how to fix a website put a website together update a website I mean I know we pay web service and this would be something a k can use to resume it's possible we can certainly look into it and I know that there's ways of them to create things without going on to the website in general that they can basically forward it to make sure it's not loaded with uh you know viruses or anything like that you know that it's it's not a bad idea because we do have a you know the more we communicate the more we're going to have a need for more flyers and this and that and web pages and all that so it's a good good idea uh put uh teen involvement I teen it that'll do it all right anybody else for the r she's going to kill all right that's it thank you people want an opportunity I'm running a race on Le day they can come down to the park and I'll show them how to officiate a little PRP which view Mountain View really like the middle sex 5K that was there the middle sex school elementary school oh I want to help you there at 1:30 on El day um but uh many times I I look in the summertime and is there something for adults to do like the summer summertime bowling league where couples would you know just go for eight weeks or or a horseshoe leag summer adult program something like that for adults I think I think it might take off I know I know you're not going to talk to me now Okay this may already be happening but um coordination between the library and the record because both do programs you're probably already all the time now they're working out okay uh flip WR down you got it good anything else for the W okay all right let's go on a personal favorite construction anything on construction and that that'll include like code enforcement and all the rest of that stuff we kind of talked about that and we are working on that and then it seems to me that what I'm here is we want to have more active code enforcement is that a fair absolutely is that a fair way of putting it and that and that's for industrial and residential okay and we have to and I think we also have to communicate that a little bit better because like I mentioned in one of the meetings about you know your neighbor may have a little pile of junk in his backyard that's creating a rat problem for you you don't need that you know and and and that's why you have to see something say anything else construction anybody does the permit process need to be looked at with regard to what it cost resid this in terms of well someone had a plumbing permit to put up a bug ground pool and I don't know what the permit cost but it was for a backflow valve for his hose that's used once to fill up the pool perit may have cost 20 $30 I don't know but the remedy was two bucks is that really you know it's it's an isolated case something like that but for the most part what I've seen you know because I've done it I've done four or five different permits everything from an addition to a pool to a fence and I got to tell you our rates were on the lowest side to be quite honest huh a lot of that well there's an ordinance right we have the fee ordinance in so if you go on the website or go on the eode site you can look at the construction code fee ordinance and you'll see and so it's actually not $25 it's probably $75 because that's the Min minimum fee for any kind of pling per so you know we have administrative costs um and we have to pay inspector and vehicle and we have to go out so it it seems like a very small thing to go and look at a $2 thing but it is it just it's just a $75 piece conversely we could go and look at a $2,000 water heater installation for the same 75 hours so it uh it unfortunately it's not extremely an extremely detailed schedule we just wouldn't be able to manage that that amount of transactions to have every different thing you could think of with a separate price see that's just what I'm talking about you have you have $2 problem and a $2,000 problem your fees is the same right but that that that's anyway at this point I mean I know it's a $2 problem but the bottom line is is that how did your $2 back Lo thing get put in because a lot of times they're expecting that to be put in at a contractor that's $150 to show up you know you're always going to find little things like that for the most part on the big stuff you're going to find that that that was pretty good um yes along the same Lin just recently had a driveway widen by about 12T and the Fe was $625 the curve and then another $50 on top of that it seemed a little excess is that M I can't I don't know why ja can I comment sure I'm I'm many we build gas stations Corners put like what you're saying do curb Cuts in that we are cheap in this town literally cheap no comp no compared to compared to other towns their fees they're outrageous thousands thousands of dollars not hundreds thousands I think 65 it's it's a curve cut so once you're once you're into curve it's different all right so you want us to look at the fees you know just to take a good look at them that's fair it's a fair it's a fair statement all right anything else on that okay let's move on I got I have a few more here uh let's talk just uh FAL Hall admin in general you guys have any issues with what goes on here you get you get your tax paid and you you come in and everything works the way it's to and everyone's pretty well happy the phones the phones write that down mention there people who you call you hit their extension there's no mention as to who they are what department you get a j nobody you you you mentioned that at the last meeting and you're you're 100% right on that that that that you know the voice on there should match up with whoever's on the phone and all the rest of it so the phones I guess the admin and setup it's a good way of putting it all right any anybody else yes I've come in at night for meeting and the whole building is like at 65 de fre it's a fair comment I as somebody who spends most of its life in this building I I definitely hear you on that it does seem wasteful and ridiculous it's it's a symptom of a much bigger problem you're sitting in a um 63y old building that's never been Renova so we're going to have to deal with the bigger problem but that's definitely a symptom of it all right cat take a look see if there's anything we can do with the system all the don't come back to you all the Serv that sent to 70 is because it's in me this building there's about eight units HB units up on that roof okay so that's why it's cold in the hallway all right guys let's keep it let's keep it quiet Let's uh anything else on admin Kevin the email they have a received receipt so that somebody sends you an email and if something's generated back to them to let them know receive receipt that's a good one we talked about that I think mine's set up to do that now should unless I screwed it up but I think I have yeah all right anything else on admin a couple ago were number ofs resp Board of Health response from the and um we had a of Health person here respon to media and now there was something the answer was called the count County and I a common well it was a common thing for Middle sex County we're hoping that start January first it becomes not a problem for Somerset County who is going to be our new we have incredible Regal Health CER well we're hoping they promised us good thing all right didn't mean to cut you short but I'm trying anything else on ADD no okay Bob did you have something you want to say no yes I make an appointment with someone in the I expect to be there when you make an appointment so a missa appointment okay write it down that's fair okay let's move on we uh this is probably going to be a very quick one courts usually if you're at the court you're not there for the best reason in the world in the first place does anyone have anything to say on okay and you thought you were going to get away clear what about the library anything on the library phenomenal okay yeah I was ech that I know we talked a few times about programming and You' always been open so I just we talk more about program [Music] the the library all right wait sorry on that there are a lot of wack want band books is how can we safe guard our library so that our librarian staff in our town are safe from that BS books I got this i got this we do have a fle development policy that has been vetted by the American Library Association Ved by the New Jersey Library Association and by our Board of Trustees that there's about 12 or 13 different qualifications that our book choices have to go to as to what books we purchased and also if a patron uh disagrees with a book that we have on our Shelf we have a form that they can fill out it gets reviewed by the director and you purchase the book whether it's a children's book or whether it's a girl book and then it need two of those to the board for all but we have a very par collection development policy that makes sure that we Encompass everything we possibly can good all right I got one more and I'm G to kind of roll it in together OEM C Fire and Rescue all right anyone have any comments on that think we have a great OEM Fire and Rescue Squad Rescue Squad maybe can use a little bit fire and OEM probably the best Okay Kevin um Community accessible information in real time what I mean by that is during one of the big storms um there was a councilman who was out in the field and he was actually answering questions that people were were descending and trying to find an answer was was this during like an emergency type thing where is this something that would have been an a fire thing a police thing or an oen thing and it was just in regards to kind of like answering questions at the website like what to do at that moment there are a lot of new people in town and you know when starts backing up through the basement it's new to them so there were people that are online trying to find out and they said you know I'm not seeing any information no one I can so communication or you could individually be answering every call but if there was some general information or even sort of be somehow like maybe going off the nixel and stuff like that yeah yeah like axel okay because I know for them they do a lot of this with I am responding and and and the rest of that and that usually helps them communicate but as far as uh communication out I think I I've been talking out of term goly if you're talking about time we didn't have access to be uh posting anything on for our website however it was talked about after that we were given a process there is one that's yeah I think the question maybe is immediate or not you know so I don't know we got we'll have to look at it that's a good that's a good one there so just if you could put it on the website and on nio to let people know for the people that are in the flooded area okay so basically whenever the OEM is activated and stuff like that fa left because the more that people use it hurts those that are in the area I think when everybody here should know yeah that's a good that's a good point Kenny how many people on there's two platforms one is for text message one is for email it varies by the day people signing up probably about 4,000 are on 4,000 probably about 2500 depends it goes during the storm it'll Serge up to 7,000 they unscribe okay yeah they they don't want to hear it's a good number all right anything else come on guys actually one other thing came in mind morning standy is that a lot of road blocks but then it didn't necessarily direct anyone and I understand extreme circumstance but like Reed had like a Traer trailer they didn't know any better they just being rerouted um and then they had to slowly back that all the way down green but um I guess that the decs lead to something again that was quite a while ago well they they made improve it's a little bit hard too sometimes because you know the way work especially with Sandy the the the blockages were all over the place and not even in standard situ yeah that was extreme but okay anything else on yes prepared Outreach to the commun like I'm training but GA people they know what to with or it just communication on um I think she's just like action Barber every uh pretty much every Community event uh like National Night Out uh we OEM has a lot of information for prepar that's one of the main parts of our mission and we get out people take back we can't go toward the handing it out yeah I'm just wonder about something next like um may be done on a regular basis other than just communication on way to bring people we have a lot of information from FEA telling you prepar prepar high temperature low temperature we have our own Instagram well it it all comes down to communication maybe we need some other type of maybe not or we have to educate people here's where you go right some suggested to look at a different way to bring information to people in addition to the communication that comes from coming to events or on the website if there's a regular program I want to call it that you bring people in and gather them together to talk about emergency preparedness and how to do that and do some handson skills building something like that as a recommendation so communication education I think you're already doing that right we had years we were CPR CL being at home so meaning oh yeah no no no communication is where where it starts I mean but have that's what we're going to try why we always have we're always on top of everything all the time but we're very willing to add something but people have to be specific in their request okay and I thank you for that all right any anything else on that all right guys guess what we're almost at the wrapup time we're just about there um you know some of the takeaways that we have from here is that we we definitely have to watch what we're doing as far as Redevelopment we have to be a little bit more aggressive at maximizing what assets we do have around here we do have to concentrate on volunteerism because that is a huge problem because it affects our our our fireman our rescue OEM and if they go away we're going to pay and that's a problem you know and you know they they enjoy what they do they love what they do they put hours and hours and hours into it you know but at the same time we have to attract the next week what are we going to do to get the middle guys that want to come and get involved in the town that's that's one of the takeaways that that I've heard here today I've heard in general it seems that the staff Kudos guys you're all doing a good job for the most part everyone's happy I mean you're always going to get a couple of grouses here there we have some administrative things that we have to take care of in terms of like phones and communication and and nixel and emails and stuff like that that's other stuff that we have to do I mean there's a lot of notes on here you know we we breach sh this in two hours but there there's a lot of background work now that need that needs to be done to push this forward but it's been helpful to us I mean that's what I feel in terms of where are we going what are we trying to accomplish here it seems to me we like our small town we want to keep it a small town but we got to figure out a way to afford our small town and how are we going to do that you know and that's going to come from being creative with some of the things I mean it seems that you know everyone talks they want to see more programs and stuff for for you two ladies over there but the problem is you need volunteers to help you get these things qu the ground and out there because there's two people that's it you know so if you got 5,000 people showing up it takes a little bit of an operation to get that done I do think that we should have more uh community events it's not that easy to pull them off with not having a u a town center does make life a little bit difficult I absolutely would love nothing more than a concert series because you know being a musician you know I love that stuff but uh you know that's where we're going I mean um and and I have to thank you guys I'm glad you guys were here here because now you know this is what this is what they think that's it you know we're not making it up we're not we're not blowing smoke or or anything like that this is what they say this is what they feel you know we're you guys are tough because it's it's a customer Centric business that you guys are in if they want to come in that they want to feel that their needs are being met that they're being supported and they're and most importantly listen to that's that's that's a big one there I like like to thank the the guys up here and L on up here because they didn't have to come to this but they're they're interested and they want to be here because they want to hear for themselves and it's part of the plan for us to be able to move things forward you know and and that's where it comes down to I mean we're lck we are very lucky believe me when when I go around there and I see things I see what goes on in in in other towns I've been uh you know i' I've been a plan manager operation manager for 37 years up over in Rosel and we've had everything chemical spills fires explosions I mean all accidents injuries you know and when you see the level of support that happens here you get a real good appreciation for the things that go on I mean and no not to put down Westfield there but when it's snows I guarantee you our streets are way better than theirs every single time I go CU I drive you know and that's and not that I'm wishing a lot of snow on you because it could Happ but all right does any anybody have anything else you want to add at this point you know and I'm glad that the school you guys showed up thank you I'm glad you took some notes you heard what they I mean they said what they said it is what it is yes one last thing when I was younger they have a program in the town where young people would go and work I don't know who paid for it if we get arily to go and work for elderly in this town so there's no I mean other than you have your building here is there things that like leads and things like is there something that can be honestly I don't know I think back when I was a kid it was called a CA program they used to hire you to go to go help different people I was yeah listen it's all a matter of it sounds to me that we have to work together as a team to build the community this is what we want it's going to take not just us and them take everybody say something she oh sorry so um historically we had a team Tech program that we did where we partnered um one of the volunteers from the library up with one of our seniors and they would teach them how to use their devices Co happened and we're trying to bring it back um and the aspect of gardening and I me on and all of that it's hard to against volunteers and it is tough um but that is something that we always try to you know connect to we do have volunteer food Shoppers for some of the seniors in town um we try to find a way to you know make all of their um based on I recommend everybody come talk community service s to do something that I don't know I'm not sure that's it we ask community service towards community service do all right guys we're just about there anybody else last comment hey guys listen up we got 155 seconds to go I'll take so the only thing for me and I think for OEM and her EMS as well members that members we don't miss members are made from the B res we need help of the res so anyone you know anybody that of think joining the fire department them our way need people and we're trying to talk with town and negotiate bring them find different ways to bring people in anybody all right guys I have only one more thing to say motion to adjourn motion second all in favor 10 seconds to spare guys