##VIDEO ID:xsSjjpTByNQ## Pro this is the December 10th meeting of the pay County Board of County Commissioners let us begin Lou with a roll call and the announcement of the open public meetings law uh County Commissioners Cruz here Duffy here Gallow here James leapor here deputy director Lazar here director Bartlett here good uh ladies and gentlemen the notice requirement of open public meetings law has been satisfied with respect to this meeting specifying the time date and location includ the annual notice adopted a reorganization meeting filed with the county clerk and post an administration building and mailed to two newspapers in accordance with the provisions of the law thank you very much please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance followed by an invocation and a moment of silence flag United States of America the it stands one nation under God indivisible lice Father Ryan would you kick off our Christmas meeting with an appropriate invocation I apologize to um all of you I was in U commissioner Duffy's office and we started he started to go to confession we get up up to 1968 and I could see my hair going gray father we have children in be apologizing to you thank God I can't repeat anything just read the all right all right you see the abuse a priest takes with him name of the father Son and the Holy Spirit God our Father as we approach this holy season of Christmas let us remember that we have been created in your image and likeness and that all of us are your sons and daughters may we may all of us work for peace every day by the actions we share with each other may we like Mary become Christ bearers to the world bring healing to our country and peace to Lebanon and Syria May the killing of innocent children and women in the Middle East End and through our efforts as a nation and starvation throughout the African country continent let peace reign in our hearts and may that peace help us to renew the face of the Earth we ask this through Christ Our Lord amen please remain standing for a moment of silence to remember all the men and women who have died while serving in the United States armed forces and all who have died from the covid-19 pandemic especially the 2,314 residents say County thank you I have a motion for approval of the minutes of November 18 2024 second County Commissioners Cruz yes Duffy yes Gallow yes deputy director Lazar yes director Bartlett yes may I have a motion for approval of the Proclamation second uh moved by Cruz seconded by Gallow County Commissioners Cruz Duffy yes Gallow yes yes dep director laar yes director Barlett yes that brings it to the administrator's report Matthew oh thank you director first we have the tech tones here with us from our uh Technical High School um led by co-advisor Dr D'Or co-director uh Mr Martinez and organist Mr Donald Parker so Tech tones please take it away [Applause] you want a hot totty I don't even know what a hot totty is no I don't either for [Music] Christ [Music] C soon will be Christmas Day [Music] [Applause] [Music] Christmas C [Music] soon will be Christmas Day [Music] [Applause] [Music] CH will Christmas soon will be Christmas day soon will be Christmas day will be Christmas Day soon we will be Christmas [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] h [Music] [Music] like [Music] to s they know [Music] [Music] know [Music] [Music] Christmas Merry Christmas [Music] Christmas Merry Christmas Merry Christmas [Music] you [Music] [Applause] [Music] hly [Music] the sh [Music] [Music] the world in till [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] he the we reing for the of you glor [Music] [Applause] is the angels [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] oh challu [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] when the [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh Christ was [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] Mighty thank you for spending time this evening this will be our last song we appreciate your space and we thank you for the invitation we wish you [Music] mer [Music] your the [Music] Yourself a Merry Little [Music] Christmas [Music] [Applause] [Music] the TR will be [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Happ [Applause] [Music] days into us we all will be together with [Music] [Applause] the the highest [Applause] [Music] mer Little Christmas [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] are [Music] to more [Music] are here we all will be together [Applause] [Music] the US star the highest [Music] [Applause] [Music] your [Music] mer [Music] meras mer [Music] [Applause] [Applause] now I wait one second Dr D'Or I don't want to is this on the mic's on no are they working thank you you oh is it working yet not yet berer it on now thank you so much that was wonderful can we have another round of applause for the tech [Applause] times uh director next on my uh agenda is a presentation of a proclamation recognizing uh Dr Gill's um retirement as our Health officer um a lot of things are going to be said about her professional achievements um personally I've felt privileged to work with you um you're a true public servant I'm going to miss you um you know you go through an experience like covid-19 and you develop a bond with a person and I've developed that with you and I love you I'm going to miss you and I wish you the best in your retirement um you've been through so much and handled it all with such Grace and still been just such an exemplary public servant uh you're going to be missed so with that I'll turn it over to you for the proclamation all right it's a very good introduction uh Matt and uh this is an extraordinary presentation so we're going to have a little bit of an extraordinary way of uh going about it I want to ask all my colleagues to join me down at the podium along with Dr Gill for this presentation all right gather out I just showered the other day I'm going to take my director's privileged to actually be the one to read the proclamation but the fact that you're surrounded by all of us I think is a symbol of how consequentially you've been here in pic County so whereas the board of County commissioners of the county of pic has the desire to recognize Dr Charlene Williams gungal as she retires from the P County Health Department and whereas Dr gungal is the respective Health officer for the Burrows of wooden Park hailen wanu and the township of West Milford as well as the Director of the health department which is comprised of four divisions emergency preparedness and biot terrorism environmental mosquito control and Natural Resource and Recycling and whereas Dr gungal is a graduate of Nova South Eastern University the UMDNJ School of Public Health Monclair State University and William Patterson University and whereas Dr gangel is a New Jersey Department of Health licensed Health officer and registered environmental health specialist she is also an instructor of Public Health at William Patterson University chair of the health Coalition of P County president of the P County Public Health Partnership Trustee of the partnership for maternal and child health of Northern New Jersey pay County food policy Council North Jersey Health collaborative Northeast Regional Health Coalition urban area security initiative and several other health and Community related organizations and whereas Dr gungal has proven her her dedication and concern for the county of pic through her Everlasting commitment and Noble acts of service and heroism specifically during the co9 pandemic her efforts have allowed the public health threat to decrease throughout P County by setting up and operating the Cy's and in fact New Jersey's first covid-19 drive-through testing site at William Patterson University before transitioning to walkth through testing popup sites throughout the county and setting up the County's first atome testing services and whereas Dr Charlene gungal has been part of the discussions for the development of a new satellite office in West Milford New Jersey which will offer an array of services to our residents up County that include Health Services Human Services and Senior Services and whereas Dr gungo is a lifelong Methodist growing up in the St George's Methodist Church on the island of Grenada she has held Med leadership and stewardship positions some of these including president of the youth group Secretary of the women's league is representative to the district youth leadership training program and the Caribbean women of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas now therefore be it proclaimed by the pay County Board of County Commissioners that it hereby publicly recognizes and applauds Dr Charlene and Williams gungal for the significant contributions and lives she has saved in the county of pic and all of its communities and be it further proclaimed that this board wishes Dr gangel health and happiness in her retirement if if any of my colleagues would like to add anything feel [Applause] free so Charlene I have to say you're going to have big shoes to fill yeah you have done so much for this County you've done so much for all of us I know personally during Co you were a rock for myself for my family for my colleagues and everyone here uh I just wish you the very best retirement that anyone could have and just know how much that we appreciate you and as mass said we do love you you're it's a family here and you're a huge part of that family I wish you all the best [Applause] Dr gunhill um I've been here 20 years and um a lot has gone on during that 20 year period I've experienced a lot of ups and downs I've met a lot of wonderful people I've seen what the community can do when it comes together but there's one thing that I'm going to take away from my time here as Freeholder commissioner and that's the time I spent with you and watched you do your work watched you do your magic watched you you take care of so many people watched you save so many lives that's what I'm going to take away from and I'm I'm so blessed and so honored to have served with you thank [Applause] you seeing no one at the podium sure my turn I try to watch my language um as Pat said and he kind of stole the show there we've been here a long time 20 years when we've seen Health uh um officers come and go but you really have uh brought us to the highest level you through your Poise your your just you know just the way you run the whole show and how you are never get upset everything's on an evil uh keill and we thank you from the county and I personally thank because she's just a wonderful person and you did send your kid to donasco so it wasn't all not bad and we will miss you thank I won't be left out don't worry uh I haven't had the privilege of working alongside you as long as everyone else because I'm the baby in the group in case anybody didn't know that but I I also had the privilege and have the privilege of working alongside you at the health Coalition board as well so just seeing your leadership and your uh knowledge and your commitment to our community uh firsthand has been an honor and a privilege so you will be missed and uh but not forgotten thank you I've only been here for three years and it was a pleasure to meet you and I just want to wish you the best of luck in the next in the future [Applause] [Laughter] first of all thank you um to each of you each commissioner present and past because there was some past um and especially thank you for for hiring me you know you had options and you chose this option and this option was an immigrant from Grenada West Indies and I just want to say that because you chose this option you gave me the opportunity to help and to save lives I believe and to make a difference and so I am grateful for that um to each and every one of you I'm also grateful for the previous administrator and the current administrator for allowing me to do my job um you know throughout the country actually throughout the world during covid many of my colleagues um were not able to do their jobs we trained to do this work and this was so politicized that many people were not able to do their jobs but you guys allowed me to do what I was trained to do and that's why we got the results that we got because you recognize that this was about the people and the service and that's the only reason why I'm standing here because I believe in helping others that's why I'm here and that's what I intended to do and you allowed me to do it so thank you so very much for that I I'll also like to thank my colleagues the other department heads particularly the ones who the previous administrator Mr denova put together to respond to covid so I'm talking about Kelly I'm talking about Steve I'm talking about Sher I'm talking about those who have gone before like uh the sheriff Etc uh Mr denova put together a team and that team were the people who really worked hard where's Lou Lou really worked hard to make this happen and you know you really see who people are in the way they respond in crisis situations and pay County responded ad ably um during a crisis and I'm so proud to be part of this team um all these years I would be remiss if I do not mention my team in the health department my team stepped up and out they worked day and night we had very long days and you know we didn't know what the next day was going to be but we all knew we had something to do we knew it was important we didn't know I mean when this all started there was no money involved but you Commissioners allow the administrator to provide services not knowing where the next dollar was going to come from you said we want to serve the residents of pay County it will be free and we don't care about insurance and all of that we just want to serve and that's what I needed I need to know that you had the heart to do it and so you gave me that and I was able to do what I did for the residents of fa County but I couldn't it without my team and with me today is araseli she's new on the team but she has the same heart and dedication Nan was here throughout at the beginning and throughout and she continues to give up herself she's the longest serving person in my department for 35 years I believe of service and we have new people on board they have the same idea that's that's the ideology I look for we are public servants we are here to give of ourselves I tell them all the time you're never going to be a millionaire doing this job but what you going to get is what's in in your soul you're going to get that um satisfaction that you're helping somebody else last but not least it's my family obviously you have to come from somewhere to do what you do and I so appreciate my siblings the ones that are here the ones that are not here um I lost a sister a few years ago and so I I miss her terribly and my mom as well but thank you to all of you for being there for me being being here today being here in the past and my husband who allowed me to just take it and run with it um never complained just always as long as I was doing what I was happy doing he was happy being in the background and so thank you all of you um I appreciate all of you [Applause] you have thank you thank [Applause] uh just one more thing director our superintendent of building and grounds Steve orini welcomed a uh granddaughter to the world today so congratulations Steve that's all I have thank you thank thank you very much man uh that brings us to county commissioner reports Steve congratulations uh and also thank you for the exceptional work you did uh beautifying our building here for the holiday season it was a really fun this afternoon lighting the tree with all the kids from the daycare next door um I don't have much today but I do want to mention to everybody as we head into the Christmas season there's so much to do across pay County starting this weekend uh Thursday evening the 12th we have a wine and cheese at the D Mansion it's it's going to be our first unveiling of the die Mansion decorated as a colonial Christmas and we want everyone to come out uh for the wine and cheese which supports friends of pay County Parks and come out throughout the weekend upcoming which is going to have historical reenactments with the Christmas spirit in mind at the DI mansion in Wayne so we hope you all would join us for that and since this is our last meeting before Christmas uh before hanuka begins I want to wish happy holidays to everyone uh whatever you celebrate may it be a season of uh joy and family and friendship and peace uh for you and your families so Sandy just with the holidays upon us I want to wish everybody a joyful celebration with your families whether it's Hanukkah or Christmas but please be safe and just wrap your arms around those you love because these times don't come around that often thank you thank you director I just want to take a moment to acknowledge our um Youth Services Commission under the leadership of our director Lavar star we had our annual youth Service uh conference it was the 10th anniversary commissioner lazara was up there with me as well she saw firsthand the entire event put together we had over 200 uh attendees over 33 vendors um we had Young people from three different institutions that participated um and so it was our largest youth service conference to date and so I just want to thank the staff up at youth services for all their hard work in putting this together um it was beyond a successful event uh and we're looking forward to the continued success of that conference um and also happy holidays to all those in county that celebrate the festivities I have 11 items on the agenda you're all familiar with uh Merry Christmas to everyone of course once again congratulations you're going be Surly Miss doctor um it's been a great year hopefully we'll look forward to a better year healthy year for everyone and uh God bless uh each and everyone in your families stay safe thank you gall I just want to wish everyone a healthy a happy and a safe holiday season thank you turn on your mic please nothing for Christmas you know that for your and I also would like to take us employ thank you very much Pat actually there's one more thing before we move on from reports and Sandy you might know more than I I know we have uh an Outreach coming up later this week for unhoused veterans so on Thursday and Friday of this week um the county is working in unison with Catholic Charities and New Jersey SOS veterans to go out and almost like a point in time count where we're going to be looking for homeless veterans who are in need of some guidance we're starting off and just this week on Thursday and Friday it will be Patterson Pake and Clifton and the goal is to locate those homeless veterans see if we can help them we can put them into a hotel for three or four nights uh there's going to be a cold blue this week coming up so it's an important time to do this um and and then SOS fets and Catholic Charities and our own organizations will be trying to work with the veterans to help them uh find housing or to locate any family members they might have to help them find food and just hook them up with the services that could help them lead lives that are where they can be warm and they can have a meal and they can have family around them so this is It's called Helping Hands this is Thursday and Friday Thursday in Patterson Friday in p and Clifton after the new New Years are going to be spreading out and going into the other towns throughout pay County to hopefully find the vets and help and give them what they so richly deserve which is a foot to stand on and somebody to help them so that's that's our initiative and hopefully it'll be successful thank you Sandy appreciate that um that brings us for those of you who are following along to letter K the oral portion can I have a motion to open the public portion of the meeting second County Commissioners Cruz yes Duffy yes Gallow yes po yes deputy director Lazar yes director Barlett yes this is the public portion of the meeting where anyone who wants to can approach the podium you get three minutes we ask you to begin with your name and address and take note that whatever you say will be part of the public meeting uh record uh and in fact we be broadcast as you speak Barry Houston 235 Washington F orthorn New Jersey and our proud resident of P County I dropped off a oop this is terrible I dropped off a letter a couple weeks ago um asking for a small piece of property at the southern end of goel Brook Park um we currently have a r I run the roller hockey program in horor we are the only town in Pay County against all these Bergen County towns um our rink has been located at the horor high school for the last 26 years and for whatever reason the last two years the uh Board of Education and the burrow and the council have uh disagreed on keeping the rink there and it's been frustrating to say the least and I don't know did you guys hit this letter with yes I I know I received my copy yeah um like I said it's just uh um maybe I'm desperate but uh you know the town doesn't seem to have any real open space and I was just wondering if this is near this is right next to the boys boys club in horor I just wonder if it's any if it's feasible to uh buy a piece of property for a dollar from the from the county if that's something that could be in the works or possibility or because right now it's it's not looking too good as far as we had an agreement was signed back in 1996 but they um the board of EDS said that that agreement is no longer valid and the burrow and them have been going back and forth but with no resolve we're currently playing they give me my permit and everything else but uh you know they're constantly locking the rink up and other threats and whatever I don't know if you guys can help me out or not or thank you yeah no this isn't this isn't where we like have that whole conversation but we appreciate the info I can tell you that I got uh at least in my office on my desk my copy of your letter and um obviously we need to speak to staff but we'll follow up with you at a later date I appreciate it thank you so much thanks for taking the time to come out seeing no one at the podium move the cloes public portion second County Commissioners Cruz yes Duffy Gallow yes leor deputy director Lazar yes director Bartlett yes letter L A two-thirds vote resolution um do we need to read that title into the record Lou or just call a vote no I think we're okay okay um can I have a motion and second on L1 motion second County Commissioners Cruz yes Duffy yes Gallow yes four yes director Lazar yes director Bartlett yes that brings us to our consent agenda letter M Council we have two late starters yes director through you we have two late starters tonight the first one is n86 it's a resolution accepting Grant award from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development for the P County Community Development block grant program for fiscal year 2024 pursuant to njsa 40 20-1 the second uh resolution is n87 it's a resolution qualifying biders for the pay County Courthouse exterior restoration project pursuant to RFQ 24- 084 pursuant to njsa 48 col 11-5 at sec I would just ask that these two resolutions be added to the consent agenda okay thank you thank you are there any items on the consent agenda that any commissioner wants pulled out and voted separately seeing none want to pull any up um I will take a motion and a second to adopt consent agenda M1 can I we have to add first okay I'll take a motion a second to add m86 and m87 as late starters described by councel okay by la seconded by Duffy County Commissioner Cruz Duffy yes Gallow yes director Lazar yes director Bartlett yes I'll take a motion on M1 through m87 second Cruz M 11 13 and 39 County Commissioners Duffy yes Gallow yes leor deputy director Lazar yes director Bartlett yes all right that brings us to new business can I have a motion on the Personnel second County Commissioners Cruz yes Duffy yes Gallow yes four director Lazar yes director Bartlett yes bills bills second County Comm Cruz Duffy Gallow yes four yes deputy director Lazar yes director barlot yes uh anything else before we wrap up and I think we should just congratulate arisi uh Pentel who was just approved as our health officer after Dr Gill retires congratulations all right congratulations again Merry Christmas to everyone and with that I'll take a motion to adjourn make that motion Duffy County Commissioners Cruz yes Duffy yes Gallow yes four deputy director Lazar yes director Barlett yes Merry Christmas everyone merry Christmas