uh we'll see we'll see yeah but I don't know that the others thank you all right good evening everyone thank you for being here we have people here for a number of different reasons uh but we are going to start our meeting and welcome to a meeting of the mayor and Council of Princeton Princeton New Jersey it is January 22nd 2024 and and uh could we have the meeting statement please yes mayor adequate notice of this meeting was provided in accordance with the requirements of the open public meetings act including the time date and location of the meeting in addition the agenda and all related materials were posted electronically and made available to the public on Princeton's meeting portal in advance of the meeting thank you ltia yes thank you we gather today on the land of the Lenny laap as members of the Princeton Community we aspire to show appreciation respect and concern for All Peoples and our environment we honor the Lenape and other indigenous caretakers of these lands and Waters the elders who lived here before the indigenous today and the generations to come thank you give have a roll call please miss Peron lambrose here miss Neer gang here Mr Cohen Miss Sachs here miss froga here Mr nulan here mayor Freda here you have Corum thank you and councilman Cohen is trying to get here he had uh he was flying in today and he had some flight problems so uh we'll see if he can make it anyway at this point if you'd like to rise and join us in the pledge of allegiance that would be nice I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the for stands one nation God indivisible andice for thank you all right so we're going to start off the meeting with a really nice uh event here and I think uh the president of Princeton engine company number one is going to start us off with the uh presentation of uh years of service and other Awards to members of the Princeton fire department and this has not happened in a number of years due to covid and then just catching up so I'd like to thank uh all the presidents of the three fire companies that got together and assistant chief Hank panel to work all this out so we could do it tonight Willie all I want to call first Hank chief pel he want to have a comment like and then we'll move right through this firefighters mayor and councel community members guests and families We Gather tonight to pay tribute to the incredible Legacy of our fire department spending over two centuries of dedicated service to our community each passing year is a chapter in a story of Bravery sacrifice and unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of our neighbors tonight we recognize not just the years of service but the profound impact you've all had on our lives to the Valiant members of our department your courage and selfless n have been the Bedrock of our community security whether battling Flames rescuing lives or providing critical support you have exemplified the true Spirit of service tonight we express our deepest gratitude for your sacrifices for every sleepless night and for every moment you've spent ensuring the safety of our community equally deserving of our appreciation are the families who stand as pillars of support behind every firefighter is a network of loved ones who share in the sacrifices and challenges your encouragement understanding and resilience do not go unnoticed tonight we also extend our heartfelt thanks for those who have been the silent Heroes enabling our firefighters to serve with dedication as we celebrate this Milestone let it be a reminder that the strength of our fire department lies not just in its history but in the collective dedication of each member past and present let us look to the future with anticipation together we have forged a legacy that embodies the true meaning of community service here is to our courageous firefighters their families and to many more years of safeguarding our community with Valor and honor thank you to each and every one of you for your service sacrifice and dedication to the Princeton Community thank [Applause] [Music] you [Music] [Applause] first of all I want to welcome everybody here the chief thanks for the great uh words he put out just a a couple quick things here I'm going to call up these Awards these are for Service Awards and since Co took a lot of the get togethers out off our agendas we're trying to catch up now so what I'm going to ask when I read off your name we're going to start at 5 years and work our way up when I call your name come up front as I'm calling the names when all the get your Award presented by either uh president uh uh osar Santoro or Jeff Gollum from Hook and Ladder number three in Hook and Ladder I'm president number one and the vice president my son is actually taught up in traffic work so we'll be doing many hats here so what we're going to do when I call your name just come on up and keep coming up as and then stand up here and then they're going to take a quick photo and all the award winners after this is done I was just approached they wanted to get a group shot for the municipality so once all the awards are done Stand Fast then we'll bring you all back up again for h a shot for the town all right so we're going to start with fiveyear Awards if I can get two presidents over there to help pass these out all right we're going to start off with the first one would be and the years I'll try to add add the years when they should have got him it'll be uh Doug Davis just had surgery so he was in 2020 uh then we'll move to um uh uh jca baldino he was 2022 evet filder she's 2022 and we move to Keith wassworth 2023 all right and Luke walau all right they they've had five years so you want to stand fast over [Applause] [Music] [Applause] there all right now we're going to move to the 10year award all right 10 years we got 2019 Greg Griffith 2019 my son Pat Shields and also 2021 was Ron deapo Ron what Ron's all hat at this he retired recently and he gave him an award at one of the last Council meetings so he knows the AIS all right we're going to go to 15 Pat Shields come on up all right is a vice president and come number one my [Applause] son and there's my wife too come up here e sit up here will you please come all right so he'll stand he'll stay up here and pass it out for number one all right we go to 15 years all right 15 years 2019 Michael gum 2019 James Simon 2020 Sal balino 2020 Matt Freeman 2020 TR Johnson and 2021 Hank panel the [Applause] [Music] [Applause] chief now just to let you know some of these guys tr's a fire fire paid one in Ying so some have Shi Duty and all that we have that uh wassworth who just came up he's on duty this evening so you know some of these guys are going to be coming in and out 20 years Alex Ryden the pass Chief and also leetta Khan leetta Khan [Applause] right all right then we move on 25 years George luck third George I know you're in the wing out there George 25 years Rick Miller Rick Miller 2021 all right both of these are 25 years all right next one's coming up would be 30 years Bill [Applause] yurian thank you congratulations all right now we're going to go into a big one here is 35 years that would be 2019 Tommy stong 2019 Dave Stewart Mike Miller 2021 Neil Hunter 2022 Anthony Santoro 2022 2022 Dan Tomlin congratulations and Dave Barm it's Dave in here I maybe I should have suggest everybody to hold their Applause to the end so I can get your names out all right I'm sorry about it everybody's so enthusiastic here all right we're going to move the 40 years that was Robbie T and Alex versfeld all right 45 years 2019 no no stranger to this place mayor Mark Freda Jeff gum and Eric car [Music] that's now 40 years was Robert to and uh I'm sorry uh 50 years we're up to 50 years all right the first one is going to go to Bill Hunter uh he passed away his son's going to accept it Neil uh this he should have got this in 2019 [Applause] [Music] all right then we have next would be Anthony christop ponis 2020 50 years right [Applause] here 2 2021 William D Shields that's me you can leave right in the table [Music] 2023 Alfie [Applause] KH down the line and 2023 Henry Shields my [Applause] brother could I just say one thing okay all right nice go thank you and then we'll go he just arrive Pat Shields give Pat's award off that table so we can clean that off he got it you got it all right Jeff uh he want to say a few words here we're going to do the proclamations after this I just wanted to point out that there were five 50 plus Year Awards and there were um 3 45 years all total just in those that's 400 years of service that have been given to the [Applause] community all right these are the proclamations the first one's going to go out to Georgie Johnson family and George Johnson pass he should got this uh according to my record about 2 years ago yeah 2022 so the proclamation Johnson you want to stand up you want to accept it than you all right this is what it says whereas the arrival of European immigrants to this area resulted in a settlement called Princetown in 1675 and later becoming known as Princeton in 1724 and whereas with grow come homes businesses school buildings and other Associated properties along with this comes a potential loss of life and property due to Fire and whereas with a necessity for both the protection of life and property the start of a fire department became a priority and whereas stemming from a small group of town folks University professors University students a volunteer fire department was started in 1788 and whereas with all volunteer organization it takes a special breed of person to make a commitment to serve their fellow man and whereas George Johnson being such an individual join Mercer engine company number three as a dedicated volunteer fireman following in his Father's Footsteps and whereas firefighter George dson continue to get back to the community attaining the 55 years of service milestone in 2022 now therefore I Mark Freda on behalf of the mayor and Council of the municipality of Princeton do hereby deem it an honor to extend a heartfelt thank you to George Johnson and his family on behalf of the princing [Applause] community give me the follow one this all right we also had Eddie moer he has 60 years he's out of town he's down south but he has a uh a proclamation also all right the proclamation this one goes after to John Clawson whereas the arrival of the European immigrants to an a result while I can read the whole beginning if you like be redundant show right to the meat of it meat of it look at it that's what I like to hear whereas with all volunteer organization it takes a special breed of person to make a commitment to serve their fellow man and whereas John Clawson being raised on a family Dairy Farm located at the current grounds of the Princeton shopping center and wanting to contribute back to the town decided to join Princeton engine company number one in in 1961 whereas firefighter cl's skills were not just limited to firefighting but also his knowledge of apparatus maintenance and repair proved to benefit the department whereas John clauson's additional task of making food for engine company number one helped him maintain a highly respected and valued member of the princeon fire department and allow him to reach the Milestone of 60 years in the fire service in 2021 now therefore I I Mark Freda on behalf of the mayor and counsel of the municipality of Princeton to hereby demon an honor to extend a heartful thank you to John Clawson and his family on behalf of the Princeton [Applause] [Music] Community all right this one here this is for Jack Patron all right Jack has passed recently so it's a lot of people know Jack by the minute hatsy War again it's the same you know beginning but let's go right to the meat of it whereas with all volunteer organizations it takes a special breed of person to make a commitment to serve their fellow man and whereas John F Patron better known as Jack being such an individual decided to join princ engine company number one in 1960 and continued to be an esteemed member of said company and whereas firefighter Patron's dedication to the Princeton Community can be validated by his receiving this fire department service award of 60 years and Jack Patron's relationship to the community can also be supported by his service to the town as a Princeton Township chief of police and now therefore I Mar Freda on behalf of the mayor and Council of the municipality of Princeton do hereby deem it an honor to extend a heartfelt thank you to jack to John Jack Patron and his family on behalf of the princing [Applause] [Music] community all right all right the last one now hold the Applause we get through this just this this is a milestone for sure whereas all volunteer organizations takes a special breed of person to make a commitment to serve their fellow man whereas Robert Higgins also known as higgy being such an individual decided to join Princeton engine company number one in 1948 as a member firefighter Higgins contributed to all aspects of a large organization from firefighting mission to family oriented events his vast vast knowledge and experience within the Auto industry became an asset in his planning designing a replacement apparatus for the department and whereas Robert Higgins example of dedication to the Princeton fire department helped to maintain Department Traditions higgy found the comradery he shared with his fellow firemen within the Princeton fire department the Catalyst that help him reach the 75 years of service Milestone and therefore now I'm Mark Freda on behalf of the mayor and Council of the municipality of Princeton to highly deem to hereby I deem it an honor to extend a heartfelt thank you to Robert Higgins and his family on behalf of the princing community all right that that should conclude the presentation of the awards for the fire department but they did ask one request that all the award winners could please kind of assemble in front of this table but in front of uh Chiefs um president Santoro well and so we can get a photo they want to get a photo from the municipality let me back this out the way all let's Bunch it up folks don't be [Music] L we got those two in the front right I Clos it in a little bit all right let us know when you're done with the [Music] [Applause] photo [Music] [Music] thank you thank you very much than you very much we want this on the calendar every year at the same time so we stay ahead of everything years oh yeah we both got one I just want to remind everybody th this should be done every year we're hoping at this council meeting so come back again next year and we'll have going to do those awards that are due now all right for that year thank you thank you all right have a good [Applause] one [Music] yes right your way go back to work I'm [Music] sorry [Music] it'll be fun you won okay we're going to try to move forward with the rest of the meeting thank you all right next up on the agenda is the police chief's monthly report for December 2023 uh Lieutenant do you have any highlights or anything that you want to share on that I do thank you mayor and counsel the December police report is highlighted by our winter co- drive this project is an annual event that is spearheaded by the police department's safe neighborhood Bureau and it's in partnership with a great organization called Cornerstone Community Kitchen this was an incredibly successful Endeavor in which the police department collected over 350 winter coats which were then provided over to the wonderful folks over at Cornerstone Kitchen who in turn distributed them to people within our community who were in need and we as the police department just want to say thank you to not only our friends over at the Cornerstone Community Kitchen but as well as the entire Princeton Community who really showed up to help those in need and made this project extremely extremely successful so with that mayor council I'd like to take any questions anything you guys have thank you very much for that report and how successful that that effort was on the codes thank you do we have any specific questions for the uh police department on their monthly report okay uh next up was a report from experienced Princeton but due to an unforeseen circumstance Isaac could not be with us tonight next up on the agenda is public comments for items Mark we have Council reports oh you know what I missed that all to totally I just assumed I assumed we had nothing to report anyway sorry don't do anything my bad Council reports Michelle had something if you goad thank you um actually I'm going to ask Dean to fill in we have some really great can you hear me okay I'll speak up can you hear they close the doors okay thank you um so I'm just going to tea up to say uh thank you once again to our infrastructure and engineering department for coming up with a really spectacular Grant but I'm going to Tee It Up and say thank you Dean if you'd like to uh tell us all about that thanks thank you Michelle uh engineering and infrastructure operations has successfully uh been awarded a $1 million Grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation for pedestrian improvements to tur Hune Road um many of you may know that the section of trun Road between Mount Lucas and Har North Harrison Street has missing sidewalk um and so with uh this $1 million Grant we will be putting in the completion of the sidewalk on both sides of the road um so it's under a Safe Streets to Transit program uh but it really serves to um further council's goals and priorities of mobility and equity for the community so we're excited to start uh the design process this year looking to have it under construction next year thank you thank you it's great news Eve uh thank you mayor I have uh a few brief announcements um our new open space manager who will be working under uh Diana Diana is uh starting tomorrow this person will leave the management of our current open space and work on integrating new acquisitions which we're hoping to announce soon into our Network building towards the emerald necklace um initiative so uh welcome to iner reik who will be uh joining our staff tomorrow uh a reminder that uh dogs need to be licensed every year through the clerk's office and there is a rabes clinic a free rabes clinic at uh pears tomorrow it's a combination of the health department and pears uh I'm sorry I said tomorrow I meant Saturday I'm confused about where we are Saturday January 27th 10 a.m. to noon at the pears building so if you uh have a dog that doesn't have its rabies uh vaccine yet which you need in order to uh get your dog licensed which you need in order to be a good uh citizen kiner human of our uh Community please uh take advantage of that and finally I wanted to announce um an initiative uh from the library that they are hoping that uh Council will join in um the and as well as the uh public schools and hopefully the Charter School uh we would like to declare uh Princeton a book Sanctuary which would mean that there would be no Banning of books in this community and what we're hoping to do is uh hope to get a resolution about this from the library sometime next month and then during uh National Library week which is in mid April to have a celebration at the schools at Charter um at the library and here uh recognizing the importance of this initiative so I'm just taking a quick quick look okay great I I thought uh my colleagu and the community would be excited about that so that'll be uh on our agenda probably in March and then uh hopefully a public event in April that's all I have thanks thank you Eve other Council announcements or reports okay thank you very much next up is public comments for items not on the agenda so if you want to speak about anything that's not on the agenda this would be the time when you come up if you would say your name and your address and there's a 3 minute limit to the length of your comments and there'll hopefully be a timer up behind me so welcome so there's a list here long list and I'm not on this list it doesn't matter if you're on the list the only reason for the list is if somebody doesn't pronounce their name clearly we have their name written down it just helps us keep the minutes straight so okay thank you very much mayor Michelle tuck Ponder Laurel Circle Princeton New Jersey first of all I want to thank you all on Council for all the work that you do you know I understand so thank you very much for all of that and I'm up here tonight to um comment when you talked about sidewalks I live on Laural Circle um which is across the street from Reading Circle and near 206 there are no sidewalks between Route 206 and mount Lucas Road there are so many working people people who work at maffre people who have to take public transportation and Traverse down that street not to mention residents who want to get in more walking or walk their dogs it's highly hazardous I know there's a list of priorities in terms of where you put sidewalks and where you fix streets but if no one's mentioned that particular route for sidewalks I'd like to see if we can either get a bike path or a sidewalk on that street to preserve the safety of our pedestrians who who have no choice but to walk so thank you thank you [Applause] Michelle I'm erene bamun I live in Avalon Albert way and I'm just curious I'm here because I'm so curious I was talking to a member of the staff where I live and she told me that there in the new Avalon that is just been opened that there are 12 uh lowincome apartments that are available and then I went over there to look at an apartment with my friend who wanted to um rent one and we were told that there were just five or six affordable apartments there and I I always thought that it was 20% uh that this was the rule that we had for rental units and everybody had to abide by them which would mean that there would be about 40 units in that development and so I'm curious which who's who's telling the right story uh what is the right number of apartments that are affordable uh over there at tanet uh Avalon yeah I believe I mean this was um an agreement uh that was put together prior to my being on cancel but my understanding on that is that the um there is 10% in the Avalon that's mixed income and that there is because we did the 80 units of senior housing and we got some land for that my understanding is the way that that was structured was less than the 20% am I right I believe so on the site as a whole on the thanet site there's 33.4% total affordable that includes the 80% um sorry the 80 it's 80 units 80 units 100% affordable what they said um on the uh Pearl uh 100% senior affordable site on the Avalon site um there are um I think it's five uh units of special needs affordable um and then there are three uh multif family sites um but altogether it's 33.4% on the site as a whole but again this preceded our settlement which stipulates 20% set aside it's rather tough for the people who are in the affordable apartments when there're so few because as I noticed where I live that there's a community of people that are in affordable units and they support each other and it's wonderful to really see and when there are so few it gives a fewer opportunities for them uh to do that also uh unfortunately there's some uh push back by people who are living in the places where there are affordable units and so um uh all I can say is if that is true then it needs a lot of Social Work and a lot of work in order to make it comfortable for everybody who is living there a lot more than perhaps would be normal in a situation but I thank you very much for your answer and uh thank you so much thank you thank you erene you have anyone else here in the audience that wants to make a comment for something not on the agenda all right let me just check with the technology guys in the back room do we I'm sorry sorry I just got to check with the people in the back do we have anybody on Zoom that wants to make a comment hand if so if you could bring them on you need to unmute yourself and then introduce yourself hello can you all hear me we can barely hear you here we try try again we just turned the volume up is that better there you go thank you okay hi good evening everyone this is um Anna pasino I'm the executive director at unid Latina we have our office in prinston work closely with the Witherspoon Presbyterian Church um and I wanted to ask a little bit more information and get a feel of what's happening with um the combination or the combining of the Human Services the Civil Rights yeah hey Anna that's a item on the agenda so we'll be talking about that when we get to that this is part of the meetings for items not on the agenda okay all right I will wait for that point Thank you thank you all right do we have any other hands up on Zoom okay I believe there's nobody else for public comments not on the agenda thank you we'll close that part of the meeting and now we have public hearing on three ordinances the first ordinance is 202 24-1 an ordinance of the municipality of Princeton consolidating the affordable housing board Human Services Commission and Civil Rights Commission into a new committee to be known as the community services advisory committee and amending the code of the burrow of Princeton New Jersey 197 74 and the code of the township of Princeton New Jersey 1968 so just before I asked for a motion in a second which I should have done before I read this the way we do public hearings we read the uh the ordinance we get a fir a mo a uh somebody moves it and somebody seconds it that allows discussion we let the elected officials have a round of making comments we open up to the public for comments and then we usually jump back to the elected officials to try to end the conversation and then there'll be a vote or whatever action that needs to be taken so just so everybody knows and during the public comment part again you come up you introduce yourself your name your address and there's the three minute limit and the timer should be go on we don't usually let people speak twice and I'm just saying with a three minute limit just try to think about what you're going to say so you get all your comments in during the three minutes and you can't give your three minutes to somebody else that's another common question so I think I covered all the ground rules so having done that is there a motion on this uh on this ordinance mayor sir if I may um can we just get the motion in second before statements it's not a statement okay all I I just want to check with our Municipal attorney to make sure that I've got this right go ahead trka I would like to ask my colleagues to entertain uh changes to the ordinance in regards to the to to look at the name of the the changing the name of the committee changing perhaps the number of members of the committee and also changing the way that the chair of the committee is selected how would I work that now it is sorry mic was off those are amendments to the ordinance that was introduced uh so it's something that the council would need to vote on just in terms of voting to amend the ordinance as opposed to adopting it I I think I think you could do it now or you could move the ordinance as it's currently written and then put the Amendments on the record and have a motion as to those uh but to the I think ultimate question of if you make those types of changes tonight does that mean that it delays process you have to go through the whole process of reintroducing holding a new public hearing the answer is no I think those are the types of changes that can be made and acted upon in the same night thank you good do we have a do we have a motion second okay so I I move that uh we amend the ordinance to include uh suggested changes and I think specifically as for the number that I would like for us to consider that instead of seven we have nine members and two alternates uh that consider changing the name of the committee I think uh we can discuss but uh Among Us what that I I don't know that we'll have an ideal change but perhaps something to start with that if we later want to uh have a name that better fits the work of the committee that we can entertain that and then also as far as how the chair is selected I would say elected by uh the body the the members of the committee so I would like to move forward the ordinance with those amendments uh there were also a couple of changes that were made post introduction that were included in a memorandum so if you could just clarify if your motion also includes those two changes neither of which similarly require a reintroduction because they were just making explicit what was already okay can we just for the sake of everybody here mention what those yes absolutely so the uh the ordinance as it was introduced stated that uh the committee has the ability to form subcommittees but that only members of the committee can serve on those subcommittees I think that there was a bit of ambiguity perhaps as to whether did that mean that others you know would they be allowed to provide any input uh so what we've made explicit is that although only committee members can be appointed as members of the subcommittee nothing prevents either the subcommittees or the committee itself as a whole from soliciting input from non-committee Members so it's absolutely explicit now that yes even if you're not appointed to a subcommittee the subcommittee can still solicit input and feedback so I would like to amend to include uh those uh changes that were uh include added in the ordinance that was added later on to the ordinance that's being proposed okay and and I do have a name that at least like to throw out there that this would be the advisory committee on community services and Equity again my not be ideal but something to start with okay so I just want to want to be clear so we we have the ordinance as originally introduced with the changes of seven members goes to nine members changing the name of the committee changing how the chair is selected so it is selected by the body or by the committee itself and that subcommittees um can select non-committee members to be on the subcommittees I just want to not not to actually be on the subcommittees it's just that nothing prevents a subcommittee from hearing you know getting information from soliciting input from they just can't be actual members of the subcommittee okay mayor can I just chime in that with the larger number there would still also be the two alternates so we're going from 7 plus 2 to now 9 + 2 all right nine regular members and two alternates thank you okay I'm sorry um I'm not comfortable with his name I thought there was um a name which I thought more fully encompassed the objectives of of this group was I mistaken Mia was asking if there was a I don't like the name an Al an alternative name that was discussed was advisory committee on affordable housing Human Services and racial social and economic equity that's the name I like and that's I agree with that as well I was just trying to find something that wasn't too lengthy but I'm okay with lengthy okay I don't like community services I don't think that works so if this okay so the motion includes the name now that Eve just read off okay okay is that correct could I ask her to just read it again to make sure I can advisory committee on affordable housing Human Services and racial social and economic equity thank you okay does everybody understand so I'm sorry Leticia made the motion Leon seconded the motion with those changes that we just went over thank you all okay Council comments wait yeah you're just yeah if you could just vote amending the all you're doing is just voting on those amendments along okay it's a roll call vote Miss Peron lambros yes Miss Neer gang yes Miss sax yes Miss froga yes Mr nulan yes C okay now we're open for comments thoughts questions Etc council members any Lon time for remarks sure yes it is thank you and good evening I look out in the room tonight and I I see people that I've have known my whole life I see people that may not know me as well as the people that have known me my whole life but I greet all of you and want to share with you that this issue has been the most difficult in my two years here on Council I I was going to not prepare remarks tonight and just speak from the C but because this situation is so emotionally charged and has disenfranchised so many of the people here today I decided to make my sentiments clear and I'm going to read a statement that I prepared for tonight seeing all the faces and all the people here tonight it is clear that many recognize the challenges we face face as a community I am here not just as an elected official but as someone deeply committed to the well-being of our community especially those who have felt the impact of recent events first I want to acknowledge the flaws and the roll out of the ordinance we introduced the late notice and flawed ecution have caused understandable anxiety and frustration among those who serve on the Civil Rights Commission the affordable housing board and the Human Services Commission to those individuals and I mean this I extend my heartfelt apologies we extend our heartfelt apologies we hear your concerns and we share your disappointment in these moments of discontent it is crucial for us to remember that our community is at the heart of everything we do the individuals who dedicate their time and passion to these boards are the backbone of our commitment to Justice equality and the well-being of all residents tonight I stand with you in solidarity acknowledging the gravity of the situation we the collective we find ourselves in I am acutely aware that I am the only africanamerican serving on this Council and this situation is not just politically charged but deeply [Music] personal our community is undergoing significant demographic changes and the challenges faced by our underserved and under represented populations demand a thoughtful and inclusive approach Princeton is is different from what it once was this is not your grandfather or your grandmother's Princeton and the issues we confront are real and pressing our African American Community has dwindled from 25% to 5% discrimination and civil rights violation persist particular particularly in housing and essential services that affect the quality of life for many don't look now but we have a growing homeless problem we just don't need more affordable housing we need housing that people can afford we are not fighting for the right to vote we are fighting for the right to live to survive the proposed ordinance aims to address these challenges by combining the efforts of civil rights of the Civil Rights Commission affordable housing board and Human Services Commission into a unified committee it is a bold step and change is never easy but we cannot continue with the status quo when the current organizational structure is not effectively meeting the needs of our underserved community members our responsibility as elected officials is clear it is to the people to the residents these boards serve not only to the board members them M themselves we must prioritize the well-being of those we represent even if it means challenging the existing Norms I want to express my respect and solidarity with the dedicated individuals who serve on these boards because come on now having been affiliated with the Princeton Housing Authority Board of Commissioners for 25 5 years let me say that again for 25 years I was affiliated with the Princeton Housing Authority board and I still work as co-chair of the Witherspoon Jackson neighborhood association and I understand the commitment dedication passion and love that come with serving a community you care deeply about in transitioning from a community activist to an elected official I recognized the need for real change from within tonight I remain Resolute in my commitment to positive change to addressing the issues that impact the least Among Us and to making our community stronger more inclusive and more just my truth is that I would be no part part of and I would cosign nothing that would disenfranchise the least Among Us I will also not cosign us not doing all we can to to make the necessary changes when we know change is needed that is not leadership lastly this experience has been one of the most challenging ing in my life ever not just on counsel in a quiet moment earlier today with all that has been going on in my life over the past week and a half I found great soless in a quote by Dr Martin Luther King Jr and I will share it with you the ultimate Measure of a Man is not where he stands at times of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of Challenge and controversy together we can face this challenge with courage compassion and a shared commitment to a better Princeton for all thank you mayor Thank You Leon okay other lcia yes and and I think uh we all have said in the past that we don't like to follow uh Leon because he's very eloquent uh but this time I don't mind because I can just say I E I wish to Echo what my colleague uh uh has said in shared in his remarks but I also want to add to that um to all those who stand for civil rights and social justice I wish to express my deepest gratitude throughout my career I have prioritized social justice and equal rights when advocating for policies and initiatives in my professional Journey both prior and leading up to my time at Princeton I had the privilege of occupying diverse roles that provided me with opportunities that included working on government contracts set asides to support minority and women-owned businesses I provided employee counseling on Equal Employment and opportunity laws and I served as a civil rights specialist in Seattle's County Office of civil rights enforcement given my background and personal experiences I took the lead in advocating for the establishment of a dedicated Civil Rights Commission while I was serving on the Human Services Commission initially the Civil Rights committee was a subcommittee of the Human Services Commission then in 19 in 2013 I worked in collaboration with Tommy Parker Larry spru Elizabeth Bedwell Bates and John hner on drafting a report and recommendations calling for an independent Civil Rights Commission our Research delved into the history of the CRC in Princeton dating back to 1968 we interviewed Community leaders such as uh Marvin Reed mild trotman Lance liverman and The Honorable Jim Floyd among others additionally we engage with Community Advocates members of the governing body the administrator and uh and also with legal council it took three years of persist persistent effort efforts to successfully move forward the ordinance that establish that established the CRC in 2016 the delay was not due to the lack of commitment from the governing body to protect resident civil rights but rather due to the limitations that had to be imposed on the CRC according to state law the CRC had no legal jurisdiction no oversight or enforcement power its main focus was advocacy Outreach and education which was already being carried out by the civil rights subcommittee of the Human Services Commission and while some Advocates and committee Community leaders wanted more we did too by the way uh we settled for what we achieved understanding that would it would be an advisory body without legal Authority to enforce civil rights laws uh I wanted something I wanted to say now was that at the time uh former mayor Jim Floyd rightly noted that the CRC lacked teeth as he expressed it and he also expressed concerns that residents with civil rights grievances might have false hopes of the CRC being able to address and resolve their complaints now after I shared all this background you may wonder why I who work tirelessly along with my colleagues on the Human Services Commission to establish the sandal loone CRC why would I consider combining it with two other committees I have two reasons first I have come to agree with mayor Floyd that a CRC without legal oversight and enforc Authority raises false hope and expectations leading to frustration for residents secondly I believe that the task assigned to the CRC can also be accomplished as part of a Consolidated super committee by collaborating in the areas of Housing and Social Services we can enhance our overall effectiveness in meeting the needs of our most vulnerable residents while combating racial inequity in Princeton over the past decade I have dedicated myself to serving Princeton's underserved community members and I firmly believe that we need a better system a Consolidated approach will optimize the use of staff and volunteer time and most importantly yield better outcomes for those who rely on Municipal Services thank you thank thank you lcia other Council comments questions Michelle thank you thank you laia and Leighton um my colleagues that are the closest to this that have worked so hard in these areas I also um that's I want to thank those of you who have are here tonight who have written letters and reached out to us um since um we uh introduced this ordinance and giv your feedback your time and your commitment is recognized and very much appreciated we may not have all the answers and maybe we don't agree on everything but I think we mostly do agree that what we are doing now is not good enough we know we can do better for our town for our underserved community and although some may not agree with me I really do believe that this new committee will be the step in the right direction as we know we are at a very important junct Ure in our Town's history and we need to make the right decisions to be sure we have effective lines of communication and that we are able to meet the challenges we are going to be faced with and we are faced with today I think under our current system we're doing an okay job but we can do better some critics of this proposal assert we will diminish the efforts to assure civil rights social justice and Equity nothing could be further from the truth Our intention is to enhance services and support we are giving to the community with the determination to help those who are the most underserved in our town we have many challenges facing us and although we have resources to support through many of our programs we do believe we need to do more we on Council are keenly aware that we are about to add substantial amount of housing to our community and will be welcoming many new individuals and families to Princeton in the very near near future we need to be prepared to meet these challenges we need to be sure that both our current residents and our new residents are supported with the services they need improving our government processes by combining these three areas that are currently working independently will make more impact on addressing the needs of the community not less reviewing the initiatives taken in all three of these existing committees all this good work can still be done and undertaking Under the Umbrella of one committee and the reason I believe that this super committee makes sense is that the ability to address social justice and racial Equity at the municipal level means addressing the need for housing and better Social Services it just makes sense that these initiatives are coordinated coordinated between our volunteers and our professional staff and as far as process it was never Our intention to create this Committee in a bubble just the opposite we're trying to open communication between our various committees and residents we are listening and we'll continue to listen to do all we can to engage with the community both the members of the three committees um and as well as other residents that give us their feedback tonight we just made some amendments based on the feedback that we received and we can and will continue to improve this committee to develop a work plan I believe in go setting and I think it's imperative to create a work plan for committees and staff that is clear for everyone the goal of council can merge with those initiatives and goals the Committees have been working on and aspire to continue and build on the overarching goal of improving the lives of our most vulnerable and underserved population and I also just want to emphasize that we need to consider the input of our staff they're the experts in the field getting them involved with hearing the feedback working on the work plan will help ensure that committees and staff are working in unison to solve the numerous challenges are town is facing and at the same time avoiding redundancies by having all these initiatives under one umbrella I recognize this is going to be a work in progress and tonight we're setting up a framework for engagement that I believe will work much better for the municipality and most importantly those residents that we must do a better job at serving there's much work to be done and I believe together we're moving in the right direction thank you thank you Michelle any other Council comments sorry I I thought the nod had conveyed that but but I would rais my hand um I also as Leon said I I felt like this was uh I don't often prepare remarks ahead of time I'm known for winging it but I did I did repair prepare remarks tonight so um I want to thank everyone who's in attendance tonight Who's on Zoom I think we have I know you can't see this I think we have almost 40 people on zoom in addition to the people in the room and then the many people who have reached out over the last couple of weeks I've had the opportunity to sit down and talk with a number of you I've had the pleasure of meeting and talking to people I hadn't met before so um I think it's a uh that's been a a really good uh part of this so far um I want to begin by differentiating the goal of the ordinance consolidating the Civil Rights Commission affordable housing board and the Human Services Commission from the process by which the community was informed of this initiative the process was very poor I don't think there would be a disagreement on that and I want to personally apologize uh to those who bore the the brunt of this poor process uh the members of the three uh bcc's uh I know many of you took the news uh which was again badly handled as a slap in the face and a repudiation of the years of effort that you have put into volunteering for the community and serving on your BCC that was not Our intention and again I personally apologize nor is it Our intention to move away in any manner from our Fierce commitment to improving the lives of the residents who most need our support this was the guiding principle in considerations of how to improve and fortify the services that we offer to our community residents over the years the members of all three of these bcc's have worked hard to serve the needs of our community and I want to thank each of you current and past members for this hard work and for your accomplishments while the current iteration of the CRC is relatively new as letia explained our affordable housing board and our Human Services Commission have been in existence for about 50 years I do believe that the tremendous changes in our community in our world and in our staff capacity require a new vision to deliver Services most effectively and efficiently to our most vulnerable and underserved residents the change that we are proposing tonight mirrors the change that we've already made and how our staff is organized in order to enhance our Effectiveness and and efficiency and to work in a concerted manner towards our goals and I know we'll be hearing uh maybe in a few minutes from uh our Municipal administrator who's going to relay some comments from uh Jeff grer who wasn't able to uh be here tonight I want you to know that while I am committed to a paradigm shift to integrating the Spheres of the three bcc's and the services and Community input that they provide I am open to input on how to do that within the framework of our proposed super committee I hope that tonight you will engage with us in that Spirit how best to move the mission forward to focus on delivering results to those who need our services our time and our commitment thank you thank you Eve okay why don't we open up for public comment I think that's why a lot of people are here mayor I think that did uh Bernie am I right that you have some comments from Jeff to sharees yeah thank you so Jeff couldn't be here tonight as you know uh this is broken down into each of the commission with a statement and then kind of a response uh the first one is the human services department uh will enhance communication and facilitate collaboration among Community Partners by implementing base camp and then he indicates Bas Camp has been established in 2023 with ongoing onboarding of Community Partners uh we will develop a service directory that is accessible to community members he indicates a digital service directory uh was created in 2023 with the help of Princeton University students for application support the directory will go live in 2024 as to the Human Services Commission uh it has recognized its committee structure to Encompass the board the broad range of needs identified by the pcna and to facilitate problem solving and he writes this was accomplished throughout 2023 at Community needs and food and security Communications and Outreach in an immigration and welcoming week subcommittee were developed the commission has proposed developing a mental health and well-being committee but further discussion revealed this topic was better suited under the cornerhouse board since Corner House was the mental health provider for the municipality at the time of the discussion um we added mental health and well-being to our areas of concern uh the council liaison advised the commission to consider identifying a mental health liaison to the Corner House board uh will work with Community Partners to facilitate problem solving joint Outreach and and coordination to reduce or eliminate service gaps and access issues for underserved populations and his response this was accomplished an example included the tenants rights and obligations Workshop held in 2023 in partnership with affordable housing ldef St Paul's of Princeton and local attorneys the human services department continues to collaborate with Community Partners on Service uh servicing Princeton residents and then as to the Civil Rights Commission the Human Services director shall provide a monthly written report to the Civil Rights Commission the report will provide a summary of complaints received during the month uh CRC May state that they were not receiving reports from the director this is because no civil rights complaints uh were made to the Human Services office until July of 2023 from that point on the CRC chair was informed of complaints that were filed which was a total of four uh CRC involvement in civil rights complaints the CRC would only become involved in the matter if a conflict resolution meeting was requested and agreed to by both parties it is also important to note that per the CRC ordinance any commissioner who wishes to participate in vncr which is voluntary non-binding conflict resolution sessions may do so following training by the New Jersey state division of civil rights at least two trained Commissioners shall participate in every vnr uh vncr session the commission chair May select groups of two or three Commissioners each who shall participate together in vncr sessions and that's the totality of the comments thank you lcia I just uh wanted to comment Bernie I'm sorry uh but uh those notes were actually meant for me I think those were the notes that were meant for uh uh from Jeff uh there were just many for me clarifying what the process has been and is going to be uh I just realized that I yeah I don't have Jeff's notes but uh but just I just wanted to clarify that okay any other staff Andor Council comments or questions thank you now we can start with public comment so please just come up to the microphone state your name and your address and try to stick stick within the three minute thank you very much do my best Kate Warren Jefferson Road I'm sure none of you are surprised by the reaction to the introduction of ordinance 20 24-1 to dissolve the affordable housing board Human Services Commission and Civil Rights Commission and to roll them into what you have labeled now you have a new name so um I would hope that you can appreciate the reaction to the community not only to the dissolution of these vital Community boards but to the backhanded approach you chose to Ambush Ambush those who served and have served I've lived in Princeton for 54 years and have served in a variety of positions focusing on affordable housing starting in the late 1980s as a member and chair of the burough rental housing board and then in 1996 with the Princeton Housing Authority as a commissioner and as chair and then the affordable housing board where I served as Vice chair under the lead leadership of chrisy peacock and Alva mcowan and then as chair under the leadership of Moren fway and most Le recently under the leadership of Lewis herd so I think I have a lot of information about affordable housing and those that we serve despite the reasons cited by Jeff grer in his memorandum to Mayor and councel dated January 3rd and in the email sent to board and commissioner members at the last possible legal notice before the January 8th council meeting I take exception to his statement quote currently the Human Services Commission affordable housing board and civil rights committee represent an outdated Paradigm where boards commissions and committees are siloed and compartmentalized with narrow focuses that attempt to address complex multifaceted program problems without taking into consideration the broader range of influences and variables which underpin them close quote it is in fact this syling or the narrow Focus that better protects the interest of the most vulnerable Among Us instead of having dedicated experienced expert volunteers who have spent considerable time and effort focusing on the specifics of affordable housing Human Services and civil rights Mr grer is suggesting and you are all considering this evening diluting the focus areas of impact with a commission whose members will represent a majority of generalists sprinkled with a minority of experts and each of the targeted Community concerns an area of concern that is um that you addressed this evening was appointing the chair of this committee and so I congratulate you uh for that but I still don't want you to pass this ordinance um I suggest you consider the following I've heard through the town grape fund and you're all familiar with that grape fund um that some members of the board Andor commissions have quote pushed the boundaries close quote of the State admissions ordained by the municipal ordinances perhaps scheduling an annual manual uh mandatory workshop for commission and board members by the administrator and Municipal attorney where um wherein the can dos and cannot dos are reviewed and volunteers sign off on acknowledging the parameters of their service you might consider a separate training workshop for the chair so that everyone is fully aware of the duties and responsibilities and the chain of commands so that volunteers and or chairs are not resp uh corresponding directly and asking Municipal staff to perform work related to the commissioner board merely sending out the commissioner board membership handbook a Hands-On Workshop would be a much better approach okay okay I got 21 seconds uh oh okay so uh well you can gel me down if you like but I'd like to to continue and I want to thank you for the public apology to um you know this the way that this was handled um and I do believe that not everything needs to be Consolidated better managed and certainly more respect will ensure serving those in need with the best expert volunteers thank you for your time thank you Kate thank you Kate good evening um Lance liverman um Witherspoon Street I come here um as a unique person I think because I served up there for 15 years I served on Human Services I've served on civil rights I served on affordable housing board I don't know if anyone else here as I've done a done the four items like I have um this ordinance to to eliminate the existing boards and combine them into one in my opinion is not the correct way but that's the way that you guys have moved forward I just want to go over um and I want to say that I was hurt along with others and I do want to um receive your apologies tonight um because I felt personally very disrespected um I felt the distrust of my Council folks I really did the um the non-caring and the complete dismissal of asking the 3 bcc's uh board um I I just couldn't believe it let me say that these three boards serve the most vulnerable population we have in Princeton when we think of the social fabric of our town that's what we are really made of Princeton has a long history of caring and propping Folks up which is why I remain in Princeton this is what I'm asking to be done um during this unfortunate situation I think and I'm asking that you suspend or defeat the ordinance tonight I will then form a a ad hoc committee and I will pick up one or two members from the three bcc's to serve I would pick two Council people I would also pick two neutral people that aren't on any pcc's and I would give the committee 45 90 days I would do as Michelle has said I would give them goals I would have have them come back and present the best way to achieve what is the best way to achieve for our town for example this ad hoc committee may do What what councilman L Nolan just suggested which is change the name first of all which is not have the uh government uh produce the person the chairperson of the committee and many other things um I think that we need to listen and this would be a way to make lemonade out of lemons believe it or not um my mother has said this for many years and I'm going to say it tonight because it's so important you don't throw out the baby with the bath water you just don't do that so I'm I'm asking like I said that you either suspend or defeat the ordinance give this community a chance to talk with you and let's come back here in 45 or 90 days where we can all be on one Accord thank [Applause] you burn SP mck Stanwood o Lane um this is the same Princeton I stand here with my ancestors I'm an endless resident of Princeton my grandchildren make six Generations or my mother's side and 7 to eight Generations on my father's side we crc's are invaluable to this community just some of the things that have been accomplished and I don't know why we have to do this but it was said that we're not really doing anything but first thing unisex bathroom I can only come up with a couple collaboration with Princeton um youth advisory committee indigenous people's day racism as a Public Health crisis collaboration with the Princeton Public Library in the Princeton Public Schools juneth commemoration resolution welcome to Princeton signage passor ordinance on islamophobia and working on reparations uh to name a few the Civil Rights me the Civil Rights Commission means that the people in our community have a voice and have right more specifically in the underserved and under represented this whole consolidation came as a surprise to me on January 5th and an email and then introduce that Council on January 8th if I don't have a voice as chair of Civil Rights Commission that our underserved Community won't have a voice either the Civil Rights Commission work for the people in our community and the betterment of our community uh we are we are here today because our municipality plans to consolidate the affordable housing commission Human Service Human Services and Civil Rights Commission we are urging mayor and councel to table this ordinance until a proposed mechanism for an increased Community involvement and transparency in the decisionmaking process it is imperative that we value inclusive decision making of our community to ensure the diverse voices of our our community to be heard because they're not even hearing us now because they don't know that this is going on so the whole idea is we all should be trying to reach out to our community at all times and yes this is Princeton it's staying the same we don't never want Princeton to change that's the whole purpose of fighting for it thank you thank [Applause] you good evening my name is line Clark I sit on a board in this the municipality of of uh Princeton not in our town board and I'm just I'm here I'm going to make a comment and then I have a question for you councilwoman far frog okay so the first thing I want to say is after um listening to a whole lot of discussions about the merging of these three um entities I have a concern about a conflict I heard um one Council woman here say that affordable housing and Human Services um affordable housing and um um um affordable service and Human Services affordable housing and Human Services are civil rights issues and indeed they are um but there are more civil rights issues than just those two so if and when Human Services denies an applicant or when affordable housing renders an applicant ineligible for affordable housing and the applicant believes the decision was motivated or influenced by one of their protected categories that's enumerated in the crc's mission where does the applicant go to file a complaint are we expecting them to file a complaint with the same agency that they're going to for services I don't think that's feasible okay on the other hand it it also works um and on the other side of things if an applicant submits a discrimination complaint against one of the agency employees and then that applicant is legitimately and subsequently denied Services you guys have set yourself up for a beautiful retaliation complaint so on either side this does not benefit none of the three agencies and certainly not the applicants to those agencies or the residents so that was my comment regarding the conflict so councilwoman I I would be happy to respond if the think it's appropriate so actually some of the uh concerns that you raised actually are I wouldn't say make the case but I've explained the limitations uh that the Civil Rights Commission faces in that it has no jurisdiction no legal Authority and no oversight over any type of complaints under the civil rights laws so when a complaint comes in and according to our process they first come in either through the clerk's office or through the human services department uh they are given their information under their rights under the law and then they are uh have the option if they're interested in both parties both if if it's let's say housing both the tenant or prospective tenant and the affordable housing uh entity uh is interested in conflict resolution then uh in that case the Civil Rights Commission would have uh would be able to provide conflict resolution so to bring the parties together to discuss what the issue may be but not to make any uh any decision or any uh deter determination of whether VI civil rights have been violated okay uh and so but if either party is not interested in that then the complaintant complainant is given uh uh their uh a list of attorneys that might be available uh to them and also given information on the state's uh the office State's office of civil rights which does have authority and jurisdiction and enforcement power so that's something that actually uh when we were first considering uh the Civil Rights Commission we uh we actually heard uh concerns that uh a government entity let say a committee or commission under the municipal government how could we possibly uh investigate ourselves yeah how can we possibly do that well we don't yeah that so that that would be one of the issues so I have two things to say first a conflict resolution committee is different than a civil rights committee right so it seems like you never had a Civil Rights Commission you only had a conflict resolution committee because C civil rights deals with the enumerated categories in the civil rights law so that's number one so if you're getting rid of the misnomer of Civil Rights Commission and you're correcting it to a conflict resolution commission then you should you guys should say that and stop beating around the bush with these different names about civil rights excuse me that's that's not what we're doing that's not what we're done and we can't get into a back all right we're not going to get into a back and forth I do have a question for you though so you said that there is a law that prevents the municipality from investigating um civil rights cases can you tell me what the law is trishka would you uh I know we consulted with legal councel under as far as the uh committee or commission under local established by the local government what jurisdiction they have over uh civil rights complaints and I don't know that we want to get into a yeah I really especially because I you're asking me to remember research that we did some time ago so I I mean I'm happy to provide the information just not off the cuff and on the spot okay yeah so I feel like if you're saying that you are constrained by the law you should give us the law that you're constrained by and if I understand the civil rights law I believe every municipality every governmental entity has an obligations to its residents to make sure there's no discrimination within its boundaries it's not only by the state and one last comment that I would say on that is that that the members who are here who worked on establishing advocating for establishing the Civil Rights Commission we understood our limitations okay okay I just need the law though but thank you thank [Applause] you good evening Walter Bliss 202 Mo Street I'd like if I may to read a three minute statement the proposed ordinance prompts the question does local government have an obligation to defend the civil rights of all of its citizens I say yes in effect this ordinance says no over the past two years I've been honored to serve as a me member of the princet and Civil Rights Commission like my colleagues on the commission I'm a volunteer the commissioner has no support staff we do not cost taxpayer dollars the notion is that the commission as an independent body should now be eliminated in the interest of efficiency should be reconsidered this or this or ordinance stifles opportunities for Dissent and differences of opinion it shrinks public participation in government and with it in the language of our current ordinance eliminates the commission's historic role in working cooperatively among people and groups to Aid in the elimination of discrimination in developing Community Education programs that Foster open and effective dialogues about race relations in recommending ch changes in Municipal programs to address tensions in the community and in making policy recommendations to Mayor and councel a core premise of the proposed ordinance is that a citizen Advisory board on civil rights and separate volunteer boards on human services and affordable housing should only give advice when asked and only on the subjects requested by public officials probably the most important function served by the nine member Civil Rights Commission under the current ordinance among the several I have mentioned is making policy recommendations to Mayor and councel on the range of subjects within the commission's jurisdiction and Mission under the ordinance this function Will Survive only to the extent the issues addressed involve Human Services or affordable housing and then only when advice is permitted the bottom line is that under this ordinance racism anti-Semitism islamophobia and all the other manifestations of hate as they may affect our community at large will no longer be the subjects of vigilance on the part of our local government citizens will no longer have an accessible place to go to have those difficult conversations on those subjects and more than that shrinking the three all volunteer boards and lumping together civil rights Human Services and affordable housing ensures conflicts of interest these critically important policy areas warrant independent oversight as much as any other in government could the Civil Rights Commission or the other volunteers be volunteer boards be more effective that should be the focus let's talk about it if there are problems let's fix them there has been no such conversation to date members of the commission learned about this ordinance on the Friday before the Monday it was introduced in short please rethink this ordinance at the least please do not adopt it in the absence of in-depth fact finding here to for missing and discussion in which other options may be explored eliminating the Civil Rights Commission would be shutting out citizen voices that help make local government more rather than less effective for all citizens and may I just tag on the comment I respectfully object to the amendment procedure followed this issue I in this evening rather I think among other things the the changes recommended are substantive changes substantial changes most notably in the name because I fear that the name of the committee now adopted will not represent uh how limited the role of civil rights may be in this new ordinance thank thank you [Applause] Walter good evening Larry spou 104 Oak Lane prin New Jersey um like Michelle Mark Freda Mia Lon I too grew up in this community I love this community I care about the people in this community I'm sure a lot of you always seen me around doing different things I'm just here to kind of address two things that really threw out at me voluntary I mean you just got few a few minutes ago just got through giving away Awards to a lot of our firefighters and I'm and I asked a few of these guys would you benefit for having more volunteers my their answer was yes I'm not even going to you know because I know myself late and I during the pandemic we were up at the YMCA parking lot giving large botes of produce out to members of this community a lot of members showed up with their cars and their trucks and stuff we were putting the boxes in the cars a lot of people showed up on foot walking with their babies with their children with baby strollers they had no way in the world to carry that box of produce back down to their house with their children Lon and myself and others and other Human Service members affordable housing members um civil rights members other the these are all volunteers all got together in our vehicles and we started carrying it down get their addresses and carrying it down to their houses and putting it on their porches so they would have these producers I mean that was during the pandemic God I hope I pray I never see anything like this happen in my life time but I do know one thing we are going to have some more emergencies I've lived through sanity I've lived through the pandemic we're going to have needs for volunteers so when you tell me that you're going to take these three groups and get less volunteers and get more done I just find it a little hard to believe my second thing I just want to comment on real quick is yes I did work with a teacher many of days we went over to your beautiful home we sat down and we talked to people all over this community trying to get civil rights back into this community I was going to say one thing about civil rights the name civil rights itself has a lot of power so much power that it would deter a lot of people that might would even commit a civil rights violation but knowing we have civil rights here in our community so I don't think it's something that we should play with the name civil rights too many people have marched too many people have demonstrated too many people have suffered and God knows too many people have died for civil rights for us to sit here now and start to play it for name um that's basic all I got I'm not a lawyer or anything like that I'm just a concerned citizen that loves this town thank you hello my name is Melissa Guzman I live at 85b Bayard Lane I want to express my concern with the lack of Effectiveness here at the municipality and at the um Human Resources the affordable housing living there I've also experienced um experts here in the field not being able to return phone calls from your underserved Community you're avoiding the challenges not only that you are not returning phone calls with who you partner with women's space I have also filed complaints with the Civil Rights I have written to you Mia sax I have also uh right here in this building in this very room was accused for a male driving 1 hour and 45 minutes to say I had assaulted him that has changed the livelihood of my two children they are afraid of the Princeton police we cannot have people knock on our door I have a 13-year-old a 5-year-old and it affects now my career I am a minority here born in Princeton and I know from being part of the underserved and having been adopted and part of the Board of Education I've had my civil rights taken away from me not only as a young child in elementary school because the entire Community failed to understands mental health and health care and the AIDS pandemic okay so while I was a child at Community Park I've been walked to from the Princeton public school to the hospital right there on Witherspoon Street to see if I was infected with HIV and AIDS okay so not only that I stand here with a degree I've educated the ERS served Community right here in Princeton not only Princeton middle sex County and I've been a social worker helping people who are DD and underserved and we are really taking away everybody's civils rights who is of color thank you I I'm Mickey Mendelson 151 Hickory Court the board of Nar toown Princeton strongly opposes the council's proposed ordinance to merge the Civil Rights Commission with the affordable housing board and the Human Services Commission we urge Council to withdraw this proposal or postpone the vote in order to allow for discussion with the three bodies and input from the public The Prince and Civil Rights Commission plays a unique role Ro in our town it is a key resource for our marginalized residents to voice their concerns regarding Equity issues the existence of C CRC as an independent body signals that Princeton aspires to be a town that is welcoming to all its residents and newcomers willing to listen understand and address issues of race class culture and other forms of discrimination and Injustice over the years CRC and not our town have collaborated on initiatives such as observing indigenous people's day modifying Road signage to remove racist and incorrect phrase settled in 1683 and endorsing the enactment of the New Jersey reparations task force the CRC has been instrumental in resolutions declaring racism as a Public Health crisis calling upon the White House to reunify migrant families amilies and condemning anti-Semitism and islamophobia in our town the CRC created a racial Equity impact assessment toolkit and educational programs such as Jun the proposed commission's board consilia cons consolidation will greatly reduce our community's capacity to priorities prioritize issues and initiatives that disproportionately impact our marginalized community communities the CRC is completely Bomer vased losing it would further marginalize our undeserved residents and local stakeholders like nner town will lose both an effective collaborator in the struggle for social justice and a Communication channel to council it is also distressing that Council was presenting an ordinance with such enormous implications with no notice or prior input from the member members of the CRC nor the public the utter disregard for Community engagement and lack of transparencies runs counter to our Democratic process therefore we ask Council to allow time for more discussion before taking action my name is doer Hammond I live at 87 Lee Avenue uh mayor and councel um I'm urging you to pull this ordinance and give it further consideration and Community input um this would eliminate three important groups the affordable housing board um the Civil Rights Commission and the Human Services Commission and put it all into one board um and the stated goal is to have more efficiency and efficacy uh to make it work better I'm very worried that many of the duties and uh achievements of these committees would be thrown away and that they would not all be um well dealt with with even a nine person I'm sorry 9 plus two person board now as opposed to the 29 that they're uh that currently exist I think that um I'm not sure that's enough people to deal with it and I'm not sure it's a way to really focus on the needs of all these three different areas but the fundamental flaw here um about asking for our input now and getting our input over the last two or three weeks is that you did not get our input over the last 3 to six months and you're now you have you made a mistake by not doing that and instead of say okay let's pull it aside let's really talk to people as Lance liverman said let's talk to the boards let's talk talk to the public and let's do it in a way that's efficient respectful and that tries to achieve the goals that you say you're working towards and I actually do think that you for the main for the most part do want those goals and do want better outcomes but let's go back get the input of those boards and commissions and deal with whatever problems there are within those boards and commissions between the board the councel and the staff it's very important you all work very hard we all acknowledge that uh but you also must be respectful of the people the 29 people who are on these three boards and put their time in and who can now apply to be on the new commission um you know that was insulting the roll out but it was more important that we did not have the impa the input in the beginning while you were doing this and to just say okay we're going to give you some public comment make a few changes and that'll be it I don't think that doesn't you said well we're going to adjust it as we go along well why not get the input first and then do adjustments later so please pull this ordinance and consider getting more direct input now and coming back to us thank you very much uh thank you hi my name is Baron kares and I was uh serving the chair as the Human Service Commission I'm here to oppose the mayor and Council new ordinance of the consideration of the bccs into the community service advisory committee I am very disappointed with the actions of Mayor and Council by excluding the members of the bcc's from their plans and cons considerate the three BCS it is the is it was if the goal was to be more efficient and to improve coordination should not you talk to us really to see what has work and what hasn't work and I have to mention to the administrator that 80% of the thing that you mentioned that Human Service department and commission accomplished it was with the Commissioners working alone or us alone sometimes the tenant right and and uh house a financial literacy program that we actually did after in sorry I'm very nervous and emotional at the S Paul Church was actually thank you to the help of this woman who is here Maria hga who is constantly helping the underair community and working along with us the second right workship the municipality didn't even wanted to participate so I have to tell you if you say that it was no working the curring 19 War members who were serving the vccs I have my minuts from all my committees all the work that we've been doing in including the Princeton community net assessment which by the way the major and and the council Lon say it was just a presentation not taking in account all the work that this volunteer did all the organ organizations that work along with us Princeton University employee including the data that was was analyzed for over two years for free for you ignoring the work of onay Highly committee and knowledge in volunteers representing the voice of the community is not acceptable or clear democratic practice weakening Community engagement in public affairs by going from 21 29 to 7 and now 9 when the new commission is even more restricted in the public charge does not guarantee better coordination nor more efficient workflow there is no EV evidence that this will be the case because actually you haven't had a conversation with any of us to see what wor and what didn't the BCC is as they are serve the purpose to present critical issues that impact our community it is the job of public officials to connect the dots that most of of the time are ignore because you simple do don't have the time to hear the needs of the public in particular the needs of on their and minority groups as Larry mentioned who also sered as a vice chair of the Commission in the past and has served this community not only as a member of this bccs he in the during the pandemic was delivering food making sure people have houses and these volunteers that you are ignoring right now we're working together people who speak Spanish go to the people who speak Spanish who they trust and we contact each other even though they can nobody's answer in the Human Services office just saying they're doing a good work and that the staff is going to be doing a good work how many employees do you have you have two full time and one part time who is dividing their her time with affordable housing just tell me how now it's functioning right or it's going to function with now seven or nine volunteers Veronica in particular I don't think that removing the Civil Rights Commission is a solution to promoting civil rights social justice and Racial equality thank you you them SM I was just going to ask you how much longer you smiling I know oh my [Applause] [Music] God Wilma Solomon 41 TR place I'm going to be reitera a in a lot of what has already been said I acknowledge the council for your apology all of you are individuals with whom I share common values and consider Partners in the work of social justice you must have been beyond frustrated and weary to have taken such a drastic step without ensuring that the Civil Rights Commission Human Services Commission and affordable housing board were approached in a collaborative manner presented with concerns and instrumental in creating a solution I urge you to do that now given that I also have a strong preference for leaving the Civil Rights Commission as a standalone body the purpose of this new committee quote will be to forge a community where the principles of affordable housing Human Services and civil rights converge to create a vibrant Equitable and compassionate Society who could disagree with that however thinking about the work of CRC as I am a regular attendee it does not seem that collapsing it into this new entity with reduced participation what seems to be a narrowing of the CRC role will help achieve this end just two examples and I may be inaccurate here but I don't see references to the many areas of discrimination that CRC now encompasses and nor do I see a continuation of CRC as a potential mediator in cases of civil rights complaints CRC is a relatively new group has had its growing pain of course and not everything has gone as envisioned I have heard that there has been a difference in interpretation of the role of CRC among some members CRC members Council Municipal staff does it make sense to address this and other concerns by reducing the functions and visibility of the Civil Rights Commission sometimes outside forces even unintentionally have impeded the vision and hard work of the CRC a significant accomplishment of the Civil Rights Commission in the past few years was the creation of a racial Equity impact assessment toolkit that would ensure that all Municipal ordinances such as this one do not contribute to adverse consequences to historically marginalized communities the toolkit was fully accepted by the council at the time with a strong commitment to implement it that was 3 years ago since then as far as I can tell that toolkit or something similar has been applied applied in two instances by sustainable Princeton and the Cannabis task force in fairness I understand that finally this year it looks like the toolkit will be applied as intended an African-American Princeton resident and social justice Advocate Larry Sproul said at the time the toolkit was undertaken by CRC when you have been waiting all your life tomorrow doesn't seem soon enough for something like this I urge you I urge you to Halt this reconsider bring everyone together and I do as I say have a preference to see CCC as its own entity to continue its needed and good work thank you uh good evening my name is Kim Dorman I live at 88 Patton Avenue and I just want to start by saying I I really I'm a little bit shamefaced every time I come here that I'm not here all the time because I know you all put in a tremendous amount of hours on a tremendous amount of issues and I really appreciate your loving labor and your hard work um so with that said I'm not coming here as a critic but out of curiosity and to share some of my experiences such as my brief tenure on the Princeton Civil Rights Commission and two things that made a big impression on me I'm also going to quote Larry spru but I wish that Tommy Parker could also be here tonight to speak on things um the first is a conversation I had with Larry spru and I'll paraphrase it here Kim I love this town and it means something to me as a black man in Princeton to have something official with the words civil rights my understanding of what my understanding of what Princeton cr3 can do has changed a lot over time there was what I thought it did before I went to any meetings and before I came a commissioner what I thought it might do when I looked at the New Jersey Division of civil rights what they do at a state level and when I realized that neither of those really matched the resemblance of what the prisent Civil Rights uh Commission actually is empowered to do it is a unique entity I know our Council people care about health human services and civil rights and I imagine that this there's a feeling this consolidation makes sense I've heard the logic I understand where you're coming from and that's why you've created this ordinance still I have some questions was this new ordinance made with full input from the commissions or the public I assume not um was this ordinance made for reasons of efficiency or because something wasn't working with the commissions and so how this new Consolidated board be different will it have teeth as somebody said before and also as I'm hearing the conversation there's a lot of talk about making sure that we're serving the underserved and also having professional people on the board and I want to I just ask are will professional people represent be the underserved people will we be having their voice as we're wishing to serve them I emphasize full input because even though I am often someone who feels most comfortable behind the scenes in one-on-one conversations I've come to understand the importance of process because of a conflict resolution training I went to it was a pretty serious multi-day Affair that began long before we came together as a group each attendee was given a set of community agreements which we went over later in a one-on-one phone call with a trainer it felt thoughtful and thorough so I was shocked and a little annoyed when I learned that two hours had been set aside during the training for the whole group to go over the community agreements again I thought this is such a waste of time every single person in this room has already done this one-on-one why are we doing it again well I can tell you that suddenly sitting in a room with 30 or so strangers things felt different when we went over them again we did want to make changes I don't remember the changes to the agreements but our group was changed the discussion built trust brought us together and helped us to buy in more deeply to the outcome the lesson made a big impression on me I'm still a person who probably spends more time in one-on-one conversations than in group discussions but I recognize that both are important and I would like to to consider the process um uh Eugene Evans I live at 603 Lake View Terrace um I guess I wanted to Echo the the previously expressed concerns about uh how the reduced uh size of the this proposed Consolidated commun uh commission will um affect the um the effectiveness uh of this commission as compared to the existing uh uh setup and with particular uh concern about the um the future of Princeton and how yes there will be more uh people moving into Princeton which will increase the uh potential load on uh this commission and so having so few members uh seems like this is uh will make their job uh even more difficult and um as as far as the the efficiency uh uh claims um for this uh merged uh committee um if the existing structure is not considered efficient because of concerns about siloing then maybe the right way to address this would be some kind of uh oversight committee that has membership from the existing committees so that uh there is a space for the committees to talk to each other more directly and coordinate their efforts and uh this would allow a similar sort of uh Fusion of their efforts without reducing the um the human power applied to the problems so I guess in conclusion um I feel like the proposed ordinance is uh should be tabled or delayed for uh improvements and uh more Community input thank you hello folks Ronald Ponder 208 Laurel Circle uh first I have two questions for you one I don't understand why you are in a rush so much of a rush that you've made what seemed to me to be substantive amendments which probably I there's some things I don't understand should be noticed to the community so that they know of the name change and the number I don't know uh but I I'm asking you this question why are you in a rush of course eloquently said that the community is changing but that's not happening tomorrow why are you in a rush there's something you're not telling us why are you in a rush I'm serious okay I am extremely disappointed well before I say I'm disappointed thank you I am very proud and excited about my community that came out here to stand up about how they've been treated I'm extremely disappointed in people I know and I care about very eloquent but there I heard nothing that demonstrates there was competent evaluation and Analysis of the problem I I you said you said nothing to me there's only one thing I'll say what my mother taught me Lance is that you are not what you say you are how you treat people and understand as eloquent as you may be that to pass this today is an extension of how you treated people at the beginning of this process good [Music] night Joan race Parker and I'm um H hoping that we can come to solution about this ordinance before youde to make some changes um it's truly needed here in Princeton and it's a shame that the work as you all know I'm Tommy Parker's other half who have put a lot of work in this community a lot of state and some of y'all are sitting where today off of his back and not just off his back Maxwell's back Johnson back Edwards back that's why you were sitting up there today but also we need to understand residents we put your here and I'm very disappointed that y'all didn't have a dialogue with your folks the residents of Princeton that's is really Hur it's a smack in the face underhanded you know about underhanded you know what happened with underhanded things it come back and bite you it comes back and bite you I think that was very disrespectful I think you have been very you're a resident that has all the respect for you how about giving us some of that respect and yes times have changed and all enough to make changes you have to grow but guess what let's grow together don't count us out I don't care if it's only 5% we still have a voice thank [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you good evening uh my name is John hner I live on house Circle in Princeton so I've come out of my second retirement this this one from community service because I view this proposed super committee or commission as very shortsighted despite its good intentions the proposed amendments are good but they don't really change the basics of what's going on here so a little background I served for 12 years on the Human Services Commission founding and chairing the immigration subcommittee but more importantly along with letisia and four three others of our Human Services colleagues we revived the Civil Rights Commission after an 18-year Hiatus between 1998 and 2016 it exist it had existed and done great work for 30 years from 1968 to '98 and just during the years we worked on this I just an old white guy who normally wouldn't even hear about these things became aware of two racial profiling incidents one of a black Seminary Student which Larry heard of also and the other of a Latina driver I'm especially distressed that under the proposed uh proposal the CRC would no longer exist on its own Fern spru cited it many uh accomplishments I won't go over those for me an equally important role of the CRC is that it provides a small group of trusted residents who are not town government employees to whom those with discrimination complaints can turn ordinance 2016- 38 includ included a means for them to resolve these complaints locally without long delays involved in going to the state civil rights office or the Attorney General I should hasten to add that in the mid 2000s two of our police officers receive settlements of over $500,000 each against the M municipality for lack of such a process I understand that one of them just wanted an apology that's all he wanted I note that under the leadership of former mayor Liz lbert and administrator Mark the shield on November 28th 16 the council adopted a resolution that clarified a portion of the ordinance uh which concerned receiving and resolving complaints of discrimination in Princeton uh my time's running out so I'll be quick if the complainant if the complainant I'm quoting seeks to have his or her claim addressed through the crc's informal resolution process then the Executive Director of Human Services shall forward the person's complaint to the CRC more also the Human Services director shall provide a monthly report monthly written report to the CRC it will provide a summary of complaints received during the month to allow the CRC to make policy recommendations to mayor of councel I'll leave a copy of this resolution and the very nice flowchart that Mr D Shield's office created to illustrate it with Miss Harris as soon as I'm done talking so in conclusion having a separate CRC with the procedure set down in 2016 sets the tone and expectation that we as a town take equal treatment under the law very seriously it deters bad behavior whether by Municipal staff Merchants police or anybody else similar for the other two commissions if maintaining the three commissions separately takes too much Town staff and counselor time why not consider going to meetings bonly with written reports are you almost there it so I strongly recommend that this proposal be tabled and rethought with empath with input from the representatives of the three commissions thank you thank [Applause] you good evening Tom Pineo vanand dender Avenue I honestly have no idea whether consolidating the boards and commissions is a good idea or a bad idea and I don't for a minute question your intention I believe absolutely everything each of you has said that said we've just heard from the veritable Allstar list of community volunteers about how the process really wasn't a very good one so I am here to add my name to that chorus of voices that is urging the tabling of this pulling back further discussion I think it's striking that we've just gone through what I have said has been a model of of Engagement with the master plan process uh we showed no lack of endurance uh and engagement the way that was handled which I think was tremendous so it's to me in stark contrast that the way this has been handled sends a lot of subtle but strong messages which sort of brings me to another I think very important Point whether it's how long we let certain members of the community run over in their time [Applause] or you know the the the injustices that these volunteers uh are working to either either prevent or uh uh address have been promoted for a very long time in many subtle and nefarious ways and in this case I think process just you can't overemphasize the the the sensitivity with which this whole uh issue needs to be addressed and so again um I'm urging that this be pulled back engage in the way that we have done recently very effectively and come back as as Kim said um with the buyin uh and I think it's there uh I'm less and and I think that that really it is about that process and that engagement thank you Michael Floyd 64 haris Road um I agree with I guess just about all the speakers I also agree with you folks saying it was rolled out wrong mistakes were made um as we get to this point the call is to basically table the ordinance you've heard that I agree with a lot of the things that were said Walter Bliss doer a whole lot of folks I also heard my father's name brought up and his history with civil rights I'm going tell you something if he was here today he'd be in your [Applause] [Music] [Applause] ass hi my name is Virginia Kerr I live on Jefferson Road um when I saw this ordinance I was really surprised because it seemed to me just immediately there is a conflict to put the Civil Rights Commission into the same group as the affordable housing and the Human Services Commission um and that is that is true even if the Civil Rights Commission doesn't have the kind of broad enforcement powers there's still a conflict um I think it also sends the wrong message to the community really sends the wrong message um symbolic actions are really important and to take away you know three bodies that have been working for um many years and to Crunch them down into a smaller unit um is is upsetting um I I a quote from Byron white who served on the US Supreme Court comes to mind um there are higher values than speed and efficiency and one of the values there there is a value in having community volunteers addressing these issues other people have made this point too that um when people are feeling that something wrong has happened they may not they may not be comfortable going to the town hall but if you have three different bodies with um a number of people in this kind of community maybe there is one person that that AG grieved person can turn to and I think it's important to preserve that I'd also like to agree with um the point that I don't I think the Amendments proposed tonight are substantive amendments to the ordinance which um the reason to have a first reading of an ordinance is so that people can hear it and look at it and think about it and at the beginning this evening you made four changes the name the size who appoints the chair and a change having to do with the subcommittee that I didn't quite understand but taken together I do think those are substantive amendments and my bottom line is that I agree with what others have said that should be tabled and rethought and more there should be much more conversation thank [Music] you my name is Lou Malby I live at 128 stonecliff Road I came to Princeton 32 years ago to become be a civil rights lawyer and go to work at the national ACLU um so you know where I'm coming from I'm not going to repeat what everybody else said um there's no need but I I would like to leave you with two questions questions um the first question is many of us have said that the orig the current ordinance is too weak it doesn't give the commission the ability to do what needs to be done you're right I said exactly the same thing when the commission was created um I'm not trying to say but you're right about that but the current ordinance gives the commission the ability to think about civil rights issues and thing that it thinks is important and make a recommendation to council for Council to accept modify or reject that has been taken away in the new ordinance the now under the new ordinance the only thing as Walter said the commission can make a recommendation on is things that was asked to Comm make a recommendation on we couldn't even talk about a subject that concerning civil rights if we hadn't been asked to do it by Council and my question is if we have a problem with having the ordinance be too weak how is it making it even weaker part of the solution and the the last point which many people have made I'm just echoing it is that you know people make mistakes I've bungled lots of rollouts myself and I I appreciate the apologies for the way it happened but the apology would sure mean a lot more to me if having not listened to us before if you were to listen to us and talk with us and engage with us now before rushing to a vote thank you well I've got some good news and some bad news the good news is you're going to hear something very different from me um I am actually could you just introduce yourself for record I was going to say I'm um Felicia Spitz at five Haslet Avenue and I'm here um in part as um chair of the princeon housing authority and formerly as president of Princeton Children's Fund um I want to thank you for your courage and willingness to be a catalyst for change in prinston one of the things I've heard repeatedly from every person that's come to the microphone is what we have has gaps there's service that isn't happening and there are people who remain disenfranchised in our community I also think the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result so I applaud your courage and your willingness to try something new I want to take us back 3 years and 10 months to when the covid outbreak began because that's when I realized there was a serious disconnect between these committees our governing body and the residents who rely on them for service the affordable housing and Human Services Commissions did not have the infrastructure in place to provide the help that was needed to vulnerable residents there was no mechanism in place to convene the nonprofits so we could pull resources share information and work together to serve residents these facts gave me pause at the time and induced feelings of fear and isolation there are some of you in this room who will recall the surf one or two of you even helped through your role on the housing stability Coalition here were some of the gaps I personally identified in 2020 we did not know where many of our underserved residents lived who their landlords were if they had food resources what languages were spoken at home whether people had internet service or access to Smart devices we didn't even know how to contact them in case of emergency if someone got sick we did not have emergency contacts there were some groups getting more service at that time based on their race and ethnicity and others being left out because of the same from a civil rights perspective that that disparity in service that appears to be tied to race or ethnic has still not been evaluated something has definitely driven many in our African American Community out of Princeton what is it and what can be done to stop it there is no education or awareness program in place to help the residents who have plenty understand what it's like to live in the other Princeton where food is scarce and it's cold inside in the winter why when we have these three committees and almost 30 volunteers is there no infrastructure in place five decades later nothing is in place because the function and structure of the commissions is outdated there is no means within the commissions to create the infrastructure that is required they do not assess what the end users need or experience living here they do not track or monitor this data or share findings amongst themselves or with the governing body many of them decide what is needed and their opinions form the commission agenda no Gap analysis is being performed there is also no regular two-way communication between the residents and these commissions or you all there is no way to report an incident that overlaps multiple areas or track how many I'm almost done what type and where they are occurring there's no measure of where we are today or where we'd like to be next year how can we support the served residents when we lack information about where the gaps are or what services are needed I want to close with this I share the outrage I share the frustration I also drove home Saturday night and saw two unsheltered people one on Nassau Street and one on Witherspoon Street We are failing doing what we're doing I ask you please do something to make a change it's 2024 it's cold outside and while I understand the process concerns ficia there are people living here on the streets with food insecurity the longer we wait the longer we condemn them to this existence thank [Applause] you so Maria Evans 603 Lake View teras um when I came after reading the description of the proposal I was really really curious to find out how you defined efficiency because I couldn't figure that out um if it was just efficiency of the number of meetings if it was efficiency of time um like man hours um and I didn't really get an answer listening to the descriptions from the council members tonight and I think that that should be at the heart when you sort of re-evaluate and think about what you want to come out of this whole discussion because I don't think we need efficiency of number of members because each person brings a different history in Princeton different Connections in the community and um but if there is something that could happen whereby all these council members talk about all the things that they've tried to do and it hasn't necessarily become become been as reflected in the town policies as they'd like that sounds like something that we all agree should be improved people should have ideas people should have proposals the discussion should happen and then it occurs we see a physical manifestation of improvements in the town where I think we're all on the same page for that um I think that the most important thing is you can see tonight how disrespected Community feels right now and I think that the the best way to move forward from that is for a deep explanation of how you think that consolidating the the three groups would actually efficient how that would work cuz I don't understand after listening to you talk about it how it would work and then listen to the feedback if there are other ways to do it perhaps that should be considered that's it thank thank [Music] you good evening mariaa Grover Avenue um I'm a current member of one of the uh advisory groups that uh will be uh will be Consolidated into this super committee if you approve this ordinance tonight um those of us who have been doing the job uh till now um must resort to our three minutes of public comments and a few hundred words of uh limitation of a few hundred words um in letters to the editor which you hope hopefully have been reading in the last couple of days uh my concern is that uh this consolidation um uh which may be very well uh may maybe appropriate um but what's important is the how and the when uh it must be carefully planned reducing the current three advisory groups to one will most like likely be at the expense of turning the process into an echo chamber with the same voices who have who already have access to you because they move in your same social and political circles have similar analytical and policymaking backgrounds and have the resources and influence to have their opinions heard and Prevail I will use my three precious three minutes to ask you to carefully reconsider what I'm afraid would be very negative unintended consequences for our neighbors whose voices and opinions are rarely heard and whose needs are often underestimated and ignored and I agree with many of the um these needs that have been just enumerated um by Felicia it would be of little consolation to Me 3 years from now to hear you say you were right uh we should have listened as I was told recently in the same room the damage will have been done the base of gentrification in our town has been going on for decades and is picking up speed families are being displaced to the detriment of our socioeconomic diversity yes we are adding significant and thely needed uh a new affordable housing but at the cost of the displacing some of the very same people who need this housing to make room for others to come playing musical chairs with people's lives is a cruel game there must be a better way to do this in 20 2020 the the Civil Rights Commission delivered to you a wonderful initiative the which has been mentioned several times tonight the ra racial Equity impact assessment toolkit sadly I don't think this filter has been used more than once or twice again that's been mentioned in the various pieces of legislation and Community planning that have taken place such as the adoption of the W the wspoon street zoning overlay which will U displace many folks last week I read an article indicating that volunteerism in America is an an alltime low yet here we are in Princeton and our governing body has told 29 of us who have served in some cases for decades in various Civic and in some cases elected positions being told that we're redundant quote unquote that we represent an outdated Paradigm quote unquote uh please give yourselves and our town the time to think this through and table dis ordinance thank you hi my name is ruthanne triler and I'm here to speak for my family and um it's my first time ever at a meeting but I was in uh the Unitarian congregation church on Sunday Martin Luther Monday Martin Luther King for service and my son text me the planet Princeton article about what was happening and he's a young student student that will graduate in May from Ruckers and I want to say we have a room full of people but there's a lot of people out there that know what's going on a lot of young people and you know they're upset about it so I'm here representing my son but the trailer family both me myself my son my daughter after reading what we could about this uh we recommend that this would be put on hold and listen to all the people I just wanted to say a couple things that um Lance I think he said put an ad hoc committee together there were a lot of good ideas to problem solve um here there's a civil rights attorney here it sounds like there's a wealth of knowledge right here in this room that you could you know take a little bit more time like ryal said what's the rush I mean I don't know why you know so quick that you need to do this but um that's it I just wrote down some names Walter Larry Lance everybody said some amazing things and I hope you hear them thank [Music] you oh no Donald Snowden Lane I did not expect to speak tonight and I certainly didn't expect to be the last word um however what I heard this evening was as gentleman said an Allstar uh lineup of community volunteers who spoke and you know it seemed to me like there were at least 35 of the 29 Commissioners were probably speaking tonight uh but what I heard also heard was from one person who could have used the services that these committees provide and what I heard from her was that it didn't work and so I really think that change needs to be made and however the roll out was you can argue that but in my opinion there needs to be change to really affect the lives of the citizens of Princeton thank you very [Music] [Applause] much ask the question and then we'll we'll see if we're going to answer [Music] it yeah it's a good idea thank you yeah the people on listening virtually won't be able to hear you if you don't H the mic I appreciate this Kate Warren Jefferson Road um and it's been a while since I've been here so I'm really sorry but my question to the attorney was I was wondering how the dissolution of the housing board is viewed by the fair share housing as the existence of this board was part of the Court settlement I do not know the answer to that question so that means they they don't know well that's what she said right I said I don't know even know if they know okay so we're going to go to the people on zoom and there's a few hands up so uh Adam the magician in the back could you bring up the first person Carol oh hi thanks Carol golden 575 Snowden Lane I am a member of the car I'm sorry could you just wait one second we have to turn the volume up or something because we we can't hear you real well Adam okay yeah there we go thanks all right Carol could you start again I'm sorry sure Carol golden 575 Snowden Lane good can hear yes we can hear hear you okay okay so um 575 St Lane I'm a member of the affordable housing board have been on the board for many many years um but I speak for myself and so late in the evening and you've heard from so many of my compatriots here tonight and many many of whom I totally agree with most of whom I agree with particularly doer and Lance I think said what I've been thinking all along which is yeah it was insulting the way you rolled it out yeah it was wasn't well done um appreciate the apology and you know I do I should say I appreciate all the work you guys do I know you put in a lot of time we put in a lot of time too as volunteers um but the really the main point isn't that you the way it was rolled out was insulting and hurtful H but as many have said it's like you are expecting us to accept that this is the better way to do it based on nothing based on no information just because you think that you know several of you this evening have said we just really think this is going to be a better way you know it's going to be more efficient and it's going to you know the silos aren't good but you didn't talk to anybody who's been doing this and that's the part that doesn't make any sense and I know that others have said this but it really it it just it's just so short cited and and um it just shows like you it it almost it almost be lies that you actually don't care what we think like you actually think you know better how to do it the members of these commissions that have been on these things for years people like Lance liverman me many others you don't you didn't think that maybe you should consult with us and see what our thoughts might be on how this might work more efficiently and serve the people better so the lack of transparency the insult was just you know an added little benefit there um but it really feels like in in a town like this all these dedicated volunteers you guys among them that we could have talked about this it could have been rolled out in a way that said you know hey you guys over there at affordable housing and you guys over there at Human Services let's talk about like what's the overlap here like how what what time how much time you spend on these issues how much time you spend on that issue how did the Civil Rights issues and you know enter into your discussions does that happen a lot does it not L but no there was nothing it was just an 7 p.m. email that I didn't even receive and um I do hope you pull this and think about it more to to ask us now to in three minutes give you what I think might be the best way to do it is not going to not going to work so if anyone wants to talk to us I'd be happy to be involved in any conversations that go forward thanks thank you okay Anna you're you're back hi everyone uh this is Anna pazmino I'm the executive director of Latina we're in Witherspoon Street uh Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church um and I wanted to not Echo not not reiterate everything but something very personal that I think I am the voice for many of our um many of our workers in Princeton that don't actually have access to come to these Council meetings and um voice their opinion about all this these um things that happen without Community input uh it is super important that um you know anyone who has a position like the councils and the mayor that that this this be a part of the process to always have Community input before any type of resolutions come forth um in in experience we have had many families come to us and say that they weren't able to get some service that there's not enough um Aid with human services there's not enough affordable housing and so that means that there's a need and things have to change but it's not the change that we need to nicely put it into um a resolution and say that we're changing this it's it should be a change that comes from the community so um as all and many of the people today who spoke um I would urge not only for you to reconsider this but to actually think of what is the real purpose of making a resolution and dissolving um many years of work and maybe it's it's a it's an important part of how Princeton is changing because I know the community is changing there is in our experience more families coming in there are more need for housing we see a lot of homeless people all the time um and and it it's outrageous as a human as a director I'm always looking for some more um resources from the for the community especially in Princeton and and well this is this is something that we should take care of and this is something that should be a priority so I I thank you for the time and um it would be great to first get the community input first before we make any type of decisions especially with this resolution thank you thank [Applause] [Music] you Elma can you here you go yes can you hear me yeah go ahead yes um I'm Alma concepion 249 Hamilton Avenue um um I have been a member of the community since 1982 and I have witnessed uh the services that three commissions have provided for the community and I want to express my position to the passing Elma can you uh can you just pause one second hey guys whatever is going on in the back yeah the volume was going the wrong way it was going down instead of up making it harder to hear her so we get the volume back up around 40 or so maybe sorry everybody one sec yes I just wanted to express my opposition to the passing of the unified commission proposal because I don't believe as many have stated that it will be more effective I believe that coordination is primordial but coordination does not mean unification so I urge you as other others have done before me to reconsider and to give the community the voice it deserves on the consequences of this decision and to listen to their recommendations for other visions of Effectiveness thank you [Applause] [Music] thank Sharon yes hi I'm Sharon myel and I'm at 55 monadale Circle I just want to say that I heard Leighton and letia and the other council members and appreciate your apology I hope that you will table tonight's ordinance to meet the needs that were unmet by the way this is proposed to happen and yeah I'm part of the chorus I think the people that spoke tonight have expertise and experience and that it would show us and Them respect and consideration um and I think it would meet your goals in the end more effectively so thank you thank [Applause] you Martha can you unmute yourself um my name is wait Martha you're you're muted again can you unmute yourself Martha fredman I live on Jefferson Road I am not on any of these commissions at all I've read about the changes that were made by Council in town topics it it really resonated with me that uh there hadn't been any discussion about this and it made me concerned that why would we go through from uh so many volunteers I think 27 volunteers over three different commissions down to only 7 and I guess it's now 9 um I uh just wanted to voice my uh opinion I was glad to hear all the speakers tonight and I would like you to table the ordinance and form a group to reassess thank you thank you okay is there anybody else in the room or anybody else on Zoom that hasn't spoken yet that wants to speak okay let's let's jump back up to uh mayor and Council and comments questions from council members lcia uh yes first thank you uh for your heartfelt comments uh they they are very compelling uh but I also want to uh H say and and uh perhaps even correct uh one statement that I heard today about the that the Civil Rights Commission or committee has been inactive since 1998 uh I mentioned earlier how I had done a lot of research and have a historical timeline of uh what civil rights uh different forms of the civil rights committee commission exist has existed in Princeton and in April April of 1998 there was an interlocal Services agreement between the township and the burrow which established uh the Princeton Human Services Department which was not in place before and uh the agreement included assuming responsibility of the Princeton Joint Commission on civil rights which had the ability to address and advocate for issues related to civil rights and in those uh task were placed within a subcommittee within the Human Services Commission which then the entire commission would address it included uh engaging with the community addressing concerns identifying issues making recommendations to the governing body and it also uh at least during my time when I served on the commission It mve Forward resolutions and initi iives not unlike the ones that have been mentioned that the current Civil Rights Commission has moved forward it just did it as part of the human services department uh and I myself and and Tommy Parker actually uh we were the only ones that have been trained in conflict resolution we worked together uh there have been times where complaints came before the sub the Human Services Commission and we work uh together to uh do the conflict resolution so that was taking place I just didn't want to leave that impression out there that nothing had happened since 1998 okay any other Council comments I just like to add and say that I do appreciate everybody being here whether you're here live or whether you came in on zoom and it is always better that the public engage with us and talk to us and share their opinions and whether we agree or disagree is really of no consequence as long as people know that they can come here and be listened to and so I appreciate you all being here tonight and I do apologize as others have said because I think we could have done this better um so anyway I just wanted to go on the record to say that and share that with you so other go ahead so I'm I'm sure you all can see um this is a really painful night for me it's probably the most painful night I've experienced so many of you are like family to me and I don't know what the right answer is but I know that what we we have now is not working that I know and I know we all agree on that and one constituent wrote a letter to me I what about what the situation was in community park school for his kids which was just 20 years ago and it was no different than when I attended Community Park School which was a lot longer than 20 years ago and it is no different today and nothing is different in this town than when I grew up and we have had all of these committees for all of this time nothing is different it's worse and I'm just telling you I don't know if what we're proposing today is the right answer I don't know but I know we can't keep doing the same thing and I am sorry if you all felt offended by the way we rolled it out but I know because all of you in this room are people that I am very close to as are the people on this Das and I know we all want the same thing and I think we need to move forward this what we're proposing to me is a floor it's the minimum I know there is a staff restructuring there is and I think there is now one half of the sky which is Health Community Services affordable housing and we have a very capable administrator Jeff grer and I know that he needs input from the public in the form of an advisory committee with people who have expertise and professional background that can help him that's the minimum there is a lot more that we need but we need to get started with that I have had had extensive conversations in the past few weeks with members of the in particular the Civil Rights Commission and I don't think that there are many areas in the in the Civil Rights Commission that don't aren't a neat fit for this committee but I think we need to get started with something that doesn't mean that we can't have many additional things but I don't think we should hold up this one committee waiting to figure out everything else that we need and I have given my personal commitment to many of you that I will work with you to figure out what the right fit is in terms of it I I believe we need a CommunityWide conversation on reparations but I don't think that can just be in the context of a municipal committee I think it needs to include our houses of Faith the University our school district that is a a wider conversation uh there are many objectives that the Civil Rights Commission would like to accomplish um I they have not some things have happened some things have not happened at any rate I I believe that we need to get started with something as the floor and I don't think we have a a a an unfortunate tendency in Princeton to talk for years on end and not take action and I would like us to to take some action tonight thank you other Council comments or questions Eve go ahead sorry I'm sorry oh I'm sorry L you have your hand up um well let me let me just jump in I just I just want to make clear I I didn't say it before but if I didn't say it before I just want to say I'm very sorry too for the way that we rolled this out it wasn't the intention and I'm hoping no matter how we move forward that there will be Total Community engagement you all bring a wealth of experience we need to continue to have more dialogue so we'll figure it out um but I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the way it rolled out because it wasn't intended to be that way I'm sure I was just trying to see if anybody else com yeah um I do want to address a couple of the things that were said tonight um a couple of people have referred to the CRC as an independent body um none of our bcc's are really independent bodies they're appointed by the council they're they're part of the municipal government um they're not independent entities and I'm not sure why I'm not sure because they they they're not they're not independent and I think if you're looking for a body that is independent that is not any of any of these committees it's not that those these committees can't provide input um and um you know into uh the community and into the to the council but they are not independent entities and I think to characterize them that is just a complete uh misconception um I also wanted to recognize uh L Maly for a very thoughtful uh email that he sent and I think Walter uh Bliss re repeated or refer to also some of the same things so I think uh the ordinance even as amended uh needs further work and um I hope that all of you will see fit to um I I would like to say that like Mia I feel that we need to start and I support approving this ordinance tonight because I think we need to start making change and because I think the system that we have in place has not has not worked and we need to try something new but many elements of the ordinance I think can be revised and improved and if people are interested I would definitely be available to meet and uh you know again some of the suggestions that uh Walter and Lou made um the ordinance as it exists is very sparse and some things are implied but I would be you know in support of making them explicit um I also want to say that um I'd like to suggest that the municipality uh design and disseminate a brief survey uh both paper and online English and Spanish to those in the community who receive services from the town to assess how we're doing and how we can improve I think this survey should be distributed at roughly the same time that launched the new committee uh and the new committee itself as some of our bcc's uh currently do should issue a an annual report after roughly a year detailing what it's accomplished what Still Remains and before that uh annual uh report I would like to see a second survey and I hope that would be instituted annually to assess what the issues are what the problems are and how we're how we're doing and how we can improve um so I do feel I understand deer's question why now because the current structure has existed for you know 50 years and we're not getting the job done we need to try something different I mean somebody I don't want to quote maybe it was uh Felicia you know insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result and like Mia I am not I cannot tell you this is the solution but we need to try something we need to try something different and I am open and I think all of us are open I think Mia characterized it very well this is the floor this is the first step let's move forward with this for those of you who are not too angry to engage with us we would like to engage if you're angry and upset I understand that and I'm sorry about that but I still think there are issues and problems that we need to work on together and so I ask that if possible you uh even if you're angry and upset at us at me that we are able to work together to address add um the issues that we're facing and make progress for people in our community who need these Services um something shocking at least to me and and maybe that stresses that I lead a privileged life but at a at a recent meeting I was told that uh the statistic on uh people who are unhoused has uh increased by 400% in recent years we need Solutions we need actions and I'm hoping that this committee will catalyze change and action with you not without you so that's where I stand any other Council comments none okay I'm sorry Leon tonight has been more than difficult first thing I want to say is that Tommy Parker the ex-chair of the Civil Rights Commission do not do that do not because that's a dictatorship sitting up there you heard the comments from every tonight has been a difficult night I came down here when I was a community activist in 2010 and appeared before this body when there was a reevaluation in Princeton and every home in the Witherspoon Jackson neighborhood doubled in property value and when up by 50% in their property taxes that started the mass Exodus from Princeton for many many African-American families I came down here that night and did my very very very best to convince the then sitting Council and mayor and I don't know if Lance liverman is still here but he was up on that day is that night nobody listened to me I was heard but nobody listened and I know that many of you are feeling the same way I felt that night but as I said earlier leadership is not for the faint of heart and as you just heard people just left this room and one of the people that had comments to me or the sister of Tommy Parker and Tommy Parker's son may he rest in peace to May was my godson so if you don't think that this has had a critically lasting effect on me you would be very wrong but at the end of the day what we have right now can work better and to the people in here that may think that I've turned my back on my community I really hope over time that you will search your hearts because the people in here have known me for most of my whole life and as I said earlier I would never disenfranchise the least of us and that is in no way my attention Mike Floyd sit up here tonight respectfully you mention my name and referenced and reference to his father whom I respect greatly and we are here in no way trying to disparage or take prinston backwards or disrespect anyone in this room the people that are sitting up here on this day are trying to do the right thing by the people and make good decisions and move Princeton forward and look out for our most underserved and we believe that it can be done better and we're trying trying to find a path to go in that direction and we are asking those people who serve on the boards we are asking those people who are in this room to help us shape the future of Princeton in a way that makes sense this is this is not easy on any of us but there is time and I have talked with Trish there is time for us to craft this to get input to build our base to shape this ordinance and to make it what it needs to be as as as as I said as difficult as this is and as disenfranchising as this is my truth is that I think we are doing the right thing and I think there is still time I know there is still time to get adequate input from everybody in this room and from those that care about racial justice social justice gentrification hunger poverty affordable housing to get this right our job here on Council is to move this town forward and we still have time to get input and we need to move boldly and with courage into the future and if we have done anything anything to disenfranchise the people in this room that has never been Our intention we have apologized for the roll out we know that that did not work but I believe that we should move forward with this ordinance with the changes that we have suggested and to have synergy in the three critical areas that we are dealing with civil rights affordable housing and Human Services and again my message to everyone in this room the people up on this day is we care we care greatly we spend a lot of time reading studying and trying to make the best decisions that we can for the people that live in this town we mean no one any harm and we do the best that we can and to bring about the change that we think is needed again this has been the most difficult time that I have been serving on this Council and I would ask people just to search not only my heart but the hearts of everybody here and know that we are not the enemy we are doing the best that we can and we would ask you to understand that and to believe in us like we believe in you thank you okay any other Council comments all right roll call vote I'm sorry yes mayor the motion was by Miss Fraga and seconded by Mr nulan okay Miss pron Ambrose yes Miss Neer gang yes Miss Sachs yes Miss Fraga yes Mr nulan yes Carri thank you next up is a public hearing on ordinance 20242 an ordinance of the municipality of Princeton disbanding the sewer committee and repealing section 281 of the code of the burough of Princeton New Jersey 1974 is there motion on that Eve's got the motion is there a second Michelle's got the second Council comments sorry uh just uh real quick um I just want to say that um the functions of the sewer committee for some time have really been uh taken over by a greatly expanded sewer staff um we have a sewer engineer we have um other staff that helps us get this work done and our our truste uh head of the current uh sewer committee David Goldfarb who's been a voice in the wilderness uh as Mia likes to say uh crying out for us to pay close attention to this hidden infrastructure I think um has had his wish we've committed to a uh a very large $90 million commitment to improve our sewer infrastructure over uh the next 10 years and David as the uh liaison to the uh Stony Brook Millstone Sewer Authority will continue to meet quarterly with our uh infrastructure and operations committee so that his his wisdom uh and his uh knowledge on uh sewer matters will continue to uh to be heard and uh to his input will continue to be uh to be vitally important for us moving forward so I'm sure he's not here listening but I just wanted to give him that shout out for his years of of dedication and for really getting us to move forward on on this issue so thanks thank you other Council comments or questions is there any public comment or question on the uh on this ordinance anybody on Zoom all right seeing none can we have a roll call vote on this please miss Peron lambrose yes Miss Neer gang yes Miss saxs yes Miss froga yes Mr nulan yes carried thank you ordinance 202 24-3 an ordinance by the municipality of Princeton regulating public parking fees and amending chapter 19 of the code of the burrow of Princeton New Jersey 1974 is there a motion thank you Michelle latisia has got the second Council questions or comments yeah I'm sorry thank you um yeah this is a really good example of the um town and and business Community experien Princeton working together to talk to the businesses about a problem um and helping find the solution the problem being the service Lane with a conflict of delivery trucks all day with parking so uh this um you know is is is part of the solution and now um I have to give credit where credit's due on the 90minut uh parking idea this is new for the town um so thank you to my colleague Mia for coming up with it so the idea is You' get 15 minutes to go wherever you're going you've got an hour meeting and 15 minutes to go back or whatever it might be so I think the 90 minutes is innovative um and this will be just on Witherspoon Street not only in the service Lane but in the other part in front of the library too so thank you thank you all for for a good a a good Mission here okay any other questions or comments by the council any public comment or questions either in the room or on Zoom right I'm sorry thanks Kim thank you yeah I was asking if there's any public comment either in the room or on Zoom I see none roll call vote please miss Peron lambrose yes Miss Neer gang yes Miss sax yes Miss froga yes Mr nulan yes okay next up is an ordinance introduction ordinance 202 24-4 an ordinance authorizing the lease of a portion of the community park south tennis facility for a public purpose to the Princeton tennis program pursuant to local lands and Building Law njsa 40 A1 12-14 C and njsa 4 a 12-15 i public hearing February 12th 2024 sir thank you Michelle introducing that and E for seconding that it's a roll call vote Miss Peron lambrose yes Miss Neer gang yes Miss saxs yes Miss froga yes Mr nulan yes car I I just want to add mayor you need to add like a beat to these uh you know how you read them with all the numbers and everything got it okay resolutions are up next 2436 resolution of the mayor and Council of Princeton authorizing the approval of the governor's Council on alcoh alcoholism and drug abuse dmhas youth leadership Grant in the amount of $924 cti's got the motion and Eve's got the second questions or comments see none all in favor please say I I I 24-37 resolution of the mayor and coun of Princeton authorizing the award of a professional a Professional Services agreement to tnm Associates for 2024 landfill gas monitoring groundwater sampling and annual inspection for an amount not to exceed $74,400 is there a motion thank you Eve is there a second thank you Michelle any Council questions or comments Eve Dean I'd like to uh put you on the spot in uh I think quote a movie uh maybe The Agony and the Ecstasy when will there be an end to it like when are we when are we going to be done with the the work on uh at this site and uh can you just give us a brief sketch sure so the the landfill is on Municipal property commonly known as 298 River Road um it is located more directly to the south of the Stony Brook Regional sewage Authority um it's technically is not a closed landfill at this point we've been working with d to do some uh remedial drainage improvements so once a landfill is closed you have to go through this process for at least 20 years and at that point they determine if it's acceptable or if you then need to continue beyond that time period so thank you for the very yeah at least 20 years from now other Council questions or comments right seeing none all in favor please say I I I 24-38 resolution of the mayor and Council of Princeton authorizing the award of a contract with Interstate Waste Services of New Jersey Inc for option number one solid waste and bulk waste collection utilizing contractor supplied 64g carts for the second year of a 5-year term for an amount not to exceed 1, 37,999 is there a motion on that thank you Eve is there a second thank you m Michelle questions or comments Council Michelle yeah I mean I you know the the carts are out um I think now the uh the new Hall are working but I just was curious I mean do we have some idea as far as the cost savings or what the Tipping uh difference is now that we're down to one one c a household which can sometimes be painful especially over the holiday season when the kids were home um but D do you have any any more information about how we're doing with this contract I would have to double check with the assistant engineer Jim purcel and I can get back to you on that okay um but we we felt or we understood that there might be a pinch point or pain during the holiday holidays so we did bring in a uh a rollof so people who generated extra waste during the holiday season could dispose of it um and that'll be something that we would look to implement again going forward for this next holiday season thank you that was a good idea I didn't take advantage of it but I will next time thanks yeah really good idea thank you other Council questions or comments All I see none all in favor please say I I I 24-39 resolution of the mayor and Council of Princeton authorizing a supplemental Professional Services agreement with Clark Kon hints in the amount of $477 360 for additional services and furtherance of master plan and master plan reexamination report is there a motion Thank You Leon is there a second thank you Mia Justin I imagine you're here because of this item and so to make it worthwhile for you having sat here this long please jump in and tell us what you need to tell us certainly excuse me uh thank you mayor um as you may know by now the master plan was adopted on November 30th uh and it was the municipality's first overhaul in 27 years uh initially funding was allocated by Council and awarded to our consultant Clark Kon hints in 2022 with an additional request for funding approved Midway through last year uh this request is for additional funding to to the consultant uh to close out the master plan now that it's adopted um additional funding is needed for things both throughout the process going back to when it started in 2022 uh and more directly uh since our most recent and final invoice has received in in uh mid December uh these include things like the consultant attending nearly 10 hours of of public hearings uh when they might have budgeted for fewer hours um revising the planed document based on what we heard from the public at those meetings which uh was not part of our initial RFP but we made sure to do so uh as well as things like there being more meetings with staff uh and master plan steering committee uh members and subcommittees then initially budgeted for uh to thoroughly vet and discuss and refine uh all manners of things within all of the elements of the plan uh there was a a need for additional GIS data creation and mapping work outside of our in-house capabilities we now have a position out uh for that but we didn't at the time um there were also changes in Staffing on both sides uh throughout the process that required changes uh to our our backend work and how that kept the the um uh process going uh we added in weekly coordination calls between myself and the consultant that were not originally in but deemed necessary to keep everything together uh particularly when some in the community uh you know both wellwishers and detractors uh said this process would not and could not ever get done uh and just generally this funding and and in addition to what was previously awarded covers what some you know including someone tonight uh have called the uh most public Outreach in a process in prinston since at least consolidation and and maybe before then as well uh including things like steering committee meetings open houses online surveys planning board meetings and hearings and updates uh input from bccc's listening sessions that were added in uh and then just compiling and utilizing the input from all those events uh and what we heard from the literally thousands of Princeton residents uh probably over 10,000 uh when all is said and done uh through the Outreach um with that all being said uh I'm happy to answer any questions that you might have thank you very much Council questions okay did a very good job Justin thank you thank you Justin there's no questions all in favor please say I I I next up is the consent agenda if no one wants any one of the items pulled for further discussion someone could move the consent agenda Leticia moving the whole agenda yes thank you Leon's got the second all in favor please say I I okay David's not here would someone else like to Eve making the motion to adjourn and Michelle to okay uh all in favor say I I I good night the meeting is adjourned thank you very much thank you to everybody that attended this evening