##VIDEO ID:EI80SgMONAo## there we go it just came on all right I got to start over hey everybody welcome it's January 7th 2025 welcome to the reorganization meeting of prinston New Jersey we are going to start with our meeting statement please 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 Eve's going to do the land acknowledgement We Gather today on the land of the Len Lenape 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 Eve could we have a roll call of the 2024 Council Miss pron lambrose here miss Neer gang here Mr Cohen here miss Sachs here miss Fraga here Mr nulan here mayor Freda here you have Quorum if you're able to stand and want to do so and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stand stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all again let me thank everyone for being here I want to call out although I think everybody's aware Governor Murphy has joined us this evening thank you very much Governor Senator zwicker is here assemblyman uh Roy finer uh Fryman is here my bad sorry I'm getting nervous and assembly woman M uh Michelle jolis is here and former mayor of Trenton Doug Palmer who are all we appreciate you being here tonight thank you all right Governor Murphy you you have the floor if you Flor may please um I want to thank Mark and cast for allowing me to say a few words this is a community that's very a very personal level to me R the way back the very first group meeting I spoke before thousand years ago very early days when it was C waso Liz and I gra C early days Mark and I worked together a thousand years ago at Golden Sachs and I'm tonight govern ises am of livingly crating what's so special about our son Charlie is a recent Graduate University I could go on if you add up commities very top so I'm to be back tonight I'm honored to be here with Mark and his colleagues as well asan you sir also the off I don't want to take up a whole lot of your evening on this school night but just to say this has been a crazy this last year was kind of a crazy year in the world and my guess is it's not going to get less crazy in 2025 we still got two full on Wars we're still digging out from and high interest rates and affordability challenges we got a new federal Administration coming in in days and that's usually challenging period in normal circumstances never mind these guys a fraction what they there's going to be enormous repercussions all over will be no exception said that I'm a I'm a huge bull in the state right now it's not to say we would solve all of our problems or we don't have state all those challenges I just went through those to I love play our just got the DAT a l dat ofation 2023 2024 and in the top percent tops of PW number of bodies I think that says a lot folks want to be here they like our values they like our value proposition every State's got a bumper sticker ours is number America to raise a family we TR to live by that all of us I know every single day there's no community that embodies that more thanon it's a quential New Jersey Community now you have a lot of people coming in you have to make sure that value proposition holds up you've got enough housing particularly affordable housing you've got seats in schools you got job opportunities the trains work the roads work this is a place that canand up to 9 half million people when I became govern which only years ago we were under million so for all this conversation about moving more moving in moving out which again I think a good thing we have to make sure that we stay sharp and stay at the edge The Cutting Edge of that value position that includes our diversity which we as a of our values you know all theu with that number one ucation system in America I can't do this alone for sure we have great County folks great local leadership and we got great legislative Partners have again out weing Cho envirment and that's to say the least um I I love what we're doing collectively including this community in new JY I think a time like this it's almost like a magnet people are going to be attracted to professional cool headed stick to their values put one foot in front of the other leadership they want less drama not more drama they want to know that standing by all of our communities not just some especially those most vulnerable you're holding your values dear you're cool professional doing your job I this group behind me exies that I hope we do as best we can at the state level and for all those reasons you T the very best in their election as well thank you very much I didn't realize you're standing right was to say where's your family how are you good to see you he that I gotta raise my right yeah you're right up do you want toell you want that sure okay ready to R okay I state your name I Mark Freda do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution that I will support the Constitution of the United States of the United States and the Constitution and the constitution of the state of New Jersey of the state of New Jersey that I will bear true faith that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and allegiance to the same and to the governments established and to the governments established in the united states in the United States and in this state and in this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and that I will Faithfully I will faithfully impartially impartially and justly perform perform all the duties of all the duties of the office of Mayor the office of Mayor according to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability so help me God so help me God congratulations [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] we do bar as well no we have two more okay um next up Eve Neer gang council member extraordinaire is leaving us I guess it's okay but the floor is yours thank you and uh congratulations thank you good evening everyone I would like to start by thanking my family who have put up with many late late nights and distracted weekends Andy Miriam and Sam I could not have done this without your love your gentle criticism and your unwavering support you've helped me sharpen my ideas and conso me when things were challenging I also want to thank my hardworking and dedicated colleagues on the governing body who have made my six years on Council memorable and sometimes even fun mayor mark whose commitment to this community in which he has lived his entire life is unrivaled and who runs our meetings with unwavering common courtesy thank you councilman Leighton nulan who never loses sight of his goal of care for those who are struggling and whose commitment to Princeton's African-American community and its proud history is always clear councilwoman Michelle Peron lambrose whose dedication to to strengthening our business Community by creating Princeton's special improvement district has been greatly beneficial for the municipality councilwoman Leticia Fraga whose passion for working with our youth and with Princeton Spanish-speaking Community has improved our Outreach Outreach and conveyed the governing body's concern for all who live here councilwoman Mia saxs whose knowledge base and connections to housing experts have been key to the implementation of our affordable housing plan councilman David Cohen whose Keen eye for detail both architectural and otherwise and grasp of the larger picture is essential for our infrastructure development financial health and planning efforts and I want to extend my best wishes to incoming councilman Brian McDonald whose Financial Acumen passion for the Arts and commitment to the envir environment and sustainability will be a great asset to the governing body I would also like to thank our fabulous Municipal staff I had many names in here but I took almost all of them out in the interest of time they turn our vision and goals into reality our Municipal attorneys for keeping us out of trouble our many Community Partners without whom we could accomplish M so much less the volunteers on our boards commissions and committees who bring us their ideas and who work to implement ours I want to spend a few minutes sharing some of the most important lessons I've learned during my time on Council the first lesson it takes a really long time to get things even small things done in my first year on Council the Princeton environmental commission urg Council to pass an ordinance allowing for backyard poll Tre I thought this seems non-controversial and we'll get this done in no time it took about 15 months the commitment of many individuals and an inordinate number of meetings for this to become reality but I hear the chickens are happy lesson two you can't do anything on your own I spent much of my time over the last six years working to preserve open space at the end of 2021 we acquired 53 acre tract which recently opened to the public and on December 30th 2024 we closed on the 90 acre tract which means we've successfully preserved the two largest remaining tracks of open land in Princeton the sheer number of Partners involved in these Acquisitions is astounding the state of New Jersey's greenacre program Mera County four separate environmental nonprofits private Don ERS many members of our staff members of several bccs and the rid viw Turtles this Coalition was unusually large but virtually every Council initiative involves the building of such Partnerships and coalitions lesson three sometimes you need to compromise although I continue to believe that a cannabis dispensary makes sense for Princeton because a dispensary and its Revenue could have been used to promote Equity goals early in the public discussions on this issue there may have been an opportunity for compromise on a potential dispensary location at that point I didn't think compromise was necessary I now think that my failure to seek a compromise was a failure of leadership and I regret that I didn't try to find a solution that was acceptable to all another example prompted by quiet Princeton as well as numerous complaints about the noise and health effects of gas leaf blowers I helped start the process to regulate gas leaf blowers in Princeton with sustainable Princeton and several other Community Partners we worked with the predominantly Spanish-speaking Landscaping communities and Crews to build consensus around regulating this equipment this effort kept equity and social justice goals foremost heeding the concerns expressed by the landscapers and their representatives we crafted an ordinance that seasonally restricted but did not ban gas leaf blowers we required landscaping companies to prove that they had Workers Compensation Insurance so that injured crew members knew they would have access to Medical Care we placed enforcement responsibilities for the ordinance with a new community new community compliance officer rather than with the Princeton Police Department so as not to Road trust issues between the police and the community by taking the time to work together and share our foremost concerns we were able to reach a compromise and successfully implement this initiative Lesson Four be willing to trust your decisions and also be willing to change your mind early in my first term an opportunity Rose to buy a composter for use in our composting program well it was ially very excited research and a visit to the university which operated a similar composter made me realize that it was Impractical for the town to manage this equipment it took courage to be the sole no vote on Council ultimately we sold the composter as it was not feasible to operate it here but this experience showed me that it was okay to come to a different conclusion than my colleagues another thing that happened early in my tenure the installation of an artificial turf field at Hilltop Park which had already been improved in concept but still required some authorizations from Council despite some reservations I felt that the project was so far along that it couldn't be changed or halted and I voted in favor of taking those next steps at the next environmental commission meeting many members of the environmental commission and the public were deeply distressed about this decision my very weak response at the time was well it had already been approved by Council and it's a done deal was not to say the least greeted with a claim after that tumultuous meeting I visited Hilltop park and realized that a turf field which couldn't be used for anything except as a playing field would essentially monopolize The Limited Park area and deprive the affordable housing community directly across the street with access to green space after that visit and after reading the research compiled by PC members I worked to stop the installation of the turf field at Hilltop changing my position was somewhat embarrassing but living with something that I didn't believe in was worse going to Hilltop also taught me that there is no sub substitute for a site visit ultimately we installed an inclusive playground at Hilltop that is used by families from all over Princeton lesson five leadership matters as chair of the Personnel committee I led the search for a new Municipal administrator in 2021 the head of the search firm that we worked with stressed to us that this would be the most important and consequential action we would take as governing body members those words of costum of caution and wisdom really resonated me with me and informed our efforts to find the best person for Princeton which I believe we did administrator Bernie husovic has been the unflappable hardworking and smart administrator that Princeton needs and we are very lucky to have him alongside Bernie we have two extraordinarily capable Deputy administers administrators Deanna Stockton also our Municipal engineer and Jeff grer also our health officer I want to thank all three of these individuals for their leadership of our town their hard work their friendship and their guidance I also want to mention the importance of leadership at our Police Department I can't imagine that there is a better Police Department in the state and that is in large part due to the phenomenal leadership of Nick Sutter Chris Morgan John bukar and our current chief Chris Tash I want to thank them and the women and men who live the values of community policing and serve the people of Princeton every day final lesson building good relationships is a key to success early in 2024 Princeton University and the municipality announced an historic five-year voluntary contribution agreement in it the university agreed to contribute to the MP to the municipality to local nonprofits and directly to Residents to help address the economic and social needs of lower and middle inome residents and to address climate resiliency and sustainability this agreement was the result of resetting the relationship with the university to focus on the many shared interests in the community we jointly inhabit as well as many months of discussion between our negotiating team of which I was part with our University Partners this agreement marks a significant step forward in building this important partnership there were a lot of other things that I wanted to include here and a lot of other people I wanted to thank but this is already longer than I hop for so I'm going to make a final point and make a final uh statement of thanks most of us on Council and many more who live in this community or would like to live in this community can no longer afford to rent or buy a house in Princeton today we must look at at further changing our zoning to allow more moderate or mle middle inome housing and I truly believe that the best way to do that is to allow multif family housing throughout the municipality while single family zoning is seen by many as as American as apple pie it originated to exclude those seen as undesirable people of color poor people single or divorced women Etc we can and must do better if we wish to address the crisis of housing affordability and homelessness and like many things that looks scary in the abstract the reality of mix zoning is not scary think of the tree streets with their mixes of duplexes and single family homes or the homes on Nassau or Wiggins that used to be huge single family homes and now house several Apartments without any real sign of change in the street in the streetcape we can rise to meet these crisis and I truly believe that we should change is hard but it is inevitable and it cannot be stopped if we don't manage change and make it work for us we will be its victims ways of doing things that have worked in the past may not work going forward and I believe that all of us need to recognize that fact my final thanks go to my bosses the people of Princeton who saw fit to elect me twice and whose welfare has always been my priority living in a town of smart passionate well-informed people results in a constant flow of input from the community to the to the governing body and our bcc's while we don't always love hearing criticism your ideas make us in the town better I appreciate your wisdom and your passion thanks to all for a great six years [Applause] [Music] Years love you okay next up the oath of office first we will do councilman Leon nulan and his oath of office will be administered by Douglas H Palmer former mayor of Trenton I want it like the governor had it so all right put your left hand put your right hand up repeat after me I state your name I Leon Nan do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and I will bear truth faith and allegiance to the same and to the governments established in the United States and to the governments establish lished in the United States and in this state and in this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and that I will faithfully and that I will faithfully and partially and partially and justly perform and justly perform all the duties of the office of councilman all the duties of the office of councilman according to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability so help me God so help me God congratulations my brother thank you [Applause] [Music] okay okay thank you next we will have the oath of office administered to newly elected councilman Brian McDonald and that oath of office will be administered by state senator Andrews wicker 16th legislative district sorry I state your name I Brian McDonald do solemly swear do solemly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and the constitution of the state of New Jersey that I will bear true faith that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and allegiance to the same and to the governments established and to the governments established in the united states in the United States and in this state and in this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and that I will faithfully and that I will faithfully impartially impartially and justly and justly perform all the duties perform all the duties of the office of of of the office of councilman councilman according to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability so help me God so help me God congratulations thank you that's fine you can move over so is the change as Eve steps off Brian steps up okay can we have a roll call of the 2025 Council Please Mr McDonald here miss pron lambrose here Mr Cohen here miss Sachs here Miss Fraga here Mr nulan here mayor Freda here you have Quorum thank you very much next up is election of the council president is there a motion David yeah I moved uh to uh elect M sanks as council president okay is there a second Thank You Leon all in favor please say I I hi Mia saak is the council president for 2025 so the um oath of office to be administered to me as council president will also be performed or administered I should say by state senator Andrew zwicker Bernie I see I do solemnly swear doly swear that I support the Constitution of the United States the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of New Jersey constitution of the state of New Jersey that I will bear true faith that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the sa and aliance to the sa and to the government's established governments established in the united states in the United States and in this state and in the state under the authority of the people under the authority of the and that I will faithfully and that I will faithfully impartially and justly perform all the duties perform all the duties of the office of council president according to the best of my bill to the best con [Music] [Applause] next up is our consent agenda there are 31 very exciting items um Financial uh transactions that need to take place contracts put in place uh tax uh items Etc a whole bunch of things that we have to do at the very beginning of each year uh to keep the government running so if someone on Council thank you Leticia would move that consent agenda in Block Michelle has the second all in favor please say I I I okay those 31 items are approved thank you very much I have the pleasure of being able to give uh my remarks and that'll be followed by Mia's remarks and then the council members remarks first I want to share some thank yous Governor Phil Murphy someone I believe has been an excellent governor and a true friend thank I thank him for making time to be with us tonight to my family Beth Rebecca and Alex thank you for your support patience and understanding that allows me to do this work to everyone that helped me with my two campaigns a sincere thank you to all that voted for me another sincere thank you to all the residents that I have had the pleasure to interact with over the last four years I appreciate those interactions to our County state and federal elected officials and their staffs thank you for your help and your support to our Municipal staff that helped make us look good every day I know how important you are to this town and I know that many of you will be here much longer than any of us up here I do have to admit that I love doing the work that goes along with being the mayor of this town it is a privilege to serve our community I try hard to reflect what I believe being an elected official should be those things are such as this listen to others as in actually hearing what they have to say and seriously considering their suggestions and opinions when any of us decides our personal opinion is always right that's a problem welcome differing opinions we cannot always think of every possible point on every issue so we should be open to listening to others that may bring forth something that we had not thought of or something that we were not fully aware of we should always be open to changing our minds based on new or updated information be open and be honest it's really simple I know that I mean what I say I do not believe in Hidden agendas or playing word games with people I prefer to be open to be honest and to be to the point it is all about the people we serve it is not about us never forget that we are making business decisions it is not personal when we disagree with each other never forget that it is not always easy being up here when the room is full of a lot of people who do not agree with us basically asking what the hell are we doing but that is part of our job letting people Express themselves nicely I hope and our understanding that this is the place for the public to express their concerns on matters we are discussing as many residents know when you ask me to help you on something I try my best to figure out how and who to help you some residents have been surprised that I have offered them sound advice even when I disagree with their goal but they deserve my help as much as the people I agree with well I always make the decisions that you agree with no will I always be right no will you get my best effort every day yes you will the next four years as far as my style and my core beliefs will be very similar to the last four years I will work hard for this town and everyone who lives and works here I will strive to do my best every day I will continue to listen to and seriously consider your opinions and suggestions I will push the council to do what I believe is the right thing to do and to do it the right way it is not my style to take individual credit for any of our achievements to me each thing we have achieved and will achieve is due to a large team working together to make that happen I am content to know that I do make a difference and a difference that I believe is to the advantage of our town but I also know we can do better we can communicate better we can listen better and we can work better as a team one thing I have learned from my corporate experience is that what you achieved yesterday is yesterday today is a new day we all need to ask what can and what should be what should we do better what should we improve on today and tomorrow never stop thinking like that never rest on past achievements thank you all for being here today a healthy and successful 2025 to everyone thank [Music] you okay council president suck yeah I think it's appropriate to give the duly elected officials the next chance to speak so Brian and Leighton you can choose between the two of you which who would like to go first hard to go after Leighton but okay thank you thank you good evening everyone and thanks for being here I want to give a a love shout out to my significant other the love of my life Tia jamat for coming here tonight and holding the Bible for me and also want to give a shout out to another love of my life my best friend Doug Palmer who for the last 73 years we've been together and uh I've learned a lot from him as as a good friend and also as the first African-American mayor of the great city of Trenton capitol of New Jersey uh so again welcome and thanks for being here good evening family colleagues neighbors and friends as I begin my second term on this Council I am humbled by the trust you've placed in me and emboldened by the responsibility it carries being a Native Son of Princeton gives me a unique Vantage Point I've walked these streets my entire life and my love love for this town and his people run deep this isn't just where I live it's who I am over the past three years I've worked to embody what it means to be a local representative someone who listens learns and leads with integrity and passion through initiatives like Laton listens where I meet with residents at local retail establishments every Wednesday I've heard firsthand that Joys frustrations and aspirations of our community often it's not about doing anything at all people simply want to be heard the act of listening has shaped my leadership and grounded my work and my first term I focused on affordable housing social services and strengthening the human infrastructure that makes prinston more livable and Equitable for everyone have I had 100% success at every no will I continue to work towards completion and getting in more good trouble yes as liaison to the historic preservation commission I spent considerable time thinking about how we hold on to the stories structures and spaces that Define who we are especially in neighborhoods like with SPO Jackson but let me be honest I'm not in the room for every zoning or land use discussion that's not my Lane yet I see the effects I see the big picture and let me tell you it's very complicated we're standing at a Crossroads perhaps one of the most critical points in Princeton's history take a walk down Witherspoon Street once a vibrant Hub of black families and businesses it's now a neighborhood transformed homes that once so sold for $150,000 are now pushing $750,000 or more longtime residents some whose families lived here for Generations are gone the word gentrification gets thrown around but let's be clear this isn't just about Rising property values it's about displacement culture and people losing their place in the story of Princeton gentrification isn't happening in isolation it's the result of a system that privileges some at the expense of others that system is embedded in zoning laws land use policies and even our approach to Historic preservation the question is how do we find balance how do we preserve the past while making room for the future real Equity means more than just maintaining buildings it means preserving the stories and ensuring that Princeton remains a place for everyone it means asking hard questions can we integrate affordable housing into every part of town can zoning encourage not just economic diversity but cultural and racial diversity as well are as we look ahead will tackle some priorities like strengthening our collaboration with the Princeton housing authority to address building Pathways to reduce operational costs through Shar Services agreements and other initiatives that improve the quality of life for our underserved residents implementing an affirmative marketing plan that ensures our affordable housing obligation is met with integrity and inclusivity addressing short-term rentals in a way that balances Economic Opportunity with Community stability expanding mental health education and Outreach particularly for our youth and seniors exploring Innovative revenue streams to build equity for marginalized communities working with experience Princeton on economic development retail recruitment retail mix helping to make our downtown even more Dynamic and diverse working with our qualified purchasing agent to address findings in the New Jersey procurement disparities study and ensure Fair opportunities for minority and women business enterprises fostering greater equity and inclusion in how we approach land use and Redevelopment strengthening the role of art culture and music as a tool to build community and Foster connections a message to The Architects developers and Builders of this town every brick every beam and every project sends a message are we creating a Princeton that welcomes everyone or one that prices out working amilies immigrants people of color My grandmother used to say every shut eye ain't sleep just because folks aren't making noise doesn't mean they're not paying attention and let's be clear people are paying attention I've spent the past three years being a good student of good governance learning the intricacies of policy the complexity of bureaucracy and and the weight of the responsibility that comes with this seat governance isn't just about having Vision it's about having the skill the courage and the persistence to navigate The Maze of systems and structures that stand between ideas and action I've done the homework I've asked the hard questions I've built the relationships now I'm ready ready to lead with even greater purpose deeper resolve and sharper Focus the stakes are too high the clock is ticking the time to hesitate is gone we can't afford half measures or empty promises we need bold action unwavering commitment and a willingness to shake the foundations of the status quo I'm here to get in some good trouble the kind of trouble that writes wrongs amplifies voices and opens doors that have been closed for far too long I'm here to govern with the intentionality that time demands to fight for those who've been left behind and to make sure Princeton's future is one we can all share in this isn't just about Princeton this is about the Princeton across the country Town struggling to hold on to their history their people and their promise what we do here matters not just for today but for generations to come I am Leon nulan I am for the people and I am ready to work harder think bigger and fight smarter to ensure that Princeton lives up to its highest ideals let's get to work the best version of Princeton is still ahead of us and we will build it together thank [Applause] [Music] you lesson one try not to speak after Lon good evening let me begin with a lot of gratitude thanks to everyone who supported me in the primary and general elections I'm deeply grateful for that support and honored to serve as a member of Princeton Council thanks to our state and local leaders who are here especially Governor Murphy and Senators wicker thanks to Eve Neer gang for six years of distinguished service on Council and for her Decades of service to our community thanks to everyone who has served on this Council or its predecessors burough Council and Township committee these are timec consuming and difficult jobs and as a 30-year resident I'm grateful for the service of members of the governing bodies the Mayors the staff and many hundreds of volunteers who have served on our boards committees and commissions I would like to mention two public servants by name who I had the privilege to work with first Liz lpert who with Scott sillers and Z erif got me involved almost 15 years ago as a member of the Citizens Finance advisory committee Liz has encouraged me and many others to be engaged in involved citizens and I am grateful for her p leadership for her continued service to our community and for her friendship second I would like to take a moment to remember Bernie Miller Bernie was a wonderful person and a dedicated public servant whose memory and spirit will guide me as I seek to honor his commitment to our town I am grateful for his past leadership and for the manner in which he served finally special thanks to my wife Leah who for more than 30 years has supported me and my efforts to give back to my community Community I want to honor her own service to our community which has been long-standing and exemplary in yesterday's snow she still drove to arm in-arm to do her weekly shift as a volunteer so thank you Leah for your love and support and for your service to our community in August I sat on a panel with other candidates for local office we were joined by then congressman and now Senator Andy Kim Andy remarked that service isn't just a job it's a way of life I couldn't agree more and look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work Princeton is a special town but we're at a pivotal time we are growing and as we grow we must ensure that our growth is smart sustainable and respectful of our unique character at a time when the average home costs well in excess of $1 million we must find ways to make our town more affordable for individuals and families at all income levels so that our significant diversity which is one of our great strengths and defining characteristics may be sustained and expanded climate change requires us to increase our resiliency to cope with more extreme weather events and to sign and to protect our environment and continue to be a state leader in sustainability with a changing economy we need to maintain a vibrant downtown that supports local businesses while also nurturing other areas of commercial activity including the shopping center and rout to 6 at the northern edge of town and we need to do all of this while delivering services that are excellent efficient and serve the needs of all residents while working to hold tax increases as low as possible finally Princeton has an incredible number of exceptional nonprofit institutions we must nourish strong Partnerships with our institutions ranging from the YMCA and YWCA to the prinston public library and the Arts Council The Institute for advanced study the Seminary Princeton University and especially our public schools and we must work closely with our houses of faith I hope to bring fresh perspectives to the council and to help find solutions to the full spectrum of challenges and opportunities that our town will face in the coming years thank you again for your [Applause] support so someone Among Us who will remain named recently said that listening to us is more boring than C-SPAN so I'm going to try to be brief um first I want to congratulate um all three of our new newly elected Leon Mark and Brian Brian coming from the school board to counsel all I can say is frying pan to fire um but you're well prepared um I also want to thank my family um especially my mom who I wish could be here but it has been a very difficult year for her um and she's watching and I want to say Mom you sometimes ask me if I love the town more than you um and I want to say that since this is my hometown you have both parented me but I'm very grateful that mom you are far less demanding than the town so thank you for that um I want to thank my husband and all the spouses of the governing body members and Beth um who really it's very difficult um you all put up with a lot and and sacrifice a lot to do to put up with what what what we're doing which is so meaningful for us and so thank you to my husband who um rides New Jersey Transit daily so on his behalf since we have some State officials here I just want to say I hope we can do a little better and I'm very glad that there is a a Princeton resident who is now going to head up the uh rescue effort for New Jersey Transit and uh that gives me some hope um and to my son who was just here to swear me in um I am so proud of you and as a senior at Princeton High School you embody what our Public School System gives to the students to go through it and it as I say it produces as I often say it produces um young people who graduate with a tremendous sense of commitment to their Community to their country To The World At Large to sustainability to human rights to civil rights and to making the world a better place and I believe that we have the finest High School in the country and I'm I'm so proud of my son and all of the the students who will graduate from Princeton High School this year um okay I'm already I I'm already sounding like C-SPAN okay um I it's just hard for me to um talk tonight without um thinking about what weighs heavily on all of us and that is the election of the past year and I have reached out in the in you know in the past few weeks to um constituents in our community and ask them what they would like to see from us in the next year and I um I I think the thing that I've heard the most is anxiety about what's coming in in the new Administration so I'd like to talk a little bit about Hope and Leadership and local action for a better future at a time when National policies May discourage us or even stand in direct opposition to these principles I want to share a message of Hope and determination what are the values that bind us as a community values of inclusion fairness and Steward stewardship in our community progress will not depend solely on what happens in Washington DC it will depend on what we choose to get to do together here and now despite the challenges we're committed to Pro proving that local action can drive meaningful change whether it's standing up for immigrants rights expanding access to affordable housing or advancing sustainability we have the power to lead and Inspire others to follow what does that mean in practice first and foremost defending immigrants rights immigrants en enrich our community in countless ways as workers business owners neighbors and Friends while Federal policies will soon undoubtedly seek to marginalize ex or exclude we in Princeton are committed to making this community a place where everyone feels valued and welcomed second tackling the housing crisis with Equity affordable housing is a Cornerstone of a just and inclusive community while exclusionary zoning policies peret perpetuate housing inequities we are taking bold steps to ensure that everyone has a place to call home third leading on sustainability for a Greener future sustainability isn't just a nice to have it's a promise to Future Generations even as Federal policies May threaten to roll back Environmental Protections we in Princeton are committed to proving that local government can lead the way in fighting climate change what gives me hope is the resilience and determination of our community time and again we have proven that when we come together we can overcome obstacles and build something better so let's not be discouraged but what by what we can't control instead let's focus on what we can achieve together because the future we want a future of inclusion opportunity and sustainability isn't Just a Dream we're already building it right here in Princeton with every policy we enact every program we launch and every neighbor we support thank you to my colleagues for your partnership vision and commitment to creating a brighter more hopeful future for this town [Applause] thank you uh Brian as you learned sometimes it's not so easy to go after Leighton uh but let me say that there's times when it actually it is a good thing because uh Lon you know I have found our our time working together that uh we we share the same values the same hopes aspirations and and what we dream about that we how we want to make our community better so because you are so great at expressing uh and so eloquent at expressing what I'm thinking and you know uh that it's not such a bad thing to go after you because I can say what he said and that means I can also keep my remarks very brief you can thank me later uh so uh good evening and happy New Year to everyone as I embark on my eighth year on Princeton Council I take a moment to reflect on my work over the past seven years and I need my reading glasses not only are combined achievements but also the tasks that still lie ahead my primary objective has always been to advance policies that enhance the quality of life for our residents particularly those in underserved communities who have historically been overlooked we have made significant progress in vious areas that address these needs for example we have implemented policies that have created and will continue to create more affordable housing additionally we have launched initiatives that provide Health Care access to many individuals who might not otherwise receive the care that many of us take for granted including medical dental and vision care as well as vaccines for everyone including uninsured individuals each year our governing body convenes to establish our goals indiv individually we each have a list of aspirations and after compiling these we engage in discussions to prioritize our objectives before deciding on our Collective Focus I bring this up because as I reflected on the goals we've set during my time on Council I believe that we we have made commendable progress there's still much work to be done but experience has shown that as long as we collaborate we can achieve great things we recognize our responsibility to meet the needs of those we serve and to create policies that will uplift our community I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has played a role in our success our Municipal staff our community partners and of course our friends and family who have consistently offered their support and encouragement over the [Applause] [Music] years not to be a total Downer but I'm going to pick up on me's theme and talk a little bit about response to the election um after the election it seems like we should be redoubling our commitment to those Municipal efforts most likely to be negatively impacted by the change in administration at the federal level I'm sure we all have our own fears and for boings about what the next couple of years will bring from a purely selfish perspective when I think about my grandkids what keeps me up at night is concerned about climate change both how to slow it and how to be prepared for it I've been working on these goals ever since I was first elected in 2017 serving as the council liaison to The Climate action plan steering committee supporting sustainable development and smart growth through participation on the planning board advocating for Alternative forms of transportation like biking and walking exploring Community solar and Community energy aggregation on our infrastructure and operations committee and pushing for better storm water management to mitigate the regional increase in extreme storm events really that's just to mention a few of the things that we've worked on in the past seven years in response to the new threats embodied in slogans like drill baby drill I have been moved to up my game by joining the local policy climate Network um thank thanks to Eve for introducing me to um a formal councilman from Cambridge who is um now working on that in uh with that group uh I've applied to participate in the 2025 Champions Institute for complete streets uh I've been participating in the Watershed institute's Regional working group for the lower Millstone River Watershed and and I've been serving on the Central Jersey Transportation forum steering committee and I just want to mention there's sort of a theme here all of these sort of newer efforts are efforts to reach beyond the boundaries of Princeton we can do a lot here but we also really have to be responding on a regional level um to try and maximize our impact uh in resisting some of the trends we see nationally if you'd like to hear more about any of these initiatives and all the other things I'm working on or you want to share your own ideas please reach out it's easy to find my email on the municipal website I'd love to get together and strategize how best we can all rise to meet the challenge of this moment in America through local and Regional action [Music] thanks they say last but not least um so I'd like to well first of all thank Eve um for all your service we're going to miss you uh terribly um but really pleased that Brian is uh on board now welcome and congratulations to Leon Mark and Brian for your reelection um I would like to kind of delve into the theme too about the trepidation about what's going to happen at the national level I feel personally like doubling down and saying let's do all we can here locally um but did they say politics starts at the local level and uh it's all local so uh I think we are so honored and fortunate to share these values our common theme between all of us here on on Council uh I'd like to start off to by talking a little bit about some of the initiatives on more of a positive uh note because um it's it's it's it's hard to think about um the things that we're going to need to um hold dear to us and uh what's going to happen here in the future at the very near future uh I have to say that every time we start reorg we always talk about all the work we have to do uh and then once we check check the box there's like two or three more projects that fill um looking back just in the last year we've built tremendously on the successes for instance on our special improvement district experience Princeton we work to make the town more wel welcoming to business of all sizes to attract and retain the small owner operated businesses that give our town their special unique character uh we also support the larger establishments because they're a great draw just this past year we added enormous investment we saw enormous investment in our Comm commercial sector we had a new hotel many new restaurants and Retail all with a very positive impact on the vibrancy of our town so we continue to support the growth of our our centers of Commerce and new residential developments by working to enhance the transit Solutions this year we're planning an expansion of our imunity bus routes with our two new EV buses that will be delivered this year they will move residents visitors students and employees around town we need to continue to work hard to find better solutions for our residents commuting employees students and visitors including increased bike and micromobility infrastructure uh David you've been a champion of that from the very beginning I've learned a lot from you um and the uh pbac uh we need more traffic calming improved streetscapes and improved and expanded parking facilities I also need to mention this is really exciting this is the year we'll be getting the town ready for the 250th celebration Princeton is Central to the 10 crucial days of the Revolution being ready to build on the enormous impact of this pivotal moment in our nation's history and creating long-term assets for Heritage and cultural tourism for our town is a unique opportunity that takes a great deal of advanced planning and coordination between us the town experienced Princeton our federal state and County representatives and a wide variety of Community Partners it's an exciting time for Princeton we have a once in a generation opportunity with W Westminster for public purposes that include Recreation educational community and Social Services we will soon undertake a community engagement process which will be an exciting challenge as with this property and all our other public buildings and assets we make we need to make fiscally prudent decisions and we need to work towards finding the best purpose for our public assets that work for our residents we are working to enhance our recreational facilities we continue the process of vitalizing Community Park South it's an important undertaking to provide access to sports and recreation to provide a healthy lifestyle for our residents of all ages in addition in addition to enhancing community services and Recreation there is the public art percent for art project which we hope to launch in the coming year Princeton has an incredible wealth of talent public art will enhance the identity and attractiveness of Princeton for both residents and visitors amplify our cultural identity Community Pride and Civic engagement and provide a platform cre for creativity and Innovation I'm honored to work with all of you and I know we share these common values and goals our interest areas and backgrounds are different but we compliment each other and it's a pleasure to work with all of you I want to put a special shout out to my husband George who's here and my sons for all the support you give me I would not be able to dedicate the time to the town without your support um and I just want to thank you for that uh as we enter 2025 we have this trepidation at the national level let's focus here locally on our town and first and foremost for the Safety and Security of our residents it's an honor to serve you and thank you all for being here tonight [Music] show uh I just want to I've neglected to introduce one of the elected officials in the audience Paul solomy cavello who's our County Clerk Paula thank you very [Music] much next up on the agenda would be public comments for items not on the agenda so if anyone in the room has a comment you're welcome to come up introduce yourself state your name and address and you have three minutes to chat about whatever it is that's not on the agenda okay I don't see anybody in the room is there anybody online that oh sorry nice to see you again you're not smiling I gave him a hard time Monday you need me to introduce myself first please my name is Rhonda our last name is ABB o TT I like to be contacted by my uh email address which is discrimin ation harm live at proton me gentlemen your business admin administrator he has my email address um my background I graduated from gadet University in Washington DC it's the world's only death College I transferred from the University of Florida and I have two claims to [Music] my grandmother's first cousin was a former Governor PA I don't know if anybody ever heard of Milton chap you heard of Milton Chap and my other claim I'm known as the death poster lady and with that means is the New Jersey law against discrimination regulates posters under employee njac th 81.2 and the Family Leave Act which is under 35 execute housing poster there's two one's for property management the others for Mortgage in the bank under nj3 CL a 1.3 public accommodation njac 8 1.4 and the state adopted medical facilities posters 2022 njac sear Co 8 1.5 there are six posters what do you mean by poster lady long time ago back in 2014 I noticed that nobody was dislay the public accommodation poster Princeton still isn't I definitely visited this town in 2017 I came back every time I went door to door nobody had the poster up I was shocked because even if I didn't set the bar High here you're Ivy Le town I set the bar at minimal compliance the posters are mandated I am shocked your munici building doesn't have the poster up your court doesn't have the poster up your Police Department doesn't have the poster up this poster in 20122 says including Police Department the poster can't list everybody but it does say courts government agencies even says including Police Department I look at everybody in this room and I say to myself it just can't be one Lone Wolf one de woman telling you the F not up I have here members of council and it says that Leti Fraga is on a Civil Rights Commission haven't you heard of a New Jersey Z right can I can you ask one of the interpreters to let her know that her time is up and she needs to wrap up my time limits up and if I have to say this you're parking here you got a priority for parking if you don't have a priority for compliance under the adaa and the New Jersey law against discrimination and now that my time's up I'm just going to have to tell the New Jersey Division SE are reportable offenses and I would like somebody to tell me your a coordinator for the I can file a complaint for denial of access to program service activity in the princi thank you very much thank you thank you okay is there anyone else that has anything under public comments for items not on the agenda no one in the room I see a hand up online who's ever working technology for us could you bring in uh Melissa Melissa H yeah if you could just introduce yourself give us your name and address and then you have the same three minute limit sure my name is Melissa Guzman I'm at 85b Bayard Lane Princeton New Jersey 08540 I would like to know where the Board of Education members and the council has credibility of a movement to reform education for America's lowest income of black and brown school children my child specifically has been discriminated here at the Princeton middle school and I am now homeschooling I would like to know how we are going to raise awareness of neglect of students with their economic and racial segregation going forward with educational needs of transformational change especially with IEPs and how our new superintendent is going to take ownership of how to provide a safe School climate for all including um cyber bullying how are we going to have a good impact on our future and have our children all succeed going forward how are you as the mayor for the next four years going to work with your Council and make sure that we are providing for your lowincome family all right Melissa thank you for your comments if you have the ability to email us at clerk's office at Princeton nj.gov we will find a way to reply to you in a timely manner do we have anyone else online or in the room that has a comment all right seeing no other hands up and no one else in the room I'll declare the public uh hearing or the public comment section of the meeting closed and that is the last item on our agenda and as I love to say towards the end of each meeting David do you have a motion I move the we is there a second thank you Michelle all in favor please say I I I we are done thank you for being here I believe we have some light Refreshments that are going to be in the community room right down the hall so you can either pretend you're going there or walk right by and go home one it's your call thank you [Applause]