##VIDEO ID:yzHYBS3EG-U## e e e e e e e e e this is a regular meeting of the township committee public notice of this meeting has been given as required by the open public meetings law a resolution was adopted on January 1st 2024 designating this date this Hall and 7:30 p.m. as the time for this regular meeting of the town ship Committee of the township of Union in the county of Union a notice of each and every meeting of the township committee was posted in accordance with the afor said open public meetings law in one public place reserved for the posting of ordinances and official notices of the township of Union namely the Bolton board next to the clerk's office in addition theto a copy of said resolution was forwarded to the local source and Star Ledger a copy of said resolution is on file with the clerk of the township thank you madam clerk this evening the prayer will be led by committee woman G Frasier and the flags will be led by Deputy Mayor Flor you all please stand let us bow our hearts and Minds as we gather as members of this Township committee we pray that we are ever mindful of opportunities to render our service to fellow citizens and to our community keeping in mind always the enduring values of Life exerting our efforts in those areas and on those things on which future Generations can build with confidence let us continue to strive to Make a Better Community amen amen flag United States of America to theice Madam CL can we have a roll call please Mr Bowser here M Terrell here Miss Frasier here Mr Florio here mayor figorito here can we have a motion to approve the minutes of the regular session and conference on November 12th 2024 so move second all in favor I Madam clerk will move on with the ordin es and resolutions I have for your consideration on second and final reading in ordinance amending chapter 170 of the municipal code to adopt flood plane management regulations move the ordinance to be taken up for second and final reading second an ordinance by the township Committee of the township of Union amending the township of Union code of ordinances to repeal chapter 170 Article 19 flood damage protection to adopt a new chapter 170 article Article 19 flood plane management to adopt flood Hazard maps to designate a flood plane administrator and provide severability and an effective be is there anyone from the public who wishes to be heard on this move the ordinance be adopted second Mr Bowser yes M Terrell yes Miss Frasier yes Mr Florio yes mayor figuro yes amending ordinance 3729 to add handicap parking spaces in front of 325 Indiana Street 1948 Williams Street 108 prview Avenue and 47 Maple Avenue Mo VI be taken up a second and final reading second an ordinance amending the designation of restricted parking spaces for use by persons with special vehicle identification cards in the township of Union Union County New Jersey this ordinance creates a handicap space in front of of 325 Indiana Street 1948 Williams Street 108 crvw Avenue and 47 Maple Avenue is there anyone from the public who wishes to speak on this ordinance the ordinance be adopted second Mr Bowser yes Miss trell yes Miss Frasier yes Mr Florio yes mayor figorito yes I have for your consideration on draft and first reading an ordinance amending chapter 170 of the municipal code to CL clarify regulations for specific uses move draft be taken up at first reading by title at this time second and ordinance of the township of Union County of union state of New Jersey amending chapter 170 of the municipal code Mr Bowser yes Miss Terell yes Miss Frasier yes Mr Florio yes mayor figorito yes move DFT we taken up at the next regularly scheduled meeting for second and final reading second um we're going to refer this to planning board as well yes yes refer to Mr Bowser yes Miss Terell yes Miss Frasier yes Mr Florio yes mayor figuro yes amending chapter 388 of the municipal code to add supplemental information regarding massage and bodyw work Services move draft be taken up on first reading by title at this time second an ordinance to amend chapter 388 of the code of the township of Union pertaining to massage and bodyw work services to add supplemental information M Mr Bowser yes Miss Terell yes Miss Frasier yes Mr Floria yes mayor figorito move draft be taken up at the next regularly scheduled meeting for second and final reading second Mr Bowser yes Miss Terrell yes Miss Frasier yes Mr Florio yes mayor figorito yes amending the financial agreement ment with Claremont felco urban renewal LLC and assigning same to Union urban renewal exchange LLC move draft be taken up by title at this time second ordinance of the township of Union County of Union Union New Jersey amending the financial agreement with Claremont felco urban renewal LLC formerly known as Claremont 1 and 2 urban renewal LLC and assigning SE to Union urban renewal exchange LLC Mr Bowser yes Miss Chell yes Miss Frasier yes Mr Florio yes mayor figuro yes move draft be taken up at the next regularly scheduled meeting for second and final reading second Mr Bowser yes Miss Terell yes Miss Frasier yes Mr Florio yes mayor figorito yes the following resolutions authorizing a shared services agreement with the township of Scotch Plains to provide a tax collector beginning December mber 1st 2024 move for approval second all in favor authorizing payment of all approved vouchers for solid waste collection H and Disposal at the interm rate of $759 per ton for household waste and $119 12 per ton for bulky waste October move to approve payments second all favor I authorizing a one-year renewal agreement with everbridge Inc to provide emergency notifications to Residents through its code red program at an amount not to exceed $ 16,144 move for approval second all favor I accepting a performance bond in the amount of $4,500 and a cash deposit in the amount of $500 and establishing a special trust fund account in the amount of $693 24 from Silva Associates LLC 2481 voxhall Road motion to approve second all in favor I ask you to approve the finances as listed on the agenda move second all favor I the following Communications from Terry Manda tax colle collector requesting the township committee authorized checks issued to the following representing the Redemption of tax sale certificates as listed on the agenda Mo to approve second all in favor hi hi from Anthony manguso construction official requesting the return of a demolition bond to Amilia pucha in the amount of $110,000 move to approve second all in favor from dilsey Santana Lea construction Corp requesting to add an additional 25 by3 Banner on the building of the new Barbara Avenue Apartments advertising new luxury one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments for a period of 6 months or or until they are rented at the recommendation of our building department this request is being denied second all in favor of the denial I I I from Joseph Alper Union Jewelers exchange requesting to hang two 2x4 signs and one 3x5 sign advertising a sale from December 1st 2024 through December 31st 2024 approval second all in favor ratifying a request from Valley Spring medicine to hold a community event in their parking lot on November 23rd 2024 move to approve second all in favor I have Department reports from the police station motion to approve second all in favor I that concludes my part of the agenda thank you madam cler we go on to our committee reports we'll start with committee woman Terrell thank thank you uh good evening everyone uh as always Department of Public Works um Road division the road division continues to work on repairing potholes and patching sections of Roads throughout the township since our last meeting the road division has performed 888 pothole repairs and 129 streets streets have been swept in the sewer division the sewer division continues to maintain catch basins pump stations and outfalls daily performing repairs when necessary Neary since our last meeting the sewer division has performed 120 catch Basin cleanings 40 enzyme applications to minimize fats oils and grease and one emergency call the shade tree division the shade tree division continues to maintain trees in Parks Township properties and in Township rways since our last meeting trees tree Crews performed eight removals 14 trees were trimmed and five stumps were removed as a reminder leaf collection has begun and will continue through December 27th please Place leaves out in open 32 gallon containers or smaller no larger or in the brown biodegradable bags no plastic bags will be accepted all concerns or inquiries regarding all division of Public Works can be addressed by calling public works at 98686 922 or by using the reporter concern feature on the township we website and on behalf of the Department of Public Works we'd like to wish everyone a safe healthy and happy Thanksgiving thank you that concludes my report thank you commitment thank you mayor for the police department for the period of November 1st to the 22nd there 1,729 direct patrols there 3,45 calls of service and 105 arrests over that time frame under the speed Initiative for the period of November the 8th to the 21st there were 66 stops 68 tickets 12 were residents red light enforcement for the same period there was 10 stops six tickets and no no residents under the truck enforcement for the same time frame four stops and four tickets I have one highlight for the time frame of November the 8th through the 21st a suspicious call at the high school that turned into a recovery of a defaced hand a gun that and arrest of two students a resident called reporting that she had saw two students placing a bag in the bushes after reviewing surveillance video the officers and detectives headed to the high school and with the assistance of our school resource officer and School administration they were able to identify two students the students were ided and arrested one of the male students arrested was 19 years 19y old adult and the second male was a was a juvenile they were charged accordingly the gun recovered was a Smith and Weston M&P Bodyguard 380 uh the uh the loaded gun and was defaced and that concludes my report thank you so much committee woman G fre good evening everyone from the Recreation Department registration for Union Recreation winter basketball programs will begin on Wednesday December 4th at noon these programs will include the Recreation League known as Saturday League which is for players in sixth through 12th grade two leagues will be hosted one for middle school and one for high school the games will be played on Saturdays at Burnet Middle School for those who need more instruction we will host instructional clinics for boys and girls the boys Clinic is for players second through fifth grade and will be held at kuami the girls Clinic is from 2 through 8th grade and will be held at Connecticut Farm School two Saturday morning time slots will be offered for both clinics also on Saturdays at Connecticut Farms we will return the return of the Challenger basketball which is unions Recreation special needs focused on uh focused basketball program additional winter programs be uh beginning will be will be announced um for open gym public speaking Robotics and ice skating flyers for all of these programs will be available soon so keep an eye out on social media if you have any questions about any of these programs please call the recreation department at 686 4200 and for the senior center Tuesday December 3rd from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. the nurse will be providing Health maintenance and check Prevention Services computer classes will begin December 2nd and will go on December 9th 16th January 6th and the 13th from 11:00 a.m. to 1: p.m. this basic computer class provides a friendly step-by-step introduction to computers perfect for those who are starting out and want a to refresh their skills msxl Workshop beginning December 2nd the 9th 16th and January 6th and 13th that is from 1: to 300 p.m. discover the basics plus ex um expert power tips starting with the basics and moving on to more advanced features AARP smart driving class is Thursday December 5th from 9:30 to 3:30 p.m. earn a multi-year discount on your a auto insurance when you complete the course the course teaches proven driving techniques to help keep you and your loved ones safe on the road $20 for AARP members and $25 for non-members upcoming trips the senior center um holiday party the holiday season is here and we're thrilled to invite you to Jingle and mingle celebration come enjoy delightful sitdown lunch and live music by The Talented Hunter Hayes and Ray Roth a heartwarming afternoon filled with joy laughter and festive cheer alongside friends dece that is December 13th from 12 to 4:00 p.m. at the Galloping Hills Caterers for $65 per ticket uh bus transportation will be available let's make this holiday season Unforgettable together and the next trip to Wind Creek Casino Bethlehem PA is December 19th $35 tickets departing from Janette adeny if you have any additional um questions please call the senior center at 851 5290 again Happy Thanksgiving to all thank you Deputy Mayor FL thank you mayor uh like to put in a form of a motion to hold a special meeting on December 17th at 5:00 P pm here in the conference room regarding div you brothers and a cannabis suspension that's in form of a motion second all in favor I I this is from our fire department for the past two weeks uh they've responded 249 emergency calls for service with 97 medical calls to date for this twoe period some of the significant events in this period are on November 11th the motor La involving a motorcycle with major injuries November 17th a large brush fire in Route 78 which was contained after burning an estimate 2 acres of land very fortunate around the country there's been a lot of problems even in New Jersey here so that's all we've had so far with brush fires November 23rd a building fire in Hickory Road on November 23rd a rubbish fire in the basement of a residence on Manor Drive November 23rd again a motor vehicle accident on Route 22 where a vehicle left the roadway and end up on the riverbank please be careful when you're driving no cell phones this is this how these accidents happen now Thanksgiving day which is the leading day of the year for fires involving cooking of course we're all cooking turkeys and HS and stuff here's some rules to follow stay in the kitchen or close at least when you're cooking on the stove stop so you can keep an eye on the food stay stay in the home when cooking and check it on frequent please don't leave your house while you have cooking going on your stove children young children they like to see things they like to investigate keep them away from the stove stove will be very hot and K you stay at least several feet away please watch them make sure your kids stay away from hot food and liquid it's not only the stove you can be the hot food also remember Splash from vegetables or gravy or coffee could cause serious Burns that goes for adults too keep knes out of the reach of children that's a common thing and also out of adults tell you the truth make sure your smoke alarms are working again test the button a lot of cooking going on a lots of possible problems and again have a healthy and happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your food that's my report thank you deputy mayor uh I'm going to get on my soap box and begin uh we're on Thanksgiving it's dark at 4:30 5:00 we need to save lives how do you do that that car that you're driving make sure you're following speed limits make sure you're slowing down at the amber light and make sure you're stopping at the red lights you heard the police commissioner's report 66 speeding stops 68 tickets were uh were issued only 12 on the residents so we need to bring that number down to zero on both and the red light none of the residents so I think they're getting the message of please drive safe during this holiday uh period there's some you know we you talked about the seniors and happening I was at the seniors today want to get to some positive things we were there we celebrated the 100th birthday of a resident in town and I want to thank Maria Tera for organizing this for Mary Harris 100 years old this Thanksgiving Day so uh we celebrated it today what a wonderful moment what a wonderful young lady spry and talking to us just those are the Great Moments that's that's what makes things special um about a week and a half ago we had a turkey giveaway and we gave over 150 turkeys was that it yeah a lot of turkeys there and I want to thank they don't get there by Magic you know of course they have to be raised and and and and wrapped and all that but they have to get to the meeting Hall that we had at the Donald pay Meeting Hall in Vox Hall and we'd like just like to thank dartanion who was uh on Green Lane for allowing us to utilize a refrigerated truck excuse me to bring those turkeys up there and to donate it to our residents that uh can now enjoy a little bit more on the table of this Thanksgiving holiday and of course our human relations commission for organizing that so thank you again um Turkey Trot you heard those words well this is our first what should be an annual Turkey Trot it might rain Thursday morning Thanksgiving morning so before you start putting that turkey in or the ham or the yams or whatever you're doing that day come out and join us for our first annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot two mile run walk even I can do that right Deputy Mayor we you can absolutely you can do behind right behind me this Thursday at 8:00 a.m. on royway Avenue participants will enjoy receive long long sleeve shirts hats post-run Refreshments including fresh fruit and some bagels that get you started and dress to impress you know if you have a turkey outfit you want to wear that you want to walk running that please do use your festive best for a chance to win in three contest categories best dressed Group H best Thanksgiving costume all right and best dressed pet so pre pre-register I think we're already past 330 people that have registered so it's going to be a great event pre-register now at Union township.com and um before I talk about my next uh item I just we have a proclamation for small business uh that we just I want to read this government of the township of Union celebrates our local small businesses and contributions that they make to our local economy and according to the United States small business administration there are 34.7 million small businesses in the United States these businesses represent 99.7 of firms with paid employees small businesses are responsible for 61.1% of net new jobs created since 95 and they employ 45.9% of the employees in private sector so this is important to remember this is our shop local 68 of every dollar spent at a small business in the United States stays in the local community never dollar spent at a local business creates an additional 48 cents in local business activity so the township of Union supports local businesses that create jobs boost our local economy and preserve our communities Advocate groups as well as public and private organizations therefore I Emanuel figuro the mayor of the Township in the county of union state of New Jersey you to hereby Proclaim this Saturday November 30th 2024 as the start of holidays in the center and urge the residents of our community and communities across the country and the state to support small businesses and Merchants and to shop small throughout this holiday season signed by myself by Deputy Mayor fla committee man Bowser committeewoman G Frasier and committee woman Terell and that leads me to our celebrating seasons in the center as you heard me say begins this Saturday November 30th and subsequent Saturdays December 7th 14th and the 21st from 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Union Center and Mars Stenson will have horse drawn carriage rides that's always fun warm soup and photos with Santa at here's the story bookstore so shop small support local businesses and embrace the holiday spirit here in town visit Union centers.com or follow at Union Center Sid on social media for details brings us to uh a week and a half from now I can't believe we're saying this already Winter Wonderland join us on December 6th and the 7th that's Friday and Saturday at Beer Temple park for two Unforgettable days filled with festive fun and holiday spirit at the Winter Wonderland event there's something for everyone to enjoy don't miss this special event this is really a a phenomenal uh Courier and knives moment in town when you get there you won't even believe that you're at Beer Temple Park so uh any updates there that you want follow us on social media atwp Union NJ and as always I encourage everyone to sign up for everbridge notifications these are emergency and general not notifications you can choose how you want to receive them you can do this at ww. uniontown.pa Township committee our Administration to all of you out there that are listening a very blessed and Happy Thanksgiving may your Thanksgiving be a day of warmth filled with the three FS family friends and food enjoy your holiday with that I'll open the meeting up to the public again a rem reminder five minute rule please state your name and address seeing none a motion to adjourn may I have a point of person a privilege man sure so um we have a young lady who's not quite 100 nowhere near 100 but it is her birthday happy birthday to our committee woman sanra Terell she's the Thanksgiving baby thank you thank you we won't sing to her and since I'm doing that I I know my mom doesn't watch this at home but it's her birthday today she's going to be 93 she is 93 so happy birthday Mom out there and with that a motion to adjourn a meeting motion to adjourn second all in favor I have a good evening everyone