[Music] [Music] good evening at this time I will call this meeting to order Clerk of the board please call the role uh chair it's been brought to my attention that the um agendas that have been provided for the public are missing page two for the agenda meeting and page six so please advise if you'd like us to um to take a moment before we uh start the meeting and prepare uh copies for the public or if you would like to move forward as we as we do make the copies it's just that we're not going to have them the public does not have the um the agendas as is the ones up here also are missing those pages understood okay uh we're going to start with the presentation so we can start um as the copies are being made so let's start the meeting and I believe you had asked for a roll call correct yes please thank you thank you commissioner Baker commissioner bodc here commissioner delis for pres commissioner Granado commissioner Kowalski here commissioner Mirabella present commissioner Williams here Vice chairwoman Leon here and chairwoman pal mudad here chair let the record reflect you have seven Commissioners present for this evening's agenda setting meeting thank you uh Clerk of the board can you please lead us in the prayer and salute to the flag humbly we ask God The Giver of peace and lover of Charity to give the entire family of Nations true agreement with his will and to Grant the light of his Spirit on all who work for justice and peace amen I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for it stands Nation God indivisible andice for all Clerk of the board please read the statement of compliance with the open public meetings act the chair wishes to announce that pursuant to the requirements of New Jersey statute sanit title 10 chapter 4 section 10 of the open public meetings act adequate notice of this meeting the board of County commissioners of the county of Union has been given by mailing the annual meeting schedule for the year 2024 along with periodic changes necessitated by circumstance to the newspapers circulating within the county of Union who are designated to receive such notice and by posting the annual meeting schedule for the year 2024 in the administration ation building and further by filing the annual meeting schedule for the year 2024 with the office of the county clerk thank you um tonight we are going to have just a brief moment of silence um earlier today we uh were made aware that one of our um us Congressman Donald Payne who represents areas of Union count passed away uh Congressman Payne has been a great uh supporter of the residents of Union County as well as residents throughout his district and the state and we want to offer our deepest condolences to him uh and his family thank you tonight we have three presentations that we are going to begin our meeting with um the first one uh is going I'm actually going to call upon my vice chairwoman uh commissioner Leon to join me in the front hello is this working can you hear me yeah we'll see okay our first presentation um we are honored to recognize Caesar Vega for his exceptional dedication and contributions as head coach of the Elizabeth boys volleyball team and assistant coach for the girls varsity volleyball team Caesar's Journey from his roots in Cuba to his current role as a teacher and coach in our community exemplifies hard work and commitment his passion for volleyball and his commitment to the students of Elizabeth High School are truly commendable on behalf of the Union County Board of County Commissioners we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Caesar and present him with a resolution as a token of our appreciation and best wishes before we call them up I'm going to turn the microphone over to uh Vice chairwoman Leon as a Cuban American just like myself uh we here in the United States we commemorate Cuba's Independence even though Cuban is not a free country at the moment but we want to believe that someday it will be and Caesar's contributions to the Elizabeth uh public schools and as a teacher and Coach are phenomenal and I just felt that this is needed for him to have because he's doing a great job as Mentor for our students thank you Caesar come on up [Applause] very briefly I'm just glad my family is here to see this and uh it's been an honor working in in Union County for all these years and being a resident of Elizabeth for almost 30 years now thank you very much okay um I'd also now like to call upon commissioner Mirabella to join Vice chairwoman and I as many of you may or may not know April is National Donate Life month and we are honored to be recognizing the New Jersey sharing network uh which is housed out of uh New Providence in Union County the New Jersey sharing network is a nonprofit organization responsible for the recovery and replacement and placement of donated organs and tissues for those in need of a life-saving transplant the organization is also part of the National Recovery system which is in place for almost 100,000 people on the national waiting list the sharing Network Foundation is dedicated to saving lives by advancing transplant research supporting families and raising public awareness about organ and tissue donation they support New Jersey sharing Network which facilitates organ and tissue placement for New Jersey residents waiting for Trans for transplantation as we all know organ donation is a critical issue that affects countless lives each year it is a matter that requires our attention and support and the board of County Commissioners is proud to present a resolution to these wonderful or to this wonderful Organization for their hard work and dedication to our residents before I call them up up I'd like to turn the microphone over to commissioner Mirabella thank you very much chairwoman uh so we have so many nonprofit organizations in Union County we're blessed that we have so many to help so many people the sharing network is among the very best that we have and uh I'm really delighted to uh to honor them during Donate Life month I'm an organ donor myself was one of the first things I did when I got my license uh about 40 something years ago uh but it uh I'm proud of it I think it helps people and this organization does so much good in our community throughout the state of New Jersey certainly in North Jersey and I'm happy that we're able to honor them Amanda and Katherine I'm glad you're here thank you so if we can please have Amanda tibok and Katherine di abalonia please come forward [Applause] you thank you so much uh on behalf of our staff and uh board at the sharing Network and through the sharing Network Foundation we want to thank the county of Union and the Union County Board of Commissioners for your ongoing support uh as in our mission to save and enhance lives through organ and tissue donation I'd like to invite you all to join us for annual 5K celebration of life in New Providence on Sunday June 9th and I'd like to encourage all of you to visit our website at New Jersey sharing network.org to learn more about organ and tissue donation and joining us in our mission to save lives thank you so much [Applause] okay I'd now like to call upon commissioner Betty Jane Kowalski for our final presentation of the evening and not that we don't love the other presentations but when we get to recognize our youth it is the most exciting part of the night at least for me I know uh in recognition of Arbor Day 2024 the board of County Commissioners will present a check and certificate to the winners of the annual Union County Arbor Day poetry contest uh as you may or may not know uh the poetry contest is held each year to encourage environmental stewardship and tree conservation among students in grades 4 through 8 in partnership with the uni County shade tree Advisory Board um so we're going to go through each of the grades our winner uh once we call the grade up the uh student that received the first place prize is going to read their poem out loud to us so we have a little token for all of our winners but our uh first place winner is going to read their poem out loud so we're very excited for that and I'm going to turn it over to commissioner kski before we we call up our students thank you chairwoman and um I want to thank the vice chair as well as Mr nickowitz from the brers co-op extension who has been coordinating the Arbor Day contest for I don't know how many years but you may yes so um so I I would like to say that for all of the Commissioners we are so pleased to have all of you participating thanks to the uh the participating teachers to the parents and especially to our student poets who does do such a wonderful job and we know that this reflects your appreciation not just for the art of poetry but for nature and since we had Earth day earlier uh in the last week it's it's the right time to do it so thank you thank you okay so from our third grade uh recipients our third place winner is Luke [Applause] venor come on over here Luke and L you want to tell us um where what school you're from I am from Mountain Park uh and I am in fourth grade actually not third uh New Jersey he's like get it right sure rightley Heights berley height I'm I'm from Berkeley heighty height thank you so much and I'm sorry fourth grade I'm so sorry okay okay uh our second place fourth grade student student is Ty Rios Ty you want to let us know where you're from um I am from Westfield and what school do you go to um Jefferson School very nice congratulations and our first place winner are June Verma AR what school are you from I'm from Westfield Jefferson okay excellent congratulations so we're going to take a picture with the three of you and then you like to read your poem guys can stay up here and support Nature's Heroes trees are like Nature's big friends Standing Tall their story never ends these cat secrets from the air Whispering Tales every everywhere their roots go down like anchors so strong keeping the Earth where it belongs they breathe in bad things breathe out the cool like superheroes but in tree school with branches wide they give a shade a chilled spot where dreams are made in forests magic starts its birth big thank you to trees for saving our Earth [Applause] okay thank you to our fourth graders now we are moving on to our fifth graders um we have third place Nora Lee nor do you want to tell us what school and what town you're from uh I go to Mountain Park Elementary and I'm from Berkeley Heights okay excellent [Applause] congratulations our second place winner Harper Feldman harer where do you go to school with I go to Mountain Park in in Berkeley Heights yes okay excellent and our last one uh our first place winner is Giana flea who is our first place fifth grade winner and giovana what school are you from I'm from Malcolm e netting ham middle school and I am from Scotch Plaines Plains okay congratulations so ladies let's come over here the tree tail as I sit in my protective pot on the back left side of the sunlet greenhouse I stare at all of my green and growing brothers and sisters you're preparing to be taken away to the good place my Majestic mother Oak would say a girl in Pink jeans and the save the trees shirt picks me up by my fragile as glass roots and looks me long and hard and decides to take me home perfectly I was planted on a sunny patch in her backyard thriving like never before a breath of fresh air contributing to my community every day that girl came outside and watered me she admired my beauty in her backyard landscape I became a strong healthy young tree dreaming of making my independent change on the world dreaming of providing oxygen food protection and homes for my Wildlife friends one day I was no longer in my land alone in my landscape that very girl now growing like me brought home six other trees adults I looked up to as I thought about my growth I felt a pick of Joy on my heart from the birds on floor five a happy Hotel on my branches with an all you can eat acorn and Berry Buffet we were now a team of trees working together in the sunlight our leaves gleamed Upon Our twigs and our magnificent bark had Beauty like no other each day we flowed oxygen into the wind passing it back and forth like a flying baseball fresh air for all when it rained Our Roots sucked up the water like a straw reducing flooding and erosion in our neighborhood when the sky grows black we provide a cozy and safe beds for our fluffy friends that want to stay the night years later I realized that still every day that girl that one girl who now became an arborist comes out to water me she Waters me with her love gratefulness and warmth I'm now ready to embrace that love and turn it into something for everyone not just for me or for that girl for all the community even though I done a lot I want to make more changes even if it means standing strong in one [Applause] place hey this is sixth grade now Noah Harvey can you come up and our first place winner is Sarai Johnson I'm sorry siai right you want to say something um I'm thankful for my family God and my teachers all right and I forgot to ask Noah what school are you from Clover Cleveland where Clover Cleveland what town uh rawe all right would you like to read your poem yes okay let's do a picture first real quick turn it around Arbor Day AR day a time to plant and care for trees that give us clean fresh air we did the earth we placed the seeds and hopes they grow to meet our needs we shovel we shovels water and Son's love we nurture saplings From Below to above a celebration of life so pure so Grand on Arbor Day Together We Stand we kill our trees even when they give us light our beautiful trees must feel some fright we chop down trees just to read and write taking away way our oxygen is not ripe for tree for each tree planted a legacy we ripe A Greener future oh so brip so let's pick up our tools and say happy Arbor Day let's plan away okay seventh grade our second place winner is Aiden Catz please come up and tell us what school and what town you're in uh Terell Middle School Scotch plants okay thank you and our first place winner for grade seven is Olivia sh Raa [Applause] shamra Olivia did I say your name right shamov it's Olivia shamov also Terell Middle School Scotch Plains so shall we take a picture millions of green leaves full of beauty Bud from trees during the Spring full of beauty and elegance these trees form the air we breathe and the ecosystem that everyone needs they stand tall against the sky providing shelter to the animals in our ecosystem and shade to ourselves on a hot summer day day soon comes the Autumn and the leaves of fall swirl to the ground gracefully in colors of ochre bronze and red most of all in colorful piles in which leaves lay kids may cheerfully play once the first snow falls the trees once Barren and lonely become coated in an elegant white from oak trees fall acorns during the summer months that are collected and stored by squirrels and chipmunks for food for the long months of winter ahead soon comes the spring again in which the land unfreezes and slowly the snow melts there the leaves Blossom and Bloom in the colors of spring birds build nests nestled in branches of trees the ecosystem thrives now try to imagine how the world would be without any trees air would become unbreathable the land Barren and brown no more beautiful colors of spring or fall together we must protect the trees the plant that provides for everyone's needs however to take what they needed they didn't think they didn't consider they didn't sympathize they didn't care to take what was actually needed chop CH chop one by one with such an excessive amount and now what is left a stump he stands their brittle Insurance yeah that's not mine oh I'm sorry so where the end of it this is where mine ends last part together we must together we must that's not mine well that's okay no one heard that right okay we're going to fix this don't worry go ahead so which is the end of yours right here okay so just together we must protect the trees the plant that provides for everyone's needs okay and we're GNA this and do a okay okay thank you thank so thank you Olivia thank [Applause] you okay all right sorry about that okay our last uh group our eighth graders our third place winner is Jessica lasowski [Applause] congratulations where are you from Jessica Elizabeth very nice um our second place winner is mohad Mohamed sanoi congratulations and where what school in what town are you from Elizabeth Mayu joles very nice congratulations and our first place winner is Nyla Lopez and Nyla where are you from um I'm from Elizabeth Mabel G Holmes very nice congratulations so we're going to take a quick picture your principal up there thank you for coming can you join us for a picture pleasure but can I have one more person with me sure excellent thank you I just I was just that [Music] deler I'm good you're good you're good thank you do you want to read your PO yeah okay um um sturdy and tall she stands there sturdy and Tall enchanting Evergreen leaves blow through the wind leaving her turpine fragrance her the her Hue changes throughout Seasons her charm her beauty never fading they keep her she keeps herself in place her tough thck branches robust and strong she withstands even the roughest of weathers that tried to bring her down yet she stands there sturdy and tall she stands there sturdy and Tall Nature's fauna looks upon her oh dear wise one for the years you live your branches stayed Mighty they stayed vigorous and grew such a delectable sweet tart yeah you clean the impurities the world is unwillingly attach you yeah you stand stay sturdy and Tall oh wise one may you shelter us provide us nourishment and be our atmosphere to show her vigilance she replies yes I can but I can only do so much as she nurtures them with her branches of care and tenderness she stands there sturdy and tall she stands there sturdy and Tall Nature's most developed beings since over time humans looks upon her we need shelter too we need nourishment too we need clean air too may we take what we need to show her compassion she replies yes I can but I can only do so much there's more there's more [Applause] yeah however they take what they needed they didn't think they didn't consider they didn't sympathize they didn't care they take what was actually needed chop chop chop one by one with such an excessive amount and now was what's left a stump she now stands there brittle and short thank you so much thank you [Applause] important part all right and we're going to do a reprint okay all right thank you all so very much thank you to the parents the family members the teachers the principles who have joined us today um it's so important that we honor and recognize our students for all of the hard work that they put into their school days so thank you all so much thank you to all of our recipients and our [Applause] winners e oh my God I can't I'm nervous [Laughter] okay okay Park oh yeah nice to see you nice to see you nice to see you nice to see you tonight appreciate you bro back yeah man thanks okay we'll just give our families another minute to make their way out okay we will adopt the communications and the minutes during tonight's regular meeting at this time I will first call upon Sheriff Corelli to present his resolution for your consideration I'd be happy to answer any questions okay thank you seeing n thank you I'd now like to call upon D Department of Economic Development Amy Wagner good evening Commissioners the Department of Economic Development has 10 resolutions for your consideration and I'd be happy to answer any questions thank you department of engineering Public Works and Facilities Management Ricardo Matas good evening chair the department of engineering Public Works and Facilities Management has 13 resolutions on this evening's agenda be happy to try and answer any questions you may have thank you thank you Department of Human Services director Dean Anderson good evening chairwoman and members of the board the Department of Human Services has one resolution on and I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have commissioner mayor Bella yes thank you madam chair uh director can you um just explain why this is a a May December contract and are we just picking up something a mid year or is it the something else um we um through you chair this is a um Grant which is 100% funding and this is um the award time frame from May 1st to December 31st so it's a good program that is Juvenile Diversion um working with the youth so it's a great opportunity for us to be in this Grant opportunity thank you director thank you madam chair thank you from the Department of Parks and Recreation director Vicky geran Drake good evening the department of Parks and Recreation has two items on the agenda and I would be happy to answer any questions thank you I so okay uh there are eight business commissioner sponsored business resolutions does anyone have any questions regarding those all laudatory resolutions and resolutions of condolence are from the entire board are there any comments from any of my colleagues uh I would just like to um highlight um the last resolution um offering our deepest sympathies to uh Lisa bulock on the passing of her father Lisa Works directly with us and we all share in in your suffering okay may I have a motion to adjourn so move Madam chair may I have have a second second all in favor I I okay we are adjourned [Music] [Music]