e [Music] I ch B spe recording progress the clock cuz if it's in back it think four all right Madame Deputy clerk it's 7 p.m. this meeting is called to order Council woman Rebecca Peron present councilwoman Samantha Whitfield councilwoman Dr Tiffany worthy present Deputy Mayor Nathaniel Anderson present and mayor K McIntosh present we will now have our prayer by Reverend Vanessa Wilson Church of the Good Shepherd good evening good even good evening let us Center ourselves quiet our Hearts as we pray dear gracious God creator Redeemer and sustainer we thank you for life health strength and the ability to convene in person and online thank you for the mayor the deputy mayor the council women as well as all leaders and staff in Willingboro we give you praise for their hard work and sacrifice may you continually bless them with wise and Discerning Hearts to skillfully govern Willingboro bless each person who will speak in this council meeting tonight give them the grace to speak words of life for the greater good bless all who reside work worship and visit willing Willingboro so that we can dwell in unity and peace allow this council meeting to be productive with outcomes that establish a healthy and prosperous Township in all things you are glorified and the children of God say amen amen thank you thank you thank you Reverend Wilson appreciate it may we now stand for the flag salute I pledge the allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all I will now read the compliance statement in compliance with the open public meetings act this is to announce that adequate notice of this meeting was provided in the following manner Advanced written notice of this meeting was posted on the bulletin board in the municipal complex and was mailed to the Burlington County Times the Intelligencer and The Courier Times Advanced written notice of this meeting was filed with the Township Clerk the clerk is directed to enter into the minutes of this meeting this Public Announcement thank you so much I first like to welcome everyone to our first meeting in April it's great to see everyone who's in person and online um we'll start off with our Proclamation this is Autism Awareness Month I will have the honor um we will have the reading by councilwoman Peron oh okay whereas autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability that can cause significant social communication and behavioral challenges autism is the fastest growing developmental disorder there is often nothing H nothing about how people with ASD look that sets them apart from other people people with ASD May communicate interact behave and learn in ways that are different from neurotypical people the learning thinking and problem solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged and whereas the Centers for Disease Control estimates that in one and every 68 children in the United States are among more than two million Americans living with autism spectrum disorder autism is a reality that affects millions of families every day and while our nation has made progress in supporting those with ASD we are only beginning to understand the factors behind the challenges they face and whereas research shows that early intervention Treatment Services can improve a child's development early intervention services help children from birth to 3 years old learn important skills Services can include Therapies to help the child talk walk interact with others communicate and control behaviors including physical aggression and self-injury behavior and whereas during Autism Awareness Month we recommend we recommit to helping individuals on the autism spectrum reach their full potential and have an opportunity to live full independent lives and follow their talents wherever they lead and where as during the month of April we strive to promote Autism Awareness inclusion and self-determination for all and assure that each person with ASD is provided an opportunity to achieve the highest possible quality of life and whereas now therefore I K Macintosh mayor of the township of Willingboro along with the Willingboro Township Council and the Willingboro residents due hereby Proclaim April 2024 as Autism Awareness Month I encourage all willing B residents to learn more about how they can support individuals on the Spectrum on autism spectrum and their families thank you thank you councilwoman Peron we can move on to our Municipal managers Municipal updates good evening Council and uh members of the the public uh we're going to start our uh summary this evening a little differently I'm going to ask Miss jackon if she would come and give us an update on all of the events that are happening in Willingboro for the month of April good evening members of council and all those assembled good evening good evening so the weather outside is frightful but it is spring right so we are inviting all of our residents to get in this Spring State of Mind and invite you to this year's spring clean communities cleanup event that event will be on Saturday April 20th beginning at 9:00 am in the kity center we ask that you come out and join us as we come together to clean and beautify our community so we're looking for churches Community organizations schools Girl Scout Boy Scouts uh sororities and fraternities everybody are all invited to be a part part we really want to make it it a community cleanup event so registration is available on our website we will be giving away t-shirts and a few other surprises while supplies last so we do encourage everyone to visit our website and sign up for that alongside the cleanup event um those with a green thumb are invited to the Earth Day Garden opening for a plant and Seed Swap and that's hosted by Goo that event will be held from 10: a.m. to 2 p.m. so we're hoping you spend a little time with us cleaning up and then head over to the Garden to plant and sea Swap and the garden is right behind the um Kennedy Center and also going on that day is the Kappa classic which is being hosted by the Willingboro Fort Dicks Maguire alumni chapter and this is a collaboration between the cus and the Willingboro Police Department so those games begin at 10:00 a.m. and again we encourage you to clean up first and then head over to the Kennedy Center for the captain classic to support this endeavor applications are now available for our citizen fire academy so you if you're interested in learning more about how our fire department works we do invite you to consider signing up to be a part of the ACA Academy and the deadline is April 17th we still do have a few slots open for our free CPR and AED class so if residents are interested in this opportunity you may contact the fire department for more information April 27th is the volunteer Fair hosted by William Bur hands in the Willingboro Community Development Corps this is a great opportunity for like-minded individuals to come together Network and promote volunteers volunteerism in the community so nonprofit organizations are invited to host a table residents are invited to join us and identify ways to volunteer in the community our mayor K McIntosh will be bringing greetings and Senator Singleton is the keynot speaker for this event so we are looking forward to um support for that as well and lastly we are excited to share that the 2024 phenomenal women award honores have been announced and will be celebrated on Sunday April 27th at the 28th at the Kennedy Center we're um celebrating six phenomenal women among them are our own officer shant Jackson and this year's youth honory is Chloe Simone worthy the daughter of councilman Tiffany worthy so we're excited about this year's event and Dr Felicia D Hopson will be the D the director of the Bron County Board of Commissioners will serve as the this year's keynote speaker we have a few other special touches and surprises that would make this event a memorable one so we do invite everyone to be a part of that tickets are $50 55 and can be purchased via event right so and believe it or not the summer is right around the corner so we are already planning our juneth event on June 15th we have a Memorial Day observance on May 27th at the M Creek Park and our Friday night mus music series will kick off on Mother's Day weekend so stay tuned for more information about all of these but all of this information can be found on our website social media platforms your YouTube channel or by submitting to the will and bro weekly so we look forward to seeing everyone thank you thank you thank you Miss Jackson um just some some summary of activities that have been going on uh in the Township in the administration and um on March the 19th the uh Administration introduced a $49 million budget to the governing body and the taxpayers of the municipality for their review and consideration um this proposed budget represents a penny decrease in the tax rate the public hearing uh for that and possible adoption will be considered on April the 16th and we encourage all the residents to come out and participate in the budget process the revenue generated for the month of March um so far or as of March 25th so far uh was 1, 37,2 3268 uh 769638 m273 776 and some change a total of 2, 89,000 was expended as of March 25th 5th uh mostly for salaries and wages health insurance and uh statutory uh expenses like Social Security and um our FICA taxes um and other expenses um departmental um were made in the amount of $600,500 61 our inspections department has been uh quite busy there were 719 inspections completed between March 1st and March 20th um and they generated uh $44,000 of revenue for uh that department during that period of time our DPW has also been very active with the lessening of the severity in weather they've been out filling potholes since since March between March 1st and March 21st um 374 potholes were filled and they have been supporting uh 16 different uh events um being sponsored by the recreation department our Fire EMS departments have been very very busy during the month of March but on Wednesday the 6th platoon SE the firefighters attended the read Across America event at Garfield Park East Elementary School where they did read CH uh books to the to the students and on Saturday the 16th the EMS instructors conducted first day training to eight members of The uhia Academy so although they are busy fighting in fires and protecting property they do take time to perform uh services to our community as well on March 22nd officer Shante Jackson was recognized by the Camden County detectives Association and was awarded the Robert Bobby schisler award for outstanding police work uh Miss Jackson was very instrumental in helping a neighboring Police Department Identify some suspects which led to the solving of a major case that may not have been solved without her assistance so we thank Miss shant Jackson for um her outstanding police work par USU with the Willingboro Police Department applications for our citizens police academy closed on March the 15th we currently have 15 residents that are enrolled in the class classes will be held at the police department Saturday mornings during the month of April and on Tuesday March the 19th the Police Department did hold a safety patrol tour uh where they provided the elementary school students with the tour of the building uh and police cars and answering any questions that they may have had so I thank the police dep department for also being very engaged uh in our community here in in willing Barrow there's been a lot of questions and a lot of discussions regarding um the property tax valuation or revaluation that has been uh going on in the the township and I just want to take a moment to kind of highlight that if I can mayor um New Jersey New Jersey's real property tax is what is considered an Al at valorum I think I'm pronouncing it correctly um which means that each person pays property tax based on the value of the property that they own and more recently New Jersey courts have held that full and fair value True Value and market value to be the same thing things and whereas there is evidence that properties may not be or have been assessed uniformally uniform uniformally throughout the uh the county um that may have triggered a a re valuation and what has really uh triggered this is the fact that property taxes are no longer being taxed at the assessed value um it is going to be taxed at the market value or with the intention to distribute the tax burden kind of equitably amongst taxpayers by assessing each property according to its true market value so for example if there are two properties one right across the street from the another um and they are both assessed at $200 after 10 years property a may have a fair or full market value of $250,000 where property B may have a fair or full market value of $300 but because they have the same assessments they would be paying the same tax bill despite having a higher market value than the other and what the the state of New Jersey and it's not just in Burlington County but the state of New Jersey is trying to do is is uh make it more Equitable based on the value of your property and not just or the market value of the property and not just the um the assessed value so the Burlington County Board of Taxation has begun transitioning into a market value assessing and thus they have required or ordered the township to conduct a reevaluation back in November of 20123 um which I believe was required for us to complete it by the tax year of 2026 and what that means is that there is an inspection of every uh Township home will be completed in different segments over the next three years uh the property inspectors will be taking pictures of the home they will come in and physically inspect uh the interior of the homes they will take measurements um you know some of the things they're they're looking for is you know the number of bathrooms and if you have finished basements and fireplaces and pools and all those things that really um um supplement I guess or support the valuation of property and and willing bar so once all of the homes in Willingboro have been completed um the valuation of all property in Willingboro will be established and then every home will go through a reassessment every 3 years thereafter so what is happening now they are just doing the initial Foundation uh work for this re valuation of the the property so the reassessment does not necessarily mean that there will be an increase for every homeowner the tax rate may go down uh to compensate for an increase in the township wide assessed values so for example if uh the township is assessed at six F we'll say 500 million um now and the tax rate is 25 cents per $100 of assess value each property owner would essentially be assessed like $2.50 for for each $100 but if the valuation doubles then essentially the tax rate would come down by 50% and then the property owner will be paying $12.50 per the assessed value so the the the rate may go up or down based on the valuation but the amount each individual will pay will be based on the value of their home so you have a more expensive home then you'll probably have a more expens expensive tax bill but then that too is Will fluctuate as the market fluctuates as the market becomes more hyped in prices then home prices will go up and then tax rates will go up but the reverse of that is true as Market values decrease um then then those payments will probably decrease as well so I know that um they have started to do some revaluation work I believe they were going to begin in the um East Garfield section of the community sometime at the end of March so everyone will receive a letter when the tax assessor office is coming into their particular area to do the reassessments um the instructions are are very clear as how you need to uh govern yourselves and uh if there are any questions then feel free to reach out to uh Mr Justin lamella who is our attx assessor here in willing Barrow and with that um I did want to get into our capital budget presentation are there any questions prior to the capital budget thank you so my questions are relating to the property assessment that you just discussed I do remember um I believe it was Justin that came in November right that's the dralan that came that is correct so um I know I had asked this question before because this is coming from you said the county level is that right so does Willingboro have any um Authority where if we decide as a community this is not something we want to go with right now do we have that Avenue to play and no you said no okay um the other thing is about um them entering the house to decide whether or not there's three bathrooms we already know when the property was built there you know most of the property it's that's unless somebody created a whole brand new bathroom but it seems that they are coming to Willingboro to go into homes here to look to see how the people have um added on to their property or made it look better to this way down the line they cannot afford it anymore because who asked them to come here and take a look at our or to change whether or not they assessed it based off the market value the market value right now is extremely astronomical and so to me it just sounds like a setup to to to bring the people down here I don't see how it is as a plus so because this is the county level when did they ask the people and I think you said all of Burlington is doing this all the whole state of New Jersey all state of New jerse complying with with these higher level mandates but it is making its way down into Burlington County at this time yes so you said complying So like um therefore it seemed like there's a choice but you are you certain that there's no choice I am I am certain that there is no choice okay and then what about the if the person doesn't is not allowed to enter the home or they miss the person what happens with the assessment then that that question I will have to leave up to Mr lamella because I don't know what their their rules are in regards to that so I don't know how they they handle those types of situations okay and so all right and now I appreciate you giving the example you gave because that helps to understand whether our taxes will go up as a whole and as down but now you have a person who's lived in their home since 1964 and now their neighbor has increased their development of their property and now this person who's had the home for so many years now their taxes may have may double because their neighbor has added on I don't know another bedroom or living room so if their neighbor uh increases the value of their property that would have no no effect on the the homeowner you were speaking about on their property because each property will be will be taxed at its market value at its own Market its own lot okay okay that's all question right absolutely thank you James so we are presenting to uh the governing body um the administration is presenting our capital budget a proposed capital budget requests for for 2024 and um this is just another part of the budgeting process so these are larger ticket items that we would be looking to fund um through our Capital uh capital budget in 2024 that are not included in the operating budget which was presented at the last meeting however uh because of our capital budget there was a a down posit in that budget to kind of meet our 5% requirements our DPW uh is requesting this year uh let me just turn my my my chair because I can't see the the other way uh $66,000 in funding for um new gate down at the DPW Yard and additional fencing uh that is required at various locations throughout the municipality um we are asking for $118,000 to invest in streets and road projects uh around various different areas of the municipalities as well as sidewalks um you're aware that we are beginning a very large road project this year and um and the sidewalk program this year um but these are additional Monies to continue doing uh sound infrastructure work uh within the community um there is a major uh drainage project that is going to be taking place on Eagle Lane um drive so we are requesting to uh begin to seed that project with the $200,000 uh infusion of of capital funds uh we are looking to to attribute $183,000 of those dollars to the remainder of the ARP money that we received that we need to um begin to utilize by the end of this year or else it will be lost revenues so although that is a $200,000 uh request uh 183 of that would be uh a a ARP funds as uh well um there has been the request to uh put some speed bump on various roads throughout the municipality so we're asking for $100,000 to see that that happens um there is a uh $225,000 inclusion for a grant that we are looking to U move forward on Safe Streets for all um and DPW did ask for $10,000 um in small tools and we're going to be asking for an initial $100,000 uh allotment towards a new dump truck um one of the things that we're going to be looking to do this year is to sit down and have a a capital really create a six-year Capital plan where instead of trying to completely fund purchases during a particular budget year to stretch out those expenses over a five or six year period so we know that okay in 2023 we have to buy a truck and have those monies allotted for that acquisition in 2023 because what we are experiencing or seeing now is that it is costing much more to buy these particular pieces of equipment and because the turnaround time is so long two or three years that we do have the ability to fund it in smaller portions over a few years than trying to just dump one lump sum uh into the full acquisition so that's why we're asking for small smaller amounts um in different areas so total the total request for the DPW Department 69,000 and we right click instead of left click uh also our Recreation and Parks Department um is requesting um again $1 million which would be an additional appropriation to the acquisition of the turf field um we are looking to do a community signage program which I will share with you just a little bit um down the road so we're asking uh for $200,000 to begin to update and change some of the signage in willing burrow um we're asking for 109,000 just for General um improvements to Municipal facilities uh we really don't need additional fundings for the Performing Arts Center but because that project has been fully funded um so we are actually in the construction phase there um we are allotting $200,000 for uh pool repairs uh particularly Penny Packer pool which we have been in communication with our engineer and they're going to begin working on a penny Packer pool to get th those drains in that spray park repaired in up and running um by Memorial day as well as um further investigate the repairs at Country Club pool um but both pools should be opening and functioning this year by Memorial Day um we are asking for a $250,000 contribution for the National Fitness campaign the outside Fitness Court um which I will share with you in just a few moments as well and then there are uh $445,000 in matching grants um that would be required for us to meet if we received grants from Green Acres for the Jakes Place uh Park and the pickle ball park which I believe that we may be exempt from the the matching grants there but um we would be required to uh match funds for the Jake um Jake park at the mil Creek Park that was over $1 million um Project 7 750,000 coming from Green Acres and then our portion would be the 449,000 so that would be a total of 2, 24,000 for um Parks and Recreations and improvements to Municipal facilities so this is the fitness campaign that we're changing refering to just a little video with 200 Fitness Courts open our campaign is growing from college campuses to city parks and rails we're bringing free Fitness everywhere and we're just getting started hi I'm Mitch managet founder of the National Fitness campaign National Fitness campaign was founded in 1979 when we opened the first Fitness redesigned for the 21st century the fitness court is the world's best outdoor gym our seven movement seven minutes system allows you to use your own body weight to get The Perfect Workout easy or hard it will work for you our goal is to build Healthy Communities by making outdoor Fitness an essential part of people's lives so that each day is better than the last now more than ever before it is vital that we move Fitness Outdoors to remain safe healthy and strong michig Anders uh we as soon as we can we go outside which is one of the reasons why the fitness courp was such an attraction to us what impressed us most was their basic philosophy that they want to provide worldclass Fitness for free truly anyone can use no matter what your age is no matter what your physical fitness level is no matter what your skills are it is very adaptable thousands of certified ambassadors will be trained to deliver classes challenges and Clinics as part of our national fitness campaign new programs are bringing students Outdoors Across America the fitness Court Mobile app is your gateway to enroll in these programs simply scan the new digital wall with your phone to access library of free workouts designed to optimize your experience on the fitness Court learn the moves and take challenges as we dig deep to create impact for our partners Across America this year we are thrilled introduce Fitness court public art cities have the opportunity to select a local artist to design their Fitness C using the power of the Arts and fitness outdoors in iconic public spaces we're proud to have helped cities of all size has raised millions of dollars from respected sponsors to support free Fitness wherever Fitness is a priority you can find a fitness building Beyond 200 cities and colleges we're partnering with large cities using Urban movement data to map the best locations for healthy infrastructure we're bringing Fitness courts to within 10 minutes of population centers everywhere they provide these wraparound services that from a city's perspective that's what you want in a partner like this you want it to come present it to you on a silver platter with a bow tied around it they're one of the best Partners I think that I personally have ever worked with we serve uh almost 1.2 million members across Michigan and this partnership really is an opportunity for us to bring scalable free health and wellness opportunities to our community so I would actually invite cities and organizations big and small to explore the opportunity to invest in Fitness courts to be very honest with you the feedback from different municipalities and different communities has been very positive we're committed to raise $150 million to bring the campaign to 1,000 cities and schools building the largest Fitness movement in the world join us let's make worldclass Fitness free we're changing the way America so that was the um Fitness Court campaign and uh we did receive a $30,000 Grant from the National Fitness campaign to bring a fitness Court here into Willingboro and we are looking at having the extended Fitness court so what you saw was half but there was another back half of that which you could have like outside aerobics classes or or things like that as well and I did talk to Mrs uh Miss Ballard um who is a renowned artist here in willing Barrow and um you know we've discussed maybe coordinating some type of of program with some of the youths in willing burrow um some of the schools to promote some of their art um on that Fitness court so um when she returns from her her travels we are going to um discuss you know uh developing some type of artistic competition um and then that would be one of the prizes to the winners would be to have their work displayed on the the fitness Court um so you know so those are some of the things that we are looking to incorporate into that and we are looking for a $250,000 allotment for that purpose we are also looking for a contribution in the amount of $50,000 to um do some work on the futur house the future house is sitting um at mil Creek Park in a very dilapidated and vulnerable state um I do know that um there are some grants that we are eligible for that we are will be required to um uh have like a $15,000 matching portion to that so a portion of that money would go towards that but then we would use the rest of it to uh you know secure the door the doors are broken and the the windows are are broken and just to kind of secure that property and and clean it up and and make it a little bit more representative of what Willingboro is as a community until its long-term objectives are identified uh so in total we are looking for uh a contribution of uh 2, 254,000 through the various departments and um for facilities and things like that our fire and EMS Department um have made a request for 113,000 as the second allotment towards uh an ambulance that we made the first contribution towards in our last capital budget so this would be the second and that would round off or finalize the the monies necessary for them to go ahead and purchase a new ambulance and um the fire department is in need of a new pumper truck um which is is not the lad truck which goes out to you know higher structure fires but you know that's the truck that that drives around to like the motor vehicle accidents and the brush fires and things like that we have had a number of instances um with that truck which I believe is 23 years old uh last year there was an engine fire in it and some uh other um um issues mechanically and um when we first started looking into purchasing or discussing the purchase of a new vehicle our new truck uh the numbers that we were looking at were between three uh 7 and 800,000 um but now that very basic truck today is going to be over $1 million um so you know that's why you know we're talking about small increments now if we if we got into the rotation now the truck would actually be be delivered into willing burrow in three years and that would enable us to to stretch that million doll price tag over the next three uh Capital budgets so a total of 423,000 uh for Fire EMS we have our Police Department who uh is requesting $37,000 for um body vests purchase 20 body vests U body vests are really have a lifespan of five years is that right Captain buper so every five years uh officers are going to be required to um get body vest so that is something that you will constantly see in capital requests um they are looking to uh purchase a new armored rescued vehicle or at least receive $150,000 uh contribution to that um purchased some new Glock um Glock weapons and um last year we committed to the axon body camera tasers inar cameras um at was a 10-year um acquisition at $1.59 million and and we are including that over again as as $159,000 insertions over the next 10 years so our police are requesting $456,000 in their Capital expenditures for 2026 or 2024 I'm a little ahead of myself it is looking for 2 48,000 um 23,000 of that is going to be to update um door control access um they we're doing a computer refresh uh for the firehouse and and the police um computers which includes vehicle laptops um or the vehicle laptops that's the 25,000 but the 140,000 would be for the uh police computer refresh and then additional $115,000 for miscellaneous um it activities that that happen throughout the course of of the year so that is a grand total of $4 million in capital requests that that we are presenting to the governing body and I will send you um this slide deck so you can review it um and we'll make it available on the website as well and that 400,000 correlates with the um 5% deposit that we did include in our operating budget um required 5% deposit um believing that um that you would be in line with our requests but again these are just requests and of course the governing body has the ability to modify um any time between um now and and then but we would like to put together the um official Capital ordinance for introduction um at the um next meeting or the meeting shortly thereafter if possible and that is my Capital presentation uh for 2024 have any questions that uh you may want to hear from any of the Departments individually um I just have a couple questions so with the fire truck um I think the because we just purchased a lot of truck before right and I it how long does that take is it the same time span where they're building a truck as you after you purchase it does it take like a year to build it so uh and and chief Bernette will will help me I believe if if we if we sent the deposit or initiated the process when did you say that truck would be ready cheap for net it's about two years two years for for completion of the building of it oh okay all right and that's what we did last year with with the ambulance because we knew would take um it would take two years to deliver so that's why we decided to split it up half and half last year and then this year okay and my last question is with the um the outdoor Fitness do you know how long that takes to build if we were to move forward with that what's the time span of completion that would be done very quickly um as a matter of fact they're ready to go um but they're waiting on on our processes so um one of the things that we would just have to really solidify is the location so we had looked at um by the by the track um because we get a lot of activity on the track but with the anticipation of the new turf field and the modifications of the the the JFK Center um the engineer kind of proposed a location in the back of the JFK Center where the the practice field for the football field was um because to meet the parking accommodations with the increased use of the of the JFK some of that space would probably need to be utilized for parking so it would kind of sit in that back area those are all my questions thank you yes thank you Mr Harris I had a question um on for the police you mentioned a armed rescue vehicle what would the timeline be on the delivery of that vehicle Captain bucks help me there because I don't I don't even know 12s 12 12 okay and what would the cost I know we would make a deposit towards it but what's the cost of the vehicle overall cost is 3000 okay okay and so either way it's going to take 12 months to deliver whether we pay a deposit now or all of it now it's going to be a 12- month cycle to build it okay thank you very much that's all thank you may any questions questions yes okay so we are going to go into to phase two James if you can can bring me back yeah that's perfect slideshow please so one of the things that we have been been looking at And discussing over the past couple of years is the signage in in willing burrow yes just a recap changing and I just want to on the record thank Miss Jackson and our communication team for the uh production of these U presentations they've been doing a really great job for us so one of the things that we have been looking at is the actual signage in Willingboro and how some of the signage is I would say little dated and very inconsistent um as you go through different parts of the community you'll see some of the older base signs with the um with the I don't know even what they are some kind of read um located at at various locations throughout the municipality um but there is no standard willing burrow New Jersey signage um so we were looking to kind of update um some of the signage throughout the the community so we did have our Communications and um public information officer kind of look at what we can do and what we were hoping to achieve um is to include the residents in this part of our decision making for the signage for Willing Barrow because it's not only what we think is nice and appropriate um but this is a community and I think that they should really have a voice on on changes aesthetic changes in some areas wherever we can provide them that opportunity so I did ask the uh Communications Department to um get some signage designs um that that would be appropriate for the community to kind of reflect um what Willingboro is today and where we are going into the future uh so these are some of the uh designs that they had had come up but what we're hoping for again we're going to put these on the website not today you know a little bit further a couple of of weeks down the road and um share this information with the public and allow them to share their thoughts about what signage should look like um here in Willingboro as we move forward so we have come up with 16 unique sign designs and uh will be presented for uh every want to kind of look upon and decide what they um would like um and if if it's decided that you really none of them are appropriate then we can always go back to the drawing board um but these are some of the signs that U we have kind of put together as possibilities for the entrances into willing burrow so we have been kind of looking at you know how people come in and out of the community and there are essentially five locations that are key spots entering into willing bar one of them be one of them being um van skyver and sunset over by the hospital um the other one being on JFK and our Veterans Parkway now um coming into uh Willingboro off of 130 and we want to have you know more appropriate signage coming into willing Barrow so these are some of the designs that we did uh put together for that um and then these are some of the potential design um for signs that are in the the medians particularly on um Beverly ran cookus Road where when you come in from Westampton there really isn't space to have a a bigger sign but there is currently a sign on the median and um so we were kind of Designing something that could fit into those spots um a little more easily than a larger sign um there and and again on particularly on um uh veterans uh Veterans Parkway um at the top coming in from West dampton and then we were also looking at um larger digital signage um in key areas throughout the the township um because Willingboro is very active and and busy and you know we hope that as everyone's driving by at 50 m an hour they get to see what's on those little lawn signs um so we do have a digital sign out by mil Creek Park but it would be nice to have additional signage in other key areas um people coming in and out of Willingboro where they can get a visual glit glit glimpse of you know what's going on in the township as well as um you know uh giving local businesses and uh residents the opportunity to sponsor some of those signs so you know in the different Parks they had the little park signage as well sponsored by so and so and we were looking to um kind of change those as well to something a little more did I pass it already I may have passed it already a little more smaller and unique um offering um residents or businesses an opportunity to sponsor a sign um you know for a whatever the period of time is and whatever amount of money it is so this sign donated by so and so and um this is the one particular sign that is out in front of the JFK Center which is very far set back off of the road and it is really very difficult to read what's going on you know and with the the the remodeling going on at our theater we want want something that's very big and visible where people can see Diana Ross will be here or or well the ghost of Diana Ross well I don't know no Nicki Minaj No not Nicki Minaj hey be you know what Miss Miss Miss Jackson will typ me up tomorrow I'm so sorry um but anyway highlighting highlight the activities that are going to be uh front and center in in our Performing Art Center so you know we are kind of talking with some of our uh Partners like psng and see how we can encourage them to contribute to these larger um Endeavors um so we'll see and um and I guess oh this is the residential Park signage so these would be the signs that would be out in front of the the different little Parks something a little smaller a little more modern um and and reflective of identifying the individual Parts which I think is is an attribute to to us here in willing B and it's very nice where you can actually you know see the the identification of the different areas that you entering into so this was just an overview of uh what we were proposing and then the process uh for residents to vote would be through the website or through the the app um and then we would go through the the process of sharing the information with them um through flyers and and spreading the word through our social media and you know having them giving them enough time to really participate and um take their feedback and um and give them a voice in in how willing burrow kind of transitions um over the next five or six or years so that's really all that I wanted to to present to you so I just again thank you for uh your support and and your participation as we all will be crucial to the success of our um signage campaign here in Willingboro so with that James I am now officially done and you can can take me down thank you back to the C budget I know you said um a couple of dates that you would like to present are there any deadlines for Council to get back to you with um solid decisions no and and probably realistic realistically the 16th probably won't be a realistic deadline because it'll take them that long to generate the capital budget but my hope is is that you will have whatever conversations that you're going to have and then we will have a definitive decision as to what is going to be be funded what is not in what proportions there may be things that you want to add on to that budget um and you know we're very open to that um but the request is that that when the budget is decided that it's decided because last year we put together the capital budget and then we made an amendment and those changes can be very costly on the on the backend administrative end so if we need four weeks then let's take four weeks and you know and get it right thank you thank you we can move on to our ordinances and resolutions so we do have some business to present to you uh this evening for your consideration um the first item is ordinance number 20 24-4 which is the public hearing on the final reading for or uh an ordinance to exceed the municipal budget Municipal budget appropriation and um establish a a a cap Bank um just as a a reminder New Jersey statutes provide that a municipality May when authorized by ordinance appropriate the difference between the amount of its final appropriation and 3 and a half% um as an exception to its final appropriation and um utilize that over put it in a bank and utilize that overage over the next two succeeding budgets um if you determined to do so um Willingboro has yet to my understanding utilized um that provision even though it is a a practice that we um still entertain um ordinance number discussion um we kind of agreed that this ordinance is going to need a little further restructuring uh so I'm going to ask that it be uh postponed introduction um until a a subsequent meeting uh for your consideration is resolution number 2024-the the overpayment of taxes which is pretty standard um practice resolution number 101 101 I'm just about to get to is the bills list um which is being presented to you for um ratification and the payment of the vouchers for the the month of April there's no 100 there's no 100 number changed we just shift it down yeah so what is that that number 202 24-11 resolution authorizing overpayment of tax okay so then resolution number 102 is the bills list and ratification of vouchers then resolution 22413 is um is an amended resolution um um awarding a new PL plenary retail license consumption license to um Mt Holdings subject to the completion of uh their background check and then resolution 202 24-104 was an amending resolution as well to issue the plary retail consumption license to um rmt Holdings LLC and I don't know if if there's any further explanation um necessary from the solicitor but those are all the items that are being presented to the governing body for your consider ation this evening uh yeah so to explain the amended resolutions the clerk's office previously submitted the um resolutions regarding A rmt Holdings liquor license um that are on for tonight to ABC um on their review they had requested some changes to the language so those were made so that they can be resubmitted to ABC and finalized procedurally okay thank you okay thank you Mr Harris so with that we like to open it up for public comment for agenda items only if you have any questions or concerns about the resolutions presented tonight please come up and speak you have two minutes please state your name and address for the record public comment is now open for agenda items only there's someone online all right host we have a hand up on the zoom Sharon Anderson yes um good evening council members Township staff and neighbors my name is Sharon Anderson and I live on Belhurst Lane in Willingboro I Rise to speak personally and to be clear not as a representative of any organization or agency my comment is on ordinance TW uh 202 24-5 salaries and wages for non-union civil servants in Willingboro with particular attention to the salary chart salaries for council members and the clause for providing the cost of living increase tapped at 3% I unconditionally support the sales proposed for those who keep our community safe healthy clean and active starting w must be competitive to attract skilled professionals who could make more in the private sector or by taking a comparable position up in North Jersey though I contend our region offers a superior quality of life retention is critical for smoothly continuing our Town's progress it is more than fair to provide an automatic increase tied to cost of living and capped at the modest 3% I speak in support of the salaries and wages as presented than thank you Miss Anderson Just and just for the record this ordinance is on hold for right now but um your your input has been noted are there any other is there any other public comment for agenda items only all right public comment for agenda items is now closed Madame Deputy Clerk ordinance 2024-25 D4 so moved second moved by Dr worthy seconded by Deputy Mayor Anderson Roll Call councilwoman perone yes councilwoman Whitfield councilwoman Dr Tiffany worthy yes Deputy Mayor Anderson yes and mayor Macintosh yes is there a motion to close public hearing for ordinance 20244 if there's any public hearing is there anyone you can ask if there's anyone who wants to speak for public is there anyone who would like to speak on behalf of ordinance 202 24-4 is there a motion to close public hearing for ordinance 2024-the seconded by Deputy Mayor Anderson roll call please councilwoman Peron yes councilwoman Whitfield councilwoman Dr worthy yes Deputy Mayor Anderson yes and mayor McIntosh yes is there a motion to adopt ordinance 20244 so moved second move by Deputy Mayor Anderson seconded by coun Dr worthy any further discussion roll call please councilwoman Peron yes councilwoman Whitfield councilwoman Dr worthy yes Deputy Mayor Anderson yes and mayor McIntosh yes ordinance [Music] 20 24-4 has been now adopted thank you I like to make a motion for a consent agenda for resolutions 2024-25 d104 so moved second moved by doc Dr worthy seconded by councilwoman Peron roll call please councilwoman Peron yes councilwoman Whitfield councilwoman Dr worthy yes Deputy Mayor Anderson yes and mayor Macintosh yes is there a motion to adop to approve a consent agenda a consent agenda that was previously stated moved second moved by Deputy Mayor Anderson seconded by Dr worthy roll call please councilwoman Peron yes Council whitfill councilwoman Dr worthy yes Deputy Mayor Anderson yes and mayor Macintosh yes we can proceed the treasurer is there a motion to approve the treasurer report so moved second moved by Deputy Mayor Anderson seconded by Dr worthy any further discussion roll call please Council Peron yes councilwoman Whitfield councilwoman Dr worthy yes Deputy Mayor Anderson yes and mayor McIntosh yes treasury report has now been approved for March of 2024 is there a motion to approve the minutes for February 20th 24 so moved second moved by Dr worthy second by Deputy Mayor Anderson any further discussion roll call please councilwoman Peron yes councilwoman Whitfield councilwoman Dr worthy yes Deputy Mayor Anderson yes and mayor Macintosh yes we can move on to municipal clerk updates we will have the municipal clerk update will be at the very next meeting and that will be for the month of March for the month of okay yes and then we have any updates um for uh dog licenses that will be we will have that at the very next meeting yes and I know there was something it was an email do we have the contract for Providence house not as of yet not I believe oh you got it okay just before the Mee meeting okay all right thank you all right moving on to unfinished business does any council member have any unfinished business for tonight question um one question thank you relating to the um the Divine n park benches has those begun to be installed I know we voted for it to be approved do we have any updates on if is anything happening with that there has been no movement on those um since you make have theirs yes they have theirs they did okay Madam mayor may I speak yes so the omegas have theirs down but also there are several other organizations who are in the process of moving forward with their projects at the time it was introduced and put in place their budgets had already taken place for last year so there are other organizations who have reached out who were looking to move forward okay thank you that was on Madame mayor yes okay Dr worthy um thank you um several meetings ago we talked about um the library and um we looked at JFK as a potential you option we also talked about um exploring just what the county has to offer in terms of becoming part of the county system um we asked legal to find out a bit more information for us but we learned that Willingboro and burlingon County Library are both represented by the same firm um the recommendation came back that we have special counsel um take a look at what the process could look like what the benefits and just do help us through that benefit analysis and so my request is for the council to support us to allow special Council to explore it since we can't use um our Council to do that Workforce for the library for the library yes I support that I support that no objection okay support it all right thank you Council anything else for unfinished business all right moving on to new business does any council member have anything for new business yes I do Madame mayor okay uh earlier this month uh myself Dr worthy Chief renette Captain bucks we attended an event at the JFK Center for one of our most beloved residents who has now passed Miss Lizzy marris Miss for the for you guys who know Miss moris she was a matri Arc of this community she participated in everything from Soup To Nuts just to name a few he was one of the founders of the police athletically she was a member of the Order of the Eastern Stars a red Hatter uh she was willing bur's rot Ro rotary first person of the year uh annually Thanksgiving and Christmas she did uh 50 baskets she was a member of the environmental commission the zoning Board youth achievement committee received the Willingboro lifetime pillar award Willingboro Education Association Lifetime Achievement Award a a committee woman in district 6 the Democratic uh president de Democratic committee president for a number of years she was also a member of the Federation of democratic women and she also did a yearly lunch in for EMS fire and police just to name a few of the things um she has done so I I received a letter from Mr Freddy Banks who's the president of the willber Democratic Club and he wanted to know if the council would consider naming a street uh which would be Bud Hollow Lane the street that um she lived on and that she loved and you know along with Miss mors she had two sidekicks one is Mr Clyde Carter who was always there for and the other is Miss Priscilla Wilson wherever you saw Miss Mars you saw them whenever you saw events going on they had something to do with it so I brought it to the attention of council I told him I would bringing up uh new business uh and at this time I I would like to make a motion that we uh entertain granting this privilege based on the requirements needed which would be the requirements of petitions signatures and so forth and at that time if they can achieve the signatures and petitions then at that time we will review it and then make a motion to actually do the naming but I just want to know at this time if I have the support to give them to go ahead to begin the process yes I made a motion second May any further discussion call and support councilwoman Peron yes councilwoman Whitfield councilwoman Dr worthy yes Deputy Mayor Anderson yes and mayor Macintosh all right I have another piece of new business um as Dr worthy reported at the last council meeting our cheerleader from the JFK Center they competed in a national event where they went up against individuals who had cheerleading teams we just have a wreck program and we walked away in first place as well as the uh cheerleaders from our high school they participated in a big event they came in second place so I would like to see if I can get the support to honor them by doing a proclamation for them having them come before the council so that we can present it just to show that we support the children of community for the hard work and everything that they do so I would like to make a motion that we uh do a proclamation and invite them at a council meeting that's convenient for both organizations second moved by Deputy Mayor Anderson second by Dr worthy any further discussion concerning that the cherleader all right roll call please councilwoman Peron yes councilwoman Dr worthy yes Deputy Mayor Anderson yes and mayor McIntosh yes anything else okay we'll be moving on to public comments public comment is now open if you have any questions or concerns please state your name an address for the record and you have four minutes good evening Council mayor mayor and fellow residents uh Pat ly Harvey Hadley Lane um I'm really concerned about the idea of the assessment um it's one of the tools that's used to gentrify communities and I'm concerned that residents will not be able to stay here if they're price of their houses their assessment goes up they may not be able to stay here um and thank you Mr Harris um for considering the residence in the signs I'd like to see more of that residents um voices and other things so that's my two things for thank you Miss Lindsay Harvey hello everyone hello my name is Barbara Williams I live in Rittenhouse Park and I was last here on February 5th for that council meeting to complain about Kevin Gaines of the public works department who refused to give my neighbor a new blue recycling cart he blatantly lied and said that the recycling trucks could not pick up new carts in the town houses when I confronted him about the LIE letting him know that Mr bogal the former acting Township manager had issued my new C to me in March 2019 and the trucks had no problems with pickup he rudely walked away when I left that meeting that council meeting that night I was misled to believe that the townhouse residents would get the recycling cards however when I called about the delivery I was ignored until I threatened to come in I received a call call from the town manager Dwayne Harris stating that same old lie that the trucks could not pick up in the town housee area I made a couple of calls to Ann Moore of waste management into the Commissioner's Office Mr Harris then had a dirty old blue recycling C delivered to my neighbor who is a veteran on March 14th when I called to complain Mr Harris told a blatant life for a second time stating there were no new blue recycling carts and he would replace it later I didn't take his word I went to the public works and I saw lots of new CS I took pictures and I called Action News action news said they called Mr Harris but he failed to reply instead he had a new blue recycling cart delivered to my neighbor on March 16th I had taken pictures of the old one before he picked it up though I know um I also received a call from Mrs Jackson stating that it was a misunderstanding but I know it was no misunderstanding it was done intentionally they fail to apologize to him and the lie was told not by one but two Mr Harris as well as Mr gains I think that both Mr Harris and Mr gains who have no Integrity when they lied and were condescending very disrespectful that they should be removed from their position they are not honest and do not care about treating all residents with the same consideration respect and treatment as select ones are done here the tow houses are excluded and I told you how you treat us like outcasts and none of you said anything to correct it and some of you when these carts for granite you were here when it was done you said nothing yes I'm angry I'm disgusted and I'm ashamed of them but of you as well you the council members of leadership who profess that this is a family oriented Community yet you seem to condone their actions when you said nothing silence as our former Congressman Joan Lewis who I proudly wear his shirt he said when you see something wrong say something do something you didn't do anything some of the residents think you're doing a good job I however vly disagree with them unfortunately I don't have enough time so I will be back because when they say willing bur is a ghetto there has been lots of changes I've been here since the 70s and back in the 70s and up until Mrs Campbell was mayor things were good they started to go downhill you may have done a few good things but you've taken a lot of things from us and we need them back regarding those carts I would like to be able to Miss Williams time is to contact is up contact about giving us these parts they're entitled to them okay thank you okay all right thank you Miss Paris Willam Williams Oh I'm I apologize Miss Williams I apologize all right is there anyone online Jay daily good evening everyone can you hear me yes we can hear you awesome so good evening my name is Jay da um I am calling in um to represent my Uncle Eugene Jones he was a long-standing Willingboro resident um and lived on 18 uh Plum Tree Lane uh so he spent 28 years in the Army an esteemed veteran um and like I said a long-standing resident of William barl for well over 40 years um bronze star medal for Excellency and bravery served in Korea France Vietnam twice Germany among other things um and ended the Army as a sergeant major uh last year in May he passed the way and I really would like to figure out a way to best honor him and I would like to um come to the city council in hopes of um granting permission to have a petition going to um get the information needed to get the signatures to hopefully rename the street that he spent so many years of his life on and so many residents there still remember him fondly and know him well so just coming to to you all for your support and hopefully being able to do this to honor um my uncle who was the world's greatest thank you thank you Miss da we will we will address all questions and concerns after everyone is finished of BU Williams good evening mayor Deputy Mayor councel Mr Harris um my community my entire Community good evening um first of all I want to thank our councel I want to thank our mayor I want to thank Deputy Mayor he did an awesome job last week when our mayor wasn't there he s he filled your shoes very well um temporarily um mayor um I want to congratulate um officer Jackson for what you said tonight she helped solve the crime and she did a awesome job cudos to her um I want to uh I appreciate um councilwoman Peron asking the questions that I would have asked about um the forceful um examination of our homes whether we have the the the option to say no or what you know she got some questions answered I appreciate that um I feel that our um manager is doing a good job I like his reports from week to week um it's enlightening and I I appreciate the work that our entire our council is doing for Willing Bor um I feel that and um I appreciate also Deputy Mayors um going to batford the two the two um the two well the um oh my Heavens I forget cheerleaders cheerleaders the cheerleaders thank you yes I agree that you should recognize them and also the lady who served willing B so valiantly and she's gone you want to have her recognize I appreciate that I'm sure there's more but my brain is gone so thank you very much every oh um the Willing bar 7th Day Adventist Church will be hosting a workshop on um suicide and um we share more as it comes I think it's um hopefully my daughter Terina will say what date it is uh too many people um have gone down that road and we would like to stamp that out where you know we'll see the signs of somebody in Jeopardy of taking their own lives and stop it before it takes place so we'll be hosting a workshop and we will um let you know as the the time draws near so thank you very much everyone God bless you God bless our f fighters or police department and everyone who served the Willing bar Township we appreciate all of you God bless you keep up the good world thank you Miss Williams Terina Williams good evening everyone mayor Macintosh Deputy Mayor Anderson councilwoman Peron councilwoman worthy councilwoman Whitfield we miss you but maybe you're logged on on on Zoom Mr Harris Miss Jackson and um acon clerk um own fellow residents Williams from 8 boty Circle want Tok say special thanks to Mr Harris for your Thor report Miss Jackson for giving us a layout of the upcoming events um always admire how everyone um in the midst of their busy lives um there's always something to look at the calendar on thank you so much once again for Willing by our connect and happy anniversary once again to the Creator thank you for the newsletter and our Facebook page whenever I'm on our Facebook I'm like wow EMF and the fire department and the police department they put their lives on the line each and every day yet still manag to do such awesome community outreach for our community so special thanks to all of them want to say thanks to Parks and Recreation and just thank you to everybody our Township isn't perfect but we are very blessed to have so many dedicated men and women doing such great things so there's always something to be thankful for so let us affirm and build up rather than put each other down um affirmation and congratulations to our cheerleading department and I admire and appreciate um Council Deputy Mayor Anderson's proclamation to them and that woman I'm so sorry I forgot her name as well whose Legacy will live on May God richly bless everyone thank you for your time and dedicated service oh and as my mom was saying last but not least willing bar 7day Adventist Church will be having our annual Health emphasis day on April 20th um layout of services um 9:30 11 lunch will be served and then in the afternoon at 2: to 4:00 p.m. will be a suicide prevention Workshop featuring a panel of guest speakers including Officer Sally Landrum from our own Police Department we want to erase the stigmas and give as much helpful information to people of all ages so that people will always have a reason to live and never want to take their their valuable lives thank you thank you Miss Williams Sharon Anderson uh good evening again all as I said before my name is Sharon Anderson and I live on Bel Hut L new Willingboro I speak personally not as a representative of any organization or agency as someone who's Prov performed property revaluations I want to point out that our assessments are just one factor in determining tax bills and in fact reassessments are an important tool for assuring equity in our tax roles each assessment identifies the fraction of our community budget that each home is responsible for contributing at the risk of oversimplifying let me share an illustration if you have a home that was in the top 10% of value last assessment and it's in the top 10% again now your share does not increase because of the assessment it might increase because of the budget or the tax rate but it's not the underlying assessment in contrast if your home was completely rehabed say if its value change from being in the bottom 10% in value at the last assessment to the top 10% for this assessment your share will increase if you bought a flipped home and the value has gone up dramatically your taxes will be higher but we have to remember that the rate you have been paying based on the pre-rehab value has essentially been subsidized by other homeowners in Willingboro the reassessment process is an important tool for assuring equity in our tax bills thank you thank you Miss Anderson is there anyone else else for public comment all right public comment is now closed Mr Harris will start Miss Lindsay Harvey um had some concerns about the re-evaluation I think you explained it um we'll just have to further investigate and see what can be done if anything um Miss Barbara Williams can Mr Harris Can you offer some insight some clarification on what's going on um with the recycling bin situation so Miss Williams did come uh before the council and and speak a few weeks ago and based on that conversation we did have conversations with the county uh who uh handles our recycling uh here in willing burrow um it's unfortunate that she uses the term that that we lie to her because that was not what we were doing at all we were just sharing information that was communicated to us and when I came to Willingboro it was expressed to me that the reason the county did not do the recycling in the circle because they had trouble or difficulties with the trucks uh maneuvering them but after we had subsequent conversations with the county um they felt that they it was no longer or not an issue for um their trucks to go around around the circles and and collect the Collectibles um so there is not an issue with them doing that um we have also made a determination that if a resident called and asked for a blue recycling cart that we would give them a blue recycling C but we were not just going to mass distribute them without the residents requesting them the only concern that the county had and they asked if instead of the big blue ones if they would use the little the smaller carts uh because they were concerned with people maneuvering the carts between the vehicles parked and things and they were very specific as to what their persons will not do is not go in and uh Traverse the carts from sidewalks and things to be collected in in the trucks but what we did agree on is that the residents could put the carts where they're currently putting their their uh Collectibles but once again um if anyone requested a blue recycling cart we would Supply them with a blue recycling cart um in regards to the the veteran um yes there was a request uh for a a recycling cart for that gentleman uh I did ask DPW to take him a blue recycling cart I did not designate a dirty cart to deliver to him a blue recyc cycling cart um they had several older carts um that they had uh just put new lids on so they they cleaned them up and had taken him a blue card and after Miss Williams expressed her displeasure I did have subsequent conversations with DPW who did share that they did have some new cards and I asked Mr Harris if he would um see that gentleman gets a brand new blue recycling cart and he personally delivered that cart to the gentleman and and gave him our apologies as well so we are not lying as Miss Williams um stated there were just some circumstances that maybe she was not aware of but I believe that we are um acting with integrity and in the interest of the residents in [Music] Willingboro and then so um just for clarification in terms of the use bins we have a supply of used bins that we give out to Residents we get our recycling bins from the county so we don't pay for the blue recycling bins we just go and pick them up when we need them um the county has a very limited supply of of carts um I think at the last last time I heard they had like 11 available and they were waiting on deliveries themselves so you know we are are Distributing what carts that we have on hand hand and that was the reason why that we were you utilizing the cleaned up carts rather than giving out the new carts which we which we tend to give to new residents when they come into the community okay and to Residents in writtenhouse um I don't want the township does not intend to treat written house as like a step a redheaded stepchild that is not the intention I know there are some parameters that we have to um maintain due to their um Association that's already there but that is the intention is never to mistreat or misuse anyone from writtenhouse you know they you are residents that is the truth and so um I apologize that you feel that you know we're we're treating you differently that's not the intention um Mr Harris did bring this to my attention about the recycling bin and it was rectified so um you have something yes madame mayor so to M to Mr Harris's Point that's what the rule was because of the Dynamics right now some of the properties who have Corner properties you know may have had the carts early on because of the easy access but one thing I would ask Mr Harris is as you deliver these carts if we could just make it clear even have the residents sign off with the understanding of parameters if the cart is not you know where it's supposed to be it will not be picked up because the last thing I want is now we're not getting our cards picked up but but if they understand what the terms are based on what the county has told us if you can have them sign off on something saying that they understand this prior to taking this card I think it'll eliminate some of the confusion and also now we don't have get the we can talk to us after the meeting the um and also when written house or Fair Mount or I say written house calls or any of any other subdivision that is um tighter just give the option of the smaller cart um because I know there are some residents that refer to smaller carts um but it is just to be clear the recycling bins are you know we're not going to issue them to everybody in rent house if people need them they're they're available and can and can be obtained um Miss da um if she if you're still online Miss Del um please send a uh email with information about your uncle um to our Deputy Clerk at Latoya oh what is it can L Cooper hyen McBride at Willingboro nj.gov again L Cooper hyen McBride which is MC b r i d at Willingboro nj.gov and we'll provide it would be my honor to um provide you with a proclamation for your uncle and also um we'll Prov provide you with the ordinance with the rules on how to get um Street naming um and you will you can uh Circle back with us um if there's any other questions but if you send me information about your uncle I can um create a proclamation for him um Miss Williams and Miss Torina Williams um they're having their health their health uh Workshop um and it's on the same day as uh everything else our cleanup um yeah gardening we have a full day and our B is it basketball yeah okay so um but just if you're interested they have um something going on also in April 20th um and Mrs Anderson uh thank you for your Insight on the reevaluation um appreciate that and there was nothing else so we'll move on to Council comments does any Council have any comments for tonight yes madame mayor like to begin by thanking everyone for coming out um there's also some project updates the county will begin a Paving project on Veterans Parkway beginning at the end of April or early may they will be Paving Veterans Parkway from JFK Boulevard down to Millennium Drive there will be some traffic diversions during the paving so please be mindful as you plan your shuttles through the community so once again that's going to be from a time period of the end of April to early May um also just want to thank uh Mr Harris and his team for the beautiful presentation of the uh capital budget even though it was beautiful we still GNA see what stays and what goes and I thank you for the uh signage presentation taking the initiative um I think that along with the big brighter electronic boards as we you know really start to build out willing burrow so that folks can really see what's going on um congratulations to officer Jackson and one of the things I forgot to mention with Miss Lizzie moris well I did mention it was she had um on a yearly basis did the EMS fire and police um it was in honor of her late husband that passed away so as I and Dr worthy attended that event you know we were talking about possibly bringing back an appreciation day for Public Safety so that's something at the next meeting I'll bring back up for Council to consider you know they do so much for the community um we've come a long way uh working as a team providing them the tools that they need and so forth so I think it wouldn't be robbery that if we can continue something that you know Miss Lizzie Morris started that was of Great Value so I'll bring that up at the next meeting but thank you thank you Deputy Mayor anyone else closing comments oh good Dr thank you Madame mayor um as we just closed out women's History Month I just wanted to congratulate so many women in Willingboro who were honored um by the American Legion unit 336 auxiliary and the Veterans of Foreign Wars auxiliary Post Number 4914 there's a long list um of of ladies who were Rec who were recognized um some names you may recognize um Miss Claudine Archer who owns the Beloved project who does a lot with um helping the unhoused and providing food um Lea Carter who has Veterans for Sanctuary uh Sanctuary for veterans um who does a lot to help get veterans assistance um Reverend Hilder Covington Miss Reva Foster our very own um Dr Ronda Palmer Miss uh Deja Joseph and the list goes on and on uh to include our own councilwoman Rebecca Peron who was also celebrated as a a phenomenal woman well that not that's the wrong award not the phenomenal woman but the other uh wonderful women of Willingboro uh and surrounding communities and so we have so many um women who are doing amazing things in our community our council is led by women and an honorary woman Deputy Deputy Mayor um Anderson um and it's just wonderful to be able to be surrounded by uh wonderful women and represented also by legal councel but I just want to encourage the women in our community the backbone of this community to continue to uplift andage encourage one another to continue to work together we are better together we are stronger together and let our differences be something that helps us to move forward together where we're able to use the strengths of others to to help move us forward and not dwell so much on differences that it becomes uh a pro it becomes problematic and we're not able to meet the goals we have a lot of shared goals for our community um a mission and vision of willing bro to be intergenerational to be a wonderful place to live work and play to be a place where um everyone feels included those are shared goals and if we could just continue to work together towards those goals and not are let allot not allow the differences to tear us apart we'll be a stronger more productive Community um so congratulations to all the women and honorary women for uh women's history month and I'm looking forward to a wonderful uh spring thank you Madame mayor congratulations Council Peron and Dr worthy was on that list too she didn't mention her name but I saw her name on the list so congratulations to both our council members y always do a great job um I can't follow I'm not going to follow that up I'm not going to reiterate what Dr worthy said um but we still are in our budget season so I know there's a lot of talk about the reevaluation but just know on our end in Willingboro we are working hard to make sure our taxes are low Mr Harris did a phenomenal job um in my absence for the budget but I did look at it um with the budget presentation and they did promise what it one cent down we're looking to go farther than that so Council will be pressing um to make sure we go lower than that um to just try to make sure we try to maintain equilibrium in this town um we understand that taxes are big um concern but the council our this Council and our Administration work really really hard to be very um intentional and deliberate and responsible with tax dollars that come in so we'll be looking you know over the next couple of weeks for um a little bit more push a little bit more savings for the township um with that said we do have executive session tonight but I like to wish um everyone a great great evening we'll be back April 16th and just continue to love one another we are a community we have our differences as Dr worthy says we have different things that need that we you know want done in this Township but we all need to work together and um with that being said good night everyone Miss Williams you can come up here um once we yeah I'm just G to just talk for real quick and then we'll go all right executive session is there a motion for executive session so moved second moved by Dr worthy seconded by Deputy Mayor Anderson roll call please please councilwoman Peron yes councilwoman Dr worthy yes Deputy Mayor Anderson yes and mayor McIntosh yes all right uh yes Miss Cooper McBride statement for the record on the executive session under njsa 10412 B7 uh executive session is needed to discuss matters involving pending or anticipated litigation or contract negotiation or matters involving attorney client privilege thank you thank you e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e yes like a make a motion for injur so move second all in favor I any NS all right good night willing B thank you thank you