##VIDEO ID:wCYtmoZAvqc## [Music] good evening and welcome to Woodbridge is the best town around my name is John McCormack I'm the mayor of this great town and we're here today for our quarterly effort to recognize police officers for the great job that they do for the township Woodbridge we actually recognize an officer of the quarter every single quarter and theyve recently finished the third quarter of 20124 from July 1 to September 30 uh the honory is police officer Russell vanl he's a three-year vener assigned to the radio Patrol Division and third and during the third quarter he responded to 509 calls for service conducted self-initiating initiated law enforcement investigations special Patrol checks and contacts to include enforcement of outstanding arrest warrants and the arrest of defendants on violations of New Jersey Criminal statutes and on July 9th 2024 officer vanl in New Jersey state certified EMT responded to a report of a medical emergency at the mayor's summer concert officer vanl arrived on location and assisted officer Stephanie Le and detective Eric man wrestler who were performing CPR on a female concert goer who had suffered a seizure Officer Van low further assisted in transferring the patient to the ambulance and attending to the patient while in route to robwood hospital where due to his EMT training and experience the patient regained Consciousness and survived the medical emergency on October 1st 2024 officer vanl while on patrol with his partner located a stolen vehicle in the avanel section of the township upon attempting to stop the vehicle the driver ignored commands lights and siren and engaged in a Pursuit ultimately coming to stop a stop at which time officer vanl and his partner successfully and safely placed the subject under arrest and he's hereby honored before the police department fellow officers community and family Russell vanl officer of the quarter for the third quarter of 2024 and an eagle scout so we we honored the two people before uh officer L and Manresa uh we honored them at a past um ceremony like this Russell was not able to make that I was there that night and watched this I said that last time we did the other two was amazing watching these men and women in action they just did a phenomenal job and literally saved that concert Go's life she was down she was out she was blue she was not breathing and within seconds the three of them sprang into action and saved the her life just unbelievable officer say anything um I'll just say all these jobs uh that we respond to uh each and every day it's always a team effort it's not just one individual person um so just like to shout out you know all my partners and co-workers everyone I work with every day we're out here um having each other's back uh it's never a one man show even if it is something minor there's always someone there over your shoulder to help you out and have your back so uh it's really is an award for everybody uh especially all my partners and everyone I work with so thank you let me also introduce the people to my right which I always forget to do when we start these things Police director Bob hubner deputy director Joe niski council president Kyle Anderson first W councilwoman covering Woodbridge and sew waren Sharon mcalli fifth W councilwoman Debbie mean covering Colonia councilwoman at large elizth De Jesus Howe Bower second war councilman covering for h l casby and councilman at large Greg ficara next up uh police response and life saving action is presented to Woodbridge Police Officer Angel Mar marz go yeah goad he's a one-year veteran of the Woodbridge PD and on August 26 2024 Patrol units were dispatched to Hoover way in the Ford section of Woodbridge on a report of an injured adult male with potentially life-threatening injuries officers Martinez and Jason Hernandez janow who is not here tonight uh but he will be honored in the future they both were getting proclamations tonight uh you where was I uh they were the first officers to arrive on the scene where they located a 40-year-old man with a large laceration to the neck and a second laceration to the chest officers Martinez and Hernandez janal utilizing training and experience recognized that the injuries were life-threatening and immediately engaged emergency medical treatment through the application of combat cause directly into and on top of the wounds using direct and constant pressure which served to control the bleeding the emergency medical procedures emplo employed by the officers stabilize the patient for transport to the hospital for medical and psychological treatment and evaluation and they're hereby honored before Woodbridge Police family friends and their peers congratulations to officer Angel Martinez and please let your partner know that we'll get him when he's free so congratulations Angel Martinez no I just want to say uh thank you I'm going piggy back off of what van L said um you know it is a team effort as an example of this award right here is my partner Jason who unfortunately couldn't be here tonight but um yeah it's never you're never by yourself you know it's a team effort and you know working together you can get things done correctly so just want to say thank you for the recognition thanks and now I'd like to ask uh Police director Bob hmer to say a few words thanks mayor uh I know I speak for the officers I know Joe too uh we really appreciate that the mayor recognizes the hard work the officers do and the council for always being here to support the officers um you know really you heard three years on with vanl a year Martinez these are the type of officers we have throughout the department and they just they set the standard so great job anybody from the council like to uh come up I'll see good it's already set low for you okay you know what they say good things come in small packages um you know November uh Thanksgiving is Thursday and November is usually a month F where we Express gratitude so I think um we express our gratitude by recognizing the work that they do but I would like the whole Township to recognize and be grateful for not only our police department but our fire department our EMS and all of our First Responders um I've said before and I'll say it again it's a job that I think you have to be born for it um because I know I don't think I will be able to do it um and they do it without a second thought obviously they get First Rate training and that's why they're also able to do the job that they do but for me and if you guys don't mind for Council I would say that we are grateful for all of our First Responders we are grateful for our Police Department um if you didn't know your you're going to know now that they also fed some of our families um they did a Thanksgiving drive and they'll be with families in December for Christmas so they are more than the uniform that they wear and the work that they do daily they're very ingrained in our community and making sure that those of our community that need help get help that they need so we're grateful for our wbri Police Department grateful for our First Responders and when we are sitting on Thanksgiving and saying a prayer just make sure that we include everybody um that does the job of a police officer fireman and EMT I think that in the last couple of months in Woodbridge Township there's been a lot of calls where they've responded and they've responded well so again just because it's November we should be thankful every day but Thanksgiving is Thursday just make sure that when we do sit with our families and mention something that we're grateful for that we don't leave our First Responders out of our prayers that's all thank you thank you well I've said it before and I'll say it again we say they're the best police department in the state of New Jersey and they go out and prove it every single day thank you folks could all rise pledge flag Al to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liy and justice for all we approach the Thanksgiving holiday let us please remember those who are serving us here and abroad for our safety notice requirements of the public have been satisfied conning this meeting Mr the staral notice on October 6 2023 a copy of the schedule was posted on the municipal bulletin it should be so noted in the minutes of this meeting Council B here councilwoman de here councilman farara here councilwoman MLL here councilwoman M here councilman Patel here councilman small vice president Spiller and president Anderson here can I get a motion to approve the minutes of November 12th motion second any questions or comments all in favor I I oppose eyes have it beginning with second reading ordinances this evening we have two we'll take letter a first which is the ordinance to approve the traffic light at the intersection of Inman Avenue in Jordan and this is to accept the light as it's been constructed motion second any questions or comments from Council all favor I I oppose eyes have it the public hearing is now open on letter a letter A only there no public comment from the public can I get a motion that the public hearing be closed you be adopted and submiss to the mayor for approval as required by law yes second questions or comments from councel all favor I opposed eyes have it going to letter B also a second reading ordinance and ordinance amending chapter 7 entitled traffic and this is to make amendments to the handicap part from streets listed and I again a motion that this ordinance be taken up on second and third reading and the public hearing be open Mission second any questions or comments from councel all in favor I I opposed eyes happy the public hearing is now open on letter b letter B only hearing no comment from the public and I get a motion as the public hearing be closed the ordance to be adopted and submitted to the mayor for approval as required by law motion second questions or comments all in favor I I opposed eyes have it letter c as a first reading ordinance can I get a motion that this ordinance be passed on first reading published in the home News Tribune on November 29th 2024 noce a public hearing to be held on December 17 2024 at 6 p.m. motion second any questions or comments from councel all in favor I oppos eyes have Mr President listed under resolutions you have 17 items list is 1 through 17 if I get a good motion by consent motion second any questions or comments all in favor I I opposed eyes have we'll now go into the public comments portion of tonight's meeting When approaching the microphone please state your name and what section of the township you live in you will have a onetime opportunity to speak up to 5 minutes and and all videotaping must be done from the uh marked off area and uh at 1 minute remaining I will give you a warning Mr Maris watch for the crowd on the way up good evening Town Council and the administration I do remember that song Only L lonely and I'm kind of feeling that way right now now but anyway this is what it's all about it's our democracy as we know we just had an election things are about to change in this country I hope it all goes well and that we transition however we're going to go to the betterment of the people that make this country I don't care what color they are what religion they are this is the United States of America and I think we are I know I absolutely believe I don't think we are the greatest country in the world and I've lived in a lot of other countries and I can tell you from my own experience this is where I want to be this is where I want my ashes to be remained going aside from that um and look got five quick minutes couple of comments beyond what I just made as we know the the traffic in the town is picking up uh as new apartments come and my question whether the board or the administration can answer it do we TR track the occupancy in the apartments that we have given tax abatements to and if we do are we all looking at the correlation between those apartment dwellers and how many perhaps family members they're adding to the school system M uh Mr Mayor if you would I literally uh Mr Maris about two hours ago sent an email to the board super to the board secretary because the constituent asked that question so I asked them how many school age kids are in Rust Street School from the park Madera verm and Avenue and green I'll have that number I don't know if I'll have it tomorrow everybody's on half day but I'll probably have it next week we built RW Street Ser the school board we paid for RW Street school with 150 more desks yes I'm sure there's nowhere near 150 grammar school kids um from the apartments going to rust Street School what I fear though is that the board moved around some programs to fill those desks which can't be really blamed on the apartments that's something that they made an operational decision so I'll have that answer for next meeting it's a couple of weeks three weeks away maybe I'll shoot you an email and and let you know what what the numbers are yeah even the best of crystal balls are are foggy at times and I think this is St that we talked about way back when when we were looking at the budgets to do the improvements in the schools and we in all fairness everybody took the best guess and that's that's where we're at right now and we're seeing words coming to fruition and I respect the fact that you did that I had no idea that you had done that when I was yes constituent brought it up this morning on an email to me so great thank I'd to hear the answer to that um I'm just trying to think something else to say within my two or three minutes that I have left um I I think really think that's the most Salient thing going on right now the traffic is improving the lights are getting better I think the roads are a little bit safer going up and down they've done a big Improvement on Main Street going all the way up it's easier to get in and out it no longer looks like a tank trap trying to go through there with your car took a while but it got done it's really nice we got there and I think we have ownership of Main Street from 9 going all the way back down to the monument the town has taking that yes from um George is it 9 to the monument or is it U 35 35 to the monument okay just section from 35 35 on down so is there any plans still in the works I know there were some at some point in time of expanding Main Street going up from 35 all the way up to um to 9 in terms of what making a little wider handle the traffic wider is very expensive moving sidewalks yeah moving sidewalks is a very very that would be County we could always ask them by I don't expect that they would find that to be feasible and finally because everybody's quite concerned about it right now what are the crime rates in the township right now are we seeing uptake and if so in what areas is it drugs um robberies and this is ongoing and I understand as any Community expands you're going to have a certain dichotomy that comes in and you're going to have changes in statistics where are we right now CU I think we have an excellent police force as I've said for years but where are we with the crime rate I'll leave that to Mr hubner director hubner I don't have that answer right now but I can defitely get it okay I I'll we can we can share whatever the latest statistics are okay and then I'd like to follow up with that office at some point in time what are we doing about it and how are we going to help control it one way or the other thank you for the time I wish everybody a very Happy Thanksgiving you and your families and I'll let you finish your meeting and get out of here myself thank you thank you I get a motion to close the public portion motion second all favor I I opposed I have go to the agenda going to the agenda I would like to uh um wish everyone a uh Happy Thanksgiving Happy safe Thanksgiving with your families and um and uh you know just to remember those who were not with us during the holiday season and um you know cherish the time that you're with your families so I'll move on to council vice president Spiller thank you council president and item number one on my agenda avanel very marry holiday lighting uh we had our event this past Sunday uh I want to thank my committee my co-chair to the my right Mr Mitch um what an event I I can't even put numbers on it some people said they thought there was over a th within the 3our period um it was just a great way to kick off the holiday season here in Woodbridge um it was a nice tribute also to uh Hank from avau Pharmacy uh we had his family come they were the official uh light switches um uh Mr Mitch presented them with a couple of gifts uh just a nice token to let them know um that the town us the council the administration his friends the township um we miss him and let everyone know how much he meant and what he did uh for this Township so um great event uh the rest of my agenda is in order um just remember not everybody will be as happy this Thanksgiving not everybody's just fortunate so let's try to do our part um whatever we can uh Happy Thanksgiving thank you Council presid very much Council M car thank you council president uh a number of things I'm just going to Rattle off uh seasonal going off at the community center uh ice skating with Santa on Saturday December mber 14th from 2: to 4: um there is a holiday gold Zumba on Saturday December 14th and the gymnasium uh trxx and kettle bell training and a special promotion on uh personal training all at our community center also if you're an Township employee there is a um a training session for CPR in first aid I've taken the course it's very precise it's very good and the attendees will receive an American Artist Association certification card that's December 18th from 6:00 to 10 at the community center I highly recommend it it's a great course um there is a seminar over at the community center on December 4th at 11:00 a.m. in room 2:14 uh franu luno is I don't know if I'm pronouncing that right senior health stop and the topic is the 2025 Amer Health Medicare Plan uh those of you that are in that Medicare range uh you might want to consider stopping by and getting an education Mr seala what are you smiling about you're in that I just said I can't miss that oh and then uh just an announcement it's coming up rather quickly this Saturday is our fourth annual Turkey Trot it's a 5k uh it's again this Saturday November 30th registration and checkin is at 8:30 race time is at 10:00 a.m. at Alvin P Williams Park you can register at Compu score and then put WB for Woodbridge turkey shot it's 25 bucks and you can also walk up that morning at 8:30 we do have about 150 Runners already so if you're thinking about running you might want to do it uh in advance the uh one of the beneficiaries of that uh program the some of the registration fees are going to the Marissa Taro foundation and that Foundation helps children in need around greater middle counties so Happy Thanksgiving to everyone thank you council president that's a I have thank you very much councilman bow thank you council president uh my agenda is in order I have a few announcements excuse me for's business Community annual annual Holiday Stroll will be held on Saturday December 7th from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. along new brck Avenue uh the tree will be lit at 5:30 p.m. at the public parking lot next to the fors BFW at 4:11 new brck Avenue there'll be entertainment food vendors and giveaways also greed with s will be held at the forge library on the same day on Ford Avenue between 1: p.m. and 2 p.m. like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your time with your family and friends member our troop serving here and our board and all our First Responders on duty that day God bless them all and God bless America that's all I have thank you council president thank you councilwoman deis thank you council president I just have a few announcements kick up the holiday season join us for our annual holiday exra Ana the W High School forts middle school and bra Street Elementary School choirs will be performing Friday December 13th 12: noon in the Woodridge Community Center gymnasium um the public library the library will be offering new computer skills programs in December including introduction computers computer practice class email11 Microsoft and a library apps class you can register online at w library.org or call the main library and they will also have a holiday piano concert in sing along with Glory gold on Friday December 13th at 2: p.m. in the meeting room um and don't forget the baron Art Center the train show if you have a small child or an adult that likes train just head over to the baron Art Center and see the train show and I would like to wish everyone Happy Thanksgiving remember to be grateful not only for what we have at home and our families but also for the First Responders and everyone that services our community um thank you thank you Council Mi thank you um council president my agenda is in order I just want to thank everybody that donated food on Saturday for our Thanksgiving food drive that was held at the colon of VFW thank you for the colon uh Colony BFW for allowing us to use their building and the students from Colony Middle School and Colony High School that helped us pack up the food the need for the holiday meals this year was one of our biggest yet over 300 families received Thanksgiving dinners due to the hard Brook at Pastor Leslie and John Paul of the Evangel Church in island and the many volunteers that packed up the Thanksgiving to dinners during the boxes a hope event thank you to the Woodridge parks department that helped us deliver 158 meals to families within our school districts sadly many families within our community struggle with food insecurities every day children go to bed hungry and and go to school hungry and that's something we should never Overlook so please continue your holiday spirit of kindness through the year so we continue to take take care of these families within our own communities um during the full year not just at the holidays also on December 6th we will be packing up supplies and cookies for our troops that live in Woodridge Township if you know somebody that is currently serving our our country and would like a package sent to them um please reach out to me I would need an APO address and we will get them a package uh you can reach me at 732 382 0273 and that's all I have I just wish everybody a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving thank you councilman yeah thank you speci magenda is also in order I would like to wish everyone a happy healthy and a very safe Thanksgiving that's allk thank you councilwoman thank you council president my agenda is in order I just have a couple announcements I'd like to remind everybody that this Saturday on Main Street Woodbridge we have the Winter Fest starting at 400 p.m. the with the holiday St and the tree lighting will be at 5:30 come out uh listen to some nice music by the choirs we have a visit with Santa ice skating ice sculpting going on and right after that following the Holiday Stroll will be the uh annual light parade uh you can follow um Facebook the mayor's Facebook page for the path of where the light parade will be going which is a really uh very exciting event that's going to be happening also at the Holiday Stroll stop by the gallery on Maine to get your free Christmas tree ornament um also I would like to remind everybody that on December the 4th we going to have our first annual sea warrant tree lighting that will be held at the Veterans Memorial which is on the triangle at West Avenue and Woodbridge Avenue uh that will be at 600 p.m. come a little bit early there're going to be visits from Santa the Matthew Joo school will be uh singing for us there's going to be hot cocoa and holiday crafts and the Girl Scouts will also will be participating from Troop number 83670 I'd like to wish everybody a blessed Thanksgiving and please keep all of our um service men and women who are taking care of the country here and overseas who will not be able to spend time with their family during the holidays a very Happy Thanksgiving thank you thank you Mr Mitch thank you Mr President my agenda is in order Happy Thanksgiving to our thank you director simala thank you council president first I'd like to um for mayor McCormick and the administration we'd like to wish all of our employees a Happy Thanksgiving we appreciate everything they do throughout the year this is the time i' like to thank them uh under the mayor's uh agenda I have an annual appointment in waivers under my agenda I have a tax and Sewer over payment 100% disabled vet and tax appeals thank you Council thank you director Huer thank you council president nothing see Director D thank you council president just our standard bi-weekly refund resolution thank you thank you director brou thank you council president I have two items tonight the first one is change order number one on contract 2024 -1 and that is for the 2024 milon res serving program and the second item I have is a the local Freight impact fund brand application and that's for the croso road improvements thank thank you very much evening council president motion to adjourn motion second a