* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:02] GOOD EVENING. I CALLED TO ORDER THE REGULAR MEETING FOR TOWNSHIP, UH, TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD TOWN COUNCIL, NOVEMBER 6TH, 2025. THIS MEETING IS CALLED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS LAW. THIS MEETING OF NOVEMBER 6TH, 2025 WAS INCLUDED IN A MEETING NOTICE SENT TO THE BURLINGTON COUNTY TIMES AND THE CENTRAL RECORD ON DECEMBER 18TH, 2024, AND ADVERTISED AND SAID NEWSPAPERS ON DECEMBER 23RD, 2024 AND DECEMBER 26TH, 2024 RESPECTIVELY POSTED ON THE WEBSITE AND THE BULLETIN BOARD IN THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING ON DECEMBER 18TH, 2024, AND HAS REMAINED CONTINUOUSLY POSTED AS REQUIRED UNDER THE STATUTE. IN ADDITION, A COPY OF THIS NOTICE IS AND HAS BEEN AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND IS ON FILE IN THE OFFICE OF THE MUNICIPAL CLERK. PLEASE RISE FOR [II. FLAG SALUTE] THE FLAG SUIT. I PLED TO THE FLAG RISE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I TO THE REPUBLIC FOR STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ROLL [III. ROLL CALL] CALL PLEASE. MS. MILL. HERE. MS. SIMON. HERE. MR. WATSON. HERE. DEPUTY MAYOR SUSAN. HERE. MAYOR RUSTOCK HERE. ALRIGHT, WELL GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. JUST WANTED TO MAKE ONE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT. UH, IT MAY HAVE BEEN NOTICED THAT SOME PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED THAT WE WERE HAVING AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING HEARING TONIGHT. UH, THAT IS NOT THE CASE. WE'RE SIMPLY MOVING BECAUSE OF ELECTION NIGHT. WE ARE MOVING OUR NORMAL MEETING. UNTIL TONIGHT, WE WILL ACTUALLY NOT BE DISCUSSING IN ANY WAY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PUBLICLY OR PRIVATELY IN OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION. JUST WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT AND UNDERSTAND THAT BEFORE WE STARTED. [IV. Communications, Scheduling Matters, Council Agenda, Presentations and Any Amendments to the Agenda] SO WE HAVE A WONDERFUL AND AMAZING TOWN FILLED WITH AMAZING PEOPLE. AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE A SPECIAL PRESENTATION FROM DECEMBER. UH, CH IF YOU COULD COME UP DECEMBER, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL. WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO. SIDE, SIDE THE SIDE PLEASE. THANK YOU. SO FEEL FREE TO TURN THAT AROUND. I YOU SO SORRY. ON DECEMBER FROM ROSE IN DECEMBER, UH, FLOWER SHOP UP STER, THIS IS LAURA. SHE'S AN EMPLOYEE, BUT ALSO A FRIEND, AND SHE DOES A LOT FOR THE TOWNSHIP AND . SO TOGETHER AT THE ROSEN, DECEMBER. SO MY NAME IS LAURA SMALL, I SUMMER OVER. AND, UH, SUMMER IS THE OWNER OF ROSEN, DECEMBER FLORAL SHOP. I WORK THERE AND TOGETHER WITH MARY JEAN ANDEL FROM THE LEPE DISTRICT SUPPORT STAFF ASSOCIATION, UH, WE HAVE FORMED WHAT WE CALL THE OPERATION SOLIDARITY TOGETHER 2025. A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKSTORY, UH, AT A ROSEN DECEMBER, WE WORK WITH STUDENTS FROM THE LEPE DISTRICT TRANSITION TO ADULT PROGRAM OR THE TAP PROGRAM. AND IT PROVIDES JOB TRAINING TO SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS. AND WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO WORK FOR THEM FOR MANY YEARS. IN A ROW OF THE SUMMER, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, DECEMBER DECIDED THAT PART OF THEIR CURRICULUM WOULD BE A COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITY. AND SHE WORKED WITH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT GROUPS AND SHE SETTLED ON OPERATION YELLOW RIBBON. AND FOR MANY YEARS WE WORKED WITH THEM OVER SIX YEARS, WE WERE ABLE TO RAISE, UH, OVER $150,000 AND FILL 14 SCHOOL BUSES WITH TROOPS, WITH NOT TROOPS, WITH, UH, UH, ITEMS FOR CARE PACKAGES TO BE SENT TO TROOPS OBSERVING OVERSEAS WHILE OPERATION YELLOW RIBBON IS NO LONGER SENDING CARE PACKAGES OVERSEAS. BUT WE HAD A LOT OF MOMENTUM. WE REALLY ENJOYED GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY. SO THE THREE OF US TOGETHER THIS YEAR CREATED SOLIDARITY TOGETHER 2025, BUT WE SHIFTED OUR FOCUS A LITTLE BIT. SO IT WAS TWO, TWO FOCUS. UH, THE FIRST ONE WAS TO COLLECT, UH, WE DO A BUS DRIVE, A FILL A BUS EVENT, AND WE WERE COLLECTING FOOD ITEMS FOR OUR LOCAL PANTRIES. AND AT THE END OF THE EVENT, AT OUR FILL BUS EVENT, WE WERE ABLE TO FILL TWO LUPE SCHOOL BUSES FULL, VERY, VERY FULL WITH FOOD. WE SENT ONE BUS TO THE LIONS IN METRO LAKES. THE METRO LAKE LIONS, THE OTHER ONE WENT TO, UM, ST. VINCENT DEPAUL HERE IN MEDFORD. AND THEN WE ALSO FILLED THE SHORTER SCHOOL BUS FOR PET SUPPLIES. THE OTHER FOCUS THAT WE HAD WAS TO COLLECT FINANCIAL DONATIONS TO GO TO, UH, THE EMERGENCY AND FIRST RESPONDERS IN THE LENY DISTRICT, ALSO MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS. AND THEN THE LENY DISTRICT SUPPORT STAFF HAS A SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDENTS GOING INTO THE TRADES. AND SO WE FOCUSED ON RAISING MONEY FOR THOSE THREE OF THOSE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. WE WERE VERY EXCITED. WE WEREN'T SURE HOW IT WOULD BE WITH THE DIFFERENT FOCUS AWAY FROM YELLOW RIBBON, BUT WE WERE VERY EXCITED TO RAISE JUST SHY OF $22,000 TO GIVE TO THESE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. SO WE'RE VERY HONORED THIS EVENING. WE HAVE MEMBERS FROM UNION FIRE COMPANY TO AND FIRE COMPANY, AND THEN THE MEDFORD POLICE, UH, FOUNDATION HERE TO RECEIVE THEIR CHECKS FROM THIS ORGANIZATION. SO, WOW. [00:05:01] SO THE ONLY THING THAT I WANNA ADD IS THIS COULD NEVER HAPPEN WITHOUT THE COMMUNITY. AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING UP HERE SO MUCH BEHIND THE SCENES THAT I THINK MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE BETWEEN 150 SMALL BUSINESSES, WHETHER THEY GIVE ME $50 OR $500, IT ALL ADDS UP AND GOES TOGETHER IN THE POT. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, BETWEEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND THE POLICE HELPING GATHER ITEMS THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF OUR LOCAL PEOPLE. SO THANK YOU. AMAZING. THANK YOU AGAIN. ALL THE PEOPLE UP HERE SHOULD BE, EVERY YEAR WE DESIGN A T-SHIRT, FYI FLOWER SHOP. SOMEBODY WANTS TO GET ONE CHANGE. THAT IS AMAZING. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU AND, AND WELL DONE. WE HAVE ONE OTHER PRESENTATION THIS EVENING. WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR AN EAGLE SCOUT NAMED JACK RADWELL. SO WE'RE GONNA COME DOWN IN THE FRONT. WE'LL READ THIS PROCLAMATION TO YOU, JACK, AND IF YOU WANT TO COME UP AND BRING YOUR FAMILY IF YOU'D LIKE, THAT'D BE GREAT. DONE. WHEREAS THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD IS PROUD TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ACHIEVED THE DISTINGUISHED RANK OF EAGLE SCOUT, THE HIGHEST HONOR AWARDED BY THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA. AND WHEREAS JACK BRADWELL, A MEMBER OF BOY SCOUT TRO 26, HAS DEMONSTRATED EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP, DEDICATION, AND COMMUNITY SPIRIT, AND FULFILLING ALL REQUIREMENTS TO EARN THE RANK OF EAGLE SCOUT. AND WHEREAS FOR HIS LEGAL SCOUT PROJECT, JACK LED FELLOW SCOUTS IN INSTALLATION OF NINE INTERPRETIVE SIGNS ALONG THE FREEDOM PARK, THE FREEDOM PARK DOG PARK TRAIL, ENHANCING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL INSIGHT INTO THE PARK'S NATIONAL NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. AND WHEREAS DESPITE ENCOUNTERING UNEXPECTED MACHINERY ISSUES DURING THE PROJECT, JACK AND HIS TEAM SHOWED DETERMINATION AND ADAPTABILITY SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THIS MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF MEDFORD COUNCIL RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ALIVE. AND WHEREAS JACK'S PROJECT REFLECTS THE CORE VALUES OF THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA LEADERSHIP, PERSEVERANCE, SERVICE, AND COMMUNITY STEWARDSHIP, AND STANDS AS A TESTAMENT TO HIS CHARACTER AND COMMITMENT TO S AND ENGAGEMENT. AND WHEREAS JACK'S LEADERSHIP SKILLS ARE AN ASSET TO THE TROOPS, TO THE SCOUTS OF AMERICA, 26, THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. NOW, THEREFORE, DID PROCLAIM THAT THE MAYOR AND TOWNSHIP, COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF MED TO HEREBY RECOGNIZE AND COMMEND EAGLE SCOUT, JACK BRADWELL FOR HIS OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT, LEADERSHIP, AND SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, AND EXTEND THEIR SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS ON EARNING THE RANK OF EAGLE SCOUT. BE FURTHER PROCLAIM THAT THIS PROCLAMATION BE PRESENTED TO EAGLE SCOUT JACKWELL AS AN EXPRESSION OF THE TOWNSHIP'S PRIDE AND APPRECIATION FOR [00:10:01] HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY. PRESENTED IN NOVEMBER 6TH, 2025 BY MED COUNCIL. I AM NOT SURE IF YOU HEARD, UH, COUNCILMAN WATSON, FORMER MAYOR WATSON, BUT HE MENTIONED THAT HE WAS NUMBER FOUR EAGLE SCOUT FROM TROOP 26. SO IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE LEGACY CONTINUE AND PERHAPS JACK, SOMEDAY YOU'LL SIT UP HERE AND BE, UH, IT'D BE A GREAT THING. SO, UH, SO THANK YOU. WELL DONE. AND, AND THANK YOU AGAIN. WE HAVE A COMMUNITY FILLED WITH INCREDIBLE PEOPLE AND IT'S JUST A PRIVILEGE TO BE A PART OF IT. UH, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMUNICATIONS? I JUST HAVE ONE JUST TO SAY THANKS AGAIN TO THE, UH, MEDFORD, VINCENT TOWN ROTARY FOR THE HALLOWEEN PARADE. IT WAS, THERE WAS AWESOME FLOATS. IT WAS A GREAT NIGHT. AND FOR THE POLICE AND EMS THAT WERE THERE TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE, IT WAS A GREAT NIGHT. AGREED. UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK, UH, MANAGER HORAL AND HIS STAFF FOR, UM, COMING THROUGH WITH THOSE LEAF TRUCKS. I KNOW THAT WE STARTED RIGHT ON TIME HERE AND, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PRODUCTIVE FALL SEASON. THANK YOU. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. ANY, ANYONE ELSE? ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. REGARDING SCHEDULING ITEMS, OUR NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS HERE AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING AT 6:30 PM ON NOVEMBER 20TH. PLEASE NOTE THAT IS ALSO A THURSDAY EVENING, AND THAT IS BECAUSE THE LEAGUE OF MUNICIPALITIES HAS THEIR CONFERENCE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK. AND SO WE'RE SIMPLY MOVING THAT MEETING FROM A TUESDAY TO THE THURSDAY OF THAT SAME WEEK. UH, MOVING ON [V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES] TO THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES. WE HAVE OCTOBER 7TH, 2025. COUNCIL MEETING, MINUTES AND OCTOBER 7TH, 2025. EXECUTIVE SESSION MINUTES. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE MINUTES? ALRIGHT, CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES? SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, THE MINUTES ARE ACCEPTED. UH, WE HAVE NO DISCUSSION ITEMS LISTED FOR THIS EVENING, [VII. PUBLIC COMMENTS] AND WE'LL NOW OPEN IT UP TO OUR PUBLIC COMMENT FOR OUR REGULAR MEETING. AND WE WOULD ASK SIMPLY THAT GENERAL DECORUM IS EXHIBITED TO BE KIND TO EACH OTHER AND YOUR NEIGHBORS, AND RECOGNIZING THAT MANY VETERANS LOST THEIR LIVES FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK PUBLICLY SUCH AS THIS. AND MANY ARE FIGHTING FOR THOSE FREEDOMS RIGHT NOW. AND SO HONORING EACH OTHER IS A WAY TO HONOR THEM. AND PLEASE NOTE THAT IN OUR ORDINANCES, WE DO HAVE ORDINANCE 2020 DASH THREE, WHICH CALLS FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS TO ENGAGE IN PROPER CONDUCT AND TO AVOID DISTURBING THE PEACE IN A MEETING. AND SO PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO COMMENT PUBLICLY. THIS IS NOT A TIME OF PUBLIC DEBATE. SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. YOU'LL BE CALLED TO THE MICROPHONE. PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME. PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD AND WE'LL LIMIT THESE COMMENTS TO FIVE MINUTES. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL NOT RESPOND TO YOUR COMMENTS. WE WILL RESERVE OUR COMMENTS AND RESPONSE FOR THE END OF THAT. SO, UH, I BELIEVE I SAW A HAND RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE THAT ASK FOR A, DANIEL, COULD YOU MOVE THE MICROPHONE TO THE SIDE PLEASE? MY NAME IS MARIANNE HOLLOWAY. YOU'RE NOT ADMITTED. MY ADDRESS. ALRIGHT. COULD YOU CONFIRM YOUR TOWN, PLEASE? MY TOWN? MM-HMM . I OWN PROPERTY IN MEDFORD. OKAY. SO DO YOU LIVE HERE IN MEDFORD? I YOU'RE NOT ENTITLED TO THAT EITHER. OKAY. SO WE'LL ASSUME THAT YOU DO NOT, YOU'RE NOT ENTITLED TO THAT. OKAY. NOR ARE YOU ENTITLED TO ASK THAT. OKAY. WE, WE BOTH KNOW [00:15:02] DEAR COUNSEL MEMBERS, I CAME BEFORE THE COUNSEL A FEW WEEKS AGO ASKING THAT SPECIAL COUNSEL BE APPOINTED FOR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENTS. FOR SEVERAL REASONS. AS I WAS READING THE REPORTS, QUESTIONS CAME TO MIND. HOW IS IT THAT A REPORT PREPARED BY ENVIRONMENTAL RESOLUTIONS MISSED 205 EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS? WEEKS AGO, I REQUESTED AN FROM THE COUNTY SYSTEM, ALL EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS. I DID RECEIVE THE LIST THROUGH OPRAH MACHINE, WHICH CAN BE VERIFIED. THERE WERE 406 UNITS LISTED. THE 205 MISSING UNITS FROM THE REPORTS ARE CONTAINED ON THAT LIST. HOW IS THAT KNOWN ON PLANNING ZONING COUNCIL OR THE TOWN SOLICITOR CAUGHT THE AIR. HOW IS THAT? THE TOWN SOLICITOR FROM ECKFORD WAS ALLOWED TO SIT AT A PROFESSIONAL'S TABLE AT THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING, WHICH IS AGAINST THE LAW IN NEW JERSEY. MR. PRIME GAVE LEGAL ADVICE AND STATED THAT THEY HAD TO VOTE YES OR THEY WOULD POSSIBLY BE SUED. I ASK AGAIN, WHY HAS IT, WHY ISN'T IT THAT RE HAS DONE THE SAME THING THAT MORRISTOWN HAS DONE AND GONE BEFORE THE COURTS AND ASKED FOR A REPOSE WHICH WAS GRANTED TO MORRISTOWN TO GIVE THEM TIME TO GET EVERYTHING STRAIGHT AND THAT WOULD PROTECT THE TOWN FOR A PERIOD OF TIME FROM A BUILDER'S REMEDY LAWSUIT? I DID NOT GET ANY ANSWER. WHY DID THE PROFESSIONALS AND OR THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL ON PLANNING WHEN, UH, PROFESSIONALS AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL ON ANY BOARD START TO ENGAGE WITH DR. 40? WAS IT BEFORE THE DESIGNATION OF IN NEED OF REDEVELOPMENT WAS GIVEN TO A FARM WITH CONSIDERABLE WETLANDS, WITH THIS DESIGNATION, OUR PILOT PROGRAMS AND TAX EXEMPTIONS GOING TO BE GIVEN OR HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO THE DEVELOPMENT? I'M AGAIN REQUESTING THAT THE ENGINEER CORRECT THE REPORT AND WE FILE IT WITH FAIR SHARE IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. WHEN CAN I EXPECT THE CORRECTION? WILL THE CORRECTION STATE, IF THE TOWN ALREADY HAS THE FULL 659 REQUIRED UNITS WITH NO NEED TO BUILD MORE, WILL YOU BE OPEN TO AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT TO REVIEW THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT ALL OF THE REPORTS? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THEY DO NEED TO BE AUDITED. I ALSO ASKED AT THE TIME ABOUT HIRING SPECIAL COUNSEL AND MR. PRICE STATED THAT HE HAD D DEFENDED THE TOWN OF EFFORT. I PULLED EVERY DOCK DOCK AND I CAN'T FIND MR. PRIME DEFENDING COUNSEL. IF HE HAS, I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE SOMEBODY TO THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE SOMETIMES THINGS GET MISSED. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK HOW IT IS THAT THIS COUNCIL, THE PLANNING BOARD, ZONING BOARD SOLICITORS AND PROFESSIONALS ALLOWED ALLEGEDLY INCORRECT REPORTS TO BE FILED THROUGH GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES TO ALLOW A DEVELOPER TO COME IN. THE METHOD TO BILL AND THE SITE PLANS WERE ALREADY DONE AND POSTED ON YOUR, ON YOUR WEBSITE, 501 UNITS AND ONLY 40 ARE GOING TO BE AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS, NOT EVEN OWNER OCCUPIED UNITS. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? I DON'T KNOW HOW ANYBODY CAN SIT HERE ON COUNCIL AND LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY AND SAY THAT YOU'RE NOT PURPOSEFULLY AND INTENTIONALLY HURTING ME. YOU KNOW, SO I I WOULD LOVE TO, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA SAY A WORD, AND I KNOW I'M GETTING EYE CONTACT, BUT THIS ISN'T GOING TO STOP. THE COMMUNITY IS NOT GOING TO GO AWAY. THEY'RE GONNA WANT ANSWERS. THEY'RE WANT, WANNA PROTECT THE COMMUNITY FROM UNNECESSARY OVERDEVELOPMENT UNDER THE GUISE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH WE ALREADY HAVE, AND WE ARE IN TOTAL COMPLIANCE. THANK YOU. UH, SINCE THERE WAS A ROUND OF APPLAUSE, I'LL, I'LL ADDRESS SOME THINGS AND THE REST OF COUNCIL CAN AS WELL. UH, THE MAJORITY OF WHAT MS. HOLLOWELL SAID WAS, UH, PATENTLY FALSE. AND SO I WANT TO JUST MOVE FORWARD AND JUST SHARE A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE, UH, THIS HAS BEEN SHARED PUBLICLY MANY TIMES FROM COUNCIL. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY DESIRE TO EXPAND DEVELOPMENT IN THIS TOWN. PERIOD. FULL STOP. [00:20:01] THAT'S, THAT'S ONE. TWO, WE ARE NOW IN ROUND FOUR OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING SITUATION, WHICH WE HAVE RECEIVED A COURT MANDATED AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND ESSENTIAL THAT THOSE FOUR WORDS ARE USED IN CONJUNCTION FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF ALL OF US AS A COMMUNITY COURT MANDATED AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE DON'T HAVE ANY CHOICE. THE STATE INFORMED US THAT WE HAVE 171 AFFORDABLE USE UNITS TO CONSTRUCT. WE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE NEGOTIATIONS, CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COURTS, TWO COURT HEARINGS. THERE'S AT LEAST ONE MORE TO COME WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DETAILS. THE COURT IS AWARE OF OUR SITUATION. WE ARE AWARE OF OUR SITUATION. IT HAS BEEN REVIEWED, IT HAS BEEN HANDED DOWN. WE AS A PLANNING BOARD, I SIT ON THE PLANNING BOARD. DEPUTY MAYOR SITS ON THE PLANNING BOARD. WE HAVE SIMPLY APPROVED THE COURT MANDATED AFFORDABLE HOUSING NUMBER OF 171 UNITS TO ALLOW US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP DIRECT WHERE THOSE ITEMS UNITS GO. SO MR. PRIME, IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADD TO THIS AT ALL, YOU'RE WELCOME TO. IF THE REST WOULD COUNSEL WOULD AS WELL. PLEASE, BY ALL MEANS. BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE THE INFORMATION WAS SIMPLY INCORRECT. THAT IS ALSO WITHIN A 10 YEAR PERIOD, SO THAT'S CORRECT. IT'S NONE OF THIS TRUE. NONE OF WE'RE NOT. IF I MAY PLEASE. UM, I BELIEVE THE NUMBERS THAT MS. HOLLOWAY WAS REFERRING TO WAS PORTIONS OF ROUND TWO AND THREE. UM, THE NUMBERS SHE STATED DO NOT REFLECT OUR CURRENT OBLIGATION AS MAYOR RESTOCK STATED THAT THE COURTS PUT DOWN ON ALL TOWNS, OUR NUMBER IS 171. SO WE HAVE 10 YEARS TO BUILD 171 AFFORDABLE HOUSES. A CURRENT NUMBER, CURRENT CURRENT NUMBER, EXCUSE ME. UM, THE PREVIOUS NUMBERS THAT WERE STATED OF WHICH THERE ARE AFFORDABLE HOMES IN MEDFORD FROM THE FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD ROUNDS, WHICH ARE THE NUMBERS THAT MS. HOLLOWAY MENTIONED. UM, AND THEY EXIST IN DEVELOPMENTS THAT SOME OF YOU MAY LIVE IN. UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK SOME OF US MIGHT LIVE IN AS WELL. SO, UM, THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH NOW ARE THE FOURTH ROUND OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND THIS IS WHAT WE WERE FORCED TO, TO SATISFY OUR OBLIGATION AS A TOWN. AND, AND WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE FIRST THREE ROUNDS. YEAH, THAT'S IMPORTANT. WE, WE, WE REMAIN IN COMPLIANCE. YEAH, IT'S THE FOUR. I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THE FIVE MINUTES LEFT. WOULD YOU ALLOW? NO, I'M SORRY THAT TIME IS DONE. I, SO I, AGAIN, I, I, IF I MAY, JUST, JUST TO ANSWER MS. HOLLOWAY, UM, IT'S NOT OUR INTENT TO DEVELOP MEDFORD AT ALL. UM, WE'RE FORCED TO DEVELOP THESE HOMES AND THAT IS NOT TRUE. MS. HOLLOWAY. MS. HOLLOWAY, SORRY. I CAN, I CAN ASSURE YOU IT'S TRUE. NO ONE HERE WANTS TO BUILD THESE HOMES. , THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. YES, IT'S ALRIGHT. NO PROBLEM. HI EVERYONE. I, I KNOW YOU KNOW ME AND I'M A TRUSTING COUNSEL. I'M TOM JULIANO. UM, I RAN, UH, FOR COUNSEL AND RIGHT NOW I'M, I'M ELECTED WHO KNOWS WHERE THAT'LL COME WHEN ALL THE VOTES ARE COUNTED. BUT I, I WANT TO FOR THE RECORD SAY THAT I'VE LIVED IN THIS TOWN FOR 54 YEARS AND I CAN SAY THAT EVERYONE IN THIS, ON THIS BOARD AND EVERYONE HERE, INCLUDING THE PRIMES, DID NOT WANT THE HOUSES THAT ARE HERE. THEY DID ONE, NOBODY DID. AND IT IS A REQUIREMENT. IT IS A COURT ORDER REQUIREMENT. AND IF IT IS A QUARTER ORDER REQUIREMENT FOR ROUND FOUR, AND WHEN YOU BUILD 170 AFFORDABLE HOMES, YOU ARE INSIDE OUT ON THAT EQUATION. AND THE WAY TO, TO GRASP THAT AND GET THROUGH THAT IS TO BUILD MARKET RATE HOMES. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I DID IT. I'M A DEVELOPER AND I KNOW THAT'S BEEN A NEGATIVE ON MY CAMPAIGN. BUT LIVING HERE MY WHOLE LIFE, THAT'S THE LAST THING I WANTED TO SEE. I GREW UP IN MEDFORD IN THE MID SEVENTIES. I RODE MY MOTORCYCLE ALL OVER STRONG AND HIGH SCHOOL AND EVERYWHERE, WHICH I CAN'T ANYMORE. I RAISED MY CHILDREN HERE. I WANTED TO OFFER MY KNOWLEDGE AND EVERYTHING I LEARNED TO HELP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THE BEST PLAN THERE WAS. I KNOW EVERYONE ON THIS COUNCIL, INCLUDING THE PRIMES, WOULD LIKE TO SEE NOTHING DEVELOP. I KNOW PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE PRIMES WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IF WE DIDN'T COMPLY. AND SOMEONE SUED US UNDER A BILL REMEDY SUIT, THEY'D MAKE WAY MORE MONEY. SO I GET IT. I UNDERSTAND EVERYONE'S UPSET. IF I AM ELECTED, I WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR THIS TOWN AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE BEST PLAN. IT'S THERE. I THINK THE TOWN LOOKS THE BEST IT'S EVER LOOKED, INCLUDING OUR DOWNTOWN. I'VE BEEN THE LAST NINE MONTHS RUNNING FOR COUNCIL AND MET ALL THESE FINE PEOPLE. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK [00:25:01] YOU. I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB. I KNOW THERE'S A TON OF SOCIAL MEDIA OUT THERE AND THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION OUT THERE. I KNOW AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS VERY CONFUSING, BUT I WILL SAY THAT THIS TOWN DID A GREAT JOB. AND I KNOW BECAUSE I AM A DEVELOPER AND I'VE SEEN IT IN MOUNT LAUREL AND I'VE SEEN IN TOWNS LIKE DEFORD WHERE THEY TRIED NOT TO DO IT AND THEY GOT SUED AND IT GOT REALLY, REALLY BAD. SO I'M JUST WANTING TO SAY THAT TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE AND TO YOU. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU AND HOPEFULLY I'M UP THERE IN JANUARY, BUT IF I'M NOT, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR AND I LOVE THIS TOWN AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. THANK YOU. I KNOW, I FEEL, FOR SOME REASON I RAISE MY HAND. NOBODY SEES ME. I'M SAYING 5 59 MECHANICAL ENROLLMENT. THANK YOU. THANKS. SO, UM, I I THINK THE BEST WAY TO SETTLE THIS IS ARE YOU OPEN TO AN AUDIT? I MEAN, WE ARE THE RESIDENTS. YOU ARE THE COUNCIL. YOU ARE SAYING WHAT'S WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS RIGHT. YOU KNOW, SO THE BEST WAY TO SETTLE IS AN OPEN AUDIT. CAN YOU, ARE YOU OPEN TO AN AUDIT OF WHAT YOU HAVE VERSUS IF AN INDEPENDENT AUDITOR COMES IN AND LOOKS AT EVERYTHING AND TO AGREES AND YOU AGREE, I THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY FORWARD. AND AGAIN, I KNOW, UH, YOU ANSWERED EVERYONE'S QUESTION, BUT MINE, BUT I'M JUST GONNA PUT IT UP THERE. NOW. THERE'S A RESOLUTION 1 79 20 25 TODAY THAT, UH, IN YOUR AGENDA, AND CAN YOU CLARIFY THE SCOPE OF THE CONTRACT AUTHORIZED WITH, UH, UH, PIPE WATER SUPPLY S OR SEPARATION OF UPCOMING RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. SO IS THIS CONTRACT RELATED TO ONGOING SEW ISSUES THAT , WHAT IS THE CURRENT OPERATIONAL CAPACITY OF TREATMENT PLAN, WHICH WAS LAST EXTENDED IN 2004? BECAUSE I'M HEARING THAT THE SEWER IS NOT AT CAPACITY. I JUST WANT TO KNOW, ARE WE APPROACHING OR EXCEEDING THE CAPACITY, ESPECIALLY IN THE LIGHT OF THE UH, DEVELOPMENTS. NOW, ANOTHER ISSUE IS IF THE WATER PRESSURE SUFFICIENT, ARE WE, ARE WE LOOKING, WHO NOW, IF WE NEED TO BUILD A NEW TOWER OR A BOOSTER STATION, WHO WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FUNDING SUCH INFRASTRUCTURE? IS IT EXISTING TAXPAYERS, US DEVELOPERS OR ANOTHER SOURCE? WHO, WHO'S GOING TO DO THAT? HAS FLYING W OFFERED OR AGREED TO DONATE LAND FOR SOURCE SYSTEM EXPANSION? SO IF SO, DOES THIS INDICATE THAT CURRENT WORLD INFRASTRUCTURE IS AT ON NEAR ITS LIMIT? I KNOW WHILE THE TOWNSHIP POSTED ON THEIR WEB WEBSITE, NO AFFORDABLE HOUSING DISCUSSION. I THINK YOU ANSWERED A LOT OF QUESTIONS TODAY ABOUT THAT AND EVERYONE CAME HERE AND TALKED ABOUT IT. SO THAT IS A BIG ISSUE FOR THE TOWNSHIP. LOOK GUYS, YOU KNOW, WE ALL WANT TO EXIST PEACEFULLY TOGETHER HERE. WE WANT THE BEST FOR OUR TOWN AND WE ALSO WANT THE BEST FOR, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ON FIXED INCOME. THAT'S THE REAL ISSUE HERE. YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO COME UP WITH HIGHER TAX BALANCES? THAT'S THE ISSUE. SO I'M NOT STANDING HERE TO, YOU KNOW, ARGUE OR TO FIGHT. I'M STANDING HERE BRINGING UP CONCERNS THAT THE CITIZENS HAVE. YOU KNOW, TOM, THANKS FOR BRINGING UP WHATEVER. OKAY, . SO WHATEVER HE BROUGHT UP TODAY, UM, I KNOW HE, HE TALKED A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, MOST OF THIS CONVERSATION HAD I, I HAVE LIVED HERE, I HAVE DONE THIS. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WE, US, ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM THAT NEED YOU TO BE TRANSPARENT. IF SOMEONE BRINGS UP AN IT IS IS BE AN OPEN BOOK, SAY, OKAY, YOU WANT, UH, WANT AN INDEPENDENT AUDITOR, LET'S DO IT. YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS AND ALL OF US DECIDE WHO THAT AUDITOR IS GOING TO BE. LEXI, IF WE'VE MET THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING MANDATE OR WE'VE NOT MET IT, DO WE NEED TO DO MORE CONSTRUCTION OR NOT? THAT'S MAYBE YOU ARE RIGHT, WE'RE WRONG. I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD BE COMPLETELY WRONG HERE, BUT THE BEST WAY TO PROVE IT IS THROUGH AN INDEPENDENT, UH, YOU KNOW, PERSON. THE LAST THING I WANNA BRING UP, ORDINANCE 20 25, 17 THAT WAS DISCUSSED LAST MEETING. SOMEBODY CAME UP AND SAID IT WASN'T EVEN AVAILABLE AND YOU SAID YOU'LL BRING IT UP FOR FIRST READING AGAIN BECAUSE THEY WERE . I SEE THAT IT'S UP FOR SECOND REASON NOW. SHOULDN'T SHOULDN'T IT BE UP FOR FIRST READING? BECAUSE IT WASN'T EVEN POSTED ON THE SITE AT THE TIME. AND I THINK, UH, UH, COUNCILMAN WATSON SAID HE WILL, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL REPOST IT AND BRING IT UP AGAIN FOR FIRST READING. THAT'S MY ONLY, YOU KNOW, CONCERN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. [00:30:06] JEFF WILSON. 51 NORTH MAIN STREET. UM, I, I, WE'VE BEEN OVER THIS A LOT AND I JUST WANT TO KIND OF CONTINUE TO COME UP EVERY TIME THE ISSUE IS RAISED AND MISSTATEMENTS ARE MADE ABOUT OUR REQUIREMENTS HERE. THE REQUIREMENT IS TO BUILD 1 71. IT'S UP TO THE TOWNS TO DETERMINE HOW WE MEET THAT NUMBER. AND I WANT US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAMMER THAT IN ALL THE TIME THAT IT'S THE 1 71 THAT IS THE REQUIREMENT. THERE ARE TOWNS THROUGHOUT NEW JERSEY THAT ARE MEETING THEIR REQUIREMENTS THROUGH SMALL SCALE TOOLS. NOT LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENTS, PRIMARILY WITH SMALL SCALE TOOLS. ALMOST ALL OF OUR CREDITS ARE BASED ON LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENTS. WE HAVE SO FEW SMALL SCALE TOOLS. WE HAVE THE MECHANISMS, BUT WE HAVE NO EFFORT FROM THE PLANNING BOARD, FROM COUNCIL TO PROMOTE THOSE, TO RELY ON 'EM, TO DEVELOP THEM FURTHER, TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE, TO BUILD AADA USE TO GO IN WITH OTHER TOWNS AND BUILD UH, GROUP HOMES TOGETHER. WE CAN DO THAT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THAT. WE HAVE LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENTS. WE HAVE GIANT CHUNKS OF LAND DEDICATED TO HUNDREDS OF HOUSES AT A TIME. IT'S VERY EASY TO FIND THESE TOWNS THAT ARE DOING THIS, TALK TO THEM, TELL US WHAT CONVERSATIONS YOU'RE HAVING WITH THEM TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO MEET THEM AND HOW WE CAN GET SET UP SO THAT IN 10 YEARS TIME WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER 800 TO A THOUSAND HOMES TO MEET THE NEXT 10 YEARS REQUIREMENTS. WHAT IS YOUR PLAN? IS IT JUST TO CONTINUE TO BUILD THESE GIANT DEVELOPMENTS? 'CAUSE THAT'S ALL WE'RE SEEING. MY FEAR IS THAT THAT IS ALL WE'RE SEEING BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DEALING WITH IT LEAN THAT WAY. WHEN YOU'RE A HAMMER, EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE A NAME. WHEN THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKING THESE DECISIONS AND MAKING THESE PLANS ARE DEVELOPERS, THE SOLUTIONS LOOK LIKE DEVELOPMENTS. WHERE ARE THE OTHER VOICES? WHERE'S THE COORDINATION WITH OTHER TOWNS? IT'S BEEN 10 YEARS SINCE THE LAST TIME. WHAT HAVE WE DONE SINCE THEN? TO GET OURSELVES IN A BETTER POSITION FOR THIS TIME DOESN'T SEEM LIKE ANYTHING, BUT TO JUST SAY THAT IT'S A HOUSING PLAN THAT IS REQUIRED BY THE STATE IS WRONG. IT'S A HOUSING NUMBER. IT'S UP TO US TO COME UP WITH A PLAN. AND YOUR PLANS HAVE BEEN, GIANT DEVELOPMENTS HAVEN'T SEEN MUCH ELSE. SO WHEN YOU COME UP AND YOU SAY THAT THE PLAN IS REQUIRED BY THE STATE SO THAT YOU CAN SHUT DOWN CONVERSATIONS AROUND IT, WE'RE GONNA CALL YOU NOW. 'CAUSE THAT'S NOT THE REQUIREMENT FROM THE STATE. THE NUMBER IS THE REQUIREMENT FROM THE STATE. LARGE DEVELOPMENTS ARE THE PLANS THAT YOU'RE COMING UP WITH. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE TO OFFSET PRICING, BUT THERE ARE OTHER MECHANISMS 'CAUSE OTHER TOWNS ARE DOING IT AND WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING TO GET OURSELVES SET UP FOR THAT. AND THAT'S DISAPPOINTING. I I, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT MY CONTINUING APPRECIATION FOR MR. WILSON. AND SO HE DID, HE DID CLARIFY THE WORD PLAN AND HE'S CORRECT. THE WORD SHOULD HAVE BEEN NUMBER. ALRIGHT, SO THAT IS MY, MY ERROR. SO MR. WILSON, THANK YOU. SO IT IS 101 HOUSES. THAT IS THE NUMBER THAT WAS MANDATED, NOT THE PLAN. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. JUST FOR PUBLIC RECORD, HE IS CORRECT. ALRIGHT MA'AM, IN THE FRONT I JUST HAVE A, IF YOU COULD COME UP TO THE, TO THE FRONT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MY NAME'S JOANNA . UM, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION, SOMETHING, I'M KIND OF NEW TO THIS TOPIC, BUT I'M VERY INTERESTED. UM, AND WHEN HE, HE CLARIFIED IT'S HUNDRED 71, I THOUGHT I HEARD SOMETHING SAY THAT'S OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD. SO WE'RE REALLY NOT TALK, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HEAR 171, YOU THINK, OH WOW, THAT'S A LOT. BUT IF IT'S 17 A YEAR, THAT SEEMS TO LEND ITSELF TO WHAT THE GENTLEMAN BEFORE ME MENTIONED ABOUT SOME SMALLER SCALE IDEAS OF HOW TO MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS. SO AM I CORRECT THAT IT'S OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD? THEY'RE ALLOWED TO BE BUILT OVER 10 YEARS. WE HAVE TO SHOW A PLAN OF ALL 1 71 NOW, BUT IT COULD BE WE'RE BUILT, THIS IS OUR PLAN, WE'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF 17 IN YEAR ONE 17 YEAR TWO DOESN'T. IF YOU COULD FIGURE, IF YOU COULD FIGURE A WAY TO DO THAT. SURE. RIGHT. OKAY. BUT THERE'S OTHER, I KNOW IT'S NOT, EVEN THOUGH I SAID I'M NEW TO THIS, I'VE HEARD THAT [00:35:01] THERE'S OTHER IDEAS OF HOW MEET THESE LOW INCOME REQUIREMENTS OTHER THAN JUST BUILDING, TAKING EXISTING STRUCTURES AND DOING THINGS TO THEM. SO JUST CURIOUS IF, UM, YOU CAN SHARE ANY OF THEM OR PUT THEM ON THE WEBSITE OR WHAT THE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN SO THAT WE'RE ALL AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON. I DON'T WANT TO CUT YOU OFF THERE, MA'AM. UM, AND JUST FORGIVE ME, I'M JUST A RESIDENT LIKE YOU ARE. I HAVE, YOU KNOW, I'VE EDUCATED MYSELF ON THESE THINGS AND I'VE OBVIOUSLY ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS, SO I MIGHT HAVE JUST SOME MORE INFORMATION THAN YOU HAVE. SO, BUT I DON'T, DON'T TAKE THIS AS I I KNOW IT. ALL RIGHT. UM, THE OTHER TOWNS THAT PEOPLE MAY HAVE LOOKED AT AS EXAMPLES OF WHAT MEDFORD SHOULD DO, THE, THE FUNDING MECHANISM FOR THESE HOMES COMES FROM AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST. AND THAT TRUST IS FUNDED THROUGH OTHER DEVELOPMENT PLANS THAT HAPPEN IN THE TOWN. TOTALLY UNRELATED POTENTIALLY TO HOUSING. BUT LET'S SAY THERE WAS A HA, LET'S SAY SOMEONE IN THIS AUDIENCE OWNED 50 ACRES AND WANTED TO BUILD A HIGH BRIDGE STYLE DEVELOPMENT IN THAT, IN THAT, ON THAT PIECE OF LAND AND WE APPROVED IT AS PLANNING AND ZONING, UM, THEY WOULD PAY A PORTION INTO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD ALLOW THIS FUND TO GROW. AND THEN WE, WE AS THE TOWN COULD USE THAT MONEY TO POTENTIALLY FUND GROUP HOMES OR A DU IMPROVEMENTS TO OTHER RESIDENTS TO OFFSET OUR NUMBER. WE AS A TOWN, AND I'LL SPEAK FOR COUNCIL, BUT I WOULD ASSUME MOST OF THE RESIDENTS HERE DON'T WANT WAREHOUSES IN THEIR TOWN. DON'T WANT UNNEEDED DEVELOPMENT IN THEIR TOWN. UM, DON'T WANT EXCESS COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THEIR TOWN. YOU KNOW, WE LIKE MAIN STREET, SO WE DON'T WANT A WALMART ON 70. AND, AND I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH WALMART PER SE, I'M JUST USING THAT AS AN EXAMPLE. SO, UM, SO THE STYLE IN WHICH THE TOWN HAS DEVELOPED HAS LIMITED OUR ABILITY TO GROW THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND. SO WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES AS A TOWN TO SUPPORT WHAT OTHER TOWNS MAY HAVE TO FUND THEIR OWN AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENT NUMBER. SO THEIR PLAN MIGHT BE, HEY, WE'RE GONNA TAKE $10 MILLION FROM OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND AND BUILD A HUNDRED UNITS AND WE'RE DONE. OR THEY'RE GONNA, THE TOWN'S GONNA PAY A DEVELOPER TO BUILD THEIR 171 UNITS. WE DON'T HAVE THAT LUXURY BECAUSE WE CHOSE AS A TOWN NOT TO OVERDEVELOP. SO WITH A LOW BALANCE IN OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST, WE HAVE TO GO TO OUTSIDE BUILDERS TO BUILD THE HOMES. A BUILDER IS A PRIVATE COMPANY. THEY'RE NOT GONNA BUILD AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNIT AND SELL IT AS A LOSS. SO THE STATE ALLOWS THEM TO PROVIDE AN OFFSET. IS IT? THAT'S RIGHT. OFFSET. I'M GETTING GOOD WITH THE, THE TERMINOLOGY. HERE YOU ARE. AND IT'S, AND IT'S FOR EVERY ONE AFFORDABLE UNIT, THEY GET TO BUILD FOUR ADDITIONAL MARKET RATE HOMES. SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SEEING THESE DEVELOPMENTS OF 2, 3, 400 HOMES BEING BUILT TO SATISFY SUCH A SMALL NUMBER. 'CAUSE THE BUILDER WHO WE, WE CAN'T BUILD THESE HOMES. THE BUILDER HAS TO BE FUNDED FROM THESE MARKET RATE HOMES, WHICH IS WHAT TOM EXPLAINED. AND I THINK, I'M JUST TRYING TO FILL IN SOME BLANKS HERE. I'D LOVE TO TALK AD NAUSEUM ABOUT THIS. 'CAUSE AGAIN, NO ONE HERE WANTS THESE HOMES BUILT AT ALL. WE WANT TO SATISFY THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING NUMBER. THAT'S OUR OBLIGATION AS THE TOWN MORALLY, WE, WE FEEL OBLIGATED TO, TO DO THAT. BUT IN NO WAY ARE WE TRYING TO TAKE THE, THE FARMLAND THAT'S REMAINING IN MEDFORD AND DEVELOP IT FOR ANY NEED EXCEPT SATISFYING THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENT. IF, IF THAT WAS THE CASE, WE WOULD JUST BUILD IT ALL RIGHT NOW AND, AND BE FINE. BUT WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN TO PRESERVE THE FARMLAND THAT'S NORTH OF 70. WE CAN'T BUILD SOUTH OF 70. THERE'S A PINELANDS RESTRICTION THERE. UM, AND WE CAN'T FUND IT OURSELVES 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THIS, THIS NATURALLY GROWING FUND THAT OTHER TOWNS MAY HAVE. SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, AND ALSO JUST TO YOUR POINT, OTHER, WE'RE VERY UNIQUE AND COMPARED TO OTHER TOWNS AS FAR AS WE DON'T HAVE THE HOTELS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE NOT LAUREL MIGHT HAVE WHERE IT MIGHT BE ABANDONED AND WE COULD PUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THERE AND IT WOULD BE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT. SO WE'D HAVE TO FIND A PLACE THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THAT. AND, AND WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT HERE IN REDFORD. WE'RE VERY UNIQUE IN THAT WAY WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THOSE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES. IT'S AN EXTREMELY UNFORTUNATE SITUATION THAT WE CAN'T FUND OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENT THROUGH ANY OF THE MECHANISMS MENTIONED. AND I THINK, I MEAN ANY, ANY OTHER TOWN IN MEDFORD, I'M SORRY, EVERY OTHER TOWN IN NEW JERSEY [00:40:01] THAT CAN DO IT A DIFFERENT WAY IS USING THEIR AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST. THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TAKING MONEY FROM PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED PROJECTS AND USING IT TO FUND THEIR AFFORDABLE HOUSING SITES. WE DON'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. SO THE DEVELOPMENT, LIKE THAT ONE THAT'S, UH, ON HARFORD YEP. ACROSS 70. YEP. THAT, THAT WAS USED IN THE THIRD ROUND DUNK. THIRD ROUND. THAT'S THAT'S THERE'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THERE. YES. SO THEY, ALL THOSE HOMES WERE BILLED, ALL OF THEM. THAT ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT WAS BILLED FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING 32, UH, 30. THERE'S A VERY NUMBER, 30 NUMBER OF HOMES IN THAT DEVELOPMENT THAT ARE AFFORDABLE. THE REST ARE MARKET RATE HOMES. THAT DEVELOPMENT WOULD'VE NEVER BEEN BILLED IF THEY ONLY BUILT THE 30 HOMES. 'CAUSE NO, NO BUILDER ON THE RIGHT, NO BUSINESS IN THE RIGHT MIND WOULD BUILD A LOSING PROPOSITION THERE. SAME WITH THE HOMES ON MILL. YEP. AND EXCUSE ME, HE LINE, SORRY, HE LINE. YES. UM, EVERY DEVELOPMENT THAT THAT, THAT THERE IS AFFORDABLE UNITS IN THAT, THERE'S AFFORDABLE UNITS IN THERE. UM, WINDGATE HERITAGE, ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT, THE ADULT ONES, RIGHT? YEAH. ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT IS, IS THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THOSE DEVELOPMENTS IS TO SATISFY THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEED. WE, MEDFORD DOESN'T WANT MORE DEVELOPMENT. WE KNOW OUR ROADS ARE BARELY HOLDING ON AND THE SEWER PLAN IS NEARING CAPACITY. AND OUR SCHOOLS ARE FULL. THE SCHOOLS ARE, ARE BASICALLY, I MEAN I HAVE KIDS IN THIS SCHOOL. WE, WE HAVE KIDS IN THIS SCHOOL. WE DON'T WANT MORE KIDS IN OUR SCHOOL. BUT THERE'S, THERE'S, WE'RE IN A VERY UNFORTUNATE, UNIQUE SITUATION WHERE WE'RE, WE WANT TO SATISFY OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A, AN INTERNAL MECHANISM TO DO SO. WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE TO BUILD OR OFFSET. SO WE DON'T GET SUED AS A TOWN. AND THEN BUILDERS GET TO COME IN AND BUILD WHATEVER THEY WANT, WHEREVER THEY WANT, WHEREVER THEY WANT. I, I HOPE THAT HELPS YOU UNDER YEAH, AND, AND I MEAN MY EMAIL'S ON THE WEBSITE. I'VE, EVERYBODY HERE'S GOT MY PHONE NUMBER ANYWAY. YEAH, YOU CAN CALL ME ME ANYTIME AND TALK ABOUT THIS. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WANT. UM, THE THE, THE OTHER THING THAT I HEARD, UM, IT SEEMS TO BE A DISCREPANCY OF LIKE, WHAT IS THE NUMBER? AND, AND, AND I KNOW I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I I, I HEAR WHAT EVERYBODY'S SAYING. UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT , THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE STORY. AND HOW CAN WE BRING THEM TOGETHER? IS THERE, LIKE, I KIND OF LIKED WHAT SAID, BUT I'M ALSO A CPA. SO WE LIKE TO AUDIT, WE LIKE TO AUDIT . UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD MAYBE BRING DOWN THE, THE DISAGREE LIKE SOMEHOW WHERE WE COULD GET, UM, SOME COMFORT THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN QUESTION NOW AND THAT, BUT THAT'S A NUMBER THAT WE'RE REALLY WORKING WITH. ALL I CAN SAY IS THE NUMBER'S BEEN HANDED DOWN TO US BY THE STATE. IT'S BEEN COURT MANDATED. IT'S DOCUMENTED. AND IS THAT SOMEONE LOOKING? SURE. MR. PRIME. THERE'S A WEB, WE HAVE A, IT'S ON THE WEBSITE. IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE TOO, RIGHT? ON THE WEBSITE. YEAH. THERE'S LINK. THERE'S LINKS. A TAB AT THE TOP. IT LINKS RIGHT TO IT. YEAH, I THINK IT'S TO THE STATE'S. YEP. YEAH, SO IT'S, I'M HAP I'M HAPPY TO EMAIL IT TO YOU AS WELL. IF YOU WANNA LEAVE ME AN EMAIL, I CAN SEND IT TO YOU. NO, I CAN, I CAN GO THOSE. IT'S A FAIR QUESTION. WE, WE CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND AND, AND IT'S NOT OUR GOAL TO, TO ERODE TRUST IT. IT'S THERE. WE DON'T WANT ANY MORE THAN WE HAVE. AND THEN ALSO WE DO HAVE, UM, THERE IS A TRUST PROBLEM. I THINK WE SHOULD START ADDRESSING IT. UM, I THINK, UH, JUST THE WAY THE WHOLE COUNTRY IS RIGHT NOW, IF WE CAN START AT THE LOCAL LEVEL AND START THE TRUST AND WORKING TOGETHER, UM, I THINK WE COULD HAVE A BETTER TOWN, A BETTER COUNTY, A BETTER STATE, A BETTER COUNTRY. BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S, EVERYBODY'S FIGHTING, EVERYBODY'S DISAGREEING. EVERYBODY HAS DIFFERENT INFORMATION AND PEOPLE ARE POSTING THINGS AND PEOPLE ARE POSTING DIFFERENT THINGS. AND SO IF WE COULD COME TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, GET THE TRUST OF ONE ANOTHER, I THINK THAT COULD REALLY SERVE THIS COMMUNITY WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO START. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. YOU, I, THAT'S TRUE. THE, THE, UH, THE LADY IN THE BACK AND, AND WHILE SHE'S COMING UP, JUST ADDITIONALLY FOR OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, GO IN ORDER OF WHO RAISED HER HANDS ORIGINALLY? YEAH. YEAH. GOOD. OH NO, I'M SORRY MA'AM. PAUL, SHE WAS UP EARLY, BUT WE'RE GONNA GO THIS WAY. OH, WE'RE GONNA COME TO YOU. YEAH. AND THEN JUST, JUST ONE MOMENT FOR EVERYONE. YOU'RE ALSO WELCOME TO OUR TOWNSHIP WEBSITE. [00:45:01] WE DO HAVE A, A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS PAGE THAT IS VERY VALUABLE. YOU, YOU'RE WELCOME TO VIEW THAT AS WELL. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. MY NAME'S MAGGIE MONTY. ADDRESS IS 2 65 METRO MENTALITY. UM, IN TERMS OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, DO YOU PROPOSED BLUEPRINT? HOW SHOULD I WHAT WHAT DO YOU MEAN BLUEPRINTS? SITE PLAN. SITE PLAN. THERE'S A CONCEPT PLAN AND THERE ARE THOSE CONCEPT PLANS FOR THE THREE PROPOSED SITES ARE ON THE WEBSITE. AND WHO CREATED THAT PLAN? IT WAS, IT WAS DONE BY US. DO YOU HAVE A DEVELOPER LIST? A DEVELOPER LIST? PRIVATE DEVELOPER? NO. WHO DO YOU INTEND TO DEVELOP THE PROJECT? NO, WE HAVE NO INTENTION RIGHT NOW. IT'S STILL IN CONCEPT. SO HOW WOULD YOU DETERMINE THAT? I'M GONNA LEAVE IT UP TO THESE GUYS, BUT IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE SOMEONE WHO COMES IN AND PRESENTS A SITE PLAN, GOES TO THE PLANNING BOARD AND RECEIVES APPROVALS. OKAY. AND THE IMPACT ON THE SCHOOLS. SO IT SEEMS, UH, WE ASKED THAT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WILL BE REQUIRED AT A MINIMUM. AND IN TERMS OF THE BUILDER CREDIT, IS THERE ANYTHING OF SCHOOL CREDIT? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? THAT'S QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION. SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS, DEVELOPERS RECEIVE A CREDIT, RIGHT? SO THEY WENT ON IT. HOW DO THE SCHOOLS QUIT? ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA, YOU CAN CONTINUE ASKING HER QUESTIONS. WE'LL, WE'LL CHIME IN. OKAY. SO, AND IN TERMS OF THE CREDITS THAT WERE GIVEN AROUND ONE THROUGH THREE, WHO DID WE SELL OUR CREDITS TO? MR. FEL, I BELIEVE CREATED AN LLC. I'M JUST WONDERING AN UPDATE ON THAT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. SO WE'LL GO HERE AND THEN IN THE BACK. THANK YOU. AND THEN, UM, PAUL S'S BEEN RAISED HIS HAND FOR CAPTAIN TOWNSEND COURT. I'M HERE TO INQUIRE. UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, I'M A LONG TERM SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER. I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING, UH, ABOUT THE SCHOOLS AND WHAT THE PLAN IS. OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVE NOT WORKED TOGETHER AT ALL. IN FACT, SOMETIMES IT'S AN ADV. BUT I THINK YOU'RE DOING ALL THIS PLANNING. WE HAVE TO CONSIDER OUR SCHOOLS BECAUSE PEOPLE MOVE HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE EXCELLENT SCHOOLS. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE POP SHOP AND SOME OTHER THINGS, BUT IT'S THE SCHOOLS. SO I REALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO WORK TOGETHER OR THE SCHOOL WOULD USED TO WORK TOGETHER. YOU ASK THE SECOND QUESTION. I HEARD YOU TALKING SAYING WE'RE MANDATED IF WE HAVE TO DO THIS, WE HAVE TO, AS A SCHOOL BOARD, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO. WE HAVE TO SUPPLY SPECIAL ED CLASSES, MUSIC, ART, IF THERE ARE ALL THESE MANDATES THAT COME DOWN FROM THE STATE AND ALSO FROM THE FEDS. SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SAY, OH, WE HAVE TO DO THIS, WE HAVE TO DO THINGS TOO. SO PLEASE CONSIDER US, PLEASE, YOU BETTER CONSIDER US BECAUSE WE ALREADY ARE OVERCROWDED. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BUILD A NEW SCHOOL. MORE STUDENTS. I DUNNO WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. SO YOU REALLY NEED TO WORK WITH US WITH AN THANK HELLO? PAUL SIER. I LIVE OVER IN AS MOST OF YOU KNOW. AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'LL TURN MY BACK TO JURY DIRECT. IF YOU COULD JUST, YOU'RE WELCOME TO IF YOU COULD ADJUST DRESS UP PLEASE. I'M HERE URGING ALL MR. MR. CHENIER. I'M SORRY. DO YOU NEED TO SPEAK TO THE MICROPHONE? THAT THAT'S YOUR NUMBER, BUT YOU DO ANYWHERE MR. SCHIER? I'M SO SORRY. MR. MR. SCHIER, YOU DO HAVE TO ADDRESS US. MR. MR. SCHIER. YOU DO HAVE TO ADDRESS US THOUGH. I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. YOU DO HAVE TO ADDRESS COUNSEL THOUGH THOUGH, PLEASE. THANK YOU. UM, THIS IS DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE VETERANS AND FAMILIES OF VETERANS. IT'S ABOUT A GROUP CALLED HONOR FLIGHT. HONOR FLIGHT. MR. CHENIER ACTUAL GROUP. MR. CHENIER. I'M, I'M, I'M VERY, VERY SORRY. OKAY. IF NO, IF YOU COULD ACTUALLY JUST ADDRESS US. YOU'RE WELCOME TO TALK ABOUT WHATEVER, BUT OKAY. YOU DO NEED TO ADDRESS US. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M HERE TO ASK VETERANS AND FAMILIES OF VETERANS TO LOOK INTO A GROUP [00:50:01] CALLED HONOR FLIGHT. HONOR FLIGHT IS A NATIONAL GROUP. THEY HAVE CHAPTERS IN EVERY STATE. SOME OF THE LARGEST STATES HAVE MULTIPLE CHAPTERS. I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT OTHER THAN WHAT I REALLY SAID. UM, RECENTLY I WAS PART OF A GROUP THAT THEY SPONSORED ABOUT 103 VETERANS AND THEY TOOK US DOWN TO WASHINGTON. WE ALL MET AT WILLIAMSTOWN, YOU KNOW, HIGH SCHOOL. THE SCHOOL HAS A POPULATION OF 1800 STUDENTS PLUS MAYBE A COUPLE HUNDRED STAFF. THEY SERVED US A FULL-BLOWN, YOU KNOW, REAKFAST BUFFET PHENOMENAL ON OUR WAY OUT TO BOARD THE BUS. OH, BY THE WAY, THE CHAPTERS THAT ARE OUT WEST TEXAS, FLORIDA, NEVADA, WHATEVER, THEY FLY THEIR VETERANS WASHINGTON PUT 'EM UP IN, LET'S SAY A HOTEL AND FLY 'EM BACK HOME. BUT WE ALL MET HERE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. KEEP IN MIND THERE'S ABOUT 2000 PEOPLE AFTER BREAKFAST. THEY TOOK, WE SIGNED TO BOARD MEAN THE BUSES. WELL THEY PURPOSELY TOOK US THROUGH ALL THE HALLWAYS. AND YOU CAN IMAGINE A HIGH SCHOOL WITH 1800 STUDENTS. THIS PLACE WAS HUGE. BUT WHAT WAS WELL WORTH IT WERE THE STUDENTS, THE STAFF, EVERYBODY WERE RUNNING THE WALLS AS WE WERE WALKING DOWN THE HALLS, THEY WERE CLAPPING, WAVING, CHEERING. AND I, FOR ONE, SURE A LOT OF OTHER GUYS DID. AND GALS, I CRIED. IT WAS THE WELCOME HOME THAT I NEVER RECEIVED THAT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE DIDN'T SEE. THEY DROVE US DOWN TO WASHINGTON. OH, WE HAD A POLICE ES ESCORT FROM THE SCHOOL TO THE BRIDGE. EVERY INTERSECTION WAS BLOCKED OFF BY THE LOCAL POLICE. I'M SURE THERE WAS ABOUT A HUNDRED OF 'EM. IT WAS JUST, IT WAS PHENOMENAL. IN WASHINGTON, EVEN WITH THE SHUTDOWN, THE PEOPLE WHO RUN ALL THE TOURS AND THE DIFFERENT MONUMENTS, THEY CAME IN ON THEIR OWN, ON THEIR OWN TIME, DIDN'T GET PAID. AND THEY DID THE SAME THING FOR US. THEY WOULD DO ON A NORMAL TOUR. ON OUR WAY BACK, WE WERE SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE AT THE SCHOOL ABOUT MAYBE SIX QUARTER PAST SIX DID ARRIVE TO ABOUT 10 AFTER EIGHT. THESE SAME KIDS THAT GOT OUTTA SCHOOL, TWO O'CLOCK, THREE O'CLOCK WERE THERE WAITING FOR US. AND THEY DID THE SAME THING THAT HE CAME BACK IN. THEY CLA AND WAVE AND I GONNA CRY 'CAUSE IT KICKED, IT KEPT, IT REALLY KICKED, KICKED UP US. IT REALLY DID. BUT WHAT IT DID FOR ME FOR YEARS, I WAS WORRIED ABOUT OUR FUTURE GENERATION. WHO OUR FUTURE LEADERS ARE. WELL AFTER WATCHING THESE KIDS, DID I FEEL GOOD? I FEEL REALLY GOOD THAT OUR FUTURE GENERATION IS IN GOOD SHAPE. OUR LEADERS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE. SO I URGE EVERYBODY TO HAVE VETERANS, FAMILY OF VETERANS RESEARCH HONOR FLIGHT. AND IT'S FREE. YOU DON'T TAKE PLUS. GOD. I HEARD. PLEASE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND HOUSING I LIVE OVER MEADOWS. MEADOWS WAS REALLY WHAT CAUSES AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS, YOU MIGHT CALL IT. THAT'S SOMETHING YOU GUYS MIGHT WANT TO LOOK INTO GETTING SOMEBODY LIKE DAVIS, WHO OWNS WHO, WHO OWNS THAT, THAT STARTED THIS BOAT TRAP OF A POSSIBILITY OF CREATING ANOTHER TREE SHEET METALS. YOU COULD BUILD 180 AFFORDABLE HOME IN ONE AREA. TREE METALS IS NOT THE TYPICAL TRAILER PART. IT REALLY ISN'T. IN FACT, THEY DO A BACKGROUND CHECK ON ANYBODY WHO WANTED TO BUY A HOUSE. IF YOU HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD, YOU AIN COMING IN. SIMPLE AS THAT. BUT YOU COULD, YOU COULD SOLVE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS HERE AT TO I JUST GETTING SOMEBODY LIKE DAVIS TO COME IN AND PUT A MOBILE HOME PARK. AND IT'S NOT YOUR TYPICAL MOBILE HOME THAT YOU SEE. WHEREVER I'M NOT, I'M GONNA BRING UP NAMES. YOU KNOW, THIS IS CLASS WHEN, UH, MY WIFE AND I BOUGHT IN THE HOUSE. IT COST 165,000 TODAY. THAT SAME HOME IS SELLING FOR TWO 10. WE OWN THE HOME, BUT WE RENT THE LAND YOU FROM DAVIS. AND THAT WAS SOLVED. WHATEVER ISSUES YOU HAVE LIKE THAT, THANK I COULD SEE MORE OF THAT. AND WHEN I CAME TO, CAME TO [00:55:01] HOSPITAL, LET ME KNOW ABOUT THIS GREAT MEETING. I HAD TWO CHOICES. I CHANGE AMERICA. I PICKED . THERE YOU GO. I CAME HERE AND UH, UH, MY FAMILY MANAGER, I WENT TO THE HALLOWEEN. I TURNED DOWN HOOVER HERE FROM MY TO OVER THERE. EXPLAIN WONDERFUL ATE LOT. THEY WANT COME BACK. THEY CAME FROM PUERTO RICO. I SAID I OVER THERE AND IT, UM, YOU WANT HAVE ANY EVENT THIS YEAR FOR ? LEMME KNOW IF YOU HAVE. SO I COME AND UH, I FELT REALLY CRAZY TO COME, COME OUT HERE TO SEE MY OLD FRIENDS FROM. AND UH, I UPGRADE MY PHONE TO A, AT A NEW ESTATE, UH, SIX K REVOLUTION. PERFECT PRIORITY. AND I'M, UH, A YOUTUBE JOURNAL LIKE RECORD MEETING AND DEFINITION GOING ON. AND UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF NEW JERSEY. UH, THE DICKENS FESTIVAL. DICKENS FESTIVAL. IT'S ON DECEMBER 6TH. SIXTH. SIXTH, YEAH. MM-HMM. UH, . AND, UH, IT'S GOING BE, IT'S GONNA BE IN UH, FACEBOOK PAGE FOR K PARTY ON EDITING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LOUIS . YEAH, PLEASE. THANK YOU. HELLO, I'M CAROL SWANSON. I MET 21 SAWMILL ROAD HERE IN MEDFORD. I'M HERE ON ORDINANCE 2025 DASH 17, WHICH I BELIEVE SHOULD BE THE FIRST, I DUNNO WHY IT LISTED AS A SECOND. I LAST A, THE RESOLUTION THEY SAID I HAVE HERE, HERE. THEY SAID WE CAN'T GIVE IT TO YOU. IT'S JUST A NUMBER CHANGE AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE IT UNTIL IT . SO I GOT IT THIS TIME, BUT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE I CAN'T MAKE COMMENTS ON IT WHERE IT IS IN THE MEETING. THAT'S JUST NOT NOTHING. IF, IF I COULD THE, THE SECOND, IT'S THE SECOND READING, IT ACTUALLY WILL HAVE AN, A PUBLIC FORUM. IT DOES TO DISCUSS THAT. SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO, TO WAIT A MOMENT, WE WILL BE, UH, OPENING UP FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ABOUT THAT ORDINANCE. OKAY. SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU. THEN, UM, BUT BEFORE I FORGET, IN FACT, RUSH OUT HERE. SURE. THANK YOU FOR HELPING THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION BY NOT MAKING A LOAN TO US BY GUARANTEEING THE LOAN THAT THE STATE IS MAKING TO US, YOU ARE PUTTING THE CREDIT OF THE, UH, TOWNSHIP ON THE LINE IF WE FAIL IN OUR PAYMENT OBLIGATION. YES. SO I JUST DIDN'T WANT ANY IMPRESSION TO ANYONE FROM ANYTHING WORDED IN THE ORDINANCE. THEY WERE GIVING MONEY OR LOANING US MONEY. THAT IS NOT IT. WE FULLY INTEND TO PAY WHAT WE HAVE TO AND WE THINK THAT THE TOWNSHIP IS STANDING BEHIND US. THIS IS YOUR SECURITY. UM, SO THANK YOU. THE ONLY OTHER THING IS, SINCE I'M A SLOW MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, IT SOUNDS LIKE ON THE, UM, LOW INCOME NUMBER, AFFORDABLE 171 THAT WE'RE RATCHETING IT UP TO BIGGER DEVELOPMENT BY MAKING SIX TOTAL OF SIX UNITS FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE. 1 71 NOT LOW INCOME HOUSING, BUT HOW FOUR ADDITIONAL TO THE ONE. FOUR ADDITIONAL TO ONE. YEAH. OKAY. IS THE, IS THE WORST PROPORTION THAT WE'RE, THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO HONOR IT. BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY USING CREDITS TO BRING THAT NUMBER DOWN. BUT IF WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IS SAY WE DON'T, WE WOULD NEVER BUILD 400 MORE UNITS HERE. MM-HMM . PLEASE LOOK AT THE OBLIGATION AS THE NUMBER OF 1 71 AND LOOK AT WAYS TO GET THAT NUMBER MET WITHOUT CAUSING A TSUNAMI OF ADDITIONAL HOUSING. THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING HERE. PEOPLE AREN'T SAYING DON'T BUILD ONE AND YOU'RE SAYING WE HAVE TROUBLE GETTING PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT. THERE'S GOT TO BE OTHER WAYS. ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC ALREADY RAISED IT. I KNOW IN OTHER COMMUNITIES I HAVE IN THE PAST WORKED WITH LEGAL AID. THERE ARE COMMUNITIES OF LOW INCOME HOUSING THAT MAY NOT BE WAY TO GO, BUT IT'S WORTH CONSIDERING. UM, SO PLEASE DON'T LET THAT OBLIGATION RATT UP TO MAKE THE TOWN DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU INTEND AND WHAT IT HAS HISTORICALLY. UH, AS A WAY FOR ANYBODY TO, TO LIVE AND ENJOY WHAT WE HAVE. [01:00:01] AND YES, IF IT'S OKAY, WILL I BE ABLE TO COMMENT IN THE PERIOD? YES, ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. FOR THE OTHER, FOR THE OTHER RESOLUTION. YES. YES. YOU THANK YOU. SO WE'LL HAVE THIS GENTLEMAN AND THEN WITH THE HAT ON. THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME IS MIKE MALONEY AND I'M IN, UH, LIVE IN MEDFORD 33 AND UH, REPRESENT, UH, F-G-L-E-A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION AS AN OFFICER. ALSO HAVE ANNA HERE WHO IS ALSO AN OFFICER. AND UH, WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT AN ORDINANCE, UH, ORDINANCE 2025 DASH 19. WITH REGARDS TO THE FERAL CAT, UM, ORDINANCE. WE HAVE, UH, A FERAL CAT UNITY THAT, UH, WOULD REALLY BENEFIT FROM SUPPORT. UM, HERE. UH, UNFORTUNATELY I HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE ORDINANCE. UM, I THANK YOU TARA. SHE GOT BACK TO ME. I REQUESTED A COPY OF IT. UM, AND APPARENTLY IT'S NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL AFTER THE FIRST READING, SO I UNDERSTAND THAT. UM, UH, SO ALSO I'D LIKE TO, UH, PUBLICLY THANK, UH, DANIEL. HE WAS VERY HELPFUL AND UH, AS SOON AS IT WAS A PROBLEM THAT WAS ADDRESSED, UM, HE WAS VERY QUICK TO HELP US OUT AND TO UH, HELP DRAFT THIS ORDINANCE. SO, UM, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THANK YOU. MY NAME ISTA JONES. I LIVE HERE IN BEDFORD AT 14TH BENNINGTON DRIVE. I WANNA DISCLOSE THAT I'M A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, BUT I'M SPEAKING IN MY PERSONAL CAPACITY. UM, TO BE HONEST, I WAS WATCHING A LOT FROM HOME 'CAUSE WE WERE LEAVING KIDS FROM UM, PRACTICES, BUT I FELT THE NEED TO COME AND SPEAK 'CAUSE I HEAR WHAT THE COUNSEL IS SAYING ABOUT BEING MANDATED BY THE LAW TO BUILD THIS, THESE HOUSES. UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A MANDATE THAT UM, THESE DEVELOPERS GET TAX PAYMENTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT MIGHT BE A NEGOTIATING TACTIC THAT THE COUNCIL USES. BUT IN THESE PAST THREE ROUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, I DON'T RECALL ONCE WHERE THE COUNCIL HAS INTERACTED WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD TO UNDERSTAND AND DISCUSS THE IMPACT THESE TAX ABATEMENTS HAVE ON SCHOOLS. AND THERE IT TRICKLES DOWN TO OUR TAXPAYERS. 'CAUSE WHEN YOU BUILD 500 UNITS TO GET IN A HUNDRED AFFORDABLE UNITS, THAT'S A WHOLE BUNCH MORE STUDENTS THAT COME TO OUR SCHOOLS. AND IF THERE'S A TAX ABATEMENT WHO'S PAYING FOR IT? WE'RE PAYING FOR IT. AND OUR SCHOOLS ARE SUFFERING ALREADY. YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, THE SCHOOLS ARE STRUGGLING TO BALANCE THEIR BUDGET. WHEN I WENT TO A UM, CONFERENCE, I SPOKE TO PEOPLE FROM OTHER COUNTIES AND THEY WERE SHOCKED THAT OUR COUNCIL HAS NEVER INTERACTED WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AND FIGURED OUT WAYS TO NEGOTIATE THINGS FOR THE SCHOOLS, WHICH ULTIMATELY HELPS OUR TAX PAYERS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THEY MIGHT GET A TAX ABATEMENT BUT THEY BUILD THINGS FOR OUR SCHOOLS OR THEY BUILD PLAYGROUNDS. I, I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT HERE AND THAT'S CONCERNING TO ME. AND THAT MAKES ME FEEL AS THOUGH THERE IS NO REAL TRANSPARENCY AND COLLABORATION TO HELP NOT JUST OUR SCHOOLS BUT OUR TAXPAYERS. SO WHEN YOU'RE GONNA GIVE A TAX ABATEMENT, THEN YOU FIGURE OUT WAYS TO HELP US. AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THE COUNCIL IS GOING TO DO THAT IN THE FUTURE AND WITH ROUND FOUR AND THAT THE DEALS ARE NOT GONNA BE THE SAME AS THEY WERE BEFORE. 'CAUSE WE'RE GOING LOWER IN THE WHOLE AND IT'S OUR TAXPAYERS THAT HAVE TO PICK UP THE DEFICIT. AND NONE OF THE NEW PEOPLE COMING IN, I PERSONALLY HAVE, WHEN I HEAR WE DON'T WANT THOSE HOUSES, NONE OF US WANT THOSE HOUSES. IT HURTS ME TO EVEN SAY THAT OR HEAR PEOPLE SAY THAT. 'CAUSE I HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE HOUSES. I DON'T WANT, UM, THE EFFECTS TO BE NEGATIVELY IMPACT OUR ENVIRONMENT. UM, OUR TRAFFIC, OUR TOWN AND OUR SCHOOLS BECAUSE THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT THESE DEVELOPERS ARE USING TO MARKET THEIR, THEIR REGULAR PRICED HOUSING AND OUR SCHOOLS ARE SUFFERING. SO I WOULD HOPE THAT COUNCIL TAKES THIS INTO EFFECT INTO ACCOUNT WHEN THEY MAKE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS [01:05:01] OR DEALS WITH DEVELOPERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BRIAN. CAR MS. ON YES. HEAR ME AARON? PRE-SERVICE. UM, FIRST THE CAT THING. I'M KIND OF LOST WITH THIS. WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH DEFERRAL CATS? IT'S THE FIRST I'VE HEARD OF THAT BEING A NUISANCE AND THERE'S CERTAINLY A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT WILL STEP UP AND HELP. IF THE CATS GO TO THE COUNTY, THEY GET PUT DOWN. SO YOU GUYS ARE NOW GONNA BE CAT COUNTERS. WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH CATS? WHAT ARE WE GOING WITH? SO LET ME, LET ME CLARIFY THIS MR. NCE. SO THIS IS PART OF A PROGRAM WITH THE COUNTY. SO IF THERE IS A PUBLIC NUISANCE OF A, OF A CAT THAT'S BEEN A BIG, UH, COME TO OUR AWARENESS. WE SEND A A UH, CAT, YOU GO TO THE SHELTER, HANG ON A SECOND. A CAT CONTROLLER, WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE CALLED. ANIMAL CONTROLLER. YEAH, ANIMAL CONTROL. UH, OUT. SO YOU'RE TELLING, HANG ON. UH, THEY CAPTURE THE CAT, THEY TAKE THE, TO THE COUNTY. THEY SPAY OR NEUTER THE CAT. THEY MARK THE CAT'S EAR. THIS IS ALL IN THE ORDINANCE. THEY SPAY OR THEY MARK THE CAT'S EAR. THEY RELEASE THAT CAT BACK INTO THE POPULATION. THANK YOU. BACK TO WHERE IT CAME FROM. CHRISTIAN. BACK. BACK TO WHERE? JUMPING TO DON BECAUSE THINGS AREN'T, WE'RE NOT AT ALL IN THIS ROOM AND I WOULDN'T PUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YOU GUYS I KNOW. NO OFFENSE. I APPRECIATE THAT TED BUNDY STUFF. IF YOU GUYS START TELLING. YEP. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. SO THE LAST MEETING I WAS AT, FELLAS, I CAME UP HERE AND I SUGGESTED TO YOU THAT YOUR ATTORNEY HERE BROUGHT IN YOUR TOWNSHIP MANAGER AS A TEAM TO CONTINUE TO BUILD. I EVEN DROPPED THE LLCS NAME. WHAT DID YOU GUYS FIND OUT ABOUT THE, THE LLC UH, MR. HAREL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADDRESS YOUR LLC? AS I, UH, DISCLOSED TO COUNSEL, I HAVE HAD NO RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PRIME, THE LAW, PRIME LAW FIRM, OR ANY DEVELOPER PRIOR TO TAKING THIS JOB. MY SOLE RELATIONSHIPS WITH DEVELOPERS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ON THE TOWNSHIP SIDE OF THE TABLE. AND THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN IN MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS, NOT IN RESTAURANTS, NOT IN HOTELS, NOT IN CASINOS. WHY WOULD THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER EVEN BE TALKING TO PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY? TOWNHOUSE. IS THAT PART OF HIS POSITION HERE? RESIDENCE HERE. SOMEBODY THAT WANTS TO MOVE A PROJECT AND DO SOMETHING. IS THE MANAGER SUPPOSED TO BE PART OF THAT PROCESS? HAPPY BURGER WAS IN THE PAST, BUT ANYWAY, COULD YOU ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE LLC? 'CAUSE HE IS SUPPOSED TO NOTIFY YOU WHEN HE OPENS IT UP. I DON'T THINK HE DID. IT DOESN'T MATTER. OKAY. I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, IT'S SNOWING OUTSIDE. GO LOOK. DID YOU LOOK AT THE LLC? IT'S, IT SEEMS LIKE THE REGISTRATION'S REALLY WEIRD. IT'S REALLY SIMPLE. I HOPE I'M WRONG, BUT PROVE IT. IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE. DEPUTY MAYOR, YOU ASK HIM, I WANNA SEE THIS. LLC, YOU CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT A COURT ORDER. SO OBVIOUSLY IF THE RESIDENTS CAN'T TAKE A LOOK AT IT, I THINK, AND I'VE BEEN TOLD A LOT ABOUT HIM, OKAY, OUT OF PEMBERTON, AND HE HAS DONE BUSINESS WITH THE PRIMES, I'M SURE THERE'S NO PROOF, ALRIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S ALL LLCS IN OTHER STATES. OTHERWISE, WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS? SO I'M, I'M ASKING YOU MAYOR, DEPUTY MAYOR, PLEASE JUST TAKE A LOOK AT IT. YOU CAN TALK TO HIM AND JUST SQUASH IT. IF THERE'S NOTHING THERE, HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO OPEN IT UP AND SHOW YOU. HE'S HERE FOR WHAT, I THINK 10 MONTHS WHEN HE OPENS IT UP AND IT'S FOUR MONTHS BEFORE THIS DEVELOPMENTS ANNOUNCED. WHATEVER MAN, IT JUST SEEMS, SEEMS A LITTLE SKETCHY. ALRIGHT, SO LET'S GO ON ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THING HERE. SORRY MAN. I'M LITTLE. SHAKE IT UP. I GOTTA TELL YOU, A 2-YEAR-OLD IN THIS ROOM CAN TELL YOU SOMETHING STICKS UP HERE. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE. WE HAVE SOME THE BRIGHTEST, MOST INTELLIGENT RESONANCE IN THIS COMMUNITY, RIGHT? IT TAKES SOME MONEY TO GET IN HERE. THEY'RE REALLY SMART. SOME OF THESE ARE WELL ABOVE YOUR PAY GRADE GUYS, UNLESS YOU'RE GETTING KICKBACKS FROM THE BUILDERS, OKAY? MAYBE YOU DO HAVE MORE MONEY THAN THAT, BUT THEY'RE SMART PEOPLE. THEY'RE UP HERE, THEY'RE ASKING REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS AND YOU'RE SHUTTING 'EM RIGHT DOWN. YOU ARE LIKE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. YO, I MAY NOT, OKAY? IT HAS BEEN REALLY HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. BUT THERE ARE SOME REALLY SMART PEOPLE COMING UP HERE AND TALKING AND YOU'RE ALL SAYING WE'RE ALL WRONG. EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM THAT'S COME UP AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND HIS MAIL POINTS IS WRONG. COME ON MAN. GET ON THE RIGHT SIDE. MIKE AND BETH, YOU, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING TO. YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE HERE NEXT YEAR. THE THE THREE, THE OTHER THREE ARE OUT. YOU'RE GONNA BE HOLDING THE BAG AND WE'RE GONNA BE DEALING WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT. AND WHEN YOU SUGGEST THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO DO THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING THING ON OUR OWN, THINK ABOUT THE TAX INCREASE. GUARANTEE YOU IT'S GONNA BE $1,200. AT LEAST I'M TALKING $43 MILLION IS WHAT THEY NEED RIGHT OFF THE BAT IS WHAT I'M HEARING. YOU GUYS CAN, YOU GUYS COULD GO TO A REFERENDUM AND SAY, LOOK, RESIDENTS, WE WILL FIGURE OUT 17 HOMES A YEAR, BUT YOU MIGHT COST EACH RESIDENT $500. WHY [01:10:01] DON'T YOU EVEN GIVE US THAT OPTION? WE'RE GONNA BE PAYING THE SCHOOLS AND GET THE CITY HERE. OR YOU CAN HAVE THE FARM FIELDS, OKAY? AND, AND OUR TAX ARE A LITTLE HIGHER. WHATEVER THE SCHOOLS ARE MESS WITH YOU GUYS AND YOU ALWAYS BLAME IT ON THEM. EVERY TIME THE TAX BILL COMES UP, THE COUNCIL SAYS 80% GOES TO THE SCHOOLS. BUT WHAT I'VE HEARD ABOUT THESE PILOT PROGRAMS IS YOU GUYS ARE DUMPING A LOT OF HOMES. RESIDENTS ARE IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT NOW ON, UM, ON US, WE'RE PAYING, WE'RE PICKING UP 43 KIDS. GUYS ARE, MARY, DO YOU KNOW THERE'S 43 KIDS AT KIRBY'S RIGHT NOW? NONE. THE FAMILIES, WHATEVER, IT'S NOT THEM, IT'S THE BUILDER. THEY DON'T CONTRIBUTE A DOLLAR TO THE PROPERTY TAXES, TO THE SCHOOL TAXES, NO. FUNDING. 43. IT'S $24,000 A STUDENT. OKAY? DO THE MATH. WE'RE PAYING FOR IT EITHER WAY. SO I FIND THIS JUST REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT YOU GUYS ARE SUGGESTING THAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS WRONG. YOU HAVE IT RIGHT? I'LL ASK YOU ANOTHER QUESTION. SO THIS HAD TO BE TURNED IN THIS, THIS WHOLE PLAN FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT. WHAT WAS THE DATE THAT BE TURNED IN BY JUNE 30TH? YEAH. OR WHAT HAPPENS? WHAT OR WHAT HAPPENS? YEAH, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE JUST DIDN'T TURN IT IN? YOU GUYS CHERRY PICKED STUFF. YOU DON'T, YOU YOU IGNORE ALL THE STORM RUNOFF ON MAIN STREET. EVERYTHING. MR. WATSON, YOU IGNORED EVERYTHING. THE STATE REGULATIONS WITH THE STORM RUNOFF, OKAY? FOR ALL YOUR FRIENDS, 100% WASN'T DOABLE. SO YOU GUYS ARE CHERRYPICKING SOME STATE BULBS, BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON'T, WE WOULD LEAVE OURSELVES OPEN TO A BUILDER'S REMEDY SUIT LIKE YOUR FATHER DID FOR THE TOWN IN THE MID NINETIES. THAT'S INSANE, MAN. THE FOX IS IN THE HEAD HOUSE. IT'S SO CLEAR, MAN. ALL RIGHT. 30. AND YOU GUYS ARE TRYING, YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO PUT LIPSTICK ON A PIG AND SELL IT TO US. YOU REALLY ARE MAN. AND IT'S INSULTING. IT REALLY IS INSULTING. I DON'T KNOW HOW ALL FIVE OF YOU, MAN. IT'S SO DISAPPOINTING TO HEAR, ESPECIALLY MIKE AND BETHANY. YOU GUYS ARE EITHER DRINKING A COOL, YOU ALL YOUR INFORMATION. IF IT'S COME FROM OUR ATTORNEY HERE, YOU'RE NUTS FOR BELIEVE IT. YOU ARE CRAZY. IT'S BEEN CLEAR, OKAY? THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLES, YOU CAN'T THROW A ROCK IN THIS TOWN WITHOUT HEARING SOMEBODY THAT WASN'T, WAS HURT BY THIS LAW FIRM. AND I'M SERIOUS. IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE. YO, YOUR FATHER, MAN. OKAY. WHAT HE DID TO MY MOM, MR. CARER, YOUR TIME'S DOWN. BUT THANK YOU. I HOPE YOU GUYS ARE LISTENING. WILL YOU ASK YOUR MANAGER? THANK YOU. DID YOU KNOW? THANK YOU. THE TIME BROUGHT HIM IN. THANK YOU. I'LL JUST TRY AND BUY SOME TIME. WE GOT A FRIEND COMING. I UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, DAVE. S NINE ACTIONS IN COURT. GLAD TO HEAR YOU'RE . UM, THESE TAX ABATEMENTS, WHO DECIDES, WHO DECIDES IF THESE TAX ABATEMENTS GO FOR FIVE YEARS, 10, 15, OR 30? MY UNDERSTAND IS COUNSEL, IS THAT, IS THAT TRUE FOR THE BUILDERS? IS THAT TRUE? WHO, WHO MAKES THE DECISION OF IS THIS PLACE GONNA, THIS APARTMENT COMPLEX, ARE THEY GONNA PAY NO TAXES FOR FIVE YEARS, 10, 15, 20? WHO MAKES THAT DECISION? SO MR. MR. PRIME? SURE. UH, IF YOU COULD ANSWER THAT, UH, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SURE. WITH GOING THROUGH THIS ROUND. SO WELL, WELL, TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, IT'S A NEGOTIATION BETWEEN THE, THE BUILDER DEVELOPER AND, AND THE TOWN AND THE COUNCIL. BUT THE AFFORD, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A CONCEPTUAL PLAN RIGHT NOW. SURE. THAT WE SUBMITTED TO STATE. THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT PILOTS OR TAX ABATEMENTS YET. IT'S, IT'S PREMATURE TO EVEN TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S CONCEPTUAL PLAN. CORRECT. TO BUILD THESE UNITS HERE. BUT THERE WAS TAX ABATEMENTS ON THE THIRD THERE, THERE WERE LIMITED TAX ABATEMENTS ON THE THIRD ROUND. SO ON JUST THE AFFORDABLE UNITS. SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE, THAT IT HAS HAD A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL. WELL, THAT DEPENDS. SO EITHER THEY'RE NOT TELLING THE TRUTH OR, I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE MAYOR, OR THAT'S MAYOR, RETIRED MAYOR CHARLES WATSON, YOU WOULD BE, UM, YOU WOULD'VE PROBABLY MADE THE DECISION AS FAR AS THESE TAX OBEDS AND I WOULD'VE MADE THIS DECISION. YEAH. THE COUNCIL'S NOT PART OF THIS. WHO IS, IT WOULDN'T BE ME DECISION FOR FIVE YEARS, 30 YEARS. 15, 20. THIS IS BIG BECAUSE IF YOU'RE GONNA GIVE A BUILDER A 30 YEAR TAX ABATEMENT ON AN APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT DUMPS ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE SCHOOL ASKS FOR MORE MONEY. AND THEN PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW ANYTHING SAY THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT, THEY MISMANAGED THEIR MONEY. BUT IT'S NOT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, IT'S THE COUNCIL. THEY DON'T HAVE A SAY IN THESE APARTMENTS. YOU GUYS DO. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT DEMANDING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PILOTS, THE PROGRAMS. MIKE, DO YOU KNOW A COUPLE OF THE BUILDERS [01:15:01] LIVE IN MEDFORD? THE, THAT WERE INVOLVED ON ROUTE 70, THE BUILDING. ARE YOU AWARE OF THAT? TWO LOCAL BUILDERS. WHO ARE YOU REFERRING TO? TWO LOCAL BUILDERS FROM MEDFORD TOWNSHIP ARE INVOLVED ON SOME OF THE CONSTRUCTION FOR THE APARTMENTS ON ROUTE SEVEN. ARE YOU AWARE OF THAT? POTENTIALLY. BUT WE'RE, I'M WHO YOU'RE FROM LIKE OUT OF THE AREA. YEAH. I'M NOT WHO YOU'RE, I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU'RE REFERRING TO. I'M REFERRING TO, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO, WELL, I DON'T WANNA NAME 'EM, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO BUILDERS. OKAY. FROM METFORD TOWNSHIP. HOW IS THE TAX ABATEMENTS BEING ADDRESSED WITH LOCAL BUILDERS AND THE TOWNSHIP SOLICITOR? BECAUSE YOU GUYS DON'T SEEM TO BE AWARE OF THIS IS, THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE LOOK, MAYBE YOU GUYS ARE RIGHT, THERE'S NO WAY AROUND THE HOUSING, BUT THERE'S SOME REAL SKETCHY STUFF GOING ON WITH THESE PILOT PROGRAMS. I BELIEVE THERE IS. WHO OVERSEES IT? WHO WRITES THE NUMBER MATTER? I'M ASKING YOU. WHO WRITES THE NUMBER? YOU'VE BEEN UP HERE FOR LIKE NINE YEARS. YOU DON'T KNOW. I I ALREADY ANSWERED IT. IF THERE'S A PILOT AGREEMENT, IT'S NEGOTIATED BETWEEN THE DEVELOPER AND THE COUNCIL AND THE TOWN. OKAY. HE'S BEEN HERE FOR NINE YEARS. HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. I'M SURE I'M WHY ARE YOU ANSWERING IT FOR HIM? I'M SURE HE, HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER NINE YEARS. I'M SURE HE DOES. HE LET ME ANSWER I FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. SURE. IT'S PRETTY CRAPPY. MILLIONS. MILLIONS IS BEING, THEY'RE NOT GETTING BECAUSE OF THE DECISIONS THAT COUNCIL'S MAKING. NOW, YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR NINE YEARS AND YOU'RE NOT AWARE OF THIS, MR. WATSON. I DIDN'T SAY I WASN'T AWARE OF IT. WHO IS MAKING THE TAX ABATEMENT DEALS WITH THE BUILDERS? BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MR. PRIME ANSWERED THE QUESTION. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUILDERS IN MEDFORD. THAT'S IMPORTANT HERE. SO THERE'S THIS WHOLE CIRCLE GOING ON HERE. AND BETHANY, MAYBE YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS UNTIL RECENT THAT SOME OF THE CONSTRUCTION FOR THESE APARTMENTS ARE BUILDERS FROM MEDFORD. AND MY CONCERN IS WHO MAKES THE DECISIONS FOR THE TAXES? BECAUSE IF I CAN, IF I CAN AVOID PAYING TAXES FOR 30 YEARS TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THAT'S A PRETTY SWEET DEAL BY THE WAY. WE'RE GONNA BLAME THE STATE. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO. FOUR YEARS AGO, MR. WATSON, YOU'RE PART OF THIS ON THE PLANNING BOARD FOUR YEARS AGO, RIGHT? YOU WERE ON THERE. YES SIR. YOU RE YOU DID SPOT ZONING OUT BY OUR FARM. YOU REZONED A PACIFIC AREA, RIGHT? FOR HIGH DENSITY BUILDING. THIS IS FOUR YEARS AGO, RIGHT? FOR, FOR STAGE FOUR, FOUR YEARS AGO. YOU DON'T THINK IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS YOU COULD HAVE COME UP WITH AN IDEA, A SOLUTION INSTEAD OF BUILDING 800 HOMES AND ANNOUNCING IT WEEKS BEFORE THE DEADLINE. FOUR YEARS HE'S HAD, BECAUSE THERE'S NO REASON WHY YOU WOULD 30 SECONDS THAT AGRICULTURE TO MASS DENSITY BUILDING. THE ONLY REASON IS BECAUSE THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO FOUR YEARS AGO. YOU COULD HAVE MADE PLANS INSTEAD. MAIN STREET, THAT'S ALL YOU CARED ABOUT. 30 SECONDS MR. CAR. THAT'S ALL YOU CARED ABOUT. CONGRATULATIONS. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. YOU WANTED, YOU WANTED PEOPLE ON MAIN STREET. YOU GOT IT. I GAVE YOU THAT. YOU DID. THIS THING STINKS. THE FACT THAT NOBODY CAN ANSWER ABOUT THESE TAX ABATEMENTS. AND TWO OF YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN UP HERE FOR A LONG TIME. WHO IS MAKING THE VOTES? WHO'S MAKING THE DECISIONS? DOES THIS HAPPEN IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION? I ANSWERED IT ALREADY. YOU DIDN'T ANSWER. HE'S BEEN HERE. HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. I ANSWERED THE QUESTION, BUT I, I'LL I'LL REITERATE. THE, THE COUNCIL ULTIMATELY MAKES EVERY RIGHT, EVERY, IT'S A NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT. IT'S A NEGOTIATING AGREEMENT. HOW DID THE LOCAL BUILDERS GET INVOLVED WITH ALL OF THIS? HOW DOES THIS WORK? RIGHT. SO THE, YOUR TIME IS COMPLETED AND SO I'LL TELL YOU WHAT ANSWER. SO HANG ON. UH, MR. MR. PRIME WILL ANSWER THAT. YEP. AND, AND THEN THAT TIME IS FINISHED. AND THEN I BELIEVE MR. KEL HAS IN THE COMMENTS AS WELL. OH, AM I ON PLEASE. THE ONLY PILOT AGREEMENTS THAT THE TOWN HAS ENTERED INTO WITH THESE UNITS WERE ON THE AFFORDABLE UNITS ONLY. SO THE, THE DEVELOPMENTS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAY A HUNDRED UNITS, THE 25 OR 20 AFFORDABLE UNITS THAT CAME WITH THOSE A HUNDRED. THERE WAS A PILOT ON THOSE 20, THAT PORTION OF THE PROJECT. THAT'S IT. PLEASE SPEAK UP. THAT'S IT. I CAN'T HEAR YOU. THE, THE, IS THIS ON THE, THE PILOT AGREEMENTS THAT WERE MADE ON PRIOR ROUNDS WERE ONLY FOR THE AFFORDABLE COMPONENTS OF THOSE PROJECTS. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT WASN'T FOR THE ENTIRE PROJECT. SO IF YOU HAD 400 UNITS, IT'S ONLY FOR THE 20%. YES. AND IT WAS, IT WAS TO OFFSET THAT THE, THE COST FOR THE DEVELOPER THERE SO THEY COULD BUILD THEM. THAT WAS IT. THERE WAS THAT, THAT PILOT WAS FOR THAT PART OF THE PROJECT ONLY. WE NEVER HAD A PILOT FOR A FULL RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. ONLY THE AFFORDABLE COMPONENT. OKAY. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH. AND MAYOR, IF I COULD ADD TO WHAT MR. PRIME IS SAYING, FOR ANY AFFORDABLE [01:20:01] UNITS THAT WERE BUILT USING AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND, NEW JERSEY HOME MORTGAGE FINANCING AGENCY REQUIRES THE TOWNSHIP TO HAVE A PILOT FOR ANY AFFORDABLE HOMES BUILT WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND MONEY. AND IT'S A 30, 35 OR 40 YEAR PILOT, STATE REQUIRED. STATE REQUIRED. THAT MAKES SENSE. BUT AGAIN, FOUR YEARS. FOUR YEARS YOU GUYS REZONED THIS FARM. OKAY. FOUR YEARS AGO. THANK YOU. WHY NOT? WHY NOT SAY, HEY LISTEN, A TSUNAMI'S PUMP, WE KNOW IT 'CAUSE WE'RE REZONING LAND. THAT HASN'T EVEN BEEN WORKED OUT. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THESE DEALS ARE WORKED OUT BECAUSE NOTHING'S PUBLIC. BUT THE PLAN BOARD REZONES RIGHT? A PIECE OF LAND OUT THERE. IT'S SPOT ZONING IS WHAT IT IS. MR. CORS, THANK YOU. YOUR YOUR TIME IS DONE. THANK YOU. THAT'S MATTER. THANK YOU. UH, ONE OTHER THING. THE NUTRITION MEADOWS THING. GREAT IDEA. I ACTUALLY SUPPORT THAT. THE PROBLEM IS THERE'S NO MONEY FOR THE BUILDERS. OKAY. THERE'S NO MONEY FOR THE BUILDERS. DAVID, THANK YOU. THE MIC HAS NOT BEEN ON THIS WHOLE TIME FOR THE PEOPLE CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING. SAY HELLO. IT'S ON. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, IT'S ON. ALRIGHT. CAN YOU, UM, THE PEOPLE AT HOME HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO HEAR ANYTHING. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO LISTEN ONLINE AS I DROVE HERE. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S CRAZY THAT WE'RE AT AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, HEARING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN HELD WELL BEFORE THE ELECTION. I'M, I'M SORRY, MR. DUFF, DID YOU SHARE YOUR ADDRESS? PATRICK DUFF, UM, HADDEN HEIGHTS RESIDENT. THANK YOU. UH, HERE TO HELP MED MEDFORD RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE BEING SHELLACKED BY THEIR GOVERNMENT. UM, IN 1986, TIM PRIME WAS THE C THE COUNSELOR OF THIS TOWNSHIP. HE DRAFTED, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING REGULATIONS FOR THIS TOWNSHIP. THAT IN 1996 HE THREATENED THIS TOWNSHIP WITH A, A BUILDER'S REMEDY SUIT. CORRECT. YOUR DADDY, HOW OLD WERE YOU? UM, NOW THAT SUIT THAT HE THREATENED THE TOWNSHIP WITH WAS OVER A LAND THAT HE DIDN'T OWN HIMSELF AT ALL. OTHER PEOPLE OWN THAT LAND. HE CREATED AN LLC ONE WEEK BEFORE FILING A LAWSUIT AGAINST THIS TOWNSHIP, THAT THE TOWNSHIP PAID HIM IN 19 98, 6 $0.25 MILLION NOT TO BUILD HOMES IN MEDFORD TOWNSHIP. HE IS YOUR SOLICITOR. HE'S THE ONE THAT YOU WERE DEPENDING ON TO NOT HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH BUILDERS YET HE ALREADY SUED YOU FOR $6.25 MILLION. ARE YOU, ARE YOU LISTENING? CAN YOU HEAR THAT? SO WHAT'S WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING IS, HEY, MR. HAREL, HOW YOU DOING MAN? DID YOU HAVE THE ONLINE, UH, STUFF ERASED? DID YOU GO ONLINE AND, AND AND ASK FOR TO I KNOW YOU DID. IT'S OKAY. ALRIGHT, CHECK THIS OUT. SO YOU HAVE YOUR, YOUR OWN REPORT SHOWED THAT YOU HAD 488 HOMES AS OF THE REPORT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT'S INTERESTING IS AN OPRAH WAS DONE TO REQUEST THE ALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE TOWNSHIP. AND YOU LEFT OUT THESE PARTICULAR HOMES. I'M GONNA PUT THIS ON A RECORD. WILD FLOWERS HAS NINE 10 UNITS. WINGATE HAS 30 UNITS. HERITAGE HAS 25 UNITS. WILLOWS HAS 90 UNITS, AND STEVENS HAS ANOTHER 60 UNITS. MEANING THAT YOU GUYS DO NOT NEED ANY MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THIS TOWNSHIP. BUT YOU'RE LYING AND SAYING YOU NEED ANOTHER 171 HOMES. NOW THIS IS ON THE RECORD. 'CAUSE THE MICROPHONE'S FINALLY, FINALLY WORKING. BUT THIS WHOLE TIME NOBODY'S COMMENTS ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO BE ON THE RECORD. SO I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE BEING, YOU'RE BEING LIED TO BY YOUR COUNSEL WHO HAS A SEVERE CONFLICT OF INTEREST, WHO DRAFTED THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING LAWS THAT HE SUED YOU UPON, BECAME RICH, BOUGHT A HOUSE IN FLORIDA UPON, AND NOW IS USING THE OTHER DEVELOPERS IN YOUR TOWNSHIP TO SCREW YOU INTO SUBMISSION AGAIN, TO BUILD HOUSES BASED UPON A LIE, BASED UPON A FABRICATION. AND IT'S SAD. IT'S SAD BECAUSE YOU'RE ALL RESIDENTS OF THIS TOWNSHIP. YOU CAN'T STAND UP TO, TO A PERSON. THAT'S, THAT'S BASICALLY, I MEAN, IMAGINE IN 1998 YOU PAID $6.25 MILLION TO PRESERVE LAND THAT NEVER REALLY NEEDED TO BE [01:25:01] PRESERVED. HE DIDN'T EVEN OWN IT. HE HAD NO RIGHTS TO IT. THINK ABOUT THAT. YOU WERE DEFRAUDED OUT OF $6.25 MILLION OUTTA THE SAME PERSON. WHO NOW IS YOUR COUNSELOR? OH, I WOULD BE UPSET. I WOULD BE UPSET. ARE YOU UPSET? DOES THAT MAKE YOU UPSET AT ALL? MIKE? HUH? ERIC? CHUCK, IF IT DOESN'T, YOU'RE YOU'RE IDIOTS. YOU'RE PURE IDIOTS. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S ENOUGH. NO IT'S NOT. THAT'S ENOUGH. NO. I CAN DO WHATEVER. IT'S FREE SPEECH, BUDDY. HEY, DO, DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I CAN SAYING? YOU CAN ACTUALLY, YOU CAN ADDRESS THEM AND ME WITH RESPECT OR ELSE WE'LL HAVE OFFICER OFFICER YOU BACK IN. NO, I CAN SAY WHATEVER I WANT. OKAY. ON THIS MICROPHONE YOU HAVE NO, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TELL ME WHAT TO SAY. YOUR DADDY STOLE $6.25 MILLION FROM THIS TOWNSHIP. KEEP TALKING. YEAH. KEEP TALKING. YEAH. YOU, HOW OLD WERE YOU AT THAT POINT? OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW YOU JERK OFF. I GUESS YOU'RE IN FLORIDA. YOU ENJOYED YOURSELF IN FLORIDA, MR. DUFF. I MEAN, THAT'S A HELL OF AN AMOUNT OF MONEY IN 1998. THERE WILL BE RESPECT IN HERE, PERIOD. THANK YOU. OR YOU'LL BE SITTING DOWN. YEAH, THAT IS IT. UH, I CAN EXPLAIN SOME DO YOU, GO AHEAD TELL ME NOT TO SPEAK ANYMORE 'CAUSE I'LL SUE YOU FOR THAT. YOU HAVE 30 MORE SECONDS. TELL ME NOT TO SPEAK ANYMORE. I'LL SAY WHATEVER I WANT. I'LL ACCEPT. DROP IT OFF. LISTEN, YOU, YOU TOWNSHIP WAS TAKEN FOR $6.225 MILLION IN 1998 BY THE SAME PERSON. WHO'S YOUR COUNSELOR NOW? 20 SECONDS. YOU DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT? MR. REPS STOP. DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT? SEE, YOU CAN'T SAY NOTHING. WHAT KIND OF CHICKEN S**T ARE YOU? THAT'S ENOUGH. THAT'S IT. OH, OH, OH, YOU'RE SAYING WAIT, SHOW UP TO YOUR WHATCHA GONNA DO? THANK YOU. YOU'RE GONNA TELL ME I CAN'T SPEAK ANYMORE. YOUR TIME'S UP SAYING YOU'RE A CHICKEN S**T. YEAH. GO SIT DOWN. NO, DON'T TOUCH ME BUDDY. TRUST ME. YOU DON'T WANNA TOUCH ME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. YOU'RE EXCUSED. NO, I'M NOT EXCUSED YET. THANK YOU. YEAH, YOU'RE UP. TIME'S UP. FIVE MINUTES UP. IF YOU COULD REMOVE HIM, PLEASE. THE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO SAY, OUR OUR ORDINANCE IS FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'D REQUEST ANOTHER MINUTE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M REQUEST ANOTHER MINUTE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I'M REQUESTING ANOTHER MINUTES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. WE APPRECIATE IT. REQUEST. IT'S DENIED. ARE YOU SO SIR, ARE YOU TELLING I CAN'T SPEAK ANYMORE 'CAUSE I, 'CAUSE I USED THAT THE WORD 'CAUSE YOU'RE FIVE MINUTES. YOU'RE FEET'S. WHY? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE THAT. WE'VE, WE'VE ASKED YOU TO THANK YOU. I'LL ACCEPT SERVICE. YOU, YOU PUT IT RIGHT TO MY OFFICE. COME ON OVER BUDDY. YOU. THANK YOU MA. I'M IN THE BACK. THANK YOU. WHOLE PROCESS. I JUST HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. UM, SO I MIGHT BE SOMEWHAT IGNORANT PROCESS, BUT SPEAK TO MIKE. OH, SORRY. YIKES. UM, SO YOU HAD MENTIONED THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST AND THAT THERE WASN'T SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO COVER THE BUILDING OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS HOW MUCH IS IN THAT TRUST? WE CAN'T DO, SHE'S ASKING HOW MUCH IS IN THE, HOW MUCH IS IN THAT TRUST TURN OFF THE MONEY PLEASE. YOU HAVE TO ALMOST GET LIKE RIGHT UP TO IT. IS THAT ON? I MEAN, I CAN JUST YELL FREE SPEECH AT 1%. . OKAY. NO, I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE FUNDS THAT ARE IN THE TRUST TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WOULD THAT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF COVERING THE COST OF THOSE AFFORDABLE UNITS. I'M WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THAT. YOU KNOW, LEVEL OF FUNDING. I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER ON. I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER. WE, WE'LL, WE CAN FIND IT. I CAN GIVE HER MY CARD AND, AND, UH, GIVE HER THAT INFORMATION NEXT WEEK. YEAH. YEAH. I WAS JUST CURIOUS. AND THEN I, AGAIN, NEW TO THIS PROCESS, BUT, UM, I KNOW A LOT OF TALK WAS, UH, WAS DONE ABOUT THE ABATEMENTS. UM, THANK YOU. YEP. AND WITH RESPECT TO THE ABATEMENTS, UM, ARE THOSE FOR ALL THE, LIKE THE MARKET RATE HOUSES AS WELL AS THE AFFORDABLE OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? JUST THE AFFORDABLE OUTTA EVERYTHING IN THE PAST. OKAY. OKAY. AND THEN THE COUNCIL AND, AND, AND THE, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING PLANNED FOR ANYTHING IN THE FUTURE, CORRECT? THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF NEGOTIATIONS. OKAY. CORRECT. AND THAT'S JUST A NEGOTIATION BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPER. CORRECT. NOT ANY TEXTBOOK PAYER SAY IN THAT SPECIFIC ASPECT, CORRECT, MM-HMM . OKAY. AND THEN I DID ALSO HAVE ONE, I THINK ONE LAST QUESTION IN TERMS OF SELECTING THE BUILDER. IS IT AN RFP PROCESS OR SOME SORT OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS? OR AGAIN, IS THAT SELECTED JUST VIA THE COUNCIL? MR. PRIME, THE, EXPLAIN THAT THE BUILDER, HOW DO YOU SELECT THE BUILDER? WELL, IT'S, IT'S PRIVATE. IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY. IT'S NOT PROPERTY OWNED BY THE COUNCIL. SO IT'LL BE SOME, IT'LL BE UP TO A BUILDER TO COME IN AND PRESENT A PLAN TO THE PLANNING BOARD. OKAY. THAT ULTIMATELY THE PLANNING BOARD WOULD APPROVE AND THAT BUILDER'S GONNA BE, AND AND THEY NEGOTIATE, EXCUSE ME, THEY NEGOTIATE WITH THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY PROPERTY. CORRECT. WE'RE NOT BUYING PROPERTY. WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT SELLING PROPERTY. WE'RE NOT SELLING DEVELOPER'S PROPERTY TO BUILD. OKAY. ALL, ALL IT IS, IS IDENTIFIED PROPERTY IN OUR PLAN THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED ON, THAT'S GONNA BE DEVELOPED ON, IT'S UP TO THE DEVELOPER TO THEN GO SECURE THE PROPERTY AND BRING AN APPLICATION TO THE TOWNSHIP PLANNING BOARD. OKAY. SO IT'S A PRIVATE PERSON CORRECT. PROPERTY, THEY THEN WORK WITH THE DEVELOPER? THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I JUST HAD THOSE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I I, CAN I ADDRESS ONE THING WITH YOU, PLEASE TRUST FUND [01:30:01] AND, AND MY ANSWER. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN, I'VE SEEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WHY AREN'T WE JUST BUILDING ONE 70? WE CAN DO A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLES AND THAT IS LEGAL BY LAW. BUT TO FIND A BUILDER THAT'S GONNA DO IT, IT TAKES SOME TYPE OF INCENTIVE. THE LAST ROUND OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING BEHIND CVS, THERE'S THE VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA BUILDING FOR DISABLED VETERANS. AND BECAUSE OF WHAT IT WAS, THEY GOT TAX CREDITS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO HELP THEM BUILD IT. AND WE USED $400,000, ALMOST EVERYTHING WE HAD IN OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND TO BE ABLE TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT WAS NUMBER ONE, A REALLY GOOD PLACE TO, FOR, YOU KNOW, DISABLED VETERANS. YEAH. AND A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SINCE THEN, WE HAVEN'T DONE ENOUGH DEVELOPMENT YEAH. TO REPLENISH THAT TRUST FUND. SO YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT SENSE. I UNDERSTAND. I MEAN, IT'S A DELICATE BALANCE. LIKE I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT DEVELOPERS AREN'T JUST GONNA COME AND PLAY BALL IF THEY'RE NOT MAKING ANYTHING, SO. RIGHT. BUT, ALL RIGHT. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE FROM THE PUBLIC? GOOD EVENING. I'M BERNADETTE GEHRING. I LIVE ON HIMALAYA ROAD AND I'M NOT HERE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE HIMALAYA ROAD PROJECT BECAUSE I FIGURE IT'S ALREADY FUBAR. SO, UM, WHAT I AM HERE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT, HOWEVER, IS THE LAST TIME I SPOKE AT A COUNCIL MEETING WAS ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO. AND, UM, I DID MENTION TO THE COUNCIL THAT BULK TRASH IS AN ISSUE. UM, I CALLED MR. HOR NICKEL ON THE 15TH OF SEPTEMBER AND EXPLAINED TO HIM AT THAT TIME, MILL STREET HAS BULK TRASH SITTING RIGHT OUTSIDE OF A BLUE APARTMENT BUILDING. I THINK IT MIGHT BE FOUR OR SIX MILL STREET. I, SO SORRY, I DO NOT KNOW THAT INFORMATION RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. THAT SAID, I HAD TOLD HIM THAT THAT TRASH HAD BEEN THERE SINCE AT LEAST THE DAY MILL STREET REOPENED TO HEMAL LINE ROAD. I HADN'T BEEN DOWN THAT WAY SINCE I COULDN'T GET TO MY HOUSE VIA MILL STREET. SO I DIDN'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER BEFORE THAT IT HAD EXISTED. BUT ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, MR. HERCHEL, I WOULD EXPECT YOU REMEMBER MY CONVERSATION WITH YOU. UM, I TOLD YOU IT HAD BEEN THERE, IT WAS KIND OF DISGUSTING. UM, IT WAS MATTRESSES. AND I WAS TOLD AT THAT TIME THAT UM, YOU WERE GONNA HAVE YOUR NEW COMPLIANCE OFFICER GO OUT AND TAKE A LOOK. OKAY. UM, I WAS ALSO TOLD WHEN I SAID, HEY, JUST LIKE I HAD SUGGESTED A COUNCIL MEETING, COMMUNICATION WITH OUR TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES WHO ARE HERE TO PROTECT AND SERVE, UM, AS FAR AS THE OFFICERS ARE CONCERNED. BUT THE TOWNSHIP ENGINEERS WHO CLEARLY WERE GOING DOWN MILL STREET, PARKING AT THE END, WALKING UP AND DOWN HELINE ROAD DURING THE PROJECT, THEY'RE SEEING THIS. THEY'RE NOT BLIND. WHY WAS IT NOT CALLED IN SOONER? I CALLED IN, I WAS TOLD, WELL, YOU KNOW, OUR TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES ARE BLUE COLLAR WORKERS. WHAT THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE PRICE OF TEA IN CHINA? I HAVE NO IDEA. BECAUSE I SAID, CAN'T AN EMAIL GO OUT TO THE ENTIRE WORKFORCE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD AND SAY, HEY, IF YOU SEE IT, REPORT IT. NO, BECAUSE WE DON'T PAY $12 AND 50 CENTS PER EMPLOYEE TO MICROSOFT. SO THEY DON'T ALL HAVE EMAILS. YOU SEE, I'M LIKE, RIGHT. BUT THEY ALL GET, UM, PAY STUBS. AND IN TODAY'S DAY AND AGE, MOST OF US GET OUR PAY STUBS VIA AN EMAIL. OKAY. VERY FEW GET 'EM ON A PAPER, UH, STUB. BUT IF SO, WE CAN PRINT THINGS ON THE PAPER STUB. IF YOU SEE IT, REPORT IT. THERE'S BULK TRASH. THIS MAY I APPROACH THE COUNSEL FOR THIS PICTURE? UM, YES. LET ME SEE. FIRST THIS WAS, IT'S, OH, OF COURSE IT DID. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS. THIS WAS THIS EVENING. I'M OKAY IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT IT. SO THANK YOU. MAY I I CAN APPROACH. YES. THANK YOU. SEE THEY WANNA SEE, MA'AM, THIS WAS THIS EVENING WHEN I FIRST CALLED ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, THERE WERE JUST MATTRESSES AND PROBABLY WHATEVER WAS UNDER THE MATTRESSES. OKAY. THIS IS FIVE WEEKS LATER. SURE. OKAY. AND NOW THERE'S ADDITIONAL FURNITURE. AND AT THAT TIME I SAID, OH, AND THERE'S LIKE, THERE'S A DISHWASHER OR SOMETHING DOWN. UH, A LITTLE FURTHER. BUT YOU KNOW, THAT [01:35:01] MIGHT GET TAKEN CARE OF. 'CAUSE THOSE ARE TOWN HOMES. THEY'RE PRIVATE. THAT DISHWASHER WAS STILL THERE LAST WEEK. UM, THOUGH THOSE PEOPLE TOOK THE TIME TO NEATEN UP THE PROPERTY AND PUT THE DISHWASHER IN BETWEEN THEIR LINE OF TRASH CANS. A IF THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER WENT OUT THERE, I'M SURE A LETTER WENT OUT FOR A FINE. B WHY HASN'T IT BEEN TAKEN CARE OF YET? IT IS DISGUSTING THAT WE LIVE IN AN AFFLUENT COMMUNITY BAD ENOUGH. WE HAVE THE SITUATION ON HEMAL LINE ROAD. 'CAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT THAT'S BEEN A BIT OF A, A SITUATION. UM, BUT IT IS A SIMPLE THING OF SENDING OUT SOMEONE TO PICK UP THE GARBAGE. THAT'S ALL. AND I'M THINKING 11 WEEKS OR THEREABOUTS IS FAR TOO LONG. IT'S FAR TOO LONG. AND IT JUST SHOWS THE COMPLACENCY THAT EVERYONE ELSE IN HERE HAS BEEN SAYING WHEN IT COMES TO NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S HAPPENING BEHIND THE CLOSED DOORS. IT IS A LEVEL OF COMPLACENCY THAT MAKES PEOPLE NOT TRUST. AND SOMEBODY'S GOTTA FIGURE THIS OUT. OKAY? YOU WERE ALL VOTED TO BE THERE. YOU, I'M GONNA ASSUME ALL DID IT BECAUSE YOU WANTED BETTER. CAN YOU HONESTLY SAY THAT FIVE WEEKS AFTER A PHONE CALL TO THE TOWN, AND I'M SORRY SIR, BUT FIVE WEEKS AGO I HAD A VERY GOOD DISCUSSION WITH YOU. OKAY. AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. IT GOT WORSE. IT GOT WORSE. IT IS WRONG. ALL THAT SAID, ADUS ADUS SHOULD BE BEING CONSIDERED MORE. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE CREDITS FOR THIS, THE, THAT, BUT WE HAVE PLENTY OF PROPERTIES IN BEDFORD AND PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE AGED TO THE POINT WHERE THEIR IN-LAWS MAY NEED A PLACE, EVEN THEIR, THEIR GROWN CHILD BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE HOUSING MARKET IS. UM, HAVE WE DONE ANYTHING TO ADDRESS OUR ZONING LAWS AND OUR BUILDING LAWS AND SUCH TO MAKE THEM A MORE EFFECTIVE WAY OF HOUSING PEOPLE AFFORDABLY IN OUR TOWNSHIP WITHOUT MAKING 800 HOMES? AND HOW MANY YEARS? 'CAUSE I'VE LIVED HERE A LONG TIME WAS WERE NO BUILDING WAS ALLOWED BECAUSE NO SEWER PERMITS. WE DON'T HAVE THE SEWER, WE DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE, WE, WHATEVER. THAT'S A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE. JUST SAYING PLEASE SOMEONE GET THE TRASH TAKEN CARE OF. YES. OKAY. YOU ALL KNOW IT. I DIDN'T GO TO SCHOOL FOR THIS, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE I COULD HAVE GOTTEN THAT DONE. THANK YOU MR. COMB. CAN WE, I I MEAN I AGREE WITH THE WOMAN. IT'S BEEN OUT THERE FOR WEEKS. I LIKE FIND THE PEOPLE THAT OWN IT. I LOOK INTO THAT PICTURE. I DON'T THINK SOME OF THAT STUFF EVEN QUALIFIES TO BE PUT OUT FOR BULK TRASH. SO THEY SHOULD BE FINE FOR THAT, BUT IT'S NOT RIGHT FOR THAT TO BE OUT IN THE STREET. I AGREE. IT'S APARTMENT BUILDING. I'M SURE THAT THE OWNERS WEREN'T AWARE UNTIL THEY GOT THE LETTER, BUT WE WERE AWARE. WE WERE AWARE. WE HAVE TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES. WE NOT DUMB. RIGHT. I UNDERSTAND YOU CAN'T SPEAK FROM YOUR SEAT. I'M SO SORRY. I'M SORRY TO STEP ON YOUR NO, IT'S FINE. AUTHORITY THERE, BUT ALRIGHT. AND THANK YOU. AND MR. HARLE WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT, UH, POST HASTE. THANK YOU. UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? ALRIGHT, SEEING NONE, CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT MOVED SECOND. THANK YOU. UH, ALL IN FAVOR? A OPPOSED? ALRIGHT. PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED AND WE DO HAVE A MANAGER'S REPORT. PERHAPS WE WILL WAIT FOR A MOMENT. UH, LOOKS LIKE THE EXCITEMENT IS DONE SO THERE'S STILL GOOD STUFF TO, TO FOLLOW PEOPLE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE YET. RIGHT? CAN WE TAKE A BREAK AND STRETCH OUR LEGS? SURE. SURE. THAT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD HAVE, UM, A FIVE OR 10 MINUTE BREAK. SURE. UH, WE'LL TAKE, WE'LL TAKE A RECESS FOR FIVE MINUTES JUST TO GET EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH THEIR BREATH. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU EVERYONE. WE'RE GOING TO RECONVENE THIS MOMENT AND I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I APPRECIATE ABOUT AMERICA IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE PUBLIC DISCOURSE. AND SO THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF OUR PUBLIC AND WORKING TO IMPROVE OUR TOWN. SO THANK [VIII. MANAGER’S REPORT] YOU. WE HAVE A MANAGER'S REPORT FROM MR. KEL. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, TONIGHT WE WERE ASKING FOR APPROVAL FOR, UH, SIX NEW, UH, VOLUNTEER MEMBERS. UM, FIVE OF WHOM ARE ADULTS, ONE'S A JUNIOR, FOUR OF WHOM ARE TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS. UM, THESE VOLUNTEERS WOULD BE FOR FIRE AND EMS FIRE OR EMS. [01:40:01] ALRIGHT, GREAT. THANK YOU. UM, ADDITIONALLY, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE COUNSEL A QUICK UPDATE ON HIMALAYA ROAD. UM, HIMALAYA ROAD. THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS, MEANING THE INSTALLATION OF THE RESPECTIVE SEWER AND WATER MAINS IS COMPLETE. THE FINAL PHASE OF THE PROJECT IS TO GET THE WATER MAINS CONNECTED TO THE RESIDENTS HOMES AND BUSINESSES, HOMES, BUSINESSES ALONG ALION ROAD. THAT WAS BEGUN TODAY AND IT'S EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE END OF NEXT WEEK. WE'RE HOPING IT CAN GET DONE IF THE WEATHER COOPERATES BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK, BUT IT MAY SPILL OVER A LITTLE FURTHER. AND THEN LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A PEACEFUL VETERAN'S DAY ON TUESDAY TO THANK A VETERAN FOR THEIR SERVICE. AND, AND, UM, YEAH, THAT'S IT. GREAT. THANK YOU. WELL, WE WILL ADDITIONALLY HAVE, UH, SEVERAL WREATHS, UH, WREATH HANGING EVENTS ON VETERAN'S DAY, STARTING AT 11 O'CLOCK DOWNTOWN HERE IN MEDFORD AT, UH, RIGHT NEXT TO THE MEDFORD COMMUNITY CENTER. AND, UH, WE DO APPRECIATE THE VOLUNTEERS. AND SO DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THE VOLUNTEERS? UH, THE APPLICATIONS. ALRIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT. THE FIREFIGHTERS AND EMS ARE APPROVED. CHIEF, IF YOU COULD THANK THEM FOR US, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL. WE, WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE OUR VOLUNTEERS [IX. CLERK’S REPORT] AND WE DO HAVE A CLERK'S REPORT THIS EVENING. UM, YES WE DO. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF, UH, SOCIAL FAIR PERMITS. ONE IS FOUNDATION, UM, TO DO A FUNDRAISER ON NOVEMBER 14TH AT MEDFORD VILLAGE COUNTRY CLUB. AND THE OTHER ONE IS FOR THE FESTIVAL ON DECEMBER 6TH. UM, WE, UM, WE ALSO HAVE RAFFLES. WE HAVE 50 50 IN BASKET RAFFLES FOR ST. MARY LAKES, PTA NOVEMBER 14TH, DECEMBER 6TH AND 15TH 19, UM, FOR ST. MARY'S LAKES CHURCH. UM, WE HAVE 50 DECEMBER 7TH AND WE HAVE A POLL TAB RAFFLE FOR THE D FW. THAT'S NOVEMBER 20TH, 2025 THROUGH NOVEMBER 20TH, 2026. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE CLERK'S REPORT. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? ALRIGHT. THE CLERK'S REPORT IS ACCEPTED. WE HAVE ONE [X. BILL LIST] BILL LIST TO ACCEPT THIS EVENING FOR NOVEMBER 4TH, 2025. AND I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE BILL LIST. SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? ENC OPPOSED? I THANK YOU. THE BILL LIST IS ACCEPTED. [XI. ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION] WE HAVE ONE ORDINANCE FOR INTRODUCTION. WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR ORDINANCE 2025 DASH 19? I MOVE THAT. COUNSEL, INTRODUCE ON FIRST READING 2025 DASH 19 AMENDING THE CODE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD, CHAPTER 1 28 ARTICLE THREE, WILDLIFE FEEDING TO ADD A NEW SECTION 1 28 DASH 12 FERAL CATS. THANK YOU. CAN I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. SO JUST TO EXPLAIN THIS ORDINANCE, IT PREVENTS THE FEEDING OF FERAL CATS. IF SUCH FEEDING CAUSES A NUISANCE TO NEIGHBORS OR CREATES A CONDITION CONTRARY TO THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY. AND THOSE FEEDING FERAL CATS WILL BE REQUIRED TO COOPERATE WITH ANY HUMANE PROGRAM THAT TRAPS FERAL CATS FOR SPAYING, NEUTERING, IMMUNIZING THE CATS FROM RABIES AND TIPPING THE CAT'S LEFT EAR AND RETURNING IT. ITS TO ITS ENVIRONMENT AND THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS WILL BE ON NOVEMBER 20TH. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THE RESOLUTION? ALRIGHT, ROLL CALL FOR APPROVAL PLEASE. MS. MILL. AYE. SUMMITS. AYE. THIS IS AN ORDINANCE, ORDINANCE NOT A RESOLUTION. OH, SORRY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE, THE ORDINANCE. OKAY. UM, MR. WATSON? AYE. DEPUTY MAYOR? AYE. MAYOR . AYE. THANK YOU. THE ORDINANCE IS APPROVED. UH, NEXT WE HAVE ORDINANCE 2025 DASH 20. WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THAT? I MOVE THAT. COUNSEL INTRODUCE ON FIRST READING ORDINANCE 2025 DASH 20 AMENDING THE CODE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD, CHAPTER ONE 13, PEDDLING AND SOLICITING. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THIS IS AN ORDINANCE THAT ALLOWS A FIVE DAY EXTENSION FOR EACH POLICE INVESTIGATION IF THE APPLICANT IS SEEKING APPROVAL FROM MULTIPLE SOLICITORS. IT ALSO ESTABLISHES HOURS FOR SOLICITING FOR, UH, FROM OCTOBER 1ST THROUGH MARCH 31ST FROM 10:00 PM EXCUSE ME, 10:00 AM TO 6:00 PM AND REQUIRES CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 14 YEARS OLD TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT. AND THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS WILL BE NOVEMBER 20TH. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ORDINANCE? ALL ROLL. CALL FOR APPROVAL PLEASE. MS. MILLER. AYE. MS. SIMONS? AYE. MS. WATSON? AYE. DEPUTY MAYOR S AYE. MAYOR AYE. THANK YOU. THE ORDINANCE IS APPROVED. WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR ORDINANCE 2025 DASH 21? I MOVE THAT. COUNSEL, INTRODUCE ON FIRST READING ORDINANCE 2025 DASH 21 AMENDING THE CODE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD TO ADOPT A NEW CHAPTER 49, [01:45:01] A ENTITLED NUISANCE BAMBOO. SECOND. THANK YOU. UH, THIS CHAPTER MEANS TO PROTECT PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PROPERTY FROM DAMAGING SPREAD OF NUISANCE BAMBOO GRASS. IT ALSO DETAILS THE STANDARDS OF CONTAINMENT, MEASURES AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATING THE ORDINANCE. PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE ON NOVEMBER 20TH. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR STATEMENTS REGARDING THIS ORDINANCE? ROLL CALL FOR APPROVAL, PLEASE. MS. MILK? AYE. ASSIGNMENTS AYE. MR. WATSON? AYE. SECOND MAYOR SERVICE. AYE MAYOR. AYE. THE ORDINANCE IS APPROVED AND SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR ORDINANCE 2025 DASH 22. I MOVE THAT. COUNSEL INTRODUCED ON FIRST READINGS ORDINANCE 2025 DASH 22 AMENDING CHAPTER FIVE DASH 31.9 ENTITLED MEDFORD ALLIANCE GROUP. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. AND THIS AMENDMENT MAKES THE CHANGES THE MAKEUP OF THE GROUP AND SO THE GROUP WILL NO LONGER REQUIRE TWO MEMBERS OF COUNCIL TO BE ON THIS PARTICULAR GROUP. UH, ALL FIVE MEMBERS MUST BE MEDFORD RESIDENTS PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE NOVEMBER 20TH. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THE ORDINANCE? ROLL CALL FOR APPROVAL, PLEASE. MS. MILL. AYE. MS. SIMONS AYE. WATSON. AYE. DEPUTY MAYOR? AYE. MAYOR . AYE. THE ORDINANCE IS APPROVED. [XII. ORDINANCES FOR SECOND READING/PUBLIC HEARING(S)] WE HAVE ONE ORDINANCE FOR SECOND READING. AND WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR ORDINANCE 2025 DASH 17? THAT'S NOT THE ADOPTION ONE, RIGHT? NO, IT'S, OH, YOU WANT ME TO READ THIS? UM, I MOVED TO, UM, COUNSEL ON SECOND READING ORDINANCE 2025 DASH 17 PROVIDING FOR REPAIR AND RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BRADDOCKS MILL DAM AND RELATED IMPROVEMENTS IN AND FOR THE TOWNSHIP APPROPRIATING $1,100,000, THEREFORE AN AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF $1,045,000 IN SPECIAL ASSESSMENT BONDS OR NOTES OF THE TOWNSHIP TO FINANCE THE SAME. THANK YOU. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. SO THIS ORDINANCE IS IN RESPONSE TO THE NEW JERSEY DAM RESTORATION PROJECT LOAN AGREEMENT EXECUTED BY THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, THE N-J-D-E-P AND BRADDOCKS MILL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION AND THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD IN DECEMBER, 2021. IT IS BEING AMENDED DUE AN ERROR IDENTIFIED IN THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE. THE INTRODUCTION WAS ON OCTOBER 19TH. AND SO WE'LL BE OPENING THIS UP FOR PUBLIC HEARING. SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS ORDINANCE ALONE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO RAISE YOUR HAND. WE'LL BRING YOU UP TO THE MICROPHONE. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND UH, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO MAKE COMMENTS, SO PLEASE THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR WAITING. OKAY. THANK YOU. MY NAME'S CAROL SWANSON. CAN YOU HEAR THAT? THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME TO ADJUST THAT IF YOU'D LIKE. IT'S BETTER. I OKAY. TILT THAT DOWN. IT MAKES IT EASIER. UH, YEAH, THEY DON'T RESPOND WELL TO ME. , I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE TOWNSHIP FOR DOING THIS. THE, UM, IT'S BEEN A NUMBER OF YEARS. THE DAM HAS NEVER HAD AN ISSUE BUT THE STATE IS REQUIRING THAT WE STUDY IT AND COME UP WITH SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S GONNA MAKE IT BETTER THAN IT ALREADY IS. WE KNOW WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT REALITY AND WE ARE, BUT IT WAS, UM, OVER A MILLION DOLLARS FOR CONSTRUCTION COSTS, WHICH WOULD BE VERY HARD ON A 55 MEMBER COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, WHICH, UM, IN THE HISTORIC PAST AND WE'VE LIVED THERE MAYBE 30 YEARS, UM, HAD ANNUAL DUES OF $200. SO YOU DON'T HAVE A BIG BOARD CHEST TO DEAL WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS EVEN THOUGH IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. SO WE APPRECIATE THAT THIS TOWNSHIP IS WILLING TO GUARANTEE THAT LOAN. SHOULD THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION RED X MILL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION FAIL TO MAKE ITS ANNUAL PAYMENTS ON THE LOAN? UH, WE HOPE TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS AND WE APPRECIATE THE, UM, HELP FROM THE TOWNSHIP AND ALLOWING US TO MEET OUR OBLIGATIONS. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT. ANYONE ELSE? SEEING NONE. WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING? IT'S MOVED. SUSTAIN. THANK YOU. ROLL CALL TO CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING PLEASE. MS. MILL. AYE. MS. SIMONS? AYE. MR. WATSON A THANK THE MAYOR. S AYE. MAYOR AYE. ALRIGHT, PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. ARE THERE ANY COUNSEL COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. ROLL CALL FOR ADOPTION PLEASE. MS. NO. AYE MS. SIMMONS AYE. MR. WATSON? AYE. DEPUTY MAYOR AYE. MAYOR, RED STOP. AYE THE ORDINANCE IS ADOPTED. [XIII. CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTIONS] UH, REGARDING CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTIONS, WE HAVE RESOLUTION 1 77 DASH 2025 AUTHORIZING CANCELLATION OF FINAL 2025 PRELIMINARY 2026 PROPERTY TAXES ON PROPERTY OWNED BY [01:50:01] A QUALIFYING TOTALLY DISABLED EXEMPT VETERAN RESOLUTION 1 78 20 25 DESIGNATING AND APPOINTING ALTERNATE MUNICIPAL COURT PROSECUTORS RESOLUTION 1 79 DASH 2025 AUTHORIZING A CONTRACT WITH PRI WATER SUPPLY COMPANY UNDER THE STATUTORY PURCHASING THRESHOLD RESOLUTION 180 20 25 AUTHORIZING AN AGREEMENT WITH DELTA DENTAL FOR THE PROVISION OF DENTAL BENEFITS TO THE TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES RESOLUTION 180 1 20 25 AMENDING THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD 2025 YEAR MUNICIPAL BUDGET BY THE INSERTION OF A SPECIAL ITEM OF REVENUE AND APPROPRIATION FROM THE HANES FAMILY FOUNDATION GRANT PROGRAM RESOLUTION 180 2 20 25 AMENDING THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD 2025 YEAR MUNICIPAL BUDGET BY THE INSERTION OF A SPECIAL ITEM OF REVENUE AND APPROPRIATION FROM THE SUSTAINABLE JERSEY GRANT PROGRAM. RESOLUTION 180 3 20 25 AMENDING THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD 2025 YEAR MUNICIPAL BUDGET BY THE INSERTION OF A SPECIAL ITEM OF REVENUE AND APPROPRIATION ENTITLED NATIONAL OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUND. RESOLUTION 180 4 20 25 AMENDING THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD 2025 YEAR MUNICIPAL BUDGET BY THE INSERTION OF A SPECIAL ITEM OF REVENUE AND APPROPRIATION FROM THE MEDFORD ARTS CENTER ART AND WINE MUSIC FESTIVAL RESOLUTION 180 5 DASH 2025 AMENDING THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD 2025 YEAR MUNICIPAL BUDGET BY THE INSERTION OF A SPECIAL ITEM OF REVENUE AND APPROPRIATION FROM THE MEZ MEDFORD BUSINESS ASSOCIATION. OCTOBER FEST RESOLUTION 180 6 DASH 2025 AMENDING THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD 2025 YEAR MUNICIPAL BUDGET BY THE INSERTION OF A SPECIAL ITEM OF REVENUE AND APPROPRIATION FROM THE MEDFORD HISTORICAL SOCIETY, APPLE FESTIVAL RATHER RESOLUTION 180 7 20 25 APPROVING 2025 APPROPRIATION TRANSFERS. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THE CONSENT AGENDA? UH, I JUST HAVE ONE. IT CAME UP EARLIER. MR. HORAL, PERHAPS YOU COULD, UH, EXPLAIN RESOLUTION 1 79 DASH 2025. CHRIS WATER SUPPLY COMPANY CAME UP EARLIER. YEAH. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, THAT IS A ROUTINE CHEMICAL CONTRACT FOR THE WATER SYSTEM. IT'S A GASEOUS CHEMICAL THAT GETS INJECTED TO HELP US MAINTAIN UH, OUR PERMIT WATER QUALITY. UM, BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF THE CONTRACT IS ABOVE THE PAY TO PLAY THRESHOLD, BUT BELOW THE BID THRESHOLD, WE BRING IT TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTIONS? SECOND. SECOND. THANK YOU. ROLL CALL FOR APPROVAL PLEASE. MS. MILL. AYE. MS. SIMON? AYE. MR. WATSON? AYE. DEPUTY MAYOR? AYE. MAYOR AYE. ALRIGHT. THE CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTIONS ARE APPROVED. WE HAVE NO RESOLUTIONS THIS [XV. EXECUTIVE SESSION] EVENING. WE DO HAVE OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION RESOLUTION ES 11 0 6 20 25 REGARDING PERSONNEL PUBLIC BODY APPOINTMENT NJS A TEN FOUR DASH 12 B SECTION EIGHT. WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION? SO MOVED. I'LL SECOND IT. ALRIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? ALRIGHT. THE MOTION IS APPROVED. SO WE'LL NOW GO INTO OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION. YOU'RE WELCOME TO REMAIN WE'LL HAVE A SOMEWHAT, UH, LENGTHY DISCUSSION, THEN WE'LL RETURN, AN ACTION MAY BE TAKEN. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.