Apr 20, 2026 Township Council

YOU GUYS, ONE OF THESE JUST A, IT'S OFFICIAL.

HOW WE DOING LADIES? ALL RIGHT.

ENVIRONMENTAL.

WE HAVE THE WHOLE TEAM HERE.

THIS IS PERFECT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT, LADIES.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

UM, AND IT'S OUR HONOR TO READ YOU THIS PROCLAMATION, UM, ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO ALL YEAR ROUND TO KEEP OUR ENVI OUR TOWN GREEN AND, UM, SUSTAINABLE IS PHENOMENAL AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

SO, UH, THIS IS A PROCLAMATION DECLARING ARBOR DE ON APRIL 24TH, 2026, WHEREAS IN 1872, JAY STERLING MORTON PROPOSED TO THE NEBRASKA BOARD OF AGRICULTURE THAT A SPECIAL DAY TO BE SET ASIDE FOR THE PLANNING OF TREES.

AND WHEREAS THIS HOLIDAY CALLED ARBOR DAY WAS FIRST OBSERVED WITH THE PLANNING OF MORE THAN A MILLION TREES IN NEBRASKA.

AND WHEREAS ARBOR DAY IS NOW OBSERVED THROUGHOUT THE NATION AND THE WORLD AS A SPECIAL DAY FOR PLANTING TREES.

AND WHEREAS TREES INCREASE PROPERTY VALUE, ENHANCE OUR BUSINESS AREAS, BEAUTIFY OUR COMMUNITY, SERVE MANY ENVIRONMENTALLY BENEFICIAL PURPOSES, AND OUR RENEWABLE RESOURCES FOR PAPER, WOOD, FUEL AND, AND COUNTLESS OTHER PRODUCTS.

AND WHEREAS THROUGH THE CONTINUED EFFORTS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND ITS GREEN TEAM, AND IN COLLABORATION WITH THE PINELANDS GARDENS CLUB, THE MEDFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MEDFORD LEES AND OTHER CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, MEDFORD TOWNSHIP HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS A TREE CITY USA FOR THE 47TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR, AN ACCOMP, AN ACCOMPLISHMENT ACHIEVED ONLY BY THREE MUNICIPALITIES IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.

NOW THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF METRO TOWNSHIP AND THE COUNTY OF BURLINGTON AND THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY THAT FRIDAY, APRIL 24TH, 2026 IS PROCLAIMED AS ARBOR DAY IN MEDFORD.

AND STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PLANT TREES FROM THE NEW JERSEY FOREST SERVICE NURSERY THAT WERE DONATED THROUGH THE EAAC AND THE LINS GARDENS CLUB.

CAN WE GET A, A PICTURE WITH THE COUNCIL? SURE.

CAN I JUST MAKE A QUICK COMMENT? OH, SURE.

OF COURSE.

I JUST WANNA MAKE A QUICK COMMENT.

THE FEST, THE DOG FESTIVAL OF FURRY BABIES WAS ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY, I WOULDN'T WANNA SAY THE BEST PARTY OF THE, DIDN'T YOU? BUT IT WAS

[00:05:01]

REALLY FUN.

I DID WANNA SAY THAT WE TOOK IT, MY HUSBAND AND I AND THE DOG TOOK A LOOK AT THE CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND THERE.

AND REALLY, WITH SKIN CANCER BEING AS WIDESPREADED AS IT IS, WE NEED TO PUT A SHADE OVER THAT.

AND I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, BUT MAYBE ONE OF THE GROUPS IN TOWN SOCIAL SERVICES WOULD HELP US.

I KNOW I DONATE AND WE CAN GET IT UP THERE 'CAUSE IT'S, AND EVERYBODY ELSE HAS IT.

WE HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE.

AND, UM, NOT BEING A FUR FATHER OF MY OWN, BUT, UM, I ATTENDED WITH MY CHILDREN.

THAT'S KIND OF THE WAY I GET AWAY FROM NOT HAVING A PET.

I, I BRING THEM AND THEY CAN EXPERIENCE.

WE DIDN'T GET ONE UNTIL THEY LEFT.

UM, BUT YEAH.

UM, THANK THAT.

IT WAS AN AMAZING EVENT.

WE'LL ADD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.

UM, ANY OTHER COMMUNICATION? I DO TWO THINGS.

I'M GONNA ASK FOR ALL OF YOUR INDULGENCE AS I KEEP MY CELL PHONE ON ME.

MY DAUGHTER IS NOW OFFICIALLY OVERDUE AND I'M STILL WAITING FOR THAT PHONE CALL.

THAT'S THE FIRST THING.

THE SECOND THING I'M GONNA DO SOMETHING PROBABLY A LITTLE UNORTHODOX.

I'M GONNA ASK THAT WE GO TO EXECUTIVE, MY REASONS ARE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF STUFF OUT THERE, SOCIAL MEDIA WISE, PHONE CALLS, TEXTS, PEOPLE COMING UP AND ASKING QUESTIONS.

UM, AND I THINK THERE'S A REAL FEAR THAT PEOPLE THINK THERE'S BEEN SOME UNDERHANDED THINGS GOING ON WITH OUR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.

SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE TO DO THAT, BUT I WOULD LIKE US TO GO TO EXECUTIVE, MAKE SURE THAT ALL CARDS ARE ON THE TABLE AND THAT WE'RE GIVING THIS TOWNSHIP THE FAIR AND HONEST REPRESENTATION THEY NEED IN REFERENCE TO OUR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.

WE CAN.

SO WE'LL ADD, UM, MAYOR, IF YOU PLEASE DO A, UM, PAT THE MICROPHONE, BROTHER.

I'M SORRY.

YEAH, I SAID

[XIV. EXECUTIVE SESSION ]

WE'LL NEED A MOTION AT NUMBER NINE ON THE AGENDA, UM, TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.

UM, IT IS AN APPROPRIATE USE OF EXECUTIVE SESSION, SO WE CAN DO THAT.

AND YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE THIS DONE NOW.

I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT NOW.

SO YOU WANNA DO THAT NOW? SO WE JUST WANT TO REVISE THE AGENDA.

ALL RIGHT.

CERTAINLY.

SO WE JUST NEED A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.

I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.

SECOND.

UH, ROLL CALL PLEASE.

MS. IN TOMORROW? YES.

AYE, WHAT'S THE ORDER THAT WE CALL PEOPLE'S NAMES? HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO GOES FIRST? IT'S JUST THE WAY I, YEAH, WE SHOULD HAVE A SYSTEM.

I MEAN THE MAYOR, DEPUTY MAYOR MAY OF LAST.

NO, JUST THE MAYOR, NOT THE DEPUTY, BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT LATER.

SO NOW WE'RE AN EXECUTIVE.

UM, I IT WON'T BE LONG.

10 MINUTES? YES, 10 MINUTES.

IS ON.

I WILL NOW RECONVENE THE OPEN PORTION OF THE PUBLIC MEETING.

UM, WE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE CON CONTRACTUAL NEGOTIATIONS.

NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO SCHEDULING ITEMS. WE HAVE A MEETING APRIL 28TH AT, IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING AT FIVE 30 AND ON THE SAME DAY AT, ON APRIL 28TH, A TOWN HALL MEETING AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING AT SIX 30.

UM, I CAN LEAVE IT AT THAT.

OKAY, PERFECT.

ALRIGHT,

[IV. Communications, Scheduling Matters, Council Agenda, Presentations and Any Amendments to the Agenda (Part 2 of 2)]

UM, THERE ARE NO APPROVAL OF MINUTES.

[VI. DISCUSSION ITEMS ]

OUR NEXT MATTER IS THE 2026 MINUTES OF BUDGET PRESENTATION.

UM, IF I COULD ASK THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WE'LL HEAD DOWN LIKE WE DID THE LAST TIME AND LINDSAY WILL PRESENT.

MY NAME IS LINDSAY GENTILLY.

I'M THE TOWNSHIP CFO.

AND TONIGHT I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH THE 2026 PROPOSED MUNICIPAL BUDGET.

UM, IF YOU WERE HERE ON THE 14TH, I APOLOGIZE, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT REPETITIVE.

UM, THERE IS A LIVE STREAMING OF THIS CURRENTLY ONLINE.

THERE'S ALSO A RECORDING OF MY PRESENTATION ON THE 14TH.

THE POWERPOINT IS ALSO ON THE WEBSITE AND THE STATE BUDGET DOCUMENT IS ALSO ON THE WEBSITE AS WELL.

UM, WHICH IS 80 TABS.

[00:10:01]

UM, EVERY DEPARTMENT THOROUGHLY LABELED.

SO TONIGHT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE GOALS OF THE BUDGET PROCESS.

THE PRIMARY GOAL IS TO SUSTAIN, SUSTAIN THE LEVEL OF SERVICES THAT OUR RESIDENTS EXPECT FROM US AND REGULARLY RELY UPON.

THIS IS POLICE FIRE, EMS, PUBLIC WORKS, ZONING, CONSTRUCTION, YOU NAME IT.

OUR JOB IS TO FISCALLY MANAGE THE TOWNSHIP'S OPERATIONS AND PLAN FOR LONG-TERM NEEDS, SUCH AS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, REPLACEMENT OF VEHICLES, ET CETERA.

WE ALSO HAVE TO BE CONSCIENTIOUS OF THE LOCAL TAX RATE AND TRY TO EXPLORE REVENUE GENERATING IDEAS TO TRY TO REDUCE THE PRESSURE ON THE LOCAL PRESS.

UH, LOCAL PURPOSE TAX.

SO ABOUT MUNICIPAL BUDGETING, IT'S A TOWN'S ANNUAL SPENDING PLAN.

IT CONSISTS OF REVENUES, EXPENSES, DEBT SERVICE, AS WELL AS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.

THE ANNUAL BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES THE REGULAR AND CAPITAL BUDGETS FOR THE WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS THE TOWNSHIP OPEN SPACE.

THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY FAIRS, ALSO KNOWN AS THE DIVISION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES, PROVIDES ALL TOWNS WITH A TEMPLATE.

THAT'S THAT STATE DOCUMENT THAT I MENTIONED IS ON THE WEBSITE.

AND THAT CONTAINS FORMULAS PERTAINING TO THE TAX LEVY CAP, THE APPROPRIATIONS CAP, AND THE RESERVE FOR UNCOLLECTED TAXES.

IT'S A DOCUMENT THAT EVERY TOWN MUST USE EVERY THIRD YEAR.

THE TOWNSHIP'S BUDGET IS REVIEWED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES WITHIN DCA AND ALSO REVIEWED EVERY YEAR IN OUR AUDIT.

THE TOWNSHIP'S BUDGET FISCAL YEAR COINCIDES WITH THE CALENDAR YEAR.

SO OUR PROCESS ACTUALLY BEGAN IN THE PROCEEDING FALL.

UM, AS THE CFOI PROVIDE DEPARTMENT HEADS WITH THEIR BUDGET SPREADSHEETS AND IT INCLUDES YEAR TO DATE SPENDING AND HISTORICAL DATA, FIVE YEARS WORTH FOR EVERY SINGLE BUDGET LINE WITHIN THEIR DEPARTMENT.

SO IT SHOWS WHAT WAS REQUESTED EACH YEAR, WHAT WAS USED EACH YEAR, AND IF THEY'RE ASKING FOR AN INCREASE, THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE JUSTIFICATION AS TO WHY.

IN NOVEMBER, THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER AND I CONVENE WITH EACH DEPARTMENT HEAD AND WE SIT DOWN AND HAVE, GO OVER THEIR BUDGET SHEETS.

AN ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT OF THE PRIOR YEAR'S ACTIVITIES IS ISSUED IN EARLY MARCH, AND THAT TELLS THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER AND I, UM, HOW MUCH SURPLUS WE CAN EXPECT TO HAVE AND POSSIBLY USE IN THE BUDGET.

THIS IS WHEN WE TRANSMIT A, A ROUGH DRAFT TO THE COUNCIL.

WE ALSO, UM, FIND OUT IN EARLY MARCH HOW MUCH STATE AID WE RECEIVE FROM, UM, THE STATE AS FAR AS REVENUE IN OUR BUDGET AS WELL.

SO IT ALL COMES IN AROUND THE SAME TIME.

AS FAR AS THE REVENUE SIDE OF THE BUDGET, IT'S MADE UP OF FOUR PRIMARY SOURCES.

THIS IS SURPLUS BALANCE, WHICH IS HOW MUCH MONEY IS UNUSED FROM PRIOR YEAR'S BUDGETS, ANTICIPATED REVENUES, THIS IS, UH, FEES, SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENTS, ET CETERA.

STATE AID, WHICH I MENTIONED, UM, IT HAS BEEN FROZEN AROUND $2 MILLION FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.

GRANT FUNDS, THIS IS ADDED TO THE BUDGET OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR AND PROPERTY TAXES, WHICH THIS YEAR MAKES UP 64% OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET.

LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT VERIFIES HOW MUCH SURPLUS AT THE END OF THE PRIOR YEAR IS AVAILABLE TO BE USED POTENTIALLY AS A REVENUE SOURCE IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.

SO A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SURPLUS.

IN 2024, WE STARTED WITH 3.6 MILLION IN SURPLUS.

WE USED 3.2 AS REVENUE IN THE 2024 BUDGET LEAVING $354,000 IN SURPLUS RESERVE.

IN 2024, WE STARTED WITH 1.6 MILLION IN SURPLUS, ALMOST A $2 MILLION DECREASE.

WE USED 1.3 AS A REVENUE IN THE 2025 BUDGET, LEAVING THE SAME AMOUNT OF SURPLUS RESERVE AS THE PRIOR YEAR, 354,000.

2026.

WE STARTED WITH 2.5 MILLION IN SURPLUS, ALMOST A MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE.

HOWEVER, WE'RE PROPOSING TO USE 2.1 IN THIS YEAR AS A REVENUE SOURCE LEAVING $450,000 IN SURPLUS RESERVE.

NOW FOR THE EXPENSE COMPONENT OF THE BUDGET FOR EACH MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT, IT'S COMPRISED OF SALARY AND WAGES, INCLUDING OVERTIME AS WELL AS OTHER EXPENSES.

AND THIS IS GOODS SERVICES TO RUN THE DEPARTMENT.

THERE'S ALSO BUDGET SHEETS FOR INSURANCE EXPENDITURES, HEALTH, UM, WHICH MAKES UP HEALTH BENEFITS, WORKERS' COMPENSATION, GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE, ET CETERA.

THERE'S UTILITY COSTS FOR ELECTRICITY, NATURAL GAS, GASOLINE, DIESEL, AND STATUTORY COSTS.

FCO, WHICH IS SOCIAL SECURITY, THE POLICE AND FIRE EMPLOYEE, RETIREMENT SERVICE PENSION.

AND THERE'S ALSO SHEETS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND DEBT SERVICE AS WELL.

SO THERE'S TWO STATUTORY BUDGET CONTROLS THAT ARE IMPLIED EACH YEAR FROM THE STATE.

I'LL COVER THE 2% TAX LEVY CAP FIRST.

THIS IS A HARD CAP THAT APPLIES TO TAXES FOR REGULAR EXPENSES.

SO THIS MEANS THE STATE WILL NOT ALLOW US TO RAISE TAXES MORE THAN 2% UNLESS, UM, CERTAIN THINGS ARE ALLOWED TO BE OUTSIDE OF THE CAP.

THE STATE TELLS ME WHAT I CAN PUT OUTSIDE OF THE CAP.

IT CAN BE FOR INCREASED EXPENSES FOR DEBT SERVICE, HEALTH INSURANCE, PENSION COSTS, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, ET CETERA.

FOR EXAMPLE, THIS YEAR THE ONLY THING I WAS ALLOWED TO PUT OUTSIDE OF THAT CAP WAS FOR HEALTH

[00:15:01]

INSURANCE.

WE WERE HIT WITH A 17% INCREASE FOR EMPLOYMENT HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS.

I WAS ALLOWED TO TAKE THE COST OF LAST YEAR'S HEALTH INSURANCE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.

THE COST OF THIS YEAR'S HEALTH INSURANCE AND THAT DIFFERENCE, I'M ALLOWED TO PUT OUTSIDE THE CAP.

OTHER THAN THAT, TAXES COULD ONLY BE RAISED BY THE 2% LEVY.

UM, THE LEVY CAP COULD ALSO BE INCREASED BY NEW RATEABLES OR IF WE HAD A LEVY CAP BANK THAT CARRIED OVER.

UNFORTUNATELY WE HAD NO LEVY CAP BANK AVAILABLE FROM PRIOR U PRIOR YEARS.

IF IT'S UNUSED, IT EXPIRES AFTER THREE YEARS.

THE OTHER STATUTORY BUDGET CONTROL IS A 2.5% APPROPRIATIONS CAP.

UM, THAT LIMITS OUR SPENDING INCREASES TO TWO POINT HALF PERCENT.

OR IF YOU PASS AN ORDINANCE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, IT'S CALLED THE COLA COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT ORDINANCE, WHICH WE DO PASS EACH YEAR.

IT RAISES THE CAP TO 3.5%.

THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS FOR THIS AS WELL.

SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENTS BECAUSE THE STATE TRIES TO ENCOURAGE THAT DEBT SERVICE IF YOUR DEBT SERVICE HAS INCREASED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, RESERVE FOR UNCO, COLLECT UNCOLLECTED TAXES, THINGS THAT ARE OUT OF OUR CONTROL.

UM, IT ALSO CAN BE INCREASED BY NEW RATEABLES OR AN APPROPRIATION CAP BANK.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE A CAP BANK OF $745,000 AFTER THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.

ALRIGHT, SO RIGHT OFF THE BAT, WHAT DID WE KNOW ABOUT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET? IT BEGAN WITH AN INCREASE IN AVAILABLE SURPLUS.

UM, NOTHING TO RAVE ABOUT, BUT OF COURSE THAT HELPS.

ANY LITTLE BIT HELPS.

LIKE I SAID, SURPLUS AT THE END OF THE YEAR WAS 2.6 MILLION.

WE'RE PROPOSING USING 2.1 IN THIS BUDGET, IT'S $800,000 MORE THAN IN THE 2025 BUDGET, LEAVING A SURPLUS RESERVE OF 450,000, WHICH IS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR.

ON THE REVENUE SIDE, THE THINGS THAT WE KNEW OFF THE BAT, WE HAD A $400,000 DECREASE BECAUSE WE HAD A ONE-TIME REVENUE SOURCE OF LAST YEAR, THE SALE OF THE LIQUOR LICENSE THIS YEAR, WE DO NOT HAVE THAT.

UM, THE SHARED SERVICE REVENUE FOR SCHOOL POLICE OFFICERS HAS DECREASED BY $127,000.

THIS IS BECAUSE A LOT OF SCHOOL ARE TRANSITIONING FROM A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER TO A CLASS THREE OFFICER.

SO THEY ARE PAID LESS.

THEREFORE, WE ARE REIMBURSED LESS.

UH, WE HAD A $200,000 DECREASE IN PILOT REVENUE DUE TO AN EXPIRED, UM, AGREEMENT WITH MEDFORD LEES.

UM, ON THE EXPENSE SIDE, THE PRIMARY REASONS FOR THE BUDGET INCREASE IS EVERY 12 YEARS THERE'S A 27TH PAY.

AND THIS JUST IS HOW THE CALENDAR FALLS.

SO WE HAVE TO BUDGET FOR A 27TH PAYDAY FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.

THAT'S TECHNICALLY A ONE TIME EXPENSE.

WE WON'T SEE AGAIN FOR 12 MORE YEARS.

UM, IT'S EACH PAYROLL IS OVER $200,000.

UH, $400,000 INCREASE IN RETIREE HEALTHCARE BENEFITS.

THAT'S THE 17% INCREASE.

I MENTIONED EARLIER THE $250,000 INCREASE FOR THE ACTIVE EMPLOYEE HEALTHCARE $141,000 INCREASE IN STATUTORY COSTS.

THIS IS FOR FICA, WHICH IS, UM, IN IT'S IN REGARDS WITH THE 27TH PAY.

SO SOCIAL SECURITY FOR THE 27TH PAY, I'M SORRY, AS WELL AS PENSION, INCREASES $62,000 FOR AN INCREASE IN THE RESERVE FOR UNCOLLECTED TAXES.

THIS IS A FORMULAIC INCREASE AND I'LL GET MORE INTO THE RESERVE FOR UNCOLLECTED TAXES LATER.

BUT THIS IS A FORMULA THE STATE MAKES US BUDGET FOR BECAUSE THEY KNOW WE WILL NOT COLLECT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR TAXES.

AND I'LL GET INTO THAT MORE LATER.

$250,000 INCREASE FOR SOLID WASTE.

THIS IS DUE TO THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS CONTRACTUAL INCREASE WITH REPUBLIC SERVICES AND $150,000 FOR LEAF DISPOSAL.

OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING EXPENSES.

UH, SALARY AND WAGES ARE UP 4%, BUT THAT INCLUDES THE 27TH PAY AND OTHER EXPENSES ARE UP 9%.

AND A LOT OF THIS IS DUE TO TRASH, UM, CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS.

UM, WE HAVE CUT $1.3 MILLION TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY IN THE BUDGET.

UM, SO ANY IN INCREASE IS A CONTRACTUAL INCREASE ACTIONS TO FILL THE BUDGET GAP.

SO WE WERE ABLE TO AN ANTICIPATE MORE REVENUE GAINS DUE TO HIGHER PERMIT FEE VOLUME, INCREASE TAX INTEREST COSTS, AND STRENGTHEN EMS BILLING COLLECTIONS.

WE REDUCED THE PROPOSED INCREASE IN THE SOLID WASTE BUDGET BY $50,000 BECAUSE WE CHANGED THE PUBLIC WORKS YARD HOURS AND WHAT TYPES OF MATERIAL THE TOWNSHIP WILL ACCEPT.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE NO LONGER ACCEPT PRESSURE TREATED WOOD AND THAT'S BECAUSE OUR COST OF DISPOSING THE PRESSURE TREATED WOOD AT THE COUNTY IS SO HIGH.

UH, WE INSTITUTED A HIRING FREEZE FOR POLICE, FIRE, PUBLIC WORKS AND TOWN HALL EMPLOYEES FOR ANY UNFILLED POSITIONS AS WELL AS ANY ANTICIPATED RETIREMENTS.

WE ELIMINATED THE DIRECT FUNDING OF POLICE VEHICLES IN THE GENERAL BUDGET AND WE TRANSFERRED THAT EXPENSE TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND.

SO FOR WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT MEANS IS INSTEAD OF BORROWING MONEY FOR POLICE CARS, WE WERE TRYING TO BUY THEM IN THE BUDGET.

UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY $150,000 WAS PART OF WHAT WAS CUT IN THAT 1.3 AND THAT'S WHY THE EXPENSE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND.

WE ARE USING ONE NEW NON-REOCCURRING SOURCE OF REVENUE AND THAT'S THE SALE OF 39 ALLEN AVENUE.

THE OLD TOWNSHIP LIBRARY.

[00:20:01]

UH, WE SIGNED A CONTRACT ON THE APRIL 14TH, A COUNCIL MEETING.

THE RESOLUTION WAS PASSED, THAT BUILDING SOLD FOR $250,000.

WE ARE PROPOSING A MODEST INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE FROM 0.519 TO 0.50, WHICH IS A 3.20 CENTS INCREASE PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUE.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ANTICIPATED REVENUES.

I MENTIONED PROPERTY TAXES MAKE UP 64% OF OUR REVENUES SURPLUS MAKES UP 8%.

THIS IS MONEY WE HAVE SAVED FROM PRIOR YEARS.

BUDGETS STATE AID, WHICH IS FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, MAKES UP 7% AND HAS BEEN FROZEN RIGHT AROUND $2 MILLION FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.

LICENSES, FEES AND PERMITS MAKE UP 6%.

SO THIS IS LIQUOR LICENSE.

THE INTEREST ON INVESTMENTS, COURT FEES, TICKET FEES, TRAFFIC TICKETS, ALARM FEES, CABLE TV FEES, ET CETERA.

EMS BILLING MAKES UP 3% OF THE BUDGET.

$875,000 RECEIPTS FROM DELINQUENT TAXES.

THIS IS WHEN WE COLLECT PAST DUE TAXES IN THIS YEAR.

THAT MAKES UP 3% OF THE BUDGET.

CONSTRUCTION FEES.

THIS IS, UM, ANY PERMITS PULL TO RENOVATIONS OR NEW BUILDS THAT GENERATES FEES.

PILOT PAYMENTS, THIS IS ALREADY AGREED PILOT AGREEMENTS, I'M SORRY, PILOT AGREEMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN AGREED UPON.

WE ARE ANTICIPATING $530,000 THIS YEAR.

SHARED SERVICES.

THIS IS WHEN OTHER TOWNS OR ENTITIES PAY US TO SHARE OUR SERVICES WITH THEM.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE THAT WITH EMS, THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE AND SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.

AND THEN MISCELLANEOUS, I'VE JUST LUMPED TOGETHER MYA DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS.

UM, THEY REIMBURSE US GENERAL CAPITAL SURPLUS UTILITY FUND BALANCE, AND THEN THE SALE OF THE OLD LIBRARY.

AND THEN THERE'S GRANTS, WHICH IS STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS THAT SUPPORT TOWNSHIP PROJECTS.

AND THIS IS JUST A GRAPHIC OF WHAT I JUST DISCUSSED AND IT JUST SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN, UM, VISUALLY OF THOSE ANTICIPATED REVENUES.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PILOT REVENUE AND THE BREAKDOWN.

SO THE AGREEMENTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UM, I WON'T READ ALL THIS, IT IS ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE, BUT EACH ENTITY, UM, IS LISTED THE DATES OF THE PILOT AGREEMENT AND THEN HOW MUCH WE RECEIVED IN 2025 FOR EACH PILOT AND HOW MUCH WE'RE ANTICIPATING IN 2026.

I'LL BRIEFLY BREEZE THROUGH IT.

AUTUMN PARK WE'RE ANTICIPATING 313,000 IN 2026.

HARTFORD SQUARE, 80,000 IN 2026.

THE WILLOWS AT MEDFORD.

39,000 IN 2026 CREEKSIDE, 18,000 VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA, 27,000.

THE WILLOWS AT HARTFORD ROAD, 32,000 AND MEDFORD SENIOR HOUSING ON JONES ROAD, 17,000 IN 2026.

UM, ALSO IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, UH, TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TAX ABATEMENTS.

WE CURRENTLY ONLY HAVE ONE ACTIVE TAX ABATEMENT IN TOWN THAT IS AT MAGNIFY BREWING.

IT'S A FIVE YEAR TAX ABATEMENT.

SO THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE LINES FOR THIS PROPERTY.

ONE ON THE LAND, WHICH THEY PAY LAND TAX EACH YEAR THE LAND TAX GOES TO THE COUNTY AND THE SCHOOLS JUST LIKE THE REST OF US HOMEOWNERS, OUR TAXES DO.

HOWEVER, THE SECOND LINE OF THEIR PROPERTY IS ON THE IMPROVEMENT VALUE.

SO THAT IS BASED, THAT'S A FIVE YEAR TAX ABATEMENT.

SO THAT MEANS THEY'RE PHASED INTO IT.

SO IN ADDITION TO THE LAND TAX, THEY ALSO WILL PAY 20% OF THE IMPROVEMENT VALUE IN 2027, 40% IN 2028, 60% IN 2029, 80% IN 2030.

AND THEN THEY'LL BE ON THE TAX MAP, UH, TAX ROLL AS A RES REGULAR RESIDENT IN 2031 FOR A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEIR VALUE AS WELL AS THEIR LAND TAX.

UM, AND I ALSO JUST USE 2020 FIVES TAX RATE AS AN ES JUST TO GIVE YOU AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT WE WOULD BE ANTICIPATING TO BRING IN EACH YEAR.

BUT OF COURSE, AS THE TAX RATE GOES UP, THAT NUMBER WILL ALSO INCREASE.

JUST WANTED TO COVER THAT TAX ABATEMENT.

ALRIGHT, SO NOW THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUDGET, HOW THE MONEY IS SPENT.

THE EXPENSE SIDE, 30%, A LITTLE OVER $8 MILLION IS FOR SALARY AND WAGES.

THIS IS FOR A HUNDRED FULL AND PART-TIME EMPLOYEES.

THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT, 38% FOR OTHER EXPENSES, THIS IS INSURANCE COSTS.

SOLID WASTE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL ENERGY UTILITIES.

UH, 13% IS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.

UM, WHEN WE HAVE A CAPITAL PROGRAM EACH YEAR, WE HAVE TO BUILD 5% OF THAT POT, BASICALLY THE DOWN PAYMENT ON THAT PRO ON THOSE PROJECTS.

WE BUILD THAT INTO THE BUDGET.

THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND DEBT SERVICE TO PAY FOR PRO, UH, PROJECTS FROM OUR PAST, THAT MAKES UP 3.4 MILLION.

10% IS STATUTORY COSTS.

THIS IS, UH, SOCIAL SECURITY PENSIONS AND THEN 5% FOR THE RESERVE FOR UNCOLLECTED TAXES.

SO WE HAVE TO BUDGET ALMOST ONE OVER $1.2 MILLION FOR POTENTIALLY NOT COLLECTING ALL OF THE TAXES.

SO WE COLLECT THE TAXES FOR ALL THE TAXING AGENCIES, THE COUNTY, THE SCHOOLS, ET CETERA.

BUT THE STATE KNOWS WE WILL NOT COLLECT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TAXES.

SO WE HAVE TO BUDGET FOR THAT AND TO MAKE OUR BUDGET WHOLE, POTENTIALLY.

I'LL GET INTO THAT FURTHER.

I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING.

AND THEN 3% FOR GRANT FUNDS AND SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENTS.

THIS IS

[00:25:01]

JUST A VISUAL OF THOSE EXPLANATIONS AS WELL.

UM, SO FOR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND INSURANCE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST A VISUAL OF THE PRIOR TWO SLIDES.

NOW FOR TOWNSHIP STAFFING LEVELS IN TOWN HALL, WE HAVE 18 FULL-TIME, FIVE PART-TIME EMPLOYEES.

THIS COVERS THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE, COLLECTOR'S OFFICE FINANCE, CLERK MANAGER PLANNING AND ZONING AND CONSTRUCTION FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES.

THERE'S 25 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.

THIS COVERS ADMINISTRATION FLEETS, STREETS AND ROADS, BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, AND THE UTILITY DIVISION.

FOR POLICE AND MUNICIPAL COURT, WE HAVE 41 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, 12 PART-TIME.

THERE'S 36 SWORN OFFICERS, FOUR THREES, FIVE PART-TIME CROSSING GUARDS, FOUR FULL-TIME AND TWO PART-TIME ADMIN STAFF FOR FIRE AND EMS. THERE'S 17 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, SIX PART-TIME AND SEVEN PER DM.

10 FIREFIGHTERS, 82 VOLUNTEERS, SEVEN FULL-TIME EMTS, SIX PART-TIME, SEVEN PER DIEM, AND 20 VOLUNTEER EMS. SO NOW FOR THE CAPITAL PORTION OF THE BUDGET, WE HAVE ONE FOR THE GENERAL FUND AS WELL AS THE UTILITY DEPARTMENT.

SO THERE'S $375,000 FOR A NEW STREET SWEEPER.

THIS IS TO COMPLY WITH STATE STORM WATER MANDATES 325,000 FOR A NEW JET BACK TRUCK.

THIS IS ALSO FOR STATE STORM WATER MANDATES.

THIS IS HALF OF THE COST.

THE, UM, THE VE THE JET BACK TRUCK WILL ALSO BE USED FOR THE UTILITY DEPARTMENT.

SO WE'VE SPLIT THE COST $1.2 MILLION FOR THE 2026 ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

$800,000 FOR FIRE AND EMS EQUIPMENT.

THIS IS THEIR AIR PACKS AND THEIR PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.

$98,000 FOR PUBLIC WORKS EQUIPMENT.

THERE'S A SMALL CHANGE SINCE THE 14TH POWERPOINT, UM, FORKLIFT AS WELL AS FUEL SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS.

OUR FUEL SYSTEM DID GO DOWN OVER THE WEEKEND.

SO, UM, WE'VE HAD TO PIVOT.

AND INSTEAD OF LAWNMOWERS, WE HAVE PRIORITIZED, UM, THE FUEL SYSTEM 'CAUSE THAT'S NON-NEGOTIABLE.

UH, $270,000 FOR POLICE EQUIPMENT, HANDGUNS, RADAR UNITS, POLICE VEHICLES, AND AN HVAC REPLACEMENT FOR THIS BUILDING.

$25,000 FOR THE TOWN HALL.

UM, COMPUTER SERVER, UH, BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT UNFORTUNATELY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT.

$400,000 FOR THE SEWER TREATMENT PLANT UPGRADES.

THIS IS PUMPS, GRINDERS, AND BEARINGS FOR THE PLANT.

$650,000 FOR SEWER MAIN RELINING AND REPLACEMENT THROUGHOUT TOWN.

1.5 MILLION FOR WELL NUMBER THREE AND SIX REHABS.

UM, $150,000 FOR OTHER WELLS THAT NEED UPKEEPING.

1.2 MILLION FOR WATER MAIN UPGRADES AND REPLACEMENTS THROUGHOUT TOWN.

$500,000 FOR WATER METER REPLACEMENTS.

THIS IS A MULTI-YEAR PROJECT, BUT THE METERS AT ALL OF OUR HOMES AND BUSINESSES DO HAVE BATTERIES AND WE GET MUCH MORE ACCURATE READINGS, UM, AS WE KEEP UP WITH THE AGING INFRASTRUCTURE.

$325,000 FOR THE OTHER HALF OF THAT JET BACK TRUCK AND A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR ROAD RESURFACING AFTER WE DO A WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT OR UPGRADE.

SO I MENTIONED, UM, THE STREET SWEEPER AND THE JET BACKTRACK DUE TO UNFUNDED STATE, UH, STORM WATER MANDATES.

THIS IS ACTUALLY AN UNFUNDED STATE MANDATE.

SO IT'S A MUNICIPAL STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PERMIT IN 2023.

THE STATE ELIMINATED THE CATEGORY THAT MEDFORD BELONGED TO, WHICH IS THE MUNICIPAL SEPARATE STORM SEWER SYSTEM, TIER B PERMIT.

AND THEY MOVED MEDFORD TO A TIER A.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? TIER A PERMIT REQUIRES THAT WE TREAT OUR STORM WATER SYSTEM AS IF WE WERE A CITY OR A DENSELY POPULATED AREA.

WE'RE NEITHER, BUT THAT DOES MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH PERIODIC STREET SWEEPING DIGITAL MAPPING OF ALL OUR STORM WATER FACILITIES AS WELL AS MAINTENANCE, INCREASED MAINTENANCE OF THE SAME.

SO WE NOW HAVE TO PURCHASE A STREET SWEEPER AND THE COMBINATION JET BACK TRUCK AND HAVE ALL OF OUR STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, DIGITALLY MAPPED.

THE STATE ONLY GAVE US 25,000 TOWARDS ALL OF THAT.

SO IT'S OUR JOB TO NOW FUND THE REST.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TRUST FUNDS AND SELF-LIQUIDATING ACCOUNTS.

UM, SO OUR UTILITY OPERATING ACCOUNT IS A SELF-LIQUIDATING ACCOUNT.

IT HAS $3.3 MILLION IN IT.

A UTILITY IS CONSIDERED SELF-LIQUIDATING WHEN THE CASH RECEIPTS, SO THE FEES, THE RENTS, THE CHARGES THAT WE COLLECT CAN COVER ALL OF THE UTILITY OPERATING EXPENSES FOR THE YEAR TO RUN THAT UTILITY, INCLUDING ITS DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS.

SO OURS IS A WATER AND SEWER UTILITY, AND THAT MEANS THAT MEDFORD RESIDENTS PAY FOR WHAT THEY USE.

THIS THEN FUNDS THE OPERATION OF THE PLANT.

THAT'S THE STAFF, THE ELECTRICITY TO RUN THE PLANT, THE LAB TESTING THE CHEMICALS, AND ANY INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, ET CETERA.

THE OPEN SPACE TRUST FUND, THE TAX RATE IS 3 CENTS AND THE CURRENT BALANCE IS $1.7 MILLION.

UNDER NEW JERSEY STATE GUIDELINES, THESE FUNDS CAN ONLY BE USED FOR LAND PRESERVATION, FARM RECREATION, AND PARK DEVELOPMENT, FARMLAND PRESERVATION, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, AND BLUE ACRES.

THAT MEANS FLOOD PROTECTION FOR YOUR TOWN.

THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND HAS A CURRENT BALANCE OF $293,000.

THE USE OF THESE FUNDS IS STRICTLY GOVERNED

[00:30:01]

BY THE NEW JERSEY FAIR HOUSING ACT WITH OVERSIGHT FROM DCA.

THE USES FOR THIS ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO BE HOUSING PRODUCTION AND PRESERVATION, AFFORDABILITY, ASSISTANCE AND ADMINISTRATION AND PROFESSIONAL COSTS TO HELP MANAGE THE SAME.

SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR TAX BILL.

YOUR TAX BILL IS COMPRISED OF FOUR DIFFERENT COMPONENTS.

THE COUNTY TAXES, WHICH MAKES UP COUNTY GOVERNMENT, COUNTY OPEN SPACE, AND COUNTY LIBRARY.

EE REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, MEDFORD TOWNSHIP, BOARD OF ED, AND MEDFORD TOWNSHIP.

SO TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT TOWNSHIP OPEN SPACE, ONE PENNY ON THE MUNICIPAL TAX RATE COMPUTES TO $316,000.

PROPOSED TAX RATE TONIGHT FROM 0.519 TO 0.50 ON A HUNDRED DOLLARS VALUE.

THIS IS THE AVERAGE HOME IN MEDFORD IS ASSESSED AT $331,000.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? THE PROPOSED TAX RATE FOR 2026 WOULD REST, WOULD, REPRESENTS AN ESTIMATED INCREASE OF $103 TO THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, OR $25 AND 81 CENTS PER QUARTER.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND COUNTY TAXATION.

THE MEDFORD TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE COLLECTS ALL TAX MONIES ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF ED LENAPE, THE COUNTY, AND MEDFORD.

THE TOWNSHIP REMITS 100% OF THOSE AGENCIES TAX LEVY ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.

SO I WIRE A HUNDRED PERCENT TO THE BOARD OF ED LENAPE AND THE COUNTY EACH QUARTER A HUNDRED PERCENT OF WHAT IS OWED TO THEM.

THE TOWNSHIP MUST BUDGET ALMOST $1.3 MILLION IN A RESERVE FOR UNCOLLECTED TAXES BECAUSE WE BEAR AS THE TOWNSHIP THE SOLE RISK OF THE TAXING AGENCIES FOR ANY UNCOLLECTED TAXES.

THE TOWNSHIP AND ALL TAXING AGENCIES BEAR THE COST OF ANY EXEMPT PROPERTIES.

THIS IS GOVERNMENT OWNED LAND, CHURCHES, NON-PROFITS, TOTALLY DISABLED VETS, ET CETERA.

STATE AID TO MUNICIPALITIES HAS BEEN RELATIVELY FLAT, LIKE I SAID, FOR THREE YEARS SINCE GOVERNOR CHRISTIE.

WHILE THE STATE HAS ALSO CONTINUED TO CUT AID TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN MEDFORD AS WELL.

THIS IS THE STATE AID TREND FOR LEPE REGIONAL OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS.

AS YOU CAN SEE, IN 2019, THEY RECEIVED $28.2 MILLION IN FUNDING.

THIS YEAR IN 26 20 26, THEY'RE RECEIVING 19.4 MILLION, EVEN THOUGH THEIR COSTS CERTAINLY HAVEN'T GONE DOWN AT ALL.

STATE AID TREND FROM MED FOR BOARD OF ED, YOU CAN SEE IN 2020, IN 2019, THEY RECEIVED $4.6 MILLION IN FUNDING FROM THE STATE.

THIS YEAR THEY'RE RECEIVING 4.9 A LITTLE ABOUT SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND COUNTY TAXATION ROLLBACK TAXES.

THEY DON'T HAPPEN OFTEN, BUT THIS IS WHEN A PROPERTY IS NO LONGER FARMED AND THAT IS WHEN THE, UM, TAX, THE ROLLBACK TAXES COME BACK ON THE BOOK.

THE TOWNSHIP AND THE COUNTY, UM, RECEIVE THOSE FUNDS.

SIMILARLY ADDED AND OMITTED TAXES.

THOSE ARE SPLIT BETWEEN TOWNSHIP AND COUNTY.

THIS IS IF A NEW HOME IS PUT ON THE TAX MAP HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR AND ADDITIONS PUT ON A HOUSE IN IMPROVEMENT, ET CETERA.

PILOT AGREEMENTS HAVE FORMULAS FOR COMPUTATION LONG-TERM TAX EXEMPTION LAW, AND THOSE ARE SPLIT BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND, UM, THE TOWNSHIP AS WELL.

SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT 2020 FIVES TAX COLLECTION COMPARISON.

SO IT SHOWS, UM, THE TOTAL LEVY WAS $118 MILLION AND THEN THE BREAKDOWN SHOWS THAT THE COUNTY TAXES WERE PAID IN FULL EE REGIONAL 26 MILLION IN FULL, THE BOARD OF ED 55 MILLION IN FULL.

BUT THE TOWNSHIP ONLY RECEIVED 95.5% OF WHAT WE NEEDED TO COLLECT THAT, LIKE I SAID, THE TOWNSHIP BEARS THE TAX DEFICIT FOR ALL OF THESE ENTITIES.

HERE IS A BREAKDOWN OF THE TAX RATES FOR EACH OF THESE ENTITIES FOR 20 24, 20 25, AND THEN THE ESTIMATED RATES FOR 2026.

OF COURSE, UM, THESE ARE ESTIMATES, THE COUNTY'S RATE HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED YET.

THE BOARD OF ED OR LEPE REGIONALS HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED.

UM, THESE ARE PROJECTIONS BASED OFF THE LAST EIGHT YEARS WORTH OF DATA OF WHERE I BELIEVE THEY WILL FALL.

THIS IS A THREE YEAR TAX COMPARISON SHOWING THE DIFFERENT ENTITIES AND THE BREAKDOWN OF YOUR TAX BILL.

SO FOR 2026, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS IS TAKING THE AVERAGE ASSESSED HOME IN MEDFORD OF $331,000.

IF THEIR TOTAL TAX BILL IS $13,000, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY THAT ALL TO MEDFORD TOWNSHIP.

HOWEVER, MEDFORD TOWNSHIP IS ONLY KEEPING $1,900 OF THAT.

AND I JUST THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND I WANTED TO SHOW THE BREAKDOWN.

SO 6,300 WOULD GO TO THE BOARD OF ED, 2,800 WOULD GO TO LEPE, 1,900 WOULD GO TO THE COUNTY AND 1,900 WOULD BE FOR MUNICIPAL TAXES AS WELL AS OPEN SPACE.

UM, ANY QUESTIONS OF COURSE I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER AT THE END.

I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT MEDFORD TOWNSHIP AS WELL AS THE SCHOOLS HAVE CONTINUED TO RECEIVE FLAT STATE AID OR IT HAS DECREASED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.

UM, THE GOAL IS FOR THE BUDGET TO BE INTRODUCED TONIGHT AFTER I FINISH, THERE MUST BE A MINIMUM OF 28 DAYS BETWEEN INTRODUCTION AND ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET.

UM, SO WE ARE HOLDING

[00:35:01]

A PUBLIC HEARING AND A VOTE TO ADOPT THE 2026 MUNICIPAL BUDGET ON THE MAY 19TH COUNCIL MEETING.

ANY QUESTIONS? DON'T HESITATE ALL.

UM, SO YOU HAD MENTIONED SHARED SERVICES, UM, THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE SHARED SERVICES FOR SRO OFFICERS.

BUT THE, THE OTHER AGENCY IS LOOKING TO DOWNGRADE TO .

WE PROVIDE THOSE C3 OFFICERS, CORRECT? YES.

SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE BILLED.

ARE THOSE EMPLOYEES? THEY ARE EMPLOYEES.

THEY'RE PAID THROUGH OUR PAYROLL AND THEN WE REMIT, UM, THE FEE TO THE SCHOOLS AND IT'S BASICALLY A WASH.

WE DON'T MAKE A REP A PROFIT OFF OF THOSE AT ALL.

AND SO YOU HAD SAID THAT 64% OF YOUR TOTAL TAXES ARE, IS COMING FROM THE GENERAL, THE NOW YOU'RE GONNA GET TO IT.

YEAH, SORRY, YEAH.

PROPERTY TAXES, 64% PROPERTY.

AND THAT INCLUDES BOTH RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES? CORRECT.

WITHIN MEDFORD, THAT'S NOT JUST THE RESIDENTS ARE PAYING 4%.

THAT 17 MILLION IS COMING FROM OUR BUSINESS YES.

DISTRICTS AS WELL.

TOTAL ALL PROPERTY CLASSES ARE INCLUDED IN THAT NUMBER? YES.

AND, UM, THE AVERAGE ASSESSED HOME IS 3 330 1000 AND CHANGE, WHICH WOULD NET SO IF YOU KNOW RESIDENTS THAT ARE LISTENING, IF WE'RE PAYING $13,000 A YEAR IN TAXES, YES, WE ARE THE AVERAGE ASSESSED HOME.

BUT THOSE PAYING LESS THAN $13,000 A YEAR, THAT A HUNDRED DOLLARS INCREASE IS PROPORTIONALLY LESS.

SO $103 IS FOR THE AVERAGE HOME? YES, THAT WOULD BE THE INCREASE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS FOR THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER.

BUT IF YOUR GENERAL, IF YOUR, YOUR TAXES LAST YEAR WERE $26,000, LET'S JUST SAY YOU OWNED A HOME THEN FOR 26 YES.

YOU COULD EXPECT A MUNICIPAL INCREASE OF 200,000.

OF 200 OF $200, CORRECT.

200 OR $50 PER QUARTER? YES.

AND PROPORTIONATE, CERTAINLY, YES.

I I JUST WANNA THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION.

CERTAINLY.

I WANNA ALSO THANK YOU MR. FOR LETTING INTERRUPT YOUR COSTCO RUN YESTERDAY.

ALL MY TAX ABATEMENT QUESTION.

UM, I HOPE I ANSWERED THAT.

YOU DID.

OKAY, GREAT.

UH, AS, AS AS, AS I'VE EXPRESSED, I EXPRESSED LAST WEEK AT THE COUNCIL MEETING, UH, I SHARE AGAIN TONIGHT.

I HAVE GREAT CONCERN, UH, THAT WE AS ACCOUNTS WERE HEADING TOWARDS A FISCAL CLIFF BECAUSE OF THE RELIANCE ON, UH, SURPLUS LOAN BALANCE, SIR, OVER THE, OVER THE PAST 8, 10, 10 YEARS IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, THERE'S A $250,000 ONE TIME REVENUE FOR THE SALE OF THE OLD LIBRARY.

THAT COVERS TO ACT JUST ALONE, JUST COVERS THE 70% HEALTH BENEFIT INCREASE.

SO IF WE HAVE A 17% HEALTH BENEFIT INCREASE NEXT YEAR, WE ALREADY DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO COVER THAT.

UM, WE HAVE, UH, IN, IN THIS, IN THIS COUNT, IN THIS FISCAL BUDGET, THIS COUNTER YEAR BUDGET TO BALANCE THIS BUDGET, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG MM-HMM .

YOU REDUCED PROPOSED EXPENDITURES BY 1.3 MILLION.

THAT REDUCTION TIGHTENS THE BUDGET SO MUCH SO THAT THE ABILITY TO GENERATE FUND BALANCE SURPLUS, BALANCE REVENUE AT THE END OF CALENDAR YEAR 26, WE ARE NOT GONNA MAKE THE THRESHOLD THAT WE ACHIEVED IN FOR THIS YEAR IN WHICH YOU END IN 25.

SO WE'RE ALREADY NOW GOING INTO 27, WE'RE GOING BE FACING A MAJOR DEFICIT YES.

MOST LIKELY IN TERMS OF SURPLUS BOND BALANCE CORRECT.

AS WELL AS JUST OVERALL OVERALL REVENUE.

AS I SAID LAST WEEK, YOU KNOW, UPON ADOPTION OF THIS BUDGET, WE'RE ALMOST GOING TO IMMEDIATELY HAVE TO INSTITUTE A SPENDING FREEZE TO TRY TO MAINTAIN SOME LEVEL OF SURPLUS FOR NEXT, FOR NEXT YEAR TO REGENERATE.

TO REGENERATE.

AND EVEN JUST LOOKING AT THE THREE SET PROPOSED TAX RATE INCREASE FOR THIS COUNTER YEAR, WE'RE NOT EVEN HITTING THE THRESHOLD THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN FOR, UM, ALL TAXES FOR THAT WE HAVE TO PAY AFTER THE TAX ENTITIES BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY GENERATING $950,000.

WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HAVING RESERVE, I THINK IT'S 1.2 MILLION CORRECT.

FOR THE SCHOOLS AND, AND THE COUNTY AND WHATNOT.

SO I REALLY JUST WANT THE COMMUNITY TO REALIZE WHERE WE ARE FINANCIALLY AND WHERE, WHERE WE'RE HEADING, THAT THIS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.

UM, AND SOME DRASTIC ACTIONS ARE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE PLACE AS WE LOOK INTO 27 AND AND BEYOND.

NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, EX EXEMPT FROM THAT.

I WOULD SAY NOT INCREASING MUNICIPAL TAXES FOR EIGHT YEARS IS HAD A COMPOUNDING EFFECT AND LED US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

UNFORTUNATELY, UM, YOU CANNOT CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICES, UM, THAT MEDFORD RESIDENTS RELY UPON.

UM, AND ALL OF OUR BILLS HAVE GONE UP AT HOME SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.

I KNOW MINE HAS.

SO THE TOWNSHIP IS

[00:40:01]

SO WE'VE BASICALLY, I WOULD SAY OUR BUDGET HAS, OUR DEPARTMENTS DO A WONDERFUL JOB.

I GIVE SO MUCH CREDIT TO THEM.

THEY WORK WITHIN WHAT'S GIVEN TO THEM.

THEY'VE RECEIVED THE SAME AMOUNT OF O AND E HONESTLY FOR THE PAST THREE, FOUR YEARS.

UM, AND THEY, I WOULD SAY IT'S A BARE BONES BUDGET.

THERE'S VERY LITTLE FLUFF, UH, SPECIFICALLY IN THIS YEAR AS WELL.

AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO DO THAT WHEN YOU'RE FACING 4% SALARY INCREASES THAT ARE CONTRACTION.

CONTRACTUAL OR OTHER, OR OTHERWISE.

AND THAT'S WHERE WE CUT $1.3 MILLION IN ONE THIS YEAR, UM, BECAUSE WE DID NOT LAY ANYONE OFF.

UM, WE DID NOT, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T, OF COURSE DIDN'T FILL ANY POSITIONS THAT WERE VACANT, BUT, UM, THERE WAS ONLY A FEW, A HANDFUL OF THOSE, BUT YES.

UH, SO AS YOU HAD A LINE ITEM ON THERE FOR SOLID WASTE COLLECTION IN 2.86 BILLION? YES.

UM, I, I BELIEVE THAT'S ENTIRELY WHAT REPUBLIC SERVICES? SO THIS IS, UM, REPUBLIC SERVICES AS WELL AS THE BURLINGTON COUNTY LANDFILL.

WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM TO DISPOSE.

SO REPUBLIC DROPS OFF OUR TRASH AT THE LANDFILL AND WE'RE REMIT WITH, UH, WE GET A MONTHLY BILL FROM THEM AS WELL.

SO I, I UNDERSTAND, I COULD BE WRONG HERE, THAT THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH LIKE A, A NON CORRECT WOULD ACTUALLY RESPOND.

THEY WERE THE ONLY BIDDER.

SO I, I'M GONNA BE SUPER NICE HERE AND JUST SAY THAT NO LIKES THE SERVICE THAT REPUBLIC PROVIDES, UH, FROM MIS COLLECTIONS, THE TRASH BEING DUMPED ON THE STREET TO THE ATTITUDE WHEN YOU CALL 'EM AND TELL 'EM THAT THEY DUMPED YOUR STUFF ALL OVER THE STREET, UH, FRANKLY THEY SUCK.

AND I WAS JUST GONNA, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.

AN AUTOMATED SIDELOADED TRUCK IS ROUGHLY 350 K AND EXPECT TO COST OVER 10 YEARS OR ABOVE A MILLION DOLLARS 1.1.

UM, SO IF YOU CAN DO THE MATH, THEN WE COULD INSOURCE THIS AND INCREASE THE RELIABILITY AND INCREASE THE ACCOUNTABILITY, HIRE LOCAL MEDFORD RESIDENTS TO DO THIS MM-HMM .

POTENTIALLY AND STILL SAVE MONEY.

SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS LOOKED AT, IT'S GOING TO BE LOOKED AT, BUT I, I REALLY HOPE THAT WE DO BECAUSE THERE'S GOTTA BE ANOTHER SOLUTION THERE AND WE CAN SAVE MONEY AND GET BETTER RELIABILITY AND IT'S LIKE A WIN-WIN.

SO CERTAINLY I'M NOT A CPA, SO NO, IT'S OKAY.

I'M NOT EITHER DON'T I'M WRONG.

NO, I'M NOT EITHER.

IT'S OKAY.

UM, WE DID HAVE OF COURSE, TRASH IN HOUSE LONG BEFORE I WORKED HERE.

UM, IT IS DEFINITELY A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE, UM, WHETHER IT BE BRINGING IT IN HOUSE, UM, WE'VE MET WITH A LOCAL MEDFORD COMPANY, UM, A HUSBAND AND WIFE THAT LIVE WITHIN MEDFORD AND OWN THEIR OWN TRASH SERVICE.

THEY HAVE COME TO TOWN HALL AND MET WITH US, THE MAN, THE PRIOR MANAGER AND I, AND WE HAVE ALSO, UM, TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, IF WE ORDER TRUCKS TODAY, WE'RE NOT SEEING THEM FOR YEARS.

SO IS IT POTENTIAL AND IS IT AN OPTION TO GET A USED TRUCK AND DO YOU KNOW, ONE SIDE OF TOWN UNTIL WE CAN BRING IT COMPLETELY IN-HOUSE? WE, WE CERTAINLY ARE LOOKING AT THAT.

UM, I WILL SAY THE TRASH CONTRACT, UM, WAS A THREE YEAR CONTRACT AND THAT, UM, IS UP THE END OF THIS YEAR.

SO IT'S CERTAINLY ON OUR RADAR.

IT HAS BEEN ON OUR RADAR FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

UM, IF THE TRASH TRUCKS DIDN'T HAVE SUCH A LONG, UM, LEAD TIME, I WOULD SAY, UM, IT WOULD'VE ALREADY BEEN SOMETHING THAT WAS KIND OF BROUGHT IN HOUSE SOONER.

MARY, IS THERE ANY, UH, KIND OF PENALTY FOR NON PERFORMANCE BECAUSE YES, IT'S BEEN THREE WEEKS NOW THAT WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH OUR CRASH.

DO YOU WANNA SEE, I ASSUME THAT THEY WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE ADDRESSED IN THE MANAGER'S REPORT.

BUT WE ARE, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, ABLE TO ASSESS LIQUIDATED DAMAGES FOR NOT COMPLETED ROUTES, ET CETERA.

JUST A FOLLOW UP ON THAT.

DID THE TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES, ARE THEY CONTRACTUAL? UM, ADMIN STAFF IS NOT CONTRACTUAL.

SO THAT WOULD BE ADMIN AT THE POLICE, UM, FIREHOUSE PUBLIC WORKS AND TOWN HALL, BUT, UH, CONTRACTUAL THAT IS P THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS, FOUR YEAR AGREEMENTS ARE POLICE, FIRE, EMS, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES.

SO THE TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES, ARE THEY GETTING A RAISE THIS YEAR? A 2% RAISE, AND YOU'RE ALSO GETTING BENEFIT OF THE, UH, HEALTH BENEFITS AND SO ON? CORRECT.

IF THEY ELECT TO TAKE HEALTH INSURANCE, YES.

THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING MORE THOUGH DUE TO THEIR 2% RAISE.

UM, THEY CONTRIBUTE MORE IN THEIR HEALTH IN TO THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE, UM, CONTRIBUTIONS.

THEY'LL BE CONTRIBUTING.

THEY DO HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE MORE IF THEIR SALARY GOES UP.

DO IN AN EDUCATIONAL BUDGET.

IF THAT MAKES SENSE IF I EXPLAINED THAT RIGHT.

YES, SIR.

WHAT IS THE AMOUNT, MAXIMUM AMOUNT, HOW DID THEY CONCUR? SO THERE IS NOT A CAP ON FUND BALANCE, IT'S JUST HOW MUCH IS LEFT OVER FROM YOUR PRIOR YEAR'S BUDGETS? SO THEY DO NOT, THEY DO NOT LIMIT YOUR FUND BALANCE LIKE THEY

[00:45:01]

THEY DO NOT LIMIT OUR FUND BALANCE.

THEY DO NOT LIMIT HOW MUCH WE CAN USE AS REVENUE.

UM, BUT WE ARE LIMITED ON HOW MUCH WE CAN RAISE TAXES.

THEREFORE, YOU'RE NOT REALLY NECESSARILY ABLE TO GENERATE A LOT OF SURPLUS BECAUSE YOU'RE ONLY ABLE TO RAISE TAXES BY 2% UNLESS SOMETHING'S OUTSIDE OF THE CAP.

SO YOUR SURPLUS IS REALLY, UH, WE'RE NOT GIVEN THE CHANCE TO REALLY HAVE A ROBUST SURPLUS BECAUSE WE CAN ONLY RAISE TAXES SO MUCH.

AND MOST OF THE TIME THAT'S FOR CONTRACTUAL INCREASES THAT WE NEED TO BUDGET FOR.

THE ONLY REASON I'M ASKING BECAUSE IT'S PRUDENT SOMETIMES TO TRY TO KEEP YOUR FUND BALANCE CERTAINLY AT A LEVEL YES.

WHERE EVEN IF YOU HAVE THE RATE TAX YOU NEED, RIGHT.

HIGHER.

SO THIS PROPOSED BUDGET IS THE MOST I CAN LEGALLY RAISE TAXES.

UNFORTUNATELY.

I WISH I COULD RAISE THEM MORE, I'M SORRY TO SAY THAT, BUT THEN WE COULD GENERATE MORE OF A SURPLUS, BUT I'M ONLY ABLE TO RAISE THIS, THE 3.20 CENTS.

THAT'S THE MOST, THE STATE WILL ALLOW ME TO RAISE TAXES THIS YEAR, EVEN IF I WANTED TO RAISE IT 7 CENTS.

I CAN'T THIS YEAR.

SO NOW YOU'RE, YOU'RE ONLY WAY OF GENERATING MORE FUND BALANCE IS BEING PROVED THROUGH YEAR.

SO, AND I WOULD SAY THE CHANCES OF THAT ARE RATHER SLIM BECAUSE WE ALREADY CUT 1.3 MILLION OF FLUFF, IF YOU WILL, IN THE ONE SIDE OF THE BUDGET.

YES, MA'AM.

HAVE THE GROWING NUMBERS IN THE MIDFORD SCHOOLS BEEN CONSIDERED BECAUSE ALL THE CLASS SIZES ARE GETTING LARGER.

NOT ONLY THAT MIDFORD TENSION SCHOOL IS REACHING OUT TO OTHER PROPERTIES TO RENT SPACE IN OTHER PROPERTIES TO HOUSE THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN THEY HAVE.

AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS IS GONNA GO AWAY WITH ALL THE NEW BUILDING.

SO WHERE ARE WE HEADING FOR MEETING A NEW SCHOOL? UM, I, I'M, I'M VERY CONCERNED LOOKING FORWARD.

I AGREE WITH MR. COX.

UM, I SEE LOTS OF THINGS JUST LIKE A CLIFF, HE SAID, UM, OR THE SHIT'S GONNA HIT THE FANS, BUT I THINK WE COULD HAVE MAYBE SEEN THIS COMING BECAUSE CERTAINLY IT'S FEDERAL BUDGET, THEY CUT TAX RATES, THE STATE CUT THEIR FUNDING.

UM, AND YET SOMEHOW I GO TO GREAT SENIOR PROGRAMS IN .

THEY HAVE MARVELOUS FACILITIES AND MARVELOUS PROGRAMS THERE.

WE DON'T HAVE VERY MUCH AT ALL.

UM, SO I, I WILL SAY I CAN'T SPEAK OH, SORRY.

AND THE REVENUE, I MEAN, WHEN YOU PUT UP THE REVENUE MM-HMM .

I THOUGHT THAT'S NOT MOST, 90% OF THAT WASN'T REALLY REVENUE.

IT WAS CUTS TO THE BUDGET.

AND IS IT REALISTIC TO FREEZE THE FIRE AND THE POLICE WITH, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR COMMUNITY IS GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW? CERTAINLY.

SO I'VE GOT A LOT OF CONCERNS.

CERTAINLY.

SO I, I, AND I WOULD, I WOULD ACTUALLY SAY UNPOPULAR, GO AHEAD AND RAISE THE TAXES, BUT YOU JUST TOLD ME YOU CAN'T, THIS IS THE MOST I CAN IS 3.20 CENTS OR FIND MORE RATEABLES.

I SAID TO SOMEBODY HAVE A, BRING IN A SMALL HOTEL, ALL MY GUESTS HAVE TO GO TO S RIGHT.

SO I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE SCHOOL AND WHAT THEY WILL NEED IN AS FAR AS THEIR BUDGET.

BUT I WILL SAY THAT THEY, THEY ARE, THEY DO COLLECT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEIR BUDGET IN ITS ENTIRETY.

SO WHAT THEY NEED OR WHAT THEY REQUEST, THEY DO GET IN A HUNDRED PERCENT FROM THE TAXPAYERS.

UM, I WILL SAY THAT EVE SHAM OR OTHER SURROUNDING TOWNS, THEY DO BRING IN REVENUE FOR HOTEL TAX, CANNABIS TAX.

UM, THERE'S SEVERAL REVENUE, UM, STREAMS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE HERE IN MEDFORD, UM, THAT DOES, IT IS A COMPONENT OF THEIR BUDGET CERTAINLY.

UM, BUT I WILL SAY THAT, AND THE MAYOR IS CERTAINLY LOOKING INTO RATE COMMERCIAL RATEABLES, UM, AND CERTAINLY TRYING TO DO WHAT WE CAN, UM, ON OUR END OF TRYING TO REDUCE THE TAX BURDEN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND TRY TO HELP WITH, UM, THE BUDGET PREDICAMENT THAT WE ARE IN, UNFORTUNATELY.

OF COURSE.

MARIANNE, THE WATER STEWARD DEPARTMENTS, THERE IS A SURPLUS THERE.

DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE BRINGING IN MORE THAN $65,000 INTO THE REGULAR BUDGET.

DOES THAT MONEY GET MOVED TO THE GENERAL BUDGET THIS YEAR? WE ARE ONLY BRINGING IN $65,000 OF UTILITY FUND BALANCE INTO THE REGULAR BUDGET.

WHY FIVE? BECAUSE THE WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT UNFORTUNATELY HAS YEARS OF INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS THAT IT IS, UM, BEHIND ON.

AND THERE IS A LOT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO THE PLANT, THE WATER LINES, THE SEWER SLIP LINING OF THE SEWER LINES.

UM, SO I

[00:50:01]

UM, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THERE'S PLENTY OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE THAT MONEY NEEDS TO STAY, I BELIEVE WITHIN THE WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT.

I WANNA ASK A DIRECT QUESTION.

THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, ARE YOU PLANNING IT AND KEEPING THE MONEY THERE BECAUSE OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THE NEED, THE EXPANSION OF THE SEWER, WATER LINES, CONSTRUCTION? IS THAT WHY SITTING THERE? I WOULD, INSTEAD OF COMING INTO THE GENERAL BUDGET, I WOULD SAY PRIOR TO ROUND FOUR, THESE IMPROVEMENTS CERTAINLY NEEDED TO BE MADE.

UM, AND I WOULD SAY THAT REGARDLESS OF MORE HOUSING GOING THIS NEEDED TO BE DONE AND THERE IS A MUCH LONGER LIST OF IMPROVEMENTS AT THE PLANT OR, UM, UH, MANY RESIDENTS HAVE COME AND SAID THAT THEIR WATER LINES NEED TO BE REPLACED IN CERTAIN PARTS OF TOWN.

UM, WE HAVE A LEAD SERVICE, UM, PROJECT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT THE STATE, UM, ANOTHER UNFUNDED STATE MANDATE IS TO REPLACE ANY LEAD SERVICE WITHIN THE TOWN BY 2031.

UM, SO I WOULD SAY THERE'S A LAUNDRY LIST OF IMPROVEMENTS AT THE UTILITY DEPARTMENT PRIOR TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING ROUND FOUR.

SO THE INCREASES THAT YOU GUYS JUST PASSED FOR THE WATER AND SEWER CREAMS, YES.

IS IT GONNA GENERATE A SURPLUS OR IS IT GONNA GO INTO MORE EXPENSE? THE PLAN IS THAT THE REV EXTRA REVENUE GENERATED FROM THESE INCREASES WE JUST DID AT THE 14TH MEETING WOULD BE TO CONTINUE IMPROVEMENTS AT OUR WELL HOUSES, UM, SLIP LINING SEWER MAINS.

IF, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD ONE SEWER MAIN BREAK THIS WINTER, UM, DUE TO THE EXPANSION AND COMPACTION OF THE PIPES, IT WAS $250,000 JUST FOR ONE SUPER SMALL SECTION OF A SEWER LINE IN ONE SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD.

OUR GOAL IS TO SLIP LINE THESE SEWER LINES SO THAT WE CAN EXTEND THE USEFUL LIFE OF THESE PIPES.

SO I WOULD SAY WE'RE TRYING TO BE PROACTIVE WITH OUR UTILITY DEPARTMENT INSTEAD OF REACTIVE.

UM, SO I WOULD SAY THE EXTRA REVENUE GENERATED FROM THOSE, UM, THE FEE ORDINANCE IS TO TAKE CARE OF, UM, IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN LONG AWAITED.

QUI SAY THAT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY IS NOT GONNA, UH, THE NEW RATE PAYERS, UM, WILL PAY FOR THAT INSTRUCTION.

THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE INSTRUCTION, WHICH IS DIRECT QUESTIONING, I'M SORRY.

SO THE AMOUNT THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE KEEPING IN RESERVE FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO ORDER AND SEWER IS NOT THE MAJORITY.

I WOULD SAY THE THE NEEDS ARE PRIORITIZED BY THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES.

SO I, I WOULD SAY JUST JUMP IN.

I KNOW LIKE SOME OF, UM, BUT UM, LIKE INSTANCE LAKE PINE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DOING LAKE PINE MAIN PROJECT.

SO THAT PROJECT IS BRAND BORDER LINES, UH, WITHIN, WITHIN THE LAKE LINE.

ADDITIONAL FIRE HYDRANTS AND THEN GOING BACK AND THEN REPAVING, REPAVING THOSE STREETS BECAUSE THOSE STREETS ARE A DESPERATE NEED OF, OF REPAVING.

AND THOSE PROJECTS, LIKE, UH, LINDSAY SAID ARE PRIORITIZED BY OUR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS.

WE'VE GOT THE WELL SEX PROJECT, UM, THAT WE JUST FUNDED.

UH, LAST, LAST MEETING, UM, WHICH IS TO REHABILITATE THAT.

WELL, THAT'S ONE OF THE LARGEST WELLS IN THE TOWNSHIP IN TOWN.

THAT IS, I'LL HAVE TO GET TO THAT ANSWER.

I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHERE WELL SIX IS.

UM, BUT UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S ONE OF OUR, THAT'S ONE OF, LIKE I SAID, OUR LARGEST WELLS IN TOWN.

I BELIEVE IT'S ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, BUT DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT.

I CAN FIND OUT FOR SURE.

UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THIS, THOSE INCREASES ARE GOING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT ONE SIDE OF TOWN OR THE OTHER, IT'S THE GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE TOWNSHIP THAT, THAT, THOSE, THOSE PROJECTS COME FROM.

AND AS WELL AS THE ABATEMENT, THAT HAS TO BE DONE BY 23, THE LEAD SERVICE LINE ABATEMENT.

UM, AND ALSO I WILL SAY THE UTILITY OPERATING ACCOUNT HAS A BALANCE OF $3.3 MILLION.

SO THE SURPLUS IS LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE SALARIES THAT COME OUT OF THEIR, UM, OTHER EXPENSES, WHICH IS TO RUN THE PLANT.

UM, WATER DISTRIBUTION, SEWER TREATMENT, ALL THE CHEMICALS TO RUN THE PLANT.

UM, I WOULD SAY, SO THE SURPLUS IS NOTHING TO RAVE ABOUT ALSO IN THE UTILITY DEPARTMENT.

I WILL SAY THAT THAT'S ALSO WHY I ONLY USE 65,000 IN THE REGULAR BUDGET.

GO AHEAD.

AND I DUNNO IF WE CAN HAVE, I JUST HAVE A GENERAL STATEMENT.

SO, UM, NOT EVERY WATER AND SEWER RATE PAYER IS A TAX BETTER.

LEVY IS TO OFFSET SOME COSTS WHERE CORRECT.

SO YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT AT BOTH SIDES.

I HAPPEN TO HAVE MY HOME, I I USE MUNICIPAL WATER, MUNICIPAL SILVER, BUT THERE ARE SOME RESIDENTS THAT HAVE WELL IN SEPTIC CORRECT.

THAT DON'T CONTRIBUTE TO THAT FUND.

SO TO TAKE MONEY FROM THAT ACCOUNT AND MOVE IT TO THE GENERAL LEVY, UM, YOU, YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT BOTH, BOTH WAYS.

UM, RIGHT.

I BELIEVE, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THAT THE SMALL PORTION WE DO TAKE FROM THE UTILITY TO FUND THE GENERAL

[00:55:01]

THERE'S CROSS UTILIZATION OF EMPLOYEES.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE PAYROLL PERSON, SHE DOES PAYROLL FOR THE ENTIRE TOWN, INCLUDING THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT.

MY OFFICE PROCESSES, PURCHASE ORDERS AND RECONCILES BANK STATEMENTS FOR THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT.

UM, THE CLERK'S OFFICE DOES RESOLUTIONS ORDINANCES FOR THE CLERK, FOR THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, THE TAX OFFICE.

THEY COLLECT ALL OF THE WATER AND SEWER PAYMENTS.

SO A PORTION OF THEIR OFFICE SHOULD BE CHARGED THERE.

SO IT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T SEE A BALANCE AND THEN TAKE IT BECAUSE WE NEED NO, THAT WOULD BE UNFAIR TO THE OTHER PAYERS, THE OTHER THAT ARE JUST TAXPAYERS AND NOT WATER AND SEWER USERS.

THERE'S BEEN IN DEPTH CALCULATIONS TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH EXPENSE IS INCURRED AND IS APPROPRIATE TO TAKE IN.

YEAH, CORRECT.

ZACH, UM, I IT'S A COMMENT ON THAT AND THAT JUST AN OVERALL QUESTION.

SO IT'S INTERESTING TO HEAR YOU TALK ABOUT THE COSTS THAT ARE GONNA BE ASSOCIATED WITH BRINGING UP, UH, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.

WHEN TWO YEARS OR SO AGO, WE WERE ABSOLUTELY ASSURED IN ALL OF THESE MEETINGS THAT WHEN MAGNIFY WAS OPENING AND THERE WERE CONCERNS ABOUT OUR CAPACITY FOR SEWER AND WATER, THAT THIS WAS NOT GO, THAT THIS, THAT THIS NEW BUSINESS THAT WAS GOING TO USE A LOT OF WATER WAS NOT GOING TO BE A PROBLEM.

AND WE HAVE PLENTY OF, OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS NOT A CONCERN.

AND NOW I'M HEARING THAT IN FACT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS A CONCERN.

AND I'M JUST KIND OF THROWING THAT OUT THERE AS A COMMENT AND, YOU KNOW, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR, UH, IN THE FUTURE FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS IF THERE'S ANYTHING BEHIND THAT AND WHAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THAT.

AND THEN THE OTHER, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT YOU CAN ANSWER ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT AS A COMMENTING RELATED, RELATED TO THIS CONVERSATION.

BUT THE, THE QUESTION IS MORE KIND OF A LONG TERM VIEW.

I MEAN, I'M, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE HERE, BUT I'M GETTING A PRETTY DIRE PICTURE.

BUT ALL OF THIS, UM SURE.

EXTRAPOLATING THIS OUT YEAR OVER YEAR, CONSIDERING THE INCREASED COST THAT THE TOWN IS GONNA BE FACING AND THE LIMITED AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE ALLOWED TO INCREASE TAXES, WHERE DO WE IN FACT, HIT THAT CLIFF OF NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD OUR EXPENSES WITHOUT SEVERE AUSTERITY MEASURES? UM, BEYOND WHAT WE'RE ALREADY LOOKING AT? YEAH, I WOULD SAY COMFORTABLY LAST YEAR WAS MY, UM, MOMENT OF FEELING, UM, AS THOUGH WE HAD WIGGLE ROOM.

AND I WOULD SAY WITH KNOWING HOW MUCH WE CAN RAISE TAXES EACH YEAR, THE ONLY REAL SOLUTION WOULD BE NEW RATEABLES LOOKING AT RE GOING FORWARD, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

SO RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE WORK THAT THEY DID TO CUT EXPENDITURES DOWN TO 1.3 MILLION, THERE ISN'T MUCH MORE ROOM ASIDE FROM STAFFING AT THIS POINT, OBVIOUSLY TO REDUCE RIFFS, RIFFS FOR MUNICIPAL MEANS CUTS IN SERVICES.

THAT I JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT JUST TALK ABOUT REDUCTION IN FORCES, THAT MEANS REDUCTION OF SERVICES.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SO THINGS THAT ARE ALLOWED TO BE OUTSIDE OF THE CAP THAT I MENTIONED IS SHARED SERVICE.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, SAY WE COULD USE A TOWN FOR TRASH SERVICES, I COULD PUT THAT OUTSIDE OF THE CAP, SO THEN I WOULD BE ALLOWED TO RAISE TAXES THAT MUCH MORE AND THAT WOULD BE LESS O AND E THAT'S GOING TOWARDS SOLID WASTE COLLECTION BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A SHARED SERVICE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

SO IT'S, UM, THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX OF THINGS THAT IF WE CAN ONLY RA IF WE KNOW 2% IS A HARD CAP, WHAT CAN BE OUTSIDE OF THAT CAP SHARED SERVICE IS ONE OF THEM.

SO, UM, IT'S CERTAINLY A DISCUSSION.

UH, LEWIS, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION PERSON ORIGINALLY? OKAY, SO MANY WHY FUNDING AND THE COST GOING HIGH? I CAN'T SPEAK FOR WHY THE STATE FUNDING, UM, HAS BEEN CUT FOR LEPE REGIONAL.

UM, BUT I WOULD SAY IT'S CERTAINLY NOT JUST THEM.

IT'S, WE'RE SEEING IT OURSELVES, THE BOARD OF ED.

UM, IT'S ACROSS THE STATE.

I THINK THE STATE'S BUDGET HAS JUST DECREASED OVER THE YEARS AND THAT'S WHY THERE'S LESS FUNDING FOR EACH ENTITY.

UM, I CAN PUT THAT BACK UP FOR YOU.

RENOVATION WITHIN THE HISTORICAL DISTRICT.

UM, THIS IS, I GUESS A GENERAL BUDGET QUESTION.

IT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER SEEN ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, REGARDING THE BUDGET.

WHAT BENEFIT IS, DOES MEDFORD GET FROM A TAX ABATEMENT? SO, BECAUSE MAGNIFY WAS IN THE HISTORICAL DISTRICT, I BELIEVE THAT IS WHY THEY WERE OFFERED THE TAX ABATEMENT.

UM, I BELIEVE THAT'S THE REASON THAT THEY WERE OFFERED.

ONE, YOU'D HAVE TO ASK THE OLD MAYOR, IT'S BECAUSE IT WAS WITHIN THE HISTORICAL DISTRICT OF TOWN.

BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THERE IS NO BENEFIT TO US OR TO THE SCHOOLS OFFERING A TAX ABATEMENT.

IT QUITE LITERALLY JUST PHASES THEM IN.

IT'S GIVEN TO THESE PEOPLE, UH, TO PROMOTE BUILDING OR

[01:00:01]

IT'S, IT'S AN INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO COME BRING THEIR BUSINESS HERE.

UH, NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE LIKE COME UP WITH.

THAT'S JUST THE STATE PROGRAM.

SO IT'S AN INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO COME IN AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE OFFERED THE FIVE YEAR TAX ABATEMENT.

IT PHASES THEM IN.

SO IS THERE ANY, DID THEY GIVE US ANY GUARANTEE THAT THEY WOULD STAY BEYOND FIVE YEARS? WHAT THEY CLOSED UP? I CAN'T SPEAK FOR HOW LONG THEY'LL STAY.

IT'S A, IT'S A MECHANISM TO ENCOURAGE BUSINESSES TO COME INTO TOWN.

RESPECTFULLY, MIKE, THEY WERE LOOKING IN TOWN FOR MONTHS BEFORE THEY FOUND THAT THAT PROPERTY.

SO, I MEAN, I GET THAT.

THAT'S WHAT THE, THAT'S WHAT'S IT'S INTENDED FOR.

I WAS JUST IN THE CASE, THIS PROPERTY, THAT'S NOT WHAT IT WAS USED FOR.

AND I WILL SAY THAT PROPERTY IS NOW VALUED, OF COURSE, MUCH HIGHER THAN WHAT WAS THERE ON THE FLIP SIDE.

UM, TRYING TO BE, UM, POSITIVE A LITTLE IN 2031 THERE, THE VALUATION NOW OF THAT BUILDING IS CERTAINLY MUCH MORE THAN WHAT WAS THERE.

UM, SO THAT WILL BRING IN MORE REVENUE AND CERTAINLY MORE REVENUE THAN THE TOWN HALL BUILDING DID BECAUSE NOW IT'S NOT OWNED BY THE TOWN.

UM, JUST TO TRY TO EXPLAIN THE INCREASE ON THE VALUATION.

OH, SORRY HER, GO AHEAD.

HI.

UH, FIRST OF ALL, NICE JOB ON THAT.

SECOND OF ALL, IS THAT GOING, THAT PRESENTATION GOING TO BE AVAILABLE FOR ME TO GET DOWNLOAD OFF THE WEBSITE? YES.

SO IT'S ALREADY ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE AS WELL AS A RECORDING OF ME DOING IT ON THE 14TH AS WELL AS THE STATE BUDGET DOCUMENT.

PERFECT.

THE SECOND PART IS, AS A REALTOR IN MEDFORD, I'M MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED ABOUT THE TAX REIT IN THIS TOWN AND OTHER TOWNS IN BURLINGTON COUNTY.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE TAX RE IS CURRENTLY HERE, WHICH I THINK I KNOW, BUT I WANNA HEAR IT FROM YOU AND WHAT IT'S GOING TO GO TO BASED ON THIS PROPOSAL.

SO IN 2025, OUR RATE WAS 0.519 FOR MUNICIPAL TAX UHHUH.

AND IT'S, WE'RE PROPOSING TONIGHT TO INCREASE IT TO 0.5 5 0 5 5 0.

AND THAT'S AN INCREASE.

OKAY, GOT IT.

A 3.20 CENT INCREASE.

AND THAT'S, UH, PRETTY MUCH WHAT THE MAXIMUM IS GOING TO ALLOW.

YOU'RE SAYING THE BUDGET THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING IN INCREASES TAXES TO THE MAX.

LIKE THERE'S NOT MORE, MUCH MORE THAT CAN BE DONE OTHER THAN FLOATING WHAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND AND ON WHAT THAT COULD CHANGE.

THERE'S REALLY NO OTHER WAY TO DO IT, BUT CUT.

HAVE SERVICES SALARIES THAT COULD BRING THE DOWN.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA LIVE WITH THE FIVE 5.550 FOR THE MUNICIPAL TAX.

I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE OTHER ENTITIES, BUT YES, CORRECT.

AND THEN IF I COMPARE, I THINK ONE OF THE BIG ANSWERS TO THIS IS, I GET ASKED THIS A LOT, WHY IS THE RATE IN MORTON DIFFERENT THAN MOUNT LAUREL? THAT KIND OF THING.

AND I THINK THAT'S A REASONABLE THING TO SAY ASK.

BUT THE TRUTH OF THE VIRUS, SOMEONE TOUCHED ON THIS, THEY DO HAVE A LOT MORE RATEABLES AND RATEABLES CERTAINLY ARE COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES.

AND THAT'S WHAT BRINGS THE RATES DOWN.

THEY'RE ATTRACTING BUSINESS.

I KNOW WE MIGHT NOT AGREE WITH ALL OF THAT, BUT I'M NOT SEEING HOW WE GET OUT OF THIS OTHER THAN TRYING TO ENCOURAGE MORE RATEABLES, WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT.

ME INCLUDED.

I DON'T WANT LOT OF BUSINESS HERE, BUT IT'S, IT'S BEEN FOR YEARS.

IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO GET TAXES DOWN.

INCREASED RATEABLES OR TO KEEP MEDFORD, THE MEDFORD THAT SHE WAS REFERRING TO.

SO I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT AS AN AGENT, AS A REAL ESTATE AGENT, I'VE DISCUSSED THIS A LOT WITH PEOPLE, BUT WHY DO YOU STILL WANNA COME TO TON INSTEAD GO TO MARTON OR MOUNT LAUREL OR CHERRY HILL WHERE THE RATES ARE GONNA BE LOWER BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE A MORE URBAN KIND OF QUALITY OF LIFE.

CERTAINLY YOU DON'T HAVE THAT MAIN STREET MENTALITY, WHICH WE'RE RIGHT.

KIND OF PUSHING FOR ALL THE TIME HERE, BUT WHATEVER.

THAT'S THE REASON.

THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE FACT THAT YOU'VE GOT THIS ATMOSPHERE OF, I DON'T KNOW, ALL AS FAR AS WE CAN TAKE.

I MEAN, THAT'S IT.

SO I JUST WANNA DISPARAGE PEOPLE FROM THROWING EGGS AT COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE.

I SEE PEOPLE VOTE ON THAT IN OCTOBER, WHENEVER FOR NOVEMBER, BECAUSE 10 YEARS AGO OR HOW MANY YEARS AGO, WE TRIED TO PUT SOME BIG BOX STORES IN.

IT WAS VOTED DOWN IF WE HAD BOUGHT THOSE BIG BOX STORES IN LIKE A TARGET OR WALMART, NOBODY WANTED IT.

BUT GUESS WHAT, YOU WOULDN'T BE IN THIS POSITION TODAY.

PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

JUST KEEN ON THAT TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT SHE SAID, YOU HAVE, YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THESE OTHER TOWNS, EHAM YOUR POPULATION'S, ABOUT 55,000 PEOPLE.

MOUNT LAUREL.

YOU'RE ABOUT 55,000 PEOPLE RIGHT NOW.

UM, MEDFORD, YOU'RE 24,000 TO CHANGE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE ABOUT 50% POPULATION OF WHAT THEY ARE.

BUT THEN YOU LOOK AT THEIR, THEIR CORRIDORS, YOU'VE GOT 73, 70, YOU KNOW, LIKE 38, 2, 9 5.

IN THESE OTHER ACCOUNTS, WE DON'T HAVE THAT.

BUT WE DO HAVE A STATE HIGHWAY THAT RUNS THROUGH OUR ACCOUNT THAT, YOU KNOW, IS, IS PRIME RIVER ESTATE.

SO IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT.

I WOULD SAY THE TIPPING POINT IS EITHER, UM,

[01:05:01]

IT WOULD BE A REFERENDUM BECAUSE THERE ARE NO OTHER OPTIONS, UM, IN MY OPINION.

UM, ACCURATE.

I GOT A QUESTION SO EARLY ON AND YOU'RE JUST A MESSENGER.

I DIDN'T CATCH YOUR NAME.

LINDSEY.

LINDSEY, OKAY.

UM, EARLY ON WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE GONNA GO BANKRUPT IF THEY DIDN'T BRING IN ENOUGH BUSINESS ON MAIN STREET.

THAT WAS A BIG DRIVING POINT WITH THE OLD ADMINISTRATION AND THEY, UM, THEY MOVED MOUNTAINS TO, TO DO THAT.

YOU KNOW, IGNORED PARKING WALLS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

STORM RUNOFF, A LOT OF STATE, STATE LAWS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

I'M WONDERING HOW, HOW MUCH MONEY HAS MAIN STREET BROUGHT IN BASED ON EVERYTHING WE WERE TOLD HOW IT WAS GOING TO TURN THE COMMUNITY AROUND.

UM, THERE WAS EVEN A LADY THAT STOOD UP THERE AND SAID THAT THE OLD ADMINISTRATION'S LEAVING, UM, PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF, MIKE, WITH A TON OF MONEY, YOU GUYS ARE FLUSHED WITH CASH.

NOW.

THIS IS ONLY LADY IN THE BEGINNING OF 2025.

BUT, UM, AND, AND I THINK SHE SPECIFICALLY WAS TALKING ABOUT MAIN STREET, THE, THE BUSINESS AND STUFF.

CAN I HAVE A GENERAL IDEA OF HOW MUCH OF A IMPACT THE COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES HAVE HAD ON MAIN STREET? I DON'T HAVE THAT DATA NOW, BUT I COULD CERTAINLY GET IT TO YOU.

OH, I THINK, ALRIGHT.

THAT'S THE WAY IT WORKS.

ALRIGHT, WELL, CHUCK THOMAS, WE'RE GONNA BE RIGHT.

I GOT ANOTHER QUESTION.

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE COUNCIL COULD ALL GET TOGETHER AT ONE MEETING? 'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF THE TIMES WE CAN'T ANSWER QUESTIONS FOR WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND VICE VERSA.

AND I WONDER IF IT'S SEPARATED FOR A REASON.

LET'S GET ALL EVERYBODY IN ONE ROOM TOGETHER AND SORT COULD, COULD WE, I'M, I'M SORRY, I KNOW YOU'RE JUST A MESSENGER, BUT IT'S OKAY.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WOULD BE, COULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL FOR US.

AND, AND THEN MAYBE THERE'S LESS POINT OF FINGERS AND, AND WE ALL UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW OUR TAXES ARE GETTING BROKEN DOWN MM-HMM .

UM, WITH, WITH, WITH ALL THEM IN, IN ONE ROOM.

AND I KNOW THAT WAS KIND OF A OPEN ENDED QUESTION, BUT THAT'S OKAY.

I'VE GOT JUMP INTO THAT BOARD COUNCIL IN THE SAME MEETING.

SO, YOU KNOW, I WAS GONNA SAY, I KNOW THAT, I KNOW THAT OUR COUNCIL SPEAKS TO THE BOARD OF ED, BOARD OF ED SPEAKS TO US.

I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS WE'RE NOT PUTTING THESE SLIDES UP THERE AS AN US VERSUS THEM.

THAT'S NOT WHERE THEY'RE THERE.

WE WANT THE TAXPAYERS TO UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU PAY THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY, THIS IS WHERE YOUR TAXES ARE GOING.

AND JUST LIKE US, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE LARGEST EMPLOYERS IN THE TOWNSHIP.

THEY HAVE A LOT OF BUILDINGS.

THEY HAVE THEIR OWN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

SO THEIR PRICE, THEIR COSTS ARE INCREASING JUST LIKE OURS.

SO, YOU KNOW, FOR US IT'S, I I DON'T SEE IT AS AN US VERSUS THEM.

I SEE IT AS WE'RE ALL IN THIS KIND OF TOGETHER WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND IT'S, IT'S JUST THAT WHOLE CHUNK OF MONEY.

WHERE IS THAT ALL THAT MONEY GOING? BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE IS GOING TO THE SCHOOLS.

IT COULD 90 CENTS PER DOLLAR IF OUR TAX MONEY IS GOING TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

SO IT MORE, MAYBE BOTH PARTIES AREN'T GETTING ALONG REALLY WELL NOW.

BUT I KNOW LIKE LEADING UP THE LAST COUPLE YEARS THERE, THERE WAS EVEN COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE HAVEN'T TALKED TO ANYBODY, THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THERE HAS BEEN THE BACK AND FORTH.

I JUST THOUGHT, HEY, IT WOULD BE REALLY EASY.

LET'S GET EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM TOGETHER AND, AND WE CAN GO, I DON'T, I DON'T MEAN BLAMING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

THAT'S COMMON REASSURANCE.

AND UM, SO I UNDERSTAND.

I JUST THOUGHT SIMPLE, EASY, MAYBE A COUPLE OF THE TOP GUYS FROM EACH BOARD AND, AND WE ALL TALK.

I GOT ONE MORE QUESTION TOO.

THE SEWER, IT IS FALLING APART.

NO, WE JUST ARE, WE NEED TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE AGING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE BEING REACTIVE WHEN THERE'S A BREAK INSTEAD OF BEING PROACTIVE AND DOING LIKE SLIP LINING OF THE SEWER LINES THAT CAN INCREASE THE USEFUL LIFE OF THEM.

WE ASKED THESE QUESTIONS JUST LAST YEAR AND, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SLU RESOLUTIONS AND ALSO, UH, PRIME THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY 'CAUSE OF THIS DEVELOPMENT.

I MEAN THEY, THEY, THEY LITERALLY, IT SOUNDED LIKE WE HAD THE BEST SILVER SYSTEM IN AMERICA WITH THE WAY THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.

AND NOT ONLY CAN IT HANDLE THE, EVERYTHING THAT'S COMING TO THE NORTH SIDE, BUT EVEN SAMOS CAN HOP ON AND THERE'S ROOM FOR HIM.

IT JUST SEEMS ENDLESS LIKE THAT LOAF OF BREAD.

THAT HAVE THE SOLAR? LIKE MICHAEL? YES, CORRECT.

THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN, THEY MAY HAVE BEEN SPEAKING TOWARDS THE CAPACITY, WHICH THE CAPACITY IS DIFFERENT THAN THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDING TO BE IMPROVED.

IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN OUR HOMES OR OUR CARS NEEDING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OR WHO CARES.

ARE THEY FUNDED BY THE, THE, THE PEOPLE

[01:10:01]

I WISH I HAD SO IEP AND YES.

SO WE DON'T, YOU'RE YOU'RE, YOU DON'T PAY A, A SEWER RATE.

RIGHT? RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT.

YOU PAY A WATER RATE BY CHANCE.

NO, I, WELL, RIGHT.

SO, SO YOU DON'T HAVE A BILL THAT YOU PAY QUARTERLY.

SO TO, TO THE UTILITY YOU HAVE A TAX BILL.

SO LIKE I HAVE THE OPPOSITE.

I HAVE CITY WATER AND CITY SILVER.

SO MY QUARTERLY BILL FUNDS THIS GENERAL.

SO THE, SO THE RULE, I PUT THE MONEY INTO A GENERAL BUDGET FROM THE SILVER FUND.

SO IT'S A UTILITY OPERATING ACCOUNT AND IT HAS TO BE SELF-LIQUIDATING.

THAT'S THE RULE.

WHICH MEANS ANY FUNDS COLLECTED HAVE TO PAY FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS OR TO RUN THE PLANT, THE STAFF.

SO SELF-LIQUIDATING MEANS IT HAS TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN ITSELF.

IT DOESN'T GET FUNDING FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE.

SO THE RATE PAYERS PAY TO RUN THE WATER AND SEWER PLANT AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED.

IT'S AN ENTERPRISE FUND.

A HUNDRED PERCENT.

YES SIR.

CAN YOU CLARIFY, UH, SO YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE THREE, YOU KNOW, UH, INCREASE YES.

PAYING 13,000, BUT THAT'S NOT REFLECTIVE OF THE SCHOOL BUDGET COUNTY.

THIS IS JUST THE MUNICIPAL INCREASE.

SO YOU HAVE SOME NUMBERS UP THERE, WHICH I THINK WERE, I DUNNO IF IT'S PROJECTED NUMBERS.

THESE, UH, YEAH.

9.1 ESTIMATED INCREASE.

WHAT IS THAT? I CAN'T DO THAT MATH THAT QUICKLY.

SO WHAT IS THAT, WHAT IS THAT ON A 13,000 LOOK LIKE? IT'S ABOUT 500 ON THE AVERAGE 500.

SO I'M TALKING ABOUT HUNDRED RATE.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 500 POTENTIALLY.

500 OR MORE.

I'M JUST PRESENTING ON THE MUNICIPAL PORTION BECAUSE THE OTHER SCHOOLS AND THE COUNTIES RATES HAVE NOT BEEN STRUCK.

UM, BUT THIS IS JUST AN ESTIMATE OF WHERE THEIR RATES MAY FALL BASED ON THE PRIOR EIGHT YEARS AND MY PROJECTIONS.

WELL I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION HERE NOW, SO PEOPLE HEAR THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE HEARING OH, CAN, YES.

SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN THE CFO KAREN? THREE YEARS.

THREE YEARS.

AND FROM SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVEN'T BEEN LISTENED TO IT.

UH, AND THIS IS FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE FOR A WHILE, LIVED, HAVE MOVED BACK HERE IN NINE FIVE.

THIS IS JUST DEJAVU ALL OVER AGAIN.

AND THIS IS ABSURD.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BECAUSE, UH, I KNOW THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT ARE OUTTA YOUR CONTROL, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD JUST TERRIBLE MANAGEMENT OF THIS TOWNSHIP FOR THE PAST, YOU KNOW, TWO AND A HALF DECADES.

I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE WHERE WE, WHERE WE ARE.

I WOULD, IT'S THIS IS REALLY YEAH.

YOU KNOW, DISTRESSING TO VIEW THAT, OKAY, WELL ALL BETS ARE OFF BY NEXT YEAR.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO 2% LOWER REFERENDUM, GET, YOU KNOW, CONVINCE, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS TO RAISE IT, YOU KNOW, 4%, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE NO OPTIONS.

THERE'S ONLY SO FAR YOU CAN CUT SERVICES.

UH, BECAUSE EVERYBODY WANTS, YOU KNOW, THEIR GARBAGE PICKED UP AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, CRUSH PILE, YOU KNOW, PICKED UP.

SO I, I JUST FIND IT REALLY, REALLY TROUBLING THAT THIS TOWNSHIP SEEMS TO JUST CHURN THROUGH, YOU KNOW, MANAGERS, UH, BRING IN MIGHT HAVE A GOOD MANAGER AND THEN BECAUSE OF POLITICS, THEY FIRE THAT PERSON AND THEN THEY HIRE SOMEBODY ELSE.

IT TURNS OUT SO GREAT.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF GOOD TOWNSHIP, YOU KNOW, MANAGERS OR PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF WHO CAN ACTUALLY RUN A BUSINESS LIKE METRO TOWNSHIP.

SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY, REALLY TROUBLING.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, I DUNNO, WE HAVE TO HAVE A COME TO JESUS DISCUSSION ABOUT LIKE WHAT THE FUTURE OF THIS TOWNSHIP LOOKS LIKE.

AND PART OF THAT IS HAVING REALLY COMPETENT PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF AND OR TOWNSHIP MANAGER WHO ARE NOT BEHOLDEN TO, YOU KNOW, POLITICS OR WHATEVER, BUT ARE RUNNING THE TOWNSHIP THE WAY A TOWNSHIP SHOULD BE RUN.

SO WE'RE FINDING OURSELVES IN THIS POSITION.

I WOULD SAY THAT, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

I WOULD SAY NOT RAISING MUNICIPAL TAXES FOR EIGHT YEARS CREATED THIS PERPETUAL BUDGET CYCLE THAT WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW.

UM, THERE'S NOT REALLY A GUESS TO ME OF WHY WE'RE IN THIS PREDICAMENT.

THAT IS A HUN IT HAS A COMPOUNDING EFFECT.

THEY WERE HAVING THE SAME DISCUSSION YET, BUT WE DIDN'T RAISED TAXES FOR 10 YEARS AND NOW, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ONE OF TWO TOWNS IN THE STATE THAT CHRIS CHRISTIE WAS THREATENING TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE OVER.

UH, BECAUSE WE WERE ALMOST BANKRUPT.

WE, YOU KNOW, FIRE BACK THEN FIRE LIKE ONE, TWO THIRDS OF THE TOWN OF STAFF PRIVATIZE THE TRASH COLLECTION.

THOUSAND DOLLARS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, BUT NOT THE MUNICIPAL PORTION FOR THE PRIOR, NOT THE LAST TWO YEARS, BUT THE EIGHT YEARS BEFORE THAT, THEY DID NOT, THEY WERE NOT INCREASED.

SO, YOU KNOW, I I DUNNO HAVE GONE UP AFTER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, I'M SORRY, BUT THE, MY TAXES HAVE GONE UP A

[01:15:01]

SORRY.

YEAH, I, I CUT AGAIN.

QUESTION.

UM, I JUST, I DIDN WANNA ADDRESS THE TAX RATE INCREASES.

UM, SO AT FAR AS YOU SAID YOUR TAXES HAD GONE UP, UM, UP UNTIL, FORGIVE ME LINDSAY.

2024.

24.

UM, THE MUNICIPAL PORTION OF YOUR TAXES YOU MENTIONED DID NOT INCREASE.

IT WAS STEADY DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME.

UM, THE SCHOOLS MAY HAVE GONE UP THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY MAY GONE UP, BUT THE MUNICIPAL TAXES HELD FLAT FOR EIGHT YEARS.

FOR EIGHT YEARS.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THE TWO SIDES OF THE COIN.

YOU RAISED TAXES THAT DIDN'T IMPACT YOU NOW, BUT WITHOUT RAISING TAXES.

I THINK IT'S HAD AN IN A COMPOUNDING EFFECT THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING NOW.

BUT YOUR ANSWER RIGHT, YOUR TAXES HAVE GONE UP YES.

WITH THAT CYCLE.

BUT THAT BILL AGAIN, IS MADE UP OF THOSE FOUR ENTITIES.

SO IT, WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO INCREASE TAXES TO KEEP UP WITH ONGOING COSTS, COUNCIL TAXES THAT JUST THE EMPLOYMENT INCREASES ALONE THAT MARY LUKES BROUGHT UP, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTUALLY 4%, THE, OUR EMPLOYEES ARE GONNA SEE AN INCREASE.

WE CAN ONLY RAISE BY 2%, 2% WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA CROSS PATHS PRETTY SOON.

SO, UM, WE DON'T LIKE TO RAISE TAXES, RIGHT? BUT WE KNOW THAT IT'S OUR DUTY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO THE CFO TO FUND THESE THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN.

BUT THAT'S NOT BECAUSE TAX ASSESSMENT THAT BACK ONE OF THE TAILS THAT THE ASSESSMENT GOES UP A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THE YEAR WHEN THAT ASSESSMENT GOES UP, EVEN THOUGH THE TAX RATE STAYS THE SAME, THE TAXES GO.

SO YOUR REVENUE DID GO UP AND IT'S MOSTLY BECAUSE IT'S PRUDENT TO START INCREASING ASSESSMENTS.

SO YOU, YOU RATE, MAY YOU SAY THE SAME, THE REVENUE, BUT I WILL SAY OUR AVERAGE ASSESSED HOME HAS BARELY INCREASED OVER THE PRI PAST THREE YEARS.

AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS COMES DOWN TO.

SO OUR NET VALUATION TAXABLE, SO IT TAKES THE ENTIRE LEVY AND IT DIVIDES IT BY THE NET VALUATION TAXABLE FOR THE WHOLE TOWN.

THAT ASSESSMENT IS NOT GONNA OVERCOME ANYTHING THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY.

I MEAN, IT WON'T, IT WON'T EVEN HIT 8% IS AROUND I DON'T SEE RUNNING OR IT HAS AN IMPACT, BUT NOT TO THE EFFECT THAT IT'S GONNA GENERATE SURPLUS.

SO A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO THERE WAS A COMPANY GOING HOUSE TO HOUSE TO GET READY FOR REASSESSMENT.

IS THAT, WHAT'S OUR AVAILABILITY FOR REASSESSMENT? SO OUR SEAN IS LOOKING ABOUT DOING A REVALUATION PROGRAM STARTING NEXT YEAR.

THERE IS A PROCESS OF THAT THROUGH OUR TAXES.

AND IT'S ALREADY BEEN, IT'S BEEN AN EFFECT BECAUSE THEY WENT VISITING PEOPLE'S HOUSE.

THEY HAD TO STOP THAT BECAUSE OF COVID BECAUSE IF YOU CAN'T START AND END IT WITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR HIM BECAUSE OF COVID.

HE HAD TO STOP THE PROGRAM.

WE, WE WERE DOING THE 20% FOR YEAR, FOR FIVE YEARS, WE STOP WITH COVID.

SO WE WEREN'T ABLE, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO RESTART IT.

THANKS.

I'LL, I'LL LET YOU GO BACK.

I'M SORRY.

JUST NO, JUST NO, THANK YOU.

IN IN, IN WHAT YOU JUST SAID ABOUT THE, THE CROSSING OF THE REVENUE VERSUS EXPENSES AND, AND GETTING YOURSELF NUMBER ONE POSITION, UM, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZE THAT TAXES HAVE TO INCREASE FOR THAT.

IS IT UNREASONABLE FOR THE PUBLIC TO ASK THAT COUNCIL WORK WITH THE CFO TO PUT TOGETHER A MULTI-YEAR PLAN THAT COMMITS TO RAISING TAXES OVER A PERIOD OF TIME ALONG WITH THIS, THIS, UM, GRADABLE CREATION AND THEN COMMUNICATE THAT TO THE PUBLIC SO THAT WE'RE ALL AWARE THAT THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN, BUT THAT WE DON'T CONTINUE TO GET OURSELVES INTO THIS POSITION? CERTAINLY I THINK ALL MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, AND I'M SPEAK FOR ALL OF US, BUT WE, WE SEE THIS PROBLEM COMING.

WE, WE HAVE THE SAME FEARS THAT ALL THE REST OF OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE.

AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD MEETINGS WITH LINDSAY, UM, AND, UH, THE MANAGEMENT STAFF TO DISCUSS WHERE WE NEED TO BE MOVING FORWARD.

UM, I FEEL THERE'S MANY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COMING MONTHS TO ADDRESS A LOT OF THESE CHALLENGES PROACTIVELY.

I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE A LONG TERM PLAN THAT YOU CAN KIND OF STICK TO AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AS YOU GO.

A ROADMAP RATHER THAN, HEY, SOME OF THESE THINGS WE CAN FIGURE OUT VERSUS HERE'S A THREE YEAR PLAN THAT WE KNOW IF WE FOLLOW IT WITHOUT ANY OTHER ADJUSTMENTS, WE CAN DIG OURSELVES OUT OF THIS.

SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, TEACHERS, I KNOW THAT'S LIKE SCHOOL BUDGET, BUT THERE'S ALSO MUNICIPAL COMPONENTS AND STUFF, STUFF.

THAT'S DO DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE, UH, IF YOU AND I, AND I KNOW THIS ISN'T , BUT THERE, THERE'S OVERLAP.

SO LET ME FINISH.

UH, WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING STUFF WITH, UH, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO OUTLET FOR SEWER, FOR WATER, FOR ADDITIONS ON THE SCHOOLS, UH, ADDITIONAL

[01:20:01]

IT'S GOT THE ESTIMATES ON HERE IS 50, 60, $70 BILLION, IS THAT SUBJECT TO THAT 2% CAP? OR IS THAT GONNA BE LIKE, WHERE DOES THAT ALL COME FROM? BECAUSE SOME OF, SOME OF THAT WILL COME OUT.

THIS WILL IMPACT STUDIES THAT ARE REQUIRED FROM THE REDEVELOPER THAT HAS TO BE SUBMITTED.

UM, AND THEN ONCE WE, THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE, THAT IMPACT STUDY, SOME OF THAT WILL BE PICKED UP AND BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THAT AGREEMENT FROM WHAT THE REDEVELOPER HAS INCLUDE FOR SAY, MOST OF YOUR, MOST OF YOUR CORE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES FALL ON THE DEVELOPER, DEVELOPER THEMSELVES.

YOUR YOUR YOUR BLUR LINES, YOUR SEWER LINES, YOUR SIDEWALKS, CURBS, THAT KIND OF STUFF.

BUT THAT'S ASSUMING CAPACITY IS WHAT I'M GETTING AT.

SO LIKE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PIPE AND THE GAS AND EVERYTHING LIKE, YOU KNOW, TILL IT GETS TO THEM.

BUT GETTING IT TO THEM IS OUR PROBLEM.

SO YOU, IF THEY'RE NOT WITHIN THIS, THIS SEWER SERVICE AREA, THEY NEED TO PROVIDE THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S PART OF THE DEVELOP, BUT ABOUT CAPACITY WE NEED.

ISN'T TRUE THAT ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES ARE STRUGGLING AND HAS THIS DANGER? CERTAINLY.

SO YES, WE ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM YOU HAVE ANY ANSWERS, SAY KNOW, BUT I, PEOPLE NEED TO BE AWARE THAT WE'RE NOT, YES, WE ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS BY ANY MEANS.

UM, BUT I WOULD SAY THERE ARE SOME TOWNS THAT MAY APPEAR TO BE IN A BETTER PICTURE, A BETTER PREDICAMENT THAN US.

UM, AND IT WOULD JUST BE THE DUE TO THE SIZE OF THEIR TOWN.

AND PERHAPS THEY HAVE REVENUE STREAMS THAT JUST MEDFORD HAS NOT, UM, VENTURED INTO YET.

BUT I WOULD SAY THERE'S NOT LIKE SOMETHING THAT TOWN'S DOING THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NOT A TON OF OPTIONS SAY.

WE CAN ONLY, YOU KNOW, DO PERMIT FEES AND COURT FINES AND TRAFFIC TICKETS OF SO MUCH VOLUME.

UM, OUR REVENUE STREAMS ARE LIMITED.

BACK TO THE CONTRACTUAL STARTING STARTING THIS YEAR.

THERE'S EXPIRED 12 31, 20 25.

HOW MANY YEARS OUT ARE YOU ANTICIPATING DEVELOPING CONTRAST WITH DIFFERENT ENTITIES THAT ARE CONTRACTUAL? SO I WILL SAY THE POLICE, UM, ARE BROKEN OUT INTO THE POA AND THE SOA.

SO, UM, POLICE OFFICERS AND SUPERIOR OFFICERS, THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT AGREEMENTS.

WE ARE STILL ACTIVE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THEM.

AND THAT WHEN THAT IS SETTLED, THAT'S A FOUR YEAR CONTRACT.

UM, PUBLIC WORKS IS A FOUR YEAR CONTRACT, UTILITIES, EMS AND FIRE AS WELL.

FOUR YEAR CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS.

BUT THEY ALL, UM, ARE STAGGERED START AND END TIMES, BUT THEY'RE ALL FOUR YEARS OF LENGTH.

AND THAT'S COMMON THROUGHOUT .

AND, AND I WOULD SAY ALMOST ALL MUNICIPALITIES WOULD HAVE THAT SAME EXACT STRUCTURE.

IN FACT, EVEN EVE SHAM, UM, THEIR ADMIN, THEIR TOWN HALL STAFF IS ALSO IN A UNION AS WELL.

SO THEY ARE GUARANTEED A SET AMOUNT EACH YEAR, WHEREAS OUR ADMIN IS NOT IN A UNION.

I GUESS MY QUESTION IS THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL OR CORRECT FOR ALL OF THOSE ENTITIES? SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE TALKING SPECIFICALLY THE CONTRACT LANGUAGE FOR THE YES.

SO ALL OF THE RATES, UM, THE, THE, THE CONTRIBUTION PERCENTAGES CONTRIBUTION RATES ARE SET BY CHAPTER 78, UH, THROUGH THE STATE.

SO LIKE IF YOU MAKE SAY 39 TO $45,000, AND I'M JUST THROWING NUMBERS OUT, THESE AREN'T THE HARD FAST ONES.

YOU MAY PAY 8% OR 10% AND IT ALSO VARIES DEPENDING ON WHETHER YOU'RE A SINGLE PERSON, UH, MARRIED OR FAMILY COVERAGE, A FAMILY COVERAGE, OR A PARENT WITH A CHILD.

YOU MAY BE DIVORCED, SEPARATED, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.

SO THE STATE BROKE THOSE OUT AND WHILE THEY ARE NOW NEGOTIABLE, MOST OF, MOST OF THE TOWNS AND OURS INCLUDED HAVE STUCK TO THOSE, THOSE SET NUMBERS THAT THE STATE PUT INTO EFFECT.

I BELIEVE THAT WAS ON CHRISTIE.

THAT CHAPTER 78.

I UNDERSTAND.

I'M SAYING THAT WHAT WE'RE PAYING THAT IN ADDITION TO PAY SALARIES, WE'RE PAYING THE SALARY.

YOU'RE PAYING THE SALARY, AND THEN THE EMPLOYEE IS PAYING THEIR PORTION OF THE BENEFITS OUT OF THEIR SALARIES AND IT'S DEDUCTED FROM THEIR SALARY AND THEN WE PAY FOR THE REST OF THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE COST.

SO I'M SAYING THAT WE'RE PAYING RATE INCREASE OF THEIR SALARIES.

THE HEALTH BUDGET.

EARLIER? ADMIN STAFF? YES.

SO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IS $3.8 MILLION.

THAT'S FOR, UM, HEALTH INSURANCE AS WELL AS GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE FOR THE TOWN AS WELL, WORKERS' COMP, ET CETERA.

WELL, IT JUST SEEMS THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES ARE GETTING 2% ON THEIR SALARY? IS THAT WHAT YOU MENTIONED

[01:25:01]

AND THEN WHATEVER PERCENTAGE THEM WERE PAYING A HEALTH BENEFIT THEM TOO.

BUT THEY'RE ALSO CONTRIBUTING, THOSE CONTRACTS ARE FOR A FOUR YEAR PERIOD FOR POLICE, FIRE, PUBLIC WORKS, EMS UTILITIES.

MY QUESTION ON THAT IS, GIVEN OUR CURRENT SITUATION, HOW DO WE KNOW IT'LL BE IN THREE YEARS OR FOUR YEARS? ISN'T THAT A LONG TIME TO BOOK OUT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY GIVEN OUR CURRENT FISCAL SITUATION? IT IS.

UM, GO AHEAD, SORRY.

AND, AND, AND THESE ARE, THESE ARE CHALLENGES THAT ANY MUNICIPALITY'S GONNA FACE.

WE, WE NEED TO PROVIDE A, A WORTHY ENOUGH CONTRACT TO INCENTIVIZE EMPLOYEES TO EITHER STAY WITH US OR, OR COME TO US.

AND WE DO STRUGGLE WITH THIS.

LET'S BE VERY OPEN.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LIKE THE LARGEST ISLANDS TOWN THAT WE'RE, AS, UH, CHIEF DOBY MENTIONED, WE'RE HALF THE SIZE OF OUR NON NEIGHBOR.

UM, SO, SO WE'RE IN THIS UNIQUE POSITION WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE AND PROVIDE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT IT TO BREAK THE BACK OF OUR BUDGET.

SO, UM, MARY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

UM, WE, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE A FOUR YEAR CONTRACT TO THESE, YOU KNOW, THESE FOR THESE UNIONS.

THAT, THAT, SO WE HAVE TO LOOK, WE HAVE TO CON CONTRACT FOR FOUR YEARS.

THERE'S NO OTHER WAY AROUND, I GUESS THAT MAYBE BOIL DOWN DIFFERENTLY.

IF YOU HAVE A UNIT OF SEVEN PEOPLE, THEIR RATE GENERALLY IS BASED ON PERFORMANCE.

THEY, YOU MIGHT HAVE, YOU MIGHT HAVE FORTUNE 2% FOR THAT PERSON, BUT ISN'T IT BASED ON PERFORMANCE NEGOTIATED? UM, THAT, THAT'S, UH, I THINK, I THINK IT'S AGAIN, THE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD OF A UNION CONTRACT.

AND I'D WOULD SAY, LIKE MY MAYOR SAID, IT'S OUR JOB TO BE COMPETITIVE AND TRY TO RETAIN QUALITY STAFF THAT ARE PROVIDING THESE SERVICES TO OUR RESIDENTS.

JUST ONE OTHER POINT.

NOT ON THAT, IF YOU DON'T MIND.

UH, YOU KNOW, I'M CONCERNED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SENDING OUR RESIDENTS WITH THEIR TREATED WOOD TO MANSFIELD.

THAT'S 32 MILES AND I, THAT THAT'S NOT ONLY BUT COST OF GAS.

WHY ARE WE TAKING FOOD UP THERE? PRESSURE.

PRESSURE TREATED LUMBER.

CORRECT? YES.

AND THE CONCERN IS THAT PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA DO IN, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET THEOLOGICAL FOR THE, THE BENEFIT THAT WE'RE SEEKING BY DOING THAT 32 MILES.

IT'S A LONG RIDE IN THE COUNTY.

I DUNNO HOW MANY PEOPLE, IT'S A DAY.

THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE LARGEST COSTS OF THE YARD OF, OF, OF THE DUMP PRESSURE TREATED.

PRESSURE TREATED LUMBER AS WELL AS TIRES.

BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PAY EXTRA TO REMOVE OF THE TIRES AND THE PRESSURE TREATED LUMBER.

IT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CLASH.

PRESSURE TREATED LUMBER GUYS TO BEGIN WITH.

I SEEN SOMEBODY SWING SET THIS MORNING, THEY TREE HIM.

THEY, THEY'VE GOTTA TAKE THIS THING UP TO THE COUNTY OR THEY'RE GONNA, LIKE SHE'S SAYING, SAW LITTLE PIECES AND THROW IN THE TRASH CAN.

UM, BUT I DON'T THINK THESE PEOPLE ARE SET UP TO GET THIS UP TO MANSFIELD.

MEANING, YOU KNOW, SO YOU ARE TAKING A SERVICE AWAY.

HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE TALKING PER YEAR? WE, WE WE'RE PROJECTING JUST A PROJECTION WAS $50,000.

RECEIV PRESSURE.

JUST THE DISPOSAL FEE OF PRESSURE.

ALL RIGHT.

HERE, HERE'S A LOADED QUESTION.

IS THERE COMMERCIAL COMPANIES COMING IN TO THE TOWNSHIP DUMP AND GETTING RID OF SUPPLIES THAT THEY ARE MAKING MONEY FROM? NOT CLEANING UP DUMP PRESSURE TREATED LUMBER ANYMORE, RIGHT.

WHY KNOW? BUT WHY CAN'T YOU GO AFTER THE COMPANIES? I KNOW WE'VE TALKED IN THE PAST, A COUPLE GUYS, WERE NOW IN THE AREA TELL TO GET OUT OTHER, THE GOVERNMENT'S GONNA SOLVE PROBLEMS, NOT SAY, HEY, EVERYBODY'S HAVING, WE'VE ADJUSTED THE DUMP HOURS TO MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY.

YES, WE'VE ADDED AN EXTRA SATURDAY AND WE'VE DONE THAT.

SO THIS SPECIFIC EMPLOYEES THAT ARE BEST SUITED TO CHECK THE IDS.

AND REALLY THE BEST EMPLOYEES WE HAVE TO, TO GOVERN OR GUARD AGAINST COMMERCIAL USE OF OUR DUMP ARE ON SITE DURING THOSE TIMES.

SO YOU GOT LIZ ROSSER OUT THERE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW HER, BUT THEY'RE OLD SCHOOL FAMILY.

GO WAY BACK.

UH, SHE'S THE BEST IN, IN THIS COMMUNITY.

I STILL THOUGH THINK LIKE A COUPLE GUYS WERE COMING IN WITH A COMMERCIAL BUSINESS AND THEY SCREWED IT UP FOR

[01:30:01]

EVERYBODY.

I DON'T THINK FOR EVERYBODY, THE GOVERNMENT COULDN'T SAY, YO, YOU GET OUTTA HERE.

THIS IS FOR THE SWING SET PEOPLE LIKE JOHNNY HIGH SCHOOL.

I MEAN LITERALLY IT WAS 10 PIECES.

AND THE GUY WAS TELLING ME, I GUESS THE WORD GETS OUT REALLY FAST WHEN THE TOWNSHIP WANTS THE RESIDENTS TO HEAR.

'CAUSE THEY WERE ALREADY AWARE.

I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA DROP A BOMB ON HIM SAYING HE CAN'T.

HE'S LIKE, I ALREADY KNOW I CAN'T.

SO I JUST THINK THAT IF THERE'S PROBLEMS WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS, I KNOW OUR NEIGHBORING TOWNS, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE STILL ACCEPTING ONE RUN TOWNSHIP'S STILL ACCEPTING FRESH RE TREE LUMBER MM-HMM .

HOW THEY'RE JUST ABSORBING THOSE COSTS.

BUT THE QUESTION WOULD BE, RUN IT BACK TO LIKE THE WATER SEWER, RIGHT? FOR THOSE OF US, I WOULD SAY THE MASS POPULATION, ME, THAT DOESN'T DUMP PRESSURE LUMBER AT THUMB.

IS IT, IS THIS A FAIR ITEM TO OMIT FROM OUR EXPENSE SIDE? MIKE, I'VE NEVER EVEN USED A SCHOOL DISTRICT HERE.

I WOULDN'T KIDS, I'VE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY INVESTING INTO THAT.

I UNDERSTAND.

SO THAT'S AGAIN, I MEAN WE, WE'VE LAID OUT A PRETTY DIRECT MESSAGE ON THE BUDGET.

IF, IF IT, IT HAS A, IF IF EVERYBODY IN MEDFORD WAS DUMP PRESSURE EVERY DAY, WE SAID TOO BAD YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, THERE'D BE IN HERE.

THERE WASN'T 11.

IT'S, IT'S AN ITEM THAT WE FELT NOT ONLY CONTROL COMMERCIAL USE OF FILM, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT, I MAKE SURE I SAY THIS RIGHT, IT'S A SERVICE WE'RE TAKING AWAY.

I DON'T WANNA TAKE THAT.

I DON'T, NOT, MIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M BURNING MY STUFF.

THE FARM, I'M, IT'S, IT'S A, A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION IS DUMPING PRESSURE TREATED LUMBER.

IT'S THAT MUCH, IT'S HIGH COST TO GET RID OF IT.

SO, SO THESE DECISIONS WE HAVE TO MAKE WITH THAT.

I, I LOVE, I LOVE THE IDEA OF SAVING MONEY.

HAVE YOU GUYS LOOKED AT YOUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND HOW THEY BILL YOU AND WHAT WE'RE KIND OF, LET'S JUST SAY FOR OIL CHANGES THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR IN OIL CHANGE RIGHT NOW? HAINESPORT ENTERPRISE, HAN SPORT ENTERPRISES, UH, GOING TO HAY MORE OIL CHANGES.

AND THEN WE DISCUSSED WITH THE SERVICE WHAT'S IN ESPORT.

SO WE WERE LOOKING AT SHARED SERVICES, ESPORT, ESPORTS ON STATE CONTRACT FOR US.

SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SO AND, AND THEY GO OUT, WE GO OUT TO BID FOR THAT.

SO ESPORT HAD THE BID AND THEN AGAIN, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER BID, YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO EXTEND IT.

THAT'S A BID ON FLEET SERVICES THOUGH, CORRECT? YES.

AND WE CHECK, LIKE IF THEY SAY IT'S 60 BUCKS AN OIL CHANGER, WE ACT ARE WE, ARE WE PAYING 60 OR IS THE BILL COMING THROUGH BILL, UH, BRIAN, ALL FIVE OF US GET THE BILL LIST.

WE VOTE ON IT EVERY COUNCIL MEETING WE HAVE, UH, THE CFO AND WELL, MY ACCOUNTS PAYABLE STAFF.

IT'S COMING A MONTH LATER FOR THAT FAST.

THEY, THEY PRESENT US WITH THIS BUSINESS AND I'LL GIVE DON A LOT OF CREDIT.

SHE WAS THE, THE, THE GURU, BUT YOU KNOW, SHE'S NOT HERE.

SO WE KIND OF ALL TAKEN ON UPON OURSELVES TO LOOK AT THESE S AND MAKE SURE THAT THE YEAH, THE DIESEL FUEL CHARGES, THE, THE REPAIR SERVICES FOR OUR FLEET.

EVERY ITEM IS ON THAT BILL.

SO I TOLD YOU THE ACTING MANAGER ON WHY THERE'S SO MANY SUPPLIES.

YEAH, GOOD.

IT'S LONG OF SUPPLIES.

IT'S ALL GETTING CUT BACK AROUND.

I DON'T KNOW, ARE YOU GUYS ABLE TO NEGOTIATE, LET'S JUST SAY OUR OLD SOLICITOR, I'M SURE YOU WHACKED THIS ON HIS WAY OUT, IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN HAPPY.

ARE YOU GUYS ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT BILL AND SAY, WELL LOOK, WE'RE NOT GONNA GIVE YOU THAT.

WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA NEGOTIATE LEGAL SERVICES.

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN ONE OF THE, I GUESS GENERAL AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE AS COUNCIL, IT'S NOT TO OVER UTILIZE LEGAL SERVICES.

SO IF THERE IS AMOUNT OF THAT REQUIRES LEGAL SERVICES WERE TO INCLUDE THE MANAGER IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS SO THAT WAY THEY'RE AWARE OF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GONNA BE A BILL COMING AND THEY MAY BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT BEFORE LEGAL JUMPS IN.

BUT THERE'S MANY MECHANISMS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE TO GOVERN OURSELVES.

SO WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT OVER OUR MONEY, BUT EVERY YEAR WE DO APPOINTED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS AND THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT THEIR HOURLY RATES.

SO EVERY YEAR CONTRACTS THOUGH THEY ARE, THEY CAN BE A LITTLE PHONY AT, AT TIMES.

AND I FOLLOW UP AND I TRIED TO STAY ON TOP OF IT THE OTHER DAY.

IT WAS, THEY WERE OUT THERE CHANGING LIGHT BULBS AT, UH, BOB BENDY SOCCER PARK FOR THE, UM, FOR THE LIGHTS OUT THERE.

THE GUYS GOT THE MACHINE THAT I OWN SITTING SAME MACHINE, SITTING RIGHT IN OUR YARD.

I HAD NO IDEA YOU GUYS WERE LOOKING, YOU NEEDED A MACHINE THAT GOES UP 72 FEET.

I COULD HAVE DRIVEN MY MACHINE OVER, IT WOULD'VE BEEN A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE DAY TO RENT IT.

YOU, YOU GUYS I BELIEVE ARE ON THE HOOK.

I DON'T KNOW, IT WAS THREE PLUS THOUSAND DOLLARS.

AND THEN THERE'S A MARKUP ON THE BULBS, BUT I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHERE DID THE BID COME FROM? SO THE BID WENT UP, LIKE IT JUST POPS UP AND

[01:35:01]

FOR ELECTRICAL SERVICES.

LIKE HOW WOULD I EVEN FOLLOW THAT? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IF I WANTED TO HELP US ALL OUT, IT WOULD'VE BEEN A GREAT DAY FOR ME.

I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO REALLY GO FAR.

I WOULD'VE CUT YOU GUYS A HUGE BREAK, BUT I DON'T EVEN GET A CHANCE.

COMPANIES OUT OF PENNSYLVANIA, HOW DO THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS? HOW DO THEY KNOW ABOUT THESE LIGHT BULBS THAT NEED TO GET CHANGED? SO IT'S ADVERTISED ON OUR WEBSITE FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME AND THEN WHEN IT CLOSES, YEAH, WHOEVER SUBMITTED THE DATES, THERE ARE CLEARLY GUIDELINES, STATE GUIDELINES, STATE GUIDELINES THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW.

AND THERE'S COMPANIES THAT I I, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK NEGATIVELY ABOUT IT, BUT THEY MAKE YOUR MONEY OFF OF FULFILLING MUNICIPAL OR GOVERNMENT BIDS.

SO IF THAT'S YOU GUYS, PLEASE SAVE MONEY.

IF YOU, IF YOU JUST GOT IT OUT THERE AND SAID, YO, ANY CONTRACTORS IN THE AREA, LIKE THE PRESSURE TRADE, EVERYBODY KNOWS YOU CAN'T TAKE ALL, ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR MUNICIPAL BIDS, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, LINDSAY ARE NOW ARE ALL ON OUR WEBSITE.

UM, THAT FOR EVERYTHING, CHECK ON EVERYTHING.

THEY HAVE ADMINS IN THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ALL THEY DO IS CHECK.

CAN WE, IF YOU GUYS NEED SOMETHING DONE IN THE SCOTT, CAN YOU REACH OUT TO CORNERSTONE TREE SERVICE FOR REAL? I KNOW, I KNOW.

IT WOULD MAKE YOU GRIND YOUR TEETH TO HIGHER UP.

BUT WE COULD SEE THE TAXPAYER SOME MONEY.

YOU DID A GREAT JOB HELPING OUT THE FOLKS AT THE SHELTER, AT THE MAYBE WORK THAT DAY.

I HEARD IT WENT GREAT.

SURE.

ALL DAY.

I GOT ONE MORE QUESTION AND, AND THIS WAS SOMETHING JASON BROUGHT UP.

HE SAID, SOME OF YOU KNOW THE COST WITH THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT IS GONNA BE ON THE TAXPAYERS AND YOU GUYS KIND OF SAID, NO, NO, NO, IT'S ALL THE BUILDER, BUT LET'S JUST SAY TRASH CANS.

NOW I HEARD A NEIGHBORING TOWN, 155 HOMES WENT IN, THEY NEEDED EACH ONE TRASH CAN.

IT WAS $50,000 HAD TO COME OUT OF THE TOWNSHIP BUDGET.

THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I THINK YOU COULD PROBABLY, UM, MAYBE NEGOTIATE WITH HORTON, RIGHT.

THE DEVELOPERS AND MAKE SURE, BECAUSE IF THAT'S 150 AND WE'RE TALKING 800 HOMES, I, I, I CAN'T, WHAT, WHAT DOES A TRASH CAN COST? DOES ANYBODY KNOW THREE? IS THAT WHAT IT IS? I SHOULD GO IN THAT BUSINESS AND GET TRASH CANS.

FOR REAL.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY GUYS.

WHEN WHEN YOU DO, WHEN YOU HAVE THIS DEVELOPMENT OPEN UP, THESE PEOPLE ALL NEED TRASH CANS.

I KNOW IT'S FUNNY.

LIKE, OKAY, WELL CAN A CAN COST, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE A MILLION DOLLARS OR SOMETHING AND, AND RECYCLING.

I DON'T KNOW WHO PAYS FOR THAT.

THAT'S THE COUNTY.

COUNTY.

BUT I WOULD LOOK AT, AND THIS ISN'T THE FIRST DEVELOPMENT COMING HERE.

THERE MUST BE AN UNDERSTANDING, OH MAN, SOMETHING LIKE THIS DOES, CAN WE TALK TO PORN AND AND GIVE HIM A LITTLE BIT OF A DEAL? YES.

MIKE, YOU TALKING CRAP ABOUT ME? NOT YET.

UM, THE MICROPHONE WON'T TALK CRAP.

BUT UM, I JUST WANNA CONFER WITH LINDSAY.

SO WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH OUR MANAGER REPUBLIC SERVICES, WHICH WE ALL LOVE AND PART OF THAT AGREEMENT IS THEY PROVIDE THE RECEPTABLE, CORRECT? CORRECT.

AS PART OF PICKING UP THE TRASH, RIGHT? YES.

REPLACE, YEAH.

SO JUST TO BE GIVEN THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT POINT, WE NO LONGER HAVE THEY IN THEORY HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE THEIR YES.

UM, SO I JUST WANNA THROW ALL THAT OUT THERE AND ONE MORE THING WHEN, SO I I JUST WANT CLARIFY THAT CORNERSTONE INVITING TAKE ALL PRESSURE LUMBER TO THEIR YES PROBLEM TOGETHER, SHARED UP SOME INTERESTING POINTS, EYE ERROR.

BUT I'LL FOR A SECOND BECAUSE FOR THOSE OF YOU AROUND, REMEMBER THAT THE TOWNSHIP, YOU KNOW, THE NEW, THE NEW SORT OF GOVERNING BODY CAME IN AND SAID, OH HOLY S**T, WE'VE BEEN OVERPAYING ALL OF OUR, YOU KNOW, UH, VENDORS, UH, IN THE TUNE OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, CREATED THEIR OWN, SORT OF, DID THEIR OWN INVESTIGATION.

UH, CHECK GUY WAS, WAS KIND OF HAD A WHOLE TEAM OF PEOPLE WHO LOOKED AT THAT.

SO I, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS IS I HOPE YOU'RE NOT STILL DOING THAT, RIGHT? 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, BASED ON POLITICS, THEY WERE HIRING THEIR POLITICAL BUDDIES TO PAY ROADS AND STUFF AND THEY WOULD SAY, OH YEAH, IT'S GONNA COST US 300,000.

THEY'D COME BACK AND SAY, YEAH, IT'S COST US THREE 80,000 AND THEY WOULD JUST, SO WE GET SIGNED OFF AND UNDERSTAND.

SO WHAT KINDS OF THINGS ARE IN PLACE NOW TO PREVENT THAT FROM, FROM HAPPENING TO HAVE MORE CONTROLS OVER, YOU KNOW, THIS TYPE OF THING.

AND UNDOUBTEDLY THERE ARE JOBS THAT, THINGS THAT HAPPEN, WHETHER IT'S A SEWER THING OR A PAVER LEGITIMATELY, RIGHT.

UNFORESEEN THINGS COME UP.

[01:40:01]

YEAH, YOU GUYS DEAL.

I WOULD SAY THE BID PROCESS HAS CERTAINLY BECOME MORE STRINGENT OVER YEARS.

AND ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT'S IN THE BID PACKAGE IS A PAY TO PLAY FORM.

SO ANYONE WHO IS PUTTING A BID IN FOR ANY PROJECT HAVE TO PUT, IF THEY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO ANY POLITICAL AFFILIATION OR ORGANIZATION IN ANY WAY, ANY DONATION AT ALL.

UM, SO I WOULD SAY THAT IS ONE DOCUMENT THAT FOR SURE UM, PUTS THEM ON THE HOOK FOR THAT.

UM, AND I WOULD SAY IT'S ALSO VERY COMPETITIVE FOR LIKE A ROAD PROGRAM.

WE COULD HAVE SIX OR SEVEN PEOPLE PLACE BIDS AND WE'VE BEEN PLEASANTLY SURPRISED THE LAST YEAR, UM, HOW COMPETITIVE THE BIDS HAVE ACTUALLY COME IN AT.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PAVE MORE ROADS THAN ANTICIPATED THE LAST TWO YEARS DUE TO THE COMPETITIVE BIDS.

AND HOW MANY PARTIES DID SHOW TO THE TABLE.

I WILL SAY THERE WAS A BID, UM, RECENTLY FOR ONE OF THE WELLHOUSE THAT WE HAD TO REJECT AND WE DID NOT, UM, AWARD THE CONTRACT JUST BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO DO SO AND I WASN'T COMFORTABLE DOING THAT.

SO, UM, I WOULD SAY THE PROCESS IS, UM, THAT ALL OF OUR BIDS ARE REVIEWED BY OUR TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY AS WELL.

UM, AND THERE ARE SO MANY FORMS, UM, THAT ARE REQUIRED TO BE FILLED OUT BY THESE PARTIES.

SO I WOULD SAY, UM, YOU COULD REST ASSURED IT'S WHAT IS THE PRO WHAT IS THE PROCESS NOW THOUGH IF, IF THERE IS A PAVING PROJECT, THE BID WAS 300,000 TO GET IN AND THEY COME BACK AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE NEED MORE MONEY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF X, Y, Z.

WHAT DOES THAT PROCESS JUST YOU OR IS IT HOW MANY PEOPLE? NO, SO THE, THE PROFESSIONAL WOULD TELL THE ENGINEER THAT THEY WANT TO DO, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A CHANGE ORDER.

THE CHANGE ORDER CAN EXCEED 20% BLESS YOU OF THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT.

SO IF THERE'S A CHANGE ORDER, UM, ONE, I HAVE TO TELL THEM IF I CAN EVEN CERTIFY FUNDS.

SO THAT'S REQUIRED WITH THE RESOLUTION FOR THE CHANGEOVER THAT I, OR THE CHANGE ORDER THAT I CAN CERTIFY THE FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IF THE FUNDS AREN'T AVAILABLE, WE DON'T EVEN DO THE CHANGE ORDER.

UM, IF THE FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE, IT'S READ AS A RESOLUTION AT A COUNCIL MEETING.

UM, BUT I WOULD SAY THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF CHANGE ORDERS CANNOT EXCEED 20% OF THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT PRICE THAT WAS AWARDED AT THE TIME OF THE BID.

WHAT THAT 20%, IS THAT SOME THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN PLACED FOR A LONG TIME OR IS THIS IT'S A STATE LAW, THE 20% STATE LAW? YES.

AND I WOULD SAY FOR EXAMPLE, LAST YEAR, THE ONLY REASON THE PAVING PROGRAM HAD A CHANGE ORDER IS BECAUSE THE VENDOR HAD GIVEN US A COMPETITIVE RATE AND WE ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO HAVE A FEW MORE MILES OF ROADWAY PAVED BECAUSE WE HAD BUDGETED A CERTAIN AMOUNT FOR THE ROAD PROGRAM.

THE BID CAME IN COMPETITIVELY.

SO WE, THE ENGINEER, UM, ASKED THE PAVER IF THEY COULD DO A COUPLE MORE MILES OF ROADWAY FOR US.

AND THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WE DID A CHANGE ORDER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT PRICE THAT WAS LOCKED IN AT THE TIME OF THE BID.

AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THOUGH, THAT ALSO WE'RE LOCKED INTO VARIOUS CONTRACTS FOR, FOR, FOR PAYMENTS FOR FOR INSTANCE, UH, NEW JERSEY AMERICAN LETTER.

UH, THERE WAS A CONTRACT ENTERED INTO, I THINK AS PART OF THE INITIAL SAMOS PROPERTY PIECE, UH, WAY BACK WHEN THAT WAS REQUIRING WATER TO BE PURCHASED FROM NEW JERSEY AMERICAN WATER.

SO THE COUNTY HAS HAS BEEN IN A CONTRACT WITH THAT FOR THAT WATER SUPPLY TO TENS OF THOUSAND DOLLARS EXTRA PER MONTH.

BUT OBVIOUSLY WITH THE ESTABL PROPERTY NOT BEING DEVELOPED, THERE HASN'T BEEN A NEED FOR THAT WATER.

SO WE'VE BEEN SOMEWHAT OVERPAYING NEW JERSEY AMERICAN WATER FOR THAT WATER SUPPLY FOR THE PAST, YOU KNOW, NUMBER OF YEARS.

UM, BUT THAT HAS, AND WE, WE DID ASK LEGAL COUNSEL THIS YEAR TO EXAMINE THAT CONTRACT TO SEE IF THERE WAS A WAY OF TERMINATING IT.

UH, UNFORTUNATELY IT DOES NOT SEEM THAT THAT HAS BEEN THE CASE.

UH, SO WE ARE NOW WORKING WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES TO FIGHT, UH, NEW JERSEY.

AMERICAN WATER'S PROPOSED 18% RATE HIKE.

'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE DO NOT NEED THAT LETTER RIGHT NOW.

YOU WERE STILL PAYING FOR IT AND BEEN PAYING FOR IT FOR YEARS.

UM, YEAH, SO PROBABLY CLOSE TO $10 MILLION IN EXCESS, UH, PAYMENTS THAT HAVE PUT OUT.

I THINK IT'S AROUND 65, 70 $5,000 EXTRA PER MONTH.

70 TO 78,000 TO NEW JERSEY AMERICAN WATER, UH, FOR THAT WATER, THAT'S NOT USE.

PROFESSIONAL ATTORNEYS, PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS, PROFESSIONAL, UM, PLANNERS UP TO A THRESHOLD.

I HAVE ONE MORE THING TO SAY AND THEN I'M GONNA SHUT OFF BECAUSE I WANNA GET THE MOMENT COMMENTS FOR EVERYTHING ELSE.

UM, SINCE YOU BROUGHT UP THE WHOLE PAY TO PLAY THING, IS THERE ANYTHING ON RECORD, ANY, UH, PROCEDURE POLICY AT LAW, ANYTHING RELATED TO THE TOWNSHIP PROFESSIONALS FOR PAY TO PLAY? BECAUSE FOR EXAMPLE, UH, LIKE PRIME LAW, UH, CAL DESIGN, ENVIRONMENTAL RESOLUTION, NOT FOR NOTHING.

THEY MAKE SOME PRETTY BIG POLITICAL DONATIONS TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN ELECTED.

UM, AND IT'S SORT OF RES OF PAPER FLAG.

SO HOW DOES THAT WORK AND ARE WE NOT HOLDING THEM TO THE STATE STANDARD? OH, APPOINTED PROFESSIONAL EXEMPT FROM THIS.

SO THERE'S A ONE, YES.

THEY DID CHANGE THE CAMPAIGN FA FINANCING LAW TWO YEARS AGO AND IT ALLOWS, THEY RAISED THE THRESHOLD WHERE YOU COULD APPOINT PROFESSIONALS, LIKE

[01:45:01]

I THINK IT'S $5,500 THROUGH THE NO WAIT, NO WAIT.

LISTEN, LISTEN.

BECAUSE THERE'S PERSON, PERSON, CORRECT.

'CAUSE THERE'S TWO AND SCOTT KELLER AND POWER DESIGN, THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF IT.

SO THIS IS THE NON FAIR AND OPEN PROCESS.

SO THE NON FAIR AND OPEN PROCESS, THERE IS A FINITE NUMBER THAT YOU CAN ONLY CONTRIBUTE UP TO AND THEN YOU CAN BE APPOINTED FOR A PROFESSIONAL POSITION.

THE OTHER SIDE IS THE NON FAIR AND OPEN AND THE NON FAIR, NON FAIR AND OPEN, EXCUSE ME, THE FAIR AND OPEN PROCESS.

THE FAIR AND OPEN PROCESS.

GO DONATE HOW YOU FEEL FIT.

YOU'LL TOWNSHIPS WILL APPLY FOR A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.

THESE REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS WILL BE SUBMITTED AND THEN THOSE PROFESSIONALS CAN BE APPOINTED.

SO YOU CAN DONATE $0, YOU CAN DONATE $10,000 AND YOU CAN DONATE THE MONEY TO, THERE ARE ALSO CAMPAIGN CAMPAIGN FINANCING LAWS WHERE YOU CAN ONLY DONATE X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS PER PACK.

AND THERE'S WAYS THAT ARE AROUND THAT.

I DON'T DO CAMPAIGN FINANCING, I DON'T WANT TO TOUCH CAMPAIGN CAMPAIGN FINANCING, BUT THERE ARE WAYS WHERE YOU HAVE ABILITY TO PUT X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS IN EACH PACK OR EACH SUPER FUND OR EACH INDIVIDUAL CAN DONORS, UM, COMMITTEE OR A FUND.

AND THAT'S HOW YOU CAN MAKE THOSE DONATIONS.

AND AS LONG AS YOU COMPLY WITH THAT.

'CAUSE EVERY YEAR WE HAVE TO SUBMIT HOW MUCH WE DONATE TO THE STATE TO BE REVIEWED.

AND IF WE VIOLATE THAT, THEN WE CAN GET FINED.

YEAH, WELL YOU'RE THE ONE THAT, OKAY, I KNOW THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT KINDS.

WHAT DO WE HAVE? WE, SO WE FOR PROFESSIONAL APPOINT SAY FAIR AND OPEN VERSUS NOT FAIR AND OPEN.

SO YOU'RE PRO, IS THIS AN OPTION THAT TOWNS HAVE OR LIKE IT IS? OH, IT IS.

SO YOU GUYS, WHAT DO WE HAVE? YOU GUYS DID, WHAT WAS BED FOR DAD IN, IN TERMS OF OUR REQUIREMENT? DO YOU WANT ME TO ANSWER? YEAH, YEAH.

SO YOU GUYS DID BOTH THIS YEAR.

SO YOU DID THE FAIR AND OPEN PROCESS FOR ALL YOUR YEAR LONG PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS.

SO THAT WAS THE STANDARD EVERYBODY AND THEIR MOTHER CAN APPLY.

BUT LAST WEEK, UM, THERE WAS A RESOLUTION THAT WAS ADOPTED FOR THE COO LAW GROUP FOR SPECIAL COUNSEL FOR LABOR.

THAT WAS THE NON-AIR AND OPEN PROCESS BECAUSE WE NEEDED A CONFLICT.

WE NEEDED CONFLICT COUNSEL.

UM, SO YOU'VE DONE BOTH, BUT YOUR PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS THAT WERE ADOPTED ON DURING REORGANIZATION, THEY WERE DONE THROUGH THE FAIR AND OPEN PROCESS.

SO WE DON'T HAVE LIKE A REQUIREMENT TO DO FAIR AND WE JUST MAKE THE DECISION AS WE CHOOSE TO.

OKAY, WE'RE GONNA DO ONE MORE QUESTION HERE AND THEN OR TWO AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL CLOSE THIS BUDGET PORTION AND WE'LL MOVE THE PUBLIC CONDUCT.

THANK YOU ALL GENTLEMEN, GENTLEMAN.

BLACK HAT SECOND.

HE MENTIONED LIKE THE LATE TWO THOUSANDS WHEN THERE WAS SOME COMPANIES THAT OVER, OVER BILL US.

THAT'S A, THAT'S A REAL THROWBACK AND I REMEMBER THAT.

AND THEN, AND THEN WE WERE ASKING LIKE, HOW DO WE MAKE CHANGES? BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING ONE OF THOSE COMPANIES IS STILL WORKING FOR THE TOWNSHIP THAT, THAT, THAT CLEARLY OVERDO US.

IT WAS ALL IN THE NEWSPAPERS.

I'VE, I'VE SPOKEN TO YOU ABOUT LIKE WHY, HOW WE HANDLE THAT SITUATION, UM, WHETHER THEY DECIDED TO HIRE THEM BACK OR NOT.

WE'RE AT A DIFFERENT TIME NOW AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE EVEN THAT CONTRACT KEEPS GETTING RENEWED, WHY CAN'T WE FIX IT? MAN, HE, THEY, THEY NEVER EVEN PAID US BACK ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE.

AND WE'RE STILL GRIND MY TEETH EVERY QUARTER WHEN I PAY MY TAXES OR STUFF LIKE THIS.

A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE CHANGED THE PROCESS OF LIKE, HEY, MAKE SURE YOU DON'T MAKE DONATIONS, BUT YOUR NAME IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT OVER BILL, YOU KNOW, BY THE WAY, USING THE WORD OVER BILL IS BEING NICE.

ALL RIGHT.

WE ALL, THERE WAS A LOT MORE GOING ON BACK THEN, BUT HOW DID THEY GET HIRED BACK? YOU BESIDES AN EXECUTIVE SESSION? BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED IN 2013.

I'M NOT SURE WHO THE PARTY IS WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

WE CAN FIX THAT.

WE SLEEP BETTER IN THIS.

WE HAVE, WE HAVE ANNUAL CONTRACTS WITH OUR PROFESSIONALS.

I DON'T YES, UNDER CORRECT.

EVERY YEAR DURING REOR, I'M ASSUMING, OR YES.

SHORTLY THEREAFTER.

UM, THE COUNCIL, THE CURRENT COUNCIL THAT SITS HERE VOTED ON THOSE PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS.

UM, I, AND I CAN STEAL FROM THE TAXPAYERS AND THEN COME BACK AND GET REHIRED.

LIKE HOW DOES THAT WORK? IS THAT TRUE? IT'S TRUE.

IS IT TRUE? WHAT HE SAYING, MIKE IS TRUE? YOU KNOW, IT'S FIVE OF US VOTED FOR THE PROFESSIONAL ISSUE.

THAT CONTRACT GOT RENEWED FROM LAST YEAR AGO.

IT'S AN ANNUAL PLAN.

SO IN THE EVENT TIMEOUT, SO IF YOU EVER GET BILLED A FEE THAT YOU DISPUTE, THERE IS

[01:50:01]

AN APPEAL PROCESS.

IF IT'S PROFESSIONAL FEE IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION, YOU CAN APPEAL IT TO THE CONSTRUCTION BOARD OF APPEALS.

IF IT'S AN ATTORNEY FEE, YOU CAN APPEAL THAT TO THE CONSTRUCTION BOARD OF APPEALS.

SO IN TERMS CHARGING A PROFESSIONAL THAT IS YOU THINK IS STEALING FROM YOU, WAIT, BROAD COUNTY TIMES A REPUBLICAN PAPER CALLED THE REPUBLICAN GROUP OUT HERE IN THE COMMUNITY FRONT PAGE IN 20 10, 20 11, THEN SOMEBODY.

BUT THERE'S NO, YOU CAN, YOU CAN MAKE A LOT OF ACCUSATIONS.

AND THE GREATEST THING ABOUT THE NEWS IS THE NEWS CAN PUBLISH WHAT THEY WANT.

THERE'S A THING CALLED FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

YOU MAY BE WRONG, BUT YOU HAVE THAT RIGHT.

BILLS AND, AND DISCREPANCY BECAUSE I MEAN, WHAT THIS GUY BROUGHT UP OVER HERE REALLY HAPPENED.

IT WAS, IT WAS A LAW FIRM, IT WAS A REPAIR SHOP, IT WAS A CONTRACT.

I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF IT HAPPENED, BUT WHY CAN'T WE MOVE AWAY FROM SOMEBODY LIKE THAT? WHY ARE WE STILL MARRIED WITH TO THEM THAT THAT WOULD BE THE, THEY'RE NOT A NICE PERSON.

IT'S, SO I, I I THINK, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THIS NECESSARILY REFLECTS THE, YOUR 26 BUDGET PRESENTATION, BUT THANK, YOU'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE MORE TIME TO DISCUSS THIS DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.

YEAH, LET'S FIX THIS MIKE.

ONCE IN FRONT.

I THINK WE'RE MAKING STRIDES EVERY DAY.

I KNOW.

SO I HAVE THE BUDGET PRESENTATION QUESTION.

GO AHEAD.

LINDSAY, PHENOMENAL JOB.

SO THE, UH, THE MUNICIPAL BUDGETS 18 MAY ROUGHLY 27.

27 MAY, SO YOU'RE ALLOWED TO RAISE IT 2%.

THAT'S 540,000.

LEMME PULL UP THE LEVY CAP.

WHAT IS THE AMOUNT WE'RE RAISING OUR TAXES FOR THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER? $105 AND 20.

THAT'S THE TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNT.

LET'S SEE.

HAVE THAT 9,000, YEAH.

3.2.

SO THE LOCAL PURPOSE TAX LAST YEAR WAS 16.3 MILLION AND IT'S GOING TO 17.4.

SO RIGHT AROUND 900,000 BY SOME OF THE SURPLUS.

GOOD MATH.

SO IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO RIGHT, YOU CAN'T CHANGE SALARIES, CONTRACTUAL, YOU CAN'T KEEP CUTTING EMPLOYEES.

SO HOPEFULLY COUNSEL JUST HAS TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX RIGHT? IS, I'M NOT SELLING NO CEMETERY, BUT THE CEMETERY GENERATED 900,000 A YEAR THAT CAME TO THE TOWNSHIP'S BOTTOM LINE.

YOU WOULD NOT BE IN THIS SITUATION TODAY.

MANY YEARS AGO, I PRESENTED A PLAN TO THE TOWNSHIP ABOUT PURCHASING A SOLAR TRUCK THAT WAS 85 ACRES THAT GENERATED MANY, MANY, MANY DOLLARS EVERY YEAR.

AND THEN THE TOWNSHIP COULD HAVE HAD THAT PROPERTY TO BE USED FOR REDEVELOPMENT.

TOWNSHIP COUNCIL DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR THAT ONE BEHIND.

SO THERE'S CAR'S VOICE.

I LOVE BRIAN AND DAVE BETTER.

OKAY, NO PROBLEM.

I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU CAME OUT.

IT WAS A PERSONAL ISSUE BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, BUT YOU GUYS DID THE WRONG THING WITH THE CEMETERY.

THAT IS, I'VE NEVER MET ANYBODY RICH FROM A CEMETERY.

NO OFFENSE.

AND IT TOOK ME A LITTLE WHILE TO FIGURE OUT THE PRACTICAL CODE.

HOW TAKE CARE OF FOR TURN.

LEMME TALK BRIAN.

YOU KNOCKED THAT.

OKAY, NOW, NOW THE CEMETERY HAS GROWN TO 50 ACRES, 1700 CREEKS.

FULL BLOWN ATORY.

IT WAS A 10 ACRE CEMETERY.

WASN'T EVEN FINISHED.

THE TOWNSHIP MADE A BAD MISTAKE, BUT I'M OKAY.

BUT THOSE ARE THE THINGS OUTSIDE THE BOX THAT THE TOWNSHIP FOREFATHERS COUNCIL, YOU PUT A COMMITTEE TOGETHER AND THESE SMART PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM DON'T INCLUDE ME.

YOU CAN COME UP WITH SOME GREAT IDEAS TO GENERATE REVENUE IN YOUR TAX YEAR BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY YOU COULD APPLY IT TO THIS TAX YEAR.

SO HAMM HAS A GOLF COURSE AND THE GOLF RANGE, SO IT'S A GOLF UTILITY.

AND THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WHY THE CEMETERY WAS A GOOD SITUATION BACK THEN.

I NOT FOR SALE.

I'M NOT INTERESTED IN, I'M JUST TELLING YOU THERE ARE OTHER IDEAS THAT YOU COULD, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE COMMENT.

AND, AND LINDSAY, JUST FINAL COMMENT THAT I KNOW YOU, YOU FIND SOME VALUE.

SO EACH SHIP HAS, SO WE HAVE A WATER UTILITY, RIGHT? THAT WOULD'VE BEEN SOMETHING CALLED A SECRETARY UTILITY UTILITY.

CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE HAMM GOLF UTILITY MONDAY? CORRECT.

[01:55:01]

UM, AND THEY DO, BASED ON THEIR FINANCIALS, DO VERY WELL AND THEY BRING OVER $1 MILLION INTO THEIR REGULAR BUDGET FROM THEIR GOLF UTILITY.

SO I'M BRINGING IN A MEASLY 65,000 FROM OUR UTILITY, UM, INTO THE REGULAR BUDGET JUST BECAUSE I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH TOUCHING TOO MUCH OF THE SURPLUS AND UTILITY.

THE GOLF UTILITY AT EVE SHAM IS DOING PHENOMENALLY WELL.

SO THEY BRING IN OVER A MILLION DOLLARS IN THEIR 26 BUDGET, UM, JUST FROM THEIR GOLF UTILITY FOR USER FEES AT THE RANGE, UM, THE GOLF COURSE.

SO, SO THAT AS, AS MR. STALL HAD MENTIONED, UM, THERE'S MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE MUNICIPALITY THAT TO VENTURE INTO OTHER REVENUE GENERATING SOURCES, ASIDE FROM TAXING ITS PEOPLE, RIGHT.

AND INCREASING OUR RATEABLES, WHICH, UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE, I THINK WE'VE HEARD ENOUGH BETWEEN LAST TIME AND THIS TIME THAT THAT GENERAL INCREASE IN TAX IS GONNA HOPEFULLY KEEP UP TO SOME EXTENT.

BUT WE HAVE TO FIND THESE OTHER MECHANISMS TO INCREASE THE OVERALL INCOME TO THE TOWN.

'CAUSE JUST THE GENERAL, THE GENERAL LE'S NOT GONNA HOLD UP OVER TIME.

SO, UM, OTHER UTILITIES THAT, THAT COULD BE AN OPTION.

HOTELS WERE MENTIONED, UH, OBVIOUSLY MORE VARIABLES ARE CONSIDERED.

UM, THESE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT WE ALL NEED TO COME TOGETHER NOW AND DISCUSS.

SO WE DON'T, WE GET AWAY FROM THAT CLIFF, NOT, WE NOT RUN TOWARDS IT OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

SO, UM, LINDSAY, WE ALL, ALL RESIDENTS HERE, WANNA THANK YOU.

ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, AS LINDSAY MENTIONED, UM, NOT ONLY THIS PRESENTATION TO THE LIVE STREAM, BUT THE, THE COP, THE, THE FIRST TIME YOU PRESENTED THIS ON THE 14TH YEP.

WILL BE AVAILABLE.

IT ALREADY IS.

IT IS AVAILABLE AS WELL AS THE PHYSICAL PRESENTATION SLIDES AND THE STATE BUDGET SHEETS THAT GET SUBMITTED TO THE STATE.

AND WHAT ARE THE, I SHOULD KNOW THIS, UM, BUT WHAT ARE THE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO ENGAGE WITH THE BUDGET? IT'S, SO I WOULD SAY, UM, NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, WE CAN CERTAINLY ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS AND THEN, UM, I WOULD SAY, UM, THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THE VOTE TO ADOPT IS ON MAY 19TH.

SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE PUBLIC'S ENGAGEMENT TODAY IS GREAT.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR MORE OF THAT, UM, OVER THE NEXT FEW MEETINGS HERE, CERTAINLY.

UM, BUT, UM, THE PROCESS NOW FALLS TO A FIRST AND SECOND.

GO AHEAD AND WE'LL INCLUDE THE QUESTION AGAIN ON FACEBOOK IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS TO SEND THEM IN.

IF NOT EVERYONE CAN MAKE IT ON THE NIGHTS WE'RE HAVING IT.

NO, NO ASKED.

SINCE EVERYONE CAN'T MAKE THE MEETINGS, WE ARE GONNA PUT IT OUT ON FACEBOOK.

UM, I'LL ASK JASON AGAIN AND THE OTHER SITES THAT I KNOW OF TO PUT THE QUESTION.

THE, SO IF CAN'T MAKE IT PUTS, AND SORRY, YOU AND THE CD TWO.

OH, GOOD.

TO GET READY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, IF THERE WASN'T ENOUGH ALREADY, .

I'M SO SORRY, .

WE'RE, UM, WE'RE JUST GONNA DO A LITTLE BIT OF A RESET HERE

[VII. PUBLIC COMMENTS]

UM, SO WHILE THAT'S TAKING PLACE, I JUST WANT TO, AGAIN, THANK THE FOLKS THAT WERE HERE FOR ENGAGING WITH US DURING THIS BUDGET PROCESS.

UM, I HOPE I WASN'T TOO RUDE FOR, FOR LAST YEAR'S BUDGET PRESENTATION, BUT IT WAS, THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION GIVEN, AND I THINK THERE WAS ONE PERSON THAT SPOKE, UM, TO LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.

THE, THE AMOUNT OF ENGAGEMENT HAS BEEN VERY, UM, ENCOURAGING FOR US.

SO, UM, NOW THE SECTION THAT WE'RE GONNA ENTER INTO IS THE STANDARD PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION.

THIS WILL BE LIMITED TO FIVE MINUTES.

UM, IT'LL FUNCTION.

YOU CAN ASK ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.

UM, I'LL ASK, UH, CHIEF DOY TO KEEP THE TIME.

ONE MINUTE WARNING.

UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, THERE'S NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE HERE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, FEEL FREE TO EITHER COME UP OR IF I CALL YOU OUTTA ORDER, I APOLOGIZE.

BUT I DO SEE LOUIS'S HAND FIRST.

I'M SORRY, JASON, YOU CAN GO RIGHT AHEAD.

UM, LUIS LOPEZ,

[02:00:01]

RESIDENT IN COUNTY, UH, BURLINGTON, THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.

MY FIRST QUESTION IS, UH, WHAT'S IS THE STATUS OF FIVE W THE PROPERTY? THAT'S, I WANT, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S THE STATUS THERE? WELL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK ALL YOUR QUESTIONS AND THEN I'LL GO BACK AND ANSWER THEM.

AND THE, THE MEETING BEFORE THE LAST ONE MONTH, BEFORE THE LAST ONE, UH, I JUST HEAR, UH, AS OF, UH, THE MANAGER, YOU KNOW, BEING, UH, JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR HIS POSITION, IT'S BECAUSE OF THE WRONG DECISION HE MADE.

I APOLOGIZE.

WAS IT A WRONG DECISION? HE MADE, UM, THE, THE, THE REASONS FOR HIS SUSPENSION WERE LISTED IN THE RESOLUTION.

HE'S PERMANENT BY, YOU KNOW, LIKE, SO THAT'S A, IT'S, HE'S REQUESTED WHAT'S CALLED A PUBLIC HEARING.

SO THERE'S A RESOLUTION LATER ON IN TONIGHT'S AGENDA THAT IS SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING IN THE HEARING RULES FOR APRIL 28TH.

SO HE'S STILL, MR. HORAL IS STILL THE TOWNSHIP'S MANAGER, AS OF RIGHT THIS MOMENT.

HE'S SUSPENDED PENDING THAT HEARING TO EITHER CONFIRM HIS REMOVAL OR REINSTATE HIM.

BUT THE ALLEG, WHAT HE DID WRONG, WE'RE ALL MEMORIALIZED BY WAY OF THE RESOLUTION.

76 DASH 2026.

SO IT IS, I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME, OR I WOULD READ IT TO YOU AND SHOW IT TO YOU, BUT I DON'T HAVE IT.

BUT IT IS ALL WRITTEN ON THE DOCUMENT, I THINK.

UH, CAN'T WAIT FOR THE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE DRIVE, THE SECOND FOR THE FIREWORKS.

CAN'T WAIT TO, TO GO THERE.

AND I WANT ALSO THANK, UH, RAY FOR LETTING ME KNOW OF THE MEETING TONIGHT.

UH, I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR, THANK FOR THE CANDIDATE.

BUT I HAD TWO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CALENDAR.

FIRST QUESTION IS HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO MAKE THAT CALENDAR? CAN YOU ANSWER THAT QUESTION? YEAH.

SO THAT CALENDAR IS PRODUCED BY THE MEDFORD SUNSHINE ROTARY.

UM, IT'S A ENDEAVOR THAT THEY TAKE ON AS, AS A NON-PROFIT, THEIR OWN PRIVATE NON-PROFIT.

UM, IT'S A, IT'S A LARGE EXPENSE TO PRODUCE THAT.

AND, UM, JUST IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY A, IT'S A NON-REVENUE GENERATING, UM, ACTIVITY.

THEY, THEY DON'T MAKE MONEY OFF OF THAT, WHICH IS UNFORTUNATE.

BUT, UM, SO I BELIEVE IT'S LIKE IN THE 30 OR $40,000 RANGE TO PRODUCE THAT, THAT'S ALL DONE BY VOLUNTEERS IN THAT ORGANIZATION.

I SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, ALL TIMES YOU CAN DO THAT.

MAN, IT WAS CANCELED.

2026 MILE, HIGHLY CANCELED EVERYWHERE WAS DISAPPOINTED.

AND I SAID, ALL IS BECAUSE OF POLITICS.

I MEAN, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT FOR GIVING THAT ALREADY DOING FOR THE CALENDAR.

AND, UH, THERE TWO VERSION OF THE OTHER CANCER MEETING YOU HAVE YOURS AND I HAVE MY, YOU KNOW, HIGH QUALITY, IT'D BE UPLOADED AS SOON I GET TO MY HOUSE.

AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, USE THE TWO VERSION OF IT.

I DO NOT MY, I COULD ADD A CONTACT, UPLOAD IT AND LET EVERYONE GOING, WHAT'S GOING ON, UM, IN BOUNTY COUNTY.

AND I COULD SEE IT TO SEARCH, UH, TWO WORDS, LOUIS LOPEZ MANHA, THAT WILL COME UP.

THE VERY FIRST ONE.

I DO RECALL EVERY MEETING IN BOUNTY COUNTY, SOMETIME AND SOMETIME, UH, ONE TIME WITH BOUNTY, I MEAN CANDY COUNTY, UH, MEETING.

I WENT THERE ONCE AND, UH, WITH TO, YOU KNOW, AMAZED, THANKING ME, UH, UH, THANKING ME, HAVING ASKED A GUEST.

THANK YOU, LEWIS.

UM, SO YOU HAD, I THINK THE ONE THAT WE NEED TO JUST ADDRESS IS FLYING W SO THAT'S CURRENTLY IN, SO THEY HAVE SHARED, THEY BEING DR. HORTON HAS HAVE SHARED THEIR PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS.

UM, I RECEIVED A COPY OF THEM TODAY.

UH, WE ARE REVIEWING, UM, THE FLYING W AS WELL AS THE OTHER THREE PROPERTIES WHERE YOU SHOULD HOPEFULLY HAVE COMMENTS BACK QUICKLY.

YEAH, THERE WAS ENVIRONMENTALS THAT, UM, RESTRICTED THE DENSITY, UH, WHERE THE BUILDABLE LAND FOR FLYING W SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE RENEGOTIATING SOME OF THE TERMS OF, OF THOSE PLANS.

THEY ARE DOING ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES.

THIS IS JUST THEIR GENERAL REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.

SO THAT IF IT'S APPROVED A REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT SO THAT IF IT'S APPROVED, THEY CAN BE DESIGNATED.

THE REDEVELOPER, JULY, I, I, THOSE ARE THE FOURTH ROUND SITES.

I THINK LEWIS IS REFERRING TO THE FLYING W, WHICH IS THE THIRD ROUND SITE.

THAT CORRECT? THAT WASN'T CLEAR IN THERE IN THE AGREEMENT THOUGH, THE EMAIL THAT CAME OUT TODAY.

OF THE AGREEMENTS WAS JUST BOILERPLATE LANGUAGE.

UH, BUT I THINK WHEN I LOOKED AT IT, IT WAS JUST BOILER PLATE LANGUAGE.

I DIDN'T SEE ANY OTHER TERMS IN THERE FOR OFFERINGS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

JUST BASICALLY JUST EACH

[02:05:01]

THANK YOU JASON.

HEY GUYS, I'M GOING TO, YOU DON'T NEED TO TAKE OF TIME.

I'M GONNA BE LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES.

UH, I'M TIRED.

UH, ANYWAY, UH, I GUESS BEFORE I GO, YOU GUYS WENT INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION BEFORE.

I KNOW I, WE KNOW YOUR NAME, BUT JUST FOR THE RECORD.

UM, ARE THERE ANY CHANGES TO ANY OF THE CONSENT RESOLUTION STUFF BEFORE I, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS DISCUSSED.

OBVIOUSLY, I, I MEAN I WILL BE, I COUNSELORS IS AWARE I'LL BE MAKING A MOTION TO ADDRESS ONE OF THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

SO I'M GONNA KEEP GOING THEN.

UH, , I'M HERE TONIGHT TO RESPECTFULLY BUT FIRMLY REQUEST THAT YOU REMOVE THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM APPOINTING BRANDON UMBA AS TOWNSHIP MANAGER AND PAYABLE FOR A FUTURE MEETING.

MANY RESIDENTS CAME HERE TONIGHT 'CAUSE THEY SAW NOTICE FOR A BUDGET WORKSHOP.

IT WAS ADVERTISED AS THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING YET BURIED IN THE AGENDA IS A CONSENT ITEM THAT WOULD APPOINT A TOWNSHIP MANAGER.

ONE OF THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL DECISIONS THIS COUNCIL CAN MAKE ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY.

IT'S NOT A MINOR PROCEDURAL MATTER, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT BELONGS IN THE CONSENT AGENDA.

AND IT'S CERTAINLY NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE SLIPPED PAST RESIDENTS WHO HAD NO REASON TO EXPECT IT WOULD BE HERE TONIGHT.

NOW LET ME EXPLAIN WHY THE APPOINTMENT RAISES SERIOUS CONCERNS THAT DEMANDS ANSWERS BEFORE A VOTE'S TAKEN.

FIRST, TRANSPARENCY.

THIS COUNCIL OWES THE PUBLIC A CLEAR RECORD OF THE SELECTION PROCESS.

WHO ELSE WAS INTERVIEWED? WHAT WERE THE CRITERIA USED TO EVALUATE THE CANDIDATES? AND WHY WAS MR. UMBA SELECTED OVER THE OTHERS? WE HAVE NONE OF THAT.

NONE IN A HEALTHY DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.

THE COMMUNITY DESERVES TO UNDERSTAND HOW A DECISION OF THIS MAGNITUDE WAS REACHED AND NOT SIMPLY BE PRESENTED WITH A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.

SECOND, THIS IS NOT A NEW CANDIDACY.

HE INTERVIEWED FOR THIS VERY POSITION PREVIOUSLY AND WAS NOT SELECTED.

THAT DECISION WAS MADE FOR REASONS THAT THE COUNCIL HAS NOT PUBLICLY DISCLOSED.

WHAT CHANGED, WHAT NEW INFORMATION, NEW EVALUATION, OR NEW PROCESS LED TO A DIFFERENT OUTCOME THIS TIME? ALL OF US AS A PUBLIC HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW.

THIRD, AND I WANNA BE REAL MEASURED AND DIRECT HERE.

HE HAS A HISTORY THAT WAR AND SCRUTINY.

HE'S PREVIOUSLY BEEN SEPARATED FROM POSITIONS IN ADJACENT MUNICIPALITIES UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES THAT INVOLVE SETTLEMENTS.

AND I'M NOT HERE TO TRY THE MAN IN THE PUBLIC FORUM.

I'M NOT, AND I RECOGNIZE THAT NONE OF THAT EQUALS ANY WRONGDOING WHATSOEVER.

BUT THEY DO EQUAL UNANSWERED QUESTIONS AND UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT A TOWNSHIP MANAGER CANDIDATE OR EXACTLY THE KIND OF THING THAT SHOULD BE RESOLVED BEFORE AN APPOINTMENT AND NOT AFTER.

THIS COUNCIL HAS A RESPONSIBILITY, NOT JUST TO GOVERN, BUT TO GOVERN TRANSPARENTLY AND ACCOUNTABLY AND RUSHING THIS THROUGH IN THE CONSENT AGENDA.

AND A MEETING ADVERTISED ONLY FOR A BUDGET WORKSHOP WITH NO PUBLIC RECORD OF THE SELECTION PROCESS AVAILABLE.

IT DOESN'T MEET THAT STANDARD.

I'M ASKING YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND TABLE THIS APPOINTMENT, SCHEDULE A DEDICATED PUBLIC MEETING, RELEASE THE INTERVIEW RECORDS, RELEASE THE SELECTION CRITERIA, AND GIVE RESIDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS AND RECEIVE REAL ANSWERS.

JUST LIKE WE DID WITH LINDSAY, WITH THE BUDGET STUFF TONIGHT.

IF THIS APPOINTMENT CAN WITHSTAND ALL OF THAT SCRUTINY, IT'S GONNA BE STRONGER FOR IT.

AND THE COMMUNITY'S TRUST IN THIS COUNCIL WILL BE STRONGER FOR IT ALSO.

AND IF IT CAN'T WITHSTAND THAT SCRUTINY, THEN THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE DONE ITS JOB BY PAUSING TO FIGURE IT ALL OUT.

THE RESIDENTS OF THIS TOWNSHIP ARE NOT ASKING YOU TO ABANDON THE DECISION WE'RE ASKING YOU TO EARN IT.

PLEASE TABLE THIS FOR TONIGHT.

SO I JUST WANNA CLARIFY A COUPLE THINGS.

ONE, 'CAUSE I WANNA BE CAREFUL.

'CAUSE CATEGORICALLY, IF THE TOWNSHIP WAS TO ACT ON THAT RESOLUTION, HE WOULD NOT BE APPOINTED AS THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER BECAUSE HOR NICOLE STILL, BUT EVEN, EVEN IF HORAL WAS NOT, EVEN IF HE WAS ALREADY REMOVED FROM OFFICE.

UM, 'CAUSE THE HEARING HAD ALREADY OCCURRED, IT IS NOT A SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENT FOR A TOWNSHIP MANAGER.

IT IS A SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENT FOR A TOWNSHIP ADMINISTRATOR SO THAT HE CAN ASSIST THE TOWNSHIP IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS THAT IT NEEDS HELP WITH.

THAT IS WHAT THE APPOINTMENT, THAT'S WHAT THE, SO THE ASSISTANT MANAGER, NO, IT'S NOT AN ASSISTANT MANAGER.

YOU, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ACT AND WHAT MEDFORD IS.

SO MEDFORD IS A TOWNSHIP MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT.

SO YOUR MANAGER IS YOUR HEAD ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER AND YOUR HEAD EXECUTIVE OFFICER THE CORRECT, YEAH.

SO HE RUNS IT ALL.

SO DANIEL IS STILL THE CEO.

NEXT ONE OFF WHEN, WHEN CLE, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER KNOWS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AT THE HEARING.

BUT THE ADMINISTRATOR IS NOT, IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE THE VICE PRESIDENT.

SO HE'S GONNA, HE'S THE GUY THAT'S THERE AND HE'S THE ONE WHO'S GONNA RUN EVERYTHING AND ENSURE THAT EVERYTHING RUNS SMOOTHLY.

THE TOWNSHIP MAY BE BASICALLY

[02:10:01]

BUT IF HE'S GONE, THEN THE ACTING MANAGER IS STILL MR. DOY.

UNTIL A MANAGER IS APPOINTED BY THE TOWN.

NOW THAT IS IT.

THEY'RE IN THE EVENT THAT THE TOWNSHIP WAS INCLINED TO HIRE A NEW TOWNSHIP MANAGER, WE COULD, THEY COULD GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

THEY COULD GO THROUGH THE RECEIVE QUALIFICATIONS, THEY COULD GO THROUGH THE INTERVIEWING PROCESS, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT'S BEING CONSIDERED TONIGHT.

THE SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN OF SOUTHAMPTON IS TO CONSIDER THE UTILIZATION OF THAT TOWNSHIP'S ADMINISTRATOR AS THE SIMULTANEOUS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD TO ASSIST MEDFORD IN THE DAY-TO-DAY TASKS.

AND THAT'S A ROLE THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE ANYONE FILLING.

NO.

UM, MR. DOBY HAS GOT RECEIVE A CRASH COURSE INTO IT.

UM, WITHIN THE LAST YOU DID A DAMN GOOD JOB.

HE WAS JUST AS SURPRISED AS EVERYONE ELSE HERE WHEN, WHEN WE APPOINTED HIM.

IF YOU GUYS COULD'VE SEEN HIS FACE BACK THERE.

I WAS, I WAS HERE AND, AND I'LL LET YOU FINISH UP, BUT I I DO HAVE A COMMENT.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S, I JUST, SO I JUST, I WANT JUST, I'M GONNA USE THE WORD EVISCERATE.

THE MISCONCEPTION THAT THIS RESOLUTION AND THIS SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENT IS FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A TOWNSHIP MANAGER.

'CAUSE UNEQUIVOCALLY THAT IS NOT WHAT THE TOWNSHIP IS DOING IN THE EVENT THEY ACTED IN FAVOR.

I MEAN, THE TIMING IS A LITTLE SUSS, LIKE, LET'S BE HONEST, BUT, BUT BUDGET SEASON TOO, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS MOVING.

PARTS THAT NEED ASSISTANCE WITH.

AND AS CHIEF CAN DEFINITELY ATTEST TO, IT'S, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS AND WE NEED SOMEONE THAT UNDERSTANDS HOW TO SUPPORT THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF.

YOU KNOW, LINDSAY'S DEPARTMENT WILL GET SUPPORT.

PUBLIC WORKS WILL ALL THE ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS OF THIS TOWN.

WE'RE LOOKING TO UTILIZE SOUTH HAMPTON'S RESOURCES TO FORTIFY HOURS.

THAT'S OUR, WHAT OUR CURRENT ROLE IS RIGHT NOW.

WE, WE'VE UNFORTUNATELY HAD A SUSPENSION AND CHIEF HAS STEPPED UP, BUT IT'S UNFAIR FOR CHIEF TO GO AT THIS WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF A SHARED SERVICE KEEP ON ONE THIRD JOB.

UH, OKAY.

NOW, UH, AND I'M SORRY.

YEAH, NO.

NOW ALL THE, THE THINGS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, THEY'RE NOT GENERALLY ON LIKE THE E CODE SITE WITH EVERYTHING ELSE UNTIL AFTER YOU VOTE, RIGHT? SO IT'S KINDA LIKE, YEAH.

THAT'S COMMON PRACTICE, RIGHT, PAT? THEY'RE, THEY'RE LEFT OFF OF E CODE UNTIL THEY'RE VOTED ON AND APPROVED.

TYPICALLY THE ANSWER IS YES, AS LONG AS THE AGENDA IS THE AGENDA.

SORRY.

THE AGENDA IS WHAT'S REQUIRED TO BE POSTED.

WELL, IT JUST, IT JUST, I DON'T KNOW, IT JUST SEEMS A LITTLE OPAQUE THAT LIKE SOMETHING'S GONNA BE VOTED ON AND IT'S MORE FORMALITY THAN ANYTHING.

AND LIKE NOBODY CAN SEE WHAT'S ACTUALLY IN IT UNTIL AFTER YOU BLESS IT.

SO I, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW.

THERE'S MORE OF A COMMENT THAN ANYTHING.

BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT A FORMALITY.

76 DASH 2026 AND REMOVE HIM PERMANENTLY.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD ROBUST CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS.

TOM, RANDY, 2 72 CHURCH ROAD IN MEDFORD.

UM, I'M ALSO WANTED TO SPEAK CONCERNING THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU HAVE ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT.

91, 20 26.

UH, WITH DOING A JOINT THING WITH THE SOUTH HAMPTON.

I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF THAT ONE BIT.

AND THE REASON WHY IS I THINK THE JOB IS TOO INVOLVED FOR ONE PERSON TO DO TWO MUNICIPALITIES.

UM, WE HAVE A PERSON RIGHT HERE THAT'S DOING THE JOB RIGHT NOW, AND I REALIZE THAT, I KNOW HE DOESN'T WANT TO DO IT LONG TIME, LONG TERM.

UH, AND, BUT HE'S DOING A FINE JOB DOING IT RIGHT NOW.

ARE YOU IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW ADVERTISING FOR THE POSITION OF TOWNSHIP MANAGER? YES.

NO.

IS IT BECAUSE THE OTHER GUY ISN'T LEGALLY FIRED YET? UNDER THIS, THIS IS WHERE WE GET THE FINE LINE OF, UNDER THE STATUTE, MR. HORAL IS STILL THE MANAGER FOR THE TOWNSHIP, PENDING HIS PUBLIC HEARING ON APRIL 28TH, WHICH IS ALSO ONE OF THE ITEMS ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.

SO IN THE EVENT AFTER THAT PUBLIC HEARING, THE BOARD FINDS THAT IT, NOT THE BOARD, I APOLOGIZE.

THE TOWNSHIP COUNCIL FINDS THAT IT WANTS TO VACATE RESOLUTION 76 DASH 2026, WHICH SUSPENDED HIM.

THAT WOULD REINSTATE HIM TO THE POSITION.

ALTERNATIVELY, THE FINDING WOULD BE TO AFFIRM THE FIND, AFFIRM THE FINDINGS CONTAINED IN RESOLUTION

[02:15:01]

SO AS OF THIS MOMENT, THE TOWNSHIP ALREADY HAS A TOWNSHIP MANAGER.

THE TOWNSHIP CANNOT GO OUT AND ADVERTISE FOR THE POSITION OF TOWNSHIP MANAGER BECAUSE THERE'S ALREADY ONE IN EXISTENCE.

THEN YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU DON'T NOT HAVE A TIMEFRAME EXACTLY AS TO WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE NEEDING A FULL-TIME MANAGER.

BECAUSE AS OF THIS MOMENT, MR. OL IS STILL THE FULL-TIME MANAGER.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO NEED A FULL-TIME INTERIM.

AND EVEN THOUGH THIS, THIS GENTLEMAN HERE, UH, CHIEF ROBERT IS DOING A FA FABULOUS JOB.

I KNOW HE WANTS TO GET BACK TO HIS REGULAR JOB.

THERE ARE FOR HIS HOUSE, AN ABUNDANT AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT CAN PROBABLY SERVE AS A FULL-TIME INTERIM WITHOUT DOING A SHARED SERVICES, WHICH WOULD BE NOT BENEFICIAL TO MEDFORD TOWNSHIP.

THERE'S PLENTY OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WOULD APPLY FOR IT IF YOU ADVERTISE FOR AN INTERIM POSITION AND YOU COULD GET A QUALIFIED PERSON.

AND THERE'S A, A LARGE, A LARGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR THAT.

AND I THINK WE WOULD BE MUCH BETTER OFF AS A TOWNSHIP WITH A FULL-TIME INTERIM.

'CAUSE YOU DO NOT HAVE A SPECIFIC TIME WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO NEED A FULL-TIME PERSON.

AND THEY WOULD BENEFIT THE TOWNSHIP MUCH MORE THAN A SHARED SERVICE.

POLL IT.

AND NOW FOR THE SHORT PERSON.

AND I'M GONNA CHANGE THE ENTIRE VIBE.

SO MY NAME IS APOLLONIA GALEY.

I LIVE AT THREE CEDAR STREET, AND I CURRENTLY SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE.

AND I WANNA TALK ABOUT SAVING MONEY.

'CAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE DO IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE IN THE GREEN TEAM.

SO SINCE WE STARTED THE T TREX RECYCLING PROGRAM, AS I TALKED IN FEBRUARY, I THINK WE ARE NOW UP OVER 12,000 POUNDS THAT WE HAVE KEPT AND SAVED THOSE TIPPING FEES FROM THE LANDFILL.

WE STARTED THIS WEEK WITH THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE, THE GREEN TEAM, PUBLIC WORKS, AND GARDEN STATE COMPOSTING.

WE WERE ACTUALLY LAUNCHING OUR COMMUNITY COMPOSTING PROGRAM.

AND EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A SMALL FEE THAT WAS NEGOTIATED WITH GARDEN STATE COMPOSTING, I FEEL IT'S A SMALL FEE.

IF WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP THAT, UH, FOOD WASTE OUT OF OUR TRASH, AGAIN, THAT'S GONNA BE A SAVINGS IN OUR TIPPING FEES.

SO THAT'S THE KIND OF THING WE'RE LOOKING AT.

WE FOUND A DONOR TO BUY THE TREES FOR THE CHILDREN FOR THE ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION.

AGAIN, WE LIKE TO SAVE MONEY, GROW GREEN THINGS COMING UP ON MAY 17TH IN THE COMMUNITY ROOMS. UM, AT THE TOWNSHIP BUILDING, WE HAVE A REPAIR CAFE.

THERE ARE OVER 15 REPAIR COACHES, INCLUDING, UH, BIKE, COMPUTER, GUITAR, SEWING.

THERE'S ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF REPAIRS, FREE OF CHARGE.

ANYBODY WANTS TO COME IN, DON'T THROW THAT APPLIANCE OUT, MISSING A BUTTON, BRING IT IN, BRING IN YOUR JACKET, BRING IN YOUR COAT, BRING IN THAT OLD GUITAR THAT NEEDS TO BE RE STRUNG IN TUNE AND FOR NO CHARGE.

THEY'RE GONNA HAVE PEOPLE THERE WHO WILL FIX IT.

SO I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

THE ONE THING THAT I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR FOR US, WE USUALLY HAVE OUR, UM, OUR EARTH DAY, OUR, OUR RRB DAY CELEBRATION AT FREEDOM PARK.

THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS, WE'VE HAD SNOW.

WE'VE HAD RAIN.

WE'VE BEEN SHIVERING, WE'VE BEEN WET.

WE DID NOT HAVE A 90 DEGREE LIKE WE DID LAST WEEK, A 90 DEGREE DAY.

SO I REQUESTED THAT WE MOVE OUR, UH, EVENT TO JUNE.

AND THIS YEAR OUR COMMU UH, WE PARTNER WITH THE, UH, WOMEN'S CLUB OF MEDFORD, ALONG WITH SOME OTHERS.

UH, WE HAVE A COMMUNITY YARD SALE THAT DAY.

WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT A LITTLE BIGGER THAN IT WAS.

WE'LL HAVE SOME FOOD TRUCK AND SOME VENDORS.

UM, AND IT'S GOING TO BE JUNE 6TH AT FREEDOM PARK.

SO THERE ARE ALL THOSE THINGS.

AND I JUST CONTINUALLY WOULD LIKE TO, THE SECOND TUESDAY OF THE MONTH, REGULARLY, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MEETS AT THE TOWNSHIP BUILDING.

IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THANK OUR LIAISON, UH, DEPUTY MAYOR VOORHEES.

AND, UH, I JUST, YOU KNOW, THE PARTNERSHIP CONTINUES.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING IS WE LOOK AT NOT WHAT IS NOT AVAILABLE TO US, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO? UM, WE WANNA CONTINUE TO BE SUSTAINABLE.

WE WANNA CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO NOT WASTE THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE AND MOVE FORWARD IN A POSITIVE WAY.

SO, THANKS.

YOU, PAULA, WHAT TIME ON JUNE 6TH? WHAT TIME? UM, WE'RE MAKING IT A LITTLE LONGER THIS YEAR.

IT'S GONNA BE FROM EIGHT UNTIL TWO.

PERFECT.

SO IT'S GONNA BE, AND I'LL HAVE LOTS OF FLYERS.

I'LL BE NAGGING EVERYBODY, SO THANK

[02:20:01]

YOU.

PERFECT.

AND PAULA, I'M SORRY, ONE MORE, JUST WHILE, WHILE I CAN I ASK YOU, SO YOUR ARBOR DAY, UM, FESTIVITIES WITH THE SCHOOLS.

SO THIS FRIDAY FROM 10 UNTIL USUALLY 1130 ISH WILL BE, UM, AT TUTTON FORGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

IT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

UM, THE CHILDREN EVERY YEAR PUT TOGETHER A PROGRAM.

SO EVEN I WILL BE SURPRISED, I KIND OF SHANGHAI, UH, MIKE LAST YEAR, HE JUST CAME TO VISIT AND I MADE HIM SPEAK.

IT WAS, IT WAS GOOD TO BE IN CHARGE.

A LITTLE BIT .

SO, BUT IT IS REALLY NICE 'CAUSE THE KIDS, THEY'LL DO ART, MUSIC, POETRY, AND THEY TALK ABOUT WHAT IT IS.

MEDFORD LEES DONATES A TREE THAT WE WILL PLANT ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS.

AND THIS YEAR WE WERE ALL LAUGHING OUT IN THE PARKING LOT TONIGHT.

YOU KNOW, YOU WORRY ABOUT DEALS IN PARKING LOT.

WELL, WE HAD A TREE DEAL GOING ON .

AND THIS YEAR WE HAVE MORE MATURE SAPLINGS FOR THE KIDS TO PLANT.

WE HAVE RED OAK AND WE HAVE WHITE OAK.

OH, GOOD.

UM, SO EACH OF THE THIRD GRADERS AT TAUNTON FORGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH I'M REALLY HAPPY 'CAUSE THAT'S MY GRANDCHILDREN'S SCHOOL.

UM, WE'LL GET A TREE TO TAKE HOME TO PLANT AND TO PLANT AT THEIR HOMES.

NICE.

SO I'LL SEE YOU FRIDAY.

YOU COMING, MIKE, I'LL BE THERE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ALRIGHT, SIR.

UH, KEVIN SPARKMAN, 1 28, UH, BRACKEN ROAD.

UH, SO I, I'LL SECOND PAUL'S, UH, COMMENTS.

I'VE BEEN DOING BACK, UH, BACKYARD COMPOSTING OF FOOD, YOU KNOW, WASTE FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES.

AND CONSERVATIVELY I ESTIMATE, UH, WE'VE COMPOSTED PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO FIVE TONS OF, OF FOOD WASTE JUST IN ONE HOUSEHOLD.

SO I'M, I'M A BIG BELIEVER COMPOSTING CAN SAVE THE WORLD.

SO, AND I, AND I DON'T USE A SERVICE TO PICK IT UP, I JUST COMPOST IT IN BUCKETS AND SPREAD IT IN THE, IN THE YARD WHEN IT'S DONE.

UM, SO KUDOS.

UM, SO ON THE SHARED SERVICE, UH, SERVICES AGREEMENT, UM, I I, I'M LISTENING TO THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

I, I DON'T GET A SENSE OF LIKE HOW LONG AND, AND I UNDERSTAND, LIKE, WE STILL HAVE A MANAGER.

WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF LENGTH OF TIME FOR, UH, THIS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S REFLECTED IN THE, IN THE RESOLUTION OR NOT.

IS THIS A SIX MONTH THING? A ONE YEAR? WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? IT WOULD, SORRY.

IT WOULD BE A ONE YEAR, IT'S A YEAR.

IT'S A YEAR SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENT, BUT IT COULD BE TERMINATED UPON 30 DAYS NOTICE.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT ASSUMING THAT MR. HORWELL, IT MOVES ON TO SOMETHING ELSE THAT, THAT AFTER THIS PROCESS RUNS ITS COURSE, IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE PLANNING ON HIRING ANOTHER MANAGER.

IS THAT, IS THAT ACCURATE? WE CAN'T SAY BECAUSE ONE, IT INVOLVES PERSONNEL AND MR. HOEL IS THE CURRENT MANAGER FOR THE TOWNSHIP.

BUT YOU'VE ALREADY CONTEMPLATED THE COUNCIL NOT RENEWING HIS AGREEMENT OR WHATEVER THE LANGUAGE? NO, BECAUSE IT INCLUDES DAN, MR. HORNIK.

NICOLE IS ENTITLED TO A PUBLIC HEARING ON APRIL 28TH TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT HE'S TO BE REMOVED OR, UM, THE RESOLUTION BE VACATED AND REINSTATED.

DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, UH, TOWNSHIPS.

IT'S OKAY.

UM, ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU.

THAT'S, THAT'S VAGUE ENOUGH THOUGH.

I'LL LEAVE WITHOUT AN ANSWER TO THAT, UH, QUESTION.

UM, I, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, MR. OBA BECAUSE HE IS A POLITICAL OPERATIVE.

I'M A STRONG BELIEVER THAT A TOWNSHIP MANAGER SHOULD NOT BE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN, IN POLITICS.

I KNOW THAT'S A HARD THING TO SORT OF REGULATE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF OUR MANAGERS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS HAVEN'T BEEN, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY NOT, YOU KNOW, A POLITICAL OPERATIVE LIKE MR. OMBA.

AND, UM, I THINK YOU NEED TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, MAKING YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE DECISIONS.

UM, I THINK IT'S, IT PLACES A LOT OF PRESSURE ON HIM.

IT PLACES PRESSURE ON, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS WHEN YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE THESE, THESE QUESTIONS THAT WHERE THERE ARE POLITICS, YOU KNOW, INVOLVED AND THERE ARE CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, RELATIONSHIPS THAT, UH, MR. AMBO MAY, YOU KNOW, WANT TO MAINTAIN POLITICALLY THAT FACTOR INTO SOME OF HIS DECISIONS, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY WITHIN THIS TOWNSHIP.

UM, SO I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, I WANNA SHARE MY THOUGHTS ON THAT.

I'M NOT ALONE IN, IN THAT THINKING.

UH, SO I, I FEEL STRONGLY THAT, YOU KNOW, I HOPE THIS PROCESS MOVES FORWARD.

BACK TO MY EARLIER COMMENTS.

UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE RIGHT KIND OF PEOPLE IN HERE TO RUN THIS TOWNSHIP, YOU KNOW, PROPERLY.

I DON'T KNOW MR. OBA'S WORK EXPERIENCE.

I KNOW HE'S BOUNCED AROUND IN

[02:25:01]

UM, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK FOR THE HIGHEST CALIBER, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, ADMINISTRATORS, TOWNSHIP MANAGERS THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY FINE.

SO THANKS.

IT, IT WAS ZACH NEXT AND ZACH WILSON, 51 NORTH MAIN STREET.

UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO JUST KIND OF POINT OUT AND CHASTISE YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PUTTING THIS IN THE CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTION.

YOU MAY VIEW IT AS A MINOR CHANGE TO BRING IN AN ADMINISTRATOR TO HELP OUT WITH TASKS.

HOWEVER, THERE ARE QUITE A FEW TASKS THAT AN ADMINISTRATOR TRADITIONALLY FILLS THAT IT WOULD BE UNDER THE PURVIEW OF A TOWNSHIP MANAGER.

AND I THINK THAT IT'S A, IT'S A BIG ENOUGH DECISION WHERE THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADVERTISED AHEAD OF TIME.

THIS IS SOMETHING I WOULD'VE EXPECTED FROM THE PREVIOUS COUNSEL, NOT FROM YOU GUYS.

UM, I'M CHASTISING YOU FOR THAT OPENLY.

I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE MADE A BETTER PLAY THAN THAT.

UM, THAT SAID, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THE SPEED WITH WHICH THIS HAS BEEN PUT FORWARD ALONG WITH THE DECISION THAT IT WOULD, SHOULD BE SOUTHAMPTON AND BRANDON UMBA AS THE, UH, RECIPIENT OF THE SHARED SERVICES AGREEMENT.

UM, THIS TOWN VERY RECENTLY REJECTED LEADERSHIP FROM BRANDON UMBA AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE LEVEL.

IN FACT, HE WAS THE FOURTH VOTE GETTER.

SO WE SAID, OF ALL FOUR PEOPLE RUNNING HERE, WE DO NOT WANT BRANDON BLE LEADING US, AND YOU'RE ABOUT TO ENTER INTO A SHARED SERVICES AGREEMENT THAT GIVES HIM CONSIDERABLE CONTROL OVER MEDFORD.

AND WE SAID, WE DON'T WANT THAT.

SO I THINK THAT THIS IS IN A WAY GOING AGAINST A VERY RECENT REFERENDUM ON WHETHER YOU SHOULD MOVE IN IN THIS DIRECTION.

SO I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THE REASONS THAT WE'RE MOVING IN THIS DIRECTION, WHY WE SETTLED ON SOUTHAMPTON AND BRANDON UMBA.

WHY, UH, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE WE NOT MOVING IN THE DIRECTION OF A TEMPORARY, UH, APPOINTMENT OF A, OF A TEMPORARY PROFESSIONAL LIKE WE DID WHEN WE WERE SEARCHING FOR A NEW TOWN MANAGER? I AM SURE THAT THERE ARE TEMPORARY TOWN, A ADMINISTRATORS THAT YOU CAN GET.

I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY WE'RE NOT GOING THAT ROUTE INSTEAD, UH, WHY WE ARE SETTLING ON THE SHARED SERVICES WITH SOUTHAMPTON.

I'D ALSO, WITHOUT SOUNDING CONSPIRATORIAL WITH, BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT I CAN'T, UM, I WOULD LOVE TO GET ASSURANCES FROM ALL OF THE COUNCIL, BUT ESPECIALLY OUR REPUBLICAN MEMBERS, THAT THIS AGREEMENT, THIS SITUATION DID NOT COME ABOUT IN UNOFFICIAL CONVERSATIONS DURING REPUBLICAN CLUB MEETINGS.

I THINK THAT THAT IS A DANGER OF LOOKING TO HAVE SOMEBODY LIKE BRANDON UMBA FILL THESE POSITIONS, IS THAT THOSE ARE GOING TO BE NATURAL QUESTIONS THAT THE TOWN COMES UP WITH.

AND I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY GIVE ENOUGH ASSURANCES THAT IT'S NOT THE REASON.

SO I'D LOVE THE ASSURANCE OF AN OPEN ON THE RECORD STATEMENT FROM EVERY MEMBER THAT THIS DECISION WAS MADE AMONGST THE FIVE OF YOU IN OFFICIAL CAPACITY AND NOT IN BACKROOM DEALINGS OUTSIDE OF COUNSEL.

I WOULD HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT IT COULDN'T BE ALL FIVE OF US TOGETHER.

'CAUSE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TALK.

UNDERSTAND, JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY.

SO IT WAS OFTEN, I CALL IT THE TELEPHONE GAME.

I'M SURE IT'S GOT AN OFFICIAL PRETTY TITLE.

THEY AVOID THE SUNSHINE GAME.

I KNOW.

YES, YES.

SO FOR ME, IT WAS ALWAYS ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM PUTTING ON THE RECORD.

I FORGOT YOUR WORDS, BUT ON THE RECORD, NO, I DON'T GO TO REPUBLICAN CLUB MEETINGS.

I THINK I'VE BEEN TO TWO, ONE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AND ONE FOR SOMETHING ELSE.

I MEAN, THEY, THEY, THEY NOMINATED YOU AS THEIR CANDIDATE, SO THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

THAT'S THE ONE I WAS AT.

SO I THINK I WAS JUST INTRODUCE MYSELF AND ONE, LIKE MAYBE WHEN I GOT ELECTED, I, IT'S JUST A NIGHT OF THE WEEK THAT I CAN'T MAKE FOR WORK.

WHICH TO YOUR POINT, I COULD NOT HAVE DISCUSSED AT THE REPUBLICAN CLUB MEETING.

DISCUSSED IT INDIVIDUALLY, UM, WITH DIFFERENT FOLKS ON THAT.

AND YOU'RE CONFIRMING THAT YOU DIDN'T DISCUSS IT OUTSIDE OF REPUBLICAN CLUB MEETINGS WITH NON COUNCIL MEMBERS? NO.

IN RELATION TO THE REPUBLICAN CLUB ITSELF, OUTSIDE OF YOUR ROLE AS AN, AS OFFICIAL COUNCIL MEMBERS AROUND MAKING THIS MOVE, BECAUSE I GOTTA TELL YOU, IT, IT SMACKS WHETHER OR NOT IT, IT IS BACKROOM DEALINGS, IT'S SMACKS OF BACKROOM DEALINGS.

I DEFINITELY DID NOT.

OKAY, MIKE.

SORRY, THAT ONE THREW ME.

SO I, I THINK THE VERY FIRST REPUBLICAN CLUB MEETING I EVER WENT TO IS WHEN I HAD BEEN NOMINATED TO BE THEIR CANDIDATE.

UM MM-HMM .

I'VE OBVIOUSLY BEEN THE MORE SINCE THEN.

UM, BUT NONE IN WHICH THAT I SPOKE ABOUT MANAGERS OR, UH, BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR APPOINTMENTS.

I AGREE.

SAME.

AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD ANY PUBLIC YEAH.

IN THE NEW YEAR, I DON'T THINK.

YEAH, GOOD POINT.

, THERE HASN'T EVEN BEEN EXACT, AND AGAIN, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE CONVERSATIONS DON'T HAVE TO ALWAYS HAPPEN INSIDE THE CLUB SETTING.

AND SO I WOULD ASK THAT IN,

[02:30:01]

WE DIDN'T EVEN VOTE YET.

I UNDERSTAND YOU DIDN'T VOTE, BUT THE FACT THAT THIS HAS COME UP IN THIS WAY.

YEAH, I I THINK IT'S, I'LL DEFINITELY SAY THIS ON THE RECORD.

UM, THERE WAS MANY OPTIONS DISCUSSED.

UM, SOUTHAMPTON CAME TO US AS AN OPTION WHO IN SOUTHAMPTON, THE MAYOR SPOKE TO ME WHEN WE PROCEEDED WITH THE, GIMME THE RIGHT WORDS FOR DANIEL WITH THE ADOPTION OF THE PRELIMINARY RESOLUTION OF REMOVAL.

SO IT WAS AN ACTION WE, FIVE OF US, ALL FIVE OF US CHOSE TO TAKE.

SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE MAYOR OF SOUTHAMPTON CONTACTED ME AND SAID WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, IN ENTERTAINING A SHARED SERVICE WITH YOU FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.

AND, UH, THAT WAS ONE OF THE OPTIONS PUT ON THE TABLE.

THERE WERE OTHER TOWNSHIPS THAT ASKED TO BE REMAIN NAMELESS, BUT THEY WERE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.

AND I THINK COST IS A BIG FACTOR FOR US.

UM, YOU MENTIONED, EXCUSE ME, LIKE A THIRD PARTY VENDOR.

UM, THOSE SERVICES HAVE A HIGH COST THRESHOLD TO THEM AS WELL.

UM, AND I MEAN, I'LL SPEAK VERY HIGHLY OF JPMI THINK THEY DID A GREAT JOB FOR US, BUT THERE'S NO ASSURANCES THERE THAT THE CANDIDATES THAT THEY'RE BRINGING US ARE GONNA FIT OUR NEEDS.

UM, WE'RE NOT HIRING A MANAGER AT ALL AT THIS POINT.

WE'RE SUPPORTING CHIEF DOBY AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF.

UM, I'M SORRY, WHAT IS CHIEF DOYS? IS IT AN OFFICIAL TITLE? ACTING MANAGER.

ACTING MANAGER.

SO WE COULD GET IN, IN SENSE A SINGLE PERSON ON A TEMP BASIS TO BE THE ACTING MANAGER OF AND THE ADMINISTRATOR AT THE SAME TIME, RATHER THAN HAVE WITH ONE PERSON RATHER THAN HAVING TO PAY, I ASSUME WE'RE PAYING YOU, YOU'RE NOT DOING THIS OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF YOUR HEART.

UM, CHIEF LINDSAY? NO, JUST, JUST SO YOU KNOW, IS THAT, IS THAT AN INCORRECT ASSUMPTION? 'CAUSE MAN, I'LL GIVE YOU A HUG, BUT NO, I AM, I AM GIVE IN AS THE ACTING TOWNSHIP MANAGER.

THERE WAS NO ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION OR ANYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES.

YEAH, YOU'RE A BETTER MAN THAN I.

AMEN.

HE GETS THE HUG.

SO, UM, WE WERE, WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO, TO MAKE A DECISION THROUGH A RESOLUTION THAT I, I CAN'T EXPLAIN PROPERLY.

AND CHIEF WAS IN THE BACK PROBABLY JUST AS SURPRISE AS EVERYBODY ELSE ABOUT WHAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN THERE.

AND IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER, WITHIN A MOMENT, WITHIN A MATTER OF DAYS, WE WERE DISCUSSING WHAT ARE OUR, WHETHER THE NEXT OPTIONS WE HAVE, TOWNS WERE REACHING OUT TO US.

UM, THERE WAS MANY VERSIONS THAT WE COULD MOVE FORWARD.

UH, THIS IS ONE THAT, AND CLEARLY IT'S ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST HAS ENOUGH MERIT TO BE VOTED ON TODAY.

I THINK FOR ME, ONE OF THE KEYS TOO IS THAT WHEN YOU LET A MANAGER GO IN NEW JERSEY, I'M TRYING TO PICK ALL MY WORDS VERY CAREFULLY.

UM, YOU HAVE TO GIVE 'EM A THREE MONTH SEVERANCE PACKAGE WITH A SHARED SERVICE.

IF AFTER 30 DAYS WE DON'T LIKE YOU NO MORE.

TH NO MORE THREE MONTHS UN UNDERSTOOD.

BUT A, UH, AN ADMINISTRATOR IS NOT A PERMANENT SOLUTION.

NO.

AND THIS IS NOT MEANT TO BE OKAY.

PERMANENT.

MARY LUCAS, 2 0 7 TAUNTON BOULEVARD MEASURED.

SORRY.

UM, I, LISTEN, I GET THE SHARED SERVICES.

I, I THINK THAT I APPRECIATE THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION.

I, AGAIN, I'M NOT SURE THAT THERE'S ENOUGH, WHETHER YOU'RE CONVINCING ME OR NOT.

I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ENOUGH REASSURANCES YOU CAN GIVE THE PUBLIC THAT THIS WASN'T SOME TYPE OF SHADY DEAL.

UM, ALSO, HOWEVER, I WILL POINT BACK TO THE FACT THAT THIS PARTICULAR CANDIDATE WAS REJECTED PREVIOUSLY FOR A ROLE SIMILAR TO THIS AND IN FACT, TO DO SOME OF THIS JOB.

UM, AND YOU HAVE VERY CLEAR INFORMATION FROM THE VOTERS THAT WE DON'T WANT THIS PERSON'S LEADERSHIP AND YOU'RE CHOOSING TO GO THAT ROUTE.

SO I'M JUST POINTING OUT THE FACT THAT YOU'RE, THIS IS A VERY CLEAR STEP THAT GOES AGAINST THE VOTER'S WISHES.

SO THAT'S ALL.

THANK YOU, MARY.

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

UM, INITIALLY I WAS GOING TO START OUT WITH, WELL, I AM STARTING OUT WITH THANKING, UH, COUNCILWOMAN VRIES AND SANTA MOORE, COUNCILWOMAN SANTA MOORE FOR COMING OUT AND SPENDING TIME ON TAUNTON BOULEVARD, GETTING A SENSE OF WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST EVERY DAY.

AND WE ALSO FOUND OUT THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL MONITORING DEVICE THAT'S BEEN PUT

[02:35:01]

UP, OF WHICH WE DON'T HAVE THE RESULTS YET, BUT WE HAVE A FEELING THAT IT MAY NOT WORK IN OUR FAVOR BECAUSE MORE CARS AT THE HIGHER RATE, IT'S NOT GONNA GIVE US THAT DIFFERENTIAL THAT WE REALLY NEED TO LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT.

BUT WE'RE STILL ASKING FOR THAT.

AND WE'RE STILL ADAMANT THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT.

AND WE'RE STILL ADAMANT ABOUT THE WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS BECAUSE IT'S JUST, YOU COULD SEE JUST BY WHAT YOU OBSERVED THE OTHER DAY, HOW, HOW DIFFICULT IT IS.

IT'S, IT'S JUST BEYOND THE, BEYOND NOW.

AND IT'S, IT'S INCREASED GREATLY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE TRUCKS.

SO I'M HERE AGAIN ON THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO, WE DID REACH OUT TO REPRESENTATIVE ANGELO THE OTHER DAY AND MET WITH HIM, AND HE'S INTERESTED IN AT LEAST SUPPORTING A, A LETTER TO THE COUNTY, UH, ON OUR BEHALF THAT WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S AT THE COUNTY LEVEL RIGHT NOW AND WE'RE REALLY NOT GETTING THE SUPPORT THAT WE NEED WITH THIS ISSUE.

IT'S SO REALLY ADAMANT ABOUT THAT.

AND, UM, AND ONCE WE GET THE NEXT MONITORING REPORT, WE'LL BRING THE RESULTS TO THE, TO COUNCIL.

UM, I'M ALSO, JUST IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT DISCUSSIONS, I HAD THE SAME QUESTION MYSELF THAT I THOUGHT THAT THAT RESOLUTION WAS PREMATURE.

THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WERE KIND OF BLINDSIDED.

YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE PEOPLE NOT UNDERSTANDING IT, NUMBER ONE.

AND NUMBER TWO, THAT IF WE WERE TO DO SHARED SERVICES, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN IN MEDFORD 37 YEARS NOW AND YEARS AGO THEY TRIED TO DO SHARED SERVICES WITH MEDFORD TOWNSHIP ON REAL SERVICES SUCH AS TRASH AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHERE PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE COME OUT AHEAD IN THEIR TAXES.

BUT MEDFORD LAKES DECIDED TO JUST STAY INDEPENDENT.

BUT WHEN I THINK OF SHARED SERVICES, I THINK OF SHARED SERVICES IN LIGHT OF THOSE KINDS OF SERVICES, NOT ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.

AND ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE FACT OF THE BUDGET PRESENTATION, THAT WE NEED OUR OWN PERSON.

WE DON'T NEED A SHARED PERSON.

WE NEED OUR OWN PERSON, EVEN IF IT IS INTERIM.

AND THAT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO MEDFORD JUST TO HAVE OUR OWN PERSON, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF WHAT WE FEEL IS NECESSARY FOR THE TOWNSHIP GOING FORWARD, GIVEN OUR FINANCIAL OUTLOOK.

I MEAN, IT WAS OUR OWN HOUSEHOLD.

I THINK WE'D ALL BE VERY WORRIED THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA AFFECT EVERYONE DIFFERENTLY, BUT IT'S GONNA AFFECT EVERYONE.

AND HAVING OUR OWN PERSON IS REALLY, IS, IS THE BEST THING.

AND I THINK THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THIS BE TABLED UNTIL THERE'S MORE DISCUSSION, UNTIL THERE'S MORE INPUT FROM THE MUNICIPALITY.

UM, SOMETHING TO THINK, FOR ME, THE IMPORTANT FACTOR WAS IF I'M GONNA HIRE A TAX ACCOUNTANT FOR MY OWN PERSONAL TAXES, UM, I CAN RANDOMLY INTERVIEW PEOPLE AND HOPE THAT THEY'RE OKAY, OR I CAN LOOK INTO WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN THE PAST.

AND IF IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE ABLE, OR MAYBE FOR MY BUSINESS, I WANT THE CPA, WHO'S GONNA BUILD THE SAME? MICHELLE, YOU NEED TO DO THIS, THIS, THIS, AND THIS.

UM, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA SAVE YOU MONEY.

AND NOT ONLY IS HE GONNA TALK ABOUT IT, HE'S GONNA SHOW ME.

'CAUSE LOOK, I'VE DONE IT FOR THIS BUSINESS AND THIS BUSINESS AND THIS BUSINESS.

SO IF I CAN FIND SOMEBODY WHO IS CHEAPER THAN THE PREVIOUS GUY AND HAS PROVEN THAT HE CAN SAVE THE MONEY AND MAKE THE MONEY, THEN FOR ME, THAT'S THE GUY I'M GONNA HIRE.

SO IF YOU COULD TAKE THAT SAME ANALOGY, THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR IN AN ADMINISTRATOR, SOMEONE WHO'S PROVEN THEY'VE MADE MONEY.

I, I WOULDN'T DISAGREE WITH THAT.

SO IT'S NOT, IT'S A SHORT TERM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT A, WE'RE NOT KEEPING HIM FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS UNLESS HE SUDDENLY TURNS INTO AMAZING.

AND THAT'D BE GREAT.

AND MAYBE EVERYONE LOVES HIM.

WE KEEP HIM FOR YEARS AND YEARS, BUT RIGHT NOW WE NEED SOMEONE TO HELP TURN THINGS AROUND FINANCIALLY WHO'S DONE IT IN OTHER TOWNS.

I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOUR PREMISE.

I DISAGREE WITH THE PERSON.

I DON'T KNOW THE PERSON.

I'M JUST SAYING THAT THE PERSON I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED HAS TO BE OF MEDFORD.

FOR MEDFORD.

THIS SHARED PERSON IS NOT SHARED PERSON, I DON'T BELIEVE CUTS IT FOR WHAT WE NEED IN MEDFORD RIGHT NOW.

JUST GIVEN THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT.

I I'M JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S STRIKING AND LONG TERM, IT'S VERY, IT'S VERY STRIKING.

VERY.

AND I THINK THAT WE, WE HAVE A GENUINE NEED, BUT WE NEED OUR OWN PERSON.

AND WHAT, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.

I'M SORRY.

THAT'S OKAY.

UM, WITH ALL THESE DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES WITH THE BUDGET, DO WE HAVE A CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE LIKE THEY HAVE IN PRINCETON AND WESTFIELD? WOULD, WE WOULD BE, SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE GOOD IDEAS.

COULD THEY TAKE IT AND RUN WITH IT? THEY'RE NOT GONNA RUN THE TOWN, BUT THEY'RE GONNA COME UP WITH SOME CREATIVE IDEAS THAT I'M NOT GONNA COME UP WITH.

SO I KNOW WESTFIELD AND PRINCETON, THEY'RE, UM, MAYBE

[02:40:01]

MONTCLAIR.

IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING FOR THEM.

AND THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE MORE PEOPLE, BUT THEY HAVE MANY OF THE SAME PROBLEMS. I THINK WE HAVE VERY GOOD PEOPLE IN MEDFORD.

I THINK WE HAVE VERY GOOD PEOPLE HERE.

AND YOU CAN SHARE IT.

MARY AND NO, I JUST, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

AND, UH, WE DO HAVE VERY GOOD PEOPLE HERE, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE NOT SHARING A PERSON IN THIS POSITION, GIVEN THE ENORMITY OF WHAT, WHAT WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW.

I AGREE WITH YOU.

MARYANNE HOLLOWAY, AND I'M GONNA APOLOGIZE.

MY HEALTH IS GETTING TO ME TODAY, SO IF I'M NOT REAL CLEAR, I APOLOGIZE.

UM, MR. DOY, HOW MANY HOURS A WEEK DO YOU WORK ON TOWNSHIP MATTERS? UNDER, UNDER THE MANAGER SITUATION, UM, I'M SLATED FOR, UH, 40 HOURS A WEEK.

80 HOURS IN A TWO WEEK PAY, PAY PERIOD.

UM, FOR THE MANAGER DUTIES RIGHT NOW, UH, PRETTY MUCH EVERY SINGLE DAY.

UM, A GOOD MAJORITY OF THE DAY, ALONG WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MANAGING FIRE EMS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, I RAN A VERY LARGE COMPANY FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

I'M GONNA SPEAK ABOUT THIS ON A MANAGERIAL LEVEL.

THIS TOWN IS FACING SOME OF THE MOST INTENSE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT'S GONNA BE PUT BEFORE THIS COUNCIL AND THIS TOWN AND THE CITIZENS OF THIS TOWN IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A PART-TIME PERSON THAT IS NOT GONNA BE ABLE, UNLESS YOU'RE GONNA MOVE HIM INTO A FULL-TIME POSITION.

AND THAT'S THE ONLY REASON TO DO THIS, TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT'S COMING.

I LOOKED UP MR. DO'S LIGHT WITH A ATTACH, CAN I TAKE FIVE SECONDS OF YOUR TIME? SURE.

THAT GENTLEMAN THAT WE'RE ALL SPEAKING OF HAS BEEN 100% CLEAR.

HE IS NOT LEAVING SOUTHAMPTON.

SO IT IS NOT A MOVE TO STEAL HIM FROM SOUTHAMPTON TO PUT HIM IN MEDFORD.

SO I'M GONNA BE CLEARER THEN.

LIKE I SAID, I'M HAVING A LITTLE HEALTH SITUATION GOING ON.

MR. DOVEY HASS GOT 24 YEARS AND 10 MONTHS EXPERIENCE WITH THE TOWN RIGHT NOW.

SO HE'S INTERACTED WITH ALL THE MOVING PARTS, ALL THE PEOPLE HE KNOWS WHO'S ON FIRST.

OH YEAH.

HE KNOWS EVERYTHING.

YOU HAVE A SITUATION GOING ON WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO COME INTO A SITUATION ON APRIL 28TH THAT COULD GO ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

WE DON'T KNOW YET.

I'M STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE TIMING OF ALL THIS.

THE INDIVIDUAL THAT'S BEING DONE, IT FEELS LIKE DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN.

AND IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST MY VOICE, IT'S MULTIPLE VOICES.

IT'S THINGS THAT YOU'RE HEARING.

IT'S NOT CLEAR WHY YOU'RE DOING THIS NOW.

THIS IS PREMATURE.

AND TO PUT IT IN A CONSENT AGENDA IS AN INSULT.

SO THERE ARE MANY INTELLIGENT PEOPLE HERE, AND THEY'VE ALL ALL SAID THE SAME THING.

YET THE FEEDBACK IS, WE KNOW IT'S NOT ABOUT SAVING DOLLARS, IT'S ABOUT SAVING THE TOWN, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

THIS NEEDS TO BE SET ASIDE FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

IT NEEDS TO BE DECIDED.

YOU GUYS GOTTA FIND SOMEBODY PERMANENT THAT CAN TAKE ON THE JOB OF WHAT'S COMING AHEAD AFTER RUNNING MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE MILLION DOLLAR BUDGETS FOR A LONG TIME.

YOU GUYS ARE IN TROUBLE.

AND, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE A PART-TIME PERSON, EVEN IN THE INTERIM, IS NOT WISE AT ALL.

IT'S NOT, AND I DON'T EVEN THINK IT'S BEEN ADVERTISED.

IT SEEMS LIKE SOMEBODY APPROACHED YOU, YOU DECIDED TO ACCEPT IT.

OH YEAH, GREAT IDEA.

WE'LL SAVE A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS.

IT'S NOT, NOT A GOOD IDEA.

I'M NOT GONNA GET IN THE POLITICS OF THE POLITICS, BUT IT'S EVIDENT IT'S NOT GOING AWAY.

SO IT NEEDS TO COME OUT OF THIS CONSENT AGENDA.

IT NEEDS TO BE POSTPONED FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

I DON'T REALLY, I'M NOT GETTING INTO THE POLITICS OF IT.

I'VE SAID IT A THOUSAND TIMES.

I REALLY DON'T LIKE POLITICS.

I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE TOWN.

THAT'S WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT.

SERIOUSLY.

AND A LOT COULD HAPPEN IN, IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME TO TURN THIS TOWN UPSIDE DOWN.

SO MY VOTES FOR MR. DOVEY TO PAY HIM EXTRA.

'CAUSE I BET YOU HE'S WORKING MORE THAN 40 HOURS A WEEK RIGHT NOW.

HE SHOULD BE COMPENSATED.

I MEAN, IT'S NOT USUALLY LIKE ME TO SAY, GO SPEND MORE MONEY, BUT YOU ALREADY HAVE SOMEBODY COMPETENT IN, IN, IN THE POSITION AND, AND HE DOES IT GRACIOUSLY.

REALLY.

I KNOW, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING, I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH.

AND HE LISTENS.

SO,

[02:45:01]

AND, AND HE'S COMPETENT.

AND HE, AND HE KNOWS ALL THE, THE HEADS, DEPARTMENT HEADS.

HE KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENED HERE FOR YEARS.

WHY ARE YOU PIVOTING? IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.

I'LL, I'LL, I'LL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE ABOUT TO HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT TWO TO FOUR MONTHS.

YOU YEAH, A LOT.

IT'S AN UNDERSTATEMENT, RIGHT? SO, AND CHIEF DOY IS DOING AN AMAZING JOB.

I THINK WE CAN ALL MM-HMM.

AGREE THAT HE'S DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB.

UM, WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE HIM IMMEDIATE SUPPORT THROUGH THIS SHARED SERVICE.

THAT'S OUR GOAL.

AND WE ALL AGREE, CHIEF TOBY'S DOING A GREAT JOB.

THE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT THAT WE LOOK TO PROVIDE TO HIM THROUGH A SHARED SERVICE, I THINK IS ONLY GONNA HELP HIM DO HIS JOB.

HE WILL STILL MAINTAIN THE ACTING MANAGER ROLE.

WE ARE NOT FILLING A PERMANENT MANAGER POSITION YET.

WE, WE HAVEN'T EVEN DISCUSSED THAT.

WE'RE TIMING ABOUT THAT.

SO I, I, I'M, I'M, I'M JUST, I'M, I'M ACTUALLY AGREEING WITH YOU, MARIAN.

WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE HANDLED OVER THE NEXT TWO TO FOUR MONTHS AND WE NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.

AND YOU'RE GONNA PUT A PART-TIME PERSON IN THAT POSITION.

NO, WE'RE NOT.

CHIEF DOBY IS STAYING ON HIS ACTING MANAGER AND WE'RE BRINGING ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR HIM AND HIS STAFF.

SO THERE ARE SOMETHING CALLED ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE, RIGHT? THE MANAGER, IF YOU'RE GONNA SPEND THAT MONEY, HEY, MR. DOVEY ASSISTANT, GET HIM A MANAGERIAL ASSISTANT.

YOU DON'T NEED TO HAVE AN ADMINISTRATOR.

IT'S A DUPLICATION OF SERVICES.

GET SOMEBODY THAT'S GONNA BE HELPING HIM AT HIS, THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.

I I, I HATE TO USE THE TERM EVERYBODY IS SAYING IT, IT'S A POLITICAL APPOINTMENT.

SO I I'M GONNA STOP TALKING BECAUSE YOU DON'T, IT'S REPETITIVE AND PEOPLE HAVE SAID IT.

PEOPLE HAVE TOLD YOU HOW THEY FELT.

IT'S OBVIOUS.

I'M ASKING THAT THIS COMES OUTTA THIS.

IT SHOULD NOT, IT SHOULD BE ITS OWN LIGHT ITEM.

THIS SHOULD NOT BE IN A CONSENT AGENDA.

IT JUST SHOULDN'T.

IT'S TOO IMPORTANT TO BE JUST VOTED ON TONIGHT.

SHOULD BE TABLED.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

UH, EARL STOLL, 26 FOSTER TOWN ROAD.

UM, HAD THE FORTUNATE OPPORTUNITY TO NOT BE IN THE AREA FOR A MONTH OR SO.

SO I'VE APOLOGIZED FOR MISSING A FEW MEETINGS, BUT, UH, IT'S INTERESTING THAT MR. VARGA AND I CROSSED PATHS ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.

I THINK IT WAS ABOUT A YEAR AGO.

AND, UH, IT WASN'T, UH, THE, THE FINEST OF MEETINGS, BUT HE'S VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND HE DID HIS JOB.

AND BECAUSE OF THAT, UM, I JUST WANT TO CLEAR THE RECORD, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SOME VILIFICATION OF A NATIONAL HOME BUILDER, UM, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THREE OF THE PROJECTS, MAYBE FOUR, I GUESS THE FLYING W BUT I JUST WANNA GO ON THE RECORD BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH MR. VARGA AND I BACK ABOUT 14 MONTHS AGO WHEN I PRESENTED A PLAN IN FRONT OF THE STAFF MEETING FOR 14 HOMES ON A CUL-DE-SAC AND A CEMETERY EXPANSION INTO 80 ACRES.

THIS GENTLEMAN DID THE RIGHT THING AND SAID, CEMETERIES CAN'T BE USED AS A FORM OF OPEN SPACE.

SO I FOLDED UP MY PAPERS, MY, MY, ALL THE INFORMATION THAT I HAD THERE WITH MY PROFESSIONAL.

AND I WALKED OUT THAT STAFF MEETING AND THE FIRST CALL I MADE AT THAT TIME WAS TO THE THEN TOWNSHIP MANAGER.

AND I ASKED THAT TOWNSHIP MANAGER IF MY PROPERTY COULD BE CONSIDERED AS A PROPERTY IN NEED OF REDEVELOPMENT.

'CAUSE I WANT TO MAKE MY PROPERTY PART OF THE 171 OBLIGATION THAT THIS TOWNSHIP HAD.

SO NOT, YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG.

I CREDIT YOU FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING.

BUT THAT'S HOW THE CAMP BFS STALL PROPERTY CAME TO FRUITION, WHERE THAT'S GONNA MEET SOME OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T EXPAND THE CEMETERY AND DO, UH, 14 HOME SUBDIVISION WITH ACTUALLY MR. OCCI.

UH, FAST FORWARD A LITTLE BIT OR REWIND A LITTLE BIT.

I'VE BEEN IN THE TOWNSHIP NOW FOR 39 YEARS.

CAME HERE IN 1987.

OKAY? I'VE MET MR. TINGER.

I'VE KNOWN MR. TINGER FOR 40 YEARS,

[02:50:01]

39 YEARS.

MR. TINGER WAS GOING A DIFFERENT ROUTE WITH HIS PROPERTY.

MR. TINGER WAS GONNA DO PUBLIC STORAGE.

I SAID, BOB, I SAID, YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER HAVE PASSED.

BEEN A FRIEND OF THE TINGER FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

I ASKED BOB TO BRING HIS PROPERTY INTO MEETING THE OBLIGATION OF THE TOWNSHIP.

IT WAS ME.

IT WASN'T DR HORTON, IT WAS EARL STAHL.

FAST FORWARD A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.

WHEN I UNDERSTOOD AND FIGURED OUT THROUGH THE WAY I DO THINGS AND PROBLEM SOLVE THAT THE LAFFERTY PROPERTY WAS ANOTHER PROPERTY THAT WAS HAVING PROBLEMS BETWEEN THE CONTRACT PURCHASER AND THE PROPERTY OWNER.

GUESS WHO WAS THERE? EARL STAHL.

I KNOW MR. MALANO.

I KNOW RICK, I KNOW LIZ.

I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR 39 YEARS.

HE'S HAD A FEW HEALTH PROBLEMS. I ASKED HIS PROPERTY.

I'M THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE THREE PROJECTS.

NOT ANYONE ELSE.

WASN'T THE R HORTON.

I'M THE CONTRACT BUYER OF RICK'S AUTO BODY.

I'M THE OWNER OF CAMP BFS, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO THE CEMETERY AND ADJACENT TO THE CORNER OF CHURCH AND FOSTER TOWN ROAD BY MR. REDI AND MRS. RE'S PROPERTY.

I'M SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR IT NOW TO THE MOST IMPORTANT PART, OKAY? I HAD NATIONAL HOME BUILDERS COME TO MY DOORSTEP.

I DIDN'T MEET WITH CERTAIN ONES PERSONALLY, BUT I MET WITH LENNAR.

I MET WITH PULTE, I MET WITH DR HORTON.

I CHOSE DR HORTON BECAUSE THAT MAN BELIEVES IN THIS TOWN.

OKAY, RAY, BETHANY, MIKE, MICHELLE, CATHERINE.

CATHERINE, IF ANYONE OF YOU WANT TO TALK WITH ME ABOUT THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH THE INDIVIDUAL WHO LIVES IN THIS TOWN, WHO I PUT MY BELIEF IN, PLEASE COME TALK TO ME PERSONALLY.

IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHO'S GETTING PAID WHAT.

I TURNED DOWN MORE MONEY FROM PULTE WHO OFFERED 3 MILLION MORE DOLLARS FOR MY PROJECT AND I WENT WITH A LESS AMOUNT OF DOLLARS.

THANKS CHIEF .

THAT'S OKAY.

WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

WE'RE GONNA CLEARLY LET YOU GO.

PLEASE.

I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT INAPPROPRIATELY DR HORTON IS BEING VILIFIED WHEN I CHOSE DR HORTON TO DO TWO OF THE THREE PROJECTS, AND I CONVINCED MR. TINGER TO CHOOSE DR HORTON.

SO PLEASE, MR. QUANS, HE'S NOT HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT DR HORTON IS A GOOD BUILDER.

I CHOSE THEM BECAUSE THAT INDIVIDUAL LIVES IN THIS TOWN AND HE CARES ABOUT THIS TOWN.

AND I HOPE EVERYTHING GOES ALL RIGHT WITH ALL THAT.

THANK YOU MR. STALL.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

ANYONE ELSE FROM THE PUBLIC ON? NO.

ALRIGHT, ALL IN FAVOR A.

ALL RIGHT, NOW WE HAVE

[VIII. MANAGER’S REPORT]

THE MANAGER'S REPORT.

UH, YES.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

UM, COUPLE QUICK THINGS.

ONE I DID WANT TO ANSWER, UM, MRS. HOLLOWAY, WELL SIX IS THE SOUTHERN END OF TOWN.

IT'S, UH, IN THE AREA, CAL PATH ROAD THERE AND JACKSON.

SO I DID GET THAT FROM BRIAN, OUR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS.

UM, IN REGARDS TO THE MISSED TRASH COLLECTIONS, UH, OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, UH, OUR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS IS WORKING WITH, UH, REPUBLIC, UM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR, UH, CONTRACT WITH THEM TO GET THINGS SQUARED AWAY.

SO THAT IS ON EVERYBODY'S RADAR AND, UH, AGAIN, HOPEFULLY, UH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT CONTRACT, UH, TO OUR BENEFIT.

AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER THING I HAD WAS WE'RE SEEKING APPROVAL FOR, UH, THREE VOLUNTEER, UH, MEMBERS FOR OUR DEPARTMENT OF FIRE AND EMS. THEY'RE LISTED ON THE AGENDA.

GREAT CHIEF, THANK YOU, UM, AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING.

UM, AND THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING UP WITH THE RESIDENT CONCERNS ABOUT TRASH.

I KNOW IT'S SENSITIVE TOPIC, OBVIOUSLY FOR US WHEN OUR TRASH DOESN'T GET PICKED UP, BUT, UM, NEGOTIATING OR WORKING WITH THE VENDOR TO TRY TO GET THAT REP RECTIFIED IS, UM, SOMETHING WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU DOING.

NO, ABSOLUTELY.

UM, MR. KOPP FROM PUBLIC WORKS TRACKED IT AND, UH, THERE WERE MULTIPLE ROUTES THAT WERE EITHER 25% OR 100% MISSED.

SO THAT IS

[02:55:01]

UNACCEPTABLE.

ALRIGHT, THEY'RE APPROVED.

UM, SO I KNOW WE NEED A JUST DO ALL IN FAVOR AN ALL IN FAVOR FOR APPROVAL OF THE THREE VOLUNTEERS.

AYE.

CHIEF AS ALWAYS, PLEASE THANK THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE.

UM, ALRIGHT, AND, UM, THERE'S NO CLERK'S REPORT THIS EVENING.

WE WILL NOW

[X. BILL LIST]

MOVE TO THE BILL LIST.

WE HAVE A BILL LIST FROM APRIL 10TH, 2026, AND APRIL 17TH, 2026.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BILL LIST? MM-HMM.

ALL IN FAVOR OF ROLL CALL.

DO ALL CALL ALL IN FAVOR? YEAH.

AYE.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE.

NO ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION.

UM,

[XII. CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTIONS ]

I'LL NOW MOVE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTIONS.

MR. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE RESOLUTION 91 DASH 2 26 FOR THE SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENT.

UH, GIVEN THE FACT THAT COUNSEL DID NOT RECEIVE THE AGREEMENT, UH, FOR REVIEW UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 10 30 THIS MORNING, I ASKED FOR THIS MOTION TO BE TABLED TO ALLOW MORE TIME FOR MORE EXTENSIVE REVIEW.

SECOND, A RESOUNDING SECOND BY THE WAY.

EVERY MAYOR WORK CASE, NO.

MAYOR S NO MOTION FAILS.

OKAY, SO IT'S STILL ON THE CONSENT AGENDA BE REMOVED, OR MR. MAYOR, I MAY MAKE A MOTION TO REMOVE RESOLUTION 91 DASH 2026 FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.

I'LL SECOND THAT.

MS. SANBORN? YES, MR. COS? AYE.

MS. MILK MS FOR CLARIFICATION, THIS IS FOR DISCUSSION.

TO REMOVE OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA, REMOVE THE STANDARD.

YES, DEPUTY MAYOR MORICE AYE MAYORS AYE.

OKAY, SO RESOLUTION 91 HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA THAT WILL MOVE DOWN TO, FORGIVE ME.

I BELIEVE IT'S SECTION EIGHT RESOLUTIONS.

AND THAT WILL BE READ SEPARATELY, CORRECT MR. MAYOR? ALRIGHT, SO AT THIS POINT I WILL READ THE REMAINING CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTIONS.

SELF-EXAMINATION OF 2026.

RESOLUTION 89 20 26 GOVERNING BODY CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE UNITED STATES EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION, UM, ENFORCEMENT GUIDANCE ON THE CONSIDERATION OF ARREST AND CONVICTION RECORDS AND EMPLOYMENT DECISIONS UNDER TITLE VII OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964.

THEN RESOLUTION 90 20 26 SETTING HEARING DATE FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER PURSUANT TO NJS A 40 69 A DASH 93 AND ESTABLISHING RULES OF PROCEDURE.

UM, WE'RE GONNA THEN GO RESOLUTION 92 20 26.

BUDGET, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CON, THE THREE CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTIONS.

MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 89 90 AND 92 DASH 20,026.

DEPUTY MAYOR S AYE MAYORS AYE.

ALRIGHT, NOW WE WILL

[XIII. RESOLUTIONS]

MOVE TO RESOLUTION 93.

2026 INTRODUCTION OF THE 2026 MUNICIPAL BUDGET.

SO WE ARE VOTING ONLY ON APPROVAL OF THIS RESOLUTION, CORRECT.

INTRODUCING IT.

WE WILL MOVE ON TO RESOLUTION 91 20 26 AUTHORIZING SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH SOUTHAMPTON FOR THE TOWNSHIP ADMINISTRATOR.

WE'RE INTRODUCING THE BUDGET AND CORRECT IF I'M WRONG, LINDSAY, WITH THIS MOTION, IF IT'S APPROVED, WELL IT'S A 28 DAY GRACE PERIOD.

GRACE PERIOD AND INTRODUCTION WOULD BE ON ADOPTION OF THE PUBLIC PERIOD WOULD BE MAY 19TH.

MAY 19TH.

SO AT THIS POINT WE'RE JUST APPROVING THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BUDGET.

MR. COS WITH CONCERN? YES, YOU HAVE ME TOO MS. MO.

[XII.3. Resolution 91-2026 – Authorizing a Shared Service Agreement with Southampton for Township Administrator]

WHAT WE DO, UH, WE'LL NEED A MOTION.

WE DO NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND AND A SECOND AND THEN A ROLL CALL.

I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO ACCEPT IT.

[03:00:03]

THAT RESOLUTION HAS PASSED.

WE NOW WE DON'T HAVE EXECUTIVE NO, MR. BAYER.