* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. DIRECTLY INTO THE NEXT [00:00:01] MEETING. OKAY, [I. PUBLIC MEETINGS STATEMENT] WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING. UH, THIS MEETING IS OF SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2026. THIS MEETING IS CALLED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS LAW. THIS MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2026 WAS INCLUDED IN A MEETING NOTICE SENT TO THE BURLINGTON COUNTY TIMES IN CENTRAL RECORD ON JANUARY 7TH, 2026, AND ADVERTISED AND SAID NEWSPAPERS ON JANUARY 11TH, 2026 AND JANUARY 15TH, 2026, RESPECTIVELY POSTED ON THE WEBSITE AND THE BOLTON BOARD IN THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING ON JANUARY 7TH, 2026. IN ADDITION, A COPY OF THIS NOTICE IS AND HAS BEEN AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND IS ON FILE IN THE OFFICE OF THE MUNICIPAL CLERK. PLEASE RISE FOR THE FLAG. SALUTE I PLEDGE NATION TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE PUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU, MS. WICKER. ROLL CALL PLEASE. MS. SANOR. HERE. MR. COX? HERE. MS. MILL. HERE. DEPUTY . HERE. MAYOR SUSAN HERE. [IV. Communications, Scheduling Matters, Council Agenda, Presentations and Any Amendments to the Agenda] OKAY. WE WILL START THIS MEETING WITH TWO EXTREMELY, UM, IMPORTANT SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS. THEY ARE PROCLAMATIONS. ONE IS FOR A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF MEDFORD, AND ONE IS FOR A LONGTIME ORGANIZATION WITHIN MEDFORD. I'LL ASK COUNSEL TO COME FORWARD. WE WILL START WITH YMCA. UM, OKAY. UM, THIS PROCLAMATION IS CELEBRATING THE 120 YEARS OF THE YMC OF THE PINES, WHEREAS IN 1906, THE YMC OF THE PINES WAS STA WAS ESTABLISHED WITH THE MISSION TO PROVIDE YOUNG PEOPLE WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPERIENCE NATURE, BUILD CHARACTER, DEVELOP CONFIDENCE, AND FORM LASTING FRIENDSHIPS. AND WHEREAS FOR 120 YEARS, YMCA, THE PINES HAS REMAINED COMMITTED TO THAT MISSION, CREATING MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES THAT HAVE HELPED GENERATE, THAT HAVE HELPED GENERATIONS OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES LEARN, GROW, AND THRIVE. WHEREAS WHAT BEGAN IN 1906 HAS GROWN INTO A CHERISHED SOUTH JERSEY INSTITUTION WITH THE YMCA OF THE PINES, NOW PROVIDING YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMS AND OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES FOR MORE THAN OF MORE THAN 800 ACRES IN THE HEART OF SOUTH JERSEY'S, PINELANDS, AND IN MEDFORD TOWNSHIP. AND WHEREAS THROUGH CAMP NIKKEN, CAMP, ANAQUA LAKE, STOCKWELL DAY CAMP, WILDERNESS PROGRAMS, RETREATS, FAMILY PROGRAMS, OUTDOOR EDUCATION, AND OTHER INITIATIVES. YMCA, THE PINES CONTINUES TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN, TEENS, ADULTS, AND FAMILIES TO CONNECT WITH NATURE AND ONE ANOTHER. AND WHEREAS THE VALUE OF CARING, HONESTY, RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, COURAGE, AND INCLUSIVENESS ARE WOVEN INTO THE CAMPING EXPERIENCE, HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE DEVELOP NOT ONLY SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE, BUT THE CHARACTER TO BECOME RESPONSIBLE AND COOPERATIVE MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS YMCA, THE PINES HAS BECOME AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE FABRIC AND HISTORY OF MEDFORD TOWNSHIP, WITH GENERATIONS OF FAMILY THROUGHOUT THE REGION, SHARING MEMORIES AND LIFETIME CONNECTIONS TO, OF CAMPING. AND WHEREAS YMCA, THE PINES REMAINS COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT PREVENT A CHILD FROM EXPERIENCING CAMP, PROVIDING SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES SO THAT MORE CHILDREN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE. AND WHEREAS FOR 120 YEARS, YMCA, THE PINES HAS SERVED AS A STEWARD FOR THE OUTDOORS AND THE PINELANDS, WHILE PROVIDING A PLACE WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE CAN UNPLUG, EXPLORE, CHALLENGE THEMSELVES, BUILD FRIENDSHIPS, AND DISCOVER THEIR POTENTIAL. AND WHEREAS THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD RECOGNIZES THE LASTING IMPACT YMC THE PINES HAS HAD ON GENERATIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE, FAMILIES, AND THE BORDERING SOUTH JERSEY COMMUNITIES, AND IT IS PROUD TO CELEBRATE THIS REMARKABLE MILESTONE ALONG WITH THEM. AND NOW, FOR LET IT BE PROCLAIMED THAT THE MAYOR AND TOWNSHIP COUNCIL OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD HEREBY RECOGNIZED AND CELEBRATE THE HUNDRED 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF YMC OF THE PINES, AND EXTEND OUR SINCERE, SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS AND APPRECIATION FOR 120 YEARS OF BUILDING CHARACTER, STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY, CREATING MEMORIES, AND HELPING GENERATIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE BECOME THE BETTER VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED THAT THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD COM COMMENDS YMC OF THE PINES FOR ITS ENDURING COMMITMENT TO CHILDREN, FAMILIES, COMMUNITY, AND THE PRESERVATION OF THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF THE S AND WISH THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUED SUCCESS FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. [00:05:01] THANK, UM, GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANKS. UM, I'M GONNA AD LIB JUST FOR A SECOND. AND SO I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT TO ALLOW US TO READ THE PROCLAMATION. UM, YMC THE PINES HAS TOUCHED MANY FAMILIES. I MIGHT GET EMOTIONAL, BUT, UM, WHEN, UH, MY SON, MY FAMILY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, WE SEND OUR CHILDREN TO YMC, THE PINES. WHEN MY SON, WHO AT THE TIME WAS EIGHT, UM, WE WERE TOLD HE WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO RIDE A BIKE BECAUSE OF DIFFERENT MOTOR SKILL CHALLENGES THAT HE FACED. UM, WE DROPPED HIM OFF AT HIS FIRST WEEK OF OVERNIGHT CAMP AND WE COME BACK, WE CAN'T FIND HIM, HE COMES RIDING THROUGH THE WOODS ON A BIKE. UM, AND WE, LIKE, WE BROKE. MY WIFE AND I BROKE DOWN IN TEARS. WE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. UM, AND IT TURNS OUT THAT HE JUST NEEDED TO BE MOTIVATED IN A DIFFERENT WAY. UM, AND TODAY HE'S AN IRON MAN BECAUSE OF THAT. AND, UH, IT'S REALLY REMARKABLE WHAT YOU DO. I THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UM, AND PROBABLY JUST AS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY, UM, WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION, UM, HONORING EDWARD 10 OFF, IF YOU MIND STEPPING FORWARD. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. DON'T MAKE ME CRY. OKAY. WELL, I'VE ALREADY STARTED, SO WE GOTTA CRY TOGETHER ON THIS ONE. , UM, THIS PROCLAMATION IS HONORING EDWARD J TENTOFF, WHEREAS EDWARD JOHN TENTOFF MOVED TO MEDFORD AND QUICKLY BECAME A VALUED AND ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY, SHARING HIS TIME, KNOWLEDGE, COURTESY AND PASSION WITH THE PEOPLE AND ORGAN ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAKES MEDFORD HOME. AND WHEREAS ED VOLUNTEERED HIS TIME AND TALENTS THROUGH SEVERAL MEDFORD TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATIONS AND INITIATIVES WITH THE PARTICULAR COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, OPEN SPACE CONSERVATION, AND THE PRESERVATION OF MEDFORD'S UNIQUE CHARACTER AND HISTORY. AND WHEREAS ED SERVED ON MEDFORD TOWNSHIP'S ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE GREEN TEAM, FROM 2024 TO 2026, CONTRIBUTING HIS KNOWLEDGE AND ADVOCACY TO MATTERS CONCERNING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, CONSERVATION, OPEN SPACE, AND THE PRESERVATION OF MEDFORD'S NATURAL RESOURCES. AND WHEREAS ED ALSO SERVED ON MEDFORD TOWNSHIP ZONING BOARD FROM 2025 TO 2026, CONTRIBUTING HIS TIME AND THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION TO MATTERS AFFECTING THE TOWNSHIP AND ITS RESIDENTS. AND WHEREAS ED SERVED ON THE VILLAGE PARKING SUBCOMMITTEE IN 2024 AND 2025, LENDING HIS PERSPECTIVE AND COMMITMENT TO HELPING ADDRESS ISSUES AFFECTING MEDFORD'S HISTORICAL VILLAGE AND COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS ED WAS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO THE PRESERVATION OF THE PINELANDS AND WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE PINELANDS PRESERVATION ALLIANCE, SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE REGION'S EXTRAORDINARY NATURE, CULTURE, HISTORY, AND RESOURCES. AND WHEREAS ED WAS DE WAS A DEDICATED ADVOCATE FOR MEDFORD SENIOR COMMUNITY AND SERVED AS THE CHAIR OF THE MEDFORD SENIOR CENTER CRANBERRY HALL, HELPING TO SUPPORT A WELCOMING PLACE WHERE MEDFORD SENIORS COULD GATHER, CONNECT, AND PARTICIPATE IN THEIR COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS ED'S COMPASSION EXTENDED BEYOND ENVIRONMENTAL AND CIVIC CAUSES THROUGH HIS INVOLVEMENT WITH THE VISITING PAWS, A THERAPY DOG ORGANIZATION THAT BROUGHT COMFORT, COMPANIONSHIP, AND THE JOY TO OTHERS, A CAUSE THAT WAS TRUE TO ED'S, TRULY ONE OF ED'S PASSIONS. AND WHEREAS ED TOOK GREAT PRIDE IN HIS MEDFORD HOME AND ITS UNIQUE PLACE IN MEDFORD'S HISTORY, HIS HOME BUILT IN 1911 IS THE ONLY KNOWN SEARS ROEBUCK HOME IN MEDFORD, REFLECTING HIS APPRECIATION FOR HISTORY PRESERVATION AND THE SPECIAL CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY HE CALLED HOME. AND WHEREAS THROUGH HIS YEARS IN MEDFORD, ED DEMONSTRATED A GENUINE COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE AND VOLUNTEERISM, LEAVING A LASTING IMPACT THROUGH HIS WORK ON BEHALF OF THE ENVIRONMENT, OPEN SPACE CONSERVATION SENIORS, THE PINELANDS, HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, AND THE BROADER MEDFORD COMMUNITY. WHEREAS THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD RECOGNIZES THAT ED'S CONTRIBUTIONS WERE MADE NOT SIMPLY THROUGH HIS SERVICE TO COMMU, TO COMMITTEES AND ORGANIZATIONS, BUT THROUGH THE COMPASSION, DEDICATION, CURIOSITY, AND ENTHUSIASM HE BROUGHT TO EVERYTHING HE CARED ABOUT. NOW THEREFORE, BE A PROCLAIMED THAT THE MAYOR AND TOWNSHIP COUNCIL OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD EXTEND THEIR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND LOVED ONES OF EDWARD TENTOFF, AND RECOGNIZE AND HONOR [00:10:01] HIS MANY YEARS OF SERVICE, VOLUNTEERISM, ADVOCACY, AND FRIENDSHIP TO THE MEDFORD COMMUNITY. BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED THAT EDWARD TENTOFF WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR HIS DEDICATION TO PRESERVING THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF HISTORY AND THE HISTORY OF MEDFORD, HIS ADVOCACY FOR SENIORS AND THE PINELANDS, HIS COMMITMENT TO AN ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND OPEN SPACE. HIS LOVE FOR HIS, EXCUSE ME, HIS LOVE FOR HIS HISTORICAL HOME, AND ESPECIALLY THE COMPASSION AND KINDNESS HE SHARED WITH MANY OTHERS. THANK YOU. I'D LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYONE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO HONOR ED, UH, ED'S MEMORY TO STEP FORWARD. WE'D LIKE TO GET ONE PICTURE WITH EVERYBODY, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE. YOU WANT, DO YOU WANT ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL PLEASE, EVERYBODY? YEP. YES, YES, PLEASE. THANK YOU. SO, OKAY. UM, WE WILL NOW MOVE TO COMMUNICATIONS. DO ANY MEMBERS OF COUNCIL HAVE ITEMS FOR COMMUNICATIONS? I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS, MR. MAYOR. SURE. UH, FIRST I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY THANKING THOSE RESIDENTS WHO SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS, UH, FOR OUR VACANCIES ON OUR VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. UH, AS WE MENTIONED A COUPLE MEETINGS AGO, UH, WE HAD SET FRIDAY THE, THE 28TH AS OUR DEADLINE, UH, FOR THIS CURRENT ROUND OF VACANCIES. UH, AS OF FRIDAY WE HAD 5, 5, 5 APPLICATIONS. UH, SO I'M GONNA THANK THOSE RESIDENTS, UH, AS A COUNCIL. WE'VE HAD SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH. SO WE'LL BE GETTING READY TO REVIEW THOSE, UH, THOSE LETTERS OF INTEREST AND, AND APPLICATIONS SO WE CAN BEGIN MAKING APPOINTMENTS, UH, IN THE NEAR FUTURE. UH, NEXT, I ALSO WANTED TO THANK RESIDENTS. UH, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS WHO COME FORWARD, YOU KNOW, WEEKLY, DAILY, MONTHLY, WITH INFORMATION, IDEAS, AND, AND QUESTIONS. UH, AND AS WE'RE FOCUSED ON SOME OF THE WORK HERE, THINGS MAY BE HAPPENING IN OTHER TOWNS OR OTHER AREAS THAT WE MAY NOT BE AWARE OF OR DIFFERENT IDEAS OR DIFFERENT THOUGHTS. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE WHEN RESIDENTS BRING THAT INFORMATION TO US. RECENTLY, UH, INFORMATION WAS PRESENTED AND SHARED WITH US ABOUT MORRISTOWN AND SOME THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING IN MORRISTOWN IN TERMS OF PILOTS AND, AND THE MOUS AND THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, GIVEN THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND, AND THAT'S BEEN SUCH A HOT TOPIC HERE IN MEDFORD. UM, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO SEE IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WE, MAYBE WE HAD MISSED, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN MORRISTOWN. SO I REACHED OUT TO MAYOR LAW OF MORRISTOWN, UH, FOR INFORMATION AND FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY DID AND HOW THEY PRO PROCEEDED WITH WHAT WAS SHARED, UH, FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN HIS OPENING. UH, MAYOR LAW, YOU KNOW, KIND OF STOPPED ME AS I WAS ASKING QUESTIONS AND SHARED WITH ME THAT MORRISTOWN IS IN FACT NOT A MOU AND IS NOT IN A REVENUE SHARING AGREEMENT WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN TERMS OF PILOT REVENUE FROM THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT THERE WAS A PROPOSAL, UM, BY THE TOWNSHIP, UH, BUT THE TOWNSHIP HAD TO INCUR A SIGNIFICANT DEBT TO MEET ITS AFFORDABLE HOUSING OBLIGATION IN MORRISTOWN. MORRISTOWN HAS A HUNDRED, A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, COMPLEX, UNLIKE WHERE HERE IN MEDFORD WE'RE GONNA HAVE A MIX OF AFFORDABLE AND MARKET RATE. SO THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE COMPLEX WAS ISSUED A PILOT. AND THERE WAS A PROPOSAL, UH, TO ENTER INTO A, A SHARED SHARE COST SHARING, REVENUE SHARING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. BUT THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF SHARE THAT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I WANTED TO THANK THE RESIDENTS FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION. UM, BUT WITH EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE AS A COUNCIL AND EXPLORING THAT AS THAT INFORMATION IS BROUGHT TO [00:15:01] US SO WE CAN FIND OUT WHAT'S HAP WHAT'S HAPPENING. UM, YOU KNOW, MAYOR LAW DID SAY, UH, THAT MORRISTOWN IS EXPLORING OTHER OPTIONS FOR REVENUE SHARING, UH, WHICH WE AS A COUNSELOR ARE DOING AS WELL WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT HERE IN MEDFORD, UH, TO SEE, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OUT. UH, BUT AGAIN, I JUST ALSO WANTED TO SHARE, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THAT WE DID RECEIVE, WE WERE, WE DID, WE DID RECEIVE THE INFORMATION THAT WAS SHARED IN TERMS OF MORRISTOWN. UH, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE OUT WHAT WAS FOUND, UH, UPON MY DIS CONVERSATION WITH, WITH MAYOR LAW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU. I JUST HAVE ONE ANNOUNCEMENT. NEXT FRIDAY IS SAVE THE DATE. UM, THERE'S THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF NINE 11 THAT WE'RE HAVING, UM, AT 8:30 AM AT FREEDOM PARK. THANK YOU. ANY ADDITIONAL COMMUNICATIONS? NO. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. NEXT WE HAVE SCHEDULING ITEMS. SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2026 IS THE TOWN HALL MEETING AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING RIGHT HERE AT SIX 30. THIS MEETING WAS, UM, ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 15TH. IT'S BEEN RESCHEDULED TO THE 22ND. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO [V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES] APPROVAL OF MINUTES. WE HAVE JULY 28TH, 2026, COUNCIL MEETING, MINUTES AND JULY 28TH. EXECUTIVE SESSION MINUTES. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND. SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. MINUTES ARE APPROVED. WE NOW [VI. DISCUSSION ITEMS] HAVE DISCUSSION ITEMS, IF I MAY, MATT, UH, CHIEF DISCUSSION ITEMS, IS THERE ANY ITEMS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO, UH, UNLESS YOU WANT ME TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THE COUNCIL ASKING TO REVIEW ADDITIONAL IN REGARDS TO NORTHTOWN AND OTHER BROUGHT? SURE. OKAY. FAIR. ALRIGHT, NOW ONTO THE MANAGER'S REPORT. SO I WANTED TO TOUCH BASE WITH COUNSEL. UM, THERE WAS A MISPRINT, UM, IN THE TAX BILLS THAT WERE MAILED OUT, MAKE SURE THE RESIDENTS WERE AWARE. UM, WE WORKED WITH OUR VENDOR, OUR TAX COLLECTOR WORKED WITH OUR VENDOR IN THEIR FOR BUSINESS. UM, THEY INADVERTENTLY PRINTED THE ADVICE COPY AS THE BILL COPY. SO ON EACH OF THE STUBS IT SAYS NOT A BILL. UH, HOWEVER, THAT SECOND COPY IS, IS THE ACTUAL TAX BILL. UM, SO, UH, AMERICAN SOLUTIONS HAS WRITTEN US A LETTER ABOUT THAT, AND THEN ALSO THEY'RE GOING THROUGH REFUNDING, UM, THE TOTAL COST OF THE PRINTING, UH, THAT THEY BILL FOR, CAPTION FOR THAT. UM, SO SPECIFICALLY FOR RESIDENTS, WHEN YOU GET YOUR TAX BILL, THERE IS A RED ADVICE ONLY KIND OF LIKE JUMPS OUT AT YOU. UM, THAT IF YOU WERE ADVICE ONLY YOUR MORTGAGE COMPANY, YOUR ESCO COMPANY IS PAYING YOUR, YOUR TAXES. SO IT SAYS THAT ADVICE ONLY IN RED LETTERS FOR THOSE RESIDENTS WHO PAY THEIR TAXES AT THE TAX OFFICE AND ARE NOT PAID THROUGH THE ESCROW OR THE MORTGAGE COMPANY. IT DOESN'T HAVE THOSE RED LETTERS. BUT THEN ON THE STUBS IT SAYS, UM, PLEASE DETACH AND PAY. THEY PUT THE STUB THAT WAS FOR THE ADVICE COPY ON THE POLICE DE ATTACH AND PAY INSTEAD OF SAYING, THIS IS NOT A BILL. SO THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE IT. SO SOME RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN NOTICING THOSE ITEMS WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO PAY THEIR THIRD COURT TAXES. THERE WILL BE A NOTICE, UH, PLACED OUT, UM, IN, UH, THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE AND OUT INTO NIXLE SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE, THE TWO DIFFERENCES. UM, AND, UH, TO KNOW THAT IT'S AN ACTUAL BILL, IT'S THE, THE TOWNSHIP'S TAX, AM I CORRECT THAT THE AMOUNTS ON THOSE STATEMENTS WERE CORRECT? CORRECT, YEAH. IT'S JUST THE, SO THERE'S A STANDARD COPY THAT, UH, THE COMPANY DOES. THERE'S A STANDARD COPY FOR NON-AD ADVICE AND A STANDARD COPY FOR ADVICE. WE ASKED THEM TO PUT THE RED LETTERING ON THE ADVICE SO THAT THEY DON'T WANT THE SAME MM-HMM . THEY TOOK THE STANDARD COPY WITHOUT THE RED LETTERING AND PUT IT ON FOR THE, UH, FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT ACTUALLY PAY THEIR TAXES. UNDERSTOOD. UM, AND WHERE IN THE LITTLE SMALL FINE PRINT, IT SAYS, THIS IS NOT A BILL BECAUSE IT'S THE ADVICE ONLY TEMPLATE. MM-HMM . IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AS APPROVED BY THE TOWN SUPPOSED TO BE DETACHED AND PAY. UM, SO THEY'VE ACKNOWLEDGED THE, THE ERROR THAT THEY DID AFTER IT WAS, UH, ALREADY APPROVED. UM, AND SINCE WE HAVE A MAIL HOUSE THAT THAT DOES STUFFING AND PUTS OUT IN THE MAIL, THAT'S WHY IT WASN'T RECOGNIZED UNTIL RESIDENT STARTED. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UM, AND JUST TO, UH, ADDITIONAL ON THAT, UM, IT IS CORRECT ON THE WIDTH, SO IF THEY GO IN, THE WIDTH IS CORRECT. UH, ALSO, UM, JUST TO UPDATE ON COUNSEL ON BRUSH, DPW STAFF COMPLETED THE SPRING BRUSH PICKUP. THEY'RE MOVING INTO, UH, INTO THE NEXT ROUND. UM, WE DID WANT TO FOLLOW UP, UH, AGAIN, ON ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS BROUGHT UP SOME, [00:20:01] A QUESTION ABOUT MYA LAND REIMBURSEMENT, UH, THAT WAS, UH, BROUGHT UP. SO WE LOOKED INTO THAT AND THERE ARE THREE LINE ITEMS IN THE BUDGET UNDER, UH, OPEN SPACE. SO THIS IS PAID OUT OF THE ACQUISITION OF LANDS, UH, FOR RECREATION CONSERVATION, UM, OPEN SPACE, UH, THERE'S A SALARY, SALARY WAGE LINE IN THERE. UM, SO THAT'S JUST HOW IT PRINTS WHEN IT GOES TO THE, THE BILL. IT SAYS ACQUISITION OF LAND, BUT IT'S ACQUISITION OF LAND AND MAINTENANCE OF THOSE LAND. SO THAT'S WHY IT WAS PAID OUT THAT. SO TO PROVIDE MORE CLARITY, THERE'S, IN THE CURRENT FUND BUDGET, YOU HAVE SUB-ACCOUNTS IN THE OPEN SPACE BUDGET, AS YOU CAN SEE, AND ANY RESIDENT CAN CHECK IN ON SHEET 43 ON THE TOWNSHIP'S, UH, BUDGET FOR ANY YEAR. IT'S ALWAYS SHEET 43. THERE ARE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 13 LINES. MEDFORD ONLY USES THREE. SO WE HAVE A SALARY LINE, WE HAVE AN OE LINE, AND THEN WE HAVE A DEBT SERVICE LINE. UM, SO THAT'S BASICALLY HOW THE TOWNSHIP PUTS IT TOGETHER. AND THE LINE THAT WE USE IS MAINTENANCE OF LAND FOR RECREATION AND CONSERVATION PURPOSES, SALARY, WAGES, AND . SO THAT'S WHY IT'S LISTED IN, IT IS THAT WAY. BUT THE STATE RECOGNIZES JUST THOSE THREE LINES IN OUR, AND, AND TO YOUR POINT, CHIEF, THE EXPENSES REIMBURSED TO MYAA FOR MAINTENANCE, WE WOULD HAVE OUR OWN FOR OTHER AREAS OF OTHER MUNICIPAL PROPERTIES THAT WOULD COME OUT OF THAT SAME GL LINE, CORRECT? YEP. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE BILL LISTS, UM, IT WAS A 4 17 20 26 BILL LIST. UM, IT HAS THE INVOICE LINE THAT SAYS IT, STAR SPRINKLER. UM, AS WE REPORTED IN PRIOR MEETINGS, THE TOWNSHIP HAS AN AGREEMENT THAT WE REIMBURSE UP TO $20,000 ANNUALLY FOR ANY MAINTENANCE OF TOWNSHIP PROPERTIES. UM, AND IT APPEARS THAT, UH, FOR THAT MEETING, UH, THE REIMBURSEMENT WAS SOUGHT FOR A STAR SPRINKLER, UH, UH, INVOICE. THANK YOU. AND THEN, UH, DID YOU WANNA CALL UP ON MR WHILE WE DISCUSSING IT OR DO YOU WANT I I MEAN, I WAS ASKED TO DO TWO ITEMS, UH, FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING, UH, TO REVIEW THE MORSETOWN, UM, THE MORSETOWN ITEM THAT CAME UP, AND THEN ALSO TO EXPAND MORE UPON THE LUMBERTON, UH, UH, MOA AND OR MOU AND SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENT. SO TALK ABOUT THE MORSETOWN ITEM. UH, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT PILOTS. SO IF YOU LOOK AT IT, GORDON'S LANDING, WHICH IS ONE OF THE PROJECTS, PEARL RESIDENCE AT HARPER DRIVE, HERITAGE VILLAGE. ALL FOUR OF THESE ITEMS, IF YOU LOOK IN THE BULLETS, IT SAYS THAT THE PILOT IS BASED OFF OF, UH, GROSS RENTS. SO THERE'S ONLY ONE INDIVIDUAL THAT GETS THE PILOT. THIS IS NOT INDIVIDUAL UNITS. SO IT'S KIND OF COMPARING APPLES AND ORANGES. THE TOWNSHIP'S, MAJORITY OF THE TOWNSHIP'S COPLAN, ARE FOR SALE UNITS, UM, THAT ARE THEN DE RESTRICTED, UH, FOR SOME OF THE, UH, THE AFFORDABLES. SO GIVING A PILOT TO ONE ENTITY VERSUS THE, UM, THE, THE NOTION OF GIVING IT TO EACH INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNER IS WHAT HAS COME UP AND WHAT THE MAYOR TALKED ABOUT AT PRIOR MEETINGS, THAT YOU HAVE THIS, UM, THIS NUANCE IN THE LAW THAT WOULD THEN ALLOW THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER, NOT THE CORPORATION OR, OR CONGLOMERATE THAT OWNS THE RENTAL UNIT. UM, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE PILOT. AND THE REASON WHY YOU CAN GET OUTTA THE PILOT, AND I WOULD POINT OUT, UM, IN THE PRESENTATION IT TALKED ABOUT A NUMBER OF OTHER TOWNS. HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP IS ONE OF THE TOWNS THAT SPOKE ABOUT IT. SO HOPEWELL DOES HAVE FOR SALE UNITS, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GO TO HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP'S WEBSITE, SO HOPEWELL TWP.ORG/FIVE 80 SLASH PROPERTY TAX DEDUCTIONS. UM, AND THEY LIST THERE, THEY HAVE TO HAVE THIS DISCLAIMER AS WE REPORTED IN PRIOR MEETINGS. IT STATES AT THE BOTTOM AN IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL PILOT PROPERTIES. RESIDENTS LIVING IN PROPERTIES THAT ARE SUBJECT TO A PILOT AGREEMENT ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ANY PROPERTY TAX DEDUCTION. EXEMPTIONS OR REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED UNDER NJSA TITLE 54 PILOT PAYMENTS OR CONSIDERED, UH, PILOT PAYMENTS ARE NOT CONSIDERED PROPERTY TAXES AND THEREFORE THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS DO NOT APPLY TO PILOT ASSESSED PROPERTIES. VETERANS PROPERTY TAX DEDUCTION, SENIOR AND DISABLED PROPERTY TAX DEDUCTION, 100% DISABLED PROPERTY TAX DEDUCTION, SENIOR THREES, AND ANY OTHER PROGRAM REQUIRING OF THAT, THAT PROPERTY TAXES BE PAID. SO, NJ STAY, NJ ANGER, UM, AS WE'VE REPORTED BEFORE, THOSE PROGRAMS ONLY TALK TO ACTUAL TAXES PAID. SO TO A TOTALLY DISABLED VETERAN WHO DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY TAXES, UM, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE THE PILOT, THEY WOULD EXERCISE THE RIGHT TO NOT, UH, HAVE THE PILOT DO AWAY WITH IT, AND THEN APPLY [00:25:01] FOR THE VETERAN'S TAX DEDUCTION, THEN THEY WOULDN'T PAY PROPERTY TAXES. SIMILARLY, THE SENIOR FREEZE PROGRAM, ONCE YOU'RE FROZEN, ANY ADDITIONAL TAXES THAT ARE LEVY ABOVE THAT, THE STATE REIMBURSES YOU BACK. YOU WOULDN'T BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT IN THE MOST OF THE TIME. IT'S A 2% ESCALATOR ON THESE, ON THESE PILOTS. UM, THERE WAS A TALK ABOUT A $16 MILLION, UH, SCHOOL FUNDING COMMITMENT. THERE'S SEVERAL ARTICLES THAT TALK ABOUT THAT. IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT, UM, UH, THAT IT, IT WAS GOING TO AN EXISTING ITEM WHERE THERE ARE KIDS IN SCHOOLS THAT WERE IN TRAILERS, UM, TO THEM BUILD A SCHOOL SCHOOLHOUSE. HOWEVER, THE COMMITMENT WAS DUE TO THE PILOT. SO IF YOU HAVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT ARE SAYING, NO, I DON'T WANT THE PILOT ANYMORE, THEN THEY'RE NOT COMMITTING TO THE ACTUAL RESOURCES TO THE 16 MILLION SCHOOL. YOU CAN GOOGLE HOPEWELL'S ITEM. THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF LITIGATIONS THERE, UM, THAT YOU CAN, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT, UH, I WON'T GO INTO EACH ONE, BUT SIMILAR STORIES ARE THERE. IT'S EITHER A RENTAL PROPERTY WHERE IT'S JUST ONE PERSON GIVING A PILOT. UM, IF YOU SEE THE, UH, THE TOWN DOING IT FOR, FOR SALE ITEMS, THERE IS THAT DISCLAIMER ON THE, EACH ONE OF THOSE TOWNSHIP WEBSITES SAY, IN FACT, THESE ITEMS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE. UM, COINCIDENTALLY, OUR LONGTIME AUDITOR IS MORRISTOWN, CFO. SO BOB LIA WAS OUR AUDITOR FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS UP. THE LAST AUDIT THAT HE DID FOR US WAS IN 2013 WHEN HE RETIRED FROM THE COMPANY THAT DOES OUR AUDIT. UM, I HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH HIM A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT. HE SAID THAT THAT WAS PART OF HIS PRESENTATION AS WELL. UM, I DID INFORM HIM THAT COUNCILMAN COX DID REACH OUT TO THE MAYOR, UM, AND, AND WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THOSE ITEMS, AND HE SAID THE SAME THING THAT WE'RE REPORTING HERE. SO AS WE RECORDED BEFORE, WE DID LOOK AT PILOTS AS A POTENTIAL, THE RISK, BECAUSE A LARGE PORTION OF OUR COA COMPONENT IS SENIOR, THAT THREE MAIN PROGRAMS THAT SENIORS WOULD RELY ON, SENIOR FREE, NJ STATE, AND NJ ANCHOR WOULD NOT QUALIFY FOR THEM IN, IN THIS INSTANCE. SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE PILOT TOO MUCH OF A RISK OF DEFAULT THAT THEY WOULD SAY, I DON'T WANT THE PILOT ANYMORE BECAUSE I GET A BETTER BENEFIT FROM THE STATE. UM, AS IT WAS REPORTED AT THE LAST MEETING, I WAS ASKED TO REVIEW ITEMS WITH REGARDS TO LUMBERTON AND THE MOU AND THE SSA WITH LUMBERTON TOWNSHIP. UM, AS I SAID AT THAT MEETING, I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE WERE OTHER AGREEMENTS OTHER THAN THE ONES THAT WE EXECUTED, UH, RECENTLY. UM, WHAT WE FOUND OUT WAS THAT WHEN I READ, I'LL GO WITH THIS YEAR. SO, UH, RESOLUTION 44 DASH 26 WAS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH LUMBERTON. SPEAKING ABOUT THE, UM, THE ITEMS THAT THEY WOULD DO FROM A PUBLIC WORKS PERSPECTIVE. THERE WAS AN ADDENDUM THAT ADDENDUM WAS NEVER EXECUTED BY US. IT WAS EXECUTED BY LUMBERTON. WE WENT THROUGH WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND FOUND OUT THAT THE ADDENDUM FOR THE SNOW REMOVAL WAS NOT, UH, DONE BY US. SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE A RESOLUTION ON THIS EVENING. AS I REPORTED IN, UH, THAT LAST MEETING, THE MOU, WHICH WAS APPROVED BACK IN 2019, THERE WAS TWO VERSIONS. UH, THE SO VERSION WAS APPROVED BY RESOLUTION TWO, UH, 266 DASH, UH, 2019 AT THE LAST MEETING IN DECEMBER. AND IN THIS, UH, IN THIS MOU, IT TALKS ABOUT THE, THERE'S A JOINT DEVELOPMENT, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S, IT'S YIELDING THE NUMBERS THAT WERE BACK 2019. THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS HAVE LOWERED THOSE NUMBERS DOWN TO WHAT OUR CURRENT REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, UH, TALKS ABOUT. UM, THE IMPACT. UH, THERE WAS NO IMPACT TO LUMBERTON WITHIN THEIR THIRD ROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR ANY OF THE, UM, HOMES THAT WERE BUILT THERE. SO THE SET ASIDE WAS NOT REQUIRED ONTO LUMBERTON. UM, IT TALKED ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PLANS BEING DONE BY, UH, THE TOWNSHIP OF MIDFORD, AND IT WOULD FOLLOW OUR REDEVELOPMENT PLAN. TALKED ABOUT UNDER NINE ITEM NUMBERS. AUGUST WAS THE ONE THAT I TOLD YOU THAT I WAS UNSURE OF 'CAUSE I DIDN'T SEE IT IN THE SSA PUBLIC SEWER AND WATER STATES THAT AT THE EXPENSE, UH, OF, AT THE EXPENSE OF, FOR THE MARKET RATE, THAT MEDFORD WOULD PROVIDE SEWER TO ONLY THAT COMMUNITY AND NOT EXCEED THAT COMMUNITY. UM, AND THAT IS IN RELATION TO THE, UM, TO THE LITIGATION THAT LUMBERTON HAD, UH, KEEPING IT TO THAT. UM, SO THAT'S WHERE THE SEWER PART COMES IN, THAT THEY WOULD BE SEWER RATE PAYERS OF MEDFORD, BUT, UH, THEY WOULD BE LOCATED IN LUMBERTON. SO THAT'S THE ADDITIONAL ITEM THAT I TOLD THE COUNSEL THAT I WOULD LOOK AT AND TRY AND RESEARCH. UM, PUT IT TOGETHER. UM, ANY RESIDENT CAN GO TO 2000. THERE ARE 266 DASH, UH, 2019. THERE WAS A 189 DASH 2019, WHICH WAS A, UH, ORIGINAL MOU THAT WAS THEN REPLACED BY THE ONE THAT WAS DONE IN DECEMBER. UM, YOU'LL ALSO NOTE THAT THERE WAS A SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENT APPROVED BY 267 DASH 2019 BETWEEN, UH, LUMBERTON AND MEDFORD WHEN IT [00:30:01] CAME TO THE PUBLIC WORKS, UH, ITEMS. BUT I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS NOW REPLACED BY THE ITEMS THAT WERE THEN PASSED, UH, BY THIS BOARD ANDERTON RECENTLY. UM, SO FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING, YOU WILL HAVE THE ADDENDUM PORTION BECAUSE OUR SIDE DID NOT EXECUTE THAT MARKET. AND THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE. THAT WAS EXPERT. AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER THING WE HAVE ON [VII. MANAGER’S REPORT] MANAGER'S REPORT IS APPROVAL OF TWO VOLUNTEERS. UH, RILEY PHILLIPS VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER EMS STATION 2 5 1 2 5 8. AND DOMINIC MAZZIO, VOLUNTEER JUNIOR FIREFIGHTER, UH, STATION 2 5 2 2 5 8. YEP. UM, AND CHIEF AS ALWAYS, UM, IN REVIEWING THE APPLICATIONS FOR THE TWO NEW VOLUNTEERS, UH, NOT ONLY AM WE TAKEN BACK BY THEIR BIRTH DATE, UM, , BUT, UM, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A LONG-TERM RESIDENT THAT'S NOW INTERESTED IN BECOMING A VOLUNTEER AND ONE THAT, UM, RECENTLY MOVED TO MEDFORD FROM A NEIGHBORING TOWN. UM, SO I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT HOW, JUST HOW SIGNIFICANT OF A COMMITMENT THESE RESIDENTS MAKE TO THEIR NEIGHBORS. AND PLEASE THANK THEM FOR, FOR THEIR SERVICE. THANK YOU. WE'LL NEED A VOICE VOTE FOR APPROVAL. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. APPLICATIONS ARE APPROVED. THANK YOU FOR THE MANAGER'S REPORT. AT THIS TIME, I [VIII. PUBLIC COMMENTS] WILL OPEN THE FLOOR TO PUBLIC COMMENT. UM, ANYONE LOOKING TO SPEAK, I'D ASK YOU TO RAISE YOUR HAND IF THERE'S MORE. I JUST ASK YOU TO STEP FORWARD OR USE THE SEATS IN THE FRONT, UH, SO I DON'T LOSE TRACK, BUT WE'RE GONNA ALLOW FIVE MINUTES PER SPEAKER, UM, WITH AN ADDITIONAL ONE OPTION TO THE CHAIR IF NEEDED. I'LL ASK CHIEF DOBY TO KEEP THE TIME AND JUST TO BE, UM, FAIR TO THE SPEAKERS AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WILL RECEIVE ALL YOUR INFORMATION AND WE'LL ANSWER FOLLOWING YOUR TIME. OKAY? OKAY, SIR, GO RIGHT AHEAD. MY NAME IS MICHAEL DILLER. I LIVE AT TWO 14 TAUNTON BOULEVARD AND HAVE LIVED IN MEDFORD WITH MY FAMILY SINCE 1985. UH, I WANNA SAY A FEW MORE WORDS ABOUT ED TENTOFF. UH, ED HAS BEEN THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENIORS FOR THE LAST FOUR AND A HALF YEARS. I THINK HE WOULD'VE BEEN ELECTED FURTHER HAD HE LIVED LONGER. HE WAS VERY COMMITTED TO SENIORS. THE MEDFORD SENIORS, UH, STARTED IN 2004 AS A RESULT OF A GRANT THAT WAS, UH, UH, GOTTEN FROM THE GOVERNMENT, UH, IN WHICH IT, UH, INDICATED THAT THE COUNCIL WAS COMMITTING ITSELF, UH, TO SUPPORT A SENIOR ORGANIZATION IN PERPETUITY THAT STARTED WITH 20 SENIORS. UM, AND FROM 2004 TO 2012, WE USED TO MAKE A YEARLY REPORT TO COUNCIL. WE STOPPED DOING THAT IN 2012. AND WE'VE BEEN PRETTY MUCH AN INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION. HOWEVER, WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTED BY COUNCIL THROUGHOUT THE TIME AND WE APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. UM, TODAY WE HAVE MORE THAN 400 SENIORS, UH, SIGNED UP AS PART OF, UH, THE SENIOR ORGANIZATION. I BELIEVE IT TO BE THE LARGEST SENIOR ORGANIZATION, CERTAINLY IN SOUTH JERSEY AND PERHAPS EVEN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. UH, ED'S COMMITMENT WAS THAT, UH, HE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING THAT WAS WORTHWHILE AND, UH, HE APPRECIATED THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE CHAIR. AND I THINK THAT IT, UH, SHOULD BE ON THE RECORD THAT HE DID THAT GRACIOUSLY AND HONORABLY AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. ABALONE GALEY, CEDAR STREET, MEDFORD, SO ON. I JUST WANNA KEEP IN THE TRADITION OF HONORING ED TENTOFF, UH, AND MAKING PEOPLE AWARE OF SOME THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP. UM, FOR THE OCTOBER FEST, ONE SATURDAY, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE AND GREEN TEAM VOLUNTEERS WILL BE THERE RECYCLING, UH, PLASTIC CUPS. WE PARTNER WITH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AND LAST YEAR WE RECYCLED OVER 250 POUNDS OF CUPS JUST ON SATURDAY. SO WE'LL BE DOING THAT AGAIN AND THAT, SO SECOND YEAR FOR A FIRST YEAR PROJECT, WE'RE DOING [00:35:01] A HALLOWEEN COSTUME, UM, COLLECTION. AND THAT'LL GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE WITH SMALL CHILDREN TO COME. UH, SO FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, UH, KEEP A WATCH ON THE TOWNSHIP FACEBOOK PAGE AND WEBSITE. THEY WILL LET YOU KNOW, UH, DROP OFF LOCATIONS. AND I KNOW, UM, ONE OF THEM IS, UH, LOVE THY NATURE, FILLERY ON MAIN STREET 'CAUSE I'M ALL ABOUT MAIN STREET. UM, BUT WE'LL BE COLLECTING THEM THROUGH THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. AND THEN ON OCTOBER 11TH AT, UH, THE SENIOR CENTER CRANBERRY HALL, I WANNA SAY FROM 10 O'CLOCK TO THREE O'CLOCK, PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO COME OVER COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE AND GET HOPEFULLY HALLOWEEN COSTUMES FOR THEIR CHILDREN, KEEPING IT OUT OF THE LANDFILL. , THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I'M SORRY, OCTOBER 11TH IS THE DAY THEY PICK WHEN THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GET THE COSTUMES. BUT ALL BRING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, WE'RE GONNA COLLECT COSTUMES AND THEN THAT'LL GIVE THE VOLUNTEERS TIME TO SORT THEM OUT BY SIZE AND PACKAGE THEM AND EVERYTHING. SO WE HAVE, THEY JUST DROP 'EM OFF PAULA SO THEY CAN DROP THEM OFF. UM, ALEXIS, DO YOU NEED BOTH HAND, THE, UH, ALL THE DROP OFF PLACES? YEAH. WELL, DORY'S AND WILD. SO WE'RE COVERING ALL SECTIONS OF TOWN WITH IN TOWN DORY'S MEDITERRANEAN, IN THE VILLAGE OF TAUNTON FORGE, UM, AS WELL AS WILD BIRD OASIS, WHICH IS OFFICIALLY, UH, MEDFORD LAKES. BUT, UH, THEY'RE BIG, THEY'RE A BIG TIME SUPPORTER OF OUR TRES PROGRAM. YES. FANTASTIC. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OH, THANK YOU. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU, SIR. EVENING GUYS, I'M HERE 'CAUSE ON JULY 22ND, THE PLANNING BOARD ADOPTIVE RESOLUTION 15 20 26, APPROVING THE CEMETERY EXPANSION AT 17 AND 25 FOSTER ELM ROAD. I'M NOT HERE TO ARGUE AGAINST THE CEMETERY I'M HERE ABOUT WHILE THE, WELL, WHAT THE TOWNSHIP'S OWN PROFESSIONALS PUT IN WRITING. THE BOARD PLANNER FOUND THAT THE APPLICANT CLEARED LOT 39 0 6 IN ITS ENTIRETY IN THE LATE FALL OF 25 WITHOUT OBTAINING ANY TREE CLEARING PERMIT OR APPROVAL. THE APPLICANT'S OWN ENGINEER PUT IT ROUGHLY 20 TREES, SOME TWO FEET IN DIAMETER. THE SAME PLANNER FOUND THAT OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, TREE REMOVAL, CLEARING, GRADING, FILLING, STORAGE OF MATERIALS AND VEHICLES AND CONSTRUCTION OF AN ENTIRELY NEW BUILDING OCCURRED BEHIND THE EXISTING CEMETERY. HIS EXACT WORDS WERE, WE ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY APPROVALS FOR THIS WORK. GOOGLE EARTH CONFIRMS IT. IN APRIL OF 21, THE TREE LINE'S INTACT, AND BY MARCH OF 24 IT'S GONE. AND A LARGE AREA BEHIND THE BUILDING IS COMPLETELY CLEARED AND GRADED. SO WHAT DID THIS RESOLUTION THAT THEY PASSED THROUGH ABOUT IT, IT RECORDS THE APPLICANT QUOTE, WILL COMPLY AND HE'D WORK THINGS OUT WITH THE BOARD PLAN THERE. IN TREE COMPENSATION, THERE'S NO REFORESTATION COUNT, THERE'S NO DOLLAR FIGURE, THERE'S NO PENALTY, THERE'S NO REFERRAL TO CODE ENFORCEMENT. AND THERE'S NO FINDING THAT ANY ORDINANCE WAS VIOLATED AT ALL. NOW COMPARE THAT TO HOW RESIDENTS ARE TREATED. I APPLIED FOR A VARIANCE FOR A GARAGE ON MY OWN PROPERTY. I FILED THE APPLICATION, I PAID THE ESCROW. I NOTICED ALL OF MY NEIGHBORS. I STOOD AT A PUBLIC HEARING AND I WAS DENIED. 'CAUSE THE ORDINANCE BARS IT, ANOTHER RESIDENT WAS DENIED IN SIMILAR GROUNDS. IN JULY, WE ASKED FIRST AND WE WERE TOLD NO, THIS APPLICANT DIDN'T EVEN ASK. AND WHEN THE TOWNSHIP'S OWN PROFESSIONAL CAUGHT IT IN WRITING, THE CONSEQUENCE WAS A PRIVATE CONVERSATION WITH NO NUMBERS ATTACHED. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE COUNCIL DOES NOT OVERTURN LAND USE DECISIONS, BUT THIS COUNCIL DOES WRITE THE TREE REMOVAL ORDINANCE AND THE PENALTY SCHEDULE. THE COUNCIL DIRECTS THE ZONING OFFICER. THE COUNCIL APPOINTS EVERY MEMBER ON BOTH BOARDS. SO I'M ASKING FOR FOUR THINGS. ONE, I WANT A PUBLIC REPORT ON WHAT ENFORCEMENT ACTION, IF ANY, WAS TAKEN ON THE UN UNPERMITTED CLEARING AND CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTED IN THAT LETTER. TWO, THE TREE COMPENSATION FIGURE NEEDS TO BE PLACED ON THE PUBLIC RECORD AND NOT SETTLED PRIVATELY. THREE, A WRITTEN POLICY THAT WHEN A TOWNSHIP PROFESSIONAL DOCUMENTS ON PERMITTED WORK, IT GOES TO CODE ENFORCEMENT AS A SEPARATE MATTER BEFORE THE APPLICATIONS VOTED ON. AND FOUR, A REVIEW OF THE TREE ORDINANCE PENALTY SCHEDULE. BECAUSE A PENALTY THAT'S NEVER ASSESSED IS NOT A PENALTY AT ALL. MOST PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN LIKE ME, FOLLOW THE PROCESS. I FOLLOW THE PROCESS WHEN THE PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW IT ARE DENIED AND THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T GET ACCOMMODATED AFTERWARD, THIS PROCESS MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES. CAN YOU TELL ME NUMBER ONE AGAIN? I [00:40:01] GOT MOST OF IT. I WAS RUNNING REALLY FAST. I I CAN SEND IT TO YOU TOO. YES, PLEASE. AND, AND THE CODE ENFORCED ON ONE ALSO. PLEASE. YES, I I I'M HAPPY TO SEND YOU BOTH, EVERYTHING. THANK YOU. PERFECT. THANKS. THANK YOU SIR. YES. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT? MA'AM? I MIGHT NEED ASSISTANCE. WOULD YOU PREFER TO SIT, MA'AM? OKAY. THANK YOU FOR ASKING. UH, YEAH. COULD YOU HAND IF YOU COULD KINDLY PLEASE HAND ONE OF THESE? I'M GONNA KEEP ONE FOR MYSELF. SURE. UM, MAKE SURE COUNSEL GETS IT. THANK YOU. COULD YOU ALSO HAND THANK YOU. MM-HMM. SO WHAT YOU JUST HANDED? MY NAME IS MARYANNE HOLLOWAY. I KNOW I DON'T HAVE TO SAY IT, BUT I'LL PUT IT ON RECORD. WHAT YOU WERE JUST HANDED. UM, I WAS CHALLENGED. I'M GONNA USE THE WORD CHALLENGED BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO SOFTEN HOW I SPEAK TO GET AN ORDINANCE, GO GET AN ORDINANCE. IS THERE AN ORDINANCE? HOW MANY TOWNS HAVE DONE IT? HOW MANY TOWNS HAVE GIVEN MONEY TO THE SCHOOLS? HOW MANY TOWNS? HOW DID IT HAPPEN? SO YOU HAVE AN ORDINANCE FROM PRINCETON. I SPOKE WITH THE PRINCETON ADMINISTRATOR TODAY AT LENGTH. I HAVE THE NAME OF THE LAW FIRM THAT HELPED DO THIS. I UNDERSTOOD WHAT THEY DID TO GET THAT AND IT CAN'T BE DONE. I ALSO SPOKE MR. COX WITH MORRISTOWN'S ADMINISTRATOR THIS AFTERNOON. HE CALLED ME BACK. I TRIED TO GET AHOLD OF HIM FOR A WEEK AND A HALF. THE END OF THAT CONVERSATION WITH MORRISTOWN IS THERE'S STILL A NEGOTIATIONS THAT HASN'T BEEN FINALIZED, ALTHOUGH IT IS INCLUDED. THE REPORT THAT I JUST GAVE YOU THAT WAS PREPARED BY MORRISTOWN LISTS SEVERAL TOWNS. THE REASON WHY HOPEWELL WAS BROUGHT UP IS BECAUSE I BROUGHT IT UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA. SO I GUESS WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS IS I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I'M BRINGING THIS INFORMATION TO YOU AND YOU'RE NOT BRINGING IT TO THE TOWN. I HAVE SET MY SIGHTS ON A GOAL AND THE GOAL IS TO HELP NOT HAVE OUR, OUR SCHOOLS DESTROYED. I ALSO FOUND OUT FROM BOTH ADMINISTRATORS THAT THERE AND FROM SOMEBODY ELSE THAT I SPOKE TO IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION, THERE IS NO LAW IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY STATING THAT YOU CAN'T NEGOTIATE TO FUND THE SCHOOLS. THERE IS NO LAWS THAT SAY YOU CAN. AND THERE'S NO LAWS THAT SAY YOU CAN'T, YOU DIDN'T DO THAT. YOU DIDN'T NEGOTIATE ON BEHALF OF THE SCHOOLS. SO I HAVE QUESTIONS. WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR HANDS IS PROOF. SO ALONG WITH WHAT I GAVE YOU AND I AM BEING TASKED, I ALMOST FEEL LIKE I'M BEING TASKED TO PROVE IT. AND I DON'T KNOW WHY I HAVE TO PROVE IT. I'M PUTTING IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC FOR MANY REASONS. MOST OF THE TIME IT'S BECAUSE WHEN I COME IN HERE, IT GETS DISMISSED. AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY I FEEL THIS. I GAVE YOU A REPORT FOR A VACANT LAND STUDY DONE IN 2015. THAT OR 10, I'M SORRY, THAT ELIMINATED LAND THAT 10 YEARS LATER WAS INCLUDED AS BUILDABLE ONE SAID, IT WASN'T. ONE SAID IT WAS SAME PEOPLE, SAME LAND. DUNNO HOW THAT HAPPENED. BUT IT WAS DISMISSED. MICHELLE STATED THAT SHE HAD READ IT AND ASKED MY QUESTION WAS, WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT IN WRITING? WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME? HOW DOES TWO OPPOSITES HAPPEN? I'M NOT GONNA GO IN THAT. 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA WASTE MY TIME. I ONLY HAVE THOUGHT. SO HERE'S SOMETHING ELSE I WANT TO BRING UP. SO FIND MORE. I WAS TOLD DUNNO WHY I AM DOING THAT. BUT I WAS TOLD, SO LET ME JUST BRING THIS UP FOR A MINUTE. SO IN WITH OTHER TOWNS I HAVE, I'M ONLY GONNA USE THE ONES THAT SEEM TO BE CONCLUDED AND DONE. HOBOKEN, BAYONE, NEWARK, SAYREVILLE, SOUTH BRUNSWICK, MONTGOMERY WEST, WINDSOR, MONROE, CLARK. MORRISTOWN WAS IN HERE. BUT AFTER SPEAKING TO THE GENTLEMAN, I FOUND OUT IT HADN'T BEEN FINALIZED [00:45:01] IN THAT REPORT. IT KIND OF STATED IT HAD BEEN, BUT IT HADN'T BEEN. THERE'S STILL A NEGOTIATIONS. EDISON, HAMILTON, EAST, BRUNWICK, LAKEWOOD. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT IT APPEARS THAT TOMS RIVER MAY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN EXTENDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEEDS AND APPLYING IN THE FOURTH ROUND. SO IF IT CAN'T HAPPEN, HOW DID IT HAPPEN? I DON'T KNOW. WHY AM I ASKING? SO WHEN DID THEIR DEEDS EXPIRE? IF YOU COULD PAUSE FOR TRACK. IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE 60 YEARS DIDN'T MATTER WHEN THEY EXPIRED, DIDN'T, IT WASN'T CONNECTED TO WHAT IS BEING STATED. IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, MICHELLE. IT'S NOT CONNECTED TO THAT. SO I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING IS, I JUST GAVE YOU DOCUMENTATION. I'M BEING, AND I APPRE I ACTUALLY APPRECIATE THIS. I ACTUALLY APPRECIATE THAT SOMEBODY'S LISTENING TO WHAT I'M SAYING AND THEN REBUTTING IT OR AT LEAST TRYING TO CONTRADICT IT. UM, IT MEANS THAT I'M HAVING SOME TYPE OF IMPACT. I DON'T TAKE IT AS AN INSULT, I DON'T TAKE IT AS A CHALLENGE. I TAKE IT AS A COMPLIMENT. I THINK THAT MY DISTRUST HAPPENED ON JANUARY 6TH, 2026. SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS WHY AM I DOING THIS AND WHY AREN'T YOU, THERE IS A WAY TO GET MONEY TO THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM. I JUST FOUND OUT FROM MOORESTOWN, THEY DID TWO 100% AFFORDABLE HOUSING. ONE ON HARPER, ONE ON BURTON'S LANDING. BOTH WERE DONE. THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY IN THEIR AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST. THIS COUNCIL, AND I BELIEVE THE PREVIOUS SOLICITOR STATED THAT THE MONEY HAD TO COME OUT OF THERE AND THE ONLY WAY MONEY COULD GET IN THERE IS THROUGH COMMERCIAL. THAT'S NOT TRUE EITHER. MONEY CAN COME IN FROM OTHER SOURCES. IT'S NOT JUST COMMERCIAL. THAT'S NOT CORRECT. SO WE HAVE THIS GOING ON, IT CAN'T BE DONE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DID TO ELIMINATE THE IMPACT ON THE SCHOOLS OR TO MINIMIZE IT? AT LEAST THEY DID TWO, 100% AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPLEXES FROM BONDING. ONE ADDITIONAL MINUTE. YEP. FROM BONDING. AND THAT, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, FROM SPEAKING TO THE ADMINISTRATOR THAT LESSENED THE IMPACT, IT WAS SO, SO SUBSTANTIAL HOW THEY LESSENED THE FINANCIAL IMPACT ON THE TAXPAYER THAT THEY TOOK ON BONDING. AND YOU COULD HAVE BONDED IT. SO I'M GONNA STOP BECAUSE I THINK MY POINT IS, IS COMING STRAIGHT AT YOU. WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO TO HELP THE SCHOOLS? WHEN ARE YOU GONNA SIT DOWN WITH A SCHOOL BOARD THAT SAYS YOU'RE LYING? WHEN ARE YOU GONNA DO THAT AND WHEN IS IT GONNA BE DONE OUT IN THE OPEN? WHEN IS THAT GONNA HAPPEN? I'VE, I'VE COME BEFORE THIS BOARD CONSTANTLY AND I'M STARTING TO GET TIRED OF HEARING MYSELF AND I COME WITH GOOD INTENTIONS AND WHAT I PUT OUT TO THE PUBLIC, I PUT OUT FOR A REASON. AS YOU DO, THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW. AND IT IS WHAT I'M DOING IS GETTING A RESPONSE BECAUSE IF I JUST SAID IT HERE, THERE'D BE NO RESPONSE. IT WOULD BE SAME THING WOULD HAPPEN WITH THE, THE TWO REPORTS I GAVE YOU. WELL, HOW, HOW'D THAT HAPPEN? THERE'S SO MANY MORE, MUCH MORE. I HAVE, I ONLY HAVE FIVE MINUTES. I'LL PROBABLY TAKE IT UP AT THE TOWN HALL. BUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED, ONE OTHER THING, $19 MILLION WAS IN THE INTERVENER THAT YOU HAD ASKED THIS DEVELOPER FOR AND IT WAS NEGOTIATED DOWN TO, UH, OVER A LITTLE OVER 4 MILLION. AND THE ITEMS THAT WERE IN THAT 19 MILLION WERE TO BENEFIT THE TOWN. BUT THAT WENT AWAY TOO. AND IT WAS INSINUATED THAT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ANOTHER DEVELOPER IN THE SHADOWS WAS THERE AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT AND WHY DOESN'T THE TOWN KNOW ABOUT THAT? DUNNO IF IT'S TRUE OR NOT. THAT WAS ALSO . AND YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M GONNA RESPECT YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. AND STOP. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, I I'M GONNA ASK FOR SOME CLARIFICATION. YOU MENTIONED JANUARY 6TH, 2026. JUST WHAT WAS THAT? WHAT IN YOUR MIND I WOULD PREFER ABOUT THAT DATE? I WOULD PREFER TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION TO YOU DIRECTLY AFTER THE MEETING. FAIR. AND, UH, I, I HAVE SIX POINTS. THE FIFTH POINT, I BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD FEELS WERE LYING TO THEM. THEY SAID IT OUT LOUD. THEY DIDN'T INSINUATE THEY SAID IT OUT LOUD. OKAY. ON WHAT DATE AND WHO SAID IT? DO YOU KNOW? I HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK. IT WAS NOT THE LAST MEETING, THE PRIOR NO, THEY SAID IT AT BOTH MEETINGS. . SO I MEAN, , I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU. I'VE BEEN, I'M STARTING TO ATTEND BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS BECAUSE I HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND FULLY. SO WITHOUT ME GOING, I WON'T UNDERSTAND THE INTERACTIONS AND HOW THEY WORK. IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT FINANCIAL STRUCTURE. SO I AM GOING AND I SIT THERE AND LISTEN A LOT. SO I DID APPROACH THEM THE LAST TIME I WAS THERE. I'M GONNA BE SENDING THEM OVER THIS INFORMATION TO SEE IF THEY CAN FIND OUT EXACTLY HOW THEY CAN WORK WITH YOU, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T [00:50:01] SEEM LIKE YOU'RE ATTEMPTING TO WORK WITH THEM. SO THERE'S MONEY THAT SHOULD BE RENEGOTIATED. IT SHOULD BE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, TO WHICH POINTS ARE YOU RESPONDING, IF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING? LEAD UP TO MR. NO, MR. NO. THERE WAS A CHART INTO YOUR FIRM THAT YOU DID A REPORT THAT SAID CERTAIN LANDS WERE UNUSABLE AND THEN NOW USABLE. IF YOU COULD EXPAND ON THAT AND WHAT THE COURT HAD TO SAY ABOUT THAT. SO, UM, MS. HOLLOWAY STATED THAT HER COMMENTS FROM BEFORE WERE DISMISSED. I'VE ALREADY ANSWERED THIS QUESTION BEFORE PUBLICLY. SO THE 2015 REPORT WAS AN ATTEMPT TO, UM, EXCLUDE CERTAIN PROPERTIES FROM AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WE CHOSE PROPERTIES THAT WERE NOT IN THE SEWER SERVICE AREA, WHICH THESE PROPERTIES THAT WERE IN THE FOURTH ROUND, MOST OF THEM ARE NOT, OR PARTIALLY ARE NOT. WE CHOSE PROPERTY THAT PROPERTIES THAT WERE IMPACTED BY WETLANDS AND THREATENING AND ENDANGERED SPECIES AS PER THE DEP MAPS. AND WE WERE VERY AGGRESSIVE IN TRYING TO REMOVE THEM FROM THE LIST SO THAT WE REDUCE OUR NUMBER, UH, WAS NOT ACCEPTED. AND OBVIOUSLY THOSE PROPERTIES ARE DEVELOPABLE BECAUSE THE DEP IS ISSUING SEWER SERVICE AREAS FOR THEM, UH, WETLANDS PERMITS AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE ABLE TO BE DEVELOPED. SO WE TRIED, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO IT. WE DID THE BEST WE COULD AND PROOFS IN THE PUDDING, THEY CAN BE DEVELOPED. SO THEN MR. MAY, THERE WAS A TALK ABOUT THE MORRISTOWN OCCURRING DEBT. YES. TYPICALLY WHEN A MUNICIPALITY DOES A AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONFLICT, THAT IS 100%, MOST OF THE TIME YOU OWN THE PROPERTY, YOU CAN INCUR IT. UM, THAT YOU CAN THEN HAVE A PILOT THAT PAYS FOR SUCH DEBT. HOWEVER, AS WE REPORTED BEFORE, NONE OF THESE PROPERTIES WERE PERMITTED A PILOT IN THE SENSE THAT THEY WERE NOT RENTED. SO IN THESE DOCUMENTS THAT MS. HOLLOW JUST GAVE YOU, I HAVE IT UP HERE ON MY COMPUTER, IT TALKS ABOUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PILOT, YOU TAKE THE REVENUE OUT THAT'S COMING IN FROM THE PILOT THAT SATISFIES THE ACTUAL LAND ACQUISITION. AND THEN THE REST OF IT IS MONEY THAT YOU CAN USE. SO UNDER THE PILOT LAW, YOU HAVE TO SATISFY THE DEBT THAT YOU DID TO HAVE THAT 107 ORDER. TYPICALLY WHAT'S NEEDED IS YOU NEED TO DO THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE SOME GIVE BACK THAT THE TOWN IS PUTTING IN SOME COLLATERAL TO, UH, ASSIST THE DEVELOPER IN GETTING TAX CREDITS AND THINGS OF THAT SORT. SIMILAR TO WHAT I DID IN LUMBERTON BEHIND THE WALMART, UM, TOWN BOUGHT THE PROPERTY NOT BY INCURRING DEBT, THEY HAD A MILLION DOLLARS IN THEIR COA FUND. THEY SPENT $715,000 TO BUY 7.8 ACRES LAND AND THEN SEEDED IT TO THE WALTERS GROUP TO DO THAT. UM, SO YOU CAN DO IT IF YOU HAVE A PILOT. AGAIN, AS I STATED, WE HAVE FOUR SALE UNITS, NOT RENTAL UNITS. SO SPECIFICALLY ON THE PRINCETON ITEM, UH, THAT MS. HOLLOWAY JUST GAVE YOU, SC RESIDENTIAL URBAN RENEWALS, LLC IS WHAT SHE LISTS. THAT'S WHERE THE FINANCIAL AGREEMENT IS. IT'S ACTUALLY CALLED THE PRINCETON SC RESIDENTIAL URBAN RENEWAL, LLC. UM, THAT OPERATES AVALON PRINCETON CIRCLES IN A MIXED USE FACILITY, UM, THAT OFFERS APARTMENTS AND TOWN HOMES STRICTLY FOR LEASE. THESE ARE NOT OWNED ITEMS. THIS ENTITY, THIS LLC HAS THE PILOT IN ITS NAME AND THEY YIELD THE MONEY, UH, ACCORDINGLY TO TOWN BECAUSE IT'S ONE AGAIN, MIXING APPLES AND ORANGES. WE ARE FOR SALE UNITS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO TITLE 54. AND THAT THOSE RESIDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO JUMP OUT OF THE PILOT OR GET OUT OF PILOT, UM, WHEN THEY MIGHT SEE A BENEFIT IN OTHER STATE PROGRAMS. UM, OR WHEN THEY GO TO FILE THEIR STATING OR THEIR FEDERAL INCOME TAX AND THEY LOOK THEIR 40, UH, THOUSAND ASSAULT DEDUCTION. PILOTS ARE NOT CONSIDERED PROPERTY TAXES UNDER OUR TITLE FOUR LAW, SO WE CAN'T WRITE THEM ALL AS TAXES. UM, SO I THINK WE ARE COMPARING APPLES AND ORANGES. IF WE WANTED BIG APARTMENT COMPLEXES LIKE YOU SEE IN THE MOORESTOWN MALL AND OTHERS, I THINK WE CURVED ON DIFFERENT RESIDENCE, UM, THAT WE DID NOT WANNA SEE APARTMENT COMPLEXES. UM, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT A PILOT WOULD PARTICULARLY WORK. UM, IT SAYS IT IN THE HOPEWELL CASE THAT THERE IS A POTENTIAL RISK THAT THE INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY TAX PAYERS WOULD SAY, I DON'T WANT THIS PILOT ANYMORE. IF YOU ARE A 100% DISABLED BANK AND YOU BUY ONE OF THOSE PROPERTIES FROM SOMEBODY THAT HAS THE PILOT, THE PILOT CONTINUES TO YOU. BUT WHY WOULD YOU CONTINUE TO PAY FOR A PILOT WHEN YOU ARE GRANTED 100% PROPERTY TAX, UH, UH, RELIEF BY THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY? YOU'RE GOING TO SAY, I DON'T WANT THE PILOT ANYMORE. PUT IN A FORMAL NOTICE TO THE TAX ASSESSOR OF THE TOWN. KEEP YOURSELF OUT OF THE PILOT AND THEN AVAIL YOURSELF THE [00:55:01] TAX PAYMENT LAW OR THE TAX EXEMPTION LAW THAT THE VETERAN IS GIVEN. SO THOSE ARE MY ANSWERS BACK TO THE TOWN. THESE ARE COMPARING APPLES AND ORANGES. UM, AND YOU KNOW, YES WE CAN NEGOTIATE, YES, WE CAN DO THOSE THINGS, BUT OUT OF RISK TO DEFAULT. UM, WHEN IT COMES TO ANY ITEM THAT THE SCHOOL MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN A REFERENDUM BOND, BUT THEY DIDN'T NEED TO DO A REFERENDUM, THAT WOULD BE PAID BY A PILOT. UM, IF ENOUGH INDIVIDUALS, LET'S JUST SAY IN THE FLYING W, WHICH IS ALL 100%, UH, SENIOR, UM, IF ENOUGH OF THEM SAID, I WOULD GET A BETTER BENEFIT FROM MJ STAY OR MJ ANCHOR THAT ANY RESIDENT CAN GET OR THE SENIOR THREES AND THEY CAME OUT OF IT, NOW YOU HAVE THAT GUARANTEE OF A PILOT PAYMENT THAT'S NOT THERE TO PAY FOR THEMSELVES. SO THAT IS WHY THE COUNCIL DECIDED AGAINST THAT EVIDENCE. YEP. THANK YOU FOR THAT. YEAH, AND JUST TO, I GUESS, UH, BREAK IT DOWN FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHO MAY HAVE HEARD THESE THINGS AND IF INTERESTED, WHY DON'T WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT? UM, TO MR. BU'S POINT, UM, THERE'S, FORGIVE THE NUMBERS, BUT APPROXIMATELY A THOUSAND INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED IN, IN THE PROPOSED PILOT OF AGREEMENTS THAT WE WERE COMING UP WITH THOUSAND 67 TO TRY TO FUND THE SCHOOL. SO THINK OF 1,067 HOMES WITH THIS SPECIAL DEAL THAT THEIR TAX MONEY GOES TO BASICALLY MAKE A BOND PAYMENT OR A PREMIUM PAYMENT ON A BOND FOR THE SCHOOL. THAT WAS OUR METHODOLOGY FOR COMING UP WITH HOW DO WE FUND THE SCHOOLS, UM, TO MR. BU'S POINT, IF ANY ONE OF THOSE WANT INDIVIDUAL HOMES OR UP TO 5%, WE DID A CALCULATION, CHOSE OUT, CHOSE TO NOT TAKE THE PILOT PROGRAM AND GO BACK TO REGULAR TAXES FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT. THEY'RE DISABLED, THEY'RE A SENIOR, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. THE THERE WOULDN'T BE ENOUGH MASS TO PAY THE BOND PREMIUM TO CONTINUE FLOATING THAT BOND FOR THE SCHOOL AND THEY WOULD BE COMING TO FULL OF THAT BOND. SO, UM, WE MADE EVERY ATTEMPT IN THAT MECHANISM TO HELP THE SCHOOLS BY DEFERRING THE TAX MONEY TO A PILOT AND USING THAT TO FUND THEIR BOND PREMIUM. WE ALL CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT BASED OFF THE RISKS THAT MR. RUMBO JUST DESCRIBED, IT, IT, IT WASN'T, IT WASN'T A VIABLE LONG-TERM PLAN BECAUSE THERE WAS 1,067 SEVEN INDIVIDUAL STAKEHOLDERS THAT COULD OPT OUT AT ANY GIVEN TIME. IN IN THE EXAMPLES GIVEN THIS EVENING, FOR INSTANCE, RESOLUTION 25 1 73 FROM PRINCETON, AS MR. BER STATED, THERE IS ONE STAKEHOLDER, THE, THE, THE THE OWNERSHIP OR STAKEHOLDER LEASING ENTITY FOR THE ENTIRE CONGLOMERATE OF RENTAL UNITS, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE IN MEDFORD. AND I, I THINK MAYOR, JUST SO THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS WE, I I THINK ROB AND I TALK, OR CHIEF AND I TALK ABOUT LIKE IT WOULD BE NICE IF, YOU KNOW MS. HOLLOWAY TALKED ABOUT CALLING THE MANAGER'S OFFICE IN MORRISTOWN CALLING THE MANAGER'S OFFICE IN PRINCETON. I I CAN TELL YOU ROB AND I ARE THERE, UH, I'M NOT THERE FULL TIME. I'M, I'M THERE PART-TIME. ROB'S PRETTY MUCH THERE FULL-TIME. WE WOULD WELCOME THE, THE ITEMS BEING SENT TO US SO WE CAN HAVE DIALOGUE. UM, INSTEAD OF THE DIALOGUE BEING OVER SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE IT'S JUST TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS AND THROWING IT OUT THERE. THE TOWN'S NOT GONNA ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. UM, WE ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE HERE AT A PUBLIC MEETING WITH OUR RESIDENTS. UM, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE ARE FIGHTING THIS UPHILL BATTLE OF FACEBOOK RUMOR AND INNUENDO THAT'S OUT THERE THAT A LOT OF THESE ITEMS COULD BE ANSWERED THROUGH WORD MOUTH TO THROUGH US. WE'VE PROVIDED DOCUMENTATION, WE HAVE OUR COMPUTERS HERE AND CHIEF HAS HIS IPAD HERE TO GO AND LOOK AT THINGS. UM, BUT THAT'S NOT AFFORDED TO US. WE ARE NOT GETTING THE PHONE CALLS. IT IS FACEBOOK CHATTER, UM, THAT THEN GETS TO YOU AND THEN YOU ASK US TO GO AND RESEARCH SOMETHING AND WE WILL RIGHTFULLY DO THAT AND GO OUT AND RESEARCH IT. BUT YOU KNOW, THE MISINFORMATION THAT IS OUT THERE OR THE INNUENDOS ARE PUT OUT THERE IS, IS UNFORTUNATE 'CAUSE THOSE THINGS COULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE MANAGER'S OFFICE MANAGER OF MIDFORD TOWNSHIP.COM OR JUST BY SIMPLY CALLING THE NUMBER. UM, AND WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE ITEMS AND PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION. THANK YOU. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, SIR? JOHN DAVER, 67 HARRIS TOWN ROAD. MEDFORD ALSO A DR. HORTON REPRESENTATIVE. FOR THE LONGEST TIME I SAT BACK AND LISTENED TO THE RHETORIC IS GONE ON IN THIS TOWNSHIP. I DON'T PARTICIPATE IN FACEBOOK. I HAVE YOUNG KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING. AND OVER THE MOST RECENT PERIOD OF TIME, I'VE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND THE ASSASSINATIONS OF THE PEOPLE THAT REPRESENT OUR TOWN ON SOCIAL MEDIA. AND I WANNA SAY PUBLICLY THAT IT'S REPREHENSIBLE [01:00:01] TO ATTACK PEOPLE THAT WORK ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITY. WHETHER YOU'RE A DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN, I'VE WORKED WITH ALL OF YOU. I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW MUCH YOU CARE AND DEEPLY LOVE YOUR COMMUNITY. IT DOESN'T MEAN WE'VE AGREED ON EVERYTHING. THAT'S OKAY. VERY CON CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES. I COME FROM A DEVELOPER PERSPECTIVE, I DON'T HIDE FROM THAT, BUT I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT EVERYONE IN THIS TOWN WORKED HARD TO DO EVERYTHING THEY COULD FOR THE SCHOOLS. I SAT IN THOSE MEETINGS. I SAW HOW HARD THIS TEAM WORKED TO UNDERSTAND BONDS AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE SCHOOLS. I SAW THE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF EMAILS UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING BY THE RESIDENTS. QUITE FRANKLY, I AM FED UP OF PEOPLE TAKING THE SOCIAL MEDIA, SPREADING MIS MISINFORMATION TO WRECK OUR COMMUNITY AND THEN DO IT IN THE NAME OF SERVICE AND GOODWILL WHEN IT'S ABSOLUTELY NOT. THAT'S NOT JUST ME WHO BELIEVES THAT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WHETHER OR NOT YOU AGREE WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR OR NOT. YOU KNOW, THE REALITY IS THE STATE HAS A CONSTITUTION THAT MANDATES AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I'M PRETTY SURE THAT IF I ASKED ANYONE IN MEDFORD IF THEY WANTED HOUSING, THEY WOULD PROBABLY SAY NO. THAT'S NOT REALLY A TRADE SECRET. WHAT IS NOT OKAY? AND WHAT HAS MADE MEDFORD GREAT IS THE REASON I MOVED TO MEDFORD IS BECAUSE IT'S A COMMUNITY. IT'S ONE OF THE BEST SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN SOUTH JERSEY. IT'S ONE OF THE BEST MAIN STREETS IN SOUTH JERSEY. AND IT'S PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT CARE AND LOVE YOUR COMMUNITY THAT MAKE THIS PLACE GREAT. I THINK IT'S AN HONOR TO ALLOW MORE PEOPLE TO LIVE HERE AND TO PROVIDE HOUSING FOR THEM. I'M NOT THAT OFFENDED THAT SOME FARMER WHO HAS WORKED HIS TAIL OFF THAT CAN SELL HIS FARM AND TAKE CARE OF HIS FAMILY AND HIS GRANDCHILDREN FOREVER CAN DO THAT WITH HIS PROPERTY. I DON'T REALLY FIND THAT OFFENSIVE. I DON'T PROVIDE, I DON'T THINK PROVIDING HOUSING FOR FAMILIES IS OFFENSIVE. AND WHILE I'M HERE, I WOULD LIKE TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON A BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS. SO IF I GO OVER MY TIME, I'VE SEEN PLENTY OF PEOPLE GET EXTRA TIME. AND Y AA, I COME FROM A SMALL TOWN IN NEW YORK STATE, VERY MUCH LIKE MEDFORD AND WHERE I COME FROM. WHEN SOMEONE GIVES YOU SOMETHING, WHETHER IT'S LUNCH OR ANYTHING, TYPICALLY THE RESPONSE IS, THANK YOU DR. R HORTON. AT THE END OF THIS AGREEMENT WITH THE MEDFORD TOWNSHIP, AFTER A FULLY NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT NOT TO TAKE MONEY FROM THE SCHOOLS, NOT TO DO ANYTHING, OFFERED $1.8 MILLION TO MEDFORD TOWNSHIP. MICHELLE, YOU WERE PART OF THAT, RAY, YOU WERE PART OF THAT. MIKE, NOT SO MUCH. WE REALLOCATED THAT TO DIVERSIFY THAT, TO BE MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR, OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH WE SUPPORT PORT A LOT OF THESE COMMUNITIES. WE HAD RESIDENTS COMING UP HERE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE LACK OF RECREATION, THE LACK OF OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY MIGHT GO TO OTHER PEOPLE'S COMMUNITIES IN MEDFORD, CHASE. AND HERE WE ARE TODAY. NOW WE LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE TAKING CARE OF OUR YOUTH, SEVEN OR 8,000 OF OUR YOUTH CHILDREN THAT GO TO THIS ORGANIZATION IS OFFENSIVE. IT'S A MEME ON FACEBOOK FOR SOMEONE TO GET PUBLICLY ASSASSINATED AT AFTER THEY DONATE THEIR LIFETIME AND ENERGY TO THIS ORGANIZATION. THOSE POLITICAL PARIAHS SHOULD BE ASHAMED AND DISAPPOINTED IN THEMSELVES IN HOW THEY REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY. THERE'S NO REASON TO CALL NAMES OUT, BUT THEY SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. MIA IS NOT A FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. I WAS A HOMELESS KID. COACHES MIKE, WHEN I FIRST MET YOU IN SOFTBALL, I HAD NO RELATIONSHIP OTHER THAN OUR KIDS PLAYED SOFTBALL TOGETHER. MY CLOSEST FRIENDS TODAY ARE THE, THE, THE KIDS ON MY DAUGHTER'S TEAM, THE MOM AND DAD WHO WE HANG OUT WITH. MYA IS BUILT BY MEDFORD, MOMS AND DADS AND RESIDENTS OF THIS COMMUNITY THAT DONATE THEIR TIME, THEIR ENERGY. MOST OF THEM DO IT ALL FOR FREE. ANYONE WHO CAN TAKE THAT IN VAIN AND TAKE A GOOD THING AND MAKE IT A BAD THING IS A HARM TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND I WANT EVERYONE IN THIS TOWN TO KNOW, AT NO POINT WAS THAT EVER TO SLIGHT. THE SCHOOLS NEVER WAS THAT THE CASE? AND KEEP GOING. TAX PILOTS, WE'RE BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN MORRISTOWN. WE KNOW ALL THOSE PEOPLE. WE HAVE A PROJECT RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM WEGMANS, COSTCO RIGHT NOW ACTIVELY UNDER CONSTRUCTION. THERE ARE NO TAX PILOTS. ANY INSINUATION THAT ANY FOR SALE COMMUNITY IS GIVING TAX PILOT REVENUE TO A MUNICIPALITY, TO A SCHOOL IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE. THERE'S 372 MUNICIPALITIES IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. NONE OF THEM ARE WRITING CHECKS TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. THAT'S A FACT. IN A REDEVELOPMENT [01:05:01] OPPORTUNITY, CAN A MUNICIPALITY COLLECT MONEY AND REROUTE THAT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT? THEY CERTAINLY CAN. DR. HORTON IS A DEVELOPER IN THIS MUNICIPALITY, AND WE ARE THE ROUND FOUR DEVELOPER. IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO. THERE WAS A ROUND THREE DEVELOPER THAT WASN'T US. WE DID BUILD SOME OF THE HOUSES, BUT WE DID NOT. WE'RE NOT THE REDEVELOPER. WE DID NOT DO ANY OF THE APPROVALS. WE DID NOT DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN BUY LOTS AND BUILD HOUSES. AND I WANT EVERYONE IN THIS TOWN TO KNOW, ASK THE MUNICIPALITY HOW MUCH MONEY THOSE DEVELOPERS GAVE MEDFORD TOWNSHIP FOR ANY OF THOSE PROJECTS. FOR MEDFORD WALK, FOR HAWTHORNE, FOR AUTUMN, THE ANSWER IS ZERO. WE DONATED A MILLION DOLLAR DEVELOPMENT FEE FOR TO MEDFORD TOWNSHIP TO HELP THIS TOWN. THE RECREATION FEE IS SUPPLEMENTAL, ALMOST $5 MILLION TO GET VILLAINIZED. THERE'S SOMETHING VERY WRONG WITH THAT. SOME PEOPLE COME IN HERE AND TALK ABOUT MORE. YOU CAN ALWAYS DO MORE. YOU CAN ALWAYS DO MORE. ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL RULES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE STATE CONSTITUTION, AND MR. VARGA CAN VERIFY THIS FOR YOU, IS YOU CAN'T ADD COST PROHIBITIVE THINGS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YOU CAN'T ASK DEVELOPERS TO TAKE ON OR DO EXTRA THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE THE PROJECTS COST PROHIBITIVE. DEVELOPERS IN EVERY STATE OR THROUGHOUT THE MUNICIPALITY ARGUE THAT ALL THE TIME. FAIR SHARE WILL TELL YOU THAT IF WE WANTED TO GO TO FAIR SHARE AND SAY, MEDFORD'S ASKING US TO GIVE DEVELOPMENT FEES THAT ARE RIDICULOUS, THEY WOULD AGREE WITH US. WE DIDN'T DO THAT. WE DIDN'T DO THAT BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE GOOD FOLKS AND YOU TREATED US FAIRLY, AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT. IS IT OKAY IF I KEEP GOING? FINAL THOUGHT, PLEASE. I'M SORRY. I THINK MY FINAL THOUGHT IS JUST A COMMON SENSE THOUGHT. WE CAN FIND ALL THE REASONS WHY THINGS ARE BAD OR WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE THINGS GOOD. YOU CAN TAKE THE BEST OF A BAD SITUATION AND MAKE IT A GOOD SITUATION. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR POLITICAL AFFILIATION IS. I WORK WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AND TALK TO THEM ALL THE TIME. THEY'RE VERY FRIENDLY. IF I GO HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE WITH 'EM, I COULDN'T AGREE WITH ANYTHING POLITICALLY WITH 'EM. THAT'S OKAY. WE CAN STILL HAVE KINDNESS AND RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER. TAKING THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND ASSASSINATING PEOPLE THAT I CONSIDER MY FRIENDS IS UNACCEPTABLE. AND ANYONE WHO DOES IT AND SAYS THAT THEY'RE DOING IT 'CAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR THIS COMMUNITY, 99% OF IT IS FLAT OUT LIES. AND I HOPE EVERYONE IN THE TOWN IS WATCHING THIS TONIGHT. YOU CANNOT GET DEED RESTRICTIONS. YOU CANNOT EXTEND ANY DEED RESTRICTIONS IN MEDFORD. THAT IS THE BIGGEST FALLACY I'VE HEARD FROM THE BEGINNING. THESE PROJECTS ARE FEASIBLE. IT'S NOT MY OPINION. LIKE MR. NOLL SAID, JUST ASK THE DEP OUR OWN STATE GOVERNMENT WHO'S APPROVING ALL THESE PROJECTS AND EXTENDING SEWER AND CREATING LOIS. IT'S NOT A MATTER OF OPINION, IT'S PURE FACT. AND IT'S ABOUT TIME WE GET THE FACTS ON THE RECORD BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT GOES THROUGHOUT TOWN THAT'S INACCURATE. AND I HAVE REALIZED FIRSTHAND HOW DANGEROUS MISINFORMATION CAN BE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. THANK YOU. WOULD ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? UM, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MAX MURPHY, AND I'M NOT A MEDFORD RESIDENT, BUT I AM A REPRESENTATIVE OF AN ORGANIZATION CALLED CLIMATE REVOLUTION ACTION NETWORK. I'M WORKING ALONGSIDE THE PINELANDS ALLIANCE AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO GET THE MOKA RIVER, A NATIONAL WILD, UH, WILD AND SCENIC RIVER'S DESIGNATION. TO DO SO, WE'RE GOING AROUND TO TOWNS WHICH ARE IN AND AROUND THE MOKA RIVER WATERSHED, ASKING THEM TO PASS A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF THE MOKA RIVER. THIS SHOWS THOSE WHO MAKE THE DECISION THAT FOR THE DESIGNATIONS THAT ARE THERE IS LOCAL INTEREST. THE MOKA RIVER WATERSHED IS ONE OF NEW JERSEY'S MOST ECOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT RIVER SYSTEMS FLOWING THROUGH THE HEART OF THE PINELANDS NATIONAL RESERVE AND SUPPORTING GLOBALLY RARE HABITATS, EXCEPTIONAL BIODIVERSITY, OUTSTANDING WATER QUALITY, AND CRITICAL WILDLIFE CORRIDORS. IT ALSO PROVIDES IMPORTANT RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING PEDALING, FISHING, BIRDING, HIKING, AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE REGION'S ECONOMY AND QUALITY OF LIFE. DESIGNATION UNDER THE NATIONAL WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ACT WOULD RECOGNIZE THE OUTSTANDING NATURAL SCENIC, RECREATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE, CULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL VALUES OF THE MOCA RIVER, WHILE MAINTAINING LOCAL CONTROL OF LAND USE AND DECISIONS. THE WILD AND SCENIC RIVER DESIGNATION DOES NOT CREATE A NATIONAL PARK. IT DOES NOT REQUIRE FEDERAL OWNERSHIP OF PRIVATE PROPERTY AND DOES NOT ALT ALTER EXISTING MUNICIPAL ZONING AUTHORITY, BUT INSTEAD PROVIDES FRAMEWORK TO PROTECT THE FREE FLOWING CHARACTER AND OUTSTANDING RESOURCE OF THE RIVER SYSTEM. THE DESIGNATION WOULD HELP SAFEGUARD WATER EQUALITY, ECOSYSTEM INTEGRITY, OUTDOOR RECREATION, AND THE CHARACTER OF SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES [01:10:01] FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. I HAVE A COPY OF THE RESOLUTION HERE FOR YOUR REVIEW, AND WE ALSO ADD EMAIL YOU A COPY OF THE RESOLUTION. UM, WE ARE ASKING YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER INTRODUCING THE RESOLUTION AND PASSING IT IN YOUR NEXT MEETING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY, MAY YOU STATE YOUR NAME AGAIN. I JUST, MAX MURPHY MAX. MAX MAX. YES, PLEASE. AND, UM, I DID GET THE EMAIL TOO. WE HAVE RECEIVED IT ELECTRONICALLY. YEAH. AND WE ARE IN CASE HE BILL A COPY INTERNALLY. WE'LL TAKE THEM. YEP. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT? EARL STOLL 25 FOSTER TOWN ROAD. UM, JUST WANNA SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT. THE PROPERTY BEHIND THE CEMETERY WAS TAKEN OUTTA FARMLAND, UH, QUALIFICATION LAST YEAR. ANY TREE CLEARING AND OCCURRED ON FARMLAND, IT WAS DONE UNDER THE RIGHT FARM ACT. SO I HAVE 40 ACRES BEHIND THE CEMETERY CEMETERIES OF FARMING OPERATION TOO. IT HAS THE RIGHT TO FARM THE PROPERTY, SO THAT SOLVES THAT ONE PROBLEM WITH REGARDS TO HIS ASSERTION THAT THERE WAS A BUILDING BUILT ON THE PROPERTY, IT'S A SHED THAT WAS DELIVERED THAT HAS NO FOUNDATION JUST FOR OUR GATOR OR THAT WE USE ON THE FARM. SO THERE IS NO BUILDING BACK THERE. IT'S A SHED THAT WAS DROPPED OFF ON A ROLLBACK TRUCK. WITH REGARDS TO THE PROPERTY ADJACENT TO THE CEMETERY 39.06, THAT'S OWNED BY A COMPANY THAT I HAVE CALLED CAMP EFS, WHICH HAS RECENTLY SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION AND WAS RECENTLY APPROVED AS PER THE GENTLEMAN DID ACCURATELY IDENTIFY THAT I DID REMOVE TREES. AND IN YOUR TREE ORDINANCE THERE'S CALLED, UH, COMPENSATORY COMPENSATION AND THAT'S THE PATH WE'RE GONNA CHOOSE TO REPOPULATE A FOREST OF TREES AS PER AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS AND IS AGREED UPON WITH MY ENGINEER AND THE TOWNSHIP PLANNER. THE GENTLEMAN ALSO MISSTATED, THERE'S TWO FOOT DIAMETER TREES. THEY'RE TWO INCH DIAMETER TREES. IT WAS BASICALLY A PREVIOUS APPROVED 35,000 SQUARE FOOT INDUSTRIAL BUILDING THAT WAS APPROVED THERE. THOSE WEEDS BECAME TREES. SO THESE ARE SMALL TREES THAT WAS TAKEN OUT. SO WE CAN BUILD A CEMETERY AND PUT A MAINTENANCE BUILDING IN A MASUM AND GRAVES. SO WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO TO RESOLVE THAT PROBLEM, WE WILL AS PER THE DIRECTION OF THE PLANNER AND WORKING WITH MY ENGINEER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. WOULD ANYONE ELSE HAVE TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, SIR? BRIAN CARNES, TWO 16 CHURCH ROAD 2 65 METFORD MAHALEY ROAD, 2 63 METFORD MHA ROAD. ALL RIGHT. JUST SO EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT LAND WE OWN HERE. UM, I, I WAS HOME. I WASN'T GONNA COME UP HERE, BUT THEN A COUPLE THINGS HAD COME UP AND IT, IT IS LIKE YOU JUST CAN'T GET AWAY FROM THIS MESS JUST BECAUSE WHERE I LIVE. AND, AND, UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. ONE, UM, THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM HORTON, HE SAYS THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASSASSINATED ON FACEBOOK, NOT ASSASSINATED. WELL, WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS THE TERMS THAT HE USED? AND I'VE TALKED TO YOU A LITTLE BIT, BUT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ME? NO, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU BECAUSE I'M GONNA DO A REBUTTAL. NO, NO, ACTUALLY, BRIAN, ACTUALLY, SOME PUBLIC DEFINITION PEOPLE'S CHARACTER. PEOPLE HAVE YOUNG DO THE RIGHT THING. IT'S FUNNY HOW MUCH THE GOVERNMENT HATES SOCIAL MEDIA WHEN IT'S THE ACTUAL VOTERS AND THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT DO GET A CHANCE TO TALK HERE AND THERE. AND I KNOW IT'S A MESS FOR YOU GUYS, BUT IT'S THE BEST THING THAT'S EVER HAPPENED TO, UM, TO SHEDDING LIGHT. OTHERWISE, WE'RE WAITING FOR WHAT? A NEWSPAPER TO POP UP WITH AN EDITORIAL SECTION WITH SOME KIND OF WEIRD COMPLAINT IN THE BACK THAT GETS BURIED. UM, I DON'T AGREE WITH A LOT OF WHAT, WHAT YOU DID SAY THOUGH. AND, AND THAT'S OKAY. I THINK IF WE'RE GONNA CALL PEOPLE OUT, SHE, AT LEAST IF IT'S NOT ME, IT'S IT'S DEFINITELY HER. AND I'M SURE MR. DUFF, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD NAME NAMES AND UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT, THAT, THAT I AM, AT LEAST IF SOMEBODY'S CALLING ME OUT, LET'S, LET'S GO. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LET'S HAVE THIS DEBATE AND THIS ARGUMENT AND, AND, UM, AND, AND, AND MOVE ON FROM THAT. UM, THERE WAS A FEW OTHER THINGS [01:15:01] THAT I HAD HEARD. AND, AND, UM, ONE WOULD BE CHRIS NOLL. YOU SAID THAT, UM, TING'S PROPERTY, YOU GUYS SKIPPED OVER THAT IN 2015. FOR WHAT REASON? AGAIN, I DID NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT TING'S PROPERTY SPECIFICALLY. WELL, THE REPORT FROM TAYLOR DESIGN THOUGH, IS ON CHALLENGER'S PROPERTY. IT'S A NEGATIVE REPORT. RIGHT. BRING ME UP TO SPEED IF I'M WRONG. I DON'T KNOW WHAT REPORT YOU'RE REFERRING TO. IT WAS A REPORT THAT SAID THIS PROPERTY ISN'T SUFFICIENT OR ISN'T RIGHT. OR WE SHOULDN'T BUILD HERE. I'M JUST THROWING WORDS OUT THERE. YOU CAN, YOU'RE THE PROFESSIONAL. HELP ME OUT. I WILL. IF YOU TELL ME SPECIFICALLY WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WAS THE REPORT WRITTEN ON? WHAT PROPERTY, WHAT REPORT ARE YOU REFERRING TO? SHE WAS JUST UP HERE. 2000. YOU ACTUALLY JUST NOT, THAT WAS NOT A TAILORED DESIGN. WHATEVER. IT WAS A PROFESSIONAL. WELL, I GOTTA KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR ME TO ANSWER YOUR WELL, YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT IT 15 MINUTES AGO, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU ASKED ABOUT. THIS IS LIKE KEY WORDS FOR DOING OPRAHS. RIGHT. YOU GOT, YOU GOTTA NAIL IT. ALL RIGHT. WHAT WOULD BE THE RIGHT QUESTION FOR YOU? I DON'T KNOW. YOU TELL ME WHAT YOUR QUESTION IS AND THEN I'LL ANSWER IT. ARE YOU ASKING, WAS INGER PART OF THE 2015 REPORT? NO, I KNOW TINGER WAS TRYING TO SELL HIS PROPERTY FOREVER. NO, I I IT'S OKAY, MICHELLE. I'M SORRY, MAN, I, I RACE UP HERE SO FAST BECAUSE I I I, I DO HAVE TO MOVE. I HAVE TO THROW MY PHONE OUT THE WINDOW AND I HAVE TO MOVE OUTTA THIS COMMUNITY BECAUSE I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT. IT IT IS, IT IT, IT'S AWFUL. IT, I KNOW FOR A FACT MR. PRIME BLOCKED EFFORTS BY TINGER AND OTHER LANDOWNERS ON THE NORTH SIDE BECAUSE HE, WHATEVER THE REASONS WERE, I THINK ACTUALLY YOU ANSWERED PART OF IT OR SOMEBODY DID SAYING, HEY, WELL, HORTON WASN'T PART THE ROUND THREE, RIGHT? OR WASN'T COMPLETELY PART OF ROUND THREE. NOT AT ALL. IT'S NOT PART AT ALL. NOT PART OF IT. BUT THERE IS HORTON HOMES OFF OF HARTFORD AND 70, RIGHT? THEY WEREN'T PART OF THE ROUND. BOB FROM THE DEVELOPER WHO WAS RENO, NOT. GOT IT. I HAVE, I MEAN, YOU GUYS DO WHAT YOU DO. I HAVE NO PROBLEM. I REALLY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE GOVERNMENT , THAT THAT'S WHERE IT LIES. ALL RIGHT. NO, GO, GO. LISTEN, WE'RE NOT DOING 28 MINUTES. YOU, THE CHIEF DOESN'T HAVE TO COME UP HERE. WE CAN DO THIS. ALL RIGHT, WE GOT THIS. UM, WHAT WAS BROUGHT UP BY A PRIOR RESIDENT WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW THE TOWNSHIP HAD A REPORT BACK IN 2015 TALKING ABOUT THE NONS SITE SUITABILITY OF CERTAIN S THAT SITE SUITABILITY REPORT. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED MR. NOEL TO TALK ABOUT IT. 'CAUSE IT WAS HIS FIRM THAT, THAT IT WAS TOGETHER. 2015 WAS A, WAS A PRIOR ROUTE. THE TOWNSHIP WAS FIGHTING TO ENSURE THAT CERTAIN PROPERTIES WERE NOT CONSIDERED AND TO PROTECT THE TOWNSHIP'S INTEREST. BECAUSE BACK IN THAT TIME IT WAS LIKE, LET'S MAKE A DEAL. THERE WAS NO CO-ED DEPARTMENT IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. GOVERNOR CHRISTIE REFUSED TO APPOINT PEOPLE TO IT. AND IT WENT TO THE COURT SYSTEM BECAUSE IT'S STILL, WHAT IS THAT PROGRAM? CO-ED? WHAT, WHAT IS THAT? SO, COUNCIL ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SO, OKAY, THERE WAS NO DEPARTMENT, SO DCA IS THE DEPARTMENT THAT, THAT HAS COA. UM, AS PART OF ITS DIVISIONS, THERE WAS NOBODY THERE WORKING. SO THE COURT SYSTEM STEPPED IN OR A FAIR SHARE FILED SAYING THAT THEY WANTED THE COURT SYSTEM TO STEP IN BECAUSE THERE'S A CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE TO PROVIDE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THAT ROUND, THERE WAS THIS HUGE NUMBER BECAUSE THERE WAS NOBODY CODE, NO ONE SETTING THE NUMBER THAT EACH TOWN NEEDS TO GET. SO FAIR SHARE WAS LEFT TO SAY, AS AN ADVOCATE, AS A HOUSING ADVOCATE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT I THINK THAT EACH ONE OF THESE TOWNS NEED TO DO. SO IN THE THIRD ROUND, MUNICIPALITIES HAD TO FIGHT AND SPEND LEGAL BILLS TO GET THOSE NUMBERS DOWN. SO PART OF WHY THE TOWN HAD A REPORT IN THAT, UH, REGARD WAS TO TRY AND USE IT AS A LEGAL ARGUMENT TO REDUCE DOWN THE NUMBER OF UNITS IN THE THIRD ROUND. THOSE ITEMS IN PART WERE REJECTED IN CERTAIN AREAS. WE HAVE TO THEN DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN FOR THE FOURTH ROUND. SO THEN YOU START GETTING INTO SITE SUITABILITY OF, OF DIFFERENT PROPERTIES. AGAIN, IT'S KIND OF THIS CRAZY, THE PROPERTY OR THE TOWN IS AN OWNED PROPERTY. WE OWN SOME PROPERTY, BUT WHAT WE'VE DONE, YOU GOT CONTROL OVER WHO DOES WHAT WITH WHAT PROPERTY THOUGH WE DO, WE DO. WHEN WE TAKE A PIECE OF PROPERTY, WE PUT IT ON OUR RAW SEAL LIST. SOMETIMES THAT'S A GOOD THING. SO THAT'S A BAD THING. BUT THE TOWN'S POLICY THAT THE CHIEF AND I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH SINCE WE'VE GOTTEN ABOVE IS REVIEWING PROPERTIES THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN FORECLOSURE OF THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE USED FOR ANOTHER SOURCE TO GET MAYBE A, A COMMERCIAL OR SOMETHING IN. BUT ALL [01:20:01] PROPERTIES WERE BROUGHT IN LIKE THE LANDFILL OR WE HAVE A CLOSED LANDFILL. WOULD LOVE TO MAKE SOME MONEY OFF OF IT AND PUT SOME IS THAT A FAIRVIEW? THAT'S FAIRVIEW TO THE RIGHT. HOLLOW GRAVE HOLLOW. YEAH. ALL ALRIGHT, I GOTCHA. SO GRAVELEY HOLLOW, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A LANDFILL. IT'D BE GREAT TO PUT SOLAR ON THERE. I WANT TO PUT SOLAR IN LUMBERTON ON THE LANDFILL WHERE WE HAVE NEW LAUNCH RIGHT OVER, UH, NEXT TO WALTER SCHOOL. THE PROBLEM IS IT'S ON THE RAW SEA LIST. IF IT'S ON THE TOWNSHIPS RAW SEA LIST. THE STATE REGULATIONS SAY THAT YOU CANNOT PUT ANY DEVELOPMENT ON A RAW SEA LIST PROPERTY BECAUSE IT'S A DEDICATED OPEN SPACE PROPERTY. SO THE TOWN DILIGENTLY MADE SURE ANY PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT THEY TOOK, PUT IT ON THE RAW LIST, NO ONE'S GONNA BE ABLE TO DEVELOP HERE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A, A PLAN THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER, A REPORT THAT WAS PUT OUT TO TRY AND MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE THIRD ROUND WHILE FIGHTING A MASSIVE NUMBER THAT WAS UNATTAINABLE FOR MR. AND THOSE WERE THE TOOLS YOU NEEDED. COOL. COULD YOU GET THE LANDOWNER TRAER UP HERE AND, AND ACTUALLY ASK HIM, HEY MAN, DID MR. PRIME EVER TELL YOU YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH ME OR YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING WITH THE PROPERTY? THIS GUY'S LIVED HERE FOREVER THOUGH. AND HE'S JUST LYING. ME NEITHER. BUT IT JUST, I KNOW WHAT WENT DOWN IS LOOKED AT WHEN THE COURT SYSTEM COMES BACK AND STATES THAT CERTAIN ITEMS ARE NOT THERE. UM, ENVIRONMENTAL ITEMS, UH, CAN CHANGE. WE'VE HAD SOME ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS ON SOME OF THE WORK AROUND PROPERTIES THAT DP HASS NOW BIND ON. THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT I THINK FOR THE RESIDENTS TO UNDERSTAND. A LOT OF THIS IS DONE WHERE THE TOWN IS BASICALLY TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER A PLAN. YOU DON'T HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES COMPLETED. YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE, UH, WHAT YOU CAN YIELD ON A CERTAIN PIECE OF PROPERTY UNTIL YOU DO ALL THOSE STUDIES. THOSE STUDIES ARE NOT FOR A BOARD. CAN I ASK YOU THOUGH, REALLY QUICK? IT'S A REALLY SIMPLE QUESTION. SO IT'S KOA, RIGHT? AND THEN PEOPLE LIKE LANDOWNER, LET'S JUST SAY US. THE CAR IS, WANTED TO BE PART OF ROUND FOUR. WE WOULD GO TO, TO THE TOWNSHIP AND COA AND SAY, HEY, CONSIDER OUR PROPERTY. HOW DOES THAT WORK? LIKE, WHO, WHO, WHO, WHO THEY WOULD TYPICAL PAID DEVELOPER SEATS YOU OUT AND THEN THEY TRIED PART OF THE TOWNSHIPS, BUT NOBODY KNEW OF ROUND FOUR AND THE TOWNSHIP COULD HAVE SAID, HEY GUYS, UNFORTUNATELY, LET'S SPREAD THIS OUT. IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A STATE LAW THAT'S BEEN AROUND, I MEAN, IT WAS A COURT CASE BACK 50. NO, PROBABLY 60, 60, 78. FIRST ROUND STARTED IN 1989. SO 1989 IS EVERY 10 YEARS. SO IT IS, THE TOWN HAS THESE OPERATIONS WHERE I WOULD SAY THAT WE CAME AWRY WAS THE, THE THIRD ROUND. AND, AND YES, I'VE BEEN ACCUSED OF BEING A REPUBLICAN. YES, I'M A REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR. CHRISTIE DID NOT APPOINT ANYONE TO COA THAT THEN CAUSED LITIGATION FROM FAIR SHARE AND OTHERS THAT THEN REQUIRED THE COURT SYSTEM INVOLVED. AND EVERY ASSIGNMENT JUDGE IN THE VISTA IMAGE WERE ASSIGNED TO ME TO COURT MASTER OVER OR NOT COURT MASTER THE COA MASTER OF THAT VISTA IMAGE. AND EVERY TOWN HAD TO APPEAL TO THAT JUDGE AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT OUR TOWN CAN YIELD. THIS UNATTAINABLE NUMBER THAT THE STATE HAS PUT OUT OR THAT FAIR SHARE HAS PUT OUT. RIGHT IS UNATTAINABLE. LET'S FAST FORWARD TO THE FOURTH ROUND. GOVERNOR MURPHY'S ONE YEAR LEFT. HE HAS A YEAR LEFT. HE HAS A COLOR DEPARTMENT, HE HAS PEOPLE IN THERE. HE MADE THE NUMBERS, OBTAIN 'EM. THAT IS THE REASON WHY EVERY MUNICIPALITY, WHEN YOU FOUGHT THIS, IT WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE US SUPREME. IT'S NOT EVEN ABOUT, THEY MADE IT ATTAINABLE SO THAT YOU HAD NO LEGAL ARGUMENT TO BASICALLY SAY, NOPE, WE CAN'T AFFORD THIS, OR WE CAN'T DO THIS. BY MAKING THE NUMBER ATTAINABLE, IT BECAME SOMETHING TO WHERE THE COURTS, AND I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR JUDGES BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR OPINIONS ARE, BUT I WOULD ASSUME THE JUDGES SAID, WELL, AFTER THE THIRD ROUND, JESUS, I DON'T WANNA DEAL WITH ANY OF THIS. YEAH. SO IF THERE IS A LEGAL COMPONENT TO SAY THAT THESE, THESE UNIT COUNTS ARE ATTAINABLE, THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL FAILING. WE ALL FAIL. ALL RIGHT. FAIR ENOUGH, FAIR ENOUGH. AND APPRECIATE THAT. WHEN WOULD THE TOWNSHIP HAVE LEARNED ABOUT ROUND FOUR? WE WOULD'VE ALWAYS LOVED IT. 10 YEARS. IT'S EVERY 10 YEARS. SO YOU WOULD'VE KNOWN. BUT YOU GUYS KEEP THINGS QUIETER THAN THE MAFIA IS WHAT I WOULD SAY. COME ON, MAN. NOBODY KNEW UNTIL THE NEWS BROKE. RIGHT HERE TO LEFT. WE HAVE A NUMBER UNTIL GOVERNOR MURPHY ANNOUNCED IT IN HIS LAST YEAR IN OFFICE. SO YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW. BUT EVEN IF YOU KNOW 10 HOMES ARE COMING, THE TOWNSHIP SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW, HEY MAN, WE HAVE THIS PROBLEM COMING. WE'RE DOING THAT FOR ROUND FIVE. THAT'S WHY WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT ROUND FIVE FOR 2035. 'CAUSE WE, WE, I MEAN WE KNOW IT'S COMING AND WE KNOW IT'S COMING. WE DUNNO THE EXACTLY, WE DUNNO THE NUMBER. WELL, I THINK THAT YOU GUYS WIPED OFF THE NORTH SIDE. SO NOW WE MIGHT AS WELL SAY, HEY MAN, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS GONNA DO FOR ROUND FIVE? YOU'RE GONNA BUILD UP. WELL, IT'S ALL GONE, MAN. 1, 1 1. SWIPE IN THE PEN. FOURTH ROUND. YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE TOWN AND HOW WE ARE SITUATED. NORTH OF 70 IS NON-PILOT. [01:25:01] SO NON PIL RESTRICTIONS ARE, ARE SOMETHING THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT A PROPERTY OWNER THAT MIGHT BE A FARMER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE AN INTRINSIC VALUE ABOVE ANOTHER PROPERTY THAT MIGHT BE IN, IN THE POCKET. SO THOSE ARE THINGS YOU KIND OF HAVE TO LOOK AT. UM, AND IT'S JUST CONFUSING. IT REALLY IS. THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED. YOU KNOW, MR. SANS TRIED TO BE AN INTERVIEWER IN THE COURT ROUND. THE JUDGE DIDN'T ALLOW HIM. SO THERE ARE OTHER, DO YOU KNOW WHY HE DIDN'T ALLOW HIM? BECAUSE HE'S LONG 70. HE'S ALREADY HERE. HE'S GONNA BUILD. I WOULDN'T ALL I I ALL RIGHT. IT'S, IT, IT'S FINE. UM, THE OTHER THING THAT EXCUSE I WAS JUST GIVING THE ONE MINUTE. GO AHEAD, MIKE. I'M SORRY ABOUT THE LAST MEETING, MAYOR. I APOLOGIZE. IT'S OUTTA CONTROL EVEN FOR BRIAN CAR. DON'T WORRY. BUT LET'S GO. DON'T WORRY. WE, WE ALL, WE ARE ALL EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED IN THIS. YES. YOU DON'T HAVE TO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. UM, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, I'VE BEEN KEEPING SCORES. I'M AT TWO MINUTES AND YOU'RE GONNA LIE. GO ON. SAME. UM, WE, WE DEFINITELY WANNA HEAR ANY QUESTIONS. TWO MORE QUICK POINTS REALLY QUICK. OKAY. YEAH. THE MYIA, I THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING WRAPPED UP WITH THE FACT THAT WE ARE GOING AFTER VOLUNTEERS. AND THAT'S NOT IT. YOU CAN SUPPORT THE TROOPS, BUT NOT THE WAR. AND THEN THERE IS A LOT OF QUESTIONS IN THE COMMUNITY. I, I I WANT TO JUST STAY AWAY FROM THE WHOLE THING 'CAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE WRAPPED UP ON THE MYAA, BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME PROBLEMS AT THE TOP. AND I KNOW ONE THING I WOULD JUST RELEASE ALL THE LAST COUPLE YEARS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. THAT'S IT. THE FIRE'S OUT GUYS, THE FIRE'S OUT. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD DO? AND I'M NOT SPEARHEADING IT, BUT THERE'S ALL THESE QUESTIONS. MR. DUFF, MARYANNE, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED A LOT OF STUFF. I HEAR IN 2023, THEY MADE A HUGE DONATION, BUT IT WAS ANONYMOUS FOR LIKE OUTFITS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. WHO, WHO WAS THEY? HORTON. HORTON MADE A HUGE DONATION IN 22, 23. BUT THEY DID NOT WANT THEIR NAME ON IT. AND YOU'RE GOING BACK IN TIME NOW AND YOU'RE SAYING, WELL, YOU GUYS ARE TAKING MONEY. NO OFFENSE, MAN. DO YOUR THING. I DON'T SAY WANNA SAY GO AHEAD, PLEASE, PLEASE DO GUYS, LET'S JUST DO THIS OPENLY NORMAL. THE MICROPHONE. YOU HAVE TO WAIT, MR. SORRY. SPEAKING TO THE MICROPHONE BY OUR RULES. YOU HAVE TO COME TO THE MICROPHONE AND MR. IF I'M WRONG, IF I'M WRONG, YOU CAN CORRECT IT. MR. CARNES, YOU WERE GRAND YOUR TIME. WE CAN PUT HANDS HERE. YOU'RE FIVE MINUTES EXCEEDED AND THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN YOUR ONE MINUTE. SO THE CHIEF JUST PAUSED YOUR ONE MINUTE. IT'S OKAY. IT'S, IT'S A FAIR. OKAY. IT'S, IT'S MIKE. MIKE. THIS IS, WHAT'S THIS? IF I, PEOPLE ARE GONNA INTERRUPT A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC. I ASKED A MEMBER, A RESIDENT OF MEDFORD TO APPROACH, TO HELP ANSWER A QUESTION POSED BY ANOTHER RESIDENT. THAT'S MY DETERMINATION AS THE CHAIR. YES. I'M ASKING A RESIDENT. THAT'S NOT RIGHT. HE IS THE CHAIR. HE RUNS THE MEETING. MS. HOLLOWAY, IF YOU INTERRUPT, YOU'LL BE ASKED TO LEAVE BY THE CHIEF. HERE'S GONNA BE ONE. I'VE ASKED A RESIDENT OF MEDFORD TO ASSIST ANOTHER RESIDENT OF MEDFORD IN A QUESTION THAT THEY HAVE. MR. DAVEN, PLEASE GO AHEAD. YEAH. AND, AND THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. ADDRESS THIS. SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT LIKE TO TALK ABOUT MY WIFE AND I, BUT YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE SOFTBALL COMPLEX. I'M SURE THE SOFTBALL COMPLEX WAS IN SHAMBLES. DR HORTON DID NOT PAY $1 FOR THAT FACILITY. NOT ONE PENNY FROM DR HORTON WENT TO MYA FOR THE SOFTBALL COMPLEX. EVERYTHING IN THAT SOFTBALL COMPLEX CAME OUTTA MY PERSONAL POCKET AND MY WIFE'S $0 FROM DR HORTON TO MYA. THERE WAS A, I MANAGED THE PROJECT. I USED MY SKILLS. I LEVERAGED MY, MY FRIENDS IN THE INDUSTRY TO HELP MAKE THAT PROJECT. IT WAS A BIG INVESTMENT. IT WAS A PURE DONATION. FRANKLY, MIKE, I DIDN'T EVEN WANT REALLY MANY PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT IT. I THINK YOU COULD SPEAK TO THAT. I DIDN'T ASK FOR OUR NAME. I KNOW ABOUT IT. 'CAUSE THEY DATED A GIRL AND SHE WAS THERE. YEAH, . BUT, BUT, BUT THIS, THAT'S IT. BUT THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE, THE DEFAMATION PART THAT I REALLY, REALLY, I REALLY STRUGGLE WITH IS YOU PEOPLE. YOU HAVE PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAT DO GOOD THINGS AND THEY ALL OF A SUDDEN BECOME BAD THINGS AND PEOPLE DRAW CONCLUSIONS AND THEY FORGET THAT THERE'S PEOPLE BEHIND THAT. THEY, I HAVE FAMILY. I HAVE A KIDS. I DON'T NEED PEOPLE GETTING MISINFORMATION ABOUT MY CHARACTER OR MY WHAT MY WIFE. WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR A HIGH FIVE. WE'RE NOT ASKING, WE NEVER WANTED ANYTHING. YOU'VE OFFERED MANY THINGS. YOU OFFERED A GRAND OPENING, WE SHUT IT ALL DOWN. WE DIDN'T DO ANY OF THAT. AND I APPRECIATE ALL THAT. BUT DR HORTON HAD ZERO TO DO THAT. WHAT DR HORTON DOES DO, WE SPONSOR ALMOST EVERY SINGLE COMPONENT OF MYA. IF YOU GO OUT THERE THIS WEEKEND AT THE FOOTBALL GAME, THE CHEERLEADERS ARE ALL WEARING OUR STUFF. THE FOOTBALL TEAM'S WEARING OUR JERSEYS, THE BASEBALL TEAM'S WEARING OUR JERSEYS. EVERY COMPONENT OF THAT ORGANIZATION HAS BENEFIT BENEFITED FROM US AS THEY SHOULD BECAUSE WE'RE A BIG PLAYER IN TOWN. I DON'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT. IT'S FULLY DISCLOSED. IT'S AT MIAI DON'T NECESSARILY SEE IT AS A DOWN THING. I THINK WE SHOULD BE THANKING PEOPLE THAT COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY THAT DO BUSINESS, THAT GIVE BACK. WE GOTTA STOP MAKING THAT A BAD THING. [01:30:02] I APPRECIATE IT. IT'S THE FIRST TIME MEETING YOU ALL RIGHT? YEAH. I DID BUY WOOD FROM HERE, SO, ALRIGHT. I APPRECIATE THAT ONCE AGAIN, MR. MR. APPRECIATE IT. JUST SO WE'RE ALL, THAT'S A NICE, ON THE SAME PLAYING FIELD, YOU HAVE 56 MINUTES LEFT OF THE 56 MINUTES. SIX. SORRY, I'M GIVING YOU, I'M GIVING YOU A LONG LIST. REALLY. SORRY. ONCE AGAIN THOUGH, 56 SECONDS OF YOUR EXTRA MINUTE PEOPLE ARE QUESTIONING THEIR TAX DOLLARS. 'CAUSE IT IS THEIR TAX DOLLARS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. OKAY. AND I DON'T KNOW WHY THE MYA WOULDN'T JUST RELEASE THEIR TAX STUFF, PERIOD. DOESN'T MATTER. I HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS IN THIS COMMUNITY. I DON'T WANNA BE MESSING WITH THEM, BELIEVE ME. AND I THINK THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS MUCH AT THE TOP OF WHAT'S BEEN OUT THERE IN ACTUAL PAPERWORK THAT THAT'S ALL GUYS. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I, I AGREE WITH SOME PEOPLE HAVE COME UP HERE AND ASKED SOME QUESTIONS WHETHER YOU LIKE 'EM OR NOT. IT, IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S OUR MONEY. JUST LIKE THE PILOT PROGRAMS. I, IT JUST, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER WE'RE SUPPLEMENTING THIS. AND IF YOU REALLY WANNA LOVE THE KIDS, WE, ALL SHE'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS HELPING THE SCHOOLS OUT. THOSE ARE THE KIDS, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT DOESN'T MATTER. I COULD GO ON, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THE KIDS THAT ARE IN THE SPORTS, MOST OF THE PARENTS DRIVE REALLY EXPENSIVE CARS. AND YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL A LOT. YOU ALREADY HAVE MONEY. YOU, YOU DO IF YOU ARE IN THAT SPORT. 30 SECONDS PLEASE. THAT'S UP TO THE MORE THING. OKAY. I, SO WHAT HAS BEEN RELEASED ABOUT EARL? I DON'T EARL YOUR PROPERTY. IT SOUNDS LIKE HE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE COMMERCIAL TRUCKS, BUILDINGS. I DON'T KNOW THE TIMEFRAME, BUT IT STARTS OUT IN 2015. NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU. GOOD FOR YOU, MAN. YOU'RE ABLE TO DO WHAT YOU WANT ON YOUR PROPERTY. MY QUESTION WOULD BE IS WHY I'M, I'M A HALF A MILE FROM HIM. DO WE GET HAMMERED? HAMMERED FOR WHAT I WOULD SAY LESS INFRACTIONS. UM, THAN, THAN, THAN, THAN WHAT IF IT'S TRUE. AND IT DOESN'T MATTER. IT'S YOUR LAND IS, I'M NOT EVEN HERE. I'M JUST WONDERING. IT'S WHY IS THERE SUCH A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOME PEOPLE AND HOW THEY WERE TREATED IN THIS COMMUNITY AND OTHERS. AND, AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S BECAUSE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES. BUT THAT'S IT. YEAH. THAT'S A WRAP. BRIAN. THANK YOU. UM, I BELIEVE THERE WAS, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR THE DEPUTY MAYOR THAT BRIAN RAY I MET FOR TWO HOURS AND MY CHEEKS HURT FROM LAUGHING AT THE END OF IT. THANK YOU . UM, BUT WE DID SPEAK AS WE HAD SAID, UH, ABOUT A MONTH AGO THAT, UM, THE CHIEF AND BRANDON WOULD LOOK INTO THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT AFFECTED THE KARIN'S FAMILY. I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE I WAS HERE. I WISH I COULD, BUT NO MATTER WHAT ANYBODY WAS OR WASN'T THINKING, THEY DIDN'T WRITE IT DOWN FOR ME TO FIND IT OR FOR BRANDON TO FIND IT. UM, WITH BRIAN, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON AN ORDINANCE FOR RESIDENTIAL FARMS. UM, WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE IT FOR YOU BY ISH CHIEF. WE'RE STILL, UM, PUTTING IT TOGETHER. THERE'S A NUMBER OF ITEMS AS YOU STATED. WE DID MEET WITH MR. CARNES. THE, THE MANAGER'S OFFICE WAS DIRECTED TO JUST GIVE A BRIEF HISTORY, UM, TRYING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MR. CARNES BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION. JUST SEE WHAT WE FOUND IN THE FILE. UM, AND THEN A DIRECTIONAL, UH, ITEM WAS GIVEN TO ME FROM TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT THEN I WOULD JUST NEED A BLESSING FROM ALL FIVE. UH, WHICH IS A TOPIC OF EXECUTIVE SESSION. SO WE RAN THE ORDINANCE AND THAT WE WOULD THEN, UH, HAVE, UH, SOMETHING FOR, UH, DISCUSSION AND THEN PLACED ON THE AGENDA IN A FUTURE MEETING. I WANNA SAY THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN. I KNOW I WROTE THAT DOWN IN MY NOTES. YOU DID FOR MEETING ME. I DID BEFORE. THAT'S THE FIRST THING SHE SAW. BUT, AND ALL, EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM REALLY HAD NOTHING TO DO RIGHT. WITH WHAT WE WENT THROUGH. GUYS CAN'T SPEAK TO THE PAST, BUT WE CAN SPEAK TO WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW. I TOLD YOU I WISH THIS DEVELOPMENT, IT WAS GOING ON JACKSON ROAD. I WOULD BE SITTING HOME QUIET. IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. IT'S THE NORTH SIDE. I KNOW EVERYBODY OVER THERE. AND, UM, IT'S HARD TO HEAR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GETTING PASSED OFF. I THINK YOU GUYS ARE DOING A BETTER JOB BY FAR WITH TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY AND REALLY ENGAGING. AND THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS DROPPED ON ALL OF YOU. AND THAT GOES FOR YOU, MIKE AND, AND BETHANY. AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE DEALING WITH IT THE BEST. YOU GUYS SLOWED DOWN THE ZONING DEPARTMENT. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS YOU DID WHEN YOU CAME IN HERE, AND I THANK YOU BECAUSE IT WAS CRAZY. AND I, I I I, I SHOULD NOT USE THE WORD SLOW DOWN. MAYBE MAKE IT MADE IT FAIR WHERE WE, WE ARE, WE ARE, WE WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING. AND I THINK THAT, UM, AS FAR AS LIKE MY SHENANIGANS, THE OTHER MEETING, IT'S NOT FAIR TO YOU GUYS. IT'S NOT THAT IT, IT, IT'S JUST PURE FRUSTRATION. IT REALLY IS. AND, UH, WE'RE HUMAN. WE GET IT. I, I, [01:35:01] I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS LOOKING IN AND FIGURING OUT AN ORDINANCE. SO, UM, WELL, THE TRUCKS HAVE BEEN AT THE FARM THE WHOLE TIME, BUT YOU KNOW THAT, BUT GET IT THROUGH. IT DOESN'T MATTER. ALL RIGHT. YOU'RE NOT COMING TO SEE THE CATS. DO SOMETHING, DO IT. I'M NOT COMING TO SEE CATS. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S ALL. ALL RIGHT. GOD BLESS YOU ALL. THANK YOU. BRANDON. CAN I ASK A QUESTION? YES. COUNCIL. YEAH. IT SEEMS LIKE PEOPLE ASK THE SAME QUESTIONS. DO WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE? ARE WE USING SOCIAL MEDIA ENOUGH TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC? SO I I DO NOT RECOMMEND USING SOCIAL MEDIA. OH YEAH, I DON'T EITHER. OH, I DO. AND PUTTING OUT, AND I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM, MR. CARNES, BUT BETWEEN ANONYMOUS PEOPLE AND EVERYTHING ELSE, THE TOWNSHIP, THE CHIEF AND I ARE BUSY ENOUGH. HAVING SOMEONE MONITOR SOCIAL MEDIA ON A 24 7 BASIS WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE. AND YOU KNOW THAT. YEAH. YOU KNOW THAT. HOW ABOUT, SO YOU GUYS DO CHERRY PICK ANSWERS STUFF THAT'S OUT THERE. PEOPLE COME IN, NOT CHERRY PICK ANSWERS THERE. IT'S ACTION REACTION ITEMS. IF ITEMS ARE PUT ON FACEBOOK, THEY ARE THEN DIRECTED AT THE DISCRETION OF COUNSEL TO THE MANAGER'S OFFICE TO REVIEW. I'M, I THINK IT'S A POWERFUL, AND I THINK IT'S THE BIGGEST THING CHANGED OUR SITUATION FOR, FOR ITEMS, YOU KNOW? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU GUYS. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF WE, I KNOW WE HAVE ALL THIS INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE. DO WE NEED MORE SO PEOPLE DON'T COME AND ASK THE SAME, THERE'S A FULL, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING? YEAH. ABOUT THE WHOLE THING. PEOPLE ASK THE SAME QUESTIONS ALL THE TIME. HONESTLY, THE MANAGER'S OFFICE COUNCILMAN IS AVAILABLE. UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WOULD ASK IS GIVE US A CALL. I MEAN THIS, THIS WHOLE ITEM OF PLACING THINGS UP, UM, ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS, NO, I DON'T WANNA PUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA OF GOTCHA. OR HERE YOU GO. WE WILL DILIGENTLY REVIEW. WE ARE TALKING APPLES AND ORANGES WHEN IT COMES TO SOME OF THESE ITEMS THAT ARE BROUGHT UP. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T REACT TO EVERYTHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA. IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT, IT'S, IT'S NOT TENABLE FOR US TO DO THAT. I, I DIDN'T THINK YOU SHOULD GO ON SOCIAL MEDIA. I JUST WAS WONDERING ABOUT OUR WEBSITE. RIGHT? DO WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION? IS IT INTERESTING ENOUGH? DO WE NEED TO MAKE A VIDEO? SO COUNCILWOMAN, JUST TO, TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, LIKE, UH, AND WHAT BRANDON'S SAYING ABOUT CONTACTING US, LIKE WE SENT THOSE LETTERS OUT ABOUT THE DEED EXTENSIONS. YEAH, WE DID. AND I, I THINK WE FIELDED FIVE OR SIX PHONE CALLS AND THERE, THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT WERE CONFUSED ABOUT THEM. WE WERE ABLE TO SIT DOWN, USE THE SPREADSHEET AND ANSWER THEM OKAY. APPROPRIATELY FOR THEM. SO, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD SAY IF THERE'S QUESTIONS, PLEASE SEND THEM TO US. YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER, WE CAN GET 'EM TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT HEAD TO GET THE ANSWER. UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE THINK NEEDS TO BE PUT OUT OR COUNCIL NEEDS, THINKS, NEEDS TO BE PUT OUT, WE'RE HAPPY TO WORK WITH ANGELA AND GET IT ON THE WEBSITE. GREAT. ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS YOU DID WAS CHANGE THE EMAIL ADDRESS TO MANAGER@MEDFORDTOWNSHIP.COM. YEAH. SO PUT IT OUT THERE. ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS? MANAGER@BEDFORDTOWNSHIP.COM. YEAH, THE FACEBOOK THING. YOU GUYS ARE THE GOVERNMENT, BUT I GOTTA SAY IT IS THE VOTERS. AND, AND WE DO HAVE SOME COMMON SENSE AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE, THE GOVERNMENT JUST HATES IT. AND IT'S LIKE YOU ARE AT SOMETIMES INSULTING PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY IF YOU SUGGEST THAT IT'S FALSE INFORMATION OR THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE READING. PEOPLE MOSTLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE READING. THE FIRST AMENDMENT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO, TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH. IT DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO WALK INTO A CROWDED ROOM AND YELL FIRE. AND A LOT OF THE FACEBOOK POSTS ARE COMING OUT AND YELLING. FIRE IN A, IN A CROWDED ROOM. YOU, LET'S TAKE THE MYAA POST. IT IS ALMOST A FIRE, BUT GO ON. LET'S TAKE THE MYA POST. THERE ARE SPECIFIC LINE ITEMS WITHIN THE OPEN SPACE BUDGET THAT WE EXPLAINED THIS EVENING. UM, IT WAS ALLUDED TO ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT WE DID SOMETHING NEFARIOUS. NO, WE DIDN'T. THERE'S IT'S A LINE ITEM. THE LINE ITEM. CLEAR IT UP. USE THAT IS, THAT IS WHERE IT IS. IT IS A ALL ENCOMPASS NUMBER. UM, THAT IS EITHER SALARY OR OE. IF YOU'RE A SALARIED INDIVIDUAL, UM, IN OUR TOWNSHIP IN CHARGE OF MAINTAINING OPEN SPACE, YOU GET PAID OUT THE SALARY LINE. IF YOU HAVE A BILL OR SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE PAID FOR THAT, UH, UM, FOR SERVICES, IT COMES OUTTA THE OE LINE. THAT OE LINE IS TALKED ABOUT AS ACQUISITION AND MAINTENANCE OF OPEN SPACE. THAT'S, THAT IS THE LEGAL DEFINITION AS THE STATE PUTS IT. WE DON'T CREATE THE BUDGET DOCUMENT. WE JUST PUT NUMBERS INTO IT. YEAH. YEAH. SO THAT'S WHAT THE STATE TELLS US TO CALL IT. YEAH. THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO CALL IT. I THINK WE ALL GET CAUGHT UP IN THE ARGUMENT DEBATE. SO LIKE ONE THING WITH THE MYAA, AND I'M WALKING AWAY IN A SECOND GUYS. , IS IT KEEPS SAYING IT'S PUBLIC LAND. BUT I'VE NEVER DRIVEN BY HAR THE, THE, THE PROPERTY OFF OF HARTFORD ROAD AND SAID, MAN, IT'S NEW FREEDOM PARK. OR EVEN BOB BENDY. IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE PUBLIC LAND. IT FEELS LIKE IT'S ALREADY, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S FOR THE SPORTS. I JUST, I CAN ONLY SPEAK TO . THAT'S ALL. AND SO I, THAT'S ONE THING THAT GOES OFF IN MY, IN MY HEAD WHEN I'M READING ALL THESE COMMENTS. YEAH. BY, BY A LOT OF PEOPLE POINT. IT'S BEYOND. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU. HE'S GOOD. YEAH. ALRIGHT. ANYONE ELSE? GOOD EVENING. HOW YOU DOING? PATRICK DUFF? [01:40:01] UM, LET ME FIRST KIND OF TELL YOU WHO I AM AND WHAT I DO. 'CAUSE I, I THINK IT GETS CONFUSED SOMETIMES. UM, I'M AN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST. I LIKE TO LOOK INTO GOVERNMENT KNOW, WHETHER IT BE LOCAL, FEDERAL, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE. AND WHEN I SAW THAT THE MONEY WAS GOING TO THE MYA, I JUST DID A SIMPLE CHECK OF THEIR NINE NINETIES. I MEAN, IT WAS PRETTY EASY. IT'S THE FIRST THING YOU DO AS AN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST WITH A NONPROFIT. TAKE A LOOK. AND THERE WEREN'T ANY, SO A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE ACTING LIKE NOTHING WAS DONE WRONG. UM, WELL, WHAT WAS DONE WRONG WAS TAXES WEREN'T FILED FOR FOUR YEARS, ALMOST FIVE YEARS, SIX YEARS. REALLY. THEY WEREN'T FILED UNTIL 2026. SO 20 21, 20 22, 20 23, 20 24, 20 25 ALL SAT THERE. NOW THAT BEING SAID, YOU HAD SOMEBODY UP HERE THAT JUST SAID THAT THEY BASICALLY MADE ALL OF THE DONATIONS TO THE MYAA THEMSELF THAT WORKED FOR DR HORTON. BUT DR HORTON'S OWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT IN THERE STATES THAT DR HORTON IS THE ONE THAT GAVE MONEY DIRECTLY TO THE SOFTBALL PROGRAM IN THEIR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM FOR SEVERAL OF THE, THE, UH, SOFTBALL PROGRAMS THAT, THAT TOOK PLACE. SO THAT'S NOT TRUE. UH, IT WAS, SOME MONEY WAS GIVEN DIRECTLY. AND EVEN IF IT WASN'T DIRECT FROM DR HORTON, I MEAN, ISN'T MR. DAVER A DIRECT, UH, RECIPIENT OF THE BENEFIT OF THE 1700 HOMES BEING BUILT IN MEDFORD? I MEAN, I'M SURE HE GETS PAID FOR THAT. UH, SO HIM DONATING MONEY TO THE MYA, UH, IS A CONFLICT. I WOULD SAY IF MIKE, YOU VOTED ON IT NOW, MIKE, YOU STATE THAT YOU DID NOT, YOU'RE NOT IN MYA THIS YEAR, BUT YOU WERE IN 2024 AND YOU WERE ALSO IN COUNCIL. YOU VOTED TO AMEND THE MEMBERSHIP OF UNDERSTANDING, OKAY. IN 2024, WHICH ALLOWED YOU TO TAKE THOSE SUBSTANTIAL CAPITAL, UH, CONTRIBUTIONS FROM I GUESS MR. DRE. BUT IT WAS, IT WAS ON THE M Y'S SITE. IT SAYS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AT THE SOFTBALL. PRIVATE FUNDING DOESN'T SAY WHO DID IT. IT WAS KEPT, IT WAS KEPT PRIVATE. UH, IN THE, THE MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS, IT WAS KEPT PRIVATE. NOBODY STATED WHO THE FUNDER WAS. NOBODY STATED, YOU KNOW, WHY THEY WERE DOING IT. BUT THE ISSUE IS, MIKE, YOU SAY NOW THAT YOU, YOU'RE NOT ON THE, YOU KNOW, NYA BOARD IN 2026, YOUR VOTE HAS NO CONFLICT. BUT YOUR VOTE IN 2024 SURELY DID BECAUSE YOU SAT ON THE MYA BOARD. RIGHT? THE MAYOR IN THEORY, JUST THE MAYOR HAS BEEN, SORRY, LEMME TRY THIS AGAIN. HELLO? THE MAYOR HAS NO CONFLICT PERIOD. I UNDERSTAND. MAYBE NOW. NO, NO, NO. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU MAY, MY QUESTION WAS IN 2024, EXCUSE SPEAKING, GIMME A CHANCE. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE THAT THE MAYOR HAD A CONFLICT IN 2024. YOU CAN'T, THERE'S NO TIME MACHINE IN 20, CAN YOU STOP FOR A SECOND MR. VARGAS? PLEASE ALLOW ME TO FINISH MR. VARGA, PLEASE JUST ALLOW ME TO FINISH A QUICK QUESTION. LEMME ASK YOU A QUESTION I'M GONNA FINISH. THE MAYOR STATED THAT SINCE HE'S NOT A MEMBER OF THE MYAA, NOW HE HAS NO CONFLICT. SO HE WAS IN 2024. SO HOW ARE YOU STATING THAT THAT IS DIFFERENT? ALL RIGHT, SO AS I WAS SAYING, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A TIME MACHINE. WHAT OCCURRED IN THE PAST IS IRRELEVANT BECAUSE IN 2026, IS THAT IRRELEVANT? YES. IT'S AT THE TIME WHEN THE VOTE OCCURRED, THERE WAS NO CONFLICT. THE MAYOR IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE BO OF THE MYAA BOARD. SO BY VOTING ON THE REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT THERE, NOW YOU COULD SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT. NO, MR. NO, NO, NO. YOU JUST MADE A STATEMENT. THAT IS MY LEGAL OPINION. YOU SAID HE'S NOT A MEMBER OF THE BOARD, BUT HE WAS IN 2024 WHEN HE VOTED TO AMEND THE MEMBERSHIPS OR THE ME MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE MYAA. CORRECT. AND THE, THE VOTE WAS TO ALLOW THAT DONATION, THAT, THAT BIG CAPITAL DONATION FROM A PRIVATE FUNDER. LISTEN, THERE'S A CONFLICT IF YOU DON'T THINK THERE'S A CONFLICT. I I MEAN THERE, THERE YOU JUST STATED YOURSELF THAT SINCE HE'S NOT A MEMBER OF THE BOARD, MIA NOW, OR NOT A, A COMMISSIONER, THAT THERE'S NO CONFLICT. BUT HE WAS IN 2024. SO WOULD YOU SAY THERE WAS A CONFLICT IN 2024? MR. VARGA? I'VE ALREADY GAVE MY OPINION. I'M NOT GONNA REPEAT MYSELF. MR. MAY GIVE YOU YOUR TIME TO ASK THE QUESTIONS. YEAH. AND THEN WE'LL RESPOND. SO, SO, AND, AND YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S FUNNY 'CAUSE PEOPLE CAME UP HERE AND ATTACKED LITERALLY AN ELDERLY WOMAN WHO'S, WHO'S BATTLING CANCER ON CRUTCHES BECAUSE SHE'S TRYING TO FIGHT TO DO WHAT SHE THINKS IS BEST FOR HER COMMUNITY. THAT'S WHY I RUSHED OUT HERE. WHEN I HEARD THAT, I COULDN'T EVEN BELIEVE IT. THEY GOT EXTRA TIME TO TO, TO MAKE THEIR COMMENTS TOO. UM, LISTEN, QUESTIONS WERE ASKED, ANSWERS WEREN'T GIVEN. THIS GUY COMES UP HERE AND SAYS, YOU KNOW, I GAVE ALL THE MONEY. IT WAS ME THAT GAVE ALL THE MONEY. UH, WHEN HIS OWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT [01:45:01] REPORT FROM THIS COMPANY SHOWS THAT HIS COMPANY IS, IS PROUD TO SAY THEY SPONSORED THE SOFTBALL PROGRAM THAT YOU WERE THE COMMISSIONER OF, AND THAT YOU VOTED TO, UH, AMEND THE ME ME MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. AND YOU ALSO VOTED TO, TO, UH, ALLOW THE 1700 HOMES TO COME IN. AND YOU, YOU CHAMPIONED IT. MIKE, YOU WENT TO THE PINELANDS COMMISSION IN 2023 AND YOU SPOKE THERE AND YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE AGAINST THESE MASS AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND YOU WERE, YOU WERE GONNA FIGHT TO DO EVERYTHING YOU COULD TO TO, TO NOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN IN MEDFORD. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED. AS SOON AS YOU CAME IN, YOU CHANGED YOUR TUNE. WHY? WE DON'T KNOW. OKAY, MR. MARGA. SURE. HELLO AGAIN. THERE IS NO, WE DON'T NEED TO RESPOND. WE DON'T NEED TO RESPOND. BUT THERE'S, I I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THERE IS NO CONFLICT THE WAY THE LOCAL CONFLICTS ARE GOVERNED BY A LOCAL GOVERNMENT ETHICS ACT. LOCAL GOVERNMENT ETHICS ACT. ACT HAS WHAT'S ESSENTIALLY CALLED AN ETHICS BILL OF RIGHT IN THE ETHICS BILL OF RIGHT. IT'S A THROUGH G AND IT SETS FORTH WHAT QUALIFIES AS AN ETHICAL VIOLATION, DIRECT PECUNIARY ADVANTAGE FOR ANOTHER. MR. DUFF, YOUR TIME IS OVER. HOLD. NO ENOUGH. YOUR TIME IS OVER. SO WITH ALL THE, YOUR TIME IS OVER. HE DIDN'T SAY MY TIME WAS UP. I JUST WALKED AWAY AND HE'S ANSWERING. SO I THINK I STILL HAVE, HAVE SOME TIME LEFT SECONDS. 17 SECONDS. THEN PAUSE MY TIME WHILE HE'S SPEAKING. I, I DID PAUSE. OKAY. BUT HE SAID NO, I'M GONNA, YOU SAID THERE WAS NO CONFLICT. WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU YOUR 17 SECONDS. SO, SO THEN WHY WOULD, WHY WOULD THE REPRESENTATIVE HORTON COME UP HERE AND SAY THAT IT WAS ONLY HIM THAT GAVE THE MONEY? IT WASN'T HORTON HIMSELF. WHEN I HAVE PROOF THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT SAYS THAT HORTON DID, WOULD YOU SAY THAT THAT'S A CONFLICT? MR. VARGA, I'M WAITING FOR YOU TO FINISH YOUR COMMENT. I'M ASKING WOULD YOU SAY OR WOULD YOU SAY IT WAS HONEST TO SAY THAT, THAT ALL THE MONEY IS PROVIDED BY HIM? THANK YOU. WHEN DR. HORTON IS SAYING AND THEIR SPONSORSHIP PAID, YOUR TIME IS UP THAT THEY GAVE THE MONEY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE DON'T NEED TO RESPOND TO THAT. THANK YOU MAYOR. YOU WELCOME. THANK YOU. OKAY. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT? NO. SEEING NONE. MOTION TO CLOSE. SO MOVED. SECOND. A ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALRIGHT. PUBLIC COMMENT IS COMPLETE ON [IX. CLERK’S REPORT] THE CLERK'S REPORT. MS. WICKER. OKAY, SO WE HAVE APPROVAL FOR A TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF PREMISES FOR PROPERTY FOR THE OCTOBER PAST SEPTEMBER 19TH HALLOWEEN PARADE, OCTOBER 24TH, AND THE DICKENS FESTIVAL DECEMBER 5TH. I JUST NEED ALL IN THERE. AYE. AYE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE NOW HAVE [X. BILL LIST] THREE BILL LISTS FOR APPROVAL. AUGUST 12TH, 2026. AUGUST 21ST, 2026. AUGUST 27TH, 2026. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE BILLS LISTS? NO. UM, MOTION TO APPROVE. SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. GREAT. WE NOW HAVE [XI. ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION] TWO ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION. WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO INTRODUCE ORDINANCE 2026 DASH 16? I MOVE THAT COUNSEL INTRODUCE ON FIRST READING ORDINANCE 2026 DASH 16 AMENDING AND SUPPLEMENTING ARTICLE FIVE OFFICERS, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO CREATE A NEW SENIOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD. SECOND. OKAY. THIS ORDINANCE WILL, UM, ALLOW FOR A NEW COMMITTEE THAT WILL ALLOW SENIOR, EXCUSE ME, TO ALLOW CITIZENS, EXCUSE ME, I'M GONNA START OVER AGAIN. . UH, THIS ORDINANCE ALLOWS FOR A NEW COMMITTEE THAT WILL ADVISE CITIZENS OF AVAILABLE GOODS AND SERVICES AND INVESTIGATE HOUSING NEEDS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS. THERE IS NO DECISION MAKING POWER. PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 22ND. AND SPECIFICALLY MAYOR, THERE WAS AN OVERALL COMMITTEE THAT HAD SENIOR REPRESENTATIVES ON IT. WHEN YOU DID AWAY WITH THE OVERALL COMMITTEE AND CREATED THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, THE UM, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE, YOU BROKE APART THIS OVERARCHING COMMITTEE AND THERE WAS NEVER A REQUEST TO DO THE SENIOR COMPONENT. SO, UM, I THINK THROUGH ALL THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE COME UP IS TO CREATE, THAT'S THE ONE PIECE WHEN THIS COMMITTEE GOT BROKEN UP THAT WAS NOT DONE THEN. AND YOU ARE CREATING AN ORDINANCE TO ALLOW THAT COMMITTEE TO THEN MAKE THE WORK. GREAT. WE NEED A ROLL CALL. YES. MS STANDS FOR? YES. MR. COX. AYE. MS. MILLER? AYE. DEPUTY MAYOR . AYE. OKAY. NOW, UH, YES. SECOND READING, PUBLIC HEARING AND POTENTIAL ADOPTION WOULD BE ON THE SEPTEMBER 22ND AGENDA. THAT'S CORRECT. DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR 2026 DASH 17? SO MOVED. SHE CAN READ IT. YOU READ IT IN TITLE? WE HAVE TO READ IT IN TITLE. OKAY. COUNSEL [01:50:01] WANT ME TO? SURE. I MOVED THAT. COUNSEL INTER INTRODUCE ON FIRST READING 2026 DASH 17 AMENDING CHAPTER 19, LENGTH OF SERVICE AWARD PROGRAM AND CHAPTER 71 FEES AND LICENSES TO ENHANCE INCENTIVES FOR PUBLIC SAFETY VOLUNTEERS. SECOND, SECOND, SECOND. COME ON. UM, THIS ORDINANCE ALLOWS FOR VOLUNTEER AT FIRE AND EMS MEMBERS TO HAVE AN AUTOMATIC ANNUAL CONSUMER PRICE INDEX ADJUSTMENT. THIS ALSO THIS ALL THIS ALSO ADJUSTS FEES FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR PARK RENTAL FACILITY, USE CERTAIN ZONING AND CONSTRUCTION FEES, FOOD, VENDOR VEHICLE, FARM STAND, AND WATER AND SEWER FEES. PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2026. WE DO NEED A ROLL CALL MS. SANBORN. YES, MR. COX? AYE. MS. NO. AYE. AYE MAYOR. AYE. OKAY. AND I SKIPPED AHEAD. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS ON THE 22ND. ALRIGHT, [XII. CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTIONS] SO NOW WE HAVE CONSENT. AGENDA RESOLUTIONS, RESOLUTION 1 56 20 26 AUTHORIZING THE CANCELLATION OF FINAL 2026. PRELIMINARY 2027 PROPERTY TAXES FOR PROPERTIES OWNED BY QUALIFIED TOTALLY DISABLED EXEMPT VETERANS RESOLUTION 1 57 20 26 AUTHORIZING DONATION OF 30 LIFE VAC PORTABLE ANTI-ICING DEVICES. RESOLUTION 1 58 20 26 AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE OF 2 20 26 CHEVROLET TAHOE SUVS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THROUGH THE BERGEN COUNTY COOPERATIVE PRICING SYSTEM NUMBER 24 DASH 43 RESOLUTION 1 59 20 26 URGING THE COMPREHENSIVE INVEST INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION AND PERFORMANCE AUDIT OF THE NEW JERSEY ELECTRICAL UTILITIES RESOLUTION 1 60 20 26 AUTHORIZING COLLECTION, I'M SORRY, COLLECTIVE NEGOTIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD AND THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS LOCAL 3 0 9 9 1 EMT UNITS 25 E AND RESOLUTION 1 61 20 26 AUTHORIZING AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENTS WITH THE TOWNSHIP OF LUMBERTON FOR PUBLIC WORK SERVICES. UM, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE CONSENT AND AGENDA RESOLUTIONS? I'VE SEEN NONE. MOTION. SO MOVED. SECOND. FULL CALL MS. YES, MR. FOX? AYE. MS. AYE, MAYOR AYE. AYE. OKAY. CONSENT AND RE RESOLUTIONS ARE APPROVED. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO [XIII. EXECUTIVE SESSION] SESSION RESOLUTION ES NINE ZERO, I'M SORRY, 0 9 1 0 20 26. A MATTERS RELATED TO ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE, LITIGATION MATTERS RELATED TO CONTRACT NEGOTIATION, LITIGATION AND MATTERS RELATED TO PERSONNEL. DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. SECOND. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OKAY. WE WILL THEN GO TO EXECUTIVE, WE WILL NEED APPROXIMATELY DO AN HOUR PLUS AN STATE WILL COME BACK OUT IF THERE'S, UH, ADDITIONAL TIME NEEDED. AND THEN ACTION. NO. ACTION. I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WAS GONNA BE ACTION TAKEN, POTENTIALLY. NO. UNDERSTOOD. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT. I AM GOING TO RECONVENE THE OPEN PORTION OF THE PUBLIC MEETING. WE ADDRESSED THE THREE ITEMS ON THE EXECUTIVE SESSION RESOLUTION. MOTION TO ADJOURN. SECOND, I MEAN, SECOND. FIRST AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.