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[I. PUBLIC MEETINGS STATEMENT ]
I'D LIKE TO CALL THE ORDER OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF MEMBER TOWNSHIP COUNCIL FOR OCTOBER 6TH, 2026.THIS MEETING IS CALLED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS LAW.
THIS MEETING OF OCTOBER 6TH, 2026 WAS INCLUDED IN A MEETING NOTICE SENT TO THE BURLINGTON COUNTY TIMES AND CENTRAL RECORD ON JANUARY 7TH, 2026, AND ADVERTISED AND SAID NEWSPAPERS ON JANUARY 11TH, 2026 AND JANUARY 15TH, 2026, RESPECTIVELY POSTED ON THE WEBSITE IN THE BULLETIN BOARD IN THE, 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 AT THE OFFICE OF MUNICIPAL CLERK.
PLEASE RISE FOR THE FLAG SALUTE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ALL NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FRAUD.
OKAY, MS. WICKER, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[IV. Communications, Scheduling Matters, Council Agenda, Presentations and Any Amendments to the Agenda ]
A FEW ITEMS BEFORE WE GET STARTED.UH, WE, I WOULD LIKE A MOTION TO ADD THE TEN SIX BILL LIST TO THE AGENDA.
AND I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO MOVE RESOLUTION 1 79 OUT OF CONSENT RESOLUTION 1 7 9.
SO 1 79 WILL BE ITS OWN RESOLUTION.
SO WE HAVE NO SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS THIS EVENING.
I DO ANY MEMBERS OF COUNCIL HAVE ANY COMMUNICATIONS? OKAY.
UM, JUST, UH, IT WAS, SO WE PUT THAT A FESTIVAL, WHICH IS VERY UNUSUAL.
WE DO HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT FESTIVAL COMING UP.
ON THE 10TH, THE APPLE FESTIVAL AT KIRBY'S MILL.
UM, THE WEATHER LOOKS GREAT AND I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO THAT, SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE THE OUTCOME AND THE TOWN COME OUT TO SUPPORT THEM.
SO FOR SCHEDULING ITEMS, OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE, UM, OCTOBER 27TH, 2026 AT TOWN HALL STYLE MEETING HERE AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING AT SIX 30.
THIS MEETING WAS RESCHEDULED FROM OCTOBER 20TH.
[V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
WE HAVE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES AND SEPTEMBER 22ND.
[VI. DISCUSSION ITEMS ]
ITEMS. WE HAVE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ORDINANCE LISTED AS A DISCUSSION ITEM.SO DO YOU WANT ME TO DO THE HISTORY FIRST? BECAUSE I KNOW SEVERAL COUNCIL PEOPLE MEAN COMMERCIAL VEHICLE.
RIGHT? I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT IT'S ON.
DO YOU WANT WANT ME TO DO THE HISTORY FIRST? SURE.
AND THEN KIND OF GO WHOLE SHENANIGANS.
UM, SO THE COUNCIL ASKED ME, UH, I'M GONNA SAY I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MANY MEETINGS AGO TO REVIEW THE ISSUE WITH THE CARNES FARM.
UM, AND AT THE LAST MEETING OH, THAT, THAT, I APOLOGIZE.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE CALLING IT.
YES, I DID LET THE, UH, KARNS FAMILY KNOW THAT WE WERE GONNA DISCUSS IT, THAT BASED ON OUR PROMISES HERE AT DAY, WE HAD SAID WE WOULD LOOK INTO IT PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE.
UM, COUNCILMAN COX AND I MET WITH THE KARNS FAMILY REPRESENTATIVES MULTIPLE TIMES.
SO, UM, AS I REPORTED AT THE LAST MEETING, UM, UH, I STATED THAT HE BROUGHT UP ABOUT, UH, MS. TAYLOR'S REPORT, AND I SPOKE ABOUT A BARN ISSUE.
AS YOU REMEMBER, WHEN WE HAD OUR PRIVATE MEETING WITH MR. BRIAN CARNES, I HAD ATTRIBUTED AND SAID, YES, THERE WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH A BARN.
I DID REVIEW MS. TAYLOR'S LETTER.
I DID REVIEW THAT THEY WITHDREW THE APPLICATION TO HAVE THE TREE SERVICE BUSINESS VEHICLES THERE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I THINK THERE WAS SOME, UH, CHATTER OF, WHAT THE HELL AM I TALKING ABOUT WITH A BARN? SO, LET ME EXPLAIN.
THIS IS THE TOTALITY OF THE KARNS FAMILY FARM.
THERE'S MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS IN HERE.
SO IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT IT'S A LOT OF PAPERWORK, BUT WHEN YOU COME BEFORE THE BOARD, THERE ARE PAPERWORK.
THE FILE I WAS ASKED TO REVIEW IS THIS FILE.
THIS IS THE FILE THAT, UH, RELATES TO THE BUSINESS, UM, VEHICLES BEING LEFT ON THE PROPERTY.
UM, THEY REFER TO AS THE 5 0 1 C3, WHICH IS THE ONE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE TO A RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.
UM, AND IN THIS FILE IT DOES HAVE, UM, THE LETTER FROM MS. TAYLOR.
BUT YOU KNOW, WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I FOUND IN MEDFORD, THERE WAS A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE PUT INTO THIS THAT WERE FROM ANOTHER FILE.
SO LET ME EXPLAIN WHERE THE BARN CAME UP AT.
THERE WAS A COMPLAINT THAT WAS FILED.
UM, COULD YOU TELL US WHAT YEAR THAT WAS? UH, LET'S SEE.
THE COMPLAINT IN THIS ENVELOPE STATED
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THAT IT WAS FILED ON ONE TWO OF 2018.THE APPLICATION FOR THE BOARD IS RE STAMPED, RECEIVED AS FEBRUARY 24TH, 2017.
SO THE APPLICATION THAT CAME BEFORE THE BOARD WAS TO ALLOW A VARIANCE TO ALLOW COMMERCIAL VEHICLES ON THE PROPERTY.
UH, MS. TAYLOR'S REPORT SPEAKS TO THE ACTUAL, UH, REGULATIONS AND WHAT THE REPORT SAYS IN THIS.
THERE IS A COMPLAINT THAT WAS RECEIVED FROM THE ZONING OFFICE THAT HAS PICTURES FROM MS. TAYLOR'S REPORT IN THAT IT STATES THAT, NOW TO GET IT RIGHT, 1995, HERE'S AN AERIAL VIEWPOINT, HERE IS NO GARAGE.
UM, THEN 2006, THERE IS NO, UH, 2006, THERE IS A GARAGE IN 2010.
THESE ARE COPIES FROM MS. TAYLOR'S REPORT.
SO I DIDN'T HAVE THE FILE IN FRONT OF ME.
AND AS I STATED IN THAT PRIVATE MEETING, I REMEMBER THERE BEING SOMETHING TO DO WITH A BARN.
UM, THE KARN FAMILY, AND, AND WHAT HAD HAPPENED FROM THE NOTES IT LOOKS LIKE IS THAT THEY WERE, UH, REQUESTED THAT THERE WAS NO PERMITS DONE FOR THIS, UH, THIS BARN.
UM, AND, UH, THE KARNS FAMILY HAD, MR. MCANDREW WAS A PROMINENT, UH, LAND USE ATTORNEY IN THE AREA, AND THEY WENT THROUGH EVERYTHING AND IT WAS DEEMED THAT THE BARN WAS PART OF THE FARMING OPERATION.
SO THEY JUST NEED TO GET A PERMIT.
SO IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE APPLICATION, BUT THERE ARE COMMENTS AND LETTERS IN THIS THAT I COULD SAY.
HERE'S ONE FROM SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2019, SIGNED BY THE FORMER ZONING OFFICER THAT STATES, PER MY LAST LETTER DATED AUGUST 14TH, 2019, ON NOVEMBER 7TH, 2018, YOU APPLY FOR A BULK VARIANCE APPLICATION FOR AN EXISTING BARN ON YOUR PROPERTY.
THIS LETTER SHOULD BE IN THE BARN FILE.
THAT PROPERLY SAYS THAT THE APPLICATION FOR THE BULK VARIANCE WAS WITHDRAWN BECAUSE IT WAS DEEMED AS AN AGRICULTURAL USE AND THEY JUST NEEDED A PERMIT, UM, FOR WHAT THE STRUCTURE THAT WAS PUT UP.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO BY A BARN.
UM, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO MISREPRESENT ANYTHING.
IT IS A LARGE FILE YOU ASKED ME TO REVIEW SPECIFICALLY.
WAS THAT MIS FILED? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? SO THIS LETTER SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN A DIFFERENT FILE.
THIS IS TALKING ABOUT A MATTER THAT CAME OUT FROM A COMPLAINT.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO AS A BAR.
YOU JUST MISSED THE BEST PART WITH PAPER WAS MISFILED BIG FILE FILE HERE, 2006, NO BILLING OR SOMETHING.
SO, SO MR. CARNES, AS YOU KNOW, YOU HAD AN APPLICATION FOR A BARN.
YOU HAD AN APPLICATION FOR THE, FOR THE FARM STAND AND SOME OTHER THINGS.
SO THAT'S WHAT THESE FILES ARE.
BUT I WAS ASKED SPECIFICALLY BY THE COUNSEL TO REVIEW THIS APPLICATION, WHICH WAS YOUR APPLICATION TO DO THE, THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES ON THE FARM.
AND YOU DID A VARIANCE FOR THAT.
SO IN THAT, WHEN WE MET WITH YOU, I SAID THAT THERE WAS SOME DOCUMENTATION ON HERE ABOUT A BARN, AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT 'CAUSE IT WASN'T PART OF THE APPLICATION, BUT THEY TALK ABOUT A BARN.
SO WHAT I STATED WAS, WHERE DO THEY TALK ABOUT A BARN OVER, WAIT, HOLD ON.
YOU HEAR ABOUT A BARN, BRIAN, CAN I SEE THE CHANCE? LET PRESENTS PROPS EASY THERE, TAGGER.
SO, AS I SAID, YOUR APPLICATION THAT YOU CAME IN FOR THE VARIANCE FOR THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES WAS SUBMITTED AND RECEIVED ON FEBRUARY 24TH, 2017.
THIS COMPLAINT THAT WAS ANONYMOUSLY GIVEN TO THE ZONING OFFICER HAS, AND THIS IS WHAT I REMEMBERED 'CAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THIS FILE WITH ME AT THE LAST MEETING, THAT THERE'S PICTURES FROM MS. UH, TAYLOR'S, UH, REPORT THAT SHOWS A DATE TIMELINE OF, UM, UH, ARIEL PHOTOS 1995, NO GARAGE.
UM, IN 2006, THERE IS A GARAGE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I REMEMBERED FROM THE REPORT, THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP ABOUT A BARN NOW IN THIS, THIS FILE THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE THE BARN INVOLVED IN IT.
'CAUSE THERE'S A SEPARATE FILE FOR THAT.
THERE'S A LETTER IN HERE IN WHICH I SAID TO YOU THAT THE ZONING OFFICER SENT TO MR. AND MRS. CARNES, UM, AND SAID, PER MY LAST LETTER DATED AUGUST 14TH, 2019, ON NOVEMBER 7TH, 2018, YOU APPLIED FOR A BULK VARIANCE APPLICATION FOR AN EXISTING BARN ON YOUR PROPERTY.
WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS THEY HAD SAID THAT THERE WAS NO PERMITS FOR THE BARN.
MR. MCANDREW ARGUED THAT THE BARN WAS CONSTRUCTED AS PART OF THE FARMING OPERATION.
THEY ASKED YOU TO PUT AN APPLICATION IN, BUT YOU WITHDREW THE APPLICATION.
'CAUSE IT WAS THEN DEEMED THAT WAS PART OF THE FARMING OPERATION.
IT'S WE'RE THE COPS, WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS NO WAY WE WERE GETTING A VARIANCE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING, NO, NO.
YOU'RE, I MEAN, WE GOT HAMMERED THROUGH THE WHOLE VARIANCE.
YOU'RE MIXING MR. CARNES, YOU'RE MIXING TWO THINGS.
THIS IS THE VARIANCE, THIS IS THE BULK VARIANCE TO ALLOW FOR THE, THE BARN THAT WAS BROUGHT UP.
BUT THERE'S LETTERS IN HERE FROM YOUR ATTORNEY, MR. MCANDREW, STATING THAT IT'S A BUY RIGHT FOR THE FARM.
SO THAT'S WHAT I REFER TO AS THE BARN AT THE LAST THING.
I'M NOT TRYING TO ACCUSE, I'M NOT LYING.
THIS IS YOUR FILE HAS A LOT OF THINGS.
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AND HONESTLY, TOMORROW YOU CAN COME IN AND YOU CAN PERUSE THE FILES AND MAKE AS MANY COPIES AS YOU, MAN, I WANNA WRAP THINGS UP, BUT I, I IMAGINE EVERYTHING IN THE FILE IS NEGATIVE TOWARDS US AND THERE'S NOTHING LIKE, LIKE RIGHT.ONCE AGAIN, LIKE WHY DID BETH PORTICO GET REMOVED? SO, SO BY JUST TO ME FOR ONE SECOND, THAT'S ALL WHAT HE WAS SAYING.
I THINK THE PART YOU MAY HAVE MISSED WAS THAT THINGS WERE MISFILED IN ONE FILE OR THE OTHER.
BUT HE HAS A BIG FILE THERE AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S ALL AGAINST US.
AND THEY'RE ALL YOURS TODAY, JUDGE ARE NOT FAVORS US MR. CARTER APPLICATIONS THAT YOU PUT IN IT ACTUALLY.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE TOWNSHIP HAS TO KEEP ALL THE DOCUMENTS PER APPLICATION.
NOW, THEY SHOULDN'T BE CROSS FILED.
THAT BARN ISSUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN A DIFFERENT FILE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY IT WAS IN THAT FILE.
THE ONLY FILE THAT I ASKED TO REVIEW WAS YOUR COMMERCIAL VEHICLE VARIANCE.
IT SHOULDN'T HAVE BARN ISSUES IN IT.
AND THAT'S WHY I SAID TO YOU AT THE MEETING, THERE'S SOMETHING IN HERE ABOUT A BARN, BUT I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND IT.
AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET THROUGH IT.
SO IT GETS TO THE ORDINANCE THAT IS BEFORE THE COUNCIL THIS EVENING.
UH, IT WAS, I REQUEST REQUESTED THE, UM, THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY TO REVIEW.
UM, YOU HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU.
THIS IS LOOKING AT PARTS OF A MONTVILLE ORDINANCE, UM, THAT ALLOWS COMMERCIAL VEHICLES.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT ME TO GO SPECIFICALLY THROUGH EACH POINT.
UM, CAN'T HURT THE HIGHLIGHTS.
LET HIM HEAR THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO ON ANY RESIDENTIAL LOT, NO PERSON SHALL PARK STORE OR MAINTAIN ANY COMMERCIAL OPERATED VEHICLES WITHOUT FIRST OBTAINING A PER PARKING PERMIT FOR EACH PERMANENT VEHICLE.
HOWEVER, ANY COMMERCIAL OPERATED VEHICLE IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SITE FOR SUCH CONSTRUCTION PERMITS SHALL BE, IS, UH, ISSUED, OR WHICH PERMIT HAS BEEN ISSUED, OR WHICH IS OTHERWISE PERMITTED BY THE TOWNSHIP ORDINANCE, SHALL NOT REQUIRE OBTAINING A PERMIT.
AND WE ARE SPEAKING ABOUT, UM, THE TITLE WOULD BE A NEW TITLE, CHAPTER 5 32, ENTITLED COMMERCIAL VEHICLES IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS.
UM, NUMBER B WOULD BE PARKING PERMIT SHALL BE ISSUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING STANDARDS.
STANDARD NUMBER ONE, ANY COMMERCIAL VEHICLE REGARDING, UH, REGARDLESS OF REGISTRY OTHER THAN A PICKUP TRUCK OR UM, UH, REGULATION VAN, UH, TOTALLY OR PARTIALLY USED IN A COMMERCIAL CAPACITY AS DEFINED HEREIN SHALL BE, SHALL REQUIRE A PERMIT.
UM, NUMBER TWO, ANY PICKUP TRUCK OR REGULATION VAN, REGARDLESS OF, UH, REGISTRY EQUIPMENT WITH COMMERCIAL AND OR INDUSTRIAL RACKS, PERMANENT STRUCTURAL, AL PERMANENT STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS AND OR ADVERTISING, UH, CONSISTING WITH A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE USAGE AS DEFINED IN, IN, UH, SHALL ALSO REQUIRE A PERMIT, A PICKUP TRUCK AND OR REGULATION VAN, UM, UH, REGARDLESS OF REGISTRY, UM, NOT MEETING THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE DEFINITIONS CONTAINED HEREIN, UH, WILL BE EXEMPT FROM PERMIT REQUIREMENTS.
ONE PERMIT WILL BE REQUIRED FOR EVERY FIVE RESIDENTIAL ACRES FOR ONE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE.
SO IN TURN, IT'S FOR ONE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE FOR EVERY FIVE ACRES OF PROPERTY.
BUT IT WILL REQUIRE A SPECIFIC, UM, APPLICATION, UM, OF WHICH THERE IS NO FEE.
UM, ONE ADDITIONAL PERMIT MAY BE ISSUED PER EVERY ADDITIONAL FIVE ACRES UPON PROPER APPLICATION AND COMPLIANCE WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS.
IN THE EVENT THAT THE ACREAGE IS REDUCED, AFTER A PERMIT HAS BEEN ISSUED, THE PERMIT WILL BE VOID AND A NEW APPLICATION MUST BE SUBMITTED.
ALL VEHICLES MEETING THE DEFINITION CONTAINED HEREIN MUST BE GARAGE OR SCREENED FROM VIEW FROM NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES.
SCREENING MUST BE APPROVED BY THE ZONING OFFICER.
UM, ALL VEHICLES MEANING THE DEFINITION CONTAINED HEREIN MUST BE OWNED AND USED BY THE RESIDENCE, UH, OF THE PROPERTY OF THE PROVINCE.
SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING WHERE YOU CAN SAY, ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA GET A, UH, I HAVE 30 ACRES AND I'M GOING TO GET A X, Y, Z BUSINESS TO DO A RENTAL AGREEMENT WITH ME.
THERE HAS TO BE SOME TIE TO THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, NO VEHICLE MEANING THE DEFINITIONS CONTAINED HEREIN CAN EXCEED A WEIGHT OF 25,000 POUNDS OR A LENGTH OF 25 FEET, NOR SHALL ANY SUCH VEHICLE, EQUIPMENT OR MACHINERY EXCEED THE TOTAL HEIGHT OF 11 FEET ON ANY PROPERTY.
PERMITS WILL BE RENEWED ON A YEARLY BASIS.
AND CONDITIONS REVIEWED TO DETERMINE COMPLIANCE WITH THIS SECTION ON THAT ANNUAL BASIS.
UH, FALSIFICATION OF ANY QUESTIONS, FALSIFICATION OF ANY QUESTIONS ON THE APPLICATION WILL RESULT IN AN IMMEDIATE DENIAL OF THE REQUEST OR REVOCATION OF THE PERMIT, UH, THAT HAS BEEN ISSUED.
AND ISSUANCE OF THE PERMIT, UH, REQUIRE STRICT COMPLIANCE WITH ANY RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH BY THE ZONING OFFICER.
ANY DEVIATION FROM SUCH UH, RESTRICTIONS, UH, WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE REVOCATION OF THE PERMIT.
SO THOSE, AS I TO REITERATE, THOSE ARE THE CONDITIONS OR THE STANDARDS THAT YOU MUST MEET AS PART OF THE APPLICATION.
SO THEN UNDER ITEM C, ANY PERSON DESIRING A PARKING PERMIT SHALL APPLY TO THE ZONING OFFICE.
UM, THE ZONING OFFICER SPECIFICALLY AND SHALL, UH, THE ZONING OFFICER SHALL TAKE A, UH, ACTION UPON THE APPLICATION WITHIN 21 DAYS AFTER FILING.
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BE NO FILING FEE ASSESSED WITH THE APPLICATION'S FILED.A PARKING PERMIT SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE PERMISSION FOR AN APPLICANT TO CONDUCT BUSINESS IN THE RESIDENTIAL ZONE.
SO IF YOU'RE CONDUCTING BUSINESS, THIS IS JUST SIMPLY THE STORAGE OF OF THE VEHICLE, UM, CONDUCTING BUSINESS IN THE, IN THE RESIDENTIAL ZONE.
AND ALL APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER SHALL BE APPLIED.
SO IF YOU'RE GONNA RUN THE BUSINESS FROM THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, THAT REQUIRES A VARIANCE, BUT THIS IS STRICTLY TALKING ABOUT HOUSING OF VEHICLES.
UM, THIS SECTION SHALL BE ENFORCED BY THE ZONING OFFICER WHO SHALL BE ASSISTED BY A MEMBER OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ASSIGNED BY THE POLICE CHIEF, UM, AND KNOWN AS THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ORDINANCE OFFICER.
IT SHALL BE THE DUTY OF THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ORDINANCE OFFICER TO ASSIST THE ZONING OFFICER BY MAKING INSPECTION INSPECTIONS, ISSUING SUMMONSES, AND BRINGING POTENTIAL VIOLATIONS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE ZONING OFFICER.
AND THEN G, THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT BE DEEMED TO APPLY TO PARKING, STORING, OR MAINTAINING VEHICLES, EQUIPMENT, MACHINERY USE IN CONNECTION WITH A FARM.
SO THOSE ARE THE ITEMS, UH, THAT WE HAD PUT TOGETHER FROM MR. VARGAS OFFICE.
UM, BY REVIEWING THE MONTVILLE ORDINANCE AND THE DIRECTION GIVEN TO ME BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE THAT, UH, ASKED, OR THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL THAT ASKED ME TO REVIEW THE SPECIFIC ISSUES WITH REGARDS TO MR. KANE'S, UH, FARM, UH, UH, QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THE TOWN.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS COMING FROM A PINELANDS TOWN IN SOUTH HAMPTON, UM, WE ARE SAYING ALL RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS.
I WILL NOTE TO THE COUNCIL THAT, UM, ALL RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS MEANS THAT WE HAVE DISTRICTS, RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS, BOTH IN THE PINELANDS AND NON PINELANDS, ANY ORDINANCE THAT THIS GOVERNING BODY WERE TO ADOPT THAT, UH, HAS A RESTRICTION OR HAS A, A NOTATION TO A PINE LANDS DISTRICT WILL REQUIRE PINE LANDS APPROVAL BEFORE THAT THE ORDINANCE CAN GO INTO EFFECT.
SO IF WE ARE DOING ALL DISTRICTS, WE WILL NEED TO SUBMIT THIS TO THE PINE LANDS.
IT COULD COME BACK REJECTED AT THAT POINT.
THE COUNCIL'S ONLY OPTION WOULD THEN BE TO ONLY DO IT IN THE NON PINELANDS RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I POINTED THAT OUT, THAT THERE IS A CAVEAT TO ZONING, UM, AND LAND USE ORDINANCES THAT ARE PASSED BY GOVERNING BODIES WITHIN THE PINELANDS THAT THEY ARE SUBJECT TO APPROVAL OF THAT BOARD FOR CONSENSUS SAKE.
AND I, I THINK OUR PROFESSIONALS CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THE PINELANDS MIGHT MIGHT ASK OR, OR DO.
BUT THIS WAS MY CHARGE FROM THE COUNCIL TO COME UP WITH, UH, SOMETHING THAT WOULD PASS MUSTER, UM, THAT OTHER TOWNS HAVE DONE.
UM, AS WE STATED IN OUR MEETING TO MR. CARNES, THERE IS NO, UH, MUNICIPALITIES IN BURLINGTON COUNTY THAT I COULD FIND THAT ALLOW FOR MORE THAN, UH, ONE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE.
WE WILL BE THE FIRST, BUT ONE OF THE CASE STUDIES THAT WE DID FIND WAS THE MONTVILLE CASE.
UM, THAT WAS JUST DONE IN 2023, I BELIEVE.
UM, THAT'S THE, THE CASE STUDY THAT WE STUDIED.
UM, WOULD ANY OF THE COUNCIL LIKE TO ADD TO THIS CONVERSATION? YEAH, I, I MEAN, I, I'LL JUST SAY, I'LL SAY I DO THINK THAT THIS IS A, A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO A A, A PROBLEM IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, LOOKING AT THE SITUATIONS THAT THE CARDS FAMILY HAS UN INDOOR FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS WITH THEIR TRUCKS, UH, LOOKING TO SEE HOW WE CAN TAKE A COMMON SENSE PROACTIVE APPROACH TO ADDRESS NOT JUST THEIR ISSUE, BUT PROACTIVELY ADDRESSING ISSUES ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
LOOKING AT THE ACREAGE OF LAND, KNOWING THAT THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS HAVE MORE THAN ONE ACRE.
UH, I'M, I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THE WAY THIS IS, UH, THIS ORDINANCE WAS DEVELOPED AND, AND PRESENTING IT FOR FIRST READING.
I WOULD SAY I COMPLETELY APPRECIATE THAT WHEN WE WORKED WITH ANY OF THE KARINS, BUT SPECIFICALLY YOU, BRIAN, THE POINT WAS NEVER WHAT DOES THE KARINS FAMILY GET OUT OF THIS? THAT WAS THE BONUS PLAN.
EVERY TIME I WAS SPECIFIC AND SAID THE KARINS ORDINANCE, AS I LOVINGLY SLASH JOKINGLY SAID, BRIAN SAID, NO, THIS IS NOT THE CURRENTS ORDINANCE.
THIS IS FOR ANY FARMER IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
SO WITH BRIAN'S PUSH, I STEPPED AWAY FROM IT BEING WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP THE CURRENT? IT WAS WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP ANY OF OUR FARMERS IN YOUR TYPE OF SITUATION.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
I WANT TO YELL AT ALL OF YOU GUYS NOW.
SO ARE YOU COMFORTABLE? 'CAUSE IT'S NOT EVEN LISTED AS FIRST READING TONIGHT.
WE'RE JUST PURELY DISCUSS JUST FOR DISCUSSION.
I THINK, THINK, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE HOLDING YOUR COMMENTS UNTIL PUBLIC COMMENT? I MEAN, LEMME JUST JUMP IN REALLY QUICK 'CAUSE IT'S OFF THE CUFF.
IT PROTECTS THE SMALL BUSINESSES.
I MEAN, THERE'S, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT REALLY KEEP THE COMMUNITY LOOKING.
AND THEY WERE THE FIRST TO GET ATTACKED.
THERE'S A LONG LIST, UM, BACK THEN, UM, OF JUST LITERALLY JUST EASY, EASY PREY.
AND I THINK THAT THIS SPEAKS VOLUME AND SAYS, LOOK MAN, YOU GUYS ARE VALUED HERE.
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GUYS THAT CUT GRASS AND STUFF LIKE THAT ALL THE WAY UP TO, I GUESS, A BUSINESS LIKE OURS.AND I THINK THAT, UM, YOU HAVE ENOUGH DETAILS IN THERE.
SO IN CASE YOU GET A BAD MAYOR IN THE FUTURE AND TERRIBLE PROFESSIONALS THAT GO ALONG WITH STUFF, PEOPLE WON'T HAVE PROBLEMS. THERE'S A LOT OF DETAILS IN THERE.
ONE OF OUR PROBLEMS WAS, HEY, THE TRUCKS, IT DOESN'T STATE IN THAT OTHER ORDINANCE THAT THE TRUCKS CAN BE THERE EVERY NIGHT.
PUT AS MUCH INFORMATION IN THERE AS YOU CAN SO THINGS CAN'T GET CHANGED.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE ASKED THE, THE ATTORNEY TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS KIND OF A ROBUST, UH, REGULATIONS.
AND, AND THEN TO ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A COMPLIANCE HERE.
SO IF, IF A RESIDENT WERE TO SAY THAT, OH, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THIS.
WELL, NO, HERE'S MY PERMIT THAT IT WAS APPROVED RIGHT TO, TO DO THIS.
SO, UH, IT'S WAS KIND OF MAKING SURE THAT WE COVERED ALL BASES SO THAT THERE'S AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD.
IT IT IS, IT SHOWS THINGS ARE CHANGING AND THIS REALLY, WE DIDN'T
WELL, I'M NOT DONE YET, BUT GO ON THOUGH.
BUT SERIOUSLY, IT, IT'S NOT JUST FOR US.
I THINK WE GOT, WE GOT OVER THE HILL WHERE IT'S NOT GONNA BE OUR PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE, BUT FOR THE NEXT GENERATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THIS DOES SPEAK VOLUME AND IT IS REALLY THE BLUE COLLAR WORKERS THAT KEEP EVERYTHING CLEAN AND NEAT AND MAKING THIS COMMUNITY LOOK LIKE IT DOES.
AND I'M NOT SAYING RESIDENTS DON'T TAKE CARE OF THEIR PROPERTIES, BUT, UM, THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF COMPANIES IN HERE AND THEY LIVE HERE AND IT'S, IT'S AWFUL.
WHEN THE, THE GOVERNMENT ATTACKS YOU, IT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE FOR US, OKAY, IT, IT WAS, WELL NOT YOU GUYS, BUT BACK THEN IT WAS COUNCIL AND ALL THE PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE JUST SAYING, YOU'RE AWFUL.
AND IT, IT, IT IS JUST AN AWFUL FEELING TO FEEL, UM, LIKE THERE MUST BE WHEN YOU HAVE SUCH A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE ATTACKING YOU, THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOURSELVES, NOT JUST, UM, WELL NOW WE KNOW WHAT WAS REALLY GOING ON.
SO, BUT ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU COUNSEL FOR DOING THIS AND, AND UMBA TOO FOR GETTING IT RIGHT WHERE PEOPLE CAN'T GET CAUGHT UP IN THIS GRAY AREA.
IT WAS A GRAY AREA FOR US GUYS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, UM, FROM OUR PROFESSIONALS, IF YOU DEAL WITH PINELANDS ALL THE TIME, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE ADDED OR, I, I THINK IN TALKING TO COUNCILMAN COX, UH, I THINK THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO POTENTIALLY, LET'S JUST DO THIS AS IS FOR ALL, ALL DISTRICTS, SEE WHAT THE PINELANDS SAY AND THEN, UM, IF, IF THEY DO COME BACK, UH, REJECTED THAT, IT WOULD JUST, WE'LL DEAL WITH THE NORTH END.
UM, BUT I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WERE AWARE THAT THERE IS, THAT THERE IS THAT COMPONENT THAT WE REALLY CAN'T GET OUT.
UM, IF I MAY, UM, AND I'M NOT SAYING ANYTHING OUTTA TURN RIGHT.
BRANDON, PAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DID ON THIS ONE.
UM, IF THE PINELANDS REJECTED, WILL THEY GIVE US LIKE YOU'LL RATIONALE? YEAH.
SO, UH, SCOTT, OR THEY MAY ACTUALLY ISSUE MINOR SUGGESTIONS FOR CHANGES TO MAKE IT COMPLIANT MM-HMM
AND THEN THE GOVERNING BODY COULD CONSIDER THOSE OR THEY MAY BE VERY SIGNIFICANT.
AND THEN YOU TAKE AN ALTERNATE, RIGHT? YEAH.
SOMETIMES THERE'S JUST MINOR LIKE YEAH, PLEASE DOT YOUR I CROSS YOUR T'S TYPE OF THING MM-HMM
TO MAKE SURE THAT IT, IT FITS THE DEFINITIONS.
UM, BUT IT'S, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WAS AWARE THAT IT'S NOT JUST ONCE THE ORDINANCE IS ADOPTED, THAT IT'S IN EFFECT, WE HAVE TO THEN WAIT FOR A HEARING OF THE PINELANDS.
IT WOULD GET SENT TO THEM IMMEDIATELY.
THE CLERK SENDS IT RIGHT AFTER ADOPTION AND WE WILL LET EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT THE PROJECT SAYS.
IS IT IN BETWEEN SCOTT? IS IT IN BETWEEN? UH, UH, INTRODUCTION OF ADOPTION? YOU HAVE TO WAIT TILL THEY GIVE BACK OR YOU CAN ASK INFORMALLY BEFOREHAND, BUT IT'S TYPICALLY AFTER, AFTER IT'S ADOPTED.
CHRIS, I BELIEVE THERE'S STILL, YEAH.
SO IT WOULD BE AFTER ADOPTION.
WE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S TYPICALLY A 20 DAY STOP PERIOD MM-HMM
ON, ON ORDINANCES THAT, THAT REALLY GOES TO A FINANCE PERSPECTIVE.
UM, BUT, UM, YOU WOULD NEED UNTIL YOU CAN ENFORCE, YOU WOULD NEED THE PINELANDS TO SIGN OFF ON IT AND HAVE AN ACTION FROM THEM AND THEY WOULD GIVE YOU A LETTER.
UM, AND THEN FROM THERE WE COULD ACT UPON THAT.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT.
WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT ALL ORDINANCES DIE AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO, UM, THEY THEN HAVE TO BE REINTRODUCED.
SO WE COULD GET TO A POINT THAT WE GET THIS DONE AND ACROSS THE FINISH LINE, BUT WE MIGHT NOT MAKE THE MEETING FOR, FOR THEM.
AND THEN IF THERE IS CHANGE, THEN YOU HAVE TO DO IT NEXT YEAR.
SO I JUST, I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO THINK THAT THERE'S A SURPRISE IN THIS.
THAT'S THE REGULATION, THAT'S WHAT THE STATE REQUIRES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SEND IT TO THEM.
SO WHAT, WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE ORDINANCES BEFORE, WHERE THE PINE LANDS REQUIRE CERTAIN CONDITIONS, YOU DON'T NEED 'EM ON THE NORTH SIDE, THE NON PINE LANDS AREA, WE STILL PASS AN ORDINANCE, BUT THIS APPLIES TO THE PINE LANDS AND THIS APPLIES TO NON PINE LAND AREAS.
[00:25:01]
YEAH.YOU HAVE, SO TWO VERSIONS OF THE SAME ORDINANCE.
YOU HAVE TWO DEVELOPMENT CODES.
WE DO IT FOR WETLANDS AND FOR BUFFERS.
IT'S, IT'S IN OUR ORDINANCES THAT WAY NOW.
YOU SEPARATE OUT DEVELOPMENT TO PINELANDS AREAS AND NON PINE LANDS AREAS.
THERE'S TWO SEPARATE CODE YES.
CHAPTERS WITHIN, UH, YOUR, UH, ORDINANCE THAT, THAT DESIGNATES WHAT THOSE DIFFERENCES ARE.
THIS CONTROLLING DOCUMENT WAS DOING IT TO ALL, ALL CHANGING ALL OF BOTH PINE LANDS AND, AND NON PINE LANDS.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU JUST WANNA DO IT TO THE NON PINE LANDS, WE COULD MODIFY THIS TO JUST NON-VIOLENCE OR IF WE WANT TO TRY DO IT FOR THE WHOLE TOWN FOR FIRST, SEE WHAT THEY SAY AND COME BACK.
UM, BASED OFF THE ITEMS YOU MENTIONED AND THE, THE ORDER WE NEED TO GO AND, AND THE TIME RESTRAINTS THAT COULD COME INTO EFFECT AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
I KNOW CURRENTLY IT'S LISTED AS AS A DISCUSSION ITEM, UM, ITEM.
WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADD IT TO FIRST READING THIS EVENING AS THERE'S NO CHANGES, THERE'S NO CHANGES YET, IT'S FINALIZED IN DRAFTS AND THERE'S NO SUGGESTED CHANGES THAT CAN BE INTRODUCED ON FIRST READING AFTER WOULD AND, AND WE'RE STILL IN DISCUSSION MOTION.
UM, WOULD ANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'D RATHER GET IT DONE NOW THERE ANY CHANCE OF IT HITTING THE END OF THE YEAR AT THIS POINT? I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADD ORDINANCE HAPPILY ENTER 2026 DASH.
WHAT NUMBER WOULD THIS BE? WHAT ARE WE UP TO? 1919.
19 TO TONIGHT'S AGENDA AS FIRST READING? WELL, THAT'S, THIS IS ON SECOND READING.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY FIRST RE OKAY.
MAYOR, DO YOU NEED A CONTROLLING COPY TAR? NO, JUST CALL.
AND WILL WE NEED ROLL CALL TO ADD OR JUST ROLL CALL OR ALL IN FAVOR? UM, ALL IN FAVOR? ALL IN FAVOR.
SO THIS WE'RE IN 2026 DASH 19 WILL BE ADDED TO OUR FIRST READING SECTION.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ITEMS? YES.
I'VE BEEN A BUSY GIRL, THANK GOODNESS.
I HAD A COUPLE WEEKS OFF FROM WORK.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION THAT WE WERE ASKED WAS ABOUT THE MYAA AND THE MOU AND, UM, THE MAYOR ASKED ME TO LOOK INTO IT TO SEE WHAT WE COULD FIND.
AND LET'S BE HONEST, THERE WERE MISSES.
I'M NOT GONNA TRY AND SAY IT ANY OTHER WAY.
THE MOU CLEARLY STATED THAT EVERY THREE YEARS THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD AUDITED FINANCIALS SENT TO US AND THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THEIR WEBSITE.
UM, WHAT I WILL ASK THE TOWNS FOLKS TO REMEMBER IS THAT WE ARE A FAULKNER TOWN, WHICH MEANS THAT WE'RE POLICY.
SO THIS SHOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH THE TOWN MANAGER'S OFFICE.
SO THE TOWN MANAGER'S OFFICE DID NOT DO THIS LAST YEAR, NOR THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR.
UM, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THE CURRENT ACTING TOWN MANAGERS ALREADY REACHED OUT TO MYAA, LET THEM KNOW WHAT WAS SEEN IN THE MOU AND THAT THEY NEED TO COMPLY.
UM, AND THEY ALREADY PROVIDED IT.
SO, UH, WE HAVE REACHED OUT AND, UH, THEY EMAILED US THE DOCUMENTS TODAY, SO I'LL FORWARD THEM TO COUNSEL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO FORWARD THEM DIRECTLY BEFORE THE MEETING WITH YOU NOT HAVING A CHANCE TO REVIEW THEM.
SO, UM, I'LL FORWARD THEM FIRST THING IN THE MORNING TOMORROW SO YOU'LL HAVE 'EM TO REVIEW IF THERE'S ANY COMMENTS FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
AND AS I STATED AT A PRIOR MEETING, UM, LOOKS LIKE THE, UH, MOU WAS, UH, REDONE LAST YEAR.
UM, SO IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FULLY AWARE THAT THIS WAS, SHOULD HAVE BEEN A ITEM.
THIS MOU HAS BEEN DONE THREE TIMES.
I THINK WE SAW 4, 4, 3 OR FOUR TIMES IT'S BEEN REDONE.
UM, THE LANGUAGE HAS NOT CHANGED IN ANY OF THOSE ITEMS. I DID NOTICE THAT I READ THEM ALL.
UM, TYP TYPICALLY AS I REPORTED IN A PRIOR MEETING, IT'S USUALLY WHEN YOU GIVE AN ALLOTMENT THAT IS WHEN YOU REQUIRE FINANCIALS.
BUT THIS IS A PARTIC PARTICULARLY SPECIAL CASE.
UM, USUALLY REIMBURSEMENTS DON'T REQUIRE FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS, BUT IT IS SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN IN.
SO IT IS UNUSUAL, BUT SINCE THERE IS AN MOU THAT WOULD NEED TO BE, UH, PROVIDED, AND THEN IT DOES ALSO SPECIFICALLY STATE TO BE ON THE WEBSITE.
UM, SO THAT WAS REMINDED, UH, AS WELL TO THE REPRESENTATIVES.
SO THE CURRENT TOWN MANAGER'S OFFICE IS MAKING IT HAPPEN.
AND WHILE WE'RE ON THE TOPIC OF THE, OF THE MYAA AS, AS WE LOOK TO TIGHTEN UP THE MOU FOR NEXT YEAR AND AND BEYOND, I KNOW THERE'S ALSO BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF MATCHING THAT MOU AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO MYAA WITH THE CONTRIBUTION THAT'S PART OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN AND THE AFFORDABLE REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS.
I ALSO, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE RESIDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE THINGS THAT WE'VE NOTICED AS, AS A COUNCIL, THE STEPS THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO PLACE, THE CONTROLS THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO PLACE WITH MYAA, THAT CONTRIBUTION IS NOT JUST THAT BLANK CHECK TO MYAA.
WE, ONCE WE DO BEGIN RECEIVING THOSE FUNDS, ONCE
[00:30:01]
COS ARE ISSUED FOR HOME OWNERSHIP, IT'LL BE INCUMBENT UPON US AS A COUNCIL TO ADOPT, UH, AN ORDINANCE AND RESOLUTION OF HOW WE WILL DISTRIBUTE THOSE, THOSE DOLLARS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.SO THOSE THINGS THAT WE'LL BE PUTTING IN PLACE ARE VARIOUS CONTROLS SUCH AS AUDIT REVIEWS, REIMBURSEMENTS TYPE OF, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT THE EXPENDITURES ARE ALIGNED WITH WHAT THOSE FUNDS ARE, ARE SUPPOSED TO BE USED FOR.
SO I DON'T WANT THE COMMUNITY THINKING THAT IT'S JUST A BLANK CHECK AND IT'S KIND OF A PASS THROUGH OF THAT SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY TO THE MYAA.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT JUST WHAT COUNCILMAN COX JUST SAID.
YOU SPEAK, THE, THE MOU TALKS ABOUT A THREE YEAR ROLLING PERIOD.
THE, THE ISSUE IS THAT UNDER THE REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS THAT YOU PUT IN PLACE, IT NOW REQUIRES AN ANNUAL.
UM, BECAUSE IF THEY'RE GOING TO RECEIVE A, AS COUNCILMAN COX POINTED OUT, ONCE THE FIRST CO IS ISSUED, THAT'S WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT FEE IS PAID, UM, FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE UNITS.
THAT TRIGGERS THE REQUIREMENT IN THAT YEAR FOR THE SPLIT OF HOW THE REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT SPLITS OUT THE MONEY.
UM, AND THAT REQUIRES FOR THAT YEAR FOR FINANCIALS TO BE DONE.
AND ANY YEAR AFTER, IF THERE'S MONEY FROM THIS REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT BEING ISSUED, THEY NEED TO PROVIDE A FINANCIAL, UH, AT THE, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
WELL, IT WOULD BE PROVIDED TO YOU.
UM, AND, AND TECHNICALLY IT NEEDS TO BE ON THEIR WEBSITE BY THE MOU STANDARDS, NOT THE AGREEMENT STANDARDS.
I, I THANK YOU BOTH FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
UM, ANY FURTHER? I'M DONE TALKING
UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ITEMS IN GENERAL? NO.
[VII. MANAGER’S REPORT ]
THE MANAGER'S REPORT.SO ON THE MANAGER'S REPORT, WE HAVE ONE VOLUNTEER, UH, FOR FIRST, FOR APPROVAL THIS EVENING ON NAIM, UH, ULA, UH, FOR FIREFIGHTER FOR STATION 2 5 1.
SO WE ASK THE COUNCIL'S APPROVAL FOR, FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL A ROLL CALL FOR APPROVAL.
AND THEN THE, UH, ONLY OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS IT WAS POSTED ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND OUR WEBSITE LEAVE COLLECTION WILL BE STARTING NOVEMBER 2ND IN ZONES ONE AND TWO.
AND THE SCHEDULE IS POSTED ON THERE.
THEY'LL MOVE, UH, THROUGH ZONES ONE, ONE AND TWO FIRST, AND THEN 3, 4, 5, AND THEN THERE'LL BE A SECOND, SECOND COLLECTION TIME ALSO.
SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THEY CAN EMAIL THE MANAGER'S OFFICE.
WE CAN, YOU KNOW, FORWARD 'EM OUT THE SCHEDULE.
CHIEF, QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU.
IF WE RUN INTO THE CRAZINESS WE RAN INTO LAST TIME, TRUCK'S BREAKING DOWN, FOLKS THAT HAD TO LEAVE DPW, CAN WE GIVE MORE UPDATES ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR OTHER VENUES SO THAT THE TOWNSPEOPLE CAN KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A DELAY? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT UM, THE VOLUNTEER THAT WE JUST APPROVED FOR OUR, OUR FIREFIGHTER VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTING POSITION IS A YOUNG INDIVIDUAL, UH, A NEWER RESIDENT TO OUR TOWN.
AND, UM, IT'S VERY ENCOURAGING AS WITH ALL VOLUNTEERS TO SEE INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY YOUNG INDIVIDUALS, TAKE IT UPON THEMSELVES TO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME TO SUPPORT US AND, AND OUR FAMILIES WHEN WE'RE NOT HERE.
SO, THANK YOU, PLEASE TO THE FAMILY AND TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS.
[VIII. PUBLIC COMMENTS (Comments limited to five (5) minutes per speaker) ]
FAVORITE SECTION, PUBLIC COMMENT.I ASK THAT WE KEEP OUR COMMENTS TO FIVE MINUTES THAT YOU ADDRESS THE CHAIR.
UM, WE WILL WRITE DOWN YOUR QUESTIONS IF THEY'RE POSED, AND WE WILL ANSWER THEM AT THE END OF YOUR FIVE MINUTES.
IF YOU'RE ASKING FOR ENGAGEMENT DURING YOUR FIVE MINUTE TIME, YOUR TIME WILL NOT BE STOPPED.
I'LL ASK CHIEF DOBY TO KEEP THE TIME WITH A ONE MINUTE WARNING.
WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT? MR. TAYLOR? GOOD EVENING.
UM, MY NAME IS BARBARA GARDNER.
MY HUSBAND AND I, UH, LIVE AT 2 2 8 FOREST AVENUE, WHICH IS ON THE CORNER OF FALLS AND FOREST.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND THAT YOU DRIVE, PARDON ME.
CAN DO THAT A LITTLE CLOSER TO YOU.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND THAT YOU DRIVE AND TURN ONTO FOREST AVENUE BECAUSE IT IS TREACHEROUS.
I BEGAN, I'VE MOVED HERE IN JULY OF 2018.
I BEGAN COMMUNICATING WITH THE TOWNSHIP, UH, IN AUGUST OF 2019 ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE, WHEN IS THIS STREET GONNA BE REPAVED? I'VE GOT A LIST OF ZILLIONS OF EMAILS, I'VE COPIED SOME OF THEM ON MY PHONE.
UM, FIRST WE WERE TOLD IT WAS SLATED FOR 2020.
GET IT, HAVE A PANDEMIC, BUT ALL DOWN THE ROAD IT HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK, PUSHED BACK, PUSHED BACK.
I HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY PATIENT FOR SEVEN YEARS.
I HAVE BEEN WRITING ANYBODY REMEMBER, UM, HOW MANY PEOPLE ON THE COUNCIL WORKED WITH RICH PARKS WHEN HE
[00:35:01]
WAS A YEAR? NONE WERE HERE.HE, I THINK THAT WAS BACK IN 22.
HE WAS COMMUNICATING ME WITH ME SAYING THAT IT WAS ON THE SLATE FOR 2022.
THEY HAD TO REVIEW IT, IT WAS BLAH BLAH BLAH.
ALL THEY NEEDED WAS THE FUNDING.
I MEAN, WHAT IS GOING ON THERE WAS, I ATTENDED A BUDGET MEETING SOMETIME AROUND JUNE 4TH, 2025, OVER A YEAR AGO.
AND IN THAT BUDGET IT WAS SAID THAT SOMEHOW MEDFORD WAS GOING TO HAVE AN EXCESS OF $882,500.
AND HOPEFULLY A LOT OF THIS WOULD BE SLATED FOR WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT.
THAT HAS NOT BEEN PAVED SINCE LAKE PINE HAS BEEN BUILT BECAUSE THE WATER MAINS NEED REPLACEMENT SINCE 2022.
WE'VE BEEN TOLD THE WATER MAINS NEED REPLACEMENT AND WE WE'RE TOLD, SORRY, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY.
WE MOVED TO MEDFORD BECAUSE IT HAD A REPUTATION OF BEING A GREAT COMMUNITY, GREAT SCHOOLS, WONDERFUL TOWN.
BUT I WOULD TELL PEOPLE THAT THIS TOWN, YOU ARE NOT GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR MONEY.
WHERE IS OUR TAX, MY TAXPAYER'S MONEY GOING THAT.
AND THERE WAS A FIVE YEAR PLAN, SOME DEPARTMENT HAD A FIVE YEAR PLAN TO EVALUATE MIDFORD STREETS.
AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE, WHETHER IT WAS MR. HORAL, MR. PARKS WAS GONNA GET BACK TO ME.
AND AFTER THAT WAS DONE, THEY WOULD TELL US WHERE FOREST AVENUE WAS ON THAT FIVE YEAR PLAN.
LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT FIVE YEAR PLAN? WHAT'S GOING ON? I DON'T EVEN CALL ANYMORE WHEN THERE'S A POTHOLE BECAUSE THE TOWNSHIP THANK YOU, IS VERY RESPONSIVE.
THEY SEND A LITTLE TRUCK, THEY DUMP STUFF IN IT, DRIVE OVER IT FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
THAT'S COMING UP IN OUR CARS AND IT JUST MAKES THINGS WORSE.
LIKE LET MAYBE SOMEBODY OR SOME TRUCK OR OR INDUSTRY DRIVING DOWN FOREST AVENUE WILL BREAK DOWN AND SUE MEDFORD TOWNSHIP FOR THEIR LOUSY ROADS.
WHAT, WHAT IS GOING ON? AND I'D LIKE AN ANSWER, PLEASE.
WOULD, WOULD YOU LIKE US TO ANSWER NOW OR DO YOU HAVE YEAH.
AND AGAIN, YOU'RE DISCUSSING FOREST AVENUE AT FALLS ROAD AND THE WHOLE OF LAKE PINE.
THERE'S MUL MANY, MANY ROADS THAT ARE JUST AWFUL.
THEY DON'T LOOK LIKE MANFORD NEW JERSEY ONE.
AND WE ARE GOING TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE CONDITIONS OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ROADS THERE.
WE, WE ARE BEHIND ON OUR ROADS WHERE
I'M GOING TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
THE ROAD IS IN POOR CONDITION.
IT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED AS BEING IN POOR CONDITION FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
IT'S ALSO IDENTIFIED AS MRS. GARDNER STATED THAT THE WATER MAY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED 'CAUSE IT'S ASBESTOS, CEMENT AND IT'S FALLING APART.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO PAVE A ROAD AND THEN RIP IT UP TO DO THE WATER MAIN.
SO THE WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT FOR, FOR FOREST AND WOODLAND WAS APPROVED IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND PLANS ARE ABOUT READY TO GO OUT TO BID IN THE NEXT PROBABLY 30 DAYS.
AND THEN THEY'LL REPLACE THE WATER MAIN AND THEN THERE'S A SIX MONTH SETTLEMENT PERIOD.
AND THEN THEY'LL PAVE THE ROAD.
SO I WOULD ANTICIPATE NEXT FALL THE ROAD WILL BE PAVED.
WILL THERE BE MORE THAN ONE WATER MAIN REPLACED IN LAKE PINE? IT'S JUST WOODLAND AVENUE AND FOREST AVENUE AT THIS POINT.
THE, IS THAT TWO, TWO STREETS? YES.
SO THE COURT, THEY'RE RIGHT, THEY'RE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER.
AND I BELIEVE MR. VENTI WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, BUT ARE THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU WERE TOLD? NO.
I'LL, SO DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT'S PROGRESSION OF, OF STEPS THAT NEEDED TO TAKE PLACE? IT WAS APPROVED IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET AND IT'S NOW GOING OUT TO BID AS PART OF THE, EXCUSE ME, MR. NO, THE IT'S WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT PROGRAM.
SO IT'S NOT A ROADS PROGRAM, IT'S A ROADS PROGRAM WITHIN THE, THE UTILITY BUDGET.
BUT THEN IT'LL BE FUNDED FOR PAVING.
[00:40:01]
MY NAME'S JOHN VENTI.I'M AT, UH, 1 1 5 PARK COURT EAST.
AND, UH, FOLLOWING UP ON MS. GARDNER'S, UH, COMMENTS, UM, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE, UH, THE BID AND THE PROCESS OF GOING OUT.
THE LAST THING I HEARD WAS THE ENGINEERING WASN'T COMPLETED.
CAN YOU TELL ME IF THE DE UM, I'M SORRY.
THE DESIGN WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
SO THE DESIGN IS 95% COMPLETE.
AS RECENTLY AS LAST WEEK, THERE WAS SOME ISSUE AS TO WHERE AN EXISTING WATER MAIN WAS BECAUSE IT'S ASBESTOS CEMENT.
SO YOU CAN'T USE A METAL DETECTOR TO DETERMINE WHERE IT IS.
SO WE HAD TO GO OUT THERE WITH THE UTILITY DEPARTMENT AND THESE, AS YOU KNOW, THESE WATER MAINS ARE 40, 50, 60 YEARS OLD.
SO THERE'S NOBODY AROUND THAT KNOWS WHERE THEY ARE.
SO WE HAD TO IDENTIFY WHERE IT WAS.
SO WHEN WE GET THE CONTRACTOR OUT THERE, HE DOESN'T HIT, HIT THE EXISTING WATER MAIN AND THEN CAUSE A PROBLEM.
SO I BELIEVE WE HAVE THAT ALL THAT ISSUE ALL DONE AND WE JUST HAVE TO FINALIZE THE PLANS THAT LAST 5% TO PUT THAT DETAIL IN THERE AND THEY'RE, WE'RE READY TO GO.
THAT'S BEEN THE HANG UP ALL ALONG.
WAS THIS ENGINEERING AND DESIGN WORK, I COULD NEVER GET A STRAIGHT ANSWER AS TO WHERE IT STOOD.
WELL I, MR. WORKING THROUGH THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER.
ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THE ANSWER YOU WERE GIVEN HERE? WELL, OKAY, YOU SAID IT'S 95% COMPLETE.
WHEN DO YOU ESTIMATE THAT IT WILL BE 100% COMPLETE SO THAT THE BID COULDN'T GO OUT? I'M HOPING TO GO OUT THE BID IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS.
AND THEN HOW LONG IS THE BID PROCESS? HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE TO KEEP IT ADVERTISED? WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR GETTING IT APPROVED BY COUNCIL? SO IT'LL BE ADVERTISED FOR THREE TO FOUR WEEKS AND THEN IT, AND ONCE WE TAKE THE BIDS, IT COMES TO COUNCIL FOR, UH, AWARD RECOMMENDATION.
AND THEN WE HAVE A PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING WITH A CONTRACTOR.
AND UH, WE HAVE A TIMEFRAME ON THERE WHEN THE CONTRACT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FINISHED.
NOW WE'RE GONNA BE GETTING INTO THE WINTER.
HOPEFULLY WE DON'T HAVE A WINNER LIKE LAST YEAR BECAUSE IT'LL BE A DISASTER THAT'S LOADED DOWN.
SO, BUT IF WE HAD WINTERS LIKE WE HAD TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, IT'S NO PROBLEM.
I MEAN THE WORST IT COULD BE DONE WOULD BE IN THE SPRING AND THEN SIX MONTHS LATER THE WATER MAIN WORK, THE WATER MAIN BE INSTALLED.
THEN WE HAVE TO WAIT SIX MONTHS FOR SIX MONTHS FOR SETTLEMENT.
WELL THIS IS WHAT I SAID FALL BEHIND SCHEDULE.
YEAH, WELL WE WERE ABOUT A YEAR BEHIND SCHEDULE.
NO, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE BEHIND SCHEDULE.
ORIGINALLY, ORIGINALLY WHEN I FIRST STARTED LOOKING INTO IT, WHICH WAS JANUARY OF UH, 25, IN FACT, UH, BARBARA AND I MADE SOME PICTURES.
WE SHOWED YOU THE PICTURES OF, YOU KNOW, THE ROAD.
SO THAT'S HOW LONG IT'S BEEN GOING ON.
I MUST HAVE 70 EMAILS GOING BACK AND FORTH, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS FUNDED UNTIL JULY OF 2025.
IT WAS, YEAH, IT WAS FUNDED I THINK JUNE.
SO I COULDN'T EVEN START IT UNTIL THEN.
SO ORDINANCE 2025 DASH 15 IS AN ORDINANCE THAT APPROPRIATES $2 MILLION IN THE $2 MILLION.
$1,882,500 WAS, UH, PUT ASIDE FOR MULTIPLE PURPOSES.
IT SAYS FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TOWN, JUST WATER AND SEWER UTILITY SYSTEM, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO REHABILITATION OF, WELL, THREE AND SIX REPLACEMENT OF LEAD SERVICE LINES, SLIP LINING OF EXISTING PIPES, REPLACEMENT OF WATER METERS, TARGETED REPLACEMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND COORDINATION WITH THE TOWNSHIP'S 2025 ROADS PROGRAM.
EACH OF, UH, OF WHICH SET FORTH IN A LIST ON FILE WITH THE TOWNSHIP CLERK'S OFFICE, INCLUDING ALL WORKS AND MATERIAL.
THE, UH, WELL IT DOESN'T HAVE THE INTRODUCTION DATE HERE IN THE BOTTOM, UM, BUT ORDINANCE 20 25 15.
SO YOU NEED TO DO THE ORDINANCE.
AND TYPICALLY ONCE THE ORDINANCE IS DONE, THEN THERE'S A FUNDING SOURCE, AS I EXPLAINED DURING MY CAPITAL PRESENTATION TO THE TOWN.
MOST CAPITAL ITEMS WHEN IT COMES TO PROJECTS DO NOT HAPPEN UNTIL THE FOLLOWING YEAR BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO, TO HAVE THE FUNDING SOURCE IN PLACE BECAUSE PASSING THE ORDINANCE DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE THE MONEY IN THE BANK.
YOU, AS I EXPLAINED DURING THE CAPITAL UH, PRESENTATION, YOU EITHER HAVE TO BAN IT OR BOND IT.
WE HAVE NOT BANNED IN SIX YEARS, OR WE HAVEN'T BONDED IN SIX YEARS.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHY YOU SEE A LAG IN, IN THESE ITEMS BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING TO PASS THE ORDINANCE, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY IN THE BANK, THE ORDINANCE JUST SETS THE BUDGET.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY IT USUALLY TAKES A, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME.
BUT THIS WAS A 25TH, UH, 2025 ORDINANCE.
UM, I, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE, UH, THE TIMEFRAME AT THE BOTTOM.
SO I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THE, UH, THE ACTUAL AGENDA, WHICH I CAN, I CAN FIND FOR THE COUNCIL.
SO BE BESIDES THAT, THAT TIMING ISSUE, UH, WE HAD A VERY BAD WINTER.
WE COULDN'T SURVEY FOR TWO, TWO AND A HALF MONTHS.
[00:45:01]
SO I COULDN'T EVEN GET A SURVEY CREW OUT THERE 'CAUSE EVERYTHING WAS COVERED WITH ICE.SO THAT DELAYED IT, THAT, THAT AMOUNT OF TIME ALSO.
BUT WE'RE READY TO GO NOW AND THE SCHEDULE I TOLD YOU WAS WHAT IT IS AS OF TODAY.
SO, UH, COULD YOU JUST GIMME THE, THAT TIMELINE AGAIN ON THE BID AND THE AWARD PROCESS? UH, WE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO OUT TO BID BY THE, WITHIN 30 DAYS.
AND THEN WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE IT ADVERTISED FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS AND THEN IT AT THE NEXT COUNCIL ADVERTISED FOR 30.
YEAH, WE, WELL WE TRIED TO GET AS MANY PEOPLE A CHANCE TO BID ON IT SO WE CAN GET COMPETITIVE PRICES.
I, I WAS PRO, I WAS A PROCUREMENT MANAGER FOR A VERY LARGE SCHOOL DISTRICT, SO I KNOW PERFORMANCE 2025 DASH 15 WAS INTRODUCED AT THE AUGUST 19TH MEETING, UM, HERE AT THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING.
AND, UH, THE, IT SHOULD BE AT THE NEXT MEETING, LEMME PULL UP THE AGENDA FOR THE SEPTEMBER 16TH MEETING.
SHOULD BE THE SECOND READING ORDINANCE ON SECOND READING 2025 DASH 15.
SO IT WAS ADOPTED AT THE SEPTEMBER 5TH, SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2025 MEETING.
YOU'D HAVE A 20 DAY ESTOPPEL PERIOD AFTER THAT.
UM, AND THEN, UH, PROCUREMENT OF, UH, THE BAN.
BUT I BELIEVE THE BAN WAS ROLLED OVER IN SEPTEMBER THAT YEAR.
SO IT WOULDN'T HAVE MET THE, UH, THE TIMEFRAME TO BAN IT IN LAST YEAR'S.
UH, 'CAUSE THE BAN IS SET BY ITS TEMPORARY FINANCING TYPICALLY, YOU COULD SEE IT AS LESS AS EIGHT MONTHS AS AS MINIMAL AS EIGHT MONTHS OF A ROLLING PERIOD.
SO, UM, IT DEPENDS ON YOUR PRIOR YEAR ORDINANCE, UH, AND, AND WHAT YOUR BAN YIELDS.
SO, UM, IF YOU HAVE SURPLUS, BUT AS I EXPLAINED, WE USED A LOT OF OUR SURPLUS TO PURCHASE OR TO PREPAY THE FIRETRUCK.
UM, SO THE CAPITAL FUND WAS DEPLETED BY SURPLUS, UM, AND CASH RESERVES THERE.
SO THAT'S WHAT, UM, A DECISION MADE TO PREPAY THE FIRETRUCK THEN CAUSED FOR OTHER PROJECTS TO THEN HAVE TO, TO, UH, THEN LANGUISH FOR A TIMEFRAME UNTIL YOU GOT THE MONEY FROM THE BAND.
SO FINISH ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION.
PARDON? FINISH ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION.
I WOULD EXPECT THAT WE WOULD HAVE A, AN AWARD BY THE END OF THE YEAR AWARD BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
I WAS GONNA ASK YOU, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE PROCESS WAS AFTER THE ADVERTISING END OF YEAR AWARD.
IF EVERYTHING GOES RIGHT, SO THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING THE WORK IN THE SPRING.
IF THE WINTER SPRING, WE'LL DO IT IN THE WINTER, BUT THE SPRING FOR SURE.
AND THEN WE GOT ANOTHER SIX MONTHS BEFORE WE CAN REPAVE.
UH, AND BY THE WAY, IT'S, IT APPEARS THAT, UH, THE WATER MAIN BROKE AGAIN ON FALLS AS BARBARA.
WE HAD SOMEBODY FROM THE TOWNSHIP, ALL THE WATER MAIN AND THE ORIGINAL WATER MAIN IN LAKE PINE WAS ASBESTOS CEMENT.
AND A LOT OF IT WAS REPLACED PROBABLY ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO.
METFORD USED TO HAVE THREE WATER COMPANIES AND THAT WAS ONE OF 'EM WAS LAKE PINE.
ALL UNDERSIZED WATER MAINS, ASBESTOS, CEMENT.
AND I IT APPEARS IT'S BREAKING AGAIN.
E EXCUSE ME SIR, I APOLOGIZE I DON'T HAVE YOUR NAME.
WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT? HELLO? HI, HEATHER CARNES, 2 65 M MOUNT HOLLY ROAD.
UM, I'M, I'M HERE, UH, WITH CONCERN ABOUT THE, THE REDEVELOPMENT, UM, THING TONIGHT.
AND AS FAR AS THE, UM, HEATHER, AS FAR AS THE, UM, PIECE OF THE PROPERTY WHERE POTENTIALLY A SUPER WAWA IS TO BE BUILT ON THE CORNER OF 5 41 AND CHURCH ROAD, UM, WHERE THE TOLL TOLL BOOTH HOUSE IS, HISTORIC HOUSE, OLD HOUSE.
UM, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT OF THAT PLACE IS, IS HUGE IN OUR TOWN.
AND UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING AS FAR AS THE CONJECTURE WITH THE, THE PROPOSED SUPER WAWA GOING IN, IS THE PLAN, WOULD THAT BE KNOCKED DOWN? I I CAN'T SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE REDEVELOPER OR THE END USER.
I MEAN, IS THIS EVEN, IS IT, YEAH.
IS THIS IT? IT'S NOT BEEN DETERMINED YET WHO THE END USER WOULD BE.
UM, BUT UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY AT THE PHASE IN WHICH WE'RE DESIGNATING THOSE AREAS IN NEED OF REHABIL, REHABILITATION, REHABILITATION.
UM, SO THIS IS LIKE STEP ZERO OF THE PROCESS AND THEN ALL THE, ALL THE MATTERS THAT I BELIEVE YOU'RE BRINGING TO, TO OUR ATTENTION, WHICH WE'RE AWARE OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STRUCTURES THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THAT PROPERTY.
[00:50:01]
OF THOSE MATTERS ARE PART OF THAT PROCESS THAT WE'LL THEN GO THROUGH.SO JUST MORE SPECIFICALLY, IT IS THE ZONING.
THERE WOULD NOT CURRENT LAW AND MY, THE PROFESSIONALS CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
CURRENT LAW WOULD NOT DICTATE WHETHER WE CAN PRESERVE THE PROPERTY OR NOT.
THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT WITH IT.
UM, IF IT'S A REHABILITATION ZONE, WHICH IS WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED OR VICE VERSA, A REDEVELOPMENT ZONE, IT CREATES THE COUNCIL AS THE REDEVELOPMENT ENTITY THAT WOULD REVIEW PRIOR TO SET, UH, UH, STANDARDS PRIOR, BEFORE GOING TO THE PLANNING BOARD.
UM, AND AT THAT PHASE IT DOES GIVE THE COUNCIL SOME SAY ON PRESERVATION OR IF THERE'S SOME ASPECT OF A PIECE OF THE PROPERTY OR THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT THEY COULD, BECAUSE AT THAT POINT IT WOULD BE DEEMED TO THEM OF WHAT COULD BE PUT ONTO THE PROPERTY BASED OFF OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE.
SO, UH, IF WITH NO REDEVELOPMENT OR REHABILITATION RESTRICTIONS ON THERE, THE OWNER'S FREE TO DO WHAT THEY WANT ON THEIR PROPERTY? UM, I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S PART OF THE HISTORIC REGISTRY.
SO IT WOULDN'T, UH, MANDATE THAT IT WOULD BE PRESERVED JUST 'CAUSE IT'S NOT NUMBERED.
UM, IF IT WAS NUMBERED, IT WOULD, IT WOULD THEN NEED TO BE PRESERVED BY THE STATE AND FEDERAL STANDARDS.
UM, SO I THINK AS THE MAYOR STATED, WE'RE KIND OF ON THE OPENING, UH, BLOCK READY TO, TO TAKE OFF, UH, IN ORDER TO POTENTIALLY HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH A POTENTIAL END USER OR OR PURCHASER OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, WE HAVE MORE TEETH WHEN IT HAS, WHEN IT COMES TO, TO HAVING THE REHABILITATION OR REDEVELOPMENT DESIGNATION AS OUR PLANNER HAS STATED, UM, REHABILITATION WAS KIND OF THE, THE ROUTE THAT WE WANTED TO GO AND, UH, IT WOULD ONLY HAVE RARELY REQUIRED THE COUNCIL TO HAVE A RESOLUTION AND NOT GO BEFORE THE PLANNING BOARD.
WE ADDED THESE STEPS TO HAVE PUBLIC INPUT.
SO HAVING THAT PUBLIC INPUT FROM YOU AT LEAST GIVES THE COUNCIL TO SAY, ALRIGHT, WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO SAVE THE WHOLE STRUCTURE, BUT IS THERE A WAY TO, TO PRESERVE OR, OR HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE DEVELOPER ONCE AND IF THIS IS APPROVED, SO THIS WOULD BE FUTURE MEETINGS.
BUT WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU NOW IF THERE'S A MATTER OF SIGNIFICANCE.
WELL, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF IT AS BEING A TOLL, IT WAS A TOLL ROAD 5 41 AND THAT CHARACTERS USED TO PULL UP TO THAT HOUSE, THE HIGH FOUNDATION.
IT'S JUST A BEAUTIFUL STRUCTURE AND IT'S REALLY THE LAST PIECE OF CROSSROADS, YOU KNOW, WHERE DR. JAMES STILL OPERATED HIS BUSINESS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF THE STILL FAMILY, UM, WOULD BE INTERESTED.
'CAUSE I EVEN IN HIS BOOK, HE TALKS ABOUT THAT BUILDING AND HE TALKS ABOUT GOING BY IT AND THE CROSSROAD, IT'S JUST AS MUCH OF A SIGNIFICANT PART TO ME AS THE MILL KIRBY'S MILL, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS OUR LIKE SEAL OF THE TOWN.
UM, ALL THE OTHER HOMES IN THAT, THAT ON THAT CORNER WERE KNOCKED DOWN, YOU KNOW, AND WHERE THE WAWA WAS, THAT WAS LIKE A LITTLE GENERAL STORE, BUT THERE IS ONE HOUSE THAT'S DOWN JUST PAST, UH, FELLOWSHIP ALLIANCE ON CHURCH ROAD THAT WAS BUILT.
MY GRANDFATHER DID ELECTRIC IN THAT HOUSE IN LIKE, I THINK IT WAS BUILT IN THE 1780S.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, IT'S LIKE A FOUR SQUARE HOME.
BUT HE USED TO TALK ABOUT THAT WITH JAMES STILL.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST ALL A SIGNIFICANT CORNER THERE.
AND WHERE IT WAS SET APART, MEDFORD WAS SET APART FROM HAMM, RIGHT.
I MEAN, ANYWAY, IT, IT WAS, IT JUST, JUST, UH, HAS A LOT OF SIGNIFICANCE IN MY MIND.
SO I, I THINK THAT IT'S WORTH LOOKING INTO AND SEEING IF THERE WAS ANY WAY TO WORK AROUND IT OR SOMETHING, WHATEVER COULD BE DONE TO RESERVE THE, THE ARCHITECTURE.
GONNA FOLLOW ON WAS WHERE MY SISTER LEFT OFF IN A LITTLE DIFFERENT WAY.
UM, THE, THE CHURCH, RIGHT? THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT BOUGHT LAND AND THEN THEY WENT TO LIKE, LET'S JUST SAY I BUY LAND AND I WANT TO DIVERSIFY INTO FOSSIL FUELS.
HOW DO I DO THAT? IF, IF YOUR PROPERTY IS ZONED FOR DRILLING, GO FOR IT
IF THAT PROPERTY'S NOT, THEN, THEN YOU WOULD NEED EITHER A VARIANCE FOR THE PROPERTY OR YOU WOULD NEED TO COME BEFORE A BOARD OR THIS, OR THIS COUNCIL TO HAVE YOUR PROPERTY DEEMED AN AREA OF NEED, REDEVELOPMENT OR REHABILITATION.
AND THEN THIS BODY WOULD DETERMINE THE ZONING FOR THAT NEW PRODUCT.
I, I'VE NEVER SEEN THOUGH, LIKE THE GOVERNMENT DO SOMETHING FOR JUST ONE LANDOWNER OR, OR ONE HOMEOWNER.
IT'S USUALLY LIKE FOR THE DEVELOPERS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
LIKE HOW DOES A DEAL GET PUT TOGETHER LIKE THIS BETWEEN A CHURCH, WAWA AND MEDFORD TOWNSHIP.
WE CAN'T SPEAK TO THE CHURCH'S INVOLVEMENT WITH ANY OTHER PRIVATE ENTITY, BUT WE COULD, PAT, ARE WE COMFORTABLE DISCUSSING JUST THE MECHANISMS IN WHICH THIS HAPPENS? SURE FINE.
[00:55:01]
HOW THIS HAPPENS, IT NINE TIMES OUTTA 10, IT IS A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPER, WHETHER IT'S COMMERCIAL FOR RESIDENTIAL OR A COMMERCIAL FOR GENUINE COMMERCIAL.UM, IN THIS INSTANCE, THE TOWNSHIP WAS APPROACHED BY A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPER WITH AN CAN YOU STOP PLEASE? HELLO? I THOUGHT I'M TALKING DIRECTLY INTO BETTER.
SO IN THIS INSTANCE, THE TOWNSHIP WAS APPROACHED BY A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPER WITH AN INTEREST IN THE PROPERTY AS A CONTRACTUAL PURCHASER AND ASKED THE TOWNSHIP IF THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PERFORMING A REHABILITATION STUDY.
THEY TECHNICALLY REQUESTED A REDEVELOPMENT STUDY, WHICH THAT SUBJECT PROPERTY WOULDN'T QUALIFY FOR AN AREA NEED OF REDEVELOPMENT, BUT IT WOULD QUALIFY POTENTIALLY AS AN AREA NEED OF REHABILITATION.
AS A RESULT, THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPER POSTED ESCROW AND A REHABILITATION STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AND IT WAS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING BOARD FOR A FORMAL HEARING, WHICH ISN'T EVEN NECESSARILY REQUIRED UNDER THE LOCAL REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING LAW FOR AREAS IN NEED OF REHABILITATION.
THIS COUNCIL JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT ADDITIONAL STEP.
SO NOT ONLY WOULD IT BE HEARD HERE TONIGHT, IT WAS INTRODUCED SINCE SENT TO THE PLANNING BOARD AND NOW IT'S COMING BACK TONIGHT.
IT'S, IT'S BEEN WHEN THE GOVERNMENT'S ON BOARD.
SO AFTER THEY SUBMIT THAT REQUEST FOR REHABILITATION DETERMINATION, IF IT'S FOUND TO BE AN AREA NEED OF REHABILITATION AND THE RESOLUTION'S ADOPTED THEREAFTER, A COMMERCIAL ENTITY CAN APPROACH THE TOWNSHIP AND AGAIN, POST AN ESCROW.
AND IT COULD EVEN BE A RESIDENTIAL HOMEOWNER, IT COULD BE WHOEVER.
WHAT? AND THEY COULD IDENTIFY A PLAN TO GO, I DON'T WANNA CUT YOU OFF, BUT GO FOR IT.
I, ALRIGHT, SO IF I WANNA MAKE A DEAL, LIKE, LET'S JUST SAY THE CARNS WANNA MAKE A DEAL WITH WAWA.
THERE'S A LONG, LONG CYCLE THAT GOES ON YEARS BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY, IT ACTUALLY EVEN GETS TO THIS POINT.
I KNOW THAT'S ROUND ONE, ROUND TWO, JUST LIKE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
HOW LONG HAS THE CHURCH BEEN WORKING WITH WAWA TO GET THIS THROUGH? THE TOWNSHIP HAS NO IDEA.
BUT WOULDN'T YOU WANT TO KNOW WE ARE STILL TRYING TO GET WHAT IF YOUR PROFESSIONALS ARE COMPROMISED, MR. CARNES, WE'RE NOT GOING THERE.
I'M ASKING COUNSEL THOUGH, TO REALLY, REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING THERE.
RIGHT, BUT THE BUILDING, PLEASE, GUYS, EVERY SINGLE MEMBER HERE, THE NORTH SIDE HAS BEEN WIPED OUT.
IT JUST HAS, WHEN IS IT ENOUGH? HEY, CHRIS NOEL, WHEN HAVE HAS LIKE, PROFESSIONALS LIKE YOURSELF JUST TAKEN ENOUGH FROM THE NORTH SIDE, MR. CAR'S NOT GOING THERE.
WELL, ALRIGHT COUNSEL, WHEN HAS YOUR PROFESSIONAL TAKEN ENOUGH? 10 YEARS, GUYS.
YOUR PROFESSIONAL'S BEEN HERE.
I, I, I CAN'T IMAGINE ANY MEMBER OF COUNSEL COULD GIVE ME ONE GOOD ANSWER IF I, I I'M GONNA ASK YOU THIS.
WHAT HAS YOUR PROFESSIONALS DONE FOR THE COMMUNITY? GIVE ME ONE EXAMPLE, MR. CARNES.
THE COUNCIL'S NOT GONNA GO THERE.
IT'S THE SAME PEOPLE THAT DID THIS TO US.
ARE WE IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE? NO.
DON'T LET 'EM TEAR THAT BUILDING DOWN.
SERIOUSLY, EVERYTHING'S BEEN TAKEN FROM US, BUT THAT, BUT THAT'S PART OF THE REHABILITATION PLAN WILL GIVE US THE POWER AND AUTHORITY TO KIND OF REVIEW.
50 BUCKS SAYS THEY SAY THE BUILDING IS GOT MOLD IN IT, LIKE THE TOWNSHIP BUILDING OR THE TABERNACLE BUILDING.
THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING GUYS.
BUT LOOK, ALRIGHT, LET'S GO A DIFFERENT ROUND.
HOW DOES A CHURCH INVEST IN LIKE A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY LIKE THIS? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? IT'S FAC, THE CHURCH? NO, I IT IS THEIR DEAL.
LIKE HOW DOES A CHURCH DE DECIDE TO LIKE, HEY MAN, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A HUGE INVESTMENT LIKE THIS.
AND THEN, AND THEN LIKE WHAT? LIKE WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THE TAXES? WELL, I I, THAT, THAT WHOLE AREA NOW WILL BECOME A TAXABLE ENTITY.
AND ON THE TAXABLE RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT BECAUSE IT'S A PART OF THE CHARGE PROPERTY.
SO IT'LL BE A COMMERCIAL RATEABLE THAT WILL BE ASSOCIATED FOR THE, WHICH IS A WIN FOR THE TOWNSHIP.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A WIN FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I, I MEAN, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IN TERMS OF PRESERVATION AND WHATNOT, BUT WE ARE TAKING A LARGE PARCEL OF LAND THAT WAS NON-TAXABLE, THAT'S GONNA BE PUT ON THE TAX RULES AND THROUGH THE REHABILITATION PLAN.
YOU KNOW, MY HOPE IS THAT WHEN WE EVALUATE IT AND RE REVIEW IT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO LOOK TO SEE WHAT STEPS WE IN PLACE TO PUT IN PLACE TO PRESERVE THAT, THE TOLL HOUSE AT THIS POINT.
LISTEN MAN, THAT HAS A LOT OF HISTORY HERE.
SO, I LEARNED SOMETHING EARLIER TODAY.
EVEN, DO YOU KNOW WHY BRACE ROAD WAS PUT IN THAT USED TO RUN UP RIGHT AGAINST OUR FARM? WHY THAT WAS PUT IN THERE TO SKIP THE TOLL BOOTH? YEAH.
MAN, AMERICANS, WE FIGURED OUT A WAY TO GET AROUND PAYING TOLLS.
[01:00:01]
BOOTH IN LUMBERTON.UM, I I, I THINK GUYS, WE CAN PUT PRESSURE ON THE PROFESSIONALS AND THE CHURCH TO SAVE THAT BUILDING, PUT IT OVER AT DR.
STILLS, MOVE IT TO THE KARNS FAMILY FARM, OR MOVE IT BACK TO THE PROPERTY.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF LAND THERE, BUT DON'T TEAR IT DOWN.
SOMEBODY'S GOT $80,000 OUT OF THIS DEAL WHERE YOU CAN MOVE THE BUILDING OR EVEN A HUNDRED WHATEVER, GIVE US SOMETHING BECAUSE IT REALLY IS, IT'S, IT IS, IT'S NEVER ENDING.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT WHETHER WE, YOU GUARANTEEING ME, RAY, THAT THE BUILDING'S NOT GONNA BE DESTROYED.
I I I WILL PROMISE, I WILL PROMISE YOU THAT WE AS A COUNCIL WILL DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO REVIEW AND DO WHAT WE CAN SERIOUSLY PRESERVE.
THAT'S ALL THE WAWA'S COMING, MAN.
GOD DOESN'T RIP DOWN BUILDINGS.
COME ON, WE CAN PULL THIS OFF.
I DID SEE THE GENTLEMAN BEHIND YOU.
UM, AND THEN THE MA'AM BEHIND, WOULD YOU GO NEXT THEN, SIR? THANK YOU.
UH, JUST TRY TO BE REAL QUICK.
UH, JOE BURGO 45 LIVERPOOL WAY.
UM, MEDFORD WAS AWARDED A $438,000 GRANT LAST DECEMBER BY THE NEW JERSEY DOT, YOU KNOW, TO PUT IN A PATHWAY AROUND THE NEW OPEN SPACE PIECE ACROSS FROM JOHNSON'S FARM.
I, I I TALKED TO ANGELA THERE.
I CALLED NEW JERSEY.TO TRY TO FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON.
I GET NO ANSWERS FROM ANYBODY, SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF ANYBODY HAS ANY INFORMATION, IF NOT, YOU KNOW, TO PUT IT ON THE RADAR SO WE CAN, SOMETHING CAN HAPPEN.
JUST MAKE SURE WE TALK, BECAUSE THERE'S TWO PROGRAMS RIGHT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HARTFORD AND CHURCH.
SO THERE'S TWO PROJECTS JUST TO GIVE, 'CAUSE THERE'S TWO GRAND PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PARCEL ACROSS FROM JOHNSON'S FARM, CORRECT? EXACTLY.
WOULD YOU MIND US ANSWERING THAT FIRST? SURE.
SO WE, UH, THE PROJECT HAS BEEN DESIGNED, WE HAD TO SUBMIT TO THE, UH, DEP FOR A WETLANDS PERMIT, LOI.
AND WE'RE WAITING FOR THEIR APPROVAL.
AND WHEN WOULD YOU EXPECT THAT? BECAUSE THIS, THIS WAS AWARDED IN DECEMBER OF 25.
DEP, UH, MARCHES TO THE TUNE OF THEIR OWN DRUMMER.
UM, IT COULD BE SIX MONTHS, IT COULD BE A YEAR.
I, IT'S BEEN SUBMITTED PROBABLY ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE, SIX MONTHS ALREADY.
SO I WOULD ANTICIPATE PRETTY SOON.
BUT WE HAVEN'T EVEN GOT ANY COMMENTS YET.
AFTER SIX MONTHS, DOES ANYBODY TYPICALLY FOLLOW UP OR IS THAT NOT HOW IT WORKS? WE DO FOLLOW UP.
UH, SOMETIMES IT HELPS, SOMETIMES IT HURTS.
UM, THAT GRANT AND THE PURCHASE OF THAT LAND THROUGH OPEN SPACE WAS KIND OF A, A WHOLE, A WHOLEHEARTED EFFORT TO IMPROVE THAT ENTIRE INTERSECTION.
SO WE UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WALKWAY.
THE PRESERVING LAND IS ONE THING, BUT THEN HAVING A USABLE PATH TO WALK BASICALLY BETWEEN THE TWO ENTRANCES OF WINGATE, UM, AND THEN CROSS AT DIFFERENT TIMES IS VERY SIGNIFICANT.
SO THIS HAS BEEN ON OUR RADAR FOR A WHILE.
THAT'S WHY WE EVEN APPLIED FOR THE GRANT.
AND THE LAST TIME WE WERE SUCCESSFUL, WE, WE DON'T WANT TO JEOPARDIZE THE, THE END PRODUCT BY MAYBE PUSHING TOO HARD.
BELIEVE ME, I'VE, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS DISCUSSION FOR 10 YEARS.
IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET TO JOHNSON'S FARM WITHOUT A LIGHT, YOU KNOW, AT THAT CORNER.
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT LEPE ACROSS THE STREET.
SO, ANYWAY, THAT, THAT WAS ALL.
IF YOU WANT TO CONTACT ME, I CAN GIVE YOU A SET OF THE PLANS THAT WE SUBMITTED TO THE STATE AND CAN SEE WHAT'S, WHAT'S PROPOSED.
I WAS GONNA SAY, MR. MAYOR, MR. NOEL, WE DID GET AN EMAIL TODAY, LA 2025 BIKE.
HARTFORD ROAD CHURCH ROAD, BIKEWAY IMPROVEMENTS.
IT CAME, I GUESS FROM THE GRANT MANAGER, PMRS NETWORK NOTIFICATION.
SO I DID FORWARD THAT TO THE ENGINEER'S OFFICE AND TO ANGELA.
THAT CAME IN JUST THIS MORNING.
BUT THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING WITH, TO DO WITH THE DEP PERMIT.
SO THAT'S A DOT GOING THROUGH THEIR STEPS.
WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH DEP STEPS ALSO.
AND THEN, UH, MR. NOLL, JUST BECAUSE THE REASON WHY I ASKED YOU FOR THE OTHER DIFFERENT PROJECTS, JUST SO YOU CAN LIST THEM.
'CAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GETTING THEM CONFUSED OF WHAT YES.
PROJECT, WHAT ARE PROJECT? THE WALKING PATH GRANTS? WE, I, WE HAVE MULTIPLE ONES.
LET'S MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS THE TWO OTHER GRANTS.
WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON, GRANTS ARE THE, THE, I'LL GO FROM THE OLDEST ONE FIRST IS FOR, UM, MAIN STREET.
BASICALLY FROM THE BRIDGE, UH, TO 5 41 OR FROM UP 5 41, THE CHURCH ROAD.
UH, THAT HAS BEEN, IT TOOK A WHILE FOR DOT TO APPROVE THAT AGREEMENT GOING THROUGH THE BUREAUCRACY THERE.
UH, THAT WAS FINALLY APPROVED PROBABLY A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, I BELIEVE.
[01:05:01]
THEN THE OTHER ONE IS, WE HAD A STATUS MEETING LAST, RIGHT.OR THE, THAT WAS, THAT WAS ACTUALLY FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT TOO.
SO THE OTHER ONE IS ALONG MILL STREET, GIL ROAD, AND THROUGH THE PARK FOR PEDESTRIAN, UH, ACCESS, ET CETERA.
AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER ONE IS THE, UH, SAFE STREETS FOR ALL TO LOOK AT THE OVERALL TOWNSHIP AND AS FAR AS INTERSECTIONS AND PEDESTRIAN BICYCLISTS AS WELL.
SO ALL THOSE ARE GOING AT THE SAME TIME.
IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET THROUGH THE DOT TO GET THE GRIEVANCE SIGNED, ET CETERA.
BUT THAT, AND THAT'S THE MEETING WE HAVE THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO.
BUT EVERYTHING'S IN LINE AND IT'S ALL GONNA HAVE BE HAPPENING SIMULTANEOUSLY.
AND ALL THESE ARE GRANT ITEMS THAT THE TOWNSHIP APPLIED FOR.
THEY'RE ALL GRANT ITEMS. THEY TOTAL ABOUT ALMOST $3 MILLION.
WELL, THREE 50 WITH THE HARTFORD AND CHURCH.
MY NAME IS, UH, LISA FISTER, TWO 13 CHURCH ROAD.
COULD YOU JUST BRING THAT DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT? THERE YOU GO.
SO MY CONCERN IS, SINCE WE ARE IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS WHOLE WAWA, UM, THING COMING, I LIVE UP THE STREET FROM THAT.
STILLS AND TRAFFIC ALREADY IS PRETTY HORRENDOUS.
I GO OUT TO GET MY MOTHER-IN-LAW'S NEWSPAPER A FEW MONTHS AGO.
ALMOST HAD MY HEAD CHOPPED OFF BECAUSE A CAR WAS PASSING FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, PASSING ANOTHER CAR.
SO, UM, ALSO THE LIGHT TAKES SOMETIMES, LIKE MY HUSBAND AND I WERE COMING HOME.
IT TOOK US FOUR LIGHTS TO GET THROUGH WAITING BY THE WAWA.
SO YOU'RE GONNA PUT A SUPER WAWA IN THERE.
AND I UNDERSTAND THERE'S NOTHING I COULD DO ABOUT THAT.
MY QUESTION IS, THIS IS NOT GONNA HAVE ANY PILOT PROGRAMS. ARE THEY? THEY'RE GONNA PAY FULL TAXES, CORRECT.
SECOND OF ALL, UM, I WOULD LIKE IT SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED.
SO YOU, THERE'S SOME WAY TO SLOW TRAFFIC DOWN.
I MEAN, THE TRAFFIC, I DON'T KNOW, ON CHURCH ROAD IS FAST.
THEY GO OVER THE, UM, MY GARBAGE CANS HAVE BEEN HIT.
UH, PEOPLE DRIVE PRETTY FAST GOING DOWN THAT ROAD AND THEY'RE DRIVING FAST ALREADY BY THE TIME THEY HIT MY HOME.
SO, LIKE I SAID, THIS CAR WAS PASSING ANOTHER CAR AND WENT BY LITERALLY ALMOST HAD MY HEAD CHOPPED OFF.
'CAUSE I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS BENDING DOWN THAT HE WAS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, PASSING THIS OTHER VEHICLE.
SO I'M SURE WAWA IS A VERY GOOD NEIGHBOR.
AND I'M HOPING THAT DURING THIS DESIGN THAT THEY CAN HAVE.
LIKE, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE WAWA, WHEN I GO TO WORK ON 2 0 6, THEY BUILT A NEW SUPER WAWA BY MAMA STREET.
CERTAIN WAGE CAN'T, YOU CAN'T PULL OUT CERTAIN WAYS.
YOU ONLY PULL IN CERTAIN WAYS.
YOU ONLY PULL OUT CERTAIN WAYS.
AND IT KIND OF DOES SLOW DOWN TRAFFIC.
UH, NOW IF YOU PULL OUT A WAWA ONTO CHURCH RIGHT FROM ONTO CHURCH, THE CURRENT WAWA THE CURRENT WAH, YOU MAKE A LEFT OUT OF THE WAWA ONTO CHURCH.
IF YOU'RE GONNA, IF YOU'RE GONNA, NO, IF YOU'RE COMING OUT AND YOU'RE GONNA MAKE A RIGHT ONTO WAWA, YOU'RE COMING DOWN BY MY, TOWARDS MY HOUSE TOWARDS DR.
STILL A LOT OF ACCIDENTS THERE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A DIFFICULT PULL OUT.
YOU KNOW? SO, I MEAN, IT'S GONNA BE ON THE OTHER SIDE, BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME, LIKE, SAFETY NEEDS TO BE THE FIRST PRIORITY HERE.
THAT NEEDS TO BE THE FIRST PRIORITY.
MY NEIGHBOR HAS TWO LITTLE GIRLS THERE.
WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE ANY ACCIDENTS LIKE THAT.
I HAVE A DOG, GRANTED, SHE, SHE'S FENCED IN AND EVERYTHING, BUT YOU JUST DON'T WANNA, I DON'T WANNA SEE DEER HIT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.
YOU KNOW, MY HUSBAND HAS ALL THESE DEER IN, IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE.
I GET LETTERS THANKING ME BECAUSE MY HUSBAND, BECAUSE IT SLOWS TRAFFIC DOWN.
SO YOU NEED TO KEEP THAT IN CONSIDERATION.
NEVERMIND THE TRAFFIC ALREADY.
THERE ARE CERTAIN TIMES OF DAY I HAVE TO WAIT QUITE, QUITE A BIT TO PULL OUTTA MY DRIVEWAY.
I WOULD'VE NEVER MOVED HERE IF I KNEW.
NOT ONLY AM I GETTING 1200 HOMES AND I SURELY HOPE MIKEY CHERYL DOESN'T THINK NOW THAT SHE'S USING STATE LAND, THAT SHE'S GONNA BE BUILDING RIGHT BEHIND ME.
I MEAN, AND I WOULD HOPE THERE'D BE A BIG FIGHT FOR DR.
'CAUSE YOU'RE ALREADY BUILDING, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HEARD, SHE'S NOT GONNA USE STATE GROUND TO BUILD MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING INSTEAD OF BUILDING IN CAMDEN, WHERE WE HAVE ABANDONED BUILDINGS AND THERE'S INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE, UM, TRAINS AND TRANSPORTATION AND WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO GET AROUND INSTEAD OF INSISTING ALL THIS MONEY THAT
[01:10:01]
WE'RE PAYING TO THESE CITY SCHOOLS TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF WAY OF IMPROVING THEM.SO PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANNA LIVE THERE.
I'M SURE AS A YOUNG ADULT, I WOULD'VE LOVED TO LIVE IN A CITY ENVIRONMENT IF IT WAS SAFE.
AND, YOU KNOW, BUT NO, SHE WANTS TO USE STATE GROUND.
BUT ANY, NEITHER THERE, I'M GOING OFF ON A TANGENT.
I LIKED YOUR TANGENT, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT NUMBER ONE, SAFETY, BECAUSE THERE'S A NEIGHBORHOOD ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME, FAIRLY LARGE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH YOUNG FAMILIES THERE.
THERE'S MY, MY NEIGHBOR HAS SOME YOUNG CHILDREN.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT IF WE'RE IN THE BEGINNING STAGES OF THIS, THAT THAT IS CONSIDERATION.
THAT WHEN WAWA BRINGS THEIR PLAN TO YOU, THAT THEY HAVE A PLAN TO MINIMIZE THE EFFECTS OF THE TRAFFIC.
AND IT, THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY OF WAWA SHOULD BE THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE I GO TO THAT WAWA 10 O'CLOCK, TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
SO IMAGINE WHAT A SUPER WAWA'S GONNA BE.
YOU KNOW, NOW WE'VE GOT GASOLINE, YOU CAN GET THERE.
CAN I ASK, JUST SO I CAN MAKE SURE I HAVE IT CLEAR IN MY NOTES, WHAT SPECIFICALLY WERE YOU, WERE YOU REFERENCING WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE TRAFFIC PATTERNS THAT COULD HELP REDUCE OR IMPROVE THE SAFETY? EXCUSE ME.
WELL, IF YOU LOOK AT, THERE'S A GREAT EXAMPLE ON 2 0 6 BY MAMA STREET.
THEY HAVE, YOU CAN ONLY GO IN CERTAIN WAYS INTO THE WAWA AND YOU CAN ONLY PULL OUT CERTAIN WAYS THERE.
THERE'S SIGNS THAT SAY, DO NOT ENTER.
YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN ENTER OFF OF 2 0 6 LEFT AND YOU CAN PULL OUT OF 2 0 6 LEFT, BUT LEFT.
SO IT'S A RIGHT IN, RIGHT OUT, OUT.
BUT IF YOU WANNA NO LEFT OUT, BUT IF YOU WANNA GO TO THE SIDE ROAD, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T MAKE A, THEY'RE CROSSING THE LANES.
YOU CAN'T MAKE A, YOU CAN'T MAKE A LEFT, LEFT, LEFT OUT IS THE CHALLENGE.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE BRINGING TO YOUR ATTENTION.
RIGHT? SO LIKE, LET'S NOT HAVE, YOU CAN PULL IN OFF OF CHURCH, YOU KNOW, OFF OF CHURCH ROAD, BUT LET'S NOT HAVE A PULLOUT ON CHURCH ROAD.
OR IS THERE A WAY TO HAVE, UM, ANOTHER ONE ON 2 0 6, THEY HAVE A HUGE PARKING LOT AND IN THE BACK YOU HAVE TO PULL OUT PRETTY FAR.
SO IT, IT KIND OF REDIRECTS THE TRAFFIC SO IT'S NOT THERE RIGHT AT THAT INTERSECTION.
YOU WANT THE TRAFFIC AS FAR AWAY FROM THE INTERSECTION AS POSSIBLE.
MAYBE IF THE CHURCH IS SELLING THE PROPERTY, LET THE CHURCH HAVE SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC GOING THROUGH THERE.
I MEAN, LET'S BE IN GOOD FAITH.
LET'S, MAYBE THE CHURCH WILL ALLOW THAT SO WE CAN REDIRECT SOME OF THAT TRAFFIC SO WE CAN MAYBE NOT HAVE KIDS GETTING HIT.
YOU ARE GONNA, THEN WITH THE SUPER WAWA, YOU'RE CAN HAVE KIDS RIDING BIKES MORE OVER THERE.
SO YOU'RE NOT JUST GONNA HAVE TRAFFIC, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE CHILDREN'S TRAFFIC.
SO, YOU KNOW, PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC YOU HAVE, I SEE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE DO WALK ACROSS FROM MY HOUSE UP THERE.
AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THAT ONE NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU'RE GONNA MAYBE HAVE MORE PEOPLE WALKING FROM THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I WOULD HOPE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN THE POLICE DO SOMETIMES SIT ACROSS FROM MY HOUSE, WHICH IS NICE.
MAYBE NOT THIS TIME OF YEAR, BUT THEY DO DRIVE PRETTY FAST.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DRIVING PRETTY FAST.
THAT'S, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU COME UP, WHEN YOU START DOING THIS, I WOULD HOPE THAT THAT IS THE FIRST THING.
'CAUSE I WORK IN MANUFACTURING AND THE FIRST THING WE DO IS THINK ABOUT THE SAFETY, SAFETY OF OUR EMPLOYEES, THE SAFETY OF OUR ENVIRONMENT AND SURROUNDINGS.
AND I THINK THAT, I HOPE THAT, UH, WHEN WAWA DECIDES TO BUILD A SUPER WAWA, THAT THEY KEEP THAT IN MIND THAT THE TRAFFIC FLOW AND HOW IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THEIR NEIGHBORS MM-HMM
AND THEIR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE DRIVING THERE.
THANK MR. YOU SO MUCH, MR. MAYOR, IF I, I MAY, I BELIEVE, WAS IT MS. MRS. FISHER, MRS. FIST, FIST IT UM, UH, MRS. FIST, YOU HAD ASKED IF THERE WAS A PILOT, UH, POTENTIALLY BEING INVOLVED, JUST SO THAT THE RECORD, WE HAVE SET IT IN MULTIPLE MEETINGS, BUT REHABILITATION DOES NOT PERMIT A PILOT, A LONG-TERM PILOT.
IT'S NOT ALLOWED IN A REHABILITATION ZONE.
UM, YOU ARE ALLOWED IN A REHABILITATION ZONE TO HAVE A FIVE-YEAR TAX ABATEMENT, OF WHICH THE TOWNSHIP COUNCIL HAS SAID ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THAT THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO GIVE, UM, A ABATEMENT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN COME TO, IT HAS COME TO THE TOWN.
UM, THE OF PEOPLE, WE'VE ONLY GIVEN IT TO COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
UM, AND THEY STATED TO, UH, TO THE PUBLIC IN A, A PRIOR MEETING.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU ASKED THEM TO COMMIT TO NO PILOT.
A PILOT CAN'T HAPPEN REGARDLESS ON THIS
[01:15:01]
PROPERTY.AND THEY HAVE ALREADY SAID THAT THEY WOULDN'T DO A REHABILITATION, A FIVE YEAR TAX, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GONNA PAY FULL TAXES.
HOW ABOUT THAT? BECAUSE THAT WILL COVER ANYTHING.
SO NO PILOT IS ALLOWED, I WA WAS A VERY WEALTHY COMPANY.
I WOULD HOPE THAT THEY PAY THEIR FULL TAXES AND WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING COME INTO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT'S NOT GOING TO DRAIN IT.
SO THAT'S, THE COUNCIL HAS SAID THEY'RE NOT CONSIDERED COMPLAINT ABOUT THEIR SCHOOL TAXES.
THEY NEED TO LOOK AT HOW MANY PILOT PROGRAMS ARE IN THE TOWN AND HOW MANY PROGRAMS IN THEIR TOWN ARE DRAINING THEIR SCHOOL SYSTEMS. BECAUSE IF EVERYBODY PAYS THEIR FAIR SHARE, I'M COMING UP ON RETIREMENT, I REALIZE I HAVE NO CHILDREN.
BUT I DO, I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT IF WE EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN, WE WILL KEEP OUR TOWN SAFE.
AND YOU WILL HAVE LESS CRIME IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT'S HOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GREAT SCHOOLS IN MEDFORD.
I CAME FROM A TOWN THAT BECAME VERY BIG AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS DOWNGRADED.
AND WE USED TO HAVE EXCELLENT SCHOOLS AND NOW THEY'RE DOWNGRADED.
AND YOU DON'T WANNA SEE THAT HAPPEN BECAUSE WHEN YOU START TO SEE SCHOOLS DOWNGRADE, YOU START TO SEE VALUES IN HOMES DOWNGRADED ALSO.
I'M SORRY, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I STATED THAT THE RECORD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. STERNBERG.
AND, AND I'M, I APOLOGIZE IF I BUTCHER YOUR LAST NAME FIST.
AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT COME TO SPEAK TO US AT THESE MEETINGS, I KNOW IT'S HARD TO COME UP HERE AND SPEAK, BUT YOU DO SPEAK WITH COMPASSION AND CONVICTION ABOUT THE, THE MATTER AT HAND.
AND, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AS MR. RUMBA STATED.
AND I'VE STA WE'VE ALL STATED THAT, UM, WE DO NOT ENCOURAGE PILOTS FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
UM, AND I THINK AT THE BUDGET PRESENTATION, UM, BY OUR CFO, ONLY 6.4% OF THE TAXES COLLECTED ARE COLLECTED FROM COMMERCIAL ENTITIES.
SO THAT'S NOT, IS THAT CORRECT? DID I GET THE NUMBER RIGHT? OKAY.
UM, AND THAT'S A VERY LOW NUMBER.
IT IS A LOW NUMBER FOR THE TOWN, AS MANY TAX PAYING ENTITIES AS POSSIBLE.
UM, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY AS I'M SORRY IF I MAY, THAT KEEPS, THAT KEEPS THE TOWN ENVIRONMENT AS IT IS.
IT'S A FARMING WE'VE ALREADY PASSED.
DOUBLE ORDINANCE ON LET'S KEEP IT A FARMING TOWN.
WE'RE NOT DOING WAREHOUSES, WE'RE NOT DOING ALL THESE THINGS.
NOT, BUT I HAVE A FULL UNDERSTANDING.
WE CAN'T JUST KEEP HAVING RESIDENTS AND BUILD, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTIAL HOMES BUILT HERE BECAUSE THEN THAT'S WHY OUR TAXES KEEP GOING UP.
BUT IF WE BUILD SOME COMMERCIAL RESPECTFULLY, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SMART COMMERCIAL, WE'VE ADVOCATED FOR THAT.
UM, AND WE, WE SEE OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS COME TO OUR, COME TO OUR ATTENTION.
AND I, WE, WE MAY FEEL SO INCLINED DEPENDING ON OUR VOTES TO, TO ENCOURAGE THESE BUSINESSES TO COME TO OUR TOWN.
AND WELL MAKE SURE YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU CHECK OUT THE BUSINESSES AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY TAKE CARE.
'CAUSE A LOT OF BUSINESSES ARE WILLING TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR TOWNSHIP.
WHERE I USED TO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, THEY HAD A COMMERCIAL THEY BUILT, THEY KNOCKED, THEY KNOCKED DOWN A COMMERCIAL AND THEY REBUILT AND THEY BUILT A BUFFER BETWEEN ME TO OUR, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY WERE AN EXCELLENT NEIGHBOR.
BUT LET'S TRY TO BUILD WHERE SOMETHING'S ALREADY BUILT.
INSTEAD OF TAKING UP FREE LAND, WE TOTALLY UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN.
AND, AND MAYBE WE'RE BUILDING A LOT ON THE NORTH SIDE, A LOT OF UNDERSTAND COMING TO THE NORTH SIDE.
MR. MAYOR, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, BY HAVING THE REHABILITATION ZONE, WE HAVE THOSE, WE HAVE THAT AUTHORITY FOR THE BUFFERS, FOR THE TRAFFIC STUDIES, FOR ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO THAT'S KIND OF ONE OF THE REASONS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE LOOKED AT THAT PERFECT SIR ROBERT MYERS, 97 CHERRYVILLE ROAD.
I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS SPEED BUMPS ON MY STREET.
I BOUGHT MY HOUSE IN 2017 AND THE STREET WAS BLOCKED OFF EVER SINCE THEY OPENED UP THE STREET.
THE STREETS MAY BE A LITTLE BIT WIDER THAN MY DRIVEWAY.
I TALK TO THE OFFICERS WHEN THEY SIT BY THE SCHOOL, THEY'RE SITTING AT THE WRONG END OF THE CHERRYVILLE ROAD.
THEY SIT BY CHERRYVILLE SCHOOL.
THEY SEE THE COP THERE, THEY SLOW DOWN.
THEY'RE COMING OFF OF SKITE ROAD AND THEY'RE FLYING DOWN HERE BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S ONLY EIGHT HOUSES ON THE STREET.
I EMAILED DANIEL HOR NICKEL IN JANUARY.
HE SAID, LET'S ENTERTAIN IT IN MARCH.
IF I HAVE TO SPEAK TO HIM AGAIN, I WANNA SPEAK TO HIM AGAIN.
BUT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.
I CAN'T EVEN CUT MY GRASS WITHOUT GETTING HIT.
I ALMOST GOT HIT TWICE CUTTING MY GRASS.
IF I MAY, JUST TO CLARIFY, YOUR, YOUR CONCERN IS CHAIR OF THE ROAD SKI TO HAYNES TO HAYNES OR HAWKINS, I'M SORRY.
I SEE SPEED BUMPS IN ALL THESE OTHER DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE 10 TIMES SMALLER.
WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET SPEED BUMPS AND NOT PUTTING UP A DOWN SIGN OR A NEON SIGN? THEY PUT SPEED LIMIT SIGNS UP ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BRIDGE.
[01:20:01]
ONE SAYS 25 MILES AN HOUR, ONE SAYS 35 MILES AN HOUR.THEY DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THE SIGNS.
AND I'M JUST AFRAID MYSELF'S GONNA GET HIT.
THERE'S LITTLE KIDS ON THE STREET.
THERE'S KIDS ACROSS THE STREET.
THERE'S TEENAGERS ACROSS THE STREET.
THERE'S A STREET ACROSS FROM MY HOUSE THAT'S ON THE MAP.
THERE'S ONE HOUSE BACK THERE AND IT'S AN ACTUAL STREET.
I SAID, YOU COULD PARK IN MY DRIVEWAY OR BACK INTO THAT STREET AND YOU'LL SEE THEM FLYING DOWN AND THEY'RE, IT'S THIS RACE TRACK ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT.
AND I GET IT, YOU'RE STRETCHED IN WITH OFFICERS OR WHATEVER, BUT THEY'RE SITTING AT THE WRONG END OF THE ROAD.
THEY NEED TO BE SITTING RIGHT OFF OF SKEETE ROAD AND CATCH 'EM COMING FROM.
A LOT OF THEM IS THE, UH, VOCATIONAL SCHOOL.
AND I'M CONSTANTLY YELLING, SLOW DOWN, SLOW DOWN, SLOW DOWN.
ACTUALLY, SIR, IS THERE A CHANCE WE COULD TALK YOU INTO RESETTING AN EMAIL? DANIEL EGLE HAS BEEN LET GO.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT, I CAN GIVE YOU MY EMAIL RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, IF, IF EVERYBODY WANTS IT OR I'LL PLEASE SEND US ANOTHER, WE HAVE HER RUN DOWN.
IT'S NOT MANAGER, MANAGER@MEDFORDTOWNSHIP.COM WILL GO TO THE MANAGER'S OFFICE.
AND THEN THEY CAN PICK UP WHERE MR. OL MAY HAVE PROMISED.
SO YOU'RE AT A, LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE DON'T WANT DON'T DOING BECAUSE I SEE THAT THE POLICE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SEE, I WASN'T EVEN GONNA STEP ON HER THUNDER.
PEOPLE TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT AND THERE'S CONSTANT ACCIDENTS.
BUT YEAH, I JUST, I WANNA SEE SPEED BUMPS ON MY ROAD.
YOU DO OR YOU DON'T? I DON'T DO WANT.
SEE, SHE DOES WANT, I'VE BEEN PUSHING FOR IT, BUT LIKE I SAID, I I, I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE CALLED LIKE THE SPEED BUMP COUNCIL.
WE CAN GET A BULK PURCHASE UNTIL I FEEL LIKE OUR, OUR, OUR NEW NAME IS GONNA BE, I SEE THEM ALL OVER IN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS.
AND LIKE I SAID, THE STREET IS A LITTLE BIT WIDER THAN MY DRIVEWAY.
I HATE TO MAKE YOU START OVER AGAIN, BUT WE HAVE THIS TO START.
BUT IF YOU COULD MANAGER IT MEDFORD TOWNSHIP.
THIS WAY, NO MATTER WHO OUR MANAGER IS, IT'S GOING TO THE MANAGER.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOUR EMAIL WENT.
I'VE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF THIS ISSUE.
I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE NINE MONTHS, MONTHS.
HE TOLD ME TO WAIT UNTIL THE SPRING.
ALRIGHT, WELL SPRING'S OVER NOW.
IT MAY HAVE GOTTEN LOST WITH EVERYTHING, BUT PLEASE RESEND IT.
AND IT'S EVEN EVEN DANGEROUS FOR THE DR FOR THE SPEEDERS.
IT, MY NEIGHBOR SAID THE SCHOOL BUSES TOO.
IF I CATCH THE NUMBER, I WILL F*****G FILE A COMPLAINT.
THIS SCHOOL BUS IS FLYING DOWN MY STREET TOO.
AND THE STREET'S A LITTLE BIT WIDER THAN THE SCHOOL BUS.
CALL THE CALL THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DON'T PUT UP WITH THAT.
WELL, I GOTTA SEE WHERE THEY'RE, I MEAN, THEY, THEY ALL SHARE THE SAME GARAGE.
SO IT'S EITHER A MIDFORD OR LUBY.
I DON'T, I'M NOT THERE WHEN IT HAPPENS.
ANYONE ELSE, SIR? UH, GOOD EVENING, UH, COUNSEL, UH, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
MY, MY NAME IS GEORGE JACKSON.
I'M THE CHIEF OF THE TABERNACLE RESCUE SQUAD.
I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE RESCUE SQUAD AND I'VE BEEN THE CHIEF FOR THE PAST 23 YEARS.
UM, I HAVE, UH, EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN, UH, EMERGENCY SERVICES, INCLUDING A 26 AND A HALF YEAR CAREER HERE AS A POLICE OFFICER AND ONE OF YOUR POLICE EMTS AND RETIRED AS A LIEUTENANT.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF TONIGHT THAT, UH, MUNG TOWNSHIP IS, OR YES, SHAMONG TOWNSHIP IS, UH, PLANNING TO PASS A, UH, RESOLUTION TO TERMINATE THE SERVICE OF THE TABERNACLE RESCUE SQUAD FROM THEIR TOWN.
AND ALSO, UH, PASS A, UH, RESOLUTION TO, UM, ENTER AN AGREEMENT WITH MEDFORD TOWNSHIP FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, WHICH, UH, I THINK I'D LIKE TO, UH, GIVE YOU SOME HIGHLIGHTS AND, AND SOME, UM, COLOR MAYBE FROM THE OTHER SIDE.
SO, AND THIS IS COMING FROM MONG.
UM, APPARENTLY YOUR AGREEMENT IS FOR, UH, $50,000, UH, THAT THEY'RE GONNA PROVIDE YOU A YEAR, UH, A $25,000, UH, INSURANCE, UH, WRITE OFF AMOUNT, WHICH IS CAPPED AT $25,000.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA PROVIDE YOU $8,000 TOWARDS, UM, YOUR INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR YOUR EMTS, YOUR EQUIPMENT TRUCK STAFF, AND EVERYTHING, WHICH IS ABOUT $83,000 IN TOTAL THAT'LL COME TO METRO TOWNSHIP DURING THAT PERIOD.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT, UH, WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME GIF FUND.
WE'RE ALL IN THE BURLINGTON COUNTY GIF TOGETHER.
AND WHEN TABERNACLE DID AN ANALYSIS FOR IT, THE BILL WAS $64,000 OR $32,000 A PIECE FOR THE TOWN.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GET FROM EIGHT TO 32, BUT I'M NOT AN INSURANCE GUY.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ALSO, UH, CAME UP WAS THAT APPARENTLY METFORD TOWNSHIP OFFERED TO SUPPLY A RIG FOR 13 HOURS, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 6:00 AM TO 7:00 PM IN SHAMONG.
SO THAT WOULD BE A THIRD AMBULANCE THAT YOU GUYS WOULD STAFF, UM, ACCORDING TO THEM AGAIN.
[01:25:01]
IS ABOUT 94, 94 90 FOR HOURS.UM, YOUR LOWEST ADVERTISED RATE IS IN EMT RIGHT NOW, I BELIEVE IS $23 AN HOUR, WHICH IS ABOUT WHAT WE ARE.
SO UNDERSTAND WE'RE A NONPROFIT, WE DON'T PAY BENEFITS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO OUR COSTS FOR A AN EMPLOYEE IS ABOUT $26 AN HOUR WHEN YOU FIGURE IN OUR TAXES AND, AND THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO COVER.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT NUMBER, THAT'S $246,000 A YEAR TO COVER THAT 13 HOURS THAT, THAT, BASED ON THAT $26 AN HOUR.
NOW AGAIN, THAT'S A $23 AN HOUR.
I KNOW YOU HAVE FULL, FULL-TIME CAREER EMPLOYEES, UH, AND OTHER EXPENSES THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT, UM, FOR THEM.
SO, UM, SO YOU'RE 246,000, YOU'RE AT 30 OR $83,000 THAT YOU'RE GETTING BACK FOR $246,000 OF SALARY FOR 13 HOURS.
OKAY? I AM ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE 13 HOURS FOR RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO WE ASK WHERE'S THE GAP? SO THERE'S BILLING REVENUE THAT WILL COME IN.
OKAY? SO WE'VE BEEN COVERING SHAMONG TOWNSHIP FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
UM, OUR BEST YEAR IN TOTAL, WHEN WE COVERED EVERY CALL THAT WE RAN, INCLUDING MUNG TABERNACLE AND ALL THE MUTUAL AID CALLS, AND WE PROVIDE A LOT OF MUTUAL AID CALLS TO OUR WAS $375,000.
OKAY? SO OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS AS US BEING THE PROVIDER TO SHEUNG, OUR AVERAGE COLLECTION IS ONLY ABOUT $136,000.
SO IF YOU DO THE MATH, IF YOU ADD THAT 83, THAT COMES TO ABOUT $224,000 A YEAR, YOU'RE AT 2 64 ON THE LOW END FOR SALARIES OR ABOUT A $22,000 GAP.
SO YOU'RE STARTING IN THE HOLE.
OKAY? UM, THIS DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR FUEL VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, VEHICLE REPAIRS, VEHICLE REPLACEMENT, THE AVERAGE COST OF A NEW AMBULANCE IS $350,000 PLUS THEY ONLY LAST SO LONG, ABOUT 10 YEARS OF LIFE MAYBE, IF YOU'RE LUCKY.
UM, OVERTIME BENEFITS, PENSION PAYMENTS FOR YOUR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
SO I'M NOT ACCOUNTING FOR ALL THAT.
I'M SURE I I'M SURE IT'S NOT HARD TO FIGURE OUT.
I THINK A, A PERS EMPLOYEE, I KNOW I WAS 10% AS POLICE AND FIRE, I THINK PERS IS SEVEN OR 8%, SOMETHING LIKE THAT BASED ON YOUR SALARY.
UM, OVER TIME I KNOW THAT OVER TIME IT, IT BECOMES AN ISSUE.
SO THAT'S FOR THAT FIRST TIME.
NOW, ACCORDING, AGAIN, ACCORDING TO SHAMONG, AT 7:00 PM THAT TRUCK GOES HOME, DEPENDING ON YOUR COVERAGE, THAT AMBULANCE IS GONNA COME FROM MEDFORD TOWNSHIP NOW.
SO IF THERE'S ONE TRUCK ON OR TWO TRUCKS ON, SOMETIMES THERE'S ONE, SOMETIMES THERE'S TWO.
SO NOW CURRENTLY YOU'RE RUNNING 3,500 CALLS A YEAR IN MEDFORD, IN 4,200 SQUARE MILES, YOU'RE GONNA ADD ANOTHER 49 SQUARE MILES, 48, 49 SQUARE MILES TO YOUR COVERAGE AREA.
TO ME, AS BUSY AS MEDFORD IS, I HEARD 1200 HOMES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT NUMBER'S CORRECT.
IT'S 600 I'VE HEARD WHATEVER, 1067, I'M SORRY.
SIR, I I'M NOT GONNA STOP YOU.
I JUST, I I, AND I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE.
JUST I DO WANT TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE PREMISE BEHIND YOUR COMMENTS.
WHAT I'M ASKING YOU IS NOT TO ENTER INTO THAT AGREEMENT, BECAUSE I FEEL THAT BASED ON WHAT THEY'RE OFFERING TO YOU OR WHAT IS OFFERED ON THE TABLE, IT'S GONNA PUT MEDFORD TOWNSHIP BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL.
YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU'RE GONNA INCUR MORE COSTS THAN YOU'RE GONNA SEE.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE THAT REVENUE THAT YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA SEE.
AND I'M TELLING YOU THAT ONLY FROM THE EXPERIENCE FOR OUR AGENCY AND, AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN THERE.
KELLY, I, I I WANNA MAKE SURE I I HEAR YOU.
SO, UM, I WENT THROUGH THE, I HEAR, I HEARD ALL THE NUMBERS AND RIGHT, YOUR, YOUR C YOUR SQUAD COVERED SHAMON.
AND IF YOU WERE TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT MOVING FORWARD WITH THEM, RIGHT? WHAT WOULD THOSE NUMBERS NEED TO LOOK FOR? SO I, LISTEN, IT'S, IT'S PUBLIC.
I'VE PROBABLY SAID IT A HUNDRED TIMES.
IT'S BEEN PUBLICIZED EVERYWHERE.
WE ASKED FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
WE ASKED FOR THE BALANCE BILL, WHICH THE BALANCE BILL FOR SHAMONG, WHICH BY STATUTORY BY STATUTE YOU'RE REQUIRED TO BE REIMBURSED THAT AMOUNT.
[01:30:01]
THE WAY WE'VE DONE IT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CLEAN AND ABOVE BOARD, WE PROVIDE THEM A COST AND THEY PAY IT EVERY YEAR.WHATEVER, IT'S, IT'S ANYWHERE FROM 22,000.
I THINK THE HIGHEST IT MIGHT'VE BEEN ONE YEAR WAS 30 OR $35,000 A YEAR.
AND IT'S BASED ON, ON NON COLLECTIBLES FOR RESIDENTS THERE.
UM, AND THE TOWNSHIP, TABERNACLE AND MUNG, WHICH THEY HAD BEEN DOING IN THE PAST, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO SPLIT THE COVERAGE OF THE INSURANCE.
NOW THE ISSUE IS, IS THAT INSURANCE IS GOING UP OVER THE YEARS.
WE ALL KNOW THAT OUR INSURANCE BILL IS UP.
AND TABERNACLE WENT BACK TO THE G AND REEVALUATED IT.
AND IT, ORIGINALLY, THE COST WAS ALMOST $90,000.
AND WHAT THE TOWNSHIP DID WAS ANYBODY THAT WAS A DUAL MEMBER, A FIREFIGHTER IN IT, THEY PULLED THEM OUT.
THE, THE TABERNACLE PEOPLE OUT.
SO IT'S ONLY THE EMTS THAT THEY'RE PAYING FOR.
MANY MORE STAFF THAN YOU REALLY HAVE.
I THINK I HAVE ABOUT 30, 38 PEOPLE.
SO BETWEEN YOUR VOLUNTEERS AND YOUR STAFF, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PROBABLY ABOUT THE SAME.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PROVIDE THE VEHICLES AND EVERYTHING THE SAME.
I'M NOT SURE HOW THE NUMBER'S DIFFERENT AND I DON'T LISTEN, AS I SAID BEFORE, I SPENT 26 AND A HALF YEARS HERE.
THIS WAS LIKE A SECOND HOME TO ME.
I, I, I HAVE ALL THE RESPECT IN THE WORLD FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE MEDFORD DIVISION OF FIRE AND EMSI WORK SIDE BY SIDE WITH THEM.
I CONSIDER MANY OF THEM MY FRIENDS, I'VE KNOWN THEM THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
IT'S ABOUT THE SENSE OF IT AND THEN ABOUT HOW IT AFFECTS THE REGION.
BECAUSE IF WE CAN'T CONTINUE AND PROVIDE THE SERVICE, IT'S GOING TO LEAVE A HOLE.
WE PROVIDE A LOT OF MUTUAL AID TO MEDFORD TOWNSHIP BECAUSE YOU'RE BUSY AND SO DOES ALL YOUR NEIGHBORS.
AND THERE'S TIMES WHERE MEDFORD PROVIDES MUTUAL AID TO US.
WE DON'T NEED TO LOSE ANOTHER AGENCY.
AND OUR AGREEMENT, WHICH WE HAD, AND BECAUSE WE WENT TO A BILLING MODEL, EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR IN TABERNACLE.
I'M SURE WE WENT FROM SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR, A 67% COVERAGE RATE TO SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
A HUNDRED PERCENT COVERAGE RATE.
OKAY? A HUNDRED PERCENT COVERAGE DUTY CREW IN-HOUSE.
WE'VE DONE ALL OUR THINGS AND DONE EVERYTHING.
AND NOW WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEING SHORTCHANGED.
AND MY FEAR IS MEDFORD TOWNSHIP IS GONNA BE SHORTCHANGED ON THIS DEAL TOO, BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S TRYING TO GET A BETTER DEAL.
AND I, I, YOU KNOW, NO DISRESPECT TO WHOEVER OR WHEREVER THIS CAME FROM, BUT I'M JUST TELLING YOU, THESE ARE THE REAL NUMBERS.
IT'S JUST NOT, IT'S NEVER BEEN, WHEN I WAS RUNNING 1600 PLUS CALLS AND HANDLED EVERY FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD RATE CALLS, $375,000 WAS THE BEST WE COULD EVER DO.
WE HAVE A GREAT COLLECTION RATE.
IT, IT'S, IT'S JUST THE MONEY'S NOT THERE.
THAT MONEY THAT WE ASK FOR ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE.
IT ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE TO BE THE NEIGHBOR THAT WE ARE TO YOU AND TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER AND TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.
SO I'M ASKING WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE GOING ON IN THIS TOWN AND BUDGETS AND, AND ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE FACING, THAT THIS IS PROBABLY NOT SOMETHING YOU GUYS WANT TO ENTER INTO AT THIS POINT.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR YOU WANT TO SEE MORE, I AM ALWAYS OPEN AND I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SIT DOWN AND DISCUSS ANYTHING WITH YOU GUYS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR, FOR COMING.
WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT? OH, SEEING NONE.
HOW YOU DOING GUYS? HOW WORKS SIR? STEVE ANO 1 58 S***T ROAD.
UM, SOME OF YOU KNOW ME UP THERE, OTHERS HAVE PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT ME.
SO WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH A CORRUPT ZONE OFFICER FOR THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS.
ME AND MY FAMILY, WE'VE BEEN ATTACKED.
UM, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH COUNSEL ON IT.
I I WANT TO KNOW, COUNSEL MAKES THESE ORDINANCES ZONING IN FOLLOWS THE ORDINANCES.
HOWEVER THEY'RE BEING ALLOWED TO INTERPRET 'EM TO WHATEVER FITS THEIR NEEDS.
I'VE HAD THREE STORAGE CONTAINERS IN MY PROPERTY.
I'VE BEEN THERE FOR OVER 17 YEARS.
WE HAVE A THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT HOUSE, NO GARAGE.
UM, ONE OF THE CONTAINERS IS OUR HEATING FUEL.
IT'S OUR PRIMARY HEATING WINTER.
I GET FOUR OR FIVE TONS OF PELLETS.
THEY'RE STACKED IN THERE ALONG WITH OTHER GARAGE HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. YOU KNOW, STUFF THAT WE CAN'T FIT IN THE HOUSE.
I'M BEING FORCED TO REMOVE THESE FROM MEDFORD TOWNSHIP.
THERE WAS NO ORDINANCE THAT SAYS THAT THESE ARE NOT ALLOWED ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
[01:35:01]
I WANT TO KNOW WHY THEY'RE BEING INTERPRETED AS EVERYTHING SAYS COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, UH, IN ON RIGHT OF WAYS TOWNSHIP PROPERTY.I HAVE THE ORDINANCE NUMBERS IF THAT I'M BEING VIOLATED WITH APPARENTLY.
IF YOU GUYS, WOULD YOU MIND READING THEM SIR? YEAH.
THE ONE IS, UH, 1 46 DASH FIVE BB AS IN BOY.
I'M SORRY, B AS IN BOY, B AS IN BOY.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS 1000 ZONE PERMIT REQUIRED.
NOW THE B SECTION, THERE'S ANOTHER SECTION TO THAT.
IT SAYS THAT THE ZONING OFFICER SHALL HAVE IT TO HIS DISCRETION WHETHER OR NOT THEY COULD BE PLACED ON PRIVATE LAND.
THIS IS IF, OR I'M SORRY IF WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN BE PLACE ON PUBLIC LAND.
THIS IS IF THEY CAN'T FIT ON PRIVATE LAND.
THIS ORDINANCE WAS MADE FOR THOSE POD STORAGE CONTAINERS.
PEOPLE GET TEMPORARY 30 DAYS, 60 DAYS, WHATEVER THEY EXTEND IT TO.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT SAYS I CANNOT HAVE IT USED ON MY PRIVATE PROPERTY FOR MY RESIDENTIAL USE.
THE ONLY THING IT SAYS IS THEY CAN'T BE USED FOR COMMERCIAL USE.
THERE IS NO COMMERCIAL USE OF MY PROPERTY.
SO I WANT TO KNOW WHY I'M BEING FORCED TO REMOVE THESE AFTER 17 YEARS OF BE THERE FROM AN IRATE NEIGHBOR THAT IT'S JUST A MALICIOUS ATTACK.
SO I REALLY WANNA KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AS FAR AS THIS GOES.
WOULD YOU BE COMFORTABLE TELLING US WHEN THE FIRST VIOLATION WAS NOTED TO YOU? UH, YEAH.
I BELIEVE IT WAS, UH, WELL THERE WAS ACTUALLY A FIRST ONE IN MAY AND THEN HE REVISED IT BECAUSE HE WAS TRYING TO GET SOMETHING WITH THE BUSINESS TO PULL WHO'S, WHO'S HE WHEN YOU SAY HE? EDWARD ANO.
SO COUNCILMAN COX AND I HAVE MET WITH, HE IS LOVELY WIFE WITH THE MANAGER AND THE ASSIST.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME OF THIS HISTORY BEHIND US.
I JUST, WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT JUST BRANDON.
WE'RE NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT ANY EMPLOYEE OR ANY EMPLOYEE.
NO, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE, THE FACTS.
TWO THINGS I DO WANNA SAY IS WHEN I FIRST GOT THE VIOLATION, IT WAS 4TH OF JULY WEEK.
I HAD THREE DAYS NOTICE FOR MANDATORY COURT APPEARANCE.
NO, THAT'S CRAZY THAT YOU HAD TO SHOW UP FOR THREE DAYS.
I DON'T EVEN THINK THAT'S LEGAL.
SO THEN I WENT BACK AND, AND THIS SITUATION BY THE WAY, WAS ALREADY RESOLVED WITH KATHY BERGER AND BETH, BECAUSE BETH TRIED THIS BACK IN THE DAY.
I HAVE PROVEN THAT THEY LET IT GO.
I HAD THEN PULLED AN OPRAH REQUEST TO TRY TO FIND FROM 2019 MY PAPERWORK FROM THIS.
I GOT NO CONFIRMATION ON THE OPRAH REQUEST, WHICH IS THE FIRST PROBLEM.
SECONDLY, THEY ASKED FOR ONE EXTENSION.
THEY NEEDED ANOTHER EXTENSION.
AND I TALKED TO, UH, I DON'T KNOW HER NAME, THE GIRL IN THE OFFICE.
I SAID, WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG? WHAT'S GOING ON? WELL, WE HAD TO SEND 'EM TO THE ZONING DEPARTMENT FOR APPROVAL.
SO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO DRAG ME TO COURT FOR THIS ARE NOW VIEW 'EM.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT I GOT BACK IN THE OPEN REQUEST.
SO POSSIBLY MY RESOLUTION THAT I ALREADY DEALT WITH IN 2019 IS SOMEWHERES IN THERE.
I HAD ALSO MET WITH CHIEF DOVEY AND ANN, WE HAD GONE OVER SOME OF THIS STUFF.
THERE'S A LOT OF NOTES IN HER FILE I NEVER GOT.
SO SOMEBODY'S HOLDING THE INFORMATION HERE.
AND ROBERT, I'M NOT GONNA THROW UNDER A BUS 'CAUSE I LIKE YOU AND I THINK YOU DO A GOOD JOB.
BUT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT A STORY ABOUT, UH, WHAT WAS IT? STORAGE CONTAINERS, THE SHOPRITE.
WHAT, WHAT EXACTLY WAS IT? THERE WAS, UH, YEAH, SHOPRITE WAS, UH, MANDATED TO REMOVE THE, UH, STORAGE CONTAINERS BEHIND THEIR STORE, UH, THAT WERE IN THE FIRE LANE AND RIGHT OF WAY.
'CAUSE THEY WERE NOT PERMITTED BY OUR, BY OUR MUNICIPAL CODE.
BUT FOR THAT SITUATION, ABSOLUTELY.
HOWEVER, ARE WE TAKING THIS? NOT APPLES, APPLES.
ARE WE TAKING SHOP RIGHTS, COMMERCIAL CONTAINERS PARKED IN A ZONE OR FIRE LIEN, WAS IT MM-HMM
AND COMPARING THAT TO MY CONTAINERS, I HAVE TO REMOVE ON MY PERSONAL PROPERTY THAT ARE TOTALLY RESIDENTIAL.
IF THAT MAKES, I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE ZONING OFFICERS ARE BEING ALLOWED TO DO.
I'M HAVE TO HAVE THESE OUT, YOU KNOW, AND BELL'S TELLING ME, WELL YOU NEED TO, WHEN WE GO TO COURT THAT DAY, THEY GOTTA BE OUT.
EVEN IF I WANTED TO DO THAT, THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
YOU KNOW? SO LIKE THEY'RE JUST BEING ALLOWED TO RUN WITH WHATEVER THEY WANT.
THERE, IT'S EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED BY YOUR THANK YOU.
IT'S EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED BY YOUR ORDINANCE.
WHILE YOU ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE A TEMPORARY PORTABLE CONTAINER.
I'M NOT GONNA ARGUE WITH HIM AT THIS TIME.
HE'S WELCOME TO CHALLENGE IT IN COURT IF HE WANTS.
[01:40:01]
YOU REPEAT THAT A LITTLE BIT IN THE MIC? SORRY, I THOUGHT I'M TALKING.I SAID IT IS PATENTLY ILLEGAL.
IT IS PATENTLY UNLAWFUL AND WRITTEN IN THE TOWNSHIP'S ORDINANCE THAT YOU ARE, WHILE YOU ARE PERMITTED TO HAVE A PORTABLE STORAGE CONTAINER FOR UP TO 30 DAYS, PROVIDED YOU HAVE A PERMIT, IT'S UP TO 30 DAYS.
YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE IT THERE IN DEPTH INDEFINITELY.
AND YOU NEED TO HAVE A PERMIT BEFORE IT'S PLACED.
SO YOU SHOWED ME THE ORDINANCE.
WHICH ORDINANCE IS THAT? BECAUSE I HAVE THE ONE RIGHT HERE FROM AM BELL AND IT'S HIGHLIGHTED.
IT SAYS, AND I'LL READ IT, TRAILERS AND OTHER STATIONARY STRUCTURES OF A SIMILAR NATURE FOR STORAGE, WAREHOUSE SPACE, SALES AREA, OR OTHER USE FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES ARE PROHIBITED EXCEPT WE'RE EXPRESSLY PERMITTED.
DOES IT SAY IT'S EXPRESSLY PERMITTED IN YOUR ZONE? SO DOES IT, YES OR NO? DOES IT SAY IT IS A BLUE CAR, ESPECIALLY PERMITTED IN MY ZONE? I'M SORRY? IS A BLUE CAR PERMITTED IN MY ZONE? IT'S NOT A USE, IT'S ALSO NOT A STRUCTURE.
I MEAN, I COULD, I COULD NAME A TON OF THINGS.
IT'S A TEMPORARY STRUCTURE, BUT ONE 40 DASH 6.4 THROUGH ONE 40 DASH 6.3 THROUGH 1 46 0.7 EFFECTIVELY REGULATES THIS.
SO WITH RESPECT, I UNDERSTAND HE'S UPSET ABOUT IT.
ACCUSING THE ZONING OFFICER OR THE CONSTRUCTION OFFICER OF DOING IMPROPER CONDUCT IS FALSE.
AND HE'S WELCOME TO VOICE HIS CONCERNS TO THE COUNCIL.
WE'RE NOT GONNA COMMENT ON WHAT THE ZONING OFFICER, CONSTRUCTION OFFICER IS HANDLING THIS, BUT IN TERMS OF THE INTERPRETATION AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF YOUR ORDINANCE, IT IS BEING DONE PROPERLY.
AND SIR, I I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT YEAH.
WE'RE HERE TO LITIGATE IT, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY.
I SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN A COURTROOM, BUT WE'RE, THIS IS NOT COURT.
AND WE APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS MATTER TO OUR ATTENTION AND I THANK THAT FELLOW COUNSEL MEMBERS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT IT.
THE PURPOSE OF THE EVENT THAT WE'RE UNDERTAKING RIGHT NOW IS TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS PUBLICLY.
SO AS MR. VARGAS STATED, WE CAN'T REALLY RESPOND TO THEM, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT I HEARD ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US.
AND IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD TO YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS? UM,
AND, UM, WE DO LIKE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
BUT I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, THESE THINGS SEEM 17 YEARS.
THERE'S BEEN, AND NOW, NOW I MEAN, UP NEXT DOOR THERE'S STUFF THAT'S, I HAVE AN ILLEGAL GUN RANGE GOING NEXT TO MY HOUSE ON VACANT PROPERTY.
AND BY CA MY, MY, YOU GUYS DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THIS.
MY PROPERTY IS UNDER SURVEILLANCE NONSTOP.
AND I GO AND PUT A PRIVACY FABRIC UP BECAUSE HE WAS AT THERE VIEWING THE CHILDREN, WHICH, OKAY, THIS WAS THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND THAT NOT ONLY DID I HAVE, I HAVE THE COPS OUT FIVE, SIX TIMES NOW FOR DOING NOTHING AFTER THAT.
THE TUESDAY RIGHT AFTER LABOR DAY, I HAVE THE ZONING OFFICER CALL ME.
YOU NEED, LIKE, I, IT WAS TEMPORARY.
I COMPLIED TO A HUNDRED PERCENT TEMPORARY TO MAKE SURE I WAS TRYING TO AVOID THAT SITUATION.
HE WASN'T HAVING, SO I'M UNDER ATTACK BY THE ZONING DEPARTMENT AND I'M JUST NOT PUTTING UP ON IT.
AND NOW IT'S INVOLVING THE KIDS HE'S EVER TO REVIEW HIM RECORDING THE KIDS.
AND MEDFORD TOWNSHIP IS ALLOWING THIS S**T TO GO ON.
AND AND BY THE WAY, ONE OF THESE, THE STORAGE, TWO OF THESE STORAGE CANS ARE OUT BACK IN THE WOODS.
THE ONE UP TOWARDS THE FRONT IS EIGHT FOOT TALL.
IT'S BLOCKING THAT WHOLE SIDE FROM THESE CAMERAS AND VIEWING MY YARD.
SO NOW THEY HAVE TO BE REMOVED.
AND NOW WHAT I JUST GOT, I, YOU FORCED ME TO GET A FENCE BURN, WHICH I GOT.
THESE CAMERAS ARE UP OVER THAT.
SO, SO NOW WHAT DO I DO, PAT? WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT THAT? WHAT MY HEAT AND PELLETS IN THE WINTER WHERE WOULD GO FOR MY FAMILY'S HEAT? SIR, AGAIN, IF I MAY, I THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS AND COMING HERE TODAY, IT'S NOT EASY, BUT WE HAVE GIVEN YOU YOUR TIME.
I THINK THAT I HAVE ONE QUESTION, A QUESTION FOR THE CAMERAS FOR THE KIDS AGAIN, WHERE CAN HE GO? 'CAUSE IT'S NOT HERE.
WHOSE CAMERAS ARE, WHAT IS HIS NEXT STEP? SO IT'S A VACANT 10 ACRE LOT NEXT DOOR.
THE GUY, I DON'T KNOW, HE'S A LITTLE CUCKOO IT SEEMS LIKE, BUT STUFF THAT'S BEEN GOING ON, THEY'RE HIS, THERE'S THREE OF 'EM.
THE POLICE WERE OUT, THE POLICE WERE NOTIFIED THE CAMERAS, HE, THERE'S A DRIVEWAY THERE.
THEY DO NOT POINT DOWN HIS DRIVEWAY.
THEY POINT EXACTLY IN MY YARD WATCHING EVERYTHING WE DO.
IT'S A PRIVATE NEIGHBOR DISPUTE.
HE'S GONNA HAVE TO TALK TO HIS OWN LEGAL COUNSEL AND THEN BACK THIS WAY.
IT'S A PRIVATE, IT'S A PRIVATE NEIGHBOR DISPUTE.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SPEAK TO YOUR OWN LEGAL COUNSEL ON HOW TO PROCEED.
I CAN'T GIVE YOU ADVICE ON THAT ONE.
WE SPOKE TO THE POLICE AND THE DEAL WAS THAT IF HE CAN, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, IF HE COULD STAND ON HIS PROPERTY AND VIEW IN OUR YARD IT'S LEGAL.
BUT, SO THAT'S WHY I PUT UP THE PRIVACY STUFF.
NOW ME INTELLIGENCE ATTACKED ME FOR THAT.
SO LIKE, THERE'S NO COMMON GROUND
[01:45:01]
HERE.IT'S, YOU KNOW, AND WE NEVER, WE'VE BEEN HERE OVER 17 YEARS, WE NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH ANYBODY.
AND, AND THIS IS A LOCAL BUSINESSMAN AND I'M NOT GONNA SAY HIS NAME, BUT THERE'S A LOCAL BUSINESSMAN IN ME THAT THIS IS COMING FROM.
IT'S NOTHING BUT THIS IS ATTACK.
WE HAVE VIDEOS, WE HAVE STUFF THAT WAS UNINVESTIGATED.
I MEAN, BUT THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT MY 17-YEAR-OLD STORAGE CONTAINERS.
THERE'S A LOT MORE MAJOR STUFF GOING ON OVER THERE.
WE HEARD ALL YOUR COMMENTS AND WE, WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING HERE TONIGHT.
AND I'M SURE BETWEEN YOUR ACT, YOUR COURSE OF ACTION AND THE MATTERS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP, WE HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HELP YOU GET TO A RESOLUTION.
BUT AS MR. VARGA STATED, WE CAN'T DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS HERE.
OKAY? YEAH, NO, THAT'S THE MATTERS'.
YOUR, YOUR TESTIMONY IS ON THE RECORD.
UM, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, SIR.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I WAS, I WAS EVEN SUPPOSED TO HAVE A LETTER OF RESOLUTION FOR THIS THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THERE.
I MEAN, MY CONTAINER LETTER, THERE WAS TWO COUNCIL MEETINGS AGO.
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A LETTER OF RESOLUTION FOR, FOR TWO DAYS BEFORE MY COURT DATE FOR THE CONTAINERS.
I I ISSUED THE LETTER FOR THE PINELANDS.
I CAN'T ISSUE THE LETTER AS THE MANAGER.
I CAN'T ISSUE THE LETTER AMENDING IT.
IT HAS TO COME FROM THE ZONING OFFICE 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S THEIR VIOLATION.
NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT POWER, BUT I WAS PROMISED THAT I WOULD HAVE A LETTER BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION THAT WAS GOING ON.
I, I MEAN, I DON'T CARE WHO THE LETTER CAME FROM, RIGHT.
BUT I, I LIKE, AND THEN THAT BECAME A WHOLE, YOU KNOW, ISSUE.
SO I, YOU KNOW, LIKE I
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU GET, I JUST GIVE AN UPDATE WHAT'S GOING ON, THAT'S ALL.
AND SEE IF WE, YOU KNOW, I, IF THERE WAS SOME WAY TO RESOLUTE THIS, IT WOULD BE GREAT, BUT, YOU KNOW.
WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT? SEEING NONE.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE CLERK'S
[IX. CLERK’S REPORT ]
REPORT.SO WE HAVE AN APPROVAL FOR A TEMPORARY EXTENSION PREMISES FOR A MAGNIFY BREWING ON OCTOBER 24TH FOR THE HALLOWEEN PARADE.
UM, WE HAVE 3 50 50 RAFFLE RAFFLES FOR THEATER BOOSTER GROUP.
NOVEMBER 20TH, 21ST AND 50 50 IN BASKET RAFFLE FOR FORGOTTEN ANGELS A EQUINE RESCUE ON NOVEMBER 21ST.
ALL IN FAVOR? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
UM, NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE BILLS
[X. BILL LIST ]
LIST.AS STATED EARLIER IN THE MEETING, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO BILLS LISTS.
WE HAVE AN OCTOBER 1ST, 2026 AND AN OCTOBER 6TH, 2026 BILLS LIST.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL ON THE BILLS LIST? I WILL MAKE ONE COMMENT.
UM, SO A COUPLE OF US NOTICED BECAUSE THIS IS, UM, WHAT THE RESIDENTS CAN SEE AND IT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION.
THERE'S A BINGO RAFFLE SOFTWARE AND I'M THINKING WE'RE GOING INTO AUSTERITY MEASURES.
WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH BINGO RAFFLE SOFTWARE.
SO FOR ANYONE ELSE WHO LOOKS AT THIS BILL LIST, UM, IT IS A REQUIREMENT.
UM, AND WE ARE GONNA, I BELIEVE WE ARE GOING TO APPROVE IT.
IT DOES FIT NEW JERSEY REQUIREMENTS AFTER I TORTURED TARA.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE BILLS LIST? NO.
[XI. ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION ]
I WILL, UM, ENTERTAIN AN INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCES.MOTION TO INTRODUCE ON FIRST INTRODUCTION OF 19.
IT'S THE MOTION TO INTRODUCE ON FIRST READING ORDINANCE 2026 DASH 19 ORDINANCE OF DETACHMENT OF METFORD COUNTY OF BURLINGTON STATE OF NEW JERSEY AMENDING AND SUPPLEMENTING LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS.
SECTION 500 OF THE TOWNSHIP'S MUNICIPAL CODE ENTITLED GENERAL PROVISIONS AND DESIGN STANDARDS TO CREATE NEW CHAPTER 5 31 ENTITLED COMMERCIAL VEHICLE PARKING IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD.
ALRIGHT, AS STATED DURING DISCUSSION, THIS ORDINANCE WAS, UM, GONE OVER BY OUR ATTORNEY AND OUR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE OR SUPPORT FROM MR. UMBA.
UM, THIS ADDRESSES MATTERS THAT HAD BEEN AILING THE TOWN FOR MANY YEARS WHEN IT COMES TO PARKING.
UM, COMMERCIAL VEHICLES OWNED BY THE RESIDENCE OF RESIDENTIAL
[01:50:01]
LOTS.[XII. ORDINANCES FOR SECOND READING/PUBLIC HEARING(S) ]
SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS ORDINANCE WOULD BE OCTOBER 27TH.PLANNING BOARD WOULD MEET ON 28TH OF THE DAY AFTER.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT FOR NOVEMBER THE 10TH.
SO AS STATED, DUE TO THE PLANNING BOARD TIMING ON THE 28TH, WHEN THIS GETS BROUGHT UP AT THE PLANNING BOARD, WE'LL THEN DO SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE MEETING THE 27TH.
UH, WHERE I, WE HAVE MISSED THAT WHEN WE WALKED IN.
WHERE CAN WE FIND THE DETAILS OF THAT? THIS IS ACTUALLY WAS A DISCUSSION ITEM DISCUSSED EARLIER, SO IT WAS NOT IN THE RED FOLDER.
YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO HAVE MY COPY.
BUT THIS WILL THEN BE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE NOW THAT IT'S BEEN INTRODUCED.
IF YOU GO TO, UM, THE TOWNSHIP'S WEBSITE, UH, PUBLIC DOCUMENTS, OR I USUALLY JUST TELL PEOPLE, GO TO AGENDAS AND MINUTES, CLICK ON THE AGENDA, UH, TAB FOR COUNSEL, AND THEN IT TAKES YOU TO OUR GENERAL CODE.
UM, THERE IS, UM, ON THE SIDE IT SAYS NEW LAWS ON THE, UM, LEFT SIDE.
SO IT WOULD SAY HOME CODE, NEW LAWS, PUBLIC DOCUMENTS, AND HELP, UM, ALL INTRODUCED ORDINANCES ONCE THEY'RE INTRODUCED OFFICIALLY FROM THE COUNCIL.
GO TO THE NEW, NEW LAWS AREA 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT ADOPTED YET.
AND THEN YOU, YOU CAN VIEW IT THERE.
IT WOULD HAVE NATURALLY, IF IT WAS ON THE AGENDA, BEEN IN THE RED FOLDER.
I I WHEN BRIAN, THIS CALL, CAN, I QUICKLY HEARD THAT TOWARDS THE END.
UM, SO NOW WE WILL MOVE TO ORDINANCES FOR SECOND READING.
WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO INTRO OR LIST FOR SECOND READING? ORDINANCE 2026 DASH 18 MOTION WILL ADOPT ON SECOND READING ORDINANCE 2026 DASH 18, ADOPTING A REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR NON-CON CONDEMNATION REDEVELOPMENT AREA CONSISTING OF BLOCK 1705, BLOCK SIX AND SEVEN, ALSO KNOWN AS 39 ALLEN AVENUE.
UM, AT THIS TIME I COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE OLD LIBRARY.
UM, WOULD MR. TAYLOR LIKE TO PRESENT INFORMATION RELATED TO THIS? OKAY, THANK YOU MAYOR.
MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I'D BE HAPPY TO.
UM, SO THE PROPERTY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS EVENING IS BLOCK 1705, LOT SIX AND SEVEN.
IT'S A 0.41 ACRE PARCEL LOCATED AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF ALLEN AVENUE AND MAIN STREET IN THE DOWNTOWN.
THE LOT IS CURRENTLY ZONED PPE PARK PUBLIC EDUCATION.
IT IS OWNED BY THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD.
UH, WITH THE OPENING OF THE NEW TOWN HALL IN 2021, THE TOWN EVALUATED THEIR NEED FOR THAT PROPERTY AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS NOT NECESSARY, AND THAT WOULD BE A MORE EFFECTIVE, UH, USE OF THAT LAND TO TURN IT BACK OVER, UH, FOR PRIVATE USE, UH, TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DOWNTOWN.
BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, EVEN BEFORE THAT, ON MARCH 5TH, 2013, TOWNSHIP COUNCIL DESIGNATED THE ENTIRETY OF THE DOWNTOWN VILLAGE AREA AS AN AREA IN NEED OF REHABILITATION UNDER THE LOCAL REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING LAW.
THIS PARCEL WAS NOT INCLUDED BECAUSE IT WAS LOCATED IN THE PPE ZONE.
SO THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THAT TO BE INCLUDED AT THAT TIME.
IN 2013, FAST FORWARD TO 2021, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT PRIVATE USE OF THIS WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
THE MUNICIPALITY BEGAN IN 2021 THROUGH 2026 WITH MULTIPLE EFFORTS ISSUING RFPS, PUTTING SIGNS OUT AT THE SITE, UH, LISTINGS ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE TO TRY TO SOLICIT PROPOSALS THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE GOVERNING BODY FOR POTENTIAL REUSE OF THAT PROPERTY.
ON JUNE 5TH, 2024, UH, THE COUNCIL ASKED THE PLANNING BOARD TO UNDERTAKE A DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE PROPERTY, UH, QUALIFIED AS IN THE AREA IN NEED OF REDEVELOPMENT UNDER LOCAL REDEVELOPMENT.
LAW PLANNING BOARD CONDUCTED THAT HEARING IN JULY OF 2024.
AND IN AUGUST OF 2024, TOWNSHIP COUNCIL SO DESIGNATED THE PROPERTY AS AN AREA IN NEED OF REDEVELOPMENT THROUGH 2026, UH, TOWNSHIP COUNCIL SOLICITED RFPS, UH, THROUGH AN RFP PROCESS PROPOSALS, THEY WERE EVALUATED.
[01:55:01]
TOWNSHIP THEN BEGAN NEGOTIATIONS.AND WHAT WE HAVE IS, IS THE RESULT OF THAT.
AND I, I DO HAVE, UH, ANOTHER ONE OF THESE COLOR CODED PROCESS OUT OUTIES THAT MY ESTEEMED COLLEAGUE HENRY SNYDER, UH, WE'LL PASS OUT.
UM, AGAIN, WE ARE AT STEP 10 OF A 13TH STEP.
THERE HAVE BEEN MUCH, MUCH MORE IN THE INTERIM.
UM, AND WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE YOU IS A REDEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT ESSENTIALLY MODIFIES THE ZONING FOR THE PROPERTY AND IT CREATES THE ALLEN AVENUE REDEVELOPMENT AREA ZONING DISTRICT.
THE PERMITTED LAND USE WILL BE A MAXIMUM OF THREE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
IT SETS FORTH THE BULK AND DESIGN STANDARDS FOR THAT, UM, AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT DESIGN, UH, UH, STANDARDS RELATED TO THE ARCHITECTURE.
UM, TWO THINGS THAT I SKIPPED OVER.
ONE POINT, OBVIOUSLY THERE IS NO EMINENT DOMAIN.
UH, IT WAS NOT AN AREA NEED OF REDEVELOPMENT WITH CONDEMNATION AND IT'S ALREADY MUNICIPALLY OWNED, SO THERE WOULD BE NO REASON FOR CONDEMNATION ON THIS.
UH, ALL OF THOSE STANDARDS ARE SET FORTH.
I BELIEVE WE WENT THROUGH 13 OR 14 DIFFERENT SITE LAYOUT CONCEPTS THAT WERE REVIEWED, UH, BY OUR OFFICE, MR. MILL'S OFFICE, THE TOWNSHIP, TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WE BELIEVE, UH, BEST FIT THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE SITE, UH, IN TERMS OF LOCATION, THE DEPTH, UH, ET CETERA, AND FRONT OF JOHN ALLEN AVENUE.
AND ALSO, UH, NUMEROUS ITERATIONS OF THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TO FIND SOMETHING THAT COMPLIMENTED AND FIT IN WITH THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF THE HIS, OF THE, UH, METRO VILLAGE IN, IN THE DOWNTOWN.
AS WE ALL KNOW, A MAJORITY OF THE LAND USE IS IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING THIS PROPERTY, ARE RESIDENTIAL IN NATURE.
UH, SO WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE MASTER PLAN.
UM, I CAN, I CAN SHOW THE EXHIBITS ARE IN THERE AND THEY'VE BEEN UP ON THE BOARD, BUT MAIN STREET IS TO THE RIGHT ON THE PLAN HERE.
AND THIS IS A PLAN PREPARED BY THE PROSPECTIVE REDEVELOPER ENGINEERING CONSULTANT, UH, WITH INPUT FROM THE TOWNSHIP, SOUTH MAIN STREET, ALLEN AVENUE.
THE MAIN STREET HOME WILL HAVE DIRECT PRIMARY FRONTAGE WITH FULL PORCH, CONSISTENT WITH THE EXISTING ARCHITECTURAL VERNACULAR OF THE DOWNTOWN.
THE DRIVEWAYS WERE PUSHED AS FAR AWAY FROM MAIN STREET AS POSSIBLE TO COME IN.
UM, GARAGE DOORS TURNED TO THE SIDE TO MINIMIZE THEIR VISIBILITY FROM THE ALLEN AVENUE STREETSCAPE AND ALSO FROM MOTORISTS TRAVELING, UH, NORTHBOUND ON MAIN STREET AGAIN TO TRY TO PRESERVE THAT CHARACTER.
THE FACADES AGAIN, UH, DETAILED, UH, CONSISTENT WITH THE, THE TOWN'S DESIGN STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES.
UH, THE ALLEN AVENUE FACADES, UH, WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL VARIATION TO THEM.
AND I SHOULD NOTE, AS IDENTIFIED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT PROCESS OUTLINE, WE HAVE, UH, COPIES OF BEFORE YOU THIS PROCESS, EVEN AFTER ADOPTION.
THIS JUST SETS IN PLACE THE ZONING AND THE DESIGN STANDARDS.
ANY DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROPERTY WILL STILL HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE PLANNING BOARD FOR LAND DEVELOPMENT APPROVALS UNDER THE NORMAL COURSE OF ANY OTHER APPLICATION.
SO THAT WILL REQUIRE S APPROVALS, IT WILL REQUIRE, UH, BOARD APPROVAL, SOIL EROSION, ANY OTHER APPLICABLE, THERE ARE NO, UH, STANDARDS THAT ARE SKIPPED AS PART OF THIS PROCESS.
BUT I THINK AS COUNCILMAN COS AND SEVERAL OF YOU HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, BY GOING THE REHABILITATION OR REDEVELOPMENT ROUTE, IT ACTUALLY AFFORDS THE TOWNSHIP GREATER CONTROLS OVER THE ARCHITECTURE, OVER THE SETBACK, OVER THE BUILDING ORIENTATION TO FORCE WHAT IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE THING THAT CAN BE COMPLIMENTARY FOR THE SITE AND FOR THE SURROUNDING, UH, PROPERTIES.
UH, I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ON THE PROJECT OR ON THE PROCESS.
I, I JUST WANNA SAY MR. SHEER, UM, SOME FOLKS WHO WERE ATTENDING OUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING WHEN WE FIRST HAD THE, THE RENDERINGS, UH, COME UP TO ME SINCE THAT MEETING TO OFFER, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY APPRECIATE AND HOW MUCH THE, THE RENDERINGS OF WHAT THE FAC THE FACADES LOOK LIKE.
SO I APPRECIATE ONCE THANK, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
YEAH, I WILL DEFINITELY SECOND THAT.
UM, I KNOW ALL THE WORK THAT WENT IN FROM YOUR FIRM AND THE PROPOSED REDEVELOPER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE ADDED A VERY SIGNIFICANT, UM, IMPROVED A VERY SIGNIFICANT CORNER OF OUR TOWN.
SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE INVOLVED.
[02:00:01]
FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, UM, THREE RESIDENTIAL LOTS, WHAT COULD THEY EXPECT TO SEE ALONG ALLEN AVE? UM, JUST, JUST WALK US THROUGH, UM, SIDEWALKS, PARKING, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.SO THERE WILL BE, AND, AND AGAIN, THIS IS A CONCEPTUAL PLAN, BUT EACH ONE OF THE HOMES HAS PORCHES.
THAT FRONT, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH, UH, PROBABLY EVERY RESIDENTIAL USE THAT WE HAVE UP AND DOWN MAIN STREET.
UM, THERE WILL BE SIDEWALKS CONNECTING TO GARAGES, FULL TWO CAR GARAGES THAT ARE SIDE LOADED.
UH, THERE WILL BE PLANTINGS ALONG ALLEN AVENUE TO TRY TO SOFTEN THAT AND ALSO CREATE A BIT OF, UH, PHYSICAL AND FUN, YOU KNOW, FUNCTION ON VISUAL SEPARATION BETWEEN THAT PUBLIC SIDEWALK AND THE PRIVATE WALKWAY INTO THE RESIDENCES, UH, TO CREATE THAT DISTINCTION.
SO, UH, THERE WILL BE, AS WE ALL KNOW, THE, THE LIBRARY WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1972.
IT WAS A BUS GARAGE BEFORE THAT.
AND THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BIT OF A PARKING ISSUE THERE WHEN THE LIBRARY HAS BEEN OPENED BETWEEN MAIN STREET AND THE DOWNTOWN.
THE RESIDENTIAL USES WILL BE A VERY LOW PARKING DEMAND USE AND TRAFFIC DEMAND.
UH, IT IS WRITTEN UNDER THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT ALL THE PARKING, UH, AND THE PARKING COUNTS ON SITE WILL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE NEW JERSEY RESIDENTIAL SITE IMPROVEMENT STANDARDS.
AND THAT IS A BEDROOM BASED STANDARD.
UH, AS THIS PROJECT MOVES FORWARD TO, UH, THE PLANNING BOARD APPROVAL PHASE, THEY WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED TO ADDRESS ALL THE PINE LANDS FOR TOWNSHIP STORMWATER MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS.
THOSE WILL BE THOROUGHLY REVIEWED BY MR. NOEL THROUGH THAT PROCESS AS WELL.
MR. GENERAL, WITH THIS LAYOUT, UM, WILL THERE BE ANY EASEMENTS REQUIRED FROM ANY OF THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES? I BELIEVE AT ONE POINT THERE WAS TALK OF, OF NEEDING AN EASEMENT FROM ONE OF THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES FOR ONE OF THE LAYOUTS.
THERE WAS, YEAH, THERE WAS VERY EARLY ON.
YEAH, THERE WAS A MUCH MORE, UM,
UH, A MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT, UH, PROPOSAL THAT THAT COULD HAVE REQUIRED A TEMPORARY GRADE EASEMENT OKAY.
TO TRY TO FIT SOME STRUCTURE, YOU KNOW, SOME PARKING EXPANSION IN THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY.
BUT WITH THIS REDUCED SCALE AND SCOPE, THAT SHOULD NOT BE NECESSARY.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? I WAS GONNA ASK MATT.
UM, PEOPLE COME ALL THE TIME AND I COME FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD AND ASK QUESTIONS OR YOU HELP AND WE CAN'T HELP THEM SOMETIMES.
DO WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO GO THROUGH THE TOWN MANAGER? IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE CAN'T HELP SOMEONE, DO WE SAY MEET WITH THE TOWN MANAGER? OH, BY ALL MEANS YEAH.
THAT, THAT'S THE BEST CONDUIT AND ENCOURAGE THEM BEFORE THEY COME TO, TO HERE TO SEE THE MANAGER.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE DO? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, UM, I DON'T THINK PEOPLE KNOW THAT.
I MEAN, WE'RE AVAILABLE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY IN THE OFFICE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ALSO, AGAIN, MANAGER@MIDFORDTOWNSHIP.COM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TRY TO GET BACK AS EXPEDIENTLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO, AND THEN IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BRING TO COUNCIL'S ATTENTION, OBVIOUSLY WE BRING IT TO COUNCIL'S ATTENTION BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU COULD SETTLE A PROBLEM BEFORE.
YOU KNOW, PUT IT, THAT ONE TO SMOKING BEFORE IT GETS ON FIRE.
UM, BUT YEAH, AND TO YOUR POINT, UM, THERE, THIS IS ONE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO ENGAGE, BUT WHETHER THEY'RE COMING TO TOWN HALL OR EMAILING, I THINK THERE'S SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PUBLIC TO GET THE ANSWERS THEY MAY NEED.
AND IF THEY HAVE A PROBLEM, IF THEY HAVE A COMPLAINT, I GUESS HERE WOULD BE THE PLACE.
BUT IF THEY HAVE A PROBLEM THAT CAN BE FIXED.
UM, MANAGER, WE JUST POST THAT EVERYWHERE.
WHAT WAS THAT? EMAIL MANAGER AT MIDFORD TOWNSHIP.
UM, SO, SO MR. TAYLOR, UM, AS, AS, WHEN, WHEN WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT 39 ALLEN AVE, OBVIOUSLY THIS REDEVELOPMENT PROCESS WILL ALLOW FOR A USE CHANGE, RIGHT? THERE WAS NO RESIDENCE THERE BEFORE THE, THROUGH MANY ITERATIONS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PROPOSED REDEVELOPER.
THIS SEEMS LIKE THE MOST VIABLE USE FOR THE SITE AND APPROPRIATE IN ITS SCOPE.
UM, W WE, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THIS TIMEFRAME LOOKS LIKE, WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT FEW STEPS HERE? JUST SO THE RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH A LONG PROCESS TO GET HERE.
BUT THEN NOW AT THIS POINT, WHAT, WHAT DO WE, WHAT CAN WE LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE FUTURE? SO THE NEXT STEP AFTER ADOPTION TONIGHT IS THIS ORDINANCE AS, AS WE SORT OF REFERRED TO BEFORE.
'CAUSE WE ARE WITHIN THE PINELANDS JURISDICTION AS A LAND USE ORDINANCE.
WE'RE REZONING THIS PROPERTY FROM PPE TO THE ALLEN AVENUE REDEVELOPMENT AREA ZONING DISTRICT.
IT HAS TO GET SENT TO PINELANDS FOR ANY MODIFICATIONS
[02:05:01]
THAT THEY MAY REQUEST.WE'VE INCORPORATED SOME OF THEIR SUGGESTIONS FROM OTHER REDEVELOPMENT PLANS.
SO WE'RE HOPEFUL, UH, WE'RE OPTIMISTIC THAT, THAT MAYBE THERE AREN'T ANY CHANGE THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY, BUT WE MAY HAVE TO REVISIT THAT IN ANOTHER STEP.
ONCE THAT'S ADOPTED, I PRESUME THAT, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE, THE PROPERTY HAS TO BE CONVEYED FROM THE MUNICIPALITY TO THE PERSPECTIVE.
UH, REDEVELOPER, I WOULD IMAGINE AT THAT POINT THEY WILL BEGIN IN EARNEST WITH ARCHITECTURE AND SITE DESIGN AND ENGINEERING AND DETAILING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I WOULD, I WOULD BE SURPRISED IF, UM, THAT THAT PROCESS WOULD LIKELY BE SIX TO NINE MONTHS BEFORE A BOARD APPLICATION.
UM, THE PUBLIC WOULD, WOULD CONSIDER, LIKE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THAT SHOVELS IN THE GROUND MOMENT.
YEAH, WELL THAT ALSO DEPENDS A LOT ON PINELANDS, BECAUSE PINELANDS GETS A BITE AT THE APPLE IN REVIEWING OUR ORDINANCE.
AND THEN ALSO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPERTY WILL REQUIRE A CERTIFICATE OF FILING FROM PINELANDS.
AND AS MR NO MENTIONED WITH DEP AND OTHER OUTSIDE AGENCIES THAT PROCESS, THEY TEND TO RUN ON THEIR OWN TIME CLOCK.
UM, SO I I I WOULD NOT EXPECT THAT THERE WOULD BE SHOVELS IN THE GROUND IN 2027.
UM, BUT IF THE STARS ALIGNED IT COULD.
SO THE SLEDDING PARKING LOT WILL BE OPEN THIS WINTER.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NO, JUST THAT'S ALSO SAYING THAT WE'RE ADDING THREE NEW WRS TO THE TOWNSHIP.
UM, SO AT THIS TIME WE WILL NEED TO OPEN TO PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, FOR OUR SECOND READING OF THIS ORDINANCE.
WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION? SIR, JUST BEFORE YOU BEGIN, SIR, YOU GET UNEQUIVOCALLY CLEAR THAT YOU ARE REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL AND YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL AND COUNSEL'S NOT PRESENT WITH YOU TONIGHT.
I'M ONE OF THE DEVELOPERS, UH, MYSELF AND DENNIS SHERWOOD.
SCOTT TAYLOR HAD ASKED ME TO, UH, PROVIDE A NAME OF THE JOB.
ORIGINALLY WE WERE TO BUILD WHEN WE WON THIS CONTRACT,
AND I THINK SCOTT AND THE PROFESSIONALS DID A GREAT JOB IN HELPING US GET TO THIS POINT.
WE'RE NOW CHANGING THE NAME
WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK DURING THIS PUBLIC HEARING SECTION? SEEING NONE.
AND AT THIS TIME I WILL DO ROLL CALL FOR ADOPTION.
ORDINANCE 2026 DASH 18 IS APPROVED.
[XIII. CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTIONS ]
MOVE TO THE FOUR CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTIONS REMAINING ON CONSENT.WE HAVE RESOLUTION 1 75 20 26 AUTHORIZING AN THE TOWNSHIP MANAGER TO EXECUTE A DISCHARGE OF A MORTGAGE AND NOTE FOR THE PREMISES KNOWN AS 39 MOR, RIGHT MOR? YEAH.
MOR LEDGE BOULEVARD BLOCK 4 0 4 25 LOT 30.
AND THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD RESOLUTION 1 76 20 26.
APPROVING REQUEST FOR FINAL RELEASE OF PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE TO THE THORNBERRY HOLDINGS L-L-C-S-P-R DASH 5 7 49 RESOLUTION 1 77 20 26 AUTHORIZING THE SUBMISSION OF A GRANT APPLICATION FOR THE PHYSICAL YEAR 2027 NJ, DOT, SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL AND RESOLUTION 1 78 20 26 APPOINTING WEIR LAW AS A CONFLICT LABOR CO COUNCIL PURSUANT TO THE NON-AIR AND OPEN PROCESS.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE CONSENT AND AGENDA RESOLUTIONS? OBJECTION.
RESOLUTIONS 1 75 THROUGH 1 78 DASH 2026 AS PRESENTED.
[02:10:01]
MR. COX? AYE.AND, UM, THE SINGLE RESOLUTION OF RESOLUTION 1 79 20 26
[XIII.5. Resolution 179-2026 – Accepting the Findings of the Township Planning Board Concerning the Preliminary Investigation of Properties within the Township’s Community Commercial Zoning District in the Area of the Intersection of Church Road & Medford Mount Holly Road (Burlington County Route 541) for Designation as a Rehabilitation Area and Declaring the Same as a Rehabilitation Area ]
ACCEPTING THE FILINGS OF THE TOWNSHIP PLANNING BOARD CONCERNING THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF PROPERTIES WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP'S COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL ZONE DISTRICT IN THE AREA OF THE INTERSECTION OF CHURCH ROAD AND MEDFORD, MOUNT HOLLY ROAD, BURLINGTON COUNTY ROAD 5 41 FOR DESIGNATION AS REHABILITATION AREA AND DECLARING THE SAME AS A REHABILITATION AREA.UM, THE PURPOSE OF PULLING THIS OUT FOR ITS OWN, UM, RESOLUTION WAS SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY IF NEEDED TO DISCUSS MATTERS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, I BELIEVE THOSE MATTERS THAT WERE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION ARE VERY VALID AND, UM, WE THANK THE MEMBERS THAT, OF THE PUBLIC THAT THAT BROUGHT THOSE TO OUR ATTENTION.
AND IF I COULD EXPAND ON THAT, MAYOR.
UM, 'CAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT TIMING.
A AS PART OF OUR RESEARCH IN DOING THE INVESTIGATION DETERMINATION, UM, O OBVIOUSLY IF IT WAS REALIZED THAT, THAT, THAT THE, THE OLD STYLE SHOP IS THE TOLL HOUSE PROPERTY.
IT WAS CONSTRUCTED SOMETIME BETWEEN THE LATE 17 HUNDREDS AND 1830.
UM, AND AS MS. KAS INDICATED, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS WAS PART OF HAN TOWNSHIP BEFORE WE WERE SPLIT OFF, UM, IN 1847, I THINK THE HOME WAS BUILT BY E FROM STRATTON, UH, IF I'M CORRECT, AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE TOLL HOUSE WAS THE SMALLER ONE STORY BUILDING.
AND THE HOUSE ITSELF IS THE, IS THE SALT BOX.
UH, THAT IS THE TWO STORY BUILDING A FEW FEET OFF OF THE RIGHT OF WAY.
SO SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, UH, THROUGH THIS PROCESS, I DID SHARE WITH THE MANAGER'S OFFICE AND THE, THE TOWNSHIP PROFESSIONALS, UH, THE AGE AND WHAT WE HAD FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF INCORPORATING, UH, PRESERVING IF POSSIBLE AND INCORPORATING ELEMENTS OF THAT INTO THE SITE DESIGN, UM, TO, TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, AND MAYOR'S COMMENTS EARLIER, THE REHABILITATION PROCESS GIVES US THAT FLEXIBILITY TO REDUCE SETBACKS, TO MODIFY SITE LAYOUTS TO MAKE THIS SITE THE BEST IT CAN BE FOR THE AREA.
ADDRESSING THINGS LIKE TRAFFIC.
WE DO HAVE SOME BURLINGTON COUNTY JURISDICTION FOR SOME OF THE ROADWAYS, BUT BETWEEN MR. NOEL'S OFFICE, THE SITE LAYOUT, THE TRAFFIC, THE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS AND CIRCULATION, THE BUILDING DESIGN, THE PARKING LOT CONFIGURATION TO PRESERVE WHATEVER CAN BE PRESERVED, UM, OR, OR HOWEVER APPROPRIATELY HANDLED, UM, AS, AS COUNSEL DEEMED APPROPRIATE.
BUT THAT HAS BEEN PART OF OUR DISCUSSIONS.
WE'VE SHARED THOSE EMAILS AND WE KNOW THAT THAT'S AN ONGOING TOPIC, UH, OF IMPORTANCE TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE DESIGN AND LAYOUT OF THE FACILITY.
UM, I KNOW YOU'LL DO A GREAT JOB ON THIS ONE.
UM, AND I DON'T WANNA JUMP TOO FAR AHEAD, BUT JUST SO THE PUBLIC'S AWARE, UM, THE ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE THAT'S CURRENTLY ON MILL STREET USED TO BE ON THE MCDONALD'S SITE AT STOKES.
RIGHT? SO THERE WAS AN, AT THE TIME, A GOVERNING BODY DECIDED THAT THAT USE, THERE WAS A BETTER USE FOR THAT SITE, BUT THEY DIDN'T JUST TEAR DOWN THE ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE, THEY MOVED THE BUILDING.
AND THEN WE GET TO ENJOY THAT TODAY.
SO, UM, I'M NOT AT ALL PRESUMING THAT THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN HERE, BUT THESE ARE THE MECHANISMS THAT WE CAN USE TO ENACT SOME PRESERVATION AND NOT JUST REZONE THE PROPERTY AND THEN WHATEVER HAPPENS, HAPPENS.
SO, UM, I THINK THE, I'M IN FAVOR OF THE REHABILITATION ZONE FOR THAT MATTER.
WE, WE HAVE CONTROL OF WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT SITE AND THE ELEMENTS OF THAT SITE THAT CURRENTLY EXIST.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON RESOLUTION 1 79 20 26? NOPE.
MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO PASS.
RESOLUTION 1 79 20 26 IS APPROVED.
[XIV. EXECUTIVE SESSION ]
WE WILL MOVE TO OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION RESOLUTION ES 1 0 6 0 20 26.THERE'S THREE MATTERS RELATING TO ATTORNEY, UM, CLIENT PRIVILEGE, LITIGATION, CONTRACT NEGOTIATION, LITIGATION AND PERSONNEL.
I'LL NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND.
WE WILL BE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR HOURS AND HOURS.
I WAS ESTIMATING AN HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF, TWO HOURS.
ACTION AND ACTION MAY BE TAKEN, ACTION MAY BE TAKEN WHEN WE RETURN.
SO ACTION MAY BE TAKEN IN AND WHEN WE RETURN FROM EXECUTIVE, AM I STATING THAT CORRECTLY? WHEN WE RETURN, WHEN WE RETURN, I'M SORRY.
UM, YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY OR YOU CAN WATCH AT HOME TOMORROW.
[02:15:03]
THAT'S IT.I AM RECONVENING THE OPEN PORTION OF THE PUBLIC MEETING.
WE DISCUSSED ALL THE MATTERS, UM, LISTED IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND AT THIS TIME, YES, MR. MAYOR.
UM, THERE'S JUST ONE MATTER THAT I WANTED TO BRING TO COUNCIL'S ATTENTION.
UM, AS, AS THE COUNCIL'S AWARE, UH, WE PREVIOUSLY EXECUTED A REDEVELOPER AGREEMENT WITH DR. HORTON AND ONE OF WHICH WAS THE FLYING W UM, AGREEMENT WITH THE FLYING W REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.
AS PART OF THAT, UH, FLYING W REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, THERE WAS A CONSISTENCY SUBMISSION THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THE TOWNSHIP.
NOW, UNDER THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT, WE WERE REQUIRED TO REVIEW IT UNDER FOUR, WITHIN 14 DAYS.
AND YOU AS A COUNSEL ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE EITHER A CONSISTENCY OR INCONSISTENCY DETERMINATION AS THE REDEVELOPMENT ENTITY MANAGER'S OFFICE CAN'T DO IT.
HOWEVER, YOUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF HAS REVIEWED THE SUBMISSION.
THE SUBMISSION WAS LIMITED TO THE ARCHITECTURAL PLANS FOR THE FLYING W AS WELL AS VARIOUS COLOR PALETTES.
UM, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM YOUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF IS TO DEEM THE SUBMISSION INCOMPLETE.
UH, FIRST THE FORMAL SUBMISSION DIDN'T INCLUDE THE SITE LAYOUT SLASH CONCEPT PLAN.
IT DID NOT INCLUDE THE SITE PLAN, THE SUBDIVISION PLANS, REPORTS, OR OTHER MATERIALS THAT ARE GENERALLY REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE PLANNING BOARD, UH, WHICH IS AN EXPRESS REQUIREMENT OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.
FURTHERMORE, THE SUBMISSION ALSO DID NOT INCLUDE THE REQUIRED FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS, WHICH WAS AN EXPRESS REQUIREMENT OF THE REDEVELOPER AGREEMENT.
UH, WE DO TAKE ISSUE WITH BOTH PLANS BEING AT A 200 FOOT SCALE SCALE DRAWINGS, AND WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THE COUNCIL ASK FOR ANY FUTURE SUBMISSION TO BE OF STANDARD SIZE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONCEPT PLAN AND PLANS THAT ARE SUBMITTED TO THE PLANNING BOARD.
UM, THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF ALSO TAKES EXCEPTION TO THE CONSISTENCY LETTER INDICATING THAT THE ARCHITECTURAL PLANS ARE ONLY REPRESENTATIVE AND COULD BE CHANGED IN THE REDEVELOPER DISCRETION.
UH, YOU AS THE REDEVELOPMENT ENTITY, UM, SHOULD ENSURE THAT THOSE ARCHITECTURAL PLANS ARE WHAT ARE IDENTICAL TO THAT WHICH GOES TO THE PLANNING BOARD FOR CONSISTENCY PURPOSES.
UH, AS IN ADDITION, THE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS, BULK STANDARDS REQUIRE PORCHES MEETING SPECIFIED DIMENSIONAL AND LOCATION REQUIREMENT.
AND THE SUBMISSION INCLUDES FOUR SINGLE FAMILY MODELS.
BUT EACH MODEL INCLUDES OPTIONS THAT DO NOT PROVIDE THE REQUIRED FRONT PORCH.
WITH RESPECT TO THE MARKET RATE TOWNHOUSES, THERE'S NO EXTERIOR COLOR PALETTE PROVIDED, WHICH WOULD MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO DETERMINE CONSISTENCY.
AND FINALLY, UM, FOR THE AFFORDABLE UNITS, ALL, ALL THESE UNITS ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE AN EXTERIOR LIVING AREAS SUCH AS PATIOS, PORCHES, OR BALCONIES.
AND THAT'S AN EXPRESS REQUIREMENT OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.
THE AFFORDABLE UNITS DEPICTED IN THE SUBMISSION DO NOT TO PROVIDE SUCH PORCHES, BALCONIES, OR PATIOS, AND THEREFORE IT'S RECOMMENDED THAT IT'S, UM, BE INCONSISTENT.
UM, AND THEN JUST AS A CATCHALL, THIS IS PROBABLY A TYPO, BUT WE WANT TO BE PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT THE CONCEPT PLAN IDENTIFIES THE 90 AFFORDABLE UNITS AS APARTMENT CONDOMINIUMS, WHICH DENOTES FEE SIMPLE OWNERSHIP.
UM, AS YOU GUYS ARE AWARE, YOUR FOURTH, UH, FOURTH ROUND HOUSING ELEMENT, FAIR SHARE PLAN AND MEDIATION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT REQUIRE THESE TO BE CONVERTED TO FAMILY, UM, RENTAL.
UM, SO INDICATING THAT THIS COULD INFER FEE, SIMPLE OWNERSHIP WOULD CONFLICT WITH YOUR HOUSING ELEMENT, UM, IT'S PROBABLY A TYPO, BUT FOR PURPOSES OF CONSISTENCY, IT IS AN INCONSISTENT ROTATION.
UM, SO AT THIS TIME I JUST ASK FOR A, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, OTHERWISE JUST A MOTION, UM, DEEMING THE SUBMISSION INCONSISTENT.
SO, AND DIRECTING OUR OFFICE TO PREPARE A LETTER TO THE DEVELOPER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAME.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THAT MOTION TO HAVE YOU ISSUE THE LETTER TO THE DEVELOPER SAYING THEIR PLAN IS INCONSISTENT.
NOW THAT THAT MATTER'S BEEN ADDRESSED, WE NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN.