Mar 06, 2025 Township Committee

[00:00:01]

ARE YOU DOING? HOW ARE YOU DOING? OKAY. THANK. MEETING. CALL TO ORDER. THIS IS THE

[Call to Order]

OKAY. SPEAKER. LAURIE, CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY. GO AHEAD. SAY, COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. CHAIR.

YES, THAT'S CORRECT. COMMITTEE MEMBER MARTIN WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY THIS EVENING. OKAY.

NOTICE OF MEETING IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT. ADEQUATE NOTICE OF THIS MEETING WAS PROVIDED ON JANUARY 10TH, 2025 TO THE COURIER NEWS AND THE STAR LEDGER POSTED ON THE MUNICIPAL BULLETIN BOARD AND FILED WITH THE TOWNSHIP CLERK SALUTE TO THE FLAG. PLEASE JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. THE PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING DEBORAH KEENAN FOR THE YEARS OF PUBLIC

[1. Proclamation – Recognizing Devra Keenan for Years of Public Service with Montgomery Township]

[2. Presentation – Country Club Meadows/Thrive at Montgomery Concept]

THERE'S A LONG HISTORY TO THIS, AND I REALLY DON'T WANT TO GET INTO IT TOO MUCH, BUT. YES, TO GIVE A SHORT HISTORY ON IT, THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MAY RECALL THAT THIS IS A SITE THAT WAS DESIGNATED AS AN AREA IN NEED OF REDEVELOPMENT. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER TO ASK THEM TO HELP WITH DEVELOPING THE CONCEPT FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THIS SITE, AND WE'VE ASKED THEM TO COME FORTH TONIGHT TO GIVE A PRESENTATION AS WELL OF SOME OF THE IDEAS OR ACTUALLY WHAT WHAT IS THE IDEA RIGHT NOW FOR WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE. AND ASSUMING THAT EVERYONE IS OKAY WITH IT, IT WOULD BE PUT FORTH FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING TO INTRODUCE WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, WHICH WOULD BE THE ZONING ORDINANCE FOR A SITE THAT'S DESIGNATED AN AREA NEED. THIS WOULD ALSO BE AN OPPORTUNITY AFTER YOU HEAR THE PRESENTATION, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS THAT CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO THE PLAN. THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE SURE THAT WHEN IT COMES FORTH IN TWO WEEKS, IT INCORPORATES EVERYTHING THAT THE COMMUNITY IS LOOKING FOR. ALL RIGHT. SORRY. THANK YOU. PLEASE. BETTER BETTER BETTER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER. SO WE'LL JUST CUT TO THE CHASE. MY

[00:05:01]

WE'VE DONE A LOT OF PROJECTS IN THE AREA, INCLUDING STONEBRIDGE AT MONTGOMERY. WE WERE THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR BACK IN 2000. I GUESS I'M SHOWING MY AGE A LITTLE BIT, BUT AND WE PARTNERED WITH THRIVE SENIOR LIVING OUT OF ATLANTA. SO WE WILL WE CO-DEVELOP THE PROJECTS TOGETHER. WE BOTH ARE INVOLVED IN THE INITIAL CONCEPT DESIGN AND MARKET ANALYSIS. WE WORK TOGETHER THROUGH THE PROCUREMENT OF ALL ENTITLEMENTS, DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT. AT THE POINT IN TIME WHEN THE PROJECT IS READY TO BE CONSTRUCTED, WE OBVIOUSLY TAKE THE LEAD AS THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR AND GET THE PROJECT BUILT. AND ONCE IT'S CONSTRUCTED, THRIVE TAKES OVER AND THEY HANDLE THE DAY TO DAY MANAGEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS THE MARKETING AND LEASING AND RUNNING THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL. THE CONCEPT THAT WE HAVE FOR, FOR, FOR THIS PROPERTY IN MONTGOMERY IS A SENIOR COMMUNITY THAT WOULD CONSIST OF INDEPENDENT LIVING, ASSISTED LIVING AND MEMORY CARE. THE INDEPENDENT LIVING IS FOR THOSE SENIORS WHO DON'T NECESSARILY NEED THE HEALTH CARE COMPONENT OF CARE, BUT DO NEED SOME ASSISTANCE, WHETHER IT'S WITH SOCIALIZATION, THEY MAY NEED SOME MINOR ASSISTANCE WITH ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING, BUT THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY FUNCTIONING INDEPENDENTLY, BUT THEY'RE NOT FULLY INDEPENDENT WHERE THEY WOULD BE LIVING IN THEIR OWN HOUSE ANYMORE OR IN AN APARTMENT. AND. THE COMMUNITY ITSELF IS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE QUALITY OF LIFE. IT'S NOT A NURSING HOME. IT'S NOT PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING THERE BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE. WE TRY AND ENCOURAGE THE RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE AN ACTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE AND MEANINGFUL EXISTENCE WHILE THEY'RE THERE.

THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF SOCIAL PROGRAMS. THERE'S DINING OPTIONS FOR THEM THEATERS, MOVIE THEATERS, FITNESS CENTERS, MULTI-PURPOSE ART ROOM. IF PEOPLE WANT TO DO PAINTING OR ANY TYPE OF, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVE A HOBBY FOR ARTWORK, THEY HAVE THAT ABILITY TO DO THERE.

THERE'S A ASIDE FROM THE AMENITY SPACES IN THE IN THE BUILDING ITSELF, THERE IS AN AREA IT'S TITLED, IF YOU LOOK UP ON THESE DISPLAYS, AREA SIX, IT SAYS OUTDOOR AMENITIES. AND WHAT WE DO THERE IS AGAIN, IT'S ALL ABOUT SOCIALIZATION. SO THERE'LL BE. OPTIONS FOR OUTDOOR DINING IF THEY WANT. THERE'LL BE FIRE PITS. THERE'LL BE SOMETIMES WE PUT IN AN OUTDOOR MOVIE THEATER THAT PEOPLE THEY COULD PUT ON PROGRAMING AND MOVIES AT NIGHT IF THE WEATHER'S COOPERATIVE. SO IT'S A VERY NICE COMMUNITY IN THAT IT FORCES THE RESIDENTS TO MAINTAIN AN ACTIVE SOCIAL LIFE.

THE CONCEPT THAT YOU SEE HERE, BASICALLY THE UNITS THAT ARE ON EACH SIDE OF THE MAIN THAT'S LABELED AS BILL, AS, AS, AS NUMBER ONE HERE, THOSE ARE STYLE AND FLATS FOR INDEPENDENT SENIORS WHO WANT TO HAVE THE FEEL OF BEING IN THEIR OWN HOME SO THEY COULD COME IN THROUGH THEIR FRONT DOOR. THEY COULD COME AND GO AS THEY PLEASE. THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT OF REPORTING IN. AND WHAT WE DID THRIVE HAS DONE THIS CONCEPT DOWN SOUTH, WHERE THEY'RE SEPARATE COTTAGES AND YOU WALK TO THE MAIN BUILDING FOR DINING, FOR SOCIALIZATION. IN THIS CLIMATE, NOBODY, INCLUDING SENIORS, EVEN NOBODY HERE, WHEN IT'S MISERABLE OUT AND IT'S SNOWING, YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO HAVE TO WALK OUTSIDE TO GO TO THEIR TO EAT DINNER WITH THEIR FRIENDS OR TO GO TO THE MOVIE THEATER. SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THOSE COTTAGES ARE CONNECTED BY A SPINE IN THE MIDDLE OF THEM, WHICH IS ALMOST GOING TO BE LIKE A GLASS MALL. SO THEY HAVE THE

[00:10:03]

THEN THERE'LL BE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF UNITS WHICH WILL DEFINITELY BE ASSISTED LIVING.

AND THEN THERE'S A DEDICATED WING FOR WHAT THEY CALL MEMORY CARE, WHICH IS DEMENTIA RELATED ISSUES. THOSE ARE USUALLY THAT'S AN AREA OF THE BUILDING THAT WILL BE. ACCESS CONTROLLED, SO THAT RESIDENTS WITH DEMENTIA ISSUES CAN'T WANDER, GET LOST OR ELOPE FROM THE BUILDING. THEY'LL HAVE THEIR OWN DINING FACILITY WITHIN THAT SPACE. THEY'LL HAVE THEIR OWN SOCIAL PROGRAMING SPACES IN THERE. THE REST OF THE BUILDING, THE AMENITY SPACES WILL BE SHARED SPACES FOR BOTH THE INDEPENDENT AND ASSISTED LIVING RESIDENTS. WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO SOCIALIZE TOGETHER AND THEY THEY ENJOY THAT SOCIALIZATION. SO THERE'LL BE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN INDEPENDENT LIVING UNITS, WHO HAVE FRIENDS, WHO ARE ASSISTED LIVING, RATHER THAN HAVE SEPARATE DINING FACILITIES. THEY CAN EAT TOGETHER AND THEY CAN SOCIALIZE THROUGH THE MOVIE THEATER, THE FITNESS CENTER. ALL OF THAT WILL BE PART OF ONE. COMMUNITY. SO THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THE USE. IT'S THE USE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY PERMITTED WAY BACK WHEN COUNTRY CLUBS MEADOWS STARTED DOWN THIS PATH. WE'RE REALLY NOT SEEKING ANY TYPE OF CHANGE OF THE USE OF THE PROPERTY. IT'S JUST THAT AS TIME HAS GONE BY, MARKET CONDITIONS CHANGE, THE UNIT MIX THAT WAS IN THAT ZONING ORDINANCE IS NOT FEASIBLE IN THIS MARKET. WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO KEEP THE BUILDING STABILIZED.

WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO, TO, TO LEND TO A PROJECT BECAUSE IT JUST IT WOULDN'T BE FEASIBLE. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE CAME BACK TO THE MUNICIPALITY ALSO, AGAIN, THE ORIGINAL ZONING HAD EVERYTHING IN THREE SEPARATE BUILDINGS. SO AGAIN, IF SOMEBODY WAS IN THE INDEPENDENT LIVING AND THEY WANTED TO GO OVER TO THE OTHER BUILDING, THEY HAD TO WALK OUTSIDE AND IN THE NORTHEAST, IN THIS CLIMATE, IT JUST WASN'T CONDUCIVE TO IT. SO. PARKING, YOU KNOW, THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE RESIDENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY, EVEN THE INDEPENDENT LIVING, ARE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 78 TO 82 YEARS OLD. SO WHILE THEY ARE CONSIDERED INDEPENDENT LIVING AND WE DO PROVIDE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PARKING, THE REALITY IS, IS THAT MOST OF THE RESIDENTS, INCLUDING THE INDEPENDENT LIVING RESIDENTS, ARE NOT DRIVING. SOME OF THEM WILL HAVE CARS BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO LET GO OF THEIR CARS. AND THEIR CHILDREN SAY, OKAY, WE'LL LET YOU HAVE A CAR. THEY PARK IT THERE AND THEY GIVE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THE PEOPLE MANAGING THE COMMUNITY KEYS. AND THEY DON'T THEY DON'T DON'T LET THEM DRIVE. NONE OF NONE OF THE ASSISTED LIVING RESIDENTS WILL DRIVE. AND OBVIOUSLY NONE OF THE MEMORY CARE RESIDENTS WILL BE DRIVING. WE DO HAVE A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN IN THE BUILDING BECAUSE WE WILL PROVIDE MEALS TO THE RESIDENTS. IF THEY WANT THE UNITS, THE INDEPENDENT LIVING UNITS WILL HAVE FULL KITCHENS. SO IF A RESIDENT WANTS TO PREPARE THEIR OWN MEALS, THEY'RE WELCOME TO DO THAT. IF THEY WANT TO COME DOWN AND EAT IN A DINING ROOM, THEY CAN DO THAT AS WELL. ASSISTED LIVING AND MEMORY CARE WILL HAVE SMALL KITCHENETTES THAT USUALLY CONSISTS OF A SMALL REFRIGERATOR AND A MICROWAVE IF THEY WANT TO HEAT SOMETHING UP, BUT THEY'RE TAKING ALL OF THEIR MEALS IN THE IN THE DINING FACILITIES AS WELL. STAFFING WISE. AGAIN, YOU'LL HAVE YOUR HOUSE. WE PROVIDE HOUSEKEEPING FOR THE RESIDENTS, SOCIAL PROGRAMS. SO THERE'S ACTIVITY DIRECTORS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAM ON THAT PROGRAMING.

[00:15:03]

WE WILL HAVE THE ABILITY FOR DOCTORS TO COME INTO THE COMMUNITY IF THEY NEED TO, TO SEE A RESIDENT. BUT WE'RE NOT PROVIDING MEDICAL CARE. WE DON'T HAVE OXYGEN SYSTEMS IN THE BUILDING FOR RESIDENT NEEDS OXYGEN. IT'S REALLY NOT THE PLACE FOR THEM TO BE. THEY REALLY NEED TO BE IN A HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE, LIKE A SKILLED NURSING FACILITY OR A SUBACUTE CARE FACILITY. AGAIN, THE INTENT IS TO DESIGN A COMMUNITY THAT HAS A RESIDENTIAL FEEL TO IT, NOT AN INSTITUTIONAL FEEL TO IT. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE CONCEPTS, DESIGNS AND THE AND THE ELEVATIONS, I THINK YOU SEE THAT WHILE IT IS A IT'S A BIG COMMUNITY, IT DOES HAVE A RESIDENTIAL FEEL TO IT. SO I HOPE THAT GIVES EVERYBODY A CLEAR PICTURE OF THE DEVELOPMENT BEING CONTEMPLATED. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO CONTINUE TO SCROLL? I'M SORRY, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO CONTINUE TO SCROLL THROUGH THESE? DO YOU? OH, YEAH. IF YOU WANT, I CAN WALK YOU THROUGH IT.

THE FIRST. SKETCH WAS FIRST PRESENTATION WAS JUST AN OVERALL CONCEPT PLAN OF WHAT THE SITE WOULD LOOK LIKE. OBVIOUSLY WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN INTO ANY TYPE OF DESIGN YET. THIS IS PRELIMINARY.

THE INTENT WON'T CHANGE, BUT OBVIOUSLY SOME OF THE SPECIFICS OF THE DESIGN. WILL. THE NEXT SLIDE, IF YOU WANT TO SCROLL TO THAT, IS REALLY JUST A BLOCKING MASK TO SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT BETTER. WHAT THE LOOK OF THE COMMUNITY AND HOW IT WILL, WILL, WILL PRESENT IN A 3D IMAGE. I BELIEVE THERE'S ANOTHER ONE FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE, BUT AGAIN, SO THOSE YELLOW, THOSE YELLOW STRUCTURES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, THE DOUBLE STRUCTURES ARE THE ARE THE COTTAGES THAT MAIN T BUILDING WOULD BE WHERE THE AMENITY SPACES WOULD BE, THE FLAT, THE APARTMENTS, THE INDEPENDENT LIVING ASSISTED LIVING APARTMENTS AND THE MEMORY CARE APARTMENTS WOULD BE. AND THAT AREA, I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY IT WOULD BE THE NORTH SIDE OF THE T WHERE THOSE PURPLE BLOCKS ARE. AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE THE OUTDOOR AMENITY SPACE FOR THE INDEPENDENT AND ASSISTED LIVING RESIDENTS. YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT ONE IF YOU'D LIKE. OH THE ELEVATION. SO WE OBVIOUSLY IF YOU COULD SCROLL BACK ONE. SORRY. YEP. SO WHEN WE WERE HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH MEMBERS OF THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE, OBVIOUSLY AND UNDERSTANDABLY, PEOPLE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THIS WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. SO THIS RENDERING HERE GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THE COTTAGES WOULD LOOK LIKE. AGAIN, THE MATERIALS ARE DESIGNED TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A RESIDENCE. THE IT WILL BE A FIBER CEMENT SIDING, COMBINATION OF FIBER CEMENT SIDING AND SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF CULTURED STONE TO GIVE IT A NICE FEEL. AND IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, SORRY. 0111 BACK PLEASE. YEP. RIGHT THERE. PERFECT. SO THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THE MAIN BUILDING WOULD LOOK LIKE IF WHEN YOU WERE COMING IN. THERE'S, THERE'S A PORTE COCHERE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN BE PICKED UP AND DROPPED OFF WITHOUT GOING INTO THE INCLEMENT WEATHER. AND THEN YOU WOULD GO INTO THE MAIN BUILDING WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE THE USUALLY MOST OF THE AMENITY SPACES ARE ON THE FIRST FLOOR.

THERE WILL BE SOME SPACES ON THE SECOND AND THIRD FLOOR, WHICH WILL SPREAD THE AMENITY SPACES OUT A LITTLE BIT, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THAT MAIN CENTER OF THE BUILDING IS, IS WHERE ALL OF YOUR SOCIAL PROGRAMS AND YOUR AMENITY SPACES, YOUR DINING. THERE'S USUALLY A CAFE, A PUB.

THERE WILL BE A SALON FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HAVE THEIR HAIR OR NAILS OR PEDICURES, MANICURES, THAT TYPE OF TREATMENT. BUT THAT GIVES YOU A GENERAL FEEL FOR THE BUILDING. THAT MAIN BUILDING AGAIN WILL BE SIMILAR. THERE'LL BE SOME BRICK TO IT, THERE'LL BE SOME COMBINATION OF BRICK FIBER, CEMENT SIDING AND POSSIBLY SOME METAL PANELS TO BREAK UP THE ELEVATION, GIVE IT SOME VARIANCE. AGAIN, WE WERE ASKED THIS IS JUST AN IDEA SECTION THROUGH THE BUILDING. SO IT

[00:20:04]

THEY GET THE REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE STATE. THEN THEY REIMBURSE THE COMMUNITY. NO THANK YOU.

JUST A SECOND QUESTION, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU BROUGHT IT UP BEFORE, YOU KNOW, AND YOU KNOW THIS, THE MIX OF UNITS HAS CHANGED A LOT. OBVIOUSLY YOU SAW AS THE LAYOUT, WHAT'S YOUR CONFIDENCE LEVEL BASED ON CURRENT MARKET DYNAMICS THAT YOU'D BE ABLE TO FILL THE UNITS BASED ON THOSE THAT MIX OF, YOU KNOW, ASSISTED MEMORY, ETC? WELL, WE'RE AS CONFIDENT AS YOU COULD BE. WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY TO BE HERE, AND WE THINK IT'S A GREAT COMMUNITY. AND WE AND WHEN I SAY GREAT COMMUNITY, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY WE'RE GOING TO BUILD, BUT MONTGOMERY AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU, I'M SURE YOU'VE ALL READ THAT. THEY TALK ABOUT THE DEMAND FOR THESE COMMUNITIES. AS THE BABY BOOMERS AGE, THE DEMAND IS JUST GOING TO CONTINUE TO EXPLODE. SO WE'RE WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. AND AGAIN, WHAT WE TRY AND DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS SUCCESSFUL IS TO DESIGN IT WITH AS MUCH FLEXIBILITY AS POSSIBLE, SO WE COULD ADAPT TO THE CONDITIONS AS THEY DEVELOP.

[00:25:02]

OKAY. I THINK THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, YOU KNOW, BRINGING THIS PRESENTATION TO US. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE. OKAY. SO AS I SAID, THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO BRING FORTH A REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, WHICH IS AN ORDINANCE, AND THAT WILL BE BEFORE YOU ON YOUR NEXT MEETING, WHICH I BELIEVE WE WILL TALK ABOUT THE DATE, THE DATE CHANGE TO THE 21ST INSTEAD OF THE 20TH. AND THAT WOULD BE FOR INTRODUCTION WITH A PUBLIC HEARING AT THE MEETING THEREAFTER. AFTER IT GOES TO THE PLANNING BOARD FOR CONSISTENCY WITH THE MASTER PLAN. OKAY.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION, PEDESTRIAN

[3. Presentation – Pedestrian Connectivity to Municipal Building – Mark Herrmann, Township Engineer; Lauren Wasilauski, Open Space and Stewardship Director]

CONCERNS REGARDING. 000. THREE. ONCE AGAIN. LET'S SEE. AGAIN THE TABLE YOU PLUGGED IN OKAY. IT'S NOT GOING I THINK THE TABLES ARE LABELED. THAT'S TABLE RIGHT. ALL RIGHT.

LET ME TRY TABLE OKAY. LET'S TRY NOW. GOOD SIGN. YEAH. THERE WE GO OKAY. HERE WE GO. BACKWARDS.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. I WAS WONDERING WHERE WE WERE. THE SECOND PICTURE WAS WHERE ARE WE IN MONTGOMERY. THERE. THAT'S A NEW ONE. APPROVED. YES. THAT'S THE OPEN SPACE IS GREEN AMSTERDAM. YEAH, IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING TIME ON

[00:30:03]

[00:35:07]

WE HAVE THE SYCAMORE LANE NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE EAST, AND WE HAVE MONTGOMERY RIDGE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THIS CAMPUS. SO WE LOOKED AT A FEW DIFFERENT OPTIONS JUST TO KIND OF GET A SENSE OF HOW LONG PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE WALKING WHEN THEY'RE USING THIS ROUTE.

THIS WAS ON THE LOWER END. IT THE WALKING DISTANCES RANGED FROM ONE TO ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILES. SO THESE ARE JUST A FEW REPRESENTATIVE PHOTOS KIND OF SHOWING THE AREA OF WHERE THE PATHWAY WOULD BE LOCATED. IT'S IN A FORESTED AREA PREDOMINANTLY. THERE WOULD BE SOME TREE REMOVAL REQUIRED, BUT WE WOULD TRY TO MEANDER AROUND TREES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. YOU CAN SEE THE BIDEN'S BROOK CROSSING THERE. THE FLOODPLAIN SIDE IS FAIRLY FLAT, AND THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF TOPOGRAPHY CHANGE ON THE UPPER SIDE, AND THE BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO IS MORE OF REPRESENTATIVE OF A WETLAND AREA THAT WE WOULD NEED TO CROSS, PROBABLY WITH AN ELEVATED BOARDWALK. SO THE SECOND OPTION WE LOOKED AT ALSO REQUIRES A BRIDGE SIMILAR TO THE LAST ONE.

THIS ONE WOULD ACTUALLY REQUIRE A SLIGHTLY LONGER BRIDGE. AS WE MOVE TOWARDS THE EAST. THE FLOODPLAIN FOR BEATONS BROOK DOES GET WIDER, SO THE BRIDGE TENDS TO BE LONGER AND ALSO A LITTLE BIT HIGHER OFF THE GROUND. SAME AS THE FIRST OPTION. THIS WOULD ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS. WE WOULD NEED PROPERTY RIGHTS WORKING WITH THE HILLSIDE, MONTGOMERY RIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE WALKING DISTANCES ARE ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT LONGER FOR THIS ROUTE, WHERE THE MINIMUM WALKING DISTANCE IS ABOUT 1.3 MILES, BUT ON THE MAXIMUM END, SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO WALK AS FAR AS THREE MILES OR. SIMILAR TO THE OTHER OPTIONS, WE TOOK A FEW PHOTOS OF THE GENERAL AREA. YOU CAN SEE THE FLOODPLAIN HERE. YOU CAN SEE AT THE TOP LEFT. THERE'S A BIGGER CHANGE IN GRADE ON EACH SIDE OF THE BRIDGE. THE CHANGING GRADE IS A LITTLE BIT SUBSTANTIAL, SO IT PRESENTS SOME CHALLENGES JUST FROM ADA ACCESSIBILITY. AND YOU KNOW, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A LONGER BRIDGE JUST TO MINIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. SO THE THIRD OPTION IS THROUGH THE 23 ORCHARD ROAD PROPERTY. AND THIS IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE OPTION. AND THAT IS BECAUSE AS MARK JUST MENTIONED, THE FLOODPLAIN GETS WIDER AS WE HEAD FROM WEST TO EAST. SO WE WOULD NEED A MUCH LONGER BRIDGE SPAN HERE. THE LONGEST OF THE THREE OPTIONS WHERE A NEW BRIDGE IS REQUIRED, IT WOULD DISTURB ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS.

AGAIN, WITH THAT BRIDGE CROSSING AND THE ELEVATED BOARDWALK SECTIONS THAT WOULD GO THROUGH WETLAND AND FLOODPLAIN AREAS AND REQUIRES EASEMENTS FROM THE HILLSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE 23 ORCHARD ROAD PROPERTY. AND THIS HAS COMPARABLE WALKING DISTANCES TO OPTION TWO, WITH FOLKS WALKING 1.3 TO 3 MILES. AND JUST A FEW REPRESENTATIVE PHOTOS LOOKS SIMILAR TO THE PHOTOS WE'VE SEEN. OF THE OTHER TWO OPTIONS. YOU CAN SEE SOME GREAT CHANGE THERE ON THE TOP RIGHT.

YOU'RE ON KIND OF THE HIGH BANK LOOKING, YOU KNOW, UP AGAINST THE STREAM AND THEN THE

[00:40:04]

THIS ONE USES THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY ALONGSIDE ROUTE 206, WHEREAS THE, YOU KNOW, THE BRIDGE OPTIONS ARE GOING TO BE MORE NOTICEABLE TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS. AND IT MIGHT JUST NOT BE SO OBVIOUS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST TRAVELING IN GENERAL.

THE GOOD ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS OPTION IS THAT IT USES. IT UTILIZES AN EXISTING BRIDGE ALONGSIDE ROUTE 206. WE ACTUALLY HAD A MEETING WITH DOT ABOUT THAT WHO'S THERE'S ALREADY SIDEWALK PROVISIONS ON THERE AND THEY WOULD JUST REQUIRE A LITTLE BIT OF MODIFICATION, BUT WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO BUILD A NEW BRIDGE FOR THIS WITH IT BEING ALONGSIDE AN EXISTING ROAD. IT DOES HAVE THE LEAST ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. IT MAY HAVE SOME WETLANDS IMPACT, BUT IT IS. WE DON'T HAVE TO CROSS THE STREAM. IT'S ALSO A LITTLE BIT HIGHER UP AND THE SHOULDERS ARE WIDER THERE. THIS ONE IS ALSO ELIGIBLE FOR THE MOST FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO COVER ANY GAPS ABOVE THE $3 MILLION THAT DCA WAS GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO GIVE US. ALSO, AFTER EVALUATING EVERYTHING WE LOOKED AT IN THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, THIS OPTION WAS PREFERRED BY THE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE, AND STAFF. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE WALKING DISTANCES ARE ALSO BETTER BALANCED WITH THIS OPTION, WHERE THE MAXIMUM WALKING DISTANCE IS ABOUT TWO MILES ON THE LONGEST END AND ABOUT A MILE AND A QUARTER ON THE SHORT END. WHAT WAS THE COST FOR OPTION FOUR? WE'LL BE GETTING TO THAT WITH THE NEXT SLIDE. I JUST WANT TO POINT ONE MORE THING OUT AND I'LL GET OVER THE COSTS. BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT 3.3 MILLION IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. I MEAN, THESE ARE JUST A COUPLE PICTURES THAT ARE ALONGSIDE THE ROAD, THE TOP LEFT. I KNOW IT DOESN'T DO IT JUSTICE, BUT THE AREA BY THE BRIDGE ALONG 206, IT ACTUALLY HAS A REALLY WIDE SHOULDER. SO YOU CAN SEE HERE, LIKE JUST BEHIND THE GUIDE RAIL, THERE'S THERE IS A SIDEWALK. AND WE DID MEET WITH DDOT AND THEY ARE AMENABLE TO MOVING THE CURB LINE OUT A LITTLE BIT AND SHIFTING THE GUIDE RAIL TO PROVIDE A WIDE ENOUGH SPACE FOR PUBLIC PASSAGE. SO THIS IS THE AREA THAT'S THE SUBSTITUTE FOR WHERE THE OTHER OPTIONS WE WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE A BRIDGE. THERE'S ALREADY ONE HERE. SO I'M A VISUAL LEARNER.

SO I LIKE TO DO KIND OF A GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION. AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE IN GRADE SCHOOL REMEMBERS RED LIGHT GREEN LIGHT RIGHT THROUGH MODELED THIS SORT OF AFTER A TRAFFIC SIGNAL. SO THE RED MEANING IT'S THE MOST RESTRICTIVE AND THE GREEN MEANING IT'S THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE OR IT'S LESS RESTRICTIVE, NOT WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS. SO WE KIND OF ADDED ALL THE KEY CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE JUST WENT THROUGH INTO THIS CHART. TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE THE OBSTACLES WERE, WHAT WAS KIND OF THE HARDEST PATH, PUN INTENDED AND NOT SO. THE FIRST THREE OPTIONS OBVIOUSLY REQUIRE THOSE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AND MORE ACQUISITION OF EASEMENTS. AND WE WENT THROUGH A LOT OF THESE OTHER THINGS. BUT YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THAT THE SORT OF LEAST RESTRICTIVE OPTION IS THAT OPTION FOUR ALONG ROUTE 206, WHERE WE DON'T NEED TO BUILD A BRIDGE, IT'S THE LEAST COSTLY BY ALMOST $2 MILLION. IT'S $3.2 MILLION VERSUS THE NEXT LEAST COST OPTION IS $5 MILLION. AND ALSO IT'S ELIGIBLE FOR THE MOST GRANT OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE IT WOULD CONNECT TO THE BUS STOP, BECAUSE IT WOULD CONNECT ALONG A STATE HIGHWAY. IT'S ELIGIBLE FOR MORE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. SO I THINK WE COVERED A LOT WITH DOING THE FEASIBILITY STUDY. PART OF THE REASON WHY WE DO THEM AND NOT JUST JUMP RIGHT INTO DESIGN, IS THAT A FEASIBILITY STUDY? I THINK IT'S A GREAT DECISION MAKING TOOL. IT HELPS YOU WEIGH OUT SOME OF THE PROS AND CONS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND TO SEE, SEE WHICH ROUTE WE WANT TO GO. SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR AT THIS POINT IS FOR DECISION ON NEXT STEPS TO SEE IF THE GOVERNING BODY HAS A PREFERRED ROUTE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE BUILT. I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ANY DEADLINES AT THE MOMENT FOR THE DCA GRANT, BUT I THINK I THINK EVERYBODY WANTS THE ABILITY TO WALK TO THE CENTER. I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO NECESSARILY USE THE WALKWAY, BUT IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME. THE SECOND WE GOT FINISHED WITH THE SKILLMAN ROAD PATHS, PEOPLE

[00:45:04]

YEAH. I MEAN I THINK COST IS ONE FACTOR. RIGHT. BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE OUR ONLY FACTOR. BUT I THINK YOU IT'S CLEAR THAT THIS FROM A SCORECARD PERSPECTIVE HITS EVERYTHING. AND YEAH, I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT HOW HOW CAN WE MOVE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THAT'S TRUE. SO WE CAN ALL BE ON THE PATH. WELL I LIKE OPTION FOUR AS WELL. MY ONLY CONCERN IS THAT 206 PEOPLE DO TRAVEL REALLY FAST ON IT. SO, YOU KNOW, HAVING EXTRA PRECAUTIONS ON OR GUARDRAILS. BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU KNOW, A PET GETS LOOSE OR SOMETHING AND RUNS ACROSS THE STREET, YOU KNOW, MAY CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT. SO JUST TRYING TO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN, WHEN DOING THIS CONSTRUCTION, IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT THAT. NO, NO IT'S NOT I MEAN THEY'RE JUST LOOKING FOR DIRECTION. BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT. WELL, I MEAN, EVERYONE LIKES THE LEAST EXPENSIVE OPTION. AND I, I'M SURE THAT WHOMEVER DESIGNS THIS WILL DESIGN IT WITH SAFETY IN MIND. SO IF I HAD TO MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT, I PROBABLY WOULD SAY OPTION FOUR, ALTHOUGH I FEEL LIKE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE REALISTIC IN TERMS OF WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO CHANGE MY MIND. YEAH, DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY THE SAFETY PART. BUT YOU KNOW, AND THE FACT THAT THE PATH COULD ALSO BE HOPEFULLY A BIKING PATH, LET'S LET'S PUSH THE DOT TO GIVE US, YOU KNOW, LARGER SPACE IF WE CAN. BUT WE DO APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE IN THE IN THE BACKGROUND. I'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT ALL OF THAT, AND I GET UPDATES FROM LORI AS WELL.

AND YES, MIKE MARTIN. OH, MIKE, YES, WE DO HAVE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT? YES, I'D JUST LIKE TO ASK IF BIKE PATHS WERE EVER CONSIDERED AS PART OF THIS. YEAH. I THINK THE INTENT BEHIND THIS IS TO MAKE IT AS WIDE AS WE CAN. THERE MIGHT STILL BE SOME ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS. I THINK, IN OUR MIND. I MEAN, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO DESIGN YET. WE WOULD PROBABLY LOOK FOR AT LEAST A SIX FOOT WIDE PATH. DEPENDING ON THE CONSTRAINTS, WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GET MUCH WIDER. SO IT MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY BE A DEDICATED PATH, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE COULD DEFINITELY LOOK AT DURING THE DESIGN PROCESS. TYPICALLY, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT A SHARED USE PATH LIKE THAT, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE 12 TO 14FT WIDE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. SO IT INCREASES THE SIZE SIGNIFICANTLY, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO GET IT AS WIDE AS POSSIBLE TO ACCOMMODATE MOST THE MOST USERS. RIGHT? I THINK IT'S ABOUT BALANCING THE WIDTH FOR THE MOST USERS WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS THAT WE HAVE. AND A LOT OF THESE LOCATIONS, ESPECIALLY OPTIONS ONE THROUGH THREE. AND EVEN WITH OPTION FOUR, THERE IS, YOU KNOW, SOME SPACE CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF THE SHOULDER AND THERE'S SOME SOME STEEP GRADE KIND OF DROP OFFS IN PLACES. SO WE'D LIKE TO MAKE IT AS WIDE AS WE CAN WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, CAUSING MORE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT THAN WE NEED TO. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS. YOU KNOW A COMFORTABLE WITH US. AND OPTION FOUR, DO YOU WANT US TO COME BACK ANY OTHER. I AM AND I DON'T I THINK IT'S A GOOD WAY TO, YOU KNOW, GET THIS STARTED BECAUSE THESE THINGS TAKE LONG. AND WORKING WITH THE

[00:50:01]

OKAY. GREAT. THANK YOU. KNOW, THAT THAT IS VERY EXCITING AS WELL. THE SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN PRETTY EXCITED. ROCK BROOK IS EXCITED I MEAN, YOU KNOW, ALL THEY THEY'RE REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE THEY HAD DEFINITELY HAD TO GET A BUS HERE FOR THE LIBRARY. AND NOW HAVING, YOU KNOW, A SIDEWALK IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH EASIER. SO YES, AGAIN, THANK YOU BOTH FOR BRINGING THIS TO US. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. OKAY. PUBLIC COMMENT. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO

[Additional Item]

OKAY, OKAY. GET READY. YEAH. THAT'S BETTER. YEAH. THAT'S THAT'S BETTER. IF YOU WANT TO START OVER, I'LL JUST RESTART THE CLOCK SO EVERYONE CAN BE PROPERLY. YEAH. DO YOU WANT ME TO START OVER? YEAH. THAT'S BETTER. WE'LL RESTART THE. WELL. IF WE CAN GIVE YOU THE FULL THREE MINUTES, YOU CAN RESTART YOUR COMMENTS IF YOU WANT TO. OKAY. I'LL JUST START. YOU HEARD THE PART ABOUT IT'S NOT A SLAM. YES, YES. UNTIL 1899, THE MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP WAS A DIRECT DEMOCRACY. THAT MEANS THAT ELIGIBLE VOTERS OF THE TOWNSHIP HAD AN ANNUAL MEETING AND ELECTED OFFICIALS TO DO THE TOWNSHIP'S BUSINESS EACH YEAR. THEY WERE JUST TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS, AND SOMETIMES SOMEBODY DROPPED OUT. THEY'D CALL A SPECIAL MEETING AND ELECT SOMEBODY ELSE. THEN WE BECAME A REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, MEANING WE ELECT PEOPLE TO REPRESENT US, AND THEY IN TURN HIRED PROFESSIONALS TO DO THE WORK. SINCE THEN, SOMETIMES SOMEONE LEAVES AND SOMEONE ELSE HAS TO BE APPOINTED. ONLY NOW IT'S BECOME THE RULE RATHER THAN THE EXCEPTION, TO BE APPOINTED WITH LITTLE OR NO MUNICIPAL EXPERIENCE. THEY FILL THE TERM AND THEN LIST ALL THE MUNICIPAL EXPERIENCE THAT THEY JUST GOT ON THEIR RESUME WHEN THEY RUN FOR ELECTION, NOT FOR REELECTION, BUT FOR ELECTION. NONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO VOLUNTEER ON MUNICIPAL BOARDS SUITABLE FOR TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE. IT STARTED BACK IN 2021. SOMEBODY LEFT AND NINA WAS APPOINTED IN SPRING 2022. SOMEONE LEFT AND VINCE WAS APPOINTED. IN NOVEMBER 2022, SHELLY LEFT AND PATRICIA WAS APPOINTED, AND IN JANUARY OF 2023, SOMEONE LEFT AND DENNIS WAS APPOINTED. NOBODY HAD SHOWN ANY PARTICULAR INTEREST IN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT UNTIL THEY WENT STRAIGHT TO THE TOP. IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT TRUMP DID. HE DIDN'T, LIKE WORK HIS WAY UP AS A SENATOR OR ANYTHING. HE JUST WENT STRAIGHT TO THE TOP. EXCEPT HE WAS ACTUALLY ELECTED.

[00:55:03]

HE TOOK HIS SEAT. AND IT APPEARS THAT HE ALSO HAS LITTLE OR NO PRIOR MUNICIPAL EXPERIENCE. SO WHO IS HE? HIS BIO IS STILL NOT POSTED ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE AND IT'S 14 DAYS LATER. I DID NOTICE TODAY JUST BEFORE I CAME THOUGH. HIS NAME IS FINALLY THERE, BUT IT TOOK A REALLY LONG TIME FOR THAT TO GET THERE. AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO COMMENT THAT I. IN WATCHING THOSE FIRST FIVE MINUTES, I DECIDED TO WATCH PUBLIC COMMENT FOR 220 ALSO. AND THAT FIRST GUY. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, BUT I CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A GIGANTIC POLICE PRESENCE HERE. THERE ARE ONLY TWO PEOPLE FROM THE FROM THE PUBLIC HERE. THERE ARE EIGHT POLICEMEN HERE. I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT IS. I DIDN'T THINK THAT GUY WAS VERY TREATED VERY RESPECTFULLY. AT LEAST THAT'S THE WAY IT PLAYED OUT ON THE TAPE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'LL JUST PUT ANYONE ELSE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. HELLO I'M JIM IRISH. I LIVE IN THE SKILLMAN SECTION OF MONTGOMERY AND HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT. FOR THE RECORD. AND HERE'S A COPY OF MY STATEMENT AND YOU CAN ENTER IT INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD. ON MARCH 4TH, THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, ROAD DEPARTMENT. OH, I THINK BECAUSE THERE'S ANOTHER MIC THERE IS THAT MAYBE THIS THE HANDHELD.

CAN YOU. YEAH. CAN WE MOVE THE TABLE? YEAH. IF YOU WANT TO JUST GIVE THAT TO LAUREN. OH BETTER.

YEAH. THAT'S BETTER. THANK YOU. SHOULD I START OVER? UP TO YOU. YES. WE CAN START YOUR THREE MINUTES AGAIN. YES. THE SKILLMAN SECTION OF MONTGOMERY AND HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT. FOR THE RECORD, I HAVE A COPY OF MY STATEMENT SO IT CAN BE ENTERED CORRECTLY INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD. MARCH 4TH, THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS ROAD DEPARTMENT CUT DOWN 20 TREES IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE AND TRIMMED HARD. ANOTHER TEN. NO PRIOR NOTIFICATION WAS GIVEN. NOT ONLY THAT, THE JOB WOULD TAKE PLACE ON MARCH 4TH, BUT ALSO I WAS NOT AWARE THIS WORK HAD BEEN CONSIDERED OR WAS PLANNED. NO ONE CONTACTED ME, NOT FROM TOP LINE CONSTRUCTION. THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, THE TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE, THE ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE AND ELECTED OFFICIAL OR REPRESENTATIVE OF AN ELECTED OFFICIAL. WHY WAS I NOT NOTIFIED? WHY WOULD THE TOWN OPERATE SO ARROGANTLY AS TO TAKE MY PRIVACY AND MY TREES? AND WHAT MAKES YOU BELIEVE THE TREES WERE ON TOWNSHIP PROPERTY, OR WITHIN A RIGHT OF WAY, AND THAT THE TREES WERE NOT ON MY PRIVATE PROPERTY? WAS A RECENT SURVEY DONE? WHAT WORK EXACTLY HAS BEEN CONTRACTED BY THE TOWNSHIP TO THE PRIVATE FIRM TOP LINE CONSTRUCTION. THE TOWNSHIP NEVER ALERTED ME. NEVER SENT A LETTER, NEVER CONTACTED ME. LAST FALL, THE CONTRACTOR DUG A TRENCH IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, RIPPED UP TREES, DISTURBED ROOTS AND ROUGHLY BACKFILLED. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED IN ANY WAY ABOUT THE ACTION, NOR WAS THERE FOLLOW UP CONTACT ABOUT REMEDIATION. WHAT CAN I EXPECT NEXT? WILL THE TAKING CONTINUE? IS THE TREE CUTTING AND REPLACEMENT ORDINANCE IN LINE WITH YOUR THINKING OF MAINTAINING AND CREATING A SYLVAN RURAL ATMOSPHERE? LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THIS ONEROUS ORDINANCE. ANYONE WHO VOTED FOR THIS ORDINANCE KNOW HOW TO GROW A TREE. KNOW HOW TO GROW ANYTHING. DO YOU KNOW ONE TREE FROM ANOTHER? SO HOW ABOUT THE 20 TREES YOU CUT DOWN AND THE TEN WHICH WERE TRIMMED TRIMMED HARD IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE? LET'S SEE. RED OAK, RED MAPLE, SUGAR MAPLE, HICKORY, SASSAFRAS, RED CEDAR AND CHERRY.

HOW IS THAT? FOR A PARTIAL LIST, ALL VALUABLE UPLAND NEW JERSEY HARDWOODS, PLUS A HALF DOZEN WHITE PINES, WHICH I PLANTED 35 YEARS AGO. THE TREES CUT WERE QUALITY, HEALTHY, WELL ADAPTED NATIVE PLANTS. THEY HAVE BEEN CULTIVATED OVER THE YEARS TO REFOREST OLD, LARGE, 70 FOOT

[01:00:05]

WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO WORK, NECESSARY WORK. THE WORK THAT WAS DONE THAT MR. IRISH IS REFERRING TO IS RELATED TO A STORM DRAIN PIPE THAT IS MADE OF METAL, AND THE BOTTOM HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED THAT IT IS CORRODED. AND SO IT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE THAT THIS IS AN EMERGENT PROJECT THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. BECAUSE IF IT WERE TO FAIL, THE ROADWAY COULD HAVE A DEPRESSION, HAVE A COLLAPSE, YOU KNOW, THE ROADWAY WOULD THEN BE SUBJECT TO CLOSURE. AND OF COURSE, WE CAN'T HAVE PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES. SO THIS WORK IS IN A PORTION OF THE RIGHT OF WAY ALONG MR. IRISH'S PROPERTY AND CROSSES MONTGOMERY ROAD. UPON NOTING THAT THIS PROJECT IS EMERGENT, IS STARTING NEXT TUESDAY, THE TOWNSHIP HAS PUT OUT AN ELECTRONIC DISPLAY SIGN.

I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG THAT'S BEEN OUT, BUT THAT ALERTED EVERYONE THAT TRAVELS THAT ROAD THAT ON THE ON OR ABOUT THIS ROAD WILL BE CLOSED. AND THERE'S A THERE WILL BE A DETOUR AND THAT'S COORDINATED THROUGH THE PD AND OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. SO THAT SORT OF TOUCHES ON, I THINK, THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY ISSUE WHERE WHERE WE NEEDED TO GO OUT AND TRIM SOME TREES, TRIM SOME LIMBS. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE WERE NO LARGE TREES THAT WERE CUT DOWN.

BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO ADVISE ALL RESIDENTS THAT THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY THAT UNDERNEATH THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, THERE'S WATER LINES, UTILITIES, POWER LINES, THOSE ARE SUBJECT TO TIMES WHERE WE HAVE TO GO IN AND MAKE REPAIRS, AND WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THAT. HE HAD ASKED IF THERE HAD BEEN A SURVEY. YES, THERE'S BEEN A SURVEY THAT WAS DONE AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, AND IT IDENTIFIED IT. PRIOR TO DPW GOING OUT. WE HAD ENGINEERING INSPECTORS GO OUT AND MEASURE TO ENSURE, OKAY, THIS IS THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY. THIS IS THE AREA THAT WE'RE WORKING IN. I THINK THAT COVERS EVERYTHING. BUT SO IF TREES WERE REMOVED, ARE WE GOING TO BE REPLACING THOSE TREES FOR MR. IRISH. WELL THOSE ARE THOSE ARE TREES THAT ARE WITHIN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY. SO THEY ARE TECHNICALLY WE ADVISE PEOPLE NOT TO PLANT WITHIN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY BECAUSE OF INSTANCES LIKE THIS, BECAUSE THERE'S THERE FOR THIS VERY INSTANCE WHERE THERE IS A PUBLIC UTILITY THAT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED. SO THERE, YOU KNOW,

[01:05:04]

WELL, THE PROJECT IS ONGOING. OKAY. GOT YOU. OKAY. SO THAT THAT LETTER WAS SENT. OKAY, OKAY. BUT PERHAPS A FOLLOW UP. THAT'S LIKE A REMINDER. THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING. MAYBE CLOSER TO WHEN THESE TREES WERE GOING TO COME OFF TO SAY, HEY, REMINDING YOU, JUST JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE. IF THAT'S I KNOW THIS IS AGAIN, MORE WORK FOR THE, THE STAFF, BUT IT'S JUST A REMINDER EMAIL. WELL REMEMBER WE WORK IN THE RIGHT OF WAY ALL OVER TOWN. SO THAT IS GENERALLY, YOU KNOW, NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD OKAY I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE REQUIRED TO DO IT. AND I HEAR I TOTALLY HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I JUST I WANT TO BE MINDFUL THAT THERE IS WORK GOING ON ALL ALL OVER THE TOWN ON CERTAIN PROJECTS WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY. SO SENDING A REMINDER LETTER, MAYBE A LOT TO TAKE ON. OKAY. THAT'S THE ONLY THING, I THINK IF IT WAS A REMINDER, I THINK MAYBE MR. IRISH WOULD HAVE KNOWN. BUT THE FIRST LETTER DID GO. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE FOR THE UPDATE. OKAY. I GUESS ORDINANCES, INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING.

[4. Ordinance #25-1749 – An Ordinance of the Township of Montgomery, Somerset County, New Jersey to Exceed the Municipal Budget Appropriation Limits Providing for a 3.5% “Cap” for the 2025 Budget and to Establish a Cap Bank Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:4-45.15 – Public Hearing/Final Adoption ]

OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO MOVED SECOND.

OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 5-1749. SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER MARTIN. HI. COMMITTEE MEMBER ON. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR.

[Items 5 - 7]

[01:10:01]

[8. Resolution #25-3-97 – Re-Appointing Mark Herrmann, Township Engineer]

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MARK, IF YOU IF YOU WANTED TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT IT OR I'M HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME VERY EXCITING NEWS TO SHARE WITH THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE TONIGHT. AND I DON'T WANT TO STEAL YOUR THUNDER. SO IF YOU, YOU KNOW. YEAH. PLEASE COME.

IT'S REALLY INCREDIBLE. SO DURING PUBLIC COMMENT. I'M NOT USED TO THESE THINGS. THIS IS GREAT NEWS. AND I'VE ALREADY SAID THIS TO MAYOR SINGH. I GOT A FANTASTIC PHONE CALL LAST WEEK THAT I'VE PROBABLY BEEN WAITING FOR OVER THREE YEARS. SURE, EVERYBODY REMEMBERS HURRICANE IDA AND WHAT IT DID, AND WHAT MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY DON'T KNOW IS ONE OF OUR TREATMENT PLANTS WAS INUNDATED WITH ABOUT SIX FEET OF WATER. THE STAGE TWO TREATMENT PLANT, WHILE WE WERE ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING A FLOOD WALL OUT TO BID, THAT THEN HAD BEEN PLANNED FOR THE BETTER PART OF A DECADE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE WALL DIDN'T QUITE GO UP IN TIME, AND WE HAD ONE OF THE BUILDINGS THERE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHERE THE GIANT FILTER SYSTEM THAT HELPS FILTER SOME OF THE WASTEWATER GOT LIFTED UP AND THROWN THROUGH THE WALL. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH FEMA EVER SINCE THEN. I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN HOW MANY HOURS WE'RE PUT IN, BUT I FINALLY GOT THE PHONE CALL FROM ONE OF THE GRANT CONSULTANTS I'M WORKING WITH THAT THEY'RE ALLOCATING AT LEAST $1.132 MILLION TOWARDS THE REPAIR OF THAT BUILDING. I THINK THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS. I DON'T REMEMBER BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SO LONG. I THINK YOU SAID AROUND 200 OR 200,000 AND YOU WERE. YEAH. AND WE GOT THEM TO RAISE THE AMOUNT. AND I THINK IT CAN STILL GO UP BECAUSE OUR ACTUAL COSTS ARE GOING TO BE A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THAT, BUT IT'S THE MINIMUM THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE ALLOCATING TOWARDS THE TOWNSHIP.

I'M JUST I HAD GOOSEBUMPS AND CHILLS JUST GETTING THE CALL. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. IT WAS JUST LIKE, I'LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT. AND THEN THEY TOOK A SCREENSHOT AND SENT IT TO ME THAT THERE'S A CONGRESSIONAL ALLOCATION. YOU KNOW, FROM FEMA. SO I, I'M I'M SPEECHLESS. I'M HAVING TROUBLE GETTING THOSE WORDS OUT. CONGRATULATIONS. I THINK PERSISTENCE PAID OFF. AND THE FACT THAT YOU KEPT ON IT AND BROUGHT IT OVER A MILLION, WE HAVE TO YOU KNOW, WE ARE VERY THANKFUL AT THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE. YEAH, THAT'S GREAT NEWS, MARK. THAT'S OVER $1 MILLION. THAT PLUS INTEREST THAT OUR OUR RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, FORK OVER FROM TAXES OVER A YEARS, YOU KNOW, AS WE TAKE THAT OUT TO BOND. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YEAH ABSOLUTELY. AND I CAN'T TAKE SOLE CREDIT. I MEAN, IT'S A LOT OF PERSEVERANCE ON MY END.

BUT IT'S ALSO BEEN THE SEWER DEPARTMENT. SUSAN SCHIAVONE FROM MILLENNIUM STRATEGIES. IT'S BEEN THE MONTGOMERY AND THE STATE OEM OFFICE KLEINFELDER AND OUR INSURANCE REPS. WE'VE ALL BEEN BEEN WORKING AT IT AND, YOU KNOW, FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES, AND FEMA HAS REALLY BEEN IN OUR CORNER THE WHOLE TIME. IT'S GIVEN ME SOME PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT SOME OF THE FEDERAL PROCESSES ARE LIKE. RIGHT. BUT I'M JUST VERY GRATEFUL WE CAN DO THIS. AND WE ARE GRATEFUL. AND WE HOPE THAT YOU ARE THAT SHINING LIGHT FOR ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS. GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE. BE PERSISTENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANKS. OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 5-3 97. SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES.

[01:15:05]

[9. Resolution #25-3-98 – In Support of the Montgomery Township Health Department’s Application for Reaccreditation ]

PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 5-3 98. SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANNE. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BERRIGAN. YES.

[10. Resolution #25-3-99 – Authorizing the Appointment of Patrick Diorio as Part-time Plumbing Inspector]

COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BERRIGAN. YES. MAYOR. SINGH. YES. OKAY. MAY I

[12. Approval of Minutes ]

[11. Resolution #25-3-100 – Authorizing the Settlement of the Tax Appeal Regarding Lot 4 in Block 28007 as Set Forth on the Official Tax Maps of Montgomery Township Owned During the Subject Tax Years by Village Shoppes at Montgomery, LLC]

THE TOP THREE BILLS FOR THIS MONTH ON PAGE ONE. WE HAVE TO THE MID JERSEY MUNICIPAL MUNICIPAL JOINT INSURANCE FUND $153,000, $153,030.80. THAT'S OUR SECOND INSTALLMENT OF OUR PAYMENTS FOR OUR LIABILITY INSURANCE. ON PAGE TWO. THE NEXT TWO BILLS ARE $144,333.25 AND $199,494. BOTH ARE INTEREST DUE ON BOND ORDINANCES FROM 2012 AND 2017. SO THOSE HAVE A MIX OF A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. OPEN SPACE ACQUISITION, PROJECT PROJECTS AND THE LIKE. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS? MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 53-1 HUNDRED. SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANNE. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR. BERRIGAN. YES.

[14. Correspondence]

[01:20:08]

[15. New and Unfinished Business]

LISA. SO AT THE LAST MEETING, IF YOU RECALL, I MENTIONED THAT WE NEED TO REORG WITHIN THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS OF THE YEAR. THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE AND THAT JANUARY 1ST IS THE FIRST THURSDAY OF THE OF JANUARY. SO I ASKED THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE TO GIVE THOUGHT AS TO WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER FOR THE 2026 REORG DATE. THE MAYOR HAD ASKED ME TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE COUNTY TO SEE WHAT THEIR DATE IS, AND THEY DID NOT DECIDE ON A DATE YET. BUT THEY DID ADVISE THAT IT IS ALWAYS TYPICALLY THE FIRST FRIDAY OF THE YEAR. SO THEY WOULD TAKE THE FRIDAY. SO YOU CAN REORG ANYTIME FROM JANUARY 1ST TO JANUARY 7TH. I'M JUST KEEPING THIS OPEN, YOU KNOW, OUT THERE. SO YOU CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU WANT TO REORG OKAY. AND WE'VE HAD REORGANIZATION ON A SATURDAY BEFORE OR NO YOU CAN HOLD THE REORGANIZATION MEETING WHENEVER YOU WANT WITHIN THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS. SO SOME PEOPLE DO IT ON NEW YEARS DAY, WHICH IS JANUARY 1ST. NO I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA. SO YOU CAN PICK ANY FOR ME TO GET THE YOU CAN PICK ANY, ANY DAY FROM JANUARY 1ST TO JANUARY 7TH. OKAY. JANUARY 8TH IS TOO LATE. SO OKAY. AND THAT WOULD BE THE SECOND THURSDAY. SO I JUST AM MAKING YOU AWARE THAT YOU NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU WANT TO DO THAT REORG MEETING, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER OTHER BOARDS AND OTHER BOARDS NEED TO REORG AS WELL. SO. OH THAT'S TRUE. AND I THINK PLANNING BOARD, THE PLANNING BOARD AND THOSE APPOINTMENTS. YEAH. SO THE DATE THURSDAY TO A WEDNESDAY. OKAY. SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE ANYTIME BETWEEN JANUARY 1ST AND JANUARY 6TH RIGHT. YEAH. SO I BELIEVE IT'S A THURSDAY BETWEEN THE THURSDAY TO THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY. YEAH. CORRECT. OKAY. SO WE WILL HAVE TO OKAY. I THINK WE'LL DO SOME MORE THINKING AND GET BACK. THANK YOU SO MUCH, LISA FOR KEEPING THIS ON. AND THEN I THINK WE HAVE THE COMMEMORATIVE STREET SIGN STEPHEN WARNER WAY IF YOU WANTED TO. YEAH, I'VE DISCUSSED THIS WITH A COUPLE OF THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

I WANT TO CLOSE THE LOOP WITH COMMITTEEMAN MARTIN AND DID ASK THE. SOUNDS LIKE THE TRANSPARENCY WE JUST DID, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE MONTGOMERY NEWS MAYBE GOT A LITTLE AHEAD OF THEMSELVES. ESSENTIALLY SAYING, BECAUSE I JUST CLEARLY I DON'T THINK WE APPROVED IT. WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO ALIGN AND DISCUSS. THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS. I'M SORRY I MISSED THAT. OH. AND SO BUT BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF ALIGNMENT HERE. AND I DID ASK THE VETERANS MEMORIAL COMMITTEE START THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD THEY DO. YOU KNOW, HOW WE WOULD ACTUALLY OFFICIATE THE COMMEMORATION. SO I'LL PROBABLY LOOK TOWARDS GETTING THAT CLOSED UP BY THE NEXT TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEETING. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH, I RILEY HAD REPORTED THAT THE VETERANS MEMORIAL COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO UNVEIL THAT POSSIBLY AT THE MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY. CORRECT.

OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. DO YOU WANT ME TO CARRY THIS TO THE NEXT MEETING? CARRY THIS TO THE NEXT MEETING, PLEASE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. FILM READY? ORDINANCE. THAT'S LISA. SO THIS IS COMING BACK, IF YOU REMEMBER, BACK IN JULY, IN SEPTEMBER, WE HAD BEN NANA FROM THE COUNTY.

AND WE ALSO HAD A MEMBER FROM. I FORGET HIS NAME, I'M SORRY, FROM THE NEW JERSEY FILM. DAVID.

SHOWRUNNER DAVID SCHULNER. YEAH. AND SPOKE ABOUT FILM READY A FILM READY ORDINANCE. AND THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST BUT WANTED MORE INFORMATION. SO I HAD PROVIDED IN YOUR PACKETS A SAMPLE ORDINANCE FROM BERNARDS TOWNSHIP, WHICH KIND OF LORI HAS LOOKED AT IT. SHERRY HAS LOOKED AT IT, I THINK. MARK, DID YOU LOOK AT IT? THE BERNARDS TOWNSHIP ORDINANCE FOR FILM. READY. SO IT IT IS A THEY'VE COVERED. WE FEEL THAT IT'S A

[01:25:05]

[16. Township Committee Reports]

THANK YOU. OKAY, OKAY. COMMITTEEMAN. WELL, THE TEXACO GAS STATION IS GONE, SO, YOU KNOW, BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO EVERYBODY. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE ON OUR STAFF FOR BEING PERSISTENT, GETTING THIS DONE. IT'S A HUGE RELIEF THAT IT'S GONE. HUGE WIN FOR OUR TOWN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. VERY EXCITED FOR THE INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND THAT WAS JUST PRESENTED. I'M GLAD THAT IT'S COMING IN AND THE SIDEWALKS THAT'S GOING TO BE CONNECTED TO IT, OR FROM ROCK BROOK OR, YOU KNOW, ALREADY DOWN FROM ORCHARD HILL. SO I THINK THAT'S GREAT. I THINK THE COMMUNITY WILL REALLY ENJOY THAT PLAY PLAYGROUND. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND PUSHING THAT THROUGH. AS FOR MY COMMITTEE'S EDC, DID IT MEET? THEIR NEXT MEETING IS APRIL 7TH AND COMMITTEE IS ON MARCH 10TH AT 8:30 A.M. AND MUNICIPAL ALLIANCE IS AT MARCH 10TH AT SEVEN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. COMMITTEE. WOMAN. TODD YES, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I ACTUALLY WASN'T GOING TO MENTION IT, BUT NOW I WANT TO MENTION HOW EXCITING IT WAS TO SEE THAT GAS STATION COME DOWN. EVEN BEFORE I LIVED IN MONTGOMERY, I THAT THING GOT MY ATTENTION EVERY TIME I DROVE PAST IT. SO SOME OF US WERE ABLE TO GO OVER, YOU KNOW, SORT OF MID DEMOLITION AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT. AND AS WE WERE THERE, PEOPLE WERE DRIVING BY, THEY WERE HONKING HORNS, HONKING AND WAVING. THIS MIGHT BE THE MOST EXCITING THING SINCE THE FIREWORKS. SO YEAH, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. REGARDING MY COMMITTEES, WE DID NOT HAVE A HEALTH BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING SINCE WE LAST MET, BUT I WILL NOTE THAT OUR HEALTH OFFICER, DEVANSHI PATEL, SHARED A AN UPDATE OF THE H5N1 KNOWN AS BIRD FLU. SHE SAYS THAT THERE'S NO REPORTED HUMAN CASES IN REPORTS OF CASES IN ANIMALS ARE INCREASING, PARTICULARLY IN WILD BIRDS, CATS AND POULTRY THROUGHOUT THE STATE. NO CONFIRMED CASES IN MONTGOMERY AND THE RISK TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC REMAINS LOW. BUT INDIVIDUALS WITH DIRECT CONTACT WITH INFECTED ANIMALS SHOULD TAKE PRECAUTIONS. THEY ARE CONTINUING TARGETED OUTREACH TO FARMERS, ANIMAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, VETS IN TOWN AND AS THE AS THEY LEARN MORE. SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. AND BASED ON THE UPDATE, THERE IS NO REAL CONCERN IF YOU ARE NOT IN CONTACT WITH INFECTED ANIMALS. AS FAR AS PLANNING, WE HAVE NOT MET SINCE THE LAST TIME WE MET. AND OPEN SPACE YOU HEARD FROM TONIGHT WITH RESPECT TO THE PROPOSED CONNECTIONS, AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE SORT OF A POINT

[01:30:02]

AND THAT WAS A LOT OF LEARNING. THIS WAS VERY HARD. MY DAUGHTER FELL, YOU KNOW, GOT SICK, LIKE, AS A LOT OF MONTGOMERY STUDENTS ALSO DID WITH RSV. AND I HAD TO TAKE SOME TIME OFF, YOU KNOW, SPENDING TIME AT THE ER. AND DEBORAH WAS A GREAT PARTNER AND REALLY PICK UP THE SLACK AND SO LEARNED A LOT. AND I THINK NOW, AS YOU KNOW, MIKE MAHER AND I, YOU KNOW, RUN FOR, RUN FOR REELECTION, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE CAN TAKE A LOT OF THOSE LEARNINGS WITH ME. SO THANK YOU DEBORAH, FOR EVERYTHING YOU SHARE WITH US AND LEARN A COUPLE OF TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEMBERS. I JUST WANT ONE UPDATE. BUT SO BUDGET FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS CONTINUED TO MEET. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIG TOPICS THAT WE WERE DISCUSSING WAS WITH THE ENGINEERING GROUP. AND JUST FOR EVERYONE, AS WE TALK ABOUT ENGINEERING, A LOT OF THAT IS AROUND THE ROADS AND, YOU KNOW, THE REPAIR OF THE ROADS. AND MARK DID PROVIDE A REALLY GREAT OVERVIEW ON, YOU KNOW, OTHER MANY DIFFERENT WAYS OF HOW TO KIND OF BETTER LONG TERM FUND ROAD REPAIR. THE CHALLENGE, OF COURSE, IS THAT COSTS HAVE GONE UP. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT. AND WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN FOCUSED ON TRYING TO KEEP BEING A TAX. TAX CHANGES TO A MINIMUM, WELL BELOW THE RATE OF INFLATION. SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS AS A TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE, WE PROBABLY NEED TO LOOK AT BECAUSE IT'S VERY POWERFUL PRESENTATION IS, YOU KNOW, DO WE REALLOCATE CAPITAL IN ORDER TO KIND OF ACCELERATE, GET AHEAD OF SOME OF THE BACKLOG AND ROAD WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE. AND SO ALSO, JUST BECAUSE OF ALL THE INCREASES IN COST, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO ACCELERATE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE CAPITAL REVIEWS. SO WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THE TOTAL CAPITAL, ASKS FROM ALL THE GROUPS AND JUST SEE, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO WE WANT TO PRIORITIZE THAT CAPITAL, AND HOW MUCH OF THAT DO WE WANT TO PRIORITIZE OUR ROADS TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE ANY KIND OF LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES, HOPING THAT MAYBE THAT MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND ON, ON SEWER REPAIR POTENTIALLY CAN BE ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE REALLOCATE SOME OF THE DOLLARS OR AT LEAST PARTIALLY ALLOCATE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE WE GET OUR ROADS UP AHEAD OF WHERE WE WANT THEM TO BE. I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THE VETERANS MEMORIAL COMMITTEE, BUT I YOU KNOW, WE ARE PLANNING TO HOLD OUR ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY EVENT AT NINE IN THE MORNING ON MEMORIAL DAY. AND OBVIOUSLY, BASED ON THE FEEDBACK FROM FROM LISA, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE LOOKING TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, WE GET FULL APPROVAL ON THE COMMEMORATIVE STREET SIGN CHANGE HERE IN ON COMMUNITY DRIVE. TRY TO DO THAT AT THE SAME TIME. SO MORE NEWS TO COME FROM THAT. AND I SAID BEFORE OUR LANDMARKS COMMISSION MEETS AT THE END OF THE MONTH, SO WE HAVEN'T MET YET. THERE IS ONE THING THAT THAT CAME UP IN THE NEWS OVER THE THIS PAST WEEK. I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION, BOTH HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE AS WELL, IS ON IN THE MONTGOMERY NEWS AROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THE NUMBERS THEY'VE GIVEN US FROM THE, THE, THE NEW JERSEY DCA. AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAD OUR PROFESSIONALS COME IN AND REALLY REVIEW THOSE NUMBERS. WE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION AS A TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE. WE FELT VERY STRONG AND THAT THE EVIDENCE REALLY LED US, YOU KNOW, AND ALIGNED US THAT, HEY, WE SHOULD ACCEPT THOSE NUMBERS TO MINIMIZE THE OVERALL RISK TO THE TOWNSHIP. AND JUST THIS WEEK, 159 TOWNS HAVE BEEN SUED BY BY DIFFERENT NEW JERSEY HOME BUILDERS TO CONSTRUCT MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE ARE NOT ONE OF THOSE TOWNS. AND SO I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, AS A REMINDER OF, YOU KNOW, WHY WE MADE THAT DIRECTION DECISION. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONTROL OUR FATE AND HOW WE IMPLEMENT OUR OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING QUOTAS. BY IF WE HAD NOT ACCEPTED THOSE NUMBERS THAT PUT THIS TOWNSHIP AT SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RISK. AND THAT'S PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY, ENSURING THAT WE MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS FOR THE FOR THE TOWN. AND SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATE FOR THOSE TOWNS, I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF GREAT POLITICAL FLAIR ON, YOU KNOW, DECLINING, NOT ACCEPTING THOSE NUMBERS, BUT NOT THOSE TOWNS ARE GOING TO BE

[01:35:01]

I ACTUALLY WANT TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT FOR SURE, BECAUSE I THINK I FELT THAT THIS TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE WORKS AS A TEAM. AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID THERE'S NO I IN TEAM. AND I THINK THIS WHOLE PROCESS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND LISTENING TO OUR PROFESSIONALS AND UNDERSTANDING THE RISK AND WEIGHING THAT AGAINST, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR OBLIGATION IS TO OUR RESIDENTS.

I THINK THE RIGHT DECISION WAS MADE, AND I WANT TO THANK OUR STAFF, OUR PROFESSIONALS, FOR GUIDING THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE. AND I THINK, AS THE DEPUTY MAYOR SAID, READING THAT PAPER AND REALIZING THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY TOWNS GOT INTO PROBLEMS IS, YOU KNOW, MAKES US FEEL LIKE WE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION. SO THANK YOU, EVERYONE. AND I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE ROTARY RUN EVENT, WHICH IS WE'RE GOING TO DO A MAYOR'S WELLNESS CAMPAIGN, WHEREAS WELLNESS TEAM RATHER, AND THAT'S APRIL 27TH. THAT'S A COLLABORATION WITH THE ROTARY, WHICH THE ROTARY DOES GREAT WORK IN THE TOWN. AND THEY, YOU KNOW, ALL THE MONEY THAT IS RAISED IS FOR CHARITY TO HELP WITHIN OUR TOWN AND SURROUNDING TOWNS. AND SO I WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE WHO'S HERE AND WHO'S LISTENING TO PLEASE SIGN UP FOR THE MAYOR'S TEAM. THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. I AM NOT THAT SPORTY, SO I WILL NOT BE DOING THE FIVE K, BUT THE DEPUTY MAYOR WILL BE DOING THE FIVE K, AND I WILL BE DOING THE ONE ONE MILE WHATEVER.

RAMBLE RUN. I MEAN, IT'S NOT A RUN AND I'M HOPING THAT COMMITTEE WOMAN TODD AND COMMITTEEMAN DENNIS ON AND YEAH WILL BE JOINING THE ONE MILE AND HOPEFULLY MIKE MARTIN AS WELL.

AND HOPEFULLY THE STAFF AS WELL LIKE YOU KNOW LET'S LET'S GET TOGETHER OUT THERE. IT'S HEALTHY. AND AT THE SAME TIME ROTARY DOES GIVE BACK TO THE TOWN. SO WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT THEY DO FOR THE TOWN. AND IT'S ON THE 27TH, APRIL 27TH. AND IT'S THE SAME DAY ACTUALLY AS OUR EARTH DAY. SO WE WOULD BE GOING TO THE ROTARY RUN, AND AFTER THAT WE'LL BE GOING THERE AND DOING THE EARTH DAY AS WELL, AND ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO GO FROM ONE EVENT TO THE OTHER, WHICH WOULD BE REALLY GOOD. PRAY FOR SUN. I'M SORRY, PRAY FOR SUN AND WE PRAY FOR SUN. YES, THE COMMITTEE WENT ON IS RIGHT. LAST YEAR WE WERE KIND OF IN THE RAIN. SO. AND ALSO RECREATION WE HAD. WE HAVEN'T HAD A MEETING SINCE MY LAST REPORT ON RECREATION, BUT OUR SPRING AND SUMMER REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN AND WE ENCOURAGE ALL WITHIN WITHIN THE TOWN TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THESE OPPORTUNITIES. AND I CAN TELL YOU, MY KIDS USED THE RECREATION SUMMER CAMPS AND REALLY GOOD VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY. AMAZING. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO ARE PART OF THE GUARDING OVER THERE. AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, WE RUN A VERY GOOD PROGRAM. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO BRING UP, AND I THINK THIS IS MAYBE UNDER THE DEPUTY MAYOR, BUT IT'S THE NEW JERSEY LEAGUE OF MUNICIPALITIES, HAVE A STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST, AND THE ENTRIES ARE DUE BY MARCH 7TH. AND THEN WHATEVER THE ENTRIES ARE, I BELIEVE THERE IS A YOU GET $1,000 AS AS A PRIZE OF THE FIRST PRIZE OR THREE, THREE. THAT'S RIGHT. RIGHT. THAT SOUNDS RIGHT. OKAY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE A STUDENT IN MONTGOMERY, DOESN'T MATTER WHAT SCHOOL. RIGHT? MARCH 7TH IS TOMORROW. THAT'S RIGHT. PLEASE SIT UP TONIGHT AND WRITE AN ESSAY. YOU NEVER KNOW. YOU MAY WIN THE THOUSAND DOLLARS. AND ALL THE INFORMATION IS ON THE MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP WEBSITE. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR ESSAYS. AND OF COURSE, AS THE COMMITTEE MOVEMENT HARD SAID, WE REALLY MISSED HAVING A COMMITTEE WOMAN KEENAN HERE. BUT YES, I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HER PASSION FOR ALL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND HER DEDICATION TO THE TOWNSHIP. AND AS COMMITTEEMAN ON SAID THE GAS STATION. YES, THAT FELT REALLY GOOD. IT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR AS I MEAN, I'VE BEEN HERE 27 YEARS AND I THINK IT WAS A RUNNING GAS STATION AT ONE POINT BECAUSE I REMEMBER GETTING GAS THERE. AND THEN OF COURSE IT FELT IN DISREPAIR. AND IT'S BEEN THROUGH MANY DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIONS. AGAIN, THE TEAMWORK, THE STAFF EFFORTS, THE PERSISTENCE. I HAVE TO ALSO THANK SOME OF THE OUR STATE PARTNERS, LD 16, WHO, YOU KNOW, FACILITATED SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS. AND AGAIN, OUR ENGINEERING FROM EVERY ASPECT.

AND OF COURSE OUR ADMINISTRATOR LORI WILL HAVE MORE TO SHARE. BUT ALL WE CAN SHARE AS THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE IS, IT FELT GOOD TO STAND THERE AND HAVE PEOPLE PUT DOWN THEIR WINDOWS, HONK KIDS GIVING US ALL THUMBS UP SIGNS THAT FELT LIKE, YES, THIS, THIS IS A STEP FORWARD. SO

[17. Administrator’s Report]

[01:40:03]

ROY MUNDY, WHO HAS NOW RETIRED. BUT MIKE KRUPSKI, WHO WAS OUR BUILDING SUB CODE AND NOW OUR CONSTRUCTION OFFICIAL, BOB VAN BENSCHOTEN, WHO'S OUR BUILDING INSPECTOR. THEY ALSO WERE OUT LOOKING FOR VIOLATIONS, ISSUING WHAT THEY COULD. AND LISA FANIA, OUR CLERK WITH OUR VACANT PROPERTY REGISTRATION, SENDING LETTERS, YOU KNOW, APPLYING FINES AS NEEDED, WORKING WITH WENDY'S OFFICE AS WELL, CHERI CRUZ AND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, LEADING THE EFFORTS ON MANAGING THE REDEVELOPMENT PLANNING PROCESS. THE ZONING BOARD MEMBERS AND THEIR PROFESSIONAL STAFF, BECAUSE THEY SPENT MANY YEARS ON THAT APPLICATION, MANY HOURS EVENINGS HERE, AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES, HAVING PUBLIC HEARINGS, LISTENING TO TESTIMONY. THERE WERE MANY, MANY ROUNDS THAT WAS ON THE DUNKIN DONUTS APPLICATION. SO I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THEM. THEY'RE ALL VOLUNTEERS, AND THAT IS NOT AN EASY JOB TO DO TO BE A ZONING BOARD MEMBER. AND ALSO THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE. THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO SUPPORT ALL THE STAFF. YOU CAN SEE MANY IRONS IN THE FIRE FOR SO MANY YEARS. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE HURDLES THAT WE HAD TO GO THROUGH. AND BUT THE STAFF DID NOT RELENT ON THOSE EFFORTS.

AND SO I JUST, I REALLY CAN'T THANK THEM ENOUGH FOR, FOR ALL THAT THEY DID. SO STAY TUNED FOR LIKE I SAID, WHAT'S TO COME? I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH BASE SINCE IT IS THE ENGINEERING AND OPEN SPACE SHOW TONIGHT THAT IN MY MONTGOMERY NEWS COLUMN, IF ANYBODY DIDN'T READ IT, I DID TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OPEN SPACE. WE DO HAVE NEARLY 40% OF THE TOWNSHIP THAT'S PRESERVED OPEN SPACE. LAST YEAR WE DID 21 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION THROUGH TWO PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS. AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO REPORT THAT AFTER ANOTHER MANY, MANY LONG YEARS OF TALKING WITH THE STATE AND ALL OF THE DIFFERENT STATE AGENCIES, WHETHER IT'S DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS OR TREASURY, THAT THE STATE HAS FINALLY MOVED US ALONG IN THE PROCESS TO WHERE THEY ARE INITIATING THE SALE OF THE LAND THAT WE CALL THE DEPARTMENT OF THE DAIRY FARM.

THAT'S AT THE INTERSECTION OF BURNT HILL ROAD AND ORCHARD ROAD, AND SOME OF THE LAND BY THE HIGH SCHOOL. AND SO THANK THE MAYOR. SHE SHE HAD INITIATED. I WANT TO THANK THE THERE WERE SO MANY TOWNSHIP COMMITTEES HAVE BEEN INVOLVED, BUT I DO WANT TO THANK THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND OUR REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE BECAUSE THEY DID WORK WITH US. SO I DON'T WANT TO FORGET THEM. SO, YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY DID COME THROUGH, AND I'M GLAD THAT THEY HELPED US. AND ROBERT FIELD ESPECIALLY. WE'VE HAD MANY A CONVERSATION. AND AGAIN, I'LL LET YOU CONTINUE. BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT THAT PROPERTY, NOT HAVING CONTROL OF IT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO THOSE ACRES. SO BY ACQUIRING IT FROM THE STATE, WE CAN PRESERVE IT. WE CAN USE IT FOR MUNICIPAL PURPOSES. YOU KNOW, THAT WILL BE DETERMINED. IT'S A IT'S A VERY LONG PROCESS. SO I THINK PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS, BUT YOU GO THROUGH THE STATE HOUSE COMMISSION, ULTIMATELY THERE'S A LONG PROCESS LEADING UP TO THAT THAT GETS THE APPROVAL TO FOR THE STATE TO SELL STATE PROPERTY. AND SO BUT BUT WE STILL WANT TO BUT WE WANT TO SIT ON OUR

[01:45:07]

LET'S LAURA LET'S LAUREN WAS VERY DILIGENT OVER ALL OF THESE YEARS TO. YES. I DO APPRECIATE ALL THE STUFF THAT YOU SENT BECAUSE WHEN I'M SENDING STUFF TO THE STATE, IT WAS YOU WITH ALL THE, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE LANDS THAT WE WANT TO BUY. SO IT REALLY HELPED. AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE STAFF AND OF COURSE, THANK YOU SO MUCH. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THAT'S IT FOR ME. THANK YOU. OH OKAY. I THOUGHT YOU HAD SOME PICTURES FOR THE GAS STATION. OH I KNOW, BUT WE'RE RUNNING LATE. OKAY. ALL OF THE PICTURES OF THE GAS STATION, THERE WERE DRONE FOOTAGES AND PICTURES THERE ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE UNDER OUR PHOTO GALLERY. OKAY. THANK YOU.

THAT THAT'S WE COULD SHOW THEM AT THE AT THE NEXT, NEXT MEETING. I THINK AT THIS POINT WE'VE, YOU KNOW, TAKEN ALL THE CLAIM, ALL ALL THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE HAS BEEN PART OF IT.

SO IT'S ALL GOOD. BUT AGAIN, WE'LL MOVE ON. AS YOU SAID, THE TIME IS RUNNING AND FUTURE

[18. Future Agenda Items]

[13. Resolution #25-3-101 – Payment of Bills - Posted]

MAYOR SINGH. YES. OKAY. RESOLUTION NUMBER 25, DASH THREE, DASH 101 EXECUTIVE SESSION. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE TOWN MAYOR. THAT'S 110, ONE MORE THING. I'M SORRY. JUST 102. IT'S RESOLUTION 102 BECAUSE WE HAD A RENUMBER WITH THIS ADDITIONAL ITEM BECAUSE THE NUMBER CHANGED.

SO THIS THIS IS 1 OR 2 AND THAT'S ONE ON ONE. CORRECT. THAT THIS SHOULD BE ONE ONE OKAY. GOT IT. RESOLUTION NUMBER 25. DASH THREE. DASH 102 EXECUTIVE SESSION. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE

[01:50:07]

A DISCUSSION WAS THAT AMENDED. I'M SORRY. WE WERE GOING TO ADD A DISCUSSION OF THE PUBLIC POLICE PROMOTION PROCESS TO THIS RESOLUTION. I'M SORRY. DID DID YOU RUN ON THE CLOSED SESSION? THERE'S NOTHING ADDED. OH. ANOTHER PERSON? YES. THERE'S ONE MORE PERSONNEL MATTER OF THE POLICE PROMOTION PROCESS. OKAY, SO I'M SORRY, MARY, DO YOU MIND DOING THAT OVER AGAIN? OKAY, SO

[19. Resolution #25-3-102 – Executive Session]

POTENTIAL LITIGATION. AS WELL AS A PERSONNEL EXEMPTION FOR THE POLICE PROMOTIONAL PROCESS.

EXEMPTION. PERSONAL EXEMPTION FOR POLICE PROCESS FOR POLICE PROMOTIONAL PROMOTIONAL PROCESS.

MY APOLOGIES. THERE. IT IS UNKNOWN PRECISELY WHEN THE MATTER DISCUSSED IN THIS SESSION WILL BE DISCLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY AND SETTLEMENT OF LITIGATION SHALL ONLY BE APPROVED BY THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE IN A PUBLIC SESSION. THIS RESOLUTION SHALL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 FIVE THREE? DASH 102.

SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER.

ANN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR. BARRIGAN. YES. MAYOR SINGH. YES.

THANK

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.