Jul 03, 2025 Township Committee

[ CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:03]

MEETING. CALL TO ORDER.

THIS IS THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE.

CALLED TO ORDER AT 7 P.M..

ROLL CALL PLEASE. MAYOR.

HERE. DEPUTY MAYOR BERRIGAN HERE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER TAYLOR TODD HERE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER ON HERE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN HERE.

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.

OKAY. PROCLAMATION. RECOGNIZING EAGLE SCOUTS ABHISHEK.

[1. Proclamation – Recognizing Eagle Scouts – Abhitej Kanuri, Vikramaditya Rajput, Abhiram Muppalla]

WHEREAS WITH THE INSTALLATION OF INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE AND 150 ORANGE AND BLUE MARKERS ON THE STONEBRIDGE TRAIL IS AN OUTSTANDING INNOVATIVE USE OF TOWNSHIP RESOURCES.

IN ADDITION TO THE TRAIL MARKERS, OTHER IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING A MAP AND HISTORY OF THE PARK. INFORMATION ON THE INNSBRUCK WATER CONFERENCE AND INFORMATION ON THE VIRGINIA BLUE BELT PATCHES, ALL OFFERING VISITORS BETTER NAVIGATION AND SAFETY, AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE AREA.

AND WHEREAS, VIKRAM RAJPUT'S IMPROVEMENT AT THE ADOPTION MEETING AREA AT THE ANIMAL ALLIANCE OF NEW JERSEY, CONSISTING OF THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION OF FOUR BENCHES AND TWO TABLES IN OUTDOOR AREA IS AN OUTSTANDING USE OF THE RESOURCES.

THE BENCHES AND THE TABLES SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE SITE'S FUNCTIONALITY AND APPEARANCE, OFFERING A PLEASANT, COMFORTABLE AREA FOR STAFF, VOLUNTEERS AND POTENTIAL OWNERS TO INTERACT WITH THE ANIMALS, HOLD MEETINGS, AND EVEN ENJOY SOME DOWNTIME.

AND WHEREAS, AVRAMOPOULOS CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION OF THREE WEATHER RESISTANT BENCHES AT SRI VENKATESWARA TEMPLE AND COMMUNITY CENTER IN BRIDGWATER IS AN OUTSTANDING USE OF PROPERTY'S RESOURCES.

THE BENCHES OFFER A CONVENIENT AND COMFORTABLE SEATING AREA FOR MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO RELAX AND ENJOY THE SERENE, SCENIC BEAUTY SURROUNDING THE TEMPLE, AS WELL AS ADMIRE THE TEMPLE'S EXQUISITE ARCHITECTURE.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED ON THIS THIRD DAY OF JULY 2025, THAT WITH GREAT PRIDE THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY OF SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY, HEREBY EXTENDS SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS TO ABHISHEK, VIKRAM RAJPUT AND ABHIRAMI ON THIS MILESTONE ACHIEVEMENT AND OFFERS BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUOUS SUCCESS.

WE'RE GOING TO COME DOWN IN A FEW MINUTES. THANK YOU.

MY. PARENTS ARE HERE. OKAY.

THIS IS NOT HERE. OKAY, SO I WANT TO GIVE THEM THE PROCLAMATION.

OKAY? OKAY, OKAY. HI, WENDY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

SORRY.

OKAY. AND NOW WE HAVE A PRESENTATION OF THE 2024 2025 YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.

[2. Presentation – 2024-2025 Youth Leadership Council Year End Report]

[00:05:03]

MY CO-CHAIR KAMI COULDN'T MAKE IT TODAY, SO I'M HERE GIVING THE COMMITTEE REPORT ON BOTH OF OUR BEHALF. SO THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP 2024 TO 2025 SEASON LASTED ABOUT 16 MONTHS.

AND WE HAD 28 YOUTH MEMBERS THIS SEASON.

AND WE HAD OUR ONE ADULT LIGHTS ON.

TAMMY CARAFA AND ALL OF THE YOUTH MEMBERS IN TOTAL WERE ASSIGNED TO EIGHT DIFFERENT VOLUNTEER COMMITTEES IN THE TOWNSHIP, AND THEY ATTENDED ALL THE MEETINGS OF THOSE COMMITTEES, PROVIDED THEIR INSIGHT AND LEARNED ABOUT THE FACULTIES OF OUR TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT. IN TOTAL, WE HAD 620 HOURS OF SERVICE.

AND WE RAN A TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE INFORMATION TABLE AT OVER 30 EVENTS IN THE PAST SEASON, AND THE LC WAS INVALUABLE IN PRODUCING THE RESTAURANT WEEK VIDEOS FOR LAST NOVEMBER'S RESTAURANT WEEK EVENT.

AND WITHIN THESE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEES, MANY OF THE MEMBERS WERE ABLE TO START THEIR OWN PROJECTS TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IN THE BOARD OF HEALTH.

HANNAH AND VARSHA HAVE STARTED A FUNDRAISER FOR MEDICAL FOR AID KITS TO FAMILIES IN MONTGOMERY, WHICH THEY ARE CURRENTLY RAISING FUNDS FOR.

ON THE GOFUNDME WEBSITE, I BELIEVE THE VETERANS MEMORIAL WEBSITE IS BEING UPDATED BY THE STUDENTS WHO ARE WORKING WITH THEM, AND THE OPEN SPACE TREE PLANTINGS WERE WERE BOLSTERED BY WEALTHY MEMBERS.

WE ALSO HAVE TWO SUBGROUPS WITHIN THE WEALTHY SOCIAL MEDIA AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, WHICH ARE BOTH BUILT AROUND AD ADVOCACY AND GIVING OUT INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITY ON SOCIAL MEDIA. THEY MADE FIVE POSTS EVERY WEEK ON INSTAGRAM, ALTERNATING BETWEEN LONGER FORM POSTS THAT ARE PERMANENT AND STORIES WHICH STAY ACTIVE FOR 24 HOURS. IN TOTAL, THEY MADE ABOUT 100 OF THESE POSTS AND THERE'S AN AVERAGE OF 400 VIEWS PER POST.

SO HOPEFULLY THAT MEANS PEOPLE IN THE TOWNSHIP ARE BEING INFORMED OF IMPORTANT EVENTS LIKE THE LIKE THE RECYCLING DAY EVENT OR THE FREE RABIES VACCINE CLINIC, AND THAT WAS LED BY MAHI SETHI.

AND THEN THE SECOND GROUP IS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT THAT WAS RUN BY ANSH KHURANA.

AND THEY HAVE PUBLISHED SEVEN STUDENT CREATED OR YOUTH CREATED ARTICLES, INCLUDING OP EDS AND ARTICLES SUCH AS RESEARCH INTO THE WALKING SPACE IN MONTGOMERY. OR EVENTS SUCH AS THE CHINESE NEW YEAR EVENT.

SO THE BENEFIT OF ALL OF THIS.

WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR YOUTH MEMBERS.

THEY'RE GOING TO TOWNSHIP MEETINGS, TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEETINGS, AND LEARNING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE GOVERNMENT.

AND THEY'RE ALSO ABLE TO PROVIDE THEIR OWN INSIGHT AND ALSO PROVIDE THEIR VOLUNTEER HOURS TO MAKE EVENTS LIKE RESTAURANT WEEK OR TREE PLANTINGS MORE EFFECTIVE.

OKAY. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL I LET THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE ASK ANY QUESTIONS.

I CONGRATULATE YOU AND I APPRECIATE YOU.

ALL OF THE YOUTH IS REALLY EXCITING TO SEE THE YOUTH ENGAGED IN SUCH A HIGH LEVEL.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT REPORT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, THANKS. OKAY. I GUESS NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE AT PUBLIC COMMENT.

[3. Public Comment]

IF COMMENTS ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE ALREADY STATED, PLEASE INDICATE YOUR SUPPORT OR YOUR OPPOSITION GROUPS ARE ASKED TO SELECT A SPOKESPERSON. AT THIS POINT, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ADDRESS OUR COMMUNITY WITH A FEW IMPORTANT REMINDERS AND SOME REFLECTIONS.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WOULD REQUEST ALL RESIDENTS TO BE RESPECTFUL TO EACH OTHER, TO MEMBERS OF THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE, AND TO OUR DEDICATED TOWNSHIP STAFF.

MAINTAINING CIVILITY IS ESSENTIAL FOR A HEALTHY, CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOG. AND I DO UNDERSTAND NO PLAN IS PERFECT.

THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAVE AT THE MOMENT.

AND I WANT TO ACTUALLY ADDRESS ONE MORE THING REGARDING THE QUESTION ABOUT A POTENTIAL CONFLICT ON THE PLANNING BOARD.

THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN ADDRESSED PREVIOUSLY, BUT FOR CLARITY, I ONCE WOULD LIKE TO ONCE AGAIN ASK OUR TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY TO CONFIRM WHETHER THERE IS ANY CONFLICT. THANK YOU.

MAYOR. I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY FOR THE PUBLIC THAT WHILE OPPORTUNITIES DO ARISE WHERE CONFLICTS MAY OCCUR, IT IS NOT AN ABSOLUTE CONFLICT FOR A PROFESSIONAL WHOSE PROFESSIONAL LIFE OVERLAPS WITH THINGS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN IN THE PUBLIC WORLD.

[00:10:04]

IF THE REALTOR WERE TO VOTE ON AN APPLICATION FOR A DEVELOPMENT THAT THEY HAVE A CONTRACT UNDER THAT PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT, THEY SHOULD BE RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM ACTUALLY PARTICIPATING IN THAT APPLICATION.

IT IS NOT A CONFLICT JUST TO SIT ON THE PLANNING BOARD, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.

IT IS A CASE BY CASE BASIS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, WENDY KRUEGER.

AND AGAIN TO THE TOWNSHIP.

THIS IS REALLY HARD FOR ME TO SAY, BUT I'LL SAY IT ANYWAYS.

JUST BECAUSE A FEW POLITICALLY MOTIVATED INDIVIDUALS ARE SPREADING RUMORS AND FALSEHOODS ONLINE DOES NOT MAKE THEM TRUE.

WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN THAT TROLLING AND CYBERBULLYING ON SOCIAL MEDIA IS WRONG AND WE SHOULD LEAD BY EXAMPLE.

PLEASE DO NOT RELY ON FACEBOOK OR OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS FOR INFORMATION THAT MAY BE HEARSAY OR MISINFORMATION.

MONTGOMERY HAS A LOCAL NEWSPAPER AND NOW ONLINE NEWS CHOICES.

ALWAYS CHECK YOUR SOURCES AND ENSURE YOUR SHARING FACTS.

YOU CAN ALSO REACH OUT TO THE TOWNSHIP INFORMATION OFFICER, TAMMY RAFFA. THE MEMBERS OF THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO REACH OUT DIRECTLY WITH YOUR QUESTIONS AND YOUR CONCERNS.

YOU CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE TOWNSHIP ADMINISTRATOR, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, OR ANY OF THE MEMBERS HERE.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS ESSENTIAL TO EFFECTIVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT PROMOTING LIES WITHOUT FACTS, ESPECIALLY IN A CLOSE KNIT TOWN LIKE OURS, IS HARMFUL AND COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.

WE ON THE TC SHARE YOUR OF FRUSTRATIONS.

TRENTON HAS LEFT US FACING RIGID TIMELINES, INFLEXIBLE STATE REQUIREMENTS AND THE CONSTANT THREAT OF BUILDER REMEDY LAWSUITS.

THESE ARE REAL CHALLENGES WE ARE ALL WORKING THROUGH TOGETHER.

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR PRESENCE HERE TODAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ATTEND IN PERSON AND VOICE YOUR CONCERNS.

WE HOPE YOUR VOICES REACH OUR LEGISLATORS AS WELL IN TRENTON.

AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND WE WILL BE OPENING PUBLIC COMMENT.

AND IF SOMEONE WANTS TO HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE COME UP.

HELLO. DO I HAVE TO STATE MY NAME AND ALL THAT STUFF? YES. LIKE LAST TIME. IF YOU COULD JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND SPELL YOUR LAST NAME FOR THE RECORD. CHRISTINA F IS IN FRANK EJ.

SO I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS WITHIN THREE MINUTES RELATED TO THE KEN VIEW, BECAUSE I WASN'T HERE FOR THE LAST MEETING. AFTER READING MANY OF THOSE PAGES OF THE 800, NOT ALL OF THEM IT SEEMS LIKE THE KEN VIEW IS OUTSIDE THE DESIGNATED CENTER WITHIN THE STATE DEVELOPMENT OF REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.

AND THAT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF THE NORMAL.

DOES THAT COUNT AS A NEW CENTER NOW? AND IS THAT GOING TO OPEN UP MORE DEVELOPMENT AROUND THAT SITE? CONTINUE. OKAY. OTHER QUESTION IS THE TOWNSHIP IS DEDICATED THE LOT 15.

CORRECT. THE 125 ACRES ON THE OTHER SIDE.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THOSE 125 ACRES? IS IT GOING TO BE OPEN SPACE FOREVER, OR NOW THAT WE'RE NEAR A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, IS THAT AN OPTION FOR THE TOWNSHIP TO SAY, OKAY, WE'LL OPEN IT FOR MORE HOUSING LATER ON? OKAY. THAT WASN'T SORT OF THING.

ALL RIGHT. AND THEN WHAT KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS WERE OR WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CAN BE SITES SUCH AS SIDEWALKS, RIGHT. WALKING ON GRANDVIEW UP AND DOWN OR 601 IS NOT AN OPTION.

STREETLIGHTS. HOW IS THAT GOING TO AFFECT THE NIGHT SKY? ALL OF THOSE THINGS. AND THEN I GUESS ONE QUESTION I HAD IS THAT ECON DEVELOPMENT WOULD NOT HAVE COME FORTH WITH A CONCEPT PLAN HAD THEY NOT HAD, IF NOT THE PROMISE, AT LEAST THE ASSURANCE FROM THE TOWNSHIP OR THE ZONING OR PLANNING BOARD OR WHOEVER, TO SAY THAT THAT ZONING WILL BE CHANGED FROM LIGHT MANUFACTURING TO HOUSING. SO WHO DID THAT OR HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT? THAT'S IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS.

YOU'VE GOT THE QUESTION.

DO YOU MIND IF FOR THIS MEETING, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH PUBLIC INTEREST, IF WE JUST ADDRESS EACH PERSON AT THE END OF THEIR QUESTIONS AND GO OUT OF OUR REGULAR FORMAT? I KNOW THIS ISN'T A QUESTION AND ANSWER IS PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT, I MEAN, YOU FORGET WHAT TO SAY.

[00:15:02]

THAT ZONE WAS ALREADY DEVELOPED.

SO IT DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING IF IT TURNS OVER AGAIN.

DOES THAT JUST TO TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.

THE 125 ACRES WILL BE DEDICATED TO THE TOWNSHIP.

THE TOWNSHIP HAS DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES.

OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S SPACE THAT THAT WOULD BE MORE THAN LIKELY PRESERVED AND DEED RESTRICTED IN THAT RESPECT. IT ALSO PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESERVE THAT AS MITIGATION AND OTHER TO ACQUIRE OTHER POTENTIAL PROPERTY.

IT'S A WONDERFUL RESOURCE THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS THE ABILITY TO MANAGE AND AND DO OTHER POTENTIAL GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECREATION, OPEN SPACE. WE WOULD BE REQUESTING THAT IT NOT BE DEED RESTRICTION ON THE TRANSFER SO THAT THERE IS MORE FLEXIBILITY, BUT THAT FLEXIBILITY OF PUTTING 100% AFFORDABLE OR OTHER HOUSING IN THE FUTURE IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW.

SO THAT IS NOT ANYTHING THAT HAD EVEN BEEN ASKED ABOUT UNTIL TONIGHT.

THE INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS, SUCH AS SIDEWALKS, STREETLIGHTS. ALL OF THAT COMES LATER DOWN THE ROAD.

JUST LIKE ANY OTHER DEVELOPMENT. THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE A REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, OR A ZONING PLAN, OR SOME KIND OF ORDINANCE THAT WOULD COME FORWARD WITH THOSE REQUIREMENTS, AS WELL AS SITE PLAN APPROVAL.

THAT WOULD THEN GO BEFORE THE PLANNING BOARD AND OR ZONING BOARD, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF APPLICATION.

ALL OF THAT WOULD COME IN A MATTER OF CIRCUMSTANCES, AS THE FUTURE COMES WHEN AN ACTUAL APPLICATION IS BEFORE THE TOWNSHIP.

NO SITE PLAN APPLICATION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.

WHAT WAS PROVIDED FOR THE HOUSING PLAN IS A CONCEPT PLAN, AND THAT IS A REQUIREMENT BY STATE LAW THAT HAD TO BE IN THE PLAN IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE CONSIDERED REALISTIC. WITHOUT THAT, WE COULDN'T PUT FORTH A PLAN THAT EVEN CONSIDERED THAT PROPERTY.

SO IT IS A VERY HIGH 100,000FT VIEW OF WHAT POTENTIALLY COULD GO THERE.

YES, THERE WERE CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF AHEAD OF TIME AND THE MASTER PLAN COMMITTEE, THERE WAS DIFFERENT ITERATIONS.

THAT IS NOT THE FIRST THING THAT WAS PRESENTED.

THEY COULD HAVE COME AND I DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ITERATIONS.

I'LL BE QUITE FRANK. I DON'T PARTICIPATE IN ALL OF THOSE, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT IDEAS, THAT SOME WERE JUST NOT TOLERABLE TO THE TOWNSHIP AND SAID, NO, SORRY, THAT'S NOT COMING HERE.

YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE HEAVY WAREHOUSING IS NOT SOMETHING WE WANT TO SEE THERE.

EVEN IF THEY MAXIMIZE THE PROPERTY OF WHAT THEY CAN BUILD AS OF RIGHT TODAY WITHOUT COMING IN FOR ANY VARIANCE IN THE LIGHT MANUFACTURING DISTRICT, IF THEY WERE TO UTILIZE THE ENTIRETY OF THE ALMOST 300 ACRES THAT THEY HAVE THERE, IT IS NOT TOLERABLE FOR THE TOWNSHIP.

SO ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF WORKING TOGETHER AND SAYING, KEEP COMING BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND SHOW US SOMETHING THAT MAY BE OKAY, IS THAT NOW THE TOWNSHIP HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE TO TALK WITH THESE DEVELOPERS AND DEVELOP TOGETHER. WHEN THERE'S THIS TYPE OF A CHANGE OF ZONING, YOU GET A SEAT AT THE TABLE TO TALK TO THEM AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE WILLING TO HAVE, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE NOT.

AND YOU COME TO AN AGREEMENT. IF THEY COME IN PURELY AS OF RIGHT, WE WOULD LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT 125 ACRES AND ALL THE OTHER UNDEVELOPED LAND AROUND IT THAT ISN'T OTHERWISE ALREADY A WETLAND OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE THAT THEY CAN'T BUILD ON. SO IT IS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY WITH THIS PROPERTY THAT'S THIS SIZE, TO CUT IT DOWN ALMOST IN HALF ALREADY AND THEN BRING DOWN THE DENSITY EVEN LESS.

AND I THINK THAT ANSWERED THE FOURTH QUESTION. OKAY.

THANK YOU. NEXT COULD I COULD I JUST SAY SOMETHING BEFORE WE CONTINUE? I JUST WANTED TO SAY SAY SOME STUFF ABOUT MY VIEW AND MY THOUGHTS.

OH, THE DECISION, THE DECISION REGARDING KEN VIEW HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT.

AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR, IS NOT ONE I OR WE UP HERE TAKE LIGHTLY.

I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY IS CONCERNED ABOUT FARMLAND PRESERVATION, ABOUT OUR OUR LAND REGION AND ABOUT LONG TERM IMPACT TO THIS DEVELOPMENT THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT MAY HAVE ON OUR TOWN.

THESE ARE ALL VALID AND SERIOUS CONCERNS.

WHEN KEN VIEW ANNOUNCED IT WAS RELOCATING TO OUT OF MONTGOMERY, I WAS DEEPLY CONCERNED.

KEN VIEW HAS BEEN OUR TOWN'S LARGEST SINGLE PROPERTY TAXPAYER, CONTRIBUTING TO 1.4 MILLION ANNUALLY.

WE WORKED HARD TO CONVINCE THEM TO STAY, BUT THEY ALREADY HAD BEGUN CONSTRUCTION ELSEWHERE AND DECLINED.

AT THAT POINT, WE TURNED OUR EFFORTS TOWARDS FINDING A NEW TENANT FOR THE PROPERTY.

AS A MEMBER OF THE SOMERSET COUNTY BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP,

[00:20:03]

HE'S A HE'S THE CEO OF CHOOSE NEW JERSEY.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW, CHOOSE NEW JERSEY, NEW JERSEY.

IT'S AN ORGANIZATION THAT PROMOTES OUR STATE'S LARGE BUSINESS, GLOBAL LARGE, OUR STATE TO ALL THE LARGE BUSINESSES GLOBALLY.

WE ALSO WORKED WITH THE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, JESSICA PELINI AND REACHED OUT TO NUMEROUS PRIVATE PRIVATE COMPANIES, UNFORTUNATELY. DESPITE OUR BEST EFFORTS, WE WERE UNABLE TO SECURE ANOTHER TENANT.

WE TRIED TO FILL KEN VIEW.

IF WE HAD SUCCEEDED, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THIS CONVERSATION TONIGHT, BUT WE DIDN'T. AND NOW WE FACE THE REALITY OF AN EMPTY BUILDING SIMILAR TO 23 ORCHARD THAT WAS PARTIALLY FILLED. AND WHEN I WOULD VISIT 23 ORCHARD AT THE BEGINNING, YOU KNOW, IT WAS FALLING APART, VERY HUMID.

AC DIDN'T WORK. ALL THAT WAS BROKEN.

WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A BUILDING OF ESPECIALLY THE VIEW SIZE, IT SITS VACANT. OBVIOUSLY THE HVAC SYSTEMS GET SHUT DOWN DUE TO COSTS.

MOLD. MOLD GROWS. PESTS MOVE IN.

EVENTUALLY VANDALISM STARTS.

THE PROPERTY VALUE DROPS SIGNIFICANTLY.

IN FACT, KEN VIEW HAS ALREADY BEGUN DISCUSSING A TAX APPEAL, WHICH WE WOULD LOSE FUNDING ON.

ARGUING THAT THE BUILDING IS NO LONGER WORTH ITS ASSESSED VALUE SINCE THEY'VE MOVED OUT.

THAT WOULD BE A MASSIVE FINANCIAL HIT TO OUR TOWN.

SO YES, THE PROPERTY MUST BE REPURPOSED.

NOT BECAUSE WE WANT TO, BUT BECAUSE THE ALTERNATIVES ARE WORSE.

LETTING IT ROT WOULD INCREASE BLIGHT, REDUCE PROPERTY VALUES, AND SHIFT EVEN MORE OF THE TAX BURDEN ON OUR HOMEOWNERS.

THIS IS ABOUT PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY AND KEEPING IT FINANCIALLY STABLE.

NOW WE HAVE OTHER SUGGESTIONS ON OTHER AREAS REGARDING 100% AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

BUT THE REALITY IS IS NO PRIVATE DEVELOPER WOULD TAKE ON WOULD TAKE THAT ON BECAUSE IT'S NOT FINANCIALLY VIABLE FOR THEM.

THAT WOULD MEAN THAT WE AS A TOWN WOULD HAVE A FULL WOULD HAVE FULL FUND OR FULLY FUND THE PROJECT THROUGH BONDS, ESSENTIALLY RAISING TAXES BY MILLIONS.

IF THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO LIKE US TO CALCULATE WHAT THOSE TAX INCREASES WOULD LOOK LIKE PER HOUSEHOLD, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.

BUT WE WERE ELECTED TO REDUCE TAX THE TAX BURDEN, NOT INCREASE IT UNNECESSARILY.

BUT WE WILL LOOK INTO IT IF YOU IF YOU ASK.

THE TRUTH IS WE DO NEED MORE FUNDING IN OUR TOWN.

I KNOW WE'RE YOU SAY WE'RE THE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE RICHEST TOWNS IN NEW JERSEY, BUT THAT ALL COMES FROM OUR TAX DOLLARS FROM HOUSEHOLDS.

THERE'S THERE'S NOT A PROPER BALANCE RIGHT NOW OUT BETWEEN WE WANT TO SAY A HOUSEHOLD, A TOWNSHIP, BUT BETWEEN COMMERCIAL AND HOUSEHOLDS IS WAY OFF.

AND THAT'S WHERE OUR TAXES ARE RELYING ON RIGHT NOW.

AS ALL OF YOU SITTING HERE, IF WE WANT TO RAISE, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANT TO HIRE MORE POLICE OFFICERS OR IF YOU WANT TO YOU KNOW, PAY THEM MORE THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.

IT ALL COMES FROM YOU.

NOT ALMOST ZERO FROM COMMERCIAL.

AND THE TRUTH IS, YOU KNOW, WE DO NEED SUPPORT.

I'M TIRED OF HEARING WHAT WE CAN'T AFFORD, YOU KNOW, TO FULLY SUPPORT OUR POLICE WITHOUT RAISING TAXES OR OUR EMS AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS, WHICH ARE CRITICAL AND DEEPLY DESERVING, CAN'T GET THE FUNDING THEY NEED.

AS A MUNICIPALITY, WE CAN'T USE FINANCIAL RESERVES FOR PAYROLL.

THAT'S NOT THEIR PURPOSE.

WE ARE WORKING TO CREATE MORE A MORE STABLE LONG TERM SITUATION, ONE WHERE WE CAN SUPPORT ALL DEPARTMENTS WITHOUT DRASTIC TAX HIKES.

AND WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING.

LET ME BE CLEAR. WE'RE TRYING TO RETAIN CONTROL WHILE WE STILL CAN.

IF WE DON'T, IF WE DON'T PRESENT A PLAN TO THE STATE, A PRIVATE DEVELOPER WILL BE GIVEN CONTROL.

AND THEN WE LOSE THE ABILITY TO SHAPE WHAT GETS BUILT, WHERE, WHEN AND HOW. EVEN THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSING PRESERVED FARMLAND THAT WE FOUGHT TO PRESERVE IS AT STAKE. THEY CAN FIGHT FOR THAT, TAKE OVER OUR PROPERTY, AND WE CAN'T.

[00:25:01]

WE'RE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE STATE'S LAST MINUTE MANDATES.

THEY GAVE US A JUST A FEW MONTHS TO COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

IT'S NOT FAIR. IT'S UNFAIR.

UNREASONABLE AND. AND AS A TOWN, WE'RE THE ONES LEFT DEALING WITH THE CONSEQUENCES. I STRONGLY URGE EVERY RESIDENT HERE TONIGHT TO REACH OUT TO OUR STATE LEGISLATORS. LET THEM KNOW HOW DISAPPOINTED WE ARE.

FRUSTRATED YOU ARE. LET THEM KNOW THAT FORCING TOWNS INTO RUSHED, HIGH STAKES DECISION LIKE THIS IS NOT HOW GOOD GOVERNANCE SHOULD WORK.

THIS IS NOT THE OUTCOME WE HOPE FOR, BUT WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO MAKE THE MOST REASONABLE, RESPONSIBLE DECISION FOR OUR TOWN FINANCIALLY, LOGISTICALLY AND MORALLY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

COMING TO YOU ON WHO'S GOING TO BE NEXT FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES.

MY NAME IS ELIZABETH RODALE.

R O E D E L L. AND I'M A RESIDENT OF SOUTH BRUNSWICK TOWNSHIP.

I'M HOPING THAT THE COMMISSION WILL PASS THE RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE NORTHWEST.

THE NORTHEAST SUPPLY ENHANCEMENT PROJECT, KNOWN AS NSC.

I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN FIGHTING THIS NASA PROJECT SINCE 2016.

I LIVE ABOUT A MILE AWAY FROM THE PROPOSED COMPRESSOR STATION.

MODELING HAS SHOWN THAT CANCER CAUSING HAZARDOUS AND GAS RELEASES AND LEAKS FROM THE COMPRESSOR STATION SPEWED INTO THE AIR WE BREATHE, WILL TRAVEL MANY MILES IN ANY DIRECTION ON ANY GIVEN DAY, DEPENDING UPON HOW THE WIND BLOWS.

ADDITIONALLY, THE THE THE PROPOSED COMPRESSOR STATION THREATENS CLEAN DRINKING WATER IN THE AREA AS THE PROPOSED SITE SITS IN CRITICAL WETLANDS.

CARTER BROOK, WHICH IS NEAR THE PROPOSED SITE, FLOWS DOWN INTO THE DELAWARE AND RARITAN CANAL AND RUNS THE RISK OF BECOMING CONTAMINATED WITH TOXINS.

FINALLY, THE PROPOSED FOSSIL FUEL PIPELINE EXPANSION IS BACKED BY FOSSIL FUEL GIANT WILLIAMS TRANSCO. THE PROJECT.

THE PROJECT WOULD BRING FRACKED METHANE GAS FROM THE MARCELLUS SHALE REGION IN PENNSYLVANIA TO LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, WITH NO BENEFIT TO NEW JERSEY.

NESSIE CALLS FOR A MASS OF TWO ENGINE GAS FIRED COMPRESSOR STATION IN FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, AND WOULD CUT MORE THAN 23 MILES THROUGH THE RARITAN BAY AND CONNECT TO THE ROCKAWAY LATERAL IN THE OCEAN OFF LONG ISLAND OFF OF LONG ISLAND.

IT WILL BE CAPABLE OF CARRYING FOR NEARLY 400,000,000 CUBIC FEET OF DIRTY, CLIMATE ALTERING NATURAL GAS EACH DAY TO DOWNSTATE NEW YORK, IT IS LIKELY THAT AN OFFSHORE PORT WOULD BE BUILT AND THE NATURAL GAS SHIPPED OVERSEAS TO EUROPE AND ASIA. TWO SUCH PORTS HAVE BEEN DEFEATED IN THE PAST.

WE CAN'T LET THIS HAPPEN.

I HOPE THE COMMITTEE WILL PASS THE RESOLUTION OPPOSING SC SUPPORTING ALL THE TOWNS ACROSS THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY WHO WILL BE ADOPTING SIMILAR RESOLUTIONS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.

HELLO, MY NAME IS RUPALI CHAKRAVARTY.

I LIVE IN SOUTH BRUNSWICK TOWNSHIP.

ALSO, I AM SUPPORTING WHAT ELIZABETH SAID.

I LIVE ONLY HALF A MILE FROM THE COMPRESSOR.

DO YOU MIND JUST SPELLING YOUR LAST NAME? CHAKRAVARTI? K R V R T I. THANK YOU AND SHE MENTIONED MOST OF THE DAMAGING THINGS.

BUT THIS WILL ALSO BE A CONSTANT NOISE AND THERE'LL BE ODOR.

AND YOU KNOW, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LIVE IN OUR HOUSES IF THIS GOES THROUGH.

SO PLEASE SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

HI, MARIA. COACHMAN. I LIVE ON 139 FAIRVIEW ROAD.

YOUR LAST NAME, PLEASE.

EXCUSE ME, COULD YOU SPELL YOUR LAST NAME, PLEASE? K A Z M A N N.

I'M SAYING THE SAME THINGS THAT I SAID TO THE PLANNING BOARD, BUT NOW THEY'RE ALL OF YOU HERE THAT I LIVE ON FAIRVIEW,

[00:30:01]

AND WE MOVE THERE BECAUSE OF THAT RURAL ATMOSPHERE.

NOW, YOU WANT TO PUT THIS CREEP IN THAT AREA.

AND NOW, ON TOP OF IT, YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU'RE NOT GOING TO PUT A DEED RESTRICTION ON THE LAND ACROSS THE STREET, WHICH DOES MEAN YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL IN YOUR MIND AND THE FUTURE OF PUTTING ADDITIONAL HOUSING THERE, WHICH IS JUST THE CREEP THAT'S HAPPENED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN.

MANY PEOPLE CHOOSE TO LIVE IN THOSE TIGHT NEIGHBORHOODS.

THEY WANT THE NEIGHBORS.

THEY WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO HAVE FRIENDS.

MY KIDS HAVE FRIENDS. IT'S NOT THE ENVIRONMENT WE WANTED.

IT'S THE DENSITY OF THE PROJECT THAT'S SUCH A PROBLEM.

AND I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE UNDER A TIGHT DEADLINE, BUT TRY HARDER. YOU SAID YOU TRIED FINDING OTHER PEOPLE.

DID YOU CONSIDER CORPORATE IN THE I.M.

PEI BUILDING? AND THEN MAYBE A SMALLER HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ON SOME OF THE FIELDS? DO YOU NEED TO PUT 417 UNITS THERE? I DIDN'T APPRECIATE THE LAWYER THE OTHER NIGHT SAYING, WELL, WE COULD HAVE HAD EIGHT UNITS PER ACRE.

WELL, I HAVE SIX AND A HALF ACRES.

YOU'RE TELLING ME I COULD PUT 52 HOUSES ON MY PROPERTY? THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS. DO YOU NOT HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THE DEVELOPMENT IN TOWN? DO YOU SIMPLY HAVE TO SAY YES TO WHATEVER PEOPLE WANT? DO YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT THIS PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT? CAN YOU GO BACK TO HIM AND SAY 20% IS NOT ENOUGH? AND OF HIS 20%, HE'S NOT EVEN BUILDING THAT MANY AFFORDABLE.

HE'S BUYING THE EXTENSIONS, WHICH IS ALSO DISGRACEFUL THAT YOU'RE ALLOWING HIM TO BUILD SUCH A LOW PERCENTAGE THERE.

THAT, AND I DON'T SEE HOW YOU HAVE STATED MAYOR THAT IT WILL PRODUCE GREATER TAX REVENUE. YOU'RE LOSING A MILLION POINTS.

SOMETHING YOU JUST SAID.

IT'S ALL ON US. WE KNOW IT'S ALL ON US, THAT THERE'S SO LITTLE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. AND NOW YOU'RE TAKING AWAY YET ANOTHER COMMERCIAL RATABLE AND YOU'RE GOING TO ADD INFRASTRUCTURE YOU'RE GOING TO NEED. PLUS POLICE. YOU'RE GOING TO NEED MORE FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES, NOT EVEN TO MENTION THE KIDS IN THE SCHOOLS.

I'M ALL FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT DOES IT HAVE TO BE ALL THERE? CAN IT JUST BE A LOWER DENSITY DEVELOPMENT? SPREAD IT OUT. YOU NEVER.

YOU SAID YOU INVESTIGATED OTHER SITES.

WE DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT ANY OF THEM.

WE WERE TOLD ORCHARD ROAD AND.

OH, LOOK AT THIS. THIS WHOLE BIG PIECE OF PROPERTY THERE.

IT'LL BE EASY. WELL, I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE EASY FOR YOU.

FIND SOMETHING ELSE WHERE YOU CAN SPREAD THIS DEVELOPMENT SOMEWHERE ELSE.

YOUR JOB IS NOT TO BE EASY.

YOUR JOB IS TO BE CREATIVE.

AND I'D APPRECIATE IF YOU TRIED HARDER.

YOUR THREE MINUTES ARE UP. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.

OKAY. I APPRECIATE YOU, BUT TRY HARDER.

SO JUST TO TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, IF I MIGHT, MAYOR, BECAUSE IT WAS I THAT THAT SAID THE EIGHT UNITS TO THE ACRE.

YEAH. YES. VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH WHAT MISS COUNCILMAN WAS SAYING.

THE EIGHT UNITS PER ACRE IS THE MINIMUM THAT THE TOWNSHIP WOULD FACE IF WE WERE TO HAVE THAT SITE AS A BUILDER'S REMEDY.

AND LOSE THE ABILITY TO DETERMINE WHAT GOES WHERE AND TO HAVE HOME RULE ON ZONING BECAUSE OF NONCOMPLIANCE AND NOT HAVING ADOPTED A PLAN.

SO THE EIGHT UNITS AN ACRE? YES, VERY MUCH SO. IF THE TOWNSHIP IS GOING TO LOSE THEIR IMMUNITY AND HAVE A BUILDER'S REMEDY, THAT IS THE MINIMUM THAT IS COMING IN.

SO THAT IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE FORWARD THINKING AND PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM SO THAT YOU'RE NOT FACED WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THAT IS NOT I WANT TO BE CLEAR.

THAT'S NOT WHAT THE TOWNSHIP WAS GOING TO APPROVE.

THAT IS WHAT WE ARE FACED WITH IF WE GET SUED.

SO LET ME BE CLEAR WITH THAT.

AND THEN ALSO THE REMARK I MADE ABOUT THE 125 ACRES BEING DEDICATED WITHOUT A SPECIFIC PURPOSE ISN'T SO THAT IT COULD BE DEVELOPED.

IT'S THAT. SO THE TOWNSHIP HAS MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO DETERMINE HOW IT WANTS TO MAINTAIN IT, NOT TO DEVELOP IT FOR HOUSING, BUT POTENTIALLY TO OFFSET IT.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR A STATE OWNED LAND OR SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACQUIRE. IT WOULD REQUIRE MITIGATION ACREAGE.

SO BECAUSE THE PROPERTY IS DEDICATED WITHOUT A DEED RESTRICTION, WE CAN PLACE THE DEED RESTRICTION AND OFFER IT AS A MITIGATION.

IF IT HAD THAT DEED RESTRICTION ON IT TO START WITH, IT WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR MITIGATION TO DO SOMETHING SOMEWHERE ELSE.

THANK YOU. DEBORAH KEENAN AND AGAIN.

[00:35:03]

WE'VE KNOWN ABOUT KEN FOR QUITE A WHILE.

KEN IS THE OWNER OF THAT PROPERTY.

AND IF THEY WERE TO COME BACK FOR A TAX ASSESSMENT BECAUSE THEY DECIDED AS A CORPORATION TO LEAVE AND OPEN THEIR HEADQUARTERS ELSEWHERE, I THINK WE WISH WE COULD HAVE FOUGHT THAT.

BETTER THAN JUST FOLDING THIS AND PUTTING A BUNCH OF RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE.

AND IF YOU RECALL WHEN THE NUMBERS CAME OUT FROM THE STATE, THERE'S A BIG MAP ABOUT WHAT CAME UP FOR THE 1.95.

THAT IS THE PROPERTY THAT IS INCLUDED IN WHAT IS DEVELOPABLE IN MONTGOMERY AND WHAT IS NOT.

KEN VIEW, THAT AREA OF THE TOWN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE STATE'S 1.9% NINE 5%.

YOU'VE NOW INCLUDED IT IN THERE.

SO SOME BUILDER COMING OUT WHEN IT'S NOT PART OF THE STATE THING IS BUNK.

YOU ALSO HAD EIGHT, SIX MONTHS TO ACTUALLY BRING THE PUBLIC UP TO SPEED TO BRING PEOPLE IN. AND YOU DIDN'T DO THAT.

SO THIS WOE IS ME, THE STATE DID THIS TO US.

YES. THE STATE SHOULD HAVE GIVEN TOWNS MUCH MORE TIME.

I FULLY AGREE WITH THAT.

BUT YOU HAD TIME AND YOU DIDN'T BRING THE PUBLIC IN ON THIS, AND THAT'S SHAME ON YOU.

I'M SORRY, BUT I THINK THAT YOU WERE DENNIS SLATER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR COMING.

YES. PLEASE GO AHEAD. MY NAME IS NITA GARCIA.

I LIVE IN EAST RIDGE ROAD AND OUR PROPERTY.

COULD YOU SPELL YOUR LAST NAME? U.S.

I N AND OUR PROPERTY IS RIGHT BY GRANDVIEW.

SO IT'S MY BACKYARD I'M TALKING ABOUT.

I JOINED A LITTLE BIT LATE, BUT WHEN I JOINED, OUR MAYOR WAS TALKING ABOUT FACEBOOK AND PEOPLE SPREADING FAKE THINGS OR WHATEVER.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE VERY CONNECTED TO FACEBOOK, SO I WONDER WHY THIS INFORMATION WAS NOT SENT THROUGH FACEBOOK OR ANY OTHER MEDIA.

BECAUSE AS EVERYBODY IS SAYING, WE GOT TO KNOW ABOUT IT AT A VERY LAST MOMENT. SECOND THING. YES.

THERE ARE CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

OUR DEAR DEPUTY MAYOR WAS ASSOCIATED WITH JOHNSON AND JOHNSON.

SO. AND HE'S BEEN WORKING HERE FOR, LIKE, MORE THAN 20 YEARS, SO. AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.

WE CAN DIG IN. BUT REST OF US OF YOU MUST HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

AND YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING.

SO IT SHOWS WHICH SIDE YOU ARE.

WHAT INTERESTS ARE THERE? ANOTHER THING IS KRISTINA, MY NEIGHBOR, SHE IS TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE REST OF THE PROPERTY? THERE ARE GOING TO BE PATHWAYS.

WE ARE GOING TO BE OTHER THINGS.

I AM NOT THERE YET. I AM NOT SOLD THERE YET BECAUSE YOU ARE TRYING TO CONVINCE PEOPLE.

OH, WE WILL MAKE HOUSES.

CHRISTINA. WE ARE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT MAKING HOUSES WHILE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PATHWAYS. CAN VIEW IS NOT A HOUSING PROPERTY.

YOU GUYS SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE AND BETTER TO RETAIN AND VIEW OR FOUND OUT SOMEBODY ELSE OR SOMETHING ELSE OR ANYTHING.

YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE WE ARE BEGGING YOU ALL.

I THINK WE SHOULD BE BEGGING TO KERRY OR JOHNSON.

MAYBE THEY DONATE THAT LINE TO US.

I AM VERY PISSED. VERY UPSET.

WE CAME TO THIS TOWN BECAUSE.

AND ESPECIALLY TO SKILLMAN.

I MEAN, MONTGOMERY IS ONE THING.

AND SKILLMAN, WE PAY A LOT OF TAXES.

WE WE DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS.

WE JUST MOVED FOUR YEARS AGO.

I AM NOT READY TO TAKE MY KIDS AND EVERYTHING SOMEWHERE ELSE, BECAUSE THIS IS THE TOWN WE WANTED TO LIVE AND RAISE OUR KIDS, AND YOU ARE TRYING TO SNATCH THAT FROM US AND FROM MANY OTHER PEOPLE.

SO AGAIN, WE ALL ARE VERY, VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH ALL OF YOU.

ALL OF YOU, BECAUSE EVERYBODY, EACH ONE OF YOU KNEW EVERYTHING LONG AGO.

SECOND THING, DON'T GIVE US THIS THING THAT.

OH, WE ARE LATE BUILDERS WILL TAKE.

YOU'RE TRYING TO THREATEN US.

OUR BUILDER WILL TAKE THE LAND. THEY WILL MAKE THE MAKE WHATEVER.

YOU KNOW WHAT? LET THEM MAKE WHATEVER THEY WILL BE DOING A BETTER JOB THAN YOU GUYS, THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU.

I'D LIKE TO QUICKLY RESPOND TO ONE OF THE POINTS THAT OUR LAST SPEAKER.

SO IT'S TRUE THAT I HAVE WORKED AT JOHNSON JOHNSON FOR 20 YEARS.

I NO LONGER WORK THERE.

AND I'LL FULLY DISCLOSE THAT, YOU KNOW, MY SPOUSE WHO WORKS AT JOHNSON JOHNSON. AND NEITHER ONE OF US HAVE EVER BEEN AN EMPLOYEE OF KEN VIEW.

AND SO THAT'S A FACT. THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS WHEN JOHNSON JOHNSON WAS IN THE PROCESS OF SPINNING OFF KEN VIEW AND HAD NOT DONE.

[00:40:02]

SO I JUST WANTED TO DISPEL THAT THE THE COMMENT THAT YOU MADE.

I TAKE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.

SERIOUSLY, I WOULD NEVER PUT MYSELF IN A CONFLICTED POSITION.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL BELIEVE ME OR NOT, BUT I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT IF ANYONE WANTS TO LOOK IN ADDITIONAL RECORDS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REQUEST THAT THROUGH THE TOWNSHIP. THANK YOU, DEPUTY MAYOR.

NEXT. I ASK A FAVOR BEFORE YOU START THE CLOCK.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE A QUICK COMMENT ABOUT ME.

WHEN I TALK LOUD. IT'S NOT OUT OF DISRESPECT.

AND I SAID THIS AT THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING.

IT'S THE JERSEY AND ME COMING OUT.

I GET LOUD, AND IF YOU ASK MY CHILDREN, THEY'LL TELL YOU, MOM, YOU'RE TALKING LOUD.

SO I'M APOLOGIZING IN ADVANCE.

IF MY VOICE STARTS TO ESCALATE.

IT'S NOT DISRESPECT, IT'S JERSEY.

WITH THAT SAID MICHELLE PARIS.

PARIS WITH ANY THANK YOU.

325 DUTCH TOWNS ON ROAD.

FOR THOSE WHO KNOW ME, KNOW THAT MY FAMILY HAS BEEN HERE SINCE THE LATE 1800S. MONTGOMERY IS NOT A STEPPING STONE.

MONTGOMERY IS MY HOME.

IT IS THEIR HOME. WHAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST, I HAVE SEEN SO MANY TOWNSHIP MEETINGS.

I HAVE SEEN SO MANY CHANGES.

I HAVE SEEN WAYS THAT OTHER COMMITTEES HAVE DONE IT.

OTHER REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TOWN HAVE DONE THIS.

I'M GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN. AND I SAID AT THE PLANNING MEETING.

I'M DISGUSTED WITH THE WAY YOU HANDLED THIS WHOLE SITUATION.

I WAS HERE FOR SKILLMAN VILLAGE.

MY CHILDREN WERE IN SCHOOL, SKILLMAN VILLAGE.

THEY HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS.

HOW MANY OF YOU WERE HERE FOR SKILLMAN VILLAGE MAYOR SAYING YOU WERE HERE? I REMEMBER YOU AT THESE MEETINGS.

YOU KNOW HOW THEY OPERATED.

THEY HAD MEETINGS DURING THE DAY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO COULDN'T MAKE IT AT NIGHT.

THEY HAD MEETINGS AT NIGHT. WHEN PEOPLE COULDN'T MAKE IT THERE IN A DAY, THEY HAD THEM ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN, THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN, THE NORTH SIDE OF TOWN, AND THE SOUTH SIDE OF TOWN.

I AM DISGUSTED. YOU HAD AMPLE TIME TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH US, AND YOU CHOSE NOT TO. AND I WISH ONE OF YOU OR ALL OF YOU WOULD OWN YOUR MISTAKE.

OWN IT. JUST COME CLEAN AND SAY WE MESSED UP.

WE DROPPED THE BALL. WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY.

WE DIDN'T DO WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE.

FORGIVE US. I HAVE I'VE NOT HEARD ANY OF THAT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MAYOR SINGH.

YOU'RE A REALTOR. I WATCHED THE REPLAY AND YOU SAID I'M JUST A REALTOR.

I'M NOT A DEVELOPER. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A REALTOR.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A ROCKET SCIENTIST.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ANYTHING TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN THESE DEVELOPMENTS COME IN AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMES IN.

AND I'M ALL FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

IT'S NOT TAKING AWAY HOMES FROM PEOPLE.

I'M AGAINST HOW YOU WENT ABOUT IT.

I'M HEARING THINGS SOCIAL MEDIA I TRY NOT TO READ AND I NEVER COMMENT, BUT I TRY NOT TO READ.

BUT THEN THESE QUESTIONS COME UP.

AT THE LAST MEETING, SOMEONE WAS ACCUSING THE TOWNSHIP OF TAKING $1 MILLION PAYMENT FROM THE DEVELOPER. IS THAT ACCURATE OR IS THAT NONSENSE? I NEED THAT ANSWER. JOINING A SUIT.

WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT. YOU DROPPED THE BALL AND YOU DIDN'T FIGHT ONCE.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GUARANTEE ME YOU'RE GOING TO FIGHT? AND WHO ARE YOU JOINING THIS LAWSUIT WITH? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FOLLOW THROUGH? HOW MANY SIGHTS, DENNIS, DID YOU LOOK AT PRIOR TO SAYING WE LOOKED AT OTHER SITES? I LIVE IN THIS TOWN.

I CAN SEE OTHER SITES YOU COULD HAVE NOTED, AND I'M THINKING ABOUT OTHER LOW INCOME HOUSING. AND WHEN THEIR DEEDS ARE UP, ARE THE DEEDS UP AND ARE THEY EXPIRING? AND IT'S SOMETHING WE COULD HAVE LOOKED AT TO REFILL WHERE THAT ALREADY WAS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MICHELE. OKAY, SO I GUESS, DENNIS, YOU SAID THE TRUTH IS, HERE'S THE TRUTH FOR ME.

THE TRUTH IS YOU LET US DOWN.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. DID YOU WANT TO ANSWER? YES. MISS PARISI, LET ME EXPLAIN.

EXACTLY. BECAUSE THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT YOU SAID THAT ACTUALLY CONFLICTED WITH EACH OTHER. YOU ASKED WHETHER WE LOOKED AT THE EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO SEE IF IT COULD BE CONTINUED, SO THAT THOSE UNITS ON THE GROUND ARE NOT LOST.

THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WAS NEGOTIATED FOR THE DEVELOPER TO HELP CONTRIBUTE FUNDS TO MAKE

[00:45:03]

SO THAT IS, THAT'S REDUCING THE DENSITY ON THAT SITE BY CONTINUING UNITS THAT ALREADY EXIST. SO IT'S EXACTLY YOUR SECOND POINT IS WHERE THAT MONEY GOES.

IT'S NOT A BRIBE, IT'S A NEGOTIATION.

IT GOES BACK TO WHAT I WAS SAYING WITH, WHEN YOU START IN THIS BACK AND FORTH AND YOU GET A SEAT AT THE TABLE, YOU GET TO NEGOTIATE THIS.

THE DEVELOPER CAME IN ASKING FOR A LOT MORE HOUSING IN THE COURSE OF NEGOTIATIONS.

YOU CAN START TALKING ABOUT IT, SAYING, WE'LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU REDUCE HERE.

AND THEN INSTEAD OF HAVING TO BUILD THIS MANY AFFORDABLE, YOU'LL BUILD THIS MANY AND THE OTHER ONES, YOU'RE GOING TO HELP US PAY FOR THOSE EXTENSION AND CONTROLS.

AND NOW WE'RE REDUCING THE NUMBER OF NEW UNITS OVERALL COMING INTO THE TOWNSHIP.

WE'RE REDUCING THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL CHILDREN OVERALL COMING INTO THE TOWNSHIP AND MAKING USE OF UNITS THAT ALREADY EXIST ON THE GROUND AND NOT LOSING THEM.

SO THAT'S WHERE THAT CONNECTION COMES IN.

I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT IN $1 MILLION, SINCE WE RECEIVED THE MANY DOLLARS.

SO THE THIS SITE IS NOT APPROVED.

THIS SITE DOES NOT HAVE ZONING.

THIS IS A MASTER PLAN CONCEPT PLAN.

AND I KNOW YOU HEARD ME AT THE THE PLANNING BOARD. SO I APOLOGIZE TO YOU BECAUSE YOU ALREADY HEARD IT. BUT FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T. THIS IS A MASTER PLAN DOCUMENT.

THIS IS SAYING WHERE THINGS COULD POTENTIALLY GO AGAIN, THE KEN VIEW SITE, WE'RE LIMITING WITHIN AN AREA OF WHERE THE EXISTING MANUFACTURING THE BUILDINGS WERE WITH THE 23 ORCHARD.

WE'RE LOOKING TO LIMIT THE IMPACT TO ANY OTHER SPACE THAT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN DEVELOPED. AT SOME POINT.

THIS PLAN AND IS IS VERY MUCH LOOKING TO MAKE USE OF UNDERUTILIZED SITES, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE KANAVU HAS SENT NOTICE TO THE TOWNSHIP ALREADY OF MASS LAYOFFS COMING IN OCTOBER AND DECEMBER.

THAT SITE IS CLOSING. WHETHER PEOPLE FEEL THAT SOMETHING ELSE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN DISCUSSIONS, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT.

I CAN ONLY TELL YOU THAT IN PUTTING TOGETHER THIS PLAN, STEP ONE WAS HOW DO WE LIMIT THE OVERALL NUMBER OF OF OF UNITS, TOTAL UNITS THAT THAT ARE BEING BUILT? YOU KNOW, I SAW SOME THINGS IN THE NEWS COMPARING MONTGOMERY TO HILLSBOROUGH AND SAYING HOW WONDERFUL HILLSBOROUGH WAS.

HILLSBOROUGH IS PUTTING IN 2300 MORE UNITS IN THE TOWN TO GET LESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT.

WE TRIED TO LIMIT THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT IN TOWN AND GET THE MOST BANG FOR THE BUCK, AND THAT'S HOW THE PROFESSIONALS WERE WERE LOOKING AT DEVELOPING THIS PLAN.

I BELIEVE AT THE PLANNING BOARD, HAD NOTED WHAT THE KEY COMPONENTS WERE IN DEVELOPING THE PLAN. SO TO GO BACK TO YOUR QUESTION, I'M SORRY I WENT ON THE TANGENT. NO WE DON'T.

WE DIDN'T GET PAID THE MILLION DOLLARS YET. THIS IS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ONLY IF IT MOVES FORWARD. IT IS A REQUIREMENT AND PART OF THE NEGOTIATION.

BUT THAT SITE HAS NO ZONING.

THAT SITE HAS NO ENGINEERED PLANS.

IT HAS THE BARE MINIMUM OF DISCUSSION OF WHAT WE NEEDED, INCLUDING THE LETTER OF INTENT FROM THE DEVELOPER, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAD TO SHOW BY LAW TO MAKE IT A REALISTIC SITE UNDER THE REQUIREMENTS OF WHAT IS CONSIDERED REALISTIC TO THE PUBLIC.

THAT IS UPSET THAT THEY WEREN'T AWARE OF WHAT WAS IN THE HOUSING PLAN AHEAD OF TIME.

I WILL APOLOGIZE TO YOU AS WELL THAT YOU KNOW IT IS A PLANNING DOCUMENT, AND SOMETIMES PERHAPS PEOPLE AREN'T AWARE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT FACTORS AND THAT THAT HAPPENS. AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE AND I WILL APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

BUT I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT ANY OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NORMAL COURSE IN ROUND THREE, YOU MAY REMEMBER BEFORE RPM WAS EVEN GRANTED FINAL REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, A REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, BECAUSE THIS IS A REDEVELOPMENT SITE. SO IT HAPPENED IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

THEY CAME IN MULTIPLE TIMES.

WHEN I STARTED HERE AS TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY IN 2021, THEY CAME ON TO ZOOM MEETINGS TO SHOW POTENTIAL RENDERINGS OF WHAT A EXTERIOR WOULD LOOK LIKE. THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE AND THE PUBLIC HAD THE OPPORTUNITIES OF TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEETINGS TO GIVE THAT FEEDBACK.

ALL OF THAT WILL HAPPEN.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE TIMELINES FROM TRENTON IN THE FAIR HOUSING ACT AMENDMENTS, SOME OF IT'S HAPPENING A LITTLE BACKWARDS, AND WE HAD TO IDENTIFY THINGS BEFORE ANY OF THE ACTUAL BOOTS ON THE GROUND, YOU KNOW, REAL SALAD GETS MADE, SO TO SPEAK.

RIGHT? WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT INGREDIENTS CAN POSSIBLY USE THE SALADS NOT GETTING CAUGHT UP IN MADE. YET ALL OF THAT WILL COME TO THE PUBLIC AND THERE WILL BE AMPLE OPPORTUNITY.

AND WE WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU SAY. AND WE WANT THE DEVELOPER TO HEAR WHAT YOU SAY, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE ON THEM TO DO THEIR BEST JOB, TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S HAPPY SO THAT THEY CAN GET THE PLAN THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.

WE NEED TO GET WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SO THERE WILL BE AMPLE OPPORTUNITY IN THE FUTURE. I, I CAN ASSURE YOU OF THAT.

THAT QUESTION I'VE HEARD FOR THE LAST QUESTION WAS THE LITIGATION.

SO THERE IS A A CONGLOMERATE OF MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE FILED A FEDERAL

[00:50:07]

LOOKING TO THERE'S SOMETHING AND THIS IS GOING TO GET REALLY LIKE EVERYONE'S FACE IS GOING TO DAY IS OVER, I APOLOGIZE.

LOOKING INTO SOME OF THE MECHANISMS, THERE'S THINGS CALLED URBAN AID MUNICIPALITIES THAT THEY ONLY HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A PRESENT NEED OBLIGATION, WHICH IS REHABILITATION ONLY.

THEY DON'T HAVE TO BUILD FOR FUTURE.

AND WHAT HAPPENED IS THE WAY THE FAIR HOUSING ACT CALCULATED THE NUMBERS.

THEY CALCULATED STATEWIDE THE NUMBERS, AND THEN IT GETS BROKEN INTO THE SIX DIFFERENT REGIONS, THEN DOWN INTO EACH COUNTY IN THE REGION AND THEN DOWN INTO EACH TOWN IN IN EACH COUNTY. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT MISS KEENAN WAS NOTING ABOUT THE 1.9% THAT WAS THE FACTOR OF LAND CAPACITY.

I SHOULD ALSO NOTE THAT LAND CAPACITY DOES NOT MEAN WHAT IS OF WHAT YOU CAN BUILD ON.

IT'S PART OF THE MODELING.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF TOWNS DO A VACANT LAND ANALYSIS LIKE HILLSBOROUGH DID, WHAT GOES INTO A VACANT LAND ANALYSIS IS ALSO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT GOES INTO THE LAND CAPACITY. NONE OF IT MAKES SENSE.

I UNDERSTAND EVEN THE MATH.

I CALL IT COA MATH. IT'S NOT TWO PLUS TWO EQUALS FOUR AND IT IS A LITTLE BIT DENSE.

SO IF SOMEBODY WOULD LIKE TO ASK ME QUESTIONS, IF YOU WANT TO PASS THEM ON TO MISS SEVERIN TO TO GET SOME RESPONSES, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT. BUT THE LITIGATION IS LOOKING AT THE MECHANISMS OF HOW THOSE NUMBERS WERE CALCULATED.

AND ONE OF THE BIG POINTS IS SAYING THAT URBAN AID MUNICIPALITIES HAVE LARGER POPULATION GROWTH IN THE CURRENT CENSUS DATA THAN THEY DID BACK IN THE 70S AND 80S, WHEN MOUNT LAUREL STARTED IN THE URBAN AID CLASSIFICATION STARTED, AND SO THEY SHOULD ALSO BE GETTING AN OBLIGATION APPOINTED TO THEM.

OR IN THE ALTERNATIVE, SUBURBIA SHOULD NOT BE TAKING ON THE ONUS FOR THE POPULATION GROWTH IN THE URBAN CENTERS.

SO THAT'S THE BASIS OF THE LITIGATION.

THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 27 TO 29 TOWNS IN THE STATE THAT HAVE HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THAT.

TONIGHT ON THE AGENDA.

THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE ASKED THAT THERE BE A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN THE FORMS REQUIRED TO ENTER INTO THAT GREEN, INTO THAT COALITION.

I AM NOT THE ATTORNEY THAT WILL BE HANDLING THAT LITIGATION. THERE IS A DIFFERENT ATTORNEY THAT'S HANDLING IT.

BUT THAT IS THE BASIS.

AND THAT'S WHAT WHAT THE BASIS FOR THE LAWSUIT IS.

I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY EACH TOWN, BUT IF YOU LOOK UNDER THE WEBSITE FOR I THINK IT'S LL P LOCAL SOMETHING OR OTHER FOR RESPONSIBLE PLANNING, LOCAL LEADERS FOR RESPONSIBLE PLANNER. THEY HAVE A WEBSITE, THEY HAVE ALL OF THEIR MEMBER MUNICIPALITIES THERE. YOU. YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ON IT.

I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT WEBSITE, BUT YOU CAN GOOGLE NEW JERSEY AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND IT'LL COME UP.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, WENDY.

NEXT. OH, YEAH. OH, YEAH.

PLEASE SIT DOWN. THANK YOU.

IT'S THE MICROPHONE. JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. NO, PLEASE SIT DOWN. YEAH. RESPECTED MAYOR SAYING DEPUTY MAYOR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I AM BHUPINDER KOHLI.

JUST YOUR LAST NAME. KOHLI KOHLER, A RESIDENT OF MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP.

I WOULD LIKE TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO A DIFFERENT ISSUE.

AND FIRST, THANK YOU. TWO SUMMERS BACK, I WAS HERE IN FRONT OF YOU ALL WITH THE REQUEST THAT IF WE CAN START A BUS SERVICE BETWEEN NEW YORK AND MONTGOMERY, RIGHT. YOU ALL WERE SO KIND AND ESPECIALLY SAYING, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REINSTATING THE BUS SERVICE BETWEEN HILLSBOROUGH AND NEW YORK.

IT IT IS A VERY COMFORTABLE WAY, ECONOMICAL WAY AND AN ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY WAY. IT OPENED NEW AVENUES FOR THE MONTGOMERY HILLSBOROUGH RESIDENTS.

I AM HERE WITH A REQUEST THAT AS MUCH AS I AND MY FAMILY AND YOU KNOW FEW OF THE PEOPLE WHO REQUESTED THIS TALK TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, FELLOW MONTGOMERY RESIDENTS, NOT MANY ARE AWARE OF THIS BUS SERVICE THAT IS AVAILABLE RIGHT FROM HILLSBOROUGH, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT IS FROM HILLSBOROUGH.

SO WE WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST IF THE TOWNSHIP CAN HELP SPREAD THE WORD THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, LAWN SIGNS, EVENTS AND PUBLICIZE THIS WONDERFUL SERVICE.

NUMBER TWO, IF WE CAN HAVE INSTEAD OF JUST FROM HILLSBOROUGH, FROM THE MONTGOMERY ITSELF, A LOT OF OUR KIDS WILL BENEFIT, RIGHT, WHO ARE GOING FOR INTERNSHIPS AND COLLEGES.

BESIDES THAT, THE CORPORATE EMPLOYEES, EVEN THE BUSINESS WRITE THAT WE CAN OPEN NEW AVENUES THERE. SO IF THAT IS JUST ONE STOP AWAY TEN MINUTES, BUT IT WILL MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

PEOPLE WILL SEE IT AND NOTICE IT.

IT WILL BE A BIG CHANGE FOR THE TOWNSHIP.

WE ARE VERY, VERY THANKFUL THAT YOU STARTED THIS, YOU KNOW, IN COLLABORATION WITH HILLSBOROUGH, BUT MAYBE IT'S TIME TO BRING IT TO OUR TOWN TOO. ALSO, I WANT TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION THAT WE ARE CONNECTING TO NEW YORK.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WEEHAWKEN, I WORK IN UBS, WEEHAWKEN,

[00:55:01]

NEW WORK. RIGHT. SO CONNECTIVITY, IF WE CAN HAVE ONE STOP IN WEEHAWKEN OR JERSEY CITY, IT WILL BE IT WILL BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, A TEN MINUTES DETOUR AGAIN WHILE YOU ARE GOING TO THE CITY.

BUT IT WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

NOW, CURRENTLY, IT'S LIKE THE COMMUTE TIME FROM THERE ON A BUS IS LIKE FROM WEEHAWKEN TO NEW TO OUR TOWN IS LIKE, WE CAN COME TO SOMEWHERE ON THE FRANKLIN SIDE. AND THIS TWO HOURS PLUS PLUS 20, 30 MINUTES FROM THAT STOP TO THE HOME.

SO TEN MINUTES ARE ADDED ON THAT ROUTE IF THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED TOO, WILL BE A BIG, BIG CHANGE FOR US.

SO I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE EFFORTS THAT YOU ARE DOING, AND I'LL REQUEST IF YOU CAN TAKE IT FORWARD.

SO WE'LL APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.

OH, OKAY. IT'S OKAY. YEAH.

GO AHEAD. I THINK COMMITTEEMAN MARTIN WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING.

LET ME JUST SAY ON THE ON THAT ISSUE, JUST BECAUSE I MYSELF WORK IN JERSEY CITY, AND MANY OF MY COWORKERS TAKE BUSSES FROM DIFFERENT TOWNSHIPS.

MONROE COLTS NECK AREA, FREEHOLD AREA TO JERSEY CITY.

AND YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S ENVIRONMENTALLY THE GREAT WAY TO GO.

THE CARBON FOOTPRINT IS MUCH LESS.

IT IT FREES UP PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY EVEN DO WORK WHILE THEY'RE ON THE BUS.

MY MY PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR ME ACTUALLY DO THEIR WORK WHILE THEY'RE ON THE BUS.

SO YOU KNOW, WE KNOW HERE THOSE OF US HAVE BEEN HERE FOR TEN YEARS.

KNOW THAT A LOT OF MONTGOMERY INNS WORK IN THE NEW YORK CITY AREA, YOU KNOW. AND I THINK WE THIS IDEA OF TRANSPORTATION MASS, MASS TRANSPORTATION FOR US IS, IS A IS A BIG ISSUE.

AND IT'S IT'S ONE VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART. SO I WILL FOLLOW UP AND THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD ON THAT NEXT. THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS TRACY.

LUCKY. LUCKY. I LIKELY WILL NOT TAKE THE FULL THREE MINUTES.

MY FIRST TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEETING.

NOT VERY POLITICAL IN ANY WAY, BUT WHEN I HAVE QUESTIONS, I WILL ASK. AND I JUST HAVE QUESTIONS.

AND THE WORD I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE ALL OF YOU WITH.

AND I THINK YOU'VE HEARD IT FROM ANY MANY OTHERS THIS EVENING IS TRANSPARENCY.

WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE DECISIONS AND THE PLANS THAT ARE BEING MADE.

I'VE LEARNED A LOT HERE THIS EVENING, BUT UNTIL THE NOISE AND THE OUTRAGE, THERE WAS NO INFORMATION OUT THERE READILY AVAILABLE.

THE MONTGOMERY PAPER IS VERY SMALL.

WE MENTIONED FACEBOOK IS NOT THE BEST PLACE TO FIND UPDATES ON CURRENT EVENTS.

I WORK AT BIG PHARMA, YOU KNOW.

I'M WORRIED ABOUT HOW MANY EMPLOYEES ARE GOING TO BE LAID OFF AT THE LATEST WARN ACT NOT YOU KNOW, ARE WE ABOUT TO HAVE 400 PLUS UNITS OF OF HOUSING COMING INTO THE BACKYARD WITHOUT APPROPRIATE TRANSPARENCY? WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WE NEED TO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE.

I WROTE DOWN AT THE BEGINNING.

MAYOR SINGH, I BELIEVE YOU SAID LEAD BY EXAMPLE, LEAD BY EXAMPLE. AND I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS WITH KEN VIEW.

I DO I UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THAT THEY HAD THEIR MINDS MADE UP.

THEY HAD BROKEN GROUND AND MORE CAN BE DONE.

SO THE FACT THAT WE LEARNED THIS EVENING THAT THIS PLAN IS NOT A FINAL PLAN.

THIS IS A PLAN TO GET US STARTED.

FINE. THAT'S NOT CLEAR.

YOUR COMMUNITY IS NOT UNEDUCATED.

YOUR COMMUNITY CAN UNDERSTAND.

I RECOGNIZE AS A LAWYER THAT THERE ARE OFTEN THINGS WRITTEN IN, IN THE LEGALESE THAT ARE NOT CLEAR.

WE NEED YOU TO BE OUR VOICE AND TO HELP BRING THAT.

SO FIND THE WAYS TO PULL THE COMMUNITY.

ASK OUR PERSPECTIVE. ASK OUR OPINIONS.

PLEASE DON'T TELL. DON'T TELL US WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

PLEASE ASK. YOU'RE AN ELECTED GROUP.

WE WOULD LIKE THE CHANCE TO SHARE OUR VOICE.

ALSO, SIX MONTHS IS QUICK.

BUT I WORK AT BIG PHARMA.

I'VE DONE A LOT IN A LOT LESS THAN THAT.

THERE'S TIME FOR RESEARCH.

THERE IS TIME TO GET PUBLIC OPINION.

SO PLEASE PAUSE AND ASK TO GET THE INSIGHTS.

BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF SMART PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIS TOWNSHIP THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS TOPIC.

WE'RE HERE TO HELP. SO DON'T TELL US.

LET US HELP. WE'LL DO THIS TOGETHER.

NO ONE IS OPPOSED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

[01:00:01]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.

HI EVERYONE, I'M OM SHARMA AS H A M A AND OBVIOUSLY RESIDENT OF MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP IN SKILLMAN. SO I THINK I HAVE I HEARD VERY NICE SUMMARY FROM DENNIS ON AS WELL AS I HAVE HEARD A LOT OF PRESENTERS HERE ABOUT THE ISSUE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT IS KIND OF BURNING SORT OF ISSUE HERE.

SO IN MY MIND, I JUST WANT TO SHARE MY UNDERSTANDING AND WANT TO EXPRESS MY, MY VIEWS ON THAT ONE, THAT THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN WAS FINALIZED BY JUNE 30TH WAS A MANDATE.

IT WAS MANDATED BY THE STATE.

SO I BELIEVE THERE WAS NOT A MUCH ROOM FOR TOWNSHIP TO TO WIGGLE ABOUT THAT DATE OR DEADLINE FOR THAT. AND, AND IT THIS VERY SHORT DURATION AND THE DATE PUT TOWNSHIP IN A VERY DIFFICULT POSITION TO TO REALLY COME UP WITH A REALISTIC PLAN.

HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE TOWNSHIP.

CITIZENS AND I HAVE HEARD IN THE NEXT PART IS THAT MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP IS PLANNING TO OFFICIALLY JOIN THE MONTVALE GROUP, WHICH IS GOING TO HAVE A LEGAL CASE GOING TO STATE. AND THIS I BELIEVE THERE ARE SOMEWHERE, I HEARD, 27 TO 28 TOWNSHIPS.

I HAVE ALREADY JOINED THAT. IT'S A SORT OF CONSORTIUM AND WHICH IS A GOOD WAY TO TO GO AND THE THE THAT CONSORTIUM.

WHAT I HAVE HEARD IS THE MAIN POINT IS TO PUSH BACK AGAINST THE VERY THIS AND TIGHT DEADLINE SO TOWNSHIPS CAN PREPARE THERE REALLY A FULLY VETTED OUT PLAN RATHER THAN JUST PUTTING THAT IN IN A HURRY.

AND THIS IS A LEGAL BINDING FROM THE STATE.

SO IT'S NOT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED OR COULD HAVE BEEN EXTENDED.

THE OTHER POINT IS THAT BY DOING THIS.

KEEPING THE DISTANCE. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE UNDERSTANDING FROM THE CONSORTIUM IS TO KEEP CONTROL OVER THEIR OWN LOCAL ZONING.

BECAUSE IF THEY DIDN'T DO THIS, THE TOWNS, THEN THEN YOU LOSE THAT CONTROL OVER YOUR ZONING. SO. SO I THINK WITH THAT PURPOSE, THAT CONSORTIUM CAME TOGETHER AND MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP HAS DECIDED TO JOIN OR IN THE PROCESS OF JOINING THAT GROUP, I'M NOT SURE HAS DECIDED YET.

AND ALSO, COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO REACH OUT TO STATE LEGISLATURES.

SO LEGISLATIVE PEOPLE TO HELP OUT ON THIS ISSUE AND TO TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.

SO IN MY OPINION, I THINK THESE ARE SENSIBLE STEPS TAKEN BY THE, THE, I WOULD SAY TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE TO FIGHT BACK THE UNREASONABLE PRESSURE FROM THE STATE AT THE SAME TIME, NOT TO RISKING THE OUTCOME OF NONCOMPLIANCE.

IF WE DIDN'T DO THAT, THEN COULD HAVE BEEN FALLING IN THE NON-COMPLIANT AND WE WOULD HAVE LOST OUR POSITIVE COLLABORATIVE WORK WITH THE STATE.

SO I THINK, IN MY OPINION, THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO EXPRESS.

THIS IS A GOOD STEP. GOOD, GOOD.

WISE AND THOUGHTFUL. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING. SOUTH OF HARVARD CIRCLE.

I'M HERE TO CORRECT MISINFORMATION SHARED ON MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP'S OFFICIAL SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH CLAIMS THAT MAYOR NEENA SINGH IS THE FIRST INDIAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO SERVE AS MAYOR IN NEW JERSEY. THIS IS FACTUALLY INACCURATE.

TWO INDIAN AMERICAN WOMEN SERVED AS MAYORS IN NEW JERSEY PRIOR TO MAYOR SINGH, MYSELF, AND IMANI BADAWI, WHO SERVED AS MAYOR OF CRANBURY.

BOTH OF US ARE INDIAN AMERICAN WOMEN.

WHEN I FIRST HEARD MAYOR SINGH MAKE THIS CLAIM, I GAVE HER THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.

I CALLED HER DIRECTLY AND EXPLAINED WHY THIS ASSERTION IS NOT ONLY INCORRECT BUT HURTFUL.

IT ERASES INDIAN MUSLIM IDENTITY BY IMPLYING THAT WE SOMEHOW DO NOT COUNT AS INDIAN.

MAYOR SINGH ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS UNINTENTIONAL AND THAT SHE WOULD NOT REPEAT THIS CLAIM. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE SINCE HEARD FROM JOURNALISTS AND OTHERS THAT SHE CONTINUES TO PROMOTE THIS NARRATIVE IN PUBLIC BIOS AND INSISTS ON THIS RECOGNITION, INCLUDING A MATERIAL SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND OUR LD 16 STATE LEGISLATORS. SEEING THIS FALSE CLAIM, REPEATED ON MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP'S OFFICIAL FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM PAGES IS ESPECIALLY TROUBLING.

IT IS ONE THING FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO MAKE A HARMFUL CLAIM, ANOTHER FOR A LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITY TO PERPETUATE SUCH ERASURE.

TO CLARIFY, MY INDIAN HERITAGE IS WELL DOCUMENTED.

[01:05:01]

AND HERE IS MY CHECKBOOK FOR MY NONRESIDENT INDIAN NRI BANK ACCOUNT, ONLY AVAILABLE TO INDIVIDUALS OF INDIAN AN ORIGIN MAYOR SAYING, I URGE YOU TO STOP REPEATING THIS INACCURATE AND EXCLUSIONARY CLAIM.

REPEATING A FALSEHOOD DOES NOT MAKE IT TRUE, AND DOING SO AT THE EXPENSE OF INDIAN MUSLIM REPRESENTATION IS HARMFUL.

IT SENDS A PAINFUL MESSAGE TO INDIAN MUSLIMS IN MONTGOMERY AND ACROSS THE STATE TO THE TOWNSHIP ADMINISTRATOR.

I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU ENSURE TOWNSHIP RESOURCES AND PLATFORMS ARE NOT USED TO AMPLIFY CLAIMS THAT ARE RACE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

FINALLY, I WANT TO NOTE THAT WHEN I HELPED RECRUIT MAYOR SINGH TO FILL A TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE VACANCY, I CONTACTED THE SIKH COALITION TO HIGHLIGHT AND CELEBRATE HER AS THE FIRST SICK AMERICAN WOMAN TO SERVE IN MONTGOMERY'S LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

I FULLY SUPPORT CELEBRATING AUTHENTIC MILESTONES.

WHAT I CANNOT SUPPORT IS THE ERASURE OF OTHERS IN PURSUIT OF AN INACCURATE NARRATIVE.

THIS INCIDENT IS NOT ISOLATED.

MIRROR SINGH'S PAST OPPOSITION TO HOSTING A CRESCENT LIGHTING CEREMONY IS CEREMONY, AS WELL AS RETALIATORY BEHAVIOR RELATED TO MY ADVOCACY FOR PALESTINIAN CHILDREN REFLECT A BROADER AND TROUBLING PATTERN OF ANTI-MUSLIM BIAS.

I HOPE SHE REFLECTS ON THIS AND CHOOSES A MORE INCLUSIVE AND TRUTHFUL PATH FORWARD AS A PUBLIC SERVANT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. NEXT. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. ELLEN ROBINS HOLLOW ROAD.

I'M JUST HERE TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WAS SAID AT THE LAST MEETING, AND I'M VERY UPSET THAT IT WAS DISCUSSED IN REGARDING THE KANAVU SITE ABOUT TRANSPORTATION FOR THE FOR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

I'M GOING TO SPEAK FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WILL BE IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THE GENTLEMAN, MICHAEL, WHO IS HAS DONE ALL THE WORK.

HE SAID WHY SHOULD MONTGOMERY BE POSSIBLE BE RESPONSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THERE IS TRANSPORTATION FOR PEOPLE IN THIS HOUSING.

WELL, MICHAEL IS DOING STATISTICS.

MICHAEL DOES NOT LIVE IN THIS TOWN.

I LIVE IN THIS TOWN. MY FEET WALK THESE HALLWAYS TO DEAL WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

THEY DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION.

I MET A GENTLEMAN LAST WEEK LIVING ON $1,000 A MONTH.

SO THEY CAN'T AFFORD A CAR, THEY CAN'T AFFORD INSURANCE, THEY CAN'T AFFORD REPAIRS.

SO PLEASE JUST BE MINDFUL.

WE KNOW THAT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAS TO COME INTO MONTGOMERY.

IT HAS TO. I UNDERSTAND THAT COMPLETELY.

PLEASE PUT IT CLOSE TO TRANSPORTATION.

THE OLD MUNICIPAL BUILDING THAT'S RIGHT THERE ON 206, CLOSE TO TRANSPORTATION, CLOSE TO A SUPERMARKET.

YOU KNOW, OTHER THINGS THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS ON A DAILY BASIS.

YOU HAD A RESIDENT COME UP TO SAY THANK YOU.

I NEEDED THE THE BUSSING TO GET ME INTO NEW YORK.

BUT WE NEED THIS BUSSING OR OTHER TRANSPORTATION.

TRANSPORTATION FOR THESE RESIDENTS.

WE HAVE OVER 500 RESIDENTS.

YOU KNOW, EVEN IF HALF OF THEM DON'T HAVE CARS.

HOW ARE THEY GETTING PLACES? YOU KNOW, THAT IS WHERE I'M TRYING TO SPEAK TONIGHT TO.

PLEASE BE MINDFUL. ON TRANSPORTATION FOR THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WE KNOW THAT'S GOING TO COME IN AND THAT'S FINE.

SO UNFORTUNATELY, THE KEN VIEW SITE IS NOT NECESSARILY THE BEST OBJECTION FOR IT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT.

YEAH. NANCY CASTELLANO.

OKAY. THE STATE'S HAS AN OWNER METHODOLOGY, RIGHT, OF DEFINING THE SO ACCORDING TO THEM, THE PLANNING AREA FOR WHICH IS RURAL AREA, THEY HAVE A ZERO WEIGHT ON IT.

IS THAT CORRECT? I'M JUST ASKING YOU, SO WHAT HAPPENED IN MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP ADMITTED THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN OVER INCLUDED PARCEL LIKE CAN YOU THAT THE STATE METHOD METHODOLOGY DOES NOT REQUIRE TO BE COUNTED DESPITE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT CAN YOU IS A RURAL ZONED THE PLANNING BOARD MAJORITY STILL INCLUDED THE SITE CLAIMING IT WOULD HELP THEM KEEP LOCAL ZONING CONTROL.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT PART.

THE STATE DOES NOT REQUIRE RURAL ZONED LAND TO BE USED TO MEET AFFORDABLE NUMBERS.

MONTGOMERY'S BOARD CHOOSE TO INCLUDE IT ANYWAY,

[01:10:02]

IF YOU OVER INCLUDE A SITE LIKE KEN VIEW, WHICH THE STATE'S OWN RULE SAYS IT DOES NOT COUNT. YOU RISK SETTING A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT.

DEVELOPERS CAN COME BACK LATER AND ARGUE, WELL, YOU INCLUDED A RURAL ZONED LAND BEFORE, SO NOW IT'S FAIR TO GAME TO PUSH FOR EVEN MORE HOUSING ON THE OTHER RURAL SITES.

SO YOU GUYS ARE TELLING ME WE ARE PROTECTING YOU ALL, BUT YOU ARE OPENING A DOOR FOR OTHER DEVELOPERS TO COME IN AND PICK UP THE OTHER RURAL SITES. NOW IT'S A FAIR GAME TO PUSH FOR EVEN MORE HOUSING ON THE OTHER RURAL SITES.

OKAY, NOW ON THE SECOND ISSUE THAT I HAVE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUE BEING VOTED ON TODAY WAS DISCUSSED AT THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING ON JUNE 23RD AND 26TH.

THE TOWNSHIP WAS THE APPLICANT.

WHEN AN APPLICANT OR SOMEONE REPRESENTING THEM IS INVOLVED.

THEY SHOULD NOT TAKE PART IN THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING.

SINCE THE MAYOR WAS INVOLVED AS A PART OF THE BOARD, THIS CREATES A POSSIBLE CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND MAKES THE BOARD'S DECISION QUESTIONABLE.

IF THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE APPROVES THIS RESOLUTION WITHOUT FIRST LOOKING INTO THIS CONFLICT, THERE COULD BE KNOWINGLY BREAKING THE ETHICS RULE.

ANOTHER THING THESE MEETINGS ARE HELD ON LAST ONE ON 26TH OF JUNE.

THAT WAS THE FIREWORKS.

AND NOW WE ARE HAVING ON A HOLIDAY WEEKEND.

YOU DO KNOW THAT THESE THINGS ARE DONE ON A DAY WHEN PEOPLE ARE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO COME.

IS THERE IN FUTURE BECAUSE THESE THINGS ARE PLANNED AHEAD OF TIME? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO THE QUESTION I'M GOING TO ANSWER RIGHT AWAY, THE MEETING TONIGHT WAS NOTICED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING NOTICE, WHICH GOES OUT. WHEN WAS THAT, LISA? JANUARY JANUARY 10TH. THIS HAS BEEN ON THE THE TOWNSHIP CALENDAR FOREVER.

I MEAN, FOR THIS YEAR THE TOWNSHIP MEETS GENERALLY EVERY FIRST AND THIRD THURSDAY.

TRUST ME, WE WOULD HAVE PREFERRED IT NOT TO LAND ON THE DAY BEFORE JULY 4TH AS WELL.

BUT THAT HAS IS NOT A SECRET PLAN TO KEEP THINGS NOT TRANSPARENT.

THAT IS JUST THE CALENDAR.

YES, YOU CAN CHANGE THE CALENDAR, RIGHT? BUT YOU CAN SAY THIS CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

YOU CAN VOTE TO CHANGE THE DATE.

IT'S NOT WRITTEN IN STONE.

YEAH. I'M SORRY. IF YOU WANT TO SIT DOWN, I'LL ADDRESS YOUR OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO. OKAY, I HAVE ANOTHER ONE.

NO, YOUR TIME IS UP. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU FOR COMING. SO, JUST TO CLARIFY HERE AGAIN, WHAT WAS USED IN THE LAND CAPACITY FACTOR IS NOT THE SAME THING THAT IS LOOKED AT ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM TO WHERE YOU GET TO THE COMPLIANCE PHASE.

IT'S TWO DIFFERENT CALCULATIONS.

IT'S TWO DIFFERENT METHODOLOGIES.

DIFFERENT LAND IS INCLUDED.

THERE'S LAND THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE LAND CAPACITY FACTOR.

BUT FOR A TOWN THAT DOESN'T IS FULLY BUILT OUT AND DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH VACANT LAND, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ON THE LAND CAPACITY FACTOR AND GENERATED AN OBLIGATION, YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE IT TO SATISFY IT.

IT'S IN THE SAME THING WHEN YOU GET INTO THESE RURAL AREAS, SIMILAR TO WHEN YOU'RE IN THE HIGHLANDS REGION AND YOU HAVE A HIGHLANDS BUILDOUT. I KNOW THE TOWN ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA WAS TALKING ABOUT MAHWAH.

MAHWAH HAS GOT A LOT OF OPEN LAND THAT IS IN THE HIGHLANDS REGION.

IT COUNTED. IT WAS THE OPPOSITE THERE.

IT COUNTED TO THE LAND CAPACITY FACTOR.

BUT THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU DEVELOP ON IT IS IF IT WAS PREVIOUSLY DISTURBED AND IT GETS REDEVELOPED AGAIN. THE PORTION OF KEN VIEW HERE WAS PREVIOUSLY DISTURBED AND IT GETS REDEVELOPED. SO THE WAY THAT YOU LOOK AT THINGS ON ON YOU KNOW, IN OCTOBER WHEN THE NUMBERS WERE BEING CALCULATED AND THE WAY YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THINGS IN JUNE, UNFORTUNATELY, ARE NOT THE SAME.

AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF IT WAS, BUT IT ISN'T. SO IT'S LOOKING AT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.

ALSO, IT WASN'T AN APPLICATION BY THE TOWNSHIP BEFORE THE PLANNING BOARD TO BUILD SOMETHING. THE HEARING THAT WAS HELD BEFORE THE PLANNING BOARD IS A MASTER PLAN HEARING.

IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING.

IT'S REQUIRED TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING, BUT IT IS A PLANNING DOCUMENT.

THERE IS NO APPROVAL. THIS WASN'T A SITE PLAN APPLICATION.

IT'S NOT THE SAME NOTICING REQUIREMENTS OF A 200 FOOT LIST.

WHEN YOU HAVE AN APPLICATION, IT IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PROCESS.

THAT'S THE SAME AS WHEN AN OPEN SPACE PLAN IS DONE, OR WHEN YOUR YOUR TRAFFIC ROAD NETWORK PLAN.

I KNOW MONTGOMERY'S GOT SEVERAL ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS ON THEIR HOUSING PLAN THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY REQUIRED, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT EACH ONE OF THOSE GETS REEXAMINED AND THEN HAS TO GO.

AND YOU HAVE TO NOTICE IN THE PAPER YOU HAVE TO PUT IT ON THE WEBSITE.

[01:15:04]

AND I THINK PERHAPS THAT FOLKS ARE LOOKING AT ONE STATUTE, BUT IT'S NOT THE CORRESPONDING STATUTE TO WHAT WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

THERE IS NO CONFLICT OF A GOVERNING BODY MEMBER WHO IS ON THE PLANNING BOARD, BOTH PAT AND FOR NINA, THAT'S NOT A CONFLICT TO SIT AT A MASTER PLAN PUBLIC HEARING. IT IS NOT AN APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT, AND IT'S CONSIDERED AND TREATED IN A DIFFERENT MANNER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE NEW LEFT THE TOWNSHIP CONSIDERED, AND I DON'T THINK YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS.

YOU'RE DONE. IF THERE'S ANYBODY NEW LEFT YOU, WE WELCOME YOU TO. AND THEN I THINK WE'LL BE CLOSING PUBLIC COMMENT.

THANK YOU. OKAY. I THINK WE HAVE ONE MORE.

JUST JUST AS A GENERAL WELL, CHRIS, COMING UP, I'M SORRY, BUT JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THERE IS AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PAGE ON THE WEBSITE. I KNOW THE WEBSITE IS UNDERGOING A LITTLE BIT OF A TRANSITION, BUT BACK FROM JANUARY, WE'VE HAD THE PRESENTATION THAT THE PLANNER DID BEFORE THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE IN JANUARY.

ALL THOSE SLIDES ARE UP THERE.

IT EXPLAINS HOW THE CALCULATION OF THE LAND CAPACITY, EVERYTHING ELSE THAT IS ALL READILY AVAILABLE ON THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE.

SO IF THAT COULD BE A RESOURCE AND AS WE'RE ABLE TO TRANSFER THE WEBSITE OVER AND UPDATING IT, WE WILL CERTAINLY ADD MORE INFORMATION TO MAKE IT AS UNDERSTANDABLE AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

EXCUSE ME, CHRIS NEWMAN.

SKILLMAN I WILL CONFESS THAT I'M NOT UP ON ALL THE PARTICULARS OF THIS, SO I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT A WHOLE LOT, BUT WHAT I'M HEARING EVERYBODY GETTING UP HERE IS A LOT OF FRUSTRATION AND A FEELING THAT THERE'S A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, A LACK OF EXPLANATION, A LACK OF ALLOWING THE TOWN THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN TO HAVE BUY IN.

AND I THINK WITH SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT.

IT'S YOUR OBLIGATION TO BE AS TRANSPARENT, TO GO OVERBOARD WITH THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT WE'RE GIVEN TO MAKE A DIFFICULT SUBJECT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE I'M I DON'T KNOW WHAT I CAN BELIEVE, AND I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE ALL TELLING ME THE TRUTH. BUT IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT, I JUST DON'T KNOW.

YOU KNOW, AND THERE MIGHT BE THREE WAYS OF LOOKING AT SOMETHING, AND I JUST DON'T KNOW ENOUGH TO KNOW.

SO I THINK IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO HAVE AN EASY TO UNDERSTAND EXPLANATION TO BE TRANSPARENT, TO NOT BE SO GLUED TO THE RULES, THAT THERE CAN'T BE SOME FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF LETTING PEOPLE KNOW WHEN THERE'S A MEETING.

I THINK OBVIOUSLY ONCE PEOPLE FIND OUT SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT IS GOING ON, PEOPLE SHOW UP AND MAKE EVERY EFFORT, EVEN ON A HOLIDAY WEEKEND OR THE NIGHT OF THE FIREWORKS SHOW. AND THEN I ALSO THINK THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THERE'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST. IT'S THE APPEARANCE THAT THERE MAY BE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, WHICH MANY PEOPLE HAVE BROUGHT UP TONIGHT. SO I UNDERSTAND LEGALLY THERE'S NOT.

BUT I THINK YOU ALSO HAVE TO BE AWARE OF THE APPEARANCE AND WHAT PEOPLE ARE SEEING WHEN THEY LOOK AT THIS. SO THANKS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT THEN.

YOU WANT TO SPEAK. YEAH.

AT THIS POINT WE WILL BE CLOSING PUBLIC COMMENT AND I GUESS THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE.

PAT TODD, VERY BRIEFLY, AND THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT AND FOR YOU KNOW, COMING AND EXPRESSING YOUR OPINIONS AND YOUR PASSION ON THIS ISSUE.

I'M SITTING HERE KIND OF CHOMPING AT THE BIT BECAUSE I'M I'M HEARING EVERYBODY'S FRUSTRATION, YOU KNOW, AND I REALLY CAN'T ADD ANYTHING TO WHAT MY INEVITABLE COLLEAGUE DENNIS ON PUT TOGETHER IN HIS STATEMENT.

BUT I WANT TO SAY TWO THINGS.

FIRST, I WANT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IT IS NOT EASY TO BE IN THE ROLE THAT WE'RE IN, TO TRY TO MAKE A DECISION THAT WE NEED TO MAKE.

THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE AND WHAT WE THINK IS GOOD FAITH AND TO REALLY KIND OF BE, YOU KNOW, ATTACKED FOR IT. NOW, I'M TELLING YOU, THAT'S NOT EASY, RIGHT? I GET IT, IT COMES WITH THE ROLE.

BUT THE SECOND THING I WANTED TO ADDRESS IS A COUPLE OF PEOPLE HAVE SAID MISS PARIS AND MISS I CAN'T REMEMBER YOUR LAST NAME.

I'M SORRY, BUT YOUNG LADY IN THE IN THE BLUE PATTERNED SHIRT TALKING ABOUT COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY AND ASKING US, YOU KNOW, TO OWN IT, I'M GOING TO SAY ON MY BEHALF AND I THINK ON BEHALF OF MY COLLEAGUES.

ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD HAVE DONE AND COULD HAVE DONE, YOU KNOW, BETTER IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATING.

WE COULD HAVE COMMUNICATED, WE COULD HAVE DONE A LOT OF THINGS. BUT WHAT I'M ASKING YOU TO DO IS WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE PAST.

HOWEVER, GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO BETTER.

WE WANT TO DO BETTER. WE'RE GOING TO DO BETTER.

THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING JOURNEY IS A IT'S A JOURNEY.

IT'S NOT A SPRINT. RIGHT.

SO ALTHOUGH TONIGHT SEEMS, YOU KNOW, MOMENTOUS I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT IT'S NOT MOMENTOUS. IT IS JUST A COMPLIANT STEP IN A VERY, VERY LONG PROCESS. WE'VE HEARD YOU.

[01:20:05]

BUT I ASK YOU TO REALIZE THAT NO ONE HAS ANY MOTIVATION TO HURT ANYONE HERE.

WE ALL LIVE IN THIS TOWN.

WE ALL OWN PROPERTY IN THIS TOWN.

IF YOUR TAXES GO UP, OUR TAXES GO UP.

IF YOU GET STUCK IN CONGESTION, WE GET SECOND CONGESTION.

IF THE ENVIRONMENT GETS HURT BY YOU, IT GETS HURT BY US.

WE DON'T WANT THAT. I HEARD AT THE PLANNING BOARD HEARING THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE REALLY WANTS THIS. THEY'RE PUSHING FOR THIS. I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BENEFIT WOULD BE TO US TO PUSH FOR SOMETHING THAT IS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE TOWN, BECAUSE WE'RE THE TOWN, TOO.

SO I JUST ASK YOU TO REMEMBER THAT WE'RE JUST FIVE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, TOO, AND WE DON'T WANT ANYONE TO BE HURT BY ANY DECISIONS THAT WE MIGHT MAKE.

I THINK I, YOU KNOW, WAS A REVELATION TO FIND THAT THERE WAS SUCH AN OBJECTION TO PARTS OF THE PLAN, BECAUSE I REALLY DID THINK THAT WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WAS SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE MORE PALATABLE.

I'M HAPPY TO BE WRONG ABOUT THAT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO RESOLVE THIS IN A WAY THAT IS IN EVERYONE'S BEST INTEREST.

SO THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME OUT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.

DID YOU WANT TO SAY DEPUTY MAYOR? ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO ON THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD? IF. MIKE. DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK? YEAH. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I MEAN, THIS ISSUE IS REALLY ABOUT ONE OF OF BALANCE.

THERE'S THERE'S A FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY HERE.

THERE'S THERE RESPONSIBILITIES RELATED TO CONTROLLING THE DECISIONS.

THERE. THERE'S THERE'S ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES THERE, THERE. AND THEN THERE ARE FORCES THAT ARE BEING THRUST UPON US, LIKE CORPORATE RELOCATIONS AND WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN ATTRACT ANOTHER CORPORATE SITE HERE.

THAT WAS ALWAYS A AFTER I, YOU KNOW, CAME ON IN FEBRUARY, ALWAYS THE NUMBER ONE CHOICE WAS FIND ANOTHER CORPORATE PARTNER TO TAKE OVER THAT SITE AND TAKE OVER THE $1.4 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE.

THE FORCE WE'RE BOTH IN, WE'RE BOTH IN PHARMA.

SO WE KNOW IT'S IT'S THE WHERE WHERE DOES BMS PUT ITS PUT ITS LOCATION ON A HIGHWAY.

WHERE DOES SANOFI WHERE DOES WHERE DO OTHER WHERE THERE'S BIG TRANSPORTATION HUBS.

YOU KNOW, WHEN J AND J FIRST CAME TO THIS AREA, THEY THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE A HIGHWAY COMING THROUGH HERE THAT WAS THEN, YOU KNOW, AVOIDED AND PREVENTED, WHICH WAS A GOOD THING THAT WE HAVE OUR OUR BUCOLIC, RURAL CHARACTER THAT WE LOVE HERE.

SO IT'S NOT SURPRISING IN A WAY, THAT JAY AND JAY IS NOT ABLE TO STAY HERE, AND THAT WE CAN'T FIND ANOTHER PARTNER.

NOW, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY THAT ATTEMPTS WERE MADE.

AND SO WE HAVE TO ACCEPT, IN MY MIND, AT LEAST AS THIS DECISION WAS COMING THROUGH AGAIN, A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO THINK ABOUT THAT. WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE OUR TOWNSHIP REVENUES ARE BEING RELIED ON BY RESIDENCES. AND SO FOR A CORPORATE SITE TO BE TURNED INTO A RESIDENTIAL SITE, WHICH, AGAIN, WHICH WAS WHICH IS WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE WAY THIS PROPERTY WAS SOLD BY JAY JAY TO A DEVELOPER.

AND WHERE THERE'S A POSSIBILITY OF LIGHT MANUFACTURING CAN USE THE SELLER NOT CHANGING OR CAN VIEW WHICH IS FORMERLY THE JAY JAY OTC RENAMED KEN VIEW.

THE THE THE SITE COULD BE COULD END UP BEING SOMETHING ELSE LIKE LIKE MANUFACTURING.

AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF THE RESIDENTS HERE WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT THE 400 UNITS THERE AT THAT SITE WOULD LIKE TO SEE TRUCKS COMING IN AND OUT, NOISE. AND SO, SO, YEAH, SO, SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE AS I, AS I LOOK AT THIS, I THINK ABOUT THE BALANCE AND THE WAY THAT THE DECISION WAS MADE.

I THINK IT IS THE RIGHT DECISION.

FINANCIAL IMPACT 1.4 MILLION.

I MEAN, IF YOU JUST THINK ABOUT THE RESIDENTS THAT COULD BE THERE AND THE TAX, TAX CONTRIBUTIONS, WE'RE PROBABLY TALKING ABOUT AT LEAST $4 MILLION.

SO THERE'S ACTUALLY A CONTRIBUTION TO THE COFFERS OF, OF, OF OUR, OF OUR TAX, OUR TAX REVENUES.

SCHOOLS WERE MENTIONED.

CAN SCHOOLS ABSORB SOME ADDITIONAL CAPACITY.

YES THEY CAN, YES THEY CAN.

IF YOU THERE'S AN EXCELLENT STUDY I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO LOOK AT THAT.

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT I DIDN'T KNOW WAS TRUE UNTIL I READ IT.

THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT DID LAST IN 2024.

THAT THAT SHOWS THAT SCHOOL NUMBER OF SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN IN OUR IN OUR IN OUR TOWNSHIP HAVE HAS GONE DOWN BY ABOUT 10% OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS SO THAT THERE'S CAPACITY THAT CAN BE ABSORBED. INTEGRATION IN THE IN THE AFFORDABLE VERSUS AND NON AFFORDABLE.

THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT A LARGE SITE THAT CAN THAT LIKE CAN YOU CAN OFFER AS OPPOSED TO A 100% AFFORDABLE SITE THAT WOULD MAKE ADDITIONAL DEMANDS ON TOWNSHIP MONIES AS WELL

[01:25:06]

SO AS WELL THERE'S OF COURSE THE LEGAL ASPECT WHERE IT WAS YOU KNOW, DECIDED, I THINK RIGHTLY, THAT THE THAT WE JOINED THE CHALLENGE WITH THE OTHER TOWNSHIPS AS POSSIBLE TO SAY MAYBE THESE NUMBERS WEREN'T DONE THE RIGHT WAY.

AND SO WE, WE NOW HAVE, HAVE, HAVE JOINED THAT THAT FIGHT AS WELL.

AND WE'LL SEE WHERE THAT GOES.

BUT IN THE MEANTIME, THIS CONCEPT THAT HAD TO BE BROUGHT FORWARD THAT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD BY THIS JUNE 30TH DEADLINE, I AM IN FULL AGREEMENT WITH, WITH YOU KNOW, COMMITTEE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER TAYLOR TODD AND OTHERS.

I THINK HERE TO SAY THAT THE COMMUNICATION AND THE ROLLOUT AND THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS WAS A CONCEPT THAT WASN'T DONE, IT WAS AT A HIGH LEVEL AT THIS POINT, NOT A DONE DEAL WAS WAS SOMETHING THAT REALLY NEEDED TO BE DONE, AS WELL AS THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT WERE PRESENTED AND LOOKED AT.

SO I THINK THERE'S THERE'LL BE MORE TO COME ON THAT.

AND, AND SO THAT THAT'S WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO AS WELL.

THANK YOU. CAN WE JUST HAVE THE DEPUTY SPEAK FIRST? I'LL SAY SOMETHING FIRST. SAY SOMETHING.

YEAH, YEAH. SO THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF INFORMATION THROWN AT ALL OF US.

AND IT WASN'T LIKE IT WAS.

IT WAS RIGHT AWAY. TOWARDS THE END OF FEBRUARY.

MARCH. IT WAS LIKE, OKAY, HERE'S OUR HERE'S OUR NUMBERS.

HOW DO WE FILL THEM AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS? WITH ALL THAT INFORMATION BEING THROWN AT US, WE WERE VERY OVERWHELMED.

AND AND ACTUALLY, I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BEING DURING THAT OVERWHELMING PHASE, NOT OPENING AND SAYING, OKAY, DO YOU WANT 100% AFFORDABLE? DO YOU WANT YOU KNOW, THESE DIFFERENT OPTIONS.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO, TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE THAT'S THE BEST WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW AND WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS THE STATE REGULATIONS, YOU KNOW, BREATHING DOWN OUR NECKS. NOTHING IS LIKE I SAID, THIS IS ALL PRELIMINARY.

SO THANK YOU. I THANK ALL OF YOU GUYS FOR COMING UP AND EXPRESSING YOUR THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS. AND I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, WE DO NEED TO BE MORE MORE UP FRONT. IT WAS JUST REALLY OVERWHELMING.

YOU KNOW, WE ONLY MEET TWICE A MONTH, YOU KNOW, AND MAKE THESE DECISIONS.

AND THEN THEY GET CONFLICTED AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE TRYING.

YOU KNOW, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO TRY AND THANK YOU.

DENNIS. DEPUTY MAYOR. I KEEP MY COMMENTS BRIEF.

I KNOW THE PUBLIC COMMENT IS DONE.

SORRY, BUT NO, WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC.

OKAY. YOU'RE LISTENING IN HERE.

MY NAME IS DIANE CLARK.

IT'S 213 GRAND VIEW. JUST JUST KEN VIEW IS MY BACKYARD.

IT WAS MY HOME. WHAT IS YOUR LAST? CAN YOU PLEASE SPELL YOUR LAST NAME? OH, IT'S TYLER ELLA.

I SEE. THANK YOU. YOU'RE SAYING IT'S NOT A DONE DEAL? WHICH IS FINE, AND THERE'S STILL OTHER OPTIONS.

I'D LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER IF IT'S GOT SOMETHING HAS TO BE BUILT THERE.

INCREASE THE LOT SIZES, MAKE IT FIVE ACRE ZONING AND PUT THE HOUSING THERE AND PUT THE LOW INCOME HOUSING, LIKE ELLEN SAID, CLOSER TO AVAILABLE TRANSPORTATION FOR THEM.

YOU'RE PUTTING THEM IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE CAN HEAR. I'M SORRY. I'M NOT NOTHING BUT.

AND I ALSO JUST HAVE A QUESTION HOW MUCH OF OUR CURRENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS OCCUPIED? DOES THAT EVER COME INTO THE CALCULATIONS OF YOU'RE JUST REQUIRED TO HAVE MORE AND MORE AND MORE LOW INCOME HOUSING? BUT WHAT IF WE HAVE IT AND IT'S NOT BEING OCCUPIED? THANK THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'LL HAVE THE.

DID YOU WANT TO ANSWER THAT? WE'LL NOW HAVE THE DEPUTY MAYOR.

SO I'LL JUST KIND OF KEEP MY COMMENTS BRIEF.

I'M GOING TO TRY NOT TO OVERLY REPEAT THINGS THAT OTHERS HAVE SAID, BUT I WILL ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE, YOU KNOW MY ACCOUNTABILITY ON JUST, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T MATTER WHAT WE TRY TO DO.

I KNOW WE, WE OBVIOUSLY WHEN WE STARTED IN JANUARY, WE KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO COME. WE HAD THE PLANNERS THAT KIND OF LIKE THE TOWN HALL CONCEPT. IT WASN'T ENOUGH.

AND SO WE WE WANTED TO KIND OF MOVE FORWARD.

BUT WE YOU KNOW, I TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THAT AS WELL.

THE LESSON WILL BE LEARNED. AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE WILL WORK TO OVERCOMMUNICATE

[01:30:01]

ALL RIGHT. YEAH, I WANT TO I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME MISINFORMATION AROUND MY PERSONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. I THINK I'VE ANSWERED THAT ALREADY BASED ON THE. AGAIN, IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ME.

I'LL TRY TO BE AN OPEN BOOK.

THE THIRD ABOUT TRANSPARENCY.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME. YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN LEADING THE BUDGET PROCESS FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.

I'VE BEEN TRYING TO BE OVERLY COMMUNICATIVE HERE AT THE DAIS AND MAKING SURE THAT.

UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE ALL THE RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE. YOU KNOW, FINANCE IS MY BACKGROUND. AND YOU KNOW, I TAKE.

ACCOUNTABILITY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S A PERCEPTION THAT WE WEREN'T OVERLY. WE WEREN'T AS TRANSPARENT AS WE COULD BE. AND WE WILL WORK ON THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE DOING THIS IN THIS PROCESS.

I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, THE FINAL THING, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO COME TO A VOTE, AND I'M JUST GOING TO SHARE THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TRUSTED ADVISORS HAVE TOLD ME LIKE, OH, HEY, MAYBE THIS IS THE TIME TO VOTE NO FOR SOMETHING. JUST GO ON THE GO ON THE STANCE AND SAY NO.

AND BUT I'VE NEVER LIKED TO SHIRK AWAY FROM RESPONSIBILITY.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I ACKNOWLEDGE, YOU KNOW, THE CONSEQUENCES IF WE DON'T APPROVE, YOU KNOW, THE NOT SO PERFECT BUT A COMPLIANT PLAN.

AND, YOU KNOW, I WILL VOTE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE BECAUSE I KNOW IF THAT IF THAT DOESN'T PASS, IT'S A WORST CASE SCENARIO FOR THIS TOWN.

AND YOU HAVE MY COMMITMENT THAT, YOU KNOW WHETHER MY TERMS FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR OR FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS, THAT WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO YOU KNOW, TAKE THE EXTRA EFFORT TO GET MORE COMMUNITY INPUT AS WE GO THROUGH THESE DIFFERENT PROCESSES. THANK YOU.

ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY. WE'RE DONE.

THANK YOU AGAIN. WE WANT TO SINCERELY THANK ALL RESIDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED TODAY.

AND AGAIN, JUST TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THIS IS REALLY A COMPLIANCE DOCUMENT.

AND WE ARE LISTENING TO EVERYBODY. YES, WE TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY THAT ENOUGH PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT MEETINGS. WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT HAVING THIS IN THE NEWSPAPER IN CAREER NEWS IS NOT HELPFUL. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE TOWNSHIP IS DISCUSSING OTHER AVENUES OF POSTING WHERE WE ARE DOING THESE DISCUSSIONS AND HAVING MEETINGS.

WE'VE ALSO HAD A CONVERSATION AS A TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE WITH OUR ADMINISTRATOR AND OUR ATTORNEY ABOUT LISTENING SESSIONS, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL WORK ON TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE COMMUNITY COME OUT, SIT IN AND SEE AS THE PLAN IS BEING DISCUSSED. AND MAYBE IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE, LET'S HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.

LET'S HAVE, YOU KNOW, MEETINGS WHERE WE CAN ALL TALK AND FIGURE IT OUT. AS AS TODD SAID, WE ALL LIVE HERE.

WE REALLY CARE. WE ARE EQUALLY FRUSTRATED.

NONE OF US WANT TO SAY YES ON THIS WHOLE DESK, BECAUSE WE'VE ALL HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS DAY IN AND DAY OUT, AND IT'S IT'S REALLY HARD, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE A FINANCIAL DECISION AT THIS POINT ALSO BECAUSE THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PUT THE REST OF THE TOWNSHIP IN A JEOPARDY OF HAVING A LAWSUIT, WHICH IS AS SOUTH BRUNSWICK, AND I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OF PEOPLE HERE FROM SOUTH BRUNSWICK SPENT MILLIONS AND THE HOUSING GOT BUILT ANYWAYS, AND THAT MILLIONS WERE THEN ON TOP OF THE TAXPAYERS AND THEY HAD TO PAY THE TAXES.

SO AT THIS POINT, THANK YOU AGAIN EVERYONE FOR COMING.

I DON'T KNOW IF THE ATTORNEY HAS ANYTHING.

AS LONG AS I HAVE A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE, I CAN TELL YOU WHAT COMES NEXT.

SO RIGHT NOW, EVERYONE HAD TO ADOPT THE PLANS BY JUNE 30TH.

YOU KNOW, THERE IS A RESOLUTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

IT'S ON CONSENT AGENDA, BECAUSE, QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S USUALLY A MATTER OF COURSE. THAT IS TO ADOPT THE SPENDING PLAN AND ENDORSE THE PLAN.

THE COUNCIL, THE TEMPORARY THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE IS NOT THE ONE THAT ADOPTS THE PLAN. AGAIN, THAT WAS DONE BY THE PLANNING BOARD, BUT BECAUSE THE SPENDING PLAN, WHICH IS HOW TRUST FUNDS ARE COLLECTED AND ALLOCATED ONCE THEY'RE RECEIVED AND WHERE THEY GO OUT, IS AN APPENDIX TO THE HOUSING PLAN.

IT IS THE ONE ELEMENT OF THE HOUSING PLAN THAT REQUIRES THIS EXTRA ENDORSEMENT AND ADOPTION OF THAT PARTICULAR PLAN.

SO THAT'S THE RESOLUTION THAT'S ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, JUST TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW. THAT'S WHY IT'S THERE. AGAIN, THE PLAN WAS ALREADY ADOPTED BY THE JUNE 30TH DEADLINE BY THE PLANNING BOARD.

THIS IS ADDITIONAL HOUSEKEEPING THAT HAPPENS ONLY WITH THE HOUSING ELEMENT AND FAIR SHARE PLAN BASED ON THE STATE LAW FOR THAT.

THERE'S ALSO THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ENTERING INTO THE COALITION OF MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAS FILED THE FEDERAL LAWSUIT THAT IS ON THE AGENDA, AS WELL, ON THE FAIR HOUSING ACT.

TIMING STUFF. THE NEXT THING THAT HAPPENS IS THAT ANY DEVELOPERS OR FOLKS THAT FIND THAT SOMETHING IS NOT REALISTIC IN THE PLAN HAVE TILL AUGUST 31ST TO CHALLENGE IT THROUGH THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS THIS QUASI ADMINISTRATIVE, QUASI JUDICIAL PROCESS.

AND AFTER AUGUST 31ST IS WHEN IT GOES BEFORE THOSE PROGRAM JUDGES WHO ARE RETIRED JUDGES THAT PREVIOUSLY DID AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHERE THEY SIT WITH ADJUDICATORS WHO WERE

[01:35:03]

WE ARE NOT TAKING ANY ACTIONS ON ANY SITES UNTIL THAT PLAN IS DEEMED COMPLIANT OR NOT DEEMED COMPLIANT, BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. SO IF THERE'S NO INFORMATION THAT COMES OUT FOR A LITTLE WHILE, IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY.

THERE'S NOTHING HAPPENING. AND NO BACKROOM DEALS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

IT'S BECAUSE NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN BEFORE AUGUST 31ST.

I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW. SO NOBODY'S WORRIED WHEN YOU DON'T HEAR ANYTHING THE REST OF THE MONTH OR NEXT MONTH, AT SOME POINT YOU'LL JUST FIND OUT WHEN WE ALL DO. WHETHER WE GOT CHALLENGED OR NOT, AND HOW THE PROCESS MOVES BETWEEN THE AUGUST 31ST DEADLINE AND THE DECEMBER 31ST DEADLINE TO HAVE THE PLAN APPROVED RIGHT NOW IS ANYBODY'S GUESS. I'M NOT QUITE SURE.

BUT PRESUMABLY EVERYBODY WILL GET A COURT ORDER THAT SIGNS OFF YAY OR NAY.

AND IF IT'S A YAY, YOU STILL HAVE YOUR IMMUNITY.

IF IT'S A NAY, WE'RE IN TROUBLE.

SO THAT'S THE NEXT STEPS IN THE PROCESS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND AT THIS POINT WE'LL GO TO ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 5-1759,

[4. Ordinance #25-1759 – Authorizing the Acquisition by Gift of the Property Identified as Block 4003, Lots 10, 11 and 12 Located on Columbus Avenue in the Township of Montgomery – Introduction/First Reading]

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MONTGOMERY, THAT THE FOREGOING ORDINANCE BE HEREBY PASSED ON FIRST READING, AND THAT THE SAME BE PUBLISHED ACCORDING TO LAW, WITH A PUBLIC HEARING AND A VOTE SCHEDULED FOR THE MEETING OF AUGUST 7TH, 2025. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO INTRODUCE ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 5-1759.

SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN.

YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER ON.

YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER.

TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BERRIGAN.

YES. MAYOR SINGH. YES.

ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 5-1760, AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MONTGOMERY

[5. Ordinance #25-1760 – Authorizing the Acquisition by Gift of Property Identified as Block 15015, Lots 12, 13, 14, 15, 29, 30.01, 31.01, 32.01, 33.01 and 34.01 Located on Dutchtown-Harlingen Road in the Township of Montgomery – Introduction/First Reading]

LOTS 12, 1314 1529 30.01 31.01 32.01 133 .01 AND 34.01.

LOCATED IN DUTCH TOWN HARLINGEN ROAD IN THE TOWNSHIP OF MONTGOMERY BE RESOLVED BY THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP MONTGOMERY, THAT THE FOREGOING ORDINANCE BE HEREBY PASSED ON FIRST READING, AND THE SAME BE PUBLISHED ACCORDING TO LAW, WITH A PUBLIC HEARING AND A VOTE SCHEDULED FOR THE MEETING OF AUGUST 7TH, 2025. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO INTRODUCE ORDINANCE NUMBER 25 1760? SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN.

YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER ON.

YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD.

YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BERRIGAN.

YES. MAYOR SINGH. YES.

ORDINANCES. PUBLIC HEARING.

FINAL ADOPTION. THERE ARE NO ORDINANCES FOR FINAL ADOPTION.

CONSENT AGENDA. ALL MATTERS LISTED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ROUTINE

[Consent Agenda]

THERE IS NO SEPARATE DISCUSSION OF THESE ITEMS. IF DISCUSSION IS DESIRED, THAT ITEM WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AND CONSIDERED SEPARATELY.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE.

OKAY. I THINK WE ALREADY HAD THE DISCUSSION.

OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA? RESOLUTIONS NUMBER 25 SEVEN.

DASH TWO TWO 5 TO 25 7226.

SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES.

COMMITTEE MEMBER ON. YES.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD.

YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BERRIGAN.

YES. MAYOR SINGH. YES.

RESOLUTION NUMBER 25 7225.

AUTHORIZING REFUND OF OVERPAID 2025 PAID.

GO TO PAGE FIVE. THAT WAS CONSENT.

WE'RE ON TWO, TWO, SEVEN.

IT'S BEEN ONE OF THOSE. SORRY ABOUT THAT. RESOLUTIONS.

RESOLUTION NUMBER 25 7227.

[8. Resolution #25-7-227 – Authorizing Insertion of Special Item of Revenue in the Municipal Budget (Chapter 159) – 2025 FEMA Sewer Grant]

2025 FEMALE SEWER GRANT.

MAYOR. WE HAD MENTIONED THIS EARLIER.

MARK HERMAN, OUR TOWNSHIP ENGINEER, HAD WORKED WITH OEM AND CHRIS LUCADO, OUR SEWER DIRECTOR, TO APPLY TO FEMA TOWARDS THE STAGE TWO SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT, WHICH IS BEING RECONSTRUCTED NOW, AND A AND A FLOOD WALL BEING IN, IN BUILT AROUND THE PORTION OF THE PROPERTY.

BECAUSE IT HAD SUSTAINED HEAVILY DAMAGE IN IDA.

AND SO THIS IS THE FIRST OF WHAT WE HOPE TO BE MORE PAYMENTS FROM FEMA AS THE PROJECT PROCEEDS, WE WILL SUBMIT MORE OF THE INVOICING FOR IT.

[01:40:02]

SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER ON.

YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER.

TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR.

BARRAGAN. YES. MAYOR SINGH.

YES. RESOLUTION NUMBER 25 7228.

[9. Resolution #25-7-228 – Authorizing Renewal of 2025-2026 Alcoholic Beverage Control Club License]

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL CLUB LICENSE.

SO THIS IS JUST THE ANNUAL RENEWAL FOR THE PRINCETON ELKS LODGE.

ALL. THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS.

ALL REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE.

I'VE MET. OKAY. THANK YOU.

ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 25 7228.

SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ALLEN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR.

TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BERRIGAN.

YES. MAYOR SINGH. YES.

RESOLUTION NUMBER 25 7229 AUTHORIZING RENEWAL OF INACTIVE PRELIMINARY RETAIL CONSUMPTION.

[10. Resolution #25-7-229 – Authorizing Renewal of Inactive Plenary Retail Consumption Alcoholic Beverage Control License for 2025-2026]

SO THIS IS JUST THE ANNUAL RENEWAL FOR THE INACTIVE CONSUMPTION LICENSE FOR MTC RESTAURANT ONE. NO OBJECTIONS, JUST THE ANNUAL RENEWAL.

IT IS INACTIVE AND IT IS A LICENSE THAT NEEDS TO BE PLACED BY NEXT JUNE AUGUST OF 2026.

OKAY. THANK YOU. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 25 7229.

SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. JOHN.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES.

DEPUTY MAYOR BERRIGAN.

YES. MAYOR. SINGH. YES.

RESOLUTION NUMBER 25 7230 AUTHORIZING CONTRACT FOR VIDEO STREAMING SERVICES TO GRANNIS GRANICUS. OH 231 OKAY.

RESOLUTION 20 572 31 AUTHORIZING CONTRACT FOR VIDEO STREAMING SERVICES TO GRANICUS.

THAT'S RIGHT. 230. IT'S 230.

YOU'RE CORRECT. I'M SORRY, I'M CORRECT.

OH, SORRY. SO SORRY. NO THAT'S FINE.

OKAY. WE GO BACK. OKAY.

RESOLUTION NUMBER 25 572 30, AUTHORIZING CONTRACT FOR VIDEO STREAMING

[11. Resolution #25-7-230 – Authorizing Contract for Video Streaming Services to Granicus]

THEY LIVE STREAM AND ARCHIVE ON OUR WEBSITE FOR TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE, PLANNING BOARD, ZONING BOARD, AND BOARD OF HEALTH MEETINGS.

OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 5-7230.

SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN.

YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER ON. YES.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD.

YES. DEPUTY MAYOR. BARRAGAN.

YES. MAYOR. SINGH. YES.

RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 572 31 AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH RICHARD

[12. Resolution #25-7-231 – Authorizing Professional Services Contract with Richard Grubb & Associates for a Phase 2 Cultural Resources Survey, and Avoidance and Protection Plan Related to the Cherry Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant Consolidation to Skillman Village Wastewater Treatment Plant Project]

WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN.

CONSOLIDATION TO SKILLMAN VILLAGE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT PROJECT, SO THESE SERVICES ARE NECESSARY AND REQUIRED IN ORDER FOR US TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE CONSOLIDATION PLAN.

THE CONSOLIDATION PLAN DATES BACK TO ABOUT 2012, WHEN COSTS WERE RISING TO OPERATE THE VARIOUS SEWER TREATMENT PLANTS THAT WE HAD AND THE DEP REGULATIONS WERE INCREASING.

AND AND ADDING TO THOSE COSTS IN TERMS OF OF THE TREATMENT THAT WE NEEDED TO DO.

SO BACK THEN, THE TOWNSHIP DEVISED A CONSOLIDATION PLAN TO TAKE OUR 8 OR 9 SEWER TREATMENT PLANS THAT WE HAD AND BRING THEM DOWN TO ULTIMATELY FOUR, FOUR PLANTS. IT'S LESS INFRASTRUCTURE, LESS TREATMENT, MORE COST EFFECTIVE. AND SO CHERRY VALLEY TREATMENT PLANT WILL BE ONE AT SOME POINT.

ONCE WE'VE COMPLETED STAGE TWO, WE'VE GONE OUT TO BID FOR THE PIKE BROOK TREATMENT PLANT UPGRADE, THE CHERRY VALLEY BEING DECOMMISSIONED AND MOVING INTO THE SKILLMAN VILLAGE PLANT IS NEXT IN LINE, SO THIS KIND OF KEEPS THE WORK MOVING FORWARD AT A REGULATED PACE AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BUDGETING THAT WE HAVE.

OKAY. THANK YOU. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 57-2 31.

SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER ON. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR.

TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR.

BARRAGAN. YES. MAYOR. SINGH.

YES. RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 572 32.

[13. Resolution #25-7-232 – Approval to Submit a Grant Application and Execute a Grant Contract with the NJ Department of Transportation for an Orchard Road Phase 2 Reconstruction, Widening, Pedestrian Route Extension and Bicycle Lanes Project]

SO THIS IS A PART OF A PROJECT THAT WE WILL DO IN SEGMENTS TO APPLY FOR GRANTS.

SO WE'LL APPLY FOR 2 OR 3 MORE GRANTS.

[01:45:01]

FROM WHERE WE LEFT OFF HERE AT THE COMMUNITY DRIVE TO BURNT HILL ROAD.

AND SO ONCE WE RECEIVE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FUNDING, THEN THE PROJECT CAN BE EXECUTED.

WHILE WE'RE DOING THIS KIND OF MULTI-YEAR FUNDRAISING THROUGH THE STATE, D.O.T. AND OTHER PROGRAMS FOR THE WORK WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN, WE RETAINED THE THE WORK TO DO, THE DESIGN, THE PERMITTING, ALL OF THAT. SO SORT OF RUNS IN TANDEM WITH EACH OTHER.

AND AND SO THE BID I'M SORRY, A NOTE FOR THE NEXT ONE.

SO THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.

OKAY. BUT THIS, THIS PHASE IS ORCHARD TO OPOSSUM ROAD.

OKAY. SO THAT THAT'S WHERE THERE WILL BE. IT'S ABOUT $1.4 MILLION THAT WE'RE APPLYING FOR. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 572 32.

SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER ON. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR.

TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR.

BARRAGAN. YES. MAYOR. SINGH.

YES. RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 572 33 AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH

[14. Resolution #25-7-233 – Authorizing Professional Services Contract with Environmental Resolutions, Inc. (ERI) for Underground Storage Tank Closure Site Investigation in Connection with the Demolition of the Former Municipal Building at 2261 Route 31, Belle Mead]

FOR UNDERGROUND STORAGE.

TANK CLOSURE SITE INVESTIGATION IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEMOLITION OF THE FORMER MUNICIPAL BUILDING AT 2261 ROUTE 206 BELLE MEADE.

SO SEPARATE FROM THE DEMOLITION CONTRACT, THERE'S AN UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK THAT WE WILL BE FULLY CLOSING.

AND SO THIS CONTRACT HANDLES THAT PORTION OF THE PROPERTY.

OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 25 SEVEN? 233. SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN.

YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ALLEN.

YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR.

TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR.

BARRAGAN. YES. MAYOR. SINGH.

YES. RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 572 34.

[15. Resolution #25-7-234 – Opposing the Construction and Installation of Proposed Compressor Station 206 as Part of the Williams Transco Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) Project and Opposing the Entire NESE Proposal]

THE TWO WOMEN FROM SOUTH BRUNSWICK SPOKE VERY ELOQUENTLY ABOUT THIS.

SURROUNDING TOWNS HAVE PASSED SIMILAR RESOLUTIONS.

THE OPPOSITION BY MONTGOMERY AND THOSE TOWNS DATES BACK TO ABOUT 2016.

WITHIN THE COURSE OF THIS RESOLUTION, YOU'LL SEE THE TIMELINE OF EVENTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE OVER THOSE TEN YEARS.

THE LOCATION CHALLENGES ARE REALLY KIND OF WHAT ARE AT THE CRUX OF THIS, BECAUSE THE PROPOSED COMPRESSOR STATION WOULD BE NEAR THE ACTIVE MINING OPERATION OF THE TRAP ROCK QUARRY. SO THEY'RE DOING THEIR OWN BLASTING.

AND WILLIAMS HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO PRESENT EVIDENCE THAT THOSE COMPRESSORS WOULD BE ABLE TO KIND OF SURVIVE, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH, WITH THE BLASTING THAT'S GOING ON.

AND SO THAT'S THIS RESOLUTION IS IN SUPPORT OF THE OPPOSITION FOR FOR THE COMPRESSOR STATION. OKAY. AND I WANT TO THANK MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP FOR THANK COMMITTEEMAN MARTIN WHO WORKED ON THIS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 572 34.

SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN.

YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER ON.

YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD.

YES. DEPUTY MAYOR. BARRAGAN.

YES. MAYOR. SINGH. YES.

RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 572 35.

[16. Resolution #25-7-235 – Authorizing the Participation in Litigation to Address Constitutionality and/or Validity of New Jersey’s Affordable Housing Mandates]

THIS IS WHAT WE SPOKE TO BEFORE.

THIS IS THE RESOLUTION THAT'S BEFORE THE COMMITTEE.

IN ORDER TO AUTHORIZE MAYOR SINGH TO EXECUTE DOCUMENTS WITH THE ATTORNEY FOR THE GROUP OF MUNICIPALITIES, AS WELL AS TO ENTER INTO THE AGREEMENTS THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO BE PART OF THAT REGIONAL OPPOSITION, SO TO SPEAK.

OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.

THIS IS THE EFFORT THAT'S BEING MADE TO FIGHT, TO FIGHT AGAINST WHAT WE ARE, I GUESS PUSHED INTO.

MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 25 SEVEN? 235. SO MOVED. SECOND.

ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. ALLEN. YES.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD.

YES. DEPUTY MAYOR. BARRAGAN.

YES. MAYOR. SINGH. YES.

RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 572 36.

[17. Resolution #25-7-236 – Amending Resolution #24-7-242 Authorizing an Increase in the Contract Award to Ben Shaffer Recreation for Playground Drainage and Stormwater Management]

242 AUTHORIZING AN INCREASE IN THE CONTRACT AWARD TO BEN SHAFER RECREATION FOR PLAYGROUND, DRAINAGE AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT.

SO THE TOWNSHIP HAS NOW FINALIZED THE DRAINAGE AND STORMWATER PLANS FOR THE PROJECT. THERE WERE SOME LITTLE DETAILS AT THE END THAT WE DIDN'T WANT TO HOLD UP THE

[01:50:04]

SO WE JUST WE WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLAYGROUND.

AND THEN THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A PAUSE RIGHT NOW SO THAT THIS WORK WILL GET WILL GET DONE. OKAY. THANK YOU.

SO IS THIS LIKE THE LAST THING? YES. OKAY. IT'S ALMOST THERE.

MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 572 36.

SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER ON.

YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD.

YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BERRIGAN.

YES. MAYOR SINGH. YES.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF MAY

[18. Approval of Minutes]

ALL IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 28TH, 2025. SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE.

MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF JUNE 19TH, 2025? SO MOVED. SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE.

MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION? MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 28TH, 2025. SO MOVED. SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE.

AYE. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION? MEETING MINUTES OF JUNE 19TH, 2025.

SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. AYE. RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 572 37.

PAYMENT OF BILLS POSTED.

MAYOR, I AM NOT HAVING THEM IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW.

OKAY. WHY DON'T WE COME BACK TO THAT? OKAY. WE WILL DO THAT.

I GUESS WE'LL GO TO CORRESPONDENCE, BUT I BELIEVE THIS.

[20. Correspondence]

I'M NOT SURE. IT SAYS A BUS STOP WAS DIFFERENT, BUT THERE'S ANOTHER. OKAY, MAYBE THERE'S ANOTHER RESIDENT EMAIL REGARDING THE REQUEST FOR BUS SERVICE FROM THE CVS SITE AT ROUTE 206.

OKAY. AND THIS IS THE CORRESPONDENCE IS REQUESTING THAT AND ALSO THANKING THE TOWNSHIP FOR THE BUS ROUTE FROM THE HILLSBOROUGH TO NEW YORK CITY AS WELL.

SO THIS IS ANOTHER RESIDENT IN SUPPORT OF ANOTHER STOP HERE FROM MONTGOMERY.

OKAY. I THINK THAT'S FULLY NOTED BY THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE ESPECIALLY THE FACT THAT WE SHOULD HELP AMPLIFY THE MESSAGE THAT THERE IS A BUS THAT DOES GO AND I THINK INCREASE OUTREACH, THAT THERE IS A BUS SERVICE TO THE CITY IN SUPPORT OF THAT AS WELL.

THAT WOULD BE GREAT. LISA, IF YOU CAN MAKE A NOTE THAT WE WILL HAVE THAT IN THE COMMUNICATIONS.

YEAH. DID YOU WANT, LORI? SHOULD I GO BACK OR. YES.

OKAY. RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 572 37.

[19. Resolution #25-7-237 – Payment of Bills]

SO THE THREE HIGHEST BILLS ON PAGE TWO IS TOP LINE CONSTRUCTION.

THAT IS RELATED TO TOWNSHIP LINE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS.

$440,294.82. ON PAGE SEVEN IS A ELECTRICAL UPGRADES AT ONE OF OUR SEWER TREATMENT PLANTS.

35 $39,509. AND ON PAGE EIGHT, THERE IS OUR ALLIED CONSTRUCTION FOR STAGE TWO, STAGE TWO FLOOD PROTECTION PROJECT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, $1,010,773.74. THANK YOU.

ANY QUESTIONS? MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 25 SEVEN? 237. SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN.

YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER ON.

YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD.

YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BERRIGAN.

YES. MAYOR SINGH. YES.

NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS, I BELIEVE.

[21. New and Unfinished Business]

AND STATE MOTOR VEHICLE COMMISSION HAS REACHED OUT AND WOULD LIKE TO BE PRESENT HERE AGAIN ON AUGUST 18TH. AND THIS IS JUST A SEEKING APPROVAL FROM THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE TO HAVE THEM ONCE AGAIN ATTEND.

OKAY. THANK YOU. OBJECTIONS? OKAY. I JUST MAKE A NOTE LIKE ONCE THAT GETS OPENED UP PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY DO TAKE APPOINTMENTS, SO. AND THOSE APPOINTMENTS GO BY FAST. SO ONCE YOU SEE IT AVAILABLE, PLEASE SIGN UP IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN WITH THE REAL ID REQUIREMENTS.

YEAH. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT IF YOU'RE PLANNING TO TRAVEL AND YOUR OLD LICENSES INVALID ANYMORE. THAT'S A VERY.

NOT THAT I'M SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE. YEAH, WE WERE WORRIED.

WE NOW HAVE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE REPORTS. I MEAN, IT'S UP TO THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE IF

[22. Township Committee Reports]

[01:55:02]

OR DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK? I HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. JUST BECAUSE IT'S A HOLIDAY SUMMER.

YES, WE CAN DO THAT IN THE NEXT ONE.

AND I THINK AT THIS POINT I'LL JUST MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO WISH EVERYBODY HAPPY FOURTH.

AND I LET EVERYBODY ELSE CHIME IN TO HAPPY 4TH OF JULY.

YEAH. THANK YOU. YEAH.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY. AND HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY.

YES. ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT.

LAURIE. THE SENIOR CURBSIDE PICKUP PROGRAM OPENED UP ON JULY 1ST.

[23. Administrator’s Report]

THAT'S LOVELY. LOU VACCARO, WHO RUNS OUR SENIOR CLUB, IS REACHING OUT TO THE BOY SCOUTS TO HAVE THEM POSSIBLY HELP IF A SENIOR HAS TROUBLE BRINGING SOMETHING LARGE TO THE CURB, AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT PHONE NUMBER TO THE SENIORS THAT MAY HAVE THAT ISSUE.

THEY SHOULD ALSO REACH OUT TO THE GIRL SCOUTS TO I MEAN, SURE, THOSE LADIES CAN ALSO HELP. I MEAN, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.

YEAH. LET'S NOT JUST INCLUDE THE BOY SCOUTS.

I THINK LOU HAS I THINK LOU WORKED WITH THE BOY SCOUTS, SO I KNOW, BUT THAT'S MY I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S WHAT I'M.

AND NOTHING AGAINST LOU. HE'S WONDERFUL.

BUT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THESE CONNECTIONS, AND THEN OTHER GROUPS DON'T GET INCLUDED. YEAH, I WILL DEFINITELY.

I THINK IF YOU REACH OUT TO JOHN KROGER, THEY'LL HAVE SOMEONE FROM THE GIRL SCOUTS.

YEAH. AND THE CRICKET PITCH AT BROADWAY IS WORK WILL BE STARTING SOON.

WE'RE MODIFYING THAT FROM A CLAY PITCH, WHICH REQUIRES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MAINTENANCE BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE MATCHES TO A CONCRETE PITCH.

AND SO THE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAD DONE BACK IN 2016 WITH THE MONTGOMERY KNIGHTS, WHERE THEY PAID FOR THE PITCH AND THEN HAD THE AND THE ABILITY TO USE THAT THE UPGRADE.

WE'RE WE'RE KIND OF VOIDING THAT AGREEMENT.

GOOD. AND SO THE UPGRADE THE TOWNSHIP IS PAYING FOR, AND THAT MEANS THAT TIME SLOTS ON THE WEEKENDS WILL BE OPENING UP TO THE RESIDENTS.

WE THINK WITHIN, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 2 TO 3 MONTHS.

SO THERE'LL BE WEEKEND TIMES THAT PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO RESERVE THEM, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR THAT.

AND SO THAT'LL BE AT THE BROADWAY PITCH.

OH THAT'S THAT'S GREAT NEWS.

OH THAT'S IT. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

LOOKS LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. CAN I JUST MAKE ONE LAST ADDITIONAL COMMENT I APOLOGIZE FOR I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED IT EARLIER WHEN I WAS DISCUSSING THE KEN VIEW ISSUE, WHICH IS THAT I, I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID, MISS ROBBINS, ABOUT THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

AND THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE TO ME.

I JUST TOTALLY FORGOT TO MENTION THAT.

WE DO NEED TO LOOK INTO PROVIDING A BUS STOP THERE, AND I MYSELF AM ON THE SOMERSET COUNTY ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR DISABILITY ISSUES AND TRANSPORTATION IS OUR NUMBER ONE TALK ISSUE.

IT'S YOU KNOW, PEOPLE USE ACCESS LINK WHEN THEY ARE IN A WHEELCHAIR AND THEY NEED THAT ABILITY TO HAVE TRANSPORTATION TO JUST GO TO A DOCTOR.

SO I, I, I'M GOING TO LOOK, I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE AND HOW THAT, HOW WE DO THIS, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING I'M GOING TO BE LOOKING TO. THANK YOU.

THANK THANK YOU, MISTER MARTIN.

RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 572 38, EXECUTIVE SESSION.

WE HAVE NO ITEMS THAT NEED NO ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE.

OKAY. OKAY. HOLD ON THEN.

I NEED TO GO TO THE NEXT.

OKAY. I GUESS AT THIS POINT, THEN WE ARE ADJOURNMENT.

YES. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.