Sep 04, 2025 Township Committee

[CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:12]

CALL TO ORDER. THIS IS THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE.

CALL TO ORDER AT 702. ROLL CALL, PLEASE. MAYOR SINGH, DEPUTY MAYOR BERRIGAN HERE. COMMITTEE MEMBER TAYLOR TODD HERE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANNE 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, CAN I GET ONE OF THOSE? OKAY, FIRST,

[1. Presentation – Explanation of PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) Agreements ]

MICHAEL, DO YOU WANT TO COME UP? AND SO, JOE, DO YOU WANT TO COME? YEAH. SO WE HAVE MICHAEL HANLEY. HE IS OUR PILOT CONSULTANT. HE IS IN TODAY TO DO A PRESENTATION FOR THE RESIDENTS TO DESCRIBE A LITTLE WHAT PILOTS ARE SOME PROS AND CONS. AND I KNOW HE'S GOING TO GO A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH, BUT, MIKE, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE IT AWAY. YEAH. YOU GOT IT. THANK YOU. SO MY NAME IS MICHAEL HANLEY. I'M FROM N.W. FINANCIAL GROUP. WE ARE A MUNICIPAL CONSULTANT IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY REPRESENT PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, OVER 100 MUNICIPALITIES IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. SMALL ONES, LARGE ONES, AUTHORITIES, COUNTIES, TOWNS, ETC. ONE OF THE THINGS WE SPEND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME ON IS REDEVELOPMENT. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH A LITTLE EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATION HERE THAT TALKS ABOUT HOW MUNICIPALITIES ANALYZE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ON A FINANCIAL BASIS TO DETERMINE IF THEY WANT TO USE AN INCENTIVE TO HELP A PROJECT MOVE FORWARD.

YOU KNOW, FIRST YOU NEED TO HAVE A PROJECT. THIS IS A SAMPLE PROJECT. IT'S NOT IN MONTGOMERY, SO DON'T GO LOOKING FOR IT. YOU WON'T FIND IT. THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT WAS 33 UNITS, OF WHICH FIVE WERE AFFORDABLE. IT HAD SOME COMMERCIAL SPACE, 35 PARKING SPACES, AND AN $8.2 MILLION PROJECT COST. YOU CAN TURN IT. YOU KNOW, THE TWO THINGS WE HAVE TO ANALYZE FIRST ARE REVENUE AND PROJECT COST. IN THIS CASE, YOU KNOW, WE TAKE EACH TYPE OF UNIT THAT'S PART OF THE PROJECT. IDENTIFY THE MARK. EXCUSE ME, DO YOU MIND JUST, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE GET INTO, LIKE, DETAILS, MAYBE JUST PROVIDE JUST MAKE SURE WE LEVEL SET, LIKE, WHAT IS A PILOT? YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES IT STAND FOR? YOU KNOW. SURE. YEAH. ABSOLUTELY. SO THE PILOT IS IT STANDS FOR PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAX. AND IT IS UTILIZED TO INCENT PROJECTS THAT WOULD NOT OTHERWISE BE BUILT WITHOUT THAT TYPE OF INCENTIVE. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT NO PAYMENTS ARE MADE TO THE MUNICIPALITY. PAYMENTS ARE IN FACT MADE, BUT THEY ARE MADE USUALLY BASED ON A PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE. SO THE YOU BECOME, IN EFFECT, A PARTNER IN THE PROJECT. THE MORE REVENUE THE PROJECT GETS, THE MORE REVENUE YOU GET, AND VICE VERSA. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR TWO REASONS IN THE REDEVELOPMENT PROCESS. FIRST, IT PROVIDES CERTAINTY TO LENDERS THAT THERE WON'T BE SPIKES IN TAXES THAT CAUSE ECONOMIC HARM TO THE PROJECT.

[00:05:05]

SO THE MUNICIPALITY RECEIVES AUDITED FINANCIALS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. AFTER THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED AND SEND BILLS BASED ON THE ACTUAL REVENUE. THE USUALLY HOPEFULLY, IN THESE CASES, YOU'RE STARTING WITH A PROJECT THAT DOESN'T HAVE VERY MUCH REVENUE. IN THIS CASE, THERE WAS $39,000 IN TAX REVENUE, WHICH TURNED INTO $90,000 OF REVENUE. AND THAT'S THE GOAL. THE YOU WANT TO TAKE PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT BEING UTILIZED IN A WAY THAT'S GENERATING REVENUE FOR THE MUNICIPALITY AND BRING IN NEW REVENUE THAT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE RAISED FROM THE EXISTING RESIDENTS. SO AFTER GOING THROUGH REVENUE AND EXPENSES, WE TRY TO IDENTIFY WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS ACTUALLY A NEED FOR A SUBSIDY. IF WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT, THE PROJECT HAS EXCELLENT ECONOMICS, THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE DON'T MOVE FORWARD. YOU KNOW THAT THIS PERSON CAN BUILD THEIR PROJECT AND THE ANALYSIS IS KIND OF OVER IN THIS CASE, YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE A FEW METRICS HERE THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE REVENUES AND COSTS OF THE PROJECT, MAKE IT NOT FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE TO MOVE FORWARD. YOU HAVE A NEGATIVE PROJECT VALUE, WHICH MEANS THAT THE PROJECT VALUE AT COMPLETION IS LESS THAN THE COST OF BUILDING. THAT DOESN'T INCENT INVESTMENT. YOU ALSO HAVE A YIELD ON COST, WHICH YOU DETERMINE BY TAKING THE NET INCOME AND DIVIDING IT BY THE PROJECT. BELOW 5% IS INSUFFICIENT IN THE MARKETPLACE, TYPICALLY, TO GO OUT AND GET FINANCING, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT'S USUALLY BETWEEN 6 AND 7 IN THE CURRENT MARKETPLACE, AND THEN A THIRD METRIC WE USE IS AN INTERNAL RATE OF RETURN THAT TAKES A PRESENT VALUE OF CASH FLOW TO A DATE WHERE THERE'S A CAPITAL EVENT. SO WE USUALLY USE A SALE AT YEAR TEN THAT IMAGINES THE OWNER OWNING THE PROJECT FOR TEN YEARS AND SELLING AT THE FUTURE MARKET VALUE. AND THE CASH FLOW PRODUCES A PRESENT VALUE OF DOLLARS THAT IN THIS CASE WOULD HAVE BEEN BELOW 5%, WHICH IS ALSO BELOW A MARKET NUMBER. YOU'RE LOOKING FOR 10

[00:10:02]

RIGHT? I MEAN THAT'S WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT AND WHAT WE CARE ABOUT AS YOUR CONSULTANTS. SO WE ANALYZE THE EXPECTED REVENUE THAT WILL BE GENERATED BY THE PROJECT. AND I'LL THERE ARE A COUPLE ACRONYMS UP ON THAT SCREEN THAT YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW OR HEAR. WE TALKED A LITTLE EARLIER ABOUT AGR THAT THAT IS AGGREGATE GROSS REVENUE. THAT'S THE TOTAL REVENUE GENERATED BY THE PROJECT. SO THAT IS ONE WAY THAT THE PILOT IS CHARGED. AND SO YOU'RE TAKING THE GROSS REVENUE AND MULTIPLYING IT BY THE APPLICABLE PERCENTAGE IN THE YEAR THAT'S IDENTIFIED ON THE SCREEN. SO IT STARTS AT 10% AND GOES TO 12%. THERE'S A SECOND TEST WHERE. AND THIS MATCHES THE STATUTORY RULES. HERE YOU HAVE 15 YEARS WHERE THERE IS NO TEST AGAINST OIT WHICH IS OTHERWISE APPLICABLE TAXES OR WHAT YOU WOULD OTHERWISE BE CHARGED. THEN GOING FORWARD, THERE'S A MINIMUM OF 20% OF APPLICABLE TAXES, THEN 40% OF APPLICABLE TAXES THAN 60%, AND FINALLY ENDS AT 80% IN THE LAST YEAR. AND THEN FOLLOWING THE LAST YEAR, IT BECOMES A CONVENTIONALLY TAXED PROJECT. SO THE WHEN YOU HAVE A PILOT, THE REVENUES COME TO THE MUNICIPALITY AND 5% OF THOSE REVENUES ARE SENT TO THE COUNTY BY STATUTE. THERE'S ALSO TYPICALLY A 2% ADMINISTRATIVE FEE THAT'S GIVEN TO THE TOWN FOR ADMINISTERING THE PROJECT. AND SO YOU END UP WITH A NET REVENUE, THAT IS THE PILOT MINUS THE COUNTY SHARE PLUS THE ADMINISTRATIVE FEE. THAT'S WHAT COMES INTO THE MUNICIPALITY. SO JUST SO I UNDERSTAND IT, USUALLY IF I THINK ABOUT TOTAL TAXES IN MONTGOMERY, I THINK ABOUT 15% PLUS, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE POINTS GOES TO THE COUNTY. IN THIS CASE, IT LOOKS CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. IT ALLOWS MONTGOMERY TO RETAIN A LARGER PERCENTAGE OF THE SHARE OF THE PILOT FUNDS VERSUS TAXES THAT WOULD BE HAVE TO BE SPREAD OUT TO THE COUNTY A LITTLE BIT AT A HIGHER AMOUNT. EXACTLY RIGHT. THE THE PROPERTY IS, ALTHOUGH IT'S PAYING, IT'S EXEMPT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE COUNTY. SO IT IS NOT COUNTED AS AN ASSESSED VALUE AND THEREFORE NOT ALLOCATED, YOU KNOW, ON ANY REVENUE BASIS FOR THE COUNTY. AND INSTEAD OF WHATEVER THEIR TYPICAL SHARE IS, THEY RECEIVE 5% OF THE REVENUE STREAM. SO THE THE OTHER 95% STAYS JUST WITH THE TAXPAYER OF MONTGOMERY. THIS IS A. DEMONSTRATION IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS PROJECT OF WHY A MUNICIPALITY MAY WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS, AND YOU COULD SAY THE EXISTING PROJECT WAS PRODUCING $39,000 IN TAXES INITIALLY, AND THE MUNICIPALITY WAS RECEIVING ABOUT 10,000 OF THOSE DOLLARS. IN THE PILOT SCENARIO, THE PAYMENTS WENT UP TO ABOUT, STARTED 90,000 AND INCREASED TO 295,000. AND THE BOROUGH SHARE IS, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY 90 OVER 90% OF THAT. SO THE YOU HAVE AN EXISTING PROPERTY THAT MIGHT PRODUCE LESS THAN A HALF $1 MILLION OVER THE 30 YEAR PERIOD, AND YOU TURN IT INTO A $3.5

[00:15:03]

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN STUDIED OVER, YOU KNOW, DECADES NOW BY RUTGERS AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF UNITS STUDIED AND UPDATED BECAUSE OF CHANGES IN THE MARKETPLACE, IS PUBLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN AS IT RELATES TO RENTAL HOUSING? THE TYPE OF RENTAL HOUSING THAT'S BEEN BUILT POST 2009, PRIMARILY SMALL UNITS THAT ARE ALSO, YOU KNOW, EXPENSIVE BECAUSE THEY'RE NEW AND PEOPLE WOULDN'T BUILD THEM IF THEY'RE GOING TO GET RENTS. AND AS A RESULT, YOU'VE SEEN A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF SCHOOL CHILDREN AS COMPARED TO THE HISTORICAL RENTAL MARKETPLACE, WHICH WAS MUCH LARGER. UNITS BUILT ON GRADE TWO, THREE BEDROOMS, ETC. SO WE ANALYZED THAT ON YOUR BEHALF TO GIVE YOU A FAIR PROJECTION OF THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL CHILDREN THAT MIGHT COME OUT OF A BUILDING, AND THE EXPERIENCE IS MORE OFTEN THAT THE WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS IS LESS THAN WHAT THE MULTIPLIERS SAY. I CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE THERE.

SO THE MULTIPLIERS IN THIS CASE PRODUCED FIVE SCHOOL CHILDREN FROM OR WAS WERE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE FIVE SCHOOL CHILDREN FROM THE MARKET UNITS AND TWO SCHOOL CHILDREN FROM THE AFFORDABLE UNITS. THE AFTER WE IDENTIFY THE LIKELY NUMBER OF STUDENTS, WE CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE THERE. WELL ACTUALLY WE ALSO COUNT RESIDENTS. SKIP THAT PART. YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S DONE IN THE MARKETPLACE. GENERALLY THERE. YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A VERY CONSERVATIVE WAY TO GO ABOUT ANALYZING GOVERNMENT AS GOVERNMENT IS PRIMARILY A TOLL.

GOOD. IT DOESN'T REALLY COST YOU A LOT MORE OR LESS TO OPEN UP YOUR DOORS, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE YOU HAVE IN YOUR IN YOUR MUNICIPALITY, BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF COSTS THAT ARE FIXED. BUT THE STATE HAS A MODEL THAT THEY CALL THEIR MODEL THAT ALLOWS YOU TO TAKE THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS EXPECTED IN A PROJECT AND ESTIMATE THE COST THAT MIGHT COME FROM A NEW PROJECT. IN THIS CASE, IT PROJECTED ABOUT $118 PER RESIDENT. IN THE NEXT SLIDE, WE HAVE THE SCHOOL POPULATION AND THE IMPACT PER STUDENT ON SCHOOL COSTS. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE VERY KIND OF UP TO SPEED ON THEIR TOTAL BUDGET COSTS, BUT INCREASES AND DECREASES IN STUDENTS DON'T REALLY IMPACT THE TOTAL BUDGET IF THEY IMPACTED AT ALL. I MEAN, THIS IS A VERY SMALL NUMBER, SO IT PROBABLY HAS LITTLE TO NO IMPACT. BUT WE STILL GO THROUGH THE EXERCISE OF IDENTIFYING WHAT THE CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION NUMBER IS. AND THEN. TAKING THAT CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION NUMBER. AND WHEN YOU GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, IT SHOULD BE THE FULL CALCULATION. IDENTIFYING THE PERCENTAGE OF COSTS THAT COME FROM LOCAL SOURCES. BECAUSE THERE ARE STATE SOURCES AND FEDERAL REVENUES THAT GO INTO A MUNICIPAL BUDGET. SO IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE NET COST PER STUDENT WAS A LITTLE UNDER $11,000 FOR THE SEVEN STUDENTS THAT WOULD HAVE ENTERED THE MUNICIPALITY. SO THIS IS A COMBINED SHEET THAT TAKES A LOOK AT THE MUNICIPAL COSTS. YOU HAVE A PROJECTION OF ABOUT $8,000 IN MUNICIPAL COSTS AND $75,000 IN COST OF NEW STUDENTS. THE TOTAL COSTS, AND

[00:20:01]

THE SCHOOL SENDS YOU A BILL AND YOU PAY IT. SO WHETHER YOU HAVE A PILOT OR DON'T HAVE A PILOT, THEY RECEIVE THE SAME EXACT AMOUNT OF DOLLARS. OKAY. BUT THERE ARE EXAMPLES, YOU KNOW, OF TOWNS THAT HAVE HAD SIGNIFICANT REDEVELOPMENT THAT HAVE INVESTED IN SCHOOL PROJECTS. YOU KNOW, WOODBRIDGE IS AN EXAMPLE, HAS BUILT FIELDS AND DONE CAPITAL ON BEHALF OF THEIR SCHOOLS. I MEAN, THEY'VE DONE MANY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SQUARE FEET OF INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS THAT HELP SUPPORT THAT. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SMALL PROJECTS DON'T LEAD TO VERY MUCH. BUT THEY AGAIN, IN A SCHOOL SYSTEM, SEVEN CHAIRS IS NOT BUT THE THE INSTEAD OF GOING A TRADITIONAL TAX ROUTE IN WHERE YOU TELL ME THIS, SOME OF THE REVENUE WOULD GO TO THE SCHOOLS. BUT IN THE PILOT IT DOESN'T. IS THAT CORRECT? I THAT'S A FAIR WAY TO DESCRIBE THE WAY THE COUNTY GETS PAID, BECAUSE WHAT THE COUNTY DOES IS LOOK AT YOUR ASSESSMENTS, SPREAD THEM OUT AS COMPARED TO OTHER MUNICIPALITIES. RIGHT. THE SCHOOL BOARD SENDS YOU A BILL AND YOU PAY IT AND IT GETS SPREAD OUT AMONGST YOUR RESIDENTS. BUT THE BILL DOESN'T CHANGE. SO IF YOU VIEW A REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AS BRINGING IN NEW REVENUE TO THE MUNICIPALITY, THE SCHOOL BOARD IS HELD HARMLESS BECAUSE THEY ARE STILL RECEIVING THE SAME AMOUNT OF DOLLARS, BUT ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT WOULDN'T OTHERWISE EXIST ARE BROUGHT INTO THE MUNICIPAL BUDGET. SO THE LOCAL TAXPAYER IS THE BENEFICIARY OF THOSE DOLLARS. OKAY. MAYBE PICK UP THE PACE A LITTLE BIT HERE. I THINK THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE OR THE SECOND LAST ONE. SORRY. THE SO THIS IS JUST A NET REVENUE ANALYSIS. SO YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S WHAT YOU'RE RECEIVING VERSUS THE COSTS THAT ARE PROJECTED. AND YOU KNOW THOSE ARE IN THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT THE BENEFIT TO THE MUNICIPALITY. YES. LAST SLIDE. YEAH. SO OKAY SO WE'RE GOOD OKAY. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER DETAILED EXPLANATION. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. YOU CAN ASK A QUESTION OR NO I'M OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. JUST MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.

AND THIS AS I'VE BEEN LEARNING OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AROUND PILOTS, I MAYBE JUST TWO QUESTIONS BECAUSE PILOTS AREN'T A NEW THING IN NEW JERSEY. LIKE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF MUNICIPALITIES ARE ARE USING PODS? BECAUSE I READ IN A NEWSPAPER, SOME TOWNSHIPS OR CITIES HAVE BEEN USING PILOTS LIKE EXTENSIVELY OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. YEAH, THERE'S NO QUESTION. I MEAN, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PILOTS IN THE STATE. YOU KNOW, MAYBE OVER 10,000. I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY. I WOULD GUESS THE MAJORITY OF PLACES THAT HAVE SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT GOING ON ARE USING THEM, BECAUSE YOU END UP WITH SITES THAT ARE CHALLENGED. YEAH.

ADDITIONALLY, MULTIFAMILY HOUSING OF SIGNIFICANT SCALE HAS A GREATER NEED THAN OTHER TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT. YOU SEE IT A LOT OF INDUSTRIAL BECAUSE OF THE CONDITION OF LAND. YOU KNOW, THEY USUALLY HAS A LOT OF CLEANUP ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE ABLE TO GIVE A PERCENTAGE, BUT I WOULD I COULD TELL YOU FOR SURE THAT THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, OVER A HUNDRED MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE USED IT IN SOME LEVEL. AND SO FROM MY LEARNING THE WAY THE WAY I VIEW THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE PILOT PROCESS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT THE MUNICIPALITY

[00:25:02]

[00:30:01]

YOU KNOW, THE WORLD OR. THE ECONOMY COULD BE SUCH THAT THE MARKET DOES VERY WELL. AND, YOU KNOW, THEN SOMEONE COULD SAY, WELL, WHY DID YOU INCENT THE PROJECT THAT DID SO WELL? BUT YOU'RE BENEFITING FROM THAT BECAUSE IF IT'S DOING THAT WELL, IT'S GENERATING MORE REVENUE.

AND SO YOU'RE GENERATING MORE REVENUE. THERE ARE MANY PLACES WHO HAVE BEEN BIG BENEFICIARIES OF THAT IN RECENT TIMES, WHERE RENTS ARE INCREASING AT FIVE, TEN, 12% IN A YEAR. RIGHT. AND SO ALL THAT, IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF PILOTS, A JERSEY CITY OR HACKENSACK OR WE'RE NOT TRYING TO BE JERSEY CITY, THAT'S FOR SURE. BUT BUT IT'S EASIER TO TO DESCRIBE BECAUSE IT'S LARGE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A SIGNIFICANT REVENUE STREAM THAT'S INCREASING FASTER THAN YOUR COSTS, NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE THE REVENUE YOU EXPECTED, BUT YOU'RE ALSO NOW BEING ASSISTED IN A WAY THAT WAS UNEXPECTED AND IS GREATER THAN YOU THOUGHT. AND THAT AGAIN, SOME SOMETIMES YOUR COSTS ARE DOING THAT TO YOU, LIKE YOUR INSURANCE BILL OR YOUR UTILITY BILLS. RIGHT? LIKE THEY DIDN'T INCREASE IT 2% OR 3% THIS YEAR. THEY INCREASED IT 9% OR 11%.

AND SO HAVING THAT KIND OF BENEFIT CAN HELP MITIGATE SOME OF THE PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER COSTS IN YOUR BUDGET. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO DO BY HAVING MIKE COME TONIGHT TO KIND OF INTRODUCE THE CONCEPT WAS SORT OF TWOFOLD. MIKE HAD MENTIONED THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS OFTEN HAVE PILOTS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. SO IN MONTGOMERY, WE HAVE TWO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS, 100% AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS THAT APPLIED FOR THE 9% COMPETITIVE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROGRAM IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THAT FINANCING, TO MAKE A PROJECT LIKE THAT FINANCIALLY VIABLE, BECAUSE THERE'S NO MARKET RATE UNITS ATTACHED TO THAT, THEY MUST HAVE A REDEVELOPMENT PLAN AND THEY MUST HAVE A PILOT. SO WE ARE MANAGING TWO PILOTS RIGHT NOW HERE IN TOWN FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS. LAURIE, COULD YOU SPECIFY ITS RPM AND WHAT IS THE OTHER ONE? RPM IS THE 70 UNITS OF ONE BEDROOM SENIOR, ALL SENIOR 100% AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT'S BEING BUILT HERE AT THE MUNICIPAL CENTER. THE SECOND PROJECT IS SOMEWHAT OF A HYBRID. IT IS THE APARTMENTS AT MONTGOMERY CROSSING. AND THAT PROJECT, A DEVELOPER, HELPED WITH THE LAND THAT THE PROPERTY IS BUILT ON. AND SOME OF THE UTILITY, SOME OF THE UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE CONNECTIONS, THEY THEY'RE 20% SET ASIDE FOR THE MONTGOMERY CROSSING TOWNHOUSE DEVELOPMENT WAS REQUIRED. ONLY A SMALLER AMOUNT OF UNITS THAN THAT BUILDING PROVIDED. SO THAT GAP, WHICH WAS MORE THAN WHAT WAS THE 20% SET ASIDE, WAS SATISFIED OR FINANCED THROUGH THE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROGRAM. THE OTHER THING THAT MIKE MENTIONED TONIGHT WAS THE REDEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND THE LENGTH THAT THAT PROCESS TAKES AND THE DIFFERENT PARTIES THAT ARE INVOLVED. THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE TAKES CERTAIN ACTIONS, THE PLANNING BOARD TAKES OTHER ACTIONS. AND SO WE HAVE JUST FINISHED RELATIVELY RECENTLY THE VILLAGE WALK REDEVELOPMENT PROCESS. AND AT ONE OF OUR PRIOR MEETINGS, WE'VE WE APPOINTED THE VILLAGE WALK REDEVELOPER FOR THAT PROJECT. SO WE DID GET AN APPLICATION FOR A PILOT FOR THAT REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT. AND SO WE WANTED TO BRING MIKE IN TONIGHT TO SORT OF LAY IT OUT FOR US. WHAT PILOTS ARE, HOW TOWNS USE THEM, KIND OF THE NUTS AND BOLTS. I KNOW IT WAS VERY TECHNICAL. WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE THIS UP ON THE WEBSITE AND WE MIGHT PROVIDE MAYBE A COMPANION PIECE TO MICHAEL THAT FAQS. MIKE, LIKE A, YOU KNOW, A SIMPLER VERSION FOR ANYONE WHO'S LOOKING AT THE SLIDE PRESENTATION TO KIND OF USE THEM IN TANDEM. SO WE HAVE WE HAVE THAT AS WELL. AND THEN WE, WE IF WE WERE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, THE, THE PILOT

[00:35:02]

[2. Public Comment ]

WE NEED TO PROTECT THEM FROM FAMILY SEPARATION, INHUMANE DETENTION AND DEPORTATION WITHOUT DUE PROCESS. WE NEED TO ASK OUR REPRESENTATIVES TO SUPPORT THE IMMIGRATION IMMIGRANT TRUST ACT, BECAUSE IMMIGRANTS IN NEW JERSEY NEED URGENT PROTECTIONS. NOW. OUR COMMUNITIES ARE ALWAYS STRONGER ECONOMICALLY AND CULTURALLY, AND WE ARE MORE ENRICHED WHEN WE HAVE DIVERSITY AMONGST US. NO ONE SHOULD FEAR GOING TO THE DOCTOR, OR TO THE HOSPITAL, OR TO SCHOOL OR THEIR WORSHIP CHURCH, AND WORRY THAT THEIR LIFE IS IN JEOPARDY. IMAGINE WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE IN THIS COUNTRY RIGHT NOW. YOU WAKE UP EACH MORNING AND REGARDLESS OF WHAT NEWS SOURCE YOU WATCH OR LISTEN TO, YOU SEE THESE ICE RAIDS AND PEOPLE BEING TORN FROM THEIR FAMILIES, CHILDREN BEING LEFT ORPHANED, AND EVEN WORSE, PEOPLE BEING DEPORTED TO PLACES THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN BEFORE. CAN WE LIVE WITH OURSELVES IF WE SIT BACK AND DIDN'T DO ENOUGH AND WE COULD HAVE TO PROTECT OUR OWN COMMUNITY? WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HELP EVERYONE RIGHT NOW, BUT IF WE DO OUR SMALL PART RIGHT HERE IN MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP, WE

[00:40:02]

TAKE ACTION NOW BECAUSE I KNOW I PERSONALLY DON'T WANT TO LOOK BACK IN THE FUTURE AND SAY, WHY DID WE NOT DO MORE WHEN WE COULD? THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. WE'LL TAKE SHERRY. EXCUSE ME, COULD YOU SPELL YOUR LAST NAME FOR ME? FOR THE RECORD, YES, IT'S S I L I N G E R AND THAT'S SHERRY. S H E R R Y. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME IS IRFAN KHAWAJA. I LIVE IN PRINCETON, BUT I SPEND A FAIR BIT OF TIME HERE IN MONTGOMERY. I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF. I AM HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF MONTGOMERY'S PASSING. A MUNICIPAL LEVEL RESOLUTION IN FAVOR OF THE IMMIGRANT TRUST ACT, JUST AS WE HAVE DONE IN PRINCETON, AND HAS BEEN DONE IN MORE THAN A DOZEN MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE STATE. THE IMMIGRANT TRUST ACT, AS I'M SURE YOU KNOW, IS AN ATTEMPT TO CODIFY AND GIVE FURTHER ENFORCEMENT POWERS TO THE IMMIGRANT TRUST DIRECTIVE, FIRST CRAFTED BY ATTORNEY GENERAL GURBIR GREWAL IN 2018, THE ACT FORCEFULLY ASSERTS THE STATE'S COMMITMENT TO 10TH AMENDMENT FEDERALISM, INSISTING THAT STATES AND LOCALITIES BE FREED OF THE UNWANTED AND UNNECESSARY BURDEN OF ENFORCING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAW. GIVEN RECENT TRENDS IN FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, I THINK PASSAGE OF THE ACT IS A NECESSITY. NOW, I UNDERSTAND, OF COURSE, THAT MUNICIPAL COUNCILS HAVE NO DIRECT ROLE TO PLAY IN THE PASSAGE OF STATE LEVEL LEGISLATION, BUT THEY CAN AFFECT SUCH LEGISLATION BY INDICATING THE DEGREE OF SUPPORT FOR THE ACT IN A GIVEN PLACE. NEW JERSEY'S PLASTIC BAG BAN WAS PASSED LARGELY THROUGH THE PRESSURE EXERTED BY MUNICIPAL RESOLUTIONS, AND INDEED THE US CONSTITUTION ITSELF WAS PASSED AFTER RATIFICATION BY SMALL STATE CONVENTIONS. SO THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE IN ALL OF THESE CASES IS THAT SOVEREIGNTY RESTS WITH THE PEOPLE AND CAN LEGITIMATELY BE EXPRESSED AT THE LEVEL CLOSEST TO THEM. SO FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW, I'VE HEARD THE OBJECTION THAT PASSAGE OF MUNICIPAL RESOLUTIONS OF THIS KIND DRAWS ATTENTION TO THE TOWN PASSING IT, MAKING THE TOWN A TARGET OF A SORT. IT OTHERWISE WASN'T. THIS OBJECTION REALLY MAKES NO SENSE.

ICE OPERATIONS ARE DRIVEN FUNDAMENTALLY BY NUMERICAL QUOTAS, NOT BY HUNT AND PECK RESPONSES TO MUNICIPAL RESOLUTIONS, TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE TO DETAIN IN MONTGOMERY, THEY ARE ALREADY TARGETS AND HAVE BEEN FOR A VERY LONG TIME. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO WIN A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK WITH ICE BY HIDING BEHIND INACTION, BY NOT PASSING A RESOLUTION, ALL YOU WOULD BE DOING IS FREE RIDING ON THE EFFORTS OF THOSE TOWNS THAT HAVE AND BETRAYING THE PEOPLE THAT YOU WANTED TO PROTECT. YOU WOULDN'T BE PROTECTING THEM.

YOU'D BE TURNING THEM INTO SHIELDS IN ORDER TO CONCEAL YOUR INACTION. BUT THERE IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO. IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. I URGE YOU TO TAKE IT, TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY AND JOIN THE FIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CAN YOU SPELL YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME FOR ME? FOR THE RECORD, I R F A N IS MY FIRST NAME. YES. AND K H A W A J A.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU. MR. JACK FOR HARVARD CIRCLE. GOOD EVENING. AS FORMER MAYOR AND STATE LEGISLATOR, I URGE YOU TO PASS RESOLUTION, A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE IMMIGRANT TRUST ACT AND TO DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO ENSURE THAT OUR STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS, ROY FREIMAN AND MICHELLE DRULIS, CO-SPONSORED, AS WELL AS THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR YOU'RE SERVING IN ELECTED OFFICE UNDER A TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. LET ME EMPHASIZE, THIS IS NOT A TIME FOR COWARDICE WHEN AUTHORITARIANISM IS ON THE RISE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS OUR LAST LINE OF DEFENSE. THIS IS THE TIME TO USE THE AUTHORITY THE PUBLIC HAS INVESTED IN YOU TO PROTECT US, NOT TO FOCUS ON YOGA SESSIONS IN THE PARK WHILE OUR NEIGHBORS ARE BEING ABDUCTED OFF THE STREETS. MONTGOMERY WAS THE FIRST TIME IN NEW JERSEY TOWN OF NEW JERSEY TO PASS A BIPARTISAN RESOLUTION AGAINST FAMILY SEPARATION AND MIGRANT DETENTION IN 2019. THAT RESOLUTION BECAME A MODEL FOR COUNTLESS OTHER TOWNS THAT FOLLOWED. SUPPORTING THE IMMIGRANT TRUST ACT AFFIRMS THOSE SAME VALUES AND REINFORCES WHAT MAKES MONTGOMERY A STRONG, VIBRANT COMMUNITY. REPRESENTATION MEANS NOTHING IF THOSE IN OFFICE DO NOT SAFEGUARD THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE THEY CLAIM TO REPRESENT. I WOULD ASK THE MAYOR, WHO OFTEN TOUTS HER INDIAN HERITAGE, TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN 700,000 UNDOCUMENTED INDIANS IN THE UNITED STATES DO SOMETHING TO PROTECT THEM AND OTHERS. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT WE HAD TO LEARN FROM A GOFUNDME REQUEST THAT ICE CONDUCTED AN OPERATION HERE IN MONTGOMERY AND DETAINED A 20 YEAR RESIDENT. THE MAYOR SHOULD BE COMMUNICATING THESE THREATS DIRECTLY TO THE PUBLIC. SILENCE BREEDS FEAR. LEADERSHIP

[00:45:05]

AND WE COULD ASK EVERYONE TO SPELL THEIR LAST NAME AT THE BEGINNING. JUST. YEAH. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MARY KOZAK SLOAN. I'M THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF IMMIGRANTS. I'M THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF AN AU PAIR AND A BLACKSMITH. I HAVE LIVED IN MONTGOMERY SINCE 1989. I LOVE MONTGOMERY. WE'RE NOT PERFECT, BUT I KNOW MY GRANDPARENTS WOULD BE PROUD OF BOTH THE LIFE THAT I'VE LIVED, LIVED, AND THE TOWN THAT I LIVE IN. IN THE PLACE THAT I NOW CALL HOME. I CAN SEE SOMETHING MOST OF YOU CAN'T SEE. AND THAT'S BECAUSE MY LATE HUSBAND'S WORK CAUSED

[00:50:03]

THAT HAD NEVER OCCURRED TO ME. AND THE ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I REMEMBERED AFTER THAT WAS WE WENT TO GO VOTING AND HAD TO GO TO AN AMERICAN CONSULATE. AND I WAS VERY PROUD TO GO BACK AND VOTE FOR THE PERSON THAT I WANTED AND KNOW THAT I WHEN I RETURNED, I COULD GO BACK TO COMPLAINING AND BADMOUTHING AS I CHOSE AND WOULD NOT BE IN FEAR OF IT. SO NOW, 40 YEARS LATER, WHAT WHAT DO I WANT FOR MONTGOMERY AND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY? I WANT A PLACE WHERE I FEEL SAFE. I WANT A PLACE WHERE IF MY GRANDPARENTS WERE STILL LIVING AS IMMIGRANTS, THEY'D FEEL SAFE. AND OTHER PEOPLE'S GRANDPARENTS AND EVERYBODY. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO TO A HARDWARE STORE OR A RESTAURANT AND NOT FEAR THE POSSIBILITY OF A MAN IN A, OR MEN IN MASKS AND GUNS TO THREATEN MYSELF OR OTHER PEOPLE. HOW AM I TO KNOW WHETHER THOSE ARE ICE OR CROOKS WHO ARE MASQUERADING AS ICE? THAT PUTS ALL OF US IN DANGER. I DON'T WANT THAT HERE. THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK YOU ABOUT THAT. AND SPEAKING OF THAT, WHAT KIND OF COMMUNITY DO WE WANT TO LIVE IN? ALL OF OUR INSTITUTIONS NEED TO SUPPORT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS. MARY, IF YOU CAN JUST WRAP UP. THANK YOU. IF YOU CAN WRAP UP YOUR TIME. OKAY. SORRY. THANK YOU. I DO NOT ENJOY PUBLIC SPEAKING. I DO NOT BELIEVE OUR COMMUNITY WILL REMAIN BOTH SAFE AND STRONG UNLESS WE SUPPORT ALL OF OUR CANDIDATES. GO TO MEETINGS. IT'S TIME TO POKE THE BEAR AND DO THE RIGHT THING. MARY, DO YOU MIND SAYING YOU. CAN YOU SPELL YOUR LAST NAME, PLEASE? FIRST NAME, FIRST NAME MARY. MIDDLE NAME K O S I K. LAST NAME S C H O E N. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. MARY. IS THAT M M AS IN MARY? FIRST NAME? MARY. NO. YOUR LAST NAME S C H O E M. AS IN MARY. NO END AND NO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS KENDRA DEPAOLA, AND I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF MONTGOMERY FOR 17 YEARS AND VALUE, ESPECIALLY WORKING WITH AND LIVING AMONG MY IMMIGRANT STUDENTS AND NEIGHBORS. FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IS EXPANDING, AND MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP IS NOT SHIELDED FROM THIS ACTIVITY.

AMONG OTHER PROVISIONS, THE IMMIGRANT TRUST ACT WOULD BUILD ON THE IMMIGRANT TRUST DIRECTIVE THROUGH NEW DATA PRIVACY POLICIES, PREVENTING STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES FROM INQUIRING. INQUIRING ABOUT IMMIGRATION STATUS WHEN IT'S IRRELEVANT TO THEIR WORK AND SAFEGUARDING THAT INFORMATION. THIS WOULD BENEFIT NOT JUST IMMIGRANTS, BUT US ALL, AND IS WHAT MOST AMERICANS AND VOTERS WANT. A RECENT SURVEY BY THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER, CONDUCTED AT THE END OF FEBRUARY FOUND THAT AROUND HALF OF U.S. ADULTS, SAY ONLY SAY ONLY SOME UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS SHOULD BE DEPORTED, AND 16% SAY NONE SHOULD BE DEPORTED. RESPONDENTS ALSO SAY ARRESTS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED AT PLACES OF WORSHIP. 65% IN SCHOOLS, 63% OH, SORRY AT PLACES OF WORSHIP, 65% IN SCHOOLS, 63%. AND IN HOSPITALS 61%. THIS TELLS ME THAT 66% OF

[00:55:08]

NOW THOSE SAME PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM CAME HERE THROUGH LEGAL PATHWAYS WHILE OTHERS HAVE BEEN MOVING THROUGH THE COMPLICATED IMMIGRATION SYSTEM IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE STABLE LEGAL STATUS, THEY ARE NOW SEEING THOSE PATHWAYS SUDDENLY CLOSED OFF THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN.

WHILE RELATED COURT CASES ARE SLOWLY CONSIDERING ALL THIS. OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR LEGAL STATUS OR CRIMINAL HISTORY, ARE NOW BECOMING THE SUBJECT OF INCREASINGLY AGGRESSIVE ICE ACTIONS. THIS NOW INCLUDES VIOLENT WORKPLACE ICE RAIDS IN NEARBY COMMUNITIES SUCH AS EDISON, WHICH JUST RECENTLY SAW AS MANY AS 70 WORKERS IN TWO WAREHOUSES DETAINED BY MASKED MEN WITH DOGS AND DRONES TO TRACK DOWN MEN AND WOMEN WHO SIMPLY SHOWED UP FOR WORK THAT DAY. THE IMMIGRANT TRUST ACT IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL FOR THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY TO HELP PROTECT OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR ROLE AS MAYOR, DEPUTY MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS IS LIMITED IN THIS OVERALL IMMIGRATION ISSUE, INCLUDING PASSAGE OF THE IMMIGRANT TRUST ACT DOWN IN TRENTON. HOWEVER, YOU HAVE A LEADERSHIP PLATFORM THAT CAN HELP AMPLIFY OUR VOICES AS WE WORK TOGETHER TO BETTER PROTECT THESE VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH, DIANA. SPELL YOUR LAST NAME. YES, MA'AM. BOWEN B AS IN BOY O W E N. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HI,

[01:00:06]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IF YOU HAVE COPIES OF THINGS, WOULD YOU MIND HANDING THEM TO THE CLERK? WHAT WAS THAT? IF THERE WAS COPIES OF DOCUMENTS YOU WANTED THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE TO HAVE. IF YOU DON'T MIND GIVING THEM TO LISA TO OUR CLERK WOULD BE GOOD. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS TRISH SCALISE, AND THAT'S SPELLED S C A L. E. THANK YOU. AND JUST BRIEFLY, MYSELF AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SAINT CATHOLIC OR THE SAINT CHARLES BORROMEO CATHOLIC COMMUNITY HERE IN IN SKILLMAN. I'M A RESIDENT OF BELLEMEADE. WE'RE HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE RESOLUTION THAT HAS BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT AND JUST WANT TO LEND OUR VOICE AND SUPPORT OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ELIZABETH GARVEY G A R V E Y. I'VE BEEN RESIDENT SINCE 1980, AND I COME CLOSER TO THE MICROPHONE, MAN, FOR FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ONLINE. THANK YOU. YOU GOT MY NAME? YEAH. RESIDENT SINCE 1980. I'M HERE TO ENDORSE I. I CAME WITH THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY, BUT I'M HERE AS AN INDIVIDUAL, AND I GO TO THE SENIOR CENTER ALMOST EVERY DAY, WHICH IS THE SOMERSET COUNTY SENIOR CENTER IN THE CENTER. AND THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THERE ARE FOREIGN BORN. AND THESE ARE ALL MY FRIENDS. AND I THINK IF WE ENDORSE THIS ACT, THIS IMMIGRANT PROTECTION ACT. IT SHOWS THAT WE ARE STILL WELCOMING PEOPLE, THAT ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE MY FRIENDS, WHO LOVE IT HERE. ONE PERSON SAID TO ME, MONTHS AGO, AMERICA GAVE US EVERYTHING. WE'RE SO GRATEFUL. AND I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE AN TO SHOW THAT WE ARE

[01:05:01]

ANYONE ELSE? AND AND FOR AS FAR AS BARBARA PRESTON'S COMMENT, WE DID REACH OUT TO THE CONGRESSWOMAN AND WE'VE BEEN CONSISTENTLY TALKING TO HER. I THINK IT'S MORE OF A FEDERAL.

WE AT THE TOWNSHIP LEVEL CAN ONLY REACH OUT TO OUR PARTNERS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. AND AND I

[01:10:06]

THANK YOU. IF THERE'S ANYBODY, ANYONE ELSE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR STORIES AND YOUR PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON ON THIS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE YOU KNOW, MOST OF US ARE IMMIGRANTS OR FAMILIES FROM IMMIGRANTS, WHETHER IT'S I'M A SECOND GENERATION, BUT, YOU KNOW, MY PARENTS ARE IMMIGRATED HERE AND. AND THEY WE'RE ALL WE'RE ALL AMERICANS AND WE'RE IT'S IT'S IT'S AFFECTING US PERSONALLY, YOU KNOW, FRIENDS, FAMILIES, PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY CLOSE TO US. IT'S A IT'S A VERY FEARFUL TIME. AND, YOU KNOW, I, I ACTUALLY LAST NIGHT I HAD A NIGHTMARE ON ON,

[01:15:05]

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT. SO THE FIRST THING I WANT TO SAY IS THAT WE HAD SOME HIGHLY RESPECTED RESIDENTS SPEAK TONIGHT. AND SO THAT THE FORCE OF THOSE WORDS IS VERY POWERFUL AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY ACTIVE IN OUR DEMOCRACY. ONE FORMER COMMITTEE MEMBER, FORMER MAYOR, FORMER ASSEMBLYWOMAN. THIS IS THIS IS A VERY POWERFUL STATEMENT THAT WAS MADE BY ALL OF YOU. SO IT'S PRETTY CLEAR WE'RE LIVING, YOU KNOW, IN A TIME WHERE THE FORCES OF INTOLERANCE, RACISM AND ANTI-IMMIGRATION SENTIMENT AND EVEN ANTI FIRST AMENDMENT SENTIMENT IS VERY STRONG. AND IT'S IT'S IT'S REALLY HORRIFIC. SO I THINK IT'S IT'S FAIR TO SAY WHEN, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS ISSUE, IT'S IT'S REALLY IT'S REALLY PRETTY SIMPLE. YOU KNOW IT'S IT'S THAT WE NEED TO STAND UP FOR TOLERANCE PRAGMATISM, RATIONALITY, HUMAN RIGHTS. AND WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS PEOPLE ARE BEING TREATED LIKE ANIMALS. AND SO THIS IS A PROBLEM. AND WHEN YOU'RE IN A POSITION TO SAY THAT, YOU SHOULD SAY IT. AND I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE I, I'VE MADE IT CLEAR THAT WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE AG DIRECTIVE AND THE FACT THAT A, A REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR COULD EASILY GET RID OF IT, WE NEED TO TURN IT INTO A LAW. IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE. SO EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE. I'LL KEEP KEEP WORKING FOR THAT. I DON'T WANT TO SEE OUR LOCAL POLICE AND OUR TAX TAXPAYER DOLLARS FOR OUR LOCAL POLICE USED, YOU KNOW, TO HELP ICE, WHICH IS WHAT JACK WANTS. SO LET'S, LET'S, LET'S KEEP TALKING AND LET'S KEEP, KEEP WORKING. YOU KNOW, I, I WILL I WILL DEFINITELY KEEP KEEP ON THIS ISSUE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE ONE OF THE CALLINGS, I THINK, FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS IS TO STAND UP FOR THOSE WHO, WHO CAN'T STAND UP FOR THEMSELVES. AND, AND THE VULNERABLE ARE REALLY BEING PREYED ON RIGHT NOW. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ORDINANCES. INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING. THERE ARE NO ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION, 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 AND WILL BE ENACTED BY ONE MOTION. THERE WILL BE 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? MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA? RESOLUTIONS NUMBER 20 5-92 78. SO MOVED SECOND ONE

[Items 3 - 7]

YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR. BARRAGAN.

[8. Resolution #25-9-283 – Authorizing Award of Bid #B08-2025 – Demolition of Former Municipal Building ]

[01:20:01]

COMMITTEE MEMBER ON. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR. BARRAGAN.

[9. Resolution #25-9-284 – Authorizing Change Order No. 2 for Stage II Wastewater Treatment Plant Flood Protection Project (Bid #B06-2022) (Increase) ]

ORDER NUMBER TWO FOR STAGE TWO. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT FLOOD PROTECTION PROJECT. BID B06 DASH 2022 INCREASE. YES, MAYOR. IF YOU'LL REMEMBER THIS, ACTUALLY THE NEXT TWO, THIS RESOLUTION, THE NEXT RESOLUTION, WE HAD OUR ENGINEER AND OUR SEWER DIRECTOR MARK HERMAN AND CHRIS LICCARDO COME IN, DO A PRESENTATION. AND THEY MENTIONED THAT THERE WOULD BE TWO RESOLUTIONS DUE TO MORE WORK THAT WAS BEING DONE ON STAGE TWO PROJECT. OKAY. BUT WE HAVE THIS WAS ALSO A GRANT MONEY IS THERE AS WELL RIGHT FOR THIS ONE AS WELL. OH, CORRECT. FEMA, THE FEMA MONEY THAT WE RECEIVED, PLUS MORE THAT WE WILL RECEIVE WILL COVER THIS. OKAY. THANK YOU. MAY I HAVE A MOTION. OH SORRY I DO I DO WANT TO KIND OF MAKE A STATEMENT BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON THIS AT THE LAST TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEETING.

I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE HAVE OUR REGULAR SCHEDULED GOVERNANCE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE COMMITTED TO HAVING FOR THE PUBLIC ON THIS PROJECT. IT'S BY FAR THE LARGEST FINANCIAL EXPENDITURES THAT WE ARE DOING AND JUST SHARE, YOU KNOW, MY DISSATISFACTION THAT WE I THINK THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE YEAR, WE DID NOT HAVE A FINANCIAL REVIEW ON THIS PROJECT, AND WE TALKED ABOUT DOING THIS AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR. SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THE EXPECTATION AND I THINK I CAN SPEAK FOR ALL OF US IS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THESE REGULAR REVIEWS, NOT JUST WITH, YOU KNOW, ONE ON ONES, BUT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP ON HOW WE'RE DOING THESE ON THESE PROJECTS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSIONS IN A PUBLIC FORUM EARLY ENOUGH WHEN THERE ARE THESE GAPS. AND SO WE CAN, YOU KNOW, TRY TO COURSE CORRECT OR, OR BRING IN PUBLIC COMMENT ON THESE ITEMS. SO JUST KIND OF MAKING IT CLEAR THAT LET'S MAKE SURE WE HAVE THESE ON THE SCHEDULE. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS GOING ON, BUT IF WE HAVE TO PUT ON THE CALENDAR ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR, I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT THOSE DISCUSSIONS HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, FOR PUBLIC. AND THEY CAN HEAR ON NOT JUST, I MEAN, NOT JUST THE FINANCIALS, BUT ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT'S HAPPENING, WHICH WAS PART OF THE DISCUSSION WE HAD TWO WEEKS AGO. JUST THE PROGRESS. BUT I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO HAVE BETTER GOVERNANCE AND DISCUSSION ON THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS AS WELL. OKAY. PERFECT. OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 20 5-92 84. SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD.

[10. Resolution #25-9-285 – Authorizing Amendment #1 to Professional Services Agreement – Engineering, Construction, Administration Services for the Stage II Wastewater Treatment Plant Flood Protection Project (Kleinfelder)]

YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR. BARRAGAN. YES. MAYOR. SING. YES.

[11. Resolution #25-9-286 – Authorizing Insertion of Special Item of Revenue in the Municipal Budget Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:4-87 (Chapter 159, P.L. 1948) – Opioids Settlement Grant ]

MR. MAYOR, THIS IS A GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED FOR $24,211.93 AS PART OF THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT GRANT THAT THE MUNICIPALITIES ARE RECEIVING. WE'VE RECEIVED, I THINK, OVER 100,000 IN TOTAL SO FAR THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN ABLE TO TO USE. OKAY. AND WOULD THAT BE ALSO, AS THE DEPUTY MAYOR MENTIONED, WOULD BE NICE TO SEE WHAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS DOING WITH THE GRANT AND HAVE SOME, SOME PRESENTATION. I THINK I UNDERSTAND, LAURIE, THAT THERE IS A SUPPOSED TO BE DOING A PRESENTATION OR DID. YES. SHE COMES EVERY YEAR. YEP.

OKAY. SO SHE'LL DO A LITTLE BIT OF THIS GRANT OKAY. INCLUDED IN THAT PRESENTATION OKAY. PERFECT.

[01:25:01]

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

ANN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR. BARRAGAN. YES. MAYOR. SING. YES.

[12. Resolution #25-9-287 – Authorizing Insertion of Special Item of Revenue in the Municipal Budget Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:4-87 (Chapter 159, P.L. 1948) – Fiscal Year 2026 Health Capacity Grant ]

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

[13. Resolution #25-9-288 – Authorizing Contract Extension #1 for Lead-based Evaluation Inspection Services with Montrose Environmental Solutions; Whitman; AAA Lead Professionals and Envocare]

WHITMAN, TRIPLE A, LEAD PROFESSIONALS AND INVACARE. YES, MAYOR. LAST YEAR IN AUGUST, WE WENT OUT TO BID FOR LEAD BASED EVALUATION SERVICES. THOSE WERE THE FOUR BIDDERS. MONTROSE, WHITMAN, TRIPLE A AND INVACARE THAT WERE ALL SUCCESSFULLY AWARDED. IT DOESN'T COST THE TOWNSHIP ANYTHING, BUT IT GIVES THE RESIDENTS OPTIONS. WHEN IT DOES COME TIME FOR LEAD INSPECTIONS, IT GIVES THEM MULTIPLE OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM. THE PROFESSIONALS THAT WERE AWARDED THE CONTRACT. OKAY. THANK YOU. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 20 5-92 88.

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

ARNE. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR. BARRAGAN. YES. MAYOR. SINGH.

[14. Resolution #25-9-289 – Municipal Alliance Grant – Fiscal Year 2025-2026 ]

[15. Resolution #25-9-290 – Authorizing Contract Extension #1 for Mechanical Repair Services with Municipal Maintenance Company for Township Wastewater Treatment Facilities]

COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR. BARRAGAN.

[16. Resolution #25-9-291 – Authorizing the Appointment of Neha Saraiya as Regular Member on the Board of Health for the Unexpired Term to December 31, 2025]

TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR. BARRAGAN. YES. MAYOR. SINGH. YES. RESOLUTION 20 5-9. DASH

[17. Resolution #25-9-292 – Authorizing Execution of a Shared Services Agreement Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:65-1 et. seq with the Township of Hillsborough for Public Health Nursing ]

[01:30:01]

OKAY. AS AMENDED. JUST IF I CAN ASK A QUICK QUESTION, I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GO THROUGH THESE. WE FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE APPROPRIATE FULLY LOADED COSTS BUILT INTO THIS SCHEDULE. YES, YES, DEPUTY MAYOR, THAT IS CORRECT. WHEN WE STRUCTURE THESE SHARED SERVICES, WE MAKE SURE THAT NOT ONLY INCLUDES, AGAIN, JUST THEIR BASE SALARY INCLUDES THE FRINGE BENEFITS AND THE ADMIN FEES THAT WE FEEL ARE APPROPRIATE. SO IT IS MORE MORE THAN COVERED. OKAY. PERFECT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 20 59-2 92 AS AMENDED. SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD.

[18. Resolution #25-9-293 – Authorizing Grant Application to Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission Grant History Partnership Program – “Walk the Rochambeau Trail Event” and Installation of Interpretative Signage ]

AUTHORIZING GRANT APPLICATION TO SOMERSET COUNTY CULTURAL AND HERITAGE COMMISSION. COUNTY HISTORY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM. WALK THE ROCHAMBEAU TRAIL EVENT AND INSTALLATION OF INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE. SO, MAYOR, THIS RESOLUTION AND THE NEXT RESOLUTION ARE RELATED TO SOMERSET COUNTY CULTURAL AND HERITAGE COMMISSION GRANTS THAT THEY ARE PUTTING OUT. THEY'VE SAID THERE WILL BE A PRIORITY FOR MUNICIPALITIES AND WORK THEY'RE DOING PLANNING AROUND THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY. AND SO WE ARE APPLYING FOR IF YOU RECALL, WE TALKED ABOUT OUR BIG EVENT FOR NEXT YEAR FOR THE REV 250 WOULD BE THE PARADE THAT WE WERE DOING. AND THEN A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD AROUND WOULD BE EXISTING EVENTS AND PROGRAMING THAT WE DO ANYWAY, THAT WOULD THEN BE THEMED TOWARDS THAT, THAT EVENT. AND SO THIS PARTICULAR GRANT WOULD HELP WITH THE VAN HORN PARK TRAILS DAY EVENT THAT WE'RE PLANNING FOR EARLY JUNE.

AND IF YOU RECALL, WE ARE ONE OF THE VICTORY TOWNS. THESE THIS VICTORY TOWN IS RELATED TO THE WASHINGTON ROCHAMBEAU TRAIL, WHICH WAS A VERY CRITICAL PART OF THE THE LAST BIT BEFORE THE BATTLE AT YORKTOWN. AND SO WE'VE JOINED THAT EFFORT. AND THAT MARCH THROUGH NEW JERSEY WENT THROUGH PAST THE VAN HORN PARK. SO THAT'S SORT OF WHERE THAT THEME IS COMING FROM. AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE AND PLANNING FOR THAT EVENT. OKAY.

OTHER THINGS THAT MAY BE IMPROVED AT THE PARK. OKAY. THIS IS GREAT. AND I I'LL TEMPORARILY TAKE BACK MY COMMENT AROUND COUNTY TAXES. IF WE CAN GET SOME OF THIS MONEY BACK TO HELP US CELEBRATE THE THE TWO 50TH TEMPORARILY. OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 20 5-9. DASH 293. SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES.

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

[19. Resolution #25-9-294 – Authorizing Grant Application to Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission Local Arts Program – Installation of Public Art and 250th Commemorative Event ]

COMMITTEE MEMBER ON. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TYLER. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BERRIGAN. YES.

[20. Resolution #25-9-295 – Authorizing Use of Competitive Contract for HVAC Maintenance Services ]

[01:35:05]

OKAY. GOTCHA. OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 20 592 95. SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL, PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANNE. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER.

[21. Approval of Minutes ]

[22. Resolution #25-9- 296 – Payment of Bills ]

THANKS. SO I GUESS WE'RE PROVIDING A SERVICE. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 20 5-92 96. SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER MARTIN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER AND YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR. BARRAGAN. YES. MAYOR. SINGH.

YES. CORRESPONDENCE. THERE IS NO CORRESPONDENCE. NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS. THERE'S NO

[25. Township Committee Reports ]

OKAY. YES. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I DO NOT HAVE ANY COMMITTEE REPORTS BECAUSE ALL OF MY COMMITTEES WERE CANCELED DUE TO VACATION. YES. AND I DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THEY'LL BE MEETING AGAIN, BUT I'LL BE THERE. THE VETERANS MEMORIAL COMMITTEE MET EARLIER THIS WEEK.

AND JUST, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE A KIND OF PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT, WE WILL NOW BE HOLDING OUR ANNUAL VETERANS DAY CEREMONY, NOT ON VETERANS DAY ON TUESDAY 11TH. IT WILL BE NOW SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH AT 2 P.M. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE MAXIMUM PARTICIPATION AMONGST THE COMMUNITY, THE SCHOOL, THE BAND, AND I THINK THIS KIND OF WORKED OUT TO BE THE BEST COMPROMISE FOR ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS. SO WE ARE WORKING TO FINALIZE THE GUEST SPEAKER FOR THE YEAR. THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN, YOU KNOW, ON MY TO DO LIST, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OPTIONS. SO WE HOPE TO GET CONFIRMATION NOW THAT WE HAVE AGAIN THE DATE. SO AGAIN SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH, 2 P.M. KNOCK ON WOOD FOR WONDERFUL WEATHER. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF GREAT TURNOUT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. HOPE WE HAVE GREAT TURNOUT AGAIN THIS YEAR. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, AS WE ALL KNOW,

[01:40:07]

AND WE AT THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE, ALONG WITH THE SOMERSET COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE SOMERSET COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH AND OUR OWN PUBLIC HEALTH IN MONTGOMERY, ARE ENCOURAGING RESIDENTS TO PRIORITIZE THEIR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS STRATEGIES. AS WE ALL KNOW, PLANNING AHEAD IS A KEY TO SAFETY. SO BEFORE AN EMERGENCY, YOU HAVE TO MAKE A PLAN. I'M JUST GOING TO READ THE BULLET POINTS. I ALSO WANT TO REMIND RESIDENTS THAT WE DO HAVE SEPTEMBER 16TH. WE HAVE AN EVENT RIGHT HERE IN TOWN. ARE YOU GOING TO BE SPEAKING TO THAT FOR THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EVENT? OKAY, OKAY. THAT'S THAT'S ON THE 16TH. AND PLEASE FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND ON OUR WEBSITE. I BELIEVE IT'S IN THE DO YOU HAVE THE THE LIBRARY. WHAT TIME DO WE HAVE THAT TIME. I COULD LOOK IT UP. YEAH. BUT ANYWAYS IT'S SEPTEMBER 16TH. IT'S THE PREPAREDNESS MONTGOMERY PREPAREDNESS FOR EMERGENCIES EVENT. AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO COME AND LEARN HOW TO PLAN. SO IT'S BASICALLY MAKE A PLAN. WE'LL HAVE HOPEFULLY PACK AND GO KITS. I THINK OUR HEALTH OFFICER IS TRYING TO GET SOME OF THESE JUST, YOU KNOW, TO SHARE AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, LET RESIDENTS KNOW WHAT THEY WOULD NEED FOR A PACK AND GO KIT. AND OF COURSE, YOU'LL HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION AT THE EVENT ABOUT HOW TO SIGN UP FOR ALERTS. WHAT HAPPENS IN A POWER OUTAGE 911 COMMUNICATIONS. AND OF COURSE, AFTER AN EMERGENCY, WHICH WE HOPE WE DON'T HAVE ONE. BUT YOU KNOW HOW TO STAY INFORMED. AND ALSO IF YOU KNOW THERE IS FOOD SAFETY INFORMATION WILL ALSO BE SHARED.

MEDICATION SAFETY WILL BE SHARED. SO WE'RE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, COME AND BE PART OF THIS EVENT ON THE 16TH. EXCUSE ME MAYOR, THAT'LL BE AT 6 P.M. IN THE LIBRARY. OH OKAY. SO 16TH 6 P.M. AND IT'S GOING TO BE AT THE AT OUR LIBRARY. AND IT'S AGAIN, AS I SAID, IT IS PREPARED FOR EMERGENCIES EVENT. AND BECAUSE OF NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH IN SEPTEMBER BECAUSE AS WE KNOW THE HURRICANE SEASON DOES START. THAT IS ALL I THINK I HAVE. AND THANK YOU. CAN I ADD JUST ONE MORE THING? I'M SORRY, I FORGOT. NO PROBLEM. SO THIS NEXT WEEK, THURSDAY, PATRIOT'S DAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH, 24TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATTACKS ON THE THE WORLD TRADE CENTER AS WELL AS OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY, AS WE KNOW, ESPECIALLY THE PENTAGON AND THE PLANE THAT LANDED IN DC IN PENNSYLVANIA, FIRE COMPANY TWO, IN SKILLMAN ON 518 WILL BE HOLDING THEIR ANNUAL CEREMONY AT 6 P.M. I'VE BEEN GOING TO THE CEREMONY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND I'M KIND OF EMBARRASSED TO SAY THAT BEFORE I GOT IN TOUCH WITH COMMITTEE, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THIS OCCURRED. SO I'M HOPING THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE CAN KIND OF MAKE THE TIME TO COME IN. IT'S A VERY SOLEMN CEREMONY, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NEVER FORGOTTEN. AND ESPECIALLY IT'S LIKE IT'S A SYMBOLIC, I THINK, SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR OUR ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. SO I HOPE AS MANY OF THE COMMUNITY CAN ATTEND AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I, I DO AGREE, IT'S IT'S A SOLEMN DAY AND PEOPLE SHOULD MAKE AN EFFORT TO ATTEND. AND FIRE STATION TWO DOES DO A GREAT MEMORIAL. THE ONLY OTHER ONE I FORGOT TO MENTION WAS WE HAVE OUR VOLUNTEERS, THEIR AMAZING TOWN THAT WE ALL LIVE IN, AND WE HAVE A WHOLE COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS

[01:45:01]

[26. Administrator’s Report ]

EXPECTED TO TAKE ONE AND A HALF TO TWO WEEKS FOR THE TURF PROCESS TO BE COMPLETED. ONCE THAT'S DONE, THE PERIMETER FENCING THAT'S GOING AROUND THE ENTIRE PLAYGROUND WILL BE INSTALLED. THAT WILL BE ABOUT A WEEK. ONCE THE FENCE IS DONE, CORBY WILL DEMOBILIZE THE AREA AND THE PROJECT SHOULD BE COMPLETED. SO WE'RE HOPING FOR A MID-OCTOBER OPENING OF THE PLAYGROUND. I'LL KEEP YOU UP TO DATE IF THAT, BUT THAT'S GOOD TO HAVE SOME KIND OF A DATE BECAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE ARE WAITING ANXIOUSLY AS WE ARE. YES, THE CELL TOWER TO PROVIDE COVERAGE IN THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF THE TOWNSHIP. SO WE'RE MOVING ALONG ON A LOCATION AT THE CHERRY VALLEY WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, PERFORMING OUR DUE DILIGENCE ON THE PROPERTY. WE'VE OBTAINED THE SITE SITE MAPS FOR THAT WORKED WITH CHRIS ACCARDO, OUR OUR SEWER DIRECTOR, AND ALSO MICHAEL PITTS AND I HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH THE THE COMPANY THAT WE WORK WITH IN PREPARING THE BID SPEC SO I CAN PASS ALONG THE GENERAL LOCATION OF WHAT WE'RE CONTEMPLATING IN TERMS OF THE LOCATION. AND WE HAVE A MEETING WITH THE CHERRY VALLEY HOA NEXT WEEK TO KEEP THEM UPDATED. THEY'VE BEEN ANXIOUSLY. THERE'S CELL SERVICE IN THAT AREA IS A LITTLE IS A LITTLE POOR. SO IN OUR EFFORTS TO TRY AND HELP BOOST THAT COVERAGE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT. SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO MOVE THAT PROJECT FORWARD. AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT QUALITY OF LIFE THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER.

BECAUSE CELL SERVICE IS VERY IMPORTANT. AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EMERGENCIES. AND YEAH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, LAURIE, YOU HAD MENTIONED THE MONDAY THE EIGHTH PLANNING BOARD MEETING. AND JUST TO TO SHARE. IT'S IT'S THE KEN VIEW CORPORATE CAMPUS ON GRANDVIEW AVENUE. THE CONTRACT PURCHASER IS COMING TO SHARE CONCEPT PLAN OF A BY RIGHT PLAN, WHICH WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE WHAT COULD BE DEVELOPED UNDER THE LIMITED MANUFACTURING, CURRENT ZONING AND AND SHOW A PLAN THAT'S IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN. SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO PROMOTE THAT SO PEOPLE CAN COME OUT AND, AND AND HEAR, HEAR WHAT'S GOING TO BE PRESENTED AT THE FOOD PANTRY. AS YOU KNOW, SINCE DENISE CROWLEY, WHO WAS THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE MANAGER WHO MANAGED THE PANTRY FULL TIME, HAS RETIRED, I ASSIGNED THE PANTRY MANAGEMENT TO TEMPORARILY TO JOHN GROVER, WHO'S OUR PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR. THE PANTRY IS LOCATED WITHIN THE OTTO KAUFMAN COMMUNITY CENTER. JOHN MANAGES THE COMMUNITY CENTER, SO HE AND HIS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, ADRIANA, I THINK THEY'VE DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB SERVING THE MONTGOMERY RESIDENTS. WE'VE HAD 142 VISITS SINCE JANUARY WHEN THEY TOOK OVER. THEY'VE BEEN SERVING 35 FAMILIES SINCE JANUARY, CLOSE TO $9,000 IN SHOPRITE GIFT CARDS, WHICH ARE USED TO PURCHASE THE PERISHABLE ITEMS. BECAUSE WE'RE A NON PERISHABLE FOOD PANTRY. SO AT THE SEPTEMBER 18TH TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEETING, OUR NEXT MEETING, I'VE ASKED JOHN TO COME AND PROVIDE YOU WITH A FULL REVIEW OF THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS, AND WE HOPE TO HAVE NEWS OF THE NEW COMMUNITY RESOURCE MANAGER BEGINNING IN MID SEPTEMBER. SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY. AS YOU KNOW, THAT'S A HYBRID POSITION. IT'S A SHARED SERVICE WITH SOMERSET COUNTY, WHERE SOMERSET COUNTY COVERS THE MAJORITY OF THE POSITION BECAUSE IT'S SOMERSET COUNTY SENIOR CENTER THAT'S LOCATED IN MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP, WHERE THEY DELIVER HOT MEALS MONDAY TO FRIDAY. THEY DO THE FREE BUS TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE CENTER, AND THEY DO PROGRAMING. AND THEN ON THE TOWNSHIP'S END, WE DO SOME SUPPLEMENTARY PROGRAMING ACTIVITIES FOR OUR RESIDENTS, AND WE COVER THE COST OF THE ADDITIONAL HOURS FOR THE FOOD PANTRY MANAGEMENT. SO THE COUNTY HAD A SLOW START TO REPLACING THAT, YOU KNOW, CHALLENGES WITH, YOU KNOW, INTEREST IN THE POSITION. BUT THINGS GOT ROLLING AND THEY'VE

[01:50:04]

SO MORE INFORMATION AT THE NEXT MEETING. BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THAT.

BRIGHT SPEED IS WORKING IN THE NORTHEAST NORTHEAST SECTION OF THE TOWNSHIP AND THE BELLE MEAD SECTION. THEY'RE PUTTING IN SOME FIBER OPTIC CABLES. DOOR HANGERS ARE BEING PLACED ON THE.

ANY OF THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE IMPACT MAY BE IMPACTED WITH WORK THAT'S BEING DONE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY THERE. AND THOSE DOOR HANGERS ARE ABOUT TWO WEEKS BEFORE THEY START WORK IN THAT AREA TO GIVE RESIDENTS NOTICE. I THINK THEY WERE ON GRAYSON TODAY. SO THAT IS MY UPDATE. I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THEM DOING THE UPGRADES. ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT IN MILLER'S GROVE WE HAD COMCAST APPARENTLY DOING SOME UPGRADES AND NOT HAVING WI-FI.

IT'S NOT A FUN SITUATION. SO YES, I UNDERSTAND, BUT TO LET THE RESIDENTS KNOW ALL OF THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING IS GOING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER. IT'S JUST A FEW GROWING PAINS. SO THANK YOU LAURIE. AND AGAIN, I WANT TO ADD MY THANKS TO JOHN AND ADRIANA FOR DOING ALL THE EXTRA WORK AND ALL THE OTHER STAFF, AND OF COURSE, OUR AMAZING, YOU KNOW, NONPROFITS IN TOWN WHO WORKED AND ALSO OUR RESIDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN REALLY GENEROUS WITH THEIR DONATIONS.

THANK YOU. OKAY. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS REMAINING 2025 TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEETING DATES

[27. Future Agenda Items ]

CAN I SPEAK FOR A MINUTE, PLEASE DO. PLEASE. SO I JUST WANT TO LET MONTGOMERY KNOW THAT THE MOTOR VEHICLE MOBILE BUS IS COMING BACK IN OCTOBER 6TH FOR REAL IDEA APPOINTMENT.

SO STAY TUNED. YOU'LL SEE THE INFORMATION ON THE BULLETIN. WE'LL START PROMOTING THAT PROBABLY MID SEPTEMBER, BUT IT WILL BE RETURNING. I JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW IN MONTGOMERY THAT NOVEMBER 4TH IS ELECTION DAY, AND IT IS A GUBERNATORIAL RACE THIS YEAR.

SO IF YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED, YOU. THE DEADLINE FOR VOTER REGISTRATION IS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14TH. SO YOU'LL WANT TO GET OUT THERE AND GET YOUR REGISTRATIONS OR CHANGE TO REQUEST A VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT. YOU NEED TO GET STARTED ON THAT. NOW. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. AND DO WE HAVE THAT ON THE WEBSITE PAGE AS WELL? WE HAVE A LINK ON MY ON THE CLARK'S PAGE TO ALL THE ELECTION INFORMATION. OKAY. PERFECT. YEAH. AND THANK YOU ALSO, LISA, TO YOU AND JODY FOR DOING THE DMV. I THINK THE RESIDENTS ARE QUITE HAPPY THAT THEY I THINK WE'RE ONE OF THE MAYBE 1 OR 2 TOWNS THAT HAS FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO THIS FOR OUR RESIDENTS. SO I'M NOT SURE CHRIS HILLMAN LIKES TO SEE MY EMAIL BECAUSE I'M ADAM A LOT. I DON'T KNOW, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH. WHY NOT? RIGHT. IT PROVIDES A GREAT SERVICE, AND WHILE THERE'S A NEED, WE MIGHT AS WELL HELP. NO, THANK YOU SO MUCH BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO DRIVE AN HOUR TO GO GET AN APPOINTMENT. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU. YEAH. MY PLEASURE. ANYONE? ALL IS WELL. OKAY. ARE WE GOOD?

[28. Resolution #25-9-297 – Executive Session ]

CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS NON COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. VILLAGE WALK ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE.

TAX REVALUATION PROCEDURES FOR 2027 LITIGATION. DOCKET NUMBER 0153 DASH 25 AFFORDABLE HOUSING, DOCKET NUMBER SOM DASH L215 DASH 24. IT IS UNKNOWN PRECISELY WHEN THE MATTER

[01:55:01]