Mar 05, 2026 Township Committee

[CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:06]

THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE. CALLED TO ORDER AT 701. ROLL CALL PLEASE. MAYOR SINGH HERE. DEPUTY MAYOR BARRAGAN HERE. COMMITTEE MEMBER TAYLOR TODD HERE. COMMITTEE MEMBER ON HERE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN HERE. NOTICE OF MEETING AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT. ADEQUATE NOTICE OF THIS MEETING WAS PROVIDED ON JANUARY 12TH, 2026 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. 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, WE START TODAY WITH THE PRESENTATION PEDESTRIAN AND ROAD PROJECTS

[1. Presentation – Pedestrian and Road Projects Update]

AND THEN THE SEGMENT THAT WE'VE COMPLETED RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR MUNICIPAL BUILDING HERE WAS COMPLETED IN 2023, NOT TOO LONG AFTER WE MOVED IN. IT'S ABOUT A HALF A MILE. SO IT CONNECTS COMMUNITY DRIVE ACROSS ROUTE 206 TO BRIDGEPOINT ROAD. SO JUST LOOKING AT THEM SORT OF HOLISTICALLY AS PART OF THIS WHOLE NETWORK OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, IT'S A NICE CHUNK OF ABOUT THREE MILES OF SIDEWALK AND PATHWAY. AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT SOME ADDITIONAL SECTIONS THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT TONIGHT WITH ORCHARD ROAD AND WITH ROUTE 206. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, LAUREN. YEAH I LIKE THE LAST SLIDE. WE DIDN'T WANT TO DWELL ON IT, BUT IT AT LEAST SHOWS. OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE TOWNSHIP HAS HAD A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN THIS PATHWAY NETWORK. ONE THING I REALLY DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ABOUT THIS IS ALL THE COORDINATION WE'VE DONE. WE WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO SECURE GRANTS FOR EACH OF THESE PROJECTS TO MAKE THEM HAPPEN. SO THIS SLIDE I'M NOT GOING TO

[00:05:04]

FOR FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, THAT'S SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC. IF YOU'RE DRIVING ON 206 HEADING TOWARDS PRINCETON, THAT WOULD BE THAT SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHAT WHAT THIS WILL DO IS THAT IT'S GOING TO PROVIDE A CONNECTION FOR ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE TO THE SOUTH OF THE MUNICIPAL CENTER, TO BE ABLE TO WALK TO THE MUNICIPAL, MUNICIPAL CENTER, THE LIBRARY, THE NEW INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND THAT WAS BUILT THAT'LL CONNECT NEIGHBORHOODS SUCH AS LIKE TAPESTRY, HILLSIDE, MONTGOMERY, CROSSING, SOME OF THOSE ROADS THAT ARE DOWN THERE OFF BRUCKNELL WAY AND VILLAGE DRIVE. WHAT THIS WILL ALSO DO IS IT'LL ALLOW ANYBODY WHO LIVES UP IN THIS GENERAL AREA OR IS COMING FROM THE MUNICIPAL CENTER, OR THE NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPLEX THAT'S BEING BUILT ON THIS CAMPUS, AS WELL AS NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE MONTGOMERY RIDGE. IT WILL ALLOW THEM TO WALK TO RETAIL DESTINATIONS DOWN TOWARDS THE GEOGRAPHICAL CENTER OF TOWN. SO THIS IS A SLIDE THAT WE WERE REFERRING TO BEFORE AS IT PERTAINS TO THE ROUTE 206 PROJECT. WE'RE KIND OF IN THIS CONCEPT PLAN PHASE. I'LL GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON THE NEXT SLIDE. SO SINCE WE'VE ALREADY MOVED THROUGH THE FEASIBILITY STUDY. PORTION AND HAD DECIDED ON WHICH ROUTE WE WERE GOING TO GO WITH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON DIFFERENT STEPS THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT. WE'VE HAD PRELIMINARY DESIGN DISCUSSIONS WHILE WORKING ON PROPERTY SURVEYS. SO THE SURVEY PART OF THE PROCESS HAS BEEN COMPLETED. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE WORKING ON FINALIZING THE INITIAL CONCEPTS SO WE CAN HAVE SOME COORDINATION WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. IN THIS PROJECT. THERE'S BEEN COORDINATION WITH THE STATE BECAUSE IT'S NJDOT RIGHT OF WAY, STATE RIGHT OF WAY, AND A PORTION OF THE SIDEWALK CONNECTS WHERE IT'S ENDING UP IS THAT VILLAGE SHOPPER. THAT'S THE FIRST RETAIL DESTINATION THAT IT'S GOING TO HIT. SO THERE'S BEEN SOME COORDINATION WITH THAT PROPERTY OWNER AS WELL. WE'VE ALSO BEEN MEETING WITH THEM BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME ASPECTS OF THIS PROJECT WHERE THERE'S ACTUALLY LIKE A DOT DRAINAGE HEADWALL THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED. BUT WE BROUGHT THAT TO THE STATE'S ATTENTION A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND COINCIDENTALLY FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE REPLACING IT. SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM ON THE BACK END TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY REDESIGN IT TO ACCOMMODATE A SIDEWALK. SO THAT WILL ACTUALLY CUT COSTS FOR THE PROJECT. YOU KNOW, IN OUR MIND, THERE'S NO SENSE IN PAYING FOR THE SAME THING TWICE. MAKES SENSE. SO AS FAR AS NEXT STEPS WITH THAT, ONCE WE FINALIZE THE CONCEPT AND TWEAK A FEW DIFFERENT STORMWATER MANAGEMENT OPTIONS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SET UP MEETINGS WITH DOT TO DISCUSS THE CONCEPT AND KIND OF LIKE A PRE-APPLICATION MEETING FOR THE PERMITTING STAGE. AS FOR FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT, THE TOWNSHIP HAD SECURED A $3 MILLION GRANT FROM THE DIVISION OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS. IT WAS A 2024 INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT GRANT. AND, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THIS PROJECT, THAT IT'S ALONG THE HIGHWAY, CONNECTS TO A BUS STOP AND PUBLIC FACILITIES. IT ALSO OPENS UP THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER FUNDING FROM GRANTS. OKAY. WE'LL MOVE ON TO ORCHARD ROAD, WHERE WE'RE PLANNING A

[00:10:02]

IT HELPS YOU KIND OF SEE WHAT WE'VE BEEN PLANNING FROM A GRANT PERSPECTIVE. SO THE INTENTION IS, YOU KNOW, TO DO THIS ALL AS ONE CONTINUOUS PROJECT. PICKING UP ON WHERE WE FINISHED IN 2023, YOU KNOW, ON THE EAST SIDE BY THE MUNICIPAL CENTER. AND WE'RE WE FINISHED AROUND 2021 WHEN WE BUILT THE PATH THAT CONNECTED 601 TO SKILLMAN PARK. THE INTENTION IS TO DO IT ALL AS ONE PROJECT. BUT WHEN WE APPLIED FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF THE GRANT, WE JUST FOCUSED ON THAT RIGHT SECTION FROM THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING OVER TO OPOSSUM ROAD.

[00:15:01]

SO THESE AMOUNTS INCLUDE DESIGN, SURVEYING, CONSTRUCTION, UTILITY RELOCATION. IT WOULD INCLUDE WIDENING WITH THE ROAD CONDITION. WE'VE DONE THE ASSESSMENT. IT WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO BE RECONSTRUCTED. SO THAT WOULD BE PART OF IT. YOU KNOW ALONG WITH PROPERTY ACQUISITION. SO THIS IS THIS IS A HOLISTIC LOOK AT THE COSTS FROM A BUDGETARY PERSPECTIVE OKAY. AND WE SEE THAT SOME OF THE GRANTS ARE TBD. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'D BE LOOKING INTO AS WE MOVE FORWARD. CORRECT. OKAY. THE NEXT TWO, THE SOURCE OF THE FUNDING FOR THE FIRST SEGMENT WAS 2026 MUNICIPAL AID. THE NEXT TWO SEGMENTS WOULD BE THE 2027 AND 2028 APPLICATIONS. OKAY AND MARK ON THE ON THE 206 PROJECT. I THINK YOU MENTIONED JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE CLEAR THAT YOU LOOKED AT MAYBE DOING BIKE PATHS, BUT THAT WAS A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE. WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR NOT PURSUING THE BIKE PATHS? SO. I THINK THE INTENTION, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, IS THAT IT WOULD BE A SIX FOOT WIDE PATH. IT WOULDN'T BE DESIGNATED AS SPECIFICALLY AS A BIKE PATH. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WOULD WANT AN ON STREET PATH, NOR DO I THINK DOT WOULD PERMIT THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IN ORDER TO HAVE A PROPER SHARED PATH BETWEEN CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS, I BELIEVE THE MINIMUM WIDTH IS SOMETHING LIKE 14FT, AND THERE'S A LOT OF CONSTRAINTS OVER THERE. THERE'S FLOOD HAZARD AREA, THERE'S AN EXISTING BRIDGE ALONG 206. THERE'S A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS, YOU KNOW, SO SO FOR MOST OF THE SEGMENT, WE THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO FIT A SIX FOOT WIDE PATH THAT JUST WOULDN'T BE SPECIFICALLY SIGNED FOR EITHER USE. AND THEN YOU TALKED ABOUT I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT MAKING SURE THERE'S LIKE A BARRICADE BETWEEN THE ROAD AND THE PEDESTRIANS, JUST BECAUSE THAT'S A PRETTY BUSY ROAD WITH TRUCKS AND EVERYTHING.

YEAH, THAT'S ALREADY REFLECTED IN THE CONCEPT WE'RE WORKING ON. WE'RE LOOKING AT A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS, BECAUSE ADDING CURBING TO AN EXISTING ROADWAY ADDS SOME POTENTIAL DRAINAGE CHALLENGE CHALLENGES, ESPECIALLY FOR, YOU KNOW, AN AREA LIKE 206 THAT MAY NOT HAVE A LOT OF EXCESS STORMWATER MANAGEMENT. THE RIGHT OF WAY IS ALREADY FAIRLY CONSTRAINED, BUT PUTTING SOMETHING IN LIKE A GUIDE RAIL, YOU KNOW, WOULD PROVIDE A, YOU KNOW, A TALLER BARRIER. THE INTENTION IS TO PUT A DOUBLE SIDED GUIDE RAIL SO THE POSTS AREN'T EXPOSED.

YOU KNOW, FOR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY. THE ONLY THING IS YOU CAN'T YOU CAN'T DO THAT AT THE ENDS. THE ENDS HAVE TO STAY CRASHWORTHY. OKAY, OKAY. THIS ADDITIONAL QUESTION, BUT I KNOW RESIDENTS HAVE ASKED FOR A PATH INTO SKILLMAN PARK. I KNOW IT'S RUN BY THE COUNTY, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO BECAUSE WE MADE THAT THE PERFECT, YOU KNOW, PATH TOWARDS THAT ROAD TO THE PARK. BUT GETTING IN THE ROAD IS REALLY TIGHT AND PEOPLE ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, VEHICLES TRAVELING UP AND DOWN. YEAH, WE'VE MADE THAT REQUEST REPEATEDLY WITH THE COUNTY AND WITH THE PARK COMMISSION AT THE COUNTY KIND OF SAYING, HEY, LOOK AT ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT WE'VE DONE, AND THERE'S JUST THIS LITTLE SECTION THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC FOR YOU GUYS TO BUILD TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO YOUR PARK. I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO BUILD THE ACCESS FROM THE HILLSIDE. IT IS RELATIVELY SHORT JUST TO GET TO THAT PARKING LOT. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE EXPLORED DOING ON THE PARK, BUT WE'VE CERTAINLY BEEN ENCOURAGING THE COUNTY AT EVERY, EVERY CHANCE WE GET FOR THEM TO DO IT. WELL, SINCE IT'S A SHORT DISTANCE, DO YOU THINK THAT WE SHOULD JUST OFFER TO DO IT AND JUST GET THEIR PERMISSION TO DO SO? THE THE GOVERNING BODY MAKES THOSE KINDS OF DECISIONS, DENNIS, NOT ME ON. SO IF IF IT'S A DIRECTION THAT YOU WANT US TO EXPLORE, YOU CAN LET US KNOW. OKAY. DO YOU MIND GOING BACK TO THE THAT SECOND TO LAST SLIDE, I THINK WHERE YOU HAD THE YEP. THIS IS A GOOD ONE. I THINK THIS IS SO NUMBER ONE. THANK YOU FOR FOR THE PRESENTATION. I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF HAVE BEEN DOING TO TO MAKE THIS COME TO LIFE. YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE ONGOING AND JUST AND I'M SLIGHTLY CONFLICTED BECAUSE I LIVE ACROSS THE STREET AND AND I RUN AND I GO DOWN THIS ROAD. SO I SEE IT AS THAT HOW SUPPORTIVE YOU KNOW, I AM IN THIS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, THOUGH, IF WE LOOK AT SOME OF THESE COSTS VERSUS THE GRANTS,

[00:20:04]

WHAT IS THE ESTIMATED GAP BETWEEN THE GRANTS AND THE COST. DO DO YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S HARD TO DETERMINE. YEAH. YEAH. RIGHT NOW THAT'S DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE BECAUSE WE'VE OBTAINED ONE GRANT SO FAR. BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE APPLYING FOR MULTIPLE YEARS INSTEAD OF JUST DOING THIS ALL AT ONCE. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU IF WE APPLIED FOR THE ENTIRE THING, WE FOR ALL WE KNOW, WE MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN THE SAME AMOUNT, BUT BY BREAKING IT DOWN INTO SEGMENTS, LIKE WE WERE SAYING BEFORE, THAT ACTUALLY POTENTIALLY INCREASES THE CHANCES AND CLOSES THAT GAP. WE ACTUALLY APPLIED THE SAME TACTIC WHEN WE DID TOWNSHIP LINE ROAD. WE ORIGINALLY APPLIED FOR THE WHOLE THE WHOLE ROAD AND GOT GOT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FUNDING. AND THEN THE GRANT SPONSOR WAS ACTUALLY AMENABLE TO LETTING US CHANGE THE LIMITS OF THE ONE THAT WAS ALREADY AWARDED. SO THEN WE WERE ABLE TO APPLY AND BRING IT INTO TWO HALVES AND APPLY AGAIN, AND IT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WE GOT. BUT MAYBE TO JUST ADD A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL TO YOUR QUESTION, MIKE, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WHEN I'M LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, MARK AND AND MICHAEL TO HELP ME OUT HERE, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE IN THE THE 2 MILLION THE COMMUNITY TAB. AWESOME. MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'S NOT LIKE WE COULD JUST START WITH THE, THE GRANT MONEY, USE THAT AND THEN ASK FOR MORE GRANT MONEY IN ORDER TO UNLOCK SOME OF THE GRANT MONEY. I THINK WE HAVE TO PUT WE HAVE TO PUT IN MONEY, WHICH IS APPROPRIATE. BUT I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT FOR US TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND. IT'S NOT LIKE, HEY, WE HAVE HALF A MILLION. WE JUST START SPENDING IT AND THEN KEEP GOING. WE HAVE TO KIND OF PUT OUR, OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR CAPITAL EQUITY IN AS WELL. IS THAT CORRECT STATEMENT THAT GET THAT CORRECT. IT'S THE REIMBURSEMENT GRANT.

IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT? YEAH I THINK MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT LIKE WE DON'T JUST HAVE HALF $1 MILLION IN THE BANK TO START TODAY, GRANT MONEY. THAT'S THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO SPEND CAPITAL ON. I THOUGHT, IN ORDER TO UNLOCK SOME OF THE HALF $1 MILLION OVER THESE THREE YEARS, WE HAVE TO START SPENDING OUR OWN MONEY AS WELL. MAYBE I MISUNDERSTOOD, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE'S CLARITY FOR THE RESIDENTS. YEAH, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION, I THINK THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO APPROACH THIS. OKAY, SO ONE POSSIBLE SCENARIO COULD BE JUST BUILDING THAT RIGHT. MOST SEGMENT BETWEEN THE THE TWO LINES THERE. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON THE REST OF THE FUNDING NEEDS THE THE REST CAN BE DEFERRED. WE JUST HAVE TO WATCH WHEN APPLYING FOR THESE GRANTS BECAUSE THEY TYPICALLY HAVE AN EXPIRATION.

THE SOME OF THESE GRANTS, YOU HAVE TO USE THEM WITHIN TWO YEARS OF AWARD OR GET THE PROJECT OUT TO BID WITHIN TWO YEARS. SO THAT'S WHY THESE WERE CLOSELY STAGGERED. BUT YEAH, IT CAN EITHER BE BUILT AS ALL ONE PROJECT. IT CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO PHASES. TYPICALLY, IF YOU BUILD IT AS ONE PROJECT, LIKE THE COLLECTIVE AGGREGATE COST WOULD GO DOWN BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT MOBILIZING THREE TIMES, DOING UTILITY COORDINATION THREE TIMES, THINGS LIKE THAT.

BUT IT'S DEFINITELY A CHALLENGE WE FACE WITH WITH ANY OF THESE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO TRYING TO BRING TO LIGHT. SO I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM THE THE QUESTION IS THAT WE WERE WE WERE AWARDED A GRANT, HALF A MILLION. BUT I THINK WE CAN'T JUST SPEND A HALF MILLION AND WAIT. RIGHT. I THINK WE HAVE TO PUT IN OUR OWN MONEY AS WELL TO UNLOCK THAT HALF A MILLION OVER, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING. YEAH. THEN WE HAVE TO. WOULD I BE PUTTING FROM OUR POCKET IS, I THINK, WHAT THE DEPUTY MAYOR IS GETTING AT BESIDES THE, THE GRANT. SO I GUESS IF WE LOOK AT THE FIRST ONE THERE, THE GRANT IS A REIMBURSEMENT GRANT. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO SHOW THAT WE'VE SPENT THE $537,000 TO RECEIVE $537,000 BACK FROM THE STATE, BUT I DON'T KNOW, IS THERE LIKE A COMPONENT WHERE WE HAVE TO SHOW THAT WE'VE SPENT A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE? I DON'T THINK SO.

YEAH, I'M HOPING I MISUNDERSTOOD AND THAT'S THAT PROVIDES MORE CLARITY. I, I UNDERSTOOD IT DIFFERENTLY IN OUR IN WHEN WE REVIEWED THE CAPITAL AND THE BUDGET MEETINGS.

I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEN I'D BE LIKE, OKAY, THEN I'D BE VERY SUPPORTIVE, LIKE, HEY, PUT IN THE WHOLE HALF A MILLION IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET WILL BE REIMBURSED. BUT

[00:25:04]

[2. Presentation – Solar Panels at Township-owned Properties – Talva Energy]

THE 3 MILLION RIGHT. AND WE GOT THAT THAT WAS ACTUALLY FOR THE ORCHARD ROAD PROJECT RIGHT WHEN WE INTO 2024. BECAUSE I PUT IN IT WASN'T A REGULAR GRANT I PUT IT IN. IT WAS TO CONNECT. WE WERE ORIGINALLY PUT IN TO CONNECT THE SCHOOLS TO THE BACK OF THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING. IS

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YEAH. AND YOU HAVE THAT MIC FOR YOURSELF THERE. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT. SO THANKS FOR HAVING ME TONIGHT. A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO, TARLOV ENERGY WAS ASKED TO PERFORM A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP TO SEE WHERE AND HOW SOLAR ENERGY COULD MAKE SENSE. THAT STUDY WAS DONE. WE LOOKED AT A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SITES PUMP STATIONS, WATER TREATMENT PLANTS, THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING. WE PROVIDED A REPORT IT WAS ROUGHLY A YEAR AGO, AND THEN MORE RECENTLY, WE WERE TAPPED TO SAY, HEY, CAN YOU FRESHEN THAT UP AND PRESENT AGAIN? SO HERE WE ARE. AND SINCE THEN THERE HAVE BEEN SOME OTHER OPTIONS AND SOME NEW PROGRAMS THAT CAME ABOUT. DO I HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE SLIDES DOWN HERE OR DID YOU KNOW? OKAY, SO AGENDA HERE. YOU CAN PROBABLY SKIP OVER THAT. GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND THERE. HERE'S SOME REFERENCES THAT THAT WERE ASKED. SO MY COMPANY TARLOV ENERGY BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR SEVEN, 7 OR 8 YEARS NOW. WE DO A LOT OF PUBLIC SECTOR CONSULTING, ENGINEERING AND DEVELOPMENT WORK IN NEW JERSEY. IT'S OFTEN TOUGH FOR PUBLIC ENTITIES TO WRAP THEIR HEAD AROUND WHAT THE BEST OPTION IS WITH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS OUT THERE. AND AND WE PROVIDE THAT. SO, YOU KNOW, ATTACHED UP, THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF SOME OF THE PUBLIC ENTITIES THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.

THERE ARE MORE AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, DONE A LOT OF THIS WORK TO GUIDE AND THEN IMPLEMENT PROJECTS FOR PUBLIC ENTITIES OF A VARIETY. YOU KNOW, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF GRAPHICS HERE, BUT YEAH, REDUCE YOUR YOUR ENERGY COSTS OR ELECTRICITY COSTS, YOU KNOW, TRY AND MOVE FORWARD WITH A. PROGRAM PROJECT THAT SUITS YOU BEST. YOU CAN MOVE ON FROM THIS ONE. SO HERE IS WHAT WE ZEROED IN ON. AND IT'S LARGE AND IT OFFSETS A LOT OF ELECTRICITY ON IN TOWN. SO AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE LOOKED AT A LOT OF AT A LOT OF ON SITE POTENTIAL PROJECTS.

THERE'S LIMITED SPACE PHYSICALLY IN SOME OF THE BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES WE LOOKED AT. AND THERE'S ALSO LIMITED CAPACITY ON THE PSEG CIRCUIT. SO THAT DID LIMIT WHAT THE OPTIONS WERE A YEAR AGO, IN WHICH THE MOST LOGICAL OPTION WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR THE TOWNSHIP TO OWN AND OPERATE A VARIETY OF SMALLER ARRAYS AT DIFFERENT SITES, SOME OF WHICH THAT MAY HAVE BEEN LIMITED IN SIZE DUE TO THE CIRCUIT CONSTRAINTS FROM PSEG. WHAT ARE THOSE CIRCUIT CONSTRAINTS FROM PSEG? ESSENTIALLY, ONCE A CERTAIN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF IT, HAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SOLAR ALREADY OPERATIONAL ON THAT CIRCUIT. THE UTILITY SAYS, OKAY, WE CAN'T HANDLE ANY MORE POTENTIAL SOLAR BECAUSE ALL OF THAT SOLAR COULD ONE DAY BACKFEED OUR SUBSTATION AND CREATE AN ISSUE FOR THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE. SO THEN THEY THEY LIMIT THE CIRCUIT TO A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF SOLAR FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL CUSTOMER. THAT IS THE CASE HERE AT THIS AT THIS FACILITY. UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS ON A WHAT YOU CALL A CNG CALLS A RED CIRCUIT. SO IF YOU WERE TO HAVE INSTALLED A SYSTEM AND TIE IT AND TIE IT INTO THIS FACILITY, IT WOULD BE LIMITED IN ITS ABILITY TO EXPORT ELECTRICITY. SO TYPICALLY SOLAR ARRAYS GENERATE ELECTRICITY TO CONSUME ON SITE AS WELL AS SEND BACK TO THE GRID. AND THEY NET IT AND THEY, YOU KNOW, SO ON AND SO FORTH. SO THIS PROPOSED ARRAY ON THE GROUND AND USING CARPORTS WOULD BE TIED INTO A CIRCUIT THAT RUNS ALONG THE ROAD BEHIND THE FACILITY. 206 RIGHT. SO, I MEAN, I THINK IF YOU JUMP AHEAD A SLIDE OR TWO, YOU'LL GET TO THAT AND WE CAN JUMP AROUND A LITTLE BIT. MAYBE YOU DIDN'T PUT THESE IN THE BEST ORDER. JUST JUST ASK A QUICK QUESTION. JUST FOLLOW UP ON THAT. YEAH. YEAH. WOULD WE BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WE'D BE THAT'S BEING BUILT RIGHT BEHIND US. THAT'S ALMOST DONE. SO THIS ARRAY IS GOING TO BE FED BACK INTO THE GRID. AND IT'S GOING

[00:35:03]

YOU KNOW FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS WHENEVER. SO JUMP AHEAD A FEW MORE TO SHOW THE THE SUITABILITY MAP, JUST TO GIVE YOU GUYS AN IMAGE OF WHAT'S ON THERE. THERE YOU GO.

RIGHT. THIS IS YOU KNOW, ANYONE CAN GO GO ONLINE AND GOOGLE OR USE YOUR FAVORITE SEARCH ENGINE TO SEE WHAT PSEG SOLAR SUITABILITY MAP IS. AND YOU PLUG IN AN ADDRESS AND IT SAYS YELLOW, GREEN OR RED. AND THEN YOU CLICK ON THAT LITTLE NODE AND IT TELLS YOU MORE SPECIFICALLY HOW MUCH ELECTRICITY SOLAR ENERGY CAN THAT THAT CIRCUIT CAN HANDLE.

SO IF YOU LOOK THERE TO THE RED JUST TO THE LEFT OF THAT BOX, THAT'S THE FACILITY WE'RE IN NOW. I THINK THIS WAS PROBABLY AN OLDER MAP, BUT IT SHOWS THE NEVERTHELESS THE TRANSFORMERS THAT ARE THERE. AND THEN IF YOU GO JUST TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD, IT'S GREEN AND IT HAS JUST ABOUT THREE MEGAWATTS AC OF AVAILABILITY. SO WE LOOKED AT THAT. WE, THE PUBLIC SECTOR REMOTE NET METERING PROGRAM, WAS PUT IN PLACE ABOUT A YEAR AGO. IT WAS RIGHT AFTER WE FINISHED THE REPORT. IT WAS IT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR QUITE SOME TIME, BUT ABOUT A YEAR AGO IT GOT REVAMPED TO ALLOW FOR. AN EASIER PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC ENTITIES TO USE AND UTILIZE.

NEVERTHELESS, AFTER LOOKING AT ALL THE OPTIONS AND RUNNING THE NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, WE SUGGESTED IN THE COMMITTEE AGREED WITH THIS OPTION TO BE THE MOST FEASIBLE AND ALSO THE MOST BENEFICIAL FOR THE TOWNSHIP. SO HATE TO DO IT, BUT CAN YOU GO BACK A FEW? LET'S JUST BE CLEAR THOUGH. THIS HAS BEEN A REVIEWED BY A SUBCOMMITTEE OF STAFF MOSTLY. YEAH, NOT US YET.

THAT'S IS OUR FIRST LOOK AT IT. SO WE JUST WE'RE JUST WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND WE WANTED THE THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF TO GIVE RECOMMENDATION. AND AFTER YOU PRESENTED VARIOUS OPTIONS WHICH YOU'VE DONE AND THAT WE APPRECIATE THAT. SO LET'S JUST MAKE SURE THAT'S CLEAR. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. SO AS YOU SEE, THIS AREA WAS TOLD TO US THAT THE TOWNSHIP SAID IT WAS AVAILABLE. AND IT MAY, OF COURSE, CHANGE IN SHAPE AND SIZE SLIGHTLY AS WE GO THROUGH NEXT PHASES IF, IF IT WERE TO MOVE FORWARD. BUT YOU HAVE TWO LARGE GROUND ARRAYS AND THEN CARPORTS OVER WHAT IS MOSTLY UTILIZED. THE PARKING LOT SECTION IS MOSTLY UTILIZED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. IN THIS INSTANCE, THIS WOULD BE WHAT YOU CALL A POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT, WHICH MEANS THAT A DIFFERENT DEVELOPER WILL OWN, OPERATE, AND SELL THAT ELECTRICITY BACK TO MONTGOMERY WITH VERY LITTLE OUT OF POCKET COSTS FROM THE TOWNSHIP. ESSENTIALLY, THERE'S WORK FOR THE CONSULTING, AND THERE WILL BE SOME LEGAL FEES TO NEGOTIATE CONTRACTS, BUT THE ENTIRE COST FOR A SYSTEM LIKE THIS WOULD WOULD ADD UP TO SOMEWHERE IN THE RANGE OF, YOU KNOW, $7 MILLION TO $8 MILLION. AND ALL OF THAT COST WOULD BE INCURRED BY THE THIRD PARTY FINANCIER SLASH DEVELOPER, WHO, THROUGH A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, WOULD BE SELECTED AND AWARDED AND THEN THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE.

EXCUSE ME FOR THE MAINTENANCE. AND I THINK I'M GOING AHEAD OF MYSELF A LITTLE BIT, BUT I TALKED ABOUT REMOTE NET METERING. I'LL TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE. BACK UP. I'M SORRY. SO REMOTE NET METERING ESSENTIALLY IS A PROGRAM ALLOWED JUST FOR PUBLIC ENTITIES IN NEW JERSEY, WHERE YOU CAN SITE AN ARRAY ON ONE PIECE OF PROPERTY, FEED THAT ENERGY BACK TO THE GRID, AND THEN OFFSET ANY OTHER ACCOUNT YOU MAY HAVE SO THAT LARGE ARRAY WILL OFFSET THE ELECTRICITY. KILOWATT HOURS, SPECIFICALLY KILOWATT HOUR CHARGES ON ON ANY ELECTRIC BILL THAT YOU CHOOSE TO TO APPLY TO. ANY ANY QUESTIONS? NO. AND HERE IS A EXAMPLE PROFORMA OF HOW A PPA WOULD WORK. ESSENTIALLY, AS WE MENTIONED, NO, NO MONEY OUT OF POCKET OR VERY LITTLE, I'M SORRY, YOU KNOW, IN THE FORM OF CONSULTING AND LEGAL FEES TO GET THIS IMPLEMENTED. AND THEN THE COST WOULD BE ABSORBED BY THE THIRD PARTY PROVIDER. THEY WOULD ESSENTIALLY BID ON OR PROVIDE PROPOSALS TO A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. WE WOULD HELP THE TOWNSHIP TO VET THOSE TO RUN THAT RFP PROCESS, TO MAKE SURE THAT WHOEVER IS PROVIDING A PROPOSAL AND IS BEING CONSIDERED IS ACTUALLY PROVIDING A PROPOSAL FOR SOMETHING THEY CAN DO THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO, THAT THEY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO AND THAT THEIR PROPOSAL, YOU KNOW, MAKES MAKES SENSE AND THE NUMBERS ADD UP. SO WE PROJECT THAT ROUGHLY, YOU WOULD GET A SQUINT A LITTLE BIT TO READ IT, GET A PPA RATE OF $0.05. THERE YOU GO. THAT MAY BE LESS THAN THAT, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AN OFFSET KILOWATT HOUR RATE COMPARED TO 11.5 CENTS, WHICH IS WHAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY PAYING ON AVERAGE OVER DIFFERENT SITES TO PSEG. THAT SOLAR ARRAY WOULD PRODUCE ROUGHLY 3,868,000 KILOWATT HOURS A YEAR. THE

[00:40:01]

THAT DEPENDS ON HOW THE PROPOSALS COME IN. AND THE UTILITY RATE HAS A PROJECTED ESCALATOR TO BECAUSE, AS WE ALL KNOW, ESPECIALLY RECENTLY, UTILITY RATES ARE INCREASING.

SO IT SAFEGUARDS YOU OVER TIME TO LOCK IN YOUR ELECTRICITY RATE WITH ACTUAL SOLAR ELECTRICITY THAT YOU CAN POINT TO. IT'S BEING GENERATED ON YOUR PROPERTY AND OFFSETTING YOUR LIKE YOUR OWN ELECTRIC ACCOUNTS. THIS, THIS, THIS PROPOSAL. I MEAN, IN THIS PPA SCENARIO, THE INCENTIVES WOULD BE ABSORBED BY OR TAKEN BY THE THE POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT PROVIDER. THEY TAKE THE TAX CREDITS AND THE SRECS, WHICH ARE THE STATE INCENTIVE. THEY THEN YOU KNOW, THAT PAYS FOR THE PROJECT. THEY SELL THAT ELECTRICITY BACK TO YOU, DEPENDING EXACTLY WHEN THIS WOULD GET RUN FOR AN RFP, THE SOONER THE BETTER. THE RATES WILL PROBABLY BE LOWER THAN THAT FIVE CENT, IN MY OPINION. FROM WHAT WE'RE SEEING RECENTLY, THE LONGER IT TAKES TO GET OUT TO RFP, THEY MAY GO UP DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE FEDERAL TAX CREDIT IS GOING TO START TO DECREASE, AND DIFFERENT DEVELOPERS HAVE BEEN GOBBLING UP AS MANY SOLAR PANELS AS THEY CAN TO USE ON FUTURE PROJECTS AND SAFE HARBOR AGAINST TAX CREDIT CHANGES. SO THOSE THAT INVENTORY OVER TIME WILL GET MORE. THE DEVELOPERS WILL BE MORE SELECTIVE ON WHAT PROJECTS THEY USE THEM FOR. AND IN TURN, YOU KNOW, DRIVE UP THE PPA RATES IS WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING. NEVERTHELESS, THIS IS, I THINK, A MODEST EXAMPLE. YOU PROBABLY COULD GET A BETTER RATE, DEPENDING ON THE FINAL SIZE OF OF THE SYSTEM. OKAY. SO WHEN ARE THE WHAT IS THE DEADLINE FOR SOME OF THESE TAX CREDITS THAT YOU'RE TALKING. SO THE NICE THING ABOUT DOING THE PPA IS THAT YOU'RE NOT ON THE HOOK FOR THAT DEADLINE. RIGHT. THERE IS A CURRENT THE PPA PROVIDER IS AND YOU KNOW, THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO SAFE HARBOR THAT TAX CREDIT. SO THAT'S ALL NOW CLEAR. AND ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, IN THE INSTANCE THAT YOU WERE GOING TO OWN IT, YOU WOULD NEED TO START YOUR PROJECT BEFORE JULY 3RD IN ORDER TO HAVE UNTIL THE END OF 2030 TO TURN IT ON TO GET YOUR TAX CREDIT. IF YOU DIDN'T START YOUR PROJECT BEFORE JULY 3RD AND IT WAS AFTER THEN YOU WOULD HAVE UNTIL THE END OF 2027 TO TURN YOUR PROJECT ON. SO THAT'S THE GENERAL RULE FOR THE SOLAR INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT RIGHT NOW.

BUT AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WHAT A LOT OF THE BIG DEVELOPERS THAT PROVIDE PPA, YOU KNOW, FINANCING OPTIONS FOR PUBLIC ENTITIES IN NEW JERSEY AND ELSEWHERE BEFORE THE END OF LAST YEAR AND BEFORE THAT DATE, THEY HAVE BEEN BUYING UP AS MANY SOLAR PANELS AS THEY CAN, PUTTING THEM IN THEIR WAREHOUSES, AND THEN ESSENTIALLY USE THAT SAFE HARBORS, THAT TAX CREDIT. SO THEY HAVE THEY HAVE UNTIL THE END OF 2030. RIGHT. SO THEY'VE GOT WAREHOUSES FULL OF THESE PANELS AND THEY'RE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT TAKE THE RISK ON THAT TAX CREDIT, NOT YOU. OH OKAY. YEAH THAT MAKES SENSE OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS. SO YOU'RE YOU HAVE A TEAM OF I GUESS INSTALLERS OR THIRD PARTIES. SO SORRY TO CUT YOU OFF. NO WE ARE NOT THE INSTALLER. WE ARE NOT THE ENTITY THAT WILL END UP BUILDING THIS PROJECT OR EVEN ENGINEERING IT FOR YOU. WE ARE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE, THE CUSTOMER CONSULTANT. WE DO HAVE ENGINEERING IN-HOUSE. I HAVE ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS AND A FULL DEVELOPMENT TEAM. IN THE INSTANCE THAT YOU WANTED TO OWN AND OPERATE IT, THEN WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, ACT SIMILAR TO WHAT YOUR ARCHITECT WOULD DO AND PUT THE PACKAGE TOGETHER, BID IT OUT FOR THE RFP FOR PPA, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN THE BID. YOU KNOW, WE WOULD PUT THE WHOLE RFP TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, DISCUSS WITH THE TOWNSHIP WHAT THE PARAMETERS NEEDED TO BE, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INCORPORATING EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE IN IT. WE'RE ON THE RFP. BE ON YOUR SIDE TO VET THE RFP PROVIDERS PROPOSALS AND AWARD AWARD TO THE, YOU KNOW, MOST QUALIFIED PROPOSER, ASSIST WITH THE CONTRACTUAL ASPECT OF IT, AND THEN OVERSEE THE PROJECT THROUGHOUT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING THAT WAS BEEN ON OR PROPOSED ON IS BEING ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED. AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS DO CHANGE, RIGHT? YOU'RE BIDDING THIS OUT WITHOUT THE ENGINEERING BEING DONE, AS OPPOSED TO IF YOU WERE TO OWN AND OPERATE IT AND GO WITH A, YOU KNOW, A BID PROCESS. SO WE MAY BID IT OUT, THERE MAY BE SOME CHANGES DOWN THE LINE. THE BIG THING TO GET AHEAD OF AND WE MAY BE ABLE TO DO IN THE PROCESS WHILE WE'RE RUNNING THE RFP IS TO SUBMIT THAT INTERCONNECTION APPLICATION TO THE UTILITY, TO LOCK IN THAT CAPACITY ON THAT GREEN CIRCUIT

[00:45:03]

IS THAT THE BPU SLASH NEW JERSEY CLEAN ENERGY PROGRAM ISN'T ALLOWING A SITE THAT HAS A NON-EXPORT REQUIREMENT TO COLLECT SRECS. SO BEING THAT CIRCUIT IS RED FOR THIS SITE, THIS WAS THE BIGGEST SITE THAT WE COULD FIT AN ARRAY ON AND WOULD HAVE PROVIDED THE MOST BENEFIT TO THE TOWNSHIP. IT'S A VERY SQUIRRELY THING THAT THE CLEAN ENERGY PROGRAM IS DOING, BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF PROJECTS FROM THE PAST THAT I'VE EVEN WORKED ON THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GAIN, THAT WERE NON-EXPORT, AND YOU'RE ABLE TO GAIN SRECS. BUT JUST RECENTLY WE'VE HAD SOME WHERE THEY SAID, NO, WE CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE. IT'S TECHNICALLY NOT NET METERING. IF YOU DON'T SEND ANY ENERGY BACK TO THE GRID. YOU DON'T EXPORT ANYTHING, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A REQUIREMENT FROM THE UTILITY SAYING OUR CIRCUITS FULL. THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN DEVELOPERS AND THE BPU TO PUSH BACK ON THAT. BUT AT THIS TIME, I WOULDN'T ADVISE TO DO THAT BECAUSE YOU WOULD SPEND THE MONEY AND YOU MAY NOT GET YOUR, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY WHAT ENDS UP BEING THE BIGGEST SOURCE OF REVENUE TO PAY FOR IT IN THE FORM OF 15 YEARS WORTH OF SRECS. OTHERWISE, THERE WERE A FEW SITES, PUMP HOUSES, SORRY, PUMP STATIONS MOSTLY THAT WOULD HAVE HAD VERY SMALL, MODEST ARRAYS THAT YOU COULD HAVE BUILT ON THE SITE. USE THAT ENERGY THERE. BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU COMPARE, YOU KNOW, THIS OPTION WHICH HAS NO COST NOW, IT DOES TAKE UP A LOT OF YOUR LAND, BUT HAS NO COST AND PAYS YOU BACK, AS YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, JUST UNDER 5 MILLION ESTIMATED OVER 15 YEARS. IT IT MADE THE MOST SENSE AND IS THE SAFEST, I THINK, FOR YOU. RELATED TO THAT, I MEAN, I USED TO DO PHARMACEUTICAL LICENSING ACQUISITIONS AND THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED A VALUE SPLIT RIGHT IN EVERYTHING. RIGHT? YEP.

AND THIS SIDE WE GET 4.8 MILLION OVER 15 YEARS. NOT GOING TO GET INTO DISCOUNTED CASH FLOWS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS EQUATION LOOKS LIKE. SO NO ONE NO ONE'S GOING TO DO THIS FOR FREE. YOU COULD DO THIS YOUR OWN RIGHT. YOU THIS THIS ARRAY, THIS NET METERED ARRAY. YOU YOU COULD PULL THAT ROUGHLY SEVEN I THINK JUST BALLPARKING IT $1 MILLION OUT OF YOUR POCKET AND OWN AND OPERATE THAT LARGE ARRAY. AND THAT OPTION WAS DISCUSSED. IT IS COSTLY. WE DON'T OFTEN SEE PUBLIC ENTITIES WANTING TO SPEND THAT MONEY OUT OF POCKET. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS PROPOSE IT ANYWAY. SO WE DID THROW EVERYTHING AT THE WALL. WE CAN PROVIDE MORE FOLLOW UP SLIDES IF NEEDED, AND THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE A IT'S A ABOUT A FIVE YEAR RETURN ON INVESTMENT. SO AFTER FIVE YEARS WITH THE REDUCTION IN ELECTRICITY COSTS, THE REC VALUE, AND IF YOU WERE ABLE TO GET THAT TAX CREDIT IN TIME, AND THAT WAS THE OTHER FACTOR AS TO WHY, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT CLOCK TICKING, YOU WOULD NEED TO START YOUR PROJECT BEFORE JULY 3RD TO HAVE UNTIL 2030. RIGHT NOW, IF YOU DIDN'T AND YOU GOT IT ALL DONE BEFORE THE END OF 2027, GREAT TOO. BUT THAT TAX CREDIT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN MORE JEOPARDY. BUT NEVERTHELESS, IF YOU GOT IT AND YOU MOVED QUICKLY, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A ROUGHLY FIVE YEAR RETURN ON INVESTMENT, ROUGHLY 15 YEAR INTERNAL RATE OF RETURN. AND OVER TIME IF I WERE TO BALLPARK IT. BUT WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH THE SLIDE. YOU MAY HAVE, YOU KNOW, 15 YEARS, YOU WOULD HAVE PROBABLY CUMULATIVELY CASH FLOW 7 MILLION AS OPPOSED TO 5 MILLION. AND YOU'RE SAYING WITH THAT'S WITH THE ITC BEING THE TAX CREDIT BEING ABSORBED, AND YOU'RE ALSO SAYING THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TAKE THE ADVANTAGE OF THE SR, YOU KNOW, IN THAT IN THIS INSTANCE, YOU COULD IF YOU WERE TO OWN AND OPERATE THE LARGE ARRAY TYING INTO THE CIRCUIT, YOU CAN IF YOU TIED IT INTO THIS BUILDING, YOU COULDN'T. RIGHT? WELL, IN THIS ONE I'M TALKING, I'M TALKING ABOUT ON THE OTHER SIDE, IF WE DID IT THE OTHER WAY AND DID OUR OWN. YEAH, YEAH. IF YOU DID IT YOUR OWN IN THE REMOTE NET METERED SCENARIO THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW WITH THAT 2.8MW ARRAY, THEN YEAH, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO GET THE SRECS. THOSE WOULD BE SAFE. IT'S THE TAX CREDIT OF 30% OF THE COST OF THE PROJECT THAT WOULD BE IN JEOPARDY. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER 15 YEARS? DO WE. YEAH. THE YEAH I HAVE A SLIDE FOR THAT IF WE GO AHEAD 1 OR 2. BUT THERE ARE

[00:50:05]

IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU'LL BE ON THE HOOK FOR THAT AT THE END OF THE TERM, BECAUSE YOUR LAST OPTION IS FOR THEM, FOR THE PPA PROVIDER TO COME AND REMOVE THE ARRAY AT NO COST TO YOU AND MINUS WEAR AND TEAR, TAKE THAT SYSTEM OUT. AND USUALLY AND WE'RE SEEING THESE NOW BECAUSE ABOUT 13, 14 YEARS AGO THESE PPAS GOT BIG IN NEW JERSEY, RIGHT. A LOT OF PUBLIC ENTITIES WERE SIGNING PPAS. WE'RE NOW WORKING WITH A FEW CLIENTS, PUBLIC ENTITIES THAT ARE SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS. WHAT DO WE DO OUT OF THESE THREE OPTIONS. RIGHT. SO SO IF YOU ASK THEM TO COME AND REMOVE IT, THEY MAY SAY, WELL, IT'S GOING TO COST US MORE TO REMOVE IT THAN IT IS TO, YOU KNOW, SELL IT TO YOU AT A GOOD RATE. SO WE'LL SELL IT TO YOU. AND THEY MAY MAKE YOU AN OFFER, AND THERE'LL BE A BARGAINING PROCESS AT THAT POINT. AT THAT POINT YOU'LL WANT TO SAY TO SOMEBODY LIKE US OR SOMEBODY ELSE, HEY, CAN YOU VERIFY THAT THEY TOOK CARE OF THE SYSTEM THE WAY THEY SHOULD HAVE? DID THEY REPLACE THE INVERTERS THROUGHOUT, YOU KNOW, AT ANY POINT WHICH WOULD NEED TO GET REPLACED AT ONE POINT THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE ARRAY? OR IS THE STRINGING STILL, YOU KNOW, IN GOOD SHAPE, BUT IS IT PRODUCING? ARE THERE ANY BROKEN PANELS? SO ON AND SO FORTH. RIGHT. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR OTHER PUBLIC ENTITIES NOW THAT ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THEIR BEST OPTION. OKAY. THANK YOU. THERE'S A PART OF ME THAT, AS I THINK ABOUT THE FINANCIAL MODELING THAT FOR THE DEVELOPER OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL THEM, THE VENDOR, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF VALUE AT THIS END OF OPTION, YOU KNOW, AND THEY PROBABLY BUILT THAT INTO, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU 4.8 MILLION OVER 15. AND YOU KNOW LOOK YOU KNOW IT'S THEY'RE TAKING ALL THE RISK RIGHT. SO I'M NOT SAYING IT'S A BAD DEAL, BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S LIKE I FORGOT WHAT THE LIKE THE TAIL VALUE HERE. TERMINAL VALUE OF WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END 15 YEARS. IT COULD BE WORTH A LOT FOR THEM BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IF THE BREAK, EVEN IF THE BREAK EVEN IS IS FIVE YEARS, THEN 15 YEARS WOULD MEAN DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF THE THE COST THAT YOU SAID WAS 7 OR 8 MILLION. SO WOULDN'T IT BE MORE LIKE NET 1617 THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE.

YEAH. THE WHEN WE BID IT OUT FOR THE BEST PPA RATE WE CAN GET. AND THEY BASED ON HOW THEY BORROW MONEY TO. I'M NOT FACTORING IN THE COST OF INTEREST THAT THEY MAY INCUR OR SOME OTHER FACTORS, BUT NEVERTHELESS, YEAH, THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE THEIR MONEY BACK.

AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER BANK IS BACKING THEM MAKES THEIR MONEY BACK. RIGHT? IT'S A IT'S A FINANCIAL MECHANISM. NEVERTHELESS, AT THE END OF THAT TERM, THAT'S WHEN YEAH, THEY'LL HAVE MADE THEIR MONEY BACK. THEY'LL HAVE MODELED IT OUT SO THAT SO LONG AS THAT SYSTEM WAS OPERATIONAL AND THE INCENTIVES CAME IN AND YOU PAID YOUR ELECTRIC RATE, KILOWATT HOUR RATE, THAT, YOU KNOW, THEIR WHOLE. SO THAT'S WHERE YOU SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW YOUR WHOLE HOW ABOUT YOU SELL IT TO US FOR 20 BUCKS? THAT WAS MY QUESTION TOO, BECAUSE THE REMOVAL IS WHAT PEOPLE USUALLY TALK ABOUT THAT THEY REMOVING THEM IS IS A BIGGER HASSLE. SO IF WE HAVE THEM REMOVE IT. YEAH. SO THEY MAY SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO COST 2 MILLION FOR YOU TO BUY IT. AND YOU MAY SAY, OKAY, WELL WHY DON'T YOU COME AND REMOVE IT, YOU KNOW, MINUS WEAR AND TEAR AND THEN THEY'LL COME DOWN IN COST. WHY WOULDN'T THEY JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOLAR PANELS, ALL THE INVERTERS, THEY, YOU KNOW, DETERIORATE AFTER TIME. THAT'S WHY THERE'S ALWAYS THAT 15 YEAR. WHY NOT JUST MAKE A DEAL AND SAY, AFTER 15 YEARS, IT'S OURS? GOOD QUESTION. YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY THE WAY THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE STRUCTURED, YOU COULD IN IN THE PPA NEGOTIATION PROCESS AND IN THE RFP PROCESS, WE COULD POSE SOME TYPE OF QUESTION LIKE THAT. FIRST, I WOULD WANT TO BACK CHECK AND SEE IF THERE'S A LEGAL REASON WHY THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE. YOU WOULD, YOU KNOW, PREVENT YOU FROM DOING THAT.

AND WHAT I MEAN ESSENTIALLY THAT MAY ALSO BACK YOU INTO A CORNER THOUGH IN THEORY, BECAUSE THEY IN THE PPA ITSELF, THEY'LL BE TERMINATION VALUES LABELED. AND I YOU KNOW, KNOW FOR FROM EXPERIENCE THOSE TERMINATION VALUES ARE HIGHER THAN WHAT THEY SHOULD BE. AND ALSO IN 15 YEARS WHO KNOWS WHAT IT'S WORTH, RIGHT. SO IT MAY THEN SAY THEY MAY SAY OKAY, WE'LL DO THAT. BUT WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, PIN DOWN WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO PAY US NOW THEN. RIGHT.

SO I IN A WAY THIS YEAH, THIS GIVES YOU SOME NEGOTIATING POWER. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THIS IS A LOT I MEAN, WE'LL DEFINITELY HAVE A CHANCE TO DISCUSS. BUT THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. YEAH. IF YOU STICK AROUND FOR ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR. OKAY. GOOD. THANK YOU. YES.

IF ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE HAS A QUESTION, WE CAN. YES. MY NAME IS GREG KAGANOVICH, AND I

[00:55:02]

THE ORIGINAL IDEA WAS TO BUILD SOLAR PANELS ON THE ROOF WITH GOVERNMENT GRANTS, WHICH WERE AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAME TO THIS POINT, BUT WHATEVER I SEE IS NOT WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S WHAT TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS WOULD LIKE TO SEE. SO I HOPE GOING FORWARD YOU WILL TAKE A PUBLIC INPUT. WHAT WE WANT TO DO AND MAKE SURE THAT SOME ESTHETIC COMPONENT IS PART OF THAT DELIBERATION, BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY WANT TO HAVE A SOLAR FACTORY NEXT TO THE TOWNSHIP, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE ORCHARD HILL, IT DOESN'T LOOK PRETTY. IT'S OUT THERE. YOU DEFINITELY DON'T WANT IT IN THE FRONT PARKING LOT. AND I NEXT TO THE POLICE STATION IN THIS PARKING AREA, THIS WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. THE ORIGINAL TREES WERE SUPPOSED TO GO IN THERE BECAUSE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WANTED TO SHIELD THEM FROM THE ROAD. THE TREES WERE SCRAPPED, SO THERE ARE OPEN. SO MAYBE YOU PUT SOME SOLAR PANELS, BUT NOT THE SIZE AND THE SCOPE THAT IT'S SHOWN OUT HERE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. DID YOU WANT ADAM ADAM TO TALK ABOUT THE ROOF? YES, I WAS JUST I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY IF WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THE ROOF AS AS JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, WE'RE NOT PROPOSING ANY CARPORTS IN THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING PARKING LOT. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT, GREG, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WHAT IS ON THE SIDE IN THE IN THE REAR, IN THE REAR, OVER THE POLICE WHERE THE OF THE BUILDING. AT LEAST WHAT I SAW ON WHATEVER. YEAH.

WE COULD PULL IT BACK UP ON BETWEEN BETWEEN THE BUILDING AND THE 55 PLUS. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? IF YOU WANT TO, WE CAN SHOW THAT. YEAH. GIVE US A SECOND. SURE. AND ALSO, IF WE CAN LOOK INTO UTILIZING THE ROOF SPACE, IF THAT'S WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED FOR TO DO. SO WE DID LOOK AT ROOFS AND YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AT THIS THIS ROOF, YOU CAN INSTALL SOLAR ON ROOFS.

AND THERE IS A LOT OF ENGINEERING THAT GOES INTO THESE PROJECTS. SO STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING IS PART OF IT. WE IF YOU WERE TO INSTALL ON A ROOF, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO LOOK AT THAT ROOF AGE, THAT ROOF MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. HOW LONG IS IT IN PLACE. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE DOWNSIDES OF PUTTING IT ON THE ROOF IS THAT WITH A FLAT MEMBRANE ROOFS, THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED ROUGHLY EVERY 20 YEARS. SOLAR PANEL IS WARRANTED FOR 30 YEARS AND THEY WILL GO WELL AFTER THAT. SO YOU WILL REMOVE IT AT ONE POINT. BUT NEVERTHELESS, WE WE WE WOULD LOOK AT THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. WE WE I'M SORRY, WE WOULD HIRE A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER TO DO THE ANALYSIS OF THE BUILDING. AND THEN THE RACKING MANUFACTURER WOULD HAVE THEIR OWN STRUCTURAL ENGINEER TAKE INTO ACCOUNT PHYSICAL LOCATION, ELEVATION, WIND SPEED, SNOW LOAD, ALL THOSE FACTORS, AND THEN WE PROPERLY EITHER ATTACH IT OR BALLAST IT. NEVERTHELESS, IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE VERY SMALL AMOUNT YOU'D BE ABLE TO GET ON THE ROOF COMPARED TO OTHER AREAS, AND REASONS WHY I THINK THE FACILITIES DEPARTMENT WAS UNCERTAIN ABOUT PUTTING IT ON THE ROOF. WE JUST WE DIDN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT ANALYSIS. NEVERTHELESS, IT IT COULD BE

[01:00:01]

SO IT'S UNFORTUNATE, BUT THAT'S WHAT I SAW WHEN I WAS WALKING AROUND IS BUCKETS AND LEAKING ROOF. AND GEORGE, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL JUST SAW TODAY, INCLUDING THE PEOPLE UP HERE, YOU KNOW, TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEMBERS. SO WE TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR CONCERNS ARE. AND I THINK WE CAN, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT IT AND ADDRESS IT. YEAH.

GREG, JUST TO POINT OUT TO THE SLIDES NOT GOING UP, BUT YEAH, THE ARRAYS THAT WERE PROPOSED ARE IN THE POLICE PARKING LOT, WHICH I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE IS ON THAT SIDE OF THE BUILDING.

AND THEN TWO ARRAYS TO THE BACK OF THE BUILDING. SO ONE THAT MAY BE VISIBLE FROM ZERO SIX COMING DOWN, BUT CERTAINLY NOT USING UP ALL THAT SPACE. AND THEN THE OTHER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TREE LINE, WHICH WILL BE NEXT TO WHERE YOUR LOW INCOME HOUSING IS GOING. AND THOSE SPACES CAN THAT CAN ALL BE ADJUSTED. THAT'S JUST WHAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, SHOWING AND WHAT WAS DISCUSSED SO FAR. WE CAN BID IT, RUN AN RFP WITH ALTERNATES AS WELL AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS SAYING, YOU KNOW, SHOW US FOR JUST THE CARPORT. SHOW US FOR A SMALL A SMALL GROUND ARRAY OR SHOW US FOR ALL OF IT. OKAY. IF YOU COULD IF WE COULD GET AN UPDATE UPDATED PRESENTATION A LITTLE MORE LIKE COMPREHENSIVE, YOU KNOW, DESCRIPTION OF OPTIONS BASED ON THESE OUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS HERE FROM THE AUDIENCE AS WELL. SO WE CAN I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S OKAY TO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION, BUT SHOW US THE OPTIONS THAT EXIST THAT MAYBE AREN'T RECOMMENDED AND WHY. OH SURE. YEAH. YOU KNOW, BEEN PROVIDED FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. OKAY. YEAH. SO MAYBE WE JUST I HAVEN'T SEEN THEM AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF US HAVE SEEN ANY OF THAT. SO YOU KNOW THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. THANK YOU, THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS I SHOULD SIT HERE FOR? YEAH, SURE. AT THIS POINT WE ARE GOING TO DO AN UPDATE. DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION LANDS LAUREN VASILEVSKY. THAT'S OKAY, THAT'S OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SECOND PRESENTATION OF THE NIGHT. THIS IS AN UPDATE ON A VERY EXCITING

[3. Update – Department of Corrections State Lands]

SO WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, DO ANYTHING WITHOUT A WILLING SELLER. SO EXCITING THAT WE NOW

[01:05:05]

[01:10:01]

AND HERE'S THIS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. SO IT'S REALLY TO STANDARDIZE WHAT THE APPRAISERS ARE GETTING. SO THEY'RE VALUING THE SAME THING TO ENSURE THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, AN EQUAL VALUATION. SO AFTER THIS WHOLE CHECKLIST PROCESS, THEN THE GREEN ACRES PROGRAM CAN ISSUE AN APPRAISAL AUTHORIZATION, WHICH ALLOWS THE TOWNSHIP TO GO OUT AND ORDER APPRAISALS. AND WE HAVE TO USE AN APPRAISER FROM THEIR APPROVED LIST. SO THEY HAVE APPRAISERS THAT GO TO TRAINING EVERY FEW YEARS. THEY UNDERSTAND THE FORMAT OF THE APPRAISAL, HOW THE COMPARABLE SALES CAN BE ADJUSTED, AND WHAT'S CONSIDERED REASONABLE BY THE GREEN ACRES PROGRAM. SO IT'S FOLKS WHO ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THEIR RULES AND CAN PREPARE A REPORT THAT WILL BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH GREEN ACRES NEEDS. SO SPECIFICALLY TONIGHT, WE WERE GOING TO TALK AND FOCUS A LITTLE BIT ON THE EXCEPTION AREAS THAT WE WERE WORKING ON FOR THE BURNT HILL ROAD SIDE PROPERTY. THAT WAS THE PROPERTY ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE MAP THAT WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE. SO FOR THIS CHECKLIST THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, THE GREEN ACRES PROGRAM REQUIRES US TO IDENTIFY ANY USES OF THE PROPERTY THAT WOULDN'T BE A PARKLAND USE. SO GREEN ACRES GIVES FUNDING FOR OPEN SPACE, OUTDOOR RECREATION, NOT INDOOR RECREATION. YOU CAN'T BUILD AN ICE RINK ON A GREEN ACRES PROPERTY. IT HAS TO BE OUTDOOR RECREATION. SO THEY WANT TO IDENTIFY MAYBE ANYTHING THAT'S EXISTING ON THE PROPERTY THAT WOULDN'T COMPLY WITH THEIR RULES, AND THEN ANY FUTURE PLANS OF THINGS THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO DO THAT DON'T COMPLY WITH THAT KIND OF STANDARD. AND IT ALSO IS SOMETHING A LITTLE NEWER TO THEIR PROGRAM. I THINK THEY'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 65 YEARS. I BELIEVE THE PROGRAM'S BEEN AROUND AND THEY'VE LEARNED OBVIOUSLY OVER THE YEARS WHAT THE PROBLEMS HAVE HAPPENED ALONG THE WAY AND TRYING TO STREAMLINE THEIR PROCESS. SO THIS IS THEM SORT OF PUTTING FOLKS ON NOTICE EARLY ON. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO PARTICIPATE ON. SO THEY DON'T BRING A CHECK TO CLOSING. AND THEN AT THE 11TH HOUR SOMETHING COMES UP. THEY'RE TRYING TO FLESH ALL THIS OUT EARLY IN THE PROCESS. SO WHAT WE'LL LOOK AT ON THE SLIDE AFTER THIS IS AN EARLY CONCEPT OF POTENTIAL NON PARKLAND USES. THERE'S NOT ANY OFFICIAL COMMITMENT OF US DOING ANY OF THESE THINGS AT THIS POINT IN TIME. IT'S REALLY JUST IDENTIFYING THOSE AREAS THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE SUBJECT TO THE GREEN ACRES RULES, AND PROVIDES THE TOWNSHIP WITH A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY. IF WE WERE TO DO THE EXCEPTION IDENTIFICATION AT A LATER STAGE, SAY, AFTER WE APPRAISE THE PROPERTY, THAT WOULD BE A SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE AND WE'D HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN. OUR GREEN ACRES PROJECT MANAGER EFFECTIVELY SAID, YOUR APPLICATION GOES TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PILE. YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT A NEW CHECKLIST, NEW PHOTOS, NEW MAPS AND ORDER NEW APPRAISALS. IT WOULDN'T BE CONSIDERED BY THE APPRAISAL. THE APPRAISAL WORLD, THEIR STANDARD. IT WOULDN'T BE CONSIDERED A REVISION. IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A WHOLE NEW APPRAISAL. SO THAT WOULD BE FUNDS THAT WE'D HAVE TO EXPEND LATER ON. SO IF WE CAN IDENTIFY THESE THINGS NOW, COULD SAVE US A LITTLE MONEY AND TIME IN THE FUTURE. SO WE'LL HAVEOULDN'T PARTICIPATE ON THAT SMALL PORTION. THE SECOND THING THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AS A. POTENTIAL EXCEPTION AREA IS ALONG THE TOP PORTION OF THE MAP. AND IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO SEE AT THIS SCALE, BUT THERE'S A CROSS HATCHED KIND OF LINEAR FEATURE, AND THAT REPRESENTS FUTURE RIGHT OF WAY FOR ORCHARD ROAD, FOR THE SIDEWALK AND FOR ANY DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS. AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT GREEN ACRES WOULD NOT PARTICIPATE ON. THE OTHER THREE LARGER SIDEWALKS, STILL STILL OUTDOORS, I KNOW, BECAUSE THEY CONSIDER IT A ROAD IMPROVEMENT. WHAT ABOUT LIKE A PUT A LITTLE BIKE PICTURE OF A BICYCLE? I KNOW IT'S THEIR THEIR RULES ARE VERY SPECIFIC. AND THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE BECAUSE WE THINK A SIDEWALK IS RECREATIONAL. BUT THEY THEY CONSIDER IT AS PART OF LIKE A ROADWAY PROJECT. AND I GUESS IT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE OF IF YOU ALLOW THAT, THEN DO ALLOW A WIDER ROAD, BECAUSE THEN PEOPLE COULD WALK ON IT AND YEAH, GOT IT. IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE THOUGH OF OF HOW THEIR RULES CAN BE A LITTLE BIT CONSTRICTING, COULDN'T WE? A

[01:15:02]

YEAH. WE NEED TO CARVE OUT SOME SOME SPACE FOR THOSE FOLKS. SO THIS IS SKETCHED AT ABOUT 33 ACRES TOTAL FOR FOR THAT AREA JUST TO THE NORTH OF THAT, THE, THE BLUE BOX, FOR LACK OF A BETTER PHRASE, IS AN AREA IDENTIFIED POTENTIALLY FOR FUTURE PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY.

AND THAT MEASURES ABOUT 25 ACRES. AND THEN THE AREA ALL THE WAY AT THE TOP OF THE MAP, THE GREEN. THAT'S A NICE RECTANGLE. I KNOW THAT SHAPE THAT IS ABOUT 15 ACRES IDENTIFIED FOR A FUTURE REC CENTER. SO AGAIN, THEY WON'T PARTICIPATE ON AN INDOOR RECREATION FACILITY EVEN THOUGH IT IS RECREATION. SO THIS IS THE SKETCH THAT HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR SUBMISSION WITH THAT PRE APPRAISAL CHECKLIST. AND JUST LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK FROM YOU FOLKS AND LETTING THE PUBLIC HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY. AS FAR AS NEXT STEPS, IF WE DECIDE ON THE CONFIGURATION THEN WE CAN SUBMIT THE PRE APPRAISAL CHECKLIST TO GREEN ACRES WITH ALL THIS INFORMATION. AND HOPEFULLY GET AN AUTHORIZATION FROM THEM TO START OUR APPRAISALS AND AGAIN CONTRACT WITH SOME APPRAISERS FROM THAT PRE-APPROVED LIST. PARALLEL TO THIS PROCESS, I'M WORKING WITH THE STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE BECAUSE THIS PROPERTY WAS FORMERLY PART OF THAT HISTORIC VILLAGE. IT WAS PREVIOUSLY DESIGNATED AS A HISTORIC DISTRICT. WHEN ALL THE BUILDINGS WERE REMOVED, THE DISTRICT WAS DELISTED, BUT THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE STILL REQUIRES A SUBMISSION TO THEM. THEY'VE. I DID AN INITIAL SUBMISSION AND THEY'VE ASKED FOR SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SO I'LL START WORKING ON THAT.

YOU KNOW, PARALLEL TO THE APPRAISAL PROCESS, DO YOU MIND GOING TO THE LAST THE PREVIOUS SLIDE REAL QUICK? SURE. SO THE PURPLE FEELS LIKE NON-NEGOTIABLE. LIKE I DON'T THINK WE'RE GETTING RID OF OUR SEWER AND, YOU KNOW, TAKE OUT ALL THE THE CABLES AND UTILITIES. BUT THE OTHER TWO ARE OPTIONAL. I MEAN BESIDES MAYBE LIKE THE, THE RED STUFF, BUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, A TO B BECAUSE I'M ASSUMING THEY WOULD APPRAISE THE ENTIRE LOT OR I'LL CALL IT THE SPACE OF LAND. RIGHT. SO IF IT'S 200 ACRES, I'M GONNA MAKE UP A NUMBER, $1 MILLION. RIGHT. SO THEN WE WOULD THEN WOULD IT MAKE SENSE IF ALL THOSE BOXES ARE LIKE 50%, WOULD WE SAY, HEY, BLUE ACRES IS NOT GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN 50%. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO FIND WE WOULD GET AN EVALUATION ON THE WHOLE THING. SO WE WOULD EVALUATE THE LOT AS A WHOLE, WHOLE THING. THEN WE COULD APPRAISE EACH OF THOSE BOXES FOR THEIR OWN INDEPENDENT VALUE, AND THEN APPRAISE THE PORTION THAT REMAINS THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO GREEN ACRES. SO YOU'D HAVE A VALUE FOR EACH ONE, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A DIFFERENT VALUE DEPENDING ON WHAT ROAD FRONTAGE YOU HAVE, HOW BIG IT IS, IF THERE'S ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS, THEY DO EACH HAVE THEIR OWN KIND OF UNIQUE VALUE, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO I THINK THE PART OF LIKE GETTING ALIGNMENT BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE TO SUBMIT IT, LIKE IF WE WERE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, THIS IS WHAT WE'D BE TELLING GREEN ACRES, AND WE WOULD ALL DO APPRAISALS.

AND IF WE CHANGE OUR MINDS, I'M JUST USING ANYTHING, RIGHT? DPW, YOU KNOW, REC OR WHATEVER, RIGHT? WE CAN'T IF WE DECIDE TO TAKE OFF, ALL KNOW WE WANT CREATORS TO PAY FOR IT. WE'D HAVE TO START FROM THE BEGINNING. I THINK IT'S EASIER TO TAKE THINGS AWAY. OKAY, SO YOU'RE ADDING PROPERTY INTO THE GREEN ACRES VERSUS THEY PREFER THAT TAKING PROPERTY AWAY LATER, SAME AS BACKWARDS VERSUS TAKING IT AWAY LATER. SO IF GREEN ACRES IF LET'S SAY WE WEREN'T DOING ANY OF THE EXCEPTION AREAS AND WE JUST SAID, OH, WE'RE GOING TO APPRAISE THIS, THIS 200 ACRES. AND THEN SIX MONTHS FROM NOW WE SAID, OH, BUT WAIT, WE NEED 30 ACRES AROUND THE SEWER PLANT. THEN YOU GOT TO START ALL OVER. I THINK IF YOU'RE ADDING IN TO THE GREEN ACRES, IT'S EASIER THAN TAKING AWAY. GOT IT? GOT IT. OKAY. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH OKAY OKAY I DIDN'T THAT'S THAT'S CLEAR. THANK YOU. YEAH. SO JUST BECAUSE THIS IS THIS IS PROPOSED, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANY OF THIS. I MEAN, DPW, COULDN'T THEY FIT ON THE PURPLE AREA OR IS THAT TOO SMALL OF A SPACE? I THINK WHEN WE DISCUSSED IT WITH THE SEWER PLANT FOLKS, IF THERE WAS A NEED FOR FUTURE, I'M GOING TO USE THE WRONG TERMS. PLEASE DON'T HOLD IT AGAINST ME. CLARIFYING TANKS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT THEY MIGHT NEED THAT SPACE TO THE NORTH. AND BECAUSE THERE'S ALL THE EXISTING UTILITY LINES KIND OF THROUGH THE MIDDLE, THAT'S WHY THAT AREA TO THE NORTH WAS RESERVED. IT'S ALSO FARTHER AWAY FROM THE STREAM. THEY DON'T WANT TO BUILD ANYTHING NEW, CLOSER TO THE STREAM. THEY

[01:20:02]

ALL YOU'RE INDICATING AT THIS POINT IS THAT THESE AREAS WOULD NOT BE SUBJECT TO THE GREEN ACRES RULES. YOU COULD NEVER BUILD ANYTHING HERE, BUT YOU HAVE THAT FUTURE FLEXIBILITY.

IF WE ENCUMBERED THE WHOLE PROPERTY WITH GREEN ACRES, THERE'S A VERY STRINGENT, VERY LONG PROCESS TO GET THOSE RESTRICTIONS LIFTED. OKAY. IT'S AT LEAST WENDY KNOWS 18 MONTHS, TWO YEARS. IT'S THE STATE HOUSE COMMISSION. IT'S A LOT OF PAPERWORK. IT'S PUBLIC HEARINGS.

IT'S JUST THAT MITIGATION COMPENSATION LAND AS WELL, AT LEAST 2 TO 1 ON COMPENSATION LAND IF IT WAS ORIGINALLY GREEN ACRES AND THEN SO RESTRICTING IT LATER, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH HARDER THAN LEAVING IT UNRESTRICTED AT THE START. AND I THINK THE REASON THERE IS THE THE STAFF IS PUTTING SOMETHING TOGETHER IS THAT THESE ARE SOME OF THE NEEDS AS FAR AS THE REC HAS, HAS BEEN SAYING, I MEAN, THE WHOLE COMMUNITY IS ASKING FOR A REC CENTER WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WHO KNOWS? SIMILARLY, DPW IS IN FLOOD WATERS AREA. SO THAT'S THE REASON YOU'RE SEEING THIS. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE TOWNSHIP? WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO PUBLIC. WE'LL OPEN. OH I SEE CLEM HAS A QUESTION. PLEASE COME ON UP HERE. SURE. OF COURSE. YEAH. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

PLEASE. THE MIC SHOULD BE ON. YEAH, IT SHOULD BE. IT WAS ON BEFORE. WAS RECORDED ONTO THE.

YOU MAY WANT THE MIC CLOSER. CLEM. CLEM FROM THE OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE. THIS CAME UP AT OUR OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE LAST TWO WEEKS AGO. AND WE WERE ALL SORT OF BACK ON OUR HEELS IN SHOCK, I GUESS YOU'D SAY. NOT SEVERE SHOCK, BUT CONFOUNDED A BIT BY SEEING THAT SOMEHOW NOT JUST THIS, BUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE OF THE PROPERTIES WAS THAT AT A FAIRLY ADVANCED STAGE OF CONCEPTUAL. COMMITMENT TO USES THAT WERE NOT OPEN SPACE IN PARTICULAR, AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO COMMUNICATE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE RECENTLY THAT IN THE OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE, WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THE ROCK BROOK STREAM CORRIDOR AS A VERY SPECIAL PART OF OUR MASTER PLANNING FOR OPEN SPACE. AND AND IT KIND OF BY DEFINING A BIO RESERVE AREA THAT WE LOOK AT AS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTALLY. AND THIS SCENARIO, FOR INSTANCE, IS QUITE A DIFFERENT USAGE PROPOSAL THAN WE HAD IMAGINED FOR THAT AREA. AND AND I'LL TRY TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT. WE HAVE BEEN ADDING TO OUR CRITERIA FOR CONSIDERING OPEN SPACE, A STATEWIDE PLANNING PLAN CALLED CHANGE C H A N G, WHICH IS A STATEWIDE PLAN THAT'S DEVOTED TO LINKING HABITAT CORRIDORS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, TRYING TO MAKE A MAP THAT IT COVERS THE WHOLE STATE FROM THE HIGHLANDS DOWN TO THE PINE BARRENS, WITH HABITAT CORRIDORS THAT LINK AND ARE CONSISTENT IN NOT INTERRUPTED IN ANY AREA, WHETHER THE CORRIDORS BE NARROW OR WIDER DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION LOCALLY, REGIONALLY FOR EACH PART. BUT THIS ROCK BROOK STREAM CORRIDOR IS SORT OF A. FOCAL POINT IN MONTGOMERY THAT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT. AND WE'VE BEEN FINDING THROUGH RESEARCH THAT THE THE MOST ENDANGERED PART OF THE STATE FOR THIS CHANGE PLAN AND THESE LINKAGES IS RIGHT HERE IN OUR PIEDMONT AREA AND THE SOURLAND MOUNTAIN PRESERVE AND DOWN WHERE WE ARE. SO IT'S IT'S SEEMS DOUBLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO KIND OF KEEP THESE CARS OPEN. WHEN IT WAS PRESENTED AT OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE, I THINK WE ALL COULD REALIZE THE NEEDS FOR THE SEWER TREATMENT PLANT. AND LAUREN WAS VERY GOOD TO EXPLAIN THE THE BUFFERS FROM THE ROCK BROOK STREAM CORRIDOR THAT THEY

[01:25:06]

OKAY. AND SO I DON'T KNOW, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS I COULD GO INTO MORE DETAILS, BUT I HOPE THAT AS THIS GOES PROCESS GOES FORWARD, YOU WE COULD HAVE A LITTLE MORE INPUT INTO THE DISCUSSION. I THINK THAT'S PRETTY MUCH MAKE SENSE. YEAH. AND I'LL LET LAUREN GO AND, YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH THE OTHER SIDE. AND I DON'T KNOW, I THINK I'VE SAID MOST OF WHAT I FEELING ABOUT WHAT'S HERE. I'D LIKE US TO TALK ABOUT IT MORE OPEN SPACE AND COMMUNICATE BACK TO THE COMMITTEE. THANK YOU GLENN. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CLEM. AND ANYONE ELSE. YEAH, I WOULD LIKE

[01:30:05]

THAT'S THE SKILLMAN DAIRY, AND THE WESTERN FLANK IS THE BROOKVIEW FARM. AND THE TWO THE TWO SIDES OF SKILLMAN PARK. SO CLEM EXPLAINED THAT THE THE ROCK BROOK CORRIDOR OR GREENWAY, IF YOU PREFER, HAS BEEN AT THE HEART OF OUR OPEN SPACE MASTER PLAN FOR LONGER THAN WE'VE HAD ONE. AND AND PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THIS REPRESENTS A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESERVE THE ESSENTIAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN OUR PARKS AND ANIMAL HABITATS. IN ALMOST ONE ACQUISITION. IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, THIS IS THE HOLY GRAIL OF OUR LAND PRESERVATION EFFORTS AND THESE NEARLY 400 ACRES IN QUESTION REPRESENT 160% OF THE SIZE OF SKILLMAN PARK. THE QUESTIONS SOME OF THEM WERE ANSWERED. SO I'M GRATIFIED TO SEE YOUR INTEREST IN ACQUIRING THESE LANDS. I'VE BEEN VERY INTERESTED IN THIS FOR A LONG TIME. I GREW UP IN AND AROUND STATE INSTITUTION. ON THE OTHER HAND, I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE DETAILS OF HOW THIS COULD BE REDEVELOPED. I THINK IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE GET THIS RIGHT BY GENERATING PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE ACQUISITION THROUGH TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND AND WE NEED TO LEARN FROM THE DIFFICULT EXPERIENCE OF ACQUIRING AND CLEANING UP WHAT BECAME SKILLMAN PARK. AND LUCKILY, I THINK THAT LAURIE SAVRAN AND SOME OF THE OTHER TOWN EMPLOYEES, THEY HAVE THE INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY THAT'S NEEDED. AND THEN THERE ARE OTHER PRINCIPLES WHO HAVE MOVED ON BUT REMAIN CLOSE. AND YOU COULD ASK THEM THE QUESTION IS.

SO WE'VE SEEN SOME. POSSIBLE PLANS FOR THE SKILLMAN DAIRY, AND WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO DO WITH BROOKVIEW AND. IT LOOKS AS THOUGH YOUR. YOU'RE INTERESTED IN IN BUYING BOTH PROPERTIES TOGETHER, WHICH I THINK IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. AND, AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THE FARM MANAGER'S HOUSE BETWEEN SAVE AND MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL, HOW THAT COULD BE REDEVELOPED, MAYBE LIKE THE FORMER PINE KNOLL ACROSS FROM THE SKILLMAN DAIRY THAT HAS BECOME A GROUP HOME FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED. AND I KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF. OUTREACH TO SAVE AND MONTGOMERY

[01:35:02]

POTENTIAL USES PRIOR TO GETTING THE APPRAISALS. HUM. BUT OVER A YEAR AGO, THE OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED WE GET APPRAISALS ON THESE THREE LITTLE LANDLOCKED PARCELS BETWEEN BROOKVIEW AND THE STOUTSBURG SOURLAND AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM AND BESSIE GROVER PARK. AND YOU PASSED UP THE OPPORTUNITY THEN. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO REVISIT NOW THAT YOU CONSIDER BUYING THESE PROPERTIES AND TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER THIS WHOLE ROCK BROOK CORRIDOR GREENWAY IDEA? I DON'T KNOW HOW EASY IT IS OR HOW OFTEN WE HAVE HAD TO GO IN THE PAST TO THE STATE ABOUT THOSE THOSE LEGISLATIVE LAND USE RESTRICTIONS ON THE DOCK LANDS IN ORDER TO GET OUR VILLAGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL, THE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT, THE SKILLMAN DAIRY AT AND THE PINE KNOLL THING. BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO ASK THIS QUESTION BECAUSE YOU HAVE ALREADY EXPRESSED INTEREST IN PRESERVING BROOKVIEW, AS WELL AS SKILLMAN DAIRY, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS THAT QUESTION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IF SOME DEVELOPER GETS THE IDEA THAT THEY WANT TO RESURRECT THE OLD STATE PLAN TO BUILD A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT THERE OR SOMETHING. AND I'M JUST NOT. I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND ENOUGH ABOUT HOW THIS WORKS. I'M JUST WONDERING IF THE ADDITION OF THESE DOCK LANDS TO TOWN LAND WOULD AFFECT OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING MANDATE IN ANY WAY. AND THEN THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ALREADY ABOUT HOW TO THREAD THE ROCKBROOK CORRIDOR AND GREENWAY PUBLIC ACCESS BETWEEN THESE THREE FACILITIES THAT YOU MIGHT POSSIBLY HAVE IN MIND FOR THE SKILLMAN DAIRY THAT APPEARS TO INCLUDE ALL OF THE FRONTAGE ON BURNT HILL ROAD BETWEEN THE FORMER PINE KNOLL AND ORCHARD ROAD SCHOOL, THERE SHOULD BE THREE OR MORE LINKAGES TO PARKS AND OPEN SPACE THROUGH THAT SKILLMAN DAIRY SIDE. SO ONE OF THEM WAS MENTIONED OVER THE EXISTING BRIDGE AND THE SEWAGE PIPELINE THAT TAKES YOU. IT'S IT'S AT THE CONFLUENCE OF BEADS AND ROCK BROOK'S RIGHT AROUND THE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT. AND THAT LEADS TO 518, THE 518 END OF OPOSSUM ROAD. THE SECOND PATH WOULD BE SOMEWHAT PARALLEL TO ORCHARD ROAD TO THE NEW WISMER PARK AND THE BLUE ACRES PROPERTIES AT THE OLD STONE BRIDGE ON OPOSSUM ROAD. AND THEN THE THIRD WOULD BE THE GAS PIPELINE, SLEDDING HILL, AND THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE OVER ROCK BROOK ON BURNT HILL ROAD THAT LEADS TO THE ORIGINAL UPPER CEMETERY OF THE INSTITUTION. SO THAT WAS MENTIONED IN HERE. IT CAN'T BE IN PART OF THE THIS OPEN SPACE, GREEN ACRES PART. BUT I JUST JUST, YOU KNOW. I WANT TO JUST KEEP THIS TO THREE MINUTES AND I AND I WANTED TO LEAVE OUT THE HISTORY, BUT THAT UPPER CEMETERY HAS 467 GRAVES. IT WAS USED FROM 1903 TO 1960. AND IT'S ALSO NEXT TO SOMETHING THAT WE APPARENTLY ALREADY CALL THE WASHINGTON WELL PARK. IT'S SOME LAND THAT WE OWN AND LEASE TO A FARMER, I BELIEVE. YEAH. SO THAT'S ADJACENT PROPERTY AS WELL. AND THEN THE LAST WELL, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED ABOUT HOW TO SCREEN AND SOFTEN THE VISUAL IMPACT OF THE CONTAINER FACILITY, OF WHICH I'M LIKE ONE OF THE BEST CUSTOMERS? I LOVE THE CONTAINER FACILITY, BUT,

[01:40:06]

OKAY. THAT SEEMS A LITTLE BIZARRE TO ME, BUT THAT'S HOW THE STATE WORKS. THAT'S NOT HOW THE STATE WORKS. IF. BECAUSE WHEN I WAS IN THAT SEAT, I WAS SPEAKING WITH OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES ABOUT HAVING THEM DONATE IT TO US, SINCE THEY HAVE JUST BELIEVE ME, WE ARE ALL TALKING ABOUT IT. I WILL JUST LET YOU KNOW AS WELL IN THE TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS THAT THE FIRST TIME WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT, THEY COULDN'T EVEN FIND THAT THEY OWN THE LAND. SO YEAH, WE'RE DEALING WITH THE STATE. I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTIONS YOU'RE ASKING, BUT I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE DEFINITELY ARE TALKING TO OUR STATE REPS. WE WANTED IT DONATED. IF IT WAS POSSIBLE, IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. WE HAVE REALLY GOOD STATE REPRESENTATIVES IN THIS TOWN. WHAT'S HOLDING? WHY CAN'T THEY DONATE IT? OR IF THE STATE WANTS TO SELL LAND, THEY HAVE TO PUT IT UP FOR AUCTION ANYWAY, RIGHT? BUT STATE LAND, THAT'S WHAT THE LAWS SAY. I WAS JUST LOOKING AT IT. AND THIS IS BY LEGISLATION. SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THEM RE LEGISLATED. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. OR UNDO THE LEGISLATION SO THAT THEN WE CAN PURCHASE IT. BECAUSE THERE'S THERE'S THERE'S DEFINITELY SEVERAL LAYERS TO THAT THAT ARE YOU KNOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE TOWNSHIP GETS A COMMITMENT TO MOVE TO THE NEXT STEP. RIGHT NOW IT'S OBVIOUSLY JUST MORE CONCEPTUAL. I BELIEVE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS IS BEING RAISED FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT THIS IS A POTENTIAL. PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THE STATE OWNS THIS LAND. ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THAT IF, IF AND WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF LAYERS TO THIS ONION. RIGHT. OKAY. ABSOLUTELY. AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE COME TO THE TABLE TO TALK TO US. BEFORE THAT THEY'RE NOT EVEN INTERESTED. SO AT THIS POINT WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OPTIONS. WE ARE LOOKING AT DONATION. BUT AT THE SAME TIME LAUREN IS TAKING THIS LEAD AND TALKING TO GREEN ACRES BECAUSE THAT'S AN OPTION. PARALLEL VENUES ARE BEING THERE'S PARALLEL PATHS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO. THAT'S GREAT. I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT. MY OTHER QUESTION IS THIS POINT ABOUT A YMCA OR RECREATION THING? OKAY.

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS WHAT THAT WOULD ENTAIL. IF THIS ALL HAPPENED AND IT ALL WENT THROUGH AND THIS COULD TAKE A COUPLE YEARS ANYWAY, TO CHANGE LEGISLATIONS AND SO FORTH. BUT THAT WOULD MEAN WE WOULD BE TAKING PRIVATE LANDS AND GIVING IT TO A

[01:45:01]

SO THEN TO SWITCH IT HERE AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT PLAN IS AS WELL, BUT THE FACT THAT IT IS PROTECTED BY LEGISLATION, TO ME, MEANS WE HAVE THE TIME TO REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AND MAKE SURE WHAT'S THE BEST THING TO DO IT AND WHAT'S THE BEST AVENUE. AND PERSONALLY, I THINK IF YOU KNOW, HAVING TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY THAT WE'VE ALREADY TO BASICALLY PAY THE STATE FOR PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT THEY HAVEN'T REALLY PAID US FOR, RIGHT, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, WE'D HAVE TO KEEP THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I THINK OUR CONSIDERATION ALSO HAS TO BE WE ARE SO CLOSE TO ACQUIRING THIS PROPERTY AND, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR COMMUNITY. SO WE WANT TO TRY TO GET IT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. I MEAN, IT'S BETTER IN OUR HANDS, I BELIEVE, THAN THE STATE'S HANDS. AND ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. SO WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WHILE WE HAVE THE MOST INTERESTING PRESENTATION OF THE DAY, THE FINANCE UPDATE

[4. Presentation – Finance Update – Michael Pitts, CFO]

EVERYBODY RECEIVED THEIR BILLS IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER YOU GET FOUR STUBS. SO PLEASE REMEMBER THAT TAXES ARE CONSIDERED RECEIVED. I ALWAYS LIKE TO MENTION THIS WHEN THEY ACTUALLY ARRIVE AT OUR OFFICE, NOT WHEN THEY'RE POSTMARKED. A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS GET THAT A LITTLE CONFUSED, SO PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF THAT. AND AGAIN, I AM NOT ALLOWED TO WAIVE THE TAX COLLECTOR ON THE TAX COLLECTOR. UNFORTUNATELY, I'M NOT ALLOWED TO TO WAIVE INTEREST. AND THAT IS A STATUTE. HEY MICHAEL, GETTING TECHNICAL ON THE YOU KNOW THE THE ARRIVE AT YOUR OFFICE. IS THAT LIKE ON A WORK DAY BECAUSE YOU HAVE THAT LITTLE CORRECT BOX WHERE PEOPLE CAN. YES WE HAVE A DROPBOX. YEP. CORRECT. OKAY. SO EVEN EVEN ON THE WEEKEND IF THEY COME IN THEY'RE ABLE TO GO UPSTAIRS AND THERE'S A SLOT THEY CAN DROP THE PAYMENT IN THERE OKAY. THE COUNTY ONCE AGAIN DOES HAVE A STATE AND FEDERAL INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE FOR OLDER ADULTS, RESIDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND LOWER INCOME RESIDENTS. THAT'S AT THE OTTO KAUFFMAN CENTER.

AGAIN, THE INFORMATION IS ON THERE. IT'S A VERY GOOD SERVICE TO FREE SERVICE. SO IF ANYBODY QUALIFIES, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND REACHING OUT TO THAT NUMBER. IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE HELP WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR STATE AND FEDERAL INCOME TAX, PROPERTY TAX COLLECTION. I LIKE TO SHOW WHERE WE WERE, YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS AGO TO WHERE WE ARE NOW, WHAT OUR PROPERTY TAX COLLECTION LOOKS LIKE. AGAIN, THE FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS REALLY DOESN'T MEAN MUCH, ONLY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN YEARS WHERE IT LOOKS LIKE THE TAX COLLECTION IS SLOW, BUT BY THE END OF THE YEAR, IT'S HIGHER THAN PREVIOUS YEARS WHERE THE FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS WAS HIGHER. THIS YEAR, WE'RE AT 25.19% OF WHAT WE COLLECTED. THAT'S UP FROM 24.95% IN 25 AND GOING BACK TO 22 RIGHT AROUND THAT, THAT COVID, THOSE TIMES, WE'RE AT 24.16%. AND AGAIN, THIS IS REALLY FALLS HAND IN HAND WITH THE NEXT SLIDE TALKING ABOUT OUR REVENUES OR PROPERTY TAX COLLECTION THROUGH FEBRUARY 28TH YEAR OVER YEAR. RIGHT. FOR TAXES WE'RE UP $100,000. INTEREST ON INVESTMENTS. WE'RE ACTUALLY UP BY $17,000. BUT THAT'S AGAIN THAT TREND BY THE END OF THE YEAR 2025 WILL OUTPACE 2026. WITH OUR INTEREST ON INVESTMENTS DUE TO RATES STARTING TO DECREASE. FEES AND PERMITS ARE DOWN ABOUT $5,000.

THIS REVENUE ITEM IS REALLY DICTATED BY OUR RECREATION COMMUNITY SCHOOL. I THINK OUT

[01:50:06]

EVEN BY MID-YEAR, IT'LL BE WHERE IT WAS LAST YEAR. MUNICIPAL COURT FINES. RIGHT.

THIS IS OUR POLICE REVENUE. IT'S RIGHT ABOUT WHERE IT WAS LAST YEAR. DOWN ABOUT $431 CABLE FRANCHISE FEE. AGAIN, THIS IS WE RECEIVE FROM FROM VERIZON. WE'RE DOWN $1,500. BUT THAT'S YOU KNOW, THEY GIVE US WHATEVER THEY RECEIVE ON THEIR END. AND THE CALCULATION THAT IS IS DUE TO US. WE RECEIVE INTEREST AND COSTS ON TAXES. WE'RE UP $11,000, ALMOST $12,000, $11,746. ONE OF OUR BIGGER REVENUES, CONSTRUCTION CODE FEES, VERY BIG YEAR. LAST YEAR, WE HAD ALMOST 1.4 MILLION IN REVENUE, AND WE'RE AHEAD OF THAT IN 2026. WE ACTUALLY MET WITH THE CONSTRUCTION CODE OFFICIAL LAST NIGHT WITH THE BFC MEETING, AND THEY EXPECT THE REVENUE TO BE HIGH AGAIN THIS YEAR, WHICH IS IT'S A GOOD SIGN. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON. THERE'S A LOT OF ACTION IN THAT DEPARTMENT. IT'S GENERATING REVENUE FOR THE TOWNSHIP CELL TOWER FEES. THIS WILL BE HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR RIGHT. WE DO HAVE ONE COMING ON.

WE HAVE ANOTHER BID OPENING I THINK ON THE 13TH FOR THE OTHER CELL TOWER. SO DEPENDING ON WHEN THAT GETS BUILT AND HAS PROVIDER PROVIDERS ON IT, BUT AT THE END OF THE YEAR THIS WILL BE HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR. RIGHT NOW IT'S DOWN ABOUT $3,300. DELINQUENT TAXES. THESE ARE TAXES OF COURSE DELINQUENT. PRIOR TO 2026 WE'RE UP 58,000. SEARCH SERVICES WERE UP 2500.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY BE UP MORE. WE STILL HAVE A FEBRUARY BILL THAT'S DUE. SO WE'RE OUTPACING THAT AND THAT A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE TEWKESBURY SEARCH SERVICE WE TOOK ON AND MISCELLANEOUS REVENUE. THAT'S REVENUES THAT WE DON'T ANTICIPATE AS BUDGET.

WE DON'T ANTICIPATE IN OUR BUDGET. WE'RE UP $10,000. SO AGAIN, REVENUES OVERALL UP 204,000. IT'S A GOOD SIGN FOR THAT ASPECT OF OUR OPERATIONS. MICHAEL, REALLY QUICKLY YOU KNOW DELINQUENT TAXES YOU KNOW NEVER SOUNDS GOOD. YOU KNOW CAN YOU KIND OF MAYBE EXPLAIN THAT.

AND, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE BE READING INTO THE, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO 15% INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR? IS THAT LIKE A PEOPLE BEHIND OUR TAXES AND THIS IS THE INTEREST ON THEIR TAXES OR.

THIS IS SO, SO WHEN, WHEN THIS IS REALLY RELATED TO THE 2025 TAXES. BECAUSE IN 2025, EVERY YEAR WE HOLD A TAX SALE RIGHT AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THIS YEAR WILL BE IN OCTOBER, MID OCTOBER EVERY YEAR WE WILL ATTACK SALE. SO IN 2025 WE SOLD THE 2024 DELINQUENT TAXES. SO NOW THIS IS THE 2026 AND THIS IS THAT WASN'T PAID IN 2000 I'M SORRY. THIS IS THIS 2026 NUMBER 3073. OUR TAXES THAT WERE NOT PAID IN 2025. THEY'RE RELATED TO 2025. AND COME THESE FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS, RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN PAYING THEM YEAR OVER YEAR. AGAIN IT'S YOU SAW THE PERCENTAGE OF COLLECTION. THAT'S KIND OF THE INDICATOR THAT, HEY PEOPLE AREN'T PAYING TAXES. THAT FIRST SLIDE, THAT SECOND THIRD SLIDE, THAT'S GOING TO BE THE INDICATOR OF WHERE WHERE WE'RE AT. SO I THINK WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT PROPERTY TAXES BEING PAID, THAT PERCENTAGE OF COLLECTION IS REALLY THAT THAT INDICATOR, THAT KEY KEY FIGURE THAT WILL KEEP AN EYE ON BY MID-YEAR. WE'LL KIND OF KNOW RIGHT AFTER THE MAY TAXES, WE'LL KIND OF KNOW WHAT DIRECTION WE'RE HEADING. OKAY. YOU KNOW, WE'RE BIG ON GRANTS. THIS IS JUST AGAIN, THIS IS JUST THE FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS. I WAS TALKING TO OUR GRANT COORDINATOR THIS WEEK TO GIVE US SOME OF THE MOST UPDATED NUMBERS. AND AGAIN, WHAT WAS AWARDED FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS, $500,000. THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS LEGISLATION. LEGISLATIVE GRANT, $850,000 COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING. THOSE WERE THE TWO THAT WERE AWARDED. THESE WERE ONLY JUST THESE FIRST TWO MONTHS. AND WHAT WE'VE APPLIED FOR AND ARE WAITING ON RESPONSES. AN AARP $15,000 GRANT, ALMOST 250,000 SENIOR WELLNESS GRANT, A FIREHOUSE GRANT FOR $33,660 A FISCAL YEAR. TWO 2027 APPROPRIATIONS GRANT OF $3 MILLION. A LOT OF THAT IS RELATED TO SEWER, THOUGH A RECREATION GRANT OF 75,000, LAW ENFORCEMENT WELLNESS GRANT 50,000, AND SUSTAINABLE JERSEY. SO AGAIN, VERY ACTIVE. WE PUT OUR BRUNO ASSOCIATES TO USE. I KNOW WE'RE IN CONTACT WITH THEM. YES, IF NOT DAILY EVERY OTHER DAY. I KNOW THEY'RE VERY YOU KNOW, LAURIE SPEAKS TO THEM VERY FREQUENTLY. WE THEY REACH OUT TO US, THEY MAINTAIN OUR GRANTS, THEY MONITOR THEM. SO AGAIN, THINGS SO FAR IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. AND WE'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON MORE GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVE. FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THE YEAR WERE THE STATE ALLOWS US TO DO TRANSFERS FROM ONE ACCOUNT TO ANOTHER RELATED TO PRIOR YEARS. SO LET'S SAY IN

[01:55:08]

IT'S MOVING THEM PRIOR YEAR'S BUDGET FROM ONE LINE ITEM TO THE OTHER. THERE'S SOME APPROPRIATIONS THAT TRANSFERS AREN'T ALLOWED TO TO TRANSFER LIKE DEBT DEBT SERVICE. YOU CAN'T TAKE IT OUT OF THERE. YOU CAN'T TAKE IT OUT OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, AND YOU CAN'T TAKE IT OUT OF CONTINGENCIES. EVERY YEAR BY JANUARY 31ST, OUR ANNUAL DEBT STATEMENT HAS TO BE SENT TO THE STATE THAT WAS SENT. IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE. I HAVE THE WEBSITE ON THERE. ANYBODY CAN LOOK AT IT IN TERMS OF BONDS. WE HAVE ABOUT 41.5 MILLION OUT IN BONDS, BONDS AND NOTES. AND THEN OUR LOANS, OUR LEASES, LOANS, WE HAVE ABOUT 31.5 MILLION. AND THAT'S RELATED TO OUR MUNICIPAL BUILDING HERE. SO THAT IF YOU LOOK AT OUR DEBT STATEMENT, THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD SEE ON THERE. THOSE ARE OUR BIG DEBT ITEMS. SO TONIGHT WE HAVE THE INTRODUCTION OF OUR APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE, APPROPRIATION CAP ORDINANCE. WE HAVE THIS EVERY YEAR. THIS IS A BUDGETING TOOL THAT WE USE. AND LET ME EXPLAIN IT TO YOU. THE STATE ALLOWS YOU FOR LET ME START OVER THE WHEN YOU WORK ON YOUR BUDGET, YOU HAVE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF APPROPRIATIONS, TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXPENSES. YOU HAVE YOUR INSIDE EXPENSES APPROPRIATIONS, WHICH I HAVE LISTED. RIGHT. THERE ARE MOST OF YOUR EXPENSES, ACTUALLY, IT'S YOUR SALARY AND WAGES. AND THEN ALL OF YOUR OPERATING EXPENSES, YOUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, YOUR STATIONARY PENSIONS, A PORTION OF YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE, EMPLOYER TAXES, ADVERTISING, YOUR AUDIT TRAINING, UNIFORMS, ALL YOUR DAY TO DAY EXPENSES. THEY FALL UNDER THE INSIDE THE CAP, YOUR OUTSIDE THE CAP. APPROPRIATIONS ARE YOUR DEBT SERVICE. YOUR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES IS YOUR FOR UNCOLLECTED TAXES. ANY EMERGENCIES YOU HAVE THOSE OUTSIDE THE CAP EXPENSES DOESN'T RELATE TO THIS APPROPRIATION CAP, BECAUSE THE STATE DOESN'T WANT TO PUT A CAP ON DEBT. WE'RE NOW YOU'RE DEFAULTING ON DEBT, RIGHT? THAT THAT WOULD NOT BE A GOOD LOOK. SO THE STATE SAYS YOU CAN RAISE YOUR INSIDE THE CAP APPROPRIATIONS, RIGHT. YOUR SALARY AND WAGES, OPERATION EXPENSES AGAIN AGGREGATE BY 2.5% OR THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT. THIS YEAR, THE STATE SAID THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT WAS 2%. SO REALLY WE CAN ONLY RAISE THE THOSE INSIDE THE CAP APPROPRIATIONS BY 2%.

THAT EQUATES TO ABOUT 400. I WANT TO SAY 470. DON'T QUOTE ME ABOUT $470,000 TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE. AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE LATER. YOU KNOW, OUR HEALTH BENEFIT INCREASE ALONE AND TAKE YOUR HEALTH BENEFIT INCREASE AND YOUR POLICE SALARY INCREASE IS OVER 500,000 ALONE. SO THAT WOULD MEAN THAT WE WOULD HIT THAT CAP NUMBER JUST BASED ON THOSE TWO EXPENSES. BUT REGARDLESS, THE STATE ALLOWS YOU TO INCREASE IT TO 3.5% IF YOU DO. IF YOU PASS AN ORDINANCE, WHICH WE DO EVERY YEAR, THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO RAISE THOSE INSIDE THE CAP APPROPRIATIONS BY 837,000, A LITTLE OVER $800,000, IT DOESN'T MEAN WE ALWAYS DO IT, BUT IT'S A BUDGETING TOOL. SO LET'S SAY WE DO PASS THIS ORDINANCE AND WE'RE ALLOWED TO RAISE IT. I'M GOING TO USE EASY, YOU KNOW ROUND NUMBER $800,000.

IF WE ONLY INCREASE THOSE EXPENSES BY $500,000, THAT EXTRA $300,000 GETS TO GO INTO A CAP BANK, MEANING NEXT YEAR THAT IF WE HIT THAT NUMBER, IF WE HIT OUR THRESHOLD, WE CAN GO INTO THAT CAP BANK AND PULL THAT $300,000 OUT TO HELP US INCREASE. YOU KNOW, THOSE INSIDE THE CAP EXPENSES. WE HAVE ABOUT $400,000 IN CAP BANK. BUT AFTER, I'M JUST LETTING EVERYONE KNOW THAT A LOT OF MUNICIPALITIES NOW ARE RUNNING OUT OF CAP BANK. AND WHEN YOU RUN OUT OF YOUR CAP BANK, YOU HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES TRYING TO. PASS A BUDGET BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, SALARIES ARE GOING UP MORE THAN 2%, 2.5%. YOUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ARE GOING UP, ALL THE UTILITIES ARE GOING UP 15%. SO YOU REACH THAT SO QUICK THAT THERE'S NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO. BUT REGARDLESS, THIS IS WHAT THAT ORDINANCE IS. IT'S ALLOWING US TO INCREASE THOSE INSIDE THE CAP APPROPRIATIONS BY 3.5%. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? AGAIN, I'LL TALK ABOUT THIS DURING THE BUDGET PRESENTATION. I TALK ABOUT IT EVERY YEAR. IT DEALS WITH THE INSIDE THE CAP APPROPRIATIONS ONLY, NOT YOUR OUTSIDE THE CAP. I THINK THE MAIN POINT IS IT PROVIDES FLEXIBILITY. IT'S NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE TAKING UP THE CORRECT EXPENSES BY 3.5%. WELL,

[02:00:02]

LORI AND I THEN MET WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS INDIVIDUALLY TO START PREPPING THEM FOR THEIR BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETINGS, WHICH STARTED IN JANUARY. WE'VE BEEN MEETING JUST ABOUT WEEKLY SINCE JANUARY, BEGINNING OF JANUARY. NEXT WEEK WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO MEETINGS MEETING WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS. THOSE ARE GOING TO END. THE DEPARTMENT HEAD MEETINGS WILL END NEXT WEEK, AND THE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE WILL HAVE THE FULL PICTURE OF WHAT THE BUDGET WILL LOOK LIKE WITH EVERYBODY'S REQUESTS. IT'S NOT REALISTIC, RIGHT. AND THE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE KNOWS THAT. DEPARTMENT HEAD KNOWS THAT THE DEPARTMENT HEADS KNOW THAT GOING INTO IT AND FROM THERE, THE BUDGET FROM THERE, THE BUDGET FINANCE COMMITTEE STARTS NARROWING DOWN THE BUDGET TO WHAT WE FEEL IS ALLOW US TO OPERATE AT THE SAME TIME, NOT OVERBURDEN THE RESIDENTS, BUT NOT PUT US IN A FINANCIAL TOO BIG OF A FINANCIAL HOLE REGARDING WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO. SO WE'RE AT THAT POINT RIGHT NOW WHERE THE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE IS MEETING WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS. FROM THERE, ONCE WE HAVE A PRELIMINARY BUDGET, WE'LL START MEETING WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS. OF COURSE, I'M NOT THE DEPARTMENTS OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS. BEFORE THE INTRODUCTION. WE'RE LOOKING TO INTRODUCE THAT MEETING IN APRIL, APRIL 15TH. SO WE STILL HAVE ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF LEFT OF MEETINGS. AGAIN, WE HAVE A LOT OF MEETINGS LEFT, A LOT TO DO FROM THERE. WE'LL ADOPT THAT SECOND MEETING IN MAY, AND HOPEFULLY BY THEN WE'LL HAVE OUR CAPITAL ORDINANCES IN PLACE AND ALL OF THAT. SPEAKING OF THE BUT BEFORE I GET INTO THE ACTUAL BUDGET, ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PROCESS? AGAIN, IT HASN'T CHANGED. OKAY. WELL, CAN YOU REMIND EVERYONE WHEN WE'RE STATUTORILY REQUIRED TO HAVE THE BUDGET PASSED? YEAH. SO IT'S EITHER THE END OF MARCH OR YOUR FIRST MEETING IN APRIL. SO THAT FOR WE RIGHT I'M SORRY.

INTRODUCED. INTRODUCED SORRY. INTRODUCED. YES. NOT PASSED. YEAH. SO THAT'S THAT'S IT. AND THEN AFTER THAT STATUTORILY YOU NEED TO ADVERTISE IT AT LEAST 20 DAYS BEFORE YOU CAN ADOPT IT AND HAVE THAT PUBLIC HEARING. SO JUST TO MAKE SURE. SO I'VE GONE THROUGH THIS BUT WE INTRODUCED THE BUDGET. IT GETS IT'S AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. CORRECT. WE ARE NOT VOTING ON IT TWO WEEKS LATER. LIKE A LOT OF OUR OTHER ORDINANCES, IT'S A FULL MONTH LATER. SO IT'S AVAILABLE. PEOPLE CAN REVIEW IT. THEY CAN COME IN IN BETWEEN, ASK QUESTIONS, PUBLIC COMMENT.

CORRECT. AND THEN WE WILL HAVE THE HEARING ON THE OR OF THE VOTING, THE DISCUSSION. YES, A MONTH LATER. SO THERE'S A LOT OF TIME FOR IT. IS IT TO BE PUBLISHED PEOPLE TO REVIEW IT.

IT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE. IT'S THERE, IT'S THERE, IT'S THERE. JUST BECAUSE THERE'S YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I HEAR PEOPLE LIKE, OH, I HAVE NO, WE'RE NOT BEING TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE BUDGET OR THE BUDGET'S NOT AVAILABLE. AND I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW, LIKE IT IS ONLINE WHEN WE WHEN WE WHEN WE INTRODUCE IT, IT'S THERE FOR A WHOLE MONTH. IT'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN, I WOULD SAY, LIKE THE STATE LEGISLATURE. I'LL JUST PUT IT OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S AND THAT'S BY LAW. AND SO WE ARE JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS THAT IT'S THERE. SO ONCE ONCE WE INTRODUCE THE BUDGET AND THEY CAN REVIEW IT AND THEY CAN COME AND ASK QUESTIONS. CORRECT. AND I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE THAT. AGAIN DURING MY BUDGET PRESENTATION, I TELL THEM LIKE, LISTEN, THAT BUDGET HEARING IS NOT THE ONLY TIME YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS. YOU CAN ASK BEFORE. AND I PREFER THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, THEN I HAVE TIME TO TRULY ANSWER THE QUESTIONS, LOOK INTO IT. SO YES. SO GREAT POINT. USUALLY WE INTRODUCE THAT FIRST MEETING IN APRIL. WE USUALLY HAVE TWO MEETINGS IN APRIL. THIS YEAR WE ONLY HAVE ONE CORRECT? YES. RIGHT. SO THAT'S WHY IT'S, YOU KNOW, APRIL 15TH AND THEN THE LAST MEETING IN MAY. USUALLY IT'S THE FIRST MEETING, APRIL AND FIRST MEETING, AND THEN WE ADOPT AND HAVE THE BUDGET HEARING, THE FIRST MEETING IN MAY. SO THE BUDGET THIS YEAR IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE ONE OF. AND MAYOR, DEPUTY MAYOR, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT BUDGETS, DEFINITELY, SINCE YOU'VE BEEN HERE AND DEFINITELY SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, THE EXPENSES JUST KEEP INCREASING AT A PACE WHERE OUR REVENUES JUST CAN'T KEEP UP.

YOU KNOW, THE PAST FEW YEARS WE'VE BEEN USING SURPLUS TO KIND OF THAT'S WHAT SURPLUS IS FOR OUR FUND BALANCE. RIGHT. FOR RAINY DAY TO FIGHT OFF SOME OF THESE LARGE INCREASES. BUT WE'RE AT A POINT NOW WHERE NOW WE'RE NOT REGENERATING THE SURPLUS. SO IF WE KEEP THIS PACE BY OUR SURPLUS, NOT, YOU KNOW, DECREASE OUR SURPLUS, DECREASING 300, $400,000 EVERY YEAR, YOU KNOW, AND I WOULD SAY 8 TO 10 YEARS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A FUND BALANCE OR SURPLUS TO USE. AND THAT'S GOING TO NOT BE A SITUATION ANYBODY WANTS TO BE IN. SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, OF COURSE WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE THE USE OF SURPLUS. I MENTIONED A COUPLE OF OUR EXPENSES ALONE IS A HALF $1 MILLION, RIGHT. BENEFITS AND

[02:05:03]

WE ARE LOOKING AS ALWAYS, WE ALWAYS LOOK FOR MORE SOURCES OF REVENUES. AND THE MUNICIPALITY DOES NOT MANY RIGHT THE SHARED SERVICES. BUT AGAIN SHARED SERVICES WILL ONLY BRING YOU SO MUCH CELL TOWERS. WE'RE DOING THAT. YOU KNOW, NEW RATABLES. OUR RATABLES ARE ACTUALLY DOWN THIS YEAR, RIGHT? ABOUT $6 MILLION. IT'S THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE BEEN DOWN SINCE 2012.

SO AGAIN, IT'S JUST WE'RE GETTING HIT FROM ALL OTHER ANGLES, WHICH IS WHY THE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE IS REALLY TAKING THEIR TIME TO TO LOOK AT EVERY EXPENSE REQUEST THAT'S COMING IN. AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE ROADS THAT NEED TO GET DONE THAT, THAT, THAT THE DEPUTY MENTIONED THAT WE DON'T WANT TO NEGLECT. RIGHT. WHEN YOU START NEGLECTING ROADS, INSTEAD OF NOW BEING ABLE TO DO AN OVERLAY, YOU HAVE TO DO A FULL RECONSTRUCTION WHICH COSTS FOUR TIMES AS MUCH AS YOU KNOW IF YOU MAINTAIN THEM. BUT ROADS ARE AN EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE COST.

SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NO DIFFERENT THAN I GUESS WE ARE DIFFERENT THAN SOME MUNICIPALITIES WILL JUST STILL HAVE. THAT INFLUX OF NEW RATABLES COMING IN, WAREHOUSES COMING IN, NEW CONSTRUCTION, BIG CONSTRUCTION COMING, COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION COMING.

I'M TALKING ABOUT THAT HELPS YOU OFFSET SOME OF THOSE EXPENSES. BUT WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE RATABLES COMING IN, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT NEW REVENUE. YES, SIR. DO YOU? DID YOU CALCULATE HOW MUCH REVENUE WE WOULD MAKE OFF OF THE. WAS IT THE PROMENADE COMING IN? I CAN GET YOU THAT. I WAS ACTUALLY SPEAKING TO THE ASSESSOR LAST WEEK ABOUT IT. I'LL SEND YOU THAT INFORMATION. DENNIS, YOU HAVE A GUESSTIMATE? OKAY. I'LL SEND THAT TO US. BK EVERYONE.

BUT I THINK, MICHAEL, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, PENSIONS, HEALTH, COST, THERE IS THERE IS A LOT THERE. AND AS YOU SAID SOME MUNICIPALITIES HAVE WAREHOUSES AND ALL OF THE OTHER STUFF THAT WE ARE TOTALLY AGAINST. SO THE MONEY HAS TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE. SO THAT'S THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. CORRECT. BECAUSE. RIGHT. YOU GET THESE HUGE RATABLES IN LET'S SAY AGAIN A WAREHOUSE. COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS COMING IN. YES. THE MUNICIPALITY DOESN'T GET ALL OF IT RIGHT. LIKE THERE'S TOWNS THAT HAVE DISPENSARIES ALL OVER THEIR TOWNS. AND EXACTLY ANOTHER THING WE DON'T WANT, WE DON'T WANT. BUT I'M SAYING LIKE, YEAH, BUT NO, I'M JUST SAYING IT'S VERY LIMITED IN REVENUE TO OFFSET THESE LARGE INCREASES.

WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THOSE COMING IN RIGHT NOW. SO WE HAVE TO FIND EITHER A WAY TO CUT EXPENSES. AND THAT, THAT THAT'S REALLY IT. BUT AND THAT'S KIND OF A CATCH 22. YOU START CATCH, YOU START CUTTING EXPENSES. RIGHT. LISTEN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BUDGET AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE HAVE WE DON'T SPEND ALL OUR BUDGET. RIGHT. BUT THE YEAR AFTER THAT. SO 2025 BUDGET, LET'S SAY WE HAVE $1 MILLION LEFT OVER. EVERYONE'S LIKE EASY. YOU KNOW, JUST CUT YOUR BUDGET BY $1 MILLION. YOU CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE THAT MILLION DOLLARS AT THE END OF 2026 FALLS INTO SURPLUS. IT HELPS REGENERATE IT. SO IF YOU CUT $1 MILLION OFF YOUR BUDGET, YOU HAVE TO CUT $1 MILLION OFF OF THAT SURPLUS REVENUE. SO IT'S GOING TO BE A NET ZERO. LIKE IF YOU START CUTTING, BECAUSE THERE'S TWO WAYS TO REGENERATE A SURPLUS. IT'S EITHER LET'S SAY REVENUE INTEREST ON INVESTMENTS. LET'S SAY WE BUDGETED $1 MILLION AND WE RECEIVE $2 MILLION. THAT EXTRA MILLION HELPS YOU REGENERATE THAT SURPLUS. SAME WITH EXPENDITURES. IF WE BUDGET FOR $1 MILLION, BUT WE ONLY USE $500,000, THAT OTHER $500,000 HELPS YOU REGENERATE SURPLUS. SO AGAIN, WE HAVEN'T REALLY IF YOU LOOK AT OUR BUDGET, WE HAVEN'T BEEN RAISING OUR APPROPRIATIONS. SO AS EXPENSES GO UP, IT'S EATING AWAY AT THAT LITTLE. WHICH IS WHY YOU'RE SEEING OUR SURPLUS NOT REGENERATING. SO AGAIN, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT. WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES IN THIS PREDICAMENT, BUT WE JUST GOTTA BE CAREFUL.

WE DON'T WANT TO KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD TOO LONG WHERE WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME DRASTIC, DRASTIC MOVES. SO BUDGET. IT'S. WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARD ON IT. IT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT IN TERMS OF THE PLANNING, THE EXECUTION, BUT I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE A BUDGET THAT, THAT THAT'S THAT'S FAIR. THANK YOU. YEAH. BUT I THINK THIS IS WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE A A HARD DISCUSSION ON TRADE OFFS. I MEAN, I HATE TO EVEN LIKE REPEAT WHAT I BROUGHT UP BEFORE. LIKE, WOULD LOVE NOTHING MORE TO DO THAN START BUILDING SIDEWALKS DOWN DOWN

[02:10:05]

[5. Consent Agenda]

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

[6. Approval of Minutes]

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION? MEETING MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 19TH, 2026. SO MOVED SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE. RESOLUTION 26 395

[7. Resolution #26-3-95 – Payment of Bills]

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

[8. Township Committee Reports]

[02:15:02]

USUALLY THERE'S A RECYCLING EVENT THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION PLANS THAT'S IN CONVERSATION AND MORE TO COME THERE BECAUSE EARTH DAY ITSELF IS ON APRIL 22ND. THE THE THE EARTH DAY EVENT IS BEING CONSIDERED FOR MAY 3RD, 11 TO 2 AT MILL POND PARK. AND TRYING TO JUST PULL THAT TOGETHER LIKE LIKE IT'S DONE NORMALLY EVERY YEAR. SO AND THEN FOR READ ACROSS AMERICA, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF READING TO AN O H CLASS TOMORROW, FIRST GRADE CLASS, AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF THE BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM THEY ARE PLAYING AT AT HILLSBOROUGH ON FRIDAY, I BELIEVE. SO IF YOU GUYS WANT TO SUPPORT THE TEAM, GO OUT AND IT'S ONLY A DRIVE DOWN TO SIX. THE EDC, WE HAVE A NEW CHAIR, VAISHALI PATEL. SHE IS A LOCAL, SOON TO BE BUSINESS OWNER IN THE MONTGOMERY MONTGOMERY AREA. I THINK SHE'S DOING A BAKING OR COOKING CLASS KITCHEN TYPE OF THING. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY COOL. WE HAVE A NEW BUSINESS ADVOCATE, ZONING OFFICER JUSTIN, I BELIEVE, AND I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO BE INTRODUCED TO HIM, I ASSUME, SOMETIME SOON. HOPEFULLY IT'S FAIRLY NEW. AND THEN WE HAD OUR RIBBON CUTTING FOR MONTGOMERY FOOD PANTRY AND SOMERSET COUNTY FOOD BANK NETWORK FINALLY LAUNCHED TOGETHER. I THINK IT'S IT'S GREAT THAT AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THE THE FOOD BANK NETWORK, THEY'RE THEY'RE SO INTERTWINED TO SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY AND WE CAN LEARN A LOT. SO THANK YOU FOR THEM AND FOR LISA AND EVERYBODY IN OUR TOWN TO TO GET THIS PROGRAM TOGETHER. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY, ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE THE. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE BASKETBALL, BUT MY HUSBAND'S REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT, SO I CAN IMAGINE I CAN. I'M NOT A FAN, BUT I CAN SEE WHY THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO BE A FAN. HONESTLY, IN TERMS OF OPEN SPACE, I DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL UPDATES BASED ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PRESENTATIONS WE HEARD TONIGHT, BUT I WANT TO THANK THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP IN RAISING AWARENESS OF COLORECTAL HEALTH MONTH AND THE GIANT COLON. I REGRET THAT I WON'T BE ABLE TO MENTION THE GIANT COLON AGAIN, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S STILL OUT THERE, BUT IT IS QUITE AN EXPERIENCE. SO DEFLATED ALREADY. IT'S IT'S AND IT'S VERY EDUCATIONAL. YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S INFLATABLE. IT HAS SOME INFORMATION INSIDE THAT YOU PROBABLY NEED TO SEE, BUT YOU'LL WISH YOU DIDN'T. BUT IT'S GOOD INFORMATION. YES, I AGREE, I MEAN, IF I COULD JUMP ON THE COLON CANCER PIECE, IT'S A LOT OF NEWS ARTICLES, DATA ON THE INCREASED, SIGNIFICANT, INCREASED INCIDENCES OF COLON CANCER, MORE MIDDLE AGED ADULTS BEFORE IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT OLDER AGE ADULTS, YOU KNOW, HAD RETIREMENT AGE HAD. BUT I THINK WITH THE MASSIVE SCREENING AND INTERDICTION, IT'S REDUCED. BUT PEOPLE WITHIN, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE 35 TO 55 AGE RANGE, IT'S BEEN INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY. YEAH. PLEASE GET CHECKED. I THINK IT'S AT 45 NOW.

I HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, BUT THEN I WILL SHARE THAT LIKE SOMETIMES GENDER INTERGENERATIONAL THINGS. YOU KNOW, I TALKED TO MY DAD ABOUT WHEN I GOT IT AND HE'S LIKE, OH, I JUST GOT IT DONE LAST YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME. I WAS SHOCKED. SO AND YOU KNOW, AND I SAY THAT JUST AS A, YOU KNOW, I THINK THESE ARE IMPORTANT THINGS TO KIND OF CONSIDER AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE CONVERSATIONS. YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL ABOUT HEALTH AND AND FINDING THINGS EARLY IF,

[02:20:01]

RIGHT. AND MAKING THOSE, THOSE GOOD DECISIONS. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HAVING A WONDERFUL TOWNSHIP STAFF THAT EXECUTES THEM. SO NO, THAT'S TRUE OKAY. THAT'S IT. OKAY. I GUESS THE PLANNING BOARD, I WANT TO MENTION THAT ON FEB 23RD, THE PLANNING BOARD WAS MEETING WAS CANCELED BECAUSE OF THAT HUGE SNOWSTORM. AND WE ARE REALLY THANKFUL TO OUR DPW, OUR PARKS AND PEOPLE, AS WELL AS OUR SEWER STAFF THAT WERE OUT THERE CLEANING FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS ACTUALLY, AND MAKING SURE PEOPLE WERE SAFE. SO NOW THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 9TH. JUST REMINDING EVERYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY COMMITTEES THAT MET, BUT AS COMMITTEEMAN MARTIN MENTIONED, I DID PARTICIPATE IN READ ACROSS AMERICA AT ORCHARD HILL ELEMENTARY, AND IT WAS A FIRST GRADE CLASS, AND I BELIEVE SO DID LAURIE. AND I THINK WE READ THE SAME BOOK AND MAYBE EVERYBODY'S READING THE SAME BOOK. I THINK IT'S WHAT IS IT, THE YAK, THE LITTLEST YAK. AND IT WAS ACTUALLY A REALLY GOOD BOOK, VERY POSITIVE, I THINK. I'M GLAD THE MTA FOUND SUCH A POSITIVE AND, YOU KNOW, EMPOWERING BOOK FOR EVERYONE. SO THAT WAS REALLY NICE. AND THE KIDS ARE AMAZING. THEY HAVE SO MANY WONDERFUL QUESTIONS. AND THEN THE OTHER THING I ATTENDED WAS THREE DIFFERENT MEETINGS AT THE SCHOOLS. AND THIS WAS FOR THE HOPE SQUAD. SO AGAIN, THIS IS AN INITIATIVE THAT AS A TOWNSHIP, FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE HAVE COLLABORATED WITH THE SCHOOLS.

SO THE MONTGOMERY MAYOR'S WELLNESS CAMPAIGN LANDED ABOUT 10,000 GRANT THAT'S GOING TO FUND THE HOPE SQUAD, WHICH IS A PEER TO PEER OUTREACH PROGRAM IN MONTGOMERY SCHOOLS. AND THE GRANT WILL PROVIDE SEED MONEY FOR STUDENT, ADULT AND STUDENT LED, ADULT SUPPORTED INITIATIVE TO PROMOTE A CULTURE OF CARE AMONG THE STUDENTS. SO THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE VERY PROUD OF AT THE TOWNSHIP. AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME. SO WE WERE AT LOWER MIDDLE SCHOOL, UPPER MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND AT THE HIGH SCHOOL WHERE KIDS WERE NOMINATED BY THEIR PEERS TO BE PART OF THE SQUAD. AND WE GOT TO SEE THE MEET THE PARENTS AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEIR KIDS ARE SO AMAZING THAT THE OTHER KIDS FELT THAT THEY THESE ARE THE KIDS THEY REACHED OUT TO WHEN THEY WHEN THEY HAD SOMETHING THAT THEY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT OR FELT, YOU KNOW, EMOTIONALLY THEY NEEDED SUPPORT. SO THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY NICE.

AND DEFINITELY ANYTHING THAT CREATES A CULTURE OF KINDNESS AND INCLUSIVITY AND HOPE IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND WHAT ELSE DID WE HAVE? I'M JUST TRYING TO REMEMBER, I THINK THAT'S IT. I DON'T THINK WE HAD ANY OTHER MEETINGS, AND I JUST WANTED TO WISH OUR RESIDENTS WHO CELEBRATE HOLI, BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE SAW PEOPLE WITH COLOR ALL OVER. I THINK THERE WERE PEOPLE IN THE PARK. SOMEONE SENT ME PICTURES. THEY WERE THROWING COLOR AT EACH OTHER. SO HOLI WAS YESTERDAY AND HAPPY HOLI TO EVERYBODY WHO CELEBRATES. SO THANK YOU. AND

[9. Administrator’s Report]

[02:25:03]

DEP AGREED WITH IT. SO THE WATER'S THE ONE ARM OF DEP IS SAYING YOU HAVE TO MEET THESE MUNICIPAL STORMWATER REGULATIONS BY X DATE. ANOTHER ARM OF DEP SAYS, THIS IS GREAT THAT YOU'RE DOING REGIONAL PLANNING ON THIS ISSUE. AND HERE'S A BUNCH OF MONEY THAT'S GOING TO HELP YOU AND ALL THESE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES FUND THIS. AND THERE'S A COMPLETE DISCONNECT IN TERMS OF WHEN THE WORK HAS TO BE DONE AND THE FACT THAT WE CANNOT EVEN START WORK, PAY FOR IT, AND THEN GET REIMBURSED. THEY'RE SAYING YOU CAN'T DO ANY WORK. AND ONE THING THAT HE HE DID INCLUDE, AND I JUST WANT TO READ YOU THESE EXAMPLES BECAUSE THEY'RE EYE OPENING. OKAY. OUR TOWNSHIP WAITED MORE THAN 600 DAYS FOR DEP REGULATORY PERMITS TO CONSTRUCT A FLOOD WALL TO PROTECT CRITICAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY. DURING THAT PROLONGED DELAY, TROPICAL STORM IDA CAUSED OVER SIX FEET OF FLOODING AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE TREATMENT PLANT. FURTHERMORE, THE DELAY PUSHED THE PROJECT TO START AND TO COVID 19 PANDEMIC WHEN CONSTRUCTION COSTS ESCALATED SIGNIFICANTLY. AS A RESULT, THE PROJECT BID AT 18.2 MILLION, WELL ABOVE THE 13.6 MILLION CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATE. NOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO THEN MARK WAS ABLE TO SECURE SOME FEMA FUNDING TO HELP OFFSET THOSE COSTS. WE EXPERIENCED A 539 DELAY REVIEW PROCESS FOR A VERY SMALL WETLANDS PERMIT, APPROXIMATELY 200FT■!S OF DISTURBANCE TO A ROADSIDE DRAINAGE SWALE, LOW SPOT CLASSIFIED AS ORDINARY RESOURCE VALUE. WETLANDS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A PUBLIC RECREATION PATH. THE PERMIT WAS ULTIMATELY ISSUED ONLY AFTER ESCALATING ESCALATION TO BUREAU MANAGEMENT AND DEMONSTRATING THAT MUCH LARGER DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WERE MOVING THROUGH THE REVIEW PROCESS MORE QUICKLY. IN 2022, WE SECURED AN NJDEP GRANT TO RETROFIT TWO DETENTION BASINS THAT WERE OLDER DETENTION BASINS WITH GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO INCREASE STORMWATER CAPACITY AND IMPROVE WATER QUALITY. IT TOOK NEARLY THREE YEARS TO FINALIZE THE GRANT AGREEMENT, AND THE PROJECT EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE DELAYS DURING DEP'S DESIGN REVIEW PROCESS. AS A RESULT, THE PROJECT HAS STILL NOT BEEN ADVERTISED FOR BID AND THE FUNDING IS SCHEDULED TO EXPIRE THIS YEAR. SO THIS MEETING NEEDS TO HAPPEN? YES, AND WE WILL BE CHAMPIONING ON THE PART OF MANY OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN NEW JERSEY.

SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE, AND I THINK THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY VERY WELL RECEIVED BY DEP THERE.

AND I THINK THEY RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THESE EXAMPLES OUT THERE. SO WE'RE VERY HOPEFUL THAT AT LEAST ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW WITH OUR MS4 PERMIT THAT WILL HAVE A DATE TO EXPIRE AND OUR WATERSHED IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, AND THIS GRANT TO HELP FUND THAT, YOU KNOW, TO TRY AND COORDINATE ALL OF THAT AND MOVE IT FORWARD. I THINK WE'RE HOPEFUL. I THINK MARK IS DOING A GREAT JOB, AND I ATTENDED THOSE MEETINGS WHEN THEY WERE HERE. AND YES, I IT WAS A LOT TO RALLY ALL THE TOWNS AND ALL THE TOWNS WE WERE TRYING TO. YES, I THINK WE MOSTLY GOT ALL TOWNS. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE HILLSBOROUGH. YEAH. NO, WE DO NOT HAVE HILLSBOROUGH, BUT WE HAVE MOST OF THE OTHER TOWNS. RIGHT. CANDIDLY, SOME OF THE TOWNS ARE, SOME OF THE TOWNS ARE IN MULTIPLE WATERSHEDS. SO THEY HAD TO WEIGH THE COST BENEFIT OF WHETHER TO JOIN IN EACH WATERSHED OR JUST HAVE SOMETHING DONE FOR THEMSELVES. NO, I UNDERSTAND, BUT WE ARE REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF MARK AND HIS LEADERSHIP ON THIS. JUST THE NEXT UPDATE IS FROM THE REV 250 COMMITTEE. I WANTED TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE TOWNSHIP'S PLANS TO ONE ASPECT OF THE CELEBRATION FOR THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY LAST WEEK, THE REV 250 COMMITTEE DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF HOSTING THE PARADE AS PART OF THE TOWNSHIP'S ANNUAL 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS EVENT, WHICH IS THURSDAY, JUNE 25TH. WHILE THIS WAS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED, IT WAS ULTIMATELY RULED OUT DUE TO THE SCOPE AND SCALE THAT EACH EVENT REQUIRED AND MADE COMBINING THE EVENTS UNTENABLE. HOWEVER, THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSED WHAT COULD BE TWEAKED FOR THE PARADE CONCEPT IN ORDER TO COMBINE BOTH EVENTS, SO WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND ADMINISTRATION, RECREATION, DPW AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, MEMBERS OF THE REV 250 COMMITTEE WERE ABLE TO CREATE A MODIFIED PARADE PLAN, ONE THAT IS SCALED BACK IN LOGISTICS BUT NOT IN MEANING. EVEN WITH THESE ADJUSTMENTS, THE PARADE KEEPS ITS CORE ELEMENTS. VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS REMAIN CENTRAL HISTORICAL GROUPS. RE-ENACTORS

[02:30:04]

[10. Statement – Affordable Housing Update]

SO IF THIS IS REDUNDANT I APOLOGIZE. IF IT'S NEW INFORMATION, THEN I'M GLAD LAURIE REMINDED ME. RECENTLY, THE PROGRAM JUDGE, JUDGE MILLARD, ISSUED HIS RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNTY LEVEL MOUNT LAUREL JUDGE, WHICH IS JUDGE MENON, INDICATING THAT THERE WAS NO CONSENSUS REACHED. IT WAS A, YOU KNOW, NO SETTLEMENT WAS REACHED IN THE DIFFERENT OBJECTIONS OUTLINED ALL THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS, AND THEN NOTED THAT THE ADJUDICATOR HAD INDICATED THAT WE SEEM TO HAVE A COMPLIANT PLAN. BUT THE PLAN WENT ON. THE NEW HOUSING PLAN WAS JUST PUT ON FILE IN FEBRUARY. SO HIS RECOMMENDATION WAS TO GIVE DEFERENCE TO THE MUNICIPALITY ON OUR PLAN THAT WE DO. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHAT OUR PLAN IS, AND THERE'S ADDITIONAL STUFF ABOUT BUILDERS NOT NECESSARILY GETTING TO CHOOSE AND THE PLAN NOT BEING ACCEPTED, WHETHER THERE'S ANY RIGHTS IN THAT, ETC. SO HIS RECOMMENDATION IS TO GO THROUGH A FAIRNESS HEARING PROCESS ON THE NEW HOUSING PLAN. BUT AGAIN, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH WHEN I'M ABLE TO LOG INTO COURTS AGAIN AND SEE ABOUT THIS CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE. SO IT LOOKS LIKE THE JUDGE, FROM WHAT I WOULD GATHER, THE JUDGE IS BRINGING EVERYONE IN BEFORE ISSUING AN ORDER. OKAY. SO I MEAN, JUST SO WE CAN CONTINUE REPEATING, YOU KNOW, SO BECAUSE OF THIS SNOWSTORM, THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING TO REVIEW THIS IS THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING IS MARCH 9TH. OKAY. IN THIS ROOM, IT'S THEIR NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED PLANNING BOARD MEETING. WHAT? ALL OF THE ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS THAT THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE NEEDS TO ACCEPT TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE IMPLEMENTING PARTS OF THE HOUSING PLAN ARE ON THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT, AS THEY WERE ORIGINALLY MEANT TO BE. THE ONLY THING YOU WILL NOT HAVE TIME TO DO BEFORE MARCH 15TH IS TO HAVE A RESOLUTION TO ENDORSE THE PLAN. BUT THE PLANNING BOARD MAY HAVE VERY WELL

[02:35:02]

[11. Public Comment]

IT WASN'T CLEAR. SO THE PARADE IS GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT IT'LL HAPPEN ON THE DAY OF THE FIREWORKS. OR IS THAT A DONE DEAL THAT IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN THEN? OR IS IT MOVED OR NOT? I WOULD SAY THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION. SO WE WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE THE THE HEADS UP THAT THIS CONVERSATION HAPPENED LAST WEEK AND THAT WE'VE BEEN TAKING STEPS TO, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. OKAY. AND IN TERMS OF A BUDGET FOR ALL OF THIS STUFF, WHEN WOULD THAT BE SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC? I DON'T KNOW, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK? I DON'T KNOW AT THIS POINT. I THINK THE THE CHAIR, PAUL BLODGETT IS WORKING ON GETTING SPONSORS, SO WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE AS WE GET CLOSER TO I MEAN, I HAVE MIKE MARTIN AND DEPUTY MAYOR WHO ARE ON THE COMMITTEE. I DON'T THERE WAS AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF WHAT WOULD IT COST TO DO TWO EVENTS, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE OTHER REASONS WHY WE TRIED TO CONSOLIDATE IT WAS THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE ITEMS. BUT BUT IT'S A FAIR QUESTION AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BRING THAT UP IN THE NEXT MEETING. NEXT MEETING? YEAH, THAT SHOULD BE GOOD. OKAY. GREAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. ORDINANCES. INTRODUCTION

[12. Ordinance #26-1774 – An Ordinance of the Township of Montgomery, Somerset County, New Jersey to Exceed the Municipal Budget Appropriation Limits Providing for a 3.5% “Cap” for the 2026 Budget and to Establish a Cap Bank Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:4-45.14 – Introduction/First Reading ]

[13. Ordinance #26-1771 – An Ordinance of the Township of Montgomery Repealing and Replacing Chapter 15, “Affordable Housing” – Public Hearing/Final Adoption]

REPEALING AND REPLACING CHAPTER 15 AFFORDABLE HOUSING. PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY, MAYOR, THIS IS ONE OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ITEMS THAT'S ON THE AGENDA. WE MENTIONED THIS AT THE LAST MEETING BECAUSE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT REGULATIONS AND UPDATES TO THE REGULATORY PROCESS AND THE STATUTES AND THE CITATIONS.

IT'S REALLY ALMOST LIKE A HOUSEKEEPING REQUIRED STATEWIDE IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS ADDRESSING THE CORRECT CITATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS? MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPT ORDINANCE 26 1771. SO MOVED SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANN. YES.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BERRIGAN. YES. MAYOR. SINGH. YES. ORDINANCE 20

[14. Ordinance #26-1772 – An Ordinance Establishing a Comprehensive Salary and Wage Plan for the Township of Montgomery, Somerset County, and to Provide for its Administration in 2026 – Public Hearing/Final Adoption]

PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? DEBORAH KEENAN AGAIN. SO EARLIER TODAY OR EARLY IN THE MEETING, MICHAEL MADE A GOOD PRESENTATION AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CONSTRAINTS ON THE BUDGET. SO I WAS REALLY SURPRISED TO SEE THE LARGE INCREASE IN SALARY FOR THE ELECTED OFFICIALS. IT SEEMS A LITTLE BIT OUT OF TOUCH. LAST YEAR, THE MAYOR'S SALARY WAS 6500, AND FOR THE PREVIOUS YEARS IT WOULD JUST GO UP BASED ON LIKE A COST OF LIVING INCREASE OF EITHER 2 OR 2.5%, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WENT

[02:40:06]

SO HOW COME? I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE? I THINK WE WERE WELL, I WOULD SAY I'M ASKING THE MAYOR.

I MEAN, YOU'RE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS. I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. HOW COME THE I THINK WE HAD SEEN WHAT THE OTHER TOWNS AND THE, THE MAYORS WERE DOING, AND THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE FELT WAS NEEDED BECAUSE THIS IS THE COST OF LIVING RIGHT NOW. AND THAT'S HOW WE DECIDED THIS IS WHERE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DISCUSSED AT THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE AND THEN TALKED TO OUR CFO. AND IT MADE SENSE. IT MAKES SENSE, BUT IT SEEMS A LITTLE. JUST WEIRD THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THESE CONSTRAINTS AND CUTTING AND MAYBE NOT EVEN HIRING STAFF, AND YET YOU'RE GIVING YOURSELVES AN INCREASE. SO IT'S ALMOST $18,000. I KNOW IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE BUDGET, BUT IT SEEMS PRETTY TONE DEAF TO BE THE ONES ESPOUSING THAT WE NEED TO. I THINK YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED HOW MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT WE ACTUALLY GET PAID, SO BE SURPRISED I WAS THE MAYOR. YOU DO REALIZE I SAT IN THAT SEAT, I, I UNDERSTAND AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR PASSION FOR THIS, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY DON'T REALIZE THAT THE MAYOR AND THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE AND IN OTHER TOWNS, THIS SALARY, WE WENT AND LOOKED AT ALL THE TOWNS AS WE DO WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR EMPLOYEE SALARIES, WE LOOK AT THE TOWNS AROUND US AS TO WHERE THEY ARE, AND THAT'S WHERE THIS WAS. SO THIS IS THE SAME EXACT FUNCTION, RIGHT? WITH A TOWNSHIP ADMINISTRATOR THERE. TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE? YES. WE DEFINITELY DID NOT LOOK AT EDISON WHERE THE MAYOR MAKES 200,000. THEY HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT. YES, BUT BUT I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING WE LOOKED AT. WE LOOKED AT. YOU SHOULDN'T LOOK AT IT. IT'S NOT THE SAME FORM OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT. ABSOLUTELY. I'M JUST MAKING A POINT BECAUSE THE RESIDENTS ARE LISTENING. SO THEY UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF RESIDENTS WHO DO NOT KNOW THAT THIS IS A VOLUNTEER JOB, AND THIS IS WHAT WE ARE DOING. IT'S 10,000 A YEAR, 9000 A YEAR. IT IS 8000 A YEAR. RIGHT. BUT IT WAS THAT'S A VERY, VERY LARGE INCREASE. I THINK IT SOUNDS TONE DEAF. AND I, I DO HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE ONE OF YOUR MEMBERS DOESN'T ACTUALLY PAY TAXES, HAS A FULL TAX ABATEMENT. THAT INDIVIDUAL STILL TAKES A SALARY. THAT SEEMS A BIT. I KNOW IT'S POSSIBLY FINE FROM AN ETHICS PERSPECTIVE, BUT THAT ALSO JUST DOESN'T SIT RIGHT WITH WITH TAXPAYERS. WE APPRECIATE IT. AND WE, YOU KNOW AND UNDERSTAND YOUR PASSION FOR, YOU KNOW, ON BEHALF OF YOURSELF. WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THAT MY WHAT DO YOU MEAN MY PASSION ABOUT IT? I'M JUST I'M ASKING THE PERSON WHO'S GETTING A TAX ABATEMENT.

WOULD THEY CONSIDER NOT TAKING A SALARY IF THEY DON'T CONTRIBUTE TAXES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL? DEPUTY MAYOR. SO JUST FOR TRANSPARENCY, I HAVE 100% DISABILITY. AND SO I HAVE AN EXEMPTION FROM THE NEW JERSEY STATE ON THAT. SO BUT I STILL SERVE THIS TOWNSHIP JUST LIKE EVERYONE AROUND HERE. SO I HAVE NOTHING TO CLARIFY THAT THAT'S BASED ON A VETERAN'S DISABILITY.

NOT EVERYBODY WITH A DISABILITY. EXACTLY. YEAH. I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THAT AND I UNDERSTAND I KNOW YOU DO. I'M JUST SAYING IN CASE SOMEBODY ELSE IS LISTENING TO IT AT HOME AND IS LIKE, OH, WELL, I'M DISABLED, I, I SHOULD QUALIFY. BUT THAT'S BASED ON A STATUTE THAT IS FOR VETERANS SPECIFIC. YEAH, I HAVE A NEW JERSEY EXEMPTION, JUST LIKE SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE ANCHOR SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE, YOU KNOW, I ALREADY HAD AN EXEMPTION FOR, YOU KNOW, THE TOWNSHIP GIVES ME. SO I, I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT I SERVE MY TOWNSHIP AND THAT'S IT.

I MEAN, I DO UNDERSTAND ALSO THAT COMMITTEEMAN MARTIN HAS ALSO DECLINED TO HAVE A SALARY.

I DON'T KNOW IF HE'LL DO IT AGAIN THIS YEAR JUST FROM HIS. HE'S DECLINED ON HIS OWN. IT'S IT'S REALLY A PERSONAL DECISION WHETHER OR NOT YOU TAKE IT. SO SOMETIMES YOU CAN TAKE A SALARY BECAUSE YOUR WORK WILL NOT LET YOU TAKE A SALARY BECAUSE IT'S A CONFLICT. BUT IT'S STILL IT'S STILL A IT'S STILL AN OPTION, JUST LIKE WE KNOW. ABSOLUTELY. AND YOU WERE WELCOME TO DO THAT TO YOURSELF. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S EVERY AND I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND THAT THE SALARIES ARE 10,000 A YEAR, 9000 A YEAR AND 8000 A YEAR. YES. AND I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE AND I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE WITHIN OUR TOWNSHIP TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY RUN FOR OFFICE AND SERVE THIS TOWNSHIP, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND HAVING DISCUSSIONS LIKE THIS SOMETIMES DISCOURAGES PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY FEEL THAT THEY'RE BECOMING A

[02:45:05]

AND I THINK I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THEY TRY TO RUN FOR OFFICE OR VOLUNTEER. THERE'S A LOT OF OPTIONS. THEY'RE OPEN TO YOU, TOO. IF YOU WANTED TO JOIN A COMMITTEE OR COMMISSION AND HELP OUT, HELP OUT AT OUR, YOU KNOW, FOOD PANTRY AND OTHER STUFF. SO THERE IS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES, BUT THIS IS NOT A BACK AND FORTH. WE UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THIS. AND I THINK IT'S BEEN NOTED. WELL, IT'S A PUBLIC COMMENT. AND I ALSO THINK THAT WHAT YOU SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE THAT YOU WENT FROM 53 AND 89% INCREASE, THAT SHOULD ALSO BE INCLUDED. AND THINKING THAT YOU'RE GETTING HARASSED WHEN YOU'RE ASKED WHEN WE'RE ASKING ABOUT BUDGET, RIGHT. THAT'S THE ROLE OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS IS TO LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET, AND THAT IS THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS. IT'S NOT HARASSMENT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPT ORDINANCE 20 6-1772. SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR OF ARAGON.

[15. Ordinance #26-1773 - An Ordinance Amending Schedule XXI, Traffic Regulations on Private Property, of Chapter VIIA, Traffic Schedules, Section 10.2 of Chapter III, Police Regulations, and Section 11.3 of Chapter III, Police Regulations of the Code of the Township of Montgomery (1984) to Add the Private Property of Montgomery Place (Formerly known as Pike Run Plaza) – Public Hearing/Final Adoption]

TRAFFIC REGULATIONS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY OF CHAPTER SEVEN TRAFFIC SCHEDULE. SECTION 10.2 OF CHAPTER THREE POLICE REGULATIONS IN SECTION 11.3 OF CHAPTER THREE. POLICE REGULATIONS OF THE CODE OF TOWNSHIP OF MONTGOMERY, 1984. TO ADD THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OF MONTGOMERY PLACE, FORMERLY KNOWN AS PIKE RUN PLAZA. PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPT ORDINANCE 20 6-1773. SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANN. ABSTAIN. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BERRIGAN. YES.

MAYOR. SINGH. YES. SECOND. SORRY. RESOLUTIONS. RESOLUTION 26 396. DETERMINING THE FORM

[16. Resolution #26-3-96 – Determining the Form and Other Details of Not Exceeding $17,000,000 Bonds of the Township of Montgomery, in the County of Somerset, New Jersey, and Providing for Their Sale to the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank and the State of New Jersey and Further Authorizing the Execution of Various Agreements, all Pursuant to the New Jersey Water Bank]

COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANNE. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD.

YES. DEPUTY MAYOR. BERRIGAN. YES. MAYOR. SING. YES. RESOLUTION 26 397, AUTHORIZING

[17. Resolution #26-3-97 – Authorizing the Award of a Two-Year Contract to Weingart Landscaping for Municipal Center Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance Services (2026, 2027)]

MARTIN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANNE. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY.

MAYOR. BERRIGAN. YES. MAYOR. SING. YES. RESOLUTION 26 398 AUTHORIZING OUTDOOR ASSEMBLY

[18. Resolution #26-3-98 – Authorizing Outdoor Assembly Permit – Princeton Show Jumping]

I. IF YOU RECALL, AT LAST, THE LAST MEETING I BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION THE APPLICATION FOR THE REQUEST FOR THE 2026 DATES. AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, I HAVE RECEIVED NO OBJECTIONS AND THE

[02:50:01]

[19. Resolution #26-3-99 – Authorizing the Purchase of a Ford F550 Mason Dump Truck for the Department of Public Works]

THE SOMERSET COUNTY AND AGAIN WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK. BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN THEM WITH VEHICLES OKAY I'M FINE MOVING FORWARD. IF WE COULD JUST TRIPLE CONFIRM. SO. OKAY. THANKS. MAKES SENSE.

MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 26 399. SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE.

[02:55:04]

[20. Resolution #26-3-100 – Adopting an Amended Fourth Round Spending Plan ]

THERE IS A FORM OF SPENDING PLAN THAT WOULD BE ATTACHED TO THE HOUSING ELEMENT. NORMALLY YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN ENDORSING AND ADOPTING SPENDING PLAN. WE DON'T WANT TO HOLD THIS ONE UP TO WAIT FOR THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING, SO IT'LL BE SEPARATE FROM THE ENDORSEMENT. I THINK IN JULY WE DID IT TOGETHER. BUT YES. SO THIS SPENDING PLAN WILL DETERMINE HOW YOUR FEES THAT GET COLLECTED FROM DEVELOPMENT FEES, WHICH WAS PART OF THE ORDINANCE THAT YOU DID EARLIER TONIGHT, HOW THOSE FEES GET EXPENDED. THERE ARE CERTAIN CATEGORIES BY THE STATE OF PERCENTAGES THAT YOU CAN'T EXCEED. YOU KNOW, 20% CAN ONLY BE USED A MAXIMUM FOR FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS. A SLIGHT TWEAK NOW IS THAT IT'S NOT 30% EXACTLY FOR AFFORDABILITY. AND I'M PROBABLY GOING WAY TOO IN DEPTH OF WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. BUT THERE WERE NEW REGULATIONS PASSED, SO IT REQUIRED UPDATING IT FROM THE SPENDING PLAN THAT WAS DONE AND ADOPTED BACK IN JULY, BECAUSE THERE'S NEW REGULATIONS AS WELL, AND CHANGING SOME OF THE PERCENTAGES, THE NUMBERS AND THE PERCENTAGES BECAUSE IT IS A PROJECTION FOR TEN YEARS. SO IF ANYONE'S LOOKING AT THE PLAN, THAT'S WHAT IS PROJECTED. IF IT DOESN'T, IF IT COMES IN, YOU'RE SAYING HOW YOU'RE SPENDING IT, BUT IT CAN BE TWEAKED IF THE PROJECTIONS DON'T MATCH THE EXPECTATIONS. YES, IT IS A TEN YEAR PLAN. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 26 300. SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANNE. YES.

COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BERRIGAN. YES. MAYOR. SINGH. YES. RESOLUTION

[21. Resolution #26-3-101 – Designating CGP&H as the Township’s Administrative Agent for its Affordable Housing Rehabilitation Program]

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

[22. Resolution #26-3-102 – Adopting an Affordable Housing Affirmative Marketing Plan for the Township of Montgomery]

NEW REGULATIONS, AFFIRMATIVE MARKETING PLAN IS EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE. IT GIVES A PREDETERMINED KIND OF A FLOWCHART FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, WHETHER IT'S FOR FROM THE TOWNSHIPS OR IF IT DEVELOPER HAS THEIR OWN. IT DOES INDICATE THAT THE DEVELOPER PAYS FOR IT. IF NO MATTER, THAT'S GOOD. SO IT GIVES THE FLOWCHART, YOU KNOW, WHICH LIBRARIES DOES NOTICE HAVE TO BE PLACED WHEN THERE'S UNITS COMING ONLINE. WHERE DO YOU HAVE TO ADVERTISE IT. IT KIND OF SELF-EXPLANATORY. NEW FORMAT. OH IN ROUND FOR THE THE AFFIRMATIVE MARKETING PLAN IS FULLY THE RESOLUTION. AND THEN WHEN A NEW PROJECT COMES ON, THERE'S A WORKSHEET THAT GETS DONE. AND THE WORKSHEET IS IS AN AN EXHIBIT TO THE AFFIRMATIVE MARKETING RESOLUTION. SO INSTEAD OF THE RESOLUTION ADOPTING ANOTHER PLAN, THE PLAN IS WITHIN THE RESOLUTION. NOW IT'S REALLY INTERESTING. ALL THE NEW FORMATS, NEW DEADLINES, NEW DATES, NEW EVERYTHING IS CHANGING ALL THE TIME. WELL, FUN FACT SOME THINGS HAVE CHANGED AND THEY HAVEN'T PUT THE CLASSES OUT YET TO TRAIN THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENTS. SO OH GOOD LORD, WE'RE ADOPTING PLANS THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW TO IMPLEMENT IN SOME RESPECTS, YOU GOT TO LOVE GOVERNMENT. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 20 63-102. SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL, PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER.

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

YES. MAYOR. SINGH. YES. CORRESPONDENCE. THERE IS NO CORRESPONDENCE. NEW AND

[24. New and Unfinished Business]

[03:00:05]

ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE? OKAY. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. THERE ARE NO ITEMS

[26. Resolution #26-3-103 Executive Session]

AFFORDABLE HOUSING DOCKET NUMBERS SOML 1215 DASH 24 REAL PROPERTY. STONEBRIDGE. IT IS UNKNOWN PRECISELY WHEN THE MATTER DISCUSSED IN THIS SESSION WILL BE DISCLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY AND SETTLEMENT OF LITIGATION SHALL ONLY BE APPROVED BY THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE IN A PUBLIC SESSION. THIS RESOLUTION SHALL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 20 6-3103. SO MOVED. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANNE. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR.

TODD. YES. DEPUTY WE'RE BACK. YEP. WE'RE GOOD. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND OPEN REGULAR SESSION. SO MOVED SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE. ADJOURNMENT. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED SECOND. ALL

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.