[* A portion of this meeting is without audio *]
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CALL TO ORDER. THIS IS THE REGULAR MEETING OF MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE. CALLED TO ORDER AT 7 P.M. ROLL CALL PLEASE. MAYOR SINGH HERE. DEPUTY MAYOR BARRAGAN HERE.
COMMITTEE MEMBER TAYLOR TODD HERE. COMMITTEE MEMBER ON HERE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. MARTIN.
NOTICE OF MEETING IN 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. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. OKAY, SO WE START WITH THE PRESENTATION AGE FRIENDLY SURVEY REPORT. HEALTH DEPARTMENT. I'M JUST WAITING FOR THE SCREENS TO COME UP ALIVE. ONE SECOND. IT'S LIKE THE PET FRIENDLY. OH THAT'S CUTE. ALL RIGHT. SO HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS EMILY SCHREINER. I'M THE PUBLIC HEALTH PLANNER FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND PRESENTING TODAY THE AGE FRIENDLY MONTGOMERY COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT RESULTS. SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT SINCE ABOUT AUGUST OF LAST YEAR AND WANT TO START WITH A LITTLE BIT OF THE BACKGROUND. SO WE RECEIVED A 70 $70,000 GRANT FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES WITH THE GOAL OF MAKING OUR COMMUNITY MORE AGE FRIENDLY, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON OLDER ADULTS BEING AGE 55 AND OLDER. SO THROUGH THIS GRANT, THE PRIMARY GOAL WAS TO CONDUCT A NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN MONTGOMERY TO DETERMINE WHAT RESOURCES WE HAVE AND WHAT IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE. SO THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO INFORM THE TOWNSHIP AND THE COMMUNITY OF WHAT SENIORS NEED, AND THEN ALSO DEVELOP A FOUNDATION FOR HAVING THIS INITIATIVE LAST FOR A LONG TIME. SO WHY IT MATTERS? ADULTS AGE 55 AND OVER CURRENTLY MAKE UP 30% OF THE POPULATION OF MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP AND ADULTS AGE 65 AND OVER MAKE UP 14.7% OF THE TOWNSHIP. IN GENERAL, THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS THAT ARE AGE 65 AND OLDER IS PROJECTED TO INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY, FROM 58,000,000 IN 20 22 TO 82 MILLION BY 2050. SO THAT'LL BE A RISE FROM 17% TO 23% OF THE POPULATION. SO THEY DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC PROJECTIONS FOR NEW JERSEY OR MONTGOMERY. BUT WE CAN EXPECT A SIMILAR RISE IN PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION. ALL RIGHT. SO OUR DATA COLLECTION EFFORT STARTED IN JULY AND WE USED SEVERAL METHODS. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD GATHER DATA FROM MULTIPLE SUBSETS OF THE POPULATION. WE WANTED TO GATHER DATA FROM COMMUNITY LEADERS AND PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE SERVICES, AS WELL AS RESIDENTS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE USING THESE SERVICES. SO INITIALLY, WE STARTED OUT WITH 23 KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS THAT WERE CONDUCTED WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. AND THEN WE HAD A COMMUNITY WIDE SURVEY. BETWEEN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER, WE HAD 198 RESPONDENTS TO THE SURVEY, 93 OF WHICH 93% OF WHICH WERE IN THE TARGET AGE POPULATION. AND THEN WE FINISHED UP WITH THREE LISTENING SESSIONS, WHICH I KNOW SOME OF YOU ATTENDED THAT WERE DISCUSSION GROUPS FOR RESIDENTS TO TALK MORE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES LIVING IN MONTGOMERY. AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE A FACILITIES ASSESSMENT THAT IS BEING CONDUCTED OR THE FACILITIES ASSESSMENT WAS CONDUCTED. WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF ANALYZING THAT. SO MORE OF THE DATA FROM THE FACILITIES ASSESSMENT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL REPORT.
SO FOR THIS PRESENTATION, I'M JUST GOING TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE KEY DATA POINTS. THE FULL DATA AND ANALYSIS IS ALL GOING TO BE IN THE FINAL REPORT, WHICH SHOULD BE DONE SOMETIME
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LATER THIS MONTH. ALL RIGHT. SO I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE CONTRIBUTING STAKEHOLDERS TO THIS PROJECT IN PROVIDING INFORMATION AND HELPING WITH, YOU KNOW, PUTTING TOGETHER OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO SENIORS IN THE COMMUNITY. SO WE HAVE, OBVIOUSLY, THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWNSHIP AS WELL AS MANY TOWNSHIP DEPARTMENTS. AND WE ALSO TALKED TO SOME OTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE TOWN.RIGHT. SO THE SURVEY RESULTS AND AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT ALL THE RESULTS. BUT JUST TO HIGHLIGHT OF SOME OF THE RESULTS. SO IN GENERAL, PEOPLE IN THIS AGE RANGE TEND TO HAVE LIVED IN MONTGOMERY FOR A LONG TIME, AND THEY LIKE LIVING HERE. MOST PEOPLE WANT TO STAY LIVING HERE AND WANT TO, YOU KNOW, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO CONTINUE LIVING HERE. AND THAT'S SHOWN HERE ON THIS SLIDE AS WELL. MOST PARTICIPANTS DID SAY THEY WANT TO CONTINUE LIVING IN THEIR CURRENT HOME, AND THEY WANT TO STAY IN MONTGOMERY. HOWEVER, ONLY 18% INDICATED THAT THEY STRONGLY AGREE THAT MONTGOMERY IS AN EXCELLENT PLACE TO AGE, WHICH SHOWS US THAT WE HAVE SOME ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN PROVIDING SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS TO THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO STAY HERE. SO AGAIN, THE QUESTION IS, IN MONTGOMERY, THERE ARE EXCELLENT COMMUNITY SUPPORTS AND SERVICES FOR THOSE AGED 60 AND OVER. SO THERE ARE MIXED OPINIONS ON THIS, WITH MOST PEOPLE FALLING IN THE MIDDLE OF NOT REALLY FEELING THAT STRONGLY ABOUT THIS AND THEN EQUAL PARTS AGREEING AND DISAGREEING. THIS SLIDE JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT.
LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE SENIOR CENTER PROGRAMS THAT ARE OFFERED. ABOUT HALF SAID THEY WERE FAMILIAR. HOWEVER, ALMOST 80% OF PARTICIPANTS SAY THEY DON'T USE THE SENIOR CENTER EVER. SO IT IS A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF OUR SENIOR POPULATION WHO ARE ACTUALLY USING THE SENIOR CENTER. SOME OF THE REASONS THEY IDENTIFIED FOR THIS EITHER THEY DON'T IDENTIFY AS A SENIOR, THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE OFFERED THERE, OR THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF THE PROGRAMS OR THE SCHEDULES THAT ARE AVAILABLE. 70% OF PARTICIPANTS DIDN'T KNOW WHO THEY COULD CONTACT IF SOMEONE THEY KNEW NEEDED ASSISTANCE WITH CAREGIVING, MEAL DELIVERY, HOME REPAIRS, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, HOME SAFETY, TRANSPORTATION TO MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS, AND SOCIAL RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES. SO DEFINITELY NEED TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE. SO 42% OF PARTICIPANTS AGREED THAT THEY HAVE EXCELLENT ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, AND THEN 46% WERE AGAIN IN THAT KIND OF MIDDLE RANGE. SO FOR THE MOST PART, PEOPLE AGREE THAT THERE IS ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, AND PEOPLE GENERALLY RATED THEIR GENERAL HEALTH AS AS GOOD. AND SOME PEOPLE DID NOTE THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEIR HEALTH IS GOOD. BUT IF THEY WERE TO DEVELOP A DISABILITY OR SOMETHING, THEY'RE NOT SURE HOW THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO COPE WITH THAT LIVING HERE. TRANSPORTATION. SO 38% OF PARTICIPANTS DISAGREED THAT MONTGOMERY HAS EXCELLENT TRANSPORTATION, AND MOST PARTICIPANTS SAID THAT THEIR PRIMARY MODE OF TRANSPORTING THEMSELVES IS BY DRIVING. AND AGAIN, PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED IF THEY CAN NO LONGER DRIVE, HOW THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS SERVICES. SO ONLY 36% OF RESPONDENTS AGREED THAT THERE WAS EXCELLENT ACCESS TO INFORMATION FOR OLDER ADULTS.
WE HAD A LOT OF FEEDBACK THAT WE COULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR OLDER ADULTS TO ACCESS THE INFORMATION THEY NEED. AND THEN THESE WERE THE MOST COMMON WAYS THAT PEOPLE DO GET INFORMATION.
THE MONTGOMERY NEWS BEING THE MOST COMMON. AND THEN THE TOWNSHIP WEBSITE, FOLLOWED BY THE E-BULLETIN. SO ONLY 24% OF PARTICIPANTS AGREED THAT MONTGOMERY HAS GOOD HOUSING OPTIONS FOR SENIORS, AND 31% DISAGREED. AND THEN, YES, 41% OF RESPONDENTS SAID THAT THEIR HOME WOULD NOT BE SUITABLE FOR AGING IN PLACE IF THEY WERE TO DEVELOP ANY PHYSICAL DISABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS. SO WE ALSO DID QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS. I'M JUST THIS IS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF THE TOPICS THAT WERE MENTIONED THROUGHOUT THE LISTENING SESSIONS AND THE INTERVIEWS. SO THE MOST COMMON TOPIC AREA WAS TRANSPORTATION FOLLOWED BY SOCIALIZATION AND
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RECREATION, MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNICATION. AND I WILL GO INTO ADDITIONAL DATA POINTS FROM THE LISTENING SESSIONS AS I GO THROUGH SOME OF THE ANALYSIS THAT WE DID. A QUICK QUESTION, AND I APPRECIATE THE THE DETAIL. ANY INSIGHTS ON MAYBE ARE THERE SOME THINGS THAT WE COULD HAVE DONE TO TRY TO GET MORE OF THE POPULATION? BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S HARD TO GET PEOPLE TO PROVIDE DATA, BUT IF I WAS DOING THE MATH THAT 30% OF THE OF MONTGOMERY IS AT THAT AGE, I MEAN, I CAN'T COME UP WITH LIKE A LITTLE BIT OVER 6000, BUT WE GOT ABOUT LIKE LESS THAN 200. SO IT'S A, IT'S VERY LOW OF A PERCENTAGE. ANY THOUGHTS ON HOW WE. BECAUSE WHEN I GET CONCERNS ABOUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST A SMALL POPULATION THAT SOMETIMES WE FIND, YOU KNOW, IN THE TOWNSHIP, YOU KNOW, A SMALL POPULATION, YOU KNOW, THEN DRIVES KIND OF LIKE THE DIRECTION. AND I GET CONCERNED THAT MAYBE WE'RE NOT CAPTURING OTHER, OTHER VOICES OR ANY THOUGHTS, OR DO WE KNOW IF THERE'S THINGS THAT MAYBE WE COULD HAVE DONE IF EVEN IF WE HAD TO INVEST MORE MONEY TO GET MORE OF A, OF THE VOICE OF THE, OF THE RESIDENTS? YEAH. I MEAN, WE DID SAY TO THE, THE GRANT FUNDERS, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE TIME ON THIS GRANT BECAUSE WE IT WAS VERY SHORT TURNAROUND.SO IF WE HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THE INITIATIVE AND GET EVERYONE INVOLVED, WE MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN SOME MORE PARTICIPATION IN THE SURVEY. WE DID DO OUTREACH TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS OF TOWN. OUR SPREAD OF PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED. WE DID KEEP TRACK OF THE ADDRESSES OF PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED. THE SPREAD WAS VERY WIDE THROUGHOUT TOWN, BUT AGAIN, WE COULD HAVE PROMOTED IT A LITTLE BIT MORE. MAYBE IF WE HAD A LITTLE MORE TIME. I THINK EMILY, IT DID GO TO OUR TO STONEBRIDGE AND I BELIEVE THE SENIOR CENTER AND ALSO LOU VACCARO'S SENIOR GROUP. SO WE TRY TO GET SOME POPULATIONS THAT WE FELT WAS OKAY. YES. BUT DID THE DEPUTY MAYORS POINT. YEAH, WE COULD HAVE NOTED IT ON OUR ALL OF OUR, YOU KNOW, MEDIA AND EVERYTHING. IT WAS IN THE NEWSPAPER. WE SENT IT OUT TO THE HOA PRESIDENTS. YOU KNOW, WE DID ALL OF THAT. SO, OKAY, WE TRIED TO, YOU KNOW, DISSEMINATE IT AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE. AND JUST ONE MORE QUESTION BEFORE YOU MOVE ON. SO DID YOU HAVE A SENSE IN REFERENCE TO THE QUESTION ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE OVER 60 WERE AWARE OF OR USE THE SENIOR CENTER? DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW THE AVERAGE AGE OF THOSE WHO DO USE THE SENIOR CENTER? BECAUSE I THINK 60 IS A LITTLE BIT ON THE YOUNG SIDE FOR PEOPLE TO USE THE SENIOR CENTER.
YES, IT DOES TEND TO SKEW OLDER FOR THE SENIOR CENTER USE. YEAH. OKAY. AND WHAT ACTIVITIES DO YOU KNOW OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR? IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON HOW WE CAN GET MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED. YEAH. SO I THAT'S THAT'S PART OF THE NEXT SET. WE ASKED MORE IN THE LISTENING SESSIONS, IN THE INTERVIEWS ABOUT THE SPECIFIC KINDS OF ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS THAT THEY WERE INTERESTED IN. SO I CAN DEFINITELY TALK ABOUT THAT.
YEAH. SO THE DATA ANALYSIS, WE LOOKED AT THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES IN MONTGOMERY AS WELL AS THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS. SO OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS BEING MORE EXTERNAL FORCES THAT ARE EITHER ASSISTING OR HINDERING US. SO THE STRENGTHS SO THIS, THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT MONTGOMERY DOES WELL AND THE RESOURCES THAT STAND OUT. SO THERE'S A LOT PEOPLE SAID THEY APPRECIATED. THERE'S A LOT OF COLLABORATION AMONG TOWNSHIP.
AND DEPARTMENTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND MANY. PARTICIPANTS SAID THAT THEY ENJOYED THE EMPHASIS ON OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION AND ENDURING OUTDOOR SPACES. MOST PARTICIPANTS SAID THEY REALLY ENJOY SPENDING TIME IN THE PARKS, AND THEY LIKE THAT EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED. THERE'S LOTS OF ACCESSIBLE TRAILS. THEY'RE ALL CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER. THE COMMUNITY EVENTS AND INFORMATION SESSIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY TARGETED TOWARDS OLDER ADULTS. SO THE FRAUD PREVENTION FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE LIKE, HEALTH SCREENINGS FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE BULK PICKUP THAT WAS TARGETED FOR SENIORS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, THEY THEY DO REALLY APPRECIATE THOSE. AND THEY HIGHLIGHTED THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN AS A BENEFIT TO LIVING HERE. SO THERE'S A MULTITUDE OF LOCAL HEALTHCARE OPTIONS. WE ARE PRETTY CENTRALLY LOCATED AMONG MULTIPLE DIFFERENT HOSPITALS.
SO PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEY CAN ACCESS THEIR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS AND SPECIALISTS.
PEOPLE APPRECIATE THAT THERE'S A VISION FOR INCREASED WALKABILITY, THE OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION AND PLANNING HAVE LOTS OF PLANS FOR ADDITIONAL PATHWAYS AND SIDEWALKS AND CONNECTORS, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, EVEN WITH THIS NEW SENIOR DEVELOPMENT THAT'S BEING BUILT HERE AND BEING ABLE TO CONNECT TO DIFFERENT AREAS OF TOWN. AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A STRONG
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SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN MONTGOMERY FOR RESIDENTS. PEOPLE REALLY ENJOY LIVING HERE.THEY WANT TO SUPPORT THEIR NEIGHBORS. THEY CARE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE TOWN. THEY WANT TO COME OUT AND TALK ABOUT IT AND, YOU KNOW, BE A PART OF IT. SO THAT'S ALSO A DEFINITE STRENGTH OF MONTGOMERY. OKAY, SO SOME OF THE WEAKNESSES. SO THESE ARE AGAIN, ALL INFORMED BY OPPORTUNITY AREAS, NOT WEAKNESSES. SO ONE THING THAT WAS NOTED WAS THE LACK OF FORMAL MECHANISMS FOR COLLABORATION ON MUNICIPAL PLANNING, AS WELL AS LACK OF LIKE AGE FRIENDLY STANDARDS FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS. OUR EMS NOTED THAT THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME APARTMENT COMPLEXES IN TOWN THAT ARE VERY ADA FRIENDLY, EASY FOR EMERGENCY ACCESS, EASY FOR RESIDENTS TO GET AROUND. AND THEN THERE ARE OTHERS THAT ARE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THOSE THINGS. SO IT'S THIS IS A THIS IS AN INTERESTING TOPIC BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THERE'S, I MEAN, MAYBE LIKE FOR SOME OLDER, OLDER, YOU KNOW, FACILITIES, BUT FOR LIKE NEW DEVELOPMENTS, WE DIDN'T. DOES THAT RESONATE? I MEAN, I WOULD SAY LORI AND WITH THAT, THAT THERE COULD BE THAT RISK. I MEAN, I, I'LL JUST ANSWER QUICKLY BECAUSE THE PLANNING BOARD THAT DOES COME UP. YEAH. WHEN NEW BUILDINGS ARE BEING BUILT AND EMS IS THERE. YEAH. PUTTING THEIR $0.02 IN. BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING EXTRA BECAUSE I REMEMBER SITTING THERE AND THEN THEY BRINGING UP LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE TO COME AND HELP OUT, WE NEED THOSE EXTRAS. AND THE DEVELOPER DOES PUT THAT IN. YES. RIGHT. AND WE HAVE ACTUALLY AN EMS MEMBER THAT'S ON OUR PLANNING BOARD. OKAY. YEAH. ONE OF THE COMPLEX'S THAT WAS NOTED FOR BEING PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT IS MONTGOMERY CROSSINGS COMPLEX, AND THAT'S ONLY A FEW YEARS OLD. SO IT'S EVEN THE NEW ONES THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY ACCESSIBLE. THE CROSSINGS. OKAY. THAT'S, THAT'S AN INTERESTING ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY FELT. YEAH, THAT'S PRETTY NEW. ALL RIGHT. SO, EMILY, WOULD YOU BE SPECIFIC AS TO WHAT THEIR CONCERN WAS AT CROSSINGS? I JUST WANT TO SOME OF IT WAS LIKE HALLWAYS NOT BEING WIDE ENOUGH FOR, YOU KNOW, STRETCHERS OR WHEELCHAIRS. OKAY. YOU KNOW, DOORWAYS, THINGS LIKE THAT. OKAY. NOT ENOUGH SPACE REALLY TO GET AROUND. OKAY. THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S GOOD TOO. YEAH. I KNOW STONEBRIDGE HAD HAD AN ISSUE LIKE THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN USING SCOOTERS AND THINGS. THEY ACTUALLY HAD A LARGE FLOW OF MOBILITY DEVICES OUTSIDE OF THEIR DINING HALL, DINING AREA, DINING ROOM. AND THEY HAD COME BACK TO THE PLANNING BOARD JUST TO MAKE SOME INTERNAL CHANGES.
BUT THAT IS, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHAT OF AN OLDER DEVELOPMENT. SO SO THEY HAD WANTED IT TO BE NARROWER? NO, IT'S JUST THAT THE GROWING DEMAND OF SOME OF THE MOBILITY DEVICES THAT PEOPLE HAD BECAME, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS NOWHERE TO I GOT YOU NEEDED AT THE MOMENT. AND YOU WENT INTO THE DINING ROOM. THERE WAS NO AREA FOR THOSE. SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE MORE RECENT RECENT CHANGES. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. BUT THIS CROSSING WE SHOULD DEFINITELY KEEP AN EYE ON BECAUSE IF IT'S NEW AND THE RESIDENTS FEEL THAT IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, MADE FOR SENIORS, THEN THAT'S YEAH, THAT'S A TOUGH THING. ALL RIGHT. SO ADDITIONALLY, PEOPLE NOTED THAT THERE WERE TOO MANY DISPARATE AND SOMETIMES UNINTUITIVE OPTIONS FOR RECEIVING INFORMATION. THEY A LOT OF SENIORS JUST FELT LIKE THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THE BEST CENTRAL PLACE TO GET THEIR INFORMATION WAS OKAY. AND SO THEY FELT LIKE THEY HAD TO HUNT FOR IT. PEOPLE ALSO NOTED SOMETIMES THAT, LIKE THE WEBSITE COULD BE CONFUSING BECAUSE THERE WERE THINGS THAT WERE FOR SENIORS IN DIFFERENT PLACES. OH, SO JUST SORT OF LIKE A STREAMLINING ISSUE. AND THEN SOME COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES NOT BEING ADVERTISED WELL ENOUGH. AGAIN, THIS COULD RELATE TO THE COMMUNICATION, LIKE WHERE TO FIND THE INFORMATION. ALSO PEOPLE NOTED LIKE SOME PROGRAMS ARE TARGETED AT THE SENIOR CENTER, BUT AS WE KNOW, NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY USE THE SENIOR CENTER. SO MAYBE WE TRY AND HAVE SOME PROGRAMS IN ADDITIONAL PLACES TO MEET MORE OF THE PEOPLE'S NEEDS. SO THERE WAS A HESITATION YOU FEEL TO GO TO THE SENIOR CENTER AND THEY WOULD PREFER IT OTHER PLACES.
I'M JUST I THINK IT'S MORE LIKE A LOT OF THE ADVERTISING FOR THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE SENIOR CENTER IS VERY INTERNAL. SO PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY GOING THERE KNOW ABOUT THEM, BUT PEOPLE WHO ARE OUTSIDE DON'T REALLY KNOW, DON'T GET TO HEAR. YEAH. OKAY.
YEAH. SO DO WE HAVE LIKE A, A TEXT GROUP SIGN UP THAT SENIORS CAN SIGN UP FOR AND THEY CAN JUST GET MESSAGES IF THEY OPT IN FOR IT. THAT'S THE BULLETIN I WOULD IMAGINE. WE DON'T HAVE THAT. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE ASKED FOR THOUGH, LIKE AS A POTENTIAL SOLUTION TO SOME
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OF THIS IS MAYBE LIKE A LISTSERV OR SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY FOR SENIORS. YEAH.ALL RIGHT. AND LET'S SEE, LACK OF A DEDICATED HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT. THIS HAS COME UP MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DATA COLLECTION. THERE'S A GROWING NEED FOR SOCIAL SERVICES IN MONTGOMERY, ESPECIALLY WITH ADDITIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMING IN, BUT EVEN JUST WITH ADDITIONAL SENIORS WHO NEED THOSE ACCESS POINTS TO HUMAN SERVICES AND SOCIAL SERVICES. THE COUNTY TECHNICALLY DOES PROVIDE THAT FOR MONTGOMERY, BUT SENIORS SAID THEY HAVE A LOT OF TROUBLE CONTACTING THE COUNTY. SOME PEOPLE SAID THEY, YOU KNOW, SPENT, YOU KNOW, DAYS AND DAYS TRYING TO EMAIL OR CALL AND GOT NO RESPONSE. SOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SPENT LIKE A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH WITH THEM FELT LIKE THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR CONCERNS WEREN'T BEING HEARD OR NOT BEING MET. SO IT'S NOT AS SEAMLESS AS IT SHOULD BE. SO IN ADDITION TO THAT, MUNICIPAL STAFF AND SERVICES BEING STRETCHED, THIS JUST BECAUSE THERE'S MORE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEEDS OF THINGS. SO SOMETIMES IT IT GETS TO BE SIMILAR TO THE HUMAN SERVICES ISSUE, JUST MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE NEEDING ADDITIONAL SERVICES. AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, LIMITED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT CHALLENGES. SO LOTS OF SENIORS BROUGHT UP. IT WAS THE MOST BROUGHT UP TOPIC ACROSS ALL FORMS OF DATA COLLECTION. WAS TRANSPORTATION. NOT THAT MANY SENIORS TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE IT'S NOT VERY WIDESPREAD IN MONTGOMERY, BUT THERE ARE THE LIKE PARATRANSIT OPTIONS WITH THE COUNTY. PEOPLE NOTED THAT THOSE WERE NOT VERY USEFUL EITHER, BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY LIMITED IN TIMINGS AND AVAILABILITY. AND THEY'RE ALSO ONLY WITHIN THE COUNTY. SO SOME PEOPLE SAID, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE DOCTORS THAT ARE IN PRINCETON, WHICH IS PRETTY CLOSE TO US, BUT IT'S NOT IN THE COUNTY, SO THE COUNTY WON'T TAKE YOU THERE. SO JUST SOME OF THE ISSUES LIKE THAT WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAVING TROUBLE, AND MOST PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED SAID THAT THEY CURRENTLY DRIVE, BUT THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT AS THEY GET OLDER AND NOT ABLE TO DRIVE, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO THEN? DID YOU FILL OUT THE TRANSPORTATION STUDY YET? YES, WE DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE THEM TO FILL OUT THE TRANSPORTATION STUDY WHEN THEY ARE AT ALL OF OUR EVENTS. SO HOPEFULLY THEY DID. THANK YOU. YEAH. AND SO THE SENIOR CENTER AND MUNICIPAL FACILITIES THAT ARE AT OR BEYOND CAPACITY. SO AS WE SAID, NOT VERY MANY PEOPLE USE THE SENIOR CENTER. BUT ALSO EVEN IF MORE PEOPLE DID WANT TO USE THE SENIOR CENTER, THEY COULDN'T BECAUSE IT IS CURRENTLY AT MAXIMUM CAPACITY. THEY RECENTLY ADDED A SECOND BUS THAT TRANSPORTS PEOPLE THERE. AND ALL OF THE TABLES INSIDE THE SENIOR CENTER ARE FULL, SO THERE WOULDN'T REALLY BE A LOT OF EXTRA ROOM TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE COME IF THEY WANTED TO. AND THEN TO ADD TO THAT, THE MUNICIPAL FACILITIES. SO THE SENIOR CENTER IS LOCATED WITHIN THE AUTO KAUFMAN COMMUNITY CENTER, AND IT'S A SIMILAR ISSUE. SOME OF THE FACILITIES ARE, YOU KNOW, IN COMPETITION WITH OFFICE SPACE. SO THERE'S LIKE LESS SPACE FOR PROGRAMING, THERE'S LESS SPACE FOR ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY GROUPS LIKE LOSE SENIOR CITIZENS GROUP, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO KIND OF COORDINATE AND TRADE OFF SPACE. SO IT BECOMES A LITTLE BIT OF A AN ISSUE THERE. WE HAVE SOME GRANT MONEY COMING UP. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE GOOD INFORMATION FOR THAT. YEAH. ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP A LOT IS THAT THERE ARE TWO FEW RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTIVE OLDER ADULTS. SO WE DID TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS BEFORE PEOPLE. WHO ARE YOUNGER SENIORS ARE WANTING ADDITIONAL.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECREATION. SO ADDITIONAL CLASSES THAT THEY SAID THAT A LOT OF THE CLASSES THAT ARE OFFERED AT THE SENIOR CENTER ARE MORE TARGETED TOWARDS OLDER SENIORS, PEOPLE WHO ARE MOBILITY IMPAIRED. SO THERE'S A LOT OF LIKE STRETCHING OR CHAIR YOGA.
PEOPLE ARE WANTING MORE, YOU KNOW, LIKE STRENGTH TRAINING PROGRAMS, DANCE, ADDITIONAL SORT OF MOVEMENT AND EXERCISE BASED CLASSES THAT ARE FOR ACTIVE OLDER ADULTS. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO JUST BE FOR SENIORS, BUT JUST ADULTS IN GENERAL. AND PEOPLE ALSO NOTED WANTING RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY EXERCISE RELATED AS WELL. SO ADDITIONAL LIKE ARTS AND CRAFTS OR SUMMER CONCERT SERIES OR ABILITY, YOU KNOW, LIKE WALKING GROUPS,
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THINGS LIKE THAT. EVEN PEOPLE DID BRING UP PICKLEBALL COURTS, CRICKET PITCHES, ADDITIONAL POOL OPPORTUNITIES, HOURS OR SPACE, THINGS LIKE THAT. ALL RIGHT, SO SO THE NEXT IS OPPORTUNITIES. SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE EXTERNAL THAT ARE HELPING US MEET SOME OF OUR NEEDS. SO WE HAVE THE PLAN FOR HEALTH GRANT, WHICH CAN DEFINITELY HELP WITH SOME OF THE PLANNING AND INCLUDING SENIOR NEEDS INTO THOSE, YOU KNOW, PLANNING STRUCTURES AND GOALS FOR SOME OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE COMING IN. THERE'S ALSO GRANTS THAT WE HAVE TO IMPROVE WALKABILITY AND CONNECTIVITY WITH PATHWAYS AND SIDEWALKS. WE HAVE THE GRANT TO IMPROVE THE COMMUNITY CENTER AND SENIOR CENTER FACILITIES. THERE'S ALSO ADDITIONAL TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS THAT CAN MAKE IT EASIER FOR US TO CENTER INFORMATION IN ONE PLACE, SO THAT SENIORS CAN GET TO IT MORE EASILY, OR TO DEVELOP A SENIOR LISTSERV THAT CAN, YOU KNOW, TARGET PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY ON WHAT THEY WANT TO KNOW. AND WE ALWAYS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH OTHER AGENCIES, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. WE HAVE A LOT OF THOSE CONNECTIONS HERE AT MONTGOMERY, SO WE DEFINITELY CAPITALIZE ON THOSE AND BUILD SOME SUPPORT SYSTEMS. AND THEN OF COURSE, IT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL TO HAVE THE BUY IN FROM THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THE COMMITTEES. YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS. WE MADE THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE AND THE BOARD OF HEALTH MADE COMMITMENTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE AGE FRIENDLY INITIATIVE. SO THAT'S ALSO BEEN VERY HELPFUL. OKAY, SO THREATS ARE SORT OF OUTSIDE ISSUES THAT ARE AFFECTING OUR ABILITY TO IMPROVE THINGS FOR SENIORS. SOME OF THESE ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY MIGHT AFFECT HOW WE'RE ABLE TO DO THINGS. SO THERE IS INCREASING SOCIAL ISOLATION.THIS IS JUST BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT OUR CULTURE IS EVOLVING, BEING MORE ONLINE AND ALL THAT, BUT IT DOES CAUSE ADDITIONAL ADDITIONAL HEALTH ISSUES FOR SENIORS. THERE WERE NOTED A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE WITH THEIR FAMILIES, THEY LIVE WITH THEIR, YOU KNOW, ADULT CHILDREN AND THEIR GRANDCHILDREN, BUT THEN THEY RELY ON THEM TO, YOU KNOW, GET AROUND TO DRIVE AND GO PLACES. BUT DURING THE DAY, IF EVERYONE'S AT WORK, IN SCHOOL, THEY'RE JUST AT HOME BY THEMSELVES. SO THERE'S DEFINITELY THOSE ISSUES AND THOSE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE NOT REALLY SEEING WHO ARE ISOLATED. THERE'S ALSO RISING HOUSING AND UTILITY COSTS. AGAIN, WE CAN'T ALWAYS DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT SENIORS ARE NOTING THAT THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, TAXES, BUT ALSO EVEN JUST BEING ABLE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS ON THEIR HOUSES OR THINGS THAT WOULD ENABLE THEM TO AGE IN PLACE, THINGS LIKE THAT. DO YOU DID YOU GET A SENSE THAT THEY HAD GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THIS, THE ANCHOR REBATE AND STAY IN NEW JERSEY, BECAUSE WE PUSHED A LOT OF EFFORT ON THAT LAST YEAR? YEAH, I DON'T HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE ARE. MAY SEE A LOT ON FACEBOOK. PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE REBATE CHECKS, ETC. IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S WORKING, BUT DID YOU GET A SENSE THAT YES, PEOPLE ARE TALKING AGAIN? YEAH. HOUSING, YOU KNOW, UTILITIES DOESN'T REALLY ANSWER FOR UTILITIES. BUT LIKE ON THE HOUSING SIDE, THE STATE NEW JERSEY WAS PRETTY HIGH AND YOU HAD A HUGE WINDOW FROM AN INCOME PERSPECTIVE. YEAH, THERE WAS A MIXTURE, LIKE WHEN WE HAD THE LISTENING SESSIONS WHERE THERE WERE GROUPS OF RESIDENTS TALKING TOGETHER. SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY, OH MY GOSH, MY, YOU KNOW, COSTS ARE REALLY HIGH.
AND THEN OTHER PEOPLE WOULD SAY, OH NO, YOU JUST HAVE TO APPLY FOR THIS. AND IT'S SO I THINK MAYBE JUST MAKING SURE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THOSE CAN BE A. WE CAN MAYBE WE SHOULD DO MORE OF A EFFORT. YEAH, YEAH. SO AGAIN, INCREASING FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY OF NATURAL DISASTERS, SOMETHING WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT. BUT SENIORS ARE NOT VERY PREPARED TO DEAL WITH A NATURAL DISASTER. THEY'RE LESS ABLE TO EVACUATE, LESS ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SOME MODIFICATION TO THEIR HOME THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT MORE STURDY. LOTS OF SENIORS THIS WINTER WITH ALL THE SNOW THAT WE GOT, DIDN'T HAVE ANYONE TO HELP THEM SHOVEL THEIR SNOW BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T REALLY. THAT WAS DEFINITELY A BIG ISSUE. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. AND WE DID SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL OVER THE TOWNSHIP PEOPLE REALLY STRUGGLING WITH THAT. YEAH.
THAT IS SOMETHING YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY HARD TO DO AS GOVERNMENT. BUT I GUESS WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOME IDEAS. AND THEN SO THERE'S AGAIN, RESTRICTION OPTIONS FOR CHANGING SOME OF THE COUNTY INFRASTRUCTURE THERE'S COUNTY ROADS, THERE'S TRAFFIC ISSUES THAT ARE NOT REALLY WITHIN OUR CONTROL. BUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE MAKING SOME ADDITIONAL, YOU
[00:30:05]
KNOW, THOUGHT FOR SENIORS AND HOW THEY MIGHT ACCESS STUFF IN OTHER WAYS. THERE IS THE ADDITIONAL INCREASING PERCENTAGE OF SENIORS LIKE I TALKED ABOUT IN THE BEGINNING.SO IT'S JUST THAT THAT INCREASING POPULATION, LIKE THERE'S GOING TO BE A WHOLE NEW POPULATION RIGHT HERE NEXT TO MUNICIPAL CENTER. SO JUST MAKING SURE TO CONSIDER WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES OR STAFFING OR ANYTHING THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO SERVE THE GROWING POPULATION. AND THEN AN INCREASING RELIANCE ON TECHNOLOGY. I THINK ONE THING I THINK THAT THREAD I THINK IS IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE ON ONE SIDE ACKNOWLEDGED LIKE THE HIGH HIGHER COSTS, BUT MAYBE ALSO THERE'S A LOT OF AFFLUENCE IN THIS COMMUNITY, RIGHT? SO I THINK WHEN WE SAY SOMETHING LIKE INCREASING PERCENTAGE OF SENIORS WITHOUT PROPORTIONAL INCREASE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND ACKNOWLEDGING THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE AGING AND ARE AT FINANCIAL DISTRESS. I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT THERE'S INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE AGING AND ARE VERY FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT. RIGHT? SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WHEN WE SAY THINGS LIKE THAT, LIKE IT'S DATA DRIVEN, YOU KNOW, WHERE IF YOU TOLD ME LIKE, HEY, OUT OF THE 200 PEOPLE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THEY SAID THAT LIKE 75% OF THEM WERE FINANCIALLY DISTRESSED. AND I JUST THEN IT'D BE LIKE CONFIRMED. BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHEN STATEMENTS LIKE THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S FULLY REFLECTIVE OF THE POPULATION. I JUST DON'T KNOW. SO SOME SENIORS. YEAH. SOME YEAH. YEAH, YEAH. AND SOME OF THE YOU KNOW, THE INCREASING PERCENTAGES IS, YOU KNOW, STATE WIDE ISSUE THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY JUST HERE IN MONTGOMERY, BUT DOES TRICKLE DOWN IN BECOME AN ISSUE HERE BECAUSE IT'S A STATEWIDE ISSUE. AND THERE'S LIKE A LIMITED ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACROSS THE STATE, WHICH IF THERE ARE SENIORS LIVING IN MONTGOMERY THAT, YOU KNOW, NEED TO MOVE INTO THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, LIKE IT MIGHT NOT BE AN OPTION FOR THEM BECAUSE THERE'S LIKE REALLY LONG WAITLISTS. THERE'S NOT AS MANY OPTIONS, THAT KIND OF THING. SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY JUST LOCATED WITHIN OUR BORDERS.
YEAH. AND DID YOU FEEL THAT THEY KNEW ABOUT THE SENIOR LIVING THAT'S COMING UP IN AT THE MUNICIPAL CENTER WHEN YOU WERE TALKING TO THEM AT YOUR. YEAH, PEOPLE DO KNOW ABOUT IT.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S LIKE IT'S A LOTTERY SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STATE. SO IT'S LIKE, IF PEOPLE WANT TO STAY HERE IN MONTGOMERY, IT BECOMES KIND OF A BARRIER TO THEM POTENTIALLY.
SO GOTCHA. AGAIN, NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT, BUT JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER HOW IT MIGHT IMPACT OUR OUR SENIOR POPULATION. AND THEN LET'S SEE AN INCREASING RELIANCE ON TECHNOLOGY, WHICH IS GREAT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN MAKE ALL THESE ADVANCEMENTS, BUT THERE ARE SOME SENIORS WHO ARE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE USING TECHNOLOGY, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL OF THE INCREASING SCAMS AND FRAUD AND EVERYTHING OUT THERE. SO JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE STILL SOME OF THOSE OLDER, YOU KNOW, PAPER OPTIONS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE BECAUSE OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GET LEFT BEHIND AND THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO MOVE FORWARD. AND THEN LASTLY, THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NETWORK IS VERY PATCHWORK. WE HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, NJ TRANSIT BUS THAT COVERS THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE TOWNSHIP, AND THEN NOTHING REALLY IN THE NORTHERN PART.
AND THEN THE SAME WITH THE PARATRANSIT SYSTEMS. THE SOMERSET COUNTY PARATRANSIT WILL TAKE YOU WITHIN SOMERSET COUNTY. MERCER TRANSIT SYSTEM WILL TAKE SENIORS TO PRINCETON.
MEDICAL CENTER, BUT ONLY IF YOU LIVE SOUTH OF ROUTE 518. SO IT NOT EVERYONE IS FULLY COVERED BY THE SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE. SO I'M LOOKING THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND I SEE THERE'S LIKE. 18. SO YES. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO SAY, HEY, THESE ARE LIKE THE TOP FIVE THAT I FEEL ARE MOST IMPACTFUL OR LIKE LOW HANGING FRUIT? LIKE, HEY, IF WE DID THIS, LIKE RIGHT NOW WOULD HAVE THE MOST IMPACT BECAUSE I'VE JUST BEEN SKIMMING THROUGH THIS AND IT'S A LOT. AND I ACKNOWLEDGED A LOT OF WORK. BUT I THINK IF WE CAN GET YOUR OPINION ON LIKE, WHERE WOULD YOU RECOMMEND WE FOCUS OUT OF THOSE? 18 YEAH, I CAN HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE ONES THAT ARE WHILE YOU GO THROUGH, MAYBE YOU CAN SAY THIS ONE IS YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. SO YEAH, SOME OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE EASIER TO DO. SOME OF THEM ARE MORE COMPLEX. SOME OF THEM DEFINITELY REQUIRE SOME OUTSIDE PARTNERS OR GRANT FUNDING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THEY MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE LONG TERM PROJECTS. AND ALSO, I MEAN, WE'RE IN BUDGET SEASON AND THE BUDGET'S VERY CHALLENGING, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO THROW OUT A NUMBER. IF YOU SAID, HEY, $10,000, YOU KNOW, OR $5,000 WOULD. I'M JUST THROWING, YOU KNOW, COULD REALLY LIKE DRIVE X, YOU KNOW, OR, OR, HEY, THIS IS REALLY HIGH OPPORTUNITY. I THINK IT MIGHT COST 30 OR 40. WE COULD ALSO GO BACK TO THE STATE AND OR COUNTY, ASK FOR A GRANT. SO THAT ALSO WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU HAVE THAT. YEAH. AND WE'LL DO MORE SORT OF ANALYSIS OF THE
[00:35:04]
RECOMMENDATIONS AND HOW, YOU KNOW, INTERNAL HOW EASY, HOW LIKE LONG TERM, SHORT TERM THEY ARE IN THE FULL REPORT AS WELL. THIS IS SORT OF JUST A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF WHAT THEY ARE, BUT THE FULL REPORT WILL HAVE MORE OF THAT ANALYSIS OF WHICH ONES ARE, YOU KNOW, LOW HANGING FRUIT OR MORE COMPLEX INITIATIVES AS WELL. YEAH. SO I'LL JUST RUN THROUGH THESE FAIRLY QUICKLY. SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BASED ON THE DATA. AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, DIFFERING LEVELS OF EASE. SO ADVANCING POLICIES THAT SUPPORT SENIORS ALONGSIDE PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO ENSURE LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND IMPACT OF THE AGE FRIENDLY MONTGOMERY INITIATIVE, JUST MOSTLY MAKING SURE THERE'S POLICIES THAT ARE IN PLACE THAT WILL SUPPORT THIS WORK. YOU KNOW, PAST THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY SET UP, CONDUCTING A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF EXISTING MUNICIPAL FACILITIES TO IDENTIFY AND PRIORITIZE AGE FRIENDLY UPGRADES. WE ARE SORT OF STARTING TO DO THIS. AND THEN THE PLAN FOR HEALTH, NEW JERSEY WILL ALIGN PRETTY WELL WITH THESE INITIATIVES TO. ADOPT AND ENFORCE ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS FOR ALL NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND FACILITIES IN MONTGOMERY, AND CREATE AN AGE FRIENDLY DEVELOPMENT CHECKLIST THAT ADDRESSES BOTH INTERIOR DESIGN FEATURES AND CONNECTIONS TO ESSENTIAL EXTERNAL RESOURCES. AGAIN, I THINK THE PLAN FOR HEALTH IS A GREAT WAY TO INCORPORATE SOME OF THESE IDEAS AND NOT JUST FOR SENIORS, BUT FOR ANYONE SORT OF INCORPORATING THAT PUBLIC HEALTH IDEA INTO HOW DEVELOPMENTS ARE PLANNED AND BUILT. ESTABLISH A FORMAL, CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL AND CROSS COMMITTEE REVIEW PROCESS FOR DEVELOPMENTAL PROPOSALS INCORPORATING AGE FRIENDLY AND PUBLIC HEALTH CRITERIA INTO DEPARTMENTAL EVALUATION METRICS. I THINK THIS WILL BE PRETTY EASY TO DO. MOST DEPARTMENTS ALREADY DO REVIEW THE PLANS, SO JUST BE SORT OF FORMALIZING IT AND MAKING SURE THAT THE METRICS THAT WE'RE EVALUATING ON ARE UPDATED BASED ON OUR NEW, YOU KNOW, GOALS. ENHANCED PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST SAFETY THROUGH INCREASED INVESTMENT IN SIDEWALKS, BIKE LANES, BENCHES ALONG LONGER ROUTES, AND WELL MARKED SIGNAGE SUPPORTED ROAD CROSSINGS. AGAIN, FAIRLY EASY THINGS TO DO FOR THE MOST PART. LOTS OF PEOPLE LIKE TO WALK, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PLACES THAT PEOPLE CAN IDENTIFY THAT ARE PROBLEM POINTS THAT WE COULD FOCUS ON, EXPAND AND PROMOTE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS AND COVERAGE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COUNTY AND STATE AGENCIES OR THROUGH TOWNSHIP LED INITIATIVES, PLAN FOR AND DEVELOP AN EXPANDED OR NEW DEDICATED SENIOR CENTER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF MONTGOMERY'S GROWING OLDER ADULT POPULATION.THIS ONE'S A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, BIGGER, BUT POTENTIALLY A, YOU KNOW, IDEA FOR THE FUTURE TO MAKE THE SENIOR CENTER MORE AVAILABLE TO MORE PEOPLE, DEVELOP LONG TERM STRATEGIC PLANS FOR MUNICIPAL SERVICES, STAFFING AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT REFLECT DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS AND EVOLVING NEEDS OF RESIDENTS ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS. ESTABLISH A DEDICATED HUMAN SERVICES FUNCTION WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP AND CREATE A SINGLE, CENTRALIZED POINT OF CONTACT FOR SENIOR SERVICES AND SUPPORT. IMPROVE THE USABILITY OF TOWNSHIP DIGITAL SYSTEMS BY CENTRALIZING SENIOR FOCUSED INFORMATION, HIGHLIGHTING KEY RESOURCES, AND CREATING A UNIFIED ONLINE PORTAL FOR PROPERTY RELATED FEES, LICENSES AND SERVICES. THIS IS ANOTHER ONE THAT I THINK WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO DO. WE CAN EASILY SORT OF WORK ON CENTRALIZING SOME OF THE DATA THAT SENIORS WOULD NEED ON OUR WEBSITE AND OUR DIGITAL SYSTEMS, INCREASE THE FREQUENCY OF HIGH DEMAND TOWNSHIP PROGRAMS, INCLUDING BULK PICKUP, SHRED EVENTS, MOBILE DMV SERVICES, AND HEALTH SCREENINGS. THESE ARE THINGS WE ALREADY DO. SO, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE POPULAR. YEAH. AND THEY'RE VERY POPULAR. AND I KNOW WE ALREADY HAVE SOME PLANS IN THE WORKS TO INCREASE SOME OF THEM. SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE AN EASY ONE. EXPAND AND DIVERSIFY SENIOR FOCUSED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMING BY INCREASING THE FREQUENCY OF SESSIONS ON TOPICS SUCH AS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, HOUSING OPTIONS, AGING IN PLACE, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND FRAUD PREVENTION, WHILE ALSO OFFERING PROGRAMS AND ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY LOCATIONS BEYOND THE SENIOR CENTER. AGAIN, THESE ARE THINGS WE ALREADY DO. SO JUST SORT OF EXPANDING THEM AND HAVING THEM AVAILABLE TO MORE PEOPLE. EMILY, THIS AGING IN PLACE, HOW DOES THAT WORK AND WHAT DO WE DO AS A MUNICIPALITY? IF YOU CAN EXPAND UPON THAT A LITTLE BIT, IT'S MOSTLY JUST BEING ABLE TO MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO YOUR OWN HOME THAT YOU ALREADY LIVE IN SO THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, INSTALLING GRAB BARS IN THE SHOWER OR A RAMP IN THE FRONT OR, YOU KNOW, LIKE MOVING JUST TO ONE FLOOR, MAYBE MAKING SOME UPDATES TO THE FLOOR PLAN OR SOMETHING. SO THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING WE AS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, I'M LOOKING AT IN THE BACK ADVISE RESIDENTS, SENIORS, IS THAT SOMETHING IS A SERVICE WE
[00:40:06]
PROVIDE OR WE JUST EXPECT THEM TO FIND OUT ABOUT AGING IN PLACE? LIKE WHAT IS OUR ROLE IS MY QUESTION. SO WE HAVEN'T DONE MUCH SO FAR ABOUT IT, BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WOULD BENEFIT FROM. LOTS OF PEOPLE DURING THE LISTENING SESSIONS, TALKED ABOUT HOW THEY DIDN'T KNOW, LIKE WHO THEY SHOULD CALL TO INSTALL THINGS LIKE THAT. IF YOU CALL A CONTRACTOR, DO YOU CALL A HANDYMAN? LIKE THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW THEY MIGHT DO THOSE THINGS. SO EVEN JUST, YOU KNOW, SORT OF HELPING PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO DO IT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT FOR THEM, OBVIOUSLY, BUT JUST SORT OF LIKE INCREASING THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR TELLING THEM WHAT, WHAT WOULD WORK LIKE, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WOULD HELP THEM AGE IN PLACE OR HAVING SOME INFORMATION SESSION TO THAT SPECIFICITY? I THINK, OKAY.YEAH, THAT THAT'S HELPFUL. AND WE DO SEE A LOT OF AGING IN PLACE IN MONTGOMERY. SO. OKAY.
THANK YOU. SIGNIFICANTLY EXPAND AND DIVERSIFY RECREATIONAL AND SOCIAL PROGRAMING FOR MONTGOMERY RESIDENTS OF ALL AGES AND ABILITY LEVELS THROUGH BOTH TOWNSHIP OFFERINGS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH EXTERNAL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE YMCA OR OTHER SIMILAR ORGANIZATIONS, INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES FOR OLDER ADULT ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY INPUT BY EXPANDING ACCESS TO VOLUNTEER ROLES, INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAMS, RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, AND PARTICIPATION IN ADVISORY AND PLANNING COMMITTEES. PROVIDE INCENTIVES AND STREAMLINE PERMITTING PROCESSES FOR HOME MODIFICATIONS THAT SUPPORT AGING IN PLACE. STRENGTHEN OUTREACH TO ISOLATED AND HOMEBOUND SENIORS THROUGH TARGETED ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS WITHIN LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS. WE DO ALREADY DO A LITTLE BIT OF THIS, BUT WE DID FIND OUT ABOUT SOME PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE PRETTY ISOLATED, LIKE THE MCKINLEY COURT COMMUNITY, THAT WE COULD DO SOME MORE TARGETED OUTREACH TOWARDS, OKAY, SUPPORT OLDER ADULTS WHO STRUGGLE WITH ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY BY EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING AND SUPPORT, WHILE ALSO MAINTAINING NON-DIGITAL SERVICE AND COMMUNICATION OPTIONS FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNABLE TO ADAPT. THIS IS A GOOD ONE. SUPPORTING THE ADVANCING TECHNOLOGIES. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SO THOSE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS. AND THEN NEXT STEPS. SO WE'LL BE DEVELOPING AN AGE FRIENDLY ACTION PLAN IN COORDINATION WITH DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS OF LIKE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO ADVANCE THIS INITIATIVE. WE'LL ALSO CONTINUE TO PROMOTE THESE RESULTS. AGAIN, THE FINAL REPORT WILL BE DONE LATER IN APRIL. SO THAT'LL HAVE SOME MORE DETAILED INFORMATION. AND THEN WE CAN JUST INCORPORATE THIS AGE FRIENDLY DATA INTO ADDITIONAL TOWNSHIP INITIATIVES.
AND THEN LASTLY, JUST WHAT TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE CAN DO. SO ADOPT AND CHAMPION AGE FRIENDLY POLICIES AND FUNDING PRIORITIES THROUGH ORDINANCES, BUDGET ALLOCATIONS AND PLANNING DECISIONS. EMBED ACCESSIBILITY, PUBLIC HEALTH AND AGING CONSIDERATIONS INTO ALL MAJOR TOWNSHIP DECISIONS AND CAPITAL INVESTMENTS. ADVOCATE FOR AND SECURE EXTERNAL FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION AND EXPANSION OF AGE FRIENDLY PROGRAMS, SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THEN CONVENE PARTNERS AND ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY TO EXPAND SERVICES AND REACH SENIORS IN NEED. SO YEAH, THAT'S OUR DATA SO FAR. SO ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, EMILY, FOR DOING THAT, FIRST OF ALL, AND I'LL LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION. YEAH, MAYBE, MAYBE JUST ASK, MAYBE LIKE, WHAT CAN I ASK YOU AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IF WE CAN JUST GET VERY SPECIFIC. I KNOW THESE ARE LIKE BROAD THINGS LIKE EXPANDING PROGRAMING, ETC.
IS IT LIKE A THE, I'M GUESSING, YOU KNOW, THE BULK PICKUP, YOU KNOW, THAT'S INCREDIBLY POPULAR INCREASED FROM 1 TO 4 TIMES A YEAR, YOU KNOW, HEY, IF WE'RE GOING TO INVEST IN, IN, IN INVESTING IN MORE RECREATIONAL, AGAIN, I'M JUST THROWING THIS OUT THERE LIKE, HEY, FIND SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, 60 TO 70 YEAR OLDS ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN VERSUS, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY HAVE ACTIVITIES 70 THROUGH 80. AGAIN, I'M JUST USING, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN GET A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC SO WE CAN MAKE IT ACTIONABLE FOR THE NEXT GO ROUND OF LIKE THAT, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT LIKE THIS. AND THEN WE'RE TRYING TO THINK LIKE, HEY, BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD, EVEN IF IT'S FROM THE 200, LIKE 20% OF THEM OF THE INDIVIDUALS REALLY BROUGHT THIS UP. AND SO LIKE INVEST HERE, RIGHT? YEAH, DEFINITELY. AND WE'LL DO A LITTLE BIT OF THAT WITH THE ACTION PLAN, LIKE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE SORT OF TO DRIVE OUR GOALS. AND THEN WE'LL COME UP WITH SOME MORE SPECIFIC THINGS TOO ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE SAID. YEAH, YEAH, I GREATLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE, EMILY. AND THIS IS, THIS IS GREAT. REALLY GOOD INFORMATION. SO BASICALLY THE QUICKEST THINGS THAT I CAN THINK OF FROM THIS IS PROBABLY CREATING A, A QUICK LINK FOR OUR SENIORS TO GO TO AND HAVING, YOU KNOW, THE KEY TOPICS OF WHAT WOULD INTEREST THEM AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, LIKE COMMITTING BERRIGAN WAS MENTIONING ABOUT BULK SERVICE PICKUPS, THINGS LIKE THAT. I THINK WE CAN ALSO CONNECT WITH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HIGH SCHOOL OR, YOU KNOW, YOUTH
[00:45:04]
ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP THE SENIORS MOVE THE, THE BULK ITEMS. SO I THINK THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY IMPROVE ON. AND I THINK THIS IS A GREAT STEP FORWARD. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. NOW WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING ARBOR DAY 2026. WHEREAS IN 1872, J. STERLING MORTON PROPOSED TO THE NEBRASKA BOARD OF AGRICULTURE THAT A SPECIAL DAY BE SET ASIDE FOR THE PLANTING OF TREES. AND WHEREAS THIS HOLIDAY CALLED ARBOR DAY WAS FIRST OBSERVED WITH THE PLANTING OF MORE THAN A MILLION TREES IN NEBRASKA, AND WHEREAS ARBOR DAY IS CELEBRATED ANNUALLY ON THE LAST FRIDAY IN APRIL, AND WHEREAS THE TOWNSHIP OF MONTGOMERY WILL COMMEMORATE ARBOR DAY IN THE TOWNSHIP ON FRIDAY, APRIL 24TH, 2026, WITH EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND TREE PLANTING. AND. WHEREAS TREES CAN BE A SOLUTION TO COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE BY REDUCING THE EROSION OF OUR PRECIOUS TOPSOIL BY WIND AND WATER, ABSORBING STORMWATER TO MITIGATE FLOODING EFFECTS, CUTTING, HEATING AND COOLING COSTS, MODERATING THE TEMPERATURE, CLEANING THE AIR, PRODUCING LIFE GIVING OXYGEN AND PROVIDING HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE. AND WHEREAS TREES ARE A RENEWABLE RESOURCE, GIVING US PAPER, WOOD FOR OUR HOMES, FUEL FOR OUR FIRES AND COUNTLESS OTHER WOOD PRODUCTS. AND WHEREAS TREES IN OUR TOWNSHIP INCREASE PROPERTY VALUE, ENHANCE THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF BUSINESS AREAS, AND BEAUTIFY OUR COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS TREES, WHEREVER THEY ARE PLANTED, ARE A SOURCE OF JOY AND SPIRITUAL RENEWAL. AND WHEREAS MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A TREE CITY, USA BY THE NATIONAL ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION AND DESIRES TO CONTINUE ITS TREE PLANTING WAYS NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY OF SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY, HEREBY RECOGNIZES APRIL 24TH, 2026 AS ARBOR DAY AND URGES ALL CITIZENS TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO PROTECT OUR TREES AND WOODLANDS, AND TO SUPPORT OUR TOWNSHIP'S URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM. BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED THAT THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE URGES ALL CITIZENS TO PLANT TREES TO GLADDEN THE HEARTS AND PROMOTE THE WELL-BEING OF PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. OKAY CONSENT AGENDA ALL MATTERS LISTED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ROUTINE AND WILL BE ENACTED BY ONE MOTION. THERE WILL BE NO SEPARATE DISCUSSION OF THESE ITEMS. IF DISCUSSION IS DESIRED, THAT ITEM WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AND CONSIDERED SEPARATELY. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE? MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTIONS 20 6-3-1 23 TO RESOLUTION 20 6-3-1 25, SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANNE. YES.COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BARRAGAN. YES. MAYOR SINGH. YES. APPROVAL OF MINUTES. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF MARCH 19TH, 2026. SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION MEETING MINUTES OF MARCH 19TH, 2026. SO MOVED SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, A RESOLUTION 20 6-3-1 26 PAYMENT OF BILLS POSTED. YES, MAYOR, WE HAVE THE TOP THREE BILLS THIS MONTH. MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, PAGE ONE $149,149.85. THAT IS THE FIRST ADDITIONAL FIRST RESPONDER RADIOS THAT WE RECEIVED A GRANT FROM. SO THAT WILL BE COVERED COMPLETELY BY THE GRANT FUNDS. PAGE ONE.
TRANSDEV FLEET SERVICE $78,999.64. THAT'S OUR MONTHLY VEHICLE MAINTENANCE CONTRACT.
THAT'S ALSO ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE BEYOND JUST THE VEHICLES. AND PAGE 1SHI INTERNATIONAL CORP $47,473.53. THAT'S IT. EQUIPMENT AND LICENSING. SOME OF THAT COST WAS OFFSET THROUGH HEALTH DEPARTMENT GRANT MONEY THAT WAS BROUGHT IN, AND SENTINEL ONE RENEWAL OF OUR MALWARE DETECTION SOFTWARE THAT'S INSTALLED ON TOWNSHIP COMPUTERS TOWNSHIP WIDE. AND ALSO FIREWALL MANAGEMENT IS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES THAT WE USE THROUGH S, H, I, AND THEY DO ALL OUR FIREWALLS ACROSS ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AND OFFSITE FACILITIES. OKAY. THANK YOU. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 20 6-3-1 26. SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANNE. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD.
YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BARRAGAN. YES. MAYOR. PSINGH. YES. TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE REPORTS. AND WE'LL START WITH COMMITTEE ON. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I DO NOT HAVE ANY REPORTS FOR EVERYONE THIS
[00:50:09]
EVENING. THANKS. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I DO NOT HAVE ANY REPORTS EITHER, ALTHOUGH I WILL SAY I HOPE EVERYBODY ENJOYED THE WEATHER TODAY. IT WAS REALLY EXCITING. I DROVE UP TO SEE EVERYONE ENJOYING THE PLAYGROUND. OH ONE SECOND. I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT TOMORROW IS PASSOVER, SO I DO WANT TO WISH EVERYBODY A HAPPY PASSOVER WHO CELEBRATES AS WELL AS EASTER COMING UP THIS SUNDAY. SO HAPPY EASTER BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE CONTINUES TO MEET. I THINK WE'RE WE'RE ALMOST WRAPPED UP WITH, YOU KNOW, A PRELIMINARY DRAFT THAT WE WOULD WANT THE REST OF THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT. I THINK I HAD MENTIONED BEFORE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO BEFORE WE GOT THE FEDERAL GRANT TO IMPACT, TO ESSENTIALLY DEMOLISH THE OLD MUNICIPAL BUILDING AND, AND ADJUST THE THE FLOODPLAIN. WE HAD, WE HAD PUT OUT, YOU KNOW, BUDGET OF MILLION DOLLARS OF CAPITAL. THE GREAT THING IS THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD TO USE THAT YET. AND SO WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AND DISCUSSING WHAT ARE SOME A LOT OF PRIORITIES. AND ONE OF THE AREAS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, ROADS, RIGHT? ROADS ARE JUST GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE TO, TO PAVE. WE HAVE IN-HOUSE PAVING THROUGH DPW. YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR AND I ARE GOING TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE USE ABOUT HALF OF THAT MILLION DOLLARS TO TRY TO ACCELERATE SOME OF THE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS THIS YEAR. THAT'S NOT GOING TO IMPACT US. IT'S NOT LIKE ADDITIONAL CAPITAL BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE THE CASH. SO JUST BUT SO AGAIN, THAT'S GOING TO BE A RECOMMENDATION. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE ENGINEERING DISCUSSIONS, WORLDS ARE CRITICAL AND ESPECIALLY FOR ALL THE SNOW. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A BIT OF A CHANGE. AS YOU KNOW, THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE LIKE A YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASE, BUT THAT'S A CAPITAL THAT WE ALREADY HAD BUDGET IN THE PAST, AND WE THINK THAT'S OUR RECOMMENDATION. THAT'S THE BEST KIND OF USE OF THOSE FUNDS. BUT YEAH, I THINK AS WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT KIND OF BUDGET AREAS, WE'RE LOOKING AT TRYING TO IMPROVE A LOT OF AREAS, FIND SYNERGIES. YOU JUST MAKE A LOT OF TOUGH DECISIONS. SO THE SECOND PIECE OF THAT I'LL ADD IS AS WE WERE LOOKING AT THE SCHEDULE, BECAUSE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT HOLIDAYS, EARLY VOTING, ETCETERA, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY HAVE ONE MEETING IN APRIL AND ONE MEETING IN MAY. SO THE APRIL IS IT 16TH? IS THAT THE NEXT MEETING DATE? APRIL, APRIL 16TH IS WHEN THE BUDGET WILL BE INTRODUCED. STATUTORILY, WE HAVE TO HAVE A MONTH IN BETWEEN THAT MEETING AND THE NEXT MEETING, WHERE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND TO VOTE ON THE BUDGET. WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY ALWAYS HAD A MEETING IN BETWEEN SO THAT IF RESIDENTS WANT TO COME IN AND SPEAK, YOU KNOW, WE JUST KIND OF NOTICED THAT OVER THE LAST WEEK THAT THERE'S THIS, YOU KNOW, UNINTENTIONAL KIND OF GAP BECAUSE OF THE SCHEDULING PROBLEM. SO WE'RE WORKING ON A SPECIAL MEETING TO HAVE IN BETWEEN THAT SESSION SO THAT IF RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, WANT TO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS IN BETWEEN, AS WE'VE KIND OF JUST TRADITIONALLY HISTORICALLY HAD, BECAUSE WE USUALLY HAVE TWO MEETINGS OF THE MONTH, WE'LL BE MAKING SURE THAT THAT GETS COMMUNICATED. IF, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL MEETING, IF PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS AND THAT THOSE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS CAN BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION BEFORE THE BUDGET WOULD BE UP FOR FOR VOTING. AND WE'LL ALSO USE THAT MEETING TO PAY BILLS. YEAH.WHICH IS ALSO IMPORTANT. OKAY, SO FOR ME, MARCH 9TH, MARCH 18TH, WE HAD THE MBAS MEETING AND WHERE I GOT TO SWEAR IN THEIR NEW OFFICERS. AND IT WAS GREAT TO BE THERE WITH OUR STAFF BECAUSE MBA OBVIOUSLY DOES A WONDERFUL JOB MAKING SURE TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR BUSINESSES IN TOWN. AND OF COURSE, NOW WITH NEW BUSINESSES COMING AT PROMENADE, IT WAS GREAT TO, YOU KNOW, HEAR THEIR IDEAS AND WHAT THEY NEED FROM MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP. AND IT WAS GREAT FOR THEM TO HAVE SOME QUESTION AND ANSWERS WITH OUR ADMINISTRATOR, WITH OUR PLANNING, OUR ENGINEERING. AND ALSO THEY GOT TO HEAR FROM THE PD BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU RUN A BUSINESS IN TOWN, SAFETY, SECURITY, ALL OF THAT IS IMPORTANT AS WELL. SO I THINK IT WAS A GREAT MEETING. I DO WANT TO COMMEND THE MBA ON A GREAT JOB THAT THEY DO. THEY REALLY MAKE SURE THAT SHOP LOCAL IS REALLY HAPPENING AND THEY ARE OUT THERE AND REALLY WANT TO CONGRATULATE THEM ON A GREAT MEETING THAT THEY RAN AND ALL THE EFFORT THAT THEY DO WITH NEW RESIDENTS. SO THEY HAVE THESE NEW RESIDENT PACKETS, AND THEY MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION FOR ANYBODY COMING NEW INTO MONTGOMERY. AND THAT, OF COURSE, WILL BE SOMETHING THAT OUR TOWN ALSO HAS A PAGE WHICH LISA PUTS UP REALLY KINDLY WITH ALL THE INFORMATION. IF YOU'RE NEW IN TOWN AND YOU NEED TO KNOW WHERE EVERYTHING IS AND WHO YOU SHOULD CONTACT, THERE'S MICHELLE. YEAH. AND SO THEN THAT I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A WONDERFUL JOB. AND AGAIN, I REALLY COMMEND MBA ON ON A GREAT JOB THEY DO. AND THEN THE OTHER EVENT I ENDED UP AND GETTING INVITED AND GOING TO WAS BIO MIXER. THIS HAPPENED AT
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23 ORCHARD BIO AND J IS A GROUP THAT IS WITH THE HAS LIKE MEMBERSHIP WITH PHARMA TECH AND THEY DID AN EVENT AT 23 ORCHARD. VERY WELL ATTENDED. AND WE GOT TO TALK TO A LOT OF BUSINESSES WHO LOOKED AT 23 ORCHARD AND LOOKED AT OPPORTUNITIES IN MONTGOMERY. SO I THINK THAT WAS REALLY GOOD BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, AT THE DAIS, WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT RATABLES. AND ANYTHING THAT HELPS OUR TAXPAYERS IS, YOU KNOW, IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL FEEL PASSIONATELY ABOUT. SO YEAH, THAT WAS THE SECOND MEETING I ATTENDED. AND I THINK THAT'S MY REPORT. AND I'LL GO TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. I THINK I JUST WAS GOING TO REPORT ON ONE THING THAT SORT OF TIES IN A LITTLE BIT WITH WHAT EMILY WAS TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT, AND MAKING THE CONNECTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR SENIOR CITIZENS TO ENGAGE IN DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES IN THE COMMUNITY. OUR REV 250 COMMITTEE. WE, THE TOWNSHIP RECEIVED A GRANT FROM SOMERSET COUNTY, THE LOCAL ARTS PROGRAM GRANT, AND WE WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT COULD PROBABLY NEVER OUTDO THE BICENTENNIAL QUILT THAT MANY RESIDENTS IN MONTGOMERY CAME TOGETHER AND PREPARED, AND WHICH WILL BE ON DISPLAY IN THE LOBBY MAY AND INTO JUNE WITH A PROGRAM BY THE VAN HARLINGEN HISTORIC SOCIETY ON MAY 21ST AT 6 P.M. TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THE QUILT SQUARES. BUT WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY, THROUGH EFFORTS OF TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND THE REV 250 COMMITTEE, SOMETHING CALLED MURAL MOSAIC. YES. AND IT'S IT'S REALLY FAST. A GREAT PROJECT FOR COMMUNITY BASED PARTICIPATION. I HIGHLY THINK IT'S AN AMAZING PROJECT WHERE EVERYBODY GETS TO DO A LITTLE TILE AND I'LL LET YOU. YEAH, WE'LL HAVE TWO MURALS. THERE'S A UNITY TREE AND A LIBERTY TREE. ONE WILL BOTH WILL BE CREATED OUT OF 1200 INDIVIDUAL CANVAS TILES THAT ARE FOUR INCHES BY FOUR INCHES, COMES WITH ALL THE ALL YOU NEED. IT'S NOT PAINT BY NUMBERS, BUT IT DOES TELL YOU THE COLORS YOU CAN USE TO CREATE YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL TILE. WE ARE DOING IT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE LOWER MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND ALSO WE'LL HAVE A SERIES OF COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT ANYONE WHO WANTS TO COME AND CREATE A TILE WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND. BUT AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY, SENIORS WILL BE VOLUNTEERING TO HELP WORK THAT EVENT THAT THEY HAVE GOING ON.AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT MAKING THAT, THAT CONNECTION FOR THEM AND THE WHOLE PROJECT IN GENERAL. THERE'LL BE MORE TO COME ON THAT, BUT THE THE MURAL WILL BE UP PERMANENTLY IN THE LOBBY HERE, ONE OF THE MURALS AND THEN ANOTHER ONE WILL BE AN OUTDOOR MURAL WILL BE UP PERMANENTLY IN MONTGOMERY PARK ON THE SIDE OF THE BARN. YEAH.
AND SO MORE TO COME ON THAT. BUT IF I COULD JUMP ON THAT, IF I COULD DO WANT TO EXTEND MY THANKS TO PRINCIPAL LISA ROMANO, WHO'S BESIDES, YOU KNOW, BEING A WONDERFUL PARTNER WITH OUR VETERANS COMMITTEE ON THE ANNUAL VETERANS DAY, YOU KNOW, CELEBRATION. YOU KNOW, SHE'S A BIG CHAMPION THERE FOR FOR THAT MURAL EVENT, WHICH IS JUST GOING TO BE A WONDERFUL PART OF THE TWO 50TH CELEBRATION. KNOW, I HAVE TO SAY THAT LISA ROMANO REALLY DOES A WONDERFUL JOB.
THEY ALSO DO AN AMAZING NATURALIZATION CEREMONY THAT THEY JUST DID. I WAS PART OF IT TWO YEARS AGO, AND THEY DO REALLY GOOD WORK WITH STUDENTS. AND I THINK AT THAT AGE, IT'S AMAZING. AND AGAIN, YEAH, I DO AGREE WITH THE DEPUTY MAYOR. SHE REALLY DOES BRING IT. YEAH.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OKAY. WE HAVE LEGAL UPDATE. THANK YOU MAYOR. I DO WANT TO JUST BRING A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE TO THE PUBLIC TO NOTE THAT THERE WAS A NEW LAW THAT WENT INTO EFFECT ABOUT PUBLIC NOTICES COMING INTO THE 20TH CENTURY, SO TO SPEAK, FOR THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. AND LISA, FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN WITH ME ON THIS ONE, BUT I JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT NOW LEGAL NOTICES ARE TO BE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE OF OF EACH MUNICIPALITY. THERE IS A STATE RECEPTACLE OF, OF ALL THE DIFFERENT WEBSITES OF HOW TO FIND IT. BUT I KNOW THAT AT SOME POINT RESIDENTS HAD QUESTIONED WHY WE HAD TO PRINT ADVERTISEMENTS OF HAPPENINGS IN TOWN, SUCH AS ORDINANCE ADOPTIONS, ETC. ON CERTAIN NEWSPAPERS OF CERTAIN CIRCULATION THAT HAS NOW BEEN UPDATED. THIS IS A TRANSITION YEAR, SO THERE'S STILL NOTICES IN THE NEWSPAPERS ABOUT THE FACT THAT TOWNS CAN NOW PUBLISH ON THEIR WEBSITE OR MUST PUBLISH ON THEIR WEBSITE, BUT JUST TO LET THE RESIDENTS KNOW, THINGS SHOULD GET A LITTLE BIT EASIER NOW BECAUSE WE ARE MANDATED TO POST IT, AND NOT IN A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL
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CIRCULATION, X AMOUNT OF TIMES PER WEEK, ETC. SO THAT'S KIND OF EXCITING. AND IT'S NICE TO SEE THE STATE GET UP TO SPEED INTO THE 21ST CENTURY. AND FOR MONTGOMERY, THAT INFORMATION IS ON THE HOME PAGE UNDER PUBLIC NOTICES. SO IT'S ALL THOSE NOTICES ARE VERY EASILY IDENTIFIED ON THE HOME PAGE. SO MAYBE I COULD JUST ASK TWO QUESTIONS ON. SO THE REQUIREMENT. SO WE FULFILL THE REQUIREMENT BY KEEPING OUR WEBSITE UP TO DATE. IS THAT CORRECT. SO THAT'S THE NEW. SO WE KNOW. SO IT'S NOT KEEPING IT UP TO DATE. IT'S THAT YOU USED TO HAVE TO DESIGNATE YOUR PRINTED NEWSPAPER THAT WAS OF GENERAL CIRCULATION. IT HAD TO BE IN PRINT. IT HAD TO REACH HOMES. WAS IT TWICE A WEEK ON CERTAIN ISSUES OR AND CERTAINLY I RECALL RESIDENTS COMING TO MEETINGS ASKING, WELL, WHY ARE YOU PUBLISHING THAT PAPER INSTEAD OF ANOTHER ONE? AND IT WAS CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS STATUTORILY THAT THE PAPER HAD TO MEET. NOW, TOWNS ARE OBLIGATED TO HAVE ON THE HOME PAGE EASILY READABLE WITHOUT CHARGING RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT, BECAUSE WE ALSO KNOW THAT A LOT OF THESE NEWSPAPERS HAVE ALSO EVEN ON THE ONLINE. OH, YEAH. THEY THEY WANT YOU TO JOIN. YEAH, EXACTLY. SO IT. BY POSTING YOUR LEGAL NOTICES, YOU ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATUTE. BUT I WOULDN'T SAY THAT KEEPING YOUR WEBSITE CAUGHT UP TO DATE QUALIFIES. NO, I MISS MISSPOKE BUT YEAH.CORRECT. PROVIDING THOSE NOTICES ON OUR WEBSITE IS OUR IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY. SO WE COULD, WE COULD CEASE, YOU KNOW, ON SOME OF THOSE. THEY WEREN'T EVEN LOCAL PAPERS. THAT'S TRUE.
THAT'S A GOOD POINT. THEY WERE NOT LOCAL. WE ARE REQUIRED FOR THE FULL YEAR TO PUBLISH OUR NOTICE AS TO WHERE THE OUR NOTICES ARE FOUND AND LINK TO THE STATE WEBSITE TWICE A MONTH.
SO I PUBLISH IN THE STAR LEDGER ONLINE. I PUBLISHED TWICE A MONTH AND I WILL DO THAT UNTIL DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR. OKAY, SO YOU WILL NO LONGER HAVE TO PUBLISH ANYTHING EXCEPT ON OUR WEBSITE. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. LISA, CAN I JUST WOULD YOU CAN I MAY I SPEAK FOR A MINUTE ON. I JUST WANTED TO UPDATE THE RESIDENTS ON SOME UPCOMING IMPORTANT ELECTION INFORMATION. YES, PLEASE. SOME DEADLINES ARE COMING UP. JUST WANT TO REMIND RESIDENTS THAT THE JUNE PRIMARY IS JUNE 2ND, TUESDAY, JUNE 2ND. SOME IMPORTANT DEADLINES TO BE AWARE OF. APRIL 8TH IS THE DEADLINE TO CHANGE YOUR PARTY AFFILIATION FOR THAT DAY. THAT IS THE DEADLINE. YOUR APPLICATION SHOULD GO TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OF ELECTIONS IN SOMERVILLE, SOMERSET COUNTY, AND ALSO VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS TUESDAY, MAY 12TH.
ANYONE INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR A VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT MAY DO SO ONLINE NOW. THE APPLICATIONS ARE ONLINE. YOU CAN APPLY ONLINE AND RECEIVE YOUR BALLOT IN YOUR APPLICATION.
FOR A BALLOT IN THE MAIL. ANY QUESTIONS, CALL MY OFFICE. THANK YOU LISA. THANK YOU.
THAT'S VERY HELPFUL. OKAY. PUBLIC COMMENT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO ADDRESS THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE ON MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE TOWNSHIP WILL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON. IF COMMENTS ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE MAY ALREADY STATED, PLEASE INDICATE YOUR SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION GROUPS ARE ASKED TO SELECT A SPOKESPERSON. ARE THERE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO ADDRESS THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE? COME ON DOWN PLEASE. OH, BEFORE YOU DO, EMILY, ARE YOU DONE WITH YOUR PRESENTATION? YES. YEAH. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SIT THERE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO.
YOU KNOW, SHE'S JUST VERY COMFORTABLE. SHE'S LIKE, UNLESS YOU WANT TO STAY THERE, IT'S UP TO YOU. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. GOOD EVENING. I WANTED TO FIRST THANK YOU FOR. YOU HAVE TO JUST SAY YOUR NAME. YEAH. OH, WE ALL KNOW. YEAH, YEAH, WE KNOW THAT ONE. ZION WIRTZFELD ROAD, SKILLMAN. I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THE ARBOR DAY PROCLAMATION. I APPRECIATE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND I'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED BEING PART OF THAT PROGRAM. AND I'D LIKE TO JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO STRUGGLE TO PUT ON THE EVENT THIS YEAR WITHOUT LARRY KOPLIK.
YEAH, BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BEST. AND THEN I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE CONCEPTUAL PLANS FOR HOW TO REDEVELOP PARTS OF THE STATE PROPERTY ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SKILLMAN PARK. SO THE PART IT'S POSSIBLE AND PROBABLE THAT. IT MAKES SENSE FROM A PLANNING PERSPECTIVE TO CONCENTRATE THINGS FOR EFFICIENCY AND KEEP THEM ALONG THE ROADS TO REDUCE THE IMPACT ON THE INTERIOR PARTS OF THE PROPERTIES. HOWEVER, THERE ARE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS AND. I
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THINK IT'S UNWISE TO DEVELOP OR REDEVELOP OR SET ASIDE FOR POTENTIAL REDEVELOPMENT. THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF BURNT HILL ROAD THAT'S DIRECTLY OPPOSITE OF SKILLMAN PARK. AND I REITERATE THAT I LOVE PUBLIC WORKS AND I'M A GREAT I USE THEM THE CONTAINER FACILITY ALL THE TIME. AND I AGREE WITH YOU. IT'S A GREAT CONTAINER FACILITY. I ALSO LOVE POOLS AND GYMS, AND THE ONE THAT I GO TO IS NOW TOO CROWDED BECAUSE THEY CLOSED ONE OF THEIR AFFILIATED GYMS NEARBY, AND NOW WE'RE GETTING ALL THEIR PEOPLE. SO YEAH, I LOVE ALL THESE THINGS AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THESE RESOURCES IN THE FUTURE. I JUST WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, LIKE SOMETHING LIKE A Y WEREN'T THEY INTERESTED IN USING THE OLD MUNICIPAL SITE, WHICH HAS BEEN CLEANED UP NICELY? I NOTICED THEY THEY'RE WORKING ON HAVING A CONVERSATION THERE. AND LORI SAVRAN CAN UPDATE YOU WHEN. YEAH. AND I'M CONCERNED THAT ALL OF OUR FOCUS FOR REDEVELOPMENT PURPOSES SEEMS TO BE ON THE SKILLMAN DAIRY SITE. AND WE'RE NOT REALLY TALKING ABOUT BROOKVIEW. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT SAVE AND THE HIGH SCHOOL, THOSE RECREATIONAL PURPOSES CAN BE CAN CAN BE ADAPTED TO THE RESTRICTIONS. OH, SO IF YOU CAN. NO, NO, TAKE YOUR TIME. BUT JUST IF YOU CAN FINISH UP. YEAH. PLEASE. NO ONE'S CONSIDERED OR HAS ANYONE CONSIDERED PUBLIC WORKS COULD GO ALONG THE RAILROAD TRACKS INSTEAD OF BURNT HILL ROAD. HOW ABOUT THE RAILROAD? YOU HAVE ACCESS FROM SKILLMAN ROAD AND IT'S ACROSS FROM THE COMMUNITY CENTER. YOU ALREADY HAVE PUBLIC WORKS TRUCKS PARKED THERE? NO. YOU KNOW, AND IT'S NOT DEAD CENTER, YOU KNOW, AND EVERYTHING CONCENTRATED ON BURNT HILL ROAD. OH, THANK THANK YOU SO MUCH. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND AS YOU KNOW THAT THIS WAS LAUREN VESLOVSKY AND THE STAFF PUTTING A PROPOSAL TOGETHER, RIGHT? THIS IS NOT JUST A CONCEPTUAL PLAN.IT'S A PROPOSAL. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE LAND YET. BUT YES, YOUR FEEDBACK AND YOUR IDEAS WILL DEFINITELY BE SOMETHING THAT THE THE STAFF AND ELECTEDS ARE LOOKING AT. YES. I'M JUST WORRIED THAT WE'RE GOING TO SET THESE LANDS ASIDE. AND FOR THE PURPOSES, AND THEN WE'RE KIND OF LOCKED INTO IT BECAUSE IT'S VERY HARD TO CHANGE THAT. AFTER THE APPRAISALS AND THE GREEN ACRES FUNDS GO THROUGH. SO. OKAY. AND, YOU KNOW, I'M WONDERING ABOUT THAT FARM MANAGER'S RESIDENCE. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THAT HOUSE? CAN IT BE SAVED? AND YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD REPLACE IT? LORI, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN ADD? I WOULD JUST SAY I DID ATTEND THE OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE MEETING AND GOT TO HEAR THEIR FEEDBACK FIRSTHAND. AND I THINK WHAT WE SAID WAS WE WERE GOING TO COME BACK TO THE OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE, HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS. SO YES, EVERYTHING WAS VERY PRELIMINARY.
THE THE REQUEST WAS BY THE STATE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TOWN HAS CONSIDERED EVERYTHING BEFORE WE GO AHEAD AND APPRAISE THE PROPERTY. SO THAT WAS YEAH, MADE CLEAR THE THE DIALOG WAS VERY HEALTHY. I THOUGHT THAT NIGHT AND WILL BE COMING BACK AGAIN WITH PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT NIGHT IN TERMS OF THE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, THE FARMLAND, SOILS, TRYING TO VIEW SHED CRITICAL AREAS. WE TALKED ABOUT. I'M TRYING TO THINK THE END PATHWAYS, MAKING SURE THAT THE CONNECTIONS WERE THERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOUR ADVOCACY. YES. OLIVER TENNEY 238 SKILLMAN ROAD. HELLO AGAIN TO THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE. HELLO TO VINCENT BARRAGAN AND DENNIS HAHN, ESPECIALLY AS WE DID NOT GET TO MEET TWO WEEKS PRIOR. I'M WITH VOTER CHOICE, NEW JERSEY. WE ARE A NONPARTISAN GROUP WORKING TO ADOPT RANKED CHOICE VOTING, BOTH AT THE STATE LEVEL AND AT THE MUNICIPAL LEVEL. OUR CURRENT BILL IN THE NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLY AND SENATE IS THE MUNICIPAL SCHOOL BOARD VOTING OPTIONS ACT, WHICH WOULD ESSENTIALLY ENABLE
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MUNICIPALITIES TO ADOPT THE RANKED CHOICE VOTING BY REFERENDUM FOR USE IN IN TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE ELECTIONS AND SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS. I'VE. I'VE SPOKEN A BIT WITH SOME REPRESENTATIVES HERE AND, YOU KNOW, SING A LITTLE BIT TODAY, MIKE MARTIN IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS. AND I RELAYED THAT INFORMATION BACK TO OUR CAMPAIGNS TEAM. THEY ARE INTERESTED SENIOR LEADERS WITHIN A MEETING WITH TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT RANKED CHOICE VOTING LOOKS LIKE, WHAT THE PROCESS FOR ADOPTING IT WOULD BE, ANY SORT OF PERTINENT LEGAL QUESTIONS THAT WOULD BE THE SPECIAL INTEREST TO THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE. I DO HAVE SOME CONTACT INFORMATION. YOU CAN LEAVE THAT WITH LISA CLARK.YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. YOU JUST CAN YOU JUST REPEAT WHAT TYPE OF VOTING, RIGHT. WHAT RANKED CHOICE? VOTING CHOICE. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND HOPEFULLY INTEREST IN LEARNING MORE. YOU KNOW, OUR OUTREACH IS, YOU KNOW, TWOFOLD.
WE DO WANT TO SORT OF COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH LEGISLATORS AND BUT AND SEPARATELY, WE WANT TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE VOTING PUBLIC. YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE THE LANGUAGE OF THE BILL STIPULATES THAT THIS WOULD ONLY BE ADOPTED BY PUBLIC REFERENDUM.
SO PUBLIC OUTREACH WOULD, OF COURSE, BE VERY IMPORTANT TO US. IT IS SOMETHING WE'RE INTERESTED IN DOING IN THE TOWNSHIP. THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR TODAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
DO YOU WANT TO TAKE 30S AND JUST DEFINE WHAT RANKED CHOICE VOTING IS JUST FOR THE THE, THE YEAH, RESIDENTS. YOU KNOW, IN BRIEF, IT IS THE IDEA THAT RATHER THAN VOTING FOR A SINGLE CANDIDATE, YOU ARE ABLE TO VOTE FOR AS MANY CANDIDATES AS YOU WISH. WHAT FOLLOWS IS A PROCESS WHEREBY CANDIDATES RECEIVING THE FEWEST NUMBER OF VOTES ARE ELIMINATED FROM CONSIDERATION, AND THE VOTES THAT WERE CAST FOR THOSE CANDIDATES ARE ALLOCATED TO THE SECOND OR POSSIBLY THIRD, FOURTH, ETC. CHOICE THAT THE VOTERS MADE. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME FURTHER NUANCES WITH WHEN YOU BEGIN TO CONSIDER MULTI-MEMBER ELECTIONS, AS WE DO HAVE FOR SCHOOL BOARD AND TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE IN THE TOWNSHIP. AND THAT'S THAT'S PROBABLY TAKES MORE THAN THREE MINUTES TO EXPLAIN. YEAH, BUT I WOULD BE INTERESTED. BUT THAT'S VERY HELPFUL. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, WHEN NOT EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT THAT IS. I JUST WANT TO BE SURE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? OH, OKAY. THANK YOU. START THE CLOCK. THREE MINUTES IS NOT A LOT OF TIME FOR THAT. THAT IS THAT WE DO MAKE A SUGGESTION. I FORGIVE ME, I DID NOT HEAR IF YOU NOW OUT TO THE AGING COMMUNITY WHEN SOMETHING IS COMING UP. I HAD NO IDEA. I'M AT THAT RIPE AGE LIKE. AND I HAD NO IDEA THAT THAT SURVEY WAS EVEN OUT THERE TO DO. I ALSO KNOW ON A PERSONAL NOTE, LIKE MY FRIENDS UP ON THE HILL WHERE I LIVE, THEY'RE ALL SENIORS. THEY DON'T DO SOCIAL MEDIA, THEY DON'T DO INTERNET. THEY'RE VERY OLD SCHOOL. THEY DO MAIL. AND WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT THEIR MAIL, THEY DON'T GET A LOT OF MAIL ANYMORE. SO WHEN THEY GET MAIL, THEY LIKE TO READ THEIR MAIL.
SO WHEN SOMETHING COMES IN, IT'S JUST A SUGGESTION. ONE OTHER QUICK SUGGESTION IS REACH OUT TO YOUR GRASSROOT COMMUNITY, LIKE THE GIRL SCOUTS, THE BOY SCOUTS. VERY GOOD. ANYONE WHO'S LOOKING FOR ANY VOLUNTEER, ANY CREDITS, YOUR PLACES OF WORSHIP. I KNOW WHEN WE WERE. YES.
INVOLVED IN GIRL SCOUTS. MY. MY GIRLS WERE OUT LIKE WEEDING MY NEIGHBOR'S YARDS BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T DO IT ANYMORE AND THEY COULDN'T PAY FOR IT ANYMORE. SO JUST TRYING TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THAT BOX. YEAH. NO, THAT THAT GIRL SCOUT PART IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE BECAUSE I REMEMBER US DOING THAT. AND BOY SCOUT, THERE WAS A TROOP THAT DID SAY THAT THEY WILL HELP US WITH GETTING THE MESSAGE FOR THE I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY DID BRING IT UP IN A MEETING AND BUT YEAH, I USED TO KICK MY KIDS OUT, HELP THE NEIGHBORS. DON'T GO THERE.
THERE'S NO. THAT'S. ANYWAY. MICHELLE PRICE 325 DUTCHTOWN ROAD. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU REMEMBER ME COMING HERE A FEW YEARS AGO AND TALKING ABOUT THE SEPTIC. YES WE DO. OKAY. SO TO HELP FACILITATE THIS DISCUSSION, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE A PRIVATE SEPTIC ON YOUR PROPERTY? NONE. DO I THINK. DO YOU PAY INTO THE THREE YEAR FEE? YOU DO. SO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S $60 FOR EVERY THREE YEARS. YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE THAT.
YOU'VE PUMPED YOUR TANK. I AM SO AGAINST THIS FEE, I IT'S A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE. FOR ME, IT'S A MATTER OF SOMETHING THAT THE STATE HAD DONE. AND THEN THE STATE DISSOLVED IT. AND THEN THE STATE SAID, MUNICIPALITIES, YOU CAN DO IT. SOME MUNICIPALITIES DO IT. SOME
[01:15:02]
MUNICIPALITIES DON'T DO IT. I DO NOT AGREE. AND I'M SAYING IT AGAIN, THAT THE FOLKS WHO ARE DILIGENT AND DO WHAT THE TOWNSHIP ASKS BY PUMPING EVERY. YOU GIVE US THREE YEARS. I DO IT EVERY 2 TO 3 YEARS. OKAY, NOW I'M GOING TO DO IT EVERY THREE YEARS BECAUSE IT'S JUST MY HUSBAND AND I AT HOME. SO BLESS THE PUMP. OKAY, SO THERE YOU GO. FOR THE FOLKS WHO FALL UNDER THE RADAR, I WILL CALL IT PAY NOTHING. AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE PUMPING, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT GROUNDWATER. WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYTHING. I'VE ALSO BEEN TOLD MY $60 GOES TO AN ADMINISTRATIVE FEE. OKAY, SO THINK ABOUT THIS. I HAD SOMEONE ONE TIME EXPLAIN IT TO ME THAT IT'S ADMINISTRATIVE FEE. AND IF YOU BREAK IT DOWN, MICHELLE, IT'S $20 A YEAR FOR THREE YEARS. OKAY. HERE'S MY REBUTTAL TO THAT. YOU'RE SENDING ME OUT ONE LETTER, ONE REQUEST, ONE TIME FOR EVERY THREE YEARS. SO TECHNICALLY, I ONLY OWE YOU 20 BUCKS BECAUSE WHERE'S YOUR TWO AND WHERE'S YOUR THREE? I ALSO DON'T AGREE WITH THIS BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAS A SEPTIC PAYS INTO IT.WHY ARE WE WHY ARE WHY IS A SELECT GROUP PAYING INTO THIS AND ANOTHER GROUP WHO HAS THE SAME PRIVATE SEPTIC NOT PAYING INTO THIS? HERE'S WHY. WHEN A REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR IS DONE ON A SEPTIC, IT FALLS INTO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S RADAR. SO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS THEY HAVE A PRIVATE SEPTIC. NOW WE CAN CHARGE THEM THIS FEE. DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS. THIS IS QUITE HONESTLY A MONEY GRAB. THAT'S WHAT IT IS. THERE'S NO ADMINISTRATIVE FEES FOR THIS.
OKAY? I'M SAYING THIS BECAUSE IT'S WRONG. IT'S WRONG, IT'S WRONG, IT'S WRONG. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. I HAVE BEEN TALKING. FORGIVE ME. I'LL WRAP THIS UP. I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR MORE THAN TEN YEARS. BETWEEN THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYING, GUYS, COME ON, THIS IS THIS IS SILLY. NO ONE WANTS TO GIVE UP THAT $60 TIMES. HOW MANY SKEPTICS? BUT IS IT REALLY FAIR? IS IT REALLY FAIR THAT SOME WITH THIS SEPTIC PAY AND SOME WITH THIS SEPTIC DON'T PAY? THAT'S A POINT. OKAY. AND NOW I'M GOING TO TAKE IT ONE FURTHER AND I'M ALMOST DONE. THAT'S 60 BUCKS I GIVE YOU EVERY THREE YEARS. BREAK IT DOWN FOR ME. SHOW ME WHERE THAT MONEY GOES. ADMINISTRATIVE FEES. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? SO I'M COMING TO THE END FOR A DISCUSSION. I'M NOT MAD AT ANYBODY. I'M DISGUSTED AND DISAPPOINTED THAT EVERY SO MANY YEARS I HAVE TO COME BACK HERE BECAUSE I KEEP GETTING A BILL THAT I'M REFUSING TO PAY. I TOLD JENNIFER, I SAID, PUT A WARRANT OUT FOR ME. I'M NOT PAYING THE BILL UNTIL SOMEONE GIVES ME A VALID ANSWER BECAUSE I HAVE EMAILS HERE FROM 2024 THAT SAID, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION, AND WE NOW NEED TO LOOK AT THE DOG, THE CAT, THE OTHER PERMITS AND FEES WE PAY. SO DON'T PAY IT UNTIL WE DISCUSS IT. WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU. NO ONE'S EVER GOTTEN BACK TO ME. YOU KNOW WHAT BROUGHT ME HERE AGAIN? I GOT ANOTHER BILL. IT'S ONLY 2026, SO STILL, I'M UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THREE YEARS. RIGHT? 2026. I GET A BILL FOR NOW, $120 FOR MY SEPTIC FEE. TECHNICALLY, I REALLY ONLY ONLY OWE 60 BECAUSE IT'S ONCE EVERY THREE YEARS. SO SOMEONE NEEDS TO FIGURE THIS OUT. SOMEONE NEEDS TO STOP, STOP. YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT THE SENIORS NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD SOMETHING, STOP BLEEDING US IF THAT'S WHAT IT IS. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. YEAH, I THINK IT'S FOR ME. LAURA IS. MICHAEL COMES IN TO INTRODUCE THE BUDGET. THERE COULD BE SOME OVERVIEW OF SEWER FEES ETC. AND THE SEPTIC THE SEPTIC FEES I WOULD LIKE AN ANSWER ON. YEAH.
YOU KNOW, ARE THERE ESPECIALLY IF SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT PAYING AND SOME ARE PAYING, I THINK.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD. I THINK IT'S A FOLLOW UP. YEAH, YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING IN. DEEWANGEE IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD TELL US WHY SOME PEOPLE ARE PAYING? IS IT JUST BECAUSE WE WAIT TILL THEY GET A NEW SEPTIC? I MEAN, SHOULD WE WAIT TILL MIKE GO AND DISCUSS IT? I THINK HOLISTICALLY, YEAH. I DON'T THINK THIS IS A MICHAEL ISSUE,
[01:20:02]
OKAY? THIS ISN'T IT'S A HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN THE, I THINK, 90S, WHEN THE BOARD OF HEALTH MADE THE DECISION TO GRANDFATHER IN ANY NEW SEPTICS AT THE TIME WHEN THIS ORDINANCE WAS IMPLEMENTED, THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WERE GRANDFATHERED IN THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY IN THE SYSTEM. SO AS PEOPLE SELL THEIR HOMES. OH, SO THEY WERE GRANDFATHERED IN, THE ONES WHO ARE NOT PAYING. YEAH. SO THERE, YOU KNOW, IS, IS, IS THE DISCUSSION THEN, YOU KNOW, DO WE CHANGE THE ORDINANCE TO, YOU KNOW, NOW SAY, OKAY, ALL THOSE PROPERTIES THAT WERE GRANDFATHERED IN SHOULD JOIN THE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE QUESTION. SO UNLESS THEY SELL, THEY'RE GRANDFATHERED IN. AND ONCE THEY SELL, THEN WE START CHARGING THEM THE. OKAY. YEAH. WELL, I THINK THE CLARIFICATION IS WHAT'S THE POINT OF THE PROGRAM? SO THE POINT OF THE PROGRAM IS TO ENSURE THAT THAT FOLKS ARE IN FACT, DOING THE PUMPING SO THAT THEY'RE MAINTAINING THEIR SEPTIC SYSTEMS. THAT'S A HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE. YOU KNOW, IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT OBVIOUSLY, PEOPLE THAT ARE SELF-REPORTING ARE THE ONES THAT ARE COMPLYING.THERE COULD BE PEOPLE THAT ARE SKIRTING THE SYSTEM, NOT PUMPING AND AREN'T WITHIN THE REPORTING GUIDELINES BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T REPORTED BEFORE, OR IT JUST WASN'T BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION. AFTER SOME POINT IN THE SALE. I MEAN, I THINK IT'S WORTH LOOKING INTO, GIVEN THAT IT'S AN ORDINANCE FROM THE 90S AS TO IMPLEMENTATION. AND PERHAPS IT'S ALSO WORTH LOOKING INTO. WHAT IF I BELIEVE IT'S SOMETIMES. YVONNE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THERE WAS AN EFFORT TO CATALOG ALL OF THE SEPTICS, WHETHER THEY WERE IN THE PROGRAM OR NOT. SO IT'S WORTH TAKING THAT LIST OF ALL AND THEN LOOKING AT THE LIST OF THE REGISTERED AND STARTING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE DISCREPANCIES ARE. I THINK YOU AND I HAD THAT DISCUSSION WHEN I WAS ON THE BOARD OF HEALTH, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT WENT ANYWHERE FROM 2024. YEAH, I REMEMBER THAT FROM I THINK 2023. I WAS ON THE BOARD OF HEALTH AND WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT SEPTICS. I WILL SAY, IF I DON'T PUMP MY TANK EVERY TWO YEARS, IT GETS BACKED UP. SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU YOU HAVE TO PUMP IT, YOU HAVE TO PUMP IT. OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, YOU ALSO HAVE HISTORIC SEPTICS HOMES THAT PERHAPS ARE HAVING FAILURES THAT HAVE SEEPAGE. YOU KNOW, IT'S WORTH AT THIS POINT WORTH 30 PLUS YEARS FROM THE TIME THAT THAT ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED. I THINK TO HAVE A LOOK AT IT. OKAY. CERTAINLY WORTH LOOKING TO SEE WHO'S UNDER THE RADAR. OKAY. I THINK, DEVON, LET'S LET'S HAVE A DISCUSSION. THANK YOU. I BOUGHT MY HOUSE IN 2000, AND THE FIRST FEW YEARS I LIVED HERE, I DID NOT SPEAK, SO I HAD TO REPAIR THEM. SO THAT'S NOT ACCURATE. THE OTHER THING IS, TO MY POINT, WHAT YOU JUST SAID, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT PUMPING ARE THE ONES WHO COULD BE CONTAMINATING THE WATER, AND THEY'RE ALSO THE ONES WHO ARE NOT PAYING. SO I FEEL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING DILIGENT AND WHO ARE PAYING ARE GETTING DINGED FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING, AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE FLYING UNDER THE RADAR. SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT WENT BECAUSE I PAID THE FIRST FEW YEARS AGO AND I BOUGHT IT IN 2000. SO WE GOTTA GET THE STORY. OKAY. I THINK WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION ON. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MICHELLE. OKAY. SO IF WE CAN HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE AT THE NEXT MEETING, BECAUSE THE, YOU KNOW, SEWER BILLS ARE ALSO TIED TO THE BUDGET, ETC. YES, THEY ARE. WELL, THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN THE SEWER BILLS SEPTIC, BUT IT IS A BOARD OF HEALTH ORDINANCE. CORRECT. SO JUST JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, IT'S A BOARD OF HEALTH ORDINANCE. SO I BELIEVE WHEN IS THE NEXT BOARD OF HEALTH NEXT WEDNESDAY. SO IF YOU CAN PLEASE BRING UP TO THEM THAT THERE WAS THIS DISCUSSION AT THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE, AND THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE IS LOOKING FOR SOME ANSWERS ON THAT. AND THEN IF THAT ORDINANCE IS THEIRS, TO HAVE A LOOK AT THE FACT THAT SOME OF THE GRANDFATHERED IN MAYBE, YOU KNOW, IN IN HEALTH VIOLATION, WHO KNOWS. BUT I SHOULD ALSO NOTE THAT BECAUSE IT IS A BOARD OF HEALTH ISSUE AND THEY ADOPT THEIR OWN ORDINANCES, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT SET THE FEE. SO IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY A BOARD OF HEALTH ISSUE, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY COORDINATE ON THE APPLICABILITY PORTION OF IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. AT THIS POINT, ORDINANCES INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING, THERE ARE NO ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION, ORDINANCES.
PUBLIC HEARING ADOPTION ORDINANCE 20 6-117 FOR 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 NJSA 44 DASH 4514. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS OPEN AS KHADIT FROM MARCH 19TH. REGULAR
[01:25:07]
MEETING. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY, I JUST WANT TO ADD AGAIN, AS A REMINDER, I KNOW OUR CFO IS NOT HERE TONIGHT, BUT THIS GIVES THE TOWNSHIP AND YOU KNOW, ANY TOWNSHIP CAN VOTE FOR THIS ORDINANCE. THE FLEXIBILITY AROUND CERTAIN BUDGETARY ITEMS, IT DOESN'T COMPEL US TO SPEND THAT MUCH MONEY. BUT I THINK AS AS I'M READING A NEWSPAPER AND READING ABOUT TOWNSHIPS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE FLEXIBILITY ON A YEAR OVER YEAR BASIS, NOW THEY'RE COMING IN WITH TEN DOUBLE DIGIT TAX INCREASES. I THINK THIS GIVES US THE PRUDENT TOOL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BOTH MANAGE OUR, YOU KNOW, FUND OUR, YOU KNOW, THE INVESTMENTS THAT THE TOWNSHIP WANTS US TO DO, BUT ALSO MANAGE OUR SURPLUSES AS WELL. SO, YOU KNOW, I, I'M, I THINK MANAGEMENT OF SURPLUS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. YES. OKAY.AND MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPT ORDINANCE 20 6-1774. SO MOVED SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANNE. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD.
YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BARRAGAN. YES. MAYOR SINGH YES. RESOLUTION RESOLUTION 20 6-3-1 27.
AUTHORIZING CONTRACT EXTENSION NUMBER THREE FOR SEWER EXCAVATION AND REPAIR SERVICES.
GALBRAITH AND SON EXCAVATION. YES, MAYOR. SO THROUGH OUR SEWER UTILITY, WE USE THIS CONTRACTOR FOR CERTAIN EXCAVATION WORK THAT IS BEYOND NORMAL WORK THAT WE MIGHT DO ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS. WE'VE FOUND THEM VERY RELIABLE, TIMELY AND AND AFFORDABLE. THIS IS CONTRACT WAS HAD A THREE YEAR, ONE YEAR EXTENSION. SO WE'RE ON OUR LAST EXTENSION FOR THE CONTRACT. HAVING THE ABILITY, THE STATE PURCHASING LAWS ALLOW US TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO EXTENSIONS. LOCKING IN RATES DOES HELP US ANTICIPATE COSTS IN THE FUTURE. AND IT IS COMPLETELY COVERED WITHIN THE BUDGET FOR OUR MAINTENANCE LINE ITEM. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS? SO DOES THIS MEAN THAT A YEAR FROM NOW WE NEED TO FIND A NEW VENDOR? YEAH, WE WOULD BE WE WOULD BE PUTTING IT OUT TO BID. YES. OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 20 6-3-1 27.
SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER. ANNE. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR.
TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BARRAGAN. YES. MAYOR SINGH YES. RESOLUTION 20 6-3-1 28.
AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE AGREEMENT WITH A P OPERATING COMPANY, LLC FOR THE CHERRY VALLEY ROAD CONNECTOR. PARTIAL EXPANSION EXPANSION PROJECT. ANY UPDATE ON THIS? IF YOU'D LIKE AN EXPLANATION. SO THIS IS ONE OF THE LOOP ROADS THAT'S IN THE MASTER PLAN. THERE IS CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE WOULD ALLOW IT TO MOVE FORWARD. THEY RECEIVED THEIR PLANNING BOARD APPROVALS EARLIER IN THE MONTH. THERE'S NO DEVELOPMENT PER SE THAT IS BEING ATTACHED. IT'S JUST THE ROAD FIRST. IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHT. IT'S TRULY JUST THE DEVELOPER SEQUENCE AGREEMENT FOR THEIR PORTION OF THE LOOP ROAD. OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 20 6-3-1 28. SO MOVED SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMITTEE MEMBER.
ANNE. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. TAYLOR. TODD. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BARRAGAN. YES. MAYOR SINGH. YES.
CORRESPONDENCE. DANCE FOR CURE. TIE THE TOWN PINK. REQUEST TO TIE RIBBONS THROUGHOUT MUNICIPAL PROPERTIES IN SUPPORT OF BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, OCTOBER. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE TOWNSHIP HAS PARTICIPATED IN FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS IN RECOGNITION OF BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. DANCE FOR THE CURE IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION PROVIDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO CANCER BREAST CANCER PATIENTS AND 100 AND SOMERSET AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, AND WE COLLABORATE WITH THE GIRL SCOUTS TO HELP US. THEY DROP OFF PINK RIBBONS IN SEPTEMBER AND WE TIE THEM THROUGHOUT THE MUNICIPAL PROPERTIES. AND SO THEY'RE ASKING US TO PARTICIPATE. ONCE AGAIN, I'M HERE TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY OBJECTIONS. I THINK IT'S GOOD. YEAH, YEAH. ANY OBJECTIONS? OKAY. THANK YOU. CAN I JUMP IN HERE AND NOT REALLY CORRESPONDS. I JUST BROUGHT UP SOME COMMITTEE REPORTS. IT KIND OF RELATED TO THIS AND THE FIRE COMPANIES. WHAT'S THE FIRE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING THAT WE WERE AT LORI FIRE PREVENTION. YEAH, THE FIRE PREVENTION COMMITTEE. THERE'S DISCUSSION. OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, OUR FIRES, ALL VOLUNTEERS WANT TO KIND OF GET THE WORD OUT.
THEY REACHED OUT TO MYSELF SINCE I ATTENDED THAT MEETING, SEE IF WE CAN T PLACE
[01:30:04]
SOME RECRUITING POSTERS IN SOME OF THE TOWNSHIP OWNED LAND. YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S HERE, YOU KNOW, DPW OR, YOU KNOW, THE PARKS THAT, YOU KNOW, FALL UNDER THE MUNICIPALITY. I'M, I'M SUPPORTIVE. I THINK I CHECKED WITH LORI. YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE AREN'T ANY STATUTES OF WHY WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO THAT. I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF SHARE THAT WITH THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE AS WELL, THAT THAT REQUEST ALSO CAME IN. JUST SEE IF THERE'S ANY CONCERNS THERE FOR A TEMPORARY PERIOD OF TIME AS THEY'RE DOING THEIR RECRUITING CYCLES. I THINK IT'S IT'S A GOOD IDEA. YEAH. OKAY. NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS.OUTDOOR ASSEMBLY PERMIT APPLICATION. MARKET MAY 17TH, 2026. SO I RECEIVED AN OUTDOOR APPLICATION FOR AN OUTDOOR ASSEMBLY PERMIT FROM MARKET. THE INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE AS WELL AS THE RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENTS FOR REVIEW. A RESOLUTION WILL BE BEFORE YOU FOR CONSIDERATION AT THE APRIL 16TH MEETING, AS WE DO FOR ALL OF OUR APPLICATIONS. LET'S MAKE SURE IT'S ALL DONE COMPLETELY CORRECT AND EVERYTHING'S BEING REVIEWED BY ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL COMPLIANT. OKAY. THANK YOU. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS APRIL 16TH, 2026. BUDGET PRESENTATION.
BUDGET INTRODUCTION APRIL 16TH. ORDINANCE INTRODUCTION 2026. CAPITAL. APRIL 16TH. ORDINANCE.
INTRODUCTION. SEWER RATE. MAY 14TH, 2026. BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING ADOPTION MAY 14TH, 2026 CAPITAL ORDINANCE PUBLIC HEARING ADOPTION MAY 14TH, 2026 SEWER RATE ORDINANCE, PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN ADOPTION RESOLUTION 20 6-3-1 29 EXECUTIVE SESSION. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY OF SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY, AS FOLLOWS. THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE WILL NOW CONVENE IN A CLOSED SESSION THAT WILL BE LIMITED ONLY TO CONSIDERATION OF ITEMS WITH RESPECT TO WHICH THE PUBLIC MAY BE EXCLUDED. PURSUANT TO SECTION SEVEN B OF THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT. THE GENERAL NATURE OF THE SUBJECTS TO BE DISCUSSED IN THE SESSION ARE AS FOLLOWS. REAL PROPERTY, TOWNSHIP PROPERTIES, CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. SO CONTRACT LITIGATION DOCKET NUMBER SOM-L-153- 25. AFFORDABLE HOUSING. 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. THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE WILL RETURN TO REGULAR SESSION AND MAY TAKE FURTHER ACTION.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 20 6-3-1 29, SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE.
COMMITTEE MEMBER ALLEN. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER TAYLOR. YES. DEPUTY MAYOR BARRAGAN. YES.
MAYOR
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.