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R. >> Did he find it? And that's his eagle project. >> We are live. >> All right. We are live. We are going to go live now. It's 7 o'clock. Um, so if everybody can take their seat

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at home, >> I call to order the uh business session um of township council of July 13th. Can we get the roll call, please? >> Charles >> here. >> Gow >> here. Jivers here. >> Mandel >> here. Weiss >> here.

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>> Are we adequately noticed? >> Yes, this meeting was adequately noticed on January 23rd, 2026 to the Times in the Princeton packet, filed with the municipal clerk, and posted here at the municipal building and on the township website. Please stand for the salute to the flag

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for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice. Okay. So, um under ceremonial matters, I'm going to read a proclamation for um the disability pride month. Um month of

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July is um disability pride month. So, I'm just going to read this proclamation. There were a few organizations that we had reached out to, invited um but they couldn't make it tonight. So we will get them a copy of it at a later date. Um whereas July is

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recognized as disability pride month commemorating the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. a landmark civil rights rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability and affirms the rights of

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disabled individuals to fully participate in all aspects of society. And whereas disability pride month honors the strength, resilience, talents, and diverse accomplishments of disabled individuals in our community

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and recognizes their many contributions throughout Westminster Township. And whereas the disability community is diverse including people with physical, intellectual emotional invisible acquired, and chronic disabilities among

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others. And whereas Westminster Township celebrates diversity in all aspects of life and strives to take meaningful action in many ways to build a township that is inclusive of all people.

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celebrating disability as a natural and vibrant part of human diversity. And whereas the Westminster Township Recreation Department provides activities to the disabled community, including coral connect and dance

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aerobics, and recently installed a communication board at Community Park for nonverbal children. And whereas the Westminster Township Senior Center offers chair yoga and chair stretch and tone classes for seniors of all levels

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of ability. And whereas the Westminster Health Department facilities vaccination services for independent housing complexes for the disabled. And whereas Westminster Township maintains facilities that are ADA

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compliant such as the newly renovated municipal building and a new mobility lift at the Westminster Arts Council building and works towards road improvements with ADA compliant sidewalks and crosswalks. And whereas the Westminster Police

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Department works closely with organizations that support individuals with disabilities and takes part in training initiatives to better understand and respond to the needs of individuals with disabilities and supports fundraising efforts. And

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whereas several investments or nonprofit groups provide services and opportunities for children and young adults in the neurodeiverse community to learn and thrive. Now therefore, be it resolved on this 13th day of July, 2026

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by the mayor and township council of the township of West Windsor, county of Mercer, and state of New Jersey that the mayor and township council recognize July as disability pride month in perpetuity. I know parks and recreation also has

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plans to um include um inclusive playgrounds when they renovate the duck pond park. So that would be another addition in the future. Um going moving on um this is our first opportunity for public comments. 30 minutes comment

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period 3 minute limit per person. Um Allison, do we have um anybody signed up? >> I do have a list here. Um starting first with Maria with Salon Fashi. >> Hello. My name is Maria Ficholo and I'm Oh, so

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do you just speak directly out um at the mic? >> Hello all. My name is Maria Ficholo and I am the owner of Salon Fochi at the Village Square Shopping Center on Foxville Road. And um I've had the salon there for 33 years now.

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And in 1993, we were actually the first business to open there. So we've been there a long time. And I've never experienced anything like I'm experienced with this bridge closer closure. We're really struggling and suffering. Um there's no traffic

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anymore. There's nobody coming in the shopping center. There's nobody driving by to see that we're anybody's there. I think I know I speak for all the businesses that were all suffering there. Um it's been eight months now. We were told there's going to be a onelane bridge coming in the near

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future, but it's nine months away and I don't think we can even hold on for nine more months. It's been pretty devastating. Now I'm starting to lose all my staff too because they're going to shopping centers that are busy but don't have a detour and uh it's been

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very difficult. I guess um what I'm trying to say ask is uh if there is any new status on the state of emergency so maybe we can get some help or what the status is on the

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state of emergency because kind of got dropped I feel like after we were told that the new bridge might be coming in 9 months which is a long time to wait when we've already been waiting for eight months. So um we all need support. I don't know if there's anything else that the store

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owners can qualify for as far as um help goes, but willing to listen and um I was told that I should ask also if there's any programs to help with utilities and things like that in the meantime and that's all. Thank you for listening.

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>> Now we um maybe can give an update later. Um the way public comments works is once all the everybody gives their comments and we close the public comments then we can um answer back if there are any updates that we can give. >> Thank you so much.

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>> Okay, next Michael Shuitt. First, I want to thank Michael for giving me his time slot. Um, uh, Melissa Hager, 27 Quaker Road, Princeton Junction. >> Janice Barendis Todd, 9 Jeffrey Lane,

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Princeton Junction. I >> think in the public comments, you can only do one person at a time. You both can talk at the same time. >> Yeah, I'll do the talking. So, uh, we just want to thank the council and the mayor for all their support for the send hunger packing

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program and the little free pantry and to let the public know that there is a new little free pantry across the road by the senior center. It's open 24/7. Let your friends and family know if they need food. It's u the motto is take what

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you need, leave what you can, and we hope that we're supporting those who are in need in a very respectful way. Thank you again, council and mayor. >> Thank you. Anybody else? Okay, so Michael Shuitt

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for council. >> Uh, good evening. My name is Michael Shu. I reside at uh 416 Windsor Court in Buick. >> I might be >> I'm the advisor to the Sha Tree Commission. Um Allison, the township clerk, has a memo I prepared for all of

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you today regarding the proposed bamboo ordinance. The memo is a summary of my two earlier memos you already have regarding proposed ordinance. And my ask for you tonight is simple. adopt a version of the family ordinance.

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That's attachment to attachment to today's memo of July 13. The administration's markup member draft in the audience is in your package, but can also be found as attachment one in my

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memo. It does reflect good work and administration's edits generally improved on earlier version and I think we should keep those st comments. But I urge you to adopt the clean version which is attachment two

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which is the prever preferred version as your working text rather than the draft your package again attachment one. And briefly here's why attachment to is preferred version. First it's more legally defensible. It ties the

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certificate of occupancy or as we know the co to non-compliance of the bamboo chapter. Second, it corrects a broken cross reference that left end points enforcement in the wrong direction. And to the fair question, is West Windsor

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going out on a limb have adopting a bamboo ordinance? Absolutely not. Currently, at least two dozen New Jersey towns regulate bamboo through their local ordinances. So, Westwoods wouldn't be the first. we simply be the first to

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plainly said what several codes already lead just to inference regarding the CO there's no new inspection no new fee proposed the check happens at the review that's already occurring so the the

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choice the policy choice is yours and I welcome my purpose review of course again my recommendation is only this introduce and adopt the preferred version set forth and attach attachment to my memo as the West Windsor Bamboo Ordinance. Thank you.

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>> Thanks, Mike. Do we have anybody else on the list? Okay, Sylvia Ascarelli. >> Hi, Sylvia Ascarelli, 27 Melville Road. Speaking on behalf of the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance, we are excited to see resolution 148 and the

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contract for those pedestrian activated flashing yellow lights at six crossings in town. By voting yes on this contract, you will be making it safer for kids to walk to school, for people to walk beyond their neighborhoods and to use the trolley line trail. you know that

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the WWBPA thinks there are more crossings in West Windsor where these lights are needed. But for now, I just want to say thank you for these six and which we hope will be installed before the start of the school year at the end of August. Thank you. >> Thanks, Sylvia.

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>> Uh next on the list, um Pranani, sorry if I pronounced that wrong. >> Uh good evening. My name is Pranay Anuri and I'm a Westminster resident. I'm here with two. >> Could you also give your address please for the records? >> Yeah, I we stay at 56 Penline Road in

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West. I'm here with two specific requests and then present some records behind it. The first is that the council asked the administration for a resurfacing assessment of five roads with the highest repatch pounds in the DPWS DPW's

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own logs and report back at a future meeting. The second request is that uh the FI 2027 budget include a dedicated resurfacing line item, even a modest one, so a gold patch isn't the only

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thing that the DPW works out. And here's why. On June 27th of this year, I filed an OPRA request for the township's road repair records and budget. They show that the township buys two truckloads of cold patch every year.

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That's about 30 to 38 tons from a single vendor for the entire township. That's a hard number from the budget. Now if I check that with the crew logs, uh the crew logs report anywhere between

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100 to 300 patches per per day. And even a generous estimate of how far a ton of cold patch goes, 38 tons can't really cover the volume across a full year and the rest of the township.

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The math simply doesn't add up. Now, I'm not claiming that anybody is doing anything wrong. It's the opposite. Our crews are being asked to do a structural repair job on a cold patch budget and they're really running out of material

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and you can see that on the ground. >> So the Alexander roundabout had seen several patches in the last couple of months and by last week it had failed again and needed repatching. Now when a repair falls in under two

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weeks the road is failing under me and a cold p cold patch really can't fix that and in the operating records I was provided every record every road repair dollar is for the cold patch I couldn't find anything that's related to

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resurfacing anywhere in these accounts if there's a capital budget where resurfacing lives it wasn't produced for my request but I'd love to see that but in the records I was given temporary patch is the only thing that is being

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funded which is why the same uh patches keep coming uh coming uh over and over I'm not asking for a commitment tonight but to put this on the agenda I've prepared this handouts with more

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information of uh the data that uh I gathered from the okra so to summarize the records show that cold patch budget isn't fixing our uh roads. So, I'm asking for two specific things.

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The first one is a resurfacing assessment of the top five worst roads investments sir. >> Okay. Three minutes. >> Thank you, I can pass that out to council. Thank you.

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>> Thank you. Thank you. Do we have next? >> Okay. Next on the list is Ariana. >> Ariana. >> Do we have an Ariana on the >> Ariana? >> Ariana, right? >> 53 North Post Road. >> Oh, yeah.

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>> Wow. >> Okay, we can go. >> Well, then um if once we close the public comment, you'll have to wait for the next public comment. >> Okay. Uh do we have anybody else on the list? Um, next on the list is Philip Lee.

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Hello again. Uh, Philip Lee, 8 Stonewall Drive, West Pens. Uh the last time I was here, I explained uh my situation with encro the encroaching bamboo from my neighbor. Today I want to give uh

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support to the bamboo ordinance as drafted and to provide some exhibits that can enlighten you on the dangers and damage running bamboo can have on the community. So, you know, the first exhibit, at first

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glance, a few bamboo shoots seem innocent, but in no time, it can become a thick forest. Um, this forest in my backyard is 150 ft wide and 15 ft deep.

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Uh, the second exhibit uh shows just how how deep it is, 15 feet, and it's managed on his side. uh to keep it that way. But exhibit C, you'll see that he's planted it right on the border property line. And when that

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happens, the bamboo runs across neighboring properties, damaging gardens, trees, sprinkler lines, and whatever may be in their path. And the growth on my side has been managed by myself to prevent such damage.

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Uh the fourth exhibit, uh the bamboo has become a habitat for unwelcome wildlife. I'm all in favor of nature, but when it poses a health asset to my family, then I'm not I'm not so in favor of that. flocks of bird in particular

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medium-sized black birds called crackklings nest in the bamboo and they and they have deposit droppings on the pool patio and in the pool uh which requires us to clean daily and this is very unsanitary and went unhealthy.

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Uh the last exhibit shows items I have purchased in attempt to rid the birds from the pool area. Uh as one item has tried and failed, I resort to another. Uh first I started with fake towels didn't work. Reflective windmills uh

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bird uh noise machines and lastly uh the flying man which uh hopefully scares them away. So as you can see the bamboo forest has been a nightmare for me and my family. Uh in summary, we support the ordinance as drafted because I believe it will rid

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our community of uncontained running bamboo forever. I think the state had the intention to eradicate uncontrolled running bamboo when it labeled bamboo as an invasive species. However, the state did not have the means by which to fully enforce the actual intent. Receiving a

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clean certificate of occupancy on the condition that running bamboo can be eliminated provides that means. So eliminating running bamboo in West Windsor in the long run will provide one less reason for neighbors to bicker, prevent unnecessary cost in terms of damaged property and and and buying

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devices to deal with the situation as in my case or even cost in the case of civil lawsuit if it gets to that point. >> Okay, three minutes. >> Okay, I implore the committee to pass the ordinance as drafted. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Okay, next on the list is

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Michael Toss. Uh, Michael Tass, 17 Milbrook Drive, West Windsor, 31 years. Um, I hear there's a brush concept going around where you're thinking about recreating

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pickups. I live in a community of 53 homes in the Milbrook. Out of those 53 homes, there were 21 homes with brush in front of their homes as of today. So that means over 40% utilization of a

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service in July. You're talking about taking it out of July, August, and not resumeuming until September. If you think about the growing season, we have clean up in March

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getting prepared for the spring and then we have the growth period of June and July and then we start trimming what we do and we leave it out there for you to pick up. I would ask you not to get rid of

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the July period. You can throw in August as a gift to the community where you can say either way because there's not that much activity in August, but I think it's a mistake not making July a pickup month. And if

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you think we're all going to go to our landscapers to basically have them take it into uh public works to dump it, that's 21 people you're asking to drive there with

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their landscapers to get rid of stuff. I'm not sure that's an efficient use. Then your next piece is if you if they if it sits out there, it's going to get caught in the drains. And we know what happened in the huge rain years ago. At least in our neighborhood, we had

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flooded because all the debris was in the drains. So I would ask you to at least consider moving it to July and then get rid of August if you need to make that change. Okay, that's my comment. Then this I

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have a question. The capital budget that's in that big packet and everything. Do you guys lay out why you're giving paying for cars? You're you're buying a lot of cars and I was just wondering who's getting the

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cars that you're buying and are you going to discuss that tonight? And that's just a question. >> Okay, maybe can answer that later. >> Thanks. >> Do we have anybody else on the list? on

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the list. Um, Jacob, >> um, I have a information >> hand out for council. >> Yeah. >> Okay. I can hand it out before you give your comment. Okay. Yep. >> I wasn't sure many people be here today.

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>> Okay. We >> primarily this comments actually for the mayor. Could you uh please um >> Yeah. >> State your name and address. >> Your name and address. >> Hi, Jacob Dick. Um 110 Harris Road. Um so about I think a week ago, I sent a uh

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email to the council and the mayor. Um and I actually wanted to thank Joe Charles who wrote me back like that night. It was was very nice and very accommodating. Um but he pointed me to say um to talk to the mayor um about a

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permitting issue that I'm having on an addition that I'm putting on to my home. Um so township ordinance um requires if I got what the engineer said correctly that um we can't drain directly to site

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which makes sense because of the size of the property. So we had two options. Um, option one was we could bury our downspouts and trench basically across Harris Road and then the nearest storm water outlet is like three houses down

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or something. So we trench down Harris Road three houses and connect to the storm water pipe. Option two was put in a dry well um and that requires putting an a overflow um between the sidewalk and the curb. And

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um I was told that because the township is going to be paving Harris Road, they would just they would basically they'd make a the engineering's office would make a note and they've been very accommodating, I have to say. Very so this not to step on anyone's toes, but

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um they said they'd make a note and they would just they would pipe that overflow into the new they're going to be putting a new apparently new storm water system in. So, my thought was, um, why can't So, why not just bury the down spout to

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instead of putting a whole drywall in with an overflow, bury the down spout from the back of my addition to put it where the overflow is going to be and just put temporarily put a popup or a grate or something that would allow the addition to drain into

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the street currently. And then when the township is ready to pave Carris Road, they were going to plum that into the storm water system. Anyways, so my my thought was I would just do that. It would mean a lot to my family. This

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would save us probably somewhere in the neighborhood of anywhere between5 to $15,000 that we to we would save. Um, you know, we've really we've coordinated with the town through this whole process. We had to get a variance. That was like $5,000 we spent on variance

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application. We've got architecture drawings. We got a storm water management plan. I think we're like $15,000 into it and like 11 months of permitting. And so I just wanted to respectfully, you know, request to see if that would be a plausible option. I

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was told the mayor was in charge of permitting. So that's why I've been directing. I said the name but you know the whole count >> three minutes. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thanks. Thanks, Jacob. Do we have anybody else? Susan Conlin.

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>> Hi, Susan Conlin, 98 Harris Road. And um I'd like to um second um Sylvia Ascarrelli spoke about a few minutes ago um to express my uh support for and appreciation of the plans to um make a

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um improvements um that um are part of uh 2026 is it R48 um for the authorization of the contract for um the pedestrian safety

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improvements and cross walks um in West Windsor and um very happy that the um all of these locations will be done. Um I'm also trustee with the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance and I think um all of these are uh fitting in

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with a with approaching these kind of projects in a in a comprehensive way and um especially with many of these will affect uh transportation to and from school. So, um, thank you for, um, following up on this. I know you've been

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talking about this for many years. So, um, with great appreciation and support for this project and, um, I'll just mention, um, following up on J, um, uh, Jacob's comments about the engineering. Harris Road um as you know is going to

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be scheduled for um surface improvements and some other engineering work and is a part of the project to um put the flashing beacon in to make the pedestrian crossing safer at Harrison Alexander. Just please also as mentioned

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before be mindful about the engineering work that needs to be done because of the flooding of that location. So thank you. >> Thank you. Okay, next is Judith Mendes. Um, my name is Judith Mendes. I live at 35.

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I'm new to this, so I may be repeating what some people have already said. I thought I was this was going to be handled differently. I thought I speaking only if I wanted to, but I want to express my support for the proposed bamboo ordinance. uh specifically wanted

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to say that the house that we live in at 30 Hawthorne Drive has a back neighbor a neighbor behind us that has bamboo that is coming into our yard and the only reason it's not you know overgrown in our yard is because we have a lawn

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service and the lawn service comes weekly and they weed whack and they weed whack it as it's sprouting into our lawn which is regularly and so like other people at past meetings have talked about about mice and rats and snakes

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coming into their lawn. That's a concern for us, but also we can't landscape across the back of our yard. We want to put bushes there and we can't do it because if we do it, our landscaper won't be able to weed whack behind

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landscaping and if he can't weed whack behind the landscaping, their bamboo is going to grow into our lawn. So, it's an infringement on our land. what we can do on our land and I just want to express my opinion about it and uh you know just

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share that with the the committee that that's that's how it's affecting us and if we can have a bamboo ordinance that would be great. >> Thanks. >> Thank you Judith. >> Thank you. Okay, next on the list is Rishab.

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>> All right, good evening council members. Um, I'm happy to see most of you after you came by uh high school. >> Could you just state your name and address first? >> Sure. Uh, my name is Risha Rangaraju. I'm at Five Diamond Court. Um, my account, my co-founder will be coming up soon to discuss details. Um, but we're

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here to talk about a disconnect in our community and what we're doing as a team to fix it. Punwit and I noticed that the youth and elders in our community rarely have a chance to meaningfully connect. And we started this project because we believed young people had something to give and because we noticed how much

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we've been missing. There are people in this town who raised families, built businesses, and lived through history we've only read about in textbooks. Too often we just walk past them without asking what they know. That's not a gap in resources. It's a gap in attention and closing it starts with listening.

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But listening has gotten harder and harder to come by. Technology has connected us to people across the world, but it's made us it's made too many of us strangers to talk to our own neighbors. Less of us sit with someone from a different generation and simply talk. That silence cuts both ways. And

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it leaves young people without the wisdom and face-to-face connection older generations have to offer. and it leaves seniors carrying a loneliness that is quiet, easy to overlook and far too common. We built this because we have we believe no one in this community should feel forgotten and to for the solution

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my co-founder will be coming up to talk about it and express any more uh of our issues. >> All right. Okay. So, next on the list is Pranvat. >> Good evening. Uh my name is Pranvat from seven Lenipe Princeton Junction.

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So as Rashad said that kind of is a motivation for our pro program which is called bridge the gap and it has two main parts. The first program is the helping hands program where student volunteers can work one-on-one with seniors with technology video calling family members smartphones everyday apps

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AI usage and for seniors it's a chance to build a real relationship with someone younger and in high school and pass on their wisdom. And for students it's a practice in patience and real conversation skills. The second is a lasting stories project where volunteers

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record senior oral histories, the memories and moments that happened to them in the Westminster Township before these stories are lost. Now, we aim to document these in a documentary format or a scrapbook format, preserving these stories in township history while also acting as a keepsake for the families.

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Now, this program gives a chance for students to to slow down and learn from someone who's lived a full life. Now, we're partnering with the West Windsor Historical Society to document these stories and the senior center staff and other community members to make these programs possible, which start on July

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8, 28th. Now, this kind of connection is worth building in our community, not through grand gestures, but one conversation and one story at a time. Now, none of this can work without volunteers, though, and we're asking for this community's help. Connect us with the teens you know in

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our in your town, in our town. share our flyers or mention us to someone who you think would like to join the program. If you have any questions, please find us afterwards and would love to talk. We'd be honored to work with the council and all community residents with this program to make it reach the heights we know it can. Reach to us at all bridge

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the gap@gmail.com for any further questions. Thank you so much for your time. >> Thank you. Um, going back to Ariana. >> Good evening. Uh, my name is Ariana Romani. I am

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>> Could we um >> make sure there is Ariana Rahmani. I'm I'm here because of 53. >> Could you um state your address as well for the record? >> Uh, the address is 53 North Post Road. Originally it was a engineering office,

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a commercial building I purchased in um December of uh 2025 and at the time of purchase my attorney made sure that this has changed from commercial to residential. the zoning was changed and um me myself as an

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unexperienced person in construction field I thought since it's changed so I'm okay with uh cosmetic changes which I did that and then later on I find out that I was under violation of um not touching anything

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and then um I I reach out to the township asked them what can I uh do so as a result I uh got all those um architect architect hired uh and then uh I applied for all the permits but uh

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while um this thing was going on so I made the appointment with fire department for fire certificate that I passed and I got the certificate but later on I find out that's not acceptable by the township the certificate was not acceptable and then

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in the beginning I was told that it's okay to do the the driveway through the township officer and then Later on they say no you are under violation so you have to break the parking uh although it is not even 30% of the

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the the parking space. So at this point I would like to request you guys to um give me a waiver not to break the parking lot. I I did a lot of expense and it's been nine months I'm in straight losses with this property and I

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really don't know know at this point what to do. Okay. All right. Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Okay. I do not have anyone else on the list. >> Do we have anybody else in the audience who would like to speak? >> And Clifton, 18 Gston Drive. Uh just a

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third thank you for the rapid flashing beacons. Um first a thank you to the administration for the sites that were indicated. that shows a true commitment to safe routes to school since uh the majority of these beacons are in the areas where students would would be uh

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getting to school. And also a thank you to council for the last few years um increasing the budget line item the funding for crosswalk improvements. Um, and it's it's a good thing because the these are averaging about 67,000

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um on you know so uh for the prudence of of increasing the line item uh for several years to $100,000. So thank you very much. >> Thanks an anybody else? >> Devin

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Hi, Kevin Rnello 6 Harris Road. Uh, I just want to echo what Sylvia, Susan, and Ans and had said. Uh, thank you for moving forward with the pedestrian activated beacons. Uh, we look forward to seeing them installed. Uh, I know

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we've all been waiting quite a while. It'll be a welcome addition to the community. Um, I appreciate that. Thank you. Uh, I did have a few questions, however, though. Um, is there going to be a plan to re relocate the your speed here sign

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that's on Alexander by Harris? Um, once that beacon, flashing beacon is installed. Uh, I just have some concerns that with utility pole, all the signage that's going to be there for the rapid flashing beacon, uh, and the location of

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that current sign for the your speed here. Now, I just have concerns that it may not function as well as it could or should if nothing's blocking the radar. Um, and I also wanted to find out if

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there were any updates on the installation of the missing crosswalk signs at Scott and Alexander. Uh, there seems to be one uh only in one direction. Normally, you have them in like kind of all

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directions. So, when the cars are coming, they understand that there is a crosswalk there. Um, so if I can get if we can get an update on that and also just information on uh whether or not that flashing beacon can be moved to a better location. I know when I spoke to the

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gentleman that was actually installing it, he was kind of like, why is this going here? There's utility poles here. Um, also if we can send somebody out to maybe look at those utility poles. I know there was an accident probably within the last six months or so. One of the last times I was there,

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there was actually I don't know if it was rainwater or what. I guess when they put the utility pole in, there's a hole going down alongside the utility pole that might become might be a hazard. So, thank you. >> Thank you. Um, do we have anybody else

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in the audience? Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Uh this is Priy Johi from 10 Stonewall Drive. Um I just wanted to say that I would like to support the bamboo ordinance. Uh my neighbor Phil has already articulated all the you know

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issues that we all face together. Um I also want to thank all the council members for you know uh going through this entire process specifically Linda for staying in touch with us. I know we've not been communicating directly but you've been extending support to us

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um in our neighborhood for you know the the questions we may have had or you know the guidance that you provided. So thank you everybody. We really would like to see this getting implemented very soon. Thank you. >> Thanks Pri. Um do we have anybody else in the audience?

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Okay, seeing none, I'm going to close the public comment period now. Um, Maria from Sam Salon Fashi. Um, I think mayor can probably give a better update on the bridge. Um, but I, um, have been

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trying to schedule, um, a, um, site visit, um, by County Executive Dan Benson. And I think just a couple hours ago, right before the council meeting, I did get a date. U most likely it's going to be July 29th 29th in the afternoon.

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So once I have a full confirmation, I will let um everybody at the village square um know about that. That would be an opportunity to talk to the county executive directly. And um I this is the first time I I'm even telling the rest of the council because I haven't had a

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chance to tell them that. So that might be a good opportunity to um meet with the county executive and um speak to him directly. So July 29th most likely it's going to be in the afternoon around 1:30. Um but once I have a full confirmation tomorrow morning I will um

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send a note to all of you. Okay. Um mayor. >> Yeah. Uh there were unusually uh many comments uh at this meeting and that's good good thing. Um, I think I got most of them.

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I'm going to try and answer most of them. If I missed answering your comment, just raise your hand. I remember what most of you spoke about. Um, so I'll try to uh regarding the bridge, we keep working with NJOT to

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open it as fast as possible. They do give us an update every 2 weeks and they have been very diligent in giving us update. They have promised to open it before end of the year. Uh it will open one way at a time. Um I understand it's

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very frustrating. It's very frustrating for us too. A lot of us have been after us. Uh but the new commissioner and new governor have been far more u uh they have taken ownership and they far more um aggressive than what was before. It's

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truly unfortunate when it happened during the governor transition. So we missed uh we missed two three uh months. We have declared a state of emergency. The county did but the state has not declared a state of emergency. We tried

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to reach the governor but u she has to worry about the whole state not just one township or one county. So she hasn't um she hasn't declared a state of emergency for this location. However, um Andrea and Sony have been working as hard as

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they can to get as much help from um the state and the county to the businesses as they can and uh county has been very helpful. I'm very thankful to the county and in uh the economic development office they have come up. I believe they

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gave everybody a check of the same amount every business in the town and then there were other grants that are available through in uh New Jersey state if you had done some projects within last I believe 18 months or 2 years you could get reimbured for even prior

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projects and they have been more involved and more working with that and they have gotten NJA to the uh to the um shopping center a few times. So we will continue to push. I am very optimistic

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that even though the state says uh December it will open earlier than that at least based on everything that they promised the governor did get the whole team here in this room and explain to us what their options were and which option they were choosing and why they were

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choosing the options. They promised to work in parallel. So they're working while they are working with um um um Amtrak to get permits they are at the same time designing at the same time constructing the steel structures that

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they need to support the bridge. Um they are at the same time working with county to put a new traffic light to manage traffic which is a oneway traffic controlled by the traffic light. So everything that the commissioner promised she has come through. So I have

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every hope to believe that and I keep reminding her she has to beat her own deadline. So I have every hope that um it will be open before December but that's at as of this time that's the timeline they giving and if there's any other way we can help um we will be

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happy to help. I mean we have allowed the center to put as many sign boards and wherever they want. They did get a new approval from the planning board to put a one big sign outside. Uh a lot of people in individual capacity are

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helping businesses because every time I go there I see a lot of Westminster residents uh visiting a lot of uh restaurants and places. So I understand it's very I'm a businessman. I understand very tough situation every

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business is in but um just as a mayor and every council member is trying to do as best as they can and county has come through too. I mean I have to I have to give them credit that they have done whatever they can on their part and they have been working with us in a very

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cooperative manner. Um, a few people talked about bamboo ordinance. Just to clarify, the ordinance is not on the agenda tonight. There are couple of questions that need to be resolved and I'm trying to get input from um from the council today.

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Once I get the input, the final ordinance will be on the agenda on August 2nd. The second reading will be August 24th. I generally, if it passes, I generally sign it the same day. um then it becomes effective 20 days after the date sign. So assume if uh the

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council passes the ordinance as presented on October 24th then 20 days from then that it becomes effective and the actual wording of the ordinance you will know on August 2nd what we have is a proposal from the shetry commission

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and then some modifications done by the township professional staff and that's the discussion we are having. Um I take responsibility. I should have had it on the agenda three four months ago but I can't roll the clock back. So my fault that I didn't resolve whatever issue was

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holding up uh 4 months ago and gotten it. So entirely my responsibility. Um you spoke about brush and leaf. That's exactly the type of feedback we are looking at. Nothing is decided. we have not decided we are going to uh cancel

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one month or the other month and we have received I'm very happy that we have received a lot of feedback through email too uh we are keeping the feedback open till July 15th then I'll meet with the DPW they are every feedback if you send

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an email every email goes to every council member myself and three people in DPW so everybody hears everybody's comments and whatever their opinion is about the proposal. So once I speak with DPW, we will have a discussion at the

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council meeting sometime in August and there will be at least two opportunities for public to come and before we finalize the um finalize the proposal and that proposal will be only for next year. So nothing is going to change for this year.

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Um I believe you asked about budget and cars. They're not going to talk about cars today. They did talk about cars when they talked about the capital budget. Um we buy cars for police, we buy cars for health department. It's not

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a car that anybody uses in a personal capacity. But every department which requires a car and needs a car. It's included in the budget. When they make a budget presentation, they do convince the council that they do need a car and if the council approves, then we buy a

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car. Most of the cars are bought off of state contract which means state has already negotiated the price for the car. So we just buy off of state contract. So I don't remember number of cars but it's usually

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police buy car every year and we try to do stagger it so that we don't have to buy suddenly 20 cars in one year. Um the gentleman you spoke about resurfacing the road. Um I apologize

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early in the meeting I had forgotten my one hearing aid until my wife gave it to me. So I heard half of early comments but I do see the map you gave us. Um Harris road is um was included in the budget last year for resurfacing. Uh

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people requested that we do some modifications to make it uh safer. That took a little while. We have decided what we are going to do. Uh so the engineering um the contract to do the engineering work for the um project is

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out now. As soon as the engineering uh is finished for Harris Road, it will go out for bids. And once it goes out to bids, then it comes to the council for bid approval. and you will know that and it relates to your comments as well and

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I'm sorry I didn't I missed your email um I'll give you my phone number we can talk tomorrow but um I'm not an engineer so I can't give you approval to do what you are asking me to do uh but I will figure out if it appears from your comments you have already talked to them

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and they have told you they will accommodate you when they do the Harris road um which should which should happen which should happen we will talk I'll give you my phone number. So it the the contract to we first have to design the road and then go out to bids. The design

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specs are put out to bids. So the design specs are being prepared. As soon as the design specs will prepared, they will go out to bid and uh you keep talking to whoever engineering department you are talking to and we will work with you to make it possible. Um these are the

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Alexander road circle. Um we have patched as you said we patched it 50 times but every time it rains the patch washes away. Um a little tricky because the Claxfield road is closed that gets a lot of traffic but we are trying to work

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uh uh we did some road repair on village road on emergency basis meaning they come at night and finish it in one night. So we are trying to work with somebody to just do the circle um on an emergency basis. Uh so hopefully within

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next uh couple of months we'll get a contract. Once the contract is done doesn't need since it's an emergency doesn't need council approval we just award it and get it done. >> Um I believe the question was that we buy a certain amount of cold patch

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>> coming. Yeah. So, um uh I have it here. Um, regarding North Post Road, um, there was a design done for North Post Road before I became mayor, um, 7 8 years ago that was just put on the shelf because

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of some issue, um, I have told them to rather than just resurfacing the road and, um, not doing the improvements that were envisioned at that time, uh, I have told them to go ahead and, uh, um,

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do the study. for that design. We need a DP permit to uh implement that design and we can't do North Post Road anyway now because uh until the um the Clarkville Road bridge is fixed otherwise I'll need a police protection.

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Uh so but my hope is that the D permit will come in the time when the Clarksville Road bridge is fixed and then the improvements that were envisioned by previous mayor in North Post Road um

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will be done. We have put in a contract if you were here at the last council meeting we have put in a grant for resurfacing rest of the North Post Road uh um um on the other side of Clarksville. If we get that grand then fine. If we don't get the grand then

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we'll have to figure out a way of finding money to uh do that. Um your question about patching um I did talk to couple of uh vendors at the uh League of Municipality conference they have ways

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they claim are better. Um but I will again talk to DPW but sometimes you have to patch because for every uh every pothole you can't just fix the role. So I will again talk to DBW and see if they

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see any improvement or anything else that can be done. So I do I do admire you for filing OPRA and getting the actual data in there. So um the two people you spoke about you connect I'll be very much interested in

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talking to you. It's not the time to talk but after the meeting we can I'll love to talk to you or you send me an email and we will we will talk. Um Alia I know about your permitting issue. Um I've talked to you many times. I

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can't say too much in public because it's your um personal and private information. But since u permitting thing has come up, I will mention that uh we have started a process of seeing how we can improve our customer service

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in permitting department. Uh but every time something happens, the head of permitting calls me and reminds me that's why they are tough. People don't like they're tough. Last week a building fell down in New York City. Uh if you know uh some of you know I believe it

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was BJ's um in Governor's Town BJ's roof fell down uh when people were inside. every time that happens and that's not a theoretical discussion because I know for a year and a half we were involved with with a and builder who is building

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in Wester about his decision to build a building and we kept telling him you can't do that you can't do that and he kept telling us he's been doing all over the place that way we finally went to county and the county sided with us a

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higher board sided with us so I understand the permitting process is difficult. It's very strict but they keep telling me it's for your own safety and every time something happens they said that they would not let that something happen in their time. But we

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have started a process of working with somebody some local resident to find a better way of uh getting answers to the questions. Um did I not answer anybody's questions? Oh, the signs I've talked to you. I mean there are eight or 10 signs between

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Harris and Scott. So there too many uh too many signs. Um you were talking about moving the moving the speeding sign and I've talked to engineering and they say that's fine and I drive that road twice a day and I see the sign. So

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um unless they tell me Yeah. whether before you're talking about your speed is signed, right? Yeah. So, >> y um then I do have few other comments that are not related to people comments

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that people made and I'm sorry if I missed anybody's comments. Uh um our hearing for uh the fourth round of affordable housing is scheduled for uh this Wednesday the

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15th. Suppose we expect it to go for couple of days 15th and then something else. Couple of people two builders are challenging us on the plan. Um so that we haven't we have gotten only a a temporary approval uh for our plan. So

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once that hearing is done then um um then um we will have full immunity until 2035 as long as we keep and implementing the plan. Um the national night out is on August 4th.

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Um I hope a lot of people come out. I mean you you should come out talk to people there. you will you can get table introduce your program to the people um both at national nice out and then in September there will be a community fair uh so you should community picnic so you

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should come there and talk to people and that's a way to get to meet as many people as possible and uh lastly I'm going to talk about bond ordinance separately the council president asked me to talk about it when it's introduced so I won't talk about it

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now and then lastly couple of people came and spoke about R44, the crossing beacons. Um again, um we are sometimes late, but we always get things done. Um some of those beacons we did go out to bid last year, we didn't get any bids. I

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mean, that's not something we control. But again, the point making is projects keep moving forward. We don't generally give updates every quarter or every month as to what's going on, but the projects keep moving forward. And I always find giving engineers time to do

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the work rather than writing memo is far more effective. So that's it. >> Right. >> Thank you. Mayor Marina, do you have any other comments? >> I have a couple brief announcements. Public works is uh collecting in zone 2. Please be mindful of not leaving

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material in bike lanes um so as to create an obstacle for cyclists and pedestrians that may use the bike lanes as well. Um there will be

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a outdoor movie night this Friday, July 17th at West Windsor Community Park. The movie is Homewardbound. The Incredible Journey. It's a free event in it

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includes popcorn while supplies last and popcorn does go quickly. Movie will be shown at dusk. If the weather is uh inclement, it will be shown on Friday, July 24th. Check our website if the

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weather is not great that day. And um I wanted to make an announcement. Um the deadline has been extended. West Windsor Township is seeking volunteers for a pollinator garden project. Um volunteers

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are needed to assist and uh a student liaison to the environmental commission on any part of the construction care and future maintenance of a pollinator gardener garden. If anyone one is

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interested in volunteering, please submit your information to the engineering division via email at engineering at west windsorwp.gov. The environmental commission was

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successful in obtaining a $1,500 grant to support to support pollinators in the West Windsor community. Um, one has already been constructed at

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community park um already, I believe, and I think a second one is going to be put in. >> Yeah, there's a there's a pollinator garden and a rain garden and another small pollinator garden. So, this would be a separate pollinator garden to those.

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>> So, once constructed, the garden will the garden will complete a string of gardens in the area of the skate park. These gardens serve as both an ecological enhancement and an educational resource for the community.

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And they've proven positive um to enhancing the pollinator habitat, healthier landscape management, improved aesthetic and recreational value, and expanded community awareness and engagement.

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Um I know um the environmental commission student student liaison is eager to um get this project underway and the more help and hands the better. Um, I know we've had

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interest in other students serving on the environmental commission and I think this is a way they can give back to the West Windsor community and um in the future participate on the environmental commission.

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>> That's all I have. >> All right. Thank you, Marina. Mayor. >> Yeah. One one question a few people asked. I forgot to mention a couple of people asked when the tax bills are going out. As a mayor, I'm always happy when people ask for tax bills. Uh but uh

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um it's we are waiting for the county. The county has to give us some information before we can finalize the county portion of the tax bill and send it. Since they go out late, depending on when they go out, you get 2 weeks, 3 weeks extension, depending on when they

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go out to pay taxes. I'll just remind you if you don't pay by the extension, the interest starts from August 1st when the tax bills are due. So if you are going to use the extension make sure you pay before the end of the last day. So again as soon as I definitely don't have

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any fixed date uh when we will get the information but as soon as we get it from the county we will send out uh we hate to send bills out late because we lose interest for all these years a lot of money collected. So, but as soon as we get it, we will go out and it will

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mention what the due date for the tax bill is, but it will definitely unlikely to be Jul August 1st. >> Thank you, mayor. Um, I just want to clarify the bamboo ordinance um that we have on the agenda today is only for um

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under new business for discussion purposes. We are not introducing the ordinance. after after the discussion the administration will finalize it and then we'll introduce hopefully in um the first meeting in August if not the second um so that's uh that's about the

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bamboo ordinance um and um the um budget ordinances that you're seeing on uh under public hearing we will discuss that later but uh during budget process in in March which was a

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public public process. Um you can go back and watch the videos. Um every budget line item was discussed in length um over a four five days um um period and every department explained which um

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especially the um you mentioned you asked the question for the cars. cars were discussed, which departments uh requested the cars or trucks or vehicles whichever and where we approved those and the B what we uh have on the agenda

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today is the bond ordinance. The budget was approved um introduced approved and now um or once we do the bond ordinance the the finance becomes available for usage um by the um township. So, I I

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just wanted to clarify those things. Um, I'm going to move on to council member comments. Um, Joe, do you want to start? >> Sure. Um, yeah, a few things. I just want to say congratulations to Arnov Anand uh on his Eagle Scout project to

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build two new uh little free pantries to help with food insecurity. Uh, it's now open to the public. Just did a ribbon cutting earlier. So, um, and thank you to all the adults who uh supported Arnov with with that project. Um, I do want to say thank you to the

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administration for successfully obtaining bids for the flashing beacons and and road improvements uh throughout town that we'll be voting on later. I'm definitely uh very very happy to see that. Uh Marina mentioned it, but I'll just highlight movie night uh Friday night. Bring the kids, bring the

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blankets, bring the chairs, come outside. Should be a should be a good time. >> Big bug spray as well. >> Yeah, bug spray. Yeah. Um, another event that's coming up, the annual triathlon that occurs at Mercer County Park every year is going to be coming this Sunday

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morning. So, uh, those of you who live in the area probably know that there's a lot of bikers out there, so there'll be some new traffic patterns and things like that. I would just be cognizant of that for your Sunday morning, uh, driving. And uh lastly, I just say I know that a lot of questions uh tonight,

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the mayor um responded uh to to most of those, but certainly anybody that wants to contact me or chat, feel free to contact me anytime. You can email me. My email's on the township website. I'm always happy to chat with anybody about, you know, budgets or the bridge or or uh any other topics of interest to you. So,

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thank you. >> Right. Thanks, Joe. Andrea. >> Yeah. And I think um all if anybody doesn't know all our emails are on the website. There's a list there's a picture so you know which of us is which and you're always free to or you can

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actually if you those who don't know if you send an email to council at the the but um um we're always always available. Um hope everyone had a a great July 4th. Be for to be be sure to check out the

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Historical Society and Revolution West Windsor for 250th anniversary events. Um we're planning some more 250th excitement for community day. So stay tuned on that. Uh today we're having our hearing on the bond ordinance which as

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Sonia was mentioning is the culmination of many hours of work on the budget and will provide money for our infrastructure and equipment. Uh essentially we worked on the budget. We work on the capital budget as part of all those discussions and then uh according to law we have to actually

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bond or borrow for the capital sections of the budget and that's what tonight is basic. Basically we made all the decisions and now we have to vote to borrow the money. Um for the one gentleman who was asking about the um uh the potholes and the pothole material.

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Yes, we use cold. Um right now we do use a cold fill, but um we do have a capital budget. Uh if you look at it, it'll say there's a there's a budget for residential streets and there's a budget for connector streets, which are the

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larger streets. Uh the the budgets are all available online. As a matter of fact, they're available for the last few years. Um, and the money that goes into the capital budget is all listed there and and just about all the remilling projects of which I believe the mayor

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mentioned a number of them would go under that capital budget. Um, then uh, one thing that is is the example of the capital budget are there six flashing beacons that went under the last capital budgets which I'm glad we

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were able to get the bids going and that those are actually going tonight. and the road improvements, which road improvements was um one of the highest priorities this year for for everybody on the council. Congrats to Melissa Hager of Little Free Pantry and Send

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Hunger Packing on two little two new Little Free Pantries. And thank you to Scout Ara Van for his Eagle Scout project. And thank you to the mayor and administration for spaces which are actually on township property for those little free pantry. The third little

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free pantry is a Dutch Neck Presbyterian church where we held ribbon cutting several years ago for a Girl Scout silver award project building it. So it's a Girl Scout and a Boy Scout type projects. Um I remember when we launched the first Little Free Pantry at the Arts

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Center which I think was around 2019 or so and then we held a West Windsor hometown hero ceremony there um for Shupe uh during CO. So, we've done a heck of a lot since then. Um, glad to see it expanding. And we've been talking

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about more things we can do. When you see these little free pantries, please um please put shelf stable food mainly cartons and cans uh in the pantries. And if you are in need, please feel free to take it out. No names asked, no

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questions asked. Um, dive into summer was a big success uh once Windsor gives back. I want to thank everybody that had to do with that. Um and the West Windsor Little League um is going to benefit. Time capsule burial was on July 5th from

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the West Windsor Historical Society. Uh Sonia and I along with the clerk's office put together a lot of the West Windsor items and um we put them into the um uh time capsule. So those of you who will be here 50 years from now, I

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hope you enjoy um what we were doing. Um um I'll be I'll be virtually waving to you from there but um you know it is 50 years. Um I want I also want to uh mention that we now have a senior bagel and coffee on um which we held on

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Tuesday July 7th. I wanted to thank Andy Bramberg of the Friends of West Windsor Senior Citizens for coming up with the idea and the senior center for holding it. It provides a little get together for all seniors once a month with coffee and bagels provided by the nonprofit

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group um uh friends of West Windsor senior citizens and it helps the senior which is also a group that helps the senior center pay for performances, refreshments and equipment. So that's a fun event. Um I think Sonia was and I

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would stopped at the first one. I went to the second. It gives a chance for seniors to get together without a formal program and just have a little discussion. So, if you want to look for the next one that we hold, please please watch out for it. Uh it's a nice little

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social event. And yesterday on July 12th, um along with Joe and the mayor, I attended ceremonies for Code Ninja of West Windsor, uh the black belt ninjas gold computer programming projects, and then Carnegie Melon University CSA

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global creative task champions. Um there was a middle school team that actually I think won second place. Um so I want to congratulate all the recipients, their families, and code ninja of West Windsor. That's it. Thank you. >> Thanks, Andrea. Linda.

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>> Uh my thanks to uh Boy Scout Arnav Anand uh for his Eagle Scout project of construction reconstruction the free little pantry closets at the West Windsor Arts Center. And at the senior center we had the ribbon cutting ceremony uh right before our meeting

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tonight. Um and and he works with Melissa Hager uh with Send Hunger Packing. So we thank Melissa also for all her efforts uh and helping those in need. Um despite us being a very wealthy community, there there is definitely a need for food. There's many people in

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the community that are hurting um and and they need these food pantries, whether it's the free little pantries or or at our churches and other other places um around town. Uh dive into summer party June 26 at Waterworks was a very big success. Uh

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the $5 donation at the door uh went to the West Windsor Little League this year. So thanks to all the organizers and uh other West Windsor residents who had umformational tables um by the pool side for organizations. So that was nice. Uh the historical society of West

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Windsor held their 250 uh birthday celebration. Um they had a uh a time capsule box which was filled with uh all sorts of um materials from you know the council, the mayor, many many organizations around town. So that will

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get uh that's been buried now at the skank farmstead and um I guess they'll they get out in 50 years from now. So we can enjoy that in 50 years, right? >> Well, we do have some young men and women at the room so they could enjoy it.

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>> We're counting on you to be there. >> So yeah, so thanks Pauligy um Gay Huber and the historical society of West Windsor for all their work on that. Uh July 10th, the entire council tooured the Department of Public Works facility

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and on Southfield Road. So thanks to DPW Director Tony Espazito for hisformational session. And I would encourage residents to check out the DPW's um section on the township's website uh because there's a lot of information on

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there on all sorts of items that can be um brought to the DPW and uh and other things that are important to you. And we'll get to the uh what do you call the uh the ordinance the bamboo ordinance later. So that's

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going to be a long discussion but a good one because it is the first time that we're talking about this. So so uh we're getting lots of lots of input is starting to come in from all over. >> Okay. >> All right. >> I will try to minimize repeating what's

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already been said. But first I just wanted to thank so many people from come to come coming out tonight. It's um nice to see a full room and um for those who have heard me speak before, it's really important for us to hear what you have to say. Um so comments about the bamboo

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or ordinance and proposals, the brush proposals, um issues with the bridge, that's really important for us to hear. So, thank you for making those comments. Um quick thing on the bamboo, as it's been pointed out, we are having a discussion. It's kind of at the end of the meeting,

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so you're going to have to kind of stick around as we do some uh financial business first and then we'll have a discussion about the bamboo. It is a discussion. There's been a tremendous amount of work that has been done um to put this together from the shape commission to the administrative staff.

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Um it is complicated because we are going to be ultimately passing an ordinance which is a law. So it has to hold mustard to you know legal um standards. Um so there's a lot in there. Um and so we'll be discussing that later. Um similar although not as

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complicated the brush schedule uh that's more policy oriented but again it's really great to see all the feedback about um how people value that service and uh we will be having a discussion later um this summer or early fall about

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that as well. So I encourage you to continue to to send your feedback there. um uh for Panvot and Rashab um for the bridge the gap program for transparency. I've been working with these students for nearly a year or so and it's really

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wonderful to see what was just an idea um to now have been come formed into an actual launch of a program. So congratulations on that and um I know the uh the council and the community will definitely be uh behind you and

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we'll do what we can to support that effort. Um and for um uh Salan Fachi and the uh the businesses there, we've you know, as the mayor said, we we have been feeling this pain for quite some time. Uh Andrea and Sonia have really been

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going out of their way in the context of the economic support. Um so if you haven't spoken to them directly, I would encourage you to continue that conversation. Uh they've kind of been the leading point on that. Uh but the good news as the mayor said is that we

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have incredible engagement now with the department of transportation and the governor even and um it will open and it will open likely before the end of the year. It will be as as mentioned one-way traffic uh and then the the larger

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replacement project is going to be a few years out. But uh there is good project uh progress here. Um it is slow. Um, I was talking to somebody earlier about, you know, why it was so slow. And I said, "Well, imagine, I was talking to a student and I said,"Well, imagine if you

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were told that you could only do your homework between 3 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. because that's kind of the rules that are in place because of the nature of the bridge going over this incredibly active um electrified train track. So, um, it is slowly painful, but they are

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truly um doing everything they can to accelerate that. Uh this weekend I was actually took a train to New York City and the the the first track on the platform was closed temporarily. Um for those who take the train that usually happens when they're doing work and so I

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immediately said, "Aha, they must be doing work uh on the bridge because of this." So um I thank you for your patience. Uh I know it's difficult um and we're doing everything we can to to find every possible solution for you.

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Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. My turn. Um I'm not going to repeat everything that was said. Um because I'm also watching time. I think everybody has covered everything. Um I do want to um just one

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report from dive into summer event. Um the Westminster gives back um raised um a little over 2500 uh for Westminster um little league um at the dive into summer event this year. Later in fall would be

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the mayor the last event of the year for Westminster gives back um uh raising funds for Westminster Little League um is going to be in November, the mayor's ball. So some information um on that regards to come. Um

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and um for Rishab and Pranavat I think is is your name. Um congratulations. I think it's a great project. Um as mayor mentioned, August 4th is National Night Out. Um that that um event is held by our police department. So if you follow

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them on social media, there is a flyer um that they have um been circulating. You can reach out to them. It's um and you can hold a table um to get information out to the community. That's a free table. So take the opportunity to do that. National Night Out is every

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year first Tuesday evening um uh held by local police department. So look out for that. And I think I believe September 23rd was the commission. that was that that was that would be another opportunity to

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get ahead in front of the community. So look out for those informations and talk to the mayor um you know see how you can work with the senior center that we have and um you know you have a great mentor Dan Weiss is working with you so but

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feel free to reach out to any office council westminwp.gov gov will get you um to every council member here. >> Um Allison, do you have anything to add? >> Um I do not. >> Okay. >> All right. Um so we're going to move on

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to public hearing um for our first ordinance. Madison >> 2026-14 capital improvement ordinance providing for various capital improvements and other related expenses in and for the township of West Windsor County of Mercer State of New Jersey appropriating

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the amount of $465,000. >> All right. I'm going to um Mayor, are you going to give any update on that on the second one? So, um I'm going to open the public hearing um for ordinance 202614.

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Um we are open for public comment only for this particular ordinance 202614. Do we have anybody in the audience? Um any comments? Seeing none, um can I get a motion to close the public?

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>> So move. Second >> Charles, >> yes. >> Jivers, >> yes. >> Mando, >> yes. >> Weiss, >> yes. >> Gwas, >> yes. Can I get a motion to adopt uh 202614? >> Motion to adopt. >> Second.

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>> Charles, >> yes. >> Jivers, >> yes. >> Mando, >> yes. >> Weiss, >> yes. >> Gwis, >> yes. >> Let's move on to the second bond ordinance. 2026-15 bond ordinance providing for various capital improvements in and by the

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township of West Windsor in the county of Mercer, New Jersey, appropriating 12,881,234 therefore and authorizing the issuance of 11,613,000 bonds or notes of the township to finance part of the cost thereof.

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>> Right. Before I open the public hearing, mayor, um could you give us a little explanation? >> Yeah, the uh council president requested me to talk a little bit about the bond ordinance. There's some um misunderstanding in the past about what that does is if you look at the

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township budget, it has two parts. One is the operating budget and one is the uh capital budget. Uh capital budget is projects that last for more than four five years. The thinking behind it is that um probably a road when you do a

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road it lasts for 30 years. So everybody who lives in town over 30 years should pay for the road not just the residents now. So that's why we fund it through bonds rather than paying cash 100% for it. Um every project that's in the

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capital budget is included in the bond ordinance. Um the projects are grouped into various groups because when we uh propose a project most of the time it's a guess as to how much it's going to cost. We never know the exact amount

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until we go out to bid. So there are groups into various groups and uh you can move money u within the group uh without any council approval but you can't u you can't change from one group to the other. So if I have to move, for

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example, if I have to move money from last year's capital budget to this year's capital budget, I need to come to the council and get approval for that. Or I if I need to move money from one group of projects to another group of projects, we have to come back to the council to get approval for that. Um if

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you look at it, it will say that the um and this is really um authorization for the township to raise funds. what the council is saying that township can go and issue bonds for 11,613,000

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doesn't mean we will rush out to market tomorrow and issue bonds. Um we have a bond council which advises us the best way to raise funds. Um if we believe that the rates are going to go down, we may just issue a short-term one-year

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note and wait for the market conditions to improve without uh before issuing long-term bonds. uh the bond council will advise us how to structure and the capital payments and the interest payments. Um so it's quite involved.

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It's not uh um we just go out tomorrow and issue all those bonds. Again, if you look at the number 11,613 is roughly about 90% of 12,881 234 that the council is authorizing us to raise. um when you

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propose a capital budget 5% of it has to come from uh operating budget. So that's roughly 5% gone but that 11613 amount is 90% or 10% less than 12881. The remaining 5% are there are some

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projects that are funded through grants. They are 100% funded by grant. So we don't need to raise any money for those projects. So for those projects we will not bond. So that's why the 11,613 amount is roughly about 90% of 12881234.

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Uh so again once uh the council approves the bond ordinance it becomes effective in about 20 days after I sign it. Um then we have the ability to go and raise money if we want to raise money. We do have a lot of money with us. So until we

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reach a certain threshold, we won't go out and issue um issue notes or issue bonds. We don't like paying interest like anybody else like to pay interest, but so we will wait till we absolutely have to. But this gives us authorization. Um this is absolutely

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required before before any capital project that was included in this year's uh budget can be put out to bid. the CFO has to certify that the funds are available for that project. Um he cannot certify that the funds are available

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until the bond ordinance is approved. So no project in um more than half 7 months of the year is already over. and no project that was in this year's capital budget could have been put out to bid

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until now or 20 days from now because the bond ordinance is not approved and the CFO cannot certify that funds are available for that project. So many times people think hey why it's taking so long it's taking so long because the

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process is process is so long. um if we end up not using the money at all, it goes back to the uh it goes back to the budget and if we have raise the money, we can't simply use the money for something else. That's not approved by

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the council. Uh so it's not like they're giving us a blank check for 11,613 and do whatever you want. It's very specific for specific projects that are uh listed in the capital budget. Um,

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anything else? Any other questions? And that's Joe can probably explain the accounting better than I can. You just talk very high level. So, >> thank you for that explanation. It it just goes to show how why things take so long because we're really almost on a

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year delay. >> Yeah. We do. And one of the >> all based on New Jersey statutory requirements for the fiscal running of local municipal government. So we are following the law by doing it this way. We have to do it this way. >> Right. Then theoretically even if I go

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tomorrow and issue the 11,613 bonds I won't spend all the money tomorrow. Whatever money is left we do invested. But that's not counted as surplus. I mean there's a lot of mistake. The surplus when we talk about surplus it's only capital budget surplus

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that's not counted as surplus. If you look at our budget >> operating operating budget >> operating budget if you look at our uh budget you will see um interest rate payments and you will see the interest we have received on um various deposits

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we make. For example, on if tax payments on on time, we will collect tax payments on August 1st. We won't use all the money on August 1st. We will use it over a period of time. We do invest that money. Um we can only invest in certain

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um certain assets. I mean, I can't go and buy treasury bonds. I keep telling the CFO, let's go and buy Treasury bonds, pay 4%, we can't buy them thanks to whatever happened in LA County. Um so we do we can buy CDs, we can buy certain

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uh bonds of other municipalities. It's restricted but we do use that money to generate income. Uh roughly if I memory is right, we generated roughly $400,000 income last year. That's almost

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600,000 is a penny. So you can say 66 uh penny of taxes saved because we raised that much income >> and that money goes into the operating budget. >> Yeah, that money goes into >> um I guess the key thing is that whenever we get a resolution to spend

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any money and this is an important um thing that council has to do is that the CFO has to tell us where that money comes from. So, if we're going to be uh redoing a road or something like that and we get a bid and the bid says it's

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for $450,000, we're going to get a resolution. It's going to say 200,000 are out of this budget line, another hundred,000 are out of is out of this particular line is and it's down to the penny. Um, and it has to all add up that there is some place

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where the money has not been spent yet that the money that the money comes from. Um, and then after we've had the CFO assertaining to us that the money is there, then we can uh vote for for this, which is the case in any of these

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resolutions on on here. In the case of, for instance, some of the flashing beacons, we had a bid and the bid came in too high, much much higher than we thought or sometimes we don't get any bids. Um, and then they will go out and

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try to find some way of rebidding. And we've had several cases where we were going to redo do a roof and they had to go out and find another way. So we do have a bunch of constraints by project and then they do try to make sure that we live within those constraints and

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then we can approve things. So we are not allowed to deficit spend. The bonding is a type of borrowing but it's only for these capital projects for operating expenses. we have to account that we're getting income in the budget for every nickel that we uh plan on

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putting out. And um that's a state law, too. >> Yep. Um right, I'm going to open um the public hearing for public comment um for ordinance 202615.

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If anybody in the audience wants to give any comment in particular to this particular ordinance, please state your name and address again. >> 17 Milbrook Drive. Um, I'm looking over all of those items. I was just curious.

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There's like 3.6 million tied to going away. At some point in time, you get to the roads inside of a community. How do I determine when my community might actually get repaid?

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>> Good question. >> Yeah, if you >> Good question. If you look at the budget document, the budget document is a list of roads that we expect to pave this year. The budget document that's given to the council. Um

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>> so that process, what's the method? Okay. >> Okay. So um maybe in 2021 3 four years ago we had hired a company uh that drove on every road and rank them from 1 to

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five um as to the quality of the road. So depending on the budget like 2 million uh budget we have every year we start with the worst road and keep fixing until we run out of the money. Um that company unfortunately went out of business. So, we are in the process of

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hiring a new company to do the new ranking of the roads. Uh, but if you're interested, the old ranking of the roads is on our website. So, you can go and look at >> is it specifically in the Westminster Township website engineering? Uh, a lot of times trying

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to figure out where things are. >> If you can if you can find it, send me email. I'll send you a link. >> Okay. Yeah. Yeah. >> All right. >> Yeah. Anybody else have any comments?

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All right. Um, then I'm going to ask for a motion to close public comments. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Charles, >> yes. >> Gver, >> yes. >> Mandel, >> yes. >> We, >> yes. >> Garwas, >> yes. Can I get a motion to adopt?

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>> So moved. Second. >> Before uh roll call, does anybody have any >> questions, comments? No, just comments. When we do the operating budget, we also um work on the the capital budget because we have department heads come

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before us and we ask them questions about the operating and also about capital. Um so in a sense there's there's there's two budgets and the capital budget we're you know approving approving tonight. So um it's all that information is on the municipal website.

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Um, and all of our budget meetings, uh, we do tape on on YouTube and they are open to the public. We take public comment. So, there's a tremendous amount of information, um, in that capital budget, but anyone needs help with that, I'll be glad to um, to talk with you further that.

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>> Yeah. >> Okay. Um, >> the Yeah, just so I mentioned the financial information for the last forget whether it's three, four years at least is all up there with the budgets. um and both capital and operational

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budgets. And please watch for when we start. We don't we get the budget by law by the end of February. Sometimes we get a February 28th. Depends on depends on all the stuff backing up to us. And then we have some time that we scramble and

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spend hours at home or whatever or the office looking at it. Then early March, we start having meetings where we go over the different budget items by by department and we get to speak to the department heads and everybody is invited. That's all public meetings. The

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only one that's um that that is a closed session is when we're speaking about personnel. Um but anything that involves um roads, uh engineering, uh uh construction department, I know people

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are interested in permits all the time. Those are those are all public hearing, all public meetings. They're not hearings because we're not voting yet. We're just having these discussions. And before we do that, all the members of council are asked to sort of let known what their priorities are ahead of time

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so that the uh administration has an idea when they're putting the budget together uh what council is looking for. Council can then during those meetings say, can we have some money moved around? Uh we don't have as much freedom as you think because there's a lot of

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costs that we have very little control over. Um and we can have some freedom depending on the year to either add or move around some of the capital budgets. So anybody who wants to come and speak about that please um we we get lonely

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sometimes people get bored at these uh listening to these meetings. Um so please do come in if you have any comments take a look at the numbers ask the kinds of questions I heard some of tonight and um we will um you know we will be happy taking that all into

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account you can be right you can write us emails whatever during that time period and then we finally introduce the um actual budget >> tonight was exciting to see so many people in the audience >> quick comment >> yes

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>> the budget documents can be found online township website under um right >> is it the clerk's office >> um financial um documents I think it's called on the website >> there's a search bar on the top right

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corner of >> correct >> correct >> okay um if we don't have any other comments roll call >> Charles >> yes >> Jers >> yes >> Mando >> yes >> yes >> go Yes.

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>> All right. Um, let's move on to consent agenda. >> Okay. Minutes. Uh, April 27th, 2026 close session. June 8th, 2026 business session as amended. Bills and claims. >> Does anybody want to pull anything?

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>> No. Okay. Can I get a motion to approve consent agenda? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Charles, >> yes. >> Jers, >> yes. Mando, >> yes. >> Weiss, >> yes. >> Gawas, >> yes. >> Recommendations from administration and council,

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>> 2026-R139, authorizing the appointment of David Vakola as electric subcode official for a 4-year term. 2026-R140 establishing the 2026 sewer rate. 2026-R141

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authorizing the insertion of a special item of revenue into the 2026 municipal budget from the state of New Jersey Alcohol Education Rehabilitation and Enforcement Fund $23804 2026-R142 authorizing the business administrator

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to purchase 65 Flying Cross duty guard HT plus pullovers and tailoring from Gaul's LLC through Sourcewell Cooper. Cooperative purchasing contract number 011124-gal $12,135126-R143 authorizing the business administrator

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to execute change order number one with topline construction corp for the project known as the SST 2023 Alexander Road Pedestrian Safety Improvements for a decrease of $4,126 for a revised total not to exceed exceed

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$227,98.81 2026-R144 authorizing the business administrator to execute change order number one with AllPhase Consulting Corp. for the project known as the West Windsor Township Waterworks bathroom and kitchen renovations to resurface the bathrooms

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and concession stand floors and rehabilitate the bathroom sinks and shower fixtures for an increase of $12,04823 for a total not to exceed $174,29823 2026-R145 authorizing the award of contract to Shore Top Construction Corp. for

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improvements to the skate park and basketball courts at West Windsor Community Park and tennis courts at Hendrickson Drive Tennis Complex and authorizing the mayor and clerk to execute said contract $230,215. 2026-R146

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authorizing the police chief to execute a service agreement with Blue Voice, a proprietary criminal justice information services compliant artificial intelligence platform for $25,500

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per year for five years, total of $12,000. 2026-R147 authorizing the mayor and clerk to execute a developers agreement between Westminster Township and Embra Funding 1

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LLC PB22-02 block 47 lots 2 3 4 5 and six pursuant to the planning board condition of approval dated June 5th 2024 2026-R148 authorizing the award of contract to an

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R construction LLC for a pen lle and New Village Road pedestrian safety improvements at Alexander Road and Harris Road, Penile Road and Canoebook Drive, Penile Road at Trolley Line, Village Road East at Dutchneck School, New Village Road at Shannon Way, and New

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Village Road at Southfield Road, and authorizing the mayor and clerk to execute said contract $42,940. >> Does anybody want to pull anything? Okay. Can I get a mo uh motion to

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approve resolution 2026R139 through 2026R148? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Charles, >> yes. >> Jivers, >> yes. >> Mandel, >> yes. >> We >> Yes. >> Gavas,

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>> yes. >> Um we don't have any introduction of um ordinances tonight. Um this is our second round of um public comments. 15 minutes comment period. 3 minute limit per person. Um anybody in the audience?

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Sylvia. Oh, Sylvia asked early 27 Melville Road. Quick question. Mr. Mayor, you mentioned that there's been some decisions made on improvements to Harris, some Could you just tell us what's going on on Harris? >> I'll answer our question. Anybody else?

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>> Please come to the mic. State your name and address again. >> Uh name is still Michael Tats and I'm >> for records. We still have to do that >> status of the warehouse. You guys talk about that at all. I mean

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I see a lot of empty warehouses. >> Um okay. Um let's go through all the comments first before mayor can answer. >> Anybody else? >> Yeah. Uh pan 56 pandro. I have two quick

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questions. Uh the first one is can the administration clarify regarding R148. Is that only for the pedestrian and curve work or doesn't part of the budget has to do with the road? uh resurfacing

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or other things. Uh my second question is is it possible to get a digital document of the budget? I tried to look at it but it's 200 pages and it's not searchable. >> What budget document? >> I just got a link budget.

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>> Okay. >> It was a scanned copy but there's nowhere to you. You you are very studious. I'll give you my binder. You borrow it. No. No. I'm very serious. I'm I'm impressed. I'm impressed. You did a good I'll give you my binder. You borrow

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it, take a look, and when you're done, give me back. >> No, I want a digital copy so that I can search for items. >> Oh, search by item. That's that's >> that should be available on the township. >> No, it's it's a scanned copy. It's a PDF

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essentially. He'd have to convert it. >> PDF you can search. He can search it, but >> do you want to search it or do you want to manipulate the numbers? >> Uh, why don't you reach out to the town clerk, Allison, and she's been able to

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>> Yeah, it's it's that's how we get >> PDF searchables. You can search PDF. >> Yeah, you can search as a PDF. >> You can. >> All right. How How about you reach out to Allison and um she'll help you figure that out. >> I get your PDF. Yeah.

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>> Okay. Do we have anybody else? Kevin >> Hi, Kevin Ronaldelloo, 106 Harris Road. Uh, I wanted to should have mentioned this earlier. I wanted to thank Joe Charles and Ken Jacobs for getting back to me regarding my concerns at the dog park. I was very happy to see those

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items addressed as quickly as they were. Thank you for, you know, helping out with that. Um, I was also going to ask about the Alexander Road out roundabout. Uh, but mayor, thank you for addressing that, uh, and the update on that. Uh,

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and then you're probably going to address this after, but I'm also wondering about the, uh, the update on the Harris Road paving uh, project. I wanted to find out if that information is available online. Uh if not, is it

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something that you could possibly or somebody can possibly email me? Um so we can look that over. Um I know that was something that we had brought up numerous times. Also, uh who would be the best person to contact regarding Nash Park, the flower

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bed around the monument, uh could use some TLC? I know that like when we did the dedication, they were all nice flowers. Everything was blooming and looking really good. Uh last time I drove by it, everything kind of looked not good. Dead leaves piled up and

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stuff. I think it would be nice if we can somehow maintain that or uh you know, I know that there was mention of a pollinator garden uh or multiple in town. Um would it be possible that we could look into maybe adding a

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pollinator garden to Nash Park? I know when that was initially brought up many years ago, there was all these grand plans for it and it looks like most of them kind of fell flat. Uh, I think that that could be something that the town

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could utilize, maybe have events there, maybe like World Cup viewing party, something maybe even something where businesses from Clarksville Road could come over and do popups and people can

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go there and get their, you know, stuff. Uh, I think it's a park that could be really utilized. So maybe we can look into doing a little bit more there just for the town and the local community. I think that would be really nice. Thank you. >> Thanks Kevin. Do we have anybody else in

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the audience? >> All right. Seeing that I'm going to close the public comment. Um do you want to answer? >> Yeah. Um Harris wrote uh if you remember um few I don't remember exactly when

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maybe a few months ago there was an item on the agenda you got all excited I said it's not repaving aris road it's just the design for repaving aris road so that contract has been avoided we don't have the uh final documents that are

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required to bid the project out so I don't know all the the engineer is supposed to look at all the options but as I think I told you and maybe somebody from bike and ped we don't have enough space on both sides to do a full bike

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lane so we are going to you leave a larger shoulder without designating as bike lane you use it as your own risk because by law we can't designate as bike lane but we will make the two lanes uh smaller um and leave the space on

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both sides we can't get the full 4T without taking land from somebody's house. Although we do have um permission to take the land, the houses are very small. I'm not going to do that. I've been very clear that I won't do that to

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anybody's house. If I live there, I won't like it. So, I won't do it to anybody else. So, right now, the shoulders will be all I can tell you for sure is the lanes will be smaller. Um and there will be shoulder on both sides with no designation of what the shoulder

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is for. And when we get the design, we will uh when we go out to bids, the bids are public document. So you can look it up. It's published on our website. >> Um I don't I can't answer that question. No, I don't know that. Uh yeah, I don't

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know that. Um and about the warehouses, nothing is happening on the warehouses. They still don't have county approval. They still don't have DOT approval. I am not complaining. I've always said told people that if if they are build, they will take forever uh to be built. You

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are correct. Now there's the whereas we can see it is approaching 10%. So whenever they it's not our it's not my call and I'm not pushing anybody to build it. Um but the main purpose of that was to make sure we don't have to

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build housing there which is achieved. I mean the hearing as I said in my comments hearing is on Wednesday the 15th. Once the hearing clears we get um we get immunity through 2035 then that main thing is uh achieved. So

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it's always was uh that purpose. That's that's up to them. That's not my call. I mean, I'm not the owner of that. But whatever they have to do, they have to come back to the uh town uh to the township and get permission. Right now they are only allowed to build those

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seven warehouses based on the planning board condition with 78 other conditions that they have to fulfill be before they get a uh before they get a permit to put uh stake in the ground. So I don't expect it to happen. They keep telling

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me they are still interested. They are still going to do it. I've talked to them. Um but um beyond that I don't think they have gone to the county to get uh county approval. County still hasn't deemed the project as complete or

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the so whenever the county gets appro county deems it completed they will go in front of the planning board. They have to get a permission from DOT to have a road constructed to route one connection. uh one of the conditions,

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one of the 78 conditions says that that road connection to DOT has to be operational before they can get a permit to put stake for the first warehouse. So I don't know what that's happening but right now that project is alive. It's in their code. Ball is in their code and

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we'll just wait and see how it goes. >> Okay. I >> think there's also a question about R 148. Um those improvements are not paving improvements. Those are all about um flashing beacons and various devices for pedestrian.

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>> There are six locations for um with crosswalks and um this particular project is for putting the flashing beacons where you press the button and the traffic knows that somebody's crossing the road. >> Right. Um I also want to recommend um this is the this is the official agenda

401
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but when the agenda is posted online unlike a lot of other towns we include a lot of the backup information. So if you go uh we have the actual resolution sometimes we'll have the backup to the resolution. Uh so was this is a three-page agenda, but there's about

402
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usually like a 100 pages of backup information online. So you can learn a lot more um just with uh just with looking at the agendas that are published every all the supporting documents are published online,

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>> right? Yeah. So there's plenty of Yeah. And if there's any question Yeah. And if you see anything and you have questions then you can always continue to ask from there too. >> Thanks for coming. It's exciting when we see when we see people in the um meeting room because there are times when

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there's absolutely nobody and we are talking to air. Um so it's very exciting for the audience. >> Um >> it's about 8:54. Um I do want to take five minute break so we all can stretch a little bit before we move on. And I

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know shade tree commission you're waiting for your turn. Um but just um 5 minute break so we all can take bathroom breaks. >> We will be back at 8:59. All right everyone, thank you for giving

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us that five six minutes break. >> Back live. >> We are back live. All right, we are going to get into um the new business discussion before before we go get into

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we'll do council reports after the discussion so we can get that going. >> He's correct. I'll do it. >> You do. You're good. >> Yeah, I'm off. >> Okay. While we figure this out, mayor is going to give us um the presentation on

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the bamboo ordinance and then we have a Helen Rankin from Shade Tree Commission um the chair um and then we will move on to the council. So we'll try to do as efficiently as we can.

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Mayor, it's you have the floor. He's doing different things. >> He He has to do that. >> He has control. Who cares? >> Okay. I'm sorry. uh you're going to be tired of listening to my voice today. Um

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um so this is uh as I explained earlier there's no there's no ordinance on the agenda. This is just a discussion to get a feedback for couple of issues that are holding up the ordinance and then I will come up with a ordinance that will be on the agenda on

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August 2nd with second reading on I believe August 24th and then 20 days from that that if the council approves it it becomes uh it becomes uh final. So I'm going to talk about four different

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things. Uh just general very little philosophy of ordinances, history of this particular bamboo ordinance, what are the outstanding issues that I need input from from the council and next steps which are pretty much talked about now. Um since I became mayor, I've been

413
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had requests for probably 25 30 ordinances. anytime anybody has an issue they say why don't you pass an ordinance I generally don't do that unless the problem is uh extensive if it's just one person or comes once every 15 years uh

414
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there's no point forming an audience ordinance for something that should be just a good neighbor behavior uh doesn't make sense and then the most important issue is if it's enforcable if it's not enforcable it just makes us feel good waste time and money uh creating an

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ordinance but if it's not enforcable in case of bamboo ordinance both are true I mean we it's enforcable and uh um one of the things is it is uh uh somebody did ask me if we have a count of how many houses have bamboo

416
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unfortunately we don't um I don't have an easy way of getting it but my guess is about 25 to 50 houses at most have bamboo hope and that's the uh problem. Um I'm going to give you a timeline and

417
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the only reason of giving a timeline is to just say that the administration has worked diligently on it has spent a lot of time and effort on it and um tried to work with STC to come up with

418
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uh with an ordinance. The first draft was started on May 1st. Um the first discussion with STC happened on July 23rd. This was last year. Um August 22nd 7th happened the second discussion and

419
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uh May to September the staff was assembling summary quotes from about 25 towns talking to various people to see what they do. Um on September 23rd um the revised draft of uh CO um the

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revised draft of the ordinance was presented. It included the certificate of occupancy language which is one of the issues I'm going to talk about now. And on September 24th meeting that issue was discussed at the council and on

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September 26th um we received from STC the third version of the revised code uh with the CO calls present. It was further discussed on October 22nd May and November 14th and 19th of last year. Um

422
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the final version was done on November 2025 and as I said it's my fault that then for a few months it just sat there. Um once it becames February or March um

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Francis and Alisa both got busy with preparing bits for various things that happen in summer. So that was one reason for the delay that they were preparing bits for things like um what what we essentially contract out

424
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what the DPW doesn't do and that's one of the reason that it was delayed. Um this is what uh our township staff essentially mainly Francis and Alisa has done. They have looked at uh ordinances of other towns. They have contacted

425
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enforcing officers. They have reviewed and comments on various drafts and some of those documents and comments are very long. Um and they converted the STC's final version into the proper format. It's still not 100% in the format that

426
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we would present at August 2nd, but they do they did spend approximately about 100 hours um without without counting the uh meeting times. The two main outstanding issues that I would like to get feedback from um where

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there's a little discrepancy is whether you want to ban only invasive species of bamboo or all bamboo and there's a b there's a scientific definition of what bamboo is. So if we decide to b ban all bamboo we will use

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that scientific definition uh to ban that. And then the main important sticking point or is whether to use CO to enforce the ordinance. It's essentially the same thing I've asked council about on other topics and other

429
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issues where how strict you want to be with the uh um with the residents. uh same with many other and that will that will be an issue when we talk about the brush and

430
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leaf too as to how strict you want to be as to how much you can put out um the thing um in that regards I'm going to digress a little bit but I've been driving riding my bike around town taking pictures of brush and leaf and I

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would uh request council members to go look around your neighborhood take some pictures uh see what you like, what you don't like, uh what you would agree to do, what we would not agree to pick up. That way when we actually talk about the brush and leaf, we have some

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actual examples to talk about rather than just theoretical discussion because if I tell you we pick up 100 ton, we have no clue what 100 ton looks like, what 100 ton means. So, um and I bet none of you know what 100 ton looks like. So it's better to have an actual

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concrete examples and I meant to send you email with a couple of pictures I've taken but this reminds me. So just go around your because we'll have that discussion sometime in August. So go around your neighborhood take pictures, send the pictures, we'll put the pictures up on screen and then we can

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talk about it uh as to what we want to enforce and not enforce. Um so all and sum is very simple. I mean whether all bamboo should be banned or only invasive species should be banned. I really don't have any opinion. I I can

435
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go either way. Now the next issue is more critical the uh the uh co and there's a complete misunderstanding of how co works. So this is the current practice that the township does. If you if you sell your house to somebody else,

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if person A sells your house to some person B, we have no clue that you have sold the house. Until we get a deed that's registered in Mercer County and the county registers all the deeds. So until the deed is registered, we have no we have no idea that person A has sold

437
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the house to person B. So if you want to do something before person A actually sells the house to person B or person B moves into the house. Um you'll have to come up with the entirely new process to come up with

438
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what you need to do. Um the tax collector is only the assessor essentially gets a notice from the uh um gets a copy of the deed. The tax collector is notified by the assessor that uh the house is now bought by Mr.

439
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Jones is the new owner and that's the address. Uh the emergency management is unaware if you sell your house to somebody else and the code enforcement has is also unaware. Under UC the uniform construction code they don't

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require any action on their part and neither does any wester ordinance. So construction officials have no clue that somebody has sold their house to somebody else. And if I were ever to do a co or if I was going to do it, the

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bigger problem than bamboo is to find out if people have done improvements to the house without taking a permit. That's a bigger problem because uh that happens sometimes. A he sells a house to B and B realizes three years later that

442
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A never took a permit to finish the basement. Um and that becomes a a big mess. We do work with them to get them the permit and get them to code. But essentially you were cheating all the taxpayers for all the years they finished the basement and didn't get the

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permit. So if we're able to do that, I think that's a bigger problem than this. So again as I said if you require a co um just to do um uh just for the bamboo purpose we have no system to doing it

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right now. You'll have to first come up with a system um uh to do that and it would lead to delay and inconvenience of homeowners. One of the big complaints I get is when the new home is ready and they don't have a CO because the

445
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permitting department hasn't issued a CO. Now consider that um you sold your house and I tell you that hey my bamboo inspector is on vacation so you can't get a co till next year uh um or next week um that that is going to be them

446
02:12:47.440 --> 02:13:04.960
and the court does have a very big disincentive I mean it includes a fine of $500 per day so I really don't see why needed a reason to do a a co nobody is going to pay $500 $100 a day um and

447
02:13:04.960 --> 02:13:20.639
not fix the not fix the side. And we do enforce fines. We do find people for um unauthorized constructions and other things. That's what the lady who was here complaining about earlier that she

448
02:13:20.639 --> 02:13:36.719
got fined because she started something without getting a permit. Um so again the my questions to the uh uh council is whether you want to ban all bamboos or only invasive species and do you really

449
02:13:36.719 --> 02:13:52.960
want to create entire new process to issue a co if you do want to create entire new process I can't give you an ordinance until I have a process cuz there's no way of enforcing the ordinance and then if you have any other comments or questions either you or STC have any other questions or comments

450
02:13:52.960 --> 02:14:10.400
about the draft I've already talked about the next steps. Once I hear all the feedback from everybody, I will prepare a final um ordinance for presentation to the um council meeting on August 3rd, August 2nd, the post

451
02:14:10.400 --> 02:14:26.800
Monday in August. I will share the draft of STC um probably at least a week in advance and then uh the second hearing on the ordinance will be August 24th and if it's enacted it will become effective 20

452
02:14:26.800 --> 02:14:41.760
days after my signature. I generally if you approve the ordinance I generally sign the same day you see me signing documents that are whatever you up on that day. So that will be 20 days from August 24th. So that's it.

453
02:14:41.760 --> 02:15:00.800
Thank you, mayor. Um, can I ask um Chetri Commission Helen um if you want to give your comments? >> My name is My name is Helen Ranken. I am the current chair of the Shry Commission and thank you for this opportunity. If

454
02:15:00.800 --> 02:15:17.040
you don't mind, Mr. Mayor, I'd like um Allison to put up your presentation so that I can respond to some of those bullets. Not not not every speed because it's too much. But uh >> do we need to um raise the microphone for Helen?

455
02:15:17.040 --> 02:15:54.480
>> I had problems touch. >> Yeah, here >> just so that otherwise the YouTube doesn't catch it. Thank you. Thank you so much. >> Good evening. Since I came before you on June 8th to present the annual Shade

456
02:15:54.480 --> 02:16:10.719
Tree Commission's now required report, four items have progressed quickly. We have a new commission member. Thank you for your support. We planted those six trees by the community pool and our volunteer members

457
02:16:10.719 --> 02:16:25.599
have been taking turns watering them all. All volunteers all the time. The community forest plan is going through a bumpy patch right now with scope and responsibility definitions in

458
02:16:25.599 --> 02:16:44.160
question, but we will get there complete and on time. The bamboo ordinance is finally before council for initial discussion. It is confusing. I recognize that there are three, no, four versions. hours from

459
02:16:44.160 --> 02:16:59.760
2025, the administration's version from a few weeks ago, a document with comments from the engineering department, and now Mike Shuitit's version two dated today, which is 100% consist consistent with the Sha

460
02:16:59.760 --> 02:17:15.599
Tree Commission's position from 2025. We thank Mr. Shuitt for his volunteer time and professional talents. >> Hey, hold on one sec. That's mine you put up. Is that what >> That's my >> I just have written notes. I don't

461
02:17:15.599 --> 02:17:32.479
>> Oh, you're If with your permission, if we can refer >> Oh, yeah. Sure. Sure. >> I I misunderstood you. >> I'm not going to go through each one, but there are some bullets I want to make sure I address. Thank you. The shade tree commission is made up of

462
02:17:32.479 --> 02:17:48.719
volunteers who spent many months in 2025 addressing discussing in meetings and studying at home best management practices for bamboo control. We know this topic as the honorable mayor showed in his

463
02:17:48.719 --> 02:18:06.479
presentation we spent considerable amount of time. I am one I 100% reject the engineering department comment on cultural concerns with respect to bamboo since there are allowances for bamboo in containers and

464
02:18:06.479 --> 02:18:28.880
within solid barriers. Bamboo is unlike other inspe species such as multifllora rosa because bamboo can do and does real damage to properties homes

465
02:18:28.880 --> 02:18:47.040
sidewalks, pools, and even gravestones near Washington and Route 1. Bamboo is directly related to structural concerns. Thus, it has a linear relationship to the township's CO function and thus it is the appropriate

466
02:18:47.040 --> 02:19:04.880
oversight program. I urge without hesitation to streamline the administration's and the council's process to start your discussion from Mike Shuit's July 13th briefing memo and draft ordinance version two.

467
02:19:04.880 --> 02:19:18.559
And then I want to add a personal note if you don't mind. Perhaps I move a bit away from my commission colleagues here about running bamboo versus non-running bamboo which Mr. Shuit indicated as a

468
02:19:18.559 --> 02:19:37.200
policy in council hall. I am not supportive of the engineering department's comments on just running bamboo because of my experience with the Canada goose and developing a best management practice for the state of New

469
02:19:37.200 --> 02:19:54.479
Jersey about 30 years ago. There are seven subspecies of a Canada goose. No one without looking under feathers can't divide one goose from another. Does the engineering department propose that someone dig up roots to determine

470
02:19:54.479 --> 02:20:10.319
running versus non-running? And then with that, I'd like to go to some of your slides. Okay. Next. Next. These all pleases with those.

471
02:20:10.319 --> 02:20:27.520
Okay. Thank you. Next. Extensive work by all volunteers. Next. Next. Next. Bamboo invasive species of all bamboo. Once again, I would prefer all bamboo. We don't know the difference between

472
02:20:27.520 --> 02:20:43.680
running and not well without extensive study per patch. Again, I already referred to CO is an enforcement ordinance. Yes. Next slide, please. Again, >> all bamboo.

473
02:20:43.680 --> 02:21:02.000
Uh, yes. All bamboo. Next please. We believe uh the CH2 commission believes it's not a new uh process because the CO program is already in existence. Perhaps it is the most easy

474
02:21:02.000 --> 02:21:18.880
ordinance to enforce out of all the ordinance associated with occupancies because it's a drive by or windshield evaluation. Not going into someone's home when they're they have to take time off from work. Does make sure the electrical is done correctly. This is a

475
02:21:18.880 --> 02:21:38.880
drive by. Is there bamboo on the property? Yes or no? Next, please. Uh perhaps the $500 per day um should be discussed more thoroughly in comparison to other penalties that are associated with other ordinances in the township.

476
02:21:38.880 --> 02:21:56.479
But once again, it's the system is there already. Next, please. Once again, um all bamboo species for the reasons I discussed and we are always available for any discussions or questions that you may have. We As I

477
02:21:56.479 --> 02:22:12.240
mentioned in early June, the Shai Commission is very much updated with their agendas online as well as our minute meetings. Uh, and we are very proud of that. So, um, members of council and members of the community can

478
02:22:12.240 --> 02:22:29.760
see how we are progressing with many of our very delicate and complicated topics. Thank you very much for your time this evening. >> Thanks, Alan. Right. Um >> just one comment. I mean it's not a

479
02:22:29.760 --> 02:22:46.240
question of driveby or not driveby. I have no idea that you have sold your house to her. How she's already moved in. How am I going to give her a co without even knowing that you have sold your house to her? People I' I've emailed you. I told you I can explain to

480
02:22:46.240 --> 02:23:02.000
you the co process. Nothing exists. I mean I don't know if you sell your house and move out of town until the new owner takes over registers in county and the county senses a deed which may be several weeks you already in the house

481
02:23:02.000 --> 02:23:18.319
without a co there's no co required under the state law there's no co required under the west municipal code so the question of driving by and how easy it is to inspect doesn't arrive I have to come up with an entire process that before you put your house on the

482
02:23:18.319 --> 02:23:35.600
market, you need to get a certificate from me saying that it has no bamboo otherwise the new person can't move in. It's not that simple a process. >> Thank you for those comments. If I can direct mine in response one is

483
02:23:35.600 --> 02:23:50.880
cos are important. It's an important project and program. The cos are not and I think we are concentrating too much of our time on the co process for changes of real estate ownership. There are far

484
02:23:50.880 --> 02:24:08.640
more times that the cos are needed for additions and pool construction. And so it's not a question of ownership and needing those those records to go to the council, I'm sorry, the county and back again. So by narrowly focusing just on

485
02:24:08.640 --> 02:24:23.520
property changes, I think does a disservice to the members of the administration that spends a lot of time on going around making sure that people are building their additions correctly and and walls and additions etc. And so

486
02:24:23.520 --> 02:24:39.760
it it's co program is much bigger than just property ownership changes. And my second >> and so my my now I lost my chain of on the second comment one was the um nature of cos when they're needed and I'm sorry

487
02:24:39.760 --> 02:24:57.040
Mr. May what was your second comment? >> I said the process doesn't exist. I mean what you're talking about is a philosophically completely different discussion that is beyond bamboo ordinance whether the township should have a CO process when somebody's trying to sell the house to somebody else right

488
02:24:57.040 --> 02:25:12.080
now. So for the second one during those times when the CO process it needs to be implemented because of an ownership change or D change which is what um you seem to be focusing on your comments mostly on is um I do not know and

489
02:25:12.080 --> 02:25:29.680
perhaps I am wrong here but I do not know of anyone who is preparing their home for sale does not have someone come to their home a realtor a realtor investment come home and say oh you know those for micro uh countertops. You'll

490
02:25:29.680 --> 02:25:46.080
get more money if you put in granite or you know you have this. Oh, by the way, you also have bamboo in your backyard. You might want to think about bringing that to the table as you negotiate with the buyer on who's paying for that to be removed because there is some substantial language in the township

491
02:25:46.080 --> 02:26:02.319
ordinance. So there it is that process before even the bill of sale is signed where current homeowners and potential new homeowners are aware that they are b that there is bamboo on that.

492
02:26:02.319 --> 02:26:19.280
>> Township has no clue that you are selling your house. Again I will because this discussion is not going to go anywhere. I'll just say that if you want to include CEO in the bamboo ordinance, I need to first go and create an entire process, educate the community

493
02:26:19.280 --> 02:26:35.280
that before you sell your house, you need to get a co from the township. Okay? Because there's no co exist. We don't have anybody who goes out and looks for cos, right? So it's a much longer process and it's a completely different philosophical discussion

494
02:26:35.280 --> 02:26:51.760
whether the township should require a CO for change of ownership. We currently don't and if the council refers to put a CO I can't present an ordinance that is unenforcable. One of the first things I said was two of my criteria is whether

495
02:26:51.760 --> 02:27:06.880
it's problem is significant enough which it is. If the ordinance is not enforceable, I can't in good conscience present the ordinance because it's worthless. I can't send somebody to get a CO. >> I appreciate that comment and I urge

496
02:27:06.880 --> 02:27:25.280
everyone, Mr. Mayor and council members to really dive deep into Mr. Shu's memo and accompanying version two of the ordinance. That memo talks in detail about the legality of implementing a co.

497
02:27:25.280 --> 02:27:40.479
So perhaps since it the the memo was issued today, I know for a fact or I could guess I could put money down if you will that you did not have time to not just read it but digest it. So I encourage um I'm trying to walk away at

498
02:27:40.479 --> 02:27:57.520
this point to talk about the the um value of a co program with respect to bamboo. Um but uh I instead encourage a strong not just reading of that memo and version two of the ordinance but a full

499
02:27:57.520 --> 02:28:12.560
digestion of what's contained in there. And um we once again we are here for any questions or clarifications that members of the council or the mayor's admin Mr. Mayor or the mayor's administration. Thank you so much.

500
02:28:12.560 --> 02:28:28.479
>> Thanks Hammond. Um I'm going to just um have council discuss. Um Linda, as you are the leazison to shade tree commission, do you want to start?

501
02:28:28.479 --> 02:28:45.120
>> Yeah, I'll just make a comment first. Um I want to thank the shade tree commission members uh who worked on the on the uh draft of the bamboo ordinance. uh Helen Ranken as chair, vice chair Farrell Loveet Mixon, uh Ellen Clancy

502
02:28:45.120 --> 02:29:02.800
and Jill Reday, and thanks to advisor Mike Shuitt uh who received and wrote detailed memos on both the Sha Tree Commission's draft and the administration's draft. So that was u many many pages. Appreciate all the charts, all the all the thoughts. We're

503
02:29:02.800 --> 02:29:17.920
all digesting it. Um, and thanks to township engineer Francis Guzik and landscape architect Alyssa Stannis Law who have been um, you know, present for uh, like I'd say all all of those meetings with the Shade Tree Commission discussed this um, last year and into

504
02:29:17.920 --> 02:29:35.600
this year. Uh, so the commission had uh, I believe submitted a a draft on November 20th, 2025. uh that was a you know a draft to be reviewed by by the uh administration and and so here we are tonight. So I'm

505
02:29:35.600 --> 02:29:52.080
excited because I've been many of us have been waiting um many many months to uh to start the conversation. So what I have proposed to the council president is uh there is a draft on the agenda and uh we start working on all this um by

506
02:29:52.080 --> 02:30:09.760
going page by page and and making some comments on that. So if you look at the draft that's uh included in our uh agenda council package um we'll start there. Uh I think the the the co issue

507
02:30:09.760 --> 02:30:26.479
it gets mentioned several times throughout. So that we need to I think discuss more >> that's a separate discussion too and and maybe some guidance also from from our township attorney. Um, so we'll we'll get to that at at some

508
02:30:26.479 --> 02:30:43.040
point. We may not get answers to every single thing tonight, but we start. >> Yeah, I think I think the CEO probably is a separate discussion. So, if we want to >> Yeah, >> sure. >> Mike, can you speak the mic?

509
02:30:43.040 --> 02:31:01.520
>> We're having trouble here. >> Nope. Not on. >> Push it. >> Nope. No, >> it was on. >> You have to put it close. >> Yep. >> I think I I can hear, but

510
02:31:01.520 --> 02:31:18.479
we want to make sure if mayor can hear. >> Also, we want to make sure it's recorded properly. >> There you go. >> Uh, very quickly, when you're removing uh I know it >> close. Put it closer to your mouth. >> Yeah. >> When you're removing bamboo, there you go. When you're removing bamboo, doesn't it take about a year to get it all out

511
02:31:18.479 --> 02:31:34.160
of there? >> You can't remove it, right? If you remove it right away, you have to go back again and again and again to make sure it doesn't grow back. I I deal with this in a couple of other towns and I know when there is an order to remove bamboo, there's a requirement to go back

512
02:31:34.160 --> 02:31:49.439
every couple months and make sure it's not growing bad. So, if you do it through the CFO program, it's kind of hard to do when you've got to go back over a year period. That's just a problem I I've seen in other towns where we have this ordinance. I think we're trying to catch

513
02:31:49.439 --> 02:32:05.280
people who have bamboo and it's growing into um adjacent properties. And so, how do we get the homeowner to to address that before the close of sale to the new buyer? Because the new buyer moves in and then they're like, "Oh boy, I've

514
02:32:05.280 --> 02:32:19.520
I've got thousands of dollars that I'm going to have to spend on um you know, fulfilling uh the ordinance, right? assuming >> the challenge though is that there is no CO process as a result of a sale of a house.

515
02:32:19.520 --> 02:32:36.240
>> So that's where we run into this issue. Um we could certainly include it in the CO process as it exists today, but it's not going to solve the problem that we're trying to solve, which is truly about how do you eradicate the um bamboo

516
02:32:36.240 --> 02:32:52.160
>> in residential properties that are changing hands. And I I think >> I think that's where the the the ordinance of the violation comes. That's really the strong point of of of that

517
02:32:52.160 --> 02:33:07.680
change because if a house is in violation, then that is known when it gets sold. >> Yeah. And and I think I'm looking at people now who have a bamboo problem today

518
02:33:07.680 --> 02:33:22.240
and I don't think they want to wait 25 years for somebody to sell their house to have that problem taken care of. I think this needs and I have some thoughts about making this a little stronger.

519
02:33:22.240 --> 02:33:40.160
um for that. Um I think this needs to take care of that problem today because everyone sitting here probably doesn't want to wait for their neighbor to be selling the house >> because it's also >> that's that's the key thing multiple, >> right? So there's paths in here to take

520
02:33:40.160 --> 02:33:59.520
care of that problem. Now I'm thinking we probably should strengthen one of them here a little bit which I'll come up with when we get to it. But nuisance. >> Well, Mike, we can't hear you. You have to talk into the mic.

521
02:33:59.520 --> 02:34:15.680
>> Well, no, you have to get close to it. >> Get that one, maybe. >> Yeah. >> No, I don't think that I think the other one is working properly. Maybe this one is >> Yeah, get the other one. Whatever. I know in all the other towns that I

522
02:34:15.680 --> 02:34:31.840
have experienced through the nuisance process the you know through the code enforcement official seeing a problem after receiving a complaint going out issuing a warning that gives a person enough time to remove it whole process they go through.

523
02:34:31.840 --> 02:34:47.680
>> Okay. >> Okay. So the question is, if somebody tries to sell a house after somebody has issued a complaint, how is that surfaced to the buyer? >> Yeah. I mean, it could hold a sale of a

524
02:34:47.680 --> 02:35:04.080
house up for months, >> but what's the mechanism like? How does how does the buyer find out that there's a a nuisance complaint against >> against the Oh, I see. Yeah. If if if you sell the house, the buyer and the real estate agent, I mean any real

525
02:35:04.080 --> 02:35:20.880
estate agents here, certified real estate agents, >> they are they are required they are required to certify that they know of known known problems. They are required to swear that they know they are unaware of any known problem. My friend just

526
02:35:20.880 --> 02:35:36.080
sold one and that's why I know >> much like if you had like an underground storage tank or something like that on the property, >> right? There are disclosure forms that when you list the house, the the homeowner is supposed to answer. It's many pages. So whether this bamboo

527
02:35:36.080 --> 02:35:51.920
ordinance is >> um put on that. I mean that that's something we just >> No, no, not not that. I mean his question was if you have bamboo and you sold, >> how would the buyer know? If you have bamboo and you have received a notice from the township saying

528
02:35:51.920 --> 02:36:08.000
>> if there was an open issue regarding a nuisance but if there was nobody complained about it >> maybe it was because it was already self-contained and nobody >> Yeah. But I mean according to this this draft you can't even get a TCO a temporary construction certific

529
02:36:08.000 --> 02:36:25.200
certificate of occupancy so you can't sell the house. >> Do you need a new CO every time you sell a house? No, there's no that's that's what they're looking for here. >> No, no, no. That's what that's what that's what the proposal is. That's what I'm saying is not not enforcable.

530
02:36:25.200 --> 02:36:40.479
>> It's not enforcable. >> Cuz I think I think what we need to look at also is not just the property that the bamboo originated, but because the way bamboo moves, the

531
02:36:40.479 --> 02:36:56.640
encroachment happens on adjacent properties. I know of four houses in my my neighborhood. It originated on one corner but now the the other three houses connected also has bamboo issue.

532
02:36:56.640 --> 02:37:12.399
>> Now it can get complicated because it might have originated on a house where the previous owner had planted it and so >> right >> how do we >> and established in four different houses who's ultimately responsible? Well, the the problem occurs that the people

533
02:37:12.399 --> 02:37:28.960
sitting here who are the victims of the bamboo have bamboo on their property now. And if they tried to sell their house, they couldn't get a co and they wouldn't be able to sell their house because their neighbor gave them bamboo, which >> which doesn't make a lot of sense.

534
02:37:28.960 --> 02:37:45.680
>> Well, it doesn't do them any good. If they can't get a CEO, if there's bamboo on your property, they can complain all they want. They still can't sell their house. So, there's a lot of danger. Yeah. Um in addition um if you know there there's a whole

535
02:37:45.680 --> 02:38:02.960
holdup to to the process where for maybe 25 bamboos if five if a thousand properties are sold during the year then we have to investigate a thousand properties to in you know to maybe find the the 10 properties

536
02:38:02.960 --> 02:38:18.240
that so that's that's a lot of work to find 10 properties that we have people that are actually reporting ing it and if it's winter time or if it's covered by snow, I don't know if that holds up the sale. >> Um, >> so anyway, it's kind of I would like

537
02:38:18.240 --> 02:38:34.800
there's two one comment. >> Yeah, you can sort of break this into two pieces. One is what do we do going forward to prevent new bamboo from being put in, >> but there's the remediation of the existing situation now, which we don't

538
02:38:34.800 --> 02:38:51.920
know what the extent is. >> It's an extensive process to remediate. I don't know like >> you're talking about full removal. >> I don't know what the extent of of remediating existing but to me that's almost a separate issue. The ordinance I

539
02:38:51.920 --> 02:39:08.399
think rightfully and well written is to prevent this from happening and going forward. >> No, the ordinance says that if you have bamboo you have to remove it or you have to contain it to make sure that it doesn't go in your neighbor's yards. Right. But at some point if the if the

540
02:39:08.399 --> 02:39:23.760
ordinance is successful, there won't be any bamboo left. >> Well, well, it says you have to you can't plant it. >> There won't be any that's >> that's invading someone's property. It says you can't plant it, but it does seem to >> requires

541
02:39:23.760 --> 02:39:39.840
>> give the option of containment. >> Again, it still goes back to that we kind of have to look at it in two sections. one is to prevent things from going forward and best practices which I think is all in here right >> um but the remediation of the existing one is tricky

542
02:39:39.840 --> 02:39:55.760
>> a little bit trickier we have to treat that you know >> I I do maybe I'll just bring this up now if Linda doesn't mind >> um one of the things that I see in here >> what page are you on >> I'm on page five >> if you want okay

543
02:39:55.760 --> 02:40:11.200
>> I mean we've been going all over the place so >> I I want to like I know it's it's a >> it's a lot >> it's a lot it's late. I want to try to organize it as best as we can. There are a couple of questions that

544
02:40:11.200 --> 02:40:29.200
mayor has. Um >> Allison, can you bring up the slide that has the questions? Um maybe we can at least try to answer one of the questions. >> I think the second second question is going to take us some time. >> Yeah. Ban ban invasive species or all

545
02:40:29.200 --> 02:40:44.960
bamboo and then the other one. >> So I just want to get to okay ban invasive species or all bamboo. I just want to get every council member >> your choice. Um Dan >> I would say all bamboo. >> Linda. Yeah.

546
02:40:44.960 --> 02:41:01.520
>> All Yeah. I think all otherwise distinguish. >> Yep. I say all as well. It's unanimous. I think it's just simple to just ban all bamboo. So I think that's something that administration can take a look at

547
02:41:01.520 --> 02:41:17.680
instead of naming one specific one and then who we need an expert somebody to dig out a bamboo to figure out what bamboo it is. I know I can't >> I I have a feeling there's enough cult of ours of bamboo that nobody could take a look at it and never figure it out.

548
02:41:17.680 --> 02:41:34.319
>> So you got mayor you got one answer from us. um whether to use CO to enforce the ordinance. I think I don't know. Do you have anything you would like to add? >> Well, Dan, >> as the mayor said, I don't think we have a mechanism. If we if if if we're

549
02:41:34.319 --> 02:41:51.520
looking at the CO as a way for changing the sale of a house, it doesn't make sense. The mechanism doesn't exist. I'm not familiar enough with how COs are originally. So for a new building, for a new house, you have to issue a CO and in

550
02:41:51.520 --> 02:42:07.840
that process, which there is a process to get the CO, we could include ensuring that there's no bamboo in the property in this new property. Um, I I think that's probably not that hard to do because we already have a process to create the CO and >> that would probably be all with the

551
02:42:07.840 --> 02:42:22.800
planning board that that would be one of the >> that would would have to enforce that >> would be part of that that shouldn't be put in there at all, which I I've never heard of anybody doing it, but that should be something that the planning

552
02:42:22.800 --> 02:42:39.359
board does make sure that nobody would put that into any kind of a new >> so whatever process we >> maybe maybe at But for the new construction process, maybe >> they have a way reasonable way to use it for ex, you know, when a house changes hands.

553
02:42:39.359 --> 02:42:54.960
>> Not right now. We don't have that. >> I mean, I think right now we go out and there there's some kind of certificate you get because you have to have smoke detectors that are working in carbon monoxide detectors before closing. So, that works well with catching people who don't do

554
02:42:54.960 --> 02:43:10.479
that, right? That that's under the closing table. So we're trying to figure out how >> that's a fire enforcement, >> right? So we're just trying to figure out >> and it's not a co. >> Yeah. If you want to rectify the bamboo

555
02:43:10.479 --> 02:43:26.640
problems, then what would you suggest legally? We we do. Again, my understanding is in most towns that you that it it if it becomes a nuisance and you I think we're identifying various

556
02:43:26.640 --> 02:43:42.960
areas where it is a nuisance code the code official is called out. It takes a look at it. It's a nuisance. The orders it removed and you go through the process. I there I can get you ordinances that are in several towns that have a whole process in them.

557
02:43:42.960 --> 02:43:59.600
>> Yeah. Otherwise, if we do something similar to fire and smoke detectors, we'd have to have somebody create a certificate of bamboo flying. >> And and you would have to inspect every house, >> right? Every single house. >> Every just about everybody has a smoke detector, but in this case, you're going

558
02:43:59.600 --> 02:44:15.040
out to find something that's not there most of the time. >> Instead, you're you're hitting the areas where there is a problem that somebody complains about. Um, you know, you don't have to have a bamboo patrol. you just have you the person would go out when there's a complaint filed. >> Also, you have to another thing you have

559
02:44:15.040 --> 02:44:31.439
to worry about is if the bamboo is then taken down, you may have a whole screening of an area that's now open to sunlight and everything else and that creates its own issues and then you have to replant that area with other screening to, you know, return it to what people were used to there too.

560
02:44:31.439 --> 02:44:48.240
>> Well, that might have to change. >> You take the bamboo down, you know. >> Well, I've seen it taken down and the whole the whole property is expensive. invasive and we're >> because you can contain it as well if you put >> well yeah we're trying to get it 10 ft off the property line at least

561
02:44:48.240 --> 02:45:04.160
>> which which is actually a small number compared to some of the ordinances that are out there that say more like 15 and more. >> I'm just going to go down here and ask what are your thoughts on the seal enforcement? >> Me? >> Yeah. >> Um I don't I don't see it. I think it's

562
02:45:04.160 --> 02:45:21.120
going to be more of a problem to people who are being invaded bamboo. And personally, I think the main reason we're doing this is to people have an immediate problem that bamboo is coming at them from not joining property and

563
02:45:21.120 --> 02:45:37.840
this could be 25, 35, 40 years later that your neighbor sells the house and so it's not even solving your problem. So, we're seems like we're creating a whole thing and doing a lot uh and making a much more complicated ordinance than any of the others that I've been

564
02:45:37.840 --> 02:45:55.520
reading out there without actually solving the problem that we're trying to solve. So, >> Joe, do you have anything to say? >> Yeah, I guess it's not clear to me what benefit we would get from attaching the CO provisions. Uh, right. Because if

565
02:45:55.520 --> 02:46:10.560
we've got it an ordinance on the books that's enforceable, right? Why, you know, we're going to enforce it regardless of whether or not the house is sold or anything, right? So, you know, some somebody could own a house

566
02:46:10.560 --> 02:46:26.319
for 20, 30 years. And I don't think you're going to wait until, you know, a sale occurs before we address it, right? We can address it any time, right? We don't need a sale of a home to trigger anything. Uh, so I guess it's not clear to me what the benefit of

567
02:46:26.319 --> 02:46:41.840
having that, you know, in here would be. >> Okay. So, >> I think it's just it's just that if nobody complains ever and then they go to sell the house and the bamboo is on the property edge or it's going over into somebody else's yard and they and if they don't complain,

568
02:46:41.840 --> 02:46:58.000
>> then how does that get like fixed before the new owners come in >> and then somebody complains? I find it hard to believe it's open once people >> know that there's no lights. >> No, but but I think I I think if we if

569
02:46:58.000 --> 02:47:15.439
we can focus on immediate remediation that many of the homes um in the township need, then the word is out that if you have bamboo that's wrong, you can't have bamboo. I think we will see

570
02:47:15.439 --> 02:47:31.600
more of the nuisance complaints come to us and that's when the code enforcement would be possible once this ordinance is in place. >> Um and if we don't have this ordinance in place then we can't enforce the court.

571
02:47:31.600 --> 02:47:48.880
>> Yeah. We I think we definitely want an ordinance. >> Yeah. So place >> do we do we want do you want to go through? >> All right. Do you have comments on each page? >> Yeah. Yeah. That's it's like getting close to 10:00. So I want to >> Yeah, I do want to make this point. So

572
02:47:48.880 --> 02:48:05.520
>> you have point on page five. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Page one. >> I mean I have some others but that's page one. We can get through this quickly. We just go >> um let's see. Oh the assembly bill it it mentions on the second whereas assembly bill A4137 but this I guess the sister bill is

573
02:48:05.520 --> 02:48:22.319
S1029. Um so should we be mentioning both? Uh, I don't know. We can we can get clarification from someone on that. >> You didn't just pay. >> Okay. All right. >> Do we even need to mention the bill? Because it's already passed. So, it's really the invasive species act. The

574
02:48:22.319 --> 02:48:41.120
bill number is inconsequential at this point. >> Well, references I guess in case the bill is out directly. >> All right. Fine. All right. The next uh third >> decision. Leave it the way it is. Just leave it.

575
02:48:41.120 --> 02:48:58.000
>> Yeah. Um third, whereas it mentions about uncontrolled bamboo presents risk to public safety, blah blah blah. Um when I when I look at the uh the bill, I was looking at the Senate bill uh that the Shade Tree Commission members received. Um it's also mentioned human

576
02:48:58.000 --> 02:49:13.840
health. Uh and so we we've had um you know, some of our residents mention that about bird droppings. is they get more mice than usual. Um tracks a certain kind of bird and and that's just like you know you shouldn't have to power

577
02:49:13.840 --> 02:49:31.279
wash your your patio or your pool or your chairs or anything uh vegetable gards um because of this it's it's causing a health nuisance. >> So what you're suggest you want to add for >> sure yeah so uncontrolled bamboo presents risk to and then insert human

578
02:49:31.279 --> 02:49:46.800
health and then and to public safety when it obstructs. So risk to add human. >> You won't you just want to add human health to that fact. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> That's I'm just um what's in the statute here. >> Okay. >> Do you want to you say human health or

579
02:49:46.800 --> 02:50:02.399
it should be uncontrolled bamboo presence risk to public health and safety? >> Well, you can say public health. I I I used human health because that's what the statute said it that way. >> You're talking about the state >> statute and safety >> being Yeah. Being consistent with the

580
02:50:02.399 --> 02:50:18.319
statute I think is fine. That's fine. I'm I'm okay with it. >> Okay. So, just say that one more time so I can write it down. >> So, that whereas uncontrolled bamboo presents risks to and an add in human health and to

581
02:50:18.319 --> 02:50:34.240
public safety when it obstructs sight blah blah blah. >> Okay. >> All right. All right. Well, the seventh whereas has the certificate of occupancy. So, we'll we'll work through that. Um, anybody else have anything for page one?

582
02:50:34.240 --> 02:50:54.560
>> Page one. Do you have anything else? >> Nope. Okay. Let's go to page two. >> Okay. Page two, uh, second paragraph we can add in. Says, "This chapter is adopted to safeguard property values." Um, I would insert public health there.

583
02:50:54.560 --> 02:51:14.240
>> Okay. And then public infrastructure and blah blah blah. >> That's fine. >> That's fine. >> Um >> All right. So, everybody okay with the bamboo um species? >> Does anybody else have anything on page two? >> Oh,

584
02:51:14.240 --> 02:51:29.920
>> where do you want public health inserted? So in the second paragraph, this chapter is adopted to safeguard property values, public health, public infrastructure, and the environment, >> right? Um okay, so we we get down to the

585
02:51:29.920 --> 02:51:46.080
bold printed um terms. Now, the the designated township official, uh the Shay Commission's draft did have the township engineer on that, and I would like to add township engineer into that.

586
02:51:46.080 --> 02:52:03.439
Uh, I think it still has to be decided um like who's going to handle a lot of that, but this draft was uh created by the the township engineer and um I I think that that should be one of the um professionals that are

587
02:52:03.439 --> 02:52:20.000
mentioned um in this section. >> I mean I need I need flexibility to I mean does it matter whether if person A or person B enforces the ordinance? It's an ordinance. I mean the mayor needs flexibility to do that if the town >> I think she's adding an engineer to the

588
02:52:20.000 --> 02:52:35.439
others. So she's getting more flexib right now. It says the township landscape architect, zoning officer, construction of official. So I think >> and I have to say any other official designated by the mayor who has proper credentials.

589
02:52:35.439 --> 02:52:52.800
Um because this is technical stuff that's that's going to go on you know containment >> but then you have to >> listen professional you knowcape architects is is licensed the bank of engineer is licensed a lot of these people are are

590
02:52:52.800 --> 02:53:08.319
are licensed >> Linda it says any other such official designated by the mayor you can name all 400 employees you don't need to you don't need any name it's any official designated ated by the mayor. The mayor can designate engineer or may can

591
02:53:08.319 --> 02:53:24.080
designate landscape architect may >> you're saying designated out of that group on >> I think in the street that's the removal of uh public trees or trees you referred to the township engineer

592
02:53:24.080 --> 02:53:40.800
andor his her designate >> well so should we just yeah someone under his his department >> as as opposed to the mayor You're saying, >> "Yeah, >> I'm just >> trying to limit too much. I I could I could be happy just adding in the township engineer because all the other

593
02:53:40.800 --> 02:53:57.200
professionals can can do this." So, >> is that okay? >> It doesn't impact it by just adding another because it's because it says whoever he picks anyhow. So, >> so is that a yes. >> So, that's a yes. >> That's a yes. And it doesn't matter. I

594
02:53:57.200 --> 02:54:21.279
mean, >> not add any language about credentials. >> No. No. >> Yeah. Okay. Sounds good. Township engineering. Um, do we need a definition on buffer zone? I know the buffer zone does does get um

595
02:54:21.279 --> 02:54:36.160
mentioned in like a a different section, but um I mean if we had buffer zone, I'd say a distance of at least 10 ft from any property line or right of way, whether public or private or from any

596
02:54:36.160 --> 02:54:51.520
neighboring property, whichever is more restricted. >> Um I don't think you should put the size in that if you were going to do that because that's >> size will show up >> is elsewhere. the size is defined elsewhere, not in the definition.

597
02:54:51.520 --> 02:55:08.560
>> It it does show up with a um >> what they have to do in a different section. >> Yeah. So, you could add a Yeah, you can add >> a um like a definition to that. >> Yeah, I add a definition, but I wouldn't I wouldn't put the number because the

598
02:55:08.560 --> 02:55:23.760
number is defined elsewhere. >> I wouldn't put I don't like to put things in two places. So, you can't add a definition. >> Definition. It's not the regulation, but um >> yeah, >> if you don't want it, then we don't >> Yeah, you can put a definition on

599
02:55:23.760 --> 02:55:41.359
whatever it is. I don't care. >> Is that a tentative yes to include a a buffer zone? >> Does that even have I don't >> the definition or or not. >> See, it's it's very confusing to me. What I suggest is you go through it.

600
02:55:41.359 --> 02:55:57.920
Everybody send me your preferred modifications. Page one, I would like to change this. Page two, I would like to change this. Page three, I would like to change this. And then we would go through it and give you an ordinance. Whatever we can incorporate, we will incorporate. Whatever we can't

601
02:55:57.920 --> 02:56:14.080
incorporate, we will tell you why we don't think it's a bad idea. And then when you get the ordinance again, you can have a go at it. >> But the ordinance before introduced. >> Okay. Okay. I think I think what we are saying is add a definition for buffer.

602
02:56:14.080 --> 02:56:32.479
We We're not We have definitions here in an email. Yeah. And then we'll >> get it resolved or not. >> Okay. >> It's not a make or break, but that'd be nice to have. >> Okay. All right. Anybody else? Page two. >> Page two. Anything. Anybody else has

603
02:56:32.479 --> 02:56:56.080
anything? >> Okay. All right. Page page three. All right. So, we're we're keeping I guess the the um the wording that is in the pink there >> or not or

604
02:56:56.080 --> 02:57:12.240
>> Well, this is where we want to be. We don't want to differentiate between kinds of bamboo, >> right? We want to say all bamboo. >> No, >> we're not going to name any bamboo, right? Is that what you're saying? >> Mhm. Yeah. >> Which number are you looking at?

605
02:57:12.240 --> 02:57:27.120
>> Page page three. >> Oh, number one. >> We we are basically going to say all bamboo or any bamboo, whatever that language is. We are not differentiating uh one or the other. >> Well, that's what it says right now. It says or other bamboo species.

606
02:57:27.120 --> 02:57:42.880
>> What we're doing, we're we're banning all bamboo. >> That's what this says. It says here new planting of any philos or other bamboo species. You're going to take out deemed invasive. You're just going to say or other bamboo species. Take out the word

607
02:57:42.880 --> 02:57:59.840
deemed invasive or just say any bamboo or whatever works for you. >> Any I would say any bamboo. >> Just say any bam. Yeah, just say any bamboo and that way it's clear and nobody doesn't have to list anything. >> Say the wording new planting of any bamboo is prohibited. Period. Simple

608
02:57:59.840 --> 02:58:18.319
sentence. >> And then I would take the next line out because that one specifically just talks about the clumping bamboo. >> Yeah. Yes. That's all it's going to say is that one line best >> and then I think that they could probably essentially when you redo this

609
02:58:18.319 --> 02:58:34.560
you can take out all references to the differences between clumping and running and all that. >> Correct. >> What wherever it may be in here. >> Yeah. >> Yes. Yes. Okay. You said clumping. We don't want we don't want to differentiate running and clumping

610
02:58:34.560 --> 02:58:50.160
bamboo where everything here is for all bamboo which is what I know shade tree commission also asked for. So and I think everybody everybody here agreed to. >> So Marina I think what we want to say is new planting of any bamboo is prohibited

611
02:58:50.160 --> 02:59:06.080
everywhere in the township and then we remove all mention of >> any other clumping running any other species. it when we say any bamboo it covers everything >> right and so anywhere where that may be

612
02:59:06.080 --> 02:59:22.640
mentioned in here that should be >> so there might be other mentions in other p areas so just remove all of that >> it needs to be looked at >> proof read for something >> and so all right so moving down number number two it um um

613
02:59:22.640 --> 02:59:38.399
mentions about prohibiting uh planting locations a within 10 feet of any property line uh Is is that enough? >> I'm a little confused. Why do we need that? >> Yeah, we do need the first section say

614
02:59:38.399 --> 02:59:53.200
it's prohibited. >> Then why do we need that second area? We don't need that. >> Prohibited existing, >> right? It's prohibited. >> No, but this one says no person shall allow existing bamboo. >> This one's the first one's new planting.

615
02:59:53.200 --> 03:00:10.000
The second one's existing bamboo. >> So, we're it's two totally different things. We can't plant new bamboo and now we have to control or remove the existing bamboo. >> I mean once you say no bamboo we will remove everything. >> Uh that's that makes it so

616
03:00:10.000 --> 03:00:26.479
>> that that issue settle. So that's not >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Says with within 10 ft should it be 10 ft 15t 20 feet? I mean >> I need an 8.8 9.8 >> that that I would need an expert that knows something about bamboo.

617
03:00:26.479 --> 03:00:43.040
some of the ordinances how much the property line >> current 10 ft even if you want to pl put a >> usually >> that's a big difference >> no but I'm just saying like if you are putting a shed on your property you have

618
03:00:43.040 --> 03:01:00.479
to be 10 ft from the property line inside so 10 ft is the consistent >> right I think >> yeah this isn't yeah this isn't a shed area though I think the whole thing is you don't want to have this plant where if something starts moving or whatever

619
03:01:00.479 --> 03:01:14.080
that's right up against your property. Yeah. So if 10 whatever is the technical correct amount of space >> that would that would be 10. >> Um I assume that >> 10 ft I'm looking at shade tree

620
03:01:14.080 --> 03:02:04.560
commission. 10 ft is 10 good. >> 10 ft in a year. So 20 it just makes sense. So, we're good with 10 ft is what you >> 20 20 ft might be in some cases in the

621
03:02:04.560 --> 03:02:20.720
middle of the property like so you can't really plan do anything. I don't know about that. >> It's all different. It's all different size properties, but >> I don't know. Does it matter for me? Do we want to say 10 or 15 or 20? Does it matter?

622
03:02:20.720 --> 03:02:37.200
>> I'd be okay with 15. >> I'd be good with 15. I mean, >> you want to just say 15. >> There's no harm in making it more. >> All right. Going once. >> 15. >> So, we say 15 feet. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. 15. Fine. We'll take what? >> We'll take 15 feet.

623
03:02:37.200 --> 03:02:52.240
>> I mean, personally, I'd go for 20. I've seen that. But let's let's just with what we could get get away with. >> All right, let's do 15. >> 15's fine. >> You changed the text of number two, the beginning of it. >> Um, no person shall allow existing

624
03:02:52.240 --> 03:03:09.359
bamboo currently growing on any property within the township, regardless of species in the following prohibited planting locations. I don't think we changed any of that. >> Thank you. >> Yep. >> Except we've now changed that to 15 ft. >> Yeah, that's the only one. >> I have that. Thank you. Okay.

625
03:03:09.359 --> 03:03:25.520
>> Anything else on three? >> No. >> Nope. >> All right. >> Page four. >> Okay. I have something for four. >> Excuse me. >> Is the Yes. Yes. >> Okay. Yeah.

626
03:03:25.520 --> 03:03:42.560
>> The um >> But didn't we change didn't we change? >> That's the containment. >> Yeah. The must be contained barrier contain root system thick. Yeah. That's actually pretty good. I've seen less. So I'm happy with 60. Okay. >> Um I on page four and I'm not don't

627
03:03:42.560 --> 03:03:58.800
looking to have a long discussion because it's late and I want us to have a little more on other um we talk about that a design plan and details are going to be submitted to the proper official. Um I would like to know a little bit more when you finalize this about how

628
03:03:58.800 --> 03:04:15.760
that's going to be tracked. Is this going to be some kind of a permit process? And then when it gets later on to the inspection uh the the actual construction just um it would seem to me that it would not only need to be inspected at the end, but probably there

629
03:04:15.760 --> 03:04:31.040
would need to be some kind of inspection while this was being done before it was finalized because it involves putting a barrier at a certain angle. And um >> are you suggesting something along the lines of the tree removal permit

630
03:04:31.040 --> 03:04:48.560
application that had to be done? >> That might be something like that, but something that does involve that at the end somebody is going to in the tree removal. I don't think anybody came and looked to see if the tree was removed. >> I think I think what Andrea is trying to say is at the end somebody uh inspects

631
03:04:48.560 --> 03:05:10.880
and make sure that the barrier is done the right way because it is very very specific. If you put the angle a little off, the roots get under it. So, so >> Oh, the whole idea is that nothing ever gets to your lawn,

632
03:05:10.880 --> 03:05:27.279
>> but that's a that's a separate section. >> We will talk about completely removed. >> Yeah. Um, so that's that's a a um section to uh where you have to have to dig up every basically this basically anything past the 15 ft now has to be

633
03:05:27.279 --> 03:05:43.920
removed on both yours and the other property. Um, which I'll get to that section. And then also in order to have this barrier work properly, it has to be a certain thickness. It has to be a certain angle. Uh, if it's it has to be 2 in above, somebody needs to come and

634
03:05:43.920 --> 03:05:58.640
make sure that's right. So whatever process it is, and I'm not going to tell administration what it should be, is there needs to be a process to have an actual signed approval of the um of the plan and there needs to be some

635
03:05:58.640 --> 03:06:13.600
inspection done during the installation. And at the end, >> I I suggest we look into some sort of permitting process basically >> and a permitting fee. >> And a permanent absolutely these things just go into staff to look at without

636
03:06:13.600 --> 03:06:32.240
having be but so I would say in in f a a design plan uh including a property survey because it's you know sometimes people take a white piece of paper blank and well here's my house and this is where I want to do and um yeah survey will show where

637
03:06:32.240 --> 03:06:48.319
it has to go if it's >> are we going to take an existing survey because you having a ser having a land sur a licensed land surveyor doing a brand new land survey is expensive. >> I think existing survey is fine. >> We can

638
03:06:48.319 --> 03:07:13.680
>> I'm just I'm just saying like >> just bringing it up. >> Yeah. Survey closing on your >> Yeah. Yeah. No, no, no. That's what she's making sure is that >> right it's 10 it's 10 feet back. So if we're off by two or three inch I mean 15

639
03:07:13.680 --> 03:07:29.040
feet. So if we're off two or three inches that's probably not a big deal but the big the big thing to matter is that >> it's not that properly so that and it's removed beyond that on both sides of whatever the property line is. >> I think an existing survey

640
03:07:29.040 --> 03:07:44.479
>> I think so what I think they stamp those things too >> or people don't have existing surveys. >> Somebody has that's in the county. Well, somebody has to know it's a property line or property. >> Linda, they get so many requests for surveys. They think that the township

641
03:07:44.479 --> 03:08:00.960
has it. In many cases, we don't. So, >> we would not have a survey requirement. >> A lot of people say if if if a survey if they have it kind of thing. >> How about we just But you and your neighbor agree where the property line is or something? I mean, >> when people buy houses, it's like those

642
03:08:00.960 --> 03:08:17.920
cement things. >> No, you can never find them. They're gone. And I had another survey. Then it was gone again. >> Linda, you have 15 ft from the property line, right? I mean, if somebody if your neighbor is stealing 15 ft of your property, you better know.

643
03:08:17.920 --> 03:08:33.439
>> I mean, >> well, yeah. >> Yeah. But >> just saying legally when there's lawsuits and things, if you have a ser. >> No, I mean, listen, give me all your suggestions. I'll put whatever is reasonable. >> Yeah. Why don't I'm I'm just giving this as a general thing and then you come

644
03:08:33.439 --> 03:08:49.840
back with the best way of doing what we're trying to do. >> Raised the issue of a survey. So where are we with the survey? I'm sorry to >> I think if if they have it if if they have a >> No, no, no. That that that makes no

645
03:08:49.840 --> 03:09:06.560
sense. I mean everybody will say I don't have it. >> Yeah. >> How am I going to believe you prove you don't have it? I mean it's law doesn't work like that. Oh if you have it you give me if you don't have it okay you get caught by the license but >> I would just do permit process forget

646
03:09:06.560 --> 03:09:22.160
about surveys >> and we don't need survey on additions and all sorts of things. I'm sure they're working on some kind of survey that's given to our construction office when they do permits. Not everybody has >> zoning, you know, they they want to do,

647
03:09:22.160 --> 03:09:37.920
you know, >> yeah, the clerk's office gets a lot of over requests for surveys and a lot of times we have to say no, there's no survey on record. >> Yeah. >> No, no, I get so many requests for surveys because >> Yeah, we're complicating,

648
03:09:37.920 --> 03:09:54.560
>> right? Let's not complicate it. Let's keep it simple. Permitting process with permitting fees to make sure the barrier is installed properly. Yeah. >> Okay. >> We up to five yet. >> Are we on the next page yet?

649
03:09:54.560 --> 03:10:11.600
>> Um, hold on one second. Um, >> close to you. >> I will. I'm I'm trying to do these quickly just to say do something. But that one >> well on page four when we get to D. Property owner responsibility is property owners are responsible for all

650
03:10:11.600 --> 03:10:27.040
costs associated with bamboo removal containment and compliance with this chapter. But it's also removal from adjacent property owners if it >> cannot be put out with yard waste and

651
03:10:27.040 --> 03:10:41.920
brush and leaves. So you might want to cover that in the ordinance as well. >> That's the difference. But I think the challenge here in in section D is that in the case of it's now infringed. It's

652
03:10:41.920 --> 03:10:58.640
10 ft on their neighbor's side. >> Who's paying for that? >> The neighbor that's responsible for their section >> that's under encroachments and another section. >> There is a another section called >> if we want to say something there >> then it might want to reference.

653
03:10:58.640 --> 03:11:15.439
>> Yeah, but it does how's that going to work? It doesn't say anything under the encroachments, right? So if I got bamboo that somebody else gave to me, right, for your analogy, right? Like what? >> Okay. Actually, it's not under includes. It's Yeah, you under It's actually under compliance. Um

654
03:11:15.439 --> 03:11:31.920
>> but but if we want to just to be on the safe side, I would put under D responsible for all costs associated with bamboo removal on their property and on any encroached property or something like that. and just put it there so that you don't have to read

655
03:11:31.920 --> 03:11:47.920
detail somewhere else. Does that make sense? >> Yeah. I would say property owners are responsible for all costs associated with bamboo removal >> and disposal >> containment and complying with this chapter on their property and it's wind

656
03:11:47.920 --> 03:12:04.560
up curbside. Why don't why don't we um when it talks about the plan and it talks about the permitting process um include the disposal as part of the plan and the process of for approval. >> That's what I'm saying. When you the

657
03:12:04.560 --> 03:12:20.880
part of the ordinance where you're putting the plan together the same the same as when we do a construction plan for the planning board they have to lay out how they're going to move the Okay. Does that make sense to do? >> Yep. >> Okay. All right. Um, page four.

658
03:12:20.880 --> 03:12:35.680
>> Yeah. Um, >> anything else? >> I have on page four and I don't want to have a whole thing. Just somebody can do something about this. Um, oh, okay. That was the uh that that I've got. I was looking at five >> page five now, right? Page five.

659
03:12:35.680 --> 03:12:50.560
>> Four has the whole C stuff. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Um, five. I do have a minor thing to add. Um, >> which page are you on? >> I'm five. where it where it talks about the compliance under C and it talks

660
03:12:50.560 --> 03:13:07.279
about how they going to have 30 days to do a submission and then it says that the 60-day clock doesn't start until the approval of the plan. Uh we need something in there to say that somebody

661
03:13:07.279 --> 03:13:22.479
doesn't come on day 29 with a plan and the engineer says oops that's not good enough go back and then they take another 29. We we don't want a repetitive process where they basically keep trying to kick the can down the road by never getting an approval.

662
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>> We charge a fee then if if that's the game that's going to get played. >> Well, is there going to be enough of a fee if if you charge a $100 fee >> for violation? >> Well, it's not a Yeah, but in this particular case that there could be I could see one time there being an honest

663
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like, okay, I wasn't perfect. But I think as you get you don't you don't want to make this a kick the can down the road. So I don't know >> you also don't want punitive you can everybody >> hereourage. Okay. Can I can I just suggest you just say

664
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>> uh submit to the designated township official an approved plan for removal of bamboo. So it's their responsibility to get it approved within 30 days. They can come on day 29 and hope it's approved or they come on day five and

665
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You're going to you you can I don't care how it's done, but I'm just saying how fast are you going to approve it >> if you >> I would I know I saw that because because we usually do uh 20 days, right? Someone brings down information or permit. It's they get they get 20 days.

666
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So township has to test it when they're going to get back to the home. >> This is not UCCC. 20 days don't apply here. This is not UCC. >> I think I think we need something. I mean, people are trying to get this work done and they're trying to sell their house and different things. Like, the time goes by very quickly and if the

667
03:14:45.279 --> 03:15:02.239
township says, "Well, we're very busy this month." And >> before I get to you, >> I like the idea of adding um within 30 days of receipt of such notice, the property owner shall submit to the designated township official a approved

668
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plan for the removal of bamboo from the prohibited. not approved until they've submitted it. So, they can't submit an approved plan. They have to get it. You can try to say they need to get the plan approved within 30 days, but then you're going to have to say how fast you're

669
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going to get back to people and everything. I don't care how it's done. I'm just I would just want to throw out now if you want to think about how we can just make sure this process moves along. Can we just give it a broader a single

670
03:15:33.920 --> 03:15:51.520
time frame of 90 days from the time the request comes in and not differentiate between plan >> 30 and 60 >> because we have 30 days here and then 60 days >> right >> well I don't want them to wait till I think I' I'd like to keep that they

671
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>> not wait that much time and then start asking for hardships or something like that >> understand why staff can't get to it within 20 days or 30 days or some something. >> We have 30 days here. >> It's open open-ended for the township to get back to them. And if they're trying to

672
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>> get everything in order because they're selling their house, then it's open-ended. Then what what's >> listen? Don't get bogged down because somebody may play games sometime in future. Let's move on. We'll we'll figure out you see

673
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what we're trying to trying to avoid. >> If you talk about theoretical possibilities, we'll be here for 5 years. That's what I'm saying. Figure >> just figure out some way to move it along because people will do that. >> Figure out when a township gets back to them. They hand they hand say here's the plan. This is how we're going to fix the

674
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whole problem. When does the township how long does the township have to get back to them? >> We will we will figure that figure that out. >> I don't think we can solve that tonight. >> Um >> Okay. So So the administration will figure administration will figure that

675
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out and add it in here when it comes to us. Now that's the next one that I really really like. >> Um um Andrea, >> Linda, do you have anything? >> The only other thing is just with the compliance like the designated township officials. So you know if they bring plans to the township like who who do

676
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they bring it to? Because they're going to call and say, "Well, it says designated township. Do I go down to the construction office >> or engineering department?" They're >> Well, there's different there's five different different people. >> Well, they're going to come up with a process. They will come up with a

677
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process >> specific like where does it go? >> Well, the process will say they're getting a permit, >> but that's not that's an operational issue, not an order, >> right? We don't need to get that into um people. >> Well, Linda, Linda, we don't need to put

678
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that in the ordinance. That's the permit process that administration. >> Yeah, there should be something that would be that would be taken care of there. No, they're going to put some more specific in. >> How do we move towards getting a draft done? So,

679
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>> you know, but by circulating something, >> right? >> It's better to have something on paper than nothing at this point. >> Okay. Now, this is the one that I really um um we have a we have the thing with

680
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penalties and encroachments >> under penalties. >> I'm on page five. >> Yeah. D >> D is penalties and it's about the of notice, a fine not to exceed $500 and then it's another day and another 500.

681
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And whether that how that's going to happen or how often, I I don't know. That's fine. But then we get to the encroachment. And the encroachment is what I think we're all worried about here. And the encroachment is that the next property has now got this bamboo on

682
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it. Um, and in this particular case, it says that if that property is public property, the township can go and say, "Hey, you're not doing this when you said you're going to do it. We're going to remove

683
03:19:02.640 --> 03:19:19.439
it, and we're going to charge you back for removing it in your next tax bill, and we're going to take care of it." So, if this guy does all his stuff and then just doesn't do what he says he's going to do and figures, okay, some judge will knock out some of these fines later or

684
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I'll, you know, or whatever it is he may figure. It's not doing the person whose house is being invaded any good. So I what I'd want to do is have the same right that the township is doing for itself

685
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and have the encroached uh neighbor also uh where the township would remove >> if if if they don't do within certain >> if they don't do it within what like what the township is saying that they would come in and they would take care of it. >> Got it.

686
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>> You need to have the ability to put a lean on the property. >> Exactly. But and I did look up two other laws. One was from East Brunswick, one was for Seerville. They had actually very short, simple laws. >> Listen, Andrea. >> Got it. Got it.

687
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>> Okay. >> Got it. >> And they did have that. And by the way, they did have 100% all bamboo in theirs, too. So they they were pretty good. >> Okay. Um does anybody else have anything um on encroachments? >> Well, encroachments page five that that

688
03:20:20.319 --> 03:20:37.040
deals with um public property. Okay. So if we if we move on to um page six, the encroachment be encroachment on on private. >> Yeah, that's what Andrew Andrew just >> I'm I'm expanding that one. >> And the private property, you have to

689
03:20:37.040 --> 03:20:53.120
say who's going to be then responsible. That's what I just did. >> Yeah. So So yeah, because this >> I'm saying that that the township is going to do the same thing for the neighbors that they're doing for themselves. >> It's going to be the same thing. >> Yeah. Well, it needs different some additional wording in that. Yes. Well,

690
03:20:53.120 --> 03:21:09.200
yeah. Yeah, that's exactly we just spoke. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I'm not giving them wording the uh the next one which is the right of um of suing. That's fine. We can leave that in because that's an additional right. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> All right. All right.

691
03:21:09.200 --> 03:21:25.840
>> Um >> certificate of occupancy. We are not talking about that right now. This is >> Yeah, it's all co. >> Anything else? Um, no. The rest of this was about the CL pretty much.

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>> Okay. Uh, I'm just going to go down asking council members. Dan, do you have anything else to add? >> Okay. I I mean, I would still request every one of you who have given suggestions to email them in case Marlin or I did not write it down or did not

693
03:21:43.279 --> 03:22:00.319
understand it correctly or did not correctly write it down. >> Undrafted >> because >> administration. >> What? Well, can we get one one one draft like everyone we >> Okay, before before we do that one, >> wait, they want to make >> before we do that, Dan, do you have any

694
03:22:00.319 --> 03:22:16.560
other additional comments? >> Anything else to add? >> Okay, Linda, do you have any other additional comments on the ordinance? >> No, but the administration should look at um Mike Shuich's version also. You know, he just sent it today for tonight. I I would want them to take a I would

695
03:22:16.560 --> 03:22:33.520
want administration to you know also review this too >> the memorandum that Mike Shu just um gave us. >> We we will based on all the comments we have received written oral whatever and you give it by this Friday we will prepare an audience next week and

696
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circulate it. >> Okay. >> Okay. I just want to uh try and introduce it on August 2nd. So, >> August 3rd, >> uh, August 3rd, I do as best as we can. Um, >> yeah. The the only thing is it if the

697
03:22:48.640 --> 03:23:04.720
second draft, let's call, isn't like circulated to the public, you know, like I'd like the public to >> No, I mean, >> be aware of it's going to impact some some lot of people. >> Introduction. >> Well, introduction. Yeah. But two weeks later, then then there's the then there's the hearing. So the more people

698
03:23:04.720 --> 03:23:19.840
who are just learning about this in the past few days since the first draft has been out I'd like to get a >> that's how every we will put it on the website but that's how every ordinance is >> be sure of it because then at the hearing you can't make any any changes

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03:23:19.840 --> 03:23:35.200
if it's substantial substantive then have to reintroduce and I always try and avoid that. >> Andrea do you have any other comments on the order? >> Um I think I've said enough. Thanks >> Joe. >> No nothing else right now. So I think um if I know I have taken notes, I know

700
03:23:35.200 --> 03:23:50.720
Allison has taken notes. Marlina has taken notes, but if we have we can write down our comments um and get it to Allison. >> I think it'd be helpful if um each uh council member could make sure they write down their comments, email them to

701
03:23:50.720 --> 03:24:05.279
me and the mayor >> and then you can consolidate all of the comments comments to all the council so they're all aware of everyone's comments. >> Consolidate so we know. So let's let'sated comments to mayor before end of say by this Friday.

702
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>> Okay. So let me just ask everyone directly. First first question I understood that um you don't want any bamboo whatsoever. >> The second question no CO requirement is okay. >> Correct. >> Yeah.

703
03:24:21.680 --> 03:24:38.640
>> Yeah. >> Okay. That's going to be removed. >> Dan, you're okay with that? >> Yes. Linda. >> Um, you're thinking >> well about that, but probably >> Joe. >> Yeah. >> Okay, Linda. >> No, I mean I I had not gotten to read um

704
03:24:38.640 --> 03:24:55.920
Mike Shuitit's uh memorandum from today. So, >> yeah. I mean, I'm I'm I'm not going to give you a ordinance that's not enforcable. I mean, that's bottom line. So I'm going to give you ordinance without CO because I don't

705
03:24:55.920 --> 03:25:10.800
have a process of giving a CO. If you want to change it, you can change it. It's your your prerogative. >> All right. Um Mike Herbert should look at it too. >> Yeah. >> Now Mike joking.

706
03:25:10.800 --> 03:25:28.560
Same thing you keep regular >> listen regular process >> required >> regular listen regular process that happens will happen >> process that's that it's not something new that is the process >> like changes it's nice that there's any

707
03:25:28.560 --> 03:25:47.040
changes from our township attorney >> like let us know now before we we put it on for introduction >> of course >> right >> okay >> Mike is studying You have >> I I'll give it to I'll give it to

708
03:25:47.040 --> 03:26:05.600
>> I will do I'll I'll give you the final ordinance. >> Yeah. >> And we can give a copy of Mr. Shu's memorandum to Mike as well, Alison. All right. Uh where are we?

709
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>> Council reports. >> Council reports. Sorry. >> I have none. So that's >> that has none. Okay, Linda. >> Yeah. Uh Shade Shade Tree Commission met via Zoom on June 24th. Uh so far this year, there are 21 permit applications under chapter 170. Uh the commission

710
03:26:22.640 --> 03:26:40.000
continued its discussion uh on the draft community forestry management plan and a timeline to release the document to the governing body and the public. uh consultant Dan Doberilski is expected to be at the commission's July 22nd meeting to continue with discussions on

711
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the draft plan. Commission members um coordinated uh with the watering of the new trees that it planted at Waterworks facilities. So, thank you all for for doing that. Uh and the DPW did uh one day where they got over there to water the trees, too. Uh dedication of the

712
03:26:57.600 --> 03:27:12.239
tree planted in honor of General Hugh uh Mercer at the Ron Rogers Arboritum will likely occur in January. >> Um Andrea >> um so environmental commission did meet. They will be skipping their August

713
03:27:12.239 --> 03:27:30.720
meeting. Um we discussed u the PSN ENG project uh which is still ongoing to encourage uh people to go do it. We have heard a few problems that people have had. Uh so we are um trying to get those

714
03:27:30.720 --> 03:27:47.680
fixed through sustainable Jersey, but uh still encourage people to sign up and if somebody doesn't have a terrific experience, please let us know. Um and we also did discuss the Angic uh pollinator garden project. So thank you to Marina for reminding everybody that

715
03:27:47.680 --> 03:28:02.880
we're looking for more volunteers to do that. That should be it. Thanks, >> Joe. >> Parking authority met. Uh there was some discussion around whether the road design of Wallace Road could be looked at in order to better facilitate pickups and drop drop offs so people aren't, you

716
03:28:02.880 --> 03:28:19.200
know, legally stopping there. Uh so I think Scott's going to reach out to engineering here to see if there's anything can be done about that. Uh the bus garage site continues to progress. There's some items needed to be tested before they could be disposed of before they can uh put the construction bids

717
03:28:19.200 --> 03:28:36.720
out. So maybe a few weeks delay there, but uh uh it's moving along. There's some discussion around what to name the new parking lot and park. I think it's just going to be something simple like Wallace Wallace Park or something like that. So >> okay. Um human relations council met

718
03:28:36.720 --> 03:28:52.800
last week but there was no quorum. So um no official meeting took place. They did discuss the next event uh which is peace day uh which would also happen on community day in September. Um, Andrea going back to the PCG's home assessment

719
03:28:52.800 --> 03:29:10.399
thing, you know, I gave my report of um, you know, a very not so good good experience with them. Um, the next report that I and I will write to you and Prona about that is I think after sustainable Jersey probably

720
03:29:10.399 --> 03:29:26.000
escalated it. Um, they just um, sent me an email with a appointment which I never made. So I they just >> figured that they will send me a appointment of a certain date without checking if I'm available for that date

721
03:29:26.000 --> 03:29:41.920
or not. So I will write back with that report and I did respond to them asking who made that appointment and I'm still waiting to hear >> on that. Um >> okay. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Thank you for your feedback on this thing. Yeah, we we are actually

722
03:29:41.920 --> 03:29:58.000
>> I didn't want to promote something without knowing how it's working and so far I don't feel like promoting it. >> Yeah, we got we got a couple of other complaints too. So, uh not not as bad as yours where nobody showed up but things were things weren't finished or people didn't get a report afterwards. So,

723
03:29:58.000 --> 03:30:13.439
>> uh no other council reports. Um do we have any additional administration updates? I have a reminder. Um, tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday, we have an extreme heat warning in effect.

724
03:30:13.439 --> 03:30:29.920
So, we'll the health department will put something up on the website and just ask residents to check on their neighbors and be careful in extreme heat. >> Do we um in that situation, do we have a

725
03:30:29.920 --> 03:30:46.479
cooling >> there? There has been in the past a cooling center designated and it's usually the library and that information is contained in the update that the health department posts on the website. Okay. >> The other thing is be prepared. We don't

726
03:30:46.479 --> 03:31:02.160
know what the weather is going to be like. Jersey JCPNL has also notified us that people should take measures in case the power goes out. >> Yep. All right. Uh, mayor, do you have anything to add?

727
03:31:02.160 --> 03:31:19.359
>> Yeah, just a comment. I Mike, I understand your passion, but in the last budget, I couldn't add a single personnel. Police need more people. DPW need more people. Uh, council asked me to add more people to do more work. I can't justify hiring a person just to

728
03:31:19.359 --> 03:31:38.640
look for bamboo. Just not not doable. >> No, I'm just telling you. I mean you you >> yeah um well >> um >> I will talk to you after the meeting. >> The mayor will talk to you after the meeting. We can't go back and forth like

729
03:31:38.640 --> 03:32:03.359
that. >> We will take a we will take a read at this. >> All right. Uh >> no administration updates. No closed sessions. Can I get a motion to adjurnn? >> So move. >> Second. >> All in favor?

730
03:32:03.359 --> 03:32:10.920
>> I meeting adjourned at 10:32 p.m. Okay.