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THIS MEETING OF THE ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS IS HEREBY CALLED INTO ORDER.
THIS MEETING IS BEING LIVE STREAMED, AND IN ADDITION TO TAKING PLACE IN PERSON MADDEN DEPUTY CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT COOPER.
LET'S, UH, PLEASE STAND FOR THE SALUTE TO THE FLAG.
I'M GONNA ASK COMMISSIONER SAL TO LEAD US IN THE SALUTE I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
AND I'M GONNA ASK FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THOSE WHO WE'VE LOST SINCE THE LAST TIME WE CAME TOGETHER, JUST LAST WEEK.
I HAVE BEFORE ME CERTIFICATION FOR THE DEPUTY CLERK THAT THIS MEETING IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT.
WE'LL MOVE ON, ON TO TRANSCRIPTS MATTER.
AND DEPUTY CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY TRANSCRIPTS TO BE APPROVED? NO.
DEPUTY CLERK, ARE THERE ANY TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION? NO.
SO LET'S MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION.
TONIGHT'S MEETING IS A COMBINED CONFERENCE BOARD MEETING, AND WE'LL VOTE ON EVERY ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
SO IF THERE'S ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON ANY AGENDA ITEMS ONLY, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD.
YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
THERE WILL BE TIME LATER IN THE EVENING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON ANY OTHER ITEMS. SO I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS AT THIS TIME TO AGENDA ITEMS ONLY.
MADAM DEPUTY CLERK, LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT THERE IS NO ONE WISH TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME.
SO LET'S MOVE ON TO ORDINANCES, ORDINANCE ON INTRODUCE INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING.
MADAM DEPUTY CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY? NO.
DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, ORDINANCE ON SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING FOR LISTING PURPOSES ONLY? NO.
DO WE HAVE ANY ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTIONS FOR LISTING PURPOSES ONLY? NO.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTIONS ON SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT? NO.
SO LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTION NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS AN ADVICE AND CONSENT NOMINATION FOR THE APPOINTMENT TO THE ESSEX COUNTY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD, AND WHICH WE WILL BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME.
GOOD EVENING, MR. PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO, UH, NOMINATE, UH, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION WHILE SIA, MELINDA MASANO TO THE ESTES COUNTY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND SHE'S HERE, UM, TO PRESENT HERSELF.
THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION ON SIA, MELINDA MANANO.
I'VE WORKED WITH PUBLIC SERVICE ENTERPRISE GROUP, WHICH MANY OF YOU MIGHT KNOW IS, UH, PSE AND G FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS.
I, UM, AM HERE BECAUSE I AM INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE NEWARK WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
I CURRENTLY AM A MANAGER FOR THE PSE AND G CLEAN ENERGY JOBS PROGRAM, WHERE WE'VE BEEN AIMED AT CREATING EPI ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE THAN 2000 INDIVIDUALS, SPECIFICALLY TARGETING UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF HAVING MORE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES FROM
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A RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL PERSPECTIVE, UM, HAVE MORE, UH, CAREERS AND CLEAN ENERGY.TO DATE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HIRE MORE THAN 2,500 INDIVIDUALS.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT WORK SPECIFICALLY WITH A FOCUS IN ESSEX COUNTY AS WELL AS SMALL BUSINESS TRAINING.
AND WE'RE PAYING YOU NOTHING, NOTHING.
AS, UH, IT'S A STELLAR BACKGROUND.
WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING HERE TODAY AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO VOLUNTEER AND THE BOARD COMMISSIONERS.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER SIEBEL.
I'M JUST SO PLEASED WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS WILLING TO GIVE HER TIME, WHO IS SO TALENTED AND HAS THE EXPERTISE TO PUT IN THIS TIME FOR ESSEX COUNTY.
COMMISSIONER SIEBEL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MOVE IT? I WOULD.
MADAM DEPUTY CLERK FOR NO RESOLUTION NUMBER ONE.
COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT COOPER, ABSENT.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH AGAIN FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE.
OKAY, MADAM DEPUTY COLLICK, LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTIONS TWO THROUGH FIVE.
AND ADDED START IS 42, 43 AND 47, WHICH ARE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUB, UH, PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND CORRESPONDING BUDGET INSERTION ITEMS. UH, THEY'LL BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME.
GOOD EVENING, MR. ATE, UH, JOSHUA ZAS, UH, ESSA COUNTY PARKS.
UH, GOOD EVENING, UH, BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.
NUMBER TWO IS A CONTRACT AWARD WITH RUSSELL WEED WASTE HAULING FOR DISPOSAL SERVICES.
UM, DOING BUSINESS IS MR. JOHN.
THIS IS FOR, UH, SANITATION UNITS THROUGHOUT THE PARK SYSTEM.
JUNE 1ST, UH, TO MAY 31ST, 2026.
AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $462,189.
UH, SPECIFICALLY THIS IS FOR THE RENTALS OF, UH, THE VARIOUS PORTA POTTY UNITS THROUGHOUT THE PARK SYSTEM.
UM, WE USE IT FOR PICNIC PICNIC SITES, UH, SPECIAL EVENTS, CHERRY BLOSSOM, UH, 10 K RUN.
THIS IS FOR STANDARD AND A DA UNITS NUMBER THREE CONTRACT AWARD TO THE 10 LOWEST BIDDERS TO FURNISH AND DELIVER GOLF COURSE MATERIALS.
12 MONTH CONTRACT NOT TO EXCEED $275,000.
THIS IS, UH, THROUGH OUR FOR THREE GOLF COURSES.
IT'S, UM, FOR PESTICIDE FERTILIZERS, SEED AND SOD MATERIALS.
UM, WE USE AN ECHO FRIENDLY, UH, INTEGRATED PESTICIDE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH SPECIFICALLY MEANS WE ONLY SPRAY WHEN NEEDED.
WE DO NOT SPRAY PREVENTATIVELY.
AND, UM, IN ORDER TO SPRAY SOME OF THESE PESTICIDES THAT WE DO SPRAY IN-HOUSE, THEY HAVE TO BE, UH, NJ CERTIFIED.
AND WE HAVE SIX STAFF MEMBERS IN THE GOLF COURSE UNIT THAT ARE CERTIFIED TO USE THESE CHEMICALS.
NUMBER FOUR, CONTRACT AWARD TO CORP C CORP.
UH, ALSO KNOWN AS HODGES PARTY RENTAL FOR PARTY RELATED ITEMS FOR EVENTS AND CONCERTS NOT TO EXCEED $250,000.
UH, AGAIN, THIS IS, UM, FOR RENTALS OF TABLES, CHAIRS, ET CETERA, FOR SPECIAL EVENTS AND CONCERTS.
NUMBER FIVE, CONTRACT AWARD TO METROPOLITAN GOLF ASSOCIATE FOUNDATION, UH, TO PROVIDE THE MANAGEMENT AND STUDENT INTERNSHIP GOLF PROGRAM.
24 MONTH CONTRACT NOT TO EXCEED $42,000.
THIS IS TO HIRE, UH, LOCAL KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THREE GOLF COURSES TO DO, UH, VARIOUS, UM, MAINTENANCE RELATED ISSUES ON THE GOLF COURSE.
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WE'RE DOING A CONTRACT SUCH AS THIS.
UH, TYPICALLY THERE ARE NINE TO 11 INTERNS THAT WE HIRE THROUGHOUT THE SEASON FOR EACH GOLF COURSE.
UM, AND THEY WOULD WORK, UH, TYPICALLY THE SUMMER MONTHS AND THEN INTO THE FALL.
WEATHER PERMITTING NUMBER 42 IS A CONTRACT AWARD TO CHALLENGE TOWERS TO PROVIDE INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR THE TREETOP ADVENTURE COURSE.
UH, EXERCISING THE 24 MONTH OPTION, NOT TO EXCEED $401,643.
THIS IS FOR THE TREETOP ROPE COURSE LOCATED OVER BY THE TURTLEBACK ZOO IN THE SOUTH MOUNTAIN RECREATION COMPLEX.
UH, IT'S TO DO INSPECTIONS OF THE COURSE, UH, TO DO SOME TRAINING, UH, AND THEN, UH, ANY MAINTENANCE MATERIALS WE MAY NEED.
NUMBER 43, INSERTION OF ITEMS OF REVENUE FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FOR THE WEEK.
WAKE PARK, RUNNING TRACK IMPROVEMENTS, UH, IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,307,550.
THE COUNTY WAS FORTUNATE TO RECEIVE TWO SEPARATE GRANTS TOTALING THAT AMOUNT.
ONE FROM THE GREEN ACRES PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,807,550 AND ONE FROM THE IRVIN PARKS PROGRAM PER 500,000.
UH, THIS WILL BE USED FOR THE QUAKE RUNNING TRACK,
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UH, PROJECT THAT'S GONNA BE COMING UP LATER ON THE AGENDA.AND FINALLY, NUMBER 47 IS AUTHORIZATION TO USE THE ESSEX COUNTY RECREATION OPEN TRACE SPACE TRUST FUND TO FUND INDEPENDENCE PARK ATHLETIC FIELD IMPROVEMENTS, AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED ONE MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED EIGHTEEN THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY THREE THOUSAND.
THIS IS 50% OF THE FUNDING SOURCE, UH, FOR THE INDEPENDENCE PARK ATHLETIC FIELD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
THAT, UM, IS ALSO GONNA BE ON THE AGENDA LATER ON.
ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD MAY HAVE.
MR. BAZ, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS, MR. PRESIDENT.
UM, I, I'M LOOKING THROUGH THE, UH, MEMORANDUM, UM, BEHIND THE RESOLUTION FOR THOSE, UH, CONTRACTS THAT HAVE, UH, THAT WERE BIDS ARE, ARE YOU SUPPLYING US WITH, WITH THE OTHER BIDDERS TO THESE JOBS? THE AMOUNTS? I'M ONLY SEEING THE ONE, THE ONE BID THAT EITHER, THAT MEANS THERE WAS ONLY ONE BID OR, UM, UH, WE'RE YOU'RE JUST PUTTING IN THE AMOUNT OF THE, UH, OF THE VENDOR THAT WON.
UH, JOSHUA ZA, TEXAS COUNTY PARKS, UH, THREE MR. PRESIDENT.
MR. MACK, YOU'RE RETURNING, YOU'RE REFERRING TO A SPECIFIC CONTRACT OR JUST IN GENERAL? WELL, WE COULD TAKE, LET'S TAKE CONTRACT, UH, RESOLUTION, UM, TWO, UM, THREE.
AND I THINK IT WAS, UH, ONE OF THEM'S AN EXTENSION, RIGHT? THAT'S FOUR, RIGHT? YEAH.
LET'S SAY TO, UH, NUMBER TWO SPECIFICALLY WAS ONLY ONE BIDDER.
UM, I DO KNOW HISTORICALLY IF THERE ARE MULTIPLE BIDDERS, IT'S, IT'S USUALLY WITHIN THE PACKET.
UH, IT IS BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN THE PACKET.
UM, I'M GONNA BE UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT THERE WAS ONLY ONE BIDDER THEN JUST IF YOU CAN LATER JUST CONFIRM THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MR. MCINERNEY? CORRECT? OH, IT'S IN THERE.
IT'S IN THE, IT'S IN YOUR PACKET.
MR. PRESIDENT, I COULD ALSO CONFIRM THAT NUMBER FIVE WAS ALL ONLY ONE BIDDER AS WELL.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ARE GOOD? NO.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR MOVING JOSH STATES'S UP ON THE AGENDA SO HE DOESN'T HAVE TO WAIT HERE ALL FOR THE FULL MEETING TO FINALLY GET HIS ATTENTION.
AND ALSO, NUMBER 47, UH, THE OPEN SPACE TRUST FUND ADVISORY BOARD MET AND WE AUTHORIZED THE FUNDING FOR INDEPENDENCE PARK.
AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO MOVE ALL OF THEM.
BEFORE WE MOVE IT, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? SEE NON COMMISSIONER, UH, SEA TO MOVE A SECOND.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MARY THOMAS, UH, AND AT THE EXPENSE OF, UH, MR. ANTONIO, WHO'S LOBBYING TO GET UP FIRST PAST JOSH SIXTH NEXT WEEK OR NEXT MEETING.
COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT COOPER.
COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT EZ? YES.
MR. ZAS, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT ENGINEERING'S BENDING MY EAR A LITTLE BIT OF ABOUT COMING UP BEFORE YOU, UH, JOSH JOSE AEX COUNTY PARKS, UH, I'M JUST REMINDING YOU, MR. PRESIDENT PA COMES BEFORE P AND, UH, ALPHABETICALLY
IT'S NOT EVEN FIVE 30, JOSH THAT, THANK YOU.
HAVE A GREAT MEMORIAL DAY, EVERYONE.
I'M GONNA GO OUT OF ORDER FOR A MONTH.
I'M GONNA COME TO RESOLUTION NUMBER 48, UH, THAT I'M GONNA ASK MY COLLEAGUE TO PRESENT.
UH, NUMBER 48 IS A RESOLUTION TO PROTECT NEW JERSEY TRANSIT BY ENSURING, UH, WEALTHY CORPORATIONS PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE AND TAXES.
THIS IS A, UH, BILL SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER GIL AND MYSELF.
DO YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THIS? THANK YOU.
I'M SORRY, MR. DID I CATCH YOU OFF GUARD? YOU, YOU DID.
I LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, THANK YOU MR. UH, PRESIDENT, IT'S NUMBER, UM, ON THE AGENDA NUMBER 48.
UM, THIS IS, UM, A RESOLUTION.
UM, AND THANK YOU, UH, MR. PRESIDENT FOR, UM, SPONSORING IT, WHICH DOES HAVE TO DO WITH A STATE ISSUE.
UH, BUT IT'S A STATE ISSUE THAT AFFECTS OUR COUNTY, UM, QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY.
UH, THERE'S CURRENTLY A DEBATE, UM, AT THE STATE LEVEL ABOUT HOW TO FUND, UH, AND FIND A SUSTAINABLE FUNDING SOURCE, UH, FOR NEW JERSEY TRANSIT AND FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
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THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UH, THE EXTENSION OF WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE CBT, THE CORPORATE BUSINESS, UH, TAX.THIS, UH, RESOLUTION FOR MY COLLEAGUES FOR CONSIDERATION, UM, ENCOURAGES THE EXTENSION OF THE CBT, UH, AND ALSO, UM, UH, TO BE UTILIZED AS A DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCE, UH, BOTH FOR NEW JERSEY TRANSIT AND OTHER CONTINUED INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
UH, PARTICULARLY THE PROJECTS, UM, THAT WE, UH, PARTICULARLY MONIES THAT WE TAKE ADVANTAGE HERE OF IN ESSEX COUNTY.
UM, AND FUNDING, UM, THEIR VIABILITY AND AVAILABILITY, UM, AS THEY PROCEED THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
SO, UM, THE REST IS, IS QUITE, YOU DID CATCH ME OFF GUARD.
BUT, UH, THE, UM, THE REST IS SELF-EXPLANATORY.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE, AND I KNOW WE'RE JOINED, UM, UH, BY ERIC BENSON IN THE AUDIENCE, UM, UH, WHO JOINED US AS WELL.
HE WAS, UM, HE WAS, HE WAS CONSPIRING WITH MR. ZES TO GO AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE AS WELL TO SPEAK TO THIS.
BUT I THINK HE MISSED, UM, I THINK HE MISSED OUR OPENING, UH, SESSION TO SPEAK TO THE RESOLUTION.
SO, UH, WOULD ALSO REQUEST MAYBE IF WE COULD FIGURE OUT A WAY FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AND SPEAK TO THE RESOLUTION ITSELF.
WHAT DON'T WE HAVE HIM COME UP AT THE MOMENT, UH, TO DO THIS? WE, WE DON'T USUALLY DO IT LIKE THIS, SO COME ON UP.
JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD.
UH, MY NAME IS ERIC BENSON, LONGTIME MONTCLAIR RESIDENT ACTIVE COMMUNITY MEMBER.
I WORK WITH THE, FOR THE MANY NEW JERSEY COALITION, UH, HOUSING ADVOCATE EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENTAL LABOR, LABOR AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES, MAKING SURE THAT THE STATE HAS THE MONEY AND REVENUE TO INVEST IN CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS. UM, I'M ALSO A RETIRED ESSEX ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONER.
I'VE SEEN, UM, COMMISSIONER SIEBOLD MANY TIMES IN ACTION.
AND I'M ALSO A DAD OF TWO LITTLE KIDS, UH, WHO LOVE RIDING NJ TRANSIT, UH, AND SEEING IT ON OUR STREETS.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET BUMPED UP HERE SO I CAN TUCK THEM IN AT NIGHT.
UM, AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, THIS PAST DECEMBER 31ST, UH, CORPORATE SURCHARGE IN THE STATE, UH, EXPIRED, RESULTING IN AN ANNUAL TAX CUT OF $1 BILLION TO CORPORATIONS EARNING OVER 1 BILLION, OVER $1 MILLION IN PROFITS.
THIS DECISION HAS FAR REACHING IMPLICATIONS ON OUR COMMUNITIES.
UH, IT DRAINS THE STATE'S RESOURCES, UH, THAT WE ARE NEED NECESSARY TO FUND SCHOOLS, ROADS, MUNICIPAL SERVICES.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WITHOUT STABLE FUNDING, ITS NEW JERSEY, UH, TRANSIT IS FACING ROUGHLY AN $800 MILLION BUDGET DEFICIT.
UH, AND THAT'S EVEN AFTER THE AGENCY APPROVED 15% FAIR HIKES.
UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR, ESSEX COUNTY IN PARTICULAR, I'D SAY MORE SO THAN OTHER AREAS THAT HAVE, UH, HIGH DEBT, POPULATION DENSITY, RACIAL AND ECONOMIC DIVERSITY, AND OUR PROXIMITY TO NEW YORK CITY, UH, ANY INCREASES IN FARES AND OR CUTS TO SERVICE WOULD HAVE DRASTIC IMPACT IMPACTS ON OUR RESIDENTS.
SO, IN LIGHT OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS, I'M REQUESTING YOUR SUPPORT, URGING THE GOVERNOR AND OUR STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WEALTHIEST CORPORATIONS, UH, PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE AND, UM, INVEST THAT MONEY IN THE NJ TRANSIT SO WE CAN ALL KEEP MOVING.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THE CONSIDERATION, UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, FOR INTRODUCING THIS AND HAVING US HERE TONIGHT, AND YOUR SUPPORT AND URGING, UH, OUR STATE OFFICIALS TO ADOPT FISCALLY RESPONSIVE POLICY AND THE FAIREST WAY TO FUND NEW JERSEY TRANSIT.
COMMISSIONER GID, IN LIGHT OF, UH, DO YOU WANNA OPEN IT UP TO SEE IF ANY OTHER COLLEAGUES ARE INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING OR BY ACCLAMATION? I'M, I'M FINE BY ACCLAMATION IF IT HAS THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE YES.
COMMISSIONER MCKAYLA, WILL YOU BE OKAY WITH JOINING NUMBER 48 BY ACCLIMATION? ABSOLUTELY.
SO, WE'LL, UH, UH, MADAM DEPUTY CLERK, LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT WE'RE GONNA BE MOVING NUMBER 48, UH, BY ACCLIMATION AND COMMISSIONER GILL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MOVE IT? PLEASE? THANK YOU.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER ME CARLO.
ROLL CALL MADAM DEPUTY CLERK AT NUMBER 48.
COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT COOPER, ABSENT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER FOR BRINGING THAT TO THE TABLE TONIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA, UH, GO THROUGH, UM, RESOLUTIONS NUMBER SIX THROUGH 16 AND ADD STARTED NUMBER 44 AND 45, WHICH WILL BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME.
MR. JACKSON? UH, THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
UH, MR. ANTONIO WILL HANDLE THESE ITEMS. MR. ANTONIO, YOU'RE NOT TOO LATE, MR. EARLY IN THE GAME.
DAVID ANTONIO, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
ITEM NUMBER SIX, AWARDS, PENONI ASSOCIATES A CONTRACT PERFORM.
THE CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND INSPECTION SERVICES REQUIRE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SIGNAL AND WORK IMPROVEMENTS AT 11 INTERSECTIONS
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IN SOUTH ORANGE AND MAPLEWOOD IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1,312,886.PENIA ASSOCIATES SUBMITTED THE HIGHEST SCORING PROPOSAL OF THE SIX RECEIVED IN RESPONSE TO THIS PROJECT'S ADVERTISED.
RFP, THE INTERSECTIONS THAT WILL BE UPGRADED IN SOUTH ORANGE AND MAPLEWOOD ARE VALLEY M, FIRST VALLEY AND THIRD VALLEY, AND PARKER VALLEY AND OAKLAND VALLEY AND OAKVIEW VALLEY, AND TUSCAN VALLEY, AND BAKER VALLEY AND MELBOURNE, SOUTH HOR ORANGE AVENUE AND PROSPECT AVENUE, SOUTH NCH AVENUE, AND RICHWOOD AVENUE, AND IRVINGTON AVENUE AND PROSPECT AVENUE.
THIS EVENING, WE DO HAVE MR. HEIMER OF ASSOCIATES WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEND A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO INTRODUCE THIS FIRM AND ANSWER ANY
AS YOU COME TO THE MICROPHONE, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR COMPANY AND THE OVERVIEW OF YOUR PROJECT.
HI, MY, MY NAME IS GEORGE HEIMER, AND, UH, I'M REPRESENTING PENONI, UH, HERE AT THIS MEETING.
UH, PENONI, UH, STARTED OFF IN 1966, UH, JUST A SMALL LITTLE AND TWO, ACTUALLY TWO ENGINEERS DOING THIS LITTLE WORK.
NOW WE HAVE GROWN OVER THE YEARS TO BEING A FULL, FULL SERVICE, UH, ENGINEERING FIRM DOING DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, TRANSPORTATION, TRAFFIC STUDIES.
UH, ALSO, UH, WITH REGARDS TO, UH, GROWTH, WE, UH, NOW HAVE, UH, 40 OFFICES UP AND DOWN THE, UH, EAST COAST.
AND WE HAVE FIVE IN NEW JERSEY, ONE OF WHICH IS RIGHT HERE IN NEWARK.
WE HAVE ONE DOWN RAYMOND BOULEVARD.
UH, WE HAVE 33 PEOPLE DOWN THERE WORKING, UH, AT THAT OFFICE.
UH, AND, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT WORK OUTTA THAT OFFICE WILL BE WORKING ON THIS JOB.
UH, BUT THEY, WE HAVE WORKED WITH FESTUS COUNTY NOW FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
I'VE BEEN HERE FIVE YEARS AND, UH, DOING BRIDGE WORK, DOING, UH, PAVING RE UH, THE PAVING JOBS.
AND, UH, WE JUST DID SEVERAL TRAFFIC SINGLE JOBS JUST LIKE VALLEY STREET.
WE HAD FINISHED, UH, WE DID CHANCELLOR A WHILE AGO.
SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE COUNTY AGAIN AND PROVIDING CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION AND DOCUMENTATION SERVICES FOR THIS, FOR THIS PROJECT.
SO, UH, MR. BON, I, I TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, AT THIS TIME? UH, MR. BAZ, ANY QUESTIONS? UH, NO.
MR. PRESIDENT, MR. MCINERNEY? NO QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, THANK YOU.
NEXT, DAVID ANTONIO, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
ITEM NUMBER SEVEN WILL AWARD TRENCH TECHNOLOGIES, THE CONTRACT TO CONSTRUCT THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED 11 INTERSECTIONS IN SOUTH ORANGE AND MAPLEWOOD IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $7,992,500.
TRENCH TECHNOLOGY SUBMITTED THE LOWEST OF THE SIX BITS RECEIVED FOR THIS PUBLICLY ADVERTISED PROJECT.
THIS CONTRACT WILL LAST 270 DAYS.
AND WE DO HAVE MR. ANDREW AMSTERDAM OF TRENCH TECHNOLOGIES HERE WHO WILL ALSO LIKE TO INTRODUCE THIS COMPANY AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, SUPPORT WE HAVE.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION, ANDREW AMSTERDAM.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR PROJECT.
ANDREW AMSTERDAM, OWNER OF TRENCH TECHNOLOGIES.
UM, WE ARE A CONSTRUCTION FIRM BASED OUT OF LIVINGSTON, NEW JERSEY.
UM, WE HAVE COMPLETED A BUNCH OF ESSEX COUNTY PROJECTS IN THE PAST.
MOST RECENT ONE WAS 12 INTERSECTIONS, VERY SIMILAR TO THIS ONE BLOOMFIELD AVENUE, UH, IN MONTCLAIR.
UM, WE, UH, ARE A FULL UNION SHOP AND THEREFORE HIRE ALL UNION SUBCONTRACTORS AS WELL, OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? NO, MR. PRESIDENT, MR. MCINERNEY? NO QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER GILL.
UM, FIRST QUESTION TO YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
WILL THESE, UM, WILL THESE, UM, INTERSECTIONS, UM, BE DONE IN CONCERT WITH THE COUNTY'S, UM, COMPLETE STREETS POLICY? MR. ANTONIO? UH, DAVID ANTONIO, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, UH, THIS INTERSECTIONS ARE, UH, A PRODUCT OF THE LOCAL SAFETY PROGRAM AT TPA.
SO THIS INTERSECTION SHOULD LOOK FOR, UH,
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TO IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, PEDESTRIAN, UH, ACCOMMODATIONS, UH, TRANSIT USE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND THAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH CONSTRUCTION BY APPLYING AN APPROPRIATE MAINTENANCE OF TRAFFIC PLAN THAT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION, UH, THE MOVEMENT OF PEDESTRIANS AND VEHICLES DURING CONSTRUCTION AS WELL.AND THAT IS ALL WITHIN, UH, IT'S ALL COMPLIANT WITH THE COUNTY'S COMPLETE STREETS POLICY AS WELL.
THREE, YOU AS PRESIDENT WILL, WILL BE.
UM, WHAT'S THE COORDINATION WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES AND THE DESIGN OF THE, OF THE INTERSECTIONS THEMSELVES, UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, DAVID, AND ANTONIO, YOU DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, UM, WE HAVE SPENT ABOUT A YEAR, UH, IN DISCUSSIONS WITH MAPLEWOOD AND SOUTH ORANGE, UH, SIMILAR TO THE LEVEL OF EFFORT WE PUT IN WITH THE BLOOMFIELD AVENUE IMPROVEMENTS IN UNCLEAR.
IT'S BEEN A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE.
WE'VE RECEIVED TREMENDOUS INPUT FROM BOTH MUNICIPALITIES, AND WE BELIEVE WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING PRODUCT THAT SATISFIES BOTH FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR LOCAL SAFETY AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS FOR SAFETY.
UM, AND FINAL COMMENT, MAYBE MORE OF A T QUESTION, MR. PRESIDENT.
THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BLOOMFIELD AVENUE, UM, INTERSECTIONS AND LIGHTS AND THE, THE WORK IS TREMENDOUS, BUT THE TIMING OF THE TIMING OF THOSE LIGHTS CONTINUES TO BE AN ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE TIMING, IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT WORKING THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING, AND YOU DON'T NEED A TRAFFIC ENGINEER TO TELL YOU THAT.
LIKE THESE THINGS ARE, ARE JAMMING UP TRAFFIC IN A WAY THAT NEVER EXISTED BEFORE.
UM, SO, UM, UM, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT, SO I, I JUST PUT THAT ON THE RECORD.
I KNOW THE ADMINISTRATION HAS CONTINUED TO TRY TO WORK TO, TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
SO I WOULD THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, HOPE THAT AS WE'RE ABOUT TO DO, EMBARK ON ANOTHER ONE OF THESE, THAT WE TAKE SOME LESSONS LEARNED FROM WHAT WE JUST DID.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER FOR THE RECORD.
COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT COOPER HAS JOINED THE MEETING.
DAVID ANTONIO, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT AWARDS, ELLI BROTHERS, A TWO YEAR AS NEEDED CONTRACT TO PERFORM COUNTYWIDE MISCELLANEOUS DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS IN AN AMOUNT THAT SHOULD EXCEED $854,052.
THIS CONTRACT WILL ALLOW FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADWAY, STORMWATER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS CATCH BASIN UPGRADES, FIX AND COLLAPSE, DRAINAGE PIPES, STORMWATER OUTFLOW, CLEANING, ET CETERA.
ELLI BROTHERS SUBMITTED THE LOWEST BID OF THE FIVE RECEIVED, AND WE ALSO HAVE MR. NICK ELLI OF ELLI BROTHERS PRESENT THIS EVENING.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION AND TELL US ABOUT THE PROPOSED PROJECT.
MY NAME IS NINO ELLI WITH ELLI BROTHERS, UH, OUTTA HACKENSACK NEW JERSEY.
WE'VE DONE WORK WITH THE COUNTY IN THE PAST AND, UH, HAVE COMPLETED SEVERAL SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS WITH THE COUNTY.
UM, WE DO EMPLOY, UH, PROBABLY ABOUT 20%, UH, ESSEX COUNTY RESIDENTS.
AND, UH, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL PROJECT HERE MOVING FORWARD.
IT'S THE LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BID THAT'S LISTED COMMISSIONERS.
DAVID ANTONIO, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
ADAM NUMBER NINE, AWARDS KS ENGINEERS THE CONTRACT TO PERFORM THE CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND INSPECTION SERVICES REQUIRED FOR THE FY 2024 VARIOUS COUNTY ROADWAY RESURFACING PROGRAM IN AN AMOUNT THAT TO EXCEED $250,000 KS.
ENGINEERS SUBMITTED THE HIGHEST SCORING PROPOSAL OF THE FOUR RECEIVED AS AN OUTCOME OF THIS PROJECT'S ADVERTISED.
RFP, THE THE 2024 RESURFACING PROGRAM WILL INCLUDE BLOOMFIELD AVENUE FROM PASSA AVENUE IN WEST CALDWELL TO MOUNTAIN AVENUE IN MONTCLAIR.
SKIP OVER THE NEW SECTION OF BLOOMFIELD AVENUE AND START FROM, UH, MAPLE AVENUE IN MONTCLAIR, ALL THE WAY TO ITS END IN NEWARK AT BROADWAY.
THAT IS A 8.7 MILE STRETCH OF ROADWAY.
IN ADDITION, THERE WILL BE THE RESURFACING OF STEVENS AVENUE IN CEDAR GROVE.
UH, WE DO HAVE MR. KAMAL SHAHID OF KS ENGINEERS HERE THIS EVENING, AND HE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE HIS FIRM AS WELL.
I'M PRESIDENT OF KS ENGINEERS LOCATED IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.
UH, OUR COMPANY HAS BEEN IN ESSEX COUNTY
[00:35:01]
SINCE 1994, UM, AND WE CURRENTLY EMPLOY CLOSE TO 300 PEOPLE.ABOUT 200 OF THEM ARE WORK OUT OF OUR NEWARK, NEW JERSEY OFFICE, WHICH IS ALSO OUR HEADQUARTERS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR ESSEX COUNTY FOR MORE THAN LAST 10 YEARS.
WE HAVE, UH, PROVIDED CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISION, CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE, UH, SURFACING ROAD ROADWAY RESURFACING PROJECTS, 2020 2, 21 AND 20, UM, TRAFFIC SIGNAL INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ON BLOOMFIELD AVENUE IN MONTCLAIR.
TWO NEW GARAGES THAT WERE BUILT.
UH, CASE WAS THE, UH, CONSTRUCTION MANAGER FOR THAT.
WE, OUR, UH, OF OUR 300, UM, FULL-TIME STAFF THAT WE HAVE, APPROXIMATELY 65 TO 70% OF OUR STAFF ARE, UH, MEMBERS OF MINORITY WOMEN, UM, COMMUNITIES.
AND WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THAT.
WE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, I THINK, SHOWS THE DIVERSITY OF OUR COMPANY.
ANY QUESTIONS? NO, MR. PRESIDENT, MR. MCINERNEY? NO QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT COOPER.
I JUST WANNA COMMEND THE VEN, THE VENDOR FOR GIVING A NICE, THOROUGH OVERVIEW OF THE, THE COMPANY, YOUR BREAKDOWN OF THE EMPLOYEES AND THE PERCENTAGE OF COUNTY RESIDENTS, UM, THAT, THAT YOU EMPLOY.
DAVID ANTONIO, THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
ITEM NUMBER 10 ALLOWS FOR THE PURCHASE OF A NEW 70 FOOT AERIAL LIFT TRUCK PRODUCED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS TREE UNIT IN THE TRIMMING AND REMOVAL OF COUNTY TREES.
THIS VEHICLE WILL REPLACE THE CURRENT TREE TRUCK THAT IS OVER 20 YEARS OLD.
UH, THIS WILL BE DONE BY AWARDING A CONTRACT IN A MAGNITUDE SEAT $225,000 TO W TIMBERMAN COMPANY.
ITEM NUMBER 11 IS A CONTRACT AWARD TO SPA SAFETY SYSTEMS TO DELIVER A 2024 SUZU C LIFT TRUCK IN AN AMOUNT THAT TO EXCEED $216,000 SPA SUBMITTED THE SOLE BID RECEIVED TO THIS ADVERTISED OPPORTUNITY.
THIS VEHICLE WILL BE USED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS TRAFFIC UNIT IN THE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE OF OVER 470 TRAFFIC SIGNALS ON THE COUNTY'S JURISDICTION.
THIS VEHICLE WILL REPLACE THE CURRENT TRAFFIC UNIT'S PLATFORM TRUCK, WHICH IS ALSO OVER 20 YEARS IN AGE.
ITEM NUMBER 12 IS A RESOLUTION CONSENTING TO THE CITY OF NEWARK'S RESOLUTION, DESIGNATING AN NJ TRANSIT BUS STOP ALONG WESTBOUND, SOUTH, DO ORANGE AVENUE NEAREST INTERSECTION WITH LONGFELLOW AVENUE.
THE APPROVAL OF THE APPROVAL OF THIS CONSENTING RESOLUTION HAS NO FINANCIAL IMPACT TO THE COUNTY OF ESSEX.
ITEM NUMBER 13 IS A CONSENTING, CONSENTING RESOLUTION TO THE TOWNSHIP OF MONTCLAIR'S.
REQUEST TO DESIGNATE AS AN NJ TRANSIT BUS STOP, A LOCATION LOCATED IN FRONT OF FIVE 10 VALLEY ROAD.
THE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE PROPOSED BUS SHELTER WILL BE SOLELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ANJ TRANSIT.
ITEM NUMBER 14 ARE ITEMS NUMBER 14, 15, AND 16.
THERE ARE ALL AMENDMENTS TO EXISTING RESOLUTIONS THAT WILL ALLOW FOR THE EXTENSION OF TIME TO USE AVAILABLE NJ DOT GRANT FUNDING, BUT ADDITIONAL 12 MONTHS.
UM, THIS WOULD BE ITEM NUMBER 14, WHICH IS THE 2019 MINOR BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
ITEM NUMBER 15, THE 2020 SCOUT CRITICAL REMEDIATION AT VARIOUS COUNTY LOCATIONS.
AND ITEM ITEM NUMBER 16, THE JFK PARKWAY COLBERT REPLACEMENT.
UH, ALL THREE RECEIVED RECEIVED BIDS THAT ORIGINALLY EXCEEDED AVAILABLE FUNDING FROM THE STATE.
HOWEVER, AVAILABLE FUNDING WAS MADE AVAILABLE, HOWEVER, ADDITIONAL TIME IS NOT REQUIRED TO EXTEND THE PERFORMANCE PERIOD.
SO THE COUNTY MAY BE REIMBURSED FULLY FOR ITS, UH, EXPENDITURES.
AND ITEM NUMBER 44 AWARDS JA ALEXANDER A CONTRACT IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,493,850
[00:40:01]
TO RECONSTRUCT THE 2.1 MILE LONG RUBBERIZED WALKWAY SURFACE AND EXERCISE AREAS.A WEAK QUICK PARK IN NEWARK J ALEXANDER SUBMITTED THE LOWEST OF THE THREE BITS RECEIVED.
AND WE DO HAVE MR. FRANK PADO OF J ALEXANDER HERE THIS EVENING FOR HERE.
UH, HE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SPEND A MINUTE OR TWO ABOUT HIS COMPANY.
PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOUR AFFILIATION AND TELL US ABOUT WHAT THIS PROJECT'S GONNA MEAN TO THE PARK.
UH, MY NAME IS FRANK ROSARO FROM JA ALEXANDER.
I'M THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE COMPANY.
THE COMPANY'S BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE 1978 IN BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY.
WE, UH, ARE A MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE.
WE ALSO ARE A UNION CONTRACTOR.
AND YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS PROJECT, WHICH WE'LL DO, WOULD GIVE LIFE TO WEAK QUAKE PARK BECAUSE WE, BESIDES THE AMENITIES THAT WE'RE INSTALLING, THE, THE RUBBER SURFACE, WHICH IS GONNA STOP A LOT OF THE TRIPPING HAZARDS.
WE'RE ALSO PART OF THE CONTRACT IS TO CLEAN AROUND THE LAKE OF ALL THE, UH, VEGETATION OVERGROWTH, THE TREES THAT HAVE FALLEN INTO THE LAKE.
WE'RE ALSO SUPPOSED TO, UH, HYDROS SEED SOME OF THE AREAS WERE DESIGNATED.
AND, UH, OF COURSE THE PATH ITSELF AT THE END OF THE PROJECT WILL BE, UH, RESURFACED WITH A NEW RUBBERIZED, UH, PRODUCT.
HOW MANY, UH, ESSEX COUNTY EMPLOYEES DO YOU HAVE? RIGHT NOW? WE CURRENTLY HAVE NINE ESSEX COUNTY EMPLOYEES, WHICH MAKES UP APPROXIMATELY 75% OF OUR CURRENT STAFF.
MR. PRESIDENT, MR. MCINERNEY, I HAVE QUESTIONS ON, UM, THE PURCHASE OF THE TRUCKS.
ON THE OTHER RESOLUTIONS IS THAT, I'LL COME BACK TO THAT IN A MINUTE.
THIS IS, THIS IS GRANT FUNDING.
WE'RE GONNA COME BACK TO SOME OF THOSE.
I DIDN'T HAVE VENDORS AND YOU KNOW WHEN I'M DONE.
UH, COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT COOPER.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR OVERVIEW OF YOUR, YOUR COMPANY.
HOW LONG IS THIS PROJECT SLATED TO START? LIKE WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU START THE PROJECTED TIMELINE? THE TIMELINE ACCORDING TO THE CONTRACT, I'M SURE IT'S 120 CALENDAR DAYS.
SO ONCE WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF CONCERN FOR RESIDENTS ABOUT WEEK WAKE PARK AND US NEEDING TO GIVE IT SOME LOVE.
SO I'M EXCITED TO HEAR THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS BRINGING THIS PROJECT, UM, FORWARD.
AND YOU SAID ROUGHLY ABOUT FOUR MONTHS IT, IT'LL BE DONE.
YEAH, ONCE WE GET THE NOTICE, PROCEED, THEN WE'LL START WITH THE, UH, SUBMITTALS OF THE PRODUCT.
'CAUSE SOME OF THESE PRODUCTS HAVE A LONG LEAD TIME.
THE, UH, LEG ROUND EQUIPMENT, SOME OF 'EM ARE UP TO SIX TO 10 WEEKS.
SO THAT'S THE DELAY JUST TO GET THE MATERIALS FROM, UH, GAME TIME.
I WANTED TO SPEAK TO TWO RESOLUTIONS.
FIRST, JUST COMMENDING, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION FOR THE PASSAGE OF RESOLUTION NUMBER 12, WHICH IS OF COURSE, ORIGINALLY SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF NEWARK TO ADD THE NEW BUS STOP ON SOUTH ORANGE AVENUE LONGFELLOW.
MY GRANDMOTHER LIVES OVER THERE.
I SPENT A LOT OF MY CHILDHOOD IN LOWER BURG AND THERE'S A LOT OF SCHOOLS, A LOT OF TRAFFIC FOLKS COMMUTING TO AND FROM WORK TO SCHOOL.
SO REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE HAVING THAT BUS STOP.
SO COMMENDING THE ADMINISTRATION ON THAT.
AND THEN JUST, UH, BUILDING OFF YOUR POINT, UH, VICE PRESIDENT AROUND, UH, WEAK WAKE PARK, ANOTHER PARK THAT SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN AS A KID, AND I'M TRYING TO GET MY RUN ON NOW.
SO I'M THERE OFTEN NOW ON THAT TRACK.
AND I'M CURIOUS, UH, GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT THE UPDATE ON THE TIMELINE, BUT AROUND MAINTENANCE OF THAT TRACK.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF TREES THAT, YOU KNOW, EMERGE ON THE TRACK THAT DISRUPT THE RUBBER.
UM, A NUMBER OF THINGS LIKE THAT IN ADDITION TO THE LAKE ITSELF, THAT HAS A NATURAL VEGETATION THAT CONTRIBUTES TO, UH, SOME OF THE AESTHETICS NOT ALWAYS BEING WHAT WE WANT IT TO BE IN A PARK THAT'S HEAVILY TRAFFICKED, BOTH BY NEWARK RESIDENTS AND OTHERS.
AND SO WITH SOME OF THE STRATEGIES ON MAINTENANCE TO MAIN, SO THAT WE DON'T ALWAYS GET TO THIS LEVEL OF DISRUPTION ON THE COURSE, UH, THE MAINTENANCE WOULD, WELL WE, WE ARE, WE'RE UNDER CONTRACT TO BUILD THE PROJECT.
UM, WE WILL TAKE CARE OF THE VEGETATION THAT'S AROUND THE TRACK CURRENTLY, AND THE TREES THAT HAVE TO BE REMOVED WILL BE REMOVED.
BUT THE MAINTENANCE PART, I MEAN, ONCE WE COMPLETE THE JOB, UM, THAT'S THE END OF OUR CONTRACT.
UM, THEN I GUESS THE CITY WOULD MAINTAIN, OR NOT THE CITY, THE COUNTY WOULD MAINTAIN WHATEVER THE FACILITIES, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN CUTTING GRASS AND MAYBE TRIM BACK THE TREES AND ALL THAT.
WE'RE, UH, WE HAVE 120 DAY WINDOW TO DO OUR JOB.
SO MR. ZAS? I THINK SO MAINTENANCE IS REALLY NOT PART OF THIS CONTRACT PER SE.
MR. ZAS, CAN YOU SHED A LITTLE BIT LIGHT? YEAH.
THE QUESTION WAS ACTUALLY TO ADMINISTRATION, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, MR. PRESIDENT.
UH, JOSHUA ZAS AS COUNTY PARKS, UM, WE ARE AWARE OF SOME OF THE MAINTENANCE ISSUES, UM, YOU
[00:45:01]
ADDRESSED.UM, IT'S CERTAINLY ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES ONCE THE CONTRACT, ONCE THE UH, PROJECT IS UNDERWAY, AND THEN CERTAINLY MAINTAINING IT THEREAFTER.
I WILL SAY THIS, UM, ASIDE FROM THE TREE ROOTS THAT YOU MENTIONED, THERE'S ALSO, UM, SOME FLOODING ISSUES.
UM, SO WE ARE REROUTING THE TRACK TO, UH, ELIMINATE HOPEFULLY SOME OF THOSE FLOODING ISSUES.
SO THERE WILL BE SOME RELOCATION OF SOME PORTION OF THE TRACK THAT SHOULD HELP WITH SOME OF THE TREE ISSUES YOU BROUGHT UP.
THE ONLY OTHER THING I'LL ADD, THANK YOU FOR THAT SO MUCH IS, AS FAR AS DUMPING THAT TENDS TO HAPPEN ON THAT REAR PART, I WANNA SAY THAT'S ON THE SIDE WHERE IT'S LIKE MEER.
UM, IF WE COULD MAYBE INCREASE CAMERAS AND SIGNAGE AS WELL, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THAT DOESN'T CONTRIBUTE TO WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE LAKE AND THE TRACK NECESSARILY, IT'S A LOT OF CHILDREN OVER THERE IN THAT ILLEGAL DUMPING THAT'S HAPPENING IS ALSO AN ISSUE.
UH, JOSHUA, JOSE COUNTY PARKS, YEAH, WE ARE AWARE OF IT.
UM, WE DO HAVE A WEEKLY MEETING WITH, UM, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND, UM, THEY'RE AWARE OF IT TOO.
SO IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE MORE PROACTIVE WITH.
I JUST WANTED TO, TO STATE THAT I'M VERY HAPPY.
SOME VERY IMPORTANT WORK IS GOING TO BE DONE AT WEEK PARK.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE THERE, AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO IS VERY IMPORTANT, SO THANK YOU.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THIS VENDOR RELATED TO NUMBER 44? WE'RE GONNA COME BACK TO SOME OF THE OTHER ONES IN JUST A MINUTE.
DAVID ANTONIO, THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
ITEM NUMBER 45 AWARDS TURCO GOLF, A CONTRACT TO FURNISH THE NEW SYNTHETIC SOCCER AND SOFTBALL FIELDS AT INDEPENDENCE PARK IN NEWARK IN AN AMOUNT THAT SHOULD EXCEED $3,636,765.
UH, CHARCOAL GOLF SUBMITTED THE LOWEST OF THE FIVE BITS RECEIVED.
THE IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE SYNTHETIC SOFTBALL AND SOCCER FIELDS, ATHLETIC FIELD LIGHTING THROUGH MUSCOW LIGHTS, UH, NEW BLEACHERS, NEW FENCING, WATER FOUNTAINS, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, LANDSCAPING IMPROVEMENTS, UH, NEW DOG ADS, FOR EXAMPLE.
BUT WE DO HAVE MS. MONICA MEEL HERE FROM TURCO GOLF, WHO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT, INTRODUCE OUR COMPANY, AND OF COURSE, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
MR. PRESIDENT, THERE WERE SOME ADDED STARTERS, UM, SAID TODAY.
I DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO READ 'EM.
DO WE HAVE HARD COPIES OF THEM? ADAM, CAN YOU SEE IF YOU'RE CAN ASSIST? COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT.
HI, UM, MY NAME IS IS MONICA MERRILL.
I'M HERE TO REPRESENT TURCO GOLF.
UH, TURCO GOLF HAS BEEN, UH, BUILDING, UH, RECREATION PARKS AND ATHLETIC FIELDS AND GOLF COURSES FOR A LONG TIME.
WE, THAT'S THE SPECIALTY OF THE COMPANY.
UM, WE HAVE ACTUALLY, I'M A LONG TIME ACTUALLY.
I'M FROM CEDAR GROVE AND, AND NOW I'M IN SOUTH ORANGE.
AND I MANAGE THE PROJECTS FROM INSIDE THE, UM, THE OFFICE AND, UH, MANAGE, UH, ASSIST ISIS, THE PROJECT MANAGERS IN THE FIELD.
UM, 30% OF TURCO GOLF'S EMPLOYEES ARE MINORITY AND WE'RE ACTIVELY, UH, WANT TO EMPLOY AN, UH, ESSEX COUNTY EMPLOYEES.
MATTER OF FACT, I WANTED TO, UM, LINK UP TO THE PLACEMENT, WORKFORCE PLACEMENT, THE WOMAN WHO WAS SPEAKING HERE EARLIER, UM, TO TRY TO, UM, INCREASE THAT.
WE WORK ON, UH, PREVAILING A LOT OF PUBLIC PROJECTS, UH, PREVAILING WAGE, VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT, DOCUMENTING, UH, AND, UM, WE'RE WELL VERSED IN, IN, UH, PUBLIC PROJECTS.
UH, WE DO LANDSCAPING, SYNTHETIC TURF, ATHLETIC FIELDS, PARKS, UH, INCLUDING SITE PREP, FINE GRADING, EARTH WORK, EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL, WHICH IS SUPER IMPORTANT.
UH, SPORTS TRACK INSTALLATION, IRRIGATION, SOD, UH, PAVING.
UH, WE, WE HAVE THE, UH, THE FULL CAPABILITIES.
ANY QUESTIONS? NO, MR. PRESIDENT.
MR. MCINERNEY, ANY QUESTIONS FOR THIS VENDOR? ON THIS ONE HERE? NO.
COMMISSIONER, ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE VENDOR HERE, COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT.
I'M SORRY, MR. PRESIDENT, CAN WE, EVEN OUR COMPUTERS DON'T GO PAST 35.
IS YOUR ADD AGENDA PASSED 35? I HAVE IT ALL.
MINE AND COMMISSIONER GIS IS, IS IT GOING PAST 35 AND THERE'S 48 ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
THERE WAS A HARD COPY BECAUSE I'M NOT SEEING, OH, THERE WE GO.
COMMISSIONER GI, DO YOU NEED ASSISTANCE OR YOU GOOD? NO, GOT, GOT IT.
SO I'M HAPPY I ASKED THE QUESTION.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ONE THING WE'RE CURRENTLY SURE.
WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING AT THE BELLVILLE PARK, WHICH SHOULD BE DONE, UH, VERY SOON.
UM, THE, UM, SYNTHETIC TURF IS COMING.
MATERIALS ARE COMING IN NEXT WEEK, AND THE, UH, INDEPENDENCE PARK PROJECT MIRRORS THE BELLEVILLE
[00:50:01]
PARK PROJECT.UH, THE DIFFERENCE IS, UH, THERE'S A, UH, MUSCOW LIGHTING PACKAGE, WHICH, UH, BELLEVILLE PARK DOESN'T HAVE, BUT INDEPENDENCE PARK DOES.
SO, AND THEN THERE'S, UH, REPAIRS OF THE FENCING AT INDEPENDENCE PARK AND THE CONCRETE WALKWAY.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE DIFFERENCE, BUT WE'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE VENDOR? OKAY.
ALL RIGHT, SO MR. ATTORNEY, WE'VE GOT SIX THROUGH 16, 44 AND 45 COMMISSIONERS.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THOSE AGENDA ITEMS THAT DID NOT HAVE A VENDOR, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TRUCK, MR. MCINERNEY, I KNOW YOU HAD A QUESTION ON THAT.
I, I JUST WANT TO, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE TWO, UH, RESOLUTIONS WITH REGARD TO THE TRUCK PURCHASES? YES.
SO TYPICALLY, DO WE PER FUND THOSE PURCHASES OF TRUCKS THROUGH THE CAPITAL ACCOUNT? WE DO, YES.
IS IS THERE A LIMIT, UH, ON THAT OR, OR IS IT TRUCKS VERSUS VEHICLES, OR IS WELL, THESE, THESE ARE NOT, UM, LIKE IN THE PAST WE'VE HAD CARS THAT HAVE BEEN LIKE, HAVE NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO BE, UH, CAPITALIZED, FRANK, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE OF THE USEFUL LIGHT.
BUT THIS, THESE ARE AS, UH, MR. ANTONIO MENTIONED, THESE, THESE ARE, SOME OF THESE ARE 20 YEARS OLD.
IT'S PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA TO REPLACE 20-YEAR-OLD EQUIPMENT WHEN IT COMES TO THAT KIND OF WORK.
OKAY, MR. BAZ, ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THOSE OTHER ITEMS THAT DID NOT REQUIRE A UNDER? NO LEGAL QUESTIONS, MR. PRESIDENT? OKAY.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT COOPER.
'CAUSE I'M, I'M PLAYING CATCH UP HERE.
WHAT PARK WAS NUMBER 45 FOR THANK YOU.
I THINK SHE'S INQUIRED WHAT PARK WAS FOR NUMBER 45 THROUGH, UH, DAVID ANTONIO, THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS THROUGH YOU.
MR. PRESIDENT, THAT IS INDEPENDENCE PARK IN NEWARK, IN THE IRON BOUND IN FRONT OF EASTSIDE HIGH SCHOOL.
DO I HAVE A MOVER FOR ITEMS NUMBER SIX THROUGH 1644 AND 45? MOVED BY COMMISSIONER SIEBEL, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MARY THOMAS, ROLL CALL MATTER.
AND DEPUTY CLERK COMMISSIONER GILL? YES.
COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT COOPER.
UM, FOR ITEMS, IT WAS SIX THROUGH SIX THROUGH 1644 AND 45.
MADAM DEPUTY CLARK, RESOLUTION 17 HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN BY THE ADMINISTRATION.
SO LET'S MOVE ON TO NUMBER 18, WHICH IS FROM THE BOARD OF TAXATION.
AND WE'LL BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME.
MR. TRE? MR. PRESIDENT, THIS IS FOR THE ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF TAXATION AND RFP AWARDED TO, UH, REVALUATION ADVISORY SERVICE TO PROVIDE CONSULTING SERVICE JUNE 8TH, 2024 THROUGH JUNE 7TH, 2025.
AND AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $30,000.
WE'VE ONLY, WE ONLY RECEIVED ONE RESPONDENT.
MR. MCINERNEY ON 18 NO QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS ON NUMBER 18? NO.
DO I HAVE A MOVER MOTION MOVE BY COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT COOPER? DO I SECOND? SECOND.
ROLL CALL MADAM DEPUTY CLERK ON NUMBER 18.
COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT COOPER? YES.
COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALM? YES.
LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTIONS NUMBER 19 AND 31, WHICH ARE FROM THE OFFICE OF COUNTY COUNCIL, WHICH WILL BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME.
MR. JACKSON? UH, OUR COUNTY COUNSEL, MR. ST.
UH, RESOLUTION 19 IS TO, UH, RETAIN, UH, A TR TRI MADE ASSOCIATES TO DO INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES FOR THE, UH, COUNTY ADJUSTER BACKGROUND CHECKS, RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS, ET CETERA.
UM, THIS IS ALSO, UM, AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE, THE COUNTY, UH, A UNION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE, UH, UH, PBA, UH, LOCAL NUMBER 3, 2 5.
UM, AN AGREEMENT THAT WE REACHED WITH THEM WITH THE COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S, INVESTIGATORS, UH, FOR JANUARY, FROM JANUARY 1ST, 2020 THROUGH
[00:55:01]
DECEMBER 31ST, 2023.AND THE INCREASES ARE SET FORTH IN THE, UH, RESOLUTION.
MR. VA, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF NUMBER 19 OR 31? NO.
COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT COOPER.
SO THIS WILL BRING THEM CURRENT AND NOW YOU JUST HAVE TO NEGOTIATE THE NEW STUFF GOING FORWARD.
CAN YOU PLEASE PROVIDE, UM, THE BOARD WITH AN UPDATED NEGOTIATION SCHEDULE? BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE NEGOTIATING WITH EVERYBODY FOR THE CURRENT YEARS, CORRECT? I'M SORRY.
EVERYBODY'S CURRENT NOW, RIGHT? THEY ARE.
SO THEY'RE, WE'RE IN BINDING ARBITRATION WITH TWO SHERIFF'S UNION SUPERIORS AND RANK AND FILE THAT WAS BROUGHT BY THEM.
UH, AND WE JUST WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING IT NOW, AS A MATTER OF FACT, YESTERDAY.
UH, AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE, UM, SUPERIORS OF CORRECTIONS AGAIN THROUGH BINDING ARBITRATION.
THOSE ARE THE LAST TWO FOR THREE.
SUPERIORS, RANK AND FILE SUPERIORS.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YOU HAVE A MOVER FOR 19 AND 31.
MOTION MOVED BY COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT COOPER.
ROLL CALL MADAM DEPUTY CLERK FOR 19 AND 31.
COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT COOPER? YES.
COMMISSIONER, PRESIDENT POIS? YES.
LET'S MOVE ON TO, UH, RESOLUTION NUMBER 20, WHICH IS FROM THE OFFICE OF THE SHERIFF, WHICH WOULD BE PROVIDED TO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME.
MR. JACKSON? MR. COLTRANE? MR. PRESIDENT, UH, THIS IS A CONTRACT AWARD TO COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST, THE LOWEST RESPONSIBLE AND RESPONSIBLE BIDDER FOR REPAIRS AND INSTALLATION, SERVICE FOR VEHICLE EMERGENCY LIGHTING AND SIRENS.
24 MONTH AGREEMENT FROM THE DATE OF AWARD NOT TO EXCEED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UH, THIS COMPANY WAS THE LOWEST BIDDER AT $24 PER HOUR.
MR. MR. MCINERNEY? THEY WERE WAY LOWER, WEREN'T THEY? JAY? YES, THEY WERE WAY LOWER.
ANY QUESTIONS ON NUMBER 20? SCENE? NONE.
DO I HAVE SOMEONE TO MOVE? I'LL MOVE IT.
COMMISSIONER GILL ON THE SECOND ROLL.
CALL MADAM DEPUTY COURT FOR NUMBER 20.
COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT COOPER? YES.
COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT POIS? YES.
LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTION 21, WHICH IS FROM THE OFFICE OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
IT'S OFFICE, WHICH WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME.
MR. JACKSON? UH, THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT CARL HUNT.
OUR CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER IS GONNA HANDLE THIS ONE, MR. MIAMI BY HIMSELF,
THIS, UM, AWARD WAS TO JOHNSON'S COMMUNICATION TO UPGRADE THE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM AT THE JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER, NOT TO EXCEED 998,000.
UH, THIS INCLUDES UPGRADING THE CAMERAS, ALL THE WIRING SERVERS, EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE ENTIRE, UM, SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM.
JOHNSON'S COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, SS COUNTY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, LONG BEFORE I CAME HERE.
THEY MAINTAIN ALL OF OUR TELEPHONE SYSTEM, THE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM AT THE ZOO, AND THE, UM, TELEPHONE SYSTEM ALSO AT THE ZOO.
THIS WAS UNDER A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT, SO THERE WAS ONLY ONE.
DO I HAVE A MOVER FOR 21? I'LL MOVE, I'LL MOVE IT.
COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT COOPER.
AND A SECOND ROLL CALL MATTER.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY THOMAS? YES.
COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT COOPER? YES.
COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALM MARRIS? YES.
LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTION 22, WHICH IS FROM THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND OFFICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION, WHICH WILL BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME.
MR. JACKSON? UH, MR. COLTRANE? MR. PRESIDENT, I'M BEING WORKED.
YOU KNOW, THIS EVENING I SEE
UH, THIS IS FOR THE O OFFICE OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, UH, WARD TWO LARO ENTERPRISE, THE SOLE RESPONSIBLE AND RESPONSIBLE BIDDER TO FURNISH AND DELIVER
[01:00:01]
TROPHIES, PLAQUES, AND CONFIRMATIVE NAME PLAQUES.CONTRACT, PERIOD, 12 MONTHS FROM DATE OF AWARD AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $50,000.
UH, THIS COMPANY WAS, UH, ONE BID RECEIVED OUT OF 19 POTENTIAL.
SEVEN EMPLOYEES FROM AND SEVEN EMPLOYEES AND SIX ARE FROM ESSEX COUNTY.
COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER MARY THOMAS.
THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, THIS IS MORE OF A HOLISTIC QUESTION.
IT'S BEEN REALLY GREAT TO HEAR SO MANY OF THE VENDORS SPEAK ABOUT TARGETING MINORITY EMPLOYEES, ESSEX COUNTY RESIDENTS, ET CETERA.
COULD YOU JUST PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE AT LARGE AS FAR AS A DISPARITY STUDY? 'CAUSE JUST TONIGHT, I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE OUT, YOU KNOW, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS CLOSE TO IN AWARDS AND CONTRACTS AND UPDATES ON WHERE WE ARE AS FAR AS ACROSS THE BOARD, MINORITIES, FOLKS FROM ESSEX, FOLKS FROM UNDER UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES.
THAT'LL BE PROVIDED FROM THE SEVERITY SETTING.
COULD ANYONE SPEAK TO KIND OF WHERE WE ARE AS THAT IS MR. JACKSON? HE'LL SPEAK ON THAT.
MR. JACKSON? MR. JACKSON? WE WILL BE, IT'LL BE COMING UP AND NEXT MONTH'S MEETING, BUT CAN YOU JUST GIVE A A, A QUICK ANSWER TO, UM, CERTAINLY, UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, COMMISSIONER, WE, UH, UH, ARE LOOKING TO PRESENT ON THE 12TH, THE MEETING OF JUNE 12TH.
UM, AND WE'LL HAVE COPIES OUT TO MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UH, UH, SUBSTANTIAL TIME BEFORE THAT.
SHE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW IT.
BUT THE, UH, THE, THE, UH, COMPANY THAT PROVIDED THE STUDY, UH, MGT WILL HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE HERE.
UH, RETTA MITCHELL WILL BE HERE TO PRESENT AND, UH, TO BRING YOU UP TO SPEED.
AND, UM, UM, I, I THINK THEY DID A GOOD JOB ON THE REPORT.
WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO, BUT, UM, I, I THINK, WE'LL, IT, IT'LL PROVIDE A GOOD FRAMEWORK FOR US TO GET MOVING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR 22? DO I HAVE A MOVER? MOTION MOVED BY COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT COOPER.
DO, WOULD YOU LIKE THE SECOND 22? ABSOLUTELY.
DO, UH, LET'S DO MA, THE ROLL CALL.
MADAM DEPUTY CLERK FOR NUMBER 22.
COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT COOPER? YES.
LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTIONS 23 TO 26, WHICH ARE COUNTY BUDGET INSERTIONS OF ITEMS OF REVENUE FROM VARIOUS SOURCES, WHICH WILL RIG BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME.
MR. JACKSON? UH, THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
UH, ITEM 23 IN THE AMOUNT OF $154,890 IS FOR SOCIAL SERVICES BLOCK GRANT FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
THIS IS GONNA PROVIDE, UH, FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND OVERSIGHT FOR OUR, UM, FOR A PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES, UH, SUPPORT FOR PHYSICALLY DIS DISABLED RESIDENTS OF
AND THERE IS NO, UM, COUNTY MATCH ITEM 24, UH, FROM OUR, IT IS, UH, AN AMOUNT OF $20,419 IS FROM THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
AND THIS IS FOR OUR RIGHT TO KNOW ACTIVITIES THROUGH OUR OFFICE OF PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT FROM JULY 1ST, 2024 TO JUNE 30TH, 2025.
PROVIDE OUTREACH AND EDUCATIONAL, UM, UH, PROGRAMS TO WORKERS AND COMMUNITIES, UH, THROUGHOUT ESSEX COUNTY.
AND AGAIN, UH, NO COUNTY MATCH.
ITEM 25, UH, FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, UH, FOR STRENGTHENING OUR LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH CAPACITY PROGRAM.
UM, THIS, AGAIN, IS THROUGH THE OFFICE OF, UH, THE PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $45,202, JULY 1ST, 2024 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2025.
UH, THIS PROVIDES, UH, EDUCATION AND PRO PROGRAMS DEALING WITH PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION, CHRONIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE PREVENTION, MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH, UH, WITH NO COUNTY MATCH.
ITEM 26 FROM THE, UM, UH, FAMILY COURT, UH, JUSTICE CENTER.
UM, THIS IS A JUSTICE RESPONSE GRANT, UH, FOR THE OFFICE OF THE, UH, PROSECUTOR AND THE AMOUNT OF $60,337 AND 57 CENTS.
UH, THE ORIGINAL GRANT WAS THROUGH THE END OF, UM, UH, SEPTEMBER, 2023.
THIS IS GONNA PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO GO THROUGH THE END OF SEPTEMBER, 2024.
AND IT PROVIDES FUNDING FOR ONE ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR AND ONE DETECTIVE WHO WORKS WITH THE, UH, FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER, UH, TO COORDINATE INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTOR PROSECUTORIAL ACTIVITIES, AND THERE'S NO COUNTY MATCH.
ANY QUESTIONS OF 23 TO 26? NO QUESTIONS.
SEEING NONE, DO I HAVE A MOVER FOR 23 TO 26? MOTION MOVED BY COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT COOPER, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MARY THOMAS.
[01:05:01]
SIEBOLD? YES.COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT COOPER? YES.
LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTIONS 27 THROUGH 30 AND 32 THROUGH 41.
AND AGAIN, NUMBER 48, WICHO, COMMENDATIONS AND PROCLAMATION RESOLUTIONS, WHICH SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME.
HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SEEING NONE.
DO I HAVE A MOVER MOTION? WE HAVE A MOVE, UH, MOVE BY COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT COOPER.
LET'S DO THE ROLL CALL MADAM CLERK AGAIN, THIS IS FOR RESOLUTIONS 27 THROUGH 30 AND 30 THROUGH 41.
COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT COOPER? YES.
DEPUTY CLERK, DO WE HAVE ANY ADDED STARTERS? YES, MR. PRESIDENT, WE HAVE ONE REMAINING A RESOLUTION 46 FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF CITIZEN SERVICES.
AND THAT'LL BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME.
MR. JACKSON? UH, THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
THIS IS A REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF EMERGENCY DECLARATION, UH, FOR PAYMENTS TO POTENTIAL FUNERAL HOMES TO PROVIDE FOR INDIGENT BURIAL SERVICES IN THE AMOUNT OF $500,000.
UM, ONE OF THE SADDEST CONSEQUENCES OF COVID WAS, UH, THE NUMBER OF BODIES THAT WERE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO UNFORTUNATELY PASSED AWAY AND THERE WERE NO, UM, UH, FAMILY OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO CLAIM THOSE, UM, THOSE REMAINS.
SO IT'S A RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COUNTY TO, UM, UH, PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.
UM, WE HAVE A BACKLOG RIGHT NOW OF ABOUT 100 THAT WE, UH, THAT WE BELIEVE WE HAVE TO, UM, WORK WITH.
SO THIS EMERGENCY FUNDING WILL ALLOW US TO TAKE CARE OF THAT.
AND THE OTHER, UH, ISSUE THERE IS, UH, AND I BELIEVE THE LETTER IS ATTACHED IN THE BACKUP, IS THAT THE, UH, MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE IS MOVING INTO A NEW, UH, FACILITY THAT WILL NOT, NOT ALLOW IT TO, UM, HANDLE THE NUMBER OF, OF BODIES THAT IT DID PREVIOUSLY.
SO, UH, THERE IS AN EMERGENCY TO RIGHT NOW, THOSE ARE, ARE IN OTHER REFRIGERATED, UM, UH, FACILITIES.
UH, SO WHEN THEY MOVE, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BODIES HAVE BEEN INTERRED.
SO THIS, THIS MONEY AND THIS PROCESS WILL ENABLE US TO, UH, GOD WILLING, WILL ENABLE US TO ACCOMPLISH THAT AND HOPEFULLY GIVE SOME FINAL DIGNITY, UH, TO THESE POOR ASSAULTS.
UH, INDEED
MS. SHABAZ, ANY QUESTIONS ON 46? NO QUESTIONS, MR. PRESIDENT.
COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT COOPER.
UM, I'M THINKING ABOUT THE GENTLEMAN WHO WAS HERE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
HE WAS FROM A FUNERAL HOME AND HE REFERENCED SOME THINGS THAT SIMILARLY LISTED IN THIS RESOLUTION.
IS HE ONE OF THESE VENDORS THAT'S BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS? UH, HE WILL LIKELY BE ONE OF THE VENDOR VENDORS THAT WILL PARTICIPATE, YES.
UM, DO WE NORMALLY, IS IS THE ROUTINE COST THAT WE COVER? UH, THE COST IS ABOUT, UH, $4,000.
$4,056 IS THE, IS THE NORMAL COST.
UM, MEDICAID WILL ACTUALLY, UH, REFUND, UH, UP TO 5,000 IF, IF THE PERSON'S MEDICAID ELIGIBLE.
UM, BUT YEAH, THIS IS, THE COST IS ABOUT, AGAIN, $4,056.
THAT INCLUDES THE GRAVE SITE AND THE, UH, FUNERAL UH, SERVICES.
SO WE POTENTIALLY COULD GET REIMBURSED FOR SOME OF THIS IF THE INDIVIDUALS ARE MEDICAID-ELIGIBLE.
UH, ELIGIBLE ELIGIBLE? CORRECT.
UM, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO GOING FORWARD IF THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE IS SHIFTING AND IT SOUNDS LIKE, LIKE, SO MM-HMM,
THEY'LL HAVE ENOUGH HAVE TO BE RIGHT.
'CAUSE THIS HAS BEEN, UH, UH, THIS IS A RESULT OF THE CO AND NOT BEING ABLE TO, TO DO CERTAIN THINGS DURING COVID.
SO ONCE THE, THIS HAS HAPPENED, THE, THE NORMAL COURSE WILL BE FINE IN TERMS OF, OF, UM, BEING ABLE TO, THEY'LL, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO STORE THE BODIES FOR A PERIOD, ENOUGH ROOM TO STORE BODIES.
BUT I ALSO THINK OUR PROCESS WE'RE, WE'RE, WE ARE IMPROVING OUR PROCESS, OUR PROCESS, SO THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO, UM, UH, HANDLE, UH, THAT PROCESS MORE EFFICIENTLY AND IN A MORE TIMELY WAY.
SO THEN THE GENTLEMAN THAT WAS HERE WILL START TO SEE SOMETHING GET PROCESSED LIKE OVER THE NEXT 60, 90 DAYS OR SOMETHING?
[01:10:01]
YEAH.THE, THE, WELL, LET ME JUST SAY CANDIDLY, THE FAULT ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY.
IF, IF YOU'RE GONNA GET PAID, YOU HAVE TO GIVE US BILLS.
THAT'S, IT'S JUST A LITTLE FUNNY THING ABOUT THE WAY WE WORK.
OKAY? UH, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T GIVE US BILLS, WE CAN'T PAY YOU.
SO, UM, SO THE VENDORS JUST REFERENCED IN HERE.
WE HAVE CONTRACTS WITH THEM ALREADY.
UM, AND SO AS A RESULT OF THIS PROCESS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT ON AN EMERGENT BASIS.
AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK OUT AT SOME POINT FOR THE SERVICES AGAIN.
BUT AGAIN, I THINK WHAT WE WILL DO, AND, AND, AND MR. RY CAN, CAN CORRECT ME, BUT I THINK THIS TIME AROUND, WE'LL, WE'LL DO IT DIFFERENTLY.
SO WE'LL HAVE A, UM, UM, GO OUT FOR REQUEST FOR A QUALIFICATION.
SO WE'LL HAVE MORE PARTICIPANTS.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MOVE THE PROCESS ALONG WITH DIFFERENT VENDORS AND MORE VENDORS, AGAIN, TO MAKE THE PROCESS MORE EFFICIENT.
AND LET'S JUST HOPE WE DON'T HAVE THE VOLUME LIKE THAT AGAIN.
I THINK THAT'S VERY UNPRECEDENTED SCENARIO.
AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST HOPE WE DON'T GET THERE AGAIN.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.
UH, WILL YOU, WOULD YOU CARE TO MOVE IT? MOTION? YES.
UH, DO I HAVE A SECOND, PLEASE? SECOND.
BY COMMISSIONER GILL WILL CALL MADAM CLERK, UH, DEPUTY CLERK FOR NUMBER 46.
COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT COOPER? YES.
LET'S MOVE ON TO A REPORT OF BOARD COMMITTEES.
DO WE HAVE ANY COMMISSIONERS, ANY REPORTS OF BOARD COMMITTEES THAT WE MET LAST WEEK? SO I KNOW WE GAVE A GOOD NUMBER OF THEM LAST WEEK.
DO WE HAVE ANY LEGISLATIVE REPORTS, ANY WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSIONERS, ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS COMMISSIONERS, ANY NEW BUSINESS TO DISCUSS? OKAY.
SO LET'S MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT THEN.
IF THERE'S ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON ANY MATTER, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE AND STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD.
YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
I HAVE TO IMAGINE THERE'S GONNA BE AT LEAST SOMEONE SPEAKING TODAY.
THERE'S A WHOLE ROOM FULL OF FOLKS.
SO HOW YOU DOING? MY NAME IS IMAM SHARIF.
THERE'S ALSO THE IMAM OF THE DETENTION CENTER.
UM, I COME HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF IMAM HASSAN SHARIF, THE MURDER OF IMAM HASSAN SHARIF.
UM, THE COMMUNITY OF THE MUSLIMS, AS WELL AS MAJE MUHAMMAD AND, UM, THE MATCH OF THE CORNER OF SOUTH ORANGE AVENUE AND CAMDEN STREET.
UM, THE COMMUNITY IS HURTING AMONG THE MURDER OF THE MUSLIM BROTHER AND THE IMAM.
IT HAS BEEN FOUR MONTHS SINCE THE MURDER AND THE COMMUNITY HAVEN'T GOT ANY INFORMATION SUPPORT FROM THE CITY.
AFTER THE MURDER OF THE IMAM, WHEN THE MURDER FIRST HAPPENED, THERE WAS SUPPORT FROM THE CITY, BUT THAT DIED OFF AFTER THE FUNERAL OF THE IMAM HASSAN SHARIF.
WE ARE ASKING WHERE DOES THE INVESTIGATION STAND AND WHAT IS THE CITY OF ES COUNTY IS DOING ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION OF THE MURDER OF THE IMAM.
UH, YOU, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE MANY MUSLIMS HERE.
UM, WE ARE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE CITY DOING BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNITY OF MAGIC.
MUHAMMAD IS HURTING AS WELL AS OTHER COMMUNITIES OF THE MUSLIMS, AS YOU, AS MANY OF THE CITIES SEEN, UM, DUE TO ZA THAT EVERYONE CAME OUT DUE TO THIS MURDER.
SO, I'M HERE AS WELL AS OTHERS TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE CITY OF ESSEX COUNTY IS DOING, AS WELL AS THE MAN WAS ALSO HELPING WITH THE NONVIOLENT SITUATIONS OF THE CITY OF NEWARK.
UM, CAN Y'ALL PLEASE HELP US UNDERSTAND WHERE WE STAND? THANK YOU, MA'AM.
WE DON'T NORMALLY GO BACK AND FORTH IN PUBLIC COMMENT JUST FOR THE SAKE OF THE PUBLIC, BUT IT DID COME UP LAST WEEK.
AND JUST FOR THE CLARITY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE HANDLED BY THE OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTOR.
MR. JACKSON, THIS QUESTION CAME UP LAST WEEK, UM, AND I KNOW EVERYONE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.
SO PERHAPS WE CAN SAVE A LITTLE TIME.
IS THERE, UM, ANY UPDATE FROM SINCE LAST WEEK WHEN THIS CAME UP DURING PUBLIC COMMENT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTOR? UH, YES.
WITH BOTH RESPECT AND, UM, THE, UM, AS A RESULT OF THE, OF THE, OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE AT OUR LAST MEETING, AS YOU SAID, MR. PRESIDENT, UM, I SPOKE DIRECTLY WITH, UM, THE, THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, THE PROSECUTOR AND THE CHIEF OF DETECTIVES.
UM, THEY ASSURED ME THAT THEY HAD BEEN IN, IN COMMUNICATION WITH SOME, UH, FAMILY MEMBERS.
I GUESS THERE'S SOME LIMITS ON WHAT THEY COULD DO IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, THAT THEY WERE, UM, I WOULD SAY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT,
[01:15:01]
UM, AN ENDING OF THIS, UH, INVESTIGATION.UH, AND THAT THEY WERE, UM, THEY, I GUESS ONE OF THE THINGS I, I'M NOT, I PREFACE MY COMMENT IS I'M NOT IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I DON'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND ALL THE INTRICACIES, BUT I, I THINK THAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR SOME FINAL PIECES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE THEY MOVED FURTHER.
BUT IT SOUNDED TO ME, UM, THAT THEY WERE VERY OPTIMISTIC THAT THIS WAS COMING, UH, COMING TO A CLOSE.
SO, JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT OF CLARITY FOR EVERYONE IN THE ROOM, 'CAUSE I KNOW THIS IS OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US, AND WE ADDRESSED, UH, THIS, UH, IN THE PAST, AND CERTAINLY WE ALL MOURNED WITH YOU.
UH, WE, I THINK WE, WE MET WITHIN A FEW DAYS AFTER THE SHOCKING NEWS, OUR DAY OR TWO.
I REMEMBER COMMISSIONER MARY THOMAS WAS, UH, GIVING, UH, AWARDS THAT DAY TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEY, AND OF COURSE WE, WE DID A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
THE OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTOR WORKS INDEPENDENTLY OF US.
WE DON'T, UH, RUN THEM, IF YOU WILL.
IT IS AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION.
SO I ASSUME, BECAUSE IT IS AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION THAT AT THE MOMENT, UH, A GREAT AMOUNT OF INFORMATION CAN'T BE SHARED AS THEY ARE DOING, UH, AS THEY'RE DOING THIS.
BUT I THINK WHAT MR. JACKSON IS SHARING, THAT THERE MAY BE SOME UPDATES THAT THEY CAN SHARE PUBLICLY IN THE NEAR FUTURE, I WOULD ASSUME, OR I'M NOT, I'M NOT REALLY SURE.
I, I DON'T, I'M HESITANT TO SPEAK, BUT I, I CAN SAY THAT MY CONVERSATION WITH THEM LED ME TO BELIEVE, AND I, THEY COMMUNICATED DIRECTLY THAT THEY ARE, UH, OPTIMISTIC ABOUT A CLOSURE.
SO I, I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE OFFICE OR THE PROSECUTOR TO RELEASE THAT INFORMATION UPON THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR INVESTIGATION WITH THE COUNTY OF ESSEX, UH, DOES NOT DO THE ACTUAL INVESTIGATION.
IT'S THE PROSECUTOR IN ESSEX COUNTY THAT DOES THAT.
SO WE ARE THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF THE GOVERNMENT.
SO WE ARE NOT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ASPECT OF IT.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE PROSECUTOR WILL BE, AND I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT THE, THE BOARD AND THE ADMINISTRATION SHARE YOUR CONCERN, UM, AND WANT TO SEE THIS RESOLVED.
AND, UH, 'CAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THE, THE, THE HURT THAT'S IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE, AND THE UNCERTAINTY.
SO WE WANT TO, LIKE, YOU WANNA BRING IT TO A CLOSE.
SO IS THERE ANYONE, UM, THAT THE COMMUNITY OR THE MASTER OF MASTER MUHAMMAD CAN BE DIRECT WITH OR SPEAK WITH OR, UM, BECAUSE I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND I'M NOT SAYING LIKE, WE KNOW THE CITY OF ESSEX COUNTY HAVE CAMERAS EVERYWHERE.
SO I'M JUST SAYING, I'M JUST ASKING ON A, ON A, ON A BEHALF OF THE MUSLIMS, WE ARE JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND FROM THE PROSECUTOR, LIKE HE'S SAYING WE NEED MORE INFORMATION BECAUSE WE COULD LISTEN TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND I'M NOT SAYING NOTHING AGAINST YOU.
AND WE COULD WALK OUT THE DOOR AND THEN WE HAVE NOTHING LEFT.
SO I'M JUST SAYING, LIKE, WE KEEP HEARING THESE THINGS TIME AFTER TIME, BUT WHERE ARE WE GETTING TO, MR. PRESIDENT, IF I MAY YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, IF I MAY, IF I, IF I MAY, IF, IF, IF WITH YOUR PERMISSION, MR. PRESIDENT, IF SOMEONE WILL GIMME A NAME, UH, AND, AND A CONTACT, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE PROSECUTOR REACHES OUT.
I DIDN'T, FOLKS, DEBBIE, JUST FOR THE SAKE OF ORDER, LET'S JUST HAVE ONE PERSON SPEAKING AT A TIME SO THAT WE CAN HEAR EACH OTHER AND THIS INFORMATION BE PASSED ALONG.
MR. JACKSON, HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
LET MR. JACKSON PLEASE STATE YOUR, AGAIN, SAY IT AGAIN.
WHAT, WHAT I'M SAYING IS IF THE, IF, IF A REPRESENTATIVE WILL GIMME THE INFORMATION, I WILL REACH OUT TO THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, UH, AND, AND SAY THAT THE COMMUNITY IS LOOKING FOR SOME INFORMATION AND, AND GIVE HIM A SPECIFIC NAME TO, UH, REACH OUT TO.
I, I, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION.
I DID NOT RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION LIST.
SO, IN PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, WE DON'T NORMALLY GO BACK AND FORTH.
PEOPLE, FOLKS CAN COME AND SAY, SO IF YOU POSE A QUESTION THAT WE CAN FORWARD, THAT MIGHT BE THE WAY TO GO.
SO IF YOU ARE ASKING, IF THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, UH, WOULD ENTERTAIN A COMMUNITY DIALOGUE ABOUT THE CASE, THEN THAT'S A QUESTION YOU SHOULD ASK US, AND WE SHALL FORWARD THAT TO THEM.
MR. PRESIDENT, IF I MAY, I DON'T DO THIS WAY'S, LET'S, LET'S THERES'S GO FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FOR US.
AND THEN WE'LL, I'LL COMMENT SESSION A LITTLE BIT SO THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE.
AND PLEASE JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
ANTAR MAT, TEAM MASTER HAMAD NEWARK, UH, THE ASSISTANT MA'AM, ON STAFF.
SO THANK YOU, PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT AND THE COMMISSIONERS.
A BOARD, UH, TO MR. JACKSON? YES, SIR.
UM, BASED OFF OF THE INFORMATION THAT THE PRESIDENT TOLD US TO DO, WE PROVIDED THE NAME TO THE GENTLEMAN IN THE BACK LAST WEEK TO HANDLE OUR CONCERNS OF JUST PASSING OVER THAT INFORMATION.
WHAT I WILL SAY, UH, IS THAT THE PROSECUTOR, UH, MR. THEODORE STEVENS STEVENS, UH, HE DID SEND A COMMUNICATION, UH, TO THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY, TO THE CONVENER OF OUR, UH,
[01:20:01]
COUNCIL OF IMAMS OF NEW JERSEY.UH, HOWEVER, THAT COMMUNICATION CAME SO LATE.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE A, A ACTIVE, UH, RALLY OR US GALVANIZING HERE THAT WE DON'T EVEN REALLY HAVE THE TIME TO GIVE IT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS, THE INFORMATION THAT WE ALREADY KNOW AND THE INFORMATION THAT WE KNOW, IS THAT IT'S JUST AN OPEN INVESTIGATION.
LIKE WE, WE KNOW THAT ALREADY.
SO ALL I'M SAYING IS, UM, IF YOU CAN DO THIS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? THIS, THIS COMMISSIONER'S BOARD TO A DEGREE HAVE THE COMMUNITY, US WITH OUR, UH, UH, OUR MASTER, OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE.
SO I'M ASKING THAT YOU AND THE COMMISSIONERS JUST SEND OVER A INQUIRY SAYING, THEODORE STEVENS, MR. THEODORE, STEVEN THE PROSECUTOR, CAN WE PLEASE HOST, UH, A MEETING AT OUR MAS ON OUR GROUNDS, RIGHT? SO HE CAN FEEL THE SENTIMENTS OF HOW IT FEELS NOT TO HAVE, UH, UH, THE LEADER THAT WAS THERE IN OUR HOUSE.
IF YOU'RE NOT HERE, THE VICE PRESIDENT, STEP UP, THE VICE PRESIDENT, STEP UP.
SO OUR REALITY OF IT IS THAT WE WANT YOU, WE WANT TO BRING YOU INTO OUR HOUSE.
SO RELAY THAT INFORMATION OVER.
WE ARE, WE'VE BEEN KNOWING THIS FOR FOUR MONTHS.
WE KNOW THAT IT'S AN OPEN INVESTIGATION.
AND I KNOW YOU, THIS IS NOT NO ANGER TOWARDS YOU BECAUSE WE ALL NOT ACCEPTED HERE, BUT WE, WE KNOW IT'S AN ONGOING AND BASIC, UH, ONGOING INVESTIGATION.
BUT GIVE, UH, THE FAMILY FIRST, RIGHT? THE FAMILY DESERVES SOME KIND OF ANSWERS, RIGHT? AND THEN THE COMMUNITY SHARES IN THIS RESPONSIBILITY OF HAVING, UH, A BETTER DIALOGUE WITH OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE, RIGHT? SO HE DID SEND OUT FOUR MONTHS LATER, ONGOING INVESTIGATION.
HE SENT OUT AN EMAIL THE DAY BEFORE THAT WE'RE HAVING A PEACE RALLY OF JUST TRYING TO GET SOME DIALOGUE.
SO ALL I'M ASKING IS THAT WE JUST HAVE DIALOGUE.
HAVE TELL HIM TO COME TO OUR MAS AND WHAT HE WANT BREAKFAST OR WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO WE GOTTA DO TO MAKE IT COMFORTABLE? AND IT'S, I'M NOT BEING DISRESPECTFUL, BUT FOUR MONTHS, WE JUST, WE JUST WANT TO HAVE, I KNOW Y'ALL CAN'T, UH, NOT YOU ALL, BUT THE PROSECUTOR OFFICE CAN'T ANSWER CERTAIN QUESTIONS.
BUT JUST TO GIVE THE FAMILY SOME COMFORT AND ALSO OUR COMMUNITY, SOME COMFORT JUST SO WE CAN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND THEN WE CAN HAVE AN ACTION PLAN AFTER THAT.
WHETHER WE MEET THE NEXT 45 DAYS OR THE NEXT 60 DAYS, WHATEVER IT IS.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE KNOW, AND I'M GONNA PUT IT ON RECORD.
IF IT WAS THE PASTOR, IF IT WAS THE, IF IT WAS THE RABBI, I'M GONNA LEAVE IT ALONE.
UH, WE LEAVE, WE COME IN PEACE, AND THEN WE LEAVE IN, IN PEACE OF, AND THAT'S ALL I SAY.
I, SO, SO I HEAR, SO I, SO IF I HEAR YOU CORRECTLY, SIR.
UM, IF I HEAR YOU CORRECTLY, YES.
SO YOU, YOU ARE OFFERING AN, YOU'RE EXTENDING AN INVITATION YES.
TO COME DOWN TO YOUR LOCATION.
AND WHAT HE IS ABLE TO SPEAK AT THIS POINT.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL KNOW THE PROSECUTOR TO BE AN EXCEPTIONAL, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AND VERY COMMITTED TO HIS COMMUNITY.
I THINK IT'S NOT A PROBLEM FOR US TO SEND THAT, COMMUNICATE THAT AT TONIGHT'S MEETING, A LARGE GATHERING OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE HERE INQUIRING FOR OUR ASSISTANCE TO HELP YOU ORGANIZE THAT.
I THINK PERHAPS ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALMOST NEVER HAVE BACK TO BACK MEETINGS LIKE THIS, USUALLY WE'RE AT LEAST TWO WEEKS APART, RIGHT? SO REGRETTABLY, THIS IS THE ONE TIME THIS YEAR, OUR MEETINGS ARE LITERALLY BACK TO BACK.
SO USUALLY THEY WOULD'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, A WEEK LATER YOU WOULD'VE GOTTEN THE COMMUNICATION, UH, WITH MORE TIME IN ADVANCE, I THINK IS WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED.
AND IF, UH, IF YOU, I'M NOT SURE WHO WOULD PREFER, OR IF YOU CAN GIVE ADAM WHO WOULD BE THE PROPER CONTACT PERSON OR PERSONS PERHAPS, BUT COURT.
BUT WE DID THAT LAST WEEK WITH, WITH ADAM ALREADY.
BUT WE'RE ASKING, BUT YOU'RE ASKING NOW FOR AN INVITATION.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE EXTENDING AN INVITATION TO ME, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN LAST WEEK'S COMMUNICATE, WHICH IS AN UPDATE.
I THINK THAT'S A DIFFERENT REQUEST.
BUT I, I, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING WHEN WE WANT TO HAVE DIALOGUE, THAT'S, THAT'S AN INVITATION.
I'M JUST, I'M JUST TRYING TO FACILITATE THE REQUEST.
I'M JUST SAYING, ADAM GOT THE CONTACT INFORMATION LAST.
AND THIS ADAM'S A GREAT GUY, BUT I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT WE DID THAT LAST WEEK.
AND I'M NOT BEING RULED IF I'M BEING DISRESPECTFUL.
NOT ALL, BUT I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT WE DON'T, WE HAD THIS THING LAST WEEK.
AND WE FEEL, AND WE FEEL WITH YOU THE SAME WAY WE UNDERSTAND.
I MEAN, IT'S A PAINFUL SCENARIO.
PEOPLE WANT AND DESERVE ANSWERS.
THE PROSECUTOR HAS AN INVESTIGATION TO DO.
IT'S A DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN HOW MUCH INFORMATION CAN BE SHARED, RIGHT.
AND HOW MUCH WE, YOU KNOW, CAN BE SHARED.
AND ALL THAT WE WE'RE TRYING TO HELP.
AND SO I THINK IF WE REFLECT, LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT THERE WERE A GOOD NUMBER.
I, WHAT DO WE HAVE, LIKE 70 PEOPLE HERE? 60, 70 PEOPLE ROUGHLY? YEAH.
[01:25:02]
IT'S A GOOD NUMBER OF PEOPLE, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S MY POINT.I THINK WE CAN SEND A COMMUNICATION ACROSS.
IF YOU ARE, I, FORGIVE ME IF I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING YOUR STRUCTURE, BUT IF YOU HAVE LIKE A BOARD COMMITTEE HERE FROM YOUR ORGANIZATION, THEN MAYBE WHAT WE COULD DO IS INCLUDE SEVERAL OF THOSE PEOPLE'S NAMES AND, AND THAT COMMUNICATOR.
IS THAT, IS THAT, IS THAT REASONABLE? THAT'S FAIR.
BUT WE, LAST WEEK AGAIN, WE, WHEN WE CAME TO THE BOARD, WE HAVE A ACTIVE GOVERNING BODY AT OUR MA I UNDERSTAND.
WE HAVE A, A STRONG COMMUNITY WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR IMAM WAS VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN THE ANTI-VIOLENCE.
WE, WE EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING IT IS, IT IS.
NOT ADAM, I'M NOT POINTING AT YOU, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA TALK TO THE FAMILY, OKAY.
WE, WE CAME TO THE MAST IN THAT GOVERNING BODY, THAT HEAD OF THAT BOARD.
AND ADAM HAS THAT INFORMATION AND NOBODY REACHED OUT.
SO WE, WE AT THE SAME CONVERSATION AGAIN, OF GETTING NAMES AND JOTTING IT DOWN, IT'S, WE CANNOT DIRECT WITH AUTHORITY, THE PROSECUTOR, HOW AND HOW HE COMMUNICATES.
AND SINCE WE DO HAVE A GOOD WORK RELATIONSHIP, WE WOULD EXPECT THAT THE PROSECUTOR WOULD TAKE THOSE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO OUR REQUEST.
WELL, I THINK HE HAS A MUCH RESPECT FOR THE, THE COMMISSION'S BOARD TO, TO LISTEN TO YOU ALL AND THE, AND THE HUNDRED PEOPLE THAT'S HERE.
THAT WE HAVE A, A GOOD COMMUNITY.
SO I'LL LEAVE IT ALONE AT DAY.
AND I APOLOGIZE IF WE TOOK UP TOO MUCH TIME.
IT'S, IT'S NOT AN EASY SUBJECT TO DEAL WITH.
IS THERE ANY OTHER MEMBER WISHING TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? I WANNA MAKE SURE 'CAUSE YOU CAME.
SO IF ANYONE ELSE WANTS TO SPEAK, BY ALL MEANS WE ARE OPEN.
ALL I ASK, ALL I ASK IS JUST THAT WE REMAIN SILENT SO THAT THE SPEAKER AT A COURTESY TO THE FOLLOWING SPEAKER CAN BE HEARD.
AND CAN YOU COORDINATE WHO MIGHT BE REPRESENT APPROPRIATE REPRESENTATIVES WITH ADAM, ASIDE FROM YOURSELF, GO AROUND THE BACK AND, AND SEE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SIGN UP FOR THAT.
THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT MR. STEVENSON HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.
I, DONNA JACKSON, THE OFFICIAL GOVERNOR OF THIS STATE HAVE SPOKEN TO MR. STEVENSON FIVE TIMES TO MEET WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE MAJI AND HIS WIFE.
THE ESSEX COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE LEAKED A ARTICLE ON THE NEWS.
HAD IT BEEN A RABBI, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN AN IMMEDIATE RETRACTION.
I'M NOT GONNA PLAY WITH Y'ALL.
YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, MR. STEVENSON, WORKS FOR ALL OF US.
ALL OF US IN THE COMMUNITY WASN'T A FAN OF THAT DECISION BEING MADE.
BUT OKAY, YOU WENT FORTH WITH IT.
FOUR MONTHS HAD THIS BEEN ANY OTHER FAITH LEADER, THE DISRESPECT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE.
HIS WIFE WAS INTERROGATED FOR OVER THREE HOURS.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN ONE DETECTIVE, NOT ONE THAT HAS WALKED THE COMMUNITY WHERE THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED AND QUESTIONED ANYBODY.
'CAUSE I'VE BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY TALKING TO 'EM.
THE WIFE PRINTED THE REWARD PETITION, THE, UH, POSTERS THAT'S UP AROUND, NOT Y'ALL.
DON'T LET ME HAVE TO STEP INTO MY POSITION, WHICH I HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO DO OUTTA RESPECT FOR MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS AT THE MOSQUE.
BUT I TOLD THEM, YOU GOTTA CARRY A HEAVY STICK IN THIS COUNTY BECAUSE WE ARE NOT RESPECTED PARTICULARLY AS BLACK FOLKS.
THERE'S NO RESPECT WHEN LIFE IS TAKEN IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE REALLY SEE THE PAINTING ON THE WALL NOW BECAUSE A IMAM WAS TAKEN.
WE HAD WORLDWIDE NEWS IN HERE AND THE COUNTY OF ESSEX DID NOTHING.
AND YOU SHOULD ALL BE ASHAMED.
I DON'T CARE IF YOU TOOK FIVE MOMENTS OF SILENCE THAT YOU YOURSELF HAVE NOT ASKED THE PROSECUTOR, WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THIS CASE? HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT A RELIGIOUS LEADER IN OUR COMMUNITY.
NOW LET ME MOVE ON TO TWO LAST THINGS.
YOU BETTER HAVE GOT THIS CONTRACT DONE.
HAVE THEM CHECKS IN THE MORNING THAT THESE OFFICERS, THESE CORRECTION OFFICERS COME GET THEY MONEY TOMORROW, SUPPOSED TO BE SITTING THERE, GET THE PRINTING TONIGHT, PAY THE CLERK OVERTIME, GET THEIR WELFARE DEPARTMENT TOGETHER,
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GET THIS TRA PROCESS DONE.PEOPLE ARE BEING EVICTED EVERY DAY IN THAT LANDLORD ATTENDED COURT.
AND I KNOW Y'ALL DON'T LIKE WHEN I RAISE MY VOICE, BUT AIN'T NOTHING QUIET ABOUT ME.
SO I AM NOT GOING TO BE REFLECTIVE OF THOSE WHO COME 'CAUSE I'M NOT BEING DISRESPECTFUL.
I'M DEMANDING ACTION FROM ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE SAT HERE FOR FOUR MONTHS WITH A RELIGIOUS LEADER IN THE COUNTY OF ESSEX GUN DOWN ON THE STREETS OF NEWARK AND DONE NOTHING.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? OKAY.
MADAM DEPUTY COOK, LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT THERE'S NO ONE WISHING TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME.
LET'S MOVE ON TO COMMISSIONER COMMENTS SESSION COMMISSIONERS.
DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS MR. PRESIDENT? LET'S WAIT FOR THE THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO FIRST JUST THANK MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY FOR COMING OUT IN SUPPORT OF IMAM COUNCILMAN WHO, IMAM HASSAN SHARIF.
UM, LITERALLY RIGHT BEFORE THIS MEETING, JUST BEFORE THIS MEETING, WE ACTUALLY, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH PROSECUTOR STEVENS TO INQUIRE AROUND THE EXACT SAME THINGS THAT THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE ASKING ABOUT.
SO THAT THERE IS A MEETING AND I'D LIKE TO SHARE, I KNOW THERE'S SOME NOISE, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE STILL HERE, UM, AFTER PERSONALLY SPEAKING WITH THE PROSECUTOR, HE IS WILLING TO AND ABLE IN FACT INQUIRED, I BELIEVE HE SPOKE WITH IMAM OU.
UM, YEAH, IMAM OU WA, DEAN SHARIF FROM THE COUNCIL OF IMAMS TO SET UP A MEETING SO THAT THERE COULD BE A PERSON, A PERSON.
'CAUSE LETTERS ARE ONE THING, BUT WHEN PEOPLE GET TO ACTUALLY TALK TO SOMEONE WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE WORK AND HEARING WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT THE GAPS ARE, WHAT WE KNOW, WHAT WE DON'T, THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE FOR THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE STILL HERE, THAT PROSECUTOR STEVENS WANTS TO HAVE THAT MEETING, UM, WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, ABOUT THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION AND THAT EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE LIFTING UP IS NOT BEING HEARD ON DEAF EARS.
I LITERALLY LIVE ON FAIRMOUNT AROUND THE CORNER FROM IMAM, UH, MAJI, THE MASJID MUHAMMAD.
I WOULD LITERALLY DRIVE PAST HIM AND HIS SON EVERY DAY ON MY WAY TO WORK OR TO DO WORK WITH THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S FELT BY ALL MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.
WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE PROSECUTOR.
THE PROSECUTOR WANTS TO HAVE THIS IN-PERSON, UH, MEETING SO THAT THERE CAN BE A PERSONAL UPDATE.
LETTERS ARE ONE THING AND THEY'RE IMPORTANT, BUT THE IN-PERSON TOUCH IS IMPORTANT TOO.
AND SO I'M GLAD THAT MR. TUCKER HAS THE INFORMATION.
I KNOW IT WAS GIVEN LAST WEEK AS WELL, SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
AND I WOULD ASK THAT YOU COME AGAIN IF YOU'RE NOT HEARING ANSWERS, IF YOU'RE NOT HEARING BACK, COME AGAIN BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE ARE HERE FOR.
EVEN THOUGH WE DO NOT RUN THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, IT IS WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION TO MAKE SURE YOUR VOICES ARE BEING HEARD.
SO THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP FOR OUR IMAM FOR OUR MA SHIFT FOR OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY.
UM, HEY, I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN FOREVER.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, HOPING WE CONTINUE THAT DIALOGUE.
COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT COOPER.
UH, A A COUPLE ITEMS. ONE, I'M EXCITED AND HAPPY THAT WE SETTLED, UM, CONTRACTS WITH THE UNION THIS EVENING.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THE UPDATED, UM, 2024, UM, NEGOTIATION SCHEDULES.
HAVE WE BEGUN 24 NEGOTIATIONS? I KNOW WE WERE WAITING TO TRY TO WORK THROUGH THOSE OTHER UNIONS.
BUT WE HAVEN'T FINALIZED ANY WITH ANYONE.
SO CAN YOU JUST, UM, COMMUNICATE TO US WHAT THAT TIMELINE LOOKS LIKE? BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE ALL ANXIOUS TO HAVE THAT DONE.
UM, I KNOW THE COUNTY COUNCIL SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT ARBITRATION.
WHAT'S THE TIMELINE FOR THOSE THINGS TO BE SETTLED WITH THE THREE GROUPS? THIS IN THE, UH, 24TH OF JUNE, HE HAS TO HAVE MAKE HIS DETERMINATION BY THE 24TH OF JUNE.
SO, SO A COUPLE OF WEEKS FROM NOW.
THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR TONIGHT YOU HAD A, UM, RESOLUTION ON FOR THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AT THE JUVENILE COURT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA ASK WHAT, WHAT I'M ABOUT TO ASK THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AT THE COUNTY JAIL.
UM, WHAT'S THE TIMELINE FOR ADDRESSING THAT ONE? THERE ARE, UM, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE NUMBER THERE.
THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG, I THINK IT'S 1,000,003 MILLION FIVE IS THE INITIAL, UM, UH, NUMBER CARL HERE.
WAS IT SOMETHING LIKE THAT? CARL? I'M, I'M JUST RE I THINK THAT WAS THE NUMBER.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO, THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO THE, ALL THE UPGRADES.
'CAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WAS A, A MUCH SMALLER PROJECT, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY A BIG PROJECT.
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TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO COBBLE TOGETHER THE DOLLARS TO DO THE MILLION.I THINK IT'S LIKE A MILLION AND A HALF BUCKS TO, TO DO THE PROJECT.
SO YOU KNOW WHAT MY QUESTION IS GONNA BE, I RECALL LAST MEETING WE HAD SOME MONEY THAT WE KICKED BACK INTO CAPITAL, DIDN'T WE? SOME THINGS THAT WE CANCELED.
UH, SO DID WE HAVE THE MONEY SITTING? YES.
LIKE THAT BALANCE FUNDING? YES.
BUT A LOT, A LOT OF THAT, IF YOU REMEMBER CHRIS COMMISSIONER WAS PAPER.
UH, THERE WASN'T A LOT OF CASH ON THAT AS I RECALL.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, SO WE, WE AUTHORIZED MONEY BUT WE DIDN'T, UH, GO OUT AND BORROW IT.
SO WE WERE BASICALLY CANCELING OUT PAPER ENTRIES.
SO MOST OF THAT MONEY WAS JUST PAPER.
THERE WAS SOME DOLLARS THAT WAS PUT, UM, SOME ACTUAL CASH THAT'S PUT BACK INTO OUR CAPITAL RESERVE.
UM, BUT IT WAS NOT, BUT I, I WE'RE GONNA FIGURE OUT HOW TO, TO DO IT.
IT'S JUST COBBLING TOGETHER WITH HOSSAM AND THOSE FOLKS AND, UH, DIRECTOR CHARLES ABOUT HOW TO DO IT.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A TIMELINE FOR WHEN WE CAN DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING A WHOLE LOT OF BUILDING AND UNFORTUNATELY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT'S GOING TO THE JAIL ISN'T DECREASING.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IF WE COULD PUT THAT ON OUR CAPITAL SCHEDULE TO GET DONE.
UM, I KNOW LAST YEAR WE HAD DONE A TREE STUDY.
IS THAT STUDY DONE FOR, FOR ORANGE PARK? DID YOU KNOW THAT COMMUNITY GROUP IS SPRING, THEY SEE THE CLEANUP HAPPENING.
PLANTINGS, THEY WANNA KNOW WHAT WAS THE RESULT OF THE TREE STUDY FOR ORANGE PARK? THERE WAS A COUNTYWIDE TREE SURVEY DONE.
I I, I'LL HAVE TO CHECK THE PARKS TO SEE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S DONE ANNUALLY IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
BUT I'LL, I'LL CHECK WITH WITH, WE'LL GET THAT CHECKED OUT.
I WANTED TO COMMEND AND THANK COMMISSIONER GILL FOR DOING THE ROWING, UM, RESOLUTION TO, I THINK IT WAS MONTCLAIR.
UM, UNIVERSITY ROWING IS A WONDERFUL SPORT AND IT IS THE NUMBER ONE GIVER OF HIGH SCHOLARSHIPS FOR WOMEN IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND SO I THINK THAT IS THAT REALLY, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE ROWING ACTIVITIES DONE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTY.
SO IT IS, SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME.
AND, AND, AND THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE ROWING SCHOLARSHIPS, THEY TEND TO BE AT THE IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS.
SO A LOT OF GIRLS IN PARTICULARLY, UM, SHOULD OPEN THEMSELVES UP.
IF THEY'RE A SWIMMER AND THEY LIKE WATER, I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE US TO, UM, BUILD SOME MORE ROWING PROGRAMS BECAUSE THE GIRLS, IT IS THE NUMBER ONE SERIES LEAGUE SCHOLARSHIP.
I WOULD SHOP MY HUSBAND'S A ROWER.
HE ALMOST MADE THE OLYMPIC TEAM AH, UM, HE'S FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE.
SO HE'S, I'VE LEARNED LOT ABOUT ROY'S.
ACTUALLY, I'M AN AVID ROWER MYSELF.
ARE YOU? AND, UM, MONTCLAIR HIGH SCHOOL IS ACTUALLY, I THINK MONTCLAIR HIGH SCHOOL IS THE NUMBER ONE PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY ROWING FOR ROWING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
NOW, THE MOST OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE TOP 10, 12 15 ARE ALL PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND THEY HAVE THEIR OWN, YOU KNOW, THESE LONG ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS. BUT MONTCLAIR HIGH SCHOOL IS, IS I THINK THE NUMBER I'M, I'M CONFIDENT SAYING THE BEST PUBLIC SCHOOL, UH, ROWING IN THE COUNTRY.
I HAD HOPED THAT IF WE EVER GOT THAT AT ONE, ONE TIME, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING ANOTHER COMMUNITY CENTER DOWN THERE.
THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A GREAT ACTIVITY TO RUN OUT OF THERE.
I DON'T THINK THAT ONE'S DEAD.
ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER MARY THOMAS, THANK YOU.
AND HATS OFF AND PLUS ONES TO EVERYTHING THAT WAS JUST SHARED.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO LIFT UP RESOLUTIONS 40 AND 41.
UM, THAT ONE IS FOR 40 IS FOR RECOGNIZING MAY AS MENTAL HEALTH MONTH, UH, 41 IS RECOGNIZING GUYANESE FLAG RAISING DAY, WHICH IS THIS FRIDAY, AND WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT BOTH AS, UH, RESOLUTIONS FOR ACCLIMATION.
IF I MAY, MR. PRESIDENT, JUST SPEAK BRIEFLY ABOUT EACH ONE, PLEASE.
SO THE FIRST ONE, UM, IS JUST REALLY HIGHLIGHTING MAYA'S YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH MONTH.
AS YOU KNOW, ONE IN FIVE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE, UH, DIAGNOSED WITH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY.
THAT'S NOT EVEN COUNTING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH OTHER, UH, MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS THAT EITHER HAVEN'T BEEN DIAGNOSED OR JUST ARE DIFFICULT TO DETECT.
AND EVEN WE THINK ABOUT US AS ADULTS, RIGHT? UM, WE HAVE ALL BEEN GOING THROUGH SO MUCH AND HOLDING SO MUCH.
AND SO JUST WANNA FORMALLY RECOGNIZE IN, UH, SOLIDARITY WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ALSO RECOGNIZE MAY AS YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH MONTH AND AWARENESS SO THAT WE CONTINUE TO LIFT UP, UH, THESE, THIS CRISIS, FRANKLY, AFFECTING YOUNG PEOPLE.
BUT THERE'S POSSIBILITY, THERE'S HOPE.
IF WE TALK ABOUT THE THING, THEN WE CAN ACTUALLY ADDRESS IT AND FIND SOLUTIONS.
UM, AND THEN SECOND IS TO RECOGNIZE, UH, THE GUYANESE FLAG RAISING DAY, WHICH IS TO HIGHLIGHT THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF GUYANESE INDEPENDENCE.
UM, THERE WILL BE A FLAG RAISING CEREMONY AT THE CITY OF NEWARK, UH, ROTUNDA THIS FRIDAY.
SO ALL COMMISSIONERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO ASCEND AS SOMEONE WHO IS A PROUD AFRICAN AMERICAN AND GUYANESE AMERICAN, I'M VERY PROUD TO LIFT THIS UP.
WE ACTUALLY HAD A MEMBER OF THE GUYANESE FLAG RAISE AND COMMITTEE OF NEWARK WHO WAS HERE TODAY, BUT HAD TO LEAVE A BIT EARLY.
AND SO JUST AS WE, YOU KNOW, IN KEEPING WITH THE TRADITION OF HIGHLIGHTING ALL THE BEAUTIFUL DIVERSITY THAT MAKES UP OUR COMMUNITY, ESSEX COUNTY IN PARTICULAR HAS, I WANNA SAY THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF GUYANESE
[01:40:01]
AMERICANS IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.AND WE'RE, WE'RE SECOND ONLY TO BROOKLYN AS FAR AS, UM, THE NUMBER OF GUYANESE CONSTITUENTS WHO LIVE IN OUR COUNTY, UM, OUTSIDE OF THE, THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN.
GUYANA, THE CAPITAL OF GEORGETOWN, RIGHT? THERE'S ONLY TWO PLACES THAT HAS AS MANY GUYANESE PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES.
IT'S BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AND ESS COUNTY.
AND THE ORANGES PLAY A PARTICULAR ROLE IN THAT.
AND SO GUYANESE FOLKS, YOU KNOW, ADD A LOT TO OUR COMMUNITY, A LOT TO OUR COUNTRY, AND HAPPY TO PRESENT BOTH OF THESE TO, FOR, TO THE BOARD AND FOR ACCLIMATION.
I JUST WANT TO MENTION A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UH, ONE, I HAD THE, THE HONOR OF ATTENDING THE, UH, COUNTY'S REPLAYING CEREMONY ON MONDAY.
AND I WANT TO COMMEND THE ADMINISTRATION FOR A LOVELY JOB, UH, DOING THAT.
AND ALSO I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER GILL AND I, UH, AND COMMISSIONER SAL FIRST, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO SO MANY EVENTS
WE ATTENDED THE, UM, THE UNVEILING OF THE BUS OF, OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SHEILA OLIVER.
AND THAT WAS, UH, FIRST CLASS AND SHE DESERVED IT AND SHE GOT IT AND SAID, I WAS FIRST CLASS.
AND, UH, I WANT TO THANK, UH, THE MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND ALL THE REPRESENTATIVES OF CAME STATEWIDE AND FROM FOREIGN WIDE, UH, TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT.
AND, UM, IT'S A SHAME WE HAD TO DO IT RIGHT NOW, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, BUT, UM, 'CAUSE WE KIND OF LOST IT TOO SOON.
BUT, UM, BUT NONETHELESS, IT WAS A VERY APROPOS, UM, EVENT FOR, UH, ANEX COUNTY LEGEND.
SO, WITH THAT, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? MOTION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.