* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. WHAT'S UP? [00:00:03] MOM, IT'S DEFINITELY MOM. I'M NOT ON UBER DAD SHIFT TODAY. THAT'S, THAT'S MOMMY'S JOB TODAY. THE DATES WERE, THEY WERE LOOKING AT WAS, UM... GOOD EVENING. THIS MEETING OF THE ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IS HEREBY CALLED TO ORDER. THIS MEETING IS BEING LIVE STREAMED IN ADDITION TO TAKING PLACE HERE IN PERSON. MS. EVANS, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. COMMISSIONER COOPER. ABSENT. COMMISSIONER GILL? HERE. COMMISSIONER LUCIANO? HERE. MERCADO. ABSENT. WAIT, UH, THE MICROPHONE IS HE'S ON... TRY AGAIN. COMMISSIONER MERCADO? ABSENT. COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER SEBOLT. ABSENT. COMMISSIONER SERMONS. ABSENT. COMMISSIONER MURRAY THOMAS. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALMER IS. HERE. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. UH, PLEASE STAND TO THE SALUTE TO THE FLAG. I'M GONNA ASK COMMISSIONER GILL 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 FOR ALL. AND PLEASE JUST STAND FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN HONOR OF THOSE WHO HAVE LOST SINCE THE LAST TIME WE CAME TOGETHER IN THESE CHAMBERS. THANK YOU. SO I HAVE BEFORE ME CERTIFICATION FROM THE DEPUTY CLERK THAT THIS MEETING IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT. SO LET'S MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF TRANSCRIPTS. MS. EVANS, DO WE HAVE ANY TO BE APPROVED? YES. MR. PRESIDENT, WE HAVE TWO FROM THE JANUARY 15TH, 2025 AND DECEMBER 4TH, 2025 CONFERENCE BOARD MEETINGS. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SEEING NONE, DO I HAVE SOMEONE TO MOVE IT? MOVE. MOVED BY LUCIANO. A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY THE VICE PRESIDENT. ROLL CALL MS. EVANS. COMMISSIONER COOPER? ABSENT. COMMISSIONER GILL? YES. COMMISSIONER LUCIANO? YES. COMMISSIONER MERCADO? YES. COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON? ABSENT. COMMISSIONER SEABOLT? YES. COMMISSIONER SERMONS, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT - YES. MARIE THOMAS? YES. COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALMERES? YES. THANK YOU. LET'S MOVE ON TO TOPICS OF DISCUSSIONS. DO WE HAVE ANY? [00:05:03] NO, MR. PRESIDENT. OKAY. SO LET'S MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT. UH, TONIGHT'S MEETING IS A COMBINED CONFERENCE BOARD MEETING. WE WILL VOTE ON EVERY ITEM ON THE AGENDA. SO IF THERE'S ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE AND STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. THERE WILL BE TIME LATER IN THE MEETING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON ANY OTHER ITEMS, SO I ASK YOU PLEASE LIMIT YOUR ITEMS, UH, TO AGENDA ITEMS ONLY AT THIS TIME. OKAY, MS. EVANS, LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT THERE'S NO ONE WISHING TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME ON AGENDA ITEMS, SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD TO ORDINANCE AND RESOLUTIONS AND INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING. DO WE HAVE ANY, MS. ORDIN - UH, MS. EVANS? YES, MR. PRESIDENT. WE HAVE TWO ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION FOR FIRST READING. OKAY. SO LET'S MOVE ON TO ORDINANCE NUMBER ONE FOR INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING. IT'LL BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME. MR. JACKSON, GOOD EVENING, SIR. GOOD EVENING. UM, THIS ORDINANCE WILL, UM, UPDATE THE, UH, OUR EXISTING SALARY ORDINANCE FOR THE YEAR 20 YEARS, 27 AND 28, UH, TO REFLECT, UH, RAISES THAT ARE, UH, CONSISTENT WITH THE RAISES THAT ARE IN OUR, UM, UH, AGREEMENTS WITH OUR, UH, UNION EMPLOYEES. UM, 3% IN 2027 AND 3% IN 2028. AND THE POSITIONS COVERED INCLUDE THE, THE COMMISSIONERS, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, THE CLERK, UH, OUR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS. UM, AND, UH, AGAIN, IT'S JUST TO MAKE IT CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE HAVE NEGOTIATED WITH OUR, UH, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS. AND, UH, MR. JACKSON, WE HAVE, UH, AGREEMENTS WITH ALL OF THE UNIONS? YES. YES. THANK YOU. MR. MARTINO, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SEEING NONE, SOMEONE TO MOVE IT? I'LL MOVE IT. MOVE BY SEABOLT. I HAVE A SECOND. SECOND. SECOND BY THE VICE PRESIDENT. WE'LL CALL MS. EVANS. COMMISSIONER COOPER? ABSENT COMMISSIONER GILL? YES. COMMISSIONER LUCIANO? YES. COMMISSIONER MERCADO? YES. COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON? ABSENT. COMMISSIONER SEABOLT? YES. COMMISSIONER SERMONS? ABSENT. COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT MURRAY THOMAS? YES. COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALMERES? YES. SO MOVED.OKAY, LET'S MOVE ON TO ORDINANCE NUMBER TWO FOR INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING, UH, ONLY. IT WILL BE R- READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME. MR. JACKSON? UH, MR. ST. JOHN WILL HANDLE THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MR. ST. JOHN. GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT JEROME ST. JOHN, COUNTY COUNCIL. THIS IS AN AMENDMENT TO AN EXISTING INSURANCE FUND ORDINANCE, UH, THAT INSURANCE FUND ORDINANCE REFERENCES. UH, WE ARE SELF-INSURED FOR AUTOMOBILES, THEN WE AMEND IT TO BE SELF-INSURED FOR CERTAIN CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES. NOW WE'RE AMENDING IT A THIRD TIME TO BE SELF-INSURED FOR A PROPOSED, UH, HEALTH INSURANCE, UH, AND HEALTH BENEFIT FUNDING, WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED TO YOU AT A, AT A LATER DATE. ALL, OBVIOUSLY ALL OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THAT NEW INSURANCE PROGRAM. UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU. MR. MARTINO, ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS? JUST A COMMENT. VICE PRESIDENT? THROUGH MR. PRESIDENT. I JUST WANNA COMMEND THE ADMINISTRATION FOR THEIR HARD WORK. IT'S BEEN AN IMPOSSIBLE, UH, TASK, I CAN IMAGINE, FOR OUR ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WITH THE SPIKES OF, UH, HEALTHCARE COSTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND CERTAINLY HERE IN NEW JERSEY, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS AND, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYEES, THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES WHO, YOU KNOW, WORK FOR OUR COUNTY AND PROVIDE THESE IN, UH, EXTREMELY VALUABLE SERVICES TO OUR RESIDENTS DON'T HAVE TO INCUR THESE RIDICULOUS SURGES AND COSTS. AND SO FOR ALL THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING THROUGH THIS SELF-FUNDED HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TAXPAYER ISN'T MORE HEAVILY BURDENED FROM PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES AND ALL THESE OTHER, YOU KNOW, ISSUES OF GREED THAT ARE AFFECTING, UM, EVERYDAY PEOPLE, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AS WE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO WORK REALLY, REALLY DILIGENTLY IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION. SO HATS OFF TO EVERYONE FOR THE HARD WORK HERE AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING PARTNERS. THANKS. THANK YOU, MADAM VICE PRESIDENT. WOULD YOU LIKE TO MOVE IN? CERTAINLY. THANK YOU. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY MERCADO. UH, ROLL CALL MS. EVANS. SO NUMBER TWO. COMMISSIONER COOPER, ABSENT COMMISSIONER GILL? YES. COMMISSIONER LUCIANO? YES. COMMISSIONER MERCADO? YES. COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER SEYBOLD? YES. COMMISSIONER SERMONS, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT MURRAY THOMAS? YES. COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALMERAS? YES. SO MOVED. OKAY. MS. EVANS, LET'S GO TO ORDINANCE ON SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING FOR LISTING PURPOSES ONLY. DO WE HAVE ANY? NO, MR. PRESIDENT, WE DO NOT. OKAY. SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ORDINANCE ON SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING. DO WE HAVE ANY? NO, MR. PRESIDENT, WE DO NOT. ALL RIGHT. SO LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTIONS ONE THROUGH THREE, WHICH ARE ADVICE AND CONSENT NOMINATIONS [00:10:01] TO THE ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF APPEALS, AND THEY CAN BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME. MR. JACKSON? UM, YES, MR. PRESIDENT. WE HAVE THREE, UM, OUTSTANDING CANDIDATES FOR THE, UH, CONSTRUCTION BOARD OF APPEALS. UM, OUR FIRST IS, AND THESE TERMS WILL ALL END ON ONE / 31, ONE, UH, THE FIRST ONE ENDS ON ONE / 31 / 2029, AND THAT'S, UH, LEONARD J. MENDOLA, JR. GREAT. LET'S BRING HIM UP AND JUST HAVE HIM INTRODUCE HIMSELF. AND FOR THE RECORD, LET ME ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON HAS JOINED THE MEETING. GOOD EVENING. PLEASE JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION. JUST TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. SURE. MY NAME SHORT. MY NAME IS, UH, LEN MENDOLA. UM, I'M A CONSTRUCTION OFFICIAL IN VERONA, ROSELAND. UM, I'VE BEEN IN ESSEX COUNTY MY ENTIRE LIFE. I GREW UP IN BELLEVILLE, UH, WENT TO UPSALA COLLEGE. I'VE BEEN A CONSTRUCTION OFFICIAL BUILDING SUBCODE IN MONTCLAIR, MAPLEWOOD, SOUTH ORANGE, VERONA, ROSELAND, AND FAIRFIELD. UM, I'VE BEEN ON BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT IN ROSELAND, SO I, I ENJOY, UH, GIVING BACK TO COMMUNITY AND THE ESSEX COUNTY AREA. UM, AND I WOULD LOVE TO BE ON THE APPEALS BOARD. UM, SO THAT'S QUICK BACKGROUND. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. MENDOLA? THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT NOMINEE FOR A TERM ENDING ON ONE / 31 / 28 IS MR. WATSON LOPEZ. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, MR. LOPEZ. WELCOME. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS WATSON LOPEZ. I AM 54 YEARS OLD. I WAS BORN IN BRAZIL. I'VE BEEN LIVING HERE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL UNITED STATES FOR 38 YEARS. UH, I STARTED AT 16 YEARS OLD SERVING AS A LABOR IN A CONSTRUCTION, UH, SITE. AFTER THAT, I GREW UP TO, UH, BUILD HOUSES, LEARNING FRAMING, AND, UH, WENT ON TO BUILD A 30-YEAR COMPANY, UH, PLUMBING AND HEATING. AND AFTER THAT, BECAME CONSTRUCTION OFFICIAL IN FAIRFIELD, WHERE I SERVE NOW. I WAS ABLE TO GET ALL MY FOUR LICENSE ON BUILDING, UH, FIRE, ELECTRICAL, AND, UH, I'VE BEEN SERVING, UH, FOR FIVE YEARS NOW AS A MUNICIPAL, UH, INSPECTOR AND, UH, ALWAYS SERVING AND VOLUNTEER AT CHRIST CHURCH WHERE I'M A MEMBER OF IT IN LODI. AND I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, NOW SERVE AS A COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. LOPEZ? I WOULD SAY YOU DON'T LOOK A DAY OVER 35, SIR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WHO'S OUR THIRD PERSON TODAY? OH, YES. MR. NICHOLAS MEDINA FOR A TERM ENDING ON ONE / 31 / 28. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MR. MEDINA. GOOD EVENING. UH, JOHN MEDINA, JOHN NICHOLAS MEDINA. UM, I AM, UH, A, UH, RESIDENT OF WEST CALDWELL. UM, I'VE WORKED FOR THE TOWNSHIP OF WEST CALDWELL FOR 38 YEARS. I STARTED THERE AS A FIRE PREVENTION INSPECTOR AND, UM, WORKED MY WAY UP. I'M CURRENTLY A CONSTRUCTION AND FIRE SUBCODE OFFICIAL IN WEST CALDWELL. UM, ALSO SERVE AS A FIRE SUBCODE OFFICIAL FOR, UH, MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY PART-TIME. UM, I GRADUATED FROM WILLIAM PATTERSON COLLEGE AND, UH, I LIVED MOST OF MY LIFE IN WEST CALDWELL. AND LIKE I SAID, I'VE BEEN CAREER, BEEN HERE FOR 38 YEARS. UM, I'M HONORED TO SERVE ON THE BOARD AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU, SIR. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SEEING NONE. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. UH, MR. JACKSON, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING EXCELLENT CANDIDATES TO THE TABLE, UH, AND ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND HIS TEAM. COMMISSIONERS, UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THESE THREE? GOT A, GOT A, GOT A QUESTION. OH, SURE, GO AHEAD. NOT, NOT FOR THE CANDIDATES, BUT FOR, I GUESS - COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON, FOR THE RECORD. THE ADMINISTRATION. WHAT IS THEIR ROLE? WHAT EXACTLY DO THEY DO IN THIS POSITION, RIGHT? THEY'RE, UM, APPOINTMENT FOR ESSEX COUNTY CONSTRUCTION BOARD OF APPEALS, RIGHT? SO WHAT IS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF APPEALS RESPONSIBILITIES? WHAT DO THEY DO? MR. SANJANA? HOW ARE YOU? I HAVE, UH, APPEARED A COUPLE TIMES WHEN THE, THE LAWYER WHO NORMALLY REPRESENTS THEM HAD CONFLICTS AND THIS IS A REALLY GOOD GROUP. IT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE SAY. IT'S AN APPEALS COURT IN EFFECT. YOU, YOU WILL, YOU GO TO YOUR LOCAL BOARD AND ASK FOR A PERMIT TO DO SOME CONSTRUCTION WORK, AND THE LOCAL BOARD WILL SAY TO YOU, "I'M SORRY YOU DON'T COMPLY WITH OUR CODE. I'M SORRY THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH YOUR APPLICATION." AND YOU AS THE BUILDER SAY, "I, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. I WANT TO APPEAL." SO THEY APPEAL TO THIS BOARD AND THIS BOARD IS A REALLY, MY, MY EXPERIENCE WITH THEM, I GUES TWO OR THREE TIMES, REALLY GOOD. JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION. YOU DON'T HAVE TO - I CAN'T DO A HALF HOUR? YEAH. NO. NO. OKAY. SO, ALL RIGHT. IT'S A, IT'S AN APPEAL BOARD. YEP. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. YOU ANSWERED [00:15:01] THE QUESTION. I'M DONE. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SOMEONE TO MOVE IT? I'LL MOVE IT. MOVE BY COMMISSIONER RICHARDS. SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY GIL. FOR ONE, TWO, AND THREE. COMMISSIONER COOPER? ABSENT COMMISSIONER GILL? YES. COMMISSIONER LUCIANO? YES. COMMISSIONER MERCADO? YES. COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON? YES. COMMISSIONER SEYBOLD? YES. COMMISSIONER SERMONS, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT MARY THOMAS? YES. COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALMERES? YES. SO MOVED. OKAY, LET'S MOVE THE RESOLUTIONS FOUR THROUGH SEVEN, WHICH ARE FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND REHABILITATION SERVICES, DIVISION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES. IT WILL BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME. MR. JACKSON? DIRECTOR FISHMAN WILL HANDLE THESE ITEMS. GOOD EVENING, DIRECTOR FISHMAN. WELCOME. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT. COME ON UP. UH, UH, WE CAN TAKE THEM ONE AT A TIME. UH, FOUR IS, UH, REACH FOR RECOVERY, WHICH IS OUR OUTREACH PROGRAM TO, UM, INVITE PEOPLE TO COME INTO, UH, RECOVERY FROM SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER OR OPIOID USE DISORDER. UH, AMONG OTHER THINGS, WE ALSO, UH, GIVE OUT MANY THINGS TO THE PEOPLE ON THE STREET, LIKE IN THE WINTERTIME, HA- HATS, SOCKS, THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, THAT'S FOUR. UM, FIVE IS, UM, SO THAT'S THE INSERTION FOR THE INNOVATION GRANT, WHICH COVERS THAT. UH, FIVE IS FOR, UM, THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE WITH INTEGRITY HOUSE AND, UH, ROBIN SHORTER IS HERE. SHE'S, UH, THE PERSON WHO REPRESENTS INTEGRITY HOUSE FOR THIS CONTRACT, AND THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ACTUALLY MAN THE VEHICLE AND GO OUT ON THE STREET AND, AND DO THE WORK, DO THE ASSESSMENTS AND DO THE WORK. SO SHE'S HERE IF YOU'D LIKE TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS. JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELF JUST FOR THE RECORD AND JUST TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU DO AT INTEGRITY HOUSE. SURE. HI, EVERYONE. I'M ROBIN SHORTER. I'M THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT INTEGRITY HOUSE, AND AS MS. FISHMAN SAID, I AM THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR REACH FOR RECOVERY. SO WE ARE IN THE COMMUNITY ONE WEEK, FOUR DAYS A WEEK, ONE WEEK, FIVE DAYS A WEEK. AND WE ARE IN 13 OR 14 DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES TO INCLUDE IRVINGTON, ORANGE, EAST ORANGE, NUTLEY, CALDWELL, BLOOMFIELD, WEST CALDWELL, AND A FEW, MONTCLAIR, AND A FEW OTHER PLACES. SO WE HAVE A LPN, A CERTIFIED PEER RECOVERY SPECIALIST, AS WELL AS A CLINICIAN. AND AS EILEEN SAID, YOU KNOW, WITH THE PROVISION OF INFORMATION, EDUCATION, RESOURCES, LINKAGES TO CARE, LINKAGES TO TREATMENT, EXPEDITIOUS ACCESS TO WITHDRAWAL MANAGEMENT, SHOULD A PARTICIPANT WANT THAT IN THE COMMUNITY. AND JUST OVERALL WELLNESS SERVICES. AND NOT ONLY DO WE SERVICE THOSE PARTICIPANTS IN THE COMMUNITY, WE HAVE A SPECIAL POPULATION THAT WE FOCUS ON WITH THE SENIORS AS WELL AS CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THE SENIOR WELLNESS DAY. THE, UH, GRADERS NEVER WALK ALONE, HIGH SCHOOL. SO WE'RE ABLE TO TOUCH THOSE VULNERABLE POPULATION AS WELL WITH THE PROVISION OF SERVICES, ESPECIALLY THE ADOLESCENTS AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, JUST THE DANGERS OF VAPING, SMOKING, ALCOHOL, AND THINGS THAT THEY MAY DIP AND DAB INTO. UM, I'M COMPLETE WITH THAT. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. THANK YOU, MADAM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOOD WORK. UH, NUMBER SIX IS, UH, THE APPROVAL FOR OUR MUNICIPAL ALLIANCE CONTRACTS. OUR MUNICIPAL ALLIANCE IS OUR PREVENTION AND EDUCATION PROGRAM WHERE WE HAVE CONTRACTS WITH MOST OF THE MUNICIPALITIES. I THINK OUT OF THE 22, WE HAVE, UM, CONTRACTS WITH 19 OF THE MUNICIPALITIES AND THEY DO PREVE- PREVENTION AND EDUCATION WORK VIA THOSE CONTRACTS. UH, NUMBER SEVEN IS, UM, LET'S SEE. UH, OH, THIS IS, UH, DRUG USE, UH, SERVICES. WE'RE REAL- REALLOCATING MONEY FOR OUR CHAPTER 51 GRANT, WHICH IS, UH, OUR PROGRAM WITH THE STATE WHERE WE CONTRACT WITH PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO, WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER OR OPIOID USE DISORDER, UM, FREE OF CHARGE FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO AREN'T, WHO DON'T HAVE INSURANCE. AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU, MR. FISHERMAN. WELCOME. MR. MATT, ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS, MR. PRESIDENT. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE ITEMS, FOUR THROUGH SEVEN? COMMISSIONER VP? THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, FIRST OF ALL, JUST FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND ALL OF THE VENDORS ATTACHED TO THIS WORK, UM, DUE TO CURB THIS CRISIS THAT'S AFFECTING OUR COMMUNITY. AS AN EDUCATOR AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST, I WAS PARTICULARLY INTRIGUED BY THE WORK, UH, WITH YOUNG PEOPLE. AND I'M CURIOUS, ARE THERE ANY ALLOCATIONS WITHIN THAT BUDGET IN WHICH YOU ACTUALLY TRAIN OR EMPLOY THE YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE PEER-TO-PEER TRAINERS ON THIS, YOU KNOW, UH, [00:20:01] ANTI-DRUG, ANTI-VAPING WORK? I'VE SEEN IN MY BACKGROUND THAT THE BEST TEACHERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE OFTEN YOUNG PEOPLE THEMSELVES. SO JUST WONDERING IF THAT MODEL EXISTS IN THESE INITIATIVES. A LOT OF THOSE PROGRAMS ARE DONE IN OUR PREVENTION AND EDUCATION AREA, WHICH IS THE MUNICIPAL ALLIANCE PROGRAM. UM, BUT IF, UH, SOMEONE IS DOING, UH, LET'S SAY PEER RECOVERY, UM, THERE ARE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS FOR THAT, FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED EXPERIENCE, MEANING THAT THEY COULD HAVE SOMEONE IN THEIR FAMILY OR, OR THEMSELVES WHO HAVE BEEN, UM, SUFFERING FROM, UH, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER. UH, SPECIFICALLY, WE DO NOT HIRE OR HAVE A PROGRAM THAT'S PEER-TO-PEER WITHIN THE COUNTY, UM, EXCEPT FOR THOSE PROGRAMS DONE VIA MUNICIPAL ALLIANCE. OKAY. THANK YOU. MM-HMM. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE VP, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MOVE THESE? SURE. THANK YOU. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY LUCIANO. ROLL CALL, MS. EVANS, FOUR THROUGH SEVEN. COMMISSIONER COOPER? ABSENT. COMMISSIONER GILL? YES. COMMISSIONER LUCIANO? YES. COMMISSIONER MERCADO? YES. COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON? YES. COMMISSIONER SEABOLT? YES. COMMISSIONER SERMONS, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT MURRAY THOMAS? YES. COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALMERES? YES. SO MOVED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOTH. OKAY, LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTIONS EIGHT THROUGH 15, WHICH ARE FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS. AND THEY WILL BE READ INTO THE RECORD LATER AT A LATER TIME. GOOD EVENING, MR. ZEITZ. GOOD EVENING. JOSHUA ZEITZ, SIOU COUNTY PARKS. NUMBER EIGHT IS A CONTRACT AWARD TO GREEN VALLEY LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE TO PROVIDE SNOW AND ICE REMOVAL SERVICES AT THE SOUTH MOUNTAIN RECREATION COMPLEX, UH, AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $344,600. SPECIFICALLY, THE TERMS OF SERVICE WOULD BE NOVEMBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR THROUGH MARCH 30TH OF NEXT YEAR, AND THEN CONTINUING ON NOVEMBER 1ST OF NEXT YEAR THROUGH MARCH 30TH OF 2028. UH, AGAIN, IT'S FOR, UH, ANY KIND OF SNOW REMOVAL OVER AT THE SOUTH MOUNTAIN RECREATION COMPLEX, INCLUDING THE ARENA AND TURTLE BACK ZOO PARKING LOTS. YES. NUMBER NINE, A CONTRACT AWARD WITH SCHOGER PROPERTY SERVICES TO PROVIDE LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE AT CEDAR GROVE PARK, 24-MONTH CONTRACT EXTENSION, NOT TO EXCEED $169,506.50. AGAIN, THIS IS FOR THE MOWING, WEEDING, AND GENERAL, UH, LANDSCAPING OVER AT CEDAR GROVE PARK. IT WOULD RUN FROM APRIL 1ST OF NEXT YEAR THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST OF NEXT YEAR, AND THEN CONTINUING APRIL 1ST OF 2028 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST OF 2028. NUMBER 10, A CONTRACT AWARD TO VIP SPECIAL SERVICES TO PROVIDE POWER WASHING, EXERCISING THE TWO-YEAR MONTH, UH, TWO-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION, AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $199,000. UH, AS, AS STATED, THIS IS FOR POWER WASHING OF THE VARIOUS, UH, BUILDINGS AND PARKING DECKS THROUGHOUT THE ESSEX COUNTY PARK SYSTEM. NUMBER 11, A CONTRACT AWARD TO V. ROACH & SONS, THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE BEER... I'M SORRY, DEER BUTCHERING SERVICES. UH, OPTIMISTIC, BUT, UH, JANUARY 1ST, 2027 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2028, UH, AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $40,000. AGAIN, THIS TIES IN WITH OUR, UH, DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. THE COST FOR THE BUTCHERING OF EACH DEER IS $110. UH, TO DATE, SINCE THE LIFE OF THE, UM, SINCE THE DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM'S INCEPTION, WE HAVE, UH, DONATED, UH, 2,600 POUNDS OF VENISON TO THE NEW JERSEY COMMUNITY FOOD BANK. UH, THIS WOULD BE THE BUTCHER THAT PROCESSES THAT VENISON. THANK YOU. NUMBER 12, AUTHORIZATION, UH, FOR A CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH DOWNTOWN TO EARTH FARMS PROVIDE PICKUP ANIMAL WASTE AT THE TURTLEBACK ZOO. UH, THIS IS AN EXTENSION OF OCTOBER 12TH THROUGH DECEMBER 11TH, AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $16,848. UH, THIS IS FOR THE DUMPSTERS THAT ARE OUTSIDE, UH, OR I SHOULDN'T SAY OUTSIDE, BUT WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE ZOO, UH, WHERE THE, UH, ANIMAL WASTE IS DUMPED. UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY ADVERTISING FOR A NEW CONTRACT AND WE EXPECT TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD AT A LATER DATE FOR THAT AWARD. NUMBER 13 IS A CHANGE ORDER WITH AIR SYSTEM MAINTENANCE TO PROVIDE MISCELLANEOUS HVAC SERVICES AT THE ZOO, ADDING AN ADDITIONAL $62,500. ORIGINALLY, THE CONTRACT WAS $312,500. ADDING THE, UH, 20% OF 62,500 BRINGS THE NEW TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT TO $375,000. NUMBER 14 AND 15 ARE RELATED IN THAT 14 IS THE APPROVAL OF A QUALIFIED LIST TO PROVIDE OUTSIDE EXOTIC ZOO VETERINARIAN SERVICES. AND THEN NUMBER 15 IS A RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO USE, UH, THE ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER AS, UH, THE VENDOR FOR THESE SERVICES. SO HAPPY TO - ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD MAY HAVE. [00:25:01] THANK YOU, MR. BABSON. ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE ITEMS EIGHT THROUGH 15? NO QUESTIONS PRESENT. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS ON EIGHT THROUGH 15? SEEING NONE, I HAVE SOMEONE TO MOVE. MOVE IT. MOVED BY THE VICE PRESIDENT. A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY RICHARDSON. ROLL CALL, MS. EVANS, EIGHT THROUGH 15. COMMISSIONER COOPER? ABSENT. ABSENT. COMMISSIONER GILL? YES. COMMISSIONER LUCIANO? YES. COMMISSIONER MERCADO? YES. COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON? YES. COMMISSIONER SEYBOLD? YES. COMMISSIONER SERMONS, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT MARY THOMAS? YES. COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALMERAS? YES. SO MOVED. THANK YOU, MR. ZEITZ. LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTION 16 THROUGH 18, WHICH ARE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, AND THEY WILL BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME. GOOD EVENING, MR. ANTONIO. UH, GOOD EVENING. DAVID ANTONIO, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. ITEM NUMBER, UH, 16 AWARDS DASKAL LLC THE CONTRACT TO REHABILITATE THE BATHROOMS AT THE HIGHLAND PAVILION AND INSTALLED SMART PUBLIC RESTROOMS AT THE EAGLE ROCK RESERVATION IN A MANNER TO EXCEED $3,172,000. DASKAL LLC SUBMITTED THE LOWEST OF THE SEVEN BIDS RECEIVED BY THE COUNTY. THIS CONTRACT WILL MODERNIZE THE EXISTING BATHROOMS INSIDE THE HIGHLAND PAVILION AND ALSO REPLACE THE EXISTING AGING OUTDOOR PUBLIC BATHROOM FACILITY WITH THE MODERN SMART BATHROOM. UH, MR. DAMIAN DASKOLOSKI OF DASKAL LLC IS HERE THIS EVENING. I THINK HE WANTS TO INTRODUCE HIS COMPANY AND, OF COURSE, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD MAY HAVE. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, SIR. PLEASE JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION AND THEN TELL US ABOUT YOUR COMPANY AND THE PROJECT. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DAMIEN DASKOLOWSKI ON BEHALF OF DASKAL, LLC. UH, MY COMPANY'S A GENERAL CONTRACTOR IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR. WE DO A LOT OF GOVERNMENT WORK. WE HAVE DONE PLENTY OF WORK AT, FOR THE COUNTY OF ESSEX, TURTLEBACK ZOO, A FEW PARK JOBS. UH, WE'VE BEEN AROUND THE AREA, IF YOU WILL. UH, WE HIRED, UH, A FEW PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE AREA AS WELL. UH, WE WORK WITH UNION COMPANIES FROM ESSEX COUNTY, AND WE HAVE A STORAGE FACILITY IN BLOOMFIELD AND MYRTLE AVENUE AS WE SPEAK, SO WE'RE NOT NEW TO THE AREA. IT'S, UH, THE ADDITION TO THE NEW JOB IS A VERY COMPLEX AND INTERESTING ADDITION WHICH CONTRIBUTES GREATLY TO THE PARK. THE, THE DESIGN IS GREAT. IT'S GONNA CONTRIBUTE TO THE VALUE OF WHATEVER'S BEING BUILT THERE AS A, AS A OBJECT, AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO DO A GOOD JOB FOR YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OF THE VENDOR? THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. MR. ANTONIO, I HAVE ONE QUESTION. IS THIS SIMILAR TO THE, UH, SMART BATHROOMS THAT WE INSTALLED AT THE OTHER RESERVATION THAT SELF-CLEANING AND DOES ALL THAT? YES, MR. PRESIDENT. THEY'RE EXACTLY THE SAME AS YOU HAVE THE TULIP SPRINGS. OKAY. AND HOW'S THAT ONE WORKING OUT SINCE IT'S NEW, IT WAS THE FIRST ONE? HAS IT BEEN WORKING OUT FINE? THEY'VE BEEN VERY POPULAR AND WE HAVE RECEIVED NO COMPLAINTS. UH, WE THINK THEY'RE WORKING OUT BEYOND OUR, OUR OWN EXPECTATIONS, ACTUALLY. EXCELLENT. IT'S A VERY IMPRESSIVE BATHROOM FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW. IT'S A COMPLETE SELF-CONTAINED SELF-CLEANING BATHROOM AND, UH, AND, AND IT'S VERY SENSITIVE TO THE FOOTPRINT OF THE RESERVATION. UH, WE DON'T HAVE TO BRING IN PIPES AND THINGS FROM FAR AWAY. IT'S PRETTY MUCH A SELF-CONTAINED UNIT, SO IT'S VERY SUCCESSFUL. USED A LOT IN EUROPE, I THINK, RIGHT? WAS IT EUROPE? YES. UH, MR. PRESIDENT, THERE, UH, THIS PARTICULAR BATHROOM IS PERMITTED IN CANADA, BUT THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT DOES COME FROM EUROPE, CORRECT. THANK YOU. UH, DAVID ANTONIO, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, ITEM NUMBER, UH, 17 IS THE EXERCISING OF A TWO-YEAR EXTENSION OPTION TO THE CONTRACT WITH SIGNAL ELECTRIC CORPORATION IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $159,600. UH, THIS CONTRACT PROVIDES FOR THE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF SECURITY SYSTEMS, SUCH AS ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS, SECURITY CAMERAS, UH, THINGS OF THAT SORT AT VARIOUS KIND OF FACILITIES IN AN AS-NEEDED BASIS. AND NUMBER 18 IS A CHANGE ORDER WHICH MODIFIES J.A. ALEXANDER'S EXISTING CONTRACT TO CONSTRUCT THE NEW LIVINGSTON ROUNDABOUT, WHICH IS LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF WALNUT STREET, UH, WEST HOLBROOK APP, AND PASSAIC AVENUES, BY INCREASING THE CURRENT NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF THE CONTRACT FOR 1,147,967 TO A NEW NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $1,367,957. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF $220,000, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 19% OF THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT. THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS ARE NEEDED TO COVER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH WINTER WEATHER CONSTRUCTION RESTRICTIONS [00:30:01] AND THE UNFORESEEN POOR SOIL CONDITIONS ON THE SITE. UH, THE NJDOT WILL BE FUNDING THE COST OF THIS CHANGE ORDER. MR. PRESIDENT, THAT COMPLETES MY REPORT. THANK YOU, MR. ANTONIO. MR. BAZ, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE ITEMS? NO QUESTIONS, PRESIDENT. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE ITEMS? YES, I DO, PRESIDENT. GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER MERCADO. YES, MY QUESTION FOR ANTONIO REGARDING THE BATHROOMS, AS YOU, AS YOU CONTINUE TO EXPAND, ARE THERE PLANS TO, TO DO BRANCHBROOK PARK, WEEKWAY, WEST SIDE PARK WITH THAT TYPE OF ENHANCEMENT? MR. PRESIDENT, IT'S FOR YOU. IF THE, IF THE SOLUTION MAKES SENSE, WE WILL IMPLEMENT THIS IN ANY LOCATION. UH, THIS, THIS BATHROOMS ARE ADVANTAGEOUS BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, THEY DO NOT NEED PIPING, UH, WATER INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE A TRADITIONAL BATHROOM BUILDING DOES. UM, SO YOU'RE RIGHT. IT'S A MATTER OF WHETHER OR NOT THE, DOES THIS SOLUTION MAKE SENSE IN A PARTICULAR LOCATION. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR - I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK. GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER SEYBOLD. THANK YOU. THE ROUNDABOUT IN LIVINGSTON IS GOING VERY, VERY WELL. I'VE SEEN IT MANY TIMES AND IT'S A TREMENDOUS IMPROVEMENT OVER WHAT WE HAD. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS? DO I HAVE SOMEONE TO MOVE THESE THREE ITEMS? MOVE IT. I'LL MOVE IT. MOVED BY SEABOLT, SECOND BY RICHARDSON. ROLL CALL MS. EVANS ON, UH, 16 THROUGH 18. COMMISSIONER COOPER? ABSENT COMMISSIONER GILL? YES. COMMISSIONER LUCIANO? YES. COMMISSIONER MERCADO? YES. COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON? YES. COMMISSIONER SEABOLT? YES. COMMISSIONER SERMONS, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT MARY THOMAS? YES. COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALMERES? YES. SO MOVED. THANK YOU. LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTION. GOODNIGHT MR. DUNTON. LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTION 19 THROUGH 21, WHICH IS FROM THE DIVISION OF TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT, AND IT'LL BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME. MR. JACKSON? UH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. RESIDENT. MS. UH, VAN D**E WILL HANDLE THESE ITEMS. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. WELCOME. GOOD EVENING. JOSETTE VAN VAN D**E. I'M REPRESENTING FOR DIRECTOR RICHARDSON GREEN AT DIVISION OF TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT. I'LL START WITH NUMBER 19. AND THAT'S ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE. WE'RE LOOKING TO DO A GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT CONTRACT WITH ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE FOR IN-SCHOOL WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAM, WHICH IS WORK-BASED LEARNING FOR $50,000. IT WILL COVER YOUTHS FROM 14 TO 21 WHO ARE IN DANGER OF DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL. THIS IS TO TEACH THEM SKILLS ALONG WITH ALSO KEEPING THEM IN SCHOOL. THEY'RE GOING TO DO 10 YOUTH FROM OCTOBER UNTIL DECEMBER WITH THE OPTION TO RENEW. NUMBER 20 IS ESSEX COUNTY VOCATIONAL SCHOOL. THEY AS WELL WILL BE DOING SIMILAR. THEY WILL BE... AND THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WITH THEM IS THEY'LL BE RUNNING THEIR PROGRAM UNTIL JUNE OF 2027, AND THEY'RE GONNA DO 15 YOUTH. SAME KIND OF TRAINING, SIMILAR? YES. ALL RIGHT. AND ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT ONE BEFORE I MOVE TO - NO, YOU CAN MOVE ON TO 21. THEN WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS ON THIS. OKAY. THE LAST ONE IS OUR LEASE WITH PROGRAM FOR PARENTS. THEY ARE IN OUR BUILDING ON THE THIRD FLOOR. THEY WILL BE PAYING RENT TO THE COUNTY, $714.92 PER MONTH. IT'S SO THAT THEY CAN BE IN THE BUILDING FOR OUR WELFARE TO WORK CLIENTS WHO NEED CHILDCARE SERVICES, AND THIS WAY THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO ALL OVER THE PLACE. EXCELLENT. THAT'S IT. MS. SHABAZZ, ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE ITEMS? NO QUESTIONS. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE ITEMS? I'M PARTICULARLY EXCITED ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL ONES THAT YOU OFFER. I THINK THOSE ARE, ARE HOME RUNS, SO WE DISCUSSED THAT AT LEADERSHIP, SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO THE TABLE. DO I HAVE SOMEONE TO MOVE THESE? I'LL MOVE IT. MOVED BY SIEBEL. SECOND BY THE VICE PRESIDENT. ROLL CALL MS. EVANS ON, UH, 19 THROUGH 21. COMMISSIONER COOPER? ABSENT. COMMISSIONER GILL? YES. COMMISSIONER LUCIANA? YES. COMMISSIONER MERCADO? YES. [00:35:01] COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON? YES. COMMISSIONER SEYBOLD? YES. COMMISSIONER SERMONS, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT MARIE THOMAS? YES. COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALMERES? YES. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. YOU TOO. LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTION 22 AND ADDED STARTERS 48 AND 49, WHICH ARE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF COUNTY COUNCIL. THEY'LL BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME. MR. ST. JOHN? THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. NUMBER 22 IS, UH, TO RETAIN THE FIRM OF, UH, CASES JOHN TOMASI TO ASSIST COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE COUNTY IN, UH, NEGOTIATING CERTAIN CONTRACTS WITH PROVIDERS FOR OUR NEW SELF-INSURED, UH, INSURANCE PLAN. UH, THEN TO 48, UH, THIS IS ALSO TO SUPPLEMENT THE LIST OF OUTSIDE QUALIFIED COUNSEL BETWEEN NOW AND END OF THE YEAR TO ASSIST US IN, UH, TO ASSIST US IN OUTSIDE LEGAL SERVICES. AND, UH, 49 IS FOR A SPECIFIC CASE, UH, UH, RETAINING THE FIRM OF DEWEY HEWITT, UH, TO, UM, ASSIST US ON A, A, A WRONGFUL DEATH CASE. THANK YOU. I KNOW, UH, OUR COUNCILS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THESE AND DISCUSS THE LEADERSHIP, BUT MS. SHABAZZ, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE ITEMS? NO, I DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT WE ARE SEEKING OUTSIDE COUNSEL, WHICH IS PRETTY TYPICAL. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS, UH, ON THESE ITEMS? SEEING NONE, SO I'M GONNA MOVE IT. I'LL MOVE IT. MOVED BY LUCIANO. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY THE VICE PRESIDENT. ROLL CALL, MS. EVANS. WE HAVE 22, 48, AND 49. COMMISSIONER COOPER? ABSENT, COMMISSIONER GILL? YES. I JUST, BUT, UM, ABSTAINING ON 22. COMMISSIONER LUCIANO? YES. COMMISSIONER MERCADO? YES. COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON? YES. COMMISSIONER SEYBOLD? ABSENT COMMISSIONER SERMONS? ABSENT COMMISSIONER... VICE PRESIDENT MURRAY THOMAS? YES. COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALMERES? YES. SO MOVED. YES FROM COMMISSIONER SEYBOLD. OKAY. WE'LL MARK THE AFFIRMATIVE FOR, FOR THE RECORD, WE'RE GONNA MARK ON THE AFFIRMATIVE FOR 22, 48 AND 49. LET'S MOVE ON TO 23 AND 24, WHICH ARE FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CITIZEN SERVICES. WE'LL BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME. MR. JACKSON? UH, THANK YOU, MR. MR. PRESIDENT. MS. PIERCE WILL HANDLE 23 AND MR. COLTRAY WILL HANDLE 24 AND 25. OKAY, THANK YOU. MS. PIERCE, GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS SHAMIKA PIERCE. I'M FROM ESSEX, ESSEX COUNTY DIVISION OF SENIOR SERVICES. I'M HERE FOR THE CONTINUED AGREEMENT WITH, UM, NATIONAL FUEL OIL, UH, TO HELP SENIORS CONTINUE TO GET, UH, 250 GALLONS OF DURING THE HEATING SEASON. AND THIS IS FROM MAY 21ST, 2026 THROUGH DECEMBER 2020... DECEMBER 31ST, 2026, NOT EXCEED $75,407. THANK YOU. MR. VAZ, ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? NO QUESTIONS PRESENT. COMMISSIONERS, QUESTIONS ON 23? YUP. YEAH, COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT, PLEASE. THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING ON THIS RESOLUTION. I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT, FRANKLY, EVERYBODY HAVE ACCESS TO OIL, CERTAINLY DURING THE HEATING SEASON, BUT OF COURSE OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, WHICH INCLUDE OUR SENIORS. I WAS ACTUALLY JUST WITH MY 82-YEAR-OLD GRANDMOTHER IN SOUTH CAROLINA. SHE CAME TO ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY IN THE 50S AND SHE'S LIKE, "I DO NOT MISS NEW JERSEY WINTERS." SO VERY GLAD THAT WE ARE CONSISTENTLY SHOWING UP FOR OUR SENIORS. JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, ROUGHLY HOW MANY SENIORS ARE SERVED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM AND WHAT IS ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA TO BE ABLE TO GET ACCESS TO THIS RESOURCE? OKAY. SO, UM, WE HAVE... LAST YEAR, WE HELPED AT LEAST ABOUT 25 SENIORS, UM, WITH 250 GALLONS OF THE FREE OIL. UM, WE ALSO HELPED ONE WITH, UM, WE HELPED THEM WITH, UH, IT WAS LIKE A LITTLE WHISTLE OR SOMETHING THAT WAS BROKEN. WE HELPED WITH THAT AS WELL. BUT THE CRITERIA IS, UM, THEY HAVE TO BE UNDER THE POVERTY GUIDELINES, AND IT'S ABOUT $4,700. THEIR INCOME CANNOT BE OVER THAT AMOUNT. AND THEY JUST CALL IN, WE DO A, A SCREENING, AND WE DO THE REFERRAL OVER TO THE OIL COMPANY, AND THEY GET, THEY GET DELIVERED WITHIN 24 HOURS. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. IT'S IMPORTANT WORK. YEAH. THANK YOU. YOU WANNA MOVE ON TO 24, UH, MR. COLTER IN 25? YOU HAVE BOTH OF THEM? YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO 24 AND THEN 25. 25 IS AMENDING [00:40:01] THE CONTRACT FOR EIGHT PROVIDERS. THE STARTING DATE WILL BE JULY 15TH, 2026. AND 25? 25 IS FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION. IT'S A NEGOTIATED CONTRACT. WE WENT OUT TWICE FOR THIS PARTICULAR BID. UH, WE S - RECEIVED NONE, SO WE THEN NEGOTIATED WITH XT DIRECT, LLC, THE SOLE RESPONSIBLE NEGOTIATOR NOT TO EXCEED $125. THIS IS AT FOUR CENTS PER CALL FOR ROBOS. WE USE IT DURING THE WINTERTIME FOR EMERGENCIES AND SNOW. THANK YOU. MR. BASS, ANY QUESTIONS ON 24 AND 25? NO, MR. PRESIDENT. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS ON 24 AND 25? SEEING NONE ELSE I'M GONNA MOVE 23, 24 AND 25. I MOVE IT. MOVED BY THE VICE PRESIDENT OF A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND. SECOND BY RICHARDSON. WE'LL GET MERCADO NEXT. UH - SECOND. ROLL CALL, MS. EVANS, ON 23, 24, AND 25. COMMISSIONER COOPER? ABSENT, COMMISSIONER GILL? YES. COMMISSIONER LUCIANO? YES. COMMISSIONER MERCADO? YES. COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON? YES. COMMISSIONER SEBOLT? YES. COMMISSIONER SERMONS, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT MARY THOMAS? YES. COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALMERES? YES. SO MOVED. LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTION 26 AND 27, WHICH ARE FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTOR AND BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME. MR. JACKSON? UH, THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. UH, I, UH, 26 IS A PARTICIPATION RESOLUTION FOR THE OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTOR FROM THE, UH, OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 2026 OPERATION HELPING HAND FROM, UH, SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2026 TO EIGHT / 31 / 27. UH, ITEM 27 IS, UH, LINKED WITH THAT, AND IT'S A BUDGET INSERTION IN THE AMOUNT OF $116,666.66, UH, TO PROVIDE FOR THE, UM, FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE SERVICES. UH, THESE ARE FUNDS TO, UH, SERVICE OF PROGRAMS THAT IDENTIFIED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE OPIOID DEPENDENT AND SUBJECT TO C - UH, CRIMINAL ARREST AND ARRANGE TREATMENT IN LIEU OF INCARCERATION, UH, FOR THOSE, UH, INDIVIDUALS. THEN THERE'S NO, NO COUNTY MATCH. THANK YOU. MS. CHAVAZ, ANY QUESTIONS ON 26 AND 27? NO QUESTION, MR. PRESIDENT. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS ON 26 AND 27? SEEING NONE, SO I'M GONNA MOVE THESE. MERCADO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MOVE 26 AND 27? YES, PLEASE. THANK YOU. SECOND BY RICHARDSON. UH, ROLL CALL, MS. EVANS. COMMISSIONER COOPER? ABSENT COMMISSIONER GILL? YES. COMMISSIONER LUCIANO? YES. COMMISSIONER MERCADO? YES. COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON? YES. COMMISSIONER SEYBOLD? YES. COMMISSIONER SERMONS, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT MARY THOMAS? YES. COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALMERES? YES. SO MOVED. LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTION 28 THROUGH 31, WHICH ARE FOR THE DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICES, AND THEY'LL BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME. MR. JACKSON? UH, ITEM 28, UH, IS ANOTHER PARTICIPATION, UM, RESOLUTION FOR THE COMMISSION TO PARTICIPATE, UM, IN THE STATE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AND FAMILY COURT PROGRAM. UM, ITEM 29, UH, IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,970,090, UH, ARE THE FUNDS THAT ARE, UH, TO, UH, PROVIDE FOR THIS PROGRAM. AND THIS, UH, PROGRAM PROVIDES FUNDING TO PRO - TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR RISK, FOR YOUTH WHO ARE AT RISK AND COURT-INVOLVED YOUTH, AND THERE'S NO, UH, COUNTY MATCH. UH, ITEM 30, ANOTHER PARTICIPATION RESOLUTION, UH, FOR OUR DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICES. UH, THIS IS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE JUVENILE DETENTION ALTERNATIVE, UH, INITIATIVE. THIS IS A, UM, UH, UH, ANOTHER, UH, PROGRAM, UH, HELPING, UH, OUR YOUTH WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE, UH, CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. UM, AND ITEM, UH, 31 IS THE, UH, INSERTION, AGAIN, THE AMOUNT OF $120,000. UM, THIS WILL PROVIDE, UH, FUNDING FOR A, UM, WORK SITE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE JOB EXPOSURE AND WORK EXPERIENCE FOR, UH, FOR A COUNTY, UH, VARIOUS, UH, COUNTY BUSINESSES FOR 15 COURT INVOLVED YOUTH FOR AN EIGHT, EIGHT WEEK PERIOD AND UP TO 15 HOURS PER WEEK. NO COUNTY MATCH. MR. BAZ, ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE ITEMS? NO QUESTIONS. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE ITEMS? SEEING NONE, SO I'M GONNA MOVE 28 THROUGH 31. I'LL MOVE IT. MOVED BY LUCIANO. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY RICHARDSON. ROLL CALL, MS. EVANS. COMMISSIONER COOPER, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER GILL? YES. COMMISSIONER LUCIANO? YES. [00:45:01] COMMISSIONER MERCADO? PRESENT, NOT VOTING. COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON? YES. COMMISSIONER SEABOLT? YES. COMMISSIONER SERMONS, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT MARIE THOMAS? YES. COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALMEROS? YES. SO MOVED. LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTION 32 THROUGH 36, WHICH ARE ALL 2026 COUNTY BUDGET INSERTIONS OF, UH, ITEMS OF REVENUE FROM VARIOUS SOURCES, AND THEY WILL BE READ INTO THE RECORD AT A LATER TIME. MR. JACKSON? UH, MR. PRESIDENT, THE TW - UH, 32 IS FROM THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS TO OUR, THE ESSEX COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS TO SUPPLEMENT THE MEDICALLY ASSISTANT, THE, THE TREATMENT PROGRAM, THE MAP PROGRAM, WHICH REDUCED RISK OF OVERDU - OVER- OVERDOSE AND INCREASED, UH, TREATMENT, UH, RETENTION. UH, NO, NO COUNTY MATCH. ITEM 33 IS FROM THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO OUR DIVISION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,334,596. THIS IS, UH, A PROGRAM THAT IS DESIGNED TO ORGANIZE, IMPLEMENT, AND MONITOR PROGRAMS OF SERVICES FOR ESSEX COUNTY RESIDENTS WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUG-RELATED, UH, ISSUES. ITEM 34 IS FROM THE, UM, THE N- NATIONAL OPIOID, UH... DO I DO 30... YEAH, UH, YEAH. UH, I- ITEM 34 IS THE, UM, FROM THE NATIONAL OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUND, UH, IN THE AMOUNT OF $196,397.87. THESE FUNDS GO TO OUR ESSEX COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH AS WELL. THIS IS, UH, CONTINUING PAYMENTS FROM THE, UH, SETTLEMENT. UH, TO DATE, WE'VE RECEIVED ABOUT, UH, 3.4 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THAT PROGRAM, AND THERE IS NO, UH, COUNTY MATCH. ITEM 35, UM, FROM NEW JER - NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF STATE TO OUR, THE ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS. THIS IS FOR, UH, TO, TO, UH, REPLENISH OR REIMBURSE, UH, COSTS THAT WERE INCURRED FOR THE 2026 PRIMARY ELECTION, THE EARLY VOTING, UH, PORTION OF THAT, AGAIN, GOING TO OUR BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $718,134.63. ITEM 36, UH, FROM THE NEW JERSEY, UH, DIVISION OF ELECTIONS TO THE ESSEX COUNTY, UM, COMMISSIONER OF REGISTRATION SUPERINTENDENT OF ELECTIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $277,305.33, AND THIS IS REIMBURSEMENT FOR EXPENSES RELATED TO THE 2024 SPECIAL GENERAL ELECTION EARLY VOTING. NO COUNTY MATCH. THANK YOU, SIR. MR. BAZ, ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE ITEMS? NO QUESTIONS, PRESIDENT. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE ITEMS? SEEING NONE, SO I'M GONNA MOVE THESE BUDGET INSERTIONS. MOVE IT. MOVED BY RICHARDSON. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY THE VICE PRESIDENT. WE'LL CALL MS. EVANS. THIS IS 32 TO 36. COMMISSIONER COOPER, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER GILL? YES. COMMISSIONER LUCIANO? YES. COMMISSIONER MERCADO? YES. COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON? YES. COMMISSIONER SEYBOLD? YES. COMMISSIONER SERMONS, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT MARY THOMAS? YES. COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALMERES? YES. SO MOVED. LET'S MOVE ON TO RESOLUTIONS 37 THROUGH 47. AND RESOLUTION 50, WHICH ARE PRIMARILY IN MEMORIALS, COMMENDATIONS, PROCLAMATION RESOLUTIONS AND SUCH. COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS? SO I'M GONNA MOVE THEM. MOVE. MOVED BY LUCIANO. SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY THE VICE PRESIDENT. UH, ROLL CALL, MS. EVANS. COMMISSIONER COOPER, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER GILL? YES. COMMISSIONER LUCIANO? YES. COMMISSIONER MERCADO? YES. COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON? YES. COMMISSIONER SEABOLT? YES. COMMISSIONER SERMONS, ABSENT. COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT MARY THOMAS? YES. COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT PALMERES? YES. SO MOVED. OKAY. LET'S MOVE ON TO, UH, REPORT OF BOARD COMMITTEES. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY, BUT WE HAVE, UH, BANKING COMING UP SOON. UH, DO WE HAVE ANY LEGISLATIVE REPORTS, MS. EVANS? I THINK WE DO. NO. ANY, NO WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS? COMMISSIONERS, ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS? SEEING NONE, NEW BUSINESS. ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT. THERE, IF THERE'S ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON ANY ITEM, UH, PLEASE COME TO THE MICRONES - PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU, MA'AM. UH, MY NAME IS CLAUDINE MOSSBERG. I LIVE IN BLOOMFIELD. I'M THE FOUNDER OF OUTDOOR PLAY CONNECTION. I'M A CERTIFIED OUTDOOR EDUCATOR, DIRECTOR, AND LEADERSHIP WITH THE ASSOCIATION OF NATURE-BASED EDUCATION. I'M ALSO A FACILITATOR FOR THEM IN THEIR LEVEL ONE OUTDOOR EDUCATION. PRIOR TO STARTING MY ORGANIZATION'S PROGRAMMING, [00:50:01] I ASKED PERMISSION TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IN MARCH 2023, WHICH THEY GAVE ME PERMISSION TO BE IN EAGLE ROCK RESERVATION. ON AUGUST 4TH AT 1:40 PM, A COMPLAINT WAS EMAILED TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FROM THE CONSERVANCY. ON AUGUST 1ST, UH, AUGUST 4TH, 1:59 PM, 19 MINUTES LATER, PARKS DEPARTMENT EMAILED ME THAT I COULD NO LONGER USE EAGLE ROCK FOR MY PROGRAMMING. ON AUGUST 5TH, THE NEXT DAY, 4:07 PM, A CEASE AND DESIST ORDER WAS SENT TO ME FROM THE ESSEX COUNTY LEGAL DEPARTMENT. FOR THE PAST NINE WEEKS, I HAVE SPENT TIME SENDING EMAILS TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, PERMITS DEPARTMENT, PHONE CALLS TO FOLLOW UP ASKING FOR THE REASON THIS WAS DONE IN THIS WAY. 19 MINUTES, A DECISION WAS MADE ABOUT MY PROGRAM WITHOUT ANYONE ASKING ANY QUESTIONS OF WHAT I ACTUALLY DO. THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS ONLY OFFERING SOUTH MOUNTAIN AS AN OPTION FOR CHILDREN PROGRAMMING. WE HAVE A FOREST LOCAL TO US. WHY CAN'T WE USE IT? THIS CREATES A HARDSHIP FOR THE NORTHERN ESSEX FAMILIES. OUTDOOR PLAY CONNECTION ACTUALLY BENEFITS THE LAND AT EAGLE ROCK. WE TEACH CHILDREN AND PARENTS TO READ AND FOLLOW TRAIL MARKERS, RESPECT PUBLIC LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES, PRACTICE RESPONSIBLE TRAIL USE, UNDERSTAND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDA - STEWARDSHIP AND CARE FOR THE FOREST AND PUBLIC SPACES THEY ENJOY. OUTDOOR PLAY CONNECTION HAS HELPED CLEAN AREAS, AND OVER THE YEARS, MEMBERS OF THE CONSERVANCY HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH US ABOUT THE WAYS OUR PROGRAM CONTRIBUTE TO CARING FOR EAGLE ROCK RESERVATION. OUR PRESENT HELPS... OUR PRESENCE HELPS CHILDREN DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE WHILE TEACHING THEM HOW TO RESPONSIBLY USE AND PROTECT THE LAND. OUTDOOR PLAY CONNECTION HAS OPERATED IN EAGLE ROCK FOR APPROXIMATELY FOUR YEARS WITH PERMISSION FROM ESSEX COUNTY. IT IS THE LOCATION THAT SERVES OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. REMOVING THIS PROGRAM WILL CREATE A SIGNIFICANT BARRIER FOR FAMILIES WHO DESIRE ACCESS TO OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING CLOSE TO HOME. OPC WAS CREATED TO BUILD CONFIDENCE TO GET OUTDOORS AND BUILD COMMUNITY. IN 2022, I REALIZED HOW MANY OF MY NEIGHBORS DID NOT KNOW HOW TO UTILIZE, UTILIZE THE OUTDOORS, AND I FELT STRONGLY THAT IF PEOPLE HAD GUIDANCE, THEY WOULD EXPERIENCE THE MANY BENEFITS THAT THE OUTDOORS GIVES. I'VE DEDICATED THE LAST FOUR YEARS TO THIS MISSION THROUGH PROGRAMMING THAT INCLUDES PARENTS. THEY LEARN ABOUT THE FOREST ALONG THEIR CHIL - ALONGSIDE THEIR CHILDREN. WITH A DROP-OFF PROGRAM, PARENTS CAN GET THE TIME THEY NEED FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR CHILDREN BRING THEIR PARENTS BACK TO EAGLE ROCK PROUDLY TO SHOW THEM WHAT THEY LEARNED. NAVIGATING THE TRAILS, IDENTIFYING POISON IVY AND OTHER PLANTS AND CLEANING UP TRASH THAT OTHERS LEAVE BEHIND, AND ONLY THE BEGINNING OF WHAT THE CHILDREN LEARN AT OPC. THE CONFIDENCE THAT CHILDREN FIND IS ASTOUNDING. I AM ASKING FOR A LEGAL BASICS - BASIS FOR THIS DECISION. I'M REQUESTING A MEETING WITH THE COMMISSIONERS AND DAN- DAN SILVANTI TO DISCUSS OUR REASONABLE SOLUTION TO RETURN ACCESS TO EAGLE ROCK RESERVATION FOR OUTDOOR PLAY CONNECTION PROGRAMMING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM. WHAT I'M GONNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO, PLEASE, IS, UH, ADAM IS IN THE BACK TO JUST PROVIDE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION. YOU HAVE... WE'VE ALREADY BEEN IN TOUCH WITH HIM. OKAY. SO THAT WAY WE CAN INQUIRE AND, UH, I- I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE NATURE OF IT IS, BUT WE CAN INQUIRE, OKAY? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ONE SEC. GOOD EVENING. HI. I'M A MOM. I LIVE IN MONTCLAIR. CAN YOU PLEASE JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD? YES. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS ERIN ASANI. I'M A RESIDENT OF MONTCLAIR, AND MY SON ATTENDS OUTDOOR PLAY CONNECTION. UM, I'M WRITING TO URGE YOU TO REVERSE YOUR DECISION AROUND OUR CHILDREN'S ACCESS TO EAGLE ROCK AS PART OF THE OPC PROGRAM. OUR CHILD HAS BEEN PART OF OPC'S PROGRAMS FOR OVER A YEAR AND HAS NOT ONLY BECOME A BUDDING NATURALIST AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARD, BUT HAS MADE DEVELOPMENTAL LEAPS NOT POSSIBLE IN OTHER ENVIRONMENTS. WHEN OUR CHILD WAS NOT ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN TRADITIONAL LOCAL PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS BECAUSE OF SOCIAL AND MOTOR DELAYS, OPC WELCOMED HIM WITH OPEN ARMS. HE ATTENDED FOREST SCHOOL AT EAGLE ROCK WEEKLY THIS PAST YEAR AND IS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN AFTER SCHOOL. HE'S TRANSFORMED FROM A CHILD WITH LOW SELF-ESTEEM AND FEW FRIENDS TO A MORE CONFIDENT KID WITH THE COMMUNITY. HE RETURNS HOME COVERED IN MUD, BEAMING, EXHAUSTED, EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT THE GLACIAL ROCKS THEY DISCOVERED, THE SEARCH FOR BIGFOOT, B- BIGFOOT AND OTHER ANIMAL TRACKS, AND THE MIL - MANY UTILITIES OF STICKS AND ROCKS. HE'S ALSO LEARNED REVERENCE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT FROM THE THOUGHTFUL INSTRUCTION OF THE GUIDES. CLAUDINE MOSSBERG HAS CREATED THE ONLY TRULY INCLUSIVE PROGRAM WE FOUND IN THIS AREA, AND IT HINGES ON ACCESS TO THE OUTDOORS WHERE CHILDREN CAN GET THEIR SENSORY NEEDS MET, EXPERIENCE THE HEALING POWER OF NATURE, DEVELOP A SENSE OF WONDER AND AWE, AND CREATE SOCIAL CONNECTIONS, ALL OF WHICH CAN BE HARDER FOR NEURODIVERGENT CHILDREN IN TRADITIONAL CLASSROOMS. THE ACCESSIBILITY OF EAGLE ROCK IS KEY TO OUR FAMILY AND GIVEN WORK SCHEDULES AND TRAVEL TIME, IT'S THE ONLY OPTION OUR FAMILY CAN MAKE WORK. WE DON'T WANT OUR SON AND OTHERS TO LOSE ACCESS TO THE ONE PLACE WHERE HE'S FELT A TRUE SENSE OF BELONGING, NOT ONLY AMONG HIS FRIENDS AT OPC, BUT ALSO THE FOREST THAT'S BECOME A SECOND HOME TO HIM. PLEASE REINSTATE OPC'S ACCESS TO EAGLE ROCK. OUR CHILDREN HAVE FORMED DEEP ATTACHMENTS TO [00:55:01] THIS OUTDOOR CLASSROOM AND TO EACH OTHER THERE, AND LOSING EITHER WOULD BE DEVASTATING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM MADAM. SAFE TO ASSUME YOU'RE CONNECTED WITH ADAM ALREADY WITH YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. HELLO. MY NAME IS EMMA SHANKLIN. I'M A RESIDENT OF BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY. NOT ONLY AM I A PARENT WITH OUTDOOR PLAY CONNECTION, BUT I'M ALSO ONE OF THEIR GUIDES. I'M GONNA READ A LETTER FROM MY 12-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER. "TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, MY NAME IS RONNIE PALAKOWSKI. I AM 12 YEARS OLD AND I LIVE IN BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY. I HAVE BEEN HIKING AT EAGLE ROCK RESERVATION SINCE I WAS TWO YEARS OLD. I KNOW EVERY SINGLE TRAIL SO WELL, I COULD PROBABLY WALK THEM IN MY SLEEP. EAGLE ROCK RESERVATION EVEN SMELLS DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER FOREST I GO TO, AND I'M GONNA INSERT HERE. WE GO TO A LOT OF FORESTS. I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM BEING AT EAGLE ROCK RESERVATION. OUTDOOR PLAY CONNECTION HAS TAUGHT ME HOW TO READ TRAIL MARKERS, WHAT A LANDMARK IS, AND HOW TO CARE FOR OUR FOREST. WHEN WE HIKE, WE HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT LANDMARKS. THERE'S TUMOR TREE, WHICH IS A TREE WITH A TUMOR ON IT, NOT THE BRAIN KIND, BUT THE TREE KIND, WHICH IS A SIGN THAT THE TREE IS IN FACT STRESSED. ALLIGATOR ROCK, A ROCK THAT LOOKS LIKE AN ALLIGATOR PEEKING OUT OF THE WATER COVERED IN LICHEN, AND BABY HUEY. BABY HUEY IS A BOULDER THAT WAS LEFT BEHIND AT THE END OF THE ICE AID WHEN THE ICE SEED - ICE SHEET RESER - RECEDED. THE BOULDER WE CALL BABY HUEY WAS LEFT BEHIND ON THE BLUE TRAIL. IT EVEN HAS A TRAIL MARKER ON IT. I EVEN NAMED A LANDMARK. IT'S NOW CALLED THE SLOTH TREE. WE CALL IT SLOTH TREE BECAUSE IT IS A TREE THAT HAS A CURVY BACKWARDS L, SO IT'S EASY TO LAY ON LIKE A SLOTH. PLEASE RECONSIDER ALLOWING OPC TO HOLD ITS PROGRAMMING AT EAGLE ROCK RESERVATION. IT IS MY LOCAL FOREST. IT'S ONLY 15 MINUTES FROM MY HOUSE. THE TRAILS AT EAGLE ROCK RESERVATION ARE SO EASY TO NAVIGATE REGARDLESS OF AGE OR ABILITY, WHICH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL AGES AND ALL ABILITIES IN OUR PROGRAMS. EAGLE ROCK RESERVATION IS NOT AN OVERWHELMING SIZE AND ALLOWS US TO SEE MANY DIFFERENT THINGS IN A SINGLE CLASS. WE CAN SEE A STREAM, A BOULDER OF ALL SIZES, AND MANY DIFFERENT PLANTS WITHOUT SPENDING THE WHOLE DAY TRYING JUST TO GET FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER. DIFFERENT PLANTS WITHOUT, UH, SORRY. PLEASE LET US CONTINUE TO WATCH OUR LOCAL FOREST GROW AND CHANGE OVER THE SEASONS. THANK YOU, FROM RONNIE POLANKOWSKI. AND I GET TO TEACH CHILDREN AND PARENTS HOW TO FIND THINGS. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE I UNDERSTAND WHO LIVE IN THIS AREA, I HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE GREW UP IN NEW YORK CITY THAT NOW LIVE HERE WHO HAVE NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHAT POISON IVY LOOKED LIKE. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE BALANCE THE CHILDREN'S GREEN TIME WITH SCREEN TIME, AND AS SOMEBODY WHO GREW UP OUTDOORS ALL THE TIME, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT AND I'M VERY LUCKY TO HAVE FOUND A COMMUNITY THAT IS PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT AS WELL. THANK YOU. IF YOU COULD, UH, PLEASE PASS ALONG AND WE ENJOYED AND APPRECIATE THE LETTER. SHE'S RIGHT THERE. ALL RIGHT. BLESS YOU. THANK YOU FOR BLUSHING. WELL, UH, IS THAT YOUR DAUGHTER? I CAN'T SEE FROM YOU. YES. WELL, WE APPRECIATE YOUR LETTER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. PLEASE. STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD. MY NAME IS ANGELA KERNELL KHAN, AND I'M A RESIDENT OF BLOOMFIELD. UM, I WAS GONNA READ FROM MY PHONE, BUT I THINK I'LL JUST SPEAK FROM MY HEART. I'M ONE OF THE FAMILIES THAT MOVED TO THIS COUNTY FROM BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AND ALL WE HAD WAS AN URBAN LANDSCAPE. AND MOVING HERE HAS BEEN SO EYE-OPENING FOR MY SON, MATEO, WHO'S TURNING NINE, AND MY DAUGHTER, RAY, WHO'S FOUR. I'VE SEEN THEM GROW SO MUCH, AND IN THEIR COMPASSION FOR NATURE AND OTHER PEOPLE AND FOR THEMSELVES. WHAT OPC HAS GIVEN OUR FAMILY IS BEYOND WORDS. AND I REALLY HOPE THAT THOSE WHO ARE IN CHARGE COULD RECONSIDER, UM, ALLOWING US TO CONTINUE USING EAGLE ROCK PRESERVATION FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT OUTDOOR PLAY CONNECTION DOES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. HI. UM, I'M LINDSAY, UH. I LIVE IN BLOOMFIELD. THIS IS MY SON, ROBIN. UM, AND THIS IS A LETTER WE WROTE IN SUPPORT OF CLAUDINE. UM, SO WE'VE BEEN A PART OF THE OPC NATURE SCHOOL FOR OVER THREE YEARS. UM, CLAUDINE HAS PROVIDED A MUCH NEEDED SERVICE FOR US WHEN WE NEEDED IT. WE WERE NEW TO NEW JERSEY AND NEW TO HOMESCHOOLING, AND SHE WELCOMED US INTO HER COMMUNITY AND HER CLASSES WHEN WE WERE LOOKING FOR CONNECTION AND NOT FINDING IT ANYWHERE ELSE. WHEN MY SON STARTED AT NATURE SCHOOL, HE WAS SHY AND NERVOUS TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS, AND THREE YEARS LATER, HE'S MADE CLOSE FRIENDS, GROWN IN CONFIDENCE, AND HAS A DEEP RESPECT FOR THE FOREST AND NATURE. HE KNOWS NOT TO WALK ON NEW GROWTH IN THE FOREST. HE CAN STICK TO A TRAIL AND READ TRAIL MARKERS. HE CAN IDENTIFY POISON IVY AND WILL OFTEN POINT IT OUT TO STRANGERS WHEN WE HIKE. HE KNOWS NOT TO CLIMB TREES THAT COULD BECOME DAMAGED AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO LEAVE THE FOREST AS WE FIND IT OR EVEN BETTER. THIS IS ALL THE WORK OF CLAUDINE AND HER GUIDES. CLAUDINE NOT ONLY TAKES GOOD CARE OF THE FOREST AT EAGLE ROCK, SHE TEACHES KIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES HOW TO TAKE CARE OF IT. AND SHE REGULARLY REMOVES [01:00:01] TRASH LEFT BY OTHERS AND DISPOSES OF IT PROPERLY. I NOW HIKE WITH A CONTAINER TO PICK UP TRASH AS WE HIKE, SOMETHING I'VE NOT CONSIDERED DOING BEFORE WE JOINED OPC. I GET TO SPEND TIME IN THE FOREST WITH MY SON, LEARNING ALONGSIDE HIM. THERE AREN'T MANY PROGRAMS IN THE LOCAL AREA THAT SUPPORT THIS. MY CHILD, ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS AT OPC, THRIVES WITH CONSISTENCY AND FAMILIARITY. NO LONGER ALLOWING OPC TO WORK OUT OF EAGLE ROCK WOULD BE A HUGE LOSS FOR THE COMMUNITY AND OUR FAMILIES. I RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU TO RECONSIDER THE DECISION REGARDING OPC'S USE OF EAGLE ROCK. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, ADAM. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK? MR. FREEMAN? GOOD EVENING. UH, GOOD EVENING. SO I COME BEFORE YOU IN REGARDS TO SEEKING MORE FUNDING FOR PARKS AND REC, AND THE COMMUNITY WHEN IT COMES TO LAKE PRESERVATION. WE HAVE A GROWING FISHING POPULATION NOW. I THINK IT'S ALMOST LIKE 78. WE'VE BEEN GOING TO THE DIFFERENT PARKS. WE'RE STARTING TO SEE ALGAE BLOOM AND THERE'S SOME CONDITIONS ALONG THE SHORELINE. SO I'M ASKING FOR YOU TO PUT SOMETHING IN THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR SO THAT WHEN WE START HAVING THE DERBIES, WE CAN ACTUALLY FISH WITHIN THE LAKES. UM, A LOT OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY FISHING, BECAUSE WE HAVE A FISHING CLUB NOW IN WEEKWAY PARK, THEY'RE ACTUALLY DONATING THEIR TIME TO HELP CLEAN THE SHORELINES AND WE JUST ASKING FOR SOME COURTESY THERE.THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. FREEMAN, IF YOU COULD, UH, JUST LEAVE YOUR CONTACT INFO SO WE CAN PUT YOUR REQUEST IN WRITING AND WE CAN FORWARD THAT TO, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. WINFRED VICTOR HINES, AND I AM SPEAKING AS A RESIDENT AND ALSO A DISCLAIMER AS A CANDIDATE FOR ESSEX COUNTY COMMISSIONER AT LARGE. AND I HOPE YOU RECONSIDER WHAT THESE LOVELY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE NATURE STUDY FOR KIDS. AND, UH, WE KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO FIND GOOD PROGRAMS PERTAINING TO THAT. SO IF THERE'S A PROGRAM THAT WORKS, PLEASE, OKAY, MAKE SURE THAT IT REMAINS. AND SO, UM, I BELIEVE I CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVE AS AN ADVOCATE, AS A CANDIDATE RATHER THAN AN ADVOCATE, UH, BECAUSE AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WEQUEIK PARK ASSOCIATION, I'VE COME HERE AD NAUSEUM FOR A WHOLE SLEW OF ISSUES AND HAVE NEVER BEEN HEARD, WHICH IS WHY I'M, I'M THROWING MY HAT IN THE RING. NOW, UM, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT DIVIDEND HILL BECAUSE AS I SPEAK TO PEOPLE THROUGHOUT MY CAMPAIGNING, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MENTIONING DIVIDEND HILL. AND TYPICAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION, LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND LITTLE TO ZERO COMMUNITY INPUT AS THEY UNFORTUNATELY HAVE FOUND OUT. SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. AND ONE IS, WHAT IS THE CURRENT STRUCTURAL CONDITION AND ASSESSMENT OF THE DIVIDEND HILL PAVILION? IS IT INCLUDED IN ANY UPCOMING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLANS? HAS THE COUNTY CONSIDERED THE PAVILION'S POTENTIAL FOR NEW JERSEY HISTOR- HISTORIC TRUST FUNDING ELIGIBILITY? AND WHAT'S THE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE OR TIMELINE STRUCTURES AT, UH, WIKUEHIK PARK SPECIFICALLY? NOW, IF YOU'VE ALREADY ADDRESSED THIS, RIGHT, NONE OF US KNOW. NOBODY KNOWS THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH WARD. I MEAN, UNLESS YOU'RE SPEAKING TO CERTAIN GROUP, UM, YOU KNOW, PERTAINING TO CRONYISM, FAVORITISM, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT. BUT WE DO NEED COMMUNITY INPUT. THERE'S BEEN A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. UH, LET'S GO BACK ALSO TO THE ROLLER SKATING RINK THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTED, THAT OVER 200 PEOPLE SIGNED A PETITION FOR, AND YET WE GOT A FOURTH, UM, SOFTBALL BASEBALL FIELD. AND SO THIS HAS TO CHANGE. AND SO, UM, I'LL BE AWAITING YOUR ANSWERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. PLEASE JUST, UH, PROVIDE THAT TO ADAM SO WE CAN FORWARD YOUR, YOUR, UH, QUESTIONS TO THE ADMINISTRATION. OKAY. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING, UH, PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT, COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS NORM SUTTERIA, 99 BERKELEY AVENUE IN BLOOMFIELD. I WANNA TAKE YOU BACK TO MY CHILDHOOD. UM, NEARBY IN UNION, NEW JERSEY WHERE I GREW UP, THERE WAS A PLACE CALLED THE LARCHMONT RESERVATION. IT'S BEHIND JOE COLLINS PARK ON THE BORDER OF SPRINGFIELD. AND MUCH LIKE THE FOREST IS FOR ALL OF YOU, UM, JOE COLLINS PARK AND LARCHMONT RESERVATION WERE MY MAGICAL PLACE GROWING UP. IT WAS A PLACE WHERE MY FRIENDS AND I RODE OUR BIKES, WHERE WE EXPLORED THE WOODS, WHERE WE DUG UP EARTHWORMS, WHERE WE BUILT, UH, FORTS [01:05:01] OUT OF FALLEN BRANCHES AND LIMBS. AND IT WAS A PLACE OF MAGIC, JOY, AND DISCOVERY IN MUCH THE SAME WAY THE FOREST STAR AND ESSEX COUNTY PARKS ARE FOR ALL OF YOU. SO, WE NEED TO PRESERVE THAT, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, EVERYONE HAS GREEN TIME RATHER THAN SCREEN TIME. AND THE IMPORTANT THING THAT WAS LEFT OUT OF THE TESTIMONY IS THIS. RIGHT NOW, WE ARE IN A BUILDING THAT SITS WITHIN A NEW JERSEY DEP DEFINED OVERBURDENED COMMUNITY. MUCH OF NEWARK IS, MUCH OF BLOOMFIELD IS AN OVERBURDENED COMMUNITY. IF YOU LOOK AT THE, AT THE NJOBC MAP, THAT MEANS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO GREEN SPACE IN WAYS THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES DO. WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO RECREATION. IN FACT, IF WE NEED TO GET TO THE NEAREST STATE PARK RIGHT NOW, AND I JUST GOOGLE MAPPED IT, IT'S A 30-MINUTE CAR RIDE, OR IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE BUS, IT'S AN HOUR AND 37 MINUTES TO GET FROM HERE TO LIBERTY STATE PARK. SO, I URGE YOU TO, UH, HAVE THE COMMISSION MEET IN TERMS OF PARK RULES AND REGULATIONS, UM, AND DEVELOP, UM, FAIR, CONSISTENT, EQUITABLE, AND EXPLICIT, UM, RULES, GUIDELINES, UM, EXPECTATIONS AROUND PARTICIPATION AND USE OF THE FOREST BECAUSE, UH, THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES. WE HAVE YOGA IN THE PARK. WE HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPEN. THERE ARE A WHOLE BUNCH OF, UM, PLAYGROUPS AND, AND THAT KIND OF THING THAT MEET IN BROOKDALE. SO, AND, AND IT MIGHT BE JUST LEGISLATION NOT CATCHING UP TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE RULES EXPLICIT. UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE FIRST THING. IT'S REALLY, UM, IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY. IN FACT, MY NEIGHBORS AS WELL. UM, SO SECOND THING, FOR THE PLANNING BOARD, WE NEED MORE TRANSPARENCY. FOR THE ESSEX COUNTY PLANNING BOARD AND THE LAND USE, WE NEED ALL OF THOSE MATERIALS TO BE ONLINE SO THAT WE CAN ACCESS THEM. RIGHT NOW, WHEN I NEED TO ATTEND A MEETING, I NEED TO EMAIL SOMEBODY FOR A ZOOM LINK. AND THAT CAN GET REALLY ONEROUS AND, UM, IT, IT REALLY PUTS A DAMPER ON PARTICIPATION IN DEMOCRACY. UM, WE NEED ALL THE MATERIALS UP THERE SO EVERYBODY CAN SEE EVERYTHING. AND, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S SIMPLY, UM, REMOVING BARRIERS. THIRD THING, UM, TODAY IS, UH, NATIONAL, UH, SORRY, WALK AND ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY, UM, BECAUSE IT'S, UH, OCTOBER IS NATIONAL PEDESTRIAN SAFETY MONTH. AND I KNOW I EMAILED ALL OF YOU ABOUT THE FLASHING BEACONS EARLIER. MR. JACKSON WAS KIND ENOUGH TO RESPOND SAYING THAT'S A MUNICIPAL, UH, UM, UH, POLL. AND I'M TAKING THAT UP WITH BLOOMFIELD. THERE WAS A FLASHING BEACON THAT, UH, WAS INOPERABLE. AND, UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR INSPECTING AND CHECKING ALL OF THE ESSEX COUNTY INTERSECTIONS IN 2027? SEEMS TO ME LIKE THAT COULD BE AN INTERN PROJECT. 30 SECONDS. THANK YOU. UM, UH, FOR, UH, TO DOCUMENT THE CONDITION. THE REASON THAT THIS IS TOP OF MIND, WE HAD A PEDESTRIAN, A TEENAGER WHO WAS HIT AT THE INTERSECTION OF GROVE AND BLOOMFIELD. I WENT TO INSPECT THAT INTERSECTION AND INSPECT THOSE PUSH BUTTONS ON SA- SATURDAY AND DOCUMENTED THEM. A NUMBER OF THEM WERE NOT WORKING, SO WE NEED TO CORRECT THAT. AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST WANNA ASK, UM, WHERE ARE WE WITH THE COMPLETE STREETS, UH, UH, ORDINANCE AND RESOLUTION FOR ESSEX COUNTY? WE JUST WANNA KNOW, UM, WHERE THAT IS AND IF WE'LL HAVE IT BY THE END OF THE YEAR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? I THINK WE WENT THROUGH EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE, IF I AM CORRECT. OKAY. THANK YOU, EVERYONE. UH, MS. EVANS, LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT THERE'S NO ONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME, SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO COMMISSIONER COMMENT SESSION. COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON? YEAH, I HAVE A COMMENT. AND YEAH, IT'S KIND OF A SHAME THAT YOU HAVE A ORGANIZATION LIKE THIS WILLING TO GO IN THE PARK TO TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO USE THE PARK PROPERLY AND SAFELY. UM, IS THERE A BOARD OF APPEALS FOR THEM? IS THERE A COMMISSION FOR A BOARD OF APPEALS? WHO DO THEY APPEAL TO? HOW, HOW DO THEY GET TO THE ANSWER THAT THEY NEED? OR WHO, WHO DO THEY ACTUALLY SPEAK TO? TO DIRECTOR CERVANTE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR HARTWICK, I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN CONVERSATIONS. I'M NOT AS INTIMATELY INVOLVED IN THAT DISCUSSION, UM, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN CONVERSATIONS. I DON'T, I, I HAVE TO INVESTIGATE THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER AND GET BACK TO YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. [01:10:02] COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER? COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT? THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. UM, YEAH, A COUPLE THINGS. SO AS, AS IT RELATES TO THE OR - THE OUTDOORS EDUCATION ORGANIZATION, I FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS WERE HERE A FEW WEEKS AGO AND WANTED TO SPEAK AND HAD JUST MISSED THE, THE WINDOW. SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO, TO COME BACK JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, YOUR UNDERSTANDING, WHICH YOU MAY ALREADY BE AWARE OF, BUT JUST TO KIND OF REITERATE HOW THIS WORKS. SO WE'RE THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND WHO YOU GUYS INTERFACE WITH AT THE PARK, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S RUN THROUGH OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATION. OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATION, WE ARE A PART, PART AND PARCEL, RIGHT? WE'RE ONE ARM OF THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT, BUT THEY REPORT, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, WE APPROVE THEIR BUDGETS, THEIR REPORTS ULTIMATELY COME TO US, BUT WE DON'T OVERSEE THE DAY-TO-DAY. AND SO WHEN, UM, OUR PRESIDENT POMARIS ASKED FOR YOU TO PUT THIS IN WRITING SO THAT WE CAN INVESTIGATE AND FOLLOW UP, THAT'S PERFECT ON OUR END BECAUSE THAT ALLOWS US TO ASK THE QUESTIONS, UM, THAT WE CAN ASK, UH, TO REALLY GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS AND SEE WHERE THERE'S A RESOLUTION, UM, WHERE YOU ALL ARE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, IDEALLY RESUME YOUR PROGRAMMING AND CERTAINLY DO SO WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE EXPECTATIONS AND NEEDS OF THE PARK. AND SO IT'S OUR HOPE THAT WE CAN REACH A RESOLUTION AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ACTUALLY IN THE ROOM WHERE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS WHO DO WORK IN ALL OF OUR OTHER, SEVERAL OF OUR OTHER PARKS. AND I, I THINK THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, REACH A CONCLUSION. SO HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, BE IN SUPPORT OF THAT. UH, WITH RESPECT TO SOME OF THE OTHER COMMENTS THAT WERE LIFTED AS IT RELATES TO WEEKWAY PARK, AS FAR AS THE LAKE, I MEAN, FOR ME, AS SOMEONE WHO'S IN WEAKWOOD PARK, REALLY, REALLY OFTEN, I'M SEEING THE INCREASE OF THE FISHING THAT'S OCCURRING THERE TO THE POINT WHERE I'M LIKE, "MAYBE I NEED TO GET ME A FISHING ROD, SO I CAN TAKE PART IN THIS." I'VE NEVER BEEN GOOD AT FISHING, BUT MAYBE THAT CAN CHANGE SINCE IT'S GROWING IN THE PARK. AND, UM, I THINK, YEAH, I, I'M, I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN ACTUALLY WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY SPENDING AS FAR AS OUR LAKE MAINTENANCE EXP - ALLOCATIONS AND HOW WE CAN EITHER MORE, MORE EFFECTIVELY USE THAT FUNDING OR EVEN INCREASE AS NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, FISHING AND THAT REALLY CRITICAL LEISURE ACTIVITY WITHIN THE HISTORIC WEEKWAY PARK. AND THEN LASTLY, TO THE POINT THAT WAS MADE AROUND DIVIDEND HILL, UH, THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN COMING UP FAIRLY CONSISTENTLY SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE ON THE BOARD. I'VE GOT, UM, SOME EMAILS THAT I'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT AS IT RELATES TO DIVIDEND HILL, AND IF ANYONE IS FAMILIAR, UH, WITH THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION, THERE'S SO MANY LAYERS, UH, TO THE QUESTION OF DIVIDEND HILL. THERE'S THE QUESTION OF THE ACTUAL STRUCTURE ITSELF, UH, WHICH FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW, UM, IS A HISTORIC STRUCTURE. IT SAID THAT ROBERT STREET IN 1666, IF I'M RIGHT OR AROUND THAT TIME, ACTUALLY MET WITH THE CHIEFS OF VILLANAPE, UH, ON THAT HILL IN WEAKWOOD PARK AND DECIDED WHAT NEWARK AND WHAT ESSEX COUNTY AND THE GREATER NEWARK AREA WOULD LOOK LIKE, WHOSE LAND WAS BELONGED TO WHAT. THIS IS A VERY HISTORIC PARK IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. THE STRUCTURE THERE, UM, IS MEANT TO INDICATE THAT I, UM, GOT SOME INFORMATION FROM THE ADMINISTRATION A S - A FEW MONTHS AGO WHEN I HEARD FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS ASKING, "WHAT CAN WE DO TO PRESERVE THIS HISTORIC STRUCTURE?" AND WE LEARNED THAT, UM, BASED OFF THE RESEARCH THAT HAD BEEN DONE, THAT IT WOULD BE A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR RECONSTRUCTION JUST TO ACTUALLY REDO THE STRUCTURE ITSELF. HOWEVER, THAT DOESN'T CHANGE TO THE POINT THAT IT WAS MADE, THE OPTION FOR THERE TO BE PERHAPS, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A DEVELOP- DEVELOPMENT PERSON OR A DEVELOPER PERSON, SO I DON'T KNOW THE, ALL THE TERMS, BUT THE, YOU KNOW, INFRASTRUCTURE TO JUST HOLD THE BUILDING UP RIGHT BETTER, RIGHT? OR DIFFERENT THINGS THAT MAY MAKE IT BE ABLE TO BE PRESERVED, PARTICULARLY AS WE ENTER THE WET - THE WINTER SEASON, ET CETERA. SO I THINK THIS IS A LOT THAT WE CAN DO BOTH AS FAR AS THE STRUCTURE ITSELF, AS FAR AS JUST THE MAINTENANCE OF THE AREA. UH, THERE'S SOME OVERGROWTH ISSUES THAT WE FACE. UM, I THINK THE LAST TIME I WENT BY THERE, IT DIDN'T LOOK SUPER BAD. THAT WAS A FEW DAYS AGO. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY. UM, BUT YEAH, THERE, THERE'S JUST A WHOLE, SEVERAL LAYERS TO THERE. UH, AND THEN I, YOU KNOW, I RECENTLY LEARNED OF THE UNDER STRUCTURE AROUND THE STRUCTURE, WHICH IS, IT'S THIS WHOLE OTHER SITUATION. AND SO I'M THINKING, I KNOW FOLKS ARE KIND OF TASK FORCED OUT, BUT I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO ASSEMBLE SOME KIND OF COMMUNITY TASK FORCE AS IT RELATES TO DIVIDEND HILL IN PARTICULAR, GIVEN ITS HISTORIC IMPORT, GIVEN, UM, YOU KNOW, THE STRUCTURAL PIECES, GIVEN THE MAINTENANCE AREAS. I THINK THERE'S JUST A LOT OF LAYERS AND IT WILL B- BENEFIT ALL OF US TO HAVE MULTIPLE EYES AND EARS ATTACHED TO HOW WE PRESERVE IT AND THEN ALSO HOW WE MAINTAIN IT. AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, ONE, UPDATING DIFFERENT POCKETS OF THE COMMUNITY ON WHERE THE ADMINISTRATION'S LAST RESEARCH AND NUMBERS ON WHAT IT WOULD COST TO JUST REHABILITATE IT IS, UM, WHICH IS SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS, UM, AND WHAT, [01:15:02] YOU KNOW, IS A FORESEEABLE PATH FORWARD, UH, FOR THE STRUCTURE ITSELF AND FOR THE PRE- PRESERVATION OF THE GREENWAYS. NOT SURE IF MR. PRESIDENT - UH, THAT'S NOT... I'M SORRY. WE CAN'T DO COMMENTS BACK AND FORTH, NOT DURING COMMISSIONER COMMENT SESSION, BUT I'M SURE IF ANY COMMISSIONER WOULD LIKE TO SIT AND SPEAK TO YOU AFTERWARDS, THAT'S FINE BECAUSE PUBLIC COMMENT IS NOW OVER AND WE CAN'T DO, UH, CAN'T DO THAT TWICE. COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER LUCIANO, THEN COMMISSIONER GILL. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. UH, FIRST LET ME PUT ON THE RECORD, THANK YOU, MR. FREEMAN, MS. WINNIE, NORM. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT WHEN WE HAVE OUR MEETINGS. AS YOU GUYS KNOW, PROCEDURALLY, WE DON'T NORMALLY SPEAK AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT. UM, SO I JUST WANNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE. UM, WE DO HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR, A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU BRING TO US. BUT WHAT I WANNA SPEAK THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, WAS REGARDING OPC AND MS. CLAUDINE, UM, AND TO THE ADMINISTRATION, I'VE ACTUALLY SPOKEN OF MS. CLAUDINE MANY TIMES, UH, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. I DID DO A LITTLE DIVE MYSELF INTO THIS AND I DID SOME RESEARCH. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE STUDENTS AND THE KIDS THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU GUYS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME DOWN HERE AND PUT THIS ON PUBLIC RECORD. WHAT I REALLY THINK, I, I THINK THAT WE, WHAT WE SHOULD NOT LOSE SIGHT OF HERE, MR. PRESIDENT, IS, UM, YOU KNOW, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS, YOU KNOW, SORTA FLUSH OUT PROCEDURAL, UM, PROCESSES AND HOW ORGANIZATIONS, WHETHER THEY'RE FOR-PROFIT OR NOT-FOR-PROFIT, OPERATE WITHIN OUR COUNTY PARK SYSTEM. THAT'S SORTA WHERE I BEGAN HERE IN DIGGING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING OPC, THAT OPERATE WITHIN PARKS OR PROPERTY. AND I THINK FOR THIS BOARD, AND I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY, BUT I JUST DON'T REALLY KNOW IF WE KNOW THOSE PROCEDURES AND OUR LEGAL COUNSEL CAN ACTUALLY HELP US, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO OPC, BECAUSE AS SOME FOLKS STATED TONIGHT, ORIGINALLY THEY WERE KINDA GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT TO OPERATE IN ONE PARK, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THERE WERE SOME INCIDENTS, UM, AGAIN THAT I DON'T WANNA PUT ON RECORD, BUT THERE WERE SOME INCIDENTS WHERE THERE WERE SOME COMPLAINTS AND THEN THEY WERE TOLD TO CEASE AND DESIST AND THEY WERE NO LONGER ALLOWED IN ONE PARK, BUT WE'RE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO AND OPERATE IN ANOTHER PARK. AND I JUST DON'T KNOW PROCEDURALLY, MR. JACKSON, HOW WE CAN SAY YOU'RE ALLOWED TO OPERATE IN ONE PARK BUT NOT THE OTHER UNLESS WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME KINDA SET OF RULES AND GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES. THAT IN ITSELF ACTUALLY WAS THE BIGGEST CONCERN TO ME, NOT SO MUCH, YOU KNOW, WHY OR WHY NOT THEY ARE OPERATING IN THE PARK. IT'S WHY CAN YOU OPERATE IN ONE PARK AND NOT ANOTHER? UM, SO THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. AND AGAIN, I THANK YOU GUYS FOR COMING HERE, UM, BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT? LISTEN, WE'RE HERE TO OPERATE DIFFERENT COUNTY FACILITIES AND PROPERTIES FOR THE RESIDENTS AND FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY. OF COURSE, WE HAVE TO HAVE RULES, RIGHT? ORGANIZATIONS HAVE TO HAVE INSURANCE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIABILITY, UH, PERMITTING, RIGHT? PERMITTING FEES. SO THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO THIS THAT'S MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE, AND THAT'S WHAT I DUG UP. AND I THINK ACTUALLY FOR OUR BOARD TO BECOME A LITTLE MORE EDUCATED AS TO WHAT OUR, YOU KNOW, PROCEDURES ARE AND WHAT OUR POLICIES ARE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT SO MUCH THE SCOPE OF THE COMMISSIONERS, YOU KNOW, WE DO OVERSEE THE BUDGET AND WE AUTHORIZE UPGRADES AND MONEY, AND FOR US TO CONTINUE TO DO THOSE THINGS, SOMETIMES MAYBE WE NEED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY WHY WE'RE UPGRADING AND WHY WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, PROCEDURES AND RULES IN PLACE. AND I THINK THAT WOULD HELP US TO ALSO HELP TALK TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU, MS. CLAUDINE, FOR REACHING OUT TO MY OFFICE AND ME. UM, BUT YEAH, AND, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. I HAD PLENTY OF DISCUSSIONS WITH DIRECTOR SALVANTE AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR KATE HARTWICK WHERE THEY PROVIDED ME WITH A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT THE PIECE TO THE PUZZLE THAT I DIDN'T GET, UM, IS AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE OPERATE AS FAR AS BEING WHERE WE CAN TELL ONE GROUP OR ANOTHER GROUP OR CERTAIN GROUPS THEY CAN OPERATE IN CERTAIN RESERVATIONS BUT NOT OTHERS, RIGHT? THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE. SO THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, YOU KNOW, TO YOU, MR. JACKSON AND EVERYBODY. I'M, I'M SURE WE COULD, IT'S NOT DIFFICULT FOR EVERYBODY TO KIND OF GET ON THE SAME PAGE. YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT THINGS, I'VE ALWAYS SAID, "HOW CAN WE ALL SIT IN THE SAME ROOM AND MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER WHERE EVERYBODY IS HAPPY?" RIGHT? SO THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER GILL? THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. THANK COMMISSIONER LUCIANO. IF YOU FIGURE THAT OUT, [01:20:01] UM, I'LL BRING YOU HOME TO MY HOUSE TONIGHT. UM, SO LET ME, LET ME KNOW HOW THAT WORKS OUT. UM, UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE, UM, I, I DO WANNA CONCUR WITH SOMETHING IN ALL SERIOUSNESS THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT, UH, REPRESENTING, UM, THE ORGANIZATION. THANK YOU FOR THE PARENTS WHO ARE HERE, UH, FOR TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE. AND, UM, WOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, MY SINCERE HOPE IS THAT, UM, THE ADMINISTRATION AND THIS ORGANIZATION WILL BE ABLE TO GET TO A PLACE, UM, A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL PLACE. SO, UM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN. I, UM, AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER LUCIANO AND I'M SURE OUR, OUR, I'M SURE I CAN SPEAK FOR THE REST OF THE BOARD ON THIS. WE, WE WANNA SEE PROGRAMMING LIKE THIS. WE WANNA SEE IT HAPPEN. THERE'S NO ONE HERE WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF THE PROGRAMMING, SO WHATEVER THAT, UM, WHATEVER ENTAILS BEHIND THAT, HOPEFULLY THAT CAN BE WORKED OUT. I, I DID WANNA JUST MAKE ONE COMMENT, UM, ALSO ON THE, UM, THE, IT WAS, UM, RAISED ON THE COMPLETE STREETS, UM, POLICY, UM, AND HAVING BEEN THE, THE SPONSOR OF THE ORIGINAL POLICY IN TWO, IN 2012, UH, ABSOLUTELY CORRECT THAT, UM, THAT IT'S TIME FOR A, UM, A REVISION OR AN IMPROVEMENT OF THAT POLICY. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL HAPPEN BEFORE THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR, MR. PRESIDENT, BUT THERE HAS, THERE HAVE BEEN JUST A, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I KNOW WE, WE ALWAYS RESPOND IN WRITING, BUT I DID WANNA PUT THIS ON THE RECORD. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME EAR - SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH A LOT OF ADVOCACY GROUPS, UH, REGARDING CHANGES TO OUR POLICY. UH, WE HAVE HAD SOME CONTACT, UM, THROUGH MR. JACKSON, YOU KNOW, WITH, UM, OUR, UM, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, UM, WHAT THAT POTENTIALLY LOOKED LIKE. SO, UM, THERE'S DEFINITELY, JUST WANNA ASSURE PEOPLE THAT THERE'S DEFINITELY MOVEMENT ON THAT, UM, ON UPDATING THAT POLICY. AND, AND A BIG PART OF, UM, THE UPDATE WITHIN THAT POLICY WILL BE AROUND THE ISSUES OF, UM, ENFORCEMENT AND HOW WE AS A COUNTY CAN BETTER MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, ACTUALLY ENFORCING THE POLICY, UH, THAT WE SET. UM, IN, IN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S ALSO, UM, I BELIEVE POTENTIALLY, UH, MONEY IN THE LATEST ROUNDS OF FEDERAL FUNDING, UH, THAT ALLOW, UM, THE COUNTY TO, UM, TO SET UP, UM, UH, MECHANISMS TO DO THAT, TO REVIEW THAT, UM, AND POTENTIALLY A, A BOARD STRUCTURE THAT MANY MUNICIPALITIES AND OTHER COUNTIES, UM, HAVE ADOPTED. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY, UM, I'M A, JUST, AGAIN, PUT THIS ON THE RECORD, A BIG FAN OF WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IN HUDSON, UH, AROUND, UH, THEIR VISION ZERO TASK FORCE AND, AND ENFORCEMENT. AND I KNOW IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY OF ESSEX IS, UM, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY LOOKING, LOOK LIKE. IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A, A ONE SIZE FITS ALL. ABSOLUTELY EVERY COUNTY'S DIFFERENT. THE CHALLENGES ARE DIFFERENT. EVEN HOW WE SET UP ARE DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF HOW OUR, OUR DEPARTMENTS WORK. BUT, UM, I, I DO WANNA ASSURE THOSE, I KNOW, WHO COME TO THESE MEETINGS, UH, THAT, UM, AND, AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT HERE TONIGHT, THAT THAT PROCESS IS UNDERWAY. AND IF IT DOESN'T GET DONE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, I HOPE, UM, EVEN THOUGH MY TIME WILL BE FINISHED HERE, THAT OTHERS ON THIS BOARD WILL CARRY THE TORCH ON THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR, ASSUMING THAT, UM, AGAIN, ASSUMING THAT THEY ARE ALL, UM, REELECTED, UH, WHOEVER, OR WHOEVER'S ELECTED WILL, WILL CARRY THE TORCH ON THAT, UM, INTO CALENDAR YEAR 27. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER GILL. JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON, UH, WHAT YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT THE COMPLETION, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU. IN FACT, I WAS WITH, UH, MONTCLAIR MAYOR BASKERVILLE AND, UH, COUNCILOR SUSAN SHIN NOT TOO LONG AGO ON A WALKING TOUR IN AND AROUND, UM, ORANGE ROAD AND, UH, NISHWEIN SCHOOL. UH, KNOW IT WELL. MY, MY WIFE ACTUALLY STUDENT TAUGHT THERE. I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU HOW LONG AGO I ACTUALLY MIGHT GET UPSET AT ME. BUT I, I CERTAINLY SEE THE VALUE IN THAT, SO WE'LL, WE'LL LOVE TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THAT, AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, IF I'M STILL HERE. UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE, TO THE GROUPS, I, I'M GONNA REFRAIN ON SPECIFIC COMMENTS ON IT BECAUSE I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THE INCIDENT I- IS. I KNOW I, I MEAN, ALONG WITH COUNCILMAN JOANNA IN BLOOMFIELD, I STARTED THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION THERE AND, YOU KNOW, HELPED WORK WITH, UH, TO ESTABLISH THE MORRIS CANAL GREENWAY IN BLOOMFIELD, WHICH IS MY HOMETOWN. UM, AND THOSE THINGS ARE, THOSE INITIALS ARE VERY IMPORTANT. I HAVE THREE KIDS, A LITTLE OLDER NOW THAN YOUR GUYS NOW. UH, BUT EVER SINCE THEY WERE THAT AGE, YOU WERE WITH ME AND, AND DOING A LOT OF THIS ENVIRONMENTAL WORK, AND I DID HAVE THE PLEASURE OF WORKING, UH, FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP FOR SOME TIME. I'M A NONPROFIT GUY AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION, THOSE THINGS TO ME ALWAYS BEEN, UH, UH, PARALLEL TRACKS. SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'LL LOOK INTO IT AND SEE... I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ISSUE IS AND SEE IF THERE, A RESOLUTION CAN, CAN BE MADE. I, I CAN'T PROMISE THAT BECAUSE I JUST DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE ISSUES ARE SPECIFICALLY, BUT I CAN PROMISE WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT AND WE'LL, WE'LL WORK WITH OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT HERE. UH, WE [01:25:01] DIDN'T MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. WE DON'T, AS IT'S BEEN INDICATED BY A NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS, WE DON'T RUN THE DAY-TO-DAY, IF YOU WILL. THAT COMES IN THE OTHER BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT, THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH WITH THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH. SO WE'RE HERE ON A HIGH LEVEL APPROVING THE BUDGET SO THAT THEY CAN DO THEIR WORK. AND THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. AND, AND WE WORK VERY WELL TOGETHER, I MIGHT ADD. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU HAVE TO IN ORDER TO BE EFFICIENT. SO WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, LOOK TO SEE IF WE CAN DO THAT. UH, CHANGING GEARS, IF WE INVITE EVERYONE TO COME NEXT WEDNESDAY, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE THE ITALIAN HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION WHERE WE'RE HONORING, UH, JAMIE SARATELLA, STEPHEN GREGORY ADABADO, THE LIVINGSTON UNICO CHAPTER, AND, UH, THE HONOREES FROM THE ANNUAL PARADE IN NUTLEY AND BELLEVILLE. UH, THEY CELEBRATE THE IRISH HERITAGE FOR, UH, I'M SORRY, ITALIAN HERITAGE QUITE A BIT, AND IRISH TOO, IF I ADD. UM, BUT WE INVITE YOU HERE. THAT'LL TAKE PLACE IN THESE CHAMBERS NEXT WEEK AT 6:0 PM, USUALLY GOES FOR ABOUT A COUPLE OF HOURS. SO WE DO WELCOME EVERYONE TO COME HERE. AND, UH, WITH THAT, UNLESS ANYONE ELSE HAS ANYTHING ELSE, WE MAY LOOK FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN. MOVE. MOVE IT. UH, MOVE BY LUCIANO, SECOND BY RICHARDSON. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE DONE, MS. EVANS. GOOD JOB. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.