Town Council - Regular Meeting

All right, you guys ready? Everybody ready? Brett, you ready? Okay. This meeting is being held with the benefit of public notice as required by the open public meetings act. Madame clerk, please call the role. Mr. Parabelli here. Mr. T here. Phillips here. Mr. Pero here. Mr. Whan is active. We have quum. Please rise for the flag salute and invocation. to the flag of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Dear God, we humbly acknowledge our continual need for your presence and guidance in a time marked by war, uncertainty, and deep division. Steady our hearts and anchor us in your truth. Grant wisdom and restraint to leaders, protection and courage to those in harm's way in comfort to all who suffer from violence and loss. Help us to be instrumentments of your peace. May we lead with integrity, pursue the common good, protect the vulnerable, and work toward justice and lasting reconciliation. We offer these intentions in your holy name. Amen.

Madam clerk, please uh proceed with the agenda. Uh, we have an item for discussion. We have Detective Robert O'Hare to discuss upcoming community policing events, sir. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Detective Robert O'Hare, Hamilton Police Division, Community Policing Section. Thank you very much for this opportunity to speak to you tonight. So it's been many years and I know a lot of you and all of you have uh been a part of our journey where we have um introduced ourselves to the community on the spectrum young and old and I think we are we are at the point where um a lot of my research of going to all the corners of Hamilton Township and the schools and speaking to a lot of our therapy partners and our law enforcement partners that it's time to create more of a connection between law enforcement partners and those members of the spectrum. So on April the 11th at Hamilton Police Headquarters along with the library and full spectrum and a number of our other partners, we will have a engagement opportunity between law enforcement, first responders and all the members that attend along with their parents or their loved ones. It will be a all-encompassing opportunity for us and I am looking forward to not only the opportunity to hear and listen to all of these families and to the members themselves but an opportunity for myself and my fellow law enforcement partners and first responders to be educated. I have received the best education from going to these partners to their locations full spectrum. I spend a lot of time there engaging with young people and adults and their parents. I'm also proud to be a member of the special needs commission and I've spent an enormous amount of time talking to those individuals, not only members of the commission, but those individuals that

we reach out to as part of our responsibility to serve this township. So, I'm I enjoy this opportunity. This is really what we have been working towards. We have had other opportunities in the past. I know that uh Mr. Council President has been a part of most of them. In our last one last year at Mercer County Park, we uh absolutely were able to bring together our law enforcement partners, but the community was lacking. The community that represents the spectrum. So, I have gone everywhere because I understand that we can't just put out a flyer. We just can't say that we're the police department or we are first responders and we want to speak to you. I have to present and do it personally. What is it that we are trying to do? And I think our greatest opportunity is the education that we're going to receive. that opportunity to understand how can we best interact and make sure that our contacts are successful and that everybody gets the service that they need and that there is nobody that is harmed either on this on the law enforcement side or in the community. And I think this is going to be an excellent opportunity. I'm available to answer any questions that you may have.

Just what time? It'll be from 10:00 a.m. to 1 pm. We will have um a lot of the therapy partners, Autism New Jersey, Fullsp Spectrum, ABA, um a lot of some of the representatives from the school and the hospitals will set up vendors tables. We are going to open up safety town at the back of the station. So, we will be engaging on pedestrian safety, but everything is just going to be engagement, engagement, engagement. We will have games. We will have the cars available, the fire trucks. We will give tours of headquarters. We'll have our registry. We'll be giving out the blue envelope and the stickers for homes and cars. Father, real quick. Yes, sir.

Can you um just briefly uh maybe go in a little detail the blue envelope for anybody that maybe um doesn't understand?

Absolutely. I wish I had brought brought the blue envelope. The blue envelope is a national program and it's an envelope that you keep in the car and it took me I didn't realize that non-verbal members of the community can have a driver's license which poses a great challenge to law enforcement in the event that we are conducting an investigation or there's a car stop. So the blue envelope would contain the registration and the insurance for the vehicle. When you pull that out, every single law enforcement from the east to the west coast is aware of the program. For those of us that may be may, you know, because of the stop may not remember the things that are important, the triggers or some of the things that we have to be mindful, there is a little bit of a cheat sheet that is written on the envelope that tells the police officer exactly all the information. Inside the blue envelope is more identifying information and loved ones are able to use that. They can laminate that and they can make a nice little ID that they can present. A lot of the times that I have engaged with nonverbal drivers, it usually says, you know, hello officer, I am a nonverbal member of the autism community. I cannot speak. I am not being disrespectful. This is my information and it's all on the ID.

I have any questions? No, I I I guess my one just to clarify one thing. Um, so the softball event is another event that you're going to

Thank you very much. I I almost forgot to mention the uh that is the continuation of our engagement. We've been doing that for many years with Friendly's uh Friendlys restaurant. So, on June the 9th at Trenton Thunder Stadium, and I know I've seen every one of you at at the stadium, and thank you for supporting us. We were big victors uh last year, 15-4 against Robinsville. Robinsville is a very strong partner in this uh this mission for us. Lieutenant Tom Egan and I have really been on a a the entire journey and it all started for us in Maple Shade with a young police officer that created a lot of the things that we're utilizing today and we've brought to this community. So on June the 9th what happens is is that we engage with Miracle League and the young people at Miracle League team up with our police officers from Hamilton and Robinsville and we play each other in softball. So the kids are absolutely part of matter of fact those were the four runs that Robin Robbinsville scored. So it is an it is a great opportunity this where we're getting our training and our education but also for families and for the members of the community to see that you know Bob O'Hare is not that great of an athlete and sometimes Bob O'Hare misses the ball or he trips or he falls and it's different when they see Bob O'Hare and he's in his uniform and he came to our school and I like to think that maybe I'm I'm really you know I'm well spoken and I'm structured and I can do that. Well, but now they know that there is a human side to me that they don't see, you know, the same thing with the officers that are in the car. So, they get to see us in a different different opportunity. So, that's June the 9th, Trenton Thunder at 6:00 p.m. So, everybody's invited to both events, April the 11th at 10:00 a.m. along everyone here as well, and then June the 9th at Trenton Thunder. We have a great partnership with with Trenton Thunder

and the general manager. I am also working on an opportunity with the Ironhawks. So, we are going to be including them in our opportunities for any type of future community engagement. Does that mean you're going to be on ice skates next? I'm sorry. Are you going to be on ice skates next? Uh, that probably would be worse than my spikes at uh So, Bob O'Hare, you may not be a great athlete, but you're a great man and a great cop.

I've known you my entire adult life. I appreciate you as a friend. uh more cops, more people in the community should aspire to be you uh because you are a great person and we appreciate you as a council, but I appreciate you as much as a friend. I've looked up to you since I came on um 25 years ago. Mhm. Not just because I'm short. I look up to you, but because you're you're a great person, and I appreciate everything you ever did for me, for the community, and for those that can't, thank you. I'm thanking you on their behalf. No, thank you very much. and you date me that my 42 years. Wow.

But but I respect and admire each one of you and and you, Mr. President, who have a tremendous position in the PBA, the PBA, the state PBA is always a partner with us in all of our endeavors, especially this one. And it's without that type of the focus of 40,000 partners in the state of New Jersey and then all of you that are willing to come out and help us do what we need to do. It's a difficult job. But we want to make sure that everybody is safe. We appreciate you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Anything else? Anybody? No. Got it. Thank you, Madam Clerk. You can continue with the agenda, please.

Next consideration, we have the meeting minutes for January 6th, January 20th, February 10th, and February 25th. Motion to accept the minutes. I'll second that. Call the motion, Mr. Parabell. Yes. Yes. Mr. Phillips. Yes. Farah. Yes. Next we have communications T1 and T2. We have a choice proclamation recognizing world down syndrome day March 21st and the request from the Robinson Hamilton Rotary Club to solicit at Foley's Market on Saturday May 19th October Saturday October 10th. Can I have one motion please? I'll make a motion to pass both communication C1 and C2. I'll second that. on the motion. Mr. Parelli,

yes. Mr. Yes. Yes. Mr. Farah, yes. Next consent agenda item TA16.

So, we'll do a a little recap since uh there's a decent amount here. Uh we have a Ruckers co-op uh for storm order management um resolution here for uh fire app fire apparatus repair uh professional service agreement. um purchasing the light structure uh system for the skate park at Vets Park rehab for pump station which includes Paps Village, Dover Park, Crestwood and Park Avenue. Uh the HVAC system for the PD uh snow snow removal from the last storm. Uh two vendors. Um hopefully that's the last storm we have for the year. Uh CA 9 through 14 are refunds uh various fees and last one is the resolution for the annual budget examination. Uh questions or comments from council please. Just a quick question. Sure president.

Uh Kathy on CA8 uh we're we're rejecting the request for proposals. Could you just give me a little background on

that one? From the law office. Yes. So, there was there was two uh applicants. One is actually our prosecutor because they that firm applied for all three RFPs. We appointed them prosecutors. So, they can't be our they can't also be our sub. And then the second one was a firm that was way up in North Jersey. I tried reaching out to them this because the point be behind this uh request is last minute, you know, prosecutors are sick and they can't show up and so there has to be a last minute someone needs to show up immediately. I reached out to that firm to ask them if if they had perhaps someone local here that was able to uh provide those services and they actually never responded to my email.

So um therefore I couldn't appoint them. I couldn't recommend appointment because I couldn't uh I couldn't be certain that they'd actually be able to provide the services that they applied for. So So what are our next steps? Then we'll we have to hire somebody else. Put it back out for bid. We'll put it back out for just call it. Okay. Thank you. Question. I just have a comment, council president, on CA4. Um that project about roughly 40% of that project is covered through grant dollars. Uh the late Yes. extension structure.

Oh, okay. Okay. Any other questions from uh any questions or comments from the consent agenda items from the public? Um the skateboard, can you come up to the up to the mic, please? Janice said she wasn't going to be here. Yeah. Uh hello, council. Uh you mentioned 40% of the funding for the skate park lights was covered by grants. Is that a state grant? And is

so, uh, it I I didn't have the exact grant that it came from. Was $42,700 was covered by a grant. But which do we know? We can look that up. I can go into the name for Oh, yes, sir. My name is Alexander York. It's a It's an Elrig grant. So, local recreation local recreation grant improvement. Yeah. I just wanted to confirm. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. No problem. No problem. Any other questions or comments on the consent agenda items from uh from the public, please? Seeing none.

And and just just for I'm sorry, C just to just to be clear. So 427 $42,700 of the $17,000 almost $18,000 project is covered by a grant. The remaining funds are capital. So just for clarity sake, Thank you, C. Seeing none, I'll make a motion. Seeing no uh further comment from the public, I look to move on C1 consent agenda C1 through Ca16. I'll second that. On the motion, Mr. Parabelli. Yes. Mr. Yes. Phillips.

Yes. Mr. Terra, yes. 64. Next we have ordinance 126012. This is an ordinance amending and supplementing the code of the council county of New Jersey chapter 485 vehicles and traffic article 3 traffic regulations section 485-24 oneway streets the second reading in public hearing.

So uh prior to council comments um I know uh there's been some discussions uh with the administration and uh we're looking to table uh this item to a future meeting. uh we believe there's uh some safety concerns uh with the potential uh one way and uh we need to work some things out um financially and sa and logistically before we um move or vote on this. So looking for a motion to table this uh to have more discussion. So sorry no council I'll make a motion to table ordinance ordinance 126-12. I'll second it. Madam cler on the motion to table and continue to a future meeting. Mr. Parabell.

Yes. Mr. Tai. Yes. Miss Phillips. Yes. Mr. Pero. Yes. 4. 26013 is an ordinance to exceed the municipal budget appropriation limits and to establish a cap bank pursuant to NSA4A 4-45.14. First reading and introduction. Council President, I move ordinance 126-013 on first reading. Second motion, Mr. Carabelli. Yes. Mr. P. Yes. M. Phillips. Yes. Mero. Yes.

40. Ordinance 226014 is an ordinance amending and supplementing the code of the county of New Jersey part 3 land use legislation chapter 550 land development article 3 district regulation section 550-8124 5 research engineering office district first reading and introduction please council president I'll make a motion to um move on ordinance uh 226-014 Four. I'll second motion. Mr. Carell, yes. Mr. H. Yes. Mr. Phillips. Yes. M. Yes.

Order 326-015. An ordinance amending supplementing the code of panels in New Jersey part three legislation chapter 550 land development article 3 district regulation section 550-82 manufacturing and industrial district. First reading and introduction. Councilman. I'll make a motion to move on or 326-30 I for introduction of first reading. Thank you. I'll second it. Thank you. Motion Mr. Carol. Yes. Yes. Phillips. Yes. Mr. Farah.

Yes. 4. Moving on to resolution 126-152 is a resolution referring a proposed amendment to this code of attention for New Jersey part 3 legislation chapter 550 land development district regulation section 550 550-81 O2 4 or 5 research engineering and office district for the Hamilton Township Planning Board review NJSA 405D-26. So um both uh these resolutions um are together uh limit the warehouse space. Currently uh warehouses are uh permitted in the R&D zone. uh it's going to be taken out and the uh legal uh legal has advised us um that it'll go in industrial and retailers and industrial

um both of these will be referred uh to planning I'm sorry yeah to planning sorry and um any comments or questions from council prior to opening up to the public

yeah just just one um clarification council president Uh currently my understanding is uh warehouses are are currently uh permissible in research and development and industrial. Uh we're we're restricting um any additional warehouses in R&D. We're going to continue to allow it in in the industrial. So we're not adding um all we're doing is restricting where warehouses can be built. Just just wanted to make that crystal clear.

No. Any questions or comments from the public? Seeing none, do I have a motion? Oh, Lisa. Uh, yeah. No, we're going to do each one separately. Separately. I just uh summarized both of them. Hi, Lisa Williams. How many warehouse projects are in the works in R&D zones that I mean you can't change this for those because they're already applications submitted. So how many more are in the ware because there's been a lot of warehouses have been improved in R&D zone. So it makes me wonder how much R&D zone is left that isn't a available for warehousing.

I don't know what's what's uh in the hopper next but I'm on uh planning and I we haven't had any come across. So I couldn't tell you uh without our director here how many are actually there. Okay. Most of our remaining open space is in the R&D zones. So this is going to enable us to more effectively preserve open space for the community. Where do we have manufacturing zone in Hamilton? I mean it used to be like the Seaman Sea Laval area but that's already East State Street East State Street extension. Um that's considered um industrial manufacturing. Um off the top of my head, the R&D zones are like

Oh, I used to cabbage like cabbage. Yeah. Meeting but pre- pandemic I went to every single one of them. So like research is is one area is Cabbat Drive and then uh behind the and that's all trying to get at what effect is this really going to have, right? But there's also behind the Hamilton Marketplace that's R&D. Um that sits behind the R. Um and there's a there was an approved project for behind the load back there, right? I don't know where that's but that that's that's an R&D zone. So I don't know if that it got approved like I attended that meeting. I don't know where where it stands. I don't I'm not sure either. Okay. All right. Thank you. But

any other questions or comments from the public? Seeing none. Council President, see no. Council President, see no members of the public wishing to comment. I move that we close the public comment portion and move resolution 126-152. I'll second the motion. Mr. Parabelli. Yes. Yes. Phillips. Yes. Mr.

Yes. 4. Next resolution. Resolution 226153 is resolution returning amendments to Dakota New Jersey part 3 land use legislation chapter 550 land development district regulations section 550-82 manufacturing and industrial district to the house of the council planning board for review for za 445-26. Questions or comments from my colleagues? Actually I just pause it's a clarifying question. So we are sending it to planning and then planning will send it back to us

because it's land development. Yeah. So uh according to the 48 and the it's required to be reviewed make sure it's correct for for and then it's back to us. Okay. Presuming they're approving it. If they not if they don't then we can't then you can't. Thank you. You have anything? I do. Anybody from the public wishing to comment on this resolution? Seeing none, seeing no further comments on this matter by the public, I wish to close the public comment portion and and move on resolution 226-153. I'll second the motion. Mr. Harelli, yes. Mr. Yes.

Phillips. Yes. Yes. Next, we have the introduction of the calendar year 2026 budget. be a resolution 26-154 resolution of introduction and approval of the calendar year 2026 budget. I need a motion. Council president, I'll make a motion to move on. Uh oh, wait. Do we need public comment? Mr. President, you have any questions or comments? Not at this time. Yeah, I'm sure we're gonna have plenty of questions.

We're going to be having our workshops and going through it. So, any questions or comments uh regarding the budget um process? Seeing none. Seeing none, um I'll move that we public comment and move on resolution 326-154. I'll second that. On the motion, Mr. Perelli, yes. M. Yes. Phillips. Yes. Mr. Carol. Yes. Going here.

Okay. If you would like to uh speak during public comment, I know we have a couple people like to come up. I'd just like to recognize that uh our person with uh close to 100% attendance is not in attendance with us tonight. Uh Janice uh who's always here with us uh usually leads us off. So, uh, we'll take, uh, first speaker if you raise your hand and then, uh, we'll call you up for the microphone. Come on, ma'am.

Good evening, council president and staff. My name is Bonnie Lindsay. I'm here on behalf of a formal complaint which I have provided you all with a letter in regards to an establishment Miss Roof restaurant which is at 1638 East State Street. It has become a major nuisance. Traffic constantly double parking. Hamilton Township Police Department is out there on a regular giving out tickets. um loud music playing, profanity, improper disposal of their trash. There's no dumpster. There's not even a trash can with a lead to it. They just set the trash out in bags in the driveway between that resident, that property, and the resident next to it. They're cooking out on grills. Um, I'm not sure. I'm certain that the grill should not be that close to the property, but it is. So, we just like to get this rectified. The health department needs to come out. We need and I also want to know what time this establishment has to be closed because there is some mornings 1:30 in the morning. Loud music. cars, doors all night long, they're still going in and out of there getting food. So, I just want to know what can be done about it.

So, Miss Lindsay, I know uh we did speak prior to the meeting and I know you gave me some very valuable information. I'm going to share that with my colleagues. Okay. I'm also going to speak to a couple different directors as to uh where we're going to go next. Okay. uh our business administrator and our um legal counsel is advised uh of all of your complaints and um we're going to start working on this uh tomorrow. I appreciate I've already sent a couple uh text messages prior to meeting starting um with the address that we need to start looking at this. If you have anything future, uh you can reach out to the clerk's office. You can call Miss Monzo's office and talk to her as well. Okay. Thank We're sorry that you're doing all of this, but um we're going to work quickly to rectify it.

I appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Can I just ask her a quick question? The the phone number that you provided for just us. We're not making it public obviously, but um can I text you on that number and then you'll have my phone number as well? Okay. Thank you. All right. We're sorry you're dealing with it, but it'll be fixed. Yeah.

Thank you. Who's next? Come on up, please. Sorry. Good evening, Lisa Williams. My topic is the shelter surprise. Who supervises the shelter activity? like the website, the lack of staff. We have a shelter manager.

So, there's two. There's a shelter manager and there's a um our health officer who oversees that portion of health. Okay. So, before every board of health meeting, the health officer reaches out to some of us. I'm one. And the past board of health meeting that email came I understand he was ill on a Saturday night which I responded to and I commented that the shelter stats had not been updated since November and that was a March meeting we were prepping for who he then asked the shelter manager to please update through January on Monday and they needed February for the meeting. So sometime late late uh Tuesday because I was looking all day, we got December detailed stats posted and sometime later I guess right before the meeting or during the meeting because I saw it when I was looking at my phone in the back of the room. The graphic that has four data points was updated through February. So here we are the end of March. We still don't have January and that the director commented about at the end of the meeting about how we now have monthly statistics we never had. They're not posted. Nobody but seems like me looks at the website. Um but can we get these stats updated for January and February in the level of detail we have had in prior years that tells you all the calls, where the dogs came from, where the cats came from, how they left, how many licenses. So I think that we need somebody other than the people that you think are supervising to look at this so it's not Lisa standing up here at meetings saying the same thing that Lisa says all the time. Um, we've now updated the bios on the pets. That's pretty exciting. Um, there was a comment made in a health board of health meeting about the number of clicks that the Facebook page gets and everybody was happy how high it is. But clicks are generated probably mostly from

volunteers sharing pets and lost and found. So before the board of health meeting on March 6th, there was a cat posted promoted on social media on the Facebook page for adoption. Well, on March 23rd, Reva the dog got posted. There were no posts between March 6th and the 23rd promoting the pets that live in the shelter. This is so easy to do. I for years have said how I used to do this as a resident. You take a picture, you write a bio. Now that you've got bios, take a picture, copy paste, schedule it, and post every single day. Like, you need to free up space to free up time for people to spend with animals who need more help. So, today I was looking at the new dogs and Tootsie, she's a super cute shepherd mix. Sounds like a great dog. Even possibly could be therapy dog material. Why don't we post her and do a social media post to get her out so she doesn't, you know, deteriorate in a kennel environment and free up employee time to do other things? And then when do we expect to have the dog license backlog caught up so there could be followup? Based on looking at the stats from prior years, we seem to get through this by May because that's where the big numbers of licenses are issued. Is that our goal this year? When are we I mean, the numbers go down. We lost 3% last year. And why does it take so long? I mean, I'll tell you about my experience licensing my two dogs this year. So, I have two dogs and one of them was only about four months old when I licensed her last year. The software doesn't account for months, so they put her in as one year. I I had to push to get my dog's age corrected in the system because they were going to license her

as a two-year-old dog. She doesn't turn two till December. Um so, and it was the shelter manager was doing my license. She's like, "Well, will she be two at some point?" This license. I'm like, "Yeah, her birthday's Christmas. Like, can we get it right?" So, this is how a license at the desk work this year. You give in your paperwork. They they key it in. They can print, but now they got to walk to the back room to go get a tag and come back. And you can only print from one computer. Only one computer is hooked up to the printer at the front desk. I don't understand in the size of our budget why we can't have a decent small wireless printer. I mean, I can print from any laptop in my house, my phone, and just go pick it up on the printer. I don't need to only be attached to one device. Are

they having difficulties by only printing from one printer? Have they complained about that to anybody? I don't think they think about the effect of their time on workflow. It's what I commented. I was told, "Please don't say anything because they'll take our printer away." I'm like, "Why can't we have a better printer?" So, you are you are at your former I just want to recognize that this the shelter stats on the website are updated as of February 28th. Did you look at the details? You're looking at the graphic, right? four. I'm looking at the date on the top. They're not. The graphic only has four things like number of licenses, number of animal controls, I think pets coming in, and pets leaving. I'm going to pull it up. That's right.

Yeah. Scroll down. You see how there's a a chart for 2025. So, you're looking for a PDF updated updated PDF. Oh, yeah. It's got the monthly set. Pick on Click on 25. see that level of detail. Okay. Why don't we have it for 26? I can't answer that question for you, but we're gonna ask. So, the update the 2025 PDF is there broken down by month. So, if they put that PDF up and just update it monthly, they can just fill the numbers in, people could follow along. I agree. Is that something they might have done end of year though? Just

they supposed to do it consistently. So, just like you finance, you close out a month, right? You have your stats ready by, you know, let's give it a week or two weeks after the close of that month, right? So, they should have that in there within a reasonable amount of time after that month closes. Yep.

Um, and I'm all about process. So, I I want to find out first like what's your process? Why do you keep having to be reminded to do this, right? or or get somebody to say something and then you catch up six months worth. It shouldn't be happening like that. So, um I will find out. So, we'll figure out if we have to change a process,

change who the assignment is going to or and then a check on that process. And so, and I think we talked a little bit about process at the board of health meeting when it comes to some other issues as well. It's like look, you have to have something in place that can evaluate what you're doing and have it um trigger or spring up first if something's not getting done in in a timely manner. So, I'll check with them on that the process for that, too. So, and the progress on that to see if they're making any changes that way. Thank you.

If they're already collecting the data, there's no reason they can't put it up and just keep updating it at the end of every month. I know. That's what they used to do was every month within maybe 10 to 14 days it would be updated. Makes sense. And when I noticed November wasn't done, I'm like, I'm just going to wait and see how long it takes for somebody else to notice that this isn't getting done. Like, I'm tired of being the one that calls, get a voicemail, leave a voicemail. Can you please update the stats? Like, I shouldn't I shouldn't have to do that. I mean, maybe I'm the only one in the world that looks at this stuff, but maybe other people are tired of following up, too. Thank you.

Thank you. Anybody else who'd like to come up first time? Come on up, Steve. Steve Clay, Wolfpack Road. Um, you've heard a lot of this before because I brought it up for a couple years now, but I'm going to try to elaborate a little bit more. In this area of Vette, the hourly rate is between 17 and $25 an hour. $25 an hour is a certified vette, years of experience working in an emergency hospital. We pay somebody $47 an hour to fill that role at the animal shelter to the exclusion of the work they're certified and hired to perform that $22 an hour difference. And and let me just say if this person were the best vette, the best employee, being a vette would top out at $25 an hour, not 47. We have the exact opposite. We know this person happily killed 50 cats in a day, was responsible for years of uh expired medications when the state inspected, was called out in council's own inspection report or investigation report for dishonest answers, evasive, contradictory answers. Ignored not one but two council subpoenas to answer questions about that. But now we're paying this person $22 an hour over the top rate for that task that they clearly showed they shouldn't have been doing to begin with. $22 an hour works out to about $40,000 a year for the past 6 years. That's $240,000.

They're doing it to the exclusion of the the job that they were hired and certified to do, which means we're also paying people out of title to now fill in that role. I don't understand what the benefit is to the township or the shelter or the animals in the shelter or the taxpayers, but a4 million is a huge waste of money. The only beneficiaries I can see are the person being grossly overpaid and the person or people who are handing out that taxpayer money as personal favors. Um I I just cannot see why we're still doing this six years down the road. This wasn't a temporary measure. It's going on and on and on and we still hear repeatedly we don't have enough ACOs. The past two months, we've actually had one of our four full-time ACOs on extended leave. You would think this would show that we needed that acco to be doing accomp this person went on. Obviously, we have more than enough ACOs. So, that's what they should be doing. If we need a vette, and I think we do, and I and if we needed one for six years, and I think we did, why has the shelter not hired or even attempted to hire a vette at an appropriate vette rate of pay? It's a quart million dollars. That's all I got. Anyone else wishing to speak for the first time?

Hello. I miss you guys.

It's been a while. Uh Chanel Vicers, Ames Ridge Avenue. So, I have two concerns. Um on I believe that's Pitman Avenue. Uh right before you get into the apartment, the Windgate Apartments, there is a massive massive pothole and I am you have to literally go on the opposite side of the road to bypass it or you're going to damage something back. I don't know why the homeowner whose house is right there has not come or even reported it, but it if I hit it one more time, we're gonna have a problem. It's big. like my whole car went into it and I'm like there's probably nails in here everything. So that's my first concern

at the back. Yes. Or pitman right at that weird triangle shape

that goes on right there. Um and then my other concern is the creek or Bordon Avenue. Bordon and lighter. Um it was somewhat filled in. It was probably about a maybe two inches from the street and with the last rainstorm, it's now just holding water. And my concern is it's about to be spring and we like mosquitoes when there's water sitting. So I just want to know if there's something we can do about that. There's no the water doesn't move from the bridge side, but once you get to where all the brush is, it just sits there. So, and with my house being right there, I'm like, "Yeah, I need to go talk about this just as a preventative before this the weather really changes for mosquito purposes." I spoke with the director of public works yesterday because uh driving around town, I found some uh some nicesized potholes and he said they're actually going out and filling them. So, I will give him this location uh with the bad weather. I mean, with the terrible weather we had uh this winter,

uh there's a bunch of them around. So, they are going out filling them. I know they were out a little bit today and I know they're going to continue. So, I will pass this location. So, you're saying it's on uh Clover and Pitman? Yeah. Right. All right. So, I'll pass that on to him and I will also ask him uh about Bordon and Laida. Uh what what the plan is there. Okay. Is there active order there now?

Yes, it's just sitting. It's been there since the last rainfall. Then we had no rain. So, it's just sitting there. Um the last what was it? It rained like two days a couple weekends ago. Uh we were watching it to see if it was gonna go into the street because it had gotten so high. So yeah, the water is just sitting. It's not the dirt's not absorbing it. I don't know what's happening with it just sitting there. I'm trying to clarify. Is it the creek that's still or is it a pothole on the road? No, it's these are two different issues. Yeah, there's an actual creek right there that runs from There's a creek that's really not It's really been dry. It's been dry for a long time. It's been dry for a long time

because the property that was next to it was totally dry. Drier than the pavement and it was deemed wetlands and we were trying to figure out how it's deemed wetlands because it was drier than the road. Right. It's been we dealt with that a couple years ago. Yeah. I think the last time we actually seen it get as close to the street level was during Hurricane Sandy. So, it's been a while since the water sat there. But I do know that it was still in because it was dry so long. But again, every time it rains, the water is just sitting. And the more rain we get, the more water is going to sit.

I just had a quick question for Kathy off your off your comment. Um, does the Mercer County Mosquito Control, I should know this, but so that work for the county. Um, does it Mera County Mosquito Control? Do they do we give them like a list and they go out and and spray in those areas that I'm sure

I think it's the other way around. They give us a list, but we work with them. Okay. Every year and there's they should be starting to gear up now because they do it really from kind of spring and maybe midspring through um you know the summer or through the beginning of the summer to try to control the mosquitoes. Okay. Not every town agrees to have them control their mosquitoes, but we've always worked with them to say yes because and the last few years has been a huge huge problem, more so than any other years that I've seen. So, and they've gotten a lot of complaints about it. We've gotten a lot of complaints about it in the past year. So, Okay.

Anytime we can try to, you know, make that better before it becomes a huge problem is is a good idea. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Any first- timers? Sure. Come on up, man. Wow. Hi, my name is Bobby Edwards. Um, I live on Park Lane and I would like to know since, you know, everyone has a plane. If it's possible that can get some speed bumps on Park Lane Park, are you talking about Square Park? East State Street. No. Park Lane off of East State Street.

Speed. So, we'll have to uh talk to the PD and talk to um engineering and discuss um you know, speed bumps are a real weird thing, right? We've all seen it. You get 20 houses on the street, 10 people are for it, and 10 people are against it. We have We'll have to do a traffic study. See, uh ask them to do a traffic study. um ask the chief to send the traffic unit out there, see what the traffic is like, see what's going on, see if there's either another cause or some other way. Uh the speed bumps, again, always controversial when it comes to neighbors because half are for and half are against. Okay, let me just say this. Sure.

So, with them coming off of East State Street, most of the people that lived down Park Wing are all renters. No one really are home owners. So, no one really likes to complain. I am a homeowner and that's why I'm bringing it up. Like maybe we can get some speed bumps because once they turn off East State Street, they going like they just going to the next um street like day log. They just, you know, and there's children out there playing so you never know. That's all. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Any other first time Anybody that would like a second a second shot? Come on up, Lisa.

Lisa William. Um, I was wondering if you had a chance, whoever on council was going to meet with the health department about three-year dog licensing and when are the next board of health meetings because they're not updated on the website. It still has the 25 days.

That's disturbing.

Have you I believe in public notices. That's where I'm looking right now. There is the notice that I saw there meeting uh 202. Yes. Yes. 2026. So I don't know where you're looking. If you go under departments and select government and select council and then select board of health, it shows last year state. So I don't know where you two weeks ago, I actually complained about the same thing. That's why I said it was disturbing. I uh sent a text message and an email complaining about the same exact thing. I don't know where you put them here. I can show you on my phone. I know if

there's other public. Okay. Thank you. Meeting notices. I'm looking at the 2026 board of health meeting. Where are you looking? Um I went under public notices. You know what? Look at the top. I'm on a mobile device. Like the stuff that's on the website. I shouldn't find wrong information in one place and have it somewhere else. Like I know you will. I'm like Yeah. No, I'm just trying to figure out I went to public notices and then there's a menu underneath. The last one was called meeting notices and I went on that and I scrolled just to other meeting notices. It's the first one meeting notices.

If you go down to council and then you click on board of health, the 2025 meetings are up there. That's that's where I look. I'll take care of it. I did. Yeah, I didn't send it to you. I send it to somebody else. Oh, okay. Well, yeah, I would have called you if it was to Thank you.

Okay. Did you You're welcome. Um, thank you if you could help me be able to find things to plan my schedule. Um, did you get a chance to meet with the health department about three-year dog licensing? So I I can speak to that in a second, but um I think we left it with them that they were going to come up with their proposal on how to implement that and what that looks like. So I believe we even have with administration um their staff meeting next week. Okay. So we should hear some information then which then um Alice and I will relay to council so that they can have the information as well and then maybe have a discussion about that. Okay. Correct. Thank you

for your calendar. Lisa, the next one's June 16th. Anybody else from the public wishing to comment? Seeing none, uh we'll start with council comments. Councilman Carbell, you can start us off.

Thank you all for coming out this evening and bringing some of those concerns. Um we will definitely look into some of them. I know um we were taking some notes um on some of the issues that popped up uh at this meeting. Um just wanted to highlight that you know it was a good gathering uh over the uh over this not this past Saturday but the Saturday before for the um St. Patrick's Day parade. Um it was a little cool, but it was it was nice to get out and about and and and see a lot of good a lot of a lot of familiar faces and see the community out in such um such spirit. Um even if you're not Irish. So it was it was it was kind of fun being out there and uh enjoyed seeing everyone and um just um look forward to our budget review process. Um it starts on March 30th is our first one. Um, and I believe our second is on the uh April 1st and then April 8th. Um, we'll review with our directors uh a variety of different uh departments come in for those meetings. Um, but um, council president if you want to break it down later. I mean, but I don't have it in front of me. So, but I know that uh those are the dates. Um, and looking forward to sitting through and reviewing the budget with um, my team here. So, thank you very much. Um, I too just want to thank everybody from Brain for bringing all of your um, concerns to us that we and following up on previous ones. We'll definitely be following up on that. Um, relate to the pothole. I remember we pulled out of our driveway one time and immediately my husband had a splash from a pothole on our street. So I Yeah, so we'll definitely follow up with that. Um, I also just wanted to to mention to if you happen to come in late is we had uh detective Bob O'Hare here who's talking about some great events we have coming up um between the Hamilton police and other resources in the community and our community um on the autism spectrum that they're going to have and that's going

to be April 11th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. And then um their threat and thunder softball game will be June 9th at 6:00 p.m. It's both wonderful event. I know everyone who's involved in these is extremely dedicated to that relationship and and making sure um everyone's educated and safe in our community. And um again, thank you for coming out and like you said, hopefully we're done with storms and things moving forward. You might have seen the progress. Also, I saw the mayor had posted the progress made on the municipal building recre as well. So, that's really moving forward. So, uh thank you for coming and have a good night. So, uh, I'd like to offer my condolences to the Losce family. Uh, Gil Losce, the former Mercer County Sheriff was laid to rest today. Um, and he was a a stalwart. I used to like to say Gil won more elections than all the rest of us combined over the course of his political career. And he was a true public servant. He was an example of uh the grace with which uh all public servants should carry themselves. He was an example uh that I aspire to emulate as a public servant. Uh he always made himself available to offer me mentorship. Uh and there are some rules in how I conduct myself as a public servant uh that I learned from Gil and will probably be following. uh for the rest of my life in public service or not. Uh so uh condolences to to everyone. Uh Gil was Gil was a great man. Um there are a lot of uh great township events coming up. Uh changing gears a

little bit. If anybody likes Antiques Road Show, there's an event coming to uh Koozer Mansion in Ker Park

on April 23rd. Uh it's what's it worth? You can bring your family heirlooms and antiques uh to Koozer Mansion and and get your get your family heirlooms um you know appraised. Uh so that should be a fun event. April 23rd at 6:30 uh at Ker Park in the mansion. Um there's some great library programming coming up, a musical event for children. Um and there's uh women in tea in the Victorian area. So some great presentations coming up. I I always suggest everyone um subscribe to our newsletter. A lot of great events um that that get listed there. Thanks. That's all I have.

Well, we thank everybody for coming out uh tonight. Apologize my mic was off. Um we will work on some of these issues. Uh we appreciate you bringing the stuff to our attention uh that needs to be brought to our attention. Um I also would like to express my condolences to the GOI family. uh he worked for or he was in charge of a department that I worked for uh still work for and um the work the amount of work that he did and the time that he put in uh should be um the blueprint for how we all uh conduct ourselves. Uh also want to thank uh Detective O'Hare, lifelong friend, lifelong public servant. I think he said 40 years.

42. Um it's impressive. It's impressive. Um we hope uh we hope that everybody uh follows in his lead and um he's done so much work um uh for uh that community. Um he's brought us up to speed and and really put us ahead of the curve of where everybody else is. So I want to thank everybody. Uh our budget hearings are coming up uh rather quickly. We'll be together uh for a couple long nights together. And uh with that, the meeting's adjourned. Yeah, keep this down there.