Town Council - Regular Meeting

Yeah. Yeah. The bench mill. Yeah. I think they need to change like the thought there so that we can like designate Janice as our as our fifth way. I cried I cried four times. Acting. Yeah. Acting mayor, right? Call this meeting to order. This meeting is being held with the benefit of public notice as required by the open public meetings act. Madam clerk, please call the role. Mr. Caribell here. Mr. President here.

Please rise for the flag salute 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.

Please remain standing for the invocation. Dear God, we come before you with humility, aware of our deep and constant need of your presence and guidance. In a world burdened by conflict, uncertainty, and division, calm our spirits, and root us firmly in your truth. Grant discernment, wisdom, and restraint in those entrusted with leadership. Protect and strengthen all who face danger, and surround us with your comfort, those who grieve, suffer, or feel forgotten. We offer these intentions in your holy name. Amen. Amen. Okay, we have a light agenda today. Madame clerk, if you'd like to proceed. Uh for your consideration, we have an amendment of March 10.

Uh standby. Um we have an amendment to the agenda. Uh there has been an amendment to the agenda since it's posted on the website. Um a amend resolution title uh change in time frame resolution 426175. resolution authorizing the acceptance and execution of an employment agreement between the township of Hamilton and police chief Kenneth Dowski for the period of June 1st, 2023 to December 31st, 2028. Uh addition uh to the consent agenda is resolution 2126192, resolution approving an amendment to resolution 2613 authorizing the award of a proprietary software applications, service contracts, and various proprietary materials and equipment with various proprietary they're just challenging me to keep saying that word software vendors for the calendar year 2025 in accordance with NJSA4A1 11-51 subsets 1 and DDO

correct uh let that be noted for the record and also we're removing uh an ordinance uh 126013 we're removing it was already adopted on April 7th and that ordinance is to exceed the municipal cap bank uh can I please have a motion for the uh agenda I'll make the motion. I'll second it. On the motion, Mr. Carell. Yes. M. Yes. Mr. Yes. Yes.

Uh, communication one, acknowledgement of received documentation for alcohol beverage control license 333052 rare hospitality international training at homework steakhouse. This has been an amendment to page nine to the current application file. Motion to accept communication C1. Time out. Time out. Uh we didn't we didn't do the minutes yet. We skipped them because I uh you started reading the minutes and then I went to the amendment. So I just want to make sure we go back to that. Okay. So your consideration for March 1st. Do you have a motion? Motion to accept the minutes. M1. I'll second it. Motion Mr. Yes. Mr. Yes.

Yes. Or zero. Now for the communication as for takeout. I'll make a motion. Second. Okay. Second it. On the motion. Mr. Carelli. Yes. Mr. Ty. Yes. Mr. Rand. Yes. Mr. Yes. Zero. Next. Um, consent agenda resolution PA1 through 21.

Okay. Um seeing the agenda uh we have a just a breeze through uh a little summary of them. um appointment to the economic development commission. Uh we have both chief's contracts also um our CFO contract uh grant looks like click it or ticket grant uh our 2025 payment to project freedom. Um couple other professional service agreements. uh improvements at the San House uh resolution, I'm sorry, a contract uh for the Syain House, various refunds, real estate taxes, and other fees paid. And I'll take questions or comments from council at this time. Any questions or comments from council? Very light agenda.

Yeah. Uh just to note that we're we're releasing grant money to Project Freedom to support opportunities for independent living for persons with disabilities. Agreed. I was going to mention that too. Okay. Councilman will you have anything? No. All right. Anybody from the public wishing to comment on a consent agenda items only consent agenda?

Sure. Come on up. Okay, Janice Brown, Cornell Heights. Okay. Um, I just want to say that I am very happy to see that uh, Fire Chief Steven Kramer is in again. He is a very nice man and does a very good job and I'm pleased to see that he is back in again. He's one of our finest fire chiefs. We're equally as happy. Okay. And then like you were saying what you were reading some of these things are real tongue twisters like RS9 by the time you're done with it you don't know what you read you know but uh sometimes you have to be a a genius to figure out what you're talking about

or just have good teachers. I had very good teachers such as yourself. Okay. Very good. But I'm I guess I'm glad to see uh Chief Kramer's back in. Thank you. Anyone else from the public wishing to comment on the consent agenda items? Seeing none, do we have a motion? Seeing none, council president, um I look to um move on the consent agenda items, but resolution one through resolution 21 21. I'll second that. On the motion, Mr. Tabelli. Yes. Mrs. Yes. Mr. Yes. Yes.

4 consideration ordinance 126-016 is an ordinance amending the supplementing the code of attachment of Hamilton New Jersey chapter 485 vehicles to traffic article 2 parking section 485-9 parking prohibited at all times on certain streets establishing a no parking zone on Wilford Avenue. First reading and motion to move ordinance 126-016 on first reading. I'll second it on the motion. Mr. Parabelli. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Ordinance 22617 ordinance supplementing the code of penalty chapter 4 35 street sidewalks and article five structures in right ofway section 435-37 approval for placement required exceptions for street introduction. Um, council president, I move on first reading and introduction of ordinance number 226-017. I'll second that. Motion. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

This could be, but it could be. Yes. Okay. From the public, Allan, if you'd like to come up and speak. Hi. Um, I'd like to May I hear from Catherine? You were going to say what you had in plan and Yeah.

Ellen Coyote Senica Lane. All right. Um, hi, good evening. Hi. How are you? Um, and I just wanted to respond to you this afternoon that we all are getting your emails and it's been a topic of discussion anyway and some action. Hello. Um so I happened to uh after the last meeting I asked our when Miss Coyote brought up some of the issues um that again many of the issues were last year and we addressed last year around this time. I think it was maybe April or May last year as well and then throughout the summer uh somewhat also. And just to recap, we have a township property that's landlocked by two others. And so it's not used for anything. It's open woods. It's kept in its pretty much natural state except it is manicured somewhat.

Um, and there's grass kept along the edges closest to the homes. Is that accurate description? So, um, some of the neighbors right here.

Right. I understand. So, but we're talking about you. You're speak you're up speaking right now. Um, so after the last meeting when Miss Coyote brought up uh additional issues this year, um we sent out our public works um superintendent and also our um zoning officer who was going to look for for infractions there as well. Um they saw uh quite a quite a large area out there that was fine. No, no issues with it really. It was manicured. There was some areas that and again this is township property that we leave in its natural state except for some of the areas some of the grass was higher and so um you know that needed to be taken care of as well but uh did not see in their view uh too many other infractions.

I'm sorry what was the timing of this? Uh this was after the last meeting. I don't know the exact date. I think it was the next April 10th. Okay, that sounds about right. This this month. Um yes, this month. Okay. But was it only looking I saw that the gentleman number 24 was walking hand in hand with the um parks person. Okay. Along the Senate cuz that was not in the contention. It was 28 hasn't been cleaned up. 24 was cleaned up but not I think they were trying to look at the whole area overall. Right. That's the And he told me when I went down there because I said, "I can't believe this is happening. They didn't come to me. I was home. They went to 24." And

well, Miss Coyote, they've come to you before in years past and asked for access to the township's property and you have refused that for them to go in and clean up or even look at that. Now, I don't

look at it. I used to have them ruined my property, my lawn, when I didn't illegally dump. So again, we have got gained access other ways and I think that was their prerogative to choose which way they were going to access the township property. So So again, there was kind of a um a discussion out there amongst township employees and Miss Coyote and perhaps some of the neighbors as well. Um and so I wasn't privy to that. I wasn't out there at that time. Um, but I was given the message that there really wasn't too much um in violation there and um but then Miss Coyote continued to send us some emails and some pictures. So, I wanted to check it out myself as many of you always do as well. and um you know there are areas where there's some encroachment on township property for personal items that aren't townships. So we have some addressing to do there. Um but again and I think one of the things that I would suggest and I'm going to talk to our um our director of community and economic development because zoning falls under him, our zoning officer. I'd like the zoning officer to put that on his regular rounds to a certain extent. Um, while he's very overloaded with many many areas of of zoning in throughout the town, I think it's worthwhile to have him just visit there on a regular basis so that it doesn't have to come up once a year that you have to come up to us and say things are happening again. Right.

The property cleaned up. So, not fully. I'm sorry, I didn't hear the question. It was for her. I asked if it was cleaned up.

Not fully. So, I we still have some work to do. I have to talk with our public works director uh this week and see if we can uh go out and and get some resolution to a couple of areas and they were highlighted in a couple of the pictures that you sent to us. um the areas that have a natural fallout of branches, leaves, all those other things, we're not doing anything with those. But that wasn't the majority of your pictures. Um, so I also found out though too that, you know, while I know it's not agreeable to you that others use the township property for some some things that they may not be doing, um, we also have good neighbors there on on Shaunie and and on Senica um where there's many of those residents that border that property because it is landlocked. They manicure it right beyond their properties. They cut the grass um they they take care of that and and again I think that's been sort of a long time arrangement with the township but I'll know more once I talk again to the director of public works. So, um, I want to find a a solution to this where, you know, we're still we're still good neighbors to to all of you over there and that they can be good neighbors to each other as well and not have um, you know, a people upset about the condition of the public property that's back there.

But it is an unusual situation. We don't have that in many places in the town where it's landlocked and we can't really get to it. Good ma'am. So you're illegal dumping still continues there and to me the illegal dumpers get preferential treatment. I get called crazy and a [ __ ] and that I'm the problem. So um has there been any more dumping? Oh and then when when Frank came then afterwards and he wouldn't speak to me privately. So 24 stood there and interfered and then after he left he did. Miss Coyote, I don't I'm not sure that that's the same view of the interaction that um Frank has. So I spoke to him about that.

What I wanted to say was number 24 then could started to do of seeing Jester with his hands in his private area. This is aation harassment. We're not going to entertain this because this is not something that we regulate. This is a neighborly dispute that you seem to have with others and they may have with you as well. And again, there is no dispute with me. I'm trying to call police from being the advice give her the opportunity. We're not talking over one another. It's not going to happen.

So, this name calling and things like that is not something that we uh come out and we'll do anything about, right? This is up to you guys as adults to to behave to each other as neighbors. Um, you know, Frank told me what the discussion was from his viewpoint. And again, because I wasn't there, you can always have there's always another viewpoint as well. But when you talk about others calling names and things like that, it's not something that we're going to entertain in this issue. We're out there to take care of the township property because that's our responsibility and and and accountability to all of you, all of the neighbors. Okay? So, please I I I know you may have been upset about whatever interactions that you've had, but that really is not for for this body to decide either.

Thank you. Okay. Anything else that you would like to address with us? Yes. I'd like the illegal dumping to stop. Okay. Um and for the correct people to be involved and and clean up the the private property storage on township property. Okay. Thank you. We appreciate it. Uh, next person is our friend Britney. How you doing tonight? How are you? Happy New Year. I think I haven't been here in a year or so. It's been some time. I know we kind of quarterly of the year. It's okay. How you doing? I'm doing well. How are you? Doing good. Anthony, how are you?

My name is Britney Ames. Home address 323 Bridge Avenue, Hamilton. How's dad? He is wonderful. He sends his uh best regards this evening. says he he ran into someone. He ran into you. He ran into you. I just actually seen a video of you. That's sidebar. Um it's a good video. Oh, good. Good video, guys. It was like a Father's Day thing. Okay. Good video.

Um anyway, my father, Leroy A, sends his regards to you all this evening. Um, so I'm here tonight because last year, um, I'm a youth advocate, as I have mentioned over the past couple of years, uh, with our cedar long meetings that we have with our mayor. Um, my question is that has there been an update regarding the night, what is this, Wilos and Snell

Snell and Wilco Park regarding um, like the infrastructure and everything that's going to happen? And I know I believe Katherine maybe last year told me about a grant that was available um that we can utilize to kind of have that water park kind of like Mercy County Park with something a little bit more condensed for the area so we don't have to travel from our area to go to another nice park just a little bit over before Councilman Caribelli jumps out of his shoes. I'm going to let him go. But I did reach out to our director of public works. Uh he did advise me that he was going to be working on all parks and monuments uh because I know we you know that was a concern a while back about keeping that monument clean. Yeah, we did speak. Uh he will be taking care of all those in the near future. Okay.

And I'm going to turn it over to Councilman Caribella now. No, I ju I just recall uh this probably was like two months ago two that we had um a resolution before us regarding the basketball um I think it was improvements to the it was a it was a was it a D I want to say it was one of the state grant programs that we were going to be a part of. Um and I know that we applied miss and I I know that we uh approved it. I just don't know the latest. And I remember going out because I went for the stream cleanup at Wilcas Park and and and there was a conversation I was having with one of the um environmental commission people and I think they were mentioning to me the improvements that are going to be made there. So

So I I I don't know the answer to a full update for you yet. And so I know that we applied. I'm not sure we heard anything yet or if we did I just don't know what that answer is. So, I'll have to get back to you. So, I can either do and I'll I'll bring it back to you all as well so that you have it for a minute. Can you give Allison your email address and start off offline? I was going to say, yeah, don't announce it.

Can you give and then this way we can all be updated at the same time as you. Might as well get back to cuz um Mr. Caribelli, he was reaching out to me in the beginning because I know it was a lot of moving pieces there. Um and like I said, it's been a year since I've been here. So, I'm just trying to get an update on that. And of course, yes, the basketball court, I don't know what is in that contract of, you know, the upkeep and getting things going. Uh, but I'm for the youth and wanting them to have like a safe park for them to be able to go to. I mean, it's kind of disheartening seeing other schools like just on outfits of Hamilton and they have better equipment than we do. And then we're supposed to be

I'm just going to call us Blue Ribbon and you know, we don't really show that in my opinion. We don't show that. And I would love to see that for our youth and not just have to travel to all the way to Mercer County Park just so they have a little bit of fun when I have a park and walking distance. Um, secondary to another park, I was given some information. I don't know how true it is. Is there a park being built on Clover and Pitman uh where um the old Club 10 was located? Are you aware of a park being built? Can you maybe give an update or if Rick knows it? No, I don't have an update. That's you on that.

The park 10. We tore that down. We own the property and they're supposed to be building a park on there. I I think so, but I don't know what the plans are or where the status is. I can check on that one as well. You'll get both updates. Can you copy all of us on that same email? That would be great. Thank you. Sorry. It's okay. No worries. Joy is the one that hand I know she's working on that one. So, and she keeps me informed all the time, but I just didn't get a more more recent one. So,

okay. So, moving along from the park situation. Um, on Bordon Avenue, there is a creative body of water. Of course, travels all the way from the Snell and Wil, you know, it travels all through Hamilton, all through Hamilton basically. It has it's a stream of water.

Um, since we had that last rain, I think it bounced about a month and a half. Um the water has been just sitting there and it's been sitting there because um there's debris, trash, there's a tree fallen. I have pictures of all of that this evening as well. Um but all of that has fallen. So two years ago, we spoke with Mayor Martin and we he expressed to me, you know, and the community, you know, to input your information to Hamstead. That's totally fine. I think our community was on board and definitely snipping away and sending their pictures in. Um a lot of things was being handled. So then we had another meeting with Mayor Martin and he informed us that um I'm like this is like the township property or something like it should be some type of upkeep. There's no upkeep with that. So there was um a property that had issues with the gate falling in the creek which made it look even worse visually. It was just terrible. They fixed it. They corrected their fence which was wonderful. They did upkeep it for maybe 6 months but for the last year and a half it has not been kept. So with that last rain that we had over about a month and a half ago, there's just been still water that called it for mosquitoes, bugs, um in that area, it is not considered a flood zone, but it will eventually be because that water has just been sitting. So we have trees down. I mean, I see the municipal buildings, I mean trucks or maintenance trucks come around from Hamilton. I'm sure they're probably making a rapport, but nothing's being done.

We also had somebody close to you come uh two meetings ago. Mhm. And uh she spoke about this and they it is on the radar to get down there to fix it. Okay. Yeah. Cuz I I mean I would mind like uploading my pictures. That's totally fine. Everybody see me if I come through every now and then. Um but I just wanted to know is it still the proper steps is to send it through Hempstead and then have it completed. It is. It is. Okay. But we are working on this. We did talk to the director. If you remember, uh we did have a visitor uh two meetings ago and she came in complained about the same area and it's uh apparently still not taken care of. We'll take care of it. Yeah. So that's Bordon, Lita, Mary,

all of those streets right there. I mean the the property owners, they try to keep it, you know, there. Um I also had hearay say that there were single family homes being built on boarding. Is that true? I'm on plan. on the planning board. I've not heard that. I don't know. I'm not aware. Is it a habitat um project? Is there habitat projects over there? There was something bought up four years ago with Mayor Martin regarding um possible like apartments or something being there, but they're all homeowners, so they were all against that in that area. What do you remember? You were there. You weren't there. I was there. Where was it at then? What? Where was it?

I spoke with uh what's her name? who came and uh reached out about the uh the one look I'm tested for peril because it was in a specific location. That's I was like where was it? We had a we had a private meeting. Oh, okay. We had a private meeting because uh somebody came out and posted all this that we were in favor of it on Facebook and we went out and have private meetings with residents. Oh, I didn't know about that. I just knew like you know Marty he just came out. She sticks out of my head because she's a Steelers fan and so am I. And I was like no you won't. I know who you're talking about so we're not going to I know exactly what he's talking about. Uh because I'm an advocate as well for them. You know, they like younger individuals. You know, the older eventually unfortunately they die out. But then here we are.

What street did you say the houses you're concerned that to make the board? There was a gentleman out there and I guess it was like surveying the land. It was like, "Yeah, we're building single family homes here." But I knew back then it was not really a thing. It was like up in the air. I just didn't know it was approved. And if it was, I just wanted to know. We're about to have new neighbors. We're at the four-minute limit, so you can come back up for another two minutes after everybody gets their first time. Great. Thank you. Anybody else wish to speak for a first time on their four minutes?

Come on, Steve. Steve Clay, Wolfpack Road. Of course, I'm back to talk about the dog Merlin. Um, it's been since November 20th since he's been out of his cage. That's 5 months. Of the 435 days he's been at the shelter, he's been out of his cage a total of eight times. I've been trying since the beginning of June, almost 11 months, for somebody to tell me how his behavior fits the shelter's definition of a red dog. I get deflections. I get excuses. I get non-answers. I've asked that. I've brought that issue up at the board of health meeting about the health officer and shelter manager sitting right here and still could not get an answer. So for me, it seems in just a few short years, we've come full circle. We were right back to having a health officer and a shelter manager who are perfectly content to punish and in some cases kill dogs in order to protect their fragile and petty egos and to retaliate against anybody that questions them. How much long like what is the plan here? Are we doing like we did with uh Hercules and we're and we're just going to wait and force this dog to have an actual issue whether it be medical and behavior. So we have an excuse.

Steve, I just I take exception with uh your characterization. Um a lot of reform has been made at the shelter. You know that um processes have been put in place. Uh I know they may need improvement. Everything always, you know, there's always more work to do. Um and there, you know, difficult circumstances at a shelter that is filled beyond capacity. The fact is that under uh this administration, that shelter has been turned into a no-kill shelter. And they don't kill for capacity. Um they only kill under very specific circumstances. that if the dog is injured or a danger that's

so technically not correct. I will I will agree there have been changes made. There have been improvements made but here we are with the same scenario we did this scenario not too long ago with Hercules with blue but here we are again same scenario. So where's the process change? Where's the improvement? That after 11 months, nobody can say how this dog's behavior fits their definition. And I' I've read it out to you. The behavior they they recorded fits their definition of a blue dog. Does not fit their definition of a red dog. Yet, this dog is still locked up. 5 months, he he's not getting out of his cage. So, we are going to force this dog to to have a problem. This is why we're our shelter is over capacity. We can't even keep up with the number of dogs that Trenton adopts out. Easel still adopts out more dogs in total than we take in. That's why our shelter's full. These things, these stigmas we put on his dog, cuz even if you were to say to me today, he's no longer red. He's stuck with this stigma. That's why these dogs are so hard to adopt. This isn't about I can handle the dog better than anybody. This isn't about there's some magic trick to this dog. This is about this dog's assessment is wrong and he's paying the price for this nonsense. Here we are again. Despite the improvements, despite the changes, this one thing that the that the township does not want to address is why we are not a no kill shelter. I know everybody's got their own definition, but no kill is you do not kill a healthy or treatable animal. Hercules, Blue,

Roupert, Roberto Clemente, those two dogs, I'd offered to pay to buy them enough time because we had a rescue ready to take them. The trainer at the time came out and tried to talk that group out of taking those dogs. Wasted a good half of her time there. We were told, "No problem. These dogs are no danger. The rescue needed a little bit of time to free some space." This happened to be the time we had dogs boarded off site to get the kennels redone. Right after we were told, "No problem. There's no pressure." Within a few days, we got an email, you got to take these dogs or they're going to be put to sleep tomorrow. I said, I I'd offer to pay to keep some of those dogs on boarding to give them space, give us rescue time thing. Nope. They take the dogs in the morning, they're dead. That's not no kill.

So where what's the status of this dog? Has there been a secondary evaluation done? What's the assessment? Ask them to uh reassess and they've agreed to reassess when of the red dogs. I do not know the schedule for that yet, but I will find it out.

Okay. And one one follow-on question to that. Um and and we raised the issue last week uh about this because there is a process that's been put in place at the shelter now where there's a committee so we don't have individual employees making arbitrary decisions anymore. We do have a committee that is going through a process and documenting that process. Um, however, if you only have one expert who's, you know, really kind of driving those decisions, then I think it behooves us when when a dog's going to be categorized as a red dog and therefore only get eight walks in 400 days. And dog that is a good dog and doesn't misbehave is going to start misbehaving if it doesn't get a walk every day. Anybody who's ever dealt with dogs knows that dogs need to be walked. So if we have dogs that are being categorized as red and therefore being denied opportunities to get exercise, we need to get a process in place where a second opinion, not just re-evaluate by the same committee, but have an independent or a second voice, right? Not just the one expert. We need more. We need more than one expert. I'm glad we've gotten an expert, but I do think we need to be able to have a second opinion in the cases like Steve is is talking about here to really make sure

problem with that. And I we should be able we should be able to fast track this because this has been this has been brought up at numerous meetings now. We keep getting we keep seem like we're trying to can I just beat around the bush so to speak. I I'd just like to see this evaluation by the next meeting or some update from the shelter regarding this particular animal.

I just want to add something to what Rick was saying. So, a behavior assessment, right, is a battery of tests. And basically, you drag this dog in a room and you do all the things you would tell an adopter not to do to a dog. You grab his muzzle, you poke it, you try to provoke him. an actual behavior assessment that that test is and and this is from the experts that wrote these tests. The test is this much of the assessment. You're you're trying to predict how that dog will react in other real life situations. When you've got other real life situations that he's been exposed to, such as people have taken this dog out before. I've taken him out with multiple employees. I've been introducing to multiple employees. he's run free in the playyard with multiple people. That's the assessment. So after that's happened and there's no issues and he's well behaved with all those people for one person to assess him and say, "No, I can't handle him. Therefore, he's no good." That's not a professional assessment. That's nonsense.

Understood. But take let's let's take this to another another arena, right? When you do a driving test, right? take a new driver for their test. That person isn't being tested on every every kind of highway and every kind of driving situation in high traffic, low traffic, at night. They're going for a snapshot, right? They drive around a course in a controlled course, controlled speed, one other driver, nobody else on the road, right? You have to draw your comparisons. You can't test that driver in every possible driving situation, right? You have to have a test. You have to have an analysis of some kind. We're taking a snapshot of that dog's behavior in certain situations. Well, not we cuz I'm not doing it, but they are. Right. So, I understand and I respect your opinion. You know, the amount of knowledge that you have. We we always appreciate, but I don't know that we can challenge that test or that analysis in that way because I don't know that you would ever, right? Because me and you will sit here and try to save the dog for a thousand years, right? we'll be still trying to save the dog long after the dog passed because that's what we do. But when you sit here and try and say, "Hey, we have to expand the analysis or broaden the analysis," that's not fair either because at some point we can't keep moving the goalpost. We have to have standards.

That's what I'm saying. If if and I will provide you documentation on this on how these assessment tests were proven to be practically useless in determining actual behavior. And the people who wrote these tests discount their own tests. And they are the ones who said that that actual battery of tests is the smallest part of the assessment.

Those experts that wrote that are saying that this is not just me. This is them. So if you got, you know, to use your analogy, yeah, they aren't testing all that and they don't know where those other drivers have been or what they do when they're not taking the test. But in these scenarios, we do know, you can't just discount them because you want to those things are done. Um, that's why, you know, they will tell you even if you're surrendering a dog, you surrender your dog and you say, "Here's my dog's behavior, how he is in the home, great with my daughter, he's not good with," and somebody tossed him in the back room says, "He's not good with this dog. He's not good with that stuffed doll toy. Your dog needs to die now."

That's But that's why they have to have a snapshot. That's why they have to have that analysis because no two situations are ever going to be the same. Every situation's different. Every situation's the same. It's what we say when we train dogs. But but again to to get back to my So let's let's see if anybody else has four minute anybody's let me see if anybody else has their first shot and then we can call you back up. If you give me 10 seconds, I won't need to come back. I'll wait until you can come back after everybody else has their shot and then you can have a full minute and 50 seconds on top of that. Anybody else have a first time? Okay, sir. Please state your name and address for the record. My name is Sanchez. I live in 24 Shauny Drive.

Hi, this is my neighbors. There's another one coming. Uh we dealing with this issue about the dumping. The township came last summer a couple of times. Yes.

They cleaned up beautiful. There's no dumping anymore back there. Okay. Whoever is saying that there's nothing is not true. All of us take turn cleaning back there. We don't ask the township for help or anything. We do it ourself. We go out there with the no more with the weed whacker. We do the township maybe like 50 ft or more into the woods. That's all clear. It looks like a freaking park if you go over there. Okay. Now, worrying about the woods, that's natural. People complaining about tree falling and stuff, they want it cleaned up. It's impossible. Okay. That's natural. It's going to take its course. It's going to go into the ground. It's going to benefit the the forest. Okay? There's no dumping anymore. Okay? Since the ti cleaned up, it looks like a freaking park, believe me. and people singing, you know, and we all take turn and we proud of it. How nice it looks back there compared to all the places around the township. This has got to stop because every summer, every spring, we get hassle about all this stuff of this nonsense. This not true. There's no dumping back there, you know. So that's all I have to say. all I have to say. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. Anybody else from that neighborhood Anybody else from that neighborhood would like to be heard. would like to be heard. I think I I think I don't don't feel obligated. If you want don't don't feel obligated. If you want to, you can, but don't feel obligated. to, you can, but don't feel obligated. Come on up, ma'am. Come on up, ma'am. Just please remember everybody directs Just please remember everybody directs their comments up at us and not at other their comments up at us and not at other people in the audience. Okay. people in the audience. Okay. Yes. My name is Joanna Clark. I live at Yes. My name is Joanna Clark. I live at seven. seven. You can move the microphone down. I have You can move the microphone down. I have the same problem. the same problem. Sure. Sure. Um, I live at Seven Senica. So that's

Um, I live at Seven Senica. I am also in the neighborhood that we all we I've lived there 24 years this year and from the time that we have moved in we have taken care of that space beyond our houses so that the woods aren't growing up to our back fence and coming over I have had two trees fall down the township was wonderful with it that they took out my fence they were wonderful I can't complain about that they took the stuff that they took down and they put it back in the woods until it was complained on and then they had to come and take it all out. We clean up after storms, we sweep, you know, rake, we put all the stuff back where it came from. Um, yet we are harassed constantly by neighbors, having cops come to my door, having people come to my house, being cursed out, being yelled out, being told, I hope I died, that I, you know, she wished I was dead and whatnot and so forth. I don't want to do another summer of this at all. I'm done. She thinks it's going to make me move. It's not. She comes up with all these excuses as to why it's wet back there cuz people dump back there. Okay. Well, it's wet back there cuz it's wetlands and it's always been that way. My yard is wet. It's not just the woods that are wet. It's into our yard. I bought my house that way. Okay. It's a part I accept. It rains, I can't mow. I just know that I cannot constantly be stand being in my own backyard and taking care of something that isn't truly mine to take care of. I do it because I like it to look nice. Okay? And I get harassed for it constantly and I get knocks on my

door and visits from the township and the police. Let's add the police to that equation, too. That's what I have to say. Thank you. We appreciate you being here. Thank you. Anybody else before we move on to anybody? Yuri spoke once. We'll get back to Thought I saw a hand in the back. He went like this. Yeah. Janice, you have something? No. Yeah. Sorry. Okay. Any second time speakers? Come on up, Miss A. you can go next and then Steve for a couple grand Steve up for only 11 seconds.

I like the whitewashed um opinion given. We all mow that area. What I have a problem with is a bush that dies by your driveway. 8 feet from the curb is supposed to be taken to the curb to for brush pickup. It's dumped right in the the wood line. Plants that are pulled up from their property are dumped in the woods. All this stuff that doesn't belong that should be put out on the curb for brush pickup is dumped in the woods. Um, number 24 Shaunie. He's hidual offender. Ask number three Senica when he built a huge illegal garden on township property and it took her a year to get public works to get him to stop doing it. All I've asked I've been friends with these people for 20 and 25 years and I asked them nicely a few times over the years to please stop dumping. They're they're like no. So I I asked the authorities to get involved and now I become persona non-glatt. I the cops came once to their houses and I have just and nobody everybody else ignored.

Okay, we're not going to do that here. Thank you.

So and because I got my prop my pack of sander was mowed down my brushes my b my um brush um brushes rammed into with her lawnmower. I put a decorative fence up there a foot in on my property. They hit that. I had to put in a a 51 foot 4ft fence dividing our property because they can't respect my property. And I've done everything for these people. I even gave him a French bullbone. I gave him free babysitting for six years. I gave that guy his wife two chihuahua because she wanted them so bad. I've done everything to be friends. I planted seven trees to block the landfill that became there and the three of them died and I replanted. I've done everything to make this go away. But it can't be. You saw the landfill at the belt back there. It can't allow to exist.

Alan, can I ask you a question? Yes. Just want to give you a minute. Um, is there any current dumping there right now? The the number picture number 10 was new dumping and I saw in the last two weeks it was all kinds of looked like um and I had number six yelling at me. I'm I asked you a question. A very simple question. Is there any new dumping going on there right now? It looked like it. Yes. It looked like it or it wasn't. Well, I Yes, it it wasn't there two weeks ago. A pile. What was it? A pile of leaves. A a mound. A whole long mound. Can I see picture six? Whoever has it.

It look like grass clippings and leaf thing. He was told not to cut the grass and catch it. He was told he can mulch there. Also, number seven catches grass and dumps the grass clippings behind there in the woods. That's not legal. So, what is it? Grass cookies. Grass cookies and plants that they pull off plants. They cut their bush the dead bushes and throw them back there. I complain about trees that naturally fell. That's false. Yeah, I'm just looking at pictures that were provided to us uh by our You need her pictures. She's talking about her. I'm just looking at the pictures that are here and it looks clean. Some piles of

How can you see? There's a problem if you don't go in the woods of grass. uh clippings as one. It's created almost like a burm of sort and they're not natural dropping. They're cuties from their properties and the backwoods and dumped in the woods that should go to the curb. Okay. Thank you. Can I put this all representation? This is for the Come up to the microphone, please. Yeah. Come on up. Just state your name again for the for judge. Yes, sir. You want to address this is you have to stay at the microphone cuz we can't hear you. This is and then bring it up. This is what they gave us last year.

Okay. Okay. Uh whoever is saying there's something there. There's no dump and there's none since they cleaned up. This is the letter and the army cop and gave it to my neighbors and we're following this. It tell us here from the township what to do and we doing it. We following this maybe somebody wants to hear they been because thank you. We have a copy of it already if we gave it to we keep we keep a copy on file already and all the neighbor has a copy we follow on this to the tea.

Okay. Thank you. is some directions from public works. And so evidently there's been some possible allowance to put when they do do work on the township property. Township doesn't have to do it, but they have been allowed to put grass clippings and other things back there. Not from their own personal property, but from the property from the township. Understood. And so I was going to address that with public works because I'm not sure that's the best arrangement for back there when you see the amount of debris burm of the the grass clippings and all of that. That's not necessarily

but what's the alter what's the alternative? Because if if they don't cut the grass and the township comes back there to cut the grass, what's the township going to do with it?

Right there. And I think in the past the township has probably taken things and just put them even further back or whatever in its natural, but I'm not sure that's the best thing either for this property. But I have to talk to the director. Look, he's been there for, you know, 40 years and so he'll have a good idea as to what what's the best way to handle that because in the end it's a township. It's public property and so we are responsible for it. And while it's appreciated that all neighbors take care of, you know, those things that are on their border, the border of their property, I want to make sure that we're doing the best by by everybody. So,

thank you. So, that's why and I think when we're talking about dumping, we're talking about different things. They consider a lot of things dumping that they don't necessarily consider as dumping. Right. So, I think there were things thrown back there in the past that weren't natural like grass clippings or, you know, shrubs or anything like that. They don't disintegrate. And so, we cleaned all of that up last summer or last year sometime, whenever that was during the summer. Um, and so that type of dumping is happening. But I think there is some other solution stopw. Thank you.

So, we have to address that. Yeah. I don't know. I the only thought I have is uh if you're you're mowing the common area back there, maybe leave the bag off the mower so that you don't have wind up catching a whole lot of then it'll just mulch. It'll just, you know, mulch right into the ground, right? I mean, that's what the volume told. He we don't allow comments from the public in the seats right now. It's That's it. That's my only thought. That was it. It's a great great idea. Leave the Leave the bag off the log. Let the Taylor grass all around and it'll build up the area closer to the hunt. Y Steve, you're up. Oh, Britney, sir. It's good. Sorry.

Sorry. Yeah, you were hiding. I have to state my name again. Yep. Okay. Not your address. Just your name. Britney Ames. Um, so I want to apologize because I didn't only have four minutes. I get excited. I don't get to talking to Mike all the time. Actually, I do every Sunday at church. I'm a church dire uh administrator. You can come here twice a month and do it. Okay, no problem. I got you guys. Um when is the debris picked up? I was just overhearing listening to them like when there's trees and stuff like on the side of the road. When is that picked up? The whole schedule and you can see the schedule on

there's zones. There are zones. So by zone it's on the township website. Okay. So, I'll check uh for myself because I don't live on this street, but I do drive down the street on Bergen Samuel. There's a pile up of trees like, you know, from people probably cut down from the trees that's been falling lately, but it's just kept in one section, which is totally fine. It's not on anybody's property. It's just sitting trees. And and just in defense of public works, we went from having uh a terrible winter y to the temperature going up for a very brief time and then rain and everything else. Yeah.

So, they're they're behind the eightball, too, cuz they're trying to patch the roads that were damaged in the winter with trees coming down there. So, they're they're working pretty hard on that stuff. But, uh, give us the cross street where Berg and Samuel and I'm sure they are. So, that's not one of my complaints. I think that's a common thing that the streets and the trees being down is something that is moving parts that will be completed. Um, I forgot what my secondary one is. Listening to them. Give me one second. We'll take Steve and then if you have something you can Oh, I know what it was.

I'm sorry. I knew what it was cuz I was cut off at my at my four minutes. I never ended just leaving. So, I just want to say thank you all. Of course, take care. Thank you for everything that you do for u the township and everyone else that's on the panel. That was my ending. Thank you. Mic drop.

Mic drop. Don't drop the mic. It'll break and we don't have another one. Come on up, Steve. Steve Clay Wolfpack Road. So to pick up where I left off, Pat, the question is they did an assessment. How does that assessment match the their definition of a red dog? And I've, like I said, I've read to you their definition of bleach biting. It matches a blue dog. Their definition of a red dog may have a cluster of serious issues or an extreme issue that makes his dog currently unavailable. Only hass staff may handle the dog. A yellow dog may have a cluster of issues or an extreme issue that requires a handler to have personalized instruction on how to work with and handle the dog. Somebody tell me why I, who have handled this dog, have handled far worse dogs than this. And I can name half a dozen in the shelter right now that leash bite worse than this dog that have never been read assessed by the same person. So the question is simply, why can I not take this dog out if nobody else wants to? If nobody else is going to, if they refuse to for whatever reason, what is the reason I can't take this dog out? What is the reason nobody's taking this dog out and he's sitting in this kennel five months at a time?

I think we all agree we want another assessment done. And to Rick's point or to follow to Rick's point, I'd prefer that it not be the same assessor. I'm fine with that. I'd appreciate that. Okay. Thank you. Well, was more than 10 seconds. You didn't take that deal.

You didn't take that deal. So, now I got to talk about Maverick. So Maverick, I also brought up last time was the dog that I've walked for 2 years that the staff for the most part has not walked or would not walk. Beginning of March, he was made from yellow to red after he jumped up and grabbed somebody's shirt, which basically meant the people who didn't walk him or the only ones that can walk him. And the only one that did walk him no longer can. Maverick has not been out of his kennel since then. 7 weeks. So again, like like what are we accomplishing with this? Like we're going to punish this dog for what? I'll take the dog out. We've been taking him out for 2 years. He's been getting better despite barely getting out once a week because I'm the only one that was taking him out. So we're going to punish this dog for what? for 10 minutes that he spent with somebody else who'd never walked in before.

Thank you. Welcome. Anybody else from the public wishing to speak? Kathy, how frequently do we do these assessments? Okay. Can't have you be a meeting and not say anything? Oh, I'm sorry. Josh Cornell. Um, it said in the post that good old was going to start to get cleaned up. I thought we were starting to clean that up before and it's just as now it's starting again. I mean, it's been what, three years, the fire property, whatever. Two months ago, I think it just I think we had to

They're They're in the process now. Yes. They clean it up. They're If they're in the process, what they're doing, you don't see it. Yeah. So, what the there there is a there is a contractor um they're starting at the back of the property first and so that's why you don't necessarily see it, but they've been there every day for my or most days, you know, weather dependent. Um and uh I'm waiting for the latest update. We have a court hearing in a couple of weeks um scheduled on that for for updates to the court. It's being it's being monitored by the court. Oh, wow.

Yeah. No, it I'm I'm not playing around, Janice. You know that. Um and so, uh the the original they prom they thought they'd be done by May 1. I thought that was a little bit aggressive. Yeah, that's aggressive. Um but nevertheless, that's why we're still in litigation under court management because we are making sure it it happens completely. Now, they're fighting cleaning it up. They're not fighting cleaning it up. They're they're just being nudges.

D sued them. We intervened. So, you know, there's there's going to be fines ultimately assessed. Um, but I obviously the first thing I wanted done was the cleanup. So, yeah, because supposedly all the contamination was done and finished and now they were supposed to start be cleaning up the mech. the well so the hazmat was taken and and and removed and brought to an appropriate facility which is b hazmat being basically there was there was p um pallets of hand sanitizer um the whole the whole site is considered an asbestous site because we can't prove whether or not the building itself had asbesus in it.

We assume it the way that these kind of cleanups happen it's assumed there is asbestous. So the asbestous cleanup protocol is being followed which adds levels of complication and expense to the property owner. Um but we we refused to back down on that assessment both D and Hamilton Township because we were concerned about safety safety and affairs.

Yeah. So um so that is you know there's there specific state statute um and expert directed protocols for asbesus cleanup and so and so they can't just take it to any dump for example there has to be a special place that's brought to that's approved and that's all being proven by um manifests and everything else. So again, all being court monitor. Oh jeez. I mean, and if all of that is a bestess, they're going to have to find a mighty big dump. I mean, I assume assume it would be because that building, I mean, was there before I was born, so it's at least over 80, 90 years old,

you know? So, I mean, it it's not all asus. It's not like it's piles of asbestous, but the presumption is because the building probably had asbestous in it with the burning. So, you know, whatever was in the building theoretically could be covered with asbestous. So, it's not like it's not like there's you it's not like it's two acres just of a pile of asbestous. It's it's a it's whatever two acres or one acre, I forget exactly how big it is of a pile of stuff that's burned to a crisp. Okay. That was in a building that had asbestous. More likely than not had asbestous in it. Okay. So, we're treating everything as if it's asbestous, even though it's not a pile of asbestous, if that makes sense.

Cuz back in the days when it was good old rubber, there was always complaints of them contaminating to crack what stuff they put in. So, right. And and once all the stuff I I almost I almost said something else. Once all the stuff is taken off, they then will there's going to be testing into the ground. So, if necessary, also they'll be required to remove levels of soil and whatnot to a point that's acceptable to the D. Okay. Just as a correction, uh if the building was older than you, it could just be 40 years old, right? Oh, that's why I love it's closer to I would say 100 years old. I think before my uncles were born.

We appreciate you being here. Okay. Thank you, Melissa. But the goal was to actually have a clean, you know, they're taking everything out because I drive past it on a daily basis and I see the right I I see there's a contractors are out there every day. There's a question about what of of the of the walls that are still standing whether those can be saved or not. So, but right but they won't know that until the stuff is removed and then they can come structure. Right. Yeah. I mean whether or not I could go in and go and the whole thing. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. The integrative structure is probably shot.

Yes. That is the presumption. But it be you got to wait. We only allow two times. We only allow two times at the microphone. Is this about something new or the same topic? I just like to clear the record. Okay. Um, number seven Senica made it sound like these horrible exchanges have been happening for a long time. I only had one contact with him at the end of last year, first time in three years. And I was just a gasast that he he's still dumping. Well, he looked at the signs and dumps his grass and everything. And so I said, "God, keep dumping. Keep illegally dumping." She comes around from the corner and says, "You should have committed suicide years ago." That's when I lost her. We're going to we're going to end it right there. Oh, and her husband dumped the giant concrete thing with the with the um laundry thing. We're going to end it.

It's not going to stop us. We're going to end it right there. Have a nice night. Let them have free rain. Let them make it a junkyard. We're not going to keep going back and forth and we're not making it personal. It's not what we do here. We're not making it personal either, sir. He He does it all the time. Anyone else from the public would would like to speak? Who wants to start us off here on council comments? I go to I think if you start on that end we can sign the 22nd. Tomorrow's Earth Day. We can turn the microphones off. That's all right. Somebody

happy Earth everybody. Uh, I'd like to thank our environmental commission, um, and all the volunteers who came out to participate in the stream cleanup, including Councilman Caribelli. Thank you, uh, for for coming out and and and helping. Um, a lot of work goes into that. the uh environmental commission members, they go out and they scout the township for uh the locations that uh they can have the most impact. Uh they do a lot of work. They put in a lot of hours. So, I just wanted to say thank you uh for that. And with that, I'll just say thank you everyone for coming out and have a good night.

Thank you. Max, I'm going to keep it short and sweet tonight. I just um want to thank those individuals that came out to tonight's meeting. Um I want to also um we're fortunate here in Hamilton to have uh a strong police chief um um happy to have fire chief Kramer on the docket tonight on our agenda and also um uh Eugenia uh our CFO who does a tremendous job. So really pleased with the folks that uh make up this administration and I know that we fully support them for the good work that they put in every day. So that's all. Thank you all for coming out this evening. Sir,

well they said they keep it brief. I know I'm going to keep it brief tonight. Um I I guess on the agenda coming up is you fest. I'm see I'm sure you see the signs out there. So if you have uh um I guess that's Mother's Day weekend, right? So hopefully uh everybody could get out and uh go over Sand Park and enjoy the Aelas. I'm sure it'll be in full bloom. And um nice crowd here tonight and appreciate everybody coming out and taking the time um to um get up to the mic and voice your opinions on what matters to you. And uh we appreciate that. And uh with that, I wish everybody have a safe night driving home and enjoy the rest of your evening. We appreciate everybody coming out. Uh hopefully there's some uh friendly resolve to this. Um it's not healthy for anyone. It's not good for anyone. Life's too short to be going back and forth. Uh everybody take care of their own properties. And um let's just be nicer to one another. I'll say that. Uh to everybody else that joined us and didn't say anything, maybe we'll get you to the microphone one of these next meetings. You know, sometimes it takes you a while to get warmed up. um to our other usuals. Uh maybe it can be more of a usual. Um we'll see we'll see you next month, which brings me our next meeting is in May, so April ran away from us pretty fast. Uh thankfully uh it's gone because the weather was terrible, but uh we'll see you next month. Um I believe is it the 5th? May 5th is the next meeting, right?

Meet adjourned. Thank you. will train us in.