Township Council - Regular Meeting

yeah yeah yeah

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Councilman Adele?

Here.

Councilwoman O'Donnell? Here. Councilman Rubel?

Here.

Deputy Mayor Fisher? Here. Mayor Leggio?

Here. Would everyone please rise for this Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of individual prayer? I pledge allegiance to the flag

with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, everyone. Welcome to tonight's meeting. We'll start off with our proclamation for International Overdose Awareness Day. Is anyone here to present that? Are we presenting that? You want to read it? Sue can read it.

Sure. Overdose Awareness Day is August 31st, 2026, whereas addiction or substance abuse disorder is a disease that should not be surrounded by shame or stigma that can hinder access to treatment and recovery. And whereas about 258,000 fatal drug overdoses occur in the US from 2023 through 2025. And as whereas about 280 fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses occurred in Howell Township from 2020 through 2025. And whereas fake press prescription pills laced with lethal doses of fentanyl, unbeknownst to the user, are readily available to youth and adults through online platforms, social media, and local drug dealers. And whereas members of the public can save lives by recognizing overdose warning signs, obtaining free Narcan through the Howell Alliance and learning proper Narcan administration. And whereas the Howell Alliance remains committed to educating community members about substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery resources, and proper medication disposal to keep prescription opioids out of the wrong hands. And whereas Overdose Awareness Day is recognized each year to remember individuals lost to drug overdoses, support their families and loved ones, and reduce the stigma surrounding substance abuse and overdoses. Now, therefore, the Mayor and the Council of the Township of Howell do hereby proclaim August 31st, 2026 as International Overdose Awareness Day in Howell and commend its observance to all citizens.

All right. On to acceptance of minutes from previous meetings. May I have a motion for the acceptance of minutes from June 23rd?

I'll make a motion to accept June 23rd minutes.

Second.

Yes. Yes.

Yes.

Abstain.

Yes. On to a motion for acceptance from July 14th meeting.

Make a motion. Second.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes. All right. On to reports from township officials. Mr. Groves?

Thank you, Mayor. Just one thing I want to bring up. On tonight's agenda, resolution number R26261 is a resolution to enter into an agreement to purchase a piece of property within the township. It's the first of a number of properties that we're going to be looking to acquire for open space and recreational purposes. This particular parcel is about 25.68 acres located on Halses Corner Road. And we're just excited to be able to make preservation of this property, its farmland and its usage for the township for now and forever. And so this is a first, again, a first of, I think, a number that you're going to see over the coming 60 days. We hope that to put the HAL taxpayers open space funds to good use.

Kayla?

I just want to address a procedural issue. Tonight, we have on our list for introduction of ordinances, we have O26-21, and that is introducing an ordinance regarding impervious coverage standards in the township. We had previously introduced a similar ordinance, but we had gone back to our planners and changed some things within the ordinance. So just for the record, the original one, which was 026-11, that ordinance is no longer viable. And tonight it is listed as 026-21. Is that all? Yes.

All right. I have a prepared statement in regards to this ordinance. because it's been a hot topic. And I'd just like to say a few things. And as far as tonight, we're not going to open it up to the public. We'll open it up to the public when we adopt it in a few weeks on September 15. So when this ordinance was introduced, it started out as an important conversation in our community. And we heard from residents, reviewed the analysis that came forward, and took time to make sure that the final version works for the people who actually live in Howell. Some of the criticism was fair, some of it was inflated, but we took it all seriously. That's what a responsible local government does. But let's be clear about what we did not do. We did not fold the pressure to water this down into something that looks good on paper but does nothing for the town in reality. We did not abandon the core reasons we brought this forward in the first place. This governing body has a compelling interest in managing stormwater, reducing flooding, protecting our infrastructure, and keeping our residential neighborhoods from being overbuilt. Those aren't abstract goals. They're about keeping water out of people's basements, protecting property values, and making sure the systems already don't get overwhelmed every time we get a heavy rain. That's basic responsibility to the residents of this town. So we directed our professionals to go back, look at the actual lot sizes in Howell, study what the neighboring towns are doing, and rewrite the ordinance so it works in the real world. We came back with a practical sliding scale approach based on the size of the lot. Smaller lots get more flexibility. Larger lots are held to the standards that match their impact. Definitions were cleaned up so the rules are clear and enforceable to everyone equally. By carefully tailoring the ordinance to actual conditions on the ground, we have protected every resident of Howell. Homeowners who want to make reasonable improvements, neighbors who expect their streets not to flood, and taxpayers should not have to fund unavoidable litigation. We listened to the criticism, we used common sense to fix what needed to be fixing, and we stood firm on the principle that this is what the town has every right to do, and we are responsible to protect itself from uncontrolled runoff and over development. This is about accountability. It's about doing the work the right way so we don't create problems for residents or open the door to cause the litigations that taxpayers end up paying for. It's practical, it's fair, and it's built for the people who actually live here. This is common sense government. That's the approach I believe in, and that's what this ordinance delivers, and it's ready for adoption. On to hearing of citizens' public comment for consent agenda items. May I have a motion to open the floor?

A motion to open.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye. Aye. Each person shall first give their name and address to the clerk. The council should be addressed as a collective body and not as individual members. Each person shall have one turn to address the council and comments shall not exceed a total of five minutes. Speakers shall be notified when their time is run and no time extension shall be permitted.

Joe.

Joe Bozonos, Colts Neck Road. How's everybody doing? All right. Good evening, mayor, council members, and professionals. After attending various council meetings throughout the area, I'm very happy to be on my home turf. First and foremost, I want to reiterate my gratitude to the mayor, council, and professionals for doing your due diligence in bringing Ordinance 02618 to the table. To me, this ordinance is a clear sign that you care about this town as much as we do. I'm not trying to flatter anyone when I say Howell is fortunate. to have elected officials who listen when residents speak and who implement changes when they're logical and within your power. I'm confident that our current council as well as the next wave of council members will continue this excellent momentum. So again, thank you very much. That being said, I have a few suggestions to offer tonight. A major issue I've encountered recently is the sentiment that Howell is a town that people eventually need to move on from. I wholeheartedly disagree. Howell is a beautiful, historic town with great school system. and the perfect place to raise a family. However, New Jersey in general is an expensive place to run a business. While Route 9 is full of potential, the initial startup fees for a new business can be intimidating. New Jersey State Statute NJSA 40A21-1, also known as the Five-Year Exemption and Abatement Law, permits municipalities to grant property tax exemptions and abatements for the construction, modernization, and rehabilitation of commercial structures. I put together a very rough sample ordinance that would provide temporary tax breaks to legitimate small businesses looking to open in Howell. Owning a small business is a core part of the American dream, and if it's feasible for Howell, I believe we should explore options like this to encourage people to start dreaming again. Second, a friend reached out to me a few weeks ago regarding a private rental property that they were preparing to lease here in Howell. While the property passed all fire inspections, there was a lingering smell from past pets and clear evidence of rodents. I strongly believe that alongside our fire inspections, a habitability inspection should be mandatory in Howell. Fortunately, my friend was able to break the lease without penalty after we located the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs habitability bulletin and presented it to the landlord. however a potential renter should not have to play lawyer just to get out of a lease that fails to meet basic living standards after speaking with one of our town professionals it was mentioned that copying pasting something already mandated by the state would be redundant which i agree with i understand that logic but that's not my intention adding a local layer to our inspection process is not the same as duplicating a state mandate rather it provides an additional layer of protection to ensure our tenants have a safe clean places to live while holding subpar landlords further accountable I do have extremely rough drafts for both of these potential ordinances which I will hand over to the town manager tonight. In closing, I want to remind my neighbors that we live in a great town and it will only stay that way if we continue working together. Be proud of your roots as Howell residents. Encourage your friends and family to move here if they're looking for a home and choose to stay if you already live here. Take your civic rights seriously and vote with intention. Research candidates and never simply vote down a party line as most local issues are entirely nonpartisan. Finally, I encourage our residents to apply for board positions, run for office, and get involved. This is our home, so let's stay positive and let's make meetings trendy. Thank you guys very much. Seriously.

Paula?

Good evening. My name is Paula Samorell, resident of Howe and a member of the Civic Advocacy Group Howe Connections. First, on behalf of many Howe residents, I want to thank the mayor, town council, and town manager. We've all heard stories about officials elsewhere who serve only themselves, so we truly appreciate you and your dedication to our community. You'll notice that I've used some metaphors in my speech that I hope will resonate the seriousness of the subject with a bit of levity. Is anyone else tired of the trash talk about Hal on social media and the hidden intent behind it? I know I am. At this point in time, the intent is clear, to discourage potential homeowners from even considering moving into Hal, turning our town into an exclusive market where realtors pick and choose who gets to call Hal home and who doesn't. We are at a crossroads, along with surrounding towns of Brick, Jackson, and Toms River. A crossroads that residents don't even know how we got here. Much like that scary scenario when you're driving and you suddenly find yourself at a traffic light, an intersection, or even in your driveway and you think, yikes, how did I get here? Did I go through any red lights or stop signs? Oh, there were red lights and stop signs that should not have been ignored. But unfortunately, we passed right through them in the days called everyday life. We get up, go to our job. For some, it's two and three jobs. If not comfortable with school bussing safety, we drive our kids to school ourselves. We drop them off at after school activities, religious classes, youth service groups, doctor's appointments, and occasionally a family outing for a slice of pizza or two. Yep, we went right through those stop signs and red lights without noticing the LLC speeding past us to buy that home for sale by the empty nester, the retired senior citizen, the parents that want to live closer to their adult children, the transferred employee and sadly owners with financial troubles. All normal occurrences for people to sell and move out of a community, which in turn creates normal opportunities for new people to move into that community. Instead, illegal roadblocks and checkpoints were set up, and some are waved right through, while others are steered toward a dead-end street, forcing them to turn around and look outside Howe, Brick, Jackson, and Toms River. Where are the authorities that are supposed to be policing these illegal practices? Why aren't they doing anything about these deliberate roadblocks that are put in front of some people and not others, which is blatantly discriminatory? Why aren't they being held accountable? We hear it's because of big money from special interest groups ensuring an easy pass for some and not others. Hell, at times it seems like these special interest groups and LLCs are even given an escort right past the hardworking citizens straight to the front door. People of all backgrounds, cultures, and faiths should be given the opportunity to thrive here and enrich our community. My community understands that, and as a matter of fact, we had a community potluck was organized two months ago, and several of our Orthodox neighbors participated and offered some great desserts. Bad feelings should not be directed at the families given the green light to move along and into our communities. These bad feelings should be directed at the leaders, money makers, and power hungry politicians who know this is happening and have the power to remove these unethical roadblocks, but do not. It's time we did some of our own steering towards our own crossroads of making. As November elections approach, we need to ask every candidate, which road are you going to take? The high road or the low road? For those of you looking for a forever home and the ethical realtors that are still out there, put Howe on your list of great towns to look at. Don't miss out on the chance to live in a community that has long accepted and respected people of all walks of life. Thank you.

Sandra, I'm going to let the next resident go because she's on a walker, and I just let her get up here real quick. You don't mind, do you? I'll bypass you real quick. Well, let's go, Linda. You and your sister?

Yes.

Good evening, everyone, ladies and gentlemen, and audience. My sister and I, Anita, Linda.

Which street you live on?

I'm sorry. I live in Howell. We live in Howell. It's Anita and Linda, okay? We've lived here for 28 years. We lived in Lakewood for 28 years before this. And anyway, we're here to express our concerns about the issue of rental properties in Howell, specifically the matter of financial groups or investors, if you will.

And by the way, we're both Jewish.

Yeah, well, you want to throw that in there right now. So anything I say about any type of orthodox investors, financial groups... This is not coming from anything anti-Semitic, because we're Jews. We're proud Jews. We're second generation Americans, and we are proud Jews. And so therefore, we're not anti-Semites, OK? We just want to throw that out there. OK. So specifically, the matter of financial groups buying houses and turning them into rental properties and or boarding houses. You should know a little background, 28 years, 28 years. We were in Lakewood, we felt that we were being pushed out of Lakewood after 28 years and now it seems to be coming back to bite us again 28 years later. We never thought this would happen in Howell, New Jersey, but it has. This does not make us happy. Okay, we're in a community. A community is a group of people who care about each other, support each other, and want- Look out for each other. Look out for each other, etc, etc, okay? My sister and her husband, who has passed on, we moved here back, as I said, in 1997. Our neighbors, many of whom have become our friends, are good people, caring people. We all get along, we all care about one another. However, what we see happening all around us is very disturbing. Namely, people who buy the homes and turn them into those properties. And this is not a community. The homes are investment properties. Therefore, there is no pride of ownership. Lawns are not mowed regularly. Shrubs are not trimmed. And there are multiple cars in the driveway, on the lawn, and on the street. Not all owners abide by code enforcement. Some do. A lot don't. The code enforcement rules are enforced. But our code enforcement officers are not A multitude. There's only a few of them. Yeah, okay. And many of these owners have renters at the dwelling more than the law allows. We homeowners are part of a community. We are a group of people who live in the same neighborhood who are diverse in color, religion, and age. There is fellowship and support between people who care about each other. That is something that no rental properties can duplicate, okay? We don't want slumlords. We don't want slumlords. Exactly. Now, this may sound funny, but it's not. A few years ago, our neighbors would say, the Jews are coming, the Jews are coming. That reminds me of a 60s movie, the Russians are coming, the Russians are coming, which was supposed to create fear in your heart. Same thing. The buyers are financial groups with no allegiance to the community. Yes, it's legal, but that doesn't make it morally right. Now, Because the Jewish holidays are around the corner. Hashem, God, for many of you who don't know Yiddish, Hashem is God. And there's been a rise of anti-Semitism. I don't have to tell you that. You all watch the news. We wanted to stop here in Howell, if at all possible. And what's happening is not enhancing that issue. Now, this Jewish New Year is coming next month about this time. It's a time of spiritual rebirth, redemption and reflection, a solemn time in the Jewish calendar. With that in mind, we ask that whoever buys a home in our area considers the neighborhood and the community that we reside in. And sellers, we have a message for you all. We also request that you, local residents who put your homes up for sale, consider your neighbors, many of whom have become your friends over 20 and 30 years. Yes. The prevailing attitude is, as one person told us from around the corner, is I want as much money as possible for my home and I don't care what else anybody does or thinks. Well, you know what? This is a lousy, stinking attitude without consideration for anyone but themselves.

But Waylon, but what do we do with that? That's my question.

This is a lousy attitude, okay? They only think about themselves. Everyone has a right to try and get as much money as possible for their home. However, we ask that you sellers consider what happens to us, your friends, your neighbors, you left behind, and who ultimately will happen, well, what will happen, what they're left behind, and what they're holding a bag about, okay?

No, sir. Choppy. We've got to wrap it up.

But we have two people. In closing, we would like it noted that we and other members of the Howell welcome new homeowners who will become part of our community to live in harmony with our neighbors. It doesn't matter what their race or ethnicity is, just as long as they become part of the fabric of the community and who take pride in their home, the area, and where they live.

Our question is, what do we do?

And you can run, but you stop this.

All right. All right. Thank you, ladies. Thank you.

Linda, are you ladies leaving or you're staying?

A few minutes. We'll be here.

Okay. Because I was going to get someone to help you down to your car if you need it. All right.

I can't compute with that. Sandra Vieira, Highlight Court. The handful of times I've spoken here, typically I speak on heavy issues, ordinances, rules, et cetera. Tonight, I want to hone in on the good in Howell. You see, for decades, Howell has been one of the most coveted New Jersey towns to live in. If you could buy a house in Howell, you were not just buying a house, you were coming home. Our proximity to the city, beach, and our incredible diversity sets us apart. And while all of this is great, there is one piece that completes the entire puzzle, our public schools. Howell has a quote unquote above average public school district, rated 4.6 out of 5. And our state ranking is above average, as are our district test scores. Why does this matter? How does this pertain to a council meeting opposed to a board of ed meeting? It is no secret that Howell residents have felt stressed recently. So what's next for Howell? I would like to present an idea to our mayor and council tonight. You see, sometimes a city's success is not found by getting back to normal, but instead in looking forward to a new normal. The best example of this is Park Avenue, New York City. I will explain and then tie this all together. Park Avenue, NYC had a turnaround, a rebrand of sorts. It was the most undesirable place to live during the late 1800s, and now it's a real estate dream. Here in Howell, yes, there are significant zoning and public safety issues that have law-abiding citizens completely baffled. But also, yes, our mayor and council are the strongest team representing the people. We stand behind you as you navigate this hard work that takes time. So my idea tonight, let's give Howell a rebranding. Park Ave is one of many stories where a place went from one trajectory to unrecognizable. As Howell's public school system is one of the leaders in preparing well-educated students, let's leverage that. Let's promote this gift that Howell has and bless the future generation with the gift of education, but on a township level. Let's pave the way for young families who will appreciate Howell's public education to stay in Howell and to move to Howell. So how on a township level do we reinvent our town? Over the next few meetings, I will be presenting ideas. The goal of this is to share our greatest gift with young families. I'd like the Mayor and Council to look at incentives and benefits for young families that go through the Howell school system. Over the next few meetings, I'd like to look into tax breaks for retirees who raise their children in the public school system, adopt a student program, an inner city relationship. I can't read that. Allowing rising stars to reside in Howell with Howell families and receive mentor-focused education, subsidize electric costs via solar grids for young families, public schools' relationship in investing in the well-being of veterans and retirees. Let's put life back in Howell while we continue to process legal. Let's add a parallel focus. Let's get behind our leaders and the awesome job they're doing, and let's have our very own Park Ave. reinvention. Time to base Howell's future on Howell's strengths. I'll conclude with a quote from Abe Lincoln. The best way to predict your future is to create it.

Rich? I'm up next. Okay.

I'm a little wobbly today. Excuse me.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. I have a couple of things that I want to talk about. I spoke to you about some of them. I just want to reiterate, I'm still very frustrated about two things that I'm focusing in on. The illegal use of these R3s. That's all I'm going to say. I'm not going to get into it and beat it to death. It's very clear that there's a zoning ordinance. It's very clear. what's involved with that use. Shame on somebody who bought a house that wasn't on Route 9 that's a single-family house that has some other zoning that would allow a temple to be built there and utilized there. But in my particular place, and I'm only talking about Heritage Point, it's not allowed. So that's the one issue. The other issue is a little scary. I'm sitting out last Saturday and listening to music. And I want to admit it was pretty loud, but it was nowhere near 10 o'clock, about 7.30, 8 o'clock. And... I look up and I'm startled by a man who's hanging over my fence, which is a pool barrier. And I said to him, can I help you? He's obviously an Orthodox gentleman. And he said to me, I'm your neighbor from across the street, which is ironically the house that I complain about all the time. So I got up and I shut off the music and I asked him, Like, what can I do for you? Because I know you're not my neighbor. I live in this house for 40 years. And for 40 years, I know everybody who lives there. So I said, are you renting the house, them? He wouldn't really answer me. He kind of just avoided the direct question. He said, well, we're having a party over there. I'm from Cleveland. And I have some... candy and sodas for you. And I got up and I spoke to him. And I actually became friendly with the guy because I talked to him the following day. Because I'm not an idiot, but It was an interesting intellectual conversation. He said to me, why won't you accept the gift from me? I said, because I have an issue with the neighbor that you're probably renting from. Because I don't believe he's a registered landlord. I've asked that question. I still haven't gotten an answer. I believe he's not... from what I'm inclined to believe through the building department over there. And so he said to me, and this is something I want everybody to really pay attention to, I use that word assimilate here many times about this culture. I wouldn't call it a religion. It's a culture. It's almost a cult. Because I sympathize with that woman right here with the wheelchair. Ma'am, I grew up in Queens in Jamaica Estates, which is a very affluent neighborhood of all professionals. And all my friends, even to this day, they're all Jewish. They're all conservative Jewish people. Professionals. Doctors, lawyers, dentists, teachers in Queens College, and so forth.

Excuse me. Brooklyn, New York. She was in an Italian neighborhood.

Yeah, I know. I lived in Ball Park and all places, okay? So I'm an expert on the neighborhoods. He said to me, what's your objection to them? I said, they're very rude. They keep me up at night and they totally slam the doors in my face, car doors, and they don't acknowledge your existence. And he said to me, I said they don't assimilate. He said that's like a four-letter word. Assimilation is not in the playing cards. They do not want to assimilate in Howell. And he explained to me in detail and then some more the following day that if you, they are not going to talk to you. They don't want to be friendly with you. They just want to go about their business. And I asked him why. And he said it's almost like they don't want an outside culture having an effect on their culture. so the kids are taught not to talk to you they don't say hello the the adults that live there don't say hello and he said you just have to let it go you have to just acknowledge that that's the way it is and i said but you want me to ignore the fact that they're breaking the law they are breaking the law let me read it reiterate one more time breaking the law illegal rentals illegal construction He said, well, a good neighbor would just turn his back. Thank you, Mr. Krug. Okay, we done? Okay, very good. I did have one other thing to say, but I can't remember.

All right.

Anyone else from the public that didn't sign the board? Anyone else from the public that didn't sign our sheet? I'm seeing none. Make a motion to close. Motion to close.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

All right. On to, I mean, response to public comments. Anything from our professionals? No.

I don't have anything to add.

Mr. O'Neill? Yeah, a few things. So last Thursday, we were finally able to have one of our concerts, weather cooperated. It was a good turnout. Just want to extend our appreciation to DPW, PD, EMS squads, fire districts, our fire bureau who helped with the fireworks and everyone that helped make this event possible and all our events including namely Steve Fetcher who basically puts together all our special events so just want to thank them. We also named the entryway to Soldier Memorial Park Sean Acker Way so just want to again thank the Acker family for giving the township the honor of having that road named after After Sean. I had spoken with Mr. Bezonos maybe a few weeks ago about that habitability checklist that comes from the state, so I've been spending some time cross-referencing our rental checklist with the New Jersey standards, so I'm still looking at that and seeing if there are any holes within our current ordinances where habitability could be a concern when it comes to the inspections obviously that would be something I would bring to the rest of council to modify our ordinances adopt some new ordinances or whatever may be necessary because again these things are the ordinances in place for the rentals are due to health safety welfare so if we're not caring about the tenants and the quality of life and everything else then really what's the point so We're already in there doing the inspections, making sure everything's up to code and safe. If there are habitability issues that aren't necessarily reflected in our current ordinances, obviously that would be something that we need to address. Yeah, so that's it for me. Thanks. Mike?

Sure. So I wanted to chat a little bit about Ordinance 02618, the prohibition on data centers. I just wanted to say that something we've been discussing internally for a while, the majority of the year probably, on how to attack this. We appreciate all of the public input along the way. At the end of the day, we're here to serve you, not ourselves, not special interests. It really came down to quality of life. It came down to the energy and the water usage. It came down to a risk versus reward. Because let's face it, up here we need to weigh every option in this town in a risk versus reward basis. Whether or not, you know, You hear on TV about the benefits of tax dollars. Does that outweigh the risks of creating this large facility that's going to pull excess power from the grid, that's going to create resource issues, water issues, noise issues? And that's not something that we're interested here in Howell. And I want to dive into this a little deeper. to let you know what this ordinance does and where we plan on going from here, just to kind of clarify some things. The intent was always to ban AI hyperscale data centers. They're the big data centers you see on TV that are a million square feet, 100 megawatts plus of electricity usage, what I was just talking about, the things that we don't want to happen here. Because the climate for the data centers is changing so quickly, the specifications around these things, how they're being built, we had to lump in all data centers into this prohibition. Edge data centers, co-location data centers, enterprise data centers. Because it's gonna take more time to try and define and break out those different data centers from the hyperscale data centers. And the reason I bring it up is because Enterprise data centers are, as an example, they've been around for decades. They were part of the build-out of the Internet in, you know, the 80s, the 90s, and the 2000s. They're not the same as the AI hyperscale data centers. So at some point, you know, an AI data center ban kind of morphed into we need to ban all data centers. So I want everyone to understand that's not what we're trying to do. These other data centers are small. Some of them are housed inside of businesses. Some of them are a fifth the size of this building. They don't have the water usage. They run on air conditioning. They don't have the power usage. They don't have the noise. There's dozens of them in Monmouth County right now. They're all across the country. You don't even know they're there. So we don't want to be overly restrictive. at the same time as not allowing these large hyperscale data centers to enter into our community. So this ordinance was more or less a stopgap to give us some more time to try and define and consider some of these other data centers and say, okay, maybe one of these small ones that fits inside of a house that doesn't have the power usage any more than a house or one of them fits in a server room that doesn't have any more power usage than a regular business or a financial institution, we can carve out certain zones where we can use them or on public property. So that's where we're going moving forward. I want to be completely transparent with you because I don't want you to think, oh, you banned data centers, now you're going back on it, you lied to us. That's not the case. There's a very big difference between an AI hyperscale data center, 100 acres, huge, affects the entire town, versus some of these other data centers. So I want you to continue what you keep doing, coming to the meetings, asking questions. Public involvement is key. We're not trying to hide anything from you here. I just wanted to get that out there so you understand when you see something about this come up that we're amending it, because it's probably going to happen before the end of the year. You heard from me that we're working on it, and we certainly request your feedback as we go through the process.

Yes. I just wanted to reiterate what the manager had said about preserving property and how we have a couple of things in the works. Actually, we have several things hopefully that will be coming down the pike in short order. We are committed to preserving as much property as possible and not necessarily always to avoid high density, but often we're trying to preserve history. We're trying to join with the county and preserve greenways around things that are already existing to make everything even more beautiful in Howell. So it's always nice to hear people do realize how beautiful our town is. And a lot of planning goes into that. And sometimes trying to get a parcel of property to preserve doesn't take months. Some of it takes years. There's negotiations. There's a way to find the money. We share with the county frequently. We're very fortunate. We have a county that's very pro-preservation of property with green acres and whatnot and open space money. There's so many wheels going at one time. Our bus doesn't have four wheels. It must have 104 wheels. Everything is going at the same time in different areas. There's so much to cover in a municipal government of a town of this size. But no one's forgotten about preserving what we have, what the past has brought to us, and preserving property for the future for all the generations. So rest assured, again, that's one of the things we continue to work on. Thank you.

I, too, would like to thank our DPW director, Mr. Greenfield, and his whole team. Often residents call us, text us, they need help, and Brian just gets it done. It's amazing. Same with Mr. Yost and same with Mr. Gross. We're constantly calling you and asking you to do stuff above and beyond. I also want to thank the public, from Joe to Paula to Sisters to Sandra to Rich. You're... your hope and inspiration and just your fight for the town is admirable and inspires us. So thank you.

All right. Joe, thanks for your comments. Pass on whatever you want to pass on to Mr. Gross and Caitlin. Paula, as far as this realtor issue, You know, everyone has a right to sell their home, right? I understand what you're saying. It feels like the realtors are coming in, and there are certain neighborhoods in the town that are directly being affected by a certain group of realtors that are very aggressive and knocking on doors, even if you have no knock ordinance in place, which I have at my house. My house has been knocked on multiple times, even though the sticker's right in your face. So... I don't really know how to, you know, they're supposed to be registered with the town, and we're going to continue to make sure that when they are in the neighborhoods, anybody soliciting any kind of electric, HVAC, whatever, roofing, sidings, realtors, we're supposed to be registered with the town if they're going to be going around, correct? That's how we have it on the books? So we'll look into that to make sure that everyone is registered. And as far as the tactics that are used, it is what it is. Anita and Linda, listen, I've been your neighbor now for 11 years, so I've heard a lot out of you and your sister for the last 11 years, okay? And the last couple years has gotten very interesting, okay? And I'm not disagreeing with you as far as ownership, right? When you buy a home, you hope that there's pride in ownership. You hope that the new neighbor, whoever's on the block, is going to cut their lawn and trim their bushes and power wash their house maybe every couple years, you know, not park on the grass, you know, not have 20 people living in a three-bedroom house. I understand the struggles. We all understand these struggles up here, okay? But when it comes to certain owners that don't feel that way or certain rentals that are driven by, you know, I used to refer to, you know, some of these landlords where some homeowners are bad actors, right? They don't care about the property. They do whatever they want. And that's why we have code enforcement in place to, you know, try to at least manage that to keep our neighborhoods well managed and well groomed. But certain people don't adhere to the warnings, and that's why we had tightened up our courts and stuff, too, with the fines. And, you know, that's moving forward, right? But... You know, these bad actor landlords that I believe are just in it for the money, which, you know, that's not hard to understand, and they're also using it as blockbusting tactics, you know, in certain blocks, because I've seen it, folks. I go around the town every day, and I could tell you there's streets that are just now filled with rentals, and the rentals are just horrible, and code enforcement is very busy. These guys have their hands full and they're out on a daily basis. And like I said, we can't make the tenant or the landlord think, no, no, Linda, let me finish. Clean these places up unless we have strong ordinances in place and then off to court. So we are in a tough spot with that. I don't like it. It's heartbreaking. you know, to see some of these blocks, what's going on in some of these blocks. And it's, you know, these bad actor landlords or these tenants or even some homeowners, you know, I want to switch my term on, you know, calling you guys bad actors. You know, you guys have turned into dirtbags as far as I'm concerned, the way the properties are being handled. And it's just really sad. So, and as far as houses selling and all that stuff, Linda, come on. Money talks. And bull walks, right?

I know it's legal. We talked about this before. However, can't we do anything at all on a state or government level that can reverse this? Because this has gotten really problematic.

Well, listen, you could take it to the next level, right? Take it to Congressman Smith. Take it to Senator Singer. Take it to Arby Schnell. These are our representatives, right? Senator

We're going to stop the back and forth. I'm sorry. If you have more to say, we can talk after the meeting.

I've told you ladies that already. We're just local government here. The guys that are above us are the ones that set the big policy, the big regulations, and I don't think we're going to be able to control who's buying, who's renting, especially with the housing issues in the state. That's that. Sandra, as far as your rebrand on Howell, it sounds good. I'd introduce someone out to the school board, too. See if any of that bites on the school board end. A lot of people have moved here over the years for the school system, for the community, for the quality of life. Absolutely. And I don't want to see that change. I see Mr. Rich got up. Mr. Rich has some legitimate complaints and issues in his neighborhood. And the town is... has been there multiple times, believe me. I got a earful from him the other day in the hallway. It got a little heated, and it was unfortunate that the man has to feel the way he feels living here for 40 years. And, you know, I'll finish with, you know, I talked to a couple of liaisons from the community, the Orthodox community. These guys watch the meetings every couple of weeks. They know who they are. I won't call them out by name, okay? And we've had some strong conversations about this assimilation thing that Rich is talking about, okay? From their point of view, they do have a lot more in common with everyone than we think, okay, because we've discussed a lot of issues. But when it comes to the religious stuff and it comes to the way they raise their families, that's how their community serves their community. I don't think everyone's ever going to all get along, right? You're never going to have 100% on your block, talk to every neighbor, be friendly with every neighbor. And some of the Orthodox community, very friendly, want to say hello, bring over some wine and maybe some cookies and stuff and say, hello, I'm new to the neighborhood. And then some... don't want to talk to you. That's just the way it is. But that's what every race, you know what I mean? This whole argument that's going on about getting along with everyone is just, I think it's going to be impossible. I don't see that across the whole country. And as far as with the political atmosphere in this country, it's really dividing everyone, continuing every year. But I've said this before. I just hope we could all just be neighborly and get along. If you can't, you can't. You can at least try. But what do residents want the mayor and council to do about that? It's beyond me. It's just a friendly hello, how you doing? And if it's given back to you, take it. If it's not, then don't say hello anymore. You're adults. Live your life. You know, let your neighbors live their life, and if there's anything going on that shouldn't be going on that the town needs to know about, then that's when the town's made aware of it. And if there's anything the town can do about it, then we will. I know this is a broken record every couple weeks, but it is what it is. Let's move on to consent agenda items. Does anyone wish to vote on anything separately? No? All right. Make a motion to make a motion to resolution.

Motion to approve R26234 through and including R26261A. Second.

Councilman Adel?

Yes.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Yes. All right. On to unfinished business for public hearing adoption of ordinance 0-2617.

An ordinance authorizing the acquisition of parcel ER8, a permanent drainage easement affecting block 169. Lot 1.07 as identified on GPPM dated March 2000 for Route 33, 1953, Section 7 in the Township of Howell from the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

May I have a motion to open to the public? Motion to open public.

Second.

Would anyone from the public like to discuss this? I'm seeing none. Motion to close?

Motion to close.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye. We have a motion to adopt ordinance 2617.

I'll make a motion to adopt ordinance 26-17. Second.

You mean McDonald?

Yes.

Councilman McDonald?

Yes.

I'd like to abstain, as I did during the introduction, because the NJDOT is a client of my engineering firm, and I have an abundance of caution for conflict. I abstain.

Deputy Mayor Fischer? Yes. Mayor Leggio?

Yes.

The ordinance is properly adopted.

On 20-26-18.

ordinance of the Township of Howell, County of Monmouth, State of New Jersey amending the Township Code to prohibit data centers in all zoning districts.

Make a motion to open to the public. Motion.

I did want to speak to Zachary. He couldn't be here tonight and he wanted to thank everybody for considering everything he was talking about the data centers.

We're opening it. Here we go. Motion to open. Second. Second. You'd like to come up and say it again?

All in favor? I just wanted to

I heard you. Anyone else?

Joe again. I just wanted to thank you for clearing that up, Mike. That is a really important distinction. And it is the mega data centers that are contributing to the surveillance state and that are horrible for the environment that was always the problem. I do understand we wouldn't have the internet and other important things without these smaller scale data centers. I think that was very wise to clear that up. because obviously we may see them pop up, and I don't want anyone to get confused. The big, gigantic ones were the scary things that I'm very glad that we're eliminating. So I just wanted to thank you again, and that was very important to clear up. So thank you.

Anyone else from the public? Motion to close? Motion to close. Second.

Motion to adopt 26-18? Motion to adopt 26-18. Second.

Councilman Adele?

Yes.

Councilwoman O'Donnell? Yes. Councilman Robel?

Yes.

Deputy Mayor Fisher? Yes. Mayor Leggio?

Yes.

The ordinance is properly adopted.

Introduction of ordinances 0-26-19.

An ordinance setting forth and amending and supplementing the salary range schedule for the salaries of certain officers and employees of the Township of Powell.

Motion to introduce. Second.

Councilman Adele?

Yes.

Councilwoman O'Donnell? Yes. Councilman Revell?

Yes.

Deputy Mayor Fischer? Yes. Mayor Leggio?

Yes.

The ordinance is properly introduced.

All right. On to O-2620.

Ordinance authorizing traffic enforcement upon real property located at 645 Oakland Road in accordance with the request of the property owner.

A motion to introduce Ordinance 2620. Second.

Councilman Adele?

Yes.

Councilwoman O'Donnell? Yes. Councilman Rebell?

Yes.

Deputy Mayor Fischer? Yes. Mayor Leggio?

Yes.

The ordinance is properly introduced.

On to O-2621.

An ordinance of the Township of Howell amending Chapter 188, Land Use. Schedule 1, permitted uses, residential zones. Schedule 2, bulk and dimensional requirements, residential zones. 188-4, definitions and rules of general applicability of the revised general ordinances of the Township of Howell.

I move to introduce Ordinance 26-21. Second.

Councilman Nadal?

Yes.

Councilwoman O'Donnell? Yes. Councilman Revell?

Yes.

Deputy Mayor Fisher? Yes. Mayor Leggio?

Yes.

The ordinance is properly introduced.

All right. We're at the conclusion that our one and only meeting for August. So the summer is rapidly coming to an end, folks. Please enjoy the rest of the summer with your families and friends and the warm weather. School will be starting very soon, so please pay attention to the roadways and the little kids and the buses and the increased traffic when that starts. Because our next scheduled meeting isn't until September 15th, 2026. Executive session will begin at 6, regular session at 7. And I'm seeing no further business before the council. May I have a motion to adjourn, please? Motion to adjourn.

Second.

All in favor? Aye.