Municipal Council - Regular Meeting

We're live. We're live.

Good afternoon.

I would like to call this reorganization meeting of the Lawrence Township Council to order. Oh, thank you. Adequate notice of this reorganization meeting of the Horren Township Council being held on January 1st, 2026 was forwarded to the Princeton packet for Times and the Trent Union on December 29th, 2025 by the municipal clerk. I would like to also uh extend a special thank you to the Lawrence Township Police Honor Guard for being present this evening. We will rise and they will lead us into the What? Oh no. Three.

I pledge algiance 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. Christmas. We would now be seated. Pastor Jeffrey A. Damon of the Lawrence Presbyterian Church will give the invocation. I invite you to join together in a moment of reflection. What in the tradition that I represent we would call prayer. Source of wisdom and justice, known by many names and honored in many traditions. We give thanks for this community of Lawrence Township and for the shared commitment that brings us together today. We pray for Christopher Bobbit as he assumes the responsibilities of mayor and for all who serve in public office. Grant them integrity in decision-making,

courage in times of challenge, humility in leadership, and compassion for all whom they serve. Bless this township with mutual respect across differences, with honest dialogue, and with a spirit of cooperation that seeks the common good. May our leaders be guided by wisdom, our citizens by goodwill, and our shared life together by a commitment to justice, peace, and care for one another. May this work be carried out with clarity of purpose and with hope for the future. Amen. And may it be so. Amen.

We will now have the roll call for the continuing members of council. Miss Hillman, please call the role for the continuing members. Miss Farmer, here. Miss Perry,

here. It is my pleasure to announce the results of the November 4th, 2025 general election for members of the township council for a 4-year term. Please welcome Christopher Bob. [Applause] [Laughter] It is also my pleasure to announce the results of the November 4th, 2000 election for a member of Township Council for two-year unexpired term, Miss Amanda Santi. The oath of office uh will now be administered to the council member elect senator uh state senator Shirley K. Turner who administered the oath of office to Mr. Bobby. [Music] [Music]

First, I'd like to wish everyone a very happy, healthy, peaceful, and prosperous new year. Repeat after me. I I state your name. Christopher Bobby do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution that I will support the Constitution of the State of New Jersey of the state of New Jersey the Constitution of the United States the Constitution of the United States and that I will bear true faith and that I will bear true faith and allegiance and allegiance to the same to the same and to the governments and to the governments established in the United States

established in the United States and in this state and in this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and that I will faithfully and that I will faithfully and partially and partially and justly and justly perform all the duties of perform all the duties of councilman according to the best of my ability. according to the best of my ability.

So help me God. Municipal Manager Kevin Essin office to Mr. Connect. Ready?

I state your name. Do solemnly swear doly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey the Constitution of the State of New Jersey that I will bear true faith I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. to states and to the governments established in the United States and to the governments established in the United States and in this state and in this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and that I will faithfully I will faithfully impartially impartially and justly and justly perform all the duties perform all the duties of council member council member according to the best of my ability

according to the best of my ability. So help me God. So help me God. CONGRATULATIONS.

We will now have Tracy a letter from the minister of the earth. Uh, I I state your names. Do you solemnly swear Do you solemnly swear or affirm or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey

and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and to the government established in the United States. To the government established in the United States and in this state and in this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people. and that I will faithfully and that I will faithfully and partially impartially and justly and justly perform all the duties of council member perform all the duties of council member according to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability. So help me God.

So help me God. We will now have the election of mayor for a two-year term ending December 31st, 2027. Are there any nominations?

I would like to nominate Councilman Christopher Bobbit. Second. Are there any other nominations? I declare the nominations close. Miss Hillman, please call the role. Mr. Bobbit. Yes, Miss Farmer. Yes, Mr. Kaki. Yes,

Miss Perry. I abstain at this time. I no longer believe council should elect the mayor of our town. I believe the mayor should be elected by the citizens of Lawrence Township. This is long overdue. The residents of Lawrence should have the ability to vote for their mayor. My hopes and wishes for Lawrence Township in 2026 and beyond and moving forward would be that we have strong principled and trustworthy leaders who care for this community and serve without personal agenda. I wish that we continue the to have dedicated leadership and support from our state senate and local assembly representatives. I wish that residents will challenge their local representatives in the county and local Democratic caucus to stop being lukewarm and demand accountability and integrity. The privilege of serving as an elected official should not be a popularity contest, nor should it be used for a platform for bullying or clicks. My wish for 2026 and beyond is that this community would support the strong vision and commitment that our new deputy administrator has for our fire and police department. I hope that you will recognize our town manager who remains focused on economic development, continued financial stability and our town and most importantly serves the community with clarity, transpar. I hope that all the elected officials will continue to protect this wonderful township so that it may prosper and flourish as a place its residents are proud to live, can afford to live, and thriving businesses are drawn to this community. Unfortunately, I will not be here to see this come to pass. It is with heavy heart that I resign today. I formally submit my resignation. I will no longer be in this community. I will always be watching and hoping that

Lawrence Township remains a strong and shining beacon in Mercer County, one that upholds the spirit of the community, diversity, and democratic values for future generations. It has been an honor to serve you and I regret that it was such a short time. I hope you will remember that I always focused on listening and that I valued collaboration and I remain committed to doing what is right for our community despite the backlash I received. I hope my successor will bring a renewed spirit of integrity and collaboration with faithfully carrying forward council's mission of serving the residents of Lawrence with purpose, fairness, and vision. I wish only the best for this council and I know you will do right by our community. Thank you. Miss Santos,

congratulations Mr. B. WOULD LIKE A MOTION FOR RECESS. I make a motion for second. Voted

Mr. Bobbit. Yes. Miss Farmer. Yes. Mr. Kaki. Yes. Miss Santos. Yes. We will be taking a minute. Sorry. Sure. [Music]

Yep. You have to stand back here.

You're welcome. I mean, we don't know what the hell is. [Music] [Music] doesn't do it. [Music] Where do you want to make learning Arabic? Can I teach you? [Music]

I don't know what it starts. What's your phone? [Music] I can't believe [Music] [Music] [Music] Oh,

Oh, wow. Happy. We are calling this meeting back to order and I'm going to congratulate Mr. Bob. CONGRATULATIONS AND surely Turner will administer the oath of office uh to make it. Repeat after me. I

I Christopher Bobby do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution that I will support the Constitution of the United States of the United States and the State of New Jersey and the State of New Jersey that I will bear true faith that I will bear true faith allegiance to the same and allegiance to the Saints and to the governments and to the government established in the United States established in the United States and in this state and in this state under the authority of the people under to the authority of the people and that I will faithfully and that I will faithfully impartially impartially and justly and justly perform all the duties of perform all the duties of mayor according to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability.

So help me God.

So help me God. Our newly elected mayor will say a few words. Have a glass of water for a second. All right. A warm good morning and happy new year to all who are gathered here at Warren Township Municipal Building on and online for this blustery first day of January. As I stand before you, I can't help but think what a difference two years makes. You might not know this, but at our last reorganization meeting, I was the youngest member of council. Thank you, Councilwoman Santos, for joining council and taking over that title. Before I ever begin my remarks, I'd like to say thank you to my colleagues on council, to Councilman Kaki and Santos. Thank you for the conversations we had while knocking on doors and at various events during our campaign. I continue to be impressed by your dedication to our to our residents and your wisdom and values that help guide you in your decisions for our beloved community. To Councilwoman Farmer and Perry, thank you for your work over the last few years to address the challenging issues that our community face, including the community center and the fire service. I'd like to wish a happy new year to our township manager, Mr. Ninsky, to our township clerk, Miss Carter, and to our our township attorney, Mr. In addition, I'd like to say happy new year to the township staff that are in attendance today. Thank you to Reverend Bamos for your invocation. Thank you to

Mr. Nwinsky, Mrs. Ingi, and our sen state senator Shirley Turner for administering the oath of office to the three council members starting off their new terms. Thank you to the elected officials and other dignitaries in attendance. And no, I'm not going to fall into the trap of acknowledging electives by name only to forget a few of them and hear about it later. Thank you to the passionate residents in attendance who helped reelect the three of us to serve on township council. Thanks to our friends and family that support us during the joyful days like today, as well as the difficult ones. Sometimes they happen in the same day. And most importantly, a thank you to my wife Tiffany and my children Francis and Henry for supporting me and keeping me grounded. You remind me why this work is important. I thought I'd start my remarks by quoting a fellow African-American of mixed race ancestry from Los Angeles, the late Congressman Augustus Hawkins. As a long- serving legislator, Representative Hawkins served the first first in the California State Assembly before serving in Congress. He was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus as well as the author of Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 that codified equal employment opportunity for all Americans. The congressman once remarked that leadership belongs not to the loudest, not to those who beat the drums or blow the trumpets, but to those who day in and day out in all seasons work for the practical realization of a better world. Those who have the stamina to persist and remain dedicated. I share this quote because it states more clearly than I ever could one of the fundamental principles of an elected official to keep showing up engaged and willing to put in the effort to make positive changes for our community. I've spoken in the past about my toiling away in the lower level meeting room of this building every second Tuesday of the month on the township committee for nearly 10 years before being elected to council. That engagement and effort have continued over my decade of service on

council. My values and my love for Lawrence Township have guided me and will continue to guide me to strive to carry out our work at this meeting in a just and honorable and sincere manner, always bearing in mind our duties and continuing to keep Lawrence a wonderful community in which to live. The township clerk, Miss Carver, reads these lines at every meeting for our inspiration. For me, it's a moment where I bow my head, not in prayer, but as I wait, clear my mind and focus on the meeting ahead. Today I'm going to talk more about parts of the inspiration and share what these words mean to me. Apologies. I'll start with the phrase carry out our work at this meeting. Each meeting of township council serves a few purposes. We will work um spending money uh we'll approve bids for work to occur with township money. We create or amend laws through our ordinances. Finally, with the resolutions, we approve payments from county accounts, accept grant money, hire consultants, to name a few items. We also use resolutions to state our support for legislation at the state level or county level or to make clear our values at the municipal level. That's the work the meaning of the work at the at council. The next five words speak to the way we conduct ourselves as we do our work. We strive to act in a just, honorable, and sincere manner. To me, that first word means that we fall keep our residents in mind when thinking about the topic or issue. It's not only the loudest 24 people at the meeting, but also the other three 32,976 residents. It can be difficult at the moment, but our our community is best served when we think of what's fair to all and not just what what two or three men are saying. When we serve honorably as council members, we don't surprise each other, the manager, clerk, or staff at a meeting to embarrass or score

points. Everyone on this deis as well as township staff are part of one team, the township of Lawrence. We can have disagreements and even not like each other, but at the end of the day, we all better have the interest of this town at heart as we do our work. That's what the residents expect from us. To be sincere is to put forth the effort to understand. Council members should read the agenda items. Speak to each other as well as trusted friends and others in the committee and use their own voices to guide them. Don't take shortcuts by either getting talking points for one person or taking what appears to be the easy way out. By understanding the issue as best you can, you can explain your decision to others. Even if a resident disagrees with your decision, they'll at least understand you are sincere about the process. Over my years on council, I've realized that at a municipal level, much of what we do isn't about some hot button national issues of our time, although sometimes they overlap. When the clerk says our duties, I think of the basic health, safety, and welfare aspects of local government. I have gained broad tach support because I recognize this truth. At the end of the day, we all share the same values of wanting to live in a safe community that takes care of its roads and parks and gives children, adults, and seniors a chance to be in community. Each one of us deserves to come home and be able to focus on our personal lives and not worry about the services that the township provides. To paraphrase a friend, our duty is to be boring by doing the work and delivering municipal services in a competent way every day. Finally, the phrase keep Lawrence a wonderful community in which to live. As a resident, there's a reason I choose to live here and continue to be invested in this town. The people. I can honestly state that my life has been enriched by the people that I've met during my time on council. I continue to be impressed by the passion, character, and quality of our residents. Including the word keep reminds me that there's much to be proud of what's come

before us. From our community's long-standing diversity to our shared moments at parades, marches, memorials, and gatherings. We like to be together, eat, and celebrate our beloved community. That spirit of eurum or out of many is alive and well on horse. I admit I haven't touched on what to do about the community center, the future of the fire service, how to continue to improve delivery of municipal services, or what to do with the Trent Waterworks. I've spoken about them in the past and we'll continue to speak about these issues going forward. If you want really want to have that policy itch scratched, find me afterwards and we can talk about it. Instead, today I really wanted to share a little bit about myself with you. As you saw two years ago, I can be emotional about serving on council. I love our community and I take pride in serving on council. It's an honor and a privilege. I feel that if council works together with a manager, clerk, and staff, we can achieve meaningful and lasting changes that improve our lives and our town. Yes, I'm going to finish up. So, I'll leave you with a quote from another African-American of mixed race ancestry, President Barack Obama. He once said, "One of the things I've learned is that big breakthroughs are typically a result of a lot of grunt work. What's important is making sure you got an organization that has integrity, is clear about its mission, that is doing the right things the right way, and not taking shortcuts, that you're not thinking in terms of short-term politics or PR, but you're in for the long haul. And when you do that, then ultimately you're going to get a good outcome. I look forward to being Mayor Lawrence Township and working diligently with my colleagues on council to get some good outcomes. Take care. Happy New Year. Thank you.

[Laughter] And with that, I'll ask for a motion for resolutions. Motion resolutions one3 second. Mr. B. Yes. Miss. Yes. Mr. Gagi. Yes.

Yes. Now we have time for public participation. See none. Uh closing remarks by council members. Merry farmer. I realize is it my turn? Miss. Well, not I'm not going to pretend or not. I'm not a little shooken by what happened here earlier. And I do want to um

recognize Councilwoman Harry obviously felt very strongly uh about her convictions. I am very much saddened by what is heard here today. So, I just or anything else. I wanted to make sure that um I thank her for her work that she did do thus far with the study um and other initiatives that she thought were important working. So, I do want to recognize that and um okay. Uh, is I ended 2026 um this year last or 2025. No, not happy. But okay, is I ended 2025 last last night with a community bonfire. Uh it is my love of this community as uh you know Robert said people coming together to celebrate our town and we like being with each other here in Lawrence. We have a lot of opportunities for that. So I was honored to be able to participate in the coin with the his the Lawrence Historical Society. And then this morning I kicked off my 2026 with a ribbon cutter for a new business that is come to Lawrence Township um a Latino restaurant which I can only tell you as a little girl growing up

in Lawrence I never would imagine so many terrific options of diverse foods multithnic um you know I've all been told or I've all been shared I am the daughter of Theodore Buck Hendrick who was a country boy from Palmer Springs, Virginia and Angelina Hendris, a visionary from San Jose, Puerto Rico, who taught their seven children the importance of God, family, and country through service. They raised us all to care about others, to be of service to our community,

and to get an education. My husband uh Rob and my son Andrew have supported me these last two years and have allowed me to be there for my community and to do a lot of the things that I so much love and enjoy. They sacrificed so that I could be of service to others. My siblings who were always there to keep me grounded and remind me of how our parents raised us by example have always been my best role models. I can't go by without not mentioning the spending that I got to know these past couple of years. And I want to particularly um mention Mrs. Khan who recently passed at the age of 106. What a remarkable woman she was. I had to talk with her. had no idea about all the of all that she had done in her life.

And she, as you all know, raised another remarkable woman, Leah Khan, who is not here today, I'm sure, only because she's probably 10.

I have truly enjoyed being in there for these last two years. has been an honor for this little girl who grew up on Drift Avenue with love secured by her God and my early education at Stan School who grew confident at her high school, Lauren High School, always a part because this is who we are. I want to thank you and God bless you and I look forward to going onward to celebrate America's 250th birthday. Thank you.

Thank you all for being here today and a happy new year. Um being sworn in is not just a moment of ceremony, it's a commitment. Uh, I'm grateful to my family, my husband Daniel, my son Dorian, my daughter Mina, and my son Charlie. Um, to our residents, and to everyone who has trusted me to serve. I step into this role with an open mind, uh, a listening ear, and a deep love for our community. Lawrence is a place where people care about one another, where ideas can become action, and where we all have a stake in what comes next. I look forward to working collaboratively with my colleagues, with our staff, and with the residents to continue building a community that is equitable, that is vibrant and forward thinking. My promise is simple, to show up, to do the work, and with integrity, and to always remember who I serve. Thank you everyone. A special thank you to my running mates, uh, James Kak and Christopher Bobbit. Um, it was a real pleasure getting to know you and learning so much from the both of you. Um, so I'm excited for what we will accomplish. [Music]

Mr. Mayor Bobic, welcome back. I served with you for 10 years and the 10 years I learned a lot from you. You guys this township in the right direction always. You talked to everybody and you gave me the response answers that they were looking for. So, I'm looking forward for the next four years being here working with you and whoever the next mayor is going to be. I want to thank my colleague Chris Amanda. I enjoyed their walks and the talks we had. I want to thank my manager for the second time swearing me in as a council member here. Thank you. And everybody out there, thank you for being here. Uh, happy new year and I'm always a short speaking person. So, have a good day. [Applause] [Laughter]

Everything all right? It's all good. We got this. Um before I before I ask for adjournment, I just want to say um our um the Colonel Hand March is coming up on Saturday, January 10th at 10 o'clock. So, hope to see you there. Hopefully the weather's nice. Nice. Um and with that, thank you all for being here. Um it's going to be an interesting two years. Uh motion for adjournment. Motion for second.

Thank you all. UNDER GUARD. [Music] I'M going down this I remember [Music] there are refreshments downstairs in the lower level conference room. There's a cookies, cake, coffee, You want to tell mom?