Transcript for Piscataway Council meeting on September 1 2026

Last updated September 1, 2026

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Sep 1 2026 · Council

Melissa Seader (Clerk) Recording in progress.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Good evening everyone. This is the Town Council meeting for September 1st, 26. Yeah. Okay. I'd like to call this meeting to order.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided as required under chapter 2 3 1 PL 1975, specifying the time, date, location, login or dial in information and to the extent known the agenda by posting a copy of the notice on the municipal building municipal court and the two municipal library bulletin boards municipal website, providing a copy of the official newspaper of the township and by filing a copy in the office of the township clerk in accordance with certification by the clerk, which will be entered in the minutes. There will be public comment periods for both remote and in-person attendees separately. Each member of the public shall only have one opportunity to speak during each public portion. As technology does not allow us to know if there are multiple callers on an individual phone line or logged in user account. We ask that if you wish to speak that you log in or dial in separately so we can recognize you as a separate individual should you have any further comments or questions. The Town Council is always available by email and phone, and you can always call the mayor's office during normal operating hours. Ms. Cedar, can you please call the role

Melissa Seader (Clerk) Council Member Cahill here. Council Member Carmichael Here. Council Member Espinosa Here. Council Member Lebowitz Here. Council Member Rashid Here. Council Member Ern here. Council President Lombardi

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Here. And would everyone please join us in the flag salute

Speaker 1 With liberty and justice for all?

Michele Lombardi (Council President) We'll now move to number five, which is a proclamation for library card signup month and the mayor is going to read that proclamation for us.

Brian Wahler (Mayor) Thank you. Council President Getaway acknowledges that libraries welcome all people serving inclusive and accessible community hubs that connect individuals, cultures, generations and experiences. Whereas the Mayor Council recognized that libraries are foundational to education, imagination, opportunity, and support the Piscataway Public Library as a place for all members of the community to discu to discover, learn, and connect. Whereas

Speaker 1 Library curate collection, oh, hold

Brian Wahler (Mayor) On. It's cutting. In and out here, design programs that reflect and celebrate the diversified diversity of the populations they serve, ensuring equitable and open access to information to technology and culture for all. And whereas libraries help individuals navigate lives challenges by providing trusted information, digital access, job search support and connections to essential services. And whereas libraries contribute to the thriving communities by upholding the values of intellectual freedom and the right of every resident to choose their own stories. And whereas in times of both crisis and calm libraries and their staff remain steadfast in supporting, strengthening and celebrating their communities. And whereas the library card opens the doors to endless possibilities from books and technology to early literacy into lifelong learning. Now therefore it be resolved that I, Brian Wahler, the mayor of Township Piscataway in the county of Middlesex and in the state of New Jersey Dubai, hereby recognize September 26th, 2026 as library card signup month and encourage all residents to sign up for the Piscataway public library card and explore the end of this possibility. It offers officers and I'd like to have a

Speaker 1 Director

Brian Wahler (Mayor) If I can have the council president come down with, but as I wanna, I wanna let people know it's not just about intellectual. You didn't have power that you could charge up your lap and seven days your team.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) We're now gonna move forward with the rest of our meeting. Number six is comments from administration and counsel regarding adjournment of any matters on this agenda. Do we have any comments?

Partik Patel No comments

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Moving forward, number seven is open to the public for comments regarding items on the consent agenda, items only for each public comment portion. For remote attendees, if you wish to speak at this time, please raise your hand either on the Zoom app or if by phone, by pressing star nine. When it is your turn to speak, you'll receive it here. A request to unmute yourself, please click the prompt, press star six on your phone and unmute yourself at that time. Please state your name and address and know that you have three minutes, which to make your comments. The counsel or administration will respond if necessary. After you have completed any comments or questions, we're now open to the public for remote attendees at this time for consent to agenda items only.

Melissa Seader (Clerk) Council president, there are no remote attendees with our hand raised or regarding this agenda item.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) The remote portion is now closed. We will now open to the public for in-person. Attendees, if you wish to speak at this time, please come to the podium, state your name and address and know that you have three minutes in which to make your comments. You may take a seat after completion of your comments or questions and the council or administration will then respond if necessary. Again, it's for the consent agenda items only.

Partik Patel Yeah. Hi, this is PR Patel, R 29 Red Bed Road. I just have three questions with consent agenda on C and D. I know this was talked about last week with some numbers coming in. Was there any class,

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Did you say, C and D?

Partik Patel C and D. This was for National op opioid trust. Obviously we are getting money, which is, which is all great, but nowadays just getting money doesn't mean the it, it's a good thing. So the question is did we actually file any, and this is to the attorney, did we file any class action suit or there were members in this town that were actually part of this that we, that the collective lawsuit was filed, like this is

Michele Lombardi (Council President) The consent agenda item. This is

Partik Patel For National Opioid Trust. So if it's a settlement money,

Speaker 6 So e each, each state attorney general was part of it, and so the funds were distributed by the state to, to each municipality. So the, in the municipality itself, no, we weren't a, we weren't a direct member. We didn't sign up individually, but we were represented by the state ag. Okay.

Partik Patel So we are getting the money, but there was no case. Okay, so that's, that's again in, in finance, that's fraud. Okay. Then the second question that I have is I see like a lot of things where it says not to exceed based on certain numbers. Now it's, it's a public law typically that when all these contracts go out, there is a bid and somebody actually wins the bid and there is a number on that bid. So when we look at this number not to exceed, I apologize, which item are you

Michele Lombardi (Council President) On? What item are this is this is the

Partik Patel Whether B, which is 275,000 not to exceed pretty much there are numbers, dollar numbers in different, different items. IJ and few, few other things. If I missed, I guess, yeah, I think so the clause where it says not to exceed and then there is a number that comes after that. So even for that 11, if there was a public bid and somebody bided for that number, is that number coinciding with that number or why do we have to put not to exceed? Because the, the contract laws are very clear. If somebody wins the bid, that's the contract number. So I dunno where this, this

Brian Wahler (Mayor) Is the number.

Partik Patel Is that, is that aligning? If I go to the procurement system, would that align?

Speaker 6 Yes, that matches the contract. The reason why we put not to exceed is 'cause statutorily we're required to because there is an opportunity also depending on the change or change orders for the number to go or down, depending on the scope of the work, we hope it goes down and that's why we're only the, the, the council only authorizes up to that amount. But usually that amount you, it all pretty much always ma that amount matches the contract bid amount.

Partik Patel Okay. And, and in this reports, because most of the time when something goes up, I've never seen any of these consent agenda items that there was a change order or something happened whether it went up or down. So I mean I just see the number, it was approved and then it's done.

Brian Wahler (Mayor) I just wanna let the council reflect in the last couple months we've had a couple of decreased contracts with the

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Thank you sir.

Speaker 6 Counsel, I also just want to clarify. He said that there was no litigation, there was national litigation that created this opioid trust fund.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) The public portion is now closed.

Sarah Rashid (At-Large Councilmember) Counsel president, I have a question regarding that. Just if the Business Administrator for the public benefit could explain and give a little context on the consent agenda items 11 n and O please. N and o

Paula Cozzarelli (Business Administrator) The this is, so these are bonds that were, this was authorized financing for the EIP program, which is our solar program and also authorized funds to be spent on various infrastructure improvements. We are required by law, our time is up. We have to permanently finance for the EIP program, which is our solar. In addition to, we also now need to finance our infrastructure program. So how it works is you authorize debt but we don't fund it until we actually need the money. So this is not incurring any new debt or anything like this. This is just now authorizing for us to go out and actually get the funding to pay for these items to get the cash.

Brian Wahler (Mayor) And I wanna remind council president that meaning for the reimbursement from the federal government in order to do permanent financing. Now that that we did receive the check over the summer, now we're going out for the permanent financing for the balance.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Thank you for that clarification. We'll now move to number eight, which is an ordinance second reading the acquisition of right of way fee simple easements for Holly Lane, Blackford Avenue road improvements. It will be open to the public and it's a resolution adopting ordinance. Ms. Cedar, can you please read this ordinance

Melissa Seader (Clerk) Be it resolved by the township council of Piscataway Township, New Jersey that an ordinance entitled Ordinance for the acquisition of Rights of Way easements and land and fee Simple for the improvement of Blackford Avenue and Holly Lane in Piscataway Township County of Middlesex State of New Jersey was introduced on the 11th day of August, 2026 and had passed the first reading and was published on the township website on the 13th day of August, 2026. Now therefore be it resolved that the offer said ordinance having had a second reading on September 1st, 2026 be adopted past and after pass passage be published together with a notice of the date of passenger approval on the township website, be it further resolved that this ordinance shall be assigned number 2026 dash 15.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Thank you Ms. Cedar. We're now open for remote attendees for number eight. Open for remote attendees. Number eight,

Melissa Seader (Clerk) Council president, there are no remote attendees with their hand raised regarding this agenda item.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) We are now closed for remote portion of this ordinance. We're open now. In person attendees, anyone wishing to comment on number eight? Please come up at this time. We're now closed to the public comment. Can I have an offer please

Brian Wahler (Mayor) Offer. Dennis,

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Can I have a second?

Melissa Seader (Clerk) Second Leitz.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Ms. Cedar, can you please call the role

Melissa Seader (Clerk) Council member Cahill? Yes. Council member Carmichael? Yes. Council member Espinosa? Yes. Council member Liebowitz? Yes. Council member Rashid? Yes. Council member Rin? Yes. Council President Lombardi?

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Yes. And the ordinance passes. Second reading. Number nine is ordinance first reading, amending chapter 12 Parks and Recreation, establishing hours for pickleball courts at Durham Park and it will be a resolution adopting ordinance. Ms. Cedar, can you please read this ordinance

Melissa Seader (Clerk) Be resolved by the Township Council of Piscataway Township, New Jersey that an ordinance entitled Ordinance to amend and supplement the revised general ordinances, the township of Piscataway, county of Middlesex, state of New Jersey, amending chapter 12 Parks and Recreation areas Section one use of parks, playgrounds, fields, rinks and courts hours permits. Subsection 1.1 Hours of Operation Prohibited Acts to establish hours of operation for the pickleball courts located at Dorm Park Bean is hereby adopted on the first reading that it be published on the township website and that a second reading in public hearing be held at 7:00 PM prevailing time at the Piscataway Municipal Building 4 55 Hose Lane Piscataway, New Jersey on the sixth day of October, 2026. Be it further resolved that a copy of this ordinance shall be posted in at least two public places within the township prior to the day of the second reading and final passage. And a copy of this ordinance shall be made available at the office of the township clerk for any interested member of the public.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Peter, do I have an offer? Offer Cahill? Do I have a second? Second Espinosa. Ms. Cedar, can you please call the

Melissa Seader (Clerk) Role council member Cahill? Yes. Council member Carmichael? Yes. Council member Espinosa? Yes. Council member Liebowitz? Yes. Council member Rashid? Yes. Council member Rin? Yes. Council President Lombardi?

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Yes. And the ordinance passes First reading number 10, an ordinance first reading, adopting redevelopment plan for block 62 0 1 lot 4.02 30 Night Bridge Road. It's a resolution adopting ordinance. Ms. Cedar, can you please read this ordinance Be it

Melissa Seader (Clerk) Resolved by the Township Council of Piscataway Township, New Jersey that an ordinance entitled an ordinance adopting a Redevelopment Plan for Block 6 2 0 1 Lot 4.02 as shown on the tax map of the township of Piscataway, commonly known as 30 Knight Bridge Road B and is hereby adopted on the first reading that'd be published on the township website. And that a second reading in public hearing be held at 7:00 PM prevailing time at the Piscataway Municipal Building 4 55 Hose Lane Piscataway, New Jersey on the sixth day of October, 2026. Be it further resolved that a copy of this ordinance shall be posted in at least two public places within the township prior to the day of the second reading and final passage. And a copy of this ordinance shall be made available at the office of the township clerk for any interested member of the public.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Thank you. Can I have an offer?

Speaker 9 Offer Councilman Rin?

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Can I have a second please? Second Cahill. Ms. Cedar, can you please call the

Melissa Seader (Clerk) Role council member Cahill s Council member Carmichael? Yes. Council member Espinosa? Yes. Council member Liebowitz? No. Council member Rashid?

Michele Lombardi (Council President) No.

Melissa Seader (Clerk) Council member Rin? Yes. Council President Lombardi?

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Yes. And the ordinance passes First reading 11 are the consent agenda. Resolutions for efficiency items have been consolidated into a consent agenda to be voted on together and the materials for these items have been distributed to the council. In advance of the meeting, do I have an offer to accept the consent agenda items?

Dennis Espinosa (Ward 2 Councilmember) Espinosa?

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Do I have a second?

Dennis Espinosa (Ward 2 Councilmember) Second. Councilman Uhrin

Michele Lombardi (Council President) The can you please call the role

Melissa Seader (Clerk) Council member Cahill? Yes. Council member Carmichael? Yes. Council member Espinosa? Yes. Council member Liebowitz?

Laura Leibowitz (At-Large Councilmember) Yes.

Melissa Seader (Clerk) Council member Rasheed? Yes. Council member Ern? Yes. Council President Lombardi?

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Yes. And the consent agenda. Items pass Number 12 are announcements and comments from officials.

Speaker 12 Thank you Council President, I'd like to wish everybody a upcoming Happy Labor Day. Hope that you get to spend these last few moments of summer before school starts and because school will start after the seventh to remind folks in the town to be, you know, watching out for our children, those who walk to school. We do have a safe streets campaign going on, which I do appreciate our township doing and I look forward to working with this team this fall.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Councilwoman Carmichael,

Speaker 13 I dito what Councilwoman Cahill said. Happy. Have a happy and safe Labor Day.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Thank you. Councilman Espinoza?

Dennis Espinosa (Ward 2 Councilmember) Yes, thank you. September 26th is coming up pretty quick. That's Saturday and it's the Piscataway Bike Tour. Third annual. So please register. There's still time and when you pre-register you actually get a nifty t-shirt with that. So that's going to be very nice. And again, hope, hopefully we'll have a, a good, good weather, good turnout and again hope to see you all there.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Councilwoman Liebowitz.

Laura Leibowitz (At-Large Councilmember) Good evening everyone, of course back to school. I wish all of our students, staff and their families a very safe and successful school year. Today was my retirement day number three of not driving to 100 Beamer Road, but my heart was certainly with all of the families, staff and students who went to work today as we head into September, we are heading into the high holiday season for the Jewish faith. So I wish all our Jewish residents a very sweet year and a very peaceful new year. I continued to be troubled and was deeply concerned about the continuing horrible of ice in Middlesex County, in New Brunswick, in Piscataway throughout the state and the country was really some horrible reports this summer and I hope this body will continue to look at ways to protect our residents in any way possible. Finally, I wanna do a thank you to our Cultural Arts Commission for all they did to support the summer concert series as well as our visual art contest. Thank you

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Councilwoman Rashid.

Sarah Rashid (At-Large Councilmember) I will just continue and invite all Piscataway residents. Come to the municipal building, look at the amazing art that's hanging in the hallways. We had a contest and it's some amazing talent so please make a trip to the municipal building and admire the art. But also you can vote for public. I voted public night. Yes, definitely a good time. And then happy first day back to school. I know some kids might not be that excited but parents are definitely excited. So

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Councilman Uhrin?

Speaker 9 Yes, I just wanna tell everybody that our Pop Warner season started our Piscataway football players and cheer last week and this year we are over the top with the attendance, which is really great.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Mayor,

Brian Wahler (Mayor) I actually went to the games on Sunday. I want to thank the first responders for Saturday Night's Fire that took place in a structure fire over on Ave Street for all the dedicated work that they did. I wanna send out also condolences obviously to Michelle and you and your husband Nick with the loss of a family member. Just as a side note, we're expecting to have Lugar Street finished sometime within the next two weeks and also Centennial Avenue is continuing to moving along and the contractors moving on on the multi-use paths they're expecting sometime in October to have the new ized lights up. And then final paving will be sometime during the end of OC October as expected. So all the other roads we're expecting the mill and pave within the next two weeks. Stirred Sturbridge development and there the contractors finishing up on Palisades. We're supposed to finish that. We're gonna do some paving on Possum Town Road in the next two and a half weeks, whether condition and then then over on Harold Place and then there'll be some spot repairs and stuff and then that'll wrap up the paving season for Department of Public Works.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Thank you. Business Administrator.

Paula Cozzarelli (Business Administrator) Thank you. Council president. I just wanted to, you know, and I'm sure I don't know how many people know, but the township does have a senior housing utility. It's called Sterling Village. There are available units there if you are interested or you know anybody in a low, low, low to low to a moderate income. These are wonderful units right across the way is the senior center, so it's a great location to live. The age I eligibility, of course income eligibility is 62. So I urge you if you are interested in Sterling Village, please give the mayor's office a call and we will help you through that process. If you know anybody who would be eligible for that housing, we do have available apartments. I also just wanted to indicate that we had a radio tower meeting today and that big, big project of which the mayor was able to get, what was the total we received from the federal government? Seven and

Speaker 14 Done nine and a half million.

Paula Cozzarelli (Business Administrator) So nine and a half million dollars for this $10 million or $11 million project. And what this means is that our entire radio system and dispatch system has been upgraded and we are now connected with the county and all of our mutual aid immediately entities adjacent. We were just in a meeting as a matter of fact our OEM coordinator, Nick was able to get signals from Marlborough. So this system is quite far reaching and we're going to continue to program our fire departments. So this way the interoperability between the township and our mutual aid communities will be instantaneous and very reliable. And that's all I really have to say. I was gonna mention, don't forget to vote folks took a lot of time to use different media to present their interpretation of the history of our country for the 250th and that's what I have to say for tonight. Thank you.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Thank you.

Speaker 6 No comments. Thank you.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Okay, and I'll just finish up. I also want to personally thank the volunteer emergency services personnel for their waking up at two 30 in the morning for the working structure fire over in the arbor section of our town. A lot of people really don't understand that these men and women do this voluntarily for no. Okay. Leave their families and leave their homes in the middle of the evening on our behalf. And I thank them for all of the everything they do for our community. We also do have this Thursday evening a rescheduled summertime concert. It is a Caribbean flare the verdict band and let's hope that the weather Gods work with us this Thursday at seven o'clock over at the Columbus Park extension for our last ditch effort to hold onto summer.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) We will now move forward with the rest of our meeting, which is the agenda session for the October 6th, 2026. Meeting. On that agenda at the moment are an ordinance second reading, amending a Chapter 12 Parks and Recreation, establishing hours for pickleball courts at the Durham Park. It will be open to the public a resolution adopting ordinance. Also a second reading for the adopting redevelopment plan for block 16 62 0 1 lot 4.02 39th Bridge Road. It will be open to the public and it's a resolution adopting ordinance. A resolution authorizing acceptance of project and release of retainage. Installation of bollards at Oak Place TR Wagner Company to take care of that. We will have a motion to accept the council minutes for August 11th, 2026 at this time now number 14, we will open to the public for anyone wishing remotely to open, join us publicly. We are open to the remote attendees.

Melissa Seader (Clerk) Council president, there are no remote attendees with their hand raised regarding this agenda

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Item. We're now closed remotely. Anyone wishing here in person to come up and speak at any time. Please note you have three minutes in which to state your name, address, and three minutes in which to speak.

Speaker 15 Costas F three Meals. 58 Curtis Avenue. Last time I was here I thank very much that you clear out all that tree line from seventh and Mansfield. I was so appreciated. Took six months, right? Is that how long I've been here? You still have to move a hundred yards of soil to make that corner decent. Now you pave the street from Arbor to seven. You should have just left that alone, right? Your ion sign right on the corner over there standing pretty on the beautiful lawn. I loved it. You were very visible. Why weren't you there taking care of the issue? That is rot negligence. You paved the street, you didn't talk to one resident whether they wanted to do that skirt to the walkway. It looks like a mess. Thank you for nothing that hurts. I spoke about this not too long ago. Washington Avenue going over the bridge onto Lakeview. There was a swell over there, asphalt swell. It was done. Somebody did a lousy job on it. Another swell came up like four feet away from that. I mentioned it again. I made my complaint. Nobody heard me. None of you negligence. Mr. Re. You should saw it. A police officer should have seen it.

Speaker 15 Ah, summer came up. That s swt is now higher and there's people bottoming bottom up on their vehicles. How many people have to get hurt before you do something still negligence and you don't see it?

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Thank you sir.

Brian Wahler (Mayor) I just wanna let the record reflect West seventh, our department of public works in engineering did not pave that road. That is a county road and I don't know. And same thing with Washington Avenue is a county road and South Washington, a county road. Thank you. New market road, a county road.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Please don't holler out. Please don't holler out sir.

Partik Patel Alright, 29 Redwood Road, Piscataway, New Jersey. I know I have three minutes and I have a lot to cover. So first I'll start with good because the bad is very bad. The good part is I was, I don't know, this past week I went through Google and there was Piscataway NJ meetings and in that there was a dashboard for police where they were called, how the streets were, what the nature of the call was. I think that's a fantastic job that somebody is doing in bringing the transparency of how the government should be. So that should be commended for a job well done. It was on that website and that dashboard is pretty, so that's good. Getting onto the worst things that I see now, and again, I'm gonna reach out to both the councilwoman who actually, and I'm gonna be pretty rough because look, I don't, I don't like diplomatic language and that's, that's not how I was wired.

Partik Patel Both of you guys kind of ran for an election and this was to lower property taxes. And I would just like to ask you this question. In that agenda, when you ran for that platform, did you achieve any success? And if you didn't, then there are four reasons. Either you don't know what you're doing, either you're clueless, you could be helpless or you have no control over things. And when you have all four it doesn't, it doesn't bode well when you sit on those chair and you say that the government is working for the people. And I'll give you examples of that. I own two houses and again, that was paid by liquidating my 4 0 1 ks and retirement funds because there was no money that was available to fund my family, my education, my research, I have two tenants for the last three months, they are behind for more than $7,000 in rent.

Partik Patel $7,000. That's two houses. That's yearly rent. It gets worse. One of them, two of them are single mothers or divorced. Okay? One of them applied for hardship or whatever it was that money didn't come through. The other one has two daughters trying to find work. She can't find work. Then she applied for god knows what government program. She got half the money and she's still stressed out and she still can't pay the rent. So you have that problem. And then now I have to go through the court, which, which obviously I have to go through the eviction process. I went through the NGA courts online. That website is just a mess. The amount of forms that you guys have created for somebody just to file eviction, it's a shame if, if a self litigant has to file that form, they're gonna be buried in paperwork. I mean, if we call this as a government or if we call this as a job creation, the job of government should be to make somebody's life easier. When I looked at those forms, I just fell out of my chair. I mean, is this, is this how you're gonna call and, and, and, and glorify and bloat, all these law firms. Is this what you guys go to Harvard and law to make that only you can fill the forms. Is there any shame left?

Partik Patel And despite of those two ladies who are, who are right now tenant and then we have all this stuff. Oh, we do so much for ladies, we do so much for women, we do so much for families or we do the social worker, she told me a social worker work coercing her to not pay rent so that way she can move to the affordable housing that is provided by the government. So you have your salespeople telling my, my customers that not to pay rent and dragging me into the court and pay the fees. That's insult to injury. Last week, Mr. Gomer said, oh, we have a waiting list for affordable housing. Get me the list because two of my tenants, they can't even pay. Would you pay that rent or would you pay for that deficit?

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Excuse me, sir. Please sum it up. Okay.

Partik Patel Yeah. So all, all said and done. When all of this theater that runs in, that we are doing really great in government and we are doing, it's not, it's thank you, high. It's a shame. Elections are Joe.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Thank you.

Brian Wahler (Mayor) Counsel. Can I clarify? I just, I can't let this one go by. First of all, we're not in charge of evictions or anything like that. It's, it's the courts and that's the private sector had a choice to rent or not rent that out. That is not the Piscataway government's issue here. And as far as the tax rate, nine years in a row, we've kept it steady with rising costs and things like that. We're we're 25% of the bill that the taxpayers get. I can't speak for the other agencies, but what I can tell you is several of the other agencies that were, that are part of your tax bill did rise substantially. And obviously the Port of Ed being 52% of the bill, that's factually correct there. Tax levy went up over four and a half million dollars this year. So if you, if Mr. Patel has a complaint, I think he needs to start showing up at the board of education meetings.

Michele Lombardi (Council President) Anyone else? Seeing none will close the public portion and I'll offer a offer for adjournment. Offer second Thoses in favor, please say aye. Aye. Thank you everyone for coming out this evening. Have a safe ride home. We are due to receive thunderstorm shortly. Have a great night.