Transcript for Piscataway Council meeting on January 1 2022
Note: Transcripts are generated by rev.ai and may not be fully accurate. Please listen to the recording (below) if you feel any text is inaccurate.
Speaker 0 00:00:04 Good afternoon, everybody happy new year, welcome to getaway township council meeting. This is our reorganization meeting for 2022. We're using a little bit of different technology than we've used in the past. I don't anticipate we'll have any issues if we do. I would just ask folks to have a little bit of patience on as usual good manners and politeness usually help us work through any kind of technical issues. So let me begin the meeting by reading the, the public statement, the public compliance statement, adequate notice of this meeting has been provided as required under chapter 2 31 public law in 1975, specifying the time date, location log in, or dial in information into the extent known the agenda by posting a copy of the notice on the municipal building, the municipal court and the two minutes we'll library bulletin boards, as well as the municipal website and providing a copy to the official newspapers of the township. Speaker 0 00:01:11 And by filing a copy in the office of the township clerk in accordance with a certification by the clerk, which will be entered into the minutes, the township continues to use a remote meeting format in an effort to mitigate the chances of exposure to COVID-19 as part of the townships ongoing efforts to slow the rate of transmission and avoid overwhelming our treatment centers in order to make sure and clear record of the meeting can be made. And that all parties are heard in an organized fashion. All members of the public will be muted during the meeting. If a member of the public wishes to speak during any public comment portion, please raise your hand. This can be done either through the zoom app or by pressing star nine on your phone. When it's your turn to speak, you will receive a prompt or request to unmute. Speaker 0 00:02:02 Please click the prompt or press star six on your phone to unmute con being un-muted. You will begin. You should begin to ask all questions. You may have, you will have three minutes to speak at the conclusion of which you will be leading and in the council where administration will respond to if necessary, should you have any further comments or questions? The township council was always available by email and phone. You can always call the mayor's office during normal operating hours. Each member of the public shall have only one opportunity to speak during each public portion. As the technology does not allow us to know if there are multiple callers on individual, on an individual phone line or logged in user account, we ask that if you wish to speak that you'd log in or dial in separately so that we can recognize you as a separate individual, individuals met also submit written comments to the township perk up to 48 hours prior to the meeting to be read by the township Kirk, during the public comment portion of the meeting said, common shall be limited to three minutes of reading. Thank you in advance for your patience. As we continue to move the township forward during this health emergency. Speaker 0 00:03:23 Okay. That brings us to the agenda. Actually I was supposed to, I looked at the agenda was supposed to call the meeting daughter. So I kind of have done that without necessarily staying saying we're calling the meeting to order. So that is going to move us to item number three, which is the salute to the flag. Okay, everybody I'm going to stand up. At least I have to do on the phone. I pledge allegiance Speaker 1 00:03:53 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. Speaker 0 00:04:13 Thank you everybody. So the first order of business, I'm only running a meeting temporarily is the for now sound senior person. But the first order of business for 2022 is to nominate the Council President council in the coming years. So let me open up the floor to nominations. Does anybody have any nominations for Council, President? Speaker 1 00:04:42 Yeah, Councilman con, I would like to nominate our colleague, Michelle Lombardi to the Council President position. Michelle is a lifelong resident of Piscataway going through public schools here, graduating and now working in a business in a town next door to Piscataway. She has been a consummate advocate and champion for this town in all arenas. And I believe that Michelle's contributions to this town are too numerous to say here, but suffice to say that I believe that Michelle would be a great candidate to lead us into 20, 22, hopefully transitioning out of COVID and this pandemic into a more normal society, if that could be a thing anymore. So I would like to nominate Michelle Lombardi to the Council President position. Speaker 0 00:05:46 Thank you, Councilwoman Cahill. Is there, are there, is there a second, right? Or are there any other nominations for a Council President? Speaker 0 00:05:59 Anybody I'll tell you what if no one else is going to second? I will second the nomination. I certainly agree with everything. Councilwoman Cahill, Councilwoman Lombardi has been a tremendous asset to the, to this governing body and to the township. And I'm sure it showed. She'd been Council President in the past. She's always done an excellent job and I believe she's a great choice to lead the governing body in 2022. Are there any other nominations? If there are no other nominations, I'm going to call one more time, then I'm going to close the floor for nominations. Any anybody else? Okay. Hearing none. I'm going to close the floor for nominations and we do need, while we take a vote on that Speaker 2 00:06:48 Councilman Bullard. Yes. Councilwoman Cahill. Yes. Councilman Cahn. Yes. Councilwoman Lombardi. Speaker 3 00:06:58 Yes. Speaker 2 00:07:00 Councilman Rouse. Yes. Councilman Shah. Yes. Councilman Shah. Thank you, Councilman. Uhrin. Speaker 0 00:07:19 Well, that, that, that doesn't council. Congratulations, Michelle. I'm confident. You're going to once again, do a great job and I am going to turn over the gavel to you. And you now have the Leal for the rest of the 2022. Take it away. Speaker 3 00:07:38 Thank you so much, everyone. And I look forward to having a very productive year with all of my council colleagues. Thank you so much. And I will now move to number five, which would be a nomination to elect our council vice president. Can I have a motion to nominate a council, vice president, please. Speaker 4 00:07:59 I make a motion Councilman Rouse to make that motion to elect Councilman Frank urn for the vice presidency. I think he's capable, admirable and able to do all as a good standard in, in the case need to be or to step forward. I think he's wonderful. He brings a wealth of experience. I just think that I've had time in this short little period to spend some time with him. And I know him as a person and I think he would do a fantastic job. Speaker 3 00:08:32 Thank you, Councilman Rouse. And may I have a second please? Speaker 5 00:08:38 Yes. I would like to second that because I think not. I think I know that Frank has been around a long time. He has a lot of interests and he's done a lot of work with the community, the kids, and so forth and yes, he will do an excellent job working with us as a team. Speaker 3 00:09:04 Thank you, Councilman Bellard. That way. We'll now close the nominations and I will ask Mrs. Cedar to have a roll call vote, please. Speaker 2 00:09:12 Councilman Bullard. Yes. Councilwoman Cahill. Yes. Councilman Cahn. Yes. Councilwoman Lombardi. Yes. Councilman Rouse. Yes. Councilman Shah. Yes. Councilman Uhrin. Speaker 3 00:09:32 Thank you. Speaker 6 00:09:34 The only installation I'm saying. And Michelle, Speaker 3 00:09:38 Thank you. Yes. And Councilman Erin will now be our council vice president. Thank you so much. I will now move to number six, which is the reorganization meeting. I will call this meeting to order. We are now having the Piscataway Township council reorganization organization meeting for January 1st, 2022. Mrs. Theater, could you please call Speaker 2 00:10:05 Councilman Bullard? Councilwoman Cahill, Councilman Cahn, Councilman Shah. Councilman Uhrin Council, President Lombardi here. Mayor Brian Waller is the administrator Timothy Dacey township attorney Raj Goomer here. Deputy township clerk, Monica Orlando here. And I'm here Melissa Cedar, the township clerk. Speaker 3 00:10:37 Thank you, Mrs. Jeter. Number eight will be the mayor's appointment. And Mrs. Theater will now read the mayor's appointments. Speaker 2 00:10:46 So the civil rights advisory commission, Sherry Alexander, Anna almonds are Gloria Cook. Priscilla Miller, Shirley Saunders. Rahan Ahmed. So the green initiatives committee, Roxy James to the historic preservation advisory commission, Gabrielle Kay hill Carol matter, Ellie Roxy genes. Does he mean this full line? Substance abuse task force Padma Arvind Amy Bauman. Alicia Carmen Chanel. McCollom Agnes Newton, Lieutenant Nicholas Palmisano. Alicia Kwaku Stephanie Rogers, Reverend Marlon Wilson. So the planning board, Gabrielle hill, Dawn Corcoran, Michael Foster, the presiding municipal court judge James P Hovish Esquire and the OEM coordinator. Paul Snider. Speaker 3 00:11:39 Thank you Mrs. Cedar. Well, now move to number nine, which is open to the public. These are for comments regarding the consent agenda items only. Speaker 3 00:11:52 So we will now open this to the public for each public comment portion. If you wish to speak at this time, please raise your hand either on zoom app or if by pressing the phone star nine, when it is your turn to speak, you will receive and hear a request to unmute yourself. Please click the prompts or press star six on your phone to unmute yourself at that time. Please state your name and address and know that you will have three minutes in which you can make your comments. The council or administration will respond if necessary after you have completed any comments or questions. And please let me reiterate. Please make your statements. After the three minutes you will be muted and then we will answer your questions. Thank you so much. Do we now have anyone wishing to join this open to the public portion for the consent agenda items? Only at this time Speaker 2 00:12:52 Council President I've asked the first individual with their hand raised to unmute themselves. Speaker 8 00:12:58 Thank you. Speaker 3 00:13:00 Please state your name, address for us please. Speaker 8 00:13:05 Good morning. My name is happy new year, everybody. I had received a invitation from the mayor for the cultural arts and advisory commission. I think I was late a few minutes. So I just want to do mention my acceptance and a humble. Thank you. Have a great new year. Speaker 3 00:13:26 Okay. We haven't done that yet. And we are open to the public now for the comments for the consent agenda. So if you just hold on a bit, we will get to that point. Okay? Speaker 8 00:13:35 Yeah. Thanks so much, Speaker 2 00:13:46 Council President. There are no other individuals with their hands raised. Speaker 3 00:13:51 Thank you. I will now close the public portion. We'll now move to number 10, which are the consent agenda. Resolutions for efficiency items have been consolidated into a consent agenda to be voted on together. The materials for these items have been distributed to the council in advance of the meeting. At this time, there are any items that the council would like to be removed from the consent agenda to be discussed on or voted separately. Seeing none. We will now have Melissa Cedar read some of our consent agenda items. Speaker 2 00:14:39 I'm just going to read some of the appointments that are listed on the agenda appointment of Kelly, Mitch as deputy municipal clerk, Melissa Cedar, as the registrar of vital statistics, Virginia Schiavi, deputy registrar and Kelly, Mitch as alternate, deputy registrar, vital statistics, deacon Lynn Norris Nichols, pastor Joseph Leo and pastor Shelia Hobson to the board of ethics. Franklin Leroy Gibson, Catherine Jenner, Elise Robinson, Councilman Jim Bullard and Raj Kumar to the cultural arts advisory commission, crystal Anderson, Franklin Leroy Gibson and Steve Slatkin to the health advisory commission, Lynnwood Rouse, Henry, Kenny, and Dawn Corcoran to the housing and community development advisory committee. Roxy James, Josh Patel, Chris or lavando Evelyn Hartman and Timothy Dacey to the library board of trustees, Thomas Reda as certified animal control officer and Todd, Jess Patel as animal cruelty investigator Joanna Drennan and mark Hardenbergh to the property maintenance board of appeals. Speaker 2 00:15:48 Helen Perillo, Michelle Lombardi, Nicole Owens to the public relations advisory commission. Jim Bullard, Frank Aaron, Dennis Espenosa, Marcus Jackson and Aaron Gibbs to the recreation advisory commission, Henry Kenney to the rent leveling board, Camille for Nicola Antonio Albano, Lois Jorgensen, Barbara Reiger, Jim Bullard Jones, DeMille and Joyce coals to the senior citizen advisory commission, Amy Bauman and Michelle Lombardi to the senior citizen housing board of trustees, Roy O'Reggio and RD. Hey Duka to the zoning board of adjustment, James F clerk and the third Esquire as supervising prosecutor, Thomas J Lanza Esquire, John Kaczynski, Esquire and Francis M Womack Esquire as township prosecutors, Timothy Dacey as public agency compliance, officer James Harding, Esquire and John was new ski Esquire as public defenders, Vanessa cologne as municipal court administrator, Angela dos Santos as deputy municipal court administrator. Robert cor Christopher Yodas, William Griffith, Thomas , Brad Stover and Joseph quickly as special police officers, Donna bikini as police matron, and then Danna Khurana as treasurer. Speaker 3 00:17:17 Thank you, Mrs. Cedar. I'll now ask for a motion to accept the consent agenda. May I have a motion? Thank you very much. Mrs theater, Speaker 2 00:17:31 Please call the roll. Councilman Bullard. Yes. Councilwoman Cahill. Yeah. Councilman con yes. Councilman Rouse. Yes. Councilman Shah. Yes. Councilman Uhrin. Yes. Council President Lombardi. Yes. Speaker 3 00:17:48 And the agenda passes. Number 11 are the appointments of the council committees. I will now read those various council people that on which committees they sit the 2022 appointment of council committee committees. The public safety committee will be Steve Kahn, Linwood, Ralph and Capela Shaw. As the chair, the public works committee will be Jim Bellard, Gabrielle Kay hill, and Frank Aaron as the chair, finance will be Jim Bellard appeal Shaw and Steve Kahn as the chair and personnel will be Gabrielle K hill Frank Erwin and Lynnwood Rouse as the chair. Okay. We will now move to number 12, which is announcements and comments from officials. So Councilman Bullard, do you have any announcements or comments? Speaker 5 00:18:58 I just want to say thank you to all, all of you, how much you work last year, and I'm sure that you will work together or we'd have a work together this year to do a wonderful job and go from there, but happy holiday. Speaker 3 00:19:21 Thank you, Councilman Councilwoman Cahill. Speaker 1 00:19:25 I also too want to wish, although it's in Piscataway and my colleagues here on council and the administration a very happy, healthy new year. My wish for all of us is that we get to spend more time with those. We cherish the most. I'm looking forward to continuing the good work that this council and administration has been doing for the town and look forward to the time when we can all be back together. Thank you, Council President. Speaker 3 00:19:57 Thank you. Councilwoman Cahill, Councilman con. Speaker 0 00:20:01 Thank you, Michelle. I too want to say happy new year to the residents of town 2021 had its challenges. 2022 is, seems to be starting with the same challenges. I want to just make a quick comment on some of the townships efforts. COVID 19 due to the mayor's efforts. Really from the beginning, we, we had a testing site, a large testing site in town. Now we have a testing site in a vaccination site in town and we are, we've done this for, we are now we're running a, a clinic, a vaccination clinic at the community at the community center on January 6th in our efforts to continue to vaccinate the township, the community we're going to continue in those efforts. As some may know, the school's system had, has, has had somewhat of a problem, somewhat of an outbreak. And they've taken a pause in, in school learning, which is, has serious challenges for, for parents, parents to work and of course for the kids. Speaker 0 00:21:11 And so we all have an effort to do what we can as leaders of the community. I know we've, we've all done a lot in the last couple of years. And I would just ask my colleagues and the mayor as well. Who's really taken a serious leadership position on this and the members of the public as well to do what we can to convince, to push, to prod, whatever it takes to try and get the percentage of residents in our, in our community that are vaccinated to increase. I, I don't know the statistics I suspect Piscataway is doing pretty well. The county itself is doing pretty well, but I, I would ask everybody to redouble their efforts. The town will be doing that in this, in this vaccination clinic and other efforts that we'll be running throughout the winter. So thank you. And again, happy new year to everybody. Speaker 3 00:22:07 Councilman Rouse. Speaker 4 00:22:09 Yes. Just want to say, I'm just excited about being in this position as Councilman and looking forward to helping all, to make sure things run good, better for the Goodwill and the best for Piscataway saying happy new years to everyone, hope at all, families and loved ones are safe and that this year will be a promising year that we can look forward to a brighter future and praying that that happened and to all colleagues and to all here today that I'm speaking to happy new year. Speaker 3 00:22:45 Thank you, Councilman Shah, Speaker 6 00:22:49 Happy new year to everybody, all the Piscataway shutdowns and all my colleagues. I want to say tanks for 2021 to support me as a precedent and a, my colleague clinic. So make sure we pass on the message to all the students and they can use it. And I got a lot of messages come on last week that when you're 21 in challenging year, the Piscataway, what we did it, all this people is really thanks for that. Okay. We have clinical our own here in Piscataway, so that's really helped to be well. So good luck Michelle. And she went to 2022. Thank you. Speaker 3 00:23:39 Thank you, Councilman Councilman. Uhrin Speaker 4 00:23:44 Happy Speaker 9 00:23:45 And healthy new year. And congratulations on Council President shelf. Speaker 3 00:23:51 Thanks so much. Councilman may or Brian Waller, please. Speaker 10 00:23:55 Thank you, Council President. Congratulations on being nominated and elected to council presidency. And I want to thank the appeals Shaw or his, your services to Council President last year in 2021. But more importantly, I look forward to working with the residents as well as the members of the township governing body. And I would like to give a little quick shout out to Monica Orlando, cause this is our official last meeting, serving the township residents since deputy clerk, she's moving on to place of business, closer to home. And thank you, Monica. For all the years of service, you gave the township residents into the township council members. Thank you. Speaker 3 00:24:36 Thank you, mayor Business, Administrator Daisey. Speaker 11 00:24:40 Yes. I wish everybody a happy new year forward to working with everyone in 2022. Speaker 3 00:24:48 Thank you. Township attorney Raj Goomer. Speaker 12 00:24:51 Yeah, just wondering, I wish everyone a happy new year, but also wanted to thank Monica for her service. I mean, without, without Melissa Monica, I don't get half of my work done or, you know, we work as a team. We work as a family and I just wanted to thank her and, and, you know, wish you the best moving forward and onto bigger and better. So, and also I'd like to Council President, I'd like to ask you if you would permit the clerk, Melissa, Cedar, the clerk to say a few words. I know she's probably a little emotional, but Speaker 3 00:25:19 Of course, Speaker 13 00:25:20 And I just wanted to thank Monica for being my right-hand woman. These past couple of years, she's grown and I have all the confidence in the world that she will absolutely Excel where she's going. So thank you, Monica. Speaker 3 00:25:40 Thank you guys. I just wanted to say thank you to everybody. This is Monica. Thank you to everybody for working with me these past few years, I've learned so much under everybody administration township console, Raj, you have you and Melissa have both helped me grow and given me the confidence to accept a new position as a township clerk in another town. So thank you to everybody. Thank you to the residents and good luck to everybody in 2022. Thank you so much. And I'll end all of the comments. It's a, a privilege and an honor to continue to serve and to serve as your Council President and want to thank you, Camille, for your service as our Council President, during a very difficult and challenging year of 2022, Monica, I want to thank you for everything you've done. You did a phenomenal job during a very challenging time for us in this community. And thank you so much for all of your support that you've done for Melissa. So I thank you for that. I look forward to working with all of my council colleagues who all bring quite a different specialty to the team to make it a very productive we're Piscataway. Speaker 3 00:26:59 And I would like to wish all of our residents, a very happy, healthy, prosperous, and peaceful 2022, please be safe, everyone. And let's just try to be nice to one another this year. So I will now move forward into number 13, which is the agenda session for January 25th, 2022. First step will be a resolution authorizing ward commissioner's compensation. Do we have any questions or concerns regarding that? Seeing none resolution authorizing final change order for Cedar wood drive sanitary sewer replacement, MSP construction corporation, not to exceed $16,159 and 14 cents. Any questions or concerns on that item? Seeing none. I'll now move to number 14, which will be, are open to the public public portion of the meeting. So if you wish to speak at this time, please raise your hand either on zoom app or if by phone, by pressing star nine, when it is your turn to speak, you will receive or hear, I request to unmute yourself, please click the prompt or press star six on your phone to unmute yourself at that time, please state your name and address and know that you will have three minutes in which to make your comments. The council or administration will respond if necessary after you have completed any comments or questions. So at this time we will open the meeting for the public. So anyone wishing to speak during this public portion, please press star nine at this time and know that you have three minutes, which to speak and we will mute you. And we will answer your questions. Thank you so much, Council President. I'm asking the first individual to mute themselves Speaker 14 00:29:12 Happy new year, everyone. This is assemblyman Joe Danielson. I want to wish you all a wonderful, healthy, productive year in 2022. I also want to thank Council President Mayor and all the council members for all the hard work and dedication and the valuable deliverables that you bring to everyone in your town. You know, as I go from corner to corner in New Jersey, I've put all pounds into two categories. One category, one is towns that are jealous of Piscataway category, two towns. That should be jealous of Piscataway, whatever you're doing, you're doing it right? And don't change a thing. You guys are in tune, you know, the pulse of your community. And you know, it's about deliverables to your community. God bless you. And if I could be of any help, please remember, I'm always at your service. Speaker 3 00:30:20 Thank you so much. Assemblyman Danielson. Thank you for your comments. Anyone else wishing to speak during this public portion, please press star nine. At this time, Speaker 15 00:30:36 Council President, I'm asking the next individual, the unmute themselves. Hello? Can I be Melissa? Can you hear me Speaker 3 00:30:51 Hear you please state your name and address please. Speaker 15 00:30:55 Happy new year. This is commissioner Chanel. Scott McCollom Piscataway a resident. I would like to wish everyone a a happy, healthy, and safe new year. I would like to congratulate Michelle and Bartee on her appointment to the president of the council. Congratulations to vice-president Frank earn. Congratulations. I know that you will both do an excellent job as I've worked with you both in the past. I would like to welcome Councilman Linwood, Ralph to the council. You're a member of a great team as assemblyman Danielson just said, the team does a great deal of hard work and working with the residents of Piscataway, the, the council, as well as the mayor have done an excellent job and being good financial stewards of other residents money. And we hope that you continue to do that. And I have all the faith in you knowing that you will do. Speaker 15 00:31:59 So I would also like to thank everyone. Who's agreed to serve in their appointed positions. We appreciate you serving the residents of Skyway and I too look forward to continuing to serve on the municipal Alliance. I also would just want to tell everyone to continue to wear your masks, right? Try to be as safe as you possibly can. This is a contagious virus and try to do everything that you possibly can to protect yourself and to protect the others. And I just want to thank you for your support because I would not be in the, at the county level without the support of the residents of Piscataway. So thank you for all that you do. Thank you for all that you have done to work with me. And I look forward to continue to work with not only with the residents of Piscataway, but with also with the mayor and the council. So thank you. Speaker 3 00:32:54 Happy new year. Thank you, commissioner McCollum, happy new year to you and your family. Anyone else wishing to speak during this public portion, please press star nine. Now Council President, there are no other individuals with their hands raised. Thank you Mrs. Theater. I will now close the public portion. Number 15 will be a German. May I have a motion to adjourn this meeting? All those in favor, please say, aye. Thank you. Happy new year, everyone. And have a very, very happy new year's day. Speaker 0 00:33:44 Thank you. Thank you, Michelle. And thank you to the technical folks who came in on a holiday to, to serve us and to serve the community. Folks you don't see that are making the show show run back there. Thanks to you guys to Speaker 3 00:34:01 Absolutely. Thank you. Speaker 7 00:34:04 Okay. Speaker 3 00:34:23 The recording has stopped.