Heat. Heat. Now 4:00 or 1,600 hours. I now call this meeting of the Atlantic County Board of Commissioners to order. In compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act of the State of New Jersey, adequate notice of this meeting of the Atlantic County Board of Commissioners was provided in
the following manner. published in the press of Atlantic City, mailed to the Hamilton Gazette, and has been posted on the bulletin boards in the county office building in Atlantic City, the Stillwater Building in Northfield, and the county clerk's office in Maze
Landing. This time, we'll have an opening prayer. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, as we gather during this Holy Week, may we take a moment to reflect with humility and gratitude. Help us to recognize our shortcomings
and to appreciate the grace and goodness that guides us. Grant us wisdom, fairness, and compassion in the decisions we make today along with a shared commitment to serve others with integrity. Amen. >> Amen. >> Amen. >> Please join me in saluting the flag of
our country to the flag of the United States of America to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> What did I hit it or something?
>> Oh, okay. >> Madam clerk, please call the role. >> Commissioner Days will be a few minutes late today. >> Martino >> here. >> Burns here. >> Days >> here. >> Kern here. Parker
>> present. >> Ruff >> here. >> Shanker >> here. >> Grizzly >> here. Commissioners have had the opportunity to review the minutes from March 3rd. And at this time, we'll entertain a motion to adopt those minutes. >> Been moved and seconded to adopt the
minutes of March 3rd. Any discussion? >> Hearing none, please call the role. >> Partino, yes. >> Burns, yes. Days, >> yes. >> Kern, yes. Parker, >> yes. >> Ruffio, >> yes. >> Shanker, >> yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes. The board of commissioners will continue to utilize a consent agenda
format for sections of the agenda the commissioners do not feel need additional discussion from the board and are not contested. This consent agenda allows our meetings to run more efficiently and productively so that we can spend additional time during the
meeting discussing other important issues that are not as routine. If any commissioner wishes for additional discussion on any resolution or would like a resolution to be pulled from the consent format to be
individually addressed for any reason, please advise and we will do so for the public. Prior to the roll call on any resolution or group of resolutions, you will continue to have an opportunity to comment if you wish to do so.
Anyone attending in person who would like to speak regarding an agenda item or a public or at public comment, please come to the podium, speak into the microphone, state your name in the town where you reside. You'll be provided up to three minutes to speak. If you are
attending virtually and would like to speak, please raise your hand during the agenda item or at a public comment at the end. I will call upon your name and a request to unmute will be sent. Please state your name and the town you reside.
You'll be provided up to three minutes to speak. >> First thing we have on the agenda is this this month is Women's History Month and we will recognize that and I'm going to ask Commissioner um June to um bring the folks up.
Thank you. If everyone that was recognized, um, we have Pamela Fields, Samantha Kylie, Dr. Sherry Spence Mitchum, and Alicia Nukem, if you'll come up along with our Commission on Women who um I would like all of you to
come up here as well. AND CARLA the >> the Atlantic County Commission on Women is proud and honored to to recognize all of you for your leadership and your
commitment to Atlantic County residents. Thank you so much for everything. Um, and I would also like to add to all the women in here. We're all leaders in some capacity in what we do for Atlantic County. Amen. >> To my fellow female only one other on
commissioner board. Thank you everyone. >> Very nice. >> Nice. Even Frankie. >> Thank you. Carla, come in the picture. >> Nice. Sorry. Sorry. >> Get out
again. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. I certainly want to thank you for doing that. Uh June and um to all those recipients, congratulations. You do not have to stay for the rest of
the meeting. If we will not be offended. We will not be offended. >> I'm a little offended. We miss you. >> I miss being >> See you around.
Thank you again. >> That didn't include you, sir. >> You sit back down. >> Very good. Congrats to all. Okay, moving on. On our agenda, we have a presentation by our county tax
administrator and this is Terry Printer. Gas. Floor is yours. >> Yes. >> Good afternoon. Can everybody hear me? All right. >> Yes. >> Okay, great. Um, I'm here today to discuss with you the proposed Atlantic County annual reassessing plan. I
learned a lot about this plan in discussion with people from the Division of Taxation. I was looking for how we can improve our annual ratios in Atlantic County. I've taken quite a bit of material and tried to condense it for today's meeting. So, um here we go. Um
please interrupt me if you have any questions. Asessors and government officials, we are required to have a fair and equitable distribution of the tax burden. That has become increasingly difficult given the market conditions,
especially since the pandemic. you have to talk about uh revaluations or reassessments. The end product is the same, but how we go about it could save the municipality's tax dollars and maintain proper ratios in the county and
most importantly keep our assessed values at or near market value or 100%. A revaluation is conducted fully by an outside firm. A reassessment, on the other hand, can be done by the assessor with in-house staff or a hybrid
assessment where a firm is hired to conduct the mandatory statutory inspections and take the building measurements and all of the uh items necessary for the property record cards, but the values are ultimately determined
by the assessor taking that data. The barometer used to determine the need for a revaluation or a reassessment are the ratios which are issued by the division of taxation annually. Uh the slide up there is the Atlantic County ratio
slide. Anything in green are good numbers. That is from 2026 going backwards to 2021. Ratios are a calculation of the assessed values to sales price. And let me explain briefly. When there are sales in
any municipality, all of the sales um go up to the division of taxation and through the assessor. They are investigated. If it's a um an armslength transaction, it's considered a good sale. If there's any distress around a sale, it's not counted in the ratio.
Okay. So, with that said, um ratios over 85% are acceptable. So they take all of the assessed values and all of the sales prices of the good sales. They divide one into the other and that's where the ratios come from. It's not that hard but
it is a lot of work throughout the year. In this slide uh the ratios in green are above 85%. So you can see what has happened since the pandemic. Therefore we need to make some changes because this has been ongoing. Um, historically to make things correct or right, we
waited for either a market correction or eventually rebound orders were issued. An outside company would determine the neighborhoods, conduct the interior and exterior inspections with outside measurements
and the documentation of all uh ex external buildings and whatnot. The process required a lot of staff to walk the municipalities, knock on the doors, try to get inside three different times, um, sometimes to no avail. That
was all fine before we had technology with aerial images, GIS, updated tax maps, and sales data right at our fingertips. An alternative to this full reevaluations is our annual reassessing
plan. Annual reassessing is recommended by the Atlantic County Board of Taxation for Atlantic County municipalities who wish to enter into this practice. However, even annual reassessing requires some manpower. Next slide,
please. Okay, I don't know if you can see this very well, but this slide shows the assessor staffing levels. Presently in Atlantic County, we have 23 towns, a mere 155,000 line items. We have 17
unique assessors to cover the 23 towns. Nine assessors are full-time in their respective towns. Four of the nine have some clerical staff or a deputy, and five of the full-time offices have no support staff. Okay. 14 towns in
Atlantic County employ only part-time assessors with very limited hours and essentially no staff. Two towns, we actually do have a shared services agreement. They are Galloway and Summers Point. So, we have one assessor covering
both towns uh one five days a week. So, she's in Galloway four days a week, Summers Point physically one, but she can cover both offices, both towns throughout the five days. Next slide, please. This is Somerset County. Again, anything
in green is good. If you look up on the screen, Somerset is a great example as most of their towns do annual reassessing. There is documented success in Somerset County with decades of consistent ratios
and assessed values in the towns that have applied for annual reassessing. 16 of their 21 municipalities are entered into annual reassessments since the 1990s. In those towns, the ratios range from 86 to 100% on a continual basis.
The five towns not in the program have do do have low ratios. However, they have been moving toward uh working toward the annual reassessing plan. So hopefully eventually all the towns in Somerset will be in the annual program.
Next slide, please. Okay, this is Gloucester County. Check out the few ratios in green for Gloucester. So, they were okay for a few years and they started to fall off, but then you see some towns filled back into green. Okay, but here's what happened.
If you, some of you may recall way back in 2009, Gloucester was deemed the pilot county for what was known as countywide assessing. Each municipality and there are 24 of them there was required to do
a revaluation and they took place from 2009 to 2013. One assessing company was hired and was used to do all of the assessing, excuse me, revaluations. Today, the cost to conduct 24 revaluations could total over
$21 million. However, it's 2026 and Gloucester County is moving away from countywide assessing and into the practice of annual reassessments. >> Two towns are presently conducting annual reassessments and two more are
undergoing rebounds and they will begin the annual reassessing process right after that. So, they have determined that that is the best course of action for Gloucester. That is some background information. Now, I'd like to discuss the recommendations uh for the Atlantic County by the
Atlantic County Board of Taxation for annual reassessing in Atlantic County. Okay. by supporting the municipal assessors that begin annual reassessing and supplying the necessary level of technology, a proper number of
inspectors, and competent clerical staff, Atlantic County ratios will improve and remain at acceptable levels. Assessors will be better able to more efficiently and confidently do their jobs. This process
also eliminates the need and expense for all future fall revaluations, saving each municipality the exorbitant cost of hiring a revaluation firm. Next slide, please.
And what's the process? Well, in a nutshell, it is a voluntary program, but municipalities are first ordered to conduct either full revals or in-house reassessments to become an annual reassessing town. That's the downside.
You still have to do your rebate. The way I would like to do it is to schedule meetings to include county representatives, the assessor, and the municipal governing body to review the positives of annual reassessing. We presently have six towns under order for
rebail. I think one town may become voluntarily under order to do a rebale. So, this is how I'm hoping to move it along. Again, the process begins with a full rebell or in-house reassessment. Um, and you still have to do the darn
interior inspections and the mailings and the postage. It's it's a very expensive process. So for municipalities that choose to conduct in-house reassessments, it is proposed that the county initially hire commercial and residential inspectors,
support staff, and supply all necessary devices, technology, and materials. The board of taxation did just spend approximately $40,000 on new tablets, Surface Pros for each assessor. We did receive a grant for the new aerial
images as we've discussed before. By the way, those images um the flyovers are done. The images are in for quality control and then we will be receiving them I would say in the next couple of weeks. So, it's good timing for us.
um grants. Um and we are encouraging towns to obtain the services of a company such as Civil Solutions for digital and current tax maps for their municipality. These tax maps are updated not just annually, but whenever a change
is made, such as a 700 lot subdivision. Normally, that would take a year before it would get onto the actual tax maps. with this a company such as Civil Solutions. They are on within a week. Presently, Civil does have contracts
with six or seven towns in the county. With annual reassessing, the assessor remains employed by the municipality. They know their town best and would work with the county commercial and residential inspectors and staff to
maintain records and determine their values. The municipality would be applying to be an annual reassessment municipality and that would require inspections of 20 to 25% of a
municipality annually to maintain the values after they are an annual reassessing town. Again, there is never a need for another full revaluation again. And there are significantly less tax appeals filed than those municipalities who do not reassess
annually. Lastly, 20% of New Jersey municipalities presently participate in annual reassessing. That's about 120 towns and we didn't know about it. Okay, next slide please.
There is a rough cost an estimated cost for salaries if the um management of this is supposed to go onto the man a county level and that would be the cost for a county tax administrator, an assistant administrator,
GIS specialist, the commercial inspector, the residential inspectors, and two clerks with an estimated cost of $695,000. This estimate calls for seven employees initially. Gluster presently has 20.
In summary, again, we have a responsibility to maintain a fair and equitable distribution of the tax burden, but we are not doing so. We also have the legal, statutory, and regulatory authority to encourage municipalities to become annual
reassessing towns. Otherwise, we will be ordering revals every four years. Assessors are valuable to a municipality, but they need to be given the proper tools, technology, training, support, and supervision. They know
their towns better than anyone. According to one tax administrator that I spoke to, by being an annual assessment municipality, it gives the assessors the ability to change assessments annually to address fluctuations in the market. Those towns
already doing annual reassessments were able to avoid the dropping ratios caused by the residential market surge brought on by the pandemic. Any questions? ROI. >> Yeah, just a just a couple. First of
all, Terry, thank you. I know we've been discussing this in the shared services committee and all the work you and the board of taxation has done. Um, for most of us that come from the municipal level, we've dealt with re-evaluations and the turmoil and the trauma that goes through the re-evaluation where you
bring in a firm, you hire them, it cost you multi-million dollars. Um, I learned a lot in committee with Terry that that's all statutory by the state. You don't have a choice how you do that. It's all written in in in state uh you know our state laws. So there was no changes. What we looked at and a few
years ago I think a couple of commissioners were on the that are still here on the board. We went through looking at countywide reassessment and we looked at the Gloucester plan and the pilot and we all looked at each other said it's not going to work. And at the time we said no it's not our right fit
for Atlantic County. um what you've done here and you've come up with a proposal in the plan that actually meets the needs of our municipalities and in a controlled manner which you can afford. There is some buy in with Elena County hiring some of the staff personnel equipment and you can see that in the
estimates that she put in place but that's needed for us to do the assessment to support the local assessor in all the towns who going to still be there because we need that. Uh that's what the assessors told us when we had the last time we looked at the reval. they they wanted support from the county. This new proposal plan actually
puts that in place at an an affordable cost that shows an actual plan to stay out of gone back into the rebal at some point. So, I think it's something for us from the county. I I applaud the the plan you come up with the hybrid. Uh we had a lot of discussions about
technology changes in committee. Um I know civil solutions is doing few towns on the western end. They do digital tax maps. A lot of guys don't realize a lot of assessors have tax maps in their town. Every time you have a subdivision or you build a new home, you got to go
address, you have to go put it in your tax maps and that's what they look for digitally. Now, that stuff can be done pretty instantaneously if you have the right if you have the right company. Not every company is digitally formatted to be able to do that. So, when us reviewing this in committee and stuff, I
was pretty excited. It gives us the opportunity at the county level and for our towns to do something that's affordable, phased into and it's voluntary. You don't want to do it then stay do your own rebates and pay the cost. >> It's up to you. >> So that's what I'm saying. So that's just some of the comments I had, Mr.
Chairman. >> And one more comment. Uh Bill Crother, the president of the Municipal Assessors Association for Atlantic County. He has met with the assessors and many of them are in favor of this and he is actually on today. I did see him on the screen. So, yeah, it's been very they've been
supportive so far. Thank >> Okay, thank you all. >> Thanks. >> I would certainly like to echo everything Commissioner Bertino has stated. I I agree 100% and uh our committee can uh gloat gloat a little
bit from 10 years ago that um we knew we knew that the Gloucester County plan was not going to be right for us. It was being shoved down our throats in Trton by certain people remain nameless but they was it was something that was going
to be mandatory here in Atlanta County. That's why I travel to Trenton a few times to speak against it and u of course that particular uh effort the wheels fell off the bus on that one. So that went nowhere fortunately but we we
did the research and we were right. The Gloucester County plan at the time for us would have been a disaster and a lot of money spent for no good reasons. Terry, you have a this budget here.
Okay. So, you've got the county tax administrator 135. That's you. >> That would be me. >> That's you. What are you at now? >> 85. >> Okay. I wasn't sure. Okay. And assistant. Well, I estimated 70 for an assistant to
get started. >> But what's the salary now to you? >> Uh, well, the salary range from what I understand is um top top at 55, but it hasn't been adjusted in a number of years.
>> Okay. >> Mr. Chairman, I I think that and and and to understand the concept, some of the stuff the board of taxation is doing is done with the existing laws and stuff the way they are. Some of what we're proposing here is the county to take a more of a leadership role, bringing in
the personnel and the equipment needed to support reassessments for the towns. So, some of the items in this budget have not been budgeted previously, but we needed a budget line item so we can go back. As you guys know, I've dealt with you enough. So, I know what we're going to go through in a finance committee to prove this all out to make
sure financially it makes sense. And I think the county executive and he reviews this thing. I think he's going to be supportive of it as well because it really does work. It supports the towns like everybody's been yelling about. >> Yeah, I I had some inputs from some other administrators in the county or excuse me, in the state. So,
>> okay, >> that's where it came from. And we do have a GIS specialist on staff and he's actually >> around there. >> I've met him >> uh clerks. There's more work. So I gave, you know, there's a bump in there unless you want to throw in the third clerk in
there. You know, it's it's just a based upon some research that I did. It's nothing in stone. >> Now, have you presented this to the executive? >> Uh I through someone in his office. Yes. >> Okay, good. >> I don't know if he's actually seen it
yet. a little bit earlier. Just so you know, I held off Terry because they wanted to come a couple of meetings ago and I I wanted to make sure that we had all our eggs in order in the shared services committee before I kept on hold. That's why she would have been here before previously for the budget
part of it. So, just so you guys know, >> you guys were booked, >> right? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Now, this has been this is the best answer so far we've come up with for a problem that's that's been a problem. And all you have to do is look at the
assessed values of the many of the towns around the county. They're at 51%. So it's the whole thing is ridiculous. It's out of kiler. And uh this is the best plan I've seen thus far.
>> The um just one more comment. You know, I've talked about interior inspections and there's mixed review on whether they're valuable or not and how important they are. Um I spoke with um an assessor in Cook County, Illinois and in Palm Beach County, Florida. Cook
County, Illinois has 1.4 million line items and Palm Beach County has about 600,000 if I remember correctly. No inspections, >> right? >> No inspections. They do annual assessing.
So no interior inspections. So it's just one of my pet peeves. >> Okay. >> Because they're expensive. >> Yes. Yes, they are. >> Mr. Chair, >> yes. Terry, to your point, I mean, I I don't know a lot of people that actually answer the door anymore with the Ring cameras and, you know, they see somebody
they don't know or not not expecting come to the door. Yeah. >> You know, they're probably not going to look, which used to be detrimental, actually. They say, "Oh, basement." Okay. >> And first, every resident receives a letter saying that, you know, exe company will be in your neighborhood during this week, right? So, you know, if they come to the door, they will have
identification and please allow them inside your home. >> No. >> Yeah. >> Sure. Yeah. Especially since since co I mean people less filling but >> and you watch the news you don't want anybody in your house anymore >> right and then my second point I think you know as we talk about the um the county budget when we strike a a county rate with a 2% reduction or 1% I don't
think people understand how the equalized value impacts each municipality as well which you know is determined by you know >> their level of their their assessments correum so you know that it's all comes into play and people don't really understand that it's based on equalized value you know so that's a whole other
factor how their county tax bill will be determined. >> Correct. On the equalized level, not the assessed level. Correct. >> Thank you. >> Any more questions? >> Well, thank you all again. >> Thank you, Carrie. Thank you. >> Does she have to stay for the rest of
the meeting? >> No, you don't have to. >> Okay, moving on to resolutions. um are budget resolutions that require a final reading to them. So we'll move on with
number 82. Item clerk >> 2026 Atlanta County budget final reading move. >> Second >> been moved and seconded. Any discussion? Any public comment on it?
We just like to highlight briefly a couple things. Number one, our county rate uh is down two cents. Then of course we have a number of other resolutions following this one regarding
the library health and open space. And all three of those items, okay, will remain the same. There's no increases, no increases there whatsoever. Then to take that a step further,
uh we met with the um ACCCC board. We're not spending any additional funds. We're doing the same level of funding as last year. And the same goes for the Atlantic County Special Services School District. The same level of funding as last year.
No increase. And then with ACIT, the same thing. So that's u that's about as good as you can do I think you know and uh >> yeah dealing with the the health insurance crisis which budgets have been
facing 30 30% plus increases. So uh we should all be very proud of the fact that these numbers have uh have come in the way they they've come in. So thank you. >> Anybody else want to comment on that? >> Mr. Mr. Chair, I I will get it out of
the way. Now, I just want to commend the county executive, our administrator >> um and the entire finance team for uh putting forward a responsible and wellbalanced budget. Managing a budget of this size while maintaining services
and achieving tax stability reflects strong fiscal stewardship. As we move forward, it's important that we continue to focus not just on this year, but on the long-term sustainability of our cost drivers, particularly in personnel and public
safety. I also recognize the ongoing transition of our county nursing home, which presents an opportunity to strengthen our financial position moving forward. Overall, I appreciate the work that has been that has gone into the
budget and look forward to continuing that work to ensure Atlantic County remains on solid financial ground. Strong budgets are not just balanced, they are sustainable. So, thank you. And I know I missed the opportunity to do
that the last meeting. So, I wanted to make sure that I, you know, put that in for this meeting. And to your point, uh, I was over with, uh, met with Dr. GABA uh yesterday again. As a matter of fact, when we talk more about uh the budget and the future budgets and
>> and so it it is pretty phenomenal when you think about how much more we're spending uh for things, healthc care being the big one to be able to maintain uh a balanced budget and not ask for any more is pretty phenomenal and I hope that the public understands it and
appreciates the work that goes into it. Anyone else like to speak? No. Or I I can say on behalf of this entire board, our our hats are off to uh the entire county administration and the
county executive's office and uh we're on the we're on the right track here. So with that, thank you. Anyone else like to speak on the budget number 82? Any public comment? I'm asking now for any public comment on uh resolution 82.
Hearing none. Madame clerk, please call the role. >> Bertino, >> yes. >> Burns, >> yes. >> R. Days, >> yes. >> C days, >> yes. >> Kern, >> yes. >> Parker, >> yes. >> Ruffio, >> yes. >> Shanker, >> yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes. Please read number 83 on final.
>> Atlantic County Public Health Agency annual budget notice 2026. Final reading. >> Moved. >> Second. It's been move moved a second. Any discussion? Any public comment?
Hearing none, please call the role. >> Certino, >> yes. >> Burns, yes. R Days, >> yes. >> C Days, >> yes. >> Kern, yes. >> Parker, >> yes. >> Ruffio, >> yes. >> Shanker, >> yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes. Please read number 84. >> Atlanta County Library annual budget
notice 2026. Final reading. >> Moved. Second. Any discussion? Any public comment? Hearing none, please call the role. >> Ratino, >> yes. Burns, R Days, yes. >> C Days, Kern, yes. >> Parker, yes. >> Ruffio, yes.
>> Shanker, yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes. Number 85, please. >> Annual open space trust fund tax 2026. Final reading. >> Moved. Second. >> Any discussion? Hearing none. Any public comment?
Please call the role. >> Martino, yes. Burns, yes. R Days, yes. C Days, yes. Kern, yes. Parker, yes. Ruffio, yes. Shanker, >> yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes. And please read number 87. >> Resolution to exceed the county budget appropriation limits and to establish a
2026 CAP Bank NJSA484-45.14 final reading. >> Move. >> Second. >> Any discussion by the governing body? Hearing none. Any public comment? Hearing none, please call the role. >> Bertino, yes. >> Burns, yes. >> R Days, yes.
>> C days, yes. >> Kern, yes. >> Parker, >> yes. >> Ruffio, yes. >> Shanker, >> yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes. Okay, moving into our grants. >> Please read number 112. >> Grant application and acceptance from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for the local
government electrification grant amount not to exceed $1 million. >> Move. Second. discussion. Any public discussion on 112? Hearing none, please call the role. >> Martino, yes.
>> Burns, yes. >> R Days, yes. >> C Days, >> yes. >> Kern, yes. >> Parker, yes. >> Ruffio, >> yes. >> Shanker, >> yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes. Moving into our professional service agreements. Um, the chair will
entertain a motion to adopt 113 through 117. Move. >> Second. >> Any discussion? Any public comment? Hearing none, please call the role. >> Martino, >> yes. >> Burns, yes. R Days, yes.
>> C days, yes. >> Karna, yes. >> Parker, yes. >> Ruffio, yes. >> Shanker, >> yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes. Moving into competitive contracts. >> Pull 119. >> Like to pull 119. Okay. Okay. We'll vote on 118 separately then.
Okay. So, we'll entertain a motion to adopt resolution 118. >> Read the title. >> Please read it. >> Okay. Amending resolution number 689 adopt on December 16, 2025. A competitive contract subgrant agreement with Caring Incorporated for older
Americans act area plan services fiscal year 2026 at 50% funding. Net increase $2,46. >> Second. >> Moved and second. Any discussion on 118? Any public comment on 118?
>> Hearing none, please call the role. >> Bertino, >> yes. >> Burns, yes. R. Days, >> yes. >> C. Days, >> yes. >> Kern, >> yes. >> Parker, >> yes. >> Rafio, >> yes. >> Fanker, >> yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes. >> I entertain a motion to consider 119 on its own.
>> Move. Second. Second. >> Yes. And please, please read. I'm sorry. >> Renewal competitive contract with Jewish Family Services for the provision of discharge planning and re-entry services to inmates of the Atlantic County Justice Facility. Amount not to exceed
1,58,978. >> Okay. It's already been moved and seconded. Um, discussion. >> This is a large uh human service contract. I just had a few questions for clarification. Uh, what outcomes are
tied to this contract with JFS? >> This is for >> Well, Jack, I I don't know if JFS has come here before. I know that they were here since the last nine months and they they document all the files and they
show the output. I can arrange that if you'd like. I don't know if they've done it recently. Have you been getting any documentation of their data outcomes? >> I'm sorry.
>> Oh, Mike. >> Mike. Warden, you want to answer that? Are you Are you from Warden Kelly? >> Kelly. >> Hey, Warden. >> Oh, how you doing? Yeah, this is this is okay. You can hear me then? >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. Yeah, the Jewish Family Services
is our re-entry provider. We're required by law to have re-entry services. We have a team of counselors here. They correspond with the courts. They they assist with housing on the outside, IDs. Uh we don't have we haven't had our own counselors here since 2015. It's we used
to we we actually didn't even have these are all masters levels counselors here. So, they operate out of here. JFS also uh corresponds on the street in Atlantic City. So, they're like the main social service provider, one of the main ones in this area. So they've been on ground
tier uh for almost the last 10 years and uh they're they're they're successful where they're successful, but whether we're still required to have it and engage with anyone that is county sentence and looking to reenter in the community and set them up with programs.
They also handle all our uh trouble cases, getting people to court, working with the courts for to to help them move along for people that don't want to move to court. So, it's kind of like a team effort with our medical services and our uh JFS partners here. >> Do you know how many individuals are
served uh with JFS? >> Yeah, I mean I have that I don't have it in front of me at this moment. I could I could I could share it with you, but they engage everybody within the first 24 hours that hits the door and uh see if they want services. >> One last question, Bordon. How does this
uh amount compare to last year's amount? It's a it's it's it's a basically C CPI increase of about $27,000%. >> Thank you, sir. >> That's all I have, Mr. Chairman. >> Okay. Commissioner Parker, would you like um JFS to come to the next
presentation? >> Absolutely. >> Okay. I think it's fair enough. We should bring them in. >> All right. So, the clerk can arrange that. All right. Are there any other questions on this uh resolution? Any
public discussion hearing? None. Madam clerk, please call the role. >> Ratino, >> yes. >> Burns, yes. R Days, yes. >> C Days, >> no. >> Kern, >> yes. >> Parker, >> yes. >> Ruffio, >> yes. >> Shanker, >> yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes. Okay.
All right. Moving into bid contracts. will entertain a motion to adopt 120 through 125. >> That second move and second. Any discussion on these resolutions. Okay.
Any discussion on 120 through 125? Any discussion by the public? Anybody have any public comment on these resolutions? >> Hearing none, please call the role. >> Certino, >> yes. >> Burns, yes. >> R Days, >> yes. >> C Days, >> yes. >> Karn,
>> yes. >> Parker, >> yes. >> Rafio, yes. >> Shanker, >> yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes. Moving into change orders. We have a couple of those. Hair will want to entertain a motion to combine and adopt 126 through 129.
>> I'd like to pull 129 as well. >> You would like to pull 129. All right. Then we'll we'll vote on 126 through 128. Right. >> To combine and adopt. Yes. Second.
>> Thank you. It's been moved to combine and adopt 126 through 128. Any discussion? Any discussion by the public comment? Hearing? None. Please call the role. >> Bertino, >> yes. >> Earns, yes. >> R Days, >> yes.
>> C days, >> yes. >> Kerna, >> yes. >> Parker, >> yes. >> Rafio, >> yes. >> Shanker, >> yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes. Okay, we're going to consider uh 129 now, which is a change order. Um, Madame Clerk, please read 129.
>> Change order number three, a contract with South State Incorporated for the Lake Lenipe Dam and Spillway in Hamilton Township. Net increase $181,519.70. >> Okay. Want to entertain a motion to adopt? >> Second. >> Moved and seconded.
>> Discussion 129. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, through you. Um, I'm I'm thinking of my of our good colleague, Mr. Corsy, uh, who who would not allow change orders to go without
having something to say. So, I think it's, you know, responsible that we say something here. Um, the question is what specifically caused the change order? It's a increase of $183,000. >> Renee,
you hear that question? Yeah, I could do that. >> Hey, Doug. >> How you doing? >> Oh, well. >> Yeah. Um, one of our biggest uh issues was a project delay um that caused an
escalation in the uh cost of concrete. Um, basically at the beginning of this project, we bid the project while the phase one project was going on, which was the um the rehab to the powerhouse and the
replacement of the slle gates on the powerhouse. Um, the powerhouse needed to be done first because that was our control water. That's how we bypass the water around the uh spillway uh for construction. And there was
delays on in that contract uh due to um it took several months to get the gates built for that project. And the problem was uh we had to bid this second phase by a certain date because of the federal
funding. So, we had to push this project out and then when we had the several months delay in that first project, um it put the contract into a point where the the South State could not begin their
contract uh prior to inwater work restriction, which is was a a requirement of the D. So they got pushed I mean I think it was something like nine months or so and during that time there was a significant increase in the
cost of concrete >> and uh it was at no fault of South State. Uh so um we felt it was justified that they got paid for the uh the additional cost of the concrete and turns out there was a lot of concrete on
the project. So just a slight cost, you know, change in cost would equal, you know, several hundred or a couple hundred,000 easily. And that's what happened here. So we had about $220,000
increase in the cost of the concrete. >> Are we expecting any other or anticipating any other changes any any more change with this project? >> Uh I do not believe so actually. Thank you, sir.
>> You're welcome. >> All I have, Mr. Chair, Mr. Chairman, if I might comment, um the difficulty of building a dam like they did >> is off the charts. Having to deal with the water, anything you do in the water is you're subject by time of the year.
>> I think they did a fantastic job >> to have that size of a project and this is the only change order you're seeing. And it was a timing thing. And unfortunately, this is what happens when you have dam projects. And they they did an excellent job. Everybody from the contractor and everyone in the county
should be commended for the job that they did. And it is a beautiful dam. So, thank you very much. Andy. >> Okay. Thank you. Any other comments? I know it was a very, very complicated project that I do know. Not being an
engineer, I get to see it was a very very complicated ordeal. Any other discussion? Any discussion by the any public comment? If not, >> please call the role. >> Ratino, >> yes. >> Burns, yes.
>> R Days, >> yes. >> C days, yes. >> Kern, yes. >> Parker, yes. >> Rafio, >> yes. >> Shanker, >> yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes. Madam clerk, please read number 130, which is a lease. Amending resolution number 286 adopt on June 16,
2020 an agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management for the lease and management of various county vehicles to extend the term date only. No additional cost. >> Second. >> Any discussion? Any public input
hearing? None. Please call the role. >> For yes. >> Burns, yes. >> R Days, yes. >> C Days, yes. >> Kern, yes. >> Parker, yes. >> Ruff, yes. Shanker, yes. >> Risley, >> yes. The chair will entertain a motion to combine adopt resolutions 131
through 143 second. >> Been moved and seconded. Any discussion on these resolutions? Any public input on these resolutions 131 through 143?
Hearing none, please call the role. Patino, yes. Burns, yes. R Days, yes. C Days, yes. Kern, yes. Parker, yes. Ruffio, yes. Shanker, yes. Grizzly, >> yes. Numbers 144, 145 are being pulled at
this time, as I understand. They need more work. >> Correct. >> No, they can move forward. >> They can be moved. >> I'm sorry. Say again. >> One at a time. >> One at a time. Okay. All right. The chair then will entertain a motion to
adopt number 144. And please read it by title if you would. >> Memorandum of agreement with the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office and PBA Local 77 rank and file detectives and authorizing a formal labor agreement incorporating the terms of the MOA for a
three-year period commencing January 1, 2026. >> Move. >> Second. >> Moved and seconded on resolution 144. Any discussion? Any public input for public comment? Please call the
role. >> Bertino, >> yes. >> Burns, yes. >> R Days, >> yes. >> C days, >> abstain. >> Kern, >> yes. >> Parker, >> yes. >> Ruffio, >> Shanker, >> yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes. Moving on with resolution 145. Please
read that. Memorandum of agreement with the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office and PBA Local 77 Sergeants and authorizing a formal labor agreement incorporating the terms of the MOA for a three-year period commencing January 1, 2026. >> Second. It's
>> been moved and seconded. Any discussion? Any public input? Hearing none, please call the role. >> Ratino, >> yes. >> Burns, yes. Race, >> yes. >> C Days, >> abstain. >> Kern, yes. Parker, >> yes. >> Ruffio, >> yes. >> Shanker, >> yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes.
>> Okay. The chair will entertain a motion to adopt resolutions 146 through 156. Your appointments move. >> Second. >> Any discussion on the appointments? Just as as always, we thank the people
that come forward and volunteer their time. You know, everybody is uh we're all so busy today with life and uh these folks have come forward and are willing to dedicate and devote their time to various boards and we're very very
grateful. Thank you to all. >> Any public comment hearing? None. Please call the role. >> Martino, >> yes. >> Burns, yes. >> Race, >> yes. >> Case, yes. Kern, >> yes. >> Parker, >> yes. Yes. >> Ruffio, >> yes. >> Shanker, >> yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes.
>> And we have some roadway solicitations. >> You know, that time of the year, right? >> Uh we we also have, wait, I'm missing some here. >> 15 I'm sorry, 157 through 162. There's some more appointments there.
>> Entertain motion to combine and adopt 157 through 162. >> Move. Second. Okay. Discussion, public comment. Hearing none, please call the role. >> Bertino, >> yes. >> Burns, yes. >> R Days, yes.
>> C Days, yes. >> Kern, yes. >> Parker, yes. >> Ruffio, yes. >> Shanker, >> yes. >> Grizzly, >> yes. Okay. Okay. Has the um the board received any written communications?
Anyone in particular received anything? Okay. Any reports of special commission? >> I may just earlier I know I didn't mean to catch you off guard. and we had a conversation about the email that I forwarded from John Dadio and Injac um
and the training for new commissioners that's going to happen at uh the League of Municipalities I believe it is. >> Yes. >> I just wanted to put that on the record so that this board can formally hear that that's out there. So, if you have not uh signed up for it, I know you guys remember there was some conversation
that started from this board and and we were asking for uh some sort of training for new commissioners to come on uh to know what the job entailed and so we have it and so we asked so we should probably try to support that. So, if you have not signed up for it, that's
available. And I would also encourage uh anyone new to the county to uh whether you're a district or at large, get in the car and start driving because you'll you'll see lots of areas of the county where you
never thought existed once you get behind that wheel >> and you go down Indian Cabin Road and some pl other places in the county. It's it's important to uh to know um the geography and the various streets and
communities in the county. >> I've made it a point to drive and get lost on the western end. It's a good thing. Got some places. >> It's a good thing. >> I always find my way home. >> Any other reports of special committees to the board?
>> Chairman Rizley. Thank you. I'm sorry. I'm going circling back to our honores for National Women's History Month. We have Alicia Nukem for through no fault of her own is running was running late and she sat here through the entire rest
of >> Alicia. I just want to let you know she's being honored for her um involvement in transforming communities through food access, education, and sustainable service driven leadership every day. Thank you very much. And we
do have two certificates for you. One from the commissioners, one from the county executive, but they're with Carla Guy. She walked out the door. Thank you so much for staying. Thank you. >> That's okay. A lot of people do.
So congratulations and thank you >> again. Congratulations and thank you for being here. >> Mr. Chair, if I may from education to schools, I'll say that this report will be a lot shorter because you reported already on the school of estimates, the ACIT school of estimates and the ACCC
school of estimates. Both of their budgets have been >> uh we we >> approved them. they've been approved and so that portion is done with no increases which I think also needs to be noted and pretty amazing because we all know the cost of doing business with
everything has gone up significantly. So to have a budget that's staying flat is pretty amazing stuff without declining services. And I want to add that we're we're we're continuing to somehow magically increase services and keep the money pretty flat which is pretty
amazing. Uh only thing that I'll add as a caveat to that. Yesterday I had a a meeting with uh Dr. Gaba over at ACCCC and we spoke about a few more things from the education schools committee. We talked a few months ago about
possibly doing a state of education in Atlantic County address annually. Um and so that conversation came up with Dr. GABA again yesterday where we're looking at our needs from workforce development and economic uh and economic economic
development to workforce development and looking at how we're educating and having a regional plan for our education where whatever is happening at say an ideal institute whatever's going on at ACIT ACCC Stockton all kind of is one
collective kind of idea and we're all rowing in the same direction so we're educating uh right here for the industries that we think that we want to see u um here in our county. So that conversation is is is happening and everyone seems to be pretty excited
about uh possibly I know we wanted to do it for this year and I was pushing you know to get it done this year possibly not for this year but for next year to be able to get that done. >> Very good. Now we did have some very
fruitful discussions uh with Dr. Gaba and we also had just good discussions with Dr. Gunther. Dr. Gunther is the superintendent of the special services school district and ACIT.
uh he's done a great job with it and the board as well has done a fantastic job job with it and we look forward to the ribbon cutting of uh ACIT which will probably be the envy of many counties in this state because we're going to have
one beautiful beautiful building there >> beautiful stadium >> stadium and education um tremendous educational opportunities for our kids here in Atlantic County and the other thing too we're very proud of which doesn't get much recognition is a
special services school district. Those kids that are handicapped and have various needs uh they do a great job there. In fact, we're one of only seven counties that has a facility like that. So, that's really something to be proud
of as well. One of seven counties in the state and there's 21 counties. So, I think we do a a pretty good job there as well. Anyone else have any uh reports, special committees, the board?
Uh any unfinished business? New business? Any items of new business? Not we'll move into public comments. The meeting is now open for anyone um would like to comment on any subject.
Is there anyone online? >> Oh, Mr. Morola, please come forward. Good to see you. >> And you as well. >> My name is William Morola. I live in Ecuador Township on English Creek Avenue.
Uh I work for the uh Atlanta County Firefighters Association as well as the county gun ranger, the pistol range as it's called. um working there on the weekends where it's used by civilians.
Um a lot of people have been complaining to us as the people that work out there about the problems of the pistol range. >> One of the main things is the roadway
coming off of Betsy Skull Road into the complex. I would ask each and any one of you, if you had the time, >> go out to Beex City Skull Road and take a ride into the pistol range complex and see if you make it all the way to the
office area. There are potholes so deep that I've driven my car partially in one of the holes and hit my bumper. I had to back out. >> It's been like that since before the snowstorms. uh after since the snowstorms and the
ice and everything that's accumulated, it's gotten terrible out there. Along with that, we are working in a classroom trailer, we'll call it, as our office. We were taken out of the main
office building in July of last year and we were kind of told that we should be back in by the first maybe second week of October. We're still in the trailer. Uh over the course of the winter when we
had the ice storms and snowstorms, we had to use the portaotties that were out there. Uh they have a porta potty trailer or you know a bathroom trailer out there on the complex.
It doesn't work. Uh the lines were frozen. Uh it has not been addressed. It has not be been fixed. And at this point we have no water out there at all. >> Oh jeez. Now, for those um that shoot,
anybody know when you shoot a firearm, you you get exposed to lead and powder and things like that >> and you if you have to go to use the bathroom, you need to wash your hands. There's nothing to wash your hands with. There's no water. It's terrible out there. And a lot of
people are complaining to us as employees. U I don't know about the police departments, but the police departments are used. All the community police departments use it. Some outofstate or excuse me, outofcount police departments use it. The federal government use it. Coast guards up there
too. And it's the only range from what I've been told in the state of New Jersey that's actually run by the government, namely the county.
So, it really needs to be addressed. I mean, it's an eyesore and there's a lot of people that wish to see and look at this and shoot out here. >> Well, thank you. I I was out there probably about a year ago, but it's certainly from what you're telling me,
things have changed drastically in the past year. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Mr. Chair, I just wanted to bring it to your attention. >> Thank you, Bill. We'll definitely uh look into that and and I want to thank you as well because
>> fun fact some may not know I I got my certifications from that range and I also became a range a certified range instructor okay through that range as well and and received all my NRA certifications through that range. So that's always going to be a place that I'm going to definitely have at my
heart. So I had no idea >> Yeah. that >> when you have free time stop on out. We all can always use to help. >> Yep. I'll be out. Listen, I've been busy doing this stuff. I'm on the other I'm on the other side of the table now, >> right? >> But I I'll definitely come out and uh
>> take a look at what you guys have going on out there. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, >> Mr. Fedoro. Hello there, >> Mr. Chairman, Mr. Vice Chairman, commissioners. Um that's one of the uh units in my department. >> Okay. Um we have had a problem with with
lead in the building for quite a while. Uh the building was vacated, everything was taken out. Uh extreme cleaning was done in the building. Um they uh redid the uh air
conditioning. Uh there was a vent in put in to uh scrub the lead as it comes in catching a filter. Um they're going to do one more test I think uh next week or the week after and then it's going to be
open. So they'll have water. The bathrooms will be available. Um they're fixing the pipe in the uh the other bathroom that that was broke that was being worked on yesterday. And u there should there shouldn't be a problem.
It'll be it'll be open to to everybody. >> Now the trailers part of it. Well, the trailer is is the trailer will still be used for whatever they need. Um, the roadway. I don't know. Chris >> on. >> Chris Polarmo is on. He could talk to you about the road.
>> Greg, too. >> Greg. >> Oh, Greg. Greg. Okay. I'm sorry, >> Greg. >> We'll take a look at those potholes and see what we can do to repair them. >> Thank you. >> Outstanding. >> Thank you. The potholes are bad out
there. It's It's something that hasn't been taken care of for a while. >> Sound like craters at this point. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> All right. Well, thank you for bringing that to our attention. Anyone else like to comment? Hearing none.
Any items for the good of the order? We come to a close on this meeting. Hearing none. for the good of the order. Happy spring everyone. The weather, the windows open. I can hear it behind me. Not a whole lot of air coming through. We should put the blinds up or
something. >> But um everyone be safe. I know when the weather starts to turn uh starts to change and they get better weather seems to be and I don't we have some professionals in the room in law enforcement that people tend to get a
little bit more distracted driving during these times and accidents tend to you know kick up a little bit. So stay off your phones, pay attention, put your windows down, enjoy the weather and stay safe.
>> Good Easter. >> Good Easter. >> Happy Easter. East. >> We'll entertain a motion to uh close this meeting. >> So move, sir. >> A second. >> Any other discussion? Hearing? None. All in favor say I. I. >> Opposed. Motion carries. This meeting is
adjourned. Thank you.