##VIDEO ID:JbeixjS8kR4## e e e e e e e e Taxation and Revenue advisory committee and a planning board member and whereas on no November 15th 2021 Mike was appointed to the city council of the City of Cape May and whereas on November 20 in November 2022 general election Mike was elected to a two-year term expiring December 31st 2024 by the city of K May residents and whereas during his tenure on Council Michael has served on the Kate May City Board of uh planning board the police building task force the desalinization project task force as well as acting as liaison to the bicycle and pedestrian bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee and the environmental commission now therefore I Zachary mullik mayor of the city of K May New Jersey and on behalf of all the citizens of K May am honored to present this proclamation to Michael joerger with sincere thanks for his dedication and service to the city of K May thank you very much Mike Mike you're you're welcome to say something but before you do I just want to thank you very much for all of your hard work um you are basically a model uh council member so Steve you have some some fills some shoes to f fill there um but in all seriousness uh in the times that there were disagreements on Council you were always a gentleman always respectful um and most importantly always had the citizens best interests at heart um which is which is most important and I especially want to recognize some family members of course your wife Debbie who like many of us on Council we have significant others who probably put in just as much work as we do the only time that you weren't working was when on Sunday afternoons when the Eagles were playing at home but otherwise you are always here for the community as well Debbie and and I know you still will be so thank you thank you Mike if you want to say a few words um yes I would um I expected to do this at the end of the meeting but we're all Lucky we'll get this done with early in the meeting so um you know I just I want to say first that um it's really been an honor um to be a part of this Council it's an honor to be elected by the people at Kate May um and also I mean not just the people that voted for me but the people that supported me as well um in order to get to that point I had a few people that were pretty important uh in the process and uh the first one is an amazing campaign manager in Colleen Summers sitting right back there and and also um her Deputy uh campaign manager and hardworking Sign Guy and did everything else an advisor Bob Matthews I I appreciate that um the biggest thank you obviously um I'm not a stupid man um it biggest thank you goes to my wife Debbie who has supported me from day one uh all the way to the end as well as my son uh same thing he's he was a little irritated every once in a while when it gets in the way it work but um they've both been very very supportive and I appreciate that I mean you most people don't understand that um every Tuesday virtually for the last three years um I've had be between Planning and Zoning um you know there's there's something going on plus the other meetings and all of our vacations and all of our travel in and our friends are affected too we work it around that every that first and third Tuesday of the month and um I have certainly no complaints I've enjoyed it thoroughly um and I thank you all again for giving me the opportunity um and I'll never forget and by the way the people um from here forward working with them has been fantastic you're all great I I've enjoyed it this is a first class bunch in the city's in great hands um so thank you all thank you all I have to leave early I have another meeting to attend Mike I was going to wait till the end but I just want to um two things I want to say Steve welcome Mr Bodner we we've met a couple times you have big shoes to fill um and that that seats very very very valuable to the city uh Mike along the way um you I've learned so very much from you your level-headedness during meetings during crisis um through through two managers with me through the mayor coming in you knew you knew the task ahead of you and you you tackled it and like I said I did learn a lot from you with being you know a businessman and being a resident and being one Council so um from the bottom of my heart I thank you from the police department side all the men and women that work with us um that you've supported over the years um Public Service the fire department Public Works I know they couldn't be here but um you know you I don't get up and say too many things I've said this before other venues we've been at with the mayor you know recent events and parties but um you're a great man uh as far as we are concerned anything you ever need and will will ever have a need for will be there for you as you've been there for us um I do thank you family because that's the hardest part my family does take task your family has always been there your wife gives the biggest hugs I'll tell you that much so she does give the biggest hugs every time I see her so but I know they've been a strong support for you and that's very important and it shows that how much of a good family man you are council member you are and a friend to us so thank you Mike thank you de and I appreciate it again thank you Mike I working with you has been such a pleasure and uh I know every council member would say that too it's just uh you're just a true gentleman and the fact is you're leaving K May better than when you started and that's what counts most so we appreciate it with that we have another person retiring um and this is someone that uh as well has been so important to the city of Kate May and preserving the city of Kate May um that we all love so so dearly um it much like Bill who I think smartly has taken his wife out to dinner now um it's a tough position to be in when you're the code enforcement officer you're typically telling people what they can't be doing um when you're chairperson of the historic preservation commission you're also telling Property Owners what they need to be doing um and I had the pleasure of working with the chairperson as a member of the historic preservation commission and and um really could not have learned more from um from Warren um and witnessed all of the hard work of the historic preservation Commission because I think we all have our thoughts about different boards when you watch HPC and you see the projects as they progress get expert advice and then frankly come out with a better product but that takes a heck of a lot of work um and with that I want to recognize with the mayoral Proclamation uh recognizing Warren Copeland's service to the city of K May whereas prior to moving to Kate May in 1998 Warren Copeland's passion for history and preservation was bolstered by frequent visits to Kate May whereas Warren and his wife Janet purchased and restored an 1895 Carpenters Gothic Victorian home on Washington Street transforming it into the show House property which has been featured on numerous tours throughout the years and whereas Warren joined the Cap May City Historic preservation Commission in 2007 and became its chair in 2011 and whereas while serving on the historic preservation commission Warren spearheaded numerous initiatives to strengthen historic preservation within the city most notably creating a corrective action plan that once implemented removed the city of Kate May from the secretary of the interior's list of endangered National historic landmarks whereas during his tenure as chairman of the HPC Warren drafted several key ordinances that will continue to support the city of Kate May and its National Historic Landmark status and whereas in 2024 Warren and the historic preservation commission worked to ensure that the city's historic district was entered into the national register of historic places recognizing the africanamerican contribution to the Cape May City's historic period of significance and now therefore I Zachary M mullik mayor of the city of K May New Jersey on behalf of all of its citizens am honored to present this proclamation to Warren Copan with sincere thanks for his dedication and 17 years of service to the city of Kate May Warren come on up Warren this is a key to the city um which with the amount of applications that you've seen in the different houses I think you probably could open most the doors already but anything else here's the key of the city we thank you thank you very much thank you War thank you please yes thank you I appreciate the recognition and and the documentation it has been a a a long uh period and it is sometimes challenging as uh the chair of the HPC because people want to do things that aren't as consistent with our standards um but I want to thank the HBC members many of them are here tonight we can't do this by ourselves I thank the um city council for their support we've had a number of ordinances that were proposed and passed and supported um we've had a number of Grants uh I I think over the years maybe um over $300,000 in Grants that uh HPC has received again because of the support of the mayor and city council and so I I want to thank um everyone for for the recognition and I I too have to uh thank my wife Janet um a lot of these ordinances that were drafted uh um Janet was helpful um U administratively but also intellectually so she's a great uh team member and actually is part a participant in the U his historic preservation commission so thank you I appreciate it stay up here your your job's really not complete yet Warren we we we um again we probably should have waited to give these Awards Brian if you could turn on the uh presentation um as one of the I guess we'll say final acts of the chairman of uh the HP BC uh as I said in the proclamation Warren worked extremely hard on the um amendment to our National Historic Landmark status add adding African-American Heritage um which our understanding is the first time that's happened in the country I believe um but before you start I would like to welcome uh Hampton Taylor and Emily Dempsey come on up I know you were on the board for and do we have Wanda here yeah Wanda come on up please thank you wand thank you emilyy thank you Hampton now these folks volunteered of course for the task force to help put together uh this amendment and again it's a very historic moment for the city of Kate May and frankly for the country because this is the only time this has ever happened so with that Warren if you could give uh us a little explanation of how we arrived to this moment yes thank thank you mayor want to turn this around a little bit so we can so we can address uh the audience I'm actually going to move it forward a little bit for the camera too if you don't mind is that good sure you get the good angle yeah again good evening everyone uh in the 15 years that I've had the privilege of being the chair of K May's historic preservation commission there have been many um momentous and proud moments for Kate may but none compared to the achievement that I'm here to speak about tonight that is the recognition of the African-American contribution to Kate May City's National Historic Landmark which was originally bestowed on to the city in 1976 the question is how was this accomplished the extraordinary effort to achieve this historic Amendment began several years ago and it truly took the hard work and input of many people and groups to make this happen it started with a phone conversation with the state historic preservation office the Kate May HBC then formulated a plan to obtain a grant to get the project underway city council enthusiastically supported the plan we then received the grant uh to hire a consultant to complete the research necessary to submit this amendment to the Department of interior National Park Service the result of this effort is 50 page document it's not easy getting something past Congress um this 150 page uh document was presented to city council um of Kate May and to the public it was then submitted to the state of New Jersey historic preservation office the state office did an in-depth review and then submitted the document to the federal level the result of the federal review resulted in a letter that um I received and the mayor received that I I would like to read in to the record tonight this is from Katherine maripo who is the administrator New Jersey historic preservation office I write to inform you that Kate May historic district additional documentation in the city of Kate May burrow of West Cap May K May County was entered into the New Jersey register of historic places on July 31st 2024 the New Jersey register is the official list of the new Jersey properties worthy of preservation and K May historic district additional documentation is now protected by the review process for the public projects established by New Jersey register of historic places act I'm also pleased to inform you that Kate May historic district additional documentation was entered into the national register of historic places on September 16th 202 4 the national register is the nation's official list of cultural resources significant in American history architecture archaeology engineering and culture the letter then goes on to thank us for this effort a great deal of thanks um should go around um the historic preservation commission and the hard work on this project the center for Community Arts which contributed significantly to the project the mayor and city council with uh your support for the grant um and um for the support of the the drafts that were provided we also have to thank the state of New Jersey historic preservation office particularly Andrea tingi who was really uh very helpful throughout the entire process and of course we have to thank the co the consultant Nancy Zerby Kate May has achieved another first we have been told that this is the first time that a National Historic Landmark has been amended everyone in the city of Kate May should be proud of this achievement recognizing the long contribution long overdue contribution of the africanamerican community to the historic city of Kate May Kate may now stands as a complete National Historic Landmark but this document again sitting in a file cabinet in City Hall should not be the end of this effort it should really be the beginning we now need to bring this information to life and into the fabric of the community I'd like to recommend that a task force be created that will now seek ways to make this material available and understood by our community and our visitors to K may even though many of the buildings that were part of this amazing story are no longer standing we should create maps and plaques and additional material that will bring this important Community back to life some efforts to that end are already underway for for example Kate May Mack has a project underway to incorporate this new Landmark material into many of its historic tours I'm very proud to have been a part of this effort along with so many other really talented people and tireless contributors I appreciate everyone's effort and I get to present this to the public so thank you very much yeah we're gonna we're going to take a quick photo let's do the photo no say a few words Emily I'm gonna let Emily choose first of all I'd like to thank mayor Zach mullik for all the hard work City Council so thank you so much for the hard work and all the people that have worked with us I I met uh Warren copelan when we were trying to save the Allan Ami Church before the fire and I've learned that he's just a upstanding fine gentleman that always put his best foot forward to try to help the community uh I do have something else that I'd like to put forward but maybe not at this time do you think uh well he mentioned the task force which I I knew who was the first person on my list for that task force um so you know you can okay uh and I'm I'm a member of the center for Community Arts um community history group the longest standing committee uh in the center for Community Arts uh we started 1994 and we've been working hard through many successes at our last meeting uh we talked about the historic district all the hard work we put through and in talking to the membership and the chair uh I brought up that we need a name for the district okay to help with grant writing and so forth and so on uh in talking to my nephew that Jean and I raised he came up with a great idea uh about labeling that District as a Cultural District African-American that that block in there Franklin Street as a cultural or Arts and Cultural District and you know how you drive through towns and you see historic polls with the vertical batterers and when people come to Kate may now I had a business and people were always asking me where are the African-Americans are there any African-Americans in k m is there any African-American history when they see these posts with the vertical banners they will know they're here they've arrived they've already read about our history because it's coming out of the woodwork now and we're so proud of it but I just thought I'd put that on the table I didn't even know I would be here does anyone dare take that off the table now or I love it Emily I just thank you all for all the hard work and bearing with us through this and we're just so proud so proud I love you more yes would you like to say anything one Hampton man a few words and uh Wanda and anthon thank you so much for all of your help on this and and Hamp I see you over there working at the Harriet tub Museum doing every you know just getting it done and I and I just want to say thank thank you and um and uh this is just a historic moment for Kate may but as Warren said this is a start and I think you see the progress over at the am church that's really going to be something special as well and I think it's going to be really beautiful and and the last uh award that we have but what it is something that the city just received and it it's something that all of the citizens should be really proud of um we have a little presentation that um I'll go through really quick you can you can play uh the video in just one second what um what this is is Preservation New Jersey uh which is a Statewide organization they publish the they do a lot of things but one of the things that they do is they P publish the 10 most endangered buildings in the state unfortunately the city has actually had three buildings over the last probably only 5 years on that most endanger inured list um one of them of course was the how house next to the har what is now the Harriet tubbin Museum next to ma Macedonia Baptist Church the other uh was the am Church the am Church itself uh and um so let's play the video and we'll let's do a photo absolutely yeah perfect okay I'll move this here is this good no you get up that's good uh in the in the third one of course was the Franklin Street school but let's roll the tape so of course this was the Harriet Tubman Museum that's the Amy church and Library a Franklin Street School well we can we can go to the next slide so this is the the how house of course again this was on uh preservation New Jersey's most um uh endangered top 10 endangered list um this was this was the view from inside the front door this is only a couple years ago you know three three four years ago this was the view from inside which which is kind of shocking to see now but that was the inside of course that's the uh completion you can go to the next one uh then of course the am church was placed on the um top 10 most endangered list we all know what happened with the fire you can go to the next next slide getting the um painting completed is the interior of the Church of course after the fire that's that's obviously after it was cleaned up these are these are the um the stained glass windows as as they were being repaired um by by a professional uh Lamb Studios did a really beautiful job uh while we didn't want to install them in the building while you know some serious construction was going on some of them were placed at the Harriet tubin Museum go to the next one of course here's plans for the am church and restoring the Bell Tower and these are pretty recent these are these are the uh Bell Tower and the uh the cap kind of being uh added to the bell tower then of course the Franklin Street School was the third building that was on the watch list we all have seen this um go ahead and play this video which we love Emily we are going to get you bigger Hammer next time but that was just such a cool moment um and that of course was breaking through the wall that separated um the uh gymnasium from the school which African-American students were not allowed to go into you can go to the next slide uh this is some of the construction um you know during construction phase some of the uh later results of course everybody remembers the book book uh book Brigade and and kind of the award ceremony where we're at um so this took obviously a a ton of work but within five years we took all three of those um uh buildings that were on the endangered list and turned them into something I think everybody should be proud of the Amy church still has some work to go but it's really um moving along smoothly and uh really the city of Kate may give yourselves a round of applause because this was really big to turn this [Applause] around mayor if I could just follow up real quick on that uh you know to uh Mr Copeland's point we we the city has actually moved forward on some of these things if you go to the K May City website under um I want to and then there's the history or I'm sorry under visiting and there's the history of Kate May we've added a whole section on um the uh the Legacy and contribution of the African-American experience as well as a story map a story map is a a video uh map depiction and and kind of describes location wise we all the uh you know houses and businesses that were owned and operated within K May City um and then we also have a uh I'll say a district sign that we put up at the corner of St John and and Lafayette um as a temporary marker we're going to do a more formalized marker for that District area um but there is a currently a sign out there now just kind of you know identifying the the start of that District that we can obviously move forward with more broaden that out but but at least we already you know we've kind of started those things that um were just mentioned and I just want to finally say too a thank you specifically on the award that we received from preservation New Jersey for the Franklin for the library um and and thank CCA again uh all of their hard work um and and the the contractor Marilyn gagua who did a very excellent job on this project uh our our partners in the county really did an excellent job Michael Califa the architect um most of them were were there to receive their reward it was up in North Jersey of course but uh really a wonderful evening and um and just Express to uh the citizens of Kate May our our thanks to all of those folks who who uh were involved uh with that actually if anyone was here for this uh you please feel free to to go have dinner um uh but with that we will move into uh public portion on resolutions this evening so if anyone's here that uh would like to speak on any of the resolutions this evening please feel free to oh yeah yeah yeah absolutely we didn't get we didn't get one while some people are exiting I'd actually ask all of City Council to get with Warren for a photograph if you would let [Music] you good all right with that we will um open up for public comment on resolutions only this evening if you're here to speak on a resolution this evening please feel free to come to the microphone okay seeing seeing none on the resolutions tonight we'll close public comment and move on to the consent agenda Council anything to remove from the consent agenda this evening anything to remove Council no okay all right seeing none then do we have a motion to accept the consent agenda do I have a motion I'll make do I have a second I'll second roll call council member Jagger yes council member Meyer yes council member McDade yes Deputy Mayor Balwin yes mayor mullik yes and we just have the added resolution 339-224-0849 do I have a motion I'll make the motion do I have a second no second any questions or comments Council roll call council member Jagger yes council member Meyer yes council member mcde yes Deputy Mayor bwin yes mayor mullik yes all right on to new business new business city solicitor anything new for this evening just uh briefly um I I want to thank councilman joerger for working the opportunity to work with him over the last few years I mean sometimes you go home from these days to flip on the news and see the chaos in Washington and you just kind of roll your eyes and but I you know you get to work with people like Mike and you're so grateful that these are the people that are serving your local community which you actually feel like you have some control over but uh learned a lot with from you over the years um and I I think I can speak for almost everybody in saying that you know getting to work with people like Mike recharges you at to do your job because you know that he's got a Northstar and he's trying to do some good things for the city and the residents so it's it's really uh great to work with people like that and I'm going to miss working with you I think Steve's going to be a great addition but I I really enjoyed my time working with you Mike so I wish you and everybody uh a merry Christmas and happy holidays same here Chris thank you very much I I'll miss you guys thank you city manager thank you um I'm going to continue the accolades mic um I think I have a you know besides you know having a nice always good conversations and and talk about it I'm going to miss a little extra because you know I'm going to miss a fellow engineer uh sitting up here at the DI and um uh so I'm G to miss that uh very much so congratulations though um I know you're going to enjoy a little bit of extra work you're just going to have to get to a couple more Eagles games now because you got some more free time in your so all right than um and then the the other thing I do want to bring up to kind of not distract from this I just want to thank uh all the city hall and uh Citywide departments uh again bringing out the holiday spirit I know I kind of maybe went a little overboard um so hopefully you know my uh my uh attire make it up for our door uh decorating but uh the this staff did a great job in decorating and and Rising the occasion and again I mean and and where the voting I thought was close during the uh the Halloween festivities the voting was even closer uh for for this um season and um uh by uh like I'm talking about a half a point here uh the clerk's office uh snuck out the the the the win with even though they were the Grinch um that that stole Christmas I think they were the Grinch that stole the door decorating contest for PA Paulie D sealed the de seal I did it though I think it could have argu been disqualified but I guess Chambers didn't even get a consideration right honorable mention unfortunately I think a for effort Council unfortunately um you're not decorated on the deadline date by a pure technicality um that an honorable mention to yes so thank you guys thank you that's all just happy holidays to everyone and I just wish you know all of our employees our residents and everybody's family a safe holiday season and and a good New Years and you know this is kind of I kind of got a little wed up at the employee uh lunch last week this is I'm kind of ending my first year as city manager and I couldn't have asked um you know for better support from Council uh support from our employees and really support from residents you know I I think overall and I think it takes all all those things to make a great City and you know and in Kate May City you couldn't ask for better residents employees and a council to kind of make a good positive impact to the um the community and I hope that everybody's um happy with my first year and uh but I'll be recharged after the holidays to you know to continue moving forward with a lot of new initiatives uh we got a lot of exciting things moving forward for next year and um uh I look forward to it so thank you thank you uh thank you city manager city clerk yes a few maintenance reminders obviously city offices are going to be closed on Christmas and New Year's Day for the holidays um a reminder that the council reorg meeting is scheduled for Tuesday January 7th at 400 p.m. and then the regular meeting will follow at 5:00 p.m. um just to Echo quickly about council member Jagger it's been a pleasure I'm sure this is not the last time seeing you but thank you for everything and Steve welcome aboard very excited for you to be with us than thank you for the door decorating contest I can take absolutely no credit for that that was my entire office specifically Terry that was her that was her baby so well job well done guys well deserved um lastly I think Deputy Mayor Baldwin mentioned this last meeting but I wanted to um congratulate Deputy clerk Turner on his one year anniversary of being with us um he's been a wonderful addition to my office and the city and I think we have a really good thing going and he hasn't he's been put up putting up with me so far so thank you thank you all for a great year I appreciate it thank you guys and happy holidays all okay if I Mr Mayor if I could just also add on as well um I'm closing out my uh first year as Deputy city manager um obviously I started in February so I got a little bit more time to go but Mr Jagger it's been an absolute pleasure working with you city manager Dietrich and really everyone on Council so I just wanted to tell you thank you Mr bner welcome and you're going to be very much missed so thank you thank you thank you uh Deputy Mayor yeah I just to continue with what everybody else is saying because you're just so well respected up here um what a gentleman you are uh Steve you do have big shoes to fill um but I am going to miss you Miss sitting next to you um but uh I think on top of um uh his other recreational activities I think go is probably one of the top ones on his list absolutely yeah thank yes thank you and Merry Christmas everyone happy holidays thank you uh council member Meyer uh thank you mayor as we all know you know Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and Christmas is a time to give and I'm just thankful at this point you know that we gave people 103 free parking spots you know for this last Saturday and the Saturday before and I'm thankful that the city manager organized that I think uh you know it's it's it's moving towards the direction of fixing assault the parking problem but you know this saw it saw it being used so much and I think a lot of people appreciated that um and again just like everybody else there's not there's nothing I really can say more than anybody else did about Mr Jagger um when he speaks he's listen to but the one thing that wasn't said about him was his Creative Solutions you know the things that you would come up in close session was you know just a different way of looking at things and it really you know you got a lot of support from your advice from us or to us and uh and I think uh that's what I'll take away the most is your you know Creative Solutions to things thank you thank you uh councilwoman McDade I don't think I can talk um I'm Mr Mike you've been a wonderful asset to this organization to this Council excuse me um but friend from the beginning thank you councilman C manager um the only only thing I have to say is um I'm really looking forward to giving that Podium over there a little taking it for a drive it could start as soon as the next meeting but uh I'll see you all again just keep it to five minutes five minutes Mike I know you don't have time and what you're at and what is your address yeah um I can't say anything more Mr joerger you just um it's cliche but anytime I think of you have to just think of gentlemen you're you're a true gentlemen and um as I said you're leaving the set the city better off than when you started which which is a lot in K May because it's a great town um so you you've um your Sage advice on so many things especially in the financial area um you know people who have looked at their tax bill over the Last 5 Years um Can can owe thatb a gratitude to to you I mean obviously it takes a lot of work we have a wonderful uh finance office but um you certainly help um keep that exactly where it is today so I I can't thank you enough Mike um couple other quick updates uh I again I I want to thank everyone on Council um Deputy Mayor you worked really hard on the um task force for the library the what we call today the old library um and um all of city council um um Moren working with um all the different exercise groups in the uh Department of recreation of course the administration and and especially Casey rigan and the whole Recreation staff um to be honest with you I didn't think this would happen as quickly as as it has um I'm still going to call January 2nd a soft opening but I it's very exciting because uh we we took a survey we had a couple hundred uh people respond to that survey and it was pretty overwhelming that people wanted to see a community center and a senior center for people to um really participate together and commune and um I think now with uh the the new library uh kind on an intellectual uh status then on a recreational status and and you know playing some cards and things like that people being able to come together and just have a nice time um I'm really excited about that uh so between pickle ball at convention hall and and roller skating and now uh the community center with exercise classes going to be looking at some health oriented classes and things like that um I'm really excited about it and and just excited to see where where that goes um really quickly I I again reminder uh Friday is the first roller skating um and just a quick uh the um County Commissioner uh director desad Dario um had a a mayor's meeting this week city manager Dietrich was there as well um we were joined by the D commissioner um Sean loret um and I think had a very very productive and good conversation with the D in regards to uh real and uh those are the regulations coming forward in in regards to um flood elevation Etc um some of my biggest concerns were somewhat addressed I think there's you know look it's going to be a it's going to be a learning curve and it's going to take some time to get used to um the one thing that I would stress I think that was important for me was um in regards to and we had a meeting on the beach of course about this but uh at convention hall but um in regards to the 50% um Improvement um if you're not doing an addition to your house it wouldn't be any more than you typically would under FEMA regulations which is differentiates a little bit from what my understanding was was which is a good in a good way um I know the devil are going to be in the details in the enforcement so I I I'm I'm cautiously optimistic I know I think Mary you always are looking at that positive you know Green side but I've I'm cautiously optimistic but I'm I think we still got to look at the the details but I I I did see there are some positives outlooks there yes and lastly uh I do want to just thank the Department of Public Works the police department are volunteer fire police um the West Cape May of course we had the biggest Parade ever you know it feels like a it feels like a a year ago but it was only last week um but I I see Kevin from the fire police here um thank you uh it's it takes a lot to to and we don't run it West Kate May does so if you have any complaints contact the mayor of West Kate May uh but it really it really is such a fun event and it takes a whole heck of a lot of work uh and and the town itself DPW has outdone themselves really looks wonderful great job to everybody involved and and thank you and happy holidays to everyone with that we open it up to anyone for public comment you have yeah you have yes you have to get up Jules R 10 New York Aven here I didn't Peter Cole president of TPA 1075 Michigan Avenue I did want to say something to Warren copelan when he was here to congratulate him so we put it on record will of his time in service thank you and the amazing work that he did to really enhance this city adding great Capital wealth to it during his tenure I was very glad that uh he came to one of our meetings I didn't dare ask him if he'd been to any others but at least he came to one before he left which was good um Mr joser if I were really Jews I mean I'd be asking you all about the workforce at the uh the desalination plot and ask you to give a full reading of it plus to all the financials but with all the Accolade tonight is amazing you're free you're no longer worried about he's free now he's been free on Thursdays so I want to remind you the third Thursday of every month TPA meeting we look forward to seeing you and if you're any good at it we'll make you a a director of course that'll be put you on the be careful thank you I wish you all a very happy Christmas which is how we say it in thank you in England thank you pet thank you a lot more other stuff as well I can't say that though thank you I'm not saying anything bad Debbie Debbie Jagger 1010 Michigan Avenue I just want to be sure that the city recognizes the fine work that the police department and all of our city residents have done in raising all of these toys when you sit out here you can't help but love our city and they're showing why we live here and just how great it is so I want them to get publicly recognized thank you thank great thank you Debbie Bob Matthews 1440 Texas Avenue two times in a row I only have a couple things first of all I want to thank every one of you including you Paul you just made Ruth Christmas oh good she was coming to tonight but she wasn't wasn't available she's being sworn in as VFW uh JN her husband was a veteran and uh she had a dinner and uh I've talked to her sa text me a picture the first day they were working down there and uh he was there a couple times so thank you and that was that was my only job for this year to get that done second of all uh I want to thank every one of you up there I've been here 76 years and you guys obvious it's not easy sitting there making decisions I know I've been there and done that you've done a great job we got the firehouse we got the police station on the way infrastructure Beach Drive it goes on and on and on and I know I know you I know you don't agree on everything all the time but you've done it professionally and I compliment you both and uh Mike or Paul you were a B on my evaluation list but now now I'm giving you A+ so and last at all Michael I didn't know Mike until we got him involved to run for election he nobody missed nobody wants to say who who talked him into it but I guess I have to take the the blame Mike that's right and uh too many cups of coffee at Wawa yeah uh since Mike's going to be stepping down this will be his last meeting now he's going to be the chairman of our Wawa group uh you're getting recruited he's been when I first met Mike Mike and I became very good friends very good friends and Debbie of course and he's and their son Ian great guy I mean he's he's a perfect councilman for city of Kate May lowkey easy gone sometimes too nice but uh that's the way it goes Michael it's been great to be a friend of yours and we'll continue being friends I'm sure thank you I hope so Bob thank you Bob and it's Bob it's really nice to hear for folks who don't know Bob is a former County Freeholder count today a county commissioner and uh he served our County very well so we we thank you Bob we appreciate it anyone else from the public this evening no but can I I think I can talk now I just wanted to say thank you Mike it's it really has been um your Council the the way that you have approached things um you've you've given me balance at times and I have so appreciated that and I think that everyone up here tremendously respects you and we all know that you are still going to be here and available to the City of Cape May and that is the most important thing thank you we want you to still review the uh the budget please fin we're not really letting you go okay uh with that anyone else from the public seeing none we did I open up public comment okay that was okay sorry just want to make sure it's official uh with that we can close public comment do I have a motion to adjourn before that God bless us everyone Michael take it away make a motion Mike it's your last motion on the ocean yes okay i' U make a motion to adjourn second good for the time is now 6:25 have a wonderful holiday everybody thank you