WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=HiZ4IDiY8g8

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: HiZ4IDiY8g8):
- 00:01:16: Meeting Start, Pledge, Mental Health, Memorial Day Recap
- 00:05:00: Committee Reports: Historical Society and EMS Updates
- 00:09:37: Senior Center, Colony Pool and Play It Forward
- 00:11:49: Celebrating Youth: Scouts Awards and Accomplishments
- 00:15:25: Open Space and Library Presentation Introduction
- 00:16:21: Library Presentation: Capital Investment Request and History
- 00:19:27: Library Thriving Despite Aging Infrastructure Challenges
- 00:20:58: Humidity Problems and Oversized HVAC Equipment Issues
- 00:23:21: HVAC Testimonials and Expert Analysis Findings
- 00:25:12: Cost Projections and Library Improvement Needs Recap
- 00:27:51: Project Needs, Proposed Improvements and Security
- 00:29:54: Funding Progress and Omitted Improvement Items
- 00:31:51: Funding Request, Building Modernization and Character Preservation
- 00:34:53: Library's Community Role, Renovation Timeline and Funding Progress
- 00:37:30: Reasoning Behind the Time Delay, Grant Reapplication
- 00:41:24: Call to Action, Library's Mission Statement and Next Steps
- 00:43:38: Public Questions: Understanding Grant Reapplication Deadlines
- 00:53:10: Township Committee's Budget Concerns and Resource Limitations
- 00:54:16: Exploring Alternate Funding, Foundation Roles and Opportunities
- 00:57:43: Household Impact, Referendum and Community Focus of Investment
- 01:01:17: Foundation, Stakeholder Activities and Community Outreach
- 01:03:07: Capital Funds and Library's Financial Needs Recap
- 01:05:20: Understanding Municipal Funding Gap and Timeline Breakdown
- 01:09:04: Donations Impact, Project Timeline and Costs Update
- 01:12:20: Project Manager Costs, Committee Insights and Long Term Perspectives
- 01:18:14: Deliberation and Options from a Board Perspective
- 01:23:25: End of Library Presentation, Public Comments Open
- 01:24:46: No Comments, Introduction of Ordinances on the Agenda
- 01:25:53: Capital Ordinance Summary and Public Safety Investment
- 01:27:49: Approving Capital Ordinance and Amending Personnel
- 01:29:04: Consent Agenda, Recreation Committee and Volunteer Thanks
- 01:32:06: Authorizing Legal Services and Closing Public Comments


Part: 1

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All right, let me know when we're ready. Okie do. Thanks, Alex. Okie do. >> All right. Thank you very much. Welcome back. >> Recording in progress. >> Hello. >> Welcome back to the public session. Uh please rise for the pledge of

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allegiance. To the flag of the stand, indivisible for all. Okay. Good evening. Thank you everyone for joining tonight. Uh we are at the end of

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May, which is shocking, but May was mental health awareness month and we kicked it off on May 1st with Paint the Town Green. I'm sure you noticed the green ribbons and signs around town. Uh the mayor's wellness campaign is having a book club discussion this Thursday with the book Anxious Generation: How

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the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Height. This is at the library um in the women's room. There's no registration required. um and it's from 7 to 8. So if you're interested um there there are copies of the books available

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in the library and I'm sure there'll be additional copies available as well. Uh yesterday was Memorial Day and while I'm sure we noticed the cost of food and drinks and barbecue items etc. uh the real costs were service members lives. There's a beautiful memorial in Green

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Village on the green listing the names of service members that were lost and there was a beautiful ceremony to honor those. Um, if you've ever had the opportunity to experience the American cemetery in Normandy or the Vietnam Memorial in DC or even in our own homeell, New Jersey, it leaves a lasting

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impression when you realize the number of lives and Memorial Day is always a great reminder of the cost of democracy. While the weather wasn't the best, we were able to open Colony Pool and end with a beautiful day yesterday. Uh, the capital improvements that were made starting last year looked really great.

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We have two staircases that were added. Uh, and the DPW, I'm sure, will be happy not to have to repair and patch the old concrete wall anymore. Uh, we look forward to lots of beautiful summer days at the pool. Um, wanted to note that summer hours have started and municipal

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offices will be closing at 1 p.m. on Fridays and the construction department at 12:00 p.m. Fridays only. Uh as you can see in our consent agenda, there are a couple of old projects um with New Jersey DOT, Department of

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Transportation that are moving forward. Uh specifically, the safe routes to schools and some river road paving projects, which is we're excited about. Uh tonight, we're excited to hear from the Library of the Cadams about their capital project. I said um in the press

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release, in a society where loneliness is becoming endemic, having third spaces, which are social environments that are neither home nor work, um is increasingly important and the library is that space for our community. These funds are critical for the continuity and upgrade to this important space. So,

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I'm looking forward to hearing more. I'm also happy to announce that Peter Trip is named as our second alternate to the planning board as well as our joint w committee. Uh, additionally, uh, we are adding a police officer to the Chattam Township Force, bringing the number of sworn

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officers to 23 in order to bring the ratio of officers to residents more in line with surrounding areas and also to reduce the need for overtime. Uh, Chattam High School, we're as we're winding down, I can't believe school's over in three weeks. Um, they have their

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seventh annual TEDex youth talk. That's going to be at June 10th at 7 PM in the auditorium at the high school. And these are really incredible stories that the students prepare and tell and are selected for this program this year. So, please come out and listen to these amazing students.

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I want to say congratulations to the New York Knicks on making to the finals in about the first time in 27 years. And we'll just keep praying for the Mets. So, now on to the Township Committee reports. I can start with the historical society. Uh we officially received our

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plaque designating the Red Brick Schoolhouse as a county landmark. We got a wonderful grant from the county. Um and Commissioner Steven Shaw came out and presented the plaque and we were really grateful for the county's um generous grant for the restoration. The schoolhouse looks incredible. Um they

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there's so much stuff there. They're able to move things around all the time. you can go to the schoolhouse uh you know on the first Sunday of every month and every time you'll see something new and that's it for my reports. Uh Committeeman Al Parowitz.

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>> Uh thanks mayor. Um in addition to Green Village Fire Department that held their memorial service yesterday um from the first responder side. Uh lots of things going on at Chattam EMS beyond the emergencies themselves. Um it was a week last week

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for EMS week that uh celebrated the first responders uh nationally. Uh local area hospitals did lots of activities and all that kind of stuff uh to honor the first responders bringing them patients. Um and it was culminated in a

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celebration where uh the Chattam Emergency Squad named Carol Wott who has been on the squad for guess about 12 years now as the EMT of the year. So, congratulations to her. Um, there's a blood drive taking place on June 13th at St. Patrick's Church. And for anybody

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that, uh, is interested in hearing more about the squad and all the things that they do and how they operate, uh, they are having an open house on Sunday, uh, this Sunday, May 31st, uh, over at 45 Spring Street. Uh, very much encourage

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people to knock on the door and come on in. Um, and here's a story that deserves some publicity. Uh at the last joint rec committee meeting uh a couple of residents came forward and talked to us about a new initiative that they've

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started a 501c3 organization uh nonprofit that is called Chadam uh Play It Forward uh which is inspired by um one resident's child who loaned uh

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equipment and provided some fee money to help uh underprivileged children. uh be able to access the sport that they wanted to play. Uh and it profoundly changed their life. So they thought, well, how hard can this be? Let's kind of make this more public and do this

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more amongst more people. So they set up Play It Forward uh which basically gives uh grants and uh equipment to those in need uh so that they can wear a jersey, play a team sport, and not be denied sort of access to the sport. So, it's a

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really terrific um uh initiative. So, if the Courier and TAP are listening, I'd encourage you to do a story on it. Uh and for more information, uh they will have a uh booth over at Fishawak coming up. A couple of shoutouts to the board

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members. Uh I might get some of these names wrong. Sorry. Ally Gassert, uh, Matia Mcdana, Julie Beimol, Jude Terrasca, Christa Kabida, uh, as well as Annie De

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Marray, uh, yeah, De Marray, uh, Beth Mcnottton, Andrea O'Brien, and I don't have the names of about 30, which is probably more than that, uh, Chattam High School students who are actively involved in doing all of this. So kudos to all of them for this initiative.

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That's it. used to be one. shut up now. >> Okay. Um I just want to let everybody know the senior center has their garden tour coming up on Sunday, June 7th from 10 to 4. Uh you can get tickets at the cadam seniorcenter.org. There will be

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eight beautiful gardens to see and it's a wonderful way uh to get out to see what other folks are doing uh in their gardens and it's everything from like you know planting for for food, you know, planting um vegetables to uh native

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gardens to they they kind of cover the gamut across those eight gardens. So, it's a really wonderful opportunity. It's a great way to support the senior center. So, I encourage everybody to try and attend and they will be uh you can order online cadam senior center.org but they will also be a fish on the uh six

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selling tickets as well. Uh the mayor had mentioned colony pool is open so we're excited about that. It looks beautiful and I just want to thank all the volunteers uh our advisory committ our administration uh and everybody who worked really hard to open the pool but also to acclimate

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our new management team. Our advisory committee uh made up of a group of residents was very active meeting with them regularly to make sure all the programs everybody has come to a love continues. So um you know we want to thank them for all their efforts and certainly our administration as well for everything they've been doing to get our

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new management team up. Um and then otherwise uh planning board has uh canceled a few meetings so all is quiet there. So I think that's on my end for now. >> Thank you, Mayor Roland. Um, uh, Committeeman Alperwood did a fine job of, uh, sharing information on the Play

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It Forward campaign. Uh, I would like to just add that they are actively, uh, seeking donations, uh, funding to, um, help support, uh, the initiative that, uh, they are putting into place and they are also, um, uh, uh, seeking generous

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donations in terms of equipment. So, should you have, you know, ransack your closets and garages? Uh, should you have left-handed, right-handed baseball gloves, bats, helmets for lacrosse, uh, football, I think even footwear like pleat. Uh, so anything and everything athletic. Um, if it's in, uh, reasonable

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condition, uh, please do consider donating it to the program uh, to help um, support children who may uh, value it. Um, this evening, I'd like to celebrate uh, our youth in Chadam. Um I'd like to speak about uh Troop 121

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which uh is hosted by the Presbyterian Church on Southern Boulevard. Uh they've accomplished a number of Eagle projects uh benefiting Cheshire Homes Ottabbon Society in Bernardsville and the St. Paul's Episcopal Church where they completed uh a number of facility improvements uh as well as ongoing

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efforts uh with regard to environmental and conservation focused service activities uh community engagement at local events most notably which is coming up this weekend fish festival uh as well as ongoing support for community needs such as uh flag uh retirement

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ceremonies. Um, with regard to uh Troop 280, I would like to give um uh due recognition to Kiara Heterarachi uh who earned Eagle Scout honors. Uh this is achieved by uh

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less than 10% of Boy Scouts in America. Uh for her Eagle project, she built a new roofed sandbox at St. Patrick's. Uh she is the 16th Eagle Scout in Troop 280 uh which was founded in 2019 based in the township and has currently about 50

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active scouts uh serving Chadam and a number of adjacent communities. Uh so far in 2026, Troop 280 has completed almost 300 hours of community service and camped out for 100 nights be bearing the elements and

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animals. uh our beloved Girl Scouts. Um there is a ceremony tomorrow uh acknowledging Girl Scouts who achieved silver and gold awards. Um there are 13 silver award recipients. Uh I would like to recognize

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Maline Barnes and Raina. Uh their project is titled The Cougar Crew. Uh Mag Grea, their her project is titled Fidgets and Feelings. Julia Hamilton and Blake Viz Vizentini. Uh project is titled The Crochet Connection. Leedine

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Hillman project is titled Make Your Own Worry Monster. Sarah Khan, public speaking for kids. Charlotte Kong, A Positive, and that's P A W Change. Aubrey McCarthy, Empower Me: Building

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Confidence and Strength through Selfmotivation. Leah Rearen, dogs in heat in the heat. How to protect your dog from the heat in the summer. Quite timely, I must say. Uh Caitlyn Ross and Emma Schuber from uh shelter to safety, raising awareness for

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dog fostering. Claire Shrigass, food scientists. Mary Kate Shrigast and Ellis Soers, human library. Katie Sharer, building positive relationships with senior

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citizens. Molini Vali, Bollywood Beats. Also being uh recognized tomorrow uh are the Girl Scouts who have achieved gold awards. And again, similar to the Eagle Scout recognition, gold awards are achieved by Girl Scouts uh at a rate of

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less than 10%. Uh so a uh significant uh recognition and achievement. Uh Molly Alman, honoring the lost. Asher Robson, period power, breaking the cycle. Cameron Schull, middle school mindfulness. Mattaline Volovich, Across

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Ages, and Paige Zuchi, Ride Smart. So, to all the uh accomplished Eagle Scouts, Boy Scouts, uh Girl Scouts, u congratulations to you all. Uh stick with it. Uh it's a uh uh honorable recognition. So, I commend you all.

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>> Thank you, Mayor >> and Deputy Mayor McHugh. Uh thank you, mayor. Uh couple real quick ones here. Uh regarding open space, uh we actually are reorganizing and act have our first meeting with a number of things on the agenda. Uh and

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that actually is going to happen tomorrow night. So we're off and running uh with the open space advisory committee. And um without stealing any thunder, but uh other than introduction, I I reserve any library report tonight

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for the big one. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. And with that intro, we will move on to the presentation by the library. Thank you Karen Brozky, the director of the library of the Chadams for coming and presenting for us. >> Where do you want to go?

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position. >> Do a little dance. We're going to do a little dance. Uh, madame mayor, committee administrator, and Greg, good evening and thank you for sched scheduling us. Um, we're getting the slide program up here. Um, but in a

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second, uh, when that I'll just talk because that's what I'll do. I'll full time. I won't tell any jokes. But Mr. Lum is here and if you ever go to the library and you read the history of the library, you will you will and Mr. Lum is serving on our on our board, our

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foundation, our new foundation, but you will see the history of the library and it talks about the lum family and originally the original library and how the lum uh who would it be exactly? Give me the give me the uh ancestry. >> Ah, you can't. Yeah, it'll take too

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long. But but uh yes involved in in uh in forming uh the original library. So so wonderful. But as you can see here by the uh intro slide, we're here to talk about a capital investment request um in the library of the Chadams. We're presenting the same material tonight

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that we are presenting later in the burrow. Same briefing, same numbers, same ask, one joint library, one conversation, two governing bodies. And I know that gets complicated at times. So, I'm Kevin Sullivan. I'm the vice

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president of the library board of trustees. And I'm here tonight with Miss Karen Bradsky. She is the executive director of the library. Andy Hollander, who is the president of the library board of trustees, could not be here tonight because he is traveling, but he sends his regards and well wishes to us

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and to you all as well. Um, we were we were requested to be here tonight. If you can Oh, all right. Well, it's not working. All right. Tech tech problems early.

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>> I have my own. >> Oh, there we go. >> Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Okay. You got that? Maybe I should figure it out. Yeah. Go ahead. So, um, we were requested, uh, to come here

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tonight to explain more or less, uh, from the beginning, uh, of of the process and the journey that we've been on, um, our request for needed funds and and how we got to where we are today. Um, much of what you will hear tonight is not new other than some facts around

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the New Jersey Library construction grant that was awarded to the library two months ago after a long, long wait, $2.45 million. So, we're very excited about that. Um, I'm not going to go through every slide uh in all the details on them Karen or myself tonight. As you've heard

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this information before, I know uh Marty has mentioned uh as he did tonight, he is our liaison to the library for the committee. And uh you've seen or heard parts of this um in total. So, let's begin with some of the good news. And this is some of the good news up here on

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the screen. It gets a little bit lost in meetings and in buildings and budgets and talking about those kinds of things. But the library is thriving. Uh demand is up, programs are full, residents are getting real value out of this institution.

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What we want to talk about tonight is how we protect what we have built and how we keep it working for the next generations and I think the data on the screen uh speaks for itself. And Karen at this time, can you give us some updates on the infrastructure? >> Yes. So

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I'm sorry. Thank you. So, you've heard it before. The building has six additions that were never integrated. Much of the infrastructure is old and what is not old is wrong for the building. Having been installed in 2017

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through the New Jersey direct install program, that program replaces like for-like equipment. When efficient units were installed in place of the older less efficient units, it created a humidity problem. And we've documented

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that with Emin engineers as well as others. And it was confirmed by another independent vendor at the request to the township in 2024. 12 units were significantly oversized for the space they serve.

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one of them by 223%. Oversized units cool quickly and shut off before they can remove moisture from the air. So that means they short cycle all day long. That's the direct cause of the humidity and the associated risks.

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And even brand new equipment installed in the same configuration would have the same problem. We can't patch this. The only fix is comprehensive replacement with properly sized equipment designed for these specific spaces. So the

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consequences that you can see aren't projections, they're actuals. Humidity is goes up to 91% sometimes in the summer and the staff works frantically to keep the levels under control. installing dehumidification, manually

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emptying the many dehumidifiers in multiple times daily that can't be easily drained directly, and conducting four daily building inspections to check for moisture or worse. This is the library you don't see and

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that residents don't see. HVAC costs alone are eating away the budget already topping $200,000,000 when you add in this year's expenses. The library board knows what needs to be done and spent considerable money developing a capital equipment schedule

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for replacements. We started work in 2014, but it was put on hold because it's more cost-effective to do as part of the construction project. And we will provide this for everybody to look at in in greater detail.

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So this is how drastic the problem is. If you take a look at the right hand side, these are not small amounts of oversized equipment. These are huge, enormous. This is something that we see frequently in the library. There is nothing wrong

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with this equipment. This um thermostat is actually set to 68 degrees and the air in the library is 81 degrees. This is uncomfortable for patrons, terrible for the uh books and other

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equipment, and deadly for the other HVAC unit that's struggling to try to make up for it. >> Oh. Greg >> So we just thought it uh you know not to hear directly from ourselves but also to have some testimonial from uh really

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people who are dealing this kind of stuff every day. Um and I think you know in terms of cost because we all know this is a costly project. Um you can see what they have to say about how this works and operates. Um and we'll get

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into some a little bit of the numbers later but uh I just find that first line anything in this building triple the cost uh to get from here to there to to uh to put a cable in is just difficult. It's time consuming and of course time

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is money as as we all know. So um if if you look at uh what the board has done over the years uh we have gone out uh to professional consultants uh uh to get analysis. Um we've uh worked with both

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towns engineers at different times over the last uh 10 years. Um I I'd like to use a quote from Mr. Rushki who we all know who says well you can engineer anything and I don't I can't recall if it was or me and uh but they basically

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said to us this may not solve the problem and including the balancing of the building. Now I don't know what that means but they didn't even want to take it on uh in terms of the work uh because they weren't suited to do it and they're

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engineers. So I have to catch up with Mr. Rushki on that comment. So, but um it's a challenge and it's a challenge and we've gone back um but we have done what we

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could do and get expert opinions uh to where we've gotten to at this point. So, this was us back in 2016. Um and here we are uh now. Uh this was our original projection. Uh so if you see we

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originally started at $4.5 million and and the committee at the time said basically um hey what can you do from from it's a big number. I understand what the big asks are here of the committee and it was basically said hey can you do some fundraising? See how

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fundraising goes. Let's see what we can get. So we did and that was 2016. In 2017, the construction bond act came along and then we kind of pivoted. While we still did fundraising, we were waiting on the bond act. But in that

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previous slide, you saw uh us coming out of a zero interest rate environment, uh a zero essentially inflation environment. And the projections back then, quite honestly, at 3% were somewhat reasonable. Nobody's going to go out on a limb and and and go much higher than that when you're pretty much

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in an in a zero interest rate environment. uh what has happened over the years obviously uh we know and and now the total cost of the project uh has risen to 11.98 million and we can discuss obviously and as we have with

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you what's inside that whole project um that's not the request of the towns by the way that's just total cost of the project right so we have the grant we have our fundraising and we'll we'll get to Thank you. So just to

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thank you just to recap, these are the needs. These are the necessities that are required to keep this building going and the reasons for the project.

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When you look at the box to your right, the great spaces that we've talked about in the past and we continue to talk about and what we can do with them, what services we can provide are almost affordable because they come out

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of the groundwork that is done. So, the children's activity room, the business and meeting center to provide study rooms and places for people to to have meetings, um the local history room. All of that is much easier to do when your

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walls are open anyway for the HVAC work, for the electrical work, for the plumbing work. Those are the things that are consuming the the costs. Creating a clear line of sight. We've had both of our um police departments from the township and the bureau come and

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evaluate the building, structure us for active shooter drills, um keeping patrons safe. Our building can't keep people safe because you can't see anyone. We've tried installing cameras. We've tried installing um an intercom system um which is hideously difficult

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as you saw from the two vendors who who talked about the difficulties of the building. So again, um the total cost uh projected right now at this moment and that's for 2027 projected out uh to next year um uh

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includes obviously the HVAC, climate control, electrical, 70 plus years of of replacement, plumbing, mechanical and and a renovation um of the overall uh layout and space of the building. And of course the archival storage which is

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which is critical um uh to to to many elements particularly for the historical society and records of of the town. Um again there is a uh 12% contingency fee in here obviously for increased prices. Um some might say that's low but let's

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hope it's not. Let's hope it goes the other way. But that's uh the full project picture. This is where we are today. Um, and this is what we have uh done uh in terms of getting the grant and again that was a long process uh approved in March of

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this year. Um started in 20. Um we have secured raised and reserved uh $3 million in library funds. And what do we mean by reserved? There were a number of donations that were given to the library over the years for specific

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things. Uh we had to reach out to every uh one of those families, individuals, uh trusts and uh to move the money in towards this capital project and every one of them said absolutely that's a great idea and and they understood the

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need and we shifted the direction of what their uh uh funds would be used for. So so we do have a total of three million. Uh I'm going to let Karen speak a little bit later on about uh the grant proposal and and why it's important in

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September and there's substantial changes to it. There is a matching element obviously that that is required like of all grants, right? Um but uh it can be uh possibly but without uncertainty uh matched uh by uh

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individual you know foundation uh raised funds or or raised funds for the library. But we don't really know that yet. So but the 5.48 million is is where we're at today in terms of what we have

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kind of in the bank. We have three million in the bank. Hopefully we get the other 2.4. So, so what's left? Uh, essentially, uh, $6.5 million to do the project in total. That's three and a quarter million each, just splitting it down the middle, 50/50 between both

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towns. Um, and again, that number is not lost on me uh, as a big number, but um, in terms of funding and bonding. Um, but it is what it is. Uh what we did not do um or what we left out off uh as you can

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see on the right some bathrooms that we had had talked about redoing uh lower level uh meeting rooms um removed the columns uh you know there it's kind of awkward with columns in a big open room uh to have presentations and other

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things. We looked at uh excavating uh some crawl space underneath the children's area to get more space in the building itself. a very very costly endeavor as you can see by the numbers there. And we also looked at a geothermal study. Um uh this is more

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really uh a burrow initiative I suppose. Um they have a uh environmental plan than they're trying to achieve by 2050. Um quite honestly you know look if we were building a new library that it would be great. Uh it would be wonderful. Uh very

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difficult to do particularly in light of the timeline that we have in September. Not that it would have to be done by then. Uh but we did look at it. We did study it. Um and and in the question of in the question that you're going to have between wants and needs, it came

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down to a want, not a need. Um and and it's uh so we left it off the table um for now. And um that's that's just wanted to let you know. One of the other things we we we do want

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you to know and and what is not included right now is essentially a project manager, right? We're not engineers. We're not architects. We're not construction folks. Karen wears a lot of hats, but I haven't seen her with tool belt running around kind of sometimes.

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But yeah, actually, yeah. All right, let me take that back. But that's for a different reason. But anyway, we're we're not day-to-day people and and to do a project of of this uh size and coordination and making sure the money's being spent wisely and

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the work's being done well would require a project manager. So, this is a little bit more on the uh current funding picture. Um I I did really just want to point out obviously there's some things that will

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still impact if if the the towns uh decide to move forward, the committee decides to move forward. Obviously terms of the bond, interest rates, etc., etc. How how will uh it all be finalized between the two towns. Uh but I would like to point out the one point on the bond because it always gets asked and

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it's a question. It's a fair question, you know, let's just build a new library. Um okay. Yeah, we can do that. But the number is about 25 to 28 million. So that's

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it's a lot. So but yeah, so what is the project actually accomplishing? These are the things it's it's accomplishing or that we're we're working to have it accomplish. You know about the modernization that we're not expanding. We're staying within the

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footprint, although we will gain a little bit of people space because there are corridors that lead nowhere. Um, there's a staircase that leads to a blank wall. Those will be incorporated. We also are mindful of preserving the character of the building so the outside

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front won't change. We know we're in a historic district and we're trying to be respectful of that and replacing the equipment with the correct equipment. So, I think you all know that this is

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how the library looks now. People love it, but it's tired. It's tired looking and it's past the lifespan of not just its system, but also its spaces and the way people use the spaces.

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We're past capacity in many ways. Um, we can't really fit any more children in the children's room for for many purposes. We have a lot of children's programs in the downstairs meeting rooms which need some help as well.

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So the new renovation is going to this is a obviously a view from the top on the upper level. A clear line of sight from one side of the library to the other which we've never had. The downstairs is even worse. You can't even I took me two months to find my way

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around that library without getting lost honestly in the downstairs was just crazy. Um, but it will be modern and it will be flexible space. So, it'll meet the needs of residents now according to all of our surveys and focus groups which we've

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repeated at the end of 2025 to make sure we're still on target. Um, and further into the future, 10 years from now, the needs may be different and the space will be able to accommodate that. So, we do have some proof that our findings are accurate, and that's with

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the teen center. We built the teen center. Um, we had to build something because we had an $80,000 grant for the back entrance, and the teen center was a really high priority in the strategic plan and among the community members who responded to the survey. From the first

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moment it opened, it was successful. Kids told their parents, "I'll never go in the teen room." Oh, well, they're there. They love it. Their parents love it, and other people benefit from it as well. >> So, as we look at these last couple of

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slides, there's just so much more um of a story that could be told about the library tonight. Uh but in terms of of how and why has this taken so long and

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I'll run that through that a little bit. Um we've given you tonight uh a little bit of a state of the state to some degree of the library. Again uh nothing new in terms of that you you've heard some of it if if not all of it before. What has changed though is that Karen

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and the work of the board have finally received that grant of $2.45 $5 million born out of the library construction act of 2017. Along the journey, uh the uh the joint towns told us to be patient, go for the

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grant, and let's see what happens with the grant before we commit. That was not at all an unreasonable request and in lie of the governing body's role in being stewards of our tax dollars, it was a prudent uh thing uh to to and a

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reasonable request of the library. However, we have all heard the phrase time is money and and that was never truer unfortunately in a negative way uh than when we were trying to fund this library project. To recap the history,

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while initiating fundraising at the request of the governing bodies in 2016, the state of New Jersey in 2017 approved and signed into law the New Jersey Library Construction Act, authorizing $125 million in general obligation

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bonds. The initial grant awards supported exactly 50% of the project costs. Stipulations for the grant included the local governing entity must provide the remaining 50% match. Local entities, as

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I mentioned before, can leverage private donations or local municipal funds for their share. Unfortunately, the grant itself wasn't even made available for two years, taking us into 2019.

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Round one grants weren't appropriated until 2020. We were not awarded a grant in the first round, but in 2022, we were the first runner up for the remaining allocation of grants. Good news for the library. But

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unfortunately, it took three years to hear back from the state. On January 17th of 2025, we were notified that we were notified that our grant had been approved. Good news for the library. Unfortunately,

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it was subject to the state legislative o joint oversight committee uh to have a formal vote, a mere formality, but the committee did not meet for 14 months and the library was finally awarded its grant on March this year of

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2026. So a series of circumstances had kind of put us in a put us in maybe in a position in a place that we we didn't necessarily want to find ourselves. Uh all of us uh but here we are um 10 years

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in the process coming out of a zero interest rate environment, a global pandemic, experiencing double-digit inflation to where we are today. Who knew? Uh the question before you is what do we

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do with this library of ours? The request from us is that we need at this point action. We need you to act. The board at this point has done basically everything

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we can. We will continue to fund raise and regardless of your decision, we will continue to fund raise. We will continue to move forward with the foundation and their fundraising efforts. But this grant is uh obviously we need to um get

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back to the state reapply uh with the new grant application process by September of this year. I know how the municipal calendar works over the summer. So uh schedules are tight. Um so so that is our request of

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you is just is just we've kind of exhausted everything. We've went back and forth and certainly Marty knows this from everything from how we can do this and different methods of how we could fund it. Um I think we just need to know at this point, you know, where where we

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stand and how we can move forward. Um and I'll just I'll leave it at that. I'll just read the the mission statement of the library. Um, more than a place for books, Library of the Cadams provides resources and valuable opportunities to build knowledge,

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culture, and social experiences that enrich lives. And here's my little um, you know, prop now for for the library. Uh, on the 250th anniversary of our nation's birth birthday, what better way what better way to honor one of the most

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brilliant founders, Ben Franklin, of course, started the library system here. and and by preparing and securing the future of our library for the next 100 years because that's what this is really all about. It's not just a fix and a patch and a band-aid. It's preparing the

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library for the next 100 years. Thank you. >> We're open for questions obviously. Sorry. >> Anyone have any questions? >> Far far away first. Okay. So, I I need to understand the

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numbers a little bit better. So, um what is September? What is that deadline? You're telling me so you you are going to get a grant. You have to reapply for the grant you already have and there's some >> Let you I'm going to let Karen handle this because we knew this would be a

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question. So, thank you. There have been sub substantial changes in the grant process, but Karen's got the details. >> Thank you. The grant application that we made is not the same as what we're now asking them to approve because

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we either we have a choice. We can either show 100% match secured for the entire project or we have to take a piece of the project that won't be done separately from the rest of the project but somehow requires

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like a certificate of occupancy or something that says yes this piece is completed and it's a reimbursement program. It's not just they hand you the money. So, what we need to do is to um submit a substantial project change

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form, which I understand goes through the state library and then the attorney general's office. We were originally told um all of this has to be done and the agreement signed within three months of notice of the award, which would be the middle of June.

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However, they haven't sent us the paperwork yet that we need to complete. So, obviously, they can't hold to that. Um, but they have indicated there is a little bit of flexibility. So that's what September's about. >> Sorry,

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>> you need you need to do a modification because your project has changed from your original. >> The original project was $4.5 million and now it's 11. I'm sorry. Million dollars 11 plus million dollars.

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>> And so that so then does that mean that you could be denied? >> It's possible. >> Is is the project that the original 4 whatever was not happening. >> It's the same project. It's just double the cost.

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>> Right. But I mean they've already given you the the money. >> They haven't given you the money. >> Or well rather they've they've I'm sorry. >> They've approved the grant. for the same project just a bigger project. So why do we need to advise them of a bigger project or go through a change

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>> these that's in the regulations and their their rationale behind it is that they don't want to fund a project that's never going to be completed >> because yeah because now it's a they're funding a smaller percentage of a bigger project so it's you know it's less

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likely to occur so they need to do a you know change the application so the that they awarded the grant on have now changed. >> As Kevin said, what was a 50% match for the project is now a much smaller

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percentage, >> right, for the whole project. >> You're still only obligated to match the grant, correct? >> If we can uh >> you already have you already have that amount of money because it's a small amount. You already have a match. >> We have it. But the question is the question is is that will that be

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acceptable? You're talking about the three million that we've Yes. Right. So the question is, will the state accept that as the matching element of the grant or >> will it not? And we're not 100% sure of that question. >> Our architect is working on that

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application. And you know, he said to me the other day something like, well, they waited so many years. Why do we have to justify it beyond that? But they they have their rules. So, we need our board of trustees this Thursday at their board

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meeting to approve a substantial change form that will obligate the library to something and see if it's approved, then it goes to the attorney general's office and see if it's approved. >> Did I answer that? >> Well, I think that's what that's what

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she was saying. So, or your or your other choice is to submit it like it's two different projects. So that there's I mean >> that's what we're doing. But the other option would be to show the entire amount of the 50% uh I'm sorry

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the entire funding for the project less that 2.45 million. >> That's that's the other option. >> And then we don't have to submit a substantial change form. We just have to submit a new funding sheet. >> Okay. So I guess I was just trying to

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understand. So when you say September is a deadline, that's when you would need a commitment from the uh burrow and the township. >> Well, I think we can roll the dice or we can have an answer like how we are going

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to roll the dice, if you will, one way or the other. Um if if we don't hear from from the towns obviously we will you know go forth with a matching element that we have in hand already the $3 million. We're not sure if that will

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suffice or what it will get us. At the end of the day though I think the bigger question is that could work. Um the you know I didn't point it out in the in the presentation here but the difference between doing the renovation you know the HVAC obviously is is a huge problem

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from the infrastructure standpoint and and the difference between doing that while you're doing a renovation of some sort to to any extent is about a million dollars. So it' be about $2 million to do it while a renovation's going on $3 million to do it if you're not doing any

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renovation. So, you know, we're trying to weigh all our options, but we're also trying to figure out how do we proceed? Like, you know, we we've waited for this grant, as I said, and rightfully so. You

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know, we waited, waited, we got it, and now we have it. And so, now we kind of need a decision. Costs have risen dramatically. I understand that. We all understand that. Everyone on the board understands that. we wrestle with this issue. Um but but that's we're we're

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looking not only for um whatever it is, but we're we're looking for direction because like I said, the board has pretty much other than continuing to fund raise, but that would be a long journey um that we won't match the price rises here.

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>> Yeah. I guess I'm trying I guess just to understand. So your original grant award was without the OB without the burrow or the township, you know, giving you an obligation of contributing. >> No, no, there was an obligation there. There was a 700 750,000 from each town.

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Um there was a basic obligation combined. >> Yeah. Yeah. So we so that you know we needed that obviously to move forward. So um but now you face the situation when you reapply that you could be denied based on the new circumstances.

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>> Maybe >> we don't know. >> Yeah, >> we don't know. I I I'd like I would like to think that they won't go that deep, but we don't know, >> right? Just because the finances of the of the project have changed. I understand. >> Um okay. I just wanted to I wanted to

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understand the September deadline to see you know where what you guys were >> you and I both >> but that's a moving date because you're the that clock does not start until you get the paperwork from the state right >> they never said that

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>> they didn't say that >> so tech so the letter >> they said from the time we were notified >> is such that the clock starts when you're awarded the grant >> which was March mid March But you cannot take action because the

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state hasn't given you the paperwork complete. >> They gave us some preliminary paperwork and we are working on that. >> And so the the 4 and a.5 million was the original number. So this is I think like 2019 or perhaps even before that. That four and a half

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million was the number in the original application that's been sitting with the state and that's the information the state used to award the 2.45 million grant. >> No, the 4.5 was in round one. By the time round two was done a year later it was 4.9.

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>> Okay. But the state has not seen the 11.98 million. >> Well, they have now, >> but not in a formal way. Not in a formal way. >> Sorry, just so I understand, it sounds

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like the range you're talking about it, if I understood, the three million is to just do the HVAC and then the 11 million is the walls are open, so we want to get do the other myriad of things that need to get done. >> Yeah. Well, there's a number of other, you know, infrastructure items as well.

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That was just the basic costs for for the differential between doing the work join a renovation versus not. Yes. >> Okay. >> Fair. Um, I mean, just to cut to the chase, so I will give my two cents, okay? Um, I don't think anybody on this panel would ever want to deny the

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library anything. We all love the library and the services it provides to the community. We are in a serious budget squeeze, which I'm sure you'll hear pretty much from every door you knock. I mean, our budget on a what 1920 million budget went up about 900,000 just from healthcare costs, which is,

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you know, and so then we have to turn around to the residents. So then when you talk about we've got fire trucks coming on board and the capital expenditure associated with that and then another three and a half million for the library. I don't even know that we can increase our debt service to

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cover that without you know entering into the referendum realm. So I just don't even know that we could you know squeeze anything out of this rock here. So uh there's just basic facts. So this is a discussion and I I think we'd all love to support you as best we can. We're just trying to

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I I don't even know how we do that by September and be fiscally responsible. But uh you know again like you said it's a discussion. Anybody on the finance committee disagree with me? I'm just like I don't even know how we make this happen. >> No her it's it there's a lot there's a

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lot on our on our plate right now. We have the tax reval you know which came up two fire trucks. Um you know as you mentioned the health care cost 30%. That's everywhere. that's not just here. That's not any related decisions that we

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made about how we're, you know, providing health care services. It's it's just the reality of the world today. So, um, on another note, are there other opportunities for other grants? Is there a way to slice this and

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dice it and take part of it? Is this grant is for one piece and we dig and dig and go deep into the internet or find other funing? I know I struggle with some of my clients with federal funding that completely disappeared. But

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are there other funding grant opportunities? I know the foundation are we doing capital campaign naming opportunities for people to name rooms to name, you know, different things. So, I'm trying to think if >> what other revenue streams can we think

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about or that we could figure out how to support you? >> Sure. And we've been thinking about those for a long time. We do have naming opportunities for anyone who wants to donate $5 million. We'll name it right now. We'll give you multiple rooms. I don't know what we'll do, but but no, we

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do actually have naming opportunities for for listed donation amounts and and what that means. Um I think that is something where as I said in the presentation you know the foundation uh work but but the foundation really is just in its early early initial stages

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and that's going to take some time to get it off the ground and moving. Um we're trying to do that. We've done the bridges to space. Uh people in both towns know we have been you know campaigning to to raise funds. Um I don't you know as far as the grants yeah

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I think that's probably work that the foundation would eventually do. uh looking for for other grants and and you know tr trust me you know we're up against the same thing I mean Z knows you know from from the library we have healthare we have employees too and and we have to take care of them and the health care costs there we're we're

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we're struggling for answers and s searching for answers to provide health care for them so so none of this is lost on on anyone on on on the uh board uh you know having been in that seat I know the struggles that that you you know,

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face the town and and being responsible. Um I you know, but we did we did have to put forth uh the discussion at the board was like, well, why would we go in and ask for less than what we need? If it's what we need, if it's we think it's what we need, then that's what we should ask

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for and that's why we're here and we are and and we think that that is what we need. Again, um you know, the referendum was bought up. We didn't we didn't bring it up here ourselves, but that was brought up um uh you know in board meetings if that's what we have to do.

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Um again, it's your decision how you want to move forward. We just need some direction so we then can figure out how to move forward either with you uh or in a different direction, whatever it may take if more fundraising, grants,

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whatever it might be. But we are at this point we just we we just need some direction like what's where are we going you know what >> we had uh let's say everybody was aligned there weren't all those pressures we unilaterally said yes do we

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have any idea what kind of impact per household or anything I mean because the money is coming from somewhere it's coming from tax of some kind right um do we have any idea how much that equates to per household per 100,000 in value or

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anything along those lines. >> We do. >> We do, but the numbers haven't been finalized. I received some information and I asked some questions back, but I I did not get an answer that I saw. Um, but we

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are thinking that it's about the cost of dinner now for each household going out. So yeah, so like 190 something, but we

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don't know for certain until um Deborah King gives us the final numbers. >> Yeah, I mean we have to look at that a little bit more. And I you know I mean those are always something that puts it in relative terms for for people to understand. But you know

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>> you know it's it's dinner one day and then the other thing is another dinner and then next thing you know we're all going out to eat seven nights a week. So, I don't really like to use those analogies. Um, it's it's it's really just um

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it's, you know, a referendum. I was thinking about the referendum and the referendum is kind of today, right? It's in the moment today. Like people will will vote where they stand today. And I think from a collective, from a township committee perspective, you all uh are

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elected to think, you know, in the long term and what the consequences are of acting or not acting. And you know, it's the they're difficult decisions at times, but the committee should be thinking of in terms of the bigger picture, the longer term. and a

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referendum makes us act on how I feel about it today, me personally, you know, and so that's a different kind of element. It's kind of the same thing with the school bud, you know, you can does it affect me or not, you know, that's how people sometimes line up to vote. So, so I just think if you think

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about what what a library is, the fact that we don't have a community center uh really in both towns and the library not only acts as a resource for the library and all the information it has um in terms of children and children's books and children's programs and then the

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teen center and when you get into college and you know SATs and ACTs and preparation and business meeting like it is a place that you know covers all the residents at some point or another and it should be there and it should be

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utilized um to its fullest extent and it is and so I think of it in terms of the community as a whole thinking in the long term and where this library is going to be 5 10 15 20 years from now 100 years from now it's been there for 100 years it's been disjointed if you've

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been downstairs in the library you know what we're talking about um so so yeah it's It's uh you know I I know I know the decision is not easy and it's not necessarily like I said we're not asking for a vote on anything today but we are

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asking like we need some guidance and we need to know how to proceed for this grant in September but we would also like to know where are we going for the long haul because we need to uh refocus. We have spent an enormous amount of time getting to this point. So, uh, that has,

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you know, taken up the director's times and and and kind of thinking where where are we going? So, >> no, we don't disagree. The library is incredibly important. Um, I just think there's a lot of stakeholders here. Um, and if the foundation can accelerate

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their activities so that the onus isn't mostly on us to make the decision like there's, you know, the board and the foundation. So like I hear you that the foundation is just kind of getting up and running but there's been a long runway. So if there's any way to

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accelerate looking into grants, finding opportunities ASAP that we can all kind of collectively come together and work together to find the money rather than just saying okay you guys find the money. We all I think all the stakeholders

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>> Yeah. I you know look we're trying to find the money. We found 3 million, >> you know. I know. I know. >> Which is it takes time to find money sometimes. >> I know. We're all looking for it. We're all looking for the same money. >> And that's the challenge. That's the challenge before us because I, you know, look, I think if you look at uh if you

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look at the CF, right? I think the CF has raised $2 million in total. Is that right? >> About >> about But they've been around for about 30 years. >> Calf raised maybe $2 million the same. I think they were around for maybe 10 12

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>> years. I mean, you know, that's I hear what you're saying, but realistically the ch that is a great challenge unless some great benefactor. We're looking for an Andrew Carnegie out there. >> No, I'm talking more on the grant, >> but we are. But no, but we are we do

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need a we do need, you know, a large someone who would obviously uh philanthropic goals and and the educational and aspects, community aspects of what a library does for a town. >> We would welcome that. So, if anybody's listening out there, I don't know what

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your ratings are, but uh >> yeah. So, >> right. >> Anyway, >> I guess um what I need to know is um because for us and when I said referendum, it's because of course we have caps. You would know everybody else

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would know. So, we have caps and if we bring on this debt service and I don't know what relief we're getting next year with respect to then we can be bumping up. I mean, I guess debt service is outside some of the caps, but I'm just sure how that impacts, you know, the budget overall in our caps and whether

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or not we're kind of forced into that real. So that's what I was getting into. But I would want to understand because we do have the two fire trucks coming on board. I'd want a better sense of when that money would be called up. So you don't you might have to we might have to commit this year, but we don't have to deliver it for three years down the

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road. Do you have a sense of when that money would be called up? >> Considering the trend maybe. Yeah. So consider that. >> I said considering the trend of when we get responses from the state and other who knows. >> Well, maybe we should say the earliest that money will be called up. Every year we wait, the cost goes up. Yeah. No, but

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what I mean is when when you would have to like 50% down expected on in 2028, uh 25% like I I don't know when those payment points would be that we'd have to deliver those funds, but it helps us to plan relative to the two trucks we have to deliver. Now, I think there's

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asks for additional fire trucks coming in. >> Three. three over the next four years for about three point actually close to $4 million over. >> Yeah. On top of the the police cars and so a projection updated with this in there would help us to understand if we

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could even afford it. >> So if I may ask then um can do you mind going back to the slide with the different funding sources? >> If the mouse will allow me. >> Yes, it will. One second, Greg. Go one second, Karen. Greg's gota resume

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the share. >> One sec. >> Yeah, Greg is gonna resume the share because it Well, while he's doing that, so Karen, let's say um the governing body, right, to do an ordinance to

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actually have the funds available to have this authorization takes, let's say, two meetings. So let's say you've got an author an ordinance done by September best case scenario from both municipalities for 3.5 each, right? >> 3.25, right?

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>> What's 0.25? Right? So let's say 3.25 from both municipalities. That gets you to your 6.5. You've got three committed. You've got So what is the gap that's left? If both municipalities commit, you've got some funding. Um

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>> the gap would be it would only be an unknown gap of of cost rises. That's the full you know between the 2.45 the the uh 3 million and then the three and a quarter million between each town that was that's fully funded. >> So when we talk about the foundation

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raising um or an ongoing raise what would that be for? Well, I think like any nonprofit, you know, it would be to continue to so we wouldn't have to come back here, you know, at some point >> the costs go up, let's say. So,

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>> or if the costs go up, sure, it would be flowed into the project. Yeah, sure. >> Or it would reduce what the towns are contributing. >> Um, >> because it kind of goes to sequence and timing, right? Like you're asking and you know, you're kind of both, right? What's the runway? How long I mean if we

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commit and we're able to provide the 325 and the town the the bureau is able to do it um is the foundation going to continue fundraising if you've closed the gap that's it there's no more funds needed >> it's a fair yeah it's a fair it's a fair question >> and it go through the reason I sorry the

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reason I'm asking that is okay so let's say we've got that done uh by o by September then you've got let's say you've got all the money what are your next steps um you've got to have you know engineering bid specs designed go out to bid the hiring of a project

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manager once you and you know you want to have the idea that funds are in place before you go out to bid but then to award just like when we do fire trucks you would need to be able to certify that those funds are available and presumably at that point it just goes

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into phases of construction right like they finish they may need 10% to start for materials or whatever get the process going permitting all of that Um, we're looking at probably time frame of no earlier than really January 2026, I'm

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sorry, 2027. Let's say shovel in the ground. >> Yes. >> Right. Does that make sense? >> So, does that kind of just talking out loud? So, you have an idea of what the timeline is that we would need the funds in in order for them. We have the authorization. They can certify the funds, but we would start drawing down.

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the two towns would start drawing down uh either immediately or they could draw down on the grant and whatever funds you've got already three million. So, we could also push that off. That's almost $5.5 million to get the project going before the two towns need to start

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financing the obligations. Does that make sense what I'm saying? Just kind of talking it all out loud. Now, I don't know how the state the parameters of the state grant are. They're typically draw down and you know you would need some money uh usually have money in the reserve. So that's what the three million is. You probably

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be drawing down for that, submitting reimbursement, recouping it and continuing that. But you would have about 5.45 million before maybe the two towns really start having to finance that. So that's a little less than halfway through the project.

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>> And do you have any idea how long the project would take? approximately 16 months. >> Okay. >> So, just one reality note and I'm sorry to bring this up, but um

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in trying to ask people to donate to the project, I think it would be very difficult to ask people to make a donation that would then lessen the amount that the towns were giving. If there was a way to do that without being deceptive, um you know, sure, we'd give

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it a shot. But correct me if I'm wrong, but we have members of the foundation here. >> You know, it goes it goes to some of the some of the issues we're having in general in total that that we discussed already. Um because there was conversations about you kind of a

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matching element from the towns, you know, to to the work of the foundation or library, whatever it might be, whatever whatever we received. But yet that's great, but then it also a lot of pressure to raise funds and

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that's okay, but we might never get there. And then what? And and then we're back at the costs. You know, the trend is not our friend. And you know, the higher costs continue to go. We're not catching up with the with the with the with the grants or with the donations and and we still don't have uh funding

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from from the municipalities. It's tough. It's a tough position. I I I get what you're saying. I'm not asking actually from any position. I'm just rather talking out loud and kind of playing out the scenario. So everybody has because we're talking about raising more funds and also if you need obligations by a certain time frame.

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Let's say we do go to referendum. So and that is the decision of the towns maybe, right? So then you won't have an actual decision until November. So then that means between now and November is really the the end date of when you're fundraising. And what I'm hearing is that that sort of the end date of your

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fundraising, right? Uh so once the towns commit You're saying otherwise it sounds deceptive that you're saying, "Oh, please give us money and then we're going to lessen what the towns do." So the second you commit to funds, essentially the fundraising campaign is over.

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>> I I wouldn't put it that way. I mean, you know, this I I mean, it would just continue to go on. There'll always be need for something, you know, some reasons to make improvements to have more programs, whatever. >> But towards this project. >> But towards this project. Sure. Sure. I suppose

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>> because Yeah. you always raising funds through the foundation but for the sake of this project that would >> that would come to it. >> Yeah. >> Unless there's overages or change orders >> or we have a lot of expensive breakdowns happen between now and then and we have to draw on those fun manager costs too

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which you said is not included into this. So project management >> but that's I mean it's a restricted fund anyway. So even if they like if they did continue their fundraising and they exceeded the amount with the contributions they were restricted funds to the capital campaign that they'd then

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have to move to an unrestricted fund as a nonprofit. >> So I I'm just I'm just kind of solidifying your point to some degree there. >> But the project So you said the PM's not included, right? >> That is correct.

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>> Not yet. So let's say like you say 10 to 15 >> percent often times. Yeah. >> Yeah. So that's >> below eight. Yeah. >> To 12. >> So 10% would be not unreasonable.

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>> For PM for >> for PM to be >> Yeah. It's like it's going to be a full-time job for a year and a half >> and uh >> pretty significant. Not >> we were we were thinking about an owner's representative rather than

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>> Yes, but it's undecided. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> I don't want to take things too far if you if you don't mind, Stacy. Um I've been trying to be keep quiet. Um I'm in general, like all of us very very much an advocate. Um but I would like to take

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uh take advantage of uh some insights. Um Mr. Mr. Sullivan, you've been here through the entire process um from from this side of the docket and the other. So, I appreciate your balance and your perspectives and I'd like to

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tap into that a little bit if if if we might. Um and that is um the wish list, the numbers, um they all seem on the surface to be um easy. Okay, it's three and a quarter from each municipality.

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That's pretty straightforward. the timing uh and the and the risks of a referendum as a way to capture those funds. Um if you put yourself back behind this side of the desk, I am very much an advocate of the project and whatever we

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can do to figure something out and I think you are to some degree too. Um, have you thought about um in your own mind, not putting you on the spot necessarily, uh, but but necessarily, and that is, um, you're you're back on

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this side of the desk. What would you do? >> I'm not, but >> No, no, no. I understand. And, and this I'm not I'm not asking. I'm just asking um, okay, you have insight on on all sides. Um and you can look at both a

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microcosm and the macro >> look understand >> and so you have that balance which some of us here don't have and so um if we could take advantage of that it would be keenly appreciated what your insights may or may not be. >> Yeah sure >> and you've mentioned some already right >> do you have any comments that you could

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make on that? I would I would say I would be weighing again relative to you know um everything that's taking place and and the uh uh the pressure that uh would be put on on the taxpayers

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>> but also I'd be weighing you know is it is it an asset that is worth saving? >> Is it an asset that um is you know look you The reality is if you bond it for long term,

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Yeah. Yeah. It adds to the debt load, but there's plenty of room in the debt load of the township still, I'm sure. Um, uh, when you look at what a town could potentially do, uh, I know how that these things impact the surplus, etc. Uh, but when you're thinking about it in terms of the long term, it really

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comes down to the question, is this something worth doing? Is it an asset we want? And I and quite honestly, if I'm on this your side and the question you're asking, that that is a harder decision for the township than than the burrow uh to some degree. Um you know, I

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think we have to be honest about that and and residents have expressed that. Uh particularly depending on where you live, but those residents need to realize that that they can use other libraries, they can do other things, but they can't really do much without a library card from the Chadams um at

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those other places other than use their space. Uh but but in terms of what I had mentioned, a community center, a hub uh for all ages, um is it an asset worth saving, reserving, and and securing for

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the for the long haul? And and then okay, and then to to Stacy's point, you know, how does it how does it impact overall caps, etc. Can we do it now? Um, you know, we've looked at you, we've, you know, we've we've requested all of this like what about, you know, what

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about just a certain amount every year so it's not a big hit to the budget in all in one year? It doesn't feel like it is. Um, you know, we we've kind of played all these things out, but I think ultimately the decision comes down to is is the library worth the investment, the

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taxpayers investments and again for all the residents for the long term like it is going to be something that will be here for for the next 100 years. You know, it's kind of like it to me it's kind of like open space. You know, do you make that investment in it or not?

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You know, do you make investment in the library or not? Is it something that you really want um to have and secure and preserve or do you just let it run its course and whatever however it ends up it ends up? But yeah, that's that's that'll be a decision for some other committee down

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the road. But >> well, I don't know if that's you know, >> I don't like taking necessarily the down the road look from leaving it to others to decide in the future. Yeah. If we can set things up and and preserve something and um and improve something that that

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gets us there. But it gets us down to all this conversation that we've had here that's very serious conversation that obviously we're going to go back and deliberate on significantly um in in trying to figure that out >> as it should be. I think any uh budget appropriation should be a very serious

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conversation. You know I mean we you know even you know we used to argue over quarter percent you know pay raises. I mean that's that's a good thing. That's a healthy thing in government. It's a healthy thing to debate. We have heard from the from the residents. We have

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heard we've put out surveys obviously what they've wanted and what they like in the library. We've reacted to some of that. We've shared some of that with you. Um so yeah, >> if um I appreciate all those comments. Thank you very much. The um and then I

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have but it leads to another thing and that is um if we just can't figure it out what happens. Um, in other words, if the municipalities among themselves say, "Hey, we just don't have it." Or one has some and the other doesn't have some,

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um, uh, are there any, uh, comments from your perspective or the board perspective that you can share with us, um, on what will happen or not happen based upon what we do? >> Sure. Um Karen takes maybe a little different

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approach to this than than I do, but um look uh things will first off we will continue to do what we're doing now. All right. We will continue to try to fundra to to to do what we can. Um if we can

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get at the matching grant, we will, you know, and secure that with the funds we have. Um, you know, we're we're going to we're going to take a phased approach. You know, we've looked at the phased approach. The phased approach is much more money, but uh at the end of the day, we'll try to fix the the HVAC and

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as much of the infrastructure as we can. Um, I'll speak for Karen, but uh I think she would say that uh eventually system is going to fail. Something's going to go wrong if we do nothing. and it might it

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might be you know harmful to uh someone or the library or you know in general. So but but there are some major problems with the library as we pointed out. Um how we how we get there is to be determined but I think it goes back to

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what I said earlier. Just give us some direction and we'll end up figuring out the rest. Well, certainly we'd like the direction that, you know, >> we'd like we'd like the best direction, you know, that we put forth, but but G that's really, you know, in terms of

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what you're asking, Marty, is at the end of the day, give us some direction, then we'll we'll figure it out. >> Okay. Well, there will be that deliberation certainly among this this body itself and between municipalities. Um, we'll figure out something to give you some direction. I think uh the request

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for direction is legitimate and fair, but hate being under the gun as you have been uh as soon as something shows up and we fully appreciate that. But what I do not want to do is uh become long- winded and hold you up because you have to get to the burrow as well. And I

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think it would be timely for us to swallow very hard. >> Thank you very much. >> I forgot about the burrow. Shocker. >> Well, you're on our side, Kevin. So, we appreciate that. So, Hey, sorry before you shut them down, I just have a question. >> Yes, please. >> Um, I just the So, we had committed

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previously years ago now 400,000 I believe it was each of the towns. >> Yeah, about 450. About 450. Yeah, >> it was 9 900 950 total. >> Yeah. And that's set aside. Yeah, I believe we gave them >> you That's that was spent and and set aside. Yeah,

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>> not too long ago, I think last year, you guys asked for the balance of those funds. And you granted those. >> Yes. And we used it toward the project. But there was also 750,000. >> No, no. I'm sorry. Greg, could you give her the mount? I I did have No, sorry. One more.

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>> No, I had Sorry. Continue your answer. >> There was a resolution passed by both towns for a combined $750,000 that that was never applied because we didn't get the grant. >> Um on the grant, what is the deadline to

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use those funds? As far as I know, there isn't a deadline. >> So, they are committed and lingering. The only downside would be the cost of the project keep going up. Obviously, the longer this is delayed, but >> as far as I know. >> Okay. And then there was a slide where

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you were talking about sort of the annual maintenance or the annual ongoing costs related to not doing this work. What could you go back to that slide or just >> We're at 200,000 for the time period that was shown this year to date for

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H,000 year to date. You're saying from >> it's not year to date. It was >> okay. >> Cumulative >> cumulative. >> Okay. So the annual cost then is obviously less than 200,000. >> But it's rising >> electricity to run the dehumidifiers,

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heaters. I mean all the we couldn't be less green. It's >> very wasteful and expensive and the staff time that could be spent on direct patron services or something else. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Thank you.

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>> Thank you both. We really appreciate it. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. I'm going to email you. >> Okay, we can now open the first hearing of citizens. >> Mr. Lacanti, would you please provide?

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>> Members of the public, you're now welcome to come up to the microphone to address the township committee. This is an opportunity for any member of the public to be heard about issues which are not topics scheduled for public hearings tonight. Those present may step up to the microphone to be heard. If you're watching via Zoom, you may speak during any of the public comment sessions by following the Zoom

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instructions to raise your hand, whether in person or online. When you're recognized to speak, please mind the following procedures. Please say your name, spell your last name, and give the name of your street. You do not need to give your street number. All public comments will be limited to three minutes. Rather than use any of your

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time answering questions, the township committee will wait until you finish speaking before responding. There are two public comment sessions on tonight's agenda. each member of the public will be limited to one comment of up to three minutes uh during each public comment

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period. Written comments submitted to the township clerk before 3 p.m. today will be read, which we didn't receive any, so this is a moot point. But if we had received any, they would um would be read. Written comments would have been subject to the same guidelines as oral

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comments. duplicative written comments. Had we received any, would it be summarized rather than read in full according to guidelines issued by the New Jersey Division of Local Government Services? >> Thank you very much. Are there any hands raised online? >> Uh, we do not have any hands raised.

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>> Okay. Any comments from the audience? >> Nope. Okay. Okay. We can close the first hearing of citizens and we can move on to the introduction of ordinances. Uh very interesting. Tonight we're introducing um two ordinances. One

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2026-09 which is our capital ordinance which is not as high as it's been in past years because it's been a tough budget year and we're being fiscally responsible. So, that's one of the intro the ordinances we're introducing tonight, as well as

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2026-10 amending the police department personnel um which capped the number of patrol officers that we were um able to have which were increasing um due to adding a new patrol officer. Um are there any comments,

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questions? >> Do you want to say something? If you wanted me, mayor, I could just in two seconds just run down what the uh total of the capital is going to. >> Yeah, that'd be great. >> Just for the benefit of the public because as you said, you know, it is a tight fiscal year. Um and the outlook

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for uh not just this year but future years uh is is really difficult one. Uh certainly keeps me up at night knowing that we are in a very tough bind. It really does. Uh on the capital side, as you mentioned, this is probably the lowest. Uh we've been committing to

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capital because of the difficulty that we're facing this year and trying to be responsible for the years to come ahead. But what it is funding is really all the essentials and focus on public safety as we've been doing uh for the past couple years and will continue to do. Uh the next couple years have in addition to

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three apparatuses for the fire departments that are going to be totaling almost $4 million. just the future outlook in addition to police vehicles. Uh this this year we're allocating and authorizing with this ordinance an additional 500,000 for

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capital in addition to pretty much draining any old capital funds that we've got available for in which they are applicable for the the requests that came in this year. Uh and so that is for the fire departments uh combined uh the

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two fire departments uh we're we're authorizing 156,000 in this and using additional funds from old capital. So it's not just but that's 156 for the fire department for the police department. Uh that's an authorization

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of uh also $169,000. Uh and that's for bodywn cameras and vehicles. And then for public works, uh about $175,000 and that is for plows and uh groundskeeping equipment. So nothing in

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here is a want. It is all absolutely an a need without a doubt. This is all either obsolete equipment or required equipment that needs to be replaced. >> Thank you. >> Okay. I move that we introduce ordinance 2026-09

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for the capital ordinance >> and I'll second that >> Mr. Al Perowitz >> yes >> Mr. Troy >> yes >> Mrs. Zwald. >> Yes. >> Deputy Mayor McHugh. >> Yes. >> And Mayor Roland. >> Yes. >> Motion passes and the public hearing

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will be on June 23rd. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Is there a motion to introduce ordinance 2026-10 amending the police department personnel? >> Uh I move to introduce 202610.

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>> I'll second. >> Okay. Vote. Mr. Al Perowitz, >> yes. >> Mr. Troy, >> yes. >> Mrs. Zwald, >> yes. >> Deputy Mayor McHugh, >> yes. >> And Mayor Roland, >> yes. >> Motion passes and public hearing on June 23rd.

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>> Okay. Thank you very much. Okay. Question. We have a consent agenda. Is there anything that um any item that someone would like to pull out and discuss or vote on separately? We are adding one tonight which we'll do

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separately. I did >> there there is not an item that I'd like to pull out though if I may um just um share a few words with regard to resolution 2026-108 appointing member to joint recreation

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committee. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. If I may just spend 30 seconds um afterwards. Okay, that's fine. Okay. Is there a motion to approve the consent

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agenda? >> So move. >> I'll second. >> Okay. >> Mr. Al Perowitz. >> Yes. >> Mr. Troy. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Eold. >> Yes. >> Deputy Mayor McHugh. >> Yes. >> And Mayor Roland. >> Yes.

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>> Motion passes. Now 108. >> Yeah. Uh just a few words with regard to resolution 2026-108 appointing member to joint recreation committee. Uh the citizen in in in question is Mr. Peter Trip. Um he is uh

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uh stepped up to volunteer uh in this particular capacity. Um I have known uh Mr. Trip for over a decade. Um he's an individual who in terms of skills and experience he's a licensed architect for a couple of decades. Um also um in real

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estate development uh so I think he um he's going to be valuable in in not just um particularly with regard to his service in in uh the zoning board uh and in particular with regard to joint recreation committee. Um

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uh he's got children uh two sons in the school systems who've played sports, a variety of different sports. Um uh he's active recreationally as well. Um personally, I found him to be a deep thinker um empathetic um and a pretty

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active member of the community. So I'm enthused that uh he's decided to step up and volunteer and serve in in a couple different capacities. uh this evening with respect to specifically joint recreation committee. Uh he will be representing I think uh the township um

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admirably um on discussions and um matters at hand uh that affect our our children in the community. So uh just wanted uh to share those words. >> Thank you. We appreciate it. As all our volunteers, we're very grateful for people that step forward.

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Okay. Um we're adding an addition. We need a We still need to vote on that resolution. >> Oh, we need to vote on >> We need a motion in a second because it was pulled from the consent agenda. >> I'll make a motion to approve adopt resolution 2026-108.

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>> I'll second Mr. Alowitz. >> Yes. >> Mr. Troy, >> yes. >> Mrs. Ewald, >> yes. >> Deputy Mayor McHugh, >> yes. >> And Mayor Rand, >> yes. Motion passes. Okay. Now, we are adding an additional resolution. Uh, and I'm looking for a

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motion to authorize a professional services agreement with the law firm of Cypriyani and Warner for special legal services. >> So, move. >> I'll second. >> Mr. Al Perowitz, >> yes. >> Mr. Troy,

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>> yes. >> Mrs. Ewald, >> yes. >> Deputy Mayor McHugh, >> yes. >> And Mayor Roland, >> yes. >> Motion passes. >> Thank you. We'll now move on to the second hearing of citizens. Same rules apply. Mr. Lanti, is there any one online that was has a question or a

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comment? >> None of our online participants have any hands raised. >> Wonderful. And seeing no one in the room, we will close the second hearing of citizens. And that brings us to a motion to adjurnn if anyone.

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>> I'll motion to adjurnn. I'll second. All in favor? >> I always forget. I versus >> Thank you very much. >> Recording stopped.