--------- good e e e e e just no that's to fine the yeah
exactly every four years watch [Music] Sunshine Law January 10th this year res time this one of L such resolution and
copies of resolution January 10 um need okay we're we're going to start off this evening with with recognizing of our officer fire plers I want to ask ask some police okay we can talk a little bit about what
was officer Bowski officer yo fire Lieutenant FASA firefighter ENT melie Pierce Tim all firefighters Tim trary Dyan oate
Nicholas l we wanted to recognize the these folks and actually some paramedics that were involved there a number of people but there was an incident within the last month that um and I'll try to give you a little sense of what it was without
revealing U confidentiality and issues with respect to some the person that was in but there was um there was response to a a non responsive person um when police responded when the fire
paramedics got there and there was great effort to try to understand and figure out what it was they should be treating what the problem was um and some officers began to look around
the house um and they discovered um a substance discovered something that um they Rel LA to um the paramedics and they were able to basically change the course of treatment um
dramatically and um revived this person brought them back got them in to the to the hospital uh it was such a dramatic change that the head of the emergency uh room at uh at Lords reached out to us
the paramedic team reached out to us that it was such a dramatic uh change really because um some of these these officers went and did a little more than just responding and see what they can do
so we're we're recognizing them for this work I want to thank you it's great to know you're there all the time or when I have the big one but we want to really really thank you for your work and appreciate you think of this that
exercise that helps of you okay picture all right we good you guys got it great okay and as is our custom for those families and friends and other officers that are here for this you are
free to help thank you so this is an ordinance which we had already gone through the process of adopted there was an error with respect to advertising of it right there was an error with respect to the advertising of it so we are
redoing this creates a uh a bank well it's actually a spending Bank within our budget and this simply sets up the bank in the event we need to use it at a at a later year um this is the second meeting this the public hearing anyone want to be heard on it this is your
opportunity yes thank you may just need your name and address the 325 newon I'm just wondering what do you mean do you say set up a bank for later use in the future sure what it means is that it takes any
unused um within the the borrow budget there is a p on spending so if there's a year when we don't spend to the cap it allows us to carry that space say we're a half% below and it lets us Bank it to
a later year in order to spend it okay we we like I said we adopted this a while ago um we had action on it here we've since introduced our budget uh and we're amending it tonight and as it happens we don't have any R bank so
we're not our c bank so we're not banking it but we're putting this on record it helps us with the state does another little process during the year where there's a little checklist that we have to show we did and this is one of the things that like if you didn't you
get gold STS so why would you establish a bank if there's actually no anticipated funding going into it because it's it's we adopted it already and we're redoing it because of of a publication issue and
because what I just said which is the state later in the year checks that we followed certain best practices that we adopted okay okay so we're doing it so we have it on right okay and just one more follow-up question please by me um
is there any money sitting in the bank from prior prior years that has accumulated and not utilized not in our spending cap no in our there's another cap we have which is tax levy cap that we could raise
taxes and that's what all I know a lot of you are here for that that's what all the school discussions to use that c to raise taxes $3 million okay sure thank you anybody else okay huh sorry I didn't get your
name and address excuse me just give us your name and address again please yes it's uh Crystal Ward 325 Newton Avenue you got thank you sir I have a question sure uh Paul gr 36 Harvard so
if this money is bank that's actually not there right now but if you were to have money that's banked how is that money appropriated in later years it would be when you when a budget put together say there was a half percent left of 25 in 26 the burrow would be
able to spend two and a half% be able to spend an additional percent over what that 2% cap is that's out to be used but how is it allocated how is it allocated my question you wouldn't know until you had your next year's budget right say
okay we're are expens on something higher something broke we would know so it's completely discretional to to you all to decide where you put that money with within what we do yes yes like if we're going to add a police officer that would
increase those cost so you have the room to move it into the C okay thank all right anyone else okay yes yes yes
second public heing of1 auth temporary in newy this is granting basically a constructive ement or the storage of some equipment for work the do is doingand do I have it right this is down
on 130 the Route 30 but it's where okay it's a store on some a little piece of like curve strip that they want for it's okay very so it's granting a
temporary easement for the dot for road work on third okay and this is a public hearing anyone want to say have anything they want to bring before us wel okay may yes yes yes we thein 182
establishing feys for police outside employment so this is an ordinates we we just U completed a new contract with our police officers part of that is determining a rate for what's called outside work so when you see them
working with bfcg or you know out with private work they reimburse the burrow and those officers get paid an hourly rate so this is setting what those rates are in accordance with our new collective bargaining agreement with the
police officers this is the first meeting the public hearing will be at our April 7 meeting okay okay may yes yes so this is so this is uh a public
comment on the resolutions that are on the agenda if anyone has anything they would like to bring before us questions comments anything you want on any of the items in the resolution this is your opportunity to yes go ahead way Rossy 114 East Palmer a I
wanted to comment on the resolution that would um authorize an agreement with Scott Oswald um I felt this this is wildly inappropriate um Dr Oswald is not qualified to uh go over a budget for the
school district he is not neutral party he uh spoke and wrote uh quite strongly against the current Board of of Education last year during the referendum process this is not a productive move it's not going to move
things forward it voting someone who left in disgrace in the middle of a school year on the board and the current Administration is only going to show bad faith in the negotiation process that should be taken much more seriously than
this in Oswald's time as superintendent he had someone who did the budgets for him who figured out the numbers for him and that person was bethan Coleman she is an outstanding uh public servant in this
town and she and frankly it's kind of insulting to see that this board that this board wants to take her work and submit it to a guy who left the town in the Lurch in the middle of the covid
pandemic uh for some kind of cost savings and to be frank the reality is Dr oswal's not GNA find cost savings we know what the primary expenses are with the school budget it is special
education services which are mandatory it is transportation services which in the district are largely mandatory and it is salaries and expense and uh salaries and benefits for teachers and there isn't a way there aren't enough
moving parts that are going to save money that this dog and pony show with Dr Oswald is going to seriously change the crisis the school board is in I have talked to people from haddenfield Haden
Township Lumber and Berlin and many other school districts who are facing similar funding problems this is going on throughout South Jersey and we have to be realistic this is a problem with State funding but right now the only way
to avoid um pretty serious program cuts and really really terrible teacher and staff layoffs is to fund education adequately in this
town thank you good go ahead I presume all the comments go ahead just name and address for the record please yes Donal 615 stok avue Kong um I would just like to address the whole issue if I may if that is possible
now or do I wait kind of wait till later this is really the time just about resol the items that are on the resolution agenda when we get done that there will be another public session where you can talk about whatever you want okay I would just like to say right now that I
think that putting Dr Oswald on the committee is is the right move to do it's someone who's worked with other administr you know the other the personer county school officer School administrator he's already done
this work he's done budgets before he knows the ins and outs and as an educator myself for 34 years I've never been in a district that had a $3 million overspending $100,000 Maybe three
million I think that's that's insane okay yes go to back go ahe just give me name record U Phil Johnson 131 Frasier how you guys doing I just wanted to um add to Wayne's comments um a neighbor that I really think it's really
inappropriate and not a good good direction for the board to go into to hire Scott Oswald he's not a neutral party I mean for all we know you might have an ax grind I I don't know judging from his letter and the retrospect which right thought was a little inappropriate to he does have some has har feelings
for um you know the Board of Education and I just think it's it's the wrong move and I guess the second part of my concern is like why can't you guys sit down and talk about this like we've been talking about this for a while I don't know why we would put um a Scott Al or
anybody anybody in between you guys talking you guys like it's like the two biggest companies in this in the town don't talk and so I I think this is not a good move I think it's going to put you guys it's going to separate you instead you guys coming together so I
really really hope you guys rethink this this resolution Scott out okay Steve yeah Steve 439 Haden Avenue uh I just want to highlight a a a big change in state school funding since um Scott's tenure as superintendent in Collingswood
uh as it relates to his role as a as a consultant um 2013 with regard to the old Zay school sale uh pilot agreements and ratables um they don't they didn't specifically impact school districts which is true it it does more impact Property Owners um but since 2018
ratables now directly factor into the state local fair share calculation um which does reduce the actual value of District state aid uh I'm raising this to ensure Scott's consultancy reflects this update um and serves our burrow and
District effectively thank you thanks K Delan 126 East Palmer Avenue so I want to Echo what Wayne and Bill said I very much agree when I saw that you were hiring Scott Oswald to I quote provide recommendations for longterm cost cutting measures I thought first
you view that as your job as the mayor to hire someone to tell the school how to cut costs also I agree with them that there's a conflict of interest here you're literally hiring the last superintendent to tell the new superintendent how to do his job how is that anything other than a huge you to the new Administration and frankly I
would also like to know since no one's asked how much are we paying Scott oswal it's it's a the contract is for $150 an hour and how many hours do you think you'll have buildable for this I I don't know we get we it's going to take
as many as it need we need to but we have an estimated on what that is so other people in room want to know if that's been already sign we don't have anything to review so it's not going to be a low well think it's deeply offensive that you are using our tax dollars to hire someone to cut cost from our schools rather than fund them and
that and the weird letter that you sent I don't think it could be more transparent that you are not willing to invest in our schools this is the disgusting thank you anyone else go ahead Maddie mad de 106 East wi
um I do have I take issue when someone gets up in a public forum and says that Dr Dr oswal left and there was a derogatory comment that Mr Rossy made that he left in disgrace I worked with
Dr oswal two terms on the school board as you did commissioner Le dasy not as long but we know him I know him as someone that was honorable worked hard he did not and you know what Mr
Roy address any com okay I feel that it's derogatory to get up without any basis to say that that superintendent left in disgrace he did
not and I will tell you that I work side by side on the negotiating committee with Dr Oswell I find him to be very intelligent he can bring something to the table because we all want to same resolution
we want to be able to help these children we don't need to be name calling we don't need to be pointing fingers you can have an opinion to say I don't think it's a good call but to get up and say that Dr Oswald was anything
during his tenure but honorable and hardworking and had the children's interest at heart is what I take away from six years working okay all right thanks yes sir name and address please H gr 36 Harvard I just want to take the moment
to refute something you just said you have plenty to review all of the school budgets and audience are public information you got it so stop trying to claim that you don't have something you have okay all right anyone else yeah our
42 East M talking about theall resolution it strikes me as odd that you're hiring him for all the reasons that were noted but also that you not having someone independent come in and review your budget which you know you've been running for for 32 years so I think
you should think about a resolution to have somebody I wish it was the prior mayor been here for 32 years um to bring somebody independent in to um to to reive your budget and to see if we can find some cost savings there sure we've never asked school for for
money we they came to us and said look we want you to give us $3 million from from your budget that's it's very unusual so we have to just realize that it's an unusual thing and it requires unusual things at that let's finish time
go ahead aming tare 8:30 Park AV so I'm just curious did he already get hired is there a sign is it a discussion or is it already no it's a discussion he's been doing some work with us um but we've had some conversations with him so tonight is where where is the
appointment and the hiring and so when is the part where you say why I'm sorry I can't did you stand up yeah sure thank you when is the part where you say the logic like I'm just curious what the background well we haven't got a chance public comment we'll talk and then we'll
we'll address it okay yeah yes sir go ahead I hi Lor Burton 315 Le Lanes um since negotiations on the contract are still ongoing I would propose that Dr oswal should offer to Services pro bono um the district and the burrow are scrounging for every penny to help
teachers and uh he is specifically being hired because of his firsthand experience of the Decades long situation and his part in helping us get to where we are today I think you should offer those services for Bona okay thank you yes sir uh commissioner L aski you just said that it's a different sitation
they've never asked you for money you've never given asked them for money it's a false equivalency you collect taxes as a burough and those monies are distributed out so to say that I mean why would they like it's just kind of a silly statement to say that they're going
to anyone else we are foreman 501 South Vineyard Boulevard um I think it's really clear from the Burrow's behavior that you're not acting in good faith 53% of the state's Cuts have been made to South Jersey schools and despite only 8% of
districts received Cuts Statewide so South Jersey is receiving the most Cuts Statewide this clearly shows where the state is prioritizing funding and where we need your advocacy your letter which use its fear mongering shows you're more concerned about re-election than the
state of our schools this is not what I expect from burough leadership what I do expect is a focus on prioritizing the schools which means finding money in the Surplus and increasing taxes if necessary I also expect you to begin reaching out to Neighborhood districts
to explore ways to support our district in securing Fair funding from the state this is not a problem unique to Collingswood South Jersey schools are facing broad funding cuts and small districts with aging facilities will never be able to keep up and yet Your
solution is to bring someone who left at the height of the pandemic as we were approaching the fiscal clip what is going on this is not leadership I'm appalled by your decision-making throughout this entire process if you truly wanted to solve this problem you
would be working to fund the schools now while also looking ahead to next year to find a long-term solution to this complex issue not throwing money away on a consultant when we already know what we're facing this is not what all Hands-On deck looks like and you all
know it all right any public comment on any items on the agenda okay the first resolution is is on the agreement with Scott a so I'll explain to you a couple different things first off what Mr grock said there about
now um just to address a really basic misunderstanding that a lot of folks have that we've been and frally the board hasn't said this at all the way you stated it that that we decide how much money goes to the schools that is
just not true I didn't say the the school board adopts a budget they're in their process of adopting the budget I have former school board members sitting here but they adopt the budget when they adopt a budget it gets sent to the county the county decides what their tax
rate is and tax F go out people pay their taxes to the burrow we receive we collect the taxes and whatever that Schoolboard budget was that they came up with we send them a
check in four equal installments for the total amount of that budget the burrow does not we never ever ever have for decades ever sat and said
how much should go to the the schools well you know there's a history curriculum class we want to add so we should add a little bit more that never happens because that's not how the state system is set up okay so the notion that
any FAL government has ever decided how much goes to the schools is just false it's not how it works okay now having said that we we were asked on
February 10th to increase taxes doesn't increase our budget it increases our L our tax level by $3 million if our staff came to me came to us and gave us a budget and said we have
to increase $3 million this year okay I would want copies of the working papers I would be asking a 100 questions I would be saying what is it we can do to help reduce those costs so that we feel
reduce Services what do we got to do to make this work okay that is all we've done we have asked to see the current budget for which we are told there is a $3 million
short ball the night it was presented that I was there February 10th it was a big deal was made of Transportation costs when that meeting ended I spoke with the president of the school board
and I said you know just sitting here hear what your issue is I you know maybe there's a there's an option on Transportation maybe we start maybe the bar starts a bus company maybe we buy some buses a couple years ago we had track guys a contractor call up and say
they're not coming anymore so we started a trash company and we bought trash trucks and we collect them so what what I said to him that night was we'll go go over what you need it for because we can share that service I could run seniors
to different places during the day we take kids on special like we could we can look at doing that he was like okay they they will not give us the current budget where there is this deficit we are not have never
ever said that someone that works there and is preparing this has done something bad or wrong we have never said that while we are trying to get this information and trying to get just
information out to people which there has not been the kind of public Outreach that we think there should be for a three $3 million tax increase and that's what we have tried to do okay it I think
everybody should know about it everybody should know about it because I'll tell you when the tax bill hit in July they are not going to the school board okay I get those calls I sit with the the seniors crying in my office because they
have to move okay so we're simply asking to look we I contacted Scott oswal the day after I got the letter from uh the school board president asking us to form a
partnership okay that was the ask the letter one of us to form a partnership we responded a day later and said we're in here's what we're probably going to need okay that was a Wednesday come
Monday there was a resolution put up on the web asking us to raise taxes by $3 million like I said we're trying to get the information that we need to either
try to help the forward and sharing costs help with ideas to cut costs we just to give you the game plan Wednesday night is a town Forum which we intend we put together a team that's
been working on this uh our Auditors two folks from our Auditors Mike Garcia and de Deanna roller Betty Joe our CFO Cassandra uh Sandy Kelly's been working with us on this she's the grants consultant does our Communications Scott
oswal has been working with us on this uh Sher Tracy I just brought her in today she's our financial advisor she's also the financial advisor for the schools Lindsay Ferguson has been working with us on this I've met with state legislators I've met with the
league of municipalities we are we have a tentative plan together that we want to hear what people have to say on Wednesday night um and see if that modifies this in any way Our intention was that next Monday we
would be at the school board meeting to lay out a plan okay um we Scott oswal in my opinion Services were have been essential and will be essential because we never do school budgets we have never
worked on it we never decide what goes into a school budget we never review them we do not speak school budget okay just like if you were to ask a Schoolboard member to look at our budget they would go grab somebody that's done
it before and say yeah help me here what's where what is this so he has been invaluable I think he will continue to be invaluable because he has he has the perspective of what different things are
within the district what not just this District any District what things we could do as we try to put together plan it we're able to bet and review options okay so that's that's my reason you want to anything you want the the amount of
time creative problem solving efforts collaboration that we have all put in in these last few weeks the notion that we do not care about the schools is completely ill-founded and is rattling
around in social media I have seen Outreach I have seen like I said creative problems just ideas being put forth and real effort and we're g to
roll out an extremely thoughtful proposal on how to once we get feedback from what people want we're trying to be responsible stewards of our money we're trying to say we if we're going to give you this money we need to know what you're spending it on you don't go to
the bank and ask for $3 million and say no you don't have to see my any of my documents it's important that we know exactly what we're funding we're not trying to undermine the um business administer not trying to undermine the superintendent we're trying to get a
clear picture of the funding look here's here's what I say and I have to remind myself this too sometimes is that um I don't matter in this process J Morgan Rog CH CL McDow
that we don't really matter what matters is we come up with a solution to an immediate budget crisis and that beyond that that we work on ensuring that's the budget that's sustainable moving forward and as much as you know believe me hear
from a lot of people not not a lot of it's good silly is the best thing I've been called this week um is that the the chatter that's out there is is is not necessarily com here not trying
to smch any we're also not trying to impose anything it's not a top down and Scott oswal itself look I'm not gonna change anyone's mind about Scott oswal that's okay right we can we can disagree reasonable people can disagree um I
would say that Scott oswal is there to bring perspective and understanding this the $40 million ganization our school district we should treat it more than than than a tweet a Facebook post a Reddit post it's more than
that not everyone has the responsibility to look at every angle of these we can look at variable one stat and say aha I got it I know what it is and that's it and I'm on this side I'm not playing
sides the only side I'm on is school district and the students and that takes time it takes patience it takes diligence it takes knowledge experience and and the one thing it takes is not an
ego so for all of us whether we're sitting at the table trying to work this out or as citizens who are also part of this process we need to breathe I think we need to listen and I think we need to understand that if this was easy if this
was just as easy as as uh you know waving a magic wand it would be done already it's hard work and I promise you I promise you we're doing the hard work we're trying to come up with ideas we want feedback from that will it be
perfect I don't know will it be good enough hopefully can we where we get it better I I certainly hope so we should never stop trying to make it better and um you know that that's where I'm at right I just add this like in the past
like I've critical of the board the board's been critical of me um day I've been critical of Scott Oswell Scott Oswell was critical of me so what like we disagree at different times on different things we're all working
together we are working with what we have to put together a plan we'll have it by next Monday have it done and presented okay and then we can all go from there no public session comes at the end of the resolution okay PA go
ahead author with Scott a LLC for Consulting Services yes yes entering into a memorandum of understanding understanding that Habitat for Humanity of sentr Jersey Central New Jersey so this is a relationship that
we're starting with uh with habitat and Humanity really focus on trying to um get some a few different angles of One is using their expertise their their ability to get grant funding at doing some uh rehabilitations on houses that
would qualifi as affordable houses um they have some links that they can work into become a second source for us on the abandoned properties list that we've been working on for years now which thankfully we're at a point that it's like below five now and we're asking at
our fire department last week to go do another review to give us like what the next 10 um so we've got a couple different relationships with habitat this is getting things going and um we hope that it's going to be ative
relationship yes yes appointing labor depart Works Anthony G yes Appo members Library board and yesth least the property at 315
white so the property at least 315 white first PL is the scotch R and what we've been in discussions with the Masons and we are about to extend um the lease period for another 40 years um on
Scottish R we coming near the end of it um by The End by near the end like another 20 years we have left in but we have this past couple years we had been able to get infrastructure funding from the county
um that has allowed us to do major improvements at the theater uh which is pretty much the um the the new Air Conditioning that's in and some other repairs this is going to um extending this lease will give us the ability to
go apply for other grant funding that we that there's a new program at the state that we're hoping to get substantial grant money in order to address the fact that it's not fully Ada comp client um that their seating needs to be replaced
um there's a lot of work that get done in the theater this by extending that least ter out further gives us the ability to go get some more grant money to get some more work done on the tri okay um yes yes authorizing to for
contract yes yes we're reiding it because no one bid the first time yes authorizing the accept of the gcaa grant funds for municipal Alliance
yes all application for cdbd funding this is Community Development block grant money it's a federal funded program hopefully it's still there uh we get it every year and this is just get an application report yes yes approv and
change order number one final from think papers hard staking LLC company for the transit Village investment Improvement so this is related to there's some flashers and some work that's been done at different crosswalks on Haden Avenue that's what this relates to it's finish
of the contract yes yes accepting a maintenance Bond and releas the performance guarantee paper C scaping for thejd trust fund trans best so that's related to finishing their contract and releasing their performance
guarantee but they have completed the contract that's yes authorizing raffle licenses to J place tender in and cont to the collective yes yes authorizing the refund of a over
payment yes yes authorizing to advertise for assault storage sh yeah memorandum of understanding with the fop yes so this is resolution of our did you skip over one yeah yeah you Skip One
I did yes auth Award of emergency contract for not emergency contract is for uh water repairs right it was water repairs that we had to do with it were substantial so we had to contract somebody in our guys couldn't handle
their own that's all that is it's an emergency helps us well we have to hire some money right away to fill water coming out let's yes yes yeah auth understanding this is settling our fire
contract which we talk a little bit about that is related to I'm sorry I'm sorry our Police contract my mistake the um finalizing our Police contract we talk before them with our budget um we have the additional million dollars in
salary uh in the first year half a million dollars in in uh subsequent years all part of um and I want to emphasize this again this was really this negotiation was much more of a Cooperative effort um because the the
difficulty in the Uniform World especially the police is attracting police officers with all that's going on in the last few years uh you may not believe this but there not the line that there used to be of people that want to become police officers so we have been
going through where we we swear in a couple cops every other meeting and we're not gaining in the size of our course we're simply replacing people that have left and they're leaving for more money and so what we need to do is
we thought we need to bulp this up in working with the with the collective bargaining unit to uh to get it to a level that we thought we could ATT trct and retain police officers so this is simply authorizing the mou we'll have a contract yes
au25 be read by title right yes yes so this is tonight was advertised as uh the public hearing on our budget we are not um adopting our budget tonight we are amending our budget tonight so it
will be scheduled for another public hearing uh on April the 7 um but if there is anyone that's here that wants to talk about it more than Happ the the budget is uh on average a
$71 increase um that's for under the rebout homes that are valued $450,000 um the the change I'll just tell you the amendment I already talked about salaries the amendment that we're making in it has to do with um a pilot
payment the schedule of pilot payment on the F view the in the original budget that was put together the the there was kind of an automatic uh formula applied to the uh
the valuation based on our Ral okay and on review when the assessor went through that that the jump did not happen on the Park new Ral um like most people have seen you know at on average is doubling
and it didn't happen there because the property sold two years ago and it was assessed at its market value at that okay so the change that is made is it's changing getting the correct valuation
on their rebound what it is and that affects what that Revenue number is okay we've been able to absorb that in a mix of using some more of our Surplus um making some in different line
items so that the net effect of the loss of that revenue is no there's no difference for the taxpayer it is still um a $71 increase is what it will be with this SP okay so anyone want to
comment public you know any kind of public comment on the municipal budget yes sir I just had a question on the Surplus piece on the budget in the last two columns it went from I think
1.7 to 3 million so can you just talk to that Amendment and why that that change from one sure I and I understand people on social media were posted about that but it is not it doesn't mean the incre the Surplus through okay what it means
actually is the Surplus went down a bit what it means is that we increase the amount of surplus that we were using to support the budget okay and and it's in you can see it in I don't know maybe page seven
eight on the budget that's online and I made some copies because I know people were talking about it but I made some copies that you can you can see it there's a recap sheet in the budget and the calculation what it does is it the Surplus so when you all when we all think of surplus it's like how much
money are we holding in the bank in case right and so what it does actually is under the original budget we had 2.2 million that we hold in in case okay and now that number is 1 million
18 okay the 3.2 that's shown in the resolution we're doing tonight is increasing the amount we're using from our Surplus to support the budget can you can you tell us what the surplus of the
of gwood is that you're able right now it's 1.85 million under the budget that we but that's being proposed now it'll be 1.85 million that's what it is I know heard people saying that we had 3 million sitting somewhere in the bank we don't
and Wednesday night we'll have the Auditors there and you can talk to the guys that go over the books like we don't it's just not so okay so but I have the Sheets if anybody wants to say yes on the bud go ahead yeah just it's curious so I I was trying to
understand the bank that you mentioned before creating that to yes put any sort of surplus in how is the Surplus that you're talking about now different than that I didn't mention a surplus with respect to a bank okay the bank the bank
what a bank is is in and we have the school board has one bank one cap school board has one cap it is their op it is their operating cap okay so that only governs what they can spend okay it doesn't they don't have a tax levy
because we ultimately want do that do that L okay we're the mortgage company and we collect your insurance okay so on the cap we're at our operating cap we can't spend any more money but we have a
secondary cap which is a tax levy C which is how high you can raise taxes that has accumulated c bank bank for prior years and this year it's 3 million 31 32
something like that okay this year the what's contributed to that tax ly cap is a million4 got added to it so it's three okay so what that can be used for what that could be used for is there are
costs that the burrow has that aren't in the operating capit okay like we could we could go spend add three million to the budget we could have done it last year add 3 million to the budget and redone
roads okay $3 million worth of Road re you know replace $3 million worth of sewer you could do that okay the reason we don't do that is it's a $700 increase in taxes we don't do that to everybody instead we we work on doing some every
year like we keep it you know so that so that people can a fored as well okay that's another it's a counterbalance we have so that's why there's a different cap on what we can spend we can't we can't raise that money by a million
bucks on our tax levy and take that money and pay police salaries can't do that we have to do that from within that operating P budget okay that's what that's what they are all right any other any other comments questions okay okay
next one I'm do a call voteing the amendment of The 2025 budget mayor mayor yes reining services with pector service training yes yes
no no that's all right that's right no this is simply um that we're we're taking advantage of some programs from within uh that are offered by our Mel which is our self- insurance pool with respect to kind of they're making a little push about customer service so
like we're doing a little bit of a push and reupping some training for all of our all of our employees since they all pretty much are public faing but kind of just reaffirming that and kind of reupping and and um trying to get all our folks back into some of that
training that's all this is yes yes approving the pay yes sure sure Rich Robinson I would like to announce that we are
adopting a proclamation to observe March 31st as transgender day of disability we're going to present Proclamation at a later date uh but wanted to make everybody
aware um it's in an effort to raise awareness and the importance of dignity and fairness and in light of federal documents webs and population moving our transgender Americans from um from those
documents um it's an effort to elate our our community and the importance of the Beloved and very much real and wonderful
transend okay thank down yeah that not to get Applause I know that I'm not to say there you go you don't have anything get to standing out um uh two
things two items one is um the fire department is kind of re resurrecting this year uh a St fick's event okay it's the last Sunday of March Matt okay the last Sunday of March um a lot of this is
done um many moons ago we lost one of our very young firefighters um Andy stesy um who just was an ace um bobi here in town has been this year he
celebrates his 50th year as a special police officer you go to anything in town you find sty out working okay but many minuts ago we lost Andy um with cancer it started it's kind of a a very difficult time and we lost him in the
span started St baldrick's event fundraising for Pediatric cancer um it's a it's a party at the Scottish Bri uh it is hair cutting party where they shave
everybody and people raise money for it but where everybody starting about like every event you know guys running get a little beat by it this one is a like it'll be mob it's crazy what it is but we want I want to urge you all take a look B you know we're going to hopefully
have a tile up on our website uh it's a huge fundraiser it's a great time uh make sure you get out and supported um the second thing is maybe an issue that's gotten as much social media chatter as school stuff which is not
quite a serious an issue but it's online registration of the summer camp um it's a program that um God it's around forever but we never it was always the paper registration we could
never get enrolled into uh online we have successfully accomplished that so uh keep an eye out that registration it's doesn't we don't take care of like we don't hand a lot of kids it's less than 50 right 95 how many 95
preso and Elementary but so but it's going to have online registration a major advance for local government that we now have online registration for this it's taking a long time um that's all I have okay we're going to open it up to the public
anything this is when you can talk about whatever it is you would like to talk anyone yes they address please Styles just concerned about the sading that
coule we need to well um I I don't I don't think you can um you can put blame on your staff okay um this is and and this is a person who um that day and other days like
there's been issues with some and some other establishments um never violent okay um it's justly unfortunate event um I I think for me at least the worth is that is the
randomness of it um it is uh it's just something we all need to be careful of um the the the staff at raccoon um like I touch B with them following morning like to make sure they were all they were getting what they
needed because they um they react when this person was just kind of something didn't seem right um police were on their way when this happened um it is um it was just so close to have avoided it
but um yeah I don't know I don't know on this one I don't know what we can do I mean policing we're we're we're doing all we can like I don't know it's just a random thing that there's nothing just got to keep our eyes and ears open all the time and if things
don't look right make the call like don't hesitate um this has triggered us to remember all the times when something happened and people later said to us you know I kind of saw this happened and thought that was weird that's not this one this one the the folks that were
working felt something wasn't right um and called and the police will responded when um it turned violent like that and we start we started the meeting with our police fire up here and the
work that they did so quickly to you know every camera tra track person down to sure that no one else was hurt that person appr without any any officers getting hurt
cond done there I will say just in terms of some good news about sort of we don't we don't get us calls us you know any issues you know noise broken been running well think patrons
have as well not keep going we clearly don't want something that's disturbs something that enh and we'll be at another meeting we'll be recognizing folks that were involved in that because U patrons stuff that was like the stuff
that people did was you know just beyond call it's really they really should the young man still you know struggle along um but um you know we're hoping for the best we're trying which if you know anybody we already had one of the patrons um you we've gotten help for
them um so we're and staff is fully available to the to the staff was working um but if you hear of anybody that was there that night you know that thinks they need some help which goodness gracious I I'm sure they do like just have them Reach Out have somebody reach out for them and we we'll
get get okay than yeah any else yes 12 mayor thank you um I had some friends out yesterday that they
yeah yes anyone else yes sir oh I'm sorry Jen sry my bad oh right sorry playing as a traffic cone tonight you all right uh generosity 114 East
Palmer Avenue uh wanted to uh talk a little bit about the uh nixel emergency texts they seem kind of of inconsistent in the topics that are coming to pushes an emergency for instance uh in October when there's a Statewide burn ban it should have been
like I feel like there should have been like a Niel alert for something like that part of our overall awareness in h firefight Wildfire preparedness which I know Governor Murphy has pushed to the towns in January as part of an overall communication and more recent example
being uh at the end of February when there was a fire at the recycling facility it really felt like that should have been Nick alert today was fantastic when there was a road closure but I mean I feel like solar panels is kind of a Miss for an emergency communication so
oh make sure you register for our solar panel program that came out as an emergency text um not sure who in the buau I could kind of put some ideas to about Shem us all right you can shoot all
us iar you this isy Kelly Communications a grant sign up there's an option of informational tax like different typ of taex and all emergency so that might be why you're getting
certain but I mean there'll be a series of months where I won't get any nixer and there will be road closures different types of information get people when you sign up have informational events those sort of
things yeah I'm opted in for everything I know how subscription lists work thank you Sandy but no it's the problem is that there'll be many months where there's no communication of road closures things like that and then we'll get them from time to time I just want to make sure it's more consistent you're G begin to text every other day that's
fantastic I love it trigger figer already start sending text I love it you're going to come in B and say please no more time I no I don't think that'll happen thank you thank you anyone else okay we'll see
you uh Paul graph 36 Harvard uh this is specifically for commissioner leowski yes um I've seen your posts online and I've seen you I've heard you comment tonight on how the Commissioners want to support the schools they want to project positivity they want to partner I'm just
asking for some common sense explanation why you would send a text that says call to the $671 tax increase why would you send a l letter that spokes fear you guys know what you're doing you are triggering
fear in people that this is all about tax increases I know Roger Chu made it Roger Chu made it very clear in that board meeting that this might involve tax increases he also said if you guys have any tax neutral options on the
table please let us know right and and sorry Morgan you you commissioner Robinson excuse me you stated that you've been at this for weeks Steph Bridget brought this information to you in October right so to say that that you're at this for weeks and that we're that
we're trying our best is somehow fall short to me no what they they've highlighted Steve can speak for himself I won't speak for Steve or Bridget they brought to you the fact that this funding deficit was a problem so commissioner Lunas I'd like to response of of how you
think yeah oh well listen there's there's two things we can sit there and say they need $3 million and that'll go to the school and that's good but where does it come from that's not my question sir my question sir is is if you're acting in good faith right
why do you send a text that says come to this referendum so your taxes don't get raised essentially it's to discuss things look you can no no no you don't get to sit there you want to tell me I'm just like you I got some Rob got you you want to talk
we'll talk we can talk now we can talk afterwards okay it's really okay the fact of the matter is I want the whole town to be a part of this not three people not 11 people over there and when
we did the police fire meeting you know what we did we had Town meetings and you know what we did we raised taxes and you know what we did we told them we were going to raise taxes and you know and it worked and people came understand the people that live there they weren't happy that we were going to put a police
fire there side oh this is going to disrupt their neighborhood and good at this and the lights are going to bother and you know what happened we say oh maybe we can rethink I do those maybe you know as we look at the the brick that we use and stuff we make sure that it fits into the a just little things
like that happen so one of the reasons why we did this egregious thing is because we've done it in the past and it seems to work my this is a town hall that we have scheduled anyway we had these Town Halls you know twice a year where we say just come go agenda
whatever you want to talk about and you know sometimes people come there and say I want to stop sign I don't want to stop sign um sometimes great great idea sometimes it's criticism sometimes it's thank you it's okay because you know when you're a town of 14,000 people I
expect to have and so I don't think it's disingenuine talking about you know president Shu did did mention that that it would be there we did as well but if the word you know maybe not your favorite flavor you look at us and say
how you did it is bad how he did it is good that's fine we could agree on it I understand I'm willing to get past it and work on on the schools if you are to I'm in if you're not I'm we just can't carry on like this that's it that's all I can tell you I would just add the
notice that we sent out was with because we did not feel that there was Outreach to all the residents to tell them that is this going to involve a t okay that's why the the notice listen the notice for
the meeting the February 10 meeting when the resolution was adopted went out on nixel to the school Community that's it okay and since then there has been no public notice to the community from the Board of Education
none they notice their meetings you go to their meetings you can hear about it but none and when there is this this would listen this would be the largest Municipal tax increase in the burrows's
history I think everyone should be aware of okay and voice their opinion that's all that's all we did and in the nixel I don't know the objection that's exactly what said that to his credit I think his line was I don't want to sugarcoat this this
will involve a tax increase unless the burrow can come up with tax neutal Scott oswal that's why you had come on be be realistic you're okay that's it go ahead go ahead I just was gonna say that just from an outsider I think what he's saying is the way that
it was communicated not necessarily even the facts like if there's there's two parts par there's one is you're raising taxes or there's tax neutral so the conversation the way that it was communicated feels on this end or in the world that it is an aggressive stance as opposed to a collaborating
stance I hear you that's I hear you but listen it it it needs where our position how we view our position is I don't know what what what what there is in their budget that we can help resolve because I ain't seen it
they have refused twice now to give it to us they told us go look at the old stuff that doesn't explain what the three million okay we would love to we're going to give our own ideas okay right but I'm saying you called in another superintendent when there's an actual superintendent that literally has
questions and answers for you sitting there so like why would not giving us answers well so like then let's discuss that for a second so like they said no we try what I'm saying is you're paying $150 an hour you could pay me $150 an hour and I'll sit there and explain to
you here's the superintendent here's the answers here's the question like it feels crazy to me that you'd go to someone else when there's an actual person here is very educated and as a doctor has all these backgrounds to just ask him the question and if you can't get him in the room let's discuss that if you can't get him in the room that's
a very different story yeah well we okay all right okay that's fine Donald 615 Strokes out I would like to thank you for what you've already put out there I think you explained it
pretty well that you were thrown a political football at the end of the game and now you have to handle that and you have to come to us and ask for a tax increase and I think you guys have done
a very very fine job in a very short amount of time now from my point of view if I'm going to hand over tax money uh addition to what I've already paid I would like some you know uh
conditions like this shouldn't happen $3 million as I said before earlier in the meeting this that's unheard of in education and if it was me I would sit there and say look okay if we do approve this there are some things that we want
from you that first of all never happens again second of all that the back pay that the teachers are owed gets paid and that their steps move up they don't forfeit this step this year so
they save money that money should have been already budgeted last year for all the raises and everything else so the fact that you don't have contract is amazing to me when that money was already budgeted and now it's gone so did they use the $3
million listen Wednesday night we're going to have you don't know I understand we going to have you know a a small team that's going to talk through all this stuff here like many of you been to our town forums we're GNA have we're gon to engage in it we're g to
talking hear what everybody has to say about it's it's NE get been here 20 years and for me like one of the biggest problems living in this town has been the communication between the school board and the bur and there's
like things that have happened over the 20 years and they're like well that affects my property value of this relationships like something crazy happens there and I'm like that affects you know can you tell me the history of the
communic the two things they seem to me like they should be in integrated into each other the communication between the bar and SCH but it doesn't seem like that's a reality and so I'm just
interested in the history of that and how we got that's probably you because you've been here well listen it's been it's been look it's been Scott oswal it's been a working like with osw it was a
working relationship we disagreed on stuff there were stuff that happened and we had battles okay but we still we still worked on stuff okay we still worked we still we still had that level of yeah we're going to disagree like Rob was saying on this like the budget stuff
last in the middle in things kind of broke down in the referend okay last year we made uh when the referend was in process we sent over a proposal to have us purchase Good Shepherd
um give Applause to the capital referendum and do an operating budget referendum this okay that's what we in our letter that's what we sent over to them and said really we should
take a pause and deal with teachers's contract shortfall that you had in the spring it could be be worse next year and we were told no no okay so things there hasn't been a
whole lot of communications I I reached out to the superintendent I spoke with him the day before the referendum vote I called the school board president the day before the referendum vote and said whatever happens tomorrow let's sit down
L okay and we'll figure out whatever happens School president ever called me back never got scheduled with the super I followed up later we had a we were we had a spot where we thought might work for offices for them to go take a look
at and it just I I'm not I'm not taking it that way I'm just telling you it has been it has been not like when I go to the Board of Education meetings there's not a representative of the phoh sitting when
I come here there's not a representative of the school board sitting here like it seems that there's a disconnect it's two things that should be most important in running this community because I was going to answer
a little different so I'm GNA is that communicate all the time right but you know are the police and the school district are working on security and safety issues our our our Public Works and buildings and grounds are working
they're collaborating recreation park programs very you know we get access to the for basketball to to use their stuff stuff is done all the time this obviously a different thing but I I will
tell you right like governing isn't politics right I think a lot of we're dealing with is politics I don't mean in a bad way politics isn't a bad thing but there's unlimited wants and needs and there's limited resources to do and and
ultimately someone calls shots on under s and it's a process that that gets you but but but governing is is you know is truly a you know it's a it's a skill it's a
Endeavor that almost has to operate in a political environment but you also have to have blinders on you have to say look I got to hear it but I don't have to own it I don't have to get angry I don't have to cut off relationships with anyone and that's a really part of we do
right we're all l I of was coming from professionals and do stuff right the school board I sered on there I know the people my friends are on there they're good decent people they're doing best I know the superintendent I know the board
secretary good decent people we need to work together are you great but we are but would I say I give us an a no right now we're throwing I don't keep hyping up a plan wasting bucks but we're we're
putting we're putting something together that's going to call call for an extraordinary level of par okay all right like the first letter the first letter we got before there was a you know request to raise taxes it was for a par and we responded back and said like
what let's go let's get together and then it moved into it was this tax increase is what was being has like that's what I know that we're talking about other stuff they asked for but like the resolution that was adopted
asks for us to raise $3 million in taxes and send it over so that then triggers us like okay we dare you let us start looking and evaluating what we can do and that's what we've been trying to do and we will by that
was February 10 by Next by the end of this week next week we're going to we're to have stuff together and it calls for a much greater degree of partnership on a lot of levels and I think I speak for all three of us when I say no Bri just been burned door is closed happy to talk
happy to and you know I think we're going to get there like I me this is just a 20 year observation like it's not always been like that I know that I mean people think oswal like I never got along with anybody like it's
and me working together a lot of heads will spin because people think like oh they hate each other like no we disagreed on some things we certainly disagreed on some things but we can we disagreed on things but we can still talk and we also recognize they were in
a school district they had certain thing so there's cooperation and there's also hand off and it's a balance okay we're gonna go around yes yes Lind you have a question I have a question question uh somebody online is asking how do the grant monies received by the school help
or hurt the budget if they are listed as unearned Revenue how do how do the grand monies help the help or not hurt the schools I don't know we I just don't know I have no clue I know for us for municipal budgets usually the grants we
get aren't just like generic grants they're specific so like we get grant money from the dot to pay a block ah had an Avenue like that's what it goes to so I don't know it's Capital so ours don't go to necessar
labor costs and stuff and that that's part of the details that you have to look at so it's getting it's not aha we found a place to cut it's also just do we have a full understanding of and so questions like that were questions that we have as well because that's about
sustainability too what happens if Co funds run out next year or some grants prepared for it look activ be is PR up who knows back here yes yeah like let's say the worst case scenario is we can't
find cryst Lord 325 Newton Avenue which I provided earlier in the um thank you if the worst case scenario is that you can't find this say we can't find this $3 million and and it comes down to a property tax increase what are the
mechanics does that go out on a special referendum for the town to vote on or what happens you can raise the taxes tomorrow okay so is there is this like just a $3 million one time for this next school year or is it like an annual
increase into perity correct but that's tricky if we do it because if we do it then every year the school district comes upan it goes up every time I don't Part: 2
for the town for right we're just there some people standing up front and talk but we were advised that they would not be there on Wednesday hopefully that changes anybody can come so the town Forum doesn't allow us to ask questions and get answers
exactly you're going to ask all the questions of us and we'll answer as best we can what I'm trying to say is that this is going to be a somewhat useless conversation if the board is note I I I won't make that to determination I don't think so I think
it's still it's very valuable for these three people to hear what everybody thinks it helps inform the details of our plan that we're going to present to the board so if we we'll get feedback on our plan that we can fine-tune it because we're not trying to just ask the
school Community we're trying to ask the entire Community Okay Kevin I'll get you one second I thought you go one more sure uh you get another I should say you're not limited to one way4 palav um so one of the things actually
when Rob said talked about the the public safety building process what I remember very distinctly was when that was presented we were told how many wonderful places under the couch cushions we were going to find be
finding money over the next several years that we going to pay for the the um you're right you're right go ahead um and and that it wasn't like a huge burden because it was being contrasted
directly to the referendum that um Scott Oswald had put forward right in 2018 like that it was right after that I think or somewhere right around the same years yeah no yeah your memory is good and and I I remember that and I'm just
I'm looking and I'm seeing you know talking about we have uh there was talk about at one point 4 million surplus and we're spending for some reason $550,000 to buy the um derel gas station
um rather like I I think we need a valuation of our priorities and I I think this needs to be evaluation of our priorities and I'm hoping that you know I like the reason people didn't like the
671 per year tax increase text is because I think most of us who want funding for schools are really hoping that everybody together which means out out of your budget too can find stuff that's not going to put that huge of a
burden on colins with taxpayers because I want schools to be properly funded very deeply it's a huge priority of mine I understand I don't want to run people out of town you know and I I don't think anyone here does you know so I I I think
that and and you know I also hear when the mayor says you know add think Scott Oswald took people out of the Town Hall you know the constructiveness of this thing like you guys have to get it together like this is an emergency we're
going to lose a lot in our schools if we don't get our stuff together and get it together Pronto you know so please like consider all that as seriously as you can because the messaging we've been
getting um the messaging we've been getting hasn't been showing people working together when we need them to and that takes two yeah so thank you and I just want to say because you you are right what we but you know the police
buyer what we did what we talked about is is Money Management that we made decision looking a couple years before to aggressively pay off the capital debt so that we could retire debt so that we
can bring on that debt so the fact is is of course we have to pay for the building and we you know and and money was paid for it but we took off what was let's say a $200 car payment and then we added a $200 car payment so that's how we tried to do it say how do you get an
asset without creating a thing and sometimes you got to look multi years ahead to figure that and just to be clear about that in terms of the school budgeting right because I've been to a lot of school board meetings and I followed a lot of this and I can tell
you what happened is that before I think 2023 bethan was able to pull a million dollars aside every year as a operating Surplus that she was able to use for um
things that were coming up throughout the year and in 2023 I remember she brought up during the budgeting process that that was the first year and the gentleman who mentioned like $3 million doesn't happen in education you have to understand that districts got hit like a
freight train by these Transportation costs and what's happened is their ability to do long-term planning has effectively been wiped out by large scale uh increases in in funding
you know I I I honestly think they I think that this was like the last thing that knowing Roger this was the last thing he wanted to do uh for everyone Roger CH the board president I think this was the last thing he wanted to do
you know but that they're finding themselves out of options no one doubt no one doubts that there's a severity of the issue so thank you Kevin Walker Kevin Walker 401 West Franklin um I think it's absolutely that someone from the school board be there
it's just to me it's it's crazy that someone would not be there you but if you could revisit that issue otherwise all we're going to have Jim are dueling meetings I went to the board meeting last week and the numbers are
are Grim the numbers are Grim Scott's going to tell you the numbers are Grim there's probably not a lot you're going to be able to do about that you talk about a partnership well a partnership has to be real you've got to get everybody in the room together Rob says he knows people on the board Rob did Roger a call bet b should be there I
would suggest in fact they should be talking to your people tomorrow so you guys can go into this you have a plan well what's going to is a plan unless you have Buy in from the board and if we have this separation I mean it's just driving me crazy you asked about the
history we have not been properly L Years A lot of times it doesn't matter at all because the numbers work for everybody and the budget's okay we're looking at a $3 million shortfall it's going to be more than that because we're going to lose State funding we got to get you guys in a room you've got to
resolve these issues you need their numbers person that's bethan she needs to be there have a telephone call tomorrow briefer on what your auditor is going to say and let's go into this meeting with some type of a concrete plan I for one was very happy to get the
letter I'm not on social media I don't know what the buzz is I don't know what the noise is I miss the February 10th meeting as a result of that so I'm glad I got something in in writing something on paper it was a little bracing but I mean that's the reality and people in
this town are going to have to wrap their heads around that reality please collaboration is the watch word get together get in a room let's make sure we have representation at this meeting or it's it's it's not really going to work agreed Amy 830 Park I just have a
question about the actual process so right Wednesday night is a meeting and that proposed idea or the strategy that you guys have is being presented to the community or the board when does no we're just taking we're just taking what hearing what people have to say we're trying to work on something the board
had invited us I don't know if we're still invited but they had invited us to a meeting on on Monday to their board meeting on March 10th so it feels like so that's what we would roll it out try and roll it out with them they only want to meet in public meetings but what I mean talking about room they won't meet want
to meet only in public meeting there's two points but the point that I'm saying is we don't have any the community wouldn't have anything to respond to what would we be saying we just be talking to you about what we think we're just presenting we're going to try and lay presting what we're going to try to to to to lay out our understand you are
Wednesday you're laying out the we we may not have our full options but we're going to try to lay out our so Wednesday you're laying it out the board already knows this or the no Wednesday we're not a plan plan out Wednesday night we're just going to talk about we're going to
talk a little bit about um give a little background a lot of stuff that's on our website okay kind of talk through that stuff and then hear what people have to say what their reaction is I know everybody's want to go to want us to get in a room and collaborate and like get it all worked out I I get it I
understand that be happy okay the well the board wants to meet only in public meetings what do you do you want to meet with them I would meet tomorrow I would have meant I would have me monso it's what it's deeply frustrating sit down we're I mean I've spent a lot of time as
frustrated as yall really really really it seems so silly this is a silly situation so how can we help like I'm more than happy to help I can call people I'm happy to do whatever I need to do we're ready to meet and sit by the end of this week we can sit with them
and go over it and in I think their issue is they want all I the word is transparency so there's no back room talking it's only a public meetings to me I mean okay that's fine and that's what we're doing and you're
all telling me that that's frustrating it's not the way we're going to get this done hearing what I'm what I'm saying is a Wednesday night if we're coming to all these people are coming to a meeting to just talk about ideas right but it's not been proposed to the board the board and you are the people that should be discussing it first
correct not the community why would we respond to something we don't even have a respon how could I respond to I'm not asking you to respond I'm asking you this is a proposal that's been made proposal The Proposal is to increase taxes by $3 million that's the proposal
okay and so we want to hear want to hear responses want to hear what folks think what should be done but I mean it seems like am that's what I hear you that's what the mean is going to be it's not just the people in this room mind you probably be a lot more so yeah yes sir
all 36 har thank um two questions um first so you say there's no there's no extra money laying around that can just go to to the school district yet during the referendum you offered to buy good shepher in this meeting alone you've
offered to buy Transportation start a transportation company we to start a transportation company where does that money come from and second question more of a statement than the question I really would love to come to one of these meetings and not feel it be so antagonistic and know
that's that's on me but listen you guys poison pill this let's just you you poison pill this you're hiring Scott off you sent a very abrasive text you sent a very abrasive letter you're Shifting The Narrative to tax increase tax routines
tax increase and you wonder why the board's not wanting to partner with you you're not trying to partner you're trying to bully good can I where we would get the money like we proposed last year for good sheeper we would borrow it so borrowing we would Bond it
we can't borrow for operating expenses we're not allowed what you already that's that's the answer the answer is that's how we would have done it and what is it oh transportation we would work with them first off to reduce those
Transportation costs see what there is that we could share and if if we could make a use of those same Services we could split some of those costs that's the idea okay I I don't know if it works
but we haven't had that discussion yes Crystal 32 um so I don't have kids in the school and I've lived here as long as there's couple here in front of me and um I I appreciate getting the letter from the bur advising us about what's going on
because I don't have kids in the school I've tried a million times to sign up that automatic notification it never works so I mean I I periodically go to the Boe meetings I try to be involved so I'm I'm glad to get the information because regardless
of whether it sounds like fear mongering or not look how many people it brought to this meeting tonight and as much as I like to think that I try to be involved in the community I know that I can do better so my question is similar to my colleague over here is how can more of
us in the community be involved there rather than paying a consultant because that seems to be a lot of strike I wonder if there could be a volunteer call to action there's a lot of people in our community we have a very highly educated Community I can only imagine
that many people including myself would be willing to volunteer to help solve a problem so I wonder if that is being considered and secondly um I know that you're the framing earlier this evening and in the letters that this is the
largest tax increase but please can we keep in mind that many of our res are experiencing a much larger tax increase from the recent property rebounds many many many people in the community are having a much bigger tax increase because of that than this this proposed
school budget so I think that the timing of a proposed tax increase for the school is for many people quite jarring because we're still trying to digest the other tax increase that's much bigger so if we could try to frame it in a way
that recognizes the reality for probably the residents I think would be very helpful but if there's a volunteer call to action please let us know how we can help because I'm all for saving money and cost cutting and I have a degree in accounting and an MBA so if I can help with any budgeting and financial
statement analysis and what have you I'm happy to volunteer and I'm not going to charge $150 an hour thank you thank you and um plan hate to keep saying the same thing has got a little bit of that a little bit of that in it okay that's
what we're we're shooting for yes but that and that's the kind of thinking and ideas that we're at that's exactly why we're having the Forum that's exactly the kind of thinking and Creative Solutions that we're looking for from the community and so I want to thank every I'm not wrapping up I just want to
say really appreciate um I really appreciate everybody being here and being engaged because that's what we need to do to get to the solution anybody else yes go ahead Paso
Harris six scarfield Avenue I think there's important context here of what's going on with public education across New Jersey that you know people keep saying there's a 3 million deficit the board's mismanaged money I think it if
it was framed very clearly that things have changed with the state funding formula there's the 2% cap that over years has you know they they can't keep a surplus any more because 2% doesn't even keep Pace with inflation it doesn't
allow them to give the teachers the raises that they deserve so it's not mismanagement it's it's things that came to a head co slowed it down a little bit because we were able to get essr funds so I think what's missing is the context of the framing
of there's un it's unprecedented situation with with funding in New Jersey there you know aons having budget issues had in Heights hi in Township the how many districts laid off people at the end of last year
this is not a Collingswood Board of Education issue and that's why there's this unprecedented es you know I get it's a lot of money I understand it but I mean if you've been at the school board meetings and have watched them
online they've they've cut staff they've cut funding they've cut programming there's electives that aren't there anymore my kids are at the high school you know we the music program teachers are stretched thin they're increasing class size they're covering extra
classes like the board has done what they could to not pass this burden on to the taxpayers and I think that's the context that is missing and that's why people get you know a $600 tax increase like I get it but I think that that more
context could go a long way in in framing the discussion I appreciate that because because honestly the discussion could be like is is 671 appropriate and it may absolutely be and but there should be all of us as I
know you agree um with that I just want to make one thing clear no one here is saying that the school district or School Board is I just want to make sure I promise you it's not I if we're talking about what goes on online I I've seen the school board and this
superintendent particularly been vilified since his first month on the job and that needs to be acknowledged listen I hear you guess what a whole lot of things bad things get said about a whole lot of people out there okay and it's wrong it's not the
way it doesn't Advance the ball and we still got to sit down and work it out we got to get it done and I think that's where both entities together could be a little bit more cognizant of of what goes on and and just more carefully
things so that we're not pitting entities against each other I I to me that's what it seems like happens you know in in this online got it thank thanks anybody else yes sir 42 East Madison I think what everybody on that
has been speaking a little bit about is we're clearly in a crisis and we need unifiers and as the elected officials I know you don't deal with the school budget we are putting the responsibility on you and the board to solve this issue
when a board does not show up at a meeting that should immediately trigger some language coming out from your offices that this is difficult we're in a crisis and we're working with them to solve for a solution so the letter as informative as it was for
those who are not on social media and I'm not either it was tone and the narrative that has been playing out both in the public has been finger pointing and it has been very abrasive to the narrative that does not
show the collaboration so it's really hard for us to think that our elected officials are not working together and so I want you to think when you put something out in the mail or put something on your website or share
details that the tone is towards collaboration so that the town feels like elected officials are taking responsibility for something that is really difficult and that's not that's what I'm not feeling from the leadership
here tonight even in this meeting to take responsibility and say we are going to sit down at a table and talk with them about this before we release a plan so that when we come to the community we
come to the community together with a plan that's not we're not feeling listen we will we will absolutely ask no problem absolutely ask to do that so far they have not wanted to sit down for those meetings they want to do publics we're invited to their
public and we'll ask I'll push I'll we'll push to get to get that cuz that's to me that's the way it gets done you don't even ask we we live two doors down from the other people we need to actually go there and set it up we don't need to send emails that need to happen
we have okay we have got it anyone else okay we will see you can I just make a quick note oh I'm sorry Lind there was a tech difficulty with the zoom meeting so it ended a little early we'll have the full meeting posted in its entirety tomorrow and if anybody was
not able to make a comment they should email so that we can respond thank you okay we'll see you in April have a good rest of oh see you Wednesday yeah we'll see you here