I'd like I'd like to call the meeting to order tonight. Adequate notice of this meeting was provided in accordance with chapter 231 public law 1975. At this time, we'd like to have a moment of silence. Ina
to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. poll. >> Commissioner Capazola >> here.
>> Commissioner Garcia Bi here. >> Commissioner Ala here. >> Commissioner S here. >> Commissioner Romero here. >> Deputy Director Marsh >> here. >> Director Taylor present. At this time, we're going to have a presentation by Matt Bazarski, director of planning and
tourism and community affairs. >> Good evening, commissioners. Um I was asked to give kind of an update on the um park efforts at throughout the county and uh so I just wanted to we do have uh some new commissioners this year so I
want to make sure everyone's uh up to date on on how this has been going. So if we go back to 2011, um a open space recreation master plan was
completed. Um at that time the trust, the open space farmland trust had been used exclusively for farmland preservation and around 2011 there was growing interest in using it or having it used for um recreational and open
space. Uh so the commission commiss the county commissioned this study um which created criteria for evaluation for uh the county to participate in acquisitions of environmental and recreational open space. Um and that
resulted in a variety of cost share projects with municipalities and nonprofits from that time to the present. um including Barretts Run Park in Hopewell, Sunset Lake and Upper Deerfield, several projects in Vineland around the Manantico Preserve. Um and
those ran from 2013. Um the most recent one closed last year. Um and this is a map from that study that shows the uh restrictions, the environmental
uh restrictions in Cumberland County. You can see it's pretty extensive. Uh we have quite a bit of open space when you calculate everything the state municipal county owned um nonprofit owned uh and a
variety of other programs including for instance the farmland preservation program which you can see the parcels um in upper deerfield uh are in gray. Uh we updated these uh figures for 2026.
So you can see to any extent it's even greater today than it was before. Um one of the things that I really noticed looking at those two maps um is the progress that's been made on the farmland preservation side. So if you look at
2011 in Upper Deerfield and Hopewell area and you look at 2026, there's quite a bit more preserve farmland um today than there was in 2011. Um and then from that from that perspective
uh in 2024 uh we completed the department completed a midcount and fairgrounds master plan. Uh this was part of at that time the county's efforts in expanding recreational opportunities
throughout the county um particularly on county-owned properties and the fairgrounds in Midcounty Park are both county-owned. um and they've been known since the 60s, but there was a particular interest um after CO to uh really work on taking a
firm hand on providing recreational opportunities as much as possible. Um and this led to an interest in improving all the county-owned open space properties throughout the county, not just the Midcounty Park. And we'll go through what those properties are.
Um but in that study in 2024 there were um a series of recommendations made. Uh there were 21 identified immediate recommendations which were intended to be completed within 24 months of the completion of the study. Uh and the
estimated cost for those completions was nearly $3 million. And I'm happy to report that as of this week, and I have some images to show you, as of this week, um, over 85% of all of those immediate recommendations have been completed or in construction right now.
So, that's a great accomplishment and it meets the timeline that we set for ourselves. Um, just to go over what the county currently owns as far as uh park space, we have Jaw Street Pocket Park in Bridton, the Potter's Tavern Pocket Park in Bridton, Cumberland County Midount
Park and Fairgrounds, and um the lawn space in front of the Cumberland County Library, which is Bridton Fairfield. We're going to go through these uh quickly just to talk about what we're doing with each of them. So, the fairgrounds, um, over the last several
years, we have, uh, made significant improvements to the fairgrounds. That includes the new entryway, the new fencing along the entryway facade, uh, new PA system, new video surveillance system, uh, significant electrical
upgrades, um, some of these images are to remind me what everything we've done. Uh, a new ticket booth, which is actually arriving on Thursday. So, um, we'll be able to have an actual photo instead of the architect's rendering. And as of today, the grandstands are
under construction. This is taken, this was taken this morning. So, they are out there um, constructing the new fully ADA accessible grandstands. Um and all of this effort by the commissioners um in investment in recreation particularly at the
fairgrounds has resulted in a cons a considerable amount of increased activity um so far this year and and we've just started the bookings. Uh we have scheduled the Lenny Lafi Pow-Wow in June, the Friends of India Kite and
Color Festival also in June. uh the Cumberland County Fair which runs through July, first couple the first week in July, sec second week in July. Um and a Hispanic festival in August. Uh we have a variety of departmental
activities going on out there. Um we have uh a variety of 4 horse events going on. So it's a very active place and there's more bookings every year. Uh one of the new activities is uh the
recreation and parks and recreation day which is scheduled for May 30th. Um that's being facilitated through the recreation department, the recreation commission. Um and I'll note Melissa Hemple is in the audience tonight. She's our parks coordinator in the department
and runs the wreck commission and uh they've been super busy doing a variety of um activities. This is this event is meant to um advertise and and promote uh all the recreational activities that are
occurring throughout Cumberland County, leagues, sport events that kids can participate in. Um so there'll be sign up uh tents and activities and samples and um uh you know like the soccer club
will show like how to hit a soccer ball and things like that. So, it's going to attract a lot of kids and this is the first year we're having this event. Um, Cultural and Heritage is hosting a summer concert series in August. Uh,
it's going to be the Wednesday evenings in August um out at the fairgrounds. Uh, so uh more details on that as they book the >> uh bands. And then just to go through some of the properties uh that currently are owned
by the county. So you have Giles Street Park uh which is a tiny little pocket park on Vine and Giles and Bridton um underutilized uh up until uh last year when uh the commissioners in the county
uh received grant funding to develop uh jungle gym, swing sets, uh a little soccer practice area. Um it's a really cute little park that's been developed there. uh Potter Tavern Pocket Park. Uh the uh
last month the architect was secured for a grant-f funded feasibility design process to uh reimagine the pocket park around Potter's Tavern across from the courthouse in Bridgton uh which is currently uh not ADA accessible. um to
make it fully accessible and to develop it as a uh anchor attraction for tourism. Uh we are in the process of designing the all-inclusive playground at the lawn
in front of the county library. This is an initial um example of one of the possible uh versions of it uh from the architect working on that. Um, and in fact, we have the initial public input
meeting for the design of the playground scheduled for Wednesday, March 25th at the library. So, um, if you're around, come out and participate in that design chet. Last night we had the initial public
input meeting on the Cohen green corridor study which would be a trail development running from Fairfield up through the city of Bridton along the Cohanzi River um through the Bridton City Park system around Mary Elmer Lake um and coming all the way around to the
Hopewell business district and the Amish market. And we had over 30 attendees at the outreach uh and input meeting last night where the architect provided a variety
of um designs and considerations for the public to provide input. We're really excited about that project. Um that we are also working on the Cumberland County Midount Park Trail development. Uh this is these are two parcels across
the street on Maras Avenue from the fairgrounds. Uh we have grant funding secured for trail development on that. Um this is the uh most delayed project because as most of you know there was contaminant found on the site which has to be mitigated. We are nearing
completion on that process. Um and so we can begin the design of the trail system in the next month or so. And then moving forward, um the farmland and open space trust based on the language in the original referendum
question can only be used for land acquisition. Um, so as we move forward and look at amenity needs and recreational opportunities throughout the county, um, the county will be looking at how to expand the county park
system, how, you know, what park, what areas to consider for potentially new parks or new open space um, opportunities. And then um as a department we'll be working on continually continually updating uh the
planning process related to parks because it's ever changing. The design the master plan that was done two years ago um now needs to be updated because we've completed everything that was in the immediate recommendations. So we need to start looking at what we want to do next out there. Um, so it's a
continual process um with a lot of public input and um so that's that's it in a nutshell. >> Thank you Matt. That's wonderful job. Really appreciate the update. >> Thank you. >> Next we'll be receiving a presentation
from the Delaware Bay Shellfish Council. I just have to do the tech. Should be good to go here. All right, there you go. Thank you. >> Uh, you're just going to move forward by pushing this key. >> Pushing this key. >> Yeah.
>> Okay. My name is Bonnie Hollinger. I'm the chair of the Delaware Valley Shelfish Council and industry member. >> Steve Flewood. I'm vice chair um industry member and um been participant for most of my life.
Yeah, I'm Scott Shepard. I'm also a councilman on Del Bay Sheries Council and I've been an oyster fisherman my whole life. >> So, one of the things we're here for tonight is uh is to tell you about our industry, which we've talked to some
commissioners. Nobody seems to know we exist. We've been around for this says 160 years. We haven't been in it that long, but there >> fisheries been there for that long. It was just different years ago. We used to
actually go up the bay, pick the oysters up, bring them down, put them on our own leases. Uh diseases stopped that. MSX in 1957 hit, pretty much wiped everything out. They slowly made a comeback. In 1990, another disease called dermmo hit
that really wiped us out and started us to look at how we run this business. What we were able to do was get DEP to work with us, we changed the way that we catch the oysters. Instead of picking
them up and bringing them down, now we do what's called direct market harvest off the seeds, which are majority of the oyster industry is in Cumberland County. Uh we're a $40 million industry for Cland County. All the oysters are landed
in Cumberland County up in Pony Island in downtown Township. They're brought down to Port Norris where they're either Steve has bell packing. So they box them, ship them out. There is Bobby Robbins who ships them
down to most of them go to Virginia. And then there's Harbor House which is stationed in Delaware but owns boats and a chucking house in Ports which a lot of people don't realize if you want to get chucked oysters or if you want to get oysters in the half shell anyone else
can provide that for you. I mean it's the industry is here. Um so what happened during co hit as everybody knows and expenses just doubled and tripled. Uh at the same time
we got hit with low quotas which is where we uh set our quotas are set through a process that involves DP the industry and Ruckers University
and we rely on mother nature to provide us what we call a set. The oysters spawn they go back and forth in the bay and they finally settle. So we've had low recruitment of spat in the last few
years and as part of that is that our quotas have went lower. I mean there was a time that we self-impose a $2 tax on every bushel of oysters that we take out. It goes in a special fund that's in the in the D. Uh we've even weathered
governors trying to take our money and they could not take it. It's so tied up. The only people that can spend it is us. We're the only ones that are allowed to say we're going to spend it and this is how it's going to get spent. But what's happened is because the quotas are low,
so is our revenue is low. We started seeing this in the last couple years. Our quotas are real low. uh DP stepped in and helped us with shell planning but the industry has to do what we call a transplant.
That is one of the ways to enhance our industry. So what we do is we go above the Kahanzi River and we send boats up there which is right now is where all the oysters are setting it seems like is up there. They're not down where we're
at on our on our grounds that we harvest off of. So, in order to do enhancement activities, which is what we do with shell planning, DP put in $200,000 last year in shell planning. They're looking to do another $200,000.
We have to supply, we have to pay for the transplant. So, last year we moved one of the record numbers that we moved, but we're spending somewhere in the neighborhood of 270
to $320,000 a year to do this. uh it's costing us $3.25 a bushel to move them at $2. We're just not generating enough fund. At one time we had a million dollars in
our account and we slowly that slowly went down. >> When you say transplanting, is that thing where they put them in the bags and then you guys set them up? >> No, no, we let me >> because I I'm an elementary school teacher. teach middle school now and I remember them dumping piles of shells at
our students putting them together. Has that have anything to do with you guys? >> Probably a restoration. >> It was a restoration >> restoration project. >> Restoration effort. Yeah. >> We don't do it anymore, but I remember we did it for like four or five years in a row. >> You did it through the Bay Shore Center. >> Yes. Yes. Y So they're still doing it.
>> They are doing it. Okay. Good. >> They're doing it down there. >> And we we only have a few boats left that are capable of doing this transplant. We we go up the bay um usually toward the end of April and we deckload our boats and there's basically
only around four boats now that are still rigged up to be able to do that transplant. So um and and just because of you know the industry that you know participants not being able to make enough money through the years in most cases to maintain the big boats to do
this job. So that's pretty much what's happened. But one thing I want to point I want to make, Bonnie, is we're the fund that's generated with our CH tax is goes strictly back to the bank, >> right? >> It doesn't it's not used for anything else. It's only used for shell planning or transplanting. The self-imposed tax
that we're talking about, it's not used for anything else. >> Yeah. And the one thing we did do this year is we started a process to get the regulation changed because that $2 is in statute is in regulation and we can only change that by getting the regulation
changed which we is in the process right now. It's sitting on the governor's desk. We went to $4 $2 to $4. So we double what we're charging ourselves. So we're just waiting for her. It's it got stuck in the she put a freeze on all
regulations for 90 days and we're stuck in there and we've been working working with our legislators on both sides to get her to release that. Uh if that doesn't happen, then we're going to be stuck at $2 for the rest of this year. >> And where else would you try to tax
yourself more money and the governor won't sign it? >> Hopefully she will. And she's not in but but we unless she signs it by tomorrow >> March 12th. >> March 12th. Okay. >> March 12th. >> We we can't use that money for this year. >> Yeah. So >> it's on her desk. We were told that it's
sitting on her desk and reviewed at this time. >> We've done everything we could and talked to all the our legislators and everything and we well we haven't been a we didn't have enough money last year in this account to do this trans. So, we actually contacted each oyster
participant to to contribute the amount of money that was needed plus the $2 that we spent for our tax to make the transplant happen. We're looking at doing that again this year. >> Right. We've already voted on that last Tuesday night. We had our meeting. We
set our quota and we and we did that. We're going to have to put more money into it. We just we have $108,000 in our account right now and that will nowhere near come close to to doing the transplant. >> So we had a contribution from Kate May
County last year. >> That was the other thing. Kate May County some some oyster men out of Kate May County went down talked to the county commissioners and they gave us $44,000 toward toward last year's and they did it. >> Uh Mr. Challenger, would you explain to
the board how many licenses Kate May has versus Cumberland versus Salem? So when you talk about what Kate May gave to you guys, this board has a a a better understanding of the way the licenses are allocated in in the county.
>> So there's three licenses in Salem County. There's one license in Gloucester County. There's around 20 licensed in Kate May. The rest of them are in Cumberland County out of 80. The rest of them are in Cumberland County. So we definitely help the lion share places probably >> 70 77% of the fish
>> 77 is all county >> is all all people that live in the county >> live in this live in this county. >> So these are just a few slides we have this is the way the shucking was done years ago. Uh this is we used to put the state used to
make us save the shells and then we'd have to put them back overboard. Now this was done we're talking 60 70 years ago. This that's where one of these pictures is from. That was a type of oyster boat. I don't know if you're familiar with the AJ Mirald, New Jersey's tall ship who's in
Port Nars. That's the way she was rigged when she was under sail. She was built in 1928. This is what we have today. This is the Peter Painter. This is one of Mr. Fleetwood's boats. Uh, and that boat is uh dredges in the industry and this is
doing transplanting right now. That's how she's rigged for transplanting. >> She's 121 years old this year. >> So, management oyster is considered a model around the country. We're the only sustainable wild caught oyster fishery
in the United States. Nobody else comes close to what we do. We work together, commercial fishermen, Ruckers University, and regulators, and we bring in people from all over the
country to sit on our panel, which we just got done in in February, and we've been doing this for 28 years. >> 30 years. >> 28 years. Was this last one was the 28th one. >> Can I ask a question? >> Yep. So, so when you run the spat, which
baby oysters up the bay, you're running it for the state. >> Well, it's a it's an enhancement effort. Yes. Yes. >> And and we actually shifted transplanted more oysters from up the bay where we
can't we can't harvest. That's that's prohibited waters. uh we moved them down onto enhance areas where we worked and we actually moved more oysters down and planted than we harvested. >> And one thing that we're doing is all
the way up by the nuclear plant. There's there's three seeds up there in Hurricane Irene and tropical storm Lee. 99% of those oysters died. the fresh out, the water came down and the salinity levels got down and it
killed them almost every one of them up here and it hurt the rest of them down the bay. So since that time we've been making an effort to move those oysters when we get a good set up the bay to move those oysters out of there because we know what's going to happen if we get
tremendous rainfall. don't we don't even know what's going to happen now with all the snow we've had the dam releases that are going to happen up in Pennsylvania and New York if that's going to affect us at all. So we're doing a transplant this year
from up in that area. So Ruckers leads this the survey to contract commercial boats. They go out uh and shell fisheries does disease studies. There's 34,000 acres up there
divided into beds and regions. We do thermmo monitoring. Uh we do side monitoring to see what we're bringing in, what the size of them are, uh how many's alive, how many's dead. This is this year's quota
that we're going to be working off of. As you see here, we have to move. Oh, the top one is very low mortality. That's up by the nuclear plant. We're moving 6,411,000 bushel. You come down. >> Oysters. >> Oysters.
>> Oysters. >> Bush. >> Yeah. 612 bushel. Uh >> deck bushels. >> Deck bushels >> is what what go on the boat as far as estimated bushels. the uh >> so so the low mortality is off of uh
Green Witch. It's up in that area. Shiloh over that not Shiloh but up in the Green Witch area Stoke Creek up in that one. And the medium mortality transplant is right up off of the Shipyard Lake in there. So that's the number of removals we're going to be
trying to move this year. And then down if you get the next SL underneath of it shows the how many markets abundance size oyers which is two and a half and up. How many removals, how many oysters
per bushel and the quotas per bushel for each person. >> Does that show the percentage of what we harvest as to what is on the beds there? >> No, >> I don't think that. So one of the
enhancement efforts is shell planning which that's running around $60ome,000 each barge that we put up there. The barge holds around 20,000 bushel that's cont there's a sh there's a clam house in Fort Nars at the end of the road
Surfside. They sell us the shell they're selling us or the state. Uh then we get there there's a contract with Northstar Marine which is based over in Leburg.
The oysters are then loaded on down at ClamHouse and they're taken up and they're blowed overboard up in the Bay Area, different regions. The DP looks and sees and sees which ones they think we need to enhance. Transplanting is done by the industry.
So we're told how many we can take. The boats go up. There's four boats. They work I think they work almost 15 days to move this material. And that's the large scale shell plans oyster bay enhancement.
That's what one large loaded shell. That's $66,000 sitting right there. That includes the transportation blowing them overboard and the shell itself. That's what that's spat. That's a little
oyster that's growing inside one of the shells that we plant. As you can see, there's one, two, three, four, five, or six of them in there. All of them won't live. Maybe half of them will die, half of them will live. But that's what we try to do and that's the only thing that
keeps the industry running between transplants and shell plants. That's what see when you get a bunch of oysters come up that's all these oysters on one shell and it kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger. now. So,
can't really read it, but down there in the bottom right hand corner, it says, "Bang for the buck. Number two is impressive. $40 return. For every dollar we spend, we get a $40 return on our money." This was verified by Dr. Pal who used to
run the shelter lab down in Belle. And that's what he calculated that we do for the industry. >> That's a cumulative return, right? >> That's a cumulative return >> for the entire industry for the community and >> right that's why
>> it's economic economic multiplier. >> Yeah. >> So we contract with commercial oyster boats in order to do the transplants paid through the oyster resource development account which is the one that we self-fund.
Also, Kate May County funded it last year. Increases usable quota and or enhance the oyster beds. So, when we we get an initial quota, when we do a transplant, we're allowed to go a little higher and
then once the numbers are looked at as what the transplant did, there's market oysters in there and those market oysters are added to our quota. So, we've got three different levels of quota that we end up in at the end of the year.
That's just a picture of New Jersey showing the bay down at the bottom. That's that's that's where most of this work is done. So, the blue down the bottom is the market beds. The greenish hash lines up top are the transplant beds and you can
see they go all the way up into Sam County. That's another one of our boats. That's the CJ CJ Peterson owned by uh Timmy Reeves Reeves went with Harbor House. That's what they're doing.
They're transplanting. It's just a different kind of rig that's on there. Most of them that's a boom rig. Most of them are dumper door boots on the boats. That's another Harbor House boat doing the same thing, transplanting. See if she's got the dumper doors on the side,
the d with the dredges to pull up. Each one of those boats boats holds somewhere between 1,000 and,200 bushel. Here's another one. This is the painter again, right? >> Yeah. >> Yep. So here's our investment. For every
dollar invested in the transplant, the IND industry sees an average return of $13 on every dollar we spend doing the transplants. So here's just a 2026 this year expected to move 115,000 bushel, 55 million oysters. This could cause a quota
increase of around 28,400 bushels or an extra 355 bushels per license. The increase from the transparent loan could mean 1.5 million excess vessel cost to the community. Most states rely on federal funding.
We don't get none. Let's take that back. One year we had $10 million. It came through the Army Corps of Engineers. Five million of it. Obiondo was here at the time and
trying to think who was over in Delaware at the time. Carper was over in Delaware. So we split the five million between each state. So we had $5 million to spend here. We also had to do outreach and everything. Innesota
PDA which is based out of Delaware Delaware the estuary enhancement program they handled that that side of it and then along with Ruckers and the DP we planted a lot of shell that year. Uh and
we saw that saw an uptick for the next 5 to seven years. We could see that just kept reproducing, reproducing, reproducing. Uh federal gas fisheries are usually associated with a natural disaster.
North Carolina has a large yearly item in their budget with about 1.2 million a year. Maryland outshines us all. They get state funds. They get federal funds. It goes through the uh Chesapeake Bay or
Chesapeake uh uh >> Chesapeake Bay Foundation. >> Chesapeake Bay Foundation. And the money goes into them. They go back out. They do shell plantings. They do they do spot on shell which they have hatcheries that puts oyster larvy in in a tank. It sets
on the shells. They pick them out. They take them and they put them overboard. They are actually taking the majority of the clamshells. It's landed here in New Jersey and shucked by our plants. They're buying them all. M
ask question. Okay. What's there has to be a difference. There's got to be a reason why Maryland can get federal funds and we can't. So my question is are we doing something wrong? is that they do something that we don't do that they
they're allowed to get that money. My question is why can't we get federal funds? >> Jim, have you never seen Have you ever seen us in here before? >> We've never went anywhere before. We've never asked for anything. >> Okay. >> And and that's why they they the guys
down there, they're steady. I mean, they get tens of millions of dollars a year. >> So, what what what do we have to do to make the difference? >> Well, that's why we're here. We're trying to figure that out. We're just trying to scratch enough to get through another. >> So, in other words, what we need to do
is find out federally why or what >> we have to do to get some federal money. Is that correct? >> One of the things I think and somebody else has told me the same thing. We don't have any we have very few towns
on the bay. You go to Delaware, Eastern Shore, Western side, they're lined with marine. Let's let's face it, you're not you're not going to get money if you don't apply. Okay? So, what we got to do is find out what grants are out there,
especially with the feds. Okay? And what do we need to apply and what information they need to know that we need this kind of money, I guess, is what I'm getting. Am I correct? >> Right. >> Sure. >> Okay. That's one of the things we'll work on. U
if that's okay with director. Well, currently we're working on USDA funding, but it's not going to come in time for this right harvest. So, we I mean, we've we've begun the process to start working on other avenues to help these guys get some funding.
>> But, I mean, I'm sure we there's other avenues. >> Well, I'm sure that you know what we got to do is find out what Maryland is doing and what grants they're going after and and we don't reinvent the wheel. Let's just get the wheel and put it on our side. I'm getting that. I don't know that it's grants and you know I think
they I think their politicians are I think that's a big part of what what's happening down there really that they there's a lot of clout down there and evidently I remember when I was young starting in the oyster business going to Trenton with some of the guys down in
Ports and we walked through the Dagon building up there and we walked in anybody's office and nobody told us you can't come in here he's busy we walked in there we they had the the old-timers down there has a clout. >> We've just never been recognized. We've never went anywhere. We've never talked
to anybody. We've never done anything. >> Okay. Let's let's go by what you're saying. You can't be recognized if they don't even know you're here. >> So, what we got to do, one of the things we have to do is we have to do a public relations thing with the government, the federal government.
>> So, if we can get something going yearly instead of dying over what I'm getting at, >> right? >> All right. >> Thank you, director. Would you? >> And one other thing before you guys leave. Um I also just I just sent a text message to um just somebody in the governor's office. I know we're under
the gun a little bit. Um you said it has to be done by tomorrow, >> March 12th. >> March 12th. >> March 12th. >> I've uh just just so you know, Commissioner, I've been in touch with the governor's office and we are working with uh Carter Elliot. Not sure if that's who you squeaky wheel gets the oil. So we'll all different ends and
we'll see if we can help out and get that done. >> How you doing that? I'm just trying to bring you up this week. Carter did call me on Saturday and I >> good >> try to give him like a five minute presentation, but he he really needs to see this presentation so that they have
a thorough understanding and um but anyway, >> we'll connect um I just contacted him. I'll connect you guys with them and then you guys got to sell yourself. I mean >> Okay. >> and then hopefully it works out. >> Yeah. The other thing is, I mean, we're we're open to anything you can if you
can give us anything. Kate May County has said if Cumberland County will step up this year, we'll match whatever C County gives you. Kate May County said they'll give us whatever you'll give us. >> Be a huge >> I do have another question. Um, when we talk about jobs,
I I would assume this is for the state. >> That's the state number. Yeah. >> So, so what do we think that we're employing in Cumberland County? the oyster fishery. >> Yes. >> How many you think you got? >> Each boat carries at least four four
people. >> Four or five? >> Four or five, not including the captain. So that probably makes six. >> I I would I would say directly probably 60 or >> 60 or 70 maybe directly and and certainly a lot more on the boat.
>> Indirectly with our continue also count the the shucking houses. those types of things. You have to include that. Okay. So, what I'm getting at is when the director's asking you how many people, well, okay, we're not just talking about the boat because if you don't bring them in, then this person's out of job.
That's the person that So, if there's a way that you can get us that number also. >> Also, the Rucker Research Lab, >> correct? >> There's plenty of folks down there, several people dedicated to that. This this all helps you out when the more the higher your numbers are with these
things. The more it entices people to do so. Okay. So, uh you know, you say, "Oh, well, 60 people, but we're only talking about the vote." I've been to those houses and you know, I've been to those houses and I've been seen how many people work in those
houses. So, it's there. So, what I'm getting at is there are people you got to count also. Plus, you got to get that >> to market. You got truckers. Okay. So, that's going to affect their business. This is you. It's a numbers game. Okay.
>> Sure. >> And politicians want to hear numbers. They love numbers, right? The higher the number, the more money. Lower the number, h you're not worth it, >> right? >> So, what I'm saying to you is this is some of the stuff that we need in order to help you out.
>> Well, this is how it is now. I mean it's it's been way higher in the past and if it continues on the on the the track that it's on right now especially with our dwindling account the only the number is only going to go lower.
>> I mean come on counties especially for Nars area is not as thriving right now not like it it has been. >> So the one the other thing we're looking at doing are not looking we're doing it. We've broken down three different things that we we think need to be done. Number
one is to try to find more funding for these transplants. Number two is find more money for Ruckers because we think there's a big survey era era and they agree that there's a survey era and the only way to do that is to do more grids.
>> Each grid is 25 acres. They do three toes off of 25 acres to come up with how many oysters are on the on the bed. So the third thing is well and what we're doing is uh we're going to come around and go through the board of managers in
Ruckers to try to find that money and that's what we did last time. We've we've been work we started out at 95,000 back in uh 2006. 2009 we got 116 we went to 116,000.
Today we're only at 121,000 and that doesn't even meet what what Ruckers has spended on this. So we're going to do that. The third thing, the third thing is a tax incentive for any restaurant
industry that creates shells. So, and so the shells can be recycled and put back out in the bay. So, D is on board with that. They have a program now running out of Atlantic City, and they've been expanding that over and over, but all those shells, they're
doing all the casinos over there, majority, they stay over on the Atlantic coast. What we're looking to do is try to stop those shells from leaving Port Norris and going to Maryland with a tax incentive that gives the shelen house
money for each bush hole that stays in the state and each restaurant that whether they be clamshells, scallop shells, oyster shells, or muscle shells, whatever it is, you're going to get a taxing setup based on that. And that's that's moving forward now. We've got a
conceptual plan and we're moving forward with that. And we and we have we have sponsors that are that are going to take that up once we get everything figured out. So we know that we've we were doing good and I'll be admit and I've said it
before. This is our fault. We we weren't so you weren't watching the shop but co CO hit us everything went up and we weren't just staying we weren't watching it enough and we pretty much should have
been on top of this way before this. I mean we're now in our third year of low quotas. We and but we have been slowly going back up, but the only way we're going to get back up where we was is more money to plant shell and move more
stuff down the bay from where where the where the set is now at is up the bay and we need to move that down the bay. Director, have we questioned as to why state funding is has been slown up to
Ruckers? Ruckers are state organization. The question is why is state funding slowing down just because it's down here down south there's you know there's got to be reason I mean uh it's a state university and it's run by the state why all of a sudden this funding being shut
down or or you know slowed up here where they got to beg for private funding that's crazy it doesn't make any sense to me something we have to look into >> we have to look into that also I I think what has to be done and I and I mean this sincerely is a game plan has to be brought uh It's tough at the last minute
when you know we didn't know about Ruckers. We didn't know about Maryland. We didn't know about a lot of different things. I think what we got to do is do a game plan, okay, to sit down, find out what Maryland is doing that we're not doing. Why is Ruckers not being funded
by the state, especially down here? I mean, it's got a it's got a big presence down here. >> It does. >> It's not something small. There's a lot of research going on down here. Why aren't they funding this? Okay. Why are they begging other people to come in to help them out? That does not make any sense to me. I would pay enough taxes, right?
>> Even when I tell I kind of joked about it that if the $2 were going up there, you'd get a response right away, wouldn't you, if you wanted to get four? >> Yep. >> Yeah. Okay. But it's not. It's staying here. >> So, the point I'm getting at is that we got to get some answers is what we got to do. You know, I spent four years on
the state board of a trying to bring this up through the state board, especially for agriculture, which is pretty big, becoming bigger in the state and and in the in the Delaware Bay. So, I made some headway, but it's a four-year term, and I wouldn't do it
again. >> Well, I'd like to commend you, and I'd like to thank you for coming out this evening. You know, I'd like to commend you on the fact that you you realize you need to educate your um politicians and and it seems like you're actively doing
that. Not only is Senator Ta aware, but you've made Senator Burchelli aware of the situation. I believe you've either had a meeting or you're meeting with uh Burchelli's assembly people >> last week. >> So, so they have a lot of people that
they're they're getting support and we certainly support you. >> Burchelli made you suggesting that maybe we need our own foundation like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. We need our own maybe >> the other thing is did Bruce Chel
is not a stupid person. Uh did did you bring up Br about the Rucker problem with Y >> what was his statement about that? >> He said we need to get you more money. >> Okay. >> Yeah. I think it's they used to be a line item. We used to be a line item
line item. Now they've done away with line items and everything's just in one big pot. >> Any maybe you need a bridge to nowhere. Maybe not. >> Yeah. >> Thanks for having Thank you very much. We appreciate your time. Um and you know
>> if you can if you can give us something we'll anything and we can get half of that. We can get that Kate May County also. >> All right. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. >> Don't leave without a contact so I can reach out. >> I have all their numbers. >> You have Okay. Never mind. Okay. She has her numbers.
>> We'll try. >> Okay, good. >> Okay, let's move on. Do I have a motion and second to open public comment on resolution? >> So move second. >> All in favor? Hi. >> Is there any public comment this
evening? >> Is it only for resolutions or can it be a general public? >> Is there a second? Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. >> Motion to close since there's no one stepping forward. >> Second.
>> Second. All in >> favor. Any farm head comments? Someone from the audience >> resolution. >> We have a couple backers. >> Good evening. I'm Melissa Niles. I'm the department head for human services. I
just want to make everyone aware that May is mental health month. April is alcohol awareness month. Um, so in April we'll be giving out free drug and alcohol evaluations at First Step Clinic. And then for May, we're having our second annual you are not alone,
let's walk about it park walk and activities at uh Anthony Campanella Park on Elmer Road in Vinand and I sent it to my liaison uh Mr. Romero. So um hopefully you'll be able to come out and
support. Thank you. >> Thank you. Resolution. >> Resolution 2026-152 resolution awarding contract for providing as needed welding and custom metal fabrication services for the county of Cumberland bid number 26-03.
Do I have a motion and second? >> So move second. >> Commissioner Capazola. >> Yes. >> Commissioner Garcia Baliki. Yes. >> Commissioner Ostino. Yes. Commissioner Sara. Yes. >> Commissioner Romero. >> Yes. >> Deputy Director Marawn. >> Yes. >> Director Taylor. Yes. Resolution
2026-153, resolution authorizing a board of contract to cooperative contract vendor for as needed preventative maintenance and repair services of HVAC systems. Do I have a motion and second? >> So move second. >> Commissioner Capazola, yes. >> Commissioner Garcia, yes.
>> Commissioner Oino, Commissioner. Commissioner. >> Deputy Director Marshon. >> Yes. >> Director Taylor, >> yes. Resolution 2026-154, a resolution authorizing the award of a non-parent movement contract for providing an employee assistance program for the employees of Carmel County. Do I
have a motion and second? So move >> second. >> Commissioner Capazole, yes. Commissioner Garcia, yes. >> Commissioner Oino, Commissioner S, yes. >> Commissioner Romero, yes. Deputy Director Maran, >> yes. >> Director Taylor, >> yes. Resolution 2026-155, resolution approving change order number
two to contract for providing plumbing repair services for the county of Cumberland and the Cumberland County Cooperative Contract Purchasing System identifier number 181 CC CCPS bid number 23-06 resubmission. Do I have a motion and second?
>> So move second. >> Commissioner Caprazola. >> Yes. >> Commissioner Garcia Bi. >> Yes. >> Commissioner Alina. Yes. >> Commissioner S. Commissioner Romero. >> Yes. Deputy Director Marshon. >> Yes. >> Director Taylor. >> Yes. >> Resolution 2026-156.
Resolution authorizing the award of a non-parent open contract for reacquisition of Clear and Prolex software subscription for the prosecutor's office. Do I have a motion to second? >> So move. Second. >> Commissioner Capazola. Yes. >> Commissioner Garcia Baliki. Yes.
>> Commissioner Ostino. Commissioner. Commissioner Romero. Yes. >> Deputy Director Marawn. >> Yes. >> Director Taylor. Yes. Resolution 2026-137. Resolution amending resolution 2025-109 authorizing the award of a non-parent open contract for software support and
maintenance services for govzeros county fusion software for the Cumberland County Clerk's Office. Do I have a motion? Second. >> So move second. >> Commissioner Capazola. Yes. >> Commissioner Garcia Biki. >> Yes. >> Commissioner Oino. Commissioner S. Commissioner Romero. >> Yes. >> Deputy Director Marshan.
>> Yes. >> Director Taylor. >> Yes. Resolution 2026-158 resolution authorizing the award of a non-fair and open contract for purchase of 17,000 12 x8 poly cotton US mounted flags for Memorial Day. Do I have a motion and second?
>> So move second. >> Commissioner Capazola, >> yes. >> Commissioner Garcia, yes. >> Commissioner Ostino, yes. >> Commissioner Sorrow, >> yes. >> Commissioner Romero, >> yes. >> Deputy Director Maran, yes. >> Director Taylor, >> yes. Resolution 2026-159, resolution authorizing and approving
additional temporary budget appropriations in the amount of 596,975. Do I have a motion and second? >> So move. >> Second. >> Commissioner Capazola. >> Yes. >> Commissioner Garcia Baliki. >> Yes. >> Commissioner Ostino. Yes. >> Commissioner Saw. >> Yes.
>> Commissioner Romero. >> Yes. >> Deputy Director Marsh. >> Yes. >> Director Taylor. >> Yes. >> Resolution 2026-160. Resolution cancelling portion of 2025 emergency appropriation authorized by resolution 2025-742.
Do I have a motion in second? So >> move second. >> Commissioner Capazola, >> yes. >> Commissioner Garcia, >> yes. >> Commissioner Ostina, yes. >> Commissioner Surro, Commissioner Romero, >> yes. >> Deputy Director Maron, >> yes. >> Director Taylor, >> yes. >> Resolution 2026-161,
resolution authorizing appropriation reserve transfer 2026-03. Do I have a motion and second? >> So move second. >> Commissioner Capazola. Yes. >> Commissioner Garcia Bleton. >> Yes. >> Commissioner Alino. Yes. >> Commissioner Saul. Yes. >> Commissioner Romero. >> Yes. >> Deputy Director Marshan.
>> Yes. >> Director Taylor. >> Yes. >> Resolution 2026-162. Resolution authorizing purchase from New Jersey state contract vendor for lease of one Kasera model TA MZ 4001 CI copier for the board of elections. Do I have a
motion and second? >> So move. Second. Commissioner Capazola. Yes. Commissioner Garcia Biki. Yes. Commissioner Ostino. Commissioner S. Commissioner Romero. >> Deputy Director Maran. Yes. Director Taylor. >> Yes. >> Resolution 2026-163.
Resolution authorizing grant applications to the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund. Do I have a motion and second? So move. >> Second. >> Commissioner Capazola. >> Yes. >> Commissioner Garcia Baliki. >> Yes. >> Commissioner Ostino. Yes. Commissioner S. >> Commissioner Romero.
>> Yes. Deputy Director Marawn. >> Yes. >> Director Taylor, >> yes. Resolution 2026-164, resolution appointing Kevin Maniato as temporary chief financial officer for the county of Cumberland. Do I have a motion and second? >> So move. >> Second.
>> Commissioner Capazola. >> Um there was a question. Um and how long did this go to? Just I did miss that. How long is are we approving him? >> Does it have an end date on it? >> It it is for one year.
up to one year. And that was um the uh Department of Community Affairs, we spoke with them uh several of us spoke with them multiple times and they very strongly recommended it be for a year. They said they will reject anything shy
of that. Okay. >> That we can uh cut it as short as we like, but they will not approve a resolution that is for less than a year. And I did talk to the director about some like shared services. Has that conversation gone anywhere because I
know that that has gone places. Okay. All right. Yes. >> Commissioner Garcia Blei. >> Yes. >> Commissioner Ostino. >> Yes. >> Commissioner. >> Commissioner Romero. >> Yes. >> Deputy Director Marshon. >> Yes. >> Director Taylor.
>> Yes. Consent agenda resolution 16601 resolution authorizing the award of a non-parent open contract for annual maintenance with Eco service in support of software for Genesis SQL 40 time clock terminals
16602 resolution authorizing the award of a non-parent open contract for annual maintenance agreement and software license renewal for the board of elections 16637 resolution authorizing the award Board of a non-fair and open contract for Celbrite premium system for the
prosecutor's office. 16649 resolution declaring one HP laser jet Enterprise M602 printer and 10 Dell PCs as surplus and unneeded property and authorizing the equipment to be turned over to the CCIA as e-waste for recycling.
16653 Resolution authorizing the award of a non-farant open contract for annual support maintenance with civil service support for the sheriff's office. 16659 resolution cancelling grant balances for the middle mile grant program.
16660 resolution cancelling expired contracts for March 2026 covering materials, services, and supplies. 16661 resolution authorizing purchases from state contract vendors. 16581
resolution awarding a contract for implementing a comprehensive law enforcement assisted diversion program in Brixton, New Jersey for the county of Cumberland RFP26-02. 16675 resolution accepting grant award for the Southern Shore Regional Destination Marketing Organization for
Marketing Programming. 16676 resolution amending resolution 2026-11 establishing the 2026 board and commission leaison memberships vocational school board of estimates questions
>> not on them read the others >> no they're all pending >> I still have to ask one question though you don't mind directing >> okay you have at least I read somewhere Here it is. Uh, resolution
16627 says here providing plumbing repair services for the county of Cumberland. We just voted on something like that. Is that something different? That's the question I have. In other words, we just got done voting on a plumbing contract for somebody.
Okay. And I I noticed that when I was reading these, we had it in a second time. So my question is, is there for a different reason? What's a new bid going out now? >> What's a new bid going now? Then it's it's different than the repair work that we already had. >> It is it is
the present the present contract is for existing existing in the year. This is this is the new this is the new uh the new RFP. That's >> got it. Okay. That's all you have. Matt, that's fine. >> I didn't see it on my on my sheet. >> It didn't just >> Okay.
>> That was a red flag. I was trying to >> put these in for placeholders. Um, we have some of these gifts won't be open until like >> Okay, that's the only question I have. >> Okay, public comment on new business. Do I have a motion and second to open public comment on new business?
>> Motion to open public comment on new business only. >> Second. >> All in favor? Hi. >> All right. >> Hi. Good evening. Uh my name is Zach Landiscini. I'm a resident of Vinland, New Jersey.
Um I'm just here tonight because uh if possible, I would like to request um an explanation of the selection criteria the board uses when selecting library commissioners. Um, I think such an explanation would allow future
applicants to strengthen their qualifications for future roles. Um, and I believe it's important to have individuals serving in these positions that have a clear de demonstrated appreciation and value uh for our public
libraries. That's all. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions? Motion to close. >> Second move. >> All favor.
>> I got excited. >> I move to say I would you like to answer that? >> Yes. Um, basically the qualifications really are it really boils down to uh submitting an application within the time frame uh when when something does
occur. Um, I know Mr. Lindy did apply. It was near the end. I think we were already close to the process of voting at that point. Um, but it it's it's it really falls into the parameters of when when when there's an available opening
that that that would be available to to to be accepted. Um, I wouldn't say that there are strict strict and stringent requirements for those positions. It's more a matter of interest that is that is derived from from the public. That's
where that comes from. And I would I would think that I think there's that there are openings that are going to be coming down the pike. And I think you should should interact directly with the department head um uh director um I'm sorry, department head Nicole Gardner.
She'll tell you when it's open and and I would say you can't be too early. You can get in too late, but you can't really be in too early to get that in get that in and have it done. So when when openings do occur, they're ready to roll and they're they're in our system
ready to go. I think that's I think that's >> And Mr. Lane, I brought this up at our last meeting, those exact concerns that you just stated. And this helps us seeing your face with a name now when it does come before us. we can all say, "Oh, I remember that young man. He came at the meeting." And that helps us
because sometimes unfortunately we get names and some of us may not know who they are. This this definitely will help us. So, >> thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. I appreciate it. >> We're always looking for volunteers for these boards. So, please don't be a stranger. >> I won't.
>> Yeah. >> Okay. Do we have a um need for executive sessions? There there is a need for executive session. Uh we'll be talking about litigation. >> I'll do that. >> Okay. >> Resolution 2026-165
resolution providing for a meeting not open to the public in accordance with the provisions of the New Jersey Senator Byron N. Bear open Public Meeting Act NJSA 104-12. Matters relating to collective bargaining agreements, matters relating to litigation negotiations and the attorney client privilege. Matters
relating to the employment relationship. Do I have a motion and second? >> So move. >> Second. >> Second. >> Commissioner Capazola. >> Yes. >> Commissioner Pia. Yes. Commissioner Ostino. Yes. >> Commissioner. Commissioner Romero. >> Yes. >> Deputy Director Maran. >> Yes. >> Director Taylor. >> Yes.
>> And no action is planned to be taken after. >> That's correct. >> Yes. There's no action anticipated. Thank you. This has been a QVC television production in association with our partners and sponsors. QBC broadcasts on
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