Meeting is called to order. Everybody to the flag of the United States of America to stand for all. This meeting is called pursuant to the position of the open public meeting. This meeting of April 28, 2025 was
included in the list of meetings noticed since County Democred on the bullet board at Earl Hall. That date has remained continuously posted as required. In addition, a copy of this notice is available to the public and is on file in the office of the clerk. Can I have
councilman Arus here? Counciloman here. Counciloman Par here. Council vice president here. President Parker. Yeah, we have no presentations.
Okay. Um I have a number of things to um to bring up. Um first of all, I'm appointing Rob and Rudy uh of going to burrow to the public arts committee. We have an opening on how do you spell art?
Robin without an I. I think it's R R E I. She spells it the same way as Robin. No, the last name. Oh, R. Oh, yeah. That happened at the opening of Louis. Um, the public art committee, there is an opening for a second artist and that
term will expire in 2027. There was a vacancy that expired at the end of 2024. So, joining her tonight. I also uh want to bring to a couple of uh issues to the council. Um
uh so Dave Giuliani um I decided to just talk about this in public because it's not like a bad personnel issue. Dave called me the other day to let me know um that starting in uh the fall, October 1st, he and his wife will be taking
their RV down to uh South Carolina for the entire winter until May 1st, 2026. Um and his willingness to come back up to Flemington is like a commitment for every other week um every two weeks, which you know, and it was very friendly conversation. He's like,
you need to do what you need to do, whatever you want to do. Um, so sometime this summer I think um I would like to go out and advertise to see what's out there. It's a really hard position to fill. Uh I'm also going to talk to a
couple of our uh adjoining municipalities to see about a shared service is a possibility. Um the nice thing is you know if we can't find anybody we know Dave is willing to continue and then he can back the whole summer again. I just think that, you know, we finally have things more
straightened out in Bloomington and it's because Dave has been dedicating more time here and uh I don't want to see any, you know, recidivism on with cleanliness and neatness and everything that's in the town. So, I just wanted to
let all of you know that. Um, so he's not getting notice and he, you know, he just is giving us the accommodation of letting us know his attention. So that's thing one. Thing two, um, I want to just give you an update on the parking committee
meeting regarding all these articulating lights. So, um, our traffic engineer is working on a, uh, is putting in order the the the articulating lights that, um, we've
discussed, you know, originally we discussed having three sets on Mine Street. Since that time, I've had people from the community come forward about Allen Street at at Capner and then I think
um Council Welheart brought up the issue on Allen Street and North Maine and so so Jay is actually looking to reorder these not to get us not to get more but to put them into a more important order.
He said that the north main flight in his opinion is the most important one. It's the most dangerous crosswalk we have in the burrow right now. And the police agreed. And the police absolutely agreed. So um so Jay is going to be coming forth at some point when we do the capital budget um with his
professional opinion on where these lights should go. Meanwhile, the parking committee has also started having conversations about the Flemington Circle and people using that circle and walking to Shopright or the supermarket
or shop the shopping center uh and how danger dangerous it is. Um so, uh because that circle is under the jurisdiction of the state all except for one crosswalk um he spoke to the DOT on our behalf.
The DOT has a program that um they would install and pay for all of the articulating links around the circle with a 25% match from the burough. So, um Jay is calling the DOT
to see if that's like a done deal like like all we have to do is do whatever we need to do and they're guarantee that. So, he's checking with them and then he's going to come in to see um the numbers. either he's going to send a memo or he's going to come. I'm not really sure which one, but the process
is that the council has to pass a resolution not only in support of this but also um stating that it will match with the 25%. But Jay, we've asked him to like find out 25% of what is that? Soft costs as well as hard costs. Um you
know, are they going to maintain it? Um when they install it, do they have to put state police out there while they're installing it? do we have to pay 25% of that? Should be really expensive. So, he's doing a deeper dive into the costs and then he'll be coming uh to the
council again um after the budget's done, the capital budget's done um to see if you all want him to pursue that. Uh I will tell you uh as I shared with the parking committee, I've had two near misses personally. once somebody who
walked right out into the middle of traffic on Mine Street at Maine wearing a headset and reading his cell phone and never looked into traffic. Um that was Saturday of last weekend, not this past Saturday, but even before. And another
one right on the circle, a young man wearing a headset and also looking at his cell phone on the circle walked right into one of those intersections and never looked up and never checked traffic. And in fact, I literally stopped a foot from him and he never
looked up. Didn't even know I was there. It scared the beeas out of me. Um, so that's another update. And my finally uh as we transition from Brave
to what was next Nixl um ever bright ever bridge um it has come to my attention through Sergeant McN uh when he went to give rave uh notice that we were no longer going to be using their services that
there is a contract that has another year on it. um that was illegally authorized and entered into in 2017, re illegally authorized and entered to in
2020, and then again re-eleely authorized and re-entered to in 2023. Um those contracts were authorized and signed by our former utilities clerk without any concurrence from the council. no legal authorization and
under the law no power to sign a contract on behalf of the bureau. So she did that under Mayor Grryer, Mayor Driver and me. So um our council and I have discussed the situation and our
opinion is let them come after us. They do not unless they can show us a resolution uh authorizing her to sign a contract on our behalf. um or a resolution authorizing somebody to sign a contract and enter into the
contract. Don't come after us is $2,300. Say that out loud. You said it well, mayor. I couldn't say it any better except I agree and we talked about this in detail. So, so if anybody has any questions, uh Sergeant McN's here, he did have uh Carla do a deep
search to try to find a resolution um as well as a contract. I mean the contracts there are signed by her but there's no resolution at all. There's no second signature. So are you saying that no one gave her the like none of the
past mayors gave her well one mayor had to know about it and it just was passed down. She signed she signed when I was mayor. She never said a word to me. There's no no resolutions ever done. Um, you know, we I knew that she had engaged or her and and the chief at the
time had discussed it in 2017 when we signed on to this when it was initially brought up and always purchased out of the water and sewer budget and then OEM and the police got access to it. Um, and then it it was called um Swift 91 at the
time and then it transpired into Ray when Motorola bought it. Um, so we had no direct control over it. Bill Hans and I never saw a contract. We never knew there was a term. I just knew on our account that it was due every March, but it was being paid. Yeah. Well, that's my
question. If it were being paid, I mean, these bills are passed every week. I mean, every month, right? So, it was being paid. And I guess what my question is, and I'm not doing this. I'm trying to understand the breakdown in the process. Yeah. So, everyone knew
it was being paid. We didn't know what the length of the term of the contract was. No one ever saw the contract. I I figured it was a year-to-year um term at that point, just like our our Everbridge after the initial three-year term. We would switch the year to year
or we could renew at a discounted price for a longer term. So, uh I didn't know there was a contract in place. Well, Hance didn't know there was a contract in place. Um so, I c in March I sent them the email said we've transitioned to a new system. we, you know, we'll be canceling our services. And they said,
well, you can't because you're under contract. I said, what what contract? We, you know, we don't have any. Bill didn't have a copy. Carla didn't have a copy at the time. So, I said, can you please send me the contract so we can review it? And that's what got sent back to us. So, again, I'm just I'm still
really trying to understand the breakdown of the process so this doesn't happen again. But the point of it is whether it's in this administration or next administration, right? But for me, and again I'm putting my
business hat on, um, industry hat on. If you pay something monthtomonth, but hold on. But it had to be budgeted for in the budget process. Pay yearly, but it was still budgeted in the budget process. It had to be because otherwise, where are
you going to get the money from? I think she was just pulling it from the water and sewer utility. That's my understanding from what Bill Hans was saying it was paid out of the water and sue sewer funds but it was being approved that's my do you understand
what my point is by her okay but by her but being paid by Bill Hance and I'm again I'm not pointing fingers please believe me all I'm trying to do is understand how not have this happen again well first of all the contract said right on
the contract signature um signature of of of was like person buying these services and then it said second signature required for authorization. Nobody ever signed this. Nobody ever signed. She never brought it
to any mayor to sign. Wasn't about the contract. No. So they accepted they accepted the contract without the correct signature. Correct. Okay. Yeah. I mean, I I can only assume that, you know, in the bill list, the system was there that she probably said,
"Oh, we've got this reverse 911 thing going on. Everybody approved it." Um, and uh those are those bills that don't have contracts all the time. So, he's not looking for a contract to pay. It's something we've been paying for eight years. So, you know, it he just
But not everything has contracts. That's the thing. Not everything has. It was just an annual fee. below the commercials, but we but now we have we planned for it in its own bucket. It's not going to sit underwater in the sewer. Correct. My that's my Yeah. So,
we're at least now we've recaptured where it sits. Yeah. We know that there's a department head who owns it now. Yeah. But under just you know under municipal law that position utilities clerk has no authority to sign anything on behalf of the that's outside
utilities, right? But if I were that company, I'm just telling you, if I I've been in business in industry, I know how this is going to go play down. And when you say, "I'm not going to pay it a whole day." They have all the bills that you pay for eight years. And all of a sudden, you're saying, "Well, this is not legal." Well, it but you've paid it
for eight years. So now all of a sudden, you're saying you're going to cancel, etc., et. But you've paid it for eight years. That's the slippery slope. I'm just letting you guys know that's the slippery slope. I'm not saying it's not going to go down fine, but the point of it is from my standpoint, if I were if I
were in that company, I would be fighting because I would be going, "Well, wait a minute. You did this for eight years, and now you're telling me this is not legal because it didn't do this, this, and this, but you paid the bill every year for eight years." And now all of a sudden, it's a problem. So,
is is it my problem or is it your problem? Right? That I'm just giving you this. look at it as an empowered I'm looking at an empowered official and a company officer and a compliance officer and if that agreement came back to me unsigned and I've experienced that coming in and reverse engineering
uh compliance programs I would say oh well oh well I don't there is a fight there all I'm saying is there is a fight and they do have half a leg to stand on this is a company that vastly their clients are
municipal governments. So if they want to come after a municipal government, it's going to send out really every other municipal government if they're willing to do that. And for 2,300 bucks, that doesn't always work. The point I'm just saying. Okay, never mind. I don't want to delay the point.
I'm just I'm just don't That's all right. I just want you all know that this happened and um yeah, not it's just not the government. So, um, all right. Uh,
couple reports. Councilman Le. Sure. Um, on Arbor Day, uh, Mayor Car and I then the Sha Tree Commission and Samuel Fleming House's tree planting where we planted a lovely Okame Cherry tree. The Sha Tree Commission's adopt the tree program has given out seven trees so far
in this year. And we've got due a decent amount of money in the budget. So, if there are any interested residents out there who would like to adop adopt a tree, uh, feel free to fill out the online application and, uh, get you set up with that. Um, I had forgotten to mention in my last report, but the Raven
headquarters cleanup on April 12th at the Plington Baseball Raven Complex was a great success. Councilman Aras and Chairwoman Cannon of the Sha Tree Commission joined me along with some other local volunteers, and we picked up over 1,000 pieces of litter on Saturday. Mayor Carol and I also had the pleasure
of attending the grand opening of the Groovy Collective on Main Street. And uh if anybody asks, I was definitely able to cut the ribbon on my first try and any footage or photos of me struggling to cut it about five times was fabricated to smear me. It
was love. I don't know if that's true, but um and lastly, on Friday, Councilman Park and I attended a meeting regarding the plans for the Black River and Western Railroad uh I believe to along with the county and the uh Fington
Improvement District to install biking/pedestrian path in their rightway. And I assume there will be more information to come about that in the next few weeks. Uh but as of right now looks like a very exciting project to provide some additional connectivity between Main Street and uh Stangle Arts
and Cultural District and it's a county it's a county initiative. Yes, by the way that's my report. Great. Thank you council me. It's very simple. Um we did not have a planning board meeting last week due to just having a very opening
up the agenda for it. We are still looking for a planning board secretary and as well we are now you will very soon see an advertisement for a new library director. Okay. Uh council president uh yeah I I don't really have that much.
Um just two things. One is is there besides that meeting that we had, there was another meeting we had with the railroad again on um and I'll let Robin and those guys go through it a little bit more because it's just a very
preliminary meeting um just to work with bringing both um Stangle together with Central with Vulper and that whole bit which is a pretty interesting deep dive to make it
more of a pedestrian type of thing um and take out all those danger type of turns and things like that that are going on in there. Um just a really interesting conversation. So, you know, we will pursue that the conversation. There will be money there that they're
pursuing. So, that was actually very very interesting tied with this bike trail. So, um I'm pretty excited about it. And with that said, you the council will be getting an invite um along with
the um bid board along with some of the um county people and the whole bit to go on the actual train to actually see the trail. Um and I know they did it before um and it was during the day so a lot of you could not make it. Um I actually
could not I did the trail but I couldn't actually make the um the train. So that's I've asked them to make sure that it's in the evening. Um so they're going to look at targeting around 5 5:30. Um so just look in your mailbox for that one. I'm not sure when it's coming, but it's coming relatively soon because they
really want to get this thing this thing rolling. I think it's a great thing. Um the other thing that I will say is that on the zoning we um I've been in contact with Beth. We are ready to move forward with giving um recommendations for her
to review. Um, so as long as the council's okay with that, we're just going to keep that going. Um, and hopefully the the hope is to get that completed and her comment will get back to the council and send that over to the
planning board and um hopefully we can get this all done by the end of itself. Who's who's on that committee? It Well, yeah, we we talked about this. It's Susan. Okay. for myself.
And it's just the uh which district? No, it's all of zoning. It's all zone. We're looking at all zone and that's it. Okay. Um or us. Uh yeah. Um be honest with you, it's
been a really busy past two weeks with the weather getting better. Um, I just I really do not have much to report to be honest with you guys. So, that'll be my reporting. That's okay. Yeah, you don't always have to go live.
Sure. Thank you. Um, so I have uh just a report for OEM and and something else. So, this past weekend, the Flemboro team deployed uh in support of the Find Your Peeps Head Hunt on Main Street. SER members played a vital role in ensuring
the safety of event participants by staffing key Main Street crosswalks and maintaining a secure environment as children and families navigated the storefronts to search for their hidden eggs. The the present uh presence was instrumental in creating a fun and safe experience for all. While the month of
May is nationally recognized as a time to build or update disaster kits, the OEM encourages all residents treat emergency preparedness as a year-round priority. Maintaining an up-to-date disaster kit, creating reliable family communication plan, knowing local protocols, or emergency alerts that are
components of staying uh ready for any emergency. Uh last week was National Volunteer Appreciation Week. OEM would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the dedicated volunteers of the Burough SER team. Your selfish service to our selfless, I'm sorry, service to the
burough and your readiness to assist neighboring communities demonstrates true commitment, compassion, and teamwork. You're the heart of the emergency preparedness mission. We're excited to announce that the spring training class kicks off on Saturday, May 3rd, and runs Saturdays through May 17th, coming in a final hands-on drill.
It's a great opportunity for residents to gain valuable skills and become active participants in local emergency response efforts. To register, call 908-581-5513 or just email OEEM at historic cleington.com. A reminder that the bureau is fully transitioned to its new emergency learning system via
Everbridge Nixl effective April 1st. If you haven't registered yet, go to the burrow page. Residents who need assistance or do not have internet access are encouraged to contact Burough Hall during regular business hours for help. Um the only other thing I had
was this thing I'm doing. I'll tell you about it briefly. I did inform all council pretty exciting. So um this endeavor here is based on a
little history of this where we are right now. And if you've ever gotten a copy of the walking tour, all right, that the FCP put together, you have all these wonderful sites and mostly historical, really cool stuff. Um, rich
with history. And then like on the back towards the end, Burl Hall, it says the Flemington Lysum, Reading Academy, Burl Hall, an early site of the Reading Academy. This building served as the lysum, a center for public lectures and
concerts and meeting place for temperance organizations. Flamington purchased it in 1922 for Burl Hall and the fire department. So given that historical fact, I thought it was a bit coincidental that I was working on some
sort of engagement um event and I decided to land on a monthly occurrence here in the spirit of the lysum movement uh which is very old and has you know has resurfaced across the nation in
communities very much like ours. So, I'm calling it the Flemington Lysm Society. I put out some stuff on social media so far. Uh, tonight I'd like to make it official. Um, but the slogan is ideas worth sharing, community worth
building, and I think that captures the spirit of what what we're going for here. So, I um I did ask uh council to consider um perhaps leading a lecture, perhaps um being a guest. Uh that is
obviously extended to the mayor, any burough employees, anybody who's on a committee here, a commission here, uh or you're just somebody who who thinks they got something to share or you might know somebody. And I want to make this very
community oriented. I don't want to um have it I have it organized, but I'm not directing too much of it beyond hosting and and just making sure things run smooth. But if people want to have something to say and and I've got a list
of topics that will be up on the burough website tomorrow at some point. Um and and a structure for the lectures worked out and it's very simple. It's exactly how in a lot of ways the lysum movement and societies did this. Um you have a
focused topic. You have members of the community provide the information. You have a Q&A session, some conversation. You have some light refreshments. Nothing fancy. Um, and we have access to Burough Hall. We might have access to
the the courthouse. We'll see. But things like this start small. So, I'm going to focus it on Thursday nights once a month. So, May 22nd, I'll be doing uh what I what I will be calling civic engagement. What's possible when a community connects. And that's going to
be on May 22nd, 7 p.m. I'm going to land here for it. um if there's too much interest and it looks like we got more than 50 people, we'll move it, but otherwise I'm thinking we're gonna it'll start small. So, I wanted to reach out to to the public. Uh I will be doing that through social media, but I wanted
to officially uh invite people if you have ideas beyond the topics I've come up with. Uh you are certainly free to roll those around and they might even fit under those somehow. We got plenty of time to plan all this. Uh, as a matter of fact, I'm working on my presentation and working on getting a
couple of guests lined up. Um, but that's the origin point. That's how it's going to work. And then from there, um, just real quick, I'll run through the titles of these. And this is going to run through to December. So May is the one I just said. June, and these can
change order, but June, I'm thinking, uh, for local business as civic infrastructure. Uh, and I'm going to have little bullet points to kind of direct people if they look at something, say, "I could answer that. I could really speak to that." That's what I'm looking for. I'm looking for people to
jump on these topics. Uh, who lives here? Housing access and equity in our town. Public spaces, uh, shared spaces, where we gather matters, how a town works inside Flemington's local government. And I would assume some of us up here would be interested in that
one. Youth and civic voice. Are we listening to the next generation? Uh the role of arts and culture in building civic identity. And finally, the future of Flemington, envisioning a town we all build together. So I directed this to
really focus on the community aspect. Everything's about community. Um, and it's basically if you think you got the knowhow and you want to talk to some folks and maybe you want to be a guest, you want to get involved, maybe you own an establishment that has like free stuff you want to
give out. I'm just saying. Uh, that's the kind of idea. So, and the last thing I wanted to say about it, it is. Let me just double check. Um, yeah. So, the lectures I just ran through are all subject to change.
But if you think you can help, you think, you know, someone's got a good story around here, uh, you know, we know there's a lot of people in this town with with quite a bit to share and teach us, um, please get in touch me. You can contact me, email jong at historic.com
or call or text and that number is 6096082763. Um, and finally, just real quick, if you're wondering like what are the logistics, it's it's pretty basic. Um, I want musicians to come in, just real simple stuff. Acoustic guitars, you know, we're not looking for a big um
symphony to come in here, but if you got a small one, that's cool. But play for about the first half hour and then we have some opening remarks about uh the lecture that you're going to hear, the actual lecture itself, which would be about 15 minutes. We don't want to push it. You got people are going to be
coming here at night. You got about 15 to 20 minutes of attention span. So, you got to keep it keep it uh concise. Then we can have some guest uh stories uh related perhaps to the lecture that was just heard. Then some Q&A session from anybody. And then the closing remarks
and the event concludes with more music and optional mingling. And I know we have a lot of people in town who can do those things. And I want them to know that I'm I'm looking for help. I need your help. I'm not going to do all these lectures. That's going to be crazy. I I
do that all day anyway. So, um, and I guess that was it. And unless anybody has any questions for me right now from the council, um, I'm hoping that this I'm hoping that this is something that works out. So to the to the residents, right, to the folks in
Flemington Burough, if you have an idea, if you think you know somebody, great story, you think you want to help out music, food, or organizing, please get in touch with me, right? So I do have I did have a couple people just get in touch with me today, which is really cool. But that's it. Thanks. You know,
you might want to reach out to Margaret B. She's got such a great story, but I think that that would be really perfect in terms of the history of the town. Yeah. actually seen and I think that might be a good person to reach out to. Thank you. Tony
anything else? Yeah. Before we move on, I have one quick question. Unfortunately, not about that. There was an article that came out about nonprofit status required. Oh, I just wonder if anybody had No, let me Can I circle back there after this
report? Sure. Okay. Councilman Angelart. Sure. Thank you. Um, very quickly, three things. We had a park cleanup planned for last Saturday morning and with the weather report we cancelled it because I don't know about you scheduled or
postponed. Well, we we we cancelled it with a date rescheduled to be determined. So, um I actually um had an opportunity to I was reached out um the Habitat for Humanity um reached out to me and uh was interested in doing a
program there and I we already actually had the Boy Scouts um already build um some uh birdhouses for last Saturday's event. So, I'm hoping now to get the two groups to coordinate the same date and that's why the date will be to be
determined. I I still have to hear back from one of the two groups. Um, so we'll reschedule that. I'll I'll let you know when. On uh Saturday, I uh stopped by. I wanted to thank the police department
and especially Sergeant um Krie who um did a toy and food drive at Safe Harbor. My husband and I stopped by there and the kids were just thrilled and with all the generous donations of all the toys.
It was like Christmas in April. So, it was a lot of fun to see stop by and see the all the smiley faces. So, thank you um to the sergeant and the police department for organizing that um toy and food drive. And then finally, since
nobody mentioned it, I did want to remind everybody that this weekend is the town one yard sale May 3rd and 4th. Um so um if um uh Carla, if you would be so kind to post remember to post that on
a I I know it's already posted on the website in the calendar, but maybe something a little bigger and I can um and I can roll it over to Facebook. Um um I'd be happy to do that and that way people can post the addresses of their
um sales feedback. Everybody hope successful. Thank you. Um okay. So just say circling back to council 11's question. So apparently the story I was told by the fire department is that many many many
years ago they had a volunteer treasurer um who took care of their filing um their taxes. Um they're not their charitable status and he passed away and
uh somebody else has been doing their treasure stuff ever since. And about seven years ago, they um the fire department applied to Google for a.org address. And when Google did their
due diligence, um they denied the bur the um fire department uh because they said they were not a registered charity. In looking at it, what this former deceased treasurer had done when he filed their taxes, the last
year he filed them, he inadvertently used Flemington Bureau's tax ID number instead of the fire departments. And even though we're not for profofit, we're not a charity, right? So, um, at that point, the fire department thought it would be easy to straighten that out.
Turned out not to be easy. Um they went through three different congressmen trying to get it straightened out. Uh and our current congressman is the one who actually got the IRS to
um and it wasn't the state of New Jersey was fine. They fixed that right away. But the IRS was difficult. So, it took seven years and three congressmen to get their charitable ID number back reinstated and their status reinstated.
And that was holding them up from applying for grants. They couldn't apply for any grants, uh, which they used to get all the time. So, now they're back in business to do that. So, that's the story. Thank you.
Um, we invited the congressman down to say a thank you to him. Um, and unfortunately Councilman Long got there 15 minutes late because it was very quick. It was a very quick thank you. Um, and that was the end of that.
So, all right. Uh, public comment session number one. Please keep your comments down to three minutes. Have any Jeff? Can you keep your comments down to three? 100%. Come on up. Okay.
Need your name and address for the record. Uh Jeff Kane, 54 Broad Street here in Flemington. I'm here tonight uh to thank council and the mayor in advance uh for putting the resolution on the agenda in
support of the project to restore re revitalize and reopen the Flemington meriton community pool under the opaces of the YMCA of river crossing which was Hunter County YMCA and now spans the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. Um this
is I believe the third such resolution u maybe fourth that uh council perspectively is putting into place and I have to say that these matter. Um the first one was instrumental in us getting a $750,000 earmark through then
Congressman Malinowski and that money were successfully able to get from HUD to start drawing on and working on the pool. um fortunately um and we're continuing to work um both in looking for philanthropy and also other government funds um and making progress
in that regard. Um so this is a very important project. Um for those of you who don't know, the pool was built in I think 1963. Um, apparently the chief of police who supposedly used to sell Christmas
trees, the single um, chief of police in the burrow um, opened it or spearheaded the opening of the pool um, to provide a place for wavered youth to not be so wavered. Um, and it closed in about 2017
um, due to um, physical issues that were beyond the pool's capabilities to fix. So, it's been closed for about seven or eight years now. It's going to take several million dollars to um to fix um and reopen, but we're very optimistic at
the Y that we'll be able to do that. Um hopefully have it open next year. Um 2027 may be more likely and provide um a place for the community to have recreation again. um seniors, children, families, anybody who wants to spend
time outside between May and September. Um so, thanks in advance for continuing to support this project with this resolution. This is really impactful. Um it's key to us being um successful in unlocking um the support of other
groups. So, thank you all so much. Okay. Was that Evans? was okay childhood nightmares. Okay. Are we gonna be allowed to ask questions during the um public hearings
or should I go now about the If you have any comments on any public hearings, they won't be counted unless you do it during the public hearing. Thank you. Okay. You can make them now, but it's just and it doesn't count.
Okay. I want it to count. Okay. All right. Uh, approval of minutes to meeting April 11, 2020 2025. Move. Second. Second. Roll. Uh, all in favor? I regular meeting April 14, 2025.
Motion. Move. Is there a second? Oh, second. All in favor? I had a comment on that one which I did send a minor minor typo that I already sent to Carla before the meeting. Thank you. You're welcome. Uh executive
session April 14, 2025. Is there a motion? Second. Second. All in favor? On the consent agenda, resolution 2025-70, resolution approving Gabino KGA for admission to active membership in
the state of New Jerseys fireman New Jersey fireman's association. Is there a second? Second. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Councilman Clarius, yes. Counciloman, yes. Counciloman, yes. Council, yes.
Council vice president, yes. Council president. Yes. Uh ordinance 202515's introduction an ordinance of 97A traffic schedules to restrict the permitted gross weight of trucks on fourth street between Avenue and Main
Street to four gross tons. Can I have a motion to introduce? Is there a second? Will second. This is in response to um the complaints that we had of the lost Costco truck that uh took out somebody's sidewalk. Um which
Jay uh Jay our traffic consultants informed the parking committee that that truck should never even been on Park Avenue which is a 10 ton weight restriction and that truck was beyond 10 tons. Um, my champion said that a lot of
these trucks are using residential routes instead of the trucking routes when they use their GPS. So, he was like really lost. So, um, he was on two streets he shouldn't have been on. Okay. Uh, public hearing number one. Oh, I did not. I'm sorry. Roll call,
please. Let me do roll call. I'm sorry. Let me just ask your question. So this is because what it's saying down here it's it says um these streets so park main I
get but then I'm seeing Highland Avenue this is just an amendment to the street okay there's a lot of that have a lot of weight restrictions all over the town so um I have a quick question just it's it's an odd question perhaps but um
What? So the weight restrictions are in effect on certain streets. How do the streets? Yeah. How how do you deliver like stuff that's in a big truck? Like local deliveries are all accepted. Local deliveries are essentially exempt exempted across the board. Okay. So if you have a 10 truck you're moving, it's
a moving van. They're allowed to come down. But Costco just making a delivery and leaving is not. Can't use a car. That's the distinction. Okay. Yes. For all the ones we've been doing. True. All you can make deliveries. Yes. Always. is exempt the police some power then
correct and we have we have signage as you enter a lot of those streets that say what the restriction is and then under it says local deliveries allowed so we discussed this issue at the it's on like Emry's one that that is
specifically that that way okay Yes. Councilwoman Taro. Yes. Council member. Yes. Council Vice President Law. Yes. And Council President Parker. Yes. And when's the public hearing? The public hearing will be May 14th. Is it
the night of the budget? 12. 12. Thank you. May 12th. All right. Ordinance uh 2025-12, an ordinance amending section 16 special events for chapter 3 police regulation to clarify fees for certain events. Can I have a motion to open to the public?
Is there a second? Second. All in favor? I. Okay. The uh ordinance is now open to the public for comment. Anybody wish to make comment on this ordinance, you have to come up to the microphone, state your name, address the record, and that's
it. Hold up. Now, now it's on the record. Okay. Ali Norton, 29 East Main Street and 50 Street. Um, am I allowed to ask question like clarifying questions? It's really well clarifying. Yeah. I mean, it's
really a comment period, but if you have questions, our is here and our and our sergeant is here to answer. Okay. So um my first question is on uh in section one um C it says uh at the end that um
any events canceled by the applicant less than 14 business days prior to the event are required to pay for services. What is that fee? Is that the um it's whatever the whatever has it been
asked. Correct. So that would be whatever you have determined is the minimum the minimum staffing requirement. So if the DPW director completes his assessment and says he needs eight DPW
workers, then the escro amount would go in for the eight DPW workers. If the chief says there's six police officers, the 4-hour minimum goes in for the six police officers. the events canled prior to the 14 business days, then it would
you'd be responsible for the fees. Okay. Um and then in um the next part D of section one, it's um mentions of only events sponsored by the bureau. How does one become an event sponsored by the bureau? So the bureau the bureau
historically has only sponsored three events. Only sponsors three events. Okay. the Christmas parade, the Memorial Day parade, and the fireworks. And by sponsoring, it means we pay and eat the DPW and the police. So, you will never
be a sponsored organization because we just don't have that kind of money. Okay? So, that's what that's what sponsorship means to you know to mayor if I may I think the best way of defining it is a event generated inside these walls.
Is that fair way of saying it? Brian something that says that we are as opposed to like something that a civic organization I think that is in the line of issue which tradition America explains essentially a pearl run event yeah decides you guys authorized
memorial that's coming from this group here done by these guys and everyone else that I think is a really deep thank you that's very clear and the last question um would be at the end there it says that uh events that are canceled due to inclement weather and require
burough services must be rescheduled with the submission of a new application. What is the pot that that um process for rescheduling? Like how quickly can an event be rescheduled and what is the timeline for approval? Because it's 90 days according to the ordinance for when we have to submit the
first time for an event, but what would the the followup be? You want to take this one, Brian? Well, yeah, sure. So what this is going to be is uh like corn beard or corn beard tomato is a bad uh example cuz we're we would allow um we
are allowing a rain we're going to allow rain date for corn beer tomato. So the council like forever or just so each year when the application is submitted it would go before governing body to approve a rain date for it. Okay. So that that's how we would operate. Any application could effectively come
before the council to have to be approved for rain. Correct. Yeah, but it's the burough's policy that only certain events will be issued rain dates due to staffing concerns, right? Okay. So now, so let's use
um uh Central Jersey Jazz Festival. Even though it's rain or shine, we'll just use as an example, right? If that if a hurricane were to come up and there was a state of emergency declared, okay, the event would be cancelled due to that inclement weather, due to the state of
emergency. So certain fees would not be at the cost of the applicant because that's an act of God, right? So that's specifically outlined in the collective bargaining agreement for the police. If if for any reason due to a state emergency due to that, the applicant
would not be held to that. If your event is completely pre-planned and we're canceling it three days in advance, I would say there's no reason why we couldn't bring that back and roll that over within 14 business days to reschedule the event. If it's already pre-planned,
all your paperwork's in, we're ready to go and it's being cancelled the day before the staff, right? Provided that the departments approve it, but it would go back through the application process and DPW would say yes. The police would say yes. But that needs to be very clear, right? Because I think the the
point of it is, and this is what I think I'm hearing, and I'm not trying to put words in anybody's, but that's not that's not clear. That's not clear to say that you have XYZ days to do that. You're saying, I don't see any reason why we couldn't do it with 14 days.
That's not locked in stone. So, all I'm saying is again, I'm back into processes again, right? And this is where things go ary, is that we need to make sure that it's specifically spelled out. I don't I don't think you can because you may not be able to get enough DPW
workers to work an event two weeks after one thing is canceled, but you could two weeks after something else is canceled. I think the the But no, but Marca, hold on. That's not that's not necessarily true. The point of it is is that it has to you can define something. You can say if it's 30 days or whatever and and then
the event committee has the right to say listen that date is already taken. You have the option of select another date, an alternative date. So, if I may, I think one of the issues is that the big events take the police a while to do the security on. That's like one of the
biggest drag times. Yeah. Is getting not because not only do they have to approve it, they have to send it down to the state police. So, because that's already done, you know, I think that that shortens up the review time significantly. It really comes down to
are there enough police and DPW workers to work overtime. Sure. and and I understand that and and um what I would like to say to council as you're as you are making your decision on this is that uh and you can say gorge may be like
grandfathered in to have a rain but based on the way this ordinance is written and that is the only thing that I care about is I'm not here to judge the intention I'm here to say as someone who plans alongside Robin the biggest event that the burrow has which is corn tomato beer and other events that We
would like to be able to have a rain date for but understand that that's not always possible. um say that you know this based on it in the event of inclement weather requiring us to cancel corn tomato beer for example at some point um we would be
required FID to pay nearly 40k which is 80% of our corn tomato beer budget um just to be able to pay the fees that it costs us for the burrow um DPW and police and and every you know everything
that we need to have it canceled and then rescheduled at some point in the future, get that word out, see if we can even do it. Because if it's not arranged in advance that we tell our 300 vendors about, then there's no guarantee they
can then do whatever the next date we pick is, that would require us to spend a lot more money or make the decision that we're not going to reschedu if it was denied a rain date. But it's so this is But there's nothing in the ordinance that says that you can apply for that separately. So I'm I'm asking when we
discussed this whole ordinance it was keenly stressed that corn beer tomato is the largest event in the burough and I think as long as it stays a robust large event you're always going to be granted a rainy council but I think that should
be in writing because we can't our our attorney advised that we should not you can't do it you can't it's special legislation can't do it. So, it's an internal policy within the event committee that um that we would grant cornbeer tomatoes. So, let me make
sure that I understand this because hold go ahead. Let me just make sure I understand this because there's two concerns here and I hear one is is the are the fees. So, if you're cancelling this event and it says clearly says in
here that you have to pay XYZ fees, are you saying that corn tomato beer is going to be exempt from that? That's the first question. The second thing is well they have a rain date so they'd be for so they don't have to they but again again again again again things
have got to be in right you've got to spell this out right but but you can spell that out you can certainly can't why can't you you can say that they don't have to pay for it that that that the that they're not going to be penalized because they had to do a rain
day. That's the question because if she has to go back, they have to go back and pay all these people all over again. That's a lot of money. But as soon as they apply, Sergeant McN is going to bring it to council and say, "According to your debate, just applied. Here's the date. Here's the rain date. Put it in a resolution. The council's going to vote
to give them the rain date. They're going to know up front, but there's not going to be any cost. That can be right in the resolution." But that's my point. Why wouldn't they? They got a rain date. That's what it means. But is it the individual relief we grant from our ordinance that we sometimes do not often but enough that's how I've always handled it with ordinances where there
is a exception right by resolution you can do it by stating the reason therefore in the resol we've done it two or three times in my year I do it in all my towns um because you need to have that sort of flexibility right it would be in the resolution it's in the resolution in the resolution tomatoes
granted a rain date they will not have to pay a second time that's all she said yeah I'm just asking for clarification because not have to pay what any addition any you wouldn't have you would have to pay cancellation fees your escro would would go roll to the ring your
escro would rule you don't have to shove out any more money okay so I appreciate the clarification on corn tomato beer um and I'm assuming then that we'd be able to apply for that exact same thing if we had additional events or is there a cap on how much one organization can have
like so for example at this point we are not going to reschedule any other events because our budget cannot handle like we can't if the witchwalk for example gets cancelled because of weather. We're not going to double dip and pay a second time to have that event, right? Because
it's too much money for us. We don't have a huge budget. Um and it, you know, becomes uh it inhibits our ability to put on some events because of the of the financial implication for for us. And I'm assuming that while we may be the most vocal, there are other groups who
would would also I mean I think you guys said you have 35 events and if there's only three that are burough sponsored that would leave 32 that are not. So, we're only a handful of those that this is going to be an issue where it is
um one, it's going to make it so that we can't reschedule a lot of events and that we're going to be paying pretty exorbitant fees and get nothing in return lose money in many ways. Um, but the other thing is, and I'm just going to say that when the initial
meeting was held, where this was discussed months and months ago, Councilman Parker asked why the FID was not included. I understood it was an internal meeting, but when the people who are going to be impacted, do not have a seat at the table to have this discussion and bring it up. We then get
put in a position where we see this and we're like I don't think the intention is to screw people but it feels a lot like our budget was passed and now we're having to sit here and say bring back to our board doesn't make sense for us to be investing in these events and there's a chance that we have to pay these fees.
So the issue for the council which was raised to us by our DPW superintendent is that for every rain date, our DPW and our police department have to put those entire weekends on reserve which means
they cannot accept the wedding. They cannot accept the long weekend down at LBI. They cannot accept the family party. So it it may not sound like a lot when it's only three events or four events to you, but that's six or eight weekend. respect. I'm a small business
owner and I I I don't get to say yes to a lot of things either. It's part of my job description and I've decided that that is okay. Neither here nor there. But under public, if that is what the policy is going to be, the policy under public employment law, we cannot make
our employees work events that are not part of their core job descriptions. And that's the law. So, you can book all you want. They don't have to show up. So, they're agreeing to give up weekends to do this. But I think what Ally is saying when they approve it, but correct me
again if I'm wrong. This is what I heard is that there were some decisions made and they did not have a seat at the table. And so what she's saying is all of this could be resolved could would never have come up if they had a seat at
the table to at least be able to explain what their angst would be or what the impact would be. I think we understand I think we understand what their position is and ours is opposite. So but stop that's not true. Stop that. The point of
it is you're drawing a line in the sand. You can't draw a line in the sand. They do deserve to have a seat at the table. No, no, I'm not I'm not saying that deserve that. I'm not saying they don't deserve to have a seat and we But they weren't have a seat at the table. That's the point. That's what she was trying to explain. If I had a seat at the table,
then we could discuss this. But again, how many how many organizations are we going to bring in to the table then? Because if we bring FID in, why do we not bring the United Way in? And why do we not bring Okay,
wait a minute. Wait, I I need I need to bring this back. So, I'm sorry, guys. This is a public comment period. It is not a public discussion. We want to vote down this ordinance. You can vote it down, but it's a comment period. Councilwoman Angel had a legal
procedural question for our attorney. Yeah, I Chris, you had explained earlier the reasoning behind um keeping the um the the verbiage out and saying that we we could um throw it
in um like we do in other in other cases, you know. What do you mean? Um when you you said um I've done it in other towns you said oh so I always is there a legal is there a legal precedence for that or is it just
something that you're you recommend in general so there's two separate principles right the principle of called special legislation but it's that's what you mentioned before us and so it's it's it's a really analogist from a a state law principle
but I think it certainly applies in the municipal level too where you cannot specific specifically exempt from your law making um groups or not groups but but events, right? Like calling out like, well, we're going to apply this to everyone in our ordinance except for one very
specific channel, very specific event. Um it's very common in state law. Mary may remember it from her time in the legislature. Um I also believe it personally as a practitioner believes believes it applies in the municipal
level, right? um contrary to that or or parallel to that if you will is I've always thought it's never been tested in the court. I've always said this never been tested in the court but I think that a municipality I think as a as a principle of governance can specifically
exempt uh organizations from their ordinance via resolution if that resolution states with specificity the reasoning for that exemption. So a reviewing court could determine whether the exemption was properly granted. You mean you don't mean this resolution. You
mean a resolution per resolution per resolution in the future. You mean ordinance v resolution. You don't mean this ordinance resolution by resolution by resol. Yeah, it's a subtle difference, but I do think that you need to give a reviewing court on the second part of
the decision council a reviewing court a reason the reasoning so they could review it and say all right the municipality acted correctly municipality acted incorrectly right uh and then the the anyone who wished to challenge that would have the opportunity to avail themselves of a
challenge knowing what the reasoning is okay so I have a followup question the FID is was created and is part of our ordinance unlike other what is the FID
what is the FID the Fington Improvement District okay for many years we DVA you can't change their name can change your name by ordinance FTP under the ordinance our official name is Fington Improvement District the DVA with Fington community partnership
okay so we're going by FID now we're going by our official name okay the FID is was created by and is part of our municipal ordinance. So as a
result, do it is there some precedent to give them a overall exemption or be part of this ordinance in our you want to expand the I earlier today I earlier 15
minutes ago I discussed what I thought appropriate definition for burough sponsored events was right and that was here. Thank you. Yeah, you could say you wanted to go a step further. I wouldn't have a problem with this legally if you did. Um, if you wanted to go a step further and say, well, the FCP, FIGB,
whatever it is, whatever, you know, legal nomenclature here. Okay. So, we're going to say that the umbrella, we're going to take a step further out for Burough sponsor beyond the narrow somewhat narrow definition I gave you. I would have no problem with that by the way. Okay. Legally, you wouldn't have a problem. wouldn't because if it is a I
mean I haven't looked at the FCPF ordinance have it written but I can and I if it was in the code you could say any wanted any uh organization contemplated in the Flemington Burough CO code coard code pardon me that I do
not think would be like special legislation I think that would then extend the exemption you're providing for the three events at the burough and like I said I have no legal problem with this um extend that protection to anything that was sponsored in whole or in part by the FCP. I have no issue with
that if you want to go the direction. I don't think there's a legal problem. My question would just be if we can put in here that there are exemptions that you can apply for or there has I I just and now I'm hearing corn tomato beer is the is the one that we when we apply we can
ask for a rain date. It says in here that only events that are sponsored by the Bureau of Lington are allowed to. There is no language that specifies that there's anything different. So I when I read it, I just want to understand for me and for other organizations that there is a possibility. I'm going to read the very last sentence of mine
because on this ordinance is that any organization can always apply. She want that in the ordinance. I wouldn't necessarily have a problem. Yeah. It says only events that are sponsored by the bureau of Flemington shall be eligible for a rain date under this chapter at the time of application.
There's a difference between eligible and asking for one. So if you wanted to add that and it says at the time of application. So you can't say you cannot apply for a rain at the application. That doesn't mean we can't grant one now. I think that's what the intention
has grant a rainy always. That is very unclear. If Chris doesn't have a problem with it, why are we why are we going back and forth on this? I mean he's advised that I've been saying this is what we can do. Let's just do that because then it clarifies everything. And you know what? I keep going back to
this. It doesn't matter what we do today. We may not be here next year. All of us and and and the year after that it can change and the year after that can change. So the point of it is is once it's in writing, it's good to go. So I'm just going to finish this. So, I'm going to wrap my time up, but what I'm going
to say is based on the fact that there is so much information that appears to be unclear and I find myself to be a pretty intellectual person and I had a hard time when going through this understanding that there was anything more than if you're not a burough sponsored event, which is not defined, but now I understand it. You don't get
to apply for a rain date. That looks like it's pretty black and white. If it's not, I would like there to be some way for it to make it understandable to people applying that it's not. But I will say based on all of this, I ask that council does not pass this until those, particularly the FID who host the
largest event in the burrow are part of a thoughtful discourse on a solution that doesn't inhibit the ability to host events that are critical to Flemington but also does not put out the DPW and the police. Thank you. The only problem with that, I have no issue with all um you have time, you have
deadlines, right? You're scraping out the problem forward. Yeah, I mean it is it is what it is. We'll just have like I like I said two meetings ago at this point my recommendation would be we continue to refine this and and just
move forward with the current policies that's in place for the rest of this year this juncture question I want to hear what I think you should do that because we all know you guys know the procedure now you guys are the main movers and shakers here we'll just chase it with amendment
very very quickly next week next two weeks from now that way he can still do what he needs to do. But we can get the clarification on it discussed and now Oh, that's a win-win, I think. Go ahead. Are you suggesting tableing it? Because that's what I'd like. No, no, he's No. Brian Brian say he's up against your
deadline to get his applications through. You can table if you want. I'm not going to You do what you want. What I just thought I heard I mean maybe what I I thought I just heard that Brian is willing is at this point in the calendar year that Brian's accepted that we're
going to be moving forward with the system we have in place now so that we can thoughtfully go over this more. So why wouldn't we table this and and we can do that through the events committee and r certain events just may not have rain dates approved through the committee right I just have a problem
with us rushing everything rush we talked about this out here I understand but Marca stop please let me finish and stop shouting at you please you are you're getting loud but it is it is to me I'm talking about mini speech please thank you but
here's the point my point of it is is that they brought up a lot of stuff and so now it's like let's just pass it and then we go back and correct it. What I'm saying is that just feel like rushing it. It's not the whole process that was brutal. I'm not saying that. So please
I'm trying to clarify saying I got it. But Ryan can still do his work that he needs to do. Yeah. While this gets word smith and sorted out, right? issues. We have some applications pending where applicants are putting down multiple
rain dates. Yeah, that's unacceptable. And this council was unanimous about the rain issues. Everybody up here, all six of you were adamant to not do the rain dates because it was just too much of a burden on our staff. And that's why
that's changed, Mar. I don't think that's changed. I think this I really do. I think we're talking about I think we're talking about this specific thing. We're not talking about all the rendates. I think you're mixing apples and oranges. You're just talking about the clarification of language. Right. That's the point. You go. You were next.
No, I you already forgot. Okay. No, no, I know what it is. Okay. Like I guess I guess really my my concern is Okay. So, let's say we we have this we don't have public enough public works employees to do the cleanup afterwards. Last year happened with
salsa night last year where there was no there were only a couple of of guys out there. I was out there that night. So, can the organizations have like some sort of commitment where they'll bring in their criminal cleanup? It's not the organization. There have been events
here where all their people left and that's our DPW high. So, you can't count on that. They've got to put up the escro and the esbro has to be supported by the DPW and the police saying we will be there. Why can't we say I definitely No, we're done with this for now. You're
not. So, my turn. Not yet. real quick question here. It I don't see we're striking through anything in this ordinance, right? We're not removing any language. So, is there somewhere in the ordinance that says we provide rain dates as it is or is that
just something we dis all unanimously said we're not going to do the rain dates only for only for corn. But you said people are applying for rain dates. So, our application always had a a field on it that allowed
for people to request a rain date. Yeah. Form that needs to be changed. Can we just take that off? It's been done for 2025. Yeah. But we also have applicants even just writing in in the margins, these are my requests. I really want to
stop all this conversation up here until we have until the public hearing is done. Sure. and then you guys can all go back to having a discussion. So, I want to go back to the public hearing for your comments. Thank you very much. My comment is I have never done events as a
solo person. I do them as a team. I've never done an event in a town that didn't require my becoming an absolute part of the team with the municipality and all the departments and all the department heads and all the people who
work for the department. There isn't a single person who works for a department who I don't feel is part of my team who I treat with respect as a team member. It is hard as hell to plan events because of the weather. You know, it's
hard to plan events because of the extreme costs. It's so hard. I can't even begin to tell you. But what makes it even harder is not feeling like we're working as a team. So, if we have a problem
where the amount of events in this town are causing pressure or we don't have enough personnel to do the events we plan, I've said to you many times, maybe we shouldn't do corn, tomato, and beer. If we don't have the right per teams to
do them, let's not do it. I don't want to do something that we're not prepared to do. I don't do those kind of events. But for me not to be included in a conversation about how do we solve for any problems that our events are
creating for other people is is not good teamwork. It's not being a part of a team. So, I am really frustrated because we thinking we were doing thinking we were being sensitive to the problem
offered three potential rain dates. I would have picked any date in the book to be sensitive to the DPW, to the police, to the problem. And instead, you know, I felt like we got cast as being greedy
reindeers. you know, I we we want to help solve this problem. If if I if we have to hire outside people, we'll hire outside people. I mean, you know, I think there's lots of ways to solve this, but for us not to have a genuine
conversation about what is the problem and how do we solve it is very problematic to me. Robin, we're familiar with the issue. The FID events are not the issue. I don't know why you guys are casting yourself, but we but when we read this ordinance without being included in a
conversation where anybody said any of the things are being said here and now, it does feel like somehow we and it was mentioned that we asked for three rain dates and we only asked for them because we were trying to acknowledge that that
you know I heard that if we have the event on Saturday and then we go to Sunday that's a problem. So we were like, "Okay, what if we go to, you know, two weekends out, the next weekend, the following weekend, or we'll do it in October." All yours made sense. They weren't wor tomato never the problem
here. No. So why aren't we having conversations with the people who are the problem or the or the or if it's that it's just too many events and you have to pick whatever the problem is, we really want to be a part of the solution. I love her. Um, the other
thing I wanted to say is that you know the the uh I do think we would really love to understand the process of becoming a burrow sponsored event. Um I do think that the historic house tours are considered a his a burrow sponsored
event. They follow overtime. There is no police over time 13. There you go. So there so this is the issue. Yes. is the DPW and the police. The overtime is very expensive. We know. And so, Amy, we know
because we pay close to $10,000 plus six plus two almost $20,000 to do corn, tomato, and beer, right? So, you know, honestly, uh we we do three events. We we we eat
the whole thing and the fireworks takes several days to set up. Um the parade the guys are out there a day or two ahead of time setting things up. I mean personally with the way our budget is we can't we just don't
have the money you know I mean I got we got a guy who just does nothing but raise money for fireworks. We'd have to have someone who just raises money for overtime. I'm not asking to be a burrow sponsored event, but I do but there that's the sponsorship is getting I mean
you want you want the consideration of being able to have a re day for each of your events. Is that what you want or you want? I want the consideration of being invited to the meeting where we com look for solutions to let me simplify this because for what Susan was
just saying we what I think what and correct me if I'm wrong please legally I don't I don't know I'm thinking I'm thinking federal now bid is like a quas extension of the burl because it is does route we approve
their budget we so they really are quas organiz organization to the world. So what I think I'm hearing from Robin and and and and Ally is that if we are a quasi organization then why aren't we a part of the conversation? I think that's
what they're asking. I really do. Am I wrong? No. Okay. So I think that's what they're asking. So, we're going back and forth on things, but I think that's the crux of the problem is that they are and I don't think that I don't think anyone has ever really recognized it until Susan said it that they are a quas part
of the municipal. Well, the original intention of when when the events committee sat down to do this draft ordinance for the council was to get the council to then approve it and then get it over to FCP to look at it. but we
were running out of time because Brian is under this stressful deadline to get something done. So, that was the original intention was for you all to have a bite of the apple. Um, but there was a lot of a lot of
issues between Brian and Chris writing this ordinance. There was a lot of I mean it took it took a very long time to write this or it was complicated. It remains so as you can tell it's always even means more that we should have involved but I think it's lessons
learned right I do think it's lessons learned you know I mean I like look I always say this we are never going to be right 100% of the time we're just it's just not it's not even logical but when something like that is brought to attention and at least it is verbalized
that means a lot so that we know you know now that we we know better we know how to do better right And so again once Susan hit that button and Chris and Susan had this thing it was like wow right that's exactly what it is right um
and so and so now now you have to kind of the next time you put a committee together or whatever you have to kind of rethink that that's I think are you finished your comments I I just uh we would also because we are a 10,000 person potential event we we understand
we we really don't want to stress us out any of our service providers. We don't thank you. It's not you. I understand you. I understand running like a welloiled
because it can't be it's special to legislation if we mention you. So it's not I mean it's not you. This is on the record on the public record. We have the FCP event so dialed in. No, I just because I I I I know there's been a lot of conversation, but I think
I think we are mainly on a similar page. I think the challenge is and this is what lives in your heads right now that I'm hearing is not reflected on in the ordinance. And so while this has made me feel better that we're not concerned
that Cornmato beer is going to go ary and we're going to have to pay an extra $20,000 and that if there's a big event we're planning we'll be able to apply for a resolution that gives us the ability to get a rain date. It's not clear on the ordinance. And so I ask
that we make it a little bit clearer. Give Brian what he needs to be able to say no to whoever's asking for multiple rain dates because I don't know. We've only ever asked for rain for one event. Right? Because we don't that's the only we need it for. Can't we say no to people? I mean, we you can't you say no to people.
But I'm so I just I just ask that we make it very clear in the language so that when you guys aren't here or I'm not here and somebody tries to bring up an event, they don't get struck down because what you know to be FID not the problem is not something that doesn't live on.
That was my overall point. No, I don't care. Okay. Anybody else from the public? Thank you. I just want to say thank you to everybody. Let's try to figure this out. Don't let your mother get in your head. It's you. Um, all right. Can I have a
motion to close the public hearing? Is there a second? Second. Okay. And I have I got to get into the discussion. We have a motion to approve to adopt ordinance 20 25-12. Is there a second? I want a second.
Okay. discussion. Let's find out what y'all want to do. I mean, I want Let me Let me start with Brian. Brian, if this gets tabled tonight for further clarification, which means it has to be reintroduced as a brand new ordinance on
May 12th and then there, you know, we've been talking about cancelling that second meeting in May, so it wouldn't be heard until June. um what does that do to you or doesn't it do or would you just prefer us to pass this tonight and work on that? So,
in my opinion, we know what changes need to be made. So, uh and we can continue to have further conversations, but I would appreciate it if we could move it forward. The FCP events that or FID events that are already in the works, we we know what what those are. We already
know B ring dates already approved by the committee um because it was submitted prior to to this being passed. So there's no concern there with with that event um to move forward. But we do have other events that are pending that
we need to notify those event organizers. This is the new protocol. This is your event date and this is why there's not rain dates for those events. So your preference would be for the council to approve this, right? And then we can make and then introduce an
amendments at the next meeting. Will that make your life easier? Yeah, because I I have I have seven, eight full packet applications that have to go out. That was my impression at the last meeting. You know, either that or we're going to have to wave all the fees when they're not in and within a 90-day
window. So, and so you prefer we pass it and amend it ASAP. And I, you know, Jeremy, you, Marsha, myself trying to get it
going for the FID, we could do that specific for them as an ordinance. Could we do it as a resolution? as a resolution as a resolution. Or you could include them with the ordinance itself because they're already in your ordinance, right? But you mean as an
amendment? No, you do the but so is the library. So is the FC. So the definition is yours to craft as you like. However you want to either way back, you know, I immediately went through the library.
So we could do that and then we could specifically speak to those concerns. I'm sorry or an amendment to the resolution. Can you repeat what you're saying? Are you what you're suggesting? What I'm suggesting is if we pass this tonight, we can very quickly address in
a resolution or an amendment to the resolution concerns of BFID. All right. Okay. So we can so we'd either have I do I want I hear you really hear you. Um I'm more resident focused. So, so I think we could we would amend the
ordinance to include the definition of sponsorship. That's an organization event that comes right out of these walls. And Chris, correct me like how you would identify. So FCP is looking
for they're not looking necessarily for us to eat the DPW and the police costs, but they're looking for the consideration They're looking for they're looking for clarification at if I don't want to speak for you. You're not allowed to
speak at this point. So around rain dates is what I for any organization can request it. It's not just that no that was the whole thing about no rain dates. No, no, let me make myself clear. Nobody
Everybody can't just request a rain date. But the but the wording that they asked for was that it could be considered by the council with permission essentially. Is that kind of what you're looking for? And more importantly, what's happening? If we table this because again they can't talk
right now. If we table this, can we include the FCP FID into the discussion of the revised wording of this amendment? That's a definite. That's okay. Well, then we'll need to make sure that happens. Isn't that a part of the
amendment? That would be part of the Okay. I want to get back to this rain thing, though. Okay. The council had prior to the introduction when this was still being worked on between Kristen and um Brian. The council had
concurred with Brian and the entire committee which is the chief of police. It's the DPW superintendent who helps the city in their room. Fire marshal. The fire marshal that there would be no rain dates for anybody other than corn beer
and tomato because it was just too difficult. But there was no representative on that committee from the FCP including the FCP le liaison. Council Parker Catherine Parker was there. You were there. Okay. Okay. I'm
just trying to get clarification. Okay. So, so the you know if we're going to go if the council is going to go back on that and say all right we're going to allow Chris I need legal clarification. Say a yes or no question. Yes or no. Can
only the SCP be offered the courtesy of being able to ask, not get, but ask for rain dates or do we have to offer it to everybody in the in the municipal family, which includes the the fire department? Do they want to do events
outside? Um, Chris, would it be that when the chief submits his like when we have to submit further road closure applications, if the events committee wanted to bring an application before council to request special dispensation for the event to
allow rain day, wouldn't that be permissible? No different than when the chief requests road closures for council. Yes, you can grant relief on a case-by case basis. You state the reason for that relief in the resolution.
But is that an automatic that everybody gets to ask for it? You've been you've said that mayor's chair two different downs mayor people can ask for anything they want. Is that is that more is that more of an appeal? So what
it is more of an appeal, right? So isn't that different than saying that everybody automatically can do that or is it that you have to have substantial hold on that you have to have some substantial reasoning for why we should look at that. See what I'm saying? I do.
Okay. So that's because an appeal is one thing and saying that we can everybody can do that is two different things. Um the the events committee is like this informal group that's never like they're just a group, right? It's a working group that includes it includes our
professionals and it includes you and me, right? So, um I I think I don't know if if if all these requests should go through the events committee who could who could make the recommendation or does it go through
them? Oh, that's they don't always do anything. That's the problem. But it's this is this is the slippery slope. It's like how do you say no to the fire department if it's in there that anybody can do this? How do they It's a very slippery slope. Very slippery slope. It
is right we are because it comes down to our professionals our professional employees you know giving up their own lives putting them I shouldn't say giving them up putting them completely on hold the rain dates. Does Mike does
my picture rain as well? McCian is on the events committee but I'm asking does he get to approve the range that he has staff but that's my point my point of it is is that he has the option of saying there's no staff to support that
correct why don't we pass the why don't we pass the resolution as it is and instead of doing a quick amendment think about this yeah we need to we need to really go it doesn't need to be a quick amendment because then if we pass it then Brian gets what he needs right now,
which is not holding up the fall dates. And we promise ourselves we look at it again and include the FCP and maybe a couple other organizations like the fire department or whatever involved in the discussions to make it fire marshall
represents the fire department at the meetings. Doesn't matter who the point is we don't want to hold up. Well, that's a good that's a good that's important. So Brian, you would reconvene probably sometime in the middle of in another
week or so in May, a meeting of the events committee and invite the FCP in um to try to and I think I think Chris should be there too because this is really now about the language and what's legal in the language which is what gets
dicey and that's you know um so I think we need to make sure he's available. So one one more thing so here's the question though here's my question. So what you said is that you have four right now. So no, yes, seven. Seven right now. Whatever the number is. So my
point of it is we're going to go through this process. You're going to still accept these things. At some point in time, you've got to draw the line in the sand. So when is it that you're drawing the line in the sand and saying I need to get back to you or whatever the case may be or just redo the point. Well, the forms are are going to be redone. They're going to go out. The new forms
will go out with no rain dates, okay, on them. And the ones that have already submitted with rain dates are going to be advised that your your event's been reviewed and your initial date is X and there is no approved rain day for your Okay. So if we approve this right now,
you tomorrow morning you will go and send out these whatever Wednesday. Um so send out this and make this and and make this all happen. Yes. Okay. So I'm fine with that. I'm fine with that. Okay. So, and then and then you'll convene you'll check
with Chris on his calendar dates. Y because I think he really needs I think he really needs to be sitting there and both the two of us. I agree. I agree. Chris needs to be there and and they need to be and and the chief and my
champion and yeah, it'll be the whole working group, right? The working group. Okay. It is the most complicated permitting ordinance I deal with in my four towns by country mile. Really? This one? It took it took which is which you have but we have to remember that you're the only one of my four that have middle
doesn't have a big downtown you were more that's true you guys need it but it is well we're rare in town that's a point Carla called around to how many neighboring towns municipalities of similar size scope bigger smaller nobody does the amount of events that we do
very true okay this I I I haven't forgotten. I just want to make sure. All right. Yes. Roll call. Councilwoman. Yes. Yes. Council Vice President Long. Yes. Council President. Yes. Thank you.
Uh you guys are good. Okay. Ordinance 2025-14 an ordinance providing for the acquisition of a fire truck for the burough of Flemington and the county of Hunter New Jersey and appropriate $475,000 therefore from the capital improvement fund. Can I have a motion to
open to the public? Long moved. Is there a second? Second. All in favor? This ordinance is now open to the public for public hearing. Anybody wishing to make comment on this ordinance, please come to the microphone and state your name and address for the record. Conor Atinson, 20 Pennsylvania Avenue.
As an individual, I just want to personally thank the council me, everyone here, and everyone in this town for supporting the fire department, supporting all of us in this ordinance. And this is just a, in my opinion, a
long overdue upgrade. And especially with the current firetruck market, as the fire marshal may have explained to you guys before, it's up to four years for a brand new firetruck, up to $2 million. And I don't think we can afford that. This is a great opportunity for all of us to improve services for the
town. And I like I said, just once again want to thank you all for going along with this. And that's it. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Anybody else from the public? Seeing none, can I have a motion to close the public hearing? Is there a second? Angel will second. All
in favor? They have a motion to adopt ordinance 2025-14. Is there a second? Roll five. No second. Okay. Before I call roll five, I just want to publicly also thank Raron Township um Ron Township. Uh I called
the mayor um regarding getting um their DPW which does have a garage um with a mechanic who works on firet trucks. They gave us the courtesy um to take a look at the fire truck for
us to make sure it was in really great working order. They gave us a double thumbs up. Uh it's it saved us time and it also saved us money. Um that the township did that for us and I'm really so pleased that we have such a great working relationship between the two
fire departments now. Um it's the best I've seen in my lifetime between Mer and Flemington. So I just want to thank M Township DPW superintendent mechanic and the mayor uh for doing that for us. U any other discussion? Yeah. And I just
want to add I want to thank uh our fire chief Rob Skank and our uh other fireman Cole Kimble who did some literal leg work to get a lot of this done. I'll spare you the details but thank him and of course the mayor uh for for working
with the department and everybody. All these pieces had to fall into place. So I just wanted to extend my thanks to everybody. Roll call please. Yes. Councilwoman, yes. Councilwoman, yes. Counciloman Lev, yes. Council Vice President Long W. Yes.
And Council President Parker. Yes. Great. I don't know when we're getting delivery on this. Uh hopefully soon. But um we do need to be mindful that as soon as we take delivery, we need to get it under our insurance. The old truck,
wherever it gets moved to, our insurance company needs to know its new location. And I guess um since Bill Hans our CFO is listening in um we need to get that second the old engine declared surplus so we can now get both the trucks the
old ladder and the old engine up for auction so we can recoup some of this money to pay down this truck. So we can do that at the next meeting. I think we can declare it surplus and get it uh the old engine. Don't we have to do a
resolution to purchase Chuck, isn't that writing for the acquisition of want to make sure? Yeah, that's what I thought acquisition. I don't think so, Bill. Is that true? You don't We don't
need a res. Yep. Go ahead, Bill. Hi. Can you hear me? Okay. Yeah, you really should do a resolution uh uh stating who we're
buying it from and the amount. Okay. So, for the next meeting on the 12th of May, we'll do the purchasing resolution and we can also do the surplus resolution on the old engine bill. Yeah, I'll get the information on that and we could I could put together
that resolution as well. Yes. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Um All right. Uh, we'll get those on on the 12th amendment. We just need to get Maybe you can Carla, let Ken Cormick
know we need the information on the old engine so it can go up through circles. Okay. All right. Regular agenda resolution 2025-71 resolutions bring the river to the Lemony community pool project. Can I have a motion? Is there a second? Second. Any
discussion? Um, I just wanted to thank the um I just wanted to thank the um River Crossing YMCA and the representative um here tonight because this was something that we had brought up two years ago with our first
resolution and um uh and and got that initial uh you know 700 for 3,000 and I really appreciate your efforts to continue working with this. I know that um Jeff and I and and the assembly woman met late last year about this. So, I'm
really glad to see that it's still moving forward. Little by little, we're going to get it done. And one thing, back in 2020, we were here. We were very excited. Then we had some issues. Anybody remembers, but I
just remember how excited everybody was and how how it was. We were feeling good. So, I hope this is it. I hope this is the start of it. Well, there's your biggest champion right there right there. That guy is working so hard. I I like and I'm saying that because I'm
intimately involved with this with them. Um, but it's just, you know what, this is warms your heart when you see someone outside the government who is trying to make something happen and just is is relentless and does not see any barriers
for getting it done. So Jeff. Absolutely. Okay. Roll call, please. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Vice President. Yes. Council President. Yes. Resolution
2025-72. Resolution appointing CGPNH as the affordable housing agent. They are our agent now. They've been our agent. Um when we have community they are the ones that put up stuff for the lottery or whatever that's what they do.
Um we have very highly of them and I don't think finally any of these organizations you got to take your poison. So they've been they've been ours for a decade probably. I know nothing's come up. Yeah. Spice factory
actually put up an Yeah for a lot. I can't say the lottery. Um, do I have a motion, please? Move. Is there a second? Second. Roll call, please. I'm sorry. Any discussion? Roll call. Councilman, yes. Councilwoman,
yes. Councilwoman Sara, yes. Councilman Levit, yes. Council vice president. Yes. President Parker. Yes. Okay. We have no work session. Public comment session number two. Anybody wishing to speak for the public, please come forward. You have three minutes. I like the public.
All right, let me go. I have an obnoxiously long event calendar to share with you. Um, but I also brought you each of the the fabulously designed peeps maps that we
gave to the business that mentioned one, two, three, four new businesses that were part of it. And I just wanted to thank the cert team and the police because um what everybody says is this feels like a like a busy town that it's
reminiscent of the past. It's so fun and wonderful to have crossing guards and to feel like people are just moving all around our main street so safely. The traffic is so slowed down. It's a really great feeling. Except for me who are in
a traffic cone. Oh, was that you? You knew that. You didn't see a word. I kept it tight. You? Yeah, bro. I dare my soul code. I just see it. I have a question. Robin, was it sold out last
year as well? Uh, so last year we set the number at 150 and it sold out. This year I set it at 300 and it sold out. But amazing. We because we have to buy you know, 2,000 pre-filled eggs, which
I'm sure you've all yourself that I did not scout and everybody to do it. Oh, that's a good one. That's a really good idea that is your job to be in charge of that. And then the kids get to keep the
eggs so we don't store them. So anyway, we had a fabulous event. um we were able to accommodate uh at least a hundred more people who didn't see the prerege and showed up. It was fantastic. And uh
one of our new businesses said they had almost 400 sales that day because you know we can bring people to people's shops, but it doesn't mean that they're buying anything. Um and it's very hard to do business driven events. We work we
work it's hard we work really hard on that. Um so anyway it was a great success. I wanted to give you a sign update. I did speak to um Brad and I are at the county up to make sure that the
county buildings that are on the signs uh because the police said a lot of people are looking for the hall of records. They're looking for the clerk. Uh they some people are looking for the court that that we can get that with the
economy of language because county administrative county administration building is really long. Um and we have just a little bit of real estate on signs. So they're working on the naming the nomenclature but we are very close
to showing you a closer to final design and getting your input. So I think maybe u the next meeting or the one after that we will show you the designs. We also asked if we could have the county's help
with the bucket truck because um lifting these very 100 pound signs and placing them back on the post was really challenging for the DPW and they did a great job but I don't think anybody was
prepared for how difficult that was. We saw them doing it and it was like, "Oh my goodness, this is so we asked for a little support. Um, and we found a place to bring all the signs and have them painted, which is also part of what has
to happen." So, I think you will see real sign activity to a conclusion in the next 30 days. Yes, 30 days. Okay. So, you know, when you're talking about the
um the various office, so I was in Cleveland this past weekend in Solen actually. Um well, Cleveland is open, but I saw that and they actually had each department that was important. Not every single one of them, but
passport, clerk, uh police. It was It was like so perfect and so neat. I forgot to take I'll have my brother. I'll have my brother take a picture and send it. But it was perfect. It was perfect. Plus an arrow. Yeah. You knew to go to this way if you were going to go to this building. And you knew to go to this way if you're going to this
building. I have I'll have to take a picture. What was the third thing? Signs. Oh, the train. Yes. So, thank you Tony for mentioning that train. Uh we will invite everybody to actually come and walk the walk and
give input. Um we are playing paying for a study of of how this could work and um it does uh there are opportunities to there there is a need to move the train
station out of Stangle Road and Liberty Village where it is. there is an opportunity to uh revi re revisit the conversation about the train station that's on Park Avenue and if if that is viable to be moved. But no matter what,
the train station that currently exists on Stangle is going to have to move. So, we have to start to look at this and make some decisions. and we're just here to facilitate the idea generation and we will include everybody um in making the
decisions. And just so you know, Kane is actually um is actually committed to moving that train station. Yes. The one that that the one I'm parking the the Lehigh Valley train station. Yes, he is committed. Yes. Thanks, Rob. And he also
has a he has land where he can move the train station to. And it actually works because uh while the train the train needs I think 600 ft of platform so everybody can embark and disembark at
the same time and that allows them to use some of the old platform and it really involves cleaning up all of the mishagos and brush and garbage um behind the the uh swim and sweat
Belvadier building. which is really messy back there. So, so this is exciting ETA for the for the for the linear part for uh to be th is there is there an equal they were doing the
construction on it when we did the tour last. So, um so honestly yes and no. The yes is uh I was told that the path is clean because Keen
Binga got an MJTPA grant to clear the the mess and to remove the third track that wasn't being used. So it's been clear cleaned and prepped and we uh George Malone has enough bricks from
Liberty Village to actually fill it all in. But but we need a plan that shows the safety features because it's you know there has to be fencing, there has to be lighting, there have to be other
considerations. So um that part is not that the plan for the plan. Yeah, we're paying for a plan with uh in collaboration with Keen U, the owner of the tracks to just give us some ideas
about what this renderings of what it could look like and some considerations of where things could go, where could the station move, what could it look like? Well, thanks to Mr. Voluone, it's a shame that Mr. Dallas didn't follow his resolution from 15 years ago and he
saved the bricks from his facility as well. Um all right. Uh we are at No, I said are we Oh, I don't know. I think that's what I'm asking.
I think Chick-fil-A is esproc. All right. Payment of bills authorizing payment of bills in the United $866,649.38. I have a motion. Is there a second? Will second call, please. question. Oh, yeah. Do you have a question? Yeah. I just I I just wanted a
clarification on the door gate repair department. What was that about? You want me to answer? I don't know what it is. Uh the um that windstorm approximately what, three weeks ago, maybe a month ago. And uh the wind
basically tore the the gate um the front gate the front gate uh pushed it forward and the gate was stuck into the ground. Oh. So they had to bring in it's been collapsing but um they had to bring in and put a uh a wire basically to short
back up to the building to pull it so that they line up again. Well, but it sucked with wind damage. Yeah. No, I didn't know that. I didn't I wasn't clear whether because it said building improvements. I wasn't sure if that was part of the plan or if it was a that was there when we bought the building. Yeah,
it's a great gate. It's a really high quality stuck. It's really fun to try to get Yeah, it's worth getting fixed. I think it's a really high quality gate. Is there a place when I when I delivered um the donations there a couple uh months ago um is there is there like a
place marked where people can park and and walk up? So there will be I guess it's it's ending right now. There's going to be there's going to be spots like uh drawn out on the main drive there with signage for whatever
you do. Yes. Vice President. Yes. doesn't part. Yeah. I guess one other thing before we call for a motion to journ the public hearing has been set by the freeholder county commissioners for the uh ADA compliance
hot lot at the county park behind the courthouse for their uh first meeting of I believe is the date at the regular field meeting. So that project looks like it's finally going to happen. We're going to get a little pot of course. The
pot that that Warren Buck Lightner donated money center women's club. Uh can I have a motion to please second? Uh, all in favor? of Christ.