Uh, good morning everyone. I hereby announce that pursuant to section five of the open public meetings act that adequate notice of this meeting has been provided in the notice which was sent to the Aspbury Park Press, the Two River Times, and posted on the bulletin board in township hall and filed in the township clerk's office on December 26th, 2025.
Roll call. Uh, roll call. Mayor Foster >> here. >> Miss Lamount >> here. >> Mr. Impervadudo >> here. >> Mr. Romano >> here. >> Uh you have a quorum. >> Thank you. If we could all rise for the
pledge of allegiance and remain standing for a moment of silence. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all. >> In a moment of silence to remember those serving our country both home and abroad. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Good morning, folks. Um, we have one matter on our agenda for today and I
think before we jump into that, Michael, would you like to give a little bit of an overview of of that for us? >> Sure, Deputy Mayor. Uh, there's one item on the agenda today, uh, which is a resolution appointing to the vacancy
caused by the resignation of, uh, Committeeman Wukarelli at, uh, the prior December meeting. Uh this is governed by the municipal vacancies law which has a a process in which the uh since Mr. Lucarelli was elected as a Republican nominee where the Republican county
committee uh has the uh prerogative of putting forth three names and that the township committee then has the opportunity to select one of the three names um to the vacancy uh with the majority vote of the remaining members um allowing for that individual to be
selected. Uh the township clerk notified the Republican uh county committee immediately following uh committeeman Lucarelli's resignation and on December 24th uh the county committee put forward three names. Um and following that uh a
special meeting was called by this township committee to act upon that vacancy. So that is the resolution that is on today's agenda. Um I do know that uh our agendas typically have a um a public comment period on agenda items which um that should have really been on
the agenda. So my suggestion would be to provide the public with an opportunity that the public comment listed as number six be moved up on the agenda so that it precedes the resolution. Um so I would recommend um once we're done to if you have any questions of me, we simply make a motion to open up that public comment
period preceding the resolution to uphold that end. >> Okay. So, Michael, um, in terms of the resolution, should we do public comment before? >> Yes. >> Reading the resolution.
>> So, okay. If if anyone would like to come forward with public comment, >> this will be on any issue of governmental concern, including on the agenda item of resolution 2025 329. And if you could carry I think just um
lay down the um oh yeah rules for >> sorry uh members of members of the public are invited to provide comment up to three minutes in duration. Commenters are asked to state their full name and address for the record before entering comments. >> Sorry, this is not official comment.
It's not on Facebook or YouTube. >> Can we confirm that we're streaming? It says I am here. >> I've got people telling me they're on. >> Oh, wait. >> You are live. >> Yeah, I'm getting text saying that
they're on. So, okay. >> Thank you. Anyone else like to come forward? Come on up, sir. >> Lance Lupy Line Road. Couple clarifications. Let's clarify that our mayor and one of our committee members
are not here in person. They're calling in via phone. Okay. So, questions the importance of the meeting. Uh let's also clarify that the rules 15 days for the notification of the three people and 30 days for the vote. Is do we agree on
that? Is that factual what I'm saying? >> This is not a deposition. You can make your comment if we choose to respond after >> it's within right within correct not disputing that but you know 10:30 Monday week later holiday week. Okay. Just
observation. I'm not sure of the strategy here. I'm sure that that these are all tactical moves. Uh hoping obviously that there's nothing, you know, no major reason why why the departure took place. Um but the pilot vote took place that night, then the resignation. This vote's taking
place, you know, a week later on a Monday, 10:30 a.m. Two members of the of the committee aren't here, including our mayor. Um, going back several years, there was a lot of commentary and editorial about
the change of government vote and how that was, you know, every a lot of people felt that that was snuck in under the wire. Uh, and and this, right? So, optics, right? They match pretty pretty similarly in my opinion. Um, you know,
the the just the whole vaage thing probably cost one of those seats that are up there this year. Okay. I know there was a tactical or strategic move to try and circumvent that, but uh probably cost one of the seats and I have a feeling maybe it might cost another one. I don't know how many are on the on the ballot for this year, one
or two, but may cost you then. Um, just I I want everyone to, you know, think about this, right? At the last meeting, I made some comments on the open space. You know, a lot of backpadding and you know, some of my facts were, I think, incorrect. Um, fine. But the backpadding didn't come with, you know what, we we probably paid
too much, but at least we got it done, right? You know, it's a little little self-depregation, but not uh none. Um, this is your legacy, right? You know, so you can't So, you said, you know, people up there said it wasn't us that did those open that missed out on those open space opportunity. It was those past
governments. Well, guess what? This is your legacy. You own this whole thing. the pilot, right? Everything about it is is on the people up there that voted. So, um be that as it may, that that's the facts, I think. Um and then, you know, on that vote last week, you know,
we approved it. It was approved by the by the committee. Um would they have walked if they if they didn't get that pilot approval? I don't know. They probably got a lot invested into this. So, maybe they wouldn't have walked. Maybe we should have called their bluff on that um and not done that. But maybe we should have found out. So my comments
for that for this meeting I I I don't understand the what the rush is for this meeting. I I really don't understand why. Was it because we wanted to have a unanimous vote, right? Because there maybe would have been dissension in in January. I I don't know. But but it just
seems the optics on this are not good. >> Yeah. If I can respond to some of that, Lance, you you hit on a number of different things. I think just to sort of I want to say nip this in the bud or whatever. Um, it's actually very simple from our vantage point and and I I don't agree with your
optical connection to the change in government. I think that was a completely different circumstance. What I will tell you is number one, we followed a very strict legal process. Number two, the vacancy happened under the uh opices of the 2025 governing body and we thought it should be filled under
the opices of the 2025 governing body. Number three, I have served under a governing body several years ago that was compromised by resignations. And so we appreciate how expeditiously the county committee acted in providing us names so that we could fill this a
compromised govern. Yeah, we we don't know what next year is going to hold. I don't care if someone vote would vote no or not. That's their that's their uh you know, that's their their right as a as a member of the governing body. But having been in this position before when someone else was in leadership, I
appreciate how quickly it's moving because I I don't I don't think it's a good idea to walk into the new year with a compromised governing body. And that that that's my personal opinion on that just to be very clear. Um and I think many, you know, the members of the of
the committee shared that folks that are on vacation chose to dial in to reflect that same level of urgency. Um, this is and I will say also the second time in in my time up here of uh government being accused of moving too quickly. So
I uh you know I'll take that as a sort of a backhanded compliment I think in some way. Um so you know all that said there's nothing underhanded. There's nothing you know no tactical or strategic execution. This is simply we have a vacancy. It's important for us to operate as a complete governing body in
the coming year. lock it down if we have the opportunity to do so. We did, so we are I I don't it's it's I I know there's a lot of conspiracy theories going around and and everything else. There's no conspiracy here. There's no like backdoor deal. This is a very strict
legal process we had to follow to do it and it did happen quickly and I'm actually really thankful that it did. >> Sure. >> Absolutely. >> I can't you know me. I can't keep my mouth shut. I'll stop. I I So then I would just question why not do it at 7:00 p.m. tonight? Why at 10:30 in the
morning? It the optics aren't because most people, right? I'm so fortunately I run a business. >> I have night court tonight. Okay. >> I have a six o'clock session in Woodbridge. So I won't be available and Brian's on vacation. So it made much more sense to be doing it at this hour
when fresh. >> It just he's in a different time zone, one that's far ahead of ours. Do but do you understand the optics of of 10:30 on a Monday morning? >> I I get it. It's it's >> I run a business so I'm able to be here but a lot of people that maybe wouldn't want to be here
>> I'm lucky to have a vacation day so I can show up. Right. So you know I I get it. I guess look >> we always number one and I will say this until the day I die. We operate above board here period. I think we're highly transparent Lance. Whatever people want
to sort of attribute to that or not. Um, number two, I get what you're saying about the optics. We can't always operate in line with optics. We have to operate in line with what we think we can do, when we can do it, and what the best decision is that we can make. And so, sure, right, you know, it's a 10:30 in the morning meeting. We have a mayor
that's six hours ahead of us right now. Um, also in addition to, you know, people working, you know, certain hours at night with with their employment and whatnot. So, this was the time that it that it quote unquote worked, right, to get this done. like that's I mean it's this is literally the face value of it,
right? There's no there's nothing else to it. Um and that's you know so I I can't say much more than that. >> Thank you. >> Thank you L. >> Come on up. >> Can't believe I'm going to read something. Hey guys, I got to do it like
that. Matt Weissfeld, 10 Riverside Lane, Homedale, New Jersey. Actually, I can't believe it. I didn't mean to have something written and prepared. I wrote this on Facebook and it just fits. I wrote this publicly. You can read it. Uh I posted it 9 hours ago. I think it describes it as a translation of it all. Whether people like it or don't like it.
Um the problem is they technically are doing everything by the book whether we like it or not. They are following the bylaws and putting up nominees as options for the TC to vote on. And feel free to throw something on the PL, you know, if I'm off on this. That being said, the timing is a bit difficult
whether it was intentional or not. hard for everyone to get to the meeting during the holidays. I also think the pilot is all to just show good faith to avoid builder's remedy if all goes to hell. I really hate reading stuff. I like just, you know, I'm trying to stay organized on this for a change, but uh I
So anyway, good faith to avoid builder's remedy if all if it all goes to hell. Well, at least I think and hope the TC was considering this all because hey, maybe there is a tin foil hat theory, but to me this makes sense. Realistically, if the project falls apart, the pilot doesn't matter. But on
the other end, now we need to make sure they don't pass. Okay, this is the part I can speak to. I'm all for giving you guys pressure though to making sure that the D I don't trust the D. I don't trust any of these guys. I don't feel comfortable that our waters could be clean, but that's where we got to put it
on you guys. So, what I'm getting at is that I mean, everything you're doing is legal. It's I I believe it's all legal. Now, my gripe is I really don't know who these three people are. I literally would go off of chat and it's not your fault. It just is what it is. I don't know these three guys. I you know I mean
it's um I would go off of uh Gary just because of chat PT. Like literally that'd be my choice. But I'd go for Tom because I know Tom taught his kids and you know poor TJ man. I don't even know you. So >> that's
>> my apologies. And you seem great. I do feel that whatever it is or how we got here or everything else and everyone's like it's a bad look. It's a bad look. Well, I I don't even know who TJ man is. And again, sorry. Now I know. And that's where I think there's that extra concern
that of you know there isn't really the time. However, we get there things like that and that's where the uneasy factor because right now if I was in your spot I would literally vote for Gary thanks to chat GPT giving me a lot of good notes. So, and I think I covered all the stuff and I hope I was accurate on what
I was saying before. Thank you, >> Matt. The only question I have for you is, how are you wearing flip-flops in this weather? >> These are my winter. I actually said this to the kids because I've got a pair of red flip flops and blue. This is my winter flip flops. Keep my toes warm. Hey, you know what? It's all attitude and being positive. And, you know, we
have a great town. There's sunshine out somewhere in the world. So, and hopefully we'll get through all this pretty, you know, effectively here. So, but thank you guys. >> Hope that makes sense. >> Thank you. Anyone else? >> Oh, come on up. >> Peter Maner, 59 Beth Road Home though.
Um, I just have to say getting back to the potter thing, it I don't care the town bought it. It's great. So, good job to you guys. Same thing with the big horn. Great job. And that's preserving home Dallas. Somehow, maybe down the road we could figure out vaage a little
bit and if it could be stopped, that would be another feather in all your caps. Um, have a good new year. This meeting would have been nice right after the new year. Um, and then how these people got selected, you guys selected them, I don't even know. and I need to
learn the mechanics of what goes on here to help you people do better job. But thank you. Have a good new year and see how next year goes. >> Thanks, Peter. >> Thank you. >> Just just to address the process a little more because it probably is a it's a novel process that we haven't
followed here in Homedale for probably over a decade. But um when there is a vacancy on the township committee and someone is elected as the nominee of one of the political parties, so a Democrat or a Republican, uh the county
committee, which are um local elected officials in each of your voting districts, there's two for each voting district who are elected in the primaries every two years. Those folks are authorized to meet and give the township committee three names. They
have to give three names. And then it's up to the township committee to select one of the three names. And it creates this process that essentially allows the the Republican party to um provide the dictates of three individuals who they
deem appropriate for the township committee to consider and serving in this role. We previously had a vacancy with an independent and in that instance the township committee can select any resident any anyone eligible because there was no local party that has the authorization to provide those names. So
we're just following the process that state law prescribes. Um you know so the township committee essentially was obligated to provide the Republican committee with the opportunity to provide the three names and then they in fact provided the three names and it's now on the township committee to select
one of those three. And and just for clarification, if we were all Democrats, it would be a dem it would be a similar dynamic. >> Yeah. So the there's actually >> the person that resigned was a Democrat. >> Correct. There's case law that is intended to protect the local political party to have the a candidate of their
choosing, including in instances where the governing body may be of a different party to so you know, so there's a protection mechanism to allow the local political party to have influence over who takes the vacancy. Anyone
else? Okay. Um, do we close the public comments? Um, moving on to the resolution itself. So, as I uh mentioned earlier, the
resolution on the agenda to fill the vacancy is resolution 2025 329. Uh it sets forth the various provisions of the municipal vacancies law and it also outlines the three names that were provided by the Homedale Republican Committee. It would now be up to the township committee if a member wishes to
make a motion to uh insert one of those three names into the blanks that are on the resolution. >> Sure. I'll I'll make that motion. Deputy mayor. >> Sure. >> I guess you have to second it. You have to you have to say who and explain. So >> we know I get longwinded here, so I
might as well turn this on. Um, you know, one, I want to thank the Republican County Committee for moving expeditiously in this process. As I mentioned earlier, I certainly place a premium on remedying things as quickly as possible, regardless of what the
optics look like. Um, after I think a close evaluation of the three candidates, um, I would move that Gary Vanderham, uh, be appointed to replace Committeeman Lucarelli. Uh, Mr. Vanderham has served on our environmental committee, on our finance committee. uh has been in service to our
community in a variety of other capacities over time. Uh he's got three kids that have one's gone through the district already, two are in the district. Um and uh I think he's going to be a really really I I think we were blessed to have three very very strong
candidates to select. Um and uh I think in this instance at this time I think Mr. Vanderhan will be the right person to fill the role left vacated by committeeman Luca Rally. And I would like to second that,
add to it that just as committeeman and prevadudo shared, we were fortunate to have the ability to review three strong candidates that have a tie to our community, that
have been involved, that have a strong interest in continuing to move home fell forward. So, it actually it was not an easy decision to make because any one of
those three candidates I am confident will do a great job. Um based upon based upon my review, I I am with you um committeeman and prevadudo in terms of
of sec seconding Mr. uh Vanderham. But again, it was all three candidates we were very fortunate uh to have presented to us. So, thank you. >> Roll call. >> Um is there any discussion >> any um
>> beyond those comments? >> Miss committeeman Romano, would you like to share anything? Do you have any comments? >> No comments. >> Okay. And mayor, anything you'd like to add or share?
Mayor, we're having trouble hearing you. It sounds like you're underwater. >> Okay. And do you want to try again? >> Mayor Foster, >> why don't we give him a minute to see if the connection approves? >> Mayor, we'll give you a moment to uh get
to a better spot for connection. Hey guys, no further comments from me. >> Okay, thank you, Mayor. >> Okay, roll call. >> Uh, Mr. Invadito, >> yes. >> Miss Lamount, >> yes. >> Mr. Romano,
>> yes. Mayor Foster. >> Yes. >> Uh resolution 2025-321 329 has been successfully approved. >> Okay. Under the uh municipal vacancies law, um an individual that's appointed
uh automatically um instantaneously becomes a member of the township committee. So it would be appropriate to now have Mr. Vanderham sworn in. >> Okay. What's that? >> See that? >> We listen to the public.
>> Yeah. You didn't know AI was a big fan of yours, did you? Yeah. >> Do you have someone who wants to hold the Bible for you? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Patrick, I know you're not gonna say Yeah. The government
and partially faithfully Gary, if you would like to just take a moment and maybe introduce yourself to the Homedale community. Why >> don't we do a why don't we do a quick picture and then we'll uh you can come up here, right?
So, we'll do a picture and then you get a seat. This one here. >> Yes. >> Well, Gary, welcome aboard. >> Thank you. >> If you would just um maybe, like I said, introduce yourself so folks uh begin to
get to know you. Flip the switch at the bottom. It'll go on. >> Lights on. >> Testing, testing, testing. >> So, thank you, Kim. I appreciate it. Uh, so, so the, uh, I prepared a little speech like I was in the Academy Awards just in case I got uh, selected. So,
bear with me while I lay it out. Um, uh, and, and Roco, I appreciate that uh, during your your uh, comments, you kind of covered everything I was going to talk about. So, you're going to hear a lot of the same things. So, I appreciate it. Um, first and foremost, I want to thank the township committee uh for the
honor of appointing uh me to complete the term of uh committeeman Lucarelli. Uh Brian, Kim, Rocco, Joe, thank you for your trust. Uh I don't take this responsibility lightly. Uh the role of local leadership is sacred and I am
fully committed to served with integrity, transparency, and purpose. Uh my wife Gloria and I chose Homedale more than 15 years ago and we've put down roots here. Uh our three children have grown up in this community. My oldest James is in his second year at Ruckers.
My son Anderson is in the high school and my daughter Julia is at Indian Hill. I know what makes this town special because we live it every day. I am an active volunteer uh with the Homedale soccer and football programs in town. Over the last three years, I've deepened
my commitment to this town, serving on the environmental commission and the finance committee, gaining firsthand insight into the issues that matter. I believe in accessible leadership. The moment you're called to lead is the moment you're called to listen. I want
to represent all of Homedale. If you see me around town, please stop and say hello. Let's connect. Let's build trust. I'm ready to get to work. Thank you. Well, >> thank you. Welcome aboard.
>> And that's We have a motion. >> Motion to close. >> I'll make a motion to close. >> Second. >> All in favor. >> All in favor? >> I >> I >> Thank you folks for for coming out this morning and uh being here for this. We
appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks to those on the