Good evening 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 Asbury Park Press, the Two River Times, and posted on the Bolton board in Township Hall and filed in the Township
Clerk's Office on December 5th, 2025. Can we all please stand for the pledge of allegiance? >> Sorry. Mayor Foster >> here. [laughter] >> Miss Lamount >> here. >> Mr. Impreaduda >> here. >> Mr. Lucarelli >> here. >> Mr. Romano is not here this evening.
>> All right, we have a quorum. We're going to start the meeting. Please stand for the pledge of >> allegiance and a moment of silence. I just curious before we kick it off, do we have any Boy Scouts in the audience? >> No, I spoke to them today. Okay. You did. >> All right. We'll have them at the next
meeting. >> So, next on the agenda would be the approval for the minutes for the November 25th, 2025 executive and public sessions. >> Can we get a motion? >> Move. >> Second. >> Mr. Invaduda.
>> Yes. Miss Lam Mountain, >> yes. >> Mr. Lucaelli, >> yes. >> Mayor Foster, >> yes. >> The minutes have been successfully approved. Thank you. >> Excellent. Uh, moving on. We're going to do a public comment on agenda items only. One thing I did want to add before we get to the public comments on the
agenda items is one of our uh agenda items this evening is about police dispatch which we are after the last few months of having discussions with internal employees the police chief EMS chief the entire committee we're looking at several different things which kind of I think it's been in the works and a
lot of people that we've spoke to have kind of agreed. So a couple of the highlights as far as why we're looking to move in this direction and why we're doing it now. So on average, we're going to save 70 seconds per call. Every call currently goes to the county first and then as they take that incoming information and it's then transferred to
our team here. Um that's a huge huge savings for our residents. Significant time savings. Safety is pretty much a number one priority. Every one of our employee employees has been offered a job if they wish to continue in dispatch with the county. Uh we're moving forward
with that, but we met with all our local employees to discuss this moving forward as well. Uh, Homedale will have an exclusive desk at the county for all of our calls. So, we hope to staff that with our dispatchers that are here. We already have a couple people that used to work in dispatch here that have moved over to the county already and are
enjoying their time there. All of these surrounding towns are on it. What that means is anytime our team is out on a call and it might be with Middletown, Hasllett or whoever, we cannot communicate with that other towns because we are on a completely different radio system.
uh our fire department has moved over to that as of earlier this year, which some of you are probably aware of as well. So, it would be would be nice to have all of our groups on the same system in town. And another important thing, we're going to save at least $400,000, possibly more, but we're we're moving on
from our use of a lot of time in the revolving door that we've been trying to deal with and keep staffed, and it's just been kind of a losing battle. So, all these things are what we're looking to move forward on. That being said, does anybody else have any comments they'd like to add before I open the floor to the public? >> Uh, Mayor, I just want to confirm what I what you just said, make sure I got it
right. The our response time will improve by 70 seconds on average based on past practice based on what's Okay, >> Rock, I think, uh, just to clarify, you're referring to 911 calls. Uh, mayor, correct? >> Yes, sir. >> Thank you. >> So, for 911 calls, we expect a response
time that improves by 70. So, a minute 10. Okay. >> Per call. >> Okay. So, I mean, so there's direct benefit. There's direct benefit to homeell residents clearly on this with fire already being over there for 911 calls and being on disparate systems is
an inefficiency in our communication. Is that correct? >> Absolutely. >> Okay. So, this resolves that. And if we need assistance from other towns, the surrounding towns along with like twothirds of Mammoth County, I think are on this. So, if there's a call for assistance, it now routes through again eliminating that inefficiency. Is that
all? >> Abs. Absolutely. And that's why we set it up for May. gives us time to program everything to work through all these moving parts and make sure that everything is rolled out as perfectly as possible. Obviously, there could be hiccups. That's just the way things go. But yes, all those are what I consider to be huge benefits.
>> Thank you, mayor. >> Looking for public comments on agenda items only. Come on up, Ralph. Good evening. Ralph Blumenthal, 41 Stony Brook Road. Let me just start by thanking you all for your service for this past year. It's been a busy year.
It's taken a lot of time on all of your's part. So, thank you and have a happy holidays. I'd just like to comment on two items. Yeah. Okay. uh two items on the consent agendum
namely 325 and 326 regarding the shared services agreement with the board of ed. The first one is with regard to sleos and the second one is with regard to school resource officers.
Uh what is the difference between those two categories? What do they do that's different? >> First I have a couple other questions. Let me just ask them. can go ahead. My initial reaction is, hey, this is a good topic for a shared services
agreement. The people serving our police type or employees of the police department and having an appropriate chain of command with that kind of skill and knowledge is appropriate rather than say having them directly report to a
principal or something like that. So what's the difference between those two categories? How many of people are involved with this? For the sleos, it says plural. For the school resource officer, it's singular. So I suspect we're dealing
with four, five, six total or something of that sort. And lastly, what will be the approximate cost to the township for this? It's, I believe, a good way of sharing, say, pilot revenue or whatever with the
school board and an appropriate subject for a shared services agreement. >> All done. Awesome. Thank you, Ralph, especially for your your comments of thanks. That's much appreciated. Chris, you want to take this one, the breakdown, please? >> Sure, Mayor. Um, so school resource
officer, and I'm not 100% sure on on who that is, uh, but they're a regular police officer, not a special officer. there uh trained specifically to be involved in the school. Uh give classes like lead which is like the new DARE program. It's the more modern DARE program. Uh currently for the special
threes we have those are retired police officers from other towns or even our town. Uh we have 10 that are on staff that they don't all work every day. Um it's a kind of a rotation. Um and as you said, yes, it is a way to give like money through pilots back to school.
Well, we actually absorb the entire cost of that now. So, in this in this we actually take uh it's close to $350,000 a year um with everything about $400,000 a year that we're the town is putting towards um the security for the kids in
the school. So, that's the cost on that. And then for the officer, it's their normal salary. So, whatever their salary is, um whether it be 150,000 plus benefits, that that also would be paid for by us. So um and the program is already in effect uh this is just
continuing that same program. >> So what's the difference between the two? >> Well, one would be more of teaching and you know day-to-day uh like a regular police officer being in the schools especially with the young kids where they'll teach a program about safety and the special officers are more uh
security. Um they're armed security that's in the school. They they walk the grounds. They make sure that uh people are checked out, stuff like that. Um they also uh they they help at the end of the day and often letting the cars out of the parking lots uh to move things along a little easier. Um they're
there seven hours a day. That's that's what they're paid by us and um you know sometimes we have different people in there. Some of them have regular schools. Uh we also have shared services with our uh private schools. They pay for their own officers but some of those officers actually pay us to have
officers there as well. >> Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, Ralph. Jay, come on up. >> Hey, folks, we have some seats up front if you'd like to uh sit down. >> Jay, another 18 lab would drive. Am I correct? This is just consent agenda
comments. Okay. Um, you guys gave a very good summary of the points of as to why you're doing it. So, I really have no push back on it. My only comment is it's a big item. It's like almost a million dollars cumulatively. I I think this is
something that should have just been broken out. Um maybe a hearing or not, but just it's really a million dollar cumulative item is not a consent agenda item, but you did a good sales pitch. So, thank you. >> A million dollars savings, right? That's >> No, it's a mill Well, the net the net
you net it out. What if you net it out 600,000? >> It's going to be like half million and 600. Yeah. >> I'm just saying it would have been That's it. But I'm not questioning it cuz you sold it well. Thank you. >> Thank you, Jay. Public comments. Come on up, Pat. >> Patrick Tuska, 56 Line Road. Uh, I
support the Mammoth County um, Sheriff's Office do handling dispatch for Homedale. I think it's long overdue. Those 72s are vital in a life uh, life and death situation. They have a world a really state-of-the-art facility down in
Koski Road. It's going to benefit the township of Homedale immensely. All the other towns around it use it and um it's fully I fully support it for the reasons that it improves uh services to homeown. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Pat. Public comments. Come on up, Ron. Uh Ron, I'm a 32 Ladwood Drive. Uh quick question. Will there be I agree with uh Mr. Yanelloo's comment that you know over a million dollar expenditure
shouldn't show up. Again, I also agree that it's sounds like it's the right thing to do, but for a million one plus 2% a year, that should not show up on a consent agenda. That's for paper clips and computers. Um but my second question would be is there any cost to the town
to switch over to the new radio system that's not being that's it basically. >> Thank you Ron. Uh Chris you want to detail that? Obviously we had that in our discussions but please >> and basically get whatever we need. Uh that grant I've gotten in the past at other uh municipalities I've worked at
for shared services and it's a phenomenal grant because it it will cover up to $400,000 worth of equipment. So, anything we don't have, we will have and it will be state-of-the-art. If we went to the grant, there's a match on it. I'm not exactly sure what that is yet, but it's a small much smaller
match. It's majority of it comes from the grant itself. And again, we're only going to go for it if we actually need it. At this point in time, we can switch over now. We're just want to make sure we we vet everything before we actually do it. And that's why we're waiting till May. >> Yeah. Can I make a comment, Chris? If I
remember correctly, when we uh met with the chief about this if we were to not switch over and stay on our own, wouldn't we have had to have upgraded our system? And and what was the cost of that? I think it's important to add that on to uh Ron's question. >> Yeah. So, if we were to stay on and
continue with the system we have right now, we're looking at close to a million to a million two to replace our radio system and our in our um our consoles and all the equipment. Ours are ours are getting old. I mean, they they don't last forever anymore. They last less
than they used to. Uh, with all the changes in technology, we would have to upgrade that. On top of that, we are currently using a computer aided dispatch system that's extremely old and it's barely supported now. The system we're getting from the county for a town
of our size would cost us about $700,000 just to have it on our own. In our $224,000 we would pay a year, we get full access to that system. And by having access to that system, we have access to everybody's records around us. So when Aberdine just switched over to
the county, if Aberdine arrests somebody, we're going to know that we arrest that same person, what they did, if they were violent. It it it's a it's a really good tool for um our police department. It will protect our officers so they'll know what they're getting into. Um and as as you said and the
mayor said earlier, everybody around us is really is there. Um and we're going to be able to share that information. and shared information is huge in a police in the police world. >> Thank you, Chris, for the explanation, DJ. Excellent comment. 100% accurate. Any other public comments?
Come on up, Mike. >> Mike Danieli, 872A Homedale Road. If anybody wants to write that down, it's 872A Homeell Road. Okay. [clears throat] It doesn't matter the response time. When the police get there, they don't do anything. They take a report. That's all
they do. Okay. I've been dealing with the situation for over seven years. Seven and a half years. DJ, you've been involved with it. You were bored to death of hearing me. Mayor, you've been involved with it. You've been bored to death of hearing. Okay. My wife was
given the finger again today. gentleman sitting in this room today who just picked something up from my mailbox was on videotape while he was leaving my driveway. This guy's unidentified for seven and a half years. Okay. I've been told by one of your
police officers, "Don't worry, he won't become violent." How can she tell me that? Been told by another policeman, my wife, don't worry, you could outrun him. Guy showed up here off the internet seven and a half years ago. The police
have a file this thick, so does my wife. Okay? I'm asking for help. It's all I'm asking for. Identify this man before he does something very dangerous. Thank you. >> Thank you, Michael. >> Again, the address is 872A Homedale Road. You can all check out my
neighbor's yard. >> Any other public comments? Seeing none, Wendy. >> Next is um the consent agenda, which would be resolutions 2025 311 to 2025 328.
>> Thank you, Wendy. Can we get a motion? >> Motion. >> Second. >> Mr. Prevadudo? >> Yes. >> Miss Lamount? >> Yes. >> Mr. Lucarelli? >> Yes. >> Mayor Foster? >> Yes. >> Okay. Resolutions 202531 through 2025 328 have been successfully passed. Thank
you. Next on the agenda is hearing on ordinance 202530, which is an ordinance approving application for long-term tax exemption and authorizing the execution of financial agreements and authorizing the execution of financial agreements
for payments in lie of taxes with Senior Condo urban renewal LLC, Senior Cottage Urban Renewal LLC, Senior Care Urban Renewal LLC, and Senior Multi-Urban Renewal LLC pursuant to the long-term
tax exemption law and the redevelopment area bond financing law with respect to block 13, lot 15, 23 Main Street in the township of Homedale in the county of Mammoth, state of New Jersey, and authorizing certain other actions in
connection therewith. >> Thank you, Wendy. Before we get to public hearing, I just want to make a couple comments on this as well. First, I'd like to thank you again, Eric, for your presentation at the last meeting. Dynamite, you explained everything at a very basic level and thank you for that. Answered everybody's questions as well. Thank you to Andy Bear who worked on
this tirelessly. So, I'm sure the question is going to come up. Why are we doing this? The project isn't approved. 100% the project isn't approved, which means if the project is not approved, there is no pilot. I think our team for doing all their work and moving forward as expeditiously as they did need to be
rewarded and finish things up and then we see what happens with the project. We will not be speaking about the project tonight. I will not be speaking about the project tonight. It is in front of the planning board, but let's open it up for public comments. Does anybody else want to make a comment before I open? >> No, just to Mayor, your point is that we're legally prevented from speaking in depth on the project. Is that correct,
counselor, or I just >> Yes, we shouldn't be making any comments about something that's before the planning board. It's a quasi judicial board. As the mayor said, there's an open application there. >> Was getting myself in trouble. That's why I asked. >> I'll try to keep you out of trouble.
>> Public comments. Seeing none Wendy, come on up, sir. Jay and Lello 18 live drive. Um, as I said at the last meeting, I am not against per se a pilot on this project.
I just and I think the vast majority of the community would strongly encourage you and whoever replaces you to come up with a firm fixed annual share of the material pilot revenues collectively
collected by this town to share with the school board because again their costs are going up. I said it before their busing is up 50%. The healthcare rates are through the roof. your costs have gone up a lot, but you've been able to
benefit from taking this pilot money and you're and I'm not saying they don't deserve it. You're always given promotions, pay increases, and this and that. And the school is looking at material layoffs and class downsizing and very unattractive options. This
can't continue. It's a bad look for all of you. It's going to be a bad look for the people that replace you. and it's not going to be good politically for you guys. So, I would hope in the new year we can come up with some math, some agreement and do a fixed share every year of the collective pilot money and
then we put this issue to rest. Thank you. >> Thank you, Jay. >> Yes, please. DJ >> DJ, just one uh thing I I wanted to mention. You've you've said it multiple times. You can sit down. I'm not going to it's not a debate or anything. I'm just making a comment. Um, you've made
multiple references to the fact that we, you say, you benefit from it. The only people that benefit from the pilot revenue to this town are the taxpayers. If we didn't have the pilot revenue to keep the taxes flat, the taxes would go
up. That's as simple it is. So, we're not hoarding money. We're not we are not benefiting. Just, you know, I'm just, you know, we are not benefiting. The township of Homeell is benefiting from the pilot revenue. >> Jay Jay, please. >> Yeah, we're not going back and forth across the room.
>> I'm just making we are not going back and forth across the room. >> I'm just making a comment. So, I just want want you to be clear like, you know, we take that. Just let me >> Jay, we're not going back and forth across the room. Sir, that's the last time I'm asking you not to.
Jay, you have your time to speak every meeting and I never disrespect you, sir. Let me finish. >> Every meeting. >> Every meeting you speak. >> Thank you. >> Thank you for respecting the rest of our audience. Thank you.
>> No, they don't. Then come up and take your three minutes. >> Then use your three minutes, sir. Don't sit down and yell across the room again. Jay, >> thank you. And I am responding. I was responding
to it. >> Thank you, Jay. >> How many flyers did you put out? That's my point. You don't want to hear it. >> Thank you, Jay. That's what your three minutes at the microphone is for. Thank you. And Eric actually touched on that with
his presentation last time of how we've all benefited from the pilot, not just the people up here who are all taxpayers as well. Any other public comments on the uh ordinance? It's on this ordinance, Lance. >> Okay, come on up. I'll ask this is the
time or not the Okay, Lance Loopy Line Road. Um, so I I had sent you an email. I know it was a little late. I wish I had gotten to you early. I apologize for that. Um, but there were two questions on this topic. One was that 8020 rule.
Again, if this is not the right time, that's fine. Um, and then the second was the enforcement of that. >> Sure. So, Michael, can we can you address that? This is specifically about the project, the 55 and over, but if you can address it in at this point or later
on, it's up to you. >> Uh, sure. I'm happy to address it. I'd ask Mr. Loopy to finish up and then I will because >> Well, that's the only comment I have on this. >> Okay. We're all set and we'll respond. So I think mayor through um at the last meeting there was a question raised
about the possibility of school children um attending the public schools in the community that's proposed advantage. Uh from a legal standpoint typically when there's an age restricted community the age restriction uh requires that there
be at least one resident over the age threshold whether that's 55 or 62. And those are the two exceptions that exist under the federal fair housing act. Otherwise, you're not allowed to discriminate against individuals based upon their age. Um, so it can occur uh
that if there's one individual residing in the home that's above that age and there's a child who would be of school age, you know, a tragic example could be an um grandparents and a child becomes orphaned and they take that child in. Yes, that child can attend the school
system. So, uh, that would that would be their right under the HOA documents as well as the, you know, the federal law. Um, as to the 8020, that's, uh, that's kind of a federal law baseline on a ratio that federal law requires in order to have that exception, but an HOA can
have more stringent standards as we would anticipate here for it to be a fully age restricted community. And and so Mike, in layman's terms, it's a it's an extremely rare occurrence effectively is is what you're saying. Is
that a fair characterization? >> I I we can say anecdotally that the Regency, which I think is probably I would argue a a setup that's even more likely to yield the potential child than this community with the apartments. Um but there my
understanding is it's it's a negligible amount of uh impact upon the school system but it can occur. We're not here and we're being realistic that it can occur. >> Okay. >> It's not zero but it's not significant. >> Correct. >> Okay. So it's possible. That's that's fine. >> Correct. >> I still don't what's the 80 I still
don't understand what is the 8020 ratio. I that's I'm still struggling. >> It's really not necessarily applicable here. Yeah. So, under federal law, >> if you want to be able to have, let's just say, a 55 and over, >> the minimum under federal law is that
you age restrict 80% of the units. So, you could have 20% non-agger restricted and you don't violate the age discrimination in federal law, but that's not what these folks are contemplating here for this project. >> Okay. It was like, again, it was brought up. So, that's why I >> Yeah, Andy brought it up. It obviously
got a little convoluted with everything going on, but Andy did bring up >> simple, but it didn't. >> Yeah. So >> probably could have this probably that could have probably been addressed the last two times. >> I appreciate your questions in your email. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Lance. Any other public comments?
>> Come on, Kristen. Kristen Carero, five hotbrook lane. Jay, I I do agree with your point and that's I was just getting to that. What I what I think the TC does is they they use that as a political talking point, right? So the the the pilot money kind
of bolsters the the pool of money and I'm sorry I don't remember your name. You sit up there and you highlight the row that says look we haven't raised this all these years because you're playing with uh pilot money. But um so here are my remarks. Many
people are here tonight because there's a problem. >> [snorts] >> Um, sorry. Look around. Look at all of the people here tonight. Many of the residents are here tonight because we know something is wrong. Parents, students, teachers,
they're all tired of the endless parade of school budget crisis. Anyone on the TC with children in our schools, I'm sure you know how this feels. Your kids are worried. Your spouses are concerned. Yet the TC sits up there and tells us
the school budget is the school budget. Whether Vonnage gets a pilot or not, how can that be? Where are our leaders who understand our concerns? Where are our leaders who help us identify and solve problems? Many people are here tonight because
there's a problem. Why is the TC rolling out the red carpet for carpet bagging developers? Why give CHA a pilot when they are cutting corners using a y old wastewater management system and polluting drinking water for hundreds of thousands of residents in Mammoth
County. The TC is supposed to be our voice. The TC is supposed to protect us. You're supposed to help us recognize that we object to the pilot because CHA is not doing the right thing for our community and the TC has to help solve the school budget crisis.
Thank you. >> Thank you, Kristen. Ron. >> Ron. I'm a 32 Ladwood Drive. I'm making these comments as a citizen, not as a member of the planning board. I am a member of the planning board for at least nine more days. I don't know whether I'm going to be reappointed, but
again, I'm here as a private citizen. My question is pretty simple. Why does >> You know what? I'm just going to put the same disclaimer I put on the record when Mr. Fagan made a comment at a prior meeting. I don't consult the planning board members in terms of the legal implications of making a comment here at
the township committee and also anyone going to the podium in a public comment has a first amendment right. So I'm just putting that on the record uh in response to your making that disclaimer. I think that's important just to be consistent with what we said to Mr. Fagen. >> I'm not uh here to say I'm for it or against it.
>> I understand. >> But again, I'm private citizen. I'm just want to know the timing. Uh why does it have to be voted on tonight? It just from an optic point of view as you mentioned the planning board has not approved it or disapproved it. Why does
it have to be done tonight? Why can't you wait until that vote whenever that whatever that may be? Because the optics just make it look like it's pre-ordained that whatever the planning board decides, you guys are already going to approve it. So as a private citizen, I'm
just asking about the timing. Thank you. Absolutely wrong. So, I'm just going to answer that quickly with thanks again for Ralph's first comments about how many hours everybody up here put in on this. And it's a lot of hours. It's a lot of time. It's a thankless position as you know, Ron. It's a thankless position on the
planning board. I did mention the amount of time that this gentleman put in on this. I did mention the amount of time our professionals put in on this as well as everybody up here to who I think deserves a vote on it. So, that's my answer to that. Next comment. Come on up, Pete.
Peter Franco, five Hopper Lane. Just want to thank everybody for being here and uh I came here looking to argue the uh the e dispatching thing, but you guys made it pretty clear and it sounds pretty good. So, thank you for that. Um, so the pilot program, uh,
>> is that better? >> Okay, >> I'm falling apart here. [laughter] >> I'm gonna try this again. Pete Franco, Five Hopper Lane. um this area of uh South Homedale, it's not blighted, it's not distressed, and given the high
values of home and the overall favorable uh sorry, physical condition of the uh of the building, it's unclear to me why we have to offer this developer a pilot program. Um seems like the only favorable thing, sorry, unfavorable thing with Vonnage is the wastewater
treatment plant, but we're not going to get into that. So, what I'm saying is um with this uh redevelopment agreement and you know, from the outside looking in, it seems like it was customtailored uh for this developer and it just seems
like you already brought it around third base and why not bring it home with a pilot program to help the developer make more money here. This isn't Newark. It's not Camden, Trenton, Patterson. It's Homedale. We don't have to attract people to invest in this town. We have beautiful
farmland, open space, high value homes, high median income, you know, and lately obviously we have a strong community that sticks together for what we feel is right for the community. Uh people come from all over Brooklyn, Staten Island, people move from Freehold to Homeell because it's
moving on up. And uh you know, we did we moved from say Atlantic Highlands to Homeell. Um and and we love it here. Absolutely love it. I want to raise my grandkids here. we love it so much. Um, but with the pilot program and and Vonnage being uh taxed and based off of
an empty building at 2% annually, um, that's 60% over what, 30 years. Uh, our houses would significantly increase a few hundred% over the same amount of time. If we did any improvements to our properties, they would be reassessed and we'd pay that accordingly. So, why are
we offering discounts to new houses in a desirable town? If you go, you call Bright View. Matter of fact, I spoke to them today and there there's a multimonth, we're talking like six months out to get into the place. So, it's not like this place is going to be uh, you know, going to have vacancy.
They're going to sell like hotcakes and they're probably going to sell for more than what they're even asking for. Just a prediction on my part. Okay. Uh, yep. Here we go. Uh, also it's obvious that these tax abatements seems like the entire process is politically connected to the developers. Uh, with
Bill Kogan being on the Governor Murphy's, uh, healthc care transition team, also on his uh, uh, what else? Uh, Bill Kogan is on the healthcare transition team. Uh, also on Governor Elect uh, Cheryl's transition team. Joe
Kelly, his uh uh his partner is the deputy chief of staff uh for uh Phil Murphy was also his campaign manager. Uh you know, and it just seems again that everyone's hands kind of they have help in in high places here.
And it just it just makes it hard for for us to see them get, you know, even more handouts knowing how politically connected they are. Um, and I understand you prevented uh you sorry you presented a PowerPoint the other day. Um, and with your interpretation and you did a good
job explaining the uh the pilot program, but um with the school suffering and you know the the good faith payment that you guys want to make and bringing up the whole one person, what does it cost 30 40 grand to send one kid to Homeell? uh you know if there was someone to go to the school system for every kid that
does come out of the Vonnage project that goes to the school system would you raise your offer to the school uh if it's 40 grand per kid if there's two kids would you give them an additional 80 grand to to cover uh you know to cover that going forward um
that's pretty much Thank you. >> Thank you, Pete. I'll only comment on uh one thing you brought up, you know, obviously the political connections and stuff like that. The redevelopment agreement, which you brought up, that was done a year and a half ago before any of those political appointments or
anything that I was aware of. So, this whole redevelopment thing that's been going on well over two years, was last publicly presented a year and a half ago. So, I'm just responding to you about that. As far as those appointments and stuff, I'm just letting you know, Pete, none of that stuff was in play or in the works. I get it. I get what you're saying. But I appreciate your
comments, man. Any other public comments? No. No. Sir Pink, please. Our home Try that again. Thank you. Back when the uh bell works was app pilot was for the
bell works was approved. It was kind of a new thing. None of us out here knew anything about pilots and it went through. Now we've have the experience of the bell works pilot. We've seen how it works and we see what it is. Pilot in
my opinion is a mechanism, a loophole, an exception, a scam to steal money from the school district and give it to the people on this podium here, the township committee. It makes you guys look great because you don't have to raise taxes
and it brings the school to you on bended knee and you get to consider, oh well, we'll pick a we'll pick something highprofile like a police officer in the school or lights at the stadium, but we're not really going to help you out with your real problem, which are your
teacher salaries. It lets you it it gives you access to a big fat bag of money. It makes the develop gives the developer a big fat bag of money and it impoverishes our schools. If you want to not make this look like
it's a scam, don't do it on the Monday before Christmas, the last meeting of the township committee before a new representative is going to come on board who's opposed to this plan. If you care about keeping yourselves
rich, then you should vote for this. If you care about the welfare of the town, then you should vote no. >> Thank you, Tom. Absolutely, Rock. Go ahead. [applause] >> I I do appreciate all the comments about
the pilot. I think there's a and the and the contribution to the schools. I do think there's a couple of things that I want to level set us on for the moment. The gentleman you're referring to, if we can be clear, never gave a dime to the schools when he was up here running the
town. To be clear, >> I don't know what gentleman I was referring to. >> You said someone who's going to be up here. >> Okay. So, we were the first governing body to give any money to the schools. The first. Okay. And we continue to contribute to the schools. Now, what
does that mean? It means we are contributing from operating operating expense standpoint. It means when the Duncan Smith Theater needs needs improvements to a roof, to an HVAC, we cover those costs. It means that the development by uh um Bell Works contributed like $8 million plus over
the past several years in regular tax revenues to the schools. Um it means there are millions that are being poured into the schools on the on the back of the Bell Works development and Mayor Foster's committed more money from the Vonnage project to the schools. Now, what I'll also say is, and again, I'm
just I'm I'm laying out the situation and the facts. I'm not defending or pushing back on anything you've said, but what also needs to be understood and managed is last year the gap for the schools or the challenge they had was 600,000. This year it's 6 million. How
can we budget and assist in that without damaging anything else that we're trying to do for the town? Pilot revenue is going to be down this year by probably 10%. Right, to be clear. So, how can we contribute something when we're going to be facing a deficit of our own up here, right? But we we do have our own budget
to manage and the waters were never muddied until we actually chose to contribute to the schools from an operating expense standpoint in the way that we did. So we never asked the schools to come come on bended knee. We've done what we could and we continue to do what we can to aid the schools
where we can and we've done I'd say a great many things over the past several years including the the new entrance to the school which was $3.5 million grant that we had to that that and another million I think came out of our pockets on that if I'm not mistaken. Our pockets
meaning the township budget. So you know there's no one asking anybody to come on bended knee. The reality is we are two separately elected governing bodies and the schools are welcome to come to us and ask for money. When we need money, who do we ask? Right? I mean, we don't have anybody to
turn to. So, we do the best we can with what we can, right? To be very clear, you know, there there's I mean, if you're going to if you're going to ask us to give $6 million to the schools, do we get to get a say in the curriculum policy decisions? There's a reason they're separately elected governing
bodies is my point. reject. >> All right, Tom. >> Rock, you good? >> I'm good. I mean, they're getting money from the pilot that they wouldn't get anyway, but >> agreed. Agreed. Now, listen, we had the whole presentation showing that the schools send us their budget. We give them that money. They do not lose any
money. We've given them more money starting with DJ as mayor, continue with you as mayor, and then this year as well, we've continued to give more. We support our schools. Next comment that 56 road. What I see
Patrick Tuskita 56 Line Road. What I see is a 1970s era 350,000 square foot uh decaying office building on the corner of Homeell Road and 520. It is obviously in need of
redevelopment. The development plan put together by Azer develops it into something very useful to Homedale, a senior complex, a new senior center, five acres for the um
for the a new first aid um fire building and many other bu benefits. I think it's a we homeale was at this place in 2007 but Alcatel Lucen went bankrupt and left a two million square foot office building that was in need of
redevelopment and now we have bell works um it's on a smaller scale and I don't think it's going to be as extravagant as a bell works went but the plan that's in place before the board including the pilot makes sense for homeale and it
makes sense uh for a community that 10 years from now we're going to look back at that and say Bel Bell Works pilot was great and so was the uh the AER pilot. Thank you. >> Thank you Pat. Any other comments? Come
on Mr. G >> Ken Gha Street. Um so many comments I want to make but I I won't comment. um vonnage specifically. Um I remember not that long ago when partism was being
considered and UMC came up here and said they're willing to have a share services agreement to pay something. A I forgot the exact number. Maybe a million. >> 90,000. >> Um how much >> it was going to be? 90,000 sort of >> they were going to pay something but it was before the plan uh the zoning board
I believe at that time was going to approve the thing and they were criticized for effectively uh optically giving a bribe even though they said listen we know we're going to have services we got EMS fire and whatever we are even though we're nonprofit and
exempt we will have to pay for those services. And I just remember that there was push back by certain people that the optics doesn't look good. So I just want to second Ron Emma's comment that I think the optics don't look good right now and and uh Mr. Mayor, I heard your
comment about you guys done a lot of work and you want to go ahead on that, but at the moment the application is still before the planning board that has not been either approved or denied and there's I'm sure as you know as you read there are a lot of questions and issues
as to the wastewater management. Um it's a 50 almost 50 year old system. They're discharging for six months of the year into the water stream that goes right into our drinking water and and I listen I recognize it's treated it's not uh raw
waste uh sewer or anything like that but that has not been done and when when people ask with any new development that's a plan that they would uh design and approve and so on. So there's some real questions before the planning board as to the wastewater management.
The pilot as far as I'm concerned is a for a lack of better term a leverage point that you guys do have. That is something that is you know you guys don't want you don't want for your next generation. It affects over 300,000 residents of um you know Mammoth County
because that is the source for the drinking water. So I I really do think that I have no question about the pa it makes a lot of sense in a lot of circumstances. I agree when you know bell worked and all that that may work but also related to that though is when it is now kind of ramp up right when it
first started the first two three years with less than a million dollars now you're up to over $7.5 million even with a 10% drop on that and there was a drop in new co I think as well too you still go over $6 million right and the point is the school which normally get if it had been a normal property tax the
school would have gotten something like 68 69% of that and that would have been something over $5 million right now it gets, you know, you guys are great in supporting them in terms of the CLEO resource and all that and helping with the traffic pattern, the road improvement. I get all that, but if
they had annually $5 million or whatever the right number is, but it's something that will help because that is outside of if it if they're close hitting the 2% cap, then the product comes in outside of that and that's going to be really
useful. Otherwise, the referendum will kick in. So, sorry for that longwinded comment. I just want to push back a little. >> Yeah, let's let DJ go first. >> Okay. Thanks. Um, >> if I just make a comment, you're not going to yell back at me or anything, are you? I'm just >> just want to make a comment here. >> I think I yelled back at a pretty
animated. >> I don't even throw cheers like some people do. >> So, I respect a lot of things that you say. Um, but I have to challenge you on one thing and and the this is a fact and I think you know it. Bell works without a pilot program does
not exist >> as we know it. So to use it as an analogy I think is disingenuous because as a you're you know you made you made a comment that if it was a conventional taxes what it would have done for the it
doesn't exist as under a conventional tax program. So just again I think that's just a point I I need to reiterate to you. So to use it as a hypothetical I think is just nonsense. No, no. Uh, sorry, I missed my point. Okay. Absolutely agree that that was
needed and it's a tremendous program. So, kudos to the whole TC. I know at least three mayors taking credit for it. I have no problem with that. I have no problem with that at all. My my question or issue really is and I mentioned this last time that even at the state
legislature there's going to be there is a bill for the sharing the required sharing of the piloted with uh so the the issue is in the pilot upfront it's on the back end to the extent that if the school does have problem or quite
honestly even they don't have problem financial problem because that um whether there should be some proper sharing of the revenue that's coming in so I uh I I don't disagree with you and and I think the point wasn't so much that you need the pil to get that um
project off the ground and so I agree with that but it's on the back end. It's on the back end when you guys are getting 7 half million dollars. I won't comment anymore because they somewhat >> rock before I let you go. Ken, I agree with you. There's three mayors taking uh credit for that and everybody's everybody up here is getting beat up for
it and we had nothing to do with it. Rock, did you have a response? >> You got timing is everything. No, I mean I was going to raise the same point DJ did, which is the sort of premise with which it's on. Um, so I don't really have, you know, much beyond that. I think that
look, I I have three kids that have well, I have one that's gone through the school district. I have two kids still in the school district. I'm a product of the school district, right? I love it here and I love the fact that I was able to bring my kids back here and have them go through this district. And I think our board of ed has done
really hard detailed work to try to navigate what what it seems to be I mean I would call this a structural inefficiency, right? And I think because we see it all over the state and we see other school boards being challenged and we see our own school board being
challenged and when you look at and again these are not criticisms. This is just I don't know how to resolve it because there's not a big enough check to write. Okay. When you look at school enrollment down 20% from its peak and staffing up, and I'm not I am not
advocating getting rid of staffing. I'm simply talking about what I consider to be structural inefficiencies. When you when you when you see enrollment drop, staffing up, expenses increasing as and certainly as a percentage of of the overall tax base, something's
something's not right. And there's no and I'm not saying you know and again we contribute to the schools what we can as steadily as we can with what we can do when our revenue drops and it has not just with the pilot but other areas as well. you know, we do have to manage our own slice of this and right. So, and and
again, I'm not this is not an accusation. This is none of that, but it's it's tough to look at what's going on across the state and even our own town and not believe there's some sort of structural inefficiency and without remedying that, how can you predictably do anything that's going to remediate the issue? >> Yeah. So, I again, I don't disagree with
you at all. Um, and I'm not going to fight the battle for BOE. I see some BOE members here. I think come January, there'll be new leadership. Uh, and I also I think implicit what you said or at least what I'm inferring from what you seems to be implying is they they do have some structural issues and maybe
some non-structural issue that they need to take care of and clean up their house. So I I'm going to read that into it. That may may not be true, but so I'm not fighting the battle about the BOE, but it's clear that some percentage of revenue sharing would make sense and it will give them a better planning pro. I don't know what that number is. I'm not
going to fight for them. I don't I'm not saying it should be 68% which is the traditional share of the property tax. What I am saying is there is some percentage I don't know what that magic number is where it's 30% 40% or whatever it is but that will go a long way toward
the school u budget issue because within their cap or perhaps a referendum they will it will be a lot easier for them to plan on an annual basis. But so I I agree there have some issues. I do think that there's some house cleaning they need to do and so on. So, I'm not pushing on the sharing of that. They
should give 68% of that. But I am pushing back on the whole issue of the pilot for varnage. Um that there is a timing issue. I do think that given some of the issues and they're pushing back and and quite honestly, I'm sorry, I last comment on this. It's really a
circular argument that they're using because they have provided tremendous input on the whole redevelopment plan and now we have a redevelopment agreement. and they're saying, "Well, this complies with that plan and that agreement." Well, it's circular because they had a tremendous amount of input.
We know that, right? So, basically, they're pushing balances, no, we're not going to change the way water management is. Even TNM in the original uh report has some things and and those comments were not taken into account. The Homedale um environmental commission has sent several letters to you guys, at
least two that I'm aware of, and talking about some of the issues. So my main reason for coming up the comment is the fact that I think you guys are putting the cart before the horse a little bit. I hear you guys you've done a lot of the work but um you don't need to you know
uh pass that pilot today because I do think that that is a point of discussion that you need to have with the developer unless and until they change that wastewater management. Thank you. >> Thank you. Ken, >> did a woman in the back have a comment?
Kelly Wowski, five Silver Beach. >> I think the microphone's >> now. Okay. Kelly Wowsky, five Silver Beach. I just had a question related to um what this man was saying and it is is it if
you are going to give the developer a pilot, is it possible for you to negotiate them and use some leverage to get them to improve the wastewater treatment plant which is the main concern people have? >> I said can you hear me now? Okay. I said my question is if they are going to give
a pilot to the developer, is it possible for them to use that as leverage and negotiate for an improved wastewater treatment plant? >> Thank you, Fat Kelly. Mike, can you touch on that at all, please? I >> I'm not going to get into the specifics about closed door negotiations. What I
will say is that uh the township committee was cognizant of the potential concerns from the current package plan. Um, from a negotiating standpoint, it approached the table uh with the plant currently operational and them having
the legal ability to use it to full occupancy of the building. And the term that was negotiated is what's contained in the redevelopment agreement. And it puts um significant obligations upon them to work with the township engineer to ensure its compliance. And from a
regulatory standpoint, the township really doesn't have jurisdiction over the continued operation of that plant. It's a D regulated package plan. The best the township really can do is ensure that it uh meets the D standard. So I can't get into specific, you know,
considerations, but I think that gives you a viewpoint of what the township had to work with and what the township negotiated and is contained in the redevelopment agreement which was approved many months ago. So Mike, in layman's terms, we're forced, we have to, we are obligated to force the
developer to comply with the state department of environmental protection standards. Is that the layman's way of saying that? >> Correct. They have a currently operational permitted uh package plan. And so that was the, you know, the township's ability to negotiate that. Yes.
>> Okay. So then the answer is no, you cannot. >> We can't force them to exceed. I mean you could you could you could try to exac exact anything from a negotiation whether the developer is going to agree to do it is is another story and you know the question of negotiating a pilot or any other financial instrument is finding something that is financially
acceptable to both sides. So um the redevelopment agreement was negotiated with them. They clearly figured that they would have the ability to complete the project upon the terms that were negotiated in that. >> Okay. Then just one more thing. Uh, Mayor Foster, I'd like to respectfully
push you a little bit on your reasoning for the vote tonight because to me, what you explained is a sunk cost, right? The time and effort and investment that was made to date, but you don't make future decisions based on a sunk cost. You know, we want to continue to discuss and
make sure that the concerns of the many citizens that have been participating in this process are assuaged. So, I would really like to hear if there is another reason why there we should vote tonight. >> No, Kelly, I I gave my reasons. The the people up here, I believe, deserve that
respect that all their work gets voted on. If the project doesn't go through, there's no pilot. It's that simple. Kelly, next comment. Ma'am, >> Victoria Scott Lavino, eight hidden hollow. Um, I've been here for a year,
uh, since the last time you all met, both the town council and the planning board around the Vonnage redevelopment program. And while I'm dubious on the fact that a year ago, you did all of the due diligence coming into this, uh, I
know there's a lot of work you've all done. However, it's amazing that certain number of residents have uncovered so many things that are so shocking and no one has looked into it. So maybe you've been looking at the same paperwork that the developer wanted you to look at that
you were opining on and not really looking at what's going on in the town and how it's going to impact the town. Everyone knows the Vonnage is going from a 9-to-f5 Monday to Friday to a full development with potential harmful
water. We've gone through all of that, so I'm not going to restate it here. However, time and again, I've now gone back and forth to all of these sessions. I keep hearing about the phrasing consistent with the plan or not inconsistent with the plan. Speaking
about the Vonnage plan, what's missing is that part where you are also responsible for the plan of making sure that the residents are safe, whether it's the planning board or you in different ways. It's to ensure that we have reliable source of clean water,
safe drinking water. I was at the planning board last week. I feel like I'm here every week. uh haven't done more due diligence than I would have thought I had to and there too the same questions were asked and the would they spend more
money putting in a more reliable full-blown water system and they are hiding behind the D antiquated grandfathered plan saying this is what they are supposed to be able to do instead of thinking forward to the
future and even today's day and age, that question was asked at least four times, answered the same way. So, if you really do care about what's going on with the residents and you're taking this forward or handing it to someone else, that's some place to start because
I agree with what everyone's saying here about the pilot program. Unless something gets updated where they're actually paying for something positive, it's going to end up in a negative. Thanks for letting me speak again. >> [applause] >> Thank you for speaking again, Victoria.
Next comment. Come on, sir. >> I think it might have been >> microphone. >> I think it was turned off when they put it in the >> five. Hotbrook and Hot Brook Farm, Peter Franco, senior. All right. A couple things I'd like to just say. Um, both
the planning board and your board is throwing all the approvals onto the state. Not true. There's a form WQM 003T that the town has to approve the
disposal plant before the state even deems the application complete. you're in. I'm not going to go too pling. You said you weren't going to do that, but that's one thing I'd like to speak about. So, they're just throwing the thing where the town's responsibility just to skate out of it.
They're putting everything on the state and also the county has a safe by the way. And you haven't gotten the county permits yet. You haven't gotten any permits from the state yet. And after the permits are approved, they still go in for public opinion before the permits
are issued. And we still have the opportunity to actually complain to the state about all these items that everybody's talking about and nobody's making anybody aware of it. You can also go on the state site, give your email, and they will notify everybody when
these permits are approved, but not issued. All right. The other thing I'd like to say is Eric had made points about what the tax base was, $23 million. Am I right?
on vonnage. >> It was $23 million assessment. >> You should ask. >> Okay. I'm sorry. >> Yeah. Just and finish up all your items, Pete, and then we'll we'll answer and move on. >> In to what the assessment is now versus uh what the pilot program would bring in
bring in, but no comparison or what the total assessed value would be if it was developed normally. Now, if the committee would reszone this property and have residential properties come in, uh what would the tax base be and how
would the town make out on the total assessments versus the taxes collected? So, what I'm trying to say is this guy building now, who is almost insolvent, by the way, but I'm not going to get to that. Um, what I'm trying to say is he's putting $200 million into the project
and you're basing this on $23 million worth of assessments. I don't think it's fair for the tax base. Thank you very much. >> May Mayor, if I if I can really quickly on that just because I, you know, it was something >> you were pulling your hair out all last
year while you were dealing with this redevelopment, which you did, you know, non-stop, but please, >> it's all right. Yeah. Listen, no, that's the job, right? So, um, the one thing I just want to, and Mr. Franco, I appreciate your comments. I think, you know, and I've said this at at a prior meeting, and I'm not going to get
into sort of all the weeds and everything we looked at and tried to consider. The one thing that, you know, when we had our ad hoc committee, when we spoke as a township committee, you know, when we looked at that property and looked at the opportunities with it, residential was very challenging, if not impossible, given the size of the
building, the cost to take it down, and the 88 acres. So the total not just the cost of the property but the cost to take the building down and then basically there'd have to be enough and I know I think you're a former developer or a current developer. What you know the developers we had spoken to the
folks we had spoken to said the only way they were going to it was going to be worth it to them was 300 town homes 350 town homes. And so that was that was the information we got from multiple developers that we spoke out spoke to. We had spoken as a group about hey can
we get 44 oh I can't do the math 24 acre homes there right um that are you know each one's on its own septic etc etc and there was nothing palatable other than a Toll brotherslike complex that from our vantage point was going to be significant to the tune of three to 400
town homes that was going to impact infrastructure schools etc etc so that's why we pulled away from a residential option because what we were advised on not just with developers but attorneys as well is that there was going to be no viable option that we considered to be
palatable with with you know for our town. So that's just and again I I want you to know that it was something we had considered and looked at. You can argue with whether or not we spoke to the right people or had the right perspective or any of those things but it was something that was considered as we looked at this. One thing I'd add,
Roco, is I know the ad hoc committee did a lot of brainstorming about what could be the possibility, but also we had to work with the actual property owner who came in as the redeveloper and they own the property. The township doesn't own the property and so and at one point also on uh specifically about the the
pilot and I know there was a comment before about the timing of things. Somebody mentioned that the township committee is prejudging things. Respectfully, that's kind of how the redevelopment process works. The township committee as the redevelopment agency has taken numerous votes to um approve the redevelopment agreement and
the redevelopment plan. So if anyone's concerned about the planning board looking at it and the township committee putting its its finger on the thumb so to speak, that's how the redevelopment process works. The township committee has that power on on a specific parcel such as this. >> So councelor, would you say it it does
not apples to apples to comparing this with the Potter project? I think that's absolutely the case. Uh here the township committee has already uh used the redevelopment law to put zoning on the property and the applicant filed an
as of right application to the planning board. I think it's a much different scenario where they were seeking a devariance at the zoning board and that analogy. I still happen to think that the critique uh is misplaced on that one, but it certainly would be even more
so on this Vonnage project. Thank you, gentlemen. Next comment. Come on up, Michael. >> Does it go off when they put it in the hole? >> Got some tape. >> U Mike Antonaci, uh 247 Oak Circle. Um,
something that I'm uh I guess curious about is um and I apologize if you addressed this already. Uh, but uh why is a pilot needed to to get this project off the ground potentially? Like why like why say wouldn't a conventional tax arrangement um be able to to move this
project along? Like why why is a pilot necessary? I guess is is my question. >> Thank you, Michael. Eric, I don't want the full presentation. I I I only want can you give me 30 to a minute? 30 seconds to a minute to answer. Michael, please.
>> The project is the total project cost is $195 million. Um there's a requirement to provide 42 affordable units, which is effectively a loss leader. They're providing 7,000 square foot community center. 5 acres will be dedicated to the
township and uh various public amenities uh basketball courts, pickle ball courts, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts. All of this comes at a cost. In addition to that, this particular development has a long ca uh holding
period because it's done over multiple phases and there's financing challenges specific to um skilled nursing facilities that makes financing difficult. So the um the difficulty is mostly about getting the project
financed and what pilots do in addition to in this case slightly lowering what taxes would otherwise be by about 14%. Uh what what pilots do is provide developers and lenders certainty
as to what the payments will be for over the long a long period of time in this case 30 years. And that's why the that's why the pilot is necessary in this case. Thank you, Eric. Next comment, please. I'm Michael Ryan from Palmer Square. I
uh have a similar situation at our development. We have Palmer Square always floods and I'm afraid that we're going to have the same situation. Now I understand the developer wants a pilot which if you're for it or not for it but then they also want the de the
grandfather there as well and I understand that there's a division between the board and the people. Do we the people have an option to say no to the project? >> Thank you for your comments, Michael.
truly appreciate it. I believe this is your first time speaking, so thank you for that. Michael, you want to give him a quick answer on that? >> I mean, if if the question is specifically about the project, what I could speak to is that in many past actions, the township committee approved a redevelopment plan. That's zoning that
allows for this particular use at the Vonnage property. And they also entered into a redevelopment agreement, which is a contract between the developer and the township to complete this redevelopment. Um, so those wheels are already in motion and have been for quite some time. This has been a two-year endeavor.
Tonight's action, um, the pilot agreement, uh, really does not have any mechanics to do with the actual land use of the matter. It's simply a financial agreement to deal with taxation on a prospective basis. So, um, to answer your question, the township committee
has entered into these agreements and adopted the redevelopment plan that allows for it. And if the if the planning board approves the project, um it it would have the land use approvals to move forward subject to all the compliance obligations that they will have. I heard references earlier to the
county and to the state. There's a lot of outside approvals that are required on a project of this nature and the redeveloper is going to have to do all of those things before they're able to put a shovel in the ground. >> And Michael, I just want to add one other point that you brought up about the flooding. Certainly an issue we're aware of. Our administrator earlier in the year met with the administrator of
Hasllett, Union Beach, D representative. Didn't quite get the traction we were hoping for, but it is something that's in our sights and we're trying to work on it. >> Thank you for your comment. >> Absolutely. Next comment. >> Seeing none, Wendy. >> Next would be the motion to adopt on
final reading and publish in the Asbury Park Press according to law for ordinance 202530. >> Can we get a motion? Move >> second. >> Mr. Impreaduda, >> yes. >> Miss Lamount, >> yes. >> Mr. Lucarelli, >> yes.
>> Mayor Foster, >> yes. >> Okay. Ordinance 202530 has been successfully passed and will be published in the Asbury Park Press according to law. Next is hearing on ordinance 202531, which is authorizing lot line adjustment
for the property designated as block 27, lot six on the township tax map in furtherance of the redevel development of block 27, lot 7. >> Thank you, Wendy. Any public comments on this ordinance? Come on up, Pat.
Patrick Tuskita 56 Line Road. Um I support the uh ordinance to do the lot lines. I know that was part of the agreement, but I'm a little bit confused. There's two lines on there, a red line and a blue line. Which is the new lot lines? Either one is fine, but
it's confusing. >> I'll let the administrator take that. >> Confusing. >> Thank you. Thank you, Ralph, because I looked this up already for Ralph uh last month and uh I forgot what I said. It's the blue line. >> It's the blue line. >> It's the blue line. It's what's giving them more space so they can their garbage uh I believe gets involved in
that and everything like that. Yes, >> that's fine. Thank you. >> Thank you, Pat. Any other comments on this ordinance? >> Seeing none, can I get a motion? >> Move. >> Second. >> Mr. Invadudo? >> Yes. >> Miss Lamount? >> Yes.
>> Mr. Lucarelli? >> Yes. >> Mayor Foster? >> Yes. Ordinance 202531 has been successfully passed and it will be published in the Asbury Park Press according to law. Next is uh hearing for ordinance 202532 which is an ordin ordinance authorizing
an easement swap involving block 29 lot 37.02 on the tax map of the township of Homedale. >> Any public comments on this ordinance? >> Seeing none, can I get a motion? >> Move. Second,
>> Mr. Impravado. >> Yes. >> Miss Lam Mountain. >> Yes. >> Mr. Luca. >> Yes. >> Mayor Foster. >> Yes. Thank you, Wendy. >> You're welcome. Ordinance 202532 has been successfully passed and will be published in the Asber Park Press according to law. >> Thank you much. Moving on to the
department updates. Christopher, please start us. >> I'm going to say no report tonight. I think we've had enough. So, I'll let you guys go on to your reports. >> That's a great start. Thank you, Michael. I think I better follow that lead. So, >> wow. And our attorney is not here. So,
we're going to start with uh >> Sorry. Sorry. Our engineer is not here. I asked you to speak and then I said you're not here. Sorry about that, Michael. Um our engineer is not here. So, we'll move on to the boards and committees. Uh committeeman Lucarelli, would you kick us off, please?
>> Sure. Thank you, Mayor. Um I don't have many updates uh in the township tonight, but I do have one for Mr. Lupy. Um, regarding pickle ball court usage, I think this was requested at one of the uh I think it was the last meeting. Um,
so in total there were 1,242 reservations for the courts uh this year. Um, and that does not include individuals who showed up and played without a reservation, which is allowed. So, we think that is uh pretty good um
well used. Uh, and that was before the lights were installed. the lights didn't get installed until September. Um, so, uh, yeah, I think, uh, does that answer your questions there, Lance, on regarding that?
>> Okay. Um, uh, and, uh, that was really it. Uh, letters to Santa. Santa received over 400 letters and our uh department uh uh the department of recreation Allison uh was made sure that each letter was delivered to Santa um and
that uh they responded to these. So, thank you Allison for your hard work. Um and that's all I have as far as um department updates. Um, but there is one announcement I'd like to make and unfortunately I was going to be announcing my resignation tonight. Um,
that this would be the last meeting that I will be attending. Um, it's with deep regrets that I'm not going to fulfill my last year of my second term. Um, but uh I uh wanted to thank the members of this committee. Uh, it's been a pleasure
working with all of you. Um it's uh quite different I could say honestly from when I was first voted in um uh 5 years ago. Um things were definitely a little bit uh not as enjoyable I could say to serve up here and it was a
challenge the first year. Um second year got a little easier and I think we made a a lot of headway. Um we've been able to work very well as a team. Uh we respect each other. Um we trust each other. um when we have differences which we do often. Most people think that you
know uh we all just agree on everything that is the farthest from the truth but we do it respectfully. We do it um uh personally. We do it in our executive sessions. Um and uh I think we do it in a professional manner. So I would like
to thank all my colleagues um for for that. Um I'd like to thank um all of our employees in Homeell Township. I think uh we have probably the uh just the greatest group of uh work of of staff
that are here. Um and uh they do a tremendous job every day. Um I also like to personally thank our attorney Mike Collins. Um he's been a tremendous part to the success of uh all the projects or initiatives or just day-to-day
runningings of uh the the township behind the scenes on on a legal perspective. um he takes real ownership in his job. Um and it it it really means a lot. It's more than just I I think it's more than just a job for you, Mike. Um and uh appreciate that all you've
done over the years. Um kind of like you have nine lives, right? You know, but you've been here for a long time, but you deserve it and that's and that's very important. And like again, as far as the staff goes, um I'm really proud to uh work with these people. I wish them all happiness and success um for
the uh the holidays through the new year and to the residents of Homedale, thank you. I appreciate the, you know, uh all the trust that you've put in me over the years. Um I hope I served you well and uh I wish you all personally uh happy holiday season. And that's all I got for
you. Thank you. >> Thank you very much, DJ. [applause] Roco. >> Thank you, Mayor. And before I begin, I just want to thank committeeman and former mayor Lucarelli for his contribution uh and his service to the community. Uh DJ serving as your deputy
mayor for that year. I just learned a ton just by observing you. Um and how you handled things, how you handled the public, the taxpayers, your grace, um and your patience is something that I've tried to emulate. Not always successfully. Um but uh but you know to
me your service and what you sort of endured when you first got on to where you are now. You know what you've done for our community is incalculable. Uh including the Horn antenna and and you spearheading that initiative and and and saving that. So um I cannot adequately express how much I appreciate everything
you've done for me personally, for this committee and for the town. So thank you. Yeah, I give him one more round. [applause] Um, so from the Homedale Police Department, a huge thanks to everyone who donated to Toys for Tots. Your overwhelming generosity made this year a
massive success. We received an outstanding number of donations, requiring a full truck to transport them all to Neptune. The Homeell Township Police Department is proud to serve a community like ours that consistently steps up to bring joy to children in need. From the Homedale Fire Department,
our Santa runs are in progress. Santa is currently making its his way through the township. Check the fire check the fire department's social media accounts for specific dates and times for your neighborhood. The department has also created a Santa tracker link to follow the slay's location in real time. The
fire department is also proud to announce that Billy Martin and Abdullah al- Al al-Hala have graduated from firefighter 1 academy. Their certification follows 250 hours of dedicated classroom and practical field training at the Middle Sex County
facility. From the Department of Public Works, zone 4 curbside recycling, which would normally be scheduled for this Thursday, December 25th, will instead be picked up on Saturday, December 27th, due to the Christmas holiday. Christmas tree pickup will begin in January.
Sections A and B. Collections begin the week of January 5th. Please have your trees curbside by January 4th. Sections C and D, collection begins the week of January 12th. Have trees curbside by January 11th.
A last chance collection for all sections A through D will take place the week of January 19th. Uh so please have trees curbside by the 18th. Uh the ser the service is for live cut trees only. Please ensure they are completely undecorated and not placed in bags and
no artificial trees will be collected. Thank you very much, mayor. >> Thank you, Rock. Deputy mayor, please. >> Yes, thank you, mayor. And um before I go into um my um committee uh updates,
DJ, it has been an absolute pleasure serving with you. Um, for me, this is the end of my three-year term, and I have to say it has been an amazing
experience to be here with these folks. Um, all three of you, DJ, Rocco, Brian, it you've all been wonderful to work with. And as you've
you've said, you know, we don't always see eye to eye and that's the beauty of our success because we cannot keep moving home forward if we always see
things the same way. but the ability to handle things professionally, to listen to each other, and to realize we don't always see things the right way, and to help each other stay on the right track
for Homeell. It It's just been a great experience. So, thank you for the opportunity. The employees here in Homeell have been nothing short of of fantastic. The committees, I I I love the committees. I love the volunteers,
the committees, and you folks that come out to our meetings because you help us also keep on track and you help us realize what we need to look at and what we may need to focus on that we didn't realize. So, thank you very much. It's
it's been a phenomenal phenomenal past three years. Um, and I hope to continue to be involved in homesell. So, I just wanted to to say that DJ, you are going to certainly uh be missed by all of us in Homedale.
>> So, thank you. [applause] >> Thank you. As for community development department, there's nothing new to report this meeting for our Homeell America 250 committee. We have our trivia night
planned which is planned for Thursday, February 12th from 6:00 to 900 p.m. It'll be over at the Texas Roadhouse, Route 35 in Homeell. Come test your Revolutionary War history knowledge. They say eat, play, and win prizes.
Doesn't sound like it gets much better than that. Registration is free, but those who register prior to February 2nd will receive bonus points. They are also planning a Homeell 250 scavenger hunt. It will be in April of
2026. Explore history and visit local landmarks tie to nations founding. Complete the hunt for a chance to win. Full details and specific dates will be announced in January. And our Homeell Green team, they had a
winter seed sewing workshop. The green team will be offering this through the recreation department on January 25th of 2026. Visit the Homeell recreation desk to register. Materials will be provided, but we ask that you bring a box with you
to carry home your pots that you will plant at the event. The 2 p.m. session is going to be for the high school students and adults. And the 3:30 session will be for children in grades 3 to eight. But each child must be accompanied by a parent. And then the
green team recently represented Homeell at the Sierra Club Sunday event, which supports the township's community energy planning goal of reducing emissions by transitioning to solar energy. Our Homeell Heritage Committee, uh, no new
updates for this meeting. Thank you. >> Thank you, Deputy Mayor Wendy. Did he hand in his signed paperwork? If he didn't, he can't go anywhere. >> [laughter] >> DJ, >> I have it. Mayor, >> ah, that's crap. Die, you know, man, you
you you came into this the leadership role at tumultuous time in the township, a middle of the summer election, and you walked in and flawlessly calmed everything down, handled everything with
poise and grace, as as Roco pointed out. Anytime I've reached out to you the last three years, and this is accurate to today, you've responded almost immediately. We've discussed things thoroughly. You've asked questions that are tough and challenging for all of us to sit up here. And I've asked the same
of you, and we've extended the respect to each other to answer them fully and honestly and openly. Uh you're you're Mr. Homedale, in my opinion, dude. You care about the town. That's really all you care about sitting up here. You're not looking for your image. You're not looking for your agenda, your politics.
you care about the town. Um, I think everybody in town hall would agree with me that you've been a class act up here and then and you you've done an outstanding job, my friend. With that being said, just a couple of uh updates on my side.
So, we had our veterans holiday event last weekend over at Texas Roadhouse. Big thank you to them for hosting. We had 27 veterans come out for a a lunch. Uh, great time had by all. a really solid group of veterans. If anybody knows any veterans out there that aren't currently part of the group, please
encourage them to come down to one of our meetings. We do several of them a year. Very enjoyable, outstanding group. Uh congratulations to Homedale's High School's Jack Cannon for being named the 2025 Star Ledger NJ.com New Jersey football player of the year. This prestigious honor caps off a historic
season for the Hornets and the entire township is proud of Jack's incredible accomplishments on the field. I believe he's the first player from Homeell to win that award as well. Uh, Homedale Town offices. Then the recycling center will be closed on Wednesday, December 24th and Thursday, December 25th in observance of the Christmas holiday and
will be closed at 12:30 on December 31st and all day on January 1st in observance of New Year's. On behalf of my township committee colleagues and all the staff of Homedale Township, I'd like to wish each and all of you and your families a merry Christmas, a belated happy Hanukkah, and a happy and healthy new
year. I would also like to express my gratitude to my colleagues here uh on the board as well for the opportunity to serve this past year as your mayor. Serving as the mayor, while challenging, has truly been one of the great honors and privileges of my life. I said at the
beginning of this year that I never asked for any position in this town except to drive the ambulance. And every movement from there has been awesome people that I've met asking me, encouraging me to get further involved, which is incredibly flattering. But to be able to work up here with you guys
the last three years and handle a lot of these challenging issues like we're dealing with tonight as well, I it's not a group I'd rather do it with. So, thank you guys for all that support. It's it's been incredible to me. So, I thank you for that. I look forward to working with you guys continuing going forward uh you
know next year as well and and the remaining and I remain committed to working on behalf of Homedale and all the residents. I know several of you out there I've spoken with outside of this deis and I'll continue to answer any questions that are thrown at me at any time. With that being said, that's the end of my report. We're going to open up the floor for public comments. Come on
up, Mr. Enella. >> You're tired of hearing this. Jay in Lo 188 Lwood Drive. Um DJ, thank you for your service. You you have been a class act. We've we've danced around some dicey topics over those years and we've gotten along. And by the way, I wasn't yelling you. I was just responding. It's
the political thing and then it all heated up from there. But thank you. I I've said it all along. It's a thankless job in most ways, your jobs. I've never wanted to do it. After the cross farm thing, do you know how many people came up to me and say, "Do you want to be?" I said, "No, it's a thankless job." So,
thank you. Um, with that said, I have a comment and I know Mr. Collins is going to throw the flag on the floor, but it's a comment about the planning board meeting, and you don't have to answer, but I just want you to know um
during this last meeting, which was very unattractive, uh people were cut off very abruptly, including myself, on a key topic when people there was almost anarchy in the audience. The topic was the effluent sprayers that are going to spray what I'm calling treated toilet
water near Homedale Road, near the where the baseball field is, near where all these other recreational things are going to be. And it was right over the 30 minutes and the president cut me and it just cut. You're done. Didn't didn't that was a key discussion topic that should have been covered. I don't know
if half the planning board even knew about it. That's a huge issue. I hope you all know about it. if you have an irrigation system, we're going to have toilet water spraying over there right near Homedale Road. But I was cut off and out of respect, I said, "Okay, I'm going to sit down." That outraged the
audience. The other thing that outrages the audience is the president and someone else on the planning board voted down having an onsite. Why vote down having an onsite? So the planning board or the concerned public could go there
and see the condition of the wastewater plant, see where these sprayers would be. I understand there's a timing issue, but I believe it was even after it was decided that it's going to go into January that people voted down that on-site. That was really disturbing to
people. So, if you're wondering why there's a tiff on social media and everything, why a lot of people are concerned about the look of this project, just connect the dots. It's a bad look in many ways. And tonight's vote, I get your point. A lot of people put the time in. We want to do this
before year end, but it's another data point that makes this project look bad. And finally, you've had a week, Mr. Collins. Collectively, can any of you comment on the material, legal, and financial challenges of the developer
that's going to develop this Vonnage property if it's approved? You said give us some time. So, do you have any comment you can make? >> Are you done? >> I just want to also say, Kim, thank you very much. You have been a class act. And while I'm sure you don't agree with
everything a lot of us say, we can see in your eyes that you feel the pain in many of the subjects. And again, you may not like what we say or agree, and you may not go the way we want, but but thank you. You you've been a class act. Thank you. And mayor, thank you for your time. >> Absolutely. Jay, thank you. Michael, do
you want to touch on that at all? >> Um, we're not going to have any public comment on a news um a newspaper article or court filing that was shared with us from 2022, I believe it was, which was many years before we began conversations with this developer. and that they're
specific to a um a single purpose entity that was set up in another instance. So, it really doesn't reflect upon the entity that's the actual owner of the property right now. So, um between that and the fact that, you know, it wouldn't be an appropriate conversation for us to have publicly about um responding to
public allegations about them, um we're aware of what was shared with us, but I'm not going to be commenting. >> For what? It's an ongoing legal issue also tied to personal issues with him. And it's I mean I mean isn't that a concern for for this? Shouldn't that be a concern in this town? A character
potential concern a >> as is the case on many topics. You can say what you will from the podium. We can't respond in in many instances but we are aware of what was shared with us and as I said earlier we're not going to comment just like we would comment on a person. >> This is another dot and there's a lot of dots that people are coming out of the
woodworks that never would care about any of this stuff. It's another bad look. Thank you. Thank you, Jay. Next public comment, [applause] M. >> Anyone? Mayor, >> come on up. Pete, go ahead, Rock. >> While someone else comes up, just a quick question. Can we, Mr.
Administrator, there's been a lot of talk about the packing plants and things of that nature. Can we see what other ones are potentially in town or in the area just to make sure that there's context and and sort of a grounding on what these are and where else they may be located?
>> Yes. Uh, committeeman, I I I'll tell you that I do know of two others right now. I don't know which ones they are. Um, I mean, I don't know exactly how they work. Um, and I'm trying to find that out from D, but there is one at Care One that's similar to the one that's
advantage and the Lilish school for that side of town, which holds 800 people. They have a packing plant that's uh regulated by the D. I'm waiting to discuss it with them just so I could have more answers. >> Great. Thank you. Come on up, Pete.
>> Peter Maner, 59 Bethany Road. Um, first and foremost, DJ Topps, hats off to you and your family for all the support over the many, many years from your dad onto your brother to you to your sister who we
lost to CO. Unbelievable. a real fine class act for home since day one. Thank you. Um and merry Christmas and happy holidays to the rest of you. So we the people as we stand here, is there
anything that we can do to stop the motion of this vaage property? That's what I think if we could put this I know we can't. I don't know. I'm not involved. We're supposed to be represented. We are represented by you,
but we need to know the people here, and this is just the the little here. Can we put it to a town vote? What can we do to stop this? Can we hire our own attorney? What can we do to stop this? I don't think is there anybody here that What's
the vote on yes for vonnage here? One, put into pers perspective. Don't make it a thankless job. Just help us to stop it. Thank you. Thank you, Pete. Next public comment.
Come on up, Lance. How you doing, Lance? Uh, loopy line road. Um, so there actually were a couple other questions on the pickle ball question. The question was how much did the the project cost which I think was 1.3 and then what actually of that was the not the grant which again remember the grant money comes from us so you know you could say it didn't come
from the homeale tax pool but it came from the homeele taxpayers um so still no answer on that. Uh question on the um and then I think everyone got their answer as to why we voted tonight versus waiting. I think we got that in the opening comments. Um,
take from that what you will. Um, as far as seeing eye to eye on everything, go back to 2022 when there was a no vote by any one member of the township committee. Everything has been a yes across the board. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've
checked the minutes all the way back three plus years to find a no vote from any member of the township committee. So, may see eye to may not see eye to eye all the time, but we vote yes 100%. the horn antenna. A lot of back padding going on there. So, the developer
purchased that property, 43 acres, 3.7 million, I believe. I think the town purchased 35 acres at a price of 5.5 is plus some give back, so 4.75. So, we purchased 81% of the property and we
paid $135,000 per acre. The developer paid $86,000 per acre. I think that property was for sale for public. So, we could have purchased it for the 3.7. Uh, so I don't think there's any back padding that should be going on about that. I don't think that's a huge win.
Plus the legal fees, which was one of my other questions I didn't get an answer to, is what did we spend in legal fees? So, on top of the 3.7 I mean the the the 4.75 that we paid for the property, what was the legal cost that we incurred to
fight that to to get to where we got to? Uh, same thing on potters. All right. Another back backpadding moment, right? So, Potters, uh, UMC paid 1.35 million for that property. We paid 4.5 million. >> That's totally incorrect.
>> It's incorrect. Okay. What's What did they pay for it? >> We don't have all the figures together. Chris, you happen to have that one? That was the contract purchasers share. That's not the actual price. We We paid I think more than a million less than they paid for it. But, please continue, Lance. We We'll get you your numbers at the end here.
>> Okay. So, So, I'm apologize. Um, that was all my questions unanswered and commentary. Thank you. >> Thank you, Lance. Chris, if you need a couple minutes on that. >> Yeah, I don't actually h
Does mine working? Okay. So, what I again I don't UMC owned it, but then there was a contract purchaser, so we don't have the exact numbers, but UMC owned it for a longer I don't Eric might have better numbers than me on that. >> Was this for the Potter Farm? >> Yes, sir. They paid 3.96 million
>> and they had about >> that's the deed price. We're not going to disclose their proprietary financial information they shared with us, but there are further considerations that more than adequately support the price the township paid for it. >> Okay. But that was again public property that we could have purchased
>> and and not one of us up here was on leadership when that property was listed for sale. And I and and Lance, I agree with you a thousand% because our >> drive has been properties and a property came up listed. It was listed probably for 2 days. This gentleman again is one
of the ones that pointed it out. It was probably listed for two days before we attacked that situation this year. So we we are very aware of properties that come on board. We've had many discussions with people in town about properties and stuff. So I find it upsetting that nobody back then
negotiated with Potter. How long was Potters listed for sale? How long was that one listed for sale? The the horn antenna. You're 100% right. But if none of us were up here, there's not nothing any of us could do except save the property. And that's what we focused on. And if you recall last year, excuse me, two years ago, and DJ could probably
speak to this better, how many thousands of people came out for that? >> Lots. >> Thank you. >> I was here >> for a lot of all I'm saying is we paid way more than >> you are. You're you're telling us not to pat ourselves on the back. So you are
Lance, you let's be clear about that. You are and I will take that all day and I'm going to go home and sleep well tonight. >> I I think if I may, mayor, I think >> we overpaid on certain things potentially because there was a miss from prior administrations. >> You know, I mean I mean if your if your
point is they paid less than what we paid for it, the data would suggest that. But I think the situation we were in in order to do what we thought was the right thing, you know, I mean actually certainly we paid less actually. I think all in on Potters, but if you Yeah. And we got the what the grant from the county on on horn.
>> Yeah. >> I I I I don't Well, I don't I I personally haven't been involved. I wouldn't agree with any notion that there was any quote unquote overpayment. >> Actually, that's a good point. There's >> appreciation on the Potter. I mean, yeah, if you look at the deed price and you apply just property value growth to it, uh the township actually paid less
and and you know, the township worked with its appraisers and you know, UMC had many considerations on their own considering they spent a lot of time over at the zoning board costs associated with that. Uh I think the township reached a very good uh outcome on that.
I think the same would be true for um Crawford Hill. Um it's actually surprising we're talking negatively about it because I think it's received so so many accolades the deal that was was reached. Uh but in that instance, you know, there was a an individual that purchased the property and was aggressively looking to develop it and
there is a you know, if the developer through a zoning a zoning um board variance is able to develop it of that nature or an affordable housing consideration um it could increase the value of the property well north of what it was acquired for. And the other thing
that wasn't mentioned earlier is that the county contributed 75% towards the purchase of that property um after the fact. So the net to the township I believe is under is a million dollars or so. >> Thank you for correcting me counselor as you often do. >> I was going to Thank you.
>> Okay. Well, I think 2020 is when UMC bought that per property. So some people may have been up here on this day. Maybe not you, maybe not others, but some people may have been up here in 2020. Bear in mind that just because a private individual sells a property to a private individual doesn't mean that they're
interested in selling to the township. And we actually encounter in many cases people don't want to sell to the town because they find that it's very bureaucratic dealing with government. Um the township committee can't just act on a dime and purchase a property. They need to do appraisals. They need to do due diligence. I mean you know the
Potter property we were working in good faith with them. It ended up taking us a year. So, not everyone wants to sell to the town. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Lesie. De, correct me if I'm wrong, but your term started in 2021. Five years.
>> Thank you. Come on up, Pat. >> Patrick Troska, 56 Line Road. Um, first before I respond to Lance on the horn antenna, >> can you hold the microphone closer, please? >> Yes. >> Before I respond to Lance on the horn
antenna, uh, I want to thank DJ for outstanding job as as mayor and township committee man and especially Kim for her uh, job as a committee person and deputy mayor. Well done, Kim. Um I think what
looking back at the horn antenna everyone has to realize that it is a national historic landmark. It is one of the scienc's greatest achievement of human scientific endeavors. It was the
place where the big bang creation of the universe was confirmed. Uh that shouldn't been in the hands of a developer to make condos. uh the the committee before you responded, but the whole world responded on that to buy it
and whatever the price was, it actually was priceless to for Homedale to obtain it. And now, uh my question is when is Robert Wilson Park going to be open to the public? Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Pat. We'll get back to you on
that. We're not sure yet. Any other Come on, Mr. G. Kin GH Street. Um just want to say DJ and Kim, um thank you for your services. Um I know one is involuntary and uh one is voluntary, but um like everybody
said, it's a thankless job up there. I know we we could have our differences and we express our opinion on how things may or may not should be done, but um it's a thankless job. I know you guys um spend a lot of time up there and and for your efforts for very little money, no
upside and seems like only downsides. So, uh we do appreciate it. Um thank you very much. Um I want to push back on one thing. I want to reatement on on something else. So um my comment is that the on the vonnage thing I know that uh
there was a comment made that uh you know there were regulatory approvals jurisdictions and so on but um having come from the private sector we know that negotiation arms lane for different parties you can do a lot of stuff that uh and and I know that there's a comment
made that there were some push back or some potential discussions on uh the piloted versus but I think at that time the wastewater management probably was not front and center. So there there's the difference there. So anyway, I I won't be the dead horse. I want to read a statement because I was asked to read
a statement. Uh this is on behalf of a nonprofit organization called Water Spirit. And so this is not speaking from me as individual, but um you you'll see from the statement who's from. Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. I'm Rachel Dorne Davis and I
work full-time for Water Spirit, an ecosspiritual nonprofit based in Rumson that has for 28 years been devoted to the protection of water as both a sacred trust and a public necessity. My comments are on behalf of our thousands of community members here and throughout
the Northeast region, county, and the world. Water is a living ecosystem that sustains every person, every ecosystem and every future generation in Homedale and Mammoth County. Riddle Brookke is not just an isolated stream. It feeds
directly into the swimming river reservoir which supplies potable drinking water to Homedale and approximately 300,000 Mammoth County residents of half of the year. Any activity that introduces waste water into this system must meet the highest
possible standard of care, not the lowest allowable one. We urge Homedale Township permitted not to approve the pil project unless the developer agrees to update and modernize the wastewater management to current standards. We are alarmed that the permit allows
wastewater discharge just 100 ft from Willowbrook when modern standards require minimum of 300 ft. This is fundamental protection designed to protect surface water, groundwater, and public health. The proposed redevelopment would discharge treated
waste water directly into Willowbrookke for 6 months of the year at least. For the remaining six months, the waste water would be sent to a lagoon, allowed to evaporate into the air, percolate onto the ground, and will be sprayed into a sprinkle system across portions of the property. We are deeply concerned
that this plan relies on wastewater treatment plan dating back to 1977, a time before science understood the risk posed by pharmaceutical, PFA, endogen disruptors, hormones, and antibiotic residues. These treatment plants were never designed to remove these
chemicals. Yet they are now obligated in the wastewater particular from senior living and healthcare nursing facilities. Pope Francis reminds us in the encyclical I hope I'm pronouncing this right la that quote access to the safe drinking water is a basic and
universal human rights since it is essential to human survival to allow this permit to be grandfathered is to ignore nearly 50 years of scientific advancement and to place our drinking water at unnecessary risk during drought warning. Once the ground water is
contaminated, it is extremely difficult, often impossible to restore. From an ethical and spiritual perspective, we must ask, is this right to introduce waste water, no matter how treated, into the very system that provides drinking water for hundreds of thousands of
people using outdated standards that do not reflect current science. Who benefits from this and who loses? What we release upstream, we eventually drink downstream. We urge Homedale Township representatives to honor your responsibility as a protector of the
public trust and to protect the health and safety and the future of this community. Thank you. >> Thank you, Ken. Next public comment. >> Seeing none, can we get a motion? >> Move. >> Second.
>> Last official act. [laughter] Thank you. >> All in favor?