Good evening and welcome to the July 22nd, 2025 regular meeting of the Jackson Township Council. Pursuant to the visions of New Jersey, sorry about that. Good evening and welcome to the July 22nd, 2025 regular meeting of Jackson Township Council.
Pursuant to the provisions of New Jersey Open Public Meeting Act, adequate notice of this meeting was properly provided by transmitting the notice of the meeting on January 28th, 2025 for publication. Notice of this meeting of the township council has been posted in the corridor of the municipal building and in the
office of the municipal clerk. We'll begin with roll call. Councilman Barlli here. Councilman Bresie here. Councilman Paul Mary present. Council Vice President Bernstein here. Council President Cune here. Also present this evening is
business administrator um Mr. Phillips, township attorney Mr. McGucken, and myself, Deputy Clerk Jen Carelli. We will begin with opening comments from township council starting with um Council President Q. Thank you, Madame Clerk. First, good evening to everyone. I would like to extend a warm thank you
to our guest speakers tonight, Commissioner Frank Sedi and Ocean County Engineer Mr. Mark Jenkee. We appreciate you joining us and looking forward to hearing more about the current and future projects happening throughout our town. We'd commit to moving Jackson forward and part of that includes
actively pursuing gr grant funding to support improvements across multiple areas of the community. We've expanded these efforts alongside with the professionals at Kier's Engineer and I'm proud to say that we now have police, fire, EMS, recreation through DPW, and
our township engineer all working together to maximize grant opportunities. We are even exploring new ideas like solar lighting for public spaces. This is the type of forward thinking we need to keep moving Jackson forward in the right direction. Last
week, our new recreation committee held out uh held our first meeting. We already identified a park to start with, Camp Joy, and we are brainstorming creative ways to enhance recreational spaces for everyone. We'll be doing a second site visiting this Friday, and
I'm excited to keep the momentum going. We'll keep you all informed as these projects move along. I'm also thrilled to share that the proc process of the township donation donating land to the Jackson Food Pantry is officially underway. The parcels have been
identified and have been approved by our mayor, Mike Rea, and our business administrator, and the conversations with the food pantry leadership have been overwhelmingly positive. This is a huge step towards giving them a permanent home, and we'll continue to
work through the next phases together. Looking ahead, next month's council will introduce a bond ordinance to re reallocate unused funds just under $465,000. This amount is less than we initially identified as department heads have made
requests for their departments uh that have been granted. The remaining funds will be reallocated towards capital projects that directly benefit residents, including improvements to the Jackson dog park, the Bartley Road uh project, the police department parking
lot, and other long-term comm long-term community investments. Lastly, I want to thank Jacksonville's Fire Station 54, Chief O'Hara, for inviting me to their monthly meeting last night. It was great to connect with the team and to hear about their goals for the future. We are
committed to supporting their continued success. Jackson is moving forward. We are working together, thinking creatively, and focusing on building a stronger, safer, and brighter future for all of our residents. Thank you for all being a part of our vision, and it was and have a great evening.
Council Vice President Bernstein. Thank you, uh, clerk. First of all, a I just going to say a couple thank yous tonight. A special thank you to our deputy clerk who has really stepped in and done a phenomenal job. Thank you. I know you're new here and we can we appreciate all the hard work. An additional thank you is to Mr. Phillips.
Um I think it's like your third council meeting here, but you're already an oldie over here and you're doing a great job and it's good to know that Mr. Phillips is accessible and reachable really at all times of the day um and in the evenings and um he's always out there. Um a also a thank you to all of
our um condolences to those who um were injured and unfortunately the person who perished by the lightning strike. Um a special thank you to all of our emergency um personnel from locally and from around the area who stepped in to help. Um I know administration and Mr.
Phillips updated everyone and stayed and kept everyone informed and everyone did their best under such circumstances. Um council president mentioned the recreation um um committee. A special thank you. It's great to hear that they're out and about. I think there were residents volunteers already
working in some of the parks this afternoon again. Um, and wishing everyone a wonderful rest of the summer. Council member Elli. Uh, thank you. Uh, my thoughts and prayers are with Robert McGomery's family. Mr. Montgomery died as a result
of the lightning strike incident last week at the, uh, Black Knights, uh, Bow Bender Archery Range located in her town. Uh, he was one of the instructors at the range. Uh, Jackson Cub Scout Pack 204 was attending an event there when this terrible tragedy occurred. And I
want to thank Mr. Phillips for keeping us uh informed and briefing us that evening on what was going on. And 14 other people uh unfortunately also suffered injuries from the lightning strike and were treated. Uh please keep them as prayer um as they recover. And
thank you to all of her towns brave first responders, including uh Chief Couturo, who I see here in the audience, and also first responders from other towns who responded and treated the victims and helped prevent further tragedies from occurring. Um, just as a
point of information, uh, from what I've read and was informed, the spray park and the justice complex will be closed, uh, for maintenance tomorrow, July 23rd, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Also, the new pickleball court is open in Woodlane Park in our town from dawn to dusk.
There are two more concerts left to go in Johnson Memorial Park from 6:30 to 8. DNA band is playing on August 7th and Living Proof Band on August 21st. Uh, please bring your own lawn chairs and food trucks are on site at these concerts. And also the farmers market
continues every Thursday until September 4th in the Justice Complex. And the recreation department's also sponsoring uh New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays trip is next uh Thursday, July 31st, which the Yankees were playing a little bit better, but um we're in second place
and there's still 60 plus games to go. So um as a side note, the game starts at uh 10:05. meet at the uh township municipal building if you want to pick up a bus there to go to the game. Tax uh snacks will be provided on the bus and tickets are $105 and you can register to
go at uh https equals uh2/register community.net /jackson or you can call the Jackson rec department at 732 uh 9281200 extension1255 or email Anthony Horta at the rec
department at a horda jackinttwp njj uh.net and there's never a shortage of things to do as you've heard in events to go to in our town of Jackson especially in the summertime. Good seeing you all and uh have a good evening. Thank you Councilman Breie.
Thank you. Yeah, my my my mind and my reflection because all my peers for all those involved in that lightning strike. It was a horrible thing. But I do have to say Mr. Phillips did keep us informed second by second what was going on with all the emergency responders out there and the response they all had and mutual
aid and everybody else was just fabulous. That part was you can't say enough for that. But uh it was a was a horrible night for us and it's something I think we're all reflecting on this evening. I am looking forward to the engineer county engineers uh presentation. I think we'd all be very
interested in what's coming up on all the county roads. We have 100 miles of county road here and uh I think we'll be very interested in that. So, thank you for coming out. Enjoy the evening. Get home safe. Thank you, Councilman Paul Mary. I would just like to start with my thoughts and prayers to all those
affected in the in the lightning strike. I would also like to welcome everyone in attendance and those watching from home. Thank you for staying engaged and staying informed. And a special welcome to our county engineer, Mr. Jenkee and M and our county commissioner, uh, Mr.
Sedi, for being here tonight. Thank you for your continual support for Jackson Township. So, thank you. Next item for tonight's meeting is an update from the Department of Public Works, Mr. Sha Bolinsky. Council Vice President uh, Council President Q. Thank you. Uh, 2025 bulk collection
pickup has been completed. Um, thank you for your cooperation for helping us to keep the community clean and organized. If there's anything that has not been picked up, I would highly suggest to contact DPW because they're not picking it up. It's been completed. I know that I've drove down Bennett Mills Road and
there's a pile that's probably 40 by 20 on the side of the road. So, I don't think they're coming to pick that up. So, I would just strongly advise to contact uh Mr. Bolinsky at DPW. Next, we have brush collection beginning tomorrow. Crews will begin in zone one. Um, please make sure all brush is placed
on the curb side according to the guidelines to keep the process smooth and efficient. Dog park um improvements underway. We'll begin working with the administration and the engineer on potential improvements on the dog park. We're committed to making it a safer, more enjoyable space for everyone. If
you have any concerns, suggestions, please contact the Department of Public Works. We'd love to hear from you. Waste oil collection is resumed. We'd like to remind everyone that the waste oil collection system at our transfer station is back up and running. We are now accepting waste oil again. Please
follow the proper disposal guidelines when dropping off oil. Storm response and drainage improvement updates. With the recent heavy rainstorms, our crews have been out daily giving extra attention to the flood um zones prone
flood areas. keep debris clear and running the for the street sweepers to help minimize water buildup. I live in Brookwood for and I went to a home on Forest in North Carolina and this um family's home due to the storm act of God just they they we cleaned up the
municipal roads and put in new drains and it's draining so well that it's actually flowing and completely destroying her property. So, I do want to say she told me personally that DPW has been out there every day with this whole crew trying to help her and and and kind of save um the flooding that's
occurring, but it is it is definitely a problem. So, I know that our engineers and our DPW department are are looking into that. If you do notice any concerns, uh can you please contact DPW? We've had a excessive amount of rain lately and we are seeing a lot of uh storm water uh issues. So, thank you so
much, Madam Clerk. Madam Deputy Clerk, next item on the agenda is our presentation with our guest speaker, Commissioner Sedi and Ocean County Engineer, Mr. Jenkee. Good evening. Uh thank you. Thank you for having us uh here tonight. Um just
about two three weeks ago uh I was having a good day and uh a lot of compliments, a lot of good things happening and uh I looked at and Bernstein calling me and um
I think I am on his u speed dial or whatever their terminology is nowadays. But we appreciate the fact that um that you work so so hard for the constituents as all of you do. Uh I speak to council
president on regular basis as well and the rest of the council members and we appreciate that. That just is a reflection of how in tune and in touch you are with the needs of the community. And believe me, uh, I'm one of the newer
commissioners, uh, in this capacity. I guess I've been here for 17 months, 16, 17 months. And I can tell you that we have a mission. And the moment is right. And the mission
is to be in touch and and make the municipalities feel like they're part of the program, part of the family. And that's the truth of it. without the municipalities, there wouldn't be a county or a need for county services. So, we're trying to change that mindset.
And I don't want to uh disrespect or say anything negative about the people who were in that in those positions 25, 30 years ago. Maybe circumstances were different. Maybe financial uh aspects of
the county were different. I can tell you today, and we all see it, and we it's sort of a double-edged sword, uh, we bought a house that maybe was valued at $600,000 10 years ago. That same house is selling
for a million dollars. Uh, and we sort of like that. Uh, my son doesn't like it because he wants to buy a house in Ocean County. and who has the down payment to buy a house for56 $700,000. But the
positive side of it is that that million-doll house translates to resources and monies that comes to the county and it allows the county to have that flexibility to do some good things for municipalities.
one of the sticking points or one of the issues that's been sort of uh debated we we've been debating on on regular basis and something that I've talked to the county engineer Mark Jenkee and Mark is relatively new to this particular
position he's been with the county engineering department for a few years but at his capacity and we are so glad that he is there John Erns did a outstanding job but Mark Jenke He understands that the county is changing,
the needs of the people in the the county and our residents are changing and he's prepared to address those and in fact he's excited about addressing those. So, it's a conversation that we have on regular basis. Who is responsible for installing curbs and
sidewalks and those necessities in today's life in Ocean County? And it's not unique to just Jack Jackson Township. And we can debate who is responsible, but I can tell you that the mindset is that the county is prepared.
they have the resources and we should come up with a mechanism through which we can at least have that dialogue with the township officials as to how do we address that? Uh do should the municipalities have some skin in the game? Absolutely. Because otherwise we
would have a flood of requests up and down the county and I don't think we Yes, we have resources. I don't know if we have that much resources where we can address all these issues, but I can tell you uh we've had over the last year and a
half that I've been here, there's been several occasions where I've had calls from uh specifically Councilman Bernstein. He wanted us to take a look at certain corridors and locations and take a look at whether it makes sense to
install sidewalks and the county can assist and he knows that we've made the resources and the county engineers office as well as the engineering department and the bridge department if necessary. I saw your mayor
uh we were installing sidewalks and I say sidewalks for the on temporary basis. We just wanted to create a se safe environment where people could go from one location to another on 528 where the lake is very dangerous. We
took a walk out there and uh there's probably two feet of space where the these people have to negotiate and walk and you have trucks and such and tractor trailers traveling on that road. And
so we had the the engineering department and the road department get sort of creative and through that we were able to actually put in some safe walkways and such in that corridor and I saw I
drove by because most of the work or some of the work or a lot of the work was done on weekends where we didn't have as much traffic in that neck of the woods and I drove by on Saturdays a couple times and I saw Mike Raina out
there actually hands-on directing the traffic and such. So that shows the commitment that that he has to the residents of of Jackson Township. But we are also committed, the county is also committed. We're formulating
uh a scenario where we can sit down and talk to uh different municipalities and the uh council members and such and see how we can come up with a formula where there's a contribution on the on the
county side and maybe a bigger contribution on the county side and a smaller contri contribution on the municipal side and we can get this point. Uh but we're not stopping at this point to get to that point. While we're
doing that, we're trying to address the needs of whether it's Tom's River, walking communities in Tom's River, Lakewood, Jackson, and Manchester. Um we recently actually walked Bartley Road when there are needs for
and the agreement that we came up with with was to have your township township of engineer prepare the plans and such, get all the um rightaway acquisition and easements and such in place and then
we'll have the county and we already have a designated contractor who can do this work. Then the county would get involved and actually install the sidewalks in those locations. Um, as a result of the request to come before
you, we wanted to have uh a 10-minute uh presentation, talk about some of the things that the engineering department and the road department has accomplished over the last two years in Jackson Township and talk about some of the
things that we want to talk that we want to put on the agenda and on the list for next couple of years. I can tell you this, we are absolutely committed and recognize the fact that Jackson Township is going to be the growing by far more
than any other municipality. I say it here and I say it every night that it's going to be the growth is going to be right here in Jackson Township. And we are cognizant of that. We're committed to making sure that we address those needs as much as the county can and is
within the resources. We talk about roads and widening roads and sidewalks and such on weekly basis if not daily basis, but I'll turn it over again. Thank you for inviting us here. I'll turn it over to Mark Jenkee to do his
presenting. Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you, Commissioner. uh like to thank the council for the opportunity to come here and speak and uh you know our goal here is to uh bring a bring a face for the county and and we're here to
work with the town. Uh earlier you saw my email address up there and our phone number if there's issues for the council, the public, reach out to the county, let us know what it is. Um you're our eyes out there. We don't see everything. So we need to work together
to address the issues out there. So, we're going to have Mark's cell phone. Actually, I already I already sent it out. It's fine. I have it. Don't worry. It's already out. Don't worry. I have it. Yes, I do. Yes, I do. He does. I appreciate that. So, okay. Can we uh let's see. Let's go
to the first slide. So, commissioner talked about, hey, I just want to go quickly about some of the projects that we've done here. Next slide, please. Uh so, Louisiana Parkway, this was uh we had issues county drainage down a a township road. We had sink holes that were coming up there. We determined,
hey, we need to line the pipe out there. Uh, and we chose pipelining because it was actually cheaper than going out there, digging up the road, all the curb and the trees and everything out there. So, that's the approach we took out there. Uh, West County Line in Brookwood. Uh, Councilman Bernstein very
familiar with this project. I I think actually you're the first one that reached out to us and we initiated that 2018, I think. But yes. Yes. So, uh, we that project's been done for about a year and a half, two years, I think it's been, uh, been active out there. Uh, some overlay projects that
we've had here, uh, County Route 539 on Hurricane Avenue, uh, to 528. And then we also hit Cedar Swamp Road and Castville Road, F, uh, 571 in town there. Next slide, please.
Uh, another overlay project. Uh we we hit uh 539 from Horacon to 528. Uh and these projects, you see different township names there. We group numerous projects within these overlays. So it's not just the one road in Jackson
Township. We typically focus on the region. So we do projects up in the north to to keep things going here. Um White Road at uh Cross Street. Uh we had a project that we recently completed. It's going to be part of the cross street widening project, the five lane
section that's happening in Lakewood and Jackson Township out there. Uh, also stormwater management contract 23A, uh, Harmony Road, Heisen Road, Leville Road, and South Cooksbridge Road. We get drainage complaints all the time and there were individual drainage
complaints there. The work could be as simple as, hey, just run a, you know, a small connection here or there or redo the entire system out there. Uh we have a lot of issues where pipes are deteriorating. Uh any corrugated aluminum pipe or metal pipe in the in the road or underneath the road, those
things are falling apart and going to dust after about 30 years. So uh it's something that we deal with on a daily basis. Uh next, okay, active. Okay. Uh so we are doing a uh overlay contract 21A. Uh it's currently active. West
Veterans Highway from Cville Road to East Veterans Highway. uh our overlay projects, we do milling, we do paving, we look at drainage, guide rail, and where we have traffic signals in there, we make some ADA upgrades out there, but we also try to take the opportunity to
make other upgrades out there if we can. These are limited scope projects, so we're not doing major widening or anything like that, but if I can accomplish things by restriping or reconfiguring the heads at an intersection, that's what we try to do out there. uh contract uh 22A is uh
another overlay project. South New Prospect Road, Burke Road, and West Bets. So, South New Prospect Road, that is one of those roads that how I just talked about we made changes out there. We striped a three-lane section to better accommodate the traffic out there. Now, this is just an interim
measure. This is not meant as the final uh configuration of the roadway out there, but it's a quick and dirty solution out there to try to make it safer and better address traffic capacity. We also have upgrades at all the signalized intersections out there. I I believe all the intersections have
dedicated left turn lanes. Part of this contract is adding left turn arrows. Uh we do have an issue out there. We are still awaiting materials. Uh there is a we you know you think CO is over. We are still experiencing delays with getting materials.
If I could just quickly point out, I know we discussed this when you first came in. Yeah. A resident emailed I think both of us yesterday. We just I just want to put extra stress on that. The corner of South Prospect and Brewers Bridge Bethl Church over the left signal. How long ago did you guys start that request to get that signal and just
res? Well, the the the project you mean as far as the the initiation of the project because that's you know we we advertised this project last year. Okay. and and we are experiencing delays upwards of 36 months to get certain
pieces of traffic signal equipment. Um so uh I did have a con uh conversation with the vendor uh just the end of last week to just try to push this. The latest they're telling us is midepptember. That is just not acceptable anymore. So
I'm I'm you know I we spoke earlier. I'm I'm looking at options what I can do to expedite that. So, uh, I don't have an answer as to exactly when, but I am. Would the county consider maybe taking equipment from somewhere else that's not currently being utilized, getting it up there? Because it's extremely dangerous.
One one of So, the county uh we we maintain nearly 400 traffic signals throughout. So, we do have an inventory of some materials. With that delivery date being so close, I can look at possibly if I have the materials in there, I'm going to be looking at supplying that to the contractor,
getting the contractor out there and see what I can make happen that way. Perfect. Thank you. So, we're we're looking at options is what we're doing out there. Next slide, please. Some upcoming uh construction projects. We have storm water management contract
24A. Uh this is on South New Prospect. We are not going out there to dig up the road. This is one of those situations that we're doing pipelining. Uh so that that's right within the the area we just paved and uh I try to avoid that as much as possible. I don't like to dig up freshly paved roads.
Uh Commodore West Commodore at Diamond Road. Uh we are constructing a new traffic signal dedicated left turn lanes. Uh we are we have a pre-construction meeting scheduled July 23rd. So we're going to start seeing some activity out there. Uh that is a approximately 12 month duration out
there. Uh so we will see that project happening very soon here. Uh rehabilitation of Farmingdale Road culvert. Uh this is a uh right at the Mammoth Ocean border. Uh this is a pipe culvert out there that uh I talked earlier how pipes are deteriorating.
Well, this is one of them. So we're going to be lining the pipe culvert. Then we're going to be constructing some new head walls. Um this will be a closure because it's just quicker to do it. So, we would be able to get that work done in uh probably no longer than four months is what we're looking at right at the moment here. Um
reconstruction resurfacing of uh county roads contract 23B. So, we have East Vets Highway and North Hope Chapel Road. So, one of the things that we are doing on uh North Hope Chapel Road from 528 up to uh uh Cooksbridge.
This is one of these quick and dirty projects here where we have enough room where we don't have to have JCPNL relocate their poles. We're going to add a little bit of asphalt out there and we're going to get two northbound lanes in that direction out there. So, that's that's the type of thing where I don't have to get right away. I don't have to
get JCPNL to move things. So, that is a project that uh that is going to be uh awarded. That's by that's by Liberty. I just want to see is that going to make it. We have discussed this prior. I just want to get it on the record if it's going to make it prior to um school opening in September or not. No, that won't be
okay. Just so that we know so transportation knows that and our our traffic safety knows and and one of the things uh you know Jackson has a fantastic police department. We work with them uh intimately on these projects to make sure uh they're they're our resource for getting out to the schools and making
sure that everyone's on the same page. I don't want to go out there impact the road and all of a sudden kids can't get to school. That's not what we're looking to Can I just put one request on the record just while we're here? Can we not make I don't I don't know if we could do this and I apologize if I'm I'm inaccurate with it to the county, but
can we make it they start later and not during the rush hour with the buses because we are going to have we don't know what we're going to expect. First of all, PD has to approve any of the work there. So, we will be working with that. We encourage nighttime work as much as possible. You know, there's always a balance in things and stuff
like that. So we will work with you know that area there and and kind of let's it's not in the presentation but I'd like to talk about with the school closing. So one of the things that we are doing right now is um when we learned of the school closings one of
the very first things I did the next day is I had our traffic we we put little traffic counters out all the driveways out there so I knew how many people were going to and from all the schools that were being impacted. Um, excuse me. From there, we have a consultant that came on
board and we are implementing time of day programming out there to minimize the delays that are going to happen because traffic is getting the shift in traffic is going to be tremendous. And so, we need, you know, I don't have enough lanes, so let's make the signals
work as best we can to accommodate out there and minimize delays. Uh, this is going to be a growing process. We're going to be working handinhand with PD. Okay. and uh you know just to make that as best we can. So that's going out the longest in time for school and so we
look forward to doing that. So uh next slide please. So this project here is uh the the roundabout at New Central Avenue and North Oak Chapel Road. The first thing is this is not a traffic signal. This is a roundabout. So a roundabout is much different than a
traffic signal. Uh this is a federally funded project that we uh the engineering department initiated this uh the county initiated probably 8 to 10 years ago. Uh it is uh as I mentioned it's federally funded. Uh we are going
out to bid the 23rd. So this is going out the door there. Um this project was designed to anticipate the anticip the the growth that the area is going to happen. So, you know, yes, we want to make something safe, but I also need it to move traffic. Uh, if it doesn't move
traffic, it's not going to be safe. So, this will operate much safer than than a traffic signal is really what a roundabout does. Um, there's going to be a learning curve. People are not going to become I'm telling you right now, they're not going to be comfortable with this right in the
beginning, but if we give it time, it will work. There's been many instances throughout the state. Burlington County, they have a lot of the similar type character areas and all that stuff. Uh they've been very successful in it and and you've seen tremendous reductions in
in the crash rates out there. So talk a little bit about the projects that are in design. Uh so we are doing three intersections along Whitesville Road. Next slide, please. So we have Whitesville and uh Hook Chapel,
Whitesville White Road, and Whitesville Faraday. So Faraday is right on the the uh Toms River uh uh Jackson border out there. Um these are all intersections that uh we are building for the future. Uh we are looking out projecting traffic
out to 2050 and designing and building that road for today. Uh I believe we're going to have close to five lanes on Whitesville Road at each of those intersections to accommodate the traffic. So they are uh we are looking to get all of them out the end of 26.
They all require a Pineland permit. And isn't one of them Pineelands and D? Excuse me. Is isn't one of them Pinelands and D? Yes. Actually, uh Faraday is on the border. So the deal we we got the double bonus here of both uh D and Pinelands at one location. So, we're going to, you
know, we'll get through it. And, uh, so, uh, I think all of them are going to be fantastic projects. Going to have a tremendous impact to the area out there. Um, then we also have a, uh, traffic signal upgrade contract. Uh, we are just going out for, uh, getting a consultant on board there. We have Bennett Mills
and Frank Applegate, Butterfly Road, Heisen Road, and Harmony Road. Uh we're looking at construction starting sometime in 27, but recently became aware of uh concerns uh at the intersection of Bennett Mills and Frank Applegate. Uh uh uh Councilman Bernstein
uh uh brought, you know, said, "Hey, we have some issues out here. Can we convert the existing signal into a temporary signal?" So happy to say that that is happening. It's scheduled for the week of August 4th. So about a week and a half from now is when Thank you. you know, so over the next week or so,
you're going to start seeing county crews out there starting to hang the heads and get everything ready. So, we we'll be in good shape to uh to do that. Couple of bridge projects we have going on is Brewers Bridge Road. Uh so, the bridge on Brewers Bridge Road is actually a county owned structure even
though it's a uh township road. Uh we are replacing this bridge. Uh we anticipate that it's going to be advertised this fall. Uh the bra the project will take 12 to 15 months for completion and we will be installing a temporary signal to have one lane
alternating traffic. Uh the detour was not a viable detour with all the school buses that are going in and out that that residential area. So we elected to you know let's minimize what we have. We had no room to shift the bridge. So we have to build it right back in the same place. If I could just interrupt for one second.
How long do you say the job should take? 12 to 15 months. Okay. So, just for the record, for the public, because people have asked about if this could be done over the summer. This can't be done over the summer. No, excuse me. No, it's a big job. I just want to put it out there. No, we uh believe me, if uh if there was
a way to do that, it can't be done at night. Well, it's just a huge problem. It's a huge that area affects it. It's going to be it's going to be difficult. There's no doubt about it. But I don't I have to build it and stage it. So, I have to move the traffic to
one side of the bridge, remove the other side of the bridge, build that new ple uh piece right in place, and then I'm going to move the traffic over to the new portion. And then I think some of the the fear also is there was a bridge in Mammoth County by
Bethl Church Road that was closed for about like I don't know five years. It was it was and it was a similar type of project. But Ocean County is better. Thank you. And I'm just going to say I I think we should look at what you guys are just talking about that maybe putting can they like they they
barricaded so that there couldn't be a cut through in there because I'm worried about all the children in 60 acres that people are going to cut through and go 60 miles an hour through Nature Boulevard to cut through to get to Manhattan which already has 46,000 cars on it a week. So I just want to point
that out with this one. That that's a grave concern. No understood. And and those are the types of things that we have the ability to react to. So I can react to it either through, you know, uh, you know, tell the contractor to go out there, but I also have resources in house that if I need to go out there, I can have guys
out there putting up signs and barrels and doing whatever we need to do. So you know, that that's part of that working relationship that we have with PD and if things come up, you know, we we are going to be responsive and address uh rehabilitation of Larson Road Culvert
uh over the North Branch in Maticont. This is another uh very similar to the Farmingdale Road Culver project. It's actually almost the same type of structure. We're going to be lining and all that stuff. Uh this is a project that's going to go out in 28 and it's going to be about a fourmonth detour on
that one also. Uh and then our last storm water contract is contract 25A White Road. This is down at the southern end towards Whitesville Road. Just a small drainage issue down there. So, we're going to be addressing that and upgrading some of the drainage down there.
So, uh have a number of uh overlay contracts that are coming out. So, uh County Route 526 North County Line Road from Jackson Mills to Bennett Mills Road. This is one of our standard overlays. There's four intersections out there. Really not a lot of changes that are happening out there. That's a
divided roadway. It operates. It's a it operates very well right at the moment. Uh then we have uh overlay contract 24C uh three uh two roads out there. North Hope Chapel Road, Florence Court to Miller and then South Hope Chapel from
Whitesville to East Vets. Uh this is standard. Hey, we're just going to hit do the drainage some ADA ramps. There's no traffic signals out there. Uh we're looking to advertise this fall. Uh then we have overlay 24E. Uh we have Bennis
Mills Road 527 to Cooks Bridge about 2.8 8 miles. Uh, no traffic signals. Again, very much just like uh the the previous contracts out there. Then we have uh overlay 25A. We we're
going to West Vets from Hawin to Stump Tavern, Jackson Mills from Cedar Swamp to North County Land Road, and then East Commodore from Cedar Swamp to Jackson Mills Road. Uh that's going to be a project that we're going to see advertised uh May 2026.
Uh and then the last overlay contract is uh contract 25C. We're hitting Leville Road from Cassville to West Vet. Uh that's also going to be out in spring of uh 26. So um you know, Commissioner today talked
about, hey, we're trying to address growth and all that stuff. This project here is a CMAC project. It's a project uh to optimize traffic signals. So we are op we uh we obtain federal funding for this project. It's about 180
signalized intersections throughout the county. And when I say optimize we go out there we take traffic counts and our consultant will evaluate and let's you know traffic is continually changing. So let's come up with the best timing to best address and minimize the
delays out there. So that's what this project is. Um, you're going to see, you know, I'm not going to go through all the thing, but we have County Line Road, Jackson Mills Road, New Prospect Road, North Hope Chapel Road, and South Cooksbridge Road. Uh, they're all planned to be implemented uh in
September. So, we're we're looking to put that project out there. So, that that's a project we're very excited to see because we've uh previously our first optimization project, it was in 2017. It was located in in Tom's River and Brick Township. it was Hooper Avenue
and Brick Boulevard. Uh we saw a tremendous reduction in delay uh for the vehicles along the road. Uh part of what we do is there's post studies and they actually do time travel. They they they measure the time it takes. They send a car out there and he goes from point A
to point B and he did it before the analysis and now he's doing it after. So we can quantify the reduction in the delay out there. So uh we're very excited about that. So, and then our last slide here.
Come to the next one, please. Next one. Okay. So, this ties in with directly with what Commissioner Seday talked about with the commitment the county has to to address the needs of the public.
Um, basically what we're going to do is we're going to do traffic counts throughout the town, the entire town. And the goal is we're going to come up with concepts for what all these roads are going to look like. So, we're going
to know East Vets is going to be, you know, a three-lane section or a five lane section or whatever it may need to be. The importance of doing this is we're able to identify the configuration, what the road's going to be. It's very useful when we coordinate with developers as they come
in with new developments out here, but it also gives us a roadmap for hey, this is this is our plan moving forward. So, this is a pro the these projects are going to take a while. Uh the goal is that uh over the next year or so, uh
we're going to be coming in identifying this stuff and then we're going to start prioritizing. We're going to prioritize these projects. We're going to break the pilance projects into their own separate things because I don't want to slow it down the D projects and start working towards getting these things out there
and and making significant improvements. Um, this is the first time the county has taken this approach to we're trying to get ahead of the game here and this is the best way to do it because we're going to identify the environmental constraints, the rightway constraints. Uh, you know, as you know, there seems
to be a stream every so many hundred feet in Jackson Township. So those are things that we have to deal with. So we need the game plan to do it. We need to know where the con the constraints are so we can effectively and efficiently move forward and come up with a solution that'll work. Uh so that's our game plan
here. It's a two-phase project. I only you know because the first phase is happening in 25 but it is a one continuous project. So, uh, I'm hoping that, you know, later next year we're coming back and we have a map that shows, hey, this is what
the game plan is. And then we're going to start having a conversation to see see where we're moving first. Uh, part of what we've been doing here at the county is to uh, coordinate more with developers, have a better understanding of what's coming down the pike, uh, so we can better prepare for it and be
ready. So, I just want for the Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you for coming. Such a great presentation with confidence that everybody is going to sleep better tonight after listening 45 minutes of roads and quieting roads strip as long
as it is built for 45 minutes. Um are we getting build for 45 minutes? But really appreciate the opportunity. So council president going to use this as a model to do more of these other municipalities as well. We we are happy to be your
guinea pig in this and and as I had said before like I don't think everybody knows how much goes into the communication that we do have this council does have with our commissioners and our engineers to able to open up those lines of communication to say hey listen how do we get more infrastructure how do we do this we have 42 county
roads going through our town I think we have the most in the in the count in Ocean County yeah so I I think that you know I we're happy to be your guinea pig if you want to throw your county money towards Jackson Township and testing our roads we will happily accept. But no, thank you. If I could just if I could just add thank you very much, commissioner. I
appreciate you taking my call that night. The next commissioner is going to be getting a call later tonight with regard to the parks to come here next. So, we appreciate it. But you'll be off and I want to make sure that Mark sends me this uh um can we have this for our website? Because every time you call me and
complain about the fact that county is not doing enough for Jackson, I'll email this to you after 35 minutes up here. It's enough for page eight of the presentation. Thank you, Mr. Jackie. Thank you so much, Mr. Jankee. I do have one question. I didn't want to interrupt you in the middle of it.
On the construction of the light at Commodore and Diamond Road. Yes. What was the timing on that? Excuse me. What is the timing on that to have a light up there? Diamond Road. We have a the timing as far as duration, it's about a year. We have a uh we we
just are uh uh advancing that project right now. I think we have a pre-construction meeting scheduled. Now the problem the only reason I'm asking especially now with the detour that's up now over a caesar swamp and everything the intersection there is just you can't believe what it's like
d so by the time we start construction that work will be completed. So I believe we have about three to four more weeks with that detour. So I you can do in the meantime to get something temporarily up there with I mean you got you you got everything 18 wheels everything coming down Diamond
Road. I know what I can tell you. I don't have an answer for you, but I will take a look at it. See if there's an opportunity of anything that we can do. Appreciate that. Council Council President, if I could really Mr. Jenke, it's nice to uh finally meet you in Paris. I want to thank you for your assistance with that
one property that um was on the county road there um and taking care of that. Thank you to you and your staff and thank you Commissioner Styi for for being here as well and your commitment and focus on um the work that you're doing here in our town. So, and you
know, planning ahead of course as well. So, um I think it's definitely needed. A lot of unfortunately some other towns maybe didn't plan out that well um in the past, but um I'm glad to hear it's being done here and all that. So, um one question for you is I don't know if it was in the packet. I don't think I saw
it in there. Do you know the status uh and I don't mean to put you on the spot, but I think I may have reached out to you about this. Um the status of the county uh putting in a left turn signal at the Harmony Road and Jackson Mills intersection. so many residential homes in that area, including a Four Seasons active adult
community. And right up the two uh right up the road too from there is a 200 unit um townhouse development that is uh being developed um as we speak. So it's only like you were I I don't have an update on it, but I will get back to you on that. That that
will not be an issue. So I'll get back to you. Okay. And then also with the the the new Waw Wa, uh I think I reached out to to the county and also some township officials about that vegetation there trying to make a a right turn. I think that's uh it's on the Waw Wa property, but it's right on County Road and
yeah, it's a little difficult making that right turn out of the parking lot there. Yeah, we we were working with code enforcement. I think code enforcement is on it. Uh I I did get an email from her that they did give a summon to have them abate it within seven days. I don't know if they followed up, but they did. Uh, the code
enforcement department had did send me an email that he sent an officer out there. I I did not follow up with them. Okay. Thank you. I'll let you I know you've spoken long enough. So, council president, just one question. The presentation, is that something you'd beble to email so we can share it with the residents who want to make it? Not an issue. Actually, the town already
has it, so feel free to distribute as you wish. We'll we'll get you a copy as well. Thank you. Thank you. Next item of business is second reading and public hearing ordinance 2025-24 which was introduced on July 8th, 2025
amending and supplementing chapter 103 entitled Vehicles and Traffic Article 14 schedules for Pittney Lane. At this time, if any member of the public has any comments to make, please address the council at the microphone. State your name, address clearly for the record. You will have five minutes and may only
speak once. May I have motion to open public comment, please? Motion to open. Second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Seeing no one come forward and make a motion to close public comment. Second.
All in favor? I. Any opposed? May I have a motion to adopt ordinance 2025-24? Motion. Second. Councilman Belli. Yes. Councilman Paul Mary. Yes. Councilman Breie.
Yes. Council Vice President Bernstein. Yes. Council President Cune. Yes. Motion adopted. Next item of business is second reading and public hearing of ordinance 2025-25 which was introduced on July 8th, 2025
amending chapter 245 landlord registration and responsibilities article one landlord registration. At this time, if any member of the public have any comments to make, please address the council at the microphone. State your name, address clearly for the record. You will have five minutes and
may only speak once. May I have motion to open public comment? Motion to open. Second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Seeing no one come forward and make a motion to close public comment. Second. All in favor? I.
Any opposed? May I have motion to adopt ordinance 2025-25? Motion. Second. Councilman Belli, yes. Councilman Breie, yes. Councilman Paul Mary, yes. Council Vice President Bernstein, yes.
Council President Cune, yes. Ordinance adopted. Next item of business is the first reading and introduction of ordinance 2025-26 amending and supplementing chapter 103 entitled vehicles and traffic article 14
schedules for Piccadilli Drive. Council President Cun, any comments for ordinance 2025-26. This is to not allow parking on Piccadilly Drive. Council President, if I could just add if you don't mind. This was a this was a recommendation that was made by a
planning board meeting that that the application would submit a request and that's why it's on this agenda. It's uh it's amending traffic entitled vehicle and traffic. Yes. I just looking for it's going to be 910 ft along the frontage of lot 1.0
and 1.02. Um again it'll be 910 ft. These are coming from uh the planning board. So when things get approved, we are requiring ordinances for no parking on the municipal roads. May I have a motion to approve ordinance
2025- move? Second. Councilman Brelli, yes. Councilman Breie, yes. Councilman Paul Mary, yes. Council Vice President Bernstein, yes. Council President Cune, yes. Motion approved.
Next item of business is the payment and authorization of bills and claims. I would like to note the following abstensions. Abstensions include Councilman Belli for AE T01, EY01, NJ D04, and R U T04. Councilman Bresie
is for J A C01, and Council President Cun is for RCS02. Are there any questions or comments for Township Council? Um, I I am going to and I have been looking at my phone, but it's only to make sure that I can pull up the bill that I'm questioning, which is um money
that's been paid out of open space for an additional $53,000. It's purchase order 242054 regarding the pickle ball. Um, I keep seeing additional monies on this on this bill list every month um for things that have already been done for that park.
And I it was supposed to be on a grant and I know that there was a mishap with the fence and that was an additional um additional monies of I think 40,000 and now we have an additional $53,000. I would like to ask my uh fellow council members if we can remove it from the
bill list so that we can sit with the CFO and just make sure I could because I don't want to I can't read everything. She sent me the reply but I haven't been able to look at it. I was gonna ask if our business administrator maybe had more information that I know it's before his days by the way. I think it's before his days. Do you have any in Yeah, it's before his days.
I just I'm just It's It's bothering me that more money has been taken out for the project that was on a grant that's been taken out of our open space money and I I just feel like it's being pushed on here and we don't know. Um if if I could ask for a motion for it to be removed until our next meeting until we
could do our due diligence. Sure. I'll make the motion. Second, Councilman Brelli. Yes. Um, yes to those abstensions as well. And well, this would be a motion to Oh, yeah. Yes. to that motion, not to
the entire list yet. Thanks. Councilman Breie, yes. Councilman Paul Mary, yes. Council Vice President Bernstein. Yes. And thank you, Council President, for finding that. And Council President Cune, yes. Okay. Okay. May I have a motion to adopt the bills and claims with the abstensions
noted, please? Motion. Second. Councilman Brelli. Yes. Councilman Bresie, yes. Councilman Paul Mary, yes. Council Vice President Bernstein, yes. And Council President Q. Yes. I'm sorry. The attorney was giving
me attorney advice that I already knew I had to do. I've got I've got it now. So, that's done. Now, we'll move on to uh resolutions. Yes, ma'am. Any questions? I would like to All right, we're going to the agenda. Now, you got me all discombobulated. I'd like to have a
resolution um R uh 255 removed and for open for conversation and would anybody from the public like to have any resolutions uh removed for uh the council to discuss. I was doing that anyway.
So do we vote on everything else and then come after? No, we that we're having that and if I'm wrong here the attorney you answer. I don't have I didn't hear his question. Do we do we vote on on on everything everything else from the consent agenda and then discuss pull from the consent agenda is held. You take a motion on the consent agenda. Perfect.
Once that's done, you would move on to the next item. Perfect. Not been yet discussed. May I council president? Absolutely. Um I don't know. Did I read one communication right that the state won't look at the budget until we introduce the municipal There it is.
Okay. Thank you, Deputy Clair. Yes. May I have it? Uh, next item is consent agenda. All right. May I have a motion to authorize the consent agenda of resolutions 248 through 254? Then motion.
Second. Councilman Belli, yes. Councilman Breie, yes. Councilman Paul Mary, yes. Council Vice President Bernstein, yes. And Council President Cune, yes. Okay. Approved.
So, will we do that one now? Yes. Now we're going to um discuss res open floor for resolution two 255 um regarding now council can discuss it. No, we'll do first public. Do we do the public first? Yeah, the comment doesn't come. Just
council. Um this is first time. Yeah. Thank you, Jim. Um the resolution has been put on um to discuss. This has been an ongoing um internal um review I think of council.
I've met with the auditors. I've met with the interimm CFO. I've met with the new CFO. Um we've gone over everything. You know, as I've spoken openly, we found when one audit um funded funds of $1.4 million, went through them. You could see that was on part of our
opening comments. Um we had some of them reallocated already to DPW, to the police department. And then we kind of went over where the rest of them can go where as in the dog park where we can do um that kind of was alarming to me. The open space uh fund was a little bit of
alarming to me once we got in and I sat with the CFO and questions that I had she kind of had and you know um a lot of our department heads were being told that you know this is how it's always been done. Um that is something I don't think anybody wants to hear when you're looking at a municipality budget. Um and
you know there was questions that a lot of department heads had. So with doing this we have now introduced it. We did as as um we have done. We sent the letter to the state. Uh we asked the state to come in to review it. I don't think our budget in in I'm going to say 15 years 18 as the state ever come in
and reviewed our budget. No. So not before introduction. Okay. So, um, now that we've done introduction, the state has said that they would be coming in and reviewing it just to go for a fresh, we have a fresh BA, we have a fresh CFO, we have a lot
of fresh um, things going on. We have, you know, we have Jackson Day. We don't even have a line in Jackson Day for a budget. Like, you know, the money just kind of comes from all different accounts and I just think it's very unorganized and I don't think it's the right way for transparency when you're dealing with a a municipality this big.
So, Councilman Bernstein and myself were we're were we're were, you know, as I hate this phrase, but our heels in the sand and that we really want this looked at. We really want it to be uh looked at. And then once we started educating the rest of the council, um you know, some of the council members were were in
agreeance that there are things that really needed to be looked at and that's where we are now. Um that's kind of my comments. I'm I you know, we're going to vote after everybody has their opportunity to make a comment. And this is just a question for I guess Mr.
McCucken. Um because this I haven't voted on that many budgets in the past. This vote tonight is to introduce the budget. Correct. Um our vote is not if we like the budget or not. It's to introduce the budget. Right. That's correct. The budget is from the administration given to the council.
Council introduces it. Public hearings are set. The council has the opportunity to review it if you DCA also reviews it. The local finance board reviews it. I think that's what council president was indicating. Um the final budget is only done by the council after um you've had that opportunity after a public hearing
and then council can make a decision on the actual vote on the budget. Okay. And um when you mentioned I guess public hearings and and obviously um what is just really to understand in this form
of government the the administration creates the budget. Okay. They give it to council to introduce and council introduces it and then council has the authority to make amendments as they see fit. That's correct. Okay, perfect. Thank you, Mr. M. I
I just want to follow up on that one. Right. So, if we make if if we make suggestions now that it's been introduced to administration, that is something that administration has to do on our recommendation or administration still says no. Do we bring the state in
and then the state is the final determining factor? No, you are the final determining factor. Council can now take the budget. They can make changes to the various line items. You can move money from different uh accounts to other ones as part of the budget process. the council would approve a budget and it's the
council's budget once it's approved and administr so that's what I'm saying is if we do the budget and I I apologize council um we do the budget and then what we final make the term on as a council then the administration has to deal with it
that's correct once the budget is set then administration cannot spend money that's not authorized in the budget that's adopted okay thank Mr. Brley, I think anyone. Yeah, I'm sorry, Councilman. Um, so I guess it would be like in
previous years there would be like we would be voting on the budget at the last meeting in August if we're introducing it tonight. Council will set the hearing. There has to be certain notices provided. You um you I understand the a request of local
finance board to review it, which they do automatically uh as well. So, one, you can set the hearing now or you can set it once you've had an opportunity to to uh to do that. All right. Then we can file because I've been getting um questions from some residents about what's uh the tax rate
and they said, "Well, we don't have the tax rate established because the budget hasn't passed yet." So, I'm sorry. Um yeah, I we're talking about the tax rate and a lot of residents have been asking about um an established tax rate and I've been telling them well we don't
really have one at this time because the budget hasn't been passed but I guess that would be established once the municipal budget is introduced and hopefully both once adopted once the budget's adopted then the tax rate is set. Okay. But we do have a roundabout if you the tax collector has been answering all
those questions. So, I would recommend anybody that sends you a question just like I have done um I forward it to the tax collector and they have come back and I've had emails that have been ready, willing, and able to share um that they are satisfied with the answer that they're getting from the tax collector. Okay. Any other comments?
And I believe it's 28 days, correct for the hearing? Yeah, I sorry I don't recall the exact date, but I believe that is correct. Yes, council. It's 28 days, correct? Yeah, council president. Absolutely. I just wanted to let residents know, you know, I I did speak with me and meet meet or speak with the
CFO and our order at least four times about this budget and there is some good in this budget. There are some concerns in this budget, but I do believe it is important that we take this initial step to move it forward so we could really get into it um and present something that is respectable to the entire town
that'll do justice for uh the town and also for every department. Uh we had Mr. Bolinsky here just last meeting talking about being 20 members short of what he needs to be for DPW and that's a disservice to DPW and that's a disservice to this town. So, you know, we have to take some hard looks and see
where and how we could um make sure that each department has what it needs to be successful in town and for our residents. So, thank you. Any other council members? Can we proceed to vote? Sure. May I have a motion to authorize resolution R25-2025?
Motion. Second. Councilman Belli. Yes. Councilman Breie. Yes. Councilman Paul Mary. Yes. Council Vice President Bernstein. Yes. And I just want to thank Council President for her lead through an entire process so we can get to a place where we can review it correctly. Thank you.
Yes. and council president Q, I'd like to abstain so I don't have to go. I I I think now that I understand a little bit more clarity that we can literally go through the numbers and that administration will have to work with it with what we give them. I will vote yes. Thank you. Thank you for the clarity on that
resolution approved. At this time, if any member of the public have any comments to make, please address the council at the microphone. State your name, address clearly for the record. You will have five minutes and may only speak once. May I have a motion to open public comment? Motion.
Second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? I'll be I'll be first since I'm the one that always brings up the the budget. Good to see we finally have something introduced. So along those lines, I know
the public meeting is going to be on the 26th. 26th of August. I'm sorry. Is it on? Okay. Um, in the past, I guess the last couple of years, the business administrator and the CFO have been before this board once it's been
introduced to kind of give an overview of the budget. Will they be doing that again this year? It will be our auditor and our CFO. Yes. It will not be our business administrator that I'm aware of. No, but they'll be they'll be doing the similar presentation. Now that it's been introduced, when will the introduced
budget be published on the township website or when can I pick a copy of it? Madame Deputy Clerk, I will I will check with the CFO exactly when I it'll be advertised after today's meeting. There's one advertisement that will go out um tomorrow to the Asbury
Park Press and it has most of the numbers. You should be able to pick up the copy should be available tomorrow or the next day be available. I don't have it yet. CFL will get it for me. So, where where would I pick it up from? Oh, you could pick you can come to the clerk's office. Absolutely. Email one of
us and then we'll get you to make sure that it's ready. I don't see why it wouldn't be ready because if it's published on the website, I won't bother anybody. Just take it off the website. Thank you. So, again, looking at the numbers that's on here, it's kind of hard. So, I I I definitely want to dig into it because I
think I can think of a few things that go into that budget. I know Mr. Palm Mayer brought up the fact that DPW asked for 20 people. Um, that's a bottom line number that's going to hurt and it that's not in the budget. That was a that was a
pres. But it it's future budget. So, I want to make sure that we're looking at this thing logically, not just saying, "Oh, they need 20 people. Let's go out and take it." Because I I will tell you one of this pointing answers he gave and I I wanted I think it was Mr. breie that
actually asked the question is if you were to give those 20 if you were to get those 20 people what would you have them doing and he said oh I would find something for them to do as a resident I don't want to hear that I want to know that you have specific needs that you're going to address and take care of it
quickly but if you're going to just tell me oh I'll find something for them to do that that tells me you may not need them as much as you think you do so keep that in mind when you when you question these guys thank Thank you, sir. Okay.
In my old age. Um, my name is Lisa Holman. Um, I have a question. I don't know if this is the But you just have to say Jackson or wherever you live. What What else do I say? Your your name and your address. Oh, I live on Farmingdale Road. Um, I
live here 40 years. Um, my concern is I get sick when I see all the trees being ripped out. I know you hear that all the time, but when my husband was still alive, he used to look down Prospect and shake his head like where all those Tagon or Paragon are. And everywhere you
look, I mean, when we used to get a locust ridden tree pulled out, we had to wait to get a permit. And I just say to myself, how do h how do you get these permits to thousands and thousands of trees and it never stops? And my question is when they build across from
me, I wrote a letter to the environmental the EPA and also to the letter of the person that is going to build something across way. I never got a response. It was in February. And um I did come down here to see what was on the uh planning, but the plans weren't
in as yet. and they said, "Oh, you can come and look to see what's being built and have questions." But it the papers weren't there. So my question was, as I put in that letter, how is this going to affect those of us that are directly across from the 14 acres across from us
when they build the displacement of the wildlife? I mean, I have deer in my yard all the time. I have critters. How's it going to affect our wells, the water, the flooding, you know, the property value? I mean, all this, like I said, I'm here 40 years. My husband died and
it's all about me. I'm the big cheese stands alone. I have to figure this all out. So, it bothers me when I see all these trees. You know, I'm not like one of your nature, you know. But it it's mind-blowing because I thought we were the pine baronss and you know, I thought
that you have to, you know, balance eb and flow. You know, you build, you know, but you got we need trees, we need oxygen, you know, just like they need the whales in the ocean, you know, with the wind tunnels. They But that's another story. But that's my question, like how can I get an answer? I know
that if they did anything with that property, it wouldn't even be surveyed probably till the fall because I heard they're behind. But I want to know how's that going to affect, you know, my my neighbor, you know, our wells, the runoff, the water, everything, and and the wildlife and
just what's it going to do? I mean, that's my concern. I live there, you know, and I'm getting old. I don't want to move, you know. I don't want to move. Which project are you referring to on Farming Dell Road? Well, there's nothing on the books yet. There's nothing on the books, but across from me, I mean, I
know that they're slated to do across from Sirone, I believe, three schools. I don't know when that's not even up for, you know, the schools and such by Fister, but on Farmingdale Road where they have the um D and D. Yeah, DN D. It used to be D and D. And
and uh Solomon, he sold all his houses and his property, the buildings. Um I don't even know. You believe this? I'm here 40 years. I don't even know their address, you know, but um it's right there. It's it's if you're if you're at Sakonei and you're
going heading towards Route Nine, you know, it's right there. Like go like five houses down on the right and look across the street and you'll see and and like I said, that's 14 acres. You can't see it. I mean, that used to be a little farm there years ago that had lambs, you know, it's great, but there's 14 acres
back there and eventually, you know, they're going to build stuff. you know, they bought a property two years ago and you know, that's not being looked at yet for whatever, but obviously it's going to be something. And like I said, you know, we were rural and the houses were dotted. I'm not in a neighborhood, so I,
you know, I have an acre and a half. So, I want to know how is that going to affect me? How's that going to affect my neighbor and my other neighbor? So, that's that's my question. And it the trees go because like I'm saying, how does this they just get ripped out thousands thousands? That blows my mind, you know? Well, I I can say that anybody
that wants to put an application has to go in front of a board. It would be the planning board um that's not this board or council. So, but how do they get approval? Like how the EPA like how do they you know don't they research it and say okay well this is
going to affect this or you know the displacement of the water. I mean my neighbor's basement was flooding because somebody a few doors down took out like I'm thinking how do they take out all these trees? What are they doing? And and there's always like stuff going on over there. Sir, can you please sit down until she's
done? Thank you. Do you know what I mean? Like all these trees were ripped out willy-nilly. It it looks like tent city in the backyard. Like I said, it's none of my business. Council President, if I could just add for a second, if you go I I think going back to our last meeting, if you go on s any permit that was pulled and to pull a
tree to or to develop anything, there has to be permits and applications and everything is public record. Whether you go into the planning and zoning office or you go into SDL, which is our online portal, all that stuff should be the studies. I'm talking about the studies. The studies of how they come about to say, "Okay, this is going to affect, you know, the
I'm sorry, ma'am. I would say go to the planning board and when the application comes up, the planning board to go back. I want to see what they're, you know, I just, you know what I mean? It's common sense. It's, you know, and you know, you don't think about these things in your 20s. You think, oh, you're raising your and now you're getting old. You're like, well, what's
going on?" You know, and I don't want to move. I We don't want you to move. Thank you. I don't want to move. I like Jackson. I don't want to move. Me, too. You know, I just want to go with the flow. But I, you know, like I said, I worry the wells, the water, the animals. I mean, we got animals all the time. If you see
Bambi in the backyard, it's a beautiful thing. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you. Concrete jungle. Okay. Thank you, ma'am. My name is Adam Heidi. Uh, I live in Jackson and I really love what Miss Hman said and I'd like to piggyback uh on
everything she just said. I came here two weeks ago and I I spoke on uh behalf of wildlife if you guys all recall, right? Um, so again, I want to be uh I'm speaking from an environmental point. Um, just to piggy back on uh what Miss Coleman said about the Pine Barons,
there is legislative acts like it's a Pine Baron Act. you don't quote me on it, but there is legislation that requires our town to do a number of ecological survey impacts prior to development. And I'm not sure if you guys are aware or if the planning board
is aware, but we're all in this together. And when we get sued for violating legislation, we're all going to suffer. So, respectfully, we need to make decisions together. We can't farm over accountability to other places. Now
specifically last last meeting uh I referenced like ENO I referenced speed bumps and you told me that the engineer it's not possible right but can we reduce the speed limits if the traffic safety if the traffic safety bureau comes and gives us a recommendation to reduce the speed
limits we can send it to the engineer and the attorneys absolutely particularly near like wildlife places like I mean Bennett Mill is 40 miles an hour downhill I'm making a left in Lake Eno everyone's illegally passing on the shoulders. They're waiting to kill a child walking up. A goose, a turtle, a
hawk, all of these things. And number two, same thing. The these these permits, all like these reports, where are they? I went on the environmental council page 10 minutes ago and the last agenda was from 2024 and May. Okay, that's well
over a year ago, right? Where is the transparency for these environmental reports? We keep on building, but where are the environmental impact reports? And how do you build without the survey? How do we go forward
without the survey? You don't shoot and ask questions later. I mean in in America maybe, but like right where where do we need a portal? We need we have one SDL and and we are working
on that and we talk about it every meeting and every environmental report every project it's the law excuse me my time respectfully. Yeah. Every project over one acre mandates legally an ecological impact report. How many
projects over the last five years have cleared out more than an acre of trees? And how many ecological import how many reports have been done? we'll get to who's conducted them. It's it's third party. We choose who conducts them, right? So, we can pick whatever
biologist company we want, right? Yeah. They're very helpful to the land use boards and guiding them, you know, especially when it comes to decision making and asking questions. Yeah. I DPW is asking for 20 blue collar
workers. Why don't we hire five scientists to really look over our town and make sure like the bees don't get threatened, the trees don't like all of this. This is an action item. There needs to be a place where I can find everybody can find these ecological impact reports
and every project should just come attached with that like, hey, we surveyed all this land. That habitat's not affected. These species are fine. It's the law. It's the law. Are you guys following the law?
Can either of you confidently say that these these these reports have been done and if I submit an over request in the next 15 minutes I can get all of them? Just be honest with me. We were going to Are you done? I just went to I don't want to interrupt your time.
I'm not sure honestly. Okay. So then I'll let you go another minute and and talk so then the attorney can answer you. Anybody else have not chair? I don't I rush my No, this it doesn't I'm sorry. It
doesn't work like that. It's his time. He's the only one that can. So, yeah. No, we're not. It's You have to You speak to the to Okay. So, we're going to let the attorney answer your question. Okay. And then you're um Jackson Township is well familiar
with state regulations, pineands regulations. We have in particular zoning ordinances that dictate what has to be done on any land use application. Oftentimes that includes an environmental impact report. All of those items are reviewed by the planning board when they review an application.
If an application has not yet been submitted, there's no documents that the township has. If an application is submitted and is before a particular board, whether it be the planning board or the zoning board, the entire file of that application is available for public review anytime once that application is
filed. Once it is filed, the planning board schedules public hearings. And during those hearings, anyone from the public has an opportunity to question any of the reports, any of the witnesses, any of the documents that are in those reports. And yes, the township follows the law. Um permits are required for certain work but be and planning
board approvals grant certain approvals for clearing of trees and clearing of land that's permitted by ordinance are required by law quite frankly. Um and in this state people have private property rights. They have a right to develop their property in accordance with the law and the law regulations that are in
place. Jackson has numerous regulations in place with respect to tree clearing, uh, with respect to tree replacement, with respect to environmental impact reports, uh, with respect to stormwater management. Um, all of those are factored in in any application before the planning board, the entire file,
anything before the planning board is a public record and is available for public inspection. So, if you submit an open request for a particular property that the waste management facility you guys just approved, I'm sorry, like the waste management facility that you guys just approved that were from the last meeting. We have a waste management facility. We're modifying our
our water water management facility. Something of that nature. I would be able to find the survey for that. I would what you're saying respectfully is any project that was approved for building I any resident would be able to find the ecological impact report for that.
Well, you keep saying an e there are numerous records. Sometimes it's an environmental impact statement. Sometimes it's a pineand commission letter of review. Sometimes it's a D requirement. any of those obligate any of those uh requirements outside agency approvals are contained within any with any application that's before any of the
boards. You talked about a water I I'm not sure what I unders I don't I didn't understand it last time you mentioned it and I don't understand it now. forms and and and reports related to the environment that are legally mandated for these projects are we have a portal
if an application has filed for development of a particular piece of property yes but it's like stashed in the back pocket can there be a similar to that SDL portal the SDL portal whatever we just launched last week can there be a tab for the environment
so say okay we just approved 254-2025 Five. Here is the ecological survey that was done for them. The entire file is documents that are dozens and dozens of pages. They're all available for inspection. I don't know what else you I can do for you on that regard
without w with personal request, right? Yeah, absolutely. But that should just it's not set. I think I get what you're saying. I get what you're saying. We are working on it. We have a new BA that that understands. We have a department heads that are not following. They're not they're not up to date on the I am with
you. that is on the plan to move forward to have anything that you're looking instead of boggling the the clerks down with Oprah's to have it all ready at your Yes. But just to say I'm not trying to pass the buck to another board. I'm not on the planning board. I'm not on the zoning board. I'm on the council.
But we are here to take your concerns and now what we'll do, we'll take it to the business administrator and I'll say, "Listen, what what the gentleman was saying was correct. Let's work on the the environmental commission is not our we're not we don't appoint on there. We have nothing to do with that." But I hear you, but we have to go because we
have other people that want to talk. Thank you, sir. I appreciate you coming. Thank you. Thank you. Hi, my name is Naen Schaefer. I live on Farmingdale Road. And being that you were talking about the budget before, I'd like to know if since we're closing so many of the schools in Jackson Township, why our taxes keep going up?
Every year when I look at my taxes, most of the taxes are going towards schools. that you've got thousands of people moving into Jackson Township and if everybody is paying taxes, why is not why is there not more money to be spread around to help things out and why do the taxes keep increasing?
Our budget is the local budget. So we the school budget is not Do you want to just answer that so I don't say it wrong? We collect the school taxes, but we have no control over their budget. Budget. Yeah. So the board of education is if schools are closing, okay, and our
taxes go to pay for the schools, why are our taxes going up instead? That would be an appropriate question to ask the board of education and there are a number of issues and answers to that question. Uh but you would need to discuss that with them. It's their budget. They approve it. They're the ones who address those facts. We don't.
All we do is collect the taxes and have to give them their money. But we don't control that whatsoever. It's completely controlled by the board of education. And there are a number of answers to that question. It's a very good question. Not only in this town and a lot of others in Ocean County, many of it has to do with state funding. But in
any event, that's they would be the ones who would have to answer that question for you. Okay. And the other one was is is basically everybody like if I put my house up for sale and Zillow says my house is worth $700,000. So my taxes are
then on how much my house is assessed for, right? Not from Zillow. No, no, no. I'm just saying. So So say Jackson Township. So, you're going to slay your house here, blah blah blah. You would say how much the house is worth. This is why you had the inspectors, the guys come out last year or the year before. They looked inside the house, blah blah blah. And your
taxes are according to that, right? According to the way that they can make everybody's taxes who they're paying in Jackson Township, like what what your address is, what your house is worth, what you're paying in taxes actually, because I don't think everybody here is paying the right amount of money. I think certain people are not paying as much taxes as they
should be and things are being done illegally basically and other rest of us are getting our taxes increased because I see people all over Facebook already starting to say they're paying an extra $2,000 a year in taxes. Why are my taxes going up so much and other people's are like you know well mine are going down
or mine went up three or $4,000. I mean h how does this happen? Is your house assessed your taxes on the assessment of your house? It is. It just seems to me that there's houses that are having things built on them and where they're calling them uh
religious homes and this that and everything else and are their taxes going up also or no because it's now called a religious facility. Correct. I'm Annette and Greg. Certainly. Yes. Your tax property taxes are based on your tax assessment for your property and the tax assessment
reevaluation was just completed. If property had not been sold for a period of 10 years or so since the last reval, their taxes, their property values are increasing dramatically because theoretically they were underpaying their taxes because their property values were listed low. That was the
purpose of the reval was to bring all the property values into what they are currently fair market value. New properties, new construction, um, or houses that are sold are provided to the tax assessor every year. the tax assessor makes those changes on those properties as they're sold. So houses
that have had their properties has been sold in the last few years or new construction that's already factored in and their taxes quite frankly will go likely stay the same or go down slightly so that everyone's on an even keel. So if a house has not been re reassessed for 10 years, it was probably valued at
$400,000. It's probably worth $650,000 now. So you're talking about houses that haven't been lived in or haven't been sold in 10 years. So if I've been in my house, I'm talking about both. I'm talking about both. So some properties their taxes are going up. Some their property taxes are going down. Some are staying
the same. It's the same in every reval. Properties that have not been sold often or not been sold recently, they're going to see an increase in taxes because they were assessed at a lower value. Now they're being brought up to their fair market value and they will see an increase in their taxes. So that's that's the way the rebal works. So
everyone pays the same based on their current value. other properties, if they were more recently sold and they're sold for $750,000, they're paying that $750,000 and respectfully they were subsidizing your taxes because I'm not saying you personally, but if someone had a
$700,000 house, but it was assessed at 400, they've been underpaying their taxes as opposed to the current property values. I know that sounds a little bit complicated and it sounds a little disingenuous, but that is the fact that newer sales have higher taxes. Older
properties that have not sold had lower taxes and the purpose of the reval is to bring them all even. Ma'am, ma'am, we can't do that. That's okay. We can't do that. Thank you, ma'am. Chris Pollock, Jackson, New Jersey. You guys have been taking shots at me online
and in these meetings. You won't say my name out loud, though. You won't show what I actually said, probably because you're afraid people will go searching for the truth. Now, I'm seeing pieces of legislation I've been talking about about the legal rentals showing up on your agenda now. And now, that's a win
for everybody. All right, but let's talk about what actually happened so far. You cut the penalty for landlords. You went on public record attacking your own code enforcement department. You slashed their funding. You tried shifting blame elsewhere. And you said there's nothing you could do. And then there's already
rules on the book about this. Time goes by, people start getting upset about it. I start speaking up. And boom, you pivot. Not because you care, but because you're afraid. You're afraid of losing your seats. You're afraid of losing your power. You know, it's
you guys, you mock me publicly and then you pass the things I talk about. If you really cared about these illegal rentals, you would have done your due diligence like you always talk about. So, let's let's talk about it. The problem isn't just bad landlords. It's
weak law. Or more accurate, it's missing law. Jackson defines a single family dwelling, but it doesn't legally define what a family is. So you end up with eight, 10 or more unrelated adults crammed into one house. All right? It creates unsafe housing conditions. It's
a blight on the community and it's an issue on blockto block. You talk to the residents like I do. You know, this is a serious issue and it needs to be handled fully. All right. Now, this isn't just a loophole. This is a failure to legislate. Other towns have fixed this
and here's clear legal precedences to do it. The village of Belterra vers Boris was in the Supreme Court. It upheld the zoning law limiting single family homes to two or fewer unrelated individuals. Moore vers East Cleveland. The court upheld zoning based on blood or legal
relationships. Dozens of municipalities across the country have adapted enforceable definitions of family and they won in court when challenged. So, let's stop pretending we can't do anything. Here's what you need to do now. All right. You need to legally define family in the zoning code.
Workable and constitutional. one more person related by blood, marriage, adoption, or legal guardianship, or no more than two unrelated individuals living in a single housekeeping unit. Use that definition to enforce occupancy limits. This isn't about banning rentals. It's about stopping
overcrowded, unsafe housing. You need to stop cutting and stop attacking code enforcement. You need to be working together with them to fix the problems. Give them the laws and resources they need instead of blaming them when their hands are tied. And there's one more thing we need to talk about that's really important. Our single family
homes, which are the backbone of this town, are being bought up by out of town corporate investors. They're swooping in with cash offers. They're outbidding families who actually want to live here. And it's not just a housing issue. It's actually a community crisis. The next generation is being priced out of home
ownership. The American dream is being stolen right here in Jackson. And while all this happens, we got a council president profiting from real estate while refusing to take real action to protect our neighborhoods. That's not leadership. That's a conflict of interest. There's a lot of conflicts
of interest with this council. You don't fix this with photo ops or public spin. You fix it with law backed by president and the guts to act before it's politically safe. So, keep taking shots at me, but next time say my name out loud. Chris Pollock. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not afraid of any of you.
And I'm not done. There's so much more to do. There's so many more problems to fix. And I'm going to keep pushing you to take action and do the right thing for the people of this town. What are you gonna say? Are you going to stay for the rest of the meeting? Wow. The dark.
He comes in, he speaks, and leaves. What a superhero. Yeah. My name is Carlos Martins. I live in Jackson. Um, for anybody that's ever been in the military,
can an officer just go out, just the two of them, just one of them just go out there and make sure everything's good. Thank you. Um, will be familiar with the term stolen valor. So, we had somebody come up here saying
because he started talking about it, you you're now passing what we've been talking about for I know since I've been here over a year and you've put this on on um on the agenda and now we're actually getting it done
and someone comes up here and says, "Oh, it's because I started talking about it." We all know the right word for that and it starts with a B and ends with an S. Well, no, not necessarily that, but you know what I mean. BS starts at BS.
Okay. Actually, I thought we were still talking about the budget, so I wanted to come up here. You have anything for the next four minutes? This is your time. This is general comment. This is general comment. This is general. Yeah. Okay. Um, about the budget. So, I
um I'm not happy that it took this long and we're overdue with the budget. Okay. Um I don't think anybody would be right. We want to meet deadlines. Um, but I do appreciate the um what I
would say you using your power of the purse and analyzing the budget and going through it and making sure that it's doing the right thing that that you approve it. Right. At the end of the day, the budget that comes from the mayor is just a bunch of piece of paper,
just a pile of paper. Until you approve it, until you put in the lines that you want, you have the power of the purse, not the mayor. and you should use it and not be afraid to use it. And I'm happy to see that that's what you're doing. Unfortunately, it took a long time. Um, that's not good. Maybe we'll get better
next time. Um, but I do want to put that out there that I I do appreciate that work that you're doing on the budget and um I would label it under the Doge uh umbrella where we found $1.4 million. Thank you, Mr. Bernstein, uh, for that
hard work. Um, so that's all I have to say. That was a collective effort. the the whole council really worked on that. Yeah. And I do appreciate everybody working on that and and our new business administrator. Thank you very much. Thank you. Have a great night.
Give me a second. Catch my breath from chasing him. Um Donnie Edman, Willow Point Drive, Jackson. Uh, I'd like to say offer my condolences to the guy who died at the archery range and for all the kids, people, and everyone else that got hit by the
lightning. And also, I'd like to say rest in peace, Aussie Osborne, who uh died this afternoon. That was crazy. It went especially after seeing him two weeks ago in concert. Yeah. All right. Now, let's get to the bad stuff. Um, many of you know I have
certain problems in my house. Mice, handicap parking, toilet, so forth like that. Everybody in here that comes to the Donnie meetings, no I understand everyone here that comes to the meetings knows that Cheney has done as far as possible to
well I don't want to say bully but maybe harass, discriminate, whatever it might be. I was working with Mr. Wall. He unceremoniously uh left the town and I gave Mr. Phillips a few weeks to get into the position and
had what I thought was a nice productive meeting last week expressing my problems because as it's been stressed several times recently, you guys make the laws, it's up to the administrative arm to enforce it or if it's a criminal thing, police department.
Well, had a nice productive meeting. I thought things were going okay for the most part. This is the police department. Not. It barely got touched on, but that was a negative right then and there. Says he didn't get back to me. I send him an email saying, "Thank you for
meeting me today." I get woken up by the guy comes over unannounced. Mr. Phillips and Mr. Cheney. Anybody with a pulse should understand bringing Andrew Cheney to my house is
nothing short of outright provocative. and instigational. Within I don't know about a minute of us having our conversation, Mr. Phillips basically did the one thing I knew he I knew for a fact he was going to do. He
was going to sit there and tell me that everything that my property manager says is gospel and true. including today he told me that my property will appoint Vista Center doesn't have handicap accessible apartments. I'm sure you got the email where I showed it to you. The
state housing resource center says it's got handicap accessible apartments. Google any of the websites as far as uh rentals handicap accessible apartments. But you took the word of somebody who has a vested interest into well into my
problems. And then after basically telling you to go pack salt in such a in a not very nice way, you manufacture a crime with Andrew Cheney telling the Jackson Police Department, I said I was going to kill him and his family. No, you stupid
idiot. I went down there and I said, "I'm going to come to your house. I'm going to embarrass you and your family." All right. See that? That camera right there is more dangerous to you than those three guns over there on their belt. You're afraid of it. That's why when I sit there and I asked you about candida
and my problems, you sat there and you had the nerve to tell me rather than sit there and make sure that the police weren't breaking the law. Donnie just addressed me, remember? And my civil rights were uh protected. You tell me that I'm looking for problems. I'm sorry. I didn't know
freedom freedom to redress my government and freedom of the press is looking for problems. But I would question a board that allows this man to continue with his position who well if he's not smart
enough to know not to bring Andrew Cheney in my house. That's a problem. If he's not smart enough to sit there and say, "Hey, let me not just take the lady who's been there for six months. Let's not take her word for it. Maybe there's a reason why he's so upset.
Maybe there's a reason why he's been trying to deal with this since 2023. And then on top of it, I finally got Cheney to admit that animal control officer Ionio did in fact call me a disabled loser. He does nothing. All right. I get Cheney tells him, "Oh, no. The reason
why it happened is because I interjected myself into a situation that I was not part of, which is an outright lie. Now, you were not here." But see, rather than ask a question, say, "Hey, what happened? What's going on?" You just automatically assume that's the way it is and I'm wrong. It's the same reason
why I had a problem with the construction department who couldn't fathom that the plumbing sub code official came out to my house on a Saturday and called me a liar and refused to talk to me because of it. I still have mice in my apartment. You did nothing about that. I still have an outstanding balance. What's being done
about that? No, you bring you bring the goddamn problem child to my house and you sit there and you manufacture a crime having me arrested. Shame on you. Thank you, Donnie. Come on up, sir. Thank you. My name is Joe Depromo. I live on East
Pleasant Grove Road. So, I've been in Jackson for about seven years. I worked in local government for 25 years in Middle Sex County in law enforcement. And I came out here for, you know, the wildlife and the open space and the
trees and all that kind of good stuff. And I actually wasn't going to say anything tonight. I just wanted to observe, but I heard some things that were a little concerning and I want to be as much as a gentleman as I can and address these things. So last year, this
is all public record. Everything I did was under the color of the law and proper documentation and such. I still have the paperwork. If anybody wants to see me afterwards, I wouldn't mind sending it to you if anybody cares. But I testified last year um with about four
of my neighbors about a wealthy man who moved to Florida and he was looking for three variances on a entirely treed lot. We actually were out there and we counted the trees. close to a thousand trees and he couldn't build a home on it
and he wanted it and again this is all public record. I can show you the emails, the layouts. Actually, I I watched it on video afterwards. So, it's all it was right in this room. And basically, he um he got a firm, he paid a lot of money, got an attorney, got an
engineer, got a PR person, they all came up here. We fought them for five council meet, I'm sorry, zoning board meetings. and um didn't look good for them because one of the people on the on the zoning board said it's not looking good. You
better really do your homework on this, right? So, magically at the fifth meeting after about 10 minutes, again, it's all it's on video, the whole zoning board people went to a private session, came out and they voted in favor of this
three variances on a little tiny lot that was all trees. We as the concerned residents were trying to fight it. We all got emails and the zoning board got together with the firm and they put out a statement. It was several pages and on
one this is why I'm bringing this up is because on one of the pages it talked about because we talked about counting trees. We took pictures. We did our homework. We contacted de the DP. No impact statement was done. There were fox. There were owls. There are all kinds of stuff on the property and
you're welcome. We have a lot of people who love the environment here. And in this collusion between the zoning board and this firm and again I can show you if you I could forward to all this stuff to you is that the 200 trees roughly 150
to 200 trees that were going to be cut down. The zoning board suggested that uh no permits were needed. We'll just wave that. So, if I got a dead tree on my property, listen, I've law enforceed in 25 years, I put a fence on my property, I go I I do what I'm supposed to do as a
law-abiding citizen. But because this guy spends a lot of money and it's big money, he gets all the variances, no impact statement, and he gets a waiver on all the trees he gets to cut down. Um, you know, I talked to them about I I called the Listen, I I was worked in
government. I know who to talk to when there's a problem. went to the county about the septic and well um they were going to put a 4,800 it's it's all in the record 4,800 square foot home giant it's so big that they actually had to put because it wasn't enough frontage
that the house had to be turned sideways was ridiculous it was a monstrosity it hasn't been built yet but the approvals were given so when I hear again I did not want to get up here today but when I hear oh you know impact statement oh um
you know do an impact on the trees fees and and the permits. Well, according to the paperwork, it's wait. So, if anybody wants to let me know if they want me to forward that paperwork, I think the issue is I got a few seconds left. I think the issue is in this town is the
feeling is whether it's a zoning board issue or issue here, the the angst that people are feeling in Jackson is that if someone has enough money, if a firm or a group has enough money, they'll get whatever the hell they want here, you know?
So, you know, I'm trying to be I'm trying to be as as genuinely as possible, but and again, it's just it's very frustrating. Like I said, if anybody wants to contact me, send me an email. I will send you I'll follow you all the paperwork. Maybe you know what
the zoning board is doing. Maybe you don't know. I give everybody the benefit of the doubt. And that's all I have to say. When was this approved? Was that You said seven years ago, right? 7 years ago it was approved. No, I moved in seven years ago. Two years ago. Last year was when they they tried to
put this uh and they did they got the approval for it. So I have the paperwork from last year that I can forward if anybody wants to see it. Thank you. Um and I just would like to add um that was the former attorney. Uh the zoning board has switched around since then and they did go and and
switch their attorney. You know what I always want to give people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe with the new attorney, maybe things will be different. But that attorney, his name was on there and he colluded with that firm. I don't want to say I don't want to get
just because I legal. I just don't just Thank you very much. Have a blessed day. Council President, if I could just add we we've also in the last few months we've appointed additional newer zoning appointees. Yeah.
Thank you, sir. Sir, we can't do that. We can't do that. We can't yell from the back. Your time is you had your time to speak. We It's not an open forum in that in that we have to Thank you. No, no worries. Thank you.
Seeing Oh, Rednick. I live at 22 Birmingham Drive. I'm having um a lot of concerns lately in my neighborhood with ebicycles, e- scooters, no helmets, cutting cars off. I'm fearful for the children as well as
all drivers on Burroughs Bridge one night. I was coming home. This was just a week ago there. It was night, headlights on, headlights coming at me from a car and headlights coming at me from a motorized something. And that was
the first time that I actually was a little afraid because I never had two at the same time coming at me. So I don't know if there's any rules in place there. We did pass an ordinance. We passed an ordinance that the problem
is that there's not enough manpower of the police department to enforce it. So Okay. And we don't have we don't have we don't have our PBA president or director here and we do have officers here, but it wouldn't be right to ask them. Um it is it we we we put a lot of time I put a lot of time we put a lot of time with
traffic safety um with traffic safety bureau to go over it with the attorney is here and and we went over it. Go ahead. It is a problem. Wait, I just it it's a huge problem. I've pulled kids aside at minute stop when I went to go pick up and I sit there and I'm like thank God at least one of the three have
a helmet on. I'm like don't go on the the the roads that you're going on. Believe me, I I I've I've sat with girl that cut me off. I know. And went told you my parking lot was I know. I know. And and I was like, "Wow." I mean, I drive a Ford Explorer. I'm not going to
cut off an 18-wheeler. I I And and no helmet. We have nothing. I know. I know. It's It's a problem. And we have them in the park in in Brookwood Fort. And there's kids that are going and they're destroying brand new parks. They're driving through neighborhoods. They're driving through. It's It's a huge problem. I'm sorry.
I just want to add that also is that the way it works and when complaints come in, we obviously will take after tonight we'll reach out to the VA and to to the PD. They will come down. Unfortunately, they don't have the manpower to be there all the time. And it's really education. Um sometimes tickets, I don't I don't remember.
They don't really have to be there all the time. They they could just pull them over and just kind of wait and you'll see it all happen and then as it happens, maybe the officer can just have a little chat with you. I agree. It's been It's all the main roads. I saw him on County Line Road. I know. Have a little chat at the park.
Listen, I agree. 3:00 on a Thursday and just talk to the kids. Two 250 in my parking lot every day in Romeo's Plaza. The girl goes belines right through it. I I very afraid and I don't want something bad to happen for something to
then have to happen. I I I just try to pull the kids that are because they go on Jackson Mills Road and they go into the sports complex and stuff like that and they're going to, you know, um Hallbrook and and and you know going to play baseball and I'm like please just at least put a helmet on.
Well, exactly. I don't know why. Right. Cuz on a bicycle helmet, they're the ebikes motorized. They they have no helmets on. I know. I I don't And you're right. There was three boys on a bicycle the other day and one had a helmet on and he cut in front of me and cut me off. I know.
And then when I went past them, he came behind me and I'm thinking they did promise me they were going to wear helmets because I guess they their parents must watch the YouTube of council meetings and they said um and I said please just wear a helmet. I said listen you know and I just said I said you know you are
breaking the law. You're not allowed to do this. You're not allowed to have these ebikes anymore. We made a law to pass it for the safety. Um, and they didn't really understand what I meant, but I just said, "Please just wear a helmet." I said, "It's not it's not so much you riding a bike. It's other cars and coming out and pulling out." More and more of them happening because
I'm seeing more and more on the roads and that's why I'm getting afraid. I mean, council, does anybody have anything if I can? So, we do have a strong ordinance to we can enforce for this, but we don't have enough police for every block of Jackson. However, you know, it's also up
to the guardian and parents. My son, he's a going to be a teenager. He asked my his mother and I just recently, "Hey, dad," he showed me a picture. Can I have this ebike? And we said, "Absolutely not. It's dangerous." So, we're not buying him an ebike. Parents need to also do their part in educating their
children on if they're going to provide them this ebike, know the law, follow the law. It's becoming an adult if they want to have these responsibilities. We can have police officers patrolling, but again, we don't have enough to patrol every block of this 100 square mile town. We have ordinances in place. Go
government can do our part, but the home has to do their part, too. Well, I Oh, no. I agree with that. I agree with the parent thing. Absolutely. Um I don't know if they know. Everybody knows. That's the other thing. We'll have to put it out there. We'll put it on We'll We'll put it out on the council page and and we'll And you know,
$4,000 helmet. I mean, I don't even let my kid ride a bike helmet. I know. That That's what I'm saying. Now you're on something that's motorized and you're not wearing a helmet and you're cutting cars off. So, I just don't want anything bad to happen. And I'm afraid that I don't want to cause any I see it on South New Prospect all the time when I'm going to the gym. I'm
like, well, I haven't gone to the gym in a month, but last month they were there. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Hi, how are you? Good. Donna Kal 534 get lane. I wasn't going to say this, but I do have one concern when you were just mentioning
about the ebikes and we don't have enough manpower as far as police. Is there money in the budget for new with all the new people moving into town? Are they allocating more money for more of our police force? Yeah, we we we've been hiring. Oh, yeah. It's just a matter you got to go. They got to go through the academy. They got to get trained. They got to get But yes,
I'd like to get like Good to know. Class twos to do it, you know, so that way they're But yes, I don't mind money being spent on police. Um, so I don't know if this is a question for this board, but who decides zoning, how zoning gets changed, how
people's property gets zoned, and when it gets changed? Not this board. Okay. Well, that would be eventually. Yeah, you got the Yeah, but that's not So, the township is currently reviewing its master plan. That master plan will
make suggestions as to how zoning should be take place across the township. uh recommend certain reasonzoning, recommend uh those type of things, density and so forth, right? That master plan is being finished now. Once that's done, it's done about every 10 years. The township takes a look at that to see if there's changes that
should be made to the zoning ordinances as to how many homes can be built in a particular area, um how big the lots are, that kind of thing, right? And as a resident, do I have any say in that? because from what I'm understanding my own property that it may become FA6 which I believe will take
a lot of value away from my ready PV which I did build my house under that that ordinance or that village I met all of the requirements. I have over the amount of land that I need but I will not have the amount of
land to rebuild my own house on my piece of property right now if I were to move forward. I also believe that the FA6 is a lot more restrictive than PV, which then I believe takes value off the table for my property when I go to sell it. So, how do I overcome something like
that? Well, zoning is never going to be based on a particular lot. I mean, as much as that affects you, and we certainly understand that, right? But zoning is never just one lot. It has to be zoned in accordance with the the master plan and the recommendations for the area. Um, as far as your particular
lot, oftentimes, and I know that Jackson has done this previously, a grandfather in existing properties if the zoning changes. So, if a zoning area changes and you had it and the zoning requirements are different that the township often adopts an ordinance um overly allowing that same type of
property to be rebuilt in the future um without a problem and they've done that a number of times. So, I may be able to do that if I feel my value has been lost. if the zoning changes um and you wish to have that uh you can make that request um and council uh has done that in the past in certain areas.
It's called an overlay to remember that word overlay. Overlay. Okay. And that would come in front of us. Yeah. Well, to make that I've never been through a master plan before, so I I honestly don't know. And it's changed over the years. And the last time it was done was in 2008. It's always been Yeah. 2008 with the reval. They did the
same thing last Jackson did the same thing in 2008. They did the rebout and the master plan at the same time. So, my other concern is um at the top of my road, a lot of trees were cleared. A lot of trees. I don't know. I've never investigated it if they ever got any
tree permits, but giant piles were left like like a bonfiresized pile of trees were left on that property. It's becoming very overgrown. It I pass it every day and it it just bothers me that it was left like that. And now it's just
getting overgrown. I think it if you want to email me, that's an ordinance that they would have to keep it. It can't be overgrown. Yeah. The bought it took it like that. So, I don't know. They still have to maintain it. They took the problem. That was, you know, they they inherited the problem. So, send me an You have my Don't send it to
my send it to my township email and then I'll forward it to code enforcement and have them go and look at it. But yeah, even if it's grown, if it's overgrown, they inherited the problem. Yeah. No. And I been to these meetings before about my road gets lane. Um when I built
my house in 1987, I had to improve that road. I spent a lot of money. I took out I had to get it engineered. I put in um you know, took out giant oak trees. It's never been graded to the 20 feet I had to make it. It's actually not even where it belongs.
We're driving on somebody else's property every single day. The roads should be way over and straight. It's a big curve. And now that property that I'm talking about that's overgrown is impeding onto the road. We're back to a very narrow onelane road that's in
horrible condition. They did come grade it today because I called the D all the time about, you know, maintaining the road. I was told in 1987 that we were on a list to be paved. So I don't know how long that list is, but but we haven't been paved yet. Yeah. Uh when
I was on Challenger Way and we got paved before you. My dad, I remember built the road. My time. No, but but anyway, I don't know if that's still a thing, but the road is in really, really bad shape. Okay. I mean, the potholes, they graded it
today and I bet by tomorrow because it goes downhill. Yeah. Especially with all the rain. Especially with all the rain and and the amount of people that live on the road now. I mean, there's only six houses, but there's a lot of traffic. There's a lot of Amazon. So,
thank you. Have a great night. Seeing no one else come forward to make a motion to close public comment. Motion. Second. I motion close. Motion to close. Second.
I close.