Good evening. Welcome. Uh we were at close session for the last hour discussing the uh redevelopment here and and also the redevelopment agreement with fisher mark. We're now out of close session in open public session. Welcome everybody. Uh we'll begin this evening
as we always do by standing for the pledge of allegiance. our needs met in honor and support of our troops and our very busy indeed states. The flag of the United Thank you. Please be seated.
um before we begin public participation make a slight change to the agenda tonight um we are going to discuss we're going to uh discuss the cannabis ordinance first. Um because uh only because I'd like to let Mr. leave. We
don't typically have a bill here at the early meetings, but in case there's a question that requires a legal answer, uh he's agreed to stay through this discussion after which make sure to leave. And uh just with regards to the cannabis
uh ordinance discussion, I'm just going to read a very brief statement here um which might help uh in terms of anybody who would might have something to say on the matter in public. So um following the withdrawal of the Jersey Grill cannabis class 5 retail license in
January, members of the city council asked me to add a discussion about possible amendments to the cannabis ordinance to the meeting agenda, which I did. This week, the city received an email from a company who advised that they intend to file all required application materials for a classified
cannabis retail business in the central business district. I'll note that as of this evening, the city has not received any further correspondence, though the email indicated that submission is imminent. So, being mindful and respectful of the council members wish to discuss possible amendments to the
ordinance, I've left it on the agenda. So I'll open the meeting up for public comment. We ask you mobility issues to step up to the podium. You have three minutes to uninterrupt the time to make a statement or ask questions. Council
may or may not respond to these comments or questions. And we do ask you to state your name and your guest. Please would like to speak. Hi. Uh, my name is Jesse Murray Billers, 8 Church Street, New York by the river dispensary. Um, I've, uh, had
conversations with a number of council folk. Um, also people in the local municipality, real estate agents, local residents. Um, and I wanted to come here and, uh, talk about my support. a matter of capping the number of retail cannabis
licenses at three. Um, across the state, we've seen municipalities become oversaturated with dispensaries and I commend the city council being thoughtful and pro proactive in having this conversation and pro potentially preventing that issue here. In a municipality our size, there is a natural limit to how many retail
locations the local customer base can realistically support. At that point, additional dispensaries don't create meaningful demand. They simply split the same customers, weakening weakening existing businesses and making it harder for any operator to main state remain stable long term. I encourage council to
treat oversaturation at a real risk, not hypothetical. We are already seeing a pattern across New Jersey. When towns become overcrowded with dispensaries, businesses start to struggle, closures follow, and lawsuits become more common. That kind of instability does not serve residents, workers, or the city. Time
and again the council has approached cannabis policy in a way that benefits the local community. Retail cannabis businesses have operated operated in Lamborgh and we now have real world evidence of our positive impact providing living wage employment contributing meaningful local tax revenue and creating new community
spaces. Many many of the early concerns when introducing this industry have been proven unbounded. That said, I'd like to use this moment to offer another practical way Lambo can continue supporting locally owned businesses. I respectfully ask that instead of considering additional retail licenses,
the city consider allowing other parts of the cannabis supply chain to operate here as well. Specifically, cultivation and manufacturing businesses. The municipality can collect a 2% global cannabis transfer tax on each step of the supply chain within its borders. When cultivators transfer product, when
manufacturers transfer finished goods, then again at the retail point of sale, that means an amber drill could benefit not only from local retail sales, but also through products sold across the state if brother manufactured here. Allowing cultivation and processing alongside retail creates jobs, diversifies revenue, and strengthens our
local cannabis economy. instead of pitting businesses against each other. Before open edible baker in this community baked by the river were proud to be locally owned and with local cannabis roots. We want to stay that way. I want to stay independent.
However, there is a real risk of monopolization in this industry. Large multi-state operators can control cultivation, manufacturing, and retail then stock their own shelves. We've seen this already in Lambertville. Terasend, one of the largest cannabis corporations in North America, has New Jersey
cultivation and manufacturing facilities and now they're selling their own products in their 39th dispensary, Union Shelf. Landville made a smart move by reserving the remaining detail licenses for locally owned businesses, allowing cultivation and processing, strengthened that convection by giving small
operators more control over supply, more stability, and a fairer chance to stay competitive in the long term. We just want to do what we're good at in ways that benefit the town and contribute to sustainable, thriving local cannabis economy in the long term. In summary, I
strongly encourage the council to keep retail sustainable by capping licenses at three for now and then start a thoughtful conversation about welcoming cultivation and processing so they can build a stronger, more locally cannabis economy. Thank you. Thank you.
Title 33 Wilson Street. I wasn't going to speak on this, but if you go down in way of cultivation or grow houses, that's a big issue. When that bill was up, I tried to get environmental criteria in there, but I was blocked by the Senate President. Uh, so the growous
use a lot of energy, use a lot of water, create a lot of smell, noise, everything else. So if you go down that road, you better do your homework. As I said, the state rules on that over this week and there's been serious problems in certain towns. >> Nice room.
>> Anyone online? >> I'll play it online. >> Four. >> Four. Welcome. Thanks for being here. All right. See how members of the public comments and we ask for a motion to close public comment today. So it >> second. All in favor?
>> I >> I thank you. All right. Um we'll move on to book celebrates step five letter. Um so everybody want to take a look at this. This is a letter that we receive every year which outlines road closures,
police presence and assistance to >> Excuse me, but we're going to continue talking about I forgot all about that. Bill's probably like, "What is he doing over my last?" Wow. It's a little early problems.
>> It's been a long day. element of the conversation uh to the castle on the subject of that the sword. Yes. >> Um >> I think we I think that we're at a part in our learning curve about
uh just the overall success of what we have with with the so far two active licenses and a third coming uh online shortly. I think I'll think that uh we're meeting the need of the community
as far as having soon three outlets to purchase cannabis. Uh, and I think that we should um uh either have a a stay in in awarding another
um another license out or change the ordinance and remove it to three licenses in the city rather than four. Um and uh
just see how that goes with rer running all the time before we before we award our remaining license uh in the city and whether it's a a
large company or a micro it's still it's still a license it's a class 5 license so I think we have class 5 licenses them. Uh we were able to get two two micro businesses which was really important from the beginning
and uh and we have now we're just down to one functioning you know large uh dispensary as opposed to micro and uh I I uh I think that
that's enough uh I think I think we reached the goal that we wanted to reach and having another license available in the central business district this is
is uh not really necessary that makes sense. Uh so I I agree with what you said around councilman. Um you know when we first started this a couple of us weren't even on council at the time and uh you know I really applaud
council at that time for taking a step forward to look at this. I know councilman Sanders at the time councilman statement spent a lot of time on this and what we didn't know were other municipalities were also going to agree to do this and so we didn't know how saturated the market was going to be and other towns and everything like
that. And I think at the time the number they picked for was a good one to consider. And we now have had a couple years where we could see how this is working. We could monitor. Honestly, the most important thing is monitoring residents complaints and how they're dealing with this too. And now we have a lot to deal with. And I think what we
have here, I think we strike a really good balance with, you know, how many licenses we have. You know, we do get some complaints sometimes from some residents about parking and stuff. A little bit more manageable. And I just think a fourth license is going to disrupt that. And so uh for the reasons
that you express expressed as well, I agree. I think the easiest thing to do now would be to limit it uh to three licenses. And uh you know in the future if we want to change that, we could change that again. So >> um I'm not going to belver this, but I I
I concur with both of you. And I also note that, you know, we have a lot of protections in our ordinance that probably even make it difficult for um another uh somebody in the downtown given the distances that are required in our ordinance with we have a newly
operated you know pole there. uh uh there's another business that they have to strike a distance from and uh you know um it it really almost makes you think well we should really re you know have you know consider it anyway given
um kind of you get a little boxed in there but um we're a town 4,000 close and you know three is okay with me do the math you know I think it's you know it's been enough and we do have to um you protect
our residents as well. >> I agree with all that's been said with my fellow council members. Um it it the thing that kind of goes through my mind is we seem to be serving the demand.
We're not turning people. We're not like shutting dispensaries down because we're running out of inventory, right? There's a good balance of supply and demand in the community. And just because we
picked four, I wasn't intimately involved in the selection of that number. But just because we picked four, to to Councilman W's point, um we we weren't really sure what the future was going to hold. I think we have, you know, we have several years under our belt. um it seems to be working. We
don't want to uh I guess burden residents or even just people in general um you know visitors with additional crowding and traffic um you know uh that
they're already kind of dealing with right so we don't really have a need to add to that we're getting a nice uh flow of revenue and um yeah I I think it would be prudent to re rethink uh the
need for four four locations. >> Thank you. Um and I'll just add that uh we have already amended this ordinance twice. Uh I think with good cause both times and it's worked out well. I'm always willing to have conversation and consider these things. I think uh Cortis
uh must evolve, right? uh it was uh Thomas Jefferson talked about the evolution and not not being forced the way your grandfather's reading the old code right so I think it's a conversation worth having and that's all I'll say in the moment so thank you everyone
>> a question for Bill how would we go about this >> do we have to yeah what do we do with how do we go
about to this. So there's uh there's a few different exceptions of the existing city code that regulate kind of establishments in the city. I think we would have to look at which
sections the city would like to amend in order to achieve the desired outcome. So I think it's necessary to continue continue the conversation to some extent to propose something that um you know effectively
checks all boxes with regard to the different chapters. Then you would you know the ordinance is empty. So >> you're saying an ordinance to remove the form. No, I mean there there's a there's a few different sections to be considered. I'd
like to be a little bit further to make sure that what you want to do can be achieved in in one one. >> So yeah, I don't want to be too specific right now because there's four.
>> So are you saying that we would introduce an ordinance? I'm changing the ordinance to move the number back to three licenses. Do we have to change the ordinance or can we >> we have to >> pass a resolution
>> has to be amended >> to amend the existing city code. You'd have to adopt an ordinance. >> Well, do those changes get put into the current ordinance as well? >> Yes. >> Yeah. you would be amending the current ordinance. But I think what Bill is
saying is that you're going to find it in several different areas of the code and he needs time to be able to do the research to understand what would actually need to be amended because you have this that the ordinance that allows this, but then you also have the tax. I
mean, it's in it's in the municipal land use law. I it's in several places. So, he really needs time to be able to analyze that. And if you remember the last time we amended it, it was confusing to people because there were separate sections and uh the council >> Oh yeah, >> the council members were confused. I
think the plan board was I don't remember. Just >> try my best to confuse. >> Yeah. >> Well, we have practice now. So this >> a good team. Do you have is there number one enough time on the agenda next
meeting? But uh but what's on your plate now? Can can we introduce the import ordinance? >> This is a conversation not for I'm happy to have this conversation offline. Um this is a this is not the kind this is not what I want to talk about uh this.
Um so I'm going to I'm going to suggest that we take a little time. Uh it's possible I will say to introduce an ordinance uh amendment at the next meeting, but I'm not going to commit to it. Um, and so I I don't think it's appropriate to continue this conversation right now. I I understand
everybody's point of view and I think we have consensus here about what we want to do. Um, but but I I I don't want to commit to something uh for the next meeting. Um, okay. Are there any other questions for Billy
Skip? >> Okay. Thank you very much for being here, Bill. Appreciate it. >> All right. So, back to the new project. Everybody have a chance to read it. Were there any questions or concerns about the memorandum of understanding between
your hope celebrates and the city? Nothing's changed from last year. >> No, that's just the dates. >> What's the date? I forgot. be with us this year. >> I don't We haven't all marched together. So maybe we get a banner.
>> We had a banner. >> We have We had a banner. Did we last year? >> Last year. >> We had a banner. >> Oh gosh. >> Oh, you're skipping. >> I know. Yeah. Well, >> it's been a week. It was a full moon. >> It was.
All right. So, uh, we should get a vehicle to ride. >> All right. Well, we could talk that. In the meantime, I ask a motion to approve the second. >> I'll second it. All in favor?
>> Thank you. Next on the list is abandon and vacant property update. Uh so Cindy has been working diligently um on the kind of looking into vacant or abandoned uh properties or uh people uh properties listed as abandoned or on vacation. Is
that what is that what you said or vacant? >> Vacant. Yeah. >> Um so letters are mailed on February 10th property owners advising of of the abandoned status requesting additional information. So, I'm gonna let Sydney talk a little bit about this. Um, but
I'll just note that we received five responses from property owners to the letters. We were able to resolve the title issue uh with 52 York Street which was sold in a sheriff sale in 2025. U was not recorded here. We've also seen
some movement one property that's currently being cleaned out and print for a sale. And I was able to speak to one of the other property owners today who had not received the letters um because of a mailing the letters were not anyway. Uh so that matter on Swan Street
is being resolved and so Cindy's got a couple of addresses with no response so far. 241 North Main Street, 51 North Union Street, and 40 South Indian Street. So the next step would be to post a notice on the properties and file a copy of the
letters mailed on February 10th along with the notice to the county clerk. So um what's the pleasure of the governing body here everybody fine moving forward with this uh next step. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Good. Thank you for all this work. It's
been a lot of work. It's a lot tracking people down and following. Do you have anything you want to say about specific? was just um we sent the letters out February 10th and even today I had two other responses. So um you know it's it's important that we we continue to
stay on top of this so that we can make sure that property owners who may have changed their address but not changed it with the city receive the correct information and also for the neighborhoods, you know, so that they know and that's really been the spirit of the letters is to, you know, improve
the the the neighborhood. So, uh, onward and upward >> and it's a really well point. You know, every time I walk down here and past 40 South Union Street, a couple of the neighbors have called me. I mean, there are windows covered with plywood and broken windows. Yeah, it's
>> all over the place. >> Yeah, it's in deplorable condition. >> So, thank you for that work. >> You're welcome. >> Uh, next is Sparkle Week. Um, so Sparkle Week will be held in the same manner as in years past with property owners. um
um paying for anything does get removed. So um just to review the schedule to be posted in manifold matters but uh Monday April 27th through Friday May 1st uh spark week in three and four. Um Monday May 4th through May 8th at sparkle zone
sparkling zones one and two. Uh and then uh the following week May 14th and 15th uh the DPW clear streets left over. >> Quick question. What's the first date? The first date is April 27th >> through May 1st.
>> And when is Shad Festival this year? Uh >> April 2th, 26. >> So this is the Monday immediately following Shad Festival, >> which is what we've done, I think, for the last three or four years anyway. >> Right. >> Okay. Thanks. >> So that
Steve, we started with the hills so that we're not going to see that junk for Shad Festival. It'll be up on. until we reversed it. So, >> yeah. So, that's why we're doing three and four first. >> Good thinking.
>> Take turns. >> Yes. >> Uh just a note on the environmental resource inventory. Um so, Cindy Yan, who's chair of the environmental commission, has gotten this underway. She put together a subcommittee that'll be meeting regularly. Um Vince Yule is
altered to be on he was he was on the last goound in 2006. So um that is uh that is underway. Um let's see the next one is the department of health uh grant for well testing. Get
the notes here. Um so the grant funding from the states of New Jersey the D with funding testing for POS for 15 properties. A review of the list of properties provided by council Kaminsky reflected that most of the properties on call out bill have been tested either
through private funding or through the state and JD. Uh we expanded the grant to include properties currently served by wells in the city. The grant will fund uh fencing for 13 properties on Cottage Hill, one property on Music Mountain, and one property from Blair
Tract. Um and I will just also note that uh uh NJB was out on Tuesday. Uh they had 25 wells they were going to be testing as part of develop I think >> I think it was cottage.
>> Um and we did receive some correspondence from this week um listing all of the most recent test results from Belvadier and Allen Street uh kind of cohort testing. Um there were I think only four or five positive tests in
those. There were a lot of dresses in Stockton. they tested simultaneously and also in um in in in um Delaware Township because there were a few of them that were lumped in kind of with ours. So as part of the same I haven't I haven't forwarded it to you guys yet. I'm sorry I just got it yesterday. I haven't
forwarded it but but I will. So um Counciloman, do you have anything to add on this? We're uh I think we we have a good you know we're going to be able to satisfy the grant and get a lot of testing done from a lot of folks that were concerned and a little outside of the D area. I
know D is coming back again in a few weeks to do some testing in >> music. Yeah. In April and those folks have been notified. So, um, they're continuing with to identify areas where, uh, you know, of of concern and trying
to, you know, kind of get their arms around, uh, you know, the contamination area. Um, and they're still pursuing their testing on the properties, uh, of source testing. So, they've been great. >> They've been pretty good. They've been great. We've been troubleshooting
individual properties that have problem um and and you know taking care of folks problem you know >> one at a time. So we have good relationship and we do do a monthly call with them along with West
>> as well. So working together very well with West on on the issues >> and and we are waiting for them to come back with their um examination program. Some of our me our our residents and West Animal residents got poet systems
to treat their water for the PE box and they experience odor uh sulfur odors in their homes afterwards. And DP is going to examine the cause with a more of a little bit of a a scientific approach to
see if we can resolve this. It's hasn't happened anywhere. So um you know it's been a little bit difficult to resolve. >> Thank you. I'm going to move on to talk a little bit about the natural climate solutions grant. So um this is probably going to
be somewhat unfamiliar to people who are here in the room and online. Um but it's something that I've talked about I think several times since August. Um so uh in August we met with the uh Jarian board with representatives recruited from the
DPP who were overseeing the natural climate solutions grant which is a grant funding cycle for uh projects that um as you might understand from the title natural climates uh solutions. So um so we talked to them about a project uh of
a music mountain that Marian Bourge had conceived of and um very favorably encouraged to continue. Um we talked with uh then um stormwater management stormwater engineer last year um and the
process just got kind of slowed down a little bit for a variety of reasons. But um we have asked the um CME the new storm water man stormwater engineer for the city to send us proposal um to to uh kind of construct what the project would
look like. So just a couple basics about the project. Um so this would be really on top of music mountain on Alexander Avenue. So there are two uh outfalls there. And uh what the project seeks to do is to kind of better position those
for um for retention and uh and uh mitigation of like storm water excess. So there would be bio retention systems, step pools, a lot of emphasis on native trees and shrubs and the removal of uh invasive species. So uh using that
project description um the um CE the the engineers have sent a proposal through uh for um meeting coordination surveying preliminary design permits and assistance with the with the grant application. Um so this this has been
sent up to the council but they're proposing it's going to run about $45,000 worth of work. We do have um I have checked with the CFO. We do have some um really just about just enough money left over in in the wershed protection improvement grant from uh I'm
sorry ordinance from 2022 to cover all these engineering uh costs uh that would be involved. So I'm going to give a little bit more information. I want to touch base with the DVP one more time just about the grant. um make sure that we're in a good position and then you know if the council's willing to uh
award this contract it would allow us to get started on design survey work for this project. >> Um so if we're going we're going to be spending I think we talked about this before. I think this the project we talked about before. Um it's a lot of
money to be spending on engineering if I don't like so is this give us the grant and and my concern is this. We're gonna spend $145,000 on the storm water project, which I'm not saying is a bad idea, but we're also
not spending zero. We're spending zero on a plan to examine our storm water system and see what we need to accommodate the storm water in our city that we've talked about that break it, you know, the problems in our capacity.
Do we need greater capacity? we may have uh the um Nanium project come online from from our builder's revenue lawsuit. So I my thought is you know I'm just thinking out loud this is the first time that you know I think I'm hearing about
the the number and the last time that we talked about this I just to be consistent kind of talked about the same thing that if we're going to do this I don't know why we're not doing that and that is getting serious about looking at our stormwater system because if we
don't we're kind of unprepared like we've belly achd about it for years and and I love pursuing the grant, don't get me wrong, but it's $145,000. What are we doing for the rest, you know, and how are we factoring in this
camera? Like, what's our plan there, too? It's great. You know, I'm all about ingenuity, but, >> you know, feel like I want to look at both things. Well, of course. And you know have a higher just try to remember
here the total just 10 10 more seconds. I should have uh are not to exceed or let's see $10,000. >> Yeah. So, so we talked to them and I've talked to them recently. They're
certainly willing to do an analysis of the system, but what still needs to happen even though we've mapped the system. We don't have all of the pipe, we don't have all the pipe sizes and the color sizes, right? So, the system was mapped, but because of the deadline, you know, the crew was out and they were,
you know, mapping, they they were having to pull off the, you know, the grates and sort of look and see where the pipes were and do the mapping. But, you know, to actually get down into every manhole and measure every pipe, something that we had started doing last year when I was
helping them. Um, but it hadn't been done. So, I've talked to the storm water, talked to CME, they're certainly willing to have crew come out and start making measurements pipes if you want to have on the ground. We just don't have So, so that's the that's the real issue is is making sure
>> we get it, but like why are we ourselves? We got them. Let's get some resources online. We're putting all these resources all through this grant. It's not taking care of ourselves. And it and we do we talk about public works
is overwork. Don't have a lot of people. We don't have a lot of time and we don't have a lot of expertise. We have people climbing into storm water right that it's not their job. You know, it's not their expertise. So, we could get some help with that. I think it would speed up this whole thing and let public
works, you know, take care of the all the work that they need to do, you know, for for our citizens. So, I, you know, I just think we need a little balance like in terms of, you know, strategery, which is a really bad word, but what's our
priorities here, you know, and and fit this into our priorities to >> So, I will report back to the council on the 19th. Uh I will have CME draw a proposal to start measuring pipes. Um we have the mapping but we need to know the
pipe dimensions. Um so I will have them draw a proposal. Uh it's just a question of getting people out there going off the rates and jumping down and with the tape measure. So uh but it takes time. So but I will have a I will have something for you on that on the 19th. Um that said, you know, I think this is
a project worth considering. I hope that everybody will take a a careful look at this. You know, I think back to, you know, the only the only reason why we got the $450,000 from the congressionally directed funding was because we already had a plan, right? We
were so ready with that. So, you know, this this let me >> Yeah. Okay. Questions. >> Yeah. uh um should show in order to create to deal with what has been a serious consistent problem in storm
water in the city for years, you know, money was spent. The the unfortunately the engineering work that was done then is not really transferable to a natural solution. It was was a different kind of project. It was more about gray infrastructure than green infrastructure. So, you know, I think
regardless unless council says no, the council says no. I think that this is such an important project to consider and have ready in place that you know a million dollar grant uh you know to do the project you know this is money in my view well spent so I'm sorry
>> it's great but I'm just saying can't we do a page to make to to to serve investors it's great we're applying for this grant but like we got to take care of the sub so like we're putting all this effort in we the reason we have
another storm motor engineer is to deal with our storm order issues. Let's take advantage of it. Well, they're doing work. Maybe some of the stuff that they're doing is can fold into that. But, you know, like I just want to think a little bit bigger now that we have we
have a resource who could could do that. That's right. >> And it's my we've been talking about this since the day after I and uh although you know we now have a
camera and a crew that can work it the crew is diminishing and uh the number of days that the people work a week who are trained to do this is diminishing.
Uh so I would like to see if we've been dovetailed as councilwoman said these two projects together um and see what the additional money would cost to do that.
So two things here and too far a field um but these are obviously they're interrelated because they're both storm water, right? But we're not going to be able to use or money from the ordinance to do a lot of, you know, just kind of
this kind of what's considered it's not going to meet the the standards of the ordinance, right? So the bond ordinance. So I can't we can't hire a crew to go out and pull off drain uh you know, covers and measure pipes and and pay for that out of the ordinance. That's got to come out of the operating budget. We've
got $10,000 in the operating budget for that so we can use it. And I, as I said, we'll get I'll I'll have them if you want me to have them here at the meeting to explain uh you know, a proposal, I'll I'll do that. No problem. But these are different this is a different project
and it would be funded differently and we'll be looking at a grant uh that probably in excess of a million dollars. Um so, you know, it's a >> good question. Well, I would think that since it is coming around to budget time that we're up for a new budget for a new
fiscal year. So, in our budget considerations, I would like to fit this in and and you know, we we have we've been talking and talking about it preeded me. You know, I
just picked up somebody else's mantle, but can't go when there's projects out there and water system and then we don't do we had this nice project about it, but we're not looking at, you know, at some of the
issues that we've talked about, we had seminars about, we had consultants in. >> Okay. Right. >> Um so all I'm going to ask at this moment is take a look at this and um there we'll have some conversations
before the next meeting. Uh and u I feel like it's a good idea to add a resolution to award the contract. I will do that and then we can talk about it at the meeting and people can support it as they wish. >> Question about the grant. >> Is that a matching grant from us? >> I believe it's not. I believe it's just
a straight 100% grant. >> So I I need to double check. and we get it. It's we do the engineering and we roll the ducks. >> That's that that would be the case. It's uh shovel ready projects. >> Shovel ready projects, but it's and the
the the jury is the state of New Jersey or >> the D and the time frame. >> We know whatever deadline they have. >> Well, the grants to open and it's in I believe the start of the second cycle. Uh so it's a continuous civil loan on grant.
>> Um so uh >> so there's no deadline, >> right? >> It's first it's first come first serve >> and do we do we know how how much of their concept have they awarded? >> I will I will I will see what I can find out before the next baby.
>> See if they started to award this enough money in this cycle or is the next change? >> Yes. Yeah. It wouldn't change our focus on I'm just talking about >> well it might 80% of the grants been you know right so but no the last time I
checked they there was plenty of money in in available but uh it's been some time and so I asked them specifically how many they awarded so I won't have that information I guess >> um >> and mayor you know what the other thing
is maybe we can ask C if there are any grant funding available out there to assist with, you know, measuring the storm water and and doing that type of an SS. They may not >> find, you know, look, if we, you know, to to you can finance it through there
the infrastructure, you know, there's a lot of different creative ways to do this and undertake it. >> We'll come back with some Okay. >> Uh, regard landlord registration, a short-term rental update. Thank you, Cindy, for making this such a
comprehensive read for me. >> Um, we currently have 217 properties listed as landlord rentals. To date, we have 40 properties who have completed their landlord registration system. We send 39, we sent 39 reminders to register their property and 26 letters
about lead paint certification. Deputy Clerk is working on a letter to send property owners who have not completed their lead paint testing and are in violation of the state uh the statute governance landlord rentals. Landlord registration is due no later than March 31st to avoid the late fee.
Um people have partially filed their application but have not paid the fee, you still consider them deliberate. Uh and we're worried about properties that are being rented but are not listed on our records. Always we talk about this every year. It's a heavy lift for the clerk's office. Um, it's a lot of work
and a lot of people have to be chased out and you guys are doing a great job and uh we don't >> this is continuous. So, we're gonna chip away at it, >> but Lindsay will tell you we're going right through November still chasing people and and it's taking about 20 hours a week of her time.
>> It's a lot of time. >> So, do we need to look at penalties for people not >> Yeah. um you know it's not the fee I you know these you have it's layered you have
people who can't afford it and other pe you know that are um doing this as a way to maintain and and to live in their homes and then you have people who own like seven eight non 10 properties who don't care about the fees um and problems
>> and they don't care about us they pay like okay I don't care oh get to it and we're still chasing them in November. Um, so it's it's a lot. It's a lot. Uh, Lindsay has other things to do. She handles our technology. She's the deputy
register, so we're handling birth records. And believe me, we do have births. We We have uh death records and we have a lot of marriages. >> Do you have any uh short-term rentals where one person owns multiple of them and you're trying to get that birth? No. Okay. >> No. Short-term rentals is separate out
of this land registration. >> That a second. Yeah. >> So, I I bring this to you so that you understand that timing is an issue for us and and we're stressed. And when the state came through and said, "Okay, you
have to now collect certificates of insurance and now there's lead paint." It adds another layer. It's not just collecting, are your taxes paid? Did you pay your sewer? You know, now we have to make sure we have the certificate of insurance and we have to explain let me
paint and that that's very >> for the one to come in with everything and do it one time is rare >> once a year. >> Yeah. And um >> yeah, so we have a lot of incompletes and some people who probably won't start
looking at this until July if we're lucky. >> Do we have the power to shut people down? I was wondering. >> Not really. Not really. >> No, just the late fees. >> But they're they sting those late fees. They're high. >> But it's a tax write up the one person
told me. >> Nice. >> Somebody told me it was a tax write on. Well, well, since it's so easy, as you >> found out, maybe we should have a fail safe where if they don't respond by a
certain date, it's not only me, it's also a closing of that as a BM. I don't know what's going to be >> BMBB's term. >> We're going to talk about short term.
Yeah. >> Yeah. This is just regular landlord >> out there who are renting their properties and piling >> and we're trying to catch them as we can. Like if we see something on
these things and I'm like always says how I registered this >> but you know they really slide and we show the p the outdoor picture. So, you know, you're trying to figure out sometimes you'll see Lindsay and I walking up and down the street with trying to identify a property, you know,
but my whole point here is this is a heavy lift and it's a heavy lift for, you know, an office that has two people. >> So, what are you saying? >> I'm saying we need more help. >> Thank you. >> Okay. That's this is like 20 hours a
day. We need more help. And you find that people are coming in to do this in person as opposed to going into a portal or anything like that? >> But even if they do it, >> but it's less it's a little less work in the beginning for you guys. If they're doing to the portal, you obviously have to make sure you plead and you have to do the followup.
>> Actually, no, it's less work. >> No, because now you go on the SDL, you sign in, you have to download the the application, you have to look at it and decide. >> Well, you got it's just a different conveyance, isn't it? understand about what far away if there's a better way to
direct them to you guys to deal if it's through the portal or if it's in person. So, >> you know, it's really their preference. Some people like doing it online. >> You you you have to have a pretty sophisticated u software where someone couldn't fill in the send the
application unless certain documents for there just won't let you. >> I looked at for a dog license and it was easier for me to come and do it in person. So, you know, than doing your dog could talk to ISIS. >> So, long story short, we need somebody
to manage us. Just do this. >> And how many hours do you think that is? >> That's 20 hours a week. >> We'll figure out I can figure out how many is it every week? >> Oh, yeah. >> Yeah. When it's not heavy landlord and
property like short-term rental property, maybe That person could also be used for managing the vacant property lists and other things that have to do with just property management and tracking within the city.
>> Yeah. >> Oh, I have to figure it out. >> Property maintenance issues. I mean, this is a whole host of things. >> Yeah. It's a whole another level. >> It's kind of like whack-a-ole, too. You don't really know what to
>> Well, you don't really know. >> Very true. >> It is. Yeah. >> That conversation continues. Um short-term rentals, we have 47 properties to date. We issued 11 licenses. We have seven properties missing information and the remainder 2
properties have still not renewed. Reminders were mailed yesterday. Again, it's a huge overtaking time following through. So, thanks for that. Um, >> so that would be a situation where we
could um get well if they don't apply by a certain date shuts off the >> it's revenue. >> It's by the end of the year. I think right we do have a mechanism to pull over or to not we
>> we have with both of these we have the option we could always go to court >> but it's really a very difficult thing to do and we're not the ones who can go to court it's got to be the construction official >> and so before you can go to court as you
know Evan you have to have a long list of I've tried I've done this I've done this you know before before that can actually happen short-term rentals Even last year I mean they were not a big problem
>> that no you don't you think they were they were at least half of them were quite problematic and I call them >> we have the ability to say >> because we have more teeth >> we do yeah >> you can say you can't operate right >> yeah there is a yeah there is a fail
>> I wonder if we could and I'll ask Bill about this but I wonder if we could um have something that if a landlord is operating a uh a rental and it isn't registered that that would allow the tenant to not have to give a security
deposit or they would have like basically something that if they did get caught on that would be a big penalty for them and something they wouldn't want to do and what every landlord wants is their security deposit. There are some things in the law that if you don't follow the law as a landlord, you actually have to apply that security
deposit towards unpaid rent and you can't get a new security deposit. And what it does is it keeps landlords on their toes and they don't want them to do that. So >> the only thing I'm aware of is that you can't evict somebody if you haven't registered.
>> And so we that's how we caught a couple of people because they were not able to evict because they hadn't registered. >> Yeah. So something like that. That's that's a good fall back thing. >> Is that what we currently have? >> That's state law. >> Yeah. But it's it's hard to make people payments to begin with. So I think if
you get something >> Yeah. Let me let me think about that. Maybe I'll send a couple great. >> I think we should pay their >> Well, because what you're not situation is the tenants would be the ones that would realize, hey, this isn't registered because they're the ones that
are going to be don't want to be here. >> Okay, you will follow up. No, I think that would be great. Um, thank you everyone. Um, so just uh correspondence
none to note >> ongoing projects. >> Ongoing projects. Yes, there's a couple of things. Um, uh, Mayor Dors submitted on behalf of the city an application to Blue Acres to build a tiny forest at 277 North Union Street. Um, we've talked a
little bit about this. Uh, they did go out and talk to all the neighbors and sent out letters and had conversations, have a lot of support for that. So, um, an application's now been filed with the state. Uh, it's my understanding that there's a private donation that's looking to fund the the whole kitten
poodle. Um, and I may be able to show that some might need to check in on that. But uh a very lovely project um and excited for it. Always grateful to Mary. Um that's about all I have to say. I think I'm up on on the project. Well,
I'll note that um Violia should start last time I talked to them. They were going to start their water man placement on South Main Street on South Franklin Street on April 1st after which the city will be uh doing repaving on South Franklin Street. So I'll have more
information on that on the 19th. Um streets sweeping begins on March 23rd March 23rd. So be on the lookout for that. Um also just as an announcement just reminder that the the applications for short landlord short-term rental
applications are now due. Um, and just a couple of other notes I thought was worth mentioning. Um, uh, so we talked a little bit about, uh, the snow. Um, the first storm, uh, cost us about $10,000
overtime. That was just for the crew to clear out the central business district. Um, the second storm cost about $40,000 um, to clear the snow out of the the downtown area. Both of those uh amounts will be added to the budget outside the
cap because a state of emergency was declared. So, uh doesn't have to be included inside the cap. Um and as regards the the last storm, um Lieutenant Brown, thank you very much wherever you are. I got several got three different quotes and we used the
two contractors with the lowest quotes. Uh and I think that they did a great job. So, um, that's just a little bit of information about the last storm. >> And mayor, just one other thing about the last storm. Um, there was a state of emergency called by the state of New
Jersey because Mercer County had a really large amount of snow. We were able to file for potentially to get FEMA reimbursement. There's a very slim chance that we'll get that, but we did file the FE. >> Uh, also just that park is open. I went
down Sunday morning in the rain, took out all the signs and moved the uh move the barricades uh and uh just for kicks, I went through uh my file this afternoon when I had a quiet moment and uh counting how many emails were sent as a part of that project. In the last four
years, 715 emails uh were sent from the city in regards to that project. So, a lot of a lot of work. Um, >> we want to talk about the uh DOT uh pedestrian safety grant. I met with DOT
this week along with Lieutenant Brown and and our engineer to kick off the grant and DOT announced at the meeting that um that they've already agreed to fund it. So um on their end, but uh they
have consultant Dubberry who um who is going to be putting together the plan for the city. And we talked about various intersections uh and talked of course about across the street from the school doing enhanced
crosswalks uh light timing and where uh you know flashing beacon would be uh essential and uh even some areas if there was anything to do with like sight click you know that you could do in
terms of helping uh with uh you know visualization for the driver like you know site condition. So um going to take a little while. Um bec we gave them the uh uh the Lieutenant BR gave them the
accident data. So the the stuff that we have done here um already and they will come back uh at some point and present us with a plan. >> Thank you for that. can help. Quick question if
as part of the road diets that that may be included in the grant. I don't know if if if road diets which is >> this is mainly this is only like this is a special pedestrian safety money that
has been allocated and has not it doesn't it's not really connected to a bigger project like that. This is more that that yeah the strip paint it's things that they can do and we can only we're only doing it on you can only do on state highways with them. So that's
what so they you know it's like 179 29 and uh what 165 bridge street. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Um just lastly I'll note that I'm going to be away for a few days uh from the 12th through the 17th. I'll probably be
answering some emails but I'm going to be out of town. Um, so but I can email me, but I'm not going to be in town. Um, and now I'll open it up for the second public comment period saying
actually we didn't have the No, you went into the We >> opened it and closed it. on an issue. I'm sorry. I thought it was just an issue. Anyway, um couple of things. So, um Councilwoman Kaminsky,
the New Jersey Water Bank and Green Streets uh program give money for planning grants for SWAT. So, there are two pots of money that are out there um potentially for the town uh to be able to do what you want to do with, you know, mapping and then trying to figure
out what's what, what we need. Um then the other point is they're looking at redoing the um natural resource inventory and environmental assessment. Uh there's funds available from ANJ and sustainable maturity uh from both of
those. Uh D can also give you money out of the green community fund. Um sometimes the water institute may also have some money for some of that. They do a lot of local planning stuff and give out money and the the same climate solutions on D also will do something if
you want to try to reduce carbon part of your planning in your master plan. So they have so there pots of money there. Um anyway just let I could send an email that would be much appreciated. >> Yeah. Just so you know that there is money to do that they're important and
plus we need the money. I only have one, you know, question is be um the update on um what's going on with negotiations with with man. I mean, I know you can't tell me specific, but how long going to take and back and
forth when we're going to be able to know something? >> Yeah, I'm happy to talk about that to the extent that I can. Um so, you know, tonight we worked on two two of the three major issues, um which is storm water and then
environmental. So, on the specifics, but I think we'll be ready to send. So, so just as a recap, we sent out um something, they sent something back, we're working on kind of the counter proposal. Um I expect that by uh Tuesday or Wednesday of this week, we'll be able
to send that language back to them. So, uh and the first time they turned around pretty quickly. Um so, you know, it's just an ongoing negotiation as you know. Um, I'm happy to kind of give as much this kind of update as as often as I
can. Um, the only other thing, uh, that's I think that's that's it. We'll be ready to send our our camera proposal by by midweek. Anyone else in the room? Okay, I'll make a motion to close the public time period. Is there a second?
Say hi. >> Okay. All those in favor please say I. >> I. >> I. Thank you. And say that's motion to address. All right. Second. All in favor. Thank you everyone.