evening. >> I'd like to call to order the regular meeting of the Pacong Township Council for February 4th, 2026. At this time, would you all please bow your head for silent prayer? You all please rise for the pledge of >> allegiance
to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided indicating the time and place of the meeting in accordance with
chapter 231 of the public laws of 1975 by advertising a notice in the Star Ledger, the Express Times, Lehigh Valley.com and the township website and by posting a copy on the bulletin board in the municipal building. Beth, would you please take role? >> Councilman Belro
>> here. Councilman Marinelli >> here. >> Councilman L >> here. from the president >> here. >> Mayor, right? >> Le could you please summarize executive session? >> Yeah, the uh township council met in executive session where it discussed the
following privileged matters. Personnel police officer uh Gabos pension matter personnel construction department contractual contractual LAA contract contract contractual South Sixth Street litigation uh attorney client privilege
the Cub's warehouse fee agreement with Phatkong attorney client privilege affordable housing administration and enforcement and litigation harbor management uh breakley gardens minutes from the executive session will be released at such time as the council deems no public harm will come from it
and no official action was taken. Uh there will be uh three motions um as discussed in executive. The first motion uh will be to authorize payment of $5,14.72 to correct pension error for officer
Davos. >> Should we do that now or do >> uh call if you want to call for the motion? >> Okay. Could I have a motion? >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Councilman Vero. >> Yes. Councilman Marinelli. >> Yes. >> Councilman McCuade. >> Yes. >> Council President Pledo.
>> Yes. >> Uh a motion to authorize the offer of a job position in the construction department for plumbing and plumbing inspector, building subcode official, and fire sub code official. >> Can I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Second.
>> Roll call, please. >> Councilman Boer, >> yes. >> Councilman Marinelli, >> yes. >> Council Muade, >> yes. >> Council President Flet, >> yes. And uh last one is a motion to authorize litigation against Brley Garden. >> Motion. Second.
>> Roll call, please. >> Councilman Boera, >> yes. >> Councilman Marinelli, >> yes. >> Councilman Mccle, >> yes. >> Council President, >> yes. >> Okay. Public comment on agenda items only. Bob Bruce, 11 H Hallitch Road. Um
the Harbor Matters at Brley Gardens, that's litigation. Uh but you just took a motion to uh do something with um uh Breakley Gardens. I know uh Council President Pledo and uh John Betts has
done a lot to try to u protect those residents of uh that car breaking laws and so u uh I wanted to just uh commend you. I don't imagine you can speak further on that, but uh uh you seem to
be doing a good job with them and um uh the affordable housing ordinance uh 2006 2026 first reading affordable housing uh without getting into detail, is that
pretty just routine type of uh stuff that you're not really doing much with that. I know I can read the ordinance when it's posted. >> Yeah, it's a Yeah, it's it's a very lengthy ordinance, >> but it's required under the affordable housing act for the fourth round.
>> Um there are certain requirements in the administrative code that the uh township has to adopt in its ordinance for when affordable housing gets built and how it's built and all those things, but it's basically just uh required by law, right? All right. We're not doing so
much with comply with what we have to All right. Okay. Um Okay. Thank you. Anyone else? Okay. We'll move on to old business.
Approve minutes for January 7th, 2026 and January 13, 2026 executive and regular sessions. Can I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Second. Roll call, please. >> Councilman Boa, >> yes. >> Councilman Marinelli, >> yes. >> Councilman McCle, >> yes.
>> Council President Fo, >> yes. Move on to new business ordinance number 2026-01, first reading of the cap bank ordinance. Can I have a motion? >> Motion.
>> I'll second that. Roll call, please. >> Councilman Valera, >> yes. >> Councilman Marinelli, >> yes. >> Councilman Mccle, >> yes. >> Council President, >> yes. Um, number two, approve the fair share housing center consent order. Have a motion, please.
>> Motion. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Councilman, >> yes. >> Councilman Marinelli, >> yes. >> Councilman, >> yes. >> Council President Fa, >> yes. Uh number three, ordinance number 2026-02,
first reading to amend the code of the township of Lakhong, chapter 67, affordable housing, and chapter 243, zoning and land use, article 20, administration and enforcement. Can I have a motion, please? >> Motion. >> Second.
>> Roll call, please. >> Councilman Vera, >> yes. >> Councilman Marinelli, >> yes. >> Councilman McCle, >> yes. >> Council President Fo, >> yes. Consent agenda if any items need to be taken out. Everybody okay?
Okay. Can I have a motion? >> Motion. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Councilman Vera. >> Yes. >> Councilman Marinelli. >> Yes. >> Councilman Muade. >> Yes. >> Council President. >> Yes. Okay. We'll move on to council reports.
Rich. Uh, council president, my intention is to attend uh next week's um sewer meeting in Folksburg on Tuesday. I'm hoping we can have an update on that. I know the uh council members changed there, so I don't know what their
position is going to be, but uh we'll see if we can find something out. >> Okay, >> okay, stop. >> I just want to >> I just want to say thank you to the road department. I think they did a good job for a difficult storm there on a long
time. They kept the roads open. They kept going back and forth and we didn't have the salt we needed. I guess almost every town was down to half of what we were allowed or allocated. >> Yeah. So that's why somewhere AC. That's all.
>> I also would like to thank the DPW police and fire departments for all their work during the recent snowstorms. Uh recreation committee music in the park. We have 14 bands booked. Additional bands are interested in playing. Uh we may be adding some Tuesday night performances in August. Uh
community day is going to be scheduled for August 29th. Rain date is September 12th. Some other upcoming events and Arbor Day tree planting on April 24th and the Earth Day cleanup on April 21st,
not to be I'm sorry, April 25th, not to be confused with the bulk cleanup. This is where we cleaned up sections of the town, usually on Striker Road, the park, the schools. And these events will be posted on the township website soon.
>> Okay, we're going to engineers report. >> Yes, thank you, Council President. Um, excuse me. Uh, so our continued work, uh, we're continuing uh, coordination on Fox Farm Road storm damage repairs. We've submitted a proposal for survey permitting and design to the council,
but I understand we're pending uh confirmation of funding from FEMA for that work. Um so we'll work with uh the police chief to confirm that so we can get that work uh started and get that uh the final repairs done on Fox Farm Road. >> I think we received 10% so far. Just we
just got it. >> Okay. So we'll have to see if we can maybe at the next meeting authorize the our engineer work to start on that. >> Okay. Very good. Um, thanks Beth. >> Um, Sallyboard project construction is underway. We have a meeting next
Tuesday. Work is going to continue with the contractor and some vendors that'll be doing some of the um the interior sprinkler and security type work. So, we'll be continuing that work to get that completed uh for the police department. Uh, park improvement plans.
I know that project is going to be rebid uh as the bids were not favorable that were received in December. The pickle ball courts are now complete. The final payments being made to the contractor this evening. Uh the courts will be opened in the spring after, you know, the two feet of snow melts that
are out there and then that'll be coordinated with Brian on the opening of those courts certainly and confirming their condition after the winter. Um Stonehenge Drive Improvements, that project uh was substantially completed uh before the winter set in. Uh the final work there is is really uh
pavement resurfacing and striping and that'll be completed. The contractor is uh eager to get the job done. So as soon as the the pavement plants are open, asphalt plants, they'll be coming in to complete the work. Um uh as was uh indicated on the consent
agenda, we will be filing a recreation grant with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. uh similar what we've done previously for the pickle ball courts as well as some of the planned park improvements. So we'll be filing that on behalf of the township as well.
And our next uh local aid funded NGOT local aid funded road project will be phase one of the striker road improvements and that is the sort of northern portion of Striker Road from from around the the county fairgrounds down towards Architect's Golf Course. Uh there'll be some resurfacing, drainage
repairs, sidewalk repairs, and um curb ramp uh repairs as well. So that's our next phase of work that I'll be coordinating on um with uh with Kim as well as with Brian getting that started. That's all I have right now.
>> Thank you. Okay. Police report Chief. Thank you, Council President. Council, so the um traffic report for uh the month of January, we had a total of 356 motor vehicle stops. 60% of the drivers who were stopped were issued a traffic
citation and 17% of those that were uh given a citation were tractor trailers or commercial motor vehicles. Um that concludes the uh traffic report for uh for the month. Um, sadly I would like to announce uh the passing of a past uh
chief in the L Pacong Township Neil Kley just passed away on uh January 28th. Um I would also like to extend my appreciation to the school board for allowing uh for services to be held over at the U Pacon Middle School on Saturday
um from uh 9 to 11 will be visiting hours. So that concludes my report. Chief, I I have a just a question or a comment. Um, and this is related to the past storm we had, the snowstorm. Yes. >> I know there's a lot of cars parked on the streets and the plows had to go
around them, you know, and so in the event of an impeding storm of that size again, right? I don't know if a plan could be put in place between yourself and the DPW to notify and have these cars, you know, uh, the owners moved
ahead of time before an impeding storm. I don't know. Some kind of plan could be worked out. >> So, right now, what we did this for this storm was put the information out there on social media um and >> um hope hoping that everybody would would
see that. Um we're you're probably not ever going to get 100% compliance. Exactly. But if we can stay ahead of that before a storm hits and knock on somebody's door, I would much rather do that than have to deal with it while the storm's coming down. And um >> Right. before it's too late. >> Yeah, exactly.
>> You know, maybe um I don't know, maybe you could print a bunch of flyers, >> just put on the windshield, you know, a couple days. Listen, the storm coming. >> You can't park on the street for this, you know. >> Yeah, there's at that at that point there's no way of knowing who's going to be keeping their car there and who's not because they're they're permitted to
park there. >> No. No. I mean, Right. Right. You know, just to make it so the streets are clear. I mean, some cars, you know, they they block their driveway, which, you know, which is a help because, you know, some some garages only two parked uh driveway, so they have other cars and
they don't know where to park in. So, I would recommend and sometimes I do it, my neighbors uh they have an empty uh spot, so I get permission to park in the driveway sometimes and they allow me and it's also less for them to, you know, remove snow. So, uh something like that.
Maybe they can work with their neighbors. No, 100% agreement and you know, we'll work with the uh DPW and uh you know, try to try to get as close as we can to 100% compliance, but we'll see how that goes. >> I know. But thank you. >> Absolutely. You're welcome.
>> Thank you, Chief. >> Okay, DPW. Uh, first I want to say thank you, uh, Scott for, uh, guys work very, very hard. All right. Put a lot of hours in and then came home and shovel their own place out. You know what I mean? Um, so,
you know, a lot of hard work there. Um, just to report a little bit, uh, storm after storm. All right. Christmas trees picked up. We picked them up till the end of, uh, January. Uh we just picked the last one up what a couple days ago actually. Um just to let you know Lou on
your side there that you're discussing. Um I actually called Jason I don't know if it's a day or two days before something like that and asked him to put it out online. All right. And everything else to have the cars moved. The ordinance is um 4 in of snow the car
must be moved and also you're not allowed to throw the snow back in the driveway. The problem we're having is people aren't listening to the ordinances no more and they don't care to. All right. I'm worried just like that because that's what I got told some of them. All right. Um, a lot of them
came from different places and they throw the snow back in the road. All right. So, that's normal to them. So, somehow we've got to break that mold of where we stand. Um, and uh I do believe that that comes from you guys and us and Jason communicating and sending letters
out to everybody. All right. Or or however we need to do that. Um, you know, I thank the the police for going around. They made it a little bit easier on us. All right. People did, some of them did move their cars. Um, bunch of them didn't. Um, but we have to kind of one of the big things besides the cars,
we have to stop the people from putting it back in the driveway or the road. I mean, all right. It's like going out in your driveway and then you look back out and it's completely full again. All right. Not acceptable. All right. So, it's something we really got to push hard on. Also,
um the other thing is the sidewalks. We struggled. The machine gave us some problems. We had to get it fixed twice. Um so, we're going to address that issue, which we are in the middle of now. All right. For the sidewalks going all the way down Beler Highway. So, that's why that was delayed a couple
days. All right. But, uh everybody handled it pretty well and and different things and and it was part of the struggle. All right. As we went on our way. Um and that's really about it. uh just going over things and getting all the uh uh stuff that needs to be done in
January of every year like sending all our chains have got to be sent out and inspected once a year um by law. All right. So that had to be the uh uh lift truck had to be inspected by law. That has to be done. I got to get these guys whole bunch of training now. We usually
do it in January, but January was not a month to do training. So, I've got to get them all their fire inspections and their for their lift trainings and all kind of things going on. So, as soon as we get a week or so and I get a hold of the insurance company and he has an open
door, we're going to get all that done. All right. So, that it's done before spring hits. And when spring hits, it goes nuts for us for all the ball fields and everything else going on. So, >> how's your salt right now? >> Right now, I have 100%. >> Yep. >> Okay. But if I if you look down at the website here,
>> you have seven days of snow coming. >> Yeah. All right. >> That's why I'm asking. >> We're not going to make it, Scott. Unless something changes in that store. Plain, simple, cut and dry. There. I've had another 50 on order for two days now. Just about three days now. >> You have room for more. Is it 300?
>> Well, what I'm doing is because I don't have a choice. I have a storage bin that's on the cuff. All right. And we'll just cover it. It's not really the best, but we have to keep the public safe as we can. >> Yeah. >> All right. The last storm I usually hold
around 300 ton. I'm lucky if I had 75 or 80 ton of salt. All right. And what we did is we locked that down to the hills and to uh the things that were unsafe. If the cops called me and said, "Hey, I'm got a lot of slippery going on here." That's where it went. So it was basically about safety.
>> I had a lot where the governor said there was tons of salt down in the ports. >> Yeah. >> But nobody was delivering it. >> No, there was salt. >> It's okay if it's ports. Unless they're going to deliver it to you, it doesn't do any good. >> That's right. Where's it coming from? Where's it? >> Uh I don't know exactly though. Down towards the city somewhere down in
there. All right. Down by the port is where he's talking about exactly. I don't know. But uh >> um we had it on order two weeks in advance before the storms >> and we never got we never got a load. >> Dude, Peter, everybody, nobody in his brother got it, you know, anything. And I called just to let you know um I
called the bridge commission. They said, "No, we're short. We're locking down." I called uh you know I talked to Harmony because Harmony has a goodsized bin. They said we're right on the on the cuff of having enough or not enough. Everybody and his brother locked down because nobody had it. The ones that did barely had enough for themselves. So
thanks to the public for understanding it. Um some of the people don't quite get it, but there's a reason why you didn't have any salt down and it was basically your flats. All right. And and the safety areas that needed that salt. So that sounds like a lot, 80 ton, but a
normal storm is 300 ton of salt that goes down on this town. All right. So 80 ton is, you know, barely a third of your town, right? You know what I mean? So um that's kind of what's all right. >> Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Fire chief's report. Good evening, council. Um, January of 2026, we answered 22 calls. Uh, we have 23 calls on the year so far, um, with one in February to this time. Um, biggest thing was about the the
snowstorm. Uh, we had approximately three crews out for a total time of about eight or nine hours shoveling out hydrants. Um, I just want to say one thing of let's try to always encourage the residents if they have a fire hydrant on their
property to if they can try to shovel it out to help us out. Um, we were out till about 9:00 at night Monday shoveling out a hydrant, shoveling out hydrants. So, we have well over 150 hydrants in this town. Um, there are residents that do help us out. Um, but there's plenty that
we need to uh make sure everything's open in the town cuz last thing we need is a uh an incident where we need a hydrant and we get there and it's it's under 4t of solid snow. >> Were any hydrants buried? >> Yeah. >> How'd you find them? You have you have
those sticks? >> Uh well, there's markers on some and then we have everything mapped on our uh app called I am responding that has a location of every hydrant in the town. But there was a couple hydrants that just happened to be under 6 8 foot of
snow that we had to dig out. Um, last thing, the update on the new Larry truck. Uh, our guys just got back from Wisconsin uh this past week doing their final inspection. Everything was good on the truck. Uh, a couple minor things,
but they're all fixed already. Uh, I got an uh email from our salesman tonight uh that the truck is leaving Wisconsin this weekend and should be delivered to New Jersey Monday at Fire and Safety in South Planefield. Um, and then from there they'll do their
final inspection. They'll do their final installs on a couple things and then start equipment and tool mounting. Um, and then once it gets delivered to us, we will go through 4 days of training on the truck and then we will get all of our stuff on the truck and then the
truck will go into service. >> When was the green light given to them to go ahead and built the truck? Was it about a year ago? >> No, >> it wasn't even a whole year. probably once they started building the truck once we got notified that the truck was
being built it was seep end of September beginning October so about 3 months of >> because I I recall if my memory don't don't fail me but initially uh it was going to be 18 months for this truck to be delivered >> right yes >> right >> yes
>> so what happened that they did this year >> it originally went from if you remember 36 to 40 months that was on a complete custom order if we would order it brand new not brand new, but if we would order it on our own, it was 36 to 40 months. We were able to find a truck that Pierce
released as a stock unit, which is already started the build process, and then we were able to customize a couple things on it. So, that was supposed to start production, that stock unit sometime in January.
I got notification in August or September from Eric that stuff got shuffled around and some other trucks got bumped out and then this stock unit ended up getting moved up in line and it just happened to go into production in September. And so
at the end of the day we got lucky that >> Yeah. because you know from 18 months in less than a year. >> Yeah. It went from it went from >> so really if you look at our original time frame went from 40 months to about 4 months. >> So actually yeah
>> we got we got pretty lucky but uh it'll be in town soon uh on the road soon once we get training uh we'll be on the roads. You'll see it out and about when we're doing our training on it. Uh we have a person coming from the Pierce Manufacturing to do our training on it with everyone. Uh
that's one day of classroom work meeting uh inside our hall and then a day or two of outside hands-on training. >> And this will fit in the firehouse. >> Yes. >> With a bucket. >> Yep. >> Okay. >> Yeah. We actually had when we had uh Roxberry's same truck, which is the same
spec as this one. We had to come down to our firehouse and we put in the firehouse and everything fits. >> Yeah. cuz I remember um at station two when we had to bring the ladder truck there to park it there for a little while. >> Well, that was while we were waiting for the building to be built. We knew it was going to be >> I know, but we had to cut out
>> Oh, yeah. Cut out the beam. >> We had to range so the the ladder part and we had to back it up nice and carefully. >> Yeah. Um, and then so once it's in town, we do plan on we are going to be sending out uh dates soon, but um to everyone,
but we plan on having a wet down celebration for the new truck May 30th. That's our date as of right now. Yeah. >> So, >> okay. Hopefully, it's warm that day. >> Yeah. But that's all I have. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Chief.
>> EMS report. Sh2 report. >> Can I have a motion to approve department reports? >> Motion. >> I'll second. >> I'll second it. >> All in favor? >> I
>> I. >> Payment of bills. Can I have a motion? >> Motion. Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Councilman Bara. >> Yes. >> Councilman Marali. >> Yes. >> Councilman. Yes, >> Council President. >> Yes.
Public comment 3 minutes. >> Thank you. Pam Thomas, Six Wordssworth Lane. Um, tonight I actually am here as a representative of the Latong School District. Um, we wanted to give you an update from the board of directors. So January 6th, we had a mid-year budget
review by the county school board's office, and the review results said that Lacon was in great shape, especially when compared to other school districts in the county. Additionally, they praised our district's math and English language scores. On January 7th, the middle school student council executive
team attended a leadership conference at the College of New Jersey along with student councils from across the state. The students from the conference participated in a competition during the day and Lacong brought home a second place trophy. January 13th, Lacong
School District hosted a competition titled Battle of the Minds where eight schools brought 18 teams and participated in a Jeopardy style competition. The La Pacong team took third place. There are two new afterchool clubs starting this month.
There's a chess club that's starting in the middle school and a Lego club beginning in the elementary school. Both of these clubs are in response to community feedback that happened at our strategic planning meeting. Many thanks go out to the PTA for their strong financial support in the formation of
these clubs. Our superintendent, Mr. Marmale, reported to the board at our January 22nd meeting a concern that the number of MKV students is rising. MKV stands for the McKini Vento Act, which is a federal law ensuring that children
and youth exper experiencing homelessness defined as uh lacking a fixed regular and adequate nighttime residence have immediate access to the education to education including school enrollment, transportation, and services
to support academic success, stability, and extracurricular participation. The district is currently looking for grants or other funding to cover some of the associated costs um with these increases in the number of students uh falling under this category. And lastly, I
wanted to share some educational highlight that was shared with the board at our last meeting. We received up we receive updates directly from our students. They uh at both the elementary and the middle they uh give us presentations to the boards. The best part of the meeting, the students shared
some of what they had been doing in their financial literacy classes. So, in financial literacy, the fifth graders uh were finishing up the understanding money unit by going on a shopping trip to determine when to use cash or credit. They're moving on to consumer skills
unit where they're learning about sales, coupons, receipts, and checking accounts. In sixth grade, they're finishing their financial future lesson where they learned about planning for the future. They'll be moving into their budgeting unit and they'll practice making a budget. For seventh grade,
they're finishing up their investment unit with a project describing stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Um, they're going to be moving on to a credit union where they will discuss credit cards and credit scores. I know this is like specifically an area that a lot of the
public I see it all the time on Facebook and they're like, "Well, why aren't we teaching our kids how to use a checkbook and why aren't we teaching our kids these basic skills?" I want you to know they are happening. It's in the um curriculum for financial literacy. Um and then lastly uh with the cold and the
snow and the the snow and the cold temps, just to report that we had three days with a 2-hour delay um because of the cold temperatures in the morning. They were in the single digits. So we we did manage to hold school, but we just had two-hour delays. Um our workshop
board meeting will be tomorrow night at 6:30. Thank you very much. >> I have a question. How's enrollment going? enrollment for >> the students uh elementary and middle school. Is it is is it increasing? Is it decreasing? Is it >> I think we have a little bit of a
decrease but not not tremendously. >> Okay. >> So, we're kind of holding. >> Okay. >> But we've added all those preschool students this year, too. >> Okay. >> So, >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Thanks. Anyone else? Bob Bruce 11 wrote, "Um,
you guys stole my thunder in thanking the Department of Public Works. I really thought I came from Queens. I know what it's like on streets. I don't know what it was like in Lyndon, but you know, when you're in a in a city, >> Sorry. >> Same thing."
>> Yeah. It's uh and they got nowhere to put it. But it anyway again these guys have done a great job ever since I've been here. Um so last meeting uh township President John Ketcherson had asked about our
position regarding data centers in our township and and Beth had indicated that an ordinance to restrict data centers requires a change to our master plan. And I see where last month our planning board agenda had a referral for
discussion of data centers. So tonight I'd last like to ask about our position regarding detention centers in our township. It seems there is an increase in warehouse vacancies in the Lehigh Valley. They've gone from under 4% in
early 2023 to nearly 8% by late 2024. uh first quarter 2025 is the last I got. It's like 7.3 7.5. But it also seems that the Department of
Homeland Security is actively pursuing warehouses that they want to use as detention centers. They had just purchased a warehouse uh this week, last week, an hour west of here along 78 in Burks County. and uh they are seeking to
use a vacant warehouse in Roxberry Township about 45 minutes from here along Route 80. So I'm I'm here similar to our consideration of not allowing data centers in Low Paccom. Can this council and maybe direct our planning
board look into not allowing detention centers in Lat? >> I haven't heard anything about either one of what you just said. Which one, sir? >> Both. Which >> data center coming to Lat or detention centers coming to Lat? I haven't heard of anything.
>> Okay. Potential or even I thought is coming here. I'm not sure I understand what you're talking about. >> What I'm talking about is that last meeting. >> So, so you want to do a preemptive planning? >> Well, that I believe that is what our
planning board is looking into. uh >> based on last >> uh wrote a letter uh with a model ordinance to the municipalities in Warren County asking them to consider change if you
have you know a master plan that allows data centers to consider changing it whether you remove them or you scale it down or make it a conditional use there's a lot of options there so our planning board reviewed it at the la
their last meeting uh and there's going to be further discussion as to um a possible conditional use or you know some scaling down of size you know there's there's some options that they're going to discuss moving forward
>> I so yes preemptively based apparently on commissioner current county commissioner current >> I don't believe we have those warehouses right now >> to to house these uh data centers or data centers. >> I I may sound like I know what I I'm
talking about regarding warehouse. I'm no expert on on the local warehouses. Uh uh but uh I know that there's been, you know, an increase in in warehouse vacancies, >> right? >> Uh and I know that most of the warehouses that have been built have been spec warehouses. Uh and so, you
know, it's not like we have somebody to go in there. And uh and I know that uh the Department of Homeland Security is is pursuing warehouses and um and as I say that there was one that they just purchased a warehouse an hour west of here. Uh and they're seeking to use
currently seeking to use a vacant warehouse in in Roxbury, Township. Uh so having had the experience of what happened last month regarding data centers, you know, that was preemptive uh sir and and and
I'm asking whether or not uh we can uh without commissioner Kern uh or somebody as a resident. I'm asking whether or not um what the position of our of our township might be regarding detention centers
because it's my understanding that based on Commissioner Kern and I didn't read the letter but based on what Commissioner Karn said that it was basically this is probably not something we want to allow in Warren County and he had a model ordinance that he was
putting forward >> in regards to detention centers or >> in regard well yes preemptive >> data centers Yes. Well, the data centers were was Commissioner Curran's urging and and it was uh discussed at last month's meeting and and action was taken
towards the planning board looking into it and and I'm here tonight to to ask whether or not uh we can do the same regarding uh detention centers and and as regarding what facilities that they may have, I don't know. Uh I I have an
understanding that there are vacancies in some of the uh warehouses along 22, but I can't tell you for sure that that is in fact the case. >> We don't have any kind of data to go by you know what you're asking.
>> Well, from a from a lane use perspective, detention centers are not identified as a permitted use in the land use ordinance. So if it's not identified as a permitted use, it's automatically not a permitted use. It's disallowed. >> Okay. So it's it's a
>> a detention facility to house individuals that might have been, you know, >> I don't know what the gentle term is to apprehended or are being processed uh by Department of Homeland Security. I mean, you would have to build >> sanitary I would imagine sanitary sewer
facilities, other things. So like these warehouses that are even if they're 20 acres under roof, there's like two bathrooms in the whole place. So >> okay. So unofficially, I think what I'm hearing is that >> from a land use perspective, >> it would not be permitted. >> It would not be,
>> you know, we don't have the federal government here looking to do this. So we'd have to figure that I don't know that >> what the standing would be, but certainly in terms of data centers I can speak to, >> right? >> These those are permitted in the in the ROM zone. Okay. >> The ROM zone is specifically along Striker Road.
>> Okay. >> Uh and along a few parcels which are partially developed already uh along Belleview Road uh between Strikers and Uniontown Road. Okay. >> So that's where the ROM zone is situated in the in the township. Um, so as Beth
had indicated, we had discussed going for potentially restructuring the ordinance to not disallow disallow data centers per se, but also to create some restrictions or some conditions for the construction of a data center. Um, so you know, we would have to I I have to
do more research on that as well and the board attorney and board planner, we're going to look into that as well prior to our next meeting. um just to see what you know we understand we've heard on the news you know water consumption power consumption all those all those elements you know uh potential impacts you know certainly there's no truck
traffic our understanding is you have like a giant building and you have a 15 space parking lot and that's it >> right >> it's just full of computers so it's not like you have tractor trailers coming in and out once the place is up and running >> yeah you don't really need a hell of a lot of sewer to to run but you need
water you need electric >> water demand certainly so and power demand And so, you know, our our concern there are discussions at the at the planning board level preliminarily were looking at, you know, potential, you know, on-site power generation, not
necessarily restricting solar, but certainly, you know, we've heard of if on-site generators running diesel and turbine generators running day and night to generate enough power for these facilities. Looking at that and and providing some sort of structure if someone wanted to come in with the data center and JCPNL wasn't able to provide
power. >> Yeah. Um, so we're looking to avoid that certainly. Uh, and of course the the water consumption issue as well. Um, certainly the Highlands is going to have some some input on that since we're a Highlands conforming community. They'll be reviewing any uses that might be
consumptive of water. Um, but anyway, that is a conversation that's going on at the at the planning as you mentioned. >> But detention centers, I mean, they're not permitted in the ordinance. So if they're not listed as a permitted use, they're automatically not permitted. >> Okay. >> Okay. Yeah.
>> And then you have to come in for a use variance. And if DHS is here for a use variance, then we'll have to look at that. >> And then you'd have to find sew, which is probably many >> multiple factors compared to a warehouse. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Okay. Well, that thank you. It was an
excellent explanation. Thank you. >> The detention center that they're building in Bucks County, I think it would they purchased that for 83 million. >> 87 million. It's going to house 1,500 people, I heard. Right. >> I didn't get a number on that. >> 1500. And I bet you there's not going to be any traffic.
>> Yeah. No, but there but I understand also that >> I don't know if it's >> I don't know if this is per spack or or if it's they purchased an existing warehouse, I believe. >> Yeah. >> Okay. I I understand that. um uh if the
township doesn't do anything to prevent it, which is now up in the air regarding what Roxberry, which Roxbury, New Jersey has a has that situation before them and they're looking into what they can do uh to to prevent that because of the
demands. So, uh if they lose on that, uh you know, my understanding is that the if the federal government gets the legal right to do it, you can't stop them. But they can't turn around and say, "Well, you gotta build sewers and you got to build roads and you got to build, you
know." >> Well, the way I see detention center is only temporary. It's not going to be permanent housing because detention center is only to move to hold and until they go to a process and then and then go someplace else. It isn't going to be permanent.
>> You're going to have all these people living in the warehouse. >> Okay. I'm I'm I think that you currently have uh 73,000 people in the country that are in in detention and I believe that the facilities that DHS has
proposed would get that to uh double that and and I'm not here seeking to discuss the issue of that. I'm simply seeking here to find out and I think I got a very good explanation about my concerns about whether our township had
taken good action on data centers which it sounds like you had to do uh with through the planning board. Thank you for that explanation Mr. Wiznooki and and and I was just concerned about potential u uh coming in for that. So thank you.
>> Okay. >> Anyone else? Seeing no one comment. Can I have a motion for adjournment? >> Motion. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Thank you for coming. He's touching his