##VIDEO ID:TLfaqSfFYIg## January 29th 2025 the time is now 6: PM this meeting is being held in accordance with the open public meetings act an adequate notice of this meeting has been provided as required by law specifically notice of this meeting was emailed to the Daily Record and Mars newsby on January 17 2025 and posted on the township of Mars website the agenda and resolutions for the meeting are available on Mars Township under the agenda Center certain portions of this meeting may be closed to the public for the purpose of personnel Andor other matters as outlined in the Sunshine Law notice to members of the governing body and Township staff any use of electronic devices during this meeting shall be used solely for the purpose of Township business and any Communications are subject to the open public records act mayor Madam clerk roll call Please Mr Griselle ABS here here oh here virtually okay Mr Jor yes virtually Mr janata here Mr Ritz here mayor griglia here will you please now stand and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge aliance to the FL flag of the United States of America to the Republic for which it stands Nation please remain standing on behalf of the township committee we would like to have a moment of silence in remembrance of former committeeman Joseph cavelli thank you and we send condolences to the cavelli family and we thank Mr cavany for his service to the township at this time we're actually going to go open our first public commentary there are currently three members of the public joining us on zoom and two members in person we will take comments from in-person attendees first and then switch over to zoom please virtually raise your hand in Zoom if you would like to speak please state your name and address for the record before speaking please note your comments are limited to 5 minutes per speaker if you have questions you would like answered your remaining time to speak will be yielded back for this purpose is there a motion to open public comment so moved second all in favor I I is there anyone from the public who would like to speak M mayor my name is Steve Larry I live over at 20 Oak Park Drive for almost 28 years and I just want to say that Mr Quinn every time I've spoken to him even today we spent time on the phone together he's been exceedingly helpful and I just want to take a moment to thank Jeff for his email that he sends out all the time at his own expense to keep people the public apprised of what's going on in town it's very nice of him first time I've ever come here in 28 years I live in the township uh but I want to complain about the traffic on Woodruff Road the town has grown we have new sidewalks that have been put in and people are using that as a cut off to get home or go to work and it really is becoming increasingly dangerous more and more people walk across that street every day my wife walks across the street walking our dog and it and more and more people are driving there faster and faster every day I've talked to the uh police chief he's given me a couple of sergeants that have helped and they've put up some speed signs and they've actually put police officers and cars there and I'm sure that's been helpful but we've done this for probably six or seven years now I've called different police Chiefs over the course of the past six or seven years and we still have a problem I just want that the whole committee to be aware that there's a problem on Woodruff Road because God forbid a child is hit or a dog or or or an adult we have a lot of older people now in our neighborhood and I think the whole committee needs to be apprised that this is not a major road this is I think it's 30 mil an hour is posted there and people drive there faster and faster every day every month every year maybe we could think about more signage what I'd like the township to consider is maybe an ordinance to bring speed bumps to the township I know we don't have any speed bumps in the township but that would be a perfect place to start because it's very dangerous and it has become almost like a major road and it's and it's not um the other thing that I want the town to consider is Columbia Turnpike and Woodruff Road you recently had a police officer someone who's trained to drive at high speeds in a car that's designed to drive at high speeds with special suspension special brakes and special tires and the car flipped over so we really have as a town we really have to be concerned about that corner there's constantly H we constantly have a problem with accidents over there and it was a trained police officer that had that problem what if there was a a young mother with three or four kids in a in a minivan what if it was an older person my neighbor was hit right on that corner riding her bicycle just a few years ago so the township really has to take these two areas into consideration to make some major decisions put some pressure on the county maybe even some pressure on the state this is a problem and the um that's really about it you guys are doing a great job thank you very much for your time you spend on the township I realize there's a lot of other things that you'd like to do than listen to me but I'm here because someone's going to get hurt there and it needs to be tended to thank you very much we absolutely thank you for your concerns and we will look into it and I know that there's been some traffic studies already done there but we can continue to look at it and we too want to do everything we can to make it as safe as possible um mayor have we shared the traffic homing policy with um this gentleman about how residents can request traffic cming devices in their neighborhood including speed uh tables we certainly can and not only share it with you we can actually is it I thought it was posted the traffic calming policy even if it's on the website we can get it to you specifically you're welcome anybody else from the public seeing No Hands raised on Zoom can I get a motion to close public comment so move second all in favor [Music] I Madame clerk please read the closed session resolution resolution 50-25 authorizing the governing body to conduct a closed meeting as defined in the open public public meeting ACT public law 1975 chapter 231 whereas the open public meeting ACT public law 1975 chapter 231 permits the exclusion of the public from a meeting in certain circumstances and whereas the township committee is is of that opinion that such circumstances presently exist and whereas the township committee wishes to discuss the following affordable housing and discussion of Township property may I have a motion to approve the closed session resolution so move second Madame clerk may I have a roll call vote Mr dorfy yes Mr janata yes Mr gazelle yes yes Mr Ritz yes mayor griglia yes we will now moved into close session and plan to resume the regular meeting at 6:30 please note this closed session May resume after the regular meeting so if we could just ask the public if you could just maybe wait outside we should we can give them a I call to order this regular meeting of the township Committee of the township of Mars this Wednesday January 29th 2025 the time is now 6:47 pm. this meeting is being held in accordance with the open public meetings act and adequate notice of this meeting has been provided as required by law specifically notice of this meeting was emailed to the Daily Record and the Mars newsby on January 17 2025 and posted on the township of Mars website the agenda and resolutions for the meeting are available on Marist township.com under agenda Center certain portions of this meeting may be closed to the public for the purpose of personnel Andor other matters as outlined in the Sunshine Law tonight we have one resolution on our agenda Madame clerk please read the title of resolution 51-25 into the record resolution pursuant the amendment to the amended Fair Housing Act committing the township to round four present and prospective need affordable housing obligations before we begin I want to remind everybody that in March of 2024 is when the New Jersey state legislature put forth the affordable housing process and requirements that we'd be based with then in September at the end of September here at the township we did a special meeting and we did an educational session for the public on the affordable housing process and what it would look like going forward and then on October 18th what I forgot oh on October 18th this when the numbers were released and we were given the number 571 so tonight we have a special meeting where we need to adopt our resolution but we have with us our planner uh Paul Phillips and Liz leaney and our attorney Steve Warner and what we are going to do tonight is is an assessment and recommendations for Mars Township regarding round four the present and prospective needs affordable housing obligations so I'm going to turn it over to them and then afterwards we will have public comment mayor before we do that do we need a roll call I see it on the agenda for a second roll call probably do Madam clerk can we have a roll call absolutely thank you JY Mr gazelle ABS Mr JY here Mr janata here Mr Ritz here and mayor G here okay all right uh good evening mayor and Township committee members um as you noted I am Liz Laney I work at Phillips price um and and I and my partner Paul Phillips are the planners for the township um as part of this resolution that you're adopting tonight uh that it refers to an exhibit a and exhibit a was prepared by our firm um dated January 29th 2025 which provides sort of the background of substantiation for the numbers that you are adopting tonight regarding the Township's affordable housing obligation as you noted we are in the fourth round of affordable housing this is the 2025 to 2035 uh round affordable housing number four um and in March of 2024 uh Governor Murphy and well sorry the the um Fair Housing Act was amended um with some new parameters and requ requirements for each municipality uh as part of the amended FHA there was a six-month that the Department of Community Affairs DCA had six months to um reveal or release uh the affordable housing obligations not only for the state but for the regions and then for each municipality um DCA did that on October 18th 2024 they uh estimated that the state as a whole um had an obligation in this next 10 years to provide just short of 86,000 uh affordable housing units then um DCA divided that you know distributed those 86,000 units among six still called COA regions uh Morris is in region two um which is in Morris County obviously along with Warren Union um and Essex So within uh region two that 86,000 of that 86,000 about 20,500 was attributed to region two and then within that uh as as the mayor noted 500 a present need obligation of of nine units was um attributed to Morris and an obligation to provide in the next 10 years 571 new low and moderate income housing units so the one critical thing with the amended FHA which is different from earlier rounds of the affordable housing law is that the numbers DCA released or or you know assigned Morris Township are not binding and the township has an or an opportunity to you know review the data that went into uh calculating those numbers and come up with a determination of what they believe their obligation is the um municipality all mun IP alties had between the October 18th uh release and January 31st 2025 to adopt a binding resolution as to what those numbers you know what the municipality believes those numbers are which is why we're here tonight so to start with the p um the rehabilitation obligation that's the existing units in the community that are perhaps in need of Rehabilitation or of some sort of uh Renovations that are low and moderate income units um the obligation assigned Morris was nine and we have no problem we don't recommend that the township challenge that number that seems reasonable to us and based on the data the perspective need obligation is an allocation of that 20,500 region two number that it's an allegation factor that is an average of three individual factors there is the income capacity factor which um essentially it's a not complicated calculation but it's essentially assigned to or designed to sort of shift affordable housing obligations to uh municipalities with higher household incomes uh the obligate or the factor for Morris Township let me just see was 2.34% we looked at those numbers we looked at the data that was used to calculate those numbers we don't think that there's any uh Merit and challenging those numbers that factor um the next is the equalized non-residential valuation factor which looks at the change in the non-e equalized uh evalu valuation uh between 1999 and 2023 um again we we had actually had the municipal tax assessor look at the data that DCA used and he found it to be correct um and so that factor for Morris is 0.63% and again we don't recommend that you challenge that now the third factor that is used is the land capacity factor and that is a measure of the developable land within the municipality um developable is never defined anywhere in in in either the amended faj or in any of the materials that DCA released along with their numbers um Morris had a high land capacity Factor it was 5.34% and about 288 Acres um was considered developable so in November the end of November DCA after many requests issued what mapping the mapping that they used showing the parcels or showing the areas that they considered developable within each municipality so we have now gone through parcel by parcel looking at what DCA used to get to that total and we're able you know we found certain things like jockey holla National Park Fort nonsense the backyards of homes in Harding and and Floren Park um among other things that that were sort of easy to say listen that's come on that's not developable um and there are some other factors things in the flood way um um things that were on the rosi things that are open space schools churches utilities Etc railroads so we were able to lower that 200 almost 288 acre developable land down to just over 79 developable Acres that lowered our uh land capacity factor from 5.3 or uh 5.34 um to say 5. 37 I apologize to 1.5% and um so once all of those factors were averaged again we're keeping the first two we're just challenging the the uh land capacity we were able to estimate that mors Township's obligation is not the 571 it's it's more realistically the 308 unit obligation and so what we would recommend to you tonight is that you adopt a resolution indicating that you have the present need obligation of and you have a perspective 2025 to 2035 obligation of 308 units thank you very much um and we appreciate all the hard work everybody did on this um we know how much time and effort you had to put into it um are there any comments from anybody on the committee comments or concerns no I just want to Echo your what you had said that thank you for the extensive analysis that was done and uh knock on would we you know DCA will accept our number I would just add um again thank you for everything um I would just um and I know the committee will do this but we just I just ask that we maintain our open Communications with our residents and providing updates through email or through information sessions or presentations at meetings to make sure everyone continues to be in Loop of this process because it is not only timec consuming but confusing um and um we will we owe it to the residents to make sure they know about every everything that's going on every step of the way so I I'm I'm pleased that we had an information session in September and that we've been sending emails out and I just encourage us to continue doing so these documents will be up on the website tomorrow we are obligated to I as part of the process the benefit assuming the adoption of resolution with the report that Mr Haney and Mr Phillips prepared uh the uh we will be putting that on the website within 48 Hours of adoption and will be formally far I'm not speaking into the mic my apologies I rarely need it uh the the um will be putting uh we'll be submitting uh the resolution uh at with the uh memorandum from the our planners uh along with what is called a declaratory judgment complaint that is the procedural mechanism by which all of these this information is to be submitted to the affordable housing dispute resolution program which will be overseeing the process uh if and when there is a challenge uh of of our binding number that we set forth in our resolution and if there is such a challenge how it will be resolved and that would all play out very quickly frankly uh statutorily it's required as the governing body knows to be done uh any challenges uh if they are to be made uh with have to be very specific in particular and made by the end of February and any resol uh and the resolution of any such challenge would have to occur through the affordable housing dispute resolution program process by the end of March 2025 with respect to each of those months so uh it's uh envisioned to be a very quick process hopefully uh as was implied uh there is no challenge so we don't have to worry about that process but uh this is the first step and we will uh once adopted uh the resolution with the report once submitted to the program once posted on the website we will continue uh our Township uh as we have through the first second and third rounds we will continue to maintain our immunity from any exclusionary zoning litigation including any Builders remedy lawsuits which is uh Paramount along with providing our fair share but only our fair share in my opinion of affordable housing units thank you and for anybody we said this earlier but if you did miss the September session if you just tuned in tonight anybody from the public already posted on the website you can go back to the original educational session which is a lot of detail on this very complicated process so um we urge you to do that and then these documents will all be posted within a day or so any other questions or comments from anybody once we submit it uh what's the timetable when we get back and when when do we expect anything from the state as what would happen is we'll wait till the end of February and if there's no challenge then our binding resolution and our numbers our prospective need number well and our present need number uh will be uh uh not only presumptively valid but they will be our number and and and we will proceed accordingly uh The Next Step which is how we will plan to uh satisfy Our obligation for the fourth round yeah I just want to add Comm a minute I don't think the challenge will come from the state I don't think DCA is be making the challenge it'll come from what's considered an interested party and that's fair share housing Corporation or a developer who has um the ability to build affordable housing within our municipality right d dca's obligation is completed as I understand it uh and uh and I believe DCA has taken the position that they obligation is completed so uh as I have been told good to know seeing no other comments again we just can't thank you enough for all your hard work and really appreciate it Madame clerk may I or may I have a motion to approve resolution number 51-24 sorry taking a question or not do we do that before or after mayor that's um that's up to you mayor sure so I'm I'm ask you open the public comment session for the second time I I move we open the public comments second all those in favor I I okay I am Alan mcalpin I live at five Armstrong Road and First I'd like to thank you for the information tonight and if I understood you correctly it will be added to the information it's already now on the website correct correct correct when you're going through this process and this is a question I had and anybody done a cash flow analysis as what this would mean for the township over the next 10 or 15 years quite obviously things uh costs are going to rise uh considerably um just to mention a couple obvious things probably schools roads Shores um water uh needs and U the like um has anybody taken a look at what the revenue side of all that would be and how we would look 10 to 15 years from now or we're going to be cash flow positive or we going to be cash flow negative you must also want to uh focus on a couple other things you have to make some assumptions we always do and we do these things about the the base the the residential base here now if the residential base gets um angered they're going to move to Arizona or Sparta or someplace else and what is that due to some of your calculations I don't need an answer right now I just need some assurance that someone's going to sit down and try to make this thing some economic sense um I don't have enough information to do it but you all should are you any questions for me that's my question is do you have it and are you prepared to do it that's my question we don't have we don't obviously have that analysis yet and if we're looking over like a 10-year period and again because so many things are still unknown as to what this will be that being said and I'm going I mean the other committee members can weigh in here I do believe that that what we're doing as a Township is looking at this in the most positive way possible and in not only educating the residents but with the understanding that I believe the township will continue to thrive and be a really good place to live I don't see people moving out of mors Township to other parts of the country because we're falling in line just like everybody else not only in the state of New Jersey but throughout the country there's going to be more development and there's affordable haard housing needed everywhere so OB again yes we will definitely keep continue to look at it but to answer that question right now I thank you it'd be comforting to know that this process was being uh addressed thank you absolutely is there anyone else from the public who'd like to speak I see one hand raised on Zoom Kathy Wilson yeah hi good evening Kathy Wilson 20 Beach would drive I have a couple of questions um the information that am I on yes yes um the information that DCA shared with the township about how they made the calculation on the land use Factor um is is there a report that they wrote or H how was that information communicated to the township it's on their website Kathy it's on the DCA website yes if you if you just Google fourth round DCA number it's the first link that comes up I'm actually looking at it now on my computer because the gentleman mentions Spartan they have a 427 unit uh obligations that's you know this is this is different than their general report where they said how they calculated uh for every town right no they say they calculated for every town um they list everybody's factors and then um our planner along with Mr Warner uh either fil an Opa request or just got a B unily from DCA and they provided the background the backup for Morris Township's Row in that report okay but the so the report that we're talking about here is on the DCA website yes okay and then as far as posting uh items about fourth round affordable housing it'll be posted on our Township website is there any um thought about where it makes sense to me to be on the land use section which is where other is is is that where it will be or can you give any um guidance on where the documents will be housed it'll be on the affordable housing page with all of the other documents for affordable housing including the presentations okay all right um one final question once the number is agreed upon um it what H what are the next steps after that how what is the process for developing plans to address how the obligations are met I I'm I guess I'm thinking of the third round where there was the settlement agreement and it was spelled out in the settlement agreement what what numbers were to be um built in what locations um is I'm I'm not clear if there's a process for that on the fourth round on the once the number is agreed upon so Kathy I'll start and then I can also turn over to Mr Warner if he has any that so the fourth round is be very different than the third round it's be much more transparent process uh it involves the planning board um rather than a settlement agreement um it's going to happen quickly there's be a vacant land adjustment um but the planning board is going to come up with the element and has to be approved by the governing body but it's not going to be uh in a in a room with fair share housing negotiating a settlement agreement the town is goingon to have control over uh the plan and it'll be presented in public and I Mr one wants to add anything just a few things first and foremost being uh I concur exactly with the township attorney caner um just to be a little more specific the the there are deadlines that are baked into the statute uh and by as a reminder uh by June 30 of this year uh we are and all municipalities are to have our housing element fair share plan adopted by our planning board which uh sets forth the mechanisms by which we will be uh effectuating and satisfying our affordable housing obligation including our prospective need number for the next 10 years uh as well as to have draft implementation ordinances uh how we would go about doing that through governing body ordinances to satisfy that obligation um uh there is then a period thereafter in which interested parties could challenge that plan should they so desire it's only a couple of months that they have to do that if I recall correctly by the end of August uh and then there is only a few month uh period of time thereafter uh for those challenges if they occur or that challenge if it occurs to be resolved uh with an end date if you will of March 2026 for any and all challenged housing element uh uh and Fair Share Plans and implementation ordinances uh to be by that point resolved and adopted uh so that the fourth round uh proceeds uh expeditiously at that point the latest I hope that helps give some time frames all add to that Kathy is we don't know the exact process yet we have the deadlines um and it's subject to whatever additional uh procedural requirements that are put into place but that's that's the guidance we have currently yeah yeah if I we're dovetailing after our respective dovetails but they they they yeah as it's never been done before so to speak but uh the process as envisioned uh in the administrative office of the Court's directive 14-24 uh for any any challenge is similar to the process that's set envisioned for any challenge to our our number that will be adopted this evening if there is one and that is it goes before the affordable housing dispute resolution program uh uh there would be an opportunity for settlement conference discussions and ultimately a resolution either by that program uh or ultimately uh through the Mount Laurel judges for each Visage uh to be adopted but uh I concur uh with Mr caner it's a much more transparent approach it's we do it first so to speak and if it's challenged it's challenged uh if it's not it's not not um and if it's challenged it's resolved fairly quickly uh and made public throughout throughout the entire process so thank you so the housing element then goes through the planning board right and there's opportunity for public comment during the planning board process and then it comes back to the governing body for final approval is is that how it would work so we were we're not all going to swear to it because it's it could change but that's certainly the way it looks I mean all planning board meetings are you know public I don't know if they're going to go into close session for any of this or not I presume not but you know that's the current process but you know it's subject to further um further procedures that may be enacted so well I think that's what we all think the process is going to be and that's current but it's subject to additional procedures yeah I I again I concur the the expectation is as always the planning board The Gatekeepers of the master plan will have ultimately a public hearing and Adoption of a housing element fair share plan uh and uh uh but yes this is uh this fourth round uh is unlike the third round and unlike the first and second round so uh you know there are expectations but uh nobody knows exactly for sure everything that's going to happen and how it's going to happen well thank you and I know it's a lot of work and I appreciate all that you've done thank you thank you seeing no other hands raised and nobody else from the public who would like to speak is there a motion to close public comment so moved second all those in favor I I may I have a motion to approve resolution number 51-24 so moved second Madame clerk may I have a roll call vote Mr ravitz yes Mr janata yes Mr gazelle yes Mr dorfy yes mayor grigia yes it is now 7:15 can I have a motion to adjourn before we adjourn the special meeting I would like to because we missed it earlier could we now take a moment of silence in remembrance of Rabbi hon who was a very dedicated Rabbi to our community and is sorely missed please stand and if we could have a moment of silence thank you it is now 7:15 can I have a motion to adjourn the special meeting so move second all in favor the next regular Township committee meeting is Wednesday February 19th 2025 at 700 p.m. 5:00 p.m. closed in the municip hill building here at foot 50 Woodland Avenue thank you and have a great night