I call to order this regular meeting of the township committee of the township of Mars this Wednesday, September 17th, 2025. The time is now 7:00 p.m. 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 3rd, 2025 and posted on the Township of Mars website. The
agenda and resolutions for this meeting can be found on maristwp.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.
Notice to the members of the governing body and the township staff, any use of electronic devices during this meeting shall be used solely for the purposes of township business and any communications are subject to the open public records act. Madame clerk, roll call, please.
Mr. Griselle, here. Mr. Jory, absent. Mr. Ravitz here. Mr. Janata, here. Mayor Griglia here. Will everybody please rise and join me for the presentation of the
colors and the pledge of allegiance. [Music] Hulk left face. Present arms. I pledge 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. Order arms. Parade rest. At this time, I'd like to call up Chief
Shear to present the awards and recognition. You can all be seated. First, I just want to thank uh the council and administrator, Mr. Quinn, for for having us here to be able to celebrate this great event. We're going to recognize three of our officers for
their outstanding work and then also swear in two of our new officers uh to the rank of patrolman. First up, I'd like to call up Detective Kevin Yarzab. Yeah. Um Detective Kevin Yarzab is being
recognized for the officer of the year. And I say this every time when I'm fortunate enough to give an an officer officer of the year award. Um it's an award I never won. So I always joke that one year I will give it and you'll know that's when I'm retiring because I am going to recognize recognize myself before I leave. But no, but in all
seriousness, sometimes I think of the accomplishments of the people we're about to recognize and I'm like I think I've done that. I think I could have won that. And with Detective Kevin Yarzav, I can certainly say I don't think that's possible because the amount of work that he puts in consistently year after year is really commendable.
um whether it's staying late as needed, um answering his phone constantly, he's always there to to answer the call. And usually that call is to to help out another officer. So, specifically, um Detective Kevin Yarzb has trained our
entire detective bureau this year as we've had some some new officers in and he's taken the time to make sure that they know their job inside and out. And in addition to that, anytime a patrol officer or sergeant calls, whether he's on call or not, he's always there to make sure that the investigation is run properly. So, chances are if there was
an incident in this town and um maybe it was a little bit one of our more difficult or unique scenarios, Detective Kevin Yarz was specifically involved to make sure that that case came to a successful resolution. So really excellent job and I just kind of want to highlight some of the cases that he was
directly involved in. But as I had said previously, his indirect involvement goes well beyond what I'm about to read. Detective Yarzag while training Detective Gutierrez led a complex in investigation that resulted in the arrest of two suspects and this seizure
of a BMW that was utilized in the crimes that was specifically for a motor vehicle burglary and theft of a motor vehicle. Theft by deception. Detective Yarzab with his fellow Cob colle colleagues intercepted $11,550 that the v victim willingly gave to the
suspect and return the money to the owner. As you guys kind of see day by day, citizens being targeted targeted for frauds and thefts, people trying to convince them that they need to to give them money um or otherwise they're going to be arrested or um or you know their computer's going to be hacked, things
like that. Detective Kevin Yarz was able to ensure that one of our residents was on out $11,550. Um he coordinated a successful sting sting operation that resulted in the arrest of a suspect that was attempting to sexually assault a 15-year-old
victim. Um he also was uh instrumental in the apprehension of of individuals looking to steal package thefts along East Handover Avenue. Um, as I had said, Detective Yarzad's contribut in these cases alone are a testament to his skill, perseverance, and commitment to
upholding the law. Detective Yarzabad is a shining example of the values we strive to uphold in law enforcement. His wealth of knowledge, leadership, selflessness, and remarkable investigative achievements making him an outstanding candidate for us of the year, and that's why he's presented here today. So, I'd like to give a nice round
of applause for all the work. Thank you. Congratulations. Congratulations. Well done. If I could have patrol officer Marico and patrol officer Miguel Picio please join me up here at the deis. I'm having them both up here because I
don't I don't want to hurt their ego. I need them to continue to go out with and do what they're doing. And I know that they uh they take great pride in the work that they do. Um and to give you an example, what I'm about to kind of go over isn't what's happening in every other town. Um, our officers
consistently um, vigorously investigate motor vehicle laws throughout the uh, throughout the town uh, at all hours of the night. Morris Township has led the entire county in DWI arrests for the past three plus years. Um, and patrolman
Marico has had the most DW DWI arrests not only in Mars Township the last two years, but in the entire county for the last two years. This past year did uh officer Marrigo had 20 DWI arrests and patrolman police who had 19 DWI arrests.
And again, I often talk about the direct impact that the officers have on the community. And this is one of the easiest ways that I'm able to show those are 39 people that shouldn't have been operating a motor vehicle that were not only posing a threat to themselves, but also your loved ones that may have been traveling home from work, um traveling
home from school. Uh I I don't think any of us can go a day without seeing some horrific crash that would was preventable either by the person making a better decision or an officer being able to apprehend them before that crash occurred. And these officers day in and day out consistently ensure that our roads are safe. Like I said with the
apprehension of the 39 people and I think I can kind of uh speak to the fact everybody in this room has probably been at a party where somebody else probably had too much to drink and and maybe you haven't had too much drink and you understand how difficult it is to deal with that person. imagine them day in and day out having to put somebody under
arrest and then dealing with them back at our headquarters and and obviously not their their finest night um that they've had, but it doesn't deter them from doing the the significant work they did. And both officers were recognized by the Mothers Against Drunk Driving this year for the work they do. And I look forward to seeing what they've
already done this year and continue to do this year. And I'd imagine they'll be standing back here next year for the same work that they continue to put in. So, I want to give a special thank you to Patrolman Marico and Patrolman Lacio for their commitment to taking intoxicated drivers off the roadway.
[Applause] Yeah. Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations and thank you. Congratulations and thank you.
We will now conduct the swearing in ceremonies for our new officers and Deputy Mayor Grael and Committeeman Member Ravitz will assist in the pinning ceremony and offer a few remarks afterwards. Controlman Terry could could join me.
I I when I have the officers that have been working for a while and we get to recognize them, I remember what that was like. And today when I saw uh patrol officer Terry Al's family and I try to remember what it was like uh when I when I was in his shoes 20 plus years ago um
and and you really remember your family and and you remember the officers in the room and just the excitement you had to start the job and I know just seeing those two guys it just you know it reinvigorates my excitement doing the job even now after 20 plus years. So, I
it's always great having this day because it kind of gives me a little bit of new energy that I feel like sometimes lasts a month, couple months, but at least it'll last a couple weeks, that's for sure. At least energy-wise, and and these guys bring the energy each and every day. So, first officer I want to introduce you to is patrol officer Ryan Terrell. He was hired by this agency on
January 13th of this year. Upon being hired, patrol material attended the Morris County Police Academy and graduated near the top of his class. Since that time, he's hit the ground running, serving the community with great pride. Patrolarial grew up in Morris Township, served with the Morris
Minutemen, worked at the Madison Hotel, and graduated from Morristown High School. Needless to say, Patrolario is deeply ingrained in this community, and we look see look forward to seeing the work that he does here as a patrol officer. In his spare time, patrolario enjoys watching sports and playing golf.
Troll Ontario is joined here today by his mom Karen, his brother Brandon, girlfriend Caroline, sister-in-law, and his aunt Debbie. Mayor Grigalia and Township Committee. I proudly present to you Officer Ryan Teriel.
[Applause] Swear. Okay. Swearing. Do you want somebody to hold the Bible for you? This is always the difficult. It's always We don't say it's who you like best. That's just who who's in the front row. Usually
good hand of the Bible. Raise your right hand. Do you Ryan Terry all solemnly swear that you will support the Constitution United States and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey and bear faith and allegiance to the same and to the
government's established United States and in this state under the authority of the people. So help you God. Yes sir. Okay. Repeat after me. I, Ryan Tero, I, Ryan Tero, do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will faithfully that I will faithfully impartially and justly and partially and justly
perform all the duties perform all the duties a police officer a police officer of the township of Morris Police Department of the Township of Morris Police Department according to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability. So help me God. So help me God. Congratulations.
[Applause] sleeves. There we go. Got it. Okay. Very good. Congratulations. Congratulations. Yeah. Thank you. Patrol officer Cory Russo, if you can
come up again, like I had said previously, it's always exciting to introduce new officers and and before I kind of read Officer Russo's bio, I kind of want to give a little bit of a background um in just kind of the interview process. And and I'd say 95% of the times when we
interview somebody and we say, "Why do you want to be a police officer, it's always to help people?" And then probably 15 20 years ago it used to be, you know, I want to I want to arrest bad people. Um and you kind of just see the shift towards community policing. So those are usually the answers we got. Um, but I want to say with Officer Russo, it was exciting because it was
kind of the first time in a long time um where we were able to kind of hear maybe a new or different answer and he was really um interested and and wanted to help people in the community that are struggling with mental health crisis, which is something that we deal with uh on a day in and dayout basis um and and
have great assistance from our arrive program to make sure that citizens in crisis get the help that we need after having interaction with law enforcement. But I thought that was really a special response and and really uh allowed him to stand out from some of the other candidates because again it's not an easy thing to do. Um and and a lot of
times it's it's a thankless thing because it's obviously people that don't necessarily want the help or not in the right state of mind to re receive the help. So to want to really take take that on is something that should be commended and and really look forward to seeing that uh put into action with with Officer Russo on the road.
So, patrol officer Cory Russo was hired by this agency on se September 8th of this year, just about two weeks ago. Prior to being hired by this agency, Officer Russo had worked at the Irvington Police Department and prior to that, the New Jersey Department of Corrections. Patrolman Russo grew up in Union, New Jersey, where he graduated
from Union High School and later attended the Bergen County Community College. Patrolman Russo is an avid baseball fan, enjoys working out, and spending time with his brother, a fellow history buff. patrolman. Uh, Mayor Coraggler and Township Committee. I proudly present to you Officer Cory
Russo. [Applause] Yeah. So, Officer Yuboa, they always they're going to have a good start to their career. One of the fellow officers is holding the Bible for my right hand.
Do you Corey Duso solemnly swear that you will support the Constitution United States and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey and will bear faith and allegiance to the same as the government established United States and in this state under the authority of the people. So help me God.
Repeat after me. I Corey D. Russo. I, Cory G. Russo, do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will faithfully that I will faithfully and partially and justly and partially and justly perform all the duties perform all the duties a police officer a police officer of the Township of Morris Police
Department of the Township of Morris Police Department according to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability. So help me God. So help me God. Congratulations. [Applause] Yeah, the hole is small.
I will. You can do it. I can do it. One more try. One more try. Come on, committee. Captain P. You got it. There you go. Just let it drop.
Just let it drop. That's okay. That's good. Congratulations. Okay. Uh, good evening everybody. My name is Jeff Graiselle and I am the chairman of what we call the police department standing committee. Bud Rabbitzier is the vice chair of the committee and we have the oversight responsibility over the police
department on behalf of the governing body here. For those of you who have heard me speak before, I'd like to say that there are many elements that go into making Morris Township the special place that it is. There are too many to name them all, but a few are. All the volunteers and members of the uh
numerous boards and committees and commissions that the municipality has. The quality of the municipal staff in each and every department that provides great service to our residents every day. The volunteer coaches and supervisors that many youth sports uh of the many youth sports that we have around town and numerous parks that we
have throughout the community and the incredible amount of open space that we are so lucky to have. The list goes on and on. But one last element I always add is the quality of the police department here in Mars Township. We are grateful for the role that you play in the community to keep us safe and the
professionalism that you show on the job. On behalf of the entire township committee tonight, we are proud to celebrate Detective Yarzab as officer of the year and the MAD award and recognition to patrolman Marico and patrolman Palasio. We are honored that
all of you have come out to celebrate the special occasion with all of us. We understand that a police officer is a serious job and that certain qualities are necessary for being a good officer. That is why we go through a rigorous screening and hiring process. The final
stage of which is being interviewed by the members of the oversight committee from our governing body. Chief Shearer and the chiefs that preceded him have done a great job in their choices of hiring and we see the fruits of their labor this evening. Personally, I'm a big supporter of the police department and the importance that good policing
plays in our society in general. Over the years, I have made comments from the day in support of policing and the profession. And I have also acknowledged the dangers that our officers face because of all the guns we have in our street on our streets across the country. Policing plays a hugely
important role in our society and that is not going away and we rely on all of our officers to uphold their duties, roles and responsibilities that make for the exceptional police police work that we do here in Morris Township. And additionally, I understand that each and
every day all of you come to work not knowing what might be in store for you. It might be months before you might come upon a difficult situation, but you need to be prepared every single day that you're on duty. It's not an easy job to be ready each and every second of each
day and I appreciate all of you who are out there protecting the community to the best of your abilities. So, thank you all for that. And lastly, to our new two new officers, uh, and I'll I'm going to learn to do this over the years, Ter
and Russo. Uh, welcome to our community or Terrialt and Russo. Welcome to our community. Morris Township is a special place and I am hopeful that you will contribute to making it even better. And as I stated earlier, our police officers play an important role here and even
though you don't live here, although officer Tiel grew up here, uh please try to make it your own. Get to know our residents by stopping your patrol car and getting out to say hello to people. Stop at baseball games or groups taking a walk on the street or other gatherings you might come across. It is important
to foster trust between the department and the community and those personal interactions are helpful in forming that trust. And always remember that we all have good days and bad days. Some of the people you might pull over might just be having a bad day instead of being a bad
person. So use your best judgment when making those stops and always be both courteous and compassionate in some of those tougher situations that you might find yourself in. and maintain and and also maintain the authority that you have to uphold the law in our community.
I wish you too success in your new roles and hopeful that you will you will remain our wonderful in our our sorry we are hopeful that you will remain with our wonderful police department for many many years to come. So thank you again to everyone for coming out to the
special ceremony and I'll turn it over to Mr. Good evening everybody and thank you for all being thank you all for being part of this auspicious occasion. It's an honor to be part of this celebration recognizing Detective
Yarzub, Patrolman Marico, and Patrolman Palasio of the Mars Township Police Department. arguably one of the finest uh finest not only in Mars County but in the entire state of New Jersey for their accomplishments. It's a pleasure to
officially congratulate and welcome patrolman Tyial and Patrolman Russo on joining the ranks of the Mars Township's finest. It's a testament to Chief Shear and his leadership team that such fine candidates want to be part of our police
department. Excellence in policing is not measured by numbers alone. It is measured by integrity, professionalism, and trust in the community. On each of these counts, our department stands out. The men and women of the Mars Township
Police serve with courage and with unwavering commitment to public safety. They are protectors in times of crisis, mentors in our school, and steady partners in countless community efforts.
By combining vigilance with compassion, they ensure our residents not only feel safe, but know their police department stands with them every single day. In a time when trust in institutions can be
fragile, our department sets a standard that earns both respect and admiration. To the officers of the Mars Township Police Department, we thank you for your service, your sacrifice, and your dedication to the community. Thank you.
Thank you, Chief Shear, and to all our Oh, do you want just one one last thing? My my wife always says I I want to have the last word. Maybe she's right, I guess. But uh I want to say a special thank you to the police committee for for honoring uh the officers today and and to police committee, but but also I want to make sure I want to thank the men and women
from Morris Township Police Department that took time out of their schedule to come here and welcome the new officers. Um like I said, I don't remember a lot from that day, but I remember the officers that came and and supported me. So, I really do appreciate you guys taking the time out of your day to come here and not only recognize the officers
that were being recognized, but also welcoming the new officers that, you know, some of you have only met maybe a week and a half or so ago. So, thank you again and thank you. Thank you, Chief Shear, and thank you to our entire Morris Township Police Force. Congratulations to those who have
achieved awards and for your swearing in. Um, again, we appreciate so much all that you do. You keep all the residents in Morris Township safe and we hope that you remain safe while you're out there. So, great job. At this time, we will
retire the colors and after that we'll take a quick five minute recess so that you can join your families, take pictures, and then we'll resume our meeting. Congratulations. Detail attention. Port arms.
Right face forward part. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you, Chief. Great job. American Cancer Society estimates that in 2025
approximately 20,890 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 12,730 will die from the disease nationwide, including an estimated 670 new cases and
340 deaths. in New Jersey. Whereas a woman's lifetime risk of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer is approximately 1 in 91 and her lifetime risk of dying from the disease is approximately 1 in 143.
Whereas during the month of September, the Township of Mars joins survivors, families, health care professionals, advocacy organizations, and all those committed to raising awareness, remembering lives lost, and offering
hope for a future with better outcomes and ultimately a cure. Now therefore, I, Donna Rigglia, mayor of the township of Mars, along with the township of committee, do hereby proclaim September 2025 as ovarian cancer awareness month
in the township of Mars in the state of New Jersey. We encourage all residents to participate in awareness activities, wear teal in support, and engage in conversations that help save lives and support the thousands of families
affected by this devastating disease. Rachel like to welcome you to the township committee meeting. Thank you. Thank you. Am I able to say a few words? Yes, absolutely.
Okay, great. Thank you. So, ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest cancers impacting women. Yet, it remains one of the most underfunded and least understood. Each year in the United States, nearly 20,000 women are diagnosed and over 12,700
will lose their lives to this devastating disease. And that's a staggering 64% mortality rate. Here in New Jersey, hundreds of women face this devastating diagnosis each year. Sadly, more than 75% are diagnosed at advanced
stages due to vague symptoms and the lack of an early of a reliable early detection test. The 5-year survival rate remains below 50% and that hasn't improved in decades. At age 38, I was diagnosed with stage 3A
lowgrade cerosis ovarian cancer or LGSOC, a rare form of ovarian cancer. that disproportionately impacts young premenopausal women. This insiduous disease has no standard of care, is chronic, and experiences an 85%
recurrence rate. The impact on my life and my family as a result has been profound. Like many women that face LGSO, I lost my ability to have biological children with no time or guidance to preserve fertility. Cancer robbed my husband and I of the dreams we
had not yet fulfilled. And these losses still echo through every day of my survivorship. As a five-year survivor, it's heart-wrenching to think that I've beaten the odds. But even worse are the devastating stories of those who did not. One of them, and who I dedicate
this ovarian cancer awareness month, too, is my dear friend and first mentee, Jordan, who died last uh last September during ovarian cancer awareness month, just one day after her 33rd birthday. Jordan was vibrant, brilliant, and full
of hope. I had the privilege of running the Disney Princess 10K with her last February, which was only seven short months prior to her passing. Jordan's last words to me were, "I'm glad you're fighting for awareness of this disease. I just don't have it in me
right now. Thank you, and I love you." Jordan's death crushed me, but I made her promise to continue fighting for her and every woman still waiting for earlier detection, better treatment, and a real chance at survival. Women like Jordan deserve more. They
deserve better. They deserve a future that begins with awareness, which leads to earlier diagnosis, research, resources, and ultimately survival. And that is why this September, I appreciate you granting this proclamation, declaring it as ovarian cancer awareness
month. Thank you for standing with survivors, honoring those we have lost, and helping to protect women across the township of Morris. Together, we can shine a light on this gravely overlooked disease and give hope to the women and families in our communities who need it the most. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you, Rachel. and from all of us here in the township of Morris and here on the township committee. We're grateful that you're here and you're able to speak to us about this disease and all the great work that you continue
to do. You're actually very lucky. I did lose a dear friend to ovarian cancer who from the time she was diagnosed within eight weeks she had passed away. So again appreciate all your good work. Please feel free every year to come back to us in September. I will
I much thank you. Have a great evening, guys. Thank you so much. Thank you. You too. The next proclamation on the agenda is for prostate cancer awareness month and committeeman rabbits will present the prostate cancer proclamation.
Thank you, mayor. Uh like you, I will just highlight some of the um the wherees from the proclamation and then add at the end a bit of commentary. Uh prostate cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in men. There
will be over 300,000 new CA cases estimated by the end of 2025. Prostate cancer is also the second most common cause of cancer deaths for men with nearly 36,000 projected by the end of 2025.
One in eight men will be diagnosed during their lifetime and six in 10 diagnosed will be in those in men 65 or older. Prostate cancer risk more than doubles if it runs in the family and is
more prevalent in men of African or Caribbean ancestry. So reading the end of the proclamation. Now therefore, it be proclaimed that the township committee of the township of Mars hereby recognizes September 2025 as
prostate cancer awareness month and encourages all residents to learn the facts about prostate cancer, support research and patient care efforts, and be mindful of the men and families impacted by this disease. The warning
signs can be easy to dismiss. Trouble starting or stopping urination, weak flow, too many trips to the bathroom uh at night, blood in the urine, or pain in the hips and back. And here's the
scary part. Sometimes there are no symptoms at all until the cancer has spread. But here's the good news. When caught early, prostate cancer is one of the most treatable cancers. A simple blood test, a quick exam can save
your life. Early detection means more choices, less invasive treatment, and far better outcomes. Ignore the signs and the story changes. Advanced prostate cancer can spread to the bones and beyond. It causes intense pain, robs men
of their strength and mobility, and too often it shorten lives. Families lose husbands, fathers, brothers needlessly. So my message today is simple. Don't wait. Know the symptoms. Talk to your
doctor. Get screened. Early action isn't just smart, it saves lives. Mayor, thank you. Committee and Rabbits. We will now have our first public comment. There are currently three members of the public joining us via Zoom and two in person. At this time, we
will open the meeting to public comment. We will first take comments from in-person attendees and then we'll switch over to Zoom. Please use the raised hand feature in Zoom. If you would like to speak, please state your name and if you are a resident or non-resident.
For the record before speaking, please note the comments are limited to five 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. Are there any? I don't know how you sit in here. It keeps us awake. Um, first of all, I want to thank all of you for what you do. you have impossible
jobs. Um, and with that said, I'm a pickle ball player. I'm sorry. Can I have your name? Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Lauren Miller. I live at 23 Fieldstone Drive. So, I'm a pickle ball player. And the reason I'm here, I've come every single
year and I've come with the same comments because frankly, nothing has changed. three years approximately three years ago as a result of I think comments from players um badges were introduced and residents
pay one fee and non-residents pay another and the understanding was someone would be hired to check the badges in addition to that there are rules for play there are days that are designated open play and days that are designated non-open play as well as
different times of the day and part of the rules of non on open play is that you start playing on the hour and if there are people waiting at the end of that hour you get off and you can get back online to play again. My badge has
been checked once in three years once. I play with a group of women primarily. Everyone has a badge even those from out of town. So they pay $175 to play at Ginty. Never been checked
ever. Um, also the on the hour play is never enforced. It's not my job to tell a bunch of people to get off the courts. I assume that's what we're paying somebody if we are in fact paying somebody to do this. And I say that because I've never I've seen one person,
she was a woman. I think she was hired when this whole thing first was instituted. Never again. I wear my badge on my shoe. We follow, we all follow the rules. Everyone either has a badge or they're a guest of a badge me badge holder.
So I don't know if anybody's paid and if there's nobody being paid then why are we paying for badges? Um for the past I would say so let me step back in the summer we play at 7:00 in the morning before it gets hot typically nobody
maybe two or two courts are taken by 9:00. So, we continue to play because there's nobody waiting and we play on the non-open play days. By 9:00, people start coming and by then we have no more perspiration in us to keep playing. It's
90°. But in the past 3 weeks, we've noticed when we get there at 8, we're playing later cuz it's cooler. The courts are packed. There's no parking spots. We don't know who these people are or where they've come from. And frankly, we don't know if they have badges. Do they even belong there? So,
if we have all of these rules and procedures in place, it seems to me that none of it is being enforced at all. And it's frustrating as a township member that I can't go to these courts and play on my courts. And we have left and gone
to Ligerwood, which is not they're not my courts. Um but anyway, I just want to understand is there somebody paid to check these courts? When are they supposed to come and check these courts? Um
who who is supposed to manage the time on and off the courts? And I understand some times of the day are busier than others. Morning and and evenings are the busiest. There's nobody there. So, my point in saying this is if rules are in
place, they're not being enforced. We all follow them that I play with. Um, and it what was supposed to have been accomplished isn't being accomplished, which is to not to have people pay to play essentially and not have people out
of town who are pay playing without paying. So if you're not the correct people to talk to about this and again this is my third year coming here so I'm you can understand my frustration then I would like to know who do I talk to
about this um nothing's changed. So first of all we appreciate your feedback and your comments and I'm sorry that um this is your experience so far. It is my understanding that there is someone who checks badges. they are and I will check with them. We
do have two part-time employees that rotating hours depending on time of day and that kind of thing and I will follow up. It's over the oversight comes from our parks and recreation department and I will check that you know I think they work in the morning. I know they work in the evening and I will follow up with
them as to because they're supposed to be you know enforcing the rules. Absolutely. Checking the badges. Um and I'm a rules person. The rules are posted. We receive the rules. Everybody I play with, it says our badges have to be displayed. I wear mine on my shoes.
They've got them on their bags. Okay. We are fully prepared to get off if there are people waiting, which is the rule. Um, but I'm telling you, I have never checked once in three years, nor have I seen anybody, whether playing or not, and if they're
working, frankly, they shouldn't be playing, checking badges, walking around to anybody. So, are they not showing up? I I don't know. And if they're not showing up, why are we paying them? I know they they are because we they have to check in in order to get paid.
Um I just don't I don't It's hard to hear you. I'm sorry. Do you want me to see, but do you mind walking out and just Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just hard for me to hear. Do you mind because you're closest and just ask them please if they could We can't close the doors because it's I understand they're excited, but I I
can't No, that's okay. I just can't hear you. We I felt the same way. It's one door. Yeah. They'll go, I think. So, again, um we'll check into it and uh we that's why the rules were put in place so that we could help manage. Um,
again, as you know, pickle ball is just huge. And I know my fellow mayors in surrounding municipalities that have courts are continually trying to not only cope with, you know, making sure that everybody has a place to play and
all that, but the influx of other people coming in and because we have such nice pickle ball courts and Exactly. I I certainly wouldn't go to another town to play on their courts. And like I said, the one idea that I had, and I'm just throwing this out
there, is I don't know if you're aware, but in Floren Park, they have tennis and tennis courts that are lined for pickle ball, and they have locked their courts. And the only they have a swipe card, and the only people who can get them are burrow residents. So, I know our courts
right now, they're the lowest fences are four feet high. So you can't lock them cuz Mhm. knowing avid pickle ball players they would jump them. Um but which would be something to see, you know, then our insurance may go up because they fall. But um one thought
that I had is if this current system isn't working and and nothing is perfect. I totally understand that. Maybe we could look into raising the the fences and then having a system where it's a swipe card so that only township members have access to these courts. And
in Floren Park, you can bring a guest, but you have to be there and you have to swipe that card and it's that problem has been eliminated for them. So, I just throw that out as an option. We appreciate that. And I'm sure at
parks and wreck at your meetings, you discuss pickle ball quite often. So, you'll bring up there's a there's a a parks and wreck advisory committee meeting coming up. Um don't don't know it off top of my head, but absolutely, you know, you're welcome to speak. Um Okay.
The public is welcome to speak there. Okay. I I'll make sure to bring it up. Committeeman Gory and I are are the liaison to parks and recreation. Would you be able to send out an email? Yeah. Um, what I was going to do is I will speak with our parks and recck
personnel and they have your email filed from the the pickle ball application. Okay. And I will email you with the followup as to when our employees are working. Do we have somebody on, you know, 8:00 in the morning or we more in towards the afternoon? Okay.
Um, because there's not somebody there all the time. And also we'll get you the date for the the park and rec advisory committee. Perfect. which is a little bit more informal than than what we have here. Yeah. Going back and forth and they meet in the in the room right behind us. Okay. I just have one last question. Um,
do tennis players pay for badges? They do not. I lay that out there. Okay. Now, the reason I think you understand the reason we had it put in for badges. Absolutely. Absolutely. But one sport
does, the other sport doesn't. And I know it's not the same issue with the tennis courts. I live by the tennis courts, but just throwing that's been asked of me by other pickle ball players and I said I would confirm that. So I let that hang out there. Understood.
Thank you. Okay. Thank you very much and I look forward to your email. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. If there's nobody else here in person and I see no hands raised on Zoom, is there a motion to close public comment? So move.
Second. All in favor? I. We have two ordinances for introduction on tonight's agenda. Madame clerk, please read the title of ordinance 24-25 into the record. Ordinance 24-25, an ordinance of the township committee of
the township of Morris, authorizing the mayor and the township clerk to execute that certain agreement with the county of Morris to accept the transfer of certain properties identified on the township's tax map as block 1901, a
portion of lot 1 and 1.01. block 1 1901 to be consolidated into new lot 6 in block 1 1901 consisting of approximately 3.5366
acres note ordinance to accept transfer of county owned property for affordable housing. May I have a motion to introduce ordinance number 24-25? So moved. Second. Is there any discussion or any questions
on this ordinance? Madame clerk, may I have a roll call vote? Mr. Ravitz, yes. Mr. Griselle, yes. Mr. Janata, yes. Mayor Griglia, yes. The public hearing and final consideration and adoption of ordinance number 24-25
will be held at the next regular township committee meeting on Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at 7 p.m. Madame Clerk, please read the title of ordinance 25-25 into the record. Ordinance 25-25,
an ordinance of the township committee of the township of Morris repealing ordinance 22-25 and reauthorizing the sale of that certain property known as block 8602 lot 10 in the township of Morris County of
Morris, state of New Jersey. Note reauthorizing sale of four old turnpike road for supportive housing. May I have a mo Sorry, mayor. May I have a question? So just uh for clarity for the public since it's a little confusing based on the
wording of of uh pulling back an ordinance and reauthorizing, can we just get a little explanation? So, um we had we had originally um authorized this um and we had an agreement in
place. Um but the purchaser of the property is getting funding from the state uh to purchase for old turnpike. Um we're providing some money also. Um this will help our affordable housing number. Um the state when the state looked at it, they didn't believe that our agreement was in line with their
grant. Uh specifically, there was a reverter clause. Um if there was a default under the provisions um we need to the idea is that it will always be supportive housing um and it can't be supportive housing it needs to revert back uh in this case the original
agreement had a reverting back to the township but instead it's going to revert back to the state and the state has an obligation to find um a new uh owner who will provide the supportive housing. So, it was it was an issue with the way the property was funded um and
if there's any defaults uh of of the purchaser of the property. So, we had to um because it was a material change to the agreement um we thought the best thing to do was to um is to repeal the prior ordinance and readopt this ordinance allowing the purchase to go forward.
Thank you, Mr. Caner. Thank you. I will move ordinance 25-25. Second. Are there any other questions or discussion? Madame Clerk, may I have a roll call vote? Mr. Gazelle, yes. Mr. Ravitz, yes. Mr. Janata, yes.
Mayor Grigia, yes. The public hearing and final consideration and adoption of ordinance 25-25 will be held at the next regular township committee meeting on Wednesday, October 15th, 2025 at 7 p.m. We have 12
resolutions on tonight's agenda. May I have a motion to approve resolution numbers 208-25 through 219-25 by one motion? Second. Madame clerk, may I have a roll call vote? Mr. Gazelle? Yes. Mr. Janata?
Yes. Mr. Ravitz? Yes. Mayor Grigley? Yes. We have four items on the consent calendar this evening. May I have a motion to approve both items on the consent calendar by one motion? Well, four items. Four items. Four items.
So moved. Second. All in favor? I I. The consideration of monthly reports. The following reports are on record with the township clerk and township administrator. June 2025, fire. July
2025, joint court and fire. August 2025, tax collector, police, and the library. May I have a motion to approve the monthly reports? Some second. All in favor? I I claims for payment list of bills and
vouchers. The total amount of bills and vouchers for this meeting is 8 million234,24124. We are also the tax collector for the school district, the library, and the county. May I have a motion to approve the list of bills and vouchers? So moved. Second. Madame Clerk, may I have a roll call
vote? Mr. Ravitz? Yes. Mr. Janata? Yes. Mr. Gazelle? Yes. Mayor Griglia. Yes. And now we'll have our standing committee reports and commentary by the township committee. And we'll begin with committeeman Janata.
Thank you, Mayor. First, I'll start with the transportation advisory committee. The Morris Township in motion events have been continuing with two walks in this month. At the one was the Freeling Heisen Arboritum walk on September 6.
Betty Simmons was our tour guide. She provided a brief history since Carol Barkin wasn't there and we walked the grounds of the main house. She told us that the Mars County Golf Club nearby was founded by and for women which
included the proprie of the home of Whitney Farm home. Then the men took over which is another story. We walked the gardens and left the trails for another time. And one thing I noticed was we had many new
people this time than we did last year. And then uh last this past Saturday we had a walk at Fairchild Speedwell Avenue neighborhood and that was led by the chair of TAC Andy Feldman. First we went to Speedwell Village where the electric
telegraph was invented. I happen to add a few more details of my own there. We cross the street to Speedwell Lake and Patriots Path. We we talked about Willow Hall which was across across the road and the former owners. One of them was
in my eccentric fifth grade teacher Mr. Stratman. Uh I also added a few notes about the Whippony River. And one thing we have note, we do need another crosswalk, but that's a state highway and we have to
see how we can do it. But we found that in order to cross the road, we had to go from one ex one one end to the other instead of somewhere in the middle. Future Morrison Motion events are senior citizens walk at the future community
center on Gan Street. That's next this tomorrow, September 18th. And then this coming Saturday is the jockey hollow top Saunders field walk on September 20th. And October 4th is a traction line as hasn't been decided whether it's going
to be a walk or a bike bike bike ride. You can sign up on the township web web page for that. And the environmental commission will be hosting a forum on sustainable landscaping on October 28th at 7 p.m. The event will be here in the
main room and will include people from other towns including Madison and Marstown. And uh we're in Marstown FE fall festival the at the end of the month on 28th of September. Uh we the environmental commission will share a
tent with TAC and the theme for the environmental commission is it will be on native plants and uh Butterworth Field uh the new meadow Butterworth Field has been working well as has the pollinator
garden for both uh both our thanks to the township parks and recck crew. And I just wanted to note last month my family members from India came to the township committee meeting. Afterward they told me that they admired how the public
portion was done. Members where members of the public have the chance to address their elected officials who then respond cordially. They said that nothing like that has been done in India which has surprised me since it has been
a tradition in India for since ancient times to petition their leaders. So something was lost in recent times. I I have my theories as to why but I'll save it for another time. My relatives are both attorneys. One is a practicing
attorney who belongs to professional group. She told me about how our public to comment was and suggested to them that they do the same over there. We often take so many things for granted. One of them is a chance for ordinary
people having the ability to speak to their leaders either in private or in public meetings DC meetings in practice with the mayor and etc. It's when someone from another country witnesses a local public meeting and favorable favorably comments on what they have
seen that we who live and work here understand appreciate seeing for ourselves. This is after all democracy in action. And as a related note, today is September 17th, which is Constitution Day when the convention in Philadelphia
passed the US Constitution with ratification to be done by the states in the following following years and talk about taking something for granted. This is the document which set up our federal government and the basic form in which we continue to build. What
was argued in that sweltering summer are issues which we are still debating. The constitution is not just a document to revere but one which we follow and attempt to understand. The authors are brilliant overall and with who made many
many compromises when needed for to make a working document working document for and a working government. The wording reads with the poetic feel thanks to Governor Morris who had a bit of the poem about him. Even when the
document was felt to be incomplete, such as the enslavement of African-Americans or women not allowed the right to vote or any other rights to can be considered, we are allowed to add amendments to rectify these situations. And even after the passage, the states
needed to ratify it. One of them was that there was a need for a bill of rights which were added four years later as the first 10 amendments. Right. The federalist papers were written anonymously by one publaus to defend the
constitution for its passage in New York State. The authors were Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John J. where one of them is federalist number 10 where Madison wrote the importance of the constitution was it was needed
because it would we were we would need to be able to control the factionalism which is division by parties. Separation of powers was needed for this. He he one important passage he said was if men were angels there would be no need for
government. The constitution does not advocate or for what constitution does not advocate for or against religion contrary contrary to current contemporary sentiments by certain certain factions. Now there would be no for example there
would be no religious test for any member of government either elected or appointed and the first amendment also gives freedom of religion but does not establish any any religion one religion overall. There are other passages throughout the constitution where meant which are meant
to protect us from both us from both the strong and the weak. Power is supposed to reside in the three branches and no one branch was to rule overall. That important and longheld belief is now being tested beyond our comprehension.
Which is why we the people needs to be reasserted once more. We on this days swore an oath to US Constitution both of elected and appointed not to any individual or group but we answered to the people as my relatives last month
from another country have personally attested. Thank you Madame Mayor. Thank you Committeeman Rabbitz. Uh thank you mayor. Um I hope to be brief but there's a number of announcements that I I want to get through. Um, good evening everybody and
thank you for your participation in local government whether you're here in person on Zoom or watching a recording later. Uh, national news gets all the spotlight, but it's what we do here locally that should have a greater
impact on our lives. And I emphasize the word should because I'm not sure if that's the case anymore. Just a few items I want to mentions tonight. Congratulations to Michael Cook for joining Morris Township's bravest. He's been assigned to the Woodland Fire
Company. Congratulations to firefighter EM EMTs Keller and Levvenberg on their promotion to class one firefighter. Um the initial meeting for the township's third annual Pridefest will be held on Monday 9:29
here at the municipal building at 5:00 PM. All are welcome to be part of this residentled community community community building fest. Trunk or treat will be held on October 25th at Genty Field. Uh this event has gotten bigger
and more fun each year, so registered early if you want to be a candy giver and see the parks and rec uh website for details. The annual kids night at the firehouse will be held at Fairchild Firehouse on October 7th and then at
Woodland Firehouse on October 9. Both begin at 9 and end at 8. And lastly, six, I'm sorry, start at 6. I'm sorry, it's my dyslexia. Uh, begin at six and end at 8. Lastly, as you go about your day, remember to be
kind. Be kind to yourself. be kind to others because it can make a big difference in someone's life and we surely need it these days. Mayor, thank you. Deputy Deputy Mayor Gazelle.
Uh, thank you. On our agenda tonight, we have the appointment of Ron O uh to to be our construction code official. I wanted to congratulate Ron on that promotion. Um, as well as the appointment of Chris Mason as a building sub code official
here in Mars Township. Uh, the work Mr. Con on Harter Road is ongoing. Do we have timeline? Is there the water utility work? Yeah. It's going to be over the next two months or so. In the next two months. Okay. Because I know that there are sporadic road
closures to uh to accommodate them. Correct. Yep. Very good. So, another couple months before that is done. We have another project following that. Yeah. And we have another project following that. Yep. Um I also want to uh comment on ordinance uh 2525 because
I love that we are building supportive housing here in Mars Township. There is such a great need for this type of housing in the state of New Jersey and across our country and uh I'm so glad that we're stepping up and doing our part in filling that gap.
Uh I just have one other comment and that's related to uh a resolution that we had to allocate additional funding for trees planting in the town. And I got an interesting suggestion from a resident this week that in honor of the 250th anniversary of our country next year that perhaps we should buy 250
special trees of some kind and I don't know which kind that might be and plant them around the town and indicate make an indication on the trees that they're one of the 250 to recognize the 250 years. So I thought that was an interesting suggestion that I'd share with all of you to to let you think
about and I spoke enough earlier tonight. So, I'm going to yield my time back to you. Thank you. So, I have a couple quick updates. Again, I sit here crossing out things. Thank you, Committeeman Rabbitz, for all the fire updates and congratulations. So, I'm not going to
repeat all that. Uh, just on the transportation advisory committee, again, thank you, Committeeman Janata. One thing I did want to let everybody know, we did at our meeting, there were three new speed studies that came out. Um, we continue to do those. And if in fact um we can't lower actual speed
limits, we always look at different kinds of traffic calming and that by using digital signs and other things as how we can make our roads safer for everyone. We're also looking into along with some other municipalities um an ordinance that would address ebikes and
ecooters. You know, as again we see more and more of those out on the road. the senior citizens advisory committee tomorrow at 3:00 at 15 Jean Street, which is where our new future community center will be. We are having a senior
walk from 3 to 4. We'll walk around the community center. We'll walk all the way down to Jane Way there. We'll come back and have discussion. I did already tonight there were three new people who emailed who are joining us as well. So, anybody if you're listening and you hear
this, please feel free. You can just show up at 3:00. There's a senior health and wellness fair on September 27th at the Fairchild Firehouse from 10 to 12 noon. I urge everybody, all seniors, if they can get to this, the senior
citizens advisory committee along with our board of health professionals have done an incredible job. There's probably over 20 different tables that'll be there. There'll be flu vaccines there. So, please make an effort to try to get there.
The economic advisory advis economic development advisory committee has also been meeting. Um, a couple of us were just over at the optim optimum ribbon cutting which is now completes every vacant store over there. So, that was
really special. And Edok will be putting together a fall small business get together somewhere over at the marketplace this Saturday from 10 to 12. Coffee with the mayor is at the Mount Kemell Firehouse. I urge all residents
to please come stop by. More and more residents are showing up at these events and it's really nice. Many of them stay the entire two hours. You can come and just sit and listen or bring any concerns or feedback that you have. I did want to mention this is Hispanic
Heritage Month and the theme for this year is the collective heritage. Honoring the past, inspiring the future. We recognize the history and accomplish accomplishments of the Hispanic and Latine community and hope that you too will share in celebrating their culture
and customs. I just want to wrap up saying while our duty and responsibility is to our community, I do want to take a minute tonight to comment on the overall atmosphere that we are all living with. addressing some of the divisiveness and
misunderstanding and my concern for my fellow committee members and our community overall, especially during this campaign season. The very thing that makes our country so great, our democracy, is advocating at
the community level a concerted effort to foster an environment of cooperation, understanding, and respect. Threatening behavior can intimidate community members from participating in local governance and discussions. It not
only affects those who are targeted, but can disrupt the broader social fabric of our community dynamic. Our job is to play a crucial role in fostering dialogue, promoting understanding, and bridging gaps between differing
viewpoints. Our shared goals along with all of our residents, public safety, better infrastructure, economic development, affordability are the things we need to build coalitions around to foster collaboration and
reduce some of these tensions. We have an obligation in our role to always try and do this. It's actually part of our job. Sometimes due to time constraint constraints and our own heavy workloads, communication is slower than any of us
would like. We will continue to do better. I want to remind those who actively engage in putting out false information or attacks. It rarely garners more support for you. Most residents appreciate those who advocate for respectful dialogue and
collaboration, which is a result of patience, grace, and understanding. I have had these discussions with many residents and local candidates from both sides who understand we may walk away afterwards with our own views still
intact, but now understand where we disagree and how we try and move forward. We thank you all for your support and the encouragement we do receive for our efforts to keep Mars Township the great community it is.
And now we'll go to our second public comment. There are currently three members of the public joining us via Zoom and one in person. At this time we will open the meeting to public comment. We'll take comments from inerson attendees first and then switch over to
Zoom. Please raise your hand if you'd like to speak in Zoom. Please state your name and if you're a resident or non-resident, please note that your comments are limited to five minutes. If you have questions you'd like answer, remaining time to speak will be yielded back. Is there a motion to open public comment?
So moved. Second. All in favor? I seeing no hands raised on Zoom and no one here coming to the podium, is there a motion to close public comment? So moved. Second. All in favor?
I. The time is now 8:12. May I have a motion to adjourn the regular session? So moved. Second. All in favor? I. The next regular township committee meeting is Wednesday, October 15th, 2025
at 7 p.m. for the regular meeting 5:00 p.m. closed in the municipal building here at 50 Woodland Avenue. Everyone have a great night. Good night, everybody. It's a ref.