WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=bH4ATW9Eb8Q

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: bH4ATW9Eb8Q):
- 00:00:01: Meeting Call to Order, Roll Call, Pledge Allegiance
- 00:02:03: Proclamation: National Gun Violence Awareness Day
- 00:05:17: Proclamation: National Mobility Awareness Month
- 00:07:43: Proclamation: National Historic Preservation Month
- 00:15:53: Public Comment: Open Meeting, Gas Leaf Blowers
- 00:17:20: Public Comment: Gas Leaf Blower Issues Awareness
- 00:21:59: Public Comment: Support for Sustainable Landscaping
- 00:22:18: Public Comment: Support of Gas Leaf Blower Issues
- 00:26:19: Public Comment: Replacement of Gas Leaf Blowers
- 00:30:40: Public Comment: Support of Getting Rid of Gas Leaf Blowers
- 00:31:50: Public Comment: More on Gas Leaf Blowers, Morristown
- 00:34:15: Public Comment: Noise Pollution Is a Big Issue
- 00:35:00: Public Comment: Ketro Litigation and Planning Failures
- 00:39:28: Ordinance 17-26: Capital Improvements, $2,993,000
- 00:41:25: Ordinance 18-26: Capital Improvements, $641,000
- 00:42:29: Ordinance 19-26: Capital Improvements, $320,000
- 00:43:18: Ordinance 20-26: Open Space Improvements, $278,500
- 00:44:52: Ordinance 21-26: Sewer Utility Capital Improvements, $1,250,000
- 00:46:10: Ordinance 22-26: Parking Enterprise Capital Improvements, $50,000
- 00:46:55: Ordinance 23-26: Swimming Pool Utility Capital Improvements, $75,500
- 00:47:58: Ordinance 24-26: Sewer Utility Capital Improvements, $437,000
- 00:49:00: Ordinance 25-26: Emergency Master Plan Consultant, $250,000
- 00:50:03: Ordinance 26-26: Firemen's FMBA Salaries and Compensation
- 00:50:52: Resolutions, Consent Calendar, Monthly Reports Approval
- 00:52:17: Claims for Payment, Committee Reports Begin
- 00:52:50: Committee Reports: Rothman - Transportation, Quiet Summer
- 00:56:07: Committee Reports: Rabbits - Leaf Blowers, Pridefest, Collinsville
- 01:02:26: Committee Reports: Janata - Sustainable Jersey, Patriots Ball
- 01:08:54: Committee Reports: Griglia - Legal Notices, Master Plan, EDAC
- 01:13:18: Second Public Comment: Township Gas Leaf Blowers
- 01:15:14: Meeting Adjournment, Next Meeting Scheduled


Part: 1

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I call to order this regular meeting of the township committee of the township of Mars this Wednesday, May 20th, 2026. The time is now 700 p.m. This meeting is being held in accordance with the open public meetings act and adequate notice

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of this meeting has been provided as required by law. Specifically, notice of this meeting was sent to the daily record and the Mars Newsby on January 8th, 2026 and posted on the Township of Mars website. The agenda and resolutions

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for this meeting are available on marswp.com under the agenda center. Certain portions of this meeting may be closed to the public for the purpose of personnel and/or other matters as outlined in the Sunshine Law. Notice to

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members of the governing body and township staff, any use of electric devices during the meeting shall be used solely for the purpose of township business and any communications are subject to the Open Public Records Act. I just want to note that our township

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clerk, Sue Walsh, um is not feeling well, so she's not here tonight, but she is online, so we hope that she feels better soon. Can we have a roll call, please? >> Yes, Mayor. Mr. Mr. Janata >> here. >> Mr. Rabbits >> here. >> Miss Rothman >> here.

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>> Mayor Gregia >> here. >> And note that Mr. Graelle is absent tonight. >> Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation

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under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Can I have a motion to approve the minutes from February 18th, 2026, the regular and close session? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I.

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>> So tonight we have three proclamations on the agenda. And the first one is the National Gun Violence Awareness Proclamation. Now, many of you might realize that that actually takes place in June, but because June 5th is

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actually gun violence awareness day, we're doing it this month. I'm not going to read through the entire proclamation. Also, Committeeman Grazelle likes to speak to this. So, when he's here in June, he's also going to want to offer some comments. But I will I do want to

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um note some things. Protecting the health, safety, and welfare of residents remains one of our highest responsibilities in the township of the township committee in the township of Mars. And whereas the township supports the constitutional rights of law-abiding

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citizens while recognizing the importance of responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the hands of individuals with dangerous histories, documented mental health concerns or those who have made credible threats of

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violence. And whereas the township of Mars reaffirms its commitment to supporting efforts that help reduce gun violence and protect residents, families, and neighborhoods. Now therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and township

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committee of the township of Mars hereby proclaim Friday, June 5th, 2026 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the Township of Mars and encourage residents to support efforts aimed at

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preventing gun violence and honoring lives lost to firearm violence. Sadly, as you all know, just yesterday in San Diego, there was another shooting at the Islamic Center where three people were killed. The shooters were

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teenagers. Ammon Abdullah was the security guard that saved lives. The two others who lost their lives were trying to draw the attention of the shooters away from the mosque. Although New Jersey has strict

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gun laws, some of the strictest in the country, our surrounding states do not. Until the country as a whole recognizes the importance of gun safety and gun violence prevention across all states, we need to continue to spotlight the

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dangers and make people aware of better gun safety. On June 5th, wear orange, the defining symbol of the movement honoring survivors and demand an end to gun violence. We all know a lot of the

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statistics. School shootings are an epidemic. Gun violence is preventable when you know the signs. Guns are the leading cause of death among children and teens. And guns that are not properly stored have contributed to school shootings, suicides, and family

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member deaths. We urge all members of our community to learn about gun awareness policies and help prevent any more gun violence. The next proclamation on the agenda is National Mobility Awareness Month and

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Committeeman Janata will address it. >> Thank you, Mayor. Whereas National Mobility Awareness Month is celebrated each May to recognize the importance of ac accessible, inclusive and sustainable transportation options for people of all

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ages and abilities. And whereas Morris Township is home to a variety of parks, trails, sidewalks, and recreational opportunities that encourage walking, hiking, bicycling, and other forms of active transportation. And whereas residents and visitors are encouraged to

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explore alternative transportation options and enjoy the health, environmental, and community benefits associated with reduced reliance on motor vehicles. And whereas mobility awareness month provides an opportunity to highlight how improved mobility and

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accessibility can enhance quality of life, promote public health, and strengthen community connections. And whereas Morris Township continues to invest in infrastructure and planning initiatives that supports safe, accessible, and inclusive mobility

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options for residents of all ages, including pedestrians, bicyclists, hikers, and individuals with mobility challenges. And whereas seasonal outdoor activities and community events encourage residents to explore opportunities for recreation,

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wellness, and safe safe shared use of roadways, walkways, and trails. Now therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and township committee of the township of Morris hereby proclaim May 2026 as National Ability Awareness Month in the Township

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of Morris and encourage all residents to take advantage of the township's parks, trails, sidewalks, and pathways. The township further commits to promoting mobility resources and encouraging the safe and respectful shared use of public spaces by all. and as a leazison for the

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transportation advisory committee we I'm can tell you that they're very active in trying to promote um accessibility and where and mobility and we're looking forward to that and we we are also lucky

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enough to be near many uh walking trails including Patriots path and Jones's path. Good. Thank you. >> Thank you. And now if you if I could have Carol Barkin, the chair of the Historic Preservation Committee, come

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forward as I present the National Historic Preservation Month Proclamation and then afterwards Carol will be giving an I guess to be on the mic. I don't know.

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I'll follow you. >> Do you want? >> Yeah, if you don't mind. >> Thank you. The National Historic Preservation Month proclamation. Whereas historic preservation serves as an effective tool

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for managing growth, revitalizing neighborhoods, fostering local pride, and maintaining community character. And whereas historic places provide tangible connections to our past and enrich our understanding of the people and events

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which shaped our community. And whereas the township of Mars recognizes the important role of preservation in protecting these resources for present and future generations. And whereas the National Trust for

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Historic Preservation has designated May as National Historic Preservation Month during which the Historic Preservation Commission recognizes property owners who serve as stewards of historic properties. And whereas the township

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established an annual preservation award in 2019 and will present its eighth award in 2026. And whereas the 2026 Preservation Award is presented to Marian Levenson of 140

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Washington Valley Road for her stewardship of the historic Jacob Arnold Homestead, home to the Arnold family from 1789 to 1927. And whereas the Arnold family were among the earliest settlers of Washington

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Valley, residing there as early as 1749 and were prominent in the community, including the propri proprietors of the Arnold Tavern on the Marstown Green, which hosted General George Washington during the winter of 1777.

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And whereas in recognition of Mars Township's contributions to the Revolutionary War in celebration of America's 250th anniversary, the township highlights the history of the Arnold family. And

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whereas Marian Levenson has demonstrated a commitment to preserving local history by maintaining the homestead as an example of an 18th century rural residence. Now therefore, be it resolved that Mayor Donna Geriglia and the

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Township Committee of the Township of Mars hereby proclaim 2026 as National Historic Preservation Month and encourage all residents to recognize and support the efforts to preserve the

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township's historic resources. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. This plaque Marian will put on the front door and it forever be known that she

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received the outstanding preservation award for May 2026 presented by the Morris Township Historic Preservation Commission. And she wants us together. She wants us together. If you want me in the middle and turn your turn around

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>> and your proclamation. >> Okay. >> And if you want to say anything, the mic's right here. >> I do want to say something. >> There you go. >> I want to thank the commission. I'm really thrilled having this. It's so

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meaningful. And I want to thank Jacob Arnold for making all this possible. If you go around town, his presence is still here centuries after it. You'll hear him talked about.

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If you take uh a tour of Washington headquarters, the doen speaks about him. If you're on the green, of course, you see the plaque uh showing where the pub was and there

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are streets named after him. self. What is so remarkable about him was one that he had this pub and George Washington sent his men there and I'd like to think that by doing a lot of

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drinking they forgot that they didn't have shoes and also that they weren't going to dessert. He was also the pay master in General Washington's cabinet.

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He was a colonel. He was a sheriff. Uh he lived to 78. Uh he contributed to the building of the first school uh the Little Red Schoolhouse which is

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right opposite my property. He was a trustee of the Presbyterian Church and he also had 17 children in his spare time. Luckily from two wives. So I thank you.

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>> You're with me always. >> CONGRATULATIONS. >> YES. So we were uh researching Jacob Arnold and um it came to our we became aware of a map from 1777

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the map and the British created a map of the area around the green of the Morristown area and we found Marian's house uh Jacob Arnold's house is on the spy map from 1777. There are actually 24

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different properties um that the British had on their radar. So, we have you on our radar. >> I'll also mention uh that at one time the Arnold family owned 750

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acres. >> Wow. >> I mean, that's like the whole valley. >> That's the whole valley. And they were also the largest taxpayers. You might be interested to know. Thank you very much. We know at this time that many of you

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are here for the reception that's in the next room. So, we're going to just take a minute and as much as I know you would all love to sit and listen to the rest of the committee meeting. That is not why many of you are here. So, please take a minute and again congratulations

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Marian and thank you Carol and enjoy your reception. >> Thank you for the time. >> Congratulations. Okay. So, right. >> Yeah. Yeah, >> these are the two candies. I don't know

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who that happens. for my phone. >> Thank you. >> We're ready to start with our first public commentary. There are currently four members of the public joining us via Zoom and there are

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seven in attending in person. At this time, we will open the meeting for public comment. We'll begin with comments from those present in the room, followed by participants joining by Zoom. If you are participate participating by Zoom, please raise your hand

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and we will call on you. Before speaking, please state your name and whether or not you are a resident or non-resident for the record. Comments are limited to 5 minutes. If you have questions and would like a response, any remaining time will be yielded back for you for that purpose. Is there a motion

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to open public comment? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I I >> Mr. Shackner. >> Charlie Shaker, 10 Raleigh Court. I am a resident. Uh good evening. This is the sixth consecutive township committee

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meeting that I've attended to raise awareness about the impacts of gas leaf blowers. Just as a reminder, these devices generate more than 110 dB at the operator's ear, well above the threshold linked to hearing damage. Running one for 30 minutes produces as much

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hydrocarbon as running as driving a full-size pickup truck nearly 4,000 miles. And they emit pollutants that are linked with cancer, heart disease, asthma, and a myriad of other health issues. Against that backdrop, I want to thank the TC for the township committee for

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supporting the environmental commission's quiet summer initiative. The environmental commissions of Madison, Chattam Burough, and Chattam Township liked this quiet summer idea so much that they have all agreed to adopt it. So, we can be proud that Morris

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Township is now leading the way on this issue. I want to remind us that this is a voluntary program, so its success will depend entirely on how widely information about it is disseminated. I hope that the township will use every means at its disposal, including perhaps

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electronic signage at the street or pool complex, yard signs here at the municipal building, the swimming pools, police station, and firehouses, and flyers in the lobby of the town of the municipal building. Uh, four quick updates. At last Thursday's environmental commission meeting, the

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group decided to endorse my recommended plan on gas leaf blowers, and chairman Brian Morgan will be submitting those recommendations to you through the township administrator. Second, I recently learned that South Orange is considering extending its seasonal ban to a year-round ban. Uh,

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their seasonal restriction from May through September has been on the books since 2022. I also learned that the towns of Belmar and Highland Park are actively researching ordinances and plan to hear presentations on the topic in the next few months. And finally, I learned that

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the town of Manteloking recently sent a communication to residents stating that gas leaf blowers are not permitted from June 25th through Labor Day. So, many towns are acting. Uh, I actually had some questions and I was hoping that I could make this more of an interactive presentation than I usually do. Uh,

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first I was just wondering, has there been any consideration given yet uh to converting the township's gas leaf blowers to electric? And as a followup, does do we know how many or can the information be provided of how many gas leaf blowers the township actually

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operates? >> Tim, are you aware of how many are they? >> I didn't get that information before the meeting because I didn't have a question. >> We can get that for you though. >> Has any consideration been given to the idea of converting though from gas to electric? we did a while ago was very expensive.

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>> It was looked into. >> Yes, it was >> very expensive. >> Okay. I think cost may have gone down since that time. If you looked at it a few years ago, cost the cost structure has certainly changed. >> We can we can look at it again >> for next year. >> Wonderful. Thank you. Um secondly, has

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there been any consideration of a resolution? We discussed this last month uh in support of the New Jersey state bill uh S207. Just >> remind me again, Charlie, that bill is the >> that's the state bill that would um

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outlaw uh that would ban um sale of gas leaf blowers in New Jersey two years after the adoption of the law and would also provide a tax credit for up to 50% of the cost of purchasing new electric equipment. >> Again, we have not had that discussion

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yet. >> Okay. I I hope that you can and I again I would encourage you to look at that law and I think it's a very good one and if the state passes that law that you know means that the township does not have to do that. Uh and then finally again my suggestion last month I was

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just wondering uh if there's been any consideration given uh to the idea of amending the existing noise ordinance to include gas leaf blowers. As I mentioned last month, uh gas leaf blowers along with all lawn equipment are exempted from the noise ordinance. And I think

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that if uh the exemption for gas leaf blowers only were to be removed, then that also would create a new or it would change an existing ordinance and uh and which would address the situation. >> Again, we have not done that yet, but we

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can certainly have that discussion among the TC members. I I hope you do because again that's a very easy fix with existing uh uh legislation that you have already passed. Uh with that said, I'm going to actually yield back the last 30 seconds. And as always, I thank you for

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your time and your um consideration of this issue. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. >> Good evening. I'm Robert Small. I live at 28 Turtle Road, just up the corner around the corner from here. And I would like to raise my voice in support of

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these initiatives to um replace gasoline um equipment with electric and for sustainable landscaping practices. I was very inspired by a presentation I heard here last fall given by the environmental commission. And I'm in the

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process of converting about 1,200 square feet of my lawn to be more sustainable with native plants that attract pollinators. >> Great. >> And I've given up all my gasoline equipment and am all electric. >> Great. Congratulations.

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>> And I'll come see. >> Good evening. >> Hi, Joe Edante, 52 Paramount Avenue. Um, first of all, I want to congratulate everyone here for uh speaking, particularly the mayor and the entire committee speaking about gun violence. It's long overdue and we needed that.

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And also Carol Barkin and Mrs. What was her name again? Williamson. Yeah, the historic preservation and I've been working on several things too and that's that's also much needed that you've done that. I appreciate that. But I'm here uh tonight ma basically to support what Charlie mentioned and what the uh the

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environmental commission has spoken about for a number of years now. Uh and that is gas leaf blowers. And you're all probably aware of all of this, but uh just to repeat some of the the outstanding or the egregious problems

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with these things. Um particulate matter. Yeah. Spewing of mold. benzene formaldahhide and so on. Uh, and I've noticed lately there have been more I don't know whether it's just me, but there have

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been more air quality alerts. Perhaps some of those air quality alerts might have something to do with some of these devices. I'm not certain, but they might. I urge you to consider that. Uh normally when a township or any any

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entity tries to involve something like this where you're taking something away from someone and I'm sure you're probably going to have given how already a lot of push back. But I think I think you need to take the long view of this.

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The short-term view is yes, it's going to cost some landscapers a little money to trans to uh to transfer to uh transfer over to these uh electrical devices. However, there are there are incentives available I think through um what was it S623.

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Um there are some tax credits and offset to offset these costs. Uh but there's more to this because I think the payoff long term will be in children's health, children's and your grandchildren's health because all of this affects all

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of us and particularly the young uh with all of this garbage that's spewed out of these these these these machines. Noise aside and as I think Charlie mentioned there many many towns that have converted. Some of them have had some difficulty. I understand there's a lot of push back in

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Madison but others have forged ahead uh for example Glenn Ridge Montlair Princeton um Maplewood among others but u so and I think to echo what Charl and to support what he just said I think a

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first step a first small step would be if the township would look into right replacing your gas leaf blowers and I understand there are uh uh grants available for that I'm not certain and what the amounts will be. Perhaps it's $10,000. I'm not sure, but I read this

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somewhere. So, I urge you to consider this and to take action on it as soon as soon as you can. Appreciate your time. Thank you. >> Thank Thank you very much. >> Thanks. >> Hello. >> Hello. How are you? >> Good. How are you? >> I'm David Okado, 5B Lea Drive.

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>> Uh I'm resident of the township. Now, I'm here to support um Charlie and his um request for uh replacement of uh gas leaf blowers. Uh but I'm coming at it from a different angle. I understand the

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noise is an issue and they have proven that it exceeds the World Health Organization's level um decibels as well as EPA's. So, that's number one. two, the side effects or the emissions that

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come from these uh two two uh stroke engines. Uh there's a couple of them. Uh one-3 butidine which uh creates lymphoma cancer and and leukemia.

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Uh number two, operating these machines for just 1 hour uh and they they emit these uh volatile uh emissions uh it's like comparable to driving a car 15 hours.

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So that's a lot of emissions. Now the particle 2.5 which I'm sure Mr. Quinn is aware of with no idling. That's prevalent as well with this particular gas blower. And um

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and it's so infantessimal that look at a human hair. It's like a micro dot on a hair. So it can't filter that particle and it embeds into the lungs. So it creates um asthma, creates lung cancer,

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creates other side effects. Um the other thing is acetylene highly toxic damages prevents from the body from repairing uh DNA damage from aldahhide long-term effects

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increased cancer risk long-term exposure is heavily uh linked to whatever this thing is I can't pronounce it and uh certain types of leukemia. All right. Uh, fromaldahhide is a component of

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tobacco as well. I don't know if you're aware of that, but um, it's a dangerous substance and secondhand uh, smoke is actually more dangerous to the recipients. Now, if you look at the not only the

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health aspects of it, um, there's also mental um, aspects to this. It's a low frequency that the glass bower emits. It penetrates walls, windows, you name it.

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And the distance for the um uh 50 ft from the center where it's 115 dibels is still at uh 70 to 80 dibels which still exceeds the EPA and World Health

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levels. So for that alone beside the emissions which affect health and I think it would behoove the township to look at this because if you look at the employees of the department of public works I'm sure there's a health cost

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associated with that and if you look at that alone and you know what your insurance rates may be because of the increased illness I think that's important to look at. So yes, aside from the cost and I understand that. Um I

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think that's very important. Uh the other thing is if you're not going to enforce this, it's kind of mute. So the thing is to try to get the one or two things. You try to get the manufacturers to lower the decibel level, lower the emissions. If they're not going to do that, then

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the only other recourse is to go to electric, which is better for our environment as well as for individuals health. And they found that cognitive tests um were children, you know, they're landscaping, okay? And you you know, you

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only you only have like not just one leaf blower, you have multiple leaf blowers. So just compound that that affects the children's concentration in schools. So I thank you for your time. >> Thank you very much. Appreciate your

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long list of items. >> Hello. Hi. Um, my name is Sher Shater. I live at 10 Raleigh Court with someone you guys know very well at this point. Um, he is really the public speaker, not me. So, this is only the only reason why this is the first time you guys are seeing me. I am in full support of the

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idea of getting rid of gas powered leaf blowers to the extent possible. to me um I the previous speaker spoke a lot about the health um risks uh with these devices but um to me really the noise is the biggest um problem. We live on in

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Butterworth um right on Butterworth Field and with our doors closed and our windows closed we can hear gas powered leap blowers all the way across the field. Um and to me that's just it diminishes the quality of our lives. So that's it. I'm done.

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>> Thank you. You Hello. >> Hello, honorable committee members. I'm Bob Bmente, 31 Lake Valley Road. Uh, also here in support of Charlie, but I would also like to to bring some other things into the conversation here, too. I'm glad to hear that the committee is

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starting to consider some of these issues. Um, so much of the talk here has been laser focused on elimination of gas power and leaf blowers, which I do support. I understand that there's going to be time and expense involved in doing that. I do believe the technology is here now and that it's becoming more cost competitive and this is a good time

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to be talking about it. I'd also like to uh reframe this a little bit into um quality of life issues, things that uh Sherry brought up about the noise pollution that these things create. Uh when I moved to Morristown 23 years ago, people were still raking their leaves.

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Uh in fact, I was raking my leaves. I had a little plot over on 13 Midland Drive. Um, but over that time, what we found, and now we, you know, like a lot of other people here in the township, utilize, uh, a landscaping service to come and they show up with a team of

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guys, five different guys with leaf blowers. Uh, and that's a big difference from when I moved here. Uh, and understand that, you know, it makes it more efficient. They can get in and out, get more jobs during the day. I don't have a problem with that. If we can replace the leaf blowers and some of the

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equipment with electric equipment over time, that's a solution. What I'd like to talk about is adopting something closer to the Morristown restrictions on when the equipment can be used. Um, you know, and not just the commercial services, but also residential or

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residents, uh, who who now have commercial leaf blowers, ride- on tractors to cut their little tiny plots of lawn, uh, and find that it's okay to do that at 10:00 at night, uh, or 7:30 on a Sunday morning. Um, I think we need

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with with the advent of this commercial level of lawn service uh equipment that that residents are now using. Um, I think this is a situation where the technology has outpaced the the rules and the regulations around the use of it. Um, because like I said, given 20

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something years ago when people were still raking leaves, noise pollution wasn't a big deal. Nowadays, um, people have access to this equipment and they're happy to use it at all hours with no consideration for any of the neighbors. And this is now becoming a noise pollution issue that I think the

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tache committee should also be considering. >> Thank you. I yield the floor. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Is there anyone else? >> Hello, >> Conor Gainer from 16 Starlight Drive. And I echo everything they've said before, but the noise pollution is a big

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issue for me because I have a neighbor who doesn't believe in landscapers. He believes in doing it himself, which means Saturday and Sunday. And we have sat there trying to sit outside, enjoy, and the leaf blow is going literally from 9:00 in the morning till 5:00 at night non-stop. So that sort of stuff

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has to stop. I mean, that's just out of control. But you know, so we anything we can do to reduce the the time and the noise and even if we had electric, we would have been fine. Even the landscaper being out in 20 minutes probably would be okay. But Saturdays and Sundays for us is very difficult

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>> and it's not it's not an enjoyable situation trying to enjoy your backyard. Thank you. >> Totally understandable. Thank you. If there isn't anyone else here in person then uh Brian O'Shea,

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you have the floor. >> Thank you. Uh I'm here to speak on two matters. Ketro litigation and the planning failures that made it inevitable. The prerogative challenge under the Ketro development filed under docket

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MRS-L-0000279-25 did not succeed at trial court level. We went in with no illusions. Prerogative Rift challenges to planning board approvals carry a high legal bar by design. We knew the mountain was steep. We are appealing but not to the appallet division. The court we are appealing to

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is the court of public opinion. The trial is scheduled for November 3rd, 2026. The honorable electorate of Morris Township residing. Tonight, we are disclosing something that has not been made public before. Save Catch Road did not simply oppose this development. We

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offer to accept it on three conditions. First, the vehicular access be routed away from catch road field via Mars Drive view from the north, eliminating traffic to an active recreational area used by children every day. Second, that

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all emergency apparatus access issues be fully resolved so fire trucks can actually reach homes in places. Third, the is safe for desperid from catch road residences to catch road field so children children can walk to play

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without putting themselves in danger. The town is this down flat. They may blame the developer but this committee has leverage in negotiations with developers. Leverage they chose not to exercise. When fundamental safety issues are on the table, you hold the line.

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This committee did not. Additionally, with the assistance of a licensed engineer from a neighboring municipality, we have submitted formal comments to the entity department of environmental protection identifying grave defects in the environmental survey conducted in connection with this

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development. These are not minor technical objections. They go to they go to the adequacy of the environmental review itself. Catch road is not an isolated failure. is the predictable result of a planning decision this committee made in December

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2021 when he unanimously reszoned 81 day acres of the former Honeywell track prime vacant land on Colombia Road for a professional soccer training facility instead of affordable housing. The township's own planning consultant stated at the very meeting at that very

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meeting that the land could support affordable housing. Be fair housing center sued want to recalculate and the resulting 2023 settlement scrambled the township's round four site assignments catch road and neighborhood playing fields ended up in the mix direct

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consequences residents are now paying the price for a decision of priotanity project over sound planning on July 15th 2025 Mayor Groglia stood before this body and solemnly proclaimed she cares about the children of Morris Township

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We take her at her word and we ask her to consider what that actually requires. Someone who cares about children does not support riding a vehicular access road to an active playing field. Someone who cares about children ensures that fire trucks can safely reach their homes in an emergency. Someone who cares about

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children does not oppose a sidewalk. A sidewalk so that kids can walk safely to go out and play. Three seats in this committee are up for election in November. We will be evaluating every candidate on the basis of their concrete plans for affordable housing, where it

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goes, how it's designed, and who bears the burden. We will not allow candidates to hide behind lawn science and national affairs. All politics is local. Every voter in Mars Township will hear that message. All 7,176

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registered Democrats, all 5,649 registered Republicans, and all 5,662 unaffiliated voters. We have the tools and the program to reach them, including the low information voters campaigns typically never touch. Candidates who

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have answers will get a fair hearing. Candidates who don't will be held accountable in the only court that matters, the one in session, November 3rd. Thank you. Is that it? >> Oh, thank he's out of time. >> Oh, thank you.

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>> Seeing no other hands raised, um, can I have a motion to close public comment? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> This evening, we have nine ordinances scheduled for public hearing and adoption. Please read the title of

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ordinance 17-26 into the record after which we will open the public hearing. law or ordinance providing for various capital improvements by detachable from Mars appropriating the aggregate amount of $2,993,000 therefore including a grant in the

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amount of $200,000 expected to be received from the state of New Jersey Department of Transportation and authoring the issuance of 2,69,000 in bonds or notes of the township to finance part of the cost thereof.

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May I have a motion to open the public hearing on ordinance number 17-26? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Any members from the public? >> May I? Seeing no other members of the public wishing to speak, may I have a

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motion to close public comment? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> May I have a motion to adopt ordinance number 17-26? So moved. >> Second. >> Are there any questions or comments?

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Seeing none, may I have a roll call vote? >> Mr. Janata? >> Yes. >> Mr. Rabbits? >> Yes. >> Miss Rothman? >> Yes. >> Mayor Grigley? >> Yes. I, Donna J. Griglia declare ordinance number 17-26 approved and adopted and direct the

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township clerk to publish notice of adoption of on the township website or as otherwise required by law. Please read the title of ordinance 18-26 into the record. >> Ordinance appropriating $641,000

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available in the general capital fund balance to provide for various capital improvements by the township of Mars. May I have a motion to open the public hearing on ordinance number 18-26? >> So move. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I.

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>> Anyone from the public wishing to speak? >> Seeing no members from the public wishing to speak, will someone make a motion to close public comment? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> May I have a motion to adopt ordinance number 18-26?

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>> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions? May I have a roll call vote? >> Mr. Janada, >> yes. >> Mr. Rabbits, >> yes. >> Miss Rothman, >> yes. >> Mayor Grigia, >> yes. I, Donna J. Geriglia, mayor,

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declare ordinance number 18-26 approved and adopted and direct the township clerk to publish notice of adoption of the township web on the township website or as otherwise required by law. Please read the title of ordinance 19-26 into the record.

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Ordinance appropriating $320,000 available in the general capital improvement fund to provide for various capital improvements by the township of Mars. >> May I have a motion to open the public comment on ordinance number 19-26? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor?

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>> I. Seeing no members from the public wishing to speak, will someone make a motion to close public comment? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. May I have a motion to adopt ordinance number 19-26?

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>> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions? May I have a roll call vote? >> Mr. Gelatada? >> Yes. >> Mr. Rabbit? >> Yes. >> Miss Rothman? >> Yes. >> Mayor Grigley? >> Yes. Please read the title of ordinance 20-26 into the record.

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Ordinance appropriating $278,500 available in the open space trust fund to provide for various open space improvements by the township of Mars. >> May I have a motion to open public hearing on ordinance number 20-26? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor?

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>> I. >> Mr. Shakner, >> I just had one question. I saw some details about this because I had asked about this um at the last month's meeting. It looked like there was about 150,000 for Cornine Field for stairwell and retaining walls and I was just

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curious if that was uh the Cornine Field complex was recently rebuilt. So I was kind of wondering why there was an additional need for that much money to be spent. >> Those items weren't rebuilt. >> That was what? >> Those items were not rebuilt when we reconstructed that field. >> Oh.

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>> So they've been deteriorating. >> It's the old retaining walls and steps that go >> I see. I see. Those were not done when the field was rebuilt. Thank you. Appreciate the information. >> You're welcome. >> Seeing no other members of the public wishing to speak, will someone make a

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motion to close public comment? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. I have a motion to adopt ordinance number 20-26. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions? I have a roll call vote. >> Mr. Janata? >> Yes. >> Mr. Rabbits?

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>> Yes. >> Miss Rothman? >> Yes. >> Mayor Grigley? >> Yes. I, Donna J. Griglia declare ordinance number 20-26 approved and adopted and direct the township clerk to publish notice of adoption on the township website or is otherwise

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required by law. Please read the title of ordinance 21-26 into the record. >> Ordinance appropriating 1,250,000 available in the sewer utility capital improvement fund to provide for v various capital improvements by the

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township of Mars. May I have a motion to open the public hearing on ordinance number 21-26? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I I. >> Seeing no members from the public wishing to speak, will someone make a motion to close public comment?

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>> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> May I have a motion to adopt ordinance number 2120-26 into the record? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions? May I have a roll call vote? >> Mr. Mr. Janata. >> Yes.

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>> Mr. Rabbits. >> Yes. >> Miss Rothman. >> Yes. >> Mayor Griglia. >> Yes. >> I, Donna J. Gerriia, declare ordinance number 21-26 approved and adopted and direct the township clerk to publish notice of adoption on the township

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website or as otherwise required by law. Please read the title of ordinance 22-26 into the record. Ordinance appropriating $50,000 available in the parking enterprise capital improvement fund to provide for various capital improvements by the town

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of Amars. >> May I have a motion to open the public comment? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Seeing no members from the public wishing to speak, will someone make a motion to close public comment? >> So moved. Second.

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>> All in favor? >> I I. May I have a motion to adopt ordinance number 22-26? >> So moved. >> Second. >> May I have a roll call vote? >> Mr. Janata, >> yes. >> Mr. Rabbits, >> yes. >> Miss Rothman, >> yes.

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>> Mayor Griglia, >> yes. I, Donna J. Gerriia, mayor, declare ordinance number 22-26 approved and adopted and direct the township clerk to publish notice of adoption on the township website or as otherwise required by law. Please read

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the title of ordinance 23-26. into the record. >> Ordinance appropriating $75,500 available in the swimming pool utility capital fund balance to provide for various capital improvements by the town of Mars. >> May I have a motion to open the public

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hearing on ordinance number 23-26? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Seeing no members wishing to speak, will someone make a motion to close public comment? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. May I have a motion to adopt

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ordinance number 23-26? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions? May I have a roll call vote? >> Mr. Janata? >> Yes. >> Mr. Rabbits? >> Yes. >> Miss Rothman? >> Yes. >> Mayor Grigia? >> Yes. I, Donna J. Gerriia, mayor, declare

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ordinance number 23-26 approved and adopted and direct the township clerk to publish notice of adoption on the township website or as otherwise required by law. Please read the title of ordinance 25 24-26 into the

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record. >> Ordinance appropriating $437,000 available in the sewer utility capital fund balance to provide for various capital improvements by the township of Mars. >> I have a motion to open the public hearing on ordinance number 24-26.

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>> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? I I >> Seeing no members of the public wishing to speak, will someone make a motion to close public comment? So move. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I I. >> May I have a motion to adopt ordinance

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number 24-26? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions? >> May I have a roll call vote? >> Mr. Janada? >> Yes. >> Mr. Rabbit? >> Yes. Miss Rothman? >> Yes. >> Mayor Grigglia? >> Yes. I, Donna J. Griglia declare

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ordinance number 24-26 approved and adopted and direct the township clerk to publish notice of adoption on the township website or is otherwise required by law. Please read the title of the last ordinance 25-26

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into the record. >> In an ordinance of the town of Mars providing for special emergency appropriation in an amount not to exceed $250,000 to fund the engagement of a special consultants for the preparation of a master plan.

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>> May I have a motion to open public comment on ordinance number 25-26? >> So moved. Second. >> All in favor? I >> I >> seeing no members of the public wishing to speak, will someone make a motion to close public comment? >> So moved. Second.

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>> All in favor? >> I. >> May I have a motion to adopt ordinance number 25-26? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions? >> May I have a roll call vote? >> Mr. Janata? >> Yes. >> Mr. Rabbits? >> Yes. >> Miss Rothman? >> Yes.

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>> Mayor Grigley? >> Yes. I, Donna J. Wrigley and Mayor declare ordinance number 25-26 approved and adopted and direct the township clerk to publish notice of adoption on the township website or is otherwise required by law.

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Ordinances for introduction. We have one ordinance tonight on tonight's agenda. Please read the title of ordinance 26-26 into the record. An ordinance of the tax for Mars Mars County, New Jersey, establishing salaries and compensation

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for employees of the firemen's mutual benefit benevolent association FMBA local 70 of the township of Mars. >> May I have a motion to introduce ordinance number 26-26? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions?

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May I have a roll call vote? >> Mr. Janata? >> Yes. >> Mr. Rabbits? >> Yes. >> Miss Rothman? >> Yes. >> Mayor Grigier? >> Yes. May the public hearing for that ordinance will be June 17th. >> Thank you. >> Uh on today's agenda, we have 12

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resolutions. May I have a motion to approve resolutions number 108-26 through 119-26 by one motion. >> So So moved. >> Second. >> May I have a roll call vote? >> Mr. Janata? >> Yes.

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>> Mr. Rabbits? >> Yes. Miss Rothman. >> Yes. >> Mayor Wrigley. >> Yes. We have one item on the consent calendar this evening. Can I have a motion to approve the item on the consent calendar by one motion? >> So moved. >> Second.

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>> All in favor? >> I. Consideration of monthly reports. The following reports are on file in the office of the township clerk and township administrator. February 2026 fire. March 2026 police and fire. April

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2026 tax collector and the Marstown Mars Township Library. Can I have a motion to approve the monthly reports? >> So move. >> Second. All in favor? >> I >> I >> claims for payment. The total amount of bills and vouchers for this meeting is

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14,579,524.13 cents. 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. May I have a roll call vote? >> Mr. Janata? >> Yes.

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>> Mr. Roberts? >> Yes. >> Miss Rothman? >> Yes. >> Mayor Grigley? >> Yes. Received for the record, we have two items. The resignation of Melanie Barry as a member of the Morris Township Ethics Board effective April 28th, 2026.

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and the annual report of taxes not collectible for 2026 submitted by the tax collector pursuant to NJSA 544-911. At this time we will turn to our standing committee reports and commentary by the township committee

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members and we'll begin with committeewoman Rothman. >> Thank you. Um, quickly I went to the tax meeting. Um, was my first time there. Oh, second time actually. And it was great to learn about their

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transportation survey. Um, and if you received if you received the municipal messenger email uh on 513 regarding the Morris Township in motion events, if you scroll down to the bottom of that, there was a link specifically to this

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transportation survey. Um, it's a great way if you know of places in town that could be improved for sidewalk connectivity or traffic or whatnot. Um, so please make your voices heard there. Their first event is on 523. They're

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going to have a bike ride at Lanica, so you can sign up online for that. Um, I was excited at the EC meeting to hear about the quiet summer initiative. Um, and also learn more about gas leaf blowers there as well. Um, I do want to

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quickly address that issue. One of the the things that really speaks to me personally is the quality of life issue and noise pollution. Um, while I live on an 3 acres, one would think, oh, you're not surrounded by leaf blowers all the

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time. And it does not matter. These things are so loud that it doesn't matter how large your property is, there is no escaping. >> Um, so I really think we need to look both at the noise ordinance, thinking about that. um even perhaps something

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like quiet Sundays. I'm not really sure, but I'm glad that there's such advocacy work happening around this issue and I'm I'm happy to be a part of that. Um just on the nonprofit sector of things that are happening in our community, I wanted

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to let people know I just went and had a visit over at the Morris Museum. There are so many great events happening there. It is such a wonderful resource for the township. Um I haven't been since my kids were little. I I confess.

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And they have this wonderful Matise exhibit right now that I encourage everyone to go to. It's so much more than just the art. It's about his life. Um so I encourage you to go to that tomorrow night. They're having a night at the museum event which is a new thing

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that they're doing. Um evening tours, a glass of wine. So I hope the community starts coming out to that. Um also Grow Green Morstown, we partner with them on the winter farmers market. Um so they are a a good advocate in our community.

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They are having a fundraiser at another township uh business, the Jersey Artisan Cafe. So that's on June 11th, wine and cheese to support a new fence at their farm. So those are the things that I

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have. Um, thank you again to all of our committee members that I've been meeting and for their volunteerism. >> Thank you, Committeeman Rabbits. >> Thank you, Mayor.

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Uh, I want to thank Charlie and all the folks that have come out um to support the uh leaf blower ban initiative that uh he was working on. Um, I think that that it's great. I personally I wish

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these things would just go away and just never come back. I can't stand them. Uh, for all the reasons that were mentioned, not even just the health reasons. For me, it's the noise and and the smell. But, um, one of the things that I think that we can do as

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residents, number one, as homeowners, and I'm I think I've heard this this evening, is to convert your own. Um, if you're going to be blowing, if you're going to be blowing leaves on your lawn and not raking, which I remember the days of raking and the blisters on my

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finger, uh, that's the first thing you could do. And you can talk with all your neighbors and fellow residents about, you know, those who do the lawns themselves about not using the leaf blowers, uh, the gas powered leaf blowers. that would certainly go um that

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that would have more an of an effect than any ordinance that we would pass up here. In addition, for those folks who those residents who have larger properties or whatnot and then employ landscapers, uh the best thing that you can do is to urge those landscapers to

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make the make the uh the switch because I think it's really incumbent upon the residents to do this rather than the governing governing body because we're going to need a ground swell of people in order to pass a successful ordinance.

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So the the best thing to do is usually laws follow public sentiment. That's the way it works at every level of government. So if you if you're telling your landscapers they in order for them to get your business that they must

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convert to an electric or or use a rake, I think that pressure from homeowners will be more than we could ever do up here. So, I encourage you to do that in in in the interim before um we look at,

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you know, uh ordinances. But I do like what I'm hearing and I'm thankful that so many people came out in support of this. So, let's let's let's keep it going. Um just a quick just quickly some updates. Um third annual Pridefest is going to be

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held on June 7th at Guinty Field from 11 to 2. Come as you are, come as you see yourself. All are welcome to participate in the fi festivities. Uh we welcome participation of all local and regional businesses, crafts people, you know, to

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market their products and services. Show your support for the LGBTQ plus community and build awareness for your own for your own brand at the at the event. It is free. You can contact the parks and recreation department for

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more details or send an email to pridetownship.com for more information. We will be taking um allied groups, affiliated groups, uh other businesses u up on that day, we'll

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have forms to sign you to sign up. So if you show up late and you don't register in advance, we we have a way to uh to get you onto the onto the field. Um, in Mars Township, as I've stated over the last number of years, we

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believe in uniting people no matter what demographics you fall into. Uh, moving on, the Collinsville and uh, grand reopening is scheduled for June 13. It's been a long time coming and we know you'll find that it was worth it. Uh,

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all again, all are welcome to join in the festivities of of the re-imagined recreation area. Uh, I believe the the uh times are going to be uh 10. Is it 10? No, no, no. >> Noon to 6.

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>> Noon to 6. And we may we're still trying to see if uh Governor Cheryl would will uh will come. We'll accommodate her if she can be here. Uh we don't know yet. We're we're we call pretty much every day. Uh hopefully she'll show up. she

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was instrumental in acquiring uh federal funds for for the uh for the rebuilding of the park. So, let's keep our fingers crossed that she'll be there. Uh the also the heat that we've had the past few days should remind us that uh that

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the parks and rec recreation is still taking memberships for our swim pools. It's a great way to meet the summer heat. Uh don't forget our Memorial Day service at the municipal building on Monday, May

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25th held rain or shine. It starts at uh 11 if the speeches start at 11:00 a.m. There is a uh tour of uh cemeteries and monuments that starts at 7:30. Meet here if you're >> 10 a.m. 10 a.m.

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>> Well, no. So 10 a.m. is the township >> township. Thank you. >> presentation. >> Township presentation. 7:30 if you'd like to go on the tour of the monuments and the cemeteries. And I'm going to pardon me. I'm going to change hats for a moment. I wear a lot of different hats

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here. Um I want to remind residents that we are underway in writing an allnew township master plan. The mayor and I are honored to serve on the steering committee. Uh the first in-person resident workshop will be held tomorrow

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at Freiling Heisen Middle School located at 10 Jane Way 10 Jane Way from 7 to 9:00 p.m. The second workshop will be held uh via Zoom on Thursday, May 28th at 700 p.m. And the third one will be

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held in person uh again at Normandy Park Elementary School at located at 19A Normandy Parkway on Saturday, May 30th from 10 to 2. Uh please share this information widely. It's our vision for

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our township. I encourage all to attend one of the workshops so that your voice is heard. and throughout there will be additional resident outreaches through June and again in the fall. So be make sure that um your input is heard to um

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on the new master plan. And finally uh remember that as you go about your day to be kind, be kind to yourselves, be kind to your be kind to others uh because it makes a world of difference. And as it is my mantra for the past five

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or so years, um we have more in common than should ever divide us and we keep that must keep that in mind every single day. Mayor, >> thank you, Deputy Mayor Janata. >> Thank you, Mayor. First, I want to talk about the environmental commission.

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Morris Township has been awarded a sustainable Jersey grant for $10,000 to start a erri study with the addition of $5,000 added by the township open space fund. This will be used that will

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be $15,000 to be used to hire a consultant to develop the ERRI, which is the environmental resource inventory. This ERRI will give a comprehensive picture of the township, which includes the flora and fauna of the area. Among other thing, among other things, the

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ERRI will be a guide for the master plan and other land use planning. So, we're very excited about that. And committee woman Rothman had mentioned about the Mars Township in motion. The first one starts this

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Saturday. If you want to attend future events, you can go on the website and uh register for it. There's going to be one in June at in June 20th on Vernon Park and I'm going to be one of the hosts of that.

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And then two weeks ago, Committee Woman Rothman and I attended the Morris County Patriots Ball. It was held in a tent on the grounds of Washington's headquarters in Morristown. And among the local dignitaries besides Miss Rothman and I were Morristown Mayor Tim Dardy, Midam

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Township Mayor Sarah Nybar, County Commissioners Christine Myers and Steve Shaw, former Congressman Rodney Freing Heisen, and uh and we had a surprise visit from Governor Mikey Cheryl and and also

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General George Washington attended, too. So, I forgot to gra get my tricorn hat, but uh I just want to say huzzah. >> There was a lot of huzzah said there with a lot of drinks, too. But again, uh

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I don't know if you know, committee one Rothman is a Yale graduate. I just wanted to tell uh I I had a got a yearbook from 1939, Yale University, NFS State. cost only $1. And I thought it was appropriate

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since we do have a Yale graduate with us. If uh just to let you know, women were not allowed to attend until 1969. So this class is all men, but among them were William Scranton, who later became governor of Pennsylvania. The city of

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Scranton was named after his family, Robert Taft Jr., who was later a US senator from Ohio just like his father Robert Tap senior and his grandfather was William Howard Tap and then there was the one who graduated at the top of

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his class was William Bundy who along with his younger brother who was class of 1940 became the architects of Ken Presidents Kennedy and Johnson's foreign policy they were the among the best and the brightest and they also brought us

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the Vietnam War I found another book related to this class and uh Yale graduates. It was about the uh those students who were killed during World War II. Again, the class of 1939 was a class on whom the war fell.

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And in the the Yale class of 1939 was 800 students. 25 of them lost their lives. So in honor of Memorial Day, I'll just highlight four of them. And since Samuel Jackson Underh Hill, who was from Long Island, was killed at the Battle of

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Coral Sea on May 8th, 1942, his plane that launched from the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier. In fact, the Battle of the Coral Sea was the first naval battle where many where the enemy enemy ships never saw each other. Was all fought by planes launched from aircraft carriers.

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two two classmates actually served on the same same submarine, the USS Runner. They were Lieutenant Lawrence DeForest Anderson and Lieutenant Richard Harold Seligman. They were lost at sea in the South Pacific and have been marked on

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the eternal patrol. The final one is Colonel Albert Peter Dwey who served in the OSS which is the predecessor to the CIA. His father was an isolationist congressman from Illinois. of Peter Dwey. Peter Dwey was far from

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isolationist. He served in France in 1940 and later parachuted down in s southern France in August of 1944. He did many heroic things there. Among his subordinates was of one Jack Hemingway, son of Ernest

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Hemingway and father of Mariel Hemingway. After these heroes, he was sent to French Indo-China on se at September 1945 to observe the situation in Saigon. He angered the British who were in charge of that sector and he was

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sent back to the airport. But on his way to the airport, he was killed by Vietnam soldiers and his body was never found. He was considered the first American soldier killed in Vietnam, but his name is not on the wall. If you have watched Ken Burn's documentary on the Vietnam

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War, M Colonel Dwey story is the final one and that you'll see in the end of part one. So may we remember these four sacrifices made among the many others who have done so through the years. So

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that is one. So we don't really celebrate Memorial Day. We commemorate it in their memory. Thank you. >> Thank you, Deputy Mayor. I thought you were going to say you had committeewoman Rothman's yearbook. You were going to read >> picture.

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>> Um, okay. Uh, one uh important uh re report that I want to mention is we remind everybody now too that our legal notices are posted on the municipal bulletin board and on the township website under legal notices in

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accordance with the updated state requirements. Residents are encouraged to regularly check the website for legal notices, meeting notices, updates, and other important information because that was a change and it you can find it all

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there. I would like to congratulate Linda Bertuglia who's a volunteer that is seen here at town hall very often. She was awarded the Lorie Award for her outstanding dedication and service to our community.

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Committeeman Rabbits gave you all the de dates of the master plan. Uh just a couple other things just wanted everybody to know that the master plan is a long range vision for managing future development within a municipality. It informs local zoning

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laws, building codes, and capital improvement priorities. It's renewed every 10 years. It can either be a re-examination or it can be redone. Our last one was in 1994. Every 10 years since then, it was just

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um renewed. In 2027 was the last examination and the new one is due by August of 2027. So, if you attend the forums, you will learn the components that go into the master plan, the timeline, and you'll

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take part in the focus groups. Also, there is a website which we'll be getting out more often. It's master plan207 at marriswp.com which residents will be able to send in suggestions to

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on our economic development advisory committee. I'd like to thank Megan Burke who is serving on the master plan steering committee along with committeeman Rabbits and I. Uh she's a huge addition to have on there. I'd also like to thank Virginia Murphy here at

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town hall for creating the business page that soon will be posted on our website as a start to welcoming new businesses to Mars Township and posting shared news and events to help promote the businesses we have. This will be on the EDACT page.

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Diana Goo, who is also a member of EDAC, presented an initiative to position Mars Township as an open for business community and the pre premier business resource hub for entrepreneurs, business owners, and investors in our region. She

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did the presentation last night at the EDAC meeting. She also shared Assemblywoman Marissa Sweeny's New Jersey women entrepreneurs resource guide which covers NJA grants, loans, tax incentives, and

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startup programs available to all New Jersey businesses. Another thing, if you're on my side of town, happily the Gaston Road Bridge was opened early. So now if you cut through from Sussex to get over to Mendum Road

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or into Morristown, that is now open ahead of schedule. We will next Tuesday at the senior citizen advisory committee meeting at 2:00 a.m. We will have the senior bus there so that they get the first view, but it will be here at town

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hall in the parking lot. I also want to mention we have a new building and grounds employee Pat Spzza and I hope that many of you have noticed that this year when you come into town hall there are more flowers planted. He's added a

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lot of different little additions. He's doing a great job on making town hall look really nice for the township. Uh again already mentioned we're the Memorial Day events. So, the last thing I have for everybody is I hope that you can come join us and if not, I hope that

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you commemorate our veterans on Memorial Day and we'll pray for it to be a nice sunny day. Okay, there are currently three members of the public, well, there actually four members of the public joining us via Zoom now and

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seven members in person. At this time, we will be we will open the meeting for public comment. We'll begin by taking comments from in-person attendees first and then we'll go to Zoom. Please raise your hand on Zoom. If you would like to speak before speaking, please state your

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name and whether or not you're a resident or non-resident. Comments will be limited to 5 minutes if you have questions and would like a response. Remaining time will be used for that purpose. Is there a motion to open public comment? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? I

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>> I. >> Mr. Shackner. Uh Charlie Shaker tendley court sorry I just wanted to come back again to just talk about the township's own gas leaf blowers uh as was mentioned switching to electric leaf blowers the there is a cost difference initially between the gas and the electric and the

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electric is more expensive however multiple studies have shown that the return on investment happens very very quickly. In other words, that difference in cost can be paid back within up to 9 months to a year. And then after that time, the gas, the electric leaf blowers

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actually cost less to operate because of maintenance, not needing spark plugs, not needing extra parts, breakdowns, and fuel. When you purchase batteries, you're actually purchasing fuel in advance. And with the cost of gasoline where it is right now, I would say that

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the township actually would be making a very wise investment for the long term by converting to electric. And over the long term, the payoff would actually be an increase in um a reduction in cost. >> Okay,

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>> that's it. Thank you. If there's nobody else here and seeing no hands raised, is there a motion to close public comment? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> The time is now 8:15 p.m. Can I have a

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motion to adjourn the regular session? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. The next regular township committee meeting will be Wednesday, June 17th, 2026 at 7 p.m. for the regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. for closed right here in

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the municipal building at 50 Woodland Avenue. Have a great night everyone and thank you for joining us. >> Thank you for coming everybody.