Meetings meetings law has been satisfied with respect to this meeting specifying the time date and location including the annual notice and adopted the reorganization meeting filed with the county clerk posted administration building and mailed to two newspapers in accordance with the provisions of the law.
>> Okay. Can we stand for the pledge of allegiance? >> Please join me in saluting the flag. Ice to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation indivisibley
and justice for all Ryan. Name of the father and of the son and the holy spirit. Gracious and holy father, please give us intellect to understand you, reason to
discern you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, a spirit to know you, a heart to meditate upon you, ears to hear you, eyes to see you, a tongue to proclaim you, a way of life pleasing
to you, patience to wait for you, and perseverance to look for you. Grant us a peaceful and holy presence, blessed resurrection and life
everlasting. Amen. And special prayers tonight for our wonderful teacher who is being recognized for all of her hard work. We ask all of this in your blessing through Christ our Lord. Amen. >> Amen.
>> Thank you, Father. At this time, I'd like to call for a moment of silence to remember all the men and women who have died while serving in the armed forces. And for Katherine Juliano, she's was the wife of
a retired parks department employee, Jim Joe uh Juliano. Thank you. Okay. Can I have a motion to approve the minutes of May 26, 2026? >> So moved. D'vor >> second.
>> D'vor Bartlett. >> County Commissioners Bartlett. >> Yes. >> D'Vor, >> yes. >> Remagalia, >> yes. >> Trz, >> yes. >> Deputy Director Cruz, >> yes. >> Director Lazair, >> yes. just >> Okay, we're going to um motion to
approve the proclamations. >> So moved. D'vor second. >> D'Voren Cruz. >> County Commissioners Bartlett. >> Yes. >> D'Vor, >> yes. >> Remagalia, yes. >> Schratz, >> yes. >> Deputy Director Cruz, >> yes. >> Director Lazaro,
>> yes. And at this point, I'll hand it over to the administrator. >> Thank you, director, and good evening. Um, first I'm going to start with the presentation of a proclamation for Alyssa Betar, the uh 2025 2026 teacher of the year in P County. I'm going to turn that over to one of our teachers,
educators on the board, Commissioner D'vor. >> Thank you. >> Good evening, everyone. >> Good evening, everyone. Good evening. >> It gives us great pleasure as an educator as well as a county
commissioner to honor recognize one of our very own P County uh who is this year's teacher of the year for Pay County, Alyssa Batar, uh who hells from Manchester High School. So, let's give a
round of applause as we do that. And we're we're gonna ask Alyssa to stand here while I read some nice things about her and and to last week I believe we were at Beth Brownstone and we
celebrated Pay County Balltorians and Saludiatorans and and we were able to give words along with uh Director uh Lazara and Commissioner Stratz. And the the thing I decided to say about that particular event, I don't know if
you you were there, and I said it was a pleasure to attend West Milford for teacher of the year for Pay County and then see the other book in and celebrate the valatictorians and solarans of Pay County and see how they
both came together and those events were exceptional. And it gives me pleasure to stand here and read about how well you allowed those valadictorians and suditorians make it to where they are today. So thank you again for what you
do. I give a round of applause for that. Thank you. Whereas the board of county commissioners of the county of PY has the desire to recognize Alyssa Petar for being named the 2526
Pay County teacher of the year. And whereas Alyssa Petar earned a bachelor's degree in biology and a second bachelor's degree in secondary education from William Pis University along with a master's degree in science curriculum and development from Concordian
University. And whereas Alyssa Petar is an engineering and STEM teacher at Manchester Regional High School and has been instrumental in shaping innovative educational opportunities for students since joining the district in 2014. And whereas Elizabeth Petar built
Manchester's Regional High School engineering program from the ground up, creating a comprehensive curriculum that blends project-based learning, computer aided design, and real world engineering challenges to prepare students for careers in STEM fields. And whereas
Alyssa has provided students with opportunities to earn certifications, build portfolios, and engage in collaborative problem-solving experience experiences that foster critical thinking, creativity, and leadership.
And whereas Alysa Petar serves as a mentor to earned career educators, advises a science and STEM clubs, leads steam nights, and organizes a summer stem that's hard to say. go back and forth STEM camp and promote student leadership
and hands-on learning experiences and whereas Alysa Petar is a published co-author in scientific journals provides professional development within her district and continually demonstrates a commitment to advancing excellence in education and whereas
Alysa Petar has created a classroom environment defined by innovative inclusivity, curiosity, collaboration and positively ensuring every student feels supported and empowered to become a confident problem solver and future
ready change maker. And whereas Elizabeth Petar was selected as a 2526 Pate County Teacher of the Year in recognition of her outstanding dedication to her students, her profession, and her community. And now
therefore be it proclaimed by the P County Board of County Commissioners that it hereby publicly recognize and applauds Alyssa Petard for the significant contribution she has made to the county of Pay to Manchester Regional District and the field of education as a
whole. And be it further proclaimed that the board wishes Alyssa Petar continued health, happiness, and success in all her future endeavors. Congratulations, Miss Petar. I will hold this as you give words and thanks. >> Okay.
>> All right. Good evening everyone. I absolutely want to thank the Pay County Board of County Commissioners for this incredible honor. Um, as a county teacher, one of the first things that you get told when you find out is that
you have to you should think about creating an elevator pitch. Okay? Uh, just a quick thing about what your passion is. So for me that was difficult because I had to think I obviously I do I do a lot and I had to think what was
truly truly truly important to me and at first I'm like okay like I really truly care about my students. I care about my kids. That wasn't good enough. Then I thought all right I have been at Manchester Regional High School for 12
years. It was my only education job out of college. So I was thinking that my pitch would be growing roots in a school and being loyal and everything you could build from there. That was okay. And then I went into how about embracing the
chaos of a crazy science engineering classroom and having a bearded dragon also cool, great, fun. Let's live out our Miss Frizle magic school bus life. But then I thought about it and really quick, what I want to do with everyone
is if you could do me a favor and close your eyes for a moment and think about what you picture when I say the word words picture an engineer. Okay, take a moment, think about it.
Okay, how many people by show of hands pictured a Bob the Builder type character, right? Someone with a hard hat, a wrench, right? Um, the problem is that's what we see as adults, right? We see Bob the Builder
when we think of engineering. Um, a guy with a hard hat, a wrench, awesome. If we're seeing that, it's so difficult for our students not to see that. So, I'm going to give you my official 2026 Pay
County Teacher of the Year elevator pitch of what I feel my passion as an educator is means to me. And that is my goal is that it is so important for every single
student, no matter their education level, no matter their background, to feel as if they can be an engineer. And more importantly, for them to see themselves in every dream that they've
ever wanted to be in, that they are good enough to do anything that they want to do. And that happens from creating an environment where students feel confident and most importantly they feel valued. So basically my elevator pitch
is about caring about our students and giving them the tools and more importantly the caring that they feel they can go out into the world and do anything that they want to do. So, even though tonight the recognition, and thank you guys so much for this says my
name on it, it actually belongs to quite a few more people. It belongs to my administration. It belongs to my colleagues. It belongs to my family and friends who have supported my dreams of doing this. But most importantly, this
belongs to my students because they are the ones that have driven my passion over the past 12 years. They are the ones that every day remind me why I am so blessed to do what I do and how I can stand up here and tell all of you how
important that is. So, thank you so much again for this honor. I'm going to hold back. I'm gonna move this back. Going to ask your colleague administration if they would like to take a picture with you. Going to come in front of the podium. >> Okay.
Got insurance. One second. Sorry. Everybody give your Sir, >> you wanna >> I'm learning from you. No, I didn't want to hit her. Oh, sorry. >> Congratulations, Alyssa.
Um, next on my agenda, where am I? We have, um, Mom's Demand Action, uh, Toby Murphy, the public education co-lead for the New Jersey chapter of Moms Demand Action to give a presentation. Toby promise I'm
Good evening, commissioners. Good evening. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak tonight. My name is Toby Murphy and I'm a resident of Hawthorne, New Jersey. I've also been an educator for 20 years. Two years ago, I joined Moms Demand Action, a
grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence. Since then, I have become a public education co-lead for the state of New Jersey. In this role, I give volunteers across the state tools and resources to
engage the local chapters in promoting gun safety and storage. I joined because I had questions about how I could help work with officials like yourselves to create a safe place for all free from gun violence.
As a middle school teacher, students never failed to surprise me with the brutal honesty and audacious curiosity. A few years ago, after finishing a routine lockdown drill, a student asked me rather bluntly what I would do if an
active shooter came into our classroom. I didn't know how to react or answer thoughtfully. I gave him an answer about procedures in place, and this stuck with me. It's a question that saddens me. Not because of my inability to give a
comfort answer immediately, but because it's a concern of a 13-year-old. With this experience and the urging of my husband, I joined Mom's Demand Action in an effort to make sure children never have to ask these questions. That same year, another question was
working its way through the Supreme Court, whether a person had the constitutional right to bear arms in public. In a 6-3 decision known as the Brewan decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the ability to bear arms in public was the constitutional right guaranteed
by the Second Amendment. Since then, the number of approved permits to carry concealed weapons in New Jersey has increased. There have been 4,913 approved concealed carry applications in
Paya County in the past four years. Before the decision, there was 45. In Patterson, there have been 636 approved applications for permits to carry. In Hawthorne, 290. In West Milford, 56.
These numbers, along with numbers for each municipality, have been validated by the Office of the Attorney General on their website. Time and time again, data shows that with more guns comes more gun violence, which we do not want.
Given this increase in approved permits, there's an even greater need to educate our community on secure gun storage and options businesses and organizations have when it comes to denoting denoting their locations as gun-free.
Be smart is a framework used to help parents and adults prevent gun deaths and injuries. The framework uses the acronym smart. S M A R T. Secure, model, ask, recognize, and tell.
Secure all guns in homes and vehicles. Model responsible behavior around guns. Ask about unsecured guns in other homes and vehicles. Recognize the role of guns in suicide. Tell your friends and neighbors to be smart. Be smart fosters conversations on gun
safety, not gun control. It reduces the stigma of having these tough conversations and hopefully works towards creating answers, not questions. Conversations, not silence. Gun-free zones, another initiative, came through the work done by the New Jersey
office of the Attorney General following Governor Murphy's signing a law prohibiting firearms in designated sensitive places. The attorney general provides decals to show visitors in which gun in which places guns are not allowed. Sensitive places include but
are not limited to entertainment venues, recreational facilities, places that serve alcohol, public gatherings, schools, polling places, government buildings. In addition, a business that falls outside of this category of a sensitive space can post signage if they choose.
Using the BS smart framework and the gun-free zone initiative, there are many ways we can work together to further the work you do to create a safe environment for all the citizens of Paya County. Pamphlets and handouts in both English and Spanish can be distributed at
various county level locations and offices. Presentations can be given to different groups or organizations, including the sheriff's department or chambers of commerce. Tabling can occur at public events hosted by the county. Identification and contacting of
sensitive spaces to encourage posting gun-free zone decals. Information about programs and initiatives can be posted on county websites. In your folders, you will see further information regarding these initiatives and examples of literature that we can provide. I look forward to partnering
with you to implement these recommendations and any further initiatives that help reduce fun gun violence in the county. Thank you for all the work that you do for PA County. Thank you. >> Thank you, Toby. Uh, commissioners, any questions?
>> I have one. That's okay. Uh, director, um, the where where data shows that more gun comes more gun violence. Is there data that kind of specifies
how much of that gun violence is um kind of equated to a person who has a concealed carry permit versus an unlicensed firearm? Is there a comparison of where the gun violence per you know the incident Yes. is is a
person who has a concealed versus one who doesn't? >> Um I can find those numbers for you. >> Yeah. No, but no. Yeah, it's a very good question to compare to uh an unlicensed or unregistered firearm compared to one that is. Um I can definitely find that out for you. Um I know our push is
really to make sure that any guns that are um that are permitted that they are secured. Correct. >> Right. And make sure that they are out of places that um perhaps they shouldn't be. Right. Um but I can definitely find the numbers for you, Mr. Cruz. >> Yeah. If you if you come across that
particular data, you can email it. Absolutely. >> I think that's something worth um kind of seeing, particularly with the increase in applications in our county. >> How how does that compare to the actual gun incidents that we're seeing? >> Thank you.
>> Thank you. Yep. Toby, thank you. >> Very uh informative. Uh last year partnership with the judiciary and Sheriff Adamo, we we conducted an active shooter jail in this facility and it was alarming. Um, and it's a problem that unfortunately we have to deal with as a society. So, thank you for the
information. >> Thank you. Thank you for the time. I appreciate it, >> Toby. >> Thank you. >> That's all I have, director. Thank you. >> Thank you. We're going to move on to county commissioner reports. I'll guess I'll
start that off. I'd like to let everybody know that under the toutelage of our director of cultural and historic affairs, Kelly Rafel, we will be holding our eighth annual Art in the Park at Gelberrook Park this weekend and we
invite you all to attend. It's a it's a great day out. I mean, there's a million things to do and if you go, I know you're going to love it. So, that's all I have. I just wanted to let everybody know about Art in the Park this weekend at G Park.
Yeah. Uh, thank you, director. I don't have a report necessarily, but I just want to draw um my colleagues attention to um item number 36 under public works. Uh, upon approval tonight that we will be installing uh some traffic safety beacons in front of two uh very highly
trafficed um pedestrian areas uh in the city of Patterson. Uh I'm excited and and happy that we've been able to do that. th those areas are notorious for pedestrian uh pedestrians being struck as they're um attending uh their their
mosque uh I believe. And so um installing these safety measures is going to truly improve the um the traffic flow there. And so I'm excited about that and just wanted to highlight that this evening. So thank you.
Okay. Commissioner Bartlett, >> Commissioner D'vor, >> no report. >> Commissioner Remaglia, >> no report. >> Commissioner Schz. Thank you all. Okay. At this time, we're
going to open the oral portion of the meeting. Uh just know that you have three minutes to speak. Please state your name and address when you first get up there so we can write it down. And uh we welcome anyone from the public to come on up.
>> I'll move to open the public portion. >> We have um Bartlett and Remaglia. >> County Commissioners Bartlett. >> Yes. >> D'vor. >> Yes. >> Remagalia. >> Yes. >> Trats. Yes. >> Deputy Director Cruz. >> Yes. >> Director Lazaro. >> Yes. You guys can come up now.
>> Or is yours >> anybody here? >> Good evening everybody. Good evening. >> On behalf of uh P County Building Building and Construction Trades Council, I want to thank you guys for having us here tonight. Um to the whole
entire board of um county commissioners, we appreciate you guys so much and the partnership that we have built and we stand here tonight to tell you that we are in favor of lowering the threshold of the project labor agreement that we have in place in P County. And again, we
tremendously thank you guys from the bottom of our hearts. You guys have helped us out tremendously and we want to help you guys out in the same way. Thank you. >> Brian, you just need to state your name and address. >> Oh, that's my name is Brian Jackson. My
address is 422 Kernney Street, Patterson, New Jersey, 07522. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> Anybody else? >> Anybody else? >> We're good. Thank you. >> Thank you guys.
>> Stay safe. >> Thank you. My whole name and address. >> Yeah. Now you got my address. >> Okay. Can I have a motion to close the public portion? Second >> and D'vor.
>> Yes, ma'am. >> County Commissioners Bartlett. >> Yes. >> Vor, >> yes. >> Remagia, >> yes. >> Stratz. >> Deputy Director Cruz, >> yes. >> Director Lazaro, >> yes. Okay. At this point, um, do we have anything that we have to pull? Anybody want to pull any of these vote
separately? >> Do we have to go into executive session at all? Okay. So, we're going to take and look, >> director. Sorry, before we vote, I just want to thank uh Brian and your entire team for coming. We've now done eight project labor agreements together.
>> It's been a wonderful partnership. Uh further along in our agenda is the uh the start of the 11 Marshall Street project, which is going to be built by the the women men and women of the S County Trade. So, thank you again for your part.
>> Thanks, guys. >> Okay. Okay. Can I have a motion to open the consent agenda? >> So move for consent agenda. Second. >> And director, just for the record, that
is the consent agenda is L1 through >> 46. >> Uh L uh L >> 46. >> 46. >> Okay. >> County Commissioners Bartlett, >> yes. >> D'Vor, >> yes. >> Remagalia, >> yes.
>> Tratz, >> yes. >> Deputy Director Cruz, >> yes. Rectala. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Um throwing me off. >> We are
going to move on to new business. >> Um do you want to do that? >> I'll read it into the record. uh director um uh uh bond bond ordinance uh 2026-05
ordinance of the county of Payic State of New Jersey approving and authorizing entering into execution delivery of lease agreement with the Payic County Improvement Authority in connection uh in connection with the issuance of a
county general obligation lease revenue notes and bond bonds. 11 Marshall Street phase uh phase 2 redevelopment project by the P County Improvement Authority. >> Okay. Have a motion to adopt bond
ordinance 2026-05 on the first reading. >> Uh director, before the board votes, um do you want me to just give a brief explanation of what this ordinance is? So, as I previously mentioned, um this is the start of the financing for the um
uh phase 2 11 Marshall Street redevelopment project. Uh in 2022, the board entered into shared service agreements with Bergen and Hudson County. Um whereby we no longer um housed uh inmates at the P County Jail.
Um we now transport um to both Bergen, the males to Bergen, the females to Hudson. um and they uh provide correctional services for us. Subsequently, we demolished the Pay County Jail on a parallel track. We've been working on a redevelopment project for a new county facility, which will
include a new office space for the board of social services, which is currently housed at the old Central High School, which is over 100 years old. um consolidation of all of our election offices for ease of um voting, having the um board of elections uh
superintendent of elections and the county clerk all in one place um to make it easier for our residents. Also with the uh the advent of more uh people voting by mail um as you all know the board of elections takes over this room providing more space for them to
properly count ballots um and administer our elections. and then a sheriff's correctional hub where the transport and processing of all the uh inmates that are being u moved to Bergen and Hudson County will take place. And finally, uh our probation department um which we
currently lease space for at Dale Avenue will be housed in this new facility. >> That was a good explanation. Thank you, Matt. >> We're good to move on. Have a motion to adopt ordinance 2026-05
on first reading. >> Moved second. >> Cruz and Bartlett. >> County Commissioners Bartlett. >> Yes. >> D'vor. >> Yes. >> Remagalia. >> Stratz. >> Yes. >> Deputy director Cruz.
>> Yes. >> Director Lazar. >> Yes. >> Can I have a motion to move the personnel agenda? >> So moved. Second. >> Cruz and Bartlett. County Commissioners Bartlett. >> Yes. >> D'vor, >> yes. >> Remagalia, Stratz, yes.
>> Deputy Director Cruz, >> yes. >> Director Lazera, >> yes. >> Can I have a motion to move the bills? >> Move the bills. >> Second. >> Cruz and Bartlett. >> County Commissioners Bartlett. >> Yes. >> D'vor. >> Yes. >> For Magglia. >> Schratz, >> yes. >> Deputy Director Cruz, >> yes. >> Director Lazar,
>> yes. >> And can I have a motion to adjourn? >> So moved. >> D'vor. >> Second. Bartlett. >> County Commissioners Bartlett. Yes. >> D'vor. >> Yes. >> For Magglia, >> yes. >> Stratz, >> yes. >> Deputy Director Cruz,
>> yes. >> Director Lazar, >> yes. Thank you everyone for coming tonight.