Okay, good evening everybody. >> Thanks for being here. >> Come on in. >> I I think we have a pretty good idea. >> All right, we're going to uh >> services was tracking that >> again. Welcome. Today's January 7th,
2026. This is a the reorganization meeting of the mayor and the council of Princeton, New Jersey. Madame clerk, could we have the meeting statement, please? >> Notice of this meeting was provided in accordance with the requirements of the
open public meetings act and state regulations governing public meetings, including the time, date, and location of the meeting and clear and concise instructions to the public for accessing the meeting and making comments. In addition, the agenda and all related
materials were posted electronically and made available to the public on Princeton's meeting portal in advance of the meeting. >> Thank you. Leticios could do the land acknowledgement tonight. >> Yes, thank you. We gather today on the land of the Lenny Lape. As members of
the Princeton community, we aspire to show appreciation, respect, and concern for all peoples and our environment. We honor the Lape and other indigenous caretakers of these lands and waters, the elders who lived here before, the
indigenous today, and the generations to come. >> Thank you. Can we have a roll call of the 2025 council? >> Mr. McDonald >> here. >> Miss Peron Lamrose >> here. Mr. Cohen >> here. >> Miss Saxs >> here. Miss Braa >> here. >> Mr. Nulan
>> here. >> Mayor Freda >> here. All right. All right. If you're able and you'd like to, please stand and join us in 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
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. >> Okay. One of the main reasons we're here is we are going to swear in our quote unquote newly elected although they're
not new uh council members and uh so uh Mia Saxs and Michelle Peron Lamros will both get sworn in and Senator Swicker I believe is there you are is going to help with that process. So yeah, you
guys go down and we will Oh yeah. >> Yeah. Right. Right hand. >> Yes. Right hand. >> Uh, you have to repeat. Repeat after me. Happy New Year everyone.
>> I state your name. >> I, Mia Sack, >> do solemnly swear >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States. >> That I will support the Constitution of the State of New Jersey >> that I >> and also the United States.
>> Excellent. Thank you. that I will bear that I will bear true faith >> and that I will bear true faith >> and and allegiance to the same >> and allegiance to the same >> and to the governments established >> and to the governments established >> in the United States >> in the United States
>> and in this state >> and in the state >> under the authority of the people >> under the authority of the people >> and that I will faithfully >> and that I will faithfully >> impartially >> impartially >> and justly >> and justly >> perform all the duties >> perform perform all the duties
>> of the office of Princeton Council >> of the Office of Princeton Council >> according to the best of my ability. >> according to the best of my ability. So help me God. Thank you. Easy. >> Easy.
>> I state your name. I, Michelle Peron Lamrose, >> domly swear >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey >> and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey >> that I will bear true faith
>> and I will bear true faith >> and allegiance to the same >> and allegiance to the same >> to the governments established >> and to the governments established >> the United States >> in the United States >> in the state >> and in the state >> under the authority of the people >> under the authority of the people that I faithfully
>> and that I will faithfully >> impartially, >> impartially, >> and justly >> perform all the duties >> perform all the duties >> of the office of Princeton Council >> according to the best of my abilities. So help me God.
Okay, now we will have the unveiling of the 2026 council. Could we have a roll call? Oh, wait a minute. I'm going to stand by. There we go. Okay. Could we have the
roll call of the 2026 council, please? >> Mr. McDonald >> here. >> Miss Peron Limbro >> here. >> Mr. Cohen >> here. >> Miss Saxs >> here. Miss Braa >> here. >> Mr. Nulan >> here. >> Mayor Frereda >> here. Thank you. Okay. Okay, I guess a
nomination for council president is in order. >> I would like to nominate my esteemed and intrepid and accomplished colleague, Councilwoman Michelle Peron Lamrose.
>> And I will second that. >> It's been moved and seconded. I assume there's is there any comment? All in favor, please say I. I. >> I. Congratulations. ALL RIGHT. NOW YOU GOT TO GO BACK DOWN AND
GET SWORN IN. >> Thanks very much. This would be support of the United establish true faith >> and allegiance to the state and allegiance to the >> government
and justice. perform. Thank you, J. That's mine. >> All right. Luckily, we've taken the 20some items that need to be done at every reorganization meeting and put them on a consent agenda instead of going through them one by one, which really uh which really helps shorten the
meeting quite a bit. But assuming nobody has a problem with anything that's on the consent agenda, Laticia is going to move the consent agenda. Is there a second? Thank you, Brian. All in favor? >> I I >> Thank you very much. >> Okay. Next up, we have the council
president's remarks. >> Thank you. Uh thank you first of all, Senator Zwicker and county clerk Salamy Calvalo and all of you uh residents, family, and friends for being here tonight. Thanks very much. I'm incredibly proud to serve this town
and truly honored to work alongside my colleagues here on council. Each of you brings deep experience, commitment, and heart to our work. We may have very different backgrounds, but our diversity is what makes us a strong, thoughtful,
and effective governing body. Thank you all for your trust tonight in electing me, your council president. I would like to offer a special thanks to my colleague Mia Saxs who has done an outstanding job as council president.
Mia, you work tirelessly and are always deeply engaged. You're responsive and accessible to all of us. I'm grateful for your leadership and for the example you've set for our entire council. Thank you. So, as we begin our new year of service,
I want to take a moment to reflect a bit on the year ahead because 2026 is really a special year for our town. Growing up here, I didn't fully understand how deeply our town would shape me or how much perspective comes from living within a community rooted in so much
history. Over time, I've come to appreciate the depth of that legacy and the strong sense of place that creates. As we enter our semi-quincentennial year, I find myself in awe of Princeton's extraordinary role in our
nation's founding and how relevant that legacy is right now. Princeton wasn't just nearby when history happened. It was where history was made. This year's 250th celebration should remind us that democracy is not a gift
that we inherit. It's hard work. Every time we engage in our thoughtful debate or find common ground, we help keep that 250 spirit alive. Local government is where democracies practice daily in real and tangible
ways. Whether we're debating a de a a budget, investing in our parks and streetscapes, or ensuring that our neighborhoods are welcoming and inclusive, we're putting democracy in action. I look forward to building on the work that we began six years ago. Work rooted
in the belief that thoughtful planning and responsible investment can meaningfully improve people's lives. That means continuing to advance affordable housing, shaping the future of Westminster, and stewarding our public
assets in ways that are both forwardthinking and fiscally responsible. And I am particularly excited about Community Park South, a transformational infrastructure project that expands access to open space and recreation, especially for residents
that live in multif family housing and who don't have backyards. I look forward to continuing our work on the finance committee, align aligning our community's ambitions with sound fiscal management so our investments today will
strengthen Princeton for the future. I look forward to working with all of you, my colleagues, our wonderful professional staff, and our community to ensure that Princeton remains a town that honors its history, meets the moment, and builds a future worthy of
generations to come. Thank you. Thank you, Michelle. All right, now we're going to have council members remarks and everybody's supposed to hold the remarks to one one to two minutes. So, let's see what happens. But what I forgot to ask was >> Huh? >> No, you were great. You set the example.
Had you guys decided on an order? I forgot to ask that ahead of time. >> We shouldn't ask. >> Are we just going down the line or >> Well, she was just reelected. >> Okay. Uh, thank you, Mayor, and welcome incoming council president Michelle Peron Lambs. And thank you, outgoing
council president Michelle, I mean, Mia N. Saxs, for your tireless work on behalf of the people of Princeton and our esteemed body. Thank you. Before we begin tonight, we want to acknowledge the tragic loss of life
that occurred today in Minneapolis during a large-scale immigration operation. Thanks. Which included the use of deadly force against a young woman. Regardless of whether the woman was fleeing the scene or intentionally
pursuing the field agents with her vehicle, one thing is clear. This incident serves as a stark reminder of just how real, fragile, and high stakes it is for communities across our great
country. As we head into the new year, we implore our community to stay calm, show restraint and resolve when tensions escalate. Let us show that opposing injustice does not mean inviting chaos.
It means thinking of the person next to you. It means remembering that we the people need to show what a civil society looks like when institutions fail to do so. Thank you.
Before I go further, I want to acknowledge our administrator Bernie Hazdovic, our municipal clerk, Dawn Mount, along with our deputy administrators, department heads, and all municipal staff. Your professionalism, institutional knowledge, and steady commitment to
public service are the foundation of this municipality. The work we do at this day is does not happen without you. There is no us without you. Thank you for the care, competence, and consistency you bring
each and every day. Now, I'm going to read my remarks as fast as I possibly can. Every so often, a council decision tells the community exactly who we are and who we intend to be. I want to take a moment
to express my deep appreciation and gratitude for what I believe is one of the most monumental actions this council has taken. Our decision to confront our municipal value system head on by
putting short-term rentals and absentee ownership in check. Let's be clear. This was not about restrictions for restriction's sake. This was about protection. Protection of neighborhoods. Protection of families who want to live here, grow here, and stay here.
Protection of the idea that Princeton is a community, not a commodity. In doing this, we didn't just regulate housing. We claimed our future. We affirmed that quality of life matters, that stability matters, and that neighborhoods are meant to be lived in, not cycled
through. This is how you safeguard Princeton's soul, not with nostalgia and simple signage, but with intentional action. And while we often measure progress in concrete, steel, and square footage, this council has also begun the essential work of strengthening
something just as vital, our human infrastructure. I want to recognize my colleague and co-chair on CARES, Leticia Fraga, and the entire human services department and its leadership for their commitment to restoring, retooling, and
reshaping how this mun municipality serves people. This work is about building community, rebuilding trust, and meeting human need with dignity. Especially at a time when nationally we are struggling with how we care for one
another. Across this country, the coastal contract is and feels frayed. That makes local government not smaller, but more important than ever. What we do here matters because it is it it is
often the first and last place people turn when systems fail them. As we approach the 250th anniversary of this nation, let us remember that Princeton history is not something to sanitize or
selectively defend. In the Battle of Princeton, black people and Native Americans fought on the side of America. They were present at the founding and their presence still calls
us to live up to the promise of this place. As I enter the second year on my second term, I do so clear in purpose, stronger in resolve, and deeply committed to the work ahead. work that balances buildings with belonging,
policy with people, and progress with humanity. Lastly, if we can protect our neighborhoods, invest in our people, and honor the full truth of our history, then Princeton won't just look good on paper. It will feel right in the lives
of all the people who call it home. That, my friends, is something I will always fight for. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good evening everyone. As I begin my ninth year of service on
council, I find myself reflecting on the collective work that we have done with dedication and in collaboration with my colleagues, the support of our staff and the commitment of volunteers serving
on our boards, commissions, and committees. I am deeply proud of what we have achieved together. Over the years, I have consistently focused on advancing affordability,
equity, sustainability, and quality of life. The policies and initiatives we have moved forward reflect a firm belief in communitydriven solutions and a shared responsibility to strengthen Princeton.
Each step we have taken has been guided by the goal of creating a municipality that works for everyone. As Princeton continues to grow and evolve, my priority in 2026 is to keep
working to ensure our community remains a place that offers opportunity, promotes wellness, and upholds dignity and security so that all residents have the chance to thrive. I will approach this work with the same
care and dedication that has guided me throughout my time on council. I also want to share that I have decided that I will not seek reelection and this will be my final year serving in this
role. I remain fully committed to making it a meaningful and productive year for our community and I know that it's something there's a lot we can accomplish even in just one year. I look forward to it. Thank you.
Well, that's bit difficult to come after that sad news, but good for Leticia. Um, so
I am deeply grateful. Is that on? >> There we go. >> Deeply grateful for the trust this community has placed in me to serve a third term. That trust claries a carries a clear responsibility to govern with foresight,
discipline, and an understanding that the decisions we make today will shape our community for decades to come. My focus in office has always been on planning for the future of this community. Planning that directs
investments to the right places, strengthens existing neighborhoods, and aligns land use with infrastructure, transportation, and public services. My focus has been on smart growth, which is not about growth for its own sake.
It's about making deliberate choices that support walkable communities, efficient public investments, and a range of housing options that allow people of different ages, incomes, and backgrounds to remain part of our town.
Equally central to my and our work has been climate resilience. We are planning for a future that includes more extreme weather, rising costs of inaction, and increasing demands on public infrastructure. That means protecting natural systems,
investing in resilient buildings and utilities, managing storm water responsibly, and ensuring that our capital planning reflects the realities of a changing climate. Climate preparedness is no longer optional. It is fundamental to fiscal
responsibility and public safety. Redevelopment has also been a key tool in our efforts to strengthen the community. By prioritizing reinvestment in already developed areas, we can revitalize underutilized sites, support local
businesses, expand housing opportunities, and reduce pressure on open space. Thoughtful redevelopment allows us to grow in a way that respects our history while meeting contemporary needs. As we look ahead, my commitment
is to continue integrating smart growth, climate resilience, and redevelopment into every aspect of our planning and decision-making through collaboration across departments, coordination with regional partners, and sustained public engagement. I believe good government
must plan ahead, invest wisely, and ensure that progress is shared and sustainable. Thank you for the confidence you've placed in me and for your partnership as we continue to build a community that is
resilient, inclusive, equitable, sustainable, and prepared for the future. Thank you. When my wife and I first decided to move to Princeton way back in 1987, I remember a friend commented, "Why
would you want to live in Princeton? It's like living in Mayberry, RFD." My response at the time was, "That sounds pretty good to me." It turns out my friend was more right than he could have imagined, and I was right, too.
I never guessed I would live in a town where the mayor was also a volunteer fireman and EMT. Where the chief of police was our own version of Andy Griffith. All about deescalation, helping the less fortunate, and connecting with the community.
Where the main grocery store in town was committed to employing special needs individuals. Where the public library is the most popular destination for kids with free time after school. where the most passionate arguments in town are about how to make it safer to
bike and walk. And if I do say so myself, where one of the councilmen is also a school crossing guard. As I embark on my ninth year on council, I want to keep trying to find ways to help this town remain the kind of place
I wanted to live when I first moved here. Princeton has changed a lot physically over their 39 years, but I am grateful every day that the heart of the community is still caring and compassionate, inclusive, and down to
earth. Preserving our little island of sanity feels especially important and especially challenging in the light of what is going on in the world all around us. Please join me in this important work. Are we doing rookie of the year now or
or later? Just kidding. Just kidding. Um, if I stumble, my excuse is that I gave blood at this afternoon's municipally sponsored blood drive, go power red. And it was nice to see Bernie there. I just wish we had more people turn out for that. and um when we when we uh end Jim
and when we do it again um I hope to see everybody in this room there. I want to start by congratulating and thanking Mia and Michelle for their reelection to council and for agreeing to serve third terms. This is hard and timeconsuming work and your service is greatly
appreciated. I also want to thank Mia for serving as council president for three years and welcome Michelle and wish her great success as our new council president. Having just completed my first year, I look ahead to my second year on council
with hope, optimism, and deep appreciation for the enormous amount of work done by our mayor, my five fellow council members, the town's highly skilled staff, and the many talented and energetic community members who volunteer their time to serve on our
boards, committees, and commissions. I've had many learnings and observations this year. Uh given the limits on time, I'll just share one observation and that is in my conversations with residents and those that my colleagues have, there
are two recurring themes. You would like us to deliver more services and strengthen existing ones while reducing taxes or at least limiting increases to low and sustainable rates. While we must always do our best to do both, and they
are not always mutually exclusive, we also need to be aware that Princeton offers more services than the vast majority of municipalities in the state and at a much higher level of quality. I appreciate the opportunity to serve the town that I love and look forward to
doing my very best job in 2026. Okay, my turn. I'd like to do some thanks first. So, I'd like to thank my family. My wife Beth and my daughter Rebecca are here. My son Alex couldn't be here. But I think the importance of having family support when you do this
type of work is is critical. And uh my family has been there since the day I said, "Hey, I first want to run for mayor to when I said I want to run for reelection." And every day since. So, I I truly appreciate that. I'd like to thank the residents of our great community, and we do have a great
community. But it is is just so rewarding to be out in the community, people come up to you, hey, we appreciate what you're doing. We thank you for the time. We know that you're working hard for us. And to have people say that to you and reaffirm that they're paying attention. That that
means a lot. Now, sometimes it gets to be a lot with all the emails and the phone calls and everything, but you know what? Staying in touch with people and figuring out what is important to them and how they feel about what we're doing is critical to being good at this job. So, I appreciate that.
Our staff, we are blessed with great staff. You know, and that's not an exaggeration when I say that our staff is so good. I don't know that the people of our community truly appreciate how lucky we are with the staff we have.
They're top-notch. So many of them make this their career working for this town. It is amazing the experience, the knowledge, the advice they give us, the hard work they do for us every day. The elected officials, we come and go. Some of us stay a little longer than others,
but the staff is here forever. And at the end of the day, who are the people getting everything done dayto day? Our staff. Thank you. I truly appreciate you. You know, as mayor, I get to work with a lot of different people. I get to work with a lot of other elected officials. I
get to talk and meet with mayors all over the state with uh council committee people from all over the state. The mayors of Mercer County, we have a group. We get together regularly throughout the year. We chat with each other. We support each other. We work with each other. Our county officials,
our entire board of county commissioners is here tonight. The entire group is here. Thank you. Thank you. Our count our county clerk is here. Our county surrogate is here. Thank you very much. The uh mayor of East Windsor is
here. At the state level, what can we say? Two great state representatives for us. Solid, caring people. we call them, we got a concern or a problem, they're going to help us. And if they can't, they're going to be
upfront about us. So, Senator, Assemblyman, thank you both very much. Thank you for being here, but thank you for what you do for this community every day. We appreciate it. So, this is my sixth year as mayor, and you know what? I still love it. It's a great job. Like I said, it's a great
town. But, you know, dealing with the people in town, being out and about, chatting with people, chatting with staff, property owners, business owners, people that live and work here, this is just a great place. It is my honor to serve as mayor, and I I truly appreciate
the support I get from all the different groups I just mentioned. I think one reality check for any elected official is what did we say when we were running for reelection and what do we actually do? So, I got a little checklist. things I said I would do. I said I would push
for openness and transparency every day. I do that. I actively listen to people. I think actively listening is a skill that you have to develop. You need to listen to people because you want to actually hear what they're saying. You want to understand what they're saying
and you want to do that because you want to grasp what's going on. And you're not listening just to argue with somebody because maybe they disagree with you. We can all disagree, but we can all still work together. There is never a reason why we shouldn't listen to each other. You never know what somebody's going to say that you
weren't aware of or that you never knew or that you never thought of. Listening to each other, listening to everybody is critical. And I appreciate the opportunity to do that with so many people that interact with us. I I try not to ever worry about who gets
credit for our successes, right? It's a team effort. And I think it's very important for everybody to understand that we all know that anything that we achieve again is because of the team that works with us. So maybe we get a little more of the credit or little get
our pictures taken a little bit more, but again the staff and the consultants, the attorneys, everybody that we use to help us. Again, we have to thank them because without that entire team that things just aren't going to happen here. And I think it's also I know on my part
to me this is an easy one but not everybody finds this easy. When we are talking and making decisions we are making business decisions. It's not personal. So we can disagree with each other up here and again it's we're disagreeing on a business decision. So
in my mind I could go to the mat with any one of the people up here. But if we walk out into that parking lot after the meeting and somebody's got a flat tire or their car won't start, all they got to do is say, "Hey, Mark, would you give me a hand?" And I'm going to do it. I think people need to understand and grasp that concept. It's important. We
can go to the mat on any business matter, but it is not personal and it never should be. So anyway, I hope everybody lives by that. And I'm going to speed up. I'm supposed to keep to under two minutes. I I got another 90 seconds left. Anyway,
some of what we're going to do this year, we're going to review our proposed capital budgets. It's like a wish list. We can't afford to do all that. So, the finance committee, this entire governing body is going to have to make some difficult decisions. What do we want to do? What can we really do? Let's set
some priorities and let's figure this stuff out. Hopefully, we make some decisions on what we're going to do with the Westminster Choir College campus. Right? That's a big deal. There's a tax impact to that. We need to start making decisions and we're working hard on that. We have a whole bunch of actions around our affordable housing
obligations that we're going to be working on this year. We will set up our high level strategic goals for 2026 very soon. As a group, we are poised to improve how we communicate with each other and work with each other as a body, which is really important. So, I
look forward to working with the council to make well-informed decisions on the issues that we will encounter this year. There's a reason there's seven of us. Each of us brings individual experiences and knowledge to the table and the importance of all of us being informed
on issues and weighing in on those issues as a body cannot be overstated. So, thank you all for being here tonight. A healthy and and successful new year to all. Thank you. All right, last up on the agenda, any public comments by anybody for
anything not on the agenda. >> All right, seeing no one, we'll close that part of the meeting. And is there someone named David who has a motion? >> I would move to adjurnn. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. All in favor say I. I. I. >> We're done. Thanks for being here.