Oh, we're on Oh, that's all it was. >> All right. Good evening, everyone. This meeting is being held in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act. Acade adequate notice of this meeting has been published in the bureau's official newspapers and posted in the municipal building and on the bureau's website as
permitted by the open public meetings act. This meeting is being held in person and broadcast online via Zoom video meetings. The option to attend via Zoom is a courtesy. If Zoom becomes unavailable and cannot be fixed, the council meeting will continue in person only. For those joining us via Zoom,
hello. Please raise your hand during designated times to be recognized for a comment. Whether you're appearing in person or via Zoom, you must provide your name to be recognized. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. >> Roll call, please. Mary. >> Council member Bonitakis, >> here.
>> Council member Facy Blackwood, >> here. Council member Forest >> present. >> Council member Janon >> here. >> Council member Euro >> here. >> Deputy Mayor Trianiano >> here. >> And Mayor Portman is absent this evening. Thank you. >> He's at the World Cup.
>> Is that the Oh, it's the one thing. >> Speaking of soccer, we have wonderful news to celebrate here and the room is packed and we couldn't be happier and prouder. So, the first proclamation that we're going to be presenting tonight is a proclamation recognizing the Redbank
FC Fireballs U15 girls soccer team. >> Hit it. Whereas, the Burough of Redbank takes great pride in recognizing the achievements of its young athletes whose dedication, teamwork, and sportsmanship bring honor to our community. And whereas the RedFank FC Firefalls U15
girls soccer team has demonstrated exceptional commitment, perseverance, and competitive excellence throughout the 2025 2026 soccer season. And whereas the Fireballs earned the distinction of becoming the first team in Redbank FC history to advance to the New Jersey
Youth Soccer State Cup finals. A remarkable Yeah. a remarkable accomplishment that reflected years of hard work, determination, and team unity. And whereas the state cup championship match was held at the Capelli Sports Complex where the Fireballs competed against
Sporting Premiere of Roxberry in the New Jersey Youth Soccer State Finals. And whereas although the fireballs fell by a score of two-0 against a talented and formidable opponent, the team displayed outstanding resilience, character, and determination by competing with intensity and never giving up through
the final whistle. And whereas the team made up of seventh, eighth, and ninth grade student athletes from Redbank, Little Silver, Shrewberry, and Fair Haven has played together for seven years, building lasting friendships and demonstrating the power of teamwork and community spirit. And whereas the fireballs currently hold an impressive
511 record in the MOSAM MJ NJSA premier division and are tied for first place in their division and have earned recognition as one of the top ranked youth soccer teams in New Jersey and the region. And whereas the accomplishment of the Redbank FC fireball serves as an
inspiration to young athletes throughout our community and reflect positively upon the Burough of Redbank and surrounding communities they proudly present. Now therefore, William Portman, the mayor of the Burough Redbank, on behalf of the Burough Council, and myself, Deputy Mayor Kriano, hereby congratulate and commend the Redbank FC
Fireballs U15 girls soccer team for their historic achievement in reaching the New Jersey Youth Soccer State Cup finals and extend our appreciation to the players, coaches, families, and supporters whose designations dedication contributed to this outstanding accomplishment. Congratulations. Yeah, that's right.
Okay, we have certificates for all of you. So, I'm going to call you all up one by one. And if you could stay up here so we could take a group picture with the council and with all of you. Okay, they got a hand. All right. All right.
We've got Mate Kete. We've got Congratulations. You're welcome. Charlotte Emir Natalie Ferrant, Sophia Galina, Abigail Harrison,
Charlotte Hol. Congratulations, Gia Lauriano, Hannah Lynch, Kate Min, Julia Moore. >> You're welcome. Congratulations. Payton Isabella Pon
Riley Regina Haley Rapetto. Yeah. Give everybody a break. Give those hands a break. There you go. Briana Chiro. Tiro. Chiro. Fatiro. There you go. Maggie Whan, Kim Harris,
Amy Regina, we missed them. I have her. Don't worry, I have you. I'm just like saving you for last for some reason. The pile got out of order before because I was asking about how to pronounce your last name. Okay. I asked Mr. Le Fever. John Le Fever. Yeah, you
gotta get up here. We were gonna make that happen. Julia Spagnolo. See, you're like a little surprise in the middle. And Megan Lef Fever. There you go.
Anything you guys want to say? Seven years is a long time and these girls worked hard and you got players that come and go and they the the great thing about this team is there is no egos,
no attitudes. They love each other and they play for each other and that's what's important. >> Yay. Everybody remember John saying all coach Le Fever fever saying all those things. Okay. Do you want to get like really in here so we can get you? >> Yeah. Do you guys want to get in the
picture? >> Come on. Get in. >> Three rows and like you'll fill that back space. >> I don't know. But we got >> Come on back.
And then girls in the front, you're gonna do the >> Yeah, >> there you go. Perfect. >> Charlotte. >> Okay. So, hold up your certificate. Three, two, one. I got mine.
>> I always say chins up, big teeth. Open your eyes for good luck. >> Very nice. >> These are experts. Give it up again. One more time. Our next proclamation is for Junth,
2026. Whereas the United States of America was founded on the enduring principle that all people are created equal and entitled to life, liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness. And whereas on January 1st, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation
Proclamation declaring enslaved persons in Confederate States to be free and establishing the framework for the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States. And whereas on June 19th, 1865, Union General Jordan Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that enslaved
African-Americans were free, marking a pivotal moment in American history that became known as Junth. And whereas Junth is recognized as the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States and serves as a powerful reminder of the strength, perseverance, and contributions of
African-Americans throughout our nation's history. And whereas in 2026, as communities across the nation continue important conversations about civil rights, equal opportunity, economic justice, and the importance of pres preserving and teaching American
history. Junth remains an opportunity to reflect upon both the progress achieved and the work that remains in building a more just and united society. And whereas the Burough of Redbank is proud to celebrate the diversity, cultural heritage and civic enga engagement that strengthens our community and recognizes
the importance of fostering understanding, inclusion, and respecting all among and respect amongst all residents. And whereas Junth celebrations in Redbank bring residents together through education, reflection, music, art, culture, and community service, reinforcing the values of unity
and shared responsibility that define our bureau. And whereas the observance of Junth provides an opportunity for all people to honor the sacrifices of those who fought who fought for our freedom and equality while inspiring future generations to continue striving toward a more equitable and compassionate
nation. Now therefore, William Portman, mayor of the Burough of Red Bank, on behalf of the Burough Council, hereby proclaims June 19th, 2026 as Junth in the Burough of Redbank and urges all residents to commemorate this important day through reflection, education, celebration, and renewed commitment to
the ideals of freedom, equality, and justice for all. >> And we have our very own Gilda Rogers here from the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center as well as she's also the keynote for our Junth celebration here in
Redbank to accept the proclamation. Thank you so much for this acknowledgement. And I like to say at the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center, that's what we're about. Education, uplift, you know, uh, cohesiveness, unity in our
community, and cultural competency. We have a lot of school tours that come through the cultural center. So, students are learning as well as educators. And we're very proud to uphold the name of T. Thomas Fortune who
fought um incessantly for freedom and justice and equality obviously for African-American people but him being a biracial man himself though born in slavery he was fighting for all of us. So again thank you for this I invite you
to visit us for June 19th Junth at the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center because we are having an all day uh celebration starting at 2:30. We'll have a presentation about slavery in the
north. Uh then at 3:30 we're having a front porch barbecue we're calling it. And then at um 5:00 we're having a presentation on the Negro National Baseball League. So we have a lot going
on that day. It's familyfriendly. So, bring your kids and your family and come out and join us. So, thank you very much. I appreciate this. >> Thank you for all you've taught me and all of us. We really appreciate everything you do. Thank you.
Three, two, up. >> Look at me. Oh, here we go. Where at? >> One more. Eyes closed. Eyes open. Good. No. Wait a minute.
>> Good. >> Thank you. >> All righty then. Up next, we have our proclamation for Pride Month 2026. Whereas Pride Month is celebrated each June in recognition of the
contributions, history, resilience, and ongoing pursuit of equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning individuals and communities throughout the United States and around the world. And whereas Pride Month traces its origins to the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City, a pivotal
moment in the modern movement for LGBTQ plus civil rights and equality. And whereas the Burough of Red Bank values diversity, inclusion, mutual respect, and the dignity of every individual and recognizes that our community is strengthened by the many cultures, identities, backgrounds, and experiences
of our residents. And whereas LGBTQ plus residents, business owners, community leaders, artists, educators, advocates, first responders, and volunteers make meaningful contributions to the civic, cultural, educational, and economic vitality of the Burrow of Redbank. And whereas Pride Month serves as an
opportunity to celebrate progress toward equality while also recognizing the ongoing need to promote understanding, compassion, acceptance, and equal opportunity for all people regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. And whereas the bro of Redbank remains committed to
fostering a safe, welcoming and inclusive community where all residents and visitors are treated with fairness, respect, and dignity. And whereas community events, educational programs, artistic expression, and acts of allyship during Pride Month help build stronger connections among residents and
reinforce the burough's commitment to unity and belonging. Now therefore, William Portman, Mayor of the Bureau of Redbank, on behalf of the Burough Council, hereby proclaims the month of June 2026 as Pride Month in the Burough of Redbank and encourages all residents to recognize and celebrate the
contributions of the LGBT plus community and to reaffirm our shared commitment to equality, inclusion, and respect for all. And to accept this proclamation, I have a very familiar community face, one of our favorite baristas in Redbank, Jess Vivito from Coffee Corral.
>> Yep, we're used to it now. Hands up, big teeth, eyes open. Boom. Very nice. Thank you. All right. Our next proclamation is supporting responsible oversight of
large-scale data center development. Whereas advances in artificial intelligence and digital technologies have increased the demand for large-scale data centers throughout New Jersey and the nation. And whereas the mayor and council of the burough of Redbank recognized that such facilities may significantly impact electricity
demand, water resources, land use, environmental sustainability, and community character. And whereas the New Jersey residents continue to face rising utility costs and increasing concerns regarding energy consumption, water usage, noise, infrastructure demands, and the long-term impacts associated
with large-scale data center development. And whereas transparency and accountability are essential to ensuring that policymakers and the public have access to information regarding the environmental, economic, and community impacts of these facilities. And whereas the Bureau of
Redbank supports thoughtful planning and comprehensive statewide standards that balance technological innovation with environmental stewardship, public transparency, and the protection of local communities. Now therefore, be it proclaimed by the mayor and council of the bro of Redbank that we support
responsible oversight and comprehensive statewide review of large-scale data center development, including standards related to environmental impacts, utility demands, labor practices, public reporting, and community protections. Be it further proclaimed that the Burough of Redbank encourages continued
collaboration among state leaders, regulators, utilities, labor organizations, environmental advocates, and local communities to ensure that future development serves the public interest and promotes a sustainable future for all New Jersey residents. And to accept this proclamation,
we have Ben Joek. I'm just joking. Joe Beck of Climate Revolution Action Network to accept the proclamation. Um, for those of you that don't know, Climate Revolution Action Network is the largest Gen Z advocate group in the state of New Jersey and it
might actually be the largest one in the nation. And we are forever indebted uh to this organization for their leadership, large coalition work with other advocacy groups and for all the education that you're giving people about the impact of these data centers
and for your pragmatic approach to policy. Um, this is an extremely well-written proclamation. It's measured. It's simply saying we must know the impacts of what we are doing before we do them. Um, I've brought a
few articles with me myself that I'll leave out for people about data centers and their impacts. Um, including one that says fast data centers that powerful power artificial intelligence guzzle huge amounts of energy, but they also have another
alarming impact. According to new research, they are creating heat islands, warming the land around them by up to 16 degrees Fahrenheit and making life hotter for more than 340 million people. Here's another one. A data center drained 30 million gallons of
water unnoticed until residents complained about low water pressure that was in Georgia. The utility in Georgia discovered two unaccounted for water connections at one of the nation's largest data centers. 30 million gallons of water stolen from people. I can't
drink the water right next to a US data center. This is about residents in local communities who suddenly their wellwater is so contaminated they can't drink the water out of their own faucets. And last but not least, this one is about the noise pollution of data centers.
Mississippi residents are suing Elon Musk AI and SpaceX over the pervasive and escapable noise from their data center. an accompanying power plant in Memphis Memphis, Tennessee area. If you want to search online for what a data center sounds like and hear what it sounds like,
it's maddening in about the first 10 seconds. Um, so for all of these reasons and more, we feel like it's incredibly important to protect our residents. And again, we're so so indebted to Ben Jobeck for his leadership. So Ben, if you want to say a few words.
say something before the board. >> Uh uh you know really thankful for the the burrow here for taking a step forward. Um, you know, there's this proclamation and there's the next one that you will be the first uh
municipality in the state of New Jersey calling for state level regulations and a moratorium on the state level so we can get up to speed. And at the same time, you're joining dozens of municipalities who have taken it upon themsel to ban data centers in their
communities. So, we make sure that private equity companies and and big tech can't take from our communities. What we hear over and over is that these things are moving way too fast. They're moving before planning boards and councils who are not prepared for the
implications that are happening in their communities. And I'm really glad that the bureau is making sure that residents water bills, electric bills, uh home insurance, home values are all stable and remained intact and are not put in
jeopardy by uh big tech and whatnot. So really grateful for this uh proactive step forward and hopefully we can encourage other municipalities around Mammoth County uh and the region uh to follow suit because this is an important step to protecting our residents. Thank
you. >> Mary picture. >> Yeah. Come along. Can I come? >> I mean, anybody >> also have the state director of the water action. >> Yeah. Wait, should I get some of our posters?
Hold up. >> Come on now. >> Yes, please. >> This is better for if you have it. Why not? >> Oh, the pattern. Let's
get everyone in on this. >> We're gonna hold the holdation. >> Now we're doing >> Okay, cool. Everyone look here first and then I'll pass you over to my next my next friend. There you go. >> Eyes on me, please. Big teeth. Smile.
more. >> Good. Thank you. >> Thank you. I don't think our case if we're just too later. So, hold on to that. Where did I um Can you agenda, please?
>> Yeah, agenda down there. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All righty then. Up next, we have a appointment of Mark Fitz Simmons to green team expiring 12:31 2026. So, thank you to Mark for his continued
serving. Um, governing body point Mark Fitz Simmons also to complete in Green Street's advisory committee team expiring 1231 2026. You want to make a motion? Oh, go ahead. >> Um, I'd like to say uh thank you very much for appointing Mark. Mark is a former chair of the Redbank
Environmental Commission and before that he was also involved with the Historic Preservation Commission as well as T. Thomas Fortune House. So, he has a lot of community involvement and he's always been an advocate to make a better Red Bank. So, I'm very pleased that he's
getting this appointment. >> And you said he's been going to the meetings. >> Yes. Um, he's been going to all the meetings. I said, Mark, might as well put you on. >> Absolutely. I love that. Thank you. We're lucky to have him. >> Yeah. Yeah. Motion. She motions.
>> I'll make a motion to appoint Mark >> and a second. All in favor? I >> beautiful. We have no presentations. Uh so we'll open the floor to public comment on agenda items only. Can I get a motion? >> So moved >> and a second. >> Second. >> All in favor?
>> I. >> Any public comment agenda items? >> I have a letter like to read. >> Oh, I see this gentleman getting up. Hello. Hello. Blackwood, 34 Chestnut Street. Can you hear me?
>> Yep. >> Okay. I have a comment about resolution 26127 um supporting the passage of the polluters pay to make New Jersey more affordable. And I just want to note for all the climate activists here uh to put
it in context a little bit that um Red Bank uh three years ago adopted a policy of uh reducing its own uh burrow emissions of greenhouse gases by 50% by
2030. And that's a really good thing because it directly addresses the root cause of climate change. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Go ahead. >> Or uh do you want to come up? Okay. Go
ahead, Ben. You can come up. Okay. This feels a little bit more natural. >> Please just state your full name, please. >> My name is Ben Jobeck. Uh I am the executive director of climate revolution action network and I'm really grateful that we're reaffirming our support for
the polluters pay act. Uh as many of you know uh the municipality is facing increased costs whether that be cooling in the summer when we have heat waves like right now um or you know flooding or issues along our our river system over here and workingclass families are
are being burdened with those costs. Uh home insurance is going up especially in our shore communities. um and the bills are piling up. What we're saying here is that uh working working families should be paying last and that the largest corporations in the world should be
paying first. Um this bill would only apply to about 50 companies who have operated in the state of New Jersey since 1995 and emitted more than 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases. Um and I want to specifically state that refineries are excluded from this piece
of legislation. And what we do know is this, that this is going to create about 18,000 infrastructure jobs to build a stronger and more resilient New Jersey. Um, and many of the things that you're seeing coming out of the legislature and the governor's office would be directly addressed by this bill. Just uh about an
hour or two ago, the governor declared a federal disaster um for uh our farmers across the state because the peaches uh and other crops are not going to be coming in this year because of the cold snap, which is a direct response uh or
correlated to climate change, right? Um, this bill would provide hundreds of millions of dollars for farmers, hundreds of million dollars to fix our energy grid, hundreds of millions of dollars each year for public transit, for our roads, for our bridges, for our
shore communities. So, this is quite literally one of the most important pieces of legislation uh that can be passed on the environmental front and super glad that once again the bureau is standing up uh and and and leading the charge to make sure that Mammoth County
is a safer, more affordable and resilient uh community. Thank you. >> Thank you, Amy. Go ahead. Um, my name is Amy Goldmith. I live at 16 Locust Avenue in Redbank. I'm also the New Jersey state director for Clean
Water Action. And um I wanted to also um you know really appreciate the forwardthinking front stage work that you do every day um protecting not just Red Bank but thinking about the broader issues um
that make polluter pay um can have. right now. Um, it's really important for local officials to speak up loudly and to speak up loudly to their legislators, to make sure that they send a message to
the speaker of the assembly and to the Senate President who those two people alone are holding up the make polluter pay uh legislation. We have 44 legislators in the in the assembly and 19
um senators on uh who are officially co-sponsors with more people who are willing to vote yes if they would put it up on the floor. So sending a strong message especially from a county like Mammoth that is so gravely impacted um
by climate change. It's really important. On another um agenda item, I just wanted to say that um several years ago, I did um a blog post on behalf of my organization for um Black History
Month. And uh one of the things that I found out that was that while we honor um and should honor Junth, we should actually recognize that New Jersey was actually the very last state to free its
slaves. and that was in January the following year. So, um, we have a a history here in New Jersey, uh, Mammoth County with a lynching in Eatontown. We should recognize that. And I know that T. Thomas Fortune House and and others
do amazing work, um, to show that, but we also need to recognize our own history. Not always talk about the South, but talk about the North and talk about our own state. So, I just wanted to add that into the record. Thank you.
>> Perfect. Thank you. >> Anyone else in the back? >> Uh, good evening, council members. Uh, my name is David Schmeer. I live at 112 Harding Road in Redbank. Um, I would just like to speak generally in support of the ordinance to um
amend the planning and development regulations to uh allow accessory dwelling units. >> I don't know if I'm not exactly sure where we are in the process tonight if that's up for a vote. >> This is up for final adoption and it's passed through the planning board and they stated well she can go more into that. She's our planning board person.
>> Yeah. Um actually it was just last night uh the planning board uh heard this uh entire uh proposed ordinance and agreed to its master plan consistency. >> Excellent. Um I think it's an excellent addition to the uh to the regulations. I
my only caution and not having done an actual analysis on this is that it seem I would be concerned that a lot of lots might be kind of zoned out by default and we might wind up seeing a lot of zoning board applications or planning board applications for like a bulk variance. Um I would just like to add
that I am in support of this even if it is not perfect and I would like to see it passed and I am here speaking only for myself. I have to add that. So thank you very much. >> Thank you. Yeah, >> we're all really excited about that, too. >> Dennis, welcome up.
>> Hello, council. >> Good evening, >> Deputy Mayor. >> State your name and address to the record. >> Euro first time. Um, my name is Dennis O Sullivan. I'm at 51 Wallace Street and I'm also in favor generally of this ADU but unfortunately and I apologize I
wasn't aware of it until the final uh meeting and I have some concerns about it in terms of its the constraints that have been imposed specifically the single family mandate on the property and the owner occupancy on the property
these seem somewhat arbitrary and maybe there was I'd if there there's good rationale behind them. I'd like to hear it. Um, other um, municipalities have passed ADUs without those constraints. Um,
I personally live on a property that has plenty of spa, a 40x 150 that has plenty of space to build a an ADU above a garage for example. >> And we not that we have plans to it, but
it would add value for sure. I think the and and we'd be eligible as as owner occupancy because it's we're living in a two family one-bedroom apartments and we're we're on on site. So, I'd be curious as to why that constraint is in
place. And then I'm I'd also uh raise the owner occupancy constraint that has longerterm ramifications for property transfer, you know, the sale of a property to the next person that they would have to live on the property and
so forth. And I think I it feels familiar to me from back in the Airbnb days that that we're we're creating ordinance that like this is a intended to promote the ADUs, I presume. And yet there are so many constraints
that it may actually limit the the the promotion >> owner occupied aspect in that the single family dwelling on the property. >> Correct. >> Mhm. >> Um I mean has a study been done to to
determine based upon the zones that you were supporting whether how many houses are would qualify if they applied and how many >> we do have our planner from BFJ on. I mean, she can probably answer some more comprehensive questions. Um, but I will
say, you know, when it comes to rentals or to properties that may be seen as being used as, you know, profit, a lot of the conversations we've had with residents is that they want owner occupied because the intent of ADUs is
to help multigenerational housing. It's to help with affordable housing, accessible housing. Um, and so owner occupied is really about keeping that on track and not having it where these become what we were we had expressed to
us on mosque by people before which is that they didn't want to see a bunch of properties in town simply be used as not watched on Airbnbs and and things of that nature for profit. But I can have
Susan from BFJ come on and speak to anything else. >> Mayor, before you do that, can I just say something? >> Sure. >> Um, hi Dennis. Um, Mary Beth Galcom did send us all an email which I had shared with Susan Favate. So, she does have the
information specific to your area to your, you know, request. So, I'm sure she'll be able to answer you. >> Okay. And just in general, it feels like a cautious approach and it reminds me of the Airbnb era where we were trying to appease everybody who didn't like the
idea. >> I I mean I think I speak, you know, there were lots of conversations around not wanting the town to have a lot of rentals that were being taken as Airbnbs and there was a there was a concern about community and culture >> and I agree with you if that. So the
owner occupied piece, you know, is to keep these properties as what they're intended to be, which is multigenerational housing and and things of that nature. That's what owner occupied does. It's to benefit the the people who live there. >> Okay. >> Yeah. But the other but the other piece,
I mean, we can have Susan speak. >> Yeah. I I agree. If that's the rationale, I I understand it entirely. Um, I do think it constrains uh transfer of property to new owners and so forth. And I think just like the
Airbnb scenario, I feel like we may be exposing ourselves to potential lawsuits down the road, which are we pay for as taxpayers. So, just keep it in mind. I'm sorry I'm coming late to the to the story, but um >> it's all good. That's why we have professionals that help us.
>> I to maybe consider some of those thoughts. >> Yeah. So Susan, if you could be online and just help with the second part of that question, if he could if there could be a variance that could be sought if it's not single family on the property or you know to the specific concern. >> Yes, absolutely. Th this is really meant
to be kind of the first step. Um right now ADUs aren't allowed anywhere in the burrow and so it is kind of an an opportunity to introduce what we call gentle density. Um and it's starting with single family zones. Um that is the sort of logical place. Um and the owner
occupancy provision is is very typical for a lot of municipalities. We we did look at many ADU codes around the state. Um and many of them are having the the owner occupancy provision for exactly the reasons that the deputy mayor indicated that we really want these to
stay single family primarily um in use and that we're trying to promote multigenerational living whether the owner lives in the single family home or the ADU. It could be either way. Um the the intent is really that these don't become sort of default multif family uh
rental. Um so as for variance um I I think any any property owner is uh is able to and has the right to seek a variance. In this case it would be use variance from the zoning board. Um I think really anytime you introduce a new regulation into the code um you
carefully watch to see what happens. And so I think if the bureau starts to see a ground swell of interest and and you know number of variance applications for uh non-s single family home properties um then certainly that would be under consideration to change the zoning. Um
that's really what we generally look at in zoning. Um are we seeing a lot of variances and that's a sign that we need to make a change. But really the first step is to get it on the books in the first place um to have it permitted uh in many many areas where it's not permitted at all currently. So, I hope
that helps. >> Yeah. No, to be clear, I'm I'm a fan. Absolutely. I'm just uh again late to the game, so I just wanted to contribute. Yeah. >> And and I think it is it is a little bit maybe of a conservative approach in that, you know, it's a fairly significant change for the burough. Um
ADUs are not necessarily beloved by everyone. So, um, really it was just an effort to start first, uh, where it made clearly the most sense and it could certainly build over time based on on resident interest. >> Thank you.
>> The other thing I point out, um, is that >> uh, this is different than the short-term rentals in that the short-term rentals are a housing um, code and so that it's not flexible, but because this is a land use regulation, if you have a unique circumstance that doesn't necessarily fit this rubric, you
can seek the variance. you can't seek a variance in the short-term rental aspect. Your point was well taken in that regard, but this is slightly different in that you can seek relief if you have a unique circumstance, which is not the case with with the short-term rental. It's >> a great point. Thank you. I would I would also just add that we we did have
some discussions um Susan about uh we wanted this first pass like you say you know you're conservative the first time but also we wanted to write it in a way where it was pretty broadly applicable and acceptable to most residents as is a as of right meaning that someone um who
wanted to build an ADU could do so without having the additional expense of coming before the planning board having an attorney etc. uh that this could be administratively approved if it conforms to this. So that was part of why uh in this first pass two it made sense like
where is this really going to work if you have a you know a multi multif family um uh dwelling present is that appropriate right so certainly you can seek a variance but we wanted to make it work for the residents who wanted to do this as well as written
you can you can seek a variance so that's not true that you can't Okay. Yeah, come on up. Susan, uh Suz, 25 Cedar Street. I'm not speaking behalf of the school board at all. Uh my question is, uh what about the impact of infrastructure and water?
If a neighbor built something in their property, would it affect my water pressure? >> Does Susan want to comment on that? Sorry, trying to unmute and un and show myself is the same time. Um I I think it it should not I think what
we're looking at is um fairly limited development. So these are on larger lots. Uh in many cases they are homes that would be able to support detached garages. Um, and really the idea is that now these these accessory buildings could have ADUs in them. And so, yes,
there would have to be plumbing involved, but in terms of storm water, um, you know, they have to meet all of the coverage requirements. It's not like they get a pass on that. Um, the the scale I think that we're talking about, we're pretty limited on the size of these units. So, we're not talking about
essentially two family homes. We're talking about, you know, very few bedrooms, uh, very limited occupancy. So, I I don't really see it as as creating a huge demand for water and sewer, you know, that type of infrastructure. And and like I said, the storm water has to work. Uh it has to
still meet all of the applicable uh area and bulk standards. So, um we will see what the what the interest level is and how quickly these are introduced, but I I really don't foresee uh you know, a significant impact on water and sewer demand.
>> Uh what about like parking? I mean, parking is always an issue in town with more people moving in. I mean, streets get filled fast. I mean, has anyone thought about parking? There are provisions uh in the regulations for parking. Um, again, the
the the vision here is that it's fairly limited in terms of the number of bedrooms, the number of actual residents. Um, and it's designed to be on larger lots that it can accommodate um the access that would be needed u for those units. So, so you're saying it won't or
potentially won't affect someone's house, even if it's on the lawn lot, that their shower is not going to be less powerful because they're adding more sinks or more showers in their neighbors. >> No, it would be like make putting an addition on your house really. Uh it's
just that in this case, the addition is a separate unit and it's uh a separate um structure. But in terms of the the actual um you know space and bedroom and occupancy, it would be it would be comparable to adding, you know, one or two bedrooms onto your home. >> Okay.
>> Thank you. >> And a bathroom perhaps. >> Anyone else? Any comments? Any comments online, Jim? All right. Can I get a motion to close the public comment on agenda items only? >> So moved. >> And a second. >> I'll second it.
>> Thank you, Councilman. All in favor? >> I. >> All right. Can I get a motion to approve the regular meeting minutes from 528 2026? >> I'll make that motion >> and a second. All in favor? >> I >> I abstain. I think I wasn't there.
>> All right. All right. On to ordinances. Uh for final reading and public hearing, we have ordinance 202617 entitled an ordinance of the burough of Redbank County Mammoth State of New Jersey amending chapter 490 planning and development regulations related to section 55 historic district/site
regulations and procedures. This ordinance was introduced on May 14th, 2026. Can I get a motion to open the floor for public hearing? >> So move >> and a second. Second. >> All in favor? >> I. Anybody wish to comment on the final
reading of ordinance 202617? Anyone online? All right. Can I get a motion to close the public hearing? >> So move. >> And a second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Can I get a motion to approve and adopt
ordinance number 202617? >> So moved. >> And a second. Second. >> Roll call, please. Council member Bonitakis. >> Yes. >> Council member Facy Blackwood. >> Yes. Council member Forest. >> Yes. And this one. This is the AUD,
right? >> No. Next one. Okay. >> Yeah. This is historic. >> This is a Yes. more than one. >> Council member Janone. >> Yes. >> Council member Yuro. >> Yes. >> And Deputy Mayor Triano. >> Yes. Thank you.
>> Ordinance is adopted. Up next for final reading and public hearing, we have ordinance 2026-18 entitled an ordinance of the Burough Redbank to amend the burough's planning and development regulations to repeal and replace sections of chapter 490 planning and development regulations.
Councilman, this is the one um that addresses um accessory dwelling units as well as many other things. This is a this is an ordinance that is actually one of the major steps of overhauling our zoning. Um, so this same ordinance includes things about accessory dwelling
units, banning future smoke shops, um, adaptive re reuse of buildings to be used as bed and breakfast. Um, it's it's wonderful and um, it feels like wonderful progress. Um, so this ordinance was introduced on May 28th, 2026. Can I get a motion to open the
floor for public hearing? >> I'll make such a motion. >> And a second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. The floor is open for public hearing if anybody wishes to comment on ordinance 2026-18. >> Meet hear you again. >> Yeah. Anybody online? Jim. All right.
Can I get a motion to close the public hearing on 2026-18? >> Make such a motion. >> And a second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Can I get a motion to approve and adopt ordinance 2026-18? >> I'll make such a motion. >> And a second. >> Second. Roll call, please.
Council >> member Bonakis. >> Yes. >> Council member Facy Blackwood. >> Um yes, with a comment. Um, one thing that is in this ADU, uh, the overall zoning ordinance about ADUs is that, um, the planning and zoning office as well
as, uh, Christina came to the environmental commission to find out what, um, we could do to make it more environmentally friendly and offer that as a bonus to someone who is looking to build an ADU. So, I'm pleased to see that the green development checklist is
included and include um some green elements such as lead certification, use of solar, wind powered, fully electrified ADU, things like that. And uh also items in reducing light
pollution and on-site management of vegetative waste such as composting, using bioells, rain gardens, etc. So, uh, thank you very much for hearing the environmental commission out and adding this into the ordinance. And again, my answer is yes.
>> Wonderful. And just to clarify, it's if you do those bonus things, then you get to have an increase of 5% in the space of the accessory dwelling unit. So, it's not that everybody has to do all those things just to have an ADU. Okay. Sorry, Mary. Go on. >> Council member Forest,
>> I'm going to make a comment as well, and I'm a voting I'm a yes vote on this. Um, I mean, I actually foresee a ton that maybe maybe my wife and I will be in an AUD on our property. As mentioned here by probably all of us
at various times, the cost of housing in Redbank is absurd. I mean, properties on the west side selling for a million dollars plus. I mean, housing in America is becoming a very precious and expensive thing. And
many people of all ages are being priced out of owning homes or living anywhere. I mean, we have homeless people in Redbank. There's homeless people across the state and the country, but we have to be creative and how to solve this problem
and it's going to require a lot of things. This is a small part of it, I think. Um, I wish it wasn't even necessary to do this. When I bought a house here in Red Bank, it was $92,000. And, you know, my wife works for a
nonprofit. I'm self-employed. I couldn't afford to live in this. I couldn't buy a house now in my own neighborhood. Um, so I think this is great for seniors. I think it's great for um family members, young people who need a
place. Um, I agree uh that there's some concerns I had also. I share about parking. my neighborhood has a lot of parking stress. Um, you know, but maybe uh if I'm moving into an AUD on my own property at 16 Locus Avenue, maybe I won't be driving at that point.
Hopefully, so that won't be a problem and maybe the planning board won't give me a hard time about, you know, having it there. Uh, get a lot of requests. Actually, this is one of the ones that has had for several years now a lot of interest both at the council uh uh
office hours and also just as individuals asking about it. It's definitely in the top 10 probably the top five. Uh I've been getting that question pretty consistency consistently since I've run for office and now some of us have been elected twice. Thank you
to the planning board and all of you who put so much work into this ordinance and it sounds like it we'll tweak it as necessary. I've had a number of constituents reach out already with questions. Uh and yes, >> thank you, Councilman.
Thank you, >> Council Member Jon. >> Yes. And I'd just like to speak to one part of it about I think uh Kate brought it up about the vape shops. I think we have plenty of vape shops in town. as a health care professional, I really don't
care for them, but they're there and I think it's great that there is some wording in this bill about that. Thank you. And my vote is yes. >> Thank you. Council member Yuro, >> yes. >> Deputy Mayor Triano. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> The ordinance is adopted. Uh before we
move on, council as planning board leaison, do you have any comments on this? >> I I do. I appreciate it. Um thank you to the council for this. This is this is really a big deal and I understand that some folks are reading this. This is a there's a lot here. >> There's a lot there. This is this is a big change to zoning. So, I just wanted
to mention well, first huge thank you to Susan who's done such an amazing job this and to Shauna, our director of community development. >> Um just a note for folks who maybe didn't read the whole thing or just saw a lot. Uh this really did come out of um
the changes here really did come out of our master plan process. the work in 2022 and then adoption in 2023. Everything from uh you know the recommendation to consider ADUs uh to uh investigating potential and appropriate
changes of use in various places. That's that's really the source of a lot of these things. Um, and I would be remiss if I didn't also thank uh, Council Member Jonan and our former uh, council member uh, David Cassidy for being on our initial ADU subcommittee way back in
2024 to flesh out to flesh out some of this >> um, with a a really a great lens toward both health and and safety uh, which we saw reflected here. So, thank you. >> Thank you. I would just echo thanks to the to the council and this is phase one
of the master plan zoning uh implementation action. So you'll be seeing more. Um I think maybe this was the heaviest lift. I didn't know that we would get ADUs done first. Um and it's really exciting. So thank you for the support.
>> Thank you Susan. >> Sure. Thank you for banning data centers. >> Yes. Also included actually in that overhaul is the burrow's banning of data centers. That was part of our phase one zoning overhaul. So see what we're
prioritizing in Redbank ADUs people. Amen. We're prioritizing people. >> All right. Up next for final reading and public hearing, we have ordinance 2026-9 entitled an ordinance amending chapter 490, planning and development
regulations to revise the burough's land use regulations to promote the cultivation of native plants and to prohibit the planting of invasive species. This ordinance was introduced on May 28th, 2026. Can I get a motion to open the floor for the public hearing?
>> So moved. >> I'll second that. >> All in favor? >> I. Anybody wish to comment on ordinance 2026-9. Come on up. Howdy neighbor. >> Howdy neighbor. Amy Goldmith. Uh 16 Locust Avenue. Um I think it's great
that um the bureau is doing this um in in a moment of climate change. We need to go native and um to be honest, we might have to go a little south to go native in the future. >> Subrop, >> we will we will not be who we are in a
few years and we're already not who we are now. So, um we just should be mindful of that. And um I also want to thank the burrow for uh and parks and wreck in particular and the patchwork group that um put on the garden uh tour
this past weekend. And I think it was a huge success. There were lots of turnout, a lot of participation. I enjoyed um having people come to my house and see my native um plants. I have some inv, you know, some things that shouldn't be in my garden, too. But
um we don't need to feel guilty about um what we do and how we get towards um native species. So, I'm glad to see that. Glad to see that um Marine Park while not every tree is perfectly native, there was a there was effort
made as some trees came down that the new trees will be native when they go in. So, um I'd like to see that and thank you for the attention to it. >> Thank you. Yes, go see the trees. They're planted. Any other comments on ordinance 2026-9?
Any online? Can I get a motion to close the public hearing on 2026-9? >> So moved. >> And a second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Can I get a motion to adopt ordinance 202619? >> So moved. >> And a second. >> Second.
>> Roll call, please. >> Council member Bonitakis. >> Yes. >> Council member Facy Blackwood. >> Yes. >> Council member Forest. >> Yes. >> Council member Janome. >> Yes. >> Council member Yuro. >> Yes. >> And Deputy Mayor Triiano. >> Yes. >> Thank you.
All right, ordinance is adopted. Up next for first reading and introduction, we have ordinance 2026-20 entitled an ordinance amending chapter 680 vehicles and traffic to create two 15minute parking spaces on Broad Street at Peter
Place. Can I get a motion to introduce >> I'll make that motion >> and a second. Second. All in favor? >> I. >> Roll call. >> Member Bonitakis. >> Yes. Council member Facy Blackwood, >> yes. >> Council member Forest, >> yes.
>> Council member Jano, >> yes. >> Council member Yuro, >> yes. >> And Deputy Mayor Trigado, >> yes. Public hearing will be held on 62526. >> All right. And then for first reading instruction of ordinance 2026-21 entitled an ordinance amending chapter 530, rent control of the bureau's
revised general ordinances to update and clarify the bureau's rent control regulations. Can I get a motion to approve on introduction? >> So moved >> and a second. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Council member Bonitakis, >> yes.
>> Council member Facy Blackwood, >> yes. >> Council member Forest, >> yes. >> Council member Janome, >> yes. >> Council member Yuro, >> yes. >> And deputy mayor Trianiano, >> yes. Public hearing will be held on 62526. Up next, we have resolutions from 117 to
130. Um, is anybody seeing any that need to be pulled? I will highlight that in addition to the proclamation we passed earlier, there is an AI accountability resolution in support of a statewide moratorum on new large-scale data centers until comprehensive public interest in standards are adopted. Um,
that would be resolution 128. and that copies of this resolution shall be transmitted to Governor Mikey Cheryl, Senator Vingo Paul, Assemblywoman Dr. Margie Donlin, Assemblywoman Luan Peter Paul, the Moth County Board of County Commissioners, the President of the New Jersey Senate, the Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, and the New
Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. >> Deputy Mayor, I'm okay with approving MOS. >> All right. Can I get a motion to approve uh 26 through 117 through 26 to130 under consent? >> So moved >> and a second.
>> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Council member Bonitakis, >> yes. >> Council member Facy Blackwood, >> yes. >> Council member Forest, >> yes. >> Council member Janome, >> yes. >> Council member Yuro, >> yes. >> And deputy mayor Trianiano,
>> yes. >> Resolutions pass. All right. And then for discussion action for mayor and council, we have the Redbank community block party on Dr. James Parker Boulevard between Bridge and Shrewsbury Avenue, which is an
awesome yearly event. Saturday, August 22nd, noon to 5:00 p.m. with a rain date of Saturday, August 29th. We have the Mory Place Bach Party Friday, July 3rd, 3 PM to 11 p.m. We have the Summer Solstice Festival at Riverside Gardens Park, Saturday, July 18th with a rain
date of Saturday, July 25th. And the Red Bank townwide yard sale on Saturday, September 12th, and a rain date of Sunday, September 13th. And let's see, Parks and Recreations Junth celebration at Johnny Jazz Park on Sunday, June 21st, 12:00 p.m. March from
Pilgrim Baptist Church. And that's all the ones we have. Does anybody have any discussion or comments on those events? >> Sounds great. >> I have one quick question. The Red Bank townwide yard sale, is that same as sponsored by the library? >> Library. >> Yep. Yep. Okay, great.
>> All right. Up next, we have public questions and comments. Can I get an open a motion to open the floor to the public for comments and questions? And a second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Floor is open. Seeing no activity, anything online,
Jim. I can I get a motion to close the public comment? >> And a second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> All right. Up next, we have mayor and council comments. Uh, Councilwoman Bonakis, you want to kick it off? >> Yeah. Uh, I'm still like I still got
like a little bit high, I got to be honest, because of all of that. That there's a lot. >> Yeah, that was a lot >> a lot in there tonight and like so important. All of it. Um, I kind of don't know where to start, but actually this might be the first time I I wrote
something for my for my comment. Um, so I I mentioned a little bit earlier that the the zoning changes, the many zoning changes that you saw tonight uh really did stem from our master plan process uh our master plan of 2023. Uh
that's true. Um, but the one thing that we really weren't considering at that time, uh, was the data centers. Uh, you know, Kate called that out. Um, and we had a secondary resolution encouraging the state as well to adopt standards.
Um, we weren't thinking about AI at that time when we did the master plan. uh it wasn't top of mind then like it is now but we always want our planning and our zoning to be forward-looking like way forwardlooking because that's responsible uh so it was really
important to address this now um I mean obviously the the emergence of AI and and all the infrastructure that powers it is clearly making for like a transformative time for all of us um and there's one thing that I've learned in all of my years on this earth it's that
in these transformative moments when policy lags behind or is out of touch, we don't necessarily experience the most extreme outcomes that people fear, but instead sometimes somehow we managed to find our way toward what I'm going to
call the stupidest outcome. Um, so like take climate change. Some 50 years ago after uh oil and gas companies discovered that trend themselves, we're still fighting to make them pay for the damage to our environment, things we experience here in New Jersey, flooding,
storms that are destroying human lives. Uh, now with AI, is it going to take all of our jobs and crash our economy? Probably not. But the bubble could pop, but only after your retirement funds have been
forcibly invested in it. After you're living next to a humming dystopian box and your water has turned black and you can't afford electricity. And I might add that data centers are just one kind of dystopian box that's proliferating across our state. The
other is uh immigration detention centers. >> Damn right. uh it's actually it's happening so much that it's been hard to keep track of which towns are facing which of those two things in the past year. Um so I would say that from where I stand the stupidest outcome would be
sleepwalking into a world where the people that are making a stand against the data centers for their lives and property somehow find themselves in those detention centers. So for that, for being bold, I want to congratulate
the council for taking a stand now both for our Redbank residents and all of uh all New Jerseyians. I appreciate you. >> Perfectly said. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman, >> thank you. Um feel like I say it every
every time we're here, but it's so uh encouraging and refreshing to see that we're harnessing Broadwalk for what it can and should be. Um the watch party earlier was amazing. Like >> it's the first time we're doing something like this. You don't know what to expect, but like
>> huge props to everyone involved. Um you know, from the guys out there cleaning up the trash to the special police officers we have patrolling around to our regular police officers, every single person from the burrow. Just amazing amazing job. Um makes me really excited for everything else we have
planned in the summer. um particularly the large watch parties at Compacy Fields which will be you know legendary as the kids say. So really excited for that. Um keep bringing people into the town, keep bringing our residents out into our downtown. Um keep on rocking.
It's awesome. Uh last I left the Kirk and the Jerks was rocking the stage. So let's get the show on the road and >> yeah, magic. Um, and then just to add to the commentary about the uh zoning um changes, uh, obviously I'm passionate
about housing. ADUs are a critical piece of missing middle housing that, you know, Red Bank isn't the only town that's sorely lacking them, but like has been said, we're proactively attacking our housing issue, controlling what we can control, and this is a huge step
forward. It's not set in stone. You know, it's a perfect example, Dennis, of what you were saying where if situations like that keep appearing before the zoning board, then it warrants us looking at it again and, you know, finagling where we need to. But it's a
huge first step. Um, and it really just, you know, again, we're setting the bar for places like us, for neighboring towns, like this is how you should be treating your residents, your property owners. you should be able to do, you know, within reason, things to keep yourself in your home, whether it's
renting it out, whether it's bringing a family member in. Um, but I do think owner occupied to some degree is very important. Um, you know, you don't want to just have loose rentals running around like we do unfortunately in a lot of parts of town
>> from bad policies in the past. So, it's encouraging and thank you to the council for uh taking it serious. Thank you, Christina, for all your hard work. Um, but the deputy mayor mentioned it. One part that could easily get overlooked is the reimagining some of the office
spaces into um owner occupied bed and breakfast. And you hear that and to me I say why don't we have bed and breakfast already? Like it seems like a very basic basic thing that a lot of people would be able to you know run a sustainable generational business literally from
their own home and you know compete for people coming into our town. and we have two hotels, but there's plenty of people that stay outside of Redbank when they're coming to Redbank. So, anything to get more people here, anything to get more people being able to stay here,
additional income, it's all very important. I'm really um enthused that we take it so seriously here. So, >> I agree. I'm really excited. >> Thank you, everyone. >> Thank you, Councilwoman Blackwood. >> I have a tough act to follow here. Um
well like others have said I want to thank the council and for being forward thinking for taking look at issues understanding the data taking a methodical approach to making these changes and the changes that we've made
tonight uh protect people and our environment you know the native plant ordinance as well as the um the housing and the updates to the zoning. So, I do appreciate that and I appreciate the hard work involved. Um, I also want to
thank uh all the organizers of the garden tour. Um, they did a really great job. I tried to get to all of them, but I flaked out after about half of them. So, sorry. But, um, what I saw was amazing that just local homeowners are doing with their town and a lot of
natives. Uh, they're planting a lot of natives. So, even though this native plan ordinance that just got passed really is applying for developments, um things like the garden tour and the ribbon cutting at Patchwork for Wildlife for people to which is an educational
uh little garden. It's small at the edge of town, but you can learn a lot about native plants and why they were important. And I see that, you know, as time goes on, people will uh be planting native. And native, as we know, is what's changing. And that's the nice
thing about this ordinance. It's just going to a state um a state-run website about identifying native plants. So, it's just one place to check for all the updates as as it goes. Um, the other thing I want to talk about is that um, I'm on the sustainable Jersey energy
task force. So, I get to hear a lot of the changes that are coming down the line and they are making some changes to the energy actions for sustainable Jersey. So, um, you might see some things coming down the line where Redbank is holding EV ride and drives
and looking at uh, charging stations and stuff like that along the line. Um, I also want to thank um, Jim and the people that work for him for the work that they do this week. Um, we had someone come in for council hours with a question that was way above my head. Um,
but Jim was very instrumental in getting the department head come down and patiently explain what the issues and the concerns were and um, we got to a resolution on that. Wouldn't you say, Ben? Yeah. So, um, that's all I have.
Oh, yeah. Um, nothing from me, Sierra Sha. That's it. Bye. >> Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman Forest. >> Um, okay. So, I missed the last meeting, which I hate doing. Is that where we did
renew our manager's >> Yes. >> contract. Correct. >> So, I wanted to comment on that. So, I was saving up. So, I would have voted yes if I was here. I just want to put that on the record. Okay. And I just want to say how much I
appreciate that we have this new form of government. You know, I had the honor of serving on the Charter Study Commission with with Nancy and others. And I love the accountability of actually having somebody in charge on a day-to-day basis. I mean, I remember
sitting here and, you know, there was a lot there were periods where lots of fingerpointing and, you know, lack of accountability was kind of obvious. Um, so it's nice to see that this is working. We do, you know, we have a a process where we do an evaluation.
We have goals and no one's perfect, but I think that there's a lot on Redbank's plate. And it's amazing to see a lot of stuff getting done and getting done efficiently. Not that we don't have any problems. I mean, I love I wish I had
magic money so that we could, you know, hire more cops and other things. Um, but you know, we have to deal with what we deal with the reality that we have, our budget constraints, and we all had a pretty hard assignment when we got up here. There's a lot more that needed
tending to in Redbank than I imagined. I won't go in all the details now. Um, but I also love that we hired the person with the best resume and the most qualified who applied and that doing the
job is the really kind of the only criteria as far as I can tell that this body has getting the job done and doing it well. So, congratulations, Mr. Manager. Uh, unfortunately, I have some more things. Mayor, deputy mayor. Um,
okay. Uh, I just wanted to comment also on Food Town. I don't think I've been here since they closed because I missed the last meeting. >> Yeah. >> Now, I was at their 50th anniversary, as you may recall. I did a video with the nice manager, John.
>> You know, Food Town is an iconic part of our lives for those of us who lived in Redbank in the Redbank area for generations. My grandmother used to sit the little bench there. We used to shop there. I remember going there as a boy. We also had, you know, was a second food town on Newman Springs Road, which I
think technically was Red Bank. It's now a liquor store. Um, you know, and it's a real loss. I mean, we have other food establishments in on the west side, particularly where I am, and I do shop at them. Um, and so, you know, food town wasn't as important
to me as it had been, but you know, it was union jobs. People got benefits working there. It was my son's first job. Um, and he was in walking distance to a lot of people in town. They also paid attention to some things. It's true. They weren't the cheapest place to get
food, but they had very well good prepared food. I thought a very good deli and a very good meat department. And it is and I do miss them. And I want to thank the Aelenas and the Scadoodos for the commitment of their family and all the employees there. Um, I don't
know if you said anything at the last council meeting, but I certainly um, >> we were waiting for you. >> You know, >> it was certainly an honor to be there for your 50th anniversary food town. And by the way, once upon a time, it was a finest supermarket. Uh, and I think it might have been
something before that. And you know, the way the brutal business of food and once upon a time, we had an AP in Redbank actually was over there. It's a now condominium. And I think we had an Acme in downtown Redbank. I think the language where the language school is now once upon a time.
>> Next time. >> So, uh, how things change. Anyway, I just wanted to say that. Um, uh, you covered the garden tour, so I don't need to say anything about that. Um, I mean, parks and wreck, I mean, we're doing so much stuff in Redbank, it's ridiculous. I'm just going to say
I'm just going to say go to our Instagram or our website, parks and wreck page. I mean, you want jazz, we got that. You want >> movies, we got that. >> We want Soccer, we got that. Um, you want Tai Chi, we got that.
>> Yeah. >> Where am I leaving at, Laura? >> Everything. >> I mean, we got to, you know, there's so much parks and wreck stuff going on here. It's, it is ridiculous. And, um, it's amazing what how much we do with how little. Um, and so, I mean, there's always something going on in the
broadwalk. And um I know we have a you know we had earlier the the team here and we have lots of parks and activities and recreational teams that do all kinds of stuff all year long uh in our Campbasy
field which we keep extremely busy. So um I just want to my hats off to you all in parks and wreck. And I was just at uh what was it just at Oh and of course we had the um the um the not the parade on on sun uh Saturday we had the the big
festival here. I did a video. Um, why is it escaping me? Kate, you spoke. You gave us a part in the park, right? Part in the park. >> Um, and uh, what was on Sunday? There was something else on Sunday. >> Sunday was the garden >> garden tour. Yeah, it's crazy. So, um, it is crazy really. And schools, I can't
I wish I could stop now. I know. I'm sorry, guys, but our schools got recognized. Amazing recognition from the state. Um, and I just am grateful for that. You know, the CUAC. Um, Sue, what is it exactly called? I don't remember,
you know, high performing high performing district, I think. Is that it? That's a big honor and I encourage our leadership here to do something in a meeting to recognize um the schools for that amazing accomplishment. All right. Thank you. Um that's the
board president Sue Viscomi that was talking for those of you because she's not on camera. Um gosh. And um I did go to the charter school. I'm wearing my uh leaz. I did go to the charter school international day. I didn't go to the graduation today. I had to work. I think that covers it. Deputy mayor.
>> Thank you, Councilman. Councilwoman Dr. Lord Jon. >> Hi. >> Hi. >> So, Beare Wellness, we met this week and we're mostly discussing now. Um, lunch break will be having their backpack giveaway coming up in August. So, we'll
be at that. Um, we'll be participating. We're going to have a hydrating station because I remember last year it was really hot. >> Yeah. So, we're going to have a hydration station and I saw on the soccer game today, they had hydration day break. So, I was like, "Oh, that we're doing that." Um, so Mary Wellness
is that's kind of what we're focusing on now. Um, dog, we had uh animal welfare meeting on Tuesday. We're focusing on dog days, which will be in September at Marine Park. So, it'll be nice. It'll be one of the first events at Marine Park.
We're excited about that. Um, so we have lots of things planned for dog days. Um, and besides the other things that we've been planning, but dog days is our big thing right now. And library, I'm happy to say the bathrooms are working on the
ground floor, the elevator's working. Monday night, they had a really nice reception for people who donate to the library and a lot of people showed up and it was very well attended. Um, it was really good group and Nancy and I have been participating in the Tai Chi.
So, just to let you know that the Tai Chi is going very well at the senior center. So, keep keep your eye out for different activities um that parks and wreck and senior center do together. >> And you don't have to be a senior to do the class there. >> No, you can be although Nancy and I are
seniors, but that's okay. All right. So, I think that's it for me. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. Uh, as Councilman Euro stated earlier, it was phenomenal be to be on the broadwalk earlier uh during uh the Mexico South
Africa game. Um, it was wonderful to see so many Redbank residents um taking advantage of our community spaces and celebrating together. Um, and it was just wonderful that Mexico made history by winning their first ever World Cup opening match. Um, so great moment for
the burrow. Wonderful time. And >> yeah, it was just it was it was phenomenal. Um the community engagement equity committee is um launching the applications for their annual community spirit award. Um take a look for that
coming out on the burough communications in the next week uh to be able to nominate somebody you find to be an unsung hero of community in Redbank who you believe deserves, you know, recognition for, you know, all that they do for our neighbors. Um, June 20th, the visual arts committee is going to be
hosting the graffiti jam, which got rained out, and then the rain date got rained out. So, let's let's go again. Uh, June 27th, we have the Marine Park ribbon cutting. Um, as well as the first ever Mammoth Street Art Fair. Um, and as
Councilman Far said earlier, it is something else how many events uh the burrow is uh facilitating. Uh but that's the natural speed of Redbank and that seems to be, you know, where we're going
and the events are being enjoyed and appreciated and well attended and um it's just it's a fantastic time. So please um you know, if you don't follow our Instagram, it's updated constantly,
our burough Facebook page, um sign up for alerts so that you learn about things like hydrant flushing and testing. I know that there were some people that reached out to me this morning um with inquiries about that and that goes out things like that go out through the burrow alert system um and
just keep in touch manager what you got >> so yeah right first thing I wanted to talk about was the 18th and 19th watch parties now that we've finished out the first one today um I know that the street is still going right now with the band um so all good stuff there Uh the
18th and 19th will be at Count Basy Park. Um the first one on the 18th will start at 7:00 p.m. with activities. We have a lot planned for that night. And the 19th will be at um 1:00 p.m. starting with the activities with the
game starting at 3. Uh we have some shuttle services that'll be going around town to help out with getting people to the field. Um, and we'll make sure that, well, we already have that information already published and out on our socials, but we will continue to do so throughout the week. Um, and again, we
the burrow received the $50,000 grant uh from the state um with our partners on that grant between River Center, LD11, ourselves, um, and let me see one more. I'll get it. Um,
FC Mammoth, correct? Thank you. And I want to say too, we have the um the 5K coming up and the 5K is supporting the Burough Parks and Recre uh trust with a donation to the trust and again it's just keeping on with that that community
spirit and the um the event that a lot of people look forward to. I want to mention that uh also our meetings are on YouTube. So you guys can always subscribe to that channel as well for updates uh on our meetings to be uploaded for the video as well. And then
lastly, I save this to share with the uh deputy mayor and council um that we did receive for Johnny Jazz Park a green acres grant in the amount of $384,500. Um we are also going to be um putting an
application into Mammoth County Open Space to help with that project as well. Um so we're looking forward to potentially having a lot of grant money uh flowing towards that project and reimagining what Johnny Jazz Park could
be to for that. Um >> so glad we're going to get to see those plans actually happen. >> Yeah, it's >> great. >> It's going to be very nice. >> They liked it. And of course, Marine Park grand opening June 27th. >> Yay. >> We're about 90% done. Um, lot of work is
going to happen in the next 19 days. Um, huge community event being planned there. Look out for the flyers and, uh, all the social media surrounding that and, um, obviously all the dignitaries that we want to invite as well to that event. So, a great great culmination of
a lot of hard work. >> Oh, I forgot to bring up one thing. I'm sorry. um the dental clinic at Brookdale. It's going to be opening in >> partnership with Parker, right? >> Yes. And it's with um Parker Clinic and the mayor and council will be there also. But the great thing about that
dental clinic, not only having free medical care for our our population and surrounding populations, is that it'll be hooked in with the hygien hygiene program at Brookdale, the dental hygienist program, and they'll be able to do their clinicals there, which is
really, really exciting. And that will be opening um this Tuesday actually at 2 PM on Alumni Drive in Brookdale Community College. >> It is super exciting. It's such a unique program and a wonderful opportunity for the people in our area. >> So, so unique. We're going to be another
We're going to have another thing that nowhere else has. It's remarkable. >> Anything else? Do we have a need for executive session? Can I have a motion to adjurnn? >> Make a motion to return. >> And a second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I.
>> Have a great night. >> No executive, right?