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Thank you for your patience. Um, the meeting will come to order. U Madame Clerk, would you please read the adequate notice of compliance statement? >> Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by the city clerk's office in the preparation of the council annual meeting notice stated December 17th,

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2025, which was properly distributed and posted per statutory requirements. Please be advised the fire exits are to my right, your left, and at the back of the room. The city has a listening system to assist the hearing impaired. If anyone needs hearing assistance, please obtain the system at the deis and

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return it thereafter. >> Thank you. May we have the roll call, please? >> Mr. Ber, >> present. >> Mr. Chris Foley, >> here. >> Miss Cmanson, >> here. >> Miss Landman here. Mrs. Saroscina >> here. >> Mr. Smith. >> President To >> here. Um, time for the pledge. May I

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please call on Amanda Block to lead us? I pledge algiance 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.

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>> Madame clerk, would you please read the notices regarding the closed session and hearings and comments? A close session meeting is authorized by state statute was announced and held prior to the start of this meeting and the known items for discussion were listed on the published close session agenda. Please

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be advised that council uh meetings are broadcast live on Comcast channels 34 and 36 and Verizon channel 30 and rebroadcast on Thursdays and Saturdays on HTTV on Comcast 36 and Verizon 33. When invited to speak, please come to

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the lectern. Clearly state your name and address. Spell your last name and speak into the podium microphone so that your comments can be understood by all and properly recorded. Whenever an audience or council member reads from a prepared statement, please give or email a copy

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to the city clerk's office at city clerk@c cityofsummit.org. to help facilitate an orderly meeting and to permit all to be heard. Please limit your comments to no more than three minutes. Unless you are using an electronic device to follow the meeting agenda or need it for professional

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emergency contact purposes, please turn it off. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um I'm going to expand a bit on the clerk's note about hearings and comments and this will facilitate a smoother process particularly for those watching remotely. If you're seated in

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one of the first two rows, please remain silent while you're seated. Anything you say can be picked up by the recording microphones and makes it difficult to hear the official proceedings. Um, the 3minut limit on public comments corresponds to a little bit less than a single printed page. If you're leaving

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your written remarks, please put your name on them and place them in the box near the lectern when you are done. With that, let's move on to the city's business. We've got a full agenda. Um, beginning with the minutes for approval, do I hear a motion to approve the minutes of the regular and closed

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session of July 7th, 2026 and the special enclosed session of July 15, 2026? >> So moved. Second. >> All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Um, madame clerk, would you please take the

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helm for the next one? >> I will. Thank you, Council President. uh through you. Before we proceed with tonight's agenda, I would like to acknowledge the passing of longtime Union County Clerk Joanne Rajapi, who passed away on July 16th. Miss Rjapi

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dedicated decades of her life to public service, leaving an enduring impact on Union County and its municipalities. She was a true friend of the city of Summit and in particular to the city clerk's office. Her exceptional leadership, unwavering support, and remarkable

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knowledge were invaluable resources to the municipal clerks and public officials throughout her distinguished career. On a personal note, I will fondly remember Joanne for always making herself available for to answer any questions related to election matters.

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No matter how busy she was, she was always willing to share her knowledge, provide guidance, and offer her support. Her generosity, patience, and commitment to helping others were deeply appreciated and exemplified the very best of public service. Joanne's

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professionalism, kindness, and dedication earned her the respect and admiration of colleagues across Union County and beyond, and I hope that her legacy will continue to inspire all who serve in local government. I now ask that we observe a moment of silence in

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memory of Joan Rajapi in honor of her extraordinary life, dedicated public service, and lasting contributions to the community. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Um, let's move on to reports. Madame

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Mayor, >> thank you. Good evening, everyone. Thank you for being here today on this lovely crazy storm day. Um, our ribbon cutting ceremony for Maybe Playground has been postponed due to the nasty weather this afternoon. Um, it will be this Friday,

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July 31st at 2 p.m. Um, we're thrilled to finally be opening our revitalized space for our community to enjoy together. At the event on Friday, we will be joined with an inspirational speaker, Eric Lrand, an advocate for inclusive spaces and sports after suffering a spinal cord injury as a

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former Ruters athlete. Please join us on Friday as we celebrate the completion of our city's first all abilities playground. I hope to see you there. Our National Night Out event is scheduled next week, Tuesday, August 4th. Please note that this event will take place on Memorial Field, which is not typical for

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National Night Out. Usually, we're on the Village Green. So remember, Memorial Field and it will feature our rescheduled Fourth of July fireworks. This is one of my favorite events of the year. It's a great opportunity for residents um of all ages to come together with law enforcement individuals and and strengthen the ties

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that help make our community a safer and more caring place to live. And I would be remiss to forget the firefighters as well. So come and see see what their tricks are. Um, there will be a variety of federal, state, county, and local agencies at the event, including our

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police and fire departments, our DPW, Division of Public Works, the First Aid Squad, and others. There will also be food trucks and bounce houses and live music. And the fireworks will take place at approximately 8:45. And please be advised that certain areas of Memorial Field will be closed during the day to

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prepare for the fireworks. And beginning at 5:00 p.m., roads adjacent to the field will close to vehicle traffic. Lastly, I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy rest of the summer. And I can't believe we're already heading into August. Boo. Um, I hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer season and take

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advantage of some of our wonderful outdoor spaces such as the Village Green where we will continue to have summer concerts and our movie series and our also our municipal golf course and the family aquatic center. Please note that all pool memberships are half off beginning August 1st, which is next

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Saturday. And so if you're not a member, it's a great time to come and enjoy the fantastic facility. That's all I have. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um and now on to Tammy Baldwin for the city administrators report. Administrator Baldwin. >> Thank you, Council President. Good

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evening. I'm very happy we have such a large audience because there is a quick topic I want to bring up and the more people that hear it the better. U related to rechargeable batteries. Um, quick reminder, we have shared some information this afternoon on our website and on social media about two

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recent incidents in the city. One at our transfer station uh both regarding the regarding the improper disposal of a hoverboard in the trash pit and another that was a call to the fire department about an ebike fire at someone's home over the weekend. I urge everyone to

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review the safety tips that we shared earlier today to help keep everyone safe. Rechargeable batteries can explode when they are damaged, old, overcharged, or improperly disposed of at the end of their life. There are se there are several important safety tips surrounding this topic, but perhaps the

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most important is that rechargeable batteries should never be placed in your household trash or in the trash pit at the transfer station. If our staff had not noticed that this hoverboard was placed in the trash pit today, it very likely would have started a fire once compressed, endangering our staff and

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likely shutting down the facility for several days or more. Please take a look at the information we posted on our website and social media. Share the safety tips with your friends and family and together I hope that we can keep each other safe. And lastly, the August

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Summit free market events. Uh they'll be held on Saturday, August 8th from 8:00 am to 3 pm and on Friday, August 28th, 12 pm to 2 pm at the transfer station. Summit residents with a parking disposal permit can attend and browse donated

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items and take what they want for free. Please review the donation guidelines on our website at cityofsummit.orgfreearket before bringing items to donate. And that concludes my report. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Um, and now for the my council president's report. And let

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me preface by this by saying um some of this is is what we did not get to in close to session. I may surprise some of my fellow council members. Um, I have a report on our affordable housing plan and it's lengthy. Our plan is moving

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forward on several fronts. Harmon, the building to go at Ashwood, Broad and Morris Avenues, had its informal technical review with city staff. At at this meeting, city staff review the code, life, safety, and engineering

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specifications of the project application and provide recommendations and feedback. This is part of the standard operating procedure for larger developments. Once the application is deemed complete, it will proceed to the planning board for a formal public hearing.

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The 19 the project at 190 River Road went before the planning board last night. The planning board's review is focused on items such as engineering, storm water management, and traffic impact. That hearing will continue August 17th. The planning board has

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already approved the small project on Old Springfield a old Springfield Road across from the Little Kings and that will provide one unit of affordable housing. The Methodist Church project to convert its former school building into affordable senior housing is expected to

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submit its application to the planning board in August. The city has also been selected to participate in a new state program NJ homes ABC and that's a long acronym. Um, but this will provide technical assistance, training, and resources for

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the rehabilitation projects at at the Glenwood, Weaver Street, and Glow Building. Only 31 communities in the state have been selected for this new program. So, it's a real feather in Summit's cap to be chosen for it.

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Um, but over the past several months, many residents have reached out to all of us in on in council with questions and concerns about the impact our affordable housing plan will have on our neighborhoods, our schools, and traffic. Will there be green space? Are we

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choosing the right locations for the people who will live there? These are fair questions and they deserve real answers from all of us on council. So, here's where things stand. Summit has a housing requirement set by the state and negotiated last year. We have entered

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into a court-ordered settlement agreement to meet that requirement. And to do so, we're looking at approximately 532 new housing units, both affordable and market rate. That's simply the reality we're working with, and we

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intend to meet our obligation in good faith. We have the opportunity and the obligation to ensure the plan works in real life, not just on paper and to provide for the inevitable change in circumstances. And that's where council's job really begins. And so

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council will be starting the next phase of a serious review. We're going to work on this through this together as a council with our staff and with outside experts in real estate, nonprofit housing development, and affordable housing finance. so that our plan is the

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strongest, smartest version of itself. One property we're going to be looking at closely is the old firehouse site, one of the most significant public assets under city control. The contract purchaser of that property withdrew, and this gives us a chance to step back and

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ask a bigger question. Can this piece of land, which belongs to all of us in Summit, have a greater impact on our affordable housing plan? How do we balance the need for affordable housing with the city's very real budget challenges? We don't have the answers

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yet. What we have is the responsibility to ask the questions and to look at re all of the realistic options before us while considering our our affordable housing plan as a whole and ensuring that whatever we build works for the

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immediate neighborhood and for Summit as a whole. will be doing this hard work over the next several weeks. This is an effort of the entire council and I I hope some of my colleagues will share their thoughts later in this meeting. With all of that, let's move on to our

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historical minute. Council member Lanman. >> Uh thank you, Council President. Tonight we have with us Cameron Aronson, a rising junior at Summit High School to speak about the history of S Soldiers Memorial Field. Mr. Mr. Aronson has spent countless hours with family and

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friends playing baseball and celebrating special events at Memorial. Before I turn it over to Mr. Aronson, I would like to remind the public that council approved $200,000 towards upgrades at Memorial Playground and we have a survey open for public input on how those funds

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should be used at the playground. The survey closes on August 1st, which is a couple days from now. So, please take a moment tomorrow to complete the survey if you haven't already. We will reshare it on social media and any other avenues we have available to us if you haven't seen it yet. But with that, over to you,

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Cameron. Thank you. >> Good evening, everyone. My name is Cameron Aronson, and I'm a rising junior at Summit High School. I would like to thank Council Member Landman and the rest of the council for inviting me to speak tonight. Tonight, I'd like to talk about Soldiers Memorial Field here in Summit. While it was originally created

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to honor the brave men and women who served our country, it has become the site of some of the most important green spaces, sports fields, and recreation centers in our community. Soldiers Memorial Field was established in the early 1900s following World War I as a living memorial to local veterans.

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Community members wanted a place where people could remember the sacrifices made by those who served while also creating something that would benefit future generations. Instead of simply building a monument, they created a space where people could come together, stay active, and build friendships. The park post several plaques and monuments

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to honor those who served. After World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, as well as as well as more recent conflicts, additional memorials were added to recognize the local veterans and their sacrifices. Today, the park may be best known for its outstanding athletic facilities. It features baseball and softball fields, soccer

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fields, tennis courts, a running track, and open green spaces that are used throughout the year. Summit's school and wreck teams depend on these facilities for practices, games, and tournaments. As a former baseball player, I have many memories of playing games on the baseball field for travel and wreck teams, as well as running multiple trips

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around the track during coach Horn's practices whenever the team would mess up. In addition to sports, the park offers walking paths, playgrounds, picnic areas, and beautiful green spaces that encourage healthy lifestyles and outdoor recreation for people of all ages. The treeline paths contribute to

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Summit's environmental health. The park also provides a home for local wildlife. The original purpose of the park has never been forgotten. Throughout the grounds are memorials honoring the military service and sacrifices of Summit residents. Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies remind everyone

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that the opportunities we enjoy exist because of the dedication of those who served our country. And though it had to be cancelled due to the storm, our community comes together at Memorial Field to celebrate our independence on the 4th of July. In conclusion, Soldiers Memorial Field is much more than a park. It is where Summit's history is honored,

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where young athletes grow, and where community comes together. It honors the past while inspiring future generations to stay active, work as a team, and appreciate the sacrifices that made these opportunities possible. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. And we have two mayoral

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proclamations this evening. Um, first we are honoring Reverend Dr. Dennis Harold Jr. on the occasion of his 50th anniversary of faith leadership and ministry. So, Madame Mayor, over to you. Whereas on July 11th, 1976, Reverend Dr.

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Dennis D. Harriel delivered his trial sermon at St. Paul Zion Church in Trenton, New Jersey, which ushered him into his journey of ministry. And whereas in May of 1978, Reverend Dr. Harald received his first pastoral

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appointment as pastor of Antioch Zion Church in Lynen, New Jersey, where he served for 11 years. And whereas on October 1st, 1989, Reverend Dr. Harrield was appointed as pastor of Wallace Chapel Ame Zion Church in Summit, New Jersey, where he has served for 37

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years. And whereas Reverend Dr. Harold has been a dedicated community leader within the city of Summit community. And whereas Reverend Dr. Harold serves as a liazison between the religious communities and organizations such as the Summit Interfaith Council, Summit Housing Authority, Sage Elder Care, the

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New Jersey Council of Churches, as well as serves as chaplain for the Summit Police Department. And whereas in 2021, Reverend Dr. Harold was honored with the volunteer of the year award by the city of Summit, recognizing his many years of contributions and unwavering commitment to service. Now therefore, be it

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resolved that I, Elizabeth Fagan, mayor of the city of Summit, do hereby proclaim July 11th, 2026, as the celebration of Reverend Dr. Harold's 50 years of faith leadership and ministry day. In witness whereof, I have here unto set my hand and cause the seal of the city of Summit to be affixed this

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11th day of July in the year 2026. This is an opportunity for me to do something that I do in church. Please be seated. First, I'd like to give honor to God uh for his amazing grace, mercy, and love.

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Without him, I would not be standing here today. Secondly, I would like to thank uh Mayor Fagan for doing something that she did not have to do. Uh on the 21st of July, I got an email saying uh to me saying that she would like to give

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me a proclamation. And I was surprised. I never expect things but I'm always thankful when things like that happen. So, thank you so much for your kindness. Uh secondly, uh I have to uh take a picture of this and uh I will keep the

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original and I will give the other to my wife for 58 years who has been by my side throughout my journey. So, she deserves as much as this as I do. So, I THANK YOU. UH SHE has not uh I guess she has had

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thought about it but she has not kicked me to the curb yet. So we we we thank God for that. And then I want to thank all of you who have been a part of this journey with me uh in some way indirectly or directly. Um when I came

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to Summit uh 37 years ago, one of the first uh visits that I made was to uh city hall to meet with Mayor Janet Wittmann. And at that meeting, I told her I was uh new in town, but uh Jeremiah in in the Old

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Testament book of Jeremiah, he says, "Seek the welfare of the city." And I said, "I'm here to help in any way that I can." And I've kept my promise through every mayor, city council, whatever, school board, whatever to do that because this is a community and I

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believe in building community and working together. Uh then I would like to thank all of the members of Wallace Chapel and friends of Wallace Chapel. Some of you I haven't seen in church, but I see you tonight. So I'm grateful that something got you

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out. Amen. But we are thankful for your presence. You didn't have to show up, but I thank you for your love, your cooperation. I think of uh the bishops, the eight bishops that have I have served with who in the Methodist church, you get an appointment uh every year

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from a bishop to go back. So, I've gotten 48 appointments and I'm thankful for them having the faith and confidence in me to do that. So I just want to thank you for your love, support. Pray for me that I will continue. I tell people now that I'm an old youngl

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looking man. So uh just keep me in your prayers so that I may continue to serve the present age my calling to fulfill. Or may it all my powers age to do my master's will. Thank you so much. Thank you mayor. Thank you.

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>> Okay. Um, and next the mayor gets to recognize Grace on the occasion of its 10th anniversary of service to the summit community. Whereas on August 1st, 2026, Grace, giving and receiving assistance for our community's essentials, will celebrate

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its 10th anniversary providing an immeasurable service to the city of Summit. And whereas in 2016, Grace was founded by Amanda Black, whose vision, compassion, and unwavering commitment to helping neighbors in need inspired the creation of an organization dedicated to ensuring that individuals and families

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facing financial hardship receive assistance with dignity, hope, and respect. And whereas over the past 10 years, Grace has become an indispensable community resource, providing financial assistance for housing, utilities, food, transportation, medical expenses, and

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other essential needs, helping residents overcome temporary hardships and regain stability. And whereas Grace provides support services to over 750 local families every week free of charge with volunteers logging more than 1500 hours every month. And whereas under the leadership of its board of trustees,

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executive directors, staff, volunteers, donors, and community partners, Grace has grown from one v person's vision into a trusted organization that embodies the spirit of generosity, compassion, and neighbors helping neighbors that defines the city of Summit. And whereas Amanda Block's leadership and dedication laid the

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foundation for an organization whose impact continues to strengthen the Summit community inspire countless individuals, businesses, faith-based organizations, and civic groups to work together in support of those facing difficult circumstances. And whereas the city of Summit is proud to recognize Grace's many contributions to the

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community and to celebrate a decade of extraordinary service that has improved the lives of countless residents while reinforcing the values of kindness, service, and civic responsibility. Now therefore, be it resolved that I, Elizabeth Fagan, mayor of the city of Summit, do hereby proclaim August 1st, 2026 as Grace Appreciation Day, and

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extend the gratitude and appreciation of the city of Summit to founder Amanda Black, as well as the organization's board of trustees, executive director, staff, volunteers, donors, community partners, and supporters for their dedication and generosity over the past 10 years. I encourage residents to join

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in celebrating this milestone and to recognize the lasting impact Grace has made and will continue to make in strengthening our community. In witness whereof I have here unto set my hand and cause the se seal of the city of summit to be affixed this 28th day of July in the year 2026.

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The thing about Grace is that it is a small army. And I was wondering if I could please invite our board, our staff, our core volunteers, Claire, Shantel, our partners, uh, Jackie and Michelle and Jamal. Would you, would you

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mind coming up? You're part of our team, and I'd really like for all of you to join in this particularly special moment. We're small art. So, Grace stands for giving and receiving assistance for our community's

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essentials. It's also my daughter's name. The idea isn't just that we care for our neighbors as we would care for our most precious loved one. It's that we believe that it is everyone's

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birthright to be healthy, happy, and secure. And every single week, it is an unbroken chain for the past 10 years. For the past 10 years, we have not missed a week of service. Not for weather, not for COVID, not for

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vacation, not for any reason, but to dedicate ourselves to making sure that our community members can thrive, that they have access to nutrient-dense food, that they have access to medical care. We now have a copay-free clinic thanks

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to Overlook. We now make sure that every single week as we did August 1st in 2016 when it was just family fun night that our people can fulfill that dream of summit living and they can thrive. But

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it is thanks to our neighbors. It is thanks to our leaders. It is thanks to our visionary partners. And I can only imagine with this team behind me and this team in front of me what the next 10 years will bring for our neighbors.

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Thank you so very much. That's nice. Yeah. >> Well, um, now we're going to move to something a little less feel-good. Um, I'm sorry, Chief, but police chief Ryan

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Peters is going to share the department's f crime statistics for the first half of the year. And there is a lot of good news in these. How's that? >> Thank you, Council President. um through you. First of all, I would like to congratulate uh Reverend Harry 50 years

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and happy to work with you, sir. And Amanda as well. We uh the police department works uh closely with Grace uh whenever we can. Um so, semianual statistics. I'm not sure who's sticking around. Everybody's sticking around. Okay. Uh senual semiannual statistics, the

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uniform crime report. I know council's heard this, but I feel compelled in an effort to stay uh consistent to kind of just go over the parameters of the statistics. Again, uniform crime uh crime statistics um UCR uniform crime reports are

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imperfect and they're simply taking a snapshot of a moment in time. So essentially uh whenever a call for service comes in, um dispatch receives that call and they pretty much put an identifier on it. They categorize it as a CFS code. So that's initially done by

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dispatch. However, sometimes um officers will respond to that call. For for example, sometimes they respond to a noise complaint and when they get there turns out to be a domestic violence situation. Uh that being said, there are situations sometimes where the officers fail to update the CFS code. So again,

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when it comes to the UCR statistics, there are certain parameters in which those CFS codes are not completely up to date. In addition, um until proven otherwise, so reports come in, stats are displayed on the UCR table. However, at the completion of an investigation, we find an incident did not take place or something else that would classify it as

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a different CFS code. So, this stat can change. Um, you know, we might investigate initially a fraud and come to find out it actually over the course of the investigation, it's something else. So, so those statistics do change um over time sometimes. Also, we often encounter initial allegations with no

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further cooperation from victims resulting in a case being closed by exceptional means, which means we can't prove or disprove an incident took place. However, because an initial report was made, the stat still counts towards our data. Also, CFOs CFS codes always reflect the most severe criminal

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activity. For example, stolen car data must be retrieved from our internal spreadsheet as opposed to the UTR stats due to what? Home burglaries. So, essentially, if somebody were to break into a house and then ultimately steal a car that was in the driveway, it would the UCR statistic would would report a burglary, not the stolen car. So, we

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have to keep internal records as well to ensure accurate reporting. Uh, additionally, there's always a delay in reporting, which we often find with sexual assault allegations. Uh, for example, someone show uh reports a sexual assault in 2026, but it actually occurred in 2024, that statistic would

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actually show up in the wrong reporting year. And lastly, in 2025, the Summit Police Department handled 52,478 calls for service. While we have checks and balances in place uh to ensure proper reporting, there are times where CFS codes do not accurately reflect the

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final disposition. as I led with sometimes officers mistakenly misidentify them or don't update them after um dispatch puts them in. That being said, let me just pull up the stats. Okay. So this is um for the first half of the year

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that first six months January 1st to uh June 30th. So um violent crime so violent crime is made up of several categories. It's made up of homicide in which we had zero um rape. Um in this first half of

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the year we had one allegation of rape uh three of attempted rape, one robbery. So, this one is pretty unique. Um, if you guys saw our press release, um, very troubling incident happened down on Park Avenue, um, a few months ago, uh, where a woman was pushing a baby in a stroller

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and, um, someone pulled up in a car and and decided to conduct a a robbery, um, right in the middle of the day. Um due to the diligent response of our detective bureau and hard work and and fast action, they were able to identify a suspect um find through a geolocator,

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find out his location and ultimately bring him into custody within 3 hours of the initial robbery robbery down in Essex County. So I do want to applaud our detective bureau on that. And then lastly, aggravated assault accounted for three of the eight uh reports of violent crime. So again, it's made up of

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homicide, rape, attempted rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. um similar to to years past and reports past, our aggravated assaults aren't typically people out in public fighting or beating each other up, they tend to be more so um simple assaults against either um

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medical facility workers um because they get elevated to an aggravated assault, same as if you committed a simple assault on a police officer and then also uh domestic violence which tends to happen within the confines of uh of the households. Uh so violent crime is in comparison to 2023 2024

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higher but coming down since 2025 which uh is encouraging. Uh when we get to assault that's simple assault. So that can be anything from just pushing someone punching someone. Um and again oftent times oftent times tied to domestic violence as well. Uh that seems to be trending in the right direction

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which is encouraging. Uh burglary as well. Uh if I included the stats from 2021 and 2022, you would see it's been on a um pretty good decline since then, uh we are down to three. Um lararseny, which is theft of movable property. That varies depending on the time of the year and what we're seeing. Right now we're

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at 41, which is a little up from last year. Um but again, that could be as simple as somebody taking change from a tip jar at Dunkin Donuts. Uh and lastly, my most encouraging would be the motor vehicle theft. Um something that we were dealing with um almost on a weekly basis a few years back. We're down to just two

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this year, um both were taken at the same time from a local car dealership during the overnight hours, um nobody was there. Um and I'm happy to report that the day the um um the car dealership identified that the cars were missing. They came in and did the report. Our detectives quickly

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mobilized, they went down to an area, one of the vehicles was the geoloccator was was sensing it. They were able to um locate that vehicle and bring it back in for processing. And in addition, another one of the vehicles was actually um geoloccating in New York. with the help of the NYPD, uh we were able to locate

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that vehicle as well. So, both vehicles were recovered the day they were reported stolen and within two weeks we had a suspect in custody. So, our detective bureau is doing great. Um I I can't say enough about their hard work and their dedication. Uh when it comes to burglaries and attempted burglaries to motor vehicles, again, encouraging to

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see. 39 and 23 down to 14 and 24. And now we're tied with last year at four to date. This stat is actually my most encouraging stat. So, this shows the effectiveness and um the the pretty much the capabilities of our officers and their hard work. Back in 2023 when crime

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was a bit higher than it is now. Um you know, to date we had 44 arrests. Uh in 24 we had 51. Uh last year crime was a little higher. We're at 79. Um but this year we're still at 72. So what that's telling me is as crime is going down, we're actually getting more effective at

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arresting suspects. Um our detective bureau, we're a young police department. We're very motivated. um what they lack in experience, they make up an effort and motivation. So the fact that there's an inverse relationship between the amount of crime that's happening and the people that were able to identify that are committing those crimes and bring

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them to justice is very encouraging. So um that's the crime stats. Now we'll slide into some of the other stats that we uh document. So this is general traffic uh statistics and calls for service. So uh back in 20 we are busier. Um there's a variety of reasons why we

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could be busier, but we are docu we do document pretty much everything that we do on a daily basis. Uh so again, in 2023, we're just shy of 25,000, a little over 25,000 in 24. Um we kicked up to 27,000. That was with the um when we hired two additional officers to our

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table of organization. And then obviously in 2026, we have those other two. So we increased our table of organization by four in the last three years. Um, and as you can see, the calls for service are going up. I wouldn't necessarily say that it's because people are calling the police more. It could

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also have to do with we have four extra bodies on the road and they're checking more schools. They're checking more businesses. They're stopping more cars. Um, more proactive preventative measures in terms of uh good policing. And that leads us into our next number that not many people are going to be too happy about is our motor vehicle stops. Um,

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we're up almost a thousand um at the six month mark. Um, so what I can tell you is we do receive quite a few complaints. Anybody who's on the safety committee will know there were there's no short of speeding complaints, uh, stop sign complaints, pedestrian complaints. Um, and you know, we we always try to practice the three E, education,

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enforcement, and engineering. Um, you know, we attempt to educate people. We do social media posts. We'll put nixels out. Um, in addition, you know, we'll work side by side with patrol and traffic bureau to ensure that they're um doing enforcement uh measures, whether that be radar or just monitoring stop

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signs or pedestrian areas that we see um a lot of our statistics drive us to. So, motor vehicle stops are up again uh about a thousand. Um we are using our discretion. Uh we're really probably between the 20 and 25%. One in four drivers get a ticket. Um so, again,

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education is not just social media. we could be just stopping people just to educate them on the law. Uh sometimes people just don't know title 39. They don't understand what we often find especially with pedestrian related issues is that um there needs to be a break in traffic before the pedestrian has a right away. So if I was standing

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at the corner of Union and Summit and I wanted to cross near Franklin um and just pressing that pedestrian crossing uh sign where the yellow beacon starts to flash, that's not a green light for the pedestrian to enter the crosswalk. Um, so the p pedestrian by law should stop and wait for there to be a break in

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traffic. Uh, identify that whatever drivers are approaching do see them, then enter the crosswalk. Once they enter the cross crosswalk, they then have the right of way. Um, I've dealt with several residents that have had complaints where they press the button and nobody stops and I kind of relayed that information to them and it brought a sense of clarity to why people aren't

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stopping. It's like a yellow light. Some people are going to hit the gas, other people are going to hit the brake. Um, that being said, I always encourage people to stop for pedestrians. Um, so moving summones are up, uh, but so are the stops. So I'd say the correlation between the percentages are probably pretty consistent with our

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discretionary, uh, measures, but again, we're out there. Nobody could say we're not trying to slow people down. Um, and we're we're trying to, you know, um, encourage good behavior as far as, um, operating motor vehicles. I think we all saw post 2020 once people started getting back on the road, they kind of

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forgot how to how to drive a little bit. Um, parking summones, maintain consistency. Um, you know, again, that's between overnight parking is our is our number one contributor to that. Um, the overnight parking, uh, restrictions and ordinance, and then obviously we address handicap parking and illegal parking. Um, parking services does address, uh,

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the 2-hour parking, so we typically don't do that, and they do the meter parking. So, total summones are up uh, 2930. As we go down to crash data, um, motor vehicle accidents tend to be a reoccurring issue here. Um, they've gone up, but not too far up. um 261 and 23,

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278, 296 and 301. Um so the fact that they are going up is, you know, it's not a number a trend that I'd like to see, but I do think there are more people on the road. Again, back in 2023, there there were a lot of people still working remotely. Um and then as time progressed, they went hybrid and now a lot of people are back to work, so there

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are more people on the road. Um minor motor vehicle accidents, I'm are leading the charge at 301. uh not minor, which would be uh where there's injuries, where it's on the highway, they hit a pole, they hit a building, or there's a rollover. We're at 67. Hit and runs are at 61. I don't know why people are not

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stopping when they hit things these days. It seems to be going up. Um I don't think they understand that we have license plate readers and cameras in certain places. Um and then a pedestrian again, um down from last year, but also a number higher than I'd like to see. And I believe it or not, when you heard

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those sirens, that was a pedestrian getting struck just now. um seems to be conscious, alert, everything seems to be okay, but it was right here around the corner. >> So, total motor vehicle accidents to date were at 438, just too higher than last year. Um so, again, that's the uh the semi semiannual stats. Um that's

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where we stand to date. My assessment is things are going pretty good. >> Thank you. Questions, concerns. >> Um yeah, do we have any questions for for Chief or members of the public? >> Do we have questions from members of council? Council President.

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>> Yes, Council Member Ber. >> Chief Peters, thank you for your report. Appreciate it. Uh question on the burglaries. Were they home invasions or >> No. Okay. >> No. No home burglaries. >> Uh larsenies. Do we see a

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um increase in our downtown district? >> We've had a few um thefts at some common places in town that we see thefts happening. Um, if you monitor the police blotter, you'll see like certain areas on Springfield Avenue. Uh, there are,

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um, but again, there's a wide variety when it comes to theft of movable property. I mean, it's a wide wide variety of categories that you can that falls within. Um, but I haven't seen any like specific trends that need to be addressed. Um, we do try to mitigate some of the thefts that we see at the

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same locations by either in increasing our patrols or parking EDA cars out there, which are extra duty assignment cars just to deter criminals because a lot of these criminal elements are not locals. They come in from other town. The direct access to the state highways is is an inviting uh attribute to the city. You got two ways in between 24 and

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78 where they can go north, south, east, west, and get back to wherever they came from. We've had people even come up here and commit lararseny from Delaware, from New York. being this close to Short Hills Mall, we get some of the spill over for that as well. >> Good. Thank you, Chief. Um and uh get a lot of concerns about the kids coming

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from middle school to our downtown district. Uh no incidents with the kids this year. Good. >> No. Um >> good. All right. >> Kids are going to be kids. Um we're out there. We're doing our best. We have a great juvenile detective. Um the thing with I was the juvenile officer for 5 years. Uh the thing about juvenile

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policing is there's a a lot of unconventional ways to find solutions to some of the problems. One of the things that's been concerning to me over the last few weeks since summer started is the groups of kids on bikes doing wheelies in and out of traffic. Um we had our traffic bureau out there confiscated one bike. Um I think it went

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a long way because we have seen a little bit of a reduction once it kind of word gets out. Um in addition over by the soldiers memorial field we had a situation where there was a group of teenagers um knocking on doors but unfortunately some of these knocks were a little aggressive. We had a couple window panes that broke, some tennis

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balls hit some windows that broke. Um, so we did locate a group two weeks ago and spoke with some of the parents and since then we have seen a decline. So I'm hoping that our interaction with them kind of put that um that behavior to bed. >> Good. I was I was just more concerned

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with um safety to our children, not really >> oh >> what what they're doing. >> Okay, cool. >> Um >> uh motor vehicle stops are up. Let me let me ask you. I know when

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stops are up, contact with residents are up or non even non-residents. >> Um maybe an increase in internal affairs complaints. >> Nope. >> None. Zero. >> Very little. Wow. >> Um what I have seen an increase in is emails from residents and other people

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that acknowledge our officers for the professionalism. I just got one yesterday. Officer Ortiz stopped a I think he was actually a former mayor or council member from another town and he felt the need to he was having a rough Monday morning. He was running late. he got caught up I think going a few miles hour of the speed limit and u one of our

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officers was very polite very professional and he felt the need to acknowledge him and send an email and we've gotten quite a few of those and uh whenever that happens I make sure we make a copy uh you know I send a memo to the officer acknowledging their hard work and then it goes in their personnel file uh to be considered whenever there's an opening for an assignment or

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promotion >> two more questions chief um we lowered the speed limit at Brian Pond right um have you seen a lot of motor vehicle stops there because I know it was too fast before and >> it was well we can't pull these folks over because they're actually going a

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speed limit which was too fast anyway. So now it's 25. >> Do you see an increase? Do you see people slowing down? >> I haven't I haven't seen we haven't had any complaints from the residents. Um you know whenever we enact a new ordinance um it tends to be mixed feelings depending on what the ordinance

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is. But I can tell you the speed reduction down on Orchard and Springfield. And in addition, the um implementation of the mobile speed signs that flash on Orchard, I firsthand have seen people, you know, again, because it was I think 35 or 40 prior to the

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reduction. >> Um it it it tends to work. I when people see that they're going over the speed limit and the red and blue light flashes, you see the brake lights and they slow down. Um every resident in that area seems to be happy with them. Um so we haven't had any complaints down there. >> Uh one more question.

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Summit Avenue and Union Place hot spot where people are crossing uh commuters getting out of the train. Um seems like a very busy and kind of scary spot. Yep. I've been getting a lot of complaints for it. Do uh are there any recommendations and

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um solutionizing that area? Uh there's not a lot that you can do. I mean, you know, you don't want to put a stoplight there. >> It's been in safety for a while. um we talk about at every safety uh meeting. There's been several measures and again enforcements out there, education. We uh we just ordered if you press if you go

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over one of those pedestrian um beacons, you'll see a little sign that just says press the button and enter the crosswalk. What we did was we redesigned um that sign. We're just waiting for them to get delivered. We're just going to put stickers right over it. That lets pedestrians know, pause, wait for a break in traffic, ensure the driver sees

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you, then enter the crosswalk. We're hoping with that educational aspect, more pedestrians will be less likely to just step into traffic, which typically is one of the contributing factors for people getting hit. Another one is drivers turning. Um, whenever you're making a left turn, depending on your type of vehicle, that pillar, that block that goes between your driver's side

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door and the windshield can block pedestrians in your line of sight and your your trajectory, um, I think of the 14 pedestrians that were struck on that stretch between um, Broad Street up to Deorest over a 5-year period, I think I ran that for Bob a few months ago, 13

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out of the 14, the vehicles were turning. So, that seems to be the number one contributive factor to pedestrians getting hit. Um but again uh back to your question, we are replacing those signs to better inform the pedestrians. Uh Aaron had submitted a um uh an

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engineering suggestion as far as striping. One of the other things that I made a suggestion to the safety in the last meeting was possibly doing rumble strips as you approach approach that intersection just to draw attention to slow people down. Um so there are v variety of engineering um revisions that we're discussing. Uh, but I'm sure

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anybody can say if you've sat at the Summit Dino, you'll see one of our police cars in the Chase Bank drive-thru. They're monitoring pedestrians traffic at any given point throughout the days. But, um, we do have a variety of areas that we get complaints about. So, we're we try to spread it out. We don't want to just focus on one area. >> And just more of a statement, I think

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that you have one of the most diverse police departments in the state of New Jersey. I mean, you know, uh, people who've come from the Newark PD, Irvington PD, uh, Patterson Police Department, uh, the Ruckers Newark

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University Police, right? Um, and there you do have a young police department. So kudos to you and your leadership team viewing the body cameras, going over the situations, correcting actions, and also uh letting these young officers know

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that they're a part of the community, which which is why they are happy to be here. But um good report, chief. Good job. Thank you. >> Any Yes, Council Member Calmanson. >> Thank you, Council President. Um not a question, but more of a thank you. Thank

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you for your responsiveness, Chief Peters. He mentioned earlier that a lot of times we talk about these emails we get when people are, you know, they have concerns about safety and we talk about them in the safety committee and that's why I have a bunch of um stop sign ordinance for a bunch of stop signs coming up soon. But also what he didn't

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say is that usually within that um within that meeting he's like I'm going to get a detail out there. They're going to be out there tomorrow. And usually it's the very next day that a detail goes out. He'll he'll tell us how many people were pulled over and then based on you know then he has the recommendations like you know this we

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think enforcement was good. You might want to take a look at engineering and um residents on these streets are usually very happy when they see this and they'll email and they say thank you. I can't believe you came out so soon. So I just I just wanted to say thank you and make sure the residents know how responsive you are. Um and we

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really appreciate that. Thank you Chief. >> Council member Lman. >> Thank you council president. Um, I also want to echo my thanks. Um, I want to also, um, I have an ask, I guess, uh, as it relates to the motor vehicle accidents. >> I'm hoping that, okay, we made an

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investment in the police department this year with out of the capital budget with five new police cars. It was a tremendous investment. Um, I'm excited to do it. I'm going to reschedule my ride along in one of those new cars. Um, but for next year, I guess my ask for the capital budget planning process, which is kicking off soon, um, is to

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think about a higher ratio investment in motor vehicle accident prevention. So, pedestrian safety, traffic safety measures. I know you guys do a ton of this in the safety committee as it is. I'm just putting that out there as my ask. Uh, >> I had a few requests in for the capital budget this year, but we were just, it

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was a little tight with the increase for the state health or we jumped from the state health benefits to a HIF. um with the increases for salaries and and benefit. It was unfortunately one of the things that did get cut. That being said, our um um finance director, Jen Kabliska, did find um some capital money

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that was about to expire and we were able to invest in three more of the mobile um um solar powered speed signs that I was just talking about. So, we we do have three in route and then we also have another message board in route. Um, those were two of the things that actually didn't make it through the capital process, but we were able to

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again find money that was kind of sitting around and we're going to make that investment. So, we'll continue to do that. I I similar to the reduction in speed. Um, the implementation and deployment of those have been nothing but positive. There hasn't been one resident that said, "I I don't want this on my street." Because it tends to work.

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It does slow people down. Uh, so we'll continue to do that if we have to do that on every street. I don't know if cost effective that is, but again, um they have been working and will continue to do so. >> Um actually, yes, Council Member Sarah Cena. >> Thanks, Council President. Uh just very

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briefly, Chief Peters, wanted to take this opportunity to thank you publicly for meeting with me a few weeks ago with Council Member Calmanson and a few of our faith leaders. We are just so very fortunate as a community to have the benefit of your servant leadership. I I knew it already,

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but the meeting that we had together, the materials you prepared, as Councilman Ber mentioned, you have very thoughtfully made sure that through recruiting, hiring, mentorship, we have a police force that is a reflection of the community. That is so very

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important. The way that you prepare our officers uh for the mental game, the physical game, the tactical game, the way that you serve the whole person and the whole department. Uh you're we have exceptional leadership. We're so fortunate across police department, our

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fire and EMS. We have the just the most excellent first responders. So I thank you for being an excellent role model of servant leadership and protecting the community. So well, >> thank you. I appreciate that. >> I actually had a question. I mean, I can echo what my fellow council members said

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as compliments. Um but could you speak a bit? I mean, we've got we we recently entered into the contract with Bridgeway. I know you've reassigned Serge Sergeant Majuli. >> Um, and you've spoken to me, you know,

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casually about what a great impact it's been. I would like you to do it a little more publicly. >> Sure. So, we have an opioid committee meeting tomorrow, actually, and she's going to be presenting some statistics I wish I had now, but um so, uh Sergeant Mullie, who's worked very closely with our veteran community, um she's works

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with faith based faith-based organizations in her community, um we had an opportunity as we see these some of these criminal stat statistics to go down, and I know I've said it here before, um unfortunately, we have seen some other statistics go up. Calls for mental health service, call for

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substance abuse, and suicidal ideiations and suicides. Um so that being said, in an effort to kind of mitigate some of those numbers, uh we felt um the um table of organization supported kind of an internal um restructuring and it was

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only one or two bodies, but we created a position, the addiction coordination and treatment uh officer, the ACT officer to work side by side with Bridgeway um with um with Atlantic Health uh with Summit Oaks, with our local faith-based organizations to ensure that similar to

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the people that Amanda had referenced, that are in need of help get the help that they that they so do need. Um, historically, prior to um this position, we would go to a call for service for whether it be mental health or substance abuse or even domestic violence and we would take the report, we would handle what we had to handle and we would clear

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and typically we would wait for the next call to come because um, you know, I go over my weekly report with the mayor and we see trends. You know, it's unfortunate, but some households just can't get out of this reoccurring cycle. Um, is it because they have issues internally? Yes. but it's also because they don't have access to the help that

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they need. Um, so not only is uh Sergeant Majuli working with all those organizations that I referenced before, but she's she's following up on in like almost more of a customer service end. So, um, we flag these calls for service and when she comes in, if she's working throughout the day, she works uh Tuesday through Friday, 10 to 8, similar to the

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arrive program. Um, and there's any call for service that comes out involving any of those categories. She'll go um as as an expert, she's a CIT, not only just a CIT trained officer, which is a crisis intervention trained officer. She also teaches, she's assisting in teaching that class now. Um, she's also our liaison for the arrive program and for

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Bridgeway and for the um mayor's homelessness task force. Um, but she'll go to that call for service and assist our patrol officers who might not have the experience. Again, we're young, we're motivated, we can stop cars, but we don't have the life experience to kind of handle some of these domestic situations or or mental health situations. So, she brings that

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experience into the calls for service. And then if calls come out maybe on a Friday night or a Saturday and um she's not here, she'll follow up the next day she's in. She reaches out to the family, make sure, you know, checks in to see how everybody's doing and then provides access to resources. Um if they have insurance, we can go down that route. If

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they don't, there's plenty of resources that Union County and the state of New Jersey do offer and as well as the city of Summit. So, she's pretty much the brid she bridges the gap between the families in need and the individuals in need and the services that they need to to better, you know, uh, manage their situation. It's been working out well.

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To say that she's busy is an understatement. Um, she's she's always running in and out. We we have her dressed down. She's wearing plain clothes. Uh, we tend to find that people, especially in crisis, respond better to people not in uniform. Sometimes it doesn't matter the words that I'm saying or, you know, how nicely cut my hair is. It's they see the

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uniform and they shut down. So the fact that she's in plain clothes, I think kind of breaks down a little bit of that barrier. And she also works very closely with our Bridgeway representatives um to find common ground. So things are going great with that. Um everything seems to be, you know, I don't want to knock on wood, but um you know, things are pretty

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good. Um, from an administrative standpoint, you know, we feel it's our duty to make sure the boots on the ground have the training, the tools, policies, procedures, equipment they need to do their job because we understand their job out there um is is much more difficult than our job here as administrators to to assist them. Um, so

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that's that's our goal. Seems to be going well. We're going to continue that mission. Um, and hopefully things continue to go well. >> Thank you so much, Chief. >> Thank you. >> Really grateful. >> That went a lot better than the introduction. >> Thanks.

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Okay, we're getting to ordinances. >> Um, Madame Clerk, would you please read the ordinance for hearing number 26-3392? >> An ordinance amending the code chapter 7, traffic section 7-11 through streets,

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stop intersections, and yield intersections subsection 7-11.2, stop intersections designated. >> Uh, thank you, Council Member Calmanson. >> Thank you, Council President. This is ordinance ID 26-3392.

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And this ordinance will add stop signs to the following intersections. Canoe Brook Parkway and Beverly Road, Colt Road and Pemrook Road, Maple Street and Lynen Place, Portland Road and Warwick Road, Tulip Street and Lynen Place, Tulip Street and Oakland Place, Wade

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Drive and Hartley Road, Wade Drive and Karen Way. I move to open the hearing on this ordinance. >> Second. >> Thank you. Um, do we have any comments from members of the public on this ordinance? >> Hello, Dia Hamlet, 59 New England. Um,

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quick question on this one. I should have been prepared for this because I was speaking with a resident yesterday, but can anybody update the stop signs on Cano Brook and Woodland? the uh I I can't remember where we were on that. We just did the sidewalks. So, >> just I saw I know you said uh Michelle,

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you said which one did you say again? >> Yeah, >> you said Beverly. >> Yeah, it's it's Canoe Brook and Beverly. >> If you don't know now, just maybe get something out this week at the residence last night at the planning board. Someone came up and asked me and I just I can't remember what the status was.

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So, that's it. Thank you. Um, okay. Any other comments from members of the public? Okay. Michelle, Council Member Calmanson, it is back to you then. >> Yes. Thank you, Council President. Um, there will be an upcoming ordinance. I

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um spoke with Aaron today and asked about this and there it will be in September. There's an there are a few other stop signs that need to come. So, that'll be coming next. >> Thank you. Do we have any other comments from members of council? >> Council President.

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>> Yes, Council Member Ber. >> The only thing that I would say as it relates to W 2, uh, last year there were a we there was a rash of accidents. Um, Councilwoman Commonson was on the safety we were on the safety committee together

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and we were dealing with that and there was a call for action there. Uh, and I think these stop signs are much needed in especially in the uh areas of Tulip Street and Lynden Place. Um, I if it if I had my way, I would make the speed

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limit 25 miles an hour. Maybe I'm just getting older, but I think people drive too fast. Um, so uh th this will be a gamecher I believe and it's right around the schools as well where people should be more cautious. So, I am in support of

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this and uh good job to the safety committee for getting this done. Thank you. >> Thank you. And I I'll simply say yes, residents have told me particularly on on in the morning at school drop off time, the sun glare can be such that it's almost

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impossible to see. So, the more people are forced to stop, the better. We have anything? Okay. Um then let let's call this hearing closed. And madame clerk, would you please read the ordinance for hearing number 26-3393?

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>> Ordinance of the city of Summit County, New Jersey amending and supplementing chapter 35 of the city code entitled development regulations subsection 35-9.2 prohibited uses. >> Thank you, council member Chrisouli. >> Thank you, council president. Ordinance

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26-3393 would amend Summit's ban on data centers. Summit was an early mover in banning data centers, one of the first 30 towns in New Jersey to ban this undesirable use of land that would have negative impacts on energy use, utility rates, water use, and noise pollution,

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among others. Uh, council unanimously voted to ban data centers on June 16th. Um, and tonight's ordinance clarifies the rather technical language from the prior version approved in June. Uh, the purpose remains unchanged, banning data

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centers in our town. We are fortunate to have committed and knowledgeable residents who shared their views at council listening sess sessions and during the council meeting on June 16th. We requested the input of Burgess and Associates and I also refer the

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ordinance for review to Summit's planning board on which I also serve. At last night's meeting, the planning board determined that the ordinance under consideration tonight is not inconsistent with Summit's master plan. That's their technical uh designation.

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And they also recommended adding the language to ban off-site customers or users. uh council had excluded these three words from tonight's version which was submitted in in the July 7th meeting

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because of residents concern u that it could open a back door to on-site customers. The planning board determined that this was not the case, putting that fear to rest. Council will consider how to best address the planning board's recommendation. In any case, tonight's

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ordinance further confirms that data centers are banned in summit. I move to open the hearing. >> Second. >> Thank you. Do we have any comments from members of the public? >> Okay. Will vonmper 156 Colonial Road. I have a

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thank you and a suggestion. Um, I hope you'll pass the ordinance tonight. Between this ordinance and your ban last month on ICE detention centers, uh, you've done a lot to protect the community. Uh, thank you for being alert

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and prompt. Um, I recall when Mr. Chrisully introduced the first round of the data center ordinance. He explained the considerable thought that had gone into it and he said nonetheless he expected that it would be amended. Um

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that was good. Number one, it gave us something protection immediately and that it also opened the door for community participation. Um and I thank you all for the way that you handled the many suggestions and

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adopted some of them. Some were freely given, some came packaged at vitriol. You all stayed with content and I I salute you for that. Now I have a suggestion friendly. When you get your

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breath on this, think perhaps about publishing a short survey of the of what are the six towns that Border Summit are doing or not doing on data centers. We have a stake in something that happens

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20 ft over the line. Um, I'd be interested in in knowing what's around us and I'd suggest that we could play a role, we could gain as a community and by being an active neighbor in the

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region and I think we would be strengthened if we and our neighbors were all strong on this issue. So again, thank you for the technical and difficult work you did, the poise you had.

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Please keep going. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. There any other comments from members of the public? >> Hello there. >> Hey. Uh my name is Huh. My name is Chris Tro. Uh I live in Somerville. Um I'm

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representing Climate Revolution Action Network. We're a Gen Zled nonprofit. Um the largest Gen Z political advocacy group in the state. Um, and we've been traveling all over the state trying to push for these bans um, in different

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municipalities, different counties. Um, so I just want to say thank you for the initial ban and thank you for extending it with clear definitions. Um, it needs to be okay for communities to say that we don't want this uh, you know, unnecessary infrastructure leeching off of our communities and raising energy

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rates. Um, New Jerseyy's seen the sharpest increase in energy prices um all over the country, 30 to 40% um as part of the PJM regional uh operator grid um which also services states like Virginia that contain areas uh known as

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data center alley in Lowden County. Um and we're seeing rates being preemptively risen because of uh increased expected demand from data centers. not even uh existing in demand but the anticipation that these things will be built in communities. So um I

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just want to say thank you for uh you know introducing this ordinance and extending it and we hope to see it pass. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. Do we have any other comments from members of the public? Do we have comments from members of council?

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Council President, >> Council Member Ber, >> the the only thing that I would say is uh first, I'm happy that we're we're passing this. Um the original uh AI ordinance that is in the law today that we passed several weeks ago um was

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not sufficient because it would allow the thing that we wanted to prohibit. So, this is a this is a um a a a good ordinance that we're passing here. However, what I'd like to see is some

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things that can scale with technology. And I said this online before with the electrical capacity. Um, and one of our residents provided us those numbers. It was a missing block that we didn't have was well, what is the electrical

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capacity of a normal data center in Summit like a BMS or an overlook? Well, we got those numbers and I'd like to see that in there because we could get to a point where if we're prohibiting um a thousand square foot um dwelling from

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having data centers, uh it just doesn't go far enough uh because we will get to the point one day where we'll have several decks and the electrical capacity may be for a thousand homes in Summit, right? So even though we made

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the actual structure smaller, well chips can get smaller and things like that. So if we put the electrical capacity in there, um it really distinguishes between what are good data centers, well not that AI data centers are bad, right?

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But what data centers are um that we all agree should be in town and what data centers shouldn't. So I'd like to see that. The other thing is I think the noise should be addressed. Uh my experience with noise, especially living across the street from Overlook

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Hospital, is once you don't put that in an ordinance and you leave it up to, you know, the health department, uh that creates a problem. You end up with years of complaints and no enforcement. So, I'd like to see that in there as well

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because we also have the measures for the noise that will really protect uh the residents that live next to BMS. I think the the residents in East Summit won't have a problem with that area because they're a little they're a little ways from that property. So, I'd

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like to see that. I'd like to see us come back in September and put those things in there and just tighten up the ordinance a little bit. But this is a a great step because tonight we are um we we're banning AI data centers like we

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should have. So uh thank you council president. >> Any other comments from members of council council member Lera. >> Thank you council president. On on those two points um just wanted to briefly

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touch back when we had Mr. Joe Burgess who is our external the the head of the firm that serves as our external city planner. Um on the issue of the electrical capacity again this is a very fast evolving issue and we will see what's trending with other

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municipalities and there are several groups that are working on model language. Um but on that uh point in particular about including language with respect to the electrical capacity um because of you know we're dealing with the the zoning regulations the DRRO we

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have to plan for how our zoning official would deal with all of the particular provisions and Mr. Joe Burgess shared that uh you know on his view and in discussion with some of his colleagues it's just in this moment it would be difficult for the zoning official to

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know what to do with that right like there we don't have the uh the standard practices the tools and procedures for the zoning official to be empowered to know how best to implement the electrical capacity. So, so we will

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continue to monitor for that. But that is one reason why we have not in this ordinance that that is um up for discussion this evening uh includes the electrical capacity on the noise. Again, as Mr. Joe Burgess shared back on I believe it was July 7th, um there there

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certainly is work to do with respect to our nuisance regulations that apply across the municipality. Um both with respect to the language and potentially with the enforcement and we are committed to taking a look there. Um but as Mr. Joe Burgess said, this is a full

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prohibition. So we don't need necessarily to include uh management of the noise because it's a null set, right? This is a prohibition of AI data centers. So there won't be noise emanating from data centers. But

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again, we will look at through the master plan re-examination and and in the work that we are able to do on council, we'll take a fresh look at the nuisance regulations um and also on enforcement. Thank you, council president. >> Thank you. Do we have any other com comments?

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Council President, if there's no more comments, um just >> as a followup, uh several weeks ago I made recommendations and the council didn't follow those recommendations and now a month later we're here

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amending an ordinance that we should have done correctly in the first place. So, one of those lessons is to actually listen to what um your colleague is telling you, right? And so that we don't

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have to repeat certain things. So, I'd like to take, you know, this summer and really take a look at it and um the electrical capacity and also the noise so that we don't have a repeat of things

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that we had to deal with before um as opposed to just outright saying, "Well, you know, we're not doing that because of Mr. Joe Burgess." Because in fact, if that was the case, when uh our planning

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official wrote his ordinance for us, we took things out of it. So, we can't say um Mr. Joe Burgess, Mr. Joe Burgess, Mr. Joe Burgers. But when it landed on our desk originally, we took stuff out. So I

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think we we just have to take a step back um look at the past events that happened that led up to why we are here today a month later and reflect on that right that hey we made some we made some

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mistakes because originally I was the only one that voted against the ordinance that's in law today that would allow a 19 megawatt facility actually several of them because it wasn't in the aggregate. So, it's it's really good to

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listen to your colleagues and in this case, uh I was included in the process, so I'm glad that we got here and hopefully um we can progress on this. Thank you, Council President. >> Thank you. Any other comments?

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>> The the existing ordinance was a unanimous vote, so I'm not clear what you voted against, Jamal. >> Um Okay. Okay. Let's talk about this ordinance. Are there any other >> This is new information for me. >> We're we're we're talking about the >> I'm sorry. The the AI ordinance that is

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in place that is law today. I did not vote for that. >> Okay. We're talking about the the proposed ordinance in front of us. Could we please >> just want to clear the record? Thank you. >> Yes. >> Council member Calmanson.

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>> Uh thank you, Council President. I mean, I I just wanted to go back to originally when we had the um prohibition for the um detention centers. Um Councilman Boyd just wanted to add two words to that um

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AI data center. And I just if if since we're going back, I I just wanted to point to point that out. Thank you. >> Yes. The I think does anybody else have something to say about the words that are in the ordinance in front of us?

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With that, I'll close the hearing. >> No, just Yes, council president. I would say I think there's a lot of gilding the lily here. There's a lot of amateur uh hypothesizing. U we've benefited from a lot of resident input, but we have an ordinance which is strong. We will

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continue to monitor it and I will support further changes as necessary, but not nitpicking with an ordinance that's strong and is recommended by the best professionals that we've can find. >> Okay. Thank you. With that, I think I'll close the hearing and let's move on to

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ordinances for final consideration. >> Um, so, madame clerk, would would you please read the title of ordinance number 26-3392? Just back to my page here. Mhm. Okay. An ordinance amending the code chapter 7

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traffic section 7-11 through streets stop intersections and yield intersections subsection 7-11.2 stop intersections designated. >> Thank you council member Galmanson. >> Thank you council president. This is ordinance ID 26-3392

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to add stop signs to various locations. Having closed the hearing on this moments ago, I move to adopt this ordinance. >> Second. >> May I have a roll call, please? >> Mr. Ber >> I >> Mr. Chris Foley >> yes >> Miss Calmanson >> I >> Miss Landman >> I >> Miss Lucerina >> I President Toad

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>> I Motion carries um Madame Clerk would you please read the title for ordinance number 26-3393 >> ordinance of the city of Summit County of Union New Jersey amending and supplementing chapter 35 of the city code entitled development regulations

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subsection 35-9.2 two prohibited uses. >> Uh, thank you, Council Member Chrisouli. >> Thank you, Council President. Having closed the hearing on ordinance 263393 a moment ago, I move this ordinance for final adoption. >> Second.

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>> Thank you. Roll call, please. >> Mr. Ber, >> I. >> Mr. Chrisoy, >> I. >> Miss Calmanson, >> I. >> Miss Lamman, >> I. >> Mrs. Sarosina, >> I. >> President Toth. Motion carries. Let's move on to resolution. Uh, first up is Council Council member Lman.

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>> Thank you, Council President. Uh, resolution ID 12664 authorizes the city CFO to make payments between council meetings. These are budgeted payments that include payroll, debt service, utility bills, taxes, etc.

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Approving this resolution will improve the operating efficiency and avoid disruptions in services, especially during periods like August and late December when the council is in recess. I move to adopt this resolution. >> Second. >> Are there any comments from members of

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the public? >> Do we have any comments from members of council? Um okay then. Um I I think it's all in favor. >> I Any opposed? Motion carries. Um,

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Council Member Ber. Uh, thank you, Council President. Uh, this is ID number 12663, amend the personal policy manual. Uh, as we discussed in close session, uh, I'd like to move this forward for

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adoption. Um, is there a second? >> Second. >> Do we have any comments from members of the public? >> Hello, Bonnie Morrison, 24 Rotary Drive. Just curious, can you tell us what it's

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about? Okay, that's it. Any other comments? Comments from members of council? Um >> uh >> yeah. >> Yeah. So this is the uh personal policy manual. Uh it governs

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um uh different HR functions. It governs uh new policies that came from the state. uh with about family leave. Uh it's about 35 pages. Um is is there Marina? Is there anything

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new that's in this personnel policy that hasn't been in the last several years? Um yes, there are updates that were recommended by the city's um insurance fund and policy um related to alcohol and drug-free workplace

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um artificial use of artificial intelligence, vacation, paid sick leave, um state family uh leave, health, dental, all other general recommended um employment policy.

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or employment and personnel policy um guidelines and our office recommended the adoption and um nothing was out of the ordinary. It's recommended bar insurance. >> Okay. >> So, yeah. >> Oh, okay. We're going back to comments

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from members of the public. >> I thought you had Can I speak? >> Excuse me. >> Yeah. I I thought you it was still public's >> Yes. Yes. >> Dennis Harry on 140 Broad Street Summit. I just uh think that uh in reference to

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the previous uh person who came up that if you have a u ordinance not an ordinance but a resolution of this nature it should be more specific. It's very general. So, what the uh uh attorney just said, uh I heard it, but

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believe me, I don't remember it what I just heard. Uh because, you know, she spelled out some things, but I think maybe a primer, a list of what this is going to be can be put on the website or put somewhere so the public can know what, you know, uh many of us don't know

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what the uh original personnel policy manual was. So if you're amending it, you don't know what it was before. You need to know what you're amending to just list the things that are being changed or added or taken out. So that's just a suggestion.

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>> Thank you. >> Real quick, Dia Hamlet, 59 New England. Uh I forget how we have done it in the past, but I I would say articulate uh to the fine reverend here. It's just important to have a red line for the public to see. um probably only three people will look at it, but it's just a

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good thing to post. Uh there's so many just tiny minutia that changes from year to year that I think it's important for the public to see. So, I agree with you, Reverend. >> Thank you. >> It's a close session matter. I think once the resolution is adopted, it will be public through the minutes.

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>> Yeah. Okay. So yes, the that the city clerk reminded me that assuming we adopt the resolution, it will be included in the minutes that we'll we'll approve in early September. So um but it's a close

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session matter, so we can't put it out there um in advance of the meeting. Any other comments from members of the public from other members of council? Okay.

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All in favor? I >> I >> opposed. Resolution carries. Um, Council Member Chrisi. >> Thank you, Council President. Resolution ID 12392 would adopt the Union County multi-jurisdictional natural hazard

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mitigation plan. And I'm sure there's an acronym in there somewhere. Um, which identifies critical infrastructure in Summit and is a prerequisite for Summit to request federal grants to pay for priority projects to reduce our risk to

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natural hazards and disasters. Um, a resident who happens to be here this evening brought to my attention the link uh on uh the agenda packet today that linked to the original document was no longer working. And so we determined the

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county link uh it was not working. So our heroic city clerk established a new link. So this document is available and has been available to the public just for transparency sake. Um I move to adopt this resolution. Second.

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>> Okay, looks like we have comments from members of the public. >> Sorry, I promise I won't come up that much more. Dia Hamlet, uh 59 New England. I spoke with Dan around 5 tonight, so I'm glad Dan fixed the uh the link issue. I think it's important. So, thanks for your attention to that,

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Dan. Um I know we're super short staffed right now. I would just and I I spoke to Dan about this tonight. I definitely think that we can strengthen this. I know there's a deadline of August 15th or so. Uh and Dan and I spoke about some of the changes that we both probably agreed could be in there. Uh so thank you uh Councilman Chris Fully for your

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attention to that. Uh for everybody's had a bunch of questions about the Salt Brook. The Salt Brook's one of those things that's in this policy and it's really important that we we annotate some of the actions that we've done and and at least when I was on council, one of the first things we did in June of 2025, we authorized the funding to

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stabilize the portion of the stream which the reason we did that was that so we that we could eventually fix the Union County pipe. First and foremost, before we could dn snag or do anything, we had to stabilize the funds because sorry, we had to stabilize the bank

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because we had to fix the pipe. We also talked about several things June 16th uh was simply not about helping an individual homeowner. Um New Jersey Supreme Court's decision Posie versus Bordontown Sewage Authority recognize that a public entity may face liability when a dangerous condition or

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originating on public property foreseeably causes damage to private property. Uh we got advice from our city solicitor that was important to do that. Uh so I would hope that uh I know there's a lot of things going on in the city, but uh and director Shreger's only here a few days a week and I'm sure there's 8,000 reasons why it hasn't been

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done yet, but it's really important to make sure that we do that because some really good things have happened recently. I actually just got off the phone with Congressman Kane's office uh tonight at 6:00. some of the things they informed me uh that are in the works right now. Uh they helped secure the

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Saltbrook's inclusion in the 2026 WRDA act. So the water resources development act uh more specifically the Saltbrook is included uh in addressing emergency stream bank erosion and shoreline protection. Uh in practical terms, this would explicitly authorize the Army

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Corps of Engineers to work with Summit uh to address a project addressing Salt Brook flooding, erosion, and stream bank instability. It doesn't really guarantee a timeline or a funding amount, but it's it's really really important that Congressman Kaine got that in there um because it gives us a pathway once we stabilize that stream bank, once we fix

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the county pipe, that's the number one. The third thing that is really good news, um there is a $4 million regional funding request. As my fine counterpart Ronnie Mate pointed out, uh the other day, Liz, uh they submitted a 4 million, Congressman Kane's office submitted a $4

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million fiscal 2027 community funding uh request for the Pakic River Regional Flooding Mitigation Project. So, this would work with uh Mayor Fagan and other municipalities for a long-term uh impact for all this area. And it's really important that we get all of this

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information in that document. And I know that Councilman Chrisa Fully is going to do that. Um, but this is really one of the ways that we can get funding from FEMA and it's it's important that we we progress we we keep track of that progress. So, thank you. >> Thank you. >> Do we have other comments from members

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of the public? >> Adriana Aleron, uh, 720 Springfield Avenue reference soft. The mitigation plan mentions nothing for Summit. Looking at our closest neighbors, Berkeley Heights notes cleaning out their waterways since the last revision

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and planning to do more going forward. New Providence adopted new ordinances for storm water management intended to address flooding conditions and minimize environmental impact. And they plan to continue on their own in addition to government development. Regional flooding mitigation project is

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unknown until it's passed and the Payic River Mayor Flooding Coalition has no defi definitive answer yet and it's being led by another town. Members of this current council have stated the importance of helping all Summit residents along the brook and chastise previous members who passed mitigation

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efforts for a damaged and dangerous section. In the mitigation plan, if adopted, Summit states it will make physical improvements and adopt policy and planning to mitigate impacts from storms. So, as we approach storm and hurricane season, I'm hoping that this means that the council will not waste

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time standing by while other storm damage is done by but instead taking meaningful steps forward and for policy planning to limit overdevelopment especially in the areas whose added runoff will further add to the Brooks water flood waters in the area of summit. Thank you.

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>> Thank you. Good evening, Diane Leotaa, 606 Springfield Avenue. I also have the Saltbrook behind my home. And I am one of the people that have spoken up to say that it's not just one property. And I have personally met uh Adrienne and her

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husband and visited their property, which was very nice of them to um show my husband and I uh the damage that has been done to their property and um some of the cause and factors of it and other things that we recognize that have never

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been brought up at these meetings. Um and maybe it's Adrian that should be the one that can bring up what was in her yard um that may have caused a lot of the damage that speak louder. I think people in the back can't hear you. >> Sure. Sure. But um I'll just begin

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reading my statement now. >> Um I I would I'm asking if you'd please tell me about what this plan can do for the properties bordering Saltbrook. Most specifically, the properties where no retaining walls were ever built, which as far as I know begins after Saltbrook

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passes behind the Albian Hotel and crosses under Blackburn Road. Uh thereafter, the homes on Springfield Avenue have never had retaining walls built by the city of Summit or Union County. I have been told been told that the uh New Jersey Department of

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Environmental Protection does not allow retaining walls to be built along the brook. This is something that you told me, Mayor Fagan, at the first listening session, common council listening session. And I also learned it from Adrienne and her husband that they were told the same thing by members members

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of last year's council. Um, if this is true, I would like to know why the city of Summit built a Gabby and basket wall at the end of Brook Court so that their city street does not erode into the brook. For anyone that is not

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familiar, a Gabian basket retaining wall is made of wire mesh cages and stone and used for erosion control and slope stabilization. We've all seen them on along highways, etc. Um, I would like to also point out that

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a neighbor at 24 High Street received a permit to build a Gabian wall on their property and the home at 614 Springfield Avenue also built a Gabby and Basket wall. Both property owners built the walls to protect their properties from erosion and stabilization as the brook

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exits the county bridge over High Street. These walls are each built on the homeowner's property and at their expense. The Gabian walls have also been built on properties on Division Avenue and Sunset Drive as the brook enters beneath Division Avenue. Do not know if

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those properties um if it was built by the city of Summit, Union County, or the property owners. The Gabian walls do not obstruct or change the flow of water as it travels further east towards our neighboring uh neighboring towns. I

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understand the hazard mitigation plan is required by the state and federal agencies in order for the communities in Union County to be eligible for certain types of state and federal disaster relief funds. Okay. Unless as I've discussed before, um if I

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can just finish my sentence here, uh and long-term strategies to reduce hazards, I have been before council last year, uh I think it was June 23rd, and like I said, there isn't just one property. I also have an easement. I also have a

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pipe. Our pipe was broken before 1972 when the previous owner moved in. So just because we have done what's needed by putting boulders underneath so that it does not affect our property or our neighbors property doesn't mean that our

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property doesn't deserve attention. I have never had anyone reach out. I have spoken to you, Claire, because we did see each other and and discussed it and I took up your recommendations and reached out to um to Aaron and uh sent a

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a letter to him and never heard anything and included pictures of the city's property which is um eroding. >> Thank you. >> And if you Okay. >> Oh, I was going to say then the entire statement will be included in the

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>> Diane. Is your name on there? >> I I do. >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> Do we have other comments from members of the public? C me comments from members of council. >> Council President.

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>> Council member Ber. >> Yeah. So this is one that has uh been close to my heart um because uh I was engaged in it even before I was elected and last year we had passed funding to

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have this stabilized and it feels like we are pulling teeth. I mean the hardest part about doing things is getting the money. Well we did that last year. So the question is well what's going on? So, I just want to bring people back if

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they don't understand. Um, so I'll give you a historical point. So, there is a pipe that the county owns. That pipe is damaged. As a matter of fact, it's almost non-existing. And when the water, like tonight, probably runs out down Springfield

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Avenue. It runs in almost a a pit. And that pit is causing erosion at the property that it abuts. and it happens to be Adriana's property that is losing yards, I mean yards of of of property.

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So, the county came back and said, "Hey, you know what? We'll fix the pipe only if you stabilize that area." So, it wasn't about fixing one person's um one resident's property. It was about

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getting the county to fix the pipe. Now, we still haven't done our part, and I don't know why. I I I just I'm I I I'm I'm at a loss. I sent I've been sending emails since January about what's going on at the property on Springfield

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Avenue. I just sent one last week and no one has said anything about it, right? We're supposed to be meeting with the the developers and DPW and, you know, Okay. Well, all right. Well, what happened in January? Well, it's the winter. I get it, right? But then it was

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the spring. What happened then? Well, now it's almost the end of summer. What are we doing? The pipe still hasn't been fixed. I mean, the poor woman's house is going to fall into the freaking ravine there. I mean, this has been almost

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three years right now. Um, the former council woman, uh, Dillia Hamlet and I almost two, three years ago was on a call with Congressman Kaine's office saying, "Hey, you know what? This the

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saltbrook is not the city can't fix the entire Saltbrook. We need help right because this is not a oneperson problem. It's the entire brook. It goes from Brighton school all the way down to New Providence. Right now getting residents

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to fix each and every one of their homes so that one resident fixes theirs, the stream comes down and the other resident doesn't fix theirs, that doesn't solve the problem. it just diverts the water. So, this is why we have the uh Payic funding and I hope I hope we uh get that

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money and participate and and I hope that goes into uh Councilman Christopher Folio, I hope that goes into uh the packet here. Um but that's the long-term plan, right? The long-term plan is to stabilize the entire Salt Brook. But right now as a council, there's no

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reason why we are so delayed almost a year later after passing an ordinance funding to get the Salt Brook stabilized so that the county can fix the pipe. I just I I just don't understand it. So, thank you, Council President.

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>> Council President. >> Yes, >> if I may. Um, a little bit of information, not a lot, but probably the hardest part is funding. The second hardest part is permitting from D. We have received the permit. There was a meeting. I followed up with uh our

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engineer when he was in today. He is here on a part-time basis at this point. Um and they did have a meeting with DPW with the consultant engineer and the city engineer. They are going to be out on site having the next scheduled meeting to determine the scope of the

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work. And that's supposed to happen in the next week or two. That's all the information I have, but it's some information. Council President, just a quick followup. >> Yes. >> So D, I met with just about all of them last year. We walked to Saltbrook together.

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They said, "Councilman, we can give you an emergency uh permit." Emergency permit, right? We walked to Salt Brook together. So, I mean, again, I'm at a loss. I'm at a loss. I'm not in

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the I'm not on the CAPS committee, you know, but I'm I'm just at a loss because these people literally came down and said, "We get it. We understand." They looked up at the property and said, "Okay, yeah, we can do some emergency stuff here." But now we're making

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excuses all over again. Like, I mean, this is serious stuff. We got to get on our game here, you know? Um, if the city's got to go out and and hire some some other engineers or something like that, I mean, we got to we have to be

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able to secure this town, you know. This is a security issue, right? This is a safety excuse me, this is a safety issue, you know. Um, I I mean, I hate to be up here in the next couple of months when somebody's house is, you know, in the in the ravine. I mean, they did it

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up in Middletown. Um they they fixed it, their town fixed it. It was like the same thing. But but we can't get our act together. I mean, it's really it's very frustrating. >> Thank you, Council President. >> Okay. Any other comments from members of council?

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>> Okay, >> Council President. >> Council member Chris. >> Thank you, Council President. Um storm water is an issue all across Summit. I've heard about it in all neighborhoods in the least likely places across town.

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We've heard from our city administrator that the city is taking action to address this particular uh incident for one resident which is very important to address. I acknowledge that. Um, we've also requested that the city engineer uh

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create a list of recommended modifications to the development regulations that govern zoning for the entire city so that any future developments not only don't contribute to storm

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water, but they help the situation. And this is true both at the residential level and the non-residential level where the city engineer has been developing these proposals to strengthen the policy in our town that helps all

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residents. Um and so those will be important initiatives as they're further developed hopefully with more input from Aaron and other professionals as we move forward. The funding situation is slow and tricky. Uh to take the example of

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the vaunted sidewalks on Glenn's side, they were approved a year and a half ago before they were voted against at the federal level. So federal funding is very risky, very difficult to achieve. We did apply for a grant this spring um

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uh to focus on the Salt Brook and so we are taking those initiatives. I have been encouraging the city to move forward on the specific individual residents properties while we also take the interests of all summit residents

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into consideration in a more systemic way. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um so all in favor >> I any opposed? Motion carries. Let's move on to the next one. Council member Chrisouli.

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Thank you, Council President. Uh, sorry, I got my >> resolution ID 12678 would award the bid for Lraine Road in place, Sherman Avenue Road, uh, Sir Sherman Avenue Road and

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Sanitary Replacement Project in the amount of approximately $600,000. I'm told that we I believe the number was eight bids. We've had multiple bids from contractors for this uh for this project. I move to adopt the resolution.

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>> Second. >> Okay. Do we have any comments from members of the public? >> Do we have any comments from members of council? >> Okay. With that, all in favor? >> I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Council

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member Chris Aouli. Um, I request to bundle the next two resolutions. >> Go right ahead. >> Yeah. To declare vacancies in the Department of Community Services, resolution ID 12638 would declare a vacancy in the position of the technical

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assistant to the construction official known as a TA TACO. Yes, we have a taco right here in Summit. Uh, she's retiring after many years of service. Resolution 12674 would declare a vacancy for a

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full-time staff assistant. Um, I move to adopt these two resolutions. >> Second. >> Any comments from members of the public? Count comments from members of council. All in favor? >> I.

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>> Any opposed? Um, resolutions carry. Back to you, Council Member Chrisouli. >> Uh, Council President, if I may. Oh, yes. I'm >> Before we council member, >> no problem. Before we move this resolution forward as discussed uh with

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council, I'd like to make a motion from the floor to make a minor change to the committee structure to remove the affordable housing committee member designation for three of the five seats with that designation on this committee. We received a number of applications

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from um the same neighborhoods and we'd like to be able to appoint them to the round four task force not limited to one per neighborhood. Making this uh adjustment to the committee structure allows us flexibility to do that while maintaining the spirit of the structure we plan for which is to have

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representation from each of the neighborhoods that are most impacted by the planned affordable housing developments. I move to amend this resolution. >> I believe there was one other change you wanted to make. and adding >> senior building. >> Senior building.

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>> Yes. Sorry. My goodness. Um add a representative from the uh neighborhood adjacent to the old firehouse site. I move to amend the resolution. >> Okay. >> Second. >> Okay. Any comments from members? No. Do

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>> do I move? >> Okay. No. Do do we have comments from members of the public on this amendment to the resolution? Do we have comments from members of council? >> Council president, just only if uh if

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maybe the council woman or councilman can explain the the nature of um the affordable housing committee. I think there's some confusion about what the roles are, what people will be doing. >> That was in my introduction.

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>> That's coming up. >> Okay. >> Thank you for previewing our coming attractions. Um, okay. All >> I think uh and I defer to our attorney. >> Are we now making a motion to appoint or is that a separate resolution?

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>> No, we we vote on the amendment, do we not? >> Yeah. Vote on the amendment first and then you can >> Okay. I'm sorry. >> So, yes, Council Member Lucerena. >> Sorry. I just want to say in brief. So, on on this motion, um, this this was a

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bit my fault. Uh I helped in proposing the governance structure for this round for affordable housing task force and I was too prescriptive. I put too much it it binds us too much uh in the governance structure. That's my fault

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and we had a great problem. Right. We had many many excellent applicants apply from each of the neighborhoods. So, this is just correcting my error of giving the council a little bit more freedom to bring on um the some of the applicants

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who have very graciously raised their hand to serve. So, just wanted to note that. Thank you. >> You weren't alone in that. >> Um okay. All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Okay. Motion carries. Council member Chrisouli.

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>> So, here's the horse after the cart. Uh resolution ID12650 as amended would appoint the initial members to the round four common council task force which will help guide the city as we work to meet our affordable

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housing commitments agreed with the state. Uh the new homes will affect our roads, our traffic, our schools, and our neighborhoods. We can't stop housing from coming, but we residents can help determine how to deal with the effects. That's where the implement

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implementation task force comes in. Advising the city on infrastructure changes, reducing negative impacts on the community, and serving as a voice for their neighborhood. The members to be appointed are Mr. Wally Gonzalez,

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uh, Sydney Williams, Reverend Harold, Carrie Phillips, Carly Mulvy, John Calibres, and Kevin Balac. These are excellent individuals, residents who have stood up to help

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their communities and the city. >> Okay. Do we have a second? >> Oh, second. >> I move to adopt the resolution. Yeah. >> Do we have any comments from members of the public? >> Yes. I Excuse me.

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>> Wasn't sure whether I was going to be a part of this committee or not, but whether whether I wasn't doesn't matter. I'm still going to be working. But I wanted to find out in this committee um will it be meeting on a

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quarterly basis as on a as need basis as a you know the frequency of meetings and also um exactly what uh impact will we be able to have in this particular area going forward because I know this is a

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complicated you know and ever changing area so you're reaching this committee. Some committees are formed and they're in name only. They, you know, they're in name only. They they they have great names, but they're in name only. So, I just need to know a

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little more about the impact that it can have in uh uh making a difference in what we're doing going forward. That's a question. >> Any other comments from members of the public?

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Um, I'm going to pull rank and address Reverend Harial because at at this point the commit I I suspect that the committee is going to meet more on an as needed and perhaps in

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subcommittees as different neighborhoods get developed. Um, you know, as I had said, both Harmon and 190 River Road are moving along fairly rapidly, so those are likely to be addressed first. Um,

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190 River Road is pretty much baked as to what it will look like, but other neighborhoods, there's plenty of opportunity to address what the structures, you know, h how they will look facing the street. Um I

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don't know how the developers how how open the developers will be to that. Hopefully they will. They'll they'll want to be good neighbors. Um but you'll be addressing you know tra should there be traffic calming measures. How do the

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schools deal with this? Um at this point have having been a little overly prescriptive when we designed the committee. Um, we don't want to be overly prescriptive in saying how it is going to run.

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>> Uh, real quick, Dillia Hamlet, 59 New England. Uh, the one thing I would like to comment on is, uh, with all due respect, Council President, I would say 190 River Road is definitely not baked. We are, um, in full planning board mode with that right now. And I would encourage the residents to come up and

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be with uh Councilman Chris Fully and myself. Um it's really important to hear and I know you probably didn't mean it that way, Council President, but um any comment is a good comment, whether it's lighting. Uh last night we were talking about lighting may mean one thing to one resident, another thing to another

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resident. Um so I would encourage uh all residents at least for the 190 River Road to come to meetings. And I know that's not exactly what you meant, Claire, but just want to refer that. Okay. Do we have other comments from members of council? >> Just real quick, council president. Yes. Um, first I want to thank the council

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majority for uh being flexible. >> Um, it was a actually a really good move. Um, uh to include some members in in this uh affordable housing committee. And I I actually I

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really appreciate that. Um, so I want to thank them. and to the residents, uh, especially Reverend Dr. Hariel, you can hold us accountable, right? Because we're on the committee, too. All right? So, if we're not doing our job, you're

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raising issues and we're not bringing them to council and we're not taking action, well, there you go. you hold us accountable and everybody on that committee should probably have, you know, our direct phone numbers or emails or some kind of direct contact uh where

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you can get in touch with us, you know, and we can make change because I think that's the point of the committee. Um, council president, good job for putting this together, but like you said, Reverend, uh, it needs to be actionable. Thank you. >> Okay, any other comments?

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>> All in favor? I I >> Any opposed? >> Resolution passes. Um I'll note that it is 9:30. We've got a ways to go yet and I think 2 hours is long enough for anybody to plant themselves in one seat.

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Um let's take a really fast 5m minute break. I'm going to hold us to five minutes. Um and we can plow through the rest of it. Any questions? Um, we are moving on to safety and health and you are leading us, council member Calmanson.

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Thank you, Council President. Oh, wait. Do Oh, no. I can go. You're confused. >> You're good. >> I don't have to read it to Okay. Thank you, Council President. This is resolution ID 12649. And this resolution authorizes the purchase of a new

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firetruck, more specifically a 2026 Ferrara Inferno 1500 GPM custom pumper for 1,175,000. This was approved in our 2026 capital plan and the new fire truck will replace a reserve engine. I move to adopt this

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resolution. >> Second. >> Do we have any comments from members of the public? Any comments from members of council? All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? No. We look for we look

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forward to it, Chief. Um, back to you, Council Member Calmanson. >> Thank you, Council President. This is resolution ID 12662, and it authorizes the purchase of five new police vehicles through co-ops or state contracts for a total of $226,000

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200 $226,259.17. Vehicles being purchased are one Ford Interceptor, two Ford Explorers, one Ford F-150, and one Dodge Durango. I move to adopt this resolution. >> Second. >> Do we have comments from members of the

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public? >> Any comments from members of council? >> I I I just want to know I just want to know one thing. It's been on my mind. So, in Europe, you know, they got them ugly neon cars, right? But you can see them from a mile away, right? You deter

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crime. I'm wondering when the police department will move away from the stealth back to like normal looking black and whites, you know, and chief, you don't have to answer it. I'm just I'm just throwing it out there. You

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know, more visible patrol cars. >> Aren't we already in that mode? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> The transition is already happening. >> Oh, you're going Okay. Okay. Okay. Good. Good. >> Okay.

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>> Okay. All in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? No. Motion passes. You've got your cars, chief. Um, back to you, Council Member Calvin. >> Thank you, Council President. This is resolution ID 12679. And this resolution

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supports bills A5274S-4448 authorizing municipalities to lower speed limits on certain roads without engineering and traffic investigation. This legislation would allow Summit and other municipalities to reduce the speed limit by 5 m hour on roads with current

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speed limits of 35 mph or less. I move to adopt this resolution. >> Second. Do we have comments from members of the public? >> Veto a gallow 10 Uclid Avenue apartment 203 summit. I I I need not I summarize I

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think you've summarized the bill uh quite well. Council councilwoman u the I had an opportunity to talk to Assemblyman uh Andrew Kurtie, our our district 21 uh assemblyman on on the

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bill uh and and to discuss it with him and with Peter Corso, his chief of staff. Uh, and I just want to enthusiastically urge you to uh to seriously consider uh uh passing this resolution calling on the

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supporting this effort by the uh by the the assemblymen. This bill will obviously it's an early stage. It was only introduced uh 15th of last month, but it uh but it will go to the transportation committee. I did ask the assemblyman's anything else I could do

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to help support this bill. project so important for summit and he he invited me to do whatever I I could do. We he specifically to go to the to Trenton and I'd love to go to Trenton to say that this community has has supported the bill and bring that message uh uh if if

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it's if you choose to pass it. Um I certainly want to acknowledge the efforts that the this this council has been making over the the last five years that have been observing what you're doing on pedestrian safety. I mean, you truly demonstrated and you continue to

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demonstrate a commitment. Just the the the things that are on the agenda tonight uh in terms of traffic stop signs and the like demonstrate the bipartisan level. If there's any issue in town that that uh has earned the the support of this entire governing body,

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everyone on the deis and your predecessors, it's pedestrian safety. So, I really want to to uh uh thank you for the kind of support you've had. Uh I just want to speak very personally on on the specific issue of working in the

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downtowns. Uh and I you know think of uh of Summit Avenue starting at Witrich going straight straight across the downtown and just think of all the issues that are involved whether it's multif family housing offices public parking street parking

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train stations overlook hospital visitors passing fire vehicles going up emergency vehicles going up and down the street. uh now the barrierfree playground that you're going to be uh dedic to dedicate today. All of those issues are on that one street. Uh everyone a worthwhile important element

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of this city and yet uh pedestrians have to navigate that. uh and the the notion of just modestly dropping the speed 5 miles an hour uh without going through rigorous the kind of procedural processes and regulatory reviews at the state level that you've been lamenting

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uh from the day as today how difficult it is to get those levels approval. This bill if it passes will give you as a governing body the opportunity to to make that decision in consultation with your staff engineer uh and your traffic experts. You don't need to to beg

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another agency to do this. This would be permissive. So, I just want to urge you to to uh con to adopt this. Thanks very much. Thank you. Okay. Good. Okay. >> Any other comments from members of the public? >> We have comments from members of council.

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>> Just a quick question. >> Yes. Would this eliminate or alleviate the issue with going to the county for all our county roads and >> asking? >> I I can actually answer that. No. Um, this gives us the ability this gives

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counties and municipalities the ability to lower speed limits by 5 miles an hour on roads that are close to schools or that are pedestrian heavy. What this does do is when we ask the county to

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lower the speed limit on say Mountain Avenue um which is near Brighton School, the county doesn't have to go through the expensive traffic studies and all that. They can rely on their own engineers. So ideally, it will be easier

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for the county to say yes to us. um as well as for us to make our own determinations on any street and summit that's a straightaway um is a racetrack and >> you still have to ask the county for county road. >> We we have to ask the county for county road, but hopefully it's an easier yes.

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>> Yeah. Thank you, council president. >> I I did I did um call the county engineer. He's out of the country. Um, but I spoke to the deputy engineer um who who was not familiar with the bill but was seemed very enthusiastic when I

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described it and I sent it to her. >> And and just to be clear, the county has been amazing to Summit. I just want to make that put that on record. Um, they have been great. Whatever we asked them for in the last couple years, the county, Union County has been amazing.

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Support the county. They're a good county. Um, but I I'm thinking that once we uh alleviate the cost to do it, the county would be more receptive of saying, "Yeah, go ahead. Reduce it." Thank you, council president, for that explanation.

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>> Any other comments from council? >> Okay. All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Um, you are still on, Council Member Calmanson, as we move to community programs and parking services.

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Uh, thank you, council president. This is resolution ID 12659, and this resolution authorizes approval to enter the shared service shared services agreement for year 52 of the community development block grant. The county union has approved grants as part of

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this year's program. The purpose of this resolution is continue to continue this shared services agreement to make the funds available to the city of summit. This is a continuation to the existing agreement. The programs that are made available through this program aim to pro provide services to individuals of

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low and moderate income. Each year, the city must pass this resolution for all city of summit applications, including those filed by nonprofits in the community. The city of summit programs are share the fund club for $7,000, senior connection bus for $5,000. Uh the

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city also enters the agreement acknowledging the nonprofit applications from other summit based nonprofits. this year. Senior housing $60,000 and grace $9,000. I move to adopt this resolution. >> Second. >> Do we have any comments from members of

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the public? >> Sorry, Dia Hamlet, I didn't even mean to comment on this one, but I would say >> I would say having be having been deeply involved with Sage and Council President, I know you and I'm not sure who else is involved with Sage up on the deis and in the community, but um Sage

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has turnover just like any other nonprofit. and I noticed that they're not included in this. Um I actually reached out to David Guida today just to uh they have some turnover right now and I said let's find something to put on our calendar to make sure that we at least put a notice out to all our nonprofits so that they can be included

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because a lot of the nonprofits do have turnover and SAGE is probably one of the most significant organizations that we have in our community and I just don't want to see them miss out. I think I'm hoping that they'll be on the the page for this September to get in for next year, but maybe we can come up with a

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list for all the nonprofits so that they have an opportunity if they forget or they have staff turner. That's all. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Any other comments from members of the public? Comments from members of council?

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>> Just just only to say that this grant is so important. Uh, Councilwoman Lucaracino and I were at the uh, Summit Housing Authority meeting the other day when they talked about the block grant, which is um, they they depend on that

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money. Um, I um, sad to hear about Sage. Uh, if anybody knows, Sage does the Mills on wheels. Um, so they, you know, they deliver meals to, uh, all types of folks. Um, and that's a much needed organization here, too. So, I think we

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could we could really we could really look at that as well. Thank you. >> Any other comments? All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion carries. Council member Galmanson. >> Thank you, Council President. This is

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resolution ID 12667. And this resolution authorizes the purchase of the East Summit Playground for a total of $370,94646. I move to adopt this resolution. >> Second. Okay. Any comments from members of the public?

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Comments from members of council? All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Council member Calmanson. >> Thank you, Council President. This is resolution ID 12680. And this resolution authorizes the purchase of a PA system

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for Tatlock Field for the amount of $26,78. I move to adopt this resolution. >> Second. >> Do we have any comments from members of the public? Do we have any comments from members of council?

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>> All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Okay. Um, Council Member Lucerina. >> Thank you, Council President. Resolution ID 12675

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is to confirm Mayor Fagan's appointment to the rent commission. The rent commission is an advisory body here in town. They can make recommendations for landlord tenant disputes. They can educate landlords and residents about their rights and responsibilities. Um

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make recommendations about ways to implement new laws adopted at the county, state or federal level, etc. Um it's a great body. We thank the volunteers who serve there. We have a wonderful uh gentleman in town, Joseph McNamera, who has raised his hand to serve. Also want to acknowledge

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Councilman Ber, who has been very forwardthinking and creative about new ways to engage the rent commission um across the city uh and who has also uh had Mr. McNamera on his short list. Uh and we're we're very glad to have found

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the right opportunity for him. So, I move that we adopt this resolution appointing Joseph McNamera to the rent commission. >> Second. >> Okay. Um, any comments from members of the public? Comments from members of council?

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>> Council President. >> Yes, Council Member. >> I'm sorry, but all this stuff is important to me. That's why I keep talking. Um, so, uh, Joe Mclamera. Uh, kudos to Joe for hanging in there. um he just wants to serve. And um quite

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honestly, the two members that are on the Summit Housing Authority uh that um Laroscino appointed are excellent. We we just have good residents. Uh and now we have a place for Joe, especially

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during this transition where we're going to be doing something a little difficult. um turning the rent commission to become not just a advisory board but a decision-making board to have oversight

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of the housing authority grievances is a big deal and it's something that the housing authority supports because as we know they're going through some issues with rent calculations and um security deposit stuff. They don't want to see that happen again. And this is something

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that also is heavily supported by by HUD because the rent commission is a third party. They're not a part of the Summit Housing Authority, not part of the Maple the uh was it Madison? The Madison Housing Authority. There's no connection there. And it's a group of our residents

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making these decisions. But, um, I'm going to work with the council woman because we have some things to figure out, especially with, uh, education on these very difficult HUD rules and understandings. But I think the the people that are on this

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committee uh, are very smart and with the addition of Joe and his financial background, uh, we're going to be able to make it happen hopefully by the end of summer. But thank you, Council President. >> Okay. Any other comments from members of council? Looks like the mayor would like to say something. >> It is my appointment, so I do feel

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obligated. No. Um, I just want to say that Joe is a I've known Joe for probably 20 years and um he's super levelheaded. He's very uh intelligent and I think he's a great addition. So, I'm grateful for the support of the appointment. Thank you. >> Okay.

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>> All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Um Okay, then. Um, is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? >> So moved. Second. >> Do we have any public comments on the

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consent agenda? Looks like we may. No. Okay. Um, any comments from members of council on the consent agenda? >> Yes. >> I just want to call out the um sidewalk sale that SDI is putting on. It's the

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end of August. Um, and it's something that they're bringing back that you used to happen and it's kind of fun for downtown. So, um, support our local businesses, shop small, and, um, it's a it's great asset, I think. So, definitely look out for it at the end of August.

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>> Okay. Anything else? All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Okay. Well, thank you to our city staff. Um, you are free to head home to your families. Um, and we'll move on to the public

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comment period. Um, I'll do my little spiel. As we begin public comment, we ask that the residents of Summit step forward to speak first. We value input from everyone and any member of the public is welcome to speak. Um, we simply ask for your courtesy in allowing

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our local neighbors to lead the public discussion. >> Okay. >> Julie Ham at 59 knowing that I promise I'm leaving after this. I just want to say congratulations to Reverend Harold. Uh you're a true patriot and uh just an honor to know you and uh you're a good friend and you're a good community

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leader and we're just lucky to have you. So thank you for your for everything and uh congratulations to Grace as well. Um just one thing that I wanted to um mention tonight as as Claire you mentioned in your uh council president statement that I'm not going to paraphrase exactly what you said, but

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you said we're we're we're figuring out what to do with the firehouse. And I would urge the firm of uh Gia Kobe and Marina Brown um to make sure that number one the the document for the public is posted. Um I think the document right

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now is 156 pages and I actually called Mr. Chrisully tonight and I said, "Hey Dan, I want the council to be able to make the decisions that they can, but they have to have all the information." So it's important that the council looks at the document when K and K submitted their bid. It's a very long document,

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but it does include concept and it does include parking plans. And I would encourage and I would hope that the taxpayers deserve um deserve that information. They deserve to regardless of what you decide to do at the firehouse, they should be able to look at all of the documents that were in the

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data room uh which Mr. Chicowski uh and JLL spent many and many of weeks upon uh redlinining. and that is all public record and uh all of the bids were public record but I don't believe that they are the actual bids are part of the uh city website. So I would encourage

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that the taxpayers make their own decision regardless of what you all think is the best use of the taxpayer funds. Um I think all those important documents will hopefully be in the discovery uh that our lawyers will make sure that the taxpayers will have access to. So thank you very much. >> Thank you.

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>> Okay. Oh, good evening, Mayor Fagan, Council President Toth, members of council and staff. I'm Jim Bennett, Bennet, 38 Fair View Avenue. First, I want to thank Rosemary for her tribute to Joanne Rajapy. I have a personal reason for

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saying that. Joanne Rajapy was my wife's cousin. >> Oh my. uh the uh on uh my my primary concern tonight is uh what happens with the old uh fire headquarters. And before I get to the prepared remarks, I'd like

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to make a suggestion. And uh this was motivated by a document I received from Dia Hamlet. Dileia gave me a copy of the uh complaint that was filed by K&K. And I'd like to recommend if it's feasible

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for the city to have a link in its website uh to the superior court's website and specifically the docket page so that the members of the public could see the documents that are of public record and that would lift some of the

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shroud of secrecy uh that otherwise the uh the public encounters what it hears discussions about the website do understandably to the attorney client privilege. Now, once this litigation is over, uh,

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the old fire headquarters has resolved, I call on council to stay with the original plan, sell the property, get it on the tax roles, and use the proceeds to reduce the municipal debt. The net

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municipal debt as of December 31st uh is about $63 million and it's on a parody with the municipal budget. If the sales proceeds are applied to the debt uh that would reduce the debt in one

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stroke by nearly 9%. And we know that Summit has a AAA bond rating which is good. But I repeat my caveat that the ability to borrow even at a good rate does not compel Summit to carry more

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debt than it absolutely has to. The less debt the better. Another benefit to selling the property at market value would be putting the property on the tax roles. Future pressure on budgets will

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only grow. Now, uh, this invitation I'm about to extend is not mine to extend, but I hope council will take me up on it. I'd like to invite city administrator Tammy Baldwin, uh, to give her views on the impact of using the

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proceeds to amvertise the debt, and I'm interested in hearing the effect on debt service and putting the property in the revenue stream. Thank you. Okay. >> Thank you. Hello. >> Hello.

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>> Can you hear me? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Um, my name is Katherine McKver. I live at 16 Clear View Drive. I've been a resident of Summit since 2002. Um, I am a former Tatlock resident of

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eight years and for the past 15 years I've lived on Memorial Field. I also wanted to note that I am a prolific Summit volunteer, formerly of Summit Junior Baseball softball, now called SSBL.

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For 15 years, Summit Youth Football for 15 years, Summit High School football, YMCA Soccer, Summit Sharks, Brighton Elementary School, Summit Lacrosse Club, and many of the high school athletic programs.

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Good evening, President Toth, Mayor Fagan, and members of the common council. I'm here tonight to urge the council to stand firm on ordinance 25-3363 and resist the temptation to settle the

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current litigation regarding the Tatlock field lights. We cannot allow the threat of a lawsuit by a taxpayer association to dictate or rewrite the laws of our town. Doing so sets a dangerous,

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unsustainable precedent. It signals that any group with enough capital to file a complaint can successfully bypass our democratic public process and force a council rewrite.

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Litigation should never be the catalyst that forces a municipality to compromise its legislative integrity. Furthermore, settling this case is fundamentally a losing strategy. When a town operates with a limited legal

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budget funded by the taxpayers, stretching out back and forth negotiation only drains public coffers while producing a watered down compromise that satisfies no one.

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The best most responsive strategy is to move forward and schedule this matter for a formal hearing. Let the facts speak for themselves in a court of law rather than conceding ground in private chambers.

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We must also consider the devastating long-term impact a settlement would have on a community's trust and future for municipal funding. These lights were made possible because dedicated local citizens stepped up to raise over a half

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of a million dollars in private donations to support to support Investors Field. If this council chooses to settle and bind the city's hands to a restrictive agreement, you send a clear message to every civic

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group, booster club, and resident. Your generosity will be compromised. Why would anyone ever raise funds for a town project again if the rules can be rewritten? >> Thank you.

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>> The moment a lawsuit is filed. You gave other people extra moments. I'm going to finish my statement. Why would anyone ever raise funds for a town project if the rules can be rewritten the moment a lawsuit is filed

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before an ordinance even goes into effect? Our student athletes deserve a place to play. Our donors deserve to have their generosity honored and our residents deserve a government that stands by its votes. Do not alter the

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ordinance under duress. Schedule the hearing. defend our public process and let the light shine. Thank you. >> Is your name on the >> Yes. >> Yes. Thank you. >> And my address, Memorial Field. >> Yes. Thank you.

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>> Well, I did have good evening, but I think I should say good night. >> My name is Rowanne Carzen. I live at 69 Beakman Road and I am speaking on behalf of residents of Beman Road adjacent to Wilson School. >> Miss Carson, could you just pull the mic down? >> Is that better?

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>> Yes. We understand and support the city's goal of ensuring student safety and maintaining access for emergency vehicles. However, the parking restrictions implemented pursuant to the ordinance passed on March 17 have created significant challenges for residents. The current signs prohibit

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parking standing and stopping on both sides of Beakman Road between Oakley Lane, excuse me, Oakley Avenue and Oak Forest Lane from 7 to 4:00 p.m. on school days. These restrictions make it difficult for residents to accommodate landscapers,

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household repair services, child care providers, healthare workers, and other visitors who need temporary street parking while allowing residents to come and go freely during the day. Due to the lack of predictability and number of service calls needed, arranging for

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parking exemptions is not a viable option for residents. We believe a more targeted approach would accomplish the city's safety objectives while min minimizing the impact on residents. According to the Wilson school uh primary school handbook for last year,

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instructional excuse me hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Student drop off occurs between 8:05 and 8:25 and dismissal begins at 3:15. Therefore, we respectfully request that the council consider limiting the

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parking restrictions to the periods when a congestion actually occurs from 8 to 8:30 and from 3 to 3:30 p.m. on school days. When there is a midday arrival and dismissal period, school staff have indicated that it involves approximately

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15 students and prior to the installation of the signs, residents did not experience congestion or safety concerns during those times. We respectfully ask the council to revisit the current restrictions and adopt a schedule that addresses school

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traffic while also organizing the legitimate parking needs of the residents who live on Beakman Road. Um, I did so I have collected signatures uh from neighbors supporting this request for parking restrictions of no standing, stopping or parking between 8

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to 8:30 and from 3 to 3:30 p.m. 22 signatures will be attached and signatures of neighbors who support consideration of limiting signs to one side of the street. um our 20 people signed that and we realize that

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observation of the traffic flow is probably needed or recommended to determine whether signs on one side would be sufficient and and I will put a copy in the bin. Thank you. And I want to just since I got a couple seconds, thank Jackie, Claire, and Shantel for

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giving me of their time and helping me understand the issues. >> Okay. >> Uh, good evening everyone. I'm Dennis McKver. I live at 16 Clear View Drive and I am married to Katherine who just spoke. I have prepared remarks but per

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usual I'll probably go off script um just a moment. My understanding or at least the understanding of the folks I speak with is that there is a settlement being contemplated. I was at the planning board meeting actually last night. Uh Dillia was presiding or at least there was presiding over the 190

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River Road application. I was listening to that tentatively because on that agenda in executive session a discussion about the settlement agreement was going to be had. I note this evening a discussion executive session was had. Um I'm a municipal attorney. I'm very familiar with the process. So I'm not

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going to ask any questions about that. What I will say is that the understanding is at least maybe the mistaken understanding of the community is that council is considering adopting a watered down version of the ordinance um that would bind future councils by

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four years. That is essentially what is understood by the people I speak with. Um, as a municipal attorney, I find such a precedent to be shocking, candidly, to bind future councils to some ordinance for a period of time or to to rule from

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the grave, so to speak, so that new and elected officials can't now adopt new ordinances, I think is a grave grave mistake. Furthermore, having read the complaint, the amended complaint, the judge Walsh's decision on the motion to dismiss, and

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considering the fact that a good chunk of this case is already dismissed, I question why uh we would in any way settle at this moment when the momentum, at least from a litigation perspective, is in the hands of the town. Um I think of that only as a litigator and somebody

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who litigates cases like this quite often, and I would wonder why you would even consider a settlement at this moment. But most importantly, most personal to me is I participated in the listening sessions. I attended the the meetings that had experts weigh in and in this. I listened to people who did

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not agree with having lights on that field and I listened intentively. I did that because I think there are good reasons and good things that need to be done as a result of having lights on that field and the impact to the surrounding communities. Um, if you settle that, all of that work,

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all of those meetings I attended were really a waste of my time. It was a waste of my time because I thought I was watching the democratic process take place. An ordinance was adopted. I didn't agree with it, but I know the other side

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didn't agree with it either. And now to change that, to throw away my time is an insult to me as a taxpayer. If you settle this case, the message out is going to be get a lawyer, file a lawsuit. In this town, there's plenty of people who can hire a lawyer and file a

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lawsuit and change an ordinance. There's also people who donated $700,000 to put the lights in, who could also hire a lawyer, who could also file a lawsuit. I I submit to you that doing this or having a settlement given the

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litigation landscape Sorry. Oh, I typed out my remarks. >> Okay, good. >> Thank you so much. >> I'll wait. So, >> do we have other comments from members of the public? >> Comments from members of council.

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Council member Landman. >> Uh, thank you, Council President. I'm editing as I start my reading. Um uh first I wanted to share with the public some important work being done by the finance committee. One thing that was new to me as a council member which I

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didn't know as a resident is that the city manages a number of trusts um trust funds valued at millions of dollars that are outside of the operating and capital budgets. There's the affordable housing trust fund which I did know about as a resident, but there's also trust funds

522
02:26:15.520 --> 02:26:32.720
for community programs. I wish the McKvers would come back if they can hear me. Um, I have something to say about TALOC. Um, and a fund for managing the national uh opioid settlement. New Jersey is distributing over a billion dollars for local addiction treatment,

523
02:26:32.720 --> 02:26:49.520
harm reduction, and prevention programs. Earlier this year, council approved using a portion of these funds to hire an outreach worker and case manager through Bridgeway uh to support some unhoused who may need treatment and recovery programs. Now, the finance committee is going

524
02:26:49.520 --> 02:27:04.560
deeper and are going to partner with the safety committee, the rest of council and the mayor to take a close look at how we can put these funds to their highest and best use. Summit's opioid opioid settlement fund currently has approximately $900,000 in it. We have a

525
02:27:04.560 --> 02:27:20.960
responsibility to be transparent about when, how, and why those dollars are being used, and I'm excited to take this on and look forward to sharing more with the community soon. Uh second, I'd like to give an update on Tatlock Lights. Um unfortunately,

526
02:27:20.960 --> 02:27:36.800
litigation has not yet been resolved and now we are waiting on the court to schedule a conference between the parties. We understand that many in our community, including those who spoke tonight, are following this closely and we will keep you posted. In the meantime, the lights are up. The camera

527
02:27:36.800 --> 02:27:52.640
contract was awarded and they are being ordered. should be up by Labor Day as planned and the sound system upgrades were approved by council this evening. We continue to be on track to bite the field for night practices in September as planned. We look forward to seeing

528
02:27:52.640 --> 02:28:08.800
our residents, our students, our athletes in particular benefit safely and courteously from this project in the months ahead. We commit to keeping the public posted on any developments that occur, including during the August recess. And then finally, I'd like to take a

529
02:28:08.800 --> 02:28:25.760
moment to follow up on council president's remarks about affordable housing. Um, and I want to restate something we've said multiple times at the top. Summit has an affordable housing obligation and council is committed to meeting it in good faith. But meeting this obligation

530
02:28:25.760 --> 02:28:41.600
does not mean that we stop asking whether every part of the current plan is the best way to get there. We should be asking how we can meet the obligation in a smarter way. As with the AI data center ordinance, we have a mindset of continuous improvement

531
02:28:41.600 --> 02:28:57.280
and we should continue that on this council. Council president's comments are welcome news and probably not a surprise if you've been listening to residents speak out at council since the plan was finalized last year and frankly even comments from many people who sit on this deis. This council's goal is to make better

532
02:28:57.280 --> 02:29:13.280
decisions with the resources we have including the old firehouse property. I agree with the council president. We have a responsibility to do this. an obligation to those who elected elected us and to those who have come to this council to voice opposition to parts of the plan like Shunpike and Wilson Park.

533
02:29:13.280 --> 02:29:28.240
We can do this differently than how this was done last year. We can do this openly and with public input. If we can make the plan even a fraction better, shouldn't we do that? I know I want to. I know residents have made it clear that they want us to. And that's going to

534
02:29:28.240 --> 02:29:48.960
mean a lot of hard work. And I'm excited to get that going. So, thank thank you, Council President. >> Thank you, >> Council Member Ber. >> Council President, um, earlier today, uh, I sent an email to you, Council

535
02:29:48.960 --> 02:30:04.160
President, and to our city solicitor, uh, Jacqueline. I CC you. I better have. And >> and and the mayor. Um, this is a this is a a time-sensitive thing. Uh, the New

536
02:30:04.160 --> 02:30:21.120
Jersey Board of Public Utilities has retained a hearing uh its order to show cause proceedings against JCPNL, New Jersey Central Power and Light, concerning the company's failure to meet the board's minimum reliability level

537
02:30:21.120 --> 02:30:41.200
standards for the calendar years of 2022, 2023, and 2024. Uh there is a docket out there. It's uh E I think it's O but it could be zero. EO02570453. Uh if it's an O and it doesn't come up,

538
02:30:41.200 --> 02:30:57.280
just replace it with a zero. Good. Uh by order dated July 15, 2026, the board designated Commissioner Christine Gul Seavoi as presiding officer and directed that any person or entity seeking to

539
02:30:57.280 --> 02:31:14.880
intervene or participate file the appropriate motion on or before August 12th, 2026. And that is the key there, August 12th, 2026. The order further states that on a on April 13, 2026, the board staff

540
02:31:14.880 --> 02:31:32.479
concluded a penalty was warranted and indicated its intention to recommend a penalty against GHCPNL in the amount of $44 uh million roughly. Uh by letter dated April 16th,

541
02:31:32.479 --> 02:31:50.160
2026, JCPNL stated that it disagreed with the magnitude of the recommended penalty, but would work toward a balanced resolution that preserves the company's ability to make long-term investments necessary to support the

542
02:31:50.160 --> 02:32:07.439
reliability and the grid resilience. Um, my concern is that a settlement built around investment commitments can end up recovered through rates, which would mean Summit customers fund the

543
02:32:07.439 --> 02:32:24.960
remedy. So that means that they pay a penalty of $44 million. That $44 million is then now passed on to the residents. I don't want to see that happen. Um, if that is the direction

544
02:32:24.960 --> 02:32:42.560
this takes, I would rather summit be on the record asking for direct consumer relief and enforcable reliability standards than be absent from it. So, I have four questions for our city solicitor. Um,

545
02:32:42.560 --> 02:32:57.040
probably you can probably answer all of them uh in in in a nutshell. Uh the biggest one is if we wanted to be a part of this because it's not litigation. Um it's

546
02:32:57.040 --> 02:33:12.960
just really being on the record saying that uh we want to be a part of the settlement and not have the settlement go on and be passed to our residents. Uh, do we need a resolution to do that or

547
02:33:12.960 --> 02:33:31.439
uh is that something that um you as the city solicitor can can can do on your own with the consent of council. I know this is a tough one. I'm kind of throwing this at you, but I just found out about all of this and there is a uh

548
02:33:31.439 --> 02:33:46.560
there's a date coming up soon. So >> if the consent of count if the majority of council want to participate one way or the other then I would rather have something on the record directing our

549
02:33:46.560 --> 02:34:04.720
office to take action or not. Um but I don't at if it's a deadline is coming up and we can't do a resolution tonight. we could ratify action in the in the at a future date if we need a resolution. >> Okay, great. So, that that that means

550
02:34:04.720 --> 02:34:22.080
that we would have time as council to kind of digest this a little bit um since I just emailed it today and my apologies, but it just popped up. >> You emailed it at 4 p.m. >> Yeah, I know, right? It just it just kind of popped up and I was like, "Oh, we can't miss this." So, um, uh, I

551
02:34:22.080 --> 02:34:39.040
would, uh, recommend that all the council members please read it and so that we could, uh, get on this docket as a, as a community that's looking for a remedy as well. Just don't want these costs passed on to our residents, especially after the

552
02:34:39.040 --> 02:34:57.439
weekend that we had a couple weeks ago, right? Um the I have two other points because I know this is the last meeting of the year here. So I got to get this out. Just give me a second here.

553
02:34:57.439 --> 02:35:37.439
Scroll all the way up. Okay. Sorry y'all. One second. Okay. Uh, council president, if you just want to come back to me or if I can. >> Okay. Okay.

554
02:35:37.439 --> 02:35:56.000
Um, well, I know what I can do briefly. >> I'm good. >> You're good. >> I got it. Sorry. >> Okay. >> Okay. So, earlier this year, the council approved a 3% raise for city employees, and that was the right thing to do. But

555
02:35:56.000 --> 02:36:13.200
there is a group of workers who serve the city every day, who make our streets safer, who show up in the cold and in the rain and in the heat and sometimes even get hit by vehicles who did not get the same raise. It's our

556
02:36:13.200 --> 02:36:29.520
crossing guards. So 29 of them, I could be wrong, city administrator, but I think there's 29. So two hours a day, eight months a year, no sick days, no vacation days, no health benefits. They currently make $25 an hour. So, let me put this in context.

557
02:36:29.520 --> 02:36:49.920
A 3% raise would move them to $25.75. That would even be unacceptable as well. But that's what we would give them just to keep them up with everyone else who got a raise this year. Uh, but I want us to do more than that because Summit is a

558
02:36:49.920 --> 02:37:06.240
town that is consistently talking about affordability and consistently telling its residents that it cares about the working people who keep this city running. That has to mean something. So, I looked at what the neighboring towns

559
02:37:06.240 --> 02:37:21.280
are paying their crossing guards. Chattam Township is at $27.50. Long Hill is at $27. Um, Union is at $27

560
02:37:21.280 --> 02:37:38.319
and Summit is behind them, specifically Union. We're in Union County. And so I'm asking in the council uh to match Union County at $2722. That's a $222 raise per crossing guard. Uh the total cost of the city is roughly

561
02:37:38.319 --> 02:37:54.080
25,000. roughly $25,000. Uh so let me say that again. Uh with a city with a $63 million budget, it's nom it's a nominal cost. You know, we spend

562
02:37:54.080 --> 02:38:10.000
more than that on things every two weeks. I mean, the the the city of Summit spending role is five or six pages. Um we could all check it out. It's public record.

563
02:38:10.000 --> 02:38:24.720
So, I am asking my colleagues on this council uh to bring this forward. Match union at $27. Do it before the school year starts and send the message that this city sees people who show up for us and pays them

564
02:38:24.720 --> 02:38:40.080
fairly for a week. Um, the last thing that I will say is I got a email a couple of weeks ago that the city will no longer be um

565
02:38:40.080 --> 02:38:57.920
buying hotel rooms for the council for the League of Municipality and that was uh extremely upsetting to me. So, the League of Municipality is a chance for elected officials to go down

566
02:38:57.920 --> 02:39:14.080
and to meet people um to go to their conference halls to find different things that they want to buy and invest in the city to take classes. Last year, I met the local uh 54 that they do all affordable housing

567
02:39:14.080 --> 02:39:29.680
projects. We invited them to come to uh the Summit Housing Authority, gave a presentation. I met other people who um provide uh um some relief for electric bills and

568
02:39:29.680 --> 02:39:46.160
energy savings costs. Um this is the time where elected officials can do what we do best, which is make connections. Now, some folks go down there and act a fool, right? But, you know, um that's

569
02:39:46.160 --> 02:40:01.359
not us up here. At least from what I see, we bring things back with us. And if you're telling the council that, okay, we're not going to put you up in a hotel room. You have to spend your

570
02:40:01.359 --> 02:40:20.960
money. Well, that is um a loud message. That means that when you're on council, you you have to be able to afford to be on council and that's a new low. You know what I like to see even after I leave is other

571
02:40:20.960 --> 02:40:37.520
elected officials from our, you know, modest means, you know, maybe low income or whatever, and we have to make being in this seat affordable. Uh, you know, I have to take the days off. That's not free. I have to drive

572
02:40:37.520 --> 02:40:53.359
down there. That's not free. I buy my own food. I never ask for a refund for that, right? Um yeah, I can't afford to stay at a hotel in Atlantic City for a couple of days away from my family. Um but

573
02:40:53.359 --> 02:41:09.760
no one asked me if I could or not. They just took it away. So this year, I'm not going because I can't afford to go. And I think that's a new low, right? We're doing things that um that's just not considerate. Now, I know some people

574
02:41:09.760 --> 02:41:26.160
will come up here and say, "Well, Councilman Wear, you're blowing this out of proportion." I don't think so. You know, I you know, and this is not just this council here. This is being on council. My eyes have been open to a lot in this town.

575
02:41:26.160 --> 02:41:42.160
And to me, sometimes it's a tale of two cities, right? And this this position should be open to anyone in town regardless of your economic status.

576
02:41:42.160 --> 02:41:57.840
And the appropriate thing to do would be to say, "Councilman Boyer, we're taking this out of the budget. Um, are you okay? Do you still wanted to go? Cuz you know, if you can't afford it, well, maybe we'll think about putting it back in or something like

577
02:41:57.840 --> 02:42:14.479
that." that I mean we're talking about a hotel room, right? Um I so that was really disappointing, right? So, you know, I I won't be going this year. Um but maybe that doesn't matter anyway. But the most important thing is

578
02:42:14.479 --> 02:42:30.560
if we can at least give our crossing guards some some extra money, um that would be great. So, thank you, Council President. >> Thank you. Anyone else? Council member Christopher.

579
02:42:30.560 --> 02:42:47.040
>> Sure. Thank you, Council President. As we've heard this evening, there's a lot on council's plate this summer. From banning data centers, improving safety and sidewalks, building playgrounds, working to carry out the affordable housing agreement while we minimize the

580
02:42:47.040 --> 02:43:02.560
negative effects in our neighborhoods. But on a very different track, and this plays into Jamal's comment, we're now moving forward to make Summit a certified film ready town. Um, on July 7th, we approved the film ready ordinance, an opportunity I learned

581
02:43:02.560 --> 02:43:19.600
about at last year's, uh, event in Atlantic City, uh, where I attended a bunch of different events, and this is one that caught my eye. We followed up on it. Um, you supported me, Jamal. We got the city staff behind us and uh the

582
02:43:19.600 --> 02:43:36.080
ordinance was approved and now uh Rosie is taking the final steps to get us certified. So I think that's that's a fun thing I would say to residents to stay tuned. Uh you'll be able to include your own home as a filming location once we get the certification. There will be

583
02:43:36.080 --> 02:43:52.160
a website up and there will be a link available to do that. Um, I gave a preview in my earlier remarks uh that I'd like to highlight an area I'll be focusing on more increasingly and increasingly publicly in the fall. Sustainability and storm water

584
02:43:52.160 --> 02:44:07.200
resilience. Let's face it, our weather continues to change and it's getting weirder. Highintensity rainfall, wind, tornadoes, and even the risk of wildfire. uh all in the middle of a long drought

585
02:44:07.200 --> 02:44:22.160
that's killing our trees and some of its beautiful rose bushes along Broad Street. In short, we need to prepare and protect our town. The natural hazard mitigation plan was uh approved tonight uh as one step forward. I would say it's

586
02:44:22.160 --> 02:44:39.520
a modest step forward, but it's a step forward. Um we've begun a deep dive into our development regulations uh and looking at our infrastructure vulnerabilities. And I'm also having these conversations with the planning board chair as well so we can coordinate

587
02:44:39.520 --> 02:44:54.800
particularly the regul any regulatory changes we need. And I would say more broadly my goal would be to create a set of policies and sustainability investments that protect our town both from the physical impact of storms

588
02:44:54.800 --> 02:45:11.439
including storm water while they also ensure reliable power supply for essential city services. uh which can also insulate us from price spikes in utility rates uh and ensure that all new development meets

589
02:45:11.439 --> 02:45:27.920
requirements based on how our weather is evolving rather than the weather we used to have. If you have ideas on how to make summit more sustainable and resilient, please reach out. I would love to hear them. >> Thank you.

590
02:45:27.920 --> 02:45:43.600
>> Yes, Council Member Calmanson. >> Thank you, Council President. Um two quick comments. one. Um, Miss Carson, thank you. Um, thank you for your comment. Tonight, we are continuing um to discuss the parking restrictions um on Beakman in the um in our um safety in

591
02:45:43.600 --> 02:45:59.840
our safety meeting. So, I look forward to updating you um as those con um conversations continue. And um also, I I can't remember if it was Mr. Bennett. Somebody was asking for the um K&K um um was am I am I right that somebody

592
02:45:59.840 --> 02:46:14.960
asked for that? >> Mr. Bennett asked for the link to the >> Is that on the city site? Can if not, can we get it on the city site? It's it's a public document, right? >> I'm sure we can post the the um >> the complaint >> or Yeah, I just say it's it's a public

593
02:46:14.960 --> 02:46:30.880
it's a public document. They're asking for it. Anything we can do to make it easier for the public >> and and at the risk of making this a conversation, I mean, if we merely link to the court website, um that requires an account and a login. It's free.

594
02:46:30.880 --> 02:46:48.000
Um, but it's it's a hurdle that somebody has to step over and probably would not. Um, so so that that that can certainly be something to to follow up with. Yes. >> Okay. >> Thank you. That's all I have. >> That's it.

595
02:46:48.000 --> 02:47:04.479
>> Council member Lucerine. >> Thank you, Council President. Uh, I first want to acknowledge our wonderful city clerk and our deputy city clerk, Shade Green. Our council packet for the meeting tonight was over 800 pages and

596
02:47:04.479 --> 02:47:20.240
it's easy to take it for granted that all of there's so much work that goes into producing a well organized packet that we can navigate through in addition to preparing all of the materials and making sure that all of us up here have

597
02:47:20.240 --> 02:47:34.960
the right I mean there's just it they are the quiet heroes of summit and so I just wanted to take a moment to extend our gratitude on the Tatlock uh lights and Tatlock litigation. Want to add briefly to what

598
02:47:34.960 --> 02:47:52.000
Councilwoman Lanman said. Uh we do have a trial date that has been set for that matter. It's at the end of September. I believe it's September 29th. Um as we as Council Landman noted, as we have additional um updates to share, we will.

599
02:47:52.000 --> 02:48:08.479
But I I also want to share just more personally the neighbors who are participating in the litigation are Summit. They are Summit just as much as anyone who donated to a particular cause

600
02:48:08.479 --> 02:48:25.920
or may be involved in any particular athletic. They are our neighbors. They are us. And so I hope that we all hold that in our minds as we proceed through the next weeks and months. on uh affordable housing. Uh want to add

601
02:48:25.920 --> 02:48:42.160
my additional thoughts for whatever they're worth. As I've said several times, we want to make affordable housing work better, both for affordable housing and for Summit. Uh and so here's what I believe we can do right now. Uh I agree with several several of my

602
02:48:42.160 --> 02:48:58.160
colleagues. Um, I I I agree that we have a responsibility to re-evaluate the the proper use of the firehouse site for the benefit of the community to consider whether it makes sense and

603
02:48:58.160 --> 02:49:14.000
admitting we have a lot of work to do over the next several weeks and months um to have more affordable units, perhaps 30 to 35 additional affordable units at the old firehouse site to relieve pressure on some of the other

604
02:49:14.000 --> 02:49:31.359
sites in the round four plan. We have a lot of questions that we will need to answer again o together as a group over the next weeks and months. Does this make sense financially? Can can we make the the finances of it work? Does it make sense for the taxpayer if we could

605
02:49:31.359 --> 02:49:46.479
potentially partner with a nonprofit developer for a portion of the site, apply for tax credits to cover a a large chunk of the cost, and also have another portion of the site for a small private

606
02:49:46.479 --> 02:50:04.399
development of market rate units that could be sold at top dollar? Does it make sense for our schools, for our first responders, city infrastructure, traffic, etc. I think the big question right is can we make a smart investment today to provide

607
02:50:04.399 --> 02:50:19.600
better protection against overdevelopment in five or seven or 10 years to protect against what has happened and what is happening in downtown Milbour. These are the questions again that I believe we have a responsibility to

608
02:50:19.600 --> 02:50:34.080
answer. I think it's helpful, at least it's helpful for me, to ground in the who and the what of what we're talking about. I struggle to think of a better way to honor the decades of service that were

609
02:50:34.080 --> 02:50:51.359
based out of that old firehouse site than to potentially welcome 30 to 35 new first responders and nurses and teachers and city staff to our community, not just to work here, but to live here.

610
02:50:51.359 --> 02:51:07.359
That's for me what we're talking about and that's who we're talking about. Uh I also want to share a a little bit of news uh the little bit of information I have and and then to share a a bit of my experience with it. Um as some may have

611
02:51:07.359 --> 02:51:22.640
heard, I understand there's been some discussion on local social media. Uh my understanding is that immigration enforcement did come to summit this past Friday on July 24th. Uh my understanding is and this I have not verified this but

612
02:51:22.640 --> 02:51:40.479
my understanding is that it happened quite early in the morning as certain individuals were headed to work. Um and and at least one individual or or several individuals were taken into custody in in the East Summit neighborhood. Um I I got a call that

613
02:51:40.479 --> 02:51:55.760
Friday morning um by someone who happened to witness what was going on. And so, you know, I've I've been through the trainings about scene safety and what to say and what not to say. So, I jumped in the car and I started driving around. Uh, and I did that for a few

614
02:51:55.760 --> 02:52:11.279
hours. And for me, I I hold my feelings right here. So, that whole time I felt like this. And then a few hours later when we knew a little bit better about what had happened and we believed that immigration enforcement was no longer

615
02:52:11.279 --> 02:52:28.479
here, I realized that that feeling that I had is how so many of our neighbors feel every moment of every day. So I would urge you if you are someone who is being impacted by immigration

616
02:52:28.479 --> 02:52:43.439
enforcement or if you know someone who is um please feel free to reach out to me. If you are someone who is who may be able to help in some way, um please also uh reach out to me because we are all in this together. Thank you.

617
02:52:43.439 --> 02:52:58.640
>> Thank you, >> mayor. >> Thank you. Um I two things. One, I'm going to put our city administrator on uh Sorry, I'm going to put you on the spot a little bit um because I want to

618
02:52:58.640 --> 02:53:15.600
follow up on what Mr. Bennett asked about um the and I believe you're on record as saying giving your professional opinion about what we need to do with the firehouse and why the firehouse site. Um so I just would like to ask you if you don't mind to go on

619
02:53:15.600 --> 02:53:32.880
record again to repeat what your professional opinion about this particular property is for the for the good of the city uh in the long term >> through you council president. Um, when I got here in 2019, the then

620
02:53:32.880 --> 02:53:49.840
council uh voted to was 2019 or 2020 when they voted to adopt the uh ordinance to bond for $16 million for the new firehouse. Um and part of those discussions were

621
02:53:49.840 --> 02:54:07.920
um around the fact that they anticipated selling the uh old firehouse property um at at then they were talking about $8 million. It was the whole um Broad Street West redevelopment that eventually um crashed and burned. Um and then

622
02:54:07.920 --> 02:54:22.479
everybody knows that we did try to sell it um and that fell through. So, the plan always was to um sell the property and to use that money to offset the debt. Plans can change, councils can change. That's the

623
02:54:22.479 --> 02:54:38.800
way it works. Um it would not be a one-time benefit. Uh if we had if we had netted $5 million, let's say, in the K&K sale, if that went through, that would have been put into a reserve and it would

624
02:54:38.800 --> 02:54:55.200
have been appropriated. um by a formula as to what the debt service payments are and how much is for the firehouse. So it might have lasted uh I think I did one projection it might have lasted um to pay off that portion of debt for about 10 years and you're

625
02:54:55.200 --> 02:55:11.359
talking about you know somewhere between three and $500,000 a year that would offset. So that's the reality of how it could have gone or could still or might have. Thank you. I just think it's important

626
02:55:11.359 --> 02:55:28.399
for the public to know and I think Jim, Mr. Bennett's question was um was was a valid one. So, I appreciate you answering it. And then secondly, um I just want to make sure that the public understands that of building affordable housing in Summit doesn't mean that our

627
02:55:28.399 --> 02:55:43.040
teachers and our fire department, firefighters, and our policemen will have first dibs. It doesn't mean that at all. There's that's just not how it works and we all know that. So representing that any affordable housing

628
02:55:43.040 --> 02:55:57.520
that we build in Summit is going to first go to people who work here is just not accurate. >> Isn't that what I said? >> No. Um when we all know how how affirmative marking works, Mayor, you're

629
02:55:57.520 --> 02:56:13.920
correct. Um someone who lives in Summit may work in Chadam and someone who lives in Chadam may work in Berkeley Heights and someone who lives in Berkeley Heights may work in Summit. Um, our neighbors don't stop at our borders. Um,

630
02:56:13.920 --> 02:56:31.200
but I wanted to wrap this up. >> Mr. President, >> before you I just have one more thing. Um, because I forgot I was thinking about crossing guards. Um, Reverend Reverend Harielle, congratulations on your service for the city of Summit. I

631
02:56:31.200 --> 02:56:47.200
would be remiss by not saying this publicly to you because I love you, man. And um you you have been a beacon um especially uh especially to me. You give me this look and I'm like, "Oh man, I'm in trouble now." You know,

632
02:56:47.200 --> 02:57:04.240
but I I appreciate you. Um you you've been uh so valuable uh to the city of Summit. And I also want to thank uh Amanda Parish Block, my classmate. Um, I call her for everything, you know, and

633
02:57:04.240 --> 02:57:19.920
she she comes through. She does come through. So, um, I appreciate her and Grace as well. And um last but not least, I was just hearing the council woman talk and driving around with the the ICE stuff. And I know people want to

634
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get involved, but just as a former uh law enforcement person who for street crimes and everything else, um I just want people to be safe. I just don't want any residents to get involved in any police actions. Just do

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it the right way. if you know you want to get involved, you know, get person an attorney and, you know, help them out that way. Um, but just don't don't interfere. I don't want to see anybody get hurt, right? It's, you know, it's that that's serious stuff out there,

636
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right? It's not it's not a game, you know? Um, so just do it do it the right way, right? Support these people if you need to financially with lawyers and whatever, but Don't roll up on on the

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cops at least here in summit like All right. Thank you, Council President. >> Okay. Yes, >> Council President is public comments closed for the next next meeting. >> You have an envelope there? >> Yeah, >> we we we will not dissuade you from

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presenting an envelope that's not a public comment. How's that? >> I can I can say something. >> Um, yes, you always may. >> I'm sorry. I >> That's okay. I was going to say, you see, one of my strongest memories of of of you or it was the the ser your hundth

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anniversary service at Wallace Chapel. >> Oh, yes. >> A few years ago where where the theme of the sermon was when God says no. >> Yes. >> You remember it? >> I remember. So, but I'm not about to say no to you. >> Okay. Thank you for your kindness. Uh I

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wasn't going to say anything until I heard uh some remarks from the council persons and I just wanted to address three things uh briefly. Uh as during my pas being pastor of Wallace Chapel, I've had two members

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who've uh worked as crossing guards. Uh they are both deceased now. they were seniors and uh the the dedication that they put into it during all times of the year, weather, whatever. So, I just want to appeal to the uh to the to the

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council to to uh increase their their salaries. I think they somewhere you can find the money. I I believe you can. you know, they work very hard and just think how what the city would be, our schools

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would be without them. They serve a it's like the sanitation workers. Think about what our homes would be without them. So, I'm asking you to do that. Um, and I'm glad you you uh >> Yeah, I'm glad that you raised that,

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Councilman Boyer. I think it's a it's it it it's a moral thing to do and I think it's the right thing to do. Um I believe in creativity and I've spoken about that in terms of affordable housing and other

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areas. So, um, piggybacking on what you also said, uh, about the League of Municipalities, uh, over the years, I've known uh, good things to come out of people attending

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that uh, those meetings. So being creative, I think if the council would maybe look at instead of sending the entire council, if it's a money issue, why not be creative and just pick one council person from each ward and

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alternate it each year and one of those years include the councilman at large uh because it's an opportunity to bring back information to the town and pick I mean and get uh information from fellow council people from other municipal

648
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alities that can benefit us. So again uh this is creativity and action and compromise. Uh and finally u u listen to uh councilwoman uh arosina ICE was here

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uh uh Friday. to know because our church is used by one of our Latina congregation who had no place to worship and uh they're using our church on during the week Friday night, Saturday

650
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night. So, Saturday I uh the uh pastor and wife of the of that congregation approached me with a panic look and said that f that Friday evening worship uh someone from the uh from ICE

651
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was around the building and it frightened them so much they turned off all the lights in the church ran downstairs in the fellowship hall. Uh but then after that, you know, they left. So often times we don't know

652
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what's going on. I didn't know that and I lived right next to the church in the parsonage, but I had no idea. So uh to piggyback on what you were saying, we have to be vigilant in in in watching and knowing. And I don't know, I didn't

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mention that to uh to uh Chief Peters because I wasn't sure, but uh hearing what you said, it confirms that that they were here and uh sometimes they show up without maybe you even knowing about it. But uh it created a condition

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of fear and and the panic in that small congregation that uses our church. So just wanted to share those things with you. >> Thank you. And I will wrap this up by going back to the business portion of the meeting

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because if there was a theme, it was public safety. Um, and I wish everyone in the community felt safe. But from buying police cars in a firet truck to adding stop signs and endorsing legislation that lets us better control

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our own speed limits to integrating mental health into our police department responses, even strengthening our AI data center ban. This council has acted to make summit safer for all of us. The first job of any government is to provide for public safety and I'm proud

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of the work we have done. With that, I will entertain a motion to adjourn. So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I I. Any opposed? >> See you in September.

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That was a song. See