--------- 231 PL1975 adequate notice as the farm by section 3D of chapter 231 PL1975 has been made by regular mail and email and such notice being submitted on January 7th 2025 from the administrative center of the county of Sussex located at one spring street Newton New Jersey to the
following New Jersey Herald Star Ledger and Strauss News. is also posted on the bulletin board maintained in the administrative center for public announcements and has been submitted to Cesus County Clerk in compliance with said act. This time plea please mute all electronic devices. Commissioners please
move your phones from the deis number five uh as the approval agenda. We have one change to tonight's agenda. Item 12 will be tabled to the next meeting. Can I get a motion to approve the agenda? I will make that motion with discussion. I'm sorry. You'll make the motion with
discussion. Yes. Well, you'll have discussion after we second. Uh, Commissioner Henderson moves. I have a second. Second. D. Uh, Deputy Director Space. You're up. I would like to see us move our executive session to the end of our meeting. Uh, I think when there's
nothing to be voted on, I'd like to see our executive session at the end of a meeting rather than the beginning of the meeting. Do we have a second? Seeing no second, we will not change the agenda. Uh all in favor say I. I. I.
This motion is to approve the agenda. Correct. Correct. I. All in favor say I. I. I. Oppose. I will oppose. Abstain. Carries. All right. Number six, proclamations, certificates, and presentations.
uh proclamation 2025 senior of the year that's going to be presented at the uh senior day at the fair on the 7th of August. And who's doing that? Chill. Jack. Oh, Jack is Jack's doing it.
Okay, perfect. All right. Number seven, executive session. Christina providing for an executive close session not open to the public in accordance with the provisions of NJSA 104-12 atsec whereas the subject matters about to be discussed may be excluded from the public portion of the meeting by
resolution of the board of county commissioners as an exception to the open public meetings act pursuant to NJSA104-12B and whereas it appears necessary for the board of county commissioners to discuss such matters in executive session now therefore be it resolved that the board
of county commissioners ers of the county of Sussex in accordance with the provisions of NJSA 104-12B and NJSA 104-13 that the board at this time enter into an executive session from which the public shall be excluded and be it
further resolved that the general nature of the subjects to be discussed relate to the following items authorized by NJSA 10 col4-12B as designated below item number four matters relating to collective bargaining agreements PBA corrections and PBA sheriff
And item number se uh eight uh matters relating to employment relationship policies. Be it further resolved that the deliberations conducted in close session may be disclosed to the public upon the determination of the Sussex County Board of County Commissioners or provided by law that the public interest
will no longer be served by such confidentiality. And be it further resolved that upon completion of the business for which the board has entered into the executive session, the board shall reconvene and resume its meeting open to the public. And be it further resolved that the board
a may take formal action after returning from executive session. All right. Motion to adopt the executive session resolution and enter into executive session. So move second. Deputy director space. Uh Commissioner Degrroot seconds. All in favor say I. I.
I oppose. Stain carries. We should be about 15 minutes. Part: 2
Can I get a motion to adjourn from executive session and return to regular business? So moved. Commissioner Henderson got a second. Second. Commissioner Drew. All in favor say I. I. Oppose. Abstain. Carries. All right. Number eight is public hearing. Uh the final adoption of
ordinance 25-05 at a reg you guys good everybody's good all right at a regular meeting held on June 25th 2025 we introduced the first reading the following ordinance which was advertised
in New Jersey Herald issue of July 2nd 2025 together with a notice of public hearing setting would be held at this meeting at 6 pm capital ordinance providing for various roadways and bridge improvements in and for the county of Sussex state of New Jersey in appropriating the sum of $4,660,345
from the county's New Jersey Department of Transportation grant to pay for the cost thereof. Motion not to public hearing be opened. So moved. Commissioner Henderson moves that director space. Any discussion? All in favor say I.
Opposing carry carries. Is there anyone present to be heard regarding this ordinance? All right, seeing there's no one motion that the public hearing be closed. So moved. Mr. Degrroot. Second. Deputy director space. Any discussion? All in favor say I.
I. Opposed. Obstain carries. Can I get a motion that this ordinance be finally adopted? So moved. Commissioner Henderson have a second. Second. Commissioner Degroup. Any discussion? All in favor say I. I. Oppos. Abstain. Carries. They had a motion that this resolution
be finally adopted and authorize the clerk to advertise this resolution as finally adopted and also post same on the bulletin board in the lobby of the county administrative center. So moved. Commissioner Henderson, I have a second. Second. Deputy Director Space. Any discussion?
Roll call, please. Commissioner Henderson, yes. Deputy Director Space, yes. Director Carney, yes. Commissioner Degroup, yes. Commissioner Hayden is absent. Number nine, public session from the floor. This public session is for those wishing to make a comment of three minutes or less regarding an agenda
item. Please not from the microphone and state your name, municipality, and agenda topic for the record. Motion to open the floor for public comment. So moved. Second. Director Space. Uh Commissioner Groot seconds. Any discussion? All in favor say I. I. Oppos.
The floor is open on agenda topics. Good evening, Ken Collins, Andover Township. Uh, this is regarding agenda item 18, personnel, where once again I do not see the resignation of Commissioner Hayden.
Uh, which I would expect immediately after his indictment should be tonight. So, I'm here to ask for his resignation. You're welcome. Anyone else on agenda topics only? Okay. Uh motion to close the floor for
public comments. So moved. Commissioner Henderson. Commissioner Good. Seconds. Any discussion? All in favor say I. Oppose. Abstain. Carries. Number 10. Commissioner comments. We'll start with Commissioner Henderson. Okay. On July 10th, I attended the Sussex County Waterpack meeting where
discussion and presentation was given regarding the expansion of Vernon sewer treatment area. This application now goes before the schuma board for their approval and finally back to our board here for approval. On July 14th, I attended the Vernon Township Council
meeting as their liaison where there were several discussions regarding various topics. Vernon meetings are also liveaired if anybody's interested in watching them. On July 16th, I attended the Sussex County MUA meeting where one of our employees, Ed Lions, was honored
by the Chapel of Four Chaplain in Philadelphia, PA, with a life-saving award for saving a child that made its way out into a four-lane highway. Mr. Lions was awarded the Honor Pin and the Charles W. Drifaving Gold Medallion Award on June 12th. I
think we're all lucky to live here in Sussex County where someone's always willing to lend a hand. On July 21st, Commissioner Degrroot and I attended a quarterly meeting at the Sussex County Community College with Dr. Homer and Sussex County Board Chairman Herb Yardley. Commissioner Degrroot will
report on that in his remarks during the regarding our meeting. Also on July July 21st, I attended the Hamburg Council meeting. Unfortunately, I was a week too early for their meeting, but I had the pleasure of speaking with a historian for about 35 minutes in a parking lot
about the history of Hamburg. As I said in the past, I'm trying to reach every municipality in the county, and I will certainly say it's a juggling act with dates. Finally, as I reported to the last meeting, I was going to visit the Leroy Smith Public Complex in North, New Jersey, a former Essex County Jail
that's been renovated into office spaces. I'd like to thank John Waro, a former Essex County Sheriff's officer, for arranging the visit. We spent well over three and a half hours touring this 13story building. The hospitality shown by Phil Elijah, chief of exe chief of
staff for executive director, and I'm gonna mess his name up. I know I will. Joe D. Vanasio, and the others, uh, were beyond words. Uh, as I say, they tooured us on every floor of this building. Uh, what I found very ironic is at the end of the tour,
uh, they asked me if I could tell them anything about the Sussex County Fair. I guess I was in the right spot at the right time as a former president. I invited them to attend our fair and told them I would give them the personal tour they gave me at their jail facility. As they say, a picture's worth a thousand
words. I prepared a brief PowerPoint presentation to share with the board and all of you tonight. And I encourage every member of this board to visit the Essex County Jail site to see the opportunities our jail has in our own county. I am a strong advocate against
not selling our county jail. We're just going to walk you through a couple of slides here. This is the front of the building that was a former jail. I can tell you, you would never know it was a jail. You just click it for a go. This is a before and after of the lobby of the jail. I think what it shows there
is it's absolutely incredible. It's not extravagant. It's not marble floors and granite. It is a practical building, which I think any taxpayer would accept the word practical. This is our exercise room before. And keep in mind this is Essex County.
This is what it is now. It is a totally empty room using by all different departments for training personnel or any type of county meeting. Uh this floor was a floor that was where their furnaces and air conditioning duck was. It ceiling is low. I'm going to
tell you it was probably 8 foot. I could touch the ceiling. They didn't feel it was high enough for office spaces. They turned it into storage and record retention. I know our record retention currently is in the basement of the Cochran building. This is a before and after. There's the
jail cells and that's the office space that that was transitioned into on the right hand side. I guess it's my right hand side looking out there. Uh quite a difference in a building. They left four jail cells intact. You can see three on the bottom, one on the
top. The logic behind that was they have had movie productions come in and use those jail cells as movie scenes. The Sopranos have just done a shoot there and also I'm going to date myself. I remember my kids and the Jersey Shore people. No, my kids did not weren't
allowed to watch that, but I do remember the name. Uh they just did a photo shoot there as well with leaving the jails intact. And I will age myself. They're the Barney F cells. This is a single jail cell on the left.
Uh they knocked one wall out and turned it into an office. That is what the current office looks like now. And that is two jail cells in one. This was after a fire that they had set the prisoners had set fire. And the one on the right with the tarp in it, that's
during their renovation of ripping out all their jail cells, bars, and everything to sell as scrap metal. This is our county jail. As you can see, pretty secure. Plenty of razor ribbon, certainly plenty of wire. Uh the gray you see in the front is a catwalk, which
what goes from the courthouse to the jail. Uh Essex County has the same thing, except theirs is underground. This is what currently, as of Monday, our main entrance to the jail looks. I see why they used to call it the Sussex Hilton. The floor is pretty damn shiny
to this day. This is our exercise room that is not quite as big as theirs, but certainly an ample room for any type of training for any of our departments or anybody in the county. This is a two-story level look at our jail.
And that is one jail cell as of Monday morning. That's what our jail cell looks like. I think the potential here is endless. As I say, I think a picture is worth a thousand words. And that's why I brought this to all of you tonight. Thank you. [Applause]
Commissioner Deg group. Yes. Uh starting off with Sussex County Community College yesterday. Um Commissioner Henderson and I had the opportunity to meet with President Homer and Trustee Yardley for a quarterly update. I'm pleased to report that the college is trending in a positive direction with enrollment up from this
time last year. Specifically, part-time enrollment has increased by 44 more students or an 8.9% increase and full-time enrollment is up by 66 more students or a 6% increase. We also received updates on several capital projects currently underway, including
visible construction progress on the optics center, uh renovations to the learning commons and library, upgrades to the art gallery as well as the adult transition center. In addition, coordination with Sussex Tech remained strong, and I left the meeting feeling very optimistic about the future of our
beloved community college. Next, Division of Senior Services. Next, Senior Caregiver Support Group will be held virtually via Zoom on Thursday, August 21st from 2 to 3 p.m. This group offers important resources for our caregivers helping to reduce stress and improve physical and emotional
well-being. Participants can learn about available programs, how to access them, and receive referrals if needed. To register or learn more, please contact the Division of Senior Services at 973-579055 extension 1288. Sussex County Library System. Uh the
Sussex County Library System continues to innovate with its library of things, a unique collection of non-traditional items available to borrow with a library card. Whether you're planning a party, taking a trip, or exploring a new hobby, you can borrow everything from karaoke machines and projectors to VR headsets,
sewing machines, and fishing poles. Items can be checked out for up to two weeks, and cards are free to anyone who lives, works, or attends school in Sussex County, excluding Sparta. uh they had their own library. Also, don't miss the closing events for the 2025 summer
reading program, Color Our World, happening Thursday through Saturday. And starting in August, children's ages uh 2 to 12 can participate in the Reading Rocks program. Visit Sussex County Library.org for full details. And finally, just some community highlights. Last week, I had the pleasure of
attending the Lake Opacon Foundation's annual gala. A fabulous time. uh as a largest lake in New Jersey, Lake Okacon is a vital natural resource and major asset for Sussex County. Thank you to Marty, Kyle, Caitlyn, and everyone involved for hosting a great event. And last night, I joined the Beamerville
community in celebrating 125 years of tradition at the Harvest Home dinner, a beloved event that truly reflects the spirit of uh my hometown, Wanage. Uh thank you to the Beamerville Presbyterian Church for putting together such a memorable evening. Uh that concludes my report. Thank you. God bless.
New Jersey State Fair, Sussex County Fairgrounds, Augusta, New Jersey. Friday, August 1st through Saturday, August 9th. The Division of Health, Senior Services, Social Services, Community and Youth Services, and the Office of Transit will be represented in the Sussex County building at the New
Jersey State Fair. Booth displays and giveaways will be available to Sussex County residents and visitors. Behind the scenes, environmental health staff will be completing the important task of inspecting and approving all food vendors at the fair to ensure the health and safety of the public. Medical
Reserve Corpse information and recruitment will be available in the county building on August 1st, 5:00 pm to 8:00 PM and on August 4th through August 8th from 3 to 6:00 p.m. Public Health Nursing will be offering free blood pressure screenings in the county
building from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on August 4th through August 8th. Skylands Ride will be providing transportation to the fair. Individuals in need can call 973-5790480. Senior day at the fair will be held on Thursday, August 7th from 12 to three
under the Planet Network's performing arts tent at the fairgrounds. Seniors will enjoy visiting numerous vendors to obtain important information about services while enjoying refreshments, door prizes, and listening to beach themed music. Staff from the divisions of senior services, health, social services, community, and youth services,
and the office of transit will be on site to answer questions and provide valuable information and resources to seniors. The Sussex County Senior of the Year presentation will take place at 1 p.m. which recognizes seniors in Sussex County who have been nominated for their accomplishments and outstanding service
to the community. Immediately following this presentation, Sussex County Skylands Ride bus drivers will be recognized for their years of safe driving. Green Day will take place on Monday, August 4th, and the Planet Network's Performing Arts tent. The Office of Mosquito Control will be
providing educational information on how mosquito control methods are environmentally friendly such as the use of biocrol practices. Children's Day will take place on Tuesday, August 5th in the Planet Network's performing arts tent. The Division of Health, the Office of Public Health Nursing will provide
resources and information about special child health services and staff will host special education special activities for children. The Office of Mosquito Control will provide educational activities for children of all ages. Division of Community and Youth Services will host a table with
crafts and activities to promote social and emotional learning. Staff will provide parents and guardians with information about programs and services. Sussex County's 12th annual Veterans Picnic, always a favorite of ours. The Division of Senior Services, Municipal
Alliance, and the Veterans Committee will host the 12th annual Veterans Picnic on Saturday, August 16th from noon to 3 at the Hamburg Fire Department Pavilion located off of Route 23 South in Hamburg. The picnic will include live music, giveaways, tables with veteran
service information, and a homemade barbecue. Pre-registration is required for this event by August 11th. For additional information and to RSVP for the picnic, please contact the Division of S Senior Services at 973-579055 extension 1277.
Division of Health, Office of Public Health Nursing, a woman's health screening clinic will be held on Thursday, August 7th from 4:30 to 7:30 at the Office of Public Health Nursing, 2011 Weatsworth Road in Hamburg. This clinic offers a variety of health screenings and education. The service is
free to uninsured and underinsured county residents who qualify for the New Jersey Cancer Education and Early Detection NJC program. To make an appointment, call the Office of Public Health Nursing at 973-579-0570 extension 1275. Mosquito control program
highlights. One aerial application of 829 acres was conducted on Wednesday, July 16th to combat floodwater mosquitoes in various parts of the county. Overall mosquito larville habitats have been dying down across the county which will result in lower adult
mosquito populations over the next few weeks. One additional positive pool of Westnile virus was confirmed in Stanh Hope Burrow. The county currently has two positive West Nile virus pools and one positive Lacrosse virus pool for 2025. Disease surveillance. The Office
of Mosquito Control has submitted 218 pools of adult mosquitoes for the testing of West Nile virus, eastern equinine uh and thank you encphilitis, Jamestown Canyon virus, St. Louis encphilitis and lacrosse virus. The Office of Mosquito
Control has set and collected over 830 mosquito traps and has identified over 134,000 adult mosquitoes to species. Public outreach. The mosquito control tabletop display will be set up in Frankfurt and Sandistan municipal buildings from August 11th through the
25th. The mosquito display will be showcased in the foyer of the municipal buildings and will have the informative mosquito control and biology brochures and pamphlets for our residents. The spotted fly the spottern lantern fly program is traps are still available to
all Sussex County residents. If residents would like to receive their free traps, please contact the Office of Mosquito Control at 973-940-5225 to schedule pickup. Traps can be picked up at the mosquito control office on Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 4:30, but scheduling an appointment is
preferred to ensure staffing availability. And the last two weeks, the last two weeks have been fairly quiet for me outside of having meetings. We had our first meeting of the website committee. We will be revamping our current site which is not easy to na navigate to a more
user-friendly platform. This project was originally planned two years ago and has finally begun and I'm hoping that it will be finished by the end of the year and Christina Marx is sitting on that committee with me and we had a very good meeting. Um we have lots of great ideas and I can't wait to see this come to
head. Tomorrow at 4:30 is the ribbon cutting of the mobile health clinic at the Sussex County Public Health Nursing. The new mobile clinic is designed to increase access to essential health services for Sussex County residents, especially in underserved and rural areas. This innovative unit will provide
immunizations, health screenings, health education, chronic disease support, and emergency preparedness outreach right where people need it most. We were able to fund this through the American Rescue Plan Act, and I look forward to attending that tomorrow. That's all I have. Thank you.
All right. Department of Engineering and Planning. Sussex County has been working with the New Jersey Transportation Planning Authority since June of 23 to develop a local safety action plan. The plan will help the county prioritize safety improvements along Sussex County roads to reduce fatal and serious injury
crashes with a future goal of zero serious injuries and fatalities. Development of the plan was managed by the transportation planning authority. The authority hired a subject matter expert to assist with development of plan. The county will consider the plan while prior prioritizing safety
improvements along Sussex County roads, development of a plan including a significant outreach component requesting input from the public, local municipality officials, law enforcement, emergency responders, and a variety of other interested parties. Final plan was released by the planning authority earlier this month. Over the next few
months, county staff will be reviewing the plan and providing a recommendation to this board on how the plan might be implemented within Sussex County. is anticipated that the commissioners will take formal action during an upcoming meeting to adopt the plan for imple implementation by the county. Once adopted, the plan will be posted at
Sussex County website and a plan will be periodically reviewed to both evaluate results of the strategies employed and identified recommendations for future updates of the plan. The safety of county roots remains a high priority for this board and the department of engineering planning is available to discuss the plane or receive information
on operational safety concerns within the system of the county roots. The department can be reached at 973-5790430 or by email at dpwsussex.nj. us. Cesus County Trail Grants Program. The Division of Planning is compiling information that will be used to develop
the next Cess County Trails Grant Program solicitation. Over the next few months, division efforts will focus on seeking input from the municipalities on prospective grant projects. Additionally, the division will be working with the open space committee to review the current program rules and identify potential updates. The
information will be provided to the open space committee and this board for final review and recommendations. Upon final review by this board, the documents for the next Sussex County trails great program will be finalized and assess county is targeting released of the program details to coincide with the
upcoming fiscal year 26 budget process. The division of planning is also available and can be reached at 973-5790500. Um, I just want to bring up a couple things. Um, yes, August 7th. August 7th, uh Ron,
myself, and maybe Jack just because you're on the NJTPA. Um we we got a a call or an email I should say from the Byum mayor. Uh if you guys been attending our meetings or paying attention, 206 in Andover, uh going
right right in in Andover, right? They're redoing that cover, which is is rather long. It's underneath the Lacawana cut. It's going to cause it's supposed to be nine months, I think. The last time we heard it, it was a ninemonth job. Um, it's going to cause
major traffic uh in that vicinity. So, we're going to have a meeting there. They're just This just sparked up another conversation. Yeah, exactly. I don't know what you said, but I'm thinking, yeah, we just had 15. We just had 80. Now, we're going to have 206. I mean, I It's nice to live in the
Northwest, you know. I I wouldn't change it for the world, you know, especially when I drive three hours a day usually. Um, but it's going to be a little bit of a nightmare. So, any information that I get, I'll be relaying to all you guys. Um, I know Bruce will probably be on a little bit. So, that's August 7th with
that meeting with the DOT, figuring out when that's going to happen. But, uh, it's it's it's not going to be good. Um, and then we when we have Route 15, actually Mayor Olirri brought up, that's going to start in October. Um, so you're going to have 15. I wouldn't imagine
that 206 is going to start anytime soon, but headache after headache. Uh just kudos real quick to Christine Florio uh with social services and the health department. Uh this last week I I was off the week prior. I was on vacation. Apologize for missing that meeting. Um
everyone needs a vacation once in a while, but um social services, they do just a good job and I just want to make sure that they get recognized. Um, I had a constituent reach out, a friend of mine who reached out actually for a friend of hers that's in some dire need to help and uh the next day Christine in
in company reached out and are going to help that individual that has some kids and a deadbeat husband um with whatever they can do. So, I appreciate that. And uh as it comes to businesses with the health department, you know, sometimes people think that the county is a pain
in the butt. Um, see how I said that. Um, but we're we're always there to help and they're doing their best they can to help out uh a couple businesses that are trying to get up started and and not waste all their money. So, I appreciate that as well. And that's all I have. All right. Number
11, approval of the consent agenda. There is none. Number 12, approval of minutes. There's table to August 20th. Number 13, ordinance. There's nothing additional. And we had 14 appointments in or resignations. There are none resolutions
15. All right. Can I get a motion to adopt resolutions A through I? So moved. Director Space. Commissioner Henderson. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Commissioner Henderson, yes.
Deputy Director Space, yes. Director Carney, yes. Commissioner Degroup, yes. Commissioner Hayden is absent. All right. 16's awards of contract change orders and bid. Board of County Commissioners of the County of Sussex has reviewed the award of contract change orders, bids consisting of
various proposed resolutions and determined that adoption of the said resolutions is and will further the public interest. Motion to adopt resolutions A and B. So moved. Commissioner Henderson, I have a second. Second. Commissioner Drew. Any discussion? Roll call. Commissioner Henderson,
yes. Deputy Director Space, yes. Director Carney, yes. Commissioner Degroup, yes. Commissioner Hayden absent. Okay. Number 17, financial. We have the payment of bills from July July. What's that? Please
uh from July 23rd, 2025. Motion to pay the bills. So moved. Deputy Director Space. Second. Commissioner Groot. Any discussion? Roll call. Commissioner Henderson. Yes. Deputy Director Space. Yes. Director Carney. Yes. Commissioner Degrroot. Yes. Commissioner Hayden, absent.
Number 18, personel. is none. Number 19, administrative report. Ron, your Thank you, sir. Yes. Real quick, I attended the statewide executive management meeting last week and we approved uh a claim that I had abstained from, but it was a claim from the elections board. They had water damage
to their election equipment this year. We approved the funding to replace those four machines at that meeting meaning under the insurance some 21,000 bucks that was approved for that. And we've also as the county entity, we get grants through our state fund. We've applied
for a $31,000 grant to reimburse us on safety initiatives that we've already put in and we can get those reimbursed through through the plan. So, we've put that application in as well. Um, I attended the Injac uh administrators meeting this past week and it was a lot
of focus on legislation that's going to be looked at this week. It's A5903 and it's it's in a revision to the statute that controls the state health benefit program. That legislation is looking to change the the process in
which those of us that are not in the plan like us that were we're premium based that if our premium should get as equal to the state plan or higher, we then have to go back and review our plans and make options and negotiations to offer those state plans to our
people. And it also limits our ability to negotiate seven uh chapter 78 which we do not want to touch. So this a lot of this legislation is not good. John Dadio is testifying tomorrow on this legislation so that that it protects
those of us that are quite frankly doing the right thing. So I'll keep you up to date on that. And last should just note that we don't get health insurance on this board. No, none of you here. This is not about the board. This is about the 660 employees we have that have healthc care insurance and the county has done a very
good job negotiating premium plans on our on our own behalf through our broker to keep those premiums down and keep those cost escalators up. The state health care plan other as as it's been over the years those municipalities and
counties that had real bad claims that was the only place they could go. they couldn't get insurance and now there somebody's got to pay it eventually and it and and it and it's coming up now. So, this legislation's got some very bad tentacles to it to those people that
have managed their their processes. So, we're going to be very focused on that. And lastly, our facilities group has been working like crazy this year. uh uh did a year-end uh work order analysis last year and committed this is the half as of June uh year to date they've
completed 2137 work orders and completed 708 preventive maintenance jobs. So they've been extremely busy and extremely busy the last two weeks on air conditioners. I don't know of an air conditioner we got that's not working right. So
well it was. So anyway, we're we're constantly working on that and we're prioritizing it. I know some people unhappy with us that we haven't got to them yet, but we had to keep operations, daily operations going. We had to keep what the constituents come in to do. We had to keep those going first and we'll
continue to work on the rest of them as we get going. That's all I have. Thank you. Just a quick question regarding the voter boxes. Is that an insurance? Yes, it is. Yeah. What happened? We had, if you remember in the spring, we were getting 30° nights and 62 degree
afternoons and we had a boiler valve just bust because it couldn't take that. We had our voting machines stored in in one of the offices back in the Cochran building that we don't own. We lease it and they and it damaged for the machine. So that was that's we put it in for the claim.
Yep. And I have nothing to report. All right. Any unfinished business? Anyone? All right. New new business. Anyone? I just have um just real quick new business. Um
I looked at since we've been away and on vacation, it seemed like everybody was on vacation, it was like the perfect storm of everybody being on vacation, no one in charge. Uh I just I came up with an idea um a policy. And there is a policy that's set, but it's just old, outdated. When the policy was written,
we didn't have a deputy administrator. Now we have a deputy administrator. So, I I proposed a chain of command that Christina will send to you guys. It's just basically a maybe a six-step chain of command. So, obviously Ron, the deputy, and so on and so forth. It's title based.
It's right. It's it's it's title based. Exactly. So, just look over the title. If you guys are good with it, then we could put it on the next next um month's meeting agenda and then just set that policy. That way, we know who's in charge. Something happens like I was here and there was a little confusion on who was in charge and what not. And
listen, has a right to have a sick day and vacation and so on so forth, but we need to make sure we have somebody in charge in case something happens. So, we'll get that all to you guys. All right, anybody else? That was it. Good. All right. 23. Public session from the floor. This public session for those
wishing to make general comments of three minutes or less on non-aggenda topics. Please line up with the microphone, state your name and municipality for the record. Motion to open a floor for public comment. So moved. Deputy Director Space and Commissioner Henderson seconds.
Uh, all in favor say I. I. I. Oppose. Carries. The floor is open. Ken Collins, Andover Township. A democratic republic is a form of government that blends principles of
both democracy and a republic. In a republic which typically features an elected head of state, supreme power rests with the people and their elected representatives. Democracy sign democracy signifies a rule by the people where the population have a say in their governance through elected
representatives. In a democratic republic, the people hold the power but they elect representatives to govern on their behalf. The government's power derives from the people. It combines elements of both direct democracy and representative democracy. Key characteristics include respect for human rights, fair elections, a
multi-party system, rule of law, and citizen participation. The United States is supposed to operate as a constitutional federal republic that incorporates elements of both direct and representative democracy, commonly known as a democ democratic republic. It's a form of government that operates on
principles adopted from a republic and a democracy. It is not, as many of you may desire, a republican democracy. It's a democratic republic. With the second term of Donald Trump, our current form of governments is now leaning towards fascism, a far-right authoritarian and
ultraist political ideology characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived interests of the
nation, and strong regimentation of society and the economy. The word fascism was coined by the father of fascism, Italian dictator Bonito Mussolini. Fascist regimes are typically led by a single decked dictator like Donald Trump or a small group that holds
absolute power. Fascism emphasizes intense national pride and loyalty, often promoting the idea of national superiority and a desire for expansion, as illustrated by the Trump administration's push to annex Canada and Greenland. Fascist states use violence, intimidation, and propaganda
to silence disscent and eliminate political opponents. And we see the Trump administration and you guys doing these things regularly. Fascism involves significant state control over the economy, media, and other aspects of society. Fascist movements often center
around a charismatic leader like Donald Trump, who is seen as the embodiment of the nation. Fascism often relies on myth, emotion, and irrationality rather than logic and reason. While it shares some characteristics with socialism, it is fundamentally different in its
emphasis on nationalism and its rejection of internationalism as exhibited by the Trump administration's actions and policies. Elements of fascist ideology exhibited by the Trump administration include nationalism, authoritarianism, and the scapegoating of minority groups. core elements of
Trump administration policy. Understanding fascism is crucial for recognizing its potential dangers and resisting its harmful effects on society. Donald Trump is a fascist and if you support Donald Trump, you support a fascist government in the United States of America. America, all of you
support a fascist America. Kathy Brennan, Hansen Township. Good evening everybody. Um, Commissioner Hayden had told us to be patient and there would be an indictment coming down. Well, he was correct. An indictment did come down. It was not
against you commissioners, though. It was against him for stolen valor tax fraud. Although he takes this as a joke, this is a very serious charge with penalties up to three to five years in jail and up to $15,000 in fines. Hayden
has and his lawyer claimed that $382 is totally insignificant. The point is he broke the law. Whether it be $382 or a dollar, he broke the law. This is is a terrible crime and this
offends everyone and particularly people who have served in the military. A strong apology and resignation would have been the expected result. However, he is incapable of either. I urge the commissioners to immediately start the
process of trying to uh start suspension proceedings. You need to prove to the county, the state, and the country that Sussex County does not tolerate such behavior. And this is not who we are or who who we want to be. Thank you.
[Applause] Hi there. My name is Gail Jess and I'm from L uh I'm from Leighton. So I would like to comment on Ken here when I told him earlier I love his shirt but I don't
like his other ideas. But I in I in turn love President Trump and would support him whatever he does because I think he's doing the best regarding immigration and all the other services that he's doing making our country a whole lot safer. The other thing that I
always talk about here is uh uh your fellow commissioner Bill Hayden. Um when you read in the newspaper that they found him and they indicted him for one count of tax evasion, that's not actually true. I'm the one who turned
him in to the tax people and I turned him in for four different times where he put on his taxes that he was a veteran. Four different years he was a veteran. However, due to the lack of the uh enforcement from the tax people, three
of those had expired. So, he was only indicted on the one tax fraud for the uh I think it was a $6,000 um um uh elimination or whatever that he took advantage of, which was $382.
But that's not the that's not actually the problem. The problem is that people who do that and they take veteran status on their taxes and are not veterans hurt all the other veterans uh who are are in the country and who have uh proudly
displayed their um their uh service to the country and people like Hayden who uh um uh work off the veteran status and expect people like Lowe's and Home Depot to give him the 10% uh for he is a
veteran and uh he's not he never was he never was a veteran never served a day never was on SEAL team six so it took the criminal justice to do one minute it took criminal justice over a year to do their investigation and they
contacted every branch of the service army navy air force so on and so forth with the subpoena to guarantee that indeed he never was a veteran so all those lies he told that all the people believed none of it is true. So, I am so glad he was finally indicted. Thank you
very Oh, by the way, he makes 24th. Everyone should know he makes $24,000 a year to sit over there and he hasn't been here for six meetings. Therefore, he has cheated the county out of all that money. Everyone should pay attention to that. He shouldn't be on
the board anymore. Thank you. And I had 20 seconds left. [Applause] Good evening, Linda Dwit from Hampton Township. Find a better alternative. Recently, your board implemented a new
permanent pro process that will change the way Newton Green is used now and in the future. Newton Green has a long tradition as a place for political discourse and demonstrations where people's voices have been heard. The marker on the green erected in 2000 by
the freeholders calls the green a birthplace of democracy. The new process has already led to the relocation of the 4th of July reading of the declaration of independence from Newton Green to the VFW. Previously, public events held at
the Green required advanced notification to the county but not insurance. Now, all organizations, regardless of size or type, must obtain perverts that prove proof of commercial, general liability, and automobile insurance. It does not
matter whether an event is expected to have a hundred people or a dozen or whether event includes any equipment or not. Newton Green has always been a gathering place for people. This is a place where 25 people came to light candles following the mass shooting in Las Vegas just to find solace and where
people came for the largest rally in the county after George Floyd's death in 2020 to a Black Lives Matter event which two of the county freeholders attended Dorne Fantasia and Sylvia Patello. After the Black Lives Rally, the county
freeholders issued a press release including a section about peaceful gatherings. In the press release, says she supports all applications for peaceful assembly within the county and Sylvia Patello said at the rallies she saw many signs but one sign that
particularly touched her stated we are better together. I understand that your new permit may be necessary for some events and many groups can easily meet the requirements, but the for those who cannot, you are taking away what the green represents for our community
disenfranchising many groups that wish to gather for grieving, celebrating or exercising free speech. No one wants to see groups coming to the green without notifying the county first so that proper security can be in place. The recent Snow King V rally on June 14th
was a great success and next year the reading of the Declaration of Independence should be held on the green where it belongs. So tonight, I beg you to change your new permit and be fair to all your constituents and let the marker in the
park, a birthplace of democracy, live up to its meaning. Thank you. We are better together. Hello, my name is Richard Schneur and uh I reside in Artisan Township and I am a real veteran um unlike
sole valor to be elected to this position, continues to keep his role in a trusted elected position and has clearly been indicted for uh stolen valor. And I think that he should be resign or
something should be done to have him removed from the board because we all know that he has stolen Valor. I um ask the board if you if you are are able to do something to have him removed. It's been two and a half years that he's
sitting or not even sitting in the seat. I've looked I've seen nothing about him that he's contributed to this county. I've seen uh only bad things about him claiming to be a veteran. He's not a veteran and I find that very
disgraceful. Uh disgusted by it. Um so many of you have already clearly uh distanced yourself from him and I would like to make sure that something is done and he shouldn't be able to sit on the on the board. And also if you're going to claim to be a veteran, you certainly
don't want to be calling yourself a Navy Seal. let me tell you. Um, so I also would like to thank uh the many veterans that I see in this room uh for your support. Thank you for your service. So it's time for him to move on and I will continue to organize veteran
support to ensure justice from for the attorney general to have him uh indicted to have him convicted. This is wrong. he should face the all five years and also the the financial penalty for what he's done and his attitude of lol to as a
comment for the newspaper that reached out to him about the indictment. He finds this funny. I don't think anybody in this room or in our county finds this one. Uh, I would also uh like to suggest that maybe he take a different role and
write novels about being a Navy Seal instead of trying to be a commissioner. So, thank you very much for your time and thank you all. Thank you for your service. Hi, my name is Victoria Ner and start with my speeches of
I was talk at all for about I have a elephant for a good nice things when I was My dad was
and my husband very important. They can't lie about people neighbors in my community tell me they're excuse me I don't words I'm sorry they're mad they're mad about this
they're they're they love Trump but they don't like the guy this guy at all it's horrible so they love me I'm not different pro bugan I'm a democrat sorry about this also but they made made sure
I had walking and talking and meet my dog and we don't have family. My husband and I don't have family and people did work for me and help and have friendship no matter what. This is
not bad. This is a man bad person. You can't do that other people. There's u they are he is not doing a good job for veterans at all. And we're United States. We should be everybody no matter what. I'm embarrassed about this.
I'm embarrassed to United States our county in the is also a bad thing that's also bad or be allto together our rights and privileges and this guy is no he's a bad person do
something right for my grandfather and father's they and women now it's not good at all thank you for your [Applause]
Good evening. David Dit from Hampton Township. You might ask why I continue to come here and u rant when I know very well there's little you could do about some of the topics I discuss. I feel it's my civic duty. Indeed. Indeed, I believe
it's everybody's civic duty. When you see crimes committed, you need to speak up. It's our moral responsibility to speak when crimes are be being committed by our dear leader daily. I've spoken about some of them before. Let's review them quickly. Extortion. This is one of
the orange man's favorite tactics. He presses and squeezes universities, law firms, even CBS television, threatening them with all kinds of dire consequences if they don't tow the line. Sadly, most have caved. bribery. When have you ever
heard of a president accepting a $400 million flying palace airplane as a gift only to give it to us to fix it up for him to own with a billion dollar price tag? Theft. It's been said some people
steal with a six gun and some people steal with a fountain pen. This is certainly an apt definition of how Donald Trump does business. He stole from his own charitable foundation. His entire empire was built on financial lies and manipulation, stealing tax
revenues from New York State. He stole boxes of documents from our government archives, Trump University, golden sneakers and Bibles, crypto coins, worthless playing cards. It's all a hustle and a scam. But the dear leader's
personal dishonesty and criminal behavior is not bad enough. He has corrupted the Republicans in Congress and turned them into a rubber stamped chorus of quizzlings and asskissers. His big ugly bill was a tax bill
constructed with cuts in spending that would allow it to be pushed through with no chance of failure. The sole purpose of this bill was not to reform our government. It was not to eliminate waste tax waste fraud and abuse, excuse me. It was to reduce the budget enough
so that the tax tax breaks for the rich would continue. Those that thought it would balance the budget were shocked that it will leave us trillions more in debt. It has been characterized as the biggest transfer of
wealth from the poor to the rich ever. People will unnecessarily die as a consequence as it is implemented. But the worst mortal sin was the gleeful eraser of USID. I did an AI search of the consequences.
Brooks Nichols of the of Boston University, a professor of medical modeling, calculated that by June, which has already passed, over 300,000 would be dead from the way they went about
discontinuing this agency. Over 200,000 of them were children. The Lancet estimates 14 million will die by 2030. Great. Mr. Det, excuse me. Thanks for listening, but that's okay.
I know. Hey, it's all we got. Freedom of speech. Hi, it's Chris Panico from Wage, New Jersey. Um, last time I got up and spoke, you asked that I send my questions and emails to you all, which I
did back on June 13th. I'll do both. Everything that gets it. I just have to say there's always Sandy Hall late in New Jersey. always so much um divisive name for the record Sandy Hall. Hu L. Um you know a lot of talk I
mean I am a Democrat but you know you guys are all Republicans and I hate the divisiveness that goes on here sometimes but I just have to say you know our president called people in the military suckers and losers. So to my husband who's a Marine Corps veteran and to all
the other veterans here, let me say I apologize I crashed an inconsiderate remark and um for people who support him. I want you to think about that. Suckers and losers, the friends I lost in Vietnam, the people we lost in in all these other conflicts and around the
world, you really got to think sometimes about where your loyalties are and the issues that you really truly believe in. And I'm asking you um Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, everyone, don't be party stupid. Think about yourselves and think about these issues and how
what you do reflects and your actions and how they affect those of us who who trust you to do the right thing. Thank you. [Applause]
John Snder, Sanderson Township. There's been a lot of talk today about veterans fair senior citizens of the senior what is it senior day at the fair? No, also in the in the county whether the senior social whatever
but at the fair for a long time veterans were admitted free every day of the fair. This is either the third maybe the fourth year now where one day it's either Wednesday or Thursday free. I know you have no
direct control over the fair, but I think people should know that not everybody in the county is really supportive of veterans. I happened to mention that last year coming out of the county building because right there was the veterans table
uh there from Vaughn Steel Coding. And so I started to complain to him. He said, "I agree with you 100%." He said, "It's it's unbelievable what they've been doing." Sure, some of you today have heard the news from uh the director of national
intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, that she has started an investigation into the manipulation happened to Donald Trump way back in 2016. There's a criminal investigation
that they rejected an intelligence report that indicated there was no Russian interference in the election. That wasn't what they wanted to hear. So at that time, President Obama directed another report to come out, which was
apparently false. Hopefully these people are going to be brought to justice. Barack Obama, James Clapper, John Brennan, James Comey, and even they mentioned Andrew McCabe. Unbelievable. But a lot of us thought
one minute back at that time what was going on. And apparently we were right. It was a big fake. How much money and time was wasted all those investigations? And of course this in distant memory I guess now
history. My opinion is disgusting that we had a president from 2009 I guess to 2017 who thought there were 57 states in this country. Didn't even know how many states there were. He got
elected president. Thank you. Sandy Pender, Freeden Township. I work with youth and I tell them and my own children, the company you keep matters. The people you hang out with and can can have a profound impact. The
people around you can build you up or they can bring you down. The people you surround yourself with can also be a basis for judgment based on association. Company you keep matters. We have a consequential gubanatorial
election coming up in New Jersey. The main players are Mikey Cheryl and Jack Chidarelli. Chitterelli, who once called Trump a charlatan who is not fit for the Oval Office, a few months ago flew to Bedminster to meet with Trump and kiss
the ring. Another Republican candidate also sought Trump's endorsement at that time, but in the end, Trump endorsed Chitter. Company you keep matters. The Trump administration has made massive cuts to education, Medicaid,
food assistance, and human services. Chitterelli will not be able to give New Jersey residents any monetary relief because these federal funding cuts will need to somehow be made up by our state. And does anyone truly think that Chidurelli will govern New Jersey
independently based on its constituents? He is already fully aligned with Trump. New Jersey will not be governed effectively with a puppet for a govern governor. The company you keep matters. So you may ask, why am I bringing this
up again when this is outside of the commissioner's jurisdiction? You as county commissioners may not have much leverage with politics on a federal or state level. But we all have the ability to act. We all have agency and a responsibility
to take courageous action. Having a leadership role puts you all in a unique position of being able to guide fellow citizens and lead by example. So I ask you, have you taken action to speak to others about the direction and
governing of our country and state? Have you reached out to leaders and officials to express the concerns of your constituents? At some point, the crap is going to hit the fan here in Sussex County. These cuts are going to become very real very
soon, and people are going to look to local leaders. I am asking you to please consider what is coming for Sussex County and to do what you can now within the range and your abilities. might just want to um tilt the
microphone down. That's great. Thanks. Thank you, Debbie Melo, Freeden Town. As some other people have said this evening, um when we look at the first amendment, first amendment prevents
Congress from making laws respecting an establishment of religion, prohibiting the free exercise of religion, or abridging the freedom of speech, press, the freedom of assembly, or the right to petition the government for
redress of grievances. This is a simple and straightforward statement. There are no conditions or uh or cautisils that are attached to this statement. In other words, it doesn't say that to assemble at the Newton Green
or anywhere else in the US requires insurance coverage, including automobile insurance. Last Thursday, I participated in a peaceful rally in Morris Township. We were invited to assemble on the front lawn of the municipal building, which
offered more shade than the ball field that we were originally meant to organize. Once people began to assemble, the police closed the road to traffic. When we asked why, the police said it was for
our safety. That police action rendered us benign. Our signs and the chance were not shared with people in the community who typically would have passed by the municipal.
These kinds of things change the whole character of freedom of assembly and freedom of speech. And of course, we go on. There are so many to talk about. One that I'm particularly upset about is the cancellation of the late show with
Steven Colbear. Really? Uh suppressing free speech in order seal the deal and bend the knee to the president. I really LBJ said that it's good to be able to laugh at yourself when you're a public
persona. Finally, on June 14th, ICE agents detained Mario, an Emmy award Spanish language journalist, while he was reporting on a No Kings Day protest in Atlanta. Quivera
is a legal resident of the United States. The charges have been dropped, but he is still in custody. These acts do not reflect our rights as written in the First Amendment. Ones
that I think as I was growing up, I took, you know, I kind of took for granted, but I'm obviously rethinking that now. There are many more even happening here in Sussex County.
When can we expect an end to very hard on on all of our rights and I hope that we can all find consensus and find ways to make that a reality. Thank you.
[Applause] Emily Gray Stillwater. I was thinking of you all this week as I read the news focusing on members of this commissioner's panel and I was wondering what your thoughts are on your
roles as leaders in our county. As you are well of aware, I have attended most of your meetings this year and it has been extremely educational and I'm grateful for your time. In my attendance though, I have noticed the lack of responses you have given your constituents concerns and have on more
than one occasion heard members of the board use terms like we are a Republican county or she is a liberal, which really led me to think about the qualities that make someone a good leader. In my experience, true leadership is about uniting people, not dividing them. And
when our elected officials, whether l local or national, choose to label, separate, and pit Republicans against Democrats or liberals against conservatives, they betray the very spirit of public service. That kind of divisive language may win headlines, but
it weakens our communities. It becomes a wall instead of a bridge. The questions I have heard over the past six months from people here include concerns regarding feeding local children supporting assisted living programs, concerns over library funding,
Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare cuts, concerns about our local parks losing their funding, the public's right to freely use the Newton Green, and many others. These concerns deserve your respect and your response. I feel a simple statement of recognition, even
given towards a topic of which may you have no jurisdiction, is part of unifying the county you have been elected to serve. It is interesting to me that you spend a lot of time each meeting telling us what you have done, but no time asking the neighbors present
what their concerns are or why it was important for them to talk to you personally about things you might not know occurring in their towns. As our representatives, I urge you to lead with the unity and integrity this county deserves. As a
time for change comes nearer, I urge you to each think about whether you are clearly seeing how diverse the community of Sussex County is once you are not enclosed in your own echo chamber. As a lifelong resident of this county, I am
seeing more and more frequently how this new and growing diversity in our area is making us better informed citizens and community members. Good leaders should want that. Do you? I often leave these meetings thinking you would much prefer
it if we all simply stayed home and let you remain unaware and uninformed of our concerns rather than bringing them to you in order to educate you about them and look to you for your thoughts, your opinions, and your ideas of how to move
our county forward in challenging times. It concerns me that I leave each meeting thinking that way, and I truly hope it concerns you as well. Shelby Allen Hardest. Um, wow. I want to thank most of the people for I want to thank you for
listening to us tonight. I hope that you're really listening to us tonight. I want to thank most of the people for that came tonight to speak to share their concerns. Um the fact that Bill Hayden is not here speaks volumes.
I don't even anticipate him showing up for the rest of this year. If you have integrity and you understand what they're talking about as veterans, someone that's stands up for the president yet wants the veterans taken
care of. That's a different straight. You're not going to get that. However, please understand that him being part of this is divisive. It helps us not focus on the things that are supposed to be going on in this county helping folks
that need their your help as well as all of ours. It's it's another five months. Let him go. Let him go. Whatever he's going to do, let him go. Appoint somebody to take that spot. It will rest
your the folks here. It'll let understand that you understand that the law is important. That he broke the law. An indictment is indictment. He's got to go release the Epstein VI files. You don't have anything to do with that. I just need to say that out loud. The Congress
is Congress is going home so they can avoid any vote on any of that. It's ridiculous. They should vote. They should give the Democrats a chance to use their voice just like they always get a chance to use theirs when the
Democrats are in power. Again, nothing you can do, but I needed to get that out. I sit here with my heart racing and and wondering why why is this happening to all of us? You are going down with all of us just as it's happening.
Mr. Anderson wants to reopen that jail. I pray, and I'm not a prayer, but I pray it isn't because you want to turn it into detention center. I really hope that that's not the ultimate goal to have one in here in Sussex County.
People are terrified. I talk to a lot of Hispan Hispanic people. I tell them if they need help, come to me. I will direct you to someone that can legally help you. But they are terrified to come out of their homes to walk on the street. Imagine living like that every day just because you're living your
life. I talked to a man today. I've been here 25 years. I thought, "You have brown skin. You are not safe. Look over your shoulder every minute of the day. Please help these people that are here and need our help. We need him to resign. People, keep showing up to the
rallies. Keep using your voice. We are going to win this. Thank you. Good evening. Heather Gonzalez, Wantage. Um, I hadn't planned on speaking tonight, but I'll tell you what, I'm really moved by the courage in this room of some of the people who did get up to
speak. Um, I just want to say thank you to the veterans in the room. Um, my my husband is military, so I know quite well what comes along with being separated as a family and raising my children as a single parent for months
on end. Um, I, you know, I'm leaving here with some frustration tonight, but I'm also leaving here with a lot of hope because while I've only been to a couple meetings, um, it does really feel like we are united in some ways in this room
that we have not been in the past. And to the woman with the Trump shoes, still here, um, who liked, um, Mr. Collins shirt. I I have to say that I I don't love her Trump shoes, but I did like some of what she said about Mr.
Hayden as well. Um I cannot help but notice the parallels between this room uniting against Commissioner Hayden and his atrocious show of who he really is.
Right? When someone shows you who they are, believe them. and some of what is happening at our federal administrative level. When someone shows you who they are, believe them. The first meeting
that I came to here, Mr. Henderson said that he does what he knows is right in his heart. And Mr. Henderson, you know, I make a lot of eye contact with you in the meeting. And I believe that in your heart, you know what's wrong. Okay? A lot of us do. Optics are really
important. You're leaders of this community and what you do matters. So, thank you for hearing us each week. One minute. Thank you for considering what I have to say.
[Applause] uh Michael Hughes uh Hampton. There are many ways to demonstrate your commitment to America without ever wearing a
uniform. You can vote. That's the minimal uh effort. You can run for public office and take on that responsibility. You can come to meetings and share your
opinions. However, they may not be the consensus. So, there are many ways to be patriotic, to be committed without again ever wearing a uniform. That being said,
people who did wear that uniform implies a very special commitment. And anyone who who puts on that uniform metaphorically without ever winging it
for real is beneath contempt. In the words of the always eloquent Kathy Bernan Hughes, um this is not who we are.
And um one of the minimum um commitments to America is obey the law. I don't care if it was $300 or 300 or or three cents. You obey the law. And the
fact that he would that that an individual would continue this outrageous lie to save $300, I think says it all. If you're at the do drop in and you want to brag about
scoring a winning touchdown at a football game when you were merely the water boy or if you want to be the king of the prom or if you want to be the indispensable cog in your job, that's one thing, but you don't lie about
military service. Again, this is not who we are. Thank you. [Applause] So moved second. This was a correspondence
um a correspondence from the woman who was going to read the declaration on the green. Get it out, Ken. This is her words, not my words.
People who never spoke to me are quoting things I never said. I never spoke with iHeart Radio. I never complained or made any made any acquisa uh accusations against the county, the commissioners, or otherwise. I only called the Herald to see if we move could move the event.
Would they help us get the word out? I know Bruce is a pot stirer. I made no accusations against anyone. I told the attendees at reading that the county had done everything they could to make this event happen. They saw a need to put the insurance requirement in place and they had every right to do so. I chose to
move the event. I specifically stated that no one was trying to block us. No one was stepping on our first amendment rights. It was my choice. My choice wasn't based on money as we had an anonymous donor. A decision was made on
the possibility of personal liability as town of three as a town of 3.38 square miles with the size of the police department they have and they can't get a grip on vagrants, alcoholics and open to blatant drug use on the green. We wouldn't be able to ask the abusers abusers to leave and I wasn't
comfortable with them being there. We actually discussed that it would be in our own best interest to have insurance after witnessing the Junth and no Kings events the town and the county allowed. Clearly outsiders buzzed in. I witnessed the buses. That is just a bad situ
situation waiting to happen. Talk about something getting all blown out of proportion. It continued on, but there's names in here that I'm not going to read. So, that was her letter from us. Um,
that's her words, not ours. So, as we've said in the past, we charge insurance as every other town. I sat on a parks commission chair. Every every entity, whether it be football, soccer, lacrosse, they all have to show every
park their insurance. And that's all we're asking. Doesn't matter who you are. Doesn't matter if you're Republican or Democrat, libertarian. We're just asking everybody to be equal for their own safety, for the county safety, for Newton's safety. That's what it's about. We're not trying to block anybody's
first amendment right. That's all I have. All right. 24 reminders. Please check the county's website www.sussex.nj. us for meeting schedules. Uh the New Jersey Fair, as Commissioner Deputy
Director Space said, begins next Friday, August 1st. Please check their website for schedule events. And please consider making a donation there. There's going to be, as I said at the last meeting, there's three uh beneficiaries. It's it's us, Benny's Bodega. Can guys, can
you just maybe not talk until I'm done? Thank you. Um us, Benny's Bodega, and I think the uh Veterans Cemetery. Veterans Cemetery. So, there's a um a monetary donation. If you guys can make it, that'd be great. We appreciate
everything you could do. Number 25 adjournment. Motion to adjurnn the meeting. So moved. Second. Deputy director space. Uh second is commissioner Henderson. All in favor say I. I. Oppose. Abstain carries. Meeting is adjourned.
Seven. 38. 38. Oh. Can you hold one second? Ma'am. Ma'am. Ma'am.