Call to order um the board of health meeting on May 26th. Can we have the roll call, please? Charles >> here. >> Gawas >> here. >> Jivers here. >> Landelle >> here. >> Twice >> here. >> Are we adequately noticed? Yes, this meeting was adequately noticed on May
7th, 2026 to the times in the Princeton packet filed with the municipal clerk and posted here at the municipal building and on the township website. And tonight we are expecting from Parker McKay, Mr. Carl Taylor. He's not here. Oh, sorry. Corrected. Mike Herbert is
here. >> Please stand for the salute to the flag. stands nation. >> All right. Um, today we have have with us um our new temporary health officer, Mr. Jeffrey
Ger. welcome um to our meeting. This is your first meeting with us here. Um could you just introduce yourself before we move on? >> Sure. Uh good evening everyone. My name is Jeff Grosser. I am currently the interim health officer for West Windsor
Township. I am the full-time health officer as well in Princeton at the Princeton Health Department. I started coverage on May 1st. >> Thank you. Um all right at this moment I open the public comment period for the board of health portion of the meeting
only. So if anybody in the audience um here has any comments um for board of health now would be the time. Do we have anybody signed up for board of health? >> Okay looks like everyone is for the business meeting.
>> So seeing none uh public comment um is closed. Um, approval of minutes, right? >> Okay. Um, we have the board of health February 9th, 2026 minutes. >> Okay. Can I get a motion to approve?
>> So moved. >> Second. >> Charles, >> yes. >> Jivers, >> yes. >> Mando, >> yes. >> Weiss, >> yes. >> Dallas, >> yes. >> All right. Um, so we now move on to our
updates from Mr. Gener. >> Thank you and uh good evening mayor and members of council. Uh this evening I will be talking about the first quarter updates as well as the uh updates from this previous month. Uh it's been a privilege so far serving as interim health officer for West Windsor during
this transition period during Jill after Jill Swanson's retirement. Uh my main goal uh in this interim capacity is to help ensure continuity of operations and services while the township moves forward with the search for a permanent replacement. Um the department was left
by Jill a very strong uh department and foundation and I appreciate the opportunity to help out uh during this time. I also want to thank business administrator Marina and uh health department staff especially Nikita for their assistance in a smooth transition into the role. Um the quarterly update
this evening has been distributed to board of health members. Um, and I want to just for this evening give a brief overview of some more significant items and emerging public health issues currently uh being monitored by the department. From departmental standpoint, staff have remained very active through the first quarter across
all program areas. The January rabies clinic was successful with 48 dogs and 12 cats vaccinated. Staff have also completed inspections and compliance activities associated with the opening of seasonal and annual swimming pools over Memorial Day weekend as we head into the summer season.
Community outreach efforts continue as well through monthly blood pressure screenings at the senior center and Gables and the programs continue to be wellreceived and remain an important part of preventative health and senior wellness outreach in the community. On the communic on the communicable disease side, we continue monitoring several
developments at the state, national, and international levels. One involves a recent Andes virus or HANA virus investigation associated with the cruise ship back in April. Um, at this time, there's no confirmed cases in New Jersey or elsewhere in the US related to the outbreak, and the overall risk to the public remains extremely low, but we're
closely coordinating with New Jersey Department of Health, CDC, and regional healthcare partners regarding surveillance and preparedness efforts. We're also continuing to monitor the evolving Ebola outbreak in in parts of Central Africa. The World Health Organization has declared this a public
health event of international concern and enhanced travel screening and monitoring measures are currently in place nationwide. Again, while there's no cases in New Jersey, local health departments throughout the state have been assisting with travel monitoring, exposure assessments, symptom checks, and coordination with New Jersey Department
of Health and CDC as needed. We're also beginning the regional planning discussions associated with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and potential impacts related to tourism, watch parties, and large gatherings throughout the broader region. Public health planning efforts continue to focus on
emergency preparedness, food safety, communicable disease monitoring, and coordination with OEM, law enforcement, and municipal partners. We're also entering the height of special season, a special event season, which always increases activity involving temporary food vendors and
community events throughout the township. Staff are continuing to conduct inspections, permitting, and compliance activities to help ensure food safety during those events. Operationally, the department has also modernized several internal processes over the past month, including the
implementation of WinWAM digital inspection software along with a new digital inspection payment system. um with capabilities through something called municipe and auto agent. Both systems have been functioning well since their implementation this month and are expected to improve efficiency,
inspection, tracking and customer service moving forward. Um overall, the department remains stable and fully operational and I remain committed to ensuring continuity of services while West Windsor progresses through the search process for a full-time health officer. Um at this time, uh if there's
any questions, uh I'm happy to answer any any of those at this time. Um, does anybody have any questions? >> Jeff, just one question on the uh some of the stats. Um, I'm just curious what what type of retail food enforcement actions lead to a court summons. I don't
know if you can give some general examples of that. >> So, in many cases, they're repeat offenses. Um, one of the primary violations we see has to do with handwashing, um, temperature control. Uh when we have repeat offenders, we typically will do education or
compliance for education. Uh but when we have repeat offenders, it it really doesn't leave any other option other than you have to go towards uh a violation notice or a summon. Uh sometimes that's the only way to get across to some of these vendors. Um in extreme cases, you look at closures. So this is fortunately not that. Um but
that just remains a mechanism to try to get these locations in compliance. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. Does anybody else have any questions? >> I say uh welcome aboard, Jeff. That's Thank you. We appreciate um your services here. Um any concerns about the
the world the soccer cup and all these people that are going to be coming in to New Jersey or from all over the world? >> Have we like just to um tag um onto that, have we received uh any watch party permits in town here? >> There's a number of temporary event
permits that I know staff are working through right now. There is a sanctioned watch party in Princeton. So, not obviously not far away. Uh there's three watch parties that are occurring um obviously in the coming weeks for the World Cup. Um those watch parties were
associated with some a grant. So, it's a larger, you know, some larger event. Um but many of the temporary events you'll see coming in in the next few weeks, many will be tied to some type of watch party, you know, maybe not sanctioned, but right from a community event. >> Yep. Correct.
Um, anybody else have any questions? Mayor. >> Yeah. Um, Mercer County is doing a big event on what? July 11. >> July 11th. >> July 11th. So, um, at the Mercer County Park for the soccer. So, tomorrow we
have a meeting and then we'll have a meeting with them. Uh, that will attract a lot of people. So, we a little concerned with that. And I also want to thank you for helping us out and welcome. So, thank you.
>> Great. Um, if we don't have any other questions, um, and we don't need any close session, so I just need a motion to adjurnn. >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Can I get a second? >> Second.
>> All in favor? >> I I >> um Not for this one. >> Um, yes. For public comment, >> we have a public second. >> Yeah. You want to do it?
>> Do we need to do a public comment? >> Jeff, >> hold on. We do have >> um we have a procedural. >> Um just uh if um for second round of public comments for board of health, if there is anybody in the audience before we adjourn the meeting.
Seeing none. All right. for just for the board of health. >> Yep. Um All right. All in favor? >> I thank you. Thank you. >> Okay. Um we don't need to do call to um roll call again or have to do roll call.
>> We we'll do that for the business, but we just don't need to do the salute to the flag. >> Okay. Yeah. Let's um you should >> um I call to order the business session of um May 26th. Can we have roll call, please? >> Okay. Charles >> here. >> Gawas, >> here. >> Chavers >> here.
>> Mandal >> here. >> Weiss >> here. >> Are we adequately noticed? >> Yes. This meeting was adequately noticed on January 23rd, 2026 to the Times in the Princeton packet filed with the municipal clerk and posted here at the municipal building and on the township website.
>> Okay. Um, we already um did the salute to the flag, so we don't have to do that again. Under ceremonial matters, today we have a proclamation that I'm going to read for Princeton Junction Volunteer Fire Company number one for their 100
years of um service to our township. Whereas the Princeton Junction Volunteer Fire Company number one incorporated, formerly known as the Berian City Volunteer Fire Company, was established on June 3rd, 1926 by residents of the
Berian City, Pensene Neck, and Princeton Junction areas. And whereas shortly after the Princeton Junction Volunteer Fire Company number one was founded, a group of women came together to form the ladies auxiliary of the company. The
formation of the ladies auxiliary demonstrated the commitment of local residents, both men and women, to the success and development of the fire company. And whereas initially the fire company operated out of a garage on Barryan
Avenue before relocating to a building owned by Swingle and Perine and then in 1931 building the firehouse on Alexander Road where they stayed until October of 2002.
And whereas these two groups organized dinners featuring spaghetti, ham, and roast beef as well as dances, carnivals, and various other community events to generate funds for the company. And whereas in February 1928, the fire
company acquired its first apparatus, a 1 and a half ton Rio Chesmate chemical truck. And whereas during World War II, the fire firehouse served as both a civil defense station and a first
aid center for the local community. And whereas throughout the years, numerous expansions have been made to the firehouse in order to house additional equipment required for
safeguarding the community. And whereas during the 1970s, women began to serve alongside men in firefighting roles. And whereas on June 3rd, 2026, the company will com commemorate its centennial
marking 100 years of dedicated service in safeguarding the lives and property of residents, businesses, and visitors. Throughout its history, multiple generations of members and their families have contributed to this organization.
Now, therefore, be it resolved, Mayor Haymon Marate and the township council hereby acknowledge and appreciate the valuable service this organization has given to the township, its residents and local businesses. They commend the
organization for its excellent work and express their hope for its continued contributions to the community in the future. We will present this proclamation to the members of the firehouse on Sunday at their ceremony at
the firehouse. Thank you all. We do have some members here. So, thank you all for your service 100 years. All right, I'm going to open the first round of public comment. Um, it's a 30 minute uh public comment period. 3 minutes per
um public um per resident to speak. Uh, please name your name and address and then you can go ahead. Do we have anybody on? >> We have a list. I have Sanj Mandoli. >> Hi. Thanks uh mayor and thanks
councilman council team for helping allowing me to speak today. So I represent I'm not represent I'm >> Can you just um give your advice? >> Sanjay Mandlloy 17 Renfield Drive Princeton New Jersey uh West Windsor the other side. >> Um I'm the president of the board for
Estates at Princeton Junction. And I want to thank the mayor and the council as well as the West Windsor Police Chief and the West Windsor Police Department for helping us get through the license plate cameras that we're getting installed for our community. Um, we're
buying the cameras for our community. Five cameras are being bought and I think they're going to be gifted to the township so that the maintenance can be picked up by the township, ongoing maintenance of the cameras. But we are buying them. So, I want to thank the township, the mayor, the police chief,
and the police folks that have helped us get this far. So, once I think there's a proclamation today to get this done, once it gets approved, we'd like to >> resolution. We have a resolution >> resolution to get this done once we get that through. Um, we'll looking forward to making this happen this calendar year
for us. Thank you. Thank you. >> Okay, next on the list is Prety. Okay, great. Just state your name and address when you get to the mic. >> Hello. Um, Philip Lee, Gate Stonewall
Drive, and I'm here to talk about the issue of B. >> Could you um speak directly into maybe just raise it >> closer to the mic? >> Oh, you can tilt it. >> Okay, >> you can take it out. Take it out. >> I'll take it >> there. There you go. Yeah, my name is
Philip Lee, 8 Stonewall Drive, West Windsor. I'm here to talk about the issue of bamboo. Um, I understand that New Jersey has passed an ordinance against the sale and maybe planting of new bamboo. Uh,
and it's up to the township to to consider further restrictions or enhance those ordinances. And so, I just want to come here to express my opinion on the issue. Uh my neighbor behind me has planted bamboo
maybe 25 years ago. At the time I told him that it's a very invasive species. It's going to run through throughout all the all the yards, all the adjacent yards. And um you know he's basically ignored that in the 25 years this the
bamboo that he's planted literally runs across his the width of his house which is about maybe 80 80 ft and and 20 ft deep into his yard but also it comes into my yard which is right in back of
his yard. Uh we have a garden that's maybe offset 10 feet from the boundary from the property line. His bamboo is right on the property line and every season I have to you know cut the shoots,
dig up his roots, clean up the debris and it's a lot of work for me which I don't think I'm responsible for. Um, and in addition to that, it's running into a neighbor's other neighbors yards,
adjacent neighbor, maybe three other neighbors. And, you know, I I wish that and I understand that maybe it's grandfather because he's had it for 25 years. So,
you know, my wish is that it be abolished altogether. But at minimum, it should be offset. In other words, he should have his bamboo planting maybe 10 feet off the property line in in all directions. Um, this way
he can he can manage his own side of it and not affect the other homeowners. Um, >> okay. >> Yeah. And >> well, you'll have to have your separate comment, >> right?
So yeah, that's really what I want to express and I think the township should consider uh you know passing further restrictions to enhance the the the state ordinances that's been passed already. >> Okay, thanks Phillip.
>> Um for those uh who are new here um we let everybody go through their public comments and then administration and council um can respond. So if you want to have add any give your comment, you can. Yeah. Yeah. Hi. Um, mention your name and
address. >> Yes. My name is Prrii Jooshi and I live in at 10 Stonewall Drive right adjacent to Phil and Terry. Um, you know, the running bamboo has been an issue for me as well and one of our other neighbors who's not who couldn't make it here. Uh,
I think, you know, we've tried to talk to our neighbor who actually owns this property where the running bamboo is and it since it's so invasive, it has creeped into our yards. you know, my kitchen garden is um almost shadowed and you know, shaded with the bamboo. It's
almost like a jungle. I have a young daughter. Uh there are, you know, there could be snakes in there. There's a lot of you know, it's it's a jungle, if I may put it like that. Um so I think u you know with the ordinance in place we
wanted to raise this concern here in front of the township and uh you know any guidance or um you know what the next steps should look like would be much appreciated. So uh we thought this is the right forum to bring this up. Uh
we've tried talking to our neighbor um you know like Phil mentioned it's been 25 years so uh you know it's been a long wait. Thank you. >> Thanks. Do we have anybody else on the list? >> I have no one else on the list. Anybody
else on the audience um want to >> No. All right. Seeing none, public comment period is now closed. Um we do know um the shade tree commission is looking into um the B bamboo ordinance. Maybe administration can um speak to
that. Um well, which brings us to admin administration comments and mayor's comments. Anyway, >> hopefully I >> I just have a couple of announcements. Um DPW is presently in zone 4 and will
remain there um through the end of the week. Hopefully, they'll get caught up. Um, on June 13th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, uh, there will be a paper shred event at
the West Windsor Public Works um, facility, 70 Southfield Road, West Windsor. Um, the event may end prior to 12:00 p.m. if shred trucks reach capacity. This event is open to our residents. Proof of residency may be
required. Please limit papers to confidential and sensitive materials. Um, also it's asked that you remove any heavy metalbacked binder clips and three ring binders from the paper. Um,
also at this event will be a food drive. Um, it includes Send Hunger Packing, WWP, and the Little Free Pantry, which are local programs of Mercer Street Friends. Um, food donations are needed to support
these programs. shelf stable items are in need. Cereals, oatmeal, rice, dried beans, canned microwavable soups, canned tuna or tuna to go, um, and packaged dried fruits, chef boy orde
microwave bowls or vegetarian equivalent. Um, this information is posted on the township website under news and notices. And there also will be a hazardous waste
and e-waste recycling event also on Saturday, June 13th. This is sponsored by Mercer County Recycling. Um it will be from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. That location is at the Dempster
Fire Training School, Reed 50 Lawrence Station Road, Lawrence Township, New Jersey. And um it's an opportunity for you to um rid your area of um electronic
devices such as computers, printers, copers, microwaves, stereos, fax machines, and televisions as well as to get things get rid of items that are hazardous to the environment. They will take propane tanks, gasoline,
oil, motor oil, antifreeze, paint thinner, oilbased paint, fluorescent and CFL bulb bulbs, pesticides, herbicides, bug spray, aerosol pans, car batteries,
and mercury. Um, that's all I have. >> Thank you, Mayor. >> Yeah, thanks. Um so first I'll uh address the Mamboo ordinance. Um I do have your address so I will ask our
landscape professional to look at it first thing tomorrow. Um but we do have our own um township bomb ordinance which was almost ready for introduction and then the shi commission went and made
major changes to it. So um we sent it back to fix it. Hopefully uh next month we will introduce it. Just keep an eye on the um agenda when it's published you can comment on it. Say if it works for
you, doesn't work for you, what what would work for you. You can make comments and uh the council can modify the ordinance and then there's a first reading when it's generally just published. Nobody makes comments but you can read it, you can make comments. At the second reading again you can make
comments and at that time the council votes for it. We votes on it but definitely look and see if that will cover the situation that you are dealing with currently. So hopefully next month we will we will introduce it. It's it's it's being fixed again by the our
professionals. So that's the Bombay ordinance. Um generally every year I do a um proclamation, mayor's proclamation for gun violence. This year there was some confusion. So I do have it. So after I finish my comments, we'll go out
and I'll hand it out to you. Um it's about that. Um just want to thank we had a wonderful Memorial Day parade. Um yesterday it was the 30th year of Memorial Day parade which was started by Ray Raider and uh
uh 30 years ago and I'm sure there are a few people here yesterday who have attended every one of uh one of those 30 uh parades. So thanks to Joey Gay Allison and everybody who made that uh function uh possible. We couldn't have
the parade because of the rain. uh we had a function in this room but thanks for everybody who made it possible very important to remember especially for the next generation for people and recognize and appreciate the people who still give
uh their life for uh for the country. Um I have one comment about the R115 the executive the gifts from EPJ there seems to be uh a lot of confusion about that.
I've received a a few questions from council members. Uh so I'm just going to make comments now rather than wait till that introduction. Um at least three council members were here when at least uh 3 years ago we as a part of the
budget we um agreed to purchase 10 street cameras. Um and I made a big deal of that that uh that's just the beginning and we will uh continue to purchase going in future. Future budgets
never uh allowed us to do that but out of that budget we did purchase and have operational uh nine license plate reader cameras and four traffic cameras. um the license plate readers just reads licenses and if um any of the licenses
are flagged for either stolen car or for whatever reason then all these camera systems are linked throughout the state. So anytime a license plate that's scanned is noticed anywhere in the state the police are immediately notified that
license plate was um found uh traveling in Newark or whatever area that is. Um the full traffic cameras only for uh recording instances or incidences. Those are mainly for uh looking at traffic
accidents and other things. So they don't read a license plate. But since that year that three years ago when that was put in budget every meeting I had with a group of people especially organ
uh where they have a HOA I've always told um members that if you're worried about safety because safety always comes up just purchase these cameras roughly about $15,000 per camera and we will install and we will monitor them for
you. All you have to do is purchase the cameras. Uh this is very useful especially for developments which have very limited entrances and exits. Um like our development, our street where Linda and I live only one entrance, one
exit. Ideal we need only one camera. Unfortunately, we don't have HOA. So we need somebody to take lead and uh collect $15,000 from 30 40 people living on the street. But that's ideal because that will record um every car going in
and out on your street. So in any case there is an incident police can look at okay who went in and who went out for a whole year or for whatever time it's um it's um uh stored. The two different issues were raised. One issue was raised
about uh privacy and second issue was raised about money um as to what it's going to cost the township. Regarding privacy, this is all done in public places. So there is no right to privacy um where the cameras are
recording. Um if you are on a public road, you don't have a right to privacy. Anybody else, your neighbor can come and videotape you. Um, but the data that's gathered by this is stored by the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office. It's not stored by Wester police. We will have
access to it if we need to have access to it, but the data is stored by Mercer County uh prosecutor's office. So even though EPJ is buying the camera, Sanjay can't go to the police and say, "I want to look at who went in and out of Grain
Drive between 12 and 1." He can't do that. That's that data resides with the prosecutor and he will have to go to Mercer County prosecutor to do that. Even if somebody files an opera request that has to go to Mercul County prosecutor, it's not going to come to
the west police because we don't have uh we don't we are not the owner of the data. We are not maintainer of the data. So in that sense uh this is very useful. Um second about money u thanks to Sanjay. I mean I' I've been talking
three years. She is the first homeowners association who has purchased the camera and thank you for your leadership and pushing it through the HOA board for getting five cameras. They have five entrances and exits. But those cameras once they purchase and give it to the
police and mount it, they will have access to every car that goes in and out. And it's mainly used for safety reason. It's not going to cost Wester police anything because the um they paid for the cameras and Mercer County uh
prosecutor's office is paying for the software licenses, stoages, storage and anything else uh that's required to maintain the data and maintain the cameras. So it's really a win-win situation. I hope this is just the first
one. other u uh other homeowners association, other people who are concerned about safeties or who think there have been instances in their neighborhood will take this and uh think about purchasing a camera. Um there was
a time 3 four years ago every summer there used to be incidences at the swimming pool parking lot where cars were broken in. At that time, I always thought it would be great if you have a camera looking every car that's going in and out of out of the park because again
there's just one entrance and one exit very easy to monitor. So I hope this is uh uh this is just uh uh first of many others who will purchase the cameras and help us monitor the situation much
better. I mean this is much better than your ring camera. If something happens to your on your street, the police will come and request uh to look at your ring camera um incidences. This is much better than ring cameras. Now this is as
opposed to some developments have their own cameras. For example, Grand has paid for and installed their own cameras. We will have to ask to those cameras. They are not monitored 724 by the police. They are not automatically monitored by by the software. But they have access
the homeowners association have access to that. They can do whatever with data with that they want to do. We have no control over that. So these are the cameras bought by individuals or businesses or homeowners association gifted to the township, installed by the township and
maintained by Mercer County and they are under the control of the Mercer County prosecutor. Um, so I hope uh the uh council will thank EPJ and accept the gift and encourage others to do the same.
>> Thank you, Mayor. >> Right. Um, council member comments. Let's start with um Dan. >> Sure. Thank you. Um, thank you for all that came out to our Memorial Day ceremony yesterday. It was wonderful to
see and listen to the performances and see um a significant number of veterans who um who live in our community. Um I was the one who asked about the privacy of the cameras. So uh mayor's walking out, but thank you for the
explanation of of >> I think he needs to um do the where >> I get it proclamation or just for general comments. Um my concern and since he started the comments on that, we'll just I'll just continue some comments now. Um my just concern was who
had access to the information. Um and so it seems pretty clear that it's part of the existing um law enforcement system and it operates no differently than those cameras. >> Yep. >> So that was my concern. >> I think the it's a good addition.
>> Yeah. that that was just my concern about privacy about how the data was going to be used and so >> right >> with that um >> yeah that's all I have >> okay Linda >> want to thank the residents for coming out tonight um I'm a member of the shade
tree commission and uh as a liaison and la last year we spent the commission spent a lot of time on uh a bamboo ordinance so it's proposed bamboo ordinance they finished up I believe at the end of the year and and um then sent it on to the administration um for their
review. So that uh will be coming up soon. But if you want to also talk privately um give me a call or email me uh and I'll also share your thoughts with the Sha Tree uh commission members. Uh because much of what you said um is a
big issue and it's different parts of town and it's very very dense and it and it spreads. It's invasive, >> right? >> So, um let's stay in contact over over that and then uh eventually the uh I don't know if council is going to
discuss that ordinance first under new business. I >> um we probably will. We would we probably will community once that administration is ready to get it to us, we will get on the agenda, >> right? Okay. So, that's a work in progress, but I applaud you for coming
out tonight and bringing that up. >> So, keep an eye out on the agenda. Yes. >> Um, also want to congratulations, give my congratulations to Princon Junction Volunteer uh, fire company on its 100th anniversary. Uh, thanks to the
incredibly dedicated uh, fire men and women who have served and continue to serve. And our station 44 volunteers protect lives. They put out fires. Um, they reduce damage and assist in other emergencies and disasters. So, they work
around the clock 247. Uh last Friday I attended a Memorial Day assembly at Community Middle School which was led by social studies teacher Susan Oiki. Uh the theme was all gave some but some gave all. Uh the student
presentations, the singing, the musical performances were all memorable as were the stories from the veterans. So uh appreciate them inviting us uh once again to this annual event. I think it's really good for the students to um you know to have a Memorial Day um ceremony.
It's good. They should learn when they're young. >> I think they do that every year. This the seventh grade the seventh graders do that >> right community. It's beautiful. >> Um yesterday Memorial Day, unfortunately it rained so uh the parade was was cancelled but we continued inside here
at 11 o'clock um for our uh Memorial Day ceremony. So, uh, thanks to Master of Ceremonies, Gay Huber, Township Clerk Allison Sheen, Deputy Clerk Joey, uh, Gooden, uh, Jackie Owens, who sang the national anthem, our police department, the Garden Statesman's AC Capella
course, volunteer fire department members, and McAffries Wegman's and Surl Sangum LLC for their donations. So uh most of all we are grateful to our brave men and women who died while in service to our country and they have helped
preserve the freedoms that we cherish today. >> Great. Thank you Linda Andrea. >> Thank you. And um bamboo is one of the scorches of the earth around here. It's very invasive. I know we've talked about it for a long time. I'm glad to see
Shade Tree Commission doing something about it and um please feel free because I'm sure Linder can use all the ammunition as needed to make sure that uh that this will get through and we we haven't seen the final one yet. So I
look forward to seeing it. Um want to thank everyone who came out to the Memorial Day parade to honor our military who died for the country. Um unfortunately we couldn't have the parade. We did have a nice ceremony here. Uh I think we were uh the crowds
were out into the hall. And I also want to thank CMS for putting on what's always an extremely memorial day uh ceremony um which is for seventh graders and we get we get invited also and uh it's um it's something that's very very
touching. Um also want to remind everybody that early voting started today and is available at the West Windsor Library. And um a reminder that the arts council's holding their annual arts walk on May 30th. So if anybody wants to
register for that and reminding everybody to visit our new special website to get a free residential energy assessment from PSENG that's part of our program with sustainable Jersey and learn how to save money and energy at the same time. Um, next meeting we're
looking at doing a council robotics expo with proclamations. Um, the whole council will be giving an informal expo to some of the top local first robotics teams prior to next Monday's meeting.
We'd look to start that 6 p.m. Um, I don't get excited. I've putting together the list of the top robotics teams to send out the invites this week. So, >> you mean next uh public meeting, not next Monday. >> I'm sorry. Next for the next meeting.
So, um there's certain teams that have gone to certain levels and those in those uh that's all public. So, we'll be taking uh the teams off of that one. And uh I know Dan has some teams involved. So, yep. >> Um
>> it's incredible how many teams there are now. >> There there are. Yeah. >> There's ones that you haven't even heard of yet. >> Yeah. Yeah. But luckily the one they go to a certain level that's available. So I've been trying to put all that together. >> Let me know if you need any contact. >> Yeah. Um yes, we'll probably look to put
what we can out in the hall and then we've got another couple rooms and um the kids will be able to show and it'll be open to the public before our meeting. So it'll be exciting. Um, Wednesday, uh, May 13th, Sonia and I met with the American Legion and
received a check to West Windsor Township for beautifification of the 911 memorial. And Sonia will probably want to talk more on that. Um, Friday, May 15th, I spent the day at the Sustainable Jerseys annual sustainability summit. I was able to take classes, learn what
other towns are doing for the environment, and visit the exhibitors. On Saturday, May 16th, I attended the what is now um the last Air Butterfly Walk to remember those who lost their lives to suicide. There were a number of
uh exhibits there. There were some Girl Scout projects uh related to mental health. Um this is the last butterfly walk, but air is still very active and is doing a lot of other things in the town. Also on May 16th, I visited the
East Windsor Library for Mercer in Motion County Master Plan. There are several road improvements and bicycle and pedestrian improvements that they're planning as part of that for the West Windsor area. Uh some of them particularly around Old Trenton Road.
And on May 16th in the afternoon, I was a judge in the first Lego League Explore Expo Expo that was put on by Girl Scouts that showcased beginning robotics projects. And I expect we'll see some of those girls that um showed those younger
projects in the future years at um our council robotics expose for the older teams. And that's all I've got. That's >> right. Thank you, Andrea. Joe, >> uh, thank you for coming out to talk about bamboo in your neighborhood. I was actually in another touring another
neighborhood a couple months ago that has a major bamboo problem. You know, it grows so thick you you can't even get through it. It's spreading on other people's properties. People have to spend thousands of dollars to remove it. So, um, I know the Sha Tree is is working on the ordinance, Sha Tree Commission, and
I encourage those folks to come out um, you know, to council when when that's on the agenda. So, I definitely encourage you to to do that as well. And like like Linda said, feel free to contact any of us uh to to talk about it. Uh congratulations to the Princon Junction Fire Company on your 100th
anniversary. Uh quite a quite a major milestone and thank you to all the volunteers who keep us safe and and best wishes for the next hundred years. And then uh lastly, our our township pool, also known as the the waterworks, is open for the season. Uh Andrea, I know you're over there, although not a lot of
swimming going on. I I actually did >> rain. Yeah, >> it's pretty chilly still. >> It's 54 degrees now. >> Yeah. Um but um um memberships are available not only for residents but non-residents can buy a seasonal membership. Uh so a I would encourage
any of you if you're thinking about it, please think about joining uh the pool as a member. And if you have friends outside of West Windsor in a neighboring community, uh please encourage them to join. We do have capacity uh certainly ample capacity at the pool to take on more memberships. So, just a little
advertisement for that. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, Joe. >> Well, uh, my turn and, uh, you know, it's a joke that, um, being the last one, I don't have to cover. Everything has been pretty much covered. Um, but thanks, um, to the residents for coming
in. Um, I have, um, the bamboo issue in my neighborhood myself. Um, not on my property, but um, couple houses down, so I know exactly what the problem. And as um many of us mentioned um shade tree commission is looking into the ordinance. So keep an eye out for that.
Linda is the shade tree commission liaison. So um feel free to reach out to her or any office and um hopefully once in the next couple of months we we should see the u ordinance in front of the council. the bamboo
ordinance hopefully most likely >> we've done their work and >> okay so yeah so once administration is ready to um give it to the council we will have the discussion here openly so I encourage you to keep a watch on that um just to add on to the um to the gift
that we received from American Legion post 76 um they um were very generous to um u give a gift for a rededication um project for the 9/11 memorial that we have in this town at Ron Rogers
Arboratum. Um it's 25th year anniversary this is fall in September um and we would be um red that there's some projects that I'm working with um our landscape architect um for rededication. I encourage everyone to come to the
ceremony on 911 at 7 o'clock at Ron Rogers Twin Ponds Memorial. The other project that I'm also working on is um la for la okay so for last few years council has been very generous um for helping me with my vision of placing um
flags in memory of those we lost um and every year we have come up with a a different theme. One year it was 343 in memory of all the firefighters that we lost. One year it was all the emergency services. So so on and so forth. I think we have been doing this for 6 years now.
Um this year being a big milestone, uh my vision it is to lay 2,983 flags. So that's a big undertaking. Um that is for each and every um individual that we lost on that tragic day. Um, so
I am going to reach out to um I've already started um talking to um social studies teachers at High School South to see if they would be willing to work with me to um bring their students because it's easy for them. They just have to cross the street during school
hours and place. But I will be reaching out to our scouts and residents in our town um to come up with a plan for placing because um that's this one is going to be a big undertaking. In the past, I think the most we have done was about 400 flags that five council
members and couple of other um I think gay gay has always helped us. Um we have done that and it took us few hours to do it. Hopefully it will rain and the ground won't be hard as a rock. Um we did use drills I think a couple years ago. Last year was the I think was the
easiest with all the rain. So, let's hope it rains few days before and we can get these almost 3,000 flags in. Um, it would be a um field of flags. So, um I encourage everyone if you have some time, reach out to me and I will put you
on the list and I will take that help. Um thank you Allison. Do you have anything to say? >> Yes. A reminder, early voting started today, runs through May 31st. Um we and remember we have an convenient po early voting location here at the Mercer
County Library. Uh polls are open for early voting 10 am to 8:00 pm and we'll close um at 6 p.m. on Sunday. Um for election day that's June 7th, 2026. Um uh just a note that some polling locations have changed for this upcoming
primary election. So please check your sample ballot. I believe residents that were affected did receive a card in the mail from the superintendent of elections office. Uh polling hours on election day start at 6:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m. And all this information and more and and also
information on um mail and ballot applications are on our website. >> And I think the sample ballots did arrive this past week. >> Sample ballots should have already. >> Okay. >> So if you go early voting, you can do it right here no matter what your precinct is. That's correct. That's right.
>> Or anywhere in Mercer that has Well, anywhere that has an early voting location. Yes. >> Yes. Right. So, >> exactly. There's no reason not to vote. We have many options. >> Um consent agenda. We don't have any public hearing. >> Okay. Uh minutes. April 13th, 2026,
business session as amended. April 27th, 2026, business session as amended. Bills and claims. Does anybody want to um remove anything from the agenda? >> No. All right. Can I get a motion to approve um the minutes?
>> So moved. >> Consent agenda. >> Sorry. Consent agenda. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Charles, >> yes. >> Jivers, >> yes. >> Mandel, >> yes. >> Weiss, >> yes. >> Gwas, >> yes. Recommendations from administration and council
>> 2026-R0108 endorsing the application for membership to the New Jersey State Firefighters Association for Andrew P. Kerseria Cercio of the West Windsor Volunteer Fire Company number one 2026-R109
endorsing the application for membership to the New Jersey State Firefighters Association for Hunter J. Wadsworth of the West Windsor Volunteer Fire Company number one 2026-R111 authorizing the appointment of Dartivora as a member of the Human Relations
Council with a term to expire on January 14th, 2028, 2026-R112 authorizing the insertion of a special item of revenue into the 2026 municipal budget from the State of New Jersey Clean Communities Program, $75,7747.
7 cents 2026-R113 authorizing the insertion of a special item of revenue into the 2026 municipal budget from the Mercer County 250th to implementation mini grant $1,800
2026-R114 authorizing the business administrator to purchase annual licensing renewals of existing software subscriptions from SHI International Corp. under the New Jersey Cooperative Purchasing Alliance contract
CK04 subcontract 24-38 with the county of Bergen 63,192.15 2026-R115 authorizing the mayor and clerk to execute a letter of agreement with the Estates of Princeton Junction Homeowners Association Inc. for license plate
reader camera systems and equipment 2026-R116 authorizing the business administrator to purchase a 5-year license software subscription from Kerosoft Technology Corp. under NASPO New Jersey state contract number 19-
COMP-000060126,255.80 80 cents 2026-R117 authorizing the mayor and clerk to execute a professional services agreement with Aurora and Associates for professional uh conform performance review and inspection services in
developments and miscellaneous engineering projects $3,000 2026-R118 authorizing the mayor and clerk to execute a contract with Earl Asphalt Company for emergency road pavement repair on village Road West and New
Village Road $90,124.75 2026-R119 authorizing the mayor and clerk to execute two facility use rental agreements with Cranberry Township Recreation Summer Camp and Robinsville Township Recreation Summer Camp for use
of the Leisure and Baby Pool at Waterworks and two facility use rental agreements with Hamilton Aquatics Club and Princeton Tigers for use of the lap for practice at Waterworks. Right. Um, does anybody want to pull
anything? Okay. Can I get a motion to approve resolutions 2026 R 108 through R um >> 119
>> 119. >> So move. >> Second. >> Charles, >> yes. >> Jivers, >> yes. Mando, >> yes. >> Weiss, >> yes. >> Gowas, >> yes. >> Um, we don't have any introduction of ordinances. This is the second round of
public comment. 15minut period. Same rules. Um, 3 minute limit per person. Um, does anybody in the audience want to say anything? All right, seeing none, uh, public
comment is now closed. Let's move on to council reports. Um that's about it from this side. Joe, >> um yeah, the parking authority met uh continued discussion about the bus depot project which continues to move along. Um continued discussion about potential
solar at some of the parking lots, particularly Upper Vaughn. So that's uh progressing uh potentially. Um one interesting thing they they did talk about health insurance and and then the costs there. uh how it's increasing just like it is for every municipality in the school
district. Although there's only a few handful of employees at the parking authority, so not not really a big impact, but uh similar to what's going on everywhere else. >> Andrea, >> uh West Windsor Environmental Commission held its meeting on May 14th. We've
received an ANject grant for $1,000 that'll be used to increase and improve our West Windsor Echo Garden area with pollinator gardens, rain gardens, sitting area, and a little library in community park. And thank you to student advisor Yuang Wang who spearheaded the
grant request. The next meeting will be June 11th. The Emergency Management Council does not have a meeting scheduled yet for the second quarter. I'll put in another request to get one. Thank you. Okay, Linda. >> The planning board met on May 20th and
approved PB26-04. This is for a subdivision of a lot into two new lots on a property on Route One. One lot will serve the Fogo Decha restaurant and the other lot will serve the hotel. Planning board will also also
approved a motion to carry the Princeton Ascend application to a future date to be determined. Uh the Shade Treaty Commission meets this Wednesday, May 27th at 6:30 p.m. in room B. >> Okay. Dan, >> yes. The uh board of ed met a couple
weeks ago was actually one of their brief meetings, mostly congratulating the um the student representatives as this was their last meeting of the the academic year. There were also um the unusually large number of people attending the meeting um all wearing um
identical clothing and you know insignia on their t-shirts that were apparently part of the believe the cafeteria workers and aid union. Um they every seat was filled. Um but they did not make any comments and my understanding
is that they just want that there's apparently a negotiation in process and they just wanted to make their presence felt. Um they're all very polite >> contract some contract negotiations. >> What did I say? Did I say something different? >> Service contract.
>> Are they are they board of ed employees or are they employees of a company that we hire? Do you know? >> I think it's employees of the company that the the school district. I don't know off the top of my head. >> Okay. I think I thought we contracted some of that out. >> Yeah. >> Yes.
>> Part of the union. >> Part of the union. >> Um and there's actually a board of ed meeting tonight which conflicts obviously with today's meeting because of the holiday schedule. So I'll have information when we next meet. >> Okay. >> All right. Uh my turn. uh human relation
council is very busy working and planning on um the diversity day community picnic on June 13th um with rain date of June 14th. It's it's going to be from noon to 4 at community park.
Um, one of the resolutions that we um passed earlier um talked about um the um Mercer County 250th implementation mini grant. Um that grant um was applied for
by uh human relations council. They're using that grant to um play a reenactment of 250th. Um so they there's going to be a skit performed by human relations at the picnic. So that just a
little about what that grant was. I don't have anything else to report. Um administration, do we have any additional updates? Okay. So then we can move on to the um new business
discussion department of public works brush and leaf proposal. Mayor These two are working. Not that one. >> That one's got a different thing on. >> Yeah.
just want to ask. >> Okay. Thank you very much. Um, as I've been talking to um, as I mentioned during the uh, uh, my budget presentation that I was going to come up with a proposal to change the way um, the township does brush and leaf
pickup. Uh the main reason for doing that is uh we can't keep up with um with the resources we have. We can't keep up with whatever we were doing before. So the two choices are either to increase
the resources, manpower and or change the way we do something and either do less of something or um drop a service and or um do it uh less number of times. Uh so
this is a proposal that uh originated uh from DPW. um they uh suggested that this will help them do their job much better. Uh so the important part is that we are not trying to eliminate any service. Um for example
uh um whatever they were doing before they will continue to do that. We are just trying to adjust the timing when we will do that. And I when I go through the proposal um you will see what I mean. Um, residents can dispose of brush
and leaves at public works any um any time uh 12 months uh Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on Saturday between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. at their facility on Southfield Road. Um landscape contractors can come
as long as they are accompanied by homeowners. We want to make sure uh we are not getting stuff from out of town by landscape contractors dropping there. So, as long as the contractors because I um I realize that most homeowners uh
including me, I have no way of carrying leaves and brush to the um public works facility. But uh many times people do large projects that generate a lot of brush and uh mostly contractors do this
job and they can accompany contractors and drop it at uh public works facility. Uh so as I mentioned we are adjusting the timing for various services during the year. Just to give you an idea of how much
loads we have picked and they vary um they vary every year depending on uh storms and other events. But just as a comparison in 2002 we picked up roughly about 560 uh loads or 13 14,000 cubic
yards of load. And now we are um at the peak we have picked up uh 20,000 uh in 24 or even 19,000 in um 25. So it's roughly 50% increase in uh cubic yards
we are picking. Um we haven't had um that much increase in u employees. I had asked the number of employees in 2002. I didn't get a chance to uh put it in there. Again, one of the things is the these are these employees are listed
here for a budgeting purpose, but uh the DPW chief has ability to move them. Um for example, if a lot of potholes need to be fixed, he have the ability to move people from one department to the other as long as they have the skills to do
that. So, uh these are these are from our budget document roughly u represented for budgeting reason. uh just to give an uh brush and leaf pickup is mainly done by road department. So these are only some of
the responsibilities that they do uh be beyond uh leaf and brush pickup. Um one of the things that surprised me when I became mayor is we still have some uh gravel roads in the uh in town and they
are resoned or regraded. um couple of times a year and I only found out because somebody called and complained that hey their uh road needs to be done third time because of some storm or something happened. Now at
least on one occasion I have offered them to pave the road and remove the hassle but they don't want to pay it. They want it like it is now. So at some point because this takes a lot of time and effort. So at some point someone may
have to make a decision that we are just going to pave it and we can't help maintain it there. But the other things you probably uh familiar with Marina just mentioned about uh shredding event. Um and these are the common things that
they do uh during the leaf season the peak leaf season. They generally work Monday through Friday 7 to 3. That's their normal working hours. And then they do uh 2 and 1/2 hours overtime uh till 5:30 on whoever wants to do it. Not
mandatory. Uh similarly they work Saturday for 7 and 1/2 hours. And in spite of all this um they don't um sometimes they don't finish um I we have we have divided the township in four
zones and each week we do one zone. So first week of the month zone one, second week of the month zone 2, third week of the one zone 3 and if there's a fifth week uh in a month which occasionally happens then they go back and finish uh
whatever is not done or it gives them a chance to catch up if there's a fifth week. If there's no fifth week uh it's very difficult to catch up. Now some of you may have noticed this year they are way behind. They are roughly uh four weeks behind. So, it's essentially like
missing a whole month. Um and that's mainly because there's been three big snowstorms and a lot of potholes and um and had to be fixed. And then one zone they had to move back and redo it because there was snow on the ground and
a very legitimate uh concern that the the homeowners didn't have a time to or ability to uh collect all the leaves and brush. So I'm going to go uh the year is divided into different segments based on
what DPW does on in those months and I'm going to go through uh those segments. Some will have three months, some will have two months. Uh the top portion says what we currently do and the bottom portion says what we propose to do. Uh
so um uh in this case uh we are proposing that the peak season November, December, January we will only collect leaf and in January we will collect Christmas tree collection. I mean I was surprised how much how many Christmas trees they still collect and I'll talk
about it a little later. So that's the proposal that we won't collect brush during these three months. Um uh 2022 the state required the state law required everybody to separate uh leaves and leaves and brush.
Most of the people have been very good and they have been doing that. I mean surprisingly most people um were informed and they started doing that in 22. So on that front we rarely ever had a trouble that everything is mixed. Um
but they they're recommending that we not collect brush. We just focus on leaves during these three months when they have to collect a lot of leaves in February and March. Uh they are collect they are suggesting that uh they
not collect any either brush or leaf. Uh they're very little leaves left in February and March and that will that's the peak snow season. So that will allow them to focus on snow fence remover, street tree maintenance, road sides
trash and street sweeping, uh guardrail maintenance, pothole repairs. We have a especially this year with a very bad snowstorms, we had a lot of potholes open up. Um one of the complaints we I
often get is roadside trash. Surprisingly, um a number of complaints I get about roadside crash. Some of them are on county roads. So we just tell them on uh pass them on to county but even street roads. Um we get a lot of complaints
about roads road roadside trash. So that's that's the proposal. April, May, June uh they are not proposing any changes. They will continue to do what they currently do. Street maintenance, roadside rash, roadside mowing, guardrail maintenance,
bottle repairs, crack sealing. Again another complaint I get often is that uh roadside is not mowed properly. Um so that's what uh they currently do and they will continue to do that. They also
mow uh fields for soccer for cricket um any sports they play they do the mowing uh for those uh uh sports leagues. uh in July and uh August. Currently we do brush collection. They are
recommending that they not do any brush or leaf collection in July and August as well. And that will help them focus on the other things especially tree tree maintenance. Uh a lot of people complain that trees are not being pruned uh in
time. So that will help them focus on that. Again September and October they're not uh they are not proposing any change. Uh we currently only collect brush because there are hardly any leaves that fall.
Uh in October they start actually falling but not significant number. So they're suggesting we only collect brush and they're not proposing any changes. Um people have asked during this discussion what happens on the county
roads. On county roads the township collects brush. uh county collects leaves but sometimes we have to assist county uh whenever possible to collect leaves as well. Um I'm not 100% sure how that division happened or when that
division happened but that's the uh current policy of we collect brush and the county collects leaves. So this is uh this chart is tough to read but there's a copy of that on your dice. So as you will see um the leaf
collection there's not much change only the months are changed uh two months are changed they proposed to start collecting January instead of March uh so there are 6 months in the year they will collect leaves the brush collections will be significantly cut down they are recommending that instead
of collecting brush 10 months of the year they will only collect five months of the year and one of the questions uh came up is how much would that entail? Um well I had shared this um uh or
talked about this before and one of the questions came up is how much would that entail? Uh so as I mentioned before in January we collect about 125 cubic yards of Christmas trees. I was little surprised uh to hear that. I I didn't
think so many people still use uh real Christmas trees, but that's what they collected uh last year. Um if you use the data from 2025 um separated between brush and leaf, if you drop the brush pickup for 5 months
as they're recommending March, July, August, November and December, they will roughly collect uh 22% r brush. They collected roughly 4,225 cubic in those five months and the total collection in 25 was 19,300 cubic yard.
So roughly about 22% risk collection. Now people always have a option of going and dropping it in uh at the facility on Southfield Road. That's far more efficient because once the uh can is
full they simply have to send one person with the can to empty it in Hamilton where we generally empty it. So I just want to council to have a discussion of what are the priorities about various activities of DPW.
Uh what activities you would like them to focus more on. what activities you would like to focus less on. Would the council like to enforce a limit of how much material uh per house that we collect? I know some people have
commented on how much is left outside uh some of these houses when people do projects with using landscapers. Um and then in future years would you like to increase the budget? If yes, how much? And if we do run into budget
problem, then there's no free lunch. You have to decide somewhere else to cut. And again, as I spoke during my budget presentation, there are several areas of the budget that already exceed the 2% or 3% cap we get from the state. So if you
increase in one area, you have to um uh take out in some other area. And would you like stronger enforcement? People always complain that people leave stuff out just after DPW collects. Uh or
people leave stuff out in the bike lanes. If you would like stronger enforcement, how strong enforcement would you like? We generally do do write citations, but we are not ownorous about it. We don't go looking for people who are violating like some other townships
do. We don't send people looking for uh people violating or leaving stuff out. Um we if we notice it, we do cite it or if some somebody complains, we do cite it. But we don't go looking for people to find. And if we require change in
ordinances to achieve some of these things that you may wish to achieve. Are you willing to do new ordinances or um change existing ordinances to accomplish whatever um you want to accomplish.
Now this is a tricky situation because there's no right or wrong answer in this. It's based on your your preferences, your priorities. Some people may want one, some people may want other. As I mentioned during um budget discussion two weeks ago, there
are people in town who have said I don't care, just charge me more taxes um but I want more services and just forget for the time time being about um the 3% uh expenditure cap. Um, as I said last
time, this year the taxes are increasing roughly $59 a month. For some people that's not a big issue. For some people that's a huge issue. $700 a year is a huge issue for some people. But there are people in town who say, "I don't care. Just increase my taxes, give me
more services." There are on the other extreme, there are people who say even $720 is a lot of money. So we'll have to find a balance and see how much more uh we are willing to do and in what fashion we are doing willing to do that. So there's no right or wrong answer.
Whatever your preferences are, whatever you hear from public um and whatever you agree to, I would like to hear. If five council members come up with a consensus, um great then I don't have to uh pick and choose. But if there's a
difference of opinion uh we will have to choose an option or just leave it as it is. I mean that's always an option. Leave it as it is and if we run late we run late. Um but uh depending on then we'll have to do uh preferences and once
we choose if things don't work out there's always possibility of going back. It's not uh written in stone that once we change that's what it is. we will continue to monitor the situation. One of the reasons I'm coming with this is whatever we have is running into
trouble in the sense that we are not um meeting the expectations that people have um and we are running late. Uh so that's why uh and if you change and it still doesn't improve the situation or makes it worse, we always willing to go
back to the drawing board, change it again or go back to the whatever we were doing originally. Uh so um these are some future timeline I have in mind. Today we are having a council discussion. I'm going to post
this proposal on web and send out a um uh email blast to the public. So they will know about the proposal. They can have they can email comments uh to the email brush and leaf at west citywp.co. Every comment that's received to that
email is automatically forwarded to all council members and me and DPW and some people in DPW. So if you have comment on the proposal, just send it to that. The more concrete the comment is, more specific the comment is, less easier it
is to deal with. If you write an essay and at the end of the essay I don't realize or I don't understand exactly what you like, what you don't like, I will read the comment. uh but I didn't get anything out of the comments. So the more uh specific you are the better it
is good, bad, ugly. Uh again as I said there's no right or wrong answer. Whatever you your preferences are just let us know what your preferences are and we will take that into consideration before finalizing the uh policy. I do expect to come back to the council at
some point. don't have a timeline some point to come up with um either the same proposal or modified proposal based on the comments we receive. We will have another uh public discussion and if needed I will get somebody from DPW at
that discussion to answer any technical questions we have. Uh but again as I have said in the past to the council members this is really a policy decision. It's not for DPW employees to make that decision. It's for the administration and council to make that
decision because it's a policy decision. This is not I mean if I wanted to buy a a leaf truck, I will depend on DPW to give me an input which leaf truck to buy. I will give less importance to council. But this is a policy decision. Whatever you feel as a more important
than whatever a DPW DPW will do whatever we ask them to do. Um and then we hope to implement whatever changes we agree to starting November 1 when the leaf season starts in full bloom.
So that's the thing. So I would request council members to discuss. I would request somebody to keep I mean we will keep track of what you're saying but somebody to keep track of and come up with some kind of the more specific the
suggestions are the better they are but I would like to hear from everybody what they are and then you will hear once this is public you will hear from your neighbors and your friends definitely so you can again tabulate them and send them out. So,
>> thanks mayor. Um, and thanks for getting some of the data that we had asked for. Um, let's let's um go one by one. Do we want to start? Linda, do you want to go first? >> Um, thanks mayor for for the presentation that gets us started with a
a new discussion here. Um, I I see it as more than more than just policy. I see it also as ordinance ordinance work and it and our ordinance should be reviewed and brought up to to date. Um I would be more than happy to serve on any ad hoc
committee to work on on all of this. Um let me say f first like the the proposal doesn't address it's the major issue of volume of how much brush is allowed to be placed at the curb.
um we need to set parameters for how much can be placed in front of people's homes. For example, I've looked at some other um local townships uh and they said 12 ft long by 4t wide by 3t high, you know, you can you can do whatever
you want, but if we just say 5t across, I mean, it's that's that's not happening. I have driven and I'm sure you guys have have, you know, you're all over town and see different neighborhoods. Sometimes it's straight across the front of someone's house. Sometimes it's straight across along
along the side and and it's not five feet and and and there are tree trunks and and you know logs and different things and and it's just like like unsustainable at the pace that people are putting out debris and or leaves,
but the debris is filling up the trucks. Um and and so something has to give. I've been here 31 years. So, all the developments that came in late 80s, the 90s, early 2000s, all of those those pine trees, trees, bushes, um, a lot of
them are either dying or they're getting pulled up with storms. And a lot of this stuff is being put out by people who live there. You know, they're not having their contractor put it out. They're they're putting it out. And sometimes it's put out a week after their
collection date, so it sits there for a month. That's that's another issue. So, all right. So, so I think the volume we should determine how much that you can put out and and discuss that. Uh second, um there's some some properties are
putting out brush and or leaves both in front of their house and and in the back of their house, which backs up to some of the main artery roads, collector roads. So I I know the properties may be deep and and so they're putting it out and sometimes the all that brush is
maybe sometimes overhanging or in the bicycle lanes. So that's that's another issue. So they can put it out at front, they can put it out at back, but I think it should just might be easier just to have a rule. It maybe even safer that they put it out in front is that they
put it out back on a busy road than the DPW trucks. um makes it I think a little bit um more cumbersome, you know, maybe less safe in in stopping the trucks and and doing that. Um,
third, I think we need strong enforcement or violations will continue because I see a lot of violations out there and we seem to react when somebody complains, but um there doesn't seem to be a lot of
enforcement. I know that's timeconuming. I know they may have to go uh zoning officer or someone else or police officer, whoever is like issuing some kind of violation and then they have to go to court for one night. But if word gets out that it that if you don't do
what you're supposed to do and the time frame or the size of the uh the load that you're putting out front is violated, then then you're going to, you know, might wind up with a fine and or go to court. So, I think that that needs to be addressed, too. Um, and a lot of
that can be looked at uh in the ordinance. Uh, fourth, I would check with um Alyssa Stannis Law, our township uh landscape architect, because uh Shay Commission is working on a draft community forestry management plan that
is due to the DP by December 31st. So they're they're going to have things in this plan that are going to require the township to take you can take care of um you know trees and different things. So the you know pruning the planting or watering or different things. So that's
I would also touch base um with her. uh see 50 article six of our code like I said the township code regarding this uh needs um to be updated take a look at it
now we're starting to do this and I think we should just broaden it a bit and and take a look at the um township code which which we have a lot we have that you know >> and maybe it just needs to be uh looked at and there's some do it all at once
because there's it's a lot different things here. There's enforcement and penalties. It's yard waste collection. Um there there's different things. >> Okay. The policy would be implemented through an ordinance amendment. >> Yep. >> That's how
>> Yeah. Right. Right. >> So the mayor is just saying it's just a policy. I see it as an ordinance. Well, once we once we decide once we come up with an agreement on what policy we want to move on, I think the right way of moving on would be to update the
>> update or taking notes of speed and >> discuss um ordinances that need to look at. >> Okay. >> Well, the policy is what's our preferences and what we consider more
important than something else. But the actual laying out of what the rules are, that has to be done by ordinance. >> Okay, Dan. >> Um, so I'll just I agree with Linda's comment. I agree with Linda's comment about um volume and size of these piles
and um less less aligned about doing the fines. I think for real egregious um violations like I've seen um uh contractors take entire trees down and then stack them up in the in the
curb. That kind of stuff we really need to >> stop happening. But >> part of the challenge with people putting stuff out maybe too early is there's it's hard to figure out when um your street is is going to be serviced. And so I would hate to be sort of
punishing people for what I would consider minor minor vi violations. Um so it's in in response to some Linda's comments. Um I think the change in the leaf brush is a no-brainer. You're essentially you're providing the same
number of months of service. We're just shifting it to the times when it's needed. Makes perfect sense. Um, changing the brush service from 10 to 5 is a substantial change in this service. Um, I'm not saying that's good or bad. It's just it is and it will impact
people. Um, so one, just circle back. I really appreciate the the process that you're following and the opportunity to engage the public to get their feedback because we're only five voices and there's 30,000 people that live here. So, it's great um that we're taking the
time to get that information. Um me personally regarding brush collection um so if you're in zone one um your brushes typically according to schedule will be collected at the very beginning of the month um and so those folks and and it
seems from the commentary that I saw that a significant amount of the brush is in the sort of the May June time frame. Um and which is why July and August are kind of on the lower side. Makes sense. Um, but if you're in zone one and your brush is getting collected
in the first week of June, that means that the entire rest of June, you're not going to get another brush collection until September. So, my gut reaction is to say, well, maybe we should continue brush collection in July as well,
add a month to go instead of from 10 to 5, maybe 10 to six. um to give that sort of buffer. Um I think um I think every zone is going to have a slightly different scenario. And so it'd
be interesting to see actually I I saw you put data there that showed the annual number of loads and and and tonnage per calendar year. curious if that data is available on a month-by-month basis because that would
really be a great correlation to show. >> I have some um >> you don't have to answer it now, but I think that's part of the part of understanding sort of the impact. Um and I think it's more so about number of loads as opposed to the amount of of
stuff because if you're, as I said, if you're in zone one, you're going to have to go basically the entire month of June without um any brush. Well, it's it's not only it's not only loads, but you have to break it up between the brush and the leaves now because they're >> we're only talking about brush
collection in a month. >> Yes, but with the other there's a the chart all together. >> The data >> might need to to be specific about whether it's combined or if it's one or >> we need that divvied up. So otherwise they could be totally one way or the other.
>> Correct. Correct. Um currently there's um no leaf collection in July and August. So any data will have to obviously be only brush. Um and the final thing I think this is a great opportunity to look at ways to um to
provide automated notification to residents about these services when they're delivered. Um similar to sort of how we do about notifying when taxes are due. Um if and we have the data and I think we have the technology to be able
to do that that if somebody wants to sign up and say I live in zone one and if they don't know what zone all they need to do is give us their street address and we could figure it out for them. I want to sign up for leaf pickup alerts
so that I don't know the week before their their um their zone is done is is on the schedule and they get an email to say this is a friendly reminder that next week your zone is on the schedule for leave.
>> Actually, we actually have an app that does that. However, the app doesn't change when the information changes. So the app always tells you that zone one is theoretically for instance. So we could change we if that app was just update >> the devil are in the details there.
>> So if that was updated you would have an automatic >> it has to be able to be synchronized with neartime work that's occurring and >> we can you know as you said it's easy if there's a fixed schedule you could send those alerts out fix but the reality is
that there's always going to be shifts. Even when things are working well there's probably always going to be shifts. And so how do you account for those shifts in the notification system? Again, this is not rocket science. Um it can it requires a little bit of work, but I think that would be a great way to
do that. And and if you do that, to me, that also leads to providing the same type of service for garbage pickup and recycling pickup. If somebody says, "Hey, I want to know when these services are being delivered to me. Please let me
know through this method." Um, I think that would actually go a long way to any kind of changes because it would help people be more aware and be more um mindful of when they should be doing their gardening work. >> Garbage and recycle. I just look at my
neighbor to >> see when Well, I do that too a lot. I look out the window like, "Oh yes, my neighbor's garbage." >> Actually, the app is like 95% accurate for that. >> The recycle coach is pretty accurate because it doesn't change much. It's this is where they run behind that
>> this one an issue and so it's always it's always giving the theoretical it's not giving. >> Yeah. Yeah. But I mean they're all similar ways of communicating and based on um individual needs. So I think that sort of customization and
personalization um would be super helpful and I think would be seen very positively. >> Yep. Okay. Um, Andrew, >> um, I think probably we need to go back with what we're trying to do here. Um,
first thing that we're trying to do is to do more of all of these other items here, the roadside trash, the mowing, the swing, the guard rail maintenance, the pothole repair. And that's one question with what priority each one
might have. But the bottom line is that there's a bucket of other things that we want to do and we wish to be able to do more of everything in that bucket, we can always talk policy about which between them which is more important.
Um, and the second thing that we want to do is if we're telling people that we're going to going to be picking up everything in zone one during a certain week that we could possibly shift all those weeks because sometimes it snows
and it snows in March and you're not going to do that. But in the at the end of the day, if you're saying, "I'm going to be able to do one zone within one week," then that becomes something that I think we want to have as a target so
that you're never starting zone one on a Monday and then finishing zone one on in the almost the middle of two weeks later. So somehow we need to get to some quantity or some ability to pick up that whatever that time period is we can
finish. Maybe maybe we should be looking at something like okay we extend these time periods a little bit. Um so that we're always finished before the week's out and then we go do some of this other stuff. Maybe maybe there's other options >> or it brings us back to the u question about which volume we
>> right and then the the other main question is I'm looking at for instance brush collection. Um I'm coming up with five instead of 10. Um there's no math that works out that we're suddenly going
to be producing less brush. Um somehow we're not going to be able to collect it that much quicker. So if part of the issue is well we have trucks and they go all around and they're collecting brush and maybe one out of 10 houses has brush
if we could see that kind of number then I could understand saying okay we're wasting a lot of time by going around but in most cases this is bat chore just just like trucks you know are loaded out by how much weight and you can't put anymore
um they take the they take the truck with the brush they fill it up till the top or wherever you allow to fill it up to. Then they have to go drive to Hamilton, take the brush over. They can't put any more brush in that truck, I assume, while that's going on. So somehow or other, as I think everybody
said, in some way, if we have the same amount that we're actually picking up and we're trying to do it in less collections, all that's going to do is make a collection take maybe twice as long. And that doesn't solve our issue.
So, we need to find some way that we're um not only optimizing, but that we're picking up a certain amount that's going to actually decrease our amount of time. Because in the end, this is all about time and and trucks
and people and we and if we can't decrease it and we're just moving it to a different time of the year, that's not going to buy us anything. Um, so some some kind of rules. I mean, I always was told that the rule was if you have a
contractor doing a huge job, the contractor is responsible for the material. Um, I don't think we enforce that in any way. We've all just been talking about going down roads where the stuff's in the middle of the road already. You can go down New Village
Road or you can go down Edinburg Road and not only is the bike lane full, but it's going into into the road and as soon as the weather hits, it's going further. um as a as a as a standard policy and I believe it's in the law is
that we should not be having any of the stuff in the bike lanes because we spend a fortune on these bike lanes and um by putting putting these things in them where somebody's going on a bike and they're suddenly have to veer out of the way we're making them more dangerous. So
that should that should be a given. I know we talk about it all the time, but I don't know how we can enforce enforce that piece of it. Um, so I I would kind of like to see this sort of laid out with how much during any given month we
actually pick up now of brush and and of leaves. Um, see where we're totally basically driving around and picking very little up and that we can probably eliminate. Um but in the other cases if we're picking a lot up the we have to
answer the question of what happens with it. Are we asking people to store it on their property in which case we we um wind up picking it up later and taking longer? Are we asking people to bring it themselves and that becomes where yes we are offering less of a of a service
because we're saying they have to bring it themselves in some way. Um, so, so I would want to see them see this kind of laid out and see how much extra time we actually wind up getting um, for uh, for
some of the pieces here that aren't as obvious. >> Joe, question. Why Why doesn't the county collect brush on on the county roads? Do do you know the answer to that? That's one of the things I said I don't
I just because somebody asked me about county road so I just found out that four I will there must be some historic reason I don't know why we pick on county road only one out of two hey is the guy yeah >> maybe Mike has the answer
>> but the reason they don't the county roads only take care of things that are part of the road or pertinent there too meaning like if there's like a uh sewer or you know something that has to do with the road. It is their theory of the
case that the brush that is produced is not part of the roadway. It's a part of that properties and brush is that >> don't don't give him any idea. will cancel. >> Just understand if one is and one is not.
>> The branch the leaves are produced on township property, but the >> sensitive. >> Yeah. I I I I don't know the answer, but I'll try to find out. I mean, yeah. >> Yeah. My point in asking is if we're if we're doing something that the county
should be doing, then, you know. Yeah. Okay. See I for example I know county will not build sidewalks even on county road. If we have to build we have to pay for it and we'll build. So although it's a county road there are some things that
they won't do on their own roads. I don't know the reason for the policy but >> it sees me but I'll find out. If you look at um under law county jurisdiction I've actually had arguments in court it
is anything that has to do with that county whe >> but they take the snow >> they because it's something that is >> on the road >> the brush is not on the road brush leads that kind of thing are produced on
township or township resident property and then transported out. >> Okay. So, basically you're saying if you produce a bunch of garbage in your house and you throw it in the road, it's not their issue. >> Well, clean it up. >> Yeah. Well, I'm but it's not it's not
the county's responsibility. You shouldn't have put it there. Maybe >> they can have it kind of put things up. Okay, we got rid of the equipment. We
>> Okay, Joe, you have um just with respect to brush collection, I guess the concern I would have with this new schedule is you're going a full five months from November through the end of March with with no brush collection, right before
it was only two months. Uh I would say, you know, currently right now by the time March rolls around, there's a lot of brush that you know has piled up just under, you know, two month period. I don't know how much would pile up over a fivemonth period, especially somebody puts a bunch
of brush out. Um, in the first week of November, it could sit there for almost 6 months. So, um, you know, that that would be a concern with the with the brush schedule to to look at. Um, with respect to how much people put
out, um, you know, I agree. We had a contractor do some work and they they took everything away. um we could, you know, we could make an ordinance or tell people to do that, but how how are we going to enforce that, right? If we're not going to enforce it, then everybody's just going to ignore
it. So, unless we're going to have people actually go and and write tickets, then um you know, it's sort of with some of the stuff at the parking authority, right, where if they drop a warning on somebody's car, you're parked in the wrong zone, people don't pay any
attention to it because just a warning. and that's why we, you know, changed the ordinance for that. So, unless if we're not going to enforce it, then I don't know how you how you're going to prevent people from putting, you know, whatever they want um out in the road.
Uh, as far as priority, I I mean, my highest priority item I would say would be pothole repairs and road maintenance. I would personally have that at the top of the list, especially in the springtime months when you when you come out of the winter. So if I was ranking you know all these things I would um
that would be my number one item. So those are just some initial initial thoughts. >> Okay. I think I think we have covered everything and um one thing that I would like to see is if we can get the monthby-month data and um
so we can see where we are lagging or where we need more I think would be helpful. um as you as I think Dan mentioned um for example zone one gets picked up at the beginning of um June and now they don't have leaf pickup
until November. So they're going basically without any leaf pickup for 5 months, right? They get picked up June, the first week of June and but then the next pickup would be for them would be first
week of November essentially. And so things like that if we need to see if there is some adjustments that we need to do for catching up I think might help. Um otherwise we'll be we always have the op residents always have the
option of going to DPW and dro dropping it off. Um but I I would like to see the month monthto-month um data. I think that would be helpful. Um and I agree if we are play putting some rules if we are not enforcing it then there's no point
um to put rules out like you know it's like with our kids right if there are no consequences then what's the point of the rules so um that's something that we need to look at >> right you you put you were proposing
January for leaf collection I know. I think it was sheer book development where the leaves they someone wrote to us and and it was very late and falling kind of thing. So maybe instead of saying yes to the entire township, say yes if there's
certain neighborhoods where the leaves come down very very late. >> That's a slippery slope when you try to evaluate tree >> in January. It's >> no Linda. That's the trucks are going around. No. >> No. There's there's nothing like
neighbor. It just depends on the type of >> type of trees. Right. Just to give you example, >> our neighborhood, my street comes very late. >> Uh Dwood Code opposite side. They're all done by October. I mean, there's nothing on the le tree by October. Mine doesn't
come down till almost end of December. It's just the type of tree and and >> combination. It's the type of tree and what the weather patterns are. I mean weather pattern in Clarendon and this is not much different. I mean it's it's one that's not
>> I mean it's so strange they have nothing >> by by Halloween they have nothing left >> and ours hasn't even fallen a single leaf by Halloween whatever >> type of the tree it's a it's a slippery slope like how do you say one
neighborhood gets picked up but the other neighborhood doesn't >> no I think it'd be interesting to see as >> if there's data >> the actual number of >> the shrew Sherbrook we went back this year only because there was snow on the ground >> and leaves were collected by snow. So,
uh, we went back. We didn't advertise that we'll be going back in zone one because we didn't want people to not if they could not put it out, but that's the only reason we went back to otherwise I do get a lot of requests and we'd never go back because once we do
for one, we have to do for everybody else. >> And the um, it's not just how late the leaves fall, but it's also the ability of the homeowner to actually collect them and get them out on on the curb. So that also adds potentially a week or two. It's not like where everybody's
just waiting for the the exact second to to to clear their yard. >> Is the weather during >> which the leaves get placed out >> and I think we saw snow issues that impacted people. So there there's a lot of contributing factors and that's why I
think >> we have to be a little bit flexible and provide enough sort of >> boundaries on both ends to accommodate those situations. Yeah. Um I mean I get the I get the whole neighborhoods leave so minus 100 times. But another option would be something like we have four
zones now that I don't know how long we've had four zones. I don't know if those zones are equalized. I mean we just redid the voting districts. We've got voting districts with like two people in them now I think. But anyway, but but there there may be some need to
look at equalizing the the zones and there also may be a need to go to a fifth week where there's no pickup and using that fifth week um on an on an ongoing basis for um doing some of these
other jobs which you know which aren't always seasonal. So uh that might be another option >> but to by doing that it will be everything would be moving every time. >> Yeah every month is not doesn't have five weeks and I like this structure
because I don't have to think too much. Mine is zone four it's fourth week right if you keep moving. >> It's moving now anyway cuz it's never that it's never when you think it's going to be. So it's very rare. >> That's what we need to figure out. why
um we're not are are we able to complete each zone in that given one full week? If not, then what's the reason for doing that? And I think that brings us back to the question of >> that goes back to Tony's operational, you know, >> right? But but I'm just saying we
shouldn't be that whatever if it works out that breaking us into four and breaking us into a different number or skipping something is the way to go. If we have good communication, we can tell people that's that's their week. It doesn't
have to be because nobody ever thinks about it like this is my March pickup or my April pickup. Everybody it's what zone am I and where are they? So, uh, I'm just saying we have we should keep an open mind and and not straight jacket anybody.
>> I mean, this year there's no clean fifth week in any month. I was just looking at the calendar. So, we'll we'll we'll we I did write down do we need to reorganize zones? So, I did write down that that is a question. So, >> yeah. No, I think I think this is a good discussion. We have some good data here.
Um, we need a little more information would be helpful. Um I like the fact that we are reaching out to the residents to get their input before we you know move forward with any any change. >> So all of you should get all the emails
that will come. I did test it one using my township email and one using my personal email and everything went about that. >> Yeah. >> Uh just don't do reply all because it will go to everybody. Yeah. Um and hopefully you just keep collect
something and don't reply to every email because that may get overwhelming and um once I send it tomorrow wait for 3 4 weeks and then we'll see what uh response we get and then I'll send another reminder again that this is either you give you input now or please
don't come next year and complain. I didn't know that. So >> and uh this this uh presentation is going to go on the website. Yeah, this presentation will go on the website as well. So, >> right. >> Thank you very much. You kept it short.
I can go watch the fifth game. >> Um, if anybody >> does anybody else have anything else to add? If not, then we can move on. Um, any additional administration updates? >> No. >> Nope. Um, we don't need close session.
So, can I get a motion to adjurnn? >> So, move. >> Second. >> All in favor? I >> meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m. >> Thank you everyone.