HAVE IT. WE WILL MOVE RIGHT INTO OUR 6:00 SESSION OR OUR WHAT IS KNOWN AS OUR REGULAR MEETING.
[00:00:07]
ANY ADDITIONAL REPORTS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION.[PROCLAMATION]
[INAUDIBLE].SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT YET, MR. ESPOSITO, HE IS ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION TEAM.
HE SAT ON THE BOARD AND VOLUNTEERED FOR US FOR ABOUT 40 YEARS.
YES. IF I MAY SAY SO, WE CREATED THIS PROCLAMATION FOR HIM.
AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'M GOING TO READ IT TO YOU.
ALL RIGHT. WHERE IS MR. DONALD ESPOSITO? HAS SERVED ON THE SOMERSET COUNTY CULTURAL AND HERITAGE COMMISSION FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS, SPENDING MANY OF THOSE AS THE PRESIDENT.
AND. WHEREAS, MR. ESPOSITO WAS FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE SOMERSET COUNTY CULTURAL AND HERITAGE COMMISSION AND SERVED ON THE AD HOC STUDY COMMITTEE THAT PROPOSED THE CREATION OF A CULTURAL AND HERITAGE COMMISSION IN SOMERSET COUNTY.
AND. WHEREAS, MR. ESPOSITO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE CREATION OF THE SOMERSET COUNTY HISTORIC PRESERVATION GRANT PROGRAM AND WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE SOMERSET COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNTY HISTORIC PRESERVATION GRANT PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR 23 YEARS.
AND. WHEREAS, MR. ESPOSITO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PRESERVING AND RESTORING SEVERAL HISTORIC STRUCTURES IN THE COUNTY, INCLUDING THE GENERAL JOHN FREELING HOUSING HOUSE, NOW THE RARITAN PUBLIC LIBRARY.
AND. WHEREAS, MR. ESPOSITO FURTHER SERVES RESIDENTS OF SOMERSET COUNTY IN HIS CAPACITY AS PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THE RARITAN LIBRARY AND AS PRESIDENT OF THE FRIENDS OF SOMERSET COUNTY CULTURAL AND HERITAGE.
AND. WHEREAS, MR. ESPOSITO HAS A PROVEN RECORD OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND DEDICATION TO HIS COMMUNITY AND SOMERSET COUNTY, SO THEREFORE BE IT PROCLAIMED FROM THIS BOARD HERE WE AFFIRM OUR GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION FOR YOU, DON, AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE, AND PARTICULARLY FOR YOUR YEARS ON THE SOMERSET COUNTY CULTURAL AND HERITAGE COMMISSION, BOTH AS A MEMBER AND AS A BOARD PRESIDENT.
AND WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN YOUR CURRENT AND FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
WELL, LET ME JUST SAY, FIRST OF ALL, I'M NOT AS OLD AS THIS MAKES ME SOUND.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU START AT FIVE, IT'S OKAY.
AND IN 1984, WHEN THE EVENTS AT VETS, VETERANS OF KOREA AND VIETNAM GAVE ME THEIR AWARD FOR AMERICANISM, I SIMPLY STOOD AND SAID, THANK YOU.
WHEN THE NEW JERSEY CULTURAL EXCUSE ME, THE NEW JERSEY HISTORICAL COMMISSION GAVE ME THEIR AWARD OF RECOGNITION IN 2016, I SIMPLY STOOD AND SAID, THANK YOU.
BUT TONIGHT, I NEED TO SAY A LITTLE BIT MORE.
EXCUSE MY THROAT. I'VE GOT SINUSES AND POST NASAL DRIP.
I FIRST WANT TO THANK THE BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS WHO LISTENED TO MY ARGUMENTS IN 1983.
THEY WERE CALLED FREEHOLDERS BACK THEN.
NOW THEY'RE CALLED ELECTED COMMISSIONERS.
THEY LISTENED TO MY ARGUMENTS AND CREATED THE CULTURAL AND HERITAGE COMMISSION.
IN THE BEGINNING, THE FREEHOLDERS DID NOT COMMIT, DID NOT CREATE US WITH A BUDGET OR A STAFF.
SO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS DID THE WORK THAT STAFF DOES TODAY.
I NEED TO SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO TOM D'AMICO, WHO RODE THROUGH EVERY CRISIS WITH ME AND THE COMMISSION, AND TO KAITLIN BUNDY, WHO HAS BEEN DOING A FANTASTIC JOB.
AND TO WALTER LANE FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
[00:05:07]
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WON'T BE SILENT.AND HOPEFULLY I WILL BE HEARD.
[APPOINTMENTS]
WE HAVE THE APPOINTMENT OF SOMERSET CULTURAL AND HERITAGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE R20 3-470.IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE 23 FOR 72ND? ANY COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
BY ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS OF THE COUNTY OF SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY.
APPROPRIATING 10,002 EXCUSE ME, 10,200,000 THEREFOR, AND AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF 10,200,000 BONDS OR NOTES OF THE COUNTY FOR FINANCING AND THE COST THEREOF.
IS THERE A MOTION TO OPEN PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS ORDINANCE? ONLY? IS THERE A SECOND? ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ORDINANCE AND THIS ORDINANCE ONLY.
ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. IS THE MOTION TO ADOPT 23-399.
SECOND. ANY COMMENTS? ROLL CALL, PLEASE. [INAUDIBLE].
YES. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTIONS 23-4003 23-413.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
SO MOVE. YEAH.ANY COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
[AWARD OF CONTRACTS]
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTIONS 23-414 THROUGH 23-434.ROLL CALL, PLEASE, MR. DRAKE. YES.
ABSTAIN FROM 23-423 SUSPENSION FROM 23-423.
[FINANCE]
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTIONS 23-435 THROUGH 23-464.ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
WE HAD THE ITEMS ADDED FROM OUR WORK SESSION.
[ITEMS ADDED FROM THE FEBRUARY 28, 2023 WORK SESSION TO BE ADOPTED TONIGHT]
MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTIONS 23-465 THROUGH 23-469.SO MOVE. COMMENTS AND, QUESTIONS.
SURE, I'D LIKE TO I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE BILL AHMED, WHO'S THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SOMERSET COUNTY ENERGY COUNCIL, TO COME UP TO SPEAK ON THE SUSTAINABILITY FACILITY POLICY.
GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS, AND THANK YOU FOR ADOPTING THESE POLICIES.
IT'S I'VE BEEN KIND OF ADVOCATING FOR THIS SINCE 2008, SO IT'S JUST BEEN A LITTLE WHILE.
[00:10:05]
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH DISCUSSION YOU HAD ON IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF PART OF THE POLICIES INCLUDES GREEN BUILDINGS, AND EVERYBODY THINKS GREEN BUILDINGS COST MORE.IT CAN ACTUALLY COST NO MORE OR LESS.
I JUST SAW SOME REALLY CONVINCING STATISTICS ON THAT THE OTHER DAY AT A PRESENTATION.
AND THE I MEAN, THE COUNTY HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY GOOD AT USING TAXPAYERS MONIES WISELY.
THIS IS VERY WISE BECAUSE BY ADOPTING THESE POLICIES, WE'RE GOING TO SEE LESS ENERGY USE, WHICH MEANS LESS COST.
BETTER INDOOR AIR QUALITY FOR ALL OF THE BUILDINGS.
SO YOU HAVE LESS PEOPLE GETTING SICK, LESS ABSENTEEISM, HUGE BENEFITS ALL AROUND, ADDED BENEFIT THAT IT'S GOING TO REDUCE OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT SOME WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A BIG DEAL AND JUST ADOPTING SUSTAINABILITY.
PEOPLE TALK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY ALL THE TIME, BUT IT'S KIND OF A MUSHY SUBJECT.
WELL, YOU'VE GOT NOW YOU HAVE SOME WELL-DEFINED GUIDELINES FOR HOW TO BE MORE SUSTAINABLE.
SO I APPLAUD THE COMMISSIONERS FOR DOING THIS.
[INAUDIBLE], TO WRITE A POLICY THAT COVERS ALL TYPES OF BUILDINGS.
SO TO TRY TO GET THE LANGUAGE SO IT'S THE INTENT IS TO BE DOING THE SMART THINGS AND TO BASICALLY ALL OF THESE ARE TO APPLY THE BEST PRACTICES WE BUILD TO CODE AND CODE AS THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS SO PEOPLE DON'T DIE.
THAT'S NOT A GOOD WAY TO BUILD A BUILDING.
SO BUILDING THEM WELL IS A BEST PRACTICE.
SO WE KIND OF WRESTLED WITH THE LANGUAGE TO MAKE IT BROAD ENOUGH BUT PRECISE ENOUGH TO DIRECT IT.
THIS DOES. YEAH, WELL, THAT WAS A GREAT RECOGNITION OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO FACE THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOT DISPUTED ANYMORE. WE'VE KIND OF WAITED UNTIL THE TRAIN IS THE TRAIN HAS ARRIVED AND IT'S GOING TO IT'S JUST GAINING MORE MOMENTUM. SO TO PUT FORTH AN OVERALL POLICY THAT WE RECOGNIZE CLIMATE CHANGE, WE'RE GOING TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO MITIGATE IT, TO BE MORE RESILIENT AND TO COOL BACK DOWN AS BILL KNOX PUT THAT IN THERE.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS RATHER BRILLIANT.
YOU'VE BEEN CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL.
OH, SO I'M A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER.
I'M MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING.
WE DESIGN EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON INSIDE OF A BUILDING.
WE DO MOSTLY COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL.
VERIZON, THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, RUTGERS, OR OUR BIGGEST CLIENTS.
BUT IN I ACTUALLY GOT STARTED IN ENERGY ON MARCH 28TH.
YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE ASKED THIS QUESTION.
AND IF ANYBODY OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THAT THE RADIO WAS SAYING, EVACUATE, DON'T EVACUATE.
WAIT. WOMEN AND CHILDREN EVACUATE.
NO, DON'T EVACUATE. IT WAS CHAOS.
AND I REALIZED WE WERE PUTTING OUR LIVES AT RISK TO PRODUCE ENERGY.
AND I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR A CONTRACTOR AND I REALIZED NOBODY CARED ABOUT ENERGY.
WE WERE WASTING ENERGY EVERYWHERE.
[00:15:01]
I SAID I COULD SPEND MY WHOLE CAREER DOING THIS.SO THAT'S HOW I GOT INTO THIS.
THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING SINCE MARCH 28TH, 1979.
I'M STILL HERE. I GOT INVOLVED WITH THE GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL WHEN THAT WAS FORMED AND STARTED A CHAPTER HERE IN NEW JERSEY IN 2004. I WAS CHAIR OF THAT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND I DID EARN LEAD FELLOW.
I STILL WORK WITH THEM ON ADVOCACY AND I'M ALSO TRAINED WITH AL GORE, SPENT A FEW DAYS TRAINING WITH HIM AND BECAME A CLIMATE REALITY LEADER.
SO I'M WELL VERSED IN WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH OUR CLIMATE.
YOU WERE ON IT BEFORE YOU BECAME COMMISSIONER.
AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ADOPTING THE POLICY.
I'M JUST GOING TO ADD ONE LAST THING.
AND IF ANYONE HAS EVER BEEN TO AN ENERGY COUNCIL MEETING, IT IS ENERGIZED, TO SAY THE LEAST.
I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THE BOARD, I WAS LIKE, OH, ENERGY COUNCIL.
IT'S LIKE, THIS SHOULD BE A NICE CONVERSATION.
AND THE AMOUNT OF PASSIONATE PEOPLE THAT AND LONG NIGHTS.
AND WALTER CAN ATTEST TO SOME OF THIS.
IT'S VERY NICE TO SEE YOUR COMMITMENT THROUGHOUT ALL THESE YEARS.
YES, IT IS AN INTERESTING TOPIC.
AND SO IN A ROOM OF 12 PEOPLE, WE GENERALLY GET 20 DIFFERENT OPINIONS.
THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN PROPERLY MOVED IN SECOND.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
WE NOW COME TO THE PUBLIC PORTION OF THIS MEETING.
[PUBLIC]
5 MINUTES. NO. YIELD ENOUGH TIME.IS THERE A MOTION TO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? IS THERE A SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK? JOAN SHILLER I LIVED IN WARREN.
I USED TO COME TO FREEHOLDER MEETINGS AT THE TIME, BACK IN 2008 AS WELL.
AND BACK THEN WE WOULD HAVE THE PUBLIC PORTION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE AGENDA AS WELL AS THE END.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO REQUEST THAT THE AGENDAS BE PUT UP LONGER THAN THREE DAYS BEFORE, AS THEY HAVE BEEN, AND I CHECKED A FEW GOVERNING BODIES AND YOU'RE THE ONLY GOVERNING BODY THAT STILL HAS NO MINUTES LISTED FOR 2023.
SO I WOULD JUST ASK THAT YOU TRY AND GET A LITTLE BETTER AT THAT, BECAUSE SOMETIMES I DON'T HAVE TIME AND OTHERS DON'T HAVE TIME TO LOOK JUST BEFORE THE MEETING.
ANYTHING ON EMAIL OR SOCIAL MEDIA.
RIGHT. SEEING NONE, HEARING NONE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE PUBLIC PORTION OF THIS MEETING? SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR, AYE.
ALL RIGHT. WE WILL ADJOURN TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[Additional Item]
CORRECT. WE MADE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.THE PURPOSES OF THAT IS TO DISCUSS AND UPDATE ON A PURCHASE OF THE PETULA PROPERTY, A POTENTIAL FUNDING OF NATER, OUR PARK LEASE REVENUE BOND, AND A BRIEFING ON THE COMMISSIONERS FROM THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR.
EXCUSE ME. SO NO ACTION WILL BE TAKEN, SO WE'LL ADJOURN DIRECTLY FROM THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE'RE GOING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.