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IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE HERE, SO LET'S ROLL RIGHT INTO OUR REGULAR MEETING.

[00:00:06]

ARE THERE ANY, ADDITIONAL REPORTS? NOPE. AND DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE OUT IN THE HALLWAY TO COMMENT? WE CAN GIVE THEM A BRIEF MOMENT TO.

ALL RIGHT, SO I THINK WE'RE WAITING FOR A FEW MORE PEOPLE FOR SOME OF OUR CITATIONS.

OH. THEY'RE HERE. I BELIEVE SO, ALL RIGHT.

I WAS GOING TO SAY LET'S.

I THINK OUR SURROGATE IS SAYING WE'RE WAITING FOR A FEW MORE.

OH, NO. WE'RE GOOD. OKAY.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANYONE OUT.

SO, MOVING ON TO CITATIONS.

[CITATIONS]

WE HAVE THE SOMERSET COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR, AND COMMISSIONER SINGLETERRY WILL BE PRESENTING.

THANK YOU. SO, TWO CITATIONS, AND I THINK BOTH ARE RECIPIENTS ARE FROM MY FAVORITE BOROUGH, NORTH PLAINFIELD.

SO, DR.

MICHELLE AQUINO AND WE HAVE COUNCILMAN MERRILL WITH US.

SIR, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP TO.

COME ON.

COUNCIL LIAISON TO THE NORTH PLAINFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION.

CORRECT. YES.

SEE YOU, SIR.

SEE YOU. SEE YOU.

OKAY. AQUINO.

RIGHT. LET'S GET THAT RIGHT.

OKAY. YES. ALL RIGHT.

THE SOMERSET COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS HONORS DR.

MICHELLE AQUINO FOR EARNING THE TITLE SOMERSET COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR.

DR. AQUINO CONTINUES TO DEMONSTRATE A COMMITMENT TO THE STUDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND HELPS ENSURE A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOURAGES ALL STUDENTS TO BE THEIR BEST SELVES. THE SOMERSET COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS THANKS DOCTOR AQUINO FOR HER SERVICE TO OUR STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND TEACHERS AND IS GRATEFUL FOR HER DEDICATION TO THE EDUCATION OF THE NEXT GENERATIONS OF SOMERSET COUNTY.

CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

AND. MR. MILL, ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? THANKS, DOUG. NOW, JUST AN HONOR TO BE HERE REPRESENTING THE, THE COUNCIL AND THE BOROUGH.

AND WE APPRECIATE ALL YOUR SERVICE.

I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF HOURS THAT YOU PUT IN AND YOUR STAFF PUTS IN THAT THAT WE DON'T SEE, BUT, TO THE BENEFIT OF THE STUDENTS, THE ADMINISTRATION AND OUR TOWN.

WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE YOU.

AND IN OUR DISTRICT.

THANK YOU, AND IT'S TRULY AN HONOR TO BE HERE AND RECEIVE THIS RECOGNITION FROM MY PEERS TO HAVE SERVED THE NORTH PLAINFIELD COMMUNITY FOR AS LONG AS I HAVE.

I'VE BEEN IN THE DISTRICT SINCE 2015, AND IT'S TRULY A SPECIAL PLACE.

AND MY COLLEAGUE IS HERE THIS EVENING WHO HAS SERVED THE COMMUNITY FOR MUCH, MUCH LONGER.

AND IT'S AN HONOR TO WORK WITH MY STAFF, MY PARENTS, WORKING IN OUR COUNTY, WITH OUR TOWN COUNCIL.

I ACTUALLY JUST HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ALONGSIDE THEM AND TALK ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND SCHOOL SAFETY AT A TIME WHERE IT'S SO IMPORTANT.

SO, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE.

AND WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR MUSLIM HERITAGE MONTH.

WE HAVE NO MORE. OH, I'M SORRY.

WE HAVE ONE MORE. I'M JUMPING THE GUN HERE.

CORINNE. CORINNE? CORINNE.

CORINNE? YES. ALL RIGHT.

OH. LET ME JUST MAKE SURE THAT, FOR THOSE LISTENING ONLINE SO THEY CAN.

[00:05:04]

ALL RIGHT. THE SOMERSET COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS HONORS CATHERINE LAURIE FOR EARNING THE TITLE SOMERSET COUNTY TEACHER OF THE YEAR.

MISS LAURIE HAS DEDICATED HER CAREER TO NORTH PLAINFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHERE SHE EMPLOYS HER SKILLS TO HAVE THE GREATEST, THE GREATEST POSITIVE IMPACT POSSIBLE NOT ONLY ON EVERY STUDENT, BUT HER ENTIRE COMMUNITY.

THE SOMERSET COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS THANKS MISS LAURIE FOR HER YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR STUDENTS AND IS GRATEFUL THAT SHE HAS CHOSEN TO PURSUE HER CAREER AND SHARE HER SKILLS AT ONE OF OUR GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU.

YEAH, YEAH. WELL, YEAH.

LET'S LET COUNCILMAN MERRILL WEIGH IN.

I THINK I'D BE DOING THIS TONIGHT.

CONGRATULATIONS, MISS LAURIE.

I CAN SAY BOTH OF MY SONS HAD YOU, AND THEY'RE BETTER.

THEY'RE BETTER PEOPLE FOR HAVING YOU AS THEIR AS THEIR TEACHER, AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER TEACHERS IN THE DISTRICT.

SO, APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR DEDICATION.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU EVERYONE.

I AM SO PROUD TO REPRESENT SOMERSET COUNTY, BUT I AM MOST PROUD TO REPRESENT ALL OF THE DEVOTED TEACHERS OF NORTH PLAINFIELD.

OVER MY 25-YEAR CAREER, I HAVE TAUGHT THOUSANDS OF NORTH PLAINFIELD STUDENTS, SO THIS IS FOR THEM.

THANK YOU.

OH.

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW WE HAVE THE PROCLAMATION FOR MUSLIM HERITAGE MONTH.

[PROCLAMATION]

HELLO. HELLO, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.

WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION IN FAVOR OF MUSLIM HERITAGE MONTH 2024. AND IF YOU WILL SO.

WELL, KINDLY ALLOW ME.

I'M GOING TO READ THIS FOR YOU.

GOT TO PUT THE GLASSES ON.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

I DON'T HAVE THESE ON. FORGET IT.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO READ ANYTHING.

WHEREAS ON APRIL 29TH, 2023, OUR GOVERNOR, PHIL MURPHY, SIGNED JOINT RESOLUTION SIX BY THE SENATE AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF JANUARY OF EACH YEAR AS MUSLIM HERITAGE MONTH AND AS.

WHEREAS MUSLIMS ARE THE WORLD'S SECOND LARGEST RELIGIOUS POPULATION, WITH APPROXIMATELY 1.9 BILLION FOLLOWERS, MORE THAN 300,000 IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, AND AN ESTIMATED 10,000 IN SOMERSET COUNTY.

AND WHEREAS MUSLIMS HAVE DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTED POSITIVELY TO THE GROWTH AND DIVERSITY OF OUR COUNTY IN ALL ASPECTS, INCLUDING EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT, MEDICINE, PHILOSOPHY, MATHEMATICS, CULINARY CUISINE, ARCHITECTURE AND THE ARTS.

AND WHEREAS, SOMERSET COUNTY RESIDENT SADAF JAFFER WAS THE FIRST MUSLIM AMERICAN WOMAN TO SERVE AS A MAYOR IN THE UNITED STATES, AND ALONG WITH SHYAM HAIDER, IS ONE OF THE FIRST TWO MUSLIM AMERICAN WOMEN TO BE ELECTED TO THE NEW JERSEY LEGISLATURE.

AND WHEREAS SOMERSET COUNTY RESIDENT BERNICE TINA JALLOH IS THE FIRST MUSLIM AMERICAN WOMAN TO BE ELECTED AS COUNTY SURROGATE IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.

AND WHEREAS, MUSLIMS STRIVE TO PROMOTE A MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN ALL RELIGIOUS GROUPS AND SECTS WHILE FOSTERING PEACE, PROSPERITY AND KINDNESS AMONGST OUR COMMUNITIES.

AND WHEREAS THERE IS A NEED FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION AND DISCOURSE, TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF THE INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY AND TO COMBAT RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION AND BIGOTRY IN OUR SOCIETY.

AND WHEREAS, SOMERSET COUNTY IS PROUD TO HONOR THE HISTORY AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF MUSLIMS IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS OUR NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD, SO THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED BY YOUR SOMERSET COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS THAT WE RECOGNIZE JANUARY 20TH 24TH AS NATIONAL MUSLIM HERITAGE MONTH IN THE COUNTY OF SOMERSET AND URGE ALL CITIZENS TO LEARN ABOUT AND RECOGNIZE THE NUMEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY MUSLIMS THROUGHOUT HISTORY AND SPECIFICALLY CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND COUNTY.

SIGNED BY YOUR BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.

SO, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT, AND I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THIS IS SUCH AN HONOR.

AND IT'S SUCH A HUMBLING, A RECIPIENT TO RECEIVE THIS PROCLAMATION.

[00:10:03]

WE ARE HERE TO.

WE HAD A MUSLIM HERITAGE MONTH FESTIVAL IN FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP CALLED THE NERD NIGHT.

AND YOU WERE THERE.

AND I KNOW MISS JALLOH WAS THERE.

SO, IT WAS A WONDERFUL EVENT.

AND WE ARE HERE AS REPRESENTATIVES.

WE ARE PART OF THE TEAM OF THE NEW TEAM.

SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE'RE REALLY HONORED.

WE REALLY THANK YOU SO MUCH, EVERYONE.

IT'S VERY HUMBLING.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL THAT SOMERSET COUNTY SAW FIT TO RECOGNIZE THE MUSLIMS IN SOMERSET COUNTY.

IT'S DEFINITELY AN HONOR AND WE'RE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE IT.

DO YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING? WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING? OKAY. I'M LOSING MY VOICE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO.

I KNOW IT'S INVALUABLE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN.

YES, WE'LL GET THE PICTURE.

LET ME TURN THIS OFF.

RIGHT FOR APPOINTMENTS.

[APPOINTMENTS]

WE HAVE THE SOMERSET COUNTY IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY, JOHN KITCHEN.

SOMERSET COUNTY LIBRARY COMMISSION, DANIEL SHEFFIELD AND THE SENIOR CITIZENS AND DISABILITY TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD, MARY KATE SALAS. THE OPEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AT SORTER MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTIONS 24-218 THROUGH 24-221. A MOTION.

SECOND. ROLL CALL.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES.

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

JANUARY 11TH, 2024.

MOTION TO APPROVE THE ABOVE LISTED MINUTES.

SO MOVED. SECOND.

ROLL CALL. COMMISSIONER DRAKE.

YES, COMMISSIONER. SINGLETERRY.

YES, COMMISSIONER. MARANO.

YES. DEPUTY DIRECTOR.

SOOY. YES.

ORDINANCES. 24-100 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHED ESTABLISHING SPEED LIMITS ALONG BONNY BURN ROAD.

[ORDINANCES]

COUNTY ROUTE 695, WATCHUNG BOROUGH, SOMERSET COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

MOTION TO OPEN. OPEN PUBLIC HEARING ON ORDINANCE 24-100.

MOTION. SECOND.

SO, COMMISSIONERS, JUST SO YOU ARE AWARE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO VOTE ON THIS ORDINANCE TONIGHT.

WE'RE GOING TO DO A MOTION TO CARRY IT TO THE NEXT MEETING.

BECAUSE WE MOVED OUR ORIGINAL MEETING, THERE WASN'T A SUFFICIENT TIME FOR US TO PUBLISH THIS.

SO, IF THERE'S SOMEONE HERE FROM THE PUBLIC, THEY CAN BE HEARD.

IF NOT, IT WILL BE ON OUR FIRST MEETING IN FEBRUARY.

WE WILL PUBLISH THAT, AND WE WILL OPEN IT FOR ANOTHER HEARING, AT WHICH TIME YOU WILL VOTE ON IT AT THAT POINT.

SO THAT ALSO APPLIES TO ORDINANCE 24-101.

IT JUST BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAY, WE COULDN'T GET IT PUBLISHED IN TIME.

GOOD. ALL RIGHT, SO BRING US TO ORDINANCE 24-101.

ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING SPEED LIMITS ALONG SOUTH MAIN STREET, NORTH MAIN STREET, FENTON AVE, COUNTY ROUTE 533 AND 633.

MILLSTONE BOROUGH, BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP, SOMERSET COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

MOTION TO OPEN PUBLIC HEARING ON ORDINANCE 24-101.

SECOND. RIGHT.

AND. NO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC BEING HERE.

YOU CAN CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND THEN WE CAN DO A MOTION TO CARRY BOTH 24-1, 24-101 TO FEBRUARY. WHAT'S THE DATE? 13TH FEBRUARY 13TH.

ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AND THEN IT'S A MOTION TO CARRY.

BOTH CARRIED.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL RIGHT.

MOTIONS CARRIED.

MOVING ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA, ALL MATTERS LISTED HERE UNDER ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ROUTINE IN NATURE AND WILL NOT BE ENACTED UPON IN ONE OR

[CONSENT AGENDA]

SEVERAL MOTIONS.

ANY PERSON MAY REQUEST THAT AN ITEM BE REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.

ITEMS LISTED BELOW WERE INTRODUCED AT THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION MEETING ON JANUARY 11TH, 2024.

[00:15:13]

MOTIONS TO APPROVE RESOLUTIONS 24-200 THROUGH 24-207.

SECOND. ALL RIGHT.

ROLL CALL.

MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 24-208 THROUGH 24-213.

[AWARD OF CONTRACTS]

SO MOVED. SECOND.

ROLL CALL.

MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTIONS 24-214 THROUGH 24-217.

[FINANCE]

MOTION. SECOND.

ROLL CALL.

AND MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTIONS 24-222 THROUGH 24-226.

[ITEMS ADDED FROM THE JANUARY 23, 2024 WORK SESSION TO BE ADOPTED TONIGHT]

MOTION SECOND.

RIGHT. ROLL CALL.

COULD I HAVE A MOTION TO OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC SESSION? MOTION. SECOND.

WE'RE ALL IN FAVOR.

AYE. I HAVE NO SORRY.

I HAVE NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC.

ANYONE ELSE HERE TODAY? HEARING NONE. SEEING NONE.

MOTION TO CLOSE.

MOTION TO CLOSE. SECOND.

ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AND, JOE, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION?

[EXECUTIVE SESSION]

WE DO. I NEED A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION BY THE BOARD.

FOR THE PURPOSES OF DISCUSSING MATTERS WITHIN THE PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER TEN, COLON FOUR DASH 12, SPECIFICALLY THE PURCHASE OF LAND WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP OF HILLSBOROUGH.

WE WILL NOT TAKE ANY FORMAL ACTION AND WILL ADJOURN DIRECTLY THEREFROM.

OKAY. COULD I GET A MOTION TO CLOSE AND GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? MOTION TO GO TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

SECOND. ALL RIGHT, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. THANK YOU.

AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.