[00:00:10]
DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. YOU KNOW.TAKE A SEAT. IF YOU SIT IN THE FRONT ROW, YOU GET CALLED UP.
YEAH. AS OUR GUESTS ARE COMING IN. ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER REPORTS? OKAY. I JUST WANT TO ADD ONE THING TO MY REPORT.
[REPORTS]
I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE JOSH ALL FOR ON BECOMING THE CHAIRMAN OF THE RWJ FOUNDATION BOARD.HE COMES BEARING GIFTS. KAREN'S COMING. THERE'S GIFTS FOR US.
[LAUGHTER] NOT FOR US. NO, SHE'S GOOD WITH THAT.
OH, I'VE GOT TO STOP THE TIMER.
[COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN ESSAY CONTEST]
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR WINNERS. AND I'M GOING TO ASK THE PRESIDENT TO COME FORWARD.DO YOU WANT TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CONTEST AND THEN WE CAN GIVE OUT THE CERTIFICATES? HELLO, EVERYONE. SO I WANT TO SAY THIS EVOLVED FOUR YEARS AGO, OUR ESSAY CONTEST.
AND WE INVITE ALL THE STUDENTS OF SOMERSET COUNTY, 6TH THROUGH 12TH TO ENTER.
AND WE'VE HAD A PHENOMENAL RESPONSE. THIS IS OUR FOURTH YEAR, LIKE I SAID, AND WHAT WE DID THIS YEAR, WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH A FEW OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELPED SELECT, READ AND ANNOUNCE AND HELP US GET WINNERS.
SO EACH OF YOU WILL BE RECEIVING A A CITATION FROM THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
SO THE FIRST WINNER IS JOSEPHINE ROUTH. [APPLAUSE] CAN WE ALSO HAVE THE HAVE THE COMMITTEE COME UP THE STATUS OF WOMEN COMMITTEE COME UP? SO JOSEPHINE IS OUR SIXTH GRADE WINNER. SO HERE YOU GO. COMING TO THE CENTER, YOU TAKE YOUR PICTURE.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO GIVE THEM OR ARE YOU DOING OKAY.
MIC] THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. [APPLAUSE] SO I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T HAVE OUR PARTNERS THAT READ THAT HELPED SELECT.
COME ON UP. AND WE ALSO HAVE ALYSSA. [APPLAUSE] ALYSSA IS FROM THE SOMERSET COUNTY DIVISION OF OPERATIONS AND PLANNING DIVISION OF HUMAN RESOURCES. OKAY. COME ON. THE
[00:05:02]
NEXT ONE IS A SEVENTH GRADE WINNER. AND HER ESSAY WAS ENTITLED OR THEIR ESSAY WAS ENTITLED KATHERINE JOHNSON THE HUMAN COMPUTER WHO REACHED FOR THE STARS. SO THE WINNER IS ANISHAKA SUHAS.[APPLAUSE] THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME.
NEXT UP IS EIGHTH GRADE WINNER, WHO'S NOT HERE, BUT EIGHTH GRADE WINNER.
THE ESSAY WAS ENTITLED RACHEL CARSON SPEAKING UP WITHOUT FEAR.
AND THAT'S DARCY CANBERG. [APPLAUSE] NINTH GRADE WINNER FOR THEIR ESSAY ENTITLED SUSAN B. ANTHONY WAS TRULY REMARKABLE. SO COME ON UP.
IS IT HOORIA BATOOL? YES. HOORIA BATOOL? YES.
[APPLAUSE] THERE YOU GO. ALL RIGHT. WONDERFUL.
UNBIDDEN FORCES AGAINST WOMEN IN A PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY.
THAT'S RUHAAN GANDHI. [APPLAUSE] CONGRATULATIONS. NEXT WE HAVE 11TH GRADE WINNER FOR THE ESSAY ENTITLED SAVITRIBAL PHULE. PHULE? SORRY. AND WHAT MODERN ACTIVISTS MUST LEARN FROM HER.
ANVI SHARMA. [APPLAUSE] ANVI SHARMA. ANVI. OKAY, SO THE NAME AGAIN OF THE ESSAY SAVITRIBAL PHULE. AND WHAT MODERN ACTIVISTS MUST LEARN FROM HER.
AND OUR 11TH GRADE WINNER. FOR THE ESSAY, ROSA PARKS IS ANGELINA RUSSOTTI.
[APPLAUSE] OKAY. YOU GUYS CAN GO. BUT I WANT CONGRATULATIONS.
THANK YOU. CAN THE STATUS OF WOMEN STAY UP REAL QUICK? SO BEFORE WE TAKE OUR SEATS, WE JUST WANT TO.
WE JUST WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT AND OUR FIERCE DIRECTOR, COMMISSIONER LIAISON, SHANEL ROBINSON. YOU GUYS HAVE ALWAYS SUPPORTED US, AND THE STAFF OF THE COUNTY HAS SUPPORTED US.
AND WE JUST WE'RE JUST SO GRATEFUL TO YOU ALL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO WE HAVE GIFTS FOR YOU AS WELL.
[00:10:02]
[APPLAUSE] YOU CAN LEAVE THEM RIGHT THERE. LEAVE RIGHT HERE.YEAH. OKAY. ARE THEY NAMED? NO. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THERE'S ONE FOR OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU THE WORK THAT YOU DO IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THE WOMEN OF SOMERSET COUNTY.
LOOKING FORWARD TO THE PROGRAM THAT YOU HAVE BEEN PREPARING AND WORKING ON FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, BUT ALSO OUR STEM PROGRAM THAT'S COMING FOR OCTOBER OF 2026.
THANK YOU. AND CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS, GUYS.
[INAUDIBLE] I LIKE THE SHIRTS TOO. WE HAVE TO GET LIZ ONE.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
SO AS WE MOVE ALONG WITH OUR PROGRAM. NOVEMBER 25TH MEETING MINUTES.IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LISTED MINUTES.
MOTION. I'LL SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMISSIONER GRANER.
YES. COMMISSIONER DRAKE. YES. COMMISSIONER SOOY.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR MARANO. YES. DIRECTOR ROBINSON.
YES. WE HAVE A BOND ORDINANCE 25-2299, PROVIDING AN APPROPRIATION OF $20,500,000 FOR IMPROVEMENTS AT
[BOND ORDINANCE]
TD BANK BALLPARK FOR AND BY THE COUNTY OF SOMERSET, AND AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF 19,475,000 BONDS, OR NOTES, OF SOMERSET COUNTY FOR FINANCING PART OF THE COST THEREOF.IS THERE A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ORDINANCE? SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ORDINANCE AND THIS ORDINANCE ONLY? STATE YOUR NAME. ADDRESS. HEARING NONE. SEEING NONE.
WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS ORDINANCE.
NOW WE MOVE ON. IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE ORDINANCE? 25-2299. SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMISSIONER GRANER.
YES. COMMISSIONER DRAKE. YES. COMMISSIONER SOOY.
YES. DEPUTY DIRECTOR MARANO. YES. DIRECTOR ROBINSON.
YES. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 25-23002 THROUGH 2302?
[CONSENT AGENDA]
MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMISSIONER GRANER.YES. COMMISSIONER DRAKE. YES. COMMISSIONER SOOY.
YES. DEPUTY DIRECTOR MARANO. YES. DIRECTOR ROBINSON.
YES. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 25-2303 THROUGH 2320.
[AWARD OF CONTRACTS]
SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMISSIONER GRANER.YES. COMMISSIONER DRAKE. YES. COMMISSIONER SOOY.
YES. DEPUTY DIRECTOR MARANO. YES. DIRECTOR ROBINSON.
YES. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 25-2321 THROUGH 2346.
[FINANCE]
OKAY. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMISSIONER GRANER. YES.COMMISSIONER DRAKE. YES. ABSTAIN FROM 2332, 2333 AND 2334.
ABSTENTION FROM 2323, 2333 AND 2334. NOTED. IS THAT CORRECT? 32. 32, 33, AND 34. YOU SAID 2323 IT'S 2332, 33 AND 34.
THAT'S CORRECT. 2332, 33 AND 34. THAT IS CORRECT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER SOOY. YES.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR MARANO. YES. DIRECTOR ROBINSON.
YES. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTIONS 25-2347 THROUGH 2362.
[ITEMS ADDED FROM THE DECEMBER 9, 2025 WORK SESSION TO BE ADOPTED TONIGHT]
SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMISSIONER GRANER.YES. COMMISSIONER DRAKE. YES. COMMISSIONER SOOY.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR MARANO. YES. DIRECTOR ROBINSON.
YES. THIS IS THE PUBLIC PORTION OF THIS MEETING.
[PUBLIC]
ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK? FIVE MINUTES. NO YIELDING OF TIME.NO COMING UP A SECOND TIME. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO OPEN TO PUBLIC? SO MOVED.
SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYES HAVE IT. ANYONE? ANYONE? BUELLER? BUELLER? BUELLER? OKAY. HEARING NONE.
SEEING NONE. IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC PORTION OF THIS MEETING AND GO RIGHT INTO ADJOURNMENT? SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE.
GOOD NIGHT. BE WELL. SEE YOU NEXT WEEK. YEAH.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.