ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYES HAVE IT. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO OUR REGULAR MEETING.
[00:00:07]
ANYONE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL REPORTS THAT THEY DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE WORKSHOP WORK SESSION?[PROCLAMATION]
ALL RIGHT. WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.AND WE HAVE TWO PROCLAMATIONS. SO, I SEE SOME FACES HERE TO CELEBRATE. COME ON UP.
ALL RIGHT. DO YOU WANT US ON EITHER SIDE OR. WHICHEVER, MAKE YOURSELVES AT HOME.
SO, I'VE INVITED SOME FOLKS AND LEADERS, HISPANIC LEADERS THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE COUNCILMAN KENDALL LOPEZ FROM BOUND BROOK.
PABLO OROZCO, THE DIRECTOR OF OUR DMV AND A FORMER COUNCILMAN OVER IN RARITAN.
ANA MCCARTHY OR ANA DUARTE MCCARTHY, THE FIRST LATINA MAYOR OF BERNARDS TOWNSHIP, AND JESSICA DALE, AND YOUR WORK AT THE NONPROFIT WORLD, HELPING PEOPLE EVERY DAY WITH OUR ELDERLY COMMUNITY AND EVERYTHING YOU DO WITH THE BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP, THANK YOU. BUT TODAY WE'RE CELEBRATING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, WHICH IS FROM SEPTEMBER 15TH TO OCTOBER 15TH.
WE'RE A LITTLE EARLY, BUT WHY NOT START NOW? AND IT'S CELEBRATED NATIONWIDE FROM SEPTEMBER 15TH THROUGH OCTOBER 15TH EACH YEAR AND HAS BEEN CELEBRATED IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE 1968.
AND WHEREAS THE STARTING DATE OF SEPTEMBER 15TH IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE FOR LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES, FOR COSTA RICA, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS AND NICARAGUA IN ADDITION TO MEXICO, CHILE AND THEY CELEBRATE THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY ON SEPTEMBER 16TH AND 18TH, RESPECTIVELY. SOMERSET COUNTY CURRENTLY COUNTS MORE THAN 17% OF ITS RESIDENTS AS BEING OF SPANISH SPEAKING DESCENT, AND THAT HISPANICS HAVE BEEN CONTRIBUTING TO THIS COUNTRY SINCE BEFORE THE FOUNDING OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
HISPANIC RESIDENTS HAVE LIVED IN SOMERSET COUNTY FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS AND HAVE COME FROM, OR DESCENDANTS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME FROM MANY SPANISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES FROM EUROPE, NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND SOUTH AMERICA. SOMERSET COUNTY'S CULTURAL, EDUCATIONAL, BUSINESS AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES ARE RICHER FOR EACH FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS OF HISPANIC RESIDENTS. WHEREAS, IN 2026, HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH HONORS THE PIONEERS OF CHANGE SHAPING THE FUTURE TOGETHER, EMPHASIZING THE ROLE OF HISPANIC AMERICANS IN DRIVING PROGRESS AND INNOVATION.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED THAT SOMERSET COUNTY'S BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DOES HEREBY RECOGNIZE SEPTEMBER 15TH THROUGH OCTOBER 15TH, 2026 AS HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH IN SOMERSET COUNTY AND URGES ALL CITIZENS TO LEARN ABOUT AND RECOGNIZE THE NUMEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY HISPANIC RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT HISTORY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]. I HAVE PROCLAMATIONS FOR EACH ONE OF YOU.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU.
AS WE MOVE ALONG. WE HAVE SEVERAL APPOINTMENTS TO THE YOUTH COUNCIL.
[APPOINTMENTS]
OUR RESOLUTION 26-1736. A HOST OF NAMES. WE HAVE MEGHNA SRIVARSHINI, SRIVARSHINI FROM BASKIN RIDGE. CHARLIE XU FROM BASKIN RIDGE. AKSHAJ BHATTARAM FROM BRIDGEWATER.VEDANTH CHANDRAN FROM BRIDGEWATER. TANUSRI KONDLE FROM BRIDGEWATER.
[00:05:04]
MYTHILI MADHUSOODANAN FROM BRIDGEWATER. AHAY NAIDU FROM BRIDGEWATER.ROBIN GARG FROM GREEN BROOK. AADESH ARAVINTHAN FROM HILLSBOROUGH.
NITESH ARAVINTHAN FROM HILLSBOROUGH. JOSHUA, JOSHUA MUTHYALA FROM HILLSBOROUGH.
ANSHI PATEL FROM NESHANIC STATION. MARIANA VEGA FROM NORTH PLAINFIELD.
AND SHRIYA CHINTHAMANENI FROM SOMERSET. WE ALSO HAVE VO TECH BOARD OF EDUCATION RESOLUTION 26-1737. JAQUELINE MELCHIOR. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE RARITAN VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, RESOLUTION 26-1738. EKRAM ISLAM. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTIONS? 26-1736 THROUGH 26-1738. SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
COMMISSIONER GRANER? YES. COMMISSIONER MARANO? YES. COMMISSIONER SOOY? YES. DEPUTY DIRECTOR DRAKE? YES. DIRECTOR ROBINSON? YES. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM AUGUST 25TH?
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
SO MOVED. SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES? NONE. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMISSIONER GRANER? YES.COMMISSIONER MARANO? YES. COMMISSIONER SOOY? YES.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR DRAKE? YES. DIRECTOR ROBINSON? YES. WE HAVE BOND ORDINANCE 26-1699. THIS IS THE MOTION TO OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ORDINANCE.
[BOND ORDINANCE]
IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE.COMMISSIONER GRANER? YES. COMMISSIONER MARANO? YES. COMMISSIONER SOOY? AYE. DEPUTY DIRECTOR DRAKE? YES. DIRECTOR ROBINSON? YES. ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ORDINANCE AND THIS ORDINANCE ONLY IS AUTHORIZING THE GUARANTEE BY SUMMIT, COUNTY OF SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY. A PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST ON THE COUNTY GUARANTEED LEASE REVENUE BONDS, SERIES 2026, AND THE COUNTY GUARANTEED LOAN REVENUE BONDS, SERIES 2026 OF THE SOMERSET COUNTY IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY IN AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT NOT EXCEEDING $11 MILLION.
HEARING NONE. SEEING NONE. IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC PORTION FOR THIS ORDINANCE? MOTION TO CLOSE. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. NOW WE MOVE ON TO A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE, WHICH IS 26-1699 THAT I'VE READ FOR YOUR HEARING.
MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMISSIONER GRANER? YES. COMMISSIONER MARANO? YES. COMMISSIONER SOOY? YES. DEPUTY DIRECTOR DRAKE? YES. DIRECTOR ROBINSON? YES. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTIONS 26-1700 THROUGH 26-1703?
[CONSENT AGENDA]
MOTION. THERE'S? SECOND. ROLL CALL, PLEASE. COMMISSIONER GRANER? YES. COMMISSIONER MARANO? YES. COMMISSIONER SOOY? YES. DEPUTY DIRECTOR DRAKE? YES. DIRECTOR ROBINSON? YES. I LOST MY PLACE.YES. MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTIONS 26-1704 THROUGH 1715.
[AWARD OF CONTRACT]
SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL, PLEASE. COMMISSIONER GRANER? YES. COMMISSIONER MARANO? YES. COMMISSIONER SOOY? YES DEPUTY DIRECTOR DRAKE? YES. DIRECTOR ROBINSON? YES. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTIONS?[FINANCE]
26-1716 THROUGH 26-1735. SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL, PLEASE.COMMISSIONER GRANER? YES. COMMISSIONER MARANO? YES.
COMMISSIONER SOOY? YES. DEPUTY DIRECTOR DRAKE? YES. DIRECTOR ROBINSON? YES. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 26-1739 THROUGH 26-1744.
[ITEMS ADDED FROM THE SEPTEMBER 8, 2026 WORK SESSION TO BE ADOPTED TONIGHT ]
SO MOVED. SECOND. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COMMISSIONER GRANER? YES. COMMISSIONER MARANO? YES. COMMISSIONER SOOY? YES. DEPUTY DIRECTOR DRAKE? YES. DIRECTOR ROBINSON.YES. NOW WE COME TO THE PUBLIC PORTION OF THIS MEETING.
ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK? FIVE MINUTES. NO YIELDING, NO TIME, NO.
COMING UP A SECOND TIME. IS THERE A MOTION TO OPEN TO PUBLIC? SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYES HAVE IT.
STILL NO ONE. STILL NO ONE. HEARING NONE. SEEING NONE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC PORTION OF THIS MEETING? SO MOVED.
SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYES HAVE IT. ANY EXECUTIVE SESSION? NO, THERE IS A LEGAL MEMO THAT I PUT IN YOUR FOLDERS THAT YOU SHOULD JUST READ AT YOUR LEISURE.
OKAY. ALSO, AT THIS TIME I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
MOTION. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYES HAVE IT.
GOOD NIGHT. BE WELL.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.