Correct.

It wasn't like this one here.

Okay, if everyone could have a seat, please, we're gonna start the meeting.

Robert, you want to start the flag salute?

Yes.

Okay.

Thank you.

Please rise for the flag salute.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

Do you want to do um the moment of silence for the lady now or no?

I'd like to take a minute to have a moment of silence for the woman who froze to death the other night.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Just um when everyone goes to sleep tonight, just um to say uh prayer for all the people that don't have a warm bed to stay in.

So it brings it to reality.

Okay.

This meeting is conveyed convened in the accordance with the provisions of the open public meetings act of New Jersey.

Let the official minutes reflect that adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by publishing a notice in the Asbury Park Press and the Star Ledger on Wednesday, January 7th, 2026, and thereafter posting same on the town hall bulletin board for such notices and filing same with the township clerk pursuant to a resolution adopted by the township council on Thursday, January first, two thousand twenty-six.

The meetings dates have also been post posted on the township web web page.

Um just make sure your um phones are on silent, and if you must talk, uh you could go right outside in the hallway and talk and um and and just direct all your comments or frustrations to me this evening, okay?

That's why I'm here.

Um I have uh another little thing uh I want to uh read.

Remind us that we are in this position not to be served or benefit, but to serve our community.

May our conversation be clear, respectful, and truthful tonight.

Thank you.

Roll call, please.

Councilman Bradley.

Here councilman Bianchini.

Here council vice president Nyvison.

Here council President Sickozy, here councilman Coleman.

Here councilman Aber here.

Councilwoman O'Toole.

Here moving on to item number five, the minutes from the January 14th, 2026 council meeting.

I'll move it.

I'll second it.

Motion was made by Councilman Coleman, seconded by Councilman uh Nivison.

Councilman Coleman?

Yes.

Council Vice President Iverson?

Yes.

Councilman Bradley?

Yes.

Councilman Bianchini.

Yes.

Council President Siccozi?

Yes.

Councilman Eber?

Yes.

Councilwoman O'Toole.

There's no um there are mations tonight.

No, no.

Okay.

So moving on to item number seven.

Uh, it's a resolution to move into executive session.

Okay.

Um you have a comment about this executive session, sir.

Yes, I do.

Okay, please come forward.

Uh state your first name and last name for the record.

I don't think that mic is on.

Or pull it out.

I think the switch might be happy.

Right there.

There you go.

Oh.

No.

All right.

Okay.

Yeah, I see.

Thank you, gentlemen.

All right, go ahead.

Real real brief, please.

Yeah, your executive session resolution.

Who writes this?

Please.

I believe the clerk.

No.

Together we we come up with a language.

The clerk publishes it, but with my assistance.

Okay.

Well, in my opinion, this is very deficient.

You need to, in a general criteria, you need to tell the public what you're going to discuss.

Is it litigation?

Is it contract?

Is it personnel issues?

You have to give as much information as you can to the public that you don't allow the public to corrupt or intervene what you're going to do.

So what are you discussing in there tonight?

All of those things.

A motion by Councilman Biachini.

A second by Councilman Coleman.

Motion uh to move into executive session was made by Councilman Biancini, seconded by Councilman Coleman.

Uh Councilman Biancini.

Yes.

Councilman Coleman?

Yes.

Councilman Bradley.

Yes.

Uh Council Vice President Iverson?

Yes.

Council President Saccozi?

Yes.

Councilman Aber?

Yes.

Councilwoman O'Toole?

Yes.

Okay.

We'll try to make it quick.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Um I can say is oy.

Okay.

So you want to call the meeting back to order, Clerk?

Yes.

Uh we need a motion and a second to return to open meeting.

Second.

Motion to return to the meeting was made by Councilwoman O'Toole, seconded by Councilman Bradley.

Councilwoman O'Toole?

Yes.

Councilman Bradley?

Yes.

Councilman Biancini?

Yes.

Council Vice President Iverson?

Yes.

Council President Sickozy?

Yes.

Councilman Coleman?

Yes.

Councilman Aber?

Yes.

And we also need a motion to approve the minutes from the executive session from December 10th, 2025.

And those eligible to vote are Council Vice President Nivesen, Council President Sickozi, Councilman Abor.

I mean sorry, not Councilman Aber, Councilman Coleman, and Councilwoman O'Toole.

I'll move it.

Motion was made by Councilman Coleman, seconded by Councilwoman O'Toole, Councilman Coleman.

Yes.

Councilwoman O'Toole?

Council Vice President Nivesen?

Yes.

Council President Sarcosy.

Yes.

Okay.

Moving on to the consent agenda, please.

All matters listed under the item consent agenda will be enacted by one motion in the form listed below.

There will be no separate discussion of these items.

If discussion is desired on any item, that item will be considered separately.

Any uh council members have any uh anything they want to discuss?

L please.

Let's um I would like uh W and X held for a separate vote.

All right, anyone else seeing none?

Is there anyone in the public that has uh an item they wish uh to discuss?

All right, which which let W.

I said we're I just said those or by us remote it.

We're allowed to come up and make a comment.

Yes.

Yes.

Okay.

Is there anyone else in uh in the audience seeing none?

Uh I need a motion to close public comment.

Wait, no, you can't.

Is there a second?

Second.

Okay.

All in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Hearing none.

Okay.

Um so we're going to move on to approve the balance of the consent agenda minus items L, W, and X.

Correct.

Okay.

So we need a motion.

A second for that.

I'll make a motion.

Motion was made by Councilwoman O'Toole.

Second by second councilman Bianchini.

Councilwoman O'Toole.

Councilman Bianchini.

Yes.

Councilman Bradley.

Yes.

Council Vice President Iverson.

Yes.

Council President Sicosi.

Yes.

Councilman Coleman.

Yes.

Councilman Aber?

Yes.

Uh, we're gonna move that brings us to item L.

L.

Yes, I just have to abstain because it the property borders my son's property.

So that was all.

Okay, so we would like a roll call vote.

Yes, please.

Okay.

I need a motion.

I'll second it.

Motion was made by Councilman Piancini, seconded by Councilman Bradley for item L.

Councilman Biancini.

Yes.

Councilman Bradley.

Yes.

Uh Council Vice President Niverson.

Abstain.

Council President Sarkozy.

Yes.

Councilman Coleman.

Yes.

Councilman Aber.

Yes.

Councilwoman O'Toole?

That brings us to item W.

Yeah, we need a roll call on that, please.

Um, you want to discuss it?

Okay.

All right.

Um, go ahead.

Um, I was kind of surprised to see this back on this uh agenda.

I believe that we tabled it last meeting.

Is that correct?

Okay.

Um I was under the impression, and I can be wrong, but I thought the reason we tabled it, there was gonna be further discussion about this, and perhaps um there could be a meeting with uh the president and vice president, whoever you choose, and the current uh lawyer for the council, and to see if we could come to some kind of resolution understanding and make sure that the issues that were brought up by um Peter Pascarella were addressed to make sure that the uh proposal was legitimate that it met state statute, the um any ordinances in the township, as well as the constitution.

Um I I just I'd really think we could resolve this if the uh if some of the council members would sit down with the lawyer and go through the two different documents, the ones that um Peter Pascarella made and also the ones that the council approved at the last meeting.

Um I think I don't personally me, I'm not looking to get into any kind of legal um filings against any members of the council.

I don't I think this should be resolved because simply we just gotta look at the laws, we gotta see what makes sense.

And honestly, a lot of the I should say of several of the items on their uh list, I I agree with because I as president had to go through some of those things myself that they don't want to happen to them, and I understand it because it was horrible.

So I just think that this can be resolved.

We don't need another legal counsel, we don't need to spend the money.

I think they need to spend the time with our lawyer, discuss the issues and see if it can be resolved.

I would love this to be something that we could use from now and forever uh as our uh procedures and policies, and again, it would be satisfactory to me because like I said, some of the things on there make sense, some don't make sense, but I'm not an attorney, but it's that's why I think it would be great if they would sit down and discuss it with the lawyer before we um before we do this.

So I I would have to vote no at this time on this.

Yeah, my uh that was my understanding as well, Mr.

Coleman, that I had been reached out by some of the council members that they were interested in in hashing it out and uh talking and see what we could do in my office, but uh I'm still waiting.

Okay, excuse me.

As far as I know that it will um whatever you drew up or had a plan to that hasn't been submitted yet, but is still sitting there, so that's why this is on the agenda.

I think but there was a letter from Pascarella, right?

That uh pointed out some of the things that he felt were not.

Well, that's interpretation.

Uh the mayor has something to say.

Yeah, I I think I think part of the issue, and there are folks out here who do uh understand quite a bit of municipal law, is where contracts initiate under the Faulkner form of government.

So uh I think we had briefly discussed this at the last meeting and and privately as well.

Um, if if we're going to enter into any kind of contract or solicit any kind of contract, that comes out of the administration.

So I decide we're gonna enter into a contract or want to enter into contract, we advertise it.

You would vote to give consent, but what you're trying to do here, and I I I did try to explain this, and so did the attorneys is you're trying to put the cart before the horse.

You guys are not permitted to enter into or solicit contracts, right?

You just advise and consent on contracts in this form of government.

So if we were going to hire some other uh provider, uh, you know, it would be my decision as to whether we put out an RFP.

My position is we have a township attorney, uh, we have an assisted township attorney, uh, we have uh a lot of attorneys.

So I think this all comes back to some fear that uh some members of councils ha have regarding what the paper described as a lawsuit against the count against the council uh regarding the rules.

Now I think uh I was pretty clear about and the attorneys were pretty clear about what the problems were with the rules, and when we tabled that, we were going to meet and discuss, you know, you guys were gonna meet with the attorneys to discuss what was uh permissible under the law in those rules and what is not permissible, and then pending that that changed, we wouldn't have to go to the court.

But the court wasn't going to be a lawsuit, we would have sought declaratory judgment, which is basically saying to a judge, hey judge, is what these guys did legal.

Can we do this as a town?

Are we allowed to do this?

It's not suing any of you individually.

So as you had eloquently said, Dave, you know, uh there are differences of opinions.

So if you feel there is a difference of opinion in the rules, we just go to the judge and you say to the judge, hey judge, we have a difference of opinion.

We believe that the council can do this.

The township attorney says we can't, and then a judge would thoughtfully read everything.

He's uh they're all like experts law and make a determination, but or you can just talk to our own any of our own township attorneys, whether it be Mr.

Penny or Mr.

McGuckin, and ask him if he concurs with Mr.

Pascarella's assessment regarding the constitutionality of some of the rules.

Uh I don't think we need to pay anybody to represent you, and because of that, I wouldn't solicit for a contract for another attorney for you.

I just I don't see it as a need.

Um I um I also don't think that the the changes required to be so dramatic that it's not something we can't come to an agreement about.

Okay.

So again, I I don't know.

If you pass it, here's the truth.

You don't have to you don't have to not pass this, you don't have to pass it, you don't have to table it.

It's really a non it has no teeth.

So you could pass this tonight, and I could twiddle my thumbs and okay.

You know what I'm saying?

So if you want to pass it, you could pass it.

But I'm just saying to you that if you that that's where I'm at.

You know, if you if you want to do it, I think you should meet with one of the attorneys you trust and go over the rules so that we don't get sued by somebody on the outside uh and cost the town.

Fair enough, Mary.

Thank you.

All right, you have a comment about uh W.

Yes, all right.

Please come forward, state your name, please.

Uh my name is Janet Lang.

I live at 37 Cedar Drive.

Okay.

Um if someone threatens me with litigation, okay.

The first thing I do is go find someone to represent me.

And I'm gonna find the best person to do that.

It's gonna work in my best interest.

I believe that if the current township attorneys are going to file any kind of claim, legal claim in a courtroom where some members of the council are on one side, and some members of the council and the mayor are sitting on the other side.

I could never see a judge or an attorney that could walk from one table to the other and represent both sides equally and fairly that's not what we're suggesting.

So it's let her speak, please.

But you're saying that you could walk in with the attorneys and let a judge decide.

If I'm going into a courtroom, I'm bringing an attorney with me to represent my opinion and my best interest.

And I feel like that's what certain members of the council are seeking.

And I feel like they are entitled to that because the actions that are being questioned by the attorney and the mayor are actions that they are taking that are they're doing in their duties as councilmen.

So when that happens, they're entitled to legal representation from the town.

And like I said, I think that there is a legitimate conflict of inf interest for Mr.

Penny to represent your opinions as well as the mayor and his opinion in one court in front of one judge.

That's not so that's my opinion.

That's just my that's just it's it's a valid, it's a valid point.

I I if it's or if it's all right, I would just like to say that again we're not we wouldn't be suing members of council.

I know that was the headline.

It would just be you're just taking the rules, okay, saying, hey, that's that's where we're at with that.

Okay, and yes, sir.

Just come for how much time it's three minutes on on the set agenda.

Five, it should be made three.

Yes, yeah.

Oh my god, what a reversal.

What a reversal.

Hey, we used to have three minutes.

All right, that's all we had 16 minutes.

But you never had the comment on the cassette.

All right.

16 minutes.

Yeah, it just state your name again for the record.

And Anascalante, 1149, Syracuse Court Thomas River.

And we're on W.

Okay, we are.

Um was this the full text of this consent agenda resolution?

Was it on the website?

I'm asking a question for the public to be able to know to know everything about the response.

I hope it's up there, but I don't know.

Is it up there?

Yes.

Yes, it's up there.

It was updated as soon as we got it.

Okay, thank you.

My other question is this really something that shouldn't be discussed even publicly.

I think this is an item that falls under your executive discussion.

I don't think any of this names names.

We've made we've made as many attempts as we could to try to read we've we've made as many attempts as we could.

No, and I'm still like I said, I'm still open.

All I think you should do is protect the town, listen to the attorneys about what we're allowed to do.

Yeah, I appreciate information.

Uh Mr.

Coleman gave.

And I also appreciate the mayor.

I want to hear from the mayor when the mayor has something to say.

All right.

But did you know I I don't want to discuss this, but this is a bargaining chip for us, and it doesn't have to proceed down the road.

We can still talk and and and we could do away with this at a later date.

Is that it?

Well, my only fear, Mr.

Galante is, and Mr.

Galanti knows this because he's the kind of person that would do something like that just on principle, is that we could be sued on principle for the rules.

So this is why the attorneys advised you, and I'm giving you time.

But if somebody files just to be a stickler about their constitutional rights, and there are whole organizations dedicated to doing that.

I think it should be rectified.

I don't want to sue anybody.

That's not what it's about.

So thank you.

Just to be clear.

Okay, you're welcome.

Is there anyone else in the audience that has a comment on W?

Yeah, you just give something.

No, okay.

All right, I need a motion to close.

Motion to close.

A second.

All in favor?

Aye.

And any opposed up my apologies.

For the record, that one resolution might not be uploaded, but it'll be uploaded as soon as we the program we use.

Yeah, you gotta vote it.

You got to vote though.

You can't do a yeah or nay.

So we need uh roll call on W.

Yes.

We're gonna take a roll call.

We didn't take a motion in a second.

Make a motion to move W.

Second it.

Motion was made by Councilman Council Vice President Nivison, seconded by Councilman Biancini.

Council Vice President Niverson.

Councilman Bradley.

Second, I think Bradley.

No, you're good.

Councilman Bradley, Councilman Biancini.

Oh, yeah.

Yes, for me.

Sorry.

Apologize.

Now Councilman Biancini?

Yes.

Council Vice President Iverson.

Yes.

Council President Saccozi.

Yes.

Councilman Coleman.

No.

Councilman Aber?

No.

Councilwoman O'Toole.

No.

Okay.

Brings us to item X.

Yep.

Um Mr.

Coleman.

Yeah.

Um, I'm just really not even sure why this is on the agenda.

I thought that the insurance issue was voted on and approved at the last meeting.

Um, what is this meeting about that you're requested?

I think the mayor, he he mentioned that he might want to bring in the other insurance company, the other GIF, uh, to counter what was said at the last council meeting.

Well, let's just let's ask him where he is with that.

Is that okay?

Yeah, it's fine.

Mayor.

Uh well, when you invited that gentleman here at the last meeting, we didn't we didn't invite him.

What do you mean?

You gave him a special hour or whatever up front, a 45-minute presentation.

You allowed him to do a 45-minute presentation.

Of course, you invited him.

When you invited him, you didn't need a resolution, nor do you need a resolution to invite someone else to talk about it.

So you don't really need this resolution.

Um, and again, it's one of those things that's non-binding, you can't like force somebody to come here.

Um, I would be interested to continue to discuss uh certain other areas, for example, uh our prescription plan.

I think there's an opportunity there for us to save uh a significant amount of money.

Um I think I did a pretty darn good job of explaining that the uh HIF went up like 17 and a half percent and 17 and a half percent of two point uh 22 million dollars rather is okay close to four million and um so I I I thought we did a good job on that, and I think I did a good job explaining about the two different options for the other gifts.

So I if you want to meet with someone, we would have to like schedule them, call them up and say, Hey, would you be interested in coming down and give us some uh uh a presentation about this?

Not like throwing a resolution on.

Uh I just that's how that would work.

The same way you invited that gentleman out in the audience, and you gave him an hour uh you know from Connor Strong to speak.

Um you'd be able to do that at the drop of a hat.

You don't need a resolution.

All right, thank you.

Anyone else?

No, okay.

Say something for the record.

For the record, he he asked for 15 minutes.

You stretched it into an hour and a half.

Okay, all right.

It's it's done.

It's in it's in the past.

Uh is there anyone in the audience that has uh questions on X seeing none?

Uh I need a motion to close public comment.

Motion to close.

Is there a second?

All right, it was the councilwoman O'Toole made the motion, and Mr.

Councilman uh Coleman seconded.

Okay, all in favor.

Aye, thank you.

Now any opposed hearing none.

Okay.

Thank you.

We need a motion and a second for item X.

I'll motion it.

I'll second it.

The motion was made uh to move item X by Councilman Bradley.

Second it was Councilman Biancini.

No.

Councilman, Council Vice President Ives, and my apologies.

Councilman Bradley.

Yes.

Council Vice President Iveson.

Yes.

Councilman Biancini.

Yes.

Council President Sicosi.

Yes.

Councilman Coleman.

No.

Councilman Aber.

No.

Councilwoman O'Toole.

Yeah.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um reports, please.

So there are no reports because we did it the last meeting.

Uh we'll have reports the next meeting for the month of January in February.

Okay.

And um approval of bills.

Make a motion.

Motion to approve the bills was made by Councilman Biancini, seconded by Councilwoman O'Toole.

Councilman Biancini.

Yes.

Councilwoman O'Toole.

Councilman Bradley.

Yes.

Council Vice President Iverson.

Yes.

Council President Saccozi.

Yes.

Councilwoman Coleman.

Yes.

Councilman Aber.

Um I have to abstain from PO number 2600 215.

But I'm going to vote yes.

For the balance.

For the balance, yes.

Correct.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

All right.

Um elected officials' comments.

So we'll start with Councilwoman.

Congratulations.

And I want to grab my home report.

And uh this weekend.

So I wish everybody would be safe, stay warm, stay dry, don't travel.

Thank you.

Councilman Bradley.

Thank you to everybody for uh coming out in this deplorable weather.

It's disgusting out.

Um I would like to thank the EMS police DBW for their hard work and dedication to the residents of Tom's River during the snowstorm.

Also like to thank the county road department because when I emailed them about the turn lane on uh Kettle Creek, that it you there was no lane there.

They came out with thebacco and fixed it.

So thank you for that.

And uh everybody be safe out there, be safe when you're driving.

There's a lot of accidents.

It's because some of the lanes aren't aren't there.

So just take your time going around.

But thank you again for coming out and be safe this weekend.

Uh I want to thank everybody for coming out on such a cold evening tonight.

Um, I want to thank Dana for uh reaching out to the county, finding out what the issue was on Washington Street.

It uh the lights are out.

It's something to do with the electrical and in the box.

So uh I think you said it was like a five thousand dollar or two thousand dollar part they have to order so soon as they get then uh Washington Street will be lit up again.

Um there is a pending storm coming uh this weekend.

Uh the DPW did the best job they could possible.

It rained after uh the snow, it it became slush and it the temperature dropped tremendously.

It got uh really cold and made some bad conditions worse.

Um I will say this some of the subcontractors that we had.

Some of the subcontractors that we had, um the trucks were a little bit too small, pickup trucks and jeeps to move some of that uh snow from curb to curve because in my neighborhood, a lot of people are still shoveling out just to get to their mailboxes, and uh it's brutal at this like concrete now.

And I will say this if we have another storm coming like we have this weekend coming, uh it's gonna be hard for them to get that off of the street because some of the streets have uh five or six feet of snow along the curb right now.

So everybody's gonna be careful.

Um it's not gonna be easy.

I don't know when it's gonna start the warm up, but uh I want everybody to uh be blessed that you have a home to go to because there's a lot of people out there that don't know, but thank you for coming.

Okay, council vice chair Nivesen, please.

In uh in lieu of the the weather and we have no code blue shelter ourselves.

Uh there is one, it's open on tick building is open.

It's it's it's at capacity.

I'm talking the township, Tom's River, the mayor and Shabot issued just believe three citations for helping someone in the parking garage.

Okay, they were issued by a code enforcement officer.

The most serious was a criminal trespass and disorderly persons offense, subjecting a certain individual to six months in jail.

The second was a municipal ordinance violation related to helping the homeless in the municipal garage.

The third was a municipal ordinance that violated was a violation relating to unlawful dumping of blankets.

Just believe was responding to a homeless individual in crisis here, attempting to calmly resolve the matter.

The most interesting part of the case was that the Toms River Police Department responded and allowed just believe to handle the situation without issuing any complaints.

In other words, the police were present at the scene and did not issue any criminal charges or ordinance violations.

Rather, code enforcement, a code enforcement officer at the direction of Drew Chabot, issued these complaints after the situation was calmly and professionally handled.

It's absolutely incredible to me that the township would take such an action against someone who's spending their time at night in the cold to help people who are helpless.

It's absolutely ridiculous.

And you guys need to drop those citations.

What February 12th court date?

You have to do that.

There's nothing to say other than it's ridiculous.

You gotta let them do their work.

They're at least helping homeless people that are freezing.

They responded to that woman in the Walmart parking lot.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

They used to do town townwide sweeps every night this time of year and shuttle the people to their shelter.

That's done.

I used to bring extra food to that shelter myself.

They did hand out blankets to the people that were there because the shelters are full.

They're at capacity, they're turning people away.

So these citations need to be dropped.

Absolutely ridiculous.

We know you hate people, we know you hate animals, but this is going too far.

There's there's the man, there's guy right there.

They're not home watching TV at night.

Those guys, please, please.

Please those those are the men don't call out.

Those are the men that are out there every night, not home watching TV with their feet up.

They're out there in the cold.

Okay.

Listen, so I everyone could come up.

I have a wait a second.

I have a I have a right to respond under under Robert's rules, which are our rules.

I have a right to respond when I'm called out like this.

Of course.

Okay, so just to at the end of the meeting, please.

Well, no, just the response to that, I think is fair right now.

No, under Roberts, I get it, I get an opportunity to respond.

I do, I do.

I just need a minute.

So the citations, I believe you're talking about, were months and months and months ago in this in the fall.

And the court or whatever when they or the summer when they dropped dozens and dozens of cots off in the garage and set up a makeshift camp in the garage.

Those are the citations you're talking about.

If they are coming up in February, it's because the court takes a long time uh to handle things.

They were not cited for helping people in the cold, Tom.

I know you take a lot of liberty with the truth.

I know what date was the citation, Tom.

That happened.

Tom, what date is the citation?

That happened months ago.

Okay, no, no, you said you were cited for helping people in the cold because you lie very frequently.

Gentlemen, okay.

So that's my response.

Going to drop the citations against just believe.

For the only good thing in this, so you want no Tom.

Also, I might want to point out that while you're doing any directions about that, that you do you do sell your vegetables to them.

And yes, they do.

And you do have a conflict and should not be talking about policy related to them.

So you should take a recession.

Okay, and you don't have to take a recess.

I'm done.

But Tom, you shouldn't be involved in policy with them at all.

It's a conflict of interest.

You've taken money from them, sold your vegetables to them.

All right.

You you it's your business, and that's fine, but you're not allowed to just be involved in policy.

Humanity, this isn't about No, this happened in the summer.

Everybody knows that they dropped off dozens of cots.

They're on video dumping all kinds of stuff in the garage.

That's what they were cited for.

Not for helping people in the polls.

We're gonna look at the colour.

Okay, I'm gonna recess.

You could take a recession.

Do you think they want to dump their cots?

They paid good money.

They weren't just dumping them like trash.

I'm rebutting.

I'm rebutting.

I had a rebuttal.

You're on video in September, right?

When it's hot out, not in the winter.

No one was citing anybody.

You didn't want to camp.

Then he's gonna stop too.

Okay.

He's gonna stop too.

Right?

Okay, good.

All right, good.

So now it's been set on the record.

You can move on.

Okay.

We're still in public comment.

Uh no, we're in council comments.

Taking a two-minute recess.

Okay, please.

Thank you.

Thank you.

If there's anyone in the audience, please don't shout out.

Get in line, and you could talk all you want.

It's not that part in the meeting.

Okay.

We're in council comments.

Council president.

I I know.

I you know, please.

Council President.

If if you're gonna take a recess, can we do a voice vote?

A motion second, and then all in favor?

Yes.

If you're gonna do it.

Yes.

So we need a motion for I'll make the motion.

I'll go first.

And a second.

Second.

Thank you.

All in favor.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Hearing none.

All right.

Excuse us.

So we gather our thoughts.

No, I know that.

Okay.

I need a second.

Thank you.

Motion to return to the council meeting was made by Council President Sarkozy.

Second by the way, wait, wait, he's got a he's got a I know what you're you got to say what we're doing.

Or not adjourning where readjourn.

No, you're reconvening.

Reconvening.

Okay.

Okay, thank you.

No, I'm not an English teacher.

It's not about that.

It's a public record.

You gotta what you what you want to do, you gotta put on the public record.

I'm sorry.

Okay, thank you.

So I made the motion to reconvene the council meeting.

Second by councilwoman O'Toole.

All in favor to reconvene.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Hearing none.

So Councilman Aber, it's um your turn for comment.

Um I can't remember the having a storm like this in years.

And uh I just was amazed on what a great job the department of public works did and the police.

And uh I just want to thank them, and uh hope all you guys get home safely tonight.

Okay, thank you.

Councilman Coleman.

Yeah, I pretty much want to uh say the same thing that's already been said about uh how the public works, and please did such a great job.

Um the mayor and I did tour the township checking out the streets to see make they were passable as much as could be.

I mean, everybody knows this was a very unusual snowstorm, very large.

Um it took a lot of people and a lot of time to get our roads as good as they were.

I was surprised at how many were actually down at the blacktop in the township.

I know there was some that still had some snow in them, but overall uh the public works guys, man, they they really really put in the time and effort to try to help everybody out.

And I I've just they really did a great job for the amount of snow we got, and I pray that we don't get that amount of snow this weekend.

You know, but anyway, I just wanted to commend them and like I say, and the police and uh AMTs all work together, and I think we did just about as good as we could do under the circumstances.

So I just wanted to say thank thank them very much.

Okay, thank you.

I'm gonna wait and uh for my comment after public comment.

I I I need to go at the very end.

So please come forward.

I get uh it's I got comment too.

Yeah, you did just put I get comments.

I get to participate, it's in the statute.

Okay, I was waiting for you to go at the end with me.

Okay, go ahead then.

Thank you.

I appreciate you yielding, you know.

Um go last.

You know what, Dave?

I'm gonna uh if you're gonna grant me comment at the end, I'll I'll comment at the end for you.

Okay, okay.

You I'll wait, okay.

I'll I'll wait for you as well.

Yeah, thank you.

Please come forward, state your name, and let's hear what you have to say.

My name is Michael Rosudo.

I'm a uh I live here and uh by the CSP and Jay.

At the big builder, but curly, not for long hopeful.

Can you speak into the mic, please?

Hello, all right.

This has been a rough winter for everybody.

Road work, people feeding the homeless.

A woman died.

A woman that was homeless, died in her car, Mr.

Mayor.

Okay, direct your comments to me, please.

My apologies, but um thank you.

But the reality of the picture is people are dying, not just because of that incident at the encampment, they've been dying beforehand, and you're stopping people, such as whatever's going on at the Port of Social Services, whatever's going on with Just Believe, which I'm not 200%.

You cited him.

This gentleman cited him for feeding people.

What are you guys thinking?

Like logically, really think about that for a second.

And and I'm listening to all the new policies and what's going on here.

It seems like there's a lot of confusion.

Why are we supposed to be counting on you guys to look out for us?

Like, really, think about that for a second.

Will you let the head to look out for us?

We let you everyone here to look out for us.

Am I correct?

Yes or no?

Well, Mike, we put you in housing a year ago, and you've been in housing public assistant housing for a year.

A year ago.

A year ago.

You offered that 30 years ago.

Yeah, you didn't even live in Tom's room, Mike.

We were never in Tom's River, and you got money.

State money.

Why don't you get a job, buddy?

You got nice clothes on.

You're a young man, you're healthy.

We put you in a house for a year.

A year.

Yeah.

Mike.

A year.

You had you had housing for a year.

You gotta get out and get a job, buddy.

What are you talking about?

What houses?

You were put in housing.

Oh, I was yes, you were.

You were in the garage, you were in the cave, you were in each of these places.

I'll stop.

But but but at a certain point, people have to take care of themselves.

And the accountability, where'd you where's your accountability?

You're you're telling me you're in the pick building.

You're in the pick building.

You're in the pick building yelling, and you come into the council meeting yelling at us.

You're in the pick builder right now.

Somebody's providing you housing.

Dan, Mr.

Please.

Oh, come on.

No, defensive.

People we're Republicans.

You know this president's defensive.

No, I'm not defensive.

I'm not defensive.

Anyway, let the record show he was defensive.

Get a job.

That's behavior.

Young young man get a job.

Anyway.

You're a young man.

A year ago, a year ago.

A year ago.

So with the resources.

You're I'm sorry, let me finish.

I'm sorry.

He was talking, he started yelling that.

The resources that were being put out for us wasn't proper.

The paperwork wasn't correct.

All right.

Like you told us, and they some Willie Whack told some two people, oh, if you take my offer, uh, you get 30 days a day, I said the thing of pizza.

What the hell?

About the cots being thrown on there, everything.

If you got somewhere to blame, blame me.

Take me to court.

Leave just believe out of it.

I'll take your full responsibility of it.

You got something to say, say to me.

I'm the one that's taking accountability.

I let those people into homeless.

Howard Johnson, etc.

You got someone to blame, blame me.

You got nothing to say.

No, I have plenty to say, but as soon as I say you're gonna bang the gavel.

As soon as I say something, the government's gonna bang the gamble.

And every person stayed alive.

Right.

All right, that's good.

Right.

Everyone stayed alive.

Think about that for a second.

We hear you.

If you want to take me to court, that's fine.

What am I taking you to court for?

I'm the one that did the academic.

What are you blaming them for?

As far as the uh woman in the vehicle, I just want to be very clear.

It's a horrible thing that happened.

The license plates for the vehicle were from Berkeley.

The woman's last known address was in Berkeley Township.

She she should have received help somewhere.

Somebody should have helped her, obviously.

But it was a bandit.

But um to come here and to say that Tom Zerver is responsible for that is is wrong.

Excuse me.

No one knows whether she sought help or not.

No one knows that much about this woman.

She worked with Jess Believe.

But so you're saying the woman who passed away worked for just believe?

No, she.

We worked with her.

Okay, so then if you worked with her, why was she in her car?

And why are you blaming me?

If you worked with her and she was in her car, why are you blaming me?

Why didn't you take her to the pick building?

Why didn't you take her to the pick building if you worked with her?

I'm sick of these people pointing their finger at this township.

I'm sick of these far left people and their crazy accusations.

They just said they worked with her.

They just said they worked with her.

Okay, blaming us.

Somebody slipped, somebody slipped through the cracks.

But you can't blame this council for that, nor the normal.

The police you said just believe work with her, and she was from Berkeley.

So I don't know what you're at this council meeting for.

I'm not gonna allow the town to be attacked.

Be quiet, please.

Just let them speak.

Why?

Why are they allowed to speak?

The rights, that's all right.

Why are they allowed to come here and then make four cash casts first?

Yeah, whatever.

And you behave too.

All right, no face talk to me.

Everybody come in here and question.

Okay.

Just come forward.

My name is Mark Moss up, and I am homeless still.

Y'all came in the garage July 1st.

You placed us for six months.

You put me.

CSPNJ put me back out.

July or December 22nd, when I was told we're paid up until July 30th.

Six months.

Mark.

That's six months.

That's not one year.

Mark, question for you.

I did.

I worked on the boardwalk all summer, Mr.

Roger, because you refused to give me the job that you promised me and had me fill out an application with your people.

How old are you, sir?

I am 35.

35 years old.

When I was 35, I was working 60 hours a week.

Actually, I'm 55.

I was the work 60 hours a week.

I work a seasonal job on the boardwalk.

They're blaming the city.

I'm a chef.

Hold on.

God damn it, hold on.

Can I do that?

Where's our shelter?

Can I six months we've been fighting for a homeless shelter in this county?

You're living building.

You're in a pick building.

You just said you're in a building.

Which is over capacity, and I've watched it.

Put people back out on the street.

I don't believe that.

You bought a word to send that.

Sir, sir.

The county doesn't job helping you.

Where is it?

No arguments.

Where's the home?

I'm not arguing.

I'm not sure.

That's not a homeless shelter.

Homeless shelter you can access 24-7.

We are the only county in this town to not have one.

You're a young manic has one.

I've been here seven years.

Council president, can I young man question?

No, we're in another recess.

Where is it?

I asked for help six months ago, and you guys hit us in a hotel.

Mark six months.

Mark, where did you lose ordinances?

No, so we couldn't be homeless anymore.

Mark.

Where did you live before you became homeless?

I was asked to leave a shared home because I was living with a fiance.

In Beachwood.

You had a home there or housing there.

Yes.

Okay.

I lived with a beautiful family, which isn't my family anymore.

We broke up.

And I was asked to leave a shared home, and your county told me it was my fault because of that.

Let's go to the recession.

So you left of your own accord.

No.

I was asked to leave a shared home.

I didn't leave on my own accord.

I was asked to leave.

Your county told me it was my fault.

Social services hasn't helped me in seven years.

You just said you got for six.

And I've been homeless for four.

How hard have you tried to get a job?

What have you done?

I worked all summer on the boardwalk after you guys put me away in a hotel so you could pass ordinances so nobody could be homeless around here and hang out.

Listen, I'm all for personal responsibility.

I don't have anything more to say.

And you're sitting here lying on record saying that you placed us for a year.

The township, the township, the county.

Everybody knows.

My timer hasn't buzzed yet.

I know.

But what else?

So he wants another year of free rent, is what he wants.

No.

No.

I want to know where the homeless shelter is that you told us you were going to be living in the field and you're having a shelter.

The county is one thing.

The township is another.

They're two separate entities.

So if the county promised you something, that's through the county.

No, no, no, no.

Oh, yes, township promised us something.

The way I look at it is this is America.

Everybody gave you a helping hand.

You had a year.

You're in the pistol.

Let's just quit through this thing here.

Please we're just gonna get through it.

We just want to let them accuse the town of all the stuff.

Come on.

Just let them do all right.

All right, go ahead, complain a little longer about how you uh how you didn't you didn't get enough time.

Enough time.

I still couldn't find an affordable home because you still refuse to build them.

Please try me, Mr.

Roderick.

I'm back.

Thank you.

Please, everyone, I'm begging you.

The quorum here, please.

Please just direct your comments to me civilly.

That's all I asked.

The same guy give you.

Thank you.

Um, Susan Payne Gator, 1946, Mount Juliano Lane.

Last year I was running for counsel on Ward 2.

Um, what I'm going to speak about tonight has to do with formal concern regarding council member conduct.

Under NJSA 40A-40A 9-22.5.

Local officials are prohibited from using their position to intimidate or harm members of the public.

Councilwoman Lynn O'Toole has threatened and harassed me as a Democratic candidate and as a homeowner since 2024.

In my HOA community, holiday city organization phase two at our clubhouse meetings where she is the president of the board for many years.

On September 15th, 2025, O'Toole and former councilman Bill Byrne witnessed the verbal and physical assault on me by Denise Major at our clubhouse meeting at six about 6:30 p.m.

On September 15th, 2025.

And saw O'Toole walking towards me.

Denise Mega got out of her seat, yelled at me, walking threateningly towards me, and she's about at least a foot over at least a foot over me, much younger.

And she was saying, I'm going to punch you in your face.

And she proceeded to chest chest slam me.

What an imagination.

Causing causing a sharp pain to radiate down my spine.

I am a polio survivor, and my spine was attacked with polio.

So I have a disability, and they all know it.

I have that on my car and everything.

Wait till we get you.

And she poked my arm forcefully, leaving a bruise, which I have a photo of.

Byrne and another man pulled her off me.

And walked against me like this towards the door.

I left and went to the Toms River Police Department to file complaints.

Meanwhile, the police responded to the clubhouse, where in a report, O'Toole Byrne, Mager, Macken, all denied any assault on me.

Since I have a signed statement from a Toms River police officer and surveillance footage, this has moved into the realm of a criminal matter.

I have filed police incidents against all three, including Councilwoman Lynn O'Toole, Denise Mager, and Patrick McKinnon.

I have reached out to internal affairs.

I have visited the Ocean County prosecutor's office.

I have contacted the New Jersey Attorney General's office and reported on tip line.

I deserve justice.

Intends to ensure the council remains a safe and productive environment for all residents.

I have a copy for the mayor, a copy for the township clerk, and a copy for the ethics board, which I was told to deliver these after showing and proving that I was assaulted and this councilwoman lied.

Okay, thank you.

We could leave everything with the clerk.

Yes, sir.

Yes, hi, I'm Zach Ackerman, Oakland Road, Toms River.

Um, my comment, I I came to speak tonight, and I wanted to just throw it in there while we were talking about the woman who passed away outside the Walmart tragedy, of course.

Um I'm not thankfully not experiencing homelessness myself, but I've worked as a social worker for six years, and I've seen different angles of this, so I think I understand some of the complexities, but all I'm asking of our town, I'm from Tom's River, I was born here, I went to high school east.

Um, you know, I'm all I'm asking of our town as a citizen is that we try to look towards solutions, and the response is not to look to point blame on anyone of you know, did this person how hard did they look for a job?

How what did they do?

It's what what are we doing to prevent this type of thing?

What's the solution?

The whole episode with the church trying to get you know a 17-to-bed shelter, that's not gonna happen.

But what's the alternative?

I mean, it's a county issue as much as a Tom's River issue, but I'd like to see our town working with the county towards a solution of some sort.

And yeah, again, just not I I've seen I've seen how social services works.

I've seen people turned away because they caused their own homelessness.

I've seen different sides of this, but I think especially when we see a tragedy like this, the response is not to try to blame or you know, frame it that way, but what's our solution?

What are we working towards as a town?

And that's what I'd like to see, and get a job is not really a humane or appropriate response, in my opinion.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Yes, state your name and your address, please, for the record.

Carlos Amonsar Wynnaham.

Um, President, I just had something that the pop up closer to the microphone.

I just had something that just popped up on my Facebook, you know, a reminder from three years ago, 45 minutes ago.

And it says like this.

Who is Carlos Amonsor?

Thank you for life.

Thank you for teaching me what's right and what's wrong.

And to take care of everyone, no matter what or who.

I wrote this three years ago today.

And that photo had my great grandma who taught me what's to have a big heart.

I am tired of coming to this meeting, been name called to the point where I have lost my ability and let my anger take advantage of my wording.

Now, I come from a different background where I learned to respect code and respective respect people according to the conversation we have.

If I'm in this side, I respect the conversation that I had on this side, and when I'm over there, I respect the conversation that I had on that side.

Because my father taught me to be a man, you gotta wake up every day and look everybody in the eye.

Now, I don't like to be telling here or telling over there.

That doesn't go with me.

You can ask about my past.

I have done many things in my past, and this is my hometown because I've done it all here.

I grew up here.

Um you can ask everyone, these hands have helped everyone, rich, poor, everyone, black, white, Jewish.

I don't look at colors, I don't look at who you are, I don't look at your past.

I look at the moment because everyone goes through struggles.

That's that.

Now the past two meetings, I have left my emotion get the best of me, and someone get the best of me as well.

I try to apologize.

I'm a special A guy, it's all on record.

You know, I try to go into the Marines, I try to, all this stuff.

So I'm a very well guy, wrestling team, vocational school, all this sort of stuff.

But my anger got the best of me the last two meetings, where I lost it and I said some things.

Now, my language, the way I speak, it's a lot different than you guys.

You guys were educated.

I had to learn from the streets.

That's why I see a homeless, I give them my food first, and then I know I go make something else.

Something someone's learned.

Now, last meeting, I spoke with the chief at that door, sir.

And I was telling the chief, wow, I got called a drug dealer.

My past, I don't deny it.

I actually embrace it because that's who made me who I am today.

But since we're on this niching part, and I asked myself, what would I what's right?

A gentleman over here a few months ago said, I wish I could get my hands on explosive vapors and give it to my competition.

That gentleman is right there.

Direct to me.

That gentleman is our mayor.

It was in a fundraiser where uh club.

I am willing to testify on this, and I have proof of different people that were sitting in that table.

I spoke with the chief on this just to get my my mind off, you know.

I played chess guy.

There was another gentleman there that me at that point and heard that.

Um I woke up to having an officer calling me and telling me that there would have been a complaint filed against me for terrorist threat by this man, sir.

So if that is how we want to play, where I can't speak what's right, and when he feels that somebody's on his toe, he could step on them.

Because, sir, if me doing this sign is considered a terrorist threat, someone saying that they wish they could get their hands on explosive vapors and give it to you, you, you, you, at the moment, and some of you guys, what is that considered, Chief?

All right, sorry.

Once again, I've been campaigning for the governor who I wish would have won.

I campaigned for senator.

I've been learning a lot this past two years.

I was never a politician, and I never been a goody guy.

I'm learning how to be a human being.

But, sir, look at yourself in the eyes.

I know you're losing a lot of weight and you're looking good, but that doesn't make sense.

You know?

Good luck with the surgery.

Well, your town is suffering.

Thank you.

Cowardly.

Yes, sir.

Ms.

Galanti, 1149, Cherokee Court, Tom's River.

So it I don't know, with all due respect, I'm trying to have some.

But for public comment.

You know, I saw at the first three org meeting, after half an hour, Councilman Aber got up, he left the meeting.

Okay.

Then after last meeting, uh, I see Miss O'Toole.

Uh she gives the residents and the taxpayers here the finger.

Now you owe everyone here an apology.

Excuse me, what do I owe an apology for?

You gave the audience the finger.

I didn't give the audience a finger.

I gave one person who gave it to me.

How's that?

Well, then maybe you should have declared who you were given the finger to.

And even such, I think that's absurd and shameful.

Unclassy.

Okay.

Okay.

Duly noted.

Good.

Direct everything toward me.

Okay.

Mr.

Coleman.

What did he give you two video?

You made a comment, your your uh address after your you know, your comment afterward, the meeting, uh, or during the meeting.

You said that you are are of your own person, and that you do not chastise people for their comments when they come to the microphone.

Do you really think about what you say before you say it?

Because in the next sentence, you went after Julie.

Julie is one of the most deserving, well intended citizens that comes to these meetings, and she comes with her opinion and she tries to tell you what she thinks of what she feels, and then you go after her.

Well, boo-hoo to you.

That's shameful.

And I have one other question for you, or Mr.

Coleman.

Do you still have the township car?

You still use a township car?

You don't have to answer the ML.

Okay.

You don't have to answer.

So the I the answer is yes.

But the ordinance says the code says that uh, you know, individuals in this township that are on 24 hour call, they have a right to use the car.

I don't believe that's you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Yes, sir.

I get it, Carl.

I don't know you.

Yeah, I know.

Nobody does.

Uh, your name for the record, please.

Phil Brilliant, 79 Holly Tree Lane.

And just to clarify, in our rules, so I get five minutes and I can get three minutes to come back.

Yes.

That's current rules.

Okay.

So it's I already have different things going through my head.

So, first question, uh, Council President.

Um, saw notice business administrator, Mr.

Solanus has left on uh in on temporary leave, I think it said, and Mr.

Shabot is taking his spot as acting.

Is there more information?

Is is Mr.

Solanus getting paid?

Is you know, is Mr.

Shabot?

How's this process go?

I I'll answer the question if you'd like to that because I'm not sure.

If he likes to would you like an answer?

You'd have to ask him if I can answer you.

I'll answer.

Oh, you got it now.

All right.

That's what we met about, but go ahead.

That's all right that's why I asked.

Wait, but be careful.

Be careful why you say that.

Several.

So Mr.

Solanus is please.

You want to do it?

Okay.

That we talked about several employees of one on.

I've only asked about one.

That's only stated was correct.

So it's a temporary leave.

So Mr.

And he's acting as temporary PA.

Yeah.

So he he he's all right.

I as his letter, which is public information, and I do have the permission to say this.

He's got some family issues.

He's taking a step back from the role for a few months.

Um will be back in it.

Okay.

So question one was is he being paid?

He's taking a lesser rope.

So yes, he is coming to work.

He's just not staying here late.

He's not doing all these meetings and these interviews.

He's not, he's not acting as BA, so he's getting paid, yes.

You could Oprah that like the hundred Oprah's you put in one fifty a week.

Um, but there's a reduction, correct?

Yeah, he's he'll be making less money.

So that's so it's a it's a it's a a leave of duties, but he is still employed and actively in the township.

Exactly.

Okay, and Mr.

Chabot is acting business administrator.

Um I didn't sign the paperwork yet, but yeah, he'll be acting in because why he's sitting here.

I I see him sitting there, I know.

So the um I guess the question is so is will Mr.

Shabot assume the salary that Mr.

Solanus is dropping.

Most likely, yes.

Well, yes, likely came over here.

Yes, okay.

Yes.

Um, so the other question, and interesting.

So, first a clarification.

Um the date of the violations to just believe was September 24th, 2025.

So not in the middle of the window.

To do with the COTS and the summer encampment at the municipal building.

This was after, because you remember correctly, July 28th, I think it was, is when this the council um passed the ordinance about the municipal parking lot, and in that it allowed you to issue the citations.

It changed the ordinance about that, so that's where it came from.

And certain council.

But then again, also that that would that would mean it didn't happen in the middle of winter when they were helping people when it was eight degrees out, right?

So correcting the information.

Okay.

And they did get citations.

Thank you for correcting.

I did get citations though.

But more importantly, the question I really have is I find it interesting that the mayor cited he knew the plate number of the car at the Walmart parking lot.

He knew the individual lives in Berkeley, but yet it's still under the investigation.

The prosecutor's office and the local police, and to me, the mayor should not have that information readily available.

I think tomorrow's conversation with the prosecutor's office, and this is not the first time this has happened to this mayor, needs to be investigated as to why he has information that he should not have.

Um what a time I got left there.

Keep going.

Okay.

I'm gonna I will reserve to come back.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Julie Adamek, uh, Cedar Grove Road and Toms River.

Um the first thing that I want to um say is a comment about the uh public works and um uh the county response, which was fantastic uh with snow removal considering we had this coating of ice.

Um the one suggestion that I would have going forward would be to have a public message go out uh for people to move their vehicles off the street because I heard that the plows were having trouble because these vehicles were in the way uh in Toms River.

So that would be one suggestion, and also to have people uh clear their cars of snow before they're out on the road because somebody I talked to yesterday who lives in Tom's River actually got stopped in brick by the brick police because of snow on the roof of their SUV, and they had to uh stop at the next exit.

They were told stop and remove that snow.

So I think that should be a public message that goes out from the township.

Um I also want to comment about the five minutes that the public gets to speak.

That should be uninterrupted.

It's I notice repeatedly that the time is usurped by the mayor interrupting with um outrageous comments, talking over very loudly and interrupting people repeatedly.

It's not fair to the public.

The public has five solid minutes.

He has his own time during the public uh officials' time to comment, not to interrupt residents repeatedly like this, and it needs to stop already.

Um I also want to address uh the last meeting where I understand Mr.

Coleman was busy calling me out during his public comment about I didn't have my facts straight.

Uh I certainly did have my facts straight on uh street light problems in Tom's River, the uh 18-wheeler problem on Cedar Grove Road, etc.

Um so uh Mr.

Coleman uh does not have any credibility.

Um he's the same person that was council president for a year that was maliciously throwing residents out of the meetings repeatedly.

So I think that people that are listening at home, people that come to these meetings know that I'm very credible and I stick to the issues rather than uh be doing name calling repeatedly like I watch in this room going on.

Um I want to make a point for the public record that um the uh 18-wheeler problem that went on for a year now on Cedar Grove Road.

Um I just want to make everybody aware that on the 14th of January there was a major accident again on Cedar Grove Road.

Uh one car was totaled and another an SUV uh turned flipped over and landed in somebody's yard.

So there are a lot of accidents on this street, and 18-wheeler traffic is really inappropriate on Cedar Grove Road, and I hope that uh this moves forward uh with a resolution that the township that the county asked for so that they can contact the Department of Transportation to put signage up on vehicle restrictions in terms of weight.

Um and the last thing that I would like to make a comment would be the loudest person in the room, it's usually the weakest.

Ms.

Uh Council President, I would just um just uh let you know that the information regarding the woman's car being and the woman being from Berkeley is in the patch.

Uh and this notion that somehow someone in RPD improper released anything.

There's a there's a press story out about this.

The prosecuted a press release, and it's out in the press.

So uh I just wanted to clarify that, and I I don't appreciate uh folks making those kind of implications about RPD.

All right, thank you.

Yes, Donna Sergio, 601 Main Street, Tom's River.

Um we've been talking forever about homeless shelters here in Tom's River throughout the county.

I live on Main Street.

I've said repeatedly I see homeless people up and down the road all day long, all the time.

Um in the past year, I I know there was the whole thing with the church, it was deemed inappropriate.

People decided that they didn't want to have a homeless shelter there.

And I feel like everybody's been asking where, where, where, and nobody comes up with a solution.

Um I uh I guess it's been brought up before, but I'm wondering if anything has been done that they've come up with an idea of where if you want to wait a minute, of where they can build a shelter.

And I I guess other people have mentioned as well.

Somebody suggested this to me.

This was not my idea, um, on Cordeen Avenue, right over by the Veterans Hospital.

Um, saying that you know, Cordena Avenue, that area.

I know evidently I guess some of the property is owned by um the county, but it seems like it might be something to look at.

I mean, other people have brought it up, it was not my idea, like I said.

Um it's right by the VA hospital, it's right by senior services, but social services is right in that area.

Well, do you guys happen to know of any areas where they're contemplating putting up a homeless shelter?

Well, I I should know something.

You have not heard anything yet.

So, mayor okay.

So I I did have a conversation.

Excuse me, I cut Dave off.

I'm sorry, go ahead, Dave.

Thank you.

Uh I'm hoping and everyone else here it some we could get together one day with the county and and come up with a solution and do this.

Okay.

Have there been meetings about that?

I mean, have there been that I know of.

I mean, as much as I'm going to be able to do that.

So, Dave, you would like you would like a homeless shelter in Tom's River you're saying.

What are you saying that in addition to the county's pick building you want to you want one here?

But there's a need.

You want one here.

Why not?

We need a shelter.

So I had a conversation with with if you if you would like to know what they've contemplated of I actually nobody really cares.

It's just a political show.

So if you really care for an answer, I would have given it to you.

But if you're here for a political show and nobody really wants the answer.

Don't ask the question.

I'm not here for a show.

You could take a recess if you like.

Excuse me.

So you don't really want to know.

Excuse me.

I won't answer them.

I'm not here for a show.

You are fair for a show.

Dave was spe how do you know?

Because she didn't care for the answer.

I do.

No, no, you went right over the guy.

You're gonna yell at me, go ahead.

Yes, because you won't shut the hell up.

Oh, I gotta shut the hell up, right?

Thank you.

Okay.

Dave, you don't care about it.

If you'd like to I would love to hear from you when he is done, if you can keep your mouth shut long enough.

So just hold on a minute.

No, I just won't share with you.

Thank you, Dave.

I think so.

I'm trying.

Okay.

I actually thought of like at least temperatures, like some major cities, they have warming buses.

Yeah, that would be a great idea.

They come and they go.

Just a temporary thing.

Right.

It's not a solution, but weather like this, nobody should be outside.

No, it's and that's the way it's dealing.

But we can't the town cannot do it themselves.

They need to work with the county.

And and that seems to make sense.

I hope to do that as soon as possible.

Do any of the churches here open for that?

Like do they I know in in New York City they were saying that a lot of the churches would open their doors so that people could come in and you know literally lay down and warm up.

I don't know.

No, I was just curious.

Okay.

So Mr.

Mayor, if you would still like to give me information, please do.

Thank you for your permission to speak.

So um as far as the pick building is concerned, you could ask the police department.

Our police are there constantly.

Um it averages out to be almost once a day.

It's a tremendous uh uh strain on the department, they're constantly answering calls at the pick building, and that's just the one facility that we have, and now we're suggesting that you want another one.

The pick building might as well be a de facto shelter because it was open all summer long as a cooling shelter.

We've just had people that came in and told you they were spending the night there.

It is a shame that no one got this woman who passed away into that pick building.

But as far as circling back to what what discussions I've recently had uh we had a discussion, I had a discussion with uh freeholder Sidego Sideggi regarding the suggestion of perhaps we have the federal base in Lakehurst.

There's all all kinds of facilities, medical care, uh kitchens, bathrooms, housing.

Uh it's a there's uh plenty of security, so we were talking about pitching this to um to Congressman Smith and seeing if he could get us some help in that way.

Part of the problem is as I just pointed out, it winds up a strain on any town that has it, it winds up a strain on the police department, it winds up a safety issue, because whether we like it or not, and it's a very I'm you know, I'm never afraid to say what other people don't want to say, but nine out of ten people are either mentally ill or addicted to drugs.

You can yell at me all you want, say whatever you want, but the police department has to go to the pick building on average almost every day.

Uh some days it's two days, and then you have twice in a day, and then you don't have anything for for a day or so, but it it averages out to be uh quite a large number of calls, and the sheriff's department goes there as well.

And I spoke to the sheriff recently.

So part of the reason that communities are not interested in having permanent shelters in their town or in their neighborhood is because it's tremendous strain and it's a security issue.

So I had suggested hey, why not see in the federal government would be interested in helping us out on the base?

And the freeholder expressed interest in in pitching that idea, although again it's just a piece of the first um hearing of it.

Right.

Okay.

Well, that was an idea.

But again, again, um if you don't want me to you don't want me to speak anymore, Mr.

Bianchini, I won't speak.

It seems I mean the the base, it sounds like a good idea, however, I'm sure security is going to be a major issue.

You can't get on the base.

I I actually was at the base this evening.

I bought something on Facebook Marketplace and I had to turn into the visitors' center.

You cannot go on to the base, period.

So I I'm afraid security would be a huge issue.

However, it it's something to look into.

I think that one of the big problems with the homeless shelter with the pick shelter is that I've never been there, uh thank heavens, but I'm assuming it's a building, it's open.

We need to really think more of tiny units, little rooms where people can you can't think you're gonna put 20 or 30 people in a room and there's not gonna be a fight.

I mean, let's face it.

We can't be in this room without fighting.

How are we putting 20 or 30 homeless people in a building without there being an argument?

Has anybody has anybody in your group ever anybody in the group ever go over to BRIC or go to uh Lakewood or run over to Berkeley or to any of the surrounding towns to say, hey, uh would you build a shelter?

I'll I'll sit down if I'm fine.

I was just having time's up.

It's fine.

It's all good.

I think it's a good thing.

The council people have places to go and things to do.

All right.

But have have have you guys ever done that?

Have you gone to one of the other towns?

I mean, they come a lot here.

Thank you.

Have you asked any of the other towns to pitch in since we already have the pick building?

Anyone ever do that?

Hello, my name.

Probably not, right?

My name is Morey Garbowski.

I live at 1598 Springfield Drive, Toms River, New Jersey.

I want to thank the new board and all you members for getting the agenda out in time for me to read it.

And um I thought that was great.

Did you see how many resolutions were on this agenda?

Yes.

Okay, thank you.

And um my friend explained it to me about how people take over the taxes and what goes on at first.

I thought you guys were talking about um letter L, and then it ends up you're talking about W.

So I don't know.

You guys don't make yourself clear.

You gotta do things in plain English when you talk, you know.

So anyway, um I'm calling because I want to let you guys know that I was reading the Toms River Times, the January 24th, and it was a news article about the county to conduct a point in time count on homelessness.

I understand this is done yearly.

And uh the point in time, they have someone for different areas, but not Toms River, and we have the most homelessness.

And they also talked about so there's no representative in our town because the officials did not submit the required reappointment paperwork.

And they also talked about the homeless trust fund established in 2023 after the Ocean County Board of Commissioners adopted it.

The trust fund was created to provide flexibility and early intervention in reaching its ultimate constraints by housing availability and dollars in our county.

So um now they have half a million in there, and they allowed 180,000 to go to people with low-income homes, and there is none.

And uh low-income homes, we talked about that one time.

You had it in the paper, it's 85,000.

And for our town, which I see half the businesses are gone.

And the homelessness is not because of themselves, it could be because of campaign financing, about the rich getting ridiculously billionaires are getting ridiculously too rich.

Had they come into our politics and um you know, just create this uh trust among us to to get us to fight, because the reality is it's not the left and the right, it's the up and the down, the poor and the rich that are creating these problems.

And I just want you to know there's a blue code blue in our media is usually announced on the radio.

I don't know how people are gonna hear it.

Currently, it shows that St.

John's AME Zion Church in Lakewood, 114th Street in Lakewood has places for them to stay, and also um Warmhearts in Ocean C Avenue in Lakewood also.

So I I think the homeless have to walk all the way over there because just believe can't drive them because they're being ticketed in our area.

I don't know, it doesn't make sense.

We you we need to solve this problem, and not to uh make them like as if they're horrible people.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

Yes, sir.

Anthony, good evening.

How are you doing?

Tony of Verso, Twenty Rico Avenue.

Uh a few months back I brought up the properties, Clifton Avenue and so forth.

And I asked, how do I obtain copies of the permits that were pulled for demo?

The slips from the so-called facilities where everything was brought.

And you answered a question about ground.

I'm not talking about ground, I'm talking about the buildings.

Where they went.

Last last time you you said something about the ground being clean.

The ground is clean.

Okay.

How do we obtain all this paperwork?

I understand it's uh under review with the uh EPA out of New York, they're doing a report.

Did you get that report yet?

No.

But you got 18 buildings that were knocked down by the town problems.

Well, the rest I don't know about.

How do I obtain a list of all the properties and all the time slips and where the everything went?

You would have to open that.

Well, you don't have to open it.

Everything goes to the ocean county dump.

All right.

Not really.

He's not gonna want me to answer.

No, go ahead, answer it.

Oh.

So uh you don't eat up my time, but go ahead.

You want to pause that for him so that he can complain a little longer.

No, I'm not complaining.

I'm not gonna just like well, no, you you okay.

Oh God.

Please.

So after the building was knocked down, someone called and claimed there was asbestos.

We had a clean environmental report on that property.

If you put a look at the horse park property, which was Oprah, some of this information was opened by Mr.

Brilliant, who's right there.

There was uh a report of asbestos at that building on that site, and we didn't take down that building.

So the building that was known to have asbestos shingles was left standing.

The environmental report that we get for Clifton Avenue did not say there was asbestos.

So we knocked it down.

Somebody said, Hey, look, there's asbestos shingles.

I don't even know uh where it came from, but we had uh the department of labor there, right?

And the Department Department of Health.

That's correct and the really um uh we wound up getting something from the Department of of Labor or the Department of Health without any hang on, without any documentation or any kind of evidence saying, hey, you should remove six inches of dirt from the entire acre.

So we got a uh company on the state's list of independent uh inspection for uh for for asbestos, and they went around and they did uh I believe an initial 20 samples of soil, and um it was 0.000 like zero in any of the samples.

And what's interesting about that is that was like right at where the building was taken down.

Um so the plan was to present that to the EPA, I believe, and then have the EPA say whether or not they were in favor of us doing another more extensive study of a hundred samples uh around.

Uh but again, the shingles just to be very clear, those shingles we all know, they're on all of our houses.

And um, they're non-friable, which means the fibers are in cement.

So even if they fall and break, if they have asbestos in it, the asbestos doesn't come out because it's non-friable.

Uh, if that were the case, we'd be in big trouble because after Sandy, all the homes that got lifted and had new uh vinyl installed and had the shingles ripped off.

You'd be you it would be the whole town.

So the shingles are not a risk.

There's nothing that we found in the dirt so far.

We're we're hoping they'll allow us to uh now that the now that the EPA has actually involved, right?

Someone who actually would check the soil, uh, we're hoping they'll accept our plan.

I wasn't talking about the shingles, I'm talking about the rest of the building that you said were were brought to a landfill.

Well that's what you said last week.

Well, everything was brought to the landfill.

Okay.

They've got to be certified in order to accept certain stuff.

No, no, no.

When it comes to asbestos, when something is thrown away, no, hang on.

When something is thrown away, if it's known to be asbestos, it has to be wet or bagged when it's thrown away.

But but you're making this assumption that we threw away asbestos.

Okay.

Where were the demo pits?

Where is this evidence that I threw away asbestos?

For demolition on those buildings.

I'm asking you a question.

What what where is this where is this evidence that that we threw away asbestos?

Okay, sir.

You have you have everything is accessible.

It's all government.

Do you just reports?

Okay.

Start the clock back up, please.

Okay.

All right.

Where do I retain the reports?

For let's say the two on on uh Clifton Avenue.

Okay.

You could open the Clifton Avenue report.

Yeah, look, I think what what you're confused about is the process to remove the material is by a state certified remover.

And we did that.

However, the dump, as the mayor saying is a normal dump.

But in terms of getting the information, we said last time.

Okay.

In terms of getting the information, yeah.

I'm sure the gentleman behind you can teach you how to Oprah.

But he doesn't work for the town.

I pay taxes in his town.

Right.

Well, we just told you, but you weren't satisfied with the answer.

No, no.

I asked Oprah what you want.

Oprah.

You want the report?

You'll give me copies of the code.

Yeah, it's called Open Public Records Act.

You can you can ask for the environmental report that says nothing about asbestos.

You could ask for it.

You could read all seven.

Is it seven hundred pages?

Mr.

Mealy.

You can read all seven hundred pages.

You won't find the word asbestos anywhere in it.

Okay.

So you could you could ask for that.

Okay.

And and I want to thank you and your friends for calling on the town.

All right.

Mayor.

I'm not apologizing to you.

Scam artist.

Three minutes.

Phil Brilliant, 79 Hollatory Lane.

Uh, so before coming here tonight, I thought long and hard about walking in with over 3,500 petition papers in hand, publicly presenting them, laying them out for all to see.

Bring them.

I spoke with many people about it.

But I asked myself a simple question.

What would truly be gained by adding more theater to the already chaotic political world?

I chose instead to take the high road and stick to the facts to protect the privacy of the residents who signed and explicitly did not want their names disclosed.

And to speak plainly and objectively about what actually happened.

The choice was not weakness, it was restraint, and restraint is something many in this public life should learn more about.

During the Revolutionary War, this community was not a bystander.

In 1782, the Battle of Tom's River was fought here, one of the last land battles of the American Revolution.

Ordinary residents stood up, not because it was easy, but because they believed their voices and their future were worth defending.

The spirit did not end in 1782.

Over the past 160 days, the committee to recall Daniel Roderick as mayor of Tom's River, Dana Tremolin, Chris Raymond, and myself, thousands of residents once again participated in a lawful civic process that this time through a petition authorized under New Jersey state law.

Bring them in.

Few believe such an effort could gain momentum.

Yet by the close of circulation period, bring them in.

Unified scam artists.

Bring them in.

You're a scam artist.

Bring them in.

Bring this.

I'm not excusing you.

What do you want to do?

Bring in the signature.

What are you gonna do, Dan?

That is not what I'm saying.

Nothing.

Okay.

Right here.

The more you're digging your grave.

You think so?

Yeah.

You think so.

You couldn't even get a thousand signatures.

Bring them in.

Bring them in.

This is not conjecture.

This is not spin.

Scam.

This is the physical count of completed petition pages in our possession.

Those signatures represented neighbors, parents, seniors, small business owners, lifelong residents, newer families alike from every corner and every ward of Tom's River.

People who believed participation still matters in this town, who felt compelled to speak out.

In the beginning, this committee publicly committed that if the statutory minimum was not reached, the petition would not be submitted for verification to the clerk, a process that would have made every signature subject to public disclosure under Oprah.

We honored that commitment, not out of fear, not out of doubt, but out of respect of the residents who signed and made it clear they did not want their names disclosed unless absolutely required.

In recent days, however, the mayor released several statements calling the effort a hoax.

He claimed the signatures were nowhere nearly.

Where are they?

Bring them in flip through them.

How about you come in and you fan them in front of us?

Come in and fan them.

Just leave.

Show us all these signatures.

I'm not leaving.

I leave.

I'm for my comment now.

Quiet.

Quiet.

I need to address something, okay?

Wait, no, let him fan it.

Let him come in here.

You can just like fan it so that we could see all 16,000.

He said that if nearly 17,000 signatures truly existed and volunteers would have to have visit nearly every house, every Tom's River.

His social media mouthpiece even claimed Phil Brilliant, bankrupt businessman who is under fire for receiving free health care benefits of the Tom's River MUA for one hour a month, per one hour per month, failed in his personal venge revenge against Tom's River Mayor Daniel Roderick.

He cited unnamed polls, criticized the press, and framed this entire effort as an attempt to discredit his administration.

So let me be very clear.

I have no personal vengeance or vendetta against Dan Roderick.

This is not personal.

This is about Tom's River, Tom's River, Tom's River.

Calling this event a effort a hoax does not discredit organized, it dismisses the voices of nearly 17,000 residents who exercise court constitutional freedoms, the freedom of speech, the freedom of peaceful assembly, and the right to petition their government for redress of grievances.

These rights are not optional.

They are not conditional, they're guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution.

Claims of illegal signatures or misconduct are unsupported by evidence.

Our volunteers follow the law, they followed the statute.

Maybe I should act.

And accusations do not protect public trust.

They erode it.

And yes, upon review, were there instances where residents of Pine Lake Park and Holiday City, Berkeley believed that they lived in Tom's River?

Yes.

Were there instances where an address did not perfectly match a voter registration?

Yes.

Did Francis sign as Fran and Anthony sign as Tony?

Yes.

This is precisely why these signatures were not always described as uh they are they're described as unverified.

That is why we knew a significant buffer buffer above the statutory limit limit of 18,464 would be required.

And those examples represent the minority, not the majority of the side the signers.

I'm not gonna bore you all anymore.

I want to get to the bottom line.

This effort has concluded.

No petitions are being submitted, but the message expressed through this participation cannot be erased by rhetoric, spin, or press releases.

The next opportunity for every voter to speak will be in the 2027 by oral election.

I strongly encourage every resident to participate because Tom's River's history makes one thing clear.

This community is stronger when people are heard.

We are TR.

Thank you very much for the talk.

There they are, the 12 members of the recall committee.

13.

Here's uh number 13.

Good evening, Council members, Dana Tormollin, Messenger Street.

As you all by know by now, I'm one of the three named petitioners who wanted Daniel Roderick recalled.

Unfortunately, for Tom's River, we fell short, but we were able to find thousands of residents, not a thousand residents, who have seen the absolute chaos and destruction that Mr.

Roderick and this administration have caused in the past two years.

Number left wing.

While Mr.

Roderick Don't while Mr.

Roderick continues his childish mudslinging and name calling campaign to try to disparage our efforts, he just reminds those almost 17,000 residents of exactly who he is.

And while he has already begun his next campaign to do further damage as the mayor of Tom's River, I ask the residents to remember all of the fear and disorder that he has left in your mailboxes two years ago, and remember that it will all begin again within the next 12 months.

All that being said, I would like to mention all the good that has come of the last 160 plus days.

We had an election in November, and a new county major council majority has taken their seats on the dais.

They promised to help restore Tom's River to what it once was, to work for the residents and for the township by being transparent, listening, listening to the people who put them in those seats.

We have brought residents together and met wonderful people who are lifelong and longtime residents, people who want Tom's River to continue to have that big small town feeling.

We have heard the concerns of those same residents and how they all may not agree entirely on the future of Tom's River, but how the focus on a singular building downtown has become the distraction to cover to distraction to the overdevelopment around the rest of Tom's River.

They are tired of the propaganda paid for on their dime of repetitive false truths or finger pointing for the things that have suffered at the hands of this administration.

Don't forget, love them or hate them.

The previous administration didn't raise your taxes either.

But that seems to be the only positive thing that this administration has continued.

But where will no tax increases for three years leave Tom's River in two to four years?

Your taxes will have to increase.

But at what cost to you and the residents of Tom's River?

What damage will they have to cover for the lack of increases?

I mean, a gradual tax increase is a tough pill to swallow, but when we can't afford to operate the day to day in our town, someone is going to have to refill that pot, and how big an increase will be needed to do so.

I also urge our senior population to look into your senior tax freezes because Mr.

Roderick won't.

He will continue to weaponize your taxes for his campaigns, but will not tell you that you can do something to stop your increases.

So when the time comes, your fixed income does not become completely depleted by paying for his errors.

Remember, he keeps saying the previous administration raised the taxes in our senior communities.

That too is a lie.

The county raised them, but that's what he put in your mailboxes two years ago to win your votes and use fear to win them.

We know because while meeting the thousands of residents, and a large part was our seniors, they told us all about how they were lied to for their votes.

Ms.

O'Toole, who again has left.

You are the HOA president of your community, and you probably should get a professional, someone outside of Mr.

Roderick's payroll, to come speak to the residents of your community so they know their options.

We learned how many people have had needs of emergency services and how, because of the depleted police department and lack of EMS, especially on the island and in Silverton and Holiday City Silverton, they have had extended wait times because there's nobody to answer their calls.

Still two years later.

So much for the boots on the ground nonsense.

The residents have brought up numerous other topics.

Of course, the animal shelter, the disaster on the corner of Clifton and Bachelor, the use of a township vehicle and gas for personal use, including trips to and from Irvington daily.

But don't forget the attack on Christ Church for absolutely no reason, other than his disdain for the homeless.

The amount of residents who came out to sign the petition is 3,000 signatures more than the amount of voters that voted for this disastrous administration.

Even if he keeps saying he won by 69 or 70 percent of the votes, 14,000 votes in a town of 100,000 isn't something to brag about.

They have also seen how those once stood by Mr.

Roderick are slowly fading away.

If his own friends who he pays won't stand by his side any longer, why would the residents of Tom's River?

When it comes down to the petition, when it comes down to how the petition worked out, we would have surpassed 17,000 just based on township employees and their family members.

However, the disturbing fear of retaliation that looms over the heads of these employees is heartbreaking.

Residents, Americans who fear job loss based on their constitutional rights is something that most that was most upsetting.

I can't imagine having to work under those conditions, and it shouldn't be allowed anywhere.

So I leave you all with this.

You have decisions to make while you're serving your terms.

It is up to you to do what is best for this entire community, not just Daniel Roderick and what he thinks is best for his personal agenda.

Think of the accusations he has made about residents of this town, the names he has called them, things he has accused him of, the slanderous and libelous accusations made based on his Google searches of people's past, as if he himself doesn't have his own skeletons.

What is in your past that you would not want weaponized by him against you?

You all need to think about the future of Tom's River and what part you will have writing this sinking ship and what your legacy will be when your jobs are done.

Not sure that all of you would want to eternally spend time next to him.

Good, thank you.

All right, Carl.

Three minutes.

I would never ever again would like to see you act the same the way you acted six minutes ago.

If he's doing all that stuff, you cannot, because you represent our town and everybody over here.

By you doing that, I you disrespecting your family, you work for, and I know your boss very well.

He will not appreciate that.

So please keep your conduct professional, even if it's funny, what they what he's saying against the people is disrespectful as a professional.

So please don't have to let that happen again.

Second, sir, name calling, stupid club.

I keep hearing all that when I'm sitting right there, and I just will let the chief hear that out.

I'm special ed.

Stupid club, how to don't let it bother you.

The thing is, all these name calling, something's gotta happen.

Just let's do it.

Just let him do it.

When I call him for something that he's doing, texting his wife back and forth, and that's what I say, ask your wife, because he loves to text back and forth, right?

So he wants to call me a drug dealer, a retail, and many other things that I I'm I'm video call.

So if I can't name call you for anything, and you want to press charges right away and do complaints, chief.

Carlos this way.

Where's the the bandaries?

Sir, sir, this way.

So where's the bandage?

I you know, I'm well known already in the county.

I could go and keep pressing charges and put charges with the prosecutor, and it's gonna cost my town money.

He needs to be hold accountable.

Have a meeting with him and tell him they ain't calling and all this stuff.

It's not, it's not professional, and it's a lawsuit.

Okay, okay.

Thank you, Carlos.

Guys, I got paperwork, so everything that is in here, I could prove even the beepers.

Thank you.

Am I gonna get my comment now?

No.

No.

How about yours?

So we gotta make sure we let everybody read their script prepared for them.

Well, I don't have a script.

You have scripts.

Thank you.

We're up here.

So just let her tell you.

I'm just cozy.

How are you?

Good.

Happy New Year.

Um Admiral Avenue Tom's River.

I apologize and need my glasses.

I have age up already.

As per the mayor, I've gotten old looking.

So I need my glasses.

I just wanted to say, as a member of the Presbyterian Church in Tom's River on Hoop and Hooper Avenue, I invite all the new council members and um council members who've been sitting up there on Fridays.

We do a food distribution.

It's been going on since April of 2020.

And on mornings, um, on Friday mornings, we hand food out from um Fafil and some uh generous donors in the town in town and around town to help um with food insecurity.

Mostly there are seniors in our town um who are trying to balance out their monthly um incomes that they receive, and they get you know some helpful like fresh vegetables, eggs, things like that.

But um, our volunteers are range from ages from two to probably 92, and they show up every Friday, and I think you would all would love to see what goes on there.

It's really uplifting um to see the community come together, and I know that people like to see our local officials um come when they come.

So it's Friday mornings from about seven, they well, they get there like five, but the line starts, the trucks come around 7:30, and everyone's gone by 12.

You don't need to come the whole time, but even just for like an hour and meet some of the volunteers and the pastors of the church, I think you would be impressed.

Also, um, in February, our church is also hosting um Tim Tebow is a former former NFL football player and Heisman Trophy winner, but he dedicates most of his time to the special needs community.

And in February, we hold a special needs prom.

It's uh called Night to Shine.

Um, there's different ways to donate, but tomorrow at BJ's brew house, there is a um dine out, and if you go on the Presbyterian Church's website, there's a coupon for 20% of your um order will go and be donated to our night to shine.

It's an amazing event.

A lot of our Tom's River students, um district students attend, and a lot of people in our community.

We do have a high um special needs population in Toms River, and um it's great night to see them come out and celebrate who they are, and everyone gets a crown and everyone gets a um like a tiara and there's a DJ, it's an amazing night, but um, it's held at the Presbyterian church, but right now the donations are what are needed, so there's different ways to um to support as a township.

Um my 14-year-old son wanted me to ask, he was gonna come with me tonight, but I like to reserve my children's innocence with politics and not be uh subject them to this disgustingness because they had to see it when I was on the school board and they know what happens.

I mean, at the last school board meeting, the mayor had to point out that I've aged.

So I apologize for getting older.

Thank you, Mayor, for pointing it out.

When did I say that?

You said it to John Salinas and you're walking out.

Everybody heard you.

It's okay.

I could care less than you think about me.

Okay.

Um what made you say that?

My 14-year-old son would like my 14-year-old son and I would like to um wanted me to say that we were driving today, and we saw last night we were driving, and there was a gentleman walking down Washington Street with two sleeping bags.

He was homeless, and he asked uh, because we used to go to Code Blue when it was at Riverwood and drop off bagels and drop off things and sit with people, and he asked what happened, and I said, you know, we don't do that anymore.

And I know that it is there is a code under the state that every township is supposed to work with their county, but we are required to have some sort of code blue warming shelter, and I just don't understand um as a council.

Um, I wish you would get together in the next week or so and just try to figure something out until April.

It's it's mandated by the state.

I know you're supposed to work with the county, and I'm sure people in the county would work with you, but we have enough vac vacant buildings, there's enough places in town where these people shouldn't be the the warming shelters are full.

People are getting turned away.

They're cold, they're old.

I I drove a woman to the library today.

She sat at the library from nine o'clock until 5 30.

And someone's letting the her stay in their basement.

Um she's about in her 80s, definitely.

She was walking down Hooper Avenue and the sidewalks aren't shoveled, so she was walking in the road and she couldn't see because her eyes were watering so bad from the cold.

She's in her 80s.

My mother is 81, and it broke my heart.

And she sits in the library and reads, and and she had a cup of soup at um the soul kitchen today.

But this is this is something that's right in front of us, and our kids see it, especially our kids that go to school down here, they see that there's a problem with homelessness, and it was Riverwood had a great thing going.

Code Blue was just believed was doing a great job over there.

And I just don't understand if it's a state mandate why the council, not even that.

I hope the council will come together and figure it out.

Thank you so much and have a great night.

And stay warm.

Do we own the boatworks property?

I don't know, but I don't believe so.

Okay.

Then I'm just looking over the bills.

For 1024 25.

We paid $6200 plus for the Huddy Park splash park improvement.

Um the next month we paid for a concept plan of something we don't own.

And the next month we paid another $5,700 for an engineering inspection of something we don't own.

Um I can see maybe a concept plan.

I I can understand that.

Okay.

But for Splash Park Improvement for a split park, we don't have good.

Could you explain it to a channel?

I think the attorney wants to be before the before the attorney, uh, and the attorney can speak, but it's not really a legal matter.

Uh unless you're asking about specifically where we're at in the process, because this council, excuse me, the council voted twice to imminent domain.

Uh so we are effectively in the process of the imminent domain.

I don't know if it's fully gone through yet or not.

It's uh it's a process.

But as far as the splash park, uh, there are concept plans actually full plans being done, not for the boatworks property.

I know I know there are a few of you who you continue to repeat that, but the splash park design, and I've explained this to Mr.

Sakosy, I think he even likes the idea.

No, is for the oh you don't like the idea of a I'm against any splash park.

Yeah, well, well, it would be uh no, the location wasn't for the bar works.

Okay, I just have the splash park.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

So anyway, that is for the island at Huddy Park, not for the boatworks property.

Boatworks property is where the concepts are coming in.

Okay.

Thank you.

I never heard of anybody on council ever being against a park, though, Mr.

Sickozy.

Splash park.

You don't want sprinklers like they have in other county parks.

We're not in the entertainment and amusement business.

You don't want the kids to be able to go in sprinklers.

No.

No.

Okay.

It's kind of curmudgeon.

How about you give your comments and then I'll give mine and then we can wrap the show up.

Okay.

Is there any one else in the audience?

Anybody else?

Can we get another person to get up at least three more times?

Three minutes.

Okay.

Keep it short and sweet.

The woman that they accused someone of assaulting her.

Now you're gonna give her three minutes.

I just like to say that I've lived here since 59, not 59.

Um 95.

95.

And I remember this was a really nice town when I moved here, and I remember that I that my child had a good education here, and that I would like to work here and live here.

But since this mayor has been in office, this feels like a very dangerous place to live.

I do not feel safe in my clubhouse because of this woman.

I do not feel safe in my clubhouse because of this mayor.

This is not a safe town anymore.

I feel very threatened, and I want that on record.

I'm happy that there's some new council members, and that you're trying to run this properly.

And I I thank you for that, but this mayor has no control over himself.

It's obvious that he's he has some mental condition.

Oh, you're a left-wing lunatic.

Well, I'm gonna sure left wing lunatic.

Left wing nut job.

All right, he's he's very that's what you are.

Okay, very far left nut.

All right, he can't control himself.

Okay, he can't.

He can't let somebody up here speak their minds.

He has to interject all the time.

I mean, it's it's it's kindergarten behavior.

Okay.

And it's it shouldn't be like that.

Okay, I we we know this, okay.

Thank you.

And you just take care of yourself, all right?

Okay, be careful.

Definitely.

But it's scary because of him.

It's scary.

All right, thank you.

All right, I need uh a motion, please, to close public comment.

Motion or close.

Is there a second?

Okay, all in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Hearing none.

Okay, so do you want to go first?

Or I go first.

You could go first.

I mean, the normal order would be you and then me, but your call.

I'll do it either way.

Oh my god.

So I actually thought that it was gonna be a calm meeting tonight, and then sure enough, everything just went down the drain.

So um if you think uh these council meetings are bad, um you should see the agenda meetings on Wednesday.

All right, the last one was three hours and forty-seven minutes just to prepare this agenda for tonight.

Three hours and forty-seven minutes.

Yes, at times it was courteous, but most of the times it wasn't.

We are so far apart on everything.

Basic things from the police department.

You voted on everything they gave them, the staffing of the police department, the defunding of the police department, uh the animal shelter.

It it you know, like all radical things, eminent domain on the church.

It it's just it's just horrible the way it's going.

And I'm trying my best, and and apparently I have no control of these meetings, and people keep saying, why are you giving them the agenda on Friday?

They didn't do it for you, they gave it to you the day of the meeting, so you couldn't prepare.

So we're not gonna operate like that.

So we get the agenda out on Friday.

They get to prepare, they have their speeches, they rewrite them, and they have them ready on Wednesday.

So it's I'm at my wit's end.

I I I just really don't know what to do.

I and I apologize for it.

And but I'm and another thing is I'm gonna let everybody speak.

You have the time.

You took the evening off to come here, and I'm grateful for that.

And I'll sit here until hell freezes over.

I will never cut anybody off, but if you get off the subject a little bit, I'll try to stop you.

But if you think this is gonna bring order, it's it's not.

He's not gonna do it, so it's impossible.

So I'll do the best I can.

I'll be at every agenda meeting, I'll be at every council meeting, God willing, and um, and you can reach out to me.

Thank you.

It's all yours, Mayor.

Okay.

It's uh let me wait until Tom leaves.

Then I'll read into the record.

Okay, it's time to set the record straight.

For months, you've heard wild claims about a recall effort against my administration.

The organizers claimed that they were close to gathering 17,000 signatures.

Let me be clear.

This effort never came even close to that.

To make sure we had the facts in case we were in court, I personally hired and paid for a private investigator to attend their signing events.

His findings were clear.

Almost no one showed up.

The organizers were so desperate that they even allowed the investigator to sign for people who weren't present, which is illegal.

They allowed that to happen at multiple locations and multiple events.

There is video evidence showing the recall committee members admitting that they were nowhere near the number of signatures that they now claim they have.

If they truly garnered 17,000 signatures, they would have needed to visit nearly every other household in Tom's River.

But no one ever came to your door, and no one ever came to mine.

This recall effort was a massive hoax, solely meant to discredit my administrative administration and to create the false impression that we lack public support.

In addition to the recall committee's falsehoods, the press has repeatedly spread lies and misinformation.

If my administration, if we had done something to cure a deadly disease, the Asbury Park Press and patch headlines would read Tom's River Mayor puts doctors out of business.

The facts speak for themselves.

My administration has accomplished what no other governing body has done in New Jersey.

We reduced the municipal budget by 9%, cutting 11 million in wasteful spending annually.

We paid down millions in debt.

As promised, we stopped the 10-story towers and repealed a zoning plan for a city of high-rise apartments downtown.

We also achieved a major victory over the state of New Jersey on affordable housing by reducing our new construction requirement to just 184 units.

That was one-tenth what they were asking us to do.

One-tenth.

And just 14% of what the prior administration agreed to.

As promised, we eliminated the Burnson Certificate of Occupancy ordinary that was preventing residents from selling their home for six months or a year in some cases.

We cut red tape, stopped over development, and kept taxes flat every year.

I've been in office.

Recent polls show my administration's approval number, despite the 15 people that come here every week.

Show my approval numbers is at 66 percent plus or minus three and a half.

If the recall committee even had a fraction of the signatures they claimed, they would have submitted them to the clerk to validate what they're saying they did.

They would have come here and at least fanned through the signatures.

Show us these signatures.

They don't exist.

According to statements meant made by members of that recall committee, they had less than a thousand.

Perpetrated to delegitimize all of our accomplishments and our conservative record.

Each and every one of you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Okay.

All right, I need um bring the signatures.

All right.

Bring them up.

Fan them, just fan them on a video.

Fant them in here and fan them.

Like that.

Just go like that.

Just shove the people fan.

Scam artists.

Fake Republicans, council people, and scam artists on the recall committee.

Just them below to either cloud.

Okay.

Either clouds are the Republicans.

Yeah, you're a real Republican.

Okay.

Carlos, thank you.