[2:23] Oh man, that chief sweatshirt.
>> Whoa. Time out. What's up with that
[2:26] sweatshirt?
>> Campaign and it's cold outside.
[2:30] [laughter]
>> That's about the only reason you come up
[2:33] with wear that thing.
>> Hey, it was a tough game yesterday.
[2:36] » They they lost yesterday.
>> They did. Yeah, they're in third place
[2:39] in their division. Come on,
>> Bob. You'd have got more votes with a
[2:43] Eagle sweatshirt on. I'll tell you that.
[2:48] » All right, we'll get started. Karen,
>> this meeting is being conducted in
[2:52] compliance with the Open Public Meetings
Act. Adequate notice of this meeting has
[2:56] been provided by advertisement in the
Kate May Star and wave on the township
[3:00] website and posted on the bulletin board
in township hall. We request anyone
[3:04] wishing to address council, please wait
for the mayor to recognize you. Please
[3:08] state your name and address for the
record and please remember all comments
[3:11] must be kept to three minutes or less.
>> Thank you. Please stand for pledge of
[3:14] allegiance if you can and then a moment
of silence.
[3:19] » I pledge algiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
[3:24] republic for it stands one nation
indivisibley
[3:30] andice for all.
[3:42] » [clears throat]
>> Roll call, please.
[3:45] » Council member Conrad,
>> here.
[3:48] » Council member Wearham
>> here.
[3:50] » Council member Roy
>> here.
[3:51] » Deputy Mayor Kums
>> here.
[3:53] » Mayor Cipple
>> here. Okay. To work session, we have
[3:56] Commissioner Wikowski, Commissioner Bar.
They're here to present uh I guess we'll
[4:00] call an award from the Volunteers of
Medicine. Uh, I want to thank
[4:05] Commissioner Bowski for actually
receiving that because Lower Township is
[4:08] busy. We could not make it that night.
So, thank you for coming here and giving
[4:11] that to council and township. So, you
want to go to the microphone? You want
[4:14] to read it or we going to do
and we'll and we'll come down there too
[4:19] once you're done reading.
[4:25] So, good evening Commissioner Andrew
Bulicowski. I'm joined by Commissioner
[4:30] Bar and proud member of Lower Township,
the rail capital of Cape May County.
[4:36] » And we're talking.
>> So, it was an honor to accept this
[4:41] award. And I will read it to you. The
board of county commissioners wishes to
[4:48] recognize and congratulate the township
of lower upon being recognized as
[4:54] volunteer in medicine's community
partner of the year for 2025.
[5:00] The board of county commissioners would
like to thank you for your years of
[5:04] service to volunteers in medicine and
the county of Cape May signed by
[5:09] director deserio, myself, commissioner
my commissioner bar and commissioner
[5:15] colette and we're honored to present it
to you.
[5:18] » Thank you. Go Danner and get it then.
[5:47] Sorry.
[5:53] I'll take a picture.
Bobby,
[6:09] good thing.
[6:28] Do well. Do
>> well.
[6:43] They're going to be dangerous.
>> I'd like to thank the both commissioners
[6:46] for coming out here tonight or today I
should say and not just for this award
[6:50] here, but uh Andy, you live in Lower
Township. I know you went out of your
[6:54] way to help us get some streets paved
that were projected to be paved I think
[6:58] five years from now. So, thank you for
that. And Bobby, I know you're
[7:01] instrumental with the open space and we
really appreciate the support you gave
[7:05] us for the Dave Douglas Park. Without
you, it probably wouldn't happen. So,
[7:09] just we want to thank you from bottom of
our heart. My honor.
[7:12] » Okay. Uh at this time, we'll move down
the consent agenda.
[7:17] Anybody from council want to comment on
the consent agenda?
[7:21] » No comment.
>> Okay. I I I do want to uh ask Mr. Lavy
[7:24] to weigh in on resolution 2025361
and tell us where update with the
[7:29] manual.
>> Mr.
[7:32] Every two years the personnel policy
requires an update and this this
[7:36] aphlantic county municipal municipal
joint insurance fund made some policy
[7:42] guidance for us in regards to lightning
strikes and heat stroke. So that's the
[7:47] only changes that are in the personnel
policy um this round uh which is
[7:51] indicated in the policy itself which
added about 14 pages to the policy on
[7:56] that guidance that they sent our way.
>> Okay. Thank you.
[8:00] » Situations.
>> Anybody from the public want to comment
[8:02] on the consent agenda?
>> I see none. We'll close the public
[8:07] portion.
>> Approval of minutes from October 20th,
[8:10] 2025. Approval of New Jersey State
Fireman's Association membership for M.
[8:15] Alexander from Irma Volunteer Fire
Company. Resolutions 2025 357 to 369
[8:24] and ordinance 2025-22.
An ordinance amending chapter 400 land
[8:29] development of the code of the township
of lower. This is the first reading of
[8:33] this ordinance. The second reading and
public hearing has been scheduled for
[8:37] December 1st, 2025.
>> Thank you. Is there a motion to move
[8:40] forward with this
>> motion? Second.
[8:43] » Council member Conrad.
>> Yes.
[8:46] » Council member Wearham.
>> Yes.
[8:47] » Council member Roy.
>> Yes.
[8:49] » Deputy Mayor Kums.
>> Yes.
[8:51] » Mayor Simple.
>> Yes. Okay. We have nothing on the
[8:54] regular agenda. I move the public
comment. Anybody from the public want to
[8:56] comment on anything at all.
[9:03] » Who's your was a tie. You both went up
at the same time. So, you want to you
[9:08] want to come to the microphone so we can
pick up your audio for our viewers to
[9:13] watch and listen?
>> I'm sure they all want to see
[9:16] » I'm sure they do.
>> Yeah. Christopher South 30 grand. Hey,
[9:21] who's going to Hadenfield on Friday?
>> I hope to be there.
[9:27] » You hope to be there?
>> Yeah. Well, you gonna meet me up there?
[9:30] » Sure.
>> Okay.
[9:32] » Sure. I hope to hope to be up there,
too. I just wondered if you're all if
[9:35] anybody's going up there to cheer on
that team.
[9:38] » I'm gonna try to be there.
>> That was a loaded question. I could
[9:42] tell.
[laughter]
[9:45] » I am not loaded. I
>> I hope not. We have a police officer in
[9:48] the back of the room here. That's why he
comes. So, but thank you though, Chris.
[9:53] Uh Miss Marowski
or Bobby Bar. either one of you.
[10:02] » So, thank you for the kind words both
for myself and Commissioner Bar. I want
[10:07] to apologize that it took so long to get
those roads paved, but there were some
[10:12] complications that kind of held it up,
but we're happy to do it. And I know
[10:16] Commissioner Bar has done an outstanding
job with open space and uh we just want
[10:22] to, you know, convey our thoughts about
the council. You guys [clears throat] do
[10:27] an awesome job. Lower Township has
changed so much for the better and Joe,
[10:34] you've been great addition to the board.
So, I know you'll continue on the good
[10:38] work. And I just wanted to acknowledge
Veterans Day upcoming. Unfortunately, I
[10:45] will not be here, but um Commissioner
Bar will be here for the parade, and I
[10:50] want to thank Mayor and all our veterans
for their service. So, thank you.
[10:56] » Thank you. Thank you.
>> Yeah. I just want to just thank you guys
[11:02] uh a for having us here tonight and
recognizing us, but also for all the
[11:06] hard work that you do. You work hand in
hand with the county. Uh we are very
[11:11] proud to work with all of you. Uh,
Administrator Laffy, you do an okay job
[11:15] as well. We're proud to work with you
and uh, kudos to all that you do for the
[11:21] citizens of Bard Township and for our
county.
[11:25] » Thank you, sir.
>> Thank you very much.
[11:27] » Thank you.
>> Continue to try.
[11:31] » Anybody else want to comment?
[11:35] Anybody else from the public want to
comment to council?
[11:42] Okay. We'll close the public portion.
[clears throat]
[11:44] Uh we'll move the council comments. I I
have a few here. Uh actually before we
[11:50] get to the council comments, Mr. Laughy,
you do have something you want to put
[11:53] out.
>> I wanted to say if I could in light of
[11:55] um commissioners u wishing everyone a
happy Veterans Day and and getting ready
[12:00] for the parade that we have coming up.
Um I just want to announce that a few
[12:04] things for Veterans Day. There's a lot
of local businesses that do give
[12:08] discounts to veterans. You might want to
take a look at the Lower Township
[12:11] Chamber of Commerce for those discounts.
Uh, one specifically, the Kate May uh,
[12:16] Lewis Ferry. Uh, foot passengers for
foot foot passenger traffic on Veterans
[12:22] Day with proper military ID would be
free for any veterans that want to ride
[12:27] the ferry. And there's also discounts
for some of the food and free coffee and
[12:31] things like that at the ferry. that uh
on Veterans Day, there's a lot of local
[12:35] businesses that do give discounts and
and free lunch and and and things like
[12:39] that. Um I think Uncle Bill's in Kate
May is another restaurant that is giving
[12:45] free lunch or breakfast uh to veterans
and there's a lot, like I said, a lot of
[12:50] different businesses that would take
care of our veterans on such a special
[12:54] day. That's all I have, sir.
>> All right. Thank you. Uh just a few
[12:58] things. Uh just remember, tomorrow is
election day. Try to vote if you can.
[13:02] Our annual Veterans Day parade or our
eighth parade we're having is u Saturday
[13:08] November 8th starts at 11:00 a.m. Travel
south on base road from the villas
[13:12] firehouse at town hall. Uh get out there
be great to see us. And also Veterans
[13:17] Day the VFW and the Villas will have the
lower township veteran day ceremony at
[13:21] 11:00 a.m. That's all I have. And deputy
mayor.
[13:24] » Yep. I just wanted to congratulate the
Lower Cape Regional football team for
[13:28] winning its first playoff game in the
history of the school. Uh, Coach Damiano
[13:32] and, uh, and also congratulations to my
cousin Dave Douglas who scored five
[13:36] touchdowns.
>> Nice.
[13:37] » And, uh, go vote.
>> There you go, Councilman Roy.
[13:40] » I'd also like to reiterate, go vote. And
uh just to comment on this past week, we
[13:46] had Halloween here in the township and
uh from all occasions, it was very well
[13:50] attended and it was safely conducted
throughout the three-hour period with u
[13:55] no known complaints to me or anyone else
that I'm aware of. So, thank you for
[13:59] that. That's all I have.
>> Thank you, Councilman Weirham.
[14:03] » I just was going to uh echo the lower
township first state playoff game and um
[14:08] to comment on what Mr. South said, "I do
plan on being there, but I was holding
[14:13] off until we got to this part of the
meeting." Um, and again, tomorrow, don't
[14:18] forget to vote. We have a a good working
relationship with these gentlemen out
[14:22] there. Makes our job easier. And in
return, we hope we make their job easier
[14:26] as well. So, good luck tomorrow, guys.
>> Thank you, Councilman Conrad.
[14:30] » Well, we're going to hit the vote, but
everyone's going to hit that one. And
[14:34] definitely go vote.
I know where my sport goes. Uh what I
[14:39] wanted though is point out we had
haunted trails here in uh lower. The
[14:44] volunteers did an awesome job. Um every
year you you're there you go it can't
[14:50] get any better and you're wrong. Uh they
put more time effort and for a free
[14:57] event they did an awesome job. I've been
to paid events that don't do half as
[15:01] much or as are as good. And every one of
those volunteers that do this should be
[15:06] commended.
>> Thank our community. I agree 100%.
[15:10] » Sir, if if I could add to that, I I too
wanted to thank all the the volunteers
[15:14] that put that event on together. There's
a lot of businesses that come out.
[15:17] There's a lot of individual families
that come out to set up the sites. We
[15:20] had about 900 sites this year. Um, and
they're very elaborate the work they do.
[15:25] Um, and a lot of the businesses come out
there, they pay their staff to come set
[15:29] things up for us. Hats off to the
volunteers and the businesses that
[15:33] contribute food for the volunteers that
are in there working those sites. Um, we
[15:38] are waiting for some key photos and
videos to post that on our social media
[15:42] and our website. Uh, we have a blurb
that we want to put out to thank them.
[15:46] U, but we are waiting for some some key
photos from some of the sites that took
[15:51] some quality photos the night of the
event. It was a huge success. Probably
[15:55] about 1500 to 1,800 people went through
the haunted trails that night.
[16:00] » Yes. Thank you. So, uh, that's all
council comments. I'll make a motion to
[16:05] adjurnn. Second.
>> Council member Conrad.
[16:09] » Yes.
>> Council member Wearim.
[16:11] » Yes.
>> Council member Roy.
[16:12] » Yes.
>> Deputy Mayor Kums.
[16:14] » Yes.
>> Mayor Cipple.
[16:15] » Yes. Thank you for coming out. That
concludes our meeting.