[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.

Lower Council 110325

Transcript