- 1 - 1 HUDSON COUNTY PLANNING BOARD JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY 2 In Re: ) TRANSCRIPT OF 3 ) PARKS MASTER PLAN ) PROCEEDINGS 4 ___________________) 5 Hudson County Planning Board County Annex Building 6 367 Pavonia Avenue Freeholders Chambers, 3rd Floor 7 Jersey City, New Jersey 07306 Wednesday, April 25, 2007 8 7:15 pm 9 B E F O R E: 10 DANIEL CHOFFO, Chairman 11 STEPHEN D. MARKS, Secretary 12 RUSHABH MEHTA, Commissioner 13 MICHAEL A. HOLLOWAY, Commissioner 14 RENEE BETTINGER, Commissioner 15 DOREEN DIDOMENICO, Commissioner 16 JUDE FITZGIBBONS, Commissioner 17 JEFFREY DUBLIN, Commissioner 18 19 ALSO PRESENT: 20 JACK COLLINS, ESQ. 21 Reported By: 22 MARK WEINBERG 23 REPORTING SERVICES ARRANGED THROUGH VERITEXT/NEW JERSEY REPORTING COMPANY 24 25B Vreeland Road, Suite 301 Florham Park, New Jersey 07932 25 Tel No.: (973) 410-4040 Fax: (973) 410-1313 - 2 - 1 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: I'd like to 2 call to order the meeting of the Hudson County 3 Planning Board for Wednesday, April 25, 2007. Mr. 4 Marks, has this meeting been properly advertised? 5 SECRETARY MARKS: Mr. Chairman, 6 notice of this meeting was published in the Jersey 7 Journal and posted to the bulletin boards of the 8 Hudson County Clerk and the Jersey City Clerk and 9 subscribes to the Open Public Meeting Act. 10 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Great. Would 11 we do a roll call, please? 12 SECRETARY MARKS: Sure. 13 Commissioner Avagliano is not present. Commissioner 14 Bettinger? 15 COMMISSIONER BETTINGER: Here. 16 SECRETARY MARKS: Commissioner 17 DiDomenico? 18 COMMISSIONER DIDOMENICO: Here. 19 SECRETARY MARKS: Commissioner 20 Dublin? 21 COMMISSIONER DUBLIN: Here. 22 SECRETARY MARKS: Commissioner 23 Fitzgibbons? 24 COMMISSIONER FITZGIBBONS: Here. 25 SECRETARY MARKS: Commissioner - 3 - 1 Holloway? 2 COMMISSIONER HOLLOWAY: Here. 3 SECRETARY MARKS: Commissioner 4 Jasek is not present. Commissioner Mehta? 5 COMMISSIONER MEHTA: Here. 6 SECRETARY MARKS: Commissioner 7 Ng is not present and Chairman Choffo? 8 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Here. 9 SECRETARY MARKS: Mr. Chairman, 10 we have a quorum. 11 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Perfect. Can 12 we please stand to salute the flag? 13 (Pledge of Allegiance is recited) 14 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Go ahead, Mr. 15 Marks. 16 SECRETARY MARKS: Mr. Chairman, 17 the Hudson County Director of Parks Engineering and 18 Planning, Mariano Vega is here who would like to 19 address the board. 20 MR. VEGA: Commissioners, I want 21 to thank you for taking that extra time to come to 22 this meeting tonight. At the same time I also want 23 to apologize to you for not having anticipated the 24 time it took to get the Parks Master Plan to you in 25 advance of your mailing so you had sufficient time - 4 - 1 to review it. 2 Our haste was to make sure that we 3 got it right. We went through a process of at least 4 four public meetings. We made additional changes 5 with a review with the County Executive. We made 6 additional changes at the Public Resources 7 Committee. And our haste was to get that done right 8 so that when you got a report it was complete and 9 that took time. And we lost sight of the timing. 10 But I wanted to thank you for this opportunity; one, 11 for serving and two for agreeing to meet with us 12 today. 13 We have our consultant with us, 14 Blanche from T & M and Associates, who's done a 15 fantastic job of putting together a six year plan 16 that looks at the condition of our parks, that does 17 a tremendous assessment, puts together a plan of 18 what can be done in those parks, puts together a 19 financial plan and sets it out for what year would 20 be a good time to put this all together. That plan, 21 that Parks Master Plan was reviewed by the Board of 22 Chosen Freeholders just yesterday. They made a few 23 changes in terms of timing and sequence. Our 24 consultant will share with you those small changes, 25 which are slightly different than the plan that you - 5 - 1 got, in terms of page 2 or page -- three pages. But 2 we're confident that the good work that we've been 3 doing in the county parks will continue. And in 4 fact go further and expand our existing park acreage 5 because we have a long-term vision, which is to 6 double our park space in ten years. And this plan 7 gets us in that right direction and hopefully the 8 next plan will get us to achieve that ultimate goal 9 of doubling our park space. 10 Thank you for consideration of this. 11 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Thank you. 12 SECRETARY MARKS: Mr. Chairman, 13 we also have Blanche Braillard from the firm of 14 T & M and Associates who prepared the Parks Master 15 Plan for a presentation -- or an update on a 16 presentation from last week. 17 MR. COLLINS: Before you get 18 started, can you please spell your name and first 19 and last. 20 MS. BRAILLARD: Yes. Blanche, 21 B-L-A-N-C-H-E, the last name is Briallard, B-R-A-I- 22 L-L-A-R-D. 23 (Blanche Briallard is duly sworn) 24 MS. BRIALLARD: It is a pleasure 25 to be here tonight. I appreciate the opportunity to - 6 - 1 speak to you again about the Master Plan. We did 2 appear in front of the body last week. I can 3 certainly do a review of what was presented at that 4 time or if you would like to go to specific 5 questions that you may have, after you have had the 6 opportunity to review the plan, I'd be happy to 7 handle it in whatever way the board sees fit. 8 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Commissioners, 9 do you have questions or would you rather do a total 10 review again? 11 COMMISSIONER HOLLOWAY: Just 12 update us on the changes that have been -- 13 MS. BRAILLARD: Certainly. 14 Yesterday the Freeholders asked us to make some 15 small adjustments to the plan, and that would be 16 particularly with regard to the Parks Prioritization 17 Summary which has been passed out to you. And it 18 has to do with really the timing of the signage item 19 and the bicycle racks item which occur in Bayonne 20 Park on the first sheet on the last two lines and on 21 the second sheet for Braddock Park, the signage 22 orientation interpretative way of finding historic 23 markers. Those items occurred in year three and we 24 have adjusted them to occur in year one. 25 It was felt that these were - 7 - 1 things that people asked for at the Lincoln Park 2 East Public Input Meeting and we wanted to 3 acknowledge that request. Similar adjustments have 4 been made for Lincoln Park East, as I said, bringing 5 the bicycle racks, the park benches, the trash 6 receptacles and the signage into year one from year 7 three, that's your third page. And in Washington 8 Park we forwarded the bicycle racks from year three 9 into year one, again to accommodate the public 10 request. 11 So, in sum total that does not 12 change what we're recommending it simply speeds up 13 those improvements. 14 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Do any 15 commissioners have any questions or would like to 16 speak on anything with this application? 17 COMMISSIONER MEHTA: Chairman, I 18 have a couple of comment. I was reviewing the plan 19 and see that particularly Laurel Park in Secaucus -- 20 MS. BRAILLARD: Yes. 21 COMMISSIONER MEHTA: -- is a new 22 park and there you are planning to have one baseball 23 field plus a soccer field? 24 MS. BRAILLARD: Yes, that's 25 correct. - 8 - 1 COMMISSIONER MEHTA: And there 2 are two more soccer fields and one will be the 3 cricket field? 4 MS. BRIALLARD: That's correct. 5 Phase 1 is for synthetic turf and it will be ready 6 to go out to bid in the summer. And that includes a 7 soccer field and a baseball field. 8 SECRETARY MARKS: Mr. Chairman? 9 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: I'm sorry, say 10 that again. 11 SECRETARY MARKS: Mr. Chairman, 12 can Ms. Braillard just identify the exhibit for the 13 record, please. 14 MS. BRIALLARD: Yes, this is the 15 plan of improvements to Laurel Hill Park. 16 COMMISSIONER MEHTA: My only 17 comment is -- I don't have a question regarding the 18 soccer field or the cricket field, my comment is 19 regarding -- you are not showing any, like, bleacher 20 or sitting -- type of sitting for the field. 21 MS. BRIALLARD: Oh, yes. 22 COMMISSIONER MEHTA: So whether 23 they will be included or is a part of it, and 24 particularly a cricket field comparing to soccer is 25 like a two to two and a half hour game or baseball - 9 - 1 is usually like a three and a half hour game to four 2 hours. But a cricket is more or less seven to eight 3 hours game. So for that, I think, I will suggest if 4 you did not include, then include a changing room or 5 something like -- like baseball you have dugout and 6 soccer you have a bench, then cricket their called 7 pavilion. So you have a change room or something 8 like a locker room where they can put their 9 equipment and that type of facility, plus like a 10 sitting -- bleachers around the ground. 11 MS. BRIALLARD: Absolutely. We 12 do recognize that certainly having spectator 13 facilities and restroom and changing facilities, 14 particularly changing room facilities for the 15 cricket is important. And the -- that is definitely 16 being planned for all of these sports facilities. 17 COMMISSIONER MEHTA: All right. 18 Because I don't see on the plan, that's why I just 19 made a comment that if it is not included, please 20 make sure that it is a part of the plan. And in a 21 couple of parks I see the bicycle rack and bicycle 22 this thing. So, nowadays we are planning, as an 23 entire country, we are planning to go green and we 24 want to encourage more and more people to use 25 bicycle and so I will suggest that if you have a - 10 - 1 possibility, put a bicycle trail on each park and 2 more bicycle racks. 3 MS. BRIALLARD: That was 4 certainly a focus of discussion during the meetings 5 that were held when this plan was being developed. 6 That was felt to be very important, to include 7 bicycle facilities, bicycle racks and that you 8 should see that in each of the cost estimates; and 9 wherever possible bicycle trails, if not a separate 10 bicycle trail, a trail that could be used by 11 pedestrians and by bicyclist. 12 COMMISSIONER MEHTA: I see on 13 the Braddock Park, I don't see much for a bicycle 14 track and around the pond they have a walking trail. 15 And most of the time people use that as a bicycle 16 trail and they do the bicycling there. So next to 17 the, like, nature trail or something if you can come 18 up with a bicycle track and more bicycle racks 19 there, I appreciate. 20 MS. BRIALLARD: So, yes. We 21 have showed a nature trail here and that is the area 22 of which you were speaking? So if that's the area 23 in which you are speaking, yes, that can certainly 24 be accommodated. 25 COMMISSIONER MEHTA: Okay. - 11 - 1 COMMISSIONER FITZGIBBONS: 2 Question, on the ball field and Secaucus facilities, 3 is that a county park or is it going to be used for 4 a municipal only? Are you handing that over the 5 Secaucus to use or is it going to be county? I 6 mean, I'm trying to explain. 7 MS. BRIALLARD: Yeah. Well 8 Laurel Hill certainly is a county facility and the 9 scheduling will accommodate the county needs first 10 and if there is space left over, it's certainly up 11 to recreation and parks, I'm sure, to schedule. 12 COMMISSIONER FITZGIBBONS: Well, 13 the county does need more ball fields. I mean, I 14 know Lincoln Park has a number of ball fields but a 15 lot of these traveling teams that that I coached 16 many years -- 17 MS. BRIALLARD: Yes. 18 COMMISSIONER FITZGIBBONS: They 19 needs facilities like what you've got there that all 20 townships -- that they need a place to play a game 21 they should be entitled to use that too. 22 MR. VEGA: Mariona Vega, again. 23 It is the intention of the county to maintain Laurel 24 Hill as a county park. In fact, it intends to 25 expand Laurel Hill. It already has purchased about - 12 - 1 fifteen acres of land -- of wetland, if you will, if 2 I can point them to you. The 14.5 acres of land 3 that the City of Jersey City owned, they were able 4 to sell it and were able to achieve, through the 5 Board of Chosen Freeholders grant, to expand this 6 park to more of a nature trail. So this park will 7 become, with that extra addition, we believe, a 8 major regional park. Right now it's a smaller park, 9 has a limited venue. When I point out that this 10 space and this space is currently not on the Green 11 Acres Rossi inventory that will be added. That will 12 go towards the addition of the County Executive's 13 goal of adding -- doubling the acreage within a ten 14 year period, it'll do that. 15 It'll provide, in our opinion, 16 recreation -- active recreation for the diversity of 17 the folks that live in Hudson County. Clearly, you 18 have one sport baseball, football, softball, soccer 19 increasingly growing as the Hispanic population, the 20 Asian American population the English soccer, 21 cricket. So if you give people what is it that they 22 need in terms of what's available as we grow out and 23 expand out we think you have a healthier 24 participatory public. And I think that's the right 25 thing to do. - 13 - 1 COMMISSIONER FITZGIBBONS: If 2 you ever passed the North Hudson Braddock Park up 3 there on a Saturday, a good Saturday or Sunday, they 4 use every square foot of -- play soccer, softball, I 5 mean, it's -- that would be a good idea for -- we 6 need as much space as we have for the kids. 7 MR. VEGA: Commissioner, I'm a 8 soccer guy for sure. But what we're seeing now is 9 no volleyball. We're seeing a variety of sports as 10 our immigrant population changes. We believe that 11 our parks are responsive -- are the first layer of 12 responsibility to respond to what the folks need. 13 And we're certainly on the cutting edge of that. 14 I've been pushing, with not too 15 much success, a roller blading park but their 16 lawyer's been fighting me on it. 17 COMMISSIONER FITZGIBBONS: Well, 18 I would just ask you to not push for that because 19 Hoboken as some bad experience with that roller 20 blade park. 21 MR. VEGA: The lawyers remind me 22 all the time. 23 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Mr. Vega, I do 24 have a comment, actually. I live closest to West 25 Hudson Park and I notice some of the other parks - 14 - 1 have dog runs, maybe that could be considered for 2 West Hudson Park? I know it's not on there now but 3 maybe in the future? 4 MS. BRIALLARD: Well that's 5 right. We -- we did look at the possibility of 6 placing a dog run at West Hudson Park and we looked 7 in various areas right in here, but the park is so 8 concentrated in its use that it was hard to find 9 something that was available that wasn't already 10 being used for another purpose. So we were a little 11 bit stymied there. 12 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: I know a prime 13 location because I'm up there a lot. So it would be 14 between the valley -- to the left and Davis Avenue. 15 Yeah, right almost where you're pointing. Right 16 there. 17 MS. BRIALLARD: This area right 18 in here. 19 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: A place to 20 consider, yeah. 21 MS. BRIALLARD: Yeah. 22 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: It's like 23 wasted space. It's a slopey hill that's really not 24 used. 25 MS. BRIALLARD: Yes, it is. It - 15 - 1 is quite a slope there. Certainly we've had success 2 in designing dog parks. It's not a large space by 3 any means but it would be large enough to 4 accommodate a dog park there. Typically you want to 5 have them fenced and certainly have a fountain there 6 for the dogs to use, gates, perhaps one area for 7 smaller dogs with fencing to separate them from the 8 larger dogs. But yes, that could certainly be 9 possible there. 10 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Thank you. 11 COMMISSIONER MEHTA: Chairman, 12 just one more thing. On the North Hudson Braddock 13 Park, on the southwest corner there's a children's 14 playground area and next to that areas there's a 15 restroom which most of the time is closed or not in 16 working condition. 17 MS. BRIALLARD: Okay. So that 18 was -- I'm sorry. 19 COMMISSIONER MEHTA: North 20 Lincoln Park -- sorry, North Hudson Braddock Park. 21 MS. BRIALLARD: Okay. 22 COMMISSIONER MEHTA: At the 23 bottom southwest corner? 24 MS. BRIALLARD: Yes. 25 COMMISSIONER MEHTA: Yeah, - 16 - 1 there's a -- you have a historic building 2 restoration and behind the -- between the 79th 3 Street and that historic building there's a big 4 children's park area, playground area. 5 MS. BRIALLARD: Yes, right in 6 here. 7 COMMISSIONER MEHTA: Yeah. And 8 there are a lot of kids and families using that 9 area. It's a big playground area. 10 MS. BRIALLARD: Yes. 11 COMMISSIONER MEHTA: But the 12 restroom facility is not adequate and in proper 13 working condition. So please look at it. 14 MS. BRIALLARD: Absolutely. 15 COMMISSIONER FITZGIBBONS: I'd 16 like to say that some of these parks, as a kid -- as 17 a resident of Hudson County, some of these parks 18 have historical buildings on it. Even the restrooms 19 some of them are historically built. All right. 20 And I think we should actually try to preserve the 21 history of these parks, you know. Lincoln Park has 22 some -- I don't know, I haven't been there in a 23 while, but it had some buildings there. Really turn 24 of the century, I think as you come off of 440 you 25 could see -- they're beautiful stone buildings. And - 17 - 1 that's what makes -- when these buildings -- when 2 these parks were created that's what the architects, 3 their intentions were to keep them. Most of the 4 parks in Hudson County are historical and, you know, 5 and I think that, you know, we should have maybe the 6 county go over and look at every historical building 7 and do a, you know, do a schematic or whatever. But 8 the next time some money -- funds comes up to 9 preserve these buildings. 10 MS. BRIALLARD: That is very 11 much in the plan. The plan does recognize many of 12 these beautiful historic buildings. And for 13 example, here at James J. Braddock Park, there is 14 funding for historic building upgrades at this park, 15 also in Lincoln Park East and so forth. Yeah, I -- 16 it certainly was an important consideration in the 17 development of this plan. 18 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Do either 19 Freeholder members have any comments? You've seen 20 this already. 21 COMISSIONER DUBLIN: Just one on 22 Laurel Hill Park. Because I know before when the 23 park was first -- I was working with the road 24 department at that time. But has there been in the 25 plan to get a restroom facility? Because I know - 18 - 1 before they were using the port-o-johns and that's 2 just not, you know, sufficient. So is it in the 3 plans for a whole restroom facility to be made 4 somewhere out there? 5 MS. BRIALLARD: Yes, absolutely. 6 The restroom building is planned right here. So 7 that it's kind of equidistant from the cricket 8 field, the soccer fields in the future. And this 9 facility that is currently being planned now -- 10 COMMISSIONER DUBLIN: Any 11 basketball courts? 12 MS. BRIALLARD: Pardon me? 13 COMMISSONER DUBLIN: Basketball 14 courts. 15 MS. BRIALLARD: And the 16 basketball courts, yes. They're right here. 17 COMMISSIONER DUBLIN: Okay. 18 COMMISSIONER FITZGIBBONS: I'm 19 going to give away my age now. When I was a kid I 20 used to climb the hill and go to Washington Street 21 Park and go swimming in, what we used to call North 22 Street Park. Does anybody remember that? 23 MS. BRIALLARD: No. 24 COMMISSIONER FITZGIBBONS: And I 25 think we do need some swimming facilities for the - 19 - 1 youth and the senior citizens and, you know, middle 2 aged people. We need some swimming facilities in 3 the county, definitely. You know, I used to swim in 4 the Hudson River but that's -- can't do that now. 5 It's too expensive to go off the pier now. 6 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Any other 7 comments? 8 COMMISSIONER BETTINGER: No. 9 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Do I have a 10 motion? 11 COMMISSIONER BETTINGER: I'll 12 make a motion. 13 SECRETARY MARKS: Mr. Chairman, 14 before the motion is made, attached to the agenda 15 this evening is a resolution that was prepared by 16 the planning board attorney, Mr. Calvanico. If 17 there aren't any comments to be appended to the 18 resolution then the resolution could be adopted as 19 is. We did bring a laptop computer and we have a 20 sample draft -- a sample of the draft resolution of 21 support or if there were any particular comments 22 which the board wanted to incorporate then the 23 attorney, at this time, would be able to do that. 24 Otherwise, there is a record of this meeting and the 25 county could use the record and the comments that - 20 - 1 have already been put forth to update the plan. And 2 it's really up to the board at this point to see 3 what you want to do. If you want to word -- 4 basically if you want to word smith any additional 5 comments or if you want to accept the resolution as 6 is. 7 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: I think its 8 okay as it is unless anyone has any comments, and we 9 can always use the record in terms of 10 recommendations. 11 COMMISSIONER FITZGIBBONS: Well, 12 I'd like to make a comment. I chaired the only 13 meeting that we had to come back to but the reason 14 why we voted to pass it on to the Board of 15 Freeholders, but we were handed -- the Planning 16 Board, that night and told us that we had to pass 17 this. We have no problem for progress in the 18 county, but some of the members felt that we should 19 have had a little bit more time to review it. So 20 anything like this in the future that has to come 21 through the County Planning Board, please give us an 22 ample amount of time, maybe thirty days, to review 23 it. That's the only reason why that, you know, our 24 members, you know -- but we did pass it because we 25 felt that it was vital for the county. And that's - 21 - 1 the only comment I've got to make. 2 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Thank you, 3 Jude. 4 COMMISSIONER HOLLOWAY: I concur. 5 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Thank you for 6 your apology, Mr. Vega. Some of the members have 7 voiced their concerns to me about that prior to 8 tonight's meeting. It's usually we get -- something 9 of this magnitude should at least be reviewed by us 10 prior to voting on it. 11 COMMISSIONER BETTINGER: Thank 12 you. Mr. Chairman, I was making a motion to adopt 13 the draft Hudson County Park Master Plan and 14 recommending approval by the Hudson County Board of 15 Chosen Freeholders. 16 COMMISSIONER FITZGIBBONS: I 17 second. 18 SECRETARY MARKS: Mr. Chairman, 19 on a motion made by Commissioner Bettinger and 20 seconded by Commissioner Fitzgibbons. Commissioner 21 Bettinger? 22 COMMISSIONER BETTINGER: Aye. 23 SECRETARY MARKS: Commissioner 24 DiDomenico? 25 COMMISSIONER DIDOMENICO: Aye. - 22 - 1 SECRETARY MARKS: Commissioner 2 Dublin? 3 COMMISSIONER DUBLIN: Aye. 4 SECRETARY MARKS: Commissioner 5 Fitzgibbons? 6 COMMISSIONER FITZGIBBONS: Aye. 7 SECRETARY MARKS: Commissioner 8 Holloway? 9 COMMISSIONER HOLLOWAY: Aye. 10 SECRETARY MARKS: Commissioner 11 Mehta? 12 COMMISSIONER MEHTA: Aye. 13 SECRETARY MARKS: Chairman 14 Choffo? 15 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: I vote aye. 16 SECRETARY MARKS: Mr. Chairman, 17 the motion passed. 18 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Thank you so 19 much. Hopefully we're able to do this in a timely 20 manner and hopefully under budget. It would be 21 nice. 22 MS. BRIALLARD: Thank you. It 23 was a pleasure to be able to work on this project. 24 MR. VEGA: I want to thank you 25 for that vote of confidence. It's our expectation - 23 - 1 that about a third of this entire project is already 2 at hand. With a series of capital monies that we've 3 gotten, Green Acres that we've accrued to get this 4 done, we just need to get it done. It's a six year 5 plan, it's very aggressive. But the County 6 Executive is very aggressive about green space and 7 we aim to please. Thank you for your vote. 8 ALL: Thank you. 9 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Any old 10 business, Steve? 11 SECRETARY MARKS: Mr. Chairman, 12 just to reiterate to the board, we discussed last 13 week the -- there is a -- in last week's agenda 14 there was a letter from Jim Toutack (phonetic)who's 15 the attorney for the Hudson County Ethics Board. 16 The commissioners are, I guess, required to file 17 financial disclosure statements. So if you haven't 18 done so yet, please get -- either you could file 19 them directly with the county clerk or you can send 20 them to me and I will bundle them and file them 21 before the board. That's my only comment. 22 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Can we bring 23 them to the next meeting and give them to you? 24 SECRETARY MARKS: I believe 25 they're due by April 30th. So we have about a week - 24 - 1 or less than a week. 2 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: All right. 3 We'll get it to the County Clerk before that. 4 COMMISSIONER DUBLIN: We already 5 filed ours so -- 6 SECRETARY MARKS: Yes, the 7 Freeholders being excluded having already filed. 8 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: Anything else? 9 SECRETARY MARKS: No, I would 10 just -- on behalf of the county again, I regret -- I 11 apologize on behalf of the county that the 12 presentation materials weren't available for the 13 packets that went out to you. They should have 14 been -- the board shouldn't be expected to vote on 15 something the evening that it's, you know, handed 16 out to you. And I totally agree with you and 17 concur. And it won't happen again. 18 CHAIRMAN CHOFFO: All right. 19 Thank you, Steve. 20 COMMISSONER DUBLIN: Motion to 21 adjourn. 22 COMMISSONER DIDOMENICO: Second. 23 (Meeting adjourned at 7:45 pm) 24 25 - 25 - 1 C E R T I F I C A T I O N 2 3 I, Mark Weinberg, Electronic Court 4 Reporter and Notary Public of the State of New 5 Jersey, do hereby certify that prior to the 6 commencement of the proceedings the witnesses were 7 duly sworn to tell the truth, the whole truth and 8 nothing but the truth. 9 I DO FURTHER CERTIFY that the 10 foregoing is a transcript of the testimony as taken 11 electronically by me to the best of my ability at 12 the time, place and on the date herein before set 13 forth. 14 I DO FURTHER CERTIFY that I am 15 neither a relative nor employee nor attorney nor 16 counsel of any of the parties involved in this 17 action and that I am neither a relative nor employee 18 of said attorney or counsel and that I am not 19 financially interested in the outcome of the 20 proceedings. 21 22 23 _________________________________ 24 Notary Public of the State of New Jersey 25 - 26 - 1 C E R T I F I C A T I O N 2 3 I, Pnina Eilberg, hereby certify that 4 the foregoing is a true and correct transcription, 5 to the best of my ability, of the sound recorded 6 proceedings submitted for transcription. 7 8 I further certify that I am not 9 employed by nor related to any party to this action. 10 11 In witness whereof, I hereby sign 12 this date: 13 May 2, 2007. 14 15 16 _________________________________ 17 Pnina Eilberg 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25