Monroe Township LWV General Meetings

See Calendar for time, location and description

ALL ARE WELCOME TO OUR GENERAL MEETINGS

For recaps of our previous meetings, scroll down this page, or click on a topic :

Know Your Local Government

Use and Re-use

Ranked-Choice Voting

Restricting Use of Plastic Bags

Curriculum Development

Review of Monroe Township Master Plan

How School Boards are Funded

History of Monroe and Jamesburg

Adult Communities in Monroe

Human Trafficking in NJ

Women in Politics

Capt. Lisa Robinson, Monroe Police Department

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)

Township Master Plan

Recycling

    On April 17, our League took part in a Library-sponsored event providing information on our local government.

   Andrea Pellizzi, our president, gave an overview that included such information as:

• As of the 2020 United States Census, the township’s population was 48,594.
• Monroe Township contains the largest land area of any municipality in Middlesex County, at approximately 42 square miles.
• Monroe Township is governed with the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Option Municipal Chatter Law) under the Mayor-Council system of New Jersey municipal government. Our township is one of 71 municipalities in NJ governed under this form.
• Our governing body is comprised of a directly-elected Mayor and a five-member township council, all elected on a partisan basis in odd-numbered years as part of the November general election.

   There are three township council seats elected from Wards (a ward is an optional division of the township for administrative and representative purpose). These come up for a vote together, followed two years later by the two at-large seats (an at-large representative is elected to serve the entire township rather than one of its subdivisions) and the mayor.

   Marsha Rosenbaum, our Voter Services chair, gave a presentation on voting:

• Eligibility requirements
• How to register
• Ways to vote
• Upcoming elections and deadlines for registering

As well as informative websites for all your voting and polling questions:

     www.elections.nj.gov

     www.voter.svrs.nj.gov/register 

   The last speaker was Kevin McGowan, who is Monroe Township’s Assistant Business Administrator. 

   Kevin noted that Monroe was the fastest growing township in the last census. He reviewed the work of the township’s many departments that jointly employ over 300 people, such as: Finance, Municipal Court, Police Department, Planning Board, Zoning Board, Department of Public Works, Construction Department, Library, Senior Center, EMS, Clerk’s Office, Tax Collector, Rec Center, and Human Resources.

   To find out more about these departments, as well as information on Boards and Commissions, see the website: www.monroetwp.com 

   Also note that Council meetings, as well as many Board meetings are open to the public.  

At our October meeting, Linda Bozowski provided lots and lots of interesting and very useful tips for reusing stuff we all have around the house…thereby also keeping it out of the garbage or recycling bins.

Here are a few of the ideas she presented. [If you would like the complete list, send an email to us at LWVmonroetwp@gmail.com, with subject “Re-use ideas”.]

Styrofoam egg cartons:

• Use for leftover tomato paste, sauce, puree, fresh pesto, herbs in olive oil. Put a small quantity in each compartment, freeze. When solid, remove and store in zip-top bags, use as needed for future cooking adventures.
• Use for storing pairs of earrings. The top of the carton can be cut off or left on – your choice. Store in a dresser drawer or night stand.

Pill bottles:

These bottles are great because they are designed to not leak and last a long time; and they have child-proof caps.

• Keep coins in the car for tolls (or stops at the convenience store when you have the grandkids)
• Storage for small stuff: tweezers, toothpicks, Q-tips, needlepoint needles, hair clips
• Mini first aid kit: bandages, alcohol wipes, antiseptic ointment, Q-tips, tweezers

Dryer Sheets:  

Use half a sheet for each dryer load – it’s quite enough! Use up to 4 times per sheet – then repurpose them for these other uses!!!

• Put several in your car glove box to keep squirrels and rats away from your car wires. Can also be used near dryer vents outdoors to repel rodents.
• Clean glass shower doors (awesome!!) or mirrors
• Shine chrome faucets
• Put used dry sheets in your shoes or boots to keep them fresh-smelling

 At our August meeting, Herb Tarbous gave a very informative presentation on ranked-choice voting. 

Herb is a co-founder of Voter Choice NJ, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing information about ranked-choice voting (RCV) and to promoting its adoption for all elections in NJ. He is working hard to enable ranked-choice voting as a major step towards the goal of political diversity instead of political polarization .

In ranked-choice voting, voters rank candidates in order of preference, thus ensuring majority support for the winning candidate (50% +1 to win). 

Ranked-choice Voting is currently the election law statewide for both federal and state elections in Maine and Alaska. It has been adopted in U.S. cities, including New York City (for Democratic primaries), in 11 states and in another five states with runoff elections. It is also used by overseas and military voters. Over 50 U.S. colleges and universities use RCV to elect student government officers. Internationally, it is used by every voter in six countries and in local elections in many more. RCV is recommended for private organizations by Roberts Rules of Order, and many private organizations use it, including the Academy Awards in both nominating and selecting the winner for the Oscars. 

To read more, click here.

At our July 2023 meeting, Linda Bozowski gave a very interesting presentation on where we stand regarding restricting single-use plastic bags. Here are some of the points she covered.

In New Jersey, Governor Murphy signed a law restricting the distribution of plastic bags on November 4, 2020, with an effective date of May 4, 2022. We join 8 other states (California, Hawaii, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New York, Oregon and Vermont) that have similar laws.

In some states, individual counties and towns have restrictions. While other states have “preemptions”, that prohibit towns or counties from making regulations that are not authorized by the state.

New Jersey regulations restrict: 

• Single use plastic bags with the exception of those used for uncooked meat, fish or poultry; loose items (e.g., green bags in the produce department); bags for carrying live animals; bags for prepared food; and, laundry, dry gleaning or garment bags.
• Paper bags, except for pharmacies, liquor stores, restaurants, food stores less than 25,000 square feet (such as food stores like Wawa), and stores that do not sell food (such as Kohl’s).
• Styrofoam products (cups, plates, bowls) and plastic straws. Until May 4, 2024, businesses can sell meat, fish and poultry on Styrofoam trays, and eggs in Styrofoam cartons.

Results So Far 

The NJ Clean Communities Council estimates that the plastic bag ban is on target to eliminate more than 8 million plastic bags each year (which 2,000 grocery stores had been giving out annually). That is an average of 75 plastic bags per person per month. The Council also estimates that the use of 164 million paper bags/year will be eliminated as well.

According to the environmental group Clean Ocean Action, from 2021 to 2022, there have been 37% fewer plastic bags, 39% fewer plastic straws and 37% less Styrofoam waste.

   At our March, 2023 meeting, Joe Stroin, Dir. Of Monroe Twp. Utility Department, and Kevin McGowan, Member of the Planning Board, provided an in-depth review of key elements in the recently approved Master Plan, which they described as a “living document” -- a set of objectives and goals; not how to get to them.

   As part of the process to revise the Master Plan, the Planning Board reached out to the public for input (for the first time in Master Plan history). They received approx. 85,000 recommendations statements, for which they were very appreciative.

   The complete plan is at:
https://www.monroetwp.com/index.php/departments/master-plan-documents

   While the plan is lengthy, they recommended that you move to the end of the section on each element where that section is summarized.

    Our January 2023 meeting was a very informative presentation on how school boards are funded. The presentation was given by Rozella G. Clyde, PhD, co-chair of the LWVNJ State Education Committee who attends all meetings of the NJ State Board of Education, and Linda Kinsey member of the LWVNJ State Education Committee and chair of our local league’s education committee.

Some interesting facts:

• Spending in the budget is driven by student enrollment. In Monroe, our student enrollment for 2022-2023 is projected to be 6,932 students
• The Monroe school budget is $146.77 million. The state provides 9.74 million (a 22% increase over last school year), which represents about 7% of the total budget. Federal aid provides another 1%. And local taxes provides 83%.
• The budget covers everything from personnel expenses, textbook replacements, and school buses, to capital improvements.
• In 2021, the state allocated 40% of its total $41 billion budget to pre-kindergarten-12th grade costs across 2493 schools in 686 operating districts. The amount each school district gets is largely determined by the income level in that district. The state calculates what is necessary to provide a “thorough and efficient” (T&E) education to every public school student. Rozella and Linda provided a comprehensive look at exactly how the state goes about this task.

The entire presentation is available on our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/100010483964824/videos/1304106247039380?idorvanity=828573294307629

    At our meeting on October 24, John Katerba, Monroe Township Historian, gave an interesting talk on the history of Monroe-Jamesburg, complete with old photos and clips from silent movies! John is the author of Monroe Township and Jamesburg, available at Barnes & Noble and online.

    Some of the interesting history that John covered Included:

      -- The Jamesburg “polo team” that played on motorcycles in 1930.

      -- The influence of James Buckelew who was a railroad pioneer, laying track

          through Jamesburg to connect Camden to Perth Amboy.  

      -- Seasonally, gypsies came to town and camped. In exchange for allowing their 

         children to attend school, they performed odd jobs and told fortunes.

    John has been assisted in cleaning up and colorizing old photos by Kyle Johanesson, who showed the software he uses and provided a short demonstration. To learn more: www.kylejohanesson.com   

     At our meeting on July 25, the topic of the presentation was continued development of senior communities in Monroe Township. Cindy Gaudio, a longtime Monroe resident and realtor, spoke about the variety of offerings in the Township. Beginning with the initial construction of Rossmoor in 1965 to the current continuing construction within The Gables and Venue, Monroe has more than 12,000 residences in Senior Planned Unit Developments (PUDs). While Monroe continues to expand its population, senior-restricted housing has contributed greatly to the Township’s growth. 

     Cindy had some interesting facts to share, such as:

     · According to the 2010 census, 38.8% of Monroe’s population are over 65 years old.

       It’s estimated that 20-22,00 people are 55+.

     · Where do adult community residents come from? 20-25% come from the 

       boroughs of Manhattan and Long Island. But quite a few also come from local 

       communities, such as East Brunswick.

     · Monroe and Toms River have the highest concentration of 55+ housing in New 

       Jersey. Monroe used to be priced more reasonably, but now the Toms River area 

       is.

     · During the Covid pandemic, it was a seller’s market. However, prices have settled 

       down to more normal levels. But, even now, there are only 3 rentals available 

       among all the adult communities.

     · There is also a move to investors doing flips, particularly in Concordia, Clearbrook 

       and Rossmoor.

     · Rossmoor is the only community with co-ops, which start in the $7,000 range. All 

       others are condos.

Ms. Diane Starace spoke at the recent meeting of the Monroe Township League of Women Voters about human trafficking. The Coordinator of the Injury Prevention Program / Safe Kids Middlesex County Trauma and Injury Prevention program at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Starace has served as a key speaker for the NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking.

     Asking members of the audience about their knowledge of human trafficking, Starace saw that the replies of most participants acknowledged some unfamiliarity. However, as she went through her comprehensive presentation, the group, which appeared very engaged by the topic, might have responded differently if the question had been asked again.

     Starace spoke of the two primary types of human trafficking, sexual and labor, and pointed out that either type involves force, fraud or coercion or perhaps a combination of elements. It was interesting to hear that 80% of NJ trafficked persons are US citizens, and that NJ has the 12th highest rate of reported trafficking in the country. In NJ, 30% of the reported cases involve forced labor and 70% involve sexual exploitation, which includes child pornography and pedophilia.

     What makes NJ such an attractive place for these abusive behaviors are the following elements: access to roadways and airports, heavily visited tourist destinations like the Jersey shore and Atlantic City, proximity to major cities like Philadelphia and New York, and the density of our population. Trafficking, in either iteration, generates more money than sales or guns or illegal drugs, and there is always a demand for laborers and sexual activities.

     Ms. Starace provided insight into how sexual trafficking victims may have been vulnerable to their abusers. These victims may be young or naïve, impressionable, live in poverty, be homeless, live in an environment of substance, physical or sexual abuse, have a physical mental or emotional disability, have issues with LGBTQ sexuality, or be members of the foster care system. Victims can be of any race or ethnicity, be rich or poor, be educated or uneducated. They may be enticed by offers of friendship or love, potential employment opportunities, or membership in an attractive club, gang or other social group. In the past two years since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, online contact has increased nearly 200%, and with that, so has the rate of trafficking, particularly among youth. One of the most unexpected statistics that Starace shared was that 40% of youth being trafficked, in either sexual or labor form, was familial: a family member or close family contact is taking advantage of another person in an illegal manner.

     The audience was advised to view the U-tube video “Stop the Traffic” or perhaps see the movie “Taken”. There are also webinars created by survivors available through the NJ Coalition on its website.

     The NJ Coalition offers programs to the public and is moving into the educational arena in conjunction with school systems throughout the state. A recently passed addition to the NJ Department of Education curriculum guidelines includes faculty and student education for middle and high school students. Monroe Township High School has already been a participant in this program. 

     The Coalition is a not-for-profit organization which has many offerings on its website. Volunteers man a 24/7 hotline for victims or for those who wish to report abuse in their communities. A newsletter is available through https://www.safernj.org/ for those who would like more information. 

At our April 2022 meeting, Women in Politics, the following women provided insight on their experiences in running for office and serving in various positions, whether appointed or elected:  

EVELYN SPANN, Cranbury Councilwoman

BARBARA CANNON, Former Councilwoman and Former Mayor Old Bridge 

SHANTI NARRA, County Commissioner, Deputy Director 

LINDA GREENSTEIN, New Jersey State Senator 14th Legislative District (Mercer and Middlesex Counties) 

They all gave a brief overview of how they got into politics and what they learned: 

Linda Greenstein moved to Plainsboro with her husband after a career as a practicing attorney. When she decided to become involved in the town, and run for a position on the school board, she sought out a friend’s advice on how to go about it. The advice: find out where the people who come out to vote live, meet those people, and write them hand-written notes acknowledging their questions and concerns. She has followed that advice – Focus. Go door to door. Establish personal connections. Barbara Cannon started as a teen working for Adlai Stevenson’s election office in St. Paul, MN. Her political interests led her to get a degree in political science. Her husband’s career led them to move to New Jersey, where she got interested in helping her community. When she first ran for councilwoman in Old Bridge, she knocked on practically every door in town and managed to lose election by 5 votes. But that did not deter her from running again. She eventually became Mayor. 

Shanti Narra was born in India and came to the US in 1969, and moved to North Brunswick in 1974. She remembers growing up watching the news every night as the family ate dinner. During commercials, her dad would ask her opinion on what they had just been watching. And thus she developed an interest in what was going on in her adopted country. After getting her law degree, she became a Public Defender in New York. She focused on civil rights and worked on Hillary Clinton’s campaign. After moving back to North Brunswick in 2004, through friends she got involved on the Planning Board,  then became a Committeewoman, then Town Councilwoman, then County Commissioner. She concluded her remarks with the reflection that “as an immigrant, when you serve the community, you get a chance every day to express your gratitude for living here”. 

Evelyn Spann lives in Cranbury where on their Board of Education, 3 people rotate off each year. One year of the 3 people rotating off, all 3 chose not to run again, thus creating 3 open slots. She was recruited to run for one of those spots, and was helped through the process. Once elected, she served in several capacities, including sitting on the library board as the School Board representative. In that capacity, she got to know the Mayor, who was also on the library board. He then convinced her to run for the Township Committee. She feels this processes have taught her a lot about the civics of politics. 

They were all asked to share their experiences about being a woman in office: 

Evelyn Spann said that she has not experienced anything negative. She attributes this somewhat to being relatively new to politics in a time where there are many women in office, as well as working for the companies that the town interacts with.  

Shanti Narra has often been the only woman or one of two woman in the room. She observes that men and women benefit when there are women contributing to the dialog because of the different experiences they bring to the table. She said her problem is that she doesn’t play golf and she needs to find another way to make the same connections that the guys do on the golf course (LOL). 

Barbara Cannon was the first woman to be elected mayor in Old Bridge. She feels that those who were more interested in serving their own interests vs. doing their jobs and serving the people were more of a problem than any issue of men vs. women. 

Linda Greenstein observed that over the last 15 years significantly more women are in the legislature and more of them are chairing committees. However, she also has observed that while some women were given leadership titles, the men remained in charge, often working behind the scenes. She feels that there are differences in thinking on issues that are generally more important to women, i.e. pregnancy issues. 

Lisa Robinson, a Monroe resident and Monroe High School graduate, was sworn in as a Police Officer in 1997. She was assigned to the detective bureau as a juvenile/D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officer in 1999. In 2005, she was promoted to Sergeant; then promoted to Lieutenant in 2014, where she also acted as the Department’s Public Information Officer. In 2017, she was reassigned as patrol division commander and currently serves in that capacity. Captain Robinson served in the U.S. Army and the N.J. National Guard. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and a Masters of Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University. 

Captain Robinson took questions from the audience: 

What are the qualifications to become a police officer? 

You must be at least 18 years old, be a U.S. citizen, have a valid drivers license, have a clean record, and complete 15 weeks of training. Many also have a college degree. After training, you are partnered with a senior officer for 90 days on the job. 

In the training, is there attention paid on how to deal with those with mental problems? 

Yes. And in the course of our work, we keep notes in our database on people we encounter with issues, and how to approach them. We also have professionals on call, who are available at any hour. 

Do you have cases of domestic violence? 

Of the 10,000 calls for help that we have had so far this year, I would guess that about 1/3 are domestic violence incidents. In addition to responding to the call, we have a domestic violence response team made up of 3 women and a liaison officer to deal with the victim to get further help. You should also know that if there is any physical abuse, it is mandated that the abuser be arrested. 

Do you have a holding cell in Monroe? 

We do, but normally an arrestee is taken to the correctional facility in North Brunswick. 

Is the D.A.R.E. program effective here? 

I taught the D.A.R.E. program in the high school for about 10 years. The program provides a curriculum but you have to make the information local and relevant. It’s not only how to resist drug abuse but how to fit in without giving into peer pressure. It’s letting kids know the police are not your enemies. Also, being in that program in the high school allowed me to get to know teachers and school administrators.

How many women officers are there on the Monroe force; how many officers in total; and how many police cars? 

When I was hired, I was one of two women officers. Currently there are 5. The total force numbers 66. There are 7-10 officers on each shift in cars, covering the 42 square miles of Monroe. 

Are there programs that police provide for senior citizens? 

The police support the food pantry, and we have an excellent presentation online that speaks to avoiding scams (phone calls, email, etc.). https://monroetwppolice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/New-Crime-Prevention-and-Scam-Awareness.pdf  While I have you all here, I urge you to not make yourself a target of crime: 

• Lock your cars 

• Lock your house; and if you have an alarm system, use it. 

• Keep your garage doors closed. 

If you see exceptional traffic violations (e.g. lots of speeding on a certain road), call our office and report it. We’ll add it to our list of assignments. 

What helped you to advance through the ranks? 

I did have military experience, so I knew how to protect myself, how to go through training, how to listen to experienced people. And also how to listen to myself: how to be myself and at the same time be taken seriously. 

In closing... “The goal is to serve the community effectively and determine what officers need to make that happen.” 

At our February 2022 meeting, Linda Kinsey spoke about the CASA organization and her role as a CASA volunteer.

Linda became a CASA when she retired from teaching high school and working in the tech world for AT&T and Mutual of America.   She was assigned her initial case in 2014 and has since had 2 more. In 2019 she was recognized as CASA Advocate of the Year.  

CASA a non-profit organization dedicated to serving abused and neglected children who are up to 21 years old and living in foster care. CASA recruits and trains volunteers to advise the courts and advocate for the children’s best interests. CASA was started in 1972 by a Seattle Family Court judge who wanted unbiased information about children who experienced neglect or abuse.  

• CASA is now in DC and every state but North Dakota. CASA is in every county of New Jersey (https://CASAforchildrennj.org).  
• CASA of Middlesex County started in 2006 (https://casaofmiddlesexcounty.org/). 

There are many people in and out of a foster child’s life. The CASA worker is the consistent support person who looks out for their interests, including their educational and medical needs. For example: 

• Knowing if child needs glasses, and if the glasses are lost, that they get replaced. 
• Learning that the child wants to study automotive and getting him into the vo-tech school for automotive training. 
• Having a plan to get the child through the educational system. Lots of things that you take for granted, they don’t; like studying for an upcoming test, or doing the preparations necessary to get a project done on time. 
• If the child wants to go to a specific camp, the CASA can advocate to the court for the child to go to the preferred camp. In one case, Linda advocated for a boy who really wanted a bicycle. She got $300 and went with him to a store to pick out the bike …and a helmet. When they got to the cash register, he gave her a huge hug. About a year later when he was leaving foster care and she was seeing him for the last time, she told him that she didn’t feel she had done much for him. He responded, “Are you kidding me! You got me a bike!” 

Children who receive support and care: 

• are less likely to re-enter foster care 
• spend less time in foster care … some foster parents adopt the child 
• are less likely to be bounced from home to home 
• perform better in school because the CASA has a relationship with school, teachers, etc. 

The CASA makes court appearances to advocate for the child and to answer the judge’s questions. Recommendations are sometimes hard, but need to be made based on what is best for the child.  

Volunteers 

Volunteers are trained and supported by CASA staff of the county. Each volunteer is matched with a child or sibling group, and agrees to stay with them until they finish care (about 18 months). 

Volunteer requirements: 

• at least 21 years old 
• have submitted to a background check 
• agree to giving 5 to 15 hours a month for 18 months or longer 
• have a passion for children and their well-being 

Volunteers get 30 hours of pre-service training, and then: 

• get sworn in by the court 
• have 3 hours of court observation 
• complete 12 hours of continuing education on healthcare, court procedures, etc. 

Volunteers get a summary of the child’s situation before agreeing to be the CASA, in case that situation is something the CASA does not want to take on. Volunteers have peer coaches to help them with questions and problems (such as where to get specific help, resources, etc.). 

There is a need for more male volunteers, as well as more volunteers who are bilingual Spanish-speaking, Hispanic/Latino, and African American. The racial breakdown of children in the foster care program is 45% White, 22% African American, 7% Asian, 6% Multiracial, 20% other.  28% are Hispanic/Latino 

How Can You Help 

• Become a CASA and encourage others you know to volunteer 
• Become a CASA ambassador … explain what a CASA is to your community 
• Host a fundraiser 
• Donate   https://casaofmiddlesexcounty.org/donate/  

Questions from the Audience 

How is CASA funded? 

Federal grants and donations   

Where do you usually meet with the children? 

We meet at the foster home or any public place, like school or the mall. However, you cannot have the child in your car. And we keep in touch by phone. 

Can you maintain a relationship with the child after the child has left foster care? 

If the child or foster care family invites you to maintain a relationship, you can; otherwise not. 

How do you keep from getting emotionally involved? 

You are involved, but not overwhelmed because you see yourself as doing something positive. I see myself like a teacher…concerned about the child but with some distance. 

      John Riggs was the speaker at our annual meeting on June 2, 2021. 

      John has lived in Monroe since 1972. He has served Monroe Township in many capacities; such as, member of the Zoning Board, Councilman at Large, Director of Environmental Protection and Affordable Housing. He and the League of Women Voters established Green Fair and developed the Township Green Book. He currently serves on the Planning Board and on the Open Space and Farmland Preservation Committees.

      John began his talk with a discussion of the Master Plan, now in development. The plan will serve as a development guide for the next 10 years, and is being put together by the Master Plan Committee. The plan will deal with areas such as, open space and farmland preservation, transportation, Environmental Resources Inventory (ERI)—which includes geology, forestry, and an update to the bike and trails plan.

An unusual feature of this planning process is gathering input from residents via a Master Plan Survey.  
     Go to https://publicinput.com/MonroeMP to view a Master Plan flyer with information about the Master Plan, answers to frequently asked questions about the plan, and links to key planning documents. John stressed how rare this level of transparency is.

      Looking forward, 95% of development will be in the area of affordable housing.  By law, builders can build 4 market-rate units for each affordable housing unit.  To qualify for affordable housing, a family of 4 has a yearly income between $35,000 and $94,000.

      Monroe began its first round of affordable housing participation in 1987-93, in conjunction with the passage of the New Jersey Fair Housing Act (commonly referred to as “Mount Laurel”). Monroe approved Monroe Manor (behind Wawa on Rt. 33) for affordable housing. This development was just finished last year. It took 30 years to develop it. During this period, we could transfer up to 20% of our affordable housing obligation, which we did by paying New Brunswick, who was able to develop faster.

      The second round of development began in 1994 with the approval of Stratford at Monroe (located behind the Senior Center). This development is still being built out 23 years later.

      The current round of development covers the years 1999-2025. Monroe won a court action that reduced our obligation to build affordable housing units from 2,323 to 850 (which will include 567 family units and the 283 senior units).

      In addition, 80 units of affordable housing for veterans will be going up behind Walgreens on Applegarth Road.

      The Planning Board approved the building of an Amazon Distribution Center that will be across from Make a Wish on Perrineville Road.

      Other development is contained by: 

          · farmland preservation and open space 

          · wetlands (8,900 acres)

          · areas with 10 acre minimum zoning (5,300 acres)

          · limit of 625,000 sq. ft. of commercial property

We should be on track to meet our goal of 50% open space in Monroe Township.

      In response to questions on traffic, John noted that we have not had an updated traffic plan in 20 years. But this new Master Plan will include one.

      John confirmed that Green Fair will be online this year in the Fall.

      The Environmental Commission worked on stream cleanups. Its work at the stream near the Community Garden Center resulted in 900 lbs. of trash. It will also be doing road cleanups.

      John observed that the Community Garden on Applegarth Road has been one of Monroe’s most successful ventures. 176 plots are cultivated. In addition, there is a beekeeper with beehives and butterfly-attracting plants, so pollinators are close by. Northfield Bank donated $10,000 for a greenhouse, in which plants have been grown to sell. The volunteers here have been phenomenal, as have the scouts who have built and maintained trails in the area. Monroe hopes to add picnic tables and a restroom to the area. In addition, Monroe is investigating building a second community garden on Spotswood/Englishtown Road.