There are never any committee reports. It's a little concerning that there's work being done yet the public really doesn't have any idea of what we're working on. And in the name of transparency, quite honestly, if there's no work being done, then that's a lot of months of no work moving forward. So, if we can have committee reports that actually are fruitful, that'd be really helpful. Um, you know, the other thing that I've heard a lot of, and I know that Dr. Tomco, you sent out an email to um the community and to teachers and staff, but a lot of the community didn't get that because they don't have kids in the district and they do come to these meetings. So, I don't know if there's a better forum for the general public to be able to understand the content of those emails that come out when it is broadcasted and addressed to the community.
Also, in regard to that, um, politely saying it, I think that we are kind of going tit fortat between the council and the board of ed and it's getting a little frustrating as someone who's sitting here and listening to it. You don't need to agree. you don't even need to like each other, but as a a community member that has both an interest in the council and in the board of ed, it's getting kind of tiring to see the tit for tap. A mentor who actually taught me told me, "If you believe in what is right, you will always say and do what is right." And I think we're starting to forget that because it seems like we're constantly trying to d throw a jab at the other side. Thank you. [Applause] Anyone else? Everett E. Garnto Jr. 51 Jewel Street, Garfield, New Jersey. Before I start, I'd like to uh congratulate the female student of the month month.
I don't remember her name, but congratulations. Basara, I'm sorry. Her name is Basara. Disara, I want to congratulate her on her accomplishments. Um, I also want to uh piggyback off what Dolores said in reference to our security. I want to commend Mr. Jimmy Zenara and uh Mr. Maddie for the superb job that they do with our security personnel. I know for a fact that our uh most of our personnel is second to none within Bergen County. I know so because when I was here for seven years, I put most of these on. And the reason why they're so professional because all of them are ex police officers and the majority of them are from Garfield. So they know the community, they know the kids, they just they know everything and they know everything about our community. Um, and like she said, Dolores, they the kids look up to them, the parents look up to them, the teachers appreciate what they do in their school.
So, I think they should be commended a lot more than what they are. Um, that being said, let me get into what I want to talk about uh in reference to uh the board. I want to I'm going to just I guess to Mr. Tomco and our president, the new sports complex, why isn't it yet open to the public? I know when I was here, one of the things that we were going to do was going to open it up to the public for the morning hours to walk as well as the evening hours to walk at the very least. You know, we've now been taken over by an entity that's monopolizing our fields. It's it's horrendous. I go by Friday, Saturday, Sunday, I see these kids. And if anybody that knows me, I am an big advocate for children in sports. I love it.
I think it's great. But for our kids, the Garfield community, 90% of these kids that use this field aren't even from this community. You go ahead in the parking lot, you'll see uh honor student or Woodridge, honor student of Hasbro Heights. They're not from Garfield. This is an entity that came from South Jersey cuz I was in the meetings. It's a money grab. They're trying to find the next ple, you know, and they're they're brainwashing the parents here, charging in astronomic prices, you know, huge numbers to train their kids. And it's not even Garfield kids. If it was Garfield kids, I might think differently of it, but it's not. I think we should open it up to our residents. We're paying taxes for it. They should at least be able to walk there. Um, another thing that was on the agenda, why are we having a a a park ranger to monitor our uh athletic?
Why to watch the the soccer people? What is that all about? I mean, you don't have to answer now, but that that's another thing. And you know, I don't want to see that job taken away from that individual. But why is it there? Our children aren't on that field. It's that entity that's monopolizing our fields. Um, you know, Mr. Tonco and and the young lady that spoke uh before me, Danielle. No, I knew I knew her name, Arlene, but thank you. Um, I didn't want to mention the name. Security reasons, right, Dolores? I'm kidding. Um, you you had mentioned that, you know, the the parking that was taken away from the city, from the school district is making it more dangerous for the students. Explain how less cars in an area makes it more dangerous for the students. Now, if you're speaking about them driving the streets to find parking, that's that that that that's not your concern or our concern.
It's the police's concern and it is a concern to a certain degree, but come on. How dangerous is it? How dangerous is it to find a parking spot if you're a decent driver? I mean, you're blowing this up out of you're blowing it out of proportion. You You definitely are. And as far as the tit for tat, you're the you're the culprit. You're you start a lot of it. I'm not saying I'm perfect, but you start a lot of it. Just today, you you put three or four things on the council. You had to do it. You had to do it because that's you. Um, you know, you you you claim you want to work with the city and me. Why would I want to work with anybody, I'm not going to get into it, that's done certain things that you did recently against me?
Why would I want to work with anybody that came after me the way you came after me? Explain that to me, Mr. Tomco. And again, I'm not going to get into it. But you know what I'm speaking about. Mr. Tomco, another thing. Why was I told when I tried to acquire video for that first meeting that we came here sticking up? You got to be kidding me. May I I got a couple more things. Can I May I please finish? I got a couple Thank you, Mr. President. I appreciate that. Why? When I inquired about obtaining obtaining a video specific for a specific reason in that back room, I was told there is no video. But I know you obtained video from that back room. Why was I lied to? That's you know, you can answer that too whenever you uh um and again, I want to know why why are you guys letting this entity monopolize our fields?
It's just not right. I mean, people that ride by see it. They're talking about it. The residents, well, why can't we walk like you promised they're coming to me because I said that and that was what was supposed to be. Can Can we possibly think about doing that? Please open it up to the residents. And I'm almost done. I promise. And again, I brought it up earlier, you know, in reference to the chemistry teacher. And I and I'm just going to be clear. I did not hear from any teachers union or anything. I heard it outside outside outside this district to be honest with you. Um there are teachers that are science teachers that would be willing to get whatever credential extra uh credentials they need to speak uh to teach the chemistry. Now you said you're going you got somebody that you hired already.
I I would like to know. I'm sure it's out of district cuz I believe you did say that. Uh, coincidentally, is it from Belleville? This person. That's what I'd like to know. Thank you so much. [Applause] Uh, is there anyone else? Joe Delaney. Uh, 15 court. Yeah. quick uh with regards to and I agree with you with the tit Daniel. All right. And it's it's not right. I mean uh with regards to to what was spoken about the parking being taken away. That resolution was passed in 2013. I was in favor of it. I wanted to give you the property. Other council members wanted to sell you the property. We end up giving it to you. There was four about four things that the board of ed was supposed to do. All right? And they did none of them. They didn't even adopt the resolution except in our resolution.
All right? And then one of the things they're supposed to do is park the buses over there by the field instead of where the buses are parked right now. You tell me what's more safe. Buses parked where they're at right now where there's students going in and out all day long are parked along by the track. You don't have to be an engineer to figure that one out, you know. So it so it don't do not blame the city council for the board of education's malfunction what they did regarding that and I was also and I was and then when you you you bring up the change of the election that it was untimely we moved the election in January January the first meeting we had and it wasn't our first order of business all right and you the board of ed decided had to fight it for two more months to continue it.
Had you accepted right in January, you have more time than than you could have to prepare the budget for it tonight. So, it was by you pushing the accounts, pushing that resolution, not accepting it that that uh caused time. But, and I also got the uh the first political uh flyer today, Mr. Muny, your name's on it. So, I'm going to address you about this. All right. And with that literature, a little bit of similarity there between both the email and the literature. I don't know if you had the same writer, but but it it's, you know, it states it states where the where the city council is looking to take power of the board of education. I left the board of education almost 30 years ago and I never want to I never and I enjoy the board of education. I never want to take control of the board of education.
All right. It was only until after what I seen this current board of ed doing that I decided to come back to board of ed meetings. You haven't seen me here in the past 20 something years. But what I've seen from the last board of education election where yourself and Miss Sanchez and the other candidate stating that it's education not politics. Two of the same people are the same people that put board of education employees and their salaries on a flyer last election to win an election. All right. So, so remember you know what you put your name to before it goes out. Okay. Anyone else? Lissa son, 27 Garden Court North. Um, I'm I'm really glad to see the concern about the students walking around the school because we've been complaining about that around other areas of all the schools for years. So, I hope you take that same energy and maybe work with the police, the crossing guards or whatever to get more coverage around everywhere else where I mean, even a kid got hit recently.
That actually happened. We're not waiting for it to happen. It did happen. Thank you. Uh Kevin Kane, 13 Lincoln Place. Um, I want to two things I would just want to talk about. The first thing I do want to piggyback off of what Joe said is the board of ed's not running for council anymore. They did that last election. So, I wouldn't keep bringing up council, council, counsel. We're not running for the board of ed. I have kids in the school system. We fight to make sure that the board of ed is doing what's right because we care about it. I don't want control of the board of ed. Nobody does. We have our own problems in the city to deal with. But if you keep bringing up the council council, I'm looking at you because Aaliyah disappeared at some point in time. I don't know where she went to.
Um, and I just saw her yesterday and she came up acting all nice knowing that there was a mailer out about the council and bashing us. And I can only imagine what else is in the mail because we saw how last election went. Um, I usually don't get like this, but when my name is brought up over and over again in referencing to the council, it's going to get like that. Um, second question is I'm a very big advocate to make sure things are done properly and and I just had a question of I heard that a lot of children were taken out of the classroom or questioned about coming to the meetings by uh Dr. Tomco um and walking out and they were addressed as thanking them for doing a peaceful protest one day and then questioned about what was going on the next day.
So, I just wanted to know what was that about and why children were brought into an office without their parents there to be talked about stuff like that. Thank you. Okay. Is there anyone else? No. I'm really sorry I forgot. Um, I just want to ask when when you uh drive into the uh parking lot and the buses are on the side by the um high school, there's that little uh step, those steps that go up and then you can go up to the big steps and then go into the auditorium from the side. Have they've been that way for decades? Okay. But is there any way we can find some savings to repair replace those steps because they can't be repaired? First of all, there's a pipe as a handrail. There's there's only one pipe and it's on one side. The steps are literally I don't have big feet.
My feet don't even my foot doesn't even fit on the step because it's too short and they're crooked. Besides that, they're powdering away. So, I forgot to ask before and I meant to do it at the last meeting, but is there any way we could find some savings to to uh so that we don't, you know, somebody doesn't get hurt and then we don't get sued and it's even more than if we could have found a couple of savings and fixed it. Okay. Thanks. Enough time to answer you guys. It's getting late. There's a lot there's a lot of questions on the table that need to be answered that are going to be answered. Huh? That's up to That's up to the president. Last one. Last one. All right. Last one. I don't even need my glasses for this. This this one question is um You got to go to bathroom.
Good. You want me to wait for you? Want me to wait for you? Mr. Tomco, this question is uh to you. Um I want to commend you for uh updating the uh infrastructure for the IT, but my question is did this go off for bid? Whoa. No, I just want to know if it did go out to bid. Um, and my second question, it's it's the part of the first one. When something like this goes out to bid, are you uh would you be in violation of any codes or any kind of law by taking the highest bid? because again um I'm hearing that there were other bids and the next lowest was a million1. Why would we go $800,000 over the next bid? Thank you. uh Mr. Quillis, I have a question that I about the Yeah, you talk to the board members. You need a motion to close public comment.
So, you want to do So, I'll make a motion to close public comment. So, I made a motion to close public comment. Hi. Thank you very much. Thank you for all those questions. Bear with me for a second. I'm gonna I'm gonna just go out of order for a minute. Um, I'll stay in order, but uh first I'm going to be very clear. I'm going to answer these questions as they came to me, meaning I'm going to answer them with the answers that I'm going to give you as provided from based on uh what is happening here. Okay. Um some of the the comments with back and forth and stuff like that, you know, I'm I am uh I'm a a very strong believer whether you believe it or not that if if parents um board members whoever ask me enough questions that it has to basically come out and I talk I talk um the way I talk.
But first, let's be really clear, really, really, really clear for everyone in this room and everyone out there that's watching. No one writes for me. I write my own stuff. It's very clear, okay? So, I mean, I appreciate I know I'm not getting I'm not Okay, let's but I know I'm I'm just I'm Listen, I'm not taking any shots on any I'm really going to answer your questions, okay? So, I've been doing this a long time with you all. Uh I understand election cycles. I understand it's the is the meeting before the election. So, I'm I'm a big boy. I get it. So I'm going to answer your questions as they came to me but I'm just want to be very clear to everyone here that I write everything myself. Um so in saying that let's start with some of the questions which are are uh you know coming back.