let's say in town or whatever it is, we do a bidding process. It's a great idea. I also don't want to step on the toes of the Y or the the Boys and Girls Club. I think they do something like that. We have a program called Girls on the Run that we're starting in September. It's a phenomenal program. It's curriculum based. It's about girls leadership uh and girls get out and they run and they do exercise. It's really an incredible program. So hopefully some of our ladies will uh will do that as well. But again, we could always use more after school programs that are funded because we can't put again stuff on the backs of people when we're asking for $18 a month. Absolutely. I agree. Um, okay, real quick. Sorry. [Music] Um, the tit fortat part that was brought up before, um, you know, again, I'm going to answer stuff in a community forum.
That's that's why if I get the questions, but I appreciate what you said. I hope you say it at the council meeting as well in public like you said here. Um that would be the that would be right. I mean it would be right. No, why why is that wrong? Can't Why would that be wrong? I don't understand. Well, if it's if it's a back and forth that that she said it should be said there as well. Um okay. Yes. I I answer insert all of them there. Oh, oh, oh, oh, that one. I have that. Yeah, I have that on. I'm sorry. I have that at the end. I'm going to end with that. No, that's okay. Sorry, that's my fault. I I All right. Sorry, I lost my train of thought here. Um, the mayor, mayor, you brought up some really great points.
Uh, I really do want to work with you. I know you don't think so, but uh I think it's important to this place. again, even if it's on the phone and we don't say hello to each other, but we just talk about stuff. It's really important. The um the shared service agreements, I've been talking to the board about this since the day I got here. Um the this board in the past that that's um made this incredible building, which is not we have no say over it's the SDA who, you know, and you can't build a parking lot or whatever. I you know, I we need to find a a solution to that. Um we need to talk. We do. Um, but again, you know, and I'll and I'll acquies and and I could be a big boy and apologize for a lot of stuff.
So, hopefully we can all do the same thing. Um, security, all those things. Thank you for all that stuff. Uh, the kids do look up to those security officers that you had had a saying in doing. You're you're absolutely right. Um, again, nobody on this board has ever said anything about past decisions that were made because all of our our, you know, all of our attention is moving forward because we can't really do anything about that. Um and there's nothing that and and again there's a foundation laid right so regardless I don't know what the situation was three years ago or five years ago I don't know if there was money available I don't know you know I think when you planned the HVAC project you wanted to put HVAC here you know I mean and whatever happened happened you know I would love to get HVAC here again I would love to bond for HVAC with you guys you know um but again I don't know if all those things are possible um but definitely some stuff we talked about the we talked about the Ranger right so we we talked about the ready uh already Um, again, I need to bring up the um I need to bring up the part again about the cars outside.
Um, regardless of whoever thinks it's a political move or not, just go down there in the morning or or you know, park outside and look outside what's going on. Um, again, regardless of what the outcome is going to be in June, whether you want that back or not, I'm I'm imploring the council to allow us to park there again until we can sit down and talk it out for the sake of the kids and the faculty and the congestion. That's all I'm asking for. Um, not saying we give it back to us. We'll talk it out, but but again, we had no way of, you know, Sorry, I'm trying to answer, but people are talking, so I don't know if they're going to hear some of the answers. That's okay. Um, if you haven't been down there, again, please go down there. Um, we talked about the bid.
Um, I don't I don't know what the video you're talking about in the back, but I I didn't get any requests for that. So, if you want if you want to talk to me about getting the video, just let me know. I I be honest. I don't even know what you're talking If you're talking about the Okay. I I apologize. I didn't know you asked for a video. So, um, definitely didn't ask me. So, Oh, okay. Okay, sir. Yeah. if you I'm just let me know. Um the science teachers, we talked about that. We have some individuals here that night that that that will be incredible chemistry teachers. We'll get there hopefully. Um I don't know what other towns are doing. I I do know that there's sixth period um there sixth period and things like that. Um, you know, these these la the last two are really interesting because I'm try I'm really trying not to sever any other ill will feelings as we get to an election or anything like that.
That's not that's not what this is about. But again, when people say stuff and you because you all know it, right? If you don't answer back, sometimes it's it looks like uh, you know, that we're doing something wrong or we're hiding something because everybody loves the word transparency, but not too many people in my position are transparent. So, um I think it's I think it's uh I think the problem with me being new with new eyes is that people haven't heard some of the answers or some of the things um in the past from other administrators and I don't know why that happened or or if it happened. Um but I'm not making this stuff up when we talk about the compliance issues and all those things. It's right in code. Um were we successful in the past doing it? I don't know. Right. I got some concerns from our teachers that we all know are beloved teachers and we all talk about them.
So, hey, we got some concerns there. So, I my job as the chief school administrator is to tell this board that this is how we're going to fix it and and by by voting tonight um you know uh we did that. Um again, I'm not um you know, Mr. Delaney got up here um and said a few things tonight. Um, I'm not I'm not blaming any any council member or the mayor for taking that property back again. Um, I just don't know why it happened when it had to happen. Um, what if maybe I'm missing something why it had to happen on Monday, like why it had to happen now in March. Um, if that's true, just let me know why it had to happen now and I could explain it to people that are asking me. Um, but again, nobody's blaming you for taking it.
If you guys want it, that's fine. But right mid year is very difficult to again we just had someone get hit by a car. Um we that's not the first time we had another kid in the beginning of the school year get hit by a car coming out of the um out of the high school uh parking area. Um so again I'm telling you these are real issues. So so you guys are most of you are here tonight so please consider that um for all that. Um, and I really, you know, it's funny. Mr. Kane is the only person I really haven't really, you know, when I first got here, he said he wanted to meet with me and talk and stuff like that at my what I guess some of you feel was unsuccessful soup scoop of the soup meeting or whatever like that.
So, that's not that's not true, but I we could talk about it after if you want to. Yeah, but there that's fine. And post my reply, too, though. Yeah. Make sure. Please. Yeah, please do that. Um, so regardless of that though, there's two things I want to talk about with Mr. Kane right now. What he just said, um, the conversation that I had with the students, uh, based on, uh, a meeting I was having with the student government, which I have all the time with them, okay? Um, that conversation about the peaceful protest, I'll tell you what it is because it's funny how everybody found out about it like right after it happened. Um, was I actually commended them for doing that. Um, it's not the first protest that I've had as a superintendent or a principal. Okay. Uh, it's actually their right to do that.
Um, what we did talk about was um, you know, the the proper chain of doing that and and what they did and that and that's what we talked about. No one told them not to do it or any of that stuff. I don't know how it got flipped around when we got out there. Um, but that's not what happened. and we talked about many other things uh during that meeting and and and I'm my hope and not that you would ask those students that those students would tell you that because I think we have a good report and and we had other individuals in there as well but that's that's not what happened. Nobody would ever stop their right to vote and a comment um for you for for anybody to either intimate that is is is borderline lialist. So let's be really careful with that.
Okay, because these are minors. So also also I'm allowed to speak to them actually. Also, you're not also to be very very clear uh a comment was made uh with regard to or intimated uh last meeting and I kept my mouth shut, but uh with regard to people, you know, not owning property or voting or whatever it is or you're running for board, you're not it was intimated that way. You could all figure it out. You can look at the meeting or or listen to it or or because it's somebody taped it and put it online already. Um I have to be honest with you, our our kids our kids are our biggest voice, right? You want to listen to them. I want to meet with them. I meet with them probably more than any other superintendent has. Um my communication with them was incredible.
Okay. Um but I have to tell you something. They don't own they don't own they don't own property either. They don't they don't own property, right? They're they're not taxpayers. I don't know. Is their voice not important? I think it is. So I don't know why that came up last meeting, but you know, again, Mr. Ramos and I are meeting with them. I don't know if past presidents have done that or not. Um but we are doing that and that's the important thing. So be really really careful when you say stuff like that, okay? Because again, um, what I'm trying to do is understand where a political atmosphere has gotten to this with with two two elections now, right? Um, because we all know the goal election cycle. I knew it before I got here, uh, how it goes. Now we're in the second one.
And hopefully when everything settles and whoever wins these seats, hopefully we could all work together so that some of these things can move forward. Uh, but that's really up to all of you that have been uh that have been bringing up some of these things that continue to come up with only half stories or or and that's why I'm trying to put those things out there. So, if anyone has any other questions for me, you contact me in my office. Um, Mr. Kane, if if that is true, I I'm thinking about now. I apologize. Um, no, I don't want to read it. I want you to post it. Um, so everyone could comment on it. So, post it. Uh, but post my reply on there, too. Yeah, do. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Right. And then something else happens. We'll post that too. It's okay. You you'll we stay after.
We'll talk after then. Um but then if you want to meet, you can come and meet with me. It's fine. So um but in saying that, uh again, um I'll still say progress because things are moving along. The budget tonight is a big plus here. Uh again, trying to fix all those things uh that we need to do to stay in compliance and stuff like that for our kids. So, thank you. Progress. Oh, sorry. Did I miss the question? Who was it? I'm sorry to answer that question. Oh, okay. Yeah. Really quickly, I want to address my affiliation with SCV Stouloola, which has been brought in a question. To put simply, it's very limited. I am not employed by them. I'm not a stakeholder in SCV Stouloola. I do play for their senior team, but the senior team acts as a separate entity. They don't receive any funding from the youth organization.
Uh, so I don't think any of that meets the threshold. And sorry, that was it. Sorry. Not true. Yeah, that's not true. Thank you. It's not true. you know, just because I know somebody, you know, I know a million people in town. Yeah. Sorry. Yeah. I was gonna answer that. Put any words in anyone's mouth. Okay. Next. Okay. At this time, I'd like to open up the floor for board member comments. Ask a question. Board member comments. Uh I I just want to ask Mr. Delaney a question. Not to be contentious. I'm just looking for clarity. Course I can't. Okay. I I'll ask you afterwards. I'll ask you afterwards. Reno. No, they say I can't. It's a como. Following up on uh my inquiry. Now I have two inquiries because I just heard that Minds Eyee was the highest bidder. Am I Is that what I heard?
Is that factual? It's a cooperative bid. So there was no other bids on that or no other quotes. I'm sorry. The way a cooperative bid works is they go out a state contract or through the cooperative and the cooperative does all the bidding. That's how it work. That's how you that's most of most of our contracts are either state contract cooperative bid. If you're looking for something over the threshold, but it's a small job, then you need three quotes and you have to go through a whole procurement um process. Okay. So there were no other quotes based on this inquiry. I don't know what else the quotes from the co-op. No, I could get that for you if if the co-op header other I could get that if they're co-op head if you don't mind. The co-op awards the bid. So that's how that's how it goes.
That that's why you go in co-op so you don't have this back and forth of who has a lower bid or not which is actually not legal. So what I'm sorry were there other quotes requested and we've received or not at all or they were all the same? I'm just trying to understand, you know, this makes me a little concerned about my vote. It's through a cooperative bid, okay? Which follows the laws, the bidding laws in New Jersey. And when you go through a cooperative bid, there's a entity called the co-op that does the bidding for you. So if there were other quotes or not, doesn't matter. That was the that was the quote that was accepted through through whatever the cooperative. But did we receive any other quotes? No, it's through it's through a co-op. Okay. So the co-op handle it. That's how it goes.
Yes. Yes. Okay. No, that's the just just and I'm not talking to the public. I'm going to talk to the board right now. So, it's No, actually, you don't pay for the co-op. The co-op the co-op the co-op gets compensated through the vendors. So, again, regardless of of the semantics around it, but you go to a co-op so that none of this is an issue. the co-op. It's It's like when you buy pencils and you use I This is I I'm I'm not going back and forth. Yeah, we could we can get you that those quotes or the posting of it. If you want me to post, I can do that. So, there is additional information that that's behind there. There there's through the co-op, I get all the co-op information. Yes, correct. Okay, Mr. President, I request to change my vote for 9.14 to abstain, please.
We have to do it by formal motion and have a second and have a roll call vote to change Mr. as well. Just to be just to be really clear so everybody knows though, we had a finance meeting when we talked about this. You talked about this as well. Just know to be really clear that this is the first time you're bringing this up because I could have had this information for you before you voted. Well, this is the first time I'm hearing this information. So, what information? It was a co-op from the public. We we No, not from the public, but we discussed this in committee. No, no. I'm saying this the first time I heard information from the public that there may be other additional information pertaining to this that there may have been other quotes based on well I don't I don't know how there are other quotes if you said unless the public unless the public went to the co-op and got the quotes but you just said there's additional information pertaining to this bid and okay you don't have it so I no I'm just being clear that you didn't ask for this though I'm sorry you didn't ask for this prior to right now just just I was not aware that okay I just addition background information so I along with it because We're relying on it.