January 14, 2026, Planning Board Special Meeting - WEHI Transcript

02/03/2026 04:49:05 PM Page 37 to 40 of 122 10 of 53 sheets 37 MS. McGOVERN: Letter dated --1 MR. AFRAN: Dated May 6, 2025 to Karen2 Carnevale, municipal clerk, and it is copied to Mr.3 Frank, Mark Moon, Steven Genaro, Diane McGovern, James4 Abbott, business administrator of the town and the5 township council of the Township of West Orange.6 MS. McGOVERN: Okay. Next.7 MR. AFRAN: And that would be three, am I8 correct?9 MS. McGOVERN: Objector ID-3.10 MR. AFRAN: One second, please.11 And the last one we have here is a letter12 from Hutt, Shimanowitz and Plocker dated September 8,13 2025. Again, addressed to Ms. Carnevale as municipal14 clerk, and copied on this occasion to Mr. Trenk,15 municipal counsel and Ms. McGovern, board counsel.16 MS. McGOVERN: Okay. That was it for those.17 MR. AFRAN: That is it, yes.18 MS. McGOVERN: Those will be kept in the19 file in the Planning Board office but not -- they will20 not be added to the agenda.21 MR. AFRAN: Yeah. I don't think we recited22 it so the last document is a September 8 letter,23 Objectors ID-4.24 MS. McGOVERN: Yes. Okay. That satisfies25 38 that.1 Do you have any other documents, Mr.2 Pannullo?3 THE PUBLIC: Yes. Thank you.4 Dated September 29, I will find the document5 for you. There is/was submitted to this town, the town6 council, this Planning Board and the Mayor and that was7 -- this was signed on letter from 30 environmental8 organizations in New Jersey.9 MS. McGOVERN: That's a petition and the10 board can't accept that.11 THE PUBLIC: Actually the board can accept12 the document. This board under Rule 506, the formal13 rule of evidence are not enforced before planning14 boards. May be valid in a court of law --15 MS. McGOVERN: There's a specific case that16 says we can't accept petitions.17 THE PUBLIC: This is not a petition.18 MS. McGOVERN: Yes, there's a whole bunch of19 entities that signed it that are not here to represent20 themselves, because if the board had any questions to go21 through that, that's akin to a petition.22 THE PUBLIC: Can we also mark that as not23 entered?24 MR. AFRAN: Let me recite the -- I will25 39 recite it, it's a document dated September 29, 2025, and1 it is on the letterhead of We Care New Jersey, Climate2 Revolution Action Network and the Ramapo Valley Indian3 Nation. And has seals of all three organizations on the4 first page and it contains the names and seals

tterhead of We Care New Jersey, Climate2 Revolution Action Network and the Ramapo Valley Indian3 Nation. And has seals of all three organizations on the4 first page and it contains the names and seals of5 approximately two dozen organizations attached to it and6 it appears to be a petition seeking certain relief and I7 think that would be noted as Objector ID-5.8 MS. McGOVERN: Yes. All right. Thank you.9 Next.10 THE PUBLIC: Yup.11 So the only other time I came to appear here12 and speak, I was sworn, I believe Counsel Afran was13 going to proffer letters into the record. I would like14 them proffered now myself. They are letters from the15 Essex County Planning Board dated June 28 in response to16 a June 27 letter from me and a confirmation with copies,17 stamped copies, but I brought originals in case --18 MS. McGOVERN: What's the date of the19 letter? What's the year, June what?20 THE PUBLIC: June 27, 2024 is first.21 MS. McGOVERN: Is this about the notice22 issue in terms of that the ordinance hasn't been filed23 with the county Planning Board?24 THE PUBLIC: About the filing, correct.25 40 MS. McGOVERN: That's moot because it was1 filed and then they renoticed everyone. It's moot.2 THE PUBLIC: It's not about the notice, in3 fact it's about the effectiveness of the ordinance over4 this application on the date it was filed. And that5 information and the original from the county are here6 and I would like them marked.7 MS. McGOVERN: We will mark them as an8 identification number. In my opinion that was dealt9 with and it is moot.10 THE PUBLIC: Right. I understand that may11 be a legal question and I am not a lawyer, you are not a12 judge, and this is not a court of law, so I would like13 that marked.14 MS. McGOVERN: Objector-6 and it is a15 package of correspondence relating to the county filing16 of the ordinance.17 THE PUBLIC: There's a series of18 correspondence back and forth between Bill Potter and19 you, counselor.20 MS. McGOVERN: Mr. Pannullo.21 THE PUBLIC: Yes.22 MS. McGOVERN: I appreciate your zeal for23 this, if this case goes to another level these things24 will be discoverable, it's just not part of what the25