Clinton Township Newsletter

1 6 j a n u a r y 2 0 2 2 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M HAPPY NEW YEAR! C L I N T O N T OW N S H I P M U N I C I PA L N E W S w w w. C l i n t o n T W P N J . c o m A L e t t e r f r o m Brian Mullay, Mayor of Clinton Township, NJ As this year draws to a close and 2022 approaches, I'd like to take this opportunity to reflect on some of what the staff and volunteers of your Township have accomplished and what we plan for the year ahead. We continued to make progress on improving the condition of our roads, completing the partial reconstruction and repaving of eight streets, including Grayrock and Hibbler roads. Our Public Works Director and Township Engineer collaborated to identify the next high priority road that will require a partial reconstruction and then secured a $150,000 grant from the State DOT to offset the cost of improving the portion of Petticoat Lane between Route 22 and East Main Street. Timing of this work will be dependent on complet- ing the engineering design and going out to bid. Additionally, in the late winter our team will identify roads that can be included in our milling and paving program for 2022. Over the course of 2021 we made a number of staff changes. We hired Donna Cramer and Ashley Biondo to fill two vacancies in the Administrator's office. We are also very excited to have hired Tom Petto as our new Construction Code Official in September. The Township recently hired an Assistant CFO, whom we anticipate will start in January, and have been working to fill two vacancies in Public Works. In July, we appointed Thomas DeRosa to be the first Chief of the Clinton Township Police Department in fifteen years. Chief DeRosa has reinvigorated the department by providing much needed leadership, a fresh perspective and has improved morale. This past fall the department welcomed K-9 Uzza into the department's second canine unit, who will serve alongside his part- ner Patrolman Brian Dickson. All costs associated with bringing K-9 Uzza aboard, including acquisition and equipment, were paid for by donations from various local businesses and residents. We are thankful for the generosity of all those who donated. The Annandale Hose Company, whose members volunteer their time to protect all of us, spent countless hours during Tropi- cal Storm Ida to help not only our residents, but also those of our neighboring communities in need. The company just received new SCBA packs, which will replace their current ones due to obsolescence. I am very happy to report that on November 15th, the State Agri- culture Development Committee preserved the almost 157 acres of the Weppler farms on Cokesbury Road via the State Farmland Preservation Program. This will preserve a magnificent viewshed adjacent to the Round Valley School, with Round Valley Reservoir in the background. Next year we make the last payment on a significant portion of our existing debt service for open space, which annually consumes nearly all of the revenue from our Open Space tax levy. With funds expected to be freed up in 2023 as a result, our Open Space committee is evaluating future acquisition opportunities. The Environmental Commission held a rain barrel event in April and is planning a number of educational events for 2022. Complementing both the Environmental Commission and Open Space committee, the Township has established a Green Team to improve sustainability within the Township. The Planning Board had a very busy year, completing a Master Plan Reexamination that updated zoning along the Route 22 corridor. They have been hard at work creating an ordinance for administrative waivers of site plan review and approval that will make it easier and If you have an interest in volunteering for any of the Township's various boards and committees, please email Mayor Mullay at: bmullay@clintontwpnj.com. less costly for residents and businesses who have simple, straightfor- ward projects that meet specific criteria (e.g. normal repair, mainte- nance, replacement, etc.). We anticipate this ordinance will be ready for introduction in January of 2022. The State Historic Preservation Office has just approved the plans for adaptive reuse and redevelopment of the Old Municipal Building in Annandale, and the State Historic Trust is currently creating the easement that will be placed on the original historic structure. Once the easement is finalized, we will be in a position to transfer the property to the redeveloper and very much look forward to the start of construction. After many years of planning and hard work by the Recreation Committee, the newly upgraded basketball courts, and the new tennis and pickleball courts are open and have already been well used. They also organized a highly successful summer camp and two food truck festivals at Bundt Park. We are eagerly awaiting the return of Community Day in April! A special thank you to all the volunteers who serve our com- munity on Township boards and committees for their great work and dedication. Particularly, I want to recognize the leaders and long term volunteers who completed their service this year: Andrew Holt chaired the Environmental Commission for the last three years, bringing a depth of environmental knowledge that greatly benefited the Township; Rich Shaw chaired the Open Space Advisory Com- mittee for the last four years, providing an energy and enthusiasm that was infectious and effective; Carol Vallay was an active member of the Recreation Committee for the last nine years, contributing an invaluable perspective on our youth activities and programs; and John Kilduff, who is retiring from the Recreation Committee after over twenty years of service, including as chairman, during which time he was instrumental in the development of Bundt Park and the Field of Dreams playground. I've been fortunate to get to know each of them personally over the years and while the Township will miss their presence on their respective boards, I also know that they will continue to contribute to the betterment of the Township. On behalf of the Council and the entire staff of Clinton Town- ship, I wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year. – Brian Mullay Recreation Committee Chairwoman Donna Hogrebe, Recreation Director Tom Silvia, Mayor Brian Mullay, and Recreation Committee member Richard Reynolds.

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