Clinton Township Newsletter

4 j a n u a r y 2 0 2 3 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 ... Mayor's Column, continued from page 3 Grant that will be used to acquire and maintain much needed turn-out gear for our firefighters. The Township also used American Rescue Plan funds to replace a significant quantity of failed hose, and are working to utilize the remainder to acquire a replacement fire engine. Meanwhile, we were able to make some well-earned promotions in the Police Department this spring. I had the honor of being present for the swearing in of Jeffrey Glennon and Harry Bugal to the rank of Lieutenant, and Joseph Sangiovanni and Umair Latif to the rank of Sergeant. Our Police Department continues to have excellent leadership and works tirelessly to keep us all safe. Similarly, I am happy to announce the very recent promotions of Kimberly Marino to Court Administrator and Christopher Sorrentino to Fire Marshall. Both Kim and Chris have been employed by the Township for a number of years and I am excited for them to make an impact in their new roles. We wish former longtime Court Administrator Lynn Lorenz all the best on her retirement, and wish former Fire Marshall Steve Milne great success in his new career. I also want to congratulate the members of our Green Team, who worked feverishly this year to obtain Bronze Level certification from Sustainable Jersey. Their work, along with the work of the volunteers on the Environmental Commission and Open Space Committee on the Township's trails and preserved lands, and the activities of the Historic Preservation Commission, continue to improve the quality of life for all of us. An item of great interest to residents this year was a proposal by ExxonMobil to sell hundreds of acres of their surplus land for a large-scale warehouse development. There have been no further developments on this proposal since the Council discussed it in October, and no application has been made to either of the Township's land use boards. We will be sure to utilize the Township's website, social media, and this newsletter to keep residents informed should there be any news on this front. Looking forward, the Recreation Committee is eagerly anticipating the early spring expansion of the playground at Bundt Park with additional playground equipment. They have also been planning upgrades to the locks on restrooms at the park to allow greater access when the park is open - more to come on this during the year. The Township will be crafting a redevelopment plan for the vacant properties in the area of Grayrock Road and Center Street with an aim to provide a long-term improvement to these properties. Further, progress has been made on the Old Municipal building on West Street, which we anticipate transferring to the redeveloper in the near future. Finally, we have two upcoming departures from our land use boards. Former Councilman and longtime volunteer John Lazarus will be leaving the Planning Board at the end of the year. John has been an active contributor going back to 2009 when he focused on improving the quality of life in the village of Annandale. While John's presence will be missed on the Planning Board, we welcome Tom McCaffrey, who will be moving over after serving for twenty years on the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Most remarkably, Tom served as the Chairman for fifteen of those twenty years, lending a steady and knowledgeable hand to the board's work. On behalf of the Council and the entire staff of Clinton Township, I wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year. – Brian Mullay, Mayor, Clinton Township

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