Here is the latest Take Five briefing from the May 3, 2022 meeting of the Mayor and Borough Council.
1. Home Is Where We Make It Mural:
The Mayor and Borough Council denounced the senseless act of defacing the new mural at 75 Raritan Avenue at the gateway to Highland Park. The governing body voiced its commitment to putting in the work to ensure that Highland Park truly is a safe and welcoming community for all. The Borough is also committed to making sure the mural gets cleaned and protected and is already at work with coLAB Arts to make it happen.
2. COVID Testing Update:
This Friday, May 6th, will be the last day of COVID testing at the Community Center. The change is being made because Ridgewood Lab is no longer able to provide testing free-of-charge to residents without insurance coupled with the fact that there has been a steady and significant decline in the utilization of the testing center. Residents in need of testing services can find information about nearby options on our website.
3. New Jersey Plastic Bag Ban Effective May 4th:
Residents were reminded that as of May 4th, retailers in Highland Park and across the state are no longer permitted to provide single-use plastic carryout bags or polystyrene foam food service products to customers. Plastic straws are available by request-only since November 2021. For more information, visit the NJ Department of Environmental Protection Get Past Plastic webpage.
4. Water Meter Replacement Program:
Borough Council awarded a contract to Core & Main for the purchase and installation of new water meters. This investment will upgrade all Borough-owned meters so that they are read remotely via radio signal as opposed to manually. Customers will be contacted in the coming months to schedule appointments for the meter exchanges. This project is a critical component to the Borough’s ongoing efforts to upgrade its aging water infrastructure, to ensure sustainability of the system in the long term.
5. Click It or Ticket Campaign:
Borough Council authorized a resolution declaring its support for the local and national Click It or Ticket campaign which will run from May 23 to June 5, 2022. The campaign aims to increase seat belt usage in New Jersey to help save lives. New Jersey had 585 motor vehicle fatalities in 2020 and 40% of those individuals were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.
If you’re interested in watching the May 3rd Council meeting, go to HPTV’S Youtube channel where the meeting will be posted in its entirety. The next meeting of Council is scheduled for Tuesday, May 17th.
