Here is the latest Take Five briefing from the September 20, 2022 meeting of the Mayor and Borough Council.
National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month: Councilwoman Canavera and the Highland Park Mental Health Commission remind everyone that September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and there is support available for individuals in crisis. Those in need can reach out by calling or texting 988 to access the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline; more locally, support is available at Rutgers University Behavioral Health at 855-515-5700 and at Raritan Bay Medical Center at 732-442-3794.
Blood Donors Needed: Councilwoman Foster reported that New Jersey Blood Services’ New Brunswick Donor Center at 167 New Street is in need of blood donors. Please consider making a donation today. Appointments can be made online or by calling 800-933-2566.
Tree Planting Grant Award: The Borough in partnership with the Shade Tree Advisory Committee successfully applied for and received a $150,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Urban & Community Forestry Program. The funding will support planting 90 trees throughout the Borough, including along Woodbridge Avenue’s commercial district (20 trees), within an identified neighborhood zone (40 trees), and resident requests (30 trees). The project is an important step toward achieving the tree planting targets in the Borough’s Community Forestry Management Plan.
Water & Sewer Rate Proposal: Council introduced an ordinance to increase the Borough’s water and sewer rates to keep up with operating cost increases, the most significant being a 20% increase in the rate the Borough pays Middlesex Water Company to purchase water. Highland Park owns its water system infrastructure, but purchases water from Middlesex Water Company. The increase will also support the ongoing repairs and capital upgrades necessary to maintain high quality service and adherence to tightening regulatory standards. Depending on the amount of water consumed, the increase would cost most households somewhere between $2.32 and $7.40 more each month. The new rates would take effect in the fourth quarter of 2022. A public hearing on the ordinance will take place at the Wednesday, October 19th Council meeting at 7:00 p.m.
Closure of So. 3rd Avenue: Council introduced an ordinance to establish a Pedestrian Mall on So. 3rd Avenue at Raritan Avenue to a point approximately 150 feet south of the intersection (the same location as the temporary closures last year). The passage of the ordinance is required by the NJ Department of Transportation (NJDOT). In June, Council authorized CME Associates do the detailed engineering work in support of the permit and they anticipate being ready to submit to the NJDOT in October. The idea for creating new public space downtown came out of the 2019 Master Plan Reexamination, where a majority of the residents surveyed favored this type of amenity. A commitment to creating new permanent public space downtown was also incorporated into 2021’s Downtown Redevelopment Plan for Tracts A-D, which specifically referenced So. 3rd Avenue as a possible location for such a purpose. A public hearing on the ordinance will take place at the Wednesday, October 19th Council meeting at 7:00 p.m.
If you’re interested in watching the September 20th 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 Wednesday, October 19th.
