Here is the latest Take Five briefing from the May 2, 2023 meeting of the Mayor and Borough Council.
1) Introduction of New Library Director: Councilman George formally introduced Mike Bobish, who will be joining the Highland Park Public Library team as their new Director on Monday, May 8th. Mike brings a range of experiences to the organization including a number of roles at the Ocean County Library, Regional Manager of the Multnomah County Library in Portland, Oregon, and most recently as the Assistant Director at the East Brunswick Public Library. Council also acknowledged and thanked Sherry Johnson, who served as interim library director for the past several months and did a great job of maintaining services and managing the upcoming renovation during the search.
2) Central Avenue Traffic Safety Ordinance: The Council introduced an ordinance to establish Central Avenue as a one-way street, westbound, between South 10th and South 11th Avenues. This change will improve traffic safety in the area around Irving School and is a result of input from community members, the Highland Park Police Department, and the Borough Engineer. A public hearing will be on held on Tuesday, May 16th at 7:00 p.m.
3) Hybrid Council Meetings: Borough Council authorized a resolution to expand public access to Council meetings by allowing for participation via Zoom (or any similar web-based platform). The meetings will still take place in-person and this new option is provided as a convenience and courtesy to residents and interested parties. The Borough will make every effort to ensure the remote connection works effectively; however, should the technology fail, the meeting may proceed. The hybrid meeting format will begin at the next Council Meeting on Tuesday, May 16th. The link to view or participate will be available on the Borough website calendar and on the agenda.
4) Click-It or Ticket: Borough Council approved a resolution declaring its support for the local and national Click It or Ticket campaign, which will run from May 23, 2023 to June 5, 2023. The campaign aims to increase seat belt usage in New Jersey to help save lives on the roadway. New Jersey had 585 motor vehicle fatalities in 2020 and 60% of those individuals were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.
5) Interim Use of Former Stop & Shop Parking Lot: The Borough Council authorized an agreement with the owner of the former Stop and Shop property that will grant the Borough access to the parking area for parking for Borough residents and visitors and for hosting community programs and events. This is a temporary arrangement while the Borough continues to collaborate with the property owner on a future plan for the property, which will include a grocery store as the anchor.
If you’re interested in watching the May 2nd Mayor and Council meeting, go to the HPTV Youtube channel where the video of the meeting will be posted in its entirety. The next meeting of Mayor and Council is scheduled for Tuesday, May 16th at 7:00 p.m.
