Here is the latest Take Five briefing from the June 20, 2023 meeting of the Mayor and Borough Council.
1) Library Renovations: Councilman George announced that the Highland Park Public Library will close to the public on Friday, June 30th in anticipation of its upcoming Construction Bond Grant Renovation Project. The renovation is expected to take 6 to 7 months, during which time the library staff will offer limited services at their temporary location at 901 Raritan Avenue beginning on July 17th. Residents will be able to browse a small selection of books, get new library cards, order volumes for pick-up, and access computers and printers. The book drop box at 31 No. Fifth Avenue will remain open during the renovation process.
2) Pride Flags: Dozens of residents spoke in the public comment portions of the meeting to seek clarity about the decisions of the Borough leadership to first put out Pride flags on Raritan Avenue and then remove a few days later, around the weekend of June 11th. Council President Hersh and Mayor Foster offered their perspectives on the events and recognized that insufficient communication contributed to residents’ frustration in the matter. The Borough encourages all residents to attend the annual Pride flag raising ceremony at the Community Center on Monday, June 26th at 6:00 p.m.
3) Independence Day Fireworks: Fireworks in the Park will be on Sunday, July 2nd (rain date: Monday, July 3rd) at Donaldson Park. Activities, food trucks, and music will begin at 5:00 p.m. and fireworks will begin at 9:20 p.m. Activity offerings include face painting, games & activities, bounce house, balloon twisters, and more. Savory and sweet food vendors will be on-site and can accommodate most restrictions including vegan and kosher diets. Click here for more information.
4) Felton Avenue Tot Lot Improvements: An ordinance authorizing a capital expenditure of $100,000 from the Borough of Highland Park’s general capital fund balance was introduced and a public hearing will be held prior to its adoption on Tuesday, July 11th at 7:00 p.m. The funds will be used to make necessary improvements to the Felton Avenue Tot Lot to make it a more inviting and usable space for young children and their families.
5) Grant Updates: The Borough Council authorized grant applications to support several important initiatives in Highland Park. The grant opportunities the Borough Administration is pursuing include $7,000 from NJDCA to offset the costs of new lead-based paint inspection requirements, $15,000 from NJDEP to improve the Borough’s existing tree inventory, $50,000 from T-Mobile for improvements to Molimock-Graff Park in partnership with the Woodbridge Avenue NPP program, and $20,000 from NJDEP for a community-based art project about climate change resiliency.
If you’re interested in watching the June 20th 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, July 11th at 7:00 p.m.
