Here is the latest Take Five briefing from the March 5, 2024 meeting of the Mayor and Borough Council.
1) Library Renovation Update: Councilman George reported that renovation work at the library is moving along and progress is notable (click here for a slideshow). The Borough has been monitoring for water damage while the roof replacement is pending; we anticipate being able to award a roofing contract in April with work to commence in May. At the same time, the library is working to implement the additional improvements to the media room, bathrooms and No. 6th Avenue patio funded by the generous donation from the Kushner estate. The library estimates that it will be able to reopen by the end of June 2024. In the meantime, HPPL Express is open and ready to serve at the temporary location at 901 Raritan Avenue.
2) New Businesses Coming to Highland Park: Councilman Hale took a moment to congratulate Park Liquors on its recent opening. The store is owned and operated by long-time Highland Park business owners John and Neil Patel, who own the neighboring Park Deli. He also highlighted a few other businesses that will be opening soon – Giddy’s Pizza, Me Too Flowers, Highland Pizza, Fresh Market, and the eagerly anticipated SuperFresh grocery store, which is under renovation and hopes to open by this summer.
3) Renewable Government Energy Aggregation Program (RGEA) Implementation: Borough Council authorized an agreement with Gabel Associates to develop and manage an RGEA Program for Highland Park, which would provide residents access to power supply with substantially higher renewable energy content at a price that is competitive with the default power supplied by PSE&G. Council authorized the creation of the Government Energy Aggregation Program by ordinance in 2020 (amended in 2021). The next steps are to authorize a competitive bidding process to solicit proposals from third-party energy suppliers.
4) Community Solar Request for Proposals: Borough Council authorized the issuance of a Request for Proposals from qualified community solar developers as a next step in creating Highland Park’s own Community Solar Program. The solar developer is an essential component to the Borough’s application to the NJ Board of Public Utilities, the state agency responsible for approving community solar programs. The developer will be responsible for financing, owning, operating and maintaining the solar project.
5) Spring Tree Planting: Borough Council awarded a contract to Down to Earth Landscaping for the 2024 spring tree planting. The project, which will result in the planting of 72 new trees, is part of the Borough’s ongoing effort to enhance and replace its aging tree canopy. Residents interested in participating in the 2025 planting can request a tree by completing this form.
If you’re interested in watching the March 5th 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, March 19th at 7:00 p.m.
