Here is the latest Take Five briefing from the June 18, 2024 meeting of the Mayor and Borough Council.
1) Juneteenth Celebration, Wednesday June 19th – Mayor Foster encouraged everyone to come out to the Community Center on Wednesday, June 19 for the Borough’s Juneteenth Celebration. The fun will start with a kids program at 5 PM with art activities led by the Highland Park Police Department (complete with an ice cream treat!). At 6 PM there will be a flag raising ceremony with remarks from Mayor Foster and Summer Brown from the HPHS African American Cultural Club as well as performances by spoken word artist Justan Mitchell and Be. You. Dance Center and more.
2) Cooling Centers – The National Weather Service has forecasted excessive heat for our region through Saturday. Residents in need of refuge from the heat may take advantage of air conditioning at the Community Center and Borough Hall during business hours. We are also grateful to our community partner, the Reformed Church of Highland Park, for making their Quilt Room available to residents during the evening and weekends.
3) Fireworks in the Park and Parkstock Concert Series – The annual fireworks celebration in Donaldson Park will be on Wednesday, July 3 (rain date Sunday, July 7). The fun starts at 6 PM with activities for kids, food vendors and a DJ; the fireworks light-off at 9:15 PM. The Mike Montrey Band will kick-off the Parkstock outdoor concert series on July 18 in Grove 1 of Donaldson Park at 6 PM. Billy will perform on Thursday, July 25, The Strazzacasters will perform on Thursday, August 15, and Cliff Westfall will take the state on Thursday, August 29 for the final show and end of summer party. All performances run from 6 to 8 PM.
4) Ordinance Introductions: Accessible Parking, Signage Regulations, Water/Sewer Rate – The Borough Council held a first reading of three ordinances to amend the Borough code, specifically: 1) an amendment to Chapter 278 to add an accessible parking space on So. 11th Ave; 2) an amendment to Chapter 230 regulating signage and other design standards; and 3) an amendment to Chapter 328 authorizing and increase in the water and sewer rate due to an increase in the cost of purchasing water and MCUA sewage processing charges. The public hearings for all three ordinances will beheld at the upcoming Borough Council meeting on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.
5) Highland Park River Greenway Feasibility Study and Concept Plan – Borough Council authorized a resolution to award a professional services agreement with ETM Associates for additional landscape architectural services related to the proposed River Greenway that would connect Donaldson and Johnson Parks. The project is funded by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the additional scope of work includes regulatory agency outreach, title searches, boundary surveys, site survey work and a preliminary ecological assessment.
If you are interested in watching the June 18th Mayor and Council meeting, please 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 16th, at 7:00 p.m.
