Full Notification

Here is the latest Take Five briefing from the July 16, 2024 meeting of the Mayor and Borough Council.
 
1) Parkstock Concert Series Kick-Off Tonight at 6 PM – Council Member Postelnik reminded residents that the Parkstock free summer concert series in Donaldson Park kicks off Thursday, July 18 and will feature the Mike Montrey Band. Residents should come down to Grove 1 from 6 to 8 PM to enjoy Americana-inspired music and grab a bite from one of our food vendors that will be available. The next artist featured in the concert series will be Billy on Thursday, July 25, followed by The Strazzacasters on August 15, and we will close with Cliff Westfall on August 29 as part of an end of summer celebration.
 
2) Upper Raritan Ave Redevelopment Plan – An ordinance authorizing the adoption of the Upper Raritan Avenue Redevelopment Plan was introduced and a public hearing was scheduled for Tuesday, August 13 at 7 PM. Following the introduction, the governing body passed a resolution referring the plan to the Planning Board for review for consistency with the Master Plan.
 
3) Ordinances Authorizing Lease and Loan Agreements with the Middlesex County Improvement Authority (MCIA) – The Borough Council introduced two ordinances to authorize Highland Park to enter into lease and loan agreements with the MCIA as part of the county's capital equipment and improvement financing program. The Borough will use the funds toward securing new vehicles for the Police, Community Services and Public Works departments.
 
4) Area in Need of Redevelopment Studies – The Borough Council approved a resolution authorizing the Planning Board to undertake an investigation to determine if specific properties on the corner of So. 2nd and Raritan Avenues, commonly referred to as Sunoco, B-B-B shopping center, and Tract B, meet the criteria for an area in need of redevelopment with condemnation, pursuant to the Local Redevelopment and Housing Law. The Borough Council passed another resolution authorizing the Planning Board to undertake an area in need of redevelopment with condemnation study for 125 Raritan Avenue, also known as Classic Cleaners, which is located in the Tract A within the 2019 Downtown Redevelopment Plan for Tracts A-D. The Borough Planner, LRK, Inc., was authorized to conduct the studies.
 
5) Community Solar Contract Award -  Borough Council passed a resolution to award a contract to Solar Landscape as part of Highland Park’s Community Solar Project.  Solar Landscape proposed a 36.02% discount on electricity charges for low- and moderate-income households that will be automatically enrolled in the Borough’s program.  Once the contract agreements are signed, the Borough will submit an application to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to get approval to launch the Community Solar program.
 
If you are interested in watching the July 16th 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, August 13th at 7:00 p.m.