Full Notification

Mayor Bill Ziegler’s Leonia Status Report for August 6, 2024
 
Grand Avenue Road Preservation Project:
 
New Jersey’s Department of Transportation has informed Leonia officials that Grand Avenue (State Route 93) will have a slurry seal applied to it along with fixing any potholes and re-striping during August. We are told this slurry seal will extend the roadway’s functional life and reduce future rehabilitation costs.  An exact schedule for this work has not been provided and we will post it on the borough website as soon as it is.
 
Two new Leonia Police Officers are Sworn In:
 
At the July 15th Mayor and Council meeting, I had the pleasure of swearing in two new Leonia Police Officers, Tim Dinnell and Mark Schmidt.  It is one of the perks of my new job as Mayor to perform these swearing in ceremonies (along with marrying people which I also really enjoy).  Both new officers brought friends and their families to their swearing in and there was a large turnout from our existing Police Department.  You can see the swearing in ceremony here if you like. 
 
Qualifying for employment as a Leonia officer and making it through our challenging hiring process is not easy and testifies to the fine character and potential of each of these young men.  It is also one of the biggest investments we make as a community.  Both of these young men have their undergraduate college degrees and are volunteer firefighters in their spare time.  Mark Schmidt was a NJ Transit Police officer and Tim has served as an emergency dispatch specialist.  They will serve Leonia well.  When you see either of these new officers, please don’t hesitate to say hello, introduce yourself and welcome them to Leonia. 
 
Leonia Tax Mailer:
 
You’ve already received your Q1 tax estimates that were payable August 1st.  You can expect to receive your annual tax calculations in the mail fairly soon.  For the municipal portion of your taxes (which represents 31 cents on the dollar or 31% of your total bill), we were able to keep the increase below inflation at 2.98% vs. 3.4% overall inflation rate.  We did this despite the loss of approximately $500,000 in America Rescue Act funding, despite an 11% mandated increase in insurance costs by the state of NJ, despite inflationary headwinds, despite having to set aside additional money for an upcoming re-valuation and despite historically high debt service costs.  We did it by making some serious cuts to several departments including the DPW, Library and Rec Commission.  Please see the discussion here at the Budget Town Hall meeting. 
 
As I said at the Town Hall meeting and many times since, we will not be able to do the same thing next year to control taxes without chipping away at the very quality of life which makes Leonia special.  Next year’s budget again promises to be a real challenge.  We have already been informed by the State of NJ of a 16% mandated increase in health benefit costs alone.  This is over 6 figures of additional cost to our taxpayers right there.  The good news is that our budget vs. actual $ spent at the mid-point of the year is very much on track. Half Year Review Chart. 
 
Your volunteer members of the governing body and everyone who volunteers their time to serve on our many wonderful boards, commissions, and committees are all pulling together to help the governing body strike the right balance between costs and services, especially since we can’t reasonably expect additional, significant revenue sources from our redevelopment/revitalization efforts to kick in for several more years. 
 
Sump Pump Ordinance:
 
Little did I expect in my retirement to be spending time thinking through a new sump pump ordinance.  While far from glamorous, it is important Leonia has a new set of sump pump rules to ensure public safety and that’s why a new ordinance has landed on the governing body’s desk.   Last winter, you may recall there were more than a few dangerous icing situations in town caused by sump pump discharges onto public sidewalks and streets.  During the winter months an icy glaze formed on some sidewalks and streets from these residential discharges which could lead to serious accidents.  This must stop. 
 
We will be providing additional information in a mailer (along with your tax bill and an explanation of your taxes) which will be distributed shortly.  Please look out for it.  In the meantime, the Mayor and Council will be discussing this at upcoming meetings to ensure we enact the best ordinance possible to minimize safety risks to Leonians during the winter. 
 
Advisory Committee on Pedestrian Safety and Transportation:
 
At our Traffic Town Hall on June 27th, Leonians offered their ideas, suggestions and recommendations on how best to manage the symptoms of our collective traffic problem.  Attached here are all the public comments from the session.  Each of these was considered in turn by the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Pedestrian Safety and Transportation.  I am pleased to report that the Advisory Committee has reviewed and discussed the public comments and their recommendations to the governing body include changing Woodland Place to one way westbound from Hawthorne Terrace to Glenwood Avenue.  The committee feels it would be highly effective in creating a safer environment on both Hawthorne and Linden as well as for bikers heading west on Fort Lee Road. 
 
They have also recommended that we change Paulin Blvd to one way southbound from Fort Lee Road to Allaire Avenue.   Given the narrowing entry into Paulin, the left turn in from Fort Lee Road can be dangerous if cars are traveling toward Fort Lee Road on Paulin.  This change would also stop traffic from building up at the intersection from vehicles cutting up Allaire in an attempt to get around GWB traffic. 
 
 
Each of these recommendations are consistent with many of the public comments heard at the Town Hall.  Participating in Town Hall meetings (and regular Mayor and Council meetings) is a great way to exercise your rights in a democracy.  I am proud of how this issue was presented, how many people turned out to voice their opinions and how the recommendations to the governing body now reflect what a majority had to say.  As the governing body will now consider each of these recommendations, you will continue to have an opportunity for your individual voice to be heard by participating in the process (in person, virtually or by simply sending your comments to [email protected].)
 
The Traffic Town Hall recording in its entirety can be viewed here. 
 
A governing body discussion about the Business Opportunities posed by traffic can be found here.
 
Please note our next Town Hall meeting (in addition to regular Mayor and Council meetings) will be held towards the end of September/beginning of October and will be an update on Redevelopment/Revitalization and another opportunity for you to receive the latest information and to weigh in with your comments.
 
Shout out to Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton and County Exec Jim Tedesco:
 
Our traffic management has been greatly helped recently by the willingness of the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department to assist Leonia when our officers need help with the traffic onslaught in keeping our major intersections free of gridlock.  Sheriff Cureton along with County Executive Jim Tedesco have been true to their word in helping Leonia.  I appreciate it and I know all of our residents do too.  We’ve been working hard to strengthen our relationship with the County and am pleased we are where we are.  
 
Traffic Light Possible at Lakeview and Grand Avenue: 
 
The State of NJ has agreed to perform a warrant study for a traffic light at Grand Avenue and Lakeview.  This was after I shared the petition signed by residents on Lakeview with NJ State Senator Gordon Johnson and he passed it along to the NJ Department of Transportation with his endorsement.  Thank you, Senator Johnson! 
 
The study will determine if a light should be placed at Grand/Lakeview.  I am hopeful we will either have a light or the same kind of flashing beacons as we currently have at Grand and Station Pkwy which has dramatically improved pedestrian safety there. 
 
Protected Bike Lanes:
 
At the August 19th Mayor and Council meeting, we will determine whether we want protected bike lanes on Broad Avenue beginning with the section to be done next (Section 12) from Hillside to Lakeview Avenue.  There are pros and cons to both sides of this discussion.  The Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Transportation and Pedestrian Safety has endorsed protected bike lanes.  Cyclists are strongly in favor.  We have to weigh this against the concerns of loss of parking spaces for the Middle School, expenses related to special cleaning of these lanes and concerns expressed by the Leonia Fire Department related to narrowing the road and the effect of a tighter turning radius for the trucks and how this can affect response times.  A comprehensive and objective pros/cons paper is being developed now and will be posted on the website as soon as it is available.  If you want to weigh in, please consider reading the document when posted and participating in the August 19th meeting during the public comments period.  I fully expect the Council to decide on this matter at that meeting. 
 
Leonia Borough Calendar:
 
Expect to receive your new Leonia Borough Calendar in the mail sometime very late August or early September.  This year’s calendar is truly exceptional.  Hat’s off to Leonia volunteer Aviva Levy who has, once again, pulled together a great calendar.  This year we look at Leonia’s Past, Present and the Future.  There are some great old photos (thank you to the Leonia Historic Preservation Committee) and articles of interest in addition to giving you the information you need about what is occurring in Leonia and when.  As I look at this year’s calendar, I am struck with how unique Leonia is and why we are so fortunate to call Leonia home.  Keep an eye out for the calendar in the mail.  You won’t be disappointed. 
 
Quick Update concerning Southwest corner of Broad Avenue and Fort Lee Road:
 
As you know, the new owner of this building with Snack Stop, Fontana Tritone and the yet-to-open new bakery Patisserie Seoul as tenants, is covering over the old brick with a stucco exterior.  I have spoken to him and asked that he make the color consistent with the former building and the neighborhood overall aesthetic.  He also received suggestions and recommendations along these lines from the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Arts and members of the Historic Preservation Commission. 
 
At the end of the day, it is entirely up to him what color(s) he selects as he owns the building.  Initially, he indicated a preference for yellow. Apparently, this is no longer his current thinking and, if that’s the case, I’m grateful to our neighbors on the Arts Committee and Historic Preservation for their intervention.  I understand the new owner is continuing to weigh all color options and recently indicated a desire to have a two-tone arrangement with one color on the bottom and another on the top.  I plan on speaking to him again next week.
 
Heads up concerning Borough Hall office changes:
 
In response to Leonians requests and the preferences of our borough employees, we have moved the Building Department to the first floor of Borough Hall and the Finance/Tax office to the second floor.  The most frequently visited office in Borough Hall has always been the Building Department.  And the most frequently heard question at the Finance office when it was on the first floor was, “Where is the Building Department?”.   Moving the Building Department to the first floor provides immediate/easy access for our patrons.  The tax and finance office,  while now upstairs, can still be easily accessed via the stairs or by the elevator located on the other side of the stairs.
 
World Cup ‘26:
 
To take advantage of what I believe are numerous business opportunities associated with the upcoming World Cup Soccer 2026 contests in the Meadowlands, I am forming a Mayor’s Advisory Committee on World Cup ‘26.  The World Cup, taking place a stone’s throw from Leonia in the Meadowlands, provides us with a chance to host various community events with a soccer related theme, potentially have live broadcasts of contests in Wood Park along with food trucks, sponsor one or two of the teams and attract some of their supporters to town etc. 
 
I can think of no better person to Chair this committee than Councilman Jordan Zeigler, an avid soccer enthusiast,  and someone who I know has the skills and motivation to help us pull together some meaningful events that will benefit the community at large and our businesses in particular.  Jordan will be working with me to form the committee in the Fall.  Anyone interested in serving, please let us know. Here is the link to the discussion about forming this committee at the July 15th Mayor and Council meeting.
 
Jobs in Leonia:
 
Finally, we’ve added a new page on our borough website which lists available jobs with Leonia employers.  Check it out here. The Borough is not serving as a search firm here but facilitating a direct connection between a candidate and prospective Leonia employer. 
 
Any questions or comments, please send them to [email protected].
 
I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer. 
 
Kind regards,
 
Bill Ziegler
Leonia Mayor