One hundred plus days have passed since I became your mayor. Its time to assess where we have been, where we are and where we hope to go. 

 In January, Fire Marshall James Rinker, properly cited the borough for not having a fire alarm system in the municipal building.  We took care of that immediately and now have an operative system in place.

 Last July a lightening strike blew out the Fire Department’s radios.  We are presently awaiting delivery of a new system which will be installed upon arrival.

 An ordinance is now in place prohibiting the parking of vehicles four tons and over on municipal roads.  The weight is as determined by the manufacturer.  The purpose is to eliminate a dangerous condition for residents as they navigate in and out of their driveways.    

 We hired John Kapp as our full time Construction Official and Zoning Officer.  This is the initial first step in improving our zoning, planning and construction office functions.  

 We have introduced an ordinance which will require property maintenance on sites acquired by lending institutions.  We also introduced an ordinance addressing lighting that reflects unfavorably on neighboring properties.

 In April, we had an aborted attempt, in a budget cutting effort, to reduce the police force by two officers.  An estimated 250 individuals attended a public meeting and expressed their displeasure at that approach thus sending the council and me back to the drawing board.  Earlier we instituted a wage freeze for the municipality’s non-union workers.

 We did not invite the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra to Middlesex this year.  Nor do we plan to have a fireworks display.  These are cost cutting measures we deemed appropriate given the present economic climate.

 We introduced a budget that has a 10.5 point increase in municipal taxes, it equates to $105 on a home assessed at $100,000.  We will continue a budget review and attempt to avoid another double digit increase.  There will be a budget hearing on June 9^th at borough hall.

 A new meeting schedule is in place on a ninety day trial basis.  The purpose is to give the council members a little breathing room to reflect on the issues of the day.  Please refer to our web site for the new schedule and watch the meeting notices on the message sign in front of the borough hall.

 We are going to explore using solar energy in our municipal buildings and street lights.  There are several programs available. We will look for the one best suited to our needs.

 We are about to direct our engineer to prepare a grant application for Mountain Avenue road work.  We are also addressing the quality of work issues on Greenbrook Road and Beechwood Avenue.

 With much help from the residents in and around Oak Drive we were able to convince the county’s Solid Waste Advisory Council (SWAC) to grant Middlesex a public hearing to discuss in detail the planned introduction of a concrete crushing operation at the J. H. Reid plant on Bakeland Avenue. We also expect an opportunity to address this matter with the Board of Chosen Freeholders.  The concrete enterprise is in addition to the daily composting activity at the site which continues to plague the neighbors with noise, dust and odors.

 Middlesex County Board of Freeholders agreed to extend its $500,000 grant awarded several years ago to increase recreational facilities in Mountain View Park. The plan calls for the expansion of tennis court facilities at the park and relocating the basketball courts.

The tennis courts behind the high school will be replaced with a lap pool paid for by the Swim Pool Commission. We needed a grant extension because negotiations with the school board took longer than anticipated.  We now have an additional 24 months to take this exciting project to fruition and I look forward to moving ahead with it.

 Soon I hope to present a plan to the council on possibly developing additional senior housing.  At first blush, I think we will have to seek a private developer to identify an appropriate site and seek its acquisition. This could mesh nicely with the Lincoln Boulevard development plan. 

 I’m anxious to get the Economic Redevelopment Committee and Environmental Commission back in action.  However, to do that I need very interested parties who are skilled and knowledgeable in these areas.  If you feel you fill the bill please contact me.

 Additionally, there are several openings on the Planning and Zoning Boards.  These boards require a commitment to become familiar quickly with their functions and to attend state required classes.  Again, interested parties who feel they have the time and are comfortable with the learning requirements should contact me.

 While we have had some accomplishments, we continue to grapple with the budget and must get DPW and PBA contracts concluded.  We are reaching out to the PBA to revive negotiations rather than wait for the arbitration process to commence.  We are pursuing initiatives in solar energy and the recreational areas. 

 In closing, I’d like to think that our citizens can be comfortable knowing that there is a mayor and bipartisan council in place acting to provide our town with responsible and responsive  government. Clearly there is much to be done but during the last several months we’ve made a beginning.

 I look forward to seeing everyone at our annual Memorial Day parade on May 25^th.