This newsletter is published twice a month by the Township of Cranford
to provide residents with important information and updates. | |
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UPCOMING MEETINGS
- Monday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. Zoning Board Meeting
- Tuesday, March 19, at 7 p.m. Township Committee Workshop Meeting
- Tuesday, March 19, at 8 p.m. Township Committee Official Meeting
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The township will introduce the 2024 budget on March 19 and adopt the budget on April 23.
- Wednesday, March 20, at 7:30 p.m. Planning Board Meeting
- Monday, March 25, at 7:30 p.m. Zoning Board Meeting
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Mayor Brian Andrews
We know how important reading and literacy are in today’s world. This week Cranford is celebrating Read Across America, a national effort that calls on all children and youth in every community across the United States to celebrate reading.
To promote reading in our community, members of our Township Team visited schools around Cranford to read to classes. Our Township is partnering with the Cranford Public Library to double the size of the Children’s Reading Room, a project that plans to break ground in the coming months. Additionally, as a Trustee of the Cranford Library, I was proud to vote for our Library to become a Book Sanctuary, protecting the right to read and preserving access to endangered books while some communities are seeking to ban them.
Please join us in making a love for books and reading a year-long celebration.
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March 5 Official Meeting
Proclamation:
- Proclamation in honor of the 80th Anniversary of the local Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
Mayor Brian Andrews
- Appointed Tom Hannen III to the Emergency Management Council. Mr. Hannen serves on the Cranford Fire Department (CFD) and is joining this board as a resident. He brings tremendous subject matter expertise and will help us prepare for future storms and emergencies.
- Library Expansion Project: The Children's Room Expansion Project team met this week to discuss the full scope of work, budget, and timeline. We are hopeful for the work to begin in the coming months and are planning for a temporary relocation of the Children's Room while construction is underway.
- 750 Walnut Avenue: The dust problem has been very severe the last couple of weeks. The Township is working with the contractor on the site to expand and improve the tracking pad the trucks drive over, as well as cleaning dirt and debris off of the trucks before they hit the road. The use of water to clean the trucks and the road had to stop due to freezing temperatures. It is back in action now, post freezing temperatures. The trucks are again being fully washed down before driving on the street to stop the dirt from going out on the roadway.
Deputy Mayor Terrence Curran – Recreation & Parks
- Outdoor Pools: The fees for the 2024 pool season will be on the new Recreation and Parks website Monday. There is a slight increase in fees, as a means to maintain both Centennial Avenue and Orange Avenue outdoor pools.
- Cranford YMCA membership is increasing--now at 655 members. It's a great service and source of revenue for the township.
- Cranford Recreation and Parks Department has a new website, www.cranfordrecreation.org. It is user friendly and easy to navigate.
- 750 Walnut: I’ve been there numerous times over last few days. They are washing vehicles and increasing the tracking pad. Township sent a letter about the trees that contractor took down. The letter addresses replacement of trees and a monetary penalty for being outside the scope of the planning document. An inspection is to take place soon.
- Resolution supporting our healthcare workers: “Safe staffing would lower, if not eliminate, the penalties hospitals incur, saving individual hospitals millions of dollars. Safe staffing levels mean you and your loved ones would get the care they expect and deserve when they show up to the hospital. They also mean better care and better outcomes, a better working environment, less turnover, and more experienced nurses and healthcare workers taking care of your loved ones." "I’m proud to support our nurses and healthcare workers…to bring safe staffing ratios to New Jersey’s hospitals."
Commissioner Kathleen Miller Prunty – Engineering & Public Works
- Milling and paving of streets awarded, include: Riverside Drive from Orange Avenue to North Union Avenue, Scherrer Street from Wade Avenue to the dead end, the entire roadway of Colby Lane, 5th Avenue from Cranford border to Cedar Street. Township officials will meet with those residents.
- Pedestrian Improvement Project: Design work for Lambert Street near Adams Avenue field to include new sidewalks, crosswalks and a vast improvement to that area.
- Clean and Green Team: Doing an annual river cleanup and town wide cleanup--will announce dates and signups in coming weeks.
- Frank Genova, Constriction Code Official, offered his resignation. The Township is disappointed, but we wish Frank the very best. Township is actively pursuing a replacement and is committed to service that is fair, efficient and respectful to the public. We ask for your patience with building department staff during this transition period.
Commissioner Paul Gallo - Public Safety
- Explained the ordinance related to the Cranford Police Department (CPD) is to address a temporary staffing need in the CPD in anticipation of some turnover this year. It is to ensure a full complement of personnel for the safety of fellow officers and the public at large.
- Explained the ordinance related to the CFD is to recoup costs associated with the CFD for responding to emergency calls and a fee increase for EMS Transport--there's been no increase in the last 10 years.
- CFD reminds residents to close exterior doors when evacuating the home during a fire to prevent smoke and fire from spreading and to close doors to bedrooms at night. These actions will potentially save lives in a fire.
- Recognized the CFD and First Aid Squad for working together in two life saving actions. A CPR call at 205 Birchwood--the units were able to return circulation to the patient in the field and enroute to the hospital. Nomahegan Park--a resident was down with no pulse, the units performed CPR and was able to restore spontaneous circulation.
Commissioner Gina Black - Finance
- Final stretch of budget season. It is a tough budget, once again all costs are going up. Township is seeing increases in utilities, employee health benefits, and Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority (RVSA) fees. Sewer fees are a way to pay based on water usage. Up until, as recently as 2021, those sewer fees were paying for RVSA fees, flat out, without any additional burden to the tax base. Recent increases show Cranford sewer fees are $1.3 million short. Township is paying them as part of the tax base. Township is pursuing ways to get the fees in line so the RVSA bill is based on usage. As Cranford sees new developments coming, Townships anticipates further increase in flow than it is already currently experiencing. In addition, some developments that are granted PILOTS are not part of the tax base and are not helping to make up the deficit. Township is looking at ways to adjust sewer fees to make up the deficit and relieve burden on the tax base.
- Encouraged the public to join the outdoor pools this summer. Membership opens Monday.
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Watch each commissioner's comments and the full meeting on TV-35. | |
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Ordinances: Adopted
- An ordinance authorizing a five-year extension of the lease agreement between the Township of Cranford and the Cranford Clay Courts Club, Inc.
- An ordinance authorizing an agreement for the sale of Cranford township property to provide affordable housing opportunities for people with developmental, emotional, physical, or social disabilities.
Ordinances: Introduced
- An ordinance to amend the code to correct the zoning of 102-104 and 106 South Avenue West. This was an amended ordinance that was re-introduced March 5.
- An ordinance to amend the code pertaining to Police Department personnel.
- An ordinance amending code in the section entitled “Fire Prevention”.
- An ordinance to amend the code pertaining to Emergency Medical Services transport fees.
Resolutions
- Authorized an award of construction contract to Granada Construction Corp. in connection with the 2023 Road Program Project.
- Authorized an award of contract to Colliers Engineering & Design, Inc. for the provision of Engineering Services (Construction Administration) in connection with the 2023 Road Program Project.
- Authorized an award of contract to Colliers Engineering & Design, Inc. for the provision of Engineering Services (Survey and Design) in connection the Lambert Street Pedestrian Improvements Project.
- Requested approval for authorizing an emergency Temporary appropriation (for Public Employee Retirement Services, (PERS) Police and Fire Retirement Services (PFRS) and Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority (RVSA).
- Accepted, with regrets, the resignation of Frank Genova, Construction Official, Building Sub-Code and Fire Sub-Code within the Cranford Building Department, effective March 18, 2024.
- Authorized the closure of Alden Street, between North Union Avenue and Miln Street, in connection with the Woman’s Club “Sip ‘n Shop” event on Friday, May 10, 2024, and the consumption of alcohol by the public at such event, consistent with all applicable State laws and regulations.
- Authorized support of the grant application by the Township of Cranford and the Cranford Public Library to obtain funding with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs for a project to expand the Children’s Room at the Cranford Public Library.
- Expressed support for Assembly Bill No. 3450 and Senate Bill No. 1941 for legislation to establish minimum registered professional nurse staffing standards.
- Expressed opposition of Assembly Bill No. 4 and Senate Bill No. 50 which proposes to overhaul the Fair Housing Act (“FHA”) in a way that imposes unrealistic obligations with unrealistic deadlines based upon onerous standards.
- Authorized a Sustainable Jersey Grant Program application funded by PSE&G
- Authorized the appointment of Jack Emanuele as Assistant Superintendent of Public Works, effective March 5, 2024.
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March 4 Workshop Meeting
- Discussed the increased fees from the Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority (RVSA). Cranford's representative Chris Kolibas was joined by RVSA Executive Director John Buonocore. Cranford is facing a sewer increase of $433,447.
- Agreed to move two voting poll locations to ease overcrowding at the Municipal Building. District 3 will be moved to Bloomingdale Avenue School and District 7 will be moved to Cranford High School. District 26 will remain in the Municipal Building. The new locations will be effective with the June Primary Election.
- Expressed continued support of the Union County Rails to Trails Project (see graphic below).
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Union County Connects * A County Connected by Trails | |
The Union County Rails to Trails Project connects Union County through a system of trails to promote healthy lifestyles through safe outdoor recreation and active transportation. The Project promotes the conversion of inactive railways into public recreation trails. | |
Each Month, the Cranford Shade Tree Commission will educate residents about trees that line our streets, here in beautiful Cranford! | |
Tree of the Month: American Ash
The common name, American Ash, can refer to two species in the Fraxinus genus: Fraxinus americana, or, Fraxinus pennsylvanica. We can find both of these species growing in Cranford, and the trees are native to eastern and central North America. The botanical name comes from the same genus as the Old World ash species. It belongs to the olive family and has some unusual relatives in the plant world, including forsythia, privet, lilac, and olive. Continue reading on the Township Website.
| Fun Fact: The nation’s largest white ash tree is at 100 Ridgedale Avenue, Madison, N.J. Its circumference is 255 inches and its height is 115 feet, with a crown spread of 111 feet. It started growing in 1615, making it 409 years old. | |
Contact the Shade Tree Commission at (908) 709-7205 or shadetreecommission@cranfordnj.org | |
This event will have instruction and demonstrations of how to develop film in the renovated darkroom in the Community Center. | |
Residents should leave garbage cans on the rear yard or driveway of their house, per township ordinance.
No solid waste or solid waste receptacle may be placed on the street, front sidewalk or between the front sidewalk and curb of the street. Rear yard pickup is required. For rear yard pickup, solid waste receptacle(s) may be placed in the driveway or rear yard, but not beyond 10 feet from the closest wall of the dwelling.
Kindly ensure that you keep the sidewalk and curb in front of residential premises free of obstructions. Please refrain from placing garbage cans in the street prior to the pickup. Garbage cans should be kept on your property at all times.
Please contact the Health Department if there are any questions.
The Health Department may be reached at 908-709-7225.
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