I hope all our residents have enjoyed summertime in Berkeley Heights! It’s been a busy time governmentally. Plus the many wonderful events that have already taken place from the summer concert series to playground camp to the BHPD Youth Academy and some significant victories for our travel sports teams in town. My family has also traveled extensively from North Carolina to Niagara Falls with Abbey and Ryan’s baseball and softball teams.
In early August, the Township received a visit from Congressman Tom Kean who toured some of the more severe areas of flooding along the Passaic River in the Chaucer Drive vicinity as well as our sewer plant led by our new director, Alan Kennedy. The Congressman was able to dedicate $2 million dollars into the House appropriation bill for Berkeley Heights for sewer infrastructure and flooding.
Also, good news this summer was State Senate President Nicholas Scutari’s ability to secure $750,000 in the State budget for our on-going capital needs for the sewer plant, which now amounts to $1.1 million over the last two State budget cycles.
In late July, the Berkeley Heights Police Department's Youth Academy graduated over 80 Cadets. (WOW!) The Academy was founded to promote positive interaction between the town's youngest residents and local law enforcement officers.
We welcomed our new CFO, Juan Uribe! Juan has served as CFO in municipalities such as Parsippany, East Orange and Maplewood; we are so glad he chose Berkeley Heights as his next work "home."
And a Congratulations to Alan Kennedy, our new Wastewater Treatment Plant Director! Alan has been at the helm of the sewer plant since January in an "acting" capacity, leading the plant through a period of positive transition as we invest millions in our sewer infrastructure to ensure the plant can handle current-day needs.
This September, get ready to take part in our town’s most delicious event of the year: Berkeley Heights Restaurant Month. More than 20 eateries and liquor stores are expected to participate again this year with options ranging from fine dining to take-out and delivery.
Finally, I want to wish everyone a wonderful rest of summer. And best of luck to all those college students heading off, or back, to college. I am looking forward to visiting DeLand, Florida myself to move my college student into to Stetson University.