Springfield Patriot Chamber of Commerce Annual Leadership Dinner (L-R, Treasurer John Cottage, Co-Chairman Scott Seidel, Mayor Ziad Andrew Shehady, Co-Chairman Pat Paolella, Secretary Elliot Merkin)

Thank you, Pat, thank you, Scott, and many thanks to the Chamber Board for your leadership. It is always a pleasure to be with the Chamber. I’m especially happy to be here for the Annual Leadership Dinner. I would like to recognize Deputy Mayor Jerry Fernandez and Committeeman Marc Krauss – thank you for attending.

It’s exciting to see how far our Chamber of Commerce has come. What once was an organization under a much larger umbrella has grown into a self-sufficient, stronger, more influential and highly respected alliance of Springfield stakeholders. This room is filled because of the confidence we have in our Chamber of Commerce and the leaders at the helm of the progress in Springfield – both the board members and the leaders that we are here tonight to recognize. This Chamber serves as a forum for civic-minded business to network, prosper, and liaise with the citizens and government of Springfield.

The success of a municipality greatly relies upon the quality of the relationship between residents, businesses, property owners and government.

We are proud to have a Chamber that also serves as a model for nearby municipalities who struggle to find a similar relationship. Just two weeks ago, I was gloating to North Plainfield Councilwoman Keiona Miller about the Springfield Patriot Chamber and how instrumental it is in helping us communicate with residents through the Patriot newsletter. Quality of life in Springfield is on the rise and thanks to a robust partnership between the Township and the Chamber, residents and visitors can point to visible progress – something as symbolic as Patriot Park and the iconic clock or as vibrant as the upcoming Fall Festival and Car Show. This very partnership serves as the foundation for a much brighter Springfield. Many members of the Chamber are active in our Business Improvement District, the Springfield Community Partnership, which is responsible for what will eventually be a flourishing downtown we can all be proud of. This is unprecedented action in town. Instead of countless unusable studies that have collected dust on a shelf, the Springfield business community has budgeted nearly $400,000 to take Springfield to the next level. I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, that this commitment is not in vain. I am humbled to be invited to speak this evening because I recognize the potential importance of my involvement in this ever-evolving association. The Township Committee also understands your hard work and appreciates the significance of our role in facilitating the change we all want. Just this week, we adopted Ordinance 2012-13 in order to streamline government, reduce the red-tape and bureaucracy that stands in the way of development, and calls for the inclusion of a representative from the business community in the decision-making process by municipal officials. By all accounts, big things are happening in Springfield and people are noticing! Multinational manufacturing company, Ring Container Technologies, is leaving Hillside to come to Springfield because this is the place to do business!

I am optimistic about the future of Springfield because of organizations like the Chamber of Commerce. And I don’t see an end in sight for the Chamber, thanks to outstanding community leaders like Dr. Gary Hecht and Investors Bank. Whether it is the 4th of July celebration, the annual Summer Concert, or the Fall Festival, you are sure to see Dr. Hecht and Investors unwavering in their support.

I want to thank all of the sponsors and recognize the municipal staff here, our Administrator Anthony Cancro and our outstanding Township Clerk Linda Donnelly. I wish all of you and your families a happy and healthy upcoming summer season.

Just days before the big event, I spoke with key department leaders to inform them that I was working on arranging a visit from the Governor and asked for their assistance. In their typical great spirit and cooperation, they pulled together under the coordination of Public Safety Director Rich Rosell and we were able to successfully welcome and host the Governor of our great State along with a crowd of nearly 450 people without incident. I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank all of our public safety men and women for their exceptional work and dedication to serving the Township at a moment’s notice.

At our April Township Committee meetings, Finance sub-committee Chairman, Committeeman Marc Krauss, prepared a fantastic 2012 Budget presentation. You can request a copy or ask him questions by e-mailing him at marc.krauss@springfield-nj.us. As a service to taxpayers, you can now conveniently pay your property taxes on-line from your computer just by visiting the Springfield website. You can either pay by credit card or e-check (ACH) and you also have the option to pay by credit card in Town Hall. As a result of a business decision by our previous emergency dispatch provider, CenCom of Atlantic Ambulance, we were forced to look for an alternate provider. The Township Committee voted unanimously to contract with Union County for Fire and Emergency Medical dispatch services. Residents should not notice any negative impact or interruptions to dispatch when calling 9-1-1.

The reorganizing of our Community Center facilities and the possibility of changing of our form of government so residents can directly elect a Mayor will again be on our Agendas during the month of May. At our May 8th Township Committee meeting, I will issue a proclamation recognizing May as Military Appreciation Month and continue an initiative I began in 2010 proclaiming May as Pedestrian Safety & Awareness Month in Springfield. Mother and daughter team, Stephanie and Marissa Steiner, are coordinators of the New Jersey Preeclampsia Walk in Cranford on May 19th and in honor of their efforts and the cause, I will be issuing a Preeclampsia Awareness Month proclamation this month as well. Please also note that Emergency Medical Services Week is from May 20th through May 26th this year. I will present a proclamation to representatives of our Springfield Volunteer First Aid Squad at our May 22nd Township Committee meeting – I hope you will join me in recognizing and thanking them for their service by making a tax-deductible donation on their website (www.springfieldfas.org).

Springfield will be holding our Annual Memorial Day Parade beginning with a 10 a.m. Observance at Town Hall and concluding at Veterans Memorial Park. To many, the holiday marks pool openings, barbecues and sales, but it is important to understand Memorial Day as a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Please show your support for the fallen and take time to recognize their ultimate sacrifice on Monday, May 28th.

I am holding open office hours on Sunday, May 6th at 2:30 p.m. and Tuesday, May 22nd at 6 p.m. Please e-mail me at mayor@shehady.us or call 973-797-9423 to schedule an appointment or reserve a time slot. Additionally, contact me if you would like to host coffee/tea for neighbors and have me over to speak on any issue(s) of concern to the group.

Message from the Mayor – May 2012

]]> http://www.zashehady.com/wp/2012/05/03/message-from-the-mayor-may-2012/feed/ 0 http://www.zashehady.com/wp/2012/05/01/assemblyman-jon-bramnick-news-may-2012/ http://www.zashehady.com/wp/2012/05/01/assemblyman-jon-bramnick-news-may-2012/#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 00:38:56 +0000 Mayor Ziad Andrew Shehady http://www.zashehady.com/wp/?p=2490

Assemblyman Jon Bramnick News – May 2012

Irwin Sablosky, Treasurer
Springfield Republican Committee

and

Assembly Republican Leader
Jon Bramnick

invite you to a campaign cocktail fundraiser honoring

DEPUTY MAYOR JERRY FERNANDEZ
& COMMITTEEMAN MARC KRAUSS
for Township Committee

Monday, April 30, 2012
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

MARTINI BISTRO AND BAR
40 Main Street; Millburn, N.J. 07041

Hors d’oeuvres & Cocktails
$150 Suggested Donation

For more information or to R.S.V.P.: Harold Poltrock, email@springfieldnjgop.com or 973-258-1200

I am happy to inform you that today, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced that he will be holding a Town Hall meeting in Springfield at the Firehouse on Thursday, April 26th at 10:30 a.m. The invitation is below:

You are invited to attend a town hall meeting with Governor Chris Christie in Springfield on Thursday,  April 26th, 2012.  In order to ensure adequate seating for our attendees, please RSVP by clicking here.

We encourage you to include family, friends and neighbors in these open public forums with the Governor.

Town Hall Meeting with Governor Chris Christie

DATE:
Thursday, April 26, 2012

WHAT:
Town Hall Meeting

WHEN:
10:30 AM
Doors Open at 9:45 AM

WHERE:
Springfield Firehouse
200 Mountain Avenue
Springfield, New Jersey 07081

Seating is on a first come, first serve basis and open to the public. Please RSVP by clicking here to allow us to do our best to accommodate demand for seating (note that space is limited, and many town hall events reach capacity quickly, so we encourage you to arrive early to ensure your seating).  Parking is limited, so please arrive early.

We look forward to seeing you at this event!

Respectfully,

Ziad Andrew Shehady
Mayor, Township of Springfield

Flood mitigation work is underway and this month, I invited the Mayors of the neighboring communities from Millburn, Union, Maplewood, South Orange and West Orange for a joint meeting on Monday, April 23rd to discuss the East branch of the Rahway River in an effort to lobby for support from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

We are committed to maintaining and improving local Infrastructure. In March, the Township Committee awarded a contract to repave seven of the worst roads: Berkeley Road, Midvale Drive, Mapes Avenue, Owaissa Avenue, Lynn Drive and Vista Way. Additionally, road work on Briar Hills Circle has commenced and the proposed 2012 capital budget appropriates another $400,000 for more road improvements and, at my request, money for traffic calming devices. With the support of the Governor’s Office, Springfield was awarded a $205,000 grant from the N.J.D.O.T. for Wabeno Avenue. I have also requested, in response to resident requests, that the 2012 capital budget include funding for curbing along Meisel Avenue between Linden Avenue and Morris Avenue and a pedestrian safety walkway along Mount View Road. The 2012 capital budget will be introduced this month and reflects sound fiscal policy and long-term planning. In fact, this year Standard & Poor’s assigned Springfield a ‘AA+’ credit rating citing our “strong financial operations and position, low debt” and recognized our “conservative management practices.”

The 2012 municipal operating budget was introduced and is scheduled for adoption at the Township Committee meeting on April 24th. This budget, which represents only about 30% of your property taxes, is one of the leanest in recent history and results in what is most likely the smallest possible impact to your property taxes. The property tax increase this year can be attributed to our responsible effort to pay down old pension obligations totaling more than $760,000 that were deferred in 2009 by then-Mayor Bart Fraenkel and former Mayors Hugh Keffer and Ken Faigenbaum. If we don’t repay this obligation that was kicked down the road to us this year, we will be at the mercy of interest rates exceeding 8%.

In contrast with previous years, several attempts have been made to increase communication and collaboration with Union County despite repeated disappointments. We have requested that the County consider safety over their profits and rescind their opposition to our red-light initiative that was approved by the State two years ago. We have asked for concrete timetables for the repaving of the County-owned Shunpike Road and in response to resident concerns, our Police Department is asking for pedestrian safety measures to be implemented on the County-owned Meisel Avenue near the park. I will continue to provide updates on these efforts.

At our April Township Committee meetings, we will continue bi-partisan, civilized discussion and debate on the reorganizing of our Community Center facilities and the possibility of changing of our form of government so residents can directly elect a Mayor. I am interested in hearing your thoughts on these plans. I will also issue several proclamations in April recognizing Autism Awareness Month, Parliamentary Law Month, Days of Remembrance, and the Library’s 80th Anniversary. Lastly, I am proposing the creation of the Springfield Improvement Team that was unfortunately abolished last year. Please contact me if you are interested in volunteering and would like to be nominated for consideration.

I am holding open office hours on Friday, April 20th at 9 a.m. and Tuesday, April 24th at 6 p.m. Please e-mail me at mayor@shehady.us or call 973-797-9423 to schedule an appointment or reserve a time slot.

Message from the Mayor – April 2012

Assemblyman Jon Bramnick News – April 2012