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Today's Question & Answer segment with Councilmen Matthew Weng & Adam Mazzola is from Pitman resident Ashley Mason. Ashley would like to know, "What experience do you have professionally or in your past volunteerism that enables you to effectively run the Borough of Pitman?" Watch our quick video to hear Matt & Adam's answer! Matt & Adam would LOVE to answer your questions. If you have a question for Matt & Adam please reach out to them on Facebook or by email at pitmandems@gmail.com For more information about Matt & Adam join our Facebook group the Pitman Democrats #WengMazzolaForPitman
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 Please join us for the first in our series of Questions & Answers with Matt and Adam. Matt & Adam would LOVE to answer your questions! If you have a question for Matt & Adam please reach out to them on Facebook or by email at pitmandems@gmail.com For more information about Matt & Adam check out our website http://www.pitmandemocraticparty.com/ and join our Facebook group the Pitman Democrats. Please join us on Friday, August 28th from 6:30-9 p.m. for a socially distanced Summer Celebration at Connie Mazz😷la’s house (513 Carew Avenue)! Meet our candidates Councilman Matthew Weng & Councilman Adam Mazzola, enjoy complimentary food from the Potato Patoto & Mister Softee food trucks & music by Get Happy (Mark Forchic). Masks are required! If you forget, don’t worry we will have extras! *Donations in any amount would be greatly appreciated. Checks can be made payable to Weng & Mazzola. If you would like to mail a donation, please send it to 91 Circle Avenue, Pitman, NJ attention Vanessa James. Good morning Pitman,
As the November election draws closer, emotions may run high, and tensions between friends and neighbors might escalate, but we are reminded there is far more in this community that unites us than divides us. We firmly believe that the best way to effect change in our community is through getting involved, and becoming the change you wish to see around you. This community involvement may take many forms, but it should never devolve into attacking our neighbors. Pitman is a town where we have always looked out for each other, and so even when we disagree on finding the right path forward, we will never condone personal attacks on any Pitman resident. Long after this year’s election is over, we will continue to be neighbors in this town we all love. We can only hope that in the days to come, our words and actions are a source of pride, and that Pitman continues to be the “small town with a big heart.” It's The Everybody Likes Podcast, Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith! Hang out with Matt and Adam as they go over some important points from our last council meeting and talk a bit about things to come! As always thank you to Sarah Weng for producing this episode. Special thanks to Megan Mazzola for performing this week's theme song! If you have any questions or ideas about topics to address on a future podcast, please don't hesitate to let us know anytime!! https://www.buzzsprout.com/1197989/5010425?fbclid=IwAR2tpGdZsTUt77_8QBXVtFSA6LYcX6aHuCyYP9yi7qfxeT7FR1MZb6Sm-co   Council Report August 10, 2020
Council President Paul Blass paul.blass@pitman.org Every two years the dam at Alcyon Lake is inspected. Last week Public Works employees began clearing out the spillway at the dam. This week they will do more extensive work and make repairs to the “floor” of the spillway. Tomorrow, August 11th, work will be completed on the apron in front of the alley between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. There were some temporary patches on Adams Avenue that were getting deeper. Public Works filled these in as we wait for permanent repairs from South Jersey Gas. Two Saturdays in a row – August 1st and August 8th – our on-call Water and Sewer Department Employee was dispatched. The first was for a possible blockage on a main on Broadway and the second was for an alarm at the water tower on Laurel Avenue. Neither turned out to be true, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Bellevue Avenue is scheduled to be paved this Thursday and Friday Some stats from Public Works 7/27/2020 – 08/07/2020: HIGHWAY DEPT: • 172 Yards of brush collected • 8 Truckloads of bulk trash collected. • Repaired or replaced street signs in town. • 20 hours spent cleaning the tops of storm drains. • Delivered 8 yards of mulch to residents. • Spent 12 hours mowing. • Repaired the trash/recycle can at various locations. • Dropped off a truck for yard debris to 6 residences and picked up the next day. • Trimmed branches in the alley by Edsam Ave. • Delivered 6 new trash cans to residences and 4 new recycle cans. WATER & SEWER DEPT: • Did 64 water & sewer mark outs requests. • Plunged out 6 sewer stoppages. • Did well work, (painting, cleaning, etc.) • Water samples. • Read 14 meters for settlement. • Re-read 2 meters for billing questions. • Replaced 1 meter bodies. • Upgraded 1 meter heads. RECYCLING REPORT FOR JULY 2020 24 Loads of Single Stream Recycling 94.15 Tons At a cost of $ 9,257.14 3 Loads of Metal to Sims Metal 7.17 Tons We received $ 690.00 Mulch, leaves, and/or brush hauled out to various places 391 Cubic Yards Cost $ Mulch delivered to residents 14 Cubic yards SOLID WASTE COLLECTION FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2020 24 Loads to Wheelabrator 296.05 Tons @ $74.50 per ton 5 Loads to Gloucester County Landfill 57.08 Tons @ $77.50 per ton TOTAL 353.13 Tons TOTAL COST $ 27,367.64 Council Report – Amy E. Rudley August 10, 2020 Parks and Recreation If you have not yet picked up your Freedom Four Miler tee shirt, they are available at Borough Hall during normal business hours. The We Missed Baseball Too Clinic still has some openings. This three-morning clinic take place on August 17, 18, and 19 from 9:00 – 12:00 and is open to children ages 7-12. The cost is $100 and COVID precautions will be taken. Please contact John Hopely at jhopely@Pitman.k12.nj.us to register or with any questions. The Recreation Commission will meet this coming Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Environmental Commission Met last Thursday night at Borough Hall. There are some exciting things to take place with 20 signs identifying some of our species of native trees to be added to the parks to provide additional information to residents regarding our natural resources. Some members of the group met with a representative from SOLitude regarding resources available to further prevent erosion at Alcyon Lake and they will continue to explore options for this project. We are working with EDC to develop a possible 19th hole idea for the Disc Golf course, which would take the form of an informational kiosk for golfers to learn more about Uptown and the food and entertainment options should they decide to celebrate their success on the course by grabbing a meal or a drink in Pitman. Senior Outreach The Senior Outreach Committee has decided to focus on next year’s events, rather than hold any in person events this year. We will also be focusing on how to get better contacts for the many seniors in town who still do not know about the committee. We hope to produce some special information in the next Borough newsletter providing resources to residents that will miss us having our Fourth Annual Senior Resource Fair. I will be away for the second meeting in August, but I am always available by e-mail or phone. Amy.rudley@pitman.org or 609-214-6342 **There is no second meeting in August! My mistake!! Council Report 8/10/2020 Councilman Adam Mazzola Adam.Mazzola@pitman.org Liaison: Public Property, Board of Education, Clean Communities, Memorabilia Committee *Board of Education* - Pitman Public Schools has released their plans to conduct the 2020-2021 school year with a hybrid model of in person and virtual learning with details evolving as we near the start of the year. *Public Property* - Two trees have been removed as recommended by our Borough staff and local tree experts. These trees were unhealthy and deemed dangerous to the surrounding houses. We are in the process of another assessment on the paper street extension of Magnolia Ave. With the seeming increase in storms lately, we must be vigilant and swift in the removal of trees that pose a danger to our residents. I am appreciative of the homeowners who have brought these trees to our attention. *Clean Communities* - I am happy to report that we have our first scheduled cleanup activity for Wed Aug 26th at the Hollywood Dell. We will be sure to enforce conformity with all social distancing guidelines in accordance with the Governors Executive Orders.  Check out our Council Reports from tonight's (7/27) Pitman Borough Council Meeting. As always, please feel free to reach out at any time with questions or concerns: Paul Blass paul.blass@pitman.org Amy Rudley amy.rudley@pitman.org Matthew Weng matt.weng@pitman.org Vanessa E. James vanessa.james@pitman.org Adam Mazzola adam.mazzola@pitman.org Council Report July 27, 2019
Council President Paul Blass paul.blass@pitman.org On July 20th a subcommittee of the Economic Development Committee met with Councilman Mazzola and Administrator O’Donnell to discuss putting the finishing touches on the Theater Avenue project. We all came away with a vision and steps to make it happen. Since our last meeting Public Works completed many projects to help keep the Borough looking good: • They sealed the new pavers on Theater Avenue • Hung the new street signs within the historic district • painted light posts along Broadway • grated the alley behind West Avenue In addition, the sweeper has completed a circuit of the entire Borough. Unfortunately, it is now out of commission because of an electrical issue. Amy E. Rudley – Council Report July 27, 2020 Parks and Recreation Director Fox and I met on Friday to look at the area at the end of Beechwood for a possible location for a dog park. The area is largely open, but lined with trees. Parking is an issue, as there is only very limited street parking available. However, there is easy access to public works and there are two driveways in and out, aside from the public works entrance. The three residents who have expressed interest in the dog park idea met with me at the same location on Saturday. They each discussed among themselves the pros and cons of that location versus some of the others. They were then going to take a separate trip over to Shertel to give that area another look. The Recreation meeting will likely take place on the Second Thursday of August. Environmental Commission The Environmental Commission continues to seek a secretary. This position is paid $65 per meeting and includes attending the meeting, preparing the meeting minutes, submitting them for approval by the commission, and then distributing them to council. If anyone is interested in this position, please contact our Borough Administrator, Mrs. Judy O’Donnell. This need is immediate. Senior Outreach Committee We are deviating from our regular schedule of third Thursday meetings and are meeting this coming Thursday, July 30. We are going to meet outside at 6:30 p.m. We are going to brainstorm ways that we can still serve our Seniors in town given our current limitations and restrictions. All are welcome. If you are interested in attending, please let me know by e-mail at amy.rudley@pitman.org or by phone at 609-214-6342. In closing tonight, I ask that we take a moment to recognize the passing of Judge Esther Salas’s son, Daniel. Judge Salas sits on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Her son was killed last Monday by a self-proclaimed anti-feminist who came to the Judge’s home and shot both her son and her husband. Our District Court Judges are appointed to their position by the President of the United States. This loss to one of our trusted New Jersey Jurists, and the reasons behind it, are unthinkable. Thank you and stay safe. Council Report 7/27/20 Councilwoman Vanessa E. James Vanessa.James@Pitman.Org Liaison: Finance & Audit, Personnel, Welfare Office, Library Board, Chamber of Commerce, Municipal Alliance, Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion Greater Pitman Chamber of Commerce The Greater Pitman Chamber of Commerce issued the following statement late this afternoon. The FALL 2020 CRAFT SHOW HAS BEEN CANCELLED. While health concerns continue to change every day during this challenging time, and in consideration of the current guidelines set forth by state and local health officials, the Greater Pitman Chamber of Commerce has made the difficult decision to cancel the Lori Poisker Fall Craft Show scheduled for September 19th. Public safety and the health and safety of our crafters, vendors, and visitors alike is our priority. In brighter news, a new store, Crave, will be opening in the next couple weeks in the space that was formerly occupied by Press 10 on Broadway. They have a ribbon cutting tentatively scheduled for Saturday, August 8th. Once details are finalized, they will be announced to invite any interested Chamber and Council members. I urge everyone to please continue to support all our local businesses during this challenging time. McCowan Memorial Library The library is in their third week of being open inside. They are open during their regular hours and have begun their summer reading program and in-person story time programs outside in the Park. Patrons of the library have been in compliance with the restrictions in place and are happy to have the library back. Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion Pitman's Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion met for the first time on Thursday, July 23rd and selected their leaders. I am very excited to see what this group of dynamic volunteers will accomplish over the next year. Congratulations to all those elected! Lauren Canna - Chairperson Marla Newsom - Vice-Chairperson Alexandra Oasin - Secretary Robert Andersen- Chairperson - Subcommittee on Pitman, Policies, Procedures & Training Jacob Bernard - Chairperson - Subcommittee on Community Outreach & Education Marla Newsom - Chairperson - Subcommittee on Business Outreach & Accessibility The Task Force will meet on the Fourth Thursday of the month in Borough Council Chambers at 7 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. *Please wear a mask. Council Report 7/27/20 Councilman Adam Mazzola Adam.Mazzola@pitman.org Liaison: Public Property, Board of Education, Clean Communities, Memorabilia Committee Board of Education - There will be a special meeting on Wed 7/29, presumably to address the upcoming school year. Public Property - We are working on the removal of 2 trees in the Grove that present a danger to surrounding homes due to the poor health of the trees. Administrator O'Donnell and I met with representatives from the EDC, including liaison Council President Paul Blass, to discuss Theatre Ave improvements. The improvements discussed include a gate at the intersection with Simpson Ave, planters at the end of the pavers provided by EDC as well as new planters along the sides, sail shades to be attached to the buildings on either side to provide shade and eliminate the need for table umbrellas, and new tables and chairs. The planters would likely contain cluster bamboo as it would be lower maintenance and would thrive in the planters as opposed to trees which our Shade Tree Commissioner feels would not fare as well. We are currently awaiting some discussion and approvals on the sail shades before moving forward as that will determine how we proceed with additional purchases. Hey everybody! Episode 2 of what we can only hope is the most popular podcast about Pitman's local government is live, with a special guest star! Special thanks to our producer Sarah Weng! This week's theme music performed by Olivia Weng! Enjoy! https://www.buzzsprout.com/1197989/4591538  Below please find the Council Reports from the July 13, 2020, Borough Council Meeting. As always, please feel free to reach out at any time with questions or concerns: Paul Blass paul.blass@pitman.org Amy Rudley amy.rudley@pitman.org Matthew Weng matt.weng@pitman.org Vanessa E. James vanessa.james@pitman.org Adam Mazzola adam.mazzola@pitman.org Council Report from Council President - Paul Blass The Historic Preservation Commission met last Thursday. Five applications were considered. Three were approved without issue. Two were denied because there were questions involving the applications and no representatives were there to answer them. Since the meeting a subcommittee met with one resident and clarified that application, which will be able to go before the next Planning and Zoning meeting for approval. On June 23rd representatives from the EDC, Chamber of Commerce, and Police Department met with myself and Councilmen Weng and Mazzola to discuss bikes in the Uptown district. One idea is to install bike racks in more convenient areas. I have had the engineer look into the possibility of installing the racks in bump outs along Broadway. Recycling Report – June 2020 97.08 Tons of Single Stream Recycling at a cost of $ 9,257.14 5.18 Tons of Metal to Sims Metal; Borough received $ 640.20 799 Cubic Yards of Mulch, leaves, and/or brush hauled out to various places 62 Cubic yards of Mulch delivered to residents .84 Tons of E-Waste recycled: Solid Waste Collection – June 2020 228.96 Tons to Wheelabrator @ $74.50 per ton, for a cost of $ 15,145.86 144.86 Tons to Gloucester County Landfill @ $77.50 per ton, for a cost of $ 11,226.68 Since our last meeting, here is a brief summary of the Public Works Department tasks: • 74 water & sewer mark outs requests. • Plunged out 4 sewer stoppages. • Water samples. • Read 9 meters for settlement. • 9 Truckloads of bulk trash collected. • Repaired or replaced street signs in town. • 8 hours spent cleaning the tops of storm drains. • 6 hours patching and repairing potholes and sink holes. • 10 hours grinding leaves and brush for mulch. • Delivered 70 loads of mulch to residents. • Spent 10 hours mowing. • Repaired the trash/recycle can @ various locations. • Dropped off a truck for yard debris to 12 residences & picked up the next day. A couple times a year Public Works Director Rodi drives me around and gives me a full update on “issues” in town. Today we had one of those meetings. • There have been more and more manhole covers that are sinking, which causes a driving hazard. The roads department must replace the mortar supporting the opening. • In the near future Laurel Avenue will have to be closed to remove a bump that has developed. Due to the extent of the work this will be contracted out. • Also in the near future the entrance to the parking lot at Sixth Avenue and West will be closed so that the apron can be replaced. This work will be done in-house. • A crew was dispatched to fix the pump at Lakeside Avenue. Here is where I remind everyone that despite the advertising flushable wipes are not to be flushed. They clog the sewer system. This time, however, the culprit was a T-shirt. On many occasions residents have let me know of their positive experiences with the Public Works Department. Two weeks ago a resident wrote trying to find out the names of several employees. She owns a business and had forgotten to put out her trash, but the trash cans had been moved and emptied. She checked her security footage and saw that it was the borough workers who did it for her. This is just another example of our dedicated employees going above and beyond for their community. Please note that construction will take place at the railroad crossings on both Pitman and Holly Avenues. Work on Pitman Avenue will start around July 21st while the work on Holly Avenue will start around July 28th and will take two to three days. Expect detours between 7AM – 5 PM. Council Report from Councilwoman Amy Rudley Parks and Recreation The Summer Tennis Program is going well. They have been following USTA guidelines for COVID-19 safety precautions, including having accessible hand sanitizer, gloves on site, and masks. We should also be receiving $2,000 in grant monies from the Association in the next couple weeks to help with any modifications necessary due to COVID precautions. Pitman Recreation is currently looking into holding a second year of the Heart of A Champion (HOC) Basketball camp at Shertel Park during the week of August 10. Only limited attendance will be permitted and social distancing guidelines will be met. We are also hosting six games for the "Last Dance" high school baseball tournament starting tomorrow, first game is 4pm. Pitman Panthers play at 7pm. Games for this tournament will be played at Alcyon Park on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week. We are now taking registrations for fall Micro Mini soccer with plans to begin sometime in September. If you would like to submit a video for the Pitman Camp-In, please see me or Director Fox for more information. They should be 90-120 seconds, e-mailed to recreation@pitman.org and should cover some educational or instructional topic about camping. Videos are due by Saturday, July 18, for consideration in the final program. The Freedom Four Miler was a great success as a virtual run. There were over 300 registered virtual runners. Tee shirt pick up will be on July 30 at Alcyon Park 6-7:30 p.m. and will be arranged as a drive through. Environmental Commission The Environmental Commission is working to determine the impact that sediment runoff may have had on Glen Lake from construction at the old K-Mart location. They are meeting with John Phelps with SOLITUDE Lake Management to assess and discuss the erosion. Parks Director Andy Fox has also been in touch with Gloucester County Soil Conservation to help ensure that all proper protections are in place for local construction sites in an effort to keep our lakes and parks healthy. Senior Outreach Committee Senior Outreach is hoping to hold an in person outreach fair in the fall this year. This would be our Fourth Annual Outreach Fair and we are waiting a few more weeks to see if it is possible to do this safely. Of course, our Seniors are our most vulnerable population and we will not take any risks with their safety. I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July celebrating in a new way. You are always welcome to contact me at amy.rudley@pitman.org or 609-214-6342. Council Report from Councilman Matt Weng On July 6, Chief McAteer ended the Emergency Action Plan and General Order that the PPD had been working under since the State of Emergency was imposed by Governor Murphy. Special Order SO 2020-04 was issued in its place carrying over the COVID-19 precautions that still apply. On July 10, Cpl. Decker and PO Baker attended a virtual training on Report Writing. On July 15, Chief McAteer will attend a virtual open house for the nationally renowned Georgetown University Innovative Policing Program. On July 18, 10 PPD officers will attend a virtual training on Real World De-Escalation techniques. The remaining officers in the PPD will attend the same training on a different date. Finally, Chief McAteer, Deputy Chief Zander, and the entire PPD would like to acknowledge the many members of the Pitman community that have thanked them. The PPD has continued to serve with professionalism and committment during these difficult times. Our officers are honored by the many well wishes they've received, and they are well deserved. Council Report from Councilwoman Vanessa James Liaison: Finance & Audit, Personnel, Welfare Office, Library Board, Chamber of Commerce, Municipal Alliance, Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion Greater Pitman Chamber of Commerce The Greater Pitman Chamber of Commerce will hold its next monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 21st at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Laurel Market Pitman is online this year at https://uptownpitman.com/laurel-market/ You can order online and pick-up your order on Saturdays between 9 am and 12 pm at the Words Matter Bookstore, 52 S. Broadway in Uptown Pitman. Laurel Market looks forward to being back at Sunset Auditorium next season, but still plans to keep an online component. I urge everyone to please continue to support all our local businesses during this challenging time. McCowan Memorial Library After two weeks of curbside service, the library opened to the public at 25% capacity on Monday, July 6th. Public computers are available by appointment only. So far, patron visitation has been slow but steady and compliance with COVID policies has been very high. Library patrons are very happy to have the library back and operating at its normal hours. At this time the library cannot check out materials to patrons from other libraries in their consortium due to a lack of delivery service. They are unsure when and if the delivery company will return. The library will revisit this policy and the public computer policy in the coming weeks depending on demand. The library did experience some flooding in the basement during the tropical storm that hit on Friday. Fortunately, no damage was done to any important materials as they were able to remove almost all the items from the floor. A small leak in the roof during the storm was also noticed, but may have been caused by water volume and wind direction rather than damage. The library will continue to monitor that situation. Thank you to Public Works, the Recreation Department and the Pitman Fire Departments who responded very quickly to the flooding issue and prevented any serious damage to library materials. Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion We were pleased to receive over 50 applications from a diverse and dedicated group of residents willing to volunteer their time to promote diversity and inclusion in Pitman. Thank you to everyone who applied! Thirteen applicants were selected to serve and the first meeting of the Task Force will take place on Thursday, July 23rd at 7 p.m. at Borough Hall. We will either meet outside or socially distanced in Borough Council Chambers depending on the weather. Please wear a mask if you plan to attend. Council Report from Councilman Adam Mazzola Liaison: Public Property, Board of Education, Clean Communities, Memorabilia Committee Board of Education - Pitman Public Schools held their in person formal graduation ceremony on July 8th, including a speech from Fran Yearwood and parents or guardians presenting the graduates with their stoles. I have heard from several in attendance that it was a wonderful ending to a difficult year. I would like to thank the Staff, administration, and the Board for their hard work in meeting the challenge presented by shifting to virtual learning and continuing through the socially distanced, in-person commencement. Public Property - The recent storms in the past week hit Pitman with 5+" of rain and high winds. I was only notified of one down tree in Walton Park that thankfully fell with no damage to the surrounding properties, the tables, or the memorial in the park. Thank you to Borough personnel who were able to respond quickly and remove most of the fallen tree. Clean Communities - I am happy to report that the Executive Director of the NJ Clean Communities has cleared municipalities to resume cleaning efforts based on local approval and adherence to all current COVID-19 restrictions. I will be socializing this change via social media and will reach out to the organizations that have previously participated. We already have interest in a cleaning day at Alcyon Lake with residents using kayaks to clean hard to reach areas in addition to walking the surrounding shores. What do you do if you if you're still mostly stuck at home, there's not a lot of events, and you can't knock on doors? Why, you start a podcast, of course. Check out our new podcast starring Councilman Matt Weng & Councilman Adam Mazzola! https://www.buzzsprout.com/1197989/4424918?fbclid=IwAR29yWsh4YgABcq2iSd9ClDXYnanmXn8hSuzXwI9Q6ktB6_RofH8Nftf260 |
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