 Our Council Reports from the 11/23/20 Pitman Borough Council Meeting follow. 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 November 23. 2020 Council President Paul Blass paul.blass@pitman.org The Economic Development Commission met on November 19th. The group was updated on a video campaign for small business Saturday. The group approved the purchase of new banners for the posts uptown. Sustainable Pitman (formerly “The Green Team”) hosted a special presentation on November 18th titled “Calming Holiday Stress in the Covid Era.” Therapist Sile Keane provided helpful hints in dealing with stress. Good news from the State – we were notified that the Borough would receive a grant of $237,000 towards the reconstruction of Centre Avenue. This will take place sometime next year in conjunction with the reconstruction of Lakeside Avenue. This is a short work week for Public Works because of the Thanksgiving holiday. They will do there best to try and cover the whole town with leaf collection. Two trucks were out on Saturday trying to keep up with the demand. Public Works Since our last meeting, the Highway Department …. Collected 10 Loads of trash - 134.53 tons Collected 10 Loads of recyclables - 39.32 tons Collected 74 Yards of brush collected Collected 2523 Yards of leaves collected Spent 9 hours patching and repairing pot holes and sink holes. Spent 18 hours grinding leaves and brush for mulch. Ran street sweeper 4 hours. The Water and Sewer Department… Did 17 water and sewer mark outs requests. Plunged out 8 sewer stoppages. Jetted 1 sewer mains. Took water samples. Read 7 meters for settlement. Re-read 1 meter for billing questions. Replaced 1 meter bodies. Upgraded 2 meter heads. Amy E. Rudley, Council Report November 23, 2020 Parks and Recreation Director Fox attended three hours of training for the new website and we expect to go live very shortly! Recreation will meet on December 3 at its usual time, 6:30 p.m. I anticipate that this meeting with be via zoom. Senior Outreach Committee The Committee met via conference call on Thursday night and discussed adding some content to the Borough website to provide useful links and referrals for Senior Citizens. We hope to become a better information resource for Seniors, despite not being able to hold any events at this time. Environmental Commission Environmental Commission will meet on December 3 at its usual time, 7:30 p.m. I wish all of our Pitman residents and their families a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving. You are always welcome to reach out to me with any questions or concerns at 609-214-6342 or via e-mail at amy.rudley@pitman.org Council Report 11/23/20 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 Finance Our tax collector Beth Ruhl reports that the tax collection rate for 2020 is 97.28%, which is up from last year’s tax collection rate of 97.01%. Greater Pitman Chamber of Commerce The last chamber meeting was held on November 17th and Officers & Board Members were nominated and elected. Congratulations to Interim President Patrick Bradley, Treasurer Jenny Mazzola, Secretary Kara Knauss, and Board Members Emily Matthias, Lauren Canna, Benjamin Leis, Stacey Myers, and Keryl Hausman. Many thanks to Yvonne Jacobs, Gwyn Glass, Al Magonagle and Amanda Lampkin-Porto for their past service. You can purchase Pitman Bucks this year on Small Business Saturday from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Broadway Bakery. Pitman Bucks spend the same as cash at most Pitman businesses and are perfect for teacher gifts, stocking stuffers and the couple on your list who has everything. This year Pitman Bucks will be sold at face value with no Bonus Cash. They are available in $50 increments and there is no limit to the amount you can purchase. The Chamber is hosting a social distanced Santa in Ballard Park starting this Saturday evening. Santa will be visiting Ballard Park from November 28th through December 19th every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6 – 8 p.m. Please wear a mask if you plan on visiting Santa. Stay tuned for some additional chamber sponsored holiday fun coming soon and please remember to shop local this holiday season! McCowan Memorial Library During the month of October 2020, 2,771 people visited McCowan Memorial Library and there were 98 internet users. There were 14 children’s programs with 149 people in attendance. The Library Board of Trustees will meet on Tuesday, November 24th at Borough Hall Council Chambers at 7 p.m. Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion There will be no public meeting of the Task Force this month due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Council Report 11/23/2020 Councilman Adam Mazzola Adam.Mazzola@pitman.org Public Property: The new tables and chairs that were purchased with remaining trust money have been delivered and installed on Theatre Ave. Thank you to Administrator O'Donnell, Public Works, and EDC Chair Shari Hulitt for their work on coordinating this upgrade. Planters have also been delivered to create a distinction at the back of the park and will be installed once we would be able to fill them with soil. The 3 trash receptacles are en route and will be placed once they arrive.
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 Our Council Reports from the 11/9/2020 Pitman Borough Council Meeting follow. 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 November 9, 2020 Council President Paul Blass paul.blass@pitman.org Public Works This past Saturday a crew was dispatched to clear a clog on Broadway In remembrance of Veteran’s Day Public Works will be closed this Wednesday. Trash and recycling will be picked up on Thursday. Residents are reminded not to park on leaf piles. In fact, 15-20 foot clearance is needed for the trucks to pick up the leaves. SOLID WASTE COLLECTION FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2020 26 Loads to Wheelabrator 273.41 Tons 6 Loads to Gloucester County Landfill 57.35 Tons TOTAL 330.76 Tons TOTAL COST $ 25,633.96 Since our last Council meeting the Highway Department… Collected 189 Yards of brush Collected 721 Yards of leaves Repaired or replaced street signs in town. Spent 14 hours patching and repairing pot holes and sink holes. Ground leaves and brush for 12 hours. Ran street sweeper 2 hours. Mowed for 12 hours. Repaired the trash/recycle can at various locations. Dropped off a truck for yard debris to 1 residences and picked up the next day. Delivered 3 new trash cans to residences. Since our last meeting the Water and Sewer Department… Did 18 water & sewer mark outs requests. Plunged out 3 sewer stoppages. Jetted 1 sewer mains. Took water samples. Read 8 meters for settlement. Re-read 6 meters for billing questions. Replaced 1 meter body. Upgraded 6 meter heads. Did data logger reports for 4 residences. Amy E. Rudley, Council Report November 9, 2020 Parks and Recreation • Micro mini soccer just concluded its 8th and final week for the season with over 80 children participating. • Healthy Kids Running Club also just finished up their season. • Baseball and Softball should be finishing up this week, while youth soccer has a few more weeks. • We are currently receiving bids for the tennis court repairs, which we hope to accomplish in the spring. • There will be no middle school basketball program, however we are looking into a program for first and second grade, as well as exploring other local opportunities for the older kids to still have a basketball experience. Senior Outreach Committee • The Senior Outreach Committee is planning to do a holiday care package for our regular bus riders. We are very hopeful that, by late Spring, we will be able to resume our in-person events. Environmental Commission • The Environmental Commission held a successful and socially distanced tree planting event on Saturday morning. Thank you to everyone who participated, including Mayor Razze and his family. • The Commission had 6 applications for the Recycling Sub-committee. The decision was made by the Commission to accept everyone to help with this important topic. We will be sending an e-mail to the applicants to advise them and will begin meetings in January. • I understand that the sign uptown reads a bit confusing. Do not recycle your plastic bags and do not place your recycling in a plastic bag. Thank you! • The Camden to Glassboro line is currently in the Environmental Impact phase. They have published their draft study and have a 45 day public comment period, which started on November 2, 2020. There are two zoom sessions, Tuesday, November 17, 2020 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Thursday, November 19, 2020 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. You can access this information on their website at glassborocamdenline.com As always, please feel free to contact me about any issues or questions you might have. My cell phone remains 609-214-6342 and my e-mail is amy.rudley@pitman.org Council Report 11/9/20 Councilman Matt Weng -On October 19th & 20th Sgt. Jon Streater and Sgt. Chris Leach attended Internal Affairs Training. -On October 26th and 27th Deputy Chief Tom Zander and Sgt. Andrew Carson attended Internal Affairs Training. -On October 1st Detective Nick Barbetta, Cpl. Marshall Pierson, Patrol Officer Tyler Hagan, Patrol Officer Nick Brown and Special Officer Tom McEvoy attended Gloucester County Police Academy Annual Recertification Training. -On October 29th Cpl. Ken Decker and Patrol Officer Cristyn Edwards attended Gloucester County Police Academy Annual Recertification Training. -On October 26th and 27th Cpl. EJ Parker attended K9 Training. -On October 19th and 23rd Patrol Officer Sam Hoffman Attended SWAT Training. Council Report 11/9/20 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 Following our last Council Meeting, I created a Sign-Up Genius form for volunteers to clean up Theatre Avenue twice a week on early Friday evenings and Sunday mornings. We received a very positive response and have at least one volunteer signed-up for each time slot until the end of the year. If you know of any students looking for community service hours, this could be a great opportunity for them. Please feel free to reach out to me and I’ll set them up. Thanks to all the volunteers who have already participated including Mayor Razze and his family and Councilmen Weng & Mazzola. The next meeting of the Chamber will take place on Tuesday, November 17th, at 7 p.m. location to be determined. The Chamber is accepting nominations for their Board & Officers at this time and voting will take place at that meeting. McCowan Memorial Library Special thanks to Library Director Andrew Coldren, Maureen Fitzpatrick, the Pitman Police Department, and Mayor and Council for helping out with the Library’s Halloween parade this year. It was a great turnout, and it was wonderful to be able to safely carry on this special tradition. Thank you to all the businesses who donated candy! Council Report 11/09/2020 Councilman Adam Mazzola Adam.Mazzola@pitman.org Public Property: I would like to thank Councilwoman James for setting up the volunteer list for the Theatre Avenue cleanup events on Friday evening and Sunday morning through the end of the year. This will help maintain the area in the interim while we figure out what we want to do in 2021. I am working on a proposal that includes a litter patrol along all of Broadway as a tie in with Clean Communities grants and student service hours. In addition the new furniture is on its way and a delivery appointment will be set soon. Clean Communities: As the weather turns colder I would fully expect that these projects will slow down but we do have one more scheduled for the VFW to continue the work on the Dell area. We recently had a group go through the Alcyon Woods Disc Golf course as I had heard about a lot of broken glass along the path. The golfers passing by all thanked them for their efforts and were appreciative of the clean up. As this is an attraction that brings people into town I may suggest sending people through that course more often. If we continue to see a build up of debris, it may be worth placing trash and/or recycling bins along the course as well.  Below please find our Council Reports from our 10/13 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 October 13, 2020 Council President Paul Blass paul.blass@pitman.org The Historic Preservation Commission met on October 8th. Seven applications were discussed. Topics included roofing, windows, fencing, signage, and doors. All were approved. Last meeting I mentioned that Councilman Fitzpatrick notified me of a hazardous water inlet. I am happy to report that the inlet at Kenton Avenue was repaired today. Public Works Since our last meeting, the Highway Department …. Collected 7 Truckloads of bulk trash. Spent 24 hours cleaning the tops of storm drains. 7 hours patching and repairing pot holes and sink holes. 12 hours grinding leaves and brush for mulch. Ran street sweeper 4 hours. Delivered 4 yards of mulch to residents. Spent 30 hours mowing. Repaired the trash/recycle can @ various locations. Dropped off a truck for yard debris to 3 residences & picked up the next day. The Water and Sewer Department… Did 61 water & sewer mark outs requests. Plunged out 7 sewer stoppages. Took water samples. Read 17 meters for settlement. Re-read 4 meters for billing questions. Replaced 2 meter bodies. Upgraded 2 meter heads. Fixed loose manhole on Spruce Ave. Flushed fire hydrants all over town. RECYCLING REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 2020 23 Loads of Single Stream Recycling 93.92 Tons At a cost of $ 8,184.66 2 Loads of Metal to Sims Metal 3.53 Tons We received $ 476.40 Mulch, leaves, and/or brush hauled out to various places 247 Cubic Yards Mulch delivered to residents 4 Cubic yards SOLID WASTE COLLECTION FOR SEPTEMBER 2020 21 Loads to Wheelabrator 246.54 Tons @ $74.50 per ton, for a cost of $ 19,106.90 9 Loads to Gloucester County Landfill 110.18 Tons @ $77.50 per ton, for a cost of $ 8,538.98 TOTAL 356.72 Tons TOTAL COST $ 27,645.88 Amy E. Rudley – Council Report October 13, 2020 Parks and Recreation Basketball season is the biggest topic right now. The NJSIAA is meeting this Thursday to make final plans for all winter sports. Director Fox expects to hear from the Superintendent following that meeting regarding gym availability. Also, the playground at Shertel park has become a major concern for the Park’s Department. The equipment is being misused and there is a frequent issue with graffiti. Director Fox plans to discussion this issue at the next Recreation Commission meeting. Senior Outreach The Senior Outreach Committee will meet this Thursday at 5:00 p.m. at Borough Hall. All are welcome subject to social distancing limitations of the space. Environmental Commission The Environmental Commission is looking to start the search for the Recycling Subcommittee this week. If you know of anyone who has a keen interest in recycling awareness, please send them my way. The Commission has been speaking with potential vendors regarding a project to help stop the erosion on the Alcyon Park side of Alcyon Lake. There are natural logs that can be used to sure up the shore line and the costs of that are being explored. A project of this type was done on the Betty Park side years ago with good success. If you have visited the Carr Avenue beach lately, it has suffered some severe erosion and it is becoming easier to lose footing as a result. This would eliminate and reverse that problem for the time being and slow its progression in the future. As always, please feel free to contact me with any issues at any time. If I am not the appropriate Council Contact, I will make sure to put you in touch with the right person. I can be reached at amy.rudley@pitman.org, as well as 609-214-6342 Council Report 10/13/20 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 4th Annual Witches of Pitman Shoppe Hop is going on all week through this Saturday, October 17th at 5 p.m. Visit Uptown Pitman any day of the week with your favorite witches for a great day (or night) of shopping and dining! Many of the businesses will be conjuring up magical discounts. Make sure to wear your best witchy attire. Post a picture of yourself in Uptown Pitman and check in at this event and you will be entered in a drawing to win a Pitman Prize Package! McCowan Memorial Library During the month of September 2020, 2,640 people visited McCowan Memorial Library and there were 90 internet users. There were 17 children’s programs with 126 people in attendance. Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion The next meeting of the Task Force will be on Thursday, October 22nd in Borough Council Chambers at 7 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. *Please wear a mask. Council Report 10/13/2020 Councilman Adam Mazzola Adam.Mazzola@pitman.org Clean Communities: This past weekend the Greater Pitman Chamber of Commerce held a Clean Communities event at Alcyon Lake. There were over 30 volunteers including members of the GPCC Board, several members of Council, and people ranging in age from 4 to … older than 4. 12 volunteers brought their own kayaks and removed 10 bags of trash as well as part of a picnic table from the water. The remaining land based cleaners removed 6 bags of trash and a tire from the shoreline and dam area. They also removed 7 bags of large sticks from the park and 5 bags of leaves from between the path and the shore. We have also had the following groups volunteer around the Borough: Pitman Girls' Soccer - Dell Creek Cub Scouts Pack 218 - Railroad tracks Knights of Columbus - Shertel Park Women's Club - Glen Lake Matt and Adam discuss their goals for another term and encourage voters to return their ballots. If you haven’t registered to vote, October 13th is the deadline! Click here to register to vote or change your address with the Board of Elections: https://nj.gov/state/elections/voter-registration.shtml You can cast your vote for Matt & Adam by returning your ballot to: (1) A secure drop box (closest drop box is at 400 Holly Dell Drive, Sewell); (2) The Office of Elections (550 Grove Road, West Deptford); (3) By Mail (return ASAP); (4) Return your ballot to our polling place on Election Day which is Pitman High School. You have options for voting this year: Drop your ballot at the Secure Voter Dropbox located at 400 Holly Dell Drive, Sewell. Drop your ballot at the Board of Elections located at 550 Grove Road, West Deptford. Return your ballot by mail as soon as possible. Bring your ballot to the polling place on Election Day. #WengMazzolaforPitman #voteearly See Matt and Adam answer the hard hitting questions from Pitman's top local muckrakers in their first ever press conference!  Council reports from the 9/28/20 Council Meeting follow below.
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 September 28, 2020 Council President Paul Blass paul.blass@pitman.org The Economic Development Committee (EDC) met on September 17th. At the time businesses were in the midst of the Tenzy Frenzy promotion and ideas were discussed for enhancing that for next year. Plans continue to take shape for the final pieces of the Theatre Avenue project. The committee approved funds to purchase planters to replace the plastic orange barriers at the end of the street. Sustainable Pitman (aka “The Green Team”) met on September 24th. The group continues to look into ways to improve getting the word out about proper recycling. Chairman Aspras is looking into getting a building audit for borough owned buildings since it has been several years since that was done. Public Works On September 16th soccer coach Vanessa James notified Soccer President Michael Razze about a possible unsafe storm drain on the Lambs Road field. This was passed on to me. The next morning, I notified Mr. Rodi at public works. By the 21st the PW crew had it repaired. On September 19th the Public Works Department and, I think, some member of the parks department were out finishing the work on the dam at Alcyon Lake. They repaired the platform at the spillway as recommended in the biennial report. On September 20th Councilman Mazzola notified me of a sewer issue on Esplanade Avenue. It was a Sunday so Mr. Rodi called the on-call employee who went out and took care of this clog. Just yesterday Councilman Fitzpatrick notified me of a hazardous inlet on Broadway. Unfortunately, the type of repair required can not be done in house and PW is now looking for bids. Please remember that bulk trash should only be put out on the first full week of each month. Next week – the week of October 4th – is the next time for bulk trash. Bulk trash is limited to two large items and up to five bags. If you have more than that, please call Public Works department at 589-1040 to discuss options. Amy E. Rudley Council Report September 28, 2020 Parks and Recreation The Senior Bus will be setting up some specific dates for the flu shot clinics in Gloucester County. If you have any interest in taking the bus to one of the flu shot clinics, please contact Steve at 856-582-4766. We currently have micro-mini soccer, Healthy Kids Running Club, fall baseball and softball, as well as soccer up and running for the season. We will announce winter sports in the coming weeks. Environmental Commission The Environmental Commission has not met since our last Council meeting, but will meet this Thursday at 6:30 at Borough Hall. This is a public meeting and all are welcome. We do have the approval of a recycling sub-committee for the Environmental Commission on tonight’s agenda. I am hopeful that we will obtain some new ideas from volunteers regarding possible ways to increase recycling compliance in Pitman. Senior Outreach The Senior Outreach Committee did meet on the Third Thursday and had almost a full committee of attendees. We are looking for ways to make contact with those Seniors who have not yet heard about the Committee and who may need resources. Should you ever have any questions or need to reach me for any reason, please feel free to e-mail me at amy.rudley@pitman.org or call me at 609-214-6342 Councilman Matt Weng Council Report 9-28-20 The PPD would like to congratulate and thank Mr. Zach Connor and Ms. Jess Kile for a well-organized and successful Human Trafficking Awareness Event that twas held on this past Saturday. The event brought awareness to our community concerning this tragic issue. The Pitman PD would like to again, thank Ms. Courtney Milward and the Back the Blue Event for their recent donation of $3,000.00 to the Pitman PD K-9 Unit. Not only did the event provide the K-9 Unit with those funds but several other donations have come in with acknowledgement of the event. School has once again started back up with the return of “some” students, with the remainder returning next Monday, October 5th. The PPD wants to remind everyone to please drive slowly & safely. Please respect the rules of the road for pedestrians and buses. Overnight Parking Enforcement is being suspended for the remainder of the calendar (2020) year and all of January 2021. Residents are asked to remain cognizant that all other state and local parking laws are still in effect. This would include, but are not limited to, blocking driveways, timed parking areas and handicap parking spaces (which are only available to drivers who are designated as handicapped). Council Report 9/28/20 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 Finance Department The tax collector reports that the tax collection rate is currently at 97.86 percent, which is up 1.13 percent from last year at the same time. Greater Pitman Chamber of Commerce Join the Greater Pitman Chamber of Commerce as they celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of Kelly’s A Touch of Ireland this Saturday, October 3rd at 21 S. Broadway at 11 a.m. On Friday night, I had the opportunity to attend Pitman’s first ever outdoor Comedy Show at Sunset Auditorium which benefited the Pitman Revitalization Corporation. Congratulations to the organizer, Pitman resident Benjamin Leis on a great event. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time and it was sorely needed. To stay up to date on their upcoming events, you can follow their Facebook page Comic Cure or send an email to ben@comiccure.com to get on their email list. McCowan Memorial Library Library usage is slowly increasing, but the library is receiving reports of people that still don’t know that they are open. Please spread the word that the library is open during its regular hours, and please stop by! Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion Pitman's Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion met on Thursday, September 24th. The Task Force members are hard at work on the ideas and areas of research that they discussed in August. As part of their plans to get community feedback and suggestions on potential events and initiatives, they have submitted a survey which will be included in the next Borough newsletter. Council Report 9/28/2020 Councilman Adam Mazzola Adam.Mazzola@pitman.org Board of Education: Each week for the past 3 weeks, the Pitman Public Schools have provided breakfast and lunch for around 650 - 700 children per week, with over 9,000 breakfasts and lunches this past week. The benefit is free for all children under 18 in the Borough of Pitman regardless of their school enrollment and is funded by the USDA program. Every family is encouraged to sign up for these meals by filling out the form available online. The form must be completed each week to receive the food. Pickup times are Tuesdays from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM and Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM and can be obtained in front of Pitman High School at 225 Linden Avenue. Details can be found at pitman.k12.nj.us where you will find a link to the Google document to enroll or https://pitmank12.nutrislice.com for the menus and nutritional information. Should you need assistance with the program, I would be happy to connect any residents with the program director and I can be reached at adam.mazzola@pitman.org. Today's Question & Answer segment with Councilmen Matthew Weng & Adam Mazzola is from Pitman residents David Schnatterer and Claire Yeager. They would like to know, “What is your proudest accomplishment as a Councilman,” and “What is your favorite Pitman tradition?” 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 check out our website http://www.pitmandemocraticparty.com/ and join our Facebook group the Pitman Democrats #WengMazzolaForPitman The newest episode of the Everybody Likes Podcast is now live! https://www.buzzsprout.com/1197989/5533213 You can also get it on Apple Podcasts here: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../everybody.../id1522071232   Below please find the Council Reports from last night's (9/14) 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 September 14, 2020 Council President Paul Blass paul.blass@pitman.org In my address at the 9/11 ceremony I emphasized the often unsung work of our very dedicated public works department. Besides the list of typical tasks I have in a moment, I have two examples of jobs outside their normal routine that just get added to their “to do” list. On August 26th I was contacted about a “tripping hazard” on Elm Avenue. Within two days public works had gone out and reset a pipe along the sidewalk to eliminate that problem. On August 29th the remnants of Hurricane Laura hit which caused flooding around town. Two crew members were out at the library sandbagging to help stop the flooding of the basement. Later the next week they dug out the drain pipe on the Ballard Park side. Public Works Second half of August 2020 HIGHWAY DEPT: 4 Truckloads of bulk trash collected tonnage included in trash total. Repaired or replaced street signs in town. 12 hours spent cleaning the tops of storm drains. 6 hours patching and repairing pot holes and sink holes. 20 hours grinding leaves and brush for mulch. Ran street sweeper 4 hours. Delivered 6 yards of mulch to residents. Spent 24 hours mowing. Repaired the trash/recycle can @ various locations. Dropped off a truck for yard debris to 1 residences & picked up the next day. Delivered 6 new trash cans to residences and 4 new recycle cans. WATER & SEWER DEPT: Plunged out 9 sewer stoppages. Jetted 2 sewer mains. Did well work, (painting, cleaning, etc.) Took Water samples. Read 7 meters for settlement. Re-read 1 meters for billing questions. Upgraded 1 meter heads. Opened water tower for AT&T. Repaired cracked water main on Vassar Ave. Amy E. Rudley 9/14/20 Council Report I would like to echo my words from the Borough 9/11 Ceremony briefly here tonight to thank, on the record, the Parks and Recreation Department for their incredible efforts during the course of the pandemic. For the Recreation Commission: Micro-mini soccer starts up this week with practices and games on Saturdays. The Healthy Kids Running club is also set to get started and we look forward to the return of softball and baseball. The Environmental Commission met on 9/3 and began plans to resume some environmental efforts which had been cancelled due to the COVID restrictions in the Spring and Summer. They will be putting up some informational signage about native trees and planting some new trees in Alcyon Park. There has been a native New Jersey chestnut tree in bloom, which is a big deal, as this species has been decimated by invasive species of insects and plants. We are hopeful that the State will want to take a sample from this tree and that we can be a part of preserving the native New Jersey chestnut. A member of the Commission is reaching out to them. Senior Outreach plans to meet this week at 5:00 p.m. and hopes to have a message to the Borough’s Senior Citizens in the upcoming newsletter. Finally, the Borough-wide yard sale is wildly popular with 86 yard sales currently registered as of 6:00 p.m. today! The cut off was Friday, but I am working on the final list this week, so residents can still get in if they e-mail me right away. Amy.rudley@pitman.org As always, please feel free to reach out regarding any issues in the Borough at that e-mail address or via 609-214-6342. Councilman Matthew Weng 9/14/20 Council Report The Pitman Police Department would like to thank Mayor and Council for the recognition that they bestowed upon the PPD and all first Responders and Essential Workers at the September 11th Memorial Ceremony. They were all truly honored to have been recognized. The Pitman PD would like to thank Ms. Courtney Milward and the Back to School Back the Blue Event for their recent donation of $3,000.00 to the Pitman PD K-9 Unit. They are greatly appreciative of such a kind and generous donation and the support that was shown to the Pitman PD. Council Report 9/14/20 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 is working with the Economic Development Committee to promote their Tenzy Frenzy Event which runs from September 13th through September 19th. Businesses are offering a variety of deals, so make sure to shop local and support our Uptown this week. McCowan Memorial Library The library continues to operate successfully with the appropriate restrictions in place. Thanks to Council President Paul Blass and Councilman Mazzola who met up with me in the pouring rain a few Saturdays ago to address a flooding issue at the library. I’m pleased to report that the library successfully installed a sump pump and it is my understanding that Public Works is working to improve some drainage issues as well. The Library Board of Trustees will have its first in-person meeting since February on Tuesday, September 22nd at 7 p.m. at the library. Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion Pitman's Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion met on Thursday, August 27th. The members came prepared with some excellent ideas and they have committed to a planning schedule which should produce a report of recommendations to Mayor & Council by Spring 2021. The next meeting of the Task Force will be on Thursday, September 24th in Borough Council Chambers at 7 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. *Please wear a mask. Council Report 9/14/2020 Councilman Adam Mazzola Adam.Mazzola@pitman.org Clean Communities: Our first clean up project of 2020 was held August 26th at the Dell. They filled two black trash totes and half of a green recycling tote with what they collected including a broken bag chair that they pulled out of the creek. We currently have 5 scheduled events in the next few weeks including Sunset Auditorium, Shertel Park, the railroad tracks, The Pitman Historical Museum & Grove Auditorium, and Alcyon Lake. |
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