Council Report September 27, 2021
Council President Paul Blass
paul.blass@pitman.org

Economic Development Committee
The EDC met on September 16th and welcomed new member Stacey Meyers. The Committee discussed the upcoming best of Gloucester County event. It also began plans to update its current brochure.
Public Works
Since our last meeting ….
• Collected 127 tons of trash
• Collected 34 tons of recyclables
• Collected 68Yards of brush.
• Spent two hours patching and repairing potholes and sink holes.
• Spent 53 hours mowing and weed whacking.
• Ran the street sweeper for four hours
• Dropped off a truck for yard debris to one resident and picked up the next day.
• Completed about 40 curbside inspections per week of recycling containers.
• Removed the dead tree pots from Broadway.
• Cleaned up after craft fair
• Repaired fence at Sixth Avenue
The Water and Sewer Department…
• Performed 18 water and sewer mark outs requests.
• Plunged out one sewer stoppages.
• Performed routine well work, (painting, cleaning, etc.)
• Took Water samples.
• Read 12 meters for settlement.
• Replaced two meter body.
• Upgraded seven meter heads.
• Sealed off a leak under East Avenue.
Water and Sewer had a crew out Wednesday night to repair a collapsed roadway caused by a broken terra cotta sewer main. They were there several hours.
A crew was also called out on Sunday for a continuing leak at the end of East Holly Avenue.
Leaf collection will formally begin in mid-October, though crews have already been out when time permits.

Amy E. Rudley, Council Report
September 27, 2021

Public Property
Residents have been reporting various infestations of lantern flies. Our Shade Tree Commissioner fully supports removing invasive trees from public property. Therefore, where there is an infestation on a Tree of Heaven plant, we are coordinating removal. The type of removal depends on the size of the invasive tree.

Senior Outreach Committee
The SO Committee is planning our next joint event with the VFW for November 17, 2021. It will be held in the afternoon as an open house and game day. Hours are TBD.

Environmental Commission
The EC is working on a lantern fly egg removal day and series of contests. They plan to have a table at Community night with some information to help with accurate identification.
Additionally, they will be planting some additional pollinators to supplement those planted earlier this year in Alcyon Park under the outlook. Anyone who wants to get more involved, please reach out.

Volunteer Fair
In prior years, Councilwoman James and I have held the volunteer fair in January, to kick of the year of volunteerism. Due to COVID-19, we postponed this years’ event. We will be holding the Volunteer Fair in conjunction with the Chamber’s October Fourth Friday celebration. They have graciously given us the use of Theatre Avenue to assemble the groups. If anyone is involved in a non-profit or a borough organization who is in need of some volunteer power, please let me know and we will get you set up for the event. It will be on October 22, 2021 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Memorabilia Committee
The Committee will meet on Tuesday, October 5 at 7:00 p.m. The usual meeting place is the Museum, but we have been meeting in the Grove Auditorium to avoid virus concerns.

Yard Sale Day
There were quite a few last minute (and day of) additions and deletions from the yard sale day this year. If anyone has any ideas for streamlining this process a bit, please feel free to reach out. Overall, it appears to have a been a success.

Haunted Tales of Pitman
The Haunted Tales of Pitman will be a self-guided walking tour this year, with audio recorded stories submitted by the businesses. I hope to have the first stories “available” on 10/9/21 in conjunction with the Witches’ Day Out, shopping event by the Chamber. For the stories, the vision is that you will simply access them via the Chamber’s website and list to them either on location or from anywhere you like, at your convenience. Many businesses plan to decorate or coordinate for the occasion.

Police Department POAC Training
I would like to express my most sincere thank you to the Pitman Police Department and to Fire Chief Ryan Pierson for their attendance and participation in the POAC training for first responders. While I still had Public Safety as a Council Department it was a goal of mine to ensure that our officers undergo training for interacting with neuro-atypical and Autistic individuals. This is for the safety of the officers, as much as the safety of those members of the public with neurological conditions. I was also very glad to be invited to take the training myself. I learned a few extremely valuable lessons. First, when encountering an emergency with a neuro-atypical individual, be mindful that those who are on the higher functioning end of the continuum often hide. This is counter-intuitive in many situations, given the high intelligence of the individuals. Thus, in a fire, the instinct is often to hide in a closet or under a blanket until this are safe. Second, bodies of water should be immediately checked when an Autistic child or adult goes missing. 50% of Autistic individuals will go missing at some point in their lives and 90% of deaths of Autistic individuals under the age of 14 are due to drowning. This organization recommends searching all bodies of water by distance using concentric circles from the point of last known location, first. There were countless other important take-aways, but for the general public, I think it is incumbent upon me to share these two here in my council report. Thank you to all attendees for being so engaged, as well. I thought the training was excellent.

Reading Challenge
Last, and certainly not least, 
congratulations to the children who completed the 20 minute per day challenge for the month of August 2021. They were awarded tonight with acknowledgement by Mayor and Council, as well as a $5.00 gift certificate to Words Matter Bookstore, courtesy of the bookstore.

As always, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or issues you may have. My cell remains 609-214-6342 and my e-mail is amy.rudley@pitman.org.

Matthew Weng

- Chief McAteer recently attended the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police 2021 Training Conference on August 23rdthru the 26th in Atlantic Cit He also attended the International Association of Chief’s of Police 2021 Virtual Training Conference. Both conferences were highly valuable.
- As previously announced, the PPD has been awarded a Body Worn Camera Reimbursement Grant for the sum of $44,836.00. The PPD received the final registration paperwork last week. The paperwork is being prepared by Deputy Chief Zander and CFO, Mr. Considine. Chief McAteer will have the final oversight for the PPD. The grant will be dispersed in increments over the next few years. The PPD was the third Department in Gloucester County to institute Body Cameras and have been using them for the past five years.
- On September 24th, the entire PPD Was given a 3-hour Training block from POAC on Autism Awareness and Police Response to Autistic Individuals. The training was exceptional and it adds to the resources, knowledge and ability that the PPD has in responding to calls for service.
- Community Appreciation Night will be Wednesday evening (29th) from 6-9 pm in Ballard Park. We will also be recognizing Fire Prevention Week. Please come out and enjoy an evening that is bound to be fantastic!

Council Report 9-27-21
Councilwoman Vanessa E. James
Vanessa.James@Pitman.Org
2021 Liaison: Parks & Recreation, Public Events, Library Board, Great Pitman Chamber of Commerce

Greater Pitman Chamber of Commerce
Best of Gloucester County Award Ceremony
Congratulations to all the Pitman business award winners at last week’s Best of Gloucester County presentation which took place in Ballard Park. Thanks to Mayor Razze, Mrs. O’Donnell, and Stacey Meyers for putting on a wonderful presentation that did a great job showcasing all our Uptown has to offer.

Fall Craft Show
Thanks to Lisa Morgey for organizing an outstanding Fall Craft Show on September 18th and thank you to all the volunteers who helped make it a success. Special thanks to the Pitman Police Department and Pitman Public Works Department who do such a tremendous job of making sure our town events run smoothly.

Pitman Brews Cruise
This Saturday, October 2, at 10 a.m. is the Third Annual Brews Cruise to benefit the Chamber. It is 25-mile bike ride through South Jersey starting at the Caffeinated Cyclist bike shop and ending with a celebration at Merryman’s Pub and Human Village and Kelly Green breweries in Pitman. Tickets can be purchased on the Uptown Pitman website at https://checkout.square.site/buy/CLEH5QSMQ4X6UA6OMLX5V7FR

Witches of Pitman Shoppe Hop
The Witches of Pitman Shoppe Hop will take place on Saturday, October 9th from 11 – 5 p.m. Join us for a scary fun day in Uptown Pitman! Stroll through local businesses offering magical sales, spooky specialty items, and frightful food & beverage specials.
Wear your finest be-witching outfit for fun prizes throughout the day!

As always, I am available to answer any questions or concerns via email at vanessa.james@pitman.org or by phone at 336-407-8604.

Council Report 9/27/2021
Councilman Adam Mazzola
Adam.Mazzola@pitman.org
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Finance and Administration:
1. Two additional security cameras have been installed at Borough Hall; one for inside the Police Department and the other outside of the building looking toward the War Memorial in Ballard Park.
2. A representative from South Jersey Gas has come out on two occasions to meet with residents who may be in need of financial assistance for their utility bill. Further information on this program can be obtained by calling the Finance Office in Borough Hall.
3. Training is being provided by the NJ MEL for Designated Employer Representative for participation in the US Dept. of Transportation’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse is a secure online database that will give employers, State Driver Licensing Agencies and State law enforcement personnel real-time access to important information about CDL driver drug and alcohol program violations, which will enhance safety on the nation’s roadways. To date, the Borough Administrator and Public Works Manager have taken this training.
4. The Borough’s online sale of unpaid 2020 taxes will take place on October 7. For information, please call the Borough Tax Collector at 589-3522
Clean Communities:
We are entering fall cleanup season as we just had the Renaissance Youth Center complete a 3 hour cleanup where they cleaned 3 miles of roadway including Broadway, East Ave, W Jersey Ave, and Theatre Ave. They filled 3 large contractor bags with the litter taken from the sides of the roads and the sidewalks.
We also have projects coming up at Shertel Park/Sunset Auditorium, Alcyon Woods, and Alcyon Lake. If you have a non-profit and would like to organize a clean up project, please reach out to me!

​Council Report September 13, 2021
Council President Paul Blass
paul.blass@pitman.org

Economic Development Committee
The EDC met on August 26th. The group agreed on the style and funding for new “Welcome to Pitman” signs.
Historic Preservation Commission
The HPC met last Thursday. Four applications involving alterations were heard. Everything was approved, with two requiring minor changes – one to the style of a storm door the other to the type of exterior light fixture.
Memorabilia Committee met on Tuesday Sept 7. I filled in for Councilwoman Rudley.
The Museum will be open a few times this fall – Friday September 24th from 6 – 8; Saturday, October 9th from 1 to 4, and Friday, October 22nd from 6 – 8.
Public Works –
August Recycling Totals
17 Loads of Single Stream Recycling - 72.53 tons - at a cost of $2,921.50
1 load of Metal to Sims Metal – 3.23 tons – for which we received $295
264 cubic yards of mulch and brush hauled to various locations at a cost of $2,376
2 cubic yards of mulch delivered to residents.
Solid Waste Totals
24 loads to Wheelabrator – 282.36 tons – at a cost of $20,852
6 loads to the Gloucester County landfill – 72.65 tons – at a cost of $5,606.40
The Borough was once again charged for plastic bags. Please remember not to put recycles in plastic bags.
On August 31 there was a road failure on Elwood Avenue that the road’s crew had to excavate and repair.
Last week, PW employees applied a silicon based material on the Library’s flat roof to extend its life
Pitman PW helped our neighbors in Wenonah after the tornado. We had a loader there for several hours helping to clear roads and our two generator powered light fixtures were used overnight.

Amy E. Rudley, Council Report
September 13, 2021
Senior Outreach Committee

The Senior Outreach Committee will meet this Thursday at 5:00 p.m. at Ballard Park. We have been meeting at the park for a few months due to COVID. All are welcome to join us.
We will be discussing the next joint event with the VFW.
Environmental Commission

Environmental met on its usual date and time, but via zoom. We discussed ideas to help combat the lantern flies in town and are planning an information outreach. Additionally, we discussed the proposed fencing and removal of bushes at Ballard Park in the area of the War Memorial. While the Environmental Commission takes no position on the fencing, the Shade Tree Commissioner is not in support of removing the bushes which are well established.

Reading Logs
I have heard from only one family regarding their children completing the reading challenge for August. Please contact me if your child or children completed reading 20 minutes per day for the month of August. I currently have a list of three children and I know there are more than this.

Town Wide Yard Sale
The Town Wide Yard Sale for the fall is 9/25. Please get those registrations in as soon as possible, as I am going to start finalizing the list.

Memorabilia
Thank you to Council President Blass for attending the Memorabilia Committee meeting on my behalf.
Please feel free to contact me if you need any assistance. You are welcome to contact me via telephone at 609-214-6342 or e-mail at amy.rudley@pitman.org

Council Report 9-13-21
Councilwoman Vanessa E. James
Vanessa.James@Pitman.Org

2021 Liaison: Parks & Recreation, Public Events, Library Board, Great Pitman Chamber of Commerce
Thank you to Mayor Razze, Mrs. O’Donnell, the Pitman Police Department, Fire Company Number One, Highland Chemical Engine Company, the Pitman High School Music Department and all the other volunteers who assisted with a very moving ceremony on Saturday night commemorating the 20th Anniversary of September 11th.

Parks & Recreation
Thanks to all the volunteers and participants in the summer programs this year for the Parks & Recreation department, including tennis, band, summer playground, baseball clinics, basketball camp and the Pitman Fishing League. The Parks & Recreation Department is kicking off their fall programs. If you have any questions, check out the Borough Website under the Parks & Recreation tab at https://www.pitman.org/.../parks.../programs/fall.php

Greater Pitman Chamber of Commerce
The Fall Craft Show is scheduled for this Saturday, September 18th. Make sure to stop by between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to show your support for our local business community.
Laurel Market Pitman will continue to operate every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Sunset Auditorium until the end of September.

Pitman has been selected as the location for the Best of Gloucester County 2021 Awards Presentation Location on Monday, September 20th from 5-8 p.m. at Ballard Park. Thanks to Mrs. O’Donnell for all her hard work on this project. We anticipate that it will be a great night to showcase Pitman!

McCowan Memorial Library
During the month of August 2021, 3,685 people visited McCowan Memorial Library and there were 101 internet users. There were 17 live children’s programs with a combined attendance of 247 people.
As always, I am available to answer any questions or concerns via email at vanessa.james@pitman.org or by phone at 336-407-8604.

Council Report 9/13/2021
Councilman Adam Mazzola
Adam.Mazzola@pitman.org

Finance and Administration:
We would like to welcome Andrea Whilden as our new Water & Sewer clerk who has started in the job since the last meeting. We are happy to have her aboard.
​
Clean Communities:
We are actively seeking non-profit organizations for clean up projects around Alcyon Lake. If you or anyone you know would be interested in partnering for these projects, please reach out to me and we will work to find an area that can use your help!