April Monthly Message From Mayor Michael Choi
NOTE: The message below was delivered by the Mayor at the public Township Committee Meeting on Tuesday, Aprill 22, 2025.
Good evening Chatham Township.
I wanted to share with you two points for this evening’s agenda and for agendas forthcoming in the spring and summer.
When there are capable people at the helm, the operations often seem like a well-oiled machine. Things get done timely, communication flows, and output seems greater than the input. The work of this committee is deeply aided by these individuals who carry the load forward for the Township. For Colony Pool, there is much behind-the-scenes work in the winter that must take place for opening day and for the season to be an enjoyable, smooth experience for our members. I applaud our staff and professionals (Mr. Shehady, Ms. Cofoni, and Mr. Young) for procuring welcome concession services and energetic, experienced leadership for Colony as well as expeditiously readying the grounds for this season. I want to extend hearty thanks to Mr Rushke (Township engineer) and our staff for pouncing on state and federal grant monies to improve our infrastructure, including our roads and sidewalks, playgrounds and open space, largely without any further burden on our taxpayers. And Police Chief Miller who does not stop finding ways to run our police more efficiently and effectively, all the while respecting our budgetary sensitivities. In tonight’s agenda, I recognize his wisdom to effect organizational changes for improved efficiencies with no increase in headcount and his measured request for important equipment (ALPRs) to equip our police with tools they need. I want to recognize an annual audit for the Township that has always ended in a clean bill of health, free of any deficiencies that demand further action from the State or County. Many thanks to Mr. Shehady, Ms. King, Mr. Daniels and Mr. Laconte for making this happen. We remain steadfast to build on our strengths and improve on our weaknesses (of which there are always some) and also to take a brief moment to acknowledge and celebrate our achievements, small and large.
The redesign of Colony Pool – the future of the Fenske property – our operating budget – the 4th round of affordable housing. This is the collective body of work this year for which we have collaborated amongst ourselves and strived to collaborate with you, the residents, to obtain feedback in order to arrive at the very best outcomes possible for the Township. My second point is this – we embrace the messy. We embrace the messy collaboration that requires the back and forth of differing opinions, experiences, and ideas of how to get things done. We accept the notion that to solve some of our challenges the pathway is not a straight, smoothly paved road – like ones that Mr. Ruschke assures us for Britten Rd, Dellwood, Ferndale, Hampton Rd (to name just a few streets that will be repaved this summer!). There are detours, and there is disagreement. I want to point out that there are many decades of collective skills and experiences sitting before you on this dais, but there is also humility and an openness to listen. I acknowledge that that despite this collection of skills and experiences, we do not always have all the answers. However, we do work together; we do work diligently; and we do our best to publish information and proffer generous access in the form of workshops, meetings and office hours in order to seek important input from residents who wish to speak their mind. We do so such that we can advance our mission to continue to enjoy this charmed way of life in the Township.
“A single leaf working alone provides no shade.” — a quote by Chuck Page, an American politican.
So with that, I invite you this summer to meet us at a shady spot under a tree at Colony to continue the good work and discuss all things Chatham Township!
