December Monthly Message From Mayor Stacey Ewald
I wanted to take a moment to address the drone sightings in the Township. I want residents to know we’re taking these drone flyovers of our town very seriously. Our Police Chief, Administrator and I have all reached out to our contacts at the State, County and Federal level. The message is the same across the board. The situation is being monitored, they’re requesting any sightings be reported through the FBI website, and there is no known threat to the public at this time. I, like you, am very dissatisfied with this response. We keep pressing for information at every level. I plan to attend the Governor’s briefing tomorrow, and will let you know as soon as we have more information.
Given this is our last scheduled meeting for 2024, I wanted to say a special thanks to our Administrator, his amazing team, and our Township Committee members for all they did this past year to take care of our community and to help our residents. Despite never ending budget pressures, the Township team managed a tight budget, keeping the municipal tax levy flat relative to the prior year. They renegotiated our banking relationship, resulting in higher returns and better services, installed new turf at Shunpike Field and completed the tennis court improvements, including striping for pickleball. They worked with the Cornerstone developer to see through the implementation of our third-round affordable housing mandate and worked diligently to add the Fenske property to our open space inventory. These are just a few of the highlights. There’s so much more and all was done while providing the day-to-day services our Township residents rely on.
The year is not over. We have our Winter Wonderland event this Thursday, December 12, from 6:30 to 8:30 right here at the Township municipal building. It’ll be a wonderful opportunity to join together as a community to celebrate the holidays. It’ll be a fun evening filled with carolers, hot cocoa, and fun activities. Thank you to our Events volunteers for coordinating this event and for the very successful Fall Festival they ran in October.
On December 18th, from 3 to 5, we’ll have the Grand Opening and ribbon cutting for the Cornerstone at Chatham affordable family apartments. Our Township team worked with the developer, the Walters Group, to create an affordable community that all Township residents can be proud of. I look forward to welcoming our new residents to Chatham Township.
In order to secure millions in tax credit funding for the Cornerstone project, we had to provide transportation between Cornerstone and the train station in the morning and evening. That contract was awarded to Box Car. Our Administrator has been working with Box Car to find a way to leverage that train station shuttle amenity for the broader Township community. I’m hopeful we’ll be able to announce additional service in the new year.
Before we move into our meeting, I’d like to thank Committeeman Lois for his service to the Township over the past three years and I wish him well in his next endeavor. I’d also like to congratulate Committeeman-elect Craig Alperowitz on his win and welcome him to the Committee. I look forward to working with him in the new year.
