Message from Mayor Josh Losardo | January 6, 2022

Happy New Year, Scotch Plains, and welcome to our first E-Messenger of 2022!

Earlier this week, the Township Council held its annual reorganization meeting, in which we had the honor of appointing fellow residents to boards and commissions. I would like to thank these civic-minded neighbors who are getting involved in municipal government to make a difference.

Many are new to government and I am pleased to say their political affiliation was never a factor in their appointments today. In fact, most everyone joining a board responded to Councilman Roc White’s E-Messenger message to the entire township in November calling for any and all volunteers.

I say it often: this town runs on its volunteers and I am forever grateful for the service of all members of our boards, commissions, committees and other services.

We have set an ambitious agenda in 2022.

We are embarking on a nationwide search for a developer to revitalize our downtown. This is a process that the town’s professionals advise may take most of the year. Many hours have already been spent on this endeavor; many more will be dedicated in 2022. 

I know we will all be proud of the end result, as we dare to dream of what can be accomplished for our downtown.

Once we secure the right real estate developer, we expect plans will go before the Township Council and Planning Board next year, with plenty of robust debate, followed by a long-awaited, and well-deserved groundbreaking.

Redevelopment is not easy. It is often a painstaking process to build the type of project that best fits the community. In the end, I know, this redevelopment project will be the hallmark achievement of this government and a sense of enormous pride for generations to come.

Because it was done the right way.

This year is my fourth on this governing body. It is hard to believe that so many years have elapsed since my friends and former running mates, Deputy Mayor Stamler and Councilman White, began our innocent journey into the world of municipal government.

It has been quite the ride, as “newcomers” Councilmembers Zimmerman and Adams could certainly attest. I am proud of this team, committed to getting the job done for the people of Scotch Plains.

Besides redevelopment, we have established other goals for the year as well.

In 2022, we will announce a new leaf collection plan that prioritizes streets near our schools, collecting leaves and clearing those streets as often as possible.

In 2022, we will strive to identify a park to convert to artificial turf and install outdoor lights, all with the full input and cooperation of our Recreation Commission. We can’t do everything we want at once. We must watch the bottom line. Over time, we will continue working together to make major, lasting improvements to our town.

In 2022, we will continue our efficient and cost effective road resurfacing projects, improving streets throughout the town.

In 2022, we hope to announce a new shared court service agreement with Westfield, Fanwood or Garwood, and explore other ways in which we can save money by working with our neighboring towns. 

In 2022, we will tightly enforce the speed limit on our streets and ensure pedestrian safety at every turn.

In 2022, we will hold a Town Hall meeting on chronic flooding with experts explaining the vulnerabilities and potential remedies, with heavy involvement from the state and federal governments. 

In 2022, we will continue weekly collection of recycling, open new downtown businesses and take the necessary steps to improve the response time of emergency services when you call 911.

In 2022, we will raise the PRIDE flag and continue honoring the heritage of our diverse community.

In 2022, we will focus on public health, identifying ways in which more residents can be tested for COVID, as well as be provided vaccines and boosters when and wherever needed.

So, as we look to the calendar for 2022, and all the public meetings that have been scheduled, we have our work set out for us. We look forward to welcoming our new team members and recommitting ourselves to getting the job done for our fellow residents of Scotch Plains.

Thank you for your trust. I, for one, can’t wait to get started.