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Message From Town Leaders

Message from Township Manager Al Mirabella | June 16, 2022

While many of the stories published in the E-Messenger this summer will be about the community programs and events that will be held outdoors to take advantage of the great weather, my office will be focusing on a calendar of activity that is just as important, but admittedly, not as fun.

The summertime is the ideal time of the year to handle many of the municipal projects around town, ensuring a clean, attractive community. We already have a laundry list of items, in which we will be responding to residents’ calls for service, as well as our own scheduled repairs and improvements.

Running a municipality is not just about focusing on the big things, such as developing a responsible municipal budget and ensuring all departments in town hall run efficiently. It is also about the little things – such as a broken sidewalk, a faded street sign and that random traffic sign that mysteriously goes missing from time to time.

So, let me share with you some of the summer projects in the pipeline, as our Department of Public Property is preparing for busy work weeks throughout the neighborhoods of Scotch Plains.

One of the most substantial undertakings will be road resurfacing. We routinely assess the condition of all roads in the township and target restoration projects based on need. This summer, our workers will be here: 

  • Gamble Road
  • Montague Avenue (Mountain to Westfield)
  • Coles Avenue (Evergreen to Henry)
  • Park Place
  • Berkeley Terrace 
  • Clarks Lane
  • Colonial Drive
  • Washington Avenue
  • Goodmans Crossing (Martine to the Bartell Garden Center)

Decisions on road work are directed in part by residents. We have a button on the municipal website – at https://scotchplainsnj.gov/index.php/report-a-pothole - where residents are invited to submit work requests directly to the Scotch Plains Department of Public Property for consideration. With this critical input from residents, we are able to address potholes more quickly and prevent small repair projects from becoming large ones.

Not only can residents provide input about potholes, we also ask them to help us monitor the trees. Scotch Plains is blessed to have big, beautiful trees through all of our neighborhoods – one of the great features about our town. 

But the trees need to be carefully maintained to ensure they remain safe and strong, especially during the summer thunderstorms. Residents can report potentially dangerous conditions or a downed tree here: 

https://scotchplainsnj.gov/index.php/report-a-down-tree

The Department of Public Property will promptly remove downed trees on municipal property as well as accommodate requests for new trees to be planted on the curb, within the municipal property line.

And while we remain squarely focused on the summer, we know very soon (or too soon) that the leaves will begin falling in a few short months. We are working this summer on an updated strategy to pick up the curbside leaves as soon as possible. Last year, as you may recall, various obstacles outside of our control, like the weather, made it difficult to pick up the leaves as quick as planned. This year, we are developing contingencies in the hope the problem does not reoccur.

If you have any questions or comments, you can reach my office by calling 908-322-6700, ext. 313. Please let us know, for example, if a street sign needs to be replaced or if a pothole remains from the winter. 

We very much look forward to working in your neighborhood this summer.

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