First, I would like to wish everyone a very Happy and Healthy New Year!

As we begin 2023, we have a great deal to look forward to. So many big things are on the horizon here in Woodland Park and we have a lot of work to do.

I want to congratulate our new Council Members, Christine Tiseo, Michael Sica, and Sam Yodice Jr., on their first terms in office. I know that all three of them will continue the good work they have started as members of the Board of Education, leading their homeowner’s association, and in their volunteer capacities within the community. 

Congratulations to Councilwoman Tracy Kallert on her selection as Council President this year. Tracy grew up here, volunteered for many years with the Boys & Girls Club, served as chair of the Board of Adjustment, and enters her 11th year on the Council this year. She will serve us well as Council President.

On Jan. 2, I had the privilege to swear in Woodland Park Board of Education Commissioners Gina Esposito-McQuin, David Amanullah, Dr. Joe Giammarella, and Dr. Mark Salemi. They, along with School District Superintendent Dr. Michele Pillari, the other members of the school board, and the administration and staff have done great things in our school district, from facility upgrades to new after-school programs – they have lifted our schools to a High Performing School District by the NJ Department of Education. Congratulations to Dr. Giammarella, who was selected as Board President, and Dr. Salemi, who was chosen to serve as Vice President.   

I want to congratulate our two new Board Members at Passaic Valley Regional High School. On Jan. 3, I administered the Oath of Office to Daniel Casasnovas and Lou DeLuca, who were elected in November. PV, under the leadership of Superintendent Dr. Bracken Healy, is on the rise and there are so many positive things happening at our high school. I know Dan and Lou will continue to build upon these gains.

2022 was a productive year in our town…

• We installed new curbs and sidewalks on West 36th Street and Newby Avenue behind the School 1 Pre-K Center through a Community Development Block Grant.
• We paved Old Rifle Camp Road, which was in much-needed repair.
• We completed the McBride Avenue Streetscape project.
• We watched the redevelopment of the Kearfott site into a new Amazon distribution center. This project will increase the ratable of that property from $10 million to $25 million dollars.
• We welcomed a new corporate neighbor in Summit Health to the Borough at the 1225 McBride Avenue site. 
• We saw the opening of many new businesses in town: Taboo, Taco is Life, Amazing Eyes, Pizza HQ, the new A&S Pork Store, Legal Leaf, Beyond Chiropractic, and the reopening of Planet Fitness. We cut many ribbons and worked each day to support our business community and spur economic development.
• The Department of Transportation began construction on the new walk bridge between Taft and Mary Avenues.
• We purchased a state-of-the-art communications system for our Police, Fire, and First Aid Squad. Some of the radios that were being used were over 30-years-old. Thank you to Councilman DeCesare and his committee for their leadership in getting this done. Our first responders make sacrifices each and every day to keep us all safe. Supporting them keeps us safer and more secure as a community.  
• Through the work of Fire Chief Paul Salomone and his team, along with the Public Safety Committee, we ordered a new pumper truck for the Fire Department.
• Our Police Department moved to 12-hour shifts, putting more police on the street than ever before.
• Our Police Department also launched a crackdown on speeding and distracted driving. This is the single biggest concern of our residents and Chief John Uzzalino and the WPPD are working to address it every day. 
• We continued our partnership with the Woodland Park Board of Education to hire Special Police Officers for each school in town to keep our children and staff safe, while also ensuring that we are only educating students who reside here in Woodland Park.  
• The Department of Public Works also worked on various projects in 2022, including drainage and flood mitigation efforts. They also secured new vehicles and equipment for their department. 
• And finally, our Recreation Department took on the responsibility of offering athletic programs and activities for the children of Woodland Park. Our first full-time Recreation Director hit the ground running – and effectively and efficiently organized and managed our youth programs – including taking over the before- and after-school programs for students.

As I mentioned, we have many big items on the agenda for 2023.

At the end of the last year, we were fortunate to be awarded significant grant funds for a variety of projects:

• We were granted an additional $400,00 for the Browertown Road Streetscape project. This funding is on top of the $373,000 we have already been awarded by the NJ Department of Transportation. This project will break ground this year.
• Through the Federal Omnibus Bill, Woodland Park was awarded $709,000 for the Rifle Camp Road Sewer Project which will be completed jointly with the County of Passaic and will also break ground later this year.
• The County of Passaic, through the Omnibus Bill, was awarded $1.2 million for the construction of a mini-roundabout at the intersection of McBride Avenue and Browertown Road. This project will create a left-hand turn from Browertown onto McBride, allowing vehicles to head back toward the downtown and our schools. This will also significantly reduce cut-through traffic through the Dowling Estates. 
• Through the American Rescue Plan, we have been awarded $46,000 for 15 sets of new bunker gear for the West Paterson Fire Department.
• We also secured multiple grants for improvements to Diane Grimes Park - one from the state for $75,000, one from the federal government for $95,000, and two $200,000 grants from Passaic County. Councilman Yodice will be meeting with the Recreation Board in the next few weeks to set priorities for all our parks.
• The $146 million secured from the federal government for the Army Corps of Engineers to build the Peckman River Flood Tunnel is historic. It is the largest investment in flood mitigation ever in our town. We are working with federal officials to monitor and keep on top of this project. I want to especially thank Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill for her persistent support for this important project. She along with our former Congressman Bill Pascrell played an instrumental role in making this a reality.
• And of course, the award for the largest grant award ever received by the Borough - $2.9 million for the renovation and updating of our public library. We must thank our Library Director Linda Hoffman, the Library Board, staff, and Friends of the Library for all their work on this endeavor. 

All of these grants allow us to make improvements and yet hold the line on spending. This year, Councilwoman Gatti will chair the Administration and Finance Committee and we will work collectively on our budget and ensure we are putting the interest of our taxpayers first.

This year, we will also evaluate areas in town that are in need of redevelopment and create a plan to address areas that need to be invested in, revitalized, and brought up to date.  

Councilman Sica will lead the arduous task of reviewing and updating our code book and we will begin the process to update the Master Plan. 

Councilwoman Tiseo will expand her committee’s work into the area of veteran mental health. We are looking to announce a new program this winter to address this very important topic.

The Council will, as we have in the past, press the NJ Department of Transportation for the additional sound barriers along Rt. 80, which are long overdue.  

We will continue to communicate with the Passaic Valley Water Commission to protect Garrett Mountain and speak out about their plan to drain reservoirs here in town and replace them with concrete storage tanks.

Rest assured, we will not let up on these issues. 

As always, I want to thank our Borough employees, volunteers, and our business community for all they do for our town! Thank you also to all those appointed to our boards and committees for their dedication and service. Volunteers are the backbone of our community and the number of residents sworn in at our reorganization meeting exemplifies how strong we are.

Council President Kallert, the Council, and I look forward to working with all our residents to make 2023 another great year for Woodland Park - a place we pledge to keep affordable, safe, and a great place to raise our families!

As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas for our town never hesitate to contact any of us! I again wish you a happy and healthy New Year. God bless.