August Council Update
Good Evening Ringwood! We hope this message finds everyone well and enjoying the last moments of a wonderful summer! As always Michelle and I are writing to let the community know some highlights of our August Council Meeting.
Recreation Strategic Plan
Mayor Noonan asked the council to pass a resolution for a strategic Recreation Plan which will gather feedback from all residents including children and seniors. It will also include a planning group that will seek input from the Recreation Commission, Planning Board and other organizations in town. Since 2019 the Borough Manager has been in talks with St. Catherine’s to rent the Parish Center. However, tonight the council took it a step further by passing a resolution to authorize the Borough Manager to get RFP’s ( Requests for Proposals) for a Recreation Strategic Plan for a community center. Our children, seniors and residents in between need a place to go and tonight we took that vision a step further.
Ryerson School Water System
The Board of Education has requested that we connect Ryerson School to our water system. Our DPW installed a new water main, fire hydrants, water meter, and a pressure reducing valve. We have passed all required tests and are ready to make the final connection to the school for the start of the school year! We are glad that we were able to assist our schools as this will save money since they will no longer need a water operator nor will they need to file state reports. Most importantly, when the power goes out, our children will not need to evacuate the building ensuring continuity of their education.
Stormwater Cleaning at Schools
The DPW inspected and repaired all the stormwater infrastructures at all the schools and the Board of Education building, with the exception of one long pipe run at Hewitt school that needs special equipment.This project saved the Board of Education a significant amount of money. We will not be billing the school for this service. This is another example of the benefit for all with the use of shared services.
Paving
Due to the weather in July, Phase I of our paving is scheduled for the first two weeks of September. The streets to be paved include:
● Conklintown Road from Skyline Drive to the southerly intersection of Poplar Drive
● Skylands Road from Rt 511 to Cupsaw Plaza.
● Coventry Way – including Nottingham Court and Briscoe Chase
Skyline Lakes Drive Construction
Skyline Lakes Drive Construction – we received County approval for the construction plans. We are awaiting approval from NJDOT. We are hoping to award a contract in September. The Council also had final approval and unanimously passed the 5 ton weight limit restriction!
Superfund Site
Ford will be remobilizing to complete the OCDA capping on September 11th. There will be activity and equipment deliveries to the site in the coming weeks. The Borough will be sending notifications to each home in the area so that they are aware of what is happening.
Committee to look into revisions to the current chicken coop ordinance
Councilwoman Kerr requested a committee be created to look into revising our chicken coop ordinance in order to better support our residents. The committee will consist of Deputy Mayor Landis, Councilwoman Kerr and Councilman Rubacky.
Upcoming Events
● The fireworks display will be on Saturday, September 9th (rain date Sunday, September 10th) at Shepherd Lake. The fireworks show will begin at dark (around 8pm).
● Our town wide yard sale will take place on Saturday, September 23rd and Sunday, September 24th. This event is rain or shine! Applications must be received at the Recycling department by September 1st to be included on the map. Registration forms are available on the Borough website.
● The Health Department has a new program – “Falling into Wellness” – focusing on prevention including yoga, Zumba, meditation, hiking, and educational programs. This program will begin on September 18th. The schedule can be found on the Borough website.
As always we are working hard for our amazing community. It is our pleasure and honor to serve the residents of this great town. We hope that everyone has a safe labor day and we wish all our teachers and students much luck and success for the 2023-2024 school year. We hope to see you in the community!
Warm Regards,
