Glen Ridge Council briefs public on coronavirus precautions hours before governor declares state of emergency
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Much of the March 9 council meeting was devoted to the Borough's early response to the coronavirus outbreak, discussed just as Governor Murphy declared a statewide state of emergency that same evening. Officials described a rapidly escalating set of precautions: Town Hall staff were wiping down doorknobs, railings and bathrooms multiple times a day, the public counter was limited to one person at a time to maintain six feet of distance, disposable pens were being handed out so residents wouldn't have to share writing implements, and the Glen Ridge Pharmacy had donated masks to the police department. The Police Chief and ambulance squad reported they were training with mask-fitting and coordinating with the Essex County and state health departments, and officials urged residents who felt unwell to use phone and online services instead of coming to Borough Hall in person.
On more routine business, the Council authorized several contracts and licenses: Resolution 54-20 extended the Borough's animal control services agreement with Bloomfield Township (a 2% annual increase, bringing the 2020 contract to $17,136); Resolution 55-20 awarded a $17,762.50 contract to Plant Detectives for the purchase of 92 trees; and Resolution 56-20 authorized a roughly $34,733.55 contract with Turf Smith LLC for athletic field aeration, overseeding and treatment, with an alternate bid for additional sod. The Council also approved raffle and fireworks licenses for the Glen Ridge High School Home and School Association and the Glen Ridge Country Club's traditional July 4th fireworks display, and introduced Ordinance No. 1731 updating the Borough's floodplain management regulations and flood hazard maps.
Other reports included a note from the Essex County Superintendent of Elections that rollout of new voting machines would be delayed, tested first in a handful of municipalities during spring school board and primary elections before a wider rollout for the November general election, and a DPW update on pothole repairs and a hard-to-locate water main leak that crews ultimately fixed with a compression-ring repair.
What to watch
- Planning Board to review the draft Master Plan reexamination at its March 18 meeting
- Ordinance No. 1731 (floodplain management) proceeds toward a public hearing and final vote
- New voting machines to be phased in ahead of the 2020 general election after a delayed initial rollout
Watch key moments
- 20:29 — the governor did declare state of emergency in New Jersey