A Message from Mayor Moench
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Dear Bridgewater Resident,
Thank you for taking the time to read our e-newsletter. My goal will always be to provide our community with the level of transparency and information that they expect and deserve. This is just one of the vehicles that I will use in fulfilling that goal. Please do not hesitate to reach out to myself or my staff if you see an area on which we can improve. It takes all of us working together to make the town we love, the best it can possibly be.
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VIRTUAL KITCHEN TABLE Q&A: ROADS EDITION
Over the past several weeks, we have been soliciting questions for the Mayor via our Virtual Kitchen Q&A initiative. We got so many great questions but many of them focused on roads conditions in the Township. The Mayor sat down with Municipal Services Director, Tom Genova, to talk about the scope of the problem and steps forward to try to address it. Check out the video below!
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The Township Council took up a variety of interesting and important issues at the January 30th Meeting:
- The Council saw the promotion of 6 officers, 3 being promoted to Sergeant and 3 being promoted to Lieutenant. Learn More.
- The Council authorized the adoption of the Somerset County multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. This will help us coordinate with surrounding communities to ensure that we are as ready as we can be for any potential disaster and allows us to compete for federal grant funds for critical programs and projects. Learn more.
We also shot the first video in a series called "Inside Chambers." In the first edition, we interviewed Council President Howard Norgalis about his background and the most recent Council Meeting. We will be doing these periodically with all of our Councilmen so they can speak on the issues that matter to you.
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The next Bridgewater Township Council Meeting will be held on February 13th at 7:30PM. The agenda for that meeting will be posted
here
. As always, these meetings are open to the public and we encourage you to attend!
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HUMAN SERVICES
CORONAVIRUS:
The Human Services Department wants all residents to be up to date on any developments associated with the Coronavirus. Please
click here
for additional resources.
RECREATION
REGISTRATION
: Many Spring and Summer program registrations are open or will open soon!
Learn more
RUGBY MEETING:
There will be an informational meeting for our Boys High School Rugby program at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 13, 2020, in meeting room 102A/B at the Municipal Complex. All interested boys in grades 9 - 12 and/or their parents are welcome to attend.
CLERKS OFFICE
RABIES CLINIC:
There will be a rabies clinic open to all residents on Saturday, February 22nd from 10AM to 12PM at the Manville Firehouse #3. Please call 908-231-7155 for more details.
DOG LICENSING:
All dogs at the age of seven months or possessing a permanent set of teeth must be licensed. Licenses are renewed each year in January. Application forms can be found
here
.
MUNICIPAL SERVICES
COUNTY RECYCLING:
The Somerset County Department of Public Works is expanding their use of Dual Stream Recycling totes to additional areas of Bridgewater. This area will receive their totes on February 19th and the first pick up will be March 4th. Please
click here
for additional information and to see if you will be receiving a Dual Stream tote this month.
SAVE YOURSELF THE OPRA:
If you are seeking public information in the categories of permit information, complaints, violations, licenses & certificates and to place requests for Zoning, Code Enforcement, Fire Prevention and the Tax Assessor, please take a little time to log on to our internet portal to save you time processing these requests.
Click here to create an account and log in.
FINANCE
TAX ASSESSMENTS:
In the month of February, the Tax Assessor will mail property tax cards with 2020 assessment values. It is important to review the assessments. If residents do not agree with the value they have a right to appeal, but the deadline for appeals is May 1st. Appeals are to be filed at the County.
Learn more
. It is important that residents do not use this card as a confirmation of taxes paid in 2019. It shows amount billed and not amount paid. For amount paid they may contact
Tax Collectors office
.
LAW DEPARTMENT
LAWSUIT:
Last week, the developer for the Center of Excellence project filed a lawsuit against the Bridgewater Planning Board. Mayor Moench made the following statement in response, "As I have said many times before, development and land use matters in Bridgewater will no longer be met with a handshake and a rubber stamp,” said Mayor Matthew Moench. “Our Administration will aggressively oppose any attempt to circumvent our zoning ordinance and will oppose this meritless action by Advance Realty every step of the way. Though this may be something less than Advance is used to, it is no less than what Bridgewater residents deserve..."
Read the full statement.
Also see, the
Lawsuit FAQs.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY:
A message from Acting Chief Paul Payne: The Bridgewater Police Department has officers patrolling approximately 32 squares miles every day. However, we cannot be in every place at one time. This is where you can help your community and the Police Department fight crime. We ask the public that anytime they see something or someone they consider suspicious, do not be afraid to call 911 or our agency’s non-emergent number at 908-722-4111. We ask that you do not put yourself in harm's way, but if you can provide the following information to the dispatcher, it could assist us in locating the individuals or vehicles:
- Number of persons
- Suspect information: race, gender, hair color, hair length and style, clothing type and color, other characteristics, and last none direction of travel.
- Vehicle information: type, license number, color, year, make, model, unusual characteristics (e.g., dents, bumper stickers), etc.
Remember, your safety is paramount to us, so do not put yourself or others in harm's way to get this information. Thank you for your help.
VACANT HOUSE FORM:
If a resident is leaving for vacation, they can complete a Vacant House Form, which can be accessed on our
webpage
. Once completed, the form can be either dropped off at Police Headquarters or faxed to 908-722-8246. This information will be passed out during Roll Call to our officers and entered into our CAD system, which can assist officers if they respond to the residence.
HUMAN RESOURCES:
BRIDGEWATER IS HIRING:
If you or anyone you know is looking for full or part time employment, please check out the positions now open in Bridgewater
here
.
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7:30PM - Township Complex
February 17th
- President's Day
Municipal Offices Closed
7:40PM - Township Complex
7:30PM - Township Complex
7:00PM - Township Complex
7:30PM - Township Complex
1:00PM - 4:00PM - Shimon and Sara Birnbaum Jewish Community Center
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Scott Maraldo, Director of Constituent Relations
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Scott is the Director of Constituent Relations in Bridgewater. This is a new position that was envisioned by Mayor Moench before taking office. Scott is responsible for attempting to troubleshoot any constituent complaints, concerns or issues. As the leader of the newly formed Office of Constituent Relations, his goal is to help guide residents to solutions. He and his staff will be your advocate in the Township Government.
Before joining the Bridgewater family, Scott had a diverse career in community engagement, including working for a U.S. Congressman handling constituent issues at the federal level. In addition to the great work he is doing in Bridgewater, Scott is an officer in the New Jersey National Guard.
"It is an honor to work on behalf the residents of this great community," said Scott. "I love this job because everyday I wake up with the opportunity to help someone. It is a true priveldge."
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Did you know that the World War I officially ended in Bridgewater?
Although the fighting in World War I concluded in 1918, the United States was still officially enemies with Germany until 1921 as the U.S. Senate did not ratify the Treaty of Versailles or join the League of Nations in 1919 and 1920 respectively. In 1921, the Knox-Porter Resolution was passed an alternative. However, the President of the United States was not in Washington D.C to sign the Resolution. As it happens, President Warren G. Harding, while staying with his friend Senator Joseph Frelinghuysen, was playing golf at the Raritan Valley Country Club. He took a break from his Bridgewater vacation to sign the Resolution which officially ended World War I.
There is a plaque that still sits in what is now Raritan Borough (before Raritan became a separate borough in 1948), just across the Route 28 divide, where the Resolution was signed. So next time you are shopping over by the Somerville Circle, go see if you can find this interesting piece of Bridgewater history!
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The Plaque located at the corner of Route 28 and the entrance to PC Richard and Sons.
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President Warren G. Harding at Raritan Valley County Club
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