County Report
September 2019
Board of Chosen Freeholders
John W. Bartlett Esq.,  Director  - Cassandra "Sandi" Lazzara,  Deputy Director
Assad R. Akhter - Theodore O. Best Jr. - Terry Duffy - Pat Lepore - Bruce James
COUNTY SPOTLIGHT
Art in the Park Festival
Saturday, September 14 and 15
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Goffle Brook Park
Hawthorne, NJ 07506
The Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders and The Department of Cultural & Historic Affairs will be hosting the second annual Art in the Park - a two-day event that includes live performances, food trucks, activities, vendors and exhibitions with over a hundred artists with art displays and various activities to offer patrons. It is an opportunity for artists to sell work, gain exposure and interact with the community and other artists. 

Admission and access to the Passaic County Arts Center at the John W. Rea House are free.

For more information, please call Andrea Coloma at 973-706-6640 or email AndreaC@PassaicCountyNJ.org .

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Passaic County Freeholders Award Open Space Grant
Construction is scheduled to begin in early September for the Goffle Brook Park South of Diamond Bridge Avenue improvements project. The project approved by the Freeholders on August 13th, includes the following improvements:
  • Renovations to the bathroom facility
  • Addition of five benches and picnic tables
  • Replacement of the existing basketball court
  • Extension of Diamond Bridge Avenue parking lot
  • Extending the asphalt walkway from the parking lot to the dog park
  • Replacement of existing playground equipment with a larger facility

This project represents the County’s second major investment in Goffle Brook Park in a decade. In 2012, the County initiated a project, which was completed shortly thereafter, to make improvements to the park that included restoring plantings to the original Olmstead Brothers design (ca. 1900), shoring up the brook’s shoreline, and implementing stabilization methods and landscaping throughout the park for beautification. In 2018, the County opened a new turf multi-sport athletic field at the southern end of the park, and in 2019 it launched the Passaic County Arts Center in the historic and newly-restored John W. Rea House.

For the latest improvements, four bids were received, with Thomas & Sons being the lowest at $847,340. The Passaic County Open Space, Farmland, and Historic Preservation Trust Fund will provide $650,000 in funding, with the remaining amount coming from the 2019 Passaic County Capital Budget.

LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY
Paws in the Park 2019
October 12, 2019
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Goffle Brook Park
Hawthorne, NJ 07506
Paws in the Park is back! The fourth annual Paws in the Park will be held on October 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Goffle Brook Park. Join us in celebrating our pets and help find forever homes for local pets in need of adoption.

This event will include demonstrations by the Sheriff's Department K-9 Unit, food trucks, vendors, microchipping, pet adoptions and more. For more information, visit the Paws in the Park Facebook page .
Memorial Pet Garden

As part of an initiative to protect our K-9s, Passaic County is offering memorial bricks for purchase. These bricks are placed in the  Pet Memorial Garden at the foot of the hill by the historic Lambert Castle. Pet memorial bricks surround our Sheriff's K-9 memorial, for K-9s that retired or fell in the line of duty.

The proceeds of these bricks will benefit the Passaic County Sheriff's K-9 unit and are tax deductible. The form for the bricks is available on our website .
SERVICES
Free Film Production Workshop
October 1, 2019
9:30 AM to 12 PM
930 Riverview Drive, Suite 200
Totowa, NJ 07512
The Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Passaic County Film Commission are sponsoring a  free workshop on short film production  for high school, college and independent filmmakers.

The workshop will be held 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, October 1 at 930 Riverview Drive, Suite 200 in Totowa. This workshop will feature the basics of short film production taught by members of the Film Commission and leaders in the industry. Technical workshops will be held on scriptwriting, direction, sound, cinematography and lighting.
The workshop will provide a review of the rules of the  Passaic County Film Festival, which will be held Saturday, April 25, 2020 in the Fabian 8 Theater in Paterson. Film entries for the festival must be received by 4 p.m. on January 31, 2020. 

The Passaic County Film Commission encourages entrants to the festival to attend the workshop. Those who do not attend the workshop may still enter films.

If you would like to attend, please RSVP to the Division of Economic Development at  film@passaiccountynj.org or (973) 569-4720. 
Passaic County Clerk Outreach Dates
Every month, the Clerk's Office Outreach Program visits several locations around Passaic County offering Passport processing, Veteran IDs, and Notary Oaths.
HEALTH AND ENERGY
Veggie Mobile at Hamilton House
Ring in the busy fall by stocking up on produce for meal prep!
PARKS AND PROJECTS
Wine & Cheese Fundraiser
Support “Friends of Passaic County Parks, Inc.” with a curated tasting of international wines and cheeses at the historic Dey Mansion.
Dey Mansion Garden Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Join us as we unveil the newly-restored Dey Mansion landscape design!