Dear Bridgewater Resident,
This is the inaugural edition of "Good Morning, Bridgewater!", a bi-weekly electronic newsletter. Our goal is to provide you with relevant and substantive information that will keep you informed.
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A Message from Mayor Moench
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The following is an excerpt from Mayor Moench's Inaugural Address at the Bridgewater Reorganization Meeting on January 1, 2020:
“We will be fearless and unafraid to challenge the status quo. We will be unafraid to fight for our residents. I want every employee in the building to have that mindset...We will work to make things better, we will be unafraid to try harder, and we will be fearless in fighting for our residents."
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In January, the Township Council took up a variety of interesting and important issues:
- Bridgewater Township officially reorganized and saw the swearing in of new Mayor, Matthew Moench and two new Councilmen, Michael Kirsh and Timothy Ring. Learn More
- There was discussion of the new police schedule model that took effect on January 6th. Learn more
- The Council voted to expand the size of the planning board to allow for two more regular members. Additionally, Mayor Moench has appointed 6 new members to the board with goal of increasing public input for future board matters. Learn more
As always, Council meeting agendas and minutes will posted on our
webpage
. Copies of the proposed ordinances and resolutions will be available via a link on the agenda the day before the meeting. The next Council Meeting will be held on Thursday, January 30th at 7:30PM.
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RECREATION
The Bridgewater Recreation Department is actively preparing for the Spring and Summer seasons. Registration for In Town, Junior Panthers, Panther Soccer Academy, and High School Soccer programs will open on January 31st. Most other Spring and Summer program registrations will open in mid February.
Learn more
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
DOG LICENSING DEADLINE APPROACHING:
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
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
SHOP BRIDGEWATER:
The Finance Department would like to encourage residents to participate in the "Shop Bridgewater" program. Over the last 3 years, residents, shopping locally, with the card have saved not only on goods but over $100,000 on their property tax bills.
Learn more
LAW DEPARTMENT
ALCOHOL ORDINANCE:
As part of what will be an ongoing initiative to repeal antiquated ordinances from the books, the Township’s legal department found an interesting provision which stated "no sales of alcoholic beverages for consumption on licensed premises shall be made on credit." This ordinance had been on the books since 1933, probably passed by the Township Council after the repeal of Prohibition and the passage of the 21
st
Amendment. It is unclear if this provision was ever enforced, and the Township Council repealed it at their January 16, 2020 meeting. Township Attorney Chris Corsini informs us it is now safe to pay for drinks at Bridgewater’s bars with a Mastercard.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
PUBLIC SAFETY ALERTS:
The Bridgewater PD is encouraging residents to sign up for Nixle which is a platform that allows residents to receive public safety alerts directly to their mobile phones.
Learn more
OPERATION BLUE ANGEL:
Operation Blue Angel is a program for Bridgewater residents only, that offers a person that is 65 years of age or older, or have a medical condition that is potentially incapacitating, or persons of any age with medical conditions that could lead to incapacitation and who live alone or are alone for extended periods of time on a regular basis, with a Police Department owned lock box similar to a realtor's lock box, which is mounted to a door of the home. A key, supplied by the resident, is locked inside the box. In the event of an emergency, responding police officers are able to retrieve the key by using a code accessed by our Communications Center, allowing us to enter the home without causing damage quickly.
Learn more
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
11:00AM - 2:00PM - Bridgewater Library
March 1st -
Bridgewater Winter Carnival
1:00PM - 4:00PM - Shimon and Sara Birnbaum Jewish Community Center
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Mike Pappas, Township Administrator
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Mike is the new Township Administrator in Bridgewater. He is responsible for the overall management of the Township and its employees. He will also be heading up the Township's Economic Development efforts.
Before joining the Bridgewater family, Mike had a diverse and interesting career which included time on the Somerset County Freeholder Board, the Small Business Administration and a term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
"I am excited to take on the challenge of helping to govern this great community," Mike said of his new position. "I represented Bridgewater on the Freeholder Board and am well-aware of this town's rich history. This is a town with a great sense of community and a bright, dynamic future."
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