Veterans Day

On Friday, November 11th, the Township Committee joined representatives from Morristown in honoring our veterans with the Morristown and Morris Township Memorial and Veterans Day Association. It was an honor joining Association members for wreath laying services at veterans memorials across our community.

Thank you to all who have served to protect our freedom and way of life.

Morristown Area American Little League 10-Year-Old All Stars

I was an avid little league baseball player growing up in the Township. Knowing how hard little leaguers, their coaches, and their parents prepare throughout the year for summer all-stars, it was a pleasure recognizing players from my former cross-town rivals at our November meeting. The Morristown Area American Little League’s 10-Year-Old All-Star Team made history this summer during their record-setting run. These all-stars are the first ever MAALL 10U team to win sections and states at 10U level. They were 10U - District 1, Section 1 and NJ State champions and regional finalists.

Congratulations to these dedicated and determined players. Morris Township couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments and can’t wait to see what's in store for the 2023 season!

Tree Replacements

If you’ve driven on Harter Rd recently, you may have noticed freshly planted trees along the roadway. These plantings are part of a $100,000 allocation in this year’s budget for tree replacements across our community. We will continue to use these funds, along with funds in future years’ budgets, to restore tree canopies across Morris Township.

Advocating for our Firefighters

Recently, I joined mayors from neighboring communities to advocate for increased flexibility for our volunteer firefighters to qualify for important benefits through the New Jersey Firemen’s’ Association. In 2019, the Association updated guidance on how local fire departments should track the call volumes of their members from a “platoon system” to a 24-hour system. Platoon systems allowed departments, like Morris Township’s, to track members’ responses solely on either their daytime or nighttime responses, which ever was higher. Members needed to attain at least 50% of calls receive during their platoon to reach the threshold for the year. This system was advantageous for members unable to respond to calls while they were at work during the daytime.

To support our volunteers, I joined mayors from Madison, Hanover, and Florham Park advocating that the Association empower volunteer departments across the state to provide the flexibility of choosing which system works best for their members. 

Pickleball Registration Ordinance Introduced

Since October, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, has worked to update the rules and regulations of the courts and establish a registration system for 2023 play. This month, the Township Committee introduced an ordinance to establish the new registration system. Residents will have the opportunity to register through Community Pass for a minimal fee; guest passes will be made available for each resident registrant. Registrations for non-residents will open after the resident application period has ended and will include a $175 fee with no guest passes.

The public hearing for this ordinance will take place at our Dec 21st meeting.

Energy Aggregation Ordinance Introduced

In September, the Environmental Commission presented a panel of industry experts to discuss the topic of Community Energy Aggregation (CEA). Energy aggregation allows a municipality to negotiate a more favorable electricity rate for its residents and, possibly, a greater mix of renewable energy sources, resulting in a lower carbon footprint. This month, the Township Committee introduced an ordinance that would allow Morris Township to enlist professional services to negotiate favorable energy rates for our residents in the future.

Thank you to our Environmental Commission for getting this initiative across the finish line. In particular, I’d like to thank Commission members Cece Kent and Josh Saks, along with Chair Brian Morgan and former Chairs Buz Kenney and Dan Falkner.



The public hearing for this ordinance will take place at our Dec 21st meeting.

257 Mt. Kemble Ave Zoning Ordinance

In 2020, the Board of Adjustment voted in favor of the application for the development of 11 townhomes at 257 Mt. Kemble Ave. However, due to the nature of the application, a super-majority vote in favor was required for approval, but not met. The Township entered litigation with this applicant in April 2021 over the owner's right to develop 11 townhomes on the property. To avoid the construction of 11 townhomes, which the governing body feels is too large for the property, we have reached a settlement agreement to rezone the property to permit four single-family homes on the property and acquire 3 acres of open space for preservation.

Due to the potential for this matter to go to court, where a judge might remand the application back to the Board of Adjustment for the consideration of townhomes or overturn the Board of Adjustment decision and approve the application, the Township Committee feels that zoning the property to allow four single-family homes, with three acres being added to the Township's open space inventory, is the best realistic alternative to limit over-development.

The public hearing for this ordinance will take place at our Dec 21st meeting.

Morris Township Receives Sustainable Jersey Certification for the First Time

This month, Sustainable Jersey announced the recipients of the 2022 Sustainable Jersey municipal awards and the 81 towns that have achieved certification. Thanks to the hard work of Deputy Mayor Cathy Wilson, along with Environmental Commission members Jen Carcich and Barbara Buda, Morris Township was recognized by the organization for the first time.

Established in 2009, the Sustainable Jersey Annual Awards support and recognize the municipalities and leaders who have demonstrated sustainability excellence.



Thank you for all of your hard work!

Red Bulls Application Approved by Planning Board

Since August, the Township’s Planning Board has undergone the site plan review process, with participation from the public, for the Red Bulls Training Facility application. After seven public meetings on the application, the Planning Board approved the application. Construction of the facility is expected to commence in the coming months.

Thank you for reading my November newsletter. Please be sure to follow Morris Township by signing up for our Municipal Messenger, liking our Facebook page, and following us on Instagram.

Best,

Mark