FANWOOD — Mayor Colleen Mahr reported on Monday that she had recently toured the inside of the new library and declared that it “looks awesome.”
At the borough council’s business meeting, the mayor said that painting has been completed, the flooring has been installed and the carpeting is expected to be laid soon. The copper roofing for the semi-circular area facing the corner of North Avenue and Tillotson Road that will be used for children’s storytelling also is expected to be installed soon.
The $8.2-million project, funded in part by a state bond, got underway a year ago. While the new library has been under construction, its operations have taken place in trailers on the north side of the train station. The council on Monday passed resolutions authorizing funds for the installation of shelving at the new library. The mayor said that she does not have a firm date for the new facility’s grand opening but expects that it will occur “this summer.”
Mayor Mahr also recently toured the interior of the new Jessica’s restaurant at the corner of South and Martine Avenue and said that it is “absolutely gorgeous.” The restaurant is expected to open on Monday, April 15.
Borough Engineer Antonios Panagopoulos updated the council on this year’s road-repair program, which will include Glenwood Road, Rainier Road, Tillotson Road, Pandick Court, Robin Road, Willoughby Road, Oak Court and Second Street. He said grants from the state transportation trust fund, totaling about $535,000, and another grant from the county will help fund those projects.
Borough Administrator Jesse Moehlman said that he and Chief Financial Officer Patricia Celardo are “working through the budget” and that he expects the 2024 spending plan will be set for introduction in April or May after the council has had a chance to examine it. Last year’s $10.7-million budget, which included a 1.5-percent increase in the municipal portion of property taxes, was introduced in late May and adopted in late June.
Council President Kathy Mitchell reminded residents of some important dates in the next month, with leaf pickup taking place on April 15 and Clean Communities Day occurring on Saturday, April 20, and kicking off at the south side of the train station. The brush and branch pickup will take place on Monday, April 22, in the northeast and northwest quadrants and on Monday, April 29, in the southeast and southwest quadrants. The Fanwood recycling center will be open on Saturday, April 6, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The annual Easter Egg Hunt is set for this Saturday, March 23, at 10 a.m., at Forest Road Park. Councilwoman Erin McElroy Barker urged residents to arrive early because the event usually starts exactly at 10 a.m. and at 10:01, “the eggs are gone and children are crying.”
The council also passed a resolution expressing support for the efforts of “Union County Connects,” which is seeking to convert underutilized and abandoned railroad right-of-ways in the county into bicycle and walking trails. Stephen Dunn, a Kenilworth resident who is president of the group, spoke briefly and said much of the old Rahway Valley line hopefully will be converted in the years ahead and, ultimately, connect points throughout the county. The aim, he said, is to provide safe walking and biking trails amidst all of the new development in the county and the related increase in vehicular traffic.
At the start of the meeting, a proclamation was read declaring the week of March 10 to 16 as Girl Scout Week, with local Scout members in attendance to promote the annual Girl Scout cookie sale. A separate proclamation recognized March as Women’s History Month, and with Councilmen Jeffrey Banks and Anthony Carter absent from Tuesday’s meeting, it was an allwomen governing body — Mayor Mahr, Council President Mitchell and Council members Gina Berry, Patricia Walsh and Erin McElroy Barker — overseeing the meeting.
