MAYOR'S UPDATE:
JANUARY 21

Thanks to everyone who came out on Monday to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with the MLK Association of Westfield. I am grateful to all who attended this event in solidarity as we continue to commit to a more inclusive Westfield that stands up for each other and against all forms of hate.

On the COVID front, this most recent surge is continuing to recede. In New Jersey, hospitalizations fell below 5,000 today, the transmission rate continues to drop, and the state’s seven-day average for new confirmed positive tests dropped for the 11th consecutive day. While this is indeed very good news, it’s important to remember that the case totals statewide still remain above those seen prior to the omicron surge. Please continue to mask up in public places and get boosted if you have not already done so. Governor Murphy reported this week that the rates of infection and hospitalization for those with boosters is more than three times lower than for those who have only a primary vaccination.

As a reminder, the Town Council will meet virtually on Tuesday night, as we continue to take additional public health precautions in light of the current COVID numbers. With case numbers trending in the right direction, I am hopeful that we can return to in-person meetings in the near future.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

COVID-19

This week, the federal government announced that every household can order up to four rapid tests by visiting covidtests.gov. In addition, Governor Murphy has signed an executive order mandating that all employees of health care facilities and high risk congregate settings obtain their first dose of vaccine by January 27.

According to the New Jersey Department of Health, all but one region in the state (the Southeast Region) continues to show very high activity levels, although health officials state that the omicron variant has likely peaked in the state, as rates of transmission and positivity rates decline. New Jersey’s statewide transmission rate declined today to 0.78, marking the fourth straight day it was below the key benchmark of 1.0.

For the week of January 14 through January 20, there were 118 cases identified in Westfield (down from 177 last week), 48 of which were in those age 19 and younger.

Statewide, vaccination rates have decreased by 10% from last week’s rate, with an average of 36.3K doses administered per day. More than 6.5 million New Jersey residents are fully vaccinated, and more than 2.6 million have received third doses or boosters.

In Union County, 71.5% of the population is fully vaccinated. In Westfield, 99% of adults and 79% of our entire population is fully vaccinated. In addition, 55% of children ages 5-11 in Westfield have received at least one dose of vaccine, and, of those eligible, booster coverage by age group is as follows:

Ages 12-15: 9%
Ages 16-17: 33%
Ages 18-29: 49%
Ages 30-49: 64%
Ages 50-64: 67%
Ages 65-79: 77%
Ages 80+: 76%

Additional breakdowns by location and age group can be found on the NJ COVID-19 Dashboard.

The Health Department will continue to offer COVID vaccination clinics, walk-in appointments, and home visits throughout the winter – in addition to free flu vaccinations for any adult 18 or older. There are two local COVID vaccination clinics scheduled over the next week – one tomorrow in Summit, and one on January 28 in New Providence. Please see the attached fliers for full details.

All residents over the age of 12 who are five months past their last dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or two months past their dose of J&J, are highly encouraged to get a booster dose, as recommended by the CDC. Any resident interested in receiving the vaccine can call 908-789-4070.

POLICE UPDATE

Residential parking permit renewals are ongoing this month, with the Parking Office open every Saturday in January from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Please remember to bring proof of residency and the registration for each vehicle that needs a permit. If you have any questions about the parking permit process, please call 908-789-4044.

Thanks to everyone for your patience with our recent crossing guard post modifications. As is the case in many sectors of the workforce, COVID-driven staffing shortages continue to impact our operations and have resulted in the post coverage changes that will continue next week. In better news, our crossing guard management company, ACMS, has recently hired several new guards, who are in the process of being trained. We expect that these new hires, in combination with what will hopefully be an ongoing trend of declining COVID cases, will alleviate some of these shortages in the next few weeks. We will of course continue to reassess each week based on available personnel.

In terms of police activity this week, the department responded to reports of shoplifting, car burglary, assault, and fraud/identity theft. You can read more details in the weekly Police Blotter, which is posted every Tuesday on the Westfield Police Department’s website, as well as on the their Facebook (@WestfieldNJPD) and Instagram (@westfieldnjpd) pages.

THE COFFEE KIOSK REOPENS!

Have you visited the newly reopened coffee kiosk at the South Avenue train station? We held a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this week to celebrate the official reopening of this beloved building. At our last Town Council meeting, we voted to refer this property to the Planning Board for historic designation. The Historic Preservation Commission’s designation recommendation report indicates that the kiosk, which dates back to 1893, is one of the last remaining exterior newsstands in the country, and represents a time when newspapers controlled the flow of information and the railroad controlled the country’s mobility. You can read the full report that includes many fascinating details about the history of the kiosk on our website.

After an historic renovation, the kiosk is now under the management of Boxcar and is ready to serve coffee to returning commuters, with additional services to come. Thanks to Joe Colangelo and the team at Boxcar for bringing this Westfield institution back to life!

(Photo credit:TAPinto Westfield)

COMMUNITY DISCUSSION ON DISRUPTING HATE

Please join the MLK Association of Westfield, in partnership with the Human Relations Advisory Commission, for a community discussion entitled Disrupt Hate – Working Toward an Inclusive Westfield, which will be held on February 3 at Westfield High School. This panel discussion will engage the community on how we can promote inclusion and disrupt the atrocious acts of hate we continue to see.

You are welcome to attend in person or via live stream, with additional details available at the event's online registration page.

COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM

At our last Town Council meeting, we voted on a resolution to authorize the use of the Community Solar program in Westfield. This program allows Westfield residents to get the benefits of 100% renewable energy without the installation of solar panels, while reducing your monthly electricity supply costs by 20%-25% without changing utility providers.

Community solar projects,which are owned by SolarLandscape, generate clean energy and are located throughout New Jersey. The generated renewable energy is fed into the local power grid and offsets power that you are using in your residence. For more details on how the program works, you can view this brief informational video.

If you are interested in enrolling, visit the Join Today page at gotsolarlandscape.com, and enter code GTWES. Please note that there is limited availability, as this program is being offered in multiple municipalities. Thanks to the Green Team for identifying this opportunity in sustainability and cost savings for our residents.

PUBLIC BUDGET FORUM

Please join the Town Council Finance Policy Committee for a Zoom forum on Thursday night at 7:00PM to review the performance of the 2021 budget, provide an overview of the 2022 budget process, and solicit input from residents prior to this year's budget formation.

This is the fourth year we’ve provided this public meeting forum as part of my administration’s ongoing commitment to a transparent and public municipal budget process. This year’s discussion will take place via Zoom and can be accessed at bit.ly/2022WestfieldPublicBudgetForum.