Hello! 

I hope you have all been enjoying the summer.  The past month has unfortunately included storms and power outages.  JCPL has been working in partnership with the Township, and will be conducting a study to review the analytics on frequency and locations of where outages occur, as well as variables, such as where trees were last trimmed. This will take several weeks, and will be reported back to the township. In the meantime, if an outage occurs in your home, please, as you are able, call JCPL so the outage is recorded.  The contact number is 1-888-544-4877.  In addition, if you or anyone in your household is dependent upon electricity for life support equipment, and/or you have a well, contact JCPL.

Safety and security have been among the community’s top priorities.  To that end, during our June 26th meeting, Mackenzie Weber was sworn in as the fourth woman and 40th member of the Bernards Township Police Department. Mackenzie joins us from the Somerset County Sheriff’s department. You can meet Mackenzie and other members of our Police Department and emergency responders, along with county resources, at the upcoming August 6th National Night Out, held behind the 1 Collyer Lane municipal complex.

All of the Township Committee members serve as liaisons to the various boards and commissions. I am the liaison to our Environmental Commission, on which BTDC member Nancy Cook is assistant chair. Among the Commission’s projects has been the design and creation of a Native Plant Pollinator Garden at the Bernards Township Library. The project is now complete, and at the July 23 Township Committee meeting I had the pleasure of recognizing resident Susan Kessel for her leadership and 80+ hours of volunteering to design and create the garden. 

Lastly, as I’ve communicated in previous newsletters, Affordable Housing fourth round legislation was signed into law on March 20, 2024. Our township will again be faced with making decisions to meet our obligations in support of the legislation. In preparation, the Township has contracted Kendra Lelie, Principal Planner, Kyle and McManus, to assist with our fourth round of Affordable Housing requirements.  Kendra made a presentation to the community on June 9, providing a review of definitions, the fourth-round timeline, and Bernards’ past and anticipated approach. The presentation can be viewed here.

Thank you again to all who have been attending the Township Committee Meetings. Your presence is greatly appreciated!

You can contact me on Township matters at (201) 306-0178, or via email at amccarthy@bernards.org. Please note that any correspondence sent to me will be visible to the full township committee and township clerk.