Message from Mayor Fritts
Happy Friday residents of Allentown. I want to address a few items as we approach the weekend.
Covid-19:
Our little village has experienced an uptick in Corona virus cases over the past few weeks. We have jumped from 10 to 15 cases within the month so we need to be extra careful. Becuase we are just two weeks away from school opening with a hybrid plan of in person and remote learning, I want to emphasize the importance of social distancing, hand washing and wearing masks when forced to be in close proximity to others.
Hurricane Issaias:
The Borough was hit very hard by the most recent hurricane. Because the governing body has negotiated an emergency equipment shared service with Robbinsville, we were able to secure a chipper which allowed us to ease the restrictions for brush cleanup. Although we are mostly done, our Parks were hit the hardest. Our trails in Heritage were devestated and not accesable because of down trees. We have begun that cleanup so please have patience. I authorized some Saturday work for our DPW to move cleanup along. We know how much you enjoy the parks and we are working hard to open them up fully.
Committee, Commission & Council Meetings:
The governing body has decided to reinstate virtual meetings for
the month of September to limit contact with residents and staff. It is very important to maintain our staff, the governing body and the safety of our residents. We will advertise all meetings, along with instructions to sign in. We hope you understand that safety comes first.
Additional updates:
Water Tower Improvement Project has been completed. We are negotiating with mobile companies to paint the lines. We are looking for another mobile tower to replace Sprint which has been removed. This generates significant revenue for our town. Our waste water treatment plant is right on schedule and budget. We have eliminated all DEP fines and expect to complete this project on time. After a decade of delays, fines and stalled projects, we will complete the waste water treatment plant and move on to other important projects such as storm water repairs, Phase 2B of streetscape,, eliminating the last of just a few abandoned properties which we are already working on. Ashby Park project, neighborhood improvements to storm water drains and many other initiatives.
Traffic and pedestrian safety will start within the next few months with specific actions. We will look to install street signs on private roads in the neighborhoods, banning 2 ton trucks. Entering these streets will result in fines and increased penalites for repeat offendors. Speed Enforcement Zones will allow our local police department to clamp down on speeding and allow us to issue strong fines and mandatory penalties. Working with neighboring town to eventually install a round about at Mercer Corporate Park and no left turns, moving truck traffic away from town.
I want to emphasize that it is often impossible to work on everything effectively at one time. My goal was to complete the water tower and the waste water treatment plant and move on to the next big project. 2021 will be the year of traffic calming and pedestrian safety. If you have any questions do not hesitate to call me. I currently receive 10-15 calls daily and promise to get back to you as quickly as possible. Please be safe and take care.
We are Better Together and please don’t forget to support our local businesses. They need us more than ever.
Sincerely,
Thomas
Mayor Fritts
The post Message from Allentown Mayor Fritts 8/28/20 first appeared on The Source.
