Summer 2023

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

Eric F. Wilsusen

Summer 2023 

Happy Summer, Jefferson! 

Our 2023 Municipal Budget was approved in April; I thank the Township Council for working with my Administration. Budget preparation is a long process that we begin at the end of September and work through until March/April. I thank my Business Administrator, Debi Millikin, CFO Bill Eagen, and our finance staff for all their hard work on the budget. Our early budget process has again paid off with lower bid pricing on road paving. 

Our 2023 road resurfacing program is underway. Public Works are out prepping roads, completing drainage, etc. We will release RAVE notifications and alert our residents as these projects progress. 

The Township received an NJ DOT grant of $374K to mill, pave clear trees, and install guide rail for Minnisink Road. Trees have already been cleared, and milling and paving will start in August. We will close the road for local traffic only during milling and paving; notices will be sent to the residents. There will be a little inconvenience, but the work will go quicker. 

As part of our 10-year capital improvement plan for road improvements, our ongoing Township paving program this year will include Longwood Lake Road, Garnett Drive, Forrest Ridge Terrace, Squirrelwood Drive, Bear Drive, Eagle Drive, Fox Road, Patridge Run, Moose Drive, Elk & E. Elk Drive, Redman's Drive, Indian Drive, Solar Road, Valley Road, Aldrin Drive, Maryann Drive, 2nd Lt. Wrobloewski, Lorna Lane, Mackenzie Drive and a portion of Taylor Road. We plan on cape-sealing Preston Lake Road, Upper Lake Road, Hidden Hills Road and Sparta-Mtn Road, and a portion of Taylor Road. 

Other capital projects slated for this year are the replacement of the Lakeside Turf field, the replacement of the creative playground at the municipal complex, public works yard/recycling improvements, various guide rail replacements, and ongoing drainage improvements. 

Work continues on Route 15 with all the State projects I know have created traffic headaches for many. The Township, through the County of Morris, received a 1.3 million dollar grant for the replacement of a bridge on Three Rivers Drive. NJ Natural Gas continues to install gas mains throughout the community. 

Be sure to subscribe to my Mayors Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mayorjeffersontownship) for postings for future Mayors Wellness programs as well as other events, news, and announcements. 

Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill's office notified us about a month ago that the design for Jefferson Township's Sanitary Sewer project was selected as one of the 15 community projects to be submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for the fiscal year 2024. This $750K project would fund the initial study and design work for the installation of sanitary sewers along Lake Hopatcong in Jefferson Township. The importance of this project was highlighted when the lake and surrounding community suffered from a Harmful Algal Bloom in 2019, resulting from excessive nutrient levels in the lake combined with the effects of climate change. Local experts indicate that the most impactful solution to mitigation of HABs in the future would be to install sanitary sewers in Jefferson Township, the last remaining town bordering the lake to initiate this infrastructure. I want to thank our Congresswoman for her support for this project and for genuinely taking an interest in the health of Lake Hopatcong in particular. Sewers around Lake Hopatcong will be a game changer for the lake's health in the future. I will continue to keep the community updated as information becomes available. 

Please continue to support our local businesses. 

Have a safe and enjoyable summer!