MAYOR'S UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 24

Thanks to everyone who participated in Monday night’s public input meeting regarding Edison Fields. I’m grateful to the Recreation Commission for their ongoing work to hear and address residents’ feedback and find the best path forward to address our field shortage. As indicated on Monday, the next steps entail a meeting between members of the Board of Education and the Town Council, as well as the next monthly meeting between the Recreation Committee and the Neighborhood Advisory Group on October 5. In addition, we expect the results of the parking assessment in December, which will be very helpful in shaping the next phase of this ongoing community discussion. To be clear, there is much more information that needs to be gathered before determining if and how this project moves forward.

As a reminder, the Town Council meets on Tuesday night. Masks continue to be required when attending public meetings, and we will also be adding a mandatory sign-in sheet for contact tracing purposes going forward. The meetings will continue to be livestreamed on Facebook for those who prefer to remain virtual.

Wishing you all a great weekend!

FEMA ASSISTANCE FROM TROPICAL STORM IDA

As a reminder, Union County is part of FEMA’s Major Disaster Declaration for Tropical Storm Ida, which means that Westfield residents and businesses are eligible to apply for individual assistance. The deadline for residents to file FEMA claims is Thursday, November 4.

You can file in one of the following ways:

Call FEMA at 1-800-621-3362
Online at disasterassistance.gov
Use the FEMA app
Visit the local FEMA Disaster Recovery Center, located at the O’Donnell Dempsey Senior Center: 618 Salem Avenue, Elizabeth (or any Disaster Recovery Center nationwide)

Available assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

COVID-19 UPDATE

Regional Health Officer Megan Avallone reports that three of the six regions in New Jersey (including our Central East region) are showing high levels of activity, up from two last week. Notably, the state has an average high activity score for the first time since April 17, whereas during this calendar week in 2020 (without vaccinations), we were showing low activity levels. The Delta variant accounted for nearly 100% of the most recent case samples statewide for the four weeks ending September 4.

Locally, 42 cases were identified in Westfield between September 17 and September 23, 36% of which were in children under 18. The age ranges are broken down as follows:

Age 9 and under: 10 cases
Age 10-19: 5 cases
Age 20-29: 5 cases
Age 30-39: 5 cases
Age 40-49: 3 cases
Age 50-59: 9 cases
Age 60-69: 2 cases
Age 70-79: 3 cases
Age 80-89: No cases
Age 90 and above: No cases

Sadly, I am also reporting the death of an 84 year-old resident, bringing our total number of COVID fatalities to 61.

The state’s seven-day average for new confirmed cases is down 4% from a week ago and up 10% from a month ago, and the statewide transmission rate is 1.05.

Statewide, vaccination rates have decreased 11% from last week’s rate, with an average of 11.3K doses administered per day. More than 5.8 million New Jersey residents are fully vaccinated.

In Union County, 394,864 (70.9% of the total population) have received one dose of vaccine, and 349,762 (62.8% of the total population) are fully vaccinated.

In Westfield, 98% of those 65 and older, 97% of those 30 and older, 99% of the adult population (18+), 95% of those 12 and older, and 79% of the entire population has been vaccinated with at least one dose. In terms of fully vaccinated residents, the data shows 92% of those 65 and older, 92% of those 30 and older, 93% of adults (18+), 89% of those 12 and older, and 74% of the entire population.

As a reminder, any resident interested in receiving the vaccine can call 908-789-4070. A listing of upcoming pop up clinics can be found on the Health Department website.

WIRC

Applications are now being accepted for resident appointments to the Westfield Infrastructure Resiliency Committee (WIRC), which will be tasked with assessing the Town-wide stormwater infrastructure and its capacity to handle severe weather events, as well as ensuring that climate resiliency is a major consideration in all infrastructure decisions going forward.

Because of the comprehensive and substantial scope of the committee's work, participants would need to commit to a minimum of eight months, with the possibility of 1-2 hours of related work each week -- which will include committee meetings, working in subgroups, and conducting/analyzing research. The Town is seeking residents for the WIRC across each ward who have relevant personal experience in local flood prone areas, and/or professional experience in engineering, flood control, infrastructure, and other relevant fields that can supplement the Town's expertise.

For additional details and to apply online through October 6, visit westfieldnj.gov/WIRC.

POLICE UPDATE

Chief Battiloro reports the following notable incidents occurred in Westfield this past week:

September 21
A resident of the 300 block of Livingston Street reported the theft of the catalytic converter from his 2006 Honda Accord, which apparently occurred during the overnight hours while the vehicle was parked in the street in front of his residence. The victim valued the stolen catalytic converter at $600-$800. Thefts of catalytic converters from vehicles have been occurring statewide.

September 22
A resident of the 100 block of Landsdowne Avenue reported that her 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee was burglarized at approximately 4:34 AM, while it was parked in the driveway of her residence. The vehicle was left unlocked at the time of the burglary, and the incident was captured on video. Nothing was reported stolen at this time.

As Chief Battiloro has repeatedly reported, unlocked high-end vehicles are being targeted for burglary and theft. There have been 21 vehicles reported stolen to date in Westfield in 2021, 19 of which were subsequently recovered. Keys or key fobs have been used to steal every single vehicle. 90% of these vehicles were left unlocked with their key fobs inside at the time of their thefts.

Please take appropriate precautions to protect your property by removing valuables, including key fobs, and locking vehicles at all times. As always, please report all suspicious persons, vehicles and/or activities immediately via 9-1-1.

You can always read more detail about police activity in the weekly Police Blotter, which is posted every Tuesday on the Westfield Police Department’s website, as well as on the Westfield Police Department’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

GREEN ENERGY WEEK

Are you ready to ride in our first-ever Tour de Westfield this Sunday to kick off Green Energy Week? Due to a fantastic response, registration is now closed to join the two-mile family bike parade led by the Police Department, but don’t let that stop you from joining the rest of the morning’s activities. The fun kicks off at 10:00 AM at the North Avenue train station lot with DJ entertainment, followed by the Bling Your Bike Contest, WPD Bike Safety Rodeo, and Safe Bike Check hosted by Jay’s Cycle Center. Or, cheer on the participants along the bike parade route (Elm to East Broad Street, Park Street, North Euclid, South Euclid, Lenox Ave, Quimby Street, and Central Avenue, back to the North Avenue station). Full details are available on our website. Thanks to the Recreation Commission & Department, in collaboration with the Westfield Police Department, Green Team, Bicycle Advisory Board, BRAKES Coalition & Downtown Westfield Corporation.

In addition, the Westfield Green Team is partnering with the Central Jersey Electric Auto Association, to lead an EV 101 webinar on Wednesday, September 29, from 7:30 – 9:00 PM. This webinar will discuss the many benefits of driving electric, including state and federal incentives, cost efficiencies, and the health and climate advantages. Sign up online to receive the Zoom link.

And don’t miss our first Alternative Energy Fair on Saturday, October 2, at the South Avenue train station lot, to stay informed about eco-friendly solutions in the face of climate change. Attendees can view electric vehicles, electric bikes, and lawn equipment, and learn all about alternative energy and sustainability programs available in Westfield. The event will also feature live music by local band Save Mary, as well as food offerings from some of Westfield’s restaurants for attendees to enjoy. The rain date is Sunday, October 9. Register in advance to get all of the updates and save time at check in!

TOUR DE WESTFIELD BIKE PARADE ROUTE

STUDENTS CHANGE HUNGER WEEK

Join Westfield High School in the fight against hunger! Over the next several weeks, Westfield residents will receive a note at their front door from local WHS students asking for food donations as part of Students Change Hunger, a Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) program -- a friendly competition where students collect food or host food drives to help fight hunger in New Jersey.

WHS won the competition last year with the most food donated; in fact, WHS has donated more than 28,000 pounds of food -- equivalent to 84,000 meals -- over the last seven years! Unfortunately, as a result of COVID, food insecurity remains a significant issue here in New Jersey, and Students Change Hunger is looking to be part of the solution with assistance from the community. Please keep an eye out for the food pick up notices in your neighborhood, or make a donation.

EVICTION PREVENTION INFORMATION

As New Jersey winds down the COVID-19 eviction moratorium, the State has introduced critical protections to renter households who experienced economic hardships during the pandemic. If you live in a New Jersey household with income below 120% of your county's Area Median Income, you are permanently protected from eviction or removal at any time for nonpayment of rent, habitual late payment of rent, or failure to accept a rent increase that accrued from March 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021.

Depending on your household's income level and specific circumstances, you may also be eligible for protection from eviction or removal through December 31, 2021, and other assistance and services. These protections are not affected by the Supreme Court's decision on the CDC's eviction moratorium.

More details regarding renter protections and the self-certification form are available on the state's website.

ADDAMSFEST

October is almost here! The AddamsFest team, under the leadership of Councilwoman Dawn Mackey, is preparing to deliver its fourth annual celebration of Westfield’s own Charles Addams. There are a few tickets left for next Friday’s Mask-erade Ball on the grounds of The Westfield Historical Society, and registrations are filling up fast for the Haunt Your House Contest. And don’t miss the opening of the Rialto Theater for this year’s art exhibit throughout the month of October.

Additional details about Family Fun Day on Quimby, Dudley’s Drive-In, and Charlie’s Ale Garden will be out shortly. Follow AddamsFest on Facebook and Instagram for all of the latest, or sign up for email updates on the AddamsFest website.