MAYOR'S UPDATE:
NOVEMBER 19

I hope you had the chance to catch our Facebook Live panel discussion last night about the future of office spaces and the opportunities they can present for Westfield. Our knowledgeable panelists provided some great insights from the perspectives of sustainability, commercial real estate trends, commuting, post-pandemic lifestyle shifts, and zoning opportunities. Thanks to Streetworks, Topology, renowned architect Michael Green, and Westfield resident Denise Brouder of SWAYworkplace for a truly informative look at what’s possible for Downtown Westfield. If you missed it, the replay is available on the Town’s Facebook page.

This weekend, there’s lots to do in and around Town, starting with the final Farmers Market of the year on Saturday from 8:30 - 1:00 at the North Avenue Train Station Lot.

And on Sunday at 3:00, come out to cheer on the Westfield High School girls’ soccer team as they play Freehold for the program’s first State Title since 1989! The game will be held at Kean University, and tickets can be purchased at njsiaa.org/tickets.

You can also join your friends and neighbors to cheer on the team at Kehler Stadium at 12:50, as they board the bus to leave for the game. Let’s show our support for the hard work these girls have done to get to the championship! Go Blue Devils!! ??????

Looking ahead to next week, we have a Town Council meeting on Tuesday night. Municipal offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving, which will be followed by the kickoff of the holiday season with the Christmas tree lighting on Sunday, November 28 and the menorah lighting on Monday, November 29.

Wishing you all a great weekend!

COVID-19 UPDATE

This morning, the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for fully vaccinated people age 18 and older. Those who received the Pfizer or Moderna immunizations for their first two doses would be eligible for a booster six months after their second shot, while those who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine would be eligible for a booster two months after their first shot. The recommendation was also unanimously approved by the CDC's committee of independent experts this afternoon. Once final approval is granted by the CDC Director, the booster shots could become widely available right away.

Regional Health Officer Megan Avallone reports that, once again, one of the six regions in New Jersey (our Central East region) is showing high levels of activity.

Locally, health officials continue to see an increase in cases, especially in school aged children. There were 51 cases identified in Westfield between November 12 and November 18 (up from 38 last week). The age ranges are broken down as follows:

Age 9 and under: 8 cases
Age 10-19: 8 cases
Age 20-29: 5 cases
Age 30-39: 5 cases
Age 40-49: 11 cases
Age 50-59: 11 cases
Age 60-69: 3 cases
Age 70-79: No cases
Age 80-89: No cases
Age 90 and above: No cases

The state’s seven-day average for new confirmed cases is up 31% from a week ago and 27% from a month ago. The statewide transmission rate is 1.17.

Statewide, vaccination rates have increased 32% from last week’s rate, with an average of 51.1K doses administered per day. As of Monday, more than 47,000 children between ages 5-11 statewide had received vaccine doses since the Pfizer shots were approved for that age group. More than 6.2 million New Jersey residents are fully vaccinated.

In Union County, 66.5% of the population is fully vaccinated. In Westfield, 96% of adults and 76% of our entire population is fully vaccinated. Additional breakdowns by location and age group can be found on the NJ COVID Dashboard.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, please remember to take the appropriate precautions, especially for those who are unvaccinated. The CDC has provided some detailed guidance for keeping gatherings safe on their website.

POLICE UPDATE

Thanks to the Westfield Police Department School Resource Officers Riga and R. Johnson for providing the eighth grade Westfield PAL football team with a celebratory police escort back to town after winning the championship game last weekend!

For the latest police activity, the Police Blotter includes information about several cases of fraud/identity theft, as well as attempted car burglaries on Lawrence Avenue, Kimball Avenue, Everson Place, Baker Avenue, and Wyandotte Trail, and a stolen unlocked vehicle on Hyslip Avenue.

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 Westfield Police Department’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

NEW JERSEY LEAGUE OF MUNICIPALITIES

This week marked the return of the annual NJ League of Municipalities Conference, which is always a great opportunity to hear from other elected officials and subject matter experts throughout the state on a wide range of issues. As a member of the League’s state task force on liquor license reform, I moderated a panel discussion on that topic and advocated for the need to update our archaic liquor license laws in order to drive economic development in our downtowns. I will continue to work with the League on drafting potential legislation to be introduced next term.

While at the conference, I also attended the Sustainable Jersey awards ceremony, where the Town of Westfield was awarded Silver Certification for the second consecutive year, making us one of 24 towns receiving this distinction and further exemplifying our ongoing commitment to sustainable practices. Many thanks to the Green Team and Town employees who made this possible!

And yesterday, the New Jersey Association of County and City Health Officials (NJACCHO), of which Megan Avallone is the immediate past president, received the Distinguished Public Service Award from Governor Murphy for the Association’s commitment to New Jersey’s residents during the past 20 months. This was incredibly well-deserved recognition for health officers statewide for their unparalleled dedication during this unprecedented time.

DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY EVENTS

The holiday season is nearly here, and the DWC has organized a fantastic line-up of festive events! Don’t miss the beloved Christmas Tree and Menorah Lightings, free gift wrapping at the Holiday Welcome Center, Snaps with Santa, Cool Carving Ice Sculptures, the Miracle on Elm Street weekly gift card giveaways, holiday music downtown, and the new Downtown Westfield Gift Card! In addition, our seasonal free shopper parking begins November 26 to capture those Black Friday and Shop Small Saturday deals from our local businesses. The DWC has all of the details on their website.

VOLUNTEER APPLICATIONS

As a reminder, our annual call for volunteers for Boards, Commissions, and Mayor’s Advisory Councils remains open through November 29. Thank you to everyone who has already submitted an application! For more information and an application, visit westfieldnj.gov/volunteer.