MAYOR'S UPDATE:
WEEK ENDING JUNE 10

Thanks to everyone who joined us for yesterday’s Pride Month celebration! The Pride flag is flying at Town Hall once again, a tradition that we proudly started in 2019, which was followed in 2020 by the painting of the rainbow crosswalks – both important symbols of Westfield’s spirit of inclusivity and allyship. It was particularly great to see so many students leading by example to stand up for issues that matter to them. Thanks to Councilwoman Mackey for organizing the event, and to Judy and Jeffrey Rust for donating the Pride flags that were distributed to all of the participants.

In case you missed it, I posted an update on my Facebook page this week highlighting many of the exciting new additions coming to Downtown Westfield. Reves Smoothie Café and La Bendita are coming to Quimby Street; an expanded Akai Lounge with a beautiful bar and Kirshenbaum Baking Company will be on Elm Street; and a newly expanded Mimi & Hill, infant clothing store Francis Henri, and delicious international options from Chutzpah Kitchen, German Doner Kebab, Gong Cha bubble tea, and Mochimoly Donuts will all be located on East Broad St. It’s an exciting time as we look forward to welcoming these new businesses! 

This weekend, don’t miss the Farmers Market on Saturday from 8:30 - 1:00, with the addition of several new vendors this week, as well as the Tour de Westfield on Sunday! Registration for this popular event is now full, but you can cheer on the cyclists along their route, or you can volunteer to help by signing up online.

As a reminder, the Town Council meets on Tuesday night. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS

THE WESTFIELD VETERANS BANNER PROGRAM

The Town of Westfield is proud to partner with the Westfield Veterans Fund, a locally established 501(c)(3) organization, to introduce the Westfield Veterans Banner Program, which will honor local veterans with banners displayed in Downtown Westfield.

Phase 1 of this program is expected to begin on July 4, when the first 30 banners will be displayed on poles adjacent to Monument Circle, along East Broad Street, North Avenue, and South Avenue. The service details for these initial 30 veterans have been identified and verified through the resources and cooperation of the Westfield Historical Society. 

Community sponsorship opportunities are now available to fund the cost of the banners. Donations can be made directly to the Westfield Veterans Fund. The suggested donation is $125 (the cost of a banner), although any amount is appreciated and helps the Westfield Veterans Fund make these banners a reality for the community. 

The banners are expected to remain on display from July 4 through Veterans Day, and will then return annually each Memorial Day. In the coming months, a submission process will be made available, where residents can provide service information about additional veterans to be included in subsequent phases of the program as it continues to grow.  

Thanks to Councilwoman Dawn Mackey and to resident volunteers Jen Blasi, Joe Mindak, and Robert Wendel for their work on the Town’s behalf to assist the Westfield Veterans Fund with this important community effort.

SWEET SOUNDS DOWNTOWN

Save the dates for the 25th Annual Sweet Sounds Downtown Music Festival – every Tuesday night in July and August, from 7:00 - 9:00 PM. This favorite summer activity draws residents and visitors alike to Downtown Westfield for dining, shopping and, of course, the fabulous musical entertainment. Thanks to the DWC for scheduling another great line-up of performers! 

BUILDING DEPARTMENT ONLINE IMPROVEMENTS

Did you know that you can conduct many transactions with the Building Department online? This includes the ability to schedule inspection appointments, track the progress of a permit application, and view property history – including construction permits, inspections, violations, and more. The Building Department page of our website also has a helpful FAQ section that addresses common questions about the permitting process. For full details, visit westfieldnj.gov/building. 

RECREATION SUMMER CAMPS & PROGRAMS

There’s something for everyone in this summer’s Recreation programming! Sports camps include volleyball, field hockey, flag football (including a new girls week), wrestling, fencing, lacrosse, tennis (including adult clinics), and track & field.  Along with the sports camps, middle schoolers have additional camps that are available to them to keep them active this summer – from disc golf, to pickleball, ultimate frisbee and a new Spikeball camp.  

Non-sports camp offerings include LEGO, magic, science, film, robotics, sewing, and the new CSI Crime Scene Investigation. For more information or to register, visit our website. 

CROSSING GUARDS

As you know, the Town has been faced with impacts to our crossing guard staffing levels in recent weeks, due to labor shortages and COVID infections. Chief Battiloro reports that, in order to preserve sufficient police staffing levels for ongoing public safety needs and unanticipated emergencies, the Town will continue to focus its available resources on the posts with the highest pedestrian volume, which are those closest to the schools. As a result, the following posts will be unstaffed for the remaining two weeks of the school year:

• Elm Street/Walnut Street
• East Dudley Avenue/Lawrence Avenue
• Kimball Avenue/Mountain Avenue
• Boulevard/Clifton Street
• Boulevard/Park Street
• Boulevard/West Grove Street
• Central Avenue/Cambridge Road (HAWK Light)
• Clifton Street/Central Avenue/Sycamore Street
• Scotch Plains Avenue/First Street

It’s important to remember that there are two local supervisors here in Westfield, hired by All City Management Services, who oversee the crossing guard program on a daily basis – from staffing, to covering posts, to ongoing communication with the Police Department as needed. The labor shortage issue is not specific to Westfield, and certainly not specific to our crossing guards, as similar challenges are faced across the nation in various industries. That being said, Town administration and Chief Battiloro will be meeting with ACMS to review the program and make recommendations for how best to address the staffing issue before students return to school in the fall. Thank you for your patience and understanding during these challenging times. 

BIKE SAFETY

With the summer months upon us, the Bicycle Advisory Board reminds residents to keep the streets of Westfield safe for bicycles and cars. If you ride a bike, wear a helmet and ensure that your bike is in good working order. For those with children on bikes, it’s important that they know the rules of the road as well. Did you know that in Downtown Westfield business zone sidewalks are off limits to bikes due to a local ordinance? 

The Bicycle Advisory Board also would like to make drivers aware of the new Safe Passing Law. Drivers in New Jersey are now required to approach and pass vulnerable road users, including cyclists, pedestrians, scooters, and people in wheelchairs, or other road users not protected inside vehicles, with “due caution,” meaning both slowing down and giving the other user plenty of space when passing.

• Drivers must follow all current no-passing, no speeding laws and move over a lane when one is available. 
• On a single lane road, drivers must allow a four-feet safety zone when they pass bikes, people on foot, scooters or wheelchairs. 
• If four feet is not possible on a section of road, drivers must slow to 25mph and be prepared to stop until they can pass safely without endangering those sharing the road. 

You can find additional details on the Safe Passing Law online.

The Westfield Bicycle Board is working to create a more bike friendly town by evaluating potential bicycle routes, creating bike oases, and encouraging bicycle safety. For more information, visit westfieldnj.gov/bicycleadvisoryboard.

COMMUNITY ENERGY PLAN GRANT PROGRAM

We received the good news this week that Westfield is among the 46 municipalities in the state that received a grant from the Board of Public Utilities toward the formulation of its Community Energy Plan. This program was designed to provide local governments with the opportunity to localize the 2019 New Jersey Energy Master Plan’s energy efficiency and clean energy goals within their communities. Thanks to the Green Team, we now have $10,000 in funding to apply to these efforts, as part of their ongoing focus on Westfied’s sustainability goals.