As you likely know, one of those goals is to increase the visibility of our local government at work, which was also a major theme of our election campaign.  In this respect, we are committed to periodically updating you on what our administration is working on and what it has so far accomplished on your behalf.   As we have reached the end of January, 2008, please allow this initial report to summarize the progress of the first thirty-one days of my administration:

1.  Stabilizing the Municipal Portion of Your Property Taxes

• Upon taking office on January 1, 2008, I directed our Business Administrator, Alayne Shepler, to immediately implement an across the board municipal hiring freeze.  Any required hires in the future will be done in a manner which minimizes costs to Marlboro Taxpayers.   In addition, we are in the process of carefully reviewing  the proposed 2008 budgets submitted by each municipal department, and in response challenged all department heads to re-deliver to me a “leaner” proposed budget that reflects the elimination of operating inefficiencies and unnecessary expenditures.  Once received, we will review each budget “line by line.”

• The newly appointed Shared Services Committee and I have met with the Mayor and other officials of Manalapan and have begun exploring ways in which our municipalities can share expenses and/or jointly purchase goods and services.  Preliminary discussions have focused on the utilization of existing joint road maintenance equipment and services (for example, road line marking) owned by both of the Townships, and animal control and services (for example, strays and animal carcass removal). In addition, we are exploring permitting a certain number of Manalapan’s residents to access our under-utilized Swim Club for a fee, which will help defray other costs and expenses.
  
  
• Municipal and police audit. Following the publication of a “Request for Proposal” (RFP), we received numerous resumes and thereafter conducted several interviews of independent auditing firms concerning an efficiency audit of our municipal office.  We are awaiting word on whether the State of NJ will pay the cost of a police division audit.  This is a priority as the results of these audits should yield cost savings to our Town and improved government efficiency recommendations

2.  Preserving Marlboro’s remaining open space

• I have appointed a full board to oversee and resuscitate the long dormant Shade Tree Commission, which under State law now entitles Marlboro to receive thousands of free trees.  Upon receipt, we can plant them in areas in need of aesthetic improvement.

• We have instructed the Town engineer to identify potential areas for a dog run in the municipal complex area, and we will be reaching out to local businesses and community foundations to underwrite the cost of the fence and other dog run amenities.

3.  Increasing the visibility of our “government at work”

• Meeting minutes on-line!  To keep you fully informed, we requested that the Town Council, planning board, and zoning board meeting minutes be posted on the township website.  Minutes will be posted when approved and can be viewed at www.marlboro-nj.gov/agendas_minutes.html.

• We reinstated a Citizen’s Voice at Planning Board meetings, giving you an opportunity and the forum for weighing in on the many important planning issues that our Planning Board is asked to address

• I issued a mandate that all service providers and vendors that conduct business in Marlboro Township must go through a competitive solicitation process.  This mandate paid instant dividends when, after reviewing many Requests for Proposals (RFP’s), the Township awarded engineering and attorney contracts at rates substantially less than the prior administration.

• Cable Channel 77 has been asked by us to record the open sessions of all Town Council and board meetings and to broadcast those meetings on Cable Channel 77.  All meetings this year have been recorded and will soon be broadcast for all to see and learn!
  
  
• On January 10, 2008 I met with the head/chair of every Town committee to make sure that all of our Committees were engaged and working towards meeting its goals.  This group will meet periodically and the committee heads will update me on the progress of their committee.

4.  Stimulating commercial economic development

• The Economic Development Committee has been reinstated, and we appointed 23 highly educated, skilled, and experienced business people to comprise this group.  Their mandate is to ensure the long-term stabilization of residential property taxes by both attracting new/dynamic businesses to take root in Marlboro and supporting our current businesses

• We dedicated a new transportation van for use by the senior community, and are exploring various proposed stops so as to provide our seniors with access to such places as Target, the Freehold Mall, etc.

6. Making Marlboro a better place for our youth to live, learn, grow and play

• We appointed a 22 person “Master Recreation Plan Committee,” which is comprised of representatives from Marlboro’s youth sports and recreation programs, as well as from the Recreation and Parks Commission and Town Council, and have asked them to assess whether the number and quality of our athletic fields and recreational programs/facilities in our Town are adequate.
  
  
• Representatives from a teen advisory committee comprised of approximately 100 Marlboro teens have been invited to appear before the Town Council on February 7, 2008 to present their recommendations for improving the Town for our Teens.  On that same day, I will introduce an ordinance granting official Town Committee status to this group

7.  Improving customer service delivered by our Township employees and professionals

• At the January 17, 2008 Town Council meeting, I proposed an ordinance that seeks to eliminate or greatly reduce the number and size of campaign signs in our Town.  The proposed ordinance is being reviewed by our Town attorney to insure that it is compliant with the US Constitution.

8.  Creating a government whose composition reflects the diverse ethnicity of our Town

• Our “call for volunteers” that was broadcast on Cable Channel 77 resulted in over 180 letters and emails from our citizens volunteering to work on one or more committees.  Most of the volunteers have been assigned to various committees, and many have already begun working.  Thank you
  
  
• When creating the composition of the numerous ad hoc and statutory committees and positions that in the aggregate comprise our local government, we appointed individuals from each of the diverse ethnic groups that live in our Town to leadership and other important positions.  Our government truly is “of the people and by the people!"