Hightstown Borough Mayor Lawrence D. Quattrone and Borough Council members Susan Bluth and Dimitri Musing were sworn into office on a warm and sunny New Year’s Day.
Mayor Quattrone was sworn into office for a four-year term and Borough Council members Bluth and Musing were sworn into office for three-year terms.
But two of the six Borough Council members were missing – Denise “Denny” Hansen and Connor Montferrat, who resigned for personal reasons last month before completing their terms on the council. The two vacancies are expected to be filled later this month.
Mayor Quattrone and Hightstown Borough Council honored their former colleagues with proclamations that acknowledged their contributions to the town – both as liaisons to assorted advisory boards and committees, and for their role in redeveloping a vacant property on Bank Street.
Hansen, who served from 2014 to 2018, and Montferrat, who served from 2015 to 2018, were instrumental in the planned redevelopment of the former rug mill on Bank Street and the purchase of the former YMCA of Western Monmouth County building on Mercer Street, which will become the new Highstown Borough Municipal Building.
In his mayoral remarks, Mayor Quattrone acknowledged that Hightstown Borough Council will choose replacements to fill the seats formerly held by Hansen and Montferrat – a Republican to replace Montferrat, whose term would have expired in December 2020, and a Democrat to replace Hansen, whose term would have expired in December 2019.
“Once again, I ask you not to pick an ‘R’ or a ‘D,’ but to pick a ‘Highstownian’ – one who is willing to better this town every chance they can and not worry about political party affiliation,” Mayor Quattrone said.
Looking back over the past four years, Mayor Quattrone said that the Hightstown Borough Council has been successful in many areas – from obtaining nearly $2.8 million in grants, to being forgiven for $173,000 in debt.
The grants were used to upgrade the town’s water and sewer utility, and to complete many road improvement projects, Mayor Quattrone said. There are many more projects in the works, he added.
The Hightstown Borough Construction Department issued 1,650 building permits over the past four years for home improvement and other projects, which is “a sure sign that things are moving in the right direction,” he said.
Crime also is at an all-time low, the mayor said. Every street in town is patrolled by police on all shifts, and daily patrols in the downtown area and at the Hightstown Housing Authority have made a difference, he said.
Mayor Quattrone thanked the volunteers who serve on the advisory committees and commissions, noting that “without their generous contributions of their time, energy and expertise, our town wouldn’t be what it is today. They are critical to what Hightstown has become – a wonderful place to live.”
Looking ahead to the next four years, Mayor Quattrone said Hightstown Borough will continue to share services with neighboring towns and will work to save money wherever it can.
There are many projects on the horizon, he said – from starting work on the new Borough Hall to finding a new home for the Police Department, both of which were displaced because of flooding from Hurricane Irene in 2011.
Wrapping up his remarks, Mayor Quattorne said that “2019 will, no doubt, be very busy, but we can get it all done if we work together. In closing, I would like to thank Denny Hansen and Connor Montferrat for a job well done and a great attitude toward Hightstown. I will miss you both.”
In other business, Borough Council member Steve Misura was chosen to serve as the Hightstown Borough Council president, succeeding Borough Council member Lee Stults.
Mayor Quattrone and Hightstown Borough Council also gave awards to several citizens for their roles in the community, starting with Keith LePrevost, who was given the town’s Outstanding Citizens Award. He serves on the town’s Environmental Commission.
LePrevost helped Hightstown gain bronze certification by Sustainable Jersey and then to move up to silver certification, Mayor Quattrone said. Sustainable Jersey encourages towns to become more “green” and sustainable.
A certification of appreciation was given to Cristina Fowler for her role in helping to bring the Hightstown Borough business community closer together, Mayor Quattrone said. She has worked closely with the Downtown Hightstown Business Group.
Certificates of appreciation were given to Ann Marie Miller and Adam Welch of the Cultural Arts Commission. Miller is the chairman of the Cultural Arts Commission and “keeps it moving,” Mayor Quattrone said.
Welch, who is a potter, was noted for his role in the annual “Empty Bowls” fundraisers. Some of the proceeds have been donated to RISE, which is a community service organization based in Hightstown Borough.