Local news- Press Release
Leonia New Jersey - Mayor Ziegler s Update January 6th 11 January 2024 ( news )
Leonia , state New Jersey ( By Press Release office)
Jan 11,2024
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On Wednesday night I was officially sworn in as Leonia’s Mayor . There is plenty of work for us to accomplish and communicating what is happening is part of my commitment to you .
Let’s start with a quick debrief of the Wednesday January 3rd reorganization meeting outcomes .
After thanking outgoing Mayor Judah Zeigler and Councilmembers Maureen Davis and Pat Fusco for their service , we swore in Councilmembers Diane Scarengella and Jordan Zeigler . I know Diane and Jordan share my commitment to excellence in municipal services and want what is best for Leonia . I look forward to working with them and urge you to not hesitate in contacting any members of the governing body with any concerns or questions you may have . All contact information can be found on the borough website ( which is your official channel for communications ) at www . leonianj . gov .
Appointment of new Borough Administrator Marisa Mesropian . Marisa is a Leonian . More importantly , she has outstanding education and private sector professional experiences that make her an especially welcome addition to the borough family as our new Administrator . With an undergrad from RPI in Computer Science and Mathematics and an MBA in Finance from Columbia , Marisa has the educational pedigree that already separates her favorably from most Administrators . In addition , she has worked at a premiere international consulting firm as a consultant ( Accenture ) , has been a Wall Street banker at Citibank , and has been the Operations Director at a large international product services company based in Bergen County . This background , her approach to teamwork , management style and record of getting things done bodes well as she takes on her new role as Leonia’s Borough Administrator . Please join me in welcoming Marisa .
And there is no one happier to see Marisa arrive than our Police Chief , Scott Tamagny , who also acted as Interim Administrator these past few months . Thank you Scott for your service and keeping everything on track .
Formation of a Redevelopment Advisory Board . It’s fair to say there is a substantial gap today between the draft redevelopment plan reported out of the Planning Board ( for the areas below Grand Avenue on Fort Lee Road , along Willow Tree Road , and running along the west side of Grand from Christie St . to Hillside Avenue ) and what the majority of Leonians are currently thinking . We need to substantially narrow this gap and put the majority of Leonians behind a redevelopment plan that is best for Leonia .
I commend the Planning Board for all their hard work in putting together their draft . It’s now up to us to take the next steps and , among other things , look beyond the planning specifics and take into consideration the various political considerations which Leonians have expressed as concerns including , but not limited to , multiple dwelling units on Grand Avenue , the proportion of new residential units relative to commercial and retail establishments , etc .
I formed this new redevelopment advisory board of 8 Leonians and a senior executive from Kulite to help us take the next steps related to moving redevelopment forward in Leonia . I believe it is very important to have Kulite with a seat at the table since they are in the redevelopment zone , are our #1 taxpayer , largest employer and a perfect example of a good socially responsible corporate neighbor . Kulite is a clean industry and their continued success is truly our success too .
Serving on this important advisory board will be the following Leonians: Dr . Frank Livelli , Peter Pulice , Bahram Sayari , Daimee Choi , Gilbert Friedman , Maureen Davis , Pat Botten , Jeff Sammis , and the senior executive from Kulite . As part of their remit they will dig into how best to garner majority support for the plan and will be engaged in technical planning elements , change management , communication planning and impact analyses . All of this work will not occur in a vacuum and will be regularly reported on by myself and shared with you so there are no surprises . I’m calling the first meeting of this group together very shortly so they can hit the ground running .
Committee Assignments: Each member of the Council now has their Committee assignments . All of these committees play an integral role in borough operations , ( Laws & Ordinances , Police Committee , Fire Committee , HR , Finance , DPW and Facilities Committees ) . While these committee meetings are not typically open to the public , I will be asking each of the respective committee chairs to make them public on occasion . This administration is dedicated to transparency and if there is a way to increase visibility by the public into the inner workings of your local government , I am open to considering it .
Of particular import in the near term is the Finance Committee which will immediately begin its work of formulating a 2024 operating budget for governing body consideration . Believe me , as a former member of the Finance Committee , this is not an easy task and complicated by the fact we are losing approximately $500 , 000 in Pandemic related funding and expect another substantial round of state mandated pension/insurance increases .
I sincerely thank all the Leonians who volunteered their time and energy on behalf of our beautiful town , whether the service is on the Environmental Commission , MACORE , the Shade Tree Commission , Planning Board , Recreation Commission etc . etc . all of these contributions together make Leonia what it is today and allow us to continue being special tomorrow . Thank you for your service . Volunteer opportunities to contribute to Leonia’s success are always available . Please consult our Volunteers page on the borough website and don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions or specific interests . If you are interested in volunteering for our fire department , please contact me directly .
Whether you’re a democrat , republican or independent , I don’t care . We are all Leonians and I will do my best to find a spot for you to help out .
These regular updates will appear on listservs , the borough website and in as many venues as possible to bolster more informed participation . Please do not submit inquiries or questions on any unofficial channels and expect an official response . It’s impossible for your volunteers on the governing body including myself to keep up with all the forums that are out there . For example a listserve is not an official communication channel . I can , however , always be reached through the borough website at www . leonianj . gov .
For those particularly sharp eyed residents you may already have noticed our DPW trucks have their plows attached to the front of their vehicles . If this weekend turns into a snow event our DPW will be out in force to keep your streets cleared . We are in good hands . Please remember the Snow Streets Ordinance parking restrictions go into effect if your street has the signage and when your street is snow covered . Move your vehicles from the street accordingly . Elm Street , Beechwood and Library municipal parking lots are available if needed .
Stay tuned for more updates as our work on behalf of Leonia unfolds .
Sincerely ,
Bill Ziegler
Mayor
Borough of Leonia
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