April 30, 2020 - Governor Murphy signed an executive order yesterday opening state parks for passive recreation on May 2. County parks, trails and golf courses are also allowed to open under certain conditions. 

No organized sports or picnicking is allowed at parks and parking lots will be limited to 50% capacity and parking in undesignated areas prohibited. Washington Township parks have remained open for passive recreation and parking capacity has previously been reduced. Consistent with Paragraph 5 of Executive Order No.107 (2020), gatherings of individuals, including in parks, remain prohibited. 

Golf courses shall be allowed to reopen to the public and to members associated with private golf clubs at 6 a.m. on May 2. Pro Shops and other buildings must remain closed and equipment rental is prohibited.

Visitors to parks and golf courses MUST practice social distancing and  wear cloth face coverings  in all settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, except where doing so would inhibit that individual’s health, or where the individual is under two years of age. More info is available on our COVID-19 Portal.

The Governor has granted municipalities the authority to extend the grace period for May 1 property taxes. However, authority to extend the deadline for paying the school districts and county their second quarter tax levy has not been granted. The grace period currently ends May 11. The Township is in contact with officials at the school districts and county regarding the possible extension of deadlines and the grace period while ensuring those entities can fulfill their financial obligations. A special meeting will be scheduled and advertised should the municipality be able to extend the grace period, so formal action can be taken by the Township Committee which is the municipal governing body. The quarterly taxes due to the school districts and the county account for 82% of the taxes collected by the municipality. Temporarily laying off all employees to extend the grace period by weeks as was suggested online, would only free up 5% of the quarterly tax amount due the school districts and county.  As the entire annual municipal tax levy - which includes not just municipal employee salaries, but roadwork, police vehicles and emergency equipment - is less than the second quarter taxes due the schools districts and county, the municipality cannot “float” those entities. 

The municipality has already implemented operational changes during the public health emergency. Capital expenses, except for emergency equipment and roadwork, have been put on hold. Hours of part-time employees have been reduced. We have suggested potential saving opportunities in services we provide to one of the schools. Our police and zoning officials have seen a large increase in requests for service. Recreation has moved programs online. Employees in other departments, in addition to their regular duties, have worked to acquire PPE for our first responders and assisted local health providers in doing the same. Others have organized and assisted with weekly calls to seniors and grocery delivery for those who cannot drive themselves, maintaining online lists of essential retailers with senior hours, local restaurants open for take-out/delivery/curbside pickup and financial assistance resources. Our Health Department staff has been working into the evenings and on weekends investigating possible COVID-19 cases and tracing contacts when there are. 

Fortunately, there are no additional confirmed COVID-19 positive cases to report today. Though this is good news, there are potential cases that are being investigated by the Health Department and we must all remain vigilant. If you’re sick, call your healthcare provider. Call your doctor’s office or hospital FIRST before driving there. If you call 9-1-1 for a true emergency, please cover your face to protect yourself and our first responders. Follow CDC guidelines and stay home as much as possible:

• Wear a cloth mask at grocery stores, parks and golf courses and where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

• Avoid handshakes. 

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. If you do not have a tissue, use your sleeve (not your hand).

• Get a flu shot to prevent the flu if you have not done so this season. 

Lastly, in case you missed it earlier this week:

• A list of resources available to help with financial assistance during the public health emergency is available on the municipal website’s COVID-19 Portal.

• Our recreation department has added several online programs that will run for the next few weeks. Information on the programs and registration is available in the Recreation Announcements.

Stay safe,

Mayor Matthew T. Murello