Mayor Jason F. Cilento of Dunellen (center) with Council Members (L to R) Trina G. Rios, Crisol-Iris Lantz, Teresa Albertson, Daniel Cole Sigmon, Hal VanDermark and Joseph Paltjon.

DUNELLEN, NJ – The Borough of Dunellen rang in the New Year with its annual reorganization meeting on Monday, January 1, 2024. Mayor Jason F. Cilento returned for his second four-year term as mayor. The Borough Council welcomed back Hal VanDermark who had been filling the remainder term for an unexpired seat through the end of 2023. Mr. VanDermark is joined by Crisol-Iris Lantz in being elected for their first three-year terms. Teresa Albertson received unanimous approval to hold the role of Council President for 2024.

Mayor Cilento, Mr. VanDermark and Mrs. Lantz were sworn-in by Assemblywoman Michele Matsikoudis. Mrs. Albertson was sworn in as Council President by Senator Jon Bramnick. Also in attendance was Deputy Minority Leader, Assemblywoman Nancy Muñoz. Both Assemblywomen represent New Jersey Legislative District 21 alongside Senator Jon Bramnick. Beginning this year, the Borough of Dunellen is represented by Legislative District 21 because of redistricting; the New Jersey Legislative Apportionment Commission adopted the “New Jersey Legislative Districts: 2022-2030” map on February 18, 2022.

Dunellen’s borough attorney, John Bruder, Esq. who served as the Borough’s prosecutor for four years and then as the municipal attorney for 23 years was recognized at the reorganization meeting for his Years of Service. Dunellen resident Melissa Paltjon was presented the award for Dunellen’s Volunteer Citizen of the Year 2023. Mrs. Paltjon has served on the Dunellen Recreation Commission for many years and has work on the development of several Recreation Department programs and events. Bill Uhler was presented with the award for Dunellen’s Lifetime Achievement 2023 for his years of service to the community, most notably, his leadership at the Dunellen American Legion Post 119.

During the reorganization meeting, Mayor Cilento shared the State of the Borough address which highlighted the Borough’s accomplishments in 2023 and outlined the agenda for 2024.

Following is a list of notable accomplishments from the year:

• Completion of nearly one mile of road pavement projects through the Middlesex County’s mill and pave program, enabling Dunellen to pave Columbia Street, Jadach Drive, Kennedy Court, Oak Parkway, Pearl Place and Penfield Place, as well as the ability to install new ADA-compliant crosswalks and replace severely damaged curbs.
• Prospect Avenue received enhanced striping and signage to ensure traffic and pedestrian safety.
• A sidewalk was installed from Pulaski Street near Center Street to Faber School to assist pedestrian access in the area.
• Since being sworn-in in 2020, Mayor Cilento has been able to help secure $4,435,460 in grants for roadway and beautification projects. In 2023 alone, Dunellen received over one million dollars in grant funding:
  • $529,000 Transit Village Grant for decorative lighting along Route 28 between Madison Avenue and the Middlesex Borough border, and $496,620 for Second Street Improvements Phase II between Madison Avenue and North Washington Avenue from the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Municipal Aid funds.
  • $436,800 Safe Streets for All grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to assess and plan for pedestrian accessibility throughout the Borough of Dunellen.
  • Dunellen was awarded $170,000 from the Local Transportation Projects Fund by the State of New Jersey to install rectangular, rapid flashing beacons at the intersections of South Washington Avenue and Orange Street, and New Market Road and Grove Street.
  • $39,600 federal grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior in coordination with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership for a trash trap installation in the Green Brook to help capture debris and garbage from going upstream of Dunellen. The Borough was honored to be the first in the State of New Jersey to benefit from this pilot program.
• Over the last four years, Dunellen has been able to close nearly $68 million in residential, mixed-use, and façade improvements in downtown Dunellen, with several still to come along Route 28: in 2023, they welcomed ten new businesses, including a coffee shop, an event hall, several eateries, and a gifts and apparel shop; the Dunellen Downtown Management Organization continues to plan events and beautification projects for North Avenue throughout the year; the nearly fully occupied Dunellen Station development project has welcomed hundreds of new residents to its townhomes and apartments, and its retail space now houses Blue Foundry Bank and Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation.
• The Borough conducted and/or adopted four planning initiatives to help guide decision-making over the next decade on matters related to development, downtown improvement districts, and a Main Street program, as well as working to build out a municipal-wide strategic communications plan. Dunellen’s Master Plan – the blueprint for Dunellen’s future development and land use – was amended and adopted this year after its re-examination, focusing on downtown redevelopment and zoning, flooding and stormwater management, sustainability, and circulation and accessibility. Secondly, the Borough of Dunellen was the first in the State of New Jersey to adopt a Climate Resiliency Plan, which mainly focuses on ways to mitigate flooding and stormwater runoff through promoting green initiatives in design standards and assessing where and how to redevelop in areas prone to flooding. Dunellen also worked throughout the year with Sustainable Jersey on a pilot program to help create an Equity Profile and Municipal Communication Strategic Plan. The fruit of this labor will be assessed and hopefully implemented later this year. Finally, they worked with a graduate study class led by Dr. David Listokin at Rutgers Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy on the benefits of a downtown improvement district and a Main Street program in Dunellen. These initiatives will guide the Borough in sound decision-making as they continue to grow.
• Based upon the recommendations from the Master Plan Re-Examination and Climate Resiliency Plan, Dunellen continued to work with its municipal planners to amend its Redevelopment Plan. These amendments include: clarifying intended uses throughout the redevelopment area; permitting new uses such as artist live/work studios, larger commercial stores, grocers/supermarkets, entertainment venues, institutional uses, and film production studios; the creation of twelve-foot buffers between existing residential areas and new developments, no longer allowing buildings to go right up to backyard property lines; the creation of workforce housing; and the promotion of green design standards. All of these decisions were based on feedback from residents and business owners through various surveys and public events – a prime example of engaged constituencies impacting policy.
• The Borough of Dunellen also adopted a number of quality-of-life ordinances designed to improve the aesthetics and peacefulness of its neighborhoods while supporting economic development. Some highlights include:
  • A Vacant and Abandoned Properties and Storefronts Ordinance to establish minimum standards of accountability on owners or other responsible parties of vacant and abandoned structures and storefronts to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the residents of the Borough;
  • An amended Dunellen Alcoholic Beverages Ordinance to allow for restaurants in Dunellen to operate their liquor licenses on Saturdays and Sundays to encourage earlier operations such as brunches at these establishments;
  • A New Chapter 152 for the Borough Code Entitled “Film Industry,” setting up a process that motion picture studios must follow in order to film in Dunellen;
  • An amended Dunellen Noise Ordinance, making it more enforceable by the Police Department, and now Dunellen Code Enforcement, by removing antiquated language. This ordinance was written with the assistance of Chief Daniel Smith, Legal Counsel, Council Member Hal VanDermark, and the administration. Therefore, it went through extensive review by those responsible for enforcing it.
• The Borough negotiated fair contracts with both its labor unions, representing its Department of Public Works employees and Police Officers, in which both sides worked towards mutual agreements in the increase of pay. Dunellen’s union and non-union employees are now paid at rates similar to surrounding and comparable municipalities. This will help in attracting and retaining a workforce. In return, the Borough was able to negotiate with the labor unions, as well as establish policy for non-union Borough employees, that moving forward, employees will have to assist in paying into their healthcare upon retirement. This is intended to help the Borough be fiscally responsible to its taxpayers by having employees contribute to these benefits in retirement while also continuing to provide quality services to them and pay fair wages to employees.
• As part of Dunellen’s ongoing effort to promote transparency in government and enhance communication with residents, business owners, and visitors, the Borough regularly posts timely updates and virtually broadcasts Council Meetings, Mayoral Town Halls, and monthly “Messages from the Mayor” on its website, as well as hosting monthly Walks & Talks with the Mayor. Residents can also sign-up for its E-Notify to receive alerts about important Borough incidents, such as emergencies and road closures. Additionally, the Borough updated the Council Chambers this year to include improved microphones and new camera systems to better record and publicly view meetings in the chambers. The Borough believes it is their responsibility as a governing body to make constituents acutely aware of happenings within local government, and they plan to continue fulfilling this mission.
• Dunellen’s Downtown Management Organization for continued improving its monthly e-newsletter, Next Stop! Dunellen, and Dunellen’s quarterly newspaper, The Dunellen Report, which entered its thirteenth year of publication.
• Notably, Dunellen was a final sixteenth contender in the national 2023 Strongest Town Contest! The contest (sponsored by Strong Towns) celebrates communities facing and addressing challenges such as housing, transportation, and economic uncertainty with resilience. It’s a great honor for Dunellen’s square-mile Borough to be in competition with other towns across the United States in this way.

Mayor Cilento also set the stage for the Borough’s vision for the next year and beyond:

• Dunellen will continue to explore ways to save money and streamline municipal services through innovative shared services agreements with nearby municipalities and local agencies. Major infrastructure improvement goals in 2024 will include:
  • Working with New Jersey American Water and PSE&G on more utility improvements and paving roads;
  • Working with Middlesex County on the milling and paving of more streets;
  • Working with Piscataway Township on the milling and pavement of Center Street;
  • Using New Jersey Department of Transportation Municipal Aide Funds to improve Kline Place;
  • Continuing to seek grant opportunities for beautification and infrastructure improvements;
  • Advancing the South Avenue Culvert rebuild under the NJ TRANSIT tracks to alleviate flooding;
  • Strongly encourage other internet and cable providers to build-out infrastructure in Dunellen to help create competition in this market;
  • Working on an ordinance to regulate truck traffic throughout the Borough; and
  • Developing a student ambassadors program with the High School so Dunellen’s youth can be involved in committees, commissions, and volunteer programs to gain a better understanding of their local government, as well as host a Volunteer Picnic Day in Dunellen to celebrate and honor its countless volunteers.
• Mayor Cilento noted that the Borough will seek to enhance public safety through working with the Dunellen Police Department to continue assessing the department’s staffing needs and will work towards adding a traffic control officer and community engagement officer to the department.
• The Borough will seek to continue pedestrian and traffic safety through enhanced striping, traffic light signals, and rapid flashing beacon lights at key intersections in Dunellen, as well as a Complete and Green Street Policy alongside the Safe Streets for All assessment.
• The Borough will continue to review its overall organizational structure so it can find efficiencies in its local government so it can continue to enhance services to the Borough’s constituents.
• The Borough plans to continue working closely with department heads to develop a long-term capital improvement plan that will strategically allow for downtown, park, and other capital improvements throughout the next several years, as well as work with its financial advisors to build-out a revenue analysis from the redevelopment projects and work on a debt service payment plan to help alleviate this burden on the taxpayer.

During his State of the Borough address, Mayor Cilento stated, “It is my honor to stand before you as your mayor this afternoon to inform you the state of the Borough of Dunellen is strong. Living and doing business in New Jersey’s Miracle Mile is a real blessing. We faced an unfathomable number of foreordained adversities over the past four years, including a global pandemic, Hurricane Ida, the rebuilding of our Firehouse, and destructive flooding – yet our community continued to show up to support one another with generosity, strength, and optimism for the future. We can only be successful when everyone pitches in, and in Dunellen, they do. As Mayor, I am encouraged and inspired every day by our collective volunteerism and unwavering dedication to continue making Dunellen a wonderful place to call home.”