Franklin Lakes January 11, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 15 Mayor recaps first year in office; looks forward by Frank J. McMahon Franklin Lakes Mayor Frank Bivona reviewed his first year as mayor at the borough’s reorganization meeting on Jan. 1, highlighting his accomplishments and explaining his goals for the next year. Bivona pointed to the successful management of the budget -- which was held to the state mandated two percent cap, lowered residential taxes, maintaining the surplus, and reducing the borough’s debt, as key accomplishments. He also highlighted the effective management of resources through two unusually severe storms during which the department of public works, the police, fire department, ambulance corps, and office of emergency management responded to multiple emergencies to keep the borough’s residents safe and protect their homes. The mayor said the borough vastly improved and expanded communication programs with residents and restructured the building department with a strong dedication to customer service, improving client satisfaction, and overall enforcement of the borough’s zoning ordinances. Bivona pointed out that the borough’s nature preserve, which is the former Haledon Reservoir property, was opened to the public as a community asset and the foundation for a unique park for all to enjoy was created through a partnership with the NY NJ Trail Conference, which is mapping trails through the preserve. He also noted that, during 2011, the borough dedicated an improved Memorial Pond, which is located behind the municipal building and library and honors those who lost their lives to acts of terrorism; introduced a concussion policy to keep children who play sports safe in the town’s recreation programs; opened additional venues for team activity, and reinforced the borough’s Wellness Campaign in the schools. The borough also instituted the beginnings of a performance management system for employees, Bivona said, to further build an efficient management process, and customer service training for employees was completed. He also noted that the borough has laid the groundwork for an effective planning process for buildings and grounds by forming a trust account, setting a priority list of capital projects, and hiring an architect to plan for future capital needs. Bivona said he will work closely with the borough council in the coming weeks to finalize the many goals he has for 2012. “We must continue to find ways to reduce costs while maintaining our service to residents,” he said of those goals. “We must continue to slowly reduce our debt and use fundraising to augment our capital plans, all of this with the goal of keeping our tax rate among the lowest in the county.” On the subject of the borough’s affordable housing, Bivona said, “We must protect the natural beauty of our borough through aggressive management of our affordable housing obligations. Once legal issues are sorted out and obligations are clear, we must be prepared to negotiate with developers.” Bivona said he wants to finalize the borough’s capital project plans and begin active fundraising to support public safety needs while developing a true capital plan with a funding plan that is feasible and meets the borough’s financial goals. He also said he wants to continue to develop the borough’s recreation fields, facilities, and parks through partnerships, funding grants, and fundraising. Those improvements include paths at the nature preserve, municipal field trails, community center improvements, Pulis Avenue basketball courts and parking, and McBride Field improvements. He also highlighted goals involving sewers and service. “We must work closely with the Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority to ensure that the sanitary sewer lines that the authority have proposed installing in the borough are consistent with the needs of the town’s business district and that they help support the continued upgrade of the business district while keeping its low-impact street plan,” Bivona said. “We must also continue to develop our systems to track performance and customer service so we can ensure we are delivering outstanding (continued on page 22)