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July 30, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Franklin Lakes Borough releases performance data to the public by Frank J. McMahon The Borough of Franklin Lakes recently unveiled a new feature on its website known as the “Performance Dashboard,” which shows the performance of certain bor- ough departments over a period of time. The public can currently view key performance mea- sures over a period of several years in the police depart- ment, construction department, and municipal court. Additional departments will be added in the near future. For instance, the public is now able to see the number of service calls made and traffic summonses issued by the police department, and the total number of crimes com- mitted in the borough. The public can also see the number of permits issued, the number of inspections completed, and the total fees collected by the construction depart- ment. Interested individuals can also see the total amount of money collected, the number of summonses issued, and the number of driving while intoxicated cases adjudicated in the municipal court. “One of our goals is to be as transparent as possible with our residents,” said Franklin Lakes Borough Admin- istrator Gregory C. Hart. “The performance dashboard allows us to easily publish information on how and what our departments are doing, and making this information publicly available goes a long way toward helping our citi- zens understand how we manage the borough and how we provide services.” Hart explained that the performance dashboard pro- vides historical information that allows the mayor and council, department heads, and the public to see trends in the performance of these departments and assess the overall needs and inner workings of the borough. He said this information gives citizens insights into the strategic direction in which the borough is heading, how their tax dollars are being spent, and where improvements can be made and efficiencies identified. Franklin Lakes Mayor Frank Bivona added, “Tracking departmental performance is essential to effective man- agement. From the data that we are now tracking within our performance management system, we are able to develop efficiencies which bring us closer to our perfor- mance goals.” According to the performance dashboard, the mission of the Franklin Lakes Police Department is to provide exemplary police service and the highest quality of assis- tance and protection to the citizens of Franklin Lakes and visitors in order to maintain a safe environment and pre- serve the quality of life in the borough. The number of service calls, identified as schools security checks, vacant home checks, and motor vehicle enforcement which is conducted as an intentional effort on the part of the department, rose from 14,186 in 2008 and dropped to 13,317 in 2011 and then rose to 16,132 in 2013. The number of traffic summonses during that same period of time decreased from 4,032 to 2,543 in 2012 and then rose to 3,605 in 2013. The total number of crimes committed in the borough ranged from 165 in 2008 to 89 in 2013. The performance dashboard points out that “criminal activity in New Jersey has generally taken a downward trend over recent years, and Franklin Lakes is no excep- tion.” However, it explains that this decrease is also attrib- utable to the department’s aggressive patrols and traffic enforcement, producing a high public visibility of police presence, and the borough’s encouragement of the resi- dents to be watchful neighbors. The performance dashboard points out that the con- struction department is dedicated to providing for the health, safety, and welfare of the residents and visitors by ensuring the soundness and habitability of the bor- ough’s residential, commercial, and industrial properties under the provisions of the Uniform Construction Code, as adopted by the State of New Jersey, and ordinances adopted by the borough council. According to the performance dashboard, the number of construction permits issued by the department rose from about 747 in 2010 to 1,013 in 2013, inspections rose from about 3,493 in 2010 to 4,735 in 2013, and the total permit fees for the period of 2010 to 2013 ranged from $335,310 in 2010 to $437,808 in 2013. The municipal court is constitutionally entrusted with the fair and just resolution of disputes in order to preserve the rule of law and to protect the rights and liberties guar- anteed by the U.S. Constitution and the law of the United States, the State of New Jersey, and the Borough of Frank- lin Lakes. While maintaining the court’s integrity and independence, its mission is to provide quality customer service, ensuring equal justice to all who come in contact with the municipal court. The number of DWI cases heard was 37 in 2009 rising to 51 in 2010 and decreasing to 27 in 2013. Traffic viola- tion cases heard ranged from 4,598 in 2009 down to 2,698 in 2012 and up to 3,743 in 2013. The money collected by the municipal court amounted to $458,285 in 2009 dropping to $310,426 in 2012 and rising to $403,494 in 2013 and of those amounts the bor- ough was able to keep $202,165 in 2009, $142,644 in 2012, and $193,949 in 2013.