Update from Mayor Spango - 3/17/2020

Roseland is doing its part to practice “social distancing” and take appropriate measures in light of recent events. Please see below for the full list of different departments and activities of the Borough:

Borough Council Meeting – March 17, 2020

Please take notice that the Public Meeting of the Borough of Roseland to be held on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. at Roseland Borough Hall, 19 Harrison Avenue, Roseland, New Jersey has been changed to a telephonic meeting only. 
The dial-in number for the meeting for Council Members and members of the public is 1-346-248-7799. The meeting ID # is 649 934 5533.

Public Access to Borough Buildings

Public access to all municipal buildings will be suspended starting tomorrow, Wednesday, March 18th until further notice. All departments will be open and our Borough staff will be available to answer questions and concerns via phone and also by email. Please check the Borough website to find the correct phone number for the department you wish to reach.

To drop off documents and payments at Borough Hall, please use the new drop box located at the front entrance of 140 Eagle Rock Avenue. This box will be checked frequently throughout the day. Please note that anything received after 4:30pm will be processed the next business day. To pick up a hard copy of any documents, please stop at 300 Eagle Rock Avenue.

Service requests and electronic payments can also be made and submitted by using the Borough website, www.roselandnj.org.

First Responders & Public Safety

Our Police Department, Fire Department, and First Aid Squad will continue uninterrupted and 9-1-1 lines will be available and answered at all times. Our first responders are properly equipped to perform their duties to respond to any emergency that could arise.

State of New Jersey

Governor Murphy has recently announced the following rules and restrictions in order to increase the amount of social distancing:

• All indoor shopping malls and amusement centers must close until the emergency ends.
• All gatherings of persons in the State shall be limited to 50 people or fewer.
• All public, private, and parochial preschool programs, and elementary and secondary schools, including charter and renaissance schools, will be closed beginning on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, and remain closed as long as the Governor’s Executive Order remains in effect.
• Institutions of higher education will cease all in-person instruction beginning on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, and shall cease such in-person instruction as long as the Governor’s Executive Order remains in effect
• All casinos, concert venues, nightclubs, racetracks, gyms, fitness centers and classes, movie theaters, and performing arts centers closed to the public beginning on Monday, March 16, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. and will remain closed as long as the Governor’s Executive Order remains in effect
• All other non-essential retail, recreational, and entertainment businesses must cease daily operations from 8:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m.
• All restaurant establishments, with or without a liquor or limited brewery license, are limited to offering delivery and/or take out-services only.
• A suggested curfew is now in effect between 8pm and 5am, except for emergency or essential travel.

Department of Public Works & Building/Zoning/Code Enforcement

Curbside garbage, recycling, vegetative waste (leaf), and bulk pickups will operate on a normal schedule.
Our water and sewer utilities will remain staffed, however our DPW employees will only be performing essential functions at this time. We plan to resume all tasks as soon as possible. 

For final readings of water meters, residents will be asked to take a photo of the meter reading and e-mail it to Gail Ferriola at gferriola@roselandnj.org. DPW will confirm the reading from the outside meter.

Building permit applications are available at the DPW building. All non-essential inspections by the Fire Prevention Bureau are suspended through March 29.

Recreation & Public Events

As a precautionary measure, all Recreation programs and events are cancelled until March 30, 2020. The Mayor will reassess the current state of affairs in the Borough on March 29th and make a determination if additional cancellations or postponements are needed. The Borough will make an announcement once a decision has been made.

All Borough Recreation facilities and buildings will also be closed starting on Wednesday, March 18 until further notice. Events after April 1 which have already been cancelled are the April 1st Senior Event, the Easter Egg Eggstravanza, and Pitch, Hit, and Run.

Other Meetings

All Borough boards, committees, and commissions will be holding meetings via conference call only until further notice.

Municipal Court

The Municipal Court offices are still staffed, but offices are closed to the public and all court dates have been cancelled through the end of March due to a State mandate. All matters previously scheduled are automatically adjourned and notices were sent with rescheduled dates and times. Payable violations can still be paid online or by U.S. Mail. The Borough will provide an update when we receive new guidance from the State Judiciary.

Senior Citizens

The Senior Transportation bus is currently running on Wednesday and Friday this week, though with limited service. Please know that transportation is currently only being provided to local grocery stores – no doctor’s appointments or other retail establishments. Please call 973-226-5108 ahead of time to confirm the bus is running and to ensure space is available.  Seating will be limited as social distancing rules will be in effect on bus rides.

Roseland Public Schools/West Essex School System

The Roseland, NJ school district and the West Essex School District will be in session via Online Learning effective March 16th until Friday, March 27. The Roseland Board of Education Meeting on March 18th will be held virtually. Please check their website for the Roseland BOE for further instruction and information. 

Roseland Public Library

The Roseland Free Public Library will remain closed at least through Friday, March 27th. Two staff members will be on site 9am-5pm on a rotating schedule to take phone calls (973-226-8636), process any mail and incoming books, do book inventory, and clean. The Library encourages patrons to keep materials at home. Due dates will be reset after they reopen. Patrons will not be able to request materials while we are closed. We appreciate your patience and support.

Keep in Touch to Changing News

The Borough encourages every resident to ensure they are connected to all of the Borough’s communications tools so that any announcements and alerts will be received. By going to the Borough website, www.roselandnj.org, you can subscribe to all of our social media outlets – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. We also encourage residents to ensure they are signed up for our SwiftReach Reverse 9-1-1 alerts and also to the weekly Borough Newsletter, This Week in Roseland. 

Please remember that if you do not feel well, stay at home and contact your medical provider to determine the appropriate course of action and possibly treatment.
The Borough thanks residents for their patience as we all work together during these turbulent times. We are also mindful of the impact this has on our local businesses as well and encourage residents to consider patronizing our local food establishments. Restaurants are currently forbidden from offering sit-down service, though take out or delivery are permitted. We encourage residents to contact any food establishment they plan on trying to order from to ensure they are open and learn of the options available to them.

You can also see click here to watch Mayor Spango give the latest update on what is happening in Roseland.