Mayor DiNicola’s Annual Address

By The Franklin Lakes Journal

Published: January 8, 2010

Maura R. DeNicola
Mayor’s Annual Address
January 6, 2010
Good evening, and thank you all for joining us.
Honorable Council Members, members of our Police and Fire Departments,
Ambulance Corps, community volunteers who serve us on councils, boards and
committees, Franklin Lakes staff, families and friends – Happy New Year to
everyone.
I welcome the new Council members Bill Smith and Frank Bivona and look
forward to working together. I also want to thank outgoing council members
Leslie Greer and Brian Trava for their time and service to our community.
The purpose of this meeting is to launch us into the New Year – together – but I
would like to first take a few moments to talk about some of the highlights of 2009.
Improving openness and transparency, shared services, and fiscal responsibility
remained our core goals this past year. Through improved use of technology and
better business practices, we made some advances in all of these areas.
In the past year,
We relied more consistently and effectively on our website and eblasts for
information. Quick, current and cost-effective, electronic media are vital to
providing timely communication and information to our residents, including
updates from our Board of Health on important topics like on H1N1. Our
distribution list has grown, but we still need to work toward the goal of
having every household in Franklin Lakes subscribe in order to make this
service as effective as possible.
Through the WOLF Pack, the new cooperative formed by the Mayors of
Franklin Lakes, Wyckoff and Oakland, we received significant cost savings
by jointly purchasing recreation equipment and uniforms for the second
time. We also created a joint garbage disposal bid and received a 7%
reduction in disposal costs, which we will enjoy beginning in 2011when
Franklin Lakes’ current contract expires. Together we are continuing our
long-range plan of aligning the terms of all of our substantial contracts so
that we can go seek bids cooperatively in the future.

In 2009 we were successful in achieving a number of new grants, including
$200,000 from Local Aid to pave the second half of Old Mill Road in 2010.
We know that not all grant funds are free, however, and we must continue
to oversee all projects with care especially those that might incur municipal
spending.
Going forward to ensure the health, safety and quality of life of our community
amid the continuing economic downturn, we need to work together as one team
– a collaborative governing body.
The 2009 budget brought huge challenges, including decreases of hundreds
of thousands of dollars in interest income, construction revenue and State
aid. At the same time, we face increases in health benefits, pension
payments and operating costs. The Council’s 2009 budget ultimately
reflected $2.5m in reductions, including the use of a pension deferral and 16
days of temporary lay-offs for Borough employees, excluding the Police
Department.
2010 will require similar reductions and continued changes in municipal
financial planning. This includes discontinuing reliance on certain
decreasing revenue monies, known as “surplus,” within the operating
budget. Historically used to subsidize increased spending without
increasing taxation, these non-regenerating monies create an additional
budget gap and add to the struggle of presenting a balanced budget.
To address these challenges, we must continue to evaluate future cost cuts
in our municipal operation
o Understanding department by department, including use of
manpower, outside contracts and services, equipment and purchases
and always able to equate value to residents for taxdollars spent.
o Exploring the increased use of technology, for payments of fees,
licenses and other fines, record-keeping, and retrieving, and
workflow management which could help save hundreds of dollars
and manhours — much with the technology we already have in place.
o Continuing our exploration of regionalization and shared services
opportunities through the WOLF Pack, Northwest Bergen Mayors
and Administrators Association and Bergen County. [and any other
initiatives.]
o Respecting and relying on what I say every year is our greatest
resource – our residents. Resident volunteers already bear a
tremendous responsibility for the health and safety of our citizens.
The Franklin Lakes Ambulance Corps experienced an unprecedented
18% increase in calls and responses. The Fire Department almost a
10% increase. While we purchase their equipment and vehicles, the
services these dedicated volunteers provide us far outweigh the
dollars spent.
o Recognizing and building upon volunteer projects and activities
many that have been bigger than ever including the Town Fair.
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve spent the better part of the last 24 hours in the hospital
with my 81 year old father. And a part of that time in the company of a young boy
named Dillon facing his own family’s crisis.
In thinking about this evening’s meeting and our current situation, I couldn’t help
but think of my father as a boy growing up in what is still [for the moment] the
greatest financial disaster of modern time, the Great Depression. My father’s
generation faced the burden of those hard times with a lot of grit and determination
and collective effort. To put it simply, families and communities relied on each
other, on collective efforts to make it through. A well-known strength of what has
become known as “the greatest generation” is their ability to work together and
stand up for what they believe in. I am proud to work in that tradition.
Whenever I have aired frustration in my job of mayor, it has been my father who
reminds me that it is about something bigger than me – public service always is.
Not everything is accomplished in good time or according to plan and yet it
remains a privilege to serve and to contribute to our community and for me as
Franklin Lakes’ Mayor.
Many times I have been thanked for the extraordinary work of Borough employees
or for the fine work of our volunteers, and that too is a great privilege.
I thank you all for your continued participation and support. Franklin Lakes is a
wonderful town and with the collective “shoulders to the wheel” of all those who
feel so deeply our future will always be bright.
I look forward to working with all of you . . .