2023 Mayor’s Reorganization Address

As your Mayor, I am once again honored and humbled to address the great people of Morristown on this third day of January 2023.

I begin this year by honoring the late Jay Delaney, former Mayor of Morristown. Jay served two terms as Mayor from 1998 – 2005. He had many accomplishments as Mayor. In fact, redevelopment in Morristown started during his administration. As we look back upon the projects for which Jay was responsible, including what we now know as 40Park, Sofi, and the Vail Mansion, it is undeniable that Jay’s work sparked a wave of investment that continues to benefit our entire community.

Mayor Delaney will, in my view, be most remembered as someone who reached across the aisle to work with anyone as long as they were sincere about doing what was right for Morristown. I firmly share that view.

On a personal note, I valued Jay’s advice and counsel and considered him a trusted friend. Rest in peace Mayor Delaney – the people of Morristown thank you – and will remember you - for your service.

As some of you may know, the name January is derived from the name of the Roman god - Janus.

According to mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions, a symbol of change – the transition of the past to the future.

Janus is therefore a very appropriate namesake for the month of January. The turn of the year marks both an ending and new beginning. A time for reflection. A time for optimism. A new year. A fresh start. Personally, I’m often filled with a renewed sense of purpose this time of year - a silver lining to the conclusion of the holiday season.

January not only provides the opportunity for personal reflection and renewal – it is also a time to come together as a community. To take stock of where we’ve been and where we’re headed. And consistent with our American tradition, I’ve always considered my reorganization remarks as time to report on the “State of our Town.”

And to that end – THE STATE OF MORRISTOWN IS STRONG!

OUR TOWN CONTINUES TO THRIVE THANKS TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THIS ROOM. YOU ARE THE PEOPLE THAT KEEP OUR TOWN RUNNING. YOU ARE THE PEOPLE THAT KEEP OUR TOWN SAFE. YOU ARE OUR AMBASSADORS. YOU ARE OUR HEART AND SOUL. THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THIS COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR BEING WHAT MAKES US SO SPECIAL.

Because Morristown IS special.

Let me tell a quick story. A few days ago, I got a call from a newspaper reporter. He asked me – why do you think First Night is still going so strong in Morristown while it fizzled out in other communities? As I thought about my response, I realized that First Night is but one example of a few key things that make our community so remarkable. We are blessed with amazing civic and non-profit institutions. A culture of volunteerism and community leadership. And as a result, Morristown is a wonderful community. So, thank you to the leaders of First Night for providing our Town a happy, healthy, and safe way to ring in the new year together. And thank you to all of the organizations in Town that continue to put Morristown on the map year after year.

In the spirit of Janus, I would like to highlight a few of our accomplishments in 2022. Despite the continued challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Morristown perseveres.

WE CONTINUED TO IMPROVE OUR PARKS AND OPEN SPACES. At Lidgerwood Park we installed a new pavilion in partnership with the Rotary Club. This new amenity, as well as the new shade structure installed in the park’s playground area, have already seen a lot of use.

As part of a major refresh to Jersey-Cottage Park, we replanted native trees and shrubs after removing invasive species. To make the park more welcoming and useful to neighborhood residents, the hardscape was resurfaced and new play areas were added.

At Gramby Park, we planted over 40 new trees with the help of our Shade Tree Commission and a grant from the NJ Tree Foundation. And residents near Budd Street Playground have enjoyed the refurbished basketball court.

As you can see, the Town values our parks and open space. We will continue to make investments that improve the environment and quality of life for Morristown residents as resources allow. This year, we are excited to finalize the Burnham Park revitalization plan, which will be discussed at a public meeting in the coming weeks. Finally, I want to extend my sincere thanks to Morris County for the grant we received to improve the trails within Kleitman Woods Park on Hillcrest Avenue.

MORRISTOWN CONTINUED TO SEE A NEW WAVE OF INVESTMENT IN 2022 led by the completion of M- Station, which included major traffic improvements such as the installation of a new roundabout. The first building is now fully occupied by the international consulting firm Deloitte. We welcome them as new members of the Morristown corporate community.

Also underway is the construction of Valley Bank’s new headquarters on Speedwell Avenue. This marks a new wave of investment along Speedwell Avenue which also included the recent revitalization of Pioneer’s Plaza. In 2023, we can expect multiple new restaurants energizing this space. We’re hoping to see this investment energy continues around the corner to North Park Place this year.

Valley Bank and Deloitte are two firms relocating from suburban office campuses into our downtown - something that would’ve been unheard of just a short time ago. I'm hopeful that they will be joined by other tenants in the near future. Think about that, at a time when office use is declining in many other parts of New Jersey, major companies like Deloitte and Valley National Bank are moving their corporate headquarters to Morristown. Their presence will enrich our community and contribute significantly to our economy.

Other businesses that now call Morristown home include:

Type	Business Name	Address
Restaurant	A Legna Wood Fired Pizza	45 S Park Place
Restaurant	Agricola	40 W Park Place
Office	Albert M. Higley Co.	3 Elm Street, Suite 202
Retail	Apricot Dried Fruit & Nuts	166 South Street
Restaurant	Azure The Greek Mediterranean	3 Pine Street
Restaurant	Baklava	164 South Street
Service	Blo Blow Dry Bar	89 Morris Street (Wilmot Walk)
Office	Compass Real Estate	67 E Park Place
Restaurant	Coniglio's Old Fashioned	11 South Street
Retail	Cultivate Skate Shop	120 Speedwell Avenue
Office	DataMotion	67 E Park Place
Restaurant	Deli & Grocery	133 Morris Street
Office	Deloitte	110 Morris Street
Service	Face Foundrie	72 South Street
Retail	Feasty Vegan	62 B South Street
Service	IV Lounge	22 Speedwell Avenue
Restaurant	JU-ICHI Japanese Restaurant	29 Washington Street
Office	Law offices of Metin Serbest	67 E Park Place
Office	Mercer Advisors	67 E Park Place
Service	Moxie Salon and Beauty Bar	43 South Street
Restaurant	Orale Mexican Kitchen	56 South Street
Retail	Prime Tobacco Zone	45 South Street
Office/Retail	Kienlen Lattmann Sotheby's International Realty	55 South Street
Restaurant	Stack Creamery	48 Washington Street
Retail / Service	GUATEMEX Party Supply & Multiservices	40 Sussex Avenue
Service	VDIAZ Multiservice Tax Center	114 Speedwell Avenue
Service	WC Floors	174 South Street
Brand Change	Fleet Feet	31 South Street
Brand Change	FOMO	13 South Street
Brand Change	Radiant Waxing Morristown	8 South Street
Business Expansion	Beenie's Ice Cream	38 Morris Street
Business Expansion	PLT Health Solutions	119 Headquarters Plaza
Moved	Heritage Abstract Company	73 Washington Street
Moved	Mimo Lash Boutique	168 South Street
Moved	Playa Bowls	14 N Park Place
Moved	Sage (Data)	67 E Park Place
Non Profit Incubator	Impact Hub: Center for SubUrban Climate Action	26 W Park Place
Ownership / Brand Change	J & S by Stark	12 Mt Kemble Ave
Ownership / Brand Change	LC Supermarket	19 Martin Luther King Avenue
Ownership / Brand Change	Morristown Post-Acute	77 Madison Ave
Ownership Change	Glassworks Studio Inc.	151 South Street
Ownership Change	South Street Creamery	146 South Street
Property Management	JLL	HQ Plaza
Renovation	Hyatt Regency Morristown	3 Headquarters Plaza
Renovation	Starbucks	40 W Park Place
Renovation	Wells Fargo	21 South Street

Other noteworthy projects underway include the mixed-use Max on Morris - located on Morris Street at the intersection of Ridgedale Avenue. This building, which replaced Eggert Oil Company and Milleli auto repair, marks a new chapter in Morris Street’s transformation – from a place for industry to a neighborhood for people. And perhaps most importantly, Max on Morris will contain 18 affordable housing units of which 14 will be set-aside as supportive housing, giving members of community with special needs the chance to lead more independent lives. We look forward to the grand opening of this building in the near future.

I AM PLEASED TO REPORT THAT WE ARE STEADILY PROGRESSING TOWARD OUR GOAL OF ACQUIRING, PRESERVING AND REPURPOSING OUR HISTORIC POST OFFICE. This past fall, we entered into a contract with the United States Postal Service to purchase this landmark building. Prior to closing the sale, we're doing our due diligence on the building and assessing what will be needed to adapt the landmark for municipal use. I want to thank the County of Morris for committing $650,000 in grant monies toward this acquisition.

WE MEASURE OUR TOWN’S SUCCESS NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF BETTER PARKS, UPGRADED ROADS, AND NEW BUILDINGS. We remain equally focused on ensuring that our government reflects our community. Last year, Darnell Richardson was appointed as Morristown’s first African American Police Chief. He continues to do a great job leading our town’s finest on its mission to protect our people. Thank you Chief. And thanks to the police officers of Morristown for keeping us safe.

Our Police Bureau has seen several retirements in the past year, and we expect a few more in 2023. Each departing member is a loss to our community. I encourage all the senior officers to mentor new recruits so they may continue the success that you’ve helped create. I encourage our entire community to welcome our new officers. Keep an eye out for fresh faces!

Our newly expanded health division has also been doing their work to keep Morristown healthy and safe. In 2022, the division secured a grant from the state to host COVID and flu vaccine clinics town-wide. Last year, our vaccine clinics delivered over 800 shots into the arms of our residents. Thank you to the health division and every member of our amazing healthcare community for all that you give to keep us safe and healthy.

Janus has one face to the past and the other toward the future. We must recognize that 2023 will not be without its challenges. While my hope is that we’ve seen the worst of this pandemic, 2023 will see this threat to our physical health become a threat to our economic health. Morristown is not immune to larger economic forces. Inflation has continued to push up the Town’s cost of doing business. We expect significant increases in pension and insurance costs as well as fuel, utilities, paper… well, pretty much everything really….

Even with new development hitting the tax rolls, our existing revenue will not meet rising costs. So I’m expecting a challenging budget season. This will be a theme in many communities throughout New Jersey who will all be grappling with similar challenges.

However, you have my word that we will turn over every rock to minimize the impacts of a shifting economy upon our community, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be some difficult choices ahead.

Despite these challenges, the fact is we are blessed to live in a strong nation and a resilient community. Tonight, as we look forward to a new year, let’s embrace this proverb – “The best way to predict your future is to create it.”

God bless you all and God bless Morristown. Thank you.