Christine McGrath
Campaign website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Question 1: Verona, like most other New Jersey towns, now faces the prospect of more development for affordable housing. What steps would you take to mitigate the potential impact of development in Verona?
Mitigating the impact of development requires ongoing open communication and strategic planning with residents, two key elements of my platform. It also requires settling, once and for all, the issue of PILOT money allocation.
Multiple neighborhoods may be impacted by housing development, so clear and frequent communications during every step of the development process is essential. Residents are feeling out of the loop due to the lack of accessible communication on this issue to date. This issue dates back to 2015, but many residents in neighborhoods that are directly impacted only recently became aware of the scope and breadth of development that is potentially coming. I have already spoken to hundreds of residents as part of my campaign, and I can tell you there is much misinformation and rumors circulating around town, and many residents still know nothing about these potential developments.
One way to mitigate this is for the local government to establish new methods of communication – an email-able weekly newsletter, text messaging, community forums, and livestreaming of meetings – all aimed to inform residents of these discussions before they happen, so that we can maximize public participation. These new methods must include plans to disseminate information on social media, as many residents rely on this method of communication as their only source of news coverage.
Housing development – if not approached thoughtfully – can present challenges for the schools, traffic, and our sewer/water infrastructure. It’s time for our local government to have a Strategic Plan to get in front of this. Having a Strategic Plan will help us identify problems and their solutions, define what investments are needed, and prioritize allocation of local government resources. The Verona Public Library and Verona Schools both have a Strategic Plan – the municipal government needs one too. Input from residents, small business owners, and key stakeholders will be critical to its development and success.
Finally, the anticipated housing developments also reinforce that the recent conversations between the Board of Education and municipal government on the appropriate allocation of PILOT funds need to continue and come to a resolution. The residents are looking for both governing bodies to negotiate a fair compromise on the allocation of PILOT funds. This agreement will aid the schools in developing plans to address potential rising school enrollment due to the housing developments. If this is not resolved by July 1st, as a member of Council I would advocate to bring this process to a successful close, so that all parties have the financial clarity necessary to move forward in a thoughtful manner.
Well said.