BRICK – The township’s first elected female Mayor Lisa Crate took a few minutes during the most recent council meeting to share her vision for the township in the coming year.
She said 2024 is “a new year filled with potential and positive change and an opportunity to have a big impact in small ways.”
The mayor said she believes our society is in the midst of a mental health crisis – that the society has lost its way. “But we’re also a society with the potential for greatness,” she said.
Brick Township has many features that make it a great place to live, which she wants to build upon, such as investing in township parks and access to a myriad of recreational athletic programs, which she hopes to expand to include the arts.
The township currently has more police officers on the street than during any other time in history, and the mayor said Brick will continue to invest in public safety services, such as community policing.
“Our officers can connect with the public and develop relationships that prevent crime and help educate all of us on the small things we can do to be safe,” Mayor Crate said.
There are also more EMTs (emergency medical technicians) than at any other time in Brick’s history, and later this year the department will be moving into a new facility on Aurora Place, which is in the same building as the new Senior Center.
The township will offer a new dialysis transportation service for seniors that will be available at the end of January, “the first and only municipality in Ocean County to provide dialysis transportation for our seniors,” she said.
Dialysis transportation was the number one need expressed by seniors, as expressed by seniors as part of the township’s ongoing needs assessment, the mayor added.
A special operations building that will house EMS (emergency medical services) and police equipment, currently under construction at the municipal complex, will be opening later this year.
“We’ll also continue to invest in the equipment and manpower needed so that our Department of Public Works can continue to take care of our roads, our fleet and to ensure that sanitation and recycling are done with pride and efficiency,” Mayor Crate said.
“I’m eager to get started on a new year with big and small things on the agenda,” Mayor Crate said. “My leadership will focus on what’s right for Brick, on ensuring fiscal responsibility continues, and making sure we invest in the workforce in our infrastructure and in our communities through potential shared services agreements with our neighboring municipalities.”
Another focus for her administration will be to invest in the natural landscape by keeping development in check by having a comprehensive plan for open space acquisition.
The mayor said she wants to develop strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations and houses of worship to address urgent needs for housing, temporary shelter, food, clothing and sustainable living.
Vince Minichino was named as the new council president and Derrick Ambrosino was named as the new council vice president.
The next council meeting will be on Tuesday, January 23 at 7 p.m.
