Mercer County Commissioner's Quarterly Winter 2024

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FROM CHAIRMAN JOHN A. CIMINO

WITH CHANGE COMES OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT

The only constant in life is change, said the Greek philosopher Heraclitus! With all change, when embraced, it lends an opportunity to grow.

As the 2024 Chairman of the Mercer County Commissioner board, I welcome the opportunity to grow and the opportunity to make our County the best it can be for every resident in every corner of this County.

I want to thank former County Executive Brian Hughes and his administration for their commitment and hard work over the past 20 years and welcome our newly sworn-in County Executive Dan Benson.

I look forward to working with County Executive Benson

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COMMISSIONERS MEETING HIGHLIGHT

Earlier this month the Commissioner Board passed a resolution stating that the County Executive and Mercer County Board of County Commissioners do hereby recognize January as Muslim Heritage Month in Mercer County.

At the formal Meeting of January 25th, the Board presented sealed proclamations to the Muslim Center of Greater Princeton and Islamic Center Of Ewing

MERCER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO CONTINUE CAR SEAT SAFETY CHECK PROGRAM FOR 2024

Mercer County Sheriff Jack Kemler announced that on-site child seat safety checks would continue this year at the Colonial Fire Company, located at 801 Kuser Road in Hamilton Township. The free program, partially funded by a grant from the NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety, is part of the Sheriff's ongoing campaign to help parents, grandparents, expecting parents and others properly secure their children in an automobile. Trained and certified Sheriff's Officers will conduct each child seat check for proper installation. They will also help determine if your child is in the right seat for their age and size.

"No one ever wants to get it wrong when it comes to a child's safety. It is important for parents, grandparents, and those expecting a child to know that a child will be secure in their car seat and are in the right seat for their size and age," said Kemler.

The car seat safety check-ups will take place from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM on the last Tuesday of each month for 2024. The upcoming dates are March 26, April 30, May 28, June 25, July 30, August 27, September 24, October 29, and November 26 (there are no inspections in December due to the holiday season).

Inspections take place in a weather-protected area at the rear of the firehouse. Participants should install their car seats before arrival and follow all health-minded guidance while at the event.

For more information on the Sheriff's Office Car Seat Safety Program, call 609-209-2880 or 609-278-7159.

as well as with my fellow colleagues on the commissioner board to achieve great things for our residents.

Mercer County is a great place to work, live, and play and I believe that all of us working together, can make it even better.

Our local economy is robust and is only getting stronger. Mercer County is proud to be home to approximately 4,000 independently owned and operated businesses. These businesses are the backbone of the Mercer County business community.

I believe that as the improvements to the Mercer County Airport start to take shape in the upcoming months our economy will only get stronger and our region will become more desirable.

There are a host of business, career, and economic resources available at a county level and can be found on our website - www. mecercounty.org.

When it comes to play, I will dare to say that our Mercer County Park system is the best in

the State of New Jersey! There is something for everyone at every age to enjoy including horseback riding and sailing on Mercer Lake. Thanks to the hard work of the men and women of the Park Commission our park system is award-winning and is always adding new and innovative programs for our residents to enjoy.

However, the cornerstone of quality of life for Mercer County residents will be for the Board of County Commissioners along with the County Executive to continue to ensure that Mercer County remains affordable while preserving programs that serve our most vulnerable residents.

As we begin the 2024 budget season the Commissioner Board will be tasked with making tough decisions about how we can best provide programs and services that balance the needs without impacting family budgets.

The most important job, we as elected commissioners have in representing all residents is the budget process each year.

I am confident that by working with the County Executive and his administrative team we can put in place a budget that meets the needs of our County.

As Chair of the Board of County Commissioners, I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every Mercer County employee for your tireless hard work day in and day out. In my time on the board, I have had the great pleasure of seeing firsthand the dedication of our employees, and want you to know that you are truly appreciated and your hard work does not go unnoticed. Because of your service, Mercer County is a better place to raise a family.

Speaking of family, I will close by thanking my family for the endless support they continue to give me in my role as a County Commissioner.

John A. Cimino

COMMISSIONERS AND COUNTY EXECUTIVE TOUR PROGRESS AT BEIGEN R&D CENTER IN HOPEWELL

A NOTE FROM COUNTY EXECUTIVE DAN BENSON

As we have embarked on our first term, we have been eager to hit the ground running. Throughout the campaign, we emphasized collaboration as a top priority, and the Board of Commissioners serves as an excellent example of a place where we aim to actively seek their input, expertise, and experience in governing a vibrant, innovative, and responsive County Government.

In our initial weeks, we've conveyed a warm welcome to commissioners in the County Executive's office. The new

County Administrator has already met with or scheduled meetings with each board member. We've emphasized the importance of transparency in fostering accountability, and regular updates for key cabinet members will now be a standard practice.

Our approach to questions is one of openness and clarity; conflicts will not be the response, but rather, questions will be answered to the best of our administration's ability. We wholeheartedly welcome ideas and suggestions, ensuring that they are embraced and not dismissed by my administration.

Mercer County Commissioners Kristin McLaughlin, Nina Melker and Lucy Walter joined Mercer County Executive Dan Benson to visit the progress being made at the BeiGene Hopewell R&D manufacturing facility. The facility will house a state-of-the art, clinical- and commercial-stage biologics manufacturing facility and clinical R&D center, which complement BeiGene’s existing capabilities around the world, while providing over 100 local jobs Breaking Ground took place in April 2022, and construction is expected to be completed in record time during the year 2024..

TULPEHAKING NATURE CENTER OFFERS SOMETHING FOR EVERY NATURE ENTHUSIAST

The Tulpehaking Nature Center opened in the Fall of 2014 as the Mercer County Park Commission's newest center for environmental education. This event was the realization of a decades-long effort by multiple public-private partnerships working to bring an educational facility to the Abbott Marshlands, a naturally and historically important area south of Trenton containing 3,000 acres of urban green space, a rare ecosystem in its tidal freshwater marsh, and one of the most significant American Indian archaeological sites in the mid-Atlantic region.

A team of biologists conducting research in the marsh first voiced the need for a nature center in a 1975 report to Hamilton Township. They recognized the area’s significance as an ecological gem and important educational resource for the community. Support for the marsh itself continued to grow through a grassroots effort resulting in the development of a Management Plan drawn up in 1999, which further outlined the need for a facility to serve as a focal point for marsh activities.

In 2004 and 2005, the D&R Greenway Land Trust received Green Acres development grants, which Mercer County agreed to match in order to construct the nature center. At about the same time, a residential property came on the market that was conveniently located adjacent to the Roebling Park entrance on Westcott Avenue. Mercer County acquired the property, containing a ranch style house and

two small, unimproved lots next to the house. This location, situated at the entrance to the Marshlands at Roebling Park and on already improved land, meant that a center would not need to be built within the sensitive marsh environment.

Tulpehaking is a Lenape word meaning

“Land of the Turtle,” signifying the region’s rich legacy of Native American culture and history and the surrounding marsh’s ecological importance to plants, wildlife and people. A visit to the Tulpehaking Nature Center and Abbott Marshlands is more than a tour through an archaeological site or rich ecological preserve. It is an experience of a living place, animated with unexpected biodiversity, providing ecosystem services to the region, and layered with historical homes, archaeological deposits, and recreational areas still enjoyed by people today.

Facility Description: The Tulpehaking Nature Center sits on the bluffs overlooking the Abbott Marshlands, steps away from the Delaware River’s northernmost tidal freshwater marsh and 3,000 acres of diverse landscape providing homes for numerous plants and animals, including wild rice, cattails, river otters and beaver.

It is located at the intersection of three major trail networks at the Marshlands, providing convenient access to features at Watson Woods, Spring Lake and the Abbott Farm. These features include the historic 1708 Watson House, access to the canoe launch and picnic area, the extensive meandering trail network around Spring Lake and throughout Roebling Memorial Park, and the upland hike to the historic Charles Conrad Abbott homesite.

The Nature Center provides a base of operations for visitors to the Marshlands,

with exhibits and educational activities, trail information and restroom facilities. Three main exhibit rooms currently house rotating exhibits showcasing the environment and archaeology of the Abbott Marshlands.

The building houses a 1,350-square-foot multi-purpose classroom that can be divided into two smaller classrooms or used as a whole to house up to 50 people. The room is equipped with an 80-inch flat screen and surround-sound speakers for presentations or movie events, vaulted ceilings and windows that allow for wildlife viewing from within the building.

Outside, a large open-air gazebo provides an assembly area for group orientation activities, educational lessons and social events. It overlooks the beautiful Marsh Native Plant Garden that borders the walkway to the Nature Center. Rain barrels, natural seating areas and outdoor access to restroom facilities support the area’s use as an outdoor classroom. Both the multi-purpose classroom and gazebo are available to rent.

Parking is available in front of the Watson House with easy access to the nature center’s main entrance on the side of the building opposite the gazebo.

Join in interactive programs about science, nature and archaeology, explore exhibits, stroll through the marsh native plant garden, get information on boating and tides, go birdwatching, bicycling and more.

The Tulpehaking Nature Center is in need of some energetic volunteers with a love for nature and desire to share it with others. Greeters, docents and trail guides are all needed. For more information please contact Kelly Rypkema, Nature Center Manager, at krypkema@mercercounty.org.

For More information visit - https://www. mercercounty.org/departments/mercercounty-park-commission

Clerk

Consumer

County Clerk

(609) 989-6464

County Connection.........................(609) 890-9800

County Executive (609) 989-6518

Cultural and Heritage

(609) 278-2712

Economic Development ..................(609) 989-6555

Housing (609) 989-6858

Human Services

(609) 989-6526

Library System ...............................(609) 989-6917

MCIA (609)-278-8100

One-Stop Career Center .................(609) 989-6523

Park Commission (609) 303-0700

Personnel (609) 989-6676

Planning ........................................(609) 989-6545

Sheriff (609) 989-6100

Board of Social Services (609) 989-4320

Superintendent of Elections ...........(609) 989-6750

Surrogate

(609) 989-6336

T.R.A.D.E (609) 530-1971

Taxation .........................................(609) 989-6704

Technical Schools (609) 586-2129

Transportation (609) 989-6629

Trenton/Mercer Airport ..................(609) 882-1601

Veteran Services (609) 989-6120

Commissioner John A. Cimino - Chair

Telephone: 609-989-6961

Email: jcimino@mercercounty.org

Commissioner Kristin L. McLaughlin- Vice Chair

Telephone: 609-989-6980

Email: kmclaughlin@mercercounty.org

Commissioner Samuel T. Frisby

Telephone: 609-989-6557

Email: Sfrisby@Mercercounty.org

Commissioner Cathleen M. Lewis

Telephone: 609-989-6627

Email: clewis@mercercounty.org

Commissioner Terrance Stokes

Telephone: 609-989-6560

Email: tstokes@mercercounty.org

Commissioner Lucylle R.S. Walter

Telephone: 609-989-6659

Email: lwalter@mercercounty.org