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Chester Township
Chester Township Updates
May 8, 2020
Dear Residents and Friends,

Thank you for the resiliency, patience and kindness you've demonstrated to each other over the past few difficult months. I continue to believe that Chester Township will emerge from this crisis a stronger town with renewed commitment to our families, neighbors and fellow citizens.

We have taken many steps over the past few months to position our town to respond to the immediate crisis. We all thank our first responders for their preparation and execution in keeping our Township safe.

The next step is to set up a post-Covid strategic team that will examine every aspect of Chester Township to make sure we are prepared for the new normal. I will be asking representatives from all of our volunteer-led committees to participate as well as our administration, staff and residents who have expertise in key areas. We have a responsibility to our taxpayers and residents to look ahead, work together and make sure that people still want to Choose Chester!

As always, contact me if you need help navigating an issue, or to give me feedback. Thank you for allowing me to help you.

Marcia Asdal
masdal@chestertownship.org
908-310-2787
A Note from Chester Township Staff
Chester Township employees would like to thank our residents for their patience and support in this time of crisis. We continue to be at work every day and we are looking forward to the day when we can open our doors and see you all again. Until then, please remember that most services can be accessed or handled online or by phone. See this document for guidelines . Please continue to practice social distancing and lots of hand washing, and wear a mask and gloves when going out into public spaces.
We'd like residents to know that they can attend Township meetings virtually via Zoom. Parks, Board of Health, Zoning Board of Adjustment, Environmental Commission, and the Town Council virtual meetings are all coming up. Instructions for connecting can be found on our website on the Meeting calendar .
Tax Grace Period
At its May 5th electronic meeting, the Council voted on a resolution to extend the current 10-day grace period until May 29, 2020. Please be aware that any penalty and interest for late or non-payment of taxes will be assessed from May 1st.
Residents are asked to pay their taxes online , or to drop off a check to the Lock Box outside the door of Town Hall. Read more...
Census 2020
NJ ranks 21st out of 50 states in responding to the Census. Let's help New Jersey do better and be counted! “Communities benefit the most when the census counts everyone. When you respond to the census, you help your community get its fair share of federal funds spent on schools, hospitals, roads, public works and other vital programs.” Read more... http:// 2020census.gov
Road Improvement Schedule
The Department of Public Works has released its tentative schedule for road improvements in 2020. Due to the pandemic, the DPW's ability to prepare roads for resurfacing has been curtailed; therefore the schedule is subject to change.
Primary Election date change
Executive  Order No. 120 postpones primary elections that were originally scheduled for Tuesday, June 2nd to Tuesday, July 7th. This includes primaries for President, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, the 25th District of the New Jersey Legislature, and county and municipal elections, as well as county committee elections. Click here to access a vote-by-mail application.
Morris County Newsletter
Click here to read the latest news in Morris County. You can also subscribe to 'This Week in Morris County' and have it delivered to your inbox each week. It routinely covers news of local county government, Morris County Parks, County College of Morris, and more.
Parks are Open
Governor Murphy’s  Executive Order #133 reopened State and County parks on Saturday, May 2. However, there are some restrictions that all users should abide by.
Residents, please remember that it’s in our hands to keep these parks open by not overcrowding and by maintaining social distancing. Let’s do our best to abide by these recommendations so that the parks can stay open for us all.
Chester Township’s municipal parks are open for public use with similar restrictions. Tennis courts at Chubb Park are open but you must practice social distancing. Want to take a hike? Learn more about the trails in our town at  ChesterTrails.org
Chester Recreation Offers Virtual Programs
Details will be posted on the Chester Recreation webpage .
Guide to Chester Business Resources
Thanks to Chester Borough Councilwoman Karen Ferrone, who has coordinated a website that lists which local food, entertainment, health & beauty, retail and services are open for curbside pickup, takeout, delivery, and/or online shopping. Help keep our local businesses viable by using this helpful tool. View it here .
Girl Scout Cookbook Request
Please consider helping two local Girl Scouts - Gretchen & Hannah - who are collecting Chester family favorite recipes so they can make an online cookbook to support family meal time and build community spirit. You can submit your easy-to-make, everyone-eats recipes between now and May 15. Email them to: gandhsilverawardproject@gmail.com
Last names will be published unless said otherwise.
Include any fun tradition you have with meal time. Dinner, lunch, and breakfast as well as crock-pot, instant-pot, and do-ahead recipes are welcome.
Cancellations
We regret to inform everyone that the Annual 4H Fair, the annual Firemen's Carnival, and the Spring Chester Craft Fair are all cancelled for this year. We look forward to when we can all congregate again in support of these wonderful organizations.
Also, electronics recycling has been cancelled for the month of May. We hope to resume in June but will make that decision on a month-by-month basis.
Chester Library
Documenting a Historic Event
The Chester Library is collecting the thoughts, feelings and general impact of the COVID-19 Quarantine on Chester residents of all ages for a historical record of life in Chester, NJ circa April 2020. The collection will be made available to the public and will be retained for historical research.
Those who live, work, or go to school in Chester are invited to share a written memory of no more than 1500 words and/or a captioned photo and/or a short video (no more than five minutes) describing their personal experiences in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 Resources
Visit our website's COVID-19 information page to access a wide variety of news and resources relating to the pandemic response. Please stay accurately informed with facts from local, county, state, and federal officials - links provided on this webpage.
Chester Township
1 Parker Road
Chester NJ 07930
908-879-5100
www.chestertownship.org