Six Groups to Benefit from Open Space Funding

With only a little over $22,000 remaining in the River Edge Open Space Trust Fund, six groups will receive the last of the available tax money towards the maintenance of the borough's parks.

The funding would be as follows: $10,000 to the , $7,000 to the , $2,000 to the Beautification Committee, and $1,000 each to the Shade Tree Commission, 9/11 Memorial and Environmental Committee.

The majority of funding to Recreation will be used toward park attendant salary as he is tasked with walking the parks and notifying officials of any damage to helping clean the area.

This would be the first year for the Beautification Committee to because for the previous two years, the bulk of the Open Space funding was utilized to cover two DPW employees salaries. The two employees primary responsibility was park maintenance.

Beautification Chairwoman Ann Cannon has proposed that the group would place permanent planting structures at the southend of town at 140 Kinderkamack Road.

According to Councilman Alphonse Bartelloni, the funding for 9/11 could be used toward implementing a permanent walkway at the Memorial Gardens rather than continually replacing the gravel one each year.

In November, 123 votes made the difference between renewing the  and its unfortunate failure but Mayor Sandy Moscaritolo stated that the governing body may place the Open Space Tax question on the ballot again this November. 

The tax has residents contribute one penny for every $100 of their tax bill to the preservation and maintenance of the borough's parks and ballfields.