Parsippany Mayor’s ‘State Of The Township’ Address: Highlights

PARSIPPANY, NJ – During Mayor Michael Soriano’s virtual State of the Township address Thursday night, he highlighted several important issues impacting Parsippany, including COVID-19 communication, finances, development, police improvements and more.

Navigating the Coronavirus Pandemic

Mayor Soriano kicked off his address discussing the township’s trials and tribulations following the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.

“Never before had we experienced an event that so fundamentally altered the way residents lived. Facing the deadliest pandemic in over a century, residents didn’t shy from confronting the challenges of the coronavirus,” Mayor Soriano said during his address.

Over the last ten months, Soriano said despite the challenges the pandemic has brought, he has been amazed by the efforts of so many residents who’ve helped to ease the suffering of others.

“In a time when masks weren’t even widely available for purchase, groups of residents mass produced home-made masks to slow the spread,” the mayor said. “In a time when online shopping became more prevalent than area, you recognized the need to continue patronizing our small businesses, helping to keep the mom and pop shops we all love afloat.”

As COVID-19 began to spread throughout the country, Soriano said his office began providing daily videos to keep residents up to date with health information, township operations and evolving state mandates. Since March, Soriano said he’s given well over 100 video updates.

In addition, he added that his administration revamped the township’s public information function with small, targeted investments into digital infrastructure

“These investments are providing you with an increased quantity and quality of clear up to date information on the township’s website, social media pages and official township email blasts,” Soriano said.

Minimizing the Spread of COVID-19

According to the mayor, one of the most immediate threats the township faced was the potential rapid spread of COVID-19 throughout Parsippany facilities, potentially threatening the health of employees and the township’s ability to deliver the services residents rely on.

To minimize the spread of the virus, Soriano said the township purchased personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitation supplies before any state or federal reimbursement was guaranteed.

“We implemented staggered shifts for all our essential services so that if the virus spread among one unit, we would have the ability to continue picking up the trash, plowing the streets and providing high quality police and medical services,” Soriano said. “We made online interaction with local government more accessible to prevent extra trips to township offices.”

“There was no playbook for a global pandemic. No guaranteed path to seeing this crisis through with out services intact but along with our neighboring communities and state partners we took things step by step and continue to make Parsippany’s government work for you,” the mayor continued.

Helping Local Businesses During A Pandemic

During the pandemic, the township also found its local economy struggling to stay afloat, the mayor said. Parsippany’s local restaurant industry had been particularly hit hard by the coronavirus last year.

To help struggling businesses, the mayor said it worked with local restaurants to issue permits without delay as soon as the state allowed outdoor dining. The township’s building department also worked around the clock to walk businesses through the process to ensure that they wouldn’t run into any legal issues and got them ready to serve customers as quickly and as safely as possible, according to the mayor.

“We also waived several types of fees for small businesses to reduce the cost of doing business, managing to avoid the economic disaster COVID-19 could have brought,” Soriano said.

Remembering the Lives Lost to the Coronavirus

During the mayor’s address, he took time to remember the nearly 100 lives lost in Parsippany to the coronavirus.

“To the families who’ve lost a loved one, my heart aches for you. Those you care about and love are not just a statistic. They were family, friends and people who deserved to live longer than this disease allowed. I feel your pain,” the mayor said.

“Please know that every action I’ve taken, just about every thought I’ve had over the last 10 months, has been about how to keep people from contracting this virus and how to keep our loved ones with us,” he continued. “Those who have passed will not be dismissed as old or sick. They were people with hopes, dreams, ambitions, families, husbands, wives, children.”

Protecting the Township’s Environment

The mayor stressed that protecting the township’s environment has been a priority for his administration.

“As long as I’m mayor of Parsippany, the township will never allow a tract of public green space to be developed. I’ve kept that promise,” Soriano said.

Instead of selling off open space, Soriano said he’s sought to acquire more of it. A $659,000 grant Morris County Open Space Grant puts the township in a strong position to acquire a 5.4-acre tract of land, which will complete a 30-acre expansion of open space along Knoll Road.

“To be clear, open space acquisition just doesn’t look nice, it is an active way to prevent over development,” Soriano said.

Several years ago, Soriano said the township had an opportunity to acquire a piece of land behind St. Christopher’s Church along Route 202. Today, there is a proposal, he said, in front of the zoning board to develop multi-unit housing on this forested trek.

“Had the township acquired the property when it had the chance, this proposal would have never seen the light of day,” the mayor said. “I’m a firm believer that the State of New Jersey must step in and end the rampant development overdevelopment impacting every town in New Jersey.”

Fixing the Township’s Budget

While the mayor said he’s often been called a “tax and spend Democrat,” he added that he’s done everything in his power to keep taxes low while maintaining the level of services residents have come to expect.

Every budget the mayor said he’s ever signed has been passed unanimously by a by-partisan council.

“We have come to recognize that this township had been mismanaged for far too long. You cannot spend away without planning how to pay for it,” he said. “That mentality permeated this government for years. No more. That is not the way to run a business. That’s not the way to run a household, and it’s certainly not the way to run a township.”

Improving the Parsippany Police Department

According to the mayor, he’s spent his term working with the Parsippany Police Department to enhance the township’s emergency response capabilities, build the bonds of trust between the police department and the community as well as pursue official statewide police accreditation.

“Our new state of the art communications system will provide all of our emergency services with stronger and wider radio frequencies, eliminating the problematic dead spots we’ve experienced in different areas of town,” Soriano said.

The mayor said the project went live officially on Monday. Now every emergency responder, he said, at every level has access to clear, unabridged communication with dispatchers and fellow responders.

The township has also begun the full rollout of its police department body camera system.

“The facts on this policy are clear. Police body cameras keep everyone safe That’s why they are supported by both citizen advocates and police unions alike,” Soriano said. “Citizens are protected from the abuses of police authority while officers are protected from false claims of abuse.”

To view the mayor's address in its entirety, see below:

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