Sherrill Announces Submission of 15 New Community Projects

Washington, DC– Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) announced today the 15 Community Project Funding (CPF) requests she submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for Fiscal Year 2024. This is the third round of Community Projects during her tenure. The federal funds for these local projects will create jobs, drive our local economic growth, and improve the quality of life throughout the district and state.

“I am excited to announce the 15 new Community Projects I am submitting this year on behalf of the 11th Congressional district. From bolstering public safety and improving water quality to updating community spaces and preserving our open spaces, all of these projects will have a great impact on towns in every corner of the district,” said Rep. Sherrill. “I want to thank all local officials, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions for submitting their projects. In Congress, I’ll fight to get our priorities passed and deliver these funds for our community.”

Congresswoman Sherrill submitted the following requests for Community Project Funding, which may be included in the text of the FY24 Appropriations bill and marked up by the House Appropriations Committee later this year. Listed in alphabetical order:

Belleville Lead Line Replacement Project (Township of Belleville)

Requested Amount: $4,000,000

This funding will support the completion of a lead service line replacement project occurring within the boundaries of Cedar Hill Avenue, Belleville Avenue, Union Avenue, and Joralemon Street within the Township. The requested funds would be directed toward soft costs, engineering costs, and the replacement of lead service lines. Approximately 600 households will benefit from this project. These improvements will contribute to the Township’s efforts to replace all of its lead service lines and protect the health of its residents.

Civic Center Renovation Project (Township of Denville)

Requested Amount: $1,000,000

This project will focus on the renovation of a historic structure into a 3,000 square foot Community Civic Center. Originally a 2-room schoolhouse that opened in 1908, the building had been left abandoned in the early 2000’s until acquired by the Township in 2016. Comprising two large rooms, it makes an ideal Community Civic Center. The facility will be used by numerous community organizations from local civil organizations and clubs, the girl and boy scouts’ troops, sports groups, senior citizens, and an ADA-compliant polling center. The proposed improvements will include modernizing utilities, making the structure energy efficient, improving the structural framework, numerous safety improvements, and making the facility fully ADA compliant, while  maintaining a historic feel and some original features.

County College of Morris Workforce Development Center (County College of Morris)

Requested Amount: $5,000,000

The CCM Workforce Development Center in Dover will serve as a satellite campus location for County College of Morris, providing access to an affordable education center in the heart of one of Morris County’s largest urban areas. Through this project, CCM will offer new healthcare education programs such as medical assisting and medical digital sonography, as well as expanded opportunities for students interested in certification in careers such as Certified Nurse Aide, Pharmacy Technician, or Medical Biller/Coder. The opportunity to earn industry valued credentials through a manufacturing and engineering design training program will also be offered. The project will greatly support unemployed and underemployed residents, many of which are underserved. A majority of Dover households are considered to be part of the Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) population. This Center will generate long-term career prospects and greater economic opportunities for families in Dover and Morris County.

Crime Prevention and Citizen Assistance through the Enhancement of Morris County’s Regional Automatic License Plate Reader Program (Morris County Prosecutor’s Office)

Requested Amount: $1,500,000

This funding will expand the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office’s Automated License Plate Reader Project which started in 2010. This funding will support additional mobile ALPR units and fixed units, which will be assigned to the county and municipal law enforcement agencies that agree to participate in the program. The county maintains a back-end system which allows ALPR data sharing amongst the local agencies and state law enforcement. This equipment has shown to be an effective tool in criminal investigations and locating missing or endangered persons. In particular, ALPRs have helped law enforcement agencies combat the recent rise in auto thefts here in New Jersey and around the country.

Drew University Forest Preservation (Borough of Madison)

Requested Amount: $5,000,000

This funding will assist the Borough of Madison in purchasing and preserving the Drew Forest, which has been at risk of being sold and developed for market-rate residential development. The Forest provides regional environmental and public benefits that would be lost if cleared for development, including 22 acres of public trails, unique educational opportunities, and natural water resources. The Forest captures and purifies approximately 71.5 million gallons of rainfall each year and its aquifer is a major source of drinking water for 31 municipalities in Morris, Essex, Somerset, and Union County. It provides all the drinking water for Madison, Chatham Borough, Florham Park and East Hanover. This area serves as a wildlife corridor that connects to Giralda Farms Preserve, Loantaka Brook Reservation and the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Migrating birds depend on this forest and its tree canopy for a stopover.

ECLC of New Jersey Chatham School Renovations (Borough of Chatham)

Requested Amount: $4,000,000

ECLC was launched in 1970 and is an accredited nonprofit education studies ages 5 to 21 with several learning or language disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and more. The project involves redesigning interior spaces within the facility for students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities in order to meet modern educational requirements for therapy rooms, sensory rooms, conference facilities for IEP meetings, specialized vocational instruction rooms, disability access and enhanced nursing facilities necessary for an educational facility serving this population. The school focuses on offering a typical school experience while preparing students for life after graduation, including basic jobs skills, job placement, and independent living skills.

Essex County ALPR Project (Borough of North Caldwell Police Department)

Requested Amount: $1,500,000

This funding will assist 17 municipal police departments in western Essex County in the implementation of Automated License Plate and Vehicle Recognition (ALPR) cameras in our community. Currently, the departments do not have an adequate system to quickly identify stolen vehicles in a coordinated way, which leads to fault lines in response capabilities. Through this proposal, ALPRs will be installed in geographically strategic locations within each participating municipality and allow for interoperable communications and notifications throughout the West Essex region. Together, these Departments will constitute a coordinated project area within the western portion of Essex County to address rising rates of violent crime within each respective locality and the region at large.

Mountain View Pump Station Rehabilitation (Township of Wayne)

Requested Amount: $2,400,000

The Mountain View Pump Station Rehabilitation Project will strengthen Wayne Township’s ability to manage its local sewage infrastructure to address wastewater concerns. The project includes replacement of 3 sewer pumps and related improvements to the facility. Having safe and secure infrastructure in place to service and manage stormwater has become essential with the rise in severe weather events. If the pump station were to flood or malfunction, the health and safety of many residents would be at risk. Since this pump station lies within the 100-year flood zone, protecting and fortifying the station against flooding is critical in keeping 5,500 properties in Wayne safe, while strengthening the Township’s and region’s overall infrastructure needs.

Public Sanitary Sewers Along the Lakefront Area of Jefferson Township (US Army Corps of Engineers)

Requested Amount: $750,000

This project would fund the initial study and design work for the installation of sanitary sewers along Lake Hopatcong in Jefferson Township. The importance of this project was highlighted when the lake and surrounding community suffered from a Harmful Algal Bloom in 2018, resulting from excessive nutrient levels in the lake combined with the effects of climate change. Local experts indicate that the most impactful solution to mitigation of HABs in the future would be to install sanitary sewers in Jefferson Township, the last remaining town bordering the lake to initiate this infrastructure.

Replacement of Fire Alarms and Smoke Detectors (Nutley Public School District)

Requested Amount: $1,900,000

This project will provide a comprehensive replacement and upgrade of all smoke detectors and fire alarms in 6 schools in the Nutley Public School District. This project will address upgrade and replacement of outdated fire alarms and less effective smoke alarm and detection devices. This project addresses a critical community development need, as these school buildings are used for both everyday school functions, as well as community events and programming open to the public. Keeping students, faculty, staff, and their families safe is of utmost importance for the District, and this project is part of an ongoing plan to address necessary upgrades to school safety.

Scientific Research Equipment for Investigation of interactions between plasmas and emerging semiconductor materials (Seton Hall University)

Requested Amount: $1,200,000

The requested funds would provide new equipment to enhance the scientific investigative capabilities of Seton Hall University’s Advanced Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory and the Laboratory of Electrophysics and Atmospheric Plasma as well as allow for the creation of a new research and training laboratory focused on diagnostics of plasma-surface interactions. The significance of low temperature plasmas (LTPs) to the semiconductor industry and the U.S. economy, national defense, and technological infrastructure cannot be overemphasized. In the absence of LTP-enabled manufacturing of microelectronics devices, there would be no computers, no smartphones, no space telescopes, no genome sequencing, and no biomedical research. Thanks to LTP-enabled semiconductor processing and microelectronics fabrication, our nation is among one of the most technologically advanced in the world.

The proposed project will also enhance workforce development for the semiconductor microchip manufacturing industry. This project will provide scientific research and experiential training opportunities to Seton Hall undergraduate and graduate students studying physics, chemistry, and applied science and engineering. This research will also directly support the domestic semiconductor microchip manufacturing industry and the goals of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 by conducting research and development into advanced semiconductor manufacturing, and increasing workforce development and training opportunities by building upon Seton Hall University’s existing research and scientific training infrastructure.

Traffic Light Installations in Little Falls (County of Passaic)

Requested Amount: $1,450,000

This project would implement key safety improvements at two distinct intersections of Cedar Grove Road & Lindsley Road, and Long Hill Road & Clove Road in the Township of Little Falls. Funding will be used to install new, enhanced traffic signals at these intersections. This project will promote vehicular safety and enhance traffic flow at two high-priority problematic intersections in the County. The project would facilitate a safer and more efficient connection to jobs, services, and schools to the residents and patrons that travel along these essential County roadways. These improvements are consistent with the Complete Streets Policy passed by the Board of County Commissioners in 2014 and will continue the County’s efforts to provide safe and equitable transportation access for all residents and visitors.

West Essex YMCA Facility Construction (Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges)

Requested Amount: $3,000,000

In 2021, the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges purchased property in Livingston, NJ with the vision of creating a full service community center for the diverse populations of Essex County. The new West Essex will not only strengthen its existing ties with community partners and also allow the Metro YMCA to serve more people. The current 24,000 sq. ft. facility is bursting with activity, but with growth in building usage and the age of the facilities, there is a need to both modernize the facilities to better serve the community and allow for larger and more  flexible spaces to meet the needs of Livingston and greater Essex County. This new facility will offer programming and initiatives focused on mental, physical, and social wellness in one space. The new facility will be over 52,000 sq. ft. and include community spaces for cultural programming and social impact initiatives, a full service wellness center, spaces for adaptable and ample fitness classes, and a gymnasium and recreational spaces for childcare and camps. Importantly, this building will be ADA-compliant and offer fully accessible spaces to those who need them.

Whippany River Improvement Initiative Phase II (Township of Hanover)

Requested Amount: $4,000,000

This project will fund a second phase of the Whippany River Regional Improvement Initiative, which began as an FY23 Community Project that emerged from a discussion on flood issues impacting multiple towns along Whippany River. Phase 2 will involve more expansive clearing and desnagging of the river and its associated tributaries. Over the past decade, the Whippany River has seen more frequent and intense flooding events, such as with the recent impacts of Hurricane Ida, that are posing high-level risks to communities. The project will provide important public benefit by ensuring the river stays its current course and does not eventually veer off into inhabited areas, as well as limiting public and private property losses caused by flooding.

This project is a direct result of a collaborative effort by local officials in Hanover Township, East Hanover, Parsippany, and Florham Park, and is being expanded to include Morristown and Morris Plains. At a meeting in early 2022, Rep Sherrill learned about the impact the River’s condition has had on the safety of local residents, some of whom have had to be rescued by boat during recent storms. The River’s lack of capacity to hold stormwater has also had a financial impact on businesses along Route 10.

Wyoming Avenue and Jefferson Avenue Stormwater Resiliency Upgrades (Township of Maplewood)

Requested Amount: $4,080,000

This project aims to install multiple new stormwater subsystems that will be able to convey larger volumes of runoff while providing additional water quality treatment. It would address undersized drainage collection and conveyance systems in a 166 acre area of Maplewood. The most significant problems within this area are associated with the drainage facilities along Crooked Brook. Public meetings were held where residents of this affected area expressed their concerns and great interest in stormwater upgrades. The improvements funded by this project will have the capacity to handle a 5-year storm, a significant improvement as some of the current infrastructure cannot convey a 1-year storm.

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