Borough Of Westwood: Message From Mayor Ray Arroyo

Press release from the Borough of Westwood:

May 7, 2021

Dear Residents:Governor Murphy recently announced further loosening of pandemic restrictions beginning May 19.The Mayor and Council had been anticipating and diligently planning for this unwinding. Over the last 6 months we’d lost key staff both to retirement and turnover. The Borough Administrator, BA’s Administrative Assistant, Deputy Clerk, Board of Health Director, Payroll Clerk, Custodian, and Tax Assessor positions all became open during this time period.We have been working towards filling those vital positions with people who possess the technical skills, knowledge, and personal demeanor to best serve our residents.In March, the Borough welcomed Jean-Marie Vadovic as our new Deputy Clerk. Sarah Holbig was hired as part time Tax Assessor, part time payroll clerk Patty Berry was moved to the full time position, and we recently hired Westwood resident, Rodney Alexander, to fill an important custodial position in Borough Hall.The latter hire was a necessary precursor for opening the building to the public. A regular Borough Hall cleansing regime will protect staff and visitors to 101 Washington Ave. Perhaps the most critical missing piece has been the Borough Administrator. Ben Kezmarsky leaving for employment in his hometown of Mahwah was a setback for the Borough. Ben had expertly navigated our borough department heads through the worst of the pandemic. His Administrative Assistant had retired in January.Borough CFO Frank Elenio was pressed into service as Interim BA, with Borough Clerk Karen Hughes supporting the Interim. The Finance Department had lost one staffer to retirement so Frank, already short-handed, had to prepare the Finance Committee’s 2021 budget while managing the Borough’s day to day operations from his part-time position.Both Frank and Karen served superbly in these roles under quite stressful circumstances. And they gave the Personnel Committee time to engage exactly the right person to replace Ben.I am pleased to announce the hiring of Durene Ayer as Westwood’s Borough Administrator.Durene had served a previous stint with the borough as CFO. She did an outstanding job in that role, putting the municipality’s finances on such a strong footing that, under the Governing Body’s watchful eye and Frank’s diligent management, taxpayers are still enjoying its benefits - three years after her departure.Durene returns to a challenging new professional role. But her intimate familiarity with the borough’s department heads, staff, finances and the culture of our local governance – ensures stability and continuity in the services our employees provide to Westwood residents. Any Administration can rise or fall with the quality of its “C level” employees - the Borough Administrator, the Borough Clerk and the CFO are like an interdependent three-legged stool. If one leg is shorter than the other … the stool wobbles.Therefore we did not meet these staffing needs with panic-led hiring decisions that might have hobbled us long term. Patience, prudent planning and thoughtfulness on the part of my Governing Body colleagues, especially Personnel and Finance Committee Chair Beth Dell, has the Borough’s Administration coming out of this pandemic on the firmest possible footing.The new Borough Administrator will begin her duties on May 17. Borough Hall departments will be open by pre-scheduled appointment as of May 19. And, barring any contrary EO’s issued by the Governor, we plan to reopen Borough Hall to the general public on June 1. The Board of Health is a quasi autonomous arm of municipal government and handles its own internal hiring process, which is currently underway. The resumption of in-person Municipal Court will be subject to the Division of Court Administration’s directive.Thank you for your patience and cooperation.It is most sincerely appreciated.Ray Arroyo Westwood Mayor

This press release was produced by the Borough of Westwood. The views expressed here are the author’s own.