Spring 2010 Municipal Newsletter

Department of Public Works With warmer weather on the way and grass cutting time upon us, please remember that grass clippings will not be picked up as trash. Thank you for your cooperation. All occupants or owners of any residential dwelling within the Borough of Raritan are required to recycle. Recycling schedules are available at Borough Hall

Building Department Property owners should be aware that all contractors that are performing work on residential properties are required to be licensed by the NJ Division of Community Affairs. When hiring a contractor to provide some type of service you should be certain that the contractor has the appropriate license to perform the work. If the project requires that a permit application be filed with the Construction Official, property owners should make sure that their contractors have been issued the proper permits prior to allowing them the begin any work. All required inspections should be scheduled, and all final approvals obtained prior to releasing final payment. If you have any questions please contact Lou Gara in the Construction Code Office at 908-231-1300X 25.

Police Department MAKE WAY FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES: during 911 responses, seconds count. Delays may mean the life of a neighbor, friend or loved one. Please yield if you hear or see emergency vehicles. VACATION HOUSE CHECKS: The Raritan Police Department would like to remind the residence that we offer vacation house checks. Anyone planning a vacation or anticipating an extended absence from their home, can arrange to have their house checked periodically during their absence. For more information please contact the Raritan Police Department at 908-725-6700. NATIONAL NIGHT OUT: The Raritan Police Department will observe National Night Out on Tuesday, August 3, 2010. More information will be available as we get closer to the date. STOP FOR PEDESTRAINS: It is now the law that you must come to a complete stop when pedestrians are entering or are in the crosswalk.

Tax Assessor’s Office The following is general information that you may find helpful when reviewing your tax payment schedule. Tax payments are due on the first day of February, May August, and November. Tax bills are mailed out once a year during the summer. There is a ten day grace period given for Tax payments. The payment must be received by the tenth day of each respective quarter. Payments received after the tenth day are subject to interest at the rate of 8% per annum on the first $1500.00 and 18% per annum over $1500.00. A 6% year-end penalty is charged on any delinquency in excess of $10,000.00 that remains unpaid on December 31st. Tax payments can be made either in person or by mail. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 am-4:00pm. On the first Friday of February, May, August, and November, the office is open until 6 pm. Our mailing address is PO Box 145, Raritan, NJ 08869. Please include the appropriate stub with your payment. If payment is made by mail and a receipt is requested, please include the entire bill and a self addressed stamped envelope. If there are any changes to your mailing address, please remember to submit these changes to the Assessor’s Office so that we can update our records. If your property is sold, please take the Tax bills to your closing to be turned over to the new owner. If you have any questions or problems you can call the office at 908-231-1300 ext 18.

Finance Office The Finance Office is responsible for all financial transactions relating to revenues and disbursements for the Borough of Raritan. In accordance with NJ State requirements, this department keeps a full account of all cash receipts and disbursements of the Borough, has custody of all investments and invested funds of the Borough, keeps all moneys not required for current operations safely invested or deposited in interest bearing accounts, handles the payroll for municipal employees, processes requisitions and purchase orders for all disbursements.

Senior Citizens Raritan Seniors meet on the second Wednesday of each month with the exception of July and August. The meetings are held in the Community Room of Borough Hall and begin at 1 PM. Any residents of Raritan who is 55 years of age or older are invited to attend.

Recreation and Parks The winter programs are at their midpoint. Our baseball and softball programs are still accepting registrations for the spring 2010 season. We are concerned about decreasing numbers of children who are involved in our baseball and softball programs. We would like input from residents as to what our school aged children are doing for recreational activities. For more information on any program or to respond to the questions please call Raritan Recreation at 908-725-9411 or email rbartolucci@raritan-nj.org

Bureau of Fire Prevention The weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer, trees are starting to bud, and spring is here, finally. With the advent of spring there are many routines that take place: spring cleaning, getting our yard equipment ready, and preparing our gardens for planting. One other routine that takes place, specifically on March 14 of this year, is the changing of the clocks, “spring ahead” as it were. In the fire service we use this routine to remind everyone of another routine, the changing of the batteries in your smoke detectors. The fire service has been promoting the “Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery” program for several years. Still you would be amazed at how many fires occur in home were no working fire detectors are found. Homes should have one detector on each level and smoke detectors older than 10 years old should be replaced.

Office of Property Maintenance Just a friendly reminder to our residents. Please remember that garbage, recycling, and bulk trash cannot be placed curbside until 4 PM the day before the scheduled pick up for your area. Also, bulk trash DOES NOT include construction material, TV’s, or any electronics such as computers, printers, or monitors. Disposal of these items are the responsibility of the residents and should be taken to the Somerset County Recycling Center, 40 Polhemus Lane, Bridgewater on the first Saturday of each month. We are here to help you! Please call our office at 908-231-1300 ext 24 if you have questions. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping Raritan a town we can be proud of.

Environmental Commission The Environmental Commission will be celebrating Earth Day on Saturday, April 24 at 1 PM with a Raritan River and Canal Trail Clean Up. If you are interested in participating please meet us at the Canal Street Park near the Basilone Statue and remember to wear appropriate clothing.

Board of Health As of April 1, 2010 Raritan will be part of the Somerset County Department of Health (SCDOH) for our public health services and education. The SCDOH will continue to provide quality services to the residents of Raritan. The Raritan Board of Health meets every second Wednesday of the month (except July and August) at 6:30 PM. All meetings are open to the public. Stay healthy!