Mayor Louis Manzo reminds residents ways to communicate with township administration
Anyone who knows me can attest that I am never at a loss for words. That’s because I am a big believer in communication and building relationships and we have made both core principals of our philosophy on Township Committee. However, providing a platform for residents to connect with the five elected committee members, beyond attending the township public meetings, has always been a challenge. To further improve that communication in recent years, we made improvements to our township website and introduced weekly community emails from our Township Administrator Mark Gravinese. The “what’s happening in town” emails provide residents with weekly updates about events, township news and other important information. More than 1,800 residents are on our electronic distribution list; if you are not and would like to be added, drop an email to Gravinese at mlgravinese@harrisontwp.us.
Everyone on the electronic distribution list also receive the Mayor’s Minutes email that we send on a regular basis for more detailed updates on specific topics such as the new Inspira Medical Center project, insight into understanding taxes or most recently an update on our sidewalk program. A library of the Mayor’s Minutes is housed on the township website under the Mayor’s Corner. Additionally, the Comcast Newsmakers segments we have participated in are on the website — the interviews provide a very positive view of Harrison Township and I would encourage you to view them.
In the last year, we’ve added a township Facebook page with an Ask the Mayor link to provide another easy access point for questions or to make a comment. Most recently, we have been fortunate enough to have this new local newspaper come to town, The Mullica Hill Sun. All Mullica Hill, all the time! Isn’t it great? Attending township meetings in the evening is difficult for many residents based on the feverish routine of raising a family. All the points of contact I’ve mentioned here are intended to help keep you informed and must be having an impact, because when an important issue or concern arises, we hear from you.
The most recent example of that is the decision about replacing the Christmas tree at Old Town Hall. That has been a point of discussion with Township Committee for several years, culminating in a required decision this year. The default is always about cost, which led to the decision last month to cut the tree down. However, the open lines of communication that existed allowed your voice to be heard and it motivated me to meet with our Historical Society to review the reasons for the decision. That meeting changed things in my mind and made me revisit the topic with Township Committee, which resulted in a reversal of the decision to cut down the tree.
Communication is the bridge. We thank all the voices we heard from. You made a difference. Please continue to reach out to me, or any of the individuals on committee if you have a concern.
