With the election pending, we are hearing much about transparency and leadership that listens. Moorestown is now blessed to have leadership that does listen, gives many opportunities to listen and proactively communicates with Moorestown to provide timely information on many issues facing Moorestown. This leadership is Mayor Nicole Gillespie and the current council, including Councilman Quinton Law.
Under Gillespie’s leadership, several new initiatives have been implemented to increase opportunities for residents’ input. These include hybrid council meetings, where residents can comment in-person, or through Teams or by phone. This did not happen prior to Mayor Gillespie. The meetings are live-streamed and posted almost immediately on the township website. The mayor and Councilman Law have held several convenient virtual listening sessions in the past year about topics of concern to residents, including speeding and traffic, the Lenola Town Center and future use of the Yancy Adams park.
I attended a listening session last January, where Gillespie and Law listened to nearly 40 Moorestown residents about traffic and speeding concerns, and as a result, have started installing speed humps to manage speeding. The mayor and council consistently give extra opportunities in council meetings for public input and substantially more than four years ago.
I have attended meetings where Gillespie and council have listened to hours of input from residents, and even scheduled an additional meeting for further input. This leadership has initiated and held informational in-person sessions for the Lenola Town Council streetscape project and the Moorestown Mall renovations in recent months, both which were well attended by the public.
Our mayor writes a monthly column in the Moorestown Sun, updating us on issues regarding Moorestown. The township is currently undergoing an upgrade on its website, which will make vital information much easier to access, and the township now provides substantial and timely updates through Facebook and Instagram. When you select your choices for Moorestown Council, I strongly urge you to vote for, and re-elect, the leadership that has demonstrated a strong ability to listen and act. Vote for Gillespie and Law.
Mark Hines
Moorestown, NJ