The BTDC is delighted to announce the recipient of its 2025 Civic Scholarship: Ridge High School rising senior, Meera Shah, will be awarded a $1000 stipend and an internship with CD-7 candidate Rebecca Bennett. She’ll be recognized at the high school’s June 17th awards ceremony where BTDC Chair, Jane Conklin, will present Shah with the honor.

 

Meera has excelled in the classroom, on the forensics stage and is a fierce proponent of free speech and debate. She will no doubt enjoy working on efforts to unseat Republican Tom Kean this summer and promises to help with the Hodges & Tompkins run for Bernards Township Committee as well.

 

Meera’s interest in politics and current events is home-grown as she was raised around lively dinner table discussions with her parents and younger brother. She really found her voice, however, through her involvement with Women in Debate and the Ridge High Forensics Team, where she’s a captain of Lincoln Douglas Debate, and an award-winning competitor both locally and nationally.

 

This young lady’s energy is contagious as she says, “We don’t seem to care about issues until they start affecting us. It’s hard to push for change when people aren’t listening…And it’s important to understand that sharing your opinion doesn’t mean you’re excluding others’ opinions.”

Among her peers, Meera sees lots of talking and not so much listening. She also feels, “More student voices need to be heard, along with the adults.” Her goals moving forward include getting more involved with the Ridge Democratic Club, perhaps even in a leadership role. She wants to promote more consensus building and a greater sense of freedom to advocate for causes and concerns among her classmates at Ridge.

 

Shah also enjoys contributing to the Ridge Devils Advocate newspaper, the Ridge Political Review and actively mentors younger students through Women in Debate. She looks forward to becoming more involved with the BTDC in the months ahead.

 

Outside, it was a cold and rainy night.

Inside? It was a fantastic evening hosted by Bill and Carolyn Knox in their beautiful historic barn. Many thanks to our families, friends and supporters. And special thanks to BTDC Vice Chair, and queen of campaign events, Jen Aaron!

Sarah Bonnefoi finds her service as EMS Captain of Basking Ridge Fire Company No. 1 to be a satisfying way of giving back to Bernards. The all-volunteer effort provides EMS Basic Life Support (BLS) service to emergency calls between the hours of 6pm-6am on weekdays and throughout the weekend. These evening and weekend shifts are covered in conjunction with one Atlantic Health BLS ambulance.

 

The past several years have presented volunteer EMS with particular challenges: changing demographics in Bernards Township has meant fewer volunteers available during weekdays so Bernards Township contracted with Atlantic Health BLS to provide emergency medical response during weekday hours. The pandemic exacerbated an existing shortage of EMTs and the other EMS service in Bernards Township, the Liberty Corner First Aid Squad - also volunteer - was forced to close their doors.

 

Basking Ridge EMS has a junior program for kids between the ages of 16 to 18 who live in town, and the agency can facilitate the process of getting EMT training. The agency accepts college students who are already EMT certified. “Becoming an EMT is a path to becoming a nurse or hospital tech, or even a physician,” said Bonnefoi. The agency is especially interested in recruiting adults who are residents who are seeking a meaningful way to give back; the EMS officers can provide guidance for EMT certification classes. “It’s a very fulfilling way to serve the community.”

 

Sarah and her team are hoping to make a presentation to the public this fall explaining EMS in Bernards Township, with the aim of driving volunteerism and clarifying the difference in care levels and billing practices between BLS and ALS (Advanced Life Support).

 

For more information about becoming a volunteer or donating, please visit: https://www.brfco.com 

 

 

May has been an active month for the Township including celebrations, recognitions, and making a significant step toward meeting our fourth round of Affordable Housing obligations.

 

Many of you were part of our Annual Charter Day held Saturday, May 17th.  This year we celebrated our 265th Anniversary, whereby Governor Sir Francis Bernards was granted the Charter of Bernardston on May 24, 1760.  The Township’s Anniversary Committee also leveraged Charter Day to launch the logo contest for our 250th Anniversary programs. The contest, open to all residents high school age and up, is to create a logo that embodies our participation as a Revolution 250 municipality. More information can be found on the Bernards Township America 250 page. 

The Township Committee’s May 27th meeting included three Resolutions, recognizing Jewish Heritage, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage, and being a Stigma-Free Community.  In light of the tragic events of October 7th in 2023, and the rise in antisemitism globally, it is important to focus on recognizing the contributions and accomplishments of our Jewish residents, and reaffirm that we are a community that embraces unique differences and believe we are a stronger community when we value inclusion.

 

Individuals of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage make up 24% of our Township’s population, with contributions across every facet of community life.  The community is vibrant, including two strong organizations that were invited to receive the Resolution: The Bernards Chinese American Association, and the Basking Ridge Indian Community. Both organizations have created opportunities for individuals to embrace their respective cultures, while inviting the broader community to partake and become educated in the rich and vibrant traditions and customs.

 

Lastly, the Stigma-Free Resolution reaffirms the Township’s commitment to ending the stigma surrounding mental health.  The Municipal Alliance and Youth Services Commission, which I serve as the Township Committee liaison to, have brought forward innovative youth-focused initiatives supporting teens with creative outlets and in-person mental health resources post-COVID. The COPE program offers elementary students healthy coping tools and supports school counselors with social-emotional learning materials. With continued collaboration from Somerset County, Bernards Township is proud to strengthen its role in the Stigma-Free movement and foster a more inclusive, supportive community.

 

A priority matter the Township Committee voted on was approval of Resolution #2025-0233, authorizing the Bernards Township Attorney to file a copy of Resolution #2025-0233 Endorsing the Housing Element and Fair Share Plan Adopted by the Township Planning Board on May 20, 2025.  This places Bernards Township ahead of the June 30th deadline for municipalities to draft and adopt a Housing Element and Fair Share Plan. The full timetable on the fourth round Affordable Housing Timeline and Deadlines is available here.

 

The draft Housing Element and Fair Share Plan (HESFP) is an element of the Master Plan for the fourth round Affordable Housing obligation, that the Planning Board needed to adopt. The draft includes various data points, among others, listed below, that responded to various questions raised during public comment regarding the Ridge Oak and Westgate projects, that along with the Our House residence, will meet our fourth-round obligations.

 

The sites are developable – sewer and water capacity are available for both sites. While the proposed hotel at Westgate is not currently in the sewer area, the residential areas are.  The sites are located in the State Planning Area 2.  Planning Area 2 is a Suburban Planning Area, and where the state plan would recommend redevelopment and development occur. State Planning Area 2 is also a preferred location for affordable housing development.  The sites are compliant with the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. The sites will comply with all applicable environmental regulations. Regarding Westgate, there are no Category One streams or known contaminated sites on the property.  There are small, isolated pockets of wetlands at the periphery of the property, but will not impede the development of affordable housing.  The sites will not affect any historical or architecturally important sites and districts.

 

The draft HESFP also outlined the various scenarios presented to the Township to meet our fourth-round obligations. Our objective was to address the obligation with the least number of total market rate units.  Selecting Ridge Oak and Westgate, along with the Our House residence, resulted in approximately 250 fewer units being built and provided the maximum number of Bonus Credits. 

 

Regarding the Westgate project, when coupled with the 280-unit Mountainview development, approved in 2021 and currently under construction, upwards of 2,000 potential new residents will be joining the community. The Township has an opportunity and need to explore ways to create connectivity in the area, potentially through new pathways, sidewalks and bike trails, that will embrace the new developments as part of the community versus as an island unto its own.

 

Thank you as always to those who attended this month’s Township Committee meeting. Note that the June 10th meeting has been cancelled in light of the Primary election. Our next meeting with be Tuesday, June 24th.

 

Your Voice Matters! You can contact me with township questions/thoughts/comments at (201) 306-0178, or via email at amccarthy@bernards.org. Please note that any correspondence sent to me will be visible to the full Township Committee and Clerk.

Paid for by the Bernards Township Democratic Committee