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Union County Freeholders announce Covid-19 Relief Grant Program for Small Businesses

Initial Round of Program would provide grants up to $20,000 for impacted small businesses with 25 or less employees

The Union County Freeholder Board today announced the initial-round launch of the Union County Covid-19 Relief Grant Program for small businesses that have been impacted by the health emergency.

The grant program will make available a total of $2 million in CARES Act relief funds. Out of this funding, the program will provide grants up to $20,000 to eligible small businesses to cover three month’s rent, property mortgage, utility and insurance expenses. The grant will be available to small businesses located within the boundaries of Union County with 25 or less employees prior to the COVID emergency.

“Union County’s small businesses are the life-blood of our communities and our downtowns,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “These businesses, which contribute so much to our quality of life as a whole, have been devastated by the COVID-19 emergency and need our assistance. The survival of these businesses is vital to Union County, and we encourage our small businesses to apply for a grant once the program is available.”

The Union County Covid-19 Relief Grant Program is funded by the COVID- Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Federal relief fund. The County of Union will begin accepting applications for the program through an online portal beginning Thursday at 10 a.m., July 16^th at www.ucnj.org/covid-grant Questions about the County’s grant programs can be sent to dmesaros@ucnj.org

Public Info

Union County Senior Virtual Art Exhibit Now Accepting Registrations from Artists Age 60 and Older

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to invite all residents of Union County, age 6o or older, to register for the Union County Senior Citizens’ Virtual Art Exhibit. Qualifying works of art will be displayed online this fall from October 12 to December 30. This year’s Senior Art Exhibit is being held entirely online due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The deadline to register is Friday, Sept. 4, 2020. Registration online is required, and a digital image of the artwork entry must be submitted to complete the registration.

“Each year the Senior Art Exhibit provides senior residents with an opportunity to share their view of the world through their artwork,” said Freeholder Chairman Mirabella. “Although we are doing things virtually this year we are proud to support this program, which highlights the skills and insights of senior artists in the County.”

The Senior Art Exhibit is an annual program presented and coordinated by the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs. Artists at any level of skill or experience are invited to register, including amateurs, non-professionals and working professionals. To qualify, the artwork must have been created within the past three years and must be an original creation of the artist.

Registrants can enter a work in a variety of categories: acrylic painting, oil painting, watercolor, pastel, works on paper (drawing), photography, digital art (excluding digital photography), mixed media, printmaking, sculpture, and craft.

All artworks entered will be judged by a panel of professional artists. In each art category, separate awards will be given to professionals and non-professionals. First-place winners in all categories will go on to compete at the state level in the New Jersey Senior Citizens Art Show, also being held online this fall.

For complete information and to register, visit the Union County website at www.ucnj.org/senior-art.

For seniors who do not have internet access, a relative or friend with an email address may assist and register on behalf of the artist, or staff at the Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs will assist the artist with registration by phone. For assistance or questions, or to receive complete instructions by mail or email, call 908-558-2552, or email culturalinfo@ucnj.org. Relay users dial 711.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

Connect with Union County on social media.

Public Info

Food Distribution event donated by Amazon.com

This morning Union County Freeholder Andrea Staten, Rebecca Williams and Assemblywoman Linda S. Carter joined the United Way of Greater Union County and members of County Government at the Kenilworth Veterans Center to distribute food donated by Amazon.com through the United Way to various social service organizations throughout Union County. (Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Public Notices

Union County Planning Board July 8th Meeting

TAKE NOTICE that, pursuant to the Open Public Meetings Act, N.J.S.A. 10:4-6, Chapter 231 of the Public Laws of 1975 the County of Union published the 2020 Annual Notice of Meetings for the Union County Planning Board on January 9, 2020 and a correction was published on January 17, 2020. The meeting scheduled for July 8, 2020 will be held virtually using web based software for board members. Any public wishing to have any questions regarding agenda items heard by the Planning Board at this meeting should contact the County Planning Board Secretary by telephone (908-527-4268) no later than 1:00 PM on July 8, 2020. This virtual meeting is required due to social distancing requirements by the State of New Jersey in response to the Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic.
All Union County Planning Board meetings start at 7 PM on the noted dates and held at the Union County Administration Building, 6th floor, Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth, New Jersey unless noticed otherwise. The remaining annual meetings are noted below:

July 8 (Virtual Meeting)
September 9
October 14
November 18 (Alternate Wednesday date due to Veteran’s Day on Nov. 11th)
December 9

Public Info Public Notices

Public Notice of Public Hearing – Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders

Under the terms of the “Open Public Meetings Act P.L. 1975, C. 231, please be advised that the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will be holding a Special Meeting on Thursday, July 9, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. In light of the public health emergency caused by Coronavirus, and the subsequent issuance of the Governor’s Executive Order 107, the Board of Chosen Freeholders of the County of Union (the Board), has been conducting meetings remotely and by electronic means without providing a physical meeting place as of the Special Meeting of March 18, 2020.

In accordance with N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 (the “Open Public Meetings Act”) and in adherence to the Department of Community Affairs, Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) guidelines, the Special Meeting will be open to the public by electronic means, and as such, will conduct their meetings through a teleconference via ZOOM Webinar. All members of the public may view the Special Meeting by livestream at ucnj.org/freeholders. Any member of the public wishing to participate in the Special Meeting may do so by downloading ZOOM to their individual electronic device and select the following link: https://ucnj.org/zoom-meeting/. Anyone wishing to participate must email the Clerk of the Board at jpellettiere@ucnj.org to receive the meeting-specific password to gain access to the teleconference Special Meeting. All requests must be submitted and received by the Clerk of the Board no later than noon on July 9, 2020.

Members of the public who prefer not to, or do not have the means to, participate in the teleconference Special Meeting, may continue to participate in the Special Meeting by emailing comments relative to the items being offered for adoption to the Clerk of the Board at jpellettiere@ucnj.org. All relevant comments received will be read into the record during the Public Comment Portion, prior to the Board taking action, and will be addressed accordingly by the Board. All emails must be submitted and received by the Clerk of the Board no later than noon on July 9, 2020 and, as is always the case, must include the public member’s full name and town of residence and resolution and/or ordinance number to which comments are being referred for the record.

Official action will be taken relative to two (2) items prescribed below:

A Resolution authorizing the County Manager to enter into Small Business Grant Agreements with Small Businesses in Union County in an amount not to exceed $20,000.00 per grant agreement with a total fund not to exceed $2,000,000.00 for the period of July 1, 2020 through December 15, 2020.

An Ordinance to amend “the laws of union County: Administrative code and policies and general legislation” by amending: Part 1-the Union County Administrative Code, Article IV-Fees for Recreation Facilities, 107-6 Park Fees for the year 2020.

Submitted: July 2, 2020
James E. Pellettiere, RMC
Clerk of the Board of Chosen Freeholders
County of Union

Public Info Public Notices

Linden Renewable Energy

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a Public Hearing will be held by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders on July 23, 2020, at 5:30 p.m., in accordance with N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 (the “Open Public Meetings Act”) and in adherence to the guidelines of the Department of Community Affairs, Division of Local Government Services for the purpose of hearing persons interested in, or who are affected by, the adoption of an Amendment to the Union County District Solid Waste Management Plan described below.

An additional Public Hearing will be held by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders for the same purpose as set forth above on July 23, 2020, at 1:00 PM.

Both Public Hearings will be open to the public by electronic means, and as such, will be conducted through a teleconference via ZOOM Webinar. Any member of the public wishing to participate in either teleconference hearing, may do so by downloading ZOOM to their individual electronic device and selecting the following link: https://ucnj.org/zoom-meeting/. Anyone wishing to participate must e-mail the Clerk of the Board at jpellettiere@ucnj.org to receive the meeting-specific password to gain access to the teleconference. All requests must be submitted and received by the Clerk of the Board by no later than July 23, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. All members of the public may view the meeting by livestream at http://ucnj.org/freeholders.

Members of the public who prefer not to, or do not have the means to, participate in either of the teleconference hearings, may participate in the Public Hearings by emailing comments to the Clerk of the Board at jpellettiere@ucnj.org. All relevant comments received will be read into the record at one of the hearings. All emails must be submitted and received by the Clerk of the Board by no later than July 23, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.

The name and address of the Union County District Solid Waste Coordinator is Daniel P. Sullivan, Executive Director c/o Union County Utilities Authority, 1499 Routes 1&9 North, Rahway, New Jersey. Mr. Sullivan can be reached by telephone at 732-382-9400 and by e-mail at dsullivan@UCUA.org. The Plan Amendment that is the subject of the Public Hearings has been prepared in accordance with the Solid Waste Management Act (N.J.S.A. 13:1E-1 et seq.) for the following purpose:

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PLAN AMENDMENT IS TO AMEND THE UNION COUNTY DISTRICT SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN BY INCLUDING A CLASS “C” RECYCLING FACILITY TO BE OWNED AND OPERATED BY LINDEN RENEWABLE ENERGY, LLC LOCATED AT 4900 TREMLEY POINT, LOT 8.02, BLOCK 587, LINDEN, NEW JERSEY TO ACCEPT ORGANIC WASTE OR ORGANIC SUBSTRATE THAT IS PROCESSED BY THIRD-PARTIES OFF-SITE IN SATELLITE DE-PACKAGING FACILITIES AND WILL UTILIZE ANAEROBIC DIGESTION TO CREATE RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS, A MARKETABLE SOIL AMENDMENT, AND LIQUID DIGESTATE THAT WILL BE PROCESSED ON SITE TO PRODUCE LIQUID ORGANIC FERTILIZER.

Ingress and egress to the facility will utilize the following public streets:

US Route 1
Stiles Street, Linden
21^st Street, Linden
Wood Avenue, Linden
Tremley Point Road, Linden

Hours of Operation for the proposed facility:

24 hours per day, 7 days per week

A copy of the Plan Amendment is available for public inspection at the offices of each Municipal Clerk in the County of Union, at the offices of the Union County Utilities Authority, 1499 Routes 1 & 9 North, Rahway, New Jersey and at the office of the Clerk of the Board of Chosen Freeholders of the County of Union, located at 10 Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth, New Jersey, 07207, during regular business hours depending if these offices is open due to the COVID-19 virus. In addition, a link to a copy of the Plan Amendment and related documents have been made available for public inspection on the official Union County website at www.ucnj.org and are also available on the Union County Utilities Authority website at http://www.unioncountyutilitiesauthority.org/ucswmp/. Contact James Pellettiere at 908-527-4140 or the e-mail address above or Lisa DaSilva at 732-382-9400 or ldasilva@UCUA.org. should there be any problem with accessing the link or the documents.

Documents:

Submitted: July 2, 2020
James Pellettiere,
Clerk of the Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Public Info

Food distribution event donated by Amazon.com through the United Way

Union County Freeholder Chris Hudak, Freeholder Andrea Staten, Freeholder Angela Garretson, Freeholder Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded and Assemblywoman Linda S. Carter joined the United Way of Greater Union County and members of County Government at Union County’s Wheeler Park in Linden to distribute food donated by Amazon.com through the United Way to various social service organizations throughout Union County. (Photos by Jim Lowney/County of Union)

Public Info

Third annual Union County Academic Excellence Program – The Quest for Academic Excellence – A County Conversation with 2020 Graduates

Please join us tomorrow, Tuesday June 30th at 4:00 pm for the third annual Union County Academic Excellence Program – The Quest for Academic Excellence – A County Conversation with 2020 Graduates — live streamed on the County’s Facebook page – ucnj.org/facebook

Public Info

Phone Banking Initiative Urges Union County Residents to Participate in the 2020 Census

As part of a broad effort to encourage participation in the 2020 Census, the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders has launched a phone bank initiative to remind residents about the importance of returning their 2020 Census survey, and to assist them with any questions they may have.

“The Census count has a direct impact on funding for education, roads, and health care in Union County,” said Freeholder Chair Alexander Mirabella. “There is so much at stake, and the phone banking initiative is an important part of the County’s commitment to achieve a fair and accurate count of all Union County residents. If you have not responded to the 2020 Census and receive a phone call from the Union County phone bank, please take a few minutes to help us meet that goal.”

Union County personnel will operate the phone bank, on temporary reassignment during the COVID-19 outbreak. They are trained to provide reliable guidance on the 2020 Census and provide accurate answers to questions, including those regarding confidentiality and other concerns.

The Union County phone bank will call more than 30,000 individuals during the next few months, targeting hard-to-count areas. The initiative will begin directing calls to low response communities in the City of Plainfield.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the County has employed social media to explain the importance of completing the Census. In addition, 30-second public service announcements featuring Chairman Mirabella in English with Spanish subtitles were aired through various media outlets covering all Union County municipalities.

Other Union County initiatives include the countywide “It Makes Sense to…Come to Your CENSUS 2020” campaign created by high school students who participated in Union County’s annual UC-STEP youth leadership conference in December.

The County will continue to encourage all residents to complete and return the Census questionnaire by mail, phone, or online. The Census has only nine questions and takes about 10 minutes to fill out.

For more help with responding to the U.S. Census, County residents can complete an online survey on the County website at ucnj.org/census

For additional information and assistance on responding, visit the U.S. Census Bureau at 2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond, or call 844-330-2020. Phone assistance is available from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

For more information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including guidance on the Union County Drive-Through Test Center at Kean University, visit ucnj.org/coronavirus-update.

For general information about COVID-19 and phone contacts for 24/7 assistance with questions, visit the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

Connect with Union County on social media.

Public Info

Union County’s “Action Line” is there for Residents in Need

The County of Union encourages residents who need help with food, shelter, employment, and other critical needs to call the county’s Action Line, either at 888-845-3434 or 908-558-2288.

“By calling the Action Line, residents can receive the help and information they need,” Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella said. “Our Action Line staff has the knowledge and resources to help, either in English or Spanish, and can direct callers to our community partners and other local resources if needed.”

DHS Action Line specialists, including Spanish speakers, are available Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Voice and email messages left after hours will be answered the next business day. Residents may also email their questions to DHSAction@ucnj.org.

The Action Line, part of the many programs run by the Union County Department of Human Services, is comprised of professionals who are trained to explain the programs and services provided by Union County as well as answer specific concerns or questions. In addition, the Action Line provides Human Services clients with a portal for resolving issues related to benefits and payments.

Staff is also available to help residents connect with services for seniors and their caregivers, employment opportunities and job training, food and shelter, homeless prevention, mental health and addiction issues, special transportation needs, issues, special needs, programs for at-risk youth, and more.

For information about the Union County Department of Human Services and its programs, please visit http://www.ucnj.org/human-services or call 908-527-4808.