Category: Public Info

The Union County Board of County Commissioners are proud to announce the full rollout of the Blue Envelope Program, as part of Union County Commissioner Chairman Sergio Granados’ “Equity and Inclusion” initiatives, through his 2023 Chairman’s theme of “Building a Stronger Union County,” in partnership with the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, Sheriff’s Department, the County Police Department, and the Union County Police Chief’s Association. These initiatives are geared towards fostering inclusivity and promoting safer interactions between law enforcement officers and individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

“In a collaborative effort, all 21 municipal and county law enforcement agencies have come together to champion the Blue Envelope Program, a symbol of our commitment to enhancing safety, inclusivity, and understanding for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder,” said Commissioner Chairman Sergio Granados. “We are committed to the safety of our communities, and this is just another significant step forward in the right direction.”

The Blue Envelope Program is accessible to all Union County residents on the Autism Spectrum. Residents can obtain a Blue Envelope at their local police departments throughout the county.

“Each of these organizations recognized the significance of this initiative and swiftly united to get to work on this program,” said Union County Prosecutor William Daniel. “We take immense pride in the dedication and effort invested in the training and implementation of this program and I am looking forward to seeing its successes.”

The Blue Envelope Program introduces a simple yet effective tool that contains essential information for drivers with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This includes a copy of their driver’s license, vehicle registration, insurance details, and an emergency contact card. Additionally, the envelope provides clear instructions to drivers on how to navigate a traffic stop and interact with law enforcement officers in a manner that promotes clarity and safety.

Key features of the Blue Envelope Program include:

• Specialized Training: Every officer in Union County, including local officers in all 21 municipalities, will undergo specialized training to develop a deeper understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder and the best practices for engaging with individuals during traffic stops.

• Communication Facilitation: Drivers with Autism Spectrum Disorder can present the blue envelope to the officer upon being stopped, allowing officers to quickly recognize the situation and adapt their approach accordingly.

• Essential Information: The envelope includes guidance for officers to simplify requests and minimize the risk of misunderstandings or potential escalation. Additionally, officers are advised to contact the person listed on the emergency contact card for assistance if needed.

• Verbal or Nonverbal Indication: A checked-off box on the envelope indicates whether the driver is verbal or nonverbal, which aids officers in communicating effectively.

“Every single police department in Union County is proud to be a part of this initiative,” said Elizabeth Police Chief Giacomo Sacca and President of the Union County Police Chief’s Association.  “Our officers have undergone thorough briefings and trainings to ensure they are well-versed in the proper protocols, and they are eager to put their training into action.”

For additional updates and details about the Blue Envelope Program and other initiatives under Commissioner Chairman Sergio Granados’ “Equity & Inclusion” initiatives, please visit www.ucnj.org/inclusion.

Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi has released a new video on security measures for election tabulation that occurs at the close of the polls on Election Day.  The video is available on the home page of unioncountyvotes.com, in English and Spanish.

“Transparency of the election is of paramount importance,” Clerk Rajoppi said.  “In an effort to better inform our voters on the security, integrity, and chain of custody in the operation, we produced an explanatory video of the step by step process.  I want voters to know that I care as much about their vote as they do and am committed to protecting it.”

Union County implements strict security measures as Election Day nears to ensure the integrity of the voting process. After polling stations close, USB drives with ballot data are collected, securely transported by sheriff officers to tabulating sites, and the data is recorded. All ballots are carefully counted, including vote-by-mail, emergency, and provisional ballots. Ballots dropped off at designated locations are collected daily and counted after polls close. These ballots are securely stored at the Board of Elections.

To track preliminary results on Election Night, residents can visit the County Clerk website at unioncountyvotes.com, or download the Union County Votes app for free. Results will be updated throughout the night. The official certification of results takes place 15 days after Election Day.

For more information about election security measures, contact the Elections Division at 908-527-4996 or ucvote@ucnj.org. Additional videos, including instructions on how to vote by mail, can be found on unioncountyvotes.com.

The Union County Board of County Commissioners through the Department of Human Services will again institute the Countywide Code Blue (CB) Initiative in an effort to prevent death and injury among homeless and housing insecure persons during periods of extreme weather conditions with temperatures at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Last winter, over 5,000 placements were made in safe and secure shelter during a total of 93 Code Blue nights,” said Commissioner Chairman Sergio Granados. “Working together, Union County stands ready to extend a helping hand and provide safe shelter to those in need, ensuring that no one is left out in the cold.”

When extreme weather conditions are predicted, Union County Department of Human Services will implement a Countywide Code Blue.  During the Code Blue period, emergency shelters will be asked to increase their bed capacity.  Once shelters are filled to capacity, alternate arrangements will be coordinated by the Division of Human Services within the Department of Human Services and the State of New Jersey’s Homeless Hotline (NJ 211) outside of Division of Social Services business hours.

“Due to the adverse living situations experienced by homeless persons, the U.S. Census and other broad counts of the homeless are often underestimated,” said Director of Human Services, Debbie-Ann Anderson. “The support of community organizations, local police and social service providers is necessary to ensure that our most vulnerable residents seeking shelter are afforded an opportunity to come in from the cold during dangerous and severe weather conditions.”

Notification will be provided to municipal police departments via the County Police hotline by 10:00 a.m. when a Code Blue is called. Code Blue referrals will be accepted during daytime hours only between 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. During these hours, homeless individuals and families should be referred to the Union County Division of Social Services located at 342 Westminster Avenue in Elizabeth or 200 West 2nd Street in Plainfield.

For outside of the Division of Social Services business hours (8:30 am – 3:00 pm) and overnight assistance, the State of New Jersey’s Homeless Hotline (NJ 211) is available and can be reached by dialing 211 or 877-746-5211.  Municipalities are asked to accommodate homeless individuals locally overnight whenever possible.

All Code Blue alerts will be sent via the Union County First Alert system. For those wishing to register to receive First Alerts, should email codeblue@ucnj.org with the following information: first & last name, email address, and a request to be added to the distribution list. An email response containing a registration link allowing modification to account information will be sent.

For more details about the Countywide Code Blue Initiative, contact Agnes Oboz at (908) 527-4842 or via email at codeblue@ucnj.org.

To contact the Union County Department of Human Services, residents can use the online contact form at ucnj.org/dhs, email the DHS Action Line at DHSaction@ucnj.org, or call (908) 677-5405.

The County was informed that Representatives from the State Department of Treasury will be conducting door-to-door visits to remind residents to apply for the Anchor Rebate Program.

These representatives can be easily identified by their vests and will possess proper identification credentials. In the event you are not at home during their visit, they will leave informative door hangers detailing the application process.

The Union County Clerk’s Office will be opening their two offices on Saturday, November 4^th for any county residents who wish to pick up a ballot to vote by mail in the 2023 General Election.

Residents may pick up a mail-in ballot at either of the following locations from 9:00 a.m. through 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 4^th:

• Elizabeth – Union County Courthouse, Room 113 – 2 Broad Street
• Westfield – Union County Colleen Fraser Building – 300 North Avenue East

Those intending to cast their vote via a mail-in ballot have the option to place it in any of the 24 secure drop boxes located throughout Union County, or they can personally deliver it to the Union County Board of Elections at 271 North Broad Street in Elizabeth, or the Union County Clerk’s Office at 2 Broad Street, Room 113 in Elizabeth, and 300 North Avenue East in Westfield.

To submit a ballot in person, voters are required to show a valid ID or driver’s license issued in the state of New Jersey. To check to ensure your ballot has been received by the Union County Board of Elections, go to the Track My Ballot link on the www.njelections.org website.

Voters who choose to vote in person on Election Day, November 7^th, must use their designated polling place, which is located on their sample ballot.

For a complete list of drop box locations and an online polling place finder, visit the County Clerk website at unioncountyvotes.com.

For more information about the County Clerk’s election services, contact the Elections Division at 908-527-4996 or ucvote@ucnj.org.

The Union County Board of County Commissioners would like to invite Union County residents and visitors to explore the fascinating world of rocks, minerals, fossils, gems and jewelry at the Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside on Saturday, November 4 and Sunday, November 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on both days.  Admission to the event is free.

“The show is a unique opportunity for Union County residents and visitors of all ages to learn about the world of rocks and gems,” said Commissioner Chairman Sergio Granados.

Trailside is part of the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation. It is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside, in Union County’s Watchung Reservation. Ample free parking is available on the site.

A wide variety of specimens will be on display along with many items for sale, from child-friendly geodes, arrowheads and fluorescent minerals to jewelry, fine gems and collector-grade pieces.

Sponsored jointly with the New Jersey Mineralogical Society and the New Jersey Lapidary Society, the Mineral, Gem and Jewelry Show will host over 15 vendors offering minerals, rocks, gemstones, jewelry, sea shells and fossils from around the world.

Trailside is open regularly on Tuesdays through Sundays except holidays, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free of charge. A modest fee applies to scheduled programs. For more information about all programs offered this fall at Trailside, call 908-789-3670 or visit ucnj.org/trailside.

Quick links to all programs and activities in Union County parks are available at www.ucnj.org/parks.

The Union County Board of Elections reminds voters to plan their vote for the upcoming General Election.  Election Day is Tuesday, November 7, 2023.  Voters can vote in person during Early Voting, in person on Election Day or via Mail-In Ballot.  Eligible voters for the General Election include registered Democrats, Republicans and Unaffiliated voters.

In-Person Early Voting will take place Saturday, October 28, 2023 through Sunday, November 5, 2023.  Monday through Saturday the polls are open from 10am – 8pm.  On Sunday, the polls are open from 10am – 6pm. 

There are seven early voting sites county wide: Cranford, Elizabeth, New Providence, Plainfield, Rahway, Roselle and Union Township.  Any eligible voter in the county can go to any of these seven locations and cast their vote on their local ballot. 

Election Day Voting will take place on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.  Polls are open from 6:00am – 8:00pm.  Voters are required to go to their designated polling location on Election Day to cast their vote. 

Finally, voters who have received mail-in ballots are encouraged to return their ballot to the secure ballot drop box.  Voters can obtain a mail-in ballot from the Union County Clerk’s Office until the day before Election Day at 3:00pm.   There is at least one drop box in every municipality.  Ballot drop boxes are available to voters 24/7 through the close of the polls on Election Day at 8:00pm. 

The ballot drop boxes are picked up in accordance with state guidelines by a bipartisan team of Election Board employees with a police escort.  Voters can also mail their mail-in ballot, leaving at least 7 days for it to arrive in the mail.  Finally, voters can bring their ballot in-person to the Union County Board of Elections (271 No. Broad St., Elizabeth) or the Union County Clerk’s Office (2 Broad Street, Elizabeth / 300 North Avenue East, Westfield).  Voters wishing to deposit their ballot in person must present a valid New Jersey issued ID or Driver’s License.

For the complete list of Early Voting Sites, an updated list of polling locations, and the addresses of the secure ballot drop boxes, visit the Board of Elections website at www.ucnj.org/ucboe or call 908-527-4123.

Union County Board of Elections Administrator Nicole DiRado advises Union County residents that seven locations have been selected for those wishing to cast their vote early in person for the 2023 General Election. Any registered, Union County voter can use any of these sites to vote in-person, by machine from Saturday, October 28 through Sunday, November 5.

“New Jersey has expanded voters’ rights by introducing early voting in 2021,” said Ms. DiRado. “We encourage voters to use early voting, or a vote by mail ballot, to cast their vote ahead of Election Day.  Making a plan to cast your vote is important and there are now more options in New Jersey than ever before.”

• Cranford: Union College of Union County, 1033 Springfield Avenue, Nomahegan Building, Room N4, Near the Guard Booth – Parking in Lot 1
• Elizabeth: Sampson Community Center, 800 Anna Street
• New Providence: DeCorso Senior Center, 15 E. 4^th Street
• Plainfield, Union College of Union County, Church Street, Between E. 2^nd & E. 3^rd Streets
• Rahway:  Rahway Recreation Center, 275 E. Milton Avenue
• Roselle: Amalfe Community Center, 1268 Shaffer Avenue
• Union Township: Union Township Senior Center, 652 Rahway Avenue

All of these early voting locations will be open during the following hours:

• Saturday, October 28,  10am – 8pm
• Sunday, October 29, 10am – 6pm
• Monday, October 30, 10am – 8pm
• Tuesday, October 31, 10am – 8pm
• Wednesday, November 1, 10am – 8pm
• Thursday, November 2, 10am – 8pm
• Friday, November 3, 10am – 8pm
• Saturday, November 4, 10am – 8pm
• Sunday, November 5, 10am – 6pm

Upon arriving at an early voting location, voters will sign in on an electronic poll book.  The electronic poll book will print a bar code on the ballot card so the voting machine knows which ballot to activate.  Voters will then insert their ballot card into the voting machine in order to cast their vote.

Please note that these locations are for machine voting only. Vote by mail ballots cannot be submitted at these locations.

Voters who plan to use a vote by mail ballot can deposit it in any of the twenty-four (24) Board of Elections’ secure drop boxes in Union County, return it to the Board of Elections by U.S. Postal Service, or hand-deliver it to the Board of Elections office in Elizabeth by November 7, 2023 at 8pm.

To check to ensure your ballot has been received by the Union County Board of Elections, go to the Track My Ballot link on the www.njelections.org website. A complete list of secure ballot drop boxes in Union County can be found at www.ucnj.org/ucboe.

Voters who choose to vote in person on Election Day, November 7, must use their designated polling place.

For more information, including a list of drop box locations and an online polling place finder, visit the Board of Elections online at ucnj.org/ucboe, email ucboe@ucnj.org, or call 908-527-4123.

Residents can bring any pumpkin to any designated location for conversion to green energy

The Union County Board of County Commissioners, in coordination with the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning, Union County residents can put their Jack o’ Lanterns to good use after Halloween by participating in the Pumpkin Recycling Program, which returns this November after being a big hit for the last few years.

“Union County’s Pumpkin Recycling Program is back and bigger than ever in 2023! We are happy to bring this eco-friendly initiative to our residents, expanding to six convenient drop-off locations throughout the county,” said Commissioner Chairman Sergio Granados. “By recycling your pumpkins, you are not only promoting a greener environment but also contributing to a brighter, more sustainable future by reducing food waste and transforming it into clean, green energy.”

The pumpkins will be collected by municipal departments of public works and brought to an organic waste recycler in Elizabeth, where they will be transformed into green energy.  This program will be coordinated by the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning.

The program has grown in 2023.  There will now be six municipal locations available for residents to drop off their pumpkins off at in 2023, versus the three. Residents from any municipality in Union County can use any of these locations, regardless of their home town.

The program runs from Wednesday, November 1 through Monday, November 27, and each location is open from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm. The locations are:

• 101 Berkeley Avenue in Berkeley Heights
  • Berkeley Heights Department of Public Works
  • Next to the new Municipal Complex
• 523 Trenton Avenue in Elizabeth
  • Elizabeth Municipal Recycling Yard
• 1300 Lamberts Mill Road in Westfield
  • Westfield Conservation Center
• 2 Donaldson Place in Linden
  • Municipal recycling yard
• 401 Sheridan Avenue in Kenilworth
  • Kenilworth Public Works complex
• 95 Rock Avenue in Plainfield
  • Plainfield Transfer Station

Only pumpkins will be accepted at these locations; other food waste is not accepted. Candles and decorations must be removed.

The Pumpkin Recycling Program will send pumpkins to the CORe facility in Elizabeth, which is operated by the firm Waste Management. The company’s proprietary recycling system converts food waste into organic slurry, which is used to increase the output of biogas and other renewable products at municipal wastewater treatment plants.

Food waste is a global problem that contributes to excess greenhouse gas emissions while burdening local governments with waste disposal costs. Each year, in the United States, 119 billion pounds of food is wasted, which equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food thrown away each year.  Shockingly, nearly 40% of all food in America is wasted. 

Traditionally, food waste is sent to landfills or burned in waste-to-energy facilities. New organic recycling systems provide a more sustainable way to manage food waste.

Union County residents can also help reduce food waste by using up leftovers and donating unused shelf items before their sell-by date expires.

For more information, upcoming dates and directions to all Union County recycling programs and locations, visit the Bureau of Recycling and Planning website at www.ucnj.org/recycle or call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889.

To receive schedule alerts, and to stay up to date with both countywide and Union local recycling programs in Union County, download the free Recycle Coach mobile app.

Quick links to all Union County environmental programs and activities are available at The Green Connection, ucnj.org/green-connection.

The Union County Board of County Commissioners, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services, the Office for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs and the American Job Center invites Union County residents to the Inclusive Job and Resource Fair.

For Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs on October 30^th at the Warinanco Sport Center.

“We believe that every individual, regardless of their abilities, deserves equal opportunities for meaningful employment and professional growth,” said Commissioner Chairman Sergio Granados, liaison to the Workforce Development Board. “Our upcoming job fair for persons with special needs and disabilities is a testament to our commitment to inclusivity and diversity in the workforce.”

The fair will begin at 10:00am at the Warinanco Sport Center, at 1 Park Drive in Roselle. While the job fair is free to attend, registration is required by visiting https://ucnj.org/dhs/job-fairs. Job seekers must be 18 years of age and older. Organizations that have confirmed their participation include:

• NJ Transit
• Amazon
• FedEx
• The Arc of NJ – Project Hire
• In Roads
• Goodwill NY
• Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS)
• Kean University – Office of Accessibility Services
• NJTIP

National Disability Employment Awareness Month, held annually in October, is an opportunity to celebrate the many contributions of people with disabilities to America’s workplaces and economy. Participating in competitive, integrated employment not only paves the way for greater independence for people with disabilities, but also provides employers with the opportunity to diversify their talent pool.

For more information about the Office for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs, please call the office at 908-527-4807 or 908-527-4781. For more information about future job fairs/hiring events, please call the American Job Center at (908) 558-8000.