Garwood may only be .65 miles in area but that doesn’t mean that we all can’t play a role in positively impacting our larger world; in this case, our natural world.

Our town is part of the Rahway River Watershed, a highly urbanized network of streams feeding the Rahway River approximately 130 square miles in size. Our roads, sidewalks, homes, businesses and public lands all impact the watershed in many ways. I know many residents – myself included – suffered the wrath of nature during Hurricane Ida when the Garwood brook overflowed into our streets and homes. Sadly, scientists believe that rainfall will be increasing in frequency and intensity as our planet warms. We need to build up our regional relationships with neighboring municipalities, Union County, and state/local nonprofits to devise a wider solution to these stormwater nightmares even as we work together on a smaller scale to improve things locally.

“If elected to the Borough Council, I will continue and expand on proactive projects like these and also work to strengthen the regional relationships we need to manage future stormwater events.”

For example, I often walk my dog around the Garwood Recreation Complex, where I noticed the amount of dog waste left behind by some other dog walkers. Pet waste is a major pollutant in our waterways and is also detrimental to public health.  Working with Pet Supplies Plus and our Department of Public Works, I was able to have two dog waste bag dispensers placed in the park. 

Also, for many years I watched infield dirt from the Little League field flow into storm drains during rainstorms. As a member of Garwood’s Green Team, I secured a $2,000 grant from Sustainable Jersey and enlisted volunteers from Garwood and the Union County Department of Parks & Recreation to build the Borough’s first rain garden. This garden is designed to capture and filter stormwater before it enters the brook and to provide an oasis of native plants that attract local fauna like butterflies and bees.  

I accomplished these amenities as a concerned resident of Garwood who loves the river and loves nature. If elected to the Borough Council, I will continue and expand on proactive projects like these and also work to strengthen the regional relationships we need to manage future stormwater events. I look forward to listening to concerns and sharing ideas in the weeks leading up to Election Day. Please call me at 201-232-0851 or by email at jeff@dems4garwood.com anytime.

Jeff Jotz
Democratic Candidate for Council

Garwood, NJ