Trenton, N.J. – Yesterday, the City of Trenton released a 44-page joint 100-day report where Mayor W. Reed Gusciora and the Trenton City Council outlined substantive ways that the Capital City has moved forward on a variety of policy fronts. In their first 100 days in office, the Trenton City Council and Mayor W. Reed Gusciora passed 170 resolutions and 9 ordinances; a handful of initiatives achieved within the first 100 days are listed in this press release.
Mayor W. Reed Gusciora affirmed, “It is incredible what we can achieve when we work together: Our first 100 days are a testament to the fact that compromise and collaboration can bridge our shared goals and improve the quality of life for all Trentonians. I would like to thank the Trenton City Council for their collegiality and I look forward to building a brighter future for the Capital City together.” Trenton City Council President Teska Frisby added, “I share Mayor Gusciora’s pride in our joint achievements in these 100 days. I am also particularly excited that this joint report is available to the public. It is the goal of the council not just to work in tandem with our Mayor, but to do so in full transparency to the public.”
The City of Trenton’s Department of Housing and Economic Development published an RFP for the redevelopment of Roebling Block II, a vacant space the size of seven-football fields with historic significance and which has sat idle for decades, and received multiple proposals for Council’s consideration. At the same time, the Department of Public Works filled over 1,673 potholes and cleaned 23 alleyways and released the upcoming season’s road paving list, which includes paving for more roadways than in the past four years.
The City’s Department of Health and Human Services received millions of dollars in grant funding to acquire new vehicles for senior centers and for improvements to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems at the senior centers. The City began renovating the West Ward Recreation Center, re-launched the First Time Home Buyer Program, and completed 19 emergency renovations under the Trenton Urgent Rehabilitation Program. Additionally, the City’s Department of Health and Human Services received over $5 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Trenton/Mercer Continuum of Care (CoC) program, which will support the city’s efforts to reduce the homeless population in Trenton through the provision of essential social services to this vulnerable population.
The Trenton Water Works (TWW) appropriated $26 million to fund two years of the Lead Service Line Replacement Program to remove thousands of lead services from private homes and TWW-system infrastructure; additionally, TWW invested $20.3 million to clean and line water mains in the distribution to reduce the growth of Legionella bacteria. This Administration and Council are already making the critical investments to the water system that will allow Trenton to prosper for many years to come.
The City of Trenton’s Department of Recreation, Resources & Culture received millions of dollars in state and federal funding needed to begin work on the Taylor Street Soccer Complex, a soon-to-be announced recreational site which will expand recreational and community building activities in the Capital City.
The Trenton Police Department (TPD) provided Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics (ICAT) and Active Bystander for Law Enforcement Project (ABLE) training to all police officers, which provides our law enforcement officers with comprehensive de-escalation training and skills needed to intervene in a scenario where they witness an unlawful use of force; at the same time, TPD achieved a 60% reduction in victims struck in gunfire in the first quarter of the year and reduced total shooting incidents by 42% in the first quarter of the year. The Overdose Response Team provided support to 250 Trenton residents struggling with drug abuse and the Trenton Community Street Teams have continued to supplement law enforcement’s efforts to keep the streets safe. The Trenton Fire Department have leveraged hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support critical supplies for our Trenton firefighters; TFD achieved a 27% reduction in service calls, a 18.6% reduction in hazardous conditions calls, and a 14.2% reduction in false alarm calls through fire safety programs.
The City of Trenton submitted a transitional aid application for $35 million in state aid and achieved $4 million in estimated savings by switching to Meritain Health and moving off the State Health Benefits Plan without a loss of coverage for employees amid the scheduled State Health Benefits Plan’s (SHBP) premium were increasing by over 20% hike; other cities and municipalities looked to Trenton’s leadership and foresight in this cost-savings intervention.
Trenton City Council Vice President Crystal Feliciano affirmed, “I am very pleased with the progress my Council colleagues and I have made so far, we have held to our word to operate in the best interest of the city, and are doing the work to make positive progress happen along with Mayor Gusciora and his administration. I am excited about the developments to come and in being a part of the positive shift forward for our city and our residents.”
The 100-Day Report can be accessed through the link below.
