Washington Township, New Jersey

4 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 WASHINGTON TOWNSHI P , NEW JERSEY while keeping key development initiatives top of the agenda. “For new businesses that have come in and for the businesses that have been able to sustain over the last few years, there has been help out there, “Mayor Gattinelli says. “We have a well thought out process and I believe that, in all aspects, Washington Township comes in on top. Communication is key.” With well-developed processes in place geared towards helping prospective new businesses in the planning stage, the town actively points interested parties to zoning and planning chairs that will guide them through the process and be available to answer questions. “We want folks that are interested in coming into the town to have the red carpet rolled out for them,” Mayor Gattinelli states. A significant city initiative has been the establishment of regular roundtables that are designed to utilize the open communication that Washington Township is built on. Being able to speak to the right people about upcoming city projects, while they are still in the planning stages, helps to streamline costs for developers and ensure that a project will be chosen to proceed based on the real needs of the city. With access to the city solicitor, city engineer, and the inclusion of the zoning department, each proposed project or new business venture is able to openly discuss its needs with the roadmap the city is following for any economic development initiatives. “This process has worked and has helped to establish relationships while bringing in new and unique businesses that set the town apart from other surrounding towns,” Mayor Gattinelli explains. “We are trying to bring people in for a destination and not just opening up another business. We want to look at the overall development and ask questions such as how it fits within our ordinances. Even over the last two years, our progress has been enormous. We lost, thank goodness, very few businesses throughout the pandemic, due to our communication efforts – we utilize social media to the max because this is