Business View Magazine | August 2019

297 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE AUGUST 2019 GLEN R IDGE BOROUGH, NEW JERSEY Glen Ridge is currently working together with four neighboring communities - Maplewood, Montclair, South Orange, and Verona - in an energy aggregation program with its electricity provider, PSE&G – the Public Service Electric and Gas Company. PSE&G is the state’s largest provider of gas and electric service, servicing 1.8 million gas customers and 2.2 million electric customers in more than 300 urban, suburban, and rural communities, including New Jersey’s six largest cities. Rohal explains, “We put that out for bid in April, and we received a bid which would reduce the supply costs for our residents by ten percent, and also double the amount of renewable energy from 20 percent to 41 percent. The program starts July 1st, and it’s a 17-month contract, with an average savings of $150 per resident over the 17 months.” Other planned infrastructure projects in Glen Ridge include the replacement of the borough’s 700 lead-lined water services and the relining of approximately 12,000 feet of sanitary sewer lines. Recently, one of Glen Ridge’s most treasured institutions, the Borough’s library, first built in 1918, was rated the top library in the state by New Jersey Family Magazine. “I was on the Library Board for about eight years,” says Mayor Patrick, “and I think that it’s one of the most well-organized organizations I’ve ever been associated with. The Board is very forward-thinking; they are very supportive of new ideas that will ultimately make it the most important cultural and educational center in the town. Jennifer Breuer is a good leader and her staff have bought into her whole program. This is an old and historic facility that they’re in, but it’s very well-maintained, and they bring on every new piece of technology that will advance them. So, it’s a tremendously far-reaching operation as far as having programs for kids and adults. We’re very proud of that department in the town.” Pride and progress - it’s no wonder that Niche.com, a company that ranks best places to live, recently awarded Glen Ridge Borough an A+ grade, and ranked it #4 out of 411 suburbs in New Jersey in which to raise a family, while USA Today ranked Glen Ridge as the 3rd wealthiest town in the state.