Politics & Government

Westwood Officials Eye Infrastructure Work, Redevelopment in 2014

Cynthia Waneck selected at Thursday's reorganization meeting as council president for the new year.

Westwood officials picked Councilwoman Cynthia Waneck as the 2014 council president during their reorganization meeting Thursday night.

Waneck previously served as president in 2008 and 2012. Councilmen Robert Miller and Robert Bicocchi, who won in the November election, also took the oath of office for their new terms during the meeting. 

Officials also recognized borough volunteers, including EMTs, firefighters, police reserves and the new CERT members during the meeting.

Mayor John Birkner told Patch that officials are already busy with a variety of projects for 2014. Work on the year's budget is underway and a revaluation which will affect property owners' taxes this year is nearing completion.

Ongoing work at Broadway intersections to improve the flow of traffic through downtown Westwood is scheduled to wrap up this year. Officials will look toward more infrastructure improvement projects, including more road work to help alleviate congestion in the business district, Birkner said. They will seek county and state grants to help pay for any work.

There has been some interest in redeveloping properties in several areas of Westwood, including Broadway across from the Kmart strip mall and on Kinderkamack Road near Emerson. Officials may designate redevelopment zones in some of those areas, Birkner said.

With ongoing concerns about flooding, Birkner said he would continue to lobby the Department of Environmental Protection to help alleviate issues. Officials would also "keep an eye on the United Water dam reconstruction project," he said.


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