The State of New Jersey recently issued Executive Order # 157, which permits public playgrounds to reopen on July 2, 2020. After careful consideration of current state regulations and per the guidance of our risk manager, The Borough of Dumont has decided to open our playgrounds and borough fields for the use of our residents and families. We make this decision with the abundance of caution and ask all residents to use good judgment and adhere to all current CDC guidelines. The Borough of Dumont has instituted a regular cleaning schedule for playground equipment, and it is strongly recommended all residents properly clean any park equipment before and after use. Weather permitting, Dumont DPW will disinfect all playgrounds Sunday through Friday from 7 am – 9 am. There will be no scheduled cleaning on Saturdays. While borough parks and fields are now open, all public restrooms will remain closed until further notice. New Jersey is thankfully one of the few states with decreasing numbers during the COVID-19 public health crisis but we must remain vigilant and please remember the following:

  • Stay home if sick
  • Practice social distancing
  • Cover coughs and sneezes
  • Wash hands often
  • Avoid touching face
  • Wear cloth face-covering unless age or health concerns indicate otherwise
  • Recreational sports leagues are still canceled, and all high and medium risk sports included in Executive Order 149 are still prohibited

Effective Saturday, May 30th Dumont Parks will be open for passive exercise and recreation only.  Borough tennis courts, baseball fields, basketball courts and playgrounds will remain closed.  As we begin to slowly and safely reopen borough properties please remember to follow all current Executive Orders and CDC guidelines. 

SUEZ will be performing hydrant testing across the Borough of Dumont for the next three weeks. This is a standard maintenance procedure. If you have any questions or comments please contact SUEZ at 201-487-0011

Governor Murphy recently signed Executive Order No. 130, which allows municipalities to extend the grace period for property tax payments due on May 1st to June 1st. The Dumont Governing Body strongly support any action that provides much-needed relief to taxpayers struggling financially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, including this measure. After a careful financial analysis, The Mayor and Council supported a resolution to extend the second quarter property tax grace period to June 1st 2020 to provide a modest measure of tax relief to residents that have been affected by this horrific public health crisis. Please be advised any payment made after June 1st accrues retroactive interest back to May 1st as per statutory guidelines.

The Mayor and Council are proud to announce that S&P Global Ratings recently assigned its 'AA' long-term rating to the Borough of Dumont citing the following:

  • Strong Budgetary Performance
  • Strong Institutional Framework
  • Overall net debt is low at 2.5% of market value, which is a positive credit factor
  • Budgetary flexibility has remained strong over the past three fiscal years

 

On April 7, 2020, the Borough Council approved two resolutions which will continue our fiscally responsible long-term Debt Management Plan. The actions taken by the Governing Body provides the Borough with the opportunity to solicit bids from financial institutions in the bond market in connection with the issuance of 15.5 million dollars in long-term bonds.

  • The Borough currently has financed previously authorized capital ordinances with the issuance of Bond Anticipation Notes. The Notes have a maturity of one year, and are subject to market conditions upon renewal. The Notes total $15.5M and pertain to seven different ordinances. The current net debt is $39,279,622.
  • The resolution does not authorize any additional monies that can be spent in the ordinances named. The plan discussed with the public in 2019 was to explore the possibility of converting these Notes into long-term bonds. The major advantages of issuing serial bonds would be to take advantage of the low interest municipal bond rates as well as locking in the rate for 25 years.
  • Despite the overall increased volatility of the financial markets during the COVID-19 pandemic, the long-term municipal AAA MMD Interest Rate Index remains significantly below its 10-year average.
  • If the Borough rejects the bid or decides that the market conditions are not favorable for the sale of long-term bonds, the existing Notes will be renewed when they mature in May, 2020.

 

During this COVID-19 pandemic residents are reporting people coming to their homes and calling them seeking donations for COVID-19 Organizations. These individuals are not affiliated with any Dumont Emergency Services Organization (Police, Fire or Ambulance) and do not represent any COVID-19 organizations. These individuals are looking to defraud you out of your money. Do not provide them with your bank account numbers, credit card numbers, debit card number or make any payment to them (cash or check). Hang up on callers that claim to represent COVID-19 organizations or Emergency Services Organizations within the Borough of Dumont. Call the Dumont Police Department if these individuals appear at your front door. We will respond to your address and charge them accordingly.

NOTICE :

In keeping with State and local guidelines the Dumont Shade Tree Commission (DSTC) has adopted the following policy for non-essential work and activity;

Boro Trees:

Inspections of Boro trees will be curtailed until further notice. Homeowners can request inspections through the website (www.dumontshadetree.org) so that tree issues are recorded. Inspections will resume when deemed safe by the State and local authorities. Note that unsafe tree issues that pose an imminent potential hazard will be dealt with immediately. Notify Boro police 201-387-5000 or 911 if such a situation exists.

Tree Permits:

Tree permits can be filed through the mail and recorded. Inspections will not be conducted until it is deemed safe to do so by State and local authorities. No trees can be removed until inspections have been completed.  Note that unsafe tree issues that pose an imminent potential hazard should be dealt with immediately. Notify Boro police 201-387-5000 or 911 if such a situation exists.

The DSTC supports the health and well-being of the community in all aspects and will adhere to public health guidelines. We wish you to be safe and healthy, including mental health. Get outside and walk among the trees. The Arboretum remains an oasis in town. Remember to keep a safe distance while enjoying the trees. 

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We are in uncertain times, and we understand how difficult it can be to celebrate your child's birthday while adhering to social distancing and not being able to host a family gathering.  Starting Monday, April 6th, in coordination with Dumont Police Chief Michael Conner and the members of the Dumont Police Department, the Borough of Dumont will be testing out a program to help celebrate your child's birthday!  Please follow the directions in the post below.   We hope this brings a smile to your child's face on their birthday!

Mayor Andrew LaBruno