State of the County Address Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021 Commissioner Chair Frisby and members of the Board, thank you for having me. Each year I am pleased to come before you to discuss the condition of our great county. 2020 was a year unlike any we have seen in our lifetimes. Despite the turbulence, the state of Mercer County is strong, and I, and my steadfast administration, persist each and every day to make Mercer County even stronger and more vibrant. For the time being, confronting COVID-19 is our greatest mandate, but my eyes are on the future, and on a series of complex projects and initiatives that my administration will tackle over the next five years. My five-year projection can only be achieved through long-term commitments to time and resources, and we are pressing forward to complete projects and to kick off others as quickly as possible. Before I go on I want to touch on our response to COVID-19. As I said, 2020 was unprecedented in countless ways. For close to a year we have lived through a global pandemic that already has claimed the lives of more than 429,000 people in the United States and more than 770 people here in Mercer County. It has impacted every person in our communities in some way – especially those most vulnerable to this virus – and continues to do so. The arrival of vaccines has provided a path out of the darkness, and Mercer County, led by our Division of Public Health and Office of Emergency Management, is prepared for this phase of the COVID-19 response. This is one of the most important things we will do as an administration, and we remain committed to working with our health care partners – including the New Jersey Department of Health, Capital Health and the Mercer County Health Officers Association – to vaccinate people as quickly as possible. Mercer County has partnered with Capital Health to open a vaccination site at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, which is up and running. We had a successful partnership with Capital Health during the COVID-19 testing program we established last spring, and they are a fitting partner for our vaccination efforts. We also plan to open a vaccination site at Mercer County Community College in the coming weeks that will be managed by the County Health Officers Association and utilize all resources and staffing available from the municipal and county health offices, as well as MCCC nursing students. The only thing holding us back is the amount of vaccine we are allotted. Look, the Trump Administration blew it, with states, including our own, promised doses that were never received. 1 Let me be direct. I know that this board is frustrated with the vaccine distribution logistics. I join you in your angst. But even before there was a vaccine, my administration and our public health experts strategically identified clinic sites and I personally petitioned Governor Murphy to make the Capital City – Trenton – in the Capital County, one of his six mega sites. Although Trenton was not selected as a mega site, we proactively made a backup plan to partner with Capital Health for a regional site, and I thank Capital for their commitment. So we are clear, not a day goes by that I don’t compel the state to increase our supply. To that end, I am extremely happy to announce that beginning next week Mercer County will get 700 more vaccine doses per week, for a total of 1,500, not including those received by hospitals, pharmacies and private clinics. This is promising news but the fact remains that New Jersey needs more vaccine from the federal government, on which we rely. We must work together, and when the vaccine supply improves, we will move forward as rapidly as we can. In the meantime, we continue to rely on the heroic efforts of health care professionals and first responders throughout Mercer County, as well as other essential workers who found themselves on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19, including teachers; food, child care and transportation providers; grocery, hardware and drug store workers; trash collectors; those in critical trades such as construction workers, electricians and plumbers, and many others. I’m proud of the people who have done that heavy lifting for us, and on behalf of Mercer County government, I thank them. I also could not be prouder of the approximately 1,700 employees who make up our Mercer County workforce. Thanks to their efforts, County government has continued to deliver programs and services despite the many obstacles presented by the pandemic. Our Buildings and Grounds Department made much of that possible by retrofitting workspaces to safely accommodate employees who couldn’t easily work from home, as well as visitors to our facilities. Programs and services have been provided in ways that avoid in-person contact, from virtual summer camps … to a drive-through job fair … to curbside pickup of library materials … to webinars aimed at helping local businesses navigate the pandemic … and many more. Our dedicated staff at TRADE never missed a day and had to shift their focus to driving clients – most of them elderly or sick -- to medical appointments, and to delivering meals -- more than 15,000 to date -- when our County Nutrition Sites were forced to close. Mercer County successfully conducted two elections in 2020 – a primary in July and a significant general election in November – where voting was done primarily by mail to help protect against COVID-19. The Board of Elections and the Offices of the County Clerk and Superintendent of Elections all worked long and hard, and got the job done under difficult circumstances. 2 Similarly, the Office of the Surrogate, where uncontested probate matters are settled, was overburdened with cases because of COVID-19 casualties, and I appreciate the service they have given to our residents. Another major undertaking in 2020 was the census, and through the hard work of the state, the county, the municipal Complete Count Committees, and community organizations and residents from across Mercer County, a 70.5 percent self-response rate was reached. I congratulate everyone who was involved in the census locally for this extraordinary effort during very challenging times. When we work together we can be successful, and the final self-response rate shows exactly that. And while our focus in the coming months will continue to be on vaccinating, testing and other efforts necessary to help our community get through the health crisis safely, we also are looking ahead to brighter days. As I have said, our COVID response has required “all hands on deck,” but as we steady the ship, we will turn our attention to a number of long- range endeavors that have been slowed or sidelined. I am excited to bring them to fruition. One initiative is our Open Space Trust Fund. For the last 30 years the County has had a very successful land preservation program, utilizing the Open Space Trust Fund acquisition funds while making modest but important improvements to our parks and stewarding our parks and County-owned open spaces. Currently, 70 percent of the Trust Fund is allocated to acquisition, 20 percent to park development and historic preservation, and 10 percent to stewardship. On the recommendation of our Planning Department and Park Commission, I am proposing a voter referendum to permit the reallocation of the fund to 50 percent acquisition, 30 percent park development and historic preservation, and 20 percent stewardship. Let me be clear. This proposes no tax increase, but simply a reallocation. By shifting the authorized allocation of the Trust Fund – which requires a voter referendum -- the County could continue its acquisition program and continue providing land acquisition grants to municipalities and non-profit land conservancies, while investing more toward providing access to our parks and expanding recreational offerings. This, along with increased stewardship efforts, will ensure the ecological health of the lands entrusted to us, while providing expanded and appropriate recreational and nature-based activities to our residents. The Trust Fund initiative would positively affect our award-winning park system. 3 Speaking of which, there are several exciting park construction/development initiatives – either new or under way – that I believe will be brought to fruition in the next five to 10 years. The first is Dam Site 21. A Master Plan for the 279-acre County-owned property in Hamilton, Robbinsville and West Windsor townships was adopted by the Park Commission a year ago. The Master Plan will serve as a long-term vision for improvements to the property that will be implemented over multiple phases depending on funding availability and other factors. Next is Moores Station Quarry. The Park Commission will take possession of this 166-acre Hopewell Township site in the spring of 2023 and begin a multi-year process of transforming the open-pit quarry into a park. The public planning effort to develop a park master plan is under way. Finally, the Princeton Country Club. This 18-hole golf course in West Windsor, which has been part of the Mercer County Park Commission for more than 50 years, does not drain well and requires a great deal of maintenance. PCC could be reimagined to include golf-related activities with improved trail access and connection to the D&R Canal State Park. The County’s stewardship efforts are robust and wide-ranging. Increased funding will enable additional efforts focused on water quality, meadow restoration, reforestation, environmental education and other areas. The pandemic also created setbacks for a number of bridge, traffic and roadway projects, including one of the largest, the Lincoln Avenue Bridge in Trenton, as well as the Brunswick Circle Extension in Lawrence, and the Phase 1 Improvements on Princeton- Hightstown Road to widen the roadway and add bike lanes and sidewalks.