News
Atlantic Highlands Mayor Urges Residents To Hire, Shop Locally
By John Burton
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS - As the borough struggles with the depressed economy, Mayor Frederick C. Rast III is undertaking steps to spur business on the local level.
At the September 9 Borough Council meeting, Rast announced that successful bidders for municipal contracts will be asked to use local tradespeople when doing the work.
"As a community many of our residents, especially in the building trades are suffering due to the lack of work," Raste wrote in a letter to be distributed to those who have been awarded public works projects. "Local tradesmen will take special pride in doing work in their hometown."
Rast had held what he called a business summit last winter to talk to local business people seeking their input as to what borough officials could do to try to help during these trying economic times.
With that feedback, Rast, through the municipal newsletter, has been asking residents to frequent local businesses and to talk to people who own businesses elsewhere to convince them to relocate to the borough, "to try to spur the economy a little bit," Rast explained this week.
The letter has met legal muster, having been reviewed by the borough attorney, Bernard Reilly, and approved by the council, Rast said. "The key requisite is that it only goes out to the winners," of the contract, he said. "And it's not a requirement, just a suggestion."
The borough council this week will address another means to make the community a little bit more business friendly, as it formalizes a recommendation proposed by the planning board, allowing structures to be taller in two districts, the light industrial and the central business zones, allowing the buildings to be as tall as 40 feet, as they can in the historic business district.
"We're just trying to help each other," Rast said, indicating times have been especially difficult for the community.
"It's been very bad, very tough," he said. "It's a depression as sure as hell," but politicians lack the courage to call it by that name, he said.
His letter, though just starting to be forwarded to those doing business with the borough, may have already had some influence, as the firm contracted to do work on an ongoing streetscape project has hired a local electrical company to do some work. "So, that's a good sign," the mayor said.
