At the annual re-organization meeting on Tuesday, January 3, Plainsboro’s longtime mayor, Peter Cantu, looked ahead to what the new year will bring his town. Landmarks on the horizon include the new $447 million hospital opening in May, a new recreation and cultural center adjacent to the municipal offices, which is currently under construction, and plans for the 655 bus route to link Plainsboro to Princeton and potentially save on car travel for residents. Cantu is optimistic and excited about bus service.
“We’ve been able to successfully work with NJ Transit and also get tremendous support from local private entities, including Princeton University. With that we’ve got an application made for federal funding,” he said.
Plainsboro will also have an updated online presence. Mayor Cantu said he does not have a specific time frame in mind when a new site would launch but he said it is “long overdue” and a priority for the township committee to see it online in 2012.
Cantu also briefly commented on Plainsboro’s tax stability, bond rating and collection rate, traditional focal points for the township that have resulted in Plainsboro’s AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor’s and achieving the lowest municipal purpose tax rate in Middlesex County. The mayor also said he’s proud of the $1.9 million in grant money Plainsboro received last year for various projects.
Cantu noted several important business events in Plainsboro last year, including the following:
Novo Nordisk’s expansion; the development of Princeton University’s high performance computing center on the Forrestal Campus; the re-zoning of St. Joseph’s Seminary for the new Princeton Center for Arts and Education; and the opening of Eden Autism Services’ new headquarters facility.
Also in 2011 the Plainsboro Police Department saw a new chief step in as 17-year veteran Guy Armour replaced Richard Furda on October 1. Cantu reflected on that and other transitions.
“During the past year we were saddened by the passing of two individuals who served our community well — Mike Herbert, our township attorney, and Jeff Pryor from Public Works. They are and will continue to be missed. On a happier note we had the opportunity to extend best wishes in their retirement to Rick Furda, our police chief, and Ary Ryba from Public Works,” Cantu said.
The township committee is scheduled to meet next on Wednesday, January 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the municipal building.
