MUELLER AND NASH TO BE HONORED BY ALLIANCE FOR ACTION
Executive Director Bart Mueller of the South Jersey Transportation Authority and Camden County Freeholder Jeffrey Nash will be honored on Wednesday, June 17, at the New Jersey Alliance for Action South Jersey Regional Dinner.

The dinner will be held at the Tavistock Country Club, Tavistock, with a reception at 5 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Mueller will receive the Alliance for Action Hall of Fame Award. Freeholder Nash will be the recipient of the annual Walter Rand Award for public service.

As Executive Director of the SJTA, Mueller’s leadership ensures that the traveling public is provided with safe and efficient transportation. He has been instrumental in transforming Atlantic City International Airport into a first class airport and recently announced additional airline service by Spirit and Air Trans Airways. Prior to his appointment in January 2007, he served as Deputy Executive Director, a post in which he is credited with reorganizing staff and restructuring the organization. His public service also includes contributions as Director of the Camden County Department of Parks, election as Camden County Surrogate, and serving the Borough of Oaklyn as Councilman and Mayor.

Nash is a prominent trial attorney, specializing in civil litigation. His public career began as a member of the Cherry Hill Council. In 1991 he was elected to the Camden County Board of Freeholders and was selected by his colleagues in 1995 as Director of the Board, a position he held for 10 years. In 2002, Nash was appointed by the Governor as Vice Chairman of the Delaware River Port Authority, where he has been a leader in both transportation and economic growth.

CONFERENCE TO REPORT ON $1 BILLION IN UTILITIES CONSTRUCTION
Key utility executives will report details on some $1 billion of expedited infrastructure capital and other construction projects at a conference presented by the New Jersey Alliance for Action on Tuesday, June 2, in Trenton. The conference is appropriately titled: “Turning on the Economy.”

Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. and the program at 9:00 a.m. at the Lafayette Yard Marriott Conference Center. The speakers will include Jeanne Fox, President, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities; Dennis Bone, President, Verizon New Jersey; Donald Carter, Vice President & General Manager, Elizabethtown Gas; Jeff DuBois, Senior Vice President-Chief Operating Officer, South Jersey Gas, Ralph LaRossa, President & COO, PSE&G; Craig Lynch, Vice President-Energy Delivery, New Jersey Natural Gas; Dennis O’Boyle, Vice President-External Affairs, JCP&L; James W. Tarpey, Vice President-Operations, Rockland Electric Company, as well as representatives from New Jersey American Water, United Water and Atlantic City Electric.
To registerGo Here.

BERGEN ALLIANCE MEETING TO FEATURE MEADOWLANDS COMPLEX AND STIMULUS
The Meadowlands Sports Complex and federal stimulus funding will be major issues discussed at a meeting of the Bergen County Alliance for Action on Friday, June 5.

Representatives of business, labor and government will convene at the Pegasus-Hambletonian Room of the Meadowlands Race Track for registration at 8:15 a.m. and the program at 9 a.m.

Presentations will be delivered by:
-Dennis Robinson, President and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, on “Renaissance of the Meadowlands Sports Complex.”
- Brian T. Strizki, Director – Design Services at the New Jersey Department of Transportation, on “The Stimulus has Landed.”
-Dennis Hart, Executive Director of the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust, on “NJEIT – We’re Stimulus Ready (all $650 million).”

The Bergen Alliance is one of 13 county affiliates of the New Jersey Alliance for Action, an advocate for infrastructure investment.

The Bergen Co-chairs are County Executive Dennis McNerney, J. Fletcher Creamer, Jr., CEO of J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc., and Thomas Misciagna, President of the Bergen County Building & Construction Trades Council.
To register Go Here.

HISTORIC MOMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW RAIL TUNNEL
NJ Transit approved the first construction contract for the $8.7 billion ARC tunnel between New Jersey and Manhattan. The Transit agency’s Board of Directors award a $13.6 million contract to build an underpass at Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen where the tunnel tracks will go underground to Ferreira Construction of Branchburg.

NJ Transit Executive Director Richard Sarles declared: “This is truly a historic moment” for one of the nation’s major transportation projects. The Board’s action followed the recent announcement that the Obama Administration is including $200 million for the tunnel in its 2010 federal budget request.

Alliance for Action Executive Vice President Jerry Keenan commended the NJ Transit Board of Directors and staff for their expeditious review in handling and awarding this contract. The New Jersey Alliance for Action and the Building Congress of New York have been jointly spearheading a broad based coalition supporting the ARC Tunnel project.

CORZINE SIGNS ORDER TO SPUR SOUTH JERSEY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Alliance for Action President Phil Beachem joined with other South Jersey officials and Governor Jon Corzine as he signed an Executive Order creating the Atlantic City Regional Implementation Group for Housing and Transportation (AC RIGHT). The purpose is to coordinate and facilitate transportation infrastructure and workforce housing necessitated by casino development.

Members will include commissioners and executive directors of cabinet-level agencies as well as representation from CRDA and South Jersey planning organizations. The group will have authority to coordinate multi-agency and regulator review of projects, make recommendations to streamline the review process, conduct public meetings and work with business and community organizations.

ROUTE SELECTED FOR NEW SOUTH JERSEY $1.3 BILLION RAIL LINE
Governor Corzine endorsed with South Jersey officials the selection of a route for a new commuter train line. Delaware River Port Authority CEO John Matheussen said the line would run from Camden to Glassboro, with stops in other communities such as Woodbury, Pitman and a station on or near Rowan University in Glassboro.

State Senator Stephen Sweeney, who is Freeholder Director in Gloucester County where most of the route would be, said the State has committed more than $500 million from two transportation funds to the $1.3 billion project. Officials plan to apply for federal money toward the cost.

The line is to be built on existing rail right of way. Matheussen says construction could begin in 2010 or 2011 and trains could be carrying passengers as early as 2014.

OBERSTAR SEEKS MAJOR CHANGES IN FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION ACT
  Legislation that Congress must enact to renew the federal transportation act could undergo “major program restructuring” according to an outline circulated by Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., Chairman of the House Transportation Committee. Oberstar would like a committee markup the first week of June, with floor consideration the following week.

Under the heading of “the future of transportation” Oberstar seeks to create a new undersecretary or assistant secretary for intermodalism to meet monthly with all modal administrators. It also would consolidate the US DOT’s program into four major formula programs --- critical asset preservation, highway safety improvement, surface transportation program and congestion mitigation and air quality improvements.

NEW NORTH JERSEY RAIL LINE ANNOUNCED BY NJ TRANSIT
Work will begin this year on a North Jersey rail line running from Hackensack to Hawthorne. It was announced by NJ Transit. Agreement has been reached with the New York Susquehanna and Western Railway to operate the 8.3-mile service that will include nine new stations.

The project, expected to cost between $150 million and $200 million, is scheduled to be completed within three years. NJ Transit will run diesel trains along the new line.

SIX PATCO STATIONS TO BE UPGRADED IN CAMDEN AND PHILADELPHIA
Today the Delaware River Port Authority is expected to approve a $9.6 million program to upgrade six stations on the PATCO high-speed line. The program would improve the Broadway and City Hall stations in Camden and PATCO stops in Philadelphia, including increased lighting and patrols.

Jeffrey Nash, the DRPA’s Vice Chairman and a Camden County Freeholder, said the program represents a change to fund capital improvements with money initially set aside for economic development. He declared: “What we’ve decided to do with the remaining economic development funds is to focus on our core mission --- rail and transit and waterborne development.”

NJM TO BUILD A NEW SOUTHERN REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER
New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company is expected to break ground in Hammonton for its southern regional operations center. The $48 million complex has been described as one of the few build-to-suit projects under development in New Jersey.

The project, will include a three-story, 146,000 square foot office building on a 56-acre site that NJM purchased at Hammonton Street Industrial Park.

Scheduled to be completed and occupied in late 2010, the new regional operations center will include administrative offices, a call center, multi-purpose spaces, a cafeteria, a central utility plant and a new walk-in branch of NJM Bank, a subsidiary.

STATE SENATE PANEL CLEARS PREFERENCE FOR STATE-MANUFACTURED GOODS
Legislation to provide a preference for goods manufactured in New Jersey in State-funded government contracts was released by the Senate Economic Growth Committee. The bills also would authorize local governments to provide the same preference, even when they are not using state funds.

About 25 other states provide government-purchasing preference for certain in-state manufactured goods, including neighboring New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

$10 MILLION FUEL CELL PLANT OPENS IN SOMERSET
Governor Jon Corzine said the opening of a revamped hydrogen fuel cell plant in Somerset (Franklin Township) demonstrated the growth potential for green jobs. The plant owner is BASF Fuel Cell GMBH.

Horst-Tore Land, Chief Executive of BASF Fuel, said preparing the facility cost the company more than $10 million. Pemeas was a maker of fuel-cell components and technology.

FOLEY TO HOST CONFERENCE ON NJ ENERGY MASTER PLAN
Foley, Inc., will host an educational conference on June 10 focused on the New Jersey Energy Master Plan and the applications of combined heating and power. The conference will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Double Tree Hotel and Executive Meeting Center in Somerset.

Speakers will be from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, consulting engineering firms, project developers, end-users and equipment manufacturers.
To register Go Here.

NEW JERSEY TO RECEIVE $27 MILLION FOR COMMUNITY BLOCK GRANTS
New Jersey will receive $27.4 million for federal grants under the Community Service Block Grant Program. US Senator Frank Lautenberg said the money is designed to revitalize communites and create jobs.

The funds from the Economic Recovery Act will be distributed to the US Department of Health and Human Services to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. The Department will disburse the grants to local communities. The Community Services Block Grant program was created in 1981 to reduce poverty and provide local services.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
-Kenneth J. Parker has been promoted to Vice President, Public Policy for Pepco Holdings Inc., and will be succeeded by Vincent Maione as Region President, Atlantic City Electric.  Both promotions are effective June 1.
-Barbara-Jayne Lewthwaite was named by Centenary College’s Board of Trustees as President. She has been serving as Acting President of the college.

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