Morris County has redesigned its public bids Web site to make it easier for firms to do business with the county government.

The site, www.co.morris.nj.us/purchasing, provides instant online access to all county government bid information, quotes, requests for proposals and anything else a company may need to submit a complete bid package, said county purchasing agent James Abline.

General information about such topics as how the county purchases goods and services and how companies doing business with the county are paid are also included on the site.

According to Abline, vendors who would like to access bid information must register on the site by choosing one of two options. The first is free and requires a vendor to check the site often for bid opportunities.

The second option, which may be tailored to a specific business, instantly notifies a vendor of new bid opportunities. This option is available for a yearly fee of $49.95 payable to BidNet, a nationwide e-procurement service provider that is supplying the county with customer and technical support for the new bid system.

The Morris County Freeholders said the new online bid system requires less paperwork, thus saving time and printing costs for the county and vendors alike.
The newly-designed public bids site is also linked to the official county government Web site, www.co.morris.nj.us.

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The Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders on August 26 launched county government pages on Facebook, YouTube, and Scribd, an online document library.

The moves are an effort by the freeholders to give Morris County citizens as many ways as possible to stay in touch with their County government, said Freeholder Director Gene F. Feyl.

"These social media outlets provide new opportunities for our county government to inform citizens about programs, services, upcoming meetings, events and other timely information," Feyl said.

Direct links to these sites, as well as the county's Twitter page and RSS feed, are available on the home page of the Morris County government website, www.co.morris.nj.us. Each social network can be reached by clicking on its icon.

Morris County's new Facebook page can be viewed at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Morristown-NJ/Morris-County-Government/121149688940?ref=nf. To become a "fan", an individual must have a Facebook account, which is free.

The county's YouTube video library, YouTube.com/MorrisCountyNJ, will feature the freeholders' TV show, "Focus on Morris County," which airs on Cablevision and Comcast cable systems in the County, as well as video from the Morris County Park Commission. No account is needed for YouTube.

Morris County's Scribd document library, Scribd.com/MorrisCountyNJ, allows visitors to read, download and print a variety of documents including the Morris County Park Commissions' "Pathways" newsletter.

Facebook, YouTube, and Scribd join Twitter, the Morris County Connections E-newsletter, and the county website as technologies being used by the freeholders to keep county residents connected to Morris County government.

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You can drop-off unwanted household hazardous materials and electronic devices Sept. 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Morris County Public Safety Training Academy.

The Household Hazardous Waste Disposal and Computer/T.V. Drop-off event is being sponsored by the Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority, and will be conducted rain or shine.

Morris County residents will be able to drop-off unwanted hazardous materials and electronic devices including computers, monitors, printers, scanners, fax machines and televisions from their homes.

Although there is no charge for most of the materials that are acceptable at this event, a per component demanufacturing fee will be charged for computers, monitors, printers, scanners, fax machines and televisions, with the fee based on the size of the item. A $5 per item fee will be charged for barbeque-sized propane cylinders.

This event is for all Morris County residents. Businesses will not be permitted to attend this disposal event.

Materials that will be accepted include pesticides; herbicides; fertilizers; oil-based paints and stains; paint thinners and removers; solvents; automotive fluids; batteries; pool and darkroom chemicals; aerosol cans that ere not empty; propane and helium cylinders; small quantities of asbestos that is wetted, double bagged and sealed with duct tape; driveway sealant; roofing tar; fluorescent bulbs; PCB-ballasts; mercury thermometers and switches; household cleaning products; muriatic acid; computers; monitors; printers; scanners; fax machines; and televisions.

Latex paint will not be accepted, nor will explosive or highly reactive materials such as picric acid or nitro compounds be accepted. For information about safe disposal of explosive or reactive material, call (973)-631-5109.

The Morris County Public Safety Training Academy is located at 500 West Hanover Ave., in Parsippany.

A Household Hazardous Waste Disposal and Computer/T.V. Drop-off event has also been scheduled for Nov. 1 at the Jefferson Township Department of Public Works.

For more information about these events, call (973) 285-8394, or visit www.MCMUA.com.

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The Morris County Heritage Commission has received a grant of $18,127 from the New Jersey Historical Commission to provide re-grants for local history projects and general operating support to history organizations and social studies and history teachers in the county.

The re-grant program supports a variety of efforts to increase the appreciation, knowledge and preservation of Morris County’s history, with awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.

Eligible history projects include exhibit catalogs, organizational and information brochures, collections catalogues and the conservation of photographs and documents. Funds may also be used for consultants to prepare historic site and organizational long range or strategic plans and A.D.A. compliance plans.

History project grants are not intended for rehabilitation, preservation or other work on historic buildings. These projects may be eligible for funding through the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund (www.morrispreservation.org).

Morris County organizations having historic collections or archives but whose activities are not history-based are also encouraged to apply for history project funds.

General operating support grants are intended to assist organizations in meeting expenses necessary to keep a site open to the public, to extend public visitation hours, or to cover costs associated with maintaining an Internet presence. General operating support proposals must demonstrate how the applicant will be able to continue and/or improve the level of service offered to visitors if funding is granted.

Application packets are available from Peg Shultz, Heritage Commission archivist, at 973-829-8117 or by e-mail at heritage@co.morris.nj.us. Completed applications are due Oct. 27, and the awards will be announced the week of Dec. 15.

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The Lackawanna Cut-off rail project is among the Morris County transit projects approved by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.

The NJTPA Board of Trustees has adopted Plan 2035, the long-range transportation plan for 13 counties in northern and central New Jersey, and its annual Transportation Improvement Program, both of which are required for the region to receive federal transportation funding.

Plan 2035 provides a vision for 25 years of transportation investments and policies, while the TIP list contains projects scheduled to receive funds for final design, right-of-way acquisition and construction over the next four years. The projects in the TIP also make up the "near-term" element of Plan 2035.

Besides the first phase of the Lackawanna Cutoff rail project from Andover in Sussex County to Port Morris in Morris County, other Morris County projects include the replacement of the Berkshire Valley Road Bridge over the Rockaway River in Jefferson and improvements at the interchange of Routes 10 and 53 in Parsippany and Morris Plains.

"There are many important local and regional transportation projects in this program," said Morris County Freeholder Director Gene F. Feyl, second vice chairman of the NJTPA Board. "We are going to make old bridges safer and make congested interchanges work better, improving safety and mobility for thousands who work and live in the county."

For the overall region, the TIP includes more than $2.7 billion in transportation funding for the 2010 fiscal year and more than $10.1 billion from 2010 to 2013, with the majority of funds going to repair and maintenance of the existing system.

Complete listings of projects and studies for Morris County and the rest of the NJTPA region contained in Plan 2035 and the TIP are available at the NJTPA's website, www.njtpa.org.

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The Morris County Sheriff's Office is offering to take the public on tours of the Morris County Correctional Facility.

Chief Frank Corrente, Undersheriff for the Bureau of Corrections, said touring the correctional facility will give the public a much better understanding of the jail's correctional philosophies.

"People taking our tours will see the most state-of-the-art facility of its kind in the state," Corrente said. "They will also learn about our mission statement, they will see and learn about our direct supervision style of managing the inmate population and we will explain to them our cost-efficient means of operation."

Corrente noted the Morris County Correctional Facility is accredited by the American Correctional Association. Of the more than 3,300 facilities nationally, the Morris County Correctional Facility, on John Street in Morris Township, is one of only approximately 115 to attain such accreditation, he said.

The Morris County Correctional Facility is responsible for the custody and care of persons incarcerated by court order who are either awaiting trial or have been sentenced to 364 days or less in jail.

Corrente said anyone wanting more information or to schedule a tour may contact him at 973-631-5410, or Staci Santucci, Esq., at 973-285-6659.

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Morris County is helping to spread the word about a new state program providing free or low-cost health insurance for uninsured children in the area.

A one-page application to enroll in NJ FamilyCare has been mailed to about 67,000 families in Morris, Bergen, Passaic, Sussex and Warren counties who indicated on their 2008 state tax returns that they have at least one child without health insurance.

NJ FamilyCare is a federal and state funded health insurance program created to help New Jersey's uninsured children and certain low-income parents and guardians have affordable health coverage.

Mary Jo Buchanan, director of the Morris County Department of Human Services, said the families served by her department are being alerted to be on the lookout for the application, which is being sent out in a yellow envelope marked Express Lane Application for Health Insurance.

Buchanan said families who receive such an envelope should open it and complete the shortened application as soon as possible.

Additional information about the program is available by contacting NJ FamilyCare at www.njfamilycare.org or 800-701-0710, or by calling the Association for Children of New Jersey at 973-643-3876.

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All U.S. military veterans residing in Morris County may now obtain a free county photo I.D. card from the Morris County Clerk's Office.

Joan Bramhall, Morris County clerk, said the service is being offered free of charge to all honorably discharged Morris County veterans in appreciation of their service in protecting our citizens and our country.

The I.D. card designates an individual's status as a veteran by providing the veteran's name, address and file number of his or her recorded DD 214 discharge papers.

According to Bramhall, many veterans have also registered their discharge papers with the county clerk's office. By doing so, it affords the veteran the security of knowing that his or her records are permanently recorded, Bramhall said. All discharge documents filed with her office are considered confidential and can only be accessed by the veteran or a member of the veteran's family, Bramhall said.

The photo I.D. is being offered at no cost by the county clerk's office in conjunction with Gill Associates.

Additional information about obtaining a Morris County photo I.D. card for military veterans may be obtained by calling the county clerk's office at 973-285-6161.

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The Morris County Vocational Technical School in Denville has openings in the high school share time program for Computer Aided Design and Drafting.

The school is encouraging students who will be juniors in high school in September and their parents to consider applying.

In this one or two-year program, students transform architectural and engineering designs into finished drawings using state of the art computer equipment and the latest software releases.

The first year of the program includes the basic concepts, commands and operations of the AutoCAD software, and introduces the student to advanced techniques such as 3D Design. An optional second year is available for students who wish to pursue skills in advanced customization and photo-realistic graphics and animation techniques utilizing 3D Studio Design software.

Applications are available online ot the School of Technology Web site, www.mcvts.org. Additional information may be obtained by calling the Morris County School of Technology at (973) 627-4600.

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Military families in New Jersey are invited to a Family Camp at Rutgers Lindley G. Cook 4-H Camp in Branchville on Sept. 11, 12 and 13.

The free program is open to all military families who have experienced deployment, and will include activities ranging from archery, fishing and canoeing to photography, arts and crafts, cooking and creating a family memory book.

The camp is sponsored by Operation: Military Kids New Jersey, a partnership of Army Child and Youth Services, the national 4-H Headquarters and the Rutgers Cooperative Extension 4-H Program.

Rachel Lyons, Morris County 4-H Agent and the project director for Operation Military Kids in New Jersey, said the Family Camp is designed to give military families the opportunity to reconnect in an outdoor environment.

"By spending quality time together, trying new things and learning new skills at camp, families can rebuild the bonds that may have been weakened during military deployment," Lyons said.

Lyons said space is limited and reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Applications and permission forms are due by September 4, 2009. A $50 deposit is required and will be refunded at the close of the program.

Information and registration forms are available online at http://morris.njaes.rutgers.edu/omk.html. More information may be obtained by contacting Marie Waldron, the camp program assistant, at 973-285-8300 X 235 or waldron@njaes.rutgers.edu.

For additional information about Operation: Military Kids in New Jersey, visit www.operationmilitarykids.org.

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Applications seeking to preserve 1,053 acres of open space and parkland in 13 towns have been received by the Morris County Preservation Trust.

The applications were filed by nine municipalities and five non-profit organizations who are requesting a total of $14.2 million from the county's Preservation Trust Fund.

The Preservation Trust Fund is funded by a tax, which this year is 3 cents on each $100 of assessed property value.

Mount Olive and The Land Conservancy of New Jersey have filed a joint application seeking the largest amount, $2.6 million, for 536.5 acres of the South Branch Preserve in Mount Olive.

Madison is asking for $2 million to help the borough purchase the playing fields at the now closed Bayley Ellard High School.

Other towns filing applications for open space funds were Denville, Florham Park, Hanover, Montville, Morris Township, Pequannock and Randolph.

Besides The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, the other non-profit groups that filed applications are The Trust for Public Land, the Canal Society of New Jersey, Schiff Natural Lands Trust and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation.

A 15-member committee will now thoroughly review the 18 applications, visit the sites and make funding recommendations to the Morris County Freeholders in November.

The freeholders in 2008 approved $23 million in funding for 21 municipal and non-profit projects encompassing 711 acres spread over 16 communities.

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Morris County has received the first $250,000 of a $4.2 million federal block grant from the Department of Energy.

Morris is one of only 19 county and local governments in the country to receive the funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support energy efficiency and conservation measures. Eventually, similar grants will be awarded by the DOE to more than 2,300 cities, counties, states and Indian tribes nationwide.

The first installment of the grant will be used by Morris County to support the development of a long-term energy efficiency and conservation strategy, according to Stephen W. Hammond, director of the Morris County Department of Public Works and the county engineer.

The plan will detail how the county intends to spend the money on projects and programs that, among other things, prioritize energy savings, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create or retain jobs, Hammond said.

The remainder of the funds will be released once the county government submits its plan to the DOE. Those funds will then be used by the county to help it implement the energy-saving strategies.

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The Morris County Heritage Commission has added the Morris County Courthouse to its series of online exhibits about the county's history.

The exhibit, "The Morris County Courthouse-Celebrating over 180 Years of Service to the Citizens of Morris County," looks at the history, historic elements, purpose and changes made to the structure since it was built in 1827, and may
be viewed on the Heritage Commission Web site, www.morrisheritage.org.

Several famous courthouse trials are also noted in the exhibit, as is information about the first two county courthouses that were located on the Morristown Green.

Viewers of the online exhibit, which was curated by Margaret Shultz, the Heritage Commission's history program coordinator and archivist, will also learn that prior to its 100th anniversary in 1927, the courthouse withstood an effort by some citizens who wanted it demolished and replaced with a modern structure.

The virtual tour of the courthouse joins online exhibits about the Morris County Cultural Center and some of the exceptional women from the county's past such as Col. Ruth Streeter, the first woman to hold the rank of major in the U.S. Marine Corps, and Louisa Sanderson Macculloch, who in 1813 founded what is now Family Services of Morris County.

Additional information about the online exhibits or any of the programs offered by the Morris County Heritage Commission may be obtained by calling the Commission at 973-829-8117 or by visiting the Heritage Commission Web site, www.morrisheritage.org.

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Morris County residents interested in serving on the County College of Morris Board of Trustees are invited to send their resumes to a special search committee appointed by the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

The resumes must be received by the search committee by Sept. 18. The committee will review all of the applicants and submit its recommendations to the freeholders, who make the final appointments.

The terms of three freeholder-appointed trustees expire at the end of October. These trustees must reapply by the Sept. 18 deadline if they wish to be considered for reappointment.

To qualify for consideration by the search committee, a candidate must be a resident of Morris County for at least four years, and may not currently hold an elective office. Applicants must be able to demonstrate independent judgment, distinction in their profession, knowledge of higher education and a firm commitment to serving the college.

A candidate must also be willing to commit at least 15-20 hours per month to his or her duties as a college trustee. Those duties include appointing, supporting and evaluating the college president; clarifying and, if necessary, revising the college's mission; ratifying long range plans; approving the college's educational program; insuring fiscal viability; and maintaining the physical plant.

The CCM Search Committee requests that resumes be accompanied by background information and a statement from the applicant outlining why he or she wishes to serve as a trustee and what specific skills the applicant would bring to the board.

Applicants are asked to send eight copies of their resumes, accompanied by the brief statement explaining why they would like to serve, to: Trustee Search Committee, Office of the Morris County Counsel, County of Morris, P.O. Box 900, Morristown, NJ, 07963-0900.




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Morris County election officials are looking for individuals to work at the polls during the New Jersey general election Nov. 3.

Tony Desimone of the Morris County Board of Elections, said openings exist in all 39 municipalities.

Any Morris County resident who is a registered voter and who is able to read and write English may apply to become a poll worker. An individual must complete a two-hour training class before he or she can work the polls, Desimone said.

An election worker must report to his or her assigned polling place at 5:15 a.m. on Nov. 3 and prepare the polling place for voting, which begins at 6 a.m.

While the polling place is open, an election worker must verify that voters are registered in the district, maintain order at the polls and demonstrate the voting process to voters upon request. The worker must also close the polling location at 8p.m. or when all voters in line have voted.

Poll workers will earn $200 for the day.

Anyone interested in working the polls Nov. 3 may obtain an application online at www.morriselections.org, or by contacting the Morris County Board of Elections at 973-285-8350.

Once an individual has been assigned to work the polls, he or she will be notified of the training classes.

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The Morris County Office of Health Management on Aug. 4 convened a session of school district superintendents, school nurses and municipal health officials to discuss possible measures to take to prevent school children from getting H1N1 influenza, or swine flu.

A mass vaccination program, with children being vaccinated against swine flu on a voluntary basis, was the focus of attention during the meeting at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum.

Several possible scenarios were discussed ranging from vaccinating the children in school during the school day, to conducting a vaccination program after school so parents could be present.

No decision was reached and county government officials stressed that any vaccination plan will come from local officials. County officials said they just wanted to facilitate the discussion between the schools and health officers to ensure that an effective vaccination plan is in place for the upcoming school year.

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Unusually wet weather in June and July is making it more difficult for the Morris County Mosquito Commission to control the pests.

"Despite our best efforts to control the mosquito population, we are sure to see a modest increase in adult activity due to the amount of rainfall we've received," said Kristian McMorland, commission superintendent.

McMorland said Morris County is working with the New Jersey Office of Mosquito Control Coordination in conducting aerial spraying to control the mosquito larvae along area rivers after the heavy rains fell the end of July and the beginning of August.

"The main target areas are the flood plains along the Passaic and Whippany rivers, the Morristown Airport area and parts of the Rockaway River flood plain," McMorland said.

McMorland is again asking for the public's assistance to control and reduce the mosquito population in the county and minimize the threat of the diseases they carry by eliminating standing water around the outside of a house.

"Mosquitoes need water for breeding," McMorland said. "If we get rid of the water that has accumulated in plastic containers, ceramic pots, kiddie swimming pools or similar water-holding containers, we go a long way toward eliminating those breeding places."

More information about the Morris County Mosquito Commission may be obtained on its Web site, www.morrismosquito.org, or by calling the commission at (973) 285-6450.

The Web site is updated on a regular basis with the latest news about the commission's activities in the fight against mosquitoes, including information about spray operations, times and specific spray locations and neighborhoods.

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