Middlesex County Democratic Freeholders

Freeholder Polos has been on the Freeholder Board since 1998. He is the chairman of the Public Works and Transportation Committee.

His initiatives include establishing the county’s Showroom of Environmental Technology program, spearheading several environmental and energy efficiency programs, developing a county cooperative purchasing program, expanding the county/municipal road repaving program and creating the first freeholder newsletter.

Freeholder Polos has also helped provide health insurance coverage to underprivileged families as a member of the county's Children's Health Commission. He was a member of the Governor’s School Security Task Force Advisory Committee.

Freeholder Polos was Mayor of Highland Park for eight years and a borough councilman for nine. He is the president and CEO of Polos Realty Group and Midlantic Property Management in Highland Park.

Savings for County Taxpayers through Cooperative Purchasing Initiative

Several years ago, we began cooperative purchasing in our county. Just two short years ago, Middlesex County government, for the first time, joined together with the education side of our county through the Educational Services Commission to create a unique buying co-op that now pulls together the schools as well as municipal government and county government into the same buying group.

It is a critical and very important step for Middlesex County. It broke down, for the first time, the barrier that often existed between government and school districts. You hear about this at the state level all the time, boards of education/local government, kind of the fight and tugging that occurs. We’ve kind of gone beyond that here in Middlesex County to the extent that we are finally working together and working very closely.

I am pleased to announce that about a year and a half ago, I began some meetings with Mark Finkelstein and Pat Moran at Ed. Services Commission by joining together on even more purchasing opportunities. The Ed. Services Commission presented an opportunity for us to be able to join together with them to do utility purchases. Prior to that, Middlesex County was doing its own electric purchases out in the open market, taking advantage of deregulation and we were saving money for a period of time.

For the last few years, due to a change in the market, we are not in the marketplace taking advantage of those new rates. We were able to join together with the Ed. Services Commission and with the buying power that they put together with the over 60 school districts and groups they represent and the buying power of Middlesex County put together an even stronger buying group to be able to go out into the open market.

I am pleased to tell you that since October, since we first stepped into the program with the Ed. Services Commission (through June that is the most results that we have), we have saved $460,000 in electricity costs for Middlesex County. That is a significant savings, nearly a half a million dollars through nothing else but good purchasing, joint cooperation and a good partnership with the Ed. Services Commission.

It is just one sign of the kinds of things we can continue to do when we work cooperatively together. We know that this number will continue to grow as we go through the remainder of our fiscal year and it is something we’ll be able to bank going into 2011.

So, with these kinds of initiatives we will save not only dollars but, as I always say, ‘We Go Green, We Save Green’, when we reduce electricity we are not only doing good things for the environment but we are also saving money for the taxpayers of Middlesex County. This is a program that is well worth the time and investment that we put into it and something that is going to bring in even more successes in the future.

Under Freeholder Polos’ leadership, the county is conducting energy audits of county buildings and has implemented energy savings education of staff. The county currently is conducting an energy audit of the Apple Orchard Lane buildings. The county also is pursuing facilities that could produce alternative forms of energy that can be used to power county facilities. Any additional energy generated could then be sold to utility companies.

Freeholder Polos is leading the effort to explore advertising and naming rights programs at various county recreational facilities.

Middlesex County is in the midst of developing New Jersey’s first County Sustainability Program. Former Freeholder Camille Fernicola, who oversaw the County Open Space and Recycling programs, which are a part of sustainability planning, was asked to co-chair the committee with Freeholder Polos. The N.J. State Sustainability Institute helped create a blueprint for the program. The goal is to establish energy conservation, economic stability, and ensure that the county has clean water and air. The program will ensure that Middlesex County will be a cleaner, greener county.

The Middlesex County Showroom of Environmental Technology, which was founded five years ago, is a unique partnership between the county, the NJBPU, and the state Department of Environmental Technology, to promote clean air and water initiatives through the use of alternative fuels, energy efficient and “green” technologies. MCSET provides assistance to municipalities, agencies, authorities, schools, and the private sector with the implementation of clean air and sustainability programs by coordinating resources with needs and facilitating communication between the state and local entities through a unique partnership between the NJBPU, the DEP, and the County.

Through the MCSET municipal-grant program, the County has been able to give $500 per alternative fuel/hybrid vehicle purchased by a municipality. In addition, MCSET also assists municipalities to develop “green” development ordinances and energy efficient programs in municipal buildings.

In 2007, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities awarded MCSET as the New Jersey Clean Energy Leader.

Transportation

Freeholder Polos spearheaded the Hub City Trolley service, through which the county took over the shuttle service, which was previously run by a private company and, with no added cost to participants, increased usage of the Trolley by over 125 percent. “This is a fine example of government being more efficient and providing a better service than the private sector,” Freeholder Polos said. “That isn’t always the case, and we were able to provide a better service without increasing the costs to the users.”

In 2006, the Middlesex County Area Transit was named Transit System of the Year by the New Jersey Council on Special Transit.

In 2007, the Middlesex County Area transit was named the Urban Transit System of the Year by the Community Transportation Association of America. The award is given to a system which provides service in an urban area of more than 50,000 population, is based on innovative and creative services in the community, is responsive to its customers’ and community needs, among other criteria.

MCAT has expanded its services to link Monroe with the northern section of the county, including a service to East Brunswick Square Mall, where riders can transfer to other public transportation bus services to other MCAT routes to other parts of the county. In addition, an MCAT route was established to connect Old Bridge, South River, and East Brunswick.

Freeholder Polos started an advertising program on MCAT buses which has become a significant revenue source for the County. Middlesex was the first county in the state to use this type of advertising on public transportation. Because of the program’s success, the Freeholders are discussing the possibility of advertising at sporting venues, golf courses and naming rights to sports venues.

Public Properties and Highways

The county is now in the middle of its Municipal Paving Program, where the County mills and paves municipal roads, saving the towns anywhere from 40 to 60 percent if it was done by a private organization.

Shared Services

Freeholder Polos spearheaded the formation of the County Department of Shared Services. Through a proposal Freeholder Polos made to State Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts, the County received a $300,000 three-year grant to help fund the department. Middlesex County was the first county in the state to have a Shared Services Department and because of its success all 21 counties now participate in the program.

Founded the New Jersey Shared Services Association, which is a vocal statewide organization made up of representatives from throughout the state who meet and discuss different ways to share services between municipalities, counties and the state.

Provided a Shared Services grant to Woodbridge and Carteret who partnered up for trash and recycling collection. The grant was used to purchase receptacles.

Public Safety Initiatives

The County is currently building a vehicle washing facility in North Brunswick that will be used and paid for by Middlesex County, South Brunswick, North Brunswick, and New Brunswick. Not only will the facility help the county comply with new state stormwater regulations, it will also save money for the municipalities involved and the County.

Freeholder Polos started the Middlesex Rx discount prescription drug program that is open to all county residents. There are no membership fees to enroll in the program and it provides discounts from 10 percent to 60 percent on name brand and generic prescriptions. There are 2,051 residents currently enrolled in the program.

Freeholder Polos founded the “Slow Down in Our Town” driver safety campaign. Through the program, residents in neighborhoods that are known for speeding violations are given signs to put on their lawns urging people to slow down. The signs are moved around throughout the neighborhood for several weeks to get speeders’ attention causing them to slow down. The campaign has been a proven success in many municipalities.

Middlesex County bus line adds stop on North Main

Middlesex County is expanding its bus routes into Cranbury.

Beginning May 15, the Middlesex County Area Transit will stop hourly between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, at the intersection of North Main Street and Plainsboro Road as part of a route that will run through Jamesburg, Monroe and Plainsboro, said Freeholder H. James Polos, who is chairman of the Public Works and Transportation Committee.

The route will stop at Veterans Park in Jamesburg, the Monroe Municipal Complex, the Concordia Shopping Center in Monroe, Cranbury, the Plainsboro Municipal Building, Plainsboro Village and the Princeton Junction train station. It also will stop at the Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro when the new hospital opens in 2011.

While buses already travel through Jamesburg and Monroe, this new route will run more frequently.

”In addition to servicing the senior population in the southern county, under this new service we’ll tie together exciting new employment opportunities at a new medical center,” Mr. Polos said.

The new route also will connect with NJ Transit buses and rail service.

”Since the creation of the (county) Department of Transportation approximately four years ago, we’ve wanted to create a seamless network of transportation that would knit together county, state and municipal resources,” Mr. Polos said. “Our target with the shuttle was to give residents a high level of independence to access transportation for medical, shopping and employment opportunities.”

The program is being funded by a $142,000 federal matching grant issued by the Federal Transit Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation to expand transportation opportunities for the county’s disabled residents, Mr. Polos said.

”We’re pleased to be able to expand this affordable mass transit opportunity for residents in southern Middlesex County,” he said.

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