GARWOOD — During Thursday night’s regular meeting, the Garwood mayor and council said their goodbyes to Borough Administrator Kyle Harris.
“I’m very appreciative of having the opportunity to work under two great mayors who allowed me to perform my duties as the borough administrator at the highest level,” Mr. Harris said. “I learned so much during my time in Garwood and created many great memories and lasting friendships, and I wish the best for my co-workers, the governing body, and the residents of Garwood.”
Mayor Jen Blumenstock wished Mr. Harris good luck on his move to New Hampshire and expressed her gratitude for his service.
“You have certainly made your impact on Garwood in a short time,” said Mayor Blumenstock. “You have streamlined many of the borough practices, and you have saved Garwood tens of thousands of dollars by locating and fixing several inefficiencies; your knowledge and your initiative have been really beneficial for Garwood for the past few years.”
Councilwoman Kimberly Salmon also thanked Mr. Harris for his commitment to the community, noting that they “didn’t always agree, but at the end of the day, we still worked it out.”
In other Borough news, Councilman Sean Foley took some time Thursday to express his frustration with the online discourse happening within Garwood residents’ Facebook groups, adding that social-media platforms are becoming a place of negativity.
“The noise on these platforms becomes harder for the community to drown out; let me be clear: the noise is a sign of bad character,” Councilman Foley said. “It drowns out the meaningful dialogue with their hostility while demanding attention while contributing little to no value. These actions are not just a nuisance; it drains the quality of our community.”
Councilman Foley also urged residents to distinguish between those using social-media platforms for answers and accountability and those who harass and spread hate.
Council President Vincent Kearney expressed his disappointment with recent headlines stating that the Garwood mayor and council are combating online scrutiny. He said he wanted to “be crystal clear for the record. No one on this council or in Garwood local government is looking to combat scrutiny.”
He echoed Councilman Foley’s statements regarding certain social- media groups being a place of combat, stressing that he welcomes scrutiny, comments, curiosity, feedback and criticism through community collaboration and positivity.
“It is not really a system that’s designed to facilitate conversation,” Council President Kearney said. “So what I stand against is not scrutiny or public oversight; I stand against division and anger.”
