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Residents urge smart street lights, striping repairs and consolidated trash service; council to contact county and review options
Summary
Multiple residents raised traffic-safety and maintenance concerns — faded striping at South and Woodland, yield-sign visibility at the downtown roundabout, frequent garbage trucks on narrow Deagan/Frasier streets, and a request to investigate smart street lights to detect gunshots. The mayor said the town will contact county officials about strip-
Several residents used Morristown’s public-comment period on Sept. 9 to press the council for traffic-safety fixes, clearer pavement markings and consideration of “smart” street-lighting technology to help detect incidents such as gunshots.
Heidi Killen Ross asked the town to re-stripe a recently paved intersection at South and Woodland Avenue, saying recent paving removed lane markings and “I’m afraid there’s gonna be a serious accident there.” Robert McCormick, a Morris Township resident, said drivers approaching the downtown traffic circle from Spring Street are frequently blowing the yield sign and suggested improving visibility, illumination or reflective paint.
Linda Carrington reported hearing what she believed were rifle shots in the early morning and urged the town to look into smart street lights that can triangulate acoustic events and identify categories of sound. The mayor said he checked with police: patrols checked the area and “yielded negative results,” and the administration would look into the matter further. The mayor said most traffic lights in town are county- or state-owned and that the town will contact the county to request repainting of crosswalks and stop lines.
On garbage collection, a resident asked whether the town and neighboring township could consolidate service on a very narrow lane where “seven garbage trucks a week” create frequent noise and vibration; the mayor said he would discuss shared-service options with the township and noted some homes are served by private haulers.
Actions and directions: the mayor and administration said they will contact the county about striping and crosswalk painting, police reported no immediate evidence of gunfire after patrol checks, and the town will explore shared-service possibilities with the neighboring township. No ordinance or binding commitment for smart street lights was offered at the meeting.
Why this matters: the items touch public safety, traffic enforcement, and municipal maintenance responsibilities, and several raised jurisdictional constraints (county/state roads, private garbage collection) that affect remedy options.
