Mayor Shoffner Awards Dennis Quinlan the Key to the Borough!
At the Reorganization Meeting on New Years Day, Mayor Shoffner awarded Mr. Dennis Quinlan the Key to South Bound Brook in recognition of his nearly 30 years of service to the Borough of South Bound Brook.
Dennis started his public service journey in 1989 when he was appointed to the South Bound Brook Zoning Board of Adjustments. He held this position until 1995.
From 1993 to 1995 Dennis was a co-founder of the South Bound Brook Community Action Committee. This committee was a grass-roots improvement group of about 100 people dedicated to bringing positive change to South Bound Brook.
In 1996 Dennis was elected to the South Bound Brook Borough Council. Dennis was a Councilman for 21 years and held the position of Council President in all those years except for 2006, 2007, and 2013.
From 1996 through last year, Dennis was a member of the South Bound Brook Council Redevelopment Committee where he worked closely with Mayors Schubert, Warrelmann, Ormosi, and Shoffner. His work on this committee included:
- Monthly work on SBB 2000, award-winning Vision Plan & Design Guidelines, plus the county’s Economic Development Incentive Program, Streetscape and Facade Improvement Committees.
- Negotiated the demolition and clean-up of the GAF site to residential standards, the design and construction phases of the Canal Crossing project (adding almost $1 million in direct annual, property tax relief).
- Negotiated to bring Quick-Chek (regional retailer) and Family Dollar (national retailer) to South Bound Brook, despite the poor national economy.
Other notable achievements of Dennis Quinlan include:
- 1997 founding member and President of the SBB Historic Preservation Advisory
Commission through 2006. - 1999 founding member of the Friends of the Abraham Staats House, and helped to create the award-winning Battle of Bound Brook re-enactment, and Tory Jack Day (for Black History Month) programs.
- Member South Bound Brook Board of Education Citizen Advisory Committee for buildings needs assessment 1994 through 1995.