As soon as Keith Kaplan moved to Teaneck in 2007, he got to work. “I stay out of trouble by keeping busy,” said the law clerk and father of three, who has been volunteering in the public service sphere in various capacities for over a decade. Since being elected to Teaneck Council in 2018, Kaplan has been keeping plenty busy getting the municipal code up to speed, streamlining residential services and building a functional online database and platform for the town. And now that he’s hammered out some of the systemic kinks, Kaplan is hoping to be reelected for a second term and to “build Teaneck into a better place” with a robust plan.
Kaplan’s public service endeavors began on the Parks, Playgrounds and Recreation Advisory Board (PPRAB), which led him to an eventual appointment to the Planning Board, on which he served for six years. During his time on the Planning Board, Kaplan served as both secretary and then vice chairman, and handled several large-scale projects for the town including the reconstruction of the movie theater on Cedar Lane, the development of 1500 Teaneck Road, the FDU expansion, and many others.
Why did Kaplan jump right into all of this from the beginning? “Things need to get done,” he shared. “If you want to get a lot of things done, you’ve got to roll up your sleeves and just do it. If you ask someone to do it, it won’t get done if it’s not their priority. That’s what really motivates me—I saw things that I thought were important, and I started volunteering to get them done myself.”
Upon his election to Teaneck Council four years ago, Kaplan noticed that despite encouraging developments, “there was a lot that has never been touched.” Using his expertise in the legal world, he made it his priority to update the municipal code, which had not been fully updated since 1951. “You can’t facilitate change on a major scale if things are not up to date,” he explained.
Not only did the code need updating, but so did the entire town’s system, which was complicated with the need for physical filings. “For example, at the Rodda Center, people needed to physically go down and fill out a form to know what programs were offered,” Kaplan said. “We had an electronic program available, like many towns do, but it was not outward-facing.” So, motivated by the need to update and accelerated by a global pandemic, Kaplan got to work on building out the town’s electronic framework. He even went as far as volunteering to be a guinea pig for the first-ever electronic dog license registration; although it took two years to get there, Kaplan became the first person to register his dog without having to go down to the municipal building with a check in hand.
Now that the foundation has been set, Kaplan explained, “everything we do now is a little easier, and a little better for our residents.” Because of these efforts to streamline public services, Kaplan has his eyes set on what can now be accomplished over the next four years. “I want to find out where all the red tape is … we’ve identified the problems, and now we can focus on solving them. Customer service for our residents is the number one priority I have going forward.”
Kaplan elaborated on the type of customer service he plans to offer Teaneck if reelected for another term on the Council, beginning with a need for the modernization of both commercial and residential buildings—what he describes as bringing “smart developments” that keep current residents in a comfortable place while attracting new people to town. “We don’t want to see people leaving,” Kaplan said. “I want to see housing with better amenities … I want the facade of Cedar Lane to be updated while keeping those businesses intact. That’s how we can move forward incrementally.”
Given his previous experience on PPRAB, and his service as a liaison to the Environmental Commission, it’s not surprising that Kaplan also wants major upgrades for Teaneck’s parks. During his time on the Council, he was primarily responsible for introducing modular bathroom units to some recreation areas. “It’s a major lifestyle upgrade,” he said, noting that such an addition is also incredibly cost effective, “without costing a single penny in extra taxes for residents.” He said that playgrounds are also in need of updating, and his plan would entail the creation of engaging and modernized parks for children.
Along with the major recreation and business investments on Kaplan’s mind, he hasn’t forgotten what he calls “the basics,” like the seemingly mundane task of paving roads. In fact, Kaplan boasted that Teaneck Council has been responsible for a record amount of repaving in the last four years—which would all go to waste if streets get torn up too often by utility companies. Because of this, Kaplan took it upon himself to draft a moratorium that prohibits companies from opening up newly paved roads for a period of five years, unless there’s an emergency, ultimately preventing new potholes and making sure tax dollars are not wasted on unnecessary paving.
“Government doesn’t have its own money; it’s all money we take from hardworking residents to provide services,” Kaplan said. “The residents deserve every dollar to stretch as far as it can. We’re going to put in the effort to get that work done.” Though the councilman was referring to roads, it’s abundantly clear that this is his governing philosophy: to get the job done efficiently and economically.
As a father to three young children, “the Teaneck natives,” as he calls them, Kaplan has realized the gravity of creating a great place for people to lead their lives. “Whether you moved to town 50 years ago or 50 minutes ago, the Teaneck of next year is going to be your Teaneck. We need to make it the best that we can.”
