MICKLETON — During the East Greenwich Township Committee meeting on Nov. 14, Mayor Dale Archer announced the introduction of an ordinance that would lower the water rates for every local resident. Archer said that it was East Greenwich’s first water rate reduction since 2012.
The community will be adding two additional tier rates between the minimum usage to the average, according to the mayor. He explained that every township resident would be receiving a two percent reduction in their rates, but the majority of users would be seeing a more significant saving. “Over 65 percent of East Greenwich residents use 20,000 gallons per quarter or less,” pointed out Archer.
Public meetings are expected to follow, where details of the reduction plan will be discussed.
Elsewhere, another resolution saw the Committee authorize the purchase of two 2018 Ford Explorer SUV vehicles through a state contract. Archer noted that money to purchase the vehicles had already been included in East Greenwich’s budget.
The township purchased two state of the art Chevy Tahoe command vehicles earlier this year. “We are aware of the temperature in the United States today,” stated Archer. “We will give the resources to our police department. We have also improved the infrastructure of our camera coverage.”
“This has all been included in our budget at zero tax increase,” Archer emphasized.
The Committee also approved the sale of a 1997 Simon Duplex Luverne fire engine on GovDeals. GovDeals allows government agencies to sell surplus items over the internet. After East Greenwich purchased a ladder truck earlier in the year, they agreed to sell one they weren’t using, Archer said.
Another approved resolution allowed East Greenwich to receive bids for field lighting at two baseball fields in Hidden Acres Park. The community added soccer field lighting at Thompson Family Park earlier this year. East Greenwich Police Chief Chris Everwine said the lights helped with security.
The Committee also authorized a three-year contract with Xtel Communications for telephone service. A new phone system was installed at the township municipal building this summer. The previous system had been in place since 2001, and had become outdated, according to Committeeman Stephen Bottiglieri.
In discussion items, East Greenwich agreed to join the Cranford Police Cooperative Pricing System. Established in 1993, the organization helps local officials get better deals during a bidding process. Archer commented, “Sometimes they’re cheaper than a state contract.”
During the public portion of the meeting, Christopher Fay of Mickleton asked the Committee about their position on fair funding for schools. Archer insisted that the Committee had been at the forefront of the arguments for fair funding.
“This is one fight we want to be in,” Archer declared. “We will not sit back. We have to fight for our families and our kids. Every one of us in the Committee have or have had children in our schools.”
by Robert Holt
