WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP — At their meeting on July 13, the Woolwich Township Committee approved an ordinance on first reading that would allow the appropriation of $110,000 to be used for public safety equipment and road and drainage improvements within Woolwich Township.
The sum of $190,000 was appropriated. That money was already available in the town’s Capital Improvement Funds. The township was able to use the money from its Capital Improvement Funds because the work was making general improvements and not seen as a current expense.
The estimated overall total costs of the road and drainage improvements was $370,000, and the grant Woolwich receives from the Department of Transportation recovers the remaining $270,000.
The sum of $90,000 from Capital Improvement Funds goes toward public safety equipment. Woolwich Township legally made some general improvements with this bill, and no debt was authorized by the ordinance.
In liaisons, Woolwich Fire Company Chief Dave Valichka reported good results for the Company’s initial day work firefighters. “The trucks have been getting out earlier, and we’ve been able to handle different situations,” Valichka observed.
Committeewoman Gina Marie Santore reported what most people expected to hear in her trash/recycling report. “Bulk pickup is way up, because we’ve seen so many people staying at home and starting new projects,” she said.
“People calling for bulk pick up are putting a strain on the two people taking the calls,” added Santore. Marino pointed out that the numbers are high across the board in other towns. CFO Will Pine commented, “We knew this was going to be a common theme across the summer.”
Santore also has been supporting township branding. “We have welcoming pictures of the municipality, and we have a lot of logos,” she mentioned.
Santore seemed pleased with the results. “A lot of work came out of the project,” Marino concluded, and a lot of work went into it.”
In resolutions, the Committee authorized the submission of a New Jersey Department of Transportation municipal aid grant application on Swedesboro Avenue rehabilitation.
The Committee also allowed the submission of an NJDOT grant application for the High Hill Road shared use path. Another resolution authorized the bid of $258,238.47 to NJB Contractors LLC for improvements to the Enclave at Stone Meeting House.
In zoning, Committeeman Craig Frederick listed 67 permits being issued in Woolwich Township during June, along with 17 new constructions and eight solar roofs. For Public Works, Frederick reported that the department has installed hand sanitizers at the ball parks.
“We figure we’ll be proactive,” Marino observed. In his report on the courts, Marino said they were back in session, but he didn’t know when court would be live.
Deputy Mayor Natalie Matthias reported in local schools that Charles Harker School was earned a National School of Character award.
In other news, the Committee accepted the resignation of Committeewoman Gina Santore. During a near 30 year career, Santore began working for Governor Jim Florio and Congressman Rob Andrews. She began working for various Camden County departments in 1995. She is married and has two children.
“Ms. Santore and I started together, and she helped us get together and work together,” commented Mayor Marino. The Woolwich Township Police Department said it been a pleasure working with her, and her efforts have been greatly appreciated. Santore mentioned that she felt very happy about the future.
by Robert Holt
