EAST GREENWICH TWP. – The East Greenwich Township committee meeting was held on April 11 to discuss their long-standing Habitat for Humanity project, an unexpected dump truck purchase, and amend well improvements.
Regarding the township’s project for Habitat for Humanity, a memorandum needed to be amended between the township and Gloucester County Habitat for Humanity as it had expired prior to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approving it.
“The Department of Environmental Protection has, as usual, taken their very fine, slow time approving our Habitat for Humanity project,” Archer said. “We have three houses that we’re trying to build for affordable housing for our Habitat for Humanity that we have applied for for close to three years now.”
These houses were first approved at a committee meeting on July 14, 2020 and, if approved by the DEP, will be located at 122-124 Timberlane Road. Three families will be able to make these houses their own while being able to comfortably afford a guaranteed rent price of no more than 30 percent of their income.
“We’re stuck in limbo waiting for the ‘Department of Economic Prevention’ to actually do something and make a decision,” Archer said, jokingly. “We need to move on and build these homes for Habitat.”
The committee further discussed a unique opportunity they were presented with to improve the township’s public works. Although they had been hoping to purchase a dump truck for use of the Public Works Department, an official request for one had not been made nor had it come up during other committee meetings in 2023.
However, after an additional dump truck was accidentally delivered to a neighboring town that requested one, East Greenwich had the opportunity to make an unexpected purchase.
“We have a great relationship with the company,” Mayor Dale Archer said. “So, we were able to get a nice, negotiated price for something that we were hoping to buy this year.”
The dump truck, a 2022 Hunter Dump Truck, is expected to be on the road in about two weeks — much faster than the two years Archer reported the other township waited for their dump truck to arrive.
The township committee also authorized a payment of $73,882.62 for additional improvements on Well No. 3, located in the Mount Royal area of the township. Previously, the committee had approved a payment estimate for improvements on this well during their March 14 meeting, which this approval now overrides.
These improvements, which will be completed by Clyde N Lattimer & Son Construction Co, will come at no cost to residents as the funds come directly from the $6 million New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection grant the township received earlier this year.
Additional ordinances approved by the committee include the adoption of a spending plan, an agreement to upgrade the internet service at the East Greenwich municipal buildings, and the authorization of a raffle license for the Wicked Warriors of East Greenwich to be used on May 9.
— By Berry Andres
