WOOLWICH TWP. — During the Woolwich Township committee meeting on March 17, an ordinance was approved to implement a program to recover costs from motor vehicle accidents when Woolwich Fire Company is deployed to provide emergency and non-emergency services.
First introduced in January and tabled, a significant update was made to the ordinance. The approved ordinance clarifies that Swedesboro and Woolwich residents will not be charged for these services as long as the response is made in Swedesboro or Woolwich Township.
In regard to this ordinance, Committeewoman Cindy Minhas asked Woolwich Fire Chief David Valichka, “I just don’t understand why it has to be separate that you’re charging for your services.” Valichka responded that the money from goes directly into the fire company’s general fund.
Valichka shared with the board that the day of the March 18 meeting, Woolwich Fire Company had been dispatched to the New Jersey Turnpike to assist with a car that was “up inside a blizzard of trees”. Valichka confirmed that the driver was safely removed from the vehicle and refused any medical attention from emergency services.
As Valichka was preparing to leave the assignment, he was talking with the state trooper he was assisting. “While we were talking, my vehicle was parked roughly 30 yards away from the rear of the troop car. At that time, the secondary vehicle coming down the north Turnpike in a high-speed lane lost control, hit my chief’s vehicle took it completely out, and ended up in the woods.”
Adding, “That’s some of the things we deal with day in and day out. You know we have insurance on the vehicle, but in situations like these there’s other things we may have to recoup and recover.”
It was also confirmed that the driver of this vehicle was okay and refusing treatment from emergency services as well.
The committee approved additional compensation to Reminton and Vernick Engineers for the resurfacing of Garwin Road. The increase of $36,000 will allow for the project to extend from Mill Road to Route 322. Because the project will touch the Kingsway Regional High School area, ideally engineering hopes to be able to go out to bid by November. Once the bid is received, they plan to have the construction during the summer months to help avoid impacting the school.
Mayor Natalie Matthias also shared a brief update about the Exit 2 Turnpike construction stating that once the New Jersey Turnpike Authority is ready to share its design plans, they will be holding public information sessions that will allow residents to see the plans and ask questions. The date for the information session when released will be on the NJTA website. Matthias stressed that everything as of right now is conceptual, but the rough timeline is to have construction beginning in 2028, and open by 2031.
Anthony Chan, a member of the Swedesboro-Woolwich Joint Environmental Commission, approached the committee and asked it to consider writing a letter of support for the Climate Superfund Act under bill number S35-45.
The Climate Superfund Act, Chan explained, will enact a fee on companies who’ve evoked emissions in communities, the funds from the fees will then go into a general fund, and then municipalities can apply to receive the grant funding. With major climate-induced weather changes Chan cites that the burden of these costs has been put onto the communities and residents.
“The Climate Superfund Act will enact the largest fossil fuel companies made more than 1 billion tons of missions since 1995 up to 2025 the passage of the Act. So, this is a 30-year time window, these funds would go towards grants that municipalities can apply for. So, these would be things that go towards climate adaptation, products such as flood mitigation or stormwater drainage, tree planting to mitigate flooding, etc.”
Chan told the committee, “I support this legislation because it will provide much-needed funds for municipalities all across New Jersey.” In addition to being a part of the environmental commission, Chan also has a degree in GIS and environmental data analytics and is a Kingsway High School alumnus. The committee plans to read over the legislation, and then will decide.
It was also proposed by Mayor Matthias at the end of the meeting that as reports are included in the agenda from different departments, the committee consider allowing the fire company to attend meetings quarterly in person instead of monthly.
Resident George Sloan addressed the committee during the public portion of the meeting, inquiring about why Swedesboro residents are allowed to utilize the pickleball courts in Woolwich if the Swedesboro municipality didn’t contribute any fund to make the project happen. Mayor Matthias responded, stating that the courts are in a public park. “It’s for the good of our residents and those in the surrounding municipalities, and whoever wants to use this public feature.”
Committeeman Craig Frederick also chimed in confirming to Sloan that although the courts are open for public use when it comes to reserving courts for extended periods of time, priority will be given to Woolwich residents.
By Asiya Robinson
