Politics & Government
Proposed Ordinances Face Opposition During Township Committee Meeting
Commuter parking and traffic camera monitoring system among debated issues.
Manalapan Township’s two, newly proposed ordinances of 2011 are proving to be hot-button issues for residents and elected officials alike.
The ordinances, which involve a commuter parking fee hike and a traffic monitoring system, were among the contentious topics discussed during a Township Committee meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 9.
Ordinance No. 2011-01, introduced on Jan. 12, calls for a traffic control signal monitoring system to be installed at intersections in the Township. The system involves the installation of cameras that are used to catch drivers who run red lights. The cameras can take pictures of the driver and the vehicle’s license plate, which help police departments issue traffic tickets.
A public hearing for the ordinance had been moved to July 13, but was still listed on the agenda. This change inconvenienced resident Ted Lindner who altered his work schedule so he could attend the meeting and voice his opposition to the ordinance.
“It’s easy money; we know it is. It takes minimal amount of work to happen. And yes, that money can keep my taxes down, but I hate to see us make money the wrong way,” said Lindner, a Class A truck driver.
Lindner argued that there’s no way to fight the automatic ticket, and he is concerned that drivers might jam on their brakes if they know that a red light camera is present. He also raised questions about the enforcement of the law using this system and addressed ambiguities in the ordinance’s language.
“We have to make sure we do it right if we do it at all. That’s all I’m requesting,” added Lindner.
During the Jan. 12 Committee meeting, Committeeman Ryan Green abstained from a vote to introduce the ordinance.
“Mr. Lindner raised some good questions, and we don’t have all the answers yet,” said Green in a statement to Patch. “I prefer to get all the research and all the facts before we proceed,” he added.
During public comment, resident Deborah Smarth asked the Committee for updates regarding the budget and Coalition on Affordable Housing.
COAH remains a debated issue in the state and Lucas could not provide a concrete answer on progress, citing new rulings by the appellate court, new State legislation, and new conditional vetoes by Governor Christie, who openly opposes COAH.
“So we have been trying to be proactive in coming up with a comprehensive plan in light of an affordable housing situation that is anything but a solid formula at this point,” said Lucas.
During his report, Lucas also mentioned that he will attend a Mayor’s Legislative Day in Trenton next week. The conference will address two major state-wide issues of pension reform and COAH.
“I will update everyone as those bills are starting to make their way out of committee and onto the legislative floor,” said Lucas.
During this response to the public comments, Lucas acknowledged that he neglected to include a brief budget update on the agenda. He announced that the Committee plans to present a budget within the next three weeks, ideally the first week of March. According to a state mandate, the budget must be introduced before March 23.
