Beginning with the Fall 2011 edition, the Manalapan Township Administration Department will bring the Resident's Guide online, and will only print hard copies of the guide in house, which will be available at the township buildings.
Tara Lovrich, the Township Administrator, is not sure when the township first published the guide. Its history goes back until at least the 1990s, she said.
The guide was mailed to all township residents until 2008. In 2009, the Administration Department stopped mailing the guides. Print copies were available at all township buildings, and distributed as an insert in the local newspaper, according to Lovrich.
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The first edition posted online was the Spring 2010 edition. To date, a total of three editions have been available online.
Speaking on behalf of the Administration Department, Lindsay Lerman, a summer intern, cited both internet accessibility and budget cuts as the department’s reasons for making the switch.
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“A lot of things are transitioning to online formats,” Lerman said. “Putting them online makes the guides more accessible.”
Lerman further explained that not printing and mailing the Resident’s Guide is a cost efficient move.
“We’ve had budget cuts, so we’re cutting back where we feel it’s most appropriate,” Lerman said. “People get things in the mail and just throw them away. This saves a lot of paper.”
Lovrich confirmed the savings to the township. “The Resident’s Guide cost approximately $6,000 to print and mail,” Lovrich said. “Now there is no cost to the Township as we print the copies in house and put it on the Web site.”
Usually distributed twice per year, the Resident's Guide encompasses information on upcoming events and programs sponsored by the township or its departments. It includes announcements on opportunities for donating and volunteering; as well as memos of thanks to local organizations.
The guide includes contact information for each department, a summary of its purpose, and a list of its current happenings. Agencies featured in the Spring 2011 guide were the Tax Collector’s Office, Clerk’s Office, Board of Health, MRC-CERT, Community Alliance, First Aid, Code Enforcement/Zoning, Construction, Senior Citizen Center, Parks and Recreation, Shade Tree, Department of Public Works, and Police Department.
The Fall 2011 publication will be placed on Manalapan Township’s Web site in October, as well as will be available at the , the , the and the Public Works building.
