Manchester To Rescind Utilities Department Creation

MANCHESTER, NJ — The Manchester Township Council is set to introduce an ordinance Monday night to rescind the creation of the Department of Utilities, and return it to a division of the public works department.

The department, which was created in August, has responsibility for the Eastern and Western water and sewer service areas in the township, and a director position was created.

Business administrator Brandon Umba told Jersey Shore Online that the department was created because Manchester was having difficulty attracting a regulatory officer for the township's water and sewer departments. A regulatory officer is required under state law.

Because the town does not have an employee in the department with the proper license, the Manchester had been paying a private company to have a licensed operator, Umba said, according to the report. The township had a director of utilities before 2016, he said.

The ordinance set to be introduced Monday night would rescind the creation of a director of utilities and move all of the responsibilities to the director of public works.

The council meeting is set for 6 p.m. Monday at the township municipal building. The full agenda is here.