$1.5M Bond Ordinance To Be Introduced Monday Night In Moorestown

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Moorestown Council will consider three pieces of legislation on introduction when it meets Monday night.

Moorestown Council will meet on Monday night, Aug. 5, 7 p.m., at town hall, 111 West Second Street. The regularly scheduled workshop portion is cancelled, and the official action meeting will begin at 7 p.m.

Council will consider a proposed bond ordinance on introduction that sets aside $1,500,000, including the borrowing of $500,000 in bonds or notes, for the Lenola Town Center Landscape Improvement Project. This proposal would fund the costs of construction and engineering related to the project.

The project costs are fully reimbursable from two grants received through the federal government and administered through the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), according to the agenda packet.

The first grant (already awarded) is for construction costs. The second grant (to pay for design and engineering pursuant to a contract negotiated by NJDOT and an engineer that is part of their grant program) is for design and engineering costs. It is awaiting federal approval.

The public hearing and final vote on this proposal would be scheduled for the Aug. 19 meeting. On the same night, council will consider a resolution to award the contract for design and engineering negotiated by NJDOT with the award effective immediately upon final federal approval.

Having approvals in place prior to Federal approval will allow for the project to move forward immediately upon federal approval, according to officials.

Council will also consider a proposed ordinance on introduction to add Crider Avenue to the list of streets where heavy truck traffic is prohibited. The street is primarily residential and the police department advises that truck use is a danger to residents, officials said.

Finally, council will consider a proposal to amend the ordinance concerning street trees for clarification purposes. Current township code requires that plantings on certain approved developments comport with a list of trees and other plantings previously adopted as an appendix to the tree ordinance.

The ordinance that adopted the approved list as an appendix was not clear as to how the list of approved trees and plantings would be modified as the need arose. This ordinance would replace the old list with a new one that reflects a concern that one of the currently permitted tree plantings is the Ash Tree even though it has become subject to devastation by the Emerald Ash Borer.

This ordinance would update the current list of approved trees and plantings and would additionally allow for a future mechanism to more regularly update the list without resorting the process of changing an ordinance.

There are also four items listed on the consent agenda and a closed session meeting concerning affordable housing. It is closed to the public due to attorney-client privilege. To view the full agenda, visit the agenda center on the township's website.