Moorestown Council To Introduce Budget Monday Night

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Moorestown Council will consider several items related to the 2018 budget when it meets on Monday night at town hall. Council will meet on Monday night, June 25, 7:30 p.m. at town hall, 111 West Second Street. The workshop portion of the meeting that usually takes place at 7 p.m. has been canceled and replaced with a closed session discussion by council protected by attorney-client privilege.

Moorestown Council will introduce the 2018 budget at the meeting. The current fund is $25,592,000, while the utility fund is $10,500,000, according to the resolution posted on the town’s website.

Council will also establish e tax levy for the township's Open Space, Recreation and Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund Program, which was established and approved through a voter referendum in 1998.
It will remain at 1 cent for this year, according to the resolution posted on the town’s website.

Along with the introduction of the budget comes the proposed ordinance on introduction to exceed the municipal budget appropriations and establish a cap bank. This allows Moorestown to increase its budget up by 3.5 percent over last year's final appropriations, as opposed to the 2.5 percent cap, and bank the excess.

This year, Moorestown would be permitted to cap $171,234.81 (1 percent) in excess of the 2.5% increase in final appropriations, according to the resolution posted on the township’s website.

There are also two proposed ordinances up for a public hearing and final vote at the meeting. The first concerns a 100 percent affordable housing project on Route 38 that includes a 30-year PILOT (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes) for developer Moorestown Urban Renewal Associates, LLC.

Council approved the proposal on introduction by a vote of 4-0, with Councilwoman Lisa Petriello abstaining. Read more about the proposal here and here. In a related consent agenda item, council will consider authorizing the mayor to execute documents, enter into agreements and commit funds in relation to the project.

The other proposed ordinance up for second reading concerns a proposed change to the ordinance governing peddling, solicitation and transient vendors. The changes call for transient vendors to be required to apply for eligibility to the chief of police at least 20 days before beginning to conduct business. The police department will conduct a thorough investigation of transient vendors and anyone working with them.

Anyone who has been convicted of a crime or a misdemeanor involving a crime of moral turpitude (including but not limited to crimes involving fraudulent activities); has previously violated this specific ordinance; or has made a material misstatement on the application, shall be deemed ineligible to be issued a transient vendor permit.

The application for eligibility will carry a $75 application fee. If approved, eligibility will only be valid for one year. Anyone who is deemed eligible will receive a permit good for 30 days. The first permit does not cost extra. However, additional 30-day permits will be $10 each, with a total of 12 permits possible over the one-year span of eligibility.

Anyone who is approved and obtains 11 additional permits would pay $110. A one-year permit will also be available for the same $110 fee. No permit will be approved beyond the final date of eligibility granted.

Ice cream truck vendors may conduct business in the township from 9 a.m. until sunset, prevailing time, Monday through Sunday. Any other transient vendor may conduct business in the township from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., prevailing time, Monday through Saturday. Any transient vendor seeking exception to this section shall request approval by the Township Manager.

Read more here: Councilwoman Calls For Greater Examination Of Vendor Laws

Council will also consider a proposed ordinance on introduction to lower the speed limit on Pinehurst Lane from Kings Highway to Crescent Avenue to 15 mph.

It will also consider the acquisition of two properties, including one on North Church Street for future use by the police department. That same property will be considered for acquisition for municipal uses in a separate proposed ordinance to be introduced Monday night. A related consent agenda item calls for a leasing agreement between Big Portfolio LP and the police department as it relates to that property.

There is a total of 10 items on the consent agenda, including one that affirms Tom Merchel will retain the title of Township Manager until a new manager is appointed, but no later than Aug. 31, 2018.

Merchel resigned from the position earlier this year. He will remain as the township's chief financial officer (CFO), the position he held prior to accepting the position of township manager following Scott Carew's resignation in 2017.

The township has held several closed session meetings to discuss the position, including one that is scheduled for Tuesday, July 10, in the donut room at town hall, 6 p.m. Formal action has not been taken to this point, and isn’t scheduled to be taken at the July 10 meeting.

To view the full agenda for Monday night’s meeting, visit the Agenda Center on the township's website.

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