Moorestown Staff Praised For Work Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Moorestown Township Manager Tom Merchel praised the township’s staff for its work during throughout the coronavirus pandemic during the final council meeting of 2020 Monday night.

“It’s been a busy year with many challenges,” Merchel said. “We stayed open and operating when many other towns shut down. The municipal building was closed, but the employees were still working. It was a very difficult year on the management side.”

Moorestown has been hit hard by the pandemic. As of Monday, there have been 795 cases of the coronavirus and 65 coronavirus-related deaths, according to numbers provided by the Burlington County Health Department. It’s the ninth highest case total in the county, but Moorestown has the second highest death total, behind only Burlington Township, which has seen 86 deaths.

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Only two of those deaths have come since August, Moorestown Mayor Nicole Gillespie pointed out to Patch last week.

“It’s not as lethal as it was in the spring,” Gillespie said, adding that the township continues to adapt to the new measures and restrictions that come down from the state.

In addition to the municipal building being closed to the public, most council meetings have been held virtually this year. For a time, up to 12 residents were permitted to attend meetings in person, but as cases began to spike again, meetings returned to an all-virtual format.

But Merchel felt that it wouldn’t be right for the township to shut down completely amid the pandemic.

“The employees did step up,” Merchel said. “We were able to put together a budget that worked well. We put together a responsible budget that was able to meet the town’s needs during this time.”

Council members also praised the staff.

“I’d like to thank the exceptional staff, especially this year,” Councilwoman Victoria Napolitano said. “Everyone stepped up in an incredible way.”

Councilman Mike Locatell pointed out that those same staff members will need the township’s support as everyone continues to feel the impact of the pandemic.

Gillespie expressed regret that the township didn’t hold its annual boards and committees dinner to honor the township’s volunteers, but they will be honored during next year’s event.

“They’re a critical part of how things get done, and why Moorestown is as special as it is,” Gillespie said.