Residents in Cherry Hill now have first-hand access to more than 150 years of municipal ordinances and resolutions, thanks to the launch of the Township’s first Web-based, searchable archive system, Mayor Bernie Platt has announced.
Located on the Township’s Web site, www.CherryHill-NJ.com, this searchable repository gives residents the ability to browse local laws dating back to 1844 — the year the municipality was founded, as Delaware Township.
“Throughout my tenure as Mayor, one of my main priorities has been moving the Township further into the 21st century; leveraging new technology to make Town Hall more accessible to the more than 70,000 people who call Cherry Hill their home,” Platt said.
With a few clicks of the mouse, residents, businesses and historians alike can take a trip back in time, through more than a century of governance in Cherry Hill. Whether they’re looking at a resolution from 1844 establishing a fund to pay for sheep killed by dogs, or they’re searching for the most up-to-date noise regulations, visitors to this site can see where the Township has been and where it’s going.
This comprehensive database will be updated with new ordinances and resolutions after each Township Council meeting, generally held the second and fourth Monday of each month, so residents have access to the most updated information possible.
Visitors to the site should note that resolutions from 1935 to 1986 are not available at this time, but will be added in the near future.
“Browsing through these archives will shine an unprecedented light on the creation of Delaware Township; its changeover to Cherry Hill some 50 years ago; and its remarkable evolution from an agrarian society into the bustling, commercial spine of South Jersey we see today,” Platt said.
This is the latest technological upgrade made at Town Hall in the last year, Platt added. For example, in 2010, the Township installed GPS in its fleet of Public Works vehicles, helping to maximize staffing efficiency in that department. The Recreation Department also successfully launched online registration for all Township-sponsored courses and classes, allowing families to sign up for seasonal offerings without having to travel to Town Hall.
Platt said he and Council are continuing to explore additional ways to use both the Web and new, emerging technologies to make the Township more accessible to residents — including exploring the possibility of implementing online payments for things like property tax and sewer bills.
“It has always been my belief that a good government uses technology to operate more efficiently and effectively — to become more convenient and more transparent for its stakeholders, the taxpayers, and I’m looking forward to sharing our advances in the weeks and months to come.”
