Citizen’s Cabinet holds first meeting in Cherry Hill
Mayor Chuck Cahn can rest assured — he’s got a group of dedicated residents on his hands.
At 8 a.m. last Tuesday, April 24, nearly 30 residents gathered to meet for the first time as members of the mayor’s Citizen’s Cabinet, a group aimed at engaging residents and leaders throughout the community, brainstorming ideas and opening up dialogue between the mayor’s office and the community.
Members of the cabinet said they were excited to get to work.
Gaye Pino, of the Wexford Leas Community Group and Cherry Hill Arts Board, said she’s spent the last two decades serving Cherry Hill and is excited about contributing in a new way.
“I wanted to be active in the community to give back to my neighbors,” Pino said. “To get communication out is important; it cuts down on rumors.”
The mayor began the meeting by introducing members of his staff. He also spoke about his first 100 days in office, and what he looks forward to in the future as mayor of the township.
Among the crowd were residents — old and young and of varied ethnicities, backgrounds and religious affiliations.
Some members of the cabinet, who attended last week’s meeting, have been involved with or spoken out about various topics relevant in the township — the proposed Wawa on Haddonfield Road, the potential Cherry Hill-Merchantville merger and the Regis Academy Charter School issue.
Cahn said he was excited to get to work with a diverse group of residents tasked with dreaming up ways to make Cherry Hill a better place to live.
One issue the mayor spoke to was the need for increased communication between residents of the township and his office.
The township boasts more than 70,000 residents. And so far, he said, only 8,500 people receive the mayor’s weekly email.
Some residents present responded that they receive the weekly email and pass it on to friends, family and residents in their neighborhoods and civic groups. Cahn said he hopes members of his citizen’s cabinet continue to encourage those they know to get in touch with the township via the website, Twitter and Facebook, or the weekly emails.
Members of the mayor’s staff chimed in about their respective departments, to give those in the cabinet a brief look into what department heads and staff members contribute to the township.
The mayor’s staff discussed a bevy of topics — from budgeting, to grant funding, sustainability, roads, traffic, recreation programs and so on.
Some residents had questions about the red light cameras at Route 70 and Springdale Road, which were installed last year.
Cahn said a third camera has been added going eastbound on 70.
Sgt. Michael Rann, of the Cherry Hill Police Department, explained the process of ticketing at the intersection.
He said all violations are sent directly to the camera vendor, which, in turn, is sent to the police department.
Members of the police department review the footage and make a decision based on the law. If you come to a complete stop, you will not receive a ticket, he said.
When you receive a ticket in the mail, there is a pin number and a link to view the footage of the violation. Many residents miss viewing the video online before trying to fight the ticket, he added.
Residents also asked about vacant buildings across the township.
Cherry Hill’s Director of Community Development Paul Stridick detailed a few projects coming up on the planning board’s agenda, including a use for the old liquidator building on Route 70 near Brace Road.
Stridick also informed the cabinet about the summer 2013 to winter 2014 repaving of Route 70, which will add a mill and overlay to the roadway from the intersection of Route 70 and 38 to the Evesham Township border.
Residents can also look out for another batch of wildflowers this summer, he added.
After the meeting, residents milled around, talking to one another and the mayor about how each can contribute to the new group.
“I was born and raised in Cherry Hill. I raised my family in Cherry Hill,” Marsha Wachman said. “I want to see it be the community like I saw growing up.”
Wachman, who has a freshman daughter at Cherry Hill East, said she dreams of the day when teens from across the town can come together to hang out. She envisions a teen center, uniting East and West high schools.
“Teens don’t have the camaraderie we had growing up,” she said.
Wachman said she gets excited just thinking about the possibilities in the township.
