Residents near Willow Turn in Mt. Laurel Township could see some improvements coming soon in the form of a Burlington County Community Development Block Grant.
At last night’s meeting of township council, a resolution was passed to authorize the township to submit an application for a Community Development Block Grant for 2014.
The township submitted an application for the maximum amount of $65,000. If the Burlington County Board of Freeholders approves the application, the money will be used to put down asphalt overlay on the existing sports court as well as make storm pipe improvements along Willow Turn.
Willow Turn is one of the few parts of the township where a CDBG grant can be used for improvements.
“We have two segments of the township that have been deemed eligible for CDBG funding,” Township Manager Maureen Mitchell said.
Despite the item being a resolution, a public hearing was held as dictated by the CDBG application process. No one from the public spoke during the hearing.
“It’s a formality that’s part of community development,” Mitchell said. “Because it is a community development project, you have to notify the community their dissent, approval, whatever they like.”
The application will now go forward to Burlington County, which will consider their application, along with the ones submitted by other municipalities, and issue any possible CDBG funding in 2014.
In Other News:
• Council approved a resolution to reject the only bid they received to purchase an electronic ticketing system for the township.
Council went out to bid on a system on Oct. 10. The received just one bid from Gold Type Business Machines Inc. from East Rutherford. Mitchell said the township decided to drop the project for the time being after not being pleased with Gold Type’s submission.
“There was only one bidder and they had too many exceptions to the bid,” Mitchell said. “It was too slanted towards the company.”
• Council approved a submitting an extension of a grant from the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse through June 30, 2014. The township received the grant for the calendar year of 2013 from the group. However, the Governor’s Council has decided to extend the 2013 grant through June 30, 2014 in order to transition it to the fiscal calendar cycle.
• Mt. Laurel will continue to participate in the Burlington County Municipal Park Development Program. Council approved an agreement with the county Board of Freeholders to continue its involvement in the program. In 2013, Mt. Laurel received a grant to construct a park on a plot of open space on Elbo Lane.
• The next Mt. Laurel Council meeting will be held on Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the Mt. Laurel Municipal Center.
