A few of the ordinances introduced on first reading call for some companies to pay higher registration fees, and another ordinance introduced on first reading will require pre-construction videos or photographs to be sent in before construction on a private property.
Borough commissioners had a light agenda at the Tuesday, Feb. 27, meeting. A few of the ordinances introduced on first reading call for companies to pay higher registration fees, and another ordinance introduced on first reading will require pre-construction videos or photographs to be sent in before construction on a private property.
A new ordinance passed on first reading amending chapter 163 entitled peddling and soliciting, would raise the cost of registration fees to for-profit companies that want to go door-to-door to sell to residents.
The ordinance states that upon submission of the application, the applicant will now be paying $60 as opposed to $30 as a registration fee and background investigation fee. The ordinance will exempt public utilities such as PSE&G, Verizon and Comcast as well as nonprofits.
The commissioners’ reason for raising the cost is to cover the administrative cost behind issuing the permits. Commissioners had also reviewed other municipality costs with registration fees and found them to be comparable, if not higher than the $60 fee.
Another ordinance passed on first reading will create a new chapter 171 entitled pre-construction video that will require the private property owner or the contractor produce a video or digital photos to be taken of public roads, sidewalks, curbs, stormwater facilities, wastewater facilities and Haddonfield trees before construction projects begin on private property and permits are issued.
Those submitting video or digital photos are required to send them to the construction official before construction begins. There is a $250 fee associated with it to cover the engineering cost to evaluate before and after.
“If any damage is done to borough property, then we have video proof of it later on and we can charge back accordingly to the homeowner or the developer,” Mayor Neal Rochford said.
The ordinance is the result of numerous situations that have occured in town where the borough’s only option is to use taxpayer dollars to restore errors that occur in the construction process. Commissioners think it will help give accountability to developers if the ordinance is in place.
Commissioner John Moscatelli encourages residents to consider that only significant projects, such as a major house addition or complete demolition of a house, would warrant a pre-construction video or photograph. Smaller projects such as a driveway replacement or installation of new roof would most likely not involve this process but that would be to the discretion of the construction office.
“The goal is hopefully everyone will be more careful,’’ Moscatelli said.
The second reading for these ordinances will be held at the next commissioners meeting on March 13.
In other news:
The commissioners and board of education will have a joint meeting on March 12 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of borough hall to discuss a possible land swap. Currently, the board of education owns Scout Field and two small parcels across the street. There is an interest in swapping the parcels for the Hopkins parcel Bancroft lot on the western side of Hopkins Avenue, which is owned by the borough.
“We welcome anyone who has an interest in coming and learning more about it,” Rochford said.
