Mayor Joseph Barton discussed committee changes, land development, road programs and more.
What can Tabernacle Township expect in 2019?
Mayor Joseph Barton discussed committee changes, land development, road programs and more, all to come this year.
To kick off the new year, Mark LeMire will be sworn in as the new vice chair of the land development board.
As for the committee, Richard Franzen, who has served on the township committee for about 15 years, is retiring. Franzen served as the mayor for three terms, deputy mayor for two and has held various volunteer positions in town. The new committeeman is Samuel Moore, who will be sworn in at the Jan. 2 reorganization meeting.
Tabernacle residents can expect two developments to be added in town — Seneca Reserve on Route 206, which will have 48 homes, and a development on Route 542, which will have 53 homes.
The 82 miles of roadways that span Tabernacle will continue to be maintained, with the implementation of a road sealer program and road trim program. The road sealer program allows public works to seal cracks and potholes to extend the life of a road.
Barton said two-lane roadways are paved in two swipes with a separation in the center — once water gets in the cracks and freezes, the road begins to separate, making it necessary to maintain through a sealant.
Engineer Dan Guzzi performed a study on all roads in town to measure the condition of each and prioritize which roads need more attention.
There is also a road trim program in place that maintains the growth of trees in roadways, preventing a canopy of trees from forming during inclement weather.
In addition, Tabernacle officials have met with Shamong officials in regard to their shared roadway, Carranza Road. They are applying for a state Department of Transportation grant in hopes the state will provide the necessary funds.
Also in 2019, Barton discussed plans of a shared service with court with Woodland Township. Currently, court is held on the second floor of the Town Hall building twice a month, which Barton said can get chaotic with people coming and going to pay taxes while court is in place.
He said the courts are expected to be merged by mid-2019, with court taking place in Woodland Township instead of Town Hall.
Barton said his hope for the new year is to continue to “block and tackle” obstacles the township faces on a daily basis.
“The block and tackling to me is what we do every day, what we do to just keep things going,” Barton said. “Then I think, ‘How do we make it better? How do we provide better services?’”
He extended his appreciation to the public works department, consisting of the director, supervisor and four laborers, who are responsible for all the buildings and grounds the township owns.
Barton anticipates another winter of successful snow management.
