The Evesham Township Council reaffirmed its commitment to local veterans at its Dec. 3 meeting with passage of a resolution and several ordinances expanding services to those who have served their country.
The first ordinance on second reading amended the township code to codify the creation of the Evesham Township Disability and Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee. According to the text of the resolution, the committee was created following the adoption of another resolution last April to “support the mission of the Division of Community Affairs and Senior and Disability Services.”
With the new resolution, the advisory committee will be permanently established and written into the township code. It will assist the director of community affairs in identifying programs and services outside the township that connect seniors, adults with disabilities and veterans with a full range of services needed to live independently. It will also explore opportunities for programming by the Division of Community Affairs and Senior Disability Services to serve veterans and the disabled.
Resident Christopher Nigro approached council during the public hearing for the ordinance to express his gratitude and support as an active member of the committee.
“I want to thank the council for initiating this kind of committee,” he said. “I think it’s really important. As a member of the committee, I’ve learned so much in the past couple of months and I think the community is really benefiting from initiatives this committee has put forth.”
The township code will be further amended, after two more ordinances were passed on first reading that exempt veterans from license fees for pet cats and dogs. A resolution also passed at the meeting establishes township goals for contracting with veteran-owned businesses and hiring veterans for the municipal workforce.
“This was something that I had stumbled upon in communication with various veterans entities,” Deputy Mayor Heather Cooper said of the resolution. “I’m excited to see this coming to fruition, something we can offer to our veterans in our community for their service.”
Goals laid out in the resolution include notifying veteran-owned businesses registered with the state of each public bid opportunity, making a good-faith effort in the procurement of goods and services and construction to award 6 percent of total contract dollars to veteran business enterprises, achieving a minimum 5 percent veteran workforce in the hiring of township employees, a discount for veterans on local license and permit fees, preferred parking for veterans in municipally-owned lots, state fee exemption for local metered parking and a municipal commuter lot permit fee waiver and reimbursement for Purple Heart recipients.
The resolution also set goals for recognizing military service in the civic affairs of the township. They include holding a Patriot Day public celebration honoring veterans’ service on Memorial Day, Veterans Day and/or the anniversary of 9/11 and annual public recognition of a resident who has served in the military.
The next meeting of the Evesham Township Council is at 7 p.m., Dec. 17, in the Evesham Municipal Building.
