Mt. Laurel Township Council held its first teleconference since the COVID-19 pandemic began April 13 and addressed numerous resolutions.
The township has been livestreaming its meeting, but this month’s session was the first to be held via the teleconference service Zoom, in accordance with social distancing guidelines.
“We’ll get through this, folks,” Mayor Irwin Edelson assured township residents. “There’ll be an end to this tunnel and we’ll come out, and what a party we’re going to have on Mt. Laurel Day!”
Council members quickly addressed and approved items on the agenda. Among them:
* 20-R-73: temporary budget appropriations for 2020;
* 20-R-74: the appointment of Joseph “Jay” Appleton as the township’s Emergency Management Coordinator for the unexpired term of May 1, 2020 to May 8, 2022;
* 20-R-77: directing the tax collector to prepare, complete and mail estimated and reconciled tax bills in accordance with NJSA 54:5-66.3, per Gov. Philip Murphy’s Executive Order No. 107 (2020) issuing a limited exception requirement for New Jersey residents to stay home. That complicated the township’s ability to complete the mailing or delivery of its tax bills by June 14, 2020.
* 20-R-78, supporting Assembly Bill 1119 to provide representation of Alice Paul as a significant historical figure of New Jersey, in recognition of the centennial anniversary of the 19th amendment’s ratification giving women the right to vote and the Mt. Laurel suffragette’s role in the national fight for equal rights.
The first reading was of Ordinance 2020-7, adopting vehicle and traffic standards for the Gables development on Marne Highway, a 600-unit subdivision with 120 affordable housing units, per the township’s obligation.
Residents were invited to submit questions and concerns for the public comment portion of the virtual meeting; the three items addressed agenda topics, taxes and whether or not the pandemic will affect real estate tax due dates.
“Taxes are still due May 1, so please pay your taxes,” said Township Solicitor George Morris, who added that it’s unclear whether homestead offset rebates will apply to this year’s taxes. Township Manager/Clerk Meredith Tomczyk assured residents that council will let them know if the state provides a definitive answer.
Morris also clarified that the current open space tax will drop down to 4 cents in 2023 before furthering lowering to 2 cents in 2024; the entire tax sunsets in 2043.
The opportunity for public comment facilitated a more in-depth conversation about the transition between and usage of the township’s current and future EMS headquarters.
“The township is still using the EMS facility on Church Street,” Morris said. “Obviously everything’s slowed down, but we’re waiting for the construction of the new EMS on 73 to begin and once that concludes, then EMS services will transfer over to that building and we would satisfy the state and stop using the building on Church Street for EMS purposes.”
Tomczyk reminded residents that Public Works is on a lighter schedule and as-needed basis; while regular pickups are suspended, those who require help clearing excessive debris can still make arrangements.
Morris noted that he received a request for an update regarding Paws Farm, and that the township has recently posted its request for proposal (RFP), available at both facebook.com/TownshipofMountLaurel and mountlaurel.com/how_do_i/rfp_bids.php. The deadline to submit a RFP is Sept. 1.
“Because the residents and the township and the council had asked for a series of benchmarks to be built into the RFP, it will really take some organization and time to develop an appropriate RFP,” Morris said. “We want to give them a good amount of lead time, especially with everything that’s going on in the world right now, so they can build a quality proposal.”
If all goes well, Paws could foreseeably reopen for the spring of 2021, Morris added.
The next township council meeting will be April 27. It will mark the public hearing on the municipal budget, which, according to Tomczyk, “will be at a zero tax increase to the Mt. Laurel residents.”
