At its most recent public session, Cherry Hill Township Council gave consent to a series of resolutions intended to fill key administrative positions with the municipality.
More than 20 professional appointments were approved by a unanimous vote during the Nov. 9 virtual meeting. All approved parties are to provide services for the township in calendar year 2021.
According to Township Business Administrator Erin Patterson Gill, the approval process involves several steps. First, notices are placed in local newspapers, and the township also requests that vendors submit proposals to the township for their particular services.
The township then sends notices to all interested vendors who have either bid, or have been awarded contracts in the last two years, while also seeking advice from department heads who work with those professional services if they know of any other firms that might be interested in making submissions.
“Responses are received and opened by the purchasing department and are reviewed by the purchasing department, and sent to professional service committees,” Gill continued. “Each of the professional services are awarded through a committee, based on township employees that work with that professional service group.”
These committees independently and individually review each of the proposals submitted by the firms, and are ranked. The committee confers to assess these rankings and discuss their findings, and the particular firm which scores the highest, is the one recommended to be awarded a contract.
Among the significant appointments made by council are: Brown and Connery of Westmont as township labor attorney for up to $120,000; DeCotiis, FitzPatrick, Cole and Giblin LLC of Paramus as township redevelopment attorney for up to $25,000; Malamut & Associates LLC of Cherry Hill for township affordable housing attorney for an amount not to exceed $17,500; Zeller & Wieliczko Attorneys at Law of Cherry Hill as township zoning board attorney; Dembo, Brown & Burns LLP of Mt. Laurel as planning board attorney for up to $60,000, Burgis and Associates of Westwood as township housing planner with compensation up to $17,500.
Speaking on the recent national election, Mayor Susan Shin Angulo praised those who participated in the democratic process of casting ballots.
“I want to commend all citizens in Cherry Hill who exercised their right to vote. We saw a record turnout here at home and across the country. I have never been more proud to be an American,” she said.
On the sudden, sharp rise in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the last several weeks and the coming holiday season, Angulo offered words of caution to the public. Cherry Hill logged 45 new confirmed new infections, out of the 524 county-wide cases, over the three-day period between Nov. 7 and 9.
“I want to assure residents that the township’s high level services and support will continue. However, we all must do our part,” the mayor stated. “We must double our efforts to social distance, use PPE and combat this dangerous virus.”
“With the upcoming holidays, please be vigilant by wearing a mask and avoid large gatherings, especially indoors,” Angulo added. “Quarantine and get tested if you have symptoms, or come in contact with someone who has tested positive. More importantly, look out for one another.”
In other news:
- Angulo and her fellow council members officially congratulated Willam A. Carter III for his outright election to the council post he has held since late June, when he was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Carolyn Jacobs upon her resignation.
- The governing body also passed a resolution codifying the set of rules and regulations, by which it has operated to facilitate online meetings, since the onset of the pandemic in March necessitated the closure of town hall.
- Councilwoman Sangeeta Doshi led an effort to have a proclamation issued for Diwali Awareness Day in the township on Nov. 14.
