The Moorestown Township Council motioned to adopt an ordinance at its Nov. 8 meeting that authorizes the purchase of new public works’ vehicles.
The ordinance appropriates $360,000 and authorizes the issuance of $342,000 in township bonds or notes for the purchase.
“I would (just) like to say that two of the vehicles that are being replaced are (so) old they predate when I (actually) moved here in 1999,” Deputy Mayor Sue Mammarella noted. “Kudos to keeping those vehicles going all this time and only replacing them now.”
Council announced during reports that the township council boards and committees’ dinner meeting on Dec. 6 has been cancelled. Then the first of two non-consent agenda resolutions were discussed.
According to Township Manager Kevin Aberant, Police Chief Lee Lieber requested a resolution that allows the township to utilize recently adopted state law in hiring police officers that is outside the standard civil-service process.
“The (basic) part of the legislation is, it widens our pool of qualified candidates for civil-service departments,” said Lieber. “It lets us compete more evenly with the (Title 40) departments that are able to hire anybody. There are restrictions to it. Officers to be hired under this legislation have to (have) already completed and hold a police training commission certificate for the full basic course for police officers.
“Part of (the) regulations require that the township opt in (to) this program,” Lieber added. “It’s the reason for this resolution. We also have to have a conflict-of-interest and nepotism policy.”
Moorestown resident Kathy Sutherland expressed her support for the police resolution.
“I (wholeheartedly) support this,” she noted. “For a long time, I felt as though there needed to be change in the way police officers were hired, and I think this is a step forward.”
Council then motioned to adopt the resolution.
Moorestown library Director Joan Serpico spoke to council about the second resolution it motioned to adopt, an authorization to use empty storage room in the library as a book sale room. She explained there is space off the rotunda that was originally intended for a cafe that never came to fruition.
“In search of an alternative use for the (space), the library board of trustees and the Friends of the Library began discussing a library book sale room,” she said. “We imagine a book sale room would serve as an (ongoing) fundraiser and would highlight the role of the friends in supporting the library.”
According to Aberant, the state Department of Community Affairs requires all New Jersey municipalities to complete a best practices survey, and since Moorestown scored well, no state aid will be docked.
“There’s many exciting things that we’re doing (here) in town, and it feels good to be getting high marks from the state’s best practices survey,” said councilman Quinton Law.
