Cherry Hill council renewed the terms of William Carter, Sangeeta Doshi, Carole Roskoph and David Fleisher at its Jan. 5 reorganization meeting, a session moved online because of a spike in COVID cases.
Carter and Doshi were sworn in by former Mayor Susan Bass Levin; Roskoph and Fleisher took the oath with Congressman Donald Norcross. Fleisher was unanimously reelected as council president in a 7-0 vote and Bauerle was named vice president after a 6-0 tally.
“My pledge to you is that I will continue to work hard each and every day to protect our neighborhood, ensure public safety and safeguard every taxpayer dollar,” Fleisher said.
The council president said his priorities include maintaining public safety, reinvigorating the Cherry Hill Drug and Alcohol Alliance, finding impactful ways to invest with opioid settlement dollars and improving township cell phone service.
“There are areas where cell service is so poor, it’s no longer just a nuisance,” he said. ‘’It’s a safety concern and it will be addressed.”
Doshi hopes to revitalize the human relations committee, address social issues and invest in outdoor spaces and parks. Other goals include improving community and neighborhood engagement by enhancing partnerships with civic associations, and ensuring strong fiscal management.
During mayoral remarks, Mayor Susan Shin Angulo reflected on the lives lost in a devastating house fire in Philadelphia on Jan. 5 and reminded residents of the Cherry Hill Fire Department (CHFD)’s Smoke Alarm Program, where residents can have a CHFD representative come to their home to evaluate existing alarms or install new ones if needed. More information and the request form can be found at https://chnj.gov/632/Smoke-Alarm-Program.
The mayor also reflected on 2021: how the township kept municipal taxes flat for the 10th consecutive year, reaffirmed its triple A bond rating from Moody’s and created a new dog park at Croft Farm. Shin Angulo also looked to the future, saying one focus will be the continued pandemic and help for residents to access the resources needed to recover from COVID’s financial impacts.
“I am confident in our ability to overcome (hurdles) as we have in the past two years, she remarked. “ … We’re entering the new year united in our shared vision and priorities for Cherry Hill to support equality and inclusion, provide top-of-the-line services, sustain our strong financial footing, protect our natural resources and prepare our township for long-term success.”
During public comment, resident Rena Margulis raised an issue that had been circulating online about the Cherry Hill Library’s revised hours and the lack of evening hours for Orthodox Jews in the community, as well as people who work hours that prevent them from accessing the library. Shin Angulo said she would consult the library board.
“It is imperative that all of our community uses and has access to our library,” she noted.
In other news;
- Council appointed numerous department heads. Tina Truit was named as the mayor’s designee to the planning board, Earle Seneres as the Class II member to that board, and William Carter as a Class II member of the governing body to the board, replacing Roskoph. Marlyn Kalitan moves to the planning board for a full year term ending in 2025.
- Shin Angulo appointed Michele Golkow to be her designee on the Public Library Board of Trustees and Violeta Katsikis was named designee to Superintendent Joseph Meloche. Marty Weiss was appointed chairman of the Rent Review Board for a one year term.
- Eleven council members were appointed to the Citizens Advisory Board, nine were appointed to the environmental board, and 12 were appointed to the Advisory Cultural Arts Board. Megan Brown was appointed the mayor’s designee and state-registered coordinator for the Alliance on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Joe Kelly is the new Cherry Hill police designee.
The full list of appointments to each board can be found at https://nj-cherryhill2.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/6251/Board-registry-1-6-22?bidId=
The next council meeting will be on Monday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m.
