Deptford council introduced a new ordinance at its May 20 meting that will require businesses in the municipality to have liability insurance.
Council sent out letters to the more than 600 businesses in the township, according to Mayor Paul Medany, explaining that the insurance requirement is in accordance with New Jersey state law.
” … All individual entities operating in business in New Jersey must maintain liability insurance that covers property damage, bodily injury, death resulting from accident, etc.,” he said. “The state of New Jersey has charged municipalities with the responsibility to monitor local businesses to ensure their compliance with this regulation.
“We’ve been talking about a mercantile license (ordinance) for years,” Medany added. “This is the impetus to start. It is a huge task for the folks in the township.”
Another motivation for the decision was the fact that other towns in the region have similar regulations on mercantile licensing. The ordinance will also help the township – specifically the clerk’s office – track who has the licenses to coordinate with businesses, both big and small, and will also inform the township of which businesses are leaving and which are arriving.
The township is considered a major hub for business given its two Walmart stores – one on Clements Bridge Road and one on Cooper Street – and the Deptford Mall, with its close proximity to routes 42 and 55.
“We needed a mechanism to track the names and numbers of businesses,” Medany explained. “It is more of a coordination thing, so if for any reason we need to reach out to them, we can do so. It’ll help us coordinate working together with our businesses.”
An administrative fee for that mechanism has yet to be disclosed.
“We are not making any money off of it,” Medany said of the fee. “In this climate, we don’t want to hurt any businesses in Deptford, from the mom-and-pop shops to the large chains. We’re trying to do everything we can do to help business in Deptford, and I think this will really help.”
Council will vote to adopt the ordinance during its Monday, June 10 session at 6:30 p.m.
