The issue was hotly debated.
At last Monday night’s meeting, Tabernacle Township Committee passed a hotly debated ordinance to create a Department of Public Safety. The ordinance also creates a position to head the department, called the public safety director.
The ordinance passed 3–1. Committeeman Richard Franzen was absent at the meeting.
Mayor Stephen Lee, Committeeman Joe Yates and Committeeman Joe Barton voted in favor of the passing. Committeewoman Kim Brown was the lone committee member to vote against.
The decision to vote on the ordinance in Franzen’s absence was particularly controversial among residents during public comment.
“They are running a business right now and they run it well. I think that’s what you should consider. I do not think you should vote on it tonight. I think it should be all five members [voting],” said Tabernacle resident Kathy Burger during public comment.
However, Franzen, who was a vocal opponent against the ordinance, would have likely only made the vote 3–2 in favor. In that event, the ordinance still would have been approved.
The committee meeting’s attendees mostly consisted of members of the EMS, including Chief George Jackson and EMS Capt. Steve Cramer, all of whom were against creating the Department of Public Safety.
“We’re not that big of a town that we need this,” said Jackson during public comment. Jackson added that he felt the job was small enough that it can be added to township administrator Doug Cramer’s responsibilities.
Two weeks prior, Mayor Stephen Lee explained to The Sun in a phone interview that Cramer already “has a lot of jobs,” including being the director of public works, recycling coordinator, and “a liaison between the rescue squad and fire company” in addition to being the township administrator. The creation of a Department of Public Safety would “take some of that responsibility away from him,” Lee added.
A key issue on the discussion was billing. Currently, the EMS bills for its services. It uses the revenue to pay for equipment it needs, such as ambulances and other medical accoutrements.
Going into the council meeting, the ordinance was worded in the following manner: “The Tabernacle Township Department of Public Safety, in order to support the provision of emergency services and the volunteer companies serving the township, shall bill for ambulance, transportation, rescue, response and other services provided by the emergency service entities operating within the township.”
Essentially, the way it’s worded means the township would take over the billing and the revenue that comes from it. In turn, the EMS would have to go through the township to obtain medical equipment.
However, because the issue of billing was so contentious, the committee decided to change the wording from “shall bill for…services” to “may bill for…services.” As a result, the council didn’t officially take over the billing, but left the door open for the opportunity to do so in the future.
Additionally, Barton expressed that part of his reason to vote in favor of the creation of the department was because of how much time the Tabernacle Rescue Squad spends in other municipalities. According to Barton, 34 percent of the squad’s calls last year were in surrounding towns, such as Southampton and Shamong, rather than in Tabernacle.
Opposing residents felt the town wasn’t big enough to warrant the creation of this department.
In other news:
• Committee introduced a bond ordinance on first reading that authorized the completion of various capital improvements for a total of just more than $1 million. The ordinance passed 3–1. Barton was the lone vote against. There will be a public hearing on this ordinance at the next meeting, which will be held on Oct. 23.
• Committee passed an ordinance on second reading to spend $355,000 on public works trucks. According to Doug Cramer, the town’s administrator, the township’s plan is to buy two new work trucks and liquidate six.
