2. Why doesn't the Township Clerk, publish the approved minutes of your meetings and the minutes of your closed sessions when the matter of the closed meeting no longer requires confidentially?
3. Has the Township Clerk, ever had copies of closed session minutes, no longer requiring confidentially, available at public meetings? If not why?
4. Why don't you have the current Township Master Plan and Zoning Map, available on your web site so that residents and developers can view it?
5. Why do you not post the municipal budget on the township web site?
6. Why don't you post the meeting agendas and approved minutes, for the Planning Board and other township commissions and committees, on the township web site?
7. Is the Township Committee planning to dissolve the Edgewater Park Sewerage Authority? If so what are you planning to replace it with? What will you do with the EPSA's remaining funds? Who will run the new entity that you will replace the EPSA with? Shouldn't this change be placed before the voters before you act?
8. There is a rumor in town that the Beverly/Edgewater Park Ambulance Squad will be billing for services. Are these rumors true? If they are, why hasn't this fact been communicated to the residents? Doesn't this conflict with the fact that the Edgewater Park Township gives an annual $32,000 donation to the squad along with the City of Beverly's donation (amount unknown)? Does the township receive an annual audited report from the Beverly/Edgewater Park Ambulance Squad?
9. Does the Township Committee receive reports on the number of calls that are made to the Emergency Squad? How many of those calls are completed by the squad, and how many are handled by other emergency squads? What is the average response time for the squad? If the township committee does receive any of these reports, where can the public get this information?
10. Why did it take 5 years for the township to start the Cooper Street Improvement Project, when this $409,549.00 Federal Grant was awarded in 2003? Could it be that the township made soooo!!! many changes to the original plan, that the township engineer had to keep changing the plans too adjust for material inflation, so that the amount spent on this project would be the same ($409,549.00). To quote from Mayor Hall in the 1/14/08 BCT article about this project, "I think we waited much too long, but whatever the reasons were, I never got a full explanation for." Well, who was in-charge of this project for the township and why doesn't the mayor have an explanation?
Well, enough questions for now but more to follow. I will up-date you when I receive answers for any of the 10 questions above, by members of Township Committee or the Administrator g, but I won't hold my breath. If the Elected Officials, Administration or Township Residents have any answers please respond by submitting a comment to this Blog.
Thanks,
The Edgewater Park Reporter
5 comments:
I am an old time Edgewater Park resident about 45 yrs to be exact and I was just informed about this blog. I am really enjoying it so far. The quesions really make you think. The residents really don't know what is going on. We trust the people that we elect to make the right decisions, however, after reading this blog I am beginning to wonder. The matter along with the sewer authority has me puzzled. The building was built with the sewer authority to be in the building for the convenience of the residents now they want us to go all over who knows where to pay our bills. For us seniors this is a concern. This certainly will raise the sewer taxes. It's bad enough that our property taxes have sky rocketed now I am sure this will happen with the sewer tax. This does not make many of us happy. What is happening to our town? Keep up the good work in keeping us informed and I hope some of the questions get answered. By the way I am a registered Democrat but I certainly along with others will be rethinking our vote come November. I for one will stay tuned.
Some other issues that need to be addressed -
1. A bicycle and pedestrian element in the comprehensive plan:
There are gaps in the sidewalk network, drainage inlet grates that grab bicycle wheels and most importantly pedestrian safety issues along and across US 130. The State Bicycle and Pedestrian Office provides assistance to complete such plans.
2. The lack of open space planning and the completion of the Delaware River Heritage Trail:
The township could be a regional leader by constructing and signing the township portion of the Delaware River Heritage Trail. The proposed route stretches from Cooper St, Memorial Field, Roosevelt Park, Roosevelt Av, Lincoln Av, Kite Field, York Av and Wood Lake Park.
Burlington Township plans to connect with the trail to Aqua Lane in concert with a new housing development.
3. The ordinance that bans street play needs to be reviewed:
Read commentary on the ordinance in Philadelphia Bicycle News Blog -
Giving up on the Street-Edgewater Park, NJ Bans Street Play
Its not all bad news. The process that created the Beverly Edgewater Park Transit Oriented Development plan is a model of good planning.
Here's another question for the Twp Committee. Why does it seem that the Twp Committee chooses their spouse or relatives to be on the differents boards?
On questions concerning the Emergency Squad responses, you should be able co contact Burlington County Central Communications and get any information you are looking for through OPRA (the Open Public Records Act). As far as billing for service and out township contribution goes, feel free to contact the Beverly Squad at 609-386-7304 and leave a voicemail for the Chief or Deputy Chief.
just to let some of you know we had 1200 calls to the Emergency Squad for the 2007 year. As far as the squad going to "billing" status....wouldn't you rather have the bill that you recieve for EMS services going to your own squad rather than having to pay for having an ambulance come in from an outside community? At least if the Beverly station goes paid it would be going back to the squad instead of Endeavor (Burlington City) who is paid, Delran (Delran/Riverside) who is also paid Delanco (Delanco) who is volunteer.
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