BERKELEY – The township awarded a bid for a new fire truck, as well as accepted the donation of a used ambulance at the Township Council meeting at the end of April.
The bid for the fire truck came in at $542,000. It is a 1,000-gallon tank-flex pumper provided by KME Kovatch. It will be purchased for the Bayville Volunteer Fire Company.
The township also received a donation of a 2002 ambulance given by one of the local volunteer squads.
“The township can use an additional and we hope to save some money by buying used,” Business Administrator John Camera said. The town has a full time paid squad that started a few years ago.
The ambulance needed some work, but the township has mechanics who can do the work. It made more sense to have that happen rather than buying a brand new one for $150,000, he said.
The township might look for another gently used ambulance, he said. In this particular case, they knew that the previous owners took care of it.
New Stop Signs
In other news, the township will likely be installing new stop signs at two intersections.
There was an ordinance introduced that will place stop signs at the intersection of Aikens Street and Buckley Lane in Bayville. There was also an adoption of an ordinance for stop signs at the intersection of Barbuda Street and Brakenbury Drive in Holiday City.
Farmers Market News
The township Farmers Market has three new vendors, Councilman Angelo Guadagno said: The Empanada Guy, which sells various empanadas, Dags Dippers, which sells fruits and vegetables with dips and toppings, and Jersey Charm Coffee, which produces single-serve coffee cups.
The farmers market is held every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the recreation building on Route 9.
Zoning Board Appointments
John MacMoyle was appointed as a regular member of the zoning board of adjustment by the Township Council. It is a four-year term. He had been an alternate.
His promotion led to a vacancy, which was filled by Jason Gerb. He will be the alternate member.
Both positions end on Dec. 31, 2017.
Town Communication
A Berkeley resident, Scott Segal, said he had been caught up in the confusing regulations when he had to raise his home after Superstorm Sandy. He said it would be helpful for people to have a way to receive township information. There was a lot of different information and conflicting stories of what to do, and it would have been helpful if the town provided some guidance.
He suggested an emailer run by the town to let people know things.
The council did not address an email system for general information, but advised him there is a Nixle system that will contact residents in case of emergencies. To sign up for that, fill out the online form on the township’s website, twp.berkeley.nj.us.
