BERKELEY – The insurance fund the township uses will see little change for the next three years, officials said.
At a recent Township Council meeting, the governing body decided to stay with the Garden State Joint Municipal Insurance Fund.
Business Administrator John Camera said that township officials shopped around and the current insurance carrier “has been and remains our best deal going forward.”
The new agreement will cover the township employees from Jan. 1, 2020 until Dec. 31, 2022.
Camera reported that the total premium for the township, which includes workers comp, general liability, employment practices, and property damage was $1,228,145 in 2019. For 2020, there would be an increase of $21,060 to $1,249,205. This is an increase of 1.7 percent.
When asked if it would be better if the township shopped for a new carrier every year, Camera explained that the three-year renewal is the only option that was offered.
“A joint insurance fund needs some stability to operate properly and they have proven to be our best coverage for a number of years so I am not concerned about renewing for another three-year period,” he said.
In other news, the township renewed its lease agreement with the Berkeley Township Historical Society. The society operates out of the old Town Hall on Route 9. The new president, Gerard Morey, was to meet with township officials regarding maintenance of the building.
The Township Council requested that the county purchase Block 1014, Lot 28. This lot is on Grand Concourse. It consists of 13 acres of land near Berkeley Island County Park.
Mayor Carmen Amato said that it would be a benefit to the township to get this property protected as open space.
The Township Council also supported the county’s purchase of two other tracts of land. One was Block 1211, Lots 11-14 (Beach Avenue) and the other is on Block 1216, Lots 7-13 (Dorrance Avenue).
