MANCHESTER – A resolution providing a credit to Heritage Minerals Corp. for off tract water facilities was passed at the most recent Township Council meeting.
“This is for off-site water improvements that were made so these are for future connection fees/credits,” Township Clerk Sabina Martin said.
Mayor Ken Palmer explained Heritage Minerals Corp. situation. “They ran a line that extended from the Crestwood line from our west side water company down Route 70. There was some construction down there about 18 months ago. They ran a line down from Whiting through 70 and the new fire hydrants along Route 70 are down through the Heritage Minerals tract. That is all new ground work that they did.”
The mayor added, “some of that would obviously benefit the town so opposed to us paying the bill what we are going to do down the line is that when there is hook up fees for hook ups into the water system, we’ll take a credit.”
It was at the township’s request that the lines were put in. “Route 70 is ultimately going to get paved. It was supposed to be at the end of last year but we got delayed obviously. They wanted to get that work in so they can open up that road but with the paving you can’t open the road for a period of time. That is something that the township and they have been working on for years,” the mayor added.
Mayor Palmer said, “there was a water agreement but now it has been revised at least two times maybe three to provide for this water line.”
In other related news, bills in the amount of $1,558,000.71 were approved for payment. Bills for the Eastern end of the township’s utility service area in the amount of $76,925.46 and the Western end of the utility service area in the amount of $138,886.15 were also approved.
There was only one ordinance listed for second reading during the meeting and that involved creating and setting the salary range for a new job title which Martin said was a meter technician.
Council Vice President Joan Brush, who ran the meeting in the absence of Council President Craig Wallis, said “we bought new water meters and we decided to bring a tech in house to save us a considerable amount of money.”
A resident who moved to the township in November asked if the water meters would be replaced each year. He was told no, the meters would be maintained and were not expected to be replaced each year. He was assured that there was a benefit to having an inhouse technician to maintain the meters.
“Our current meters are very old,” Councilman Sam Fusaro added prior to the ordinance being unanimously adopted by council.
Listed within the consent agenda were two pairs of resolutions which went together. Martin explained one pair of resolutions concerned the painting of the township’s water tank. “Anything over a million dollars we are required to go to I-Bank and they require these resolutions as part of the process before we go out for the funding,” Martin said.
“The second two resolutions are both for the installation of the water meters. These are required resolutions,” Martin added.
Land Sales
Two land sales went forward during the recent Township Council meeting.
Township Attorney Kelsey McGuckin Anthony explained the two lots were available for public sale. The first one was for property at 2643 Ridgeway Road. “All adjacent property officers have been notified.”
The attorney called for bidders to come forward during the virtual Zoom meeting. No bidders came forward during the session. Township Clerk Sabina Martin said that her office had received a letter of intent to purchase the property and that was from Habitat for Humanity.
“The bid for the purchase was $65,000 with a down payment of $6,500 which we received on March 3,” Martin said. That was the only bid received and the council voted to accept the offer.
The second property was for 1525 Fourth Avenue. Bids were opened and no offer came in but Martin said an offer had been made to her office. That bid was from “a Mr. Maciunski for $10,000,” Martin said. The bid was accepted through a unanimous vote of the council.
Other Business
A recreation contract between Manchester and Hawaiian Luau Entertainment and a promotion agreement between the township and WJRZ FM were also approved. A state contract concerning the township’s copier systems was also approved.
Also passed was a chemical supply bid for the township’s water utilities from Miracle Chemical Company. A service agreement between the township and a firm for the police department’s live scan equipment was included in the consent agenda vote.
A shared services agreement with Ocean County was also part of the consent agenda. Martin said “that is for the removal and replacement of water mains along Colonial Drive Bridge. An agreement with Goose Control Technologies for goose control at Harry Wright Lake and Pine Lakes was also approved.
Early in the session the Council approved the Mayor Ken Palmer’s annual proclamation honoring National Library appreciation week to be held during the first week of April.
