The Township Council on April 14 approved purchases totaling $193,440. Beyer Brothers of Fairvew won contracts for two GMC half-ton pickup trucks, for a total of $73,440. The vehicles are for the township’s fire safety department. One vehicle was included in the 2014 capital budget, but was never ordered. According to a memo from John Hauss, head of fire prevention, …
Read More »Township Council Extends Farming Leases For Two Properties
The Township Council on April 14 extended leases it holds with a township resident on several pieces of farmland. The leases were renewed with George Manioudakis. The first parcel is 25 tillable acres on a 78-acre lot at South Middlebush and Suydam roads. The one-year lease is for $35 a tillable acre, or $1,325. The lease was originally awarded in 2012. …
Read More »Township Council Passes $57 Million Budget
The Township Council April 14 gave its final blessing to a $57.2 million spending plan for 2015. The budget is powered by a $37,388,103 tax levy, up about $1.1 million from the 2014 tax levy. That translates to a 3 percent tax hike, which means the owner of a residential property assessed at the township’s average – $306,000 – will …
Read More »Police Chief: I’m Looking Into Body Cameras For Department
Township police may one day wear body cameras, Police Chief Lawrence Roberts said March 10. The chief, speaking to the Township Council, said he is researching body cams for the department. “We’re going to look into it,” he said later. “It’s a big expense, so I don’t know what direction we’re going to go yet.” The issue of police wearing …
Read More »Township Council Extends Farmland Leases
Two leases with township farmers were extended Feb. 24 by the Township Council. The council voted to approve the second of two one-year extensions to Albert Puchalek for Catalpa Farm on Old Vliet Road. The farmland consists of 50 acres, with a fee of $51.25 per acre, or $2,562.50 for the year. The council and Puchalek originally entered into a …
Read More »Updated: Final Proposed Township Budget To Carry ‘Lowest Tax Hike’ In Several Years
Update: The budget was introduced at the March 10 Township Council meeting. A public hearing has been set for April 14. Original Story: The $57.2 million township budget expected to be introduced next month will carry with it a 3 percent hike in the amount to be raised by taxes, the Township Council was told Feb. 24. Based on that …
Read More »Township Council Hears Requests For More Employees, Equipment At Second Budget Meeting
The township’s payroll could grow by eight more positions this year, based on requests made at the Township Council’s second budget hearing on Feb. 12. Department heads presenting their budgets to the council also made requests for trucks, technology and other capital items during the four-hour hearing. In a process begun on Feb. 9, the council heard from seven department …
Read More »New Bus, Pickup Truck On Township Departments’ 2015 Budget Wish Lists
Requests for a new bus for senior citizens and a new pickup truck for the township’s Fire Prevention department were made Feb. 9 during the Township Council’s first hearing on the proposed 2015 budget. The council heard from the heads of nine township departments during the session. The roughly $57 million proposed budget was put together by Township Manager Robert Vornlocker. …
Read More »Township Council Votes On Spending More Than $1.8 Million For Products And Services
More than $1.8 million was earmarked for a number of suppliers for purchases for 2015 by the Township Council at its Feb. 3 meeting. Items approved were: $25,000 in engineering services to CME Associates of Parlin, The Reynolds Group of Raritan and Carroll Engineering of Hillsborough. $10,979.40 for two AutoCAD license updates to DLT Solutions of Herndon, Va. $20,000 for codification …
Read More »Council Moves To Sell Churchill Avenue Land To Habitat For Humanity
[wpgmappity id=”18″] The Township Council wants to sell two Churchill Avenue parcels to Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity. An ordinance authorizing the sale of the township property, for a “nominal” fee, was introduced at the council’s Feb. 3 meeting. The parcels are 140 and 178 Churchill Ave. The land will be used to construct affordable housing. The ordinance will …
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