Weekly Township Briefing for July 30, 2009

Township to gain new cost savings in operation of Town Hall
In a move to achieve recurring cost savings and increased convenience for visitors to Town Hall, we plan to install an automated teller machine in the lobby of our municipal building. This simple change, which could be in place within weeks, will make a big difference to the hundreds of people a day who come here to access our services and make payments, and it’s yet another way we are saving costs through efficiency while assessing constituent needs and improving service.

The installation of an ATM will save us an average of $10,000 a year in fees that we currently spend to process credit-card payments related to municipal court. It will also create a new era of convenience at Town Hall, allowing residents who sign up for recreation programs or pay for public records requests to access cash on-the-spot. From the streamlining of our code enforcement department to the consolidation of our seasonal publications, my administration continues to look for ways to cut costs and make our operations more efficient and productive on a daily basis. For more information read KYW’s report on the new cost-cutting measure at www.kyw1060.com/pages/4896736.php ?.

If you have useful suggestions for saving costs, please call my office at (856) 488-7878 or email me at MayorPlatt@CHTownship.com.

State mailing Homestead Rebate applications to mid-income residents
I’m pleased to report this week that one million middle-income New Jersey homeowners will soon receive applications for Homestead Rebates, the direct property-tax relief program in the state’s 2010 fiscal-year budget so that non-senior homeowners who received rebates last year can get them again this year.

Qualified non-senior homeowners with incomes between $50,000 and $75,000 will receive checks averaging about $700, while those non-seniors with incomes below $50,000 will receive rebate checks averaging $900. Applications will be mailed out in Camden County on Aug. 4. Homeowner rebate applications must be filed by phone or over the Internet. The homeowner rebate automated telephone filing system and the Internet filing application are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Homeowners can file by phone by calling (877) 658-2972, or online at www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxatio n/.

The filing deadline for non-senior/non-disabled homeowners is Sept. 1, 2009. Rebate checks are scheduled to be mailed in October. For more information about the Homestead Rebate Program, homeowners may call the Homestead Rebate Hotline at (888) 238-1233 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Homestead rebate information is also available on the Division of Taxation’s Web site atwww.state nj.us/treasury/taxation/homestead/hrintro.shtml and through the Division’s Automated Tax Information System at (800) 323-4400.

National Night Out presented by the Cherry Hill Police Department
On Tuesday, Aug. 4, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Cherry Hill Police Department and the Cherry Hill Alliance on Alcohol and Drug Abuse will host National Night Out, a unique crime and drug prevention event meant to heighten awareness, strengthen neighborhood spirit, and develop police and community partnerships. This fun-filled evening, to be held rain or shine at Croft Farm – 100 Borton’s Mill Road – will feature a miniature Police Physical Ability Test, and children can see the K-9 officers in action, meet members of the Police Motorcycle division, and take the Fire District’s obstacle course or squirt a fire hose.

Live entertainment will feature music with Steve Pullara & The Cool Beans Band and a presentation from former Harlem Globetrotter Derrick Murphy. “Finley,” from the Camden Riversharks, along with other local mascots, will also join the fun, which includes a Moon Bounce and the Garden State Discovery Museum’s “Museum on the Move.” Free food, giveaways, raffle prizes, a dunk tank and more will make it a family night of education and community spirit to be remembered. If your neighborhood group would like to participate in National Night Out, please call Linda Dombrowski at (856) 488-7889.

Cherry Hill and Yellow Ribbon Club welcome home soldier from Iraq
Please join us on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 5 p.m., as we welcome back a hometown hero – PFC Paul Kern, who is returning from an 18-month tour in Iraq. The 21-year-old U.S. Army soldier is a motor transportation specialist who joined the military in June 2007 and was deployed to Iraq in May 2008 with the 69th Transportation Unit. Before he moves on to his next station – Fort Riley in Kentucky – celebrate his homecoming, his courage and his dedication to serving our country at American Legion Post 372 on Chapel Avenue. For more information, call my office at (856) 488-7878.

PSE&G creating solar power grid throughout the state
As an advocate for using clean, renewable energy sources, I applaud power-provider PSE&G’s new solar initiative. The company has gotten permission to spend more than $500 billion on a solar power grid spread out across the state, including in Cherry Hill. About half of the 80 megawatts this project will generate – enough to power a small city – will come from solar panels attached to utility poles and from solar arrays on unused land and rooftops. While this solar power won’t shrink our utility bills by much, it will significantly lower our carbon footprint, which, in my book, is priceless.

Township police roll out online bike registration program
Recovering stolen bicycles is one of the most difficult and frustrating tasks for our police department – often officers receive little more than a description of color and height. In an effort to improve the recovery rate of stolen bikes, we have put together a simple yet innovative registration program that we believe will make a big difference.

A digital bike registration form is now set up through the Township Web site, where bike owners or parents of bike owners can enter their information along with a unique serial number – much like a car’s vehicle identification number – located under the pedal crank. Spending a few minutes online registering a bike can save the police department hours of effort, and the database can be accessed from police cruisers so recovered bicycles that have been registered can be instantly found within the system and returned to the owner. Currently, the Townships holds found-bikes for 60 days before donating them to a local charity. I urge you to visit www.CherryHillPolice.com to register your household's bikes today.


For up-to-the-minute updates on any subject, call my office at 856.488.7878 or visit our municipal Web site: www.CherryHill-NJ.com .

Sincerely,

Bernie Platt
Mayor