Weekly Township Briefing for August 21, 2009

Inquirer spotlights the importance of pedestrian safety programs
An editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer published on Thursday, Aug. 20, underscored the need for New Jersey municipalities to step up enforcement of the pedestrian right-of-way law in order to reverse the state’s troubling trend of pedestrian-vehicle collisions, noting:

“Overall, 21 percent of highway fatalities in New Jersey involve pedestrians, about twice the national average. At least 102 pedestrians have been killed on New Jersey roads this year. At this same time last year, there were 78 fatalities. Even one death is too many, but this trend is going in the wrong direction.” (Read it here: http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20090820_Editorial__Walking_targets.html)

Last week, Cherry Hill Township partnered with the Division of Highway Traffic Safety to announce our participation in the state’s new Pedestrian Decoy Program, wherein undercover officers use crosswalks in order to gauge driver compliance as well as educate careless pedestrians. New Jersey state law requires drivers to stop for people in crosswalks, and the penalties for not doing so – including a $100 fine and two points on your driving record – are aimed at compelling adherence to a law aimed at preventing tragedy.

According to the Inquirer, “This educational sting should serve as a valuable lesson.”
I couldn’t agree more. In addition to launching the month-long decoy program, the Township has also enhanced 30 crosswalks throughout the municipality with fresh paint and signage, while creating nearly 20 new crosswalks, many near our swim clubs and schools. The safety of residents on foot is paramount to me, and the life-altering consequences of not following the law at these crosswalks makes the case for heavily enforcing it in Cherry Hill and throughout the state. If you have questions about the decoy program pedestrian safety, call my office at (856) 488-7878.

Camden County to host hazardous-waste collections this fall
While Cherry Hill already hosted a Camden County Household Special Waste collection back in March, if your garage is currently storing hazardous waste, several additional opportunities to properly dispose of it are just around the corner. County-run collections will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Pennsauken Sanitary Landfill at 9600 River Road, as well as during the same time period on Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Camden County Public Works Complex at 2311 Egg Harbor Road in Lindenwold.

Automotive waste, household cleaners, pesticides, fuels, paint-related products, mercury thermostats, pool chemicals, glues and adhesives, and personal-care items, such as fingernail polish, hair-color treatments and hydrogen peroxide, can be brought to the collections, where they will be disposed of in a way that protects the environment and public health. Not accepted are cans of latex paint (let them dry and put them out with regular trash), air conditioners, cooking oil, heating oil tanks, landscape refuse, medications, scrap metal, smoke detectors and tires. For more information on the County’s Household Special Waste collections, or to learn about other hazardous-waste disposal options, call my office at (856) 488-7878 or email me at MayorPlatt@CHTownship.com.

Senior Freeze and Homestead Rebate deadlines extended
It was announced this week that that the deadline for filing 2008 “Senior Freeze” (Property Tax Reimbursement Program) and Homestead Rebate applications has been extended until Nov. 2, 2009. Last month, the Division of Taxation was said to have mailed checks to eligible senior and disabled residents who applied for property tax relief benefits under the Senior Freeze and Homestead Rebate programs. The state reports that checks for senior and disabled residents who file their applications after the original deadline will be processed and issued as quickly as possible, with Homestead Rebate checks for non-senior and nondisabled homeowners scheduled to be issued in October.

Information about the Homestead Rebate Program is available by calling the Homestead Rebate Hotline (888) 238-1233 for homeowners or (888) 213-8623 for tenants from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Homeowners and tenants can find out the status of their Homestead Rebate check by calling (877) 658 2972, or online at www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/homestead/hrintro.shtml. Rebate check information for homeowners who are under 65 and not disabled will not be available either online or by phone until October.

Homeowners who still have not filed their Homestead Rebate applications can do so by phone (877) 658 2972) or online at www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/. The automated telephone filing system and Internet filing application are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Recreation Dept. offers children science-through-storytelling
Children and parents alike will enjoy the fun, educational special morning program “Trapped at Tripletree” on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at Croft Farm, 100 Borton’s Mill Road. Beginning at 10:30 a.m., the story of “Tripletree” will be told and acted out, teaching kids the science of forces and pressure through water-based experiments that can even be tried at home. Sponsored by the Township Recreation Department, this is a children’s discovery program not to be missed. For more information or to register, call the Recreation office at (856) 488-7868.

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 Township holds found-bikes for 60 days before donating them to a local charity. I urge all of you to visit www.CherryHillPolice.com to register their household’s bikes today.


For more information visit www.CherryHill-NJ.com
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