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In a continuing effort to inform residents on what is happening in the Township, I will write a regular update for the community. The briefings include issues being handled by my office, elected officials, and Township department heads.
Township shares services with school district to lower overall costs
I’m pleased to report that the Township is partnering with the school district to share additional services and reduce the burden on local taxpayers. At our April 12 meeting, Township Council adopted a resolution that builds upon the municipality’s successful absorption of the school district’s trash-collection and recycling services. Under the terms of this latest interlocal agreement, our Department of Public Works will provide various services for the school district, such as paving, welding, street sweeping, and sewer-line repair at a lower cost than previously available to the district.
It’s well-known we have one of the best-run DPWs around, and our workers can provide these services at hourly, union-negotiated rates that are often significantly lower than the rates of state-contracted service providers. Currently, the school district outsources skill- or labor-intensive projects to contractors who perform the jobs at pre-awarded rates set by the state – which, in some cases, are triple the Township’s rates. This agreement is truly a win-win: without adding much in the way of cost or effort on our end, we can create substantial savings for the school district, and, in turn, the taxpayers. I’ll continue to keep you all posted on our ongoing mission to consolidate services for savings – there are more to come.
Township invites community to offer input for Sustainability Plan
In late 2008, an amendment to the state’s Municipal Land Use Law (A1559) authorized municipal Planning Boards to adopt an environmental-sustainability element into the local Master Plan. This fits perfectly with our ongoing green-action and sustainability goals, and such an element has now been researched, vetted by experts, revised, and fully drafted (all in-house). It will be presented to the Planning Board for a public hearing and potential adoption this June.
But while the 30-some-page document has been created in a collaborative effort between municipal departments, officials, and sustainability experts outside of Town Hall, it will not be considered complete until the Cherry Hill community itself examines the document and weighs in. As such, a special public meeting will be held for this purpose on Wednesday, April 21, at 6:30 p.m. (notice of such is currently in the region’s newspaper of record, per statute) in the Community Center (820 Mercer St.) to explain the Sustainability Element, how it fits into the overall Master Plan, and what it means for Cherry Hill and its environmental legacy. If you are unable to attend the April 21 presentation but want to contribute (by the May 19 deadline), please reach out to Jennifer Kelley in the Mayor’s Office at (856) 910-9685, or email her at JKelley@CHTownship.com. Read the entire plan by visiting the Township Web site: www.CherryHill-NJ.com.
Art Blooms’ week of the arts features Earth Day celebration this year Beginning with the 9:30 a.m. annual 5K Walk/Run (see article below for more) and continuing from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 24, Art Blooms Week begins! This art- and fun-focused community extravaganza is a classic local event like no other. As it has every year, the Township’s Croft Farm (100 Borton’s Mill Road) offers the perfect location, with its sprawling, tree-lined spaces playing host to a plethora of vendors, tasty food options, children’s activities, live music, face-painting, crafts, workshops, special demonstrations, and, of course, our acclaimed craft fair.
And this year, there’s a twist: We’re joining forces with Sustainable Cherry Hill to make this special community fair into the Township’s first Earth Day celebration. As such, it will feature a “green” craft show, the South Jersey Green Restaurant group serving up tasty organic fare, solar and rain-barrel displays, interactive environmental activities for kids such as seed planting, and much, much more. But what anchors this festival is truly the arts, and this year will not disappoint. The week-long juried art exhibit in the Croft Farm Art Center will showcase amazing works from throughout the region, and will be open to the public from April 24 through May 2, along with a week of cultural activities for all ages. For hours and a complete rundown of information on Art Blooms 2010, visit: http://CherryHillArts.Blogspot.com, email: Arts@CHTownship.com, or call (856) 661-
'Anti-Drugs and Alcohol’ 5K Run/Walk at Croft Farm April 24
As noted above, there will be much activity on Saturday, April 24, at Croft Farm (100 Borton’s Mill Road). Not only is it Day One of the Art Blooms/Earth Day community festival, it is the site of the popular “Run Your Own Life without Drugs and Alcohol” 5K Run/Walk, which supports the Cherry Hill Alliance on Alcohol and Drug Abuse in their continuing effort to combat substance abuse in the community. This 5K is open to all ages and skill levels, and the course is a loop that includes on and off-road terrain. Male and female overall runners will be awarded in the following categories: Ages 19 and under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60-plus.
The event is sponsored this year by NJ American Water, and will be professionally timed by DQ events (DQTriDu.com).The walk/run will go on whether rain or shine, and the first 150 registrants receive a free T-shirt, and post-race refreshments will be provided for all participants. Registration is the morning of April 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m., and the event begins at 9:30 a.m. Registration costs $15 in advance/$20 the day of the event; and kids 18 and under can register for $12. For information or to register, contact the Recreation Office at (856) 488-7868, email: Events@CHTownship.com, or register online at www.active.com.
E-waste drop-off: No Saturday hours, but Wednesday evening added
The Township’s electronic-waste (e-waste) drop-off hours have been adjusted to lower the staffing cost of the service. Effective immediately, Saturday morning drop-off hours (from 8 a.m. to noon) have been eliminated, as they required paying overtime to Public Works employees accepting the materials. But additional hours have been added to Wednesday’s drop-off hours, extending them from 3 p.m. up to 6 p.m. Going forward, residents are free to stop by the Department of Public Works building, at 1 Perina Blvd., Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. – with Wednesday open for e-waste from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. We’ll take anything with a plug, and store it for environmentally-friendly collection through our certified vendor. Call the DPW at (856) 424-4422 for more information.
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
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