Gloucester Township Observer Podcast – July 1st, 2024

Amendment to the agenda.  Timber Cove is going to receive funds, not Taylor Ave. 

Mercado asks for a resolution to be removed from the consent agenda because he has questions. 

First Public Portion 

• No one had anything to ask. 

The second reading of the bond ordinance in the sum of up to $69,000 for park improvements at Laurel Park and Woods Edge was approved.

Ordinance 0-24-16 Changes to the Curfew in the codebook will now hold parent’s responsible for their children if they loiter.

2 million in notes.  This is related to the bs $4mil of notes that were borrowed in 2022 for the high employee healthcare costs. Every year for seven years, the prior year’s one-year notes will come due, and GT will issue new notes to re-borrow the money. They will borrow one-seventh less than the prior year so that the $4mil will finally be paid off after seven years. 

Egov 

• Fred Hill sent about 5 emails in about the MUA Compost site. 

• He thinks it’s illegally polluting Timber Creek. 

• He has questions about a proposed multi-use trail going in there. 

• He believes there are Blad Eagles in or around the property. 

• Mercado responds to Fred’s emails. 

• The DEP found no wrong doing on the part of the MUA. 

• There is no trail proposed on that site. 

• Eagles are a DEP thing.  Perhaps a council member could just ask the DEP about this? 

2^nd public portion  

• Anthony responds to Troxell’s comments about their union not trying to setup a meeting with the township about the sale.   

• He lets her know he reached out to Gabriela Mosquera. 

• He sends a 2^nd email after the first one was not responded to.  He’s gets a reply from an assistant who would like a summary of what he would like to know from Mosquera. 

• Anthony finally gets a response with a 3^rd letter from Mosquera and she tells him she has no part in the exploration of the sale.   

• Troxell responds by saying hopefully Gabby will find answers. 

• Anthony asks Council about their lack of answers for his people.  Troxell feels like he should have been responded to but says council didn’t have enough info on this to give them a heads up before they put it up for vote.   

• Denise Coyne asks why we Interstate Waste Services for trash removal, but the resolutions that was passed in 2021 says we made an agreement with Central Jersey  Waste and Recycling. 

• Central Jersey Waste and Recycling was founded in 1996 

• They changed their name to Solterra in 2014 

• In 2022 Solterra was acquired by Interstate Waste Services.   

• Denise also asks why the bid amount from Solterra was $19,382,488 changed to $20,978,988.  Cardis is supposed to give Denise the answer.  As of June 28^th, he has not responded.   

• Ray Polidoro asks about the attorneys that we’ve been consulting with for the potential sewer sale and asks if they have made any political contributions to local Democrats.  The firm is Hawkins Delafield & Wood and it does not appear they are involved locally in politics.   

• Nancy is our Microphone hero