Mayor Di Croce also honored fire companies and first responders of a warehouse fire on Stokes Road
Mayor Michael Di Croce began the Shamong Township Committee meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 6, by recognizing the first responders and fire companies who responded to the warehouse fire on 148 Stokes Road on Jan. 7.
“We honor those firemen and firewomen that came out, and we thank them for their service,” Di Croce said, noting it was Shamong’s third big fire recently.
Following the proclamation, the committee also motioned to approve four resolutions, including the release of a Tuckerton Road reconstruction project maintenance bond, an authorization of an archaeological dig on township land, and a temporary capital budget for 2018.
Township Administrator Susan Onorato said when the township works on a road project, such as the reconstruction on Tuckerton Road, it is required to bond it for a two-year time period, and at the end of that period, the road gets reviewed and inspected to make sure it’s holding up.
“[It’s a] routine measure on any road project, and we released the bond,” Onorato said.
The committee also passed a resolution to authorize an archaeological investigation on the Brotherton Reservation.
Onorato noted that while the township has approval, it hasn’t confirmed a date yet, because the land is still being actively farmed.
“We don’t want the farmer to lose any crops,” Onorato said.
Onorato said early spring is a possible option, and while they’re hoping to find artifacts from former Indian reservations, they may or may not find anything.
“If they do find anything, we’d like to keep it in our historical society,” Di Croce added.
The 2018 temporary capital budget was put in place because the township is getting ready for development, including spots such as the Pinelands Memorial Park and a municipal cemetery, according to Onorato.
The temporary budget was approved, and the dollars used to develop land, signage, storage, etc., will be wrapped up in a bond ordinance.
The bond ordinance will authorize the township to obtain equipment and improve municipal sites. The township appropriated a sum of $250,000.
Other ordinances passed include second readings and public hearings to establish a cap bank and exceed the municipal budget appropriation limits, to fix annual salary ranges of township committee members and other designated officers, to create chapter seven of the township code, which would govern the “Cemetery Advisory Board,” and to amend chapter 90, which governed “Flood Damage Prevention.”
Additionally, the committee approved the purchase of 200 tons of stone at $3,950, to have stone on hand that can be used to help with pothole repairs, especially on dirt roads, according to Onorato.
During the meeting, township engineer Dante Guzzi noted if the committee is considering a road program this year, to get a start sooner than later.
The township stated it has a master road list, which it plans to discuss at the next committee meeting on March 6, at 105 Willow Grove Road.
