The township is exploring the option of applying for a Burlington County Municipal Park Development Grant.
The township was able to qualify for the full $250,000 offered by the county in 2012, which was applied to repairing and reopening the skate park at Freedom Park.
The grant is a reimbursement grant, in which the township would have to spend the money before it got a check from the county.
“We need to prioritize and see which way to go,” Deputy Mayor Chris Buoni said.
Council agreed it would submit the application, which is approaching the deadline. It was unclear how the money would be used.
Township manager Chris Schultz advised that the township would have a better chance of acquiring the full $250,000 if there was a county push, including cleaning up parks and trails that could be used by residents in the county and not exclusively Medford residents.
The idea of the application was met with some opposition from councilmember James “Randy” Pace, who wasn’t shy about his issues with receiving the money last year for the skate park.
He questioned whether the township could apply the grant to open space debt. Pace wanted a long-, mid- and short-term plan for the funding and how the money would be applied.
“I can understand and appreciate getting our tax dollars back,” Pace said. “If we can get a list of authorized use for that grant money. As much as I would like to get those tax dollars back, there isn’t anything to get back. What we have available is spent through 2029.”
Pace went on to note he would “love to see the trails updated, the dog park expanded” in addition to other updates in the township.
“I want to apply for the grant, but I want to use it correctly,” Pace said.
Additionally, the council was uneasy about constructing any new facilities when there are parks that could use clean up and updating, members of the council said. Medford Township staffer Beth Portocalis said the township could benefit from the use of fairgrounds, as she has been receiving numerous requests from large companies to host picnics and other events in Medford’s parks.
“Requests have come in about using Freedom Park for events and such, since it’s cheaper to host a picnic or team-building activities than rent out a banquet hall,” Portocalis said.
A resolution will be prepared to move forward for application and further discussion.
In other news: Council discussed the possibility of a township-wide smoking prohibition. Schultz and Portocalis will be creating an ordinance for the council to discuss at the next meeting, which will be held June 4 at the Union Fire House, 1 Firehouse Lane, at 7:30 p.m. due to primaries.
