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Incentive Based Recycling Program
Getting Ready To Begin In Swedesboro

by Sam Scavuzzo

SWEDESBORO -- After a half-year odyssey, the RecycleBank implementation for Swedesboro will occur in early 2008. Originally spearheaded by Republican Councilman Donald Dryden and put into action by Democratic Mayor Thomas W. Fromm, the program looks to be single-stream, where all recyclable material – paper, plastic and glass, among others – will be in the same container.

“The program works with human nature,” Dryden said, referencing that the more people recycle, the more incentives they will receive.

“This is a win-win for all: the environment, residents, the Borough, everyone,” Fromm said. “RecycleBank will increase revenue and recycling and decrease land fill fees and disposal.”

RecycleBank is a company that rewards people for recycling. Borough residents will place their materials in RecycleBank containers. When the receptacle is picked up, the truck scans a code on the container and the amount recycled is converted into RecycleBank Reward Points that can be redeemed into savings at local and national businesses.

Residents will be able to claim up to $400 worth of Reward Points a year, according to the Borough’s Web site.

Because of town participation in the program across the area, 197,932 trees and 13,221,834 gallons of oil have been saved, according to its Web site. Other local towns enrolled in the program include Woolwich, Clayton, Elk and Westville.

Currently, the Borough has a contract with Omni. Until all legal matters between the two companies are resolved, RecycleBank cannot begin functioning as recycling provider, according to Fromm. He assured the community that all should be settled in early January.

Omni will continue to be the recycling facility but the contract will change to be single-stream and include the RecycleBank program, Fromm said.

Originally, the Borough Council approved RecycleBank unanimously at their Nov. 5 meeting. However both Dryden and Republican Councilwoman Darlene Gage disapproved of how the resolution was passed.

In her vote of yes, Gage stated according to approved Council minutes, “It would have been nice if the chairman of the Garbage and Trash [committee] had been informed of the on-going discussion.”

Dryden, the aforementioned chair, echoed similar sentiments. “I resent being considered irrelevant and would have appreciated being notified and allowed to be in on the discussion.” Dryden alluded to this sentiment at the most recent Council meeting on Dec. 17.

In other environmental news, the Borough looks to properly and safely remove several oil and gas tanks. Fromm plans to redistribute the usable oil as soon as possible in 2008. From the Swedesboro/Woolwich Fire Company, oil will be transferred to Borough Hall, Swedesboro Public Library as well as the Woolwich Municipal Building if they operate on oil.

Closing the Council meeting, Fromm issued proclamations for outgoing Democratic Councilmembers Evelyn Churchville and Michael Murray. Recognizing their public service, he extended his and the Council’s gratitude and wished them both health and success in the future.

“I would like to thank Mr. Mayor, the Council and the public. I enjoyed my time serving the community,” Churchville said. Republican Councilman Salvatore “Sam” Casella said, “I’ve only been (on the Council) for a year, but I know that you both will be missed.”

Both Churchville and Murray have served on the Council since 2004 and did not seek reelection. Democrats George Weeks and Diane Hale will be sworn as Councilmembers on Jan. 6.

Shortly after being sworn in, a reorganization meeting will occur placing Weeks and Hale on committees occupied by the outgoing Council-members. Both Weeks and Hale plan to continue their volunteer work as Webmaster and on Economic Development, respectively.

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Kohl’s, Lowes, Target
Get Preliminary Approvals From Logan

By Sam Scavuzzo

LOGAN TWP. – Deputy Mayor Lyman Barnes announced at Council’s Dec. 18 meeting that several different commercial development applications have received approvals from the planning board.

Barnes stated that a permit was granted to Marriot Hotels to build on property near the Hampton Inn and WaWa off of Center Square Road. Barnes also noted that preliminary approvals were granted for construction of a Target, Kohl’s and Lowes on Route 322 near Stone Meeting House Road.

The next step before final approvals can be given is to rectify road problems in Woolwich Township.

Mayor Frank Minor announced that Logan Township’s levy system recently received, due to a technicality, an unacceptable rating from the Army Corp of Engineers. The technicality arose because no sponsors exist to serve as an administrator to the levies.

Minor said that the area is safe and Logan passed all other portions of the report. “We are getting closer towards fixing the problem. We are safe, though,” Minor said.

Ownership of the levies is confused and unable to be determined, said Minor. The actual owners of the property dates back a few hundred years and has since disappeared. No one wants to set up and take property rights now as there is no money waiting to fix the levies.

Currently the township is in talks with state and federal officials to secure funds and who determine should administer the project. The matter of the levies is of particular significance as many areas like this were reevaluated after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita decimated levies in New Orleans.

In other business, Superintendent of Public Works Dave McCormick said that after the first snow of the season, Public Works saw for the first time how work with the new county salt shed in Woolwich would work. “It was a little slow, but it was the first time using it, we have faith it will work out….it will be okay,” McCormick said.

Also included in McCormick’s report was an encouragement for all residents to read an ad about waste disposal in this month’s New Town Press. Highlighted in the ad are methods of proper paint disposal (with kitty litter), schedules for pickups on holidays and dates for removals of metals, household special waste and tires.

“I hope people will cut out the ad and put it on the inside of their cabinets for reference,” McCormick said.

Minor also noted that the township applied for the Green Community Grant Challenge given by the New Jersey Forestry Service. If rewarded to Logan, about $3,000 will be allocated towards the planting of trees, among other projects.

On top of these reports, the Council passed 14 resolutions to close the 2007 municipal calendar year.

Included in the approved resolutions were the releasing of several maintenance bonds, the cancellation of fund budget appropriation to Woolwich/Swedesboro and East Greenwich EMS Interlock Service Agreement and a liquor license transfer from Logan Liquors to DSR Enterprises, LLC.

A municipal reorganization meeting will be held Jan. 4. Minor and Hall both successfully retained their seats, neither having faced an opponent.

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East Greenwich Aims To Hold
Landlords Responsible For Tenant Behavior

by Beth S. Biermann

EAST GREENWICH – The East Greenwich Township Committee acted in response to complaints of landlords turning a blind eye to destructive tenant behavior by introducing an ordinance establishing landlord tenant licensing at their Dec. 11 meeting.

The ordinance would provide for yearly inspections of rental units, regardless of whether there is a change of occupancy. Currently, the building inspector only inspects units when there is a turnover of tenants, a situation not always brought to the township’s attention.

Another provision of the ordinance would give the township the ability to bring landlords to court if there are reports of irresponsible behavior. If a landlord is found guilty of multiple violations, the township committee would be able to revoke his or her ability to rent.

This ordinance was partly in response to testimony from several residents at the Oct. 9 township committee meeting. Residents of Birch Drive were disappointed that a landlord was not being held responsible for damage done by tenants living in a rented home on their street.

Residents reported observing parties with underage drinking, littering and loitering on neighboring lawns and one drastic incident in June in which a teenage drunk driver drove through a resident’s home.

The driver was sentenced to 12 hours of community service and a fine of $840, but the residents were concerned that the tenants would continue to do damage and be disruptive.

Residents had spoken with the landlord multiple times and were told the tenants would be evicted, but that allegedly never came to fruition. The police informed residents that they had done everything they could, but they had no authority to force the landlord to evict the destructive tenants.

Mayor John DeGeorge stated that without this ordinance, modeled after similar ordinances in Woodbury and Paulsboro, “We have no teeth to deal with landlords that don’t want to live up to their responsibility to keep their tenants in check. This gives us the ability to bring those landlords before a judge.”

The committee introduced another ordinance that would increase inspection fees on certificates of occupancy (C.O.). Township solicitor Thomas North stated that this would bring the fee structure in line with other towns.

The fee for an initial inspection for a C.O. would be raised from $15 to $35. If violations are found and a re-inspection becomes necessary, that would cost $35, while any further inspections would be $70. Currently, East Greenwich only charges $15 for an initial inspection and performs any subsequent inspections for free.

A third ordinance was introduced that would merge the planning and zoning boards. A state statute allows for municipalities of 15,000 residents or smaller with a nine member planning board to abolish the zoning board and transfer its authority and power to the planning board. The committee agreed to forward this draft ordinance to the planning board for their review and comments.

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Woolwich Honors Little League Softball Champions

by Beth S. Biermann

WOOLWICH – The Swedesboro-Woolwich Major League girls’ softball team was recognized by the Woolwich Township Committee on Dec. 17 for their record breaking season.

The team’s successful season included earning the titles of Section IV and District 15 champions. They also made it to the New Jersey Little League State’s Tournament with an undefeated record of 10-0 and became the number two team in the state.

Mayor Joe Chila congratulated the players and parents for their great post-season. “You gals represented us well and we’re very proud of you. This is the furthest any team has ever gone in Woolwich’s history and the furthest a South Jersey team has gone in five years,” he said.

The girls, ages 11 and 12, were each honored with an individual proclamation reading. Swedesboro-Woolwich Little League also presented the team with a large sign that will be hung on the press box at the Little League field. The sign included the titles earned by the team and each individual team member’s name.

The team was also scheduled to be honored by the Gloucester County Board of Freeholders on Dec. 19.

In other business, the committee passed a resolution to enter into an interlocal service agreement with the Kingsway Regional High School District. At the request of the Kingsway District, they will sign an interlocal contract with Woolwich to obtain de-icing materials from the newly built salt storage shed behind police headquarters on Woodstown Road.

Gloucester County built salt storage sheds in Woolwich and five other towns in the county to provide for regionalized storage and loading of salt trucks. The storage shed is operated by Woolwich and is made available for use by the County Highway Department and other surrounding municipalities that enter into similar agreements with the township.

Pam Pellegrini, representing Kernan Engineering, the municipal engineer, reported on the progress of the new municipal building. According to Pellegrini, the site work is progressing “nicely”. The storm and sanitary systems are 95 percent complete, curb installation is 75 percent complete, the water main is 65 percent complete and the laying of foundations is 90 percent complete.

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