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Towns Try To Salvage
Youth Athletic Program

by Sam Fran Scavuzzo

WOOLWICH TWP. -- Following public defeat in an April district-wide budget question, the Kingsway Board of Education dealt with a hampered athletic program, while looking to the towns for possible salvation.

“This presents issues that have to be dealt with on a sport by sport basis … Hopefully, the mayors can help deal with this,” Board of Education President Mark Kehoe said at the district’s May 18 meeting.

In a ballot measure decided by voters April 21, the 5:30 p.m. after-school bus, freshmen sports, and middle school athletics were denied funding. Now, mayors from the five towns are discussing the possibility of salvaging freshmen athletics.

“I think it benefits our kids to keep them active in programs instead of them being out on the street, getting into trouble,” Woolwich Mayor Joe Chila said in a May 19 phone interview. “Some kids won’t be able to make teams based on the competiveness of Kingsway athletics.”

Chila approached Kehoe, Superintendent Avé Altersitz, and Executive County Superintendent H. Mark Stanwood to fund programs that Chila said “passed.”

Woolwich reached a consensus to move forward but will need East Greenwich, South Harrison, Logan, and Swedesboro to come to separate agreements. “I think if all the communities decide to move together on this, it will pass. If one or two don’t, it won’t,” he said.

Chila said Woolwich is prepared to make a one-time line item in its budget for $21,000, the largest figure of the five towns, for freshmen athletics.

Although 1,693 people approved the funding, it was fewer than the required 60 percent needed. The more than $202,000 measure received only 58.7 percent of vote. Chila disagrees with the state’s 60 percent rule.

“We elect presidents by fewer votes. Why not this?” he said.

In the meantime, Kingsway prepares for a district with only varsity and junior varsity teams. The board troubleshot potential problems that could arise with the new system. Among those included fewer students trying out for teams and less playing time for student athletes.

“The fall sports will be tough. After that, everyone should be familiar with the changes,” Altersitz said.

South Harrison Boardmember Teresa Catalano wondered if coaches would manipulate the subtraction of a late bus to hold longer practices. “I think that from 2:30 to 5:30 should be enough time for practices. Academics are important, too,” she said.

Kehoe worried about the inevitable happenstance of parents forgetting to pick their kids up or arriving late. “It’s not fair to put it on the coaches,” he said.

Boardmember Daniel Battisti of Woolwich suggested calling police to sit with kids after 15 minutes as is done with Boy Scouts.

In addition to concerns among students, the board discussed fewer coaches working for Kingsway. “In some sports, it will cause some friction as some coaches will want freshman coaches to become assistants,” Altersitz said.

Although the cuts loom for the fall, it does not dispel a permanent end to middle school and early high school athletics. There’s no limit on the number of times the measure can be voted on. Kehoe said it was possible to see the question the ballot again this year.

“If we had more revenue this wouldn’t even have to be a ballot question,” he said. “It looks like we won’t be able to put into the budget for next year, either.”

Chila said municipal sports should cover middle school athletics.

$16.50 Tax Hike for
East Greenwich Residents

by Beth S. Biermann

EAST GREENWICH – East Greenwich residents with an average assessed home value of $162,500 will see a local purpose tax increase of $16.23 over 2008 taxes. Budget appropriations totaled $6.9 million.

Introduced on May 12, the proposed 2009 budget is scheduled for a public hearing on June 9.

According to Mayor Fred Grant, the largest line item increases were for pension payments and insurance, rising $69,000 and $63,000 respectively. In addition, the township lost $83,000 of state aid this year and, in light of the banking crisis, lost $65,000 in anticipated interest income.

To offset these factors, $1,386,000 of surplus was applied to the budget, leaving $651,000 remaining in the township’s surplus. Last year, the township left only $200,000 in the surplus after applying $1,117,000 to the 2008 budget.

Grant also cited a 10 percent cut in the operating expenses of each department as another cost saving measure.

More savings was found by adjusting the hours of municipal offices. In March, the township made the decision to close municipal offices on Fridays and stay open late on Tuesdays, as this is frequently a meeting night anyway.

As a result, Grant estimates that the township’s gas and electric bills have decreased by approximately 20 percent and anticipates even more savings during the warmer months when the air conditioning will not need to be operating on Fridays.

Woolwich Residents
Could See Almost $80 Tax Increase

by Beth S. Biermann

WOOLWICH – A Woolwich resident with an average assessed home value of $183,300 could see a $79.19 increase in their local purpose tax for a total of approximately $1,200. The proposed 2009 tax rate will be 65.5 cents per $100 of assessed value, compared to 61.1 cents in 2008.

According to the proposed 2009 budget, total appropriations are $8,455,024, an increase of more than $300,000 over the 2008 budget.

According to Township Administrator Jane DiBella, the largest line item increases were in the areas of legal fees “due to litigation matters beyond our control”, health benefits, solid waste collection, and police contractual salaries.

The largest budget cut came when the township’s New Jersey Uniform Fire Code duties were transferred to the county through an interlocal services agreement, saving $26,000.

In addition, the figures for the contracted police services with Swedesboro were not included in the proposed budget and will result in further savings.

After its introduction on April 6 and public hearing on May 4, the budget is scheduled for adoption by committee in June, after review by the state. The proposed tax rates are subject to change, according to DiBella, as there is a budget amendment that will be passed prior to adoption to address the contracted police services with Swedesboro.

In other news, municipal offices are now officially housed in the new municipal building at 120 Village Green Drive, at the corner of Center Square and Auburn Roads. April 27 marked the move-in date and residents can now find the courts, police department, and other municipal services at the new location.

Solar Panels In,
Skate Park Out In Logan

by Sam Fran Scavuzzo

LOGAN TWP. -- Logan Township moved closer toward a greener community at its May 19 meeting while considering destruction project, as well.
While the town introduced a solar panel ordinance, it set a meeting to discuss demolishing the local skate park.

Democratic Deputy Mayor Lyman Barnes informed his colleagues that at the June 16 meeting, he will introduce a bill to tear down the Township Line Road facility.
“We’ve spent too much police resources out there. It’s dangerous. Quite frankly, it’s getting worse,” he said.

Chief of Police James Schmidt said the department tracked violations at the park. Nearly 80 percent of the offences were committed by nonresidents.
Graffiti, disregard for helmet requirements, and destruction of property were some of the grievances levied by the council.

“It is a magnet for inappropriate behavior. I don’t see this behavior changing,” Barnes said. “We’re exposing our residents to a liability that most of them aren’t taking advantage of.”
Although Democratic Councilwoman Doris Hall previously introduced the issue, she suggested residents should have a say in the situation. “We should invite residents to a meeting to let them know what’s going on. It’s easier said than done to get rid of it.”
She checked out the problem herself, and found that BMX bikers from Monroe were using the facility. Bicycles are prohibited at the park.

One possible solution, in lieu of demolition, is hiring a permanent attendant for the park. Schmidt, however, suggested the town “should do something different with the money. It’s not worth it. If you look at the rest of the park, you don’t see problems.”

The 10,000-square foot park was built in 2001 after heavy lobbying by then-resident Veronica Bills. The Republican soon parlayed the civic victory into an electoral win that fall for the council, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Bills was voted out of office in 2004.
Aside from skater woes, assorted environmental advances were discussed. Democratic Mayor Frank Minor commended local company DP Partners for receiving Silver LEED Certification. “It’s something we want to work more with our corporate partners to achieve their goals,” Minor said.

Awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council, the leadership in energy and environmental design “encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices,” according to its Web site. Based at the LogisiCenter on Center Square Road, the company seeks the highest certification – gold.

The township itself is looking toward national leaders to make Logan the most energy efficient as possible. Minor asked Democratic Councilman Chris Morris to contact Mayor Ed Malloy of Fairfield, Iowa, one of the nation’s 14 greenest towns according to MSN.com, for small-town advice.

“I know they’ve had a sustainability councilor that has given them feedback,” Morris said. “I’m not sure what he’ll provide, but I think we have a lot of opportunities here.”

After distributing new garbage receptacles earlier this year, the town has already seen results. In April, 560 fewer tons of trash were collected, a $12,000 savings. Additionally, recycling was 16 times higher, according to Public Works Superintendent Dave McCormack.

Swedesboro and Woolwich
Agree to Share Police Services

by Beth S. Biermann

WOOLWICH – On May 4, officials from both the Swedesboro Council and the Woolwich Township Committee signed an interlocal agreement to enable Woolwich to provide police services to Swedesboro.

The agreement was scheduled to take effect on June 1. Swedesboro dissolved its police department at the May 18 council meeting.

According to a nearly year-long study that examined both communities’ police departments, contracting out the police force from Woolwich will save Swedesboro taxpayers with an average home value of $91,552 a total of $380.47 in 2009. A Woolwich homeowner with an average home worth $183,438 will save $67.93 in annual taxes for 2009.

According to Woolwich Deputy Mayor James Lavender, the projected savings to both the borough and township combined over the five year contract period totals $3,960,305.

Swedesboro will be paying Woolwich $212,000, the prorated amount for the remainder of 2009. For the duration of the five year contract, it is projected that Swedesboro will pay $477,000 in 2010, $505,620 in 2011, $535,957 in 2012, $568,114 in 2013 and $602,201 in 2014.

Currently, the Swedesboro Police Department employs eight police officers – one chief, one lieutenant and six patrolmen. No clerical support staff are employed.

The current Woolwich police force consists of a chief, one captain, two lieutenants, five sergeants, nine patrolmen and one civilian police clerk.

According to Lavender, in order to cover the additional patrolling duties, Woolwich will need to hire five new officers. Two will be full-time police officers and three will be part-time special law enforcement officers.

When asked if Woolwich will hire any of the Swedesboro officers to fill these positions, Lavender stated, “It’s possible. We want to hire the best officers possible to serve in our community.”

Swedesboro Mayor Tom Fromm stated that all Swedesboro officers applied and have interviewed for the new positions. He added that “Woolwich Township will hire the officers they feel are best qualified for the job, and I am confident that two of our officers will be hired. The officers who are not selected have been given excellent employment opportunities to pursue, and I'm optimistic that no one will be out of a job.”

In addition, the borough has agreed to submit an early retirement application for Swedesboro Police Chief William Dupper.

Woolwich will have access to any equipment of the Swedesboro Police Department that they can use. According to Fromm, at least three vehicles and two radar signs will be transferred. Any equipment not used by Woolwich will be auctioned.

As far as public opinion, the results of an online poll at the New Town Press website reveal that 72 percent of the respondents thought that the two police departments should merge.

According to the published study submitted by Lavender to both governing bodies, “Any decision to enter into a shared services agreement involving public safety in Woolwich Township and Swedesboro has always been conditioned on demonstrating that such an arrangement would provide improved police services for both municipalities. Given that…Swedesboro is completely surrounded by Woolwich Township and the communities are intertwined in so many ways on a daily basis, it is the opinion of the Public Safety Committees of both municipalities that this criterion has been met. As one force, jurisdictional boundaries and issues would be eliminated and more seamless and efficient policing and enforcement should result.”

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