Mayor John Button stressed to residents that the township is not slowing down with its new municipal complex program. This was after the township council agreed to appropriate the use of $1.5 million for the project, which will be used for expenses related to planning and designing the new complex.
Business Manager Tom Merchel said the township had “nearly exhausted” the amount appropriated for the project up until this point, when he was asked to explain why the township needed to spend more funding at this time by Council Member Michael Testa.
Still in the design phase, Merchel said the township has used about $2.75 million so far in the project. With this newly passed ordinance, the township has the opportunity to use up to $1.5 million, but right now has budgeted the use of about $1.1 million.
About $752,000 will be going to the Ragan Design Group, the leading architecture firm for the project, and the remaining $360,000 will be used for the construction manager, Merchel explained. The funding is necessary for a more detailed design plan, he said, to vault the project into its next phase.
The remaining funding, about $400,000, is available for any additional soft costs that may come up, Merchel said.
Township Manager Scott Carew said the ordinance had to passed on first reading if council wanted to see it passed at all this year. Ordinances cannot be carried over from year to year, he said.
Carew is still investigating the possibility of several municipalities — up to five now, he said — sharing a courtroom with Moorestown Township. Moorestown would act as the lead agency for the court, letting other townships use the facility and its court staff on different days as a means of shared services. Municipalities would pay Moorestown for the use of its court and staff.
Council passed the ordinance on first reading, with Testa casting the lone dissenting vote.
