At least for the first year of the new recreation center, Moorestown residents won’t have to pay a dime for its use.
Moorestown Township Council passed an ordinance that sets membership requirements at the new recreation center and opened the door for an annual membership fee.
Cards will be issued for identification purposes, however Council decided that no membership fee would be charged for 2014.
The initiative to have annual members was an idea council brought forward to evaluate the efficiency of the recreation center and keep track of who is coming in and out.
“That way, you know whether you’re meeting service needs or maybe do more to meet service needs,” Councilman Greg Newcomer said. “It’s good to have people registered.”
To gain admittance to the rec center, members must register and possess an identification card. There will be a replacement charge if a card is lost.
While ID cards will be a regular requirement with the recreation center, a fee to use the facility could be an issue that comes up again next year. Even though there will be no fee in 2014, the ordinance allows Council to charge a fee in future years. A number of township residents expressed concern about a fee during a council meeting in November.
The new recreation center held its grand opening on Dec. 7. Some of the new amenities in the center include a gym floor and more office space for the recreation department.
In other news:
• In its final meeting of 2013, Council recognized a number of long-time township officials for their participation with various groups as part of Moorestown Board and Committee Members Appreciation Week. It was the seventh year the township put on the event.
Included in the honorees was Richard Yeager, who was honored for 25 years of service to the township.
“We made a special effort to make sure that people who have served particularly long term are honored,” Newcomer said.
The ceremony capped off a year that Newcomer said was more productive than in years past. He credited the hard work by Council to a pledge that each of them took at the beginning of the year.
“It’s a worthwhile thing that we’ve had a very productive year,” he said.
• A resolution passed by council recommends traffic changes at the intersection of Lenola Road and Route 38.
The new resolution states that council recommends the prohibition of left-hand turns onto Lenola Road at the intersection. The recommendation is being made with a new Wawa under construction at the corner of the intersection. The store is located at the former site of Classic Chevrolet.
