Haddonfield approves ordinances, repurposes bonds for fire truck
Thanks to leftover bond money, a new fire truck will soon be cruising the streets of Haddonfield.
An ordinance unanimously approved on first reading at the April 12 commissioners meeting re-appropriated $625,000 of bonds for the purchase of the new truck. The delivery of the fire truck will take approximately one year from the date it is ordered, according to Borough Administrator Sharon McCullough.
“These are amounts left over from previous bond ordinances that are being repurposed in this ordinance so that we can purchase the fire truck,” Mayor Jeff Kasko said.
The leftover bond money came from $291,500 from site remediation in 2010, $42,600 from parking improvements in 2011, $85,000 from improvements to roads, borough buildings and side walks in 2012, $90,900 from the 2013 Road Project, and $115,000 from the 2014 Road Improvement Program.
This is the first new fire truck in the borough since 2006. According to McCullough, it replaced a vehicle that was more than 25 years old and was also Haddonfield’s first truck that uses foam rather than water.
Haddonfield is purchasing the fire truck as the Haddonfield Fire Company is slated to remove two older vehicles from its rotation. One will be put up for auction shortly.
The second vehicle will be placed up for auction after receiving the new truck, McCullough said.
The ordinance will be up for public hearing and a second reading at the next commissioners meeting April 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Borough Hall.
Other ordinances unanimously passed on first reading at last week’s commissioners meeting included an annual ordinance establishing salaries and wages for non-union employees and a bond ordinance for $230,000 for capital improvements, which would include improvements to recreational facilities, the acquisition of public works equipment and improvements to facilities, and the acquisition of police equipment.
Information on all of these ordinances can be found on the agenda and picked up at Borough Hall.
In other news:
• An ordinance on second reading also unanimously approved is the preservation of cap bank. Haddonfield is allowed to increase the borough budget to 3.5 percent over the previous year’s final appropriations. If the borough decides not to go up to that 3.5 percent increase, it can save whatever it doesn’t use in the banked cap for later use, up to two years.
• An ordinance for issuance of $12.9 million in bonds to acquire the Bancroft property was not on the agenda. According to Kasko, to go out for bonds for the purchase of the Bancroft property, the Redevelopment Plan had to be published. Twenty days after publication, the borough can then introduce the ordinance. This ordinance is planned for the next commissioner’s meeting on April 26.
• Commissioners approved the introduction of the Partnership for Haddonfield 2016 budget. The budget is planned at $381,350 for 2016 compared to last year’s at $372,300. This increase would be funded by budgeting of the higher Craft & Fine Arts Festival results seen in 2015 at $49,000 and a carryover of unspent marketing and administration money. Copies of the budget can be picked up at Borough Hall. The public hearing is scheduled for the commissioner’s meeting on May 10.
• As is done annually, commissioners have set the tax rate for Haddonfield’s Open Space Tax Fund, keeping it at one half cent per $100 of assessed value for the 2016 tax year, which is the last year for this particular open space tax levy.
The renewal of the open space tax levy for the fund will be on the ballot in November, without an expiration date, asking if residents would like to continue the fund. Having such a fund allows Haddonfield to apply for double the amount of state Green Acres Program grants to help purchase open space.
• Proclamations were given for National Distracted Driving Enforcement Month, Hopkins’ Pond 100th Anniversary on April 17, Library Week held April 10 to 16, Arbor Day on April 29 and Earth Day on April 22.
• Commissioners approved a number of event permit applications. Those events were Interfaith Caregivers’ Touch-a-Truck on Saturday, May 7, Support MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) 5k on Sunday, June 26, the Tatem Trailblazer on Saturday, Oct. 15, and The King’s Run on Saturday, Nov. 18. Commissioners also approved the Environmental Commission to host an Earth Day event on Saturday, April 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
