Voorhees Township will have about an extra $63,000 to spend this year to clean up litter in the town thanks to a grant it received from the NJ Clean Communities program.
At its June 22 meeting, the Voorhees Township Committee inserted the grant money into its budget as a special item of revenue, as the funding amount from the grant was determined and awarded after the time of the adoption of the annual township budget.
New Jersey Clean Communities is a statewide litter-reeducation program created with the Clean Communities Act almost 30 years ago and provides funding and guidelines for municipalities to clean public spaces.
According to Voorhees Township Administrator Larry Spellman, Voorhees could put the money toward areas such as litter pickup or obtaining more recycling containers if needed.
“Anything else as far as spending uses is pretty broad,” Spellman said. “We used part of it last year toward a new street sweeper.”
In other news:
• Committee awarded a bid for one diesel powered heavy-duty street sweeper to Golden Equipment Co., Inc. in the amount of $209,740.
Although the township received a lower bid from H.A. DeHart & Son Inc. in the amount of $204,160, and state law requires townships to accept the lowest bid offered, director of public works Joe Lovallo reviewed the bids and was of the opinion that the sweeper proposed by H.A. DeHart & Son Inc. deviated from the specifications which the township originally detailed to bid seekers.
It was Lovallo’s opinion that the bid be rejected, and on June 15 the township solicitor issued a legal opinion agreeing the bid from H.A. DeHart & Son be rendered non-responsive due to the deviations.
• Committee awarded a bid to Hunter Keystone Peterbilt, L. P. in the amount of $153,824 for one new and unused 2015 or newer international model 7400 SFA-4X2 Dump Truck Chassis, 6.8–8.1 cubic yard stainless steel dump body, snow plow and spreader.
The bid from Keystone Peterbilt was the only bid submitted.
“Since the budget was approved, we purchased a large dump truck and a large street sweeper,” Spellman said. “That will now give us two street sweepers. We’ve always had two, but one broke down, and one had been in repair for the last six to eight months waiting for insurance issues, so it will be good now to have two of them back in operation.”
• Committee approved the insertion of revenue in the budget in the amount of $1,591.20 from the state Alcohol Education, Rehabilitation & Enforcement Fund.
“A lot of times, it’ll just be for pamphlets or things like that the police give out to kids, or they’ll have things to explain information to people with issues with alcohol,” Spellman said.
• Committee accepted the retirement of Brian Bonsall from the Voorhees Township Police Department effective Aug. 1.
• Committee approved a shared services agreement with the Borough of Pine Valley for uniform construction code services, through which Voorhees will reduce costs by working with Pine Valley to provide a construction official and subcode services.
• The next meeting for the Voorhees Township Committee is scheduled for July 13.
