By: Matt Chiappardi
EAST WINDSOR Many township residents will soon be paying more for garbage collection.
The Township Council on Tuesday approved a garbage budget that raises the garbage tax rate 1 penny to 19.9 cents for each $100 of assessed valuation. That means the annual average garbage bill will rise to $265, an increase of $13.25.
Mayor Janice Mironov previously said the $119,000 garbage budget increase, to about $1.94 million, is due to increases in health insurance costs, disposal fees, salaries and wages and contractual services.
The garbage tax is not paid by the approximately 12,000 residents of Twin Rivers and other developments within the township that use private contractors for garbage disposal.
In other business Tuesday, the council approved a developer’s agreement with Hickory Corner Associates, which plans to build a large Kohl’s department store on Hickory Corner Road. The store is expected to be more than 105,000 square feet, and according to Ms. Mironov, would bring more than 200 jobs to the township.
Ms. Mironov said the developer indicated to her Wednesday that construction is expected to begin next month and that it would take about nine months to complete, placing the opening date sometime in the spring of 2008. Previously it was estimated that the store might open this fall.
Under the agreement, Hickory Corner Associates will provide $50,000 that the township will use to acquire open space or recreation improvements.
Hickory Corner Associates must still finalize its water and sewer agreement with the East Windsor Municipal Utilities Authority and acquire the necessary roadway permits from the state Department of Transportation before it can break ground, according to the mayor. Ms. Mironov said she foresees no delays in those matters.
The council also formally introduced a 2007 budget of $19.85 million, which carries a 3 cent increase in municipal tax, bringing the total municipal tax rate to 51 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. If approved, a homeowner assessed at the township average of $132,500 would receive a bill of $677, up about $41 from last year.
The budget represents an increase of about 5 percent over the 2006 budget of $18.9 million.
Ms. Mironov previously attributed the bulk of the increase to state-mandated hikes in pension costs and boosts in such areas as insurance, utilities and Social Security. The township pensions payments are rising by more than $334,000, she said Tuesday.
A July 10 budget hearing has been scheduled at which time adoption is expected.
The council also approved an amendment to a 2002 noise ordinance for trucks that extends noise prohibition to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The original ordinance prohibited any truck over 10,000 pounds from idling for more than three minutes except for reasons of traffic congestion after 10 p.m.

