HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE UPDATE

Proposed ordinances involve Regan property and Wellington Manor

By Ruth Luse, Managing Editor
   On Tuesday, the Hopewell Township Committee introduced several ordinances on first reading. They are:
   • A bond proposal provides for the acquisition of a portion of the Regan property — which is 14 acres in size and located at the corner of Route 579 and Harbourton-Woodsville Road — for open space. It appropriates $600,000 and authorizes the issuance of $570,000 bonds or notes. This measure is due for a public hearing and adoption vote on Oct. 27.
   • Three other proposed measures relate to Wellington Manor, located off Route 546 near Hopewell Grant. All three will come up for public hearings and adoption votes on Nov. 10.
   — The first is a measure that would enable the township to take over maintenance of the Wellington Manor development pump station. The Wellington Manor Homeowner’s Association has OK’d the transfer of ownership and maintenance of the station and collection system from the association to the township by a vote of the homeowners.
   The development was built with the pump station and collection system, which is connected to the Ewing-Lawrence Sewerage Authority (ELSA) system. After the development was completed, the association became responsible for maintenance of the station and the collection system. The association hired an independent contractor to maintain both, but it was found, after an emergency situation at the station, that the contractor had not performed any maintenance. Thus the township, which has been doing what the contractor did not, plans to take over official responsibility for the work. The township’s continued maintenance of the station and collection system will not impact on the general taxpayer, because the costs will be borne by all ELSA system users.
   — The second would grant an easement to the association for the purpose of installing plantings and/or structures in the easement area (over the traffic islands located in the township’s right of way of Lexington Drive).
   — The third would make the township responsible for the public rights-of-way and easements in Wellington Manor. Included are the streets — Lexington Drive, Buckingham Drive, York Road and Westminster Court — and various easements. This essentially means that the township would be responsible for snow removal and the like and that the streets would be official township streets.
   OFFICIALS also OK’d the following resolutions:
   — Amendment of 2008 professional services agreements. Maximum amounts have been changed as follows: Van Cleef Engineering (general engineering), from $95,000 to $80,000; Van Cleef Engineering (stormwater), from $24,000 to $34,000; and Ronald A. Curini Appraisal Co., Inc (Pennytown appraisal), from $4,825 to $7,200.
   — New professional service agreements — to Brinkerhoff Environmental Services, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $15,992.06 for the period of Oct. 14-Dec. 31; and to Volunteer Firemen’s Insurance Services, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $72,800 for the period from Oct. 14-Dec. 31. These costs are for environmental consulting and for training and pre-incident planning associated with the fire/rescue scenarios at Capital Health System respectively.
   — Insertion of $11,653.62 into the 2008 municipal budget. The township has received a grant in that amount from the NJ Division of Motor Vehicles for the purpose of drunken driving enforcement.
   — Authorization for awarding a contract for one 2009 Ford Expedition in an amount not to exceed $28,817.05, to Plaza Ford/Motors Fleet, which submitted the lowest quote. The replacement vehicle will be used by the Police Department.
   — Authorization for awarding a contact to Bob White Fence Company for fencing at Twin Pines Airport, the site of athletic fields used by Lawrence and Hopewell Valley youngsters.