By Mary Brienza, Staff Writer
At a special budget hearing Tuesday night, the Township Council heard from the Parks and Recreation, codes and aging departments as part of a series of forums to see if any cuts can be made.
The meetings will continue Tuesdays and Saturdays as the council reviews Township Manager Matt Watkins’ proposed $46.5 million budget, officials said earlier.
The budget hearing took place before the special council meeting Tuesday evening.
Mayor Frank Gambatese said there will be budget meetings until the council is “satisfied” with the budget.
Tom Morris, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, and Bonnie Bruccoleri, Parks and Recreation supervisor, presented the council with a report that talked about staff responsibilities, what the department does for residents and the revenue generated by the department.
Mr. Morris, who has been with the department for almost 23 years, said the department has lost three positions in the past few years, and department employees are hardworking.
”(The department) does more with less,” Mr. Morris said.
He said the department is one of the busiest and interacts with the public the most.
Most of the employees of the department are seasonal, Mr. Morris said. The department has about 60 part-time employees, including high school students, he said.
Mr. Morris said the department is ahead financially by about 20 percent compared to last year at this time and plans to be creative with cutting costs while still having services.
The department is in charge of programs such as summer camps and youth and adult sports, Mr. Morris said.
”People are very pleased,” Mr. Morris said about how residents feel about the camps.
Mr. Watkins said the township charges for use of the fields, which generated $32,923 in 2010.
Also, the problem with lights being on when no one is on the field may have been solved, Mr. Watkins said. Mr. Morris said there is a new system that will be put in place to make sure the lights are on only when the fields are used.
The user of the field will dial a number, enter a username and password, say the name of the field, and the lights will go out, Mr. Morris said.
This new system will not cost anything and will begin the first weekend in April, Mr. Morris said.
The department also runs special needs programs, that include art and sport programs, Mr. Morris said.Mr. Gambatese said the township is very kind to the disabled.
Township officials are looking into having concessions at events as a way to generate more income.
Mr. Morris said the township’s recreation programs are the “best” around and very reasonably priced.
After the Parks and Recreation Department finished its presentation, construction official Jim Dowgin presented a report on the township codes department.
The department monitors construction in the township, including inspections and permits, according to the township website. In 2010, there were 2,451 permits and updates issued, and as of March 14, there are 450 permits and updates so far, Mr. Downgin said.
The revenue in 2010 from the permits, fees and fines was $1,399,408.00, up 27 percent from 2009, according to the memo given to the council.
The memo said salaries, wages and operating expenses are proposed as $685,854 for 2011.
Mr. Dowgin said there are some construction projects that are in their planning stages, and there is construction currently going on.
Some of the projects include solar panels, commercial construction and residential developments, Mr. Dowgin said.
”Solar is now taking off,” Mr. Gambatese said.
There is still major construction going on that generates income, Mr. Gambatese said.
Councilman Chris Killmurray said the department is “user-friendly” and “accommodating” from what he heard.
The department has combined six positions into three positions for a total of eight full-time department positions, Mr. Dowgin said.
After Mr. Dowgin was finished with his presentation, Christine Wildemuth, director of the Office of Aging, presented a report on her department.
According to the report, the department runs the Senior Center on Ridge Road and provides services that include social services, benefit resources, nutrition sites and advocates.
Social services provide seniors with services such as group and individual counseling, support groups and crisis intervention, according to the report.
Benefits resources help seniors navigate through items such as health care, heath issues, housing options, utility discounts and tax preparation, according to the report.
Nutrition sites provide seniors with meals at the Senior Center and through Meals on Wheels, according to the report.
Ms. Wildemuth said the Office of Aging serves residents who are older than 55 or disabled.
The Senior Center, at which membership is free, serves 3,108 senior citizens, according to the report. The report said an average of 185 people use the Senior Center a day.
The department has five full-time, three part-time and one permanent part-time staff, according to the report.
One of the part-time positions is a Meals on Wheels driver, according to the report.
Township officials said South Brunswick pays for the Meals on Wheels driver while the drivers for Monroe are paid for by the county. The council will investigate why the township is paying the salary instead of the county.
Meals on Wheels is a county program, Ms. Wildemuth said.
According to the report, the township is paid $6,000 a year by the county for use of the kitchen in the Senior Center, which is not used for cooking Meals on Wheels food and is not used for senior center programs.
The kitchen primarily is used by the county and weekend renters, according to the report.
Meals on Wheels uses the kitchen for meals served to the township, Monroe, Milltown and North Brunswick, according to the report.
Meals on Wheels serves an average of 175 meals a week to the township according to the report.
Township officials said they will check with the county to see if the county can pay the township Meals on Wheels driver.
”We are the county nutrition center,” Mr. Gambatese said.
To save money, the department closes the senior center on weekends, uses more volunteers, uses partnerships with other groups who provide free programs, charges increased class fees for classes offered at the senior center and does not offer expensive trips, according to the report.
Some proposed cost-saving ideas presented include adding a fee for use of the kitchen by other renters since the township does not charge outside renters to use the kitchen; adding a fee for renters for electricity and items such as disposable goods and garbage bags; assessing a bus fee to take the bus to the center; charging a membership fee; charging for volunteer-taught classes; and assessing a fee for coffee and printer paper, according to the report.
Ms. Wildemuth said it also has been proposed to increase the age from 55 to ()to join the Senior Center.
Mr. Gambates said he received a petition signed by 35 seniors against charging to use the bus to go to the Senior Center.
There is a high turnover rate in membership to the Senior Center as members die or move and records are updated once a year, Ms. Wildemuth said.
Councilman Charles Carley said the Senior Center is well run and is a great service to residents.
The proposed budget will not be voted on until there have been hearings on it and worked on some more, according to township officials.
The proposed budget is available for residents to look at online at the township website at www.twp.south-brunswick.nj.us, at the public library and at the clerk’s office in the municipal building, Mr. Watkins said earlier.
The proposed budget is within the 3.5 percent spending cap, has a 2 percent tax levy cap, a million dollars less than last year, has a 2 percent reduction in spending, but will increase taxes eight cents per $100 of assessed valuation, Mr. Watkins said when presenting the budget for the first time.
Township spokesman Ron Schmalz said earlier that the proposed budget has a proposed an 8-cent increase in the tax rate that would amount to about $160 more in property taxes for the owner of an average township home valued at $190,000.
Mr. Gambatese said after the March 8 meeting there may be 10 township employees laid off — none of these positions have been determined — but the council will try to cut services instead of people.
The township issued a notice March 9 stating there will additional special budget meetings Tuesday, March 22, at 6 p.m. and Saturday, March 26, at 9 a.m. that are open to the public.

