Roni Shotwell, Hopewell Township
There has been lots of talk lately about affordable housing, new taxes, builder’s remedies, reserve sewerage capacity, etc., related to the May 8 ELSA sewer bond ordinance.
Very little of this heated discussion, however, has been focused on finding reasonably priced wastewater disposal alternatives for those who utilize septic systems in the southern part of Hopewell Township.
The current ELSA sewer bond ordinance does nothing for the majority of homeowners who live in this area because those homeowners were eliminated from being considered as part of the area to be sewered by this ordinance since they could not afford the high costs to connect to the proposed ELSA sewers ($44,000+ per home), which doesn’t mean they don’t want remedies to their failing septic problems just not at that price, plus high annual fees.
I am encouraging all registered voters to vote “no” May 8. We need to give these homeowners’ problems another evaluation by the Township Committee.
I want the Hopewell Township Committee not only to start afresh with a new assessment of how to provide a low-cost means of managing the wastewater generated by the affordable housing plan, but also affordable ways of dealing with faulty septic systems in southern Hopewell.
Roni Shotwell
Hopewell Township
