Several residents of Brandon Road East say they need help
By John Tredrea, Special Writer
Several residents of Brandon Road East have implored the Hopewell Township Committee to help them get public sewer service for their residences.
The service would be provided by the Ewing-Lawrence Sewerage Authority (ELSA), which already has a sewer line under Brandon Road East, township Administrator/Engineer Paul Pogorzelski said at Monday night’s Township Committee meeting.
Mr. Pogorzelski said contractual agreement would have to be reached between the township, ELSA and the residents who want sewers before those residents could connect to the sewer line. He added that it would cost each homeowner an estimated $16,000 to $20,000 to connect to the sewers. That money would be for construction costs and connection fees to ELSA.
During the public hearing portion of Monday night’s meeting, Brandon Road East resident Tim Dougherty said “we’d like to connect” to the ELSA system. “Our septic system has failed. It backs up every time it rains. Hooking into the sewer system would be the proper thing to do. We desperately need it.”
A woman who also lives on Brandon Road also asked for sewers, adding that several of her neighbors, who were unable to attend the meeting, want sewers as well.
IN OTHER BUSINESS at Monday night’s meeting, the committee accepted the retirement of Wayne Dean, a 32-year veteran with the township’s Public Works Department.
Mr. Dean was hired by that department as a laborer in 1981. He was subsequently promoted to truck driver, then light equipment operator and then heavy equipment operator. A resolution passed by the committee accepting his retirement, which will begin Aug. 1, states that he “has served the township honorably” and that the township “wishes him good health and happiness” during his retirement.
— The committee also passed a resolution appointing resident William Connolly as a volunteer advisor on affordable housing matters.
— The committee also passed a resolution authorizing the release of a $449,400 performance bond to Capital Health, which has a hospital in the township near I-95 and Scotch Road. Mr. Pogorzelski said the bond money could be released now that a construction trailer has been removed and the area near where the trailer had been is in satisfactory condition.
— The committee also approved the Master Gardeners of Mercer County’s request to hold an Insect Festival from 1-4 p.m. on Sept. 7, at the county equestrian center/educational gardens, off Federal City Road near Old Mill Road.