EAST BRUNSWICK — The township has agreed to provide animal control services for the borough of South River.
The agreement was approved by the Township Council on July 13.
According to East Brunswick Business Administrator James White, South River will pay $450 a month for animal control services. White said he believes that providing South River with the service would add another six or seven calls a month.
According to South River Borough Administrator Frederick Carr, the borough will also pay the township $76 for every call after five o’clock. The agreement will need to be approved annually.
According to Carr, South River formerly had a similar agreement with the borough of Helmetta, but that contract was canceled halfway into a five-year agreement on June 23 due to the closing of the Helmetta Regional Animal Shelter by the county health department.
The animal control agreement was unanimously approved by the East Brunswick Township Council, with Councilman James Wendell absent. The motion passed unanimously in South River, with Councilman Jim Jones absent.
East Brunswick has a similar agreement with the borough of Spotswood.
South River has been using the township’s animal control service since July 1. Both councils approved the motion retroactively. Animals are impounded at the Blumig Kennel Animal Shelter in East Brunswick.
The council also approved an agreement to provide communications services to Monroe Township.
“There is no sense in other municipalities going out and spending a million dollars to make a whole new system when they could join our system,” said White.
On an annual basis, Monroe Township will pay East Brunswick $25,000 a year over a five-year period to for use of communications equipment, The East Brunswick council voted unanimously to approve of the shared services agreement with Monroe. The Monroe Township Council is expected to vote on the motion in August.