MANALAPAN – Municipal officials are working on three projects and in order to advance the work they are applying to the state Department of Transportation (DOT) for grant funding.
During a Township Committee meeting on Sept. 27, officials passed three resolutions to submit grant applications to the DOT.
The first application seeks funding for the resurfacing of Gordons Corner Road from Shilling Road to Tennent Road, according to Township Engineer James Winckowski.
The second application seeks funding for bikeway improvements (signs and road striping) on Main Street and Tennent Road, he said.
The third application seeks Safe Streets to Transit funding for sidewalk improvements at various locations in the municipality, according to Winckowski.
All three resolutions were passed by Mayor Susan Cohen, Deputy Mayor Jack McNaboe, Committeeman Kevin Uniglicht, Committeewoman Mary Ann Musich and Committeeman David Kane.
In other action, the committee members passed a resolution supporting the construction of a Monmouth County recycling facility.
In the resolution, officials said Monmouth County is “the only large-population county in New Jersey that does not have an in-county facility to process recyclables and as a result, (Manalapan) is currently paying more per ton to process its single stream (recyclable materials) outside Monmouth County.”
Officials said if the county had its own facility to process recyclables, the township would see a cost savings.
“Monmouth County has long indicated its intention to have a private entity build and operate such a facility at the county’s reclamation center in Tinton Falls, however, to date this has not happened,” the resolution states.
Manalapan’s elected officials are urging the county freeholders “to act expeditiously (to) move forward with the construction and operation of a facility that will place Monmouth County in the forefront of recycling advancement and environmental protection and benefit the residents of Manalapan.”
Finally, the committee heard a presentation from attorney Joseph Youssouf, who represents the boards of fire commissioners in Fire District 1 and Fire District 2 in Manalapan.
Youssouf noted that Manalapan’s two fire companies continue to be made up solely of volunteers. Neither fire company has any paid professional firefighters, which he said represents a savings to property owners who fund the operation of the fire districts through property taxes.
“We have a first rate group of volunteers and our fire commissioners maintain first rate fire protection in the township,” he said.
Youssouf told committee members the 2016 audit that was conducted for each fire district revealed no financial issues with the operation of either entity. He said the fire districts are operating within a mandated 2 percent tax levy cap.
“We (the fire districts) try to strive for the same level of excellence the Township Committee seeks in its operations and I know we have obtained that” level of excellence, he said.
Cohen thanked Youssouf for the presentation and said township officials appreciate everything the volunteer firefighters do for the community.
Manalapan is served by the Gordons Corner Fire Company, which has its headquarters on Tennent Road, and Manalapan Township Fire Company No. 1 (sometimes referred to as Millhurst), which has its headquarters on Sweetmans Lane.