October 23, 2013 Municipal Matters

DATE CHANGE!!!

Due to a conflict with the candidate forum for the school election, the date for the following meeting was changed to November 14 at 7:00 pm.

Special Public Meeting to Discuss NJ Government Aggregation Program
The Commissioners of the Borough of Haddonfield are encouraging all residents to attend a special meeting on Monday, October 21 at 7 p.m. in Borough Hall to hear details about a program the Commissioners are considering for participation that could save residents money on their electric bills. The electric usage for Haddonfield residents would be joined with those of other communities. An auction would determine the rate for the duration of the contract. All residents would automatically be included unless they opt-out. Services would still be provided by the local PSE&G. The Commissioners would like to hear your thoughts on the program.

Takeback New Jersey – Prescription Drug Drop Off Program
The Haddonfield Police Department, in cooperation with the national Takeback Initiative, will once again be participating in Takeback New Jersey. This operation allows for any person to dispose of any medications. The individual may dispose of medication either in its original container or by removing medication from its container and disposing directly into the drug disposal box. If the original container is submitted, the individual is encouraged to remove the prescription label if it contains any personal identifying information. Liquid products, such as cough medicine, should remain sealed in their original container. The depositor should ensure that the cap it tightly sealed to prevent leakage. Syringes and other sharp instruments will not be accepted.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, October 26, 2013, between the hours of 10am to 2pm, in the lobby of the Haddonfield Police Department (rear entrance of the Haddonfield Borough Hall).

For more information, visit www.dea.gov

Fall Leaf Collection to start the week of November 4th.
The location of our leaf crews will be posted on the home page of Borough’s website each day.

BOROUGH COLLECTION INFORMATION: Beginning the week of November 4th the Borough will provide a total of 3 pickups during leaf season;

one (1) pickup during the first two (2) weeks of November and
two (2) additional pickups prior to the end of the leaf season, which is the week of December 9th

Only piles will be collected. DO NOT RAKE LEAVES INTO GUTTER OR STREETS. Do not bag leaves during this time period.

The location of our leaf crews will be posted on the home page of Borough’s website each day.

WHAT TO DO WITH LEAVES PRIOR TO AND AFTER FINAL COLLECTION BY THE BOROUGH: Prior to the start of leaf collection residents can place their canned or bagged leaves (paper/recyclable only please) out for the vegetative waste truck. Once the leaf trucks have completed their three (3) passes, all leaves must be placed in recyclable paper bags or in cans marked for vegetative waste.

REGULATIONS: By Borough Ordinance (Chapter 195, Section 10 – Responsibility of Owners and Occupants) it shall be unlawful for any property owner and/or property occupant to place leaves, tree trimmings, bush trimmings, landscape trimmings, rubbish, or trash of any kind in the gutter or between the curbs of any public thoroughfare or on the sidewalks of the Borough of Haddonfield. The property owners and/or property occupants shall be charged if this section is violated. This Ordinance follows the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Stormwater regulations (N.J.A.C. 7:8).

We are in the process of sending out Warning Notices to residents and citations may follow. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to remind their landscapers of Haddonfield’s leaf collection policies.

COMPOSTING INFORMATION: Many New Jersey homeowners have an excessive quantity of leaves in the fall. One alternative for dealing with leaves is backyard composting. This process involves primarily the microbial decomposition of organic matter. Compost – the end result – is a dark, friable, partially decomposed substance similar to natural organic matter found in the soil. Residents are encouraged to compost their leaves on their own property for use as fertilizer and to reduce the quantity that must be collected.

MULCHING INFORMATION: Take the grass catcher off your mower and mow over the leaves on your lawn. You want to reduce your leaf clutter to dime-size pieces. You’ll know you’re done when about half an inch of grass can be seen through the mulched leaf layer. Once the leaf bits settle in, microbes and worms get to work recycling them. Any kind of rotary-action mower will do the job, and any kind of leaves can be chopped up. With several passes of your mower, you can mulch up to 18 inches of leaf clutter.

Mulching leaves simply recycles a natural resource, giving you richer soil for free.

You can work additional leaf mulch it into the vegetable beds you’ve cleared for the fall and winter, and pack it around ornamentals and fragile plants that you want to help out so they can survive through the rough weather ahead.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month
The Commissioners have declared the month of October 2013 to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month and encourage all citizens to participate in scheduled activities and programs to spread awareness and improve victim safety and prevention.

Full-Time Police Officers Hired
The Commissioners authorized the borough to hire Joseph Marano and Joseph Quicksell as full-time police officers for the Haddonfield Police Department.

Neighborhood Watch Community Forum
Haddonfield residents are invited to a Neighborhood Watch Community Forum sponsored by the Haddonfield Civic Association on Thursday, November 14 at 7 p.m. in Room 101, Haddonfield Borough Hall. Hear from the Haddonfield Police, Advisory Board members and participating citizens on how to get involved in your neighborhood. Today’s Neighborhood Watch encourages residents to look out for each other and to report unusual or suspicious activity to police. Participants are informed of crimes in the community by updates via e-mails or Twitter. More information is available at http://watch.haddonfieldcivic.com.

Shared Services for Domestic Violence Counseling Arrangement
The Commissioners have authorized the borough police department to enter into an inter-local agreement with Cherry Hill to share in their “Side-by-Side” program which provides counseling services to assist victims of domestic violence.

Inter-local Ice & Snow Removal Agreement
The Commissioners have signed a 2013-2014 agreement with the County of Camden wherein the borough will provide snow and ice removal services on certain county roads in exchange for salt materials equal to $250 per mile per storm.

Authorization to Endorse the Adoption of Green Building Practices
A Green Building Policy will be implemented in the Borough of Haddonfield for Civic, Commercial and Residential buildings that will consider opportunities to incorporate green building measures into the design, construction, operation and maintenance for municipal buildings and facilities and encourage green design for commercial and residential buildings.

Sustainable Haddonfield’s Vision Statement
The Borough of Haddonfield recognizes the Community Vision adopted by Sustainable Haddonfield and will work to meet that vision through its initiatives and actions. This vision statement’s main points include:

Community involvement as a precious natural resource because it serves as the foundation for a healthy environment. It is the mission of Sustainable Haddonfield to cultivate and align this resource to maximize its positive impact
Providing information to inspire healthy decisions in our community
Focusing the community of sustainability
Encouraging economic development in the community
To be a central point of information for other groups working with the environment

Ask The Mayor
Mayor Jeff Kasko will be available for questions and comments every other Wednesday afternoonfrom 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. in Borough Hall. He will also be available in the evenings by appointment. Please call his voicemail at 429-4700, ext. 316 to set up an appointment, or you can email him at jkasko@haddonfield-nj.gov. The remaining date in October is Wednesday, October 30 from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Haddonfield’s Rules for Parking
The Commissioners want to remind residents of the rules regarding parking your vehicles.

All cars parked in driveways must not block the public sidewalks.
If you must park on the street, please call the police department at 429-3000 and let them know you will be parking your car there overnight.

Haddonfield’s Rules for Dog Walking
The Commissioners want to remind residents of the rules regarding walking your dogs and disposing property of their waste:

All dogs must be on a leash when being walked on public streets; no pet is permitted to roam un-leashed in Haddonfield
Pet owners or anyone who takes their pet for walks must properly dispose of their pet’s waste by picking it up, wrapping it and either placing it in the trash or flushing it unwrapped down the toilet.

First Night are available for the early sale price of $10 starting October 19 at http://www.firstnighthaddonfield.org/.

Sign up to Receive Reminders, Alerts and More via E-Mail
Residents are reminded to sign up to receive important e-mail notices, reminders and alerts from the Borough. This system can be used to alert those who are registered to impending deadlines (for the payment of taxes, pet license fee, etc.), and to public safety situations. To sign up, visit www.haddonfieldnj.org and look for a box titled” E-news from the Borough.

Meetings/Events & Activities

Wed Oct 30—12:30 pm Commissioners Worksession
Wed Oct 30—6:30 pm Halloween Parade
Thr Oct 31—Halloween 2:00 to 6:00 pm Trick or Treat
Wed Nov 6— 8:30 am Partnership for Haddonfield
Wed Nov 6—7:00 pm Municipal Alliance
Wed Nov 6—7:30 pm Planning Board
Mon Nov 11—Veterans Day Borough Hall Closed, Normal Trash and Recycling
Tue Nov 12—7:30 pm Board of Commissioners meeting
Wed Nov 13—7:30 pm Historic Preservation Commission
Thr Nov 14—7:00 pm Energy Aggregation Meeting
Sat Nov 16—2:00 pm Sr. Citizens Thanksgiving Dinner Celebration
Mon Nov 18—8:00 am Shade Tree Commissioner
Mon Nov 18 —9:15 am Sr. Citizens Advisory Committee
Mon Nov 18—6:00 pm Commissioners Worksession
Tue Nov 19—7:00 pm Sustainable Haddonfield/ Environmental Commission
Tue Nov 14—7:30 pm Zoning Board