First, I would like to thank everyone for attending this special evening. During this part of the program I would like to share with you some highlights from 2015 and plans for the New Year ahead.
The Committee that you see here in the front of this room has been together since 2014 plus the addition of John Armato in 2015. I believe that we have become an effective team and taken on dozens of challenges in the last several years. This is not an easy task. Countless hours are put in by these part-time elected officials. Our goal is to make this Township a great place to live. We have held our Municipal property taxes to a zero increase for the last two years and we have taken on challenges to improve our roads, parks, equipment, and buildings yet still stay within our budget.
Atlantic County is at very dangerous crossroads in its history with the closing of four casinos, the loss of almost 10,000 jobs and foreclosures at an all-time high. This Committee has taken a path of looking out for Buena Vista’s well-being and not to be caught up in the problems of Atlantic County events.
In 2015 a new roof was added to the Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center and in just a few weeks, a new generator will provide power during emergencies to the entire King Center. These projects were accomplished with grants that did not impact our taxpayers. 2016 also marks the fifth year of applying and receiving State Road Aid Grants to repave Weymouth Road from the Hamilton Township line to Route 54.
Currently, we have a $600,000 grant pending with the State of New Jersey so that we can finish Weymouth Road in 2016 rather than having to extend the job for another year. I also want to tell you about the bond programs that we started in 2014 and 15. They have helped us rebuild roads throughout our community with asphalt and start a micro-resurfacing project that has repaired and coated roads to extend their life by another seven or more years rather than repaving. The micro-resurfacing project is being done in all of Collings Lakes, Railroad Boulevard in Richland and at the Township Hall parking lot. Part of that work was started last fall and is scheduled to be completed this coming spring. We have also been able to add equipment to our Public Works Department to replace aging vehicles.
The Township has taken a pro-active approach to deal with a contaminated area on Post Road in East Vineland. The problems on Post Road started about a year and a half ago and will likely continue through 2018 or longer. Public meetings have been held with our residents and a good working relationship has been established with the DEP. We have employed an environmental engineering firm and an environmental attorney to help us address these issues head on. The contamination dates back almost forty years ago, long before any of us were on this Committee. We have applied to the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust Fund to help with grants and/or low-interest loans to complete the project.
One of the brighter spots for our Township came last March when Kenia Nunez joined Buena Vista as Administrator and Chief Financial Officer. Kenia has made a remarkable difference in the day-in and the day-out managing of the Township. Kenia has also received notice that she has been certified as a Qualified Purchasing Agent (QPA) by the State of New Jersey. We are very proud to have her on board along with our Township Clerk, Lisa Tilton, our new Tax Collector, Kathleen Merlino and several dozen other very qualified employees that make this town run.
There are a few other new things coming this year. The Township Committee has agreed to a five-year plan through the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) to purchase one 96-gallon recycling container for every home in Buena Vista Township. Our goal is to improve recycling and to save on trash costs over the long run. There is a new shuttle bus called the Route 54/40 Community Shuttle which will link Richland, Buena Borough, Newtonville, Collings Lakes, Folsom and Hammonton to offer our residents the opportunity to get to regular bus routes and train service to improve their opportunities to obtain jobs and get to work. The shuttle started today on a one-year trial basis.
It will run free of charge Monday through Friday in the mornings and late afternoons for the next year. I hope to say by this time next year, that the shuttle has been a success and has been renewed to continue. In 2015, the New Jersey Transit Bus Route No. 553 expanded within the Township to offer more service. This bus connects Atlantic City and Bridgeton and comes through Richland and East Vineland every half hour. Under the new plan, every other bus coming through Richland will now continue straight down Route 40 past Township Hall, near Cranberry Run to WaWa and then take the jug handle down Lincoln Avenue to ShopRite reconnecting with the main Bus Route.
This offers our residents bus service never before available. An emergency exit road to help the residents of the Lake Ann area of the Township, off of Unexpected Road, was re-established in 2015 with the help of the New Jersey State Forest Fire Service in case of fires or other dangers. The Township also expects to receive the official go ahead in 2016 from the New Jersey Green Acres program for the Michael Debbi Park lighting project bringing new lights to the football field, baseball and softball fields. We are also awaiting final approval from USDA to modernize the other half of our Public Works Building on Union Road.
The last item I want to mention is our dispatching services for fire, ambulance and police. Currently, Gloucester County very effectively handles this service. Atlantic County wishes to establish their own central dispatch system which has been under consideration for almost thirty years. All Municipalities of the County have their own dispatch or formed agreements with other towns to provide dispatch services. Buena Vista Township is currently paying $69,000 a year to Gloucester County for these services, but under the County plan, our residents will be expected to pay $135,000 a year nearly doubling our current costs. For that reason, Buena Vista Township is currently opposed to joining a new Atlantic County system because of having to pay double.
The State of Our Township is in good hands during these difficult times. The Team you see in the front of this room will work together. We will never please everybody, but we will try to please most of the people and secure Buena Vista’s future. Thank you for your attention.
by Mayor Chuck Chiarello