Delran Township Council unanimously approved two bond ordinances on first reading totaling $10.2 million during its meeting on Aug. 11, with the second reading and public hearing expected to be on Tuesday, Sept. 8, at the next regular meeting.
The first bond ordinance for $3.316 million will authorize the completion of various capital improvements and equipment, including roadway projects on Haines Mill Road and Greenwood Avenue, a new dump truck, completion of stormwater projects and upgrades to township parks.
The second $6.639 million bond ordinance will authorize the completion of various sewer utility improvements and the purchase of equipment, including the repair and replacement to various sanitary sewer mains on Norman Avenue, improvements to the Fifth Street pump station at Leon Avenue and the Pancoast Boulevard pump stations, as well as the replacement of drainage pipes on South Bridgeboro Road.
In response to a question by resident Patricia Griffith, Council President Lynn Jeney said some of the funds from the first ordinance will enable the town to repave Haines Mill Road and, through an agreement with Riverside, upgrade Greenwood Avenue.
Township Clerk Jamey Eggers said the second ordinance will also include replacing all the stormwater inlets and fixing the broken fire hydrant at the municipal building.
Resident Nancy Evans asked if the third sewer tank along the Delaware River that has been out of order is working yet, and Mr. Jeney said it should be up and running by September.
Also during the public comment section of the meeting, Kim Custer said she was excited about Delran’s 150th anniversary in 2030, and hopes improvements can be made to the Harbor District along the Delaware River, especially since some of the properties are for sale.
“There is a possible gem out there. We are talking to developers,” said Jeney, referring to possible plans to redevelop the waterfront.
Custer also said that St. Mihiel Drive, a portion of River Road that runs from Burlington City to Camden, needs to be safer for motorists especially with the increasing use of e-bikes.
As for addressing the severe flooding in the Riverside Park neighborhood after major storms, Jeney said the town expects to see the results of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study in September.
In July Delran Council approved a bond ordinance that includes funds for the completion of permanent stabilization of the Rancocas Creek Streambank possibly using gabion baskets, rock revetments, rip rap, and sheet pile bulkheads.
Ever since Super Storm Sandy, the water, during heavy rains, comes rushing over its banks and into the neighborhood along River Drive near the confluence of the Rancocas Creek and the Delaware River – causing damage to homes and property.
In other business, Delran Council members unanimously approved series of five resolutions by consent agenda, including authorizing an electronic tax sale, approving a $1.5 million contract with Axon Enterprises, Inc., for police cameras and tasers, and extending the grace period for third quarter property taxes until Sept. 10 as the tax bills were expected to be mailed out on Aug. 13.
The next regular meeting of Delran Council will be Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. in the Township Building on Chester Avenue.
