The Haddonfield board of commissioners passed a temporary emergency budget and provided updated plans on the Bancroft redevelopment at a meeting on March 24.
Commissioner Dave Siedell explained the reason behind the budget’s approval.
“This is a normal thing that happens this time of year, as the state still gets all its ducks in a row and we have the crossing of an administration,” he said. “So it will be left to the new administration at this point to adopt the formal budget.
“So we’re doing another emergency temporary budget to get us through the May election, so that … any other revenue sources that are beyond our control, we’ll know by then, and then we’ll pass a budget in the next session.”
The meeting included an update on negotiations underway between the borough and its chosen Bancroft property developer, Woodmont.
Previous plans called for the property’s Lullworth Hall to be split into a residential property with three units, but that has changed with new negotiations ongoing. The current plan is for the building to become a single-family home developed by Trinity Investments. Other proposals included using the hall for office space with four residential units along the back property line, and leaving its first floor for the board of education, with the upper levels set aside for STEM education and nonprofit use.
All of the commissioners present at the meeting – with the exception of Mayor Colleen Bianco Bezich – voted in favor of the Trinity Investment plan.
“I’m going to vote for no development … I would love the ability to see this rehabbed, restored and brought back to its glory,” she noted before the vote. “I also had visions for it to be something that, you know, our teams and our seniors and others could make use of, make art within, and experimenting and making music in.
“And that’s what I really would like to see happen here.”
Commissioners also announced a number of proclamations, including acknowledgement of March’s Women’s History Month coming to an end. April was announced as Alcohol Awareness Month, Autism Awareness Month, Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month and Haddonfield Sculpture Month. April 6 to 12 was designated as Library Week.
The meeting included monthly reports for February from borough departments, including the fire department. Siedell noted that the force no longer has the same difficulties with insurance that resulted from too few fire volunteers, an issue other South Jersey towns have struggled with in recent years.
“I was on a joint insurance fund meeting …” he recounted. “One of the topics tonight (at the meeting) is the dwindling volunteerism and firehouses, and how the insurance companies are going to try to have to deal with that. And they said, ‘All of you towns are dealing with this … Oh, Haddonfield, not you, you’re a unicorn.’
“So congratulations guys, for being able to keep your organization very, very healthy.”
A planned presentation of the borough’s master plan for wireless communication was tabled for a later date so commissioners have more time to read and discuss it, and offer amendments if necessary.
The next commissioners meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Monday.
