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News Articles about South Harrison Township

 

Note: the following letter was faxed to the Gloucester County Times in response to the article in the paper

TO: Gloucester County Times Editor FAX: (856) 845-5480

FROM: Edmund J. Crispin

Dear Editor:

The article, "School funds may fall by $30G" is very inaccurate and full of incorrect information. The Township has never specifically allocated any moneys directly from the County Landfill project to any specific agency or organization. The moneys from the landfill project are to replace taxes on the 400+ acres and to supply the required fire and ambulance service for the increased activity generated by the landfill.

The Township does not give any of the Landfill project money directly to either the local Fire Company or Ambulance Corp.  GCLA directly pays the Fire Company and Ambulance Corp before the Township receives the first cent at the beginning of every year.  This has been the case ever since the landfill agreement was legally authorized. The money the Township receives goes into the general fund to replace the taxes that would have been received on 400+ acres of commercial property occupied by the landfill. I explained this at the School Board Meeting on January 23, 2008 in the Public session, to correct President Cunningham's original statement.

Mrs. Lerch's comment “the stipend from the Township keeps tax rates lower” is incorrect. The stipend only indicates whose budget (Township or School Board) shows the cost for the township's use of the School.

My records indicate South Harrison Township is the only township in Gloucester County that contributes extra moneys to the school for township agencies or organizations to use the school.  It does not change the tax rate in the Township in any way.

The original inter-local agreement was for one year to cover the additional cost of opening the school building for community activities. The School Board could not come up with an exact additional cost for the community's use of the facilities and the S30G was an estimate on their part. They were to come back to the Township with an accurate account for the community services.  It was also stipulated in the original agreement that it was subject to annual renewal. Evidently the actual cost has never matured in the last 14 years. I am under the opinion the township awaiting for an exact accounting of the $3OG before making a decision. I do not believe they have outright refused. As for an increase in the S30G it should be remembered the Fire Company has never received an increase in the 14 years from the landfill project.  I am sure you can obtain a copy of the original agreement from GCLA.  I have one in my personal files, from when I was a township committeeman.  It is a shame the reporter does not get the facts as presented in a meeting and our school officials are so misinformed for 11 years.

An Ex School Board Member and President

An Ex Committeeman and Mayor

Edmund J. Crispin

 

S. Harrison school funds may fall by $30G

Friday, January 25, 2008
By Lucas K. Murray
lmurray@sjnewsco.com

SOUTH HARRISON TWP. South Harrison Township Elementary School could be without $30,000 in funding next school year if township officials go through with severing a long-standing agreement with the district. Representatives from the township committee and school administration will meet next week to discuss the matter.  For the past 14 years, the township has allocated thousands of dollars of revenue from the county landfill project to South Harrison Elementary School, as well as the fire department and ambulance corps.  "The $30,000 was to be used to decrease the debt service (on the 1994 school expansion project)," School Board President Deborah Cunningham said. "In return we made the building available as a community center."  Chief School Administrator David Datz said the board was notified of the township's intentions to discontinue the interlocal agreement in January, leaving school administrators with tough choices in the event that the revenue source isn't there come budget season.

"The board has some decisions to make," Datz said. "They can close the door to the outside organizations, they can charge them or put it in the budget."  Last year, township officials asked for a breakdown of how their $30,000 is spent. "There's a lot of different costs involved in keeping the building open the electricity, the AC when the weather's warm, the custodial staff," Cunningham said.

School Business Administrator Fran Adler said an exact line-item listing of costs associated with keeping the building open as a community center after hours would be difficult to determine.  "There are other townships in the area that don't have community centers," Committeeman Gary Spinner said. "They open up the schools to other organizations and they don't receive a penny from them."  Spinner said the agreement was arranged under the premise that the funds would be there as along as the township can afford to take money from the landfill revenue and didn't have to raise taxes. For that reason, the previous township committee decided not to furnish the money for the 2006-2007 school year.  After a meeting with Datz, the township reversed their initial decision and honored the agreement for that year and the current school year.  Still, Datz is optimistic the township and school board can again work together for the benefit of the entire community.  More than two dozen organizations from Girl Scout troops and youth sports clubs to classes teaching ceramics and painting utilize facilities at the school six days per week.  Board member Heidi Lerch said cuts in state funding are of critical importance to education in South Harrison, and the stipend from the township keeps tax rates lower for residents.  "To keep the expenses down, we have to ask for money every year," Lerch said. "We don't like doing that, but we have to. Expenses keep going up."  Datz said the township's letter was discussed in executive session Wednesday night.

South Harrison seeks state funds for road reconstruction

Sunday, January 13, 2008

By Lucas K. Murray lmurray@sjnewsco.com

SOUTH HARRISON TWP. Township administrators are looking to the state to fund a $2.2 million project to reconstruct Cedar Grove Road between Mullica Hill and Franklinville roads. "It's the full length of Cedar Grove Road, all 1.65 miles reconstruction, a five-foot widening to 25 feet," said Rich Fini of Bach Associates, the township's engineer. About $1,913,000 would go toward construction costs of the project. The remaining $287,000 accounts for construction inspection and material testing. Also included in the project are miscellaneous improvements to address roadway drainage issues, relocation of utility poles and the replacement of 46 driveway aprons. The report from Bach Associates states the road as it exists is "functionally obsolete" due to the width of the road and volume of traffic on it. An estimated 1,000 vehicles use Cedar Grove Road every day. The roadway's surface made of bituminous concrete is ridden with cracks and potholes. It scored a 35 out of 100 on an assessment by Bach Associates. "We'd like to bring it up to standards just to make the existing speed a safe speed," Fini said. The funds for the reconstruction must be approved by the state Department of Transportation. A previous attempt to acquire state aid for road repairs on Lake Road were rejected, but $144,000 was acquired to repair Lincoln Road last year. The state told township officials before there were problems with alignment of the roadway at the lower end of Cedar Grove Road that would affect driveways of residents. The funding requested corrects that problem.

100-acre forest to be preserved in South Harrison

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

SOUTH HARRISON TWP. A 100-acre forest here will be preserved under an acquisition involving several state and environmental organizations and a business settling a natural resource damage claim. The forest, known as the Daniels property for its longtime owners, is located along Harrisonville-Ferrell Road. The site was acquired for $800,000.The tract consists predominantly of mixed hardwood forest and forested wetlands dominated by red maple, sweet gum and black gum. Numerous vernal pools provide a breeding habitat for a variety of amphibians. An unnamed tributary of Oldmans Creek runs through the southern edge of the property. "This is one of the largest tracts of unbroken forest in southern Gloucester County," state Department of Environmental Commissioner Lisa Jackson said Tuesday. "Conservation of this property benefits the region tremendously by protecting ground water supplies, preserving wildlife habitat, and providing a regional hub in a statewide network of protected parcels of open space. "The DEP provided $400,000 through its Green Acres program. Another $400,000 will come from a natural resource damage settlement the DEP reached with Chemical Leaman Tank Lines, a chemical trailer-truck washing operation in Logan Township that is now undergoing cleanup as a federal Superfund site. The non-profit South Jersey Land and Water Trust acquired the land with the state money and is turning it over to the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. The foundation will manage the land as a regional hub in its Garden State Greenway project, a statewide network of interconnected parks, trails, natural areas, farmland and historic places. Suzanne McCarthy, land and water trust president, suggested "this forest is truly one of the natural-resource treasures of the Oldmans Creek watershed. "Bruce and Jane Daniels will retain life rights to a house and eight-acre pasture and will continue to live on the property.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

By Pete McCarthy
pmccarthy@sjnewsco.com

SOUTH HARRISON TWP. Charles Tyson has big plans for this rural township.

Sworn in Tuesday to begin his third term on the township committee, Tyson was unanimously approved by his peers to retain the mayor's seat for a second year a few moments after taking the oath.

"It's all about doing the people's business," Tyson said afterward. "Our committee will work for the residents of South Harrison."

With more than 15 square miles of land to contend with, Tyson outlined a 6-point plan for 2008: Control residential growth by adopting a new master plan. Create a plan to stabilize runaway real estate taxes. Provide extended police coverage without raising taxes. Identify and obtain additional cost savings in the operations of the township. Enhance the Web site to provide more information to residents. Continue to have town hall meetings to discuss key topics so that residents can participate in the decision-making process.

According to Tyson, the challenge is to allow for population growth while working hard to keep taxes down.

The master plan should be implemented by the middle of this year, he said.

"We need to control the growth," Tyson said. "That way, we don't have to worry about higher taxes because of schools."

Fish will move for dam repair

Wednesday, December 12, 2007
By Lucas K. Murray
lmurray@sjnewsco.com

SOUTH HARRISON TWP. Repairs to an aging dam scheduled to commence early this spring will result in the relocation of Lake Harrisonville's fish population, according to state officials. "A recent inspection of the dam revealed deficiencies that warrant action to prevent failure," said state Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Karen Hershey. The dam, approximately 15 feet tall and 425 feet long, is listed as a significant hazard on the DEP's Dam Safety and Flood Control program. Statewide, 361 dams are considered "significant hazards." About 50 of them are in Gloucester County. Lake Harrisonville's spillway, a concrete apron connected to the bottom of the dam that allows water overflow to escape the lake, is in need of repair. But to perform the work, the lake's fish need to be removed before construction can begin. The bluegill, pumpkin fish and largemouth bass are in for a shocking experience. Known as "electrofishing," state fish and wildlife authorities will take to the lake, placing booms wired with electricity. "Our boat completes the circuit (around the lake) and puts out a low electric current the fish are drawn to," said Lisa Barno, chief of freshwater fishers for Fish and Waterlife. "It stuns them quickly enough that it allows us to net them." An onboard generator produces the current, which isn't fatal to the fish. Once they're stunned and netted, the dazed fish will be transported 15 miles via truck to nearby Rainbow Lake in Pittsgrove, Salem County. A dam at Rainbow Lake collapsed in May, taking with it a major local thoroughfare. Rainbow Lake lost most of its fish as a result of the collapse and bringing in new fish from Lake Harrisonville is expected to revitalize the waters there. Like the dam at Rainbow Lake, the dam at Lake Harrisonville serves as a bridge, connecting Lake Street and Harrisonville Lake Road. Barno said she won't know just how many fish will be harvested. She has seen bodies of water cleared in a day or two up to a week. The depth of the water plays a large factor into how long it takes. As the project goes on, the lake floor itself poses other problems for fish and wildlife officials, leaving boats and fishers' feet stuck. "When they drain the lake, the sediments at the bottom are mucky," Barno said. "Logistically it can become a problem." As for when the repairs are finally completed and the lake refilled, Hershey said the DEP will restock the lake in the spring when fish from other lake draining projects or fish from the state's hatcheries become available.