BRICK – The township administration supports the transition to electric vehicles, and during the most recent council meeting, the governing body passed an ordinance that encourages the increased installation of electric vehicle supplies and service equipment (EVSE) and make-ready parking spaces in the township.
Make-ready parking spaces are pre-wired electrical infrastructure at parking spaces that facilitate future installation of fast chargers.
The township’s Electric Vehicle and Land Use Committees proposed the ordinance to promote the encouragement and use of electric vehicles by requiring the safe and efficient installation, said Council President Vincent Minischino.
He said the goals of the ordinance are to provide adequate and convenient EVSE and make-ready parking spaces to serve the needs of the traveling public, and to provide opportunities for residents to have safe and efficient personal EVSE located near their place of residence.
The council wants to provide the opportunity for businesses to supply EVSE to their customers and promote safe, efficient and cost-effective electric vehicle charging opportunities in all zones and settings to encourage the use of electric vehicles, Minischino said.
The Township Planning Board reviewed and approved this ordinance as well, he added.
The state crafted a model ordinance for this so that it would be consistent as an electric vehicle driver went from one town to another.
“The law requires that Electric Vehicle Supply/Service Equipment (EVSE) and Make-Ready parking spaces be designated as a permitted accessory use in all zoning or use districts and establishes associated installation and parking requirements related to EVSE in New Jersey’s 565 municipalities,” according to the State Department of Community Affairs.
Residents Who Need Help
In other news, Councilwoman Andrea Zapcic said that the Great American Smoke Out on November 17 was a day when Americans are encouraged to give up smoking for 24 hours in the hopes that they would give it up permanently.
“If that’s what you decide to do, you don’t have to go it alone,” said Zapcic, who wore a “Quit” button. “There are a lot of free resources available.”
For example, the NJ Quit Line (866-NJ-STOPS) offers free multilingual phone counseling. There are also 11 Quit Centers in New Jersey, funded through the NJ Department of Health, including one in Ocean County.
“You have an opportunity to work with a certified tobacco treatment specialist that will move you through precontemplation to setting a date to actually quitting,” Zapcic said.
The service is free, she said. For more information, email Quitcenter@rwjbh.org or call 833-795-7848. Those over 18 are eligible to receive free nicotine replacement therapy, she said.
Those who are ages 18-24 and want to quit vaping are eligible for text to quit services through the Truth Initiative. To enroll, text “Vape free NJ” to 88709 to enroll for free tech support to help you quit, she said.
“There are also a couple of other resources not related specifically to smoking that I wanted to highlight,” Zapcic said. “We are all very familiar that the opioid epidemic continues to go on…there is a new resource that launched in July here in New Jersey called Atlas, which is a web-based mobile app platform to help you find high quality treatment services nearby.”
The website is Atlastreatment.org, which is mobile-friendly. The website and app starts with a brief assessment that can be done by the individual or by a friend or family member on behalf of the individual.
The assessment is designed to identify the level of service that is needed and lists high quality facilities in the service area that provide the needed services, Zapcic explained.
And finally, for those in need of other services and social supports, download the app findhelp.org. Simply enter your zip code and what you are looking for.
“Food, housing, baby needs, home supplies, medical goods, transportation, health care, financial assistance, education, employment or legal help,” she said. “These are all free services to connect people with the services they might need.”
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