JACKSON – The Township Council introduced four ordinances during a recent council meeting.
Those ordinances involved amending the township code to prohibit parking on a portion of Brewers Bridge Road, penalties for violations for trespassing on public property and amending a prior ordinance to delete permit parking for any Ocean County roadway.
Ordinance 28-24 seeks to modify the township code to reduce the number of points for the calendar year of 2020 to qualify for the length of the service awards program due to the COVID-19 pandemic public health emergency.
Not Invited
Councilman Steven Chisholm recently noted after reading The Jackson Times that he had missed a council meeting held on August 15. “I did not get a call, text or invite to join in and call. I could have done so. That is a little disappointing. I am technically on the council, whether I chose to run again, until January.
“I am still a voting member and should have been called at least to have had my opinion heard,” the councilman added. “I am still representing you until January. So, with that, I will tell all of you, take this election in November or any election seriously, folks. These people are not messing around.”
Chisholm, a Republican, is known for expressing strong criticism toward Democrat leaders in Trenton and in Washington D.C. during council comment periods. The entire governing body is Republican, but there has been a rift, and Chisholm was not endorsed to run for re-election by the Jackson GOP.
Road Work And Traffic Lights
Councilman Mordechai Burnstein reported recently that road improvements on South Prospect Road should be done soon with striping work being performed. He thanked residents in the neighborhood of Hartford Village for hosting him and Council President Jennifer Kuhn and “for getting residents together and figuring out solutions. We see that we are able to get together, we are able to work out some of our safety concerns and that was tremendous to see.”
Council Vice President Scott Sargent asked for an update about the Diamond Road traffic light that was expected to be installed.
Burnstein replied, “The county did update me that they were working on some of the easements and updating some of the property. They did say the (traffic) light pieces were on order and they weren’t as back logged as some of the past ones were.”
Hyson and Harmony Road area will also be getting a traffic light. Council President Kuhn reported the township received a letter from Ocean County and “there will be a light there.”
Field House Project
Kuhn also noted that the Field House project had reached its fundraising goal thanks to contributions by residents and businesses in town and volunteer efforts. The project concerned repairs and restoration to the athletic facility at the Jackson Memorial High School.
Public Comments
Resident Elenor Hannum, who is a council candidate in November’s election said that while speaking with residents around the community she heard many concerns about rental properties. “Jackson Township went from maybe 400 rental homes in 2016 and now we have thousands.”
She said some of the landlords in the township are “monetizing that investment. What they are doing is putting in four or five families in a house and those families have scheduled times to use the kitchen. Each family is actually renting a bedroom. It is not just one place or two places; it’s a lot.”
“This municipality has turned a blind eye and you are enabling and helping these landlords violate the law,” Hannum said. She noted that a state statute regulates how many people are allowed to live in a home “especially when it comes to a bedroom. I am asking this council to write an ordinance with severe penalties against landlords who are illegally using these rental units and actually increasing more distress on our schools.”
Reverend LaGreta B. Brown of Cherry Hill also spoke during that meeting. Since May she has served as pastor of Saint Thomas AME Church on Whitesville Road. “I wanted to stop by and give greetings and to say that I am deeply honored to serve this vibrant community and look forward to collaborating with local leaders like yourselves to promote unity, compassion and progress in our town.”
“As a pastor I believe in the power of community partnership and collective action to address the challenges we face and to foster a spirit of love and kindness among all residents. I am eager to learn more about the needs and aspirations of our town and how I can contribute towards its flourishing,” Rev. Brown added.
Resident Jay Such, president of the Cooksbridge Homeowners Association said that some residents had made some “makeshift parking.”
“That’s not going to be allowed anymore,” Kuhn said in reference to recent ordinances governing parking.
“That’s what I figured and I just want to let them know,” Such responded. He noted that his organization’s bylaws already prohibit commercial vehicle parking in areas of that community.
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