Contractor Storage Facility Approved for Brownfields Site Off Route 37

Applicant pledges no new contaminants will be introduced on site, which is subject to continued remediation

A former asphalt production site has the Planning Board's blessing to be converted into a contractor storage facility after the site's representatives assured the board new contaminants will not be introduced at the site. The board unanimously approved Davies Consultants application to convert 2 acres of the 45-acre former Nicol Asphalt Company site on Route 37 East into a 16-unit contractor storage facility at a meeting Monday night. The units would by 100 feet by 50 feet at the center of the property, which has been subject to environmental remediation for years. "This is an interim user of the site that I think can be of benefit to the town," board attorney Edward Liston said of a site he previously called a "black eye to Manchester." …

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Environmental Commission Talks Electronics Recycling, Walmart

The commission discussed new recycling regulations and a proposal by the DEP to allow construction of Walmart

New recycling regulations and a recent environmental agreement that could help the construction of a new Walmart were topics of discussion for the Manchester Environmental Commission. During their Jan. 18 meeting, the commission discussed a new state law that requires electronics, including televisions, computer and printers, to be recycled. “One thing that we're doing is, they will take them when they do your scheduled bulk pickup. They'll pick them up from you then,” said Marianne Borthwick, who serves as an alternate on the commission. “They also tell you that you can recycle them, they can be brought to the Whiting recycling center," located on Sam Pitts Road.  "So at least people here have that option of where they can bring them," …

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Battle May Be Brewing Over Manchester's Nonpartisan Status

The Manchester Regular Republican Club wants to move elections to November, a change the mayor staunchly opposes

A showdown between the mayor of Manchester and a Republican club in town over moving elections may be coming. The proposal sounds simple enough. The Manchester Regular Republican Club wants to shift the township's nonpartisan May election to November, a move that its officers say will save tens of thousands of dollars. But Mayor Michael Fressola is worried. He sees the club's plan as the first step in bringing partisanship back to Manchester, 20 years after residents voted to excise party rule from their township following a scandal in which Joe Portash and other administrators stole millions of town dollars. “Their goal is to bring party politics back,” Fressola said. Party politics, the mayor believes, could lead to corruption. “They can…

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Council Approves Resolution Opposing State First Aid Changes

State legislation would require two EMTs on each call and "unnecessary" regulatory and financial burdens

Proposed state bills that would change first aid regulations received official disapproval from the Manchester Township Council when the body passed a resolution stating that they violate the New Jersey constitution, among other grievances. The council resolved their opposition to Senate Bill S-818 and Assembly Bill A-2095 on Jan. 10 for two main reasons: the state wants to mandate that two emergency medical technicians would be required to respond on each call and funding previously reserved for EMT training could be used for purposes outside of the scope of emergency services. “We opposed it on recommendation, especially from the first aid,” said Council President Craig Wallis. The resolution stated that the New Jersey State First Aid …

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Manchester police open Whiting annex

New site will provides officers with remote access to headquarter computers.

Working from the field should be easier for Manchester Police Department officers with the opening of a new annex in Whiting. The space in the Whiting Town Center, donated by Kay Realty Services, will house computers, fax machines and telephones that can be used in investigations, said a statement released by the department. In a phone interview, Sgt. John Williams said that, because of Manchester's 84 square mile size, the annex will help officers better serve the more remote Whiting area.  "Logistically, it's going to afford an office environment in the field," Williams said. "They'll have access to the main computers at headquarters. It's beneficial to us because it keeps the officers in that area." The annex is about eight miles from …

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Monday's Planning Board Meeting Cancelled

Lack of agenda cited as cause for January's regular meeting cancellation.

The lull of winter has slowed the pace of construction around Manchester. The Township's Planning Board members will have the night off as the regular meeting for January has been canceled. According to a public notice issued on Dec. 28 by Marianne Borthwick, secretary to the board, the meeting was canceled due to a "lack of agenda."  The notice was posted on the Manchester Township Planning website.  Last month's meeting went on as scheduled, but the board said at the time that the agenda was light as less business takes place during the winter months.  Calls to the planning department were not immediately returned. The planning board schedules its meetings for the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Municipal Building on 1 …

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From the Desk of the Mayor

Manchester Mayor Michael Fressola on nonpartisan local government

The mayor of Manchester shares his thoughts; let the community know what you think in the comments section below.

A very important situation has come to my attention recently which prompts me to issue this warning to our residents. Before I give you the details of this issue, allow me to say that we were warned about this going to be attempted years ago by one of the individuals most responsible for the quick recovery of the township from the worst political and financial scandal in the history of the state of New Jersey. That scandal occurred prior to 1990. It was in late 1989 that our residents were successful in defeating the political party that had controlled the township for many years, and whose elected and appointed officials were responsible for the financial debacle that occurred. It was at that time that the good citizens of Manchester, …

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Taxes Will Rise; Contentious 2011 Manchester Budget Approved

Tax hikes set to offset pension cost increase

Manchester Townships taxes will rise 13 percent now that the council has approved its fiscal year 2011 budget. The $29.5 million budget, which the council approved unanimously, jumped by $1 million over the $28.5 million 2010 spending plan, said CFO Diane Lapp. Lapp outlined the budget during the council's Dec. 13 meeting. "We have maintained our operating expenses – we have not increased anything in operations that we felt we didn't have to," Lapp said. But jumps in pension expenses will raise the tax rate. Funding to be raised from taxes in 2011 is set at $19.4 million, compared to last year's amount of $17.3 million. Lapp said that the over $2 million difference "will result in a 5.2 cent tax increase." This means that last year's …

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