SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- Representative Mike Mistretta, of Springfield's township planning firm Harvard Consultants, gave a presentation at the March 12 Township Committee meeting outlining upcoming redevelopment plans for Springfield.
The planner has formed a Master Plan subcommittee, and is in the process of creating a new Master Plan. The committee will consist of two members of the Township Committee, two from the Planning Board, two from the Zoning Board, Mistretta, township administrator John Bussiculo and township engineer Mike Disko. The committee will meet once a month through August.
"This document is going to basically reset the vision for Springfield Township for at least the next 10 years," Mistretta said. "There will be three components of the Master Plan, at a minimum: 1) our land-use plan element, 2) our housing plan element and 3) our resiliency plan."
Mistretta said, "There is currently an Affordable Housing legislation that is currently moving through the state legislature. It's the early stages of the fourth round of our Affordable Housing obligation. As that new legislation comes online, the Master Plan subcommittee will be addressing it head on and will be getting out in advance of it and start preparing our housing element and our Fair Share plan."
The Planning Board found that 597 Morris Ave. satisfies the terms to be designated as an Area in Need of Redevelopment. Following that designation, the Township Committee will eventually prepare a redevelopment plan that would eventually be introduced as an ordinance, then be referred to the Planning Board for a hearing, and then would go back to the Township Committee for a second reading and a second public hearing.
The property at 597 Morris Ave. is still occupied by Scotty's Pub & Comedy Cove, which has been a fixture on the west side of the township for decades.
"We have a three-story building proposed with 30 units (that are) all age-restricted," Mistretta said of the 597 Morris Ave. property. "It is fully parked (and) it satisfies the residential site improvement standards. We have 59 off-street parking spaces. There are 25 market-rate units and there are five affordable housing units."
Mistretta said that the developer has agreed to redesign and enhance the building's elevations to better align with the definition of "a gateway project." The building would be three stories high.
The new development would be strictly residential, with no mixed uses. "There's nowhere to park (for retail use)," Township Administrator John Bussiculo said. "That would just cause us a nightmare trying to get in somewhere to park."
Councilman Richard Huber, referring to the township's struggles with other developments that have not met time deadlines, said, "You want an enforceable schedule that has some teeth."
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SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- The Springfield Planning Board heard an application from the owner of a massage therapist to expand her business at the General Green Shopping Center at its meeting on Monday, March 11.
The tenant told the board that her business is growing, and that she hopes to expand to the unit next door on the 200 block of Morris Avenue. There would be no change in either operating hours or services.
The board placed several conditions on the landlord before the applicant can obtain a Certificate of Occupancy to move into the additional space. The landlord must repair and pave certain areas of the parking lot, install landscaping that was previously agreed upon for a past application, must notify each tenant via letter that there is no reserved parking in the lot and, finally, must control the litter and trash blowing around the site.
Board members Scott Wishna and David Barnett voiced concerns over the trash in the parking lots and said that finding a way to control that should be addressed.
Jeff Tiger, chairman of the Planning Board, instructed the zoning officer to visit the site frequently and issue summonses as per township code if the property maintenance is not kept up.
The board also went into executive session to discuss pending litigation against the board.
The next Planning Board meeting will be on Thursday, April 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.
]]>SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- The Springfield Recreation Department’s Egg Hunt & Kite Fest will be held on Saturday, March 23, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Chisholm Park (100 South Springfield Avenue).
In case of rain, the event will take place on Sunday, March 24. The event is open to Springfield residents and their guests. Register for event alerts on Community Pass at https://register.communitypass.net/springfield.
Saturday's activities will include:
Two separate egg hunts — for children under 6 and over 6 — begin at 2:15 p.m. Bring your own baskets. Prizes for egg hunt winners.
Kite flying: Bring your own kites. Prizes for the most creative and highest flying kites.
Photos with the Easter Bunny: Bring your own phones/cameras.
Roaming photo ring: We will text photos to your phones for social media.
Music with a DJ.
New inflatable sports zone.
Make your own free sand art necklace with Party Maniacs (while supplies last)
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SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- After having a ruling on a fine go against them in Union County court, the developers of the Gomes construction project have lodged an appeal.
According to Springfield Township Administrator John Bussiculo, "Gomes appealed the fine that was ruled against them in our court here, and they have taken it to Superior Court, so we are probably going to end up there."
The issues between the township and the owners of the property where the Gomes construction project have been ongoing since 2019.
The redevelopment of the property on Morris Avenue between Caldwell Place and Center Street has been a subject of disagreement between the township and the developer for years, with stalls, delays and safety issues among the concerns.
"We had another meeting with Gomes and the independent construction manager, and we've got the next one set up for April 2," Bussiculo said at the March 12 meeting of the Township Committee. "We're making progress, he's getting his feet under himself. He's figuring out what's going on. He's got questions to answer ... but we are making good progress."
Bussiculo described some of the recent advances at the redevelopment site, saying, "JCP&L moved the wiring out on the corner so they could finish the Caldwell Place side of the building. They're on Morris Avenue right now bricking that. They were here (last) weekend working on the roof, and they've done a lot of framing on the Center Street side. We are moving along at a decent clip, finally. We are much further along than we were a short time ago."
]]>SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- The Township of Springfield has applied to Union County for a grant to make repairs to the community pool.
According to township manager John Bussiculo, Springfield has signed a contract with an individual contractor for work on the pool, but, at the same time, the township has also applied for a grant from the county.
"We asked for many more dollars than we're probably going to get," Bussiculo told the Springfield Township Committee at its March 12 meeting, "but in the past we've gotten about $63,000."
Bussiuclo said that the grant money would go towards the resurfacing of the pool. "We're just kind of going to get stuck waiting for it," Bussiculo said.
The pool is scheduled to reopen for the summer in two-and-a-half months.
]]>SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- The township recently learned that Union County is planning to make major repairs to one of the bridges on Caldwell Place.
"We got a note the other day out of the clear blue that Caldwell Place bridge will be replaced by the county," Springfield Township Administrator John Bussiculo said at the Tuesday, March 12 Township Committee meeting. "The work is scheduled to begin 'in the near future'."
The bridge that is slated to be repaired is just outside of Ruby Park less than a block from the corner of Caldwell Place and Mountain Avenue, across the street from Jonathan Dayton High School.
"We have no other details at this time," Bussiculo said. "We have contacted (Union County) and said that we need a pre-construction meeting, we need to know when, why, what's going to happen? So far, we don't have (those answers) yet."
Bussiculo said that the township hopes to persuade Union County to undertake the project when school is not in session.
"Fortunately, I think there is enough room there for detours, so, traffic-wise, I think we'll be OK," Bussiculo said. "But we would certainly encourage them to do it when school's off."
Another bridge issue covered in Tuesday's meeting was the one on Morris Avenue near Washington Avenue and the Union Township border. "We know it's backed up and we have notified the county multiple times," Springfield Mayor Chris Weber said of the water beneath that bridge.
Bussiculo said that the township does not possess the equipment it needs to undertake the work at the Morris Avenue bridge on its own.
"We actually have to get on Morris Avenue, stop the traffic, and we don't have a way to scoop (the debris) out," Bussiculo said. "We're using tongs, hanging over the bridge, like the crane in the penny arcade, and trying to grab the trees and lift them up and get them out of the way. It's totally inefficient and it's not safe. We can't go in the river because we don't have the proper equipment, and we're not allowed to go in there by DEP standards. We can't go in that river."
Bussiculo said that if and when the work is scheduled at that bridge, "The nightmare, the traffic that we're going to cause there, because you've got to close down all four lanes (to do the repairs). ... (And) the woods that aren't ours are loaded with debris, so every time we get a heavy rain, all of that washes down into that river because we've got three openings there, and it gets blocked and it doesn't flow through."
"We've cleaned it once, and we managed to get it done in advance of a really bad rainstorm," Committeeman Harris Laufer said.
Regarding major work on the Morris Avenue bridge, Bussiculo stressed, "It's not that we don't want to do it, it's that we're not capable of doing it."
"Let's be clear," Mayor Weber said of the township, "we're not the holdup on this. We'd be there tomorrow (if we could)."
]]>SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- Bulk pickup in Springfield will be on Wednesday, March 20.
Residens should leave everything out by Tuesday night (March19). It will be collected the next day.
For anyone who needs a refresher:
What is considered bulk waste?
Bulk waste consists of large and/or non-routine waste items including:
Furniture
Appliances *
Rolled and tied carpet, not to exceed 6 feet in length and 60 pounds
Hot water heaters
Barbecue grills
* Refrigerators and freezers must have the doors removed.
What is not accepted?
Construction material – sheet rock, stumps and tree roots
Electrical items
Recyclables
Stones, logs, large rocks
Propane tanks
Hazardous waste items
]]>SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- The community is invited to participate in the 2023 townwide garage sale on Saturday, March 16 and Sunday, March 17.
Sale hours will be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bulk pickup will follow on Wednesday, March 20.
Registration is not required and there are no permit fees.
Participating households are encouraged to fill out the form linked here to be included on a comprehensive listing of garage sale locations.
]]>SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- The Springfield Public Library has added Maker's Day to its schedule on Saturday, March 16.
Time: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
No registration required
Making Around the World - New Jersey Makers Day Making and Community Outreach
All ages - Under 10 with a parent/caregiver. (Some activities not appropriate for children three years and under).
Visit STEM stations throughout the library and fill a maker passport to win a prize.
Stations include LEGO challenges, Strawbees, marble run, Ozobots, Sphero Mini Robots and more.
]]>UNION, NJ – Just after a car struck a pole on Morris Avenue causing power outages and traffic backups, a tracker trailer hit a utility pole on nearby Rahway Avenue, causing the pole and wires to fall on the truck.
According to Union Fire Chief Greg Ricciardi, firefighters were called to 625 Rahway Avenue at 8:42 Friday morning. Firefighters found numerous primary wires down in the street from 655 to 581 Rahway Avenue. The driver of the truck was able to jump from the cab to safety prior to firefighters arriving, Ricciardi said.
Union firefighters and police officers evacuated several businesses on Rahway Avenue. The incident knocked out power to Rahway Avenue and the Vauxhall section of town, which caused fire alarm activations and stuck elevator calls throughout town, Ricciardi said.
The fire chief said Union County Mutual Aid provided two Engines and one Ladder truck to cover the town while all companies were committed to this incident and the one earlier on Morris Avenue. PSEG responded to the scene and was able to isolate the downed wires and restore power to the area.
]]>SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- An elementary school student from Springfield is part of the Vex Robotics team, “Dark Knights,” that has qualified to compete in New Jersey’s prestigious Vex IQ Robotics (Full Volume) State Championship.
Members of the team are from Springfield, Millburn/Short Hills and Summit. Daniel Ndefo, a student at Thelma Sandmeier Elementary School in Springfield, is one of the team members.
This achievement highlights the team’s ingenuity, teamwork and dedication over the past few months. Guided by the expertise of their coaches, Coach Olaitan and Coach Dayo, the Dark Knights demonstrated an exceptional level of work ethic and skill in their debut competitive season.
“It was a lot of joy watching them progress from week to week. Their passion and unrelenting spirit brought them this far, and I couldn't be prouder of them", said Coach Olaitan.
The competition is part of the VEX Robotics platform, which offers a variety of challenges designed to engage students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. For the Dark Knights, who compete under the Livingston Robotics Club banner, it wasn't just about winning and qualifying for the state championships; it was about working hard, learning and having fun while doing so.
Despite being a young team that is new to robotics, they impressed the judges with their robot's performance and innovation. Now, they have secured a spot in the New Jersey State Championship, marking a significant milestone in their robotics journey.
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SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- Last year, the Springfield School District was awarded $1.07 million in ROD grant funding.
ROD stands for "Regular Operating District." Under the ROD grant program, qualifying school districts are eligible to receive, at a minimum, 40 percent of approved eligible project costs. The funding award is based on the District Aid Percentage (DAP) multiplied by the eligible project costs established by New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE). Districts must be able to demonstrate local matching funds for the balance of the project.
At the Feb. 26 Board of Education meeting, Schools Superintendent Dr. Rachel Goldberg provided updates on the upgrades that those grants are helping to pay for.
The Jonathan Dayton High School roof is being replaced for an estimated $1.243 million, of which the ROD Grants from the state are covering $497,000.
The first phase of the Florence M. Gaudineer Middle School HVAC system upgrades is a $1.455 million project that will include $582,000 of assistance from the ROD Grant.
"We've got over $1 millon in state funds coming back to the district to help offset these critical infrastructure pieces," Dr. Goldberg said.
For school facility projects to be considered for grant funding, the proposed scope of work must be 100 percent eligible for state support. This funding is targeted for projects not covered under the referendum that was passed in the spring of 2023.
Work that was a result of that referendum approval is continuing on the James Caldwell Elementary School for interior basement renovations being performed by Robert Griggs Plumbing & Heating, LLC, which is doing condensate piping replacement for $53,450.
"Demolition has happened in the Caldwell basement, so we are well on the way to getting new classrooms and learning spaces at Caldwell," Goldberg said.
]]>SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- The Springfield Board of Education at its Feb. 26 meeting accepted the retirements of two district teachers.
Steven DiGangi will be retiring as a teacher of Industrial Arts at Jonathan Dayton High School after 31 years.
"He has been an incredible asset," Dr. Rachel Goldberg, superintendent of Springfield Schools, said. "He has served as Graphic Design teacher, Wood Shop teacher, black & white photography, he has run the photo labs. I can say that Mr. DiGangi will be deeply missed."
Robin Kanterman will be retiring from her Science teaching position at Florence M. Gaudineer Middle School. She has taught in the district for 16 years.
"We are deeply grateful for her passing her love of science on for all of these years," Goldberg said.
Both retirements become effective on July 1.
]]>SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- The Springfield Board of Education has approved the appointment of Regine Jules as a full-time nurse at Edward V. Walton Early Childhood Center.
Jules was approved last month and her full-time status becomes official this month.
She will be paid a prorated salary of $71,422.
"We've been looking for a full-time nurse for Walton for the past four years," Springfield Schools Superintendent Dr. Rachel Goldberg said. "Nurse Jules is an incredible asset. I am so happy that she has decided to join us full-time and become an ongoing member of our community."
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SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- The Springfield Public Library has announced its slate of youth programs for March:
3/11
Bristlebot Making - New Jersey Makers Day Making and Community Outreach at Springfield Free Public Library
3:30 p.m.
Grades 1 and up. Under 10 with an adult
Make your own toothbrush robot after school.
No registration required. Only while supplies last.
3/12
Blanket Making (Linus Project) - New Jersey Makers Day Making and Community Outreach at Springfield Free Public Library
3 p.m.
Grades 5-12
Make tied blankets for hospital patients and receive community service hours. All blankets will be donated to The Linus Project for distribution to patients. This project is made possible by a grant from New Jersey Makers Day. Must be a Springfield resident to register. Failure to notify the library of your child’s absence will result in a temporary suspension of future program registration. Contact: Ms. Christine at cbrandenburg@sfplnj.org or 973-376-4930 x233
Non-resident registrations will be removed and are only allowed on a waitlist if the program fills with residents. Registration is required on Eventbrite:
https://LinusProjectSpringfield.eventbrite.com
3/13
Calming Crafts - Flower Mandala - New Jersey Makers Day Making and Community Outreach at Springfield Free Public Library
7pm
Ages tween thru adult
Learn to make a mandala from fresh flowers. All instruction and materials provided. This project is made possible by a grant from New Jersey Makers Day. Must be a Springfield resident to register. Failure to notify the library of your child’s absence will result in a temporary suspension of future program registration. Contact: Ms. Christine at cbrandenburg@sfplnj.org or 973-376-4930 x233
Non-resident registrations will be removed and are only allowed on a waitlist if the program fills with residents. Registration required on Eventbrite.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/flower-mandala-calming-craft-tween-thru-adult-tickets-840201815247
3/16
Stop Motion Movie Making
12 noon
Grades 3-5
Learn to make a simple stop motion animation on library I-pads.
Must be a Springfield resident to register. Failure to notify the library of your child’s absence will result in a temporary suspension of future program registration. Contact: Ms. Christine at cbrandenburg@sfplnj.org or 973-376-4930 x233
Registration is required on Eventbrite.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stop-motion-animation-workshop-grades-3-5-tickets-840382866777
3/16 - Special Event
Making Around the World - New Jersey Makers Day Making and Community Outreach at Springfield Free Public Library
All ages - Under 10 with a parent/caregiver. (Some activities not appropriate for children 3 years and under).
2pm - 4pm
Visit STEM stations throughout the library and fill a maker passport to win a prize. Stations include Lego challenges, Strawbees, marble run, Ozobots, Sphero Mini Robots and more. No registration required.
3/19
Read to a Therapy Dog
Ages 5 and up
Slots starting at 3:30 p.m.
Reluctant readers can practice their reading skills by reading to our visiting therapy dog. Must be a Springfield resident to register. Failure to notify the library of your child’s absence will result in a temporary suspension of future program registration. Contact: Ms. Christine at cbrandenburg@sfplnj.org or 973-376-4930 x233
Non-resident registrations will be removed and are only allowed on a waitlist if the program fills with residentRegistration required on Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/untitled-3149619
3/26
Crafts with Chloe
Grades 3 and up (under 10 with an adult)
Tuesday, March 26th at 3:30PM
Make and decorate a 3D butterfly. Must be a Springfield resident to register. Failure to notify the library of your child’s absence will result in a temporary suspension of future program registration. Contact: Ms. Christine at cbrandenburg@sfplnj.org or 973-376-4930 x233
Registration is required on Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/crafts-with-chloe-3d-butterfly-grades-3-and-up-under-10-with-adult-tickets-840443989597
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SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- The next bulk pickup will be Wednesday, March 20. Residents must leave everything out to be picked up by Tuesday night, March 18.
What is considered bulk waste?
Bulk waste includes large and/or non-routine waste items including:
Furniture
Appliances *
Rolled and tied carpet, not to exceed 6 feet in length and 60 pounds
Hot water heaters
Barbecue grills
* Refrigerators and freezers must have the doors removed.
What will not be accepted?
Construction material – sheet rock, stumps and tree roots
Electrical items
Recyclables
Stones, logs, large rocks
Propane tanks
Hazardous waste items
]]>SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- A township woman was charged last week with the assault of a police officer.
On Wednesday, Feb. 21, officers were dispatched to the area of Troy Drive on a report of a disturbance.
While attempting to take an individual into custody, two Springfield police officers were assaulted. The suspect, a 47-year-old Springfield woman, was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer.
]]>SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- Springfield Mayor Chris Weber suggested that the township might necessitate developing an overnight on-street parking permit system to deal with the glut of vehicles on roads throughout the day and night.
Weber invited discussion from all the members of the Township Committee at its Feb. 27 meeting.
"My first thought is, for police patrolling, it is absolutely fantastic for a police car to be driving down a cross street that intersects four or five blocks at a time and be able to drive down and see no vehicles on the street," Mayor Weber said. "It makes patrolling a lot quicker, and they can cover a lot more streets without that overnight parking happening (on the streets). But by the same token, there are a lot of houses that, families don't have one car anymore. Families have (as many as) four cars, five cars. Everybody is driving now, and a lot of these driveways don't have the room for it."
"At 5:00 in the morning, there are cars on the street all over. We have to start buckling down," Committeeman Rich Huber said. Huber suggested that residents apply for permits to park in the municipal lot near the library overnight.
"I do believe that some sort of parking permit system needs to be implemented," Committeeman Chris Capodice said. "I think there should be some sort of application process that does not allow any resident carte blanche access to these passes. There should be a fee, and ... it should be a substantial fee (so that we're not) handing these passes out to everybody."
"Right now the system is pretty easy," Committeeman Harris Laufer said. "You call up the desk, you give them your car, your license plate, your name ... you're off the phone in three minutes. I think there needs to be some kind of control. This is a great job for the Public Safety Committee. I think these discussions out in the open are really good." Addressing Police Chief John Cook, who was in attendance at the meeting, Laufer said, "If people aren't calling in, they should be ticketed. That should be a blanket policy."
Committeeman Alex Keiser mentioned the statewide increase in vehicle break-ins. "I think that may make it easier for bad actors to go down a straight line, being even further way from RING doorbells, making it harder for police to patrol, and I would be really hesitant to making it any easier that it already is for those bad actors. It's also a crowding thing. Some of our streets aren't the widest avenues. If you're parking on both sides, you're turning into a one-lane. Having two cars park on both sides is going to pose difficulty during snowstorms, just during regular business hours."
Mayor Weber said, "What I was thinking was, each driveway is assessed by the police (and) zoning (department). I have 100-plus foot driveway. I know I can fit five cars in there. I should not be entitled to a parking permit at that point."
Weber added that for a resident who shares a small driveway and parks two cars side-by-side, their only other option besides the street would be "to pave your front lawn."
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SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- Chief of Police John Cook cautioned residents listening to Tuesday's Township Committee meeting that the Springfield Police Department would be cracking down on moving violations on Morris Avenue.
"I have my officers targeting Morris Avenue, the center of town, more so. We've had some bad accidents, pedestrians getting hit, etc.," Cook said. "You're going to see increased enforcement in the area of 30 miles per hour. We're also going to be enforcing speeding there, pretty strict enforcement, as well as the right lane coming down for Caldwell (Place), for those who try to shoot straight through that."
Cook, giving an example in a nearby community, pointed out that the Boulevard in Kenilworth, one of the widest thoroughfares in Union County, has a 25 mph speed limit.
"And 85 percent of the cars are doing 25 (mph)," Cook said. "We need to have that in the center of our town. People that are just using us to get from Point A to Point B seem to not care about Springfield. Well, that's who's going to learn a lesson, I suppose. ... The ones who are violating it are probably not listening, but they'll learn the hard way."
Chief Cook said that the right-turn only lane signage approaching Caldwell Place going east on Morris Avenue is "clearly (marked) going 500 feet back. ... There's more than fair notice that that lane is for right turns only. Don't try to cut in on anybody."
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SPRINGFIELD, NJ -- The cost to resurface the Springfield Community Pool is more than $100,000 more than it was a year ago, Mayor Chris Weber told the Township Committee at Tuesday night's meeting.
Mayor Weber said that the lone estimate that the township received when it put the project out to bid was for $330,000.
"One of the big questions on social media is will the pool be done in time for spring, will it be resurfaced? When we got a quote last year to resurface the pool, the quote was roughly $230,000," Mayor Weber said at the Township Committee meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 27. "We sent everything out, anticipating a $230,000 return again when it's time to do it this year. Only one company has responded, and their quote is $100,000 on top of that."
Weber said that before receiving the inflated estimate, "My response (about a week ago) was, 'Yeah, the pool's gonna be resurfaced.' I don't know what to think of $330,000 at this point. That's a lot of money."
With time running out to start a resurfacing project that would be completed before Memorial Day weekend in three months, Weber said, "The other option is (to) drain it, paint it again, scrape it down, paint it again, keep it moving and try to do it again next year. John (Bussiculo), our business administrator, has tried to make calls to other companies to see if there is interest in putting in a bid for this. I don't think he's been successful."
Committeeman Chris Capodice, who was the mayor last year said, "Unfortunately, we have been subject to this for the last couple of years. Prices have gone up for everything."
"Practically speaking, we would have to get this done and authorize this by our first meeting in March," said Committeeman Harris Laufer.
The issue was left unresolved at Tuesday's meeting, with the mayor saying he would provide an update whenever there was more clarity on what the township was going to do regarding the possible resurfacing of the pool.
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