News & Notes from Monday's Council Meeting

Township council had a full plate Monday night, with discussions regarding the municipal complex project, liquor licenses and field improvements, along with a host of other topics.

But since everything on the agenda can’t make it into a full story, here are a few tidbits from Monday’s meeting:

• Township manager Scott Carew said recently retired fire chief William Ruggiano declined council’s invitation to attend a meeting to receive a proclamation commending him for his 35 years of service. (The ever-modest Ruggiano also rebuffed Moorestown Patch when asked if he’d be interested in being interviewed for a profile.) “He said he didn’t do what he did for the recognition,” said Carew. “That makes it even more impressive what he’s done.”

• Carew said several trees overhanging the were removed last week to mitigate leaking from the roof. The township will also be cleaning out the HVAC and fresh air intake system at the library to alleviate the “smell problems” in the library, he said.

• Carew told council he was meeting with the heads of each of the township sports organizations to discuss the possible implementation of a recreation trust fund that could help pay for field maintenance and other improvements. The fund would, theoretically, be composed of money from sponsorships and/or a field naming program.

• Council members should have a draft of a liquor license ordinance in front of them by their January meeting, Carew said. He could have it ready by council’s next meeting on Dec. 12, he said, but the law doesn’t allow the township to carry over an ordinance on first reading into a new year for a second reading. The ordinance would lay out the , such as whether the township will bid the licenses out, what the minimum price would be, and how many it wants to administer, as well as containing the restrictions outlined in the second referendum question (limiting sales to the Moorestown Mall).

• The township will soon vote on whether to extend its contracts with Mack-Cali Realty to continue renting office space at 2 Executive Drive () and at 1245 North Church Street (). Carew said the existing agreements expire at the end of January and Mack-Cali has offered the township “a very good deal” to continue renting. He would not disclose the details of the contracts, since they haven’t been approved by council yet.

• Council will hold a number of special meetings over the next two weeks:
  • A budget workshop at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, in the conference room at the township building.
  • A special meeting to discuss the municipal complex project at 8:15 a.m. Friday, Dec. 9.
  • A special meeting to discuss field improvements at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, just before council’s regularly scheduled meeting at 7:30, at .