The addition on Friday of a female in her 80s to the list of Haddonfield residents who have succumbed to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, brings Haddonfield’s death toll to 15.
To date, 587 local cases have been reported by the Camden County Department of Health, an increase of four from yesterday.
The addition of six public school cases on Thursday brings the district tally to 173.
The Commissioners announced today that they will hold a public hearing related to Bancroft on Tuesday, April 27, during their regular meeting already scheduled for that date.
The Commissioners were ordered to hold the hearing by Superior Court Judge Nan S. Famular. She is presiding over a dispute between the Borough and a group of residents that includes two former mayors, Jack Tarditi and Tish Colombi. She is requiring the Commissioners to re-do the portion of their January 16, 2018 meeting relating to the adoption of an amendment to the Bancroft Redevelopment Plan.
The reason for the “re-do” is that the Judge said she cannot evaluate the plaintiffs’ claims because the minutes of the Commissioners’ January 16, 2018 meeting did not note their specific reasons for approving amendments to the redevelopment plan. She ordered the Borough to record this “re-do” and provide her with a transcript.
Here is the Borough’s notice for the meeting:
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, as directed by the Honorable Nan S. Famular, Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Camden County, in her “Order Denying Motion to Vacate Ordinance 2018-01 Without Prejudice and Remanding to Borough for Further Proceedings” dated as of April 1, 2021, the Board of Commissioners of the Borough of Haddonfield (the “Borough”) will hold a Public Hearing at its regularly scheduled public meeting on April 27, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. to be conducted via Zoom, a video and teleconferencing service, regarding Ordinance 2018-01 of the Borough, at which the Borough Commissioners shall place on the record their specific reasons for approving the “Bancroft Redevelopment Plan”, as amended January 16, 2018, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-7(d) and (e).
During the week prior to and up to and including the date of such meeting, copies of Ordinance 2018-01 will be available at no cost via the Borough’s website at www.haddonfieldnj.org, by email request to the Borough Clerk at [email protected], and during regular business hours at the Administration Office of the Borough Hall, Room 101, for the members of the general public who shall request the same.
INSTRUCTIONS TO ATTEND/OBSERVE MEETING: Members of the Public are welcome and encouraged to participate in the electronic meeting. The meeting will be held via Zoom. There are two options to join the meeting 1) through the Zoom App via a smartphone, computer or tablet via video link, or 2) phone audio using the following Zoom meeting access information:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83041911942?pwd=dCtxSUt5Q2xKVE5LVlZCWFFVRUZ0UT09
Meeting ID: 830 4191 1942
Passcode: 329789
Telephone: Call # 1-301-715-8592; 1-312-626-6799; 1-646-558-8656; 1-253-215-8782; 1-346-248-7799; or 1-669-900-9128
Meeting ID/PIN: 830 4191 1942
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:49-2, as amended, further notice is hereby given that the purpose of the forgoing ordinance is to amend the “Bancroft Redevelopment Plan” to reflect as set forth in Exhibit 3 to Ordinance 2018-01.
Videos of the Board of Commissioners Candidate Forum, held on Monday, April 12 and sponsored by the Haddonfield Civic Association, may be viewed on the Association’s website, HERE.
There are separate videos for the opening statements, each of nine questions posed to the eight candidates, and closing statements.
The questions, asked of the candidates in random order by Janet Fisher-Hughes, the moderator provided by the League of Women Voters, were:
Question 1: What policy or advocacy differentiates you from the other candidates?
Question 2: Of the three commission seats – public works, public safety, and finance – with which of these areas do you think your strengths most closely align?
Question 3: What are your plans for improving infrastructure in town, such as fixing deteriorating roads and curbs or upgrading and modernizing borough-owned buildings?
Question 4: What will you do to improve Haddonfield’s sustainability plan?
Question 5: As commissioner what are your plans for providing tax savings to residents through shared services, cost savings, and/or revenue generation?
Question 6: What will you do as commissioner to improve communication, community engagement, and increase transparency of town decisions and actions? As commissioner would you publicly get behind a pledge to record and post all public meetings?
Question 7: One issue facing the township is the resolution of the former Bancroft site. What are your priorities and vision for the site?
Question 8: What is your position on the land swap between the Board of Education and the Borough to make Radnor Field Green Acres space?
Question 9: Many residents in town are concerned with the speeding that constantly takes place on the main roads and many of the connecting residential streets. What will you do about this ongoing problem?
With the addition of two males and two females to the list of Haddonfield residents who have been confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, the local tally hit 579 today. That’s 49.94 individuals for every 1,000 of population (based on the 2010 Census) — or 1 in 20 residents.
A total of 14 Haddonfield residents have succumbed.
The Public Schools have reported 166 cases.
A forum for candidates for the Haddonfield Board of Commissioners will be held tonight, via Zoom.
Sponsored by the Civic Association and moderated by a representative from the League of Women Voters, it will run from 8 to 10pm.
To see the forum live on Zoom, you must register in advance. Go HERE.
Candidates will explain why they are running or seeking re-election. They will discuss their platform and answer questions submitted in advance.
A special note for those who marked their calendars based on details published in recent print versions of Haddonfield Today.
The Civic Association changed the original date of its Board of Commissioners Candidate Forum from Monday, April 19 to Monday, April 12.
It changed the original start time from 7pm to 8pm.
And, to accommodate the large number of questions it received fom the community, it recently changed the end time from 9:30pm to 10pm.
SO … Monday, April 12 from 8 to 10pm.
To see the forum live on Zoom, you must register in advance. Go HERE.
Candidates will explain why they are running or seeking re-election. They will discuss their platform and answer questions submitted in advance.
The forum will be moderated by a representative from the League of Women Voters.
1. The forum will start with a minute-and-a-half opening statement by each candidate.
2. A question-and-answer period will follow.
3. If a question is directed to a particular candidate, s/he will have a minute and a half to respond. The other candidates will have the opportunity to respond, and will have one minute to do so.
4. Candidates may decline to answer questions.
5. If a question is directed to all candidates, or if the moderator decides the question should be answered by all candidates, each candidate will have one minute to respond.
6. Each candidate will have a minute-and-a-half for a closing statement.
7. The statements and answers will be timed by a League of Women Voters member.
For the first six days of April, the Camden County Department of Health has reported 16 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Haddonfield, and one fatality, that of a female in her 80s.
These additions bring the local tally to 558 cases and 14 deaths. One in 21 Haddonfield residents have been confirmed as having contracted COVID-19 since March 2020.
The public schools have reported one new case in April: A female juvenile student at Central School.
By Mayor Neal Rochford
I believe every Haddonfield resident should have strong and reliable cell service.
For years, Haddonfield residents have come to me and voiced their frustration with the poor cell reception in town. This issue has only grown more apparent as so many of us have shifted to working from home during the past year. With or without COVID, work from home is here to stay and Haddonfield residents need reliable cell service to ensure that we can maintain the communication needed to be successful in our jobs. Residents also need reliable service to stay in contact with family, handle emergencies, participate in remote learning, and so much more. Capacity needs to be upgraded in order for Haddonfield not to fall behind in the Information Age.
In 2017, the Commissioners were given an opportunity to remedy this issue when we were approached by Verizon to build a new cell tower, which would greatly enhance the cell coverage throughout Haddonfield. The Commissioner of Public Works at the time worked with Verizon to find an ideal location for the tower, eventually agreeing on a site at the Public Works facility. The site is isolated in an area used for storage and the view of the tower would be minimal as there is plenty of tree coverage. Verizon determined that the site would greatly improve cell coverage in areas of Haddonfield with poor reception.
A contract was worked out and signed off between Verizon and the Borough. We made a mistake in handling the process. The project should have gone out for a bid to lease the site and awarded by resolution. The Borough should have been more inclusive in presenting the tower project to the community.
I believe the Borough should proceed now to have the tower built with better communication with our residents. It may not happen in the short time I have left in office, but I feel strongly that it should be addressed quickly. No matter where the Borough decides to place the tower, there is going to be some opposition. I believe the greater public good is being served by improving cell coverage in Haddonfield..
Let’s look at some of the opposition to the tower:
The tower would emit radio frequencies that cause health problems: Studies by the FCC, FDA, National Cancer Society, World Health Organization, and Canadian Government have found no evidence of adverse health risk from the towers. The amount of RF signals coming off the tower is well below FCC guidelines. Thousands of towers sit on government buildings, hospitals, universities, and private buildings throughout the country without issue. I have never received a complaint from a resident about ill health effects caused by the other cell towers in Haddonfield, including the one at the water tower that has been in place for years.
The tower would only benefits Verizon customers: Verizon would be required to sublease the tower to other carriers. Everyone who has cell service in Haddonfield would benefit.
The Borough did not get a good deal: Some have claimed that Verizon or a similar carrier should be paying hundreds of thousands per year to lease the land. Based on our research, there is no evidence to support a significantly higher lease than what was negotiated.
The tower will adversely affect home values: The real estate market in Haddonfield is strong, with home listings often selling in a matter of days and with multiple offers above the asking price. I have not received one concern from a Realtor that a tower near a residential neighborhood would cause home values to drop. In fact, I have spoken to Realtors that have told me that some home buyers test to see how strong cell service is in the home before buying.
The cell tower is being placed in a park: The proposed tower would be sited in the Public Works facility next to a wooded area. The Public Works facility is so isolated that many residents are not aware of its location. The area is currently used for storage that would be moved to another location within Public Works. Very few people ever venture into this area and the trees in the park area will block much of the tower from public view.
Deed restrictions: There have been other issues such as deed restrictions on the site that can be resolved. The parcel in question has changed back and forth with the County several times in the last century. Several times in the last fifty years the Borough has worked to untangle the Public Works facility in the deed from the County when it was conveyed to the Borough.
In conclusion …
I hope everyone will take a good look at the proposal and see that the benefits of a cell tower far exceed any negatives. It won’t benefit future generations if Haddonfield is known as a great town with lousy cell service.
Haddonfield should embrace this opportunity to strengthen our connectivity for the future. Part of the mandate for the Commissioners — present and future — is investing into the infrastructure of Haddonfield, including strong, reliable cell and data service for everyone!
It is my hope that the candidates and future commissioners will show leadership on an issue that affects the quality of life for everyone in Haddonfield.
NJPen has reported that Mark Rusc, a Board of Commissioners candidate, “faces a cease-and-desist from Disabled American Veterans over his use of its seal.”
Rusc is a disabled veteran and a member of the organization. “However,” writes NJPen publisher Matt Skoufalos, “DAV forbids its membership from explicitly supporting candidates or giving the appearance that the organization supports any candidate.”
Rusc has used the image on his website, lawn signs, and Jeep.
Read the NJPen story HERE.
Denim BYOB, a restaurant at the rear of 116 Kings Highway East, is closing. Owner Dave Murray has arranged for Anthony Lipot, formerly of Braddock’s Tavern (Medford) and The Black Swan (Princeton), to take over the space. He will open Wanda BYOB early in April.
READ ALL ABOUT IT — HERE, courtesy of Matt Skoufalos and NJPen.com.