Councilman Describes Spring Projects Around Toms River

Column as submitted by Councilman Jeffrey Carr:

Spring is here and so is baseball and yard work.  When heading outside wearing old clothes and work gloves to mulch your flower beds and gardens, consider where you’ll get your mulch from.  Free mulch is available from the Township’s Public Works Department.  If you just need a small load, you can pick it up at Public Works.  For those big yard projects, you can have the Public Works Department deliver a load right to your driveway. Whether you pick it up or have it delivered, it’s free of charge to all Township taxpayers.  Since this program began last October, Public Works has delivered over 1,000 cubic yards of mulch to Township residents to help beautify our properties.

Mulch isn’t the only good thing happening at your Toms River Township Public Works Department.  Recycling plays a major role in this department. Not only do their efforts help protect the environment, but it is a major source of revenue for the Township. The curbside recyclable pick‐up generated over $340,000 in revenue to the Township through the County Revenue Sharing Program.  The Recycling Center generated an additional $178,000 from recycled batteries, computers, electronics, motor oils and scrap metal that was dropped off by residents at the recycling center.

A Clean Communities Grant provided the Township with funds in excess of $171,000. These funds are used for the clean‐up of public properties.  This includes properties such as bus shelters, open space areas, beach front areas and sections along the bay. The Township also received a Recycling Tonnage Grant from the NJDEP in the amount of $203,334. This grant was funded by a recycling tax on haulers dropping off waste at the landfill.  So the next time you’re mulching your flower beds, recycling that outdated computer or wheeling your recycling container to the curb, you can do so with a big smile on your face. You’ve just spruced up your yard with some free mulch, helped the environment by recycling and generated revenue to your Township as a reward for all of your good efforts. That’s a lot for you and your Public Works Department to be proud of.

Hard work isn’t the only thing for Toms River residents to do on a weekend.  After all, it’s baseball season. With the Toms River Little League and the Toms River East Little League seasons underway, there’s plenty going on in town. Whether you’re there to see your child, a grandchild, a neighbor or just there to enjoy America’s favorite past time, there’s nothing more exciting than some hometown baseball.

If you’re looking for a leisurely way to spend your time, one of the Township’s ocean or bay beaches is a good choice. Or perhaps the Township pool would suit you better. Your municipal golf course at Bey Lea is in excellent shape and improvements in the planning stages include a half‐way house on the course, additional golf programs and enhancements to the club house facilities. One of the many things we do on the Council is to look for ways to improve the Township’s recreational facilities for the benefit of the residents. This includes better ways to fund them, improve maintenance, and make them safer and more accessible to our residents.

There are so many things that Toms River Township offers our residents. Be sure to check out the Township website at www.tomsrivertownship.com . I’m sure you’ll find something exciting.

There are also several ongoing projects that are worth mentioning their status. The municipal parking garage continues to move forward. While this is a short term inconvenience, the completed project will have long term benefits. The Adams Avenue detention basin will soon start construction.  The $1.9 million project is funded entirely at no cost to the taxpayers through a grant provided by the State. This project will provide improved stormwater management for a drainage area of over 200 acres.  At the same time, it will provide improved water quality to the Barnegat Bay.

 The official ground breaking ceremony for the new animal shelter and municipal court expansion was held on . The completion of the project is estimated to be 18 months. While less publicized, yet just as important, the Council has reviewed our Township infrastructure as part of this year’s capital improvement budget. An aggressive will continue throughout this year to provide much needed improvements to the Township’s roadway system. Township wide drainage improvements are also a priority that tops the list of Council recommended capital improvement projects.

While there are many exciting things in Toms River Township to report about, these are just some of the highlights. As the newest Council member, I look forward to serving the Township residents in continuing to keep Toms River one of the best places to live, work and play.  I welcome the opportunity to hear your thoughts about how your Council can better serve the residents of Toms River. Please feel free to e‐mail me your thoughts and comments to jcarr@tomsrivertownship.com. Have a safe and fun summer.

Councilman Jeffrey Carr