Donohue Delivers ‘State of the Township’ Address

COURT HOUSE – The Middle Township Chamber of Commerce held its annual gathering Feb. 21, at which the Middle Township mayor delivered the State of the Township Address at the Bellevue Tavern.
This year, the address was given by Mayor Timothy Donohue who recently reassumed the position following the November 2018 elections. 
On the Move
Donohue’s presentation focused on the township’s effort to foster responsible growth through new development and its sensitivity to continuous improvement in the quality of life for its residents.
Speaking to the township’s business leaders, Donohue said the municipality had to take a business-like approach to better government. 
He cited a need for sound financial management, including a stable tax rate and an expanding ratable base. He said the township was actively facilitating responsible business development while also seeking savings and efficiencies in municipal operations.
As evidence, Donohue pointed to the fact that the local municipal rate covering all municipal services is just over 25 percent of the 2018 total property tax rate. Calling it a “good bang for the buck,” Donohue calculated that the owner of a median-valued property in the township pays $3.31 a day for all municipal services.
Donohue provided a chart to show a steady five years of ratable increases with the township increasing its base by over $33 million in that period or 12.3 percent. He announced that he was projecting a zero tax rate increase for 2019. 
Township Redevelopment
Donohue then turned his attention to economic development initiatives fitting with his theme of active growth in the county’s largest municipality.
A number of the projects have been proposed for areas that the township declared rehabilitation or redevelopment zones which allow the municipality to set attractive terms for commercial developers.
His PowerPoint presentation focused on a Delco proposed apartment and townhouse community. The proposed project, with a projected 75 townhomes for sale and 144 apartments for rent would be located on the site of the Vandrasco property running along Railroad Avenue behind the shopping center that houses Walmart, Lowe’s and the soon-to-be-relocated Marshalls.
A 20 percent set aside for affordable housing would also help the township continue to meet its obligations under state law.
Donohue said another developer, Atlantic Cape Builders, was preparing a concept plan for township consideration. The developer is looking at the designated redevelopment zone on Indian Trail Road. Part of the 80 acres of developable land is owned by the township and valued at $1.5 million.
Lastly, Donohue looked to a potential development, probably further off than the first two, which would seek to place a 102-room Hampton Inn on Design Collaborative property near the Garden State Parkway location at Exit 10 North. 
Downtown Streetscape Project
The presentation turned to the township’s recent grant proposal to support a $1.4 million rebuilding of the town’s center involving the blocks of Mechanic and Main streets along with Hand Avenue. The project calls for creating a new traffic loop through the congested area, converting Mechanic Street to one-way traffic west and Hand Avenue also one-way east.
The proposal includes new, angled parking designations, wider sidewalks, community spaces, and a share-the-road bike program connection to the township’s bike path.
The entire effort would link to safety improvements and the beautification of the downtown space. 
Quality of Life Improvements
Donohue highlighted four funded county Open Space projects that bring with them improvements to the quality of life for residents.
The projects include construction of the bike path north, completing the path that allows bike enthusiasts to traverse the entire length of the township.
He also highlighted the planned new park in Rio Grande off of Railroad Avenue, which will include a dog park, basketball, tennis and pickleball courts, a connection to the bike path with a bike repair station and racks for those who stop to visit the park, bocce courts, water fountains and a gazebo with picnic tables.
The third of the four projects was the replacement and extension of the Avalon Fishing Pier which will once again make available a popular fishing spot and make the area accessible to the handicapped through extensive ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) improvements.
Lastly, Donohue cited the already begun improvements to the Martin Luther King Community Center tennis courts that will also bring pickleball to the complex.
Tuesdays in July received attention as Donohue announced five summer concerts each Tuesday in mid-summer at the Ockie Wisting Recreation Complex. 
Capital Plans and Infrastructure Improvements
Donohue’s focus then shifted to the township’s capital spending plans, highlighting the proposed partnership with the Lower Township MUA (Municipal Utility Authority) that would bring water to Del Haven residents.
He spoke of the 2019 road and drainage program which is in the planning stage, although he cited the need for attention at Gibbs Street and West Atlantic Avenue.
Noting that the Grassy Sound sewer project is online, Donohue said the township would be working with the county MUA to find solutions to the recent hikes in fees for sewer flow.
In the short term, he promised thorough study of MUA billing issues. Longer term, Donohue said the township would develop a plan for sewer system maintenance and modernization. 
Form of Government
Donohue noted that the Citizen’s Advisory Board looking at possible changes to the township’s form of government had held meetings throughout the township. He added that the board has interviewed present and former elected officials, visited other towns and researched the allowable forms in New Jersey.
Donohue expects recommendations from the group to the governing body in late spring 2019. 
Safer than Ever
The evening concluded with a presentation by Chief of Police Christopher Leusner who summarized aspects of the 2018 Police Department Annual Report.
Leusner pointed to several things when he declared that the township is safer than it has ever been, but the most telling statistic was the Uniform Crime Report statistics on offenses in the year. For 2018, that number was 449, down from 497 in 2017. However, that same statistic in 2012 stood at 950.
Leusner credited the dramatic drop in six years to township support of the department. “The investment in the police department has paid off,” Leusner said. He noted that the township support has been there through different administrations with different parties in control of the governing body.
For Leusner, the financial support from the township did not just mean added resources for enforcement of the laws. Although he did cite the work of the Street Crimes Unit, which was made possible by the additional funding, Leusner said the support meant that the department could focus on both enforcement and the equally important efforts at education and prevention.
Leusner, a proponent of community policing, highlighted the department’s efforts at youth engagement through activities like the summer youth camp and the expanded programs in the township’s school.
What energized Leusner was discussion of new training for officers in how best to handle childhood trauma. The chief spoke of a new program that resulted in 204 “handle with care” notices to school officials, not because a student had been in trouble with police, but because the youth had recently been exposed to psychological or physical trauma that teachers and school officials should be aware of.
A believer in what is increasingly known as adverse childhood experiences, where the experience of childhood trauma can have a lasting impact which may manifest itself in self-destructive or criminal behavior later in life, Leusner has focused his officers on how best to handle children who have been exposed to traumatic events.
Leusner went on to cite improvements in crime prevention in Rio Grande, pointing to the increasing value for the community of the substation in that part of the township.
Noting lower crash and injury statistics, lower property crimes and other signs of improvement, Leusner could only touch lightly on the mountain of data available in the over 50-page annual report.
The report is available at https://bit.ly/2U2NDnJ
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.