Middle Township Announces Plans to Modernize Public Works & Sewer Departments

COURT HOUSE – After months of work by its Motor Pool to assess the condition of various vehicles and equipment, Middle Township has identified those items that are no longer worth repairing. Deputy Mayor Dan Lockwood noted, “Unfortunately, this is another area where long-term planning was lacking. Ideally the Township would have replaced vehicles and equipment systematically to prevent a spike in spending and reduce maintenance costs. That didn’t happen, but now it will. Now we will focus on the future and what should be prioritized.”
The Public Works Department and its Motor Pool Division service all of the equipment and vehicles for the Township, including the Police Department. Over the last two years they have struggled to keep older vehicles and equipment working while still providing the services that residents need.
“There is more to this than equipment working,” said Lockwood. “By replacing older equipment and vehicles we are creating a safer work environment and giving our hard-working employees the tools they need and deserve, which will improve morale and productivity.”
The preliminary estimate for the proposed replacement plan is $750,000, which will be added to the capital budget plan implemented in 2015. The number of services provided by Middle Township and the mandatory maintenance required by State guidelines make it necessary to have a large variety of equipment. Through the modernization of these items Middle Township can also take advantage of recent technology, such as GPS tracking and GIS mapping. Additionally, upgrades to several sewer pump stations will prolong the life of expensive pumps and reduce the regular maintenance of these stations.
“The fact that this analysis and plan was developed in-house by our dedicated employees instead of paid professionals is a great thing—after all, employees are on the front line and know better than anyone what works and what we need to run our town well,” added Lockwood. “We are proud that improvements in budgeting and planning have enabled the Township to implement these improvements earlier than originally anticipated.”