Dear Neighbors,

Welcome to the latest edition of the Mount Laurel First E-News letter.

I apologize for the delay between letters but I have been very busy. 

If you have news that you think should be included in my next E-News letter, please send me the information at JimKeenan@MountLaurelFirst.com
Remember that this E-News letter is dedicated to Mount Laurel news.

Two Important Issues for Mount Laurel:
 First - COAH (Council On Affordable Housing) is a Governor appointed Council which is connected with the Community Development Department of the State Agency.  COAH has recently announced changes to the Affordable Housing requirements of municipalities throughout the State.  They have changed the requirements from 1 affordable housing unit for every 9 units built in Mount Laurel to 1 for every 5 units that are built.  Mount Laurel has complied with its build out planning and had planned for the 1 in 9 regulations.  Now COAH is changing the numbers AND they are making the requirements retroactive to years prior to June 2008.  So Mount Laurel will need to adjust it's numbers AND the Township will be unable to have the developers and builders from the past contribute to the townships new requirements.
 Second - The State Legislature has removed a very important option that Mount Laurel could use to satisfy its affordable housing requirements.  It is called the RCA agreements.  RCA stands for Regional Contribution Agreements and COAH has always allowed municipalities to transfer up to about 50% of its affordable housing quota to other municipalities who would agree to accept money to build or use this money to repair and upkeep its existing affordable housing units.  Last month, the State Assembly and Senate approved bills that would eliminate this option from municipalities and would will force Mount Laurel and others to build ALL of the units in their town. 
 Recapping these two issues - COAH has increased Mount Laurel's obligation from an estimated 900 units to over 1400 units AND the State Legislation has now said that ALL units must be built in Mount Laurel. 

Township Budget Introduced:  The 2008 Municipal Budget was introduced at the July 7, 2008 Council Meeting.  The budget has a ZERO increase in taxes for the taxpayers of Mount Laurel even though the State cut Municipal aid by $370,000 and increased the townships pension contribution by over $640,000.  The Council had insisted that the Manager have no change in the tax rate but asked that the level of service to the community stay the same and seek to improve these services where possible.  This is a tough year for the taxpayers of Mount Laurel and Council needed to do its part with rising costs to the residents.  The Manager asked the department heads to decrease their operating expenses by 10 percent from the 2007 level and most departments were able to comply.  Council also reduced its debt service by canceling unused bond issues and reallocating some for use in other areas.  The Council had asked and we are currently on a hiring freeze (except for essential personnel).  

Mount Laurel Fall Festival: The Fall Festival is scheduled for Saturday, September 20, 2008 - 11am until 4pm.  The rain date is set for the following day.  This year the theme will be Old West, so wear your cowboy hat and gear. 

5K Run / Walk: Prior to the start of the Festival we will have the annual 5K Run / Walk.  That's correct, we have altered the race this year to include walkers.  The Run / Walk will start at 8:30am.  We are also adding a 6 year old and younger short course to kick off the race of the day.  We will have the young children run a 100 yard dash thru the finish line to add some excitement to this event.  This is all being set up by Mike Ricci, who is the coach for the Mount Laurel Striders, a track group that he formed years ago.  So show your support and add your enthusiasm by showing up bright and early.  This event will take place RAIN or shine on Saturday, September 20, 2008 - the 6 and younger run will begin at 8:15am and the Run / Walk will start at 8:30am.  We will be in the park for registration at 7am. Next month I will have the registration form linked online for you to print out. 

Report Graffiti: The township is committed to cleaning up any graffiti around town, so please let me know if you see any.  To report graffiti in Mount Laurel simply click on this link: Report Graffiti and tell me the location and the cross streets nearby.  If the link above does not work, simply email me at my Council email address of JimKeenan08054@gmail.com and put the word "Graffiti" in the subject line and I will forward your report to the Township Manager to alert the proper departments to note the incident and then remove it from Mount Laurel.

Report a Pothole:  With the weather changing from cold to warm and back to cold again, potholes will seem to form overnight.  To report a pothole in Mount Laurel simply click on this link; Report a Pothole and tell me the name of the street that the pothole is located on and the closest intersection.  If the link does not work, simply email me at my Council email address of JimKeenan08054@gmail.com and put the word "Pothole" in the subject line and I will forward your report to the Township Manager to alert the Public Works Department.  Thank you for your assistance in this matter. 
 

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,