MANCHESTER – More land preserved in the township and the need to preserve a vital program for seniors were among the many topics discussed during the latest Township Council meeting.
Mayor Robert Arace was pleased to announce the final phase of a plan for Ocean County to purchase land within the township had been performed.
“For 18 months we’ve worked with the Ocean County Natural Land Trust Fund. There has been a piece of land on Route 571 by Ridgeway Manor,” the mayor said. He noted that an Affordable Housing settlement from several years ago led to a home development project.
The mayor said, “we have been trying to reduce as much development within that corridor as possible and on August 7 the Ocean County Board of Commissioners voted to acquire 89 acres that will stop 440 homes from being built.”
“That was actually the largest acquisition by price that the county has ever done – $25.5 million that the township did not contribute monetarily. The county fully covered that cost. I feel this is a big win for the town,” Mayor Arace noted.
Meals On Wheels
Senior Services liaison Judy Noonan and Councilman James Vaccaro both noted a resolution supporting the federal Meals on Wheels program which is facing funding cuts.
Advocates are also calling for expanded access and social connection for older adults because funding cuts to the OAA will directly impact Meals on Wheels of Ocean County and will result in loss of services.
Around 1,000 meals are delivered daily to homebound, food insecure, economically disadvantaged, and socially isolated seniors. The county also hosts Stafford Community Cafe and Outreach services.
Noonan said seniors cannot afford to lose their daily meals as well as the all-important wellness and safety check that is provided by the program every day.
According to a recent Meals on Wheels of Ocean County survey:
• 97% are satisfied with the quality and variety of food
• 69% of participants do not have a hot meal on days meals are not delivered
• 99% feel more confident living independently receiving home delivered meals
• 98% eat a more balanced diet due to meal delivery
• 95% receiving daily home delivered meals make them feel less lonely
• 62% report less doctor visits and hospitalizations due to the services they receive
“No senior will ever go hungry in Ocean County,” Vaccaro said regarding the need for strong support of this program. He also thanked Noonan for bringing up the subject during the public comment period.
Gun Range Use
Police Chief Antonio Ellis clarified resident Hank Glenn’s question concerning the use of a gun range in Stafford Township by officers of the police department.
Glenn wanted to know why the officers were shooting over at the Southern Ocean County facility instead of locally. “We spent thousands and thousands of dollars on our range out in Manchester. Why can’t we use that range instead of us sending people down to Little Egg Harbor which takes 45 minutes to get there and takes (police) cars out of service?”
Chief Ellis explained, “We aren’t using that range for our officers to qualify. We are still using our range to qualify our officers semi-annually. This is strictly to have access to that facility for additional training that the Sheriff’s Department is offering us. It is additional training that the county is giving us and we are having access to it outside of the scope of what we do at our range.”
“Councilman (James) Hankins asked me about that as well. We are not doing any qualifications down there,” the chief assured Glenn.
Familiar Names On The Ballot
Councilman James Vaccaro gave thanks to those who signed petitions, a requirement of the township’s non-partisan form of government for him, Councilman Craig Wallis and Councilwoman Michele Zolezi who will each appear on the November ballot. The three council members are Republicans.