MANCHESTER – The governing body approved an ordinance prohibiting the operation of any cannabis businesses in town.
Manchester is among a large number of Ocean County communities that have introduced or approved such an ordinance. Each municipality in the state has until August 22 to opt out or opt in with some restrictions to the sale and cultivation of cannabis.
Under state law, the default is that all towns would opt in automatically at that date and not be able to opt out for a period of five years. However, if they opt out now, they can opt in later.
A public hearing on this ordinance wase held during the Township Council’s most recent meeting. Councilman James Vaccaro and Councilman Robert Hudak (now serving as mayor) headed a committee to examine any marijuana sales and growth in the municipality and stated during a prior meeting that the time frame the State provided didn’t allow for full investigation of the issue and that only a few site locations would be possible.
Councilman Vaccaro called for the Council to develop regulations opposing growth and sale of marijuana in Manchester prior to the ballot question last November which legalized recreational marijuana use. The council unanimously voted to introduce the ordinance during its first meeting in June.
“I want to thank my colleagues on the town council for the actions taken tonight approving the introduction of ordinance 21-21 prohibiting the operation and growth of recreational marijuana within Manchester Township,” Vaccaro said.
Only one resident spoke during the public hearing. Rory Wells, the chair of the Township’s Environmental Commission, commended the council for the ordinance stating that such dispensaries “do not meet the character and quality of life that we are seeking to have here in Manchester Township. In terms of actual recreational sales, I am glad we are taking this step. If someone wants these products they can go to another town and use them in the privacy of their home.”
Police Body Cameras And Resolutions
Also approved was an ordinance concerning equipping all members of the Township Police department with body cameras. This is a requirement by the State for all police departments. The ordinance calls for the township to appropriate $210,000 to finance the cost of that purchase.
Some funds were received for that expenditure from the State. “We did receive grant money for those,” Township Clerk Sabina Martin confirmed. Council members voted unanimously to introduce that measure which will also be heard on second reading on June 28.
Council passed a resolution for a mutual aid agreement with the school district that allowed their school buses to be used for summer recreational programs of the township.
The Council rejected a bid from Uniform Supply and Cleaning for around $55,000. “We didn’t anticipate it being that high so we are rejecting the bids for that,” Martin added.
An agreement was made for the purchase of fire truck and apparatus for $509,445.11.
Martin said the township received a $323,600 grant for the third phase of a road improvement project and bids are being advertised for it.
Land Sales
The Council moved ahead on its land sale of 1314 Englemere Boulevard. A minimum bid was set at $5,212 according to Township Attorney Kelsey McGuckin Anthony. Resident Adrian Torino made the minimum bid. No other bids came in and the council voted to accept the bid.
Another land sale was approved for property on 728 Monmouth Avenue. It has a $20,000 minimum bid and is a 25 by 100 square foot lot.
Also approved was an ordinance permitting a land sale for property on 1232 Madison Avenue which is a 50 by 100 square foot lot with a minimum bid of $45,000, according to Martin.
Property on 105 Central Avenue which is “a 20 by 100 lot and the minimum on that is $1,042” was also approved.
The last property approved for sale included a 20 by 100 lot Manchester Boulevard property with a $1,042 minimum bid.
Energy Master Plan Revisited
Councilman Vaccaro continued to encourage Council members to discuss formulating and implementing a 10-year energy master plan “applicable to Manchester Township which encompasses alternative sources of renewable energy of wind, geothermal and solar energy.”
He noted that auto companies would convert many of their fleet to electric by around 2025 and “thus we must begin now considering installation of high-speed electric charging stations that will surely be needed in the near future.”
Vaccaro said that applicants for land development and national policy makers “are trying to move away from internal combustible engines and move to battery power as a way to curb climate change. Large to medium size truck manufactures are looking to hydrogen gas to propel future truck fleets.”
