GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP — Township Council switched its health care provider Tuesday in an effort to save money.
Officials selected the state Health Benefits Program. Mayor Don Purdy said he hopes the change will result in savings, especially for a claim that costs a lot of money.
The move will also mean the township will have fixed budget costs, so planning the budget will be easier, said Township Manager Arch Liston. Purdy said the township had underestimated how much the costs would be in previous years.
Liston said he discussed the move with the unions, and they were on board with it.
Councilman Brian Tyrrell said a self-insured system is usually beneficial when an entity has at least 400 employees. Approximately 134 township employees are under the township’s health care plan.
In other business:
Township Council will consider candidates for an empty council seat during a special meeting 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall. Purdy said they will interview three candidates submitted by the county's Republican Party and possibly choose the new member. The process will be open to the public, he said.
The candidates are former Atlantic City police Chief John Mooney, attorney Robert Chester and former Planning Board member Frank Lucarelli.
Mike Brandenberger, director of the township's Office of Emergency Management, said the township joined the Nixle system, which sends texts and emails to inform residents of emergency notifications. Brandenberger said this would have been beneficial during the June 30 storm because text messaging was the only way to communicate. Residents can register at nixle.com or by texting the zip code 08205 to 888777.
The council also adopted a new procedure to allow police to better enforce the rules at its skate park.
Under the ordinance adopted at the meeting, police can now confiscate equipment from people who use the skate park at the municipal complex and do not follow the rules.
If a rider is warned by police and continues to disobey the rules the officer can confiscate an item such as a skateboard or bicycle. The resident, or his or her parents, would then have to pay a $65 processing fee to get the item returned.
The township has closed the park several times in the past month as they spotted infractions.
Contact Joel Landau:
609-272-7215
Follow Joel Landau on Twitter @landaupressofac
