Time has run out for those who were seeking to put a referendum on the November ballot asking West Windsor residents their opinions regarding the scope and scale of the Princeton Junction train station redevelopment.##M:[more]##
Earlier this month, Councilman Will Anklowitz was unable to draw up any support from his council colleagues to put a referendum on the ballot to gauge residents’ view on redevelopment. Almost immediately after, Fisher place resident Pete Weale and Mike Ranallo, a Trenton resident and West Windsor property owner, began trying to collect the necessary 1,”200 signatures needed to petition a referendum by August 22, the deadline the township must meet for any referendums to be placed on the ballot.
However, as the day drew to a close on August 22, there simply were not enough signatures.
“We didn’t lose the game; we ran out of time,” the two said in a statement to the press. “We feel confident out accomplishments in trying to provide township taxpayers choices within the past two weeks has eclipsed the township’s seven years, and over $1 million spent without voter approval.”
In the statement, the two men referenced township officials’ comments that the cost of a referendum would be very expensive, “yet we were earlier goaded by West Windsor Council to get its 50 percent council salary increase on the ballot.”
“Council viewed its salary increase as an appropriate expenditure but to this date, has deemed providing the voters a choice on the biggest project in township history to be a waste of money.”
The two men have refused to release the number of signatures actually collected. “The bottom line is we didn’t get the signatures, but we didn’t get a total number we needed until late Friday afternoon, and that was the day we were supposed to hand them in,” said Ranallo. “We didn’t get a lot of the stuff we needed from the township.”
Still, he said, “I think the response from the commuters and people who we spoke to was fantastic. Everybody had a lot of input. The main question they asked was why something like this wasn’t done first.” Ranallo also said that as of August 26, the two men were still receiving E-mails from concerned residents and people were still bringing their signatures in person to the township building. “We just want to give a big thank you to everybody who took the time to sign them.”
Fuel Spill at Grovers Mill Pond. As dredging of the Grover’s Mill Pond carries on, progress is moving smoothly, with only one minor incident — a five-gallon diesel spill — reported to the township since work began in the beginning of August, Bob Hary, the township’s health officer reported to council on August 18.
“That has been taken care of,” however, Hary reported, adding that everything else has been going fine. The $4.97 million project, which is being managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and performed by Select Transportation Inc. of Ohio, is intended to restore the pond ecosystem to sustain the wildlife native to the area.
The project entails removing approximately 50,”000 cubic yards of silt and organic matter from the bottom of the existing pond, without draining the pond. The silt is being piped to an 11-acre confined disposal facility located on township-owned property near the upstream end of the pond. The dredging and water work is scheduled to be completed at the end of October.
Other business. In other business during the meeting, the council discussed the post office’s new hours, in which it does not open until 10 a.m. on weekdays.
“To me, when a window doesn’t open until 10 a.m., I would like them to understand that it is an inconvenience,” said Councilwoman Heidi Kleinman.
Deputy Township Clerk Gay Huber reported to the township that she researched the issue, and it seems that on a federal level, most post offices are opening later because many have automated systems that allow people to mail packages and buy stamps without needing to wait on line to see the post office staff.
Council also approved the purchases of a 2009 Ford F250 pickup truck, at $29,”991; a 2009 Ford F550 Mason Dump Truck, at $53,”635; and two 2009 Ford F250 Pickup Trucks worth a total $62,”346; from Ditschman/Flemington Ford Fleet Sales in Flemington for use by the Department of Public Works.
