A resolution on taxi regulation and E-waste recycling discontinuation were the main topics at the January 11 Council meeting.
Council voted 4-1 to approve a resolution supporting state legislation that would establish identification, insurance, and safety requirements for mobile application transportation companies such as Uber.
Council member Ayesha Hamilton voted against the resolution, explaining the township should not weigh in and ask the “legislature to protect one business model over another.”
Existing ordinances regulate the taxi industry, and the current situation is a matter of enforcement, Hamilton said. Township police have been ticketing and fining Uber drivers, many of whom pick up fares at the train station, for improper insurance.
Council member Peter Mendonez said he was initially undecided on the resolution, but local taxi companies had requested support.
Council member Alison Miller also said she did not see the resolution as an endorsement of one business model over another.
“To me, all we’re saying is, ‘legislator, even the playing field and support safety measures that are already guaranteed in existing taxis,’ Miller said. “It doesn’t say anything about the cost of the ride. They still have to compete.”
E-waste recycling ends. Business Administrator Marlena Schmid announced the suspension of E-waste recycling. E-waste includes electronics such as TV sets, computers, and printers. The vendor previously accepted E-waste from the township free of charge, but sought to charge $30,000 for 2016.
Schmid said recycling demand for E-waste is down, noting this is no different from when the township experienced vendor surcharges for yard brush collection several years ago when demand for that service dropped.
The township recycled 48 tons of E-waste in 2014 and is exploring other recycling avenues. Schmid said several neighboring towns give their E-waste to a nonprofit.
For residents with E-waste to get rid of, the township still provides two dumpster days a year. The next one is June 4. Mercer County also has five E-waste collection days this year; and the next one is Saturday, February 20, on South Broad Street across from the County Administration building in Trenton.
Residents will still be able to dispose metal items for Tuesday Public Works pickup: refrigerators, washers, air conditioning units, gas grills, microwaves, lawn mowers, and car batteries.
Affordable housing update. The bills are racking up. Council approved a $75,000 agreement to continue to retain Darlene Green of Maser Consulting for planning services.
Council also approved the establishment of an escrow account for the retention of Richard Reading, a specialist in affordable housing calculations, for the litigation brought by Avalon Watch. The company is challenging affordable housing rental controls previously extended for 103 units in Avalon Princeton Junction. Another specialist, planner Elizabeth McKenzie, was retained for the lawsuit last month.
The township splits the costs with Avalon.
South Post Road update. Mercer County has hired a consultant to explore methods to limit the noise impact from performances at the Mercer County Park Festival Grounds amphitheater. Council member Alison Miller has been in contact with the Mercer County Department of Community Services, which will seek a future meeting with township residents.
Cranbury Road sidewalk. Cranbury Road resident John Jones questioned the necessity of a sidewalk four feet wide. He suggested narrower sidewalks might be more suitable for parts of the road adjacent to steep embankments.
Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh said four-foot sidewalk standards were issued several years ago, and Schmid added certain construction grants require conforming with standards. Township attorney Michael Herbert also noted that compliance with certain standards better protects the township from liability, for example when someone sues after a sidewalk injury.
In other news, Council approved a four-year solid waste collection contract with Waste Management for $2.3 million. Council also approved a redeveloper’s agreement with Artis Senior Living, the company behind the proposed memory care facility on Alexander Road.
