METERS

Continued from Page 14 that has upset many older residents who prefer the cash option.

Resident Vincent Frantantoni, who has run several coin-operated laundry businesses on Washington Avenue for many years, said customers have expressed their dissatisfaction about the switch. He said it appears the slots in some reconfigured meter heads have been sealed to prevent insertion of coins.

“I hope we can reverse this,” he told the mayor and council members. Melham acknowledged that, “we are still getting complaints” conceded that a segment of the township’s population “is not going to get the (parking) app or put in credit cards.”

But the mayor defended the new policy as contributing to a more efficient and safer meter parking system, with local parking enforcement officers no longer having to spend time opening meter heads and extracting cash to deposit in a local bank which can refuse to accept unrolled coins, according to township CFO Frank DeMaria.

To those unhappy with the change, Melham asserted, “We say, ‘Evolve with the times.’”

In a separate parking-related development, Police Chief Mark Minichini said the police department’s traffic unit is in the process of updating the township’s reserved resident handicap parking space assignments.

Residents were advised in a Feb. 2 township website posting had 30 days to submit permit-renewal applications. “Failure to respond within 30 business days will result in the removal of your sign and space,” the notice warned. Permits must be renewed annually. Currently, 316 residents have permits, according to Police Sgt. Frank Pignataro, traffic bureau head.