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PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE www.pinebarrenstribune.com
Vol. 2 - No. 4
@PineBarrensNews
facebook.com/pinebarrenstribune
The News Leader of the Pines
September 23–29, 2017
PHOTO SUBMITTED
A view of Tabernacle Rescue apparatus.
Public Safety Overhaul Planned in Tabernacle Officials Also Weigh Town Hall Renovations Versus New Construction By Mark Hatoff
For the Pine Barrens Tribune
TABERNACLE—Discussions on a proposed ordinance that would create a public safety department and a public safety director position for Tabernacle Township once again dominated a Tabernacle Township Committee meeting. The latest meeting on Sept. 11, previously scheduled for Aug. 28, lasted 2½ hours, an hour and 20 minutes of which was spent discussing the proposed ordinance. Mayor Stephen Lee IV, during a July 24 township committee meeting, said the purpose
behind the ordinance is to create one streamlined organization consisting of the Tabernacle Division of Fire, Division of Emergency Medical and Rescue Services and the Office of Emergency Management. Although the ordinance draft before the committee on Sept. 11 was a rewrite, it still sparked much debate among committee members and the audience attending the meeting. The primary point of contention was over billing.
As spelled out in the latest draft, the township would take over all billing for the three entities, be the ultimate recipient of funds and decide how the funds would be spent. “I just want to take all of the resources and put them in one place,” Lee said. “I absolutely don’t have any interest in nickel-and-diming.” Committeewoman Kim Brown disagreed with Lee. “In theory, you want (the rescue squad) to fund all of emergency services,” she said. Lee said Brown’s statement was inaccurate.
“There’s a line item in the budget that funds all of emergency services,” he said. “Theoretically, it’s all taxpayer money.” Committeeman Joseph Barton agreed with Lee on the billing issue. “I want to have the public safety director be responsible for all billing; whether it’s fire, EMS or rescue,” he said. Committeeman Richard Franzen said that he thought that the discussion was getting off track. “I don’t want us to get involved in billing,”
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