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Fire Safety Tips

As the nicer weather is approaching please remember the safety practices when you are using outdoor fire places. Open, burning recreational fire and portable outdoor fireplaces can pose some safety hazards. Homeowners enjoy fire pits and outdoor fireplaces for warmth, recreation and cooking. Increase your enjoyment of outdoor fires by knowing you’re doing all you can to burn cleanly, safely, and responsibly for your family, neighbors and community. Here are ways you can enjoy them responsibly. Merchantville does not require homeowners to obtain a permit for fire pits however, a permit is required for commercial properties. Here are some tips from the Merchantville Fire Department and the EPA. If anyone has any questions regarding safe practices do not hesitate to contact us at (856) 662-0900.

Published in Boro, Wellness

Bunny Tour & Egg Hunt

The Borough of Merchantville will be holding two family events - an Easter Bunny Drive-by and and Egg Hunt - to celebrate the Easter holiday this weekend! The drive-by tour will take place this Friday, March 26th, beginning at 5:00 p.m. and will begin on the east side of town and travel towards the west side. The downtown Easter Egg Hunt will take place along Rails-to-Trails path on Saturday morning, March 27th. This is a day-long activity without a central meeting point. Eggs will be scattered on the path and along the downtown business district where children can hunt and collect. Residents are encouraged to post and share their Egg Hunt photos on the Borough or Public Events Facebook pages while participating. Thank you to the town and our community volunteers for providing some fun holiday activities!

Published in Notices, Life

Caucus Meeting 3/22/21

The scheduled 4th Monday of the month Borough Council Caucus meeting will be held on Monday, March 22, 2021, at 7:30pm. The Agenda includes approval of the e Employee Handbook and Manual and an ordinance to amend 83A on Tobacco Products. Please join the meeting via Zoom at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88289929355?pwd=YlBwZHpuczVWMHZWOFJsU21TYXdpZz09. Meeting ID: 882 8992 9355 Passcode: 070207. Municipal Codes are available online here.

Published in Notices

Mayors Speak at PMAC

Merchantville Mayor Ted Brennan and Pennsauken Mayor Marco DiBattista were the guest speakers at a virtual meeting of the Pennsauken-Merchantville Area Chamber of Commerce (PMAC), held on Wednesday, March 10, via Zoom at noon. Tim Ellis moderated the event with updates from both municipalities about the past year. Mayor Brennan thanked PMAC and gave an overview on meeting the business challenges, in 2020-21, when most of the borough's resources were allocated to fighting the pandemic at the government level. Merchantville has responded to needs of residents and businesses by reassigning municipal personnel and appointing an Executive Order czar to repackage and disseminate information about federal and state grant and loan funding opportunities through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Mayor Brennan underscored the unique nature and bond between government and businesses, and commended Merchantville's residents for their response and support of businesses during the past 12 months. Mayor Brennan shared the Borough's successful drive to break down digital barriers to get seniors registered and took the opportunity to encourage all to get vaccinated. Mayor Brennan ended his remarks underscoring the promise of 2021 and sharing his desire to capture the potential and energy that an influx of new residents from Philadelphia hold. He also spoke about plans for a less intense redevelopment featuring a pedestrian walkway with arts and entertainment area connecting Merchantville's multi-use path with anchor businesses like Eclipse Brewing and The Station Coffee. Mayor DiBattista showcased improvements to outside spaces in the township including upgrades to pickle ball courts and a 49th street park.

Published in Boro

Borough Garners Eco Awards

Merchantville was among top NJ towns recognized at the Annual Sustainable Jersey Awards on Thursday, March 11th. Sustainable Jersey announced the recipients of the 2020 municipal annual awards, which celebrate sustainability excellence, innovation and leadership at a live stream the event on its Facebook page. Merchantville Borough completed required actions to earn 155 points, reaching their goal of Bronze certification and was recognized for its innovation and creativity initiative: Incredible Edible Merchantville. Motivated by climate change and a TED Talk on "How We Can Eat Our Landscapes," two residents realized that securing future sustainability in Merchantville would require inventive community efforts. In July 2018, their proposal for Incredible Edible Merchantville was approved by the Borough Council under the municipal green team with the goals of promoting sustainable living, food justice and environmental education to encourage healthy communities. Since then, participants have been working to create food forests in public and private spaces to grow local food and support the local food economy. Though their work has just begun, IE Merchantville has already developed a vibrant outreach program with more than 30 registered gardens and donating over 200 pounds of fresh produce this summer to supplement local food pantry demands brought on by the pandemic. During this pandemic, municipalities that received Sustainable Jersey’s highest recognition awards set a new bar and aspirational example for other communities to meet as they pursue sustainability goals.

Published in Boro

Borough Assistant Needed

The Borough of Merchantville seeks an administrative assistant to provide office support to the Construction, Community Development, and Housing Rental Registration offices. The position is a part time position with up to thirty (30) hours per week with the potential to transition to a full time position at a future date. Applicants must have strong customer service and computer skills, must possess a strong work ethic, be highly organized with attention to detail, and be able to work well with other staff in the Borough. The successful applicant must be willing to attend training, if needed. The deadline for applications and resumes is March 8, 2021. More details about the position and how to apply can be found on the front page of the Borough website.

Published in Notices

CODE BLUE 2/1-2/4

County Commissioner Carmen Rodriguez, liaison to the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services, advises municipalities that Camden County will be under a Code Blue Alert from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, 2/1, until noon on Tuesday, 2/2, from 7 p.m. on 2/2 until 10 a.m. on…

Published in Camden County, Notices

Blood Drive Monday

The Borough of Merchantville will host another American Red Cross Blood Drive at Merchantville Community Center, 212 Somerset Avenue, Merchantville, NJ on Monday, February 1st from 2:00-7:00 p.m. Appointments are preferred. To make an appointment please sign up at www.redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code: Merchantville Community. Save time on the day of the donation and visit www.redcrossblood.org/rapidpass. Area hospital patients are counting on you! Don’t forget to hydrate and please remember to bring your ID. Stay tuned for weather updates!

Published in Notices, Wellness

Circuit Trails Meet Up

The Borough of Merchantville has been contacted by a representative of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. There is a zoom meeting tonight, Tuesday, January 26th from 6:00-7:00 p.m., led by Action Team Leader Anya Saretzky, to get stakeholder input on extending Merchantville's multi-use trail in an easterly and westerly direction.…

Published in News, Notices

Council Reorganization

The reorganization meeting of Merchantville Borough Council will be held via Zoom on Monday, January 4, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. Some items on the agenda will include oath taking by Councilpersons Andrew McLoone and Sean Fitzgerald, the election of Council President for 2021, Council assignments and standing committees and, annual appointments for 2021. Join the Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81454190084?pwd=Ty84b21VWTVndmpPdXArdlFCdXZWZz09. Meeting ID: 814 5419 0084 Passcode: 728621. One tap mobile +19294362866

Published in Notices

Winter Storm Advisory

The Borough of Merchantville continues to monitor the forecast for our first winter storm this season. In anticipation, we want to remind the residents of a few ways they can assist us in ensuring the roads are safe and passable. Depending on the duration and amount of snowfall, Borough trucks may plow your street several times. The Borough reminds residents to park all vehicles off the street and in driveways, to help plows navigate safely and efficiently. Where driveways are not available, we ask residents to please limit parking to one side of the street. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, please stay home and off the road for the duration of the storm. Limiting travel during and immediately after snowfall allows plow crews and emergency personnel to do their job safely, and greatly reduces the potential for accidents.

Here are some helpful hints to make snow removal less frustrating:

· Remove portable basketball nets from the street in front of your house.

· Do not park cars on the street from one hour after the snow has continuously fallen until 12 hours after the snow has stopped. This speeds the removal process and prevents cars from being plowed in.

· If possible, wait until the Borough plows have made a few passes on your street before cleaning your driveway.

· Do NOT shovel or blow snow into the street. Snow blowers should be adjusted so they blow snow toward your house.

· To ensure the safety of pedestrians, residents are reminded they must remove snow from sidewalks within 24 hours after completion of a snow fall

The end of the snowfall doesn’t mean the end of our work. Public Works employees will be working continuously to provide the best possible service to residents, and to ensure roads are cleared as quickly and safely as possible. Thank you for your help during this storm!

Published in Notices