TOWNSHIP COUNCIL HOLDS 49th ANNUAL RE-ORGANIZATION MEETING ON JANUARY 5th, 2024

On the evening of Friday, January 5^th, the Township Council convened for its 49^th Annual Re-Organization meeting. This annual gathering is mandated to take place within the first seven days of January. The meeting includes acceptance of nominations amongst Council for the roles of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, as well as authorizing the appointments of various municipal professionals, including the Township Solicitor, Prosecutor, Public Defender and Bond Counsel. In the current year, Steve Schmidt has been selected to serve as Mayor, while Nelson Wiest will assume the role of Deputy Mayor.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to both Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Wiest on their newly appointed positions and extend warm wishes to our residents for a Happy, Health and Successful New Year!

GO PAPERLESS!

You may now receive your Water and Sewer Bill online via email. Click HERE for directions.



You can also go to https://mapleshade.com/tax-collector/ or contact the Tax Collector’s Office at 856-779-9610 ext. 156 to sign up.

Sustainable Maple Shade Invites you to Attend their January Meeting

The next Sustainable Maple Shade General Meeting will be held on January 9th at 6:00PM in the Maple Shade Library Meeting Room. All are welcome to attend. Can't make the meeting, but still want to know what we've got going on? Check out our happenings flyer below!  

Sustainable Maple Shade is Looking for More Volunteers

Want to be part of the change to make the earth a cleaner place? Want to help make our town be more resilient for the future? Join Sustainable Maple Shade on Thursday, January 11th at 6PM at the Lions Club for an evening of food, facts, and fun. Meet the current members of the Green Team, learn about the projects we are working on, and how you can help. RSVP by January 4th by scanning the QR code below or by emailing sustainablemapleshade@gmail.com.

Sustainable Maple Shade is Collecting Your Broken Holiday Lights

Don't trash your old or broken holiday lights. Drop them off to Sustainable Maple Shade for recycling! The collection runs until January 17th, 2024.

Sustainable Maple Shade Receives TWO Grants!

Not one, but two different grants were recently awarded to Sustainable Maple Shade. One is to help promote clean energy and the other is to help get the community garden growing.

Coming as a complete surprise, the group was also the recipient of a $10,000 "Giving While Living Grant" from the Woodard & Curran Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to support organizations working to protect the water supply and environment. The group, who operates Maple Shade water, often supports endeavors from the group whether it be giving away a rain barrel at Green Fair or getting their hands dirty planting trees.

Sustainable Maple Shade was nominated by Dave Dedian, an employee with Woodard & Curran, whose grant-giving philosophy is to give away as much money as possible and was the inspiration for the "Giving While Living" grant program which is now in its fifth year. 

Sustainable Maple Shade was also recently awarded a $2,000 grant with the Residential Energy Efficiency Outreach Campaign on behalf of the Sustainable Jersey-PSE&G Energy Efficiency Partnership Program. The money will be used to create an outreach campaign to teach Maple Shade residents ways they can save money via an energy assessment. There will be much more information in the coming months about how you can start saving money too.

BULK TRASH REMINDER

Mattresses & box springs MUST be wrapped in plastic before being placed at the curb for trash pick-up.

Disposable mattress bags are available online or at local home improvement stores.

BUSINESS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

TAKE OUR SURVEY

The Business and Economic Development Commission (BEDC) invites current Maple Shade residents to participate in an important community survey. Your insights are key to fostering growth & development, and making Maple Shade an even better place to Live, Eat, and Play! The BEDC's quick 18-question survey is your chance to influence positive changes in our town. Plus, as a thank-you for your valuable input, you'll automatically be entered into a Shade Bucks raffle—a token of our appreciation for your time and ideas.

Click the link below to take the survey now! Paper copies are also available at the Municipal Building. Join us in shaping a vibrant future for Maple Shade!

https://forms.gle/dXyy41tZxtd8vhc77

FREE SEMINAR

FREE RABIES CLINIC

The Maple Shade Police Department would like to congratulate Captain Sean Hasson on his recent retirement from the agency. Captain Hasson was hired by the Maple Shade Police Department in 2001. He served as a patrolman, patrol sergeant, detective sergeant, lieutenant, and was promoted to Captain in 2019, where he finished out his law enforcement career. Thank you for your service to this community, Captain Hasson. May you enjoy your retirement!

Join us on January 10, 2024 from 12:00PM - 2:00PM, at Crust N’ Fire, 112 W. Main Street, for our first ever Pizza With Patrols. Our officers will be available to engage in some light conversation and of course a pizza lunch with you! Stop by and say, “hello”! We look forward to seeing you!

We are looking for a few good men and women to join our team! Come work with the Maple Shade Police Department! We have exceptional leaders, who strive to create the best work environment. No experience necessary. No educational requirements, other than a high school diploma or equivalent. You will even earn a competitive salary while attending the Police Academy. Residency is not required. If you are between the ages of 18-35, and think you have what it takes, join us on January 22, 2024 at the Municipal Building at 6pm sharp. We will go over all of the details to obtain full-time and part-time employment. Contact Lt. O’Brien or Cpl. Weiss for more information at 856-234-8300.  

We hope your holidays were restful and relaxing and spent surrounded by family and friends. The Maple Shade Police Department once again joined forces with Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church to make the holidays a little brighter for 16 children in Maple Shade! Gifts were collected and delivered through PBA 267’s Project Santa and OLPH’s Operation St. Nick. We appreciate everyone who assisted with this project, big and small, including the Amorosi/Trabbold Family, Jaime’s Warrior Fund, The Happy Hour Club, The Maple Shade Sportsmen Club, and Laurel Lanes. It is because of generous donors such as these that we can continue with our mission to support our community.

Our SLEO Officers spread some cheer throughout the schools this holiday season. Officer Pope is pictured below handing out candy canes with Santa and Officer Perez is cooking up a holiday meal for the Steinhauer staff with Principal Edwards.

RECREATION

LIL SOUS CHEFS JANUARY COOKING CLASSES

ANIMALS IN WINTER COMBO COOKING CLASS - JANUARY 24,, 2024

COOKING CLASS - FEBRUARY 27, 2024

UNDER CONSTRUCTION - MEMORIAL PARK

AT FELLOWSHIP ROAD & MAIN STREET

Residents will soon observe construction activity at the VFW Memorial Park situated on the corner of Fellowship Road and Main Street. After several years of service, the flagpole is in need of replacement, and as part of this effort, a new 33-foot aluminum flagpole is being installed. The Township expresses gratitude to the Maple Shade Rotary for their donation towards the acquisition of the new flagpole. Anticipating this enhancement to the park, we look forward to proudly displaying our gratitude to Veterans and our country.

WATER & SEWER UTILITIES

The sump pump discharge line carries water from the sump pit away from your house. The ideal area for sump pumps to discharge the collected water are grassy areas that slope outwards from your home. A cold climate can also cause your sump pump discharge line to freeze if not installed correctly. The best practice for sump pump water discharge is to direct it away from your house. Although not all places are acceptable as sump pump discharge locations, many first-time homeowners aren’t aware of local codes that prohibit discharging near property lines, into sewage systems, or directly onto the street or sidewalk. It is critical that sump pumps discharge to the yard, not to the sanitary sewer. It is illegal to connect your sump pump into your sanitary lateral. Not only can this cause serious health and safety concerns, but it also puts a bigger strain on your Townships Wastewater collection system.

To avoid city code violations, look for land areas with downhill slopes. Sump pump discharge area should be 10 to 20 feet away from your house’s foundation. While some may think that “the farther, the better,” using pipes longer than 20 feet of internal discharge piping risks overworking the sump pump’s motor capacity to push water out. 

If you are unsure as to whether your sump pumps discharge line is tied into your sanitary sewer your, please feel free to call the utility at (856) 488-7450 and schedule an appointment for one of our operators to stop out and try to locate it for you.

SPRING SOCCER REGISTRATION

JANUARY TOWNSHIP MEETINGS:

Friday, January 5th - Town Council Re-Organization Meeting at 6:00PM

Wednesday, January 10th - Zoning Board Meeting at 7:00PM

Tuesday, January 16th - BEDC Meeting at 6:00PM

Thursday, January 18th - Town Council Meeting at 6:30PM

Wednesday, January 24th - Planning Board Meeting at 7:00PM

JANUARY EVENTS:

Wednesday, January 10, 2024 -

Pizza with Patrols from 12PM - 2PM at Crust n' Fire, 112 W. Main Street