Clinton Township Newsletter

1 6 A p r i l 2 0 1 6 www.ClintonTwpNewsletter.com C L I N T O N T OW N S H I P M U N I C I PA L N E W S w w w. C l i n t o n T W P N J . c o m B R U S H C O L L E CT I O N The DPW yard will be open the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month, starting April 9 through November 12. Hours of operation are 8:00 am through 3:00 pm. Each homeowner will be allowed to make a total of TWO free trips to the DPW yard for brush disposal. Proper ID will be required. For each load over two, a fee of $10 will be charged. Tickets for any excess disposal should be purchased in advance, and cannot be purchased at the DPW yard. Tickets can be purchased at the Clerk's office. Checks should be made payable to Clinton Township. The Clerk's office hours are 8:30 to 4:30 Monday through Friday. No tickets are required for a homeowner's two free loads. A list of homeowners will be maintained at the DPW yard. Any commercial entity wishing to dump brush can only do so if being done on behalf of a homeowner. The homeowner's name and address must be supplied and the two free disposal load limit still applies. Definition of a load is a normal sized pickup, or a trailer attached to non-pickup vehicle. The trailer shall be no more than 48 square feet. The DPW yard is located at 111-117 Annandale-High Bridge Road, just north of the railroad bridge as you leave Annandale Village on West Street. A N I M A L C O N T R O L U P DAT E The Township now has a new certified Animal Control Officer to assist with various animal issues within the Township. An animal control program involves the capture of stray domestic animals as well as potential rabid wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, groundhogs and foxes which threaten the safety and health of residents. The Township's Animal Control Officer is Tom Dodd of Animal Control Solutions. To reach Tom, please call 908-310-1452. Animal Control Solutions is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Residents are reminded that dogs must be licensed each year and a rabies certificate valid through October 31 of the current year is required. Any dog off the premises of the person owning it shall be accompanied by and controlled by a capable person using a standard dog leash. In all Township owned parks, athletic fields and playgrounds, dogs must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet in length. The owner of the animal will be held strictly liable for any violation. All dog owners are reminded they are responsible for cleaning up after their pets. For more info and volunteer opportunities, contact us at: environmentalcommission@clintontwpnj.com. Finally, and at long last, plans are underway for public access to the Windy Acres Nature Preserve, located off Main Street, east of Lebanon Borough. From the early 1990s through 2008, the 300-acre Windy Acres property was slated for the development of up to 1200 homes. However, Township volunteers fought the application. During that process, it was discovered that the property had 6000-year old Native American artifacts, two areas listed on the Hunterdon County List of Historic Sites (remnants of an 18th century farmhouse built by German settlers and an early 1700s stone field house), and the presence of acres of pristine wetlands and woodlands where threatened and endangered birds, turtles and plants thrived. The excellent water quality of the Rockaway Creek has earned it has the highest classification (C1) outside the NJ Pinelands due to the presence of the threatened wood turtle and trout fingerlings. The Windy Acres property was purchased by Clinton Township in 2008 as Open Space when the developer could not build, due to the environmentally sensitive nature of the property. Clinton Township won a grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) in the amount of $12,800 to create several walking trails through the property that will allow visitors to passively interact with nature and enjoy the beautiful scenery of its rolling hills. Kiosks are also planned to provide information on the Property historical significance and provide checklists of fauna and flora. Preliminary site work planning and access routes are being investigated. Please stop by the Environmental Commission's booth at the Clinton Township Community Day, Saturday, April 30 (2:00 - 7:00 pm). Free saplings will be given to the first 75 visitors. See you then! W I n d y a c r e s n a t u r e p r e s e r v e

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