Welcome

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Public Health Advisory Press Release: A raccoon found recently in Lawrence Township has tested positive for rabies. Because of this increased occurrence of rabies the Lawrence Health Department is issuing this rabies alert.

  Rabies is a fatal disease caused by a virus, which can infect all warm-blooded animals, including humans. Rabies is most frequently spread through a bite from an infected animal.  Bites are the primary route of transmission because the diseased animal has the rabies virus in its saliva but transmission may also occur with exposure to the saliva without a bite occurring. 

  Bats, raccoons, skunks, groundhogs, foxes, cats and dogs represent about 95 % of the animals diagnosed with rabies in the United States. Domestic farm animals and other wild animals may also become infected. Rodents such as rats, mice, chipmunks and squirrels are rarely infected.

  Rabid animals are usually either vicious and aggressive (“furious” rabies) or act dazed and are partially or totally paralyzed (“dumb” rabies). They often have trouble walking and may appear to be “drunk.” People should stay away from all wild and stray domestic animals, which are aggressive or appear to be sick. Some wild animals, such as raccoons, skunks, and groundhogs, may be able to infect people even though they appear to be normal, and these animals should be avoided at all times.

  Rabies in humans is rare in the United States. The most common source of humans rabies is bats. Findings show that limited or seemingly insignificant contact with rabid bats may result in the transmission of rabies virus to humans. Any contact with downed bats and other ill-appearing wildlife should be avoided and all physical contact with bats should be reported and carefully evaluated by a physician for possible rabies exposure. By law all animal bites must be reported to the local health department.

  Because rabies has been identified in the area, it is important to remind all residents of the requirement and public health importance in vaccinating and licensing cats and dogs.  Please check your pet’s records to verify their rabies vaccination is current.

  Please contact the Lawrence Township Health Department at 844-7089 for any additional information.

• Attention! Due to Monday, September 6th, being a holiday (Labor Day), trash collection scheduled for that day will be on Saturday before, September 4th, and recycling will be on Sunday, September 12th instead.

• September is cat license renewal month for Lawrence Township residents. Cat licenses are due by September 30, 2010. Any cat over the age of seven months is required by law to be licensed. According to New Jersey Law, you must provide proof of a current rabies vaccination in order to obtain your 2010 - 2011 cat license. To assist you in this endeavor, the Lawrence Township Health Department will be holding a Free Rabies Vaccination Clinic for all dogs and cats over the age of 3 months. See flyer.                             

   

  Volunteers are needed to assist in the registration of pets during rabies clinic. Anyone interested in helping, please contact the Animal Control Officer at 844-7092.

• LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP 2009 REPORT OF AUDIT: The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2009 has been submitted and accepted by the Lawrence Township Council. The 2009 CAFR contained no negative findings or recommendations on the fiscal activity of the Lawrence Township municipal government. See press release. See full the report Financial Audit for 2009.

• ENERGY REBATE ALERT! Expanded incentives for residents, businesses and local governments have been made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). More information for residents may be found at NJCleanEnergy.com/arra, and details for commercial and industrial customers may be found at NJCleanEnergy.com/noniou.

• New Wellness Discount Program! Mercer County will unveil this free program on Thursday, August 12th. Click for more information or visit the Mercer County website at http://nj.gov/counties/mercer/.

• Health Programs for September...check details

• AFFORDABLE UNIT FOR SALE: The Township is offering for sale 32 J. Russel Smith Road, a three-bedroom affordable unit. The townhome is located in Tiffany Woods off of Spruce Street. The asking price is $160,805. The Township is making this unit available to households on both the two-bedroom and three-bedroom moderate lists. Any firm offer, regardless of the asking price, will be considered. A mortgage pre-approval from your lender will be required. In addition, you will be required to provide a 5% cash deposit at contract signing. If you are interested in purchasing this unit, please contact the Lawrence Township Affordable Housing Office at (609) 844-7076.

• You're invited to attend the September Ask The Mayor event. This month's event will be held at Mrs. G's between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm on September 11, 2010.

• Attention! As part of PSE&G's "Solar4All" program, solar panels are being installed in Lawrence Township and throughout the county. This work has been approved by NJ Board of Public Utilities. For information visit pseg.com/solar4all.

• Lawrenceville’s Landmarks Guide Now at Local Bookstores...see press release.

• Are You Register Ready?  The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness have created “Register Ready” a registry program which assists people with special needs in the event of an emergency.  The program is a free, voluntary, web-based program intended to help people with special needs get to safety at the time of an emergency.

   

  Individuals with special needs or their caregivers can register electronically at www.registerready.nj.gov.  You can also register by calling New Jersey’s toll- free 2-1-1 telephone service. This service will register individuals, offer free translation and provide TYY services for the hearing impaired.

   

  This registration is useful to emergency management personnel to help assess the need for assistance throughout the community in addition to being useful to those individuals who may need special assistance in an emergency.

   

  The emergency services of Lawrence Township (police, fire, medical) will use the information collected to prepare plans to provide registrants with the proper level of assistance in their time of need.  This information is entered into the computer data bases that are accessed when a call for services is received. The more accurate the information, the better emergency responders will be able to help you.

   

  For additional information about this program you may call 2-1-1 or visit

  www.registerready.nj.gov.   

• Brush Collection Reminder: The Lawrence Township ordinance regulating brush collection requires brush to be placed at curbside no earlier than the weekend prior to the scheduled week of pickup. Materials shall be placed no more than 4 feet from the edge of the pavement and not piled higher than 3 feet. Tree limbs in excess of 8 inches in diameter will not be collected. Limbs should be cut in lengths of 5 feet or less. Brush and leaves must be in separate piles. Brush may also be disposed of at the ecological center at 3107 Princeton Pike, Monday through Friday 7:30 am to 2:30 pm. Beginning April 3rd the center will be open Saturdays from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm. Any further questions, please contact the Public Works Department at 609-587-1894.

• See presentation of 2010 Adopted Budget

• 2010 Adopted Budget is here...

• Mayor Michael Powers' 2010 Reorganization Speech is here.

• Recycling Collection Changes: Beginning January of 2010, Lawrence Township residents may place all acceptable recyclable materials into one container. Single stream recycling collection facilitates the decrease of collection vehicles on the road and lowers vehicle emissions. Residents may continue to utilize their yellow and green buckets. Cans, bottles, glass, newspapers, magazines, etc. can now be placed all together in either bucket. Please continue to use the yellow and green buckets to help identify the recyclable material. Please feel free to visit the Mercer County Improvement Authority's website at www.mcia-nj.com for more information or call the Public Works Department at (609) 587-1894.

• Route 546 Bikeway Planning and Development Study documents are available now:
  • Bicycle Compatibility Matrix
  • Presentation

• Concept Plan Business Route #1 from NJ DOT are available in two parts:
  • Project beginning from Pear Street
  • Project ending at Lake Drive

• Help is available for paying your energy bill, winterizing or conserving energy. Click for more information.

• Utility Work: Verizon is currently installing a fiber-optic upgrade within Lawrence Township to provide cable TV, telephone, and broadband access. This work is being conducted by a contractor for Verizon in the utility easement in front of residential homes throughout the Township. Should any resident have a concern or complaint, please contact the hotline at 1-888-240-5752.
• Information about Greater Mercer Ride (pdf)