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Villages residents raise streetlight outages, recycling and ATVs; township promises follow-up with county and utility
Summary
Residents from new Villages developments told the council about repeated streetlight outages, windblown recycling bins and repeated dirt-bike trespass and vandalism; township staff said recycling is handled via a county shared-service contract and the town will raise streetlight outages with JCP&L and pursue police attention on ATV incidents.
Residents of new Villages communities in Monroe Township brought several safety and service complaints to the Jan. 6 council meeting: prolonged streetlight outages tied to the utility, wind-scattered recycling bins after county pickup and repeated dirt-bike/ATV trespass and vandalism on open fields near homes.
Shankar and other board members representing Villages at Contribute (a Pottswood/Englishtown Road community) said open recycling bins frequently tip over in wind and scatter paper and trash; they asked the township to consider closed-lid receptacles during the county’s upcoming countywide recycling vendor procurement. Township staff said Monroe participates in a Middlesex County Improvement Authority (MCIA) shared-services recycling contract and that the county will lead the next round of bidding; staff invited residents to provide contact information so the township can share concerns with the MCIA during the procurement.
Multiple residents said JCPL response to streetlight outages has been slow or inconsistent, leaving dark intersections and street corners for months. The mayor and council said the township will raise the issue directly with JCP&L during a planned meeting with the utility and noted they have escalated prior complaints to state regulators and county officials.
Residents also reported repeated dirt-bike and ATV use of woods and multipurpose fields, vandalism and occasional fire-setting. Staff acknowledged enforcement limits — police can pursue riders on roads or when a crime is committed, but chasing off-road into woods is difficult — and said they will escalate repeated incidents with the police department and explore additional deterrents, such as fencing or signage, where property ownership allows.
Ending: Township staff asked residents to provide specific addresses and contact information so staff can document incidents for the forthcoming county recycling procurement, the scheduled meeting with the utility and police follow-up on ATV/dirt-bike trespass and vandalism.
