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Residents press council on neighborhood safety, sewer problems, water quality and contractor dumping
Summary
During the meeting’s second public‑comment period, residents raised safety and health concerns: a resident alleged a code violation at SDK Milbridge (playground placed near gas grills), reported water‑quality worries and attorney involvement with a landlord, and another resident asked for written follow‑up on recurring sewer backflow/venting at her property; council pledged staff follow‑up.
Residents used the council’s public comment period on June 8 to press the township for follow‑up on code, sewer and environmental concerns and to ask for greater municipal transparency on certain licensing and inspection matters.
Danny Paris of Clements (identified in the meeting as "Danny Paris, Clements, New Jersey") told the council he wanted the township to check how cannabis businesses transitioned from medicinal to recreational licensing and whether municipal paperwork or mercantile licensing requirements apply. Paris also alleged a construction/code issue at the SDK Milbridge apartment complex, saying, “They built a playground. 3 feet away is a six gas grills with bricks ... and it’s about 3 to four feet away from the bathrooms and three to four feet away from the picnic ground,” and warned that children could be injured or exposed to fumes. Paris said he has engaged attorneys against the SDK Milbridge landlord and reported contacting environmental authorities about alleged contaminated water; he asked the township to publish water‑quality information in its newsletter.
Resident Ellen Schmidt of 17 Oakland Drive asked why she had not received written confirmation after previously submitting documents about sewer laterals and said a neighbor’s check valve was again bubbling. Schmidt requested “a letter of either denial or acceptance” and follow‑up action so the matter would be closed.
In response, the council said staff had forwarded Schmidt’s packet to the sewer department and asked the township business administrator (identified in the meeting as Mr. Carson) to contact the sewer director and report back to the resident. The deputy clerk explained municipal limits on cannabis licensing, noting that the state cannabis authority issues license approvals while businesses hold local mercantile registrations. The construction official provided a written response (email) indicating that engineering and planning approved the playground/grill locations and that construction had no role in that specific approval; the council nevertheless asked relevant departments to check the matter.
The council also said it would accept a rabbi’s contact information to consider an invocation schedule, and asked staff to look into the allegation that a contractor (referred to as Marksman) had dumped brush and affected wetland areas; the contractor said he would consult counsel, according to remarks recorded during the meeting.
No formal code enforcement action, citation or settlement was recorded on the council floor during the meeting; the council’s responses focused on staff follow‑up and requests for documentary evidence from residents.
What happens next: the business administrator will follow up with the sewer department about Schmidt’s packet, staff will review and confirm whether SDK Milbridge’s playground/grill placement was approved by engineering and planning, and the clerk’s office will clarify licensing requirements for cannabis businesses if documentation is provided.
