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Hampton Committee OKs off-duty sheriff patrols, schedules Plotts Road paving; introduces road and zoning ordinances
Summary
The committee authorized a contract for off-duty Sussex County Sheriff's Office patrols (not to exceed $10,000), agreed to delay paving of Plotts Road until 2027 pending payment from Elizabethtown Gas and grant application, and introduced ordinances for a new road vehicle purchase, Mary Jones Road improvements, municipal sidewalks, and zoning changes for animals.
The Hampton Township Committee approved multiple operational and capital measures at its April 28 meeting, including a resolution to contract off-duty Sussex County Sheriff’s Office officers for targeted patrols and direction on Plotts Road restoration.
By resolution R2026-56 the committee authorized submission of an application and agreement with the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office to use off-duty sheriff officers for patrols, at a stated charge of $105.40 per hour for officers (minimum four-hour shift) and $117.80 per hour for supervisors, with certification that funds are available and an overall not-to-exceed amount of $10,000. The resolution was adopted unanimously.
Public speakers offered mixed views. Resident Kenneth Ellman asked the township to coordinate with the New Jersey State Police for traffic enforcement rather than spend municipal funds on off-duty officers, warning of potential cost and liability; other residents, including Andrea Mullin and Jeanne Apryasz, expressed support for added patrols and related public-safety vigilance. The governing body said it will begin a scheduled agreement with the sheriff’s office on May 1 to address traffic priorities.
On Plotts Road, the committee authorized the DPW to complete paving of the disturbed portion in 2027 contingent on receiving a payment from Elizabethtown Gas to compensate for roadway damage and the Township's NJDOT 2027 grant application. Township Clerk/Administrator D. Juarez said final payment calculations are pending from Harold Pellow's office and formal acceptance will be required before bond release.
The committee also introduced four ordinances at first reading: Ordinance #2026-06 to appropriate $161,685 for purchase of a 2026 F550 with shuttle hook lift; #2026-07 to appropriate $280,000 for Mary Jones Road improvements with $112,507 from an NJDOT trust fund grant; #2026-08 to appropriate $20,000 for municipal building sidewalk repairs; and #2026-09 to amend zoning to permit horses, ponies and fowl as accessory uses in certain zones. All introductions passed on roll call.
Other routine items approved by motion included a campground license for Windy Acres Resort LLC, authorization for Shouppe Electric Services to install a generator outlet at the Senior & Community Center (not to exceed $700), participation in JCP&L’s instant rebate program (not to exceed $300), and pavilion use by Kittatinny Softball for specified dates.
