Moorestown Council To Discuss Liquor Stores, Community Events

MOORESTOWN, NJ — A public hearing and final vote concerning the possibility of liquor stores in Moorestown will take place Monday night.

Moorestown Council will give final consideration to a proposed ordinance calling for the township to issue and regulate plenary retail licenses. It allows the township to issue two or three retail liquor licenses, based on the outcome of the 2020 Census. Read more here: Liquor Stores, Microbreweries Under Discussion For Moorestown

This proposal follows a lawsuit filed about 10 years ago, challenging the designation of the Moorestown Mall as the only place in town permitted to sell alcohol. A judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff, forcing Moorestown's hand in the matter. Read more here: 10 Years After Historic Vote, Moorestown May See Liquor Stores

Township Council will also introduce a proposed ordinance regarding the regulation of community events. Last month, council voted to remove vendors and one-day community events from a requirement that lumped them in with peddlers, solicitors and transient vendors when it comes to requiring permits.

This came after some complained of the lengthy process they have to go through for a single day. The proposal to be introduced Monday night sets forth the guidelines for community events. Read more here: Restrictive Vendor Guidelines Lifted On Moorestown Events

Three other proposed ordinances will be introduced Monday night, including:

• An amendment to create the business park zoning district in place of the existing zoning district on the eastern side of the township;
• An amendment setting salaries for patrol officers, detectives and corporals; and
• An ordinance appropriating $2,140,000 and authorizing the borrowing of $2,140,000 in bonds or notes for the 2021 Roads Resurfacing Program.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m., but council will go into closed session to discuss:

• Collective bargaining agreements;
• The purchase, lease or acquisition of real property or the investment of public funds; and
• Matters relating to litigation, negotiations and the attorney-client privilege as it relates to affordable housing.

The public portion of the meeting will begin at 7 p.m. If need be, council will return to the closed session discussion when the public portion ends.

The meeting will be held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. Members of the public can participate in the meeting just the same as if at an in-person meeting.

The mayor will open the floor for public participation in accordance with normal protocol. To send questions or comments prior to the meeting (no later than 4 p.m. the day of the meeting), you may email councilmeetingcomments@moorestown.nj.us. Type "council meeting comments" and the meeting date in the subject line.

To join by teleconference, dial 1 201-523-5900 and then enter Conference ID: 311 302 981 followed by the # sign or 1 833-450-2679 (toll free). To join using the MSTeams client,visit https://www.moorestown.nj.us/.

On the homepage, under “Upcoming Events,” select the meeting you wish to attend; click “Join the MSTeams Meeting” under “link” or visit https://www.moorestown.nj.us/; on the top of the homepage, click on "Live Meetings" and click on the "Township Council MS Teams Meeting Link."

The meeting will also be broadcast via live stream on the Township's website, but the livestream is not interactive, and you will not be able to participate in the meeting in this format. The live stream may be accessed by going to https://www.moorestown.nj.us/ and clicking on “Live Meetings” in the upper righthand corner of the homepage.

This will bring you to the “Agendas, Minutes, Meetings & Recordings” page. Once there, click on the “Township Council Meeting” link of the meeting you wish to watch.