Wantage Township approves revised special assessment

WANTAGE — The Wantage Committee accepted the revised report on April 24 regarding the special assessment to pay for the Lake Neepaulin Dam Rehabilitation.

A revised report was necessary after the Township Committee altered the terms to require the Friends of Lake Neepaulin, which own the lake and the dam, to pay 50 percent of the $1.2 million loan.

Ongoing discussions have continued regarding oversight of the Lake Neepaulin Dam since October 2013.

Township administrator James Doherty said the Project Engineer for the Friends of Lake Neepaulin certified to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection that all items of the project were consistent with the bid specification. and the DEP will conduct an audit over the next several months.

Township resident Kathy Gorman is seeking the invoices for each item involved with repairing the dam.

Gorman also said she has met with State Sen. Steven V. Oroho regarding changes to the Safe Dam Act, which could include credit checks for credit worthiness and the checking of invoices.

"Everything you spoke of has nothing to do with the reason I am seeking the invoices," she said. "As long as my attorneys know and understand why, that is all that is important to me."

There will be a public hearing Thursday in which Assessor Kristi Lockburner will give all affected by the special assessment an opportunity to be heard.