Salem County Approves $246K in Contracts, Eyes Animal Shelter
Board clears 10 administrative resolutions in one vote, accepts prosecutor and health grants, and fields questions on the county animal shelter plan
SALEM – Salem County commissioners moved through a brisk agenda Wednesday, approving a $176,748 change order for roadway line striping and a $70,000 employee vision plan contract in a meeting that ran just over 14 minutes.
Four of the five commissioners were present for the Nov. 4 meeting. Commissioner Ramsay was absent. The board waived the reading of the Oct. 21 minutes and approved them, accepted correspondence and committee reports, and approved the bills.
The biggest spending items came in a slate of ten administrative resolutions read by CFO Kelly A. Hannigan and approved together. Change Order No. 1 to the county’s roadway line striping contract with Zone Striping, Inc. totals $176,748. A separate resolution awarded a non-fair and open contract, used when services can’t be competitively bid, to Vision Service Plan Insurance Company for an employee vision plan, estimated at $70,000.
The package also included a memorandum of agreement and a letter of agreement among the county, the Communications Workers of America Local 1085 and the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office. Other items:
- The appointment of a County Engineer.
- Renewal of the county’s membership in an employee benefits fund.
- An amendment to the 2026 job classification and salary resolution.
- An update to the county’s investment authorization.
- A transfer of funds.
- A second and final amendment to the shared services agreement with the Cumberland County Improvement Authority for renovations to the Social Services Building.
In separate votes, the board accepted a Child Advocacy Center grant from the New Jersey Department of Children and Families for the Prosecutor’s Office. It also supported a grant application with the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice.
Four Health and Human Services resolutions also passed. They applied for the 2027 Statewide Respite Grant, accepted additional funds for the 2026 Area Plan Grant, and extended and added funds to two Rural Health Transformation Program grants, including one aimed at improving chronic disease outcomes. Three Chapter 159 resolutions then inserted the related grant revenue into the county budget.
Commissioners also authorized the sale of surplus property on an online auction site. Laury remarked on the volume of items listed, and a commissioner noted that some prosecutor’s office items were among them.
Animal shelter
The only substantive back-and-forth came during public comment. Frank Minor who is current Logan Twp. mayor said his municipality signed an agreement with the county for animal sheltering services in June and later received an invoice. The township’s financial officer has emailed the county several times requesting supporting invoices, he said, and he asked that they be provided before the township’s next meeting, about a week away. Laury indicated administrators would look into it and that he would follow up.
The deputy mayor also asked where the county’s animal shelter plans stand. Laury said the obstacle to a county-run shelter has been finding an outside entity to operate it.
“We wanted to be able to provide the asset. We didn’t want the cost of civil service,” Laury said, adding that the county had tried to give the property to an operator for a dollar. He said funding exists, but officials are still determining whether it is a responsible solution, and he estimated it would take about six months to resolve.
The property Laury referred to appears to be 1059 Route 40 in Carneys Point Township, which commissioners voted in March to purchase for $450,000 as a county animal shelter, funded through a bond ordinance authorizing up to $1.9 million. As The News of Salem County reported in March, the county has relied on temporary contracts with the Pennsville Township Animal Shelter and the Monmouth County SPCA while it works toward a permanent facility.
Laury said the City of Salem and one other municipality have signed on for 2027 and that the costs appear to be in line. He added that the county is open to working with its health department on the effort.
Truck traffic on East Mill Street
Near the end of the meeting, Frank Minor told the board the county has sent Logan Township the resolutions covering East Mill Street so officials there are aware that trucks crossing their bridge are doing so illegally. No further details were given at the meeting.
During new business, Laury welcomed commissioner-elect Charlie Hasler and offered congratulations.
The board’s next meeting is Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. There was no closed session, and the meeting adjourned shortly after 14 minutes. A video is available on the Salem County Government YouTube channel.
Commissioners also made public announcements near the end of the meeting, including a veterans recognition event at Salem Community College, but portions of the audio were difficult to make out in the livestream recording. The News of Salem County will publish details on those events once they are confirmed with the county.