What You Missed from This Week's Council Meeting ...

CLARIFICATION: There is discussion of an opening night gala for the new library, featuring an exhibition of Andy Warhol artwork—not an auction, as stated in a previous version of this article. 

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For those who couldn’t make it to , there were a few items on the agenda that didn’t make it into a full story, but were nonetheless noteworthy. Here a few leftover tidbits from the meeting:

• Township manager Scott Carew said director Joe Galbraith has come up with a number of innovative fundraising ideas for the library, including the establishment of a permanent book sale space on the second floor (of the existing library) and an opening night gala for the new library building, with an exhibition of Andy Warhol originals (on loan to the library from their owner). Sandra McGuire, a member of the library’s board of trustees, estimated they could raise roughly $700-900/month through a “perpetual book sale,” i.e. a “Moorestown Library bookstore.” Carew also discussed the probability of the township leasing out the operation of the cafe in the new library to a private company, much like the Cherry Hill Public Library. Galbraith declined to comment because he hasn’t yet had a chance to discuss his ideas with the library board.

• The township has joined a coalition of municipalities across the state who are battling Verizon over a lawsuit that could exempt the telecommunications giant from paying taxes on its personal property. Personal property includes various machinery, equipment and apparatus owned by Verizon, but not the “bricks and sticks,” according to township attorney Thomas Coleman. Moorestown is one of 66 municipalities potentially affected by this. Verizon paid $288,997 on those taxes last year, of which 14 percent, or roughly $40,000, went to the township. The League of Municipalities has taken up the fight against Verizon, Carew said. (.)

• Carew said the township needs to make a decision in the near future about how it wants to pay for repairs—primarily masonry work—to three dams in town. The price tag is estimated at around $275,000, he said. “The longer we take to address this issue, the more expensive it becomes. If we don’t do it this year, it’s next year—two years tops.” He said the Open Space Trust Fund is one avenue for funding, and/or bonding the project.

• Speaking of the Open Space Trust Fund (OSTF), Carew said he would be sitting down with representatives from the and the to discuss the possibility of the township offering assistance for the and the Swede Run Barn restoration, both of which are short on cash ($40,000 and $20,000, respectively). . Mayor John Button has previously stated the Swede Run project is an ideal candidate for funding. “It's a very appropriate use of the fund,” he said. “I would definitely consider that.”

Council will hold its next regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 23, in the IT room at .