Officials from the Partnership for Haddonfield, the borough's tax-funded business improvement district, have come up with $500 in this year's budget for helping to keep the business district clean.
Key officials admit its not nearly enough to ensure that trash blowing around the streets is regularly or weeds in sidewalks will be quickly pulled, but they hope it's a start.
"It's not going to solve the problem all year, but it's a start," said Jeff Kasko, a borough commissioner who also sits on the PfH board. "We may also add one to two part-time public works workers this year, too."
Marlee Lick, proprietor of Harrison's Gift Shop on Kings Highway East, has been a frequent critic of the cleanliness of the downtown. She let out a whoop as the additional funds were announced by the treasurer.
"This is good," she said.
Lick said the PfH now pays about $14,000 each year for Christmas holiday street decorations, a cost the borough used to pay. Some of that money once paid for maintaining cleaner streets.
"Our mission statement is to help the businesses," Lick said about the PfH. "The borough is supposed to take care of these things. I am a taxpayer as a business owner and a homeowner and I understand budgetary issues, but as they look into shared services, maybe they need to look into shared services for cleanup."
The PfH is mostly funded through a tax on borough businesses.
I would like to remind shop owners that it is our responsibility to keep the sidewalks in front of our shops clean....and most everyone is doing a good job at that... but what about Kings Court... Isn't it the responsibility of the shops on Kings Court to keep it clean.?..Yesterday, it was awful.....
You're the gem (and all the other townies that care and put action where their words are)! For far too long the shopping district has been the victim of ego's, personal agenda's, diluted funds, poor promotions, and over regulation... The businesses need to have some breathing room and some really "out of the box" promotions if we're to be competitive with the increasingly tighter consumer spending. If we try and do what the malls do or try to do small promotions we risk becoming just another small town shopping district. I'm not saying that the promotions need to be that much more expensive...just more expansive! As for the cleanup...If the district is busy and vibrant there will naturally be a need and an impetus for that cleanup.