BERKELEY – The township is dedicating $9 million in spending on a list of projects.
At the most recent Township Council meeting, the council agreed to appropriate $9,019,355 toward various projects. Of that total, $8,568,387 would be borrowed. The rest is the township’s down payment.
Mayor Carmen Amato said that these projects are replacing equipment, vehicles, or materials that have reached the end of their usable life. While bonding for them, there is less of a tax impact than buying them outright.
The township’s bond rating recently improved from A+ to an AA-, which is one step up the ladder. Bond ratings are done be independent companies based on a borrower’s fiscal stability. An improvement means that the township will spend less money on interest.
Of this total $9 million in projects, the following is being spent:
- $200,000 is being appropriated to buildings and grounds.
- $20,000 for computer equipment
- $28,500: oak benches for the municipal court
- $620,505: Police Department radio room improvements, purchase of vehicles and equipment, computers, a solar powered trailer that lists an approaching vehicle’s speed, guns and tasers, portable radios, cameras, and other equipment.
- $2,000: a letter opener and a scanner for the tax collector’s office (This is an automated machine that opens mail and does other tasks, instead of having an employee to do the work, Amato explained.).
- $100,000: phase two of a document management system for the tax assessor
- $600,000: an automated (Robo) trash truck, two chassis for trash trucks, and 40 front load dumpsters that are 8 cubic yards.
- $180,000: large containers for the recycling yard, 1,000 large robo cans, 500 medium robo cans and 100 small robo cans.
- $415,000: tandem dump truck with spreader box and plow, dump truck, a 2018 1.5 ton final roller and line stripping.
- $120,000 for signage and a 4×4 flatbed printer for the division of sign management.
- $30,000 for tools, computers, and equipment for maintenance.
- $536,500 for lights on Veterans Park’s field No. 2, a concert and event trailer, a playground for Whispering Pines Park, resurfacing the William J. Dudley basketball park, and other equipment for the Department of Parks, Beaches, and Recreation.
- $139,150 for the Cedar Creek Golf Course improvements including 36 new carts.
- $88,635 for computers for the zoning office, and replacement of two Jeeps for Code Enforcement
- $825,930 for trucks and equipment for the volunteer fire departments.
- $200,000 for equipment for the volunteer first aid squads.
- $4,865,000 for road and engineering projects, including solar.
