Plans for the $4.5 million library expansion are proceeding. The addition will add 16,458 square feet. This amounts to a cost of $203 for each new square foot of space. Within the last few weeks, the Township of Clark considered adding 10,000 square feet to its library at a cost of $1.9 million or $190 per square foot. At this price, our library could be expanded by 23,684 square feet — 7,190 square feet more than presently proposed. Alternately, our expansion might only have to cost $3.1 million, a savings of $1.4 million.
Judging by the uses proposed for the additional space, I see nothing extraordinary that would increase other costs by nearly 50 percent. I hope the library expansion plans can be carefully re-evaluated for possible major savings.
The forthcoming township budget proposes hiring additional employees. The township can accomplish everything needed with one less employee. Here is how it can be done: both Franklin and North Brunswick Townships hire Public Service Gas and Electric to read their water meters, while reading gas and electric meters. This has reduced the cost by approximately one-third of having their own employees read water meters.
South Brunswick has the equivalent of one-and-one-half full-time employees devoted to reading meters. Public Service may do the readings for about the cost of one-half an employee’s salary and benefits. That will leave South Brunswick Township with the equivalent of one "new employee," but without additional expenses over our present ones. I have suggested this several years in the past. I hope this time the council will take action.
Paul Murray
Kingston section
of South Brunswick