Township Committee holdsbond proposal hearing tonight

Topic will be a $946,000 bond ordinance under which replacement vehicles and other equipment for the police and public works department, along with a variety of other gear, can be purchased

By: John Tredrea
   Scheduled for a public hearing and adoption vote at tonight’s Hopewell Township Committee meeting is $946,000 bond ordinance under which replacement vehicles and other equipment for the police and public works department, along with a variety of other gear, can be purchased.
   The committee voted unanimously to introduce the ordinance April 18.
   If the ordinance is adopted as expected, $405,000 of the money raised by the bond would be spent on vehicles and related equipment — including $25,000 for a truck for the township Health Department, $30,000 for replacement of a four-wheel drive vehicle for the Police Department, $25,000 for crash cushions for public works trucks, $130,000 for replacement of a tandem dump truck with plow, $100,000 for replacement of a dump truck with plow and sander, and $75,000 for the replacement of the truck used to pick up bulky waste items, such as appliances.
   Another $115,000 would be used for public works and parks equipment —including $90,000 for a boom mower, $5,000 for a trailer, $15,000 for playground equipment and $5,000 for construction of a veterans’ memorial.
   Improvement to buildings used by the township would use another $116,850 of the money. Among the items covered are $15,000 for installation of windows and thermostatic controls in the public works building, $33,000 for the purchase and installation of three heat pumps and a water softening system in the municipal building, $33,850 for renovations to municipal court and $5,000 for the purchase and installation of new tax window.
   Police equipment would cost $152,500 — including $130,000 for purchase and installation of a radio system upgrade, $10,000 for the purchase of a generator for the radio repeater site on New Road, and $12,500 for the replacement of five radar units.
   Computer hardware and software and office equipment would use approximately $155,000 more.