BY LAYLI WHYTE
Staff Writer
LITTLE SILVER — Residents of the borough can look forward to various improvements around the town over the next year.
At last week’s Borough Council meeting, the council introduced two ordinances that, combined, appropriate more than $2.8 million to various improvements and acquisitions for the borough, nearly $400,000 of which is appropriated to the Capital Improvements Fund.
Thanks to a $150,000 grant from the state Department of Transportation, the borough will be able to complete improvements to Little Silver Point Road, between Seven Bridges Road and Willow Drive.
The total cost of the project is $238,000, with $76,000 coming from bonds and notes.
The project will include milling, new curbing and paving, as well as sidewalks where necessary, according to Borough Administrator Michael Biehl.
“The road may be closed for a very short period of time in sections,” said Biehl, “but not the whole road at a time. We’ll do our best to keep it open.”
The borough has appropriated $1.95 million toward the acquisition of property, which is still in negotiation, according to Biehl.
The property is the building next to the municipal building, which would be used as storage for recreation equipment and additional meeting space for the borough.
“There are commercial tenants there now,” said Biehl. “We’re not planning on throwing them out.”
The total cost of the building is $6.25 million, but the borough has not closed on the contract yet.
“The building would have to be handicapped accessible,” said Biehl, explaining that $100,000 has been appropriated to the Capital Improvement Fund balance as “Improvements to Public Buildings.”
Biehl said that the building would have to be renovated in order to better fit the purposes of the borough.
Improvements will continue to take place downtown, with $100,000 appropriated as supplemental funding for the second phase of improvements, said Biehl.
“We’re negotiating with Verizon and Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L),” said Biehl.
He said that improvements will continue work that has already been done downtown, including new street lights, sidewalks and moving utility service underground.
The project will extend up Markham Place and Church Street and will finish up the work on Prospect Avenue.
The Little Silver Fire Department will also receive improvements, with $165,000 toward a rescue truck, which does need some refurbishing, according to Biehl.
“It will be used to carry equipment such as extra air packs and spare coats. It will give them kind of a mobile command post,” said Biehl.
The fire department will also receive new equipment including air packs, a fill station for those packs and a new hose. Over $80,000 will be appropriated to the Capital Fund for the new equipment.
The Little Silver Police Department will receive more than $67,000 of Capital Funds for new equipment such as computers, mobile data terminals for police cars and new Breathalyzer equipment.
The Department of Public Works is due to acquire a new pick-up truck, and the borough administrative offices will receive a new copier.