MANALAPAN – The Manalapan Police Department and the Manalapan Recreation Department are in for some renovations and changes that will be paid for with money that was originally appropriated in 2002 for the possible construction of a separate police building.
The Township Committee voted unanimously on May 28 to reappropriate $1.5 million to renovate the municipal building, Route 522, so that the police department will be able to expand its operations inside town hall.
No member of the public commented on the plan to change the initially planned use of the 2002 funds when the committee opened the public hearing on the ordinance. Members of the governing body then voted to adopt the ordinance.
When the renovations at town hall are completed, the police departmentwill occupy two floors of the building. At the present time the police department occupies one end of town hall on the upper floor.
The recreation department staff will move from the municipal building across Route 522 to a small home in front of the Manalapan Recreation Center, according to Mayor Michelle Roth.
Roth said the home, which the township owns, will be renovated and brought into compliance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The mayor said the planned renovations to the municipal building are necessary to accommodate a growing police department that needs more space in order to operate at peak performance.
She said renovating town hall will be more cost-effective than building the police department its own facility.
According to the ordinance that was adopted onMay 28, the money will pay for all architectural work, designs, permits, materials and labor that will be needed to complete the projects at town hall and the home on Route 522 that will house the recreation department.
Roth said some of the money will also be used to purchase radio communications equipment and new video cameras for Manalapan’s police cars.
Recreation department employees may be able tomove into their newoffices at some point during the summer, the mayor said.