Town counts on grants for municipal projects

Jackson Jungle & Putnam Park are due for improvements

BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

Members of the Jackson Township Council have voted to submit a list of five projects to be included in the 2009 Ocean County Community Development Block Grant.

The projects are:

• Improvements to the Jackson Jungle play area.

• Improvements to Putnam Park.

• The reconstruction of the Jackson skate park.

• Surveillance equipment at the Jackson Justice Complex.

• The installation and/or repair of curbs, sidewalks and roads in Designated Target Neighborhoods, which includes the Jackson Justice Complex.

“The block grant is a three-year grant which runs from 2008 to 2010,” Business Administrator Phil Del Turco said at the council’s March 24 meeting.

In 2008 the township received its allocation from the federal government, and the county administered the program.

Jackson’s $160,000 grant allotment was enhanced by a stimulus package of about $55,000 for 2008, Del Turco said. The extra $55,000 was used for the Miller Avenue road paving project.

“We are going to try to use this money in the best possible way for the township,” said Del Turco. He noted that the Jackson Jungle play area in the Jackson Justice Complex is deteriorating and is in need of being refurbished.

Officials have also said the Jackson skate park — which offers skateboard enthusiasts a place to practice their skills — also needs to be improved. The skate park is also in the Jackson Justice Complex.

The exact amount of the block grant will not be known until word comes from the federal government.

The township has to reapply for the money every year, the business administrator said.

Del Turco said he is hoping federal stimulus funds will help to increase the amount of the grant for Jackson in 2009.

During the public portion of the council meeting, resident Paul Mayerowitz asked what kind of surveillance equipment would be used at the Jackson Justice Complex. He was told that one camera would be purchased to pan the entire complex.

On March 27 Del Turco met with Ocean County Planning Board representative Erica Stahl.

“The Community Development Block Grant program comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),” Stahl said. “That’s where we get our funding. Last year Jackson became its own entitlement, but the county still runs the program.”

Stahl said the county takes care of all of the administrative aspects of the program, handling all of the forms that go to HUD, as well as the public service element of the program.

Stahl said because the township is its own entitlement, Jackson gets a larger part of the block grant pot than most of the other municipalities in Ocean County.

“The entitlement is based on the population of the township,” said Stahl. “That was estimated to be at 50,000 or more people. Once they reach 50,000 residents, the town becomes its own entitlement. Jackson’s population was projected to be more than that as of 2008.”

Stahl said the original grant was for $200,000 and explained that Ocean County keeps 20 percent for administration and the public service element.

The public service element goes to nonprofit organizations, she said.

“Instead of Jackson hiring somebody to do it themselves, which would have cost a lot more to administer the public service, as well as submitting the forms to HUD, Jackson, Ocean County and HUD agreed it would be more beneficial for Ocean County to [keep] administering the program for Jackson,” said Stahl. “That way, Jackson gets a larger allocation to spend.”

Stahl explained that the public service is the money that goes to the nonprofits. She also noted that Ocean County and Jackson get their own stimulus funds from the federal government.

“For 2009 the amount of money could change, since the federal government has not passed a budget yet,” said Stahl. “We are basing [our figures] on the 2008 numbers. We don’t see it increasing, but that could happen. However, Democrats don’t tend to decrease allocations, so we don’t think it will go down. However, there is [always] the possibility that could happen.”

Officials are estimating a grant of $160,000, the same amount Jackson received in 2008.

“That figure can change depending upon the federal budget,” said Stahl.

Regarding the stimulus, Stahl said the $55,000 has already been passed by the federal government.

“That’s the stimulus package that was passed,” she said. “Jackson got $55,000 of the $1 billion that was given to HUD. That is definite.”

Del Turco said that before Jackson received its own allocation, the township only received $35,000 in grants.

“Today there is a significant difference, which benefits the township of Jackson,” he said.