Meave Cullinan (l-r), 3, Bart Akard, 6, and Daniell Cullinan, 7, have a laugh hiding behind the projector screen before the start of the “Happy Noon Year” part at the Monroe Township Public Library Dec. 30. JEFF GRANIT staff Make tough decisions, invest in infrastructure and plan for the future. That is what South RIver Mayor Raymond T. Eppinger sees for 2011.
He said South River fared better than surrounding communities during the past year because the administration and council made “wise” decisions.
“This recent storm [on Dec. 26] provides a great example of how successful we have become,” he said. “By investing wisely in equipment, machinery, training and planning, South River was back up and running far sooner than many municipalities — some of which are struggling to get back up on their feet.”
Republican James F. Hutchison was sworn in to his second Borough Council term, and Democrat Matthew Vaughn, who previously served from 1989 to 1997, was sworn in to his new seat during the Jan. 1 reorganization meeting. The six-member council is now split evenly between the two political parties. Eppinger, a Republican, votes in the event of a tie.
Hutchison said 2011 will be an exciting year. He challenged officials to address the downtown Main Street area and work with the Economic Development Commission to attract new businesses.
Vaughn said it was humbling to be elected to his fourth nonconsecutive term.
“[This year] will be a very difficult year for us,” he said. “We have to be creative and proactive with every decision that we make.” Vaughn said he would like to focus on the waterfront and see if there are funds available to help revive the area. He also suggested looking at the feasibility of installing solar panels on municipal buildings at no expense to taxpayers.
Councilman John Krenzel and Vaughn both received nominations and party-line votes for the position of council president. Eppinger then chose Krenzel, a fellow Republican. He said he looked forward to working with everyone in the new year.
Eppinger listed accomplishments that the administration and council worked on in 2010. They included the institution of the road signs and safety devices; road paving; renovation of the sewage pumping station; renovation of the water system, including both water storage tanks; upgrading of the electric substation; implementation of an emergency notification system; purchasing new equipment and vehicles; continuation of park improvements; and beginning the grant-funded curb cuts.
The mayor also noted that officials worked together to bring back the in-house building department on Oct 1. South River had disbanded the office in 2007 in favor of an interlocal agreement with Old Bridge for building services. Eppinger said the borough also began to introduce a police accreditation program and had an electric rate study done for the first time. Officials also planned for a new firehouse and the expansion of the library.
In 2011, Eppinger said, the borough will see major renovations on both Raritan Avenue and Water Street, noting that the areas have been neglected for decades. Work is scheduled to being in March and will include repaving the roads as well as upgrading and replacing water lines and storm and sanitary sewers.
The borough plans to break ground on the new firehouse at the former Elks property on Main Street, replacing the George Street facility, and will also break ground on the library expansion. Officials also plan to reinvest in the Leonardine Park rehabilitation, complete the curb-cut project, continue the police accreditation process, complete the sewer and water departments’ rehabilitation projects, and complete the new master plan.
Solar panel proposal
Eppinger was happy to present the council with a proposal from Flextra Inc. to construct an approximately 2-megawatt solar collection panel project at the public works facility on Ivan Way.
“This green technology project would allow the borough to produce a portion of its electric energy needs right here in South River, reducing the amount needed from the electric grid system,” he said. “This is cutting-edge technology that will benefit ratepayers for years to come.”
Eppinger said the proposal is in the beginning stages. The company made a presentation to the council in closed session on Jan. 10. The mayor explained that the proposal came to Business Administrator Andrew Salerno about seven months ago, and officials began looking at its feasibility.
Councilman Rui Almeida said he was not opposed to the proposal but was concerned about the process by which the council learned about it.
“We found out about it on Jan. 1,” he said.
Eppinger said the administration wanted to see if the idea was feasible before bringing it to the council. Vaughn suggested looking into obtaining state and county grants for the proposal.