BY Birgitta Wolfe, Managing Editor
BORDENTOWN CITY The City Commission in a 2 to 1 vote Monday gave final approval for a $450,000 bond issue to fix broken sidewalks, replace decaying street trees, and restore the Old City Hall.
Heather Cheesman voted against the measure and Mayor James Lynch and Zigmont Targonski voted for it.
”It’s a public safety issue,” the mayor said, referring to the trees and sidewalks. “For liability alone, we have to protect this town.”
Previously, the city gave about $20,000 a year to the Shade Tree Commission to replace and trim trees, but “we could never keep up. There were trees on cars and people tripping on sidewalks. It was like Band-Aids and bubblegum,” Mayor Lynch said.
Some residents had been told that if the sidewalks in front of their houses weren’t fixed, their homeowners insurance would be canceled, he said.
About $250,000 would cover the sidewalks and trees, and $200,000 would go for inside plaster restoration at the Old City Hall at 11 Crosswicks Street.
In other business:
The mayor said the commission plans to ask the New Jersey State Police cyber unit for help in investigating threatening postings that appeared this summer on the city’s Farmers Market Facebook page. One posting had called for eight or nine residents to be shot.
The commission appointed police Lt. Frederic Miller to the position of captain.
The city thanked city firefighters for pumping out about 200 basements after the recent rains.
