HIGHTSTOWN: Borough mulls trailers, modules for its municipal offices

By David Kilby, Special Writer
   HIGHTSTOWN — Amidst the many complications keeping the borough from proceeding with its plans to relocate its temporary administrative offices, there is a clamor among residents and council members alike that seems to keep resounding, “What’s taking so long?”
   Borough administration is in the Public Works building on Bank Street for now as it has been since Borough Hall was flooded by waters from the hurricane that at least Hightstown still is talking about, Irene — not Sandy.
   As even the damage done by Hurricane Sandy loses media spotlight, Hightstown residents and council members say it’s time to move on from the problems Hurricane Irene caused.
   Yet just as hurricane floodwaters cause many unseen reconstruction problems, relocating Borough Hall has presented its own unforeseen technical problems.
   Hightstown, being built out to capacity, cannot simply relocate the hall on some vacant lot of public land because there quite simply aren’t any such lots in the borough, Mayor Steven Kirson explained.
   The borough has asked several businesses and communities around town for permission to use their space for offices, but has had trouble finding those who can adequately oblige, the mayor said. These complications, among many others, have left borough employees cramped in insufficient temporary offices for more than a year.
   Michael Theokas, borough administrator, said at the Borough Council meeting Monday that the borough needs to find a different temporary location for the Police Department as well, which is relocated at Lucas Electric on Mercer Street.
   While explaining the borough has to go out to bid for every purchase it makes in the relocation process, he said the process is moving along.
   ”We’re moving as quickly as we can,” Mr. Theokas said.
   Councilwoman Gail Doran asked why the borough couldn’t go out to bid and look for a location for the temporary offices simultaneously, and Mr. Theokas said that’s basically what it is doing.
   ”I really would encourage both efforts to go on at the same time,” Ms. Doran urged.
   Mayor Steven Kirson agreed, saying, “We really need to move forward with this.”
   ”We don’t seem to be much further along than we were three weeks ago,” Ms. Doran added.
   ”I don’t think we realized how long the process was going to take,” Mayor Kirson said.
   Ms. Doran recommended appointing a subcommittee to speed up the process, and the council agreed.
   Councilwoman Susan Bibens ended the council’s conversation on the temporary offices issue, saying the delay in relocating the offices isn’t understandable.
   As previously reported, the council has conveyed its interest in having the borough offices located downtown, but the Planning Board does not support rebuilding the hall at the same location since it’s in a flood zone.
   Mayor Kirson said in a phone interview Thursday that rebuilding Borough Hall would take two to three years so regardless of where it’s located, the borough will need adequate temporary offices in the meantime.
   At the meeting, the council explored purchasing trailers or modules, which are bigger and more permanent trailers, to house administrative offices in temporarily, but a location for them has not been decided upon.
   The borough is looking to get information on the trailers or modules and possibly architectural drawings by the next council meeting Dec. 17.
   ”We’ve really been in cramped areas since the flood. We want to make sure (our employees) have better working conditions, “ Mayor Kirson said, noting the difficulty in finding an adequate temporary location for administrative offices in a borough that has very little land available.
   The borough is looking for locations for trailers or modules and determining the amount of space that will be needed, but at this point, no bids have been accepted.
   ”Once the size is determined, we have to go out to bid,” the mayor said. “I think we’re proceeding in the right matter. We will be looking at specific requirements needed, and, hopefully, in a short time, we’ll get that accomplished so we can go out to bid and start constructing and get a better working environment for our employees.”
   Lexington Insurance has agreed to pick up the cost of the interim housing of borough administrative employees as previously reported. The insurance company also has agreed to pay up to $3.5 million to rebuild Borough Hall.