HIGHTSTOWN: Council approves new bond

By Amy Batista, Special Writer
HIGHTSTOWN — The Borough Council approved a $170,000 bond ordinance for various capital improvements despite some residents’ concerns over the types of vehicles being purchased and underutilized vehicles.
“We face an ideal opportunity right now,” said Keith LePrevost at the July 21 meeting. “I’m the first one to be willing to buy tools and equipment for my people when they need them if they are necessary. In today’s world, you’ve got to buy the most efficient vehicles and equipment to do that job so you gain efficiency and save money.”
According to the bond ordinance, the acquisition of Public Works vehicles, including a dump truck, pick-up truck and utility truck was estimated at $114,000. Improvements to the firehouse, including, but not limited to, the HVAC system, generator, fire suppression system and radios is estimated at $13,000. Engineering expenses for road improvements to Park Way, Grant Avenue and Hutchison Street, including design work, is estimated at $43,000.
esident Eugene Sarafin questioned why the borough keeps vehicles around for such an extended period of time.
“Why must we keep trucks around for 20 years,” said Mr. Sarafin. “I think if you really analyze the cost to maintain vehicles it far exceeds whatever your interest charges are than buying new ones than paying them off.”
He noted if they were on council in five years to “buy new ones.”
Mr. LePrevost offered some information in hopes of answering Mr. Sarafin’s questions during the public hearing on the ordinance.
“Part of my work with Sustainable Jersey was to take a look at our fleet inventory in the borough,” he said, adding that he was provided a detailed listing of the make, model, and series numbers of every vehicle the borough owns by Administrator Henry Underhill and Police Director James LeTellier.
“Debbie provided me with the fuel usage spreadsheet from East Windsor Township, all 5,400 lines of it,” he said. “I provided you my analysis of the fleet inventory, everybody has received it, only the Police Director has responded, and has made plans to dispose of three of the four vehicles that were recommended to be disposed of.”
He noted that according to borough ordinance and code “you have to be paying insurance and registration on every vehicle that is on your property.”
“So if we are not issuing and registering all of these vehicles we are breaking our own laws,” he said.
He noted that there were 11 Public Works vehicles that showed no mileage during the course of the year and “we just store and pay insurance on.”
He noted that the council wanted to buy two more super heavy duty pick-up trucks, a utility body truck, and a large dump truck.
“We just purchased a brand new dump truck a year ago and logged 136 miles on that dump truck,” he said, adding that it was not fully utilized for a large capital expenditure.
He suggested to the council selecting a different type of vehicle for jobs based on fuel efficiency rather than the heavy-duty pick-up as a better use of the taxpayer’s money.
“We purchased two large heavy-duty pick-up trucks, all these things I know are necessary for snow removal and other tasks, but when our supervisor logs over 10,000 miles in the borough at 2.3 miles per gallon that’s not the proper use of a vehicle when you can get him a little Capri to jet around town in to go to the V.F.W. and Burger King and that’s a better use of our money,” he said. We don’t need to be wasting fuel like that, he added.
“If we need vehicles like that, let’s take a look at each and every job,” he said. “See exactly what they are being utilized for and by the proper sized vehicle. Maybe we need a couple of smaller-sized pick-ups.”
He noted that similar vehicles in the Water and Sewer Plant are averaging 12 to 13 miles per gallon.
“We need to take a look at it,” he said. “Please if we are going to be spending another $170,000 on vehicles let’s make sure that they are right vehicles, for the right use, for the right purpose and that we are not just buying more giant trucks to joy ride around town in.”
Resident and mayoral candidate Douglas Mair noted that “everybody loves money and everybody loves to spend it.”
“Instead of purchasing vehicles my suggestion to you first and foremost why don’t you go ahead and write down what the use is for the vehicle that you have in the inventory thus far,” said Mr. Mair. “When you identify what vehicles you have then we can write down a quick little note of what each vehicle does for the residents of the town and then we can better assess what we need.”
He noted that it’s been his experience some vehicles serve one purpose and some vehicles serve multi-purposes.
“I wouldn’t probably want to buy two pick-up trucks if I can use one pick-up truck that can serve two purposes,” he said. “So fiscal responsibility, accountability, and the mere fact that Mr. LePrevost he made a very interesting comment that he said if you guys need information you can come to me so that tells me that you guys didn’t go to him. So if you didn’t go to him then I’m going to make the assumption that you didn’t go to anybody else. Somebody slapped a piece of paper down saying this is what we need. This how much money we have so let’s go ahead and get it.”
He suggested to council to “try something different tonight.”
“We don’t we go ahead and each council member and mayor take about two minutes, three minutes, since that’s what the public gets and address these issues to each and every one of the taxpayers out here and say why you want to pass this,” he said.
Next, Mr. Mair suggested instead just “taking fiscal responsibility” and tabling the issue until they have contacted Mr. LePrevost and others who can provided a breakdown on all the vehicles and their uses.
Councilmember Larry Quattrone noted that some of the vehicles are “very old and the speedometers don’t work.”
“We use them for water works, for water jobs,” said Mr. Quattrone. “We carry a lot of heavy equipment in some of them to go to these water jobs. Just because they read no mileage doesn’t mean they haven’t been used.”
He noted they have a dump truck that is in “desperate repair.”
“It has been brought back from the dead twice,” he said. “That’s what this dump here is all about.”
He noted that new one being purchased will be a diesel and will “represent the borough better in mileage.”
The bond ordinance also includes improvements to the firehouse and roadways.
“The improvements to the firehouse are very important and the improvements to Park Way and Grant Avenue are also important,” he said. “I’m afraid I will have to move that.”
Councilmember Rob Thibault noted that the council did look at the improvements as part of the budget and capital.
“I was surprised at the average age (of the vehicles),” said Mr. Thibault. “There are a lot of old vehicles.”
He noted that he wanted to look into the 11 vehicles which had no mileage on them.
“If the speedometer is broken, why are we driving them around,” he said.
Mr. Thibault noted that the council did look at the inventory they just received from Mr. LePrevost earlier that day.
“So I am comfortable voting yes,” he said. “I think we did our due diligence.”
Councilmember Steven Misiura noted that Mr. LePrevost analysis is a “useful tool.” 