EAST BRUNSWICK–The Township Council adopted a $3.6 million bond ordinance to provide funding for various East Brunswick Public Schools District capital improvements.
The total cost is $3,789,474, which will be partially paid for by the $3.6 million bond. The township will also pay for the $189,474 remaining balance as a down payment, according to the council agenda.
The council adopted the bond ordinance on June 8 during the council meeting via video conference.
Capital improvements for the district’s schools include:
- roof replacement, including all work and materials
- the purchase and installation of gymnasium divider curtains
- facilities management equipment, including the purchase of trucks of varying purpose, with snowplows
- the purchase of snow tractors
- student transportation, including the purchase of seven 54-passenger school buses
- classroom furnishings including desks, chairs and cabinets
In other news, Mayor Brad Cohen updated residents about the township’s coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and how residents can receive free testing.
“First, just as an update for COVID-19 issues: in our COVID-19 cases we’re up to 663 cases and frankly, the number of cases that we’re getting calls on [in] terms of a daily basis are dropping,” Cohen said. “For the good number of weeks, I will be getting cases eight to 15 per day, and that was a couple of weeks ago. More recently, we only get one or two a day, three at the most. Some days none. So we could see that the numbers are dropping off.”
Cohen said there have been 50 deaths in the community and a good number of those were at long term care facilities, probably about 40-50% of those cases, he said.
“I wanted to remind everybody that you can do COVID testing throughout Middlesex County, free of charge,” Cohen said. “There are still sites at Perth Amboy, Piscataway and New Brunswick. Those are still open and they are now taking people who are asymptomatic so you don’t have to have symptoms [and] you don’t have to have a prescription.”
Cohen said residents do have to call and make the appointment and show proof at the time that they’re a Middlesex County resident. It will not be charged to their insurance due to the county paying costs through a grant.
“If you go to your own doctor or your own urgent care center that’s fine too. Most insurances will not be charging you for the test itself, but there is a charge for the office visit for them to obtain the test, and each insurance company is different on that and everyone’s deductible is different,” Cohen said. “So you may incur charges if you go to an actual doctor’s office or urgent care center. The Middlesex County ones are completely free.”
For more information, visit www.eastbrunswick.org.
Contact Vashti Harris at [email protected].