FREEHOLD – The Borough Council in Freehold Borough has introduced a bond ordinance that will, if adopted, appropriate $1.1 million for improvements on various roads in the municipality.
During a meeting on June 15, council members introduced the bond ordinance. To finance a portion of the costs of the work, the ordinance authorizes the issuance of $752,000 in bonds or notes.
Additional funding for the improvements is expected to be received in the form of $310,000 in grants from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT), according to the bond ordinance. The remaining costs will be covered by a local down payment of $38,000.
According to the bond ordinance, improvements will be made to Frances Drive, Berkeley Place and Yard Avenue. A public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for July 20. The council may adopt the ordinance that evening.
In other business, council members authorized the submission of a grant application and the execution of a grant contract with the DOT for the Stokes Street road improvement project.
And, council members authorized the renewal of an agreement for the Western Monmouth Active Shooter Training Group, a shared services agreement that involves eight police departments in western Monmouth County and the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office.
The participants are the Allentown, Colts Neck, Englishtown, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Howell, Manalapan and Marlboro police departments, and the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office. Freehold Township will continue to serve as the lead agency in the agreement.
The resolution states the agreement is beneficial to the municipalities involved by allowing interagency standardization of active shooter response protocols and by facilitating a rapid response and coordination in the event that officers from multiple agencies may be the first responders in neighboring communities for these types of incidents.
This will be the third year the training group will be in effect in the eight municipalities. The initial agreement was authorized in 2018, with Freehold Township serving as the lead agency and provider.