TINTON FALLS — The members of the Borough Council have adopted an ordinance that appropriates $495,000 for improvements at the Tinton Falls Public Library, 664 Tinton Ave.
Council members took the action during a meeting on Oct. 11.
According to the ordinance, the appropriation includes $217,500 in grant funds from the New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act; $217,500 in the borough’s general capital reserve for library improvement funds (matching the state grant); and $60,000 in the borough’s general capital fund balance.
The Tinton Falls Public Library was created and is managed by the Tinton Falls Public Library Association. The library operates independently of the Monmouth County Library System.
The library was closed by municipal officials in August 2017 when mold was discovered in the building. The building is owned by the borough. Repairs to the building have been estimated at more than $400,000.
Prior to the adoption of the ordinance, Councilman Dr. Lawrence Dobrin spoke about the planned improvements for the library.
“I am looking forward to seeing this project begin,” Dobrin said. “I am pleased tonight that the library assocation’s president, Rosemary Kochman, is here, as well as many of her board members to support this ordinance. We are looking forward to hearing about it tonight.”
Brian Perry, the vice president of the library association, thanked borough officials for moving forward with the reopening of the library.
“It has been a long time coming,” Perry said. “(We are) very happy the state has granted us the matching funds we have requested and we are looking forward to moving forward very soon.”
After the ordinance was adopted, resident Ellen Goldberg thanked the borough officials for their work on the matter and said, “The people here tonight are the ones who feel the strongest, but there are many people in this community who feel strongly about the fact that we need our library back and reopened.”