By Vic Monaco, Managing Editor
HIGHTSTOWN The future of the Police Department may be cloudy, but that’s not stopping the borough from buying it some shiny new equipment.
The Borough Council on Monday voted 5-0 (with Council President Walter Sikorski absent) to introduce an ordinance that would authorize the issuance of $58,900 in bonds to buy, among other things, mobile data terminals for police cars.
Borough Administrator Candace Gallagher explained that the town has been leasing five or six terminals, which allow officers to do background checks, from South Brunswick for $3,000 each per year. The new mobile units will cost $54,600 to buy and install, she said.
Another $3,000 of the bond money would be used to buy a traffic counter for the Police Department. Also to be purchased is an in-car video unit to record traffic stops, accident scenes and prisoner transports. Five such units were previously purchased with county funds.
The consolidation of the Police Department has been under discussion with East Windsor since the spring of 2006 because of the borough’s financial state. And a committee of both towns is poised to suggest seeking a state grant and choosing a consultant to study the feasibility of the township taking over borough duties.
Asked after the meeting about the timing of the purchase, Councilman Ryan Rosenberg said that if such a change were approved, it’s “years away.”
The Borough Council on Monday also introduced a $135,000 bond ordinance to supplement $287,000 in funding for phase one of the local Greenways project. Of the total amount, $250,000 is coming from a state grant.
Borough Engineer Carmela Roberts explained that phase one consists of a path that runs from Rocky Brook Park, to behind the fire house, along the brook to the bridge abutment, crossing Main Street and heading to Peddie Lake and eventually moving behind Peddie woods and ending at the East Windsor border.
The council has scheduled public hearings on both bond ordinances for Nov. 19.
Ms. Roberts also told the council that the borough has been informed that the state Department of Transportation has agreed with a request made about two years ago to install pedestrian warning beacons along Route 33 near Broad Street and at The Point. The installation will cost the borough nothing, but the town will be responsible for electrical costs once the beacons are operating, she explained.
