By Lauren Otis, Staff Writer
At Princeton Borough Council’s annual reorganization meeting Sunday — before an audience that included U.S. Congressman Rush Holt, state Sen. Shirley Turner, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, Mercer County Freeholders Anthony Carabelli, Pat Colavita, John Cimino and Dan Benson and County Clerk Paula Sollami-Covello — Princeton Borough’s governing body sought to find good omens in a raft of bad economic news.
”We had to make more difficult decisions in 2009 than I can recall in any of the previous 25 years I have served as an elected official here in Princeton Borough,” said Mayor Mildred Trotman in her annual address.
”Our workforce was decreased, we did not fill vacancies, we have a little less money in our surplus, and we did not finance some of the projects that we wanted to do in 2009,” Mayor Trotman said.
Despite the recession, and state aid cuts, “we did more than survive; we had a productive year,” she said.
”I’d like to highlight a silver lining that adorned the otherwise uniform gloom that informed 2009,” said Andrew Koontz, who was re-elected Borough Council president at the meeting.
In 2009, the borough was able to award major construction contracts “at fire sale prices,” Mr. Koontz said.
He cited the Harrison Street Park rebuilding, which was estimated to cost $850,000, but contracted for $500,000, and the Mercer Street road reconstruction, which was awarded to a contractor for $1.9 million, $700,000 below the borough’s estimate.
”We are seeing prices for construction projects not witnessed in many many years” because of the recession, Mr. Koontz said.
In addition, older borough fiscal assumptions such as for growing municipal debt are no longer valid because of the borough’s fiscal policies and outside economic factors, he said.
”In 2010, it is time to re-examine our capital and debt management plans and align them to the new economic realities,” Mr. Koontz said.
He urged his fellow council members to consider going ahead with other capital projects, including the Community Park Pool, a new first aid and rescue squad facility, expanding the Witherspoon Street firehouse and moving ahead with plans on the Princeton Regional School District’s Valley Road site.
”While there isn’t room for all of them, there is room for some of them,” Mr. Koontz said of the projects.
Councilman David Goldfarb cautioned that given economic circumstances, it wasn’t clear if the borough’s spending could continue at 2009 levels. Given the borough’s commitment to zero-percent tax increases, Mr. Goldfarb urged council to complete its 2010 budget as early as possible.
Municipal accomplishments for 2009 highlighted by Mayor Trotman included:
• The adoption of a zero tax increase budget.
• The progression of phase two of the Downtown Redevelopment Project with tenants expected to begin moving in to Building C on the site of the old Tulane Street parking lot in March.
• The completion of the property revaluation process.
• The appointment of David Dudeck as police chief to replace Anthony Federico, who died suddenly in June.
• The adoption of an ordinance creating associate members of the volunteer Fire Department who are employees and students at Princeton University.
• The progression of joint Princeton Borough and Township efforts to study full municipal consolidation or sharing further services.
• New market rate and affordable housing projects within the borough.
For 2010, Mayor Trotman said the borough expected to:
• Begin work on the Mercer Street reconstruction.
• Witness the beginning of the renovation/expansion of the Nassau Inn.
• Obtain a full report from the Joint Consolidation Study Commission, with recommendations.
• Continue discussions with the university over its proposed Arts and Transit Neighborhood.
• Continue to work to keep municipal taxes for borough residents low.
”I have said this before, but I’ll say it again: We are a community with so much wealth — and I don’t refer to money only,” Mayor Trotman said.
Re-elected Councilman Kevin Wilkes was sworn in and said, in the coming year, he wanted to focus on improving mass transit and parking strategies in downtown Princeton and supporting the efforts of several merchants associations.
In the poor economy, the borough needed to keep providing social services “for those who are in trouble at this time,” Mr. Wilkes said.
Newly elected Councilwoman Jenny Crumiller, after being sworn in, said she looked forward to working with fellow council members as a colleague on issues of importance to her.
lotis@centraljersey.com
