By MICHAEL NUNES
Staff Writer
EAST BRUNSWICK – After being shot down at the last council meeting, an ordinance to fund repairs for tennis courts in town is experiencing its second wind.
According to the ordinance, which was introduced at the April 11 Town Council meeting, $667,757 would go toward reconstructing the four courts at Bicentennial Park, $644,137 would go toward the purchasing of the firetruck for Fire District 3, and $121,613 would be allocated to upgrade the payroll system for the township’s Human Resource Department.
Of the three items, which adds up to $1.433 million, the reconstruction of the tennis courts drew the most criticism from council.
“I still think we’re spending too much of the taxpayers’ money on four tennis courts. … I think we could probably do all the tennis courts in this town for that money,” said Councilman James Wendell, who was one of three council members on council to reject a $1.6 million ordinance at the March 28 council meeting, which had allocated $917,250 towards reconstructing four tennis courts at Bicentennial Park and resurfacing two courts at Community Park.
Also included in the $667,757 is $190,000 for lighting at the tennis courts and retro fitting of lights at the Transportation and Commerce Center, located on Old Bridge Turnpike, according to township Chief Financial Officer Lou Neely.
“If it is successful … it would decrease the energy cost by at least a third,” Neely said.
Wendell’s opposition to the reconstruction was based on there not being a maintenance plan for the upkeep of the courts after reconstruction as well as the manner in which the courts would be rebuilt.
“We have not maintained our tennis courts to the level that they should have been, and as such we are in the position that we’re in now. Before I would authorize spending more than $400,000 on any tennis court, I would want to see a maintenance plan,” he said.
He also took issue with the use of post tension concrete as a way to rebuild the courts.
“Post tension concrete is extremely hard on the joints and the legs,” Wendell said, which is why the courts would have to use a rubberized mat which would be comparable to playing on turf or clay.
According to Neely, the move to use post tension concrete and a rubberized mat would reduce cracks due to weather.
“Given the demand on the tennis court [the township engineer wants to] try the post tension, which is a pre-stressed concrete, that will allow it not to crack and allow it to function in cold and warm weather without shrinkage or cracking and breaking,” Neely said.
Wendell proposed a motion to remove the tennis courts from the bond ordinance, but was out voted by other members of council.
“I just think this is not a well thought out plan. I think it’s not looking at the taxpayers’ dollars well enough,” he said.
The council voted to put the ordinance up for public hearing on May 9, with Wendell being the sole vote against the motion.
Contact Michael Nunes at [email protected].