PHOTOS COURTESY OF OVER THE MOON PUBLIC RELATIONS

Sayreville approves funding for improvements to library, senior center

SAYREVILLE – Officials in Sayreville are appropriating $800,000 toward various capital improvements in the borough.

On Aug. 19, the Borough Council adopted a bond ordinance providing funding for the capital improvements following a public hearing. The bond ordinance also authorizes the issuance of $760,000 in bonds or notes to finance part of the $800,000 cost of the improvements.

The remaining costs will be covered by a down payment of $40,000, according to the bond ordinance.

According to the bond ordinance, the capital improvements include, but are not limited to, improvements to the Sayreville Senior Center and the Sayreville Public Library, technology improvements and drainage improvements.

In other business, the council introduced a bond ordinance that will, if adopted, appropriate $910,700 towards various park improvements in Sayreville and authorize the issuance of $865,000 in bonds or notes to finance part of the appropriation, with $45,700 to cover the remaining costs.

The bond ordinance for the park improvements previously appeared before the governing body on July 22 where council members voted to table its introduction.

The previous version of the bond ordinance would have appropriated $750,000 towards the improvements and authorized the issuance of $712,500 in bonds or notes to finance part of the appropriation, with $37,500 to cover the remaining costs. As stated in this version, the improvements were to include, but were not limited to, upgrades to the ball field, surfacing of the Boehmhurst basketball court, replacement of the infield turf at Senior Field, installation of a rubber surface at the soccer complex, and other miscellaneous park improvements.

Council members tabled the earlier version after deciding that other parks in the borough were in more need of improvements than Boehmurst, with specific attention placed on the basketball court at Kennedy Park.

The bond ordinance introduced by the council on Aug. 19 was subsequently amended to state that the work covered by the appropriation would include improvements to Kennedy Park’s basketball court, in addition to the improvements stated in the earlier version of the bond ordinance. With the addition of the Kennedy Park basketball court, the appropriation increased from $750,000 to $910,700.

A public hearing on the bond ordinance is scheduled for Sept. 9. The council may adopt the bond ordinance that evening.