HOWELL – Members of the Howell Township Council adopted four ordinances during a special meeting that was held on Aug. 10.
The first ordinance unanimously adopted by the council, O-21-17, was introduced on June 22. The ordinance appropriates $8.6 million and authorizes the issuance of $8.17 million in bonds to provide for capital improvements and the acquisition of capital equipment.
Work covered in the ordinance includes planned improvements to the Department of Public Works garage at an estimated cost of $800,000; improvements to the police and court buildings at an estimated cost of $785,000; buildings and grounds improvements at an estimated cost of $39,000; and engineering projects, including Lanes Mill Road improvements, Newtons Corner Road improvements, a Fort Plains/West Farms road traffic signal, a DPW complex water connection, the 2021 road program and the Lake Louise dam, with an estimated cost of $6.97 million.
The second ordinance unanimously adopted by the council, ordinance O-21-18, was introduced on June 22. The ordinance appropriates $700,000 and authorizes the issuance of $665,000 in bonds to provide for capital improvements and the acquisition of capital equipment.
The improvements authorized by O-21-18 consist of sewer utility improvements, including but not limited to, Tanglewood station improvements, Ardena pump station rehabilitation, bioxide system replacement at the Ardena pump station; and the acquisition of a prewell grinder at the Ramtown pump station.
The third ordinance unanimously adopted by the council, O-21-19, authorizes an agreement with the Monmouth County Improvement Authority to lease certain capital equipment.
The fourth ordinance unanimously adopted by the council, O-21-20, was introduced on June 22. This ordinance authorizes the guaranty by Howell on the Capital Equipment Lease Revenue Bonds, Series 2021, Township of Howell Board of Education Project of the Monmouth County Improvement Authority for the Howell Board of Education Project. This ordinance leases various equipment to the Howell K-8 School District.
Resident Kathi Novak asked why two previous Township Council meetings were cancelled and why a special council meeting had to be held.
Township Manager Brian Geoghegan said two council members could not attend the previously scheduled council meetings due to personal reasons.
Township Clerk Dwayne Harris said two council members were unable to attend the previously scheduled council meetings at the last moment.
“That in effect would not have permitted the governing body to have the required number of votes (four affirmative votes are needed to adopt a bond ordinance), so having those two council meetings was useless at that point. That is why those meetings were cancelled and rescheduled,” Harris said.