News
MB Makes "Good Deal' For Additional Public Works Projects
By Sherry Conohan
MONMOUTH BEACH - The Borough Commission took the contractor for its streets program up on the company's offer to do three more jobs for what Edward Broberg, of T&M Associates, the borough's engineer, said was a good deal.
The Borough Commission, at its August meeting, approved the expenditure of an additional amount, not to exceed $144,000, to resurface a small part of River Avenue, undertake a drainage project on Monmouth Parkway and improve the Department of Public Works yard.
The original contract with Meco, Inc., for this year's streets program was $828,855. Change Order No. 1 followed for $21,523, bringing the total expenditure on the streets program before the meeting to $850,378. The $144,000 for Change Order No. 2 given the green light at the meeting brought the contract cost up to $994,378.
On top of that, the commission approved an additional $15,000 to be paid to T&M for engineering services associated with the extra work.
The commission also approved an appropriation of $750,000 to finance three capital projects. The most expensive item was $660,000 for the refurbishment of a tower ladder fire truck, which will provide it with another five years of usefulness. Some $55,000 was allocated for drainage improvements at Griffin Park and $35,000 was provided for an oil separator system to keep oil from running into storm drains when borough vehicles are washed.
The period of usefulness for the Griffin Park drainage improvements was given as 40 years while the period of usefulness for the oil separator was given as 15 years.
A sum of $38,000 in borough funds will be used for the downpayment on these projects with $712,000 in bonds being issued for the balance.
A further expenditure of $17,000 was approved for the purchase of recording equipment for the Police Department and the Municipal Court. The Police Department will get a digital monitoring and video recording system for $11,000 while digital audio recording equipment will be purchased for the municipal courtroom at a cost of $6,000.
In other action, an ordinance was introduced to prohibit parking on Beach Road between Seaview and River Avenues. A public hearing on the measure will be held on Sept. 14.
The commission also appointed Matthew Cooke to the Recreation Commission as Alternate No. 1 to fill the unexpired term of Jacki Van Wagner, to expire on Dec. 31, 2013, and appointed Leo Decker to the Recreation Commission as Alternate No. 2 for a five-year term to expire on Dec. 31, 2014.
