SPOTSWOOD – The Borough Council has introduced an ordinance that will, if adopted, provide more than $1 million for street improvements and an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).
Spotswood Borough Administrator Dawn McDonald said Brunswick Avenue will be widened and resurfaced from Snowhill Avenue to Second Street. On Karen Street, a portion of the drainage system will be replaced.
Regarding the UPS, McDonald said, “The UPS is a battery system which provides for continuous power to our municipal building for the seconds in between a power outage and when our generator kicks in.”
McDonald said the UPS will be used for continuous operation of emergency services, which is critical for the borough’s dispatch center, specifically 911 calls.
Council members authorized an appropriation of $1,078,000 on June 18. The bond ordinance authorizes the issuance of $558,000 in bonds. Spotswood will use $490,000 in grant funds which are expected to be received from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT). The borough will make a down payment of $30,000 toward the total appropriation, according to municipal officials.
“The down payment funds are provided in the 2018 budget,” McDonald said.
McDonald said the second and final reading for the ordinance will be on July 16. Council members may adopt the ordinance that evening.
In other business, the council passed a resolution to submit a grant application and execute a grant contract with the DOT for the improvements at Main Street, Devoe Avenue, Vliet Street, Snowhill Street and Manalapan Avenue.
“The traffic signal controller needs to be replaced and the traffic signal upgraded. Unfortunately, Middlesex County has declined to assist Spotswood with this endeavor even though the light is at the intersection of two county roads, Main Street and DeVoe Avenue,” McDonald said.
The borough is seeking a $950,000 grant to fund the improvements for the streets, according to McDonald.
McDonald said improvements that are needed for the streets include road resurfacing and possibly a realignment of Hefron Drive.
“DOT will advise us once the application has been reviewed,” McDonald said.
Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com
