The Princeton Council introduced a $15 million bond ordinance that includes money for the reconstruction of Witherspoon Street, municipal park improvements and the purchase of assorted equipment for the Department of Public Works.
Nearly one-third of the bond ordinance, or $5 million, is earmarked for the Witherspoon Street improvement project, beginning at the intersection of Nassau Street and Witherspoon Street. This includes a $625,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation, officials said.
The bond ordinance also includes an additional $2 million that will be used to pay for various road resurfacing and pavement restoration work on streets throughout Princeton, as well as local road improvements. There is an additional $455,000 set aside for bikeway and pedestrian improvements.
The bond allocates $99,000 for general park maintenance, including baseball field improvements, turf maintenance, an irrigation system at Smoyer Park and the replacement of heaters in the park restrooms and storage areas.
It also includes $96,000 to purchase a mower for the parks and fields, an over-seeder attachment, a large tractor and trash cans and recycling cans for the municipal parks.
Some $353,000 will be used for removal of ash trees or their treatment and $51,000 for shade tree plantings throughout the town.
The funds allow for the installation of security cameras at several locations that include Witherspoon Hall (the Princeton Municipal Building), the Department of Public Works (DPW) garage on Harrison Street and the Spring Street municipal public parking garage.
There is $1.2 million in the bond to pay for a dump truck with snowplow and sander attachments, and a compactor truck and a mechanic’s truck.
Officials plan to purchase two sport utility vehicles – one for the fire inspector and the other for the Health Department – plus a high-water vehicle that can be used when roads are flooded. The combined cost is $154,500.
The Princeton Fire Department is in line for the acquisition of pagers, portable radios and a self-contained breathing apparatus cylinder for $52,500, and laptop computers for $20,500.
At the Princeton Police Department, some $52,500 has been earmarked to pay for sirens, lights and other equipment for the patrol cars and the purchase of bulletproof vests, plus an additional $28,000 to repair or replace police officers’ guns.
