The Plainsboro Township Committee adopted the 2012 budget at is meeting on Wednesday, May 9. The budget process was delayed for a month because Plainsboro didn’t “get the OK” from the state division of local government services, according to Business Administrator Robert O. Sheehan. The state reviews budgets every three years and this year was Plainsboro’s turn, hence the delay.
On May 9 Sheehan announced the names of two new police officers who will be joining Plainsboro’s force this year, reflecting one additional position. The new officers are Robert Urie and Jason Lapham.
Plainsboro Police may have a new way of troubleshooting large-scale gatherings (if there should ever be one in town). At the Wednesday, May 9, township committee meeting, a resolution was passed authorizing an M.O.U (memorandum of understanding) with Middlesex County for use of “Skywatch” surveillance equipment will be on the agenda.
“It’s a platform to overlook the entire grounds so that police can look and foresee any problems before an incident occurs. It allows us to give us an overview for security at large-scale events,” said Police Chief Guy Armour.
Skywatch is provided by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, bought solely with homeland security grant money.
“With that, for Plainsboro’s use at any large-scale event they would provide it to us after we received a proper amount of training on it. We would basically borrow it for whatever the time scale of the event would be,” Armour said.
A police officer would stand inside the platform, which would then be raised up high. Chief Armour described it as “an observation deck of the entire facility” to provide a high point view of all the event grounds.
Armour says Middlesex County purchased Skywatch for use by all of its municipalities. “However, before you can request use of any county equipment, generally speaking you need to pass resolutions to approve it, basically agreeing to any maintenance issues that might occur when you have the equipment and to make sure you will use the equipment as prescribed by the county.”
Founders’ Day, which is on Sunday, May 6, would not be one example of an event that Plainsboro would use Skywatch for as Armour said the annual tradition is “turnkey” for police.
“When I say large-scale we might be talking about 15,000 people. It’s got to be something pretty big. Any events Plainsboro has held thus far, we have not even come close to size. But if we had some kind of concert or something, we might want to use it,” Armour said.
The open house for the new hospital, the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro, might be the one event where Skywatch could assist the township. Despite Armour’s statement that planning for Skywatch did not coincide with the opening of the hospital this month, the hospital’s open house on Saturday, May 12, from noon to 6 p.m. is expected to draw a crowd of 10,000, according to spokesman Andy Williams.
Another resolution passed on May 9 authorized tax sale receipts forwarded to South Brunswick Township. Sheehan explained that some Plainsboro residences on the west side of the township get sewer service from South Brunswick, and therefore South Brunswick can place liens on those properties, prompting the agreement.
The following resolutions were also passed at the May 9 meeting:
– Refunds of recreation fees and permit overpayments.
– Acceptance of performance bond and inspection fees from ReCap, IVC PFC LLC, and the NRG Energy Center.
– Accepting inspection fees from New Jersey American Water related to a road opening permit.
– Awarding the bid of the 2011 Road Improvement program to Black Rock Enterprises, LLC of Old Bridge.
– Awarding the bid for Edgemere Avenue road improvements, phase II, to Lucas Bros. for $887,000.
– Awarding bids for stormwater maintenance, a $55,000 contract for maintaining the township’s storm drains.
– Awarding a bid for landscaping to Clintar, based in Perrineville, NJ.
