At the Wednesday, April 25, Plainsboro Township Committee meeting the 2012 budget was not adopted. The budget process has been delayed for a month because Plainsboro did not “get the OK” from the state division of local government services, according to Business Administrator Robert O. Sheehan.
“Once we hear from them, we will adopt — we’re ready. We’re hopeful that will be by our meeting on Wednesday, May 9,” Sheehan said in a telephone interview.
At the April 25 meeting the township committee passed a resolution authorizing an agreement with the state for implementing the Opticom traffic signal control and emergency pre-emption system on three intersections in the township: Scudders Mill Road and Dey Road, Scudders Mill Road and Schalks Crossing Road, and Scudders Mill Road and Campus Road (WW-P News, November 18, 2011).
Sheehan says the Plainsboro Fire District was interested in implementing Opticom, but there was a holdup because “it’s a little bit of a bureaucratic thing with the state.”
“The state has asked that we sign an agreement with them to maintain the system. This is a fire district project, and we [the township] will work with the fire district on that,” Sheehan said. Implementing the system carries no costs to municipal government, according to Sheehan.
Opticom is used by emergency service vehicles nationwide to change traffic light signals as they approach an intersection. On three sides of a four-way intersection, the light will expedite its cycle from green to yellow to red, stopping regular traffic. The light the emergency vehicle is approaching would then change to green to allow safer crossing of the intersection.
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 to authorize 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 usage 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 can 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 item on the agenda for May 9 is a resolution authorizing 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.
Also on the May 9 township committee agenda: – 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.
– Awarding the bid for Edgemere Avenue road improvements, phase II.
– Awarding bids for stormwater maintenance and landscaping.
– Authorizing a 2013 ROID grant application.
– A proclamation of Alcohol Awareness Month.
