West Windsor still has more than 50 percent of its budget intact for redevelopment purposes, members of the township’s administration are saying.
According to Business Administrator Robert Hary, who updated the council about the status of the redevelopment budget at its meeting on July 12, the township still has $111,000 of the $200,000 it approved in bonds in late 2007 to be used toward redevelopment.
The $200,000, approved in a bond ordinance in December, 2007, was to be used to fund continuing work on the 350-acre Princeton Junction train station redevelopment project. When it was approved, officials said the bond ordinance would cover the costs for contracts for consultants Gary Davies and John Madden, and the costs for a hiring redevelopment attorney (the township later hired attorney Ed McManimon), a real estate and financial consultant, Integra, and for funding work by Gerald Muller, the Planning Board attorney.
Officials said then that the $200,000 in bonds was needed to supplement the original $403,725 earmarked in 2006 for creation of the redevelopment plan.
Hary said that he sent copies of a spreadsheet that breaks down the costs associated with the $200,000 budget to council members and verbally presented the report on July 12. “We haven’t even used 50 percent of the money yet,” he said. The council had requested an update on the funding.
Other business. Discussions of a reimbursement policy and a draft ordinance to slowly phase out the need for a Cable TV Advisory Board were postponed during the July 12 meeting.
Council reviewed draft ordinances of the reimbursement policy last month and seemed to agree that they wanted to eliminate the current flat, monthly mileage and meal allowance of $250 given to certain township employees. Ultimately, the council assigned Township Attorney Michael Herbert to draft a policy.
Business Administrator Robert Hary said that during the July 12 meeting, officials reported they had not had time to complete their review and asked to defer the issue until the agenda session in August.
The council has also been examining the dissolution of the Cable TV Advisory Board in favor of a smaller staff committee that would handle any policy decisions, based on the depleting need of having the board. The smaller committee will most likely consist of the business administrator, the mayor, and the council president, who will deal with policy decisions.
“Mr. Herbert did provide a draft of amendments to the code, but he is still getting information from various council members before he comes in with a draft,” said Hary.
