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Parsippany-Troy Hills council approves $3.4M EPA grant and multiple contracts; $65,000 public-relations contract draws questions
Summary
The council approved a $3.4 million EPA grant for pump station projects and a series of routine contracts and grant applications on March 25; the $65,000 public-relations contract passed after council discussion about vendor client lists.
At its March 25, 2025 meeting the Parsippany (Troy Hills) Township Council approved a slate of routine and nonconsent items including an EPA grant award, several historic-preservation grant submissions and professional service agreements. The council also introduced a budget-related ordinance for first reading and tabled two ordinances that require redrafting.
The business administrator reported the township received a $3,400,000 award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to be used for three sewer-pump-station projects: the Lake Hiawatha pump station, the New Road pump station and change orders associated with pump station No. 4. The administrator said the award covers roughly 80% of the identified scope and that the township will supply the remaining 20 percent. Staff also reported a separate $2,000,000 principal-forgiveness award from the iBank for the Pump Station 4 redirection project.
On the consent and nonconsent agendas the council approved a series of resolutions, including R2025-77 (a FY2026 grant application to the Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse), R2025-78 and R2025-79 (grant submissions by the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms to the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund and the New Jersey Historic Trust), and R2025-80 (awarding contracts for yard-waste transportation, recycling and disposal). The council also approved professional service agreements for legal, engineering and hearing-officer services and awarded an annual public-relations consultant contract described in the meeting record at $65,000.
Council members asked about the public-relations vendor's client list during debate on the contract. Councilman Matthew McGrath questioned whether the firm’s political clients were relevant to township work; the administration replied the award was for routine municipal communications and that the firm had absorbed a predecessor vendor. After discussion the motion to award the public-relations contract passed on roll call.
Other items: the council introduced Ordinance 2025-03, a municipal CAP-bank ordinance related to the 2025 budget (first reading; second reading set for April 15), and tabled Ordinance 2025-01 (the council agreed the ordinance requires redrafting and must be reintroduced after revisions). The meeting record shows the public and council also discussed affordable housing litigation, library capital items (including an AC bid reduced by grant funding from $92,000 to an estimated $68,000), and local development and permitting matters.
Taken together, the approvals give the township funding and procurement authority to advance pump-station work, historic-preservation grant submissions and a set of routine professional-service contracts. The council directed staff and grant writers to continue work on funded projects and to return grant and contract details to the council as required by municipal procurement rules.
