Kenilworth council backs continued pursuit of federal and USDA grants for aging OEM building

Kenilworth council members on May 6 heard detailed staff briefings about the deteriorating emergency operations (OEM) building and agreed that borough staff should continue pursuing outside grant funding to replace or rebuild the facility.

The discussion focused on a previously submitted Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) request and on a staff recommendation to reclassify the application into the U.S. Department of Agriculture Community Facilities program. Staff said the CDS application—originally pitched as a $1.2 million, no‑match request—did not meet a Homeland Security subcommittee’s technical definition of an emergency operations center. Reclassifying the application would allow consideration under the USDA program but would require the borough to provide approximately a 45% local match, staff said.

Why it matters: the OEM building stores generators and emergency equipment and serves as a backup operations site in storms. Staff said the structure is worn and that repairs done over the years have not resolved longstanding problems. Council members raised the building’s operational needs—heated space, plumbing, a kitchenette and additional bathroom capacity—because the site must support multi‑agency operations when deployed.

Most important facts: staff said the original CDS packet requested roughly $1.2 million. After trimming scope, staff estimated the project could be reduced to about $550,000–$600,000; a 45% match on a $600,000 project would be about $270,000. Staff reported that $104,000 already is budgeted to the OEM project, leaving an approximate remaining local gap of $166,000 if the trimmed estimate holds. Staff cautioned estimates are preliminary and that construction costs can change once work is bid.

Council members described a multi‑year effort to win federal support. Staff said the application has been routed through a senator’s office and to a Washington subcommittee; the borough was informed last year its submission did not meet the DHS emergency‑operations criteria. Borough staff told the council that under the USDA Community Facilities route the application would clear an initial state‑level review more readily but still require final selection in Washington. Staff also said the award timeline would put construction later in the funding cycle; they told the council the earliest realistic start date—if awarded and fully funded—would be in February 2027.

On building condition and scope, borough staff and the fire chief described visible deterioration: rusted conduit, failing exterior materials, frozen plumbing and a building envelope that has worsened since earlier estimates. Past in‑house estimates for full repairs ranged widely; one earlier estimate cited in the meeting was $135,000, while later assessments put full rehabilitation and upgrades much higher. Staff said demolition and new construction could yield some savings if foundations or utilities are reusable, but they told the council the finance plan must assume worst‑case costs until bids confirm otherwise.

Funding and next steps: staff asked whether the council wanted them to proceed with transferring the application to the USDA Community Facilities program and to prepare a trimmed, match‑aware budget for council consideration. Council members signaled informal support for continuing the grant effort and for returning with firmer cost estimates and funding options. No formal vote or appropriation was taken at the meeting; staff said they would continue pursuing grant options, identify possible additional local or county match sources, and come back to the council with a recommended funding plan.

The council also noted competing capital priorities—parking, roads and other facility upgrades—and asked staff to present the OEM project within the context of the borough’s capital program before any final commitment of local match funds.

Ending: staff said they would continue to pursue available grant streams, refine the project scope and cost estimates, and report options including how other grants might be layered or used to reduce the local match.