Princeton council approves $688,542.85 in invoices, awards $73,368 landscaping contract; advances budget and preservation ordinances

The Princeton City Council on Feb. 3 approved $688,542.85 in invoices, awarded a $73,368 contract for depot landscaping to Hornbaker Gardens and moved three ordinances forward in the budget cycle.

Council members approved the invoices during a roll-call vote. The council also voted to accept a landscaping proposal for the depot campus and to advance an amendment to the current fiscal-year budget and a change to the Historic Preservation Commission membership to second readings.

The invoice approval covered four departmental groupings: Department of Accounts and Finance, $49,569.89; Streets and Public Improvements, $66,474.41; Public Safety, $146,002.19; and Public Property and Utilities, $426,496.36, for a grand total of $688,542.85. The motion to approve the invoices passed on a roll call (Newman: yes; Gomez: yes; McCall: yes; McCranskey: yes; Mayor Mabry: yes; Ransky: yes).

The council considered ordinance O-25-004 — amending the city code to define corner parcels as having two front yards — in its second and final reading and adopted it after call of the roll (Gomez: yes; McCall: yes; McCranskey: yes; Mayor Mabry: yes).

The council advanced Ordinance O-25-005, an amendment to the City of Princeton budget for the fiscal year starting May 1, 2024 and ending April 30, 2025, to a second reading. Finance staff summarized the package of revenue and expenditure amendments: roughly $306,000 in added revenues and about $38,000 in added expenditures, producing a net increase of about $168,000 in the budget after amendments. The motion to advance O-25-005 passed on a roll call (Newman: yes; Gomez: yes; McCall: yes; McCranskey: yes; Mayor Mabry: yes).

Council members also advanced Ordinance O-25-006, a revision to the Historic Preservation Commission membership structure that would change the commission from seven members all from Princeton to five from Princeton and two county members, to a second reading (Newman: yes; Govan: yes; McCall: yes; McCrampstein: yes; Mary McPhee: yes).

On a separate item, the council approved Resolution R-25-006, awarding the depot landscaping contract to Hornbaker Gardens in the amount of $73,368. City staff and a small review committee recommended Hornbaker Gardens after evaluating four proposals and interviewing finalists; staff noted the Hornbaker proposal aligned with aesthetic and ecological goals and the project budget. The resolution passed on roll call (Heavann: yes; Gomez: yes; McCall: yes; Refraines: yes; Mary McGrath: yes).

The council approved two board appointments: Rodney Johnson to a partial two-year term on the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners (term to 04/30/2026) and Catherine Hornzicker to a three-year term on the Historic Preservation Commission (term to 12/31/2027). The motion passed on roll call (Mary Newman: yes; Gomez: yes; Nicole: yes; Randy Stevens: yes; Mary Maeveren: yes).

Several other project updates were noted during the meeting: the Marion Street stormwater project and a Main Street project had no start dates at the time of the meeting; city staff reported most major construction projects were complete for the budget period.

Votes at a glance

- Invoices totaling $688,542.85 — approved (Newman, Gomez, McCall, McCranskey, Mayor Mabry, Ransky: yes). - Ordinance O-25-004, defining corner parcels as having two front yards — adopted (Gomez, McCall, McCranskey, Mayor Mabry: yes). - Ordinance O-25-005, budget amendment for FY 2024–25 — advanced to second reading (Newman, Gomez, McCall, McCranskey, Mayor Mabry: yes). - Ordinance O-25-006, Historic Preservation Commission membership structure — advanced to second reading (Newman, Govan, McCall, McCrampstein, Mary McPhee: yes). - Resolution R-25-006, award Hornbaker Gardens $73,368 for depot landscaping — approved (Heavann, Gomez, McCall, Refraines, Mary McGrath: yes). - Board appointments: Rodney Johnson (Board of Fire and Police Commissioners) and Catherine Hornzicker (Historic Preservation Commission) — approved (Mary Newman, Gomez, Nicole, Randy Stevens, Mary Maeveren: yes).

Why it matters: The budget amendment and the contract award affect upcoming capital work and maintenance needs in Princeton — from stormwater projects to the depot campus — and the historic-preservation membership change expands the commission’s county representation. The invoice approvals reflect routine municipal expenditures across multiple departments.

What’s next: Ordinances O-25-005 and O-25-006 will return for second readings and final votes at future meetings; staff will provide start dates for the Marion Street stormwater project and other capital work when available.