Reporters and residents press Middlesex County for details on AV spending, Code Blue, Hazmat grant and a leased property

Members of the public at the March 20 Middlesex County commissioners meeting pressed county officials for more information about several items tied to the 2025 budget and county operations, including a proposed $1.5 million audiovisual equipment purchase, Code Blue warming-center operations, a grant tied to LyondellBasell and a lease or contract that prompted a commissioner to abstain.

Charlie Crabbin Hill, identified himself as a reporter with New Brunswick Today and asked about an "$1,500,000 expense" listed for audiovisual equipment across multiple county facilities. "If you're spending $1,500,000 on AV equipment to do video conferencing, there's no good reason that this can't be video conferencing and the public couldn't contribute via remote access," Crabbin Hill said. A county representative replied that the funding is part of lifecycle management for…