Essex County approves multiple grant insertions including Turtle Back Zoo, Safe Streets grant and body‑worn camera funding

County officials presented and the board approved several budget insertions and grants during resolutions 21–27.

Key items included: - A $600,000 insertion from the Zoological Society of New Jersey to support operations at Turtle Back Zoo, paid as quarterly $150,000 installments, with no county match. - A $400,000 U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets and Roads grant for Public Works to analyze five years of crash data, identify high‑crash locations and implement safety improvements; the county must provide approximately $100,000 in-kind match composed of employee time, supplies and office space. - A $400,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety to supply 200 body‑worn cameras for sheriff’s office officers, which will require a county match; staff said the funding will bring the office toward full compliance for officers who must be outfitted. - $807,000 from the New Jersey Department of Labor for WorkFirst New Jersey/TANF innovation initiatives (no county match), and senior‑service funding increases totaling roughly $5.375 million with a county match requirement discussed. - Grants for senior transportation fuel ($150,000) and a $8,626 senior farmers market nutrition program allocation were also listed.

Commissioners asked for details about the composition of the in‑kind match for the Safe Streets grant and about timeline and implementation; staff said the in‑kind match will be employee time, supplies and office space and that projects will be implemented as outlined in the grant documents. The board approved resolutions 21–27 by roll call.