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New Milford council seeks $418,000 to cover shortfalls on two DOT and CDBG road projects
Summary
Councilors said two awarded road grants left combined funding gaps of roughly $418,000 and recommended reducing the 2026 road program capital account and preparing ordinances to bond the remainder so both projects proceed in full.
The New Milford mayor and council discussed two roadway improvement projects where state and federal grants fell well short of estimated costs and recommended a local funding plan to proceed.
Mayor Michael J. Petrino and the administrator said a CDBG grant covering Clinton Avenue, Yugen Drive, Arlington Road and Neil Street carries an estimated engineering and construction cost of about $256,000 but received $135,000, leaving an approximate $121,000 shortfall. A separate NJ DOT grant for East Woodland, Lumen, Grave Ridge and Pleasant carries an estimated cost of about $448,000 but was funded at $151,000, creating a roughly $296,600 gap. Together the council said the two shortfalls total about $418,000.
The finance committee recommended funding both projects in full by drawing down the borough’s road program capital account for 2026 and having the bond attorney prepare ordinances for introduction at the January public meeting. The administrator said neither project can be easily scaled to reduce cost and that proceeding would require a reduction in the borough’s road program investments next year.
Council members did not record detailed alternative funding proposals on the transcript; the mayor asked for council concurrence and, with the finance committee’s recommendation, directed the bond attorney to prepare the necessary ordinances for January.
