Residents press council on delayed borough hall elevator repair; staff says contractor nonresponsive

During public comment on Jan. 29, resident Jim Robinson pressed borough staff and the mayor over a prolonged elevator outage at Borough Hall and asked why the repair was not handled by emergency contract earlier so residents with mobility issues could attend meetings.

Glenn (borough staff) responded that the borough had a contract with an elevator firm that ultimately became non‑communicative; after attempts to re‑engage the firm the borough sought an alternate contractor. Staff said the new New Jersey‑based elevator company performed an assessment and expected to finish repairs by the close of business the next day but could not guarantee the date.

Council members also described interim accommodations: a simulcast site at the recreation center for residents with mobility constraints and an offer to meet residents offsite and provide access when needed. Jim argued those mitigations did not meet public expectations and maintained the borough could have used emergency contracting to secure earlier repairs; staff disputed that account, saying they had issued an emergency resolution previously and that procurement negotiations were ongoing. The transcript records disagreement between the resident and borough staff on whether the borough could have acted sooner.

Borough staff additionally described the animal‑control contract situation: the prior contract expired at the end of 2025, negotiations indicated a 25% proposed price increase, and officials issued an RFP; responses are due Feb. 11 and the council will select a provider after review.

No further formal action on the elevator repair was recorded at the meeting beyond staff statements that a new contractor would perform the repair imminently.