Belle council approves bond ordinance to fund new municipal building and police headquarters after public debate

Belle Borough Council voted on March 9 to adopt a bond ordinance authorizing the borough to appropriate $15 million for capital projects and to issue up to $14,250,000 in bonds and notes to finance a portion of the cost. The ordinance allocates roughly $2 million for streets and drainage, $1.5 million for site improvements and demolition, $10 million for a new municipal building (including the police headquarters), and a $1.5 million contingency.

The council opened a public hearing and heard presentations from borough finance officer Tom Nolan, architect Anthony Ioino and civil engineer Carrie Hill before a lengthy public-comment period. Nolan told residents the state permits a municipal cap bank up to 3.5 percent and that using the higher cap would increase available appropriation by an estimated roughly $144,000 while allowing the borough to pursue construction financing. “By doing this, we’ll be able to add an additional amount of money that we’ll have in our coffers to try to cover the cost,” Nolan said.

Architect Anthony Ioino presented concept plans for a two-story building with the lower floor primarily housing the police department and the upper floor containing borough offices and a flexible community/meeting room. Ioino said the first floor would be roughly 10,000 square feet with about 8,000 square feet of usable police space, and that the new building would be fully ADA-compliant and meet New Jersey Department of Corrections requirements for a modern police facility.

Chief Olsen described chronic environmental and code deficiencies in the existing police headquarters, citing persistent mold and water intrusion, an antiquated HVAC system, asbestos and lead in limited basement areas, lack of required fire-detection and suppression systems, and noncompliance with Department of Corrections standards. “Mold is a huge problem and is a serious and ongoing issue within police headquarters,” Olsen said, describing repeated staff reports and remediation equipment that has not eliminated the problem. The chief said the department’s July 2023 request for exemption from corrections-code requirements was denied by the state department.

Residents and local contractors asked detailed questions about cost, phasing and alternatives. Several speakers voiced support for removing police personnel from the basement but urged the council to consider scaled-back options, temporary trailers, renting existing space, or building only the police floor. Opponents also noted a petition circulating in town — speakers referred to between 460 and 600 signatures — seeking to delay or send the bond decision to referendum and asking for more detailed cost breakdowns and options. “If this referendum gets successful, it could lead to a public vote,” one resident warned during public comment.

Council members pressed the design and finance team on incremental costs, market risk and how the borough would secure firm construction bids. Nolan said the bond ordinance must be in place before the borough can obtain certified bids and a fixed construction price, after which the council will determine financing options (use of reserves, bond anticipation notes or a long-term bond) that minimize taxpayer cost.

After closing the hearing, the council moved to final reading and approved Resolution 26-66 for passage on final reading. The vote was recorded in the transcript as an affirmative roll-call (yes votes recorded). The council also moved companion publication resolutions to satisfy legal notice requirements. The mayor set the next council meeting for March 11 at 6 p.m.

The ordinance now allows the borough to proceed to the bidding and procurement stage; project timing, final construction costs and any interim relocation plan for police operations will be determined in later design and procurement steps.