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Council outlines draft 2025 capital priorities, trims some vehicle appropriations
Summary
Council reviewed a draft 2025 capital budget that includes Amber Street reconstruction ($550,000 with an expected ~$350,000 grant), storm-drain and bulkhead work, vehicle and equipment requests and a proposed reduction in the trash-truck appropriation. Staff recommended lowering the trash-truck appropriation and reallocating savings to other needs; council discussed a possible contribution to first-aid squad radio upgrades.
Borough staff presented a draft 2025 capital budget and a set of recommended adjustments during Thursday’s council meeting.
Major items in the general capital list include a DOT reconstruction project for Amber Street ($550,000) with an anticipated ~$350,000 grant; $200,000 each for West Avenue storm-drain replacement and a Pearl Street bulkhead project; and a request to replace a trash truck (original appropriation $400,000). Staff reported a vendor quote of about $354,000 for the trash truck and proposed lowering the borough appropriation to $300,000 while applying $64,000 in previously appropriated funds toward the purchase; the $80,000 difference would be reallocated to a surf rake purchase.
Other capital items summarized by staff included $200,000 for road resurfacing through Ocean County schedule C, $400,000 for a library exterior renovation, $185,000 for police vehicles, $76,000 for fire-rescue equipment and smaller sums for park improvements, a beach-patrol ATV and computer replacements. Water and sewer capital requests included modest appropriations for plant improvements and lateral-jet equipment; staff noted a planned I-Bank loan of roughly $4 million for larger water-main replacement work already authorized.
Council discussed the possibility of helping the first-aid squad with radio upgrades; staff cited a quote of about $65,000 and council members discussed contributing a partial amount (a figure of $30,000 was suggested during discussion). Staff said the capital list with recommended adjustments brought the immediate draft total to about $1.96 million after the trash-truck change and other edits.
Next steps: Staff expects to draft formal bond/appropriation ordinances for introduction in October and continue refining vehicle/lease strategies and the surf-rake vs. truck allocation decisions.
