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North Bergen board releases $1M for softball field, agrees to reimburse township for Green Acres swap
Summary
At its Dec. 18 meeting the North Bergen Board of Education voted to release $1,000,000 from the district Capital Reserve to reimburse the township for JV/varsity softball field improvements and approved a separate $1,000,000 reimbursement to the Township tied to a proposed Green Acres property swap related to a Braddock Park diversion for a pre-K building.
The North Bergen Board of Education on Dec. 18 approved two related fiscal actions that together move $2 million in district-authorized funds toward township park projects. In two unanimous votes, the board released $1,000,000 from the Capital Reserve for reimbursement to the Township for improvements to the JV and varsity softball field and separately authorized making available $1,000,000 to reimburse the Township for funds related to 64th Street Park as part of a proposed Green Acres replacement-property arrangement.
The board adopted Resolution No. 43, which directs release of $1,000,000 from the Capital Reserve "for the Improvements to the JV and Varsity Softball field reimbursement to the Township." The motion to approve was made by Luis Diaz and seconded by Sai Rao and was recorded as carrying by aye votes from all seven members present.
The board then adopted Resolution No. 44 concerning the 64th Street Park and a Green Acres matter. According to the resolution, the Township previously undertook improvements to the softball field and applied for Green Acres funding through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; the Township was awarded $1,000,000 that has not yet been paid. The resolution notes the Township, the Board and Hudson County are pursuing a plan to divert certain property in Braddock Park from its Green Acres restriction to allow use for a pre-K school building, which would require designating replacement property as Green Acres land. To enable that swap, the Township would withdraw its Green Acres request for the 64th Street Park, and the Board resolved to reimburse the Township $1,000,000 from the Board's General Reserve to cover the Township's prior expenditure.
Both resolutions authorize district officers, including the Chief School Administrator and School Business Administrator, to execute documents and take actions necessary to effectuate the reimbursements and specified transfers. The votes were unanimous among the seven members present: Haissam Jaafar, Patricia Bartoli, Luis Diaz, Luis Rabelo, Mark Rogers, Ruth Shaw and Sai Rao.
Background material in the meeting packet, as summarized in the resolutions, attributes the Green Acres program to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and describes the reimbursement as a Board decision to make funds available immediately from the General Reserve. The resolutions state the actions take effect immediately.
Next steps: The board authorized officers to execute any required documents; the agenda item does not record further conditions or a timetable for Green Acres approvals, which remain decisions of the DEP and the Green Acres program.
