Fair Haven council weighs covering playground shortfall after Board of Education pulls $150,000 pledge

Fair Haven council members and residents traded sharply different views Tuesday as the governing body wrestled with how to keep a state grant for an inclusive playground on track after the Board of Education said it could not fulfill an earlier $150,000 commitment.

The borough’s parks director told the council the playground vendor has been selected and lead times are 12–15 weeks, with installation timed to minimize disruption to the school year. The project’s total cost is roughly $1.3 million; grant funding accounts for about $750,000, with additional contributions expected from the PTA, the rec trust and the borough.

At the same meeting the borough administrator reported that representatives of the Board of Education had previously indicated they could contribute $150,000 of facilities capital toward the project but, after invoicing, notified the borough they were unable to pay. “We were told officially when we sent the invoice that they were not able to pay,” the administrator said during the update.

Residents urged caution about antagonizing the school district. “Sending these invoices seems a little bit like a maneuver to try and force them to say yes to the $150,000,” said public commenter Paul D., who warned that the school district is facing a large operating shortfall.

Council members pushed back that the funds the Board of Education had discussed were restricted facilities capital that “cannot be used for salaries and fringe,” a distinction they said makes the $150,000 unrelated to the district’s operating shortfall. One council member said the borough had proposed spreading any payment over five years with a $10,000 first‑year payment as a compromise offer that had not been accepted.

The council also emphasized that the borough provides many in‑kind services to the schools — from field mowing and lining to snow removal and fuel — often without formal contracts. The director of public works said some of those services amount to multiple weekly labor hours and that the borough has not historically quantified the cost. Councilors asked DPW to prepare an estimate of hours and dollar values so the governing body can decide whether to formalize agreements or begin charging for services.

Supporters of the playground said the community and PTA have raised funds and stressed the safety and inclusion benefits of replacing a 25‑year‑old facility. “We will get creative and this will proceed one way or the other,” a rec committee member said, noting the grant’s deadline. The parks director cautioned, however, that the playground’s required poured‑in‑place surface — cited as roughly $500,000 of the project cost — is mandated by current grant rules and state accessibility standards.

Facing the shortfall, council members identified pay‑as‑you‑go capital as a potential source to cover the $150,000 if the Board of Education does not pay, but they warned that reallocating capital would delay or cancel other planned purchases, including a Stryker ambulance cot and other equipment. “If I take that $150,000 then I’m not going to buy that cot this year,” one council member said.

Next steps: DPW will prepare a more detailed accounting of hours and costs it devotes to Board of Education properties; councilors said they will pursue private discussions with the Board of Education to resolve the funding question and will return the issue to a subsequent workshop for further action.