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Mountainside moves to renovate 60-year-old pool, introduces $8.4 million ordinance
Summary
Borough leaders decided on a full renovation of the community pool and introduced Ordinance 13-58 to appropriate $8.4 million (an $8 million bond plus $400,000 down payment); the mayor estimated the average household debt service at about $14 per month over 25 years and pledged to pursue grants to reduce borrowing.
The Borough of Mountainside announced it will pursue a complete renovation of the community pool and introduced Ordinance 13-58 to appropriate $8,400,000 for the project, including an $8,000,000 bond and a $400,000 down payment. The administration said the project would replace outdated mechanical systems, add separate filtration for new pools, improve ADA access and provide new recreational amenities including a lap pool, activity pool and wading area.
“Based on town-hall feedback and condition assessments, we’re going with the complete renovation,” the mayor said, outlining three options that were considered — continued repairs, targeted rehabilitation, or full renovation — and describing the bid and grant strategy to lower net borrowing. The mayor estimated the debt service would average about $14 per month per household over a 25-year bond term and said the borough would aggressively pursue state and federal grants and negotiate with vendors to reduce costs.
Residents at the meeting urged caution about the cost and the distribution of benefits. Rob Barletta, a resident, said he had seen a $7.5 million estimate reported previously and asked why the bond figure was $8,000,000; he also urged multiple competitive bids and suggested a public ballot for such a significant project. “So the bond that we're gonna pass will be, 8,000,000. That could be possibly reduced if we get outside funding,” the mayor responded, noting the larger figure provides contingency for overruns.
Former recreation director Sue Winans urged the borough to increase nonresident memberships to improve the pool’s revenue profile and to study operating costs carefully: “We took in over $1,000,000 from nonresident memberships,” she said, and recommended aggressive outreach to neighboring towns. Borough staff supplied current membership numbers at the meeting: 580 resident memberships and 220 nonresident memberships.
The ordinance was introduced and moved forward on first reading; council members recorded affirmative votes to introduce the measure. The administration said borrowing need not occur until funds are required and that any subsequent grant revenue could be used to retire bonds early.
