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Paulsboro council to seek designs for new municipal building amid mold and flood concerns
Summary
After testimony from the police chief about recurring sewage backups and pervasive mold, Paulsboro council unanimously authorized staff to pursue design options for a new combined municipal and police building and discussed financing, floodplain elevation costs, and grant prospects.
Council President Thomas and other members of the Paulsboro Borough Council voted March 24 to authorize the borough administrator to consult architect Eli Goldstein on designs for a new municipal building that would house both administrative offices and the police department.
The vote followed detailed testimony from Police Chief Kille describing repeated sewer backflows into the police department basement, roof leaks and extensive black mold in HVAC trunk lines. Police Chief Kille said the department has had recurring backups "at least a dozen times" and recalled a 2005 event that left "anywhere between 12 and 16 inches of raw sewage in the police department," which required months of remediation. Chief Kille told the Council the basement remains uninhabitable and that ongoing mold growth has persisted despite prior remediation efforts.
Jennifer Edwards of Acacia Financial Group and auditor Michael Cesaro explained the borough's borrowing constraints and state oversight requirements. Edwards warned that large capital projects typically require Local Finance Board approval when they would cause the borough to exceed the three-and-a-half percent net debt limit and that borrowing capacity depends on assessed value and whether utility debt is treated as self-liquidating. Cesaro said past practices of using county improvement authorities for borrowing now are subject to stricter state accounting, so approvals and careful structuring will be necessary.
Council members debated two main options: build a standalone police station to remove officers from hazardous conditions more quickly, or build a single new municipal building to resolve ADA deficiencies, repeated mold problems and floodplain constraints once and for all. Councilman Haynes said he favored a standalone police facility to protect officers now; Council President Thomas argued for a combined solution, saying the borough should "build it once and build it right." Mayor Giovannitti noted that any new building on the proposed Delaware Street site would require higher elevation because it lies in a flood zone, which raises the cost substantially.
The motion to proceed with architectural design work for a combined municipal building at the Delaware Street parking lot and/or Nassau Avenue (Block 33 Lot 1) passed unanimously. Council members and professionals said they will continue to seek grants, including from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and explore cost-saving design adjustments before committing to a final funding plan.
