Middle Weighs Capital Projects

COURT HOUSE – At its June 18 work session, Middle Township Committee moved to consider its capital program for this year.
Township Chief Financial Officer Susan Quinones reminded the governing body that most capital projects would require a 5 percent matching contribution from the operating budget if they are funded by a bond ordinance.
Quinones cautioned committee to consider the continued health of the capital improvement fund which is the likely source of operating dollars used to cover matching responsibilities.
“We do not want to deplete this too much,” she said, “or we will hinder our ability to respond to future needs.”
With that caution in mind, Quinones and Business Administrator Elizabeth Terenik walked the committee through some departmental requests for capital dollars.
Police Department
Police Chief Christopher Leusner was the only department head asked to present his capital requests.
Leusner spoke of the need for three patrol vehicles, one unmarked police car and one pickup truck for hauling equipment to various township events. Leusner requested a fire suppression system for the area that houses police records. He also noted the desirability of replacing the aging animal control vehicle, as well as the car used for code enforcement.
In a more discretionary list, Leusner spoke of the benefits of cameras along the new areas of the bike path, additional dual-band portable radios and a continuous need to annually stay ahead of the five-year useful life of police officers’ body cameras.
Leusner turned to a different category of capital expense, a new police headquarters. The current space allocated to the department in the municipal building is no longer adequate to the large department and various needs of a force that focuses on community policing; one example is a limited area for meeting with the public.
The needs of the department for additional and different space than is available have been discussed in other meetings of the governing body.
Of late, they have been part of even more extensive discussions about the level of investment to make in municipal hall as opposed to planning a replacement building.
These capital plans would be on an order of magnitude higher than the annual requests for equipment.
Other Departments
Among other requests for capital funding was a document scanning system for support of the plans and documents at Construction and Zoning. While the need for relief in the construction and zoning area is critical, Quinones also suggested that the committee consider whether or not they want to extend a program of scanning and electronic record keeping to other paper intensive areas of the township services.
A broader mandate for electronic record keeping would impact the sizing of equipment, but it may also alter plans for how the equipment was organized and staffed in the township.
Terenik noted that it is a significant change to go to electronic records from a paper-based system. She was referencing the many aspects that go with such a change including process alterations, training, technology management and backup storage.
Public Works has requested a new backhoe and replacement of some existing trucks. Deputy Mayor Jeffrey DeVico spoke of the need to break the cycle of constant repair of old equipment which is depleting operating funds.
Recreation, with its multi-location footprint, had the expected needs for flooring, roof repair, and trailer locations.
Terenik said that the township is almost ready with a sponsorship campaign in which officials will attempt to interest local businesses into sponsoring things that would reduce the capital burden on the township. Recreation is one of the departments most susceptible to sponsorship opportunities.
Road paving and similar annual maintenance activities are also always part of any capital planning effort.
Quinones reminded the committee that some funds were available from bond ordinances that had not been fully expended in the past. She said that as the township committee sets its priorities for 2018, she will be able to decide where appropriate re-appropriations can occur.
The capital ordinance for 2018 will be formulated from the response from the committee to the requests presented at the meeting. That ordinance will afford an opportunity for a public hearing.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.