The Berkeley Heights Town Council is holding an emergency public meeting to introduce a $3.565 million bond ordinance this Monday (08/04) at 3:30 pm. The meeting is being held over Zoom, with a hard stop at 4:30 p.m., and is labeled as an emergency under N.J.S.A. 10:4-9b — the law that allows public bodies to meet with less than 48 hours’ notice if there’s an urgent issue.

The ordinance, No. 2025-26, proposes to borrow $3.386 million to cover most of the cost, with $179,000 coming from a down payment already included in prior budgets. The stated purpose: “various capital improvements.” The document breaks that down into three line items:

$3.29 million for “various road improvements”

$235,000 for “various culvert/bridge improvements”

$40,000 for “paving of driveway on public building and grounds”

In another article published by the Township, a nameless Township Representative indicated that the meeting is in connection to damage from recent flooding.

Each item uses the same wording: “including all work and materials necessary therefor and incidental thereto.” There are no details on which roads, bridges, or buildings are included. No attachments, no maps, no engineer memos. Just the list above.

The ordinance also authorizes up to $713,000 in what’s called “Section 20 costs”—soft costs like engineering, legal, planning, and contingencies. That’s 20% of the total. No breakdown is included, and no specific firms are named.

The ordinance gives the Township CFO full discretion to issue bond anticipation notes, determine interest rates, sell the debt, and handle all market disclosures.

It also includes boilerplate language saying any grant funds received—such as from FEMA—can be used to pay down the debt, though there’s no indication in the document that any grants have been applied for or awarded.

A public hearing and final vote is scheduled for August 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

The ordinance takes effect 20 days after final adoption, assuming it’s passed on August 19.

Questions Residents Can Ask…

Which roads and bridges are included in the $3.29 million and $235,000 line items?

Where is the list of proposed projects, locations, and cost breakdowns?

Has an engineering assessment been completed? If so, can it be made public? If not, how were the estimates calculated?

Which public building is the $40,000 driveway paving for?

What is the specific emergency under N.J.S.A. 10:4-9b that justifies holding this meeting with limited notice?

Is there documentation connecting this ordinance to recent flood damage?

Why are soft costs totaling $713,000—20% of the total? What services are included under this number, and which firms are expected to be hired?

Will the township be applying for FEMA or other grants? If so, has the process begun, and how much is expected?

Why is there no mention of Union County or state cost-sharing, especially for culvert and road repairs?

Will the Township provide a full project list and engineer’s memo before the August 19 vote?

Will the Township record the August 4 Zoom meeting and make it publicly available?

How will residents be able to provide meaningful input if there is no project detail released in advance?

Link to Agenda Packet

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