John's Notes on the 12/02 Berkeley Heights Town Council Agenda

The 12/02 Berkeley Heights Town Council agenda has new infrastructure and administrative items as well as some familiar faces (wastewater contracts) from last month. Piecing these together and we see a pattern of year-end spending on stormwater compliance, sewer equipment and general maintenance that’s ramped up in the final quarter.

$198,800 Stormwater Mapping Contract
One of the largest new items is a contract with Neglia Group to map the town’s stormwater infrastructure. This work is required under NJDEP regs along with other engineering related resolutions this year. The agenda packet includes yet another batch of staff certifications but no attached technical reports or long-term planning documents. The project is approved through a professional services no-bid contract. Neglia (the Township Engineer) has also made substantial political contributions in recent years which we’ve reported on in the past.

$14,600 Parking Lot Repair
Another new addition is a contract to repair a soft spot in the Sherman Avenue municipal parking lot near Peppertown Park with a resolution that retroactively authorizes work dating back to October. The agenda provides no explanation of the cause or whether additional repairs may be necessary in what has become a part of town people have a lot of questions about. And yes – another no-bid contract.

$22,500 Printer Lease
The Township is entering a five-year lease for a Canon printer used for construction and engineering documents – through the State Cooperative Purchasing Program which, you guessed it, bypasses bidding and comes in at a total cost of $22,500 over the full term.

Now the familiar faces…

Vendor		Cost
Rapid Pump & Meter	Given $8,940 repair last meeting and back for an increase to their 2025 service contract.	$10,000 increase, bringing the annual total to $130,000.
Pumping Services, Inc.	Got $110,973 in the last meeting to replace the main influent grinder and are back for an emergency installation of a temporary mixing pump following a gearbox failure in the aeration basin.	$5,390.65 for emergency installation.
Municipal Attorney Contract	The contract is being amended but the agenda doesn’t specify what is driving the increased need for legal services.	$40,000 addition, bringing the 2025 total to $140,000.

And so the trend continues…
-wastewater and stormwater infrastructure driving significant year end costs with the same vendors showing up for emergency or add-on work
– large contracts still being approved without supporting engineering documentation included in the agenda packet.

Residents may want to watch for more information on long-term planning for the Township’s sewer and stormwater systems, especially with state deadlines on the radar for 2026.