Borough Hall Repair and Renovation:

A little history: From Home to Hall:

    As some of you may know, Borough Hall started out as a private home that was bought by the Borough a little less than a hundred years ago.   Two wings were added. First, what is now the middle wing which includes the Council Chambers and the Tax/Finance Office, and some years later the Public Safety wing, our Police Department.  After COVID, in 2021 our Superintendent of Public Works came to us with a concern in regards to the original building.  This concern led to a review by a structural engineer and a determination that the building was bordering on unsafe.   The issue was that the private home was not designed to carry the weight of the files and the burden of being a public building.   In fact, the second floor of the building was beginning to warp.  

Decision-Making and Cost Analysis:

    We, the Mayor and Council, brought in other professionals, and it was determined that we were faced with two options: a tear down and replacement would cost between 8-10 million, OR a repair and renovation would cost between 3 and 4 million.   The Mayor and Council chose the repair and renovation, instead of the tear down and replacement option.  This decision balanced public safety with fiscal responsibility, aiming to preserve the integrity of the building while minimizing tax impact.

The Work:

    The contractor for the interior work had a scheduled completion date of May of 2024.  This was not to be the case.   Instead the interior work was completed in the Spring of 2025. Now that the interior is finally complete, the last portion to be done is the exterior which the state and federal government requires before we are permitted to open the building, that is, to be updated to ADA compliant.

Our Current Status:

    As stated above, the Borough Hall renovation project is in its last phase consisting of renovating the entryway to become compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, as well as improving the Police Department parking lot, which would create additional parking spaces and ADA accessibility for exiting the rear of Borough Hall, and landscaping facing Kinderkamack Road.

    The contractor will begin on July 8th by working on the entryway to Borough Hall through mid-August (contingent upon the weather), which will enable us to obtain a temporary certificate of occupancy to reopen to the public.  Then the contractor will make the entryway improvements to the Public Safety Building.  Upon completion of that entryway, the contractor will move on to the parking lot improvements and landscaping portion of the project, which would then enable us to receive the final certificate of occupancy.

    Before the contractor can begin mobilizing, trees were removed by our Department of Public Works.  The trees that were removed were either dying or would have become compromised due to the extent of work involved in regrading the entryways. Also, the entire area of the Tenney Ave entrance will need to be removed (with the exception of the 9-11 Memorial which the contractor will work around) to meet the ADA design requirements.  Once the project is near completion, new trees and shrubbery will be planted as noted in the attached image reflecting the approximate new look of Borough Hall.  The major cost is the hard construction cost with a good portion occurring in the rear of the building which is used by our police department.  Again, the major cost is the hard construction cost.

    While we had anticipated bidding and awarding this project in 2024, the contractor for the interior renovations and addition did not complete the contract in May 2024, as originally awarded.  The Mayor and Council are addressing that situation accordingly.

    We thank the residents and employees for their patience with this entire project.  Both the interior and exterior of the Borough Hall were required to be renovated due to safety matters, lack of space, and accessibility compliance.  During this time, the Police Department also had its roof replaced and seven HVAC units replaced as separate contracts.  Nevertheless, the governing body took the most prudent approach to balance these requirements with the impact on the current and future taxation.

Responsible Investment for Long-Term Stability:

     The choice to renovate, rather than rebuild, reflects the governing body’s commitment to fiscal prudence. This was not a case of unnecessary or extravagant spending—it was an imperative investment in public safety and infrastructure stability. The original wing (the former house) structural limitations posed real risks that could no longer be deferred, and the repairs ensure that Borough Hall will remain safe, functional, and accessible for decades to come. By repairing and renovating the building rather than replacing it outright, we addressed critical needs while protecting taxpayers from avoidable long-term debt.

Elsewhere in Town:

     Please know that all the construction on Bogert Road was made possible by grants, so with the exception of a small cost of engineering services, this work was done with NO property tax dollars.   Thus, the curbs and sidewalks were brought up to ADA compliance with funds that might have gone to another town if it was not for the work of our great employees and the Council.   This work and the work of PSEG (gas lines and paving in the areas that they opened) is essentially free to our residents with the exception of a portion of the engineering costs, and this updating and refreshing of the Borough can only raise the overall value of every homeowner's property.