Updates from Borough Council
At its monthly meeting on July 1, Borough Council discussed the installation of flashing beacons at the Kingwood Ave. crosswalk in July, and a $200,000 grant in the recently approved New Jersey state budget to support improvements to the interior of Borough Hall. Additionally, the Council:
- Authorized Collier’s Engineering to issue a
Request for Proposal for a contractor to install a
half-pipe skateboard ramp at Borough Park and to
undertake necessary improvements at Borough Park
to facilitate installation of the ramp. The expectation
is that the equipment will be installed by the end of
2026; a rendering of the ramp is below. Several
Frenchtown residents attended the meeting and
offered their appreciation for the work of the
Council to advance the installation of the skateboard
ramp using county grant funds.
- Approved several events sponsored by the Frenchtown Business and Professional Association including Riverfest on September 6, the Witches Dance and Zombie Crawl on October 24 and Santa on the River on December 6. More information about these events can be found on the FBPA website: lovefrenchtown.org/. Additionally, the Council approved the Sojourn Stopover of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania at Sunbeam Lenape Park on August 9.
- Appointed Neil Palmer to the borough’s Environmental Commission. Resident Barbara Bristow serves as Acting Chair of the Commission. Other members include: Kyle Johnson, Pete Palac, Chris Szeplaki and Armin Zomorodi; Ted Brandston serves as the Planning Board’s liaison to the Commission. The Council also had a first reading on an ordinance that would establish additional alternate members to the Environmental Commission; the draft ordinance will have its second and final reading at the Council’s August meeting.
- Approved a grant application to the New Jersey Department of Transportation for funds to address road resurfacing, road draining, and pavement improvements on roads on Third, Fourth and Fifth Streets.
- Appointed Patrick Keelen to the borough’s Shade Tree Commission. Other members of the Shade Tree Commission include chair Geoff Stanly, Mark Loos, Melissa Allen and John Mizin.
- Authorized a Fire/EMS grant application towards the purchase of an ambulance by the Milford-Holland Rescue Squad which serves Frenchtown.
- Had a first reading of an ordinance that would appropriate approximately $62,000 from the borough’s Capital Improvement Fund for an upfit of a currently-owned police department vehicle to make it “patrol ready,” and renovations for Borough Hall. The renovation funds were requested prior to the $200,000 appropriation in the state budget and can be returned if not needed.