Brick's $8.5 Million Capital Budget Continues Park, Road Upgrades

Brick, NJ -- The Brick Township Council approved four ordinances on first reading that would bond for just over $8 million to support more than $9.6 million in capital appropriations for 2016.

The appropriations cover items from a roll-off truck and front-end and back-end loaders for the township's public works department to work to shore up erosion damage at two of the township's parks.

While the township is bonding for $8 million through the ordinances, it also is continuing its debt reduction plan, Mayor John G. Ducey said.

Ducey said the township has cut its debt by more than $13 million in the first two years of his term as mayor, and he expects the township to trim at least $4 million more between 2016 and 2017, he said.

At the same time, Ducey said, there is still a need to do capital improvements, such as replacing equipment needed for essential services like trash collection and snow plowing, and repairing roads.

Of the $9.6 million, $1.13 million to be spent is coming from capital surplus, Joanne Bergin, the township's business administrator said.

Four bond ordinances were introduced covering the proposed capital expenditures, based on the different expected useful life of the items in each ordinance; those ordinances will be up for second reading and approval at the council's July 12 meeting.

Among the items in the capital budget are trucks for the public works department, including a rolloff truck, a front-end loader and two mason trucks with plows; road work in Cedarwood Park West, part of Lake Riviera and part of Riviera Beach, and erosion control projects in Cedar Bridge Manor Park and Mallard Point Park.

"Roadway improvements are our biggest challenge," Ducey said, adding that it costs roughly $125 per foot to repair roads. "It would cost $162 million to do all the roads that haven't been done in 10 years."

The township has 390 miles of roads that it is responsible for maintaining, which equals 780 lane miles, Ducey said. Road reconstruction has been completed on 150 miles of the township's roads, with 240 miles to be completed, he said.