Hightstown Edges Toward $2.6 Million in Upgrades

The Borough Council introduced three ordinances Monday evening calling for major expenditures, though not with some dissent.

By votes of 4-1, with Democrat Council President Isabel McGinty voting no and Democrat Mike Vanderbeck absent, the council introduced an ordinance to borrow nearly $2.1 million toward and another for $100,000 for . The council voted 5-0 to borrow up to $432,000 for in the area of Mechanic Street, $290,000 of which will be paid for out of a state grant.

The ordinances will need to be passed after second readings June 6 before they become law, and while they will give the borough the option to borrow the money, the town will not be required to do so.

McGinty said she was concerned about the scope of the sewer project, but also by the fact that the ordinances were misprinted so that parts of each page were cut off.

“This is the amount to which I’ve objected in the past. I think it’s a whopping amount,” she said of the sewer ordinance.

“I have to wonder how this has been reviewed even by council, and how we’re giving notice to the public of what’s in this ordinance” given the printing error, she continued.

Democrat Mayor Steve Kirson pointed out the version on the borough website was readable, while Borough Clerk Debra Sopronyi said the full text was also posted on the town’s bulletin board.

Hussam Chater, an attorney filling in for Borough Attorney Fred Raffetto, said the borough was not required by law to publish the full ordinance before introduction but should do so before the final vote.

“Mr. Chater, this is $2 million we’re talking about. It’s as if you’re saying the first reading doesn’t really matter,” McGinty said. “I have great problems with that.”

McGinty objected again when the vote came to the water ordinance. “I think that procedural issue is very, very significant,” she said. “We shouldn’t be going forward tonight.”

The sewer ordinance calls for $2,083,000 to be borrowed for purchases and work on the following items: post chlorination, a water treatment filter, water filtration media, variable frequency drivers, a sludge rotary fan press, a trickling filter, a secondary digester, and a bar screen and primary clarifier and related improvements.