Hearing On Fire District Share Of Howell Dispatch Upgrades Planned

HOWELL, NJ — The Howell Township Council will meet twice this week, both for a public hearing and then for adoption of $4.160 million in bonds for Howell fire districts' share of improvements to the township emergency communications equipment.

On Tuesday, Dec. 13, there is a public hearing on the bond for "various improvements to the township's communications infrastructure."

The improvement would benefit the township, the borough of Farmingdale and Howell fire districts, the ordinance says.

Adoption of the ordinance is planned for a special meeting via Zoom on Friday, Dec. 16, at 11 a.m., the township said in a notice.

Check for updates on the township agendas site for information on joining that meeting.

Interim Township Manager Joseph A. Clark said the Township Council already passed an ordinance (22-65) on Nov. 22 that paid for the township’s portion of the total $6 million project.

The ordinance being considered this week (22-64), which covers the fire districts’ portion of the bond ($4.160 million), will be up for public hearing on Tuesday and a vote by the Township Council at the special meeting Friday.

The Local Finance Board is hearing an application on the fire districts’ bond ordinance on Dec. 14, which is why the council needs to wait to vote on the ordinance until Dec. 16, Clark added.

In a special Oct. 29 fire district election, voters approved the bonds for improvements to the emergency communications infrastructure.

The bonds will fund projects and equipment to ensure that the township is part of the state's Interoperable Communication System, while ensuring that emergency dispatch remains local, Clark said prior to the election.

"County dispatch is an excellent resource, but Howell is moving forward with the state system, and has been heading in that direction for at least the past year," he said.

Projects approved under referendum include:

• Installation of new radio, paging, subscriber, and computer-aided dispatch systems.
• Purchase of various radio equipment.
• Construction of a new 150-foot radio tower near Fire District #2, at 993 Route 33.
• Shelters at various locations in the township.

The entire estimated cost of the project is expected to be $5.87 million dollars, Clark said.

The township and fire districts will share the expenses of the project, based upon the equipment each fire district and township department requires.

The township’s total share is estimated at $1.8 million dollars, and the fire districts' shares are estimated to be roughly $4.2 million dollars total, Clark said previously.

He added that the township already has about $1.5 million in funds available under a prior Monmouth County Improvement Authority bond issue, and each individual fire district’s share is based upon the equipment needed for the district.