Municipal Park, Safety Substation Focus for Township in 2012

Completion of the and the public safety substation on Johnson road will be the “major focus” for , its manager said during a presentation of the township’s 2012 budget.

The $10.3 million spending plan was approved by a vote of 4-0 during the board’s meeting Tuesday. The tentative budget includes no tax increase.

“, emphasis will be placed on hiring of maintenance personnel, development and implementation of programs and the scheduling and management of facilities,” manager Frank Siffrinn said.

He said the township also intends to submit a grant to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to fund the construction of bleachers and a grandstand at the synthetic turf field at Municipal Park.

“Seating capacity in excess of 2,000 will allow the township to maximize usage of the field and schedule high-profile tournament events,” Siffrinn said.

Then there’s the planned opening of the safety substation.

“(It) will greatly improve emergency response time to the Racetrack Road and adjacent service areas, which includes (more than) 3,000 residents, the casino and the Meadowlands industrial Park,” Siffrinn said. “The facility will hose police and code enforcement offices and provide a more efficient delivery of municipal services.”

He added that the facility “will help alleviate increased demands that have accompanied a 25 percent growth in population since 2000.”

Both the substation and the Municipal Park are scheduled to be unveiled in May.

Also in the budget is $727,000 for road construction projects.

The budget will be on public display for 20 days. .

The board is expected to ratify the document at its December meeting.