Guttenberg Mayor Robert Sabello received a $63,000 check from developer K. Hovnanian in a ceremony at Town Hall Thursday night, to purchase new and upgraded radios for the police department. In turn, Sabello and the Township Council presented an official proclamation honoring K. Hovnanian’s Bulls Ferry complex for its recent award from the National Association of Home Builders as the “Best Townhome Community in the Northeast.” “This is a very practical gift,” Sabello said. “It’s especially useful for our town in view of the additional residents and larger area we must cover due to the new Bulls Ferry community on our waterfront. “K. Hovnanian has always dealt fairly with us and we appreciate the thoughtfulness behind this grant. It ensures that our police signals can better serve the entire community.” Bill Bodgon, the community builder for the complex, enjoys the solid working relationship he’s had with the township officials. “We’re creating a world-class lifestyle on Guttenberg’s one-of-a-kind waterfront,” Bogdon said. “It’s been a pleasure working with Guttenberg’s officials. Our contribution to police radios is just one of the ways that we give something back to the communities we build.” The $63,000 will go to purchase new radios for the township’s patrol cars and upgrade the existing equipment. The changes should allow the town’s police department to operate at full capacity, comparative to the communication systems of other neighboring police departments. According to Guttenberg public safety director Tom Richards, there was a need for an equipment upgrade. “The system we had was experiencing a lot of dead spots,” he said. “There were certain sections of town where our officers were not being able to transmit to headquarters.” Richards relayed one particular incident that displayed the need for new radio equipment. “I was standing on the steps of Town Hall and a police officer called for assistance from 75 feet away, and the call wasn’t being transmitted,” he said. “He called out verbally and I luckily was able to hear him.” After that incident, Richards petitioned the Township Council for the purchase of the new equipment. “Because of the development along the waterfront, we had to be able to have a system that could transmit uphill,” Richards said. “We asked the Township Council to see if they could help us out to purchase new equipment.” Township attorney Wilfredo Ortiz recognized the need and was in the process of submitting a plan to purchase the equipment as a regular line item off the police budget, when the grant from K. Hovnanian was announced. “It was perfect timing and the perfect opportunity,” Richards said. “We’re getting top-of-the-line equipment, very similar to what they’re using in North Bergen and West New York. We will have the proper relay system necessary.” While receiving the check, Sabello and the Town Council decided to honor K. Hovnanian for its recent rating among similar developments. The developer’s recent “Best Townhome Community in the Northeast,” honor follows the “Best in America” award received last year for the Bulls Ferry complex. “We know that K. Hovnanian builds with vision and integrity,” Sabello said. “But we’re especially delighted that ‘Best in America’ and ‘Best in the Northeast’ have come to our town. We’re proud of our new neighborhood. On behalf of every citizen in Guttenberg, it’s a pleasure to welcome Bulls Ferry and its residents, our new neighbors, to Guttenberg.” The complex has been under development since September and the units, priced in a range of $300,000 to $600,000, have been selling swiftly. Currently, more than 90 of the 154 units have been sold, but none are ready for occupancy. K. Hovnanian expects to have full-scale models of the townhomes ready for display by late March, with occupancy soon to follow. The development’s completion is slated for June, 2001.
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