The West New York Board of Commissioners voted at its August 21 meeting to introduce a bond ordinance that will allow them to borrow $4.5 million for street repairs, new equipment, and park upgrades.
The town was allowed to vote on such an ordinance because it has managed to shrink its debts over the years. Last year, the town had allotted $6.59 million in its Fiscal Year 2001 budget to pay debt service fees, including the school debt.
Sires said that the town’s debt was probably up to about $44 million when he took office seven years ago. After restructuring the debt a few years ago and annually paying large amounts in debt service fees, Sires said that the town was finally able to take a bond ordinance of this size solely for improvements.
"Our debt was up to $8.5 million a year," said Business Administrator Richard Turner when they passed the town’s budget in November, adding that the current administration restructured the debt a few years ago. "The debt was on an escalating scale. It would have been up to $10 million a year if we didn’t restructure it."
The $4.5 million bond ordinance will be used for street repairs, new snow removal equipment, a new communications system for the police department, renovations to one of the town’s parks and renovations to City Hall.
"These improvements will have a great impact on the quality of life in West New York," said Sires.
A bad winter
West New York is seeing the effects of the many snow storms and bad weather conditions that were a part of last winter. To make sure that the town is better equipped to handle this winter’s storms, more than $2 million from the bond ordinance will be used to repair roads badly damaged by the snow and purchase new snow removal equipment.
Sires said that the bond ordinance has allotted $1.6 million to repave 10 to 15 streets throughout the town.
"The roads are eroding," said Sires. "Because we had such a difficult winter, a lot of our roads need work."
The Department of Public Works will also see new dump trucks, snow plows and salters in preparation for the next snow-filled winter.
"This equipment is badly needed," said Sires.
The DPW will also see $800,000 in renovations made to the DPW garage, which will not only improve the look of the old building, but also allow for more room to store this new equipment.
"It is an eyesore, currently," said Sires about the DPW garage that was once a garage for trolley cars.
Renovating the parks
Saint Mary’s park, located on 67th and Jackson streets, will see $900,000 in renovations this year.
"This is the largest park left to be renovated," said Sires, explaining that all of the other larger parks have already been worked on, including Miller Stadium and Washington Park.
The $1.09 million renovation taking place at Washington Park on 66th Street is just about completed. This park will have a new drainage system, two new playground areas with rubberized floors, two volleyball courts with rubberized flooring and two sprinkler systems.
The second phase of the three-part project to renovate Miller Stadium is also just about finished. The first phase, which included cement work, new bleachers, and work in the bathrooms and locker rooms, was completed last year. This year, phase two, which included new walls and fencing around the stadium, is just about complete. Phase three, which will add a new drainage system and sod to the field, is temporarily on hold.
The remainder of the money from the bond ordinance will go toward a new communication system for the police department and renovations to City Hall, including new speakers and other equipment in the town’s court chambers.