Although the city has not yet passed its $300 million-plus budget for the coming fiscal year, it introduced the portion of it last week that will cover structural improvements and purchasing materials.
The Jersey City Council approved the first reading of its 2002 Capital Improvements ordinance at a meeting held Wednesday at St. Peter’s College. That budget comes in at $25.9 million and will be funded by the issuance of $23 million in general improvement bonds.
The city’s overall municipal budget is comprised of two parts: the capital budget and the operating budget. The capital budget pertains to renovations and equipment, and the much-larger operational side covers the city’s day-to-day functioning.
The city’s overall budget from last year was $348 million. This year’s total budget probably will be introduced within the next two weeks, officials said.
The capital improvements budget appropriates $5.88 million for the renovation and improvement of a number of city parks, including Pershing, Bayside and Lincoln parks. The city hopes to gain 15 years of usefulness from these improvements.
Slated for purchase are close to 40 new motor vehicles to be used by the Department of Public Safety. The cost is estimated to be $1.5 million.
"We have to do work on the police precincts," said Council President L. Harvey Smith. "They are in need of improvement and renovation."
The capital budget put $150,000 toward the improvement of heating and ventilation systems at precincts at all four of the city’s police districts. Also included in the budget is $575,000 for the replacement of equipment such as pagers, patrol vehicles and emergency trucks.
Smith noted that $3.1 million in funding was being put forward for paving Jersey City streets.
"Recently, some of our already paved streets have been torn up and not put back together properly," Smith commented on the need for street repair.
The city plans to spend $1.2 million on the integration of various technologies and information systems within various municipal departments.
Other matters
In a related matter, a resolution rewarding an open-ended contract Compaq Computer to lease desktop computers and laptops to the city was withdrawn from voting. Ward E Councilman E. Junior Maldonado stated the council had yet to decide on the cost benefits of either leasing or purchasing the computer equipment.
"Leasing might work, but then we won’t have the computers at the end of three years," said Maldonado.
A total of $3.3 million is appropriated for repairs on the Main Library’s book stack area. These funds will back improvements on furnishings and the upgrading of software for the library’s computer system.
In other events at the meeting, Recreation Department Director Bob Hurley informed the council of the planned use of the Jersey City Armory on Montgomery Street for a number of activities. Hurley said the Recreation Department had recently ceased using the YMCA due to bad service and would be able to lease out space at the armory for track meets from other municipalities.
"From November to April, we would be able to rent out the space for other meets, while local kids can still use the track," said Hurley.
The next meeting of the Jersey City Council will be Thursday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. at City Hall. The meeting was rescheduled from the regular date of Sept. 11.