$519K In Purchases, Upgrades For Hillsborough DPW, Police

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — The Hillsborough Township Committee approved a slew of resolutions totaling more than $500,000, looking to upgrade, outfit, and support the Department of Public Works and Police Department.

The Committee passed the 10 resolutions at its Sept. 9 meeting.

"I want to thank the Committee and really congratulate the Committee on putting a number of DPW items forward. The Department of Public Works works incredibly hard for the town," said Committeeman Robert Britting Jr., who noted their efforts during a severe thunderstorm that took down trees earlier this month.

"Personally, a large oak tree fell in the opposite direction of my house; it was very close. It was pretty scary, but the DPW guys came out, and because it was over an access road, they had to remove it," said Britting. "I noticed one of the trucks there was in need of serious replacement. And the fact that we are putting forward DPW, kind of evolving that program, I think it's really good for the Hillsborough Township residents. I fully support these, and I think it's important to note all the work the DPW does."

Specifically, Committeeman Shawn Lipani noted the need for a Bucket Truck.

"It is a useful tool when you have trees around power lines and everything else, so this was a very important tool that we lost because the chassis was unsafe," said Lipani. "Storms like we just had prove the usefulness and the need for that kind of thing."

There were five resolutions totaling roughly $112,000 for the DPW, including:

• Purchase of a compressor and blower motor of RTU-30 - $8,876
• Purchase of uniforms for the Public Works Department from Flemington Department Store through the Somerset County Cooperative Contract - $19,000
• Purchase of Kubota SVL75-3HFWCC Track Skid Steer - $67,786.73;
• Purchase of Kubota SCL 1000 Subcompact Loader - $35,932.03;
• Put out to big for one Bucket Truck on Ford F600 Chassis complete with Dur-A-Lift DTAX2-45FP CAT D Aerial Lift and Voth Deep Urban Forestry 9.75' Body or Equivalent

Additionally, the Committee approved five resolutions for the police that totaled around $400,000, including:

• Purchase of four Ford Police Interceptor Utility Vehicles - $201,778.92,
• Purchase of lighting and electrical upfitting of four police vehicles, two fully marked, one slick top and one traffic car - $98,039.06
• Purchase of four Stalker Dual DSR Radar Units - $13,220
• Resolution authorizing Cornerstone Architectural Group to provide Architectural Design Services for Police Department Interior Alterations - $85,250
• Purchase of APX 8000 Portable Handheld Radio for Police from Motorola Solutions - $8,996.85

"These resolutions are in support of ensuring that they have the right equipment and upgraded items that they need to keep us safe," said Britting. "Again, I applaud the Committee for putting these forward. I think this is fantastic for safety, and that’s what we are focused on for Hillsborough."

Lipani noted, "The long-needed improvements to the police station and getting some adequate space for our female officers, I think it's great we can move forward with that."

Police Liaison and Committeewoman Catherine Payne also shared her support for the police resolutions, "championing the rehabilitation and remodel of the police department, and I definitely look forward to the first tour when that gets done."

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