JACKSON – Officials said that the Jackson Memorial High School Field House renovation is still in the fundraising stage, and needs more money to move forward.
In June, The Jackson Times reported on the fundraising project that involved Township Mayor Michael Reina, the Township Council, the Board of Education, Jackson Education Foundation, Department of Public Works, fire and police departments, and a number of dedicated residents coming together to enhance the high school’s sports facilities.
With the school district’s ongoing financial challenges, capital projects like the Jackson Memorial High School’s Field House Locker Room, concession stand and showers haven’t been addressed.
Harold Mee will be a senior this fall and is a member of the school’s football and track teams. He told The Jackson Times that the renovations would be a welcome improvement that the students will appreciate.
“We are big on tradition, so as nice as it would be to be in the same fieldhouse as the amazing athletes who came out of our school, walking into a nicer environment would make us all feel even better about being there,” Mee said.
Council President Jennifer Kuhn reported during a recent Township Council meeting that $30,000 is needed for the renovation project. “We weren’t getting the funds needed.” She said the money raised was to hire contractors within the area to do the work involved and that a GoFundMe campaign was also launched. She noted there were several levels of sponsorship promoted during the initial fundraising effort.
“Currently we have just under $11,000 and we need to get to $30,000,” Kuhn added, noting that $19,000 was needed “just for labor alone. I spent an afternoon at Home Depot and looked at all the materials that would be needed.”
Resident Patricia Rehe-Muzzillo of the Jackson Memorial HS Football Club said “we are under the impression that there are permits to start work at the concession stand.
Kuhn said she would “personally be getting the permits filled out” and that she spoke with a local a local contractor and plumbing firm. “I spoke with the mayor and we will waive all (permit) fees.”
“We had parent volunteers paint those floors and clean that place from top to bottom so our boys could use that building. With a school district of this size, I hope there is something that can be done so that we have the proper facilities for our kids,” Muzzillo added. She noted that this has become “a huge renovation and I don’t think it should have come to that. There is so much that can be done with volunteers.”
This took place during a rare Thursday afternoon meeting. Usually, the council meets on Tuesday nights. The meeting was rescheduled to a Wednesday afternoon and then rescheduled again to a Thursday afternoon. Even the third try nearly collapsed as Councilman Mordechai Burnstein was ill but recovered in time for the meeting.
Council members Kuhn and Burnstein attended in person and Councilman Nino Borrelli called into the meeting. The three paid bills and did other administrative work.
“We have work to be done. Bills still need to be paid and we have some ordinances that were pretty important for the infrastructure of our town,” Kuhn said.
Ordinance 26-24 is a bond ordinance for general improvements and includes a contribution from the township’s capital improvement fund, a capital surplus allocation and a grant from the state Department of Transportation. It authorizes the town to borrow $3 million in bonds or notes to finance part of the cost of the work to be done.
According to the text of the ordinance, those improvements include work at the police department, the public works department and acquisition of various vehicles and equipment and facility enhancements. The NJDOT grant of $370,645 is attached to improvements to Bethel Church Road and includes the township’s contribution of $1,466,473.81 from its capital improvement fund and a $1,000,000 capital surplus allocation. Section 20 costs were listed at $675,112.50 with the project having a life span of 13.50 years.
Ordinance 27-24 entitled “parking, stopping and standing prohibited at all times” restricts parking, stopping or standing at any time on the western side of North Cooks Bridge Road from the intersection of North County Line Road to 350 feet south of the southernmost entrance of Brookfield Drive. The ordinances will receive a second reading and public hearing on August 27.
On the subject of roads, a resolution was passed awarding a contract to T&M Associates for the design, permitting, bidding, construction administration and inspection services for a new township road in accordance with their July 18 proposal. T&M also received authorization of bids for a drainage improvement program
A campground license was renewed with the Butterfly Camping Resort at 360 Butterfly Road and a change order was approved with Nickerson for scoreboards at the Justice Complex resulting in the increase in the contract amount by $12,041 resulting in an adjusted contract price in the amount of $237,240.
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