Council Briefs: Road Project Contracts Approved

What follows is an account of actions taken on May 20 by the Bridgewater Township Council, which, while not breaking news, are still of note.

Council approves salary ordinance

The township council unanimously approved its .

All salaries for department heads are increasing by 2 percent.

Councilman Matthew Moench said not all salaries are increasing.

“The salaries for the mayor and council have not increased for at least 15 years,” he said. “We set it every year, but it has not increased.”

Salaries for the mayor and council are $15,000, and $7,000, respectively, with the council president receiving $8,000.

Bridgewater to close “paper streets”

The council approved an ordinance that would allow for the closing of Plainfield, Brunswick and Dunellen avenues.

The planning board previously approved an application from Genova Built LLC for a subdivision with three new homes. That approval was pending approval from the council for the building of a new road and vacation of the others.

The ordinance presented to the council allowed for the vacation of part of Plainfield and Brunswick avenues, as well as the complete vacation of Dunellen Avenue.

“These are not driveable streets, they don’t exist,” said councilman Matthew Moench of the roads called “paper streets.”

Reynolds Group to work on Vosseller Avenue improvement project

The council unanimously approved a resolution to hire the Reynolds Group for engineering, surveying and inspection for phase II of the Vosseller Avenue Road Improvement Project.

The project will consist of reconstruction of the area from Miller Lane to Bridge, north of Brookside Drive. It is the second section of work to be done on the road.

The cost of the contract is $45,100.

“The Reynolds Group did the surveying and other work on the first phase of this project,” township administrator James Naples said.

Appraisal Systems to continue doing reassessment work in township

The council approved a resolution to award a contract to Appraisal Systems Inc. for professional appraisal inspections and other services concerning the township’s reassessment program for 2013.

The contract is for an amount not to exceed $74,240.

Township administrator James Naples said the cost is actually about $5,000 less than it was last year.

Naples said the township is required to do a reassessment of 25 percent of the properties in the township every year for four years.

Contract awarded for sewer, road improvements

The council unanimously approved a resolution for sanitary sewer and road improvements on Buena Parkway.

The contract with Lucas Construction Group is for an amount not to exceed $249,577.

The work will consist of an about 750-foot segment of road, and will require the installation of an 8-inch sanitary sewer under the reconstructed roadway.