The Allendale Council passed the borough's $810,200 capital budget for 2011 at its meeting last Thursday.

The capital budget utilizes about $785,000 of taxpayer money, with the remaining portion coming from an approximately $25,000 Bergen County matching grant the borough received to pay for a lightning detection system at Crestwood Park.

In an interview, Councilwoman Liz White said the Council's goal is to keep the capital budget to around $750,000 each year.

"We try every year to be very conscious of our debt, which has been one of the biggest things we struggle with every year, so we really try not to deficit spend and truly keep it close to about $750,000," White said.

The capital budget includes $304,500 for the borough's annual road and sidewalk improvements, which probably will consist of doing milling and paving on between four and seven streets this year, said White, chair of the borough's Public Works Committee.

Streets that are being targeted this year are East Elbrook Drive, Edgewood Road and a section of Crescent Bend from Powell Road to Berkshire Place, she said. White said the borough also is looking to pave a portion of Powell Road after drainage work on that section is completed, as well as part of the roadway inside Crestwood Park, as the borough is trying to complete small portions of that roadway each year.

The capital budget also funds items for several of the borough's departments, including the Department of Public Works, which will get $236,250 for a dump truck with a plow and salter, a pickup truck with a plow, and plows. Allendale's dump truck is rusted out and about 20 years old, while the borough's current pickup truck has a cracked frame and approximately 15 years old, White said. The Sewer Department is getting several items: nozzles and a hose for its sewer vacuum truck for $2,625, data communication radio upgrade equipment for $8,400 and hydrants and associated accessories and a light tower for $38,850.

Meanwhile, the Police Department is receiving vehicle radios and a speed monitor/traffic counter machine for $26,250, while the Fire Department is getting a fire hose, portable radios, turnout gear and a generator for the Annex Building for $58,065.

"We've really been on a campaign to upgrade our radios both in our police and fire [departments] to make everybody as safe as possible," Mayor Vince Barra said.

Several improvements also will be made at Crestwood Park: the installation of the lightning detection system, bleachers and a swimming dock, playground upgrades and the purchase of garbage and recycling bins.

The capital budget also provides funding for borough-wide communication system and information technology upgrades, as well as replacing some of the inlet covers in the borough. The work on the inlet covers is being done to meet a federal mandate that requires that the covers be replaced with types that prevent additional debris from entering, White said. The borough has to replace all the inlet covers in Allendale, said White, who added the work was begun in the past.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/118055989_Capital_budget_to_fund_paving__buy_new_equipment.html