Franklin Lakes March 13, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 5 Borough may have to bond road improvement cost by Frank J. McMahon Franklin Lakes Mayor Frank Bivona acknowledged at a recent council work session that the borough may have to incur more debt to keep up with the necessary improvement of its road system. According to Borough Engineer Kevin Boswell, Franklin Lakes has spent between $350,000 and $500,000 on road improvements each year over the past several years. The improvements generally involve the repaving of roads. After compiling a list of roads that should be included in this year’s road improvement program, Boswell advised the governing body that seven roads were added to the list. He estimated it would cost $1.2 million this year to catch up on the borough’s deteriorating road system at the estimated cost of $75 per ton of asphalt. “This list was compiled based on the latest roadway rating survey as well as input from the department of public works and Boswell McClave’s Engineering’s inspection department,” Boswell reported. Boswell also recommended that the council budget $700,000 per year after this year to keep up with the borough’s needed road repair. Boswell also said that, this year, Bergen County would be repaving Pulis Avenue from Franklin Avenue to Wyckoff Avenue, Franklin Avenue from the Waldwick line to Ramapo Valley Road, and Colonial Road from Summit Avenue to Franklin Lake Road. Franklin Lakes Borough Administrator Gregory Hart advised Mayor Frank Bivona and the council that the Engineering Oversight Committee agreed with Boswell’s assessment. Boswell told the governing body that when there is a cold winter such as this one, with freezing and thawing temperatures, the deterioration of the roads will be seen in the spring and when one Happy 109th Birthday The children of High Mountain Road School in Franklin Lakes enjoyed a visit from Mayor Frank Bivona during the annual Read Across America program. The event is intended to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday and to encourage children to keep reading and learning. Seuss’ creative, rhyming books have been read to children by U.S. presidents, Hall of Fame baseball players, celebrities, and millions of parents. Dr. Seuss, whose real name is Theodor Seuss Geisel, published 46 children’s books, including ‘The Cat in the Hat,’ ‘Green Eggs and Ham,’ and ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas.’ travels through a town that doesn’t take care of its roads it is very obvious. “It’s a lot of money,” Bivona said, “but the second biggest complaint in the borough is about the roads. We’ve got to take care of our roads.” He continued, “Our goal is to fund our road program through our operating budget, but we may have to bond out some of that cost. I’ve gone through the numbers and I think we can still reduce our debt and do this road program.” Boswell recommended joining the Northwest Bergen cooperative road improvement bidding program with other Bergen County towns, explaining that, while the borough loses some control by joining that group, it would probably obtain better pricing for its road program. The council had to confirm the $1.2 million expenditure for the road program in order to meet the deadline for participating in the cooperative bidding program, and voted to do so, although Bivona pointed out the council can decide on the exact amount of appropriations for the road program at a later date as the budget is developed. The borough also appropriated $1.2 million toward its road program in 2008 when the council felt the improvement of roads in the borough was falling behind the need. Since then, the amount appropriated for road improvement was reduced to about half of what Boswell is recommending for the future maintenance of the roads in the borough.