Butler Council Adopts 2011 Budget, Makes Appropriations

2011 municipal budget was adopted unanimously by the borough council at their regular meeting Tuesday. Mayor Robert Alviene congratulated municipal officials for getting the budget under the required 2 percent New Jersey tax cap.

This year’s of $10,883,880.60 includes library appropriations for $338,728, though library appropriations will appear as a separate line item on tax bills. Compared to last year's budget, taxpayers will see an increase of $97.31. 

The adoption of the budget was followed by the introduction of several ordinances appropriating capital improvement funds for utilities, public safety and other required municipal maintenance measures. 

Board Attorney Robert Oostdyk explained, “These are all determined through your budget process. This is the formal action to start making the money available.”

Of the introduced ordinances, one allocated $25,000 for improvements to buildings and grounds from the general capital, water utility capital and electric capital improvement funds.

A $14,215 appropriation to the from the capital improvement fund was introduced for the acquisition of equipment and $22,000 was introduced to fund the replacement of older signs in the borough that are no longer in compliance with state law.

“We have to go from four inch letters to six inch letters because of a change in state law," said Borough Administrator James Lampmann. "It’s to make them more visible.”

Another ordinance introduced will authorize the issuance of $470,000 worth of bonds or notes to the borough for various electrical supply and distribution system improvements.

“It includes a line truck, which is part of our replacement process, and it also includes improvements to the system,” said Lampmann.

Circuits are being tied together to create redundancies in the electrical system, he said, which creates a backup in the case of a power failure or similar problem.

In other matters, council members approved a supplement to a borough ordinance that will revise what type of signs will be permitted in the central business district and redevelopment zones of the borough. The use of blade signs, a type of sign that protrudes from a building, perpendicular to the storefront, will now be allowed. These signs help someone walking on the sidewalk or driving down the street to view the sign without being directly in front of the store.

Other resolutions approved included the bid award for the Bartholdi Avenue water main replacement improvement contract. According to Lampmann, the bid was opened this morning and the town engineer, attorney and Lampmann himself reviewed the best priced offer in order to bring the contract to a vote Tuesday.

“This is a time-critical project,” said Lampmann. “It involves the water main that comes up in front of the so we would like to get this project started sooner rather than later so we can complete the work before school is in session.”

The next Butler Borough Council meeting will be held on June 21 at  7 p.m. at One Ace Rd.