Municipal building financing on agenda tonight

The Township Committee will hold a special meeting Tuesday, Aug. 1 to introduce a $9.7 million bond ordinance to finance construction of new municipal and police buildings.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the municipal building, 10 Mansfield Drive.

For online access, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82117363001 or call 646-518-9805 or 267-831-0333. The meeting ID number is 821 1736 3001.

A binding referendum on the project is set for Nov. 7 during the general election.

A public hearing and final vote on the bond ordinance will be at the committee’s meeting Aug. 15.

Township Manager Joseph Sabatini said construction specifications and cost estimates are expected by Friday, Aug. 4. Those documents will be posted on the township’s website at https://www.byramtwp.org, he said.

At the committee’s meeting July 18, he explained that the bond ordinance merely gives the township the ability to issue bonds if the project is approved by the voters.

Byram has set aside $550,000 in capital improvement funds as a down payment for the project. The township also could use $830,000 in American Rescue Plan funds if the council approves, Sabatini said.

According to the proposed bond ordinance, Byram intends to demolish the existing municipal building and construct new municipal and police buildings at 10 Mansfield Drive.

The buildings would be one story and the total size of both would be about 17,102 square feet. They would house offices, public meeting rooms, storage facilities and police facilities.

MJA Construction Services of Mine Hill estimated the total construction cost at about $8.2 million.

Other fees, such as for the architect, design, construction management, security, lawyers and insurance, would bring the total to slightly less than $9.7 million. That includes a construction contingency of $725,000.