WLB mulls sharing municipal court with Ocean Twp.
Officials: Sharing court could cut cost of proposed police station
BY SUE MORGAN
Staff Writer

WEST LONG BRANCH - Council-woman Bettina Munson would like to hear how residents feel about traveling to Ocean Township for municipal court.

The idea of moving local court functions out of town comes down to saving taxpayer money, according to Munson, who oversees the borough's buildings and grounds.

By holding court in another town, the borough could save money on personnel, utilities and other expenses now associated with housing a courtroom and a judge's chambers inside the current police headquarters located at the troubled 95 Poplar Ave. building, several officials told residents during the Borough Council's Oct. 4 caucus session.

Munson, like Mayor Janet W. Tucci, believes moving the municipal courtroom to Ocean could result in cost savings to taxpayers.

Because Ocean Township has offered to share its courtroom facilities with nearby municipalities, West Long Branch officials believe it's an option worth exploring.

Nonetheless, Munson said she would like to hear borough residents' views about the idea.

"What would West Long Branch residents think about having to go to the next town for court?" Munson said. "I'd like to know about it."

Weary of rising property taxes, financially strapped residents are leaving the borough and ultimately the state, said Tucci, who noted that the borough will explore other ways to share services.

"We're looking at shared services with other towns," Tucci said. "It's the only way small towns like ours can survive."

Borough resident Mary Lynch encouraged officials to pursue the idea.

"That's a great way to start," said Lynch, a frequent speaker at meetings. "I as a taxpayer would appreciate it."

How not to burden property owners in town with even more taxes while trying to resolve poor working conditions inside the 95 Poplar Ave. structure, which also houses the municipal construction offices, is a hot topic for officials.

During the meeting, Tucci and the council took a first look at an architect's concept plan for a brand-new, two-story, 16,780-square-foot facility to house the police, municipal court and construction offices behind the current borough hall at 965 Broadway for an estimated cost of $5.6 million.

If the council shifted its municipal court to Ocean Township, the 2,600-square-foot courtroom space drawn in by the architect, Andrew Trocchia Jr., could be cut out, a move that would shave some money off the final cost, Munson said.

"If we [shared the court with Ocean Township], we could eliminate the court space and have a smaller building," Munson said after the meeting."

The council asked Trocchia to edit out the courtroom facilities and resubmit them at a future date.

In addition, T&M Associates of Middletown, the borough's contract engineering firm, will be assigned to draw up its own conceptual engineering drawings for the proposed building, which would stand alone in the vacant area behind the present borough hall, Munson said.

"We're moving along," she said of the project.

Although the borough is exploring the option of constructing a new police headquarters on land that is now open, residents who have been waiting for the town to convert the area to a playground and a ballfield need not be alarmed, Munson said.

"There still will be a ballfield and a playground," she said. "The architect has shown that there will be enough room for building the playground with ballfields."

The council is still considering a complete renovation of the water-logged structure at 95 Poplar Ave., which until about four years ago housed all borough offices.

However, renovating and thoroughly patching up the 78-year-old building could cost the town about $6.2 million, not including site work, civil engineering and new furnishings, according to Trocchia.

Mold, mildew and flooding inside the building, particularly its basement, have resulted in hazardous working conditions for the police and other borough employees, who deserve better, Munson said after the meeting.

"We cannot let these people continue to be in this building," she said. "I'm going to fight to get the police a new building."

Councilman Thomas DeBruin, who is also the borough's police commissioner, and Councilman Joseph Woolley, who has worked in construction trades, sit on the Building and Grounds Committee chaired by Munson.

Trocchia's conceptual plans also show that the existing 52-stall parking lot outside 965 Broadway, a former church, would be doubled in size if the new police headquarters is built there.

The notion of constructing a new police headquarters is still only in its conceptual stages and remains to be decided by the governing body, Munson stressed.

If the council decides to build a new structure, it would search for a new use for the upstairs portion, but not the basement of 95 Poplar, she noted.

"There can be new uses of 95 Poplar Ave.," Munson said.

According to Munson, the borough has received three quotes from air quality firms seeking to remediate mold found inside the police station's booking room last month.

During a series of tests conducted by an air quality testing firm last month, mold levels in that room were found to be slightly higher than those in other rooms, but were still found to be within acceptable limits, Munson said.

At the next scheduled meeting on Oct. 18, the council is expected to select one of the three air quality firms to remediate the mold in the single room, she went on.

Employees will be able to remain in the building while the remediation, which is expected to take less than two days, is going on, Munson said.

The tests were conducted after a female police officer in reportedly good health, suffered an asthma attack while working inside the building. However, officials said the officer's condition could not be linked to the mold.