Politics & Government

Bernards and Far Hills Part Ways on Roads Agreement

Bernards Mayor Gaziano says that Far Hills has said it will contract elsewhere for road maintenance rather than upping share to 50 percent.

As of Wednesday, Bernards Township's arrangement to maintain Douglas Road and a part of Mine Brook Road split down the middle by both towns' borders is over. But Bernards officials said on Tuesday night they've been told that Far Hills now has made other arrangements.

Bernards Mayor Carolyn Gaziano reported at Tuesday's Township Committee meeting that she had received a phone call from Far Hills Mayor Paul Vallone informing her that the Far Hills Council had decided to hire a contractor rather than continue the longstanding maintenance agreement with Bernards.

The township had asked that the borough increase its share for road maintenance costs to 50 percent, rather than the 20 or 25 percent offered by Far Hills in negotiations late in 2012.

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The parting of ways still leaves the both towns on the hook for coming up with a separate arrangement for repaving the roads when needed. Bernards Township Administrator Bruce McArthur said he hopes that an agreement can be reached on how to fund the resurfacing of Douglas Road "sooner rather than later."

Under the new arrangement, if it snows during the remainder of this year, Bernards Township will plow and salt its side of the shared roads, and the borough must take care of the lanes located in Far Hills.

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Bernards wants costs to be shared 50/50

As of Dec. 31, a longstanding agreement expired under which Far Hills, with fewer than a thousand residents, had been paying 15 percent of the cost of maintaining and repaving the shared roads.

On Feb. 12, the Bernards Township Committee unanimously rejected as insufficient an offer by Far Hills to increase its funding share to 20 percent. Committee members voted to inform Far Hills that the borough must begin paying 50 percent of all related costs for the shared roads by Feb. 27, and to specify that otherwise Bernards Township will only plow and maintain its side of the roads.

Vallone later said he had received no direct information from the township other than an email from the township administrator. He said it would be difficult for the small borough to absorb such a large increase at once, and offered to sit down with township officials for further negotiations.

Gaziano said last week she was willing to meet with Vallone, but, "We can't justify having our taxpayers subsidize Far Hills."

Bernards would be open to future talks with Far Hills, mayor says

Gaziano said at Tuesday's meeting that the township would be open to future discussions with Far Hills.

Vallone last week said he does not feel that it's reasonable — especially under the 2 percent cap on municipal budget increases — for the borough to absorb a 330 percent increase in costs for maintaining the two roads.

However, Vallone did say last week that Far Hills has offered to dedicate 100 percent of state aid for roads that the borough receives for 2014 toward the cost of repaving Douglas Road. He said that the award of state Department of Transportation grants is not always dependent on the size of a municipality, and Far Hills potentially could receive a grant of a few hundred thousand despite having fewer than 1,000 residents.

On Feb. 12, McArthur estimated the cost of repaving Douglas Road, now filled with patch jobs, at about $500,000.

On Feb. 12, McArthur told the Township Commitee that Bernards has spent about $81,000 on the shared roads for the past three years, including various maintenance and repair projects, and snow removal. Under the current formula, in place for at least 14 years, Bernards picked up $69,000 of that total, and Far Hills spent $12,000 during that three-year period, McArthur said.

Bill still to be sent out for plowing and salting in January and February

On Tuesday, McArthur said Bernards has yet to send Far Hills the bill for snow and ice removal from the roads for the first few months of 2013. He said that bill is sent out on a quarterly basis, and he wonders what percentage Far Hills will pay.

Bernards also terminated another shared services agreement in which the township had been plowing Sherwood Farm Road, located wholly within Far Hills, and billing the borough for 100 percent of that cost.

McArthur said that separate agreement officially expires in mid-April, the end of snow season.

Vallone was not available for comment as of Wednesday afternoon.

 

 



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