Politics & Government

New Ambulance, Video Cameras for Police Cars Top Capital Improvements List

Other items include replacement wood chipper and monitoring an underground storage tank leak.

In the eighth year it's adopted a no-debt, pay-as-you-go capital improvement plan, the township intends to use $458,300 toward replacing a 12-year-old ambulance, mobile video recorders for police cars, replacing a 16-year-old wood chipper in the Public Works Department and monitoring and testing an underground storage tank leak at the Department of Public Works site that dates from 30 years ago.

The funds used for the plan are already in the township's 2010 budget and allow the municipality to make improvements without borrowing money and incurring interest costs, according to officials. Officials estimate saving $381,000 in interest costs in 2010 and $850,000 total for the eight years the township used the plan.

"Hillsborough has avoided the debt spirals that impact so many communities that borrow funds for these types of improvements and spend years paying interest on the financing," Mayor Frank DelCore said. 

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The capital improvements have been evaluated, ranked and recommended by the township's Capital Planning Committee and Planning Board, Deputy Mayor Gloria McCauley said at the meeting.

The committee did not approve purchasing the items at its meeting, however.  The items will still need to undergo either a competitive bidding process or be purchased under a state-authorized contract to ensure the best price. The committee would also need to approve the purchase before any departments bought the items.

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But at least one resident, Ron Campbell, of Woods Road, objected to replacing the Hillsborough Rescue Squad Ambulance.

"Is it really necessary to purchase an additional ambulance at this time," Campbell said. "How many ambulances and other assorted vehicles does the Hillsborough EMS have at its disposal and what is the mileage of each one?"

Campbell claimed that the new ambulance is not needed, that a new chassis could be purchased for the existing vehicle, and that the Hillsborough Emergency Medical Services Corps (HEMSCorps) charges a certain amount per call and a mileage reimbursement, among other allegations. 

It's not the first time Campbell's been to a Township Committee meeting regarding the HEMSCorps and new vehicle purchases, officials said.

According to DelCore and Finance Committee Chairman Carl Suraci, the HEMSCorps exists to pay daytime rescue squad employees, while evening and night employees are unpaid volunteers.

"He's made his views about the EMS squad clear over many years," DelCore said.  "We don't agree. ... Having a dated ambulance is not to the benefit of the town or its residents."

"The Hillsborough Emergency Medical Services Corporation (HEMSCorp) was formed by the Rescue Squad in 1988 when we began paying daytime staff instead of relying solely on volunteers," Rescue Squad Chief David Gwin said. 

"Just like the Rescue Squad, HEMS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, established to provide service to Hillsborough Township."

"Just about every year, Mr. Campbell appears before the township committee and makes wild accusations about the rescue squad's finances," he added. "He does this despite the fact that we have independent audits performed annually, copies of which are on file with the township."

The ambulance it will replace is from 1998 and has over 150,000 miles on it, according to the township.


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