WOODCLIFF LAKE—The Borough Council has approved a contract for $80,000 in technology upgrades planned for the borough-owned Tice Senior Center, courtesy of state Covid-19 grant funds.
Borough administrator Tom Padilla told Pascack Press that funds from the county Division of Community Development Covid-19 community development block grant program will be used for the work.
The resolution, approved at the Oct. 17 meeting of the governing body, says the project will “transform” the Senior Center into a hybrid audiovisual room in order to conduct council meetings. Senior center activities are to benefit as well.
In related news, the council hired John Patterson as its new full-time recreation director/special events coordinator, effective Oct. 24, at an annual salary of $59,500. In addition to recreation programs, Patterson will coordinate town events including Community Day, SpringFest, Octoberfest, the borough’s annual Christmas tree and menorah lightings, and senior activities and events.
Upgrades expected to be completed in early 2023
Council on Oct. 17 approved the proposal submitted by BISDIGITAL of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a state-approved cooperative vendor. The total contract price is listed as $78,584.79, excluding sales tax. It includes onsite maintenance.
The company is to provide a complete sound system that “will push in-room meeting audio out to Zoom and allow Zoom audio to play through the in room sound system.”
It will provide for Bluetooth connectivity to the sound system, wall-mounted speakers, wireless microphones, and a power conditioner in an equipment rack with locking front and rear doors. The system will include eight wireless microphones and a wireless handheld microphone on a floor stand to be used by the public. A camera will be installed to provide a wide shot of the dais and stream video. The system can also show independent content on two screens: one for Zoom streaming and one for an audio-visual presentation.
Padilla said he expects the work to be completed in early 2023.
“$80,000 is hereby appropriated from the CDBG-COVID 19 funding from the Bergen County Division of Community Development for the Tice Senior Center technology upgrades and including all work and materials necessary therefor or incidental thereto,” reads Ordinance 22-11.
Currently, council meetings are broadcast on Zoom, and show a camera on the mostly empty Borough Hall dais, with council members and the mayor appearing remotely when they are speaking.
Since the pandemic broke widely in March 2020, council has conducted meetings online, also partly due to the small size of the council’s chambers at town hall, which limit public attendance normally and did even more so with social distancing requirements.
Generally, the council has used the Tice Senior Center for public meetings and forums where large audiences are expected, including annual reorganization meetings.
The center also serves as one of the county’s early voting sites, one of nine countywide. Early voting for the Nov. 8 election began Oct. 29 and continues through Nov. 6.
“Eventually we may be able to have council meetings there,” Padilla said, noting that was a decision that the mayor and council will likely make after the upgrades are in place.