BY STEVE KELMAN
CORRESPONDENT
CRESSKILL, N.J.—The Cresskill governing body passed a resolution last week that will enable the police department to acquire three patrol cars for its force.
Assistant Police Chief Jim Domville said the department will purchase three 2019 Chevy Tahoes at a cost of between $30,000 and $40,000 each.
“We are buying left over vehicles and are acquiring them on a temporary budget,” Domville said after the Feb. 5 council meeting.
Domville then explained that if the department waited for the regular budget to be adopted it would be too late to acquire these vehicles and more costly ones would then need to be purchased.
“Then I would have to buy 2020 models, they would be more expensive and we may not even get them this year,” he said, adding that a vehicle that was purchased last April didn’t arrive until just last week.
The department lost two vehicles in accidents last year, the assistant chief said.
Domville said that insurance money received from those accidents and funds taken in from the auction of another vehicle would also be used to help defray the costs of the three newer 2019 patrol cars.
Stop sign ordinance passed
An ordinance introduced last month pertaining to the placement of a stop sign on Lambs Lane at Engle Street was adopted by the governing body at last week’s meeting.
Borough officials had said that the signage was being placed on that street due to safety concerns.
Field House construction was set, but is now delayed
At the meeting, the mayor announced that construction on an athletic field house at the Merritt Field would be beginning in the next few weeks. But in a phone call to Northern Valley Press, Borough Clerk Francesca Maragliano said the contractor had informed the borough it would delay starting work due to a materials shortage.
Construction of a new athletic field, parking area, and other improvements were finished last year and the field has already been in use. The field and parking area are located off of Piermont Road.
“The only thing left is the field house,” the mayor said adding that it should only take 60 days to complete once the project commences.
