$352,030 paving contact awarded

Hamburg-The borough council has awarded a $352,030 contract to Tilcon New York, Inc. to resurface Center, Hillside, Longview and Mullberry Streets. Part of the cost will be absorbed by a $125,000 grant from the N.J. Department of Transportation. The work, which was to begin on Aug. 2, is expected to be completed within 90 days. John Ruschke, the town's engineer, said the work will not just resurface, but also widen and reconstruct the roads, which have narrowed over the years. The contract calls for adding three feet to the width of the streets to make them safer for motorists. The borough has been considering the project for approximately two years. During that time, drainage problems have been corrected on the streets through 1,000 feet of new storm sewers. Meanwhile, The N.J. Department of Community Affairs has told the borough that it will receive a $25,000 grant from the Homeland Security Police Assistance Aid Program. The grant may be used only for designated expenses in the program, including to offset the cost of an Office of the emergency management vehicle requested by the Hamburg Police Department. The money also must be used for an expenditure that otherwise would have come out of local property tax receipts.