Council hears $400,000 HVAC request, $336,000 street sweeper and other public-works capital needs

Public-works leadership outlined several high-cost capital needs during the Feb. 2 Ridgewood budget session, flagging long-deferred maintenance and equipment replacement as drivers of the department’s largest budget requests.

Rich Charlton described village-hall HVAC units that are more than two decades old and recommended a $400,000 capital appropriation to replace failing systems; he said he built an operating contingency if the capital project does not make the final list. The council discussed additional electric upgrades for the community-center level that would add $75,000–$100,000 if pursued.

Fleet staff sought $336,000 to replace the street sweeper; the staff noted DEP sweeping-frequency requirements (minimum three times per year) and that the department routinely exceeds that to maintain the stormwater tier rating. Mike Chunta explained fleet tested an electric sweeper that staff preferred but found electric models significantly more expensive (quoted at roughly $721,000–$749,000) versus a diesel model (~$335,000) and limited by battery runtime.

A sign/signal truck replacement was discussed at roughly $160,000 to safely transport signposts and paint machinery; staff emphasized life expectancy (15–20 years) and operational safety when the current vehicle was used for paint machines and heavy posts.

Councilors asked administration to prioritize among capital asks at an upcoming meeting and to consider rebate programs (e.g., PSE&G for HVAC) and sharing agreements or sinking funds to smooth costs.

What’s next: capital bids and prioritization were scheduled to be refined in meetings the week following Feb. 2; the council expects a recommended capital budget for introduction at the Feb. 9 session.