Congressman Kean secures more than $24M for local projects

NEW JERSEY – Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) Wednesday announced that thirteen Community Project Funding requests made by his office totaling over $24,000,000 are included in key House funding bills for the upcoming fiscal year.

All six counties in New Jersey’s Seventh Congressional District are represented in the requests.

“I have made it a priority to get more money back from Washington, DC that can go to work for New Jerseyans,” Kean said. “More than $24 million in funding will ensure that vital local projects receive the support they need and advocated for. From enhancing our infrastructure to improving public safety and more, this funding will make great strides in addressing the unique needs of our communities and make a real difference in people’s lives.”

Community Project Funding is a process that allows Members of Congress to request direct funding for projects that benefit the communities they represent. Each member may submit up to fifteen (15) projects. This process includes robust eligibility, ethics, and transparency guidelines and is only available to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as some non-profits. Additionally, only projects with evidence of strong support from the community were considered by the House Appropriations Committee, and evidence of this support and community need is required as part of the submission.

In April 2023, the Office of Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. submitted fifteen (15) Community Project Funding requests to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration in five of this year’s must-pass funding bills. The next step is for these bills to pass the House.

Below are the thirteen Community Project Funding requests made by the Office of Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. that will be included in the House funding bills for the upcoming fiscal year:

1) Security Improvements for Mount Arlington, New Jersey

• Recipient: Borough of Mount Arlington
• Location: 520 Altenbrand Avenue, Mount Arlington, New Jersey 07856
• Included Amount: $277,000
• Description: The funding will fill an existing gap in critical public safety measures for the Borough to monitor public spaces or track vehicles in critical locations. The funding will be used for purchasing security cameras and automated license plate readers for Mount Arlington’s public spaces, such as municipal buildings, facilities, parks, attractions, and points of entry.

2) Camp Cromwell Facility Rehabilitation

• Recipient: Township of Bridgewater
• Location: 900 Vosseller Avenue, Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807
• Included Amount: $4,000,000
• Description: The funding will fill restore and rehabilitate Camp Cromwell and make it safe for the enjoyment of the community. The project will repair the roads, paths, and vegetation. Additionally, new lights will be installed along the main causeways to ensure safe travels. Finally, buildings will be repaired, such as a small welcome center, dining hall facility, and recreation building.

3) Stanhope Water Tower Installation

• Recipient: Borough of Stanhope
• Location: 77 Main Street, Stanhope, New Jersey 07874
• Included Amount: $3,300,000
• Description: The funding will fill install a water tower for the Borough of Stanhope that will significantly enhance the municipal water supply and better safeguards residents. The proposed 300,000-gallon water tower will significantly improve water infrastructure for the Borough of Stanhope, which currently does not have an adequate independent municipal supply.

4) Linden Senior Bus Transportation Project

• Recipient: City of Linden
• Location: 201 North Wood Avenue, Linden, New Jersey 07036
• Included Amount: $1,000,000
• Description: The funding will provide a new community senior bus that will assist the City of Linden’s senior and disabled population navigate the city and get to and from important points of interest, such as shopping centers, medical offices, and recreational facilities. The purchase of the new bus will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the city’s transportation program for senior citizens and individuals with disabilities.

5) Somerville YMCA Renovation – Universal Access to Pre-K in Somerset

• Recipient: Somerset County Young Men’s Christian Association
• Location: Somerville YMCA, 2 Green Street, Somerville, New Jersey 08876
• Included Amount: $3,794,414
• Description: The funding will renovate the Somerville YMCA to build classrooms to NJ Department of Education preschool standards.

6) Installation of New Diesel generators for Municipal Buildings in Raritan Township, NJ

• Recipient: Township of Raritan
• Location: 1 Municipal Drive, Flemington, New Jersey 08822
• Included Amount: $459,000
• Description: The purchase and installation of new generators at the Raritan Township Municipal Building and the Police Department Building are critical to the functions of the Emergency Operations Center. The Municipal Building also serves as a reception and warming center during extreme weather events and power outages.

7) Scotch Plains Emergency Operations Center 

• Recipient: Township of Scotch Plains
• Location: 2416 Plainfield Avenue Lot 1.02, Scotch Plains, New Jersey 07076
• Included Amount: $2,700,255
• Description: The funding will relocate all emergency services to a new Emergency Operations Center (EOC). This multipurpose facility will include the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), training, Police, Fire, and EMS. The project encompasses moving all services from their existing locations downtown and reconstructing these emergency services.

8) Stormwater Management at Budd Lake in Mount Olive Township, NJ

• Recipient: Mount Olive Township
• Location: 204 Flanders-Drakestown Road, Budd Lake, New Jersey 07828
• Included Amount: $600,000
• Description: The funding will be used for the installation of water pollution prevention features around Budd Lake. Budd Lake is the headwater of the South Branch Raritan River and is the largest glacial lake in New Jersey.

9) Berkeley Heights Sewer and Stormwater Improvements

• Subcommittee: Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
• Recipient: Berkeley Heights Township
• Location: 29 Park Avenue, Berkeley Heights, New Jersey 07922
• Included Amount: $2,000,000
• Description: The funding will be used for upgrading the Berkeley Heights Sewer System to protect public health. These sewer upgrades are necessary to protect the well-being of Berkeley Heights residents and New Jerseyans who live along the Passaic River. The project will include improvements to stormwater piping throughout the Township and a new raw sewage pump to prevent stormwater and treated sewer effluent from ending up in the Passaic River and reduce non-point source pollution. Additionally, this project will rehabilitate the grit removal system.

10) City of Rahway Lead Service Line Replacements

• Recipient: City of Rahway
• Location: 1045 Westfield Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065
• Included Amount: $1,250,000
• Description: The funding will be used to eliminate a portion of the lead service water lines within the City of Rahway. This funding will allow the second phase of the project to begin to provide clean safe water infrastructure for the residents of the City of Rahway.

11) Hunterdon County Emergency Services Training Center in Hunterdon, NJ

• Recipient: Hunterdon County
• Location: 59 Petticoat Lane, Annandale, New Jersey 08801
• Included Amount: $2,577,000
• Description: A rebuild of the Hunterdon County Emergency Services Training Center will extend the services for the leading area provider of life saving training courses in fire suppression, hazardous materials training, basic life support, CPR, and Vehicle accident response training.

12) Abilities Incredible People Training Project by Abilities of Northwest Jersey, Inc. 

• Recipient: Abilities of Northwest Jersey, Inc.
• Location: 264 Route 21 North, Washington, New Jersey 07882
• Included Amount: $120,000
• Description: This funding will increase training and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities through classroom and distance learning. The project will provide distance learning focusing on soft skills and provide professional growth and pre-employment services. Moreover, it provides funds for training and support to instructors to enhance students’ success in coding, technology, and website development and testing.

13) Raritan Borough Municipal Building/Police Building Repurpose

• Recipient: Borough of Raritan
• Location: 22 First Street, Raritan, New Jersey 08869
• Included Amount: $2,275,000
• Description: This funding will renovate the existing municipal building to be utilized solely by the Borough Police Department and Court System. The current building has reached it useable lifespan and as a shared building and requires renovations to meet current Department of Justice standards and police department standards. The improvements will include an overhaul of an existing elevator system, HVAC replacement, window replacement, ADA barrier free space, sally port, holding cells, evidence rooms and court facilities and community policing outreach space.