Action paves way for repairs to memorial

MARLBORO — The reconstruction of a fountain displayed in Marlboro's Sept. 11 memorial will commence now that the Township Council has authorized a contract for the work.

The members of the governing body took the action during their June 18 meeting.

The Reflections Memorial was dedicated to those individuals who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on America on Sept. 11, 2001. The memorial was damaged in a motor vehicle accident last year.

According to published reports, on Dec. 29, 2008, a 62-year-old Marlboro man and his wife were leaving the municipal complex on Wyncrest Road when the man suffered a heart attack while he was behind the wheel of the car.

The man drove the car across the lawn of the Marlboro Recreation Community Center and the car struck the Sept. 11 memorial, police reported at the time.

A letter from Director of Public Works Robert DiMarco to Business Administrator Alayne Shepler stated that the amount of damage to the site was more than $120,000.

A contract for the reconstruction of the fountain was awarded to Master Memorials Inc. in an amount not to exceed $23,000.

According to information provided by Master Memorials to the township, the two bases, the fountain and one bench had to be removed from the site. The two bases had to be replaced.

Tim Doerr of Master Memorials informed municipal officials that even though the fountain and bench suffered considerable damage, the company believes it will be able to repair the nicks, scratches and large abrasions by hand polishing them out.

Council members Frank LaRocca, Steve Rosenthal, Randi Marder and Rosa Tragni voted to award the contract. Councilman Jeff Cantor was absent from the meeting.

In other council business, Kay T. Reed has been appointed as the interim tax collector for Marlboro while tax collector Shirley Giaquinto is on a leave of absence.

During the June 18 meeting the council members approved a resolution authorizing Reed's hiring for a period which started May 1 and will run through July 30. The agreement allows for Reed to be paid at a rate of $35 per hour from May 1 to June 17. From June 18 to July 30, Reed will be compensated at a rate of $40 per hour. The total compensation for Reed's services are not to exceed $6,000.

Also during the meeting, the governing body passed a resolution which authorizes the purchase for the emergency replacement of one chiller compressor at Marlboro's administration building on Township Drive. The contract was awarded to Airhandlers Mechanical Services Inc., the township's current HVAC maintenance company, in the amount of $19,204.

According to the resolution, during the start-up of the air conditioning system at the administration building it was determined that the compressors for the main chiller unit had failed. The issue requires immediate attention and replacement because the collective bargaining agreements with the municipal workforce require that the administration building must be closed if the building's temperature rises above a certain point.