by Neptune City Councilperson David Calhoun
Neptune City recently rolled out its first ever Participatory Budgeting initiative. This is a program designed to give residents the opportunity to suggest capital projects for the benefit of the community as a whole. Among the guidelines set were that the projects should benefit the entire town, have little to no maintenance costs, must be implemented on Borough owned property, and fit within a pre-set budget.
Since this is the inaugural year for the program, I was happy to see so many varied projects that were submitted by the residents. There was even a proposal put forth by the 8th grade class at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School. All of the project submissions were vetted for viability by the Borough business office, then reviewed by the Participatory Budgeting committee, which is made up of community volunteers.
The review process was no easy task, as there were so many great ideas put forth by the residents. While not all of them fit the parameters set forth under the guidelines of Participatory Budgeting, that does not mean that these ideas will be forgotten. All of the project submissions that were not chosen to be among the top 5 will be forwarded to the involved Borough departments to see if it’s possible to implement them sometime in the future.
In the end, 5 projects stood out from the rest as being the ones that most closely fit the stated criteria, and were chosen as the ones to be put out to all of the residents in town for a vote. They are detailed below:
- Kayak/Paddle Board Storage Rack at Memorial Park.
A storage structure will be constructed for Neptune City residents to keep their recreational water equipment on site for easy accessibility.
- Dog Park at Joe Freda Park.
Installation of a dog park at Joe Freda Park in the back portion of property for residents of Neptune City to take their dogs for exercise and playtime with other residents.
- Borough Sign Board.
New updated “Welcome to Neptune City” Sign Boards with ability to show information regarding Borough events and information.
- Porch Swings for a portion of Memorial Park.
Porch swings looking out over the River in Memorial Park where seating for older people and parents with toddlers can sit together.
- Upgrading of Pedestrian Signage.
Upgrades to pedestrian signs and crosswalks throughout the Borough.
The voting phase began on Monday November 18, 2019 and will conclude on Friday December 13, 2019. Ballot submission forms are available on the Borough Website for download at www.neptunecitynj.com as well as at Neptune City Borough Hall, the Library, and the Community Center. The Ballot Box will be kept at Borough Hall, and all votes will be verified by the BA as soon as is practicable after the voting phase concludes. The winning project will be announced at the next regularly scheduled council meeting on December 23, 2019.
Be a part of shaping your community! Remember, all residents 14 years of age and older can vote for these projects. Please get the word out to everyone in Neptune City and let your voices be heard!
David Calhoun
Councilman
Borough of Neptune City