Metuchen council approves millions in bonds for library, capital improvements in brief meeting
The July 13 meeting ran under an hour, but the council adopted a $2.6 million capital bond and introduced a second bond to match a state library grant, while also honoring two longtime community figures
An undated picture of the Metuchen Public Library.
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Chris Howell | July 14, 2026
The Metuchen Borough Council met for less than an hour on July 13, using the short session to move forward on millions of dollars in borough bonds, including final approval of a $2.6 million capital bond and the introduction of a second bond to help fund a major renovation of the Metuchen Public Library.
The council gave final approval to a bond ordinance appropriating $2,616,000 and authorizing $2,484,000 in bonds or notes for a wide range of borough improvements. The measure covers the purchase of a shop lift, a stump grinder, a multi-lift truck with snowplow, and a mason dump truck for the Department of Public Works, along with Borough Hall upgrades, including elevator improvements and restroom renovations. It also funds records digitization, a new police vehicle along with weapons and AED equipment, technology upgrades including computers and servers, fire department turnout gear and equipment, park improvements, and sewer line repairs. The ordinance passed the council unanimously.
During the meeting’s public comment period, resident Kunhan Lee asked the council for more details on the police vehicle purchase, including whether the replacement was driven by mileage, age, or hours of use. Police Chief Arthur Flaherty said the department replaces one vehicle per year, noting that some cars in the fleet have accrued more than 120,000 miles. He said officers sometimes drive above the speed limit when responding to calls, making it essential that vehicles remain safe and reliable, and that the interiors wear quickly from officers’ gear and equipment.
Lee also asked whether the borough was considering electric vehicles for the police fleet. Flaherty said the Department of Public Works isn’t yet equipped to handle repairs of electric vehicles, and Borough Administrator Melissa Perilstein added that battery technology isn’t yet reliable enough for a small municipality to take on the cost and risk of experimenting with an EV fleet.
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The council also introduced a second bond ordinance tied to the library. The measure authorizes $1,541,000 in borough bonds to match a $1,622,990 grant awarded to the Metuchen Public Library under the New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act. The library had applied for the funding before and had been turned down. Mayor Jonathan Busch said the borough received the money after all when the state reallocated additional funds, either from a new pool of money or from other libraries that returned their awards.
The borough must match the grant dollar for dollar. Combined with the grant and additional library funds, the total project cost comes to just over $3.5 million. Busch said the money will pay for improvements to the library’s first floor, including upgrades to accessibility, technology, and community meeting space.
Council Member Vinita Jethwani, the council’s liaison to the library board, credited Library Director Rebecca Franco Martin with positioning the library to make use of the funding. She pointed to a 2025 strategic planning process that gathered input from residents on what they wanted from the library and earlier borough investments, including a $250,000 budget line item in a prior year.
The library bond ordinance passed its first reading. A public hearing is scheduled for the council’s August 17 meeting.
A detour map around the Grove Avenue Bridge replacement project. (Source: Metuchen Borough)
Beyond the library, the borough has another infrastructure project underway this summer. Borough Administrator Melissa Perilstein gave residents an update on the Main Street water main replacement, which was set to begin the night after the meeting. Overnight work will proceed in segments of roughly 100 feet at a time between Durham Avenue and Amboy Avenue. Once construction reaches Amboy Avenue, work will shift to daytime hours as it continues toward Brunswick Avenue.
Perilstein said the timing was deliberately coordinated with the state’s separate bridge replacement project on Grove Avenue, since the Main Street water main is more than 100 years old and needed to be addressed before, rather than after, other construction disrupted the same corridor. She cautioned that there is no firm timetable beyond a goal of finishing before the end of summer.
The Central Jerseyan previously reported on the Grove Avenue bridge closure and its detour routes. That project is expected to run through at least August 31.
Before turning to other business, the council opened the meeting with tributes to two longtime community figures who died recently.
Former Council Member Pat Lagay was remembered as the third woman ever elected to the Metuchen Borough Council. In a Facebook statement, Busch said Lagay served two terms on the council. She also served time on the Planning Board and the Zoning Board, where she later served as chair. A nurse by profession, Lagay was known for her warmth and for mentoring others who followed her into public service. Busch described her as someone who led with patience, fairness, and compassion, and said the borough will hang memorial bunting in front of Borough Hall in her honor.
Terry Cole, a former member of the Metuchen Board of Education, died Sunday, June 28. Council Member Lisa Hyman said Cole was known locally as a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway, a member of her church choir, and president of the Rise Up Chorus. She also served on the Arts Council and the Parade Commission. Hyman said Cole had been planning to move to Virginia Beach to be closer to family and was excited about the next chapter of her life.
The council held a moment of silence for both women.
Rounding out the evening, a handful of community events are coming up in Metuchen. A free concert featuring the Randall Graves Band takes place on Wednesday, July 15, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Metuchen Library Park. The library is hosting adult painting classes on July 22 and July 23. The CARES Committee will host a social media safety program for parents on July 29, a table at the farmers market on August 8 offering free Narcan kits, and an overdose awareness event on August 31 at Borough Hall. The Human Relations Commission is planning a community conversation on belonging and bias for September 26.
Editor’s note: The Central Jerseyan is free to read and supported by advertising. If you value this kind of local reporting and want to help sustain it, you can become a citizen supporter on Patreon. Your contribution helps fund continued coverage of local government, schools, and community issues.