[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6063576,"mediaKeyId","3268005-489beb7c7f1838ea0325c4fa4d514911","parentId",3268005,"title","Police ask for equipment and communications upgrades as operating costs rise","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",4678000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3268005-489beb7c7f1838ea0325c4fa4d514911&start=4678&end=4678","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3268005-489beb7c7f1838ea0325c4fa4d514911/thumbnail_4678000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6063576/Cranford/Union-County/New-Jersey/Police-ask-for-equipment-and-communications-upgrades-as-operating-costs-rise","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063576-c6ea200a1ea3c94a8b6a1cb59f349992/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442868&Signature=ZjwSrXNObgf-xMTLFqVRT1PUiEFGFIBUXlKpcY3cwKuOqY~aeMdg1ZgqGQu1DkPM8C7LT0RTOCHcSueYQtW~tjMeEFFM7LezltFVvBI9ND9~oaH-ALuQSeUKznZxw9Q2nSX5MUkzXi38geQxsyGS68x8W~6mxcD9wHYUAmYv-G1ybSMYtmAOpKXC5wE7~6WZJje3cKk8ko0qbo6JARP4uQ7vLpTYHp1HLyeUdG~Tdu2RGFrY64xoNZShODvx0KO1K85FGE~HKJ~dWfUlyjT-nQeNZKtsHUkFi1K0XbmtlxH-BZWUZ75J2n7SBZABrWRCglqJEb4570NSiIu6Sr4n7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","CranfordTV35","date","2025-02-22T00:00:00Z","article","Cranford Police Department leadership presented the committee with a 2025 operating budget that includes pay increases tied to collective bargaining agreements, higher service and maintenance contracts, and capital requests for technology and vehicles.

Police officials said a 2.5% wage increase for bargaining-unit personnel and salary step progression account for much of the personnel cost increase. They also highlighted rising service-contract costs for communications systems and automated license-plate readers (ALPRs). The chief said ALPRs have provided investigative leads and helped thwart thefts and burglaries and that maintenance and service fees for radio and 911 connections are rising.

For capital, the department requested funding to replace or upgrade interview-room cameras and add an additional Axon-compatible interview-room system to align body-worn and in-car camera systems; two additional power-load ambulance-style stretchers and one Lucas mechanical CPR device for the fire/EMS program were requested by Fire/EMS (included in the department presentations). The police also requested 6 additional solar radar speed signs to expand targeted, cloud-based speed monitoring and 11 transfer switches for traffic signals to allow rapid generator hookup during outages.

Officials described a planned vehicle lease-purchase program for patrol vehicles and noted higher upfit costs for modern police vehicles; they also told the committee that vehicle equipment (light bars, cameras, modems, in-car computers) has become substantially more expensive. Staff emphasized the upgrades are tied to officer safety, evidence quality and more efficient deployment of patrol resources.

The committee did not vote on any of the capital requests at the session; staff were directed to refine cost estimates, explore state contract pricing where available, and return with formal appropriation recommendations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Cranford Township Budget Meeting February 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Cranford police officials outlined a 2025 operating budget increase driven by salary and service-contract rises and described capital requests for vehicles, interview-room cameras, body-worn systems and radar/speed-sign expansions to improve investigations and traffic safety.","taxTitle","Cranford, Union County, New Jersey","taxId",57963,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6063581,"Cranford considers replacing downtown pay stations as current system nears end-of-life",236,3120000,3356000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3268005-489beb7c7f1838ea0325c4fa4d514911&start=3120&end=3356","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3268005-489beb7c7f1838ea0325c4fa4d514911/thumbnail_3120000.jpg","/articles/6063581/Cranford/Union-County/New-Jersey/Cranford-considers-replacing-downtown-pay-stations-as-current-system-nears-end-of-life","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063581-122b4a6730800b2beac3c4ece9cb7730/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442868&Signature=Airs59jRajywdL~V2LQyQjzhdtu~gVZsQrb4T4tPMK~RWjTma8cz7gUxONt~TlRpq9EJVkLBkGind~tA0ABwWngbNLT2a9kNodYVakoS~gXzR3P7TUp~ouZ60tLztoS5FZNk0nOyI5sGGEQ-BQl10~00CLUxjjs~99Gvc6S3VN4pKDGcr6kK9uw8u9tBVMN2Ifo-MysMl6UPoxYbDNYw5b-TFJr2aeidHDGHG6NoZ-ywh1QxCJIFRezp-pOD71aa43rFgAmqO314zlib7NXUsJslbJEvO77AgBOCvnVOLVcFDQa7P9--HHc7fwSncc5YcEtC3wVpq5ricjzzyJsvew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cranford officials told the Township Committee that the town’s downtown parking pay stations are nearing the end of their service life and that parts and vendor support are increasingly scarce.

The police department and parking enforcement staff described multiple recent outages and a pay station that required costly repairs; a vendor demonstration of newer systems prompted officials to recommend replacing the whole system rather than staggered piecemeal upgrades. A police representative explained that modern pay stations provide centralized remote management, contactless payments, and better uptime — and that maintaining two different systems in parallel would be operationally costly.

Staff presented a capital estimate in the municipal budget of roughly $400,000 for a full replacement of the station network and associated back-end integration with resident and commuter permit systems. Committee members asked about options: staged replacement versus a full swap. Staff advised a full system replacement would be more reliable and less costly to operate in the medium term; staging would leave the older system vulnerable to continued outages and high repair costs.

The committee directed staff to include a parking pay station replacement in the capital plan for further review. Staff said the town will test a vendor’s proof-of-concept device in downtown locations to gather merchant and resident feedback before moving to procure a full system.","Officials told the committee the town's parking pay station network is aging, repair parts are scarce, and a state-of-the-art replacement — estimated at roughly $400,000 for a full system upgrade — would improve reliability and enable modern features such as contactless payments and remote management.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6063585,"Cranford committee leans to keep both pools open; agrees to shorter hours at one",1453,107000,1560000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3268005-489beb7c7f1838ea0325c4fa4d514911&start=107&end=1560","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3268005-489beb7c7f1838ea0325c4fa4d514911/thumbnail_107000.jpg","/articles/6063585/Cranford/Union-County/New-Jersey/Cranford-committee-leans-to-keep-both-pools-open-agrees-to-shorter-hours-at-one","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063585-815676c47f6e72fef0990ac4967cd32d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442869&Signature=eZBGL0lqh3URkQt2iRCxlY3mj6AH6lKqcCCigIuCybCN13wxwZGex2scQvTzVz~UrZeUULvpAHYLebxSy9xcU8pmII-5EJ~fwRyzniXmyMyFeex-VgLB4WUtuDe0Mrsirskvdl8fseckVlykVSodmkB9lgBW999q61ZhJUa4IuhQm4ewIOl~OCo~N318HbPRTPB2n3T25-GjDQDJvRly2DPiSQobslGegti7-Uswa0OtryoMdrlDjW-wyV99TrgSGtzEKFYmc1BJOiBhIB9evTjX2Twpt1~p2PAGEqvoXNfgz~hRzuiXY3AA2TMnT60axBAS8I1IwNImEjEJ-pmEtg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cranford Township Committee members on a cold Saturday morning signaled agreement to keep both outdoor pools open this summer but to shorten hours at one facility to meet a tighter pool budget.

The committee’s straw poll followed about two hours of budget presentations and a public comment period in which residents urged officials not to close any pools. “We have raised $5,700 on the GoFundMe page,” said Savannah Williams during public comment, urging the township to keep both pools open so people could “gather there, meet new friends and family.” Her mother, Lisa Williams, said the immediate goal was an answer about whether both pools would open for the coming season.

The township’s recreation director, Steve (identified in meeting materials as recreation director), told the committee the pool utility must largely be self-funded and that membership revenue and prior surpluses constrain this year’s operating budget to about $1.41 million for the pool system. “That number is the number,” he said, explaining that last year’s revenue and available surplus limit what the pool can spend now.

Committee members discussed three operational options presented by staff: (1) open both pools full hours (12 p.m.–8 p.m.) at a cost that would exceed the budget and leave no contingency; (2) keep both pools open on reduced weekday hours at one site (“condensed hours at one pool”) so the system stays under budget while preserving both facilities; or (3) operate one pool full-time and close the other for the season. Multiple members said the second option — shortened hours at one pool while keeping both open — struck the best balance. After discussion, the committee coalesced around opening Orange Avenue pool full-time and operating Centennial on reduced weekday evening hours so families who work can still use a pool after school hours.

Officials asked staff to start membership registration and marketing immediately under that operational plan. Recreation staff said they would begin lifeguard recruitment and run a membership drive once committee direction is confirmed. Staff emphasized the budget’s sensitivity: under the option that keeps both pools at full hours, there would be virtually no room for unexpected repairs or higher-than-expected chemical costs.

The committee did not take a formal vote at the meeting. Instead members recorded a unanimous straw poll in favor of the plan to keep both pools open with truncated hours at Centennial and full-time hours at Orange Avenue, and directed staff to begin outreach and registration so memberships can be sold under the new schedule.

The committee and staff stressed next steps would include aggressive, low-cost marketing and volunteer support for outreach, continuing to try to boost memberships to stabilize the pools' finances. Staff also noted potential small capital needs (chairs, minor repairs) would be discussed in follow-up budgeting.","After hours of budget discussion and public comment, Cranford Township Committee members signaled support for opening both outdoor pools this summer with reduced weekday hours at one facility to fit a tighter budget and allow immediate membership registration and marketing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Police ask for equipment and communications upgrades as operating costs rise

Cranford considers replacing downtown pay stations as current system nears end-of-life

Cranford committee leans to keep both pools open; agrees to shorter hours at one