Decision on Dennis Library renovations delayed

A decision on proposed renovations of the Dennis Library in Newton has been delayed until officials can review a report from an architect, Chris Carney, director of the Board of County Commissioners, said at the board’s meeting May 24.

In reply to a question from Wendy Whipple, a retired Newton High School teacher and librarian, the board’s attorney, Douglas Steinhart, said he was researching whether the county could change the project from the plans submitted to receive a grant that would fund part of it.

Whipple said, ”I do think that the board needs to be reminded that there are people in Sussex County that still feel that’s a very viable expenditure of those rainy day funds as discussed back in 2020.”

At the board’s May 10 meeting, Carney told Helen Heckman of Newton that he and Commissioner Herbert Yardley recently had toured that library, part of the Sussex County Library System. Heckman, a retired Newton High School teacher, asked about the library during the public comments.

Carney blamed inflation for increasing the cost of the project by 20 percent. On May 24, he estimated that the project could cost $10 million to $11 million, rather than the $7 million previously estimated.

A year ago, the board said it had taken ownership of the historic building, using a $3 million Library Construction Bond Act grant awarded by the state in 2021.

At that time, officials said they planned to spend more than $6.5 million to construct a new community room and a new children’s room; improve the restrooms; upgrade the sidewalk, curbs and elevators to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act; and improve lighting, the heating and air conditioning system, and other utilities.

Other projects

The commissioners approved resolutions to advance other projects:

• Awarding a $296,000 contract for replacement of the roof at the E. Louise Childs Memorial Branch Library in Stanhope.

• Awarding an $84,000 contract for replacement of the roof at the Vernon Road garage.

• Awarding a contract for not more than $13,600 in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for an architectural engineer to do pre-project work on an automatic fleet wash system for the county.

The board agreed to reject all bids submitted for replacement of the roof on the Sussex-Wantage Branch Library. The project will be advertised for new bids.

Carney said officials will meet soon to discuss a proposal for a new building to house the county Office of Emergency Management.

Other resolutions approved:

• Authorize spending not more than $250,000 in ARPA funds for tree work, tree removal, and brush and wood removal along county roads.

• Authorize the purchase of two tractor mowers for $230,000 in ARPA funds.

Commissioner Jill Space said local fire departments may apply for a $10,000 grant to help purchase equipment.

Representatives of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey told the commissioners that they have solved recent problems in reimbursement of medical expenses for retired county employees.

In-network providers will be paid directly while payments for out-of-network providers will be sent to the retirees, they said.

Budget approved

At the May 10 meeting, the board approved a 2023 county budget of about $122.8 million. The tax levy is $101 million.

In his report at that meeting, County Administrator Ron Tappan said more than $1 million in ARPA funds has been distributed to small businesses.

The businesses receiving grants of up to $15,000 are located in 17 towns.

In December, the board said it had dedicated $2 million in ARPA funds to the program, which aims to compensate small businesses and nonprofit organizations for a decline in sales or an increase in expenses directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tourism report

In a presentation to the board May 10, Tammie Horsfield, president of the Sussex County Chamber of Commerce, said the brand of Sussex Skylands is known worldwide.

Tourism to Sussex County has grown dramatically during recent years with a dip in 2020 because of the pandemic, she said. “We are well on our way back, and the 2022 number will show significant increases.”

In 2021, 5,088 jobs in the county were directly tied to tourism, a 15 percent increase.

The percentage increase in the “bed tax,” or hotel room occupancy tax, from 2019 to 2022 in Sussex County was the largest in the state, Horsfield said.

”We work hard with the State of New Jersey to market Sussex County,” distributing information at travel shows for consumers and for travel-related businesses.

She was planning to attend the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW 2003, the largest international travel show, to promote Sussex County as a place for excursions for tourists visiting New York City.

”We’re fortunate. We have four seasons here, and we can market that year-around.”