Borough testing the grant funding pool

Milford —With budget reserves already stretched, the borough’s search is continuing for funding to aid in the purchase of a needed municipal parking lot. The borough council on Monday agreed to a “show of good faith” contract with the owner of the Broad Street property, opposite The Columns Museum. That contract must close before June 1, “or the deal is off,” said Borough President Matt Osterberg. The borough has $138,000 of the $308,000 asking price. “Hopefully, we’ll have the rest of the money in place by then,” he added. Earlier efforts to get grant funding from the county failed, but Osterberg now believes that funds may be available through the federal community block grant program. Also on Monday, the council heard from borough authority spokesman Tom Hoff, who is seeking support from the borough, Milford and Dingman townships in seeking grant money to replace aging arterial water mains. The old mains on the east side of town have been leaking more under increased water pressure from the borough’s newer central mains. Hoff said he seeking about $600,000 in state Department of Community and Economic Development funding, but was uncertain whether the project would be eligible for this funding stream. The borough’s overall level of budgetary restraint was evident earlier Monday, when the council agreed to contact Orange & Rockland Utilities about shutting off some eight Broad Street street lamps at corners served by alternative pedestrian lighting.