Berkeley Heights committed another $148,135 from its emergency storm-repair bond to the Springfield Avenue streetscape project, bringing the total drawn from that fund for the pre-existing project to at least $1.22 million.
NJ21st reported Wednesday that the township awarded the money on March 16 to Neglia Engineering, the township engineer's firm, for construction management and grant administration on Springfield Avenue. The entire $148,135 was certified from the Ordinance 2025-26 Road Improvements account. Officials described that bond during the August 2025 adoption process as being only for storm-related damage and repairs.
The finding is the second installment of NJ21st's investigation into how the $3.565 million bond, adopted after the July 14, 2025, storm, has been spent. NJ21st's Part 1 investigation, published Aug. 27, found that $1,076,277.50 from the same account went to Cifelli & Son General Contracting for Springfield Avenue sidewalk and lighting work. Combined, the two commitments total at least $1,224,412.50.
Project predated the storm
The Springfield Avenue project was not created in response to the storm. Berkeley Heights had already secured a $1 million Safe Streets to Transit grant for the work before July 2025. Neglia submitted a proposal dated July 8, 2025, for surveying, engineering and permit services on the project. That was six days before the storm hit.
On July 15, 2025, the day after the storm, the council formally awarded Neglia a contract not to exceed $89,670 for the Springfield Avenue sidewalk grant project, funded by the grant itself. Springfield Avenue does not appear in the township's storm damage assessment, according to NJ21st's review of documents obtained through an Open Public Records Act request.
Unanswered questions
NJ21st also identified a roughly $50,000 discrepancy between the Cifelli contract amount the chief financial officer certified in November 2025 and the figure in the township's August 2026 accounting. NJ21st reported it asked the township for records explaining the difference and was told none exist.
Township Engineer Tom Solfaro, who works for Neglia, spoke at the Aug. 7, 2025, meeting where the bond ordinance was introduced, addressing drainage work and the July storm response. Neglia was separately retained for $47,844.38 in storm-related engineering services funded from a different account.
NJ21st sent questions to the Berkeley Heights mayor and council on Aug. 20. As of the Sept. 2 publication, the mayor and council had not responded.
No next council meeting date or public comment deadline related to this matter has been announced.
