Hopewell Borough residents whose water service lines are found to contain lead or galvanized material will have those lines replaced at no direct cost to property owners as New Jersey American Water continues work on the Borough’s water system.
Mayor Ryan Kennedy provided an update on the work during a brief Borough Council meeting Thursday, Sept. 3, where Council also adopted a revised emergency medical services fee ordinance, accepted the Borough’s 2025 audit and approved the return of a pedestrian-only Halloween zone on Columbia Avenue.
Water system work continues
New Jersey American Water is currently replacing meter pits in front of homes, moving meters that traditionally had been located inside Borough homes to the street.
Kennedy said that as the work proceeds, the company will also identify properties with lead or galvanized service lines and begin scheduling their replacement.
“That includes what we’ve always called the customer-owned line,” Kennedy said, referring to the portion between the meter pit and a house.
“As part of the lead service line replacement program, essentially, as soon as they find that out, they will replace it, and there’s no direct cost to residents or property owners to do that,” he said.
Kennedy acknowledged there have been some issues during the transition and encouraged residents to first contact New Jersey American Water with questions about service or bills. If residents are unable to resolve a problem, he said Borough officials may be able to help escalate it with the company.
The Borough no longer has access to individual customer or billing information, Kennedy said.
He also said New Jersey American Water will restore curbs, driveway aprons and lawn areas disturbed by the work once projects are completed.
Kennedy said the work could also provide an opportunity for residents interested in replacing disturbed lawn areas with something different. He said conversations with Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space about possible options or programs for residents interested in alternatives to simply restoring grass had started to see what might be possible.
Council removes individual EMS charges
Council also voted 5-0 to adopt an ordinance updating emergency medical services and ambulance fees after removing several proposed individual treatment charges that had raised concerns during earlier discussions.
An earlier version included separate charges for treatments including epinephrine, CPAP, cervical collars and a $95 fee for administering naloxone, commonly known as Narcan. Those individual charges do not appear in the ordinance adopted Thursday.
Councilwoman Krista Weaver said Council had taken time to carefully review the proposal and questioned whether some of the charges were appropriate.
“We questioned the appropriateness of these provisions, and I was concerned that the ordinance written as that would create further barriers to access to medical care,” Weaver said.
She specifically discussed the proposed Narcan charge and the possibility that costs could add another barrier for someone already concerned about the stigma surrounding an overdose.
“I’m glad that the surcharges were removed from the ordinance,” Weaver said.
When Weaver asked whether local EMS receives Narcan through a state program, Giaimis said the Borough had confirmed through emergency management officials that Narcan is provided by the state at no cost.
Under the ordinance adopted Thursday, the Borough will charge $800 plus $30 per mile for emergency medical services or ambulance transport, $65 for oxygen when required and $200 when a patient is treated without transport.
For residents of Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township and Pennington, as well as certain municipal, school district and emergency-service employees and volunteers, insurance payments and required copayments will be accepted as payment in full. The ordinance also provides for fees to be waived or reduced for people without medical insurance or whose household income falls within the state’s low-income category.
The ordinance also addresses what it calls “ambulance nuisance calls” from licensed care facilities. It prohibits care facilities from requesting an ambulance for nonemergency situations, with violations subject to a $250 penalty per dispatch. The ordinance says the provision is intended to reduce nonemergency calls and keep ambulance and fire units available for emergencies.
Borough reports clean audit
Council also accepted the Borough’s 2025 municipal audit, which Giaimis said contained no audit findings, material omissions or significant deficiencies.
Giaimis said the Borough generated approximately $503,000 in surplus from the previous year’s budget, bringing its current-year surplus to just over $2.3 million. He said the Borough continues to have a combined surplus of more than $4 million.
“We are in great financial condition,” Giaimis said, characterizing the audit as showing the Borough’s finances were operating without material deficiencies.
Kennedy similarly described it as a “glowing, clean audit” before Council approved the resolution accepting it.
Resident raises truck traffic concerns
Melissa Cookman, the only resident to speak during public comment, raised concerns about heavy quarry truck traffic through the Borough the previous Saturday.
Cookman said there were “at least twenty or so” trucks carrying heavy loads and that they appeared to be traveling above the speed limit. She said she received numerous responses after posting about the trucks on Facebook, including reports of residents hearing them from other streets and homes shaking as they passed.
Kennedy had earlier noted that the Borough had recently received additional complaints about heavy truck traffic on Broad Street, as well as late-night motorcycle noise on Princeton Avenue. He said he planned to discuss the issues with the police chief and encouraged residents to report recurring problems so the Borough can document them and consider whether additional enforcement is warranted.
Kennedy told Cookman he might contact her for additional information about the trucks before that discussion.
Cookman also asked about implementation of the four-way stop at Columbia Avenue and Seminary Avenue. Kennedy said the Borough was arranging for a contractor to complete the necessary upgraded roadway markings and that the work could happen within the next couple of weeks.
Weaver discusses threatening comments
Later in the meeting, Weaver disclosed that she and her family had been the target of what she described as threatening comments from a member of the fire department several months ago.
Weaver said the incident occurred amid debate over a proposed all-way stop at Columbia and Elm avenues. She acknowledged that elected officials and advocates can sometimes face threats but said she had not expected to become the target of one herself.
“This is a very uncomfortable situation, and I was really debating whether or not to bring this up,” Weaver said.
She thanked Fire Chief Tim Benton and Fire Commissioner Schuyler Morehouse for what she described as their “swift and supportive responses” after the comments were made. She also thanked Kennedy and Giaimis for their response to the situation.
Weaver did not provide additional details during the meeting about the comments or identify the fire department member involved.
Borough considering accessory dwelling units
The Borough will hold a Sept. 8 work session on accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, as officials explore whether to develop an ordinance allowing the smaller residential units under certain circumstances.
Kennedy said some accessory units already exist in the Borough, but creating one can currently require a property owner to seek Zoning Board approval, an expensive process.
Officials have been looking at how other New Jersey municipalities regulate ADUs as they consider whether and under what circumstances they should be permitted in Hopewell Borough.
Halloween zone returns to Columbia Avenue
Council also approved the return of a pedestrian-only Halloween zone on a portion of Columbia Avenue from 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 31.
The closure will run from the edge of the EMT and ambulance driveway on Columbia Avenue to the far corner of Columbia and Elm streets. Emergency vehicles will retain access, and the Recreation Committee will coordinate with police and public works on safety and barriers.
Kennedy said last year’s closure was a success, and Cookman offered her own endorsement of bringing it back.
She told Council she has become known for giving trick-or-treaters a choice between a candy bar and a raw potato decorated with googly eyes.
“The children beg for them,” Cookman said, adding that most choose the potato.
“I really appreciate that we’re closed again this year,” she said.
Kennedy called it a Borough tradition he had been unaware of.
Cookman explained that neighborhood children once called her the “Twine Lady.”
“Now a lot of the kids call me the Potato Lady,” she said.
