Hopewell Borough crossed two long-awaited milestones Thursday night, announcing the completion of its water system sale to New Jersey American Water and formally approving an all-way stop at the intersection of Columbia and Seminary avenues after months of public discussion.
The July 2 Borough Council meeting also included a presentation on participatory budgeting, recognition of longtime Fire Commissioner Mel Myers and his wife, Donna, and approval of several routine resolutions.
Water system sale complete
Mayor Ryan Kennedy announced that the borough officially completed the sale of its municipal water system to New Jersey American Water on June 30, meeting the timeline established by the borough earlier this year.
Residents can expect information by mail explaining how to establish customer accounts with New Jersey American Water.
The sale concludes a multi-year process that included a public referendum approving the transfer.
All-way stop approved
Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 915, authorizing an all-way stop at the intersection of Columbia and Seminary avenues following months of public hearings, traffic studies and community debate.
The ordinance, first introduced in April, generated significant discussion among residents, borough officials and members of the Hopewell Fire Department.
Fire officials had expressed concern that additional stop signs could create traffic backups that would interfere with emergency vehicles leaving the nearby firehouse. Other residents urged the borough to improve pedestrian safety, particularly because of the intersection’s proximity to Hopewell Elementary School.
Rather than closing public comment after the initial hearing, council kept the ordinance open through May and June while seeking additional information.
The borough worked with the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association to conduct traffic observations during morning and afternoon peak travel periods.
According to the findings presented to council, Columbia Avenue functions as a cut-through route for motorists traveling through the borough, contributing to speeding concerns. The observations also found no significant vehicle queuing at the intersection, addressing one of the primary concerns raised during earlier hearings.
With the additional data in hand, council approved the ordinance. Public comment Thursday evening was entirely supportive of the measure.
Participatory budgeting explored
Council also heard a presentation from Nisha Thompson, New Jersey advocacy manager for the Participatory Budgeting Project, about a process that allows residents to directly help determine how a portion of municipal funds is spent.
The process invites community members to submit project ideas and vote on proposals.
“Whoever learns, plays, and prays can submit ideas and vote in the process, so there are no citizenship requirements,” Thompson said.
Participatory budgeting has been implemented in communities across New Jersey and the country.
“Every town is complicated,” Thompson said. “This is an opportunity to bring the community together in a really creative way to spend the money you have to spend anyway.”
Council members expressed interest in learning more about how the program operates and what it would cost to implement locally.
Council honors longtime volunteers
Council also honored the lives of former Fire Commissioner Mel Myers and his wife, Donna Myers, who recently died.
Officials read from a Hopewell Fire Department tribute recognizing Mel Myers’ three decades of service to the department and the community, along with Donna Myers’ years of dedication to the Hopewell Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary.
In other business
Council approved resolutions 2026-66 through 2026-69, including a possible extension of the tax grace period, a Hopewell Elementary School raffle license, an engineering services agreement with WSP for Safe Routes to School work, and an encroachment agreement for 33 W. Broad St.
Officials also highlighted several upcoming summer events, including the borough’s gazebo concert series beginning July 11 at 7 p.m. Additional concerts at the Hopewell Train Station are scheduled for July 13 and July 27.
The Borough Council’s next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 6 at 7 p.m.
