FY2026 Community Projects for NJ-04

Members of Congress may submit a limited number of public projects for consideration of direct federal funding.  Each project must have garnered local community support and exhibit a demonstrated need.  These carefully chosen submissions must also meet stringent criteria established by the committees of jurisdiction, and they are restricted by the rules of the committees.  I have developed this page to keep the public informed about the important projects below. Please feel free to read about these projects:

Request Title: Ocean County Sheriff's Office Fleet Augmentation

Request Description: The Ocean County Sheriff's Office requires federal funds to augment its vehicle fleet to meet the growing law enforcement demands of Ocean County and the greater region. The federal support will enable the Ocean County Sheriff's Office to continue delivering critical emergency and law enforcement services to a geographically large county, home to critical federal installations, a large senior population, and complex and varied terrain including the New Jersey Pine Barrens, the barrier peninsula and barrier island along Barnegat Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. This project has the strong support of local and county elected officials.

Letter of Request from Rep. Smith

Letters of Support

Request Title: Monmouth County Sheriff's Office Communications Interoperability Project

Request Description: The requested funds would be used to acquire upgraded communications equipment that provides for interoperability between the Sherrif's Office and the County's Emergency Management Agency and the multiple law enforcement and emergency services providers throughout the county. These law enforcement partners include multiple municipal police departments, the New Jersey State Police, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, the Monmouth University Police Department, New Jersey Transit Police Department, federal law enforcement partners such as the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Defense Police located at Naval Weapons Station Earle and many others. This would support upgrades including interoperable multi-band portable and mobile radio equipment, interoperability communications equipment as well as core appliances to allow real-time video integration into the Sheriff's operations center. This includes integration with public camera systems such as transportation cameras, gunshot detection equipment, alarm and alert integration, and school panic alarms.

Letter of Request from Rep. Smith

Letters of Support

Request Title: Lakewood Shomrim Radio Communication Enhancement Project

Request Description: The Lakewood Shomrim Radio Communication Enhancement Project is designed to significantly enhance the effectiveness of government and law enforcement officials in protecting and serving the public. The amount requested for this Community Project Funding is $275,000, to be used to upgrade the radio communication infrastructure for the Lakewood Shomrim, a vital volunteer organization that works hand-in-hand with the Lakewood Township Police, Ocean County Sheriff's Office and Ocean County Prosecutors Office, in a commitment to law and public safety. Funding for this invaluable project would provide the acquisition and installation of upgraded radio communication equipment to give crucial support to emergency response efforts in the fastest-growing town in New Jersey.

Letter of Request from Rep. Smith

Letters of Support

Request Title: Covenant House Statewide Human Trafficking Prevention Program for Schools

Request Description: Covenant House New Jersey (CHNJ) is seeking to launch a comprehensive, statewide human trafficking prevention initiative for schools aimed at reducing exploitation through education, early intervention, and expanded access to services. The Covenant House Statewide Human Trafficking Prevention Program for Schools project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds as the activities funded are consistent with, and supportive of, the Office of Justice Programs’ mission and aligned with the purposes of the Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) program, being a program to educate, prevent, and respond to human trafficking. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds as it is in keeping with the stated goals of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program providing specific funding for programs to educate children about and prevent human trafficking. Since becoming the statewide provider for Human Trafficking Victim Services in October 2020, CHNJ has served over 400 survivors of human trafficking, but has received only five referrals from schools. This project will build schools' capacity to not only better identify potential victims and connect them to much-needed services but also takes a proactive approach and aims to stop exploitation before it happens. In partnership with a leading human trafficking prevention curriculum provider, 3 Strands Global Foundation, CHNJ will implement its PROTECT program across the state. The project has a federal nexus to funding under Chapter 34 U.S.C. Section 10152(d).

Letter of Request from Rep. Smith

Letters of Support

Request Title: Dottie's House Domestic Violence Shelter Continuation of Services

Request Description: The total amount of this Community Funding Project request is $271,498. The project will use $123,500 of the total to address a short-term gap for professional clinical casework and support staff and allow Dottie's House to serve added crime victims. In addition, the facility is 25 years old and many of the major appliances are beyond their useful life. In 2023, Dottie's House faced the failure of multiple critical appliances, including water and heating systems, and appliances such as washers and dryers used by victims of domestic violence. Thus $147,998.00 of the total will be used to restore and replace major aged systems in order provide better dignified housing for transitioning families, as well as conserve energy and water and reduce costs.

Letter of Request from Rep. Smith

Letters of Support

Request Title: Ocean County Utilities Authority Area Wide Improvements

Request Description: The Ocean County Utilities Authority’s (OCUA) Area Wide Pump Station Hydraulic, Piping and Valve Improvements, Project No. AW1909, is an urgently-needed wastewater treatment improvement project. The OCUA effectively treats wastewater at three treatment plants for 33 municipalities across two counties, including the Central Water Pollution Control Facilities (CWPCF) located at 501 Hickory Lane, Bayville, NJ. The scope of project includes the replacement of aging isolation valves, check valves, slide gates, and channel covers at several pump stations throughout Ocean County. The project would allow for reconfiguration of outdated valving and piping interfaces built in the 1970s which no longer reflect industry best practices. The majority of the valving and piping throughout the OCUA wastewater conveyance system are original and difficult to examine. Maintenance and evaluation of these systems are critical in maintaining the health and safety of residences, as well as ensuring wastewater does not pollute critical waterways such as Barnegat Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The project is a collaborative effort by the Authority, the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection, and local stakeholders committed to improving the reliability of regional wastewater treatment assets serving over 260,000 residents and visitors to Ocean County.

Letter of Request from Rep. Smith

Letters of Support

Request Title: Silver Lake Stormwater Management and Water Quality Infrastructure Project

Request Description: This project will address critical water quality issues at Silver Lake, a coastal lake located approximately 750 feet west of the Atlantic Ocean in the Borough of Belmar. Prior to Superstorm Sandy in 2012, Silver Lake had a direct connection to the Atlantic Ocean via an eight-inch pipe that allowed ocean water to enter the lake at high tide and freshwater to exit the lake at low tide, thus flushing the lake twice daily. Due to intense storm events, this interconnection became blocked, and the lake has been acting as a freshwater impoundment since the blockage. Silver Lake is suffering from eutrophication due to the lack of flushing, a large goose population, and nutrient loading from stormwater runoff. In July 2023, there was a health risk advisory from harmful algal blooms, and there is a continued risk of blooms until the lake is restored. The project includes installation of a sustainable and resilient living shoreline to improve water quality; diminish and/or eliminate goose habitat; restore native pollinators, plants and wildlife; restore the estuary; and efficiently filter and manage stormwater. Elements include the restoration of a vegetative buffer, restoration of the small island in the lake, dredging of the lake if needed, and installation of green infrastructure including the removal of concrete shore stabilization and replacement with living shorelines. Additional green infrastructure will include filters on the 18 inflow pipes that currently channel street runoff and rainwater into the lake, as well as installation of bioswales surrounding the park perimeter to capture and filter the water before it reaches the lake. The project will restore the brackish quality to the lake by reconnecting the outflow pipe to the ocean, which will support the restoration of the fish and marine life habitat; this component of the project is essential, as it will restore the water quality of the lake and eliminate the conditions that led to its current eutrophic state.

Letter of Request from Rep. Smith

Letters of Support

Request Title: Manchester Twp Drinking Water Projects to Mitigate PFOS Contamination

Request Description: This project will provide the construction of a state-of-the-art permanent water treatment facility, including the necessary piping and infrastructure upgrades to connect and modernize wells 1-4 in the township’s Eastern Service Area. These wells were contaminated with PFOS from the Joint Base McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst and the base has taken responsibility for the temporary treatment of Well 4 which is currently the only active well. Wells 1-3 are necessary to bring back online for the township to meet the water demands of New Jersey’s Affordable Housing Requirements. This project ensures the township's water supply meets the new stringent PFOS regulations, safeguarding over 30,000 residents' health. It will also allow the township to provide water supply for additional affordable housing units. Construction of an Iron/PFOS/Radium Removal Plant, Replacement of Wells and Proposed Watermain Extension to address emerging contamination of PFOS in the Township’s public drinking wells. Manchester Township is proposing a new Treatment Plant, Replacement of Wells 1, 2 & 3, and a water main extension to treat and distribute the water from Wells 1, 2, 3 and 4. The treatment plant is to be located on a separate township owned property centrally located within the Leisure Knoll, Leisure Village West and Pine Lake Park communities. Wells No 1, 2, and 3 which are located in close proximity to Well 4. The treatment plant is to service wells 1, 2, 3 and 4 to provide safe drinking water to Manchester residents. The project involves the replacement of wells 1, 2, 3, and 4, a water main extension, and the construction of a new treatment plant with the required appurtenances. This project is located within a census designated area within Manchester Township with a low median income.

Letter of Request from Rep. Smith

Letters of Support

Request Title: Request Title: Lakehurst NAS Naval Secure Test Aviation Research Hangar

Request Description: This request is for planning and design funding for Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, to facilitate the construction of a critically needed Secure Test Aviation Research Hangar. This state-of-the-art installation would include enhanced physical and cyber security features necessary for integration of advanced technology systems needed to enact the Navy’s Air Wing of the Future Program. This project fits well with the Naval Support Activity (NSA) mission at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the largest employer in Ocean County, N.J. which is already host to nearly all of the nation’s aircraft carrier launch and recovery systems’ research, development, manufacturing, and maintenance.

Letter of Request from Rep. Smith

Request Title: Lakehurst Air Traffic Control Tower

Request Description: The funding would be used for construction of a new Air Traffic Control Tower at Lakehurst NAS, replacing the current tower constructed in the 1970s and which is now in a state of disrepair. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it supports the critical mission of Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), improves the safety of one of the busiest airspaces in the country, and supports efforts to build the carrier air wing of the future. As the nation’s first tri-service base, JB-MDL is a critical military installation which enjoys robust support of the local community for both its current and future missions essential to national security.

Request Title: County Route 537 (CR 537) Corridor Improvements Section B Project

Request Description: The proposed project will address safety and congestion issues along a section of the heavily traveled County Road 537 corridor from MP 42.21 (CR 526/571) to MP 48.93 (Gravel Hill Rd). Currently, the corridor carries 20,000 vehicles per day with a single lane in each direction and narrow shoulders. The proposed section of the completed corridor would be widened to carry two lanes in each direction with center left turn lanes, and 8-foot shoulders. The project is needed to mitigate both congestion and crashes through the corridor, as previously identified in the Western Monmouth RD 537 Corridor Study (January 2004), prepared in cooperation with NJTPA and NJDOT. It should be noted that the proposed project is adjacent to the federally funded CR 537 Corridor Section A [MP 48.93 to 51.56], which is currently under Final Design, which is scheduled to begin construction in 2025.

Letter of Request from Rep. Smith

Letters of Support

Request Title: Shadow Lake Stormwater Management, Conservation and Economic Development Project

Request Description: Shadow Lake is an 80-acre, man-made flood mitigation and stormwater collection pond within the Navesink River system, constructed by the federal Works Progress Administration in 1936. The greater Navesink River is a critical tidal estuary connecting central New Jersey’s rivers and streams with Sandy Hook Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The Shadow Lake Dam runs underneath Hubbard Avenue connecting Middletown to Red Bank. The purpose of this project is: to restore the health of the watershed by removing harmful blooms; improve the stormwater management abilities of Shadow Lake, the greater Navesink River, and the surrounding communities by removing silt and materials that have accrued behind the dam since its construction; replace the weir structure, removing debris and naturally occurring arsenic from the waterway; establish a modern stormwater collection and storage venue, while preventing future erosion from the banks of the river; better affect flood control solutions and hazard mitigation strategies. This is a critical project to reinvigorate the natural ecosystem of a critical estuary surrounded by densely populated areas, including senior communities. This project will provide recreational fishing and boating opportunities for the community while preserving a natural resource and keeping residents safer. It will support local and state efforts to protect environmental resources in the form of the estuarine ecosystem of the Navesink River and Sandy Hook Bay and allow for more efficient and resilient stormwater management infrastructure.

Letter of Request from Rep. Smith

Letters of Support

Request Title: Cross Street Safety and Streetscape Improvements

Request Description: The proposed project will provide roadway, drainage, and sewer infrastructure improvements to Maplehurst Avenue, Newport Avenue, Franklin Boulevard, and Faraday Avenue along the Cross Street Corridor. These improvements are necessary to meet the current demands of the existing traffic and support future proposed development, which includes schools, student housing and office space. This will provide a safer and more efficient transportation network for all residents and travelers through the area. Public safety vehicles, pedestrians, residents and commuters all stand to gain an improved quality of life from these improvements. In the long run, the Township and, thus, taxpayers, will receive cost-saving benefits that will accompany these improvements.

Letter of Request from Rep. Smith

Letters of Support

Request Title: Historic Manitou Park School Restoration and Preservation Project

Request Description: Built in 1929, the historic Manitou Park School House served only African American students and is the only remaining building in Berkeley Township, N.J. with ties to segregation and the broader civil rights movement, serving as a testament to social, educational, and architectural progress over time. The project will restore this blighted site, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the restored schoolhouse will act as a multi-purpose community center that complements the playground and basketball courts the Township has already invested in directly adjacent to the school building. The renovation project involves comprehensive repairs, including structural restoration, interior and exterior renovations, and upgrades to meet current safety standards. Key components include roof repairs, weatherization and restoration of historically significant features. Previous work, funded by the New Jersey Historic Trust and the Neighborhood Preservation Program, included asbestos remediation and design elements.

Letter of Request from Rep. Smith

Letters of Support

Request Title: Eatontown Community Flood Mitigation Project Part II

Request Description: The residents in the Wampum Lake watershed region of Eatontown are predominantly apartment occupants and this area that experiences repetitive, significant flooding events due to lack of short-term runoff storage available in the watershed. Phase I of the project was funding in the FY23 round of CPF requests. Phase II consists of infrastructure repairs and improvements to enable the municipality to lower the water level of Wampum Lake in advance of a storm event and bring the road infrastructure up to modern compliance standards to prevent cyclical damage to housing, businesses, roads, transportation and recreational greenspace. Additionally, Wampum Lake is directly upstream from the former Fort Monmouth, which is undergoing much-needed largescale redevelopment into apartment housing and business developments.

Letter of Request from Rep. Smith

Letters of Support