Neighboring Pohatcong Township appears willing to help out temporarily.
As Phillipsburg deals with potentially hazardous mold found in the municipal building, the town is reaching out to its neighbors for help.
The town's courtroom, which also serves as its council meeting chambers, was one place where mold was found in the building.
Phillipsburg Council President Todd Tersigni on Friday said he reached out to Pohatcong Township Mayor James Kern III about holding Phillipsburg's municipal court there until a long-term solution is found.
"We would welcome them with open arms," Kern said in a news release.
Both separately told lehighvalleylive.com that discussions are in progress with leaders in each town and a formal meeting will be arranged as soon as possible to hammer out details, including the cost.
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Phillipsburg's municipal court is held every Wednesday, a schedule Kern said Pohatcong would be able to accommodate. Phillipsburg would use its own staff, needing only Pohatcong's space.
A recently completed environmental analysis found mold in the Phillipsburg municipal building, 675 Corliss Ave., that could pose a risk to anyone with respiratory issues or other ailments, like allergies or lung disease, the town said in a news release Wednesday. The release advised that anyone with such conditions should "exercise judgement when entering the building."
Mold was reportedly found in the court/council chambers on the second floor and in the basement. Most of the town offices are on the building's first floor.
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A follow-up study is expected to come back in three weeks, the results of which could determine if the building can be remediated or if the offices will have to be relocated.
Officials have pitched the idea of moving the offices back downtown at least twice in the last few years. The offices moved from the downtown in the 1970s.
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.