Council Denies Plan to Privatize Recycling

Mayor argued plan would have saved money without laying off any township employees

The Mahwah Township Council voted down a plan Thursday to outsource recycling pick-up. The plan would have switched the job from that of township Department of Public Works employees to that of a private company. Thursday night’s vote marks the second time in the last year that the council has voted recycling privatization down. This time, privatization was presented as part of Mayor Bill Laforet’s 2013 proposed budget. Laforet made a presentation Thursday night on privatizing, which he said would save the township money and would not cost any DPW jobs. According to Laforet’s presentation, recycling pick-up currently costs Mahwah $625,184 a year. A private hauling company bid $178,000 to pick up the township’s recycling. In contract …

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JP

5:12 am on Friday, April 5, 2013

Yeah, my mind is long gone from listening to people like you whine all the time.   more ›

DPW: Sandy's Debris Worse than Record-Breaking Irene's

The DPW says it will be finished picking up leaves and brush from the storm by year's end; then it will begin clearing fallen trees from the superstorm

Mahwah is going to take about two weeks longer this year to pick up all of the leaves and brush piled at residents’ curbsides, but they say the delay is for a good reason. “The amount we’ve picked up this year is already more than what we had picked up by this point last year, and last year was more than ever before," thanks to Superstorm Sandy, Department of Public Works Director Keith Hallissey told Patch Wednesday. Leaf pick-up in the township generally begins in mid-October, and ends the second week in December, “finishing up the stragglers the week before Christmas,” Hallissey said. This year, he said he expects the pick-up of leaves and brush downed by Hurricane Sandy to wrap up by the end of the year. So far, Hallissey said a vast …

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Fate Of Township Recycling Department Remains Undecided

Town council considered privatizing the department, which could save money but may cost township jobs

The future of the township’s Recycling Department is up in the air, after a combative town council meeting Thursday night at which Mayor Bill Laforet proposed privatizing the department. Over 130 residents, including a large group of Department of Public Works employees clad in bright yellow shirts and a blow-up union rat, gathered at town hall to hear the council’s opinions on privatization. The Recycling Department, made up of seven public employees, is an arm of the DPW. Laforet proposed eliminating the department and replacing it with a private service that would pick up and transport residents’ recycling. According to Business Administrator Brian Campion, the town council needs to vote on whether or not it wants to privatize the …

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This Week On Patch

Township To Determine Recycling Department's Future

Changes may be coming to the way recycling gets picked up in Mahwah, and DPW workers are speaking out against the potential change; Find out what happens this week on Patch

This Thursday, the Mahwah Town Council is slated to consider potential changes to the township’s recycling department. Over the past few months, township administration has put out several bids for private recycling companies to pick up Mahwah’s recycling. It is currently picked up by the township’s Department of Public Works. Last week, DPW workers released a flier urging residents to attend Thursday night’s meeting to find out the details of the new plan. According to the flier, some DPW workers may face layoffs if the new plan is passed by the township council. “No matter how many people would be laid off, it would be too many,” Mahwah resident and DPW spokesperson Marc Bracciodieta said. “The town would be laying off people who grew up…

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Andy Schmidt

12:55 pm on Monday, July 23, 2012

This actually has been widely reported in the past weeks, e.g.: >> municipal staff, including Township Administrator Brian Campion and Department of Public Works Superintendent Keith Hallisey, began looking at privatizing recycling collection in December. DPW union representatives were brought into the conversation about three months ago > Two others were told when they were hired this spring …   more ›

Post-Irene Riverside Park Cleanup Will Happen This Spring, At The Earliest

Area resident says losing the park has been an inconvenience

The post-Hurricane Irene cleanup of Riverside Park in West Mahwah won’t begin until this spring at the earliest, Mahwah Mayor Bill Laforet said. According to Laforet, especially with the added challenges brought by the October snowstorm, the Department of Public Works is focusing on other cleanup projects across the township. He also said the ground condition at the park is still swamped, which complicates the cleanup. Laforet said the grass and fields are “loaded with water.” DPW Director Keith Hallissey said the department is focusing on “finishing up some of the more difficult areas for leaves,” right now, and will move on to parks after projects like that. According to the new mayor, the “DPW is doing everything they can do and has …

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Streets Cleared Of Leaves This Week

Check to see if roadways you'll be traveling on are cleared

According to DPW Director Keith Hallissey, the following streets were cleared of leaves this week: Miller Rd. complete Airmount Rd. completed 12/30/11 Moffat Rd complete leaves only Fardale Ave. complete Chapel Rd. complete Pulis Ave. complete Armour Rd. complete (south of Airmount Rd.) Kilmer Rd. complete Flaming Arrow complete Black Oak Ln. complete Thunderhead Pl. complete Martis Pl. complete Reid Ct. complete East Mahwah Rd. complete Judith Ann Ct. complete Concord Ct. complete Malcolm Road Malcolm Place Oweno Road South Mahwah Road Olney Road Babcock Road Maysenger Road Island Road (partial)

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DPW Update: Cleanup Continues This Week

Roadways cleared of leaves on Christmas Eve

According to the DPW, the following roadways in Mahwah were cleared of leaves before the Christmas holiday: Friday 12/23                                          Saturday 12/24 Glasgow Terrace                                     Franklin Tpke. Marion Drive                                           Hilltop Road Stevens Lane                                          Mahwah Road Ave A                                                     Beveridge Road Ave B                                                     Alcott Road Second Street                                         Armour Road Thrid Street                                             Lawrence Road Banta Court                                             Winter Street Beehive Court…

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Commuter Lot Spots To Open This Week

Dredged material from Winter's Pond removed over the weekend

Mahwah commuters who have been frustrated by the pile of Winter’s Pond dirt at the E. Ramapo Ave. lot should get parking spots back this week. Over the weekend, a contractor removed the silt and other dredged material taken from Winter’s Pond that was taking up spots in the commuter lot, Mayor Bill Laforet confirmed Saturday. A contractor who was interested in the material removed it at no cost to the township, he said. “The pond project is complete and priority [number one] is restoring commuter parking,” he said in his announcement. “Our residents have been inconvenienced long enough and we appreciate their cooperation.” He said the spots should be open and available to commuter cars this week. According to a project update from Township…

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Extra Crews, Equipment Coming To Mahwah To Help Pick Up Leaves

Mayor and DPW director announce new initiative

Extra crews and equipment are coming to Mahwah to help the DPW pick up the remaining leaves on the ground across the township, DPW Director Keith Hallissey and Mayor Bill Laforet announced Friday afternoon. The duo hopes the additional forces will “help get us to the finish line,” Laforet said. According to Hallissey, the DPW has found and hired a private contractor to assist crews pick up leaves, and rented extra pick-up equipment, and dumpsters. “We will also be working six days next week, including a six-hour day on Christmas Eve,” in an effort to finish the leaf pick up as quickly as possible, he said. The renewed push comes after a freak October snowstorm forced the department to delay leaf pick up in order to clear township roads of …

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Thursday Leaf Update

See which streets have been cleared so far

According to DPW Director Keith Hallissey, the following roads were cleared of leaves Wednesday: Wagon Trail complete Pierson Ct. complete Bellgrove started (will return this week) Rutherford Rd. started (returning) Norht Railroad started (returning) Franklin Tpk started (will return this week) Walnut West complete DeGray Terr complete Harvin Pl complete Penna Ct. complete Witte Pl complete Lehman St. complete See a previous DPW update here.

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