Council moves to enforce county ban on trailers at recycling center; residents urge narrow exception for small utility trailers

Boonton's council voted to advance an amendment to the town code that tightens restrictions at the municipal recycling center to comply with a county directive and related state provisions, but the move drew immediate pushback from residents who said small homeowner trailers should be allowed.

Town staff and councilors said the county had instructed municipalities to restrict commercial vehicles and trailers at municipal recycling centers and read state provisions into the record to explain the legal basis for enforcement. The ordinance as published would prohibit "trailers of any kind," which staff said reflected the county guidance and practical enforcement limits (the town lacks equipment to measure combined vehicle-trailer gross weight).

Multiple residents and two written commenters said that language swept too broadly. Matt Benjamin cautioned that small 4x8 homeowner utility trailers are not the same as contractor or tandem-axle trailers and urged the town to consider an exception: "Homeowners that choose to take care of their own property should not be restricted by means of conveyance they use to move items to the facility," he wrote in a submitted comment read into the record.

Resident Mike Wade and others made similar points during public comment, saying many homeowners use small trailers to move yard waste and that the town should pursue a measured approach. "They lumped it under commercial vehicles, trailers of any kind," Wade said at the meeting, urging a common-sense exemption for small utility trailers.

Council members acknowledged the problem and instructed the DPW committee to examine options, such as a size-based or footprint-based exemption or an operational workaround, and to return with recommendations. Town staff said one enforcement challenge is measuring a vehicle-plus-trailer combined gross vehicle weight in the field; the DPW committee will investigate alternatives and reported plans to bring an update to council by May 5.

The council advanced the ordinance (roll-call recorded) to put the restriction into effect while allowing staff and the DPW committee to seek a feasible amendment. Until any amendment is adopted, staff said the DPW has been operating to comply with the county guidance.

What happens next: DPW committee will explore workable exceptions (square footage, trailer type or posted schedules) and seek to return to council with recommended language and an implementation plan by early May.