Brooklawn debate over municipal pickup of commercial trash, shared services and can procurement

A resident and several council members spent much of the meeting debating whether Brooklawn should continue, limit or expand municipal trash pickup for local businesses and how to structure the expiring shared-service contract with Westville.

Resident Richard Nars (who identified himself during public comment) told council he had researched alternatives and questioned a roughly $450,000 equipment figure cited in borough materials. He suggested buying a used rear-loader trash truck for about $140,000 or shifting haul arrangements so local trucks take trash to lower-cost disposal sites. "You'd be saving a lot of money," Nars said, urging the council to study contracted arrangements and procurement alternatives.

Council members and staff described the current ordinance and operational limits: under the borough ordinance commercial businesses generally may not use municipal trash services unless the waste meets household/ID10 criteria, or unless the matter is specifically authorized at the time of planning and zoning approval. Public works staff warned that offering pickup to many businesses could create safety and operational burdens on narrow streets and Route 130.

Public works staff, identified in the meeting as the department superintendent and staff consultant Brian, recommended exploring a targeted approach. Options discussed included requiring planning-board approval for any commercial pickup (with a trash study and site-specific trash enclosures), limiting service to certain small businesses that can demonstrate household-type waste, or directing larger-volume commercial users to dumpsters and private haulers.

Operational and procurement details were discussed at length. The borough has quotes and a procurement plan under consideration for new 96‑gallon toters to reduce manual lifting; meeting remarks included conflicting price points reported in the discussion (a municipal quote for a set of cans of roughly $7,000 and statements that 96‑gallon toters had ranged in price in the discussion). The public works superintendent emphasized safety: reducing manual handling and providing appropriate enclosures or containers would reduce injuries and wear on vehicles.

Council also discussed the expiring shared-service agreement with Westville and the risks of a long-term contract while costs appear to be increasing; council members signaled a preference for a one-year renewal to preserve flexibility while the borough completes a trash study. No ordinance change or contract award was adopted at the meeting; council asked staff to prepare more detailed options and a possible procurement order to review at the next meeting.

Next steps: council asked staff to run a trash study, gather firm procurement quotes for toters and cans, clarify which businesses might qualify for municipal pickup under the ordinance, and bring a recommended approach to the finance committee and full council before any formal contract or ordinance change.