Garwood Council in Quandary Over Doubled Recycle Cost Rep. Lance
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Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, August 6, 2015 OUR 125th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 32-2015 Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SEVENTY FIVE CENTS Garwood Council in Quandary Over Doubled Recycle Cost By BRIAN TRUSDELL he said he had heard had doubled in The matter sparked a terse ex- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader cost per twice weekly collection. The change between Mr. Mathieu, Bor- GARWOOD – Acrimony flared matter had its roots in the March 24 ough Clerk Christina Ariemma and again at the Garwood Borough Coun- council meeting, when the governing fellow Councilman Lou Petruzzelli. cil meeting the evening of July 28, body voted to award a six-month con- During the July 28 meeting, Mr. with accusations and questions of in- tract, beginning July 1, to Equipment Bonfanti’s query raised the issue again competence, irresponsibility and cor- Rental Services to replace Waste since Equipment Rental had notified porate intimidation regarding the ven- Management. Ms. Ariemma on July 8, the day be- dors contracted to collect the Equipment Rental, which has been fore it was scheduled to make its first borough’s recycling refuse. responsible for collecting Garwood’s collection, that its truck was immo- “This has been mistake upon mis- semiannual bulk garbage, bid bile and it would not be able to fulfill take upon negligence upon reckless- $16,900, more than $11,000 below its obligation. That forced Ms. ness,” Councilman Jim Mathieu Waste Management’s offer at an av- Ariemma to find Regional Industries charged after Second Avenue resi- erage cost of $1,300 per collection. of Elizabeth, N.J., as a replacement dent Richard Bonfanti raised the mat- Mr. Mathieu expressed suspicion from July 23 to October 29 at a cost of ter in the open forum portion of the about the price but objected largely $20,800, or $2,600 per pickup. meeting. because of Equipment Rental’s af- “Now, come October 29, who’s Mr. Bonfanti approached the coun- filiation with the borough’s previous going to pick up your recycling?” Mr. cil about the recycling contract, which recycling agent, Great Northern. Mathieu said to Mr. Bonfanti. “I don’t know the answer to that. And neither does anyone else up here (on coun- cil). This is a disaster.” The revelation of the doubling in cost had Mr. Petruzzelli, Council- woman Sara Todisco and Council Paul Lachenauer for The Westfield Leader President Bill Nierstedt explaining SWEET MUSIC…The Westfield Swing Band performs Thursday in the Community Room at the Westfield Municipal their March 24 vote. Building. “I’ll go on record in saying we had done work with this company be- fore,” Mr. Petruzzelli said. “We had no reason to think they would do this Rep. Lance Detects Growing because they did have a good track record with us. And again, we have no control over what happens in someone’s business if a truck breaks Sentiment Against Iran Deal down, if something else happens, if Waste Management got to these By BRIAN TRUSDELL agreement and believes there is enough State John Kerry’s admission that the people and said, ‘You’re infringing Specially Written for The Westfield Leader votes in the House of Representatives administration did not seek treaty on our stuff,’ who knows?” WESTFIELD – There is growing for a resolution condemning it. But he status for the agreement because it Courtesy of Sonia Owchariw NATIONAL COVERAGE….News vans are parked in front of the entrance to In other actions, the council tabled sentiment in the U.S. Congress against was less confident of overriding an did not think it could get it through Westfield’s Fairview Cemetery on East Broad Street Monday following the a vote on a $140,000 bond ordinance President Obama’s nuclear agreement expected presidential veto. the Senate “disquieting.” burial of Bobbi Kristina Brown, daughter of Whitney Houston. Miss Brown for various street and sidewalk re- with Iran, U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance “If at the end of the process there Mr. Lance used the same word to passed away July 26, three years after the death of her mother. pairs after the three present Demo- (R-7th) told The Westfield Leader Tues- are not enough votes to override, describe several other moves by cratic council members were unable day, but it would need the election of then the agreement goes into force. A President Obama, particularly his to get a guarantee from Mr. Mathieu a Republican as president in 2016 to new president could change that, be- executive actions on immigration in the work session to vote for the undo it and several other controversial cause it’s not a treaty,” Mr. Lance said and regulations via the Environmen- O’Brian’s Pourhouse Evicted matter. measures enacted by the White House. in a wide-ranging discussion with the tal Protection Agency on coal-fired With council members Ann Mr. Lance, who has represented the Leader’s editorial staff. power plant emissions. From Downtown Fanwood Tarantino and Mike Martin absent, Seventh New Jersey Congressional “So this is not binding on a future “All presidents who are re-elected CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 District since 2009, opposes the Iran administration. And I, of course, hope look in the second terms, particularly By LAUREN S. BARR certificate of occupancy from the for the election of a Republican presi- in the second half of their second Specially Written for The Westfield Leader borough. dent next year,” he said. terms, to legacy issues,” Mr. Lance FANWOOD – O’Brian’s The court found that the burst pipe Mr. Lance also decried the Obama said. “Unfortunately, from my per- Pourhouse, the popular pub in down- was fixed within 24 hours of the administration’s decision not to con- spective, what he has done in several town Fanwood, known for its burgers break and that the remaining repair sider the agreement as a treaty, which areas is go beyond his authority con- crafted by chef-owner Brian Walter, work to bring the pub to code was the would have required a two-thirds ap- stitutionally.” is officially closed following months responsibility of Mr. Walter. The court proval of the U.S. Senate, and to take The congressman indicated he was of rumors. found that Mr. Walter owes Mr. the matter before the United Nations counting on federal courts to rectify According to the property owner, Flannery $11,986.48. Mr. Walter was Security Council before Congress was the issues, noting he has submitted an and Mr. Walter’s former business then given until July 16 to pay that able to review it. amicus brief with the Fifth Circuit in partner, Sean Flannery, after a pipe amount or be evicted. As the money “I’m very critical of the fact that the New Orleans against President burst in the building in February Mr. was not deposited with the court, Mr. president went to the U.N. before he Obama’s executive order regarding Walter ceased paying rent for the Walter was, in fact, evicted from the came to us in Congress, because the illegal immigrants and the testimony space. Failure to pay rent, taxes and space. Congress represents the American before Congress by liberal Harvard other fees forced Mr. Flannery to file Mr. Flannery also alleges that Mr. people,” Mr. Lance said. “And there- law professor Laurence Tribe, who eviction papers. The eviction was Walter subsequently entered the space fore he went to the U.N. before he likened the EPA’s actions to “burning granted by Superior Court Judge John and removed items from the prop- went to the American people. the Constitution.” Deitch on July 14. erty. He has filed a police report. “My title is ‘representative.’ I rep- “A way to proceed (against Presi- According to the court papers Mr. In a separate action, Mr. Flannery resent three-quarters of a million dent Obama) as well is through the Walter received approximately also sued Mr. Walter for an unpaid people here in North Central New judicial process, and that’s why I have $88,000 in insurance expense reim- personal loan and his share of the Jersey,” he explained. been involved in several of these court bursements, and while he claimed to liquor license and business. Accord- Moreover, he called Secretary of CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 the court that repairs had been made ing to Mr. Flannery, the judge has to the interior, he did admit to not ordered an accountant to examine the Paul Lachenauer for The Westfield Leader paying the rent. Mr. Flannery also contracts and finances of the involved PICKING PICKLES….These youngters look for the perfect pickle at Sunday’s alleged that Mr. Walter continued to parties and to determine how much Cranford Farmers’ Market. run his catering business from the Mr. Flannery is owed. Until then, the Fanwood location despite a lack of CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 Borough Council Focuses On State’s Best Practices By KATE BROWNE and procedures every three years as Specially Written for The Westfield Leader required by the borough’s insurers. MOUNTAINSIDE — Members of The council authorized several re- the borough council focused on revi- visions to the personnel manual. The sions to the borough’s personnel and changes included the inclusions of purchasing manuals at their work civil unions, modifications to terms meeting on Tuesday night. of the vision and dental insurance The New Jersey Department of plans, changes to the employee sick Community Affairs requires munici- leave policy, and revisions to reflect pal governments in the state to com- that a portion of the health insurance Horace R.