Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why did
the DPW put blue flags on my property
Q. Who
is responsible to pick up my garbage and recyclables?
Q. Who
is responsible to pick up leaves and brush?
Q: Why are water
rates so high?
Q: How will
Radio Read meters help me?
Q: Why
is it taking so long to get a Radio Read meter and when will
I get one?
Q.
Why did the DPW put blue flags on my property?
“NJ call before you dig” law requires contractors
to call 1-800-272-1000 to notify NJ 1 call who in turn
notify all utilities of any excavating they will be doing
in the utilities jurisdiction.
It may be for under ground tank removal, under ground utility
repairs (water, sewer, electric gas cable etc.)
The blue flags indicate the location of the water mains and/
or water service lines in the area. Do not remove the
flags until all work has been completed.
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Q.
Who is responsible to pick up my garbage and recyclables?
The borough does not collect these items. We have a
contract with Waste Management to provide these services.
That phone number is 973- 383-5092.
Garbage pick up is either Wednesday or Thursday depending
on where you live in town.
Recyclables are picked up on the second Monday of each month.
Recyclables may also be discarded each Saturday morning at
the Borough garage.
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Q.
Who is responsible to pick up leaves and brush?
The Borough collects these items as announced throughout
the year.
There are days when due to the amount of leaves or brush
that is to be picked up is too much to be done in one day.
The leaves that are collected must be hauled to the MUA in
Lafayette which closes at 2 pm.
Therefore the truck must leave Ogdensburg by 1 pm to get
weighed and dumped off.
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Q:
Why are water rates so high?It is hard to believe but our
water rates are average. I would love to lower our rates,
however it will be difficult because:
-
For many years the water department was operating in
the red, and had to be supplemented by tax dollars.
By using a very low interest loan from the USDA to consolidate
previous debts and conservative spending, our water department
has been operating in the black for (3) years now.
We need to use these earnings to make many needed repairs
and improvements to the water systems infrastructure.
-
The biggest operating expense to the water department
is electricity. It costs thousands of dollars to operate
the wells, and settling tank. (In a future news letter
I will provide actual monthly costs).
Unfortunately only one improvement can be made that will
decrease electricity usage slightly, and it will be very
expensive to implement.
-
Mandatory water quality testing along with the many
fees and mandates from the State of New Jersey are the
second largest operating cost.
-
The good news is that no rate increase is expected.
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Q:
How will Radio Read meters help me?
-
Reading meters presently requires about 12 to 15 days
every quarter, once all the Radio Read meters are installed
this should only take a day. This will result in substantial
savings in labor costs to the water department.
-
Residents will no longer be inconvenienced by the need
for someone entering their home for a meter read. Also
you will no longer have to fill out post cards when the
meter could not be read.
-
Accurate meter readings every time will also eliminate
estimates.
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Q:
Why is it taking so long to get a Radio Read meter and when
will I get one?
-
The biggest delay in this project was caused by a software
supplier not delivering his contractual obligations. Due
to the contract and cost considerations we had to try
and resolve many issues, before eventually terminating
his contract, (he was not paid). We then had to start
over.
-
Before we started replacing all the water meters in town,
it was important to make sure that they were accurate,
trouble free, and that they functioned as specified. They
have passed all tests with flying colors, and we will
be starting a replacement program. (Look for more information
on meter replacement schedules in future news letters)
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