Punch card will be used for bulk waste drop-off
BY REBECCA MORTON
Staff Writer

MARLBORO - A new way of handling the drop-off of bulk items is on the books in Marlboro.

By a vote of 4-0 at its July 12 meeting, the Township Council adopted changes which will result in residents being permitted to buy a punch card that will be good for five uses at the recycling center.

Councilwoman Rosa Tragni, Councilwoman Patricia Morelli, Councilman Joseph Pernice and Councilman Steven Rosenthal voted to adopt the ordinance. Council President Jeff Cantor was absent from the meeting.

Members of the public who voiced their opinions during a hearing on the ordinance had mixed feelings about the new punch card. One resident said the change was going to end up costing citizens more money, leading to more illegal dumping. On the other side of the issue, one resident said he liked the fact that the punch card will not have an expiration date and that it can be used at any time.

Pernice sought to clear up some confusion over the ordinance. He said residents will only have to use the punch card to drop off bulk items at the recycling center. Cans, bottles and newspapers may continue to be dropped off at no cost.

According to the amendment, a punch card will be issued by the township to a resident for the use of the recycling center. The fee for the punch card will be $50 and it will contain five spaces. One space will be punched each time a bulk item is dropped off at the recycling center.

Citizens age 60 and over will be charged $40 for the card. Only residents of Marlboro may purchase and use a punch card and proof of residency will be required for the purchase and use of the card. The punch card will not have an expiration date. The cards are not transferable.

Residents currently pay an annual fee of $75 if they want to drop off bulk items and an extra $25 to drop off items containing Freon, such as refrigerators and air conditioners. The $25 charge for the items that contain Freon will remain the same under the new punch card system, according to the amendment. In addition, the drop-off of those items will use one punch out of the five on the card. The $75 bulk item drop-off fee went into effect in January 2006.

Pernice said he believes the punch cards should be available to residents in September or October.

Any resident who has already paid the $75 fee as of the effective date of the amendment will still be allowed to use the facility without the punch card until Jan. 1. Any use of the facility from Jan. 2 forward will require a punch card to be presented.

The township maintains a facility near the Marlboro Recreation Community Center off Wyncrest Road that residents may use to discard certain bulk items such as wood, bicycles or household appliances.

Also discussed at the July 12 council meeting was an amendment to Marlboro's towing ordinance. If adopted, the number of tow trucks that would be permitted by the township to respond to police calls for assistance would be raised from seven to nine. After some comments from a tow truck operator, a resident and the council members regarding specific provisions of the ordinance, the council tabled the matter until the next meeting.

A resolution was passed by the council on an extended grace period for the payment of property taxes. The resolution states that because of a delay by the state in determining the amount of aid to be provided to Marlboro for this fiscal year, property tax bills for the upcoming year are going to be mailed later than usual. New Jersey state statutes provide a minimum of 25 days between the date of mailing and the tax bill due date. The council authorized an extension of the grace period from Aug. 10 to Aug. 17. Interest calculated on payments received after Aug. 17 will revert back to the date of Aug. 1.

In other business, resident Paul Schlaflin informed the council that he has filed an appeal with the state following the Marlboro ethics board's dismissal of his complaint about Zoning Board of Adjustment member Joseph Sparacio. The council members thanked Schlaflin for updating them on the situation.