POLL: What’s under that dirty snow?

Now that the snow that accumulated since Christmas has begun to melt in the February thaw, the North Bergen Department of Public Works is busy removing the garbage and litter reappearing on township streets – streets that have gone without normal street cleaning for nearly 50 days.

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Are you satisfied with North Bergen’s street sweeping and pothole repairs?
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DPW Superintendent James Wiley said the township hasn’t experienced a winter that halted street cleaning since 1997, when the township was unable to sweep for six to eight weeks.
A few main thoroughfares of North Bergen’s business district, like Broadway, Bergenline, and Park avenues, have mostly resumed street sweeping since the township removed snow from those roadways.
Wiley said that in the rest of the township, DPW workers have been cleaning the streets as the snow melts and reveals garbage.
They have not yet resumed regular street sweeping hours. Workers have instead been using the township’s two smaller sweepers. Wiley said that one employee uses a leaf blower to get garbage into the street away from parked cars; then, the smaller street cleaner sweeps up the refuse.
“I have the sweeper out there, hitting every block in every district, getting the big stuff now,” said Wiley. “You can take a ride around North Bergen and you won’t see no garbage in the streets.”

120 potholes repaired

“The potholes are a problem right this second,” said Mayor Nicholas Sacco. “The snow, the extreme cold, and the sudden warming creates a problem.”

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“We’re [fixing] potholes everywhere.” – James Wiley
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North Bergen has equipment that allows municipal workers to heat a stockpile of asphalt and repair potholes, as opposed to hiring an outside contractor to fix them. Two crews have been working full-time doing just that, Wiley said.
The DPW separates potholes into several categories: the worst, which need to be fixed immediately; potholes that can wait a few days; and those that can get fixed within a week. Wiley said they have the capability to fix 500 potholes per week and that the patches will last two to three years.
“We’re [fixing] potholes everywhere,” said Wiley. “There’s a tremendous amount of potholes due to this winter. So far we did 120 this past week.”

Saving $

Wiley said his DPW employees have worked their normal 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. hours to accomplish these tasks, not through overtime, which means a cost savings to taxpayers.
Township Administrator Christopher Pianese said that having the ability to fix 200-300 potholes, as opposed to paying an outside contractor, saves North Bergen around $20,000.
“In driving around the last two days, it’s pretty hard to hit a street in town that you don’t notice that there was a hole filled,” said Pianese.
Residents who would like to report a pothole may contact Frank Englese at (201) 392-2128 or (201) 392-2129.
Are you satisfied with North Bergen’s street sweeping and pothole repairs? Voice your opinion in our poll under this story at www.hudsonreporter.com.
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.