Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • February 4, 2009 Ho-Ho-Kus Councilman explores certifications for local landscapers by Jennifer Crusco Ho-Ho-Kus Council President John Mongelli recently advised Mayor Thomas Randall and his peers on the council that he is reviewing a Paramus ordinance that requires landscapers to obtain local certifications to operate in that borough. Mongelli cited the recent concerns that arose during the fall in Ho-Ho-Kus, when some landscaping crews failed to adhere to the borough’s leaf collection schedule, and placed leaves in the street after the department of public works employees had been through the neighborhoods for pickups. At the last council work session, Mongelli suggested that, if Ho-Ho-Kus were to follow the example set by Paramus, the landscapers could be given the leaf collection rules and regulations when they entered borough hall for their borough certification. Landscapers who work for Ho-Ho-Kus homeowners are permitted to bring the locally collected leaves directly to the DPW property on Hollywood Avenue. Residents are reminded to provide their landscapers with a list of the collection dates. All concerned are reminded that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s regulations stipulate that leaves may not be placed within 10 feet of any storm drain. In addition, leaves placed out for collection should be put near the curb, not off the property. According to Mongelli, a borough inspector had been knocking on doors and distributing lists of the leaf collection dates to homeowners to forward to their landscapers during the 2008 leaf collection season. While the local certification procedure for landscapers has worked successfully in Paramus, according to HoHo-Kus Borough Administrator Don Cirulli, a former Paramus employee, a similar measure proved unpopular in Franklin Lakes. Mongelli said he is researching the objections that arose in that municipality. After introducing an ordinance to require landscapers and snowplow operators to obtain licenses to operate in Franklin Lakes, the Franklin Lakes Council voted unanimously last August to table the ordinance. The ordinance later expired when the measure was not reconsidered by the council within 60 days. The ordinance would have required landscapers and snowplow operators to obtain borough licenses, and to submit certification to Franklin Lakes regarding the amount of organic material, including grass, leaves, brush, stumps and logs, taken from the borough and disposed of at approved New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection recycling facilities. The measure was introduced in August 2007 and amended several times following opposition from the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association and several landscape contractors who work in Franklin Lakes. According to the landscapers, the ordinance was an example of over-regulation and represented an intrusion into people’s personal business. They said they already obtain a state contractor’s license, and should not be required to obtain a borough license. They also said they did not know how they would be able to comply with the requirement to provide the borough with proof of how much organic material they removed from the borough. The landscapers asserted that the ordinance was discriminatory because it would not apply to other contractors. They had hired an attorney to represent them and threatened to sue the borough if the ordinance were adopted. The Franklin Lakes Environmental Commission had supported the ordinance, and members of that group believed the local licensing could generate up to $250,000 in state grants. Over 100 New Jersey municipalities reportedly have similar ordinances on their books. Open House at co-op nursery school The Ho-Ho-Kus/Waldwick Cooperative Nursery School will hold an Open House on Tuesday, Feb. 10 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Feb. 11 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Parents and their preschoolers are invited to drop in to see the classroom and meet with the teachers and current members. Classes for two-, three-, and four-year-old children are available for the 2009-10 school year. The nursery school offers various education enrichment programs, including music and Spanish. Extended day options are also available. The school offers a unique coop opportunity to assist in the classroom. Visit at 400 Warren Avenue in Ho-Ho-Kus (the Community Church at the corner of Sycamore and Warren). For more information, visit www.hohokuswaldwickcoop.com. But STILL can’t lose that Tummy or Cellulite? 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