Midland Park March 17, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 No local merchant submitted a proposal to supply gasoline for Midland Park borough vehicles, and only one company offered to supply diesel fuel. The council sought the bids in an effort to control costs. Shotmeyer Brothers of Hawthorne bid 15 cents over the rack price (without taxes) of diesel fuel, which Borough Administrator Michelle Dugan said would save about $1,500 a year, depending on how much fuel is ultimately purchased there. Fire trucks, ambulances and some DPW vehicles use diesel, but the present arrangement with Ridgewood would have to continue for the off hours because their pumps are open 24/7. At present all borough-owned vehicles - police cars, fire trucks, ambulances and DPW vehicles - fill up at the Village of Ridgewood depot on Chestnut Street. Ridgewood has been supplying fuel to borough vehicles under an inter-local services agreement for nearly 15 years, since the borough removed its own underground gasoline and diesel tanks. But the village now adds an administrative fee of 20 percent of the cost of each gallon, which at the current costs adds up to more than 40 cents per gallon, Borough comes up empty on alternative gas supplier according to Council President Bud O’Hagan. He said that when the arrangement first went into effect, the premium on each gallon was only 5 cents. Councilman Nick Papapietro, who chairs the finance committee, said at a previous meeting that Ridgewood was approached about adjusting the service charge but would not negotiate. Councilwoman Nancy Peet said the savings would have to be weighed against driver time and loss of service while the truck was traveling to Hawthorne. Shotmeyer currently supplies the Borough of Hawthorne with its diesel fuel. O’Hagan said another option to cut down on travel time for the DPW vehicles might be to outfit a pickup truck with a large oil tank and have the diesel picked up that way, as some landscapers do. Council members were miffed as to why none of the local stations had bid on supplying gasoline. Borough Clerk Addie Hanna said she had personally hand-delivered bid specifications to several stations in town and on Crescent Avenue in Waldwick and Goffle Road in Ridgewood, all within the 3-mile radius noted in the specifications. Dugan said that following the bid deadline Feb. 24, the Borough of Ho-Ho-Kus had indicated a willingness to discuss an inter-local agreement, but nothing had been received as of yet. The council decided to wait for Ho-HoKus’ price before deciding whether to readvertise in hopes of getting additional bidders. There is a 60-day window to make a decision on the Shotmeyer bid. In 2009 the borough purchased about 14,500 gallons of gasoline – mostly for police cars – and 8,500 gallons of diesel fuel, Hanna said. GET BACK IN YOUR SKINNY JEANS FOR SPRING! More than 80 Midland Park residents and district teachers turned out last week to meet the two finalists for superintendent of schools and ask questions about the candidates’ background and experience and vision for the district. The board expects to make its selection by the end of the month, according to board President Rich Venditti. The board selected the two finalists, William Petrick and Dr. Marie Cirasella, from a field of 20 applicants. The search for a new superintendent was done in-house, without the use of a search consultant. Dr. William Heebink, the current superintendent, will retire at the end of June due to health reasons. Public interviews superintendent finalists INTRODUCING Petrick has been with the Tewksbury Township School District in Hunterdon County for the past five years, the last two as interim superintendent of schools. A Jersey City native, he is a graduate of St. Peter’s Prep and Seton Hall University. He was a classroom teacher for 20 years, and served as curriculum director before his current position. He said he appreciated Midland Park’s sense of identity and residents’ familiarity with the district’s operation because that would facilitate his ability to communicate “what he was trying to do” if he were selected. He said he found the small size of the district “challenging because (continued on page 22) ALL NEW 20% OFF REDUCING PROGRAM FEES Expires 3/31/10 *Minimum purchase 8 weeks reducing * CALL NOW! 201-652-4447 1973 - 2010 ~ 37 Years of Excellence LOSE 10-20-30 POUNDS or MORE! MIDLAND PARK 24 Godwin Avenue