The Villadom Times Weekly Newspaper Online-Sept 1, 2010 Issue

Page 10 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • September 1, 2010 Ho-Ho-Kus Well questions persist; mayor urges public discourse by Jennifer Crusco Ho-Ho-Kus Mayor Thomas Randall began last week’s public council session by commenting on “misinformation” that has been circulating in relation to Well #1, local water quality, and whether the borough has been subject to ﬁnes. Mayor Randall also took exception to a council member’s use of e-mail to discuss these issues. Randall said one of the pieces of misinformation that has been circulating is “the concern that the pump at Well #1 is somehow improper.” He explained that the pump at Well #1, which was from the 1950s, had broken in 2007 and was replaced on an emergency basis with a similar pump that was later found to be pumping more water than the old one had. (After the meeting, a borough ofﬁcial pointed out that the new pump, which approximated the size of the old one, was working at peak efﬁciency when it was installed, while the old one had been slowing over time.) The mayor said the pump was not installed wrongfully. He said the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection had advised the borough to shut down the well in January. The NJDEP told the borough it had two options regarding the pump: slow the pump or adjust the permit. Randall explained that Hazen and Sawyer, the engineering ﬁrm that assists the borough with water matters, advised that there would be no detriment to the borough to pump a little more water and adjust the permit. The borough anticipates that it will receive the new permit shortly. This fall, Randall said, the borough will participate in a “draw” test to ensure that surrounding municipalities will not be impacted by the change. Mayor Randall also asserted there is no problem with the borough’s water quality and there is no problem with the borough’s ability to produce water. He pointed out that, in an emergency situation, the borough could receive permission to reactivate Well #1. There are no ﬁnes pending against the borough, Randall said. He pointed to Water Utility Superintendent James Montag’s recent verbal report to the council and members of the public in which Montag indicated that the problem is the amount of water people are using. The borough is only permitted to pump approximately one million gallons of water a day during months in which water use is heavy. “People don’t observe the limits,” Randall said, noting that there is a blackout day on Monday, when no watering is permitted anywhere in Ho-Ho-Kus, but people have failed to observe that regulation, he said. “It’s been a challenge this summer.” Montag recently explained that the borough plans to return Well #1 to operation. He said the quality of the water is continually tested, even though the well is not being used at this time. Randall said Montag had done a superb job of clarifying the situation, “but the emails continue to ﬂy.” The mayor urged that any issue of public importance be discussed in public with the press present – not via e-mail, Randall said, directing his comment to Councilman Lee Flemming. Flemming said he is concerned about the situation. “I want to make sure we have acted properly,” the councilman said. He questioned whether there had been a public notice seeking bids for the new pump. Randall said the replacement of the pump had been carried out on an emergency basis, and the borough was not compelled to pursue the public bidding process. He urged Flemming to confer with Borough Attorney David Bole on such emergencies. Randall added that he did not wish to discuss the matter further. Randall then introduced Richard Fahey, an environmental engineer from Hazen and Sawyer. Fahey, the mayor said, has been working with the borough for over 20 years and had been asked to attend the meeting to answer any remaining questions regarding the well and its pump. “We brought him (Fahey) here to answer the slew of questions,” Randall said, asking Flemming if he had anything to ask the engineer. Flemming said his issue concerning the dissemination of information about the well and pump is “internal.” He stated that he has had difﬁculty obtaining information about the pump and the well. However, the councilman asked the engineer about Well #4. Fahey said that well’s capacity has declined and its equipment should be replaced. No one else had questions for the engineer. Randall then advised Flemming that Borough Administrator Don Cirulli had asked two employees to search the archives to ﬁnd information regarding the purchase of the pump for Well #1. Cirulli said the borough did not go out to bid for the purchase, and the pump did not meet the bid threshold, which was $17,500 at that time. The pump, Cirulli said, cost the borough $14,500. The administrator later advised that borough ofﬁcials had asked for prices from various companies before making the purchase. Again, Randall advised Flemming that, if he is concerned about a matter of public importance, he should refrain from sending e-mails and should instead bring the issues to a council meeting. Resident Leo Strauss also had questions regarding the pump. He began by saying he respects and admires Flemming for doing a competent job and raising questions. Strauss then asked why the new pump is “over-sized” and questioned who allowed the purchase. Randall said he believed the new pump had been ordered by former DPW Superintendent Michael Frank. Randall reiterated that the new pump was believed to have been comparable to the old one. Strauss said the mayor should have notiﬁed the public about what was happening in terms of the pump replacement. Resident Phoebe Flemming, the councilman’s wife, also spoke about water issues. “My husband has every right to be concerned about the DPW and water…and the fact he resigned from the DPW Committee was not because he was not interested in working,” she said. After the meeting, Councilman Flemming stated that he had resigned as the council’s liaison to the DPW after a personnel matter arose. Although the councilman said he had been advised of that matter by the administrator, Flemming said he felt he should have been advised sooner, and by the mayor. �� KEANE FIT & WELLNESS �� homeimprovement & decorating The Villadom TIMES is giving you the opportunity to present your quality services and merchandise in a special Fall Home Improvement & Decorating Guide. In The Villadom TIMES, you’ll get the exposure you need in 56,300 homes right in your market area. 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