Wyckoff September 14, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 5 Officials want new police hires to have four-year degrees by John Koster The Wyckoff Township Committee wants new Wyckoff Police Department hires to have earned fouryear college degrees, and has introduced an ordinance that would add a bachelor’s degree to the current requirements for new hires. This ordinance will be considered for probable adoption on Sept. 20. The police hiring ordinance as introduced would amend the existing standard which stipulates that the candidate be able to read and write and speak the English language well and intelligently, and hold a minimum of a high school education or equivalent. The ordinance states that the bachelor’s degree must be from a “college or university accredited from a nationally recognized accrediting agency listed by the Department of Education.” The ordinance continues to stipulate that each police officer be a citizen of the United States and of the State of New Jersey, and must be of good moral character and never convicted of any criminal offense involving moral turpitude. New hires must also be between 18 and 35 years of age, the document states. The candidate must also meet physical and psychiatric standards and have a valid New Jersey driver’s license. The starting salary for Wyckoff police officers is $41,384 on acceptance, and rises to $46,919 upon completion of the Bergen County Law & Public Safety Institute training. The salary then rises in seven increments, with a salary of $60,734 at the first step -- second year. Upon reaching the seventh step, the individual receives a salary of $111,358. This seventh step salary is due to rise to $120,506 by 2014, not including insurance and pension costs. The township committee also introduced an ordinance, also scheduled for probable adoption on Sept. 20, that would establish rates for filmmakers who are working in Wyckoff. The ordinance stipulates a filming permit of $600 with an additional daily filming fee of $500 per day. The fee is $1,500 per day for major motion pictures or television series. The permit for educational purposes and for nonprofit groups would remain at $25 per day. A number of Bergen County communities, notably Allendale, have been used as filming locations for movies and commercials set in the suburbs and for interior and exterior location shots. The project of improving Main Street with a $150,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation is due to begin this week, and residents are advised to take detours around the work area. The improvement, which slated to begin on Sept. 12, includes drainage improvements on Main Street, the repaving of Main Street, widening the section of brick paver sidewalk and construction of new curbing on Main Street from Everett Avenue to Madison Avenue, and the planting of new shade trees. The area between the on-street parking spaces, which are perpendicular to the adjacent railroad siding, will be enhanced with new curbing, shade trees, and landscaping. AJM Contractors of Clifton will carry out the project. Work hours will be Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Main Street will be free of road closures on evenings and weekends for the length of the construction except in unanticipated emergencies. The completion Main Street improvement project to begin of construction is expected on or before Nov. 1. The construction plan is to minimize the time that Main Street is closed to traffic. Residents are urged to use the connector streets of Madison Avenue and Everett Avenue and the parallel road, Clinton Avenue, for access to Main Street shops and stores. Wyckoff has successfully applied for grants in past years in the extremely competitive state bidding process. Grants have included state funds to pave Mountain Avenue, West Main Street, Grandview Avenue, Lawlins Road, Crescent Avenue, Monroe Avenue, and Park Avenue. The New Jersey Department of Transportation Trust Fund requirements restrict applications to heavily-used municipal roads, such as municipal roads that connect to two county roads, roads that are truck arteries or connect municipalities. Municipal roads that access schools are also considered for grants. J. KOSTER