Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • March 20, 2013 Wyckoff Township receives awards from Joint Insurance Fund by John Koster Wyckoff has once again received two top awards from the Bergen County Joint Insurance Fund for performance related to municipal safety -- and lower insurance costs. The Wyckoff Township Committee recently reported that the municipality received the Gold Award for Excellent Safety Performance and the Best Overall Award for a Large Sized Municipality at the annual Bergen County ceremony. Wyckoff was recognized for fulfilling a 100 percent completion of the safety incentive program, which explains to municipal employees the best techniques for avoiding accidents. “This is the twentieth consecutive year that the Township of Wyckoff has been commended for its compliance with the safety incentive program since joining the regional Joint Insurance Fund consortium,” said Mayor Rudy Boonstra. “The focus of the township’s Safety Committee is proactive accident protection, and periodic safety surveys are conducted to maintain a safe work and recreation environment on municipal property. The township committee is proud of Township Administrator Bob Shannon and his fellow workers. “The everyday little things they do add tremendous value for the taxpayers of Wyckoff,” Boonstra added. “For example, the DPW crews are very cognizant of safety and it is reflected in their daily work functions. Safety seminars are conducted to implement work skills for employee safety as well as to limit insurance costs to the taxpayers.” The township has already received notice of a dividend based on its safety efforts. That dividend has been applied to decrease the insurance costs in the 2013 budget. The Bergen County Joint Insurance Fund, also known as JIF, currently has 38 member municipalities in Bergen County. JIF sponsors safety-related educational and compliance programs. The Wyckoff Safety Committee includes Township Administrator Shannon, Administrative Assistant Jackie Denequolo, Police Chief Benjamin Fox, Volunteer Fire Chief Lou Graglia, Chief Financial Officer Diana McLeod, Township Clerk Joyce Santimauro, Court Administrator Paulette Scandone, Recreation Director Andy Wingfield, Construction Code Official Thomas Gensheimer, Public Works Manager Scott Fisher, Tax Assessor Assistant Susan DeRosa, Township Engineer Mark DiGennaro, and Janet Healey of the Wyckoff Ambulance Corps. The Wyckoff Department of Public Works will begin the first cycle of the annual spring leaf cleanup the first week of April, with the first collection scheduled for April 2 in District 1. The collection will be held from April 2 through 15 and will proceed in two waves running sequentially through Districts 1 through 8. Township officials note that the New Jersey Department Spring leaf collection to begin in April of Environmental Protection has mandated that leaves shall not be placed on the paved roadway and shall not be placed closer than 10 feet to any storm sewer drain. These regulations will be enforced. Residents should make sure not to mix branches of any size with the raked leaves because branches clog the leaf vacuums on the trucks, leading to delays and possible (continued on page 25)