By DON STINE
Ocean Township plans to purchase three more automated garbage trucks which will bring the public works department’s compliment of trucks to full capacity.
“This purchase will bring the total of trucks up to eight, which will be a full fleet,” Township Administrator Andrew Brannen said this week.
A bond ordinance, which will have a Sept. 17 public hearing, appropriates $930,000, with $883,500 to be bonded, to purchase the three automated trash collection trucks.
Brannen said the older, rear-loading trucks will still be used for bulk collections and as a temporary replacement should an automated truck need repairs.
The township went with automated garbage collection in January, 2011 and Brannen said it has been a money-saver ever since.
“It is working out very well. It definitely has helped us save money by going to once-a-week garbage and recycling collection. Single-stream recycling has also increased the amount of recycling,” he said.
One thing that many residents may not know, however, is that small amounts of brush- not leaves- can be placed in the garbage can- not the recycling can- to be removed.
“We would like to see people put small amounts of brush, not leaves, right into garbage. It allows us to get rid of it faster and is cheaper- if you just put it in with the garbage,” he said.
