By Audrey Levine, Staff Writer
Donation bins rules introduced
The Borough Council unanimously introduced an ordinance Monday to regulate the placement and use of charitable clothing bins throughout the borough.
The ordinance was created to comply with new state legislation that requires all municipalities to pass an ordinance regulating the bins in order to keep track of all the ones that have been put out in New Jersey.
According to the ordinance, a company wanting to place a bin will be required to apply for a permit, costing $25, with information about the charity, including a phone number and other pertinent facts. The permit must be approved by the Borough Council after a recommendation is made by the borough engineer.
These permits must be displayed on the bin to inform people of the important information about the charity.
This ordinance can also be used as a zoning regulation to determine where the bins should be placed, as it states several locations that are off limits for the bins, including within 100 yards of a place storing flammable materials and anywhere it could interfere with vehicular or pedestrian circulation.
As for penalties for violating the ordinance, complaints must be investigated within 30 days, and the person owning the bin could be issued a warning requiring the problem to be rectified within 45 days. If the problem is not fixed, the bin will be removed and the clothing will either be disposed of or sold at public auction.
In addition, a person violating the ordinance could be subjected to penalties of up to $20,000 for each violation.
Public hearing for the ordinance will be held March 23.
Alliance agrees to county plan
The Borough Council unanimously approved a resolution to accept a contract with the county for grant money to hold activities through the Municipal Alliance.
According to the resolution, the county will provide $9,696 to the borough for activities concerning the prevention of alcoholism and drug abuse. The borough will, in turn, provide a 75 percent match of $7,272 in in-kind services.
The remaining $2,424 will be raised by the Municipal Alliance Committee or provided by the municipality.
Funds added to temp budget
The Borough Council unanimously approved a resolution to add funds to the current temporary budget of $3,134,480, as approved Dec. 15.
The appropriations, totaling $2,986,500, include funds for legal services, the fire department, property maintenance, utilities and other necessities in the borough.
In addition, the borough has also added an additional $595,000 for sewer costs.
Recycling grant application OK’d
The Borough Council unanimously approved a resolution to authorize the submission of an application for a 2008 Recycling Tonnage Grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), to be used in a trust fund for the purpose of recycling only.
According to the resolution, in order to qualify for the grant, the municipality must keep accurate records of materials collected and claimed.
The NJDEP stipulates these grants can only be used to implement new recycling programs and expand existing ones.

