JAMESBURG: Borough still wary of fickle weather

The borough will be ready if another snowstorm hits the state.

By Jenine Clancey, Special Writer
JAMESBURG — The borough will be ready if another snowstorm hits the state.
   Councilman Brian Taylor said the head of public works has made all repairs on equipment, including plows during Wednesday night’s Borough Council meeting.
   ”This hard winter has caused a lot of wear and tear,” said Taylor. “Public works is up and ready to go, 100 percent. They have salt.”
   Borough Clerk Tanya Pannucci said public feedback about the snow removal this year has been positive.
   ”We have had a good response, people are understandable because we only have a three-man crew,” said Ms. Pannucci. “We haven’t been able to get these machines fixed. We kept putting it off. We couldn’t put it off any longer.”
   Councilman Tom Gibbons also brought forth an initiative from the Consolidation Committee Report to install solar panels on 15 government buildings.
   Calling it a “tremendous benefit for the town,” Mr. Gibbons explained the savings could be as high as 20 percent.
   About a handful of solar companies have provided Mr. Gibbons with quotes and property managers have sent over electric bills.
   The solar companies said there will be no installation fee, and that they will own the solar panels.
   Some board members questioned the idea, saying it was too “good to be true” for people in the town not to pay the initial installation.
   Mr. Gibbons, however, was quick to keep the council’s fears at bay.
   ”These companies pay back through the savings that the town makes,” said Mr. Gibbons. “They give us a set rate for 15 years, so we can anticipate in our budget what electric expenses will be. The over-amount of usage, will give money back to them. The borough had looked into this initiative in the past, but had to rely on government grants. Now, with these companies becoming so big it has become a lot easier.”
   Some of the buildings that are already being audited are borough hall, some of the schools and the library.
   Mayor Marlene Lowande said the consolidation committee plans on reaching out to neighboring towns to join in on the initiative and seek proposal.
   ”I am trying to do this all with zero expense for the town,” said Mr. Gibbons who took a course on solar energy when he retired from a career in education. “I loved the whole idea, the whole concept. The sun shines on us all, so why not take advantage of it.”