To the editor:
I have spent many afternoons this summer meeting residents of our township and asking them what issues they would like to have addressed by our local officials. Over and over again, they repeat that the loss of bulky waste pickup is a problem they would like to have fixed.
Our problem with bulky waste pickup started last year when there was a fire in the Public Works garage which housed all of Hopewell Township’s trucks and other heavy equipment. I was shocked to learn that there were no working heat sensors installed in the main vehicle bay. The fire had eight hours to burn before it was detected and as a result, the township lost more than $3 million worth of equipment.
To date, insurance has only reimbursed us $690 thousand for these lost vehicles. The cost of replacing the destroyed equipment is a burden that all taxpayers have to bear, but why have we also had to forgo a valuable service in the interim? It’s time to bring back bulky waste pickup. And not a watered-down alternative — some committee members actually proposed that residents haul bulky waste to the Municipal Building. Great for some, but not for our seniors or anyone lacking a pickup truck or a strong back.
Local government has the opportunity to very directly affect the quality of life for the people it serves. I believe that we need to have the bulky waste issue solved quickly, not studied nor debated over the coming months. I also believe that we need to better protect the dollars that have already been invested by our government. The cost of a simple heat sensor is very small when compared to the cost of replacing the equipment (and lives) it protects.
I spoke at the Township Committee meeting on Monday night to bring this issue forward, and to support my fellow residents. Our community deserves a renewed bulky waste pickup program, not more excuses or delays. Let’s make this a priority.
Kristin McLaughlin
Hopewell Township
The writer is a Democratic candidate for Hopewell Township Committee.
