COLTS NECK – The Township Committee has hired Dane Richards as a Special Law Enforcement Officer Class II to work part-time in the Colts Neck Police Department.
Richards was sworn in as a member of the police force by Mayor Russell Macnow during the committee’s Dec. 13 meeting.
Class II special officers are authorized to exercise full police powers and duties similar to those of a permanent, regularly appointed full-time police officer. Class II officers may only carry a firearm while engaged in the performance of their official duties and when specifically authorized by the police chief.
Police Chief Kevin Sauter noted that in the early days of the police department, special officers were the only officers employed. The police department started in 1984 and did not have all full-time officers until 1990, he said.
Municipal officials said Richards is a volunteer firefighter in Eatontown. He graduated from the Monmouth County Police Academy in May and has earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Monmouth University.
Richards will be working 24 hours a week, assisting in municipal court and with the police department’s traffic officers and traffic enforcement duties.
“We want to welcome Dane and his family aboard and welcome them to our law enforcement and community family,” Sauter said.
The chief took a moment to praise Colts Neck’s police officers, saying, “I want to thank our officers who keep us safe every day and night. They do a great job. These men and women are out there night and day, in snow, sleet and hail while everyone else is home in bed. They make sure people are safe on the roads and (serve) as first responders as well.”
In other business, committee members awarded a contract to Sakoutis Brothers Disposal Company, Colts Neck, for the township’s recycling services for 2018 and 2019, with an option for 2020.
The contract was divided into a base bid for 2018 and 2019 and an optional bid for 2020 and included every other week curbside single-stream recycling pickup. The winning bid submitted by Sakoutis Brothers was $189,950 for the 2018 and 2019 contract and a $94,975 bid for 2020.
Other bids were received from Waste Management, Ewing, ($300,300 base bid and $152,576 optional bid); Republic Services, Tinton Falls, ($220,000 base bid and $115,000 optional bid); and M&S Waste Services, Middletown, ($221,070 base bid and $114,420 optional bid).
Finally, committee members approved the submission of an application for fresh water wetlands and flood hazard area permits to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in regard to the possible reconstruction of the police department/municipal courthouse building.
Earlier this year, officials discussed possible renovations to that building and/or the construction of a new building to house those operations. They called the current building “obsolete.”
Officials said their initial plan is to construct a new police station/courthouse in 2019 when Colts Neck is scheduled to retire a significant amount of debt. They said a new building could be constructed next to the Colts Neck Library, across from the current police station/courthouse.