State to Harvest Lake Hopatcong's Weeds

The Lake Hopatcong Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved a that will hand over the responsibility and costs of harvesting weeds from Lake Hopatcong.

The agreement approved on Tuesday covers only the transfer of equipment, said Russell Felter, LHC chair and mayor of Jefferson Township. However, Felter said the state has verbally committed to hire one full-time commission employee and six full-time seasonal employees. 

“Senators Bucco and Oroho and I have received commitment that these positions will be available," Felter said. "These are Civil Service jobs and they have salary guidelines. We’re pretty close for the salary on the seasonal employees, but we’re working on the salary for the full-time employee. That person has to be fit into one of the salary steps.”

The current employees would have to apply for the state positions and be interviewed like any other candidate under the state’s Equal Opportunity Employment regulations, said commissioner Kerry Kirk-Pflugh.

“Once we get the salary issue worked out, the employees will be able to start right away,” Felter said.

Commissioner Dan McCarthy expressed concern that the commission would receive regular updates on harvesting progress.

“We’ve always gotten regular reports on what sections have been harvested, and progress updates,” McCarthy said. “I want to be sure we still get that.”

Felter said that the commission could request regular reports from the DEP. In addition, Steve Ellis of the New Jersey State Park Service said that type of reporting is what his crew members routinely do.

“Nothing will change from what you’re used to,” Ellis said. “We will provide progress reports.”

At the same time, the state Senate Environment and Energy Committee approved Bill, S-495, that would give the cash-strapped LHC $400,000 to pay for preservation and cleanup of the lake. The money, which would come from state pleasure boat registration fees, would go into a newly created "Lake Hopatcong Fund."

Sens. Anthony Bucco (R-25) and Steven Oroho (R-24) sponsored the legislation.

The bill will next go before the state assembly; however, the assembly is in recess for several weeks, according to Kirk-Pflugh.

“The bill was posted last Thursday in committee, but it won’t be discussed in assembly until April or May,” she said.

LHC administrator Donna Macalle-Holly also said that she would take care of removing the harvesting equipment from the commission’s insurance policy, as the DEP will also be responsible for insuring the equipment.

“There will be no gap in insurance,” she said. “Once I get notice that the state has taken over insurance, I will take care of getting ours dropped. When the commission takes over the equipment again, I will get it insured again.”

Correction: An earlier version of this article said the state Department of Environmental protection had agreed to hire six seasonal commission workers.