Englishtown OKs Shared Services Plan With Manalapan Public Works

ENGLISHTOWN-MANALAPAN, NJ — The Englishtown Borough Council has authorized the town to enter into a shared services agreement with Manalapan for its Department of Public Works services.

Mayor Daniel Francisco said the agreement still has to be approved by the Manalapan Township Committee, but it is expected to become effective April 1.

Manalapan Mayor Mary Ann Musich said the proposed agreement will be discussed at the Manalapan Township Committee meeting on Wednesday. "I think it will be mutually beneficial," she said on Friday.

As part of the agreement, the Englishtown Council voted in a special meeting March 5 to dissolve the Englishtown Department of Public Works and its positions. Francisco said the DPW department has recently been down to just one employee. The vote was 4-2.

The borough will keep its DPW equipment for potential other uses and maintain the equipment, he said.

He said working with Manalapan has been a positive experience. "They've been very gracious," he said, adding that the provision would allow the borough to restore its own DPW if it chose to in the future.

He said the agreement is for $100,000. It would enable the borough to receive such services as leaf and snow removal, but would also give it access to other functions in Manalapan's department, such as the sign shop and access to equipment such as a stage to be able to put on festivals in the borough.

That, Francisco said, would help in the Borough Council's goal to offer more community events.

Also, Manalapan has a patcher to repair potholes and the agreement would also give borough residents access to the more comprehensive Manalapan recycling facility, Francisco said.

But he emphasized that not all the details are worked out as yet, however he said the agreement "is invariably more affordable than having a fully staffed DPW."

Francisco said the dissolution of the borough department was not on the council's horizon, but that "purely various circumstances" presented themselves to make it a more viable option.

The borough does not handle waste management services through the DPW, but rather has a garbage utility using a private contractor for garbage removal. Residents are billed separately for that, Francisco said.