Glen Rock Done With Storm Cleanup, Officials Say

Glen Rock has  and has transitioned to leaf collection pickup, officials said Tuesday.

"They're on a secondary sweep through town," Councilwoman Mary Jane Surrago, DPW liaison, told Patch. Surrago reported it took 25 days to clean the storm debris after the .

The latest figures show overtime for the borough will hit just north of $40,000, Surrago said. Initial forecasts pointed to $20,000 in overtime, though the scope of work was greater than first anticipated, officials have said.

"I think things have gone very well," Mayor John van Keuren said of the storm cleanup Tuesday. Asked of the financial ramifications, he said: "We'll have to find ways to absorb it in the budget."

But the worst is behind them, Glen Rock officials said.

Officials say Public Works recently completed a repeat sweep of District 1, which had been cleaned in the early stages of the pickup effort, and is closing in on a secondary sweep of District 2.

"Because [storm-related] cleanup is done we're working on general leaf cleanup, so we're no longer taking large branches," Surrago said. "The men are tagging large branches on the curb to advise residents they'll have to take them to the Recycling Center."

The  off Doreumus Ave. features mountainous piles of debris and was a hub of activity on Saturday, Surrago said. The tub grinder – shared with Ridgewood – is busting debris, though removal too will incur an expense. Estimates, she said, are expected to reach the council in January and it's not clear what the numbers may be.

Surrago estimated that the vast majority of leaf cleanup will be done by December 15 – each district takes about a day to a day-and-a-half, more than half the time debris removal takes, she said. The councilwoman remained hopeful Glen Rock could avoid snowstorms until then, though recent forecasts may cast doubts. 

Although workers are now primarily tasked to clear the leaves piling up on curbs, dangers in overhanging branches remain. Workers had whisked through the streets this weekend to clear some hazards, but cannot take action if branches are touching wires.

The mayor heaped praise on the DPW and workers from other departments for their efforts.

"From my perspective the DPW workers did an excellent job," van Keuren said, adding Glen Rock appeared to have done a better job than some of its neighbors. "They worked Saturdays and Sundays. I think they were very diligent in their work."