Township to contractors: Don't dump on us
Township will no longer accept construction debris at public works

BY PATRICIA A. MILLER Staff Writer

Some area contractors have been charging homeowners a fee to dispose of construction debris, then taking it to the public works facility and dumping it for free, Brick Township officials said.

 

It's a practice that will come to an end in a few weeks, after the Township Council adopts an ordinance that will forbid the disposal of construction debris at the Ridge Road facility.

"We have builders using it as much as 128 times in one year," Councilman Brian DeLuca said at the Feb. 3 Township Council meeting. "They are not going to accept vans or truckloads of Sheetrock. That will not be accepted here anymore."

Contractors will now have to truck the debris to the Ocean County Landfill in Manchester Township, where the current tipping fee is $72 a ton, he said.

"They are charging the homeowner to take away the construction materials," DeLuca said. "They should be taking it down to Manchester Township, where they would have to pay for it."

"That's all profit," council President Joseph Sangiovanni said. "We're going to take that away."

Township Council members unanimously introduced an ordinance at the meeting that forbids the disposal of construction debris at the public works facility and also places limits on the number of times residents can use it annually for certain items.

"We are finding out that over 2,000 people had 12 or more visits per year," he said.

Brick took in 556,000 tons of construction debris at the facility last year, which cost the township, and ultimately the taxpayers, $58,000, DeLuca said.

The township purchased Pitney-Bowes software over a year ago that can track every time a resident or contractor uses the public works facility and what they dispose of, Township Administrator Scott M. Pezarras said after the meeting.

The software uses the bar code on tax bills to scan in what came in and when, he said.

The new ordinance will not apply to recyclables and household trash that residents bring to the Ridge Road facility.

"Some people like to get their trash up there faster than we can pick it up once a week," he said.

Residents can still call Public Works Director Glenn Campbell and say, 'Come pick up my couch,' " Councilman Michael Thulen said. "That's not changing. It's mostly the construction debris. We don't want to take any construction debris anymore. Let's set a standard in a low [construction] time. I think it's a good idea."

"The township is just taking the initiative to eliminate the abuse," Councilman Daniel Toth said. "We have all been footing the bill over so many years. Everybody who lives in Brick is paying for that in terms of tonnage and tipping fees at the landfill."

Residents who are doing small home projects and have to get rid of a door frame or a few pieces of lumber will be given some leeway, DeLuca said.

The township administration is also looking into the economic feasibility of buying a scale and accepting construction debris from contractors and other municipalities down the road, Pezarras said.

The township could charge $80 a ton for disposal, compared to the Ocean County Landfill's $72 per ton, he said.

"If we find that a lot of homeowners are complaining [about the new ordinance], it's something we'll have to look into," Pezarras said. "Obviously we would have to change the ordinance. But for now, we are just not going to accept any."

The ordinance also limits residents to 12 trips a year to the public works facility to drop off solid waste, bulk items, metal, water-based paint, clothes, batteries and electronics.