Tuesday, April 30, 2013
The work to install a fiber optic network at the borough's elementary and middle schools will allow them to share Internet service with Pascack Valley High School.
New fiber optic cables being installed at Hillsdale's three K-8 schools will allow the district to enter a shared service agreement with Pascack Valley High School that will improve Internet speed and save the district money. The Hillsdale Board of Education approved a $110,137.43 contract with Millennium Communications Group to install the network and an additional $2,300 for an annual inspection after the warranty period during their meeting Monday night. Millennium submitted the lowest of three bids for the project, according to district officials. The funds for the project have been alloted in this year's $21 million budget. The Hillsdale and Pascack Valley Regional Boards of Education both previously voted to approve a shared service …
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
The Washington Township Council voted in favor of pursuing a shared emergency dispatch service with Westwood, but Mayor Janet Sobkowicz said she would keep dispatching in the township.
The Washington Township Council voted 4-1 Monday to pursue a shared service with Westwood for emergency dispatching, but Mayor Janet Sobkowicz said she would not consent to the deal. "We're going to stay in-house," Sobkowicz said. Westwood officials had proposed they could host emergency dispatching for both towns in the Westwood Police Department at an average cost of $132,000 per year, plus some expenses for equipment upgrades. As mayor, Sobkowicz is needed to sign any contracts the township enters. In the spring, she refused to sign a contract for shared dispatching with Bergen County after the council had voted in favor of that, too. Some councilmen expressed frustration with Sobkowicz's veto power. "There is absolutely no reason for …
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Westwood Mayor John Birkner said he hopes the borough will be able to finalize a deal with Washington Township for shared emergency dispatching before January 1, 2013.
Westwood Mayor John Birkner said this week that he hopes to have a shared emergency dispatching service in place before the end of the year. After months of discussion, the borough proposed that it could host dispatching for itself and Washington Township with a team of civilian dispatchers in the Westwood Police Department. Civilian dispatchers are paid less than police officers covering the desk. "We have a good proposal on the table," Birkner said. "We are simply waiting for the township to do their due diligence." Township councilmen informally moved toward accepting the borough's plan during their last meeting, but some details still need to be negotiated, officials said. The council will also need the support of Washington Township …
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Washington Township and Westwood officials have been considering sharing emergency dispatching in the borough's police department. Now township officials are looking at the opposite plan.
Washington Township officials said Monday that they would examine the possibility of hosting emergency dispatching for Westwood. The two towns have been considering a proposal from Westwood to host the township's dispatching, but that plan would involve the Washington Township Police Department being closed at night. Both towns would also help pay for some new equipment for Westwood's dispatch center, much of which the township already has, according to Mayor Janet Sobkowicz. Township councilmen agreed during their meeting Monday that Westwood's plan was good, but that they should investigate the possibility of hosting dispatching for the borough. "Maybe we can give them a better number," Councilman Glenn Beckmeyer said. Westwood's …
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Westwood and Washington Township officials are considering a plan to have the borough host the township's emergency dispatching.
Westwood Mayor John Birkner and Police Captain Frank Durante attended the Washington Township Council's meeting Monday to answer questions about a possible shared service agreement between the two towns for emergency dispatching. The plan is one of many that local officials have examined for ways to save money on emergency dispatching, though Washington Township councilmen previously said they believed this plan would solve many of the issues residents and emergency officials had with other proposals, such as using Bergen County's dispatch service in Mahwah. "I'm very comfortable with Westwood's ability to provide this service seamlessly," township Councilman Steve Cascio said. Westwood's proposal is that Washington Township would pay an …
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Officials from both towns said they are getting close to reaching a shared service agreement for emergency dispatching.
Officials are examining a plan to have Westwood perform emergency dispatching for Washington Township, though the plan may result in the township's police department being closed at night. Under the plan, emergency dispatching for both towns would be done by a team of four full-time civilian dispatchers, with some per diem dispatchers as needed. Washington Township has been increasing the use civilians, but still has police officers cover their dispatch desk at more expensive rates than civilians in some shifts. The plan addresses some concerns about other shared dispatching services. Township officials had previously considered joining Bergen County's dispatching in Mahwah, but many local emergency responders spoke against the plan …
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Westwood Mayor John Birkner proposed the borough could host their own and Washington Township's emergency dispatching services to save money for both towns.
Shared dispatching is still an option for Westwood and Washington Township to save money, according to local officials. Washington Township councilmen said at their meeting this week they were still open to investigating a proposal from Westwood Mayor John Birkner that the towns share emergency dispatching services. Birkner shared the idea in March and sent a proposal to township officials in April, but they had not yet given an official response because they wanted to know more about the capital costs associated with the plan. According to a letter from Westwood Police Chief Frank Regino to the members of the Westwood Borough Police Committee, a test run with shared dispatching for the two towns "was relatively quiet." Dispatchers fielded…
Monday, July 16, 2012
Hillsdale and other towns in the Pascack Valley have been considering sharing courts to save money.
Officials from Montvale, Woodcliff Lake and Park Ridge decided they would not add Hillsdale to the shared Tri-Boro Court, according to a report on NorthJersey.com. Hillsdale Councilman Douglas Frank told Patch last week that the borough was investigating several options for sharing its court services with other Pascack Valley towns, including the Tri-Boro Court, which is based in Montvale. They have also met with Westwood, Washington Township and River Vale officials, Frank said. "We're looking at every possibility," Frank previously said. However, the committee in charge of the Tri-Boro Court decided last week that they would not include Hillsdale because fees paid by the borough would not be enough to justify an expansion, according to …
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Officials in numerous area towns are researching the potential savings of sharing their courts in one location.
Westwood, Washington Township and Hillsdale officials met recently to discuss the possibility of sharing municipal courts to save money. Some of the shared costs would likely include court personnel like the judge, clerk and bailiff, according to Washington Township councilman Steve Cascio. Only one of the towns would host the court, which would be upgraded with a metal detector and secured seats. Cascio said the plan is still in preliminary stages and the full costs need to be determined before they can move ahead. While the details still need to be worked out, Cascio said the goal is to get the best service possible for the best price. "We're just trying to cut cost and give taxpayers the best bang for their buck," Cascio said. Hillsdale…
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Officials from Washington Township, Westwood, Hillsdale and other area towns are investigating their options for shared emergency dispatching services in order to save money.
The Borough of Emerson recently entered the continuing talks for shared dispatching services, according to Washington Township Mayor Janet Sobkowicz. Sobkowicz said she met with officials from Emerson to discuss the possibility of the borough hosting the township's emergency calls in their civilian dispatch center. Currently, Washington Township's dispatching is performed by a mix of police officers and civilian dispatchers in police headquarters. At their meeting this week, township councilmen also discussed a proposal from Westwood to share dispatching based in Westwood. A test in March found that Westwood could handle emergency calls from both towns. Council President Richard Hrbek said they needed to formally respond to the proposal, …
Jeffrey Tammen
11:17 pm on Saturday, December 8, 2012
Just so you know the issue is with the township . You are so smart you found me out wow rocket scienctist I bet lmao more ›