The Mantua Township Public Works Department is reminding residents to safely dispose of all waste properly following a scare.
Public Works Supervisor Steve Alexander alerted the township committee about an incident on April 1 during trash collection where sanitation employees found an empty barbecue grill propane tank in the back of a garbage truck from a residential route.
“Ironically, on the news the other night, there was an incident in Delaware where a similar situation happened and it blew up,” said Alexander. The tank found in Mantua did not explode.
“It did jam our equipment and our guys had to go in and physically remove it,” added Alexander. “We saw it because the packing component of the trucks stopped working and jammed the tank.”
The county has hazardous waste disposal days where residents can drop off items such as a propane tank. The days can be found at www.GCIANJ.com.
Alexander also said the public works yard is closed to residents during the construction of the new building to allow for crews to work effectively. He added residents can drop off household trash to the building on the fourth Saturday of the month until construction is completed. The next drop off is April 27, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and residents will be asked to prove residency to dispose of items.
He added there are plans to update Chestnut Branch Park and the Municipal Building’s landscapes in the next few weeks to make them visually presentable. Wildflowers, trees and shrubs are expected to go in the park, and he hopes to change out the mulch for river rocks for the Municipal Building’s parking lot islands.
In other news:
- Police Chief Darren White said the department will look to do more Coffee with a Cop events as the weather warms up.
- Ptl. Bill Donovan and his K-9 Boomer officially graduated the academy and were recently used for a non-specific gun threat to one of Pitman’s schools.
- The Gloucester County Police Chiefs Association is hosting a wine tasting event on April 11 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Aulettos. Tickets are $40 and include a tasting. They can be purchased by contacting the association’s Facebook page.
- The police department is investigating how a patrol car caught fire. White said it doesn’t look suspicious and it adds to another vehicle in need of replacement (one other car had a blown motor).
- After a comment from a resident, Jennica Bileci, township administrator, said she’ll request Atlantic City Electric to come back out to Jackson Road to clean up the trees it cut down.
- Bileci also added the township is looking to do a capital infrastructure on its IT after a North Jersey town was hit with a $200,000 ransomware and its insurance recommended the township to upgrade it, which would come out of the budget.
- VFW Awards are on April 13 starting at 6 p.m. at the post (8 New York Ave., Mantua).
- The Memorial Day Parade is scheduled to proceed through Wenonah to Mantua.
- The township received a $190,000 grant from the state to do reconstruction on East Warren Avenue.
The next committee meeting is scheduled for April 15 beginning at 6 p.m. at the Municipal Building (401 Main St., Mantua).
