Politics & Government
Council Passes Early Morning Noise Restrictions
An ordinance passed Tuesday night restricts dumpster garbage collection prior to 7:00 a.m., in response to resident complaints.
In an ordinance it touts as an example of responsiveness to Fair Lawn residents, on Tuesday the Borough Council passed new garbage pick-up restrictions meant to reduce early morning noise pollution.
The ordinance, which was passed unanimously at Tuesday night’s council meeting, prohibits the collection of garbage from large dumpsters between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays. Previously pick-ups could be done as early as 6:00 a.m., prompting complaints from residents, including a well-directed one about two months ago.
“We had a resident reach out to us through email and she said that there was loud noise from the dumpsters,” said Councilman Kurt Peluso, who proposed the ordinance. “She didn’t go into too much detail, but she asked if there was anything we could do.”
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He and borough attorney Ron Mondello researched noise ordinances in surrounding towns and found that some had restrictions running as late as noon, convincing them that the additional hour of quiet would not adversely effect the Fair Lawn business community, which they also consulted during the process.
“They understood where we were coming from,” Peluso said, referring to discussions with the Chamber of Commerce as well as the River Road and Broadway Improvement Corporations. “They said they would prefer that we didn’t touch it, but understood that there were a lot of residents with concerns about the noise.”
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The ordinance, targeting collection from the large dumpsters typically used by businesses and construction contractors, will not effect municipal garbage pick-up, Peluso said.
He points to the issue as an example of the council working together in a bipartisan relationship to work out solutions to resident problems.
“We really want to stress that this is something the council wants to take very seriously, that if there is an issue from any of the residents, we really want to hear it.”
Deputy Mayor Ed Trawinski echoed his remarks in his comments on the ordinance Tuesday night. “This ordinance,” he said, “is a prime example of how your council listens to you.”
