Fair Lawn Schools, Borough Sharing More Services

Fair Lawn's municipal government and schools already share some services, like vehicle maintenance, but the two entities are now seeking more joint operations as a means of saving taxpayer money.

A recent meeting between school and borough officials already netted one new shared service. The schools, which generally only need a small amount of parking lot repaving each year, will piggyback on the borough's paving contract. The town repaves miles of road each year and gets a better bulk rate than the schools can alone, according to Deputy Mayor Ed Trawinski.

There are also a number of small shared services. For example, a water department employee will lock Sasso Field at the end of the day, Trawinski said.

The two may also work together on a future solar panel project, according to school board member John Mancinelli. The borough had previously looked into installing the panels on municipal buildings, but found they did not have enough room for it to be worthwhile for an investor.

Mancinelli said he expected that the schools, with their large roofs and parking lots, may have enough space to make a solar project feasible.

"We're trying to develop a joint project with the borough that is big enough to attract the investment money to Fair Lawn," he said.

Trawinski said the solar project could be "extremely important for the taxpayers of Fair Lawn."

Before they can go ahead with the project, the schools will have to undergo an energy audit like the borough recently did. The state Board of Public Utilities will pay for the audit, Mancinelli said.