Dumont's Green Initiative: Force or Farce?

Since the announcement in October 2008 and the April 16, 2009 kickoff of the Mayor's Advisory Committee on Green Initiatives, let's look back on what was accomplished in 2009:

Alternative Fuels: Despite grants available from the State of NJ and its mention in the December 2008 council meeting, no grants have been applied. The borough recently approved acquisition of conventionally fueled vehicles for the police department. This determination was made by running of only one Ford Diesel pickup on Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) mixed with varying percentages with Diesel even though no problems were reported. Is it just me or does it seem ironic that the very links offered by the committee regarding biofuels specifically caution against using SVO due to significant long-term risks? So why was the purpose of the ill-conceived evaluation again and it influenced the decision not to consider electric vehicles how?

Compost Containers: The program is run by Bergen County and has been going on for some years. Dumont cannot take credit for that, sorry.

Green Bins: I understand Dumont has some earned revenue (I guess currency counts as green) from sale of these containers. Can this revenue offset losses in other areas? For some reason I do not think so.

Recycling: Unless that commodity is gold, the market for common household recyclables such as cardboard, glass, newsprint, paper and plastic have collapsed. Revenues from these operations have been diminished, and in some cases have become an expense item. Will we be able to afford this?

Refuse Containers: The receptacles can be seen around town in public areas. How many are there again? It appears that what used to be a quality of life issue is now a green issue. OK, I guess...

Wind Turbines: There has been much talk about wind energy, but so far it appears to be hot air. Ordinances enabling construction and operation appear nowhere to be found. Wayne gets the credit here as a trailblazer in this area; however, a recent article indicates that the fiercest opponents to the wind turbine operator seem to be from nearby residents. NIMBY, anyone?

I think it's time to drop the Green Initiatives. The more it is discussed, the more residents expect results. Unless I missed covering something here, or 2010 is a blockbuster year for significant achievements that don't break the budget, this might become an albatross.

Back from Vacation

Videos of tonight's meeting will be ready for viewing by Wednesday morning. Enjoy!

Dumont Residents Have Spoken...

The machine can be defeated. Congratulations Ken!

From Carmine DeMarco at Bergennow.com:

Republican challenger wins Dumont Council seat

EXCLUSIVE - Interview with Council Candidate Ken Freeman

Q1 - Please tell me a little about yourself.

A: Born and raised in Dumont, I have lived here my entire life, graduating as Valedictorian of Dumont High School. Continuing my education at Rutgers University as a Finance major with a minor in Philosophy, I graduated first in my class with a 4.0 GPA. After graduation, I worked on Wall Street in Investment Banking for Deutsche Bank. Since being recruited away from Deutsche Bank, I have been with an Asset Management firm in Hoboken.


Q2 - Why are you running for Dumont Council?

A: I am a Republican and I want to provide a fresh voice and an alternate viewpoint to the current all Democrat Mayor and council. My financial background enables me to give strong oversight to the town’s finances.


Q3 - What is your platform?

A: I want to bring two-party government back to Dumont, which is crucial to any town, be a point of checks & balances for all council activities, and offer some fresh ideas and alternatives.

We have seen explosive growth in taxes over the past several years and I want to dig down to not only find out why, but to see what isn’t working with the current all Democrat administration and implement the changes needed to bring back stability so that our seniors don’t “have to” sell their homes. We need to provide young families with the programs and services needed to keep them in our town.


Q4 - If elected, what are your goals for the first 100 days? The first year?

A: When elected, I will listen to the people that I will be representing. I will be visible and available throughout my term, not just during election time. In addition, I will go over past budgets with a fine-toothed comb, seeking to eliminate redundancies and increase efficiency, especially in advancing shared services with other towns.


Q5 - If elected, you will be outnumbered. How do you think it will impact your goals?

A: Clearly I will have to work to foster relations and build consensus, but, when necessary, I will be a strong voice of opposition.


Q6 - Your opponents may say that you have not participated in community activities, implying that it is somehow a prerequisite. Do you think the charge is relevant?

A: I am a lifelong resident and I understand the town and the people very well. I was a minor league baseball umpire in town, and played sports growing up and in high school. I have volunteered for the homeless in the area, participated in walks for Breast Cancer and those with disabilities and I have donated blood numerous times. I believe each candidate should be judged on what they bring to the table, their integrity and their ability to produce results.

Is There Value Left in C3's Technology?

The value proposition of C3 has been that it utilizes patented technology to get us information that is local, relevant and timely to computers and cell phones. We are paying premium because it's worth it, we are told.

Yet in the April 22 Public Meeting at Borough Hall, Councilman McQuade asked why messages directed to his cell phone were not received in a timely manner. When the answers were unacceptable, the councilman pressed on. That persistence was met with the mayor's gavel.

In recent months C3 has added Twitter feeds to Dumont's website. We see how reliable that service is.

In recent months a new service has emerged that promises what C3 offers, at no cost to municipalities. Our neighbor in Oradell recently adopted it. This is what their Oradell's alert screen looks like. Now compare that with Dumont's alert screen. One would expect the free service to look cluttered and less polished, but that distinction appears to fall on C3's $1500 monthly service.

I brought this to the governing body's attention and merely asked them to look into it. Though the mayor said they would, I doubt it. Why not? Others may start asking why we are paying for a product others are getting for free.

It seems distracting that this ugly cloud continues to hang over the web contractor and their client municipalities.