Mayor Collins Thanks Community for Pulling Together

Kinnelon Mayor Robert Collins thanked residents at Thursday's Borough Council for their positive attitude during the  that rocked the northeast, caused power outages and downed trees.

"I just want to extend a public thanks to our residents, because Kinnelon does things in a really positive manner on so many different fronts, and it shows when there are storms," Collins said.

The committee reports recapped the storm's impact on Public Safety and Public Works & Utilities, and also highlighted the efforts of municipal employees.  

Collins reported that local dispatchers handled over 1,400 telephone calls, which was more than during . He said that the borough superintendent was called in to remove a fairly large pine tree from utility wires that were sitting five feet off the ground on Boonton Avenue.

Collins recognized a resident, Becky Kalbfleisch, for going "above and beyond" during the snowstorm by offering to take in any elderly couples who might need a place to stay, and to assist as a practicing nurse in administering medication. 

The county is working on Kinnelon Road, which was compromised on August 28, and Collins said construction is going to move quickly. He spoke with freeholders last week and learned that the culvert pipe should be delivered in the next week or so, with the possibility of a completion date in late November rather than early December, as originally planned. 

Councilman Gary Moleta reported that The Borough of Kinnelon's website was used during the storm to get emergency messages out, letting people know where shelters were located and providing updates on the power situation. Moleta said this was instrumental in that it enabled families outside the area who had power to provide updates to people in Kinnelon who did not.

Moleta said that the police received over 2,000 calls for service this month, probably related to the storm. The public library also housed a lot of people during power outages. He said it was fortunate that the library did not lose power and that students were able to access the Internet to do homework. 

Councilman Dan O'Dougherty reported that the DPW's street cleanup is going well. He asked residents to bring all trees and branches that are in the right-of-way or on their property to the DPW. These items will not be picked up, so residents should not put them in the right-of-way. He said the borough is getting a grinder after Thanksgiving to make mulch from the pile of branches and trees at the DPW yard. The mulch will be used to landscape municipal grounds. Residents are also welcome to use the mulch, and can pick it up or have it delivered by filling out a request form. The DPW is open and Monday and Tuesday, 7 a.m.-4:45 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m.-5:45 p.m.

Mayor Collins wished all residents a happy Thanksgiving.

"It’s been a tough year for a number of us and I just want to extend that, because sometimes you count blessings in a very difficult situation. This has been a tough year," he said.