Dear Editor:

Our township administrations speaks of no tax raises and no loss of services. These photos show perhaps a service that does not function as it should, which means paying for something your not getting, or service lost.

These three photos are the Lake Hiawatha Elementary School property, the above photo shows an on-going address that fails to put out the garbage and recycles properly on a regular basis.

The Sanitation crew here March 11 simply tagged the bag and left the debris in the street and right over a storm drain. How much effort would it have taken to simply collect the recycles? The fact that it could be left in this condition is revealing, in the lack of conscience discipline, employer expectations of duties and responsibilities and “Pride in Parsippany” which alledegly invest the town. 

No fines or penalities are forthcoming, instead we have businesses and property owners along North Beverwyck that use municipal trash and recycle container (always mixed) for their private use, at tax-payers expense. No effort by this administration has been forthcoming in remedying this obvious and on-going condition. The North Beverwyck business district is a disgrace and will continue to be as long as the Mayor accepts this behavior and lacks the will to enforce ordinances.

In fact at Town Council meetings it has been stated ordinances are not law, and are only guidelines. This citizen conjectures there is more to it than that, that the lack of will to uphold ordinances is political in nature, in that if they were enforced financial contributions may not be forthcoming, so businesses and certain property owners are allowed to inflict costs on the average tax payers by using municipal receptacles for their businesses. Businesses should be made to provide their own recycle containers, and pay for their own waste collection service, not use town or common property. Their lack of discipline costs us all in accumulative effects at the tipping stations for mixed trash. This must already be occuring in relation to the situation on North Beverwyck . It was food waste that brought the rats.

Recycle laws have been in existence for a long time and recycling predates even the actual law. What excuses can continually be used not to force the ordinances? It has been mentioned that education is required. I give you the school yard where subconsciously children are impressed with the surrounding norms of condition and example. The other explanation about sanitation is the other cultures; true perhaps to a degree, but what culture exactly; the culture of garbage, convenience and disrespect allowed and tolerated, with apathy and corporate irresponsibility? The BOE claimed that it was the first time anyone ever complained about the school property, which says much. 

All parents, teachers and citizens need to take a look around, community is the people who make that community, if there is trash in front of your street, or the conditions of where you go are unaccepatable or ongoing take action yourself or at least notice it, complain but do something about it. Citizens also need to make their sanitation crews held responsible while performing their duties; if they spill something and don’t clean up they should be reported. This town has one Sanitation Enforcement officer, not enough, and he is not being allowed to fine offenders but only give notice. It is pure nonesense that certain locations along North Beverwyck are constantly dumped on and the culprits identified by mail and other obvious evidence ,can not be given summons unless they are actually seen, Singas Pizza for one. This is a tactic used for political purposes only. The Lake Hiawatha Business district is costing all Parsippany tax payers. 

When becoming a citizen it must be taught to be respecttful in keeping common places trash free, including daily cleaning in immediate spaces, including the gutters and stormdrains. Without making this an issue of concern the Mayor is not doing his job and is putting business over community in hopes of gaining favor. No code of conduct would condone this apathy, at the same time alleging pride in Parsippany or patriotism of any sort. 

Recently the County and local Police began advocating for three addition jobs to baby sit and spy on our school children in the name of possible terrorism, fear mongering. Two 50K one 75K a year with benefits. This is absurd. It would be better to hire sanitation inspectors that do their job and enforce ordinances by combing the whole town and keeping up with on-going offenders. This is what the times call for. This would also bring revenue and come to grips with those who place their own convenince above the responsibility of community and the collective. There are others ways to safe guard our children. We cannot live in constant fear encouraged by those whom stand to benefit from creating the very conditions that brought us to this state of social decay. 

We need litter free school zones and sanitation crews that aren’t lazy; not police in schools that sanction fear while all things around us demise our quality of life and are passed on as norms. 

Nick Homyak