[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Ridgefield 2-26-1990 as Ord. No. 1395. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Department of Public Works — See Ch. 82
Dumping — See Ch. 172.
Hazardous materials — See Ch. 222.
Industrial wastes — See Ch. 243.
Littering — See Ch. 259.
Nuisances — See Ch. 278.
Property maintenance — See Ch. 310.
Recycling — See Ch. 317.
Sanitary Code — See Ch. 440.
The Council of the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Ridgefield finds and declares that waste disposal, especially solid waste disposal, is a matter of grave concern and extreme importance to the residents of the Borough of Ridgefield and elsewhere within the State of New Jersey; that a significant and increasing portion of the borough's budget is devoted to waste disposal; that increasing governmental regulation of waste and waste disposal has increased costs and requires more specialized knowledge and personal participation of responsible local public officials; and that it is in the best interests of the Borough of Ridgefield to create, maintain and operate a Municipal Sanitation Department.
There is hereby created a Sanitation Department of and within the Borough of Ridgefield, which Sanitation Department shall be a separate and independent department of the Borough of Ridgefield.
The Sanitation Department of the Borough of Ridgefield shall be responsible for the following. It shall:
A. 
Supervise the collection and disposal of solid waste, including items designated as recyclables, within the Borough of Ridgefield.
B. 
Ensure that the borough complies with all applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations concerning waste disposal.
C. 
Study and report to the Council the advisability, feasibility and cost of self-collection of solid waste by the borough.
D. 
Implement, coordinate and facilitate a plan for self-collection of garbage by the borough, if such a course is decided on by the Mayor and Council.
E. 
Operate and be responsible for a self-collection of garbage program if adopted by the Mayor and Council.
F. 
Perform such other duties and functions as may be reasonably related to and/or ancillary to any heretofore specified duties and areas of responsibility.
G. 
Perform such other duties and functions as may be assigned to it by the Mayor and Council and/or by the Committee on Public Works, as established by the Mayor and Council.
A. 
The head of the Sanitation Department shall be the Superintendent of Public Works, who shall be appointed by the Mayor and Council and who shall serve at the pleasure of the Mayor and Council. The term of office of the Superintendent of Public Works shall be one (1) year, commencing on January 1 of any given calendar year and ending December 31 of the same year. The Superintendent of Public Works shall be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Sanitation Department.
[Amended 8-26-1991 by Ord. No. 1451]
B. 
The Sanitation Department shall hire such other and further employees as may be deemed necessary and desirable by the Mayor and Council, including specifically, but without limitation, a foreman. Said other employees shall also be employees of the Sanitation Department.
[Amended 8-27-1990 by Ord. No. 1415]
C. 
The duties, responsibilities, hours of work and scope of employment and departmental rules and regulations of and pertaining to all employees, other than the Superintendent of Public Works, shall be as established by the Superintendent of Public Works, subject to ratification by the Public Works Committee of the Mayor and Council.
[Amended 8-26-1991 by Ord. No. 1451]
D. 
The salaries of all Sanitation Department employees, including the Superintendent of Public Works, shall be as established by the Public Works Committee of the Mayor and Council, subject to ratification by the Mayor and Council.
[Amended 8-26-1991 by Ord. No. 1451]
[Amended 8-27-1990 by Ord. No. 1415; 8-26-1991 by Ord. No. 1451]
The Sanitation Department and the Superintendent of Public Works and other employees of the Sanitation Department shall be under the supervision and control of a multilayered chain of command as follows:
A. 
The Sanitation Department and its employees, excluding the Superintendent of Public Works, shall report to and be under the direct supervision and control of the Director of Public Works. The foreman shall direct all employees in the absence of the Superintendent of Public Works.
B. 
The Superintendent of Public Works shall report to the Director of the Department of Public Works, provided that nothing contained herein shall imply or infer that the Sanitation Department is a part of or subdivision of the Department of Public Works.
C. 
As to any decision or action concerning the Sanitation Department made by the Superintendent of Public Works or the Director of the Department of Public Works, the same shall be subject to ratification, modification or rejection by the Public Works Committee of the Mayor and Council, which in turn shall be subject to ratification, modification or rejection by the Mayor and Council.
The salaries of all employees of the Sanitation Department shall be as established by the Public Works Committee of the Department of Public Works, subject to modification or rejection by the Mayor and Council.
It is specifically provided that the Mayor and Council may, by duly adopted resolution, implement a program for the self-collection of garbage. Once a decision to implement such a plan has been made, the plan shall be implemented, discharged and operated by the Sanitation Department. The Sanitation Department, with the advice and consent of the Mayor and Council, shall, from time to time, take all actions necessary and appropriate to implement and operate such a plan, including specifically, but without limitation, the establishment and operation of garbage collection schedules, procedures and operations.
A. 
The Superintendent of Public Works may promulgate rules and regulations pertaining to waste collection and disposal, which rules and regulations, when adopted by the Mayor and Council, shall have the force and effect of law.
[Amended 8-26-1991 by Ord. No. 1451]
B. 
A violation of any sanitation ordinance, including specifically, but without limitation, this chapter of the Code of the Borough of Ridgefield and any such rule or regulation, after adoption by the Mayor and Council, shall constitute an offense cognizable in the Municipal Court, punishable by a fine of up to five hundred dollars ($500.). Such an offense shall be charged by summons and complaint, issued according to law. The officials of the Sanitation Department, Department of Public Works, Building Department, Board of Health and Police Department are hereby authorized to enforce all sanitation ordinances, including specifically, but without limitation, this chapter and duly adopted rules and regulations.