What's The Deal With All That Dirt?

The mound of dirt that seemed to appear overnight on the corner of Ravine Drive and Matawan Road in mid-September must go, the Matawan Borough Council said at their regular action meeting Monday night.

The topic was brought up by Council President Andy Lopez, who noted that several residents have called to complain about the large pile of soil taking over the parking lot near Lake Lefferts.

"It's now become a mountain," Lopez said. 

According to Borough Engineer Robert Keady, excess dirt is an expected byproduct of the 2011 road program. However, the construction company responsible for repaving and repairing the roads, James R. Ientile, Inc. was not authorized to store the excess dirt in the borough, according to both Keady and Mayor Paul Buccellato.

"This has never happened before, they've always taken the soil away immediately," Councilwoman Linda Clifton said. She is concerned that if the dirt isn't removed soon, it will be stuck there until the temperatures rise in the spring.

Keady explained to the council that Ientile, Inc. told him they must test the dirt before it can be removed. The test has been done, but the results are not in, he said.

The current streets being addressed by the 2011 road program are Schenk Road, Fawn Drive, Steamboat Alley and Highland Avenue.

Notes from the Dec. 19 Regular action meeting:

• Mayor Paul Buccellato introduced a resolution declaring Tuesday, Dec. 20 as "Matawan Regional High School Day." The resolution, which was approved, is in honor of the accomplishments of the , the and the marching band. 
• The council expressed concern that the roads being fixed during this year's road program will not be finished by the time the asphalt plants close down for the winter. They asked Robert Keady, the borough engineer, to discuss with the company a way to prepare the roads for winter in a way that won't allow snow and ice to damage the work done so far.
• The council renewed an agreement with Patriot Consulting Group. Patriot Counseling is responsible for supplying the borough administrator, Barbara Bascam. Bascam explained that she is technically employed by Patriot and not the borough. She also said that the borough can use Patriot for advise on costs savings projects. Hazlet used the company to complete the study on the .