"The Right Guy for the Job:" Picone New Head of Public Works

Guy Picone has lived in Paramus for all but one of his 47 years.

A Paramus High School graduate, he's served on the Volunteer Ambulance Corps, fire company 2, and has worked for the Borough since 1984, serving as director of fleet operations in 2005 until Feb. 1., when he became the director of Public Works.

He'll take charge of a newly reorganized department, which will include fleet maintenance, in addition to sanitation, roads and sewers, and 71 employees. The Borough Council picked him for the responsibility, from a field of 11 candidates.

"We discussed it as a Mayor and Council and we felt that he's the right guy for the job for a lot of reasons," Councilman Eric Nazziola, chair of the Department of Public Works committee, said.

Picone will make the same $113,492 salary he made as director of fleet operations, and will receive a $5,000 bump after a six-month probationary period. Among his first challenges will be to scrutinize the department's budget, as all the department heads are being asked to do, said Borough Administrator Joseph D'Arco.

"Hopefully [they will be] answering the question they were asked: 'How can we be more efficient and what can we do to improve the savings?'" he said.

Picone has a few answers. For one, he'd like to incorporate new technology into the department's operations, specifically to improve the fuel economy of the Borough's vehicles.

He also wants to see how the Department of Public Works can make money. He suggested that the Borough could sell recyclables, like waste oil.

Picone will also be in charge of snow removal, on which the Borough spent more than $260,000 during a frigid January. While it's unlikely February will be quite as snowy, Picone will have to deal with the potholes left in the snow's wake.

The Paramus native feels he's up to the challenge.

"My main goal is to continue to provide the best services to the residents," he said. "I want to continue to make Paramus an outstanding town."