PERTH AMBOY – The Council and some residents agree that the City needs to crack down on how people dump their garbage. There was a difference of opinion as to the perception of just how dirty the City is.

Fernando Gonzalez

Resident Linda Ferria said that,  “The town is disgusting. And it only gets cleaned up towards election time.”

Former Councilman Fernando Gonzalez who is presently a Council Candidate said that residents on Catherine Street complain about bad smells coming from the sewers in that area. He suggested that  the Council Members “Take a walk and see for themselves. The residents said that they have called you guys up, but they are still having a  problem there. I can’t believe what I’m seeing.”

Council President Joel Pabon said, “I was on Catherine Street and saw no problem there. Addressing Ms. Ferria’s comments – yes it is election time, and I wish this place was packed all the time. I get up 3:00 a.m. and I start at 4:00 a.m. and the streets are spotless. Anyone can call me up and I will ride with them down their street. There are neighborhoods that are cleaner than others. It’s tough to listen to negativity, but there’s a way to say it. I’m not saying these negatives are not happening, but I’m not seeing all this (litter) and I go into different neighborhoods when I get off  from work.

Councilman Kenneth Gonzalez said, “We all go to different parts of the City. After the festivals in my area, we (my wife and I) have to clean up our property because some people are inconsiderate. In a noise ordinance from 1951, there was a complaint about noises getting worse. It’s time to take pride in the City.”

Council President Joel Pabon

Police Chief Benjamin Ruiz  came up to speak in reference to the quality of life. “We have 25 Auxiliary Police Officers who are all volunteers and they all have full time jobs. They get a stipend (It’s not a paid position). The City has given us as many resources as possible. We are part Civil Service. Twice per year we get to put people in the Academy. If we are lucky, we can get 6. All the criteria has to be met for them to graduate. Some of them have moved on to become correction officers or in other law enforcement positions. We have minimal personnel to cover the whole town. Our credibility with the residents to maintain the quality of life is important. Crime has changed. With serious crime we are in a better place than before. The City is divided into zones and sometimes Officers have to be called to cover another zone. The perfect amount of officers for a shift is 10. We have 8 or 9. We take into account vacation, personal, and sick time. By law, the Auxiliary Officers can only work 20 hours a week.

At the 9/24/14 Council Meeting F. Gonzalez thanked the Council for following up on the residents’ complaints about the smells from the sewers on Catherine Street. “But there is a restaurant on Hall Avenue and Catherine Street where the owner is complaining about smells coming from the sewer at that location. The owner says this happens every few years,” F. Gonzalez said, “Maybe the sewers throughout the City need to be checked.”

Pabon said, “I went to the corner where you (F. Gonzalez) complained about the sewers emitting a terrible smell when you were here the last time. (9/10/14 Council Meeting) I went there shortly thereafter and I talked to the residents. They looked at me like I had 3 heads. They didn’t know about the smells. I know the owner of that restaurant. If there is any kind of trouble with smells, he would have told me.”