New Brunswick Trash Truck Being Used To Help Lambertville

Residents and visitors in the City of Lambertville might have been confused recently when a City of New Brunswick trash truck was spotted collecting waste. However, the mayor said there’s a good reason.

A string of bad luck has hit the city’s waste collection fleet in recent months with a 1998 Volvo trash truck that was used as a back-up unit dying while on the road, a leaky fuel tank on the city’s main 2009 Freightliner trash truck, a smaller 2009 Chevy yard waste truck being pulled out of service for repairs, and damage to another truck.

In his weekly newsletters earlier this month, Mayor Andrew Nowick said the string of incidents left the city with limited options to collect trash, including crews using smaller trucks and a dumpster.

The mayor reported he worked with Public Works Director Lester Myers to create a back-up plan, but equipment has been in short supply and rentals and spares have proved nearly impossible to find.

With a crisis looming, Michael Drulis asked City of New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill to help. The mayor agreed to loan the City of Lambertville their back-up truck until the regular trash hauling truck is back in service.

“I haven’t met Mayor Cahill, but you can be sure I already know something of his character. Needless to say, a formal thank you is soon to be sent. Not only is he responsible for the continuation of our municipal trash service, he saved the city $15,000 in what we were going to have to pay for our next best option,” Nowick said.

The City of Lambertville is awaiting a new trash truck they ordered, but it has not yet arrived due to delays. The truck was among the equipment purchased with a $371,170 bond.