City of Hackensack, NJ Chapter 34 Public Works, Department of

[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Hackensack 1-22-2002 by Ord. No. 1-2002. Amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 34-1 Establishment; duties; administration.

A. There shall be established a Department of Public Works.

B. The functions and duties of the Department of Public Works shall include but not be limited to the maintenance of streets, drainage, public buildings and places, water and waste water, solid waste, motor vehicles, or similar items related to the physical plant and infrastructure of the City.

C. Subject to the authority of the City Manager, the Department shall be headed by a Superintendent who shall be appointed by the City Manager. Said Superintendent shall have, or shall receive, certification as a Certified Public Works Manager pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:9-154.4 et seq.

D. There is hereby established the position of Assistant Superintendent, who shall be appointed by the City Manager. It shall be the duty of the Assistant Superintendent to:

(1) Perform such tasks and assume such responsibilities as may be assigned to him or her from time to time by the Superintendent.

(2) Act in the place and stead of the Superintendent during the Superintendent's absence.

(3) Have charge of and supervise the work of employees engaged in refuse collection and disposal, street sweeping, and all related and supplementary activities in the Division of Sanitation and Recycling.

§ 34-2 Divisions within Department.

A. Within the Department of Public Works, the following Divisions are hereby created:

(1) Parks and Playgrounds Division.

(2) Public Buildings and Maintenance Service Division.

(3) Sanitation and Recycling Division.

(4) Streets and Sewers Division.

(5) Tree Division.

(6) Vehicular Fleet Division.

B. In addition to the direct supervisory responsibilities of the Assistant Superintendent over the Sanitation and Recycling Division, said Division shall also contain the position of Recycling Coordinator, which is hereby created. The Recycling Coordinator shall be appointed by the City Manager.

C. The Parks and Playgrounds Division, the Public Buildings and Maintenance Service Division, the Streets and Sewers Division, the Tree Division, and the Vehicular Fleet Division shall each contain the position of Supervisor, which is hereby created. Said supervisors shall be appointed by the City Manager.

§ 34-3 Department employees.

A. All other City employees assigned to the Department of Public Works shall be appointed by the City Manager.

B. The positions and compensation of all employees shall be fixed and determined consistent with the annual Salary Ordinance adopted by the City Council pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 17, § 17-10, of the Code of The City of Hackensack, New Jersey.

§ 34-4 Tree Division Supervisor, duties and responsibilities.

[Added 4-11-2023 by Ord. No. 20-2023]

A. The City employee assigned to serve as Supervisor of the Tree Division of the Department of Public Works, subject to the oversight of the Superintendent of Public Works and the City Manager, shall be the City official primarily responsible for the following matters:

(1) For those trees on City property that are not the responsibility of the owner of a property adjacent to a public right-of-way or easement as established by § 162-2B of the City Code, the planting, cultivating, pruning, spraying or removal of any tree or shrub.

(2) Determining whether any diseased, decayed or otherwise damaged tree situated on public property or within a public right-of-way presents a public hazard or creates a blight and therefore must be pruned or removed.

(3) Promptly addressing any requests by a public utility company for the pruning or removal of trees within a utility right-of-way.

(4) Enforcing, along with other applicable City employees and officials, the provisions of Chapter 162 of the City Code, which establishes various rules and regulations governing shade trees located on public property or in the public right-of-way in front of any established lot or parcel in the City.

(5) Researching and utilizing the best available practices for planting, maintaining, and/or removing trees located on City property.

B. The Supervisor of the Tree Division may consult with the Shade Tree Advisory Committee as necessary and appropriate to effectively perform his or her duties and shall serve as the City's liaison to the Shade Tree Advisory Committee in all matters for which said is Committee empowered to provide guidance and direction. Under no circumstances shall such consultation delay the removal of any dead, diseased, decaying or otherwise damaged tree that may present a risk to public safety.

C. Nothing in this section is intended to modify or limit in any way the provisions of § 162-2B of the City Code, which establishes that the maintenance of any shade tree, as defined in Chapter 162 of the City Code, shall be the sole responsibility of the owner of the property adjacent to such public right-of-way or easement.