The Montclair Township municipal building will close on six days in the remainder of the calendar year, as a result of the six furlough days to be taken by staff. In addition, the Community Services building at 219 North Fullerton Avenue will be closed on four days and refuse collection service will be suspended on those days (see below). Police and Fire departments will remain open to ensure public safety.

Earlier this month several of Montclair Township’s unions agreed to voluntary concessions as part of a union-management agreement that will help reduce spending in the 2010 budget year through salary reductions.

• - Friday, July 16 (municipal building, Community Services, refuse collection suspended)

• - Friday, August 20 (municipal building, Community Services, refuse collection suspended)

• - Friday, September 17 (municipal building, Community Services, refuse collection suspended)

• - Friday, October 15 (municipal building, Community Services, refuse collection suspended)

• - Friday, November 12 (municipal building)

• - Thursday, December 23 (municipal building)

“Given the severity of the Township’s revenue decline, coupled with a truly difficult economic climate, union workers voted to make certain sacrifices which included furlough days and wage freezes to help keep costs down,” said Township Manager Marc Dashield. “Without the union agreements, we would be seeing a much more severe reduction to our workforce.”

Despite the best efforts of Montclair and NJ TRANSIT over the past several months, it has become apparent that there will be a short gap between the end of the Train Whistle Ban and the implementation of a Quiet Zone. During this gap, which could last a few weeks, NJ TRANSIT must comply with the federal law governing the use of horns at grade crossings. As a result, residents will notice use of locomotive horns between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. after June 24, 2010.

As residents of Montclair may know, the Township has been working aggressively and cooperatively with NJ TRANSIT to implement a Quiet Zone that would allow for silencing train horns at all crossings in Montclair 24 hours a day. The Township and NJ TRANSIT have applied for a waiver from the Federal Railroad Administration to allow the current 7 p.m. – 7 a.m. whistle ban to stay in effect until all the requisite safety enhancements to grade crossings have been completed and the 24-hour Quiet Zone can be put into effect. However, there may be a short delay of a few weeks before the waiver is granted, when federal safety regulations will require trains to blow whistles in advance of all grade crossings in order to ensure motorist and pedestrian safety. All railroads must comply with these regulations, which supersede all existing regulations, such as Montclair’s nighttime “whistle ban.”