Town Receives Anti-Littering Grant

Town officials announced Tuesday night that the town will be receiving $45,209 from the state Clean Communities program to combat litter in the community.

Town Administrator Jim Gildea said the grant was slightly higher than originally planned and the money will be used for several anti-litter programs. These include the hiring of temporary workers for the summer to help with litter pick-up and the replacement of the lids on the trash cans downtown. Gildea said the trash cans have been replaced in recent years and have been in need of new lids.

The Town Council will formally vote at the July 7 official meeting to officially accept the grant and adjust the recently adopted town budget to reflect the increased amount of the environmental grant. The grant comes as the environment has taken center stage in Westfield government, with the town's recent entry into the Sustainable Jersey program, as well as studies to explore green buildings in town.

The New Jersey Clean Communities program is a statewide effort aimed at distributing grants to municipalities for anti-litter programs. The grants are funded through a tax on litter-prevention products.