Mayor Nicholas Sacco and Public Safety Commissioner Allen Pascual swore in four new Special Law Enforcement Class II Officers at a ceremony in town hall chambers on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

SLEO II officers are part-time. Three of the new officers will attend Passaic Police Academy for additional training, while one is already certified.

Representing in the community

Based on the township’s resident-only hiring policy, all four are North Bergen residents. According to the township, this ensures that the department continues to accurately represent North Bergen’s diverse community. Two of the four are Hispanic-American, while the other two are Arabic-American. All are bilingual.

Roberto J. Gonzalez graduated from the Passaic Police Academy in August of 2019 and is pursuing a Criminal Justice degree from New Jersey City University.

Rami N. Khalil is a lifelong resident of North Bergen who worked as a clerk in the Bureau of Criminal Investigation for four years. He is pursuing a Finance degree from Montclair State University.

Teodulo J. Perez immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 13. He is a volunteer firefighter in Fairview.

Raheed J. Siyam is another lifelong North Bergen resident. He has a bachelor’s degree in Justice Studies with a minor in Arab Studies from Montclair University.

Police Chief Peter Fasilis served as Master of Ceremonies at the swearing in. Pastor Paul Haviland performed the invocation and benediction. Also in attendance were members of the new officers’ families, along with representatives from the township administration and the police department.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].

Mayor Nicholas Sacco and the Board of Commissioners will hire Janet Castro to succeed longtime Township Administrator Chris Pianese. Castro will take over for Pianese when he retires later this year, making her the first woman and the first person of Hispanic heritage to hold the position.

Castro currently serves as North Bergen’s Health Director and Health Officer, having worked for the township since 2004. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology and a master’s degree in public health. She is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in public administration as well as the Certified Public Managers Program at Rutgers University.

Leading local government

“Janet Castro has proven herself to be an incredibly dedicated and competent public servant, especially in the last year when she has guided our comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic as our top public health official,” Sacco said. “I have great confidence in her ability to lead our local government and continue the innovative, ethical and efficient management that North Bergen residents have come to expect, and I look forward to working closely with her in this new role.”

Prior to working for the township, Castro worked as a Human Resources Manager and held a position in the financial sector. She has been a North Bergen resident for more than 20 years and is married with two children.

Castro currently serves as the licensed health officer for Secaucus, Weehawken, Union City, and Harrison through shared service agreements that have generated new revenue for North Bergen while providing significant savings to the participating municipalities. North Bergen plans to hire a new health officer and continue these agreements.

“Serving the North Bergen community has been the most rewarding and fulfilling experience of my career, and I am incredibly grateful and excited to begin this new chapter and take on this role,” said Castro. “Thanks to the leadership of Mayor Sacco and the Commissioners, North Bergen has never been in better shape in terms of its finances, services, facilities and more, and I look forward to continuing that success and keeping this community moving forward.”

Pianese will stay in his position until July 1 and will work closely with Castro to ensure a smooth transition. The township plans to make other personnel adjustments in the administrator’s office to ensure that all responsibilities are covered.

“Having collaborated with Janet Castro for many years, and especially seeing the way she has worked around the clock helping us handle the pandemic over the last year, I have tremendous confidence that she is the right choice for this position,” Pianese said. “It’s comforting to know that North Bergen will be in good hands, and I’m excited to see what kind of positive impact Janet will make on township government.”

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].

Eligible North Bergen residents can get vaccinated at the recreation center at 6300 Meadowview Avenue. To register, call 201-392-2084. When an appointment is available, the township will reach out to registered individuals.

The vaccine distribution site was set up nearly two weeks ago. Vaccinations had been administered at municipal buildings since the first doses of the Moderna vaccine were given to healthcare personnel on Dec. 24.

The Health Department is receiving only about 400 doses per week. As of Feb. 14, about 1,800 first doses had been administered and 360 second doses. 

Recipients must receive the doses 28 days apart. According to the township, more than 500 residents are on the waiting list.

Increasing supply

“Ever since vaccines were approved by the federal government, the township of North Bergen has been pushing to secure our own supply of the vaccination,” said Mayor Nicholas Sacco. “Thanks to the efforts made by our Health Department and Township administration, we have been able to do secure a steady supply and have been providing approximately 400 weekly vaccines to eligible personnel in our community. We are still working tirelessly to increase our supply and expand our vaccination operations.”

The vaccines are being distributed immediately to residents who qualify according to the state’s regulations. Currently eligible are healthcare personnel, first responders and individuals at high risk, including residents over age 65 and those under age 65 with medical conditions.

The township has increased capacity as the state provides more doses. According to the township, the distribution site can administer at least twice as many vaccines as soon as the state increases its allotment.

Qualified residents can put their names on a waiting list by calling the Health Department at 201-392-2084. The township has offered a phone number to accommodate residents without the internet, including seniors and Spanish speaking residents.

“In the upcoming days we will be launching an online portal for residents to register,” Sacco said. “Those residents with no internet access can still call our Health Department at 201-392-2084 to be placed on the waiting list.”

North Bergen has been recognized by a statewide environmental initiative that encourages sustainability.

Sustainable Jersey representatives announced that North Bergen has met the rigorous requirements to achieve Sustainable Jersey certification. It’s one of 55 municipalities that attained certification in 2020.

In Hudson County, the only other municipality to receive a certification was West New York. Both received the Bronze level, with Silver being the next and highest level. In 2019, no Hudson County municipality received a certification from Sustainable Jersey.

The township will be honored at the Sustainable Jersey Virtual Awards Luncheon on March 11. Sustainable Jersey’s participating communities represent more than 81 percent of the state’s municipalities.

The township met the minimum of 150 action points to achieve certification. In addition, each certified community had to create a “green team,” implement at least two of 13 priority action options, and six actions out of 18 categories.

The township completed the following options: Recycling Depot – Backyard Composting Program; Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling; Household Hazardous Waste; Prescription Drug Safety and Disposal; Community Paper Shredding Day; Sustainability & Climate Planning – Community Sustainability Plan; Online Municipal Public Service Systems; Sustainable Land Use Pledge; Building Healthier Communities; Smoke-Free and Tobacco-Free Public Places; Farmers Markets; Making Farmers Markets Accessible; Lead Education and Outreach Programs; Create Green Team; Hold a Green Fair; “Green” Your Green Fair; Animals in the Community Education; Companion Animal Management Pledge; and Pledge Supporting NJ Wildlife Action Plan.

Sustainable Jersey provides tools, training, and financial incentives to support communities as they pursue sustainability programs. Participating municipalities and schools have implemented more than 18,500 sustainability actions, according to Sustainable Jersey. More than $5.9 million in grants has been provided by Sustainable Jersey to towns, school districts, and schools for community-based projects that create healthy and sustainable communities in New Jersey.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].