WEST MILFORD Volunteers from the beautification committee and the town council exchanged some harsh words over recycling plans, but no decision was made. The council decided to continue month-to-month billing with Blue Diamond until the end of April. The debate whether to continue to outsource versus having the services done in-house caused the members of the committee to complain that the town is being shafted.’ The plan currently calls for the council to approve a two-year contract with the possible extension into five years. “There’s a lot of stuff you guys need to know,” said Ada Erik, resident and member of the committee, “before you make a decision because these numbers are wrong. People get paid some of the best salaries and get the best benefits.” Councilman Robert Nolan asked members of the Department of Public Works if they considered the possible revenues from having the town perform the service. “We felt that either case, in-house or outsource, we need to have stronger enforcement,” said Jeff Simmers, a committee member. A public work official, William Shug, said they can call for enforcement in the contract, so if garbage collectors hear the clinking of glass or cans, they leave the bag there and mark it for recycling. They would also take note of the address and have the town issue a summons. “It’ll travel through the town that we mean business,” he said. Residents who volunteered on the committee voiced concerns about West Milford having one of the highest costs to remove solid waste and recyclables. “Why would we have to pay so much more?” asked Nolan. Shug said that the town has average rates and is not the highest in the county. Committee members said that other towns, such as Roxbury, have up to $1 million in revenue from selling their recyclables but Shug said the majority of those funds come from grants. They agreed that the Department of Public Works could look into grants that can do the same for the town. The council also discussed the resolution that states the town’s concerns and requests regarding the Highlands Master Plan. They would like to combine this resolution with that of the Greenwood Lake Bi-state Commission in order to strengthen the demands against the purple areas designated for possible high-density construction. The resolution says no additional sewer systems are wanted in the township, including those communities where sewers are currently available. “Lakeside communities have less water due to heavy clay and bedrock that prevents the rain waters to seep back into the aquifers,” said Doris Aaronson. “The good water goes to Newark and other towns. During the last draught many wells went dry. People had to buy five-gallon water bottles just to flush their toilet.” The council instructed Township Attorney Fred Semrau to get documentation of residents who had their wells run dry, and search for studies performed by the state regarding the lack of water available to current residents, to prove that continued construction would cause problems. A rally against the Highlands Master Plan is going to be held in front of town hall this Saturday where several dignitaries from the county and town will speak to the public.