ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — There's a new wave of investment "sweeping" Essex County.

Earlier this week, East Orange officials announced that the city has purchased five "state-of-the-art" street sweepers. The purchase will allow the city to bring street sweeping back in-house for the first time in nearly two decades.

Why is that a big deal for local residents? According to city officials:

"Having our own street sweepers means a significant cost savings to taxpayers starting at $140,000 in the first year, more jobs for East Orange residents, training for existing employees and the ability to control how we clean our streets. In addition, these Johnston RT655 Regenerative Air Sweepers meet the latest environmental standards and put East Orange one step closer to becoming a cleaner, greener and more sustainable community." "The cleanliness of our city has been one of my administration's top priorities and bringing street sweeping back in house not only allows us to control how much we sweep during peak season, but it also provides us with an opportunity to hire local residents and train existing employees," East Orange Mayor Ted Green said. "From my bi-weekly 'Mayor on the Block' initiative and citywide clean-ups to enhanced code enforcement and public property auctions, we are restoring pride, and ultimately, renewed investment in our city," Green said.

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East Orange isn't the only municipality in Essex County to take the plunge into street sweeper ownership this year.

In February, Newark city officials announced that it bought eight new street sweeping machines in an effort to cut out the "middle man."

The city's decision to purchase the new fleet came after "many resident complaints" about the company previously responsible for street sweeping, Newark-based Dejana Industries. According to municipal officials, the move will save the city nearly $2 million per year and employ several local residents. See related article: Newark Buys Street Sweeper Fleet After 'Many Complaints'

See related article: Newark Rolls Out New Fleet Of Fire Trucks, Public Works Vehicles