(Photos: Beth Emery)Alarmed by the piles of bulky waste accumulating in neighborhoods close to downtown, Mayor Sebastian Giuliano has ordered that waste be collected by the Public Works department and that the department request $30,000 in emergency funding to reinstate bulky waste pickup in those neighborhoods.
In an austerity measure, on July 1, the Common Council did away with the free pick-up of bulky waste in the downtown "sanitation district" where residents were entitled to three pick-ups annually. Almost immediately, bulky waste such as furniture, mattresses, appliances and house fixtures began to line the curbs of downtown neighborhoods.
Complaints flooded the public works department, and several residents addressed the complaints to the Common Council at September's meeting. At that time the Council requested a report on the situation at the October Council meeting from Public Works Director William Russo.
"I think some of it can be attributed to habit," Mayor Sebastian Giuliano said Friday. "People were used to getting their bulky waste hauled away. And some are still not aware that a new system is in place."
The new arrangement calls for a fee of $75 for bulky waste removal.
After an inspection of downtown neighborhoods, and consultation with city Health Director Dr. Joseph Havlicek, Giuliano decided to act and requested that the public works department remove what had already accumulated on the streets.
"Our phone has been ringing off the hook," Russo said. "I truly believe that reinstating bulky waste pickup will help get some unsafe areas cleaned up."
"We had to get it picked up," Giuliano insisted. "Or by Christmas we'd be knee-deep in trash."
Most of the streets are now free of trash.
"I have the legal department checking on our new code enforcement ordinance to allow us to do what New Britain has begun to do in a program they call 'clean and lien.' The city will clean up a blighted area, and then go after the property owner for compensation. In the past we've been able to cite a landlord, but that didn't necessarily make the pile of trash disappear," Giuliano said.
Giuliano explained that the pay-for-service approach is necessary because of increasing fees the city has to pay for disposal of bulky waste. But he admits that the sudden impact of the ordinance change could be seen along every street downtown.
"Following our recent tour we have to be willing to see the actual situation and adjust accordingly," Giuliano said.
Giuliano emphasized that most residents and landlords are abiding by the law, or mistakenly leaving bulky waste on the curb.
"But I have a gut instinct that there are some property owners who do not like the new fee, and are attempting to force the issue," he said.
Giuliano is urging concerned residents to attend the October 5 Common Council meeting where the issue of bulky waste will be discussed.
This is a symptom of our disposable society and overconsumption. Freecycle.org people!
ReplyDeleteThe lack of bulky waste pickup is resulting in the appearance of old mattresses and washing machines in places where they are much more expensive to remove. Those places are also generally remote places that are noted for natural beauty. Like the banks of the CT river, and the Wadsworth Falls area.
ReplyDeleteThe Mayor wants the public to show up because he knows full well he has no authority to be ordering Public Works to spend money before it is discussed and appropriated by the Common Council.
ReplyDeleteThe Charter is very clear, the Mayor should follow it.
As I understand it, Middletown's new Blight Ordinance can be used to "clean and lien", but if that's the direction we're going, people need to know that the change has occurred.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the problem is two fold: 1) people just don't know that there has been a change in service. Property owners need to be notified in the mail (maybe in the next tax bill: many don't live at the residence, unfortunately) and there need to be notices brought door to door so that residents also know of the change. There have been notices on public access and in the newspapers, but many don't access them on a regular basis to know. People are just putting out waste as usual.
2) there should be different rules for the downtown sanitation district. It appears that the council and the Mayor are leaning that direction after seeing how it worked outside of the district, but didn't downtown. It's far to dense and has far too many absentee property owners who may not even know that there is bulky waste to be picked up.
The North End Action Team has been very vigilant on this issue and are grateful for the public works department's trash sweep this week. Our neighborhood is much improved.
if wes kids are allowed to empty their apartments onto the streets why cant citizens?
ReplyDeleteSometimes you have to shake your head at what people think. Whatever the cost to clean it up, the Mayor did the right thing. It is in the publics best interest to clean it up. We complain about the mess, do noting, then complain when the City steps in and takes care of it. As far as the Wesleyan students go, the University cleans all the mess left behind by them. So do not make it their issue. Somethings just cannot be held as the truth as one individual wants you to believe.
ReplyDelete