Update to the Petition to Reinstate Side/Back Trash Collection to Pre-Covid Law
Wanted to let all signers of the petition (420 people) know that the Boards of Larchmont and Mamaroneck will hold a joint meeting tomorrow evening, Wednesday January 20th at 7 pm to hear from the public as required by law before voting on a new law that would eliminate the side/back trash collection permanently, require larger 65 gallon bins to be purchased ($55) and used, and not make any accommodation for food scrap collection. In addition, total tax savings of possibly $65,000. which is well under $100 per household will not be returned to tax payers, and a sanitation payment inconsistency of several hundred thousand dollars is yet to be resolved.
Below you can find an update that was sent today to both Mayors and all board members outlining our case to reinstate side/back trash collection, and to explore further improvements to trash collection and tax saving opportunities that exist. Please see below for the complete contents of the email sent to our village/town administrators and elected officials.
TO VIEW/ATTEND THE MEETING – WEDNESDAY JAN 20th 7 pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89712338361?pwd=MkNVZHAvOWp0REpDVzFNTWVPNkVEZz09 Passcode: 382649
To view only:
Cable access television (Optimum 75, 76 & 77 or Verizon Fios 34, 35 & 36). -or-
During a public hearing or the citizen's comment section, residents may "raise their hand" in Zoom to be granted access to speak directly to the Town Board. Those who are viewing the meeting on local municipal access television of LMC Media's website may submit their comments or questions to publicqc@townofmamaroneckny.org
Email sent today to elected officials / administrators:
I would like to reenter into record the opposition to the proposed new trash collection law of 300+ signers of the petition “Reinstate back/side of the house trash pickup to Pre-Covid law” to the proposed new law”. These signers of the petition (complete petition and signatures attached) are opposed to the elimination of side/back of the house trash collection and want their opinions noted. In a summary of communications document cited by Mayor Walsh, it was outlined that 36 communications were received against the change to the law, and 32 communications for the change. To this tally you must add the over 300 Larchmont and Mamaroneck residents who signed the petition and want to keep side/back trash collection as an option. In addition, you could also consider the 250 comments from social media threads which support the maintenance of side/back trash collection and encourage a comprehensive overhaul to our collection system to include food scraps and eliminate wasteful spending.
Specifically we cite the follow observations and discoveries during our attention to this matter:
- Side/back trash collection as it is a highly valued service that helps to keep our streetscapes clear of bins and trash and assists residents in many ways
- Tax savings achieved by removing this service are negligible – in the budget spreadsheets prepared by Steve Altieri, town Administrator, the savings is forecast to be about $65,000. which will not be returned to taxpayers and amounts to less than $100 per household, possibly around $10/$30/$50 per household depending on calculation factors.
- Any savings are negated by the requirement of the new law to buy new, even larger bins 65 gallon bins, which cost $55 per unit and will be even more unsightly
- We advocate that a new system is set up to include food scraps collection, which will reduce landfill trash significantly thus offsetting any burden of maintaining side/back.
- Scarsdale and Pelham both recently changed their trash collection systems comprehensively and kept side/back trash collection and added food scraps collection at the same time.
We learned unfortunate facts in our inquiry to this petition that should be addressed by our leaders:
- We heard from Town Administrator Altieri in several of the meetings state that our sanitation workers are paid as full time employees (FTE) with benefits and pension. They currently work 3-4 hours per day. Perhaps by reworking their schedules and contract we can achieve all our trash collection goals at no extra cost?
- We heard Mayor Lorraine Walsh explain that financial inconsistencies exists whereby the village of Larchmont is overpaying for trash collection services and the Town of Mamaroneck has been underpaying significantly – to the sum of hundreds of thousands of dollars. This head shaking reality only underscores the incompetence in the management of the joint sanitation commission and suggests there is urgency and opportunity for a complete overhaul to how we collect trash and refuse.
I also have stated that I personally feel that it would be possible to find a compromise solution that preserves side/back one day a week, incorporates food scraps, and maintains 3 day a week total collection of landfill, recyclables and food scraps in some mix.
Please understand the very strong attachment that residents hold for side/back trash collection, mostly for the reason of street cleanliness and streetscape improvement. Residents speak emotionally and passionately via social media, emails, direct conversations and meetings of the beauty of Larchmont and Mamaroneck and want that preserved at all costs – they do feel they pay for it already, and so do I.
I also believe once the new comprehensive law is enacted which maintains side/back, we can put in a place a resident outreach program which will educate residents on food scraps and composting and the new rotation of trash collection, which will make us a model community in sustainability. Happy to help on that initiative, as would many from our committee.