Thank you for supporting this petition.

Yesterday, I testified at the Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste hearing on behalf of CNYC. Our testimony asked the committee members to OPPOSE Intro 2775 (formally T2024-2775), which would enable DSNY to charge buildings up to $55 per apartment per year for the installation and maintenance of exterior garbage containers, and Intro 949, which would require buildings over 100 units to place permanent dumpsters in the street. 

Our testimony reiterated that all homeowners - whether they live in co-ops / condos or single-family homes - must be treated equally. The cost of containerization, which will improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers by reducing the rat population and eliminating garbage bag leakage, must be paid for from NYC's general fund, not added as yet another cost of compliance. 

We also requested that the Department of Sanitation engage in outreach with cooperatives and condominiums BEFORE adopting more rules on containerization. As trash removal is a significant component of the operation and staffing of co-ops and condos, it is essential for DSNY to partner with buildings before adopting rules.

Finally we requested additional outreach and engagement for smaller co-ops and condos dealing with the switch to NYC Bins. Working groups could have prevented some of the issues involved in the NYC Bin rollout. Instead, the now former DSNY Commissioner, Julie Tisch, expressed surprise that the required NYC Bins were too large to fit into some exterior garbage cabinets. She commented that had she known, she could have also contracted for smaller-sized receptacles. We stressed that the process to request and obtain a waiver in buildings with insufficient storage space must be more straightforward. 

We will keep you posted regarding the movement of these bills.The petition will be live until December 31 - or until the bills receive a vote in the Council. Please encourage your neighbors to sign.

Thank you again!