Republican Councilmen Rick Miller and Mark Holmes voted against the two garbage ordinances
Despite strong opposition from nearly 40 residents, Township Council adopted two ordinances Tuesday that will change the way household trash is collected by requiring township-issued garbage containers and limiting curb pickups to once a week.
By: Lea Kahn
Some of the residents claimed the changes were sprung on them, but the ordinances were actually the final step in a deal that was more than a year in the making. And some senior citizens expressed concern that they would not be able to handle the new, larger containers.
"Ninety-nine percent of what you do is positive, but this is a fascist approach," Philip Rubin of Green Avenue told Township Council.
The change in the garbage collection schedule from twice per week to once per week was a key element in the five-year contract with hauler Longview of Mercer County Inc. that was approved by Township Council in 2000.
Township Council voted 3-2 to approve the ordinances Tuesday. Mayor Pam Mount, Deputy Mayor Greg Puliti and Councilwoman Doris Weisberg all Democrats voted "yes." Republican Councilmen Mark Holmes and Rick Miller voted "no."
Last year, Mr. Holmes and Mr. Miller had voted with the rest of Township Council to award the $2.4 million garbage collection contract to Longview of Mercer County Inc., based in Trenton, and to adopt a bond ordinance that earmarked money for the purchase of the specialized containers. They also voted with the rest of the council to buy the containers earlier this year.
Mr. Holmes said he voted against the two ordinances this week because "no matter what the innovative system or cost savings (may be), if the residents don’t want it, I feel obligated to accommodate them."
"People are not comfortable with it. Not enough education was done. As elected officials, (Township Council) has to listen to the people. When you go from the simple to the complex, you’ve got problems," Mr. Holmes said.
"I think we missed the mark on educating people," Mr. Miller said, explaining why he voted against the ordinances. "I thought we would do this through a phase-in process, to get people used to the idea."
Under the new garbage collection system that takes effect next month, each household will be issued one garbage container by the township, which will own the cans. The standard-issue garbage container is 95 gallons, but residents may request 65-gallon or 35-gallon cans. All three sizes have wheels and a hinged lid.
One of the ordinances adopted Tuesday night allows residents to lease additional specialized garbage containers that will be required for the semi-automated garbage collection system.
The one-time fee to lease an additional container varies from $50 for the 95-gallon container to $45 for the 65-gallon container to $40 for the 35-gallon container. Residents may lease as many containers as they wish.
A second ordinance spells out where residents must put the garbage containers and how soon they may put them out for collection. The cans may not be put out on the curb before 5 p.m. on the day before collection. And they must be removed from the curb within 48 hours.
That ordinance also limits the amount of garbage that may be put on the curb for collection. Households may not put out more than 200 gallons of garbage. This means a maximum of two 95-gallon containers, or any combination of smaller containers as long as it does not exceed 200 gallons.
Bulky items, such as chairs or mattresses, will continue to be picked up. Residents should place them on the curb on the same day as the regular weekly garbage collection.
Provisions will be made for collection when the scheduled garbage collection day falls on a holiday, or if weather conditions interfere with the pickup, Municipal Manager William Guhl said.
Township Council began to consider switching to an automated collection system about midway through the last garbage collection contract, which expired in 1999, Mr. Guhl said.
The contract that was awarded in March 2000 called for garbage to be collected twice per week during the first year of the five-year contract, Mr. Guhl said. In the second through fifth years, the contract called for garbage to be collected weekly in the specialized containers.
Township Council approved a bond ordinance in April 2000 that set aside money to purchase the specialized containers. In January 2001, the council awarded a $311,204 contract for the containers to Schaefer Systems International Inc. of Charlotte, N.C. The cans will be delivered this month, Mr. Guhl said.
The township switched to the standardized garbage containers for aesthetic reasons, and also because it will prevent the garbage from being torn open, he said. Some residents placed garbage in bags on the curb, and animals would tear open the bags and scatter the contents, he said.
In addition, changing to the automated garbage collection system will save money, he said. In the first year of changeover, the township will save $108,000. By the end of the contract, the township will have saved about $450,000.
The township is charged by its hauler on a tonnage basis, Mr. Guhl said. The standardized containers will likely encourage residents to recycle, because of the size of the containers. The containers also have attached lids, which will keep water out of the garbage. Wet garbage weighs more, he said.
Many towns are switching to weekly collection of garbage, Mr. Guhl said. Based on a curbside survey, township officials discovered that two-thirds of the household garbage is collected on the first day of the twice-weekly collection, he said.
These ordinances only create the rules that Township Council implemented in the garbage collection contract and the award for the containers, Mr. Guhl said. If the township backed out of the arrangement, it would be held in breach of contract, he said.
This issue has been going on for years and years, Mayor Pam Mount said. When it comes down to the wire, everyone comes out, but the council cannot change its mind on the once-a-week collection or the containers because it is part of the contract, she said.
Edwin Schecter of Empress Lane also objected to the new garbage collection system. He said it was unlikely that the 95-gallon container will fit inside his garage.
The cost savings is minimal, Mr. Schecter said. He offered to give Township Council 25 cents what he believed the estimated cost of the savings would be per household if it would agree to resume twice-weekly garbage collection.
But Carnation Place resident Joseph Guarracini said that despite the burden of the containers, he was pleased. There is almost always a garbage can or recycling bucket on the curb.
"It looks like the street always has something in it nine months of the year. Whatever we can do to clean up, I vote in favor of it," Mr. Guarracini said, adding that covered containers seem to be a good idea.
Melvina Drive resident Victor Kline said that while he may not totally agree with the planned change in garbage collection, township officials are trying to do things more economically. He suggested issuing guidelines instead of ordinances.
Mr. Kline also suggested flexibility in dealing with senior citizens. If they cannot handle the garbage containers, they should be able to get "special dispensation" to place their garbage in non-standard containers, he said.