Town’s 1-armed bandit is ready to roll in 2008

By Matt Chiappardi, Staff Writer
   HIGHTSTOWN — After a decade of outsourcing its trash pickup, the borough is going to start picking up after itself next week.
   Beginning Wednesday, some residents will find their regular garbage day changing as the borough rolls out its new, one-armed bandit truck, to pick up the household waste the people of Hightstown produce.
   The one-armed bandit differs from traditional garbage trucks in that it has a mechanical arm that grabs the special bins residents’ received two weeks ago, and automatically dumps them into the back of the truck.
   ”It’s better, quicker, and has less hassle,” said Ron Powell, the man who will be driving residents’ rubbish to the transfer station in Trenton four days a week.
   Mr. Powell drove a garbage truck for Central Jersey Waste and Recycling for more than six years, he said. In those days, he’d constantly worry about the people stationed on the back of the truck falling off, or worse, being injured by oncoming traffic.
   The one-armed bandit, he says, not only puts his mind at ease, but allows the job to get done in much less time.
   ”It’s the future of garbage,” said Mr. Powell.
   ”When it’s all said and done, all the towns will be using this,” he added.
   The borough decided to buy the truck and get back in the trash business in an effort to save money. Borough Administrator Candace Gallagher previously estimated the savings at $13,500 a year.
   It didn’t take long for Mr. Powell to get the hang of the new vehicle. It was only a “couple of days to get down pat and two weeks to master,” he said.
   The most difficult challenge was driving while sitting on the right side of cab, he said.
   Some residents, however, are already finding it difficult to get used to the new system.
   The borough gave each household a 95-gallon trash bin with the option of getting a 65-gallon one if the former turns out to be too big.
   Some residents with large families are already complaining that the 95-gallon bin is not big enough.
   One of them is Planning Board member Paul Byrne, who told the Borough Council Dec. 17 that, “It would be discriminatory if you don’t take into account large families.” He added that he called three other towns and found they all give large families the option to dispose of more trash.
   Public Works Superintendent Larry Blake said Monday that 95 gallons of trash on a weekly basis should be sufficient for anyone and that “if people recycled a bit better” there wouldn’t be a need for more volume.
   He added his belief that if after a period of time families find the bin is not big enough for them, the borough will make some sort of arrangements. That accommodation will come at a cost, but borough officials haven’t determined what the cost will be, he said.
   At the Dec. 17 meeting Ms. Gallagher pointed out that some municipalities charge $50 to $85 for extra bins.
   Former Councilman Mike Vanderbeck offered a possible solution at that time by suggesting that credits be created for larger families by virtue of those residents who ask for smaller bins.
   In addition, scheduling may seem awkward at first to some residents accustomed to a regular trash day. Thursday used to be the day all of Hightstown had its trash removed, but the new schedule adds Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, depending on where a resident lives.
   Right out of the gate, there’s been a bit of a scheduling snafu, Mr. Blake acknowledged.
   Trash pickup is canceled on holidays, and residents have to wait until their next regular pickup day to see their rubbish hauled away. Since New Year’s Day falls on a Tuesday, those residents who would have had the their garbage picked up should be waiting until the next Tuesday, Jan. 8.
   But the way Mr. Blake wrote an announcement sent to residents’ homes, it could be construed that the next regular pickup day is Wednesday, Jan. 3, he said.
   ”It’s my fault, I got it wrong, but we’ll get through it the best we can,” he said.
   Other than those glitches, everything else is going smoothly, he added.
   The borough has set up a temporary drop-off site at Rocky Brook Park on Bank Street for residents who would like to get rid of their old garbage cans. Those cleaned cans can be dropped of after Tuesday.
   The one-can system will stay in place for the first two months of 2008 while borough officials evaluate how it’s going. Only then will the council consider revisiting it.
   Councilman-elect Jeff Bond said at the Dec. 17 council meeting that he believes the system will work out just fine.
   ”It’s a well thought-out plan,” he said.
   ”Give it a chance.”
   For more information, go to the borough’s Web site, www.hightstownborough.com, or call 490-5115.
Managing Editor Vic Monaco contributed to this story.