Haverhill City Councilor William J. Macek, who originally opposed the city’s residential trash toter program, says there are problems with the program, confusing rules and unpredictable enforcement.
Macek requests a status update during tonight’s council meeting on the automated “toter” trash system put in place by the city nearly three months ago. Inspectional Services Director Richard MacDonald is expected to join a discussion aimed to “get it as prefect as possible,” according to Macek. He told WHAV it appears “thing are, overall, working,” but there remains “some specific concerns and inconsistencies” in trash acceptance “standards” between automated or manned trucks in different areas of the city.
“Capital Waste is using one standard in one area and another standard in another as to what they will pick up, or when they’ll pick up, if the lid is too far up. They sometimes will take a pass on picking it up and, at other times, we hear that they do get picked up,” Macek said. “I think it’s an educational period where the people hopefully will get a better understanding as to what they can and cannot do.”
While “small issues” still exist, Macek said he continues to support creation of a city transfer station to deal with “excess trash” which may not be picked up or be subject to a delayed pickup if unable to fit into an overflow bag. While noting reports of overflow toters or illegal disposal need to be addressed, he gave the automated program, at the start, a passing grade.
“There has been an indication early on that we are reducing our tipping fee because we have less tonnage going in as trash and that our recycling has been increasing. And that was the main objective of the program right from the start,” Macek said.
The Haverhill City Council meets at 7 p.m., Tuesday, in Theodore A. Pelosi Jr. Council Chambers at Haverhill City Hall.
Macek sucks.he’ll be dumped soon
macek is confusing the program works period. now shut up
Well Bill, if you drive around the city enough, you will see tv’s on sidewalks. Trash toters left unemptied, and trash bulk items are starting to be thrown away in secluded areas. In Lawrence this same program has resulted in vacant lots becoming dumps and the city DPW having to clean it up. Please be vigilant with this program.
Jack, when did the city EVER pick up TVs during normal trash collection? The mayor reserves a special collection for electronics like TVs a couple of times a year where people can bring them to the DPW site on Primrose Street. In typical fashion, he charges taxpayers a fee to drop them off. He then turns around and sells what is collected to a recycling company, and of course, keeps the money for his special pet projects.