Citizens of Springfield,
A significant change is coming in terms of the Trash Fee. The city is moving from the current annual fee to pay-as-you-throw. Not many details are known about the new plan but evidence suggests that the cost to home owners, landlords, and small businesses is going to be significantly higher than the current $90 annual fee. The mayor was recently given the green light by the Finance Control Board to seek bids from private firms to make the blue, petroleum-based bags which would display the city seal. The bid was due on Tuesday, June 10th.
Homeowners are currently feeling the squeeze from higher home heating, gasoline costs, property taxes, food, and health care. Many working families have seen a substantial increase in the cost of living while earning the same wage. Some are having a hard time making it, as can be seen with the increasing number of home foreclosures. Will the Citizens of Springfield be able to afford the $1.75 per bag fee that is charged in neighboring East Longmeadow? It may not sound like much but if resident only threw away one bag a week it would amount to $91 plus the gas consumed in buying the non-biodegradable blue bags carrying the city seal. If one dared to throw out two bags every week it would cost them $182, three bags would amount to $273, four bags would be $364, and five bags might cost a small business $455. Will a large family who is already having difficulty making ends meet be willing to spend money on trash bags?
The new pay-as-you-throw system is a change in taxation. We had no say with the trash fee and it appears that we will have no say with this new system; the city has sought bids which were due on June 10th without any citizen feedback. Will the 25% reduced fee be enough for low-income families who are already having a hard time making it? How much additional staffing would be required for enforcement? Why is the mayor only interested in educating neighborhood groups and citizen councils about this program only after it is implemented in August? I thought the mayor was about “inclusiveness” as is touted on his web site?
Would a pay-as-you-throw system guarantee the city the current $4 million dollars it receives in the annual $90 trash fee? According to The Republican, the management costs alone to implement this program could be in upwards of $775,000 or more; and who would cover this additional cost? It is obvious; the Springfield tax payer would foot the bill. Mayor Sarno says that he has no choice because he didn’t realize the condition of the city budget; this totally amazes me since he has been a four-term city councilor, who also sat on the Control Board, before becoming the Mayor.
The city maintains that we have a choice to opt out of the trash fee with a private trash company. However, an area reporter researched private firms and found none in the area would provide weekly pickup for residential trash removal. Also, most won’t even consider the Springfield area because we have a municipal trash service. If we have no choice and must rely on Municipal Services (which, in my opinion, have been outstanding), then this fee is a mandatory tax, unless one resorts to illegal dumping. If choice is indeed available then the city web site should also provide a listing of private firms that residents can go to if they don’t want to use the municipal trash service, which would save the city money.
I contest any one that says there isn’t a problem with illegal dumping in Springfield! If there wasn’t then we wouldn’t have to hold the Keep Springfield Beautiful initiative at the end of April. Our Civic Association filled a 20 cubic yard dumpster in the cleanup campaign on April 2007. The dumpster will probably have to be larger in 2009.
Mayor Sarno says that this program will promote recycling. Wouldn’t it be cheaper to have the current employees inspect barrels randomly and not take items from the barrels if they can be recycled? Also, neighborhood councils and civic associations could help in the effort to reduce solid waste by working with the Public Works Department in hosting educational recycling awareness workshops.
If residents are against this new trash fee they need to speak up and inform the Mayor, the Control Board, and the City Council. It would be great if the taxpayer had some say before this new plan was implemented. We need to remind the mayor and city government that we are involved constituents and voters, with good memories.
Sincerely,
Shawn E. Sheehan, Co-President
East Forest Park Civic Association
http://www.eastforestpark.org
Trash Fee Pay As You Throw
Looking at What Different Communities Charge per Bag (30/33 Gallons) and the Cost per Year
|
| East Longmeadow | Longmeadow | Worcester | Greenfield |
| Cost Per Bag | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.50 | $1.50 |
| 1 bag per week | $91 | $91 | $78 | $78 |
| 2 bags per week | $182 | $182 | $156 | $156 |
| 3 bags per week | $273 | $273 | $234 | $234 |
| 4 bags per week | $364 | $364 | $312 | $312 |
| 5 bags per week | $455 | $455 | $390 | $390 |
A Bag that is half the size indicated would cost half as much.
Source Municipal Web Sites for most current pricing
Also: http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/paytlist.pdf for what other communities are charging, although fees are from Sept 2006.
Mayor Sarno’s Contact Information
36 Court Street
Springfield, MA 01103 (map)
Phone: 413.787.6000
City Council Contact Information
| James J. Ferrera, III, Vice President | Bruce W. Stebbins
|
Control Board Contact Information
Springfield Finance Control Board36 Court Street, Room 312 | Board Members Christopher Gabrieli Chairman |
Sources:
· http://www.masslive.com/republican/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-15/1211959391185170.xml&coll=1 (May 28th, Bids for Plastic Bags)
· http://www.masslive.com/republican/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-15/121248131821750.xml&coll=1 (June 3rd, Mayor to explain Trash Fee)
· http://newsite2.iacl.org/localnews/Springfield/cityunveilsnewtras/ (The Reminder Online June 4th)
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Outerbelt Civic Association Letter
June 4, 2008
“A New Trash Fee”….This was the topic of the Outerbelt Civic Association Meeting of June 3, 2009. It was a year ago that we were told that the people in the City of Springfield would begin to pay a $90.00 a year trash fee. A fee that we still consider to be a tax charge on top of all the other taxes we pay.
During the campaign we heard from the Mayor that he was going to do away with the yearly $90.00 trash fee. This was one of his campaign promises. The campaign is over and the City of Springfield is going to “privatize trash pick up”. We have now come full circle. Our trash was picked up because we pay taxes to the city, now they want us to pay for every bag of trash we produce.
This is privatization at its worst. We are going to help some company or companies make profit with our money. It will cost us $775,000 in administrative fees to start this new program. Who will be monitoring this program and at what cost? We will be paying for bags that will only increase in cost as time goes on. We are being told that plastic bags will no longer be used as they are not biodegradable. This program will produce some serious illegal dumping. Let’s be realistic, we have people in the City of Springfield who will not be going to the store to buy “blue plastic bags with logos on them” to put garbage in. Most people will be buying necessities like food, gas and heating fuel.
This new trash fee proposal is a debacle. It is unacceptable and intolerable. The only people this new proposal is good for are the people who will profit from the money we will be charged. This is about fairness, honesty and taking care of your constituents. This new trash fee proposal will not be good for anyone.
Sincerely,
Members of the Outerbelt Civic Association
Walter Gould, President 348-5808
Mary Dionne, Vice President 783-5920
