Fitchburg to consider 'pay-as-you-throw' - Sentinel & Enterprise

"Residents currently do not pay anything for trash pickup."

Doesn't the residents' taxes pay for this?

That is what i thought, how can it be free? waste management doesn't just pick up the trash for nothing.

Trash pickup in Fitchburg is NOT free. It is supposedly included in our tax rate. We all know this new “fee” (additional tax without calling it a tax) will go through whether we like it or not - public hearing or not. They have already decided. We can expect illegal dumping to increase throughout the city. Guaranteed, the people who generate the most trash will not pay the fees. You and I will pay.

Deborah wrote:

"Residents currently do not pay anything for trash pickup."
Doesn't the residents' taxes pay for this?

Home Owners' taxes pay for this, which is not the same as residents. In a city like Fitchburg a large portion of residents are not home/land owners and don't pay taxes to the city.

If a system is implemented that requires people to pay for trash pick up it will be interesting to see if the burden is equally spread among all residents or if it is once again placed primarily on home owners.

Mayor Wong could make this maneuver much more palatable to Fitchburgers by making large recycle bins available to any resident that wants one, allowing mixed-item recycling (everything in one bin) if that is not done already, and by picking up the first bag of trash for free.

A typical family could easily reduce their trash to 1 bag a week if it was easy enough to recycle everything else. It also provides incentive to really fill up those blue bins.

Won't need a city dump any more, can you say illegal dumping. What a mess our city will become.

Residents of Fitchburg already pay for the disposal of White Goods & Bulk Items. Residential Stickers no longer cover these
items. Residents may purchase a pass (cash only) at the Fitchburg Board of Health, Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm.
This is drop off only - NO pickup

TV/Monitor/AC/Fridge/Freezer/D ehumidifier $30
Washer/Dryer/Dishwasher/Stove/ Water Heater/ Mower/ Space Heater $20
Car Tire-per tire $12

If an elderly person from the Sun Dial or any other elderly housing needs to get rid of any of these items they need a relative or hired person for pick up and disposal of these items.
http://www.ci.fitchburg.ma.us/BulkItemFees.ht...

Obviously Mayor Wrong didn't do much research, taxes help to pay for trash removal. Therefore those of us who are homeowners do pay this fee. Here's a better idea have the owners of apartment building place dumpsters on their property. I see it all the time you have an apartment building with who knows how many units and about twice as many trash cans outside. How often do you see a homeowner place more than two out at a time? Personally I'm lucky if I place my trash can out once a month. If this whole pay as you idea is instituted you might want to consider providing larger recycle bins and adding additional garbage trucks to Fitchburg because I guarantee this city will become more of a disposal than it already is.

Anyone remember this same conversation coming up last year when Mylott was in office, he decided it was not in the interest of the city to have a such a fee. Lisa learn from your predecessor, while you're at it review what your tax payment covers and you'll discover the fee is already paid.

Although we don't live in it we do have a three family apartment house in Fitchburg. As taxpayers we already pay for trash pickup for the property. If the City is planning on additional charges for this service who do you think will end up paying for it? Certainly not the tenants..they have no vested interest in the home. So unless the landlord provides these "bags" or whatever for the trash,the trash will just be left all over the place on the streets or on the property..then what? Will the landlord be somehow penalized for the actions of the tenants? Fitchburg used to be a nice place to live and raise a family. Lets not turn it into more of a dumping ground. It's hard enough already trying to rent in Fitchburg and keep up the property without adding to the problem. And with the economy the way it is raising rents to cover the additional charges won't help.

Ted wrote:

Won't need a city dump any more, can you say illegal dumping. What a mess our city will become.

I think you may want to re-phrase that to....

What a BIGGER mess your city will become.

also concerned wrote:

Fitchburg used to be a nice place to live and raise a family. Lets not turn it into more of a dumping ground.

When was that 1925?

I would say 1825.

Deborah was correct when she said "residents" pay. Home owners pay the tax directly, renters pay the tax indirectly. The person who ownes the property passes the tax burden onto the renter. So, all residents already pay to have their trash picked up.

I personally don't have a problem a "pay as you throw" fee IF that means that the cost associated with trash will be deducted from everyone's property tax.

I think the best solution would be for the city to eliminate this function and to have it become a completely private venture. 1>The city would no longer have to worry about trash pick-up as a budget issue. 2> there could be multiple companies competing for our business 3>We would all pay to have our trash/recylcing collected.

The city could enforce heavy fees for those caught illegally dumping: if the city spends $5000 during 2009 to collect waste that was illegally dumped, and catches 20 people dumping, the cost/person would be $5000/10 =$500. Add to this the cost of prosecution and then add a large margin as an additional penalty. Paying $1000 fine for illegally dumping should keep it to a minimum.

Reality wrote:

Mayor Wong could make this maneuver much more palatable to Fitchburgers by making large recycle bins available to any resident that wants one, allowing mixed-item recycling (everything in one bin) if that is not done already, and by picking up the first bag of trash for free.
A typical family could easily reduce their trash to 1 bag a week if it was easy enough to recycle everything else. It also provides incentive to really fill up those blue bins.

I'm glad you mentioned the {tubs} bins. OK the City has trouble keeping the solid baskets and they are expensive.

Milk Crates and even Laundry Baskets are ACCEPTABLE. In fact, we've been using a broken laundry basket that we think it is time to recycle but, they keep leaving it because it works and is acceptable. Apparently they're not going tpo take it until I cut it up and put it in the other basket, which I will do soon.

use em!

Riley Martin wrote:

<quoted text>
When was that 1925?

I can attest to 1960 - 1980 at least! Until the commuter revolution and the fact that local work was never going to be local again.

When I first moved to Fitchburg utilities were high, but that was offset by good rates on water/sewer, free use of the town dump, no trash fees, and a great library.

Since then water/sewer rates have doubled, you have to buy a sticker to use the dump, and now trash fees and library cutbacks are proposed.

What will attract a middle class person of modest means to the city today?

Deborah wrote:

"Residents currently do not pay anything for trash pickup."
Doesn't the residents' taxes pay for this?

What part of "we are out of money to cover all the expenses" don't you understand. We are UNDERFUNDED!
$5,000,000.00 get it?

Football Junkie wrote:

Obviously Mayor Wrong didn't do much research, taxes help to pay for trash removal. Therefore those of us who are homeowners do pay this fee. Here's a better idea have the owners of apartment building place dumpsters on their property. I see it all the time you have an apartment building with who knows how many units and about twice as many trash cans outside. How often do you see a homeowner place more than two out at a time? Personally I'm lucky if I place my trash can out once a month. If this whole pay as you idea is instituted you might want to consider providing larger recycle bins and adding additional garbage trucks to Fitchburg because I guarantee this city will become more of a disposal than it already is.
Anyone remember this same conversation coming up last year when Mylott was in office, he decided it was not in the interest of the city to have a such a fee. Lisa learn from your predecessor, while you're at it review what your tax payment covers and you'll discover the fee is already paid.

Ya, Lisa learn from your prdecessor, because we all know what a fine job he did running the city.
why do you think we are in this mess? Stick to football, junkie!

also concerned wrote:

Although we don't live in it we do have a three family apartment house in Fitchburg. As taxpayers we already pay for trash pickup for the property. If the City is planning on additional charges for this service who do you think will end up paying for it? Certainly not the tenants..they have no vested interest in the home. So unless the landlord provides these "bags" or whatever for the trash,the trash will just be left all over the place on the streets or on the property..then what? Will the landlord be somehow penalized for the actions of the tenants? Fitchburg used to be a nice place to live and raise a family. Lets not turn it into more of a dumping ground. It's hard enough already trying to rent in Fitchburg and keep up the property without adding to the problem. And with the economy the way it is raising rents to cover the additional charges won't help.

Everyone is in the same boat. Your tenants will have to get bags just like I do. Get over it.

Who the hell does Lisa Wong thinks pays for the trash pickup...Fitchburg? And where does Fitchburg get the money...from citizens taxes. Why should people pay even more for this service and do you really think the money collected would be used only for "the trash collection" fund? Any one want to buy the Fifth Street bridge