First row, left to right: Alders Charles Decker, Abigail Roth at Tuesday night’s hearing. Second row: Alders Adam Marchand, Rosa Ferraro-Santana, Richard Furlow. Third row: Alders Frank Douglass, Eli Sabin, Jeanette L. Morrison.
A proposal aimed at limiting pre-dawn noise from downtown garbage collection met with general support from alders, but not yet a vote to advance it.
The proposal came before the Board of Alders Legislation Committee Tuesday night for a virtual hearing. The alders decided to wait for revisions to clarify the proposal’s details before advancing it to the full board for approval.
The proposal would amend the city’s noise ordinance to require commercial waste collectors to provide GPS data if someone complains about early trash pick-up.
Right now city law prohibits collectors from working before 5 a.m. In practice, the prohibition is unenforceable because it requires city employees to witness the violations, which take place before they’re awake and at work.
So Downtown Alders Eli Sabin and Abigail Roth submitted this new proposed ordinance. It would require that in the event of a “credible allegation” of a violation, the refuse collector will provide their GPS data as an alternate mechanism of enforcement.
“Trash haulers exploit the fact that [the city] can’t enforce the ordinance, which negatively impacts the quality of life of residents,” Sabin said.
Sabin and Roth updated an earlier version of the proposal, to make it apply citywide and levy penalties against companies, not individual drivers.
Alders at the hearing Tuesday night largely expressed support for the ordinance, citing complaints over the years from residents. Some concerns did arise about the current form of the proposal.
Westville Alder Adam Marchand asked for more specificity about what might be considered a “credible allegation.” He also questioned whether the public would known whom to call, and how the ordinance would be enforced.
“Seems to me like there’s some dots that need to be connected,” Marchand said.
Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison also raised the concern that if waste management collection begins later, the trucks would add to morning traffic and hurt residents’ commutes. She proposed a more targeted approach for companies that have repeated violations.
Steve Changaris, Connecticut chapter director for the National Waste and Recycling Association, initially introduced those concerns during the hearing’s public testimony section.
“We didn’t pick collecting waste at night for the fun of it,” he said, similarly advocating for targeted enforcement in areas and with companies that have an influx of complaints.
“One or two of the companies who are bad apples or chronic offenders have brought this onto the city,” Changaris added.
The other four people who testified as members of the public all advocated for the passage of the ordinance.
Fair Haven Alder José Crespo, who testified in favor, noted that, in his past six years as an alder, he has received “multiple complaints.”
“I got a text this week that they were picking up recycling at 4:15 in the morning.”
Otis Johnson Jr., a staunch advocate for the past 13 years for better enforcement of the pre‑5 a.m. prohibition, led the alders in a recreation of his morning routine from two and a half weeks ago, when he was woken up extra early by refuse collectors.
“Close your eyes,” Johnson Jr., said, noting that the time was 3:12 a.m.
“BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!” Johnson suddenly screamed, followed by some whirring noises and then loud booms.
“It’s difficult getting back to sleep and prepare for work when you’ve been up since 3:12 in the morning,” he added.
Upper Westville Alder Darryl Brackeen Jr said he was “concerned” that aspects of the plan needed to be fleshed out further.
Alder Marchand agreed, noting that, while he was in favor of enforcement, he was “not completely satisfied with answers.” He also noted that the revised changes regarding making the policy apply to the entire city and making sure that punishments fall on the company and not individual drivers were not included in the copy that alders received.
He proposed a second, later hearing on a revised bill, so that the enforcement mechanism could be strengthened and some of the other questions raised could be clarified. The other alders agreed to table the proposal for now and reconsider it as amended.
“I’m convinced over the course of public testimony that [the refuse collectors are] a problem and that the ordinance as currently construed is not feasible,” commented the committee’s chair, East Rock Alder Charles Decker. Motions to move the amendment forward were withdrawn, and the committee adjourned.
The sound of a truck going by once a week is disturbing but motorcycles and altered car mufflers that sound like gunshots ( not to mention real gunshots) is acceptable??!!! Really? What a waste of bandwidth for this silliness....
It is now accepted that the public is mostly stupid at best but to see alders treat this like a real problem is truly sickening. The NH administration can't handle our real issues so they decide to look busy tackling made-up issues . Thanks for my morning laugh......