To the mayor

and the councilmen

of the city of Cranston:

Well, we’re into the second week of the new rules of garbage pickup. So, let me not be the first to complain concerning what you’ve done for the city of Cranston regarding “rubbish” removal. Essentially, the people of Cranston no longer have “rubbish” removal covered by their taxes. Yes, Waste Management picks up recycling and “garbage” (since that is all that fits into the new containers). But, they no longer include what is considered “rubbish – bulky items” – lamps, furniture, toys, housewares, etc. Now, in order to throw out unwanted items, we have to pay $18 per item. Per item and worse!

When I called the mayor’s office a few weeks ago concerning this new charge, hoping that it had been a misprint, I was informed that I was not the first person to complain, and rightfully so.

Stated in the notice that came with our tax bills, the city figures to save $130,000 by going with the automated program and, to create more recycling, which in turn will give the city additional revenue. When we pay $18 per item to Waste Management, where does that money go? And, in order to have an extra container (in case at some time we might have more than what the allotted one bin holds), we have to pay Waste Management $150 a year for that container – outrageous. Whose pocket does all that money go into? It’s making Waste Management richer (maybe the city, too?). Just how is this program saving the city $130,000? That needs to be spelled out for us! The presumed $130,000 savings is, essentially, minimal, in the context of the city budget. Surely, some of the favored items/individuals within the budget could have each been cut (minimally) and when combined, the $130,000 could have been saved in that way, without treating residents so lowly. Just how was the old collection program so costly that you had to do this to us?

Question: Is charging us $18 per item (bulky items that do not fit into the new containers), and the presumed recycling revenue one and the same? And, just how do you expect to see more recycling? Previous recycling bins have almost always been overflowing due to better participation. So, the new containers will only stop the overflow; I doubt that it will increase it. I believe added recycling revenue will be a long time coming. Whether or not presumed revenue is connected with the disgusting fees, I for one will not pay to have any item taken away. And, I doubt that I am alone in this.

Did you not give any thought to the city’s residents when you agreed to this new contract with Waste Management, other than added ‘revenue?’ This is a horrible burden to be put upon us! Again, if anyone needs to throw out a, we’ll say, kitchen chair, it will cost $18 for that single broken chair; and, if we happen to have two broken chairs to throw out, it will cost us $36, and so on and so on. Just how do you propose we recycle broken “bulky” items that are unusable/unrecyclable – that is not recycling, that is rubbish removal and has always been covered by our taxes; there’s something very wrong with this picture. And, if Waste Management won’t pick up these items, what are we to do with them? Let them pile up on our property? What happens when a rental property becomes vacant and the tenant bags up their unwanted items for pick up? Where is this stuff to go? Who pays for this when they are gone? Do we now times this $18/item? To charge us residents for removal (either per item or per pickup) is robbery.

Providence, which is also contracted with Waste Management, does not charge anything to take away bulky items. You only have to call a couple of days in advance of your pickup to notify them of the bulky items to be picked up – and there is no charge. Why wasn’t Cranston’s new collection program/contract the same?

Mayor Fung and you councilmen must never throw anything large out, or … you’ve got plenty of money to give to Waste Management, without a thought to the rest of the city inhabitants. Of course, you’ll get your money back in “revenue.” Even if people only throw one large item out a year, that is still $18 to your good – and $18 is too much!

By the way, the pickups are not “automated,” they still have to hook the containers to the truck and physically assist with the dumping. And, they also at times still completely handle the containers by hand. And, today when the garbage was picked up, the garbage man had to put the wheel back on my container when it fell off while being dumped. So, will I eventually have to pay for a replacement container when the wheel or some other portion of the container is broken and unusable? And not due to my handling – all I or anyone else does is put garbage in and roll it to the sidewalk. It’s the quality of the containers and the rough handling by the garbage men that will cause them to break. So?

This contract is restrictive and costly, and a grievous burden to residents. What you did was unconscionable and it needs to be corrected now! What are you going to do about it?

Judith Bessell

Cranston