Community Corner

Sticker Issues Leave 300 Residents Holding Onto Their Trash

Staff at the transfer station on Old Turnpike Road turned away nearly 300 vehicles after residents failed to renew their stickers by April 1.

A beautiful Saturday afternoon turned into a day of frustration for nearly 300 local residents this weekend as their trucks, vans and other vehicles were turned away from the Old Turnpike Road Bulky Waste transfer station without being able to get rid of their trash.

The decision to turn so many away may have seemed like a cruel joke, especially coming just 24-hours removed from April Fool’s Day, but the problem was that those who were not allowed in had stickers that were expired under the town’s transfer station sticker program.

“I knew something was wrong when I drove down Old Turnpike Road and didn’t see the type of activity that usually happens there on an early April Saturday,” said David Zoni, former town council member and one of those who was turned away this weekend. “I knew about the sticker change but figured there may have been a little leniency given it was the weekend.”

Under a program initiated a little over a year ago, town residents are able to use the transfer station free of charge – but only if they have the correct sticker after applying for it at the Town Clerk’s office.

The program runs annually and is designed to save thousands in costs previously associated with accommodating trash from out of town said both Town Council Chairman Edward Pocock III and John Leary, a member of the Public Works committee and one of those turned away on Saturday.

Old stickers – which were issued in the beginning of 2010 – expired on March 31 and anyone who didn’t have the proper sticker, which has been issued to applicants since late-January, found themselves leaving with the same trash they arrived with.

“Should they have been turned away? Probably not,” said Town Manager Garry Brumback. “The staff was just doing the job they had been directed to do. This was the first time we have had the renewal process and now that it has been brought to my attention, we will make adjustments and ensure residents are being properly served, but will also encourage people to get their sticker.”

A total of about 250 to 300 people were denied access Saturday, Brumback said a Monday review revealed, while about 500 residents had the appropriate sticker and were able to gain entry.

The transfer station, located at 617 Old Turnpike Road, will be open again next Saturday and although stickers will be highly encouraged but rather than turning taxpayers away, Brumback said staff will be working to educate the public. He said the town is designing pamphlets to hand out but that residents need to get a new sticker as soon as possible or their privileges will be revoked.

Through 3 p.m. on Monday, a total of 1,455 residents had applied for and received their 2011 stickers according to staff with the Town clerk’s office. A total of 5,711 residents received a sticker in 2010.

Residents can apply at the Town Clerk’s office in Town Hall, 75 Main St. in Southington, or online at http://www.southington.org/content/50/2426/78/default.aspx.

Brumback said he plans to bring the issue to Town Councilors during the next council meeting on April 11.

Town Councilors Chris Palmieri and John Barry, who voted against the annual stickers during a Nov. 22, 2010, Town Council meeting, each expressed frustration with the number of people turned away Saturday and said they believe it was a result of too strict a policy being put into place.

Palmieri, a Democrat who also voted against the annual renewal process in favor of a two-year program as a member of the Public Works Committee, said Monday that he was concerned that this might happen and was clear in expressing those concerns during the Nov. 22 meeting, but the motion to have an annual process was approved by a 5-4 council vote along party lines.

“(Council Democrats) were opposed to these stickers and I feel like it wouldn’t have been such a big issue if the renewal process occurred every two years,” Barry said. “We haven’t seen any data to suggest that one year is more appropriate than two.”

Regardless of whether the renewal process occurred in 2011 or 2012, however, Pocock said the issue would have been the same. The weekend was the first under the sticker renewal program and with any new venture, the town must now work out the kinks, he said.

“You need to have this first renewal date sometime,” Pocock said. “I don’t agree that people should have been turned away and understand there was some miscommunication, but the town manager has already addressed that. We are a customer service organization and we need to improve.”

Pocock said the program has already saved tens of thousands of dollars and conducting the renewal program yearly prevents out of town residents who may have bought a car that has the sticker from abusing the system.

He said next year the town will need to consider taking out advertisements and making legal announcements in order to better promote the program, but he feels the problem is being properly addressed.

Let’s figure this out now and get the program working properly, rather than kick the can down the road,” he said. “Short-term pain in this case will lead to long-term gain.”


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