 Casella Waste Systems Acquires Assets from Republic ServicesRepublic Services changes its name Tuesday as it becomes part of Casella Waste Systems Inc.  Pittsfield To Re-examine Downtown Parking MetersA petition against putting parking meters in the new Columbus Avenue surface lot could trigger a full re-examination of the parking program. Berkshire Nautilus Owner Jim Ramondetta submitted a petition with some 800 signatures of people opposing putting parking meters in the new lot. Ramondetta claims the city had not kept him informed of the move and that meters would hinder his business. He's righting back, calling for 90-minute parking, like he has now, instead.  Williamstown Elementary Pupils Given Reusable Water BottlesWilliamstown Elementary School pupils learned Friday about where their tap water comes from and where their plastic water bottles go.  Pittsfield's Latest Trash Proposal Heads to Full CouncilThe trash talk is expected to return to the City Council. On Monday the Ordinance and Rules Committee completed a massive review of the city's trash collection ordinance. The new proposal would limit the amount of trash a resident can throw away to 64 gallons per week. However, the committee was unable to determine a method of enforcing such rule.  Latest Proposal Calls For Pittsfield to Limit Trash to 64 GallonsThe Ordinance and Rules Committee continued its review of the trash ordinance Monday night and the newest amendments would restrict residents to 64 gallons of trash per week.  Williamstown Officials Confront Issues Related to Off-Campus PartiesIn response to reports by a local resident about past issues related to the event, board members Jane Patton and Andrew Hogeland voted against authorizing the closure.  Pittsfield Continues to Stumble Over Trash OrdinanceBox, bundle, barrel, bag, whatever, just keep it orderly. That's what Ward 3 City Council Nicholas Caccamo is now proposing for a trash ordinance after re-writing the existing laws from top to bottom looking to focus only on health and aesthetics. His new version does not include any limits on the amount of trash nor does it require a toter or special bags after both had been harshly opposed by residents.  Pittsfield Seeks to Increase Recycling, Trash Hauler Responds to ComplaintsJust before the start of Third Thursday a city truck rolled onto North Street loaded with recycling bins. It was a new addition to the event and it is part of the city's new focus on increasing recycling. In the wake of the City Council rejecting Mayor Linda Tyer's plan to switch to a toter plan for residential trash pick up - a move eyed to dramatically increase recycling and the cost the city pays to collect and dispose of refuse - a number of people are now increasing its own recycling ef  Pittsfield Briefs: Trash Hauling Contract Extended, Parking Meters MovingThe mayor has signed a five-year agreement with Republic Services, circumventing the City Council's wishes to have the contract go to bid. The new contract had already been basically agreed to before the City Council urged the mayor to put the contract to bid. Nonetheless, city councilors were surprised to learn on Tuesday that the agreement had been signed after advocating for the contract to be publicly bid.  Pittsfield Councilors Told Trash Hauler Started Enforcement On Its OwnThe mayor says the city's trash hauler went rouge by halting trash pickup in some cases and placing violation stickers on bins and bag throughout the city. Recently, Republic Services, the city's trash hauler, began what city hall is calling "soft enforcement" of the city's current trash ordinances. The workers started placing violation stickers on resident's trash bins if they did not comply with the standards and in some cases refused to collect trash or recycling because of the non-complia  Pittsfield Reconvenes Resource Recovery As Trash Talk Starts OverThe city's Resource Recovery Commission has reconvened after its toter plan was rejected by the City Council. The committee had come together in September of 2016 and for more than a year completed an analysis of the city's curbside trash collection. It settled on a plan to overhaul the trash collection with a toter system eyed to decrease the $3 million cost the city pays for trash disposal, increase the 11 percent recycling rate, and combat blight.  Pittsfield Councilors Continue Efforts to Overhaul Trash PickupThe Health Department is recommending the city ramp up education and enforcement of the current waste removal laws. In the wake of the City Council rejecting a plan to provider 45-gallon and 96-gallon toters to residents to limit trash disposal, the council is now continuing that conversation by looking at the current laws on the books. On Monday, the Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee heard from Health Director Gina Armstrong on the existing laws and ways to better seek compliance from residen  Pittsfield Council Looks to Restart Committee on HomelessnessThe City Council is looking to reestablish a committee to address homelessness. City Councilors Melissa Mazzeo, Helen Moon, and former council candidate Edward Carmel have petitioned to update the rules establishing such a committee in 1989.  Tyer Trashes Toter PlanThe mayor released a statement on Tuesday saying the city will not long be pursuing an overhaul to the curbside trash pick up through the implementation of a toter system.  Tyer Doubles Down On Toters, Krol Pushes AlternativesMayor Linda Tyer believes in the proposed toter system for trash collection. But some city councilors have other ideas.  Tyer Rolls Out Toter Program at Public MeetingsTyer says, currently, the city spends $3 million per year to dispose of trash. With the program, Pittsfield would save between $89,000 and $225,000 depending on the level of trash reduction.  Tyer Holding Public Meetings On Toter ProposalMayor Linda Tyer is taking the toters to the street. The mayor has scheduled four neighborhood meetings to further discuss the proposal to overhaul curbside trash pickup by implementing a toter program. The mayor feels that what has been lost during the most recent debate on the issue is the direct impacts the plan will have on the resident's day to day life.  Tired of Trash Talk, Council Returns Toters to TyerAfter a year and a half and a dozen or so meetings later, the mayor's trash proposal is basically back where it started. The City Council returned the proposal to overhaul the garbage collection system back to Mayor Linda Tyer, asking for a revised plan. The proposal was crafted through the Resource Recovery Commission, which first met back to September of 2016, and after three lengthy meetings at the City Council, the councilors felt it was too flawed to be saved.  Pittsfield Council Critical of Trash Pickup PlanMany city councilors are critical of implementing a new trash collection program. The council debated the issue for a second lengthy meeting on Tuesday. The City Council first fielded the switch from the current curbside trash collection program to a toter system, which the administration says will help lower annual operating costs for garbage collection, at a committee of the whole meeting a month ago.  Board Of Health Can Not Yet Inspect Curtis PaperThe town began the process of taking the property last year from MJD Real Estate, which owes more than $450,000 in property taxes.  Pittsfield Health Officials Back Trash Collection ChangesHealth Director Gina Armstrong doesn't see the enforcement of new trash regulations becoming a difficult task. The Board of Health is currently in charge of enforcing nuisance issues regarding trash already. Armstrong brought up some areas of concern about the proposed toter system regulations, but overall said it will keep the city cleaner. |
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