I am in favor of Curb side trash pickup because I believe it will be a benefit to Montville Home Owners. Some Businesses, Renters and Condo Owners may not see a benefit. Those are the ones speaking the loudest. They represent a small group that is only thinking about themselves. They bring up all these questions, which cannot be answered until the proposal is implemented; if Curb Side Trash Pick isn’t working you do away with it and go back to the old way. You try it first to see if it is going to work. The only thing you know for sure is the Solid Waste Commission will have to increase their budget over 500 thousand dollars. Curb Side Pickup will not be the only reason your Taxes will increase. A Budget is made up of all the Departments that serve the Town including the Board of Ed. Each Department makes up their own Budget. They then give their proposals to the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee reviews the proposals and sends their recommendations to the Council. The Council votes on the Budget. If my Taxes are going to go up, it would be nice to receive something for the increase. I would save 200 dollars for trash pickup and pay 200 dollars for my increase in taxes, it would be a wash. No money out of my pocket. The Mill Rate increased 6.3 mills last year, what benefit did you get for that increase? You cannot say Taxes will only increase because of Curb Side Trash Pickup. Why don’t you stop asking all those questions that no one can answer? Some Business Owners that feel they will not receive a benefit from the Tax increase that Curb Side Trash Pickup will create and don’t think it’s fair, should be filling the Council Chambers with support to reduce the Budget and not have any increase in Taxes. The only time I see a large number of people at a budget hearing is during the Board of Ed Budget hearing and those people are there to support the increase. Why isn’t anyone at the hearings to reduce the Government Portion or the Board of Ed. Portions of the Budget? That would be the time to complain.
I have been paying Taxes for 47 years in Montville. I utilized the Education System for twelve of those years and that would be to send all three of my children to school up to eighth grade. They then attended a State School for their last 4 years. I paid for a school budget in Town for 47 years when I only used the Schools for 12 years. Of course I paid State Taxes to pay for the State Schools. All the other years I paid Taxes, I received nothing from the Board of Ed., however I still paid and didn’t worry about it because I knew it was going towards others in town so their children could get an Education like mine did.
I have many times stood at the Transfer Station gathering Signatures. I would be there on a Saturday and Sunday for two weekends. After that it’s the same people coming in. Between me and two other people, we would obtain approximately 400 signatures for those two weekends. Some people would go there one day during the week and pick up another 100 to 150 signatures. I would say there are approximately 800 households that utilize the Transfer Station. Not just for garbage. That might be a little high, but to make my point, I’ll go with it. There are over 68 hundred homes in town. This does not include Businesses, Condo and Renters. That means to me, that 6000 homes use another way to get rid of their trash. I believe that those 6000 homes may benefit leaving 800 homes that may not benefit. If you are like me and think about the whole town and not just yourself, then I believe Curb side Trash Pickup is a good Idea. I don’t agree with any layoffs of any full time or part time Employees. That’s just a scare tactic being used. Trash at the Transfer station is not the only thing brought there. They also accept leaves, brush. Contractor Materials, Appliances, TV’s, Hazardous liquids, Fluorescent Blubs and all the other things it does other than Garbage and Recycling. I believe they still should be open Wednesday to Sunday to accommodate everyone during the week and on weekends. You don’t make any decisions on laying off people or days of operation until you have done Curb Side pickup for a year and then evaluate it. If you need to make changes, make them then. Curb Side Trash Pickup is not just a benefit for me; it is a Benefit that serves the majority of the Town, not just a select few.
My point is, when something is proposed and it would be a benefit to a large portion of the town, then those who won’t receive the benefit this time, should think of what they might receive from others another time. Don’t give up Dana because of a select few that are against it and don’t know why because their questions cannot be answered.
~Jim Andriote Sr.
