Residents Call for More Trash Enforcement

Residents at last week’s NEWRA Clean Streets Committee monthly meeting at the Nazzaro Community Center had only one thing on their minds, household trash placed out on the street illegally.

They claimed it’s getting worse and there is no sign of it getting better unless the City starts to crack down with better enforcement.

The battle cry was enforcement, enforcement, enforcement and the group wants the message to be delivered to City Hall, right to the Mayor.

Residents are not happy with existing conditions and pointed fingers at the Department of Public Works and Code Enforcement for not doing enough to maintain a cleaner community.

Complaints included: illegal placement of trash, dirty sidewalks and gutters and trash pickers opening trash bags looking for cans and bottles for recycling creating a mess.

Some residents claim calling the Hotline gets very little response. “They even hung-up on me,” one resident said.

“The problem starts with the absentee landlords who pull in the money and do nothing about their tenants placing out trash within the rules,” a resident loudly complained.

The group felt more people need to get involved in order to get any kind of attention on these issues that will help keep the community much cleaner.

One suggestion was to place cameras throughout the neighborhood that will clearly identify those who are creating the problem.

“Once they get caught and fined, they will think twice before they do it again,” a resident noted.

Reportedly, NEWRA is considering having a meeting with the Mayor to discuss these problems.