Garbage collection needs more disciplined approach – residents

Consultations on the proposed garbage collection fee continued on Monday with residents of Agricola and McDoom, Greater Georgetown calling for a more disciplined system.
On Monday, the consultation was held at the Agricola Community Centre with Mayor Patricia Chase Green, Solid Waste Director Walter Narine, Councillor Welton Clarke and other City Council staff.
The residents did not hold back on sharing their views on the issue of garbage collection, highlighting that litter was indeed a problem in the area. “Littering is a big concern in this area,” one resident stressed.
Unlike the previous consultation, all the residents in attendance were of the opinion that implementing the $200 garbage collection fee would not be a problem. However, this acceptance came on one condition. Several residents stated that there was a need for discipline on when the garbage disposal companies came to collect their garbage.
“Our garbage day is on Thursday, sometimes they come till Sunday night,” a resident explained. Similarly, residents noted that there were also instances of the companies misplacing bins or in some cases taking them.
Aside from those concerns, the Council representatives were also asked what other measures were taken before resolving to implement a fee. Narine in response noted that the rates and taxes would usually be used to cover those costs, but these have not been increased since 1994. He went on to say that re-evaluating and possibly raising those rates and taxes was something that they would need to address with the Central Housing and Planning Authority in the future.
In her address, Mayor Chase Green asked the residents to carefully consider the plight of the Council, noting that prices for groceries have changed from 1994 to now, but the rates and taxes have remained the same. She also brought to light scenarios where businesses have rented parts of their buildings to smaller businesses. “We were collecting one bin from them, now we’re collecting seven and eight,” she lamented.
The first garbage consultation was held on January 18, at City Hall. That meeting garnered mixed responses from central Georgetown residents – some accepted that the proposed fee was reasonable, while others opposed it. The consultations came after Town Clerk Royston King prematurely announced that he would like to collect fees for garbage collection. He was instructed by Mayor Chase Green to hold at least one public consultation before bringing the matter to the full Council for a vote. In a subsequent City Council meeting the Town Clerk had stated that he would like to go into communities to consult with the residents there, Agricola being the first on that list. Among the other communities to be visited are Cummings Lodge, and South and North Ruimveldt.