New Haven Independent

Pietrosimone was smiling because the city’s Municipal Solid Waste Authority came one step closer into being Wednesday night. City Plan commissioners Wednesday night gave their blessing to an ordinance amendment creating the entity and to designation of land parcels near the dump to be transferred to the ownership of the future MSWA.

The idea of creating an authority has been percolating for more than a year since former Alderman Nick Shalek and others charged the city with finding ways to be more efficient and revenue-producing. One of the triggers of the debate was the chronic mismanagement of the solid waste transfer station off Middletown Avenue. Cost overruns have plagued the operation, and it was believed that income might be realized from a more entrepreneurial recycling program.

But, Pietrosimone said, he is a financial guy, not a tin can guy, and sees the creation of the MSWA from the perspective of the fiscal relief it would provide the city.

“Part of the action plan in the ‘07-‘08 budget,” he said, after the vote for approval, “involved $6 million that the city would realize from sale of the lease of the transfer station to a MSWA. That will reduce the burden on the general funds immediately.”

Longer term, $4 million in debt obligation would be transferred to the MSWA. “Like the parking authority, and other such entities,” he said, “the MSWA won’t be able to handle this on its own until it’s up and running. Until then the city will still carry the debt on its books and function as a kind of fiscal agent,” until the authority generates its own income.

The projection is that $500,000 will also immediately be realized in expense reductions at the transfer station. “The timing,” he said, “is perfect for this because two of our big contracts with the haulers are coming up for renewal at the end of the year.”

He suggested the MSWA could save millions through more focused management that could continue to reduce solid waste disposal costs.

Pietrosimone seemed excited also about the revenue potential of recycling. “Right now,” he said, “the city pays for carting away of the recyclables — $25 per ton. We believe we actually can get paid that $25 per ton from vendors who will pick the stuff up from us.”

He credited Public Works Director John Prokop with promoting this aspect of a future authority’s focus. Prokop has determined that the level of recycling in the city is woefully low. One solution would be commingling — that is, people would recycle more if they didn’t themselves have to separate out items. That task could be done by a vendor, and the city paid for it in the process.

“The idea of the authority,” Pietrosimone added, “is that it will bring focus to all these efforts, from the financial side to the recycling and management of the whole operation.”

City Engineer, Richard Miller was also pleased that a MSWA could ride herd over the increasing regulatory headaches: “Seven or eight different kinds of environmental permits that are spread out among different city offices would now be under the single MSWA umbrella.”

An MSWA — unlike, say, the controversial WPCA, which has four towns participating — would involve only one town, New Haven. No actual dump land would be transferred to the MSWA, but parcels around the dump, including one that would have access to the rail tracks. Eventually, a well-run MSWA, Pietrosimone suggested, might be able to send out its own solid waste directly on rail cars at its own spur instead of having to have it trucked. The MSWA legislation, as proposed, would also involve tearing down the old incinerator building and other improvements around the transfer station.

The Department of Public Work would remain responsible for waste collection, and residents would still have curbside waste and recyclable collection.

The authority would have five members, four appointed by the mayor and one alderman. The interim director, Pietrosimone suggested, would likely be John Prokop. The proposal will go to the Board of Aldermen for final approval.

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