Compromise Struck On Trash Hauling

This private trash-hauler brought a photo to City Hall of his late father, a New Haven garbage collector killed on duty by a driver. He hoped — but failed — to convince aldermen to change their minds about a proposed new law limiting the hours of private pick-ups.

The hauler, Dino Fronte, showed up for an emotional hearing Wednesday night before the Board of Aldermen’s Legislation Committee. The committee ended up unanimously approving an ordinance amendment to prevent commercial trash hauling companies from going south of Trumbull Street before 6 a.m., and to keep commercial garbage trucks out of downtown before 5 a.m.

The proposal now advances to the full board for a final vote.

(Click here and here for previous stories on the proposal.)

The ordinance will be enforced only if a complaint is made by a resident, the committee decided.

Rich Wylie of Waste Management said he would follow the law, but thinks it creates an unnecessary hazard. 

“My biggest concern, is someone backs out of an alleyway, and somebody, a student or an elderly person — they hear the beeping of the truck backing up but they don’t think about it — my driver has to live with that,” Wylie said.“It’s so congested at that time, and we have a lot of blind spots on the trucks.”

City Police Capt. Steve Verrelli (pictured) said starting collection later will mean more garbage trucks downtown during the busy morning hours, which he said could pose a public safety issue.

Nonetheless, Verrelli said the police department will issue tickets to drivers violating the ordinance.

In six months, the committee will review the complaints and decide whether or not to impose a 180-day license suspension after multiple violations.

After the six-month trial period, the ordinance will go back up for review. Downtown Alderman Frances ​“Bitsie” Clark (pictured at top) said she is concerned about suspending the licenses of trash haulers for violating the ordinance. She said the city needs to make it easier for people to do business. 

Fair Haven Alderwoman Maria Reyes Rivera, the Legislation Committee chair (at left in photo, next to Clark), said without the threat of a 180-day license suspension, some companies may just accept the fines as a cost of operations in New Haven.

The ordinance was spearheaded by East Rock Community Management Team activists like Cynthia Horan (pictured) and David Cameron. They did some extra homework and called up city officials in Stamford, Cambridge, and Providence — other cities that limit the hours trash can be collected.

Horan said a Stamford Health Department official told her enforcement of its noise ordinance, which limits trash removal from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., often moves the problem from one neighborhood into another.

Brian Ayres of CitiCarting in Stamford said he would have to double his fleet of trucks to come into full compliance with the city of Stamford’s ordinance. Instead, Ayres said his company re-routes trucks to avoid neighborhoods that regularly make complaints.

“This comes at a premium price to the customer,” Ayres said.

Dino Fronte (pictured at the top of the story) said New Haven residents will have a lot to lose sleep over if they force garbage trucks out into rush hour.

“Our obligation is to be off the road before rush hour,” Fronte said.

He brought a stack of pictures with him to show the committee. 

“That’s my father,” he said after he testified, pointing to a body in the photograph. ​“He worked for City of New Haven sanitation. He was hit on Fountain Street, you know, over by Whalley Avenue, doing his run. It was 7 a.m. — Driver came around the corner and killed him.”

“That’s the car,” he said, pointing to the wrecked car in the top photo. ​“Driver was running late for work. Tell me, can the concerns of the residents bring back my father?” 

Fronte works for John’s Refuse, a company East Rock Alderman Roland Lemar (pictured) said was particularly uncooperative when the first ordinance was enacted.

A previous ordinance amendment proposed banning commercial haulers from downtown before 4 a.m. and from residential neighborhoods before 6 a.m. The new amendment says trash haulers have to wait until 5 a.m. to start their downtown routes, and keeps them north of Trumbull until 6 a.m.