Rockville Central Radio, Talking Trash But In A Good Way

On today’s edition of >Rockville Central Radio, Cindy Cotte Griffiths and I were delighted to be able to talk about trash — but not in the way residents who lived through the last City election may be used to.

Instead, the news was all good. We were lucky enough to snag Craig Simoneau, director of public works for Our Fair City, who gave us a rundown on the changes — effective immediately — in the City’s recycling program.

The quick headline is that beginning now, pretty much any kind of plastic is now recyclable . . . and you don’t even have to remove the lids! (watch this space for more information.)

You’ve got to listen to the show! It was a hoot. Not only did we have Craig, but we also talked to our friend Ruth Hanessian about her upcoming “parrot psychology” class, and Cindy talked about the new glass art exhibit at VisArts.

Just go here to listen.

Tune in next week at noon for the next installment.

West End Citizens Association Meeting Features Sparks

Tonight in Christ Episcopal Church’s Murdock Hall, where a certain >musical coffee house was held recently, the West End Citizens Association held a “general membership meeting” with the Mayor Susan Hoffmann, and City Council Members John Britton, Piotr Gajewski, Phyllis Marcuccio, and Anne Robbins — along with most of the City’s key department heads and City Manager Scott Ullery. It felt like City Hall West!

The department heads briefed about 75 attendees (by my quick count) including a number of Rockville Central friends like Mark Pierzchala and Brigitta Mullican. Drew Powell rounded out the core of recent city candidates in attendance. I also spied Christina Ginsberg and a number of others I know.

While a number of items on the agenda had the potential of causing some controversy, the briefings were quite straightforward and the questions informational in nature. Some of the issues will be familiar to Rockville Central readers, such as progress on the drafting of a new zoning ordinance for the City, rollout of the new trash program, creation of a new utility to handle stormwater management, and the needed replacement of some 33 miles worth of City water pipes are giving up the ghost.

(You would have been able to see it all here on the site, but I was not allowed to videotape this meeting. Rather, I was informed I could videotape so long as I allowed the WECA board to review the footage. That didn’t seem very reasonable to me — nor did it seem like it would happen fast enough to allow me to post tonight — so I said “no” and consoled myself with photos. I don’t feel so bad, though: evidently the City had been set to video too, and were given the same ground rules which they couldn’t follow either.)

Here are just a few important concrete tidbits beyond those overall issues (it’s not all, just some highlights:

Police Chief Terry Treschuk announced that the new speed cameras on W. Montgomery Avenue were set to go “live” on March 21, with a two week warning-only period. (So get yer ya-yas out now, leadfeet.)

Recreation and Parks Chief Burt Hall announced that:

• Thursday evening outdoor Town Square concerts would begin on May 1 and last through September 11.
• The Memorial Day Parade would follow a slightly different route this year — it will turn left onto Beall Ave. from Washington, and then go right through Town Square on Maryland Avenue. The judges’ booth would be in the courtyard.
• The city is developing a buskers’ program for Town Center, with outdoor musicians (and other performers?).

Public Works chief Craig Simoneau announced that initial rollout of the new trash system was set to begin in October 2008. And, in response to a very reasonable question from Susan Prince, reported that the best way to get rid of your old trash bins (which will need to be replaced by City-provided bins in the new regime) is . . . well, to use them around the house, for leaf collection or perhaps to store long garden tools. Or give them to your family and friends who may not live in Rockville. If you can’t get rid of them that way, the City will take them as trash. (I am being flip here, but he gave a good answer. There probably isn’t a good way to get rid of the things; they don’t recycle well it turns out).

In response to another question from Susan, Scott Ullery reported the good news that the City appears closer to a deal with Verizon on FiOS than previously suspected. Seems the VZ is coming around to understand that the City requires things get done a certain way on its right of ways. There is nothing concrete, but I would not be surprised if we heard something this year. (Please, I beg of you. I will do anything.)

Then it got a bit interesting.

Though it was not on the official agenda, the efforts of many WECA members to move the court house came up. Council Member John Britton gave an excellent recap, which in most respects covered the points he had written (and which Rockville Central had published, yay us) just a few hours before. Mayor Susan Hoffmann then mentioned that a key budget subcommittee was slated to meet this week and had initially allowed, then refused, to hear live testimony from the City on the reasons the court house should not be built at the old library site.

In essence, the energy of the room was definitely “move the courthouse.”

Then Council Member Phyllis Marcuccio rose and made a statement that I do not agree with but that took a great deal of courage to make, there in that room. I give her a great deal of credit for that.

Phyllis said that her understanding of the previous vote the Council had taken in opposition to the court house was that it was intended to demand that the state work honestly with the City to mitigate the large impacts that it would be having on the neighborhood. She said that as early as the City’s “Town Center Master Plan,” adopted October 22, 2001, maps showed the new court house to be at the old library site. She said that her own review of the documents over the years implied to her that, “should you take the court house to court, . . . you don’t have much of a case.”

Phyllis finished by saying “I withdraw my support of testimony so far,” meaning the effort to move the court house rather than seek to mitigate its impacts.

Given the state of mind of the crowd, you can imagine the r
eaction. But it was getting to be 9:00 pm and WECA president Patricia Woodward runs a taught ship so the gavel fell.

As I said, I don’t agree with Phyllis’ argument, nor am I sure I would interpret the resolution the Council voted on recently to mean they were seeking to “mitigate” and not “opposing” — but that is all beside the point and reasonable people can differ. The statement, in that setting, took guts.

The Gazette’s Warren Parrish was there — so read the Gazette on Wednesday; I am sure he will do a better job of recapping this than me!

Gajewski To Host Town Hall

> While this appears in the latest Weekend To Weekend, it is also worth a quick mention on its own:

First-term council member Piotr Gajewski has announced he will hold an open Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, February 21, 2008, 8:00-10:00 p.m. at the Rockville City Hall.

The purpose of the meeting, according to the press release, is to discuss the “major issues facing the City, including the proposed new courthouse, Town Center parking, the imminent roll out of the new trash system, and other issues of importance to Rockville Citizens.” (Those are my links, not Gajewski’s.)

Questions? Contact the council member directly.

For my own part, I encourage other members of the Mayor and Council to hold similar meetings. While it is important to be accessible as a group, it also seems useful to have forums like this in which to get to know individual members of Our Fair City’s government.

(Image from Gajewski campaign website — because it was a larger photo than the one on the City’s site.)

New Trash System To Begin

In general, I mean to be well shut of articles about >trash, how often to pick it up, in what, and what color the bins are. However, since the Mayor and Council have voted to adopt procedure changes that will affect every resident, I thought one, last article would be in order.

Rather than paraphrase, I am just posting the City’s press release below [UPDATED, the City reissued the release]:

The Mayor and Council voted to adopt weekly semi-automated refuse collection, reversing a twice-per-week collection decision made in July 2007 by the previous council. The Mayor and Council’s decision also abolished the Refuse and Recycling Commission previously established and directed the city manager to develop a plan to establish a task force to assist with the implementation of the new refuse and recycling program.

Neighborhoods that were part of the once-per-week pilot program will return to once-per-week collection beginning January 28, 2008. It is anticipated that Rockville neighborhoods will transition to the new program beginning in October 2008, in three-month phases; with full Citywide implementation over a 12-15 month period. Each phase will allow for education and outreach, refuse and recycling cart delivery, and follow-up.

A semi-automated system will employ mechanical lift arms mounted on trucks to hoist the refuse and recycling carts provided by the City. Knuckleboom trucks also will be used to assist in collecting bulk items that do not fit in refuse carts and tree branches. Carts will be provided in four sizes depending on residents needs for both refuse and recycling.

Recycling services also will be affected. Single stream recycling, already in effect by former pilot households, will be implemented. Single stream will allow residents to use one cart for all recyclable materials as opposed to sorting. “Single stream recycling will make it much easier for residents to prepare their recyclables for collection. Additionally, we anticipate residents will recycle more than they are currently,” said Craig Simoneau, Rockville’s Director of Public Works.

The fee for once-per-week refuse and recycling services is projected to remain $32.70 per month until fiscal year 2011; with an increase of $.05 per month effective fiscal year 2012.

On the question of refuse collection frequency, Mayor Hoffmann and Councilmembers Britton and Gajewski voted in favor of once-per-week service, with Councilmembers Marcuccio and Robbins voting against the motion.

The motion to abolish the Refuse and Recycling Commission was approved with Mayor Hoffmann and Councilmembers Britton and Gajewski voting in favor and Councilmembers Marcuccio and Robbins voting against the motion.

The city manager was directed to come back with a proposal to create a Refuse and Recycling Task Force with a timeframe of 12 months, subject to renewal. The vote for the motion was Mayor Hoffmann, Councilmembers Britton, Marcuccio and Robbins voting in favor of the motion and Councilmember Gajewski voting against the motion.

So there you have it. Trash is dead. Long live trash!

Praise, And Criticism, Where Due

[NOTE: This post is UPDATED. See below.]>

As one reader emailed me, channeling Monty Python: “the trash issue is dead, deceased, is no more and ceases to be . . . it is X-Trash!” Last night, at the Mayor and Council meeting, the leaders of Our Fair City took up the question of how often — and how — our trash would be picked up.

I will cut to the chase: After debate, the Mayor and Council voted to retain the trash collection decision from last term, but to reduce the frequency to once per week. (In other words, it will be semi-automated, single stream.)

The votes were: Mayor Hoffmann and Council Members Britton and Gajewski in favor; Council Members Marcuccio and Robbins opposed.

(In the interest of transparency, you should know I favor once-per-week pickup and always have. But, I do not care deeply about the issue.)

They also voted to do away with the standing Refuse and Recycling Commission, but to replace it with a time-limited task force which would exist for 12 months with the possibility of that term being renewed. Rockville Central contributor Mark Pierzchala, who was there, writes that “This was done in two votes. First for abolishing the commission, it was, I believe 3 to 1 to 1, to abolish with Gajewski, Britton, and Hoffman voting to abolish, Marcuccio against, and Robbins abstaining. As for replacing it with a Task Force, it was 4 to 1 in favor, with Gajewski voting no. By that point Marcuccio voted for the Task Force because the commission had just been abolished.”

There are citizens who are pleased with this outcome, as well as others who are not. This is no surprise. What is a pleasant surprise, however, is the civility and grace (between Council members) with which this decision was reached.

Gone were the fuming comments and smoldering looks between council members that characterized the previous trash-related meetings of the previous Mayor and Council. In their place, at least when it came to the debate at hand, was respect and thoughtfulness.

Rockville Central contributor Joe Jordan, who was hoping for a twice-weekly outcome, wrote in praise:

“I want to commend you [Mayor Hoffmann] for how you handled this evening’s meeting. While I obviously was on the side of the minority vote, your leadership and calm manner kept things civil and fair.”

Joe went on to say in his note:

“It should be noted how Councilwomen Marcuccio and Robbins comported themselves during the discussion periods. They each exhibited style and dignity in explaining how they would support what they knew would be a reversal to what they had voted for and approved earlier this year.”

Mark Pierzchala echoed these sentiments in a note to me:

“Even though there was heartfelt disagreement, everyone was nice about it. . . . [Marcuccio's and Robbins' vowing to] support the decision (they said this before the vote). . . was an example of the civility even though they both disagreed with the eventual decision.”

After a meeting like this, the real test is whether it is possible to move on and get back to business. Especially as it relates to folks who did not get the outcome they wanted: Can they live with it? In this case, I have some optimism — but just some. As Joe Jordan, who is president of the Newmark Commons Home Owners Association, wrote in an email:

“Now that it is over, I will do what I can to support the new system and help get buy-in from the residents of New Mark Commons. We were early in expressing our concerns as to how the proposed system would present problems with the townhouse sections of the community. Craig [Simoneau] and Scott [Ullery] did promise they would consider our concerns, and Scott did a walk through months ago, and agreed we had legitimate issues. I am now confident we can work out a solution that will be a win-win for the city and for New Mark.”

Why just “some” optimism, given this? Because the civility that was extended between Council members was not universally extended to the citizens attending the meeting. Rockville Central contributor Rich Gottfried, who made a number of fiscal suggestions and spoke against once-weekly pickup at the Citizen’s Forum that kicked off the Mayor and Council meeting [UPDATE: he didn't speak against once-weekly pickup, he spoke in favor of more study -- my mistake], was subject to a critical response to his statement that (in my opinion) is ill befitting an official meeting. After his presentation, Council Member Gajewski told him he was unfairly criticizing staff, made a joke about how the usually fiscally conservative Gottfried was seemingly suggesting the City spend more money, and went on to point out that Gottfried (who ran as a candidate for City Council) finished well behind others who also were not successful, and that (according to my notes from watching the video) “Your views have been heard . . . and found wanting”. The tone was that of a candidate in a debate, taking a jab at an opponent.

[UPDATE: An earlier version characterized the comment above as holding that minority views don't deserve a hearing. My apologies.]

This response has rightly (to my mind) generated emotions far disproportionate to its length, which was quite brief. City PAC Real Rockville’s incoming president, Judy Miller, said Gajewski’s comments were an “outrageous . . . show of intemperance. . . . Citizens cannot be subjected to such at citizens forum.”

Council Member Gajewski commented that, while “some may have found my comments uncivil, I did not think they were.”

Anyone who knows me knows I am highly sympathetic to how hard it is to be an elected officia
l, and that citizens by and large would do well to give officials a little more “room” when it comes to making decisions — room to be wrong, room to change minds, room for positions to evolve. I often disagree with positions Real Rockville takes, and I am skeptical of the suspicions many citizens seem to have of elected officials. Some have suggested that I am overly soft on people who are in office.

However, in this case, I am afraid I must side with those who are critical of this exchange. Citizens’ Forum is the time set aside by the Mayor and Council to hear the views of citizens — including perspectives with which they might not agree. It needs to be a safe space for citizens. Campaign time is over. It is telling that all other members simply chose to thank certain citizens for speaking up, even in cases where clearly there was disagreement over policy. It is equally telling that Mayor Hoffmann went out of her way to invite far more citizens to speak than had previously signed up. She bent over backwards, it seemed, to allow all a voice – including a number of former candidates.

In this space that should be safe, Richard Gottfried, a private citizen, did not deserve criticism from the dais for airing his views. And he most assuredly did not deserve ridicule.

[UPDATE: This is not the first time I have criticized officials for their treatment of citizens.]

(Images: CollegeRecruiter.com and Celine’s Original Graphics.)

Council To Examine Your Trash (long)

>Warning: Long post.

Anyone who was awake until the end of the most recent Mayor and Council meeting – or who reads the Gazette – knows that the City is set to reopen the “trash issue.” It probably ought not to come as a surprise, as trash was such a campaign issue that, for those in the region who do not live in Our Fair City, it became the one thing our city election was known for.

The issue has had the added benefit of generating low-hanging-fruit headlines that use the term “trash talk” (note to headline writers: retire that).

The last term saw the City institute a pilot program whereby trash was collected using automated trucks on a once-weekly basis. Most everyone who was a part of the pilot (Hungerford and Monument areas of town) liked it, though there is some dispute as to the validity of the surveys (some say the questions were leading). But, as the City was preparing to really make the shift from twice- to once-weekly pickups, a number of citizens came to the fore who were vocally opposed.

People in favor of once-a-week pickup say that frequency is more than adequate, that it will save money, and reduce pollution. Those opposed say that it is not at all clear how much, if any, money will be saved, that once-weekly pickup is not adequate and there will be garbage festering and overflowing, and that on holiday weeks people will have to wait two weeks for their pickup. (There may be other arguments, but those are the chief ones that have been raised. In the interest of transparency, my personal opinion is that once-per-week is sufficient for all, but I do not hold that opinion strongly.)

As many know, the previous Mayor and Council (taken as a group) did not exactly function well together. The trash issue became a flashpoint and exposed deep rifts and resentments among the members.

Eventually, near the end of the last term, the members were able to agree to 1) maintain twice-weekly pickup; and 2) create a commission (which has applicants but no appointed members) to study the issue.

A majority of the incoming Mayor and Council, though, is in favor of once-weekly pickup, and late at the December 10 meeting, it was requested that the issue be placed on the agenda for the next Council meeting, December 17.

So, for City-watchers, the next Mayor and Council meeting will be one to watch, as a partially new cast of characters take up this contentious issue and we will see if they are able to address it with the civility with which they ran their campaigns.

This issue prompted two candidates who did not make it in the last election, Rich Gottfried and Mark Pierzchala, to voice their own opinions to one another, an exchange they kindly shared with me. They each crystallize an important public voice so, with their permission, we are sharing the key elements of this exchange with you.

Rich Gottfried led it off:

Just when you thought it was safe to take your garbage out to your curb twice a week, the councilman who did not want to talk about the City’s refuse and recycle program during his campaign requested an update to the Council’s previous decision regarding trash service be brought back on December 17′s Mayor and Council Agenda. . . .

I guess the citizens of the City of Rockville were hoping and praying that this M&C would not be another two year discussion on the refuse and recycle program… that this Council would move ahead and discuss the numerous other more important issues facing the citizens of Rockville like the . . . many, many more TAXES and FEES!

What the new Mayor and Council should focus on and request the City Manager to do is: 1) re-prioritize the FY2009 Budget, amounting to approximately $106 million dollars, so the citizens of Rockville’s tax dollars are spent on improving, maintaining and purchasing the infrastructure needed in the water, sewer and storm water management fund areas, and 2) to streamline personnel and operating expenses which amount to in FY08 $50 million dollars. An approximately ten percent reduction in these areas could cover the needed expenditure for improving, maintaining and purchasing the infrastructure needed and no TAX and FEE would be needed! It is all a matter of choice and priorities.

But here they go again talking about $2 per month per year (which amounts to $24 per year) increase from citizens when Hundreds, Thousands, and Millions of other dollars are being requested from citizens pocketbooks.

And Mark Pierzchala weighed in:

I was at the meeting on Monday all the way to the bitter end. The trash issue was brought up at the very last minute during the agenda review. I and others were surprised it came up that way. I see in tonight’s Gazette that Piotr thinks trash decisions will be reversed on December 17.

Trash in Rockville is a symbolic issue that stands in for more than refuse and recycling alone. In the last Mayor and Council it also was symbolic of discord among the elected. To me it also symbolized insufficient analysis; mayor and Council weren’t even asking the right questions at times. While I agreed with Dorsey, Marcuccio, and Robbins that the refuse hearing was necessary, I believe that it was faulty in that the once-a-week option was taken off the table before the hearing. I don’t think we should be surprised that the issue has come back. I was expecting it to come back early next year.

While I agree with you that many of the taxes and fees you mention deserve much attention, and I’ll be part of that, the trash fee increase over the years will be larger than your email stated. Even if the increase is not large, it is still more than it should be because of the twice-a-week decision and going in the wrong direction.

Thank you to these Rockville citizens for speaking up, for sharing their views, and for remaining so agreeable.

Leaf Time! Collection Begins 10/22

One of my favorite things about Rockville is . . . wait for it . . . >trash pickup. I think it’s because I used to live in a rural town in Maine where there was no trash pickup at all unless you hired a private person to do it. Most folks just took their trash to the town dump every Saturday. (On the up side, you would meet and get to talk to everyone and find out what was going on.)

Of the trash services that I love, the service I love most is leaf pickup. I have never lived anywhere that got rid of my leaves for me. I just have to get them to the curb! Growing up (in the midwest) I used to have to rake and bag, rake and bag.

But in Our Fair City, you just need to make a big pile of leaves, make sure there aren’t any big sticks hiding among them, and wait. The City comes around on a schedule and sucks them all up.

Here’s this year’s leaf pickup schedule, by area:

Area 1:
Oct 22-26
Nov 26-30

Area 2:
Oct 29-Nov 2
Dec 3-7

Area 3:
Nov 5-9
Dec 10-14

Area 4:
Nov 12-16
Dec 17-21

Area 5:
Nov 19-23
Dec 24-28

Here’s a map to find your region:

There are other options, if you are not feeling like you want to fill landfill. You can mulch or compost your leaves and feed your garden in the spring!

One last thing. On your leaf day, make sure your leaves are ready to go by 7am!

(Photo from the City of Deptford, NJ.)

Contributor Opinion: Joseph Jordan — City Should Provide Numbers On Trash

>I appreciate what Rockville Central is doing with the election campaign info, but one issue that needs illumination is the trash issue.

I attended the first three candidate forums and left each one annoyed with how the trash issue was being addressed and how three incumbents are themselves being trashed. We have heard everything, from having to buy twice as many trucks, to the new system costing $733,000 more than once-a-week pickup, to a “tax” of $100 a year being borne by people who don’t want twice a week. The latest “misprint” by the Washington Post has not helped the situation. (The article stated that Rockville residents pay $100 more per month for twice-a-week pickup over the cost of once-per-week. It should be $100 per year more for twice-a-week pickup, five years from now.)

Mayor Giammo and/or City staff owe the residents of Rockville a full explanation of exactly what the new refuse and recycle program is going to cost the city and what it will cost those who pay monthly fees for city trash services.

Many figures were thrown around during the contentious mayor and council meetings when the trash issue was in its prime. Council members asked for numbers they said they needed to make decisions; the mayor claimed all the figures were there; interested residents cherry-picked the facts that bolstered their point of view; five-year projections soon became current-year figures.

Meanwhile, candidates running for office are using trash as a key issue, and each has his or her own cost figures to make their argument. The city needs to publish a definitive set of cost estimates and let residents know what this switch to semi-automated is going to cost the city over the next five years, and what they can expect their bills to be five years from now, in today’s dollars.

Joseph Jordan
New Mark Commons

Note: Rockville Central runs occasional, edited opinion pieces by contributors. Their views are not necessarily those of Rockville Central, which takes no position on candidates. To submit your opinion for consideration, contact us.

Council To Consider Trash Monday 8/6

>It would be hard to be a Rockville resident and not know of the controversy currently roiling the erstwhile placid waters of Our Fair City. This subject stands to loom large as an election year issue and has topped the list of subjects Rockville Central readers want us to ask of the candidates in our series of campaign interviews.