Massena officials debate future of spring cleanup program

MASSENA — The future of the village’s spring cleanup program was on the table at last week’s Board of Trustees meeting.

The large-trash removal program, completed over a two-week period each spring, costs approximately $60,000 per year, according to Department of Public Works Superintendent Hassan A. Fayad. The village pays for the expense through its “refuse fund” generated by garbage user fees. The program causes DPW staff typically on other assignments to be reassigned to the garbage detail for two weeks.

Mayor James F. Hidy said he had been approached by “a number of individuals” who wanted the program discontinued. He said he did not have an opinion yet on whether to end it.

“There are some that would like to see spring cleanup go away,” he said. “We did away with fall cleanup.”

The village ended the autumn counterpart to the spring cleanup program several years ago. Last year, the village board pushed the spring cleanup back by two weeks to avoid curbsides full of garbage during the Easter holiday.

Board members did not decide anything about the program Tuesday night. Trustee Francis J. Carvel was reluctant to end the program because of unintended consequences. If the village ended it, property owners would revert to dumping broken hot water heaters, stoves and other large items at the rear of their property as they did in the 1940s.

“Many residents are not going to pay to take it to the facility,” he said. “We’re going back to being a community with the backs of properties being filled with junk.”

Mr. Carvel said he has not heard much opposition to the program. At a previous meeting, he wondered if some garbage on village properties was due to the discontinuance of the fall cleanup program. Some residents may dump their garbage in other village-owned areas if the DPW does not pick it up, he said.

“We’re going to have to take it to a dump sooner or later,” he said. “If we take the service away from these people, it’s a disservice.”

Trustee Patricia K. “Trish” Wilson said she will be proposing a modification to the current program at the next meeting. She first wanted to discuss the details with Mr. Fayad before broaching it publicly.

“It would not do away with resident’s opportunities to do away with large items,” she said. “It would do away with garbage in the community for two weeks.”