You have my Vote!
Notifications on our mailboxes would have been more appreciated, also leaving small recycle bins for each home or apartment would be smart, so for every can, bottle, paper, etc.. people living on 2nd or 3rd floors need to walk down to throw in big blue bins outside.. did they think of the handicap, or the disabled, or the elderly,.. Not right to leave trash to stink the enviorment for a week or two with the weather getting warm. They could have at least taken the trash and give a warning indicating trash would not be picked up again if rules are not followed. I also agree with the language barrier not being of any interest to them, how many people in our hispanic fair haven community understood the brochure, none I believe. How about having a fair haven meeting to teach people in the community about recycling, how they should, and what should be recycled? I guess that was not a thought, nor why is it important to recycle?. They also have to remember there are more than one family living in these homes and one brochure is not enough for multiple families in multi apartments. I actually remember it raining the day they first put the black bins out there and the papers got soaked. I went personally to the Public Works office and grabbed a small blue bin and recommended my neighbors and friends to also do the same but what about those who dont have transportation and cannot do the same, or some do not even know they may do that nor where the office is. The lack of communication is not well if you want to change the enviorment or the community.

Not to side with the city, but the totes are clearly marked: "Trash Only" while stickers were placed t on the blue totes saying "recycling materials only". I too live in Fair Haven and moved there when it was really being built up and a lovely area to live in -- now, so much of it looks like a dump! At times I actually have to walk in the road because the totes are put out with garbage all around and are left for days after the trash has been picked up. All of this leads me to believe that the people that live there don't give a hoot--be it tenants or owners!

p.s. Legally, the only materials that may be placed in a mailbox is something from USPS. Thanks.

riaria, to clarify, DPW has indeed started putting stickers on the blue bins, but that's a very new development, AND it's very limited; even at one of my houses they've only done 1 of 3 blue toters! Yes the brown toters say 'trash only,' but that doesn't fix the issue; they were correctly getting filled with trash BUT so were the blue toters. That was the problem.

Considering how many homeowners don't live in Fair Haven or even in the City, how would they know that a new recycling / trash program had started? They wouldn't.

Considering that no notice was given to the tenants, many of whom speak no English, it leads me to believe that the City should have worked to ensure education and cooperation on the part of everyone.

p.s. I never put noticed in my tenants' mailboxes; I clip them to the outside. Thanks.

I'd like to also add that another note of frustration has to do with the fact that when tenants, not knowing about the new system, put out their recyclables in the small blue bins, DPW then TOOK THE BINS AWAY! Seriously?! I then had to go down to DPW and get more bins; what a waste! I have tenants who don't live on the first floor and who need these small bins for collecting their recycling. What was wrong with leaving them? They were obviously being utilized.

It's absolutely absurd and short-sighted for the DPW to take the bins away; talk about discouraging recycling even more!

The city knows what owners of property do not live in their properties, so they should notify the owners of properties of changes so they may let their tenants know about them but I guess what should we expect from the city, (riaria) sad to know you complain of the changes in the city since you have lived here so long but yet again not realize who you should really blame for the changes that have occured.

Dear FHR, whom do you think should be blamed? I do disagree how issues are handled by the local and federal government, but then who is the "government"? It's the politicians that the public elected into power--so aren't we all to blame? However, I don't expect the "government" to hold my hand and guide me with every little thing. Do you remember "ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country?" I guess not. I believe that local neighborhoods anywhere in the USA are part of "our country". If you see something going on in your neighborhood, or city, or state, and don't know what to do, ask a neighbor, call the mayor's office, call your local ward representative.

So FHR, please tell me, should the city be responsible for notifying only the owners of the property, and not the "occupant'? (I could go on a diatribe about absentee landlords!) But if any of you have a solution to this or any other issue, you could call city hall and asked to be directed to the department/person in charge of this.

By the way FHR, what changes am I complaining of? Is it the way the garbage and litter are strewn all over the yards, sidewalks and streets? Should I complain to the city, the landlord, the tenant or all of the above? Please let me know and I'll gladly do so, not only about the trash issue, but the sidewalks that are never cleared of snow, the sidewalks that have bulk items piled up for days and days, the dwellings that are illegal boarding houses? The list could go on and on. To date, I have never complained to anybody about any of this, only commented on seeclickfix.com. Perhaps the time has come to start complaining.

As to one of your earlier comments about the small blue totes--a paper box does nicely. And if at one time you had to bring the blue tote down, you now bring a brown (or whatever color box) down and dump it in the big tote--therefore no need to go down every time you have recycling material.

riaria

The explanation of how to use the "new Cans" was wrapped around the handles of new blackcans when they were delivered in plastic.

Brilliant, I thought it was ad for the can honestly.

But this is how our leaders that cannot lead this city, do things, what else can anyone expect.

Suggestion, people really need to start looking into other towns to move to, for lesser tax base, since what we pay living in this mismanaged city, is really not worth the money.

Going on 22 year resident..

The blue-toters-full-of-garbage is a problem EVERYWHERE: http://seeclickfix.com/issues/173154

LCI Citywide Helper assigned this issue to Department of Public Works

We are trying to delineate issues that are current and need the city's attention to resolve. Any issues prior to 2013 are being closed. If your issue remains and needs to be addressed by the city, please either re-open or open as a new See Click Fix issue. Thanks.