Community
Fall River City Councilors vote to keep Pay As You Throw Ordinance
Late Tuesday night in the city council chambers, council members voted in favor of keeping the Pay As You Throw Ordinance also known as “the purple bags”.
The city council voted yes on a 6-3 vote. Steve Camara, Derek Viveiros, and Joe Camara voted to eliminate the program.
Also discussed between council members were the fines and quality of the bags. Steve Long and Pam Laliberte-Lebeau expressed that they feel that the landlords of the property should be responsible for the fines and not the tenant on the basis that landlords are making money off of the property and their tenants actions are their responsibility. Steve Camara and Derek Viveiros disagreed.
In response to issues with the bags themselves, Steve Camara and Laliberte-Lebeau discussed how the color of the bags vary from a light purple to a purple that is closer to a shade of black. Both also expressed that the quality of the bags need to be improved with Laliberte-Lebeau suggesting that the council bring in Waste Zero to discuss the issue.
Long had suggested that he wasn’t comfortable voting on the measure without improving enforcement. Enforcement is currently done by just two workers for the whole city. He brought up the fact that residents have complained about lack of enforcement where some who don’t use the bags are not fined while others are.
diane
June 13, 2018 at 1:42 pm
as long as we use our barrels what does it matter the color of our bags, make them more affordable, they rip way too easily
My
June 13, 2018 at 3:28 pm
I’ve been looking for bags for a week now haven’t found any place that has them, so what I’m I going to do with my trash!
Daniel
June 13, 2018 at 4:12 pm
Now they need to get ride of the mayor that’s what he used to stay in office. Plus we spend $10 On bags that the handles break off or they whole bag rips.
fallriverreporter
June 13, 2018 at 4:57 pm
The mayor put it in his budget to remove PAYT. He does not override the council’s decision.
Marie Carvalho
July 13, 2018 at 9:30 pm
City council lost my votes. They need to come up with a plan for low income people to afford these ridiculous bags! After this I am done with voting!