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.
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
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!
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.
The mayor put it in his budget to remove PAYT. He does not override the council’s decision.
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!