Mayor Defends Trash Code Change Following Resident Pushback

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Mayor Tim Dougherty has defended the council's decision to amend the Morristown trash code in response to a resident complaint at a previous meeting that prompted the council to seek change.

The code change went into effect after being approved by the Morristown Town Council in December, but some residents claim that the communication of the change could have been handled better.

Residents are required by the new code to place trash bags in a large garbage bin when putting trash out on the curb. One resident expressed his opposition to the code at the April 11 town council meeting and stated that enforcing it would result in many people appearing in court.

The council brought this up in March, saying that while residents of Morristown may have received a citation for improper trash disposal in recent weeks, council officials are working to have those dismissed.

Dougherty claimed that town inspectors issued tickets without waiting for authorization from Town Administrator Jillian Barrick and before the town sent postcards reminding residents to properly secure their trash.

Michael Luongo, a Morristown resident who received such a summons, spoke about his frustration with the change and lack of clear communication from town officials.

"As of late, I have read the ordinance that is not actually visible on the town code website when you go to the code that it says I violated," Luongo said. "The ordinance does not allow any residents to do anything that they would normally do with their trash. It doesn't allow for large trash at all because it clearly states that all trash needs to be in a bag in a container, which is not realistic."

Luongo further stated that while taking a walk around his neighborhood last week, and noted that more than 50 percent of his neighbors were violating the ordinance in some way or another.

"I'm just not clear on how this ordinance is intended to help any of the residents because if enforcement continues, the whole town is going to be in court every week," Luongo said.

In response, Dougherty stated that he still supports the ordinance and believes that the situation has more positives than negatives for the town. The council changed the code to be stricter with trash cans for a number of reasons, one of which is an increase in litter in some parts of the town.

Councilman Robert Iannaccone furthered this point, stating that his neighborhood needed to implement the change for health and safety concerns.

"It was to keep food and rats and vermin out. Large trash has not changed; in fact, I'm pretty sure it says 'large trash is the second day, so if we do have large trash, we do put it out on the second day, and I don't put my large trash in a plastic bag. There is a certain element of common sense here on both sides," Iannaccone said.

While Dougherty understands the residents' concerns, he believes there is no way to change the rules for specific areas of town without making it a general requirement.

"What are you going to do? Are you going to say that people who live over here don't have to put out trash cans but people who live over there have to put all their garbage in trash cans because they put out the thin white garbage bags? I get it's easier to put it in a plastic bag and just drop it out on the curb," Dougherty said.

"Breaking habits is not an easy thing," said council member David Silva in agreement with the mayor.

Barrick previously said that the town is currently in the process of sending out postcards to all residents informing them of the updated trash code and that they will issue warnings before charging anyone with a citation.