New Trash Ordinance Might Not Go into Effect Until January 1

The City Council will weigh whether or not to postpone the controversial trash storage ordinance next Monday night, according to numerous sources.

The Council voted in the ordinance last spring after a long and arduous discussion process that lasted many months. Ward 6 Councillor Charlie Patch put in the motion and argued that there was a rodent problem that was spurred on by improper trash storage.

Though it eventually got passed and was to start on September 1, now councillors are re-thinking the matter and will most likely vote to postpone the ordinance until Jan. 1st.

Patch could not be immediately reached for comment, but other councillors said he was in agreement with the postponement.

Inspectional Services Director Nick Catinazzo said he had asked the Council recently if they would postpone the ordinance.

“I asked some of the councillors if they would mind postponing it a little bit and they seemed okay with it,” said Catinazzo, saying his department needed more time to publicize it and to figure out enforcement. “January would be a good time to give us a head start and give everyone a head’s up. Summer is our busiest time of the year and we are just finishing with that work. This will give us some time and I thought it would be a good idea to postpone it just a bit.”

Catinazzo added that a representative from the company that makes the new rodent-proof trash bags, called Mint-X, would be at Monday’s Council meeting to give a presentation. Under the new ordinance, only barrels with covers and the Mint-X bags would be approved for curbside pickup.

In addition to Catinazzo’s concerns, the Revere Housing Authority also had concerns about the timing of the plan.

Board Chair George Anzuoni said that it was going to cost the Authority more than $10,000 to buy all of the barrels for their tenants and the money wasn’t readily available for that project.

He said that postponing it or exempting the RHA would make things much easier.

Council President John Powers said that the discussion about postponing the ordinance would probably be had at this coming Monday’s meeting. However, he said he is going to look for a compromise in which the ordinance can go into effect on September 1, but enforcement can be tinkered with until January.

“It could be done next week if everyone is in agreement,” said Powers. “Personally, I would like to see it go ahead and get resolved…The rodent problem is only going to increase if we don’t deal with it. I’d like to try to work with Inspectional Services to see if we can get this done without having to fully suspend it until January.”

Meanwhile, Mayor Tom Ambrosino said he is glad the Council is considering waiting on the start date. “It will be difficult to avoid allegations of unequal enforcement of this ordinance,” said the mayor. “Someone will get a ticket and inevitably point to the fact that someone down the street didn’t get a ticket. That’s going to be constant.”