Trashing the Sanitation Department

The Department of Sanitation (DSNY), says an article in a community newspaper in Brooklyn has sparked a rash of calls after it printed an article headlined “Sanitation Reduces Street Trash Collection.”

The article concerns the discontinuation of service dedicated solely to picking up public trash from corner baskets. But DSNY spokesman Matthew Lipani says all the article did was to alarm people about a measure that has been in effect since last year.

“The Department absorbed an $80 million budget cut last year. At that time, we had to stop dedicated pick-ups for corner baskets,” Lipani said, explaining that the choice was between cutting back on basket pick-ups or household pickups. Dedicated trucks for pick-ups at the corner baskets ended on July 1, 2009. The trash in these receptacles is now collected by household refuse trucks, but with much less frequency.

Lipani says cuts to the dedicated service were well established at public hearings. “It’s not something that was ever hidden,” he said. As a result of the cuts last year, the number of pick ups at the public trash receptacles has been reduced from as many as 20 times a week to just once or twice.

“The problem with the pails,” said one Woodhaven store owner, “is that they are used by businesses and residents who overload the pails leaving them to spill out onto the street.” President of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corp., Maria Thomsen says there is no problem with overflowing trash in her community thanks to the BID.

And elsewhere in Ozone Park, a basket near the office of Councilman Eric Ulrich was called into 311 and resulted in summonses being issued to five people who illegally dumped trash found in the basket at the corner of 93rd Street and 101st Avenue.

There are 25,000 corner litter baskets citywide in total, out of those, 4,040 are in Queens.

Civic to Mayor: Clear Snow off City Property Before Threatening Residents

By Conor Greene

After the snow finally stopped falling following last week’s blizzard, Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a stern warning to property owners: start shoveling, or risk being fined.

However, in the aftermath of last week’s storm, which dumped up to 15 inches of snow on the city, many municipal-owned walkways and properties throughout Queens were not cleared, even as another storm arrived Tuesday. In light of that, the Juniper Park Civic Association is calling on the mayor “to get his house in order before threatening home and business owners” with fines.

“The mayor loves to preach but this is a good example of how out of touch with reality he really is,” said civic President Robert Holden, who on Friday photographed about a dozen city-owned properties around the Middle Village, Maspeth and Elmhurst area that remained snow and ice covered, more than a day after the storm ended.

“I’m sure that public areas in Manhattan are cleared but the mayor should try getting into his SUV and drive through Queens and the other boroughs,” continued Holden. “Most city-owned sidewalks in our neighborhood are never cleared of snow.” He stressed that homeowners who don’t shovel should be fined, but thinks the city should have its properties in order before issuing summonses to residents.

The city’s lack of snow removal was especially insulting in light of the mayor’s warning that property owners would be fined if they failed to clear sidewalks – a warning that was subsequently followed by ticket blitzes in several neighborhoods. “It’s reasonably warm, so the shoveling should be easy,” Bloomberg said during a press conference last Thursday while issuing the warning.

According to city laws, snow must be cleared from sidewalks within four hours after the snow has stopped falling or by 11 a.m. if the snow stopped falling after 9 p.m. the night before. The fine for not doing so starts at $100, and Sanitation officers reportedly began issuing tickets in some neighborhoods as soon as the grace period ended.

Residents who are unable to remove hard or frozen snow can spread sand or other material to provide traction within the same time window to avoid a fine. However, the JPCA urges residents to avoid piling snow from sidewalks on public streets or around fire hydrants.

Holden said the JPCA has received numerous phone calls from residents - many elderly - who say they have been unable to get around the neighborhood because of sidewalks and pedestrian overpasses that are either snow covered, or blocked by a mound of cleared snow. In one case, a civic member in her early 70’s said she has been unable to reach her local bus stop and get to work because of huge piles of snow blocking pedestrian areas.

Frustrated that the city is seemingly above the law, the JPCA designed a symbolic “NYC Citizen’s Notice of Violation” form as a way for residents to voice their frustration with the city as they encounter treacherous areas while traveling around the neighborhood. Holden wants this effort to also expand to other violations city workers commit on a routine basis, such as the workers he witnessed parking in a bus lane while they ran into a deli to buy bagels, or city cars that are routinely parked in front of fire hydrants.

“Why is the mayor above the law? He turns a deaf ear towards Queens and doesn’t get out of Manhattan,” said Holden of Bloomberg. “You walk around Manhattan, and there is no snow downtown or in Midtown… Pedestrian safety is not a priority, and seniors and children are not a priority with this mayor. We have no recourse – this at least is a record of complaints, even if it is symbolic,” he said of the civic’s Notice of Violations.

“The mayor has some nerve threatening homeowners – the vast majority of who are shoveling,” added Holden, pointing to a path near the Long Island Expressway in Maspeth. “This is a week now, and is the mayor’s responsibility” he said of the icy walkway. “What we’re saying to residents is, send a copy [of the symbolic ticket] to the mayor to make sure he knows about it.”

The mayor’s office did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Liberty Avenue Cleanup Funding Turns Political

Gulluscio, Ulrich Trade Barbs as Council Election Nears

By Conor Greene

City Council candidate Frank Gulluscio is ripping incumbent Eric Ulrich for not pro- viding money for the Doe Fund, which pays for cleanup along Liberty Avenue in South Richmond Hill. The program started under former councilman and current State Senator Joseph Addabbo but ended in July when the fiscal year expired.

Ulrich responded by calling the attack politically motivated and said he had to make decisions regarding community funding after taking office in February. He added that it isn’t his responsibility to ensure that all of Addabbo’s projects continue and faulted the senator for allowing the funding to dry up.

At a press conference Tuesday in front of Moblegott Hardware, Gulluscio and Addabbo criticized Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) for chopping the local Doe Fund from $74,000 to $38,000. That means there is only enough money to continue the program in the Rockaways, and local business owners and civic leaders say South Richmond Hill’s main shopping district has been hurt by the lack of cleanup crews over the past few months.

“This is a serious situation,” said Gulluscio (D- Howard Beach), surrounding by merchants and residents. “This community needs more respect, not less.” He said he is “very disappointed that Ulrich didn’t continue fundingthe program, which provided a valuable service along the avenue from 104th Street to Lefferts Boulevard - a “tax base” Gulluscio said the community “cannot afford to lose.”

In response, Ulrich later said he has his “own agenda and own priorities” and had to make decisions regarding discretionary funding after taking office following his victory over Gulluscio and several other candidates in last year’s special election to replace Addabbo. “This was Joe Addabbo’s project, and if he dropped the ball on it, I’m not going to assume responsibility,” he said.

Addabbo (D-Ozone Park) announced that he is providing a $47,000 state Senate grant to continue the program starting next month. While he had always intended to continue funding the program after winning election to the Senate last year, he said he discussed his council funding with Ulrich after moving on to the Senate and was under the impression that his predecessor would also provide funds, allowing the program to be expanded.

“We’ve seen the success of this program year after year,” said Addabbo. “The community asked for it, and it’s the job of elected officials to respond to the needs of the community - not to cut funding.”He called elimination othe program “absolutely wrong” and said “there is no reason it should have been cut... Unfortunately I don’t believe the current councilman hears the people,” he added.

Ulrich criticized Addabbo for allowing the program’s funding to run out and said he decided in some cases to use his share of the council discretionary funding - which totaled just less than $100,000 as a new council member - for other initiatives. “I assumed Joe Addabbo was going to continue funding something that’s still in his district that he started... I’m not responsible to fund Joe Addabbo’s pet projects. If Frank Gulluscio gets on the City Council, he can do that.”

Gulluscio promised during the press conference that, if he is elected, restoring Doe Funds in the City Council budget would be a top priority.

According to Ulrich, he and Addabbo never had discussions regarding the funding. “Joe Addabbo never picked up the phone to discuss with me Doe Funds. I wish that he had because if I had known he was going to drop the ball on this I could have made other arrangements.” He noted that Addabbo redirected funding from a number of community groups throughout his senate district after defeating longtime Republican incumbent Serf Maltese (R-Middle Village).

Gulluscio claimed during the press conference that his criticism isn’t politically motivated. “There are no politics here. This is about keeping the economic climate strong along Liberty Avenue,” he said. However, Ulrich said the timing shows it clearly is political, considering the cleanups ended months ago. “If this came out on July 1, I wouldn’t complain. They hold this until two weeks before the election and now they want to make an issue out of it. To me this demonstrates a dereliction of duty on the part of Joe Addabbo for not funding something he had previously funded and dumped on my lap.”

Ulrich said that, if he were to move up to higher office, he wouldn’t assume the newcomer would continue funding all his projects. “If I moved up the ladder and he stopped my graffiti removal program, nobody could point a finger at Frank. But somehow this applies to me. It’s an unfortunate circumstance and I was just as disappointed as everyone else, but Joe Addabbo dropped the ball on this and I’m not going to take the flak. The fact that he’s trying to use it for political gain is disgraceful.”

Local groups and programs being funded include the Greater Woodhaven Development Corp., a number of local volunteer fire and EMT organizations and an aggressive graffiti removal program along Rockaway Boulevard, Woodhaven/Cross Bay Boulevard and 101st Avenue. He said the majority of groups funded during Addabbo’s Council tenure are still receiving money from Ulrich.

Politics aside, business owners and residents including members of the Richmond Hill South Civic Association say the program went a long way towards keeping the area inviting for shoppers. “This is not about politics. I fight for what I believe in,” said the group’s president, Margaret Finnerty.“I cannot stand by and listen to, ‘Somebody else is going to fund it.’”

Betty Braton, chairwoman of Community Board 10, said that talk of fixing the economy must be met with real action. “It’s one thing to talk about economic development, but it’s another to fund the programs that help the local shopping strips,” she said.

Along with helping keep the area trash free, the program provides snow removal and helps business owners avoid Sanitation Department fines for litter in front of their stores - as has been happening lately. It also helps keep the storm drains from filling with trash, which is a major cause of flooding, noted Addabbo. In addition, it provides employment opportunities for ex-convicts and other having difficulty finding permanent work.

Romeo Hitlall, owner of Avenue Lounge, said the Doe Fund has been “very helpful” for businesses like his that typically open later in the day, often times to a ticket for litter. “For the Councilman to cut the funds and take it somewhere else, I don’t think he has respect for this community.” He agreed there has been a huge difference since July.

“The complaints have been out of control,” added Finnerty.

Too Slow to Clean up After Her Dog: Pregnant Woman Issued Ticket

By Conor Greene

A Maspeth woman is vowing to fight a ticket issued to her for failing to immediately clean up after her dog, which had just finished pooping on a patch of grass in front of her house. The woman, who was nine-months pregnant at the time, was sitting on her front steps when an officer issued her the ticket earlier this month.

Alicia Fernbacker, a 19-year-old local college student, was sitting outside her father’s 57th Drive home on September 14 with her dog while waiting for a friend to pick her up before class at Queensborough Community College, where she is pursuing a liberal arts degree. Several minutes after her dog, Kimmy, did her business on a patch of grass, a Sanitation Department officer walked up and began writing a summons because she allegedly “made no attempt to remove dog feces in a legal manner.”

Fernbacker, who eventually gave birth on September 18 – twelve days past her due date – says the officer was sitting in his parked Sanitation Department car with his seat reclined while she was outside with her dog. After the mutt pooped, the officer got out of the car and asked for identification while he wrote up the $250 ticket. She told the officer that she was about to go inside the house to get a napkin, but “he said it doesn’t matter.”

“I said that I was going inside for a tissue and that it was my property, but he said it didn’t matter and that I should fight it in court,” Fernbacker told The Forum. “I think he was being unfair. I wasn’t going to leave dog poop in front of my own house.”

In an e-mail statement, Sanitation Department spokesman, Matthew Lipani, said that officers write summons “when they see a violation” and noted that the Canine Waste Law has been in effect for 30 years. “Anyone who believes they received a summons in error can plead their case to the Environmental Control Board,” he wrote.

Lipani did not response to a question asking how quickly an owner must clean up after a dog goes to the bathroom, or whether the officer should use discretion when dealing with pregnant or elderly residents.

Fernbacker, who is on a leave from school after undergoing a Caesarean section last week, says the $250 fine is a hardship, especially with school and the baby, who she named Scarlett. To add to her stress levels, the baby’s father Mike Leser is a Marine who just completed basic training and expects to soon be deployed to Afghanistan.

“I’ve never been to court before, so whatever you have to do to fight the ticket, I’ll do,” she said of her October 15 hearing. “I just think it’s completely ridiculous [since] I didn’t do anything wrong to get a ticket,” she added. “If he had waited in the car he would have seen me come out of the house again [with a tissue]. He just jumped out of the car” and began writing the ticket, she said.

Civic: Future School Site is Now Dumping Ground

By Conor Greene

A local civic association is ripping the city for allowing the former Restaurant Depot property to turn into a weed-and-trash-covered eyesore that has become a dumping ground since the property was purchased several months ago for a high school.

The Juniper Park Civic Association, which fought against the city’s plan to build an 1,100-seat high school at the corner of 74th Street and 57th Avenue, released photos this week showing that the property has been overtaken by weeds, litter, debris and larger items including household furniture and building materials.

“New York City would summons property owners who kept their property in such condition. We’ll see if the Sanitation Department issues a summons to the School Construction Authority,” said JPCA President Robert Holden. The civic association filed a 311 complaint with both the Sanitation Department and the Buildings Department due to the “horrendous condition” of the site.

The problem has left local residents frustrated with the lack of accountability from the SCA, especially among those in the neighborhood who oppose the high school plan. “This is government at its worst. The School Construction Authority is an agency out of control and not answerable to the people,” said Manny Caruana, who lives several blocks from the property.

In response, a Department of Education spokesman said the debris that has accumulated at the site “was dumped illegally by passers-by” and was not placed there by the SCA “This week is the first full week we’ve had a contractor at the site, and, though we didn’t create this mess, we cleaned it up on Monday,” said William Havemann. “Now that we have a permanent presence at the site, we will ensure it remains clean and litter-free.”

The city initially suggested that if necessary, it would use its powers of eminent domain to acquire the 54,000-square-foot former Restaurant Depot property. In May, it agreed to pay $16,250,000 to owner Lucky Star Elmhurst, LLC, according to documents filed with the state. The property had been listed online for $15 million, and the DOE refused to explain the difference between the list price and the higher final sale price.

Despite opposition from local residents, civic groups, Community Board 5 and Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), the City Council voted 38 to 10 in April to approve the DOE’s plan for the 1,100-seat, $80 million facility. Last month, former City Councilman Thomas Ognibene filed a lawsuit on behalf of the JPCA and Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together claiming that the SCA withheld information about high levels of toxic substances on the property.

“It is a disgrace that the city is allowing this already toxic site to become a monstrous eyesore for the community,” said Ognibene. He recently said in an interview with the Forum that Crowley, who voted against the school but wasn’t able to convince enough of her colleagues to do the same, “got drowned out at City Hall.”

The city Department of Buildings doesn’t have any records of complaints filed at the Restaurant Depot property, according to a spokeswoman. The Sanitation Department received 311 complaints regarding that address, and a “failure to store receptacle” summons was issued. While no illegal dumping conditions were found at the site, DSNY will continue to monitor the site, said a spokesman.

Quality of Life Issues Dominate COP 104 Meeting

By Conor Greene

This month’s COP 104 meeting, held last Wednesday in Maspeth Town Hall, was a quick session because the officers who usually attend were called to an emergency in Glendale.

With Deputy Inspector Keith Green and Community Affairs Officer Tommy Bell called to Glendale to help coordinate the search for a missing 86-year-old man, Lt. Jeffrey Wellbrock took over the meeting duties. Filling in at the last minute, the lieutenant didn’t have details on recent crimes in the area, but provided residents with a chance to air complaints about quality of life issues.

Over the past 28 days, Lt. Wellbrock reported that major crime is up 2.9 percent, but down eight percent so far this year. The only category with a major increase was burglaries, up 25 percent over the past month. Officer Bell later said there is no current break-in pattern within the precinct but noted that Ridgewood remains the hardest hit area.

A resident kicked off the public comment portion of the meeting with a complaint about the pedestrian overpass at the Long Island Expressway near Mazeau Street. She reported drug dealing and drinking at night on the Middle Village side. “Every night he sees it,” she said referring to her husband who routinely walks the dog there. “I wouldn’t even walk over it during the day” due to garbage and debris, she added.

The lieutenant said the precinct would send officers over there to check on the situation.

Next up was Bob Doocey, who related a complaint from a friend who lives on 68th Avenue near 79th Street regarding excessive noise from motorized scooters. “All he hears all night are scooters - he’s being tormented,” said Doocey, adding that the family has a three-year-old baby that is also kept up by the noise.

Dominick Dale from Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley’s office said a resident called their office with the same complaint. “Obviously there are several issues... This is a serious quality of life issue” that threatens public safety, he said, suggesting tougher legislation regarding seizing scooters might be needed.

In response, Robert Holden of the Juniper Park Civic Association pointed out that the police already can seize vehicles - if they can catch them. “There are not enough cops. The legislation is there,” he said. “However, they’re tough to catch because they buzz around and we don’t have enough cops.”

Roe Daraio, president of Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together told Dale she would like legislation that allows cops to ticket commuter vans illegally operating in local neighborhoods. “If they can ticket trucks for off-route, they should be able to ticket vans.” She said issues with commuter vans include safety concerns, lack of accurate route sheets and instances of access being denied based on race.

The problem of auto repair shops using the sidewalk and street to repair and store vehicles, especially along Flushing Avenue near 61st Street, has again gotten worse, reported Tony Nunziato. “The vehicles are everywhere. You cannot walk down the sidewalk,” he said. “I keep getting calls about it, justifiably... They’re using it as a parking lot.”

Dale said that Crowley’s office tackled the problem several weeks ago, resulting in tickets issued by several agencies and the towing of vehicles. He promised to push agencies including the Sanitation Department to again visit the location. “We will keep doing it until they realize it’s a problem area that needs to be heavily monitored,” he said.

Officer Bell reported this week that the missing man returned to his Glendale home Thursday morning following an exhaustive search.

City Begins Digging Out from Storm

Mayor Criticized for Comments About School Closure

By Conor Greene

With temperatures expected to reach the 50’s by the weekend, much of the snow and ice dumped on the city during Monday will soon melt away, but not before crippling much of the city and forcing officials to close public schools for the first time in five years.

Much of the city saw at least eight inches of snow overnight Sunday into Monday in what will surely be the winter season’s biggest storm. For the first time since January 2004, city officials decided to close public schools due to the inclement weather, and many side streets around Queens remained unplowed for several days.

At a briefing on the city’s efforts to clean up the city, Mayor Michael Bloomberg noted that there are about 6,000 miles of roads within the five boroughs. “So to plow all our streets, just think about this, it’s like plowing from here to Los Angeles and back,” he told reporters at a press conference in Woodside. “It is really quite an amazing job the sanitation workers have to do.”

More than 3,000 sanitation workers worked Sunday night into Monday to clear streets, according to Sanitation Department Commissioner John Doherty, who recalled the storm of February 1969 when 15 inches of snow fell on the city. The mayor at the time, John Lindsay, came under heavy criticism after the storm left the city paralyzed for three days.

“I spent some time in Queens north, which some may remember in ’69 was a very sensitive area for the mayor at the time, and the areas looked pretty good,” said Doherty.

Post-storm cleanup generally costs about one million dollars per inch of snow, and while Mayor Bloomberg declined to say how much this storm will cost the cash strapped city, he said the city is still well within budget for this winter season. “For seven years, we have been clearing the streets every time there has been a snowstorm, whether it was an election year or not,” he said.

While the mayor isn’t taking much heat for the city’s response to the storm, he has come under fire for the Department of Education’s relatively late decision to cancel schools, which came at 5:39 a.m. As a result, some parents and students began their daily routine – with some even arriving at closed schools – before realizing that classes were canceled.

At his news briefing, Mayor Bloomberg had this to say about the decision: “I think if you got up this morning and looked outside and the question didn’t come right away, hmm, I wonder if school is going to be open today and you didn’t know enough to call 311, I would suggest another day in school is probably a good idea.”

The comment was immediately seized upon by City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside), who said that many parents were forced to scramble as a result of the “eleventh-hour” closing decision.

“Mike Bloomberg’s comments are extremely insulting to parents and demonstrate that he is completely out of touch with the average person,” said Avella in a statement. “Regardless of school closings, many parents still need to go to work and were forced to scramble to find child care. If DOE knew they were going to close the schools due to the inclement weather they needed to make the decision sooner and properly notify the parents.”

Avella, who is mounting a grassroots challenge to Mayor Bloomberg in November, said that New Yorkers “are sick and tired of Mike Bloomberg’s ‘just-deal-with-it’ attitude” and “deserves a mayor who realizes what the average person goes through on a daily basis.”

At the press conference, Bloomberg noted that a message notifying residents of the school closing was posted on the city’s 311 phone line, which received 140,000 calls by 10 a.m. Monday. He said that the late decision to close school was because officials waited to see if the storm would weaken or veer off course and miss the city.

The storm also caused some problems at The Shops at Atlas Park in Glendale on Tuesday afternoon, when melting ice chunks began falling from overhead awnings and roofs, according to a shopper. Security guards were forced to tape off several sidewalks in front of a number of businesses so that the ice could be safely removed.

In Forest Hills, Frank Gulluscio, district manager of Community Board 6, said his office didn’t receive any major complaints about lack of plowing or other issues. “They [Sanitation Department] were out doing a second phase [of cleanup] today and are salting the secondary streets today, along with the areas near fire hydrants, crosswalks and bus stops,” he said. “That’s the big thing for the everyday guy, to be able to cross the street or get to the bus stop.”

The storm caused the cancellation of about 450 flights out of LaGuardia, 119 at JFK International Airport and 335 at Newark Liberty International Airport, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The storm nearly matched the record for a one-day March snowfall in Manhattan, set when ten inches fell in 1898.

Budget Woes Top CB 5 Meeting

By Conor Greene

A discussion on the requests being submitted to the city for the 2010 budget highlighted last week’s Community Board meeting.

Board District Manager Gary Giordano informed board members and residents in attendance last Wednesday in Christ the King High School that the city’s current budget situation is “very difficult at best” as a result of the nationwide economic crisis. With about $1.5 billion less coming in through projected tax revenues, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has proposed “significant budget cuts” in many important areas, said Giordano.

According to Giordano, proposed cuts include about $94 million from Department of Environmental Protection; $455 million from the Education Department; $1 million from Department of Buildings; $17 million from Housing; $23 million from Parks; $33 million from the Department of Aging; $136 million from Administration of Children’s Services and $9 million from City Planning.

The FDNY budget is due to increase by $5 million while the NYPD’s increases by $87 million, under the mayor’s preliminary budget. The Sanitation Department would receive a $22 million increase in its budget under the current play.

However, according to Giordano, the police and fire increases are likely due to wage increases, as the NYPD’s head count will reduce from 31,349 this year to 28,656, and the FDNY ranks would decline from 11,349 members this year to 10,929. As a result of the city’s budget woes, some items requested by the board have been put on hold.

“Lots of items we requested are difficult to pinpoint the extent to which they are going to get funded,” said Giordano. “Personally, I am more worried about police protection and fire protection than some of the capital items.”

However, Giordano did express confidence that the Cooper Avenue underpass project will move forward. “We lobbied hard for that in a lot of different directions,” he said, adding that he is expecting to receive at least half of the $20 million requested.

Other projects requested include measures to prevent flooding throughout the area, which Giordano said has begun starting in the northern portion near Calamus Avenue, and the construction of new catch basins, especially ones with brick that has worn away. A project to improve Grover Cleveland Park is being funded through the Schoolyards to Playgrounds initiative and should begin this year. Finally, Councilwoman Diana Reyna (D-Bushwick) was able to secure funding for the second phase of the Ridgewood library project.

Beyond that, “other projects are difficult” to secure funding for, said Giordano. For example, reconstruction of south Middle Village streets has been pushed back to 2013, he said. Since that entire project is close to $20 million, “I don’t see that happening,” he said, suggesting that the board may have to divide the project into smaller sections to get it moving forward.

Eight Charged with Illegal Dumping

Eight men, including a Woodhaven resident, were busted in January by the city for illegally dumping building debris and other items at locations throughout the city, announced Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty.

The DSNY Task Force, comprised of plainclothes police officers from the Sanitation Department, monitors known dumping locations and seizes vehicles used to violate the law. The January impoundments included three in Brooklyn, one in Manhattan and three in the Bronx – including a location where a Woodhaven man was busted.

When the department catches an illegal dumper, its officers can make arrests and impound the vehicles used. The vehicle owner is subject to severe fines and is held responsible for any actions involving the vehicle – regardless of whether they are present or not. Fines currently start at $1,500 and range as high as $20,000 per violation. In addition, the dumper must pay the city a cleanup cost for the materials, generally about $150 per cubic yard.

In January, the following individuals were charged with illegally dumping materials:

Francisco Morales, of Brooklyn, was caught dumping about 20 cubic yards of rocks and dirt in front of 929 Dean Street on January 12 using a 2009 Peterbilt flatbed truck.

Youlan Zhang, of Brooklyn, was caught dumping about two cubic yards of black bags containing commercial waste opposite 125 51st Street in Brooklyn on January 27 using a 1997 Chevrolet van.

Michael Petersen, of the Bronx, was caught dumping about 16 cubic yards of dirt and rocks opposite 157 Columbia Street in Brooklyn on January 29 using a 2000 dump truck.

In Manhattan, James Cole was caught dumping about two cubic yards of milk crates at W. 155th Street and Bradhurst Avenue on January 14 using a 2001 Ford E-350.

Luca Gambardella, of Yonkers, and David Reynosa Milord, of Woodhaven, were caught on January 12 dumping about four cubic yards of dirt and rocks in front of 3640 Provest Avenue using a 1998 dump truck.

Ted Hurst, of the Bronx, was caught on January 22 dumping about one cubic yard of black bags in front of 3531 Bronxwood Avenue using a 1990 Toyota box truck.

On January 30, Michael Rallis of Staten Island was caught dumping about three cubic yards of construction debris in front of 4359 DeReimer Avenue in the Bronx using a 1999 Dodge Suburban.

One of DSNY’s resources for combating illegal dumping is the Illegal Dumper Tips Program, which allows residents to fight back without placing them at risk. For details, call 311 or check nyc.gov/sanitation.

”Illegal dumping is against the law,” said Commissioner Doherty. “If you do it, you will get caught. The Illegal Dumping Task Force is the city’s front line defense against illegal dumpers who shamefully use our streets and lots as their personal dumping grounds.”

Local Residents Busted for Illegal Dumping

Sanitation Reports Ridgewood, Middle Village Violators

By Conor Greene

Nine vehicles used to illegally dump garbage have been seized from owners around the city, including from a Middle Village man and two Ridgewood residents, announced the Department of Sanitation.

Throughout June, the department’s Citywide Illegal Dumping Task Force seized and impounded nine vehicles allegedly used to illegally dump items at sites in Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island. The task force, comprised of plainclothes Sanitation Police Officers, monitors known dumping site across the city and seizes vehicles of owners caught in the act.

“Illegal dumping is against the law,” said Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty. “If you do it, you will get caught. The Illegal Dumping Task Force is the city’s front line defense against illegal dumpers who shamefully use our streets and lots as their personal dumping grounds.”

The June impoundments included three vehicles seized in connection with dumping at locations Queens, including Maspeth, along with five in Brooklyn and one on Staten Island. In addition, George Strang, of 66th Drive in Middle Village, was caught using his 1998 Peterbilt dump truck to leave approximately 15 cubic yards of dirt and rocks on an Ingram Street lot.

The first incident of illegal dumping in Queens last month came on June 3, when a Washington state man was seen dumping five cubic yards of trash from a 2003 GMC truck in front of 131-02 40th Road in Flushing. On the 19th, three individuals –from Jamaica, Hollis and Mt. Vernon – were seen dumping three cubic yards of trash from a 1996 Ford Econoline at 95-10 Tuckerton Street in Jamaica.

The following day, Michal Mosur of 66th Place and Patryk Laszckowski of 68th Road, both in Ridgewood, were caught dumping one cubic yard of stones at 54th Road and Laurel Hill Boulevard in Maspeth.

The Department of Sanitation has two programs that include public participation in stopping illegal dumping. Under the Illegal Dumping Award Program, a person who sees illegal dumping and completes and affidavit leading to the conviction of the violator is eligible to receive up to 50% of the fine collected by the city. The individual must appear at a hearing if the accused appears before the Environmental Control Board to challenge the summons.

Under the Illegal Dumping Tip Program, residents can remain anonymous, but must provide information that helps the department catch the dumper red-handed. The tipster’s identity remains confidential, and they don’t have to appear at a hearing, but are only compensated if the department subsequently catches the person.

The city urges residents to follow these guidelines if they observe somebody illegally dumping materials on a sidewalk, street or property:



Observe the vehicle
•Do not make your presence known;
•Do not touch the discarded material
•Report the vehicles, not the individuals.


Record vital information
•License plate number
•Vehicle description
•Nature and quantity of material dumped
•Time, date and location of occurrence

File a citizen complaint with the Sanitation Police. Check nyc.gov/sanitation or call 311 for details on these programs.

Lawn Litter Enforcement Begins in August

RESIDENTS CAN FILE COMPLAINTS AGAINST BUSINESSES

By Conor Greene

Residents tired of having unwanted circulars, restaurant menus and other fliers dumped on their lawn can fight back starting next month, when the city begins enforcing a new law intended to reduce the amount of “lawn litter” left on private property.

The city Department of Sanitation will begin enforcing the new law on August 2, according to Assemblyman Mark Weprin (D -Little Neck), who co-authored the bill with Senator Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose). Fines will range from $250 for first time offenders to $1,000 for repeat offenders. The law was passed in January, but enforcement was put on hold until the Department of Sanitation finalized its procedures for assessing fines to violators.

Under the adopted rules, homeowners can place a sign stating: “Do Not Place Unsolicited Advertising Materials On This Property.” To report violators, residents can submit a signed complaint form (available online or by calling 311) and the unsolicited materials to the Department of Sanitation. Weprin called it a “great example of government responding directly to constituents’ concerns.” He was motivated to take action against this quality of life issue after “people around the city complained for years about receiving unsolicited advertisements on their property.”

Aside from the quality of life issues, the law was also motivated by safety, said Weprin. “Plastic bags become slippery when wet, elderly and disabled residents sometimes have difficulty bending down to pick up paper from the ground, and a pile of uncollected advertisements can be a signal to burglars that homeowners are away,” he said.

The final version of the enforcement rules were tweaked after civic organizations and elected officials complained that too much of the onus was placed on the resident. Under the proposed rules released earlier this year, residents would be required to have the form notarized before sending it back to the Sanitation Department’s enforcement unit.

That aspect of the law prompted Weprin and Padavan to write a joint letter to the Sanitation Department arguing, “It may be difficult for one reason or another for people to get to a notary.” The representatives expressed concerned that the requirement of a notarized complaint… may well discourage citizens [from submitting] complaints.”

While the notary requirement was considered to prevent false complaints against businesses and to add credence to resident’s complaints, it was deleted from the final requirements. Instead, residents submitting complaints “must certify that the information is truthful and accurate, and acknowledge that false statements in the complaint form are punishable” under state law. If necessary, they must also be available to testify before the Environmental Control Board.

In their letter to Sanitation, Weprin and Padavan noted that there appears to be widespread support for the initiative, which they compared to the “Do Not Call” registry. “From our personal observations, to complaints from community boards, civic organizations and our neighbors, unwanted literature, advertisements and fliers left on private property is not only a blight throughout Queens but a safety issue as well.”