[Announce] Re; Wanted: Ideas!

[Daniel W. Van Riper]

Remember, only 9 per cent of the garbage tossed onto the "Landfill"  
comes from City of Albany households.  The other 91 per cent comes  
from other municipalities and corporate haulers.  Better enforcement  
of regulations is admirable, and more recycling can bring in more  
revenue, but such measures will not reduce the size of the pile by  
very much.  Indeed, it will only create a bit more more landfill  
space that can be sold to outsiders.  We need to radically transform  
the whole system, not try to modify it slightly.

Corporate dumpers should be held to the highest standards, no  
argument there.  The reason they are not held to high standards is  
that there is a serious glut of landfill space.  In their 2004 annual  
report, allied Waste bragged that they owned 36 years worth of of  
landfill space:

http://www.albanyweblog.com/2006/10-Oct/10-22-06.html

That doesn't include contracts with municipalities.  Allied doesn't  
need our "landfill," Jerry Jennings needs Allied to balance his  
budget.  Thus, the City is not in a position to scare off  
contributors to the trash pile by holding them to a higher standard.

As for saving electricity, in the past, municipalities like Albany  
made flat low rate contracts for power during the night, so that it  
didn't matter if the streetlights were on or not.  This was because  
there's a big surplus of electricity at night, when demand is very  
low.  I know this was still true about five years ago, who knows what  
the power monopoly has negotiated with the City since then.

-Dan Van Riper


On Jun 30, 2007, at 12:57 PM, Lynne Jackson wrote:

> Sally,
>
> Here are a couple of ideas-
>
> Eliminate or reduce the number of street lights throughout the city  
> – for example on Washington Ave Ext there are way too many and  
> unnecessary street lights. There are almost 100 street lights  
> between Fuller Rd and Rt. 155 and by reducing this number in half  
> the city would reduce its carbon footprint and say money. Private  
> area lighting (PAL) costs the city approximately $100 per year per  
> street light.
> The installation and construction of traffic signals in a typical  
> intersection cost in excess of $100,000. Why is it necessary for  
> this city to have such elaborate traffic signals that hang so high  
> in the air. Look at most major cities (NYC) and you will see that  
> traffic lights are simply mounted on existing street lamps or power  
> poles or small low impact poles.
> Why does the city pave and put in new curbs and sidewalks on a  
> small dead end street that contains only two homes in Washington  
> Park near State St. Estimated cost $250,000.
> There is existing city ordinances to fine residents who violate the  
> required recycling regulations for failure to separate their trash.  
> Has the city ever enforced this regulation? Think of the money that  
> could be generated by this and the positive impact on recycling.
> Clear plastic bags should be mandatory of all resident's trash –  
> how else can you determine what is being thrown away.
> Recycling bins (plastic, newspaper, etc) should be installed  
> throughout the downtown area. Additional revenue could be achieved  
> by recycling these products.
> Food scraps should be separated from regular trash and composted.  
> This product could potentially be packaged and sold to generate  
> revenue.
> Households should be limited to 1 garbage can of trash per week.  
> Anything additional would require a sticker available for purchase  
> from the city at $5 each. Along these lines the city continues to  
> pick up computer monitors when left curbside – these items should  
> require a special sticker. Residents are supposed to save these  
> types of items for hazardous waste days but there is very limited  
> participation by residents.
> The city should begin recycling plastic products marked 3, 4, and 5  
> (currently only 1 and 2 are accepted).  Properly administered this  
> could be revenue neutral and reduce filling valuable landfill space.
> Commercial haulers are required by law to separate their trash,  
> however there is little or no enforcement of this at the landfill  
> site. At the landfill entrance the sign indicates that yard waste  
> is not allowed, yet it is a known fact that commercial haulers  
> intermingle this with the regular trash. Fines should be levied on  
> a regular basis to address this issue.
>
> Thanks for your efforts.
>
> Bob Dorkin
>
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