CB 12 Peppers DSNY Superintendent with Questions on Commercial Trash Containerization

By Yehudit Garmaise

The participants of Community Board 12’s monthly meeting on Monday night bombarded Stephen J. Caruso, the superintendent  of New York’s Department of Sanitation, with questions after he announced that starting Friday, all NYC businesses must containerize their trash or face pricey summonses after a one-month grace period.

The DSNY’s commercial trash containerization project “is part of the efforts we are making to take the bags off of their streets and prevent garbage bags from getting thrown open, which results in litter and debris making a mess on our streets,” Caruso explained to the participants at CB 12’s month meeting that takes place at the Amico Senior Center at 5901 13th Ave.

Six months after the DSNY required only NYC food establishments and chains to containerize their trash, on March 1, all businesses will be required to put their waste outside in trash cans, starting one hour before closing time.

Many businesses in Boro Park, however, don’t post their hours, and most businesses might keep irregular hours, several residents pointed out.

“Sometimes business owners close earlier on some days but not on others because of family functions,” one meeting participant said. “So when you say ‘to put out trash an hour before we close,’ how would you know exactly when we close?”

After hearing that “a lot of business owners have been getting summonses that they have to go fight, one woman asked, “How can we prove what are our business hours?”

When Caruso pointed out that businesses should post their hours, the woman wondered whether the DSNY would provide local small business owners with “sort of decal” on which they could post their hours “to avoid unnecessary violations.”

Store hour decals might be an issue for the city’s Small Business Services, Caruso replied, but DSNY would not be providing the standard business stickers.

For less than $15, online, hardware stores, and other variety stores, sell customized signs on which businesses can clearly post their store hours.

Other Boro Park participants in the CB12 meeting pointed out other irregularities among local businesses that could potentially confuse the providers of DSNY violations.

“Some businesses have gates, and some don’t,” pointed out one resident. “Some businesses are shared, and some businesses are housed in residences.

“How will the DSNY differentiate between whether black garbage bags come from commercial or residential buildings?

While some people put commercial trash up against the curb, others put their trash against their gates, one person pointed out.

“If someone moves someone else’s garbage, someone will get a ticket unless video footage exists.”

“People are getting hit with sanitation tickets,” said one irate meeting participant. “I understand the city’s need to bring in as much money they can from as many sources that they can as much as they can generate. I also understand the need for cleanliness. It is so important to keep the neighborhood and the area clean. When you have a definite summons, issue the summons, but when you face a large question mark: may I make a suggestion that you pause from writing up the ticket? Don’t immediately issue a summons. So that our local citizens don’t have to get hit right away with a summons that should not have been.”