Village talks trash, and trash cans

MILLERTON - The village of Millerton is now the proud owner of eight new garbage cans. This may not sound like much, but to those on the Village Board, its something to get excited about.

That's because for some time now the village streets have been making do with 55-gallon garbage cans that have been overflowing with trash not suited for municipal cans. Household garbage has been one thing that's been making its way into the bins.

"We'll put out four cans, and monitor them for household garbage, as well as see how much rain they collect. We'll also see if they're in the right locations," said Mayor John Scutieri.

Those locations are all on Main Street. They include Memorial Park, outside Irving Farm, outside the diner and near Oblong Books.

According to village Trustee Marty Markonic, there has been a lot of trash accumulating by the former Rex-All Pharmacy. A discussion ensued about other possible locations for the remaining four garbage cans.

"I think we'll get this started and then maybe invite the Millerton Merchants Association to say, 'We need your help,'" Scutieri said.

Working Foreman Larry Merwin suggested the village institute some way in which it could make business owners responsible for the trash receptacles in front of their shops.

"I've been doing this for 30 years and nothing ever happens. If there's a way to make the people who generate the garbage to be somehow responsible," he said. "As a village taxpayer I don't like the fact that I'm subsidizing Irving Farm's garbage."

"The moment you go out the door you find yourself on village property, so I don't know where you get to the point where you can send a letter to merchants that they need to do this," Scutieri said.

Trustee Yosh Schulman suggested the village take a different approach to get businesses involved.

"How about giving businesses an opportunity to keep the cans clean, like the adopt-a-highway program?" he asked.

There was no real response to Schulman's suggestion. Meanwhile, the village will order tops for the new garbage cans that make it difficult for people to stuff in large amounts of trash (or household garbage). Merwin will see to it that the new cans replace the 55-gallon drums, although he continued to raise issue with supplying garbage cans throughout the village.

"We can't keep emptying everybody's garbage cans," he said.

Trustee Anne Veteran suggested the board consider placing a garbage can or two at the Rail Trail head at Coleman Station. She said it would make good use out of the 55-gallon cans that are being removed from Main Street.

"Don't just throw those cans away," she said.

"The whole idea of the new cans we bought was to eliminate the 55-gallon ones," Scutieri said.

The mayor suggested looking into a grant to hire someone to come up with a beautification idea for the cans. He encouraged creativity.

By discussion's end the board decided to approach Millerton Merchants' Association President Marty Reynolds about how to get the business community involved in taking care of the new garbage cans, and making sure the streets of Millerton stay clean. That meeting is expected to take place before the Village Board's next business meeting, set for Wednesday, Jan. 23.