Citizen About Town

By Nancy C Arcuri, Editor and Publisher

Email: nancyarcuri@thecitizensvoice.net

Residents on Mooney Drive in Monterey Park and Rosemead are very thankful that West Coast Arborists cut down two dangerous trees that were ready to fall on our powerlines on March 20 and 21.

At the March 26^th City Council Meeting the Council discussed this very important issue:

2-A. AWARD OF FRANCHISE AGREEMENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL WASTE

COLLECTION AND RECYCLING SERVICES

It is recommended that the City Council consider:

(1) Awarding an exclusive franchise contract for a Three-Cart Residential Waste Collection

and Recycling Services System to Ware Disposal, or an exclusive franchise contract for a

Two-Cart Residential Collection and Recycling Services System to Athens Services;

(2) Awarding non-exclusive franchise contracts for commercial waste collection and recycling

services to both Ware Disposal and Athens Services, or an exclusive commercial franchise

to Ware Disposal;

(3) Approving the Second Amendment to Agreement No. 2247-A with HF&H Consultants for

additional consultant services to assist with the execution of new franchise contracts at an

additional, not-to-exceed, cost of $60,000;

(4) Allocating $60,000 to the FY23-24 budget from Refuse Funds for the cost of HF&H’s

Second Amendment; and

(5) Taking such additional, related, action that may be desirable.

Please see the Council Agenda for this meeting for more information.

The Council heard from members in the audience and by mail before the discussed the issue.

After much discussion Council Members Sanchez  Voted Yes, Lo Voted Yes, Yiu Voted Yes, Ngo Voted No and Wong Voted Yes.

THEY AWARDING AN EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE CONTRACT FOR A THREE-CART RESIDENTIAL WASTE COLLECTION AND RECYCLING SERVICES SYSTEM TO WARE DISPOSAL.

Three-Cart Collection System

Cart #1 – solid waste only

Cart #2 – recyclable materials

Cart #3 – organic materials (also call food waste)

Athens Services had been the residential trash hauler since the 1970s so many residents were surprised that Councilmembers Sanchez, Lo, Yiu and Wong voted Yes to award the contract to Ware Disposal. Councilmember Ngo voted No.

Councilmember Ngo said he voted No because wants the Council to review Measure BB since he believes that the lowest bidder is not the best corporation to serve our city.

I agree with him that our Council should have Public Meetings to seek guidance from us the taxpaying voters.

A City of Monterey Park’s Trash-Hauling Ordinance, Measure BB was on the March 8, 2011 ballot for voters in the City of Monterey Park in Los Angeles County, where it was approved.

Measure BB requires the city to obtain competitive bids before deciding where to award its trash-hauling contracts.

Yes: 3,662 (71.6%) Approved

No: 1,451 (28.3%)

I don’t recall hearing that our Council must award the contract to the lowest bidder.

Now our Council majority voted to give us a cart to hold our food waste. The cart could be a health hazard since large animals could overturn it to enjoy our food waste.

This action reminds me of the leaders in Montgomery County, Maryland decided that all of the residents were required to have compost heaps built in their yards in the 1980s.

My sister and her children built one in our mother’s back yard.  My mother placed her food scrapes in the site. Within one month the residents in Montgomery County complained of rats that invaded their yards so the County Board discontinue this practice.

How will WARE DISPOSAL protect us from rats or any other animals from overturing their Food Waste cart?

Did the Council majority ask that question or did they vote for Ware Disposal because they had a cheaper bid?

I find it very interesting that Athens Services still mailed to the residents their Quarter 2 2024 Newsletter the next week.

If I see rats around my Food Waste Cart, who do I call to remove them?

I believe that our residents deserve a safer method to have our food waste removed from our homes.

Our City Councilmembers answer to us the taxpaying voters not some Corporates charging us a large amount of money for their services.

So, if you see rats or other animals overturing your Food Waste Cart, please call your Councilmembers for their assistance.

I believe that public safety is more important to all of us Americans and it is our elected officials’ job to protect us from harm.

In the 2024 November Election we will be choosing our new President, our Senators, our Congressmembers, many governors, our state Senators, our Assemblymembers and our local City Councilmembers.

Please chose your candidates wisely as they will determine the future of our United States of America.

May God continue to bless us and our country.