The Syracuse Common Councilis heading back to the drawing board before voting on a measure that would change the way trash pickup works across the city.
Under the plan, people who live in the city of Syracuse would receive a 95-gallon trash cart. Workers could roll those carts to the curb, where an automated cart tipper would dump the trash into the truck.
Officials estimate the move could save the city $1.4- $2.1 million a year in workers comp claims and other fees.
Syracuse Common Councilor Amir Gethers said the proposal has promise, but it needs work.
"It may be a great thing for everybody here in the city of Syracuse,” he said. “However, we did have public hearings on it. We had a whole plethora of emails and things that were sent to us, so we wanted to make sure we had that information, and we took it into consideration."
Some people who live in the city are concerned about part of the proposal that says properties that include between four and ten units will now have to arrange for their own trash removal. Plus, some elderly neighbors worry about how they’ll be able to take out their trash.
"There's also been complaints about the size of the cart,” said Gethers. “Some people think that it's too big for their household. Some people think that it's not. What if your cart gets stolen? Will there be a fee? Will there not be a fee?"
Gethers said next, council members will discuss constituents’ concerns with the administration and work together to improve the current proposal.
