2018 mUNICIPAL cANDIDATE qUESTIONNAIRE
iSSUE #1: iLLEGAL dUMPING
Illegal Dumping has been an ongoing problem in East Trenton. Common dumping sites include Oak St and Tyrell Ave at Amtico Sq, 121 Hart Ave, the entrance to St Joes Park, 101 Mulberry St, Trenton Ave, Sherman Ave at Courtland, Poplar St., and Roff Street at Eastburn. Incidents occur at least weekly. The dumping includes everything from used tires and mattresses, commercial waste, spoiled food, and even recently a large order of dental supplies left on Hart and Seward Avenues. Not only is it unsightly and foul smelling, it creates health hazards and promotes infestations of rodents and other pests. Illegal dumpers not only evade the costs of properly disposing of waste, but create a hazardous situation for residents who live with the consequences of others actions. The City of Trenton states that they have installed cameras, but we have not yet seen a decrease in dumping.
QUESTION: We want our neighborhood to be clean. What will you do differently that others in your position have not done to successfully combat illegal dumping?
Marge Caldwell-Wilson (North Ward): We need more enforcement and stricter penalties which would require the City to hire more inspectors ,most of the dumping happens in the evenings and weekends when there is no one available to enforce penalties other than the Trenton Police Department. This would have to be a priority discussion with the incoming Administration
Algernon Ward, Jr. (North Ward): Investigate why those charged with enforcement have failed to do so and hold them accountable. Punish those responsible for dumping to the fullest extent of the law. In the mean-time, have the mess cleaned-up!
Santiago Rodriguez (At Large): Many residents know who the illegal dumpers are. We have to established friendly communication with them so that the violators of the littering ordinance can be punished. Cameras can and should be installed at those and other locations across the city. The Police Department must patrol those areas,something they never do. I have seen the great effort your organization have been doing as well as that of Habitat For Humanity. I will push for expansion of initiatives like yours all across the City.
Rachel Cogsville-Lattimer (At Large): I agree with the issue and acknowledge that there is a wide spread of illegal dumping throughout the city of Trenton. For past three plus years I have and will continue my efforts of combating the illegal dumping through the Illegal Dumping Initiative within Department of Environmental Protection in partnership with City of Trenton, Trenton Council of Civic Associations and other grassroots. When possible we have conducted our own investigative efforts to find who the illegal dumpers are. Once located those individual/s or businesses are reported to All appropriate parties. I will continue my partnership with the stakeholders and educate the residents on the importance of reporting illegal dumping, explain the importance of identifying illegal dumpers, and thank the residents for taking a stand in the illegal dumping in their neighborhood. I would continue the following efforts
• Work with the Administration, County, and State to bring better awareness of the illegal dumping. Do continuous walk through with City of Trenton Inspections and Public Works Department including, the community and other partners.
• Be part of the meetings with Trenton Police Department and Citizen Police Advisory Committee (CPAC) about the funding and installation of the cameras.
• Advocate on behalf of the community and collaborate with all government sectors, civic associations, grassroots organizations, and non-profits.
Jerell Blakeley (At Large): Illegal dumping is an issue that plagues many of Trenton's neighborhoods. If elected as a City Council member, I will fight for ordinances that increase penalties for illegal dumping as well as fight for additional surveillance cameras to monitor lots where dumping is most prevalent.
Elvin Montero (At Large): I support efforts to inform residents about the ongoing problem with illegal dumping in the city and providing directions on what they should do should they see it happening in their neighborhood, including, but not limited to calling the Trenton non-emergency number to report it. Once reported, the city should respond and follow-up with the person reporting it within 24.
We should identify the areas in the city that are the most impacted and make it a high priority. If residents are constantly reporting that illegal dumping is taking place in a particular area, then the different departments, including the Trenton Police Department, should coordinate efforts to target those areas to hopefully charge and arrest the culprits and hold them accountable. I support increasing resources for the Housing and Building Inspections Departments. More inspectors on the streets will allow to better monitor ongoing construction and remodeling in the city, and make sure that contractors, landlords, and homeowners are taking the appropriate actions to dispose of debris from their projects.
Duncan Harrison (Mayoral): As Councilman-at-large, I advocated for increased fines for illegal dumpers and increased enforcement of illegal dumping ordinances in several areas of the City. I also fought to have more cameras in place where dumping occurs to not only catch those illegally dumping trash, but also to deter trash dumping altogether. I also had more than 150 new trash receptacles placed along school routes throughout the city to cut down on litter. As Mayor, I will continue to identify opportunities for Trenton Municipal Court to levy increased punishments, not just fines, on illegal dumpers. People dumping inside and outside our community should also work to clean our neighborhoods. I believe that combating illegal dumping is a team effort, and no one department in the City can be solely responsible for fixing this problem. My administration will strengthen ties between the Trenton Police Department, Department of Public Works, community members, and Department of Inspections to more successfully enforce the law and quickly clean up dumping areas.
Annette H. Lartigue (Mayoral): 1 - In partnership with the state, propose legislation to increase the fines and expedite the charges through the municipal court system. 2 - Raise awareness to form a collaborative effort (inclusive of the industry), and a strategic plan to monitor and prevent illegal dumping. 3 - The community can send a strong message to all illegal dumpers by maintaining a clean and healthy environment.
Walker Worthy (Mayoral): As Mayor, I will assign city employees the job of monitoring common dump sites, increase and monitor cameras and lighting, and enforce the laws that are already on the books. I have also outlined my plan to hold landlords accountable for keeping their properties clean and safe, which includes prompt disposal of trash.
Reed Gusciora (Mayoral): Dumping has long been a serious and pervasive quality of life issue in Trenton. Some years ago, as the Schools Development Authority was building the new Martin Luther King Jr. middle school, a resident called my Assembly office to alert me to the fact that the SDA was hauling in truckloads of toxic waste from all over the state to use as the ground fill, with the approval of Trenton’s mayor at the time. I successfully led the charge to change the regulations that allowed them to do this, and had the SDA clean up the site. At the State level, I’ve fought the perception that others can bring their garbage to Trenton. If given the opportunity to serve as your mayor, I will bring this fight to every block. To do this requires a profound change in the way City Hall thinks and works – making it proactive, rather than reacting to every complaint in isolation; and holistic, rather than dealing with just one part of a problem at a time. Part of what contributes to people’s sense that they have “permission” to dump in a neighborhood is the overall message sent by blight, abandoned buildings and lots, damaged infrastructure, and neglected public spaces. I will work with communities to set maintenance priorities for each neighborhood and ensure that they are incorporated into the budgets and workplans of City appropriate departments. Wherever possible, we will include lower-cost interventions that have discouraged dumping in other cities, such as solar-powered lights, bollards to prevent trucks from driving onto lots, etc. A larger set of strategies (see below) will address abandoned properties and repairing our tax base. By creating a new, visible norm of neighborhood pride, we send a new message that dumping will not be tolerated. For those that don’t get the message, I intend to launch a web- and phone-based 311 system for quality of life complaints, with the ability to send in anonymous photographs; give them tracking numbers; assign them to the appropriate department and staff; and publish the status of each complaint online so that the community can easily see what is being done. This will be paired with ‘hot-spotting,’ or using complaints to identify geographical centers of dumping activity, and aggressive enforcement of the fines and penalties for dumping. We will need community involvement to catch the wrongdoers – and I guarantee that my administration will aggressively pursue the complaints we receive. Further, by working with County and State partners, and giving them access to information where appropriate, we can ensure that County and State property in the City of Trenton remains continuously free of dumping as well. Finally, while we talk a lot about police officers walking the beat and getting to know the community, I will set an expectation that every member of my cabinet, and I myself, will regularly walk around Trenton’s neighborhoods. You shouldn’t have to chase us – we should be there for you.
QUESTION: We want our neighborhood to be clean. What will you do differently that others in your position have not done to successfully combat illegal dumping?
Marge Caldwell-Wilson (North Ward): We need more enforcement and stricter penalties which would require the City to hire more inspectors ,most of the dumping happens in the evenings and weekends when there is no one available to enforce penalties other than the Trenton Police Department. This would have to be a priority discussion with the incoming Administration
Algernon Ward, Jr. (North Ward): Investigate why those charged with enforcement have failed to do so and hold them accountable. Punish those responsible for dumping to the fullest extent of the law. In the mean-time, have the mess cleaned-up!
Santiago Rodriguez (At Large): Many residents know who the illegal dumpers are. We have to established friendly communication with them so that the violators of the littering ordinance can be punished. Cameras can and should be installed at those and other locations across the city. The Police Department must patrol those areas,something they never do. I have seen the great effort your organization have been doing as well as that of Habitat For Humanity. I will push for expansion of initiatives like yours all across the City.
Rachel Cogsville-Lattimer (At Large): I agree with the issue and acknowledge that there is a wide spread of illegal dumping throughout the city of Trenton. For past three plus years I have and will continue my efforts of combating the illegal dumping through the Illegal Dumping Initiative within Department of Environmental Protection in partnership with City of Trenton, Trenton Council of Civic Associations and other grassroots. When possible we have conducted our own investigative efforts to find who the illegal dumpers are. Once located those individual/s or businesses are reported to All appropriate parties. I will continue my partnership with the stakeholders and educate the residents on the importance of reporting illegal dumping, explain the importance of identifying illegal dumpers, and thank the residents for taking a stand in the illegal dumping in their neighborhood. I would continue the following efforts
• Work with the Administration, County, and State to bring better awareness of the illegal dumping. Do continuous walk through with City of Trenton Inspections and Public Works Department including, the community and other partners.
• Be part of the meetings with Trenton Police Department and Citizen Police Advisory Committee (CPAC) about the funding and installation of the cameras.
• Advocate on behalf of the community and collaborate with all government sectors, civic associations, grassroots organizations, and non-profits.
Jerell Blakeley (At Large): Illegal dumping is an issue that plagues many of Trenton's neighborhoods. If elected as a City Council member, I will fight for ordinances that increase penalties for illegal dumping as well as fight for additional surveillance cameras to monitor lots where dumping is most prevalent.
Elvin Montero (At Large): I support efforts to inform residents about the ongoing problem with illegal dumping in the city and providing directions on what they should do should they see it happening in their neighborhood, including, but not limited to calling the Trenton non-emergency number to report it. Once reported, the city should respond and follow-up with the person reporting it within 24.
We should identify the areas in the city that are the most impacted and make it a high priority. If residents are constantly reporting that illegal dumping is taking place in a particular area, then the different departments, including the Trenton Police Department, should coordinate efforts to target those areas to hopefully charge and arrest the culprits and hold them accountable. I support increasing resources for the Housing and Building Inspections Departments. More inspectors on the streets will allow to better monitor ongoing construction and remodeling in the city, and make sure that contractors, landlords, and homeowners are taking the appropriate actions to dispose of debris from their projects.
Duncan Harrison (Mayoral): As Councilman-at-large, I advocated for increased fines for illegal dumpers and increased enforcement of illegal dumping ordinances in several areas of the City. I also fought to have more cameras in place where dumping occurs to not only catch those illegally dumping trash, but also to deter trash dumping altogether. I also had more than 150 new trash receptacles placed along school routes throughout the city to cut down on litter. As Mayor, I will continue to identify opportunities for Trenton Municipal Court to levy increased punishments, not just fines, on illegal dumpers. People dumping inside and outside our community should also work to clean our neighborhoods. I believe that combating illegal dumping is a team effort, and no one department in the City can be solely responsible for fixing this problem. My administration will strengthen ties between the Trenton Police Department, Department of Public Works, community members, and Department of Inspections to more successfully enforce the law and quickly clean up dumping areas.
Annette H. Lartigue (Mayoral): 1 - In partnership with the state, propose legislation to increase the fines and expedite the charges through the municipal court system. 2 - Raise awareness to form a collaborative effort (inclusive of the industry), and a strategic plan to monitor and prevent illegal dumping. 3 - The community can send a strong message to all illegal dumpers by maintaining a clean and healthy environment.
Walker Worthy (Mayoral): As Mayor, I will assign city employees the job of monitoring common dump sites, increase and monitor cameras and lighting, and enforce the laws that are already on the books. I have also outlined my plan to hold landlords accountable for keeping their properties clean and safe, which includes prompt disposal of trash.
Reed Gusciora (Mayoral): Dumping has long been a serious and pervasive quality of life issue in Trenton. Some years ago, as the Schools Development Authority was building the new Martin Luther King Jr. middle school, a resident called my Assembly office to alert me to the fact that the SDA was hauling in truckloads of toxic waste from all over the state to use as the ground fill, with the approval of Trenton’s mayor at the time. I successfully led the charge to change the regulations that allowed them to do this, and had the SDA clean up the site. At the State level, I’ve fought the perception that others can bring their garbage to Trenton. If given the opportunity to serve as your mayor, I will bring this fight to every block. To do this requires a profound change in the way City Hall thinks and works – making it proactive, rather than reacting to every complaint in isolation; and holistic, rather than dealing with just one part of a problem at a time. Part of what contributes to people’s sense that they have “permission” to dump in a neighborhood is the overall message sent by blight, abandoned buildings and lots, damaged infrastructure, and neglected public spaces. I will work with communities to set maintenance priorities for each neighborhood and ensure that they are incorporated into the budgets and workplans of City appropriate departments. Wherever possible, we will include lower-cost interventions that have discouraged dumping in other cities, such as solar-powered lights, bollards to prevent trucks from driving onto lots, etc. A larger set of strategies (see below) will address abandoned properties and repairing our tax base. By creating a new, visible norm of neighborhood pride, we send a new message that dumping will not be tolerated. For those that don’t get the message, I intend to launch a web- and phone-based 311 system for quality of life complaints, with the ability to send in anonymous photographs; give them tracking numbers; assign them to the appropriate department and staff; and publish the status of each complaint online so that the community can easily see what is being done. This will be paired with ‘hot-spotting,’ or using complaints to identify geographical centers of dumping activity, and aggressive enforcement of the fines and penalties for dumping. We will need community involvement to catch the wrongdoers – and I guarantee that my administration will aggressively pursue the complaints we receive. Further, by working with County and State partners, and giving them access to information where appropriate, we can ensure that County and State property in the City of Trenton remains continuously free of dumping as well. Finally, while we talk a lot about police officers walking the beat and getting to know the community, I will set an expectation that every member of my cabinet, and I myself, will regularly walk around Trenton’s neighborhoods. You shouldn’t have to chase us – we should be there for you.