New Middletown garbage pickup method expected by early next year

MIDDLETOWN – Mayor Joseph DeStefano has predicted that a new method of garbage pickup with be approved and in place by early 2017.
Right now, residents pay for city crews to pick up their trash, but two new plans will be vetted. Alderman Joseph Masi will formally propose privatizing the collection while DeStefano would like to purchase new city trucks with arms to automatically pick up garbage.
Two large receptacles would be given to each residence – one for garbage and the other for recyclables and the benefits, among others, should be increased recycling, said the mayor.
“I think we will see that six percent recycling number of which we pay zero to discard into a landfill increase, and our goal will be to get that number over 20 percent in a couple of years,” DeStefano said. “It’s one area that we failed at. Since the last five years I put a major focus on it; we’re not addressing it in the correct way, and I think you will see a cleaner city. You won’t see garbage bags sitting on the curb. It will be safer with kids walking by and animals open garbage bags.”
The common council will have the final say on the proposals after input from the city employee union, said DeStefano. He would hope that a new plan would be in place by early next year. The goal of any new plan is to lower the financial impact on the city taxpayers.