Town Board Proposes Reducing Yardwaste Collection Costs

HUNTINGTON, NY — The Huntington Town Board proposed a measure to reduce yardwaste collection costs, approved a major fire safety initiative and set the 2020 Town Board schedule at its Dec. 17 meeting, according to a press release.

The board will consider amending the Code of the Town of Huntington Chapter 133 Littering and Dumping, which would require for-hire landscaping and lawn maintenance services to immediately remove waste generated from those services from the property. The proposal aims to minimize the increase in yardwaste disposal costs to the Town, improve yardwaste collection efficiency and remove collection bottlenecks. A public hearing on the matter is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 13, 2020 at 2 p.m.

"This new requirement will not affect homeowners who bag their own leaves," said Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci. "We are always looking at ways to take the burden off the taxpayer, and in this case, removing the burden of a new state regulation that has caused an exorbitant jump in yardwaste collection costs. What we are proposing for landscaping companies mirrors our provision in the Town Code that requires home improvement contractors remove and dispose of waste generated by their work."

The Town collects and processes about 14,000 tons of yardwaste every year, with around 7,800 tons collected during peak leaf season. The total budget for yardwaste processing and disposal increased 93 percent in 2019 to $1.4 million after new state regulatory requirements for groundwater monitoring at composting and yardwaste disposal facilities took effect, the Town stated.

As a result of the increased disposal costs, landscaping and lawn maintenance companies have been documented overloading the curb during the spring and fall cleanup season, leaving upwards of 100 to 200 full bags of yardwaste at a single residential property for curbside collection by the Town. This has led to the forming of collection bottlenecks that prohibit timely collection of yardwaste routes during peak collection season. Each ton of yardwaste left off curbs will save the Town $100.

The Town Board also amended Town Code to eliminate the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) hearing process for installing egress windows in homes that do not meet the required property line setback requirements. The Town said fire safety will be improved due to the cuts in red tape.

"After consulting with the Dix Hills Fire Department and the Town Fire Marshal, Building Department and counsel for the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), we wanted to make it easier for property owners to install egress windows by eliminating the requirement of a formal application and hearing before the ZBA," Lupinacci said.

The amended code allows for a protective cover or grate to be installed for egress windows or window wells that extend up to 42 inches into a required yard setback.

The 2020 schedule for Town Board meetings is:

• Monday, Jan. 13, 2 p.m.
• Tuesday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 10, 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 31, 2 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 21, 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, May 20, 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, June 16, 2 p.m.;
• Tuesday, July 21, 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2 p.m.
• Tuesday, Sept. 15, 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 19, 2 p.m.
• Tuesday, Dec. 15, 7 p.m.

The full Town Board meeting from Dec. 17 can be watched below:

The meeting kicked off with a 10-minute video presentation to honor retiring Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia, who served for 38 years.