Council Says No To 8th Grader’s Plan For Main St. Cigarette Butt Receptacles

The Town Council declined to support an Eagle Scout project to bring more cigarette butt receptacles to Main Street, citing logistics and conflict of interest at its meeting Monday night.

Town Manager Bill Sequino had already weighed in against the proposal from 13-year-old Giulio Cataldo. Cataldo, who was accompanied by his parents at Monday night's meeting, decided to try his chances in front of the Town Council.

Holding his own against the polite but firm resistance from councilors, Cataldo said he was eager to get his Eagle Scout project completed by spring 2012. That’s four years before the official deadline of age 18. Cataldo said after the meeting that he wanted to get it done before the diversions of high school began.

“I felt that cigarette receptacles would be a benefit for Main Street,” Cataldo told the Council. “I came up with this idea for this project as I was walking along Main Street from Filippou’s Pizzeria to the Armory,” he said. “I saw so many cigarette butts on the ground. I thought this poorly represented our town, that it was bad for the environment and, clearly, too many people were smoking.”

After Cataldo's several-minute-long appeal, Council members followed the Town Manager’s lead, denying the town's participation.

“We think it sends an ambivalent message given the town’s past story with smoking,” said Town Manager Sequino on Tuesday. In 2000, East Greenwich was the first town in the state to bar smoking in restaurants – something that’s commonplace today.

The town’s drug counselor, Bob Houghtaling, agreed.

“I think for the town to sponsor it creates some ambivalence so I thought it was a slippery slope” to add cigarette butt receptacles, he said Tuesday. Houghtaling took pains to say that he supported Cataldo’s basic anti-smoking message, but said there were educational ways to achieve that end.

There was also the question of who would be responsible for the containers and, Sequino said, he has received complaints about smokers congregating on Main Street from passersby. He said merchants themselves should be targeted, rather than making it a town project.

Nonetheless, for at least two councilors, the decision not to back the proposal was painful.

“I don’t know if the Town Council tonight is going to be able to step in and be the overseeing body for this,” Councilor Jeff Cianciolo said. Still, he continued, “you’re a great kid. I don’t want you to be discouraged.”

 “I admire and respect your initiative and drive … [but] I have to reiterate [other] comments,” said Mark Gee. “As much as I would love to say go ahead and do this project, I can’t."

He continued, “I have to confess, when I see these smoking receptacles, it really turns me off.”

There are a few cigarette butt receptacles on Main Street already, put there by individual merchants. There are receptacles in front of the Greenwich Hotel, Fat Belly’s and Norman’s. The one in front of Norman’s is a large empty metal can; there are receptacles more like the ones Cataldo is interested in installing in front of the other establishments.

John Kirkland, who was smoking outside of the Greenwich Hotel Tuesday evening, said he favored the idea. He said he would certainly use such receptables.

Cataldo said Monday night that he would keep trying to make it happen.

"I worked really hard to get here … and I’m going to continue to work hard to keep this project afloat," he said.

While the Council declined to give Cataldo permission Monday night, it was agreed that Cianciolo and Council President Michael Isaacs would meet with  Cataldo to discuss other possibilities.

Ed. Note: This story has been amended since it was originally posted.