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Hamden residents react to the town canceling its twice-a-year trash pick up

After cancelling its trash pick up service, Hamden street-sides are being filled with garbage and litter.

For many years, Hamden did a trash pick up twice a year to help lighten the load of residents. That all changed this year. 

Hamden made the unfortunate decision that the pick up was not financially possible. In result, the town has experienced many complaints on its Patch website about trash spread across town the last few weeks.

Tax-payers are upset about the lack of attention to detail regarding the waste that is randomly placed around streets like Whitney Ave. and Dixwell Ave. 

Hamden a recent budget cut of a town-wide trash dump that occurs twice a year. Prior to this year, the town would clean up trash and debris at people’s houses for them in order to lighten the load on waste in town. This year, that $250,000 project was cut due to budget issues unrelated to COVID-19. 

“Trash council eliminated bulk trash pick up,” said Craig Cesare, Hamden director of public works. “This has been a bone of contention since this month was typically when it happens. For budget reasons unrelated to COVID-19, it wasn’t possible this year, but I wish it was.”

The department of public works has various independent contractors that deal with debris and trash around town as well. All-American Waste is still the weekly trash company, but the town is no longer providing additional services. They also have a liter and blight enforcement officer that listens to complaints and adheres to the needs of residents. 

The upheaval of the residents does not come without reason. It’s almost impossible to walk down Dixwell Ave without seeing wet fast-food boxes, candy wrappers, water bottles and chip bags sprawled throughout the street.

The Patch page has a lot of questions about the trash situation in town, and also about storm clean up on top of that.

 Hamden tax-payers are clearly frustrated with multiple things going on with local government, which has led to suspicious behavior by residents.

Hamden residents converse on Patch’s “Neighbor Posts” page, a great way for community members to communicate about town issues.

“Because of how frustrated residents are, we have seen suspicious activity,” Cesare said. “When we went around to some spots in town, we found that frustrated residents dumped their trash and left it there. Obviously there wouldn’t be many ways to find out who did it, but we luckily found addresses and names on pieces of mail in the trash.”

While Hamden residents continue to adjust to the lack of trash disposal, town officials continue to do their best with what they have.

“Obviously I wish we could continue it,” Cesare said. “But, unfortunately it is not financially possible. We will do our best with the cleanup and make work what is within our means, and I hope they understand that.”

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