Garbage district opposed at Flanders civic meeting

A proposed garbage district in Flanders, Riverside and Northampton was met with overwhelming opposition from those in attendance at a Waters Edge Civic Association meeting last Friday night in Flanders.

The idea was initiated by the Flanders, Riverside, and Northampton Community Association as a way to reduce illegal dumping.

The proposed district — in which residents would pay a special tax and receive curbside garbage and recyclables pickup — would need approval by a vote of residential landowners in the three hamlets before it could be established.

Many of the speakers Friday said FRNCA doesn’t represent the majority of the community and that they were unaware of the plan.

“FRNCA is wasting my tax dollars to do this huge study for something that, I can guarantee you, we don’t want,” said Flanders resident Susan Tocci.

FRNCA president Vince Taldone responded that FRNCA has 87 dues-paying members and a mailing list of 277 people.

Southampton Councilman Brad Bender, a former FRNCA president, said the town sought bids from carters and that eight were received. The lowest bidder was about $25 per month.

Flanders resident Chrissy Prete said the proposal would take away residents’ choice of hiring a private carter or taking their garbage to the dump themselves.

Mr. Taldone said afterward that he felt the meeting was stacked with friends and employees of Go Green Sanitation, owned by Frank Fisher of Flanders, which did not bid on the district.

“That meeting was open to anyone and I didn’t see any people for it there,” Mr. Fisher said.

The issue will be discussed again at the April 13 FRNCA meeting at 7 p.m.