St. Paul trash truck dispute threatens pickup service
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A dispute over where St. Paul's new garbage hauler will store and repair its trucks could leave the city without trash pickup service on April 1, Mayor Melvin Carter warned Thursday.
Why it matters: After years of bitter debates that came be called "the trash wars," the start of the new garbage hauler's contract on April 1 is supposed to mark a turning point in the city's bid to take a more central role in managing the service.
Catch up quick: St. Paul City Council members voted 5-0 on Wednesday to block the new hauler, FCC Environmental, from placing its truck yard on a lot the company purchased last summer off West Seventh Street, just blocks from the Schmidt Artist Lofts.
- The vote stems from a January appeal filed by a neighborhood group, which has argued the trash facility would undermine long-term plans for residential, mixed-use, transit-oriented development in the area.
What they're saying: In a letter to council members, Carter wrote that the vote sets up the possibility the city will breach its new garbage contract, which "would expose taxpayers to costly litigation and interrupt trash hauling service."
- He added that he had "not ruled out declaring a state of local emergency" to ensure the contract moves forward.
The other side: At Wednesday's meeting, City Council President Rebecca Noecker said the lot isn't appropriate for a trash yard because it's zoned for "light industrial" use.
- Echoing a concern neighbors have expressed, she noted the site would be inundated with 36 heavy trucks coming and going.
Friction point: Carter wrote that the council was obliged to follow precedent in deciding the zoning appeal, and that city officials had formally determined that a truck facility was an appropriate use for the property.
- In her comments Wednesday, Noecker said staff erred in that determination, saying the finding was based on a comparison to a city public works facility. She argued the trash yard would see more traffic from heavier, larger trucks than a public works facility.
FCC Environmental on-site manager Greg Revering said he appreciated the neighbors' concerns, but told the council that plans for residential development "haven't come to fruition, and it's sad — but it's not grounds for denial."
What's next: Carter urged council members to call an emergency meeting to immediately reconsider their vote.