The City Council BPW sub-Committee had a joint meeting with the DPW on Monday, August 10.  One of the interesting items that they discussed was whether to recommend their own question to be placed on the November ballot.

Councilor Bob Reckman suggested the wording should read, "Should the City close the landfill?"

We think that this is misleading because the operating landfill is scheduled to close in 2011. This question does not address the possible expansion of the landfill. Talk to people who own homes around the landfill. They were promised over 30 years ago that the landfill would close in a few years. The landfill could close for six months and then re-open with the expansion.

The other suggestion is to take the 5 options offered by the DPW and make the question multiple choice. We reject this choice as well because we disagree that there are only 5 options regarding the landfill expansion.

Finally, doesn't it seem like a conflict of interest that Councilors Bob Reckman, Paul Spector, and Jim Dostal are working with the DPW regarding the landfill expansion when they will be asked to vote on the Special Permit? Perhaps they should recuse themselves from voting on the Special Permit due to a conflict of interest???

The following is a video of the 8/10/09 Board of Public Works/City Council Joint Committee Meeting

Video is courtesy of North Street Neighborhood Association