Council may vote on garbage tote plan

BATAVIA, N.Y. (WIVB) - There is some trash talk going on between Batavia residents and local lawmakers. The city council is proposing a new garbage removal plan that council members say could save money.

The city council is expected to vote on taking the first steps to moving to a garbage tote system. This move has some residents fired up. Batavia residents say they want to keep the company that has been picking up their trash for decades.

Batavia council member Pierluigi Cipollone said, "To me saving a million dollars over the course of five years is really hard to look away from."

The company, called Genesee ARC, has been picking up the city’s trash for decades. Most of their employees are adults with disabilities and residents say taking away their jobs, just isn’t right.

Resident Carol Grasso said, “These people that pick up our trash cash their checks on Friday. They spend it all here in Batavia, they don't go out of town. They're special needs and they don't get to Buffalo and Rochester."

The new system means switching to a new company and including garbage totes. Lawmakers say it would decrease property taxes by 16 percent, but homeowners would have to shell out a garbage user fee of nearly $170.

City council members will meet Monday night. Members could even vote on the next step in the process.