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Naomi Paul (left) and Patricia Thiboutot, co-chairs of NEWRA’s Clean Streets Committee.The North End’s “Waste Management Maven,” Naomi Paul, recorded an interesting radio interview with WGBH’s Callie Crossley on the trash situation in the neighborhood. Naomi is also co-chair of the NEWRA Clean Streets Committee. The show is titled “Vigilantes” and Naomi’s interview is the second segment in the show.

Description from the show: “Trashy Boston: Naomi Paul, Co-Chair of North End Waterfront Resident Association (NEWRA) Clean Streets Committee, wouldn’t stand for a dirty neighborhood, and rallied citizens to take ownership of their trash.”

Click the link below to listen to the interview at WGBH’s website. Naomi’s part starts at about 16 minutes into the show.

http://www.wgbh.org/897/programDetail.cfm?programid=855

Here is the full description for the radio show:

A highlight of this week’s meeting of the North End / Waterfront Residents’ Association (NEWRA.org) was the discussion with Joanne Massaro, the recently appointed Commissioner of the Boston Public Works Department (PWD). Also in attendance was PWD neighborhood representative, Frank O’Brien, who regularly attends NEWRA’s Clean Streets Committee meetings.

Commisioner Joanne Massaro of the City’s Department of Public Works.Commissioner Massaro talked about her commitment to cleaning up the neighborhoods. The Commissioner acknowledged Clean Streets co-Chair Naomi Paul, the subject of a recent front page Globe article, and she noted some progress. One such improvement is better educational awareness such as proper trash disposal bags (2-ply) and general trash ordinances (North End Tip Sheet). She also said she wants to “get the businesses to be good neighbors.”

For the North End, she noted that the green machine will continue to be on the streets every night and the hoagies (manual sweepers) during the day. Street barrels are emptied 2-3 times per day.

A new idea on the table is that the City wants to continue mechanical street cleaning during the winter. “I realize it can be inconvenient, but I don’t have a problem making those tough decisions if it helps the greater good.”

Here are some issues raised during the question and answer session:

Anne Pistorio - “I am concerned about extension of businesses onto our narrow sidewalks. With the benches, barrels and sidewalk signs, where are the people supposed to walk?” Frank O’Brien answered “sandwich boards have to be permitted and most are illegal.” Inspectional Services is responsible for enforcement and reports can be made through the Mayor’s Hotline.

Nancy Caruso asked “What is the policy of the businesses leaving out their containers on the sidewalk 24 hours per day?” Massaro said that is illegal and reports should be made to Code Enforcement.

Tom Schiavoni asked about how the city can be more creative and productive with recycling, mentioning the programs seen in European cities. The Commissioner supports such efforts. Examples of new programs include special days for types of recycling such as electronics (e-day) and shredding. “However, I don’t believe we can get much further with recycling without cooperation of the big buildings. There, we are looking at audits.”

Jane Mead noted that plowing snow onto handicap ramps is unacceptable. “The department has become more sensitive of accessibility issues,” answered Massaro.

Left to right: Anne Pistorio, Commisioner Joanne Massaro, NEWRA President Mark Paul, Vice-President Stephanie Hogue, Secretary Katie Kulikowski.Paul Nelson asked, “Where is the recycling material taken?” The answer is Charlestown where a facility near the Bunker Hill Community College does the sorting and distribution. Public tours are available.

Sanjoy Mahajan asked if there are any plans for composting? The Commissioner said city-wide composting was not a near-term reality.

Stephanie Hogue suggested that DPW coordinate with the Zoning Board of Appeal to encourage renovated buildings to have dedicated trash rooms.

Mark B. noted that European street-sized dumpsters would be an idea for some parts of the North End.

Leslee Parker thinks trash should only be picked up 2x per week (instead of 3x currently) to reduce the number of hours that garbage is on the streets. She also thought the DPW could help buildings share big bins among residents on certain streets. The Commissioner said the “hardest thing to do is take back a trash day.” She thinks it is unrealistic to change the current 3x/week trash pickups.

Leslee further suggested asking the restaurants to put in some money to complement the City’s trash efforts. The Commissioner said she supported the “Business Improvement District” initiative in Downtown Crossing to clean things up. She said it takes a long time to set one up, but it is a possibility for the North End.

Mark Paul suggested revisiting the concept of reducing the hours when trash can be put out on the streets, which currently begins at 5:00 pm on the night before pickup. Massaro said the Capitol trash contract does not come up until 2014, so there will not be any major changes until then. One smaller change is to do “same day pickup” where residents put out trash between midnight and 7am (rather than 5pm, the night before).

Dave Roderick said he would like to see more “removal” in the City’s snow removal efforts. “The North End is too dense to just push it around.” He noted that NYC has melting containers.

Matt Conti asked who is responsible for overflowing trash barrels in Christopher Columbus Park. Massaro said the Parks Department, although they have cut back on pickups due to budget cuts. Matt thought better coordination between DPW, Parks and Code Enforcement would help the overall cleanliness situation. Mary Nelson suggested simply adding more barrels in the parks.

Victor Brogna shared an idea to reduce the nightly trashpickers by abolishing returnables and let the City get the recycling fee instead. Massaro said that the City does not receive compensation for the recyclables that it delivers.

Virginia Costello asked for clarification on 2-ply bags because the tall white kitchen bags in the stores are mostly 1-ply. The Commissioner noted it was a confusing issue because the 2-ply bags are generally only in very large “leaf” size. Meeting attendees said that Glad has started to make 2-ply white kitchen bags available in stores.

DPW Commisioner Joanne Massaro summed up by saying, “In general, people want to do the right thing. I want to help them make those right decisions.” The NEWRA group thanked the Commissioner for attending and also commended the efforts of the DPW’s Frank O’Brien. 

More posts on trash and neighborhood cleanliness.

The efforts of NEWRA’s Clean Streets co-chair, Naomi Paul, are highlighted on the front page of today’s Boston Globe. In a story by Meghan Irons, it is noted that 1,600 green tickets have been issued since April in the North End after the passing of the Green Ticket ordinance that adds fines to property owner’s tax bill. (More on the Green Ticket law.)

Naomi Paul (center), leads a NEWRA Clean Streets Committee meeting with co-chair, Patricia Thiboutot (left). Photo: Matt ContiAn excerpt from the Globe article: “On a walk through her neighborhood recently, Naomi Paul spotted two stuffed trash bags casually dropped near a city bin on Hanover Street, the bustling spine of the North End. “This is illegal,’’ Paul said and whipped out a cellphone. In seconds, she had a city official on the line taking down the address. Complaints about trash in the streets have been particularly vehement in the North End, a small neighborhood packed with restaurants and cafes, some 12,000 residents, and throngs of tourists — and a place where some recall a time when people swept the walks in front of their homes.”

The Clean Streets Committee has created a tip sheet for residents. Copies of the tip sheet and large scale refrigerator magnets are available by emailing cleanstreets@newra.org.

For those interested in North End trash issues, there is a meeting this Thursday, August 12th where new Public Works Commissioner Massaro will be presenting her vision for clean neighborhoods. The meeting is at 7pm at the Nazzaro Center. More information at www.NEWRA.org.

Read related posts on the trash issue in the North End.

The Clean Streets committee met this week at the Nazzaro Center for its monthly meeting to discuss progress on several initiatives.

North End Clean-up
Attendees had a mixed response to whether the neighborhood is seeing the improvements from the City’s new initiative. Some streets are definitely cleaner, while others continue to seem neglected.

John Meaney from Inspectional Services attended the meeting and reported that Code Enforcement is giving out 5-6 Green Tickets per night. Resident Michael Bloomer quipped, “Six tickets is not getting the job done.” The committee thought there were many more violations than tickets being issued. The ticket and appeal process is “mirroring the transportation ticket system,” according to Meaney. “Unfortunately, we can’t deputize residents.”

With the new Green Ticket ordnance in effect, landlords will see unpaid fines added to their tax bill. The North End has about 1,200 buildings, with estimates of 70% being owned by absentee landlords. The high number of absentee landlords is contributing to the problem, according to residents.

The committee is looking at how to get the “Trash Tips” sheet posted inside buildings before the new “rental” season starts in August and September. Click here to view the North End Trash Tips sheet (pdf).

Click image to see the full sized sheet.Residents and landlords that want extra large “Trash Tips” refrigerator magnets for their buildings should contact cleanstreets@newra.org. Chris Young from the NE Chamber of Commerce or another committee member will drop off magnets to those who request them. Most realtor offices in the North End have a supply on hand as well.

Trash pickers continue to be a problem because they rip open trash bags during the night, giving the rats an easy meal. John Meaney said this was a police problem when it reaches the level of creating a nuisance or destroying property.

Good Neighbor Recognition Award
The June 2010 Good Neighbor award goes to … drum roll … “La Summa Ristorante” on Fleet Street, owned by Barbara Sullivan. The restaurant was credited with keeping their property clean on a daily basis. Other finalists from this month included MFI Market (Salem St.) and N. Bennet Street School. These properties will continue to stay on the nominee list for future consideration.

Smoke Pots
The NE Chamber of Commerce is providing complimentary smoke pots at locations throughout the neighborhood. The pots are being maintained by nearby business owners. If you see a location that could use a smoke pot, email cleanstreets@newra.org.

Rodent Control
Anne Pistorio presented “Creolin” to the committee, a outdoor sanitary cleaner available at the Green Cross pharmacy. The formula is used to clean sidewalks and has a fresh scent. Pinesol was also mentioned as an alternative. Pistorio reviewed several rat sightings, noting a relatively new infestation along the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

Clean Streets Applies for Funding Grant
Mark Paul announced that the committee has applied for a grant worth $9,000 to fund the development of a postcard with a picture of a rat and general cleanliness measures. The money would fund the design, printing and mailing of the flyer to North End residents.

The next Cleans Streets meeting is scheduled for July 13, 2010, 7 p.m. at the Nazzaro Center. The committee welcomes all interested residents and business owners.

Al Giorgio (center) of La Famiglia Giorgio on Salem Street accepts the May 2010 Clean Streets Good Neighbor Award from Marie Simboli and Michael Bloomer. The award is given out monthly by the Clean Streets committee to businesses and property owners that consistently clean their sidewalks and gutters. Photo by Phil Orlandella.