Politics & Government

Medford Councilors Frustrated with Trash in City Squares

"The only word that I can think of is disgrace." -City Council President Robert Maiocco

Piles of trash bags are often set out on sidewalks in city squares days before garbage trucks make their rounds, according to city councilors, and they're sick of it.

"The mayor could pick up the phone tomorrow and have this addressed, there is no doubt in my mind," City Councilor Robert Maiocco said in a Tuesday meeting. "The only word I can think of is disgrace.”

Maiocco brought forward a resolution calling for Mayor Michael McGlynn to review and enhance the trash pick-up program for city squares; it was approved by the council unanimously.

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Maiocco said he walked through Medford Square before Tuesday's city council meeting and watched elderly people struggle to navigate their way through sidewalks covered with bags of garbage.

"He’s (McGlynn) got to do something with this,” Maiocco said. "It is an embarrassment.”

Find out what's happening in Medfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Councilor Rick Caraviello, who owns Medford Square-based RC Limo, said trash is sometimes left out in the square days before scheduled pick-ups. He said Waste Management -- the city's trash pick-up provider -- should be able to come up with a better program.

"There’s no reason Waste Management can't come up with a better plan to pick up the rubbish," he said.

If the city were to hire someone to the code enforcement office that would monitor trash in squares the fines alone would likely pay for the position, and it would clean up the city, Councilor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said.

“The city is just looking like a pigsty,” she said.


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