New Town-Wide Litter Crew to Remove Discarded PPE and other Refuse
“The Town needs some TLC,” said Supervisor Schneiderman. By “TLC” he was referring not just to tender loving care, but to the new Town Litter Crew being assembled to pick up trash from parks, beaches and roadsides. According to Schneiderman, the covid-19 pandemic has led to an increase in litter. “It’s hard not to notice it. It’s everywhere,” said Schneiderman.
On Tuesday evening the Town Board approved appropriations for the new Town Litter Crew which will consist of 6 seasonal employees who work full time for the next two months picking up litter. Workers will be given tools to assist with litter removal and be provided with protective equipment including gloves, masks and reflective vests. Schneiderman said he is hoping to provide employment for people who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic. Litter Crew members will earn $17 an hour. Anyone interested should contact the Town’s Human Resource Department. The Town Litter Crew will complement the litter removal work already performed by the Highway, Parks and CPF departments.
“We live in one of the most beautiful places on earth,” said Councilman Rick Martel “and we need to keep it that way.” Martel was forced to cancel the town-wide volunteer beach cleanup earlier this year because of the pandemic. “The Litter Crew will help us get back to where we were before the pandemic.”
“The amount of litter throughout our Town has noticeably increased these last several months. We shouldn’t have to see bags of household garbage thrown on our streets or at our beaches. In addition to our Parks and Highway crews, many residents take it upon themselves to pick up the trash dumped by others, and everyone appreciates their diligence and dedication in cleaning up other people’s messes. But with the unbelievable increase in the amount of garbage everywhere, “TLC” can be the workhorse to help keep our Town beautiful. “
Schneiderman hopes to have the Southampton Town Litter Crew up and running within two weeks. The crew will be placed under the Direction of the Department of Public Safety and will coordinate with other departments including police, public works, parks and CPF (Community Preservation Fund). Litter will be brought to town transfer stations to be weighed and disposed of. Three separate two person crews will operate in targeted areas where litter has accumulated.
Residents will be able to report problem areas using the SOS system available on the Town’s website. SOS or “Southampton Online Solutions” is a web-based platform designed by the Town a few years ago to log in and track citizen complaints and concerns. Using the platform, a resident can alert the town of a problem and place it on a map so the location is clear to the responding department. The SOS system will be modified to have a special check box for reporting litter issues. For more information log onto the town website at www.southamptontownny.gov
