Some gems from the trash debate:
The RockTrash flyer that kicked off the campaign to convince Mayor and Council to approve once-weekly trash service. I distributed this to all of Hungerford and to other areas in the City.
RockTrash's goals.Simple and achievable goals set out from the start.
Answers to frequently asked questions about Rockville's trash service.
Art's 2/22/2007 to Mayor expressing support for once-weekly trash service and saying that a committee to study the issue is not needed, but I would serve if one is established.
Art's 3/12/2007 email to Mayor and Council in favor of the trash pilot in Hungerford and once-weekly trash service.
Comments at Citizens Forum, March 19, 2007, challenging them to do something we can be proud of.
Art's April 9, 2007 remarks at Citizens Forum. Just a sample of the approach I took, showing that you can be civil and make effective arguments.
Art's 4/17/2007 email to RockTrash supporters, forwarding a couple of attack emails from RealRockville and asking folks to respond cordially to such attacks.
June 11, 2007 remarks at Citizens Forum where I submitted my count of homes in Twinbrook using trash service the 1st pick-up day of the week vs the 2nd pick-up. Not scientific, but it demolished the notion that there was high demand for the 2nd pick-up.
I got so sick and tired of the outlandish statements by supporters of twice-weekly trash service that I offered a $100 reward to anyone who could justify requiring people who only need once-weekly service to subsidize folks who wanted twice-weekly pick-up. Brigitta Mulligan won the reward by stating that there is no justification. Spoken like someone who spent a career working on budgets.
Here's my announcement of the reward at the July 16, 2007 Citizens Forum.
8/10/2007 email to RockTrash supporters asking them to sign petition opposing Mayor and Council decision to end the once-weekly pilot in Hungerford and asking them to reinstate it immediately. Interestingly, the Council failed to reinstate the pilot, and Hungerford residents, with no prompting from me, boycotted the 2nd pick-up. Estimates at the time were that less than 5% of homes set out their trash on the 2nd day. The workers wizzed through Hungerford in less than an hour and were home after no more than 2 hours of work.
August 20, 2007 flyer distributed to Hungerford, asking them to sign petition to Mayor and Council. I'll never forget delivering this door-to-door one week after I had lower back surgery to remove a herniated disk.
Art's comments at 9/17/2007 Citizens Forum, where I submitted petitions to reinstate once-weekly service from 27 percent of the homes in Hungerford.
Comments prepared for Oct. 22, 2007 Citizens Forum. Little did I know that a supporter of Drew Powell would speak before me and charge that Councilmember Hoffmann had failed to honor servicemembers returning from Iraq because she failed to support his petition to give the name "Rockville Memorial Library" to the library in Town Center. This was an especially ugly example of the kind of mud-slinging and inuendo practiced by Drew Powell and his supporters. My off-the-cuff response kinda followed my prepared remarks, but I said a few other things that needed to be said.
Hungerford residents refuse to participate in twice-weekly trash service. Less than five percent set out trash on the second pick-up day. See the statistics, starting on page 3.
City Council approves once-weekly trash.