GREENBURGH, NY and WHITE PLAINS, NY -- Felled tree branches, heavy rains causing leaves to stick to one another amidst enormous mounds of debris were the catalysts that demanded Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner (pictured) cancel the recycling that would normally have taken place Thursday, December 1, 2011. Supervisor Feiner believed it more prudent to assign sanitation crews to pick up leaves and other debris alongside the highway crews toiling over that same task. Supervisor Feiner posted an announcement to that affect on the Town of Greenburgh website and The Daily Greenburgh, who, having been advised of that action, dutifully posted a similar announcement.
Thinking outside the box, Supervisor Feiner believed it propitious to ask the Astorino Administration for their assistance in this manner. Feiner directed an email letter to Deputy County Executive Kevin Plunkett to beseech County Executive Astorino’s assistance in quickly advising the citizenry of the schedule change and the rationale behind it. County Deputy Executive Plunkett would not hear of it, asserting tht the robo call system was strictly for emergency use.
Supervisor Feiner said, “I think this is a mistake. Many residents have been complaining about the lack of notice. They are right. We made the decision to cancel recycling pickup on Monday because some of our roads had become hazardous.” We hoped to expedite future pickup. Yet “some seniors advised me today that they were greatly inconvenienced,” said Supervisor Feiner. It’s hard to take our recycling to the pickup point and then bring it back a second time because it’s a burden that many find trying.
Supervisor Feiner suggests, “If the county would provide local governments with the ability to use their robo call system for non political notices (change in garbage/recycling schedules, snow emergencies, etc…) it would be a perfect example of local government/county cooperation.”
Supervisor Feiner drove the point home when he said, “Finally, many of the robo calls the county makes are not emergencies
Deputy County Executive Kevin Plunkett wrote the following response to Supervisor Feiner: “Paul-as you noted the robo call system is for "emergencies" that arise. Although I appreciate your situation it is my view that it is not a situation that merits the use of the robo call system.”
