The village of Hunter narrowly passed a ban on dumpsters and other exterior refuse containers on residential properties on Aug. 17, citing aesthetic and safety concerns.
Trustee Jason DiLeo and Mayor Alan Higgins voted for the Village of Hunter Refuse Control Law. Trustee Benjamin Sommers voted against it.
The measure applies to large metal, wood, or plastic containers used to store and collect garbage or construction debris, typically with a capacity of at least two cubic yards.
The village ended its municipal garbage pickup program in July, leaving residents to bring their trash to the Hylan Road transfer station or hire private carters.
The Village Board said commercial-grade dumpsters and other outdoor refuse containers detract from Hunter’s rural character and “can lead to the accumulation of hazardous waste, attract vermin, attract bears, create odors, obstruct snow-plowing, and obstruct emergency vehicle access.”
The law will take effect upon filing. As of Aug. 20 it hadn’t been filed.
Once the law takes effect, residents will have to store garbage indoors or in a fully-enclosed, bear-proof outbuilding until they take it to the transfer station or have it collected by a private carter.
Businesses and residential properties with four or more units may continue using dumpsters, but the containers must sit on asphalt or concrete pads to protect the soil. They must also be bear-proof and screened on all four sides in a way that presents an “aesthetically pleasing appearance,” according to the law.
Property owners who violate the law will receive notices directing them to remove the containers within 48 hours. Failure to comply carries a $250 fine, followed by an additional $100 for each day the violation continues.
Although residents supporting the proposal cited concerns about bears last month, Higgins said deterring bears wasn’t the law’s primary purpose.
“It’s a problem for every single resident and tourist that drives by,” he said. “Especially on two roads, there are dumpster after dumpster after dumpster, and it doesn’t really fit in with the beauty of our area to see a dumpster in front of every single house.”
Some speakers said the dumpster ban and the end of municipal garbage collection unfairly burden residents who can’t easily reach the transfer station, which is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday through Tuesday.
Alexa Kwiatkowski said private garbage collection is prohibitively expensive for some households.
“We have people who are elderly in this village, we have people who are disabled, we have people who do not drive, we have people who do not have cars,” she said. “We have people who work considerably and don’t have time to be running to the dump.”
People in smaller homes may also have difficulty storing their garbage inside, said village resident Kendra Weinstein.
“I have a tiny house, I have dogs,” she said. “I can’t keep them away from the trash if I store it in the house. I also work super long hours, so it’s going to be hard for me to get to the dump station when it’s open.”
Higgins responded by describing how he handles his own garbage.
“I’ve got a decent-sized house,” he said. “The garbage, I can keep it somewhere other than outside. The bears don’t rip it up or anything. I run it up to the transfer station, they’re open a decent amount of the time. There are hundreds of other residents that get rid of their garbage.”
Only 30 residents were using the municipal collection service before it ended, Higgins said. A replacement garbage truck would have cost the village $280,000.
“I don’t know of another municipality that picks up garbage anywhere near us,” he said. “We’re very unique in that we did it as long as we could.”
Higgins acknowledged that the ban would inconvenience some residents but said its broader aesthetic benefits justified the change.
“There are going to be some people that it’s going to affect negatively,” he said. “It’s also going to affect a lot of people in a positive way, because they’re not going to have to see them all the time.”
Connor Greco is a staff reporter for The Overlook covering Windham, Hunter, and surrounding Greene County communities. Send correspondence to connor@theoverlooknews.com.
