Trash bin changes in the works

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- Slowly, but surely -- and some would say quietly -- the

city is moving closer to changing the way trash is picked up.

The Costa Mesa Sanitary District could be one meeting away from

committing to a program that would give residents their choice of

standard 35-gallon, 60-gallon or 90-gallon cans free of charge.

Residents also will have the option of getting additional cans.

Sanitary district board members say the change -- which would allow

Costa Mesa Disposable to pick up the cans using a semiautomatic trash

truck arm, keeping its now-skyrocketing insurance rates down and, in

turn, holding the city’s rates flat -- will beautify the city, protect

workers and help keep rates stable.

Some residents have opposed the plan, saying Costa Mesa Disposal will

get the benefits and they will be inconvenienced because they will have

to store the city’s containers and the hauler will eventually stop

picking up trash that doesn’t fit in the containers.

At a meeting last week -- the last meeting before a special meeting

scheduled for Thursday, when the district board is expected to decide

whether to go ahead with the program -- three Costa Mesa residents asked

questions and expressed concerns.

“It amazes us how people can be so misinformed,” board member Dan

Worthington said. “One person who came thought we were going to be

putting a 10% assessment on each property and limiting each property to

one can. If we could get away with something like that, it would be

amazing. The three people who came to the meeting all had

misunderstandings about how the new program was going to affect their

piece of property. It’s obvious we need to do a better job of public

relations.”

But having three residents attend one of the city’s sanitary district

meetings is “like having a full house,” Worthington said, adding that he

hopes even more people will come to the next meeting.

“We think we’re going to finalize the entire program as a result of

that meeting,” Worthington said. “It will be our third meeting on the

subject. The meetings have always been announced and open to the public,

but they haven’t been knocking down our doors.”

Costa Mesa resident Ernie Feeney said she plans to attend the meeting,

even though she believes the board has already decided to approve the

project.

“It’s probably an exercise in futility,” Feeney said. “It would be one

of those best-kept secrets people will find out when they are told their

trash cans are not usable anymore. That’s when people will either say,

‘That’s great,’ or ‘Forget it.”’

FYI

WHAT: Costa Mesa Sanitary District special meeting

WHERE: Costa Mesa City Hall, 77 Fair Drive

WHEN: Noon Feb. 15