Ariel Fernandez
Founder & Editor
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After first being scheduled without notice to residents, then being rescheduled twice, the Coral Gables City Commission will be holding its Solid Waste Sunshine Meeting this Thursday, October 27th. The Commission had requested this Sunshine Meeting take place, when they approved the garbage fees earlier this year.
For several months, the discussion by the Commission has revolved around changes to trash pits, in an attempt to save the City money. Another way to intervene in the Manager’s self-described numerous “financial issues.“
Over the last week, residents have been reporting to Gables Insider that they are being fined and receiving warnings for trash pits that are “too large” or too close to a swale tree. These residents have also questioned the timing of the fines and warnings.
At last Friday’s Sunshine Meeting, Mayor Vince Lago pushed for the elimination of trash pits, while touting an “eye-opening presentation” staff has prepared for residents on trash pits.
A public record request by Gables Insider for said presentation yielded no corresponding record and a response that staff has not prepared a presentation.
The Sunshine Meeting will take place at 5:00PM on Thursday, October 27th at the City Commission Chambers. To participate or watch the meeting via zoom, visit: https://zoom.us/j/3054466800.
If you do not like the pits remove them from the front of your house. I think they are necessary and it is only one night a week.
Curiosamente I use my real name. Been a resident of this City for 55 years. Why don’t you utilize your real name?
Baffled, residents like myself don’t need a pit or a bin. When you pay for haul away, these are unnecessary. Bins are provided to those that can’t, or refuse to have their green matter hauled away. Perhaps if it were a city ordinance to have landscapers haul away, we wouldn’t look so filthy and then nobody would need a pit or a bin! I still think it’s a novel idea to have those with pits pay their actual fee of $1600 per year! Surely you don’t believe folks like me should have to pay for your excessive amounts of garbage do you? I already pay for my own service.
Lucy Alas=Vince Lago? Perhaps
Baffled now I know you’re City😆😆😆😆 But when did it become ok to collect an average of 2 tons of debris per household per year? Do you actually believe that your fees of 7 or 900 covers this? There’s a reason trash pits were one cubic yard. They were not designed to become the landfills that we currently have today. My suggestion, let those with their love affair with their trash pit, pay the “actual” amount of their trash fee! This way, the City will not have to subsidize the almost $4 million dollars per year to collect your garbage! At the end of the day, folks like me don’t cost this City a penny. We are the ideal residents. Pride of ownership and we pay for are haul away. I believe you should pay the $1500 or I think now it’s closer to $1600 per year! Afterall, this is a service you expect the City to provide correct? It’s only fair you pay for it!
To answer your inane question, “since when did the City become your personal trash collector” Lucy, we we moved into the City. Trash collection is ALWAYS a municipal service for which we pay. In this case, the City decided that the City provide the service. In other places, private companies are used. This is the case even in very rural settings. And you are factually incorrect in your premise that curbside was designed for yard debris in between the visits from landscapers. 😂 That’s ridiculous. Curbside was and remains for the removal of yard debris in a manner deemed more efficient than stuffing such debris in a can – it has to be removed. The only debate is how it is removed — in a can or curbside. Coral gables is not unique in yard debris removal – only the manner Coral Gables implemented to accomplish it. Lastly, it is Coral Gables that allows the pick up of large items as part of curbside refuse so long as they are placed outside the day before after 6 pm (I think).
To answer your inane question, “since when did the City become your personal trash collector” Lucy, we we moved into the City. Trash collection is ALWAYS a municipal service for which we pay. In this case, the City decided that the City provide the service. In other places, private companies are used. This is the case even in very rural settings. And you are factually incorrect in your premise that curbside was designed for yard debris in between the visits from landscapers. 😂 That’s ridiculous. Curbside was and remains for the removal of yard debris in a manner deemed more efficient than stuffing such debris in a can – it has to be removed. The only debate is how it is removed — in a can or curbside. Coral gables is not unique in yard debris removal – only the manner Coral Gables implemented to accomplish it.
J Marcum trash pits are NOT a must! You also fail to understand that residents that do not have trash pits are paying for your excess trash.
THAT is the reason we are in this mess. Trash pits were only meant for residual trash. They were meant to collect the clippings in between your landscapers service. When did it become ok to think that the City is your own personal trash collector.
Don’t know where you live J. Marcum, I just photographed some recliners just south of Bird.
The trash pits are a must. However, if a homeowner doesn’t want one then that’s certainly their prerogative. However, the truck drivers who pick up the garden waste maybe need more training. And that is to ‘scoop’ up the trimmings. Rather than ‘dig’ them up. Possibly the city has never made them aware of this. And, personally, it’s been a very, very long time since I’ve seen ‘couches’ (if ever) +++ out in the pit. Only garden waste. And we’ve been here for many years.
Baffled I’m curious. You seem to know plenty about how the debris is supposed to be collected. City worker or ex city worker perhaps? It so easy to bash people when you hide behind your words. Interesting. You always comment under that name. If you write such long dissertations then wouldn’t you want people to know who you are? Our Mayor has thick skin, I think he can handle a few insults even if they aren’t true.
Dear Baffled, no landscaper wants us to close trash pits. Why would they? What a sweet deal. At the end of day they come and toss their clippings here with many residents knowingly allowing this while getting a break on their landscaping cost. I’ve been here longer than most people commenting here and I can tell you, back in the 70s trash pits were utilized for residual clippings. That is why if you go on the website, you will see that a trash pit is one cubic yard in size. They were never meant for the City to collect your tons of trash.
Here we go again.
1. The City has to subsidize OUR trash bill by almost $4 million dollars every year. Our fees do not cover our trash bill. If the City were to stop subsidizing, our fees would be in the neighborhood of $1500 to $1600 per year.
2. Coral Gables is not your personal trash collector. Residents need to have their landscaper take clippings. Trash pits were meant for residual green matter and NOT for your tons of trash.
3. For those that garden. Same rule applies. Be responsible with your trash. The City is subsidizing your excess trash and folks like me are paying for it.
4. MOST trash pits are wrongfully located. The edge of your trash pit has to be a minimum of 5 feet from the EDGE of any TREE, STORM DRAIN, UTILITY POLE and STREET SIGN. A FIRE HYDRANT requires a minimum of 10 feet from the EDGE of your trash pit. If you dump your trash in front of or by a pad mounted transformer, HUGE LIABILITY for the City. Transformer boxes carry between 240 and 450v of electricity and must be kept free of debris with minimum of 8 to 10 feet from where doors open and 3 to 4 feet on the other three sides.
Learn the guidelines. Most pits are non compliant.
For those that don’t like the curbside refuse pick up, don’t avail yourself of the service. If anyone should illegally dump in front of your property – report them. Pretty simple. Most residents today moved here with curbside refuse pick up in place. It didn’t disuade you from buying your house did it? Is anyone forcing you to have curbside refuse pick up? No. It’s a choice that you are free to make based on your personal beliefs, likes, dislikes, lifestyle, finances, etc.
The presumption that every resident can or should have a gardener and said gardener can or should remove clippings is ridiculous. Perhaps bagging compostable, biodegrable matter into plastic bags made “sense” in the 1970s – this is 2022 when we all do or should know better. We have all done our part to guarantee that our children and grandchildren will suffer greatly dealing with the plastic pollution we all have already put into the world. Why add to it?
Residents should have the choice of how their property is maintained and by whom such property is maintained. Refuse removal service is not optional, it is required in an urban environment, lest we prefer pests over a weekly pickup. Don’t think the City doesn’t know this to be true — it/they does/do. So how are the residents supposed to remove this refuse – which is prolific in Miami?
We are referring to weekly refuse pickup as “pits”. They are “pits” because the waste management personnel are improperly digging up the swale. They are NOT to escavate the refuse, they are to pick up the refuse. It takes more time to carefully pick up than to escavate. Perhaps employee training and management to correctly provide refuse pick up is in order.
Mayor Lago has been on a crusade to eliminate weekly refuse pickup. Why? Because HE wants it and did it for HIMSELF and felt it “liberating” (his words). He is delighted that HIS gardener hauls away landscaping refuse with no additional charge! He is happy that his household refuse can be place in his driveway for pickup. Sir – that’s not the benchmark for a necessary public service. WE are delighted that you CHOSE to remove your swale refuse pickup and that the company you pay to do your landscaping will haul away for no additional charge. But sir, you represent many residents that don’t or can’t (irrelevant which). Your seat on the Commission is not a self-serving position. Your seat on the Commission is to represent Coral Gables residents — ALL of them.
How about we address the lack of sidewalks, the lack of a public park in keeping with a City such as Coral Gables, use of public spaces for selected/limited residents, the neglect of public buildings, etc. before we attack a public service that many residents need or want and for which they pay?
The city, in its boundless wisdom will eventually decide it the pits stay or go, and we will all need to abide by their edict. Suggesting that pit defenders should “better yet move” is a great example of arrogance, impertinence, discriminatory behavior and what is totally wrong with today’s society.
By the way, I am for the pits, and I won’t be moving anytime soon, regardless of the final outcome.
Dear Gardener, I’ve lived here for 55 years. Nobody cares that you garden. The issue is how you dispose of your clippings and trash.
The trash pits should stay for yard waste only. I need someone to haul away my yard waste, and I am happy to pay the city to do it. The city needs to do a better job enforcing the rules. I’m sure enforcement would more than pay for itself and bring additional money to the waste department.
The city also needs to train workers to use the equipment properly. The claw is not an excavator. A little training goes a long way, and is likely cheaper than the expenses associated with refilling pits that get too deep.
Take away the landscape is a must, we must continue with the trash pit and just limited them to trees, grass.
The city should look at enforcing cleanliness in some yards, after Covid it seems that they allow “ anything “.
Specially the south Lejeune Road area.
I agree that stoves, couches, and mattresses are disgusting in those pits. It looks terrible. HOWEVER, if the city wishes to do away with the pits, then they MUST do away with the $900 fee. I’m not going to pay for services that don’t exist.
These pits are a useful necessity and a valued service that many in our city enjoy. For those that find them unsightly, which is understandable, ask the city to remove them. Everyone else should be able to keep their pits as they have for the past 50 years.
Our democracy is broad enough not to be a zero sum game.
The Commission is going down this path despite significant opposition, all but guaranteeing more popular discontent.
They may be surprised in next April’s elections
Trash pits have been here a lot longer than the folks who don’t like them.
They don’t understand, if you care a lot about your garden, you are going to put a lot of stuff into the trash pit. They don’t understand Coral Gables is known for the gardens around our homes. Take away the gardens, and Coral Gables will be an ordinary suburb.
Most of the trash pits are wrongfully placed and do not adhere to the guidelines of the City. It’s a system that no longer works. Pits are full of junk and only becoming worse. We are polluting our City. CORAL GABLES LITTERS.
The pits are disgusting. Get rid of them. Have your gardener take your trimmings away. I do. And for the whiners that do not have any respect for the City or their neighbors, if you cannot bag your trimmings and put them out the night before maybe we can set up a program in the Gables to buy you poor folk some bags or better yet move.