Letter to the Hon. Kathryn Garcia, Commissioner of the New York City Dept. of Sanitation - Rep. Maloney and East 10th Street Community Call on NYC Department of Sanitation to Remove Disruptive Sanitation Trucks from Block

Letter

Dear Commissioner Garcia,

We are writing on behalf of the residents and small business owners of 10th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues in Manhattan, who are located within our districts. Our constituents have contacted us to complain about the Department of Sanitation (DOS) garbage trucks that park on their block every night. The trucks are there from 7 pm to 6 am every night and all day on Sundays. Our constituents tell us that trucks emit a terrible smell that pervades their street lined with residences and five restaurants, many of which have outdoor seating. The odor lingers even when the trucks are no longer there. We also understand that residents are awakened each morning around 5:30 am when the sanitation workers come to get their trucks. Further, residents and business owners complain that the trucks are assigned half the parking for the block.

We understand that the residents of this block have been complaining about the parked garbage trucks since September 15, 2018, when the trucks first arrived. We further understand that on September 26, 2018, Mayor De Blasio stated, "I'll talk to the commissioner and figure out what we can do to relieve the immediate pressure. We certainly don't want those residential areas to feel the burden." Nearly a year has passed and the trucks remain.

Many of our offices and other elected officials have held numerous meetings and made several appeals to DSNY to address this situation, yet your agency has not updated us on any alternative options or timelines.

Residential blocks are not a proper place for garbage trucks to be parked. Residents and patrons of local businesses should not have to endure the stench of these vehicles. This is an urgent problem that requires an immediate solution. Please share any further details on the new locations you are considering for these

trucks, consistent with all applicable rules and regulations, as soon as possible. We would like to meet with you to discuss the concrete steps you have taken to identify an alternative location for the trucks and a timetable for their removal. Thank you for your kind attention to this important matter.

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