Submitted by shawn on 26 May 2010 - 6:35pm
A number of Old Seminole Heights residents came home to a surprise last week--big blue trash cans parked in their driveways. Tampa's Solid Waste department delivered the large cans as part of a modernization of service. A robotic arm on new trucks will lift the can and dump it. The cans also came with new pickup dates; your can will be emptied Monday and Thursday. The bombshell, for some OSH residents, was that alley service would be discontinued.
If your home is serviced by an alley, the odds are good that your gates, trash can area, and pathways are all oriented to the rear of the home. Some homes do not even have a front gate and will be forced to store their cans in the front yard until they can build one.
The OSHNA board of directors voted on May 24th, after hearing numerous complaints about the cans from the neighborhood, to engage the city directly and attempt to gain an exemption for our neighborhood similar to the one granted to Hyde Park.
Our neighborhood has some areas where alleys are used for solid waste pick up, areas where alleys are available and not being used for pick up, and areas where alleys are not available. Because it befits a traditional alley use and our urban neighborhood:
We request that solid waste pickup from all open alleys throughout the neighborhood. In addition we request that any recycling pickup that occurs at a location different from the garbage pickup be moved to the garbage pickup location.
So what is OSHNA doing about this and how can you help? Glad you asked.
First, if you haven't already signed the petition, please do so. You can download your own copy and get your nearby neighbors to sign it too. OSHNA will collect the petitions and take them down to City Council on your behalf, or even better, you can come down with us and lend your voice to the issue. [Click here to download a blank petition]
In addition to signing the petition, you can also go to tampagov.net or call 348-1111 to file a complaint.
Other resources:
Tampagov.net Solid Waste Department
Solid Waste Customer Service Links
(all links open in a new window)
For those of you willing to help with the petitions, please post a comment with what streets or blocks you are working on so we do not duplicate our efforts. We want these petitions as soon as possible. I am working on Branch and Suwanee, the 5700-6000 blocks. Thanks. Cathy Simon
Willing to help in the 520o Block Suwanee/Branch Ave - Please do let me know.