R Gardens adds collection day

Andrew Benjamin

The Village of Russell Gardens Board of Trustees on Thursday approved an extra day of sanitation pickup as well as addressed the possible redistricting of Great Neck at a meeting.

Village of Russel Gardens Mayor Matthew S. Bloomfield said he wants Thursday to be a day just for pickup of recyclables such as bottles, cans and newspapers after complaints from residents that recyclable material was being mixed in with the regular garbage.

“One of the discussions that has come up time and time again… is residents have been less than confident that our sanitation service Meadow Carting is doing the proper recycling,” Bloomfield said.

Under the measure approved by trustees, a truck from the sanitation company will go around and pick up only recyclable materials.

Trustee David Miller was skeptical of the extra day, pointing out that the truck could be carrying garbage from other places that would mix with the recyclables.

“These trucks go to other communities. What makes this truck less mixed than any other truck, ” he said. “If you don’t trust the carter to do it, what makes you trust them better on Thursday?”

Bloomfield responded that the only way to find out if it works would be “to give it a shot.”

The extra pickup day will be at no extra cost to the village and would likely start in the next two to three weeks.

During the meeting, resident Dan Nachmanoff brought up concern over a possible redistricting of Great Neck and other parts of Nassau County.

The plan would call for Great Neck to split in two and a newly configured district be formed that would include Russell Gardens.

“Our community is going to be very much affected if this,” Nachmanoff said.

“I think it’s just a grab for power… It’s not in the community’s interest,” he said.

Bloomfield concurred and mentioned that he wrote a letter that same day to Republican Nassau County Legislature Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt disagreeing with the proposal.

“I thought it was not in the best interest of Great Neck,” Bloomfield said. “The redistricting to change the nine villages… I indicated to him was counterproductive” to the villages working together.”

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