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| By G. Michael Dobbs Managing Editor CHICOPEE City officials said Wednesday that new programs at the Chicopee landfill should result in savings to the city. Mayor Michael Bissonnette and Department of Public Works Superintendent Stan Kulig met with the press to show the new monitoring system for the landfill. In the new building at the entrance of the facility, Landfill Monitor Christian Romani can now check quickly if someone with a load of trash is authorized to use the landfill. Although there have been permits in the past, this new computerized system allows Romani to use a driver's license or a license plate to check if someone is a Chicopee resident and therefore allowed to use the landfill. The system also permits Romani to make sure the resident is not abusing dumping privileges. Residents can use the landfill six times a year and the number of times one can dispose of certain items, such as mattresses, are restricted as well. Kulig said the city has been spending about $100,000 in paying for the disposal of trash that had been brought into the landfill illegally by non-residents. This new system should help prevent that expense. The new system is the result of a partnership between the city and Waste Management, and Bissonnette thanked State Representative Joseph Wagner for his help in obtaining permission to run the necessary fiber optic connection under the Massachusetts Turnpike. Also on display was a new sanitation packer or what most people call a garbage truck. Kulig said that that $32,475 paid to the city from trash recycling revenues went toward the $159,975 purchase price. Kulig also announced extended landfill hours for leaf drop-off. For all Saturdays in November, the landfill will be open from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. During the fall leaf season, Chicopee residents are permitted to bring an unlimited amount of leaves for recycling. |