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| By Sarah M. Corigliano Assistant Managing Editor EAST LONGMEADOW The town's Solid Waste Advisory Team (S.W.A.T.) spoke up last week about allegations that their meetings and progress had not been made public during the two and a half year process of research leading up to the recent signing of a new trash contract for the town. Jim Jendrycik and Jody O'Brien, the two members who remain from the original eight, are co-chairs of S.W.A.T. They invited the Reminder to learn about their role in the new trash contract and to clear up any misperceptions that residents may have. Of the original eight members, Jendrycik said some of them moved away, and some got ill. "Now, we're it," he said of him and O'Brien. He said that, while some may think they haven't heard much about the S.W.A.T. during the last two and a half years, it's not true. He showed clippings from this newspaper and the local daily which showed announcements of meetings, briefs regarding some of their activities, and official postings from town hall announcing that their meetings were planned and open to the public. The S.W.A.T. team was organized in order to help the town find ways to keep tipping fees and waste collection costs under control, since they were increasing each year, Jendrycik explained. In their efforts to do so, O'Brien said S.W.A.T. took tours of transfer stations and found out how other Massachusetts communities have succeeded in their new trash and recycling initiatives. They also looked at the virtues of a regional contract with other towns, which ended up not being a cost-saving plan. "We really put a lot of effort into the whole project," O'Brien said. The co-chairs also added that members of the Board of Selectmen attended many S.W.A.T. meetings. The two also defended the Board of Selectmen in their efforts to help the transition to the new program. "You can use any container you have now [instead of buying a 35 gallon container especially for the new program]," Jendrycik said. "This shows that the Board is listening [to residents' concerns] and responding." He added that the new trash contractor, Central Mass. Disposal, has been very amenable to such alterations. "This is the fairest program," Jendrycik added. "If you make more [trash], you pay more." *** S.W.A.T. will continue its work after the implementation of the new program, O'Brien explained. She said the committee must address the issue of finding the best way of disposing of medical needles in town, as well as other issues. The two will also be present at Tuesday's 7 p.m. meeting which has been scheduled to answer residents' questions about the new program. The program will take place in the East Longmeadow High School auditorium. Anyone interested in being part of S.W.A.T. may contact the Board of Selectmen's office. |