Letter: Council supported choice by sticking with transfer station

Posted 10/18/17

To the editor,

On Tuesday, Oct. 10, 138 residents attended the Portsmouth Town Council meeting in which the transfer station or curbside pickup options were considered. Less than three people were …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Letter: Council supported choice by sticking with transfer station

Posted

To the editor,

On Tuesday, Oct. 10, 138 residents attended the Portsmouth Town Council meeting in which the transfer station or curbside pickup options were considered. Less than three people were in favor of curbside option.

For all those who took time out of their busy schedules to address what is important to them clearly understood the council's position and agreed to numerous amendments if the council decided to maintain and keep the convenience of the transfer station open.

I would like to publicly thank the three members of the council, Paul Kesson for his motion, Liz Pedro and David Gleason for their strong support for the transfer station as the best option. They clearly understood the facts in detail. I also include Kevin Aguiar and Keith Hamilton who voted to support the public's interest. 

It was, however, surprising (that) as conservationists, both husband and wife Linda Ujifusa and Mark Ryan, the only two opposing votes (and) supporters of curbside, failed to acknowledge the lack of recycling which curbside doesn't mandate and the town administrator's responsibility to the council.

They also failed to consider all the noise, truck pollutions, cost and unsightly complications of large trucks maneuvering throughout our neighborhoods several days a week on narrow roads, especially in Island Park and Common Fence Point, as some of these streets are approximately 15 feet across. The major street in Common Fence Point, Anthony Road, is only 20 feet wide.

It was clear from Linda Ujifusa’s vote and comment (she preferred to have puddles of smells on the road and not in her van) her personal preference was without any consideration for the public's interest and for those who put her on the council to represent them. This was a betrayal of their trust and her aggression toward them will not be forgotten.

For her, curbside pickup is still an option, but why was it so important to them to take away the public's choice to use the transfer station?

Thank you again to the five members of the council for their vote in supporting the public's interest and the freedom of choice.

Debra Faber

99 Summit Road

Portsmouth

Portsmouth transfer station, Portsmouth Town Council, letters, opinion

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.