City Council considers bill to clean city

With Philadelphia facing a budget crunch that could lead to 3,000 layoffs, City Council is preparing to consider a bill introduced in the Spring that could clean up the city and bring in five to seven million dollars through increased license fees and stepped up enforcement in issuing fines.

With Philadelphia facing a budget crunch that could lead to 3,000 layoffs, City Council is preparing to consider a bill introduced in the Spring that could clean up the city and bring in five to seven million dollars through increased license fees and stepped up enforcement in issuing fines. Councilman Bill Green left City Hall Wednesday to illustrate the problem and the solution.

Listen:
[audio: 090819lftrash.mp3]

Councilman Green walked to 16th and Ionic Street to make a point about the state of dumpster fine enforcement.

Green: In the alley we were in there were over 30 dumpsters and there was not one dumpster with a right of way permit registered to that street.

Green says the city should adopt a radio frequency technology system in which inspectors use a gun to scan a palm-sized medallion that’s affixed to the side of every permitted dumpster. The screen on the gun displays information about the hauler and user, the authorized location, and the size of the dumpster. At the click of a button the worker could issue a ticket.

The owner of Gold Medal disposal, who testified against the bill, says the technology is unnecessary and unproven. Councilman Green’s office says the radio frequency system would use the same technology as EZ-Pass.