Michael DeBroisse This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. www.woonsocketcall.com

   www.woonsocketcall.com/site/ne - [Cached]

   Published on: 6/11/2007   Last Visited: 6/12/2007

   Michael DeBroisse. The fines will be set forth in a new bylaw the City Council is expected to pass on June 18, said DeBroisse. Although the council tabled a draft of the measure on Monday calling for even stiffer fines, DeBroisse said the city does not have the authority to levy fines in Municipal Court higher than $500. But the new solid waste chief said he intends to use his power to impose fines on trash scofflaws sparingly, especially while residents are still learning the rules of the new program. "People think this program is supposed to some kind of revenue generator," said DeBroisse. "It's not.
   ...
   In fact, DeBroisse, recently appointed to oversee the program, is expecting the most serious problems with litter and messy sidewalks in areas the city no longer services. "We're still going to have to police those areas," said DeBroisse.
   ...
   There have long been reports of scavengers pilfering plastic or glass from trash receptacles and trading the materials for cash at recycling centers, but the city won't tolerate it anymore, according to DeBroisse. People who remove cans or glass from curbside carts are, in effect, stealing from the city, because the whole point of the new collection program is to increase the amount of recyclable materials the city reports to Central Landfill. With a recycling rate of about 8 percent of its total trash, the city was fined $200,000 last year for failing to meet state mandated recycling targets. In addition to eliminating the fine, the city expects the new program to save a similar amount of money in "tipping" fees by cutting the overall tonnage of waste it deposits at the state landfill, officials say. Meanwhile, the city has mounted a massive public relations campaign to educate people about the coming changes and make sure the program enjoys a smooth launch, but DeBroisse is bracing himself. "We're going to have glitches, we all know that," he says.