Preparation for Town Council Meetings
Raymond Harrison Esq. advocated at many Smithfield Town council meetings to end discrimination against residential condo communities by the Town of Smithfield. A majority of the Town council members wanted to continue to exclude residential condo unit owners from the trash pick-up services that the Town was providing to single-family residential homeowners. During the discussions between Ray and the Town council members, the council members gave many reasons why residential condo unit owners were not entitled to Town trash pick-up services. This blog identifies the issues that will likely come up in Town council meetings and will hopefully help residential condo owners in Lincoln, West Warwick, East Greenwich, and Bristol to end discrimination against condo unit owners by their Town councils regarding trash pick-up services.
Smithfield Condo Owners Knew About No Trash Pickup Before Buying Condos
Smithfield Town council members stated that we knew what we were getting into before buying a condo. They often stated that no trash pickup for residential condos was the law before the Town allowed the condo development to be built. Ray’s response was that condo owners knew that excluding residential condos from the Town’s residential trash pick-up services was discriminatory before the units were bought. We also knew that we had rights as property owners, real estate taxpayers, and voters to ask our Town council members to end discrimination. At Town council meetings, Ray respectfully asked Town council members to end the unfair treatment of their constituents by the Town regarding trash pick-up services.
The Condo Developer Made a Deal with the Town of Smithfield for No Trash Pickup
Town council members stated that condo developers promised that the Town wouldn’t have to pick up trash if the Town allowed the developer to build a residential condominium. Ray’s response was that, instead of being receptive to the promise, Town council members should have been offended by the offer to deprive their future constituents of a service that was provided to non-condo residential homeowners in Town. Town council members should have recognized that condo developers were offering to give away something that actually belonged to the future condo unit owners. Ray stated that Town council members should not have supported any such deals made with condo developers and should have acted to end discrimination against residential condo owners.
The Town Can’t Go on Private Condo Roads to Pick Up Trash
Town council members stated that there was something different about condos that prevented the Town from picking up our trash because we had private roads. Ray’s response was that this was not a problem at all because residential Condo Associations welcomed Town trash haulers to come onto condo roads to pick up our trash. Town police vehicles, Town fire trucks, and Town vehicles driven by other Town employees were seen driving on residential condo roads all the time with no problems. Ray did extensive research in Town records and found that many single-family homes located on many private roads in Town were not excluded from the Town’s residential trash pick-up services just because they were on private roads.
The Town Can’t Pick Up Condo Trash from Dumpsters
Town council members stated that single-family home trash was picked up from homeowner trash cans, and since we used dumpsters, it was not possible for the Town to pick up residential condo trash. Ray responded that the Town of Smithfield had been picking up trash from dumpsters for years and pointed to the location of the dumpster right outside the Smithfield Town Hall council chamber. He also mentioned that the Town had been picking up trash from dumpsters outside of the fire department and the schools, as well as other Town buildings. Ray stated that adding residential condo trash pickup to the Town’s contract with its dumpster trash hauling company would be more efficient and cost less per household when compared with single-family home trash pickup.
Condo Trash Pickup Would Increase Taxes
Town council member stated that real estate taxes would go up for everybody because of the extra expense of residential condo pickup. Ray responded that we were requesting an end to discrimination that could also be achieved if the Town eliminated trash pickup for single-family homes. Ending discrimination by eliminating single-family home trash pickup would decrease real estate taxes for everyone in Town. Our objective was not to increase Town expenses but rather to be treated fairly by the Town because residential condo owners were paying for Town trash pick-up services that they were not getting.
The Condo Trash Crusade Continues
After the efforts of the Smithfield Condominium Association in 1987 and 1988, the Town of Smithfield ended their discrimination against condo owners and included residential condo trash pickup in its municipal residential trash pick-up program. Since then, Ray has been active in many cities and Towns to promote the end of discrimination against residential condo owners regarding trash pickup. Most cities and Towns in Rhode Island that have municipal trash pick-up services have ended discrimination against condo owners. The cost of private trash pick-up services for residential Condo Associations has increased greatly since the 1980s. Trash pickup is a significant line item in residential Condo Association budgets where discrimination continues today. Board members of residential condos in Lincoln, West Warwick, East Greenwich, and Bristol are encouraged to consider the approach referenced in Ray’s previous and upcoming blogs as the Rhode Island condo trash crusade continues.
