PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Mark Dicus, Vice President of Operations and Planning at Fifth Avenue Association
2:22:09
·
135 sec
Mark Dicus, representing the Fifth Avenue Association, expressed concerns about the implementation of DSNY's containerization efforts and their impact on Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). He highlighted the challenges of siting containers in public spaces and the need for more clarity on the implementation process.
- Emphasized the short timeline (9 months) to implement changes without proposed rules
- Raised issues about coordinating garbage collection with DSNY, particularly on Fifth Avenue
- Opposed requiring BIDs to haul or containerize public litter basket waste, viewing it as an improper shift of essential city services to private non-profits
Mark Dicus
2:22:09
Good afternoon, chairs of Brea U, Juan, and members of the Committee on Sanitation and Contracts.
2:22:13
My name is Mark Dicus, and I'm the vice president of operations and planning at the Fifth Avenue Association.
2:22:18
The association manages Fifth Avenue from 61st Street to 46th Street and 57th, from 6th to Madison, providing supplemental sanitation, security, maintenance, marketing services that benefit Fifth Avenue.
2:22:31
Thank you for, holding this hearing today.
2:22:34
As you've heard from my, bid colleagues, we all shared the city's goals of getting bags of garbage off the street.
2:22:41
Commissioner TISS herself testified that, you know, these are these look terrible.
2:22:45
We all I think we're we're all in agreement there.
2:22:47
What we're what we disagree on is how we get to to the solution.
2:22:51
We're concerned about how these containerization efforts are being implemented by DSNY and how they will impact nonprofit organizations that manage bids across the city.
2:23:02
Moving to containerization is a big change.
2:23:05
It will require siting these containers in the public space, in parking spaces, curb extensions, and possibly on sidewalks.
2:23:13
To plan for this change and this investment that bids will need to make, or not make, or the city will make, we need to know what the process is.
2:23:21
We are required to implement this change by August of 2025.
2:23:25
That is less than 9 months that is approximately 9 months from now when we do not have even proposed rules to be able to implement these changes.
2:23:33
Containerization will also require coordination with DSNY to determine how garbage will be collected.
2:23:38
In our district, along 5th Avenue, in Midtown, DSNY comes down 5th Avenue to pick up our garbage.
2:23:45
We can't site containers on 5th Avenue because all 4 of our lanes of traffic are filled with traffic.
2:23:51
Parking regulations don't allow that.
2:23:53
We will have to site our containers on cross streets, which DSOI does not drive down.
2:23:58
So how are we going to do that?
2:24:00
Lastly, I think you've heard from a lot of our colleagues about, you know, the willingness to participate in being good partners.
2:24:09
We are willing to voluntarily decide to containerize public litter basket waste, but we oppose requiring bids to haul or containerize public litter basket waste as it improperly shifts essential city services from the city of New York to private not for profits.
