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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Kenny Burgos, Chief Executive Officer of New York Apartment Association
3:05:06
ยท
134 sec
Kenny Burgos, representing the New York Apartment Association, expresses concerns about the impact of the organic materials composting program and its associated penalties on housing providers. He urges reconsideration of the timing for implementing fines, highlighting challenges in tenant cooperation and the logistical difficulties faced by multifamily buildings.
- Emphasizes the need for more robust education campaigns and tenant cooperation to meet recycling and composting goals.
- Points out that residential curbside organic capture rates are low and have declined despite broader reach under the new law.
- Requests a delay in enforcement and advocates for increased tenant and housing provider education to better meet the program's objectives.
Kenny Burgos
3:05:06
Thank you, mister chair, and thank you for the members of the committee today.
3:05:09
My name is Kenny Burgos.
3:05:10
I'm the chief executive officer of the New York Apartment Association, also known as representing thousands of housing providers throughout the city of New York.
3:05:17
Today, wanna focus specifically on the impact of the organic materials composting program whose penalty provisions go into effect next week.
3:05:24
When buildings do not separate compost compostable waste from other trash, they will face fines for as much as $300 per violation.
3:05:32
NIAH does support the initiative to reduce waste and increase recycling and composting efforts, but we urge you to reconsider the impact of assessing penalties now, especially in light of the difficulties property managers continue to face in gaining intense cooperation with existing recycling mandates and city goals.
3:05:47
Overall, curbside and containerized recycled tonnage collected still falls far short of city targets and curbside and containerized recycling diversion rates are flat to down are flat to down from earlier fiscal years.
3:06:00
Residential curbside organic capture rates are low and since the program expanded rates are even lower.
3:06:05
Despite the broader reach under the law, total tonnage is collected and capture rates have declined.
3:06:10
The law places ultimate responsibility on the housing providers for tenant activity.
3:06:15
The law requires tenants to separate food scraps, yard waste, and compostable paper materials from other waste.
3:06:20
However, tenants in multifamily buildings may lack space to do so or motivation due to a sense of anonymity and the knowledge to properly comply with these rules.
3:06:28
In buildings with hundreds of units, it's becomes a logistical nightmare.
3:06:32
Responsibly responsibility and penalties fall on the housing provider and to date, the city has engaged in less in a less than robust education campaign during its implementation phase.
3:06:41
Initiating fines now will cause undue burdens on building operations and finances.
3:06:46
No building wants to pay penalties or fines, but multifamily buildings face significant challenges in implementing trash separation mandates.
3:06:53
Buildings devote innumerable staff hours to meeting the sorting requirements for paper, plastic, and cardboard already.
3:06:59
This new requirement means building service workers now will have to open trash hold bags and rifle through tenants refuse to scoop out coffee grinds, vegetable peels, and other food waste.
3:07:09
Obviously not a pleasant task and I would just to the end of my testimony will say we hope to meet meet these goals we would just ask for a delay in this enforcement and push for more tenant education and our own education as well.