A Clean Operation

A Conversation with Chairman James Vilardi and Commissioner Avi Fertig about Sanitary District No. 1

“The garbage man works hard each day, he’ll always take your trash away; He drives the biggest truck you’ve ever seen, and he’ll make sure your streets are clean.”

Maybe you remember those lyrics from the classic Sesame Street song from the 1970s, “Who are the people in your neighborhood?” In the Five Towns, the trash collectors of Sanitary District No. 1 are, indeed, very important people in our neighborhood. They work hard, day after day, in order to keep our community clean and garbage free.

Not surprisingly, many Five Towns residents know very little about how their garbage is collected each week. This is likely because the district services are efficient, reliable, and usually seamless: Residents put their garbage out, and the bags simply disappear. With rare exceptions, the service is invisible.

To gain insight into the district’s huge contribution to our quality of life, The Jewish Home recently met with Sanitary District No. 1 Board of Commissioners Chairman James J. Vilardi and Sanitation Commissioner Avi Fertig to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes: TJH: To start, can you provide some background about Sanitary District No. 1?

JV: Sanitary District No. 1 serves residents living in the Five Towns, North Woodmere, including the various incorporated villages in the area, and parts of Valley Stream. We collect about 38,000 tons of garbage a year. The district has about 100 people working in the district, most of whom are collection teams, foremen, equipment mechanics, and the crews that receive and process garbage and recyclables as they arrive at the depot. Our back office staff, who work just as hard as our other employees, do a fantastic job keeping the district running smoothly and transparently.

TJH: I have to say that most of the people I speak to about our local sanitation services are quite happy. But I especially love hearing how amazed people who recently moved here are to discover that the garbage is picked up from the side of the house.

AF: (laughing) The rear- yard pickup certainly is amazing! When I moved to the Five Towns over 20 years ago, after a lifetime of dragging my cans to the curb in Brooklyn, I couldn’t visualize how rear-yard pickup worked. I stood waiting by my front window that first pickup day to see it for myself. I’m used to it by now, but the convenience is everlasting.

TJH: I have to admit that I’m sometimes a bit confused about when my garbage is going to be picked up, and especially my recycling. What is the exact schedule for garbage pickup days?

JV: The district is divided into two sectors, each operating on an alternating weekly schedule: Sector 1 has garbage pickup three times, while Sector 2 has pickup twice, and vice versa. Recycling pickups are biweekly. It can get confusing when the district is closed for a legal holiday and we skip a day. But residents can always check the district website to confirm their next pickup date. For bulk pickup requests, residents can expect service within 48 hours.

TJH: What is the district’s website address?

JV: www.sanitarydistrict1. com. Residents are also able to use the website to schedule a bulk pickup.

TJH: What would you say is unique about Sanitary District No. 1 compared to other sanitary districts on Long Island?

AF: Sanitary District No. 1 is run like a business. The commissioners and superintendent always have an eye on expenses, and we demand accountability from employees. We’re efficient and always working to achieve greater efficiencies. That’s why Sanitary district No. 1 has the lowest tax levy for sanitation services in Long Island, yet because every dollar that comes in or goes out is accounted for, the district is able to constantly invest in our infrastructure as well as provide extra services for the community. These include enhanced erev Pesach garbage pickup, Shredding Day events, special daily pickup program for shiva homes, rear-yard collection and on-demand bulk pickup.

TJH: What is the Shiva House Special Daily Pickup program?

AF: It’s a special program I worked with my fellow commissioners to create several years ago. As you probably know, the huge influx of visitors and family members at a typical shiva house creates huge amounts of garbage. We realized how stressful this was for grieving families, so we began to send trucks to shiva homes to pick up the garbage every day until the end of shiva. We provide this service to anyone who asks. Usually, when I hear of someone in the community is sitting shiva, I’ll just call it in myself. By the way, people can always send me an email me to let me know. My email address is: fertig. sanitarydistrict1@gmail.com.

TJH: Avi, you’ve been involved in local politics for a long time. Can you tell us about your experience?

AF: My start in government on Long Island was as a community liaison for the Nassau County legislature, which led to me becoming special assistant to the Hempstead Town Board. For as long as I’ve been involved in government and politics, I always wanted to help people sidestep the unfeeling bureaucra cies that can drive them crazy. My colleagues used to call me the lion tamer because I was good at helping the angriest people, not because I knew what to say, but because I knew what not to say. 95% of the time their anger was due to feeling powerless; the feeling that something they felt was important was unimportant to the very people who could make it better. I want people to feel respected and wanted to prove that their local representatives cared. What I love most now about being a Sanitary District No. 1 commissioner is that I work with a team of people who support a culture of service and problem-solving from top to bottom.

TJH: It sounds very wonderful, but people usually find something to complain about. What kind of complaints does the district receive?

JV: I think the entire Five Towns has my cell phone number, so I know immediately if any thing is going wrong. But I don’t really get a lot of phone calls. And when I do, thanks to our responsive team and our superintendent, George Pappas, it’s dealt with pretty quickly. We want people to know that Sanitary District No 1 is invested in a culture of service and respect for the community. They should not hesitate to call if there is a problem.

TJH: Who runs the Sanitary district?

AF: We’re governed by our five-member board of commissioners, which consists of Irving Kaminetsky, James Vilardi, Frank Argento, Gwynette Campbell, and me. Our district superintendent, George Pappas, is the powerhouse who maintains our day-to-day operations.

TJH: What is the role of the sanitation commissioners?

AF: The commissioners meet once every month, as well as for several additional, special meetings throughout the year. These meetings primarily focus on discussing and making decisions about labor contracts, voting on expenditures for district infrastructure, approving budgetary items, and developing ideas to expand the services we provide. Commissioners are elected for five year terms.

JV: I think that as commissioners, we’ve created a culture of public service throughout the organization by encouraging all of our employees at every level to be the best that they can be. A good coach gets the most out of his players by encouraging them and teaching them to be the best. We work very hard at the board level, so in a sense, we are leading by example. At the same time, our employees provide a very important service to the community. We encourage every member of our organization to do their job with pride.

TJH: How are commissioners elected?

JV: Elections take place annually, with one member running at a time. Any district resident who is a registered voter is eligible to vote. Avi is up for re-election this year. The elections are this coming Monday, July 10, between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. at the Sanitary District office, which is located at 2 Bay Boulevard in Lawrence.

TJH: I recall some confusion after last year’s election. Can you share some insight on what happened?

JV: I know that Avi, and our fellow commissioners, all share a deep affection for the Five Towns community and have dedicated our careers in public service to preserving harmony among all our neighbors. With that in mind, I’ll simply say that a lawsuit filed after last year’s election resulted in the judge ruling firmly in favor of the district. The tension this experience created was unfortunate, and now that it has been resolved, I believe we’re all better off if we move forward.

TJH: What are some characteristics that make a good public servant?

AF: You need to have people in your life who keep you humble, which, for me, between my wife and my parents, I’m pretty well covered. Also, you can’t take yourself too seriously; you may be doing a serious job, but public servants who start believing it’s all about them are heading for trouble. Above all, you need to like people. That one may be the most important.

JV: Loving public service and being willing to dedicate time to helping others is critical. I spend about three hours a day doing pro bono work because I love helping people with their problems.

TJH: Lastly, Avi, what are your hopes for the upcoming election?

AF: It is an honor that I’ve been able to serve the community I love as a sanitation commissioner for these past several years. I believe I’ve proven to have the temperament and experience in municipal operations to make a productive and effective contribution to my neighbors here in the Five Towns and sincerely hope they will all come out to vote for me on Monday, July 10.