http://www.sgvtribune.com/fdcp?
1224483650125
Montebello postpones
trash decision
By Amanda Baumfeld, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 10/09/2008 11:30:47 PM PDT
Residents hold up signs of protest on Wednesday at the
Montebello City Council meeting. (Watchara Phomicinda /
Staff Photographer)
MONTEBELLO - In front of hundreds of
protesting residents, the City Council on
Wednesday postponed a decision to let voters
decide who takes out the trash in Montebello's
commercial areas.
With some members saying they were afraid of
pending litigation, the City Council voted 3-2 to
put off a decision to place a referendum on a
March ballot. The referendum would allow a
popular vote to determine if Athens Services
should have the sole right to haul trash from
commercial areas.
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Mayor Bill Molinari and Councilwoman Mary
Anne Saucedo-Rodriguez opposed, while council
members Robert Urteaga, Rosemarie Vasquez
and Kathy Salazar voted to postpone the
decision.
Despite the council's decision, Molinari and
Saucedo-Rodriguez said they supported the will
of the petitioners.
"My opinion is that we should ... allow this to go
to a vote of the people," Molinari said.
The vote came after Athens Services in July was
awarded a contract to haul all trash in the city.
Previously, much of the commercial trash service
was carried out by 13 independent haulers.
"I think the council made the proper decision,"
said Dennis Chiappetta, executive vice president
of Athens. "The residents were lied to
dramatically."
Tuesday's decision upset many residents, who
packed the council chambers and spilled out into
the hallway to hear the verdict.
"The bottom line is they are not listening to the
people that got them elected," said resident
Chris Robles.
He and several others said the council should
have decided to put the vote up to the people,
despite the pending legal issue.
Hundreds of Montebello's residents, especially
members of Armenian-American families, have a
10/19/2008 11:20 PM

long history in the garbage business. A large part
of the city's economy is associated with refuse
hauling. Independent haulers want the chance to
bid on any city contract.
The independent haulers circulated a petition
calling for a referendum to be placed on the
ballot that would revoke Athens' contract and
allow other haulers to work in the city.
They gathered 6,286 signatures. Of those, 4,578
were deemed valid by the Los Angeles County
Registrar/Recorder's Office. State law requires
2,550 signatures or 10 percent of the city's
25,496 registered voters to qualify for the ballot.
Then on Monday, Irene Villapania of Montebello,
with the support of Athens, filed a lawsuit
against the city. The suit challenges the validity
of the referendum and questions how signatures
were collected.
Villapania, a director at Azusa Chamber of
Commerce
, is being represented by several attorneys who
also represent Athens.
Many Athens employees also came to the
meeting, some speaking on the benefits the
exclusive contract could bring to the city, such as
less truck traffic and money for infrastructure.
The 15-year contract, worth about $7.8 million
annually, provides Montebello with $500,000 and
7.5 percent of gross receipts from commercial
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accounts. Approved by Urteaga, Salazar and
Vasquez, it also phases out the 13 independent
haulers who currently collect trash.
The same council majority is now asking the
residents to wait for the outcome of the lawsuit
building frustration among independent trash
haulers.
"There is no victory for (Urteaga, Salazar and
Vasquez), no matter which way the issue falls,"
said Ron Saldana, who represented many of the
independent haulers and is the executive
director of the Los Angeles County Disposal
Association.
"It is only a failure of leadership of the majority
who have forced these actions," he said.
When it came time to vote on the issue,
Saucedo-Rodriguez made a motion to allow the
referendum, which was quickly followed by a
substitute motion from Salazar to wait until after
the lawsuit.
Vasquez seconded the substitute motion before
hearing what it was, causing some residents to
cry conspiracy.
"That tells you right there that there's a deal in
place with these council people," said Jack
Topalian of Montebello.
Staff Writer Robert Hong contributed to this
story.
amanda.baumfeld@sgvn.com
10/19/2008 11:20 PM
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