Paterson councilors spent a large portion of the Oct. 14 workshop on complaints about bulky trash, illegal dumping and whether the city should renew its contract with Philco for refuse collection.

Council members described months of overflowing sidewalks and repeated resident complaints after the city removed bulk pickup from the vendor contract and assigned that work to the Department of Public Works. Several members said the result was more illegal dumping and greater overtime and deployment demands on DPW staff.

“Before the bulk was separate, there was no such — we didn't have this problem with people dumping left and right,” Councilman Mendez said. “If you include the bulk in the contract again, and you schedule it by zone — one day a week — people will follow that.”

DPW officials said crews make scheduled pickups and that crews average roughly 270 scheduled bulk pickups per weekend plus additional unscheduled requests. The director said the department is averaging another 150–200 pickups on top of the scheduled number and that the city pays disposal by weight rather than sending trucks to an out‑of‑county facility. DPW also said it plans additional UEZ‑funded downtown crews and has hired personnel to focus on the downtown corridor.

Council members asked for specific financial and operational details before the council acts on the renewal option: a comparative cost analysis of including bulk pickup in a vendor contract versus the city doing it in‑house, the overtime and staffing costs incurred by DPW since the contract change, and the list of missed or rescheduled pickups. Several councilors also urged a return to a zoned, scheduled bulk pickup so residents know when to place items for collection.

After extensive discussion the council agreed to refer the item back to committee to allow a fuller vetting and for staff to prepare the requested comparative analysis and operational data. The chair said staff will present the numbers and a recommended approach to the DPW committee in advance of the next vote.

No final vote on the contract option occurred at the workshop; council members said they want the additional analysis before authorizing another year option or changing the scope of the renewal.