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Residents press Gary council to pause curbside trash rollout amid alley repair plans
Summary
Multiple residents told the City of Gary Common Council the new curbside trash guidance (three‑foot placement) is impractical for elderly and alley‑dependent neighborhoods; the administration said the shift is phased to enable alley repairs and committed to clearer timelines and exemptions.
Several residents urged the Gary Common Council to reconsider or pause a planned move toward curbside trash pickup in areas that historically use alleys. Michelle Carpenter and other public commenters said they receive late or confusing event notices and that not all residents can use front pickup because of stairs, topography or age.
"I'm having a really hard time getting necessary information about what's going on in my city," said Michelle Carpenter (43rd Maryland Street). Other commenters said they had not received the mailed flyer explaining the three‑foot rule and warned that elderly residents could not move cans from alleys to streets.
A woman identifying herself as Dawn described mobility limitations and said she could not drag a can from an alley to the front curb, asking whether departmental changes should have come before the council. Porsha Newsome and another commenter from a downtown block said curbside rules do not fit neighborhoods with rear‑garage access and urged the administration to "reconsider, revamp and rethink" the change.
A city official speaking for the mayor’s office acknowledged the concerns and said the front‑pickup change was intended to allow crews to repair neglected alleys. The official described the plan as phased and not yet permanent, promised to provide a specific timeline and said staff will continue outreach and accept calls at 219‑881‑1311 and the GSD mainline for case‑by‑case exceptions.
Council members pressed administration staff for a clear timetable and asked whether topography and age should be considered in exemptions. The city official said staff would gather exact timelines from the operations team and return with details rather than give potentially inaccurate dates on the floor.
The discussion closed with the administration urging residents to continue submitting feedback and the council requesting follow‑up information on timeline and reporting options.
