HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Mongmong-Toto-Maite Mayor Rudy Paco is fed up with an apartment building in his municipality, which he said was improperly staging its waste on the roadside.
“I had a confrontation with the manager of Palm Breeze,” he told The Guam Daily Post on Tuesday. “He can’t comprehend that the regular trash pickup is on Wednesday for residential (customers) only. (If) you pay (gross receipts tax), you are considered a business. He’s dumping all his damn trash on the side of the road, expecting for Guam Solid Waste (Authority) to pick it up.”
They exchanged expletives as tensions ratcheted up, according to Paco.
“You can drive down there and look at what he’s done,” the mayor said. “We’re trying to clean up this damn community and he’s going to trash the damn place. So what happens when the dogs get in? It’s going to be the mayor’s responsibility to clean up that.”
At the apartment, Paco and his staff were relocating unsecured bags of trash back to the private property. Another confrontation ensued.
An employee of the apartment building declined to speak on the matter.
“You’re a business, my friend. Whatever company you’re paying to pick up your trash – you look for that company. Don’t dump your trash onto my streets, because I’m working hard to clear up these roads,” the mayor told the Post, prior to removing the trash bags.
GSWA has advised residents that it would pick up only household trash secured in trash bins or GSWA trash carts.
Paco also said he’s no longer waiting for the local government to issue purchase orders needed for other services, such as debris removal.
“I’m hiring a company today. In fact, I’m waiting on them to come in to remove all green waste along the road so we can clear it up,” he said.
A guard has been stationed at MTM’s designated site for green waste, to ensure no home trash, white goods, metal or lumber is disposed of there.
“That dump site there is strictly for green waste,” Paco said. “What we’re running across right now is people dumping their household goods along the side of the roads. And that gives us another task to clean up. As the mayor of MTM, I’m trying my best, … but it’s people like that who have no respect who cannot wait until Wednesday.”
Gas lines
Paco also took issue with designated gas stations meant to be reserved for the government’s emergency responders. He said personally owned vehicles are being fueled up, at the expense of mayoral staff and equipment.
“I went to top off (Tuesday) and when I get in line, I don’t see emergency vehicles. It’s (personally owned vehicles),” he said. “So they have more authorization than mayors (and the Department of Public Works), just because they’re holding a government ID card?”
The mayor said he observed luxury cars in the line – with gas containers in tow.
“I went in to cut in front of the line. ‘Do I have to get in line?’ Yes, I have to get in line. I look at the line – all kinds of nice vehicles. Are they first responders? We need fuel for our chainsaws. We need fuel for our trucks,” he said.
“You can drive down there and look at what he’s done,” the mayor said. “We’re trying to clean up this damn community and he’s going to trash the damn place. So what happens when the dogs get in? It’s going to be the mayor’s responsibility to clean up that.” <strong>- Mongmong-Toto-Maite Mayor Rudy Paco</strong>
Mongmong-Toto-Maite Mayor Rudy Paco, left, has a dispute with an employee of Palm Breeze Apartments about trash disposal at the complex Tuesday, May 30, 2023.
