City May Stop Trash Pickup At Convent

The City of Hyattsville has been picking up trash at St. Jerome's Convent and Child Center for years, but that service could come to an end soon, leaving the nuns that live there in a quandary.

Although the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur declined to comment on the situation, St. Jerome's pastor James Stack – who is also the Hyattsville Police Department chaplain – said at an August 2 City Council meeting that he is hoping the city will continue to do it.

The council extended trash services until their next meeting on Sept. 7, at which time it is expected that the issue will be revisited.

The childcare center provides services for children six-weeks through four years old at or below market rate. The city has provided trash collection for the location since it moved from Ravenswood on 42nd Place in the 1960s and continued to do so when the childcare center opened in early 1980, according to a city council motion drafted by Councilman William Tierney (Ward 2).

Patrick Ryan, director of public works, sent a letter to the center terminating solid waste collection at the center effective July 19 because of a complaint that trash was overflowing the trash containers. The city first extended pickup for a month until August.

According to the motion, the center, located at 5300 43rd Ave., has several obstacles to placing a Dumpster on site. Although an alley dead ends at the rear of the building, placing a Dumpster there would intrude on the childcare play area significantly reducing that space in order to conform to health and safety standards. The Dumpster would also violate the City Code restriction for distance from a residence.

"The suggestion that staff haul trash from the [center] on 43rd Avenue to [St. Jerome's] School dumpsters located on 42nd Place is impracticable and would artificially inflate the costs to the School," the motion, which was tabled, states.

The city is required to pick up trash from residents, but not necessarily from other entities, said City Attorney Richard Colaresi at the council meeting.

Picking up trash at the convent would "open doors for any 501(c)(3) to petition for the same privilege and they will win," he said.