Ocean Beach residents press board for better recycling, bulk pickup and rental enforcement

At a public forum on sanitation and recycling, several Ocean Beach residents praised this summer’s new, village‑run garbage program and urged the board to expand recycling and bulk‑pickup options.

"There is no recycling container, and so I've been going through ... taking upwards of 3 or 4 bags of ... highly valuable recyclables," Camille Giuliano told the board, urging placement of recycling bins at the bottom of Surf and other beach access points. Villagers also suggested incentives for kitchen trash compactors in new builds, a yard‑waste drop‑off option and more frequent bulk pickups during opening and closing weeks.

Village officials said they will produce a calendar that lists recycling dates, trash pickup, and bulk‑pickup windows and will consider changes to the definition and timing of bulk pickup. "We will have a calendar ready for you and, stating recyclable dates, trash pickup, bulk pickup, what's acceptable and what's not," a trustee said during the forum.

Sanitation staff outlined an operational transition for autumn: decrease the crew to a five‑person seasonal crew in October, eliminate leased contractor trucks and continue piloting recycling processes such as a new baler for cardboard. The village also reported baling and shipping significant volumes of cardboard this season and that the program has recycled kitchen oil (a revenue source) and compacted cardboard to reduce hauling costs.

Residents who manage rentals pressed the board for clearer enforcement tools and guidelines for renters; one rental owner asked the board to reconsider doubled fines for repeat offenses and proposed a flat fee for extra cans so renters could avoid unpredictable billing. Village staff said they plan to draft renter guidelines by spring and to discuss fee structures with the treasurer.

The forum closed after more than an hour of public input; the board moved to close the public forum by voice vote.