The Port Washington Garbage District was part of this year's League of Women Voters Special District's Candidates Night. Two candidates gave their bios and platforms. One, incumbent Pat Van Dusen, has been a garbage commissioner for 21 years. The other, Doug Schlaefer, is seeking a first term.

The special district elections will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 9, from noon to 9 p.m. at the Polish American Hall, Pulaski Place.

Pat Van Dusen holds a degree from Hunter College. "I have worked diligently with my fellow commissioners to get the best collection service, at the lowest possible costs," she says.

"We opposed the Town of North Hempstead from taking over the district because it would have cost taxpayers more than it cost to have the commissioners run the district with no employees," she notes.

Van Dusen also worked hard for the community in stopping the landfill and getting it cleaned up, and, very importantly, worked to stop the incinerator from being built in Port Washington.

She stated that the purpose of the district is to provide the residents and merchants within the district's boundaries with collection and disposal of refuse and recyclables.

She stressed that the commissioners foster competition in the bidding of the garbage contracts because it keeps the costs down.

She emphasized that she does not cater to any special interest group.

Doug Schlaefer is a 1981 Schreiber High School graduate. He is employed by the Town of North Hempstead and has experience as a code enforcer for the town's Solid Waste Management Authority. He is the chairman of the Board of Zoning and Appeals for the Village of Manorhaven. He has worked in the town's Highway and Public Works Departments, also.

He claims that Main Street is "rife with garbage" and that the business owners' garbage is "unsightly and unhealthy." He says his opponent has been in office for 20 years and that he will respond to challenges like this.

He says he has a vision for the garbage district, and can rock the boat.

"It's time for a change," he avers.

Van Dusen claims that Schlaefer is running "a campaign of misinformation." Especially with his insinuation that the PW Garbage District is not doing its job because the business district looks unsightly with litter.

She told the audience that it is the responsibility of the Town of North Hempstead to enforce its own ordinances on Main Street. This is not the job of the garbage district, she stressed. She informed the audience that the county is responsible for sweeping Main Street and NYS is responsible for sweeping Port Blvd. She also pointed out that the Town has enacted litter laws, adding "We do not have a mandate to enforce the litter laws ... Why should we be blamed when others have abdicated their responsibility?"

She noted that it is the job of the board of commissioners to provide the best carting service at the best price. She also mentioned that the current board is taking part in the task force recently created with other organizations in town (i.e. BID, Chamber of Commerce, RFAMBPW) to help clean up Main Street. "It makes sense to follow this route," she said, adding, "especially since it will not add to the tax burden of our taxpayers."

An audience member complained about the difficulty they had in reaching the garbage district. Schlaefer says that he would get rid of the answering machine and hire an answering service. He would also have the commissioners wear beepers so they could be contacted quickly.

Van Dusen replied that many people call her at home, and noted that the message on the answering machine includes the information that most callers need. She also noted that this is preferable to a phone operator who is a stranger.

Garbage Commissioner Jimmy Kallenberg noted that he answers the phone all day, as the office for the district is in the basement of his store, Jimmy's Shoes, on Main Street.

Schlaefer complained about the fact that the district currently rents space in Jimmy Kallenberg's store. "We should not be paying rent to a sitting commissioner," he stated.

Van Dusen defended this expenditure, of $250 per month, by stating that it's good for the residents to have a centrally located place to go to with problems. She added that the recycling pails are delivered and stored there, and if enough room is not available, Paint Trend takes some.

Additionally files and records, which the district is required by law to keep, are kept at the Jimmy's Shoes site. Schlaefer responded that the records could be stored at Town Hall for free. Van Dusen replied that some documents could not be stored there for various reasons. Schlaefer then suggested that the district could rent space at the storage facility on Willowdale Avenue.

An audience member asked about the possibility of increasing the number of pickups for recyclables. Van Dusen pointed out that this would increase the amount of the contract and added she was unsure about whether or not it was something the community wanted.

Schlaefer responded that he would initiate a questionnaire asking people in the district what they wanted, in addition to starting a newsletter.

When asked about having more Town of North Hempstead STOP days so that residents could throw out their pollutants (i.e. batteries, old motor oil, etc.), Van Dusen said that she was not sure whether the homeowners in the districts had large quantities of these types of waste materials.

Schlaefer said that he would lobby the TONH to provide more than the two days per year currently available to the people in the district, and work to promote the program.

Summing up, Van Dusen spoke of her hard work for the community over many years. "I usually don't talk about these accomplishments because I benefited from them as well as you did," she told the audience. She noted that changes and "improvements," can cost money to the taxpayers in the district.

Schlaefer emphasized his 14 years of work experience with the Town of North Hempstead, which he feels will help him make the improvements he believes have to be made by the garbage district.

"I want to serve the community that I grew up in," he stated. "Together we can make a real difference in Port Washington."