The Dollar Tree on State Street has been directed to lock its dumpster gates following reports of litter in the area caused by multipe sources. The chain will meet with the City Council’s General Government Subcommittee to discuss policies around cleanliness at the store.
Reminder Publishing photo by Ryan Feyre
SPRINGFIELD — Multiple Dollar Trees in Springfield are currently working through ongoing issues spanning unpaid fines, trash accumulation and other code violations.
Members of the City Council’s General Government subcommittee met with representatives from the chain on Sept. 4 to discuss problems at the 555 State St. store and how those representatives plan to address the issues in the coming weeks.
Keith O’Connor, the city’s deputy director of housing code enforcement, said an inspector visited the location the day before the committee meeting and found “rubbish” around the fence area and dumpster.
Some of that trash, according to O’Connor, appears to be Dollar Tree products, while other items included blue hygienic gloves and other equipment ostensibly left by the dentist’s office sitting next to the store.
Jennifer Silberman, Dollar Tree’s chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer, said that the litter situation has also been exacerbated by unauthorized vendors hanging out in the parking lot of the State Street store, and asked the city to work with Dollar Tree to help get them off the property.
She added that the medical litter was likely caused by some confusion about who can use what dumpster. Silberman said she confirmed with Waste Management that the two dumpsters in the fenced area can only be used for Dollar Tree purposes.
O’Connor, meanwhile, said there is a dumpster outside the fencing area, but he could not confirm who that belongs to.
City Councilor and General Government Subcommittee Chair Victor Davila opined that regardless of what and who caused the litter, it is Dollar Tree’s responsibility to make sure the fenced dumpster area is clean.
“It is your dumpster, you’re responsible for it,” Davila said. “How does [the trash] get in there? Why are [the dumpsters] open? Because they should be locked at night.”
This is far from the only time a Dollar Tree has had problems in Springfield. Up until recently, the Dollar Tree off Allen Street and Island Pond Road had over $1,000 in unpaid ordinance tickets since 2023 and experienced trash problems for almost a decade, according to Ward 7 City Councilor Tim Allen.
Those fines, however, have been paid off, according to O’Connor, and it was reported at the Sept. 4 meeting that the trash issues at that location have mostly been eradicated.
“I’ve received many texts and phone calls from neighbors saying that they noticed a big difference in how clean and organized it has been,” said Gerry Martin, a City Council candidate who has worked on the Dollar Tree issues with Allen in recent months.
Martin mentioned that there was a three-day stretch in August where he noticed empty liquor bottles, boxes of beer and other debris, but he emphasized the improvement he and others have noticed at the Island Pond location.
Silberman shared that the chain has implemented policies to keep their stores in good shape, including twice-a-day cleaning, frequent photo documentation and staying on top of any fines that come their way.
But issues remain at the State Street store, and councilors want them addressed in a timely manner.
“You guys provide employment [and] you guys provide your tax base, so we want to keep you here,” Davila said. “But … it’s a symbiotic relationship, and what we see is not good for the residents.”
The Dollar Tree conundrum comes at a time when Davila and City Councilor At-Large Brian Santaniello are looking to tackle the broader issue of unpaid ordinances throughout the city with a new ordinance. The language is currently being revised with the city’s Law Department.
Its goal, according to Davila, is to simultaneously improve quality of life and ensure the city is not leaving revenue on the table.
“We have anywhere from $1 to $3 million in unpaid ordinance tickets across the city,” Davila said. “In a time where the city needs revenue, that is completely unacceptable.”
Another meeting with Dollar Tree is scheduled in a few weeks. In the meantime, the city’s Health Department will provide proper disposal protocols with nearby businesses after City Councilor At-Large and General Government committee member Kateri Walsh expressed concerns about medical waste being disposed of on the property.
Ward 8 City Councilor Zaida Govan agreed with Walsh’s consternation.
“The Health Department can send us specific information regarding how to get rid of medical waste properly, because there’s a high risk of infection,” Govan said. “I just want to make sure that we don’t run into any kind of those problems.”
Before adjourning on Sept. 4, councilors directed Dollar Tree to secure their dumpsters overnight, share updated policies around cleanliness with the committee and bring their store managers to the next subcommittee meeting.
Prior to that meeting, the city will review the outstanding fine balance associated with the State Street Dollar Tree, which, according to O’Connor, sits at $2,150.
