Special to the Independent
I took the initiative to collect any nips (miniature bottles containing liquor or other alcoholic beverages) I could find within a 30-minute time frame walking in the vicinity of Bucknam Street.
Throughout the campaign trail, constituents mentioned litter as a major problem in their neighborhoods – in particular, small nip bottles have been a burden in front yards, tree beds, and on sidewalks. The bottles are not recyclable. The City of Chelsea took an initiative to ban the sale of nips and the Chelsea Chief of Police testified that not only has pollution drastically decreased, but also the number of calls related to public intoxication. Thus, the ban of nips has yielded positive results both on the environment and police resources in Chelsea. Chief Mazzie echoed many of these concerns.
While councilors are the representatives who receive the most feedback from residents, banning nips ultimately comes under the jurisdiction of the licensing board, which is why on Thursday, the public was invited to express their concerns about nips. I am proud to join Councilor Stephanie Martins in this initiative for change.
The nip ban is the best solution, as alternatively, we would have to consider hiring more resources to keep the city clean, thus increasing taxes for small businesses. Banning the nip is a fair way of resolving the problem without increasing taxes and it is the best solution for our planet and health of our city.
(Submitted by Katy Rogers)