Jimmy Oddo, the current city buildings commissioner, is expected to be announced as the new head of the Department of Sanitation by Mayor Eric Adams. He will be taking over from Jessica Tisch, who recently became police commissioner. Oddo has been a part of the Adams administration since 2022 and has been involved in initiatives to improve sanitation in the city, such as fully containerizing trash pickup. Under Adams, the sanitation department has been working on various projects to make the city cleaner, including implementing new set-out times for trash and introducing official NYC bins.
In an anticipated move, Mayor Eric Adams’ administration is set to announce the appointment of Jimmy Oddo, the current city buildings commissioner, as the new head of the Department of Sanitation, as per sources familiar with the decision. He will be taking over from Jessica Tisch, who recently transitioned to the role of police commissioner. Tisch had succeeded interim commissioner Thomas Donlon, who temporarily filled the position after Edward Caban resigned amidst a corruption investigation. However, Donlon could not continue in the role permanently due to being under FBI scrutiny himself.
Mayor Adams had previously selected Oddo to lead the Department of Buildings in April 2023, following the resignation of former commissioner Eric Ulrich, who was indicted by the Manhattan district attorney’s office in a separate case. Kayla Mamalek, a spokesperson for the mayor, clarified that appointments are not official until officially announced.
Oddo has been part of Mayor Adams’ team since 2022, initially serving as chief of staff for Deputy Mayor of Operations Meera Joshi before transitioning to the Department of Buildings. As a Republican, Oddo previously held the position of Staten Island borough president and was a member of the City Council from 1999 to 2013. Despite attempts to reach him for comment, Oddo did not respond to inquiries from THE CITY.
Under Mayor Adams, the Department of Sanitation has undertaken an ambitious initiative to implement full containerized curbside trash pickup and other programs aimed at enhancing the cleanliness of the city. Referred to as the “trash revolution” by Adams and former commissioner Tisch, the project seeks to eliminate the unsightly piles of garbage bags that attract rodents and establish new trash set-out times to reduce opportunities for rodent infestation.
Effective last month, all residential properties with nine units or fewer are required to use containers of 55 gallons or smaller for trash disposal. Larger buildings are exempt from this mandate as part of a long-term plan to introduce on-street containers, which will initially be introduced in select areas of Manhattan in the upcoming spring. Additionally, the Department of Sanitation unveiled the official NYC Bin in November, which is anticipated to become mandatory for all properties.
After the approval of a ballot proposal recently, the Department of Sanitation will now have expanded responsibilities for cleaning additional areas of New York City, including parks and other city-owned properties. This signifies a significant step towards improving the overall sanitation and cleanliness of the city under Mayor Adams’ administration.
Source: TheCity.NYC
