NEW YORK, NY June 07, 2005 —Mayor Bloomberg's controversial plan to re-build, and re-open, four garbage transfer stations comes before the city council tomorrow, and one of the Mayor's rivals thinks he has the votes to block at least part of it.

City Council Speaker -- and Democrat for Mayor -- Gifford Miller believes the council will reject re-opening a garbage transfer station at East 91st Street in his Upper East Side district.

Miller has proposed two alternatives: build a new facility at Pier 76, on West 38th, where the city currently operates a tow pound. Or send the trash to the trasnfer station at West 59th, where the city currently collects recycled paper.

The mayor wants to reserve West 59th solely for commercial trash, but he has no legislative proposal on the table. I met recently with Speaker Miller at his City hall office, where he explained why his proposals are better than re-opening East 91st.