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Monday, May 20, 2013
Will dump coupons add to service from the claw?
by Melissa Corker, published on June 25, 2012 at 11:03 AM
Storyline: Politics
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This week brings more solid waste discussion at the City Council with a new twist: Will the city augment service from the claw with “dump coupons?”
The City Council discussed proposed changes to the city solid waste and recycling program in March, including changing curbside recycling to every-other-week collection, implementing year-round containerized yard waste collection and retiring loose-in-the-street pickup by the claw for all but three months of the year.
Now, after months of community outreach on the proposed changes, a new idea is being floated based on public comments from those discussions: dump coupons.
The idea stems from the proposed return of the Neighborhood Cleanup Program, which was suspended in 2010. That program allows residents to schedule one appointment per year for the city to pick up large items like appliances, furniture and large yard waste that will not fit in a garbage or yard waste can.
But residents said that one appointment isn’t enough – especially with the proposed changes to the overall waste pickup program in the city.
They suggested introducing a pilot dump coupon program that would allow residents to deliver up to five cubic yards of waste to the Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station (at no charge to the resident) once per year.
The city would pick up the tab for the tipping fee – the per-ton fee the station charges for accepting waste. The cost of such a pilot program is not estimated in the city staff report.
Dump coupons likely won’t solve all of the problems associated with changes to the city’s collection system, but could give residents a respite from being overwhelmed by the amount of yard waste they have to deal with each year.
Here is the staff report to the City Council on the proposed solid waste changes:
Solid waste collection changes
The City Council is expected to include the possible pilot program Tuesday as part of a larger discussion on the city’s solid waste and recycling business plan. The City Council meets at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 915 I St.
Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.
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However, "letting" residents haul their own trash to the dump without receiving a credit on their bill is a laughably pathetic step. I know its a shocking idea for our union-pawn city council, but maybe they should consider respecting the will of the voters on claw waste pickup while instead puting privatization of city waste services on the November ballot.
Sacramento: Containerized Yard Waste $10.35 Comingled Recycling $5.13 Garbage 64gal auto lift $17.66 = 33.14 per month.
In El Dorado county private Waste Management charges $29.00 for the same services. Sacramento is 14% higher on that basis.
However the El Dorado County price includes up to three 96 gallon green waste cans, and 2 free dump vouchers per year. Extra cans are $5.70 each in Sacramento, and assume the vouchers are worth $2 per month or so. So the apples to apples cost is $29 for El Dorado County vs. $46.54 for the City of Sacramento. Over 50% higher!
So, other than union political pressue, why wouldn't our city at least examine privatizing some of these services?
They did the "opt-out" bins, making it crazy difficult to actually opt out.... giving them nice padded numbers which they will use to price claw customers into opting in.
The above scheme has been proposed, but it would be a violation of California Prop 218... and I have to think the City is wary of that, which is why they will package this "Repeal Measure A" onto the ballot wrapped in a nice pretty bow with some bla-bla about freezing rates. Voters passed Measure A decades ago to make living in the "City of Trees" reasonable.. let's hope voters don't fall for this ploy.