Contributor Opinion: Joseph Jordan — City Should Provide Numbers On Trash
Oct 10, 2007 6:51 - 3 Comments
Posted by: Brad Rourke
Department: Contributor Opinion,Opinion,Politics
Tags: election 2007, elections, government services, trash
Department: Contributor Opinion,Opinion,Politics
Tags: election 2007, elections, government services, trash
>I appreciate what Rockville Central is doing with the election campaign info, but one issue that needs illumination is the trash issue.
I attended the first three candidate forums and left each one annoyed with how the trash issue was being addressed and how three incumbents are themselves being trashed. We have heard everything, from having to buy twice as many trucks, to the new system costing $733,000 more than once-a-week pickup, to a “tax” of $100 a year being borne by people who don’t want twice a week. The latest “misprint” by the Washington Post has not helped the situation. (The article stated that Rockville residents pay $100 more per month for twice-a-week pickup over the cost of once-per-week. It should be $100 per year more for twice-a-week pickup, five years from now.)
Mayor Giammo and/or City staff owe the residents of Rockville a full explanation of exactly what the new refuse and recycle program is going to cost the city and what it will cost those who pay monthly fees for city trash services.
Many figures were thrown around during the contentious mayor and council meetings when the trash issue was in its prime. Council members asked for numbers they said they needed to make decisions; the mayor claimed all the figures were there; interested residents cherry-picked the facts that bolstered their point of view; five-year projections soon became current-year figures.
Meanwhile, candidates running for office are using trash as a key issue, and each has his or her own cost figures to make their argument. The city needs to publish a definitive set of cost estimates and let residents know what this switch to semi-automated is going to cost the city over the next five years, and what they can expect their bills to be five years from now, in today’s dollars.
Joseph Jordan
New Mark Commons
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The request for Rockville citizens to have accurate cost figures for their trash service is excellent and right on target. The cost of what Rockville households pay for refuse service has been my issue the entire trash discussion period.>
One explanation I have not successfully heard is why the Rockville households on the pilot study received trash pick-up once a week for the same cost as those households receiving twice a week trash pickup. I find this unacceptable, question the accuracy of the appropriate charge, and want to know how our expenditure figures are computed.
I also agree that the Rockville citizens paying for refuse charge should see definitive set of cost estimates and what the switch to semi-automated trucks is going to cost.
If the City can not provide the trash services at a reasonable cost, it should consider contracting out to experts who are in the business of hauling trash.
In Rockville the refuse charge is managed by an enterprise fund. The monthly fee now is $32.70. The refuse service is not funded by Rockville property tax revenue.
I thank Joseph Jordan for requesting a full explanation of exactly what the new refuse and recycle program is going to cost the city. This issue is an election issue and should not be minimized.
Brigitta Mullican
Joe,>
The cost information you and Brigitta refer to can be found on the City of Rockville’s website. The July 2, 2007 materials and slide presentation provide cost information about the adopted semi-automated system, including rate comparison of the adopted system with the current manual system and one-time per week semi-automated. This link should get you there:
http://www.rockvillemd.gov/residents/refuse-recycling/index.html
In addition to the July 2 materials, several previous City staff reports on this subject are available on the City’s website at the Refuse and Recycling link on the Public Works page.
Scott Ullery
City Manager
City of Rockville
I would like to know why there no analysis for once-per-week->ONLY fully-automated curb-only trash removal? And why has no city council or mayoral candidate proposed this common sense solution? This would seem to be the most cost effective and efficient method.
For those who currently believe they need twice-per-week pick-up they can simply pay for a larger standardized waste container. A larger containers could also be offered at a discount by volume relative to the base container.
Such a system would allow a second day wholely dedicated to single stream recycling efforts.
One would predict a pigovian effect upon the ammount of trash households allow themselves to generate since they will be able to mitigate costs by reducing trash volume through reduced production and increased recycling.
It seems to me that if one considers a per-pick-up cost to the city, those choosing twice-weekly are getting a substantial discount. The trucks still drive the same route and the same crew are employed to do one tenth the work for one tenth the revenue. So unless the crews can increase the size of their route and complete it ten times as fast, there seems to be a loss of efficiency in the system. However, it is encouraging to see that a once-per-week 64 gallon container costs less than a 32-gallon twice-weekly.
Why isn’t there a lower-cost once-per-two-weeks option for the 32-gallon container for those of us who generate even less trash and recycle more?
Waddington Park Resident