Let’s really talk trash…
In reading about the Townley/Burroughs paving issue, something I had not heard mentioned was:
Also yesterday, council was informed by the Finkbeiner administration that to save money in the general operating fund, there will be no trash collection next week for people whose trash is collected on Wednesdays.
Next Wednesday is July 4.
Traditionally, the city moves trash collection back a day during holiday weeks and pays overtime to collect trash on Saturday. Julian Highsmith, commissioner of solid waste, said the change will save $40,000 in overtime for each of the city’s 13 holidays.
The administration’s new holiday trash collection policy occurs after approval of a new labor agreement with Teamsters Local 20, allowing the city to stop paying overtime on weeks of the six “major” holidays – New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas – in addition to seven “minor” holidays that were not restricted by the contract.Councilman Mike Craig, who represents District 3, said the policy would fall heaviest on East Toledo, where trash is collected on Mondays.
Two of the six major holidays always fall on Mondays.
People whose trash is collected today won’t have trash pickup for two weeks. Those areas include parts of the Old South End, Old Orchard, and central Toledo.
A city announcement said recycling also will be canceled next Wednesday, but that people who are participating in the pledge to recycle to get a discount on the $5.50 monthly trash collection fee will not be penalized or fined.
What I wonder is this, if there is double the amount of trash the next week, won’t that take longer for workers to collect? Is the $40,000 dollar listed as a savings for each holiday taking that into consideration?
People who have trash pickup on Mondays are screwed. Holidays falling on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday are often moved to Monday for employment purposes. And then there’s the ones that actually do fall on Monday. So those folks will be hit hard.
It seems like the Mayor is running a strong campaign for being kicked out of office.
June 27th, 2007 at 2:18 pmOops. Remove Friday from the list above.
June 27th, 2007 at 2:24 pmOr Mike Craig will really fight this since it does affect our District 3 more than the rest of the City from what he stated. I personally don’t have an issue with a two week collection window on holidays as long as it’s known in advance, we don’t create that much garbage anyway. If our recycling was delayed since that’s only done every two weeks that would create more of a space issue. Yet for other people this could very well be an issue, especially in the areas where alley collection still happens, some of which are on the East Side, you have to have your garbage in containers so it’s possible people might not have enough containers for two week’s worth of trash.
I’d just like to know bottom line how much money would really be saved if it takes more hours on the days where there will be potentially double the amount of regular trash collected.
June 27th, 2007 at 2:29 pmThink July heat. Then remember that little critter you photographed the other day.
I don’t have garbage cans (nowhere to put them) and I don’t set out a garbage bag where pests can get into them — at least not till just prior to pickup. So this move does not please me at all. I’m not wild about having two weeks of garbage rotting in my house in the summer, or any time for that matter.
June 27th, 2007 at 2:44 pmWell, here we go again.
Save money = good.
Inform citizens = not as of yet = not good.
Off goes an e-mail to our administrative team.
June 27th, 2007 at 2:50 pmLily, I knew some people would be more affected by this than others, if your trash day is Monday it will affect you even more. I took a look around to see how other cities handle this issue. Columbus seems to have a very confusing system set up that appears as it would eliminate the problem Toledo is facing but you’d have to pay close attention to the schedule.
June 27th, 2007 at 3:14 pmAkron delays a day, Dayton picks up every day except Christmas, Cinci seems to have a mix of City and private contractors with the City delaying one day and the private contractors picking up on most holidays.
So…as usual? A very interesting mix of how the same thing is done differently.
June 27th, 2007 at 3:24 pmI hope those affected remember this when their water bill is due! Remember, monies collected for a service is a “fee,” monies collected for no service is a “tax.”
RWT
June 27th, 2007 at 3:28 pmToledoens can’t have their cake and eat it to. It appears that if you want a gov run garbage pick-up that pays “good” (some would say inflated) union wages than you’re either going to have to pay more for it (garbage fees/higher taxes), reduce the amount of service or all of the above(which seems to be happening).
June 27th, 2007 at 3:46 pm“Toledoens can’t have their cake and eat it to.”
My view is that any cost savings are wonderful but the administration and professionals are not up to snuff when it comes to communicating with the public at large.
June 27th, 2007 at 3:51 pmMy view is that any cost savings are wonderful but the administration and professionals are not up to snuff when it comes to communicating with the public at large.
I find cost savings wonderful – I just find it interesting that they cut service on the heels of instituting a new tax. Perhaps if they had announced a cutback in service on holiday weeks before ramming the tax through council, more people would have been in favor of the tax (after all, aren’t we saving money).
Or, perhaps not… (My Caddy was downsized!)
RWT
June 27th, 2007 at 4:43 pmI do not have a problem with the tactic this time because my trash gets picked up on Tuesday, but the “failure to notify” issue seems to be the bigger problem.
I am sure they can get the word out and yet choose not to.
Seems typical`
June 27th, 2007 at 5:08 pm“Failure to notify” doesn’t bother me as much as wondering what I’ll do with all the rotting trash. The city has to notify sooner or later.
What really bugs me is Carty’s habit of turning to trash pick up as his choice as the place to add fees and reduce service. No alley pickup, trash fee, stringent set-out hours, and now the elimination of holiday pick up. Police, fire, and trash pick up are three of the areas most apt to impact residents most. It’d be nice if he’d look for cuts in areas that would have far less impact on so many people.
I also think Lisa’s point about recycling days is an important one. We’re already supposed to be following a schedule for that — every two weeks. Suppose the no-pickup day falls on a recycling day. Do we have to come up with another recycling bin for that extra two weeks? Or do we just put the excess in with the regular trash?
I don’t know what hours those picking up trash work, but I think I heard somewhere that they work till their route is done and then are off work even if they haven’t worked a full day. If that’s true, couldn’t overtime be cut by having them work full shifts?
I’m guessing the workers aren’t too pleased with this if they count on overtime as part of their compensation package.
June 27th, 2007 at 5:31 pmI am very displeased that there won’t be collection. Many of the people on our street don’t seem to get these things so they put out their trash, and it gets dug into by stray critters. So the trash will be “recycled” back to the streets and yards.
June 27th, 2007 at 9:19 pmSo, let us write the Commissioner in charge of Solid Waste and let him know.
“Highsmith, Julian” Julian.Highsmith@toledo.oh.gov
June 27th, 2007 at 9:22 pmSide note:
June 27th, 2007 at 10:10 pmMany years ago, while experiencing financial difficulties, the City of Toledo went to an every-other-week garbage collection service ciy-wide.
Roland,
If that’s the way we want to go, fine – just give ample warning. And no more fees (or 3/4 percent tax, for that matter), not to mention broadcasting about the high level of service we *cough* supposedly receive.
RWT
June 27th, 2007 at 10:53 pmI can see it now. This will be the norm for those areas affected. Just more BS.
I own property in Dist. 3, and have friends in Dist. 3, and am pretty depressed when I drive down Western Avenue toward Airport Hwy. I know that an every other week pickup will surely improve this view :::coughbullchitcough::
June 27th, 2007 at 11:06 pmYeah, Carol … East Toledo, too.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:01 amGood point Carol, I don’t know if that part of the South End has the same Tuesday pick up day that I have over by Arlington or not.
June 28th, 2007 at 3:54 amRWT,
June 28th, 2007 at 8:41 amRight you are.
I am not happy with this new tatic, with the trash pick up. Since we are now paying an extra fee, on top of the tax we already pay for trash pick up, Carty needs to find a different way to save money. (I’m in a neighborhood with Wed pick up).
And I was slightly amused how they put in that people “won’t be penalized” for not recycling next week. How can we recycle if the service is not available??? We should be getting an extra discount, for that week.
June 29th, 2007 at 10:27 am