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Home My WebLink About7/13/1995 - Adopted Board RecordsA-71195-1 ACTION NO. ITEM NUMBER F"- i AT A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF ROANOKE COUNTY, VIRGINIA HELD AT THE ROANOKE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION CENTER MEETING DATE: July 13, 1995 AGENDA ITEM: Consideration for Change in Bulk/Brush Collection Method COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S COMMENTS: This is being brought to the Board again at the request of Chairman Minnix. We are dealing with three issues on bulk and brush collection that need to be addressed. The first is the need to once again inform the citizens about the change. The second is a peak work load acerbated by an unusually wet season. The third is an increase in the work load of the department. There are charts attached showing the increased tonnages and the decrease in the number of staff assigned to the refuse collection. One concern that I have is the many calls that we have received from people who have only a small amount of refuse but who have not called for a scheduled pickup. The "extra mile" approach would have us check those houses anyway. However, that reinforces the inefficiencies of an unscheduled system because people use that approach again. For us to be efficient, we then have to drive throughout the neighborhood each day to see if refuse has been placed out by people who have not been scheduled for a pickup. We just have to drive around looking for it. I know this is an issue of concern to you as well but I think we should give it a while longer. To revert during the peak season will result in numerous complaints. To assist with the information process, we would like to make a presentation to the Board and viewing audience on Tuesday. 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The current method of bulk and brush collection, which began in September 1994, requires that citizens place a call to the Solid Waste office to schedule collection of the materials. The citizen is given a collection date from one to ten days from the date of the call. Collection is made bi-weekly. Citizens are asked to place no more than a pickup truck load of bulk or brush out for each collection. This call-in system was implemented just after the second half of the county was converted to automated refuse collection in July, 1994. The system, which now covers over 9001 of the County, was implemented with no increase in operational costs over the once - per -month system which covered only slightly more than half the County. SUMMARY OF INFORMATION: Prior to the implementation of the first phase of automation in February 1988, all household waste, including most bulk and brush, was collected weekly using the rearloader, manual collection method. Any material set to the curb was collected provided it was less than six feet in length and would fit in the rear of the truck. In February 1988, the first 3,300 residents were converted to automated service. Those residents were instructed to set out only the one container provided by the County for weekly collection. Studies showed that the container provided was adequate for a family of four and that most other localities offering this type collection provided monthly or less frequent bulk/brush collections. However, to ease the transition bi-weekly bulk and brush service was implemented. The 3,300 residents were instructed to set their material out on the Monday of either the 1st and 3rd week or 2nd and 4th week depending upon their normal collection day. Crews drove through the neighborhoods and collected everything that was placed at the street. In addition to a separate collection of these materials from regular refuse, we simultaneously began to collect bulk separately from brush. Environmental considerations required brush materials to be kept out of the landfill, thereby extending the life of the landfill. A reduced tipping fee for clean brush gave local governments even more reason to keep the materials separate. Brush is still collected separately, processed through a tubgrinder and made available to the public as mulch. The second phase of automated collection began in August 1989 �A F-� for approximately another 3,300 households in various areas of the county bringing the total number of residents receiving automated collection and bi-weekly bulk and brush collection to 6,600. During the third phase of automation in which another 6,600 carts were delivered, staff determined that equipment and personnel resources were no longer adequate to cover all automated areas on a bi-weekly basis and once -monthly bulk and brush collection was implemented for all automated customers. Citizens were asked to place bulk and brush items at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on Monday of their scheduled week to be collected as soon as possible during that week. The monthly service, then offered to approximately half the county, was performed with two vehicles and six employees. The remainder of the county, under the manual system, still received weekly collection of all trash with the exception of extremely large piles of brush. During the last phase of automation, which began in July, 1994, an additional 9,900 households were converted. The conversion was completed in September of 1994, and the bi-weekly call-in method for bulk and brush was implemented at this time. For these last 9,900 households, the conversion resulted in going from weekly bulk and brush service with no call-in requirement, to bi-weekly service with the requirement to call. For the initial 13,200 automated customers, the change resulted in going from once - per month, no call-in service, to bi-weekly call-in service. At no time, was the total County ever on a once -per -month, no call-in basis. In other words, in September of 1994, half the County went from once -per -month no call-in, to bi-weekly call-in; the other half went from once -per -week no call-in to bi-weekly call-in. Under all collection systems, staff has attempted to provide extra collections during peak times, such as Christmas. Weekly collection of bagged leaves is also provided during the season as these materials are taken to a separate facility and mulched at a reduced fee. Similar collection of grass clippings would not be practical since they cannot be mulched and would require a separate collection vehicle involving the same disposal costs as regular bulk. With the call-in method, the two major issues seem to be the difficulty of communicating the specific requirements of the program and the logic of driving by refuse on the street for which a pick up has not been required. We have attempted to address the first issue with an extensive public awareness campaign and periodic reminders have been placed in the newspaper. In reference to the second issue, our policy is to collect as much material as possible regardless of whether it has been scheduled when circumstances permit. Regular, planned collection of unscheduled material is not practical since, during 3 F - peak collection periods as many as 360 stops are scheduled for a day and this does not permit any extra collection. Variance between estimated and actual quantities to be collected also aggravates the difficulty of more frequent collection of unscheduled material. Late spring and early summer are expectedly peak periods for yard waste, and with less than a full year with this new program, we are currently experiencing a record growing season for all types of vegetation. The volume of brush and grass clippings requiring collection is at record levels and, regardless of the method of collection, with current resources it would be virtually impossible to maintain a normal schedule. Other alternatives with their advantages and disadvantages have been considered and are shown below. ALTERNATIVES• 1. "Taxi Service" - Require citizens to call for collection and schedule pickups based on order of calls rather than geographic areas. Advantages: Prompt service Disadvantages: Inefficient utilization of resources Increase in required vehicles and manpower Requires citizens to call for pickup Unscheduled material remains on the street 2. "Bus Service" - Predetermined, planned route covers entire County on a monthly basis. Pickups done according to geographic areas. Advantages: No calls required for service Street is "clean" once collection finished for the month Disadvantages: Material may remain at the curb for as long as a month Citizens receive only monthly collection Estimate will require four vehicles and at least eight employees (# of employees exceeds current capabilities) No flexibility for seasonal volume 4 F - fluctuations Increase drive time as crews "cover" routes 3. "Limousine Service" (current program) - Crews cover geographically planned routes on a bi-weekly basis collecting all material that has been scheduled by citizen calls. Advantages: Service within ten working days Scheduled material does not remain at the street for long periods of time Citizens receive bi-weekly service Current resources adequate to provide service level More efficient resource utilization Allows for collection flexibility during volume fluctuations Disadvantage STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Citizens required to call for service Unscheduled material may remain at street Staff recommends alternative # 3 FISCAL IMPACT• Alternative #3 requires no additional allocation of funds. SUBMITTED BY: Willia J. Rand II Director 5 E m r C. Hodge Department of General Services. County Administrator --------------------------------------------------------- ACTION VOTE Approved (x) Motion by: Motion by Bob L No Yes Abs Denied ( ) Johnson to approve Alternative Eddy x Received ( ) #3 (Current Program), Bulk/ Johnson x Referred ( ) Brush Collection to remain the Kohinke x To ( ) same Minnix x Nickens x cc: File Bill Rand, Director, General Services attachments: Tonnages / Employees Monthly Tonnages C1 F-� COMPARISON OF ACTUAL TONNAGES FY 93/94 vs. FY 94-95 *NOTE: The tonnages for the last four months of 1994 are elevated due to the clean-up after three ice storms. The tonnages for the last three months of 1995 approximate the previous year with no ice storm, just a long wet growing season. FY 1993-94 FY 1994-195 Tons Tons July 2,794.20 2,585.05 August 2,559.62 3,179.62 September 2,756.14- 2,812.79 October 2,376.19 2,489.03 November 2,998.31 2,687.09 December 2,410.46 2,634.96 January 2,3 54.79 2,348.72 February 2,266.87 1,977.84 * March 3,695.66 2,759.81 *April 2,926.71 2,727.43 May 3,192.04 3,203.72 June 3,137.04 3,220.58 33,468.03 32,626.64 *NOTE: The tonnages for the last four months of 1994 are elevated due to the clean-up after three ice storms. The tonnages for the last three months of 1995 approximate the previous year with no ice storm, just a long wet growing season. M M CN CDM N N N N Ln m 4 m i C'7 d7 co m N 07 d7 0 0 0 co 00 c6 co co ti 0o ti co 0 co 0 co 6 Ln 0 Ln 0 Ln 0 o0 It It co co N N FI cn w W • 0 • • J • n • G w