Why Curbside

Why Curbside?

Executive Summary

June 24, 2005

INTRODUCTION

As part of the Fiscal Year 2006 budget, the Cary Town Council has approved shifting from backyard garbage collection to curbside collection. Curbside collection is the safest, most efficient, equitable, and economical way for the Town to collect solid waste. Changing from backyard collection to fully automated curbside collection now will help hold necessary cost increases to their lowest levels, saving customers millions of dollars in the coming years.

However, even with the shift to curbside, rate increases will be necessary this year because of the continuing soft economy. While full cost recovery would be more than $15 for curbside, the Council has decided to limit increases to $11.75—about the same as it was for Cary citizens in 2001.

A 2004 survey showed that most Cary citizens support switching to curbside.

WHY CURBSIDE NOW

The anticipated replacement of nine rear loading compactor trucks over the next four years provides a unique opportunity for the Town to modify its current solid waste collection program.

The Town currently provides once a week, backyard garbage collection service to 32,800 residential customers. Cary and Winston-Salem remain the only large communities in North Carolina that provide backyard garbage collection service. The City of Raleigh converted to a roll out cart curbside collection system in 2004.

Even though Cary’s collection service is extremely efficient when compared to other communities providing backyard collection, it is still a very labor intensive operation. The Town employs 74 regular and 7 temporary employees to provide backyard service. These employees are configured into 14 backyard teams and 1 business team with four to five employees per team. On average, each backyard team is responsible for collecting 2,342 homes per week. Of the $5.62 million FY 2005 solid waste budget, 56% ($3.14 million) is directly related to personnel costs associated with collection activities.

Other challenges that are becoming increasingly more difficult to deal with are the workers compensation claims and the tight labor market associated with the harsh work environment employees are exposed to on a daily basis. Even with our comprehensive safety program, in the past two years, the division experienced 28 injuries. The severity of these injuries include bee stings, dog bites, needle sticks, back strains and concussions. In addition, over the past several years, even as unemployment has risen in the Triangle, it has been a challenge to attract and hire quality collectors. This represents a substantial hurdle for the division in its effort to continue providing high levels of service over the long term.

The projected costs and personnel requirements over the next four fiscal years to continue the existing backyard collection program are:

Backyard Collection Costs

Fiscal Year	# of Households	# of FTE’s Positions	Collection Costs
FY 06	33,650	81	$3,615,758
FY 07	34,650	81	$3,210,758
FY 08	35,850	81	$3,345,758
FY 09	37,300	85	$3,083,935

One proven alternative to backyard service is the collection of rollout carts at the curbside. This customer oriented method provides citizens with wheeled carts that are ergonomically designed for ease in rolling, effective at vector/odor control, and extremely durable. Residents place carts at the curbside where trucks driven by highly skilled operators dump the carts with the use of an automated arm.

SOLID WASTE FEE

The Town Council has decided to begin working towards having solid waste fees cover the direct cost of solid waste services.

The current fee of $7.67 per household per month recovers approximately 45% of the FY 05 Solid Waste budget. In other words, the general fund contributes over $4.40 million in the support of solid waste programs. The full direct cost recovery fee for backyard collection in FY 2006 would be $18.80 per household per month. The full cost recovery for curbside collection in FY 2006 would be $15.50 per month. The Town Council is limiting the monthly increase in FY 2006 from $7.67 to $11.75 this year, which is 75 percent full cost recovery

Cary’s Solid Waste Fee History

Fiscal Year	Fee
1987 -1990	$8.00
1991 – 1992	$11.00
1993	$13.00
1994	$11.50
1995 – 2000	$11.50
2001 – present	$7.67

CARY’S PROPOSED CURBSIDE PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

Single family solid waste customers

§ Carts will be distributed to customers over about 8 weeks this fall

§ Use your existing can until you get your cart;

§ Your solid waste collection day will stay the same;

§ Once you receive your new cart, all of your waste—solid, yard, recycling—will be collected on the same day—your current solid waste collection day.

§ No more Monday yard waste collection;

§ Continue to place your waste at the curb--not in the street, sidewalk or on
your meter box--by 7 a.m. on your collection day;

§ Place your cart “facing out” and away from light poles, mailboxes, or fire hydrants;

§ Avoid parking vehicles in the street on collection day, especially if you live on a cul-de-sac;

§ Keep your neighborhood neat and your neighbors happy by removing your emptied cart, yard waste container, and recycling bin from the curb as soon as possible on your service day but no later than 6 a.m. the next day;

§ All solid waste must fit inside your new, Town-issued cart, do not place garbage on top of its lid;

§ Request a second cart if your family’s solid waste doesn’t consistently fit completely inside one cart;

§ The cost of your first Town-issued cart is included in your solid waste fee—each additional cart results in an additional charge of $3.50 per month;

§ Waste that doesn’t fit completely inside the Town-issued cart will be subject to a special collection and related additional charge of $10 per special collection starting in March 2006;

§ Like recycling bins, solid waste carts are the property of the Town of Cary and should remain at the home for the new owner if the home is sold;

Physically challenged single family solid waste customers

§ If your physician feels that you are physically unable to bring the new solid waste cart to the curb, you may request that the Town continue providing backyard collection;

§ Requests for backyard collection should be made in writing to the Public Works Division Director;

§ Requests must include a written statement from your attending physician; while the physician need not detail your physical limitation, the doctor needs to clearly certify that you are not physically able to participate in curbside collection;

§ Cary has supported similar special collections practices for more than a decade for about 100 recycling customers;

§ Even with continued backyard service, you will be issued a Town-issued cart;

Existing town home and condominium customers with three or more units to the building

§ You will continue to be served by backyard collection

§ Your solid waste collection day should stay the same;

§ All of your waste—recycling, yard, and solid—will be collected on the same day—your current solid waste collection day;

§ You will not receive a solid waste cart from the Town; you will continue to use your existing can.

Small business solid waste customers

§ Carts will be distributed to customers over about 8 weeks this fall;