AGENDA #11
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Curbside Implementation Schedule
DATE: September 25, 2000
As part of the budget process for Fiscal 2000-2001, the Town Council authorized implementation of weekly residential refuse collection at street side phased over a two-year period, starting in February, 2001. This report presents a schedule for implementation of the program for the Council’s review.
The new collection service is to be phased in over two years, with about one half of the Town receiving the service change in February, 2001, and the other half in February, 2002. Roll carts will be acquired through lease purchase, with about half of the carts ordered this year and half next year; the usual competitive bid process will be used for selecting the vendor for the carts. The number of carts ordered in the second year will be determined based upon experience in the first year. Sanitation crews will be reduced from 6.5 to 4.5, with anticipated staff reductions totaling nine positions, which will be achieved through attrition. A reduction of four positions is anticipated in the current fiscal year and five during next fiscal year. The attached resolution that was adopted by the Council in June outlines significant features of the program.
The following schedule has been developed to implement the new collection system starting in February, 2001, for half of the Town.
First Quarter (July – September) FY 2000 - 01:
· Develop roll cart bid specifications
· Complete implementation schedule for first year
· Brief solid waste service crews on curbside program and tentative schedule
· Solicit bids for roll carts
Second Quarter (October – December) FY 2000 - 01
· Finalize first conversion routes, to include about 4,500 stops for the following neighborhoods (note: this list could change slightly as final routing is completed): North Side, Westwood, Colony Woods, Windover, Briarcliff, Silver Creek, Spring Crest, Chesley, The Oaks, Morgan Creek, Southbridge, The Meadows, Birch Meadows, Covington Place and Englewood
These neighborhoods were chosen for the purposes of routing efficiency. Our plan is to begin with those areas that are furthest away from the landfill and work toward it. This will allow us to keep new routes as similar to existing routes as possible, and to realize the most travel time and therefore greatest inefficiency in the first year. Many of the neighborhoods in Year Two will have other issues, such as terrain, which we will have to work through.
· Develop and distribute information fliers for citizens in affected neighborhoods
The information flier will be either mailed or delivered to the households in the first phase of the program. The flier will include information about the following:
Ø How the collection system works
Ø Who is included in the first round
Ø What citizens need to do
Ø When things will happen (i. e., the schedule for the various steps in the implementation process)
Ø How to apply for exemptions
Ø How to tell us if they do not want a cart
Ø How to reach us
We hope to have requests for exemptions in hand by the end of November to facilitate routing. Other steps in this time period include the following:
· Prepare news releases with updated information about program and schedule
· Post information on Town website about program implementation
· Receive bids for roll carts and make recommendation to Council
· Delivery of roll carts to Public Works
· Second news release about implementation and neighborhood outreach
We will plan a series of neighborhood meetings, using neighborhood associations and news media to publicize when and where we will meet. These meetings will be in neighborhoods, designed to inform residents of the service change and to answer questions. At these meetings, we will also make staff available to address individual lot questions (access, placement of carts, etc.).
· Begin neighborhood meetings
· Prepare ordinance revisions for Council consideration
December 16 – 31, 2000:
· Holiday period (limited activity anticipated)
· Conduct additional neighborhood meetings
· Deliver roll carts, along with information packet, to residents
· Finalize route scheduling
· Prepare newspaper insert
· Run display ads in newspapers with schedule of cart delivery and service changes
February 1 – 15, 2001:
· Start service routes for Monday garbage collection (February 5th)
· Start service routes for Tuesday garbage collection (February 6th)
· Collect production and customer service delivery data
· Collect information on program, revise plans for second year accordingly; report to Manager and Council as requested
After the first phase of the program change has been implemented, we will be collecting and evaluating data to determine the service effectiveness and efficiency of curbside collection. Based on information obtained, we will proceed to prepare a detailed implementation schedule for the second year of the service. For example, based on initial experience, we will know the number of exemptions actually requested and granted for the half of the Town converted in the first year. Also, if we learn of problems with operational implementation or service complaints from citizens, then we may be able to make changes in the second year of the program.
1. Summation of June 5, 2000 Council comments concerning curbside collection.
2. Excerpt from June 5, 2000, adopted minutes.