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Waterford trustee mulls collection of trash by districts
Waterford Township Trustee David Kramer was expected to broach trash collection issues at the Board of Trustees’ Monday, Nov. 14 meeting, but just prior to the meeting, asked to remove the discussion item from the agenda.
“We need to do more research before it’s brought back,” he said.
Kramer initially intended to present a preliminary proposal to address trash collection, but one that steers clear of the single-hauler concept scrapped in 1998 when two-thirds of the township’s electorate voted against that approach to waste collection.
“It’s just ideas at this point,” Kramer said. “It’s not a single-waste hauler, but creating districts within the township based on traffic patterns and density of housing populations.”
Kramer’s draft proposal asserts that there is a preponderance of waste collectors in any given neighborhood that poses a potential danger to pedestrians, children and pets. Moreover, the exhaust from the vehicles adds to the township’s collective carbon footprint, and having multiple haulers operating in the township nearly every day adds excessive wear and tear on roadways. There is also a concern over garbage on the sides of township roads each day.
“The goal is less wear and tear, traffic, carbon footprint and blight — that’s what it’s all about,” Kramer said. “No one is trying to put anyone out of business.”
Kramer’s draft proposal would create township standards, by ordinance, for waste collectors. The standards would first be discussed with board members, operators, other municipalities, and the township’s Department of Public Works.
“Districts would be created on the advice of personnel in township departments (who) travel the township a lot,” Kramer said. “There indeed would be multiple operators, but only one in each district to reduce truck traffic.”
No other operators would be allowed in another’s assigned district.
“We would discuss it with operators first to find out their thoughts,” Kramer said. “They would save money, as well, since they would not be driving as long because the districts would be condensed.”
Waterford Township would seek competitive bids for service in residential districts, meaning the township would decide what districts would get which operator, not the residents.
“What does it matter who the hauler is if all are abiding by the same standards?” Kramer asked.
Operators’ ledgers are expected to also benefit from a concentrated or captured customer base, through less wear and tear on the trucks; less employee costs resulting from more efficient collection services; the freedom to concentrate in other areas of the township or county on other days and to choose the day of operation in each district.
Residents would be expected to benefit, as well, through reduced costs, dangers, and vehicle exhaust.
All forms of waste would be collected, including garbage, recyclables, and yard waste.
Some board members are opposed to discussions on trash collection given the previously expressed voter consensus.
“It’s a hot topic item and as far as I’m concerned, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” said Township Supervisor Carl Solden.
16 Responses to Waterford trustee mulls collection of trash by districts
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Very Concerned
November 16, 2011 at 9:22 pm
Stop worrying about the carbon footprint, it’s not your concern as a Township trustee. The free market and open competition will make garbage collection costs low for your constituents. Adding additional regulation will increase prices.
Waterford#1
November 16, 2011 at 9:29 pm
Please do not dictate to me which garbage hauler I must use. This was tried before and failed. The Township doesn’t have enough money to keep the Library open, what makes them think they can take on the additional effort of managing garbage contracts. Just stop trying to take on more and stick to core services. Dems are always trying to tell us what’s best for us, enough already!
crazy townie
November 16, 2011 at 9:50 pm
What has caused David Kramer to be so concerned with waste hauling?
David, get to work on something useful in the year you have left and leave the garbage man alone.
Craig Lechowicz
November 16, 2011 at 10:04 pm
Other townships, such as West Bloomfield have been very successful with a single provider negotiated through the township providing both good service, and lower costs than individually contracted service. Having 5 sets of garbage trucks drive through my neighborhood guarantees that none of them can individually achieve the lowest cost possible. If done right, there is a better way, and I encourage Waterford to pursue it.
Name
November 16, 2011 at 10:55 pm
I would personally rather pay a few extra dollars a year for my garbage service than to have the garbage trucks in my neighborhood five days a week. Most of these companies are also running two trucks – one for garbage and one for recycling. I’m getting a little tired of the noise and the roads getting torn up.
Mary
November 17, 2011 at 8:24 am
Tired of so many trucks and damage they are causing to our neighborhood streets. Get a single provider, like most modern cities. Lake Orion not only picks up trash, recycling and yard waste but also has a truck to pick up leaves in the fall (more than one time per season).
Concerned
November 17, 2011 at 9:36 am
While I have lived in Highland for 35 years, I spent my first 25 living in Waterford, and worked in Waterford for 40 years. I was amazed and disappointed each week as I saw at least 8-10 garbage trucks run up and down the residential street our office bordered. The reasons quoted in the article for consolidating the collection routes are right on. Most communities, Highland and White Lake as two examples, contract the collection to just one company, so to propose that the Township be split into districts to allow more than one company to serve is a major comprimise needed to get this issue off dead center. This isn’t the Township getting into the garbage business, it is government helping to coordinate services to the benefit of its residents. I would like the Spinal Column do an article,again, comparing the garbage collection costs and services by community so that folks can see that they will get better service for the same or less yearly cost. In Highland, we get pretty much unlimited curbside pickup including brush, furniture and other bulky items like mattresses and appliances, free recycle containers, co-mingled recycle pickup, unlimited yard waste pickup and someone to complain to that has a hammer if things don’t go right, which by the way I have NEVER had to do. No more trucks traversing the neighborhood at 5:00am. All this for $120 per year, going to $140 next year. How does that compare to your cost and service? And to simply dismiss carbon footprint, safety and wear and tear on your streets is very shortsighted.
Concerned
November 17, 2011 at 9:41 am
And Carl, it is broken and has been for years, so please fix it.
Good Move
November 18, 2011 at 9:48 am
Having waste haulers in your neighborhood 4-5 times a week is crazy. We just moved from Waterford and can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoy seeing garbage cans in the street only 1 day a week and not everyday.
crazy townie
November 22, 2011 at 1:19 pm
I really suspect that there are some shil post here put up by trolls.
Five garbage trucks on your street? Please, hyperbole is no way to start a discussion.
Our government needs to focus on the tasks which already burden it, show sucess in those efforts and THEN move on to tackle other, less pressing issues.
Craig Lechowicz
November 25, 2011 at 10:35 am
Crazy Townie (your highly appropriate chosen name, not mine . . .) You’re welcome to camp out in my neighborhood and count the garbage trucks, if you don’t believe me. And, it’s not 5 trucks, it’s 5 sets, as it’s a separate refuse and recycling truck for each firm. Perhaps you are the shill and troll. By the way, did you see the gentleman’s from Highlands posting about his rates. As far as I know, that is considerably lower than any company offering service in my Waterford neighborhood.
crazy townie
November 26, 2011 at 11:00 am
We have a sum and total of 2 haulers in my entire neighborhood association;Smith’s and Allied which run on Monday and Friday respectively
Do you honestly believe that after admin costs and the elimination of competition (through the proposed collection districts) will result in reduced consumer costs?.
Kathy Boyea
December 9, 2011 at 2:14 pm
I think it is time to re-visit the garbage issue. 3 trucks for each garbage pickup,(recycle, waste, and compost) come through my neighborhood for different companies. As far as I have seen we have three companies picking up trash. Our roads are broken and the noise of those trucks continues for 3 days per week. I agree with the districts proposed by Kramer. White Lake Twp has cheaper trash pickup as a special assessment on the tax roll. Not that difficult to administer.
John
December 15, 2011 at 10:15 pm
If you want one garbage hauler, why don’t you get your neighbors together and get it done. Why do you want the government to come in and solve your problems.
By the way, I don’t like all of the lawn mowing companies coming down my road. Perhaps the government can socialize that too! Why don’t we just have one heating and cooling company coming into our neighborhoods. When does it end!
In fact, if you need ANYTHING done at your home, just call city or township hall. Let them tell you who you can call.
I do not want the government making those decisions for me. Why does our generation want to become slaves of the state.
Hector
January 10, 2012 at 11:50 am
I am as amazed at the “Don’t Tread on Me” anti-government comments as I am that Waterford, having one of the nation’s most advanced water departments, is so behind the times in the basic service of waste disposal. Kramer’s proposal is reasonable and will probably 1) save residents money, 2) reduce all the negative externalities (pollution, noise, danger), and 3) potentially improve Waterford’s budget.
Yes, I have 4 different companies working my street on 3 different days and the road is torn up from those trucks (Oakland County repairs the roads, but Waterford is not high on L. Brook’s agenda). Raccoons, varmints, etc. all enjoy the constant buffet.
Nobody seems to complain about paying for water from the township. Or sewer.
Hector
January 14, 2012 at 10:21 am
If we really want to get to the bottom of this, post what you pay, what services you get, and how satisfied you are with your service right up here. Then we’ll know if the system is working.
I use Waste Management (used Smith’s and Republic, in the past).
Costs me $45/quarter for garbage and recycling (recycling is every other week). Yard waste is $5/month extra if I want it. I am barely satisfied with their service.