A series of community meetings is offering Orange County residents a choice in future trash pickup, including frequency and the use of manual or automated trucks. But one thing already is known for sure. Garbage collection will cost a whole lot more. Orange County is evaluating bids from potential trash haulers for a new seven-year contract, beginning in January 2009. The bids, however, cover a range of service options.
At a public meeting last week, homeowners were asked what type of service they would like to receive, and how much they are willing to pay for it. The differences are significant. One option is to continue with the current laborintensive system or switch to automated trucks with long mechanical arms that do the job of workers.
The three choices presented at the meeting:
• Manual or current service – A threeman crew picking up unlimited regular trash two times a week, plus one day for unlimited recyclables, one day for yard waste and one day for bulky items. Cost per household: $230-$235
• Automated twice-a-week service – A reduced labor force collecting regular trash two times per week, with service for recycling materials, yard waste and bulky items unchanged. Cost: $265-$275
• Automated once-a-week service – Pickup of regular trash cut back to once a week along with recyclables, and combining collection of yard waste and bulky items, separating them at the dump.
There would be no holidays off under this arrangement. Cost: $235-$245 After a thorough review of the alternatives, residents voted overwhelmingly for the current manual system (59 votes), with automated twice-a-week service earning just a single vote and automated once-a-week service shut out.
The main considerations in the straw poll seemed to be overall satisfaction with the current system and the relatively similar costs among the three options. In fact, the bidded costs were the most surprising part of the entire process, according to Jim Becker, Orange County solid waste division manager. “The haulers told us, and we believed them, it would be cheaper to go automated,” he said. However, a minimal savings between automated and manual service, for the same twice-a-week pickup frequency, wasn’t enough to sway the crowd to choose the latest innovation in trash collection.
Why so much?
Also surprising was the projected 42 percent increase in cost for the same service now received. In 2007, households in unincorporated Orange County paid $168 for trash pickup. Becker explained that part of the reason for the higher-than-expected bids was that the last seven-year contract was awarded in 2001, when the cost of fuel was just $1.30 per gallon and other expenses were also much less.
In addition, while he assumed that automated service would result in a cost savings for labor and insurance, Becker didn’t figure on the higher maintenance costs associated with the automated trucks, as well as other added costs. For example, the automated trucks would require new trash receptacles for all homeowners.
Larger, 96-gallon containers would be needed for regular trash, with 64-gallon containers used for recycling. Homeowners would be allowed more containers, if needed, as well as smaller ones, if desired. It is estimated that the average household produces 220 pounds of garbage per month.
A typical residential trash container today holds 32 gallons. The projected cost for automated service includes the new trash receptacles, as well as administrative charges that would come into play if there are problems, such as containers breaking apart. Under the current contract, haulers are also assigned administrative charges based on the number of complaints received. “Administrative charges are a good hammer to get [haulers’] attention,” Becker said. Residents voiced other perspectives on the different service plans.
One HOA board member said he believed that, in the long run, automated trucks would result in lower costs. A woman in the audience was concerned about the stench of garbage during summer if service were curtailed to just once a week.
Aman wondered if going to twice-a-month service might save even more by reducing fuel costs. Another homeowner said switching to automated trucks may save on labor costs, but taxpayers would end up paying more for putting people out of work. Several in the crowd had prior experience with automated trucks in other communities — such as Orlando, Ocoee and Clermont — with mixed results.
One homeowner said the trash cans would get “slimed up” something fierce after being dumped into the truck. Even washing them regularly wouldn’t eliminate the smell. “The stench was horrendous,” he said. “I think I created a whole crop of bugs. And, bear in mind, I was scrubbing these cans.”
An Avalon Park resident asked if the county ever considered using the alleyways for trash collection. Becker responded that the current trucks need a 12-footwide lane; the alleys are only 10 feet. The automated trucks are about the same size, with the same turn requirements, he added, but they have a smaller capacity, requiring more trips to the dump and more cost. A few complained about current service.
Gary Wolford of Pine Ridge East called for more accountability on the part of the haulers. “The system we have is not working,” he said. Residents with comments, complaints or questions were urged to contact 407- 836-6601 or solid.waste@ocfl.net. The Board of County Commissioners will vote on the new contracts on Feb. 26, 2008.
A brief history
Becker explained that the county didn’t offer solid waste collection until 1985. Before then, each homeowner on their own made an arrangement for trash pickup from among 20 garbage haulers in the area.
Some residents hauled their trash away themselves, dumping it illegally wherever they could. “Each day you might have 10 to 15 trucks coming down your street. It wasn’t very efficient,” he said. From the beginning, county hired contractors for its trash pickup, which was paid through a separate item on homeowners’ property taxes. In 1990 the county started a recycling program; two years later yard waste was separated out.
In 2002 the county service contracts were divided up into five zones, each with roughly the same number of residents, about 35,000 at the time. This was also when the first seven-year contract was entered into, with each hauler limited to two zones to prevent a monopoly. Last year, solid waste collection in unincorporated Orange County had 193,000 customers and 40 million collection events. There were 3,200 complaints filed in 2007.
Waste Management, which serves most of East Orlando, did not offer a bid for the 2009-2015 contract.
Hazardous waste, electronics collected
Orange County residents are asked to remove household hazardous waste and electronic waste from their homes and dispose of it properly — free of charge. The community collection event will be held from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, at the East Orange County Service Center, 12050 E. Colonial Drive.
Items that will be accepted include, but are not limited to, the following: pool chemicals, waste oil, pesticides, cleaning fluids, unknown chemicals, vehicle batteries, home computers, telephones and TVs. For more information, call the Orange County Utilities Solid Waste Hotline at 407-836-6601.
