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Apopka City Council

City Council approves concept for new curbside bulky waste collection program

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The Apopka City Council, at its January 15th meeting, approved the concept for a new curbside and bulky waste program.

According to the Staff Report in the agenda packet for the meeting:

"The curbside yard waste and bulky waste program is sometimes abused by residents and contractors. Large amounts of tree debris including debris from the removal of whole large trees and large amounts of construction debris are placed at the curb for pickup by the City Sanitation crews. Smaller amounts of debris are placed loose at the curb contributing to street litter and inefficient pickups. The rates charged by the city are very competitive with local vendors. Staff would like to make some changes to the program to help control this abuse, reduce the risk to private property by city claw trucks and increase street cleanliness and route efficiency."

The packet also included a proposal, which was presented to Council at the meeting by Josh Robinson of Apopka Public Services.

New Yard Waste and Bulky Waste Collection Program Proposal

"The Sanitation Division provides yard waste and bulky service once per week and collects any amount prepared in any manner. These services employ 2 rear load trucks with a driver and two laborers on each, and two claw trucks with one operator on each. March through May add one crew of each type. The two claw trucks are used for large piles of tree debris or very large bulky items. However, these trucks provide service to an average of only about 8,000 homes per week yet they are nearly half of the entire yard waste operation. We take lawn and shrub clippings and tree debris from tree maintenance. However, “tree maintenance” has become more heavily used and harder to prevent homeowners putting the burden of debris hauling from large tree removals on the City. This is not the intent of the service.

The rate that we charge of $7.77 on average per yard or $140 per truckload is overly competitive with private debris removal companies that can charge over $15 per yard or $650 per truck load, depending on type of material. It is not uncommon for one of our claw trucks to spend a whole day in a single neighborhood, where contractors have made a sweep through the neighborhood raising the tree canopy and putting the material at the curb for the City to remove. This puts the pickup schedule behind for everyone else for the whole week. And collecting charges for the services is a burden in itself. It requires work orders and pictures and still often results in an argument with residents.m

Below are the proposed changes to the yard waste service that would limit abuse of the service, reduce the chance of lawn damage to a resident’s yard by the claw truck, and improve cleanliness and collection efficiency. The program would utilize large contractor bags such as the one in this picture. It holds up to 3300 lbs. and 1.5 cubic yards of debris. The claw truck lifts it by the attached straps and takes bag and all to the landfill. A stock of these bags would be purchased with the city logo on them and retailers would be solicited to stock them, such as Ace Hardware and Publix. The new program would have the following restrictions for pickup.

  1. Yard waste and small debris pickup limited to 10 bags, cans or tied bundles no more than 40lb and less than 5 feet long, or up to 10 bulky items or a combination of each (these limits would equal about 2 cubic yards per week at no charge).

  2. Charges the resident would pay include
    a. The cost of the bag charged by the retailer (estimated $30 including reimbursement of the City’s cost) b. $42 disposal
    c. $25.50 operating expense
    d. $5 per bag administrative cost
    e. Total of $75 per pick up and $57 for each additional bag on the same visit charged to the UB account plus the cost of the bags paid to the retailer by the resident.

3. Debris not prepared per Item 1 or placed in the contractor bags, would be charged $80 per cubic yard with an

$80 minimum.

The intent of the yard waste and bulky collection is to provide residents a disposal option for their lawn maintenance debris and bulky household items that will not fit in the garbage cart. It is not intended to provide disposal for not major tree surgery or removal, large amounts of construction debris or tenant move out trash. We’ve even found that our current program even entices adjacent Orange County residents to put their debris out on City of Apopka Streets for pickup. This price structure would help maintain a cost-effective service, help keep the city streets cleaner, remove the city as a competitor to local businesses and reduce the damage to private property caused by our claw trucks. The change will include a robust public education campaign in advance of implementation. If approved, a detailed roll out plan will be provided after addressing all details with Pubic Services, Media, Finance and Legal."

The Council voted 5-0 on the concept to move forward with more specific parameters to the curbside bulky waste collection program and to approve or disapprove the proposal when ready.

Apopka, Apopka Public Services, Bulky Waste Collection, Is my garbage collection rates going to increase?

Comments

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  • MamaMia

    The city is getting totally money hungry. We shouldn't be forced to buy those big contractor type bags with the city logo on them at that cost, and the high cost for pickup. What is going happen is people are going to start dumping their items illegally everywhere, and that is really going to make the area look like total crap. You all went up way too much on the water rates too! Shameful. What's next toll roads on city streets, and parking meters?

    Thursday, January 16 Report this

  • MamaMia

    So you all know of contractors who are cutting large amounts of tree canopy, and placing it by the city roadsides for pickup by the city crews, and you are obviously aware of county residents leaving their unwanted crap by city roadsides for the city to pick up, but instead of enforcing against those lawbreakers, and waste program abusers, you decide to sock it to us, the city residents??? What is wrong with that picture??? After the hurricanes, at different times, my husband and I, hauled load after load, to the free debris sites ourselves, after waiting, and waiting, and waiting, for the city to come and remove it. Our street looked like a dump. Now, I find out the city was spending tax payer's money and time, cleaning up after dead beat contractors, and low -life county residents dumping stuff in our city! Have you all considered having a site open to drop off tree and vegetative debris, like after the hurricanes, but on a regular basis? Many city residents that have pickup trucks, or trailers, would gladly use the free sites, and it would look nicer in the neighborhoods. Just show your proof of being a city resident.

    Friday, January 17 Report this