29-Sanitation PolicyCITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM BRIEFING SHEET
Submittal Date:
Originating Department:
Presented By:
Agenda Item No.:
6-18-2009
Shawn Napier, P.E. City Engineer
Council Date:
City Council
/Director of Public Warks
29.
6-22-2009
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
Not an action item - discussion only.
POLICY ISSUE(S):
Sanitation Policy
BACKGROUND:
Mayor Freelen is requesting that the policy of requiring all residential garbage be bagged be amended to
allow for tree leaves to be placed in trash containers unbagged and loose as a convenience to customers.
Staff has prepared the following list of pros and cons for each option:
Allowing Residents to Put Loose Leaves In Containers
Pros•
1.) Not bagging can be easier for resident
2.) Cheaper for resident long-term, i.e. cost savings from not buying bags will eventually exceed any
costs for new trash containers
3.) Benefits the environment because loose leaves in the landfill aides in composting.
4.) Prevents excess spillage of leaves due to small sticks tearing bags.
5.) Becomes a much more secure container to ensure leaves are poured into truck (bags often tear).
6.) During compaction loose leaves eliminate the possibility of a bag exploding and blowing leaves out
onto the ground.
7.) Promotes the City's interest in establishing a more green environment.
8.) Gives citizens that are economically challenged an outlet to remove leaves and small limbs from
their property (the City's compost site no longer takes leaves.)
[CONTINUED
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION:
N/A
EXHIBITS:
Residential collection policy
ACTION:
BUDGET INFO:
❑ Financial Report ❑ Minute Order
Expense
$
❑ Department Report ❑ Resolution
gudgeted Amt.
$
Z Presentation ❑ Ordinance
y'I'D Actual
$
❑ Public Hearing ❑ Other
Acct. Name
Acct. Number
FISCAL NOTES:
REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY:
* Administrarion Z City Clerk ❑ Community Development ❑ EMS/IT ❑ Finance ❑ Fire
❑ Municipal Court ❑ Legal ❑ Library ❑ Police Z Eng./Public Works ❑ Utilities
City of Paris Revised 2/04/08
M U~l(~2~~
9.) Most citizens already own trash containers because stray animals like to destroy plastic bags.
10.) Current weight limit still needs to be enforced to prevent injury to any employee as well as
home owner.
11.) Gives citizens additional outlets to make Paris an overall cleaner community.
12.) Citizens will have an option of bags or reasonably-sized open containers to promote
property cleanliness.
Cons•
1.) When employees pour leaves on top of other existing bags in truck hopper, leaves will blow out during
travel and during packing operations.
2.) Loose leaves in container create hazards, e.g. large limbs or sticks protruding out of the top of the
container.
3.) In the past customers have put loose trash in containers and covered it up with loose leaves and/or dirt,
creating health and sanitary issues, including unexpected heavy lifting loads and access to trash for
rodents and other animals. Heavy containers increase back injuries and workers compensation claims,
resulting in higher premium payments and lower productivity.
4.) Leaves blowing out of trash cans/boxes creates litter in ditches and curb lines as well as blocked
drainage structures, causing higher operational costs due to crews having to clean ditches and more
loads for the street sweeper.
5.) Customers have a tendency (even now) to rake their leaves into the gutter far the street sweeper,
requiring more labor, higher sweeper maintenance costs, and lower sweeper productivity.
6.) In the past customers have used odd containers to put leaves out for collection, including small
swimming pools, small row boats, refrigerator boxes, etc.
7.) Customers will have to purchase many more trash containers than necessary for most months out of
the year.
8.) There will likely be more containers to be placed at the curb, which is more inconvenient for the
resident and is unsightly for the neighborhood.
9.) More trash containers are likely to lead to a higher demand on Code Enforcement for people who leave
their trash containers at the curb every day.
10.) In order to minimize leaves blowing out of the truck, every time crews dump leaves they will have
use the packer so that the leaves do not blow out of the back of the truck as they proceed down the
road. This will require mare fuel as well as take our employees longer to complete a route, lowering
productivity and increasing operation and maintenance costs.
11.) Since there will not be an increase the number of containers picked-up, customers will have
difficulty storing leaves over multiple pick-ups. If they purchase enough trash containers to hold all of
the leaves then they will have the inconvenience of a large number of containers to store all year-long
for an issue that is an issue only a couple of months out of the year. Due to the number of containers
they will almost certainly have to be stored outside, which will be unsightly for neighbors.
12.) The Code Enforcement Task Force spent several meetings reviewing the sanitation ordinance in
2007-2008 and after the many hours of discussion did not recommend making any changes to the
requirement for bagging.
City of Paris Revised 2/04/08
m uouV(J
Residents Bagginz Leaves
Pros•
1.) Bagged leaves will require reduced use of packer and reduces the amount of time per stop,
increasing productivity and minimizing operation and maintenance costs. '
2.) Safer, faster and neater for the collector and the neighborhood.
3.) Majority of residents at the present time have become accustomed to following the ordinance
requirement of putting leaves (and all other trash) in bags.
4.) Before a limit on bagged leaves was implemented, crews were collecting from 100-150 bags at
some residences. The current limit is 12 bags of leaves/trash on bulk day (2°d trash pick-up day of
the week) and six bags on the first pick-up of the week for a total of 18 bags a week. Pick up and
trailer loads of leaves can still be taken to the landfill north of Paris once monthly free of charge
5.) Several years ago a six-month study on leaf pick-up in the City determined that the Sanitation
department picked up 80,000 bags of leaves.
6.) Bagging complies with the recommendation of the Code Enforcement Task Force.
Cons•
1.) Long-term cost of bags
2.) Takes more time to bag leaves
3.) Bagging leaves adds plastic bags to the landfill and is not environmentally friendly.
Staff recommends that the sanitation ordinance not be changed.
City of Paris Revised 2/04/08
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CITY OF PARIS
RESIDENTIAL COLLECTION POLICY
THE CITY OF PARIS WILL PROVIDE TWICE-WEF,KLY RESIDENTIAL TRASH COLLECTION TO RESIDENTIAL
CUSTOMF,RS PAYING A MONTHLY RESIDENTIAL SANTI'ATION CHARGE, SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING
GUIDELINES:
1. Zones 1 and 3 will be collected on Monday and Thursday. Zone 2 will be collected on Tuesday and Friday (see map on reverse
side).
2. Items for collection must be placed together at curbside no eazlier than dusk the day prior to scheduled collection and no later
than 7:30 A.M. the day of collection. All items used for storage or contaimnent ofbags, bundles and containers must be removed
following collection by the city no later than 11:00 P.M. the day of collecrion. Storage containers shall be made of a solid and
durable grade of inetal or plastic with a capacity of not less than ten (10) gallons and a capacity of not more than sixty (60)
gallons. No permanent structures shall be constructed or placed at or near the curbside.
3. Household garbage or trash should be placed in properly secured disposable plastic bags.
4. Properly secured disposable bags will be removed from rigid or semirigid containers. All containers will be left at the point of
collection. For health and safety reasons, aarbaee that is loose in containers will not be collected.
5. Brush cut in three (3) foot lengths and tied in small bundles (no more than three [3] cubic feet) will be picked up on regulaz
collection days.
6. No more than a total of six (6) disposable bags or brush bundles will be collected on any regular collection day. On Thursday
and Friday one bulk item will be picked up in addirion to the six (6) bags or bundles. This item can be up to two (2) cubic yards
in size (for example a refrigerator). Six (6) additiona] bags may be set out in lieu of placing a bulk item at the curbside.
7. The weight limit for disposable bags or brus6 bundles should not exceed fifry (50) pounds.
8. Bulk item pick uu: A single bulk item will be picked up on the second pickup day of the week (Thursday or Friday), this item
will be limited in size to two (2) cubic yards. If you have more than one bulk item per week, you have two choices: 1) Call
Public Works at (903) 784-9266 and someone will come out and give you an estimate of what it will cost ($20.00 per cubic yard)
for the City of Paris Sanitation Dept. to remove your bulk items. 2) You can haul one pickup load per month to the landfill
located at 3100 CR 33900 (see map on the back) for free by taking a current water bill and your drivers license, both must have
the same address. Please do not place bulk items at the street until one (1) dav orior to aick up dav.
9. Items not nicked un: Waste unacceptable for residential pick up shall include, but not be limited to: hazardous waste,
constructioa/demolition debris, lumber, major vehicle parts, batteries, fencing, cross ties, landscape timbers, medical waste,
caustic, corrosive, explosive, toxic, or flammable materials; sewage or other human waste; anunal waste; or other materials
designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), city
manager, or designee.
10. Tires: Tires will be picked up for a chazge of $5.00 (five dollars) each with a four (4) rire limit per month. Only tires from a
passenger car or light duty truck (one-ton or less) will be picked up for this fee. These tires shall be the standard manufactures
recommended size for the vehicle they were removed from.
ll. Ordinance 2001-072 Sec.16-27 Disposal of bulk items from residential units; lar¢e brush oickup: fees. For lazge
accumulation ofbrush the resident shall be charged a separate fee of ten-dollars ($10.00) for each three hundred fifty (350) cubic
feet or portion thereof, of accumulated brush. The addirional charge will be assessed on the monthly water bill in accordance
with Section 16-28 (b) of the Code. Only brush accumulated from the individual residential lot will be eligible for the large
brush pickup service; brush from contractors, land clearing, or brush moved to the residence from another locarion will not be
accepted. In licu of brush pickup, residents may personally deliver their residential brush to the City of Paris compost site on
Field Road for no additional fee. A maximum of two (2) loads containing no more than 350 cubic feet per load may be taken
to the compost site per month. At the time of drop off, identification in the fortn of a valid Texas drivers license or other similar
acceptable photo idenrification and a City of Paris residential water bill or receipt will be required.
PLEASE NOTE: 350 cubic feet is equivalent to 7' x7' x7'
12. Brush: Limb size shall not exceed eighteen (18) inches in diameter and cut no longer than six (6) foot to eight (8) foot in length.
Brush pick-up will be accomplished by picking limbs up curbside with the boom truck and hauling away. Limbs/brush nlaced
for nick ua shall not block drainaae ditches nor sidewalks and shall not be olaced in the street. New brush lists are
distributed and started on Wednesday of each week. New lists are not worked until previous lists are completed which may
require more than one (1) week. For brush pick-up, call Public Works office at 784-9266. Residents who place piles of brush
at curbside for pickup, but fail to contact the Public Works office to schedule the pickup shall be charged rivo times (2X) the
normal rate. NOTF,: Brush on state highways shall be put near right-of-way or an accessible driveway.
13. Curbside: Refers to that portion of the public right-of-way or private property adjacent to paved or traveled City roadways
(including allcys). Any item(s) placed at curbside is assumed to be placed for collection, a fee may be charged for items
removed in accordance with the ordinance.
14. Trash will not be collected on the following official holidays observed by the City of Paris: New Years llay, Martin Luther
King Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving,
Chrisixnas Eve, and Christmas Day. Trash will not be picked up if the day after Christmas falls on a Saturday or Sunday.
Revised Noveuiber 6, 2007