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24-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 Works 24. 7-13-2009 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 Budgeted Amt. $ Z Presentation ❑ Ordinance yTD Actual $ ❑ Public Hearing ❑ Other Acct. Name Acct. Number FISCAL NOTES: REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY: Z Administration 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 11 Q0029G 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. ll.) 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 for 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 more 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 0 0 (;291 Residents Bakjeinz 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 - 000292 t-i i Y vr rAxib RESIDENTIAL COLLECTION POLICY THE CITY OF PARIS WILL PROVIDE'I'WICE-WF.EKLY RESIDENTIAL TRASH COLLECTION TO RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS PAYING A MONTHLY RESIDENTIAL 3ANTTATION 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 ofcollection. All items used for storage or contauunent 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 contadners will be left at the point of collection. For health and safety reasons, ~arbaee 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 regular 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 addition 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) additional bags may be set out in lieu of placing a bulk item at the curbside. 7. The weight limit for disposable bags or brush bundles should not exceed fifry (50) pounds. 8. Bulk item oick ap: 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 ulace bulk items at the street until one (1) dav urlor to vick uo dav. 9. Items not nieked uu: Waste unacceptable for residential pick up shall include, but not be limited to: hazardous waste, construction/demolition debris, lumber, major vehicle parts, batteries, fencing, cross ties, landscape timbers, medical waste, caustic, coaosive, explosive, toxic, or (]aznmable materials; sewage or other human waste; animal waste; or other materials designated by [he U.S. Environntental 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) tire limit per month. Only ares from a passenger caz 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. 11. Ordinance 2001-072 Sec.16-27 Disposal of bulk items from residential units; lar¢e brush pickup; fees. For lazge accumularion of brush 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 accutnulated brush. 1'he additional chazge will be assessed on the monthly water bill in acwrdance with Section 16-28 (b) of the Code. Only brush accumulated from the individual residentia] lot will be eligible for the large brush pickup service; brush from contractors, laad clearing, or brush moved to the residence fmm another location will not be accepted. In lieu of brush pickup, residents may personally deliver their residenGal 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 form 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 olsced for pick-up 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 cwbside for pickup, but fail to contact the Public Works office to schedule the pickup shall be charged two times (2X) the normal rate. NOTE: 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 alleys). 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 Day, Martin Luther King Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Trash will not be picked up if the day after Christmas falis on a Saturday or Sunday. Revised November 6, 2007 ~~'f?9 9;3