Written by Citizens needed more information and involvment before the mayor launched this garbage pilot program….and a briefing to the council would have been very nice and appropriate as well.
I am not keen on the idea of garbage collection every two weeks…I think that is asking for trouble from pests and odors. Also, the idea of large housholds like mine stockpiling four cans seems like a lot of garbage sitting around in neighborhoods. And yes, we can put the food waste in the garbage disposal or the yard-waste container, but what about greasy food wrappers that attract rodents for weeks at a time.
If we are trying to pilot something like this, I feel we need an opt-out option for people who don’t want to be part of the pilot program, and we ideally should work though the neighborhood program to see if there is a neighborhood that would volunteer to test this concept. I don’t think it is fair to simply send someone a letter saying we are cutting their service and that they will have to pay the same fee as always…end of story.
From: Rcorman@ci.renton.wa.us
Subject: Fwd: Fw: Renton City Collection Pilot Program # 2
Date: July 30, 2007
To: racorman@comcast.net
From: “georgerock”
Date: July 30, 2007 12:32:40 PM PDT
Renton city council
Linda Knight
Well it’s been almost a week with no response to my concerns noted below to Linda Knight. I’m surprised that this Pilot program was not approved by the council or even talked about during any public meeting. Checking the City web there is nothing there on this program. This is not very good way keeping the city residents informed being a election year.
Linda Knight
After reading you reply I see you are not familiar with the Tiffany Park area when you left out Deer, raccoons, skunks and occasionally a bear from you response.
As you state” In addition, because we are moving to every-other-week collection of your garbage, the garbage cart you receive will be upsized (increased) to accomodate your 2 weeks of garbage (at no additional cost to you).”
What size is the containers that will accommodate the to weeks of garbage and recyclables?
Why was the City Council and residents left out on the decision to start this Program?
Why was Tiffany Park picked for this Pilot Garbage & Food Waste Collection program?
Why didn’t the Mayor who signed this letter along with Zimmerman be selected for the program?
Every other week is to long of time for residents to hold their garbage and recyclables. Who’s going to help people roll out this upsized containers to the curb?
George
Subject: Re: Renton City Collection Pilot Program
Dear George:
Councilmember Clawson forwarded your email.
Thank you for your concern about the Pilot Garbage & Food Waste Collection program we are ready to launch in your neighborhood. I’d like to respond to the concerns you’ve presented in your email below.
The letter you received is the first among several information pieces you and your neighbors will receive that describe the Pilot program and provide detailed participation instructions. While staff are referring to the Pilot program in your neighborhood as the “Tiffany Park Pilot ” neighborhood, the boundaries of the collection route do not exactly match those of your official neighborhood designation. We did not include the name in the letter because not all of the customers included in the Pilot test area relate to the Tiffany Park title and we didn’t want to confuse them. Next, you will receive a postcard, very briefly outlining the details of the program and reminding you to look for the delivery of your new garbage and recycle carts. With your new carts, you will receive a detailed instruction booklet, a Kitchen Food Waste collection container & compostable liner bags. Please take the time to carefully read through this information as it will help you understand all of the changes to your solid waste collection program for the duration of the Pilot. As the letter stated, this is a Pilot program that will run for 5 months, August 13 – December 31, 2007 as we test these different services. As a participant, you will have the opportunity to provide feedback to staff through a series of surveys during the Pilot period. We will use customer input as well as data collected through on-route collection surveys (testing for odor, vectors, etc) to help guide our planning for the next solid waste contract.
The City entered into a solid waste collection contract with Waste Management May 2000. In October 2005, the City exercised one of two extension clauses, to extend the contract through the end of 2007 in an effort to maintain reasonable solid waste rates. As the City approaches the end of that first extension, and plans for the next solid waste contract, it is important to test new services that are available to our citizens in order to evaluate what types of services our customers want the City to provide. This Pilot program seeks to do just that; test new services, and evaluate what our customers like and what they don’t like. Your comments and feedback are a very important component of the Pilot program.
I am happy to hear that Tiffany Park residents have embraced recycling. With this Pilot program we will be testing the Single-stream, all in one container, recycling system – a convenience our customers have been asking for. In addition, we will be expanding the list of items that customers may recycle. Our yard waste program is also changing for this Pilot. In a solid waste audit conducted in Renton, we found that over 35% of Renton’s residential garbage (after customers have already removed their recyclables) is food waste. Now, customers will be able to add food waste scraps to their yard waste. This will all be collected weekly (in the Tiffany Park Pilot area) and taken to the compost facility where it will be made in to compost – a nutritious garden amendment.
You are correct that your garbage and recyclables will be collected every-other-week for the duration of the Pilot program (5 months). Once your food waste has been sorted away from your garbage (and placed in your food & yard waste cart), and your recyclables placed in your new Single-stream cart, you may find that what is left in your garbage cart is mostly dry unrecyclable garbage. In addition, because we are moving to every-other-week collection of your garbage, the garbage cart you receive will be upsized (increased) to accomodate your 2 weeks of garbage (at no additional cost to you).
Again, I stress that your neighborhood will continue to have your food & yard waste collected weekly. This should mitigate any issues related to odor, or vectors (rats, opossom, etc.). In addition, the new carts you receive for the collection of your materials (garbage cart & recycle cart) are sturdy, wheeled & lidded to neatly contain & store the different waste streams until your regular collection day.
If you have any additional questions, I’d be more than happy to hear them. My phone contact is 425-430-7397.
Remember to keep a lookout for your new collection containers scheduled to arrive the week of August 6 – 10, 2007.
Sincerely,
Linda Knight
Linda Knight
Solid Waste Coordinator
1055 So. Grady Way
Renton, WA 98055
425-430-7397
425-430-7241 (Fax)
email: lknight@ci.renton.wa.us
“georgerock” <georgerock518@comcast.net> 07/22/07 4:18 PM >>>
To the Renton City Council
I received a letter from the Renton Mayor and Greg Zimmerman pertain to Tiffany Park recycling. The letter states that your neighborhood, [no where in the letter does it name Tiffany Park] has been selected to participate in a pilot program where your garbage will be picked up every other week and to put food in the yard waste container.
I was surprised that the citizens of Tiffany Park and the city council was left out of the decision or it was done behind closed doors. Furthermore were paying for a new school which has room to have a meeting with the Tiffany Park residents and you would get all the information you need to not have this pilot program. The last time I heard anything about the garbage rates was in the meeting of March 26, 2007, Committee of the whole where the garbage rates were talked about and Zimmerman stated that after this contract we have a two-year extension which will keep the rates down.
When the recycling was started in Tiffany Park the neighbors took part in recycling and are doing a very good job. It was a opportunity to separate their recyclables to obtain the lower rate. Now it sounds like there’s a plan is not to take the two-year extension, cut down and service and raise the rates for garbage and recyclable items.
We pay for weekly pickups and now you want to change that to every other week for the same price. I can’t see having garbage sitting around a house for two weeks. Normally the garbage cans, recycle bins and yard waste containers are full on a weekly basis. Sometimes there are extras recycling items that also are put out on the curb.
Tiffany Park is a highly wooded area where the citizens do their part by cleaning up the leaves and what ever else ends up in the streets and yards and put some in yard waste container (NOT ALL) Yes we still have wild animals coming through our neighborhood like Deer, raccoons, skunks, possums and occasionally a bear and of course rats. In your proposal to put food and yard waste container and hold it for two weeks is unacceptable.
The Mayor who signed this letter along with Zimmerman should have this Pilot Collection Program done in their neighborhood and see what kind of response they get.
I think my five minutes are up.
George
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