Committee still divided on future trash pickup
Last Updated on Tuesday, September 25, 2012 04:36 pm Written by Columb Higgins Tuesday, September 25, 2012 04:12 pm
PETERSBURG – Township committee remains divided on the purchase of new trash trucks, even as employees say the old trucks are far past their useful life and falling apart.
It has been four years since Upper Township has purchased a new trash truck. During that time, officials have explored alternative means of trash pickup, including automation and privatization. The township has also been in negotiations with the local public works union on a new contract that would allow for the purchase of different trash trucks.
Trash truck drivers and trash collectors say the trucks have become dangerous during that time. The trucks regularly break down, requiring thousands of dollars in repairs. They have become dangerous for employees to operate, they say.
Employees regularly appear at Upper Township Committee meetings asking the body to authorize purchase of new trucks.
“This has been going on for four years,” driver George Grund said at the Monday, Sept. 24 meeting. “Someone got hurt on the back of a truck because it is falling apart.”
But purchase of new trash trucks is tied up with the future of how Upper Township collects trash. The township has looked at three options: privatization, automization, or continuing with current methods, perhaps with larger trucks.
Privatization is rarely mentioned now, but township committee members are split between the other two options.
Deputy Mayor Curtis Corson Jr. supports a move to automization, which would mean purchasing three automated trash trucks. The automated trash trucks have mechanical arms that can reach out and grasp standardized 96-gallon plastic trash containers. The driver operates the arm from the right side of the driver’s cab. There is no need for two trash collectors on the back.
Corson said he supports automization because it would be safer for workers and cut down on workers’ compensation claims.
“Three people fell off a truck this year alone,” he said. “The last one could cost us a lot of money.”
Corson said he thinks the move to automization would be a good one, but the plan has been pushed aside because it would require laying off seven employees to make fiscal sense.
“We have 12 people picking up trash now,” said Corson. “If we get (automated) trucks, five people have retired since we started talking about this, another two could retire. It would reduce salaries and we wouldn’t have to hire part-time help in the summer time to weed whack and do other things.”
Township engineer Paul Dietrich, who supervises the public works department, said automated trucks are more efficient than manual pickup. After recent storms in Atlantic County, one automated truck was able to do the job of two manual trucks, he said.
Salaries and wages for trash collectors in Upper Township was $720,000 in 2010. During a presentation on automated trash pickup that year, officials said the move would save $188,000 in salaries annually.
The upfront cost to purchase three automated trash trucks and new 96-gallon trash cans for residents was estimated at $1.8 million. The township would bond for the cost under the plan.
Employees have said the savings would be minimal if the new trucks require repairs. Reducing the township’s workforce will also affect snow removal and other services, they said.
Committeeman Tony Inserra said he doesn’t think automated trash trucks will work in Upper Township. The trucks will have a difficult time during the summer in Strathmere, where they would have to double back to do both sides of the street. The standard 96-gallon trash cans would also be too large for older residents to carry to the curb, he said.
“What about a resident who is 76 years old who has to carry that can to their curb?” asked Inserra.
Inserra said township guidelines prohibit trash collectors from lifting trash cans that weigh more than 50 pounds.
“Why would we let a 76-year-old do that whereas a young person isn’t allowed to do that?” he said.
Inserra has pushed for the purchase of two new trash trucks of the same type that are currently used. The cost of the purchases, around $130,000 a piece, would be covered by the township’s recycling grant, he said.
“Three trucks broke down during the last pickup,” he said. “We need these trucks now. The recycling grant money is sufficient to buy two new trucks. We wouldn’t have to bond. We can buy the trucks outright.”
Resident Hobie Young, who is running for a seat on township committee with Inserra’s support, said the township will always be able to use the new trucks for bulk item or leaf pickup. He said it would be unfair to ask residents to carry 96-gallon cans to the curb.
“I have a 280-foot driveway,” said Young. “You can’t expect seniors to drag a can that far.”
Young said township committee needs to decide what is best for Upper Township and move forward. He said residents should be brought into the conversation as well.
“We can’t even order a truck until you decide,” he said. “You seem further away from each other now than you were four years ago.”
Mayor Richard Palombo said part of the reason for the delay is contract negotiations with the public works union.
The township and union have been in contract talks since December. The current contract requires three employees to be on each truck. The township is seeking a change so that it has flexibility to reduce the number of employees per truck.
The township and the union were set to continue negotiations Wednesday, said Palombo.
As for his preference, Palombo said he wants to purchase the most efficient trucks for Upper Township. He favors a larger trash truck to reduce the number of trips to the county dump.
A larger truck would also work because Cape May County is going to single stream collection next year, he said. That means trash and recycling will be comingled, he said.
“I have no opposition to buying new trucks but we need what makes the most sense for us,” said Palombo. “We need to look at what private contractors are doing across the country. They are using larger trucks to reduce the number of trips to the dump.”
Palombo said that the township has to be careful before it makes a large capital investment.
“We need to look at the most efficient way of doing trash pickup,” he said. “I’m not opposed to the old way, but we need to look at more efficient ways first.”
Driver Stewart Segin said the larger trucks would be difficult to turn in some of Upper Township’s cul-de-sacs. The trucks would cost more in tires, brakes and repairs, he said.
Grund said the larger trucks would beat up township roads.
“The roads are crumbling because they haven’t been done in 10 years,” he said.
In the meantime, Palombo said Upper Township Committee will form a subcommittee to develop a consensus on how to move forward. Palombo said Inserra, who oversees public works as part of his duties on township committee, will serve on the subcommittee with another committee member.
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