02/25/1987 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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III. WORK SESSION: REFUSE COLLECTION ISSUES: MECHANIZED CURBSIDE COLLECTION RATE AND CITY'S ROLE IN REGULATION OF REFUSE e City Manager Micheal Gleason introduced the item. Terri Vanderpool of the Development Department said the council will hold a public hearing on a proposed ordinance which would establish a formula for determining the minimum rate for residential curbside refuse collection service in Eugene. She said the work session is an opportunity for the council to learn about the proposed ordinance and other issues related to refuse collection. A. Mechanized Curbside Collection Rate e Greta Utecht, Special Permits Supervisor, said residential curbside refuse collection is a new service in Eugene. Previously, refuse hauling companies in the city have provided backyard service. She said the City has a minimum rate for residential backyard refuse collection from standard 32-gallon containers but the City has no minimum rate for mechanized curbside service. She said the City's minimum rate for backyard service is calculated from a base rate and the Lane County tipping fee. The proposed residential curbside minimum rate is calculated from the base rate, a discount for increased efficiency, the cost of the hauler-provided container, and the tipping fee. The curbside service can be provided by companies that buy mechanized trucks that can be operated by one person. The service is less expensive for customers than collection of an equal amount of refuse from the backyard. Answering questions from Ms. Ehrman, Ms. Vanderpool said the City's current position is difficult because the curbside, mechanized service has been provi ded by one haul er for several months even though the Ci ty has no established minimum rate for the service. Mr. Gleason added that technically the company offering the s'ervice is violating a City ordinance and should receive a citation. Replying to questions from Mr. Rutan.and Ms. Bascom, Ms. Utecht said most of the refuse hauling companies support the proposed formula and minimum rate. Ms. Vanderpool said curbside service is optional. Mr. Miller said the council should seriously consider the visual pollution caused by refuse cans left at the curb. Answering a question from Mr. Bennett, Ms. Utecht said one hauler objected to the proposed minimum rate for curbside service because that hauler would like the City's minimum rate to be based on the actual amount of refuse collected. However, all minimum rates in the city and most of those in other cities are based on the capacity of containers. She said it would be very difficult to enforce a rate based on how much refuse is put into a container. She said refuse hauling companies can provide either 60- or gO-gallon containers. Mr. Holmer said he has curbside service and a gO-gallon container. He likes the service. He said the proposed rate is about 25 percent more than he pays now. When asked whether recycling was included in the recommended rate, Ms. Utecht said the cost of the recyclying service provided by refuse hauling companies is included in the base rate. It is not affected by the proposed minimum rate for gO-gallon containers. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 25, 1987 Page 5