City to Try Pilot Project on Extra Garbage
Tuesday, February 19, 2013 @ 3:58 AM
Prince George, B.C. – “Every time the driver picks up a bag he doesn’t know the weight of, there is a potential for injury” says City of Prince George Operations Director Bill Gaal. None the less, Council is asking for a one year pilot project that would allow for the pick up of an extra bag of garbage, provided it was marked with an appropriate sticker purchased from the City.
Although the idea would be to have a maximum weight for the bag pick up, there is still a danger of repetitive injury claims. The reduction in claims has been the big selling point in going to the automated garbage system in the first place The plan would see the automated truck pick up the cart and dump it, then the driver will have to place the extra bag into the now empty cart and have the truck pick up the cart to empty it.
Other communities charge $2-$3 dollars for a sticker or tag to place on the extra bag. The rule will be, no tag, no pick up.
Gaal advised Council there is also the issue of animals getting into the bags that are left curbside, an issue that has seen reduced complaints once the carts were introduced.
Clearly there is an issue, as City crews are already facing carts that are so full the lids can’t close.
While this idea is meant to be self sustaining, there are concerns the extra garbage will result in higher tipping fees at the landfill as well as reduced productivity in picking up the garbage as drivers have to get in and out of their vehicles.
Still, staff have been directed by Council to come back with a bylaw for a pilot project that will outline the tag system and possible fees for the extra service.
Comments
I take it there will not be a second person on the truck?
IDIOTS IDIOTS & MORE IDIOTS
First extra bag that is lifted the guy hurts his back and goes on compensation. I wonder what the drivers think of this? As a matter of fact if I was a driver I might not get out of the truck and let the neighbourhood dogs look after it.
I have to echo kendoo on this one. This makes no sense whatsoever and we are simply reinforcing bad behavior by permitting people to produce more garbage when recycling would be a far, far bettr alternative.
We wnt from an oversized container that we had to put ut every week to an undersized containerthat we could often put out every second week. We’ve gone with Blue Jewel, whose service has been excellent, and the extra effort to set up and use other containers for recycling is minimal.
Since they’re already going to a referendum for flouridation, why not stick another question on the ballot and ask us if we want a city-wide recycling service?
When someone has to pay to put out an extra bag of garbage, I’m pretty sure that they are going to buy the biggest strongest bags possible and stuff them so damn full that even Santa couldn’t magically lift them.
This move is certainly not something that I understand. We went to the new system because it wasn’t labour intensive and would cut down on injury claims, among other reasons. For the mere sum of $2-3 we are going to take this giant step backwards?
Why not move forward and look at BINS for recycling instead?
This city is so focused on earning an additional dollar or two that common sense has left the room. (If in fact it was ever there! )
This bylaw doesn’t surprise me at all. This council has continuously proven to me they have the “spend a dollar to save a dime” mentality. No wonder they have been posting a part time/on call job for seasonal people in the waste management/parks dept this year (at $28.00/hr no less to start), because they expect lots of garbage to be flying around the neighbourhoods with this new bylaw. We already have bear problems getting into peoples garbage in thier bins, what is it going to be like supplying them with a nice smelly, easy to open bag to rip open. And of course because of our location the bears drag the garbage right through our yard to the woods behind us. I am picking up other peoples garbage out of our yard about 6 times per summer, I expect that to dramatically increase with this stupid bylaw. Maybe I will collect it all summer and give it as a present to city hall in september.
Amazing idiotic plan. Here come garbage spread down the streets, here come the crows, more bears blown away.
Well just add it to the list of other idiotic things that this merry band of idiots have come up with.
I used idiot a lot because this is such an idiotic idea I just cannot get past idiot.
What are those idiots doing in the ivory tower. Do you really think the extra $2 is going to make a difference. Look at the logistics of it all. Now the guy has to punch in the house #, a person has to collect this information, and add it too the bill.
What happens if I take my extra bag and place it next to a neighbours bin that I don’t like. Then he can pay for it, he will than argue with the city that it was not his garbage. Than the city will spend how many hours to dispute a $2.00 charge.
Get a grip on things. Just because another city does something, it does not mean it is a good thing.
If you have extra garbage, take it to the dump yourself. Or start recycling!!!!!
Yes even a redneck like me has started to recycle. about every three months I take the cardboard to the recycle bin. What a huge difference that alone makes on the volume of garbage going out. Naturally recycle the bottles and stuff, and the grandkids get a little extra jingle in their pockets.
Ooops, I did not realize you pre buy a tag for two bucks. Well, if your driving all the way down to city hall, why not drop off the bag at the transfer station.
Its just no logistics.
Here’s a thought – perhaps someone should pay for an extra tag, find a “really big” garbage bag and throw this deaf City Council out with the trash!
Opt out of garbage pick up. Charter of Rights? Freedom of association? I don’t want to associate with the garbage man?
What a backwards move! We got the trucks with the arm to cut down on back injuries for the drivers. Now, the idea is to go back to manually picking up some garbage. I can’t believe it. I thought we had a bylaw that people who put out garbage that overflows, got warned and then their garbage was not picked up. We all need to reduce our garbage. And yes, I use Blue Jewel and the smallest can and try not to buy over packaged goods.
Not impressed! I have two young children and I rarely put the garbage out every week. Milk Jug, Tin Cans, Cardboard, Newspapers, etc can all be taken to the bins scattered around the city once a week if needed. I would pay for the city to to have a recycle bin pickup.
Dear City Hall mis-managers, how about you make it a requirement that the lid close before the trash is picked up? Residents can keep the extra trash until the next weeks’ pickup and it might just encourage them to reduce the amount of garbage they have.
I have kept bags of garbage out of the container because it wouldn’t fit. Granted it was non-perishables but still, it could work.
Have someone drive a pickup and put the extra garabage in the back and offload it into the main garabage truck as it proceeds in the route. More efficient for the main vehicle.
Firstly who is going to pay the extra money for the extra bag??? Not me.
Secondly if you drop it off at the transfer station it will cost you $6.00. It used to be free, then $2.00 then $4.00 and now $6.00
Thirdly. Everyone makes noises about the reduction in back injuries etc; This was one of the issue’s that the City used to justify the new system. There was a problem though.
THE CITY NEVER INDICATED HOW MANY INJURIES THERE WERE PER ANNUM, AND WHAT THE COST WAS FOR THESE INJURIES.
So how can we make a learned judgment when we don’t have any facts.
As an example. When the City of Vancouver went to this system, they claimed a WCB savings of $100,000.00 per year. Prince George has considerably less garbage employee’s than Vancouver so we can guess that the savings might come in around $20,000.00 per year. Who knows.
With the City of Prince George, its all about justifying the projects, and rarely has anything to do with fiscal responsibility and common sense.
Stat holidays, delay in garbage pick up, now I will have to pay extra for normal garbage accumulation to be picked due to a rotation change in garbage pickup?
Stat holidays, delay in garbage pick up, now I will have to pay extra for normal garbage accumulation to be picked due to a rotation change in garbage pickup?
DPJ
So you suggest having another person in a truck follow each of the garbage trucks on their route to pick up an occasional $3 dollar bag of garbage?? and you say it will be more efficient??? Revenue would not even cover gas for second vehicle and then there are wages for the driver plus the costs for second PU.
How long have you been a manager at city hall??
dumb!! Just pick up the garbage in the bin. No more no less!! Why make it so complicated.
Maybe the garbage men can rake my lawn and put it in a garbage bag for a fee. I think the City just needs to stick to the basics and stop experimenting.
The City see’s an opportunity to get some extra revenue if enough people pay for the extra pick up. They probably figure the extra pick-up will be done with no extra cost, which is probably true. The regular truck can probably do both without too much trouble.
If only 2000 people used the extra service it would generate an additional $200,000.00 per year.
When they originally went to this new system, they stated that eventually WCB would force them to do so. Now they are going backwards, no mention of the WCB enforcers.
Hmmmmmmmmm.
$200,000.00???
250 garbage days a year
5 trucks per shift
each truck would have to bring in $160 per day or just over 53 bags to make 200k, not very likely. Plus if the driver got out of his truck that many times a shift he would not finish his route without OT.
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