Home > Gwinnett > Rick Badie / My Opinion > Archives > 2007 > December > 13 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.US“One plan, two potential concerns”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Steve Wood’s been in the garbage business 14 years.
He worked his way up at various companies, starting out as a “helper” - the person who hops off the back of a garbage truck, grabs the can or recycling bin, and tosses the waste into the bay - to a supervisor with United Waste Services-Robertson Sanitation of Winder.
“I loved it when I first got into it,” he told me. “And I haven’t lost my feelings towards it.”
We drove around in his company truck Wednesday, tailing a garbage truck that inched its way through a hilly subdivision in Buford. I’d hoped to be on that truck - the rear of it - trying to keep up with Joel Colon, the helper. Liability issues squashed the idea. I’d thought the experience would provide an excellent backdrop to write about trash, a topic of interest in the county these days.
On Tuesday, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to regulate trash service. They OK’d a 10-year “solid waste management plan” that will grant exclusive territorial franchises to no more than eight garbage collection companies. Those companies would be selected through a bid process.
Nothing’s finalized.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs and the Atlanta Regional Commission have to approve the plan; a private hauler has threatened to sue, citing an unlevel playing field for small trash collectors.
Currently, most Gwinnett residents can choose the haulers they want for garbage service, which averages around $25 a month. Or they can get rid of their own garbage. About 20,000 single-family households have no service; that may contribute to the litter we see strewn along roads.
When it comes to quality of life, I can see the greater good in the proposal. Two things, in particular, though, give me pause.
Like the potential for rate hikes.
Supposedly, the winning bidders can’t raise rates without county approval. We all know where there’s a will, though, there’s sure to be a way. The territorial franchises are basically monopolies. No competition. You pretty well do as you please. Somewhere right now, a garbage hauler is trying to figure out a way to sway a franchise his company’s way, then turn it into a renewable gravy train.
Then there’s the bid process.
I don’t mean to cast aspersions on the current commissioners or county brass. But so often when the words “bid,” “government,” and “contract” appear together, “illegal” or “impropriety” follow close behind. Bid-rigging. Implementation of the trash plan ripens the possibility, the temptation, for it.
I could be up in arms about losing the right to pick my own garbage collection service. But that would be a reach; I don’t even know the company name of my current hauler. And residents upset that different garbage haulers work their neighborhoods on different days need a hobby. Or two.
While riding with Wood during the Badie Tour on Wednesday, we saw the garbage can of only one competitor. All the rest were customers of United Waste Services-Robertson Sanitation. Colon, the helper, has cat-like speed. Has to. He’s only supposed to spend 12 seconds at each curb.
The company practices “right-hand routing,” so helpers don’t have to cross the street to retrieve garbage cans. Workers are supposed to wait until the truck stops before they step down. They aren’t supposed to put recycling bins and trash cans in front of mail boxes or driveways. (If that’s the case, my hauler definitely isn’t United Waste Services-Robertson Sanitation.)
“It looks easy,” Wood told me. “But any job looks easy till you starting getting into it.”
Rick Badie’s column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875 or e-mail rbadie@ajc.com.
Permalink | Comments (14) | Post your comment | Categories: Rick Badie
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
Comments
By Stan
December 13, 2007 9:06 AM | Link to this
I’m against the plan. Anytime a governing body takes away consumer choice, it is bad for the consumer. I have fired my garbage collector in the past due to they always left my can blocking my driveway.
I also agree that anytime there is a bidding process with government it is done with the transparancy of a cinderblock wall. Too often it at least seems as though there something fishy going on.
Also I rather doubt the trash seen on the side of the road has that much to do with not having residential service. I went about a year without garbage pickup and took my trash to work and tossed it in the dumpster. sure some may come from it but I would think not that much.
By delois
December 13, 2007 10:41 AM | Link to this
If you are a resident of the City of Lawrenceville, then you never get a choice about any of the utilities/city services but then we have well water too so maybe that’s not such a bad thing.
By Bruce Wicox
December 13, 2007 11:11 AM | Link to this
Like Stan I too had to fire one service and hire another. I now may be stuck with the one I fired thanks to the commssion making my choices for me.
The bidding process has always been used to get rid of the small guy. The mega haulers can aborb a decrease in profit, a smaller outfit playing it close to the chest can not.
Just another ordinance to toss on the pile of Gwinnett’s Big Government Bureaucracy. Added to the Rain Tax, the QoL unit that slowly faded into the sunset, the new water fine, which means an increase for us all will not be far behind and the County Hires No Illegals ordinance, alotted hundred of thousands of dollars that been tweaked everytime a contractor complains and I haven’t heard of one inspection or company charged.
How many more feel good mommie government ordinances can we take before election day
By John
December 13, 2007 12:57 PM | Link to this
Who pays an average of $25 a month for garbage service? I have never paid more than $50 per quarter for trash collection, even when I was living up North with unionized workers. In fact, my Waste Pro bill for 4th Qtr 2007 service was $45.00 plus 1.20 franchise fee.
It’s garbage people - its one of the smallest bills you probably have. I’d be more concerned about your other utilities. What will you find to complain about next?
FYI - if the “trash man” leaves your can in front of your driveway, get your fat butt out of your car and move it!
By Bruce Wicox
December 13, 2007 1:28 PM | Link to this
It is about choice and service John, not money. With one I received lousey service and switched, now the county decides. Next they may pick your lawn service, maybe the color of your house, soon John everything will be done for you, won’t that be grand.
By John
December 13, 2007 1:53 PM | Link to this
You sound a bit paranoid, Bruce! Why don’t you take some advice from our host and get a hobby. Or two. A little fresh air away from the computer screen might do you some good!
By Bruce Wicox
December 13, 2007 8:03 PM | Link to this
Sorry John it took so long to get back to you, I was out in the fresh air looking for a hobby and I didn’t realize you were still talking trash.
It just comes down to some people like to make their own decisions, while some rather have others make decisions for them. To each his own.
By OTOH
December 13, 2007 11:41 PM | Link to this
I lived here when the county had 1 garbage hauler and service was abysmal. The “helpers” left piles of garbage on the street, in the yard, on the driveway (what was that complaint about litter and dumping?) when they had accidentally knocked over a can, which happened at least once a month in my cul de sac alone. Complaining to the “service” did not help- what did they care they had the contract and I needed to get the majority of the Commissioners to agree to use my complaint to find them in breach of contract. Now, I can fire at will as I should be able to do with any service provider. I am casting no aspersions on the Commissioners either but this bid deal is another opportunity for corruption. The haulers will be tempted to donate to campaign funds, the victims of bad service will be be told that contributions speak louder than complaints, and the officials will be tempted to act according to contributions.
By Floyd Akridge
December 14, 2007 12:23 AM | Link to this
I am VERY disappointed that this plan was ever concieved much less approved. Lets see…you take away my ability to choose who I want to be my provider and somehow that helps the environment. Did I sleep through the 2008 elections and miss the Democratic take over of the Board of Commissioners?
There is one easy way to make a good plan fail…involve government. This idea was foolish from the beginning and it’s mind blowing to understand what the Commissioners were thinking.
By Vince
December 14, 2007 1:33 AM | Link to this
Wow, wish I could get Waste Pro like John has. They don’t operate out here in my part of Dacula I guess. I’m stuck with Robertson Sanitation. Try total bill for the quarter of $66.06 for service, 1.20 franchise fee and a $7.17 “fuel/environmental” fee.
I wish I did live in Lawrenceville. You have to use their trash service BUT it’s only like $9.00 per month. Maybe the Gwinnett County Government should operate the trash service as a government agency like Lawrenceville does.
By LilburnDazed
December 14, 2007 9:26 AM | Link to this
Do you get to pick your cable service? Your power company? You water service? No. Stop whining about garbage service… as long as your garbage is taken away you have no reason to complain. If you bag your trash properly and leave it at the curb you are set. I’m pretty sure all you folks complaining are the same folks who refuse to bag trash and who then complain when your own garbage is found blowing around your own neighborhood. Like one poster said, if they leave your empty can in your way, GET OFF YOUR LAZY BUTT AND MOVE IT!
By Jim
December 14, 2007 9:45 AM | Link to this
If I understand the garbage situation in Gwinnett, it is the Commissioners’ belief that many residents do not have garbage pickup service and they have concluded that this explains a lot of the litter along the roads.
With modern technology, couldn’t all sanitation companies supply the county with a customer list by street number? They have to have this information in order to bill their customers.
If the county required all residential addresses to purchase service, computers could cross check the lists supplied to the county with the residential list of the tax commissioner.
The county government could then contact any addresses that pop up as not being serviced.
This would require some work by the county government but would also achieve greater compliance. Issuing a franchise for a particular area does not ensure that everyone in that area will purchase service.
There has to be oversight to make the County’s solution or my method work. The County will have to be involved in this process, no matter what they do. They do not have to destroy small companies to achieve waht they want to acomplish.
By floyd akridge
December 14, 2007 11:38 AM | Link to this
LilburnDazed is the classic idiot…Do I get to pick my cable company? HELLO…heck YES I do. I also pick my natural gas provider, my telephone provider, my grocery store, where I get my pizza, where I buy my gas, etc…
This is the government telling you who you have to use, when they pickup and how much you have to pay. HUH? How could ANYONE who loves freedom support this.
And lets STUFF this 20,000 arguement. It’s horribly dishonest. Think for a minute…if 20,000 people dump one bag of trash per week that’s over ONE MILLION BAGS per year…where are these millions of bags on our roadways?
This plan flies in the face of the core Republican principles of Less Government and Personal Freedoms. Hello BoC…what the heck are you thinking.
By Al
December 14, 2007 1:51 PM | Link to this
First: WhatJimSaid. Since we’re already able to choose from a wide variety of service providers, there’s no reason why this system can’t remain in place once garbage pickup becomes mandatory. I had to fire a company three years ago due to horrible customer service. What if that same company winds up being the trash collector for my zone, only this time they don’t even have to worry about competition, so the provide even worse service than before?
Second: Ditto on the 20,000 argument. While some of those 20,000 are likely responsible for the trash you find illegally dumped in woods and rural areas, there will always be trash on the roadside even it you have garbage collection at 100% of the households. You’re always going to have idiots who think nothing of tossing stuff out the window or not properly securing loads that wind up blowing out of the moving vehicle. Also add pedestrians to the list of roadside trash culprits — they buy stuff at convenience stores, consume it during their walk, and since there’s no waste cans along the roadside they simply drop the wrappers/bottles/etc on the ground when they’re done with it. This is common practice along the main road outside my subdivision. And Gwinnett has tons of pedestrians.
This also punishes individuals who have an alternate but acceptable means of trash disposal. For example, there’s only two people in my house – we don’t generate very much garbage, and we recycle roughly 50% of it. I drop off the recyclables for free at the Gwinnett Recycling Bank. What remains will fill one or two large sized trash bags each month (but never more than that). Since I don’t want to pay a full monthly collection fee for just one or two bags, I have an alternate (but proper and legal) arrangement for its disposal. This saves me money….money that will be taken away from me if pickup becomes mandatory. But I realize I’m in the minority here, and there’s always someone who has to take a hit when something like this comes along. Guess it’s my turn this time.
The current proposal seems ill-conceived at best, but if the county is dead-set on going through with this then please at least let us choose our service provider. We already have that option, and it makes no sense at all to take it way from us and also force the smaller companies out of business.