Gwinnett solid waste study results unveiled

By Patrick Fox

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Residents of unincorporated Gwinnett County appear to disagree a lot when it comes to trash removal, but they're all together over recycling.

Those are the sentiments unveiled Tuesday in a briefing for county officials by Abby Goldsmith of R.W. Beck, the firm tabbed to study Gwinnett's solid waste plan. The briefing was the culmination of almost five months of surveys, polling and data collection in an effort to draw a uniform plan tailored to the county's preferences.

The study results showed there was enough support to recommend required garbage collection at all residences. It did allow for exemptions, however, such as business owners with their own Dumpsters.

But there was a wide range of differences about other issues, such as establishing exclusive franchise districts and billing on property tax statements. Much of the polling data differed between those who attended the public forums and those who were randomly selected by computer.

The study also recommended the county establish service districts and limit the number of haulers operating within those districts. Goldsmith said the county could allow as many as three operators in a district, but it would increase costs for service. She also said the county could limit districts to one hauler but offer incentives to haulers who subcontract work to smaller operators. A district setup, she said, could be phased in over a year to allow for adjustments in service.

Goldsmith said the proposal also recommends incentives for recycling and a simple billing system. She suggested billing should be handled by the county, either on property tax bills or on utility bills, if one hauler is chosen per district. If multiple haulers are chosen, she said, it would make more sense to have the companies handle billings.

The study, commissioned in April at a cost of $131,000, used input from eight public forums, discussions with garbage haulers and a random survey of Gwinnett residents. The forums drew 330 people, and the random survey had about the same number of people responding. R.W. Beck also included business analysis and comparative studies of other counties' service plans to draw up its report.

County commissioners did not comment publicly after the briefing. Results from the data will be compiled into a formal report in several weeks.