The New Organized Collection Statute
The League of Minnesota Cities staff has posted a legislative update explaining the new Organized Collection statute, which Gov. Dayton signed into law on May 7th.
Labels: organized collection
John Nephew
Maplewood City Council Policy & Politics
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Thursday, May 02, 2013
Reform Passed
Just got word...reform of the organized collection has passed both houses!
Labels: environment, organized collection
Monday, February 18, 2013
Sauk Rapids Organizing
After Maplewood organized its trash hauling, and anti-organization haulers demonstrated their willingness to spend a lot of money on political races to punish would-be organizers and defend their own profits, the outlook seemed dim for other cities to follow our lead.
But apparently not that dim -- I just heard about Sauk Rapids choosing to go with a plan for organization, as reported in the St Cloud Times, with some council members who had opposed organization changing their mind on the issue when they saw the savings and benefits for residents.
I haven't seen it confirmed, but a rumor I hear is that the haulers' political group that has been backing anti-organization candidates (as they did in Maplewood and Roseville) was involved in Sauk Rapids, too -- and the candidates they backed, once in office and caught up to speed on all of the facts and pros and cons, sensibly changed their minds and decided that organization was the right path for their city. If this is true, it's a very interesting wrinkle in the story.
But apparently not that dim -- I just heard about Sauk Rapids choosing to go with a plan for organization, as reported in the St Cloud Times, with some council members who had opposed organization changing their mind on the issue when they saw the savings and benefits for residents.
I haven't seen it confirmed, but a rumor I hear is that the haulers' political group that has been backing anti-organization candidates (as they did in Maplewood and Roseville) was involved in Sauk Rapids, too -- and the candidates they backed, once in office and caught up to speed on all of the facts and pros and cons, sensibly changed their minds and decided that organization was the right path for their city. If this is true, it's a very interesting wrinkle in the story.
Labels: organized collection
Thursday, January 31, 2013
I Stand Corrected
In my last entry, I shared the news that trash rates in Maplewood for 2013 would remain the same as last year. However, that's turned out to be slightly inaccurate -- the final rates put in place for this year are lower than the 2012 rates.
Here are the new rates for 2013 in Maplewood, including all taxes and fees:
Here are the new rates for 2013 in Maplewood, including all taxes and fees:
- $6.79 for 20 gallons every other week
- $9.23 for 20 gallons every week
- $10.51 for 32 gallons every week
- $11.76 for 65 gallons every week
- $13.17 for 95 gallons every week
Labels: organized collection
Monday, November 19, 2012
Trash Rates 2013: Unchanged in Maplewood
It's that time of year when we start getting notices of rate increases for the new year -- but if you live in Maplewood, one bill that won't be increasing is your trash.
It's funny to me that so many people who asked me to vote against organized trash collection insisted that, while the rates might start low, they would soon increase and wind up costing more than the previous system. Of course, none of these people had actually read the contract. Never mind that; many of them said that, whatever I thought the contract said (and regardless of my close involvement with the development of all its details), there must be something in there that would allow the hauler to screw over the customers once we were lured in by low introductory rates. Or, I was told, the hauler would just go ahead and raise rates regardless of the contract's terms, and the city would be helpless to stop them.
The contract does allow for annual price adjustments, but with very specific parameters. Hauler proposals had to specify what portion of their price was tied to fuel; what portion was tied to disposal costs; and what portion was tied to the rest of the cost of service. Each year, each of those elements will be adjusted according to objective measures: a diesel fuel index (for fuel costs), tipping fees at the Ramsey-Washington facility in Newport (disposal costs), and the consumer price index (all the rest). I don't know if anyone believed me when I told them, but I explained that with this formula it was quite possible for trash rates not to increase, but actually to stay the same or fall in future years of the contract.
There has been inflation over the past year -- but diesel is actually cheaper, and apparently the tipping fees at Newport will actually be reduced in 2013. Talking with some folks at city hall recently, I'm told that the net result is a wash -- trash rates for all of 2013 will be set at the same super-low rates that kicked off our new organized trash hauling system last month. In other words:
When we estimated $1.6 million in annual savings for Maplewood households, we were using the average rates I'd found across the city in 2011. Considering the 2012 and 2013 rate increases that the organized collection contract has avoided, the savings are now even larger.
It's funny to me that so many people who asked me to vote against organized trash collection insisted that, while the rates might start low, they would soon increase and wind up costing more than the previous system. Of course, none of these people had actually read the contract. Never mind that; many of them said that, whatever I thought the contract said (and regardless of my close involvement with the development of all its details), there must be something in there that would allow the hauler to screw over the customers once we were lured in by low introductory rates. Or, I was told, the hauler would just go ahead and raise rates regardless of the contract's terms, and the city would be helpless to stop them.
The contract does allow for annual price adjustments, but with very specific parameters. Hauler proposals had to specify what portion of their price was tied to fuel; what portion was tied to disposal costs; and what portion was tied to the rest of the cost of service. Each year, each of those elements will be adjusted according to objective measures: a diesel fuel index (for fuel costs), tipping fees at the Ramsey-Washington facility in Newport (disposal costs), and the consumer price index (all the rest). I don't know if anyone believed me when I told them, but I explained that with this formula it was quite possible for trash rates not to increase, but actually to stay the same or fall in future years of the contract.
There has been inflation over the past year -- but diesel is actually cheaper, and apparently the tipping fees at Newport will actually be reduced in 2013. Talking with some folks at city hall recently, I'm told that the net result is a wash -- trash rates for all of 2013 will be set at the same super-low rates that kicked off our new organized trash hauling system last month. In other words:
- $10.63 for 32 gallons, weekly pickup, including all taxes and fees
- $11.93 for 65 gallons, weekly pickup, including all taxes and fees
- $13.39 for 95 gallons, weekly pickup, including all taxes and fees
When we estimated $1.6 million in annual savings for Maplewood households, we were using the average rates I'd found across the city in 2011. Considering the 2012 and 2013 rate increases that the organized collection contract has avoided, the savings are now even larger.
Labels: organized collection
Friday, November 02, 2012
Credit Where Due, Please
Memo to lying hack @ctiedeman: Peter Fischer didn't "impose" Maplewood's trash system, saving residents $1.6 million/year. I did.
— John Nephew (@JohnNephew) November 2, 2012
Labels: organized collection
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tennis Sanitation Wins Hastings Contract
Congratulations to Tennis Sanitation for winning a 3-year contract for trash hauling and recycling in Hastings starting next year.
While Tennis opposed Maplewood's effort to organize trash hauling, they did still participate constructively in the process and submitted a solid, competitive proposal. The year before, they had won Maplewood's recycling contract. When I was on the council I received many comments from residents expressing satisfaction with their recycling service. As a resident who uses their services every week myself, for that matter, you can count me among the satisfied.
I'm glad to see Tennis pursuing contracts like Hastings, and demonstrating -- as they did with recycling in Maplewood and other cities -- that the smaller local firm can compete head to head with the big players in bidding/proposing for organized recycling and trash contracts and earn a piece of the business.
While Tennis opposed Maplewood's effort to organize trash hauling, they did still participate constructively in the process and submitted a solid, competitive proposal. The year before, they had won Maplewood's recycling contract. When I was on the council I received many comments from residents expressing satisfaction with their recycling service. As a resident who uses their services every week myself, for that matter, you can count me among the satisfied.
I'm glad to see Tennis pursuing contracts like Hastings, and demonstrating -- as they did with recycling in Maplewood and other cities -- that the smaller local firm can compete head to head with the big players in bidding/proposing for organized recycling and trash contracts and earn a piece of the business.
Labels: organized collection
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Trash Rates in Roseville
Speaking of Roseville trash bills, Roseville is one of the few cities that publishes official hauler rates on the city website -- the rates that the haulers themselves report
when they apply for a license from the city. You can see if you're
paying what your hauler claims their rates to be.
In Maplewood, I found (here's my entire report) that on average, residents actually paid about 25% more than the official rates reported to the city. I would not be surprised if the situation is similar in Roseville. I did actually get a couple of examples of Walters bills in Roseville last year, and in both cases the customers were charged a higher base rate than the one reported to the city.
In any case it's a good idea to shop around (and to figure in any fuel or "environmental" surcharges that a hauler may or may not tack on to those base rates). In Maplewood, the residents who paid the least tended to watch their bills closely and to call other haulers for rate comparisons frequently, and then either switch or use the rival offer as leverage to get a lower rate with their existing hauler.
Of course, with an organized system, the city does that bargaining for you. Here's a comparison of the 2012 official rates in Roseville:
In comparison, starting in October 2012, Maplewood residents will be paying the following rates through the city's contract, including all taxes and fees:
Given the money at stake, you can see why the "Garbage Haulers for Citizen Choice" are willing to spend a lot of money to stop Roseville from following Maplewood and saving their residents a lot of money, at the expense of those hauler' profits.
In Maplewood, I found (here's my entire report) that on average, residents actually paid about 25% more than the official rates reported to the city. I would not be surprised if the situation is similar in Roseville. I did actually get a couple of examples of Walters bills in Roseville last year, and in both cases the customers were charged a higher base rate than the one reported to the city.
In any case it's a good idea to shop around (and to figure in any fuel or "environmental" surcharges that a hauler may or may not tack on to those base rates). In Maplewood, the residents who paid the least tended to watch their bills closely and to call other haulers for rate comparisons frequently, and then either switch or use the rival offer as leverage to get a lower rate with their existing hauler.
Of course, with an organized system, the city does that bargaining for you. Here's a comparison of the 2012 official rates in Roseville:
2012 Monthly Garbage Hauler Rates
Rates may or may not include taxes or other charges such as fuel surcharges. |
|||||
| Hauler | Phone | 32 Gallon | 64 Gallon | 96 Gallon | Extra Bag |
| Ace Solid Waste | 763-427-3110 |
$12.49
|
$12.99
|
$14.99
|
$3.00
|
| Allied Waste |
651-455-8634
|
$14.75
|
$15.00
|
$16.00
|
$5.00
|
| Aspen* | 612-884-8000 | $17.84 | $20.59 | $23.35 | $2.00 |
| Garbageman | 763-269-8182 |
$23.00
|
$25.00
|
$26.00
|
$2.00
|
| Gene's Disposal* |
651-426-1224
|
$17.00
|
$18.99
|
$21.00
|
$2.00
|
| Veolia |
651-459-3029
|
$12.25 | $14.25 | $16.25 | $2.50 |
| Walter's |
763-780-8464
|
$17.25
|
$18.95
|
$19.95
|
Call
|
| Waste Management |
952-890-1100
|
$15.00
|
$16.00
|
$17.00
|
Call
|
In comparison, starting in October 2012, Maplewood residents will be paying the following rates through the city's contract, including all taxes and fees:
- $10.63 for 32 gallons, weekly pickup
- $11.93 for 65 gallons, weekly pickup
- $13.39 for 95 gallons, weekly pickup
Given the money at stake, you can see why the "Garbage Haulers for Citizen Choice" are willing to spend a lot of money to stop Roseville from following Maplewood and saving their residents a lot of money, at the expense of those hauler' profits.
Labels: organized collection, Roseville
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Roseville Garbage
As a follow-up to the last post, you may wonder who exactly is behind "Garbage Haulers for Citizen Choice," the group pouring money into the Roseville City Council race with an eye to choking the grassroots interest there in organized collection.
According to campaign finance reports last year, the funding of this group in their Maplewood operation came from these haulers:
(Thanks to the folks at Walters, by the way, for visiting my blog recently, and reminding me that I should write this post, since folks may not know who is behind the front group.)
According to campaign finance reports last year, the funding of this group in their Maplewood operation came from these haulers:
- ACE Solid Waste
- Dick's Sanitation
- Randy's Environmental
- Walter's Recycling & Refuse
(Thanks to the folks at Walters, by the way, for visiting my blog recently, and reminding me that I should write this post, since folks may not know who is behind the front group.)
Labels: organized collection, Roseville
Thursday, August 16, 2012
WTB Roseville City Council Seats
Last year, as "Garbage Haulers for Citizen Choice" bought themselves two seats on the Maplewood City Council (Bob Cardinal and Marv Koppen), it was odd at first glance -- since most of that group were not even licensed in Maplewood, the one that was had very little business here. What's more, the key votes were going to be made before any new councilmembers were seated, and there was a likely 3-member council majority to approve organized collection whose terms didn't end until 2014. But all the election spending in Maplewood of course had less to do with Maplewood than with sending a message to other suburbs -- in particular, next door in Roseville, where the business interests behind this group have a lot more business at stake, and where there's been a notable groundswell of resident interest in and support of organized trash collection. Given that we estimate Maplewood's plan will save our residents about $1.6 million per year, you can understand that these haulers are willing to spend a fair bit to protect their profits elsewhere.
Sure enough, the GHFCC has been spreading cash around again this year, trying to repeat their Maplewood success by buying a couple of seats on Roseville's city council. Unlike Maplewood's race, when the spending was focused on mailings on the eve of the November general election, in Roseville they've started throwing their weight around ahead of the primary. From their mailings and candidate financial reports, one can see that the haulers have decided that their candidates are Lisa Laliberte and Bill Hoffman. In a field of seven candidates for two seats in Tuesday's primary, with the top four advancing from the primary to November's general election, Laliberte came in #1 and Hoffman came in #4. The top three candidates were fairly close, at 1282 to 1377 votes each, while #4 was a much more distant 860 votes.
I'll be interested to see how this plays out in the general election, and to learn how the candidates not anointed by the haulers' PAC respond and adapt their campaign strategies.
Sure enough, the GHFCC has been spreading cash around again this year, trying to repeat their Maplewood success by buying a couple of seats on Roseville's city council. Unlike Maplewood's race, when the spending was focused on mailings on the eve of the November general election, in Roseville they've started throwing their weight around ahead of the primary. From their mailings and candidate financial reports, one can see that the haulers have decided that their candidates are Lisa Laliberte and Bill Hoffman. In a field of seven candidates for two seats in Tuesday's primary, with the top four advancing from the primary to November's general election, Laliberte came in #1 and Hoffman came in #4. The top three candidates were fairly close, at 1282 to 1377 votes each, while #4 was a much more distant 860 votes.
I'll be interested to see how this plays out in the general election, and to learn how the candidates not anointed by the haulers' PAC respond and adapt their campaign strategies.
Labels: organized collection, Roseville
Sunday, August 05, 2012
Trash System Exemptions
For almost everyone in Maplewood, the pricing in new organized collection system will mean savings large or small. The largest (95-gallon) bin is $13.39 per month (including all taxes and fees), and a household could get service for as little as 6.83 per month (again including all taxes and fees) for the 20 gallon every-other-week service option. But there is a group of exceptions, however: people who were getting by without any trash service under the open hauling scheme.
While some such folks may have been doing things like illegal dumping, as I spoke with people I encountered numerous examples of perfectly reasonable things, even things that should be encouraged. In some cases a business owner might bring trash to their office commercial dumpster; in other cases, an elderly resident told me they produced very little trash and either shared a bin with a next-door neighbor or used the trash bin of an adult child who lived nearby; or someone with very low volume might periodically bring trash to a pay-dump location for disposal.
My view has been that we should allow exemptions for these folks under an organized collection scheme, and the plan we approved last year left the door open. State law requires cities to mandate trash collection service, but allows exemptions for environmentally responsible alternatives. The details were left to be implemented by ordinance after I left the council, however, and I wasn't sure if a policy would be adopted that would be as permissive as I would like.
The final policy adopted is as flexible as I could have hoped, and much more permissive than the exemption policies I've seen in other cities. A form on the city website allows households to apply for the exemption. It states that "the city has sole discretion in allowing an exemption if it is verified that a property owner has an environmentally responsible method of disposing of their garbage," and provides some expansive examples of what would be acceptable (quoting from the form):
While some such folks may have been doing things like illegal dumping, as I spoke with people I encountered numerous examples of perfectly reasonable things, even things that should be encouraged. In some cases a business owner might bring trash to their office commercial dumpster; in other cases, an elderly resident told me they produced very little trash and either shared a bin with a next-door neighbor or used the trash bin of an adult child who lived nearby; or someone with very low volume might periodically bring trash to a pay-dump location for disposal.
My view has been that we should allow exemptions for these folks under an organized collection scheme, and the plan we approved last year left the door open. State law requires cities to mandate trash collection service, but allows exemptions for environmentally responsible alternatives. The details were left to be implemented by ordinance after I left the council, however, and I wasn't sure if a policy would be adopted that would be as permissive as I would like.
The final policy adopted is as flexible as I could have hoped, and much more permissive than the exemption policies I've seen in other cities. A form on the city website allows households to apply for the exemption. It states that "the city has sole discretion in allowing an exemption if it is verified that a property owner has an environmentally responsible method of disposing of their garbage," and provides some expansive examples of what would be acceptable (quoting from the form):
- Written permission to dispose of garbage in a neighbor’s or family member’s garbage cart (shared service).
- Use of a commercial dumpster owned or leased for use by a commercial property. (This commercial property may be owned or leased by the applicant, or the applicant may be an employee who has written permission from his/her employer to use the employer’s commercial dumpster.)
- Self hauling garbage to a state permitted solid waste facility.
Labels: organized collection
Sunday, March 04, 2012
Article on Legislation & Maplewood
I see the Pioneer Press has a story about Maplewood and the trash-related bills in the legislature.
Along the way, it mentions that the city got its bids for the trash carts being purchased, and the price has come in much lower than what the naysayers were predicting.
Along the way, it mentions that the city got its bids for the trash carts being purchased, and the price has come in much lower than what the naysayers were predicting.
Labels: media, organized collection
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Organized Collection in the Legislature
Two bills related to organized collection have been introduced in the Minnesota House so far this session.
HF2063 would amend the organized collection process to make it simpler and, frankly, less absurd -- cities could for example study organized hauling without having to declare that they "intend" to do it.
On the other hand, HF2084 is basically an effort to stop any city from organizing by making it prohibitively expensive, through the threat of inverse condemnation. Some elements of the waste hauling industry have long sought to force city governments to pay them for the work they no longer do if the cities decide to adopt an organized collection plan, and every few years some variation on this theme gets introduced as a bill.
HF2063 would amend the organized collection process to make it simpler and, frankly, less absurd -- cities could for example study organized hauling without having to declare that they "intend" to do it.
On the other hand, HF2084 is basically an effort to stop any city from organizing by making it prohibitively expensive, through the threat of inverse condemnation. Some elements of the waste hauling industry have long sought to force city governments to pay them for the work they no longer do if the cities decide to adopt an organized collection plan, and every few years some variation on this theme gets introduced as a bill.
Labels: organized collection
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Roseville Talking Trash
I came across an article in the Roseville Patch about their public works commission considering the topic of organized trash collection.
Testifying against it at the meeting were Randy's Environmental and ACE Solid Waste. These firms, as you may recall, are not licensed to serve Maplewood residents, but both poured money into our election this fall to defeat me -- both in direct corporate spending (as "Garbage Haulers for Citizen Choice"), and in the contributions of owners and officers to Marv Koppen's campaign. Two individuals who are officers or owners of Randy's -- James Wollschlager and Mark Stoltman -- gave Marv the legal maximum $300 contribution. (His finance report listed their employer/occupation as "unknown," though it was easy to identify their association with the hauler with a google search. In fact, all of his "unknown employer" contributors can be identified as being affiliated with haulers.)
As I said at the time, though not having business in Maplewood, these firms were interested in intimidating other city councils -- and I figured Roseville is a particular target, given the market share of these firms their and the interest that Roseville residents and commissioners have been showing in the topic in recent months. Sure enough, the haulers used the example they made of me to not so subtly threaten the same treatment for Roseville officials who threaten their profits.
Testifying against it at the meeting were Randy's Environmental and ACE Solid Waste. These firms, as you may recall, are not licensed to serve Maplewood residents, but both poured money into our election this fall to defeat me -- both in direct corporate spending (as "Garbage Haulers for Citizen Choice"), and in the contributions of owners and officers to Marv Koppen's campaign. Two individuals who are officers or owners of Randy's -- James Wollschlager and Mark Stoltman -- gave Marv the legal maximum $300 contribution. (His finance report listed their employer/occupation as "unknown," though it was easy to identify their association with the hauler with a google search. In fact, all of his "unknown employer" contributors can be identified as being affiliated with haulers.)
As I said at the time, though not having business in Maplewood, these firms were interested in intimidating other city councils -- and I figured Roseville is a particular target, given the market share of these firms their and the interest that Roseville residents and commissioners have been showing in the topic in recent months. Sure enough, the haulers used the example they made of me to not so subtly threaten the same treatment for Roseville officials who threaten their profits.
Labels: media, organized collection, Roseville
Monday, November 28, 2011
Perspective
Tonight the city council will vote on whether or not to adopt the organized hauling plan that has been developed over a process that, it's fair to say, has been going on at least since last summer.
The out-of-town hauler group, which is probably more concerned about what might happen on their turf in Roseville, sent another big mailing to residents to drum up opposition. However, with the city actually having specifics of a plan to share with people, I've noticed a much higher proportion of e-mails and phone messages in favor of the organization plan than was the case in the past.
Still, people are skeptical -- they've learned not to trust haulers, and so they sometimes don't believe the numbers the city has obtained through this process. One person who wrote assumed that the city postcard's rates must be talking about cost per week, not cost per month for weekly service. He could not believe that he would see a 60% savings. It's ironic that peoples' distrust of haulers' rate quotes, based on bad experiences, has led many to trust a group of haulers (defending their profits) over their city government (trying to save them millions over the next few years).
Meanwhile, today's mail brought me a copy of Little Canada's city newsletter -- something we often get, due to being in the 55117 ZIP code. It mentions that they received the results of a scientific survey of their residents about satisfaction with various city services. Among the very highest-rated: their organized refuse & recycling program, which 96% of Little Canada residents rate as "excellent" or "good." I've heard that White Bear Lake found similar results in their own similar survey in the past year.
Many people are afraid of change, and I suspect that they have a particular cynicism about trash because of experiences dealing with many haulers. But if Maplewood passes this plan, I expect that it will reach the same level of popularity as organized systems have in our neighbor cities -- and when the contract expires, no serious candidate for city office will campaign on a platform of going back to an open system (just as candidates opposing organized trash this year were not willing to voice any complaints about organized recycling). After people see the benefits, it's going to be tough to run on a promise of doubling everyone's rates in order for them to enjoy "choice" and the privilege of having half a dozen or more trucks drive down their street on trash day in place of one.
The out-of-town hauler group, which is probably more concerned about what might happen on their turf in Roseville, sent another big mailing to residents to drum up opposition. However, with the city actually having specifics of a plan to share with people, I've noticed a much higher proportion of e-mails and phone messages in favor of the organization plan than was the case in the past.
Still, people are skeptical -- they've learned not to trust haulers, and so they sometimes don't believe the numbers the city has obtained through this process. One person who wrote assumed that the city postcard's rates must be talking about cost per week, not cost per month for weekly service. He could not believe that he would see a 60% savings. It's ironic that peoples' distrust of haulers' rate quotes, based on bad experiences, has led many to trust a group of haulers (defending their profits) over their city government (trying to save them millions over the next few years).
Meanwhile, today's mail brought me a copy of Little Canada's city newsletter -- something we often get, due to being in the 55117 ZIP code. It mentions that they received the results of a scientific survey of their residents about satisfaction with various city services. Among the very highest-rated: their organized refuse & recycling program, which 96% of Little Canada residents rate as "excellent" or "good." I've heard that White Bear Lake found similar results in their own similar survey in the past year.
Many people are afraid of change, and I suspect that they have a particular cynicism about trash because of experiences dealing with many haulers. But if Maplewood passes this plan, I expect that it will reach the same level of popularity as organized systems have in our neighbor cities -- and when the contract expires, no serious candidate for city office will campaign on a platform of going back to an open system (just as candidates opposing organized trash this year were not willing to voice any complaints about organized recycling). After people see the benefits, it's going to be tough to run on a promise of doubling everyone's rates in order for them to enjoy "choice" and the privilege of having half a dozen or more trucks drive down their street on trash day in place of one.
Labels: council politics, organized collection
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
City Postcard About Trash Proposal
The city has sent out a postcard to let residents know about the proposed trash contract and its prices, which we will be voting on next Monday.
I've gotten a couple of calls today from folks who received the card but were confused by the "EOW" (every other week) option. To be clear, every other week is an option for the 20 gallon container size, for households with very little trash. All of the other options (20, 30, 60, 90 gallon) are for weekly pickup, just as people are accustomed to.
Another point of clarification: The exact container sizes are not known at this time; they should be in the usual range (90 to 98 gallons, for instance, for the largest size), and will depend on the vendor and model of carts ultimately chosen for purchase if the city adopts the plan.
I've gotten a couple of calls today from folks who received the card but were confused by the "EOW" (every other week) option. To be clear, every other week is an option for the 20 gallon container size, for households with very little trash. All of the other options (20, 30, 60, 90 gallon) are for weekly pickup, just as people are accustomed to.
Another point of clarification: The exact container sizes are not known at this time; they should be in the usual range (90 to 98 gallons, for instance, for the largest size), and will depend on the vendor and model of carts ultimately chosen for purchase if the city adopts the plan.
Labels: organized collection
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Draft Contract & Prices Now Public
Yesterday afternoon, the packet for Monday's coming council meeting was posted on the city website. Item I.2.a is the draft trash hauling contract with Allied Waste and an accompanying staff report.
Jumping to the meat of it, here are the prices residents will pay if we adopt the contract. The cost of city-owned carts (aka trash bins) is included, assumed at a cost of 75 cents per month (which is on the high end of estimates; I expect it actually to be less, perhaps as low as 40 cents, but the exact amount depends on financing details).
To make it easier to look at your current bill and compare, I've calculated and included the two taxes that would apply -- for the county and for the state -- in the table below.
Service Cost: Includes base cost, fuel, disposal, and the cost for the city to buy carts.
CEC: Ramsey County Environmental Charge, a 28% tax
SWMT: Minnesota Solid Waste Management Tax, 9.75%
EOW: Trash bin is picked up every other week rather than weekly
To compare the proposed prices, first look at your current bill to find your billing period -- it's typically two or three months. Find your service level on the table, multiply the number in the last column by two or three months, and compare it to the amount of the check you write today, including all fees, surcharges, and taxes.
For the average household, savings would be around 50%. Here are some comparisons to actual, specific bills in my collection.
Jumping to the meat of it, here are the prices residents will pay if we adopt the contract. The cost of city-owned carts (aka trash bins) is included, assumed at a cost of 75 cents per month (which is on the high end of estimates; I expect it actually to be less, perhaps as low as 40 cents, but the exact amount depends on financing details).
To make it easier to look at your current bill and compare, I've calculated and included the two taxes that would apply -- for the county and for the state -- in the table below.
| Service Level | Service Cost | Tax: CEC | Tax: SWMT | Monthly Total Bill |
| 20 gal EOW | $4.97 | $1.39 | $0.48 | $6.85 |
| 20 gal | $6.78 | $1.90 | $0.66 | $9.34 |
| 30 gal | $7.72 | $2.16 | $0.75 | $10.63 |
| 60 gal | $8.66 | $2.42 | $0.84 | $11.93 |
| 90 gal | $9.72 | $2.72 | $0.95 | $13.39 |
Service Cost: Includes base cost, fuel, disposal, and the cost for the city to buy carts.
CEC: Ramsey County Environmental Charge, a 28% tax
SWMT: Minnesota Solid Waste Management Tax, 9.75%
EOW: Trash bin is picked up every other week rather than weekly
To compare the proposed prices, first look at your current bill to find your billing period -- it's typically two or three months. Find your service level on the table, multiply the number in the last column by two or three months, and compare it to the amount of the check you write today, including all fees, surcharges, and taxes.
For the average household, savings would be around 50%. Here are some comparisons to actual, specific bills in my collection.
- This typical Tennis Sanitation customer with a 60-gallon container pays $39.68 total for two months of service. Tennis is generally the low-cost vendor in Maplewood today. Their bill for two months of service under the proposed contract would be $23.86 -- savings of 40%.
- This Tennis Sanitation customer with a 60-gallon container has a better deal (possibly as a new customer), since their bill does not include the usual fuel surcharge, and pays $34.58 total for two months. For this household with a special deal, the proposed price of $23.86 for two months would still be a savings of 31%.
- The first bill in my collection, which started me down the path of studying hauler rates and fees and ultimately writing a report on the subject, was this one. This household was charged $137.31 for three months of service on a 90-gallon container. Under the proposed contract, their three-month bill would be $40.17 -- savings of 71%. If we adopt the proposed contract, it will save this household a whopping $388.56 per year.
- This bill is has the lowest rate of any customer I have yet found in Maplewood, even including townhome associations. Their current bottom line is $28.93 for two months, 60 gallons. Their total price under the proposed contract, including all taxes and fees, would be $23.86 -- still 18% lower than their current bill.
Labels: organized collection
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
2011 Results
The election results are in, and I lost. The two candidates funded and promoted by the haulers, Bob Cardinal and Marv Koppen, won.
I'm of course disappointed by the results, but I knew this was possible as a result of the trash controversy and the hauler money that could be spent against me. In the FAQ I wrote last year, as we were going into our first public hearing on the trash topic, I wrote:
That wasn't mere rhetoric. I have no regrets about standing by my convictions. I believe our system of government relies on representatives who are willing to do the right thing even when it may not seem popular. As a candidate four years ago, I ran on a promise to be that kind of leader, and I didn't break that promise for the sake of re-election. For all the cash these haulers showered upon their benefactors and spent against me, they never had enough to buy my conscience.
I'm of course disappointed by the results, but I knew this was possible as a result of the trash controversy and the hauler money that could be spent against me. In the FAQ I wrote last year, as we were going into our first public hearing on the trash topic, I wrote:
If I vote for this, it will be because I believe it's the right decision for the residents of Maplewood. If I get voted out of office for choosing what I have carefully concluded is right, rather than what other people tell me is popular, I can live with that.
That wasn't mere rhetoric. I have no regrets about standing by my convictions. I believe our system of government relies on representatives who are willing to do the right thing even when it may not seem popular. As a candidate four years ago, I ran on a promise to be that kind of leader, and I didn't break that promise for the sake of re-election. For all the cash these haulers showered upon their benefactors and spent against me, they never had enough to buy my conscience.
Labels: campaign 2011, organized collection
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Following the Trash Money
A campaign finance report for "Garbage Haulers for Citizen Choice" has appeared on the City's website this morning. So if you're wondering who has been paying for all those oversized postcards in your mailbox, here are the four garbage hauling corporations behind the front group:
Of these four "Citizen Choice" haulers, only Walters is licensed for residential service in Maplewood, and they apparently have very few accounts here. I was never able to locate one of their bills in my study, but I did find customers of theirs in Roseville -- where they charge those customers rates that are higher than what they report to the city per licensing requirements.
As I've said before, these outside corporations are meddling in our election because they want to intimidate other local governments. They want to protect their own profits and scare other city officials away from scrutinizing their dubious business practices.
- ACE Solid Waste
- Dick's Sanitation
- Randy's Environmental
- Walter's Recycling & Refuse
Of these four "Citizen Choice" haulers, only Walters is licensed for residential service in Maplewood, and they apparently have very few accounts here. I was never able to locate one of their bills in my study, but I did find customers of theirs in Roseville -- where they charge those customers rates that are higher than what they report to the city per licensing requirements.
As I've said before, these outside corporations are meddling in our election because they want to intimidate other local governments. They want to protect their own profits and scare other city officials away from scrutinizing their dubious business practices.
Labels: Bob Cardinal, campaign 2011, organized collection
Friday, November 04, 2011
Who's Behind the Independent Expenditures?
Today Maplewood residents were treated to a second postcard in the mail from the front group called "Garbage Haulers for Citizen Choice." While the previous card told people to vote against me, this one encourages them to vote for two candidates who are opposed to any changes: Bob Cardinal and Marv Koppen.
You might be wondering who put up all the money for these expensive city-wide mailers. Unfortunately, the group hasn't filed a campaign finance report to disclose their contributors or the expenditures they've made to influence the election. However, a reader wrote in to point out that the domain registration for www.haulersforchoice.com (the website on their cards) is registered to ACE Solid Waste -- a hauler up in Ramsey, MN, that isn't even licensed to work in Maplewood.
The waste industry has broken every effort by local governments to look at this issue over the last twenty years. Corporations that do no business in Maplewood are willing to spend a lot of money to affect our election, as a warning to other local officials in neighboring communities. Any elected official thinking about challenging the haulers' cushy status quo, as I have, now knows how much these corporations can spend to punish them in their next election -- and how much cash they're willing to shower upon the candidates who publicly commit themselves to the haulers' corporate agenda.
You might be wondering who put up all the money for these expensive city-wide mailers. Unfortunately, the group hasn't filed a campaign finance report to disclose their contributors or the expenditures they've made to influence the election. However, a reader wrote in to point out that the domain registration for www.haulersforchoice.com (the website on their cards) is registered to ACE Solid Waste -- a hauler up in Ramsey, MN, that isn't even licensed to work in Maplewood.
The waste industry has broken every effort by local governments to look at this issue over the last twenty years. Corporations that do no business in Maplewood are willing to spend a lot of money to affect our election, as a warning to other local officials in neighboring communities. Any elected official thinking about challenging the haulers' cushy status quo, as I have, now knows how much these corporations can spend to punish them in their next election -- and how much cash they're willing to shower upon the candidates who publicly commit themselves to the haulers' corporate agenda.
Labels: Bob Cardinal, campaign 2011, organized collection
| Older Posts |
Posts by Topic
Posts by Date
Search Posts
Contact me at
john@johnnephew.com
john@johnnephew.com