City has recycling, waste problems-again.
Tom Tatkin was confused.
Every other Monday, he placed a bin of recyclables in front of his house, but it never seemed to get picked up. He tried putting out his recyclables on opposite Mondays. That seemed to work-sort of.
Tatkin had deduced the right day for pickup, but he'd apparently sorted his trash wrong, because he never received any list of instructions.
"I think the city needs to do a better job explaining to residents how the trash collection works," Tatkin says. "Sometimes the public is ignorant of what week it is, what exactly we have to
***image1***
do and how the system works. They should have better public outreach."
Putting garbage out in front of one's home on the properly assigned days isn't rocket science. But Tatkin's troubles are not uncommon in a city that has struggled to keep its Solid Waste Management Division functioning efficiently.
Earlier this month, SFR reported that City Manager Asenath Kepler fired Solid Waste Management director Jill Holbert after Holbert clashed with her subordinates [Outtakes, Aug. 2:
]. Holbert was widely seen as an aggressive proponent of recycling and in favor of reforming the city's garbage pickup system.
But nearly eight weeks later, the city still hasn't replaced Holbert and has yet to start advertising for a new director, according to city spokeswoman Laura Banish.
Meanwhile, Bill DeGrande, who has spent the last 13 years working as an environmental compliance officer for Solid Waste, is the acting director. But DeGrande says he's only on board until the city finds someone permanent and adds that he's struggling to fill staffing holes; of 68 total positions, there are currently six openings, and 10 additional employees are on leave.
"We've been shorthanded forever," DeGrande says, "and we've been really shorthanded of late. It has been a real struggle."
DeGrande says he's also aware of inconsistencies in trash and recycling pickups and vows the situation will improve. He says by the end of June 2007, the city should have a completely automated collection system that will expedite the pickup process.
City Councilors Patty Bushee and Karen Heldmeyer, both of whom sit on the city's Public Utilities Committee, echo many of DeGrande's concerns.
"I don't see a change. I don't see things getting better," Heldmeyer says. "I think Bill is very good, but I don't know if he has the support to implement real change. We need to get the automated pickup system up to speed."
Bushee, on the other hand, is more positive.
"It's too soon to tell, but I have seen an increase in responsiveness. The Solid Waste staff showed up the other day at the City Council meeting and told us that they needed to be supported and that they're trying to do a good job," she says. "I'm hopeful things are going to get better. They have to."
