Annually we pay $225 assessment included on our tax statement for Solid Waste. This revenue provides buildings, equipment, staff and tipping fees for household (Class 1) trash and bulk trash (Class 3) collection and disposal.
After some limited and poorly communicated notification the county commission in January voted unanimously to close the Mamme Scott site in Monticello, reduce the number of days and hours per day dump sites would open and make sites exclusively for household trash. Trash compactors and an employee are to be at every site. Bulk trash is centralized at the main office site on South Jefferson. Residents must have a sticker on the front window of their vehicle.
The justification was to eliminate illegal dumping tires and bulk construction debris from residents and out of county businesses, and to prevent cross contaminating trash classes resulting in higher tipping fees.
Cost savings have been estimated at $2,794 per month from reduced tonnage and $605 per month from reclassification, so that’s $3,399 per month per June 25 article in the Journal.
Certainly, the sites look much cleaner and neater with the on-site attendants.
But let’s look at what it has taken to get this result. Putting the main site aside, remote sites have gone from 9 to 8 or a 11% service reduction, the number of days per week have gone from 7 to 5 or a 28.5% service reduction. Site attendants who monitor incoming vehicles and their trash have a cost.
If you add the total hours 8 sites are open and assume attendants are there during those hours, you get 476 hours per week. Further assume they are paid $10 per hour that’s $4,760 per week or $19,040 per month. Florida minimum wage as of September 30, 2021 will be $10 per hour. If benefits are included, cost increases to approximately $24,752 per month. Compare this cost to $3,399 monthly savings.
Here are few other issues to think about:
Fulford Road site recently had a concrete pad laid for a trash compactor. Not long ago rent was increased to $500 per month, so it costs the county $6,000 per year. In just over 3 years the county will have paid $20,000 and that’s some very expensive acreage. Wouldn’t it have been better to have bought it or bought another site, especially in advance of pouring a concrete pad?
On closed days white household trash bags are piled in front of the gate. Wouldn’t it be simple to have walk-through gates for limited access on the closed days?
The southern part of the county is underserved as it doesn’t have convenient sites at all.
Tyson Land fill is underutilized.
The original reason for the large dumpsters at sites was to avoid dumping in the woods. Could that bad practice return given the current arrangements? Where has all the big yard debris gone? Couldn’t we have a select few sites as ‘super sites’ that accepts bulk trash? They are attended so the illegal stuff should be prevented and the equipment is still with the department.
I applaud the idea of better control and management and really like the sites’ improved appearance. However, reducing services, making disposal more difficult and an unbalanced cost-savings is not the way. With citizen participation we could have had better results. If you like or dislike the current arrangements please let your commissioner know. Their contact information is located at http://www.jeffersoncountyfl.gov/ p/county-departments/board-of-county-commissioners, or call them.
Phil Calandra