More On “Bin-Dependence Day” - CC Meeting 11/4
The city council will meet tomorrow night instead of next week (it was either election night, Veteran’s Day, or wait until Nov 18th, skipping three weeks instead of the newly customary two). The communications from the Manager include information on the new trash bin rollout affectionately named “Bin-Dependence Day”.
There will be an LTC-produced video for airing on LTC, as well as a kickoff press conference sometime this month in one of Lowell’s neighborhoods, including a demonstration of the bins, PAYT bags, and collection system (presumably complete with the new garbage trucks). We’ll post more details on the demo when we get them, and hopefully we can grab some video from it, as well as the one LTC is producing.
Other items of note on the docket this week, the city manager is appointing the members of the Solid Waste and Recycling Advisory Committee. I am pleased to see some names I know on there, people who I know will do good public service. I won’t name them just in case they don’t want to be associated with me. 
Also interesting is that the city has now selected a energy services company to audit the city’s energy efficiency. Other communities have saved up to 25% of their energy costs. This will begin by auditing the city’s properties and use of energy, and then making infrastructure improvements based on the recommendations. The improvements are paid for by the savings gained, in a method called performance contracting. This means there will be no outlying cost to taxpayers, and no borrowing. If the promised savings do not materialize, the contracted company will pay the difference. The company chosen for this project is Ameresco. Note they have worked for the city previously doing energy efficiency with LHA.
Energy efficiency is key towards energy independence and the use of renewable energy. I for one am glad the city is taking such a step.
The suggested FY 2009 Tax Classification Public Hearing is November 25, 2008, in case anyone is interested. This still has to be accepted by the CC, of course, so this is not official notice.
There’s also an item of curiosity under the CM’s portion of the meeting - “11. Ordinence-Amend Chapter 4, Dangerous/Vicious Dogs.”
There does not seem to be any motions from City Councilors on the agenda.
November 3rd, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I’m not up on the latest but what is the initial cost and equally important replacement cost? I seem to go through both trash barrels and recycling boxes every few years due to the trash guys smashing the s#!*t out of them.
November 3rd, 2008 at 2:44 pm
This is all exciting stuff. PAYT is long overdue here. The barrels are more then large enough for the average family of 4. This certainly helps push the “free” and easy alternative of recycling. It will be wonderful to not see 20 trash bags, 2 couches, a table etc, out at one house on trash day.
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:01 pm
I dunno, Thom, that’s a good question - if not answered soon, I will file it for the next Q&A with Bernie.
November 3rd, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Information on the program can be found on the Manager’s Blog at http://lowellma.wordpress.com/2008/09/10/talking-trash/ but here’s a brief synopsis.
The annual Solid Waste Collection fee is now $125 per year for eligible households. One sturdy 64-Gallon Wheeled container will be dropped off to all eligible households prior to the start date which looks to be March 2, 2008. Households are encouraged to recycle as much as possible using the City provided bins currently available at City Hall, DPW and the recycling office at the Board of Health. You can also put a “recyclable” sticker on your existing barrels and repurpose them for recycling. This is where Pay as You Throw (PAYT) comes in. Any household that exceeds the 64 gallon capacity of the new containers will need to place the overflow trash in special bags that will be available for purchase for $1.50 a piece at local retail stores (grocery stores, markets etc.)
On collection day, residents wheel the containers to the curb and then the truck comes by with an automated arm that picks the containers up, dumps them and then places them back on the curb. Recyclables are placed out as usual. The PAYT bags (if there are any) are placed next to the wheeled carts and picked up as well.
The ordinance also sets a fee for bulk item pickup as is the case in most surrounding communities. As is the current practice, pick up is arranged by appointment.
Obviously, this represents a change from the current “throw as much you want out” mind set but it’s important to note that similar programs are being run successfully around the country in places with similar demographics.
November 4th, 2008 at 8:15 am
“It will be wonderful to not see 20 trash bags, 2 couches, a table etc, out at one house on trash day.”
Yes, because with the stroke of a pen, people won’t have to throw stuff out anymore. This is gonna’ be great. I can’t freaking wait.
November 4th, 2008 at 8:32 am
If this system is so bad, why does every other town make it work just fine?
Just sayin’.
November 4th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
I think we need to remember that this is a way to save money not cost us money. The alternative may have been for your trash fee to go up to $300?? instead it is $125. You can fit 4 trash bags in the toter and if 4 bags is not enough you could always recycle.
November 4th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Remember when the “trash fee” was part of your property taxes. Now it’s seperate. Obviously our property tax bill went down when we no longer paid for trash pickup that way…. NOT !
Why is it that the things people really need, want and appreciate on a regular basis are paid seperately from “everything else”. Why is that?
November 5th, 2008 at 4:13 am
If I wanted to hear whining, I would have gone to the Kurt Hayes victory party tonight.
Good lord, is it that much of a burden for you? Well, you could move to another town…oh, wait. They all have some form of the system we’re about to adopt.
New Englanders are just so resistant to change. Yeesh.
November 5th, 2008 at 4:20 am
BTW, if you pay attention, you realize that our property tax in Lowell has really held the line, especially when compared to surrounding towns. So yes, I think you can safely say our relative (to inflation/cost of services) property tax burden has probably gone down over the years. Whether or not it’s a direct correlation to the separation of trash fees is hard to prove, but for goodness’ sake, at least you know what you’re paying for. The whole point of this is to stop subsidizing the trash budget with general funds. This is accomplished with increased efficiency (the new barrels can be picked up by the trucks, hence making pickup faster, etc), by encouraging recycling with PAYT, and by charging people who use the system more than others (bag fee for weekly stuff not fitting in the barrel, for oversized trash, etc).
What part of the fact that the current system was unsustainable is hard to understand? It was a budget-buster You know, if you dump something for “free” on your curb, like a couch, it’s not really FREE. It’s paid for somehow. Right now that is paid for in part with our taxes on top of the trash fee. With the new system, those who abuse the service (ie throw a lot of crap out) will pay for that privilege.
November 5th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Let’s just charge user fees for EVERYTHING that the city provides. That way nobody will be getting a free ride on anything. Pay as you go. Something tells me you might have a problem with that.
November 5th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Oh give it up. Seriously.
People in CA are losing their right to marry today. People who yesterday were blissfully and happily married and recognized in the eyes of their state are trying to find solace as hateful people strip them of the right to see their partner in a hospital or make end-of-life decisions one another.
You’ll get over PAYT, I know you will. But keep obsessing about the small stuff if you want to. It only makes you look more and more petty as you keep picking the scab over and over. I’m done responding to you on this issue. It seems you’d rather bitch and moan than find real solutions. Well, go right ahead.
November 5th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Working for the LHA is not working for the city- 2 separate things altogether.
November 6th, 2008 at 9:44 am
I think PAYT is great idea. I lived out in California 10 years ago and that was the way they did it. The sobering thing I witnessed driving through Lowell last night (highlands area) was that only 1 in every 4 or 5 houses actually recycle (slightly more in pockets). In certain areas, there is just no recycling. Also, I went to vote at the Daley school and tried to throw out a plastic bottle - the school has no plastics recycling (I was told “we are working on that..”). What kind of example is the city trying to set? City hall supposedly has implemented a full recycling program.
November 6th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Sounds like a complaint to send to the School Committee. I’m sure they would address it.
December 7th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
I support the new trash program - but I am not sure it is going to work unless Gunther comes out of his ivory tower and monitors what is happening. My son lives in Nashua and tells me that many of his neighbors put tvs, air conditioners, humidifiers in their barrels and no one is any wiser because the truck is automatic. I also have to wonder what is going to happen on the small narrow streets where there are cars parked tightly together. There is literally no room for a truck with an arm to get down the street. I also wonder about the areas where there are 6 family buildings with no place to put a dumpster. According to a friend a City Hall there are dozens of them in Lowell. The whole thing should be interesting to watch as it begins implementation.