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NorthEscambia.com Comments Prompt Response From ECUA Member About New Trash Program
October 21, 2008
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority is expected to approve an advisory council’s recommendation to take over Allied Waste service in North Escambia and add voluntary curbside recycling.
After a Monday story on NorthEscambia.com about the plan, several people posted comments on this site that were not in favor of the plan, or they felt like that North Escambia was being taken advantage of because the plan calls for trash service to be cut from two pickups per week to one. The plan will add a second 90 gallon container for recylables that will be picked up once a week to those that choose to participate in the voluntary recyling program.
“I agree the Northend is the red-headed stepchild,” one poster on NorthEscambia.com wrote. “Don’t they get 2 pickups in town?”, “Ha-ha folks wake up the county is going to do it to us”, ” If the garbage service is going to once a week, then the bill should be cut in half to match the 50% reduction in service.”, ” I agree that we are being cheated”. Those were just some of the comments posted to this article:
ECUA Taking Over Allied Waste Franchise; Curbside Recyling Coming In January
“I admit to surprise at the overwhelming negativism of the responses on NorthEscambia.com,” Larry Walker, ECUA District 5 member said. “Having dealt with complaints about Allied for four years, I thought that getting rid of Allied would be a major accomplishment and would be viewed as the central feature of the announced plan.”
“First, the proposed ECUA service is identical, both north and south. The ECUA has no intention to provide a lower level of service in the North End than in the southern area,” Walker continued.
The proposal will be considered by the entire ECUA board, all of which sits on the advisory council that is making the recommendation, Thursday afternoon at 3:00.
Walker submitted a multi-point list of his thoughts to NorthEscambia.com:
1. Yes, the agreement is that ECUA will take over Allied’s residential franchise area, effective January 1, fourteen months before the current end of Allied’s franchise. I am greatly pleased by this. It is nice to win this one.2. The franchise takeover is just one piece of a multi-faceted agreement. One other facet that affects a few NorthEscambians is that, in return, ECUA is turning its commercial-sanitation business over to Allied. This will displease some commercial customers (users of dumpsters), but it is an essential part of the overall deal. Those commercial customers who don’t want to deal with Allied will have three other commercial collectors to choose from at the expiration of their current ECUA contracts (which are transferred to Allied). I objected to this feature of the deal but was convinced that it is necessary in order to achieve the overall deal. In short, Allied would not have agreed to the deal if we refused to give them the commercial side.3. Billing will be monthly rather than quarterly.4. The monthly charge–which was due to go up to $19.62 plus fuel recovery fee–will be reduced a bit, to $17.97 plus fuel recovery fee.5. For this charge, the customer will receive once-a-week pickup of garbage (90 cubic gallon can).6. At no additional cost, the customer may elect to receive once-a-week pickup of recyclable materials. A second 90-gal. container will be provided.7. The customer who must have more weekly pickup of regular garbage than one pickup of a 90-gal. container will have to pay $5 for a second garbage can, and both will be picked up on the same day. I don’t like this feature, but it is another facet that I am accepting because of the good features in return. I hope that most people who think, initially, that they will need two regular garbage cans will find that, by recycling, they can reduce their need for regular garbage pickup to one can a week.8. When the changeover occurs, the Allied cans will be left in place, for use by ECUA. Since many Allied cans are defective–no lid, broken lid, etc.–this is not the ideal arrangement, but without it ECUA would not be able to take over the service area on such short notice.9. As of today, I am still submitting “lid lists” to Allied, i.e., requests for repair or replacement of defective Allied cans. To date, Allied has repaired or replaced 250 cans at my request, and I am submitting a list of 27 more addresses tomorrow. Allied may be unwilling to respond to such requests, now that its departure is imminent. Customers may rest assured, however, that ECUA will move methodically to repair or replace all defective cans after January 1.
“Rest assured that I am following the comments posted on NE.com, but I also invite direct messaging to me of one’s opinions. My email is larry@larrywalker.com. I need to hear from District 5 residents about this matter, and I will appreciate hearing from you. Please let me know what you think of the proposed program. If you have any questions, ask them, and I will try to answer,” Walker said.
“The ECUA board will consider approving the new program at its monthly meeting, at 3:00 p.m. on October 23 in the ECUA board room on Hamman Street in Ellyson Industrial Park. Ellyson Park is located at the east end of Copter Road, which runs east from E. Nine Mile Road and crosses N. Davis Highway, just south of where N. Davis Hwy merges with E. Nine Mile Rd. Once in Ellyson Park, take the second left,” Walker wrote.
Comments
17 Responses to “NorthEscambia.com Comments Prompt Response From ECUA Member About New Trash Program”
Mr. Walker, you were voted into office to better service Escambia County, which by switching from allied is not the best answer for me. I have had Allied Waste since I moved to Molino and have two cans. But right now those two cans are running over because instead of twice a week pickup, we now only have one pickup a week. While I have no problem with ECUA, i think that we deserve the same service we received with Allied. When cans are full to the brim and its windy outside, lets talk about garbage blowing in every direction. Who is going to pick that up. The homeowners? or ECUA?
Larry Walker wrote: “As to Mr. Steffen’s satisfaction with Allied, I understand that Allied has served many customers well, especially, in more recent times in response to pressure brought by unhappy customers, me, and ECUA as a whole. However, there also are many customers who were badly served by Allied for years. I have a file of hundreds of complaints received about Allied in the last four years. The difference seems to have been a matter of routes and locations: Certain routes and locations were served well, while others were frequently served badly.”
Mr. Walker has complaints on Allied – whoopity doo. Do they keep track of complaints on ECUA? My guess is that they probably treat their complaints as just residential waste inefficiently delivered
As a private company, Allied is forced to respond “to pressure brought by unhappy customers”. Unfortunately the same pressure rarely generates a positive result with any governmental body. Take this decision as an example. No matter how much we dislike having to pay essentially the same price for less service the service will not change and the fees will only go up. If enough of Allied customer’s stop using the service, they change or go out of business. If enough of ECUA’s (a governmental body) customers stop using the service, they increase taxes or make the service mandatory.
If Allied Waste had come to it’s customer’s and told them that they were halving the service but dropping the bill less than 10% then Mr. Walker and the rest of ECUA’s board would be pursuing charges. ECUA does the same thing and they send out self-congratualtory letters to all of Allied’s customers. In my opinion this is the type of scheme that government is supposed to be protecting us from, not perpetrating on us.
The fact that anyone sees a positive out of a government organization strong-arming a private company into a bad deal (and sticking it to their customers) is the most unsettling thing of all.
wow!!,what did I miss by not reading northescambia.com. ?Heck,I didn’t even KNOW Allied picked up yard waste..never did for me when I put it out.but then their trucks leaves more trash going down my road than it picks up from my house. I LOVE the recycling center in Century! It is about time Escambia County caught up with the rest of the US with recycling efforts. Count me in to recycle…I can put my trash out,then the day of pick up I can walk down my road and pick it all up again!! Sounds like a plan!
(Wake Up People) – Apparently we are neighbors, closer than we knew.
After reading the blogs and concerns we ALL have regarding ECUA, I have a better understanding of how our elected officials must feel. (Not that I agree with everything the officials have ever done for us in Esc. Co.) Can you imagine getting complaints everyday? You (Wake Up People) are correct when you said most people don’t speak praises very loud. Maybe if we did take the time to say, “Good Job” the other percentage of people who were happy would also be heard – making a choice about garbage service easier. (Maybe that is exactly what we, who are happy with the service, are doing now. )
Face it. There must have been complaints – therefore, Larry Walker responded to the complaints. That is part of his job! Selecting ECUA was the option at the time. Give him enough credit to have made a decision instead of just sitting there doing nothing about it. He is trying. (I don’t agree with it at this point.)
We tend to forget that we ALL can make a difference. Most of us want to say how we feel, but fewer really get involved. Be a doer not a talker. Talking never got the real job done. However, I share the concerns we have. If there is a choice for service, then we need to know what our choices are. Let us be a part of the decision. Why can’t we be?
It’s tough trying to please all the people all of the time!
I’d be willing to listen to the options. However, from the information provided so far changing over to ECUA doesn’t sound like such a great deal (other people agree). Why don’t we try to keep it simple? Is it really better or is it a way to calm the ruffled feathers of those who shouted the loudest? This decision conerns a lot of people, including seniors, and it should be addressed to us all in more detail.
I would like for Mr. Walker and ECUA to specify exactly what is happening with the recyclables — who is purchasing it, how is it being disposed of, etc. Having attended multiple Escambia County Citizen Environmental Committee meetings I have heard MULTIPLE waste disposal companies state on the official record of the CEC that because there are no nearby recycling companies all recyclables in Northwest Florida end up in a landfill and that recycling is merely a “feel good exercise”.
Mr. Walker/ECUA don’t just assure me that they are recycled, tell me what company is purchasing/receiving the recyclables and what are they doing with the material.
As to once a week pickup — they tried it in Mobile and the elderly and infirmed had significant problems with can weight.
I can’t wait for summer when the non-recyclable food waste items get to sit in a hot closed container and putrefy for 7 days in 90+ degree heat.
My wfe and I run a licensed home based business we currently have two cans, we don’t always use them both but there are weeks when we will have both cans full for both weekly pickups. Allied allowed us to have two cans twice a week as opposed to a dumpster this is friendlier to us and our neighbors. And yes some of what we dispose of from our business is recyclable (cardboard boxes, paper etc) it will quickly overwhelm a once a week pickup container so instead of 2 cans I guess we will now have 4.
Before we moved to Molino we were in an area served by ECUA Garbage Service and it was no better or worse than Allied.
One last thought, Mr. Walker the tax payers of Escambia have created, bought, sold and repurchased garbage service in this county more times than I can count — there are local families that have made their fortune this way — if we are going to socialize garbage collection in Escambia County please amend the agreement to permanently bar the selling or outsourcing of trash collection in to private companies in Escambia County.
(Jay) You will still have two pickups a week, but one will be for recycling. Paper and plastic take up most of the space in your can. If you want two cans for trash you can pay $5.00 more a month. That comes out to just $3.35 more a month for more service than you are getting know. This is because you get your two cans of trash plus a recycling can. That would be three cans a week. You probably won’t even need the extra $5.00 can if you recycle.
(GETITOUTONTIME) I always put my trash out the night before, and that didn’t mean they were going to pick it up. There were many times they never came, and if we were lucky they would come the next day. This happened a lot and it was not because of a holiday.
(Cathy) You were one of the lucky ones if you didn’t have problems with you trash. I live in the (Kevin White territory) also, so close that the truck that is supposed to come to my house also goes to his.
Well, I can just leave it. We use to haul our own garbage to the dump and that is still an option, along with the old burn barrel. Some of my neighbors still do that, they are the smart ones. I guess it is true that the squeaky wheel gets the grease and the rest of us gets the shaft.
GETITOUTONTIME; Not all of us got consistently great service from Allied. Many times they just never came by our place at all. And they NEVER even attempted to make up the missed pick-up. BUT, I will also agree with most of the people commenting that they feel like the new service from ECUA is a rip off. In the end I really am getting less with ECUA, plus who knows what extra costs will creep in later. I betcha within 5 years we’ll start to see extra fees associated with recycling. Anyway, we have no choice but to take it or leave it.
To Cathy–May I suggest that you contact me with specific questions and/or concerns. I will be happy to respond as best I can. My email address is larry@larrywalker.com.
To Jay–If you accept the recycling collection service, you will receive two pickups each week, as now. The difference is that one will be recyclable materials and the other will be other household wastes. Many people have told me that such an arrangement cuts the amount of “other household wastes” by one-half or more; that is, one-half or more of the total household waste stream goes into the recyclables container. Thus, you are still getting 180 cubic gallons of disposal capacity per week (that is, two 90-cubic gallon cans), with a rate reduction of $1.64. Is this as bad a deal, actually, as you have characterized it?
Yard-waste pickup will be as it is now, with the same limits that Allied has had. A difference will be that ECUA yard-waste pickup will be dependable for all customers at all times. Allied’s record of yard-waste pickup is spotty.
“Special pickups” will be provided of “bulky household goods,” such as a refrigerator, sofa, commode, and so forth. One such special pickup per month will be provided, at no additional charge. Special pickups will not include yard wastes or construction/demolition debris. Charges may be added for special pickups that require extra time on site.
ECUA trucks will not run “half as much.” Each route will be covered twice weekly, once by the regular garbage truck and once by the recyclables truck.
By this response, I do not mean to suggest that there is no reason for anyone to be unhappy with the proposed program. I myself am not happy with every feature of the proposed program, and I may seek some changes in the program at the ECUA board meeting on the 23rd.
I again invite any District 5 resident to email me with questions and/or opinions. My email address is larry@larrywalker.com. To date, I have been directly contacted by a total of seven people.
17.97 plus 5.00 dollars more for 2 cans = 22.97 which is a heck of a lot more than what we are paying now for 2 times a week. Its not the fact that the’re going to give us another can so that you have to hold the trash. Then I think they need to tell the rich people like XXXXXX to get his trash to the road on time and stop tell a lies on Allied we’ve be with Allied for 10y and never been missed!! Those people that complain about Allied better think because the driver is on time every time!! Just for FYI….Garbage is to be out the night before the date of your scheduled pick up!! There is no set time for the driver to pick up anyones garbage!!! But I will say that mine is picked up every Monday and Thursday between 500am and 600am everytime!!!!
Anytime there is change people are going to be concerned. Especially if the “change” will come from their own wallets. Why are our officials so upset about the variety of comments? No one wants less for more. These days are difficult enough!
It’s possible with the option of recycling we would have less “garbage” in the can. (So what happens to the garbage that is not sorted? Is this a limited time offer for the slightly increased monthly cost? Will we be charged more later? ) I’d be willing to try it. But, there is honest concern about larger yard waste and the only once a week pick up. I think ECUA has special requirements before picking up debris. We simply need more details. I don’t like paying more for less and I wasn’t having a problem with my garbage anyway (Kevin White territory). Therefore, I was surprised about the upcoming change in providers.
If ECUA is truly going be a better service, then the people deserve it and it will be appreciated. Hip, Hip, Horray! The county did something good for the people. However, it sounds as if there are still a lot of questions and unanswered concerns that must be addressed. Unfortumately, it doesn’t sound as if we, the people, have a choice in the matter. It just goes to show you that those who complain the loudest usually get their way. And, you can bet if ECUA is not as good, or the trash gets piled up people are going to scream even louder.
Educate us! (Sell us is more like it.)
This reduction in service still doesn’t make since in view of the amount of the bill. Wake up folks; this is not a rate reduction of $1.64 per month, but rather a rate increase of more than 83%! Think of it as cutting the service in half with the current being twice a week pick-up for $19.62. Then we’ll go to once a week pick-up for $17.97 (Not to include ECUA’s elusive fuel recovery fee, which should also go down by more than half because the cost of fuel is also going down.) The trash truck will run half as many times, but the fee is within two dollars from where the rate is now. What a deal for ECUA, trucks run half as much and the fee is near the current rate. I think the board is saying to heck with the customer as we rake in cash. This semi-governmental agency, ECUA, is pulling a fast one over on the citizens of Escambia County with smoke and mirrors. $10.00 bucks a month is about all that once a week service is worth according to the numbers and not a penny more.
(bob steffen) the extra paper and plastic can is for recycling. Do you actually think that when you put it all in the Allied Waste can it gets recycled. Your statment makes no sence.
Bob Steffen made one good point–”no mention of yard waste.” An oversight. Yard waste pickup will continue unchanged.
As to Mr. Steffen’s satisfaction with Allied, I understand that Allied has served many customers well, especially, in more recent times in response to pressure brought by unhappy customers, me, and ECUA as a whole. However, there also are many customers who were badly served by Allied for years. I have a file of hundreds of complaints received about Allied in the last four years. The difference seems to have been a matter of routes and locations: Certain routes and locations were served well, while others were frequently served badly.
ECUA is really a “garbage outfit”. We have had only 1 missed pickup from Allied. There were a few times the pickup was delayed 1 day due to a holiday. They always made the yard waste pickup in conjunction with the first weekly trash pickup. And ECUA is going to give us a “good deal” with a single weekly pickup for almost the same price of a twice weekly pickup, no mention of yard waste, and separate paper and plastic pickup that we throw in the allied waste now as part of the twice weekly pickup.
Another bad deal from the Escambia County politicraps and bureaucraps.
I am very pleased with Larry Walker’s work, and I think there are others that feel the same way I do. You don’t usualy hear from people that are satisfied.
Thanks Again