Several county commissioners predicted community backlash to a proposed leaf and limb pickup plan during a meeting Tuesday.
During a work session Tuesday, county staff laid out a predicament facing leaf and limb pick up personnel—an increase in severe storms shaking down yard waste, in turn stressing a skeleton crew of underpaid haulers. According to Nancy Flowers, Athens-Clarke County’s Route Supervisor in the Solid Waste Department, the situation merits a change to on-demand leaf and limb pick up service, which is offered in other US cities like Austin, Texas.
Up until now, solid waste crews in Clarke County have wound through five zones, offering eight pickups a year. Under the new plan, the eight complimentary pickups will remain, but residents will be required to submit a request for pickup services online.
Commissioner Melissa Link of District 2 was immediately skeptical: “I feel like it’s not necessarily equitable. I know you’re going to have citizens who are unaware that the system has changed. I like the system as it is. Do we need more staff? Do we need more trucks?”
Staff members said that public sector salaries will likely remain uncompetitive, but that the county could advertise the high quality of life its employment opportunities offer. Link remained unhappy with the plan, however, worried about whether residents would opt-in and actually use the service.
“I would love to see a proposal where we can properly compensate those haulers. My family is in Chattanooga. They have that on demand pickup. It doesn’t work. Stuff sits out there. People forget to call it in. The sidewalk gets blocked.”
Added to this picture were the comments of Commissioner Carol Myers of District 8, who said she worries about the efficiency of the plan: “This doesn’t change the staff shortages.”
County staff explained that the new plan would help the leaf and limb haulers travel more efficiently, avoiding zones with little demand. Myers pointed out another potential weakness, that if the county keeps designated pickup areas, some residents may be waiting weeks without knowing when their piles will be picked up. Flowers said that residents will be informed of pickup dates when they fill out the online request form.
Unlike some of her colleagues, newly elected Stephanie Johnson, Commissioner of District 6, was more enthused.
“I like the call in method or some version of that,” she said, offering other ideas for increasing efficiency.
Staff also said they would come back before the Commission in March with a discussion of two proposed changes to ordinances which drew no controversy: allowing neighbors to create group piles of yard waste on vacant lots and changing the minimum and maximum allowed sizes of piles.
The commission will likely vote on a revised proposal in March.
