Public hearing eyes districting proposal

The Coloradoan newspaper, February 1, 2010

It's show time for a trash district proposed for northwest Fort Collins.

The City Council on Tuesday will conduct an unusual public hearing on the pilot program, which would be a five-year test of whether trash districting would help cut noise, air pollution, and wear and tear on streets from heavy trash trucks in residential areas.

City officials also hope to measure whether districting combined with an educational program can increase recycling and reduce the amount of material going into the county landfill.

More than two years in the making, the trash district proposal has already been the subject of long and sometimes heated discussions. Council votes related to the district and trash services in the city have consistently come out 4-3.

Tuesday's meeting will be a chance for the public to learn how the district would operate and weigh in on the issue, city officials said. Opponents of the proposal, including locally owned trash-hauling companies and their employees, are expected to turn out in force.

Postcards advertising the meeting with the motto "Don't trash consumer choice" have been mailed citywide.

The cards were sent to residences outside the district because of the breadth of interest in the issue, said Ray Meyer, general manager of Ram Waste Systems Inc., one of two haulers whose business would be impacted by the district.

"We've heard from a lot of residents and businesses about this," he said. "It's an emotional issue."

Some trucks owned by Gallegos Sanitation Inc., or GSI, have gone about their rounds recently bearing banners stating "Trash districting: Do you want a choice?" and encouraging attendance at the hearing.

Company employees and owners may speak at the hearing, said Mark Glorioso, general manager of GSI. But the emphasis of the hearing should be on what the public has to say, he said.

"The haulers have talked until we're blue in the face," he said. "This is an opportunity for the council to listen to the people. Whether it will make a difference, I don't know."

A new approach

The council is not expected to take any action Tuesday; that would come in two weeks, when the council is scheduled to have first reading of an ordinance setting the rates district residents would be charged for trash and recycling pickup service.

The district would be bordered by Prospect Road, College Avenue, the Poudre River and Overland Trail. About 6,500 households would be covered by the district.

Under the proposal, Waste Management of Northern Colorado would provide exclusive service in the district through a contract with the city. Residents would be charged for the service on monthly city utility bills.

Rates would range from $7.13 to $21.39 a month, depending on how many cans of trash would be picked up weekly. If a household opts to not use Waste Management, it would still be charged $2.69 a month because it is in the district.

The cost of trash service for residents would be reduced through the district, city officials said.

All trash and recyclables hauled from the area would be taken to the Larimer County Landfill to be dumped or run through its recycling center.

Response to the district since detail of the proposal were posted on the city's Web site two weeks ago has been heavy, said Ann Turnquist, policy and project manager with the city manager's office. The city has received more than 60 comments on its Web site as well as many e-mails and phone calls.

"Mostly, we've heard from people who are opposed to it," she said. "But not entirely; some are supportive of the concept."

Many residents had questions about how the district would operate and what it would mean to them, she said. Some didn't like the idea of changing haulers.

Trash districting has been discussed off and on in Fort Collin for more than 20 years. The city's open-market system for trash service is not typical of municipalities of its size, officials said.

A 2008 national survey found that 34 percent of communities with populations ranging from 50,000 to 120,000 provided trash pickup as a municipal service, city officials said.

Another 28 percent had one hauler providing service under a contract, while 21 percent had one or more haulers providing service under a license, permit or franchise.

The remaining 17 percent had haulers providing service through an open competitive system, as is done in Fort Collins.

Mixed reactions

In interviews with the Coloradoan, residents of the district were divided in their opinions about the district.

Marie Evans, who lives on Mountain Avenue, has used GSI for about 16 months and has had no problems. A former customer of Waste Manage-ment, Evans said she wasn't impressed with the company's customer service.

"I really like being able to choose my own trash company," she said. "To have someone come in and tell me who I have to use makes me upset."

Evans said given the state of the economy, the city shouldn't be taking action that could cost jobs at local companies.

City officials initially negotiated with GSI to operate the district but were not able to reach an agreement. Waste Management was the only other company to submit a bid.

Changing how trash is collected in the area "is not a big deal," resident Laura Resau said. Many other cities use districting or have single contractors handle trash removal.

"The argument that it will cut down on the number of trash trucks driving through our community makes sense to me," she said.

Andy Vigil, who has family members living in the district, said area residents are used to working with GSI and how they go about their business. Some might have difficulty changing haulers.

"I'm just wondering if (Waste Management's) customer service will be the same and how well they will know their customers," he said.

Waste Management currently serves about 14 percent of households in the district. GSI has about 61 percent of the customers, and Ram has about 25 percent, Glorioso said.

If the district is approved, GSI and Ram would lose significant revenue, he said. Combined, the companies might have to lay off 14 or 15 employees.

Brian Hernandez, who has worked six months for GSI driving a recycling-pickup truck, said his routes take him into the proposed district every day.

Hernandez said he isn't worried about losing his job if the district is approved, although it's a possibility.

"Gallegos is a good family company. They aren't going to be putting anybody out on the streets," he said. "But it definitely affects my chances. There is no real job security."