Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Trash Program Opt-out Bill Is Rejected

A bill to allow county residents to opt-out of the county’s trash program went down to defeat at the County Council’s meeting on November 19. The County Council’s vote was 3-3. Opponents to the trash program say residents who are not part of a subdivision are being discriminated against saying they are being forced to use the county’s program while subdivision residents have an option.

The St. Louis County Council on a tie vote would allow individuals to opt out of eight trash collection districts that county officials are establishing in unincorporated areas. County officials will soon seek bids from haulers to pick up all household trash and recycling materials within a district except for subdivisions that could opt out of the system.

Councilman John Campisi, sponsored the defeated measure. Councilwoman Colleen Wasinger, in Town and Country, said his proposal was not logistically practical. She said she would introduce a bill to allow contiguous areas to opt out. How the world turns. Stay tuned.

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:03 PM

    http://northcountyjournal.stltoday.com/articles/2007/11/20/news/sj2tn20071120-1121flo_trash_1.ii1.prt






    Last modified: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 3:20 PM CST

    Price is mystery in trash plan


    By Scott Bandle

    St. Louis County officials aren't able to answer the one big question residents have about its new Solid Waste Management Program.

    How much is it going to cost?

    "We can't tell you how much it will cost until we see the bids from the trash haulers," said John Haasis, manager of the St. Louis County Solid Waste Program for the Department of Heath. "The bids will not be equal for each district."

    In December 2006, the St. Louis County Council voted to divide the unincorporated county into eight trash collection districts. The county will choose a single hauler for each district.

    Simple economics provides a key to pricing.

    "I expect some rates to go down," Haasis said. "With one hauler in each district, it ensures the hauler of more customers. That lets them lower the prices."

    In North County, District 1 includes the area around Florissant, Black Jack and west of Highway 367. District 2 is Spanish Lake, Glasgow Village, Castle Point and areas around Dellwood and Jennings. District 3 includes the unincorporated area around Page Avenue and Lindbergh Boulevard, as well as unincorporated pockets east of Interstate 170.

    Haasis and other county officials hosted a public hearing Thursday at Hazelwood Central High School, presenting the program's implementation schedule.

    The plan's objective is to provide comparable service in most neighborhoods, enhanced service with recycling, less truck traffic and noise, and improved service and appearance. In unincorporated St. Louis County, residents currently choose their own hauler, resulting in neighborhoods seeing multiple trash trucks on their streets.

    The new program will start Sept. 1. The remaining schedule calls for delivery of recycling carts from January through April. Subdivisions can opt out of the program until Feb. 1. The bidding period for the haulers is February through May.

    At the hearing, several residents suggested that the bid period come first; then the subdivisions could opt out, depending on the price.

    That is not fair to the haulers making the bids, Haasis said.

    "The companies will make bids according to the population size," he said. "If a subdivision opts out after the bidding, then haulers might lose money because there are fewer people than they planned."

    The plan has met with much resistance by unincorporated county residents. County Councilman John Campisi recently introduced legislation to allow each district's residents to vote on participation.

    "My main concern is that it forces me to do business with someone I may not want to do business with," said Frank Lewis of the Wedgwood subdivision. "I also don't trust big government, and that's what I see here."

    Subdivisions must be indentured and represented by a board of trustees. If the subdivision residents vote to opt out, they are free to hire their own haulers.

    Some subdivisions may not have unanimity over the project. For example, Wedgwood's 1,206 homes are divided into 13 separate groups of homes, said trustee Fred Carr.

    "Wedgwood has no single document tying all of the plats together," Carr said. "The subdivision is represented by trustees, but each plat will vote (on whether or not) to opt out. Some may not and others will."

    Finally, the county will require a minimum level of trash service for all municipal and unincorporated residents, starting Jan. 1. However, program officials will ask the council to move the start date to April 18.

    For more information on the new solid waste program, call 615-4285 or visit http://www.stlouisco.com.

    Reach Scott Bandle at sbandle@yourjournal.com.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous3:41 PM

    Mr. Harris of St. Louis County stated:
    "At the hearing, several residents suggested that the bid period come first; then the subdivisions could opt out, depending on the price.

    That is not fair to the haulers making the bids, Haasis said.

    "The companies will make bids according to the population size," he said. "If a subdivision opts out after the bidding, then haulers might lose money because there are fewer people than they planned."

    There's a major flaw in Mr. Harris logic. If all subdivisions in a district opt-out, the rates will be considerably higher for those residents not in a subdivision. They will be paying through the nose.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous2:59 PM

    The flawed logic does not fall to Mr. Harris. Tt falls squarely on the shoulders of the St. Louis County Council & the Dept. of Health. Had they just left well enough alone, no one would be going through all of this #&@*!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous3:15 PM

    http://www.stlouisco.com/trashrecycle/trashplan.pdf

    In this blog it states that the opt-out idea was defeated by the County Council at the Nov.19, 2007 meeting. If you go to the above website, scroll down to page 25, it clearly states opt-out period is Nov.5,2007 to Feb.1, 2008.
    Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm makes one wonder?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. The bill that went down to defeat was not the bill to do away with the trash program, but to modify the legislation to all individuals to opt-out in addition to subdivisions. The option for individuals to opt out was defeated.

    Subdivisions had until Feb. 1, 2008 to submit their opt-out request.

    ReplyDelete