Council hears plans to convert trash service

During the Monday, Aug. 15, City Council meeting, Dan Boley with GFL discussed the plans to switch from the current residential waste service to an automated trash service.
Boley said that currently the driver of the trash truck must exit his vehicle each time a cart needs to emptied. An automated vehicle can be operated from inside the cab to reach, pickup, empty and return customer carts to the curbside.
He said the main advantage to the automated service is longevity of employment. Currently residential drivers exit the vehicle, walk to the waste cart, empty it and return it to where it was, then walk back to the truck and repeat the whole process at the next stop.
With an automated truck, more than 75% of the carts serviced can be emptied and returned to the curbside without the driver exiting the cab.
Boley said that the automated trucks generally cost up to $100,000 more than a rear load truck, but the company feels the increased cost of investment is exceeded by the advantages to the drivers.
He said that with the new changes in service, pickup service remains the same. He said the trucks have a different appearance. He said that the waste carts have to be placed in a certain spot for the automated system to work smoothly.
The council asked how consumers would get the message of the change. Boley said the company would like to post information on the city’s website and would be willing to publish information in whatever format or source of publication the city recommended. The council also wanted to know the grace period. They would like to have the new service functional within the next 60 days. He said other places that were using this system were happy with it. He also said that trash pick-up would be cut from five days a week to three. Glenda Baker made the motion to go ahead with the automated service and Nathan Murrell seconded the motion, Luster abstained.
All councilmen were present for the meeting, Baker, Luster, Murrell, Gaby Kennitt and Mayor Cory Gayman. City Manager Bruce Rogers and City Clerk Kandi Baldwin were also present.
The council voted to transfer $2,500 from the General Fund as a match for the golf tournament Picnic fundraiser for Picnic entertainment. For several years the city has matched up to $2,500 that the Picnic Committee raises from their golf tournament. This year they made $3,145.

Dan Boley of GFL speaks to the El Dorado Springs City Council about the coming change in trash service.
The Council approved membership to Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission, appointing Corey Gayman to represent the city. The city’s membership fee is $790.40 or 22 cents per capita.
The council approved a short from agreement for engineering services in connection with the project known as Wastewater Rate Study.
Rogers said that the tax levy meeting is scheduled for Aug. 29. He also said the Burn Ban was still in effect.
Before going into executive session to discuss personnel issues and real estate, Baker wanted to discuss a new configuration of the council table with only the council members sitting at the table and the City Manager and the City Clerk sitting together to one side of the council table. Gayman said that maybe that would work with a strong mayor form of government, but El Dorado has a city manager form of government and the current set up was working.