Automated garbage trucks on their way
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on January 25, 2015 1:50 AM
esmith@newsargus.com
Fullu automated garbage trucks are on their way-- and ahead of schedule, the city public works director told members of Goldsboro City Council this week.
Jose Martinez said the trucks, called "one-arm bandits," will replace three older trucks -- and could arrive as early as this week. They were originally scheduled to arrive in April.
Martinez said the new equipment will increase route efficiency.
Currently, garbage trucks are semi-automatic, meaning one of two workers on the truck hand loads a garbage can onto the back of the truck. The can is then flipped up into the truck by a mechanical lever. The worker then returns the can back to the curb.
With the new trucks, only the driver will be needed. Mechanical arms will load and to return garbage cans.
Even though the automated trucks will eliminate nine jobs, no city employees will be let go, Martinez said. The workers will be offered jobs in other city departments.
Because of the stepped-up timetable, city resdents might have noticed new garbage cans appearing on their properties in the last few weeks.
"We ordered 4,300 new 96-gallon garbage bins and began deploying them strategically around the city in areas that consistently have the greatest amount of garbage overflow," Martinez said.
Mayor Pro-Tempore Chuck Allen was in one of those areas.
"So that explains why we got a new garbage can at my house. I'll have to go home and tell my wife we've got to stop producing so much trash," Allen joked.
With the new garbage collection process will come several changes in how residents put out their garbage for pickup.
Residents will now need to place bins one to two feet from the curb and make sure there are no cars blocking the path of the truck.
"This is to prevent property damage to anybody's cars," Martinez said. "The last thing we want to do is ding somebody's car and cause damage."
Trash placed in garbage cans must be confined to the can, and no trash may be placed around the bin. This is to ensure speed and efficiency during the collection process, Martinez said.
If the driver of the garbage truck has to stop at each overflowing bin and manually collect the trash, it slows the operation down by 45 seconds per stop. If this happens at one in every 10 stops, each automated route would see an extra one and a half hours added to its total collection time, Martinez said.
If residents feel they have too much trash to fit into one bin per week, Martinez said extra bins will be available upon request at the cost of $2 to $4 per month.
The new regulations will take effect by April, when the new trucks were scheduled to arrive. Public works will use the coming months to educate citizens about the new process.
If residents along garbage pickup routes do not abide by the new guidelines by that time, there will be consequences.
Martinez said if garbage collectors on automated routes must stop to collect excess garbage outside of garbage bins after the allotted time period, residents will receive a sticker on their respective bins warning them of potential fines if the violation continues. The sticker will list the guidelines for the new process.
On the second offense, residents will have to call public works and request a special pickup, for which they will be charged.
Also among the new regulations set to take effect by April is a "push back fee." If residents continually leave their garbage bins by the curb, public works will come and push the bin back to the appropriate place and charge the resident for doing so.
But, this new regulation will not be actively enforced, Martinez said.
"Neighbors will have to call in and let us know that is happening," he said. "We won't actively ride around and search for it. But if a resident calls and tells us their neighbor is leaving their garbage can out, we will come and push it back and charge them for that service."
Before residents are charged for any offense, however, Public Works will notify them and give them 24 hours to remedy the problem.
Martinez added that these regulations will be suspended for the holidays, so that Christmas trees and additional bulk items may be picked up.
The city will also move toward providing bulk item pickup for free.
Currently, if a resident is in need of a bulk item pickup that does not fit in their garbage can, they must call public works and pay $5 for every three bulk items that are picked up.
Under new regulations, the city would provide that service for free year-round, and would lose around $6,000 in revenue per year.
"Really, that's a drop in the bucket," Martinez said. "We're providing a service."
The new routes for the automated trucks will be decided after the trucks arrive at the Public Works Department and will be released in the future.