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Fire or keep sanitation workers? Your input might make the difference

Just another dumpster fire in Mason City, this time  started in city hall.

MASON CITY – The following options are being considered for rates and service for the Sanitation Pick Up in the City of Mason City.  There are four options that are being considered.  Each option will be described in narrative form and a table has also been prepared to show all options together.  Sanitation is currently charged at a rate of $10.05 per month and the garbage is generally picked up by 1 pm each day.  Yard waste pick up will cause some pick up days to be longer based on the volume required and is the highest in the fall.  The City currently has 5 garbage packer trucks and three recycling trucks in our fleet.  The fleet is aging and vehicle repair costs are rising.  There is an identified need to replace as many vehicles as economically feasible over the next five years.  The decision to purchase a truck is reviewed each year during budget time.  In a two truck system used in the winter, each truck is making 1,375 daily stops and typically completes the route in 6 hours or less averaging 229 stops per hour.  In the non-winter months three trucks are used and yard waste is picked up for 917 stops for each truck for garbage plus a re-run of the route to pick up yard waste. Completion time varies depending on volume of yard waste.  The loss of one truck during non-winter routes will require the two remaining trucks to make an additional 458 stops per day above the 917 stops per day under the current system.  The use of only two trucks in the non-winter period will add approximately 200,000 pounds of garbage/yard waste per month to each truck above the between 310,000 to 640,000 pounds of garbage/yard waste they currently pick up each month.  The information on each option is provided in table format with a narrative description provided on the second page.

The Mayor and City Council would like your input on which option is more desirable for you considering rates and service.  Please click on the listed email address and provide your input.  When you hit send using the address provided below, your email will be sent to the Mayor, all Council Members and the City Administrator. mayorcouncil@masoncity.net

Proposed Rate Increases Sanitation Employees Impact Service Level
Option 1 $0.95/month$11.40/year 2 retained No change
Option 2 $0.10/month$1.20/year 2 eliminated Extends collection time to late afternoon
Option 3  $0.15/month$1.80/year

Plus $0.40 per yard waste bag disposed

2 retained No change
Option 4 $0.10/month$1.20/year 2 eliminated with 2 swing worker positions are created Extends collection time to late afternoon but slightly reduced in high volume times when swing workers are utilized primarily during high yard waste days

 

 

Option 1

Sanitation service will see a rate increase of $0.95 per month in FY 2016 and a rate increase of $0.45 per month in FY 2017.  Two sanitation employees are retained and the service stays at the current level and method of pick up.  The new revenue will allow the division to replace a truck each of the next five years.

 

Option 2

Sanitation service will see a rate increase of $0.10 per month in FY 2016 and a rate increase of $0.10 per month in FY 2017.  Two sanitation positions are eliminated, reducing the number of trucks used in the non-winter months from three to two.  With the reduction of one truck, the garbage routes will take longer to complete with the route being completed in the late afternoon. The savings from the reduction in employees will allow the division to replace a truck each of the next five years.

 

Option 3

Sanitation service will see a rate increase of $0.15 per month in FY 2016 and a rate increase of $0.15 per month in FY 2017.  In addition to the general rate increase, the City will implement a charge of $0.40 per yard waste bag for this pick up.  Stickers would be sold to adhere to each bag.  Two sanitation employees are retained and the service stays at the current level and method of pick up.  The new revenue will allow the division to replace three trucks over the next five years.

 

Option 4

Sanitation service will see a rate increase of $0.10 per month in FY 2016 and a rate increase of $0.10 per month in FY 2017.  Two sanitation positions are eliminated reducing the number of trucks used in the non-winter months from three to two.  The City will create two new swing worker positions that will split their time between Sanitation and another department.  One swing worker will focus on Arborist work in dealing with trees that may be affected by the Emerald Ash Borer and the other swing worker will focus on work in the Water Department.  With the reduction of one truck, the garbage routes will take longer to complete with the route being completed in the late afternoon.  The addition of the swing workers however will allow additional staff to assist during high volume times such as fall yard waste needs.  The department director would have the ability to shift the swing workers as needed to accomplish tasks.  The savings from the reduction in sanitation employees and creation of swing worker positions will allow the division to replace a truck in four of the next five years.

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