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Solid waste division asks for trucks, routes and staff to ease collection pressure
Summary
Solid waste managers presented a plan to add routes, staff and specialized equipment — including a third-party replacement of 300‑gallon carts with 95‑gallon carts — to reduce wear on trucks, cut illegal dumping and improve service frequency.
Solid waste staff told the council they want to add residential and commercial routes, purchase specialized collection vehicles and expand their crew to reduce overwork and operational strain.
The presentation said current round counts exceed recommended stops per route for modern automated trucks, producing excessive wear on mechanical arms and downtime. ‘‘Our trucks should be doing about 700 containers per day; currently we’re doing about 1,100,’’ the presenter said, describing long runs and repeated pickups.
Staff asked the council to accelerate a plan already in the six‑year business plan: add a five‑day collection schedule (rather than three or four days with a Wednesday makeup day), expand recycling collection, and add a rear-load commercial vehicle and a second commercial side-loader.
The division also requested tools and shop equipment to reduce downtime: a small vehicle to haul refurbished cans, an on-site hose-crimping capability to repair hydraulic lines in the field and a grapple/boom to unload inbound cardboard trailers. Solid waste leaders argued these purchases would cut outsourced repair costs and improve truck availability.
On container policy, staff explained a phased move from 300‑gallon shared containers to individual 95‑gallon carts would increase resident accountability, reduce illegal dumping and lower mechanical strain on arms designed for standardized lifts.
Council members asked about recruiting and training for CDL drivers and whether the city requires newly trained drivers to remain on city payroll for a set period. Staff said training agreements exist and that recent compensation improvements have reduced churn in heavy positions.
No formal action was taken; staff asked to know which requests the council would prioritize for FY26.
