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Environmental Services outlines fleet, staffing and recycling challenges in annual report
Summary
Department leaders told the council that aging trucks, staffing shortages and falling recycling volumes are the biggest challenges facing Environmental Services; the department outlined vehicle replacement needs, contamination issues in curbside recycling, and plans for improved public education and a landfill RFP.
City Environmental Services presented its annual report to the Victoria City Council, outlining operational responsibilities, performance metrics and near-term challenges, including an aging collection fleet, staffing shortages and a decline in curbside recycling volumes.
Darryl Lisak, who led the presentation, said Environmental Services handles residential garbage, recycling, yard waste, bulky waste, tree limb pickup, household hazardous waste (HHW), and several contracts including the landfill, landfill gas and compost facility. Lisak said the department serves about 20,225 residential accounts for garbage and recycling collection.
Recycling and HHW: Lisak reported curbside recycling volumes fell to about 674 tons this past year (roughly 56% of materials collected were recyclable), down from around 1,000 tons in an earlier year, and that contamination — recyclable materials rendered unrecoverable because they were wet, soiled or otherwise contaminated — accounted for roughly 44% of items placed for recycling. Lisak said household hazardous waste pickups totaled 22 tons this past year versus a more typical ~50 tons in prior years; electronics made up about 65% of recent HHW volume.
Fleet and equipment: Lisak told the council the department runs nine routes daily (seven garbage, two recycling) with two reserve trucks. He said several front-line trucks date from 2016 and need replacement; average cost per automated collection truck is roughly $525,000, and he estimated replacing a subset of trucks would cost in the low millions. Lisak warned that new EPA emissions rules slated to take effect in 2027 may further complicate procurement because manufacturers are still adapting and the technology and supply chain remain uncertain.
Staffing and operations: The department is two positions short of budgeted staffing, Lisak said, and the city has struggled to hire candidates because private-sector pay for drivers can be higher. The shortfall has led to excessive overtime and prevented the department from putting an additional, already-configured route into regular service. Lisak said the department averages high stop counts per driver (approaching 1,000 carts per driver daily) and that adding an extra route would reduce daily stops and overtime if staff can be hired.
Rates, reserves and capital planning: Lisak said the environmental services enterprise fund has been managed so each line of business pays for itself and that the department has historically built reserves to pay for capital purchases (the city has preferred cash purchase for heavy equipment rather than financing). He noted the city is working on a Class 1 amendment to its Republic contract to permit an additional landfill cell and is preparing an RFP for landfill operations; landfill royalties and special-job fees may be adjusted in the new procurement.
Public education and service improvements: Christy (Community Appearance lead) described a targeted City Alert Center messaging program to notify residents by route about service changes and highlighted Keep Victoria Beautiful efforts, neighborhood cleanups, beautification grants and volunteer engagement. Lisak and Christy said the department will launch a "Waste Wizard" online tool to help residents determine proper disposal options for specific items, and the communications team plans videos and cart-sticker education to reduce contamination.
Council discussion noted the department's heavy workload and public value; Lisak emphasized that many of the most expensive needs are capital purchases (trucks and heavy equipment) and that recurring staffing shortages produce operational impacts. He and staff asked the council to consider long-term facility planning—centralized fleet/facility locations and possible hiring of specialized mechanics—to reduce downtime and expedite truck repairs.
Ending: The council received the report; staff signaled further budget and procurement items to come as part of the city's capital planning and the environmental services enterprise budget process.
