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Contractors warn of traffic, calibration and pricing issues as Tulsa plans green-waste rate changes
Summary
Contractors and staff discussed operational problems at the green-waste drop-off, including traffic congestion, clay-surface erosion on rainy days, an uneven fee structure that undercharges many trailer deliveries, and the timing of a planned rate increase and potential privatization of commercial operations.
Contractors raised safety and pricing concerns about Tulsa's green-waste operations at the March 25 meeting of the Tulsa Authority for the Recovery of Energy.
Todd Ricker, identifying himself as a contractor with Rickard Service, described heavy congestion and safety risks at the Greenway entrance during recent busy days and urged the authority to address traffic control, surface improvements and pricing calibration before raising the gate fee. "My biggest recommendation to you guys is you've got to calibrate your trailers," Ricker said, describing how common 16-foot trailers can carry roughly 20 cubic yards yet are frequently charged at a 5-yard rate.
Staff reported earlier in the meeting that municipal partner MOUs with Broken Arrow, Jenks and Bixby are under review because the city intends to raise certain commercial green-waste fees (staff said the new commercial rate would be $5.28 per cubic yard compared with a prior MOU rate of $0.55). Staff said they had contacted Broken Arrow staff (Gary Schubert) and were waiting on responses from other municipal partners.
Contractors warned that the current gate charges create perverse incentives: many commercial trailers that carry multiple times the billed volume were being charged at the same low flat rate, so raising fees without calibrating trailer sizes could leave the city still under-collecting revenue or create sudden shifts in where contractors take material. Contractors also warned of muddy conditions on clay soil during rainy periods and urged an improved surfacing plan or staging areas to avoid trucks getting stuck.
Staff said the commercial contract re-advertisement is scheduled for this summer and that some measurement and pricing elements will be addressed in the new contract. Staff also said they hope to implement an updated commercial green-waste rate near June 1, while a longer-term privatization/contract decision remains under negotiation.
The authority agreed to place trailer-size calibration and gate-control measures on the agenda for further discussion and to include pricing calibration in future contract terms.
