DPW lays out data and steps to address missed pickups, recycling and illegal dumping

Tariq Rolland, interim director of the Department of Public Works, told the Municipal Council on Jan. 14 that the city’s refuse and recycling operations faced unusually heavy volumes over the holiday period and outlined operational changes and data efforts to reduce missed pickups and illegal dumping.

Rolland provided weekly tonnage figures to the council, saying the week after Thanksgiving this year saw roughly 3,350 tons collected across recycling, bulk and refuse versus about 3,080 tons in the prior comparable week. He described November weekly averages and noted that one Thanksgiving week required handling roughly two weeks’ worth of work in a single week, creating pickup backlogs.

Council members pressed for accountability, supervision and staffing. Councilman Council (as identified in the transcript) asked whether supervisors are performing proactive spot checks and argued that employees should stay on duty until the whole district is completed rather than leaving when an earlier segment is finished. Rolland and council members agreed on the need for stronger supervisor oversight and more accurate district completion reporting.

Other measures discussed or underway: - Night collection: the DPW is moving some recycling collection to evening hours (the plan referenced moving to a 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. recycling window in parts of its planning documents) to improve pickups. - Dumpster pilot / spring cleanup model: Rolland said the city’s spring‑cleanup dumpster program has proven effective and staff are studying how to expand it in a more regular way. Council members cautioned about unsupervised dumpsters attracting nonresidents to dump waste. - Illegal‑dumping tracking: Rolland said the department is separating legal dumping records from illegal dumping so the city can quantify tipping fees and costs tied to unauthorized dumping. - Supervisors sworn as enforcement: the administration is pursuing a plan to have DPW supervisors sworn as code enforcement officers, enabling them to document violations and pursue citations; Rolland said the goal is to have that in place by June. - Equipment and capital plan: Rolland said the administration and business administrator support additional manpower and equipment; he cited a capital improvement plan prepared by the director of Redevelopment (capital items and timelines were flagged for future follow‑up).

Council members raised worker morale, pay and training, and urged improved uniforms, brooms/tools on trucks, and customer service training for crews. Several members asked DPW to supply a directory of department leadership contact information to council offices.

Why it matters: Council members described sanitation and recycling as essential services affecting quality of life and public health; the transcript records council members saying they receive frequent constituent complaints about missed recycling and bulk pickups. Rolland said the administration supports additional staffing and equipment and is adjusting schedules and oversight to reduce missed collections.

Clarifying details recorded in the meeting: - Reported tonnage: the week after Thanksgiving in 2023 (combined recycling, bulk and refuse) was cited at about 3,080 tons; the comparable week in the current year was cited at about 3,350 tons. - Annual recycling totals cited: April–December collection in 2023 was 12,538 tons; 2024 total recycling collected was 12,817 tons (both figures provided in Rolland’s remarks). - Target operational change: supervisory enforcement and sworn code‑enforcement authority for supervisors targeted by June (administration working on process).