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Waste Management says smart-truck cameras now back in use; residents to receive photo-backed overage notices
Summary
Waste Management's local representative told the Templeton Parks and Recreation committee that AI-flagged camera monitoring resumed in June and that customers now receive photo-backed notices for overfilled carts and contamination; residential overage charges are $5.17 per incident and commercial overages $13.60 per extra yard.
At a Templeton Parks, Recreation and Reviews Committee meeting on Oct. 22, Waste Management public sector solutions manager Jessica McGinnis said the company has resumed camera- and AI-assisted monitoring of carts and dumpsters and is issuing photo-backed notices to customers for overages and some contamination cases.
ABMy name is Jessica McGinnis,BB she said, describing annual residential and commercial service guides, fall cleanup logistics and the monitoring system. McGinnis said the company paused enforcement during Midstate Solid Waste's acquisition but turned monitoring back on in June and now sends a letter with an image or video when a cart or dumpster is flagged.
The notices include a still image or, where available, a short video showing why a customer was notified. McGinnis illustrated the process with examples including a partially open recycling lid and a plastic bag in a blue recycling container.
ABThe lids are supposed to be completely closed,BB McGinnis said, adding that flagged incidents are reviewed by a person before any charge is applied. She said residential overage charges in the district are $5.17 per incident and commercial overages are $13.60 per extra yard, figures that are already included in the franchise agreement and rate structure.
Committee members pressed staff on customer-service impacts. Several said the district office has received more calls since enforcement resumed; McGinnis explained two local customer-service representatives handle calls but that calls may forward to a corporate call center after several rings, requiring customers to provide their invoice/customer ID.
Committee members also raised edge cases: wind-blown lids, apparent errors, and illegal dumping that can make a commercial container appear overfilled. McGinnis said local staff can flag incidents as invalid and reverse charges after review when evidence shows a capture was incorrect or when illegal dumping occurred.
The presentation covered related outreach: WM's inbound customer notices with sorting guides, SB 1383 materials and links to IWMA hazardous-waste and curbside oil-recycling information. McGinnis said WM sends monthly contamination reports to district staff that include dates, customer accounts, and links to the video evidence when available.
The committee asked about future changes to resident contamination charges. McGinnis said adding residential contamination fees would require compliance with Proposition 218 procedures and staff would try to align any change with the district's annual CPI adjustment in April.
The committee did not vote on new policy at the meeting; staff and WM agreed to continue local coordination and to provide follow-up information to the district's point people.
