Changes to Tulsa's residential trash system

[ARGUS]

I STILL want to know what the pile of dirt is for that is stockpiled and partially covered at the Creek River Spirit Casino.

[Hoss]

I STILL want to know what the pile of dirt is for that is stockpiled and partially covered at the Creek River Spirit Casino.

And this relates to trash service....how?

[ARGUS]

Sorry Hoss, lame jesting dig towards Recycle Michael.

[shadows]

And this relates to trash service....how?

Thought that pile of dirt was there to cover up all the mistakes in redoing a working trash disposal to one with built in increasing cost to the citizens. 

Has anyone noticed the residents of BA are going to wait until Tulsa weighs their pot of gold accumulated from the change in the trash pickup, until after the first of the year, before setting out their empty pot to be filled?

They ask if the citizens wanted a change (exercising the right to self-govern) reducing the condition now in force and increasing their out of pocket cost.
Their response seem to have been “Hell No” by the hundreds.

[Hoss]

Thought that pile of dirt was there to cover up all the mistakes in redoing a working trash disposal to one with built in increasing cost to the citizens. 

Has anyone noticed the residents of BA are going to wait until Tulsa weighs their pot of gold accumulated from the change in the trash pickup, until after the first of the year, before setting out their empty pot to be filled?

They ask if the citizens wanted a change (exercising the right to self-govern) reducing the condition now in force and increasing their out of pocket cost.
Their response seem to have been “Hell No” by the hundreds.

It *IS* Broken Arrow, however...

[carltonplace]

Thought that pile of dirt was there to cover up all the mistakes in redoing a working trash disposal to one with built in increasing cost to the citizens. 

Has anyone noticed the residents of BA are going to wait until Tulsa weighs their pot of gold accumulated from the change in the trash pickup, until after the first of the year, before setting out their empty pot to be filled?

They ask if the citizens wanted a change (exercising the right to self-govern) reducing the condition now in force and increasing their out of pocket cost.
Their response seem to have been “Hell No” by the hundreds.

^^^^^^^^all of the above is misinformation^^^^^^^^^^
There was public input, this was not done in a vacuum
Most Tulsan's think this new change is positive
The old system was outdated and we weren't charged the for the service, it was heavily subsidized to keep the price artificially low.

[shadows]

^^^^^^^^all of the above is misinformation^^^^^^^^^^
There was public input, this was not done in a vacuum
Most Tulsan's think this new change is positive
The old system was outdated and we weren't charged the for the service, it was heavily subsidized to keep the price artificially low.

How can the city subsidize the trash pickup when it is a function that every city must deal with and it is contracted by private haulers?  Why it is BA can furnish the trash pickup at a lower cost?  You realize that BA is in competition with private haulers?

The bottom line seems to be BA have less high price desk jockeys and run a more efficient operation of city government thus making any change in procedure available to the citizens by putting all the facts on the table and keeping them informed of meeting that concern their daily out of pocket cost.

The old cliché “Get the contract then make the profit on the changes”.  Seems before the ink was dry on the new contract the winner was asking for changes.
     

[RecycleMichael]

How can you be so wrong?

Broken Arrow currently charges $15.50 per month and loses about a dollar per customer per month. Their proposal is on hold, but their plan was to charge the same for the 96 gallon cart. There is no competition for residential trash in either city.

Tulsa charges $13.44 per month and loses about a dollar per customer per month. Tulsa is proposing changing to a new cart system and charging $15.52 per month.

The desk jockeys are about the same. Broken Arrow has a staff of three office personnel for 30,000 households and Tulsa has a staff of six for 115,000 households.

Broken Arrow had some negative folks at their meetings that made the paper, but they also had many who supported change. The real reason they have put their plan on hold is because of leadership void caused by the casino issue. The city manager was fired and the Mayor resigned. Now is not the time for bold changes.

[heironymouspasparagus]

How can you be so wrong?

Broken Arrow currently charges $15.50 per month and loses about a dollar per customer per month. Their proposal is on hold, but their plan was to charge the same for the 96 gallon cart. There is no competition for residential trash in either city.

Tulsa charges $13.44 per month and loses about a dollar per customer per month. Tulsa is proposing changing to a new cart system and charging $15.52 per month.

The desk jockeys are about the same. Broken Arrow has a staff of three office personnel for 30,000 households and Tulsa has a staff of six for 115,000 households.

Broken Arrow had some negative folks at their meetings that made the paper, but they also had many who supported change. The real reason they have put their plan on hold is because of leadership void caused by the casino issue. The city manager was fired and the Mayor resigned. Now is not the time for bold changes.

With the family in BA, and some of the things I have to deal with related to all of them, I would just as soon pay another dollar or two a month and have them keep the system they have.  Or even three.  It has provided an excellent service/product for at least the 30+ years I have been exposed to it.

[TeeDub]

$15.50 for twice a week trash service AND the city provides trash bags vs. $13.44 for once a week service and a ugly plastic tote.

To get twice a week service Tulsans have to pay an extra $5.

Sounds like BA is providing a service for cheaper to me.

In fact, according to a recent sanitation study, (found http://www.brokenarrowok.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/306)

"Our rate in Broken Arrow will be $15.50 which covers our operational costs, bags, capital costs, assigned overhead charges and costs associated with the M.e.t and two Free Dump Days during the year."

Maybe if the city of Broken Arrow would quit subsidizing someone's organization *cough cough* M.E.T. they would be even more on the positive side.  Strange as well that the study doesn't mention a revenue shortfall.

[heironymouspasparagus]

$15.50 for twice a week trash service AND the city provides trash bags vs. $13.44 for once a week service and a ugly plastic tote.

To get twice a week service Tulsans have to pay an extra $5.

Sounds like BA is providing a service for cheaper to me.

In fact, according to a recent sanitation study, (found http://www.brokenarrowok.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/306)

"Our rate in Broken Arrow will be $15.50 which covers our operational costs, bags, capital costs, assigned overhead charges and costs associated with the M.e.t and two Free Dump Days during the year."

Maybe if the city of Broken Arrow would quit subsidizing someone here's organization *cough cough* M.E.T. they would be even more on the positive side.

It's a pretty good deal as far as I am concerned.  And the service is very good.

[TeeDub]

In fact...   Why DOES the city of Broken Arrow feel the need to give the M.E.T. $50,000 per year?

[Hoss]

In fact...   Why DOES the city of Broken Arrow feel the need to give the M.E.T. $50,000 per year?

Why don't you ask the city?   

[shadows]

The analyst who wrote on the BA trash pick up did well in publishing the cost of its pick up in relation to that of Tulsa.

If one can endure the boredom associated with reading it and refrain from going to sleep they will arrive at the conclusion that the present system in BA is much more cost wise than the new system Tulsa is due to put in place.

The premise seems to be a system where the trash bags are paid for out of the general fund (which is collected from the citizens) costing a little over 4 cents each or 8 dollars a year, to where the household will pay an out of pocket of over 15 cents each or 30 dollars a year, and the 4 cents will go in escrow for another department.

An average house is estimated to be in the neighborhood of $140,000 dollars on a lot 9800 square feet.   The trash carts will take up 49 square feet.  The cost of $700 to store the carts must be considered.

The inconvenience having to work around the carts, unless one can allot space in a palace, can run into a problem.  The handling of the carts encourages home bound accidents.

The citizen is expected to continue to pay for twice a week pickup and only to receive once a week pickup with a very limited setout.

All parking will have to be off the street or you will not get the once a week pickup.

I can furnish pictures of private trash trucks operating within BA.

     

[RecycleMichael]

The trash carts will take up 49 square feet. 

Math isn't your friend.

The carts are 30 inches wide and 36 inches deep. Each footprint is 7.5 square feet. Times two carts.

Just to be helpful, it is 15 square feet (or less than a third of what you said).