Councilor Rosemarie Mazza-Moriarty
Springfield City Council
36 Court Street
Springfield, MA 01103

Dear Councilor Mazza-Moriarty:

I am writing in response to your request for information concerning the City’s efforts to develop a trash collection program for Springfield residents where, rather than paying a fixed trash fee, residents only pay for each unit of waste discarded, commonly called “Pay –As-You-Throw (PAYT).”

As you know, the Springfield Finance Control Board has undertaken efforts for the Mayor and City Council to work on a fiscal year 2009 budget that adheres to sound financial policies. I pledged at the time of my election to find an economically sound means of eliminating the trash fee. However, five months in office have afforded me a much clearer and comprehensive understanding of the city’s fragile financial state. At this time, it is impossible for the City to absorb the cost of waste collection and disposal while responsibly addressing our top priority of public safety. However, what the City can do is make the system fairer and more environmentally sound.

As I have stated, the City’s Department of Public Works will be submitting appropriate applications to Mass DEP to request technical and financial assistance for developing such a PAYT program that promotes environmental benefits and economic savings. Mass DEP has helped over 100 communities implement successful programs.

I have notified the public of this initiative and, as expected, there have been many questions. In addition to your questions, I am including in this letter other FAQs. I can assure you that there will be no changes without adequate public education. We will also rely heavily on the expertise of Mass DEP. These two components are crucial to a successful and smooth PAYT transition.

A PAYT system provides residents an opportunity to save money on their trash costs and promotes fairness because residents pay only for the amount of trash they generate. A PAYT system also increases recycling revenue, composting and reduces waste, thereby improving environmental quality. By diverting recyclables from landfills, PAYT programs decrease trash incineration costs.

Here are answers to your specific questions:

Question:    “Will the DPW still provide trash pickup?”

Answer:    Yes. Under any PAYT program, DPW collection operations are not anticipated to change in a substantial way. The same equipment will be used to collect trash.  The DPW is investigating the utilization of PAYT bags and utilizing the existing inventory of the City-issued trash bins.  The trash collection schedule is anticipated to remain the same, with the weekly trash pickup, Tuesday through Friday.  

Question:    “Will there be lay-offs associated with the privatization of all or part of the trash removal system?”

Answer:    No layoffs of the currently employed DPW workforce are anticipated.  The FY 2009 budget is based on the elimination of currently unfilled positions.

Question:    “If the expected cost is $750,000 what are the projected revenues of a PAYT?  Is this what is incorporated in the budget?  How was this figure generated?”

Answer:    At this point, the estimated cost you refer to is for the purchase of bags for a given fiscal year based on the approximately 50,200 tons of rubbish brought to the incinerator last year. This cost is based on the state procurement list. The City has gone out to bid to find the company that offers the best value. The recommended FY 2009 budget is based on the same revenue expected to be generated by a $90 fee.  

Question:    “If bids won’t be opened until June 10, 2008, and the program is expected to begin August 1, 2008, what type of information and education will be possible in less than 2 months?”

Answer:    August 1st was estimated as the starting date of the contract under the awarded bid rather than a start date for  PAYT.  If the bid is awarded in response to the current invitation for bids, the winning bidder or bidders will need to manufacture and order inventory and distribute the PAYT bags. The vendor will also develop and implement the retail sales and collection management program.  As the City gets closer to a start date for PAYT, with the assistance of Mass DEP, the City will provide residents with detailed information about the new progam. Community forums will provide residents with an opportunity to comment on the new program. We will also communicate with the public through media releases, mailings, on-line material, neighborhood / civic organizations, television and radio announcements.

Question:    “What will the $750,000 costs cover?

Answer:    The estimated cost of $750,000 is the expected annual cost to the City for PAYT bags.   The volume of required bags is linked to the volume of trash taken to the incinerator. The lower the trash volume, the lower the City’s associated cost of necessary bags.

Question:    “How are plastic trash bags eco-friendly?”

Answer:    Nationwide, PAYT bag quality requirements are based on the capacity, durability, color, imprinted information, type of closure and a minimum of 20 percent recycled content.  Since the bags will contain land-filled trash, they will be disposed of using the incineration process.  The environmental benefit comes chiefly from the anticipated reduction in the trash volume because of increased recycling.

Question:    “What will this mean for all of the green barrels and the DPW trucks equipped to work with the barrel system?”

Answer:    We plan to retain the trash barrels currently in use. PAYT bags would simply be deposited into those green barrels. It is estimated that approximately 71percent of all generated trash  can be recycled.

    During FY 2007 the City paid more than $3.6 million in tipping fees for the approximately 50,200 tons of rubbish brought to the incinerator. The City recycled approximately 4,000 tons of trash and received over $161,000 in recycling revenue. Generally speaking, the more recycling is increased, the higher our recycling revenue becomes; and the more trash we remove from the waste stream, the lower our tipping fees become. I will also move to increase the recycling of City Departments through innovative programs.

I hope that this letter has provided some of the information needed to initiate a public discourse of this issue, which is of great financial and environmental importance to the City’s residents.

Here are the additional FAQs I referred to earlier:

Question:    When PAYT goes into effect, will residents still have to pay the $90 annual trash fee AND buy approved trash bags?  

Answer:    PAYT would make the trash fee obsolete.  Residents would only pay for PAYT bags, not for a fixed fee in addition to PAYT bags.

Question:    Under PAYT, will I be able to use the same trash container I’m using now?

Answer :    Yes, you will use the same trash and recycling containers you are using today.  If you have more recycling than can fit in your current recycling bin you can get additional bins from the Department of Public Works (DPW) or can use a cardboard box, laundry basket or another container.

Question:    Under PAYT, will the City use the same automated one-person trucks they use now?

Answer:    Yes.  The City will continue to use the same solid waste trucks it uses today.  A portion of the City is served by fully automated vehicles and a portion is served by semi-automated vehicles.  PAYT will not change the way the City removes trash.

Question:    How will the City minimize or eliminate illegal dumping in wooded
areas, commercial dumpsters or neighbors’ trash containers?

Answer:    According to Mass DEP officials, the vast majority of PAYT communities have not experienced illegal dumping. In other communities, aggressive enforcement early on has been successful in addressing these issues. However, the City will have an active enforcement program regarding PAYT. The Finance Control Board has authorized the DPW to develop regulations and is encouraging information sharing with the more than 100 other cities and towns in Massachusetts – urban, suburban and rural – which have successfully addressed these issues.

With regard to illegal dumping in general, CitiStat is working with DPW to identify areas that currently receive high levels of illegal dumping.  Strategies are being developed to address this, including the use of portable surveillance cameras to record offenders and assist in enforcement.  The Police Department will investigate illegal dumping in private dumpsters and neighbors’ trash containers and will pursue offenders using all available remedies under the law.

Question:    Will there be an amount of trash that is free each week, as is done in East
Longmeadow (one 30-gallon barrel for free per week, for instance)?

Answer:    The City is currently subsidizing solid waste services by more than $2.7 million per year at the $90 per barrel rate. An unsubsidized rate would be approximately $180 per barrel. Adopting a “partial free” system would reduce the revenue to pay for solid waste costs, forcing an increase in the City’s subsidy for trash services (for which it does not have funding) or increasing the cost of PAYT bags.

Question:    Is there a mechanism whereby a homeowner can pay a flat-rate for an
existing 60 or 90 gallon green barrel, thereby eliminating the need to buy
bags weekly and re-bag all trash?

Answer:    The PAYT bags are used the same way you currently use your Hefty trash bags or any other kitchen trash bag. In a PAYT system, there is no need to re-bag and we expect PAYT bags to be available at regular retail outlets.

A split system – where people can pay the $90 trash fee or participate in PAYT – would be less fair because at a flat rate people who generate less trash pay the same as people who generate more trash. PAYT creates an incentive to generate less trash.

Respectfully,