The city expects to expand its trash-collection responsibilities
dramatically this summer, capturing 85,000 homes across a large swath of northeast Houston from a longtime private contractor.
The massive effort will increase the number of city-collected homes by
about 25 percent, starting July 1. Officials say it won't change the
quality of service for regular or heavy-trash removal.
Still, it's possible the takeover from Republic Waste Services — and a
planned reassessment of trash routes citywide — could change collection
days for some residents.
Those decisions still haven't been made, and city officials say they
will try to avoid any disruptions to Houstonians' accustomed schedules.
"We want a minimum of things to fall through the cracks, a minimum of
communications gaps to be made when that transition occurs," Mayor Bill
White said recently. "But it is a major, major undertaking."
Thomas "Buck" Buchanan, the city's solid-waste director, said his
department is developing a thorough plan for the transition, which he
expects will be transparent for most residents. The affected homes are
mostly in northeast Houston, outside Loop 610, and in a few
neighborhoods on the far west side.
The change doesn't affect apartments or businesses, which don't receive
city trash pickup. It also won't affect neighborhoods that hire their
own contractors under sponsorship agreements with the city.
"Our hope is that if a customer doesn't notice that the color of the
truck picking up their garbage has changed, they won't even know the
service provider has changed," said Buchanan, a former Army colonel who
took over as director six years ago.
The change comes as a task force organized by White studies whether to
recommend residential garbage fees, like those in other major cities,
and whether about 30,000 homes in densely platted developments with
private interior driveways should be eligible for curbside service. The
panel could deliver its recommendations to the mayor by March.
The city will part ways with Republic, one of the nation's largest
waste firms, when a seven-year, $56 million contract expires this
summer.
A year ago, the company admitted that some of its employees billed the
city for trash collected in other local municipalities, though
officials say that dispute didn't prompt the decision not to renew the
contract.
With the contract expiring, the city decided to compete for the
service, submitting a bid that was cheaper than Republic's plan by
about $2 million — nearly the same amount the company agreed to pay the
city after the billing flap.
Republic spokesman Will Flower said that issue already had been
resolved with city officials. He said the company's bid price was
affected by higher oil prices, driving up the cost of tires, lubricants
and fuel.
"We bid on projects throughout the country all the time. Sometimes we
win, sometimes we lose," Flower said. "Especially over the last two
years, we've seen municipal contracts increase in cost dramatically."
With Republic exiting, Buchanan said he expects to hire as many as 55
new drivers. He's also spending $10 million on new equipment.
Still, he thinks the city eventually will save money by taking over the
collections, especially after a new software program helps his team
study collection routes and determine where efficiencies are possible.
The software prescribes routes in a winding series of right turns
through neighborhoods. The automatic arms that lift trash bins are on
the right side of the trucks, and left-hand turns across traffic waste
time. The drivers and their supervisors pick their routes now.
The department recently tested the software in Braeswood Place. The
number of routes decreased, Buchanan said, and so did overtime hours.
The hope is that the trend continues for routes to all 400,000 homes
covered by the city, he said.
Buchanan was able to compete with Republic, which has 13,000 employees
and operations in 21 states, because the department has grown more
efficient, he said. Worker attendance has improved, and those employees
are collecting more tonnage, earning incentive pay for productivity and
safety.
In weighing the takeover, Buchanan faced two options. He could have
added a fifth district — and the corresponding personnel — or he could
just realign the current borders. He chose the latter plan to save
money.
"I've had to absorb the new customers into our current organization
structure," he said. "This is a massive undertaking."
So far, the city hasn't informed the affected neighborhoods about the
change. Buchanan said he wants to wait until the routes have been
determined. He said he won't change any schedules without giving
residents a 60-day notice and repeated reminders.
Jackie Mayhorn, president of the city's Super Neighborhood Alliance, a
panel that advises the mayor and other leaders on community issues,
said notification and education would be critical.
"If they are doing their due diligence, it shouldn't be a big deal,"
said Mayhorn, who lives in a neighborhood serviced by Republic. "If
they don't have to change anything, I wouldn't. But if they had to in
order to get better service, then we would get used to it."
