I'm Taking a Poll, and I Need Your Vote: Sanitation.

We pay about $575 per year per dwelling to collect and remove our garbage and trash.  In reality, we should pay more than that, because we did not make provision for repair and replacement of equipment and vehicles.  By my rough calculation, we should correct that oversight by an emergency one time assessment now of $225 per dwelling, and then add $25 per dwelling per year from now on to the approximately $575 per dwelling per year.

The question has been raised as to whether it is "better" for us to continue to operate, and pay for, our own independent system of solid waste management, or we should outsource this municipal function.  The common theory is that it would be cheaper for us to outsource.  The matter has not received careful study, and adherents of this theory do not know and cannot yet know how much cheaper it would be.  In fact, the questions are just now being asked in detail, and the answers will be presented at the February Commission meeting.  (Come to the meeting.)

The result will be either that it is cheaper for us to outsource, it costs the same as we're paying now, or it is more expensive to outsource.  I assume there would be no disagreement that if it cost us the same or more to outsource, then we would not choose to do it.   So for purpose of discussion, let's assume it would be cheaper to outsource.  And again, we do not at present know how much cheaper it would be.

The decision then rests on how we balance two preferences.  One is the preference to save money, and the other is the preference to have "in house," personalized service.  Just to illustrate, one of my friends assumes we would save money by outsourcing (although he has no idea how much we might save), and he considers it a "no-brainer" that we should outsource.  Another of my friends says he likes the service we provide ourselves, and he would rather pay more to keep it.  So two completely opposite conclusions.  One would rather save money where possible, and the other would rather pay a premium for specialized service.

At the February Commission meeting, there will be comparison and discussion of the costs and other intangible factors regarding solid waste management.  It's possible there will be a motion to vote for one system or the other.  More likely, such a vote would be delayed slightly for more community input.  I'm only guessing, because I have no way to know.  What I do know is that we have two expensive trucks that need imminent replacement, and we cannot wait long to decide either to come up with the money to replace them, or to transfer the responsibility and the entire collection system to some outside company: to outsource.  At some level, this decision cannot wait.  At least it cannot wait long.

Let's then consider that we might save money with outsourcing of sanitation.  Again for purpose of discussion, let's imagine it would be enough money to talk about.  For example, let's imagine that we could find someone who would charge us $450 per dwelling per year instead of the $600 per dwelling per year we should be paying, with an added $225 per dwelling we should pay right now to keep our service "in house."  Obviously, I'm completely guessing about the $450, but we need some kind of basis for the question.

If you could pay enough less to talk about, to outsource sanitation, and in exchange you would lose "our guys" and the level of service we now have ("our guys" will come to your side yard to get your containers, and they'll replace them there; an outsourced company most likely will not), what would you prefer to do?

And to make this question a bit more interesting, let me give you two other examples.  One is the example of a Griffing resident who complains that our median maintenance company (we outsourced that a few years ago) makes a racket by cutting the grass at 7:00 on Saturday mornings, when the resident would like to be sleeping.  A BP crew would not be working on Saturday mornings, and they would not be awakening residents with very early AM grass-cutting anyway.  There's too much of a personal connection for them, or their supervisors, to do that.  There's a feeling of personal accountability.  Similarly, we outsource recycling to Miami Shores.  Have you found that the plastic recycling bins get tossed around in such a way that they break before long, and you either have to tape them up, or request replacement bins?  The recycling guys are not accountable to us, and it appears Miami Shores doesn't really mind if they're frequently called upon to replace broken bins.

So please vote.  You can leave a comment in the comment section, or you can e-mail me your vote.  I'll tabulate the votes, and I'll let you know what we're all thinking.  At some point, I myself will be called upon to vote, and I'd rather vote for what you want than for what I want, or for what I imagine you might want, or what I might think you should want.  So tell me what you want.  I will of course get back to you when I know what outsourcing will actually cost.  I just want to have a preliminary position if I can.  If it entirely depends on the unknown fact, the actual cost of outsourcing, just say so, and we'll all wait.


Correction: I am informed that the Commission discussion which will include proposals from outside companies will not occur at the February meeting.  It might be a subsequent special meeting, or it might be the March meeting.  The general question remains, however, as to whether you would in theory prefer to save money or preserve our "in house" sanitation service.  The understanding now is that neither you nor I know how much money we might save.