City of Reading

1
City of Reading

• Clean City YES
• October 16, 2006

2
Reading A Beautiful City?

• Parts of Reading clean, free of trash
• Other parts of Reading trash strewn

3
(No Transcript)
4
(No Transcript)
5
(No Transcript)
6
(No Transcript)
7
(No Transcript)
8
Trash dumped in vacant garages accounts for
majority of arsons
9
Vermin live in trash piles and invade adjoining
properties
10
(No Transcript)
11
Trash Dumped in Vacant Properties affects
property value
12
Trash fire 600 Bk Weiser
13
Dumped mattresses in rear of 6th and Greenwich
fire endangers building and firefighters
14
Why have a clean city?

• Fire Safety
• Crime Deterrent
• Maintain Property Values
• Attractive to businesses
• Pride and Quality of Life

15
Crime Deterrent

• Disorder invites the criminal element.
• A dirty city says
• Nobody Cares

16
Property Values

• Your property is worth less on a dirty block and
  in a dirty city

17
Health

• Vermin and disease thrive in a neighborhood that
  is dirty

West Nile virus Roach infected asthma cases
Rats and mice infestation
18
Trash Collection in Reading

• Current System
• 85 Participation
• Multiple haulers - no one is accountable
• Incentive to dump
• Codes enforcement expensive (gt240k)

• Proposed System
• 100 Participation (no free-loaders)
• Single hauler held accountable
• No incentive to dump
• Codes enforcement reduce cleanup costs
• NO TAX INCREASE to support trash removal

19
Common Questions

• Q Why not keep the current system and increase
  the number of codes officers?
• A Even with unlimited number of additional
  codes officers, it is impossible to police every
  area. Dumping will still occur unless we have
  100 participation.

20
The fact is, no matter how the program is
established, as long as it is voluntary, there
will always be some people who will not comply

• Reading Eagle Editorial June 18, 2006

21
Common Questions

• Q Why cant we simply track down each property
  owner and force them to list a hauler with the
  city?
• A
• Property owners change (most months about 300
  transactions of city properties)
• Haulers change (many people keep switching and
  dont report)
• Haulers dont keep lists up to date
• 27,000 housing units in city

22
Common Questions

• Q I have a hauler I am satisfied with why pay
  for people who dont?
• A You already pay for people with no hauler.
  Taxpayers pay 240,000 annually to pick up trash
  because we cant find the person dumping!

23
Private Haulers

• Are not to blame for a dirty city
• Many are doing a fine job
• The current system does not work and no amount of
  money spent patching it will help!
• Under proposed system, private haulers can still
  remove trash for commercial (stores, businesses)
  and buildings with 5 or more units!

24
Incentive to Dump!

• Pay by the bag? Incentive is discard trash to
  save money, even if the customer has a listed
  hauler.
• By including the trash fee in a consolidated bill
  everyone pays
• Result no incentive to dump

25
What will it cost?

• Most cases less than what you will pay if the
  Initiative does not pass!
• Single hauler economies of scale trucks pick
  up entire block at one time
• Billing and collection done by the city
• Consolidated recycling/trash
• Discounts for eligible senior citizens

26
Example 1 Family (adults/kidscity contract)
2006 and 2007

• Current trash bill (2006)
• 85 have hauler
• 3.50 /week
• 30 recycle per year
• 8 bags per week
• 4 bulky items per year
• Total
• 4.07/week
• Additional bulky items over 4 you pay 10 each

• 2007 trash bill (14,227)
• 85 city have hauler
• Separate bill
• 45.76 recycle per year
• 8 bags per week
• 1 bulky item per week
• Total
• 5.55/week (If Ref fails)
• Additional bulky items you pay 10 each

This is the 2006 and 2007 price for 14,227 now
on city contract
27
Example 1 Family (adults/kidscity contract)
2007

• 2007 trash bill (14,227)
• 85 city have hauler
• Separate bill
• 45.76 recycle per year
• 8 bags per week
• 1 bulky items per week
• Total
• 5.55/week (If Ref fails)
• Additional bulky items over 4 you pay 10 each

• City-wide system (2007)
• 100 have hauler
• Consolidated bill
• Recycle included
• 8 bags per week
• 1 bulky item per week
• Total
• 5.00 per week) (If passes)
• Additional bulky items over 52 10 each
• Plus a clean city

If Referendum is a NO based on low bidder,
cost for 2007
28
Example 1 Senior Citizens

• Current trash bill
• 85 have hauler
• 2.00 /week
• 30 recycle/year
• 2 bags/week
• No bulky items included
• Total
• 2.58/week
• Bulky items None included you
  pay 20 each

• City-wide system
• 100 have hauler
• Consolidated bill
• Recycle included
• 8 bags per week
• 1 bulky item per week
• Total
• 2.50 /week
• Bulky items included
• AND.. A CLEAN CITY!

Assumes typical cost for seniors w/ private
hauler not on city contract
29
Eligible Senior Citizens

• Over 65 years of age
• Living in owner-occupied home
• Family income limits
• 23,500 for individual
• 31,500 for couple
• Verifiable based on PACE/PACENET enrollment
  criteria.
• Applications available at Office of Aging and
  senior centers

30
What will a new system cost for existing city
contract customers?
YES will cost less!
31
Under a city wide collection system, this gets
picked up at the curb
32
Under a city wide collection system, this gets
picked up at the curb
33
Who is accountable for a clean city?

• Haulers job is to service the customer
• No hauler is responsible for the entire block, or
  zone or city (finger pointing)
• Even if 90 of the people have a hauler, and 10
  do not the block looks dirty

34
Statistics as of Sept 27, 2006

• Eligible Properties 22,919
• Eligible Households 27,286
• 63 have opted for the city program
• Number of active haulers 18
• Range of customers 5 to 1,400
• Vacant properties 2,665
• Properties with no hauler 1086
• Total vacant/no hauler about (2,665 1086) 3,751

35
Clean City Proposal

• Trash collection is a basic municipal service!

36
Accountability

• People expect city services
• Water
• Sewer
• Police
• Fire and ambulance
• Trash removal
• Codes budget more than 90,000/yr year cleaning
  up dumping
• Public Works additional 150,000 on cleanups.
  This is all taxpayer money.

37
Benefits

• Cleaner city is a safer city
• Maintains your property value
• Accountability single hauler responsible
• Healthier trash attracts vermin
• Trash fires reduced
• Reduced truck traffic on city streets
• Everybody pays!
• Consolidated bill water/sewer/trash
• Business relocate/expand in clean cities
• Many cases is cheaper and better service!

38
Current System of Trash Complaints
Citizen calls codes
Codes Visits Site
Appear before MDJ
Try to locate owner
MDJ Makes Ruling
Issue notice
MDJ Issues Fine
Citizen may appeal
Issue citation
??
39
Proposed System Trash Complaints
Citizen calls contractor
Contractor picks up trash
40
Where would you rather live?
41
Referendum Nov 7, 2006

• Please have all voters who support a clean city
  to come out and vote Clean City Yes
• We are the last city our size in the Commonwealth
  to have numerous private haulers and not a
  single system.
• It is the beginning of a cleaner city
• Tell everyone you know to vote

42
Clean City YesP.O. Box 1283Reading, PA 19603