2005-03-28 Regular Meeting, Public Hearing and Workshop Meeting of the La Porte City Council

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PLASIC GARBAGE BAGS Recent price increases in petroleum-based products have created a dilemma for the Solid Waste Division. The rise in the price of plastic garbage bags has created a budget shortfall. With the summer bag distribution coming up, a decision must be made regarding the continued bi-annual distribution of two (2) rolls of bags to each resident. The current practice of distribution of plastic bags to residents began with the passage of Ordinance 1188 on February 20, 1980. The ordinance mandates that residents must use plastic or paper bags for disposal of garbage, with bags to be supplied by the city. Distribution offour rolls, each with 52 bags, provided each resident with bags sufficient for 2 bags of garbage for each pickup. Distribution was twice per year to avoid excessive inventory to be stored. Plastic bags provide for more efficient collection that the use of cans. Picking up a can, emptying it into the hopper of the truck and replacing the can at curbside takes three to four times as long as picking up a bag and placing it in the hopper. Repeated an average of 2,000 times per day, the collection of garbage is much more efficient with bags than with cans. An added benefit is the absence of empty cans after collection is completed. Recent prices in plastic have increased from $0.42 per pound in July 04 to $0.69 per pound in December 04. Plastic bags purchased for the January 05 handout consumed $97,492, or 67% of the budget set aside for the purchase of plastic garbage bags. $46,008, or 32% ofthe budget remain. The City is scheduled to distribute an additional two rolls per resident in August. Prices arc expected to be the same or more than they were in December. The available budget is only sufficient to purchase one roll per resident. A note should be given on the subject of paper bags. The option of paper bags has been explored several times in past years. Pasadena furnishes 104 paper bags per year. La Porte currently furnishes 208 bags (four rolls) per year. The most recent cost comparison illustrates that Pasadena pays $23.92 for 104 bags - La Porte pays $16.80 (current cost) for 208 bags. This is $7.12 per resident less than Pasadena for twice as many bags. Several alternatives are available for consideration. The City could reduce the August handout to one roll per resident, and furnish two rolls in January. Decreasing the number of rolls from four to three per year offer several advantages. First, no additional funds will be required for the current handout. Second, the August handout will cover the fall and winter months, when garbage volumes are historically lower. Finally, the continued use of plastic bags will not result in a productivity decrease. One disadvantage is citizen reaction. Citizens have been receiving two rolls of bags every six months for 25 years. Changing to three rolls per year may seem like a reduction in service. Lowering the number of rolls is no guarantee that additional price increases will not occur - in fact price increases are inevitable. Lastly, citizens who run out would not be able to buy additional bags from the city. Replacement containers could be inferior bags or cans. A second alternative would be to appropriate additional funds (minimum $50,000, depending on bid results) to purchase enough bags for two per resident for the August handout. The immediate advantage to this would be resident satisfaction. No perceived reduction in service would be experienced. Additionally, substitutes to city-furnish bags would not be a problem.