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Tampa Considers Cutting Garbage Pickup To Once Weekly

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By ELLEN GEDALIUS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 21, 2008

TAMPA Garbage pickup once a week?

Tampa Councilman John Dingfelder presented that option at today's city council meeting. He says the money saved could help avoid the need to increase fees for garbage collection.

"It's worth looking into when there's a suggestion about raising fees," Dingfelder said. "Right now when we're facing all these budget issues, we can't leave any stone unturned."

The council voted 5-0 to ask Mayor Pam Iorio to consider the idea, and asked for her staff to report back to the board within 45 days. Councilmen Tom Scott and Joseph Caetano were absent from Thursday's meeting.

City residents now have twice-a-week garbage collection, plus weekly recycling and yard waste pickup.

Mayor Pam Iorio this month proposed raising garbage pickup fees about $19 a year — $1.58 a month — to raise $3.2 million for the city. The average residential customer pays $25.25 a month. The money generated by a fee increase could help offset the city's $16 million budget shortfall.

Iorio said Dingfelder's proposal needs study, especially in Tampa's warm climate where piled-up garbage quickly can turn smelly.

"There are many positives associated with twice-a-week pickup, so all facts would have to be carefully evaluated," Iorio said. "Twice a week keeps our city cleaner. You don't have garbage piled up either outside of someone's home or a business during the week."

Steve Daignault, administrator for public works and utility services, said officials will have to do the math to see whether money could be saved by cutting down service. He isn't sure the city would save that much.

For example, he said, people will generate the same amount of garbage regardless of whether it's picked up once a week or twice. If the city only picks up garbage once a week, the trucks will fill up more quickly so more trucks might be needed for the same route.

"It's not a panacea that it's going to be a big savings," he said. He added that the city is considering a "pay as you throw" approach, meaning that residents who use smaller and fewer bins could pay lower rates.

Council members want to see the numbers.

Councilman Charlie Miranda said he is somewhat hesitant to support the garbage fee increase and there might be advantages to cutting pickup to once a week.

"Your equipment doesn't deteriorate as fast," Miranda said. "Anything and everything is worth looking at."

Councilwoman Mary Mulhern said she had once-a-week garbage pickup in the last city she lived in, Chicago. That was plenty, she said.

"It's seems like a lot to be picking up twice a week," she said

Several council members said the blue garbage bins provided by the city are so large — they can hold 95 gallons — that they can't fill them twice a week. But others acknowledged large families might need twice-a-week pickup.

Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena said she supports the fee increase — she described it as "modest" — but said cutting service could help the environment: Trucks would drive less, cutting down on fuel and carbon emissions.

Part of Dingfelder's motivation for bringing up the subject today came from South Tampa resident Dan Ballister, who recently had a letter published in the Tribune about the subject.

In an interview, Ballister said he moved to Tampa from San Diego, which he said had once-a-week garbage service. Before then, he lived in Albany, N.Y. There, too, his garbage was collected weekly.

"When I came here, I was amazed it was twice a week," Ballister said. "I just don't understand it. I can barely fill one of those city-issued cans once a week, let alone twice a week. It seems like they could save the city money by cutting it to once a week."

The idea isn't unique to Tampa. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported this week that Manatee County commissioners are considering reducing pickups to once a week. The county expects bills to drop as fuel is saved.

Hillsborough County uses private contractors to collect garbage. Going from twice-a-week to once-a-week garbage service would save money for customers but wouldn't help the county with revenue shortfalls.

"We wouldn't have any freed-up revenues that we could apply somewhere else," said County Administrator Pat Bean.

Many cities and counties hire private companies to pick up garbage. Tampa generally uses its own workers, except in the New Tampa area. Those residents rely on county service.

Reporter Mike Salinero contributed to this story. Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679 or egedalius@tampatrib.com.

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