MAYOR PROPOSES GREEN REFUSE INITIATIVE

[Jim O'Bryan]

MAYOR PROPOSES GREEN REFUSE INITIATIVE
COUNCIL TO CONSIDER AUTOMATED REFUSE COLLECTION


Mayor Ed FitzGerald presented a plan to City Council to automate refuse collection in the City as part of the 2009 Budget Hearing focusing on Refuse which took place on November 18, 2008. City Council will consider this plan as they make decisions about the City’s 2009 Budget.

The Green Refuse Initiative proposes to automate the City’s refuse collection system. This system will be more efficient, more economical and more environmentally responsible than the current system. The plan calls for all homes in the City to receive a refuse collection container which the city will provide. Residents will place this container on their tree lawn on their collection day and a refuse truck with a mechanical arm will lift the container off the street, empty it into the truck and return the container to its original position.  Collection of recycling and large item collection will remain the same. Cleveland, Akron, Columbus, Cuyahoga Falls, Solon, Beachwood and Bowling Green already use an automated refuse collection system.

This system will result in a significant savings in operational costs for refuse collection including personnel savings, decreasing the number of vehicles necessary for refuse collection, decreasing fuel costs and decreasing vehicle repair costs. It will also provide a more environmentally friendly way to collect garbage reducing the City’s fuel usage and emissions. While their will be an initial capital outlay for trucks and containers, the City will save large amounts in operating costs and the capital will pay for itself.

Another goal of this initiative is to increase recycling efforts citywide. Throughout 2009, the City will place a stronger emphasis on raising residents’ awareness about our recycling programs and encourage all residents to recycle. In Lakewood, residents can recycle all glass bottles and jars, metal food and beverage containers, all plastics with the recycling symbols #1-7, plastic grocery bags, paper, cardboard and yard waste. For more information about recycling, visit the City of Lakewood website at <http://www.onelakewood.com/pw_refuse.html>www.onelakewood.com/pw_refuse.html.

“We want to make refuse collection more efficient, more economical and more environmentally friendly in the City of Lakewoodâ€￾, stated Mayor FitzGerald. “I look forward to working with City Council to turn this initiative into a reality.â€￾

When Mayor FitzGerald took office at the beginning of this year, the City faced the biggest deficit in its history. Throughout this year, there has been an ongoing evaluation of the services the city provides in an effort to deal with the serious, ongoing budget challenge facing the city. All City Departments have faced cuts and are continually looking for ways to make their Divisions run more efficiently and economically. However, the 2009 budget projections indicated there will be a million dollar deficit; the Mayor’s proposal to automate refuse collection will eliminate approximately 50% of this deficit.