Just how deaf are the Commissioners in Gwinnett County? Well let me see is I can help everyone understand. Last year I served along with a group of volunteers on The Gwinnett County Trash Advisory Committee. We held 6 public meetings throughout the county and the one thing we heard at every meeting was that the citizens of Gwinnett County wanted to be able to choose who their trash hauler was to be. The citizens wanted to have the right to fire a trash hauler that did not perform up to the citizen’s expectations.
The county then paid $131,000 of our tax dollars to R W Beck, a consulting firm, who also conducted public meetings to obtain citizen input regarding trash collection in Gwinnett County. The overwhelming result of the citizens input during these meetings, at least of the ones I was able to attend, once again was that the citizens of Gwinnett County want to choose their trash hauler.
Fast forward to March 2, 2010 Board of Commissioners meeting and the vote to approve the New Gwinnett County Trash Plan. Below is from the Gwinnett County Website:
The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners adopted a new solid waste ordinance for unincorporated Gwinnett County during the board’s business session on March 2, 2010. You may read the ordinance as drafted and also view this brief video clip of discussion among commissioners during the meeting that reflects a slight change made to the ordinance before it was adopted. The ordinance as adopted will be posted as soon as possible.
Service will begin on July 1, 2010, giving residents and haulers time to transition to the new system. The new ordinance, which does not affect city residents, will provide a reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally-conscious solid waste management system and also will allow Gwinnett County to fulfill its requirements under state law. All homeowners will have access to services for the collection and disposal of household garbage, expanded recycling, white goods (household appliances), bulky wastes (mattresses, furniture, etc.), and yard trimmings.
The new ordinance sets five service districts and authorizes the County to enter into one or more service agreements with a private company or companies to provide residential garbage service with no more than one service provider within each district. Fees for residential waste services will be made payable to Gwinnett County and will be billed as a residential solid waste fee on the same bill as county taxes.
Approval of a new ordinance is the first required step in the process of implementing a new solid waste management plan. Details of the service areas, costs, and collection logistics will be made available as soon as they are finalized.
Gwinnett County’s Solid Waste Information Center – 770.822.7141 – is open for callers Monday through Friday between 7:00am and 7:00pm.
Now I don’t know about the rest of you but I don’t think that 5 districts with only one hauler per district equals choice. My parents always told me not to make fun of the handicapped and I have adhered to that policy up until now. This Board of Commissioners is handicapped. They have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are DEAF. They have no desire to represent the wishes of the citizens of Gwinnett County in this trash matter. So here is my recommendation for the Board of Commissioners… RECALL THESE DEAF IDIOTS NOW!
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The county BOC does not want to hear about ‘old news’, they seem not interested in having citizens remind them they built a $80 million dollar Baseball Stadium without citizen input, at a time when coming budget shortfalls were a certainty.
Striking out is one thing in baseball, it’s quite another involving public saftey.
Not to mention land deals and questionable zoning of a transfer station in The Beaver Ruin area.
They are not interested in being reminded that they set Gwinnet Clean and Beautiful up as a pawn in creating this Trash Boondoogle…. and they imply that the country legal folks had no knowledge of the plan (which the BOC adopted), This plan was flawed and is now the cause of another $80 million dollar in Lawsuits from a variety of haulers.
Well, then; if the legal folks (we pay with our taxes ), were not involved before the plan ‘allegedly’ was presented to the BOC.., where was the oversight after presentation but BEFORE the BOC approved it?
The BOC headed by Mr. Bannister is responsible, perhaps while they let our county legal advisors get paid for having their feet on the desk?
I don’t blame those attorneys, The Blame goes to the BOC.
We are now paying them (Our legal folks) tons to defend the country in a lawsuit(s) that ought not have ever seen the light of day.
I do agree that Trash collection be mandatory, , But the draconian process that the county favors caused the quagmire we are in through their ’solution’
The (volunteer unpaid) trash committee basically came up with the (same) results that the BOC threw $130,000 to $150,000 at again to the wind, by hiring the consultant.
They could have kept choice by allowing at 2 haulers per district (collecting on 2 different days), and not damaged private enterprise. And it would have given opportunities for a more “robust” army of haulers, with each operating company being aware that deficiency or failure to maintain quality and respect for those who ultimately pay them, could cost them their business (accountability)
They (BOC) are going to be fostering arrogant attitudes of service from the haulers by exclusively franchising them, and eliminating aspects of competition, which does not surprise me as we move closer to socialistic government.
Is it possible our Benevolent BOC perhaps thought that in a dictatorial way that The G-braves would be entertainment for the great unwashed, while the BOC makes our decisions?… spends our $$ while we are distracted?
Danny Porter are you listening?
Makes me think that committee you served on was all for show. They (The BOC) knew what they were going to do all along and did it. The committee bought time for the BOC and calmed citizens down. But it was just a show. And yes, recall the BOC now because like most politicians in DC, they are deaf and afraid to listen to the people. This plan is just another tax on the people, and like you said, it takes away free choice. These haulers will have no incentive to do good work and the county is who will benefit financially the most. And let’s see who wins the bids. The statement the BOC put out about how this is better for the county is a load of bullsnooki. And along with the 131K spent on a consulting firm, they also will have spent who knows how many millions when they finally settle up with the haulers sueing them. I hope they all do get run out of office in the next election cycles. They all need to go.
So the lead article in today’s Atlanta Journal Constitution is ” City puts focus on trash”. Apparently the city of Atlanta is having a problem with illegal dumping on vacant lots, sound familiar to why we in Gwinnett must have mandatory trash service?
So Altanta has had a mandatory trash service for well over 40 years and they have a trash dumping problem, must be us pesky Gwinnett residents that do not have trash service!
To the big headed BOC members in Gwinnett- perception is not always reality should be the story tomorrow!
I am sorry but how do you not release the ordinance until after the voting? Are you to afraid that the residents of the county may want to read and can also understand it and not agree with it. It was on your own website that you stated it would be released once all the details have been worked out. Well that only took about two hours after your vote. I truly believe you had the details worked out prior to the vote so that was another lie to us.
So now you allow the compaines that will servicde one area to negotiate yard waste pick up with us on an indavidual basis and pay them directly? Let me be the first to thanks you for producing a monopoly, lawsuits will follow.
Why can you not tell us how the service providers will be selected? Stop hiding behind the “lawsuit” word.
Shirley Lassiter, you wrote me in an email and stated that you liked the current matter of how Gwinnett handled trash and yet you voted for this. I have posted the emails on http://www.talkgwinnett.net for all to read.
Kemerely, Nasuti are getting out of the BOC I feel due to them knowing they would not be re-elected and can not admit defeat so they are taking the cowardly way out. To Bannister and Lassiteter, start looking for a way to replace your lost income as you just terminated your BOC careers. To Mike Beaudreau, please quit and run for John Linder’s seat.
Ron~You will never make it as a politician, You make way too much sense.
Jamie~Where have you been my brother. They don’t need to be run out of office in the next election cycle… THEY NEED TO BE RUN OUT NOW!
Don~You don’t release the ordinance until after you vote on it because you have something to hide. I have printed it out and will be going through it with a fine toothed comb as I know you will. Feel free to publish discrepancies and fallacies right here as I will also.
Jamie~did you misspell something in your comment… bullsnooki?
Maybe we can come up with some sort of a class action, or other ‘event’
Perhaps there are some good strategists and deep thinkers out there who can contribute to that thought, as it must not be a knee jerk reaction.
And really tie this thing up..,
It might even “uncover” things we don’t know, like why it was so important to go against existing use and grant a variance for that transfer station;next store to that Church.
What was the so important reason for the BOC to do it? It must have had some connection to FUTURE PLANS.
I’m sure there is a money trail somewhere, the sad thing is it is going to cost a Bundle of TAXPAYER money no matter what.
Wait until you have to take the service ‘we give you’ like it not, negotiated by someone in the county who is also adding a county fee for administration and franchise.
We were 3 weeks late paying the ‘in advance” Quarterly bill for service, and Robertson shut us off, even though they had rcvd payment, on the grounds, they had not rcvd the $36 or $39 ‘late/reinstatement of service’ fee. I even got a curt letter from them saying they would do everything in their power to come after me!…, 25 years
We stayed with that same company (and its successors)
Preview of things to come folks
btw:Thank you Mr.Jack!
Gentlemen,
You have yet to see the complete picture.
The reality is that, just like Washington, Gwinnett County wants to control the money.
After years of excessive spending, the BOC is faced with a “revenue” problem; and, has been working diligently to increase taxes and cash flows.
Controlling solid waste collection is just one small part to their revenue puzzle.
With approximately 180,000 units requiring trash service, the county is looking at a 40-plus million dollar-per-year piggy-bank. Unfortunately, as the BOC builds their solid waste management bureaucracy, the total cost will grow well beyond $40 million.
We predict that, by the end of 2010, Gwinnett County will have a new Waste Management and Customer Service Department that will employ upwards of 10 full time personnel and several tempory/part time workers. Prior to county control, all of these services were performed by the private waste haulers, at no additonal charge. Now, however, we will have serving our community:
1 department manager, 5 or 6 inspectors, 2 to 3 customer service representatives, 1 administrative assistant, 5 or 6 part time employes, 7 or 8 vehicles requiring regular maintenance (each for 24/7 use by the manager and inspectors), benefits for all, and a sizable operations budget for equipment and other expenses.
Estimated annual total cost: OVER $1 MILLION – YES, you can start adding that on to your trash bill in 2011; and expect annual inflation related increases thereafter.
And, after all of this wasted time and expense, Gwinnett County will, like Atlanta, continue to have illegal dumping. No problems will have been solved but we will have more friends and family on the Gwinnett County payroll.
Havining resolved the trash issue, we can now look forward to what type of revenue improvements will come from the Engage Gwinnett Committee, I-85 HOV toll lane and Hwy 316 tollway recommendations. Isn’t it great to live in Gwinnett?
Didn’t seem like deja vu when the county announced the monthly cost which sounded very much like the original cost was to be 15 months ago. Except this time there is no GC&B and their inflated administrative fee yet the total fee is still the same. It would be interesting to hear the breakdown of costs besides the $1.25 county administrative fee. The winning bids were about $13.25-13.50 which would be a monthly charge of about $14.50-14.75 not $17.86. Is this a hidden tax increase or worse a payoff to the trash haulers who sued?
There are parameters for recall? What I’m saying is; what is the misdeed that makes one worthy of recall?
Our BOC has turned into a benevolent dictator wannabe group.
The state never even implied that the haulers had to be reduced to one per district.
At the first meeting, we had on the Trash committee you may remember the approach I envisioned was one of the ‘evolution’.
Increasing the footprint of government may be the fashion of those in power today.
Our ‘county commissioners gone wild’.
I see very little of ‘conservative values’ in our current rinos.
We do need to get’em out; and NOT move em up.
The cities already collect the trash and bill the residents through taxes. This is common in other places as well. The plan is an example of government striving for efficiency and costs savings to the citizens. That’s why the Beaudreau study committee of which you were a part voted in favor of one hauler per district albiet by the slimest of margins. Unfortunately the execution which GC&B botched in 2008 has now been botched by the BOC with the overcharges they are passing onto the citizens by assessing the same fee of $17.86 per month that was proposed before by GC&B without GC&B’s excessive administrative fees this time. Where is this extra money going now? Is it going to pay off the law suits along with giving away the business to the five companies that sued thus rendering the bidding for the 6 proposed districts moot.
Now i understand Red Oak is suing on grounds that only1 (hauler) per district eliminates competition..
‘We told you “. so BOC
Win or lose your trash Fiasco is frittering away our tax dollars just to keep defend your butts.
That money could have or be going to the firefighters!/police.
You are correct, I was a member of the Beaudreau committee and if you look at the vote I was opposed to the one hauler per district concept. The monthly fee is over $3.40 per month more than I am currently paying. RECALL the entire BOC or Better Yet just shoot them!!!
The plan as outlined is more an example of Arrogance, we have seen on behalf of members of the BOC.
Could The $130,0000 study be arranged to hopefully subvert the outcome of the trash committee?, as I think in advance there were players on the BOC, who were thinking they were going to be embarrassed by common sense..
It is interesting for citizens to know that at the time the Trash committee was formed and throughout its run ,several people involved in the county Gov, and involved with the trash committee were aware of the bid to pay for another study, (This, btw is the SECOND study).
So in retrospect it may have an accurate assement by a blog contibutor ealier that the whole traveling trash committee was an effort to ‘keep the fools occupied’.
Both the Trash committee and the Study were subject to a certain amount of manipulation by the BOC. However, the paid study could have been diverted in its outcome, by parameters of the BOC regarding questions that were proposed,
As it is the $130,0000 was just excess spending, for something that taxpaying citizens did for free, and got no official recognition.
The Trash committee outcome and voting outcome and the Trash study outcomes should have publicly posted and compared and made easily available point by point
Unfortunately because the Beadreau study committee was not fully supported by the BoC and by its very nature could be biased the county had no choice but to hire an outside consulting firm with no dog in the fight to determine a plan. I am concerned that as of yet three weeks after requesting of the BoC that they explain the breakdown of the fee to be charged that I have heard nothing. To have Aaron Bovos, the County CFO, claim that the fee was determined by the $130,000 study and yet conveniently be the exact same amount as the GC&B administered plan fee was to be is just absurd. Any county contract of the size that the trash collection cost is should be subject to a bidding process. The citizens should be told what the resolution of the lawsuits were and what our costs are. It clearly appears that since the administrative costs for the latest plan are less than the GC&B administered plan that the monthly costs should be less not the same as the GC&B plan. That leaves the question being – Where is the extra money going, Is it a hidden tax to go into the general fund or is it going to the trash haulers as compensation for the law suit? The lack of an answer from the BoC on the breakdown of the fee leads me to believe they are hiding something and that usually means not good news.
Please read my post on the Gwinnett Solid waste link
What Gwinnett Solid waste link are you referring to?
I object to the mandate of trash removal to begin 7 1 2010.
We (the residents involved) object last year. Why did this get to proported action after the majority said no to this action????
This is a copy of the post from the ’solid waste’ blog, You can get to it by going to “previous entries” on the Blog page.
ron baker May 10, 2010 at 10:13 am
This morning 5-10-2010 the Robertson Waste Recycle came by and spilled one of 2 recycle containers, They are always in a hurry,and drove off.
I’d cal the customer no service folks there, but How do you make up for poor service?
I do believe knocking out competition is one step closer to socialism { In those arenas the politicians have their own agenda, and control the masses}. [Our BOC has been practicing that for future endeavors].
I picked up (now trash) recycle materials, and yet others stuff was blowing further down the road…
Have no idea if they are going to remain my hauler, but you can see what happens when they know you have no choice…
It’s getting just (like) county government. or the dept of motor vehicles. Take it or leave it.
However if you leave it you’ll still pay, with no choice of ‘vendor’
The first issue is that the majority was in favor of one hauler per district according to the Beaudreau panel as well as the BoC study from last summer. The objections may have been loud and in newspaper editorials but they were of the minority. The plan has more positives than negatives which is why it got supported. It stil isn’t perfect by any means. We shouldn’t have to pay 18 months out when our next tax bill comes before the last quarter of next year. The fees are higher than necessary and the BoC refuses to explain where the excess money is going. We aren’t gaining the savings we should by implementing this plan.
Which just goes to show you that government is an authority that is beyond challenge. if left to run unquestioned and that given power it can, and will be corrupted.
THE BOC has not been cooperative or concerned with the general poulation over this issuse, more an attitude of ‘no matter what comes out we are going to have things our way anyway’
Since when is it the business of Gov to eliminate competition
We already see the ABUSE in the high rates, The refusal to explain where this $$ is going, or why it is needed. It may be needed to help fund the $80 million Baseball stadium our benevolent dictators we elected FORCED us to underwrite ,for all I know.
Who are the “winners in each district? what are the collection days? That should be public information and posted by this date.
Why did the BOC approve that trash transfer station near Beaver ruin, in spite of it not fitting into the area uses of property , let alone next to a church. A variance should only be granted for sound underlying reason, not “harming’ adjacent land users.
Are we happy about the high cost of legal defense the BOC has brought upon the citizens of Gwinnett to bear for their role in this ongoing boongogglle ;that they never checked into the legal issues before jumping into the frying pan?
Have they released an HONEST figure of the lagal costs to date, ? who knows what the future costs will be.
They can go home at night and say Oh well, I’m not personnaly picking up the tab anyhow
Just watched the news at noon about the new trash plan. In our area concerns are that we must pay in advance for 18 months. To some residents that are on fixed incomes this is a lot of money at one time. The provider for our area is the same one that we fired several years ago. Now we are ’stuck’ with them with no choice.
Did we understand that vacant rental homes and property this is not occupied still must pay for this service. Why should they for a service that they do not use. Makes no sense at all.
Instead of firing the trash hauler call the complaint line at GJAC and they will have the problem taken care of and if it isn’t there are requirements in the contract that the provider must meet or they will lose their contract.
Yes, vacant rental homes must pay the fee since there is no way to determine if the home really is vacant or not without having someone physically check the home multiple times at great cost to the county (taxpayers). The plan isn’t perfect becuase allowing exceptions are costly to administrate.
IS THERE A LAWYER OUT THERE THAT WILL HELP US FIGHT THIS?
THIS IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL!!!!
Is the county ever going to tell us how much they pay out to collectors and how much they take in. They now have a slush fund.
They collect over $300 in advance, and it will be like Washington and social security.
And the $$ sitting there will never make a dime. if they don’t steal it first.
With all the items they are telling folks to recycle, the old “bins” are not going to be large enough if one really puts their heart into the program
Just read the article in todays Daily Post The plan does not include the Cities with in the county. They still have to have trash hauled away. This plan will not cut down on traffic with in the county if the cities are not included. Atlanta has a similiar plan and can not control illegal dumping so what makes Gwinnett think they can.
This is just another form of tax imposed upon the citizens in order to make up for the lack of the County to balance the budget. It also creates some more high paying jobs with in the administration. As we have read before in this blog as well as others it is a dangerous plan. Let a home be for closed on due to not paying a garbage fee and see what happens.
Currently we are paying less than what the county will charge us in the future. Will this plan be challenged in our court system again? Probably so, at taxpayer expense.
I knew the moment I read this that my freedom of choice had just ended. I’ve had Robertsons for years, when I found a better deal with another company I call Robertson’s to cancel, and told them I could get my service cheaper with the other company. They immediately lowered my payment to keep me as a customer. Those days are OVER. Who made money on this, who’s pocket is the BOC in? This is crap. I’d offer to help with a recall, but after living here for TWENTY YEARS, I decided a couple of months ago that I’m tire on the way things are run here in Georgia. I feel so strongly about it that I’m quitting my good paying job, (not exatly the best time) and I’m moving next month to Texas, where I believe they still stand for competion and the American way. I wish you all luck. Com’on Gwinnett STAND UP and FIGHT NOW!!!!
Please pray a prayer for my success in my new home. Thank you
Vickie,
Do you need a good agent to sell your home here??? OK there is my self serving plug!
There must be a way that we can make the county fess up on what the total legal costs for this plan to date, Defending itself against it’s own poor judgement,,,
plan on it doubling by the time it is over!
What about the demand for smaller government do these people not understand? Not only have they taken away everyone’s right to choose thier provider, they have created an administrative nightmare for many property management companies and rental realestate owners across the county.
Many of these companies allow thier tennant to chose whether to have garbage pickup and to choose the company. The tennant pays for the service. Now rents will have to be increased to cover the new cost to the business, leases will have to be amended, and any prepaid services paid in advance by the tennant are lost. The cost to individuals and businesses could be as much as a year’s service. The cost to business in employee hours to rewrtie leases, iand communicate rent increases will be massive.
Additionally, many HOAs include the garbage pickup as part of the annual dues. Well guess what, we have all already paid those dues for the year and they have paid them to the garbage service vendor. Do you think we will get a refund? FAT CHANCE
How do we recall these people NOW?
WE don’t have any conservatives on the BOC, They all have other agendas and this is the surfdom.
I think politicians should be required to post a list of promises and the list be reviewed every quarter.
Throw the bums out, verify your next choice next time..
Take a clue about those with aspiration of moving on, if they are in your district or voting menu do you want to be bit twice?
To reply to several recent postings:
The counties plan has only been for unincorporated areas. The cities already for the most part have their own city run trash collection plan thus fears that the county plan won’t provide the solutions promised because the cities aren’t included is moot.
The five district plan has already been in court and the judge allowed it although he didnt care for letting contracts without bids. The price being charged is that determined from the bidding process that GC&B ran in the fall of 2008.
Leases normally have a clause that allows property owners to pass along any changes in fees on the property by the government. I doubt that is much of an issue and why we never have heard from owners of rental property complaining. In a similar vein I haven’t heard any home owner Associations complaining about this problem or is yours the first?
I suggest that people who need a larger recycling bin contact the county as I already have. The plan proposed by Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful offered a rolling cart of the same size as the trash receptacle. The current plan only offers the same recycling bins we already use and an option of the same size rolling trash can or a smaller 65 gallon rolling trash can. I asked for a 65 gallon rolling recycling can. For that matter I only need a 65 gallon trash can.
People need to do more research before they start worrying about non-issues. The issue is basically the price that we are being charged that is too high and that the county is requiring payment of too uch money to quickly when they could send us the bill in July but require multiple payments quarterly over the next yearjust as taxes are in two payments for the year. Then we still save the costs of mailing bills quarterly while still collecting the money quarterly as the individual trash haulers do now. Since the county will be sending new bills next July we shouldn’t have to pay for 18 months of service when the bill should only include 12-15 months at most.
Robert brings up a very good point about HOA’s. We have an agreement with Roberson for trash hauling, for less than the county charges. What will happen to our ‘private’ Contract with them. Does this ordinance over ride our private agreement? You would think not, and how can the county cancel a private contract? These are questions that should be addressed before a vote by the BOC and the results be made public. This plans stinks more than the garbage being picked up.
I just recieved my notice about the new changes to our trash service. I was furious that we have no choice of carrier. And, limiting the service area for a single hauler should substancially reduce the cost of servicing that area, yet we get billed more. This has to be a big money maker for the county.
So, what’s the conscequence for not paying the fee? Right now, for some people that are unemployed that’s a lot of money to expect someone to come up with by the fall.
I would never have beleived that GWINNETT County would have ever come up with such a rediculous plan. It’s time to Kick em to the curb, cause we’re not going to be DUMPED on.
Art~My bill comes monthly from Robertson. My new hauler is Robertson. My bill is going up by approx. $3.50 per month with the new program and my current hauler. In the Committee meetings I tried to tell you and others that we as private citizens are better negotiators than Government ever thought about being. My bill is proof of that. However several dumb-asses on the committee didn’t believe me. If I remember correctly…roughly half of the committee (Those who had Government related jobs or appointments)felt that only one hauler per district would provide the best possible pricing. Un fortunately it is now time for me to cry BS.
I STILL want to know to know how much money the County has Spent on the legal defense of Trash lawsuits against the county so Far.
I asked at Mike B’s office at the county and they did not respond.
They have not accounted for the fact that we know groups have negotiated lower rates.
All I heard is that ‘now we have administrative costs’.
Join the POP “pissed off party”, seriously think about removing incumbents unless they have a proven record of holding the line, and don’t vote for them in any other office.
Future politicians need to be shown that we expect them to be truthful, open and transparent
Just read that there will be a rally to protest this plan with more information. The article appears in todays Daily Post.
I am outraged that I am now going to have to pay for trash service that I will not use at a vacant home I have that is for sale. If I refuse to pay, I was informed that the County can put a lien on the property. To add insult to injury the cost of the service is going up. If service is poor, there is not a thing that we can do.
I have to wonder how much money the County Commissioners are personally profitting from these deals. I am sure that there will be nothing traceable, but for the entire bunch to ignore their constituents, the deal on the table had to be very sweet.
Since I still live in the County, I will put my energy in to making certain that not a single one of these commissioners gets re-elected.
Anna B if you think you are outraged read some of the comments on this site
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/home/headlines/96111369.html?storySection=comments#commentSection
Remember that at least 2 of the commissioners are not running so we need to find candidates that are opposed to this and other regulations that have been passed by the current commissioners.
Many have said that this is a contract with the county and not the citizens. Is it legal, donot know.
There has to be some way to pay for the BOC’s malfeasance in passing the first ordinance
HIGHER TRASH BILL
Hey ! Where’s my “new” dumpster ? Robertson picked up mine last week and I have not received the replacement. Trash is piling up in the garage and there’s flies everywhere. Maybe I will take it somewhere and “illegally” dump it
What a fiasco this has been. It was just a year ago that somebody dropped off a bright colorful dumpster next to my Robertson one. Then a couple of weeks later, they picked it back up and said “never mind”. This mismanagement of this entire FIASCO must have cost the county tons of money ALREADY. One hauler purchased trucks, hundreds of dumpsters, and related equipment to get started then it was OFF. WHAT THE FLOCK IS GOING ON HERE PEOPLE ? NO ONE CARES WHAT THE RESIDENT OF THE COUNTY WANT ? UNBELIEVABLE !
Call WSB TV and Gwinnet Daily Post, Try AJC, need to get a picture, would live to get it on TV!
Mack,
I don’t know how Robertson was offering you such low priced service as they were charging me last year the same $17.86 per month as we will be paying and then this year raised the fees to over $20/month as were all the other companies servicing my area. You must have noticed how Robertson was the only company showing up at the Beaudreau committee hearings and they sent a “consultant” to the official county funded trash study last year. Didn’t it seem like they were trying to undercut the whole process to protect their having half the homes in the county as their customers and under the GC&B plan they would lose all of them. They managed to salvage some of them by getting in late onto the lawsuit against the county. I don’t trust anything they say and do including possibly low balling some homeowners to screw up the plan since they still end up losing customers. In the case of HOA’s they may have been able to negotiate lower prices similar to the haulers bid amounts of about $13.50 per month. Unfortunately it seems that to cover everyone the adminstrative fees (which are too high) had to be to be applied to everyone and are under a seperate line item when before the administrative costs were embedded into your taxes. As such I don’t think you realized how much you might have been paying although it was less than I was paying.
That being said, the $17.86 monthly fee for the plan starting on July 1st is too high with no justification from the county proving why the price is to be that high. It amazes me that when everyone agreed that GC&Bs planned administrative costs were excessive (being almost triple what they had been for no more service value)that the BoC could adopt the same rate that GC&B proposed. The BoC won’t quantify the reasoning and the breakdown for the amount to be charged and the newspapers (GDP and AJC) won’t ask the question as I have asked them to.
During the trash study last summer I spoke with the county employee running the administrative work the county was doing for the trash service which they picked up from GC&B and was told the cost was less than expected. Another reason why the $17.86 amount is too high as we now new directly what some of our costs would be,
It was insulting to have Aaron Bovos quoted in the newspaper saying that the $17.86 amount came as a recommendation of the county trash study last year. In general though I believe most people are getting a better price through the plan than they would be otherwise not counting gains in less pollution and traffic and wear and tear on the roads resulting in health and tax savings.
Art~As I stated time and time again in the Citizens Committee meetings, My neighborhood and I could negotiate better than government ever could. Of course at that time I was just that loud mouth blogger who didn’t know crap. To all those members of the committee who thought that the county could negotiate better than me…Kiss My Rear End.
Good for you. My neighborhood which consisted of 309 homes had evryone thinkign they could do better alone and thus we couldn’t negotitate a better price much like most of the citizens of the county. Most are getting a better price. How much better yours rally was is questionable until you add in the county administrative costs for the past 18 months that comes out of your property taxes.
Are you suggesting the county will lower my property taxes while increasing my garbage bill. What kind of thinking is that? I promise the county has no intention of lowering my property taxes now that they are collecting the trash revenue!!!
The haulers don’t have mailing fees any more. no bill collection, no bad accounts.
The county doesn’t even have increased mailing costs, as it goes on the tax bill.
there should be a significant savings, not an increase, plus who gets paid in advance,
The only other entity that collects before they do a lick of work is the Post office, and they can’t learn to live with the money they get. So what do we expect ot Government un checked?
They bite the hand that feeds them.The mission statement should included recognition of economy of scale. ‘Oh I furgot dagnamit they think they can fool us most of the time.’, or it will pass.
What i really thought was a joke when the Blue ribbon committee had a trash meeting in the J&A Center, in the very room it was held, the soda cans were being put into the TRASH cans!
So much for the home effort to comply with the STATE MANDATE!
No. I am suggesting that the budget shifted monies or at least might shift monies to other expenses. Until we see the new 2011 budget we won’t know. We don’t yet know what the millage rate will be which depends on what the expected tax revenue will be once the tax digest is finalized. Most citizens will have a lower trash bill than they had before.
Our BOC has become interested in thier own private agenda’s, it is like a body rotting.
They have no intention of wanting to provide answers and fact to the “little People”
Meanwhile “what goes on in the Halls of Gwinnett Gov’t, stays in Gwinnett government”
Remember S.Lassiters famous quote: “I don’t read any of those emails”; it was because she said something like: they won’t agree with me…, all ‘negative’…
Ron~We are not the Little People we are the Small People
Simply a shame. I don’t know what else to say…
To Art, you’re right. The pivotal issue here, (hopefully, nay- “ideally”) will be “where is the difference in fees going?” Call it what it is. One more valiant leap backwards from “small government…” It will flop. As per usual.
Service will be poor, recourse will be nonexistant, retribution will be a fantasy (against GwinnCo AND the haulers), rates will climb at an exhorbitantly, dare I say EXPONENTIAL rate compared to hauler inflation projections, and to deepen the wound, haulers will be directly collecting and likely frivolously pandering away fees collected for extra services which will, SURPRISE!, also likely be neglected.
Valid issues DO include, but I assure you will NOT be limited to: HOA disputes (former discounts), massive overlaps in pre-existing quarterly subscriptions, service failure, lack of accountability and so on.
You said it best- in a perfect world this move would result in an increase in efficiency. Bad news, dude- we do *not* live in a perfect world. Expect this to become a failure of CATACLYSMIC proportions.
Having said that, we’re 2 weeks behind on our quarterly with Waste Industries, and boy, am I glad I didn’t call and pay, yesterday, having learned all the details of my newborn cans/bins, today!
For the record, I rent, and I hope my landlord doesn’t become too savvy, too soon!