The council unanimously directed staff to move forward with a plan to reduce the number of Dump On Us events from six every year to quarterly, or four times a year, a move that reduces costs and could improve efficiency while continuing to provide a way for residents to dispose of unwanted refuse without having to make a trip to the landfill.
Dump On Us events in December and January will be eliminated and the remaining four events will be replaced to allow for quarterly events; however, residents will also be provided with two vouchers allowing them to take items to the landfill free of charge every year. Staff is still in the process of determining how the vouchers will be provided, but the council directed staff to seek alternatives to simply sending two vouchers for fear of the creation of “currency.” The concern is that residents who do not use the vouchers might be tempted to sell the vouchers or that vouchers may be given from one resident to another which eliminates the fairness of the system.
The Dump On Us program has been responsible for removing thousands of tons of refuse from being sent to landfills and has significantly reduced the amount of trash illegally dumped in the city. Staff identified that the two events in winter were the least used, yet still required between 45 and 55 staff to operate at a cost ranging from $35,000 to $40,000 per event. Reducing the number of events is anticipated to save the city between $15,000 and $20,000…