Read at the meeting so in the public record
((I appreciate the efforts of District staff last year to hold multiple meetings to educate our customers on the issues of recycling and waste management in the Villages. It’s unfortunate that this final public meeting on options
presented for the first time to the public must occur in a Covid -19 environment where many residents are still fearful of attending any meeting. I have spent many hours review the videos and audio tapes from previous meetings. The vast majority of public comments at previous NSCUDD Waste Management meetings centered on consumer satisfaction with the current trash services, improving best practices in recycling and expanding the flow of recycling information to the public. It seems that everyone wants NSCUDD to continue to recycle and enhance recycling information flowing from NSCUDD to our customers. I would now share my views and opinions to both members of this board and the public to stimulate further discussions on the three options presented to us today.
For me, the Covanta only option is a non-starter because it’s not recycling in any way, shape or form. As per Jacobs on Aug 22, 2019 under Benefits of Recycling and I quote: “Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and Waste to Energy facilities”. I have asked many Village sales agents to describe how new residents feel about their trash services south of 44 where everything is taken to be burned. They want what we have, a recycling program. We must continue to have a waste management program that includes recycling and
try to minimize further cost increases on top of the increases we enacted last year.
So, that leaves the other two options that still have recycling in them.
Note that Covanta will charge us a lot more per ton to burn our trash than what WMI charges to take it to a landfill which WMI says has another 30 years before it will be filled.
I am intrigued with the combining of yard waste and recycling pickups to eliminate one weekly pickup. Not sure why this procedure is not found in both of these two options. If this procedure would further reduce the cost of the WMI option which is already the least costly, I would be more inclined to say it would win my vote as it continues with the kind of operation that our customers now enjoy as per their votes at the clicker meeting.
The bulk waste/white goods pickup fee was first brought to our attention by Jacobs because some people are abusing the free pickup service that NSCUDD provides. I don’t believe that charging everyone a flat $10 fee addresses that specific problem. Sometimes the fixing of a simple issue morphs into addressing the wrong problem.
As this board will soon be asked by staff to vote on one of these three options, I would encourage our customers/the public to send your comments by email to us at
nsboard@districtgov.org as found on the District web site under NSCUDD. At this time I would ask my fellow board members to express their opinions on what is presented today. Remember, board members can only discuss NSCUDD business among themselves at an official meeting, so let’s not miss this opportunity to let other board members and the public learn about our thoughts on these options.))
view the options here ->
Coversheet
P.S. Please note that NSCUDD will have increased customers trash rates by 24% since 2019 ($17.90 to $22.24 new Oct. 2020 rate if approved) and will charge about 10% more ($22.24 vs $20.35 excluding any added sales tax- Wildwood & Fruitland Park) than the private trash firm who services all Villagers south of 44 with 2 pickups per week (single stream) taking everything to the same Covanta facility. This assumes that the Covanta option is passed by the NSCUDD board.