JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A special committee was formed Monday to investigate Jacksonville’s solid waste and recycling operations and then recommend changes.
The five city councilmembers will be looking at a wide variety of issues and potential solutions, including:
- The possibility of changes to the recycle program, ideas include eliminating glass items and restarting curbside pick-up to a once a month service.
- The possibility of waste transfer stations, which are intended to reduce the amount of time collection trucks spend driving to the trial ridge landfill on the westside after completing partial routes.
- Increasing the solid waste user fee, which, right now, doesn’t cover the costs of services. The City of Jacksonville's general fund is helping pay for the deficit, but because of that the city will have a loan that will top $30 million by the end of this fiscal year.
- Reviewing contracts with solid waste companies, because committee chair Ron Salem says, their rates are all different since their contracts all begin and end at different times.
“We are looking at increasing the rates potentially for two of the haulers that are really suffering right now. Meridian, which came on recently, has higher rates than they do. And, that's one of the problems," Salem explained. "My concern is if we're going to increase those rates for the other two, we need to make sure that enables us to bring back recycling on a on a very specific date.“
He says the public works department will be very involved in the investigation of the city’s solid waste and recycling operations.
“We’re going to ask all the garbage haulers to attend every meeting. We're reaching out to them as we speak," Salem said. "And we may bring in some regional or local experts.”
The special committee will meet about every two weeks until Jun. 30th, which is when the councilmembers will present their findings and recommendations to the council president.
Salem is working on the committee’s calendar now. He says the first meeting will be next Thursday, Feb. 17.
There will be an opportunity for public comment at the end of each meeting.