Of course the town can tell you who can pickup your trash. Where do you think you live, a deserted island? The problem is that the town doesn't get off their butts and pick up our own trash, just as we should also run our own Tennis Center and Amphithater, if we want one. We seem to pay enough people enough money to see about these things.

bad_ptc is Steve Brown as is citizen_steve and Joe Swanson and several other screen names. Don't really care, but knowing that is better than thinking real PTC people have those opinions. Please don't reply to any of their (actually his) diatribes.
meow

No one in their right mind wants to "limit freedom" but limiting a nuisance and unecessary pollution is a good thing. It is even better when it is done through a competitive bid process because the consumer wins in that deal. Go back and read the original article with the proposed fees from each bidder and rethink.

And since it is your first posting, we forgive you, but in the future - post at the bottom - don't butt in line.
meow

"Been there done that." I moved here from a city that did the same thing. Do you think it is a nuisance now to see trash trucks on your street? Wait till you have to go 3 houses down to get your trash can. Or better yet,wait till you have to pick up your trash that is thrown all over the street! When your bill goes up 300%,who are you going to complain to? "Competitive" bid process? Right. Consumers NEVER win in a monopoly. Speaking of pollution. Have you seen all those school buses running around all week. If we could just limit those to once a week also.

How in the world does having less garbage trucks running around PTC not seem like a better idea to you? I can respect your opinion, though. But to me, this seems like a good thing, even if it costs slightly more. Just for the sake of not having to listen to the trucks daily down my street.

One of the unfortunate sides of capitalism is that gain and profit often take precedence over smart planning and resource conservation. There is no money to be made in reducing our waste stream when we can just cut down more greenspace and dig a new landfill. However, it's never done in our backyard (how many here would explode in anger if we opened a landfill in PTC) and it is done to the detriment of natural resources. We will continue to foolishly waste land on needless landfills when we can preempt it with a responsible refuse collection policy. Keeping this under the auspices of the city is the first step in that responsible direction.

The wailing and gnashing of teeth bemoaning that this will signal the end of competitive services is as much silly overreaction as it foolish. Again, the Douglasville example shows what to do and how successful it can be.

Since when has any monopoly been good??? You say that there will be less pollution by going to a monopolistic system, this really makes no since considering there will be the same amount of trash whether it is at six dumps or just one. There will not be fewer trash cans on the street because there still will be trash to pick up from every citizen.... So, the only thing that is a pro would be saving fuel, but for some reason I don't believe 10 extra trucks are going to affect our fuel price that much. But I will tell you that going to this system will cost a lot more then we will be saving on fuel....

Just my thoughts...

A better way to state it is that the trash cans on each street - wheter empty or full, will be there for a shorter period of time and only one day per week as opposed to several cans scattered around all 5 days of the week to accomodate different pick-up schedules. Same applies to trucks - thet would go past each house once a week when they pick up the trash. Now there are at least 3 trucks going past each house every day while they are on their way to a pickup elsewhere on the same street.

Not only is this idea efficient and responsible, it also eliminated visual pollution. Unfortunately, after this gets passed the city will start looking for more unsightly things to regulate in paradise. I'm guessing directional signs and extra cars parked on the street or in somebody's yard. Any other eyesores out there?
meow

Why can't people like you think anymore? This is just a way to increase prices, as do all monopolies, and I assure you, if you think a minute, that you will be dawned upon that the same truck going along the street stopping at EVERY house will stay within noise and stink distance for a half hour. It will also take two to three days for all pickups. Lets hire some thinkers before we just fire loose with these things. Somebody on the public dole is always coming up with a new way to get more tax money.

mudcat you need to lick your paws and wipe the mud from your eyes...if you think that a single trash company is going to pick up everyones trash in one day you are mistaken. It will still leave trash cans on the curb all five days of the week...and probably not save any gas due to the extra trucks that will be required to meet the new demand on the chosen company. Monopoly's are never a good thing...several factors are effected with quality of service being the largest. If you ask me someone is getting a kick-back from this decision.

Maybe it's mudcat getting the kickback. He seems very passionate about garbage pickup. Maybe you should rent a truck and start your own service.

The competitive bid process mentioned does not always guarantee excellent customer service. So if you don't prefer the company who wins the bid, the council says you can carry your garbage to the landfill in Fayetteville? Come on!!! You should have the choice to use whatever company you wish.

It would only be every house on the same street or subdivision picked up on the same day - say for example - Monday. Then on Tuesday they would be in a different neighborhood and again on Wednesday, etc.

You may not have had the experience I have with scheduling tankers and other planes refuling at 35,000 feet 30 minutes apart, but believe me --- the trash thing is easy and can be efficient. The city is onto the right solution.

meow

They won't be on the same street almost every day of the week. Of course different areas of the city will be served at different times.

Sorry if some people have a problem with the Government limiting choice. When has the PTC council ever made a decision in the past 5 years that hasn't benefited their wallets to the detriment of PTC values?

How the heck does having trash pickup once a week benefit the council wallets? Do you think that the council will get additional money when they make this decision? You are delusional if you do. And further, if you can prove it, do so, otherwise shut up. There is no place for mudslinging like that without absolute proof.

A screen name like cowtipn conjures up images of the very redneck sport of cow tipping - which is obviously an ex-urban legend. So do not take this dude seriously.

Obviously, the trash "monopoly" is a good thing for the city. What does cowtipin think - like the mafia is involved in trash collection - or they would propose a monopoly and city government would accept that? What is this--- New Jersey?

meow

This entire garbage monopoly is garbage. Mudcat if you want to limit your choices that is up to you but why do it to an entire town? I personally want the freedom to choice my own garbage service whatever that might be. If you are so worried about all the garbage trucks going up and down your road, get your homeowners assoc. to do this exact same thing for your neighborhood, if you don't live in neighborhood with home owners assoc. move into one or form one for your neighborhood but do not tell me what i can do in my neighborhood!
I am sure this is about kickbacks, lining someones pocket or someones friends pocket because there is no reason for it! As someone else stated above, "if it ain't broke why fix it?"
Btw, my garbage service is cheaper than all the bids submitted, I'd like to keep it that way!