Trash pickup in Colorado Springs (HOA, house, neighborhood)

[orngkat]

Just curious...Why is trash pickup here done by private vendors? In almost all large cities, it is a service provided by the city and included in utility charges. It seems a very inefficient way of doing business and also allows citizens to bypass any recycling efforts if they so choose. I have a sense that it doesn't help the litter problem here, either

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by orngkat

Just curious...Why is trash pickup here done by private vendors? In almost all large cities, it is a service provided by the city and included in utility charges. It seems a very inefficient way of doing business and also allows citizens to bypass any recycling efforts if they so choose. I have a sense that it doesn't help the litter problem here, either

It's the way it is because the majority of taxpayers in COLO SPGS are too damned cheap to let the city do it for them and put it in the property tax process. It would be a lot cheaper if there was one firm doing the work but ya know in COLO SPGS people just got to have their "FREEDOM" to do as they please.

Our HOA in COLO SPGS bought service for all our residents and we got it for $120/year/home and that is ONE FOURTH of what we paid back in the DC area (12 years ago!) where we had to buy our own service since the county didn't provide that service.

Cities run by adults usually have city-wide collection and build it into the local property tax. In COLO SPGS there's a lot of illegal dumping by the same cheapskates who don't want to pay for anything.

[mogon]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

...usually have city-wife collection....

I didn't know that was an option.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by mogon

I didn't know that was an option.

damned spellcheck strikes again....

[Vision67]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

It's the way it is because the majority of taxpayers in COLO SPGS are too damned cheap to let the city do it for them and put it in the property tax process. It would be a lot cheaper if there was one firm doing the work but ya know in COLO SPGS people just got to have their "FREEDOM" to do as they please.

Our HOA in COLO SPGS bought service for all our residents and we got it for $120/year/home and that is ONE FOURTH of what we paid back in the DC area (12 years ago!) where we had to buy our own service since the county didn't provide that service.

Cities run by adults usually have city-wide collection and build it into the local property tax. In COLO SPGS there's a lot of illegal dumping by the same cheapskates who don't want to pay for anything.

That $120 per year ($10 per month?) per house is a great rate. Furthermore, by using just one supplier, you get much less truck traffic through the neighborhood because everybody has the same trash day.

That would be one positive aspect of an HOA.

I think another reason this city avoids doing its own trash pickup is that trash companies in the East were notorious for having strong labor unions. Our Free-dumb loving officials would have none of that!

[vnodak]

I moved here from the Seattle area and their was only one company that did trash pick up in our area. They were union but the fee was not included in utility charges and was billed by the company to each house hold. Charges depended on how many trash cans and if they provided them.

[otowi]

Growing up here in the Springs, I had no idea other cities did it differently until reading these forums over the past several years....

[TCHP]

Yea, having a single company kind of goes against the whole competition driving down prices philosophy, although it appears it can be done at a more than reasonable rate and still be done for less than the competing companies model. Still won't happen here though. Heck we have people who are refusing the fund stormwater despite constant flooding and a pending lawsuit. You think they would consider a unified trash service, heck no.

[DoodlemomCoS]

Yeah when we moved here we had never experienced private trash pick up before. If you are in an HOA that uses one company that’s great. Where we live it’s a pick and choose from neighbor to neighbor so trash trucks go down our street almost every weekday since different companies pick up on different days.

[orngkat]

Where we moved from, it wasn't a company but actual city employees/division who picked up trash and recycling. We had our choice of three sizes of trash containers and recycling was mandatory. Our monthly charge was part of the utility bill - gas, water, electric and solid waste. The trash portion was about the same as what we pay here.