Your Questions Answered on the New Trash Contract

Around 100 Altadena residents attended a meeting Saturday on Altadena's upcoming new trash contract with Athens Services.

Representatives of both Athens and the county were available for questions, before, during, and after the meeting.

Thor Schmidt, general manager of Athens, and Paul Alva, senior civil engineer at the DPW, fielded most of the questions.  Since Patch has posted and , this article focuses on new information or questions brought up at the Saturday meeting.

Q.  Did Altadenans have enough opportunity for input on the plan?  How was Athens chosen as the exclusive provide for Altadena and Kinneloa Mesa?
A.  Alva said there were “half a dozen meetings in this room over the years” as well as meetings with the Town Council.  The county chooses the “most responsible” bidder.  Price is two-thirds of the consideration. Athens was both the most responsible and the lowest priced bidder.

Q.  Why is the contract for seven years?  With an exclusive seven-year contract, won’t Athens be able to raise rates?  Can we expect Athens to say “Gotcha”?
A.  Athens ordered new vehicles that run on compressed natural gas (CNG). In order to get a line of credit to fund the purchase, the company had to show a guaranteed revenue source.  A rate control provision is part of the contract.  The current rate is locked in for two years, until July 1, 2014.  There is a formula that considers increased costs, and residents can expect annual increases every July 1 beginning in 2014, but there is a cap of 30 percent over 10 years above the original price. 

Q.  What about other charges? Is there a fuel surcharge? Will residents be charged for missed service?  Currently some residents share trash service and split the cost. Does each residence now need a separate contract with Athens?
A.  There is no fuel surcharge. Each residence will be required to have service from Athens.  If waste containers are not picked up, either because they were not out or they were not properly loaded, and the resident calls before 3 p.m., they will be picked up by 6 p.m. the same day at no additional charge. Notes are left on improperly loaded containers identifying the problem.

Q.    Is Athens hiring African-Americans?  Is Athens hiring Altadenans? 
A.  Hiring Altadenans is not mandated in the contract, but the Altadena Town Council has requested that Athens come back to them with a percentage of Altadenans who have been hired. All the hiring for the Altadena contract is complete, because the process of background checks and training takes time.  Schmidt says “We hire the best person for the job” and that Athens is an equal opportunity employer. Jobs are posted on the Athens website.  The trucks require a Class A or Class B driver’s license and highly trained employees to operate the side arm, drive the large vehicle, and refuel with CNG.

Q.  Currently Athens sorts recyclables at the plant using handicapped workers.  What will happen to them now that residents will sort their own trash?
A.  The waste will still be taken to the materials recovery facility (MRF) in Industry for sorting.  The county mandates sorting because residents do not always put the correct things in the correct containers.

Q.  Will Athens educate young people about job opportunities and training needed?  Will they go to career fairs on high school campuses?
A.  Part of the contract is education about recycling and safety, so Athens will go into schools to educate children.  The company will also be involved in community events and trade shows.

Q.  Will the county add staff now that all county areas will have waste franchises?
A.  Not necessarily.  The current staff of five will not grow, but in the future, more employees may be added so there are more field inspectors.

Q.  If the 96-gallon refuse carts are too big, do residents have the option for smaller containers at no extra cost?
A.  Residents can request three 32-gallon carts or one 64-gallon car and one 32-gallon cart for no extra charge.  Athens requests that residents do not call for this exchange until after Oct. 1, both to avoid inundating the company with calls and to allow residents to get used to the larger carts.

Q.  How can residents dispose of hazardous waste containers?
A.  Athens cannot accept hazardous waste, so residents should check CLEANLA.com or call 888-CLEANLA.  Athens can pick up empty containers, such as empty bottles of ant spray or paint cans.  If there is a little paint left in the can, open the top and leave it out to dry and then put it in the container.

Q.  What about plastic bags?  Food waste is put in plastic bags to avoid ants.
A.  Plastic bags cannot be recycled so Athens recommends returning them to the store.  Rinse out food containers before putting them in the trash.  However, in the recycling bin, typically 9 to 10 percent is residual trash that cannot be recycled.

Q.  Can green waste be bundled as well as bagged?  How much is charged if a resident needs extra green waste pickup more than 10 times a year?
A.  Green waste put in the green containers does not need to be bagged or bundled.  For extra green waste pickup days, waste may be either bagged or bundled.  There is also a once-a-year cleanup day, and bulky item pickup can include green waste.

Q.  Bulky items are required to be put on the curb, not in the street.  Many streets in Altadena do not have curbs, and many do not have sidewalks so plantings go all the way to the curb.  Where should residents put their bulky items?
A.  In those cases, the allotted services will not change but Athens will send someone out to assess the safest place to put the items.  Streets with culverts may require that the items go on the inside of the property beside the driveway.  This is decided on a case-by-case basis.  Call at least 24 hours in advance of the pickup to allow time for a supervisor to come out. 

Q.  Sometimes employees use the bushes to relieve themselves.  What arrangements are made for restrooms for them?
A.  There is a strict policy against employees doing this.  If there are violations, the county can require that Athens pay “liquidated damages”. Report such violations to Athens.

Q.  What if the trash spills out when the truck empties the container?  Does the resident have to pick it up?
A.  Part of the contract is the collect every bit of trash.  If there is spillage, Athens is required to clean it up or the county can collect liquidated damages.  The county will have field inspectors following the trucks every day, and the county checks complaint logs regularly.

Q.  Is there a plan to address scavenging of recyclables?
A.  There will be an imprinted warning on the lid of the blue bin that scavenging is illegal.  It amounts to theft from Athens.  Call 211 or the local sheriff’s station to report scavenging; even though it’s low on their priorities, if there are enough complaints the community liaison will schedule drivebys.