BY JENNIFER BAILEY
Commercial-News
DANVILLE —
Of the more than 1,200 yard waste program surveys completed of the 1,900 mailed to customers, the majority want to keep the bi-weekly pickups and the toter stickers at $20.
Danville Public Works Service and Operations Manager Bob Scott said he’s been surprised at the results so far.
He said he’s heard complaints from residents saying that they would be wiling to pay more to return to weekly pickups.
There also has been some confusion with the odd fifth week in a month, such as this week.
“But (the survey) seems to be more in favor of the bi-weekly (collection) and $20 sticker fee,” Scott said.
The city mailed the survey postcards to current yard waste program participants.
Scott said more than 900 postcards have been returned, while 340 Web site surveys also have been completed.
Residents have until Sept. 7 to respond or complete the survey on the city’s Web site at http://www.cityofdanville.org/yardwastesurvey.
The survey asked whether residents wanted to go back to the weekly pickup and increase the annual sticker fee to $30, or stay with the bi-weekly program and $20 sticker fee.
About 17 percent of the solid waste customers subscribe to the season-long program, with toter stickers.
The city started picking up residential yard waste every other week by zone in May. Only yard waste contained in toters with a current year yard waste sticker are picked up during this summer period.
Danville Public Works Director Doug Ahrens has said he knows there have been issues with the fifth week in a month, but overall he says the program is running smoothly and “we have developed proficiencies …”
Scott said next year’s calendar won’t have odd weeks.
The bi-weekly collection program was to take place until the end of October.
But Scott said with leaves already starting to fall, the weekly fall leaf collection period will start on Oct. 4 and continue to December.
This means the city will again collect yard waste paper bags, in addition to the toters, during this fall clean-up time.
Scott said the yard waste survey was to determine customers’ thoughts about the future of the program.
He said residents have gotten used to the bi-weekly pickups.
City officials will present results of the survey to the city council in September.
