Overview
Many of the residents I speak with are angry about the PMUA. Why wouldn’t they be? A 20% increase in fees at the same time that expensive junkets for board members are unearthed; billing controversies too numerous to mention; it’s enough to leave some scrambling to find alternatives.
It’s helpful when we’re in a mess like this to look at where this came from, where we are now, and what to do to move forward. When I hear the anger from residents that has turned into things like the “Dump the PMUA” campaign, I think of the old Robert Frost quote “Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.”
Background
The PMUA was formed in 1995. Before that, every household was free to hire whomever they chose to haul away their trash. There are problems, though, with relying on each resident’s personal sense of responsibility to arrange and pay for trash removal. Trash sometimes piled up on certain properties and in public areas, becoming a health hazard and making Plainfield look and smell disgusting.
In short, residents wanted the services of the PMUA, but they did not want the seemingly unexplained rate hikes, complicated billing structures and perceived waste driving up costs.
The PMUA must reform - and reform quickly. We must demand it! That’s what I have done and continue to do…
What Actions I Have Taken
A resident earlier this week reminded me that even though the Council is not in charge of the PMUA budget, there are political means, albeit extraordinary, which can make change happen, which is exactly what I did a year ago! As Council President, I summoned the PMUA leadership and demanded changes in the wake of justified outrage over expensive trips for PMUA officials. These discussions resulted in a ban on ALL travel over $250.00 and a six-point agreement. You can see my blog entry here about this from July of 2009. That is a start, but it is by no means an end.
Another part of my discussions with the PMUA was how to cut overall expenses (other than the much needed travel restrictions). There are a few ideas already in the works or at least on the table which could save us plenty of money:
*Pick-up starting from 2:00am Without morning commuters and school children to deal with, trash pickup could be much more efficient if started at 2:00am in the morning. This would mean a significant savings to Plainfield. However, this is an option that Plainfield needs to agree upon. We have to weigh the efficiency vs. some noise of the trucks in the middle of the nights.
*Two pickups weekly in the summer time, a single pick-up in the fall, winter and spring. Especially if residents are following recycling guidelines, most can function fine on a once-weekly pick-up, which is the way many towns run trash pick-up year-round.
*A single truck driver using an automatic pick-up arm
This has been proven successful in several communities and I have urged the PMUA to explore this option for Plainfield*Consolidation of operations under one roof
I have asked the PMUA to analyze its own organizational plan and look for cost-saving consolidations the way any company might have to in hard financial times. One way to do it is to consolidate it's operations in a single real location where all administrative and executive funcations are under a single roof.
*Expanding Shared Services agreements The PMUA was chartered to become a regional service- not just to operate within Plainfield. At a time when every municipality in the State is facing budget belt-tightening and considering shared services in many areas, this is a golden opportunity for the PMUA to expand its services beyond Plainfield. Profits generated from these agreements and additional payers could help defray costs in Plainfield and spread the PMUA operating costs among more than just Plainfield’s residents.
The PMUA needs to take action to reform In addition to trying the reforms outlined above, it must become more transparent and much more price competitive. Actions such as these would keep the PMUA a viable service provider in Plainfield, but without these kinds of reforms, it is clear that the city should investigate alternatives.
In Summary...
While we value the service that it does provide, we can not be tied to an enterprise that does not make itself efficient and competitive to our detriment as a city. Still, we shouldn’t throw out something that we might clean up and re-use. Let’s demand a clean up at the PMUA and if we still find that it just isn’t worth it, it’ll be out on the curb.
Thank you for reading!
