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Cost is more than just a new truck

Who knew trash talk could get so colorful? In City Hall last month, at the Department of Public Works committee meeting, hues of blue, orange and maroon were bantered around as color options while discussing the impending purchase of a new garbage truck.

Ironically, the only color not mentioned was the one that mattered most: the spending of the green. During Mayor Willie Rosas’ first year in office we heard a lot about being more efficient and consolidating government. It is something this newspaper has backed for more than 40 years.

Though there have been steps in the right direction, an opportunity to make a minor change seems to have been missed. During this short debate in December, there was no discussion on taking garbage collection out of the city’s hands and contracting it out with a private entity.

Of course having the service contracted is a controversial solution for the city, but it is in line with how some other area municipalities have already, for lack of a better word, trashed.

Last spring in Gowanda, which is facing financial troubles of its own, the village decided — with some protest — against continuing service. “It is very unfair to the senior people in the community,” Trustee Carol Sheibley noted during budget discussions.

Silver Creek already contracts its service with a private provider while the village of Fredonia does not offer garbage pick-up with its residents choosing the provider they prefer. Even the city of Jamestown is not in the garbage business. That is handled by a different arm of government — its Board of Public Utilities.

Jamestown, with a population of 29,000, has a budget of more than $35 million. Dunkirk’s budget is about $22 million for 12,000 residents. You would think that gap would be larger.

According to the 2016 Dunkirk plan, garbage collection costs were about $477,405 with personnel costs closer to $275,000. With the purchase of the truck, the city decided to stay the course and not look at other options — or consider requests for proposals from those already in the garbage-collection business.

In recent years, I had a discussion with former city Department of Public Works supervisor Anthony Gugino. He was all in favor of the city doing away with trash collection. His thought was not that the private sector could do a better job of it, but he would have greater manpower to do other jobs in a city where infrastructure is a major problem.

Current DPW chief Robert Bankoski was not wrong to pitch the truck-purchase idea. The old truck had reached its 15-year expectancy and continued to face repair problems. Bankoski even came with $67,000 in hand as part of the solution for the new $171,000 truck with money the city received from an auction on scrap equipment.

But the new truck in no way solves the city’s cash crunch crisis, which reared its ugly head again in the last meeting of 2016 with the new contract approved with workers. The city will continue to have high and increasing personnel costs. Benefit-package expenses also will increase. And the legacy costs — those tied to pensions — won’t go away.

In addition, one of the worst-kept secrets in the region is the deal this garbage-collection staff has. Once their routes are completed for the day, no matter how quickly, they can go home. They return later to the shop to punch out. Those rules, it must be noted, are not the workers’ fault. It is that of the city, which has allowed it to happen for years thanks to its porous past agreements. There’s no way you change negotiation mistakes from the past by keeping things the way they have been for years.

That’s why when there is a chance for change, like with garbage collection, you consider other options before buying that truck. No matter what Bankoski says, that decision in the big picture is a lot more than just a $171,000 truck. It continues a flawed and costly practice.

John D’Agostino is the OBSERVER publisher. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 366-3000, ext. 401.

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