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| By Michelle Symington MetroWest Reminder Assistant Editor AGAWAM The new yard waste procedure implemented by the city last year has been successful in reducing the amount of yard waste tonnage dropped off by Agawam residents and in creating a cost savings for the city of $9,265.63. Last March, the city began to require residents who utilize Bondi's Island Landfill to discard their yard waste to obtain a yard waste pass at the Department of Public Works (DPW). An original driver's license was required to obtain a pass. Tracy DeMaio, Solid Waste and Stormwater project coordinator for the city, explained that city officials "had a gut feeling" that people from other communities were bringing their yard waste to Bondi's Island and saying they were from Agawam. She said she and other officials heard about the problem through conversations in the community. There was no procedure in place to track the use of the facility by Agawam residents. "We went with our gut feeling and now we have documentation that they were our residents [who used the facility]," she said. Last year, the number of vehicles that entered the facility from July-December decreased from 8,991 in FY05 to 5,321 in FY06. The leaf tonnage decreased from 637.58 tons in FY05 to 307.37 in FY06. DeMaio said that the city was being charged per vehicle and the city was charged for any vehicle containing a driver who said they were from Agawam. With the help of the employees at Bondi's Island, DeMaio said the city was also finding that some Agawam residents were using yard waste passes that they did not obtain from the DPW. She also said that many of the people who were violating the use of the facility were landscaping companies. DeMaio said that, once the residents who were taking advantage of the facility were questioned, they never returned or they were turned away because they did not have the correct pass. Although the new policy was successful, some residents and landscapers began to use passes they received from a friend. In order to try to reduce the problem of sharing passes, the city is now requiring that residents bring an original driver's license as well as their vehicle registration to obtain yard waste passes. DeMaio said the resident will receive three truck passes, six car passes and can return to obtain more later if necessary. Passes that were obtained in 2005 but not used will not be accepted for use this year. In addition, no commercial or business vehicles will be allowed to obtain passes. "The intention is not to limit the number of drop-offs," DeMaio said, adding that the intention is to find the people they have found, such as landscapers or those who have obtained a pass from a friend. "Now, the ticket will match the registration on their vehicle," she DeMaio said. "Unfortunately residents are upset about that, but they can thank their neighbors who abused the system." She said that residents feel it is an inconvenience to have to visit the DPW office to obtain a pass because it is open from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. "I appreciate their patience and I hope they see the benefit," she added. She said many residents are supportive of the program. Once she explains that the city is not limiting residents from using the facility, that it promotes the drop-offs and that the passes are designed to reduce the cost of the program so it will not be eliminated, DeMaio said residents understand and support the program. She also said the city is "thrilled" with the success of last year's results. "Obviously, a $9,000 savings is huge, and hopefully it continues to be an advantage to the residents," she said. The savings will be absorbed back into the city's solid waste budget. DeMaio explained that other areas within the solid waste budget, such as the price of gas for the trash haulers, have increased and the savings created from the yard waste program will help balance and adjust the budget. "I am very satisfied with the savings and the leaf drop-off," DeMaio said. "I am grateful of the community for supporting this program and I am looking forward to another yard waste season." |