Apr 10, 2015 2 min read

A survey conducted by the city of Washington to determine whether the time spent dealing with garbage issues is on par with the money spent on administrative fees was a flop because of poor participation.

Of the 13 employees polled on the time they spent processing garbage bills or handling complaints, only three handed in their time charts at the conclusion of the monthlong study in March.

“They apparently weren’t willing to go the extra mile for the taxpayer,” said Mayor Brenda Davis.

The survey was prompted by a recommendation made by the city’s auditor during a February meeting.

Davis said the city budgeted $150,000 for administrative fees pertaining to solid waste issues last year, but ultimately raised it to $175,000.

This year, they anticipate spending $225,000. Davis said the purpose of the survey was to pinpoint exactly how much should be allocated to cover the work conducted by employees.

The three departments that answered the survey – the city clerk’s office, code enforcement and parks and recreation – reported spending a collective 94 hours handling garbage issues.

“It makes it a little difficult to get an accurate amount of time when there wasn’t participation coming from those employees that were given that time study,” Davis said.

City officials received plenty of complaints about the cost of garbage collection fees, which are $243 per household.

The city estimates 4,800 households use the garbage service, meaning the average bill for that service alone should cost $170 per customer.

Leftover funds go toward administrative fees and also are used to front money not immediately collected from the roughly 500 customers who are delinquent in their payments.

Georgianna Farkas complained during Thursday’s council meeting about the “ridiculous” garbage fees and said the residents were “blindsided” by action council took last month to transfer surplus solid waste funds into the general fund and fund reserve.

Part of the surplus, which was $605,000 in total, was slated to be used for a stormwater project.

The city’s three-year contract with Waste Management is up for renewal at the end of the year.

Officials also are waiting on news from the state Department of Environmental Protection on whether the city will receive a $7,500 technical assistance grant to help them with the bidding process.