1/11/19
I received a Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes notification that says I can win up to $5,000 a week for life if I send back the entry form and win.
A closer reading of the material discloses that the odds of winning are 1 in 6,200,000,000 (1 in 6.2 Billion).
Coincidentally that is the same chance that Trump has in getting the Democrats to fund the needed border wall/fence.
Hey, I sent in the entry form anyway.
1-7-19
PROMINENCE POINT PKY is getting some needed re-surfacing but it is also a major pain in the ass for residents.
From: harris2018@aol.com
To: gene.hobgood@cantonga.gov, nick.estes@cantonga.gov, farris.yawn@cantonga.gov, joellen.wilson@cantonga.gov, sandy.mcgrew@cantonga.gov, bill.grant@cantonga.gov, jack.goodwin@cantonga.gov, billy.peppers@cantonga.gov
Cc: mwaage@cherokeetribune.com
Sent: 1/7/2019 7:02:25 PM Eastern Standard Time
Subject: TRASH SERVICE
1/7/19
I have not had any worthwhile issues here in the View at Holly Mill, but I have noticed that there is more garbage on the roads and some ending up in my yard.
Could just be the holiday season or from sloppy pickups by Advanced Disposal, but I think the old trash service was better than this one.
It is nice that there will be some 'ride along' by City employes to see how things are going, but I suspect that AD will make darn sure that everything is 100% on any such ride along.
How about just having the employee ride thru the route just AFTER Advanced Disposal made the collection, make some observations and take photos of problems?
Canton jumped into this change to quickly.
Bill Harris
Mr. Harris,
I appreciate your concerns. One of the reasons for the ride along was for our staff to learn more about the operational procedures by the new vendor, comparing those to the discussions that have occurred with their management. I don't foresee the ride along audit being the only audit the City does of the system. This simply puts both sets of eyes on the routes simultaneously.
With regard to your comment about "Canton jumped into this change quickly," that simply isn't the case. The City had a contract with the former provider that was nearing expiration. The former contractor had successfully bid each other time the service had been put out for bids. In this case, the City put the bids out last spring in anticipation awarding a contract three months prior to the previous contract expiring.
Trash service was discussed in a Council committee, which reviewed the bids from the varied vendors. The previous vendor, Waste Management, bid twice their former rate. Advanced had the lowest bid for the service and staff did a review of their references, finding no outstanding issues. Council heard the bids in a public meeting. Council voted on awarding the contract in a public meeting over the summer. Information on that was in the newspaper, in the City's minutes, and on the City's website and social media for several months leading up to the conversion. It is unfortunate that the service received to date has not been better than what was in the past. While you and your neighborhood may not have had issues in the past with Waste Management, I can assure you that other City residents did have ongoing issues.
Understandably, with over 8,000 customers, there will never be a service that receives full and complete satisfaction. Our responsibility is to provide the best service possible at the lowest possible price. We are currently at the lowest possible price … the City is working with Advanced to make service better each week, working out issues as they arise.
As a whole, it seems that the calls for complaints from the transition are tapering weekly. I am hopeful that the audit will drive good discussion between City staff and Advanced Staff on issues and ways to improve service. As always, if you have any concerns you may always reach out to me at 770-704-1508.
Canton seeks to improve trash services
Canton City officials will conduct an audit of Advanced Disposal service routes and compare it to Advanced Disposal route to ascertain where service issues occur and why, and to remedy the remaining complaints the city hears from certain locations. Advanced Disposal pails replaced Waste Management when the service provider was changed. Staff/Margaret Waage
CANTON — City employees are going to ride along with new garbage collection vendor Advanced Disposal crews as part of a plan to resolve the complaints the city has received of poor service. The city switched from Waste Management to Advanced Disposal in the fall after evaluating bids for service last summer.
During the Jan. 3 Canton City Council meeting city manager Billy Peppers reported on a meeting with Advanced Disposal’s district operations director Walt Ritter over service complaints. A dual audit of the trash pick up routes is being scheduled where a city staff member will ride along with Advanced Disposal to observe what’s going on with trash pickup service and take notes of what’s being done and what’s being missed, etc., to determine where issues are occurring.
“After the last batches of recycling containers were delivered it seems we’re not having issues in neighborhoods in general. We’re having issues in the same parcels, over time,” Peppers said. “Whatever the routine is with those particular parcels we’ll see when we ride the route. We’ll have a list to work from. It seems (the) number of complaints are shrinking, and the frequency of complaints is coming from the same person, over and over again and is concerning.”
Council member Jack Goodwin said he’s still hearing that garbage is being left behind and maybe because of the holiday residents had more garage to fit in one container.
“People bagged trash and put it on top (of the container) and Advanced Disposal left bags behind. The previous provider never did that,” Goodwin said.
Peppers said the expected increase in trash from the holidays was discussed with Ritter and Peppers expected Advanced Disposal to meet the challenge, as Ritter acknowledged the issue during the meeting.
Peppers said it concerned him that trash was left behind and he didn’t know why.
“We’re not getting the same complaints from the larger neighborhood; it’s that smaller neighborhood it’s an issue with,” Peppers said.
