[Durham INC] Yard Waste Carts

Tue May 26 16:26:30 EDT 2015

That's certainly not the way the letter reads.  Plus the increase from the
charge of $60/year to $90/year is outlandish.

On Tue, May 26, 2015 at 3:19 PM, Don Moffitt <don.moffitt at gmail.com> wrote:

> The letter is not well written; subscribers to yard service can cancel
> their service at the end of the fiscal year (June 30). It's an annual
> service, from July 1 to June 30--once subscribed you're in for the year
> unless you move.
>
> I feel your pain and did not have an opportunity to discuss or vote on
> this change.
>
> Don
>
>
>
> On Tue, May 26, 2015 at 2:53 PM, Myers Sugg <andrew.sugg at duke.edu> wrote:
>
>>  John/John:
>>
>>
>>
>> So if I decide to pay a yard service to take care of my yard, and remove
>> all yard waste from my site, I can’t unsubscribe to the program?  I missed
>> that in my quick read.  I think this may boil down to a reduction in
>> funding for solid waste, or a program that costs more.  The explanation
>> though leaves big holes in it.  If the cost is really $90 per year to run
>> the program, then that is what they need to say, and explain why.  If $90
>> is more than I can or want to pay, then I should be able to leave the
>> program should I want to.   Again, I’m appreciative the City offers this
>> program, but unlike water and sewer requirements for healthy and safety
>> reasons, I can’t see yard waste removal rising to that level of
>> importance.   I personally would be ok with less frequent collection if it
>> would save any money.
>>
>>
>>
>> I would also expect rental fees to be accounted for separately
>> internally.  Co-mingling of the service fee and rental fee should not be
>> allowed.
>>
>>
>>
>> Myers
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Myers Sugg
>>
>> Financial Analyst
>>
>> Fuqua School of Business
>>
>> Duke University
>>
>> Box 90120
>>
>> Durham NC  27708
>>
>> 919-660-8018
>>
>> 919-660-7960
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* John Martin [mailto:bulldurhamnc at yahoo.com]
>> *Sent:* Tuesday, May 26, 2015 2:16 PM
>> *To:* Myers Sugg; 'inc-list at lists.deltaforce.net'
>> *Subject:* Re: [Durham INC] Yard Waste Carts
>>
>>
>>
>> Myers,
>>
>>
>>
>> There was a fair amount of chatter about this on the Old North Durham
>> list serve on Saturday since a number of us got the letter then.  You will
>> also notice that you are no longer allowed to discontinue your
>> participation in the program.
>>
>>
>>
>> Councilman Eugene Brown said that he is looking into this with the City
>> Manager.  We'll see what they say.  I doubt that any of this is legal.
>>
>>
>>
>> John
>>
>>
>>
>>    *From:* "Jackson jacksonsmom at nc.rr.com [oldnorthdurham]" <
>> oldnorthdurham at yahoogroups.com>
>> *Date:* May 23, 2015 at 6:17:43 PM EDT
>> *To:* "oldnorthdurham at yahoogroups.com" <oldnorthdurham at yahoogroups.com>
>> *Subject:* *Re: [oldnorthdurham] Yard Waste Letter*
>> *Reply-To:* oldnorthdurham at yahoogroups.com
>>
>>
>>
>> Thank you so much. I am still sitting here trying to understand the logic
>> behind this. How is it we have bought the thing many times over and now we
>> have to RENT it??
>>
>> I don't get it.
>>
>> Robin on West Seeman.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>
>> On May 23, 2015, at 6:10 PM, "Eugene Brown teton at earthlink.net [oldnorthdurham]"
>> <oldnorthdurham at yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> I am looking into this with the City Manager. Eugene Brown
>>
>> On May 23, 2015, at 2:05 PM, John Martin bulldurhamnc at yahoo.com [oldnorthdurham]
>> <oldnorthdurham at yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Nancy,
>>
>>
>>
>> I got the same letter this morning.  In addition to charging me rent on
>> something I already own, the City also announces that the Yard Waste
>> Program is like the roach motel:  you can't check out:  "*Please note
>> that cancellation of yard waste service is only allowed for customers who
>> are moving and no longer need the service and customers closing their
>> utility water account.*"  So now I have to continue to have yard waste
>> service whether I want it or not, and whether I use it or not.
>>
>>
>>
>> I bought my yard waste container back in 1998, but I hadn't used the
>> service for several years.  Last summer, since I anticipated more yard
>> waste than normal, I signed up again.  Little did I know that I had signed
>> up in perpetuity.
>>
>>
>>
>> This is a small matter, but it is mind-boggling that the City of Durham
>> government can even devise a scheme like this.
>>
>>
>>
>> John
>>
>>
>>    ------------------------------
>>
>> *From:* "Nancy Holliman nkholliman at gmail.com [oldnorthdurham]" <
>> oldnorthdurham at yahoogroups.com>
>> *To:* OND NA <oldnorthdurham at yahoogroups.com>
>> *Sent:* Saturday, May 23, 2015 1:39 PM
>> *Subject:* [oldnorthdurham] Yard Waste Letter
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Hi neighbors,
>>
>>
>>
>> I'm assuming any of you who are solid waste customers of the City have or
>> will receive the letter we just got. In it it informs us that "Effective
>> July 1, all carts now have a monthly rental fee regardless of past purchase
>> history." So that means that we get to now pay a rental fee for carts that
>> we previously purchased from the City. Excuse my acronym, but wtf?
>>
>>
>>
>> I see on their FAQ that they are expecting carts to need to be replaced,
>> as 2008 was the last time carts were available for purchase. Well I believe
>> that our cart has a few years left in it, and it burns me up to rent what
>> we own.
>>
>>
>>
>> Does anyone know if this change is something approved by the city
>> manager? City council? Who decides this?
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks for any info you may have.
>>
>> Nancy Holliman
>>
>> W. Lynch St.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>    ------------------------------
>>
>> *From:* Myers Sugg <andrew.sugg at duke.edu>
>> *To:* "'inc-list at lists.deltaforce.net'" <inc-list at lists.deltaforce.net>
>> *Sent:* Tuesday, May 26, 2015 2:03 PM
>> *Subject:* [Durham INC] Yard Waste Carts
>>
>>
>>
>> Dear Neighbors:
>>
>> You may have received the letter today from Donald Long, Solid Waste
>> Director regarding changes in the City’s Yard Waste program.  One thing in
>> particular caught my attention.  Longtime residents may have, like me,
>> purchased brown yard waste carts back when the City started the brown cart,
>> weekly pickup program, ten plus years ago.  The City is now converting
>> everyone to the rental program, and charging an additional $1.50 per month, *per
>> cart* even for those who purchased their cart outright.  I personally
>> don't think this is fair.  As I understand it, new customers are required
>> to rent their carts, but for those who started early, you paid, and now you
>> will be required to pay rent for the same plastic bin.  IF rental is the
>> only option, then I think a refund should be in order for those who
>> previously paid.  If I remember correctly, carts were around $50-$60 each,
>> but I'm not certain.  If anyone can remember what the purchase rate was
>> previously, please let me know.
>>
>> I am of the opinion that composting is best, but for those who have small
>> yards, and large limbs/sticks, it is not always easy to find a place for
>> them.  I appreciate the robust yard waste program the City has.  When it
>> started, collection was every other week, and the fee was rolled into your
>> property tax rate.  The City pulled it out the tax rate and began the fee
>> for service sticker/subscriber program.  Initially it was $50, then $60,
>> and now it will basically be $90 per year.  That's a significant amount in
>> my opinion.  I own 3 carts, and as such, I would pay an additional $54.00
>> per year to rent something I already purchased.  Does anyone else see the
>> problem here?
>>
>> Comments would be appreciated.  Hopefully someone at the City will also
>> see this and offer some insight.
>>
>> Myers Sugg
>>
>> James St
>>
>> TLNA
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Durham INC Mailing List
>> inc-list at lists.deltaforce.net
>> http://lists.deltaforce.net/mailman/listinfo/inc-list
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Durham INC Mailing List
>> inc-list at lists.deltaforce.net
>> http://lists.deltaforce.net/mailman/listinfo/inc-list
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Durham INC Mailing List
> inc-list at lists.deltaforce.net
> http://lists.deltaforce.net/mailman/listinfo/inc-list
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.deltaforce.net/pipermail/inc-list/attachments/20150526/5bb57da2/attachment.html>