Routes set to change with increase in Havasu residents and trash volume
- By Michael Zogg
Today’s News-Herald
An increase in people in Lake Havasu City over the past 12 to 16 months has created an influx of trash. As a result Republic Services, which provides trash and recycling collection throughout the city, is altering its routes which will change the collection day for about a quarter of households.
Matt Kross, general manager of Republic Services in Havasu, said it is normal for routes to be readjusted about every three years and the routes have not been updated since 2017. He said the trash collection changes are for residential customers only, and they will go into effect on Aug. 2.
“The time has come,” Kross said. “What has happened in Lake Havasu in the last four years – and especially over the last year – is the volumes have changed due to covid. We have seen an influx of people who are living out there, working from home, and using their properties more. So what happens is the volume changes.”
Kross said trash volumes in Havasu increased by more than 20 percent during the pandemic. Although some of those volumes have started to return more toward normal, he said there is still more trash being collected than prior to the pandemic and those increases are not spread out uniformly through Havasu’s neighborhoods.
“It just seems like more people are in Lake Havasu City now, and I think our tax revenues support that statement,” he said.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s vintage population estimates, Havasu’s total fulltime population grew by almost 2,700 from 2017 through 2020 – which is the last year the vintage estimates are available.
Kross said each garbage truck has a maximum weight capacity, and some of the trucks are now reaching that capacity before making it to the end of the route.
“With movement and purchase of homes, where the people are living is changing around,” Kross said. “There are areas with high residential populations and other areas that have more vacation homes. We are seeing growth on the north side of town and we are expecting growth on the south side of town with the Havasu Riviera property.”
After reworking all of the routes, Kross said about 6,700 of the 29,000 households Republic Services serves will have a different trash day than they currently do. He said the majority of residents with a change will have their collection day moved up or back just one day. In Havasu, Republic Services splits up the city into five zones and collects trash from one zone each day of the week starting with the south side of town on Monday and working up to the north side by Friday.
Kross said every household that will have a new trash collection date will receive a postcard from Republic Services. He said the company has already started sending out the postcards and it will continue to send them out through the end of July in preparation for the changes going into effect on Aug. 2.
Kross warns that even if a customer’s pick up date is not changing, the time during the day that the garbage truck arrives could be different because of the adjustments to the routes themselves.
“We never guarantee times, but we are so consistent out in Lake Havasu that people have learned that they can pretty much count on when we are going to be there,” Kross said. “The challenge with this is because the routes are changing, those times are going to change. So we need all the residents’ help by making sure they put their trash and recycling carts out the night before.”
He said by putting trash and recycling out the night before residents will eliminate the chance of missing the pick-up due to an earlier-than-expected collection. Kross said after the first two to four weeks the new routes should be pretty well set.
“By September they should have a good idea of when we are coming by,” he said.
Council approves $19 million budget for FY 2021-22
- By John Gutekunst Parker Pioneer
The Parker Town Council has approved a budget of just over $19 million for fiscal year 2021-22, which began on July 1.
Town Manager and Finance Director Lori Wedemeyer made a point at the July 6 Town Council meeting this does not mean they have $19 million to spend. A budget is an estimate of what they will spend and how much money they will have to spend. She said that, as usual, the budget includes funds from grants and the like that the Town does not have but may apply for. These must be budgeted for if the Town wants to spend these funds.
The budget shows $4.65 million in the general fund, $5 million in special revenue funds, almost $7.8 million in capital projects funds, $1.2 million in the Utility Enterprise Fund (water system) and $330,000 in debt service funds.
The largest source of revenue for the general fund is the Town’s sale tax, which is budgeted at $1.35 million. The second largest source of revenue will be intergovernmental funds, like the shared sales tax from the state. These funds are budgeted at $1.07 million.
The largest source of revenue in special funds is $2.4 million in Highway User Revenue Funds from the state’s fuel tax. These funds can only be used for street and transportation projects.
The Town Council had agreed earlier that all Town employees should receive at least $15 per hour, and those already at that level should receive a 5 percent Cost-of-Living-Adjustment. Total salaries for FY 21-22 are budgeted at $4.43 million, with $2.65 million coming from the general fund.
As for the biggest budget for salaries, the Parker Police Department will be the biggest user of the general fund for salaries at $1.3 million.
Wedemeyer had stated at earlier budget work sessions that insurance costs would be dramatically increased for the 21-22 fiscal year. According to information she provided to the council, the total cost of insurance would go from $580,595 in FY 20-21 to $802,790 in FY 21-22. That would be an increase of $222,195. Of that increase, $131,825 will be from the general fund.
The budget will need to be published twice in a local newspaper before it can be formally adopted by the council. That adoption is set to take place in August.