Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "green waste"

Composting, cover crops, and red worms

2011-10-11T01:20:16Z

Saturday morning was warm enough to draw more than 38 people to Martin Luther King Junior Community Garden for seminars and discussions on composting, cover crops, vermicomposting and the benefits of ladybug larvae.

More than a dozen people attended the first of two composting seminars, led by Bill Maynard, master gardener and director of community gardens for the city.

Sacramento waste reduction coordinator Doug Houston opened the 8 a.m. event by speaking about waste reduction and the cost of green waste. Houston told the group that Sacramento pays for green waste disposal. Bins cost residents less money each month, and they are environmentally friendly because green waste is kept out of the storm drains, he said.

“Food waste in the garbage means organics go into the landfill,” he said. “The organics create methane which becomes greenhouse gas. Yard waste is a valuable resource.” He then confessed that he keeps a composting bin in his office.

Each attendee received a kitchen composting bin, a container of parsley to plant, a composting booklet, seeds and a discount coupon for a composting bin at Home Depot.

Houston introduced Bill Maynard, who told the group there will be 11 community gardens in Sacramento by the end of the month. Each plot could generate $400 worth of food per year.

“Fall is my favorite time of year,” he said. “Free carbon falls from the sky,” referring to leaves.

He led the first of two lectures on composting and discussed the differences between hot and cold composting, saying that hot will happen faster but takes more effort, and cold takes about nine months and will happen whether we want it to or not. Both require carbon and nitrogen layers.

Carbon should be both the top and bottom layer and consists of leaves, twigs, newspaper using soy-based ink like Sacramento News & Review or The Sacramento Bee, hair and cotton dryer lint, Maynard explained.

Nitrogen layers should be living or still green, like lettuce and spinach, but not Bermuda grass or diseased plants.

“Look under leaves for aphid eggs,” Maynard said. “The eggs are laid in the fall and hatch in spring. Most of the year aphids are all female and are born pregnant.”

Plant materials were circulated for attendees to examine for evidence of disease or eggs.

A short question-and-answer session followed with questions about whether the heat would kill Bermuda grass and seeds.

“If the compost pile gets to 133 degrees for several days, the heat may kill the seeds,” Maynard said. “The temperature can rise to 160 or 180 degrees, but it’s best to let the Bermuda grass dry out and use as part of the carbon layer.”

Maynard warned against using weed seeds or morning glories due to flower overproduction, or too many coffee grounds, because of the acidity. He added, though, that rhododendrons and azaleas prefer more acidity.

When asked how moist to keep the pile, Maynard said “like a wrung-out sponge,” adding that the pile can be in the sun or the shade, but that worms prefer cool, and the pile should be protected from rain.

Maynard suggested using compost at the root zone of plants or to place around the plants, and said of the odor that “it should smell like a nice, earthy scent.” A stinky pile needs more nitrogen.

“Always end with a layer of carbon, to act as a cap to prevent flies from laying eggs in the pile and deter rodents,” he reminded the group before leading them to the cover crop demonstration.

Cover Crops

Maynard called cover crops green manure that “enrich the soil.” He said the crops should be cut down by Feb. 15, and by March 15, “the average last frost date,” gardeners may plant at their own risk, reminding attendees that frost does not mark its calendar.

Fava beans, bell beans, field mustard and winter wheat are good winter cover crops. Buckwheat is good for summer. Maynard demonstrated the planting of both fava beans (in rows) and mustard (scattered).

Maynard also mentioned that he is working with the Sacramento Food Bank (3rd Avenue and 33rd Street) and will manage the garden education center. Monthly gardening classes will begin in 2012.

Vermicomposting

The group moved to hear about the benefits of composting with worms and how to build and maintain a worm farm. Worm Fancy’s Michelle Himed, a self-described “compulsive recycler” and Kate Waldo, a “vermaholic,” led the discussion on vermicomposting.

Himed opened by speaking about the history of Worm Fancy and their goal “to educate, build worm bins, and get into classrooms.” They want to reach the youngest generation, the kindergartners, and teach them what happens when they throw a banana peel into a worm bin.

Waldo described the difference between the bins for the classroom, which are single unit bins, and manufactured, multi-layered bins that can be kept in a house or office. Plans for building a classroom unit were available. A plastic bin, water or soda bottle plastic top and some black shade screen were the primary materials used.

Worms require bedding, which can be almost any type of paper. It cannot be the glossy pages from many magazines. They approved the pages from Edible, which was available at the event, as bedding material.

“Worms eat paper as fast as they eat kitchen products,” Waldo said. “They eat the microbes on top of the food.”

Worms cannot be fed everything, though.

“No dairy, no meat and no oil,” she said. “Worms breathe through their skin, and being coated in oil will kill them.

“It’s best to begin with a pound of worms, which is between 800 and 1,000,” she continued. “They are voracious eaters and can eat up to one half of their body weight each day. One pound of worms will eat about three pounds of food each week.”

Attendees were warned not to overfeed or to permit the bins to “get too hot or too smelly.”

“Worms are prolific,” she said. “One adult worm can have up to three cocoons per week and can have between one and 20 worms per cocoon.”

If people were concerned about overcrowding, Himed reassured “the population will regulate itself.”

Waldo reached into the school bin and pulled out a handful of paper. She discussed the types of paper products to use, adding that layering should be used like in composting. Several worms tried to burrow into the paper.

“Worms need to be trained to burrow down, so when first adding works to the bin, it’s best to begin by exposing them to about an hour of light so that they learn to stay down,” Himed said.

The bin’s temperature should be cool, and the bin should be kept in deep shade or inside the house. Mini swamp coolers made from frozen water bottles can help keep bins cool during temperatures above 90 degrees. Worms should also not be too cold, so sometimes miniature holiday lights might be used.

Harvesting should occur every three months and will produce five to six gallons of casings, which equates to nearly one cubic foot. This is enough to start planting in spring. Some casings sold in the store are dry and do not offer the same benefit.

Ladybug larvae

Several people remained to speak about worms, while Maynard led another group to the pumpkin plants and discussed the benefits of ladybugs in the garden.

“Many times, gardeners will kill the ladybug larvae because they think it’s a bad bug,” Maynard said. “In fact, it’s a good bug that eats a lot of aphids before it changes into a ladybug.”

Yes to composting and community gardening

Most attendees were seeking out composting information for their home gardens. Several people said they enjoyed the seminar and discussions very much and had gained a lot of information. Some people had not yet begun their gardens; others had just started; others had been gardening for a long time.

Heather and Joseph Cromartie said they would probably use both traditional composting and vermicomposting at some point in their home gardens, where they are growing greens, carrots, bell beans and tomatoes.

On this visit, one community gardener harvested Swiss chard, saying the rain helped a great deal before she attended the day’s second composting seminar.

Maynard reminded attendees that there are still several plots available. The next plot sale at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Garden is Oct. 18.

Green waste on-the-street pickup rates could rise

2011-04-07T00:45:48Z

Loose-in-the-street green waste pickup may become more expensive for residents, according to comments made by City Council members Tuesday night.

During a discussion of green waste at Tuesday’s council meeting, the council asked city staff to prepare detailed plans for raising the rates on loose-in-the-street pickup and reducing the level of pickup service from weekly to biweekly. Council members did not make any final decisions on the issue.

Gerald Celestine, a founding member of Friends of Fremont Park, said Wednesday that he thinks loose-in-the-street pickup works better than container pickup for Central City residents.

“We have more trees,” he said. “We have much more green waste.”

The idea of using multiple containers also doesn’t work, he said, because there is not adequate room in the street to place the containers. “Where would people park?” he asked.

The Central City’s situation may be addressed by city staff in the future: The City Council asked staff to provide more information about ways to deal with geographic areas that are particularly leafy.

The city’s systems of green waste pickup – containers and loose-in-the-street – are linked to a 1977 law. Voters passed Measure A that year, which says City Hall cannot force residents to use green waste containers.

While the city says that only 12,121 properties now use loose-in-the-street pickup, it must offer loose-in-the-street pickup because of Measure A.

By contrast, 103,787 properties in the city are using containers now, according to the Utilities Department.

The rate cannot remain at $13.71 per month because there are so few people now sharing the cost burden, according to city staff.

City staff argue that keeping the rates at $13.71 breaks state law Proposition 218, which says utilities rates must correspond to the costs of providing utilities services.

The rates should be higher, according to city staff, because so few people are still using loose-in-the-street pickup that their service is being subsidized by other solid waste rates.

Councilman Kevin McCarty noted Tuesday that city staff would work with the city’s Utilities Rate Advisory Commission on plans to raise rates for loose-in-the-street pickup.

Utilities Department staff has suggested raising rates for weekly loose-in-the-street pickup from $13.71 to $40 per month to match the costs of the service.

Alternately, staff suggested that the City Council could raise rates from $13.71 to $25, but scale down the service from weekly to every other week to align with the cost of service.

Staff also pointed out that the city still provides eight loose-in-the-street pickups each year to customers who use containers.

While council members said they want to explore the ideas of raising rates for pickup, McCarty and Cohn expressed hesitancy about the dollar amounts that staff proposed and noted that they weren’t agreeing to those amounts Tuesday night.

“Let’s not be on the record saying we approve either one,” Cohn said.

Council members also said they want to ask the public to vote in 2012 on whether to repeal Measure A.

“I’d like to go to the voters as soon as possible to take a look at repealing Measure A from 1977,” McCarty said Wednesday. “Clearly, times have changed, and I think we ought to look at reversing course on this 35-year-old policy.”

McCarty said there are a number of benefits to containers, including improved air quality resulting from fewer trucks picking up leaves and cleaner bike lanes.

Utilities Department spokeswoman Jessica Hess said the department has not yet set a date for when the green waste issue will be addressed at City Council again.

“We have a desire to correct the issue,” Hess said. “We are going to work on getting that expedited.”

Read the staff report here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City budget discussed in Pocket

2011-02-04T06:40:45Z

About 65 Pocket and Greenhaven residents gathered Thursday night to learn about current city issues. City staffers briefed the citizens on the city budget, green waste pick-up services and other topics during the community meeting, which was organized by City Councilman Darrell Fong.

Attendees were fully engaged throughout the meeting, asking plenty of questions. It began at 6:30 p.m. and by 8:30 p.m. few had left John F. Kennedy High School on Gloria Drive.

City Finance Director Leyne Milstein presented information to the group about the city’s $35-$40 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year.

She noted that the $35-$40 million represents about 20 percent of the net general fund, which means the city expects to cut its budget by that percentage.

Resident Bob Pecora asked Milstein about ways the city could bolster the economy.

“We need to take the initiative ourselves and try to put measures into place that will help us to grow the value of our economy locally,” Milstein responded.

The issue of trash pick-up was brought up later in the evening. Resident Roger Fong asked Utilities Department spokeswoman Jessica Hess about problems with his loose-in-the-street green waste pick-up.

The city uses two green waste pick-up systems – green waste is picked up in the street or in containers. The Utilities Department is in favor of the container system, which it says is more affordable.

Roger Fong said that he pays more for his loose-in-the-street pick-up. But his neighbors, who have containers, still put their green waste in the street, he said.

“My neighbors don’t seem to understand ... I always pay my fee and they don’t.”

Hess said the department is going to soon take action on that issue.

The meeting covered the work of various city departments. But the city’s budget crisis was a central theme of the meeting.

Darrell Fong told his constituents that he wanted them to help him with budget decisions on city services.

“I’m going to get you involved to decide what services are important to you,” Fong told the group.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sacramento makes Christmas tree recycling easy

2010-12-29T01:29:42Z

Another year and Christmas has come and gone. Relatives are heading home, the piles of leftovers get smaller with each meal and in just a matter of days it will be time to vacuum up those little green needles and say goodbye to this year’s Christmas tree.

Each year, tens of thousands of trees are purchased in the Sacramento area. While they can be thrown out in garbage cans or taken to landfills, the city of Sacramento and a few other local programs are offering easy and convenient ways for people to recycle their once bright and beautiful living room centerpieces. Recycling your Christmas tree will not only keep landfills from overflowing, but will also allow what’s remaining to be reused as mulch or for other agricultural purposes.

For those looking to recycle with the city, there are a few easy and free ways of accomplishing this, according to the Department of Utilities.

People with green waste cans may dispose of their trees in those, or leave them for loose-in-the-street collection during the first week of January. Leave the tree remains where they will be visible but not obstructive on the side of the street on your regular collection day.

Trees may also be dropped off, free of charge, at any one of these locations:

Elder Creek Recovery & Transfer Station
8642 Elder Creek Road
8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Jan. 8

Also accepting trees Dec. 27 - Jan 31, Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. -3 p.m.; Saturday 6 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Closed Sundays

Kiefer Landfill
12701 Kiefer Blvd.
8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Jan. 8 and Jan. 9

North Area Recovery Station
4450 Roseville Road
8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Jan. 8 and Jan. 9

SMUD Corporation Yard
6100 Folsom Blvd.
8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Jan. 8

Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station
8491 Fruitridge Road
8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Jan. 8

Also accepting trees Dec. 27 - Jan. 31, Monday - Saturday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Closed Sundays

All tree owners are responsible for stripping the trees of any ornaments, lights, tinsel and other decorations, and must cut trees of 6 feet or more into pieces of 3 feet or less before recycling.

Another economical option is to support local groups or programs who are running Christmas tree drives to raise money for their respective organizations, such as schools and youth groups.

One local Boy Scout troop, Troop 380, has been collecting trees in the Rosemont and Mather areas for about 15 years, said Scoutmaster Dave Ishikawa.

“We’ve picked up about 1,000 trees before,” Ishikawa said, “but we average more around 500 these days.”

Troop 380 asks for $10 for tree pick-up, which is taken to green waste management to be turned into mulch. The proceeds go to paying for the troop’s summer camp and any equipment the scouts may need.

The troop will be picking up trees on both Jan. 2 and 8 in the Rosemont area. For more information, click here.

Photos courtesy of Sacramento County Waste Management and Recycling

How to ask the city for green waste bins

2010-01-06T03:48:20Z

Choosing bins for green waste instead of on-the-street pickup saves each eligible resident $3 per month. But if residents want to put their green waste into bins instead of on the street for pickup, it’s not guaranteed they’ll receive bins from the city. That’s because the city is using two separate green-waste pickup systems and bins are not currently available to all residents.

However, residents can use the following information to encourage the city to bring bins to their neighborhood.

How do I tell the city I want to use bins?

Call 311 to inform the city that you want to put your green waste in containers, Utilities Department spokeswoman Jessica Hess said. You can also make a request for city employees to come to your neighborhood association meeting and explain the bin system, according to Hess. Make your request for a neighborhood presentation by calling the Utilities Department at 916-808-4931.

Another way to express your preference for bins is to fill out this online form.

How much does it cost to use bins?

The bin program is cheaper than on-the-street pickup. This means your bill would go down if you use bins. Bin pickup costs $9.37 monthly, while on-the-street pickup is $12.41 per month. Learn more about the differences in the costs here.

Why are bins not available to all residents?

The city must provide on-the-street pickup because Sacramento voters banned bins in 1977. Because residents passed an ordinance that said the city couldn’t set rules for bin use, the city’s bin program is voluntary, according to the Utilities Department.

A Nov. 24 Utilities Department report notes that about 85,000 people in the city have chosen to use bins.

Certain criteria is used by the city to decide if a neighborhood should be part of the bin pickup system, according to Hess. When making the decision to offer the service, the city considers the number of houses on a block that are interested in the program, she said. The city also examines the neighborhood’s proximity to an existing route that uses the bin system, she said.

The interest of neighborhood leaders and members of the City Council are among other factors that impact the city’s decision, according to Hess.

Councilman Steve Cohn and a staffer for Councilman Rob Fong recently said they support the idea of giving all residents the choice to use bins instead of on-the-street pickup.

This Jan. 4 story explains how to opt-out of the bin system if you want to maintain on-the-street pickup.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

How to opt-out of green waste bin system

2010-01-05T05:30:44Z

When the Utilities Department recently explored changes to Sacramento’s green waste pickup system, some residents expressed intense opposition to scrapping on-the-street pickup. They said they prefer that method to the use of bins.

The city's current methods of green waste pickup are on-the-street pickup and a voluntary bin system. Councilman Steve Cohn and a staffer for Councilman Rob Fong said recently that they support giving all residents the choice of bins over on-the-street pickup.

Residents can continue on-the-street pickup and the following information will help.

How to opt-out

A city employee may leave a green waste bin at your house if your neighborhood has been selected for bin pickup. To keep on-the-street pickup, you need to opt-out of the bin system.

You can opt-out by calling 311, Utilities Department spokeswoman Jessica Hess said, and telling the operator that you don't want the bin.

What will it cost me?

Hess pointed out that if you opt-out of the bin program, green waste pickup will cost more. The city now charges $9.37 for bin pickup, and $12.41 for on-the-street pickup monthly.

The difference in price is because when city workers gather lawn waste piles from the street, they use two vehicles — the “claw” and a loading vehicle.

By contrast, the city uses one vehicle to pick up bins.

In addition, the loading vehicle used for on-the-street pickup system fills up more quickly than the loading vehicle for the bin system, Hess said. This means that on-the-street pickup vehicles make more trips, adding cost.

Utilities Director Marty Hanneman said last week that city staffers do not know the current costs of the on-the-street system. A growing number of people are choosing bins, which is hiking on-the-street pickup costs, he said.

For now, the $12.41 monthly for on-the-street pickup will remain in force.

What are these city employees talking about?

The Utilities Department uses specific terms to refer to the city’s green waste system.

Officially, the city refers to on-the-street pickup as “loose-in-the-street collection.”

The city uses the phrase “containerized green waste collection” to refer to the system of using bins for green waste.

Coming Tuesday: A guide for residents who want the city to start bin service in their neighborhoods.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Green waste debate changes course

2009-12-29T04:49:27Z

The fiery public debate over possible changes to the city of Sacramento’s green waste pickup system has changed course.

The City Council was expected to decide in January whether to ask voters to use bins for their green waste. But it will not make a decision on the issue in the immediate future, according to Marty Hanneman, Utilities Department director.

The issue of scrapping the on-the-street pickup system has been “pushed back on the table, on the back burner,” he said.

For weeks, residents have been debating whether bins should be used instead of on-the-street green waste pickup. Recent reports from city staffers said a bin system would be cheaper and more environmentally responsible.

Residents who object to bins say they are impractical because the trees create too much lawn waste.

Lisa Nava, district director for Councilman Rob Fong, addressed the issue in a Dec. 22 e-mail to Paul Trudeau, president of the Southside Park Neighborhood Association. “There is no longer interest in bringing a ballot initiative to City Council to repeal Measure A (which would enable the Council to make containerized green waste mandatory),” Nava wrote.

“However, we have decided to provide the Voluntary Containerized Green Waste program city-wide. This seems like a good compromise at this time.”

City staff decided to postpone the green waste issue, Hanneman said, adding that he discussed the delay with City Manager Ray Kerridge. Councilman Robbie Waters, who asked staff to bring the idea to the City Council, accepts that the issue has been delayed, Hanneman said.

The current system is complex because the city uses two methods of green waste removal: an on-the-street pickup system and a voluntary bin system.

Workers remove piles of green waste from the street with the "claw" machine and a second vehicle.

However, residents in some sections of the city can choose bins instead of on-the-street pickup, according to a Nov. 24 Utilities Department report. About 85,000 residents have chosen bins, the report notes.

An opt-out system is in place for the bins now. After the city delivers bins to a neighborhood, residents must refuse them to maintain on-the-street pickup, Hanneman said.

Over the past several weeks, city staffers have worked on a plan to ask voters if they want to switch to a bin system and stop on-the-street pickup. City staffers had planned to bring the idea to the City Council. If councilmembers liked the idea, they would have had to ask voters to allow a bin system.

That’s because Sacramento voters passed an ordinance in 1977 saying the city could not establish the use of bins for green waste. A mandatory bin system can be set up only if voters overturn the 1977 ordinance, according to the report from the Utilities Department.

City staffers do not know the costs of the on-the-street pickup system, Hanneman said. That’s because a growing number of people are choosing bins, which hikes the price of on-the-street pickup, he said.

Nor have staffers decided how multifamily complexes would be incorporated into a bin system, Hanneman added.

“We have some issues we have to resolve.”

Photo by Geoff Samek.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Residents use new online tool in green waste debate

2009-12-12T05:08:12Z

Several residents recently used the city website’s new “eComment” tool to weigh in on the issue of green waste pickup. The City Council is expected to consider in January whether to ask voters to use bins for green waste.

Sacramento voters decided in 1977 that the city could not establish the use of bins for green waste. If the city wants to enact bin use rules, it must ask voters to overturn the 1977 law, according to a Nov. 24 report from the Utilities Department.

More bin opponents are using the eComment tool than proponents. Only one of six recent comments is from a bin supporter. Here are three eComments on the green waste issue. Bakken and Goldberg's comments have been shortened for clarity.

Stephen Bakken, supporter
“I also initiated a verbal comment today stating that I favor green waste bins over loose green waste picked up by the ‘Claw.’ This new e-comment option was mentioned so I thought I would try this out. I recommend that the City Council develop ballot language to repeal the ordinance enacted by voters in 1977 that [prevents] the City from requiring a switch to green waste bin collection.”

Brandie Humphreys, opponent
“If we are forced on containers? It will make sense to cut down our tree. Leaves are the only yard waste we have. We want to keep the claw in downtown.”

Jeremy Goldberg, opponent
“We are opposed to moving from pile pick up to mandatory bins. Our neighborhood features several large trees in excess of 20 ft tall. During the Fall we will simply not have enough space in a bin to fit all of our leaves.”

Photo by Geoff Samek.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

To Bin or Not to Bin: The story of Sacramento's green waste battles

2009-11-29T17:41:23Z

The debate over the Sacramento Utilities Department's desire to use bins for green waste pickup has a familiar ring.

This isn’t the first time green waste has been a hot topic in Sacramento. Green waste disposal was controversial as far back as 1977, when a fierce fight took place between those who wanted bins and those who sought to maintain on-the-street pickup.

Utilities Department Director Marty Hanneman said that staff plan to bring the issue to the City Council on Jan. 21 or Jan. 28. Supporters of the bins argue that their method is cost-effective, while bin opponents say on-the-street pickup is the most convenient system.

The department's position is that bins would be a cheaper and more environmentally friendly method of green waste pickup, according to a Nov. 24 department report. Residents now pay $12.35 per month for on-the-street pickup, while bins would cost $9.37, Hanneman said.

Councilman Robbie Waters also favors bins, Hanneman noted. Waters, whose district includes the Pocket neighborhood, asked the Utilities Department to bring the issue to the City Council, Hanneman said.

If the City Council decides in January that it wants to exchange on-the-street pickup for a bin system, the issue will have to go on a ballot. And there's a historical reason for that.

Voters approved an ordinance in 1977 to ban the city from establishing the use of bins for pickup. When residents put their opposition to bins into law, they made it difficult for the city to change the rules.

Measure A, the 1977 ordinance, includes language requiring a majority of Sacramento voters to overturn or change the law.

A group called Citizens for City Service championed Measure A. The group argued that it is easier for citizens to manage their green waste if the city picks up leaf piles on the street rather than in bins. They also said that a $2 monthly service fee for green waste pickup was affordable.

In the text of a proposal for Measure A, Bolton Phillips of the Citizens for City Service characterized the opposing camp as being made up of residents and certain city councilmembers and staffers.

"[The opponents of Measure A] want us to put all those tons of yard and garden refuse in non-biodegradable plastic bags and other containers before collection," Phillips wrote in the proposal. “They say this will save us money. This is not true. Without the service fee and workers, we will buy expensive plastic bags each week, then spend our valuable time and energy filling them.”

Joseph Coomes, Jr., president of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce in 1977, countered Phillips’ points in the text of the proposal for the measure. He objected to Phillips’ argument that residents would have to buy plastic bags.

“THIS IS NOT THE CASE!,” he wrote, using capital letters. “Any box, can or even paper bag of proper size and weight is acceptable. It can easily be drafted into law that plastic bags cannot be used!”

Opponents argued that a bin system would generate savings in taxes of more than $1 million per year.

The proposal notes that opponents of Measure A included Sacramento’s mayor at the time, Philip Isenberg, as well as representatives from the County Taxpayer’s League, Inc. of Sacramento County and the Sacramento Central Labor Council/AFL-CIO.

In 1988, there was an attempt to overturn Measure A through the ballot. But that effort, which was called Measure F, was unsuccessful, according to the Utilities Department's report.

Read the text of the 1977 proposal for Measure A here.

What's going on now with green waste?

Today, in many Sacramento neighborhoods, workers remove piles of green waste from the street with the "claw" machine and a second vehicle.

However, residents in some sections of the city can choose bins instead of on-the-street pickup, according to the Utilities Department's report. About 85,000 residents have chosen to use bins, the report notes.

Bins are now set up through an opt-out system. The city gives bins to certain neighborhoods, and residents must refuse them to maintain an on-the-street pickup method, according to Hanneman. “If you don’t want it, you’ve got to let us know you don’t want it,” Hanneman said.

This means that both systems — bins and on-the-street pickup — are used.

The department, which has twice postponed a presentation to the City Council this month, is calculating the costs of the bin and on-the-street pickup systems, according to Hanneman. Thousands of residents recently joined the bin system, which means that the department needs to update its figures for the City Council, he said.

The changing numbers still show that bins would be cheaper, Hanneman said. “It’s definitely more expensive to do loose-in-the-street than containerized,” he said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Decision on green waste bins expected Nov. 17

2009-11-10T05:13:45Z

The Sacramento Utilities Department has delayed for one week its presentation to the City Council on potential changes to green-waste pickup. At its Nov. 17 meeting, the council will decide whether to put a measure before voters to establish the use of bins for green waste.

Bin use would mark a change from the city’s current system of removing piles of green waste from the street with the ‘claw’ and a second vehicle. The City Council was scheduled to consider the department’s proposal Tuesday but staffers are adding more information to their report, said Support Services Manager David Levine.

He said changes to the report will include new information on the cost to the city of placing the measure on an upcoming ballot. Levine noted that green-waste pickup in Sacramento is a “very personal issue to many people.”

If the council decides to seek changes to its current system, it will need to ask citizens through the ballot if they want bins. Sacramento residents banned bins in a 1977 initiative. Voters would need to reverse the 1977 law to allow the city to set up a bin system, according to the department’s report.

The city can't set rules for bins, but it does allow residents in some parts of the city to use them. Over the past five years, more than 70,000 citizens have chosen to use bins, the report states.

The Utilities Department is in favor of bins, calling a container system cheaper and more environmentally friendly than street pickup.

Levine said he had no information on why voters passed the 1977 ordinance.

The text of the 1977 ordinance is on Page 6 of the report.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Change is in the wind for your lawn piles

2009-11-07T04:19:31Z

The practice of dumping green waste on the street may become a thing of the past.

The City Council will discuss a proposal Tuesday to ask voters if they want to place their piles of leaves in bins instead of in the street. The people of Sacramento banned bins in 1977.

“On September 27, 1977, city of Sacramento voters passed Measure A, an initiative ordinance that prohibited the city from requiring containerized collection of yard and garden refuse (green waste),” according to a Utilities Department report that will be presented to the City Council Nov. 10.

The department is asking the City Council if it wants to sponsor an initiative to overturn the ban on the bins. A city ordinance establishing a green-waste pickup system that uses containers can be enacted only if voters reverse the 1977 law, the report states.

While the city is forbidden from making rules for bin pickup, many citizens over the past five years have chosen to use bins. “To date, over 70,000 customers receive containerized green waste collection on this basis and another 45,000 customers will be offered the service by the end of FY 2009 / 10,” the report states.

The city is supporting mandatory container use. Bin use is cheaper, the Utilities Department states. “One of the major benefits of containerized green waste collection is that it is less expensive than loose-in-the-street collection, due to the fact that loose-in-the-street collection requires the operation of two vehicles, the ‘claw’ and the collection vehicle,” according to the report.

“Containerized green-waste program participants are presently charged $9.37 per month for a single-family home, which is 24 percent cheaper than the rate to those with loose-in-the-street collection service.”

The Utilities Department also says the container system is more environmentally friendly than street pickup. While two vehicles are used to pick up green waste from the street, only one would be needed if bins were used, the department states. A bin system also would enable the city to compost clean green waste, according to the report.

Read the report from the Utilities Department here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.