City officials said they see the more than $2 million switch to an automated trash pickup system as a more sustainable investment in Cape Girardeau's future.

"Our goal is that we don't have to continue to raise fees or cut services," said Tim Gramling, public works director.

City employees have been drafting the plan for about three to four months, Mayor Jay Knudtson said. Gramling presented the proposal to the city council July 20 and officials are gaining community input on the measure, Knudtson said. He said an ordinance outlining the new system could get initial consideration from the city council within 30 to 45 days.

City employee Rob Reed helps empty a compacted container of plastic Friday, July 24, 2009, from a recycle collection truck at the Recycle Center in Cape Girardeau. A new trash and recycle program would no longer require recyclables to be separated. (Kit Doyle)

The switch to an automated system would cost the city more than $2 million, which would be funded by bonds financed over ten years.

"This is significant advancement in technology," Knudtson said.

Under the proposal, each residence would receive two receptacles, a 65-gallon bin for trash and a 95-gallon bin for recyclables. The city serves 11,000 residences.

The city would buy the bins and six trucks with automated arms, which cost about $220,000 each, Gramling said. Because the current fleet of trucks will be replaced, $200,000 allocated to the equipment replacement fund for repairs will be used to buy down the solid waste fund's debt to the general revenue fund, he said.

Gramling said the system will make it easier to keep up with the city's growth because it will allow fewer employees to do more. Four positions will be eliminated through attrition or reassignment within the department, saving the city $134,500, Gramling said.

It would not require an increase in fees, which went up 5 percent this year to $16.75 per month.

"We can do this under that fee that we've already got in place," Gramling said.

Under the current system, the city receives $2,245,420 per year in residential solid waste fees. Expenses for the system total $2,286,666, including storm damage pickup and residential collection.

Gramling said the new system will be more sustainable financially.

"As we go forth with this, the idea will be that we won't have to raise fees to keep what we've got," he said.

The plan calls for a service representative to address problems with the lids and wheels of the bins, Gramling said.

Knudtson said recycling will also become more convenient because sorting is taken out of the equation. The recycle bin would accept any recyclable material except glass.

"The theory is we've taken a lot of the guesswork and confusion out of it," Knudtson said.

He said the process will bring Cape Girardeau more in line with other communities.

"I do believe we are a little behind the curve in terms of how we handle the whole trash and recycling process," he said.

abusch@semissourian.com

388-3627

Residential waste fees

Collection fees -- $2,117,520

Penalties -- $51,000

Wednesday pickup -- $12,500

Solid waste stickers -- $13,000

Recycling revenue -- $30,000

Total revenue -- $2,245,420

Residential expenses

Residential collection -- $1,182,154

Recycling collection -- $673,767

Landfill closure costs -- $45,996

Transfer station -- $384,749

Total expenses -- $2,286,666

Source: City of Cape Girardeau

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.