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Establishment of service zones — If service zones become too large in organized <br />collection, only large companies will be able to compete. Also, if a zone is required to be <br />serviced only on one day, some small haulers will have more customers than they can <br />serve on that day while other days, their trucks could be underutilized. <br />Procurement process — There was extensive concern from independent haulers not being <br />able to compete effectively in a competitive bidding process. These haulers <br />acknowledged they can do all stops in a neighborhood cheaper than in open systems, but <br />so can large companies who have the potential to have lower overhead costs from larger <br />customer bases. Also, there was concern regarding the need to post significant bonds and <br />insurance coverage. <br />Haulers have become very experienced in their opposition efforts to organized collection, <br />making statements to public officials that it is "... time to rally the troops." Typically an <br />organized mailing is sent out by multiple companies to their customers with a slanted description <br />of what the city or county is doing. Past mailings have stated the city or county will "radically <br />change waste hauling, will hurt consumers, will take away freedom of choice, etc." The mailing <br />urges customers to contact the respective elected officials to voice disapproval to organized <br />collection. These organized campaigns have been very effective in causing elected officials to <br />reject recommendations from staff and local advisory committees that research the issues. The <br />mailings and "rallying of the troops" have been conducted just prior to any formal approvals in <br />the organized collection statutory process so that opposition to organized collection affects <br />elected officials ability to vote to proceed. <br />Potential alternatives to organized collection raised by haulers when cities have tried to go from <br />open to organized systems have included: <br />Establishing collection zones to limit set out days to one day per week. <br />Bringing trucks into the city empty. <br />Driving only on streets they have customers. <br />Providing educational inserts in billings. <br />Providing tonnage estimates. <br />These alternatives start to address some of the potential issues but are difficult to monitor and <br />enforce while not addressing the total number of trucks used. <br />2.4.3 Select Municipal Examples <br />Several reports were identified from cities in Minnesota that have attempted to go from an open <br />system into an organized system. The cities of Vadnais Heights and Elk River successfully <br />completed the process in 1991. To the best of current knowledge, Vadnais Heights and Elk <br />River are the last cities to become organized following the statutory process. The city of Falcon <br />Heights went through the process from sometime in 2003 through early 2005.18 Their report is <br />fairly comprehensive and their process and experience representative of other Minnesota <br />18 "Organized Collection Study — Final Report." Oct. 2004. City of Falcon Heights, MN. <br />R - Analysis of Waste Collection Service Arrangements.doc Foth Infrastructure & Environment, LLC • 23 <br />June 2009 <br />