VACUUM LEAF COLLECTION 2022
At the September 13th Lexington City Council EQPW meeting, Commissioner Albright gave an update on the vacuum leaf collection for the year. The update was filled with challenges that are now facing this program including labor shortages, equipment issues, service, scheduling, and increasing costs.
With only one rear loading garbage truck currently available,
more equipment and staff is needed to run this program successfully. Collection could take up to 15 weeks to complete now. Streets & Roads has to utilize nearly the entire division to make up for shortfalls, stopping most other functions, which means overqualified staff doing leaf collection, only 1 pothole crew (out of 3) will be available, and only 1 project manager (out of 4) for the inspection of about 6 million dollars in paving.
Commissioner Albright presented two options to the committee; provide the service with existing LFUCG staffing and contractor area, resulting in closing down most Streets and Roads operations, having incomplete collections, and not completing collection until February 13 of next year, or expand Republic Services contract area, which means contract costs would increase, certain areas not being serviced, and many other unknowns at this time.
The issue will be revisited by Lexington’s Urban County Council in October.
Lexington Home and Garden News appears on page 20 of the October 2022 print edition of Ace.
