Cutting Cost of Garbage Pickup in Daphne

Beginning in April, the City of Daphne will put two more automated garbage collection trucks into service bringing the total to four. They will cover the entire city. At the same time the city will cut back to collecting garbage to only one day a week instead of two.

Daphne mayor Fred Small says, "No one wants to see things go up, but landfill fees are up, maintenance goes up, and you have to replace equipment. And you have to have a way to pay for all that."

Customers will pay the same $13.90 per month fee despite losing a day of garbage collection.

The new automated trucks and cutting the collection days will help the city save money in fuel and labor costs among other things. "Where there were three people on a truck--a driver and two hoppers, now there's only a driver," said Small. Those being displaced by the move are not being laid off, according to Public Works director Bill Eady. "They'll be in the streets department, or mowing--that's where we have openings now--but those decisions haven't been made," he said.

Small said the fee is nominal compared to the types of service residents receive, which includes garbage collection, recycling and roadside trash pickup. While the garbage collection effort may save money the city's recycling program is losing money according to city officials. Small said it is funded through six months. But it appears the Daphne city council will be forced to make some tough decisions on that in the coming weeks.