Table 2
<br />1 Goals and resulting hauler arrangement recommendations'
<br />Goal °—
<br />Arrangement
<br />Explanation
<br />If the goal is recycling
<br />Greater control
<br />Jurisdiction has control over program design and rates, and can plan the program for
<br />participation, access, or
<br />diversion, select 4
<br />(contract, district);
<br />maximum diversion or set rates to create incentives to increase diversion. Performance
<br />Fewer actors
<br />incentives can be easily built into the arrangement.
<br />If the goal is lowest rates,
<br />Exclusive (contract,
<br />select 4
<br />district)
<br />Haulers can realize economies of scale, routing efficiencies, truck savings, etc.
<br />If the goal is environmental
<br />Exclusive (contract,
<br />Reduces the number of trucks on the streets, wear - and -tear, GHG emissions caused by
<br />effects, select 4
<br />district)
<br />trucks, etc, through route design, service areas, and reduced redundancy. Maintains a
<br />"cleaner" look on the street with uniform containers, days of collection, etc.
<br />If the oal is program
<br />g g
<br />Contract or franchise,
<br />one or multiple
<br />Rates can be designed to cover more than just the costs of collection and can
<br />funding, selecc t
<br />collectors
<br />potentially help fund diversion and environmental programs.
<br />If the primary
<br />Non - exclusive, lower
<br />Haulers will be less resistant to this approach. There is minimal interference in the
<br />consideration is minimizing
<br />control (ordinance,
<br />free market and all haulers are on a level playing field. Exclusive arrangements tend to
<br />political difficulty, select Ht
<br />license) or multiple
<br />involve a "taking" of customer accounts from some haulers and often lead to political
<br />franchises
<br />backlash.
<br />If the primary
<br />Non - exclusive, lower
<br />consideration is least staff/
<br />control (ordinance,
<br />Achieve some control /authority, and staffing and oversight may be lower with non-
<br />oversight, select 4
<br />license) franchise/
<br />exclusive agreements (unless there are auxiliary regulations to oversee).
<br />district
<br />Source: SERA, 2013
<br />Influencing or
<br />selecting the number
<br />of contracted service
<br />providers
<br />Step 2 is deciding whether the town or mu-
<br />nicipality wants to try to reduce the haulers
<br />operating. Generally, fewer actors providing
<br />service leads to:
<br />Pros: Greater economies of scale,
<br />increased efficiencies, lower rates (assuming
<br />I ere is not a monopoly and a competitive
<br />process was used to select service providers),
<br />fewer trucks on the street (and lower poflu-
<br />tion), greater control, easier education.
<br />Difficulties: Less competitive environ-
<br />ment, fewer options to provide service if
<br />selected provider doesn't perform, potential
<br />"taking" of business from some operating
<br />haulers, reactions from residents that want
<br />to choose their service provider.
<br />Fewer haulers – if desired – can be
<br />achieved (directly or indirectly) under
<br />licensing, ordinance, contracting or mu-
<br />nicipalization. The action is direct under
<br />contracting - related options and municipal-
<br />ization; similar outcomes may be achieved
<br />if licensing or ordinance requirements raise
<br />the bar for service provision or market entry
<br />to a degree that some actors can't comply.
<br />Alternatively, the licensing or ordinance
<br />options can be simple and involve little
<br />interference in the private market competi-
<br />tion setting.
<br />The main choice is exclusive (one
<br />hauler winner) versus non - exclusive (two
<br />or more service providers). The choice is
<br />partly dependent on the size of the com-
<br />munity; it may be impractical for more than
<br />one hauler in small communities. However,
<br />beyond this consideration, there are many
<br />choices and nuances to designing the best
<br />system, but a number of the key pros and
<br />cons of exclusive and non - exclusive hauler
<br />arrangements are shown in Table 1.
<br />Selecting the best -
<br />suited strategy
<br />— considering key
<br />community goals
<br />Choosing a hauler arrangement is often a
<br />political decision. Knowing the jurisdiction's
<br />goals ahead of time will help it decide which
<br />arrangement makes the most sense. Some
<br />potential goals and the best arrangemems to
<br />achieve the goals are displayed in Table 2. In
<br />work with communities, we have developed
<br />useful flow charts that help councils come to
<br />options that best suit their goals.
<br />Required steps
<br />The steps required to consider and implement
<br />these options depend on the local political
<br />process. Choices must be made about the
<br />conditions or service options to be incor-
<br />porated into each option. First and second
<br />readings and public hearings for ordinances
<br />may be required; evaluations and council
<br />approvals, negotiation and other steps are
<br />needed for contracts. Implementation steps
<br />must be clarified. Enforcement and track-
<br />ing should be key elements of each option in
<br />order to assure a level playing field that will
<br />lead to compliance and equity – for haulers
<br />and citizens.
<br />Conclusion
<br />Change is never easy. However, as this ar-
<br />ticle demonstrates, communities may be able
<br />to achieve some authority without a great
<br />deal of market intervention – and a whole
<br />lot of control if they select more aggressive
<br />options. The options are few, straightfor-
<br />ward and fairly easy to understand, as are
<br />the tradeoffs. However, most communities
<br />find that, if they want to achieve greater
<br />diversion, some intervention in the market
<br />is needed. Check the pulse of the local
<br />council – they may be willing to move from
<br />a no- action stance if they understand the
<br />power of the most basic of options, or move
<br />°upward" in intervention levels in order to
<br />achieve desired goals. '72
<br />More detailed versions of this work (includ-
<br />ing options for commercial control) are avail-
<br />able from the authors. In addition, we have
<br />assembled recommended ordinance language,
<br />and sample RFPs and contracts, etc. SERA
<br />provides research and consulting services to
<br />communities, counties and states across the
<br />US. The authors are available at (303) 494-
<br />1178 or skumatz @serainc.com.
<br />RR I January2013 17
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