* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:03] GUYS, WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED IN ABOUT [Community Meeting ] 15 SECONDS, SO IF YOU WANT TO TAKE YOUR SEATS AND GET ROCKING AND ROLLING, WE WON'T KEEP YOU ALONG. WE COULD HAVE DONE THIS ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, RIGHT? GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I'M DAVE CARINI, WEST COVINA, CITY MANAGER. I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. THIS IS A COMMUNITY MEETING TO TALK ABOUT ESRY, SB 1 3 83 COMPLIANCE. I'M GONNA ASK GLENN KENNEDY TO PLEASE RISE AND LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. ABSOLUTELY. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG FLAG, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT ONE NATION, GOD, INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE ALL. WELL, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I SEE SOME FAMILIAR FACES. THAT'S GOOD. UM, I'M GARY CLIFFORD. I'VE BEEN SERVING YOU FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS. YOU ALL KNOW ME AND, UH, ON A FIRST NAME BASIS HERE. SO TONIGHT I WANT YOU TO FEEL FREE TO INTERACT, ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ASK. THIS IS MY FOURTH TIME OF BEING IN FRONT OF YOU, HAVING TO DO A 1383 IN RATES. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE CITY HASN'T PICKED AN OPTION YET WHERE MOST OF THE OTHER CITIES IN THE REGION HAVE AND THEY'RE COMPLIANT. UM, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY WORKING WITH THE CITY OF WEST COVIN AND TO BRING THEM A PROGRAM THAT THEY WANT TO EMBRACE. SO YOU CAN BE COMPLIANT WITH 1383. AND I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT YOU'RE NOT YET. UH, WE HAD A MEETING WITH CAL CYCLE YESTERDAY AND, UH, TALKED TO THEM ABOUT IT. AND SO THEY'RE GONNA HOLD OFF FOR A FEW MORE WEEKS CUZ WE TOLD 'EM WE WERE HAVING ANOTHER MEETING. BUT IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU GUYS TO BE INTIMATELY INVOLVED. AND AGAIN, ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS. I'LL BE HERE AS LONG AS I NEED TO. I BROUGHT SOME COPIES OF THE PROPOSAL. UM, I'LL SEND YOU THE, I'LL SEND IT TO YOU VIA EMAIL IF YOU WANT. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT KEEPING COPIOUS NOTES IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO. I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT CITIES THAT ARE AROUND YOU, AND I'VE GIVEN, I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU SOME PRICE COMPARISONS, HAVE ALREADY DONE THIS. AND SOME OF THE EARLY ADOPTERS SAVE MONEY BECAUSE OUR PRICE IS DIFFERENT TODAY THAN THEY WERE 18 MONTHS AGO. YES. I MEAN, OUR COMPANY ALONE, AND I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THIS AND FEEL THIS BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE FELT IT PERSONALLY. OUR COMPANY ALONE SPENT $2 MILLION MORE ON NATURAL GAS FUEL IN DECEMBER. YOU PROBABLY PAID MORE ON YOUR NATURAL GAS BILL TOO. WE PAID 2.7 MILLION MORE IN JANUARY THERE. THERE'S ALMOST A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS WE SPENT JUST TO FUEL OUR TRUCKS. AND WE HAVEN'T COME BACK TO ANY, WE, WE, WE'RE NOT LIKE THE ELECTRIC COMPANY AND THE GAS COMPANY. WE HAVEN'T COME BACK TO YOU AND SAID, OH, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY RATE INCREASE TO MAKE UP FOR THAT MONEY. IT, IT'S BEEN TOUGH ON US TOO. BUT 1383 IS SOMETHING THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE UP IN SACRAMENTO, OUR LEGISLATORS VOTED ON AND THEY VOTED ON IT AND THEY SAID, CITIES, YOU HAVE TO COMPLY. AND IT'S CALLED AN UNFUNDED MANDATE. CITIES HAVE TWO CHOICES. THEY CAN COMPLY OR NOT. IF THEY DON'T COMPLY, THEY WILL BE FINED EVERY DAY, $10,000 A DAY. AND THOSE FINES AND LETTERS HAVE ALREADY STARTED COMING OUT TO CITIES THAT DON'T HAVE PROGRAMS IN PLACE. THE REASON THIS LAW IS HERE IS BECAUSE THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA ON ITS OWN, NOT THE OTHER 49 STATES, JUST CALIFORNIA, HAS SAID YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE ORGANIC WASTE TO A LANDFILL ANYMORE. ORGANIC WASTE IS FOOD, GRASS CLIPPING TEXTILES, AND ANYTHING THAT'S ORGANIC. NOW, WE, ATHENS DID. IN FACT, WE WISH THIS LAW WOULDN'T HAVE PASSED. WE LOBBIED FOR IT NOT TO PASS. WE DON'T WANT TO PICK IT UP. WE DON'T, WE WANT TO TAKE IT TO A LANDFILL. I LIKE IT GOING TO A LANDFILL BECAUSE I THINK IT MAKES METHANE GAS AND WE FUEL OUR TRUCKS ON THAT AND THAT'S GOOD, RIGHT? HOW THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DOESN'T WANT TO GO INTO A LANDFILL ANYMORE. WE HAVE TO AVOID GOING, GOING TO A LANDFILL. SO THE, I LIVE IN GLENORA, GLENORA USED TO BE A MANUAL CITY THAT PUT THEIR CANS OUT. NOW WE HAVE THREE BARRELS AND GLENORA ADOPTED IT. THEY TOOK A RATE INCREASE, THEY DID CPI PLUS ONE. THEY DID A LOT OF THE THINGS. THEY, THEY DID SOME THINGS THAT I ASKED WEST COVINA TO DO 18 MONTHS AGO. MY CITY DID IT. SO NOW I ACTUALLY HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN DOING IT. I TAKE ALL OF THE THINGS THAT I EAT AF LIKE MY GARDENER COMES ON THURSDAY, MY GARDENER COMES ON FRIDAY, MY TRASH DAY'S THURSDAY. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS MY GARDENER FILLS MY GREEN WASTE BARREL ON FRI ON THURSDAY, ON FRIDAY. SO IT'S EMPTY. SO THEN THE, THE GRASS IS THERE. THEN ALL WEEK LONG, I TAKE ALL OF MY FOOD CLIPPINGS, LIKE WHEN THE FAMILY'S DONE WITH DINNER, WHEN MY WIFE IS DONE WITH HER MEAL PREP, I'LL TAKE THAT WASTE AND PUT IT RIGHT ON TOP OF MY GRASS. IT'S NOT IN MY BLACK BARREL ANYMORE, IT'S [00:05:01] IN MY GREEN BARREL. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, MY GREEN BARREL IS FULL OF GRASS CLIPPINGS, FOOD AND ANY OTHER TEXTILE. RYAN, WOULD YOU GET ME A WATER OR SOMETHING? PLEASE? ANY OTHER TEXTILE THAT WE HAVE, WHAT IT'S DONE IS WHAT USED TO SMELL KIND OF BAD IN MY, IN MY BLACK BARREL THAT WAS IN MY GREEN BARREL. AND IT DOESN'T SMELL BAD ANYMORE BECAUSE THE GREEN AND FOOD TOGETHER KIND OF NEUTRALIZE EACH OTHER. THAT'S VERY INTERESTING. WHAT'S HAPPENED. SO THAT'S WHAT 1383 IS. I'M SORRY, MY THROAT IS, HAS A TICKLE IN IT. LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. WHEN DOES THIS TAKE PLACE? 1383 TOOK PLACE LAST YEAR IN JANUARY. AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE ADOPTED BY WHAT DATE NOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ADOPTED ALREADY. AND YOU'LL SEE THAT RIGHT HERE. I'LL LET YOU LOOK AT THIS SLIDE. IT HAS ALL THE LAWS. YOU'VE ALREADY, YOU'VE DONE 1594, YOU'VE DONE 1826, YOU HAVE TO DO 1383. IT WAS VOTED ON 2016. AND YOU CAN SEE YOU'VE ALREADY DONE ALL THE OTHER THINGS YOU HAVE NOT IMPLEMENTED. EXCUSE ME. THANK YOU. AH, THERE WE GO. YOU HAVE NOT IMPLEMENTED 1383 YET. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING TOGETHER WITH THE CITY RIGHT NOW. THIS SLIDE SHOWS FOOD. WHAT'S ORGANIC FOOD SCRAPS? FRUITS, CHEESE, MEAT, BONES, RICE, FLOWERS, COFFEE FILTERS, GRASS CLIPPINGS, WEEDS, LEAVES. WHO ELSE CAN, CAN ANYBODY READ THAT? JUST YELL IT OUT LOUD FOR ME. BRANCHES, FLOWERS, LUMBER. SO IF YOU HAVE WOOD THAT YOU USED ON A PROJECT AND IT'S NOT PAINTED, THROW IT IN THE GREEN BARREL. PLYWOOD, SOY, UH, A FOOD SOILED PAPER. SO A NAPKIN? YES. WOOD IN THE UHHUH . IT'S ORGANIC. IT'S ORGANIC, YES. NO, NO. JUST PLAIN WOOD UNTREATED. AND, AND AGAIN, THIS WILL BE ONCE YOU GUYS IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM, THIS WILL BE ON YOUR WEBSITE. BY THE WAY, MY, MY FRIEND BRIAN JOSEPH IS WITH US TONIGHT. YOU KNOW BRIAN, HE'S BEEN SERVING YOU FOR MANY YEARS ALSO. SO, UH, ALSO YOU'LL SEE YOU GOT A NAPKIN. THAT'S FOOD STORE, UH, FOOD, UH, FOOD STAINED, A PIZZA BOX. YOU HAVE A CHEESE PIZZA THAT LEAKED OVER ONTO THE BOX. THAT BOX NO LONGER GOES IN YOUR RECYCLE. IF IT HAS FOOD ON IT, STUCK CHEESE, IT GOES INTO YOUR GREEN BARREL. IF IT'S A CORRUGATED BOX THAT IS NOT STAINED WITH FOOD, IT GOES IN THE BLUE. SO Y YOUR WEBSITE AND THE INFORMATION WE SEND TO YOUR HOME WILL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT, WHAT TO DO ONCE IT'S DONE. BUT, UH, AT CHRISTMAS WE HAD A HAM. I DE-BONE THE HAM FOR MY WIFE. THE BONE WENT INTO THE GREEN WASTE. SHE YELLED AT ME BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WANTED TO MAKE SOUP AND SHE WANTED THE BONE FOR THE SOUP. I, I GOT EXCITED AND PUT IT IN WITH A GREEN WASTE BEFORE SHE COULD DO THAT. BUT THAT IS WHAT ORGANIC WASTE IS. FOOD SCRAPS, FOOD, FOOD, SOIL, PAPER, YARD, TRIMMINGS. AND THEY SAY THAT THAT IN CALIFORNIA EMITS 20% OF CALIFORNIA'S METHANE. SO THE GOAL, YES, THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO USE THAT BLACK AND GREEN. THAT'S IT. YOU'RE JUST GONNA MOVE THE FOOD AND THE ORGANICS TO THE GREEN. YOU'LL HAVE MORE ROOM IN YOU'RE BLACK INTRODUCING THEM. NO, BUT IN THE PROPOSAL, I'M GONNA GIVE THE CITY AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AT THE END. I WANT THE OPTION TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT IF THE CITY NEEDS IT FOR RECYCLING NUMBERS RIGHT NOW IT DOESN'T. BUT IF WE EVER NEED TO DO THAT AT NO COST TO YOU, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO DROP A BLUE BARREL TO HELP YOUR RECYCLING NUMBERS GO UP. ONLY IF THE PROGRAMS DON'T WORK. BUT THEORETICALLY, WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING INTO THE GREEN WILL MAKE THE GREEN HEAVIER AND THAT WEIGHT WILL DRIVE UP YOUR RECYCLING NUMBER. CUZ RIGHT NOW THAT'S GOING TO THE LANDFILL. OKAY? NOW IT'LL GO AND BE RECYCLED WITH YOUR GREEN. SO IF YOU'RE THROWING AWAY, IF YOU'RE THROWING AWAY 20 POUNDS OF FOOD A WEEK, WHICH IS A, A LIGHT, A LIGHT AMOUNT, AND EVERY RESIDENT IN WEST COVIN IS DOING THAT, THAT'S A LOT OF RECYCLING. BUT IF THAT DOESN'T WORK OUT, I WANT THE OPTION TO BE ABLE TO DROP A BLUE BARREL AT A RES, AT A RESIDENT OR A COMMERCIAL BUSINESS TO HELP YOUR RECYCLING NUMBERS GO UP. BUT THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. DAVID. ANY QUESTIONS FROM YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER? I APOLOGIZE. OKAY, SO THIS IS AN ACTUAL ENFORCEMENT LAW. [00:10:01] THIS IS A LAW WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO ENFORCE IT. AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW, I'M GONNA QUICKLY GO THROUGH THE SLIDES, BUT THE CITY'S REQUIRED TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE MANDATING THIS SERVICE, INCLUDING INSPECTION, ENFORCEMENT AND MECHANISMS TO ENSURE EVERY GENERATOR DOES THIS AND THAT. ALL OF THESE POINTS COST MONEY, COLLECTING IT, THE ROUTE AUDITS, THE WASTE CHARACTERIZATIONS, THE OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, THE DATA, THE PROCUREMENT. AND THAT MEANS THE CITY HAS TO BUY THINGS. AND THE CITY, WHEN THEY BUY THINGS THEY NEED TO GET CREDIT FOR REDUCING METHANE GAS IN THE ATHENS PROPOSAL TO THE CITY. THE FUEL THAT WE USE IN OUR TRUCKS FIT FILLS THEIR ENTIRE PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT. IF NOW IF THEY DON'T DO A PROGRAM, THEY HAVE TO DO OTHER THINGS TO MEET THAT PROCUREMENT PROGRAM, THE CITY WON'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT ON ITS OWN. AND THEN THE FOOD RECOVERY SUPPORT, WHERE THE CITY IS ALREADY, UH, PURCHASED A PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY THE FOOD RECOVERY PEOPLE. BUT THAT'S ALL IT DOES. IT DOESN'T MAKE IT START HAPPENING. SO OUR PROPOSAL IN THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'VE GIVEN TO THE CITY ALREADY INCLUDES COMPLIANCE IN ALL THIS. AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW, THE COMPLIANCE WITH 1383 RUNS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 2.7 AND 4 MILLION A YEAR, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU DO IT. JUST IN THE COMPLIANCE. THAT'S NOT THE CAPITAL COST. THAT'S JUST IN ACTUALLY DOING IT. AND YOU'LL SEE WHY AS WE GO THROUGH SOME OF THESE EXTRA SLIDES. BUT 1383 IS A LAW, JUST LIKE ANOTHER LAW THAT'S IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. AND THE CAL CYCLE INSPECTORS ARE COMING DOWN TO INSPECT THE CITY. AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT DONE, YOUR FINANCE DIRECTOR IS HERE AND YOUR CITY MANAGER IS HERE TO TELL YOU THAT THE CITY WILL START BEING FINED FOR NOT DOING THIS. BECAUSE THE, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA WANTS THE CITY TO HAVE THE RESIDENTS REDUCE THE ORGANIC WASTE THAT GOES TO LANDFILLS. AND THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN DO THAT IS BY HAVING THEIR HAULER PUT A PROGRAM IN PLACE TO DO ALL THOSE SEVEN THINGS THAT YOU SEE RIGHT THERE. AND I'LL GO THROUGH THOSE QUICKLY. I WON'T BORE YOU. OKAY, SO HERE'S HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO LOOK. YOU CAN HAVE A THREE OR A TWO BARREL SYSTEM. YOU GUYS HAVE A TWO AND THAT'S OKAY. EVERY COMMERCIAL BARREL AND THAT, EVERY COMMERCIAL HAS TO HAVE A GREEN BARREL. NOW, THAT HAPPENED BEFORE, AND THAT LAW WAS CALLED, UM, 1826. SO THAT'S BEFORE F FOOD, THAT, THAT WAS JUST FOR ORGANIC WASTE AND FOOD SCRAPS, NOT ALL THE OTHER ORGANIC WASTE LIKE WOOD AND ALL THE OTHER STUFF NOW. SO NOW EVERY COMMERCIAL BUSINESS HAS TO HAVE A GREEN BARREL WITH IT. AND EVERY HOME HAS TO HAVE ORGANIC WASTE TAKEN OUT OF HERE AND TAKEN OUT OF HERE AND PUT INTO HERE. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? DOES EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THAT CLEARLY? YES, SIR. WHAT ABOUT THE PARK BARBECUE FROM THERE? HOW'S THAT? THEY HAVE TO HAVE A GREEN BARREL THERE. ALL THE, ALL THE ORGANIC WASTE IS GONNA HAVE TO GO IN THERE. NOW THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU HAVE ATHENS, SO IF YOU THROW IT IN HERE, I'M GONNA TAKE IT OUT AT THE MURF. BUT THAT'S NOT GOOD FOR YOUR SEVEN POINTS, SINGLE ONE. THAT'S RIGHT. AND I'M GONNA HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT AND SEPARATE IT. WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS WHEN I WORK THIS OUT WITH THE CITY, PUT MULTIPLE GREEN BARRELS AROUND THE PARK TO PUT FOOD IN. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? HAVE ACTUAL ORGANIC BARRELS THROUGHOUT THE PARK SO THEY CAN PUT THEIR FOOD IN IT AND I CAN PICK IT UP A COUPLE TIMES A WEEK. MAKE SENSE? YEAH, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION. CONTAINER LABELING. SO EVERY ONE OF OUR LABELS, YOU, YOU GUYS, I LIVE IN GLENORA. IF YOU WANT TO COME TO GLENORA, YOU CAN LOOK, I'LL BRING BARRELS TO CITY HALLS SO YOU CAN SEE 'EM. BUT EVERY BARREL IS LABELED, OOPS. EVERY BARREL IS LABELED. IT HAS A BAR. UH, A UM, Q WHAT DO THEY CALL QR CODE? A QR CODE ON IT. SO WHEN MY WIFE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, ANY, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT MY WIFE DOES, BUT I'M GONNA MAKE UP A STORY. WHEN SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, SHE COULD TAKE HER PHONE AND HOLD IT OVER THE BARREL. IT'LL TELL HER WHAT TO DO. SO IN WEST COVINA, WE'RE GONNA PUT LABELS ON YOUR BARREL SO YOU KNOW HOW TO, SO YOU'LL KNOW WHAT TO DO. WE'LL ALSO SEND SOMETHING TO YOUR HOME SO YOU'LL KNOW WHAT TO DO. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT MY WIFE DOES? I HAD TO PUT A 33 GALLON BARREL AT MY BACK DOOR, . AND SHE PUTS EVERYTHING IN THE 33 GALLON BARREL EXCEPT FOR THE FOOD. I DO THAT. AND THEN ONCE EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS I GO TAKE THE 33 GALLON BARREL, I PUT IT NEXT TO MY OTHER BARRELS, I TAKE THINGS OUT AND I SEPARATE 'EM LIKE I WORK IN A MURF BECAUSE THAT'S HOW SHE WANTS TO COMPLY. SHE WANTS TO GO TO THE BACK DOOR AND JUST DROP IT. QUESTION SIR, HOW YOU DOING HERE? I'M DOING GOOD. GOOD TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MAD. IS THIS BEING RECORDED TONIGHT? SUGGESTION OVER THERE. WILL YOU STOP ? [00:15:01] NO WHOLE, I'M JUST MAKING THAT BRIAN, DO YOU WANT HAND OFF A MIC? WE'RE GONNA DO THAT. I APOLOGIZE. I DIDN'T THINK OF IT. I GOT BRIAN'S HERE. WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA GET ALL THE COMMENTS ON THE TAPE. SO AGAIN, THERE'S THREE BARRELS IN THIS CITY. THERE'S TWO YES. WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. YOU GOT A MIC. JD RULES. THANK YOU. I, I SEE, UH, OVER HERE ON, UH, ORGANICS AND FOOD, RIGHT? YEAH, RIGHT THERE. RIGHT. BUT YOU SEE THE DOG FECES? I'VE BEEN THROWING THAT IN. MY GREEN WASTE CAN. WELL, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE TO, YOU SHOULD BE PUTTING IT IN THE BLACK CAN. OKAY? PET WASTE IS NOT COMPOSTABLE. IT'S NOT COMPOSTABLE. IT'S NOT COMPOSTABLE BECAUSE WE, WE, NO, YOU KNOW, PET LIKE DOG, CAT, HORSE, HORSE MANURE AND COW MANURE IS ONE THING. HORSE, UH, A DOGS, CATS LIZARD. SNAKE IS NOT. SO THEN MY NEXT QUESTION IS WHEN I THROW IT IN MY GREEN CAN, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS NOW WITH ME. I, MY WEEKLY THING IS A LITTLE TRASH BAG, UH, WASTE PA PAPER, BAG OF TRASH THAT I PUT OUT. EVERYTHING ELSE GOES IN MY GREEN. AND I'M NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE PAPER AND STUFF LIKE THAT. BUT NOW MY CONCERN IS IF WE CAN'T, IF I CAN'T BE PUTTING THE POOP IN THERE, THEN I HAVE TO PUT IT IN A PLASTIC BAG. AND THEN THE PLASTIC BAG GOES IN TO THE TRASHCAN. I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE, NOW ARE WE USING PLASTIC WHEN WE SHOULDN'T BE? WELL, YOU CAN USE PLASTIC IF YOU WANT, OR YOU CAN. I MEAN, YOU COULD PUT IT DIRECTLY IN YOUR CHAIR. PUT IN THERE WITHOUT, YOU CAN, I MEAN, OKAY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT IT IN A BAG. I JUST FIGURE WHEN IT GOES THROUGH YOUR SYSTEM, I DON'T SEE YOUR PEOPLE HAVING TO THEORETICALLY TOUCH THE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A WAY TO SEPARATE THAT. OKAY. WE SEPARATE THAT MECHANICALLY, NOT PEOPLE ALSO THEN YOU, YOU HAVE PALMS AND, AND, AND, UH, CACTI UP THERE. YEAH. SO YOU CAN'T PUT IN PALMS IN THE GREEN. PALMS AND CACTI DO NOT GO IN THE GREEN. THEY GO IN THE BLACK. OKAY, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THROWING THAT IN THERE TOO. WELL SEE. IT'S GOOD. AND WHEN YOU GET THE, YEAH, WHEN YOU GET THE EDUCATION, YOU'LL SEE WHY I DON'T EXPLAIN TO HOW THE ME WORKS. I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND. PART OF THIS PROGRAM TOO IS TO INVITE RESIDENTS TO COME TO THE MERF AND THEN TO GO TO VICTORVILLE, WE ACTUALLY RENT A BUS. AND BRIAN'S DONE IT IN SEVERAL CITIES. SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT, YOU CAN SEE YOUR, UH, IT'S CALLED A MATERIAL RECOVERY FACILITY. MRF HERE INDUSTRY, WE HAVE ONE IN, WE HAVE ACTUALLY SEVEN OF THEM NOW. WE HAVE ONE IN INDUSTRY. THE ONES THAT, THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR THIS CITY ARE THE CITY OF, UH, THE INDUSTRY ONE AND THE VICTORVILLE ONE. AND IRWINDALE IRWINDALE IS BEING BUILT. AND WHEN, WHEN IRWINDALE IS BUILT, WE'RE BUILDING IT RIGHT NOW. AND WHEN IRWINDALE IS BUILT, THE RECYCLABLES WILL GO THERE. THE BLACKBERRY AND THE GREEN WILL GO THERE. THE BLACK BARREL WILL GO TO, UH, INDUSTRY STILL. THAT'S OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO ANYWAYS, THAT'S HOW THIS WILL LOOK RIGHT HERE. CAN, DO YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THAT OR SHOULD I, CAN I MOVE? NO, PLEASE. I, I'M HERE. THIS IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT COST. THE ONE THAT TALKS ABOUT AUDITS AND ROUTES. WE BOUGHT, WE IN THIS CITY WILL HAVE ABOUT FIVE OR SIX JEEPS THAT SAY ATHENS SERVICES, RIGHT ON THE SIDE. THEY'RE RIGHT HAND DRIVE JEEPS. LIKE IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS, THEY HAD REMEMBER FLIPPERS, THE DANCERS. THESE ARE CALLED LID FLIPPERS. SO WE'RE GOING BACK A LITTLE BIT, BUT THESE PEOPLE DRIVE THIS JEEP AND CAL CYCLE. PART OF THE LAW SAYS WE HAVE TO AUDIT SO MANY HOUSES ON SO MANY ROUTES EVERY MONTH TO GUARANTEE THAT THEY ARE DOING WHAT THEY HAVE TO BE DONE. SO THIS JOB DRIVES AROUND, AS YOU CAN SEE RIGHT HERE, OPENS UP THE LID, TAKES A PICTURE OF WHAT'S IN IT, LOOKS AT WHAT'S IN IT, DOCUMENTS IT IN THIS SOFTWARE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP DOWNLOADS IT TO CAL RECYCLE. AND THAT RESIDENT EITHER GETS A PASS OR A FAIL. IF THEY GET A FAIL, THEN WE HAVE TO SEND OUT A PERSON TO THE HOUSE TO TEACH THEM HOW TO RECYCLE. IF THEY FAIL THREE TIMES THE FIRST TIME, THEY'LL JUST GET A NOTE. THE SECOND TIME THEY'LL GET A STRONGER NOTE, AND THE THIRD TIME THEY'LL GET ENFORCEMENT OF IT BEFORE ANY FINES OR ANYTHING HAPPEN. BUT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE COST OF DOING THIS. NOW, NOT ONE CITY IN LA COUNTY HAS DECIDED TO TAKE THIS ON, ON THEIR OWN BECAUSE IF THEY HAD TO HIRE CITY EMPLOYEES WITH WITH, IT WOULDN'T, IT WOULD BE EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE. SO WE'RE TRYING TO USE THE BEST SYNERGIES WE CAN WITH ALL OF OUR CITIES THAT ARE CLOSE WITH THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE ALREADY. AND WE HAVE THE, WE'VE CREATED A FEW NEW JOBS CALLED RECYCLING COORDINATOR AND LID FLIPPERS THAT OPERATE THESE THINGS THAT THEY SAY RIGHT THERE IN-PERSON VISIT, DOCUMENT THE FINDINGS AND REPORT IT IN THE DATABASE SO THAT THE CITY OF WEST COVIN, NOW THIS IS THE CITY OF WEST COVINA REQUIREMENT THAT I WILL DO FOR THEM. IF THESE FIVE VOTE ON [00:20:01] ONE OF THE PLANS, WE'LL DO IT FOR YOU AND MAKE YOU COMPLIANT. IT'LL TAKE MY COMPANY PROBABLY 30 DAYS TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT FOR THE FIRST WAVE OF COMPLIANCE. OKAY. IS THERE A QUESTION? GO AHEAD. OKAY. SO HOW DOES THIS INDIVIDUAL TAKE A PIC? I SEE HOW THEY TAKE A PICTURE OF THE TRASH, BUT ALL OF OUR TRASH THAT GOES FROM MY HOUSE INTO THE TRASH CANS, THEY'RE ALREADY SEALED WITH A, A WHITE BAG. MM-HMM. . SO THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION. YOU'LL SEE IN ANOTHER SLIDE I HAVE TO DO, AND WHEN I SAY I, I MEAN ATHENS, NOT GARY CLIFFORD. RIGHT? WE HAVE TO DO ANOTHER WASTE CHARACTERIZATION AT THE MIRF ON THE WHOLE ROUTE. SO WE, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO AUDIT USERS WITHIN THE ROUTE. WE HAVE TO AUDIT THE TRUCK AT THE MURF, AND THEN YOU'LL SEE PICTURES OF THAT LATER. SO AFTER WE BREAK THE BAG OPEN, WE HAVE TO SEE WHAT'S IN IT. WE HAVE TO DO THAT NOW AND REPORT IT. WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED A BAG BREAKER ON OUR LINE, AND IT, IT OPENS UP HERE. IT, THEY CALL IT, IT LIBERATES THE RECYCLABLES THAT ARE IN IT. YES. OKAY. SO LET ME GO AHEAD. COUNCIL MEMBER. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. IT'S GARY CLIFFORD. HI GARY. AND BRIAN JOE'S AND, AND HI THERE. AND ABOUT 10 OF YOUR MOST FAVORITE, UH, RESIDENTS. COME ON AND HAVE A SEAT, SIR. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS WHEN WE, UM, START TO DO THE FOOD BREAKDOWN AGAIN, AND I, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE'S PROBABLY GONNA BE INTERESTED IN. WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST THAT WE PUT THE FOOD IN WHERE IT GOES FROM THE KITCHEN OUT TO THE TRASH? BECAUSE IF SOMEONE'S THERE MAKING MEALS THREE TIMES A DAY MM-HMM. , THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE GOING THREE TIMES OUT AND THROWING THINGS BACK AND FORTH. SO WHAT DO YOU, WHAT HAVE, WHAT SUGGESTIONS HAVE YOU HAD FROM THE OTHER CITIES WHO HAVE DONE THIS? WELL, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION AND OTHER CITIES ARE DOING WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO WITHIN THAT RECOMMENDATION. BUT YOU CAN USE PLASTIC BAGS AND YOU CAN PUT IT IN A PLASTIC BAG AND PUT IT IN THE GREEN BARREL. AND WE PREFER A CLEAR PLASTIC BAG IF YOU CAN GET THOSE. AND MY WIFE USES CLEAR, YEAH, MY WIFE USES CLEAR PLASTIC BAGS AND PUT, PUTS THEM IN THERE AND THEN SHE THROWS IT OUT. I'M ONLY THERE FOR THE, THE LAST MEAL OF THE DAY. SO I JUST PUT THAT DIRECTLY. I'LL GRAB A PAPER PLATE OR A NAPKIN, OR I'LL TAKE ONE DINNER PLATE. IF IT'S A GLASS PLATE, I'LL PUT ALL THE FOOD ON IT AND THEN I'LL TAKE IT AND JUST SCRAPE IT ONTO THE GREEN, INTO THE GREEN CAN WITH NOTHING. WE PREFER TO HAVE NOTHING, JUST THE RAW FOOD. BUT YOU CAN USE A, A CELL, A BAG, A CLEAR BAG. WE ASK FOR IT TO BE CLEAR, BUT IN REAL, IN REAL LIFE, IF THERE'S A BAG IN THERE, WE'RE GONNA OPEN IT AND WE'RE GONNA LIBERATE THE FOOD. AND WE HAVE THAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT ON THE, UM, MACHINERY IN VICTORVILLE TO DO THAT. SO, UH, RESTAURANTS DO MEAL PREP. THEY ACTUALLY TAKE A SMALL 35 GALLON BARREL INTO THEIR RESTAURANT AND USE THAT. AND THEN SOME CITIES ARE PURCHASING FOOD PAILS FOR THEIR RESIDENTS AND THEY HAVE THESE LITTLE FOOD PAILS INSIDE. I'VE, I'VE TRIED 'EM ALL BECAUSE MY WIFE IS VERY FINICKY ABOUT THIS STUFF. AND SHE DIDN'T LIKE THE FOOD PAIL, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE FOOD PAIL AFTER YOU DUMP IT, YOU GOTTA WASH IT. YOU GOTTA WASH IT MANY, MANY TIMES. SO IT'S LIKE YOU'RE ALWAYS WASHING THIS THING AND YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE JUST HAVE IT AND LEAVE IT IN THE HOUSE FOR THE WHOLE DAY. AND THAT WORKS TOO. IT DOESN'T GET SMELLY IN ONE DAY, BUT WE PREFER YOU JUST TO PUT IT IN THERE WITHOUT ANYTHING. AND DO YOU LIKE THE METHOD I USE, I PUT IT ON A GLASS PLATE IF IT'S THERE, OR A PAPER PLATE, IF IT'S A PAPER PLATE, I PUT THE WHOLE PLATE IN THERE. BUT AT THE CLIFFORD HOUSE, ALL THE FOODS CRAPS GO TO THE CHICKENS FIRST, THEN THEY GO TO THE GREEN BARREL. AND I'M GLAD I HAVE CHICKENS RIGHT NOW BEFORE THE EGGS. RIGHT. MY EGGS ARE CHEAP. EVERYBODY THINKS MY EGGS ARE EXPENSIVE, BUT NOW THEY'RE CHEAP. YES. QUICK QUESTION, THE MIDDLE SLIDE WHERE THE LIFTER IS AT? YES. AND HE TAKES PICTURE OF YOUR TRASH? YES. AND IT'S IN THE WHITE BAGS? YES. OKAY. WHEN IT GETS TO THE MURF, ARE THEY THOSE BAGS TRACEABLE TO THAT RESIDENT? NO, THEY'RE TRACEABLE TO THE ROUTE. SO, OKAY. THE, THE THEY'LL, THERE'S NOTHING BUT WHITE BAGS IN THERE. THEY'LL HAVE TO CHECK THAT OUT. THEY'LL HAVE TO LOOK AND SEE, BUT, BUT HISTORICALLY THERE'S ENOUGH WASTE FOR US TO GET THE GENERAL IDEA THAT THE RIGHT THING IS IN THE RIGHT BARREL. SO THERE'S A BUNCH OF BAGS IN WITH THE GRASS. WE'RE GONNA ASSUME THOSE BAGS ARE, ARE ARE FOOD, WELL NICELY PEOPLE WALKING AND THEY JUST TOSS THEIR TRASH IN PEOPLE'S CONTAINERS. AND THAT'S NOT IT'S HOT. UNDERSTANDABLE. THEY WOULD. RIGHT. BUT, OKAY. AND A QUESTION, A COMMENT REGARDING THE BAGS. I FOUND THE PRODUCE BAGS, THE CLEAR PRODUCE BAGS WONDERFUL FOR RECYCLING THE GARBAGE. THEY ARE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO. I THINK THIS STATE'S TRYING TO OUTLAW THOSE TOO RIGHT NOW THOUGH. SO, BUT YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT. OKAY. [00:25:02] SO THIS PICTURE HAS THE JEEP ON IT. IT HAS THE, THE, THE, THE PERSON DRIVING THE JEEP LOOKING IN THE BARREL, AND THEN AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THEIR TABLET SHOWS. AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S THERE. AND WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR IS WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR THE CLIFFORDS AREN'T DOING THE RIGHT THING TO REPORT. WE'RE LOOKING FOR EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE PEOPLE HELP THE STATE REDUCE 50% OVERALL OF ORGANIC WEIGHT. OKAY. NOW HERE'S AN APP THAT THE DRIVER HAS ALSO, AND YOU CAN'T SEE THIS VERY GOOD, BUT IT HAS ALL OF THE DATA THAT YOU COULD EVER WE'RE, WE'RE, I JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU LIKE, THERE'S A POPULATION OF 2059 BARRELS. THEY AUDITED 960 OF 'EM, 16 WERE CONTAMINATED. IT'S A 1.67 CONTAMINATION RATE. AND THAT'S A GOOD STORY. SO WE WOULD GO AND SEND LITTLE NOTES TO THOSE 16 SAYING, HEY, WE WOULDN'T EVEN SAY WE AUDITED YOUR BARREL. WE WOULD JUST SAY, HEY, IF YOU NEED ANY HELP IN RECYCLING, HERE'S HOW YOU DO IT. AND WE WOULD EDUCATE THEM AND THEN WE, AND THEN THAT GOES AWAY. THEY GET OFF THE LIST. BUT THIS JOB REQUIRES CONSTANT AUDITING, CONSTANT EDUCATION, MORE EQUIPMENT. AND AGAIN, IT COSTS MONEY LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE. AND, AND MR. CITY MANAGER, FOR THE RECORD, I HAVEN'T COME AND ASKED YOU FOR ANY MONEY BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED, UM, NATURAL GAS, RIGHT? I HAVE NOT. AND I HAVEN'T EVEN RAISED THE PRICE. BUT 1383 PRICE KEEPS GOING UP TOO. IT, LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, IT GOES UP A LOT. YES. QUESTION SIR. THIS CASE STUDY, THE NOTIFICATION WOULD BE DIRECTED AT THE CITY MANAGER OR, OR THE CITY, CITY AS OPPOSED TO RESIDENTS. THIS CASE STUDY COMES BACK TO US AND THEN WE, WE GO WITH THE RESIDENT AND THEN IF WE HAVE A HABITUAL OFFENDER, WE WOULD HAVE TO NOTIFY THE CITY CODE ENFORCEMENT TO HELP US WITH IT. OH, SO THIS CASE STUDY IS AN ACTUAL STUDY OF, THIS IS AN ACTUAL STUDY RESIDENTS? YEP. THIS IS A, A POPULATION OF 2059 BARRELS AND THERE'S THE POPULATION OF THEM. SEE THAT? THAT'S A ROUTE. SEE THAT, OKAY, THAT'S A POPULATION. YOU COULD SEE THE PARTICIPATION MAP, YOU COULD SEE SOME OF THE CITIES. SO YOU CAN GUESS WHICH ONE IT IS. IT TELLS THE CONTAMINATION PER ROUTE RIGHT HERE. SO THIS FORM, IT EVEN GIVES THE ADDRESSES. THIS FORM IS A CONFIDENTIAL FORM THAT STAYS WITH ATHENS, WITH THE CITY AND WITH CAL RECYCLE, IT'S AN AUDITED REPORT FROM A SIMILAR CITY AS IT WOULD BE A ROUTE. SO THAT'S ABOUT A ROUTE 2000. YES, GO AHEAD. NO FINISH. IN THE ENFORCEMENT PROCESS, THAT THREE-PRONG ENFORCEMENT PROCESS, DOES IT ULTIMATELY HAVE A FINE INVOLVED? YES. OKAY. IF SO, WOULD THE FINE BE ISSUED TO THE PROPERTY OWNER OR THE RENTER OR THE OCCUPANTS OF THE RESIDENCE? IT WOULD BE ISSUED TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING WHAT? THE TRASH BEHAVIOR. SO IT'D EITHER BE THE PROPERTY OWNER, IF THEY'RE THE ONES LIVING THERE, IT WOULD BE THE RENTER OR WHOEVER THE TRASH NAME IS IN, WE WOULD WORK WITH THEM. AND IF IT'S A RENTER, THEN THEY WOULD GO TO THE RENTER. I'M GONNA COMPLICATE IT A LITTLE MORE OF THE SCENARIO. OKAY. IN THE EVENT, BECAUSE WHEN YOU SEE THIS BEING MORE OF REALITY THROUGHOUT ALL CALIFORNIA, IN THE EVENT WHERE THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE RESIDENCE ON A PROPERTY, TO WHOM WOULD YOU BE ISSUING THAT? ALL OF 'EM. WE, WE WOULD, WE WOULD, WE WOULD GET 'EM ALL TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, LOOK, WE DON'T, FIRST OFF, WE DON'T WANT TO BE PUNITIVE. WE HAVE NOT ISSUED ONE FINE YET. AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR THREE YEARS NOW. OKAY. HUH? WE HAVE NOT. NO, WE, WE, WE WE'RE IN THE, A ATHENS IS IN THE EDUCATION BUSINESS. WE'RE NOT, I WAS A POLICEMAN IN MY PRIOR CAREER. I'M NOT A POLICEMAN ANYMORE AND I, AND I LIKE BEING A TRASHMAN INSTEAD. SO WE DON'T WANNA FINE ANYBODY. WHAT WE WANNA DO IS EDUCATE THEM AND THEN THAT'S A GOOD STORY. SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S LIKE THREE IN THE LAW, THERE'S THREE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE YOU GET TO A FINE. AND THEN WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T HAD TO DO THAT BECAUSE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IT. AND MULTI-FAMILY IS WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING. IF IT'S A DEPARTMENT COMPLEX WITH 20 AND THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING TOGETHER, WE GOTTA GET THE MANAGEMENT COM. AND BELIEVE ME, THEY, THEY HAVE INCENTIVE, THEY GET PEOPLE INVOLVED, THEY HELP. AND IT, WEST HOLLYWOOD IS ONE OF THE CITIES THAT HAS THE DENSEST POPULATION OF MULTI-FAMILY. IT'S A VERY SMALL CITY, LIKE TWO SQUARE MILES. IT HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE. THEY'VE FIGURED IT OUT AND THEY'RE FIGURE, THEY'VE DONE A VERY GOOD JOB WITH THEIR 1383 IMPLEMENTATION. YES. UM, NOW THAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE GONNA BE PUTTING IT IN THE GREEN WASTE CONTAINER, UH, I KNOW IN THE PAST WITH ATHENS THAT PEOPLE WITH [00:30:01] BIG YARDS, YOU WOULD GIVE 'EM OTHER GREEN, ADDITIONAL GREEN TRASH CANS AND WE WOULDN'T GET CHARGED FOR 'EM BECAUSE IT WAS GREEN WASTE. SO NOW, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 15 YEARS, SORTING EVERYTHING. SO I'M, I WASN'T EXAGGERATING WHEN I'M SAYING I ONLY HAVE THIS LITTLE BIT OF TRASH, I ONLY PUT MY TRASH OUT MAYBE EVERY SIX WEEKS BECAUSE I'VE BEEN DOING THIS ALL ALONG. NOW THE QUESTION IS NOW THAT WITH THE GREEN CANS, NOW ARE YOU GONNA BE GIVING TO THE CITIZENS ANOTHER GREEN CAN BECAUSE THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO USE IT MORE OFTEN THAN THE BLACK. THEORETICALLY THE BLACK SHOULD BE SMALL. NOW THEORETICALLY YOU'RE TAKING OUT A LOT OF WEIGHT, BUT NOT A LOT OF VOLUME. SO IN THE OTHER CITIES, WE HAVEN'T HAD TO DO THAT. THERE'S AN EXTRA BARREL CHARGE ALREADY IN YOUR CONTRACT. SO IF YOU NEEDED AN EXTRA BARREL, THERE WOULD BE A, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT CHARGE IS TODAY. IT'S A SMALL CHARGE, LIKE NOMINAL, LIKE $5 A MONTH OR SOMETHING. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS WITHOUT LOOKING, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD WORK OUT IN THE NEGOTIATIONS. BUT I'M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW, THE VOLUME OF IT'S A WEIGHT ISSUE, NOT A VOLUME ISSUE. AND THAT GREEN CAN, CAN HANDLE THE WEIGHT. OUR ARM CAN HANDLE THE WEIGHT. UM, I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THAT VOLUME PROBLEM YET. AND I HAVE A HUGE YARD, BUT I ORDERED A BLACK, A BLUE AND TWO GREENS IS WHAT I ORDERED. WHERE WE LIVE, WE DON'T HAVE BLUE. WE JUST HAVE BLACK. RIGHT, RIGHT. SO YOU HAVE A BLACK AND A GREEN AND YOU MAY NEED, UM, LIKE I TOLD YOU MY, MY PROPOSAL TO THE CITY, POTENTIALLY WE'LL INCLUDE LANGUAGE THAT SAYS IF, IF RECYCLING ISN'T GOING THE WAY IT'S RIGHT AND I NEED MORE DIVERSION, I WOULD LIKE TO DROP A BLUE BARREL AT NO CHARGE. SO THAT WOULD EVEN HELP YOU OUT MORE BECAUSE THEN YOU COULD TAKE STUFF OUTTA YOUR BLACK AND PUT IT IN YOUR BLUE. I MEAN, IT'LL WOR IT'LL HELP. BUT RIGHT NOW I'M TRYING JUST TO FOCUS HERE, REMEDIALLY ON GETTING THE FOOD INTO THE GREEN SO WE CAN GET YOU COMPLIANT. THAT'S WHY I SAID AT A FUTURE DATE, IF WE WANTED TO DROP A BLUE BARREL AT A BUSINESS OR A RESIDENT, WE WOULD DO THAT ON OUR DIME, NOT YOURS. THE GREEN ONE I CAN'T SPEAK TO YET BECAUSE THERE'S ALREADY A CHARGE FOR THAT IN THE CONTRACT. BUT THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I'LL LOOK INTO THAT. OKAY. I'M JUST SAYING THAT IN THE PAST AND MY BILLS, IT'S SAID IF YOU NEED ANOTHER GREEN, YOU'LL DROP, THEY'LL DROP ONE OFF WITHOUT CHARGE. OKAY, WELL I'LL, I'LL MAYBE THAT'S WHAT THE CONTRACT SAYS. I DON'T KNOW THAT FOR A FACT. I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT. BUT IF THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS, YOU'RE IN LUCK. THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE IF THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS. OKAY. YOU ASKED ME ABOUT THE WASTE STREAM ANALYSIS. SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE MURF AND IT SHOWS THREE DIFFERENT PICTURES OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN IT COMES TO OUR MURF. SO NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO AUDIT YOU AT CURBSIDE, WE HAVE TO AUDIT THE ENTIRE ROUTE AT THE MURF. SO THE TRUCK BACKS INTO THE MURF, DUMPS THE LOAD, AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, CARDBOARD, THERE'S GONNA BE ABOUT 20 DIFFERENT BARRELS OUT THERE AND WE HAVE TO SEPARATE IT OUT BY HAND. AND THAT'S, THAT'S CALLED A WASTE, A ROUTE WASTE CHARACTERIZATION. AND WE HAVE TO DO THOSE ALSO AND AUDIT THOSE. AND EACH ONE OF THESE COSTS US ABOUT ANYWHERE BETWEEN 5,070 500 BUCKS EVERY TIME WE GOTTA DO IT. AND WE, AND WE HAVE TO DO THEM REGULARLY IN EVERY CITY BECAUSE AGAIN, WE HAVE TO AUDIT THE CURBSIDE, WE HAVE TO AUDIT THE TRUCK, AND NOW WE HAVE TO AUDIT THE MURF TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THE DIVERSION. BLESS YOU, SIR. UM, JUST TO BE CLEAR, EARLIER YOU SAID THAT THREE-PRONG PROCESS, YOU WERE DOING IT AT THE REQUEST OF THE CITY. I'M CERTAIN I, I THINK I HEARD YOU SAID THE ENFORCEMENT AS PART OF THE STATE'S MANDATE. YES. BUT H HOW IS THE CITY INVOLVED IN THAT THREE-PRONG PROCESS THAT YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WERE DOING IT ON THE BEHEST OF THE CITY. WE ARE NOT GOING TO ISSUE A FINE TO ANY CITIZEN WITHOUT THE CITY AND CODE ENFORCEMENT BEING INVOLVED. SO BEFORE ANY CITIZEN EVER WAS FINED FOR NOT COMPLYING WITH 1383, YOU WOULD HAVE INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CONTRACT MANAGER OF THE CITY, THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OF THE CITY. UH, JUST LIKE IF YOU WERE PUTTING PAINT IN THE, YOU KNOW, CLEANING OUT A PAINTBRUSH IN THE STREET OR IF YOU WERE DOING SOMETHING ELSE, THERE WOULD BE SOME KIND OF EDUCATIONAL THING WITH US. YOU'LL GET THREE EDUCATIONAL CHANCES BEFORE THAT EVEN HAPPENS. BUT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, IF YOU ARE A HABITUAL NOT DOING THE RIGHT THING PERSON, WE WILL COME TO THE CITY, THE CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR AND CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND COME TOGETHER AND TRY TO GET YOU TO NOT DO THAT. AND THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT IS NOT THE CITY'S CODE ENFORCEMENT, IT'S ATHENS CODE ENFORCEMENT. NO, IT'D BE THE CITY CODE ENFORCEMENT ENFORCE ATHENS RECYCLING COORDINATOR. AND THAT [00:35:01] PROBABLY BE WHO WOULD VISIT YOU. SO THOSE, THAT TRUCK THAT YOU SHOWED ON THE SCREEN, WAS THAT OUR CITY CODE ENFORCEMENT OR, OR THAT IS OURS. THAT'S OURS. SO YOU'LL HAVE ATHENS RECYCLING, THAT'S AN ATHENS LID FLIPPER DRIVING AN ATHENS TRUCK, HOPEFULLY NOT REPORTING ANYTHING, JUST AUDITING. HE, HE'S LIKE A ROUTE AUDITOR JUST AUDITING THE BARRELS TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S DOING IT RIGHT. YES. OKAY. WASTE CHARACTERIZATION. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE DIFFERENT COMMODITIES THAT ARE OVER HERE. IT SAYS PAPER, PLASTIC, METAL, GLASS, ORGANICS, BENEFICIAL REUSE, THAT COULD BE CLOTHING, UH, AND THEN PAPER, PLASTIC, METAL, GLASS, WOOD, MISCELLANEOUS. AND YOU COULD SEE PAPER'S A BIG THAT THAT'S, THAT'S STUFF THAT WAS RECOVERED. THIS IS STUFF THAT WAS NOT RECOVERED. SO IN THIS AUDIT IT SHOWED ALL OF THIS BLUE BEING RECOVERED, BUT IT SHOWED 22% OF THE PAPER WASN'T RECOVERED. 14% OF PLASTIC WASN'T RECOVERED. A HALF A PERCENT OF METAL WASN'T 2% OF GLASS, 2% OF WOOD, AND 5% OF MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. WE RECYCLE BRICKS, WE RECYCLE DIRT, WE RECYCLE CLOTHING, WE RECYCLE KIDS' TOYS, YOU NAME IT. AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IN MISCELLANEOUS. OKAY. SO THAT'S WHAT, REMEMBER I SHOWED YOU WHAT THE ROUTE AUDIT LOOKS LIKE. THIS IS WHAT A WASTE CHARACTERIZATION LOOKS LIKE. AND AGAIN, THOSE ARE THINGS WE DON'T DO RIGHT NOW FOR IN WEST COVINA THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO IN WEST COVINA. OKAY. AND THEN OUTREACH MATERIALS, THIS IS WHAT GOES TO EVERY RESIDENT. WE DO SEVERAL THINGS. EVERY RESIDENT GETS THESE MATERIALS, WHETHER IT'S WITH THEIR PHONE ON A QR CODE AND THEY CAN LOOK IT UP WHETHER THEY GO TO THE WEBSITE OF THE CITY, WHETHER THEY GO TO OUR WEBSITE, WHETHER THEY HOLD IT TO THE TRUCK WHEN IT'S GOING BY, OR WHETHER THEY GET IT MAILED TO THEM DIRECTLY. IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU GET YOUR INFORMATION. BUT THESE ARE TYPICALLY THE KINDS OF THINGS YOU GET AN IN-PERSON PRESENTATION WASTE AS ASSESSMENT COMMUNITY MEETINGS. WE'RE ALREADY DOING THOSE. YOU GET DIGITAL, ELECTRONIC STUFF, VIDEOS, SOCIAL MEDIA. IF YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE, ATHENS.COM, THERE'S TONS OF STUFF ABOUT ORGANICS ALREADY AND TEACHING YOU WHAT TO DO. AND THEN YOU GET A LOT OF STUFF IN PRINT CONTAINERS AND NEWSLETTER ARTICLES, ALL THOSE THINGS HAPPEN. AND WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT PRESENCE IN THE FOOD, UM, DONATION MARKET OF FOOD THAT DOESN'T GET USED. AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT HAMBURGERS THAT DON'T GET EATEN AT MCDONALD'S. THOSE GO INTO THE GREEN BARREL. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOOD PREP THAT DOESN'T GET COOKED THAT WE SEND OUT TO OTHER PEOPLE TO USE IT. FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU HAD A PARTY AND THEY ORDERED A HUNDRED STEAKS AND ONLY 80 STEAKS WERE TAKEN, THERE'S 20 STEAKS LEFT. THOSE GO TO A FOOD DONATION BANK. THAT'S WHAT THAT FOOD IS. IT'S NOT FOOD THAT WAS COOKED AND SOMEBODY'S GOING TO EAT IT LATER. THAT WOULD GO INTO THE GREEN BARREL. OKAY? THAT'S WHAT FOOD DONATIONS IS. IT'S NOT DONATING FOOD THAT WASN'T EATEN TONIGHT AND YOU GOTTA EAT IT BY BEFORE TOMORROW NIGHT. IT'S REALLY THE MARKET OF FOOD THAT WASN'T COOKED AND PREPPED THAT CAN BE USED AGAIN. UM, THERE'S AN APP THAT WE HAVE FOR THE OUTREACH THAT HAS ALL OF THIS STUFF ON IT. AND THERE'S, THERE, THERE IS SOME, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT IN THE COMMERCIAL WORLD THAT CAN WAIVE THIS. SO THE STATE HAS REALIZED THAT IF YOU OWN AN AUTO SHOP AND, AND YOU DON'T HAVE A CAFETERIA AND YOU HAVE NO ORGANIC WASTE, WE WILL GO OUT THERE. OUR RECYCLING COORDINATORS GO OUT THERE, THEY MEET WITH YOU, THEY AUDIT YOUR BUSINESS, THEY GO, MAN, YOU HAVE NO ORGANIC WASTE HERE. YOU'RE RIGHT. YOU SIGN A FORM SIGN AN UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY, IT GOES INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AND THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN ORGANIC BARREL AND YOU'RE OKAY, YOU'RE STILL PAYING FOR THE PROGRAM, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE BARREL BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS TO HELP WITH THE PROGRAM. BUT SO IF YOU, BUT, BUT THEN IF YOU HAVE THAT, THAT IF YOU HAVE THAT AUTO PARTS STORE AND YOU GET A PIZZA FOR LUNCH OR YOU BRING YOUR LUNCH OR WHATEVER YOU HAVE, ANY FOOD ITEMS THERE, YOU CAN'T THROW THAT IN THE TRASH CAN EITHER. SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO MONITOR. THERE'S A DATA MANAGEMENT PART OF THIS AND IT SAYS ATHENS AND WEST COVINA PORTAL WILL CONTAIN THIS DATA. RESIDENTIAL AUDITS, COMMERCIAL AUDITS, WASTE CHARACTERIZATIONS, CONTAMINATION, FINES, FOOD RECOVERY, OUTREACH, CUSTOMER VISITS, PROGRAM WAIVERS, CUSTOMER LOGS AND PROCUREMENT. THAT IS A LOT OF STUFF. WE DO NOT DO ANY OF THAT STUFF NOW. THAT'S ALL STUFF THAT ADDS TO THE COST OF THIS. THE RN, THE, THE, THE PROCUREMENT IS A FANCY WORD FOR BUYING THINGS THAT THE CITY DOES. THIS IS A PICTURE THAT SHOWS OUR TRUCK BEING FUELED WITH NATURAL GAS. OUR TRUCKS ARE FUELED WITH SOMETHING [00:40:01] CALLED R N G, NOT C N G R N G IS RECYCLED NATURAL GAS. WE GET OUR NATURAL GAS FROM LANDFILL METHANE AND WE GET IT FROM DAIRY FARMS AND WE PIPE IT AND PUT IT IN OUR TRUCKS. SO WE'RE ALREADY COMPLIANT IN THAT REGARD. BUT WEST COVINA IS NOT PAY PAYING US FOR THAT. WEST COVINA RIGHT NOW, WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT COMPLIANCE, BUT THEY'RE, YOU'RE NOT PAYING FOR IT. SO AT SOME POINT IN TIME THAT WOULD CHANGE, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA NOT PUT THAT IN THE WEST COVINA TRUCKS. THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. WE FUEL 'EM UP IN THE SAME YARD ON A BIG, BIG PIPE. SO THEY GET THAT. THE GOOD NEWS FOR WEST COVINA IS IT SAYS ATHENS WILL UTILIZE R N G THAT COUNTS TOWARDS THEIR GOAL AND WE GIVE THE COMPOST BACK TO THE COMMUNITY FOR FREE AND THAT COUNTS FOR THEIR GOAL. AND IT'S A MATHEMATICAL FORMULA THAT THE PURCHASING AGENT DOES. BUT THAT MATHEMATICAL FORMULA WITH THE AMOUNT OF TRUCKS WE HAVE HERE AND THE AMOUNT OF COMPOSTS WE GIVE YOU MAKES YOU COMPLIANT IN THIS ARENA. NOW IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE TRUCKS HAVING R N G IN THEM, IF THE TRUCKS RAN SOMETHING DIFFERENT, THEN YOU'D HAVE TO BUY ABOUT HUNDRED TONS OF, OOPS, A HUNDRED TONS OF COMPOST AND YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ANY, YOU'D HAVE BANDINI MOUNTAIN SOMEWHERE HERE IN WEST COVINA. YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO IT. SO OUR TRUCKS ARE A KEY COMPONENT AND US PAYING FOR GAS IS A KEY COMPONENT IN DOING THAT. AND YOU KNOW HOW THOSE GAS PRICES HAS ANYBODY'S GAS BILL IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER OR JANUARY, JUST SHOCKED THE HECK OUTTA YOU. I HAD TO SHUT OFF A COUPLE OF HEAT LIKE THE POOL HEATER AND I JUST SHUT IT OFF. NEVER SAW A GAS BILL THAT BIG OF MY LIFE, NOTHING I COULD DO. BUT WITH PAY IT RIGHT? FOOD RECOVERY. NOW WEST COVINA HAS ALREADY DONE THIS. WEST COVINA HAS ALREADY IDENTIFIED THEIR TIER ONE AND TIER TWO CUSTOMERS, CORRECT? CITY MANAGER. NOW IT'S OUR JOB THOUGH TO GO OUT AND VISIT AND PROVIDE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH. THAT HASN'T HAPPENED YET. BUT THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED THEIR TIER ONE AND TIER TWO CUSTOMERS. AND I WANT TO TELL YOU WHAT THAT SAYS AND I WANNA STATE IT FOR THE RECORD. TIER ONE CUSTOMERS ARE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE MORE PRODUCE FRESH GROCERY AND SHELF STABLE FOODS TO DONATE. TYPICALLY A FOOD DISTRIBUTOR, A GROCERY STORE, A TIER TWO IS TYPICALLY PREPARED FOOD TO DONATE, WHICH IS HA NEEDS MORE CAREFUL HANDLING A HOTEL, A RESTAURANT, AN EDUCATIONAL, UM, UH, CAFETERIA OR A BIG VENUE. OKAY? THOSE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF COMMERCIAL EATING THAT HAPPENS. TIER ONE AND TIER TWO, THE LAW IS VERY SPECIFIC ON HOW YOU DEAL WITH THAT FOOD SO THAT IT DOESN'T GET THROWN AWAY. AND YOU'LL SEE NOW ON THE FRONT END OF A LOT OF STORES, IF YOU GO TO A CITY THAT'S COMPLIANT, YOU'LL HAVE AN OPTION TO PUT YOUR FOOD IN A SEPARATE THING INSIDE THE RESTAURANT OR AT THE VENUE. IT'S IT, THEY'RE STARTING TO MOVE TOWARDS THAT. OKAY? SO DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE ELEMENTS OF IT AND WHAT YOU NEED TO DO? AND IF YOU QUESTION CUZ IT UP, YOU CAN TELL ME. NOW, WE KNOW THIS COSTS MONEY AND LIKE I SAID, I'VE BEEN WORKING IN WEST COVINA FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS AND WHAT I'VE TRIED TO BE IN WEST COVINA IS A STABLE FORCE, AN HONEST VOICE AND SOMEONE THAT YOU KNOW, DOES WHAT THEY SAY THEY'RE GONNA DO. AND IN THIS CITY WE HAVE A LONG, LONG-TERM CONTRACT, 25 YEARS PLUS PLUS A COUPLE EXTRA YEARS. OKAY? SO I'VE TRIED TO STABILIZE THAT RATE. WHAT I'VE, WHAT I'VE DONE IS MADE THREE PROPOSALS TO THE CITY COUNCIL. IN TWO OF THOSE PROPOSALS, THE RESIDENTS ARE NOT CHARGED AN UPFRONT FEE. AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE RATES, THE COMPARISON RATES AND EVERYTHING. SO IF IT COSTS 25% TO DO 1383 RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIALLY, I'VE WORKED REALLY HARD WITH YOUR CITY MANAGER AND IN ALL OF THE SURROUNDING CITIES TO MITIGATE IT AND EVERYONE WAS EXCITED ABOUT IT. EVERY SINGLE CITY YOU CAN CALL THE CITIES THEMSELVES, YOU CAN CALL THE CITY MANAGERS, BUT I'LL EVEN SHOW YOU, THEY'VE ALL DONE IT. WHAT I'M ASKING WEST COVINA TO DO IS EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN WHAT ALL THE OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE. IT'S NOT MORE THAN. SO FOR INSTANCE, EVERY YEAR YOUR BILL GOES UP BY C P I, YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS. SO EVERY YEAR YOU GET A RATE INCREASE BASED ON WHATEVER THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX DOES. SO ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE, IN TWO OF THE OPTIONS I'VE SAID I DON'T WANT TO CHANGE THAT. I WANT TO HAVE THE RATE GO UP ONCE A YEAR. BUT INSTEAD OF THE RATES GOING UP OVERNIGHT, 25%, WHICH THEY COULD, SOME CITIES HAVE TAKEN 60% RATE INCREASES, THEY'VE TIERED IT OVER THREE OR FOUR YEARS. WE PROPOSED A PLAN THAT SAID LET'S JUST [00:45:01] DO IT 1% A YEAR FOR 25 YEARS, JUST 1%. SO NEXT YEAR IN JULY, YOUR BILL WOULD GO UP BY THE CPI PLUS 1% AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR WILL GO OF ANOTHER CPI PLUS 1%. NOW, WHEN I DO THE MATH AND I'VE DONE IT SEVERAL TIMES, I'D MUCH RATHER PAY 1% A YEAR OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME THAN I WOULD 25% UPFRONT. BUT I'LL, YOU KNOW, I'LL DO WHATEVER I'M TOLD HERE. SO I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THIS IS A MIX OF THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL AND ROLL OFF AND WE'VE TRIED TO INCORPORATE THAT AND SHOW YOU THE RATES. SO I'M GONNA GO TO OPTION THREE FIRST BECAUSE THAT'S THE OPTION THAT WE'VE ALREADY GIVEN TO THE CITY AND THE CITY MANAGER HAS TALKED TO THE CITY COUNCIL ABOUT, I'VE GIVEN HIM TWO OTHER OPTIONS AND YOU GUYS WERE AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING WHEN, WHEN HE DID AND HE SAID NO, I WISH THEY WOULD'VE SAID YES BECAUSE THOSE OPTIONS WERE WERE WERE CHEAPER AT THAT TIME AND YOU'D BE COMPLIANT. BUT THEY, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING AND WAITING TO SEE WHAT TO DO. AND I RESPECT THAT. SO THIS OPTION, AND I WANT YOU TO HEAR THIS CLEARLY AND UNDERSTAND IT, AND I HAVE HARD COPIES IF YOU WANT TO TAKE ONE JUST BECAUSE I WANT YOU, I MEAN THIS, OKAY, OUR COMPANY HAS SAID NO RESIDENTIAL RATE ADJUSTMENT, SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO ADJUST THE RESIDENTIAL RATE OTHER THAN CHANGING THE CPI PLUS ONE LIKE I AND YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I SAID WITH THAT, RIGHT? CLEAR NO TRICKS. A ONE TIME 8% INCREASE TO THE COMMERCIAL RATES, OKAY? ONE TIME 8% TO THE COMMERCIAL RATES TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE CHANGING THE CPI OUT TO THE TRASH CPI. AND LET ME TELL YOU WHAT THAT MEANS. THE CPI IS CALLED CONSUMER PRICE INDEX. IT GOES UP AND DOWN CRAZY, RIGHT? LIKE THIS YEAR IT'S 8%. THREE YEARS AGO IT WAS 1%. IT DOES WHAT? MILK, BREAD AND EGGS DO THE TRASH. CPI IS A UNITED STATES NATIONAL INDEX JUST LIKE THE CPI, BUT IT MEASURES FUEL AND TIRES AND LABOR, THE THINGS THAT A TRASH TRUCK DOES. THE TRASH CPI HAS BEEN MORE STABLE OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS THAN CPI HAS. SO, AND I'M GONNA MAKE THIS NUMBER UP, BUT IT'LL BE VERY CLEAR ON THE PRESENTATION FOR THE COUNCIL NIGHT, IF TRASH CPI HAS BEEN 3.5% OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS, CPI HAS BEEN 3%, BUT IT'S GONE CRAZY. LIKE ONE YEAR THIS ONE YEAR NOTHING ONE YEAR THIS. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO STABILIZE THAT MORE. UM, THAT'S WHAT THAT MEANS. AND THEN YOUR COMMERCIAL MATRIX IN THIS CITY ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE OF THE BUSINESS, THE WAY THE RATES HAVE GONE OVER THE YEARS, THE MULTIPLE TIMES ARE, ARE NOT CORRECT. AND YOU'LL SEE THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COMMERCIAL RATES FROM YOUR SURROUNDING CITIES. SO LET'S JUST TAKE IRWINDALE, LOOK AT THE, LOOK AT THE WEST COVINA RATE VERSUS THE OTHER COMMERCIAL RATES. AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE YOUR COMMERCIAL RATES IN THE INDUSTRY ARE, ARE NOT, THEY'RE TOO LOW, THEY'RE JUST NOT, THEY'RE NOT CORRECT FROM A STANDPOINT OF THE MULTIPLE FREQUENCIES AND THE ORGANICS NEED TO BE CORRECTED. SO I'VE PROPOSED TO CORRECT THE MATRIX FOR THE COMMERCIAL RATE PAYER. SO IT'LL HELP US AND THEN HELP THEM AND IT ME AND IT MAKES THAT RATE INCREASE BE LOWER. YES SIR. WHY, WHY ARE THEY NOT CORRECT? BECAUSE OVER TIME IT, BECAUSE THE ORGANICS LAW, WHEN YOU DID 1826, THEY GOT A FREE, THE CITY NEGOTIATED A FREE BARREL, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT IN ALL THE OTHER CITIES, THE BARRELS COST MONEY. AND SO THERE, GO AHEAD. WE ALSO GOT A ALSO GAVE YOU A FIVE YEAR INCREASE CONTRACT. YEAH, BUT THAT, THAT WE SHOULD GET YOU ARE, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY. WITH THE NO RESIDENTIAL RATE INCREASE, WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND AT ALL YOUR OTHER CITIES, NOBODY ELSE GOT THAT. NOBODY, GLEN, NOT ONE PERSON, NOT ONE CITY, DID NOT TAKE A RESIDENTIAL RATE INCREASE, NOT ONE CITY. AND HE'S VERIFIED THAT. YES SIR. BUT PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE WE, IN OUR CONTRACT, WE HAVE A FAVORITE NATION CLAUSE, DON'T WE? THE FAVORITE NATION CLAUSE HAS TO DO WITH THE DISPOSAL END OF THE CONTRACT, NOT THE HAULING END OF IT. OKAY. BUT ANOTHER THING THE, WITH REGARDS TO THE CONTRACT, THE CLAWBACK CLAUSE, THIS CPI ADJUSTMENT OF 1% AS YOU'RE PROPOSING, UM, WOULD WE BE SUBJECT AT ANY POINT IN TIME WITH THE ULTIMATUM THAT YOU ONCE GAVE CITY COUNCIL, YOU EITHER ACCEPT THE RATING INCREASE DUE TO TIPPING FACTORS BACK THEN AND OR WE'LL GO TO COURT AND WE'LL SUE YOU FOR ALL THE NO, WE, WE TOOK, WE TOOK THAT OUT. THAT IS NO LONGER PART OF THE CONTRACT. WE TOOK THAT OUTLAW BACK. THE THE CLAWBACK PART WITH THE CPI IS OUT. CORRECT. THAT'S NOT IN THERE. THAT IS NOT IN OUR NEW PROPOSAL. WE HAD A CLAWBACK FEATURE IN THERE FOR EXTRA YEARS. WE TOOK THAT OUT. SO WHY IS 8% INCREASE WORKABLE, DOABLE FOR BUSINESS. BUT YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT WE SHOULD GO WITH 1%. I MEAN OBVIOUSLY I HAVEN'T DONE THAT BECAUSE IT'S [00:50:01] 1% OVER 25 YEARS AND THE 8% IS ONE TIME. ONE TIME, YES. OKAY. SO THE RESIDENTS ARE ACTUALLY GETTING IT. YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, IT'S LIKE SOMETIMES THEY DO A DEAL AND I'M, I'M MAKING THIS UP, BUT THEY'LL SAY, YOU CAN BUY YOUR FURNITURE TODAY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT FOR THREE YEARS, BUT AS LONG AS YOU PAY IT OFF OF THE THREE YEARS, YOU DON'T PAY INTEREST. THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD DEAL. OR IF A IF SOMEBODY SAYS YOU WANNA BUY THIS NEW PLYMOUTH, IT'S 0% INTEREST, THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD DEAL CUZ YOU'RE NOT, NOT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, IT'S FREE MONEY. THIS 1% LETS RESIDENCES. LOOK WHAT THIS DOES, SIR, LOOK WHAT THIS DOES. THIS KEEPS YOUR RESIDENTIAL RATE IN A GOOD PLACE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. VERY COMPARATIVE TO ALL THE OTHER CITIES. AND WITH THAT 8% AND THE COMMERCIAL MATRIX FIX, YOU'RE STILL THE LO SECOND LOWEST COMMERCIAL RATE CUSTOMER IN THE REGION. THAT'S A GOOD STORY. THAT'S A REALLY GOOD STORY TO TELL. AND I REALLY LIKE THIS ONE. THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONE THAT I CURRENTLY HAVE ON THE TABLE WITH THE CITY, THE CITY MANAGER AND THE FINANCE DIRECTOR. CORRECT. DID I MISSPEAK ON ANY, THIS IS WHAT WE PRESENTED TO YOU, RIGHT? YOU CAN, YOU CAN LET ME KNOW IF, IF IT ISN'T, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE PRESENTED TO YOU TO PRESENT TO THE CITY COUNCIL. AND I THINK THIS IS A GREAT DEAL, UH, FOR THE CITY OF WEST COVINA TO BE COMPLIANT BECAUSE IT REALLY ONLY COSTS THE RESIDENTS 1% THE FIRST YEAR, 1% THE SECOND YEAR. YES, BRIAN? YES SIR. ONE OF YOUR SITUATIONS THAT I HAD TO DEAL WITH IN MY HOME WAS THE STATE MANDATING GOING ALL ELECTRIC. I HAD A DOUBLE OVEN THAT WAS GAS WHEN I MADE MY ROOM EDITION, MY WIFE AND I WENT TO BEST BUY AND THE MAN THERE TELLS ME WHAT I THINK THEY DON'T MAKE 'EM, HE SAYS, I HAVE A SINGLE GAS OVEN, BUT I ONLY HAVE AN ELECTRIC DOUBLE GAS OVEN THAT COST ME $1,500 FROM AN ELECTRIC LINE, FROM THE CIRCUIT BREAKER TO THE CABINET THAT I HAD A PAY GUY TO COME AND CAP THE GAS LINE. MY NEIGHBOR DRIVES UP, HE SEIZES THE BEST BUY TRUCK. TONY WALKS IN AND SAYS, WHAT'D YOU GUYS BUY? AND I TOLD HIM, HE GOES, GOD DAMNIT PHIL, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME I COULD HAVE GOTTEN YOU A GAS DOUBLE OVEN IN ARIZONA? AT CALIFORNIA SHOVING DOWN OUR THROAT SOMETHING CAPITALISM DOES NOT SUPPORT FOOTHILL PRESBYTERIAN BECAUSE THEY GET FEDERAL DOLLARS AND STATE DOLLARS, WE'RE FORCED TO BUY ELECTRIC BUSES. ARE YOU UNDER THAT SAME KITCHEN? ELECTRIC BUSES ARE NOT COM THEY'RE NOT COMPETITIVE. 50% OF THE ELECTRIC BUSES ARE BROKEN DOWN WITH FOOTHILL RIGHT NOW. NO, WE DON'T ACCEPT ANY FEDERAL MONEY. AND THAT'S A GOOD POINT. UM, I'M GONNA TELL YOU TOO THAT AS THE STATE, OUR STATE HAS MANDATED ELECTRIC VEHICLES BY A CERTAIN YEAR, WE CAN'T EVEN SUPPLY OUR HOMES WITH ELECTRICITY ON THE GRID. IT, YOU KNOW, THINGS WILL CHANGE, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE OKAY. BUT I I JUST WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE FINANCES, I WANT YOU TO CHALLENGE ME. I MEAN THIS WITH ALL MY HEART. I'M TELLING YOU AS A, AS A GOOD STEWARD TO THIS CITY AND I I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE. I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GOOD DEAL FOR THE CITY. OKAY? THIS, THIS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RATES, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RATES AND THE PROJECTIONS, YOU CANNOT ARGUE THAT THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST DEALS IN THE REGION WHEN IT COMES TO 1383 WITH THE EXPENSE OF WHAT IT COSTS. AND AGAIN, I TOLD YOU THAT WE HAVE SPENT PROBABLY SINCE NOVEMBER OVER 6 MILLION EXTRA IN NATURAL GAS TO FUEL OUR TRUCKS. THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY. AND AS YOU WAIT, 1383 IS EVEN GOING UP MORE AND MORE. SO, UM, THIS IS THE LATEST PROPOSAL. THERE'S ANOTHER PROPOSAL THAT WE HAD IN CASE THE CITY COUNCIL DIDN'T LIKE THIS ONE. AND THAT WAS CALLED PROPOSAL TWO, NO RESIDENTIAL RATE INCREASE. THIS ONE HAS THE 15% INCREASE TO COMMERCIAL RATE, NOT EIGHT. IT'S A 15% COMMERCIAL RATE. IT HAS 1% ON THE RESIDENTIAL, BUT ONLY FOR 15 YEARS. IT LIMITS THE 1% TO 15 YEARS. OKAY? SO THEN AFTER THE 15TH YEAR, THE 1% DROPS OFF. ALL THE OTHER THINGS ARE THE SAME, THE CLEANING UP OF THE MATRIX. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THIS ONE, YOU HAVE A $50 AND 40, $50 AND 46 CENT RATE THERE IN JULY OF 2027. RIGHT? YOU HAVE A 43 13 RATE IN JULY OF 23, RIGHT? YOU GO BACK TO OPTION THREE, SAME THING. THE CHANGE HERE IS IN THE COMMERCIAL RATE. SEE THAT? SEE THE COMMERCIAL RATE OF 360 9 52. IF YOU GO TO OPTION TWO, THE ONE I JUST SHOWED YOU, IT GOES TO 3 92 62 BECAUSE IT'S A 15% INCREASE. SO WE'RE TAKING SOME OF THAT OFF THE RESIDENTIAL AND MOVING IT TO THE COMMERCIAL IN THAT, IN THAT MODE. BUT IT GIVES THE CITY COUNCIL AN OPTION IF THEY WANT TO DO THAT. AND THAT'S A LEGAL AND ETHICAL THING TO DO TO BALANCE IT BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND ROLL OFF. YES, SIR. SO THESE ARE ARBITRARY MODELS. THIS IS NOT BASED ON LAW BECAUSE I I I WAS WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WELL, I WAS TAKEN AWAY THAT THESE RATE INCREASES WHETHER BUSINESS OR RESIDENTS, THE [00:55:01] 1% C P I WERE MANDATED BY LAW. BUT I SEE THAT YOU HAVE SO WELL AT LEAST SHOWN US TWO MODELS THUS FAR. ARE THESE MODELS THAT YOU'RE, THAT ATHENS IS PROPOSING TO THE CITY TO EITHER BUY INTO OR NOT? OR IS THIS A MANDATE FROM SACRAMENTO? IT'S A MANDATE FROM SACRAMENTO THAT HAS A PRICE TAG WITH IT. AND LET, LET'S MAKE THE NUMBER UP. LET'S SAY THE PRICE TAG IS FIVE, 5 MILLION A YEAR. THAT'S A LEGITIMATE THING. THE STATE IS SAYING YOU HAVE TO IMPLEMENT IT. THE COST IS 5,000 A YEAR. OKAY. HOW THAT $5,000 A YEAR GETS PAID THROUGH ALL THE REVENUE STREAM IS WHAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH THE CITY COUNCIL. IT COULD BE, IT COULD BE MOVED BETWEEN THE RESIDENTIAL AND THE COMMERCIAL AND THE ROLL OFF. I'M TRYING TO MAKE IT MAKE SENSE WITH THE RATES AND WITH THE ACTUAL AUDITING AND THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE. BECAUSE THE COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES HAVE PAID FOR PART OF 1383 THROUGH 1826, MEANING THEY ALREADY HAD AN ADJUSTMENT FOR ORGANIC WASTE. IT JUST DIDN'T INCLUDE THE NEW DEFINITION OF ORGANIC. SO THAT'S WHY YOU DID THE RIGHT THING YEARS AGO ON THAT ONE. AND THAT'S GOOD. 1383, YOU HAVEN'T DONE YET. AND THAT'S NOT GOOD. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS. SO IT IS A MANDATE, IT'S, IT'S WHAT, IF YOU LOOK IT UP ON THE INTERNET, SIR, IT'S WHAT'S CALLED AN UNFUNDED STATE MANDATE. EVERY CITY IN THIS STATE IN, AND I'LL, I'LL EVEN TALK ABOUT THE LA COUNTY REGIONS. EVERY CITY HAS HAD TO HAVE A RATE INCREASE. THOSE RATE INCREASES ARE BETWEEN 20 TO 60% STRAIGHT OUT. AND SOME CITIES ARE GIVING HAULERS MORE TIME ON THEIR CONTRACT AND LESS TI LESS MONEY. IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S A FORMULA BETWEEN CONTRACTUAL TIME, UH, REVENUE AND HOW LONG YOU CAN CAPTURE REVENUE TO PAY FOR THAT EVERY, EVERY YEAR. BUT IF IT'S UNFUNDED THROUGH SACRAMENTO, THEN THAT MEANS THE FUNDING'S GONNA COME THROUGH THE RESIDENTS AND THE BUSINESS. THAT IS 100% CORRECT. THERE'S EXACTLY, GO AHEAD. AND US NO, THAT'S THE BURDEN THAT YOU, AS THE PROVIDER CARRIES. YES. BUT WE, YOU'RE COMING TO US WITH THAT RATE INCREASE AS A RESULT OF THIS SACRAMENTO INITIATED CORRECT. KNEW, WAS, UH, CORRECT LAW. AND YOU REMEMBER, CUZ YOU WERE THERE, I THINK YOU WERE THERE THE NIGHT CAL RECYCLE WAS HERE, TELLING THE CITY COUNCIL. AND THE CITY COUNCIL WASN'T HAPPY WITH THEM EITHER. BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'VE, THEY'VE GOT THAT SAME MESSAGE FROM MANY CITY COUNCILS. GARY, NOW THAT I HAVE THE MIC, IF I CAN JUST DIGRESS ONE SECOND FOR ONE SECOND HERE. UM, THE GENTLEMAN OVER THERE SPOKE ABOUT THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL BINS AND THAT'S WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD FOR RESIDENTS. I HAVE, I'M PAYING FOR AN ADDITIONAL GREEN BIN NOW. I NEVER GOT ANY ADDITIONAL ONE FREE. I DON'T KNOW THAT IT COST ME. I TOLD YOU, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE. YEAH, I'M NOT. THAT MAY HAVE BEEN TRUE ONCE UPON A TIME, BUT THERE'S A COST FOR AN ADDITIONAL GREEN BARREL. I'M PRETTY SURE. BUT HERE'S MY CONCERN. AND NOW YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ME PUTTING EVERYTHING AS THE GENTLEMAN EARLIER, UH, SHARED INTO THE BLACK TRASH BIN. UM, OR I'M SORRY, INTO THE GREEN. PARDON ME? MEANING THAT I'M GONNA HAVE FAR LESS ROOM FOR ALL MY GARDENING BYPRODUCTS AND TRUE. RIGHT. SO I HAVE A SOLUTION CUZ WEST COVIN IS SPECIAL. WHAT IS SPECIAL? I HEAR THIS IS A TEST TO HAVE WHO'S BEEN LISTENING TO ME FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS. WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT THE WEST COVINA CONTRACT? WHAT DO YOU HAVE THAT OTHER CITIES DON'T HAVE? YOU CAN WHAT? THAT'S RIGHT. YOU CAN TAKE YOUR, YOU CAN TAKE YOUR GREEN, YOU CAN BUNDLE IT, YOU CAN BUNDLE YOUR GREEN IN. I'M GONNA MAKE THE DIMENSION UP FOUR FOOT BY SIX FOOT BUNDLES TIED UP AND YOU COULD PUT THOSE OUT AND CALL AND WE'LL PICK THOSE UP. IS THAT NEW? BECAUSE IF, IF, IF NOT, YOU NEED TO, YOU NEED TO CALL IN FOR YOURSELF. THEY WILL NOT DO IT. NO, THAT'S BEEN THERE, THAT'S BEEN THERE A LONG, LONG TIME. YOU CAN, I CAN PUT OUT WELL, BUNDLES OF, IN FACT, THEY SAY THAT THE BRANCHES HAVE TO BE A CERTAIN LENGTH, FOUR FOOT BY SIX, WHATEVER THAT DIMENSION IS, IS, YES. YEAH. YOU YOU HAVE TO, THEY'RE NOT TAKING CHRISTMAS TREES EITHER. , WE TAKE THOSE. SO SECUR THE JOB OF EDUCATING, UH, MOST OF THIS YOU CAN TURN INTO MULCH. YOU CAN TURN IT INTO, YOU CAN USE THAT AS . YES. OKAY. UH, YOU CAN EDUCATE THE PEOPLE THAT IF YOU CAN TURN, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S GOT GRASS, EVERYTHING PROBABLY HAS A ROSE GARDEN THAT YOU CAN USE THIS ASLINE. WELL, YOU CAN'T USE IT. I I'M NOT, NOT EVERYTHING. YEAH, NO, YOU, YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO TURN IT INTO THAT. AND THE PROCESS OF TURNING IT INTO THAT IS WHAT THE STATE WANTS TO CONTROL. THEY DON'T WANT, LIKE, LET'S JUST SAY THERE'S 30,000 HOMES IN THIS CITY. THEY DON'T WANT 30,000 INDIVIDUAL COMPOSTERS. THEY WANT IT TO GO TO A COMPOSTING CENTER THAT HAS THE RIGHT VENTILATION [01:00:01] AND THE RIGHT THINGS TO KEEP THE METHANE OUT OF THE WORLD. AND THEN FOR US TO BRING IT BACK FOR YOU TO USE FOR FREE. SO WE HAVE FREE COMPOST GIVEAWAYS, BRINGING YOUR STUFF BACK SO YOU CAN USE IN YOUR GARDENS. THAT'S HEARD. OH, WE'VE HAD THOSE HERE FOR YEARS. BUT YES, YOU CAN. WE'VE HAD 'EM, I THEY USUALLY DO 'EM AT CITY YARD ON WHATEVER WHERE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS RIGHT THERE. YOU DRIVE IN, GET IT AND DRIVE OUT. YEAH, WE DO. WE, I THINK, I THINK OUR PROPOSAL HERE IS TO DO IT THREE OR FOUR TIMES A YEAR WITH OUR PROPOSAL, BUT YEAH, YOU GET IT, YOU'LL GET THE COMPOST. AND BY THE WAY, OUR COMPOST IS ORGANICALLY CERTIFIED, WHICH IS WHY DOG POOP CAN'T GO IN IT. ANYWAYS. DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE GREEN? SO LIKE, LIKE AT MY HOUSE, IF I HAVE TO TRIM ALL MY TREES AND WHEN THE ROSES NEED TO GET CUT BACK, I BUNDLE IT UP, I PUT IT OUT THERE AND I CALL ATHENS AND SAY I HAVE FIVE BUNDLES OF GREEN AND THEY PICK IT UP AND THAT'S IT. AND THAT'S IT. THOSE FIVE BUNDLES, ONE MORE. NOW I CALLED AND THEY SPECIFICALLY SAID, NO, CAN'T HAVE RANCHES. I DIDN'T DO IT. HAVE TO BE ACTUAL THING. UH, IT CAN'T BE LEAVES THAT HAVE BEEN BUBBLED UP AND COMPLETELY. I I DO THIS ALMOST ON A WEEKLY BASIS. IF YOU HAD THOSE. YEAH. WELL I'LL MAKE SURE THAT GETS CHANGED FOR YOU. BUT I THINK, I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEBODY THAT YOU WERE TALKING TO, I'M TELLING YOU THAT YOU'RE ALLOWED TO TAKE GREEN WASTE AND BUNDLE IT UP INTO SOMETHING THAT WON'T BREAK OPEN. LIKE, YOU KNOW, A NICE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. WHEN YOU CUT YOUR TREES OR YOU PRUNING YOUR ROSES, PUT IT UP, TAKE TWINE, CUT IT IN FOUR BY SIX, THEY CAN PICK IT UP. BOOM, YOU'RE GOLDEN. AND NOW THAT YOU OPENED UP THAT KINDA WORM AND I SAW YOU LOOKING AT YOUR WATCH, OH, I'M DOING A GEORGE BUSH ON ME. WE HAVE AN HOUR. WE DO HAVE A, A TIME LIMIT. UM, I DIDN'T LOOK AT MY WASH BY YEAH. EARLIER ON, UH, THE ANNUAL PICKUP THAT ALLEVIATED TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF THAT, THE NECESSITY TO CALL AND SCHEDULE THE SPECIAL PICKUPS AND LIMITED TO FIVE ITEMS, FIVE BUNDLES OF CUTTINGS. THAT'S IT. THE REFRIGERATOR STOVES GOTTA WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT ROUND. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T DO IT. WE HAVE ELDERLY THAT DON'T GO THROUGH THAT AND ARE HAVING TROUBLES EVEN GETTING THEIR TRASH CANS OUT EVEN MORE TRYING TO GET ALL THESE SCHEDULED, UH, PICKUPS. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE A THE ANNUAL, I'M HAPPY THAT YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION. I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT, NOTHING HAPPENED TO THEM. BUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CITY IS SOMETHING CHANGED DUR. YOU, YOU WENT FROM AT LARGE TO DISTRICTS AND THEN COVID HAPPENED AND A LOT OF STUFF HAPPENED. SO THERE WAS A REQUEST FROM THE CITY TO CHANGE THE WAY THAT THAT HA THAT OPERATES. SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL IN LINE TO DO THAT. BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER WAY TO DO IT, AND BRIAN MIGHT BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN IT BETTER THAN ME, BUT WE WERE GOING TO PUT 40 YARD BINS IN LIKE DISTRICT ONE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AND THEN DISTRICT TWO FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AND DO IT LIKE THAT. SO THE CITY WOULD BE CLEANER AND IT WOULD BE A A A A MORE DURING COVID A MORE HYGIENIC WAY TO DO IT. BUT I THINK THE SIMPLE THING THAT I'M HEARING IS THAT PART OF MY PROPOSAL IN THIS 1383 WOULD JUST TO BE REINSTATE THE CITYWIDE CLEANING. AND IF I, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I COULD PROBABLY PUT IN THAT PROPOSAL AND NOT, NOT DO IT BY HAVING, I MEAN IT ACTUALLY WORKS IN OTHER CITIES WHERE YOU TAKE A WHOLE BUNCH OF THE, THOSE BIG BINS AND YOU PUT 'EM OUT THERE AND THEN PEOPLE BRING IT TO THERE INSTEAD OF HAVING STUFF OUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. AND SOME OF THE NEIGHBORS DIDN'T LIKE THAT. AND IT WAS A KIND OF AN ISSUE OUTSIDE PEOPLE FROM THE CITY. WHAT HAPPENS IS IT BRINGS IN A LOT OF, UH, THOSE, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL 'EM? SCAVENGERS. AND IT WAS AN ISSUE. IT WAS AN ISSUE FOR THE POLICE. SO IT WAS AN ISSUE IN GENERAL WHERE EVERY SCAVENGER KNEW TO COME TO WEST COVINA ON THAT DATE. AND IT WAS LIKE, IT WAS LIKE THE STORM BEFORE THE STORM. SO, BUT, BUT WHAT I MEAN, MOTHER SAID HE HAS THAT, THAT, UH, FEATURE. NO, NO. THEY'VE ALL CHANGED IT TO A, LIKE A MODIFIED ONE WHERE YOU BRING IT INSTEAD OF THAT. BUT, BUT WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS THAT YOUR CITY HAS IT EVERY WEEK WITH YOUR BULKY PICKUP. WELL THAT'S PART OF THE CONTRACT. YOU SEE, HERE'S MY, MY PROBLEM. THE OTHER IS PART OF THE CONTRACT TOO. YEAH, BUT YOU TOOK IT AWAY. I, WHEN I SIGNED UP WITH ATHENS, THAT WAS ONE FEATURE THAT THEY TOLD ME. WHAT'S THE SELLING PITCH FOR THEM? THEY SAID, HEY, LOOK WHAT YOU GET, IF YOU SIGN UP, THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA GET. NOW OBVIOUSLY, I WE DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE STILL IN THE CONTRACT. YOU STILL HAVE. WELL IF IT IS, WHY ARE WE NOT HA WE ARE WORKING ON IMPLEMENTING THAT. WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT FOR SIX MONTHS. SO WHAT I'M TELLING YOU, BECAUSE I I KNOW HOW TO, I LIKE TO LISTEN MORE THAN I SPEAK. I UNDERSTAND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THE CONTRACT AND I'M PROBABLY GONNA RECOMMEND THAT WE JUST DO IT THE WAY WE DID IT BEFORE AND DO IT THAT WAY. AND YOU'LL BE VERY HAPPY WITH, YOU'LL STILL, THAT WILL STILL BE IN THE CONTRACT AND WE WON'T DO IT THE NEW WAY PROBABLY. BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA, YOU'LL PROBABLY GET THAT VERSION OF IT AND YOU'LL SEE IT IN [01:05:01] WRITING THAT NIGHT OF OUR PROPOSAL. SO JUST I'LL DO THAT JUST FOR YOU SEE. THANK YOU GARY. YEAH. SEE? YES SIR. UH, MR. CITY MANAGER, I WANNA DIRECT THIS TO THE FINANCE DIRECTOR. WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT SAYS ALL CONTRACTS HAVE TO BE PUT UP TO A COMPETITIVE BID IN 1991. THE CITY OF WEST COVINA DISPOSAL WAS OUR CONTRACT TO DISPOSAL COMPANY IN 1999 IS WHAT THEY CALLED A NAME CHANGE. IT WAS NINE PAGES LONGER. IT WASN'T A NAME CHANGE, IT WAS A NEW CONTRACT THEY CALLED IN AN EXTENSION, WHICH WAS TOTALLY ILLEGAL AGAINST THE ORDINANCE OF THIS CITY TO BENEFIT THE PEOPLE THAT WERE GONNA BE GIVEN THE SERVICE. AND THAT IS COMPETITIVE BIDS ALLOWED US TO HAVE COMPANIES COME IN AND GIVE US THE BEST PRICE FOR PICKING UP OUR TRASH. WE'VE HAD THIS ARGUMENT BEFORE. YEAH. BUT I THINK THAT UP THERE, ACCORDING TO YOU, DO WE REALLY HAVE TO STAY WITH THE ORDINANCE OR IS THAT A GOOD DEAL? YOU'RE THE FINANCE LADY, YOU KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH NUMBERS. GIVE US YOUR OPINION. YOU WANT A MIC THE FIRST ? YES. THANK YOU. SO WE HAVE A CONTRACT IN PLACE WE CAN'T GET OUT OF THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE. AND COUNSEL WHO PASSES ORDINANCES CAN PASS THE POLICY TO ENACT A CHANGE IN ORDINANCE OR A CHANGE IN POLICY TO APPROVE A CONTRACT THAT THEY SO CHOOSE. AND YOU WANT TO KNOW IF YOU THE NUMBERS. SO WHAT I, WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU IS THEN I'LL ANSWER YOUR QUESTION WHAT I WANT TO YEAH, SHE'S THEY'RE NOT, BUT WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAUL THEM. I PUT OUR HAULER US UP THERE SO YOU CAN COMPARE 'EM TO OTHER ONES. THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MORE EXPENSIVE. I CAN WE'LL PUT IT UP THERE IF YOU WANT. CAME IN WITH BROOK I A AND WE WERE ALMOST THAN WHAT THEY, OKAY, WELL I'LL PUT AN INDUSTRY UP THERE IF YOU WANT. I DON'T HAUL IT, BUT I'LL GO TO VALLEY VISTA AND GET THEIR NUMBERS AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THEY'RE NOT, WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU IS THIS, SIR, REGARDLESS OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID IS A STATEMENT, BUT IT'S NOT CORRECT THAT UNDER THE CALIFORNIA STATE RESOURCES CODE, AND I'LL TAKE YOU TO IT ANYTIME YOU WANT, WASTE AND RECYCLING DOES NOT HAVE TO GO OUT TO BID IN A CITY. EVEN IF A CITY HAS AN ORDINANCE TO SAY CONTRACTS NEED TO GO OUT, TRASH WASTE AND RECYCLING AND SOME OTHER THINGS ARE EXEMPT FROM THAT. THAT'S THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER. SO A CITY CAN, I WAS A CITY COUNCILMAN FOR MANY YEARS, AS YOU KNOW, AND I'M AN ELECTED OFFICIAL IN GLENORA NOW. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT IF YOU READ THE PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE, AND WE'LL PROVIDE THAT TO YOU IF YOU NEED TO, IT'LL, YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THERE THAT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HAS ALLOWED A CITY TO NEGOTIATE ON THE CITY'S BEHALF WITHOUT GOING TO BID FOR CERTAIN THINGS. THERE'S NOT JUST WASTE AND RECYCLING. THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS THAT ARE IN THERE. AND THAT'S ONE OF 'EM. NOW, IF A CITY CHOOSES TO USRT THAT AND GO AROUND AND HAVE THEIR OWN POLICY, THEY CAN, BUT THIS CALIFORNIA RESOURCES CODE WILL, WILL TRUMP THAT ANYWAYS. SO IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, YOU HAVE A 25 YEAR ROLLING CONTRACT THAT ALWAYS STAYS 25 YEARS. AND THEN YOU HAVE A COUPLE EXTRA YEARS ADDED ONTO THAT FOR THINGS THAT WE GAVE THE CITY WHERE WE DIDN'T CHARGE YOU. AND THEN THOSE ARE WINDING DOWN TOO. SO AT ANY POINT IN TIME, THE CITY CAN CHANGE THAT IF THEY CHOOSE TO. BUT YOU ACTUALLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CONTRACT AND YOU LOOK AT YOUR RATES, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE COMPARABLES UP THERE. WHEN YOU DO THE MATH, YOU HAVE THE BEST DEAL. AND IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE BEST DEAL, I WOULDN'T, I MEAN, I, I WOULDN'T BE UP HERE SHOWING YOU THESE NUMBERS OF THE, OF THE CITIES THAT WE HAUL. AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR OTHER CITIES AND OTHER HAULERS BECAUSE NOT EVERY CITY LIKE YOU HAVE, WE HAVE TWO BARRELS. WE DO MIXED WASTE PROCESSING. SO WE DO MORE RECYCLING. IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT COMPANY THAT HAS THREE BARRELS, THEY TAKE THEIR BLACK BARREL RIGHT TO THE LANDFILL AND THAT'S A CHEAPER PRICE, BUT THEY'RE NOT GIVING YOU THE SAME RECYCLING NUMBER THAT YOU GET IN THIS CITY. SO YOU'RE DIVERSION AND RECYCLING NUMBER IS HIGHER THAN THE OTHER CITIES THAT DON'T HAVE THAT MIXED WASTE PROCESSING. SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS, AND I'LL SPEND TIME WITH YOU PERSONALLY FROM THE, THE STANDPOINT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND AND ATHENS BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT CLEARLY. BUT IF YOU WERE ON CITY COUNCIL TOMORROW AND YOU WANTED TO PUT THE TRASH CONTRACT OUT TO BID IN THIS CITY, YOU COULDN'T FOR MANY, MANY YEARS BASED ON WHAT THE PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE SAYS AND THIS THE CURRENT [01:10:01] CONTRACT YOU HAVE WITH US. SO THAT'S WHY I TRY TO MAKE FOR OUR COMPANY THE BEST OPPORTUNITY WHEN YOU HAVE A UNFUNDED STATE MANDATE. AND BY THE WAY, I HAVE A JUST A, I KNOW THAT, WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE? 140,000 RESIDENTS NOW THERE'S PROBABLY 10, YEAH, A HUNDRED HUNDRED OR 10 OR 15 OF US HERE TODAY. BUT IS THERE HONEST, HONESTLY, FORGET THAT I WORK FOR ATHENS. JUST TREAT ME AS A, AS A, AS A CREATURE OF GOD IN THE ROOM WITH YOU RIGHT NOW. IS ANYBODY UNHAPPY WITH OUR SERVICE FROM ATHENS? YES, YOU ARE. OKAY. I I SEE A LOT OF PROBLEMS ATHENS IN THE PAST BETTER NOW, BUT I'M TELLING YOU WHAT I SAW WHEN I WENT IN THERE TOLD, GET A 40 YARDER PRICE OF IT. OKAY, NUMBER TWO, CUZ I DON'T LIKE YOUR PEOPLE THAT WHEN WE CALL UP, YOU WANT TO PUT TRASH SHOT ON OUR TRASH BAG, HE SAYS, OH, YOU GOTTA CALL A DATE FROM A TRASH PIT. REALLY? WE'RE TOO BUSY IN OUR LIVES, OKAY? AND WE CAN'T REMEMBER TO CALL THE DAY BEFORE THAT. IF WE DO IT THE WEEK OF LIKE MONDAY AND OUR TRASH BAGS ANY OTHER DAY, WE SHOULD STILL COME AND PICK IT UP, UP. BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT IT TAKES A SPECIAL TRUCK. THE TRUCK THAT PICKS UP YOUR TRASH IS NOT THE TRUCK. WHAT I'M SAYING IS WHEN WE CALL IT IN AND SAY, YEAH, YOU PICK UP OUR TRASH, OUR TRASH DAY IS WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY, RIGHT? AND WE CALL IT ON MONDAY, THEY SHOULD SAY, OKAY, YEAH. NOT SAYING CALL BACK. NO, THEY NO, THEY SHOULDN'T DO THAT. DO THAT. OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. SO THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT, BUT OKAY, I GET IT. BUT WHAT ABOUT RIGHT NOW, TODAY? OKAY, AND THEN I'VE GOT ANOTHER QUESTION CONFUSED. ARE YOU STILL GONNA HAVE EVERY YEAR BIG CLEANUP FOR EVERYBODY? YES. YES. AND IN ADDITION, ARE YOU STILL GONNA PICK UP WHEN PEOPLE CALL UP AND SAY, COME PICK THIS UP? YES. AND THERE'S NO, UH, THEY CAN DO IT EVERY DAY. YES. WEEKS OUTTA THE CARE. YES. IT'S THE BEST. YES, IT'S A GREAT DEAL. AND NO OTHER CITY HAVE IT. THEY DON'T HAVE THAT IN THAT CITY. YOU MENTIONED, AND BY THE WAY, WHAT IRKS ME ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND IS WHEN YOU GET A 40 YARDER HERE, I GIVE YOU 90% RECYCLING, I THINK 97 NOW, BUT YOU GET ALMOST A HUNDRED PERCENT RECYCLING FOR WHAT'S IN THAT. I PAY EVERY CITY FEE AND EVERY, I HAVE TO PAY ALL THE FRANCHISE FEES, THE TAXES, AND GIVE YOU DIVERSION. OKAY? YOU COULD CALL UP, UH, SOME YAHOO AND THEY'LL COME IN HERE AND THEY'LL DO IT FOR 500 BUCKS. THEY WON'T PAY THE CITY, THEY WON'T PAY FOR THE STREET REPAIR, THEY WON'T PAY FOR ANY OF THAT STUFF. THEY DON'T GIVE YOU ANY RECYCLING. SO IF YOU WANT TO BE THAT GUY, YOU CAN BE THAT GUY. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT, THIS IS A WASTE AND RECYCLING PROGRAM. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WHERE YOU GO, HEY, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA GET A CHEAP BIN, BRING IT TO MY CITY, AND YOU COULD TAKE IT TO THE DUMP. THAT'S THAT, THAT METHOD, LIKE YOU SAID YEARS AGO, THAT COWBOY METHOD OF DOING TRASH AND RECYCLING IS GONE. IT IS A VERY SCIENTIFIC STATE MANDATED THING THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO. SO I HAVE TO PAY ABOUT 250 TO $300 BEFORE I EVEN DROP A 40 YARD BIN IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE. AND, BUT WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT THE CITY IS DOING IS THE CITY IS GETTING CREDIT FOR THE RECYCLING, THEY'RE GETTING CREDIT FOR THE TRUCKS THAT ARE DRIVING ON THE ROAD AND HURTING THE ASPHALT. THEY'RE GETTING CREDIT FOR ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO YOUR CITY AS A RESULT OF GETTING THAT DROPPED IN THERE. THAT THAT BANDIT HAULER DOESN'T PAY AT ALL. AND I WOULD TELL YOU THAT YOUR CITY SPENDS A LOT OF TIME IN CODE ENFORCEMENT CHASING AROUND WHAT WE CALL ILLEGAL HAULERS. AND IF YOU HAVE A DEAL IN YOUR BUSINESS OR YOUR LIFE THAT SAYS, WE ARE GONNA DO THESE THINGS FOR WEST COVINA, WE'RE GONNA KEEP WEST COVINA BEAUTIFUL, AND HERE'S THE COST OF DOING THAT, BUT NO, I DON'T WANNA PAY THAT. I'M GONNA GO HIRE THIS CHEAPER PERSON THAT'S NOT GONNA DO IT. THEY'RE NOT LICENSED, THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT, THAT'S NOT THE, THAT IS NOT THE, THAT'S NOT THE WAY TO RUN A WASTE AND RECYCLING SOCIETY. THAT'S A WAY TO GET A CHEAP BIN. BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE DON'T MAKE THESE PRICES UP. WE'RE NOT JUST SAYING, OH HEY, WE'RE GONNA MAKE A BUNCH OF MONEY ON THIS. WE DO. EVERY TRUCK THAT DRIVES ON A ROAD IN THIS CITY CAUSES DAMAGE TO IT EVERY TIME IT DRIVES. WE PAY THE CITY FRANCHISE FEES. SO THE CITY HAS MONEY TO REPAIR THOSE ROADS AND THE CITY HAS MONEY TO FIX ALL THAT STUFF THAT HAPPENS AS A RESULT OF OUR FRANCHISE AGREEMENT HERE. ANYBODY WHO ISN'T A LICENSED TALLER DOESN'T, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO THEY, THEY CAN OBVIOUSLY DO SOMETHING CHEAPER THAN WE CAN, BUT IT'S NOT LEGAL AND IT'S NOT ETHICAL AND YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT IMPORTANT RECYCLING NUMBER. AND I WOULD ESTIMATE IN THIS CITY, AND, AND AND I I FOLLOW THIS, THERE'S PROBABLY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 10,000 AND $20,000 A MONTH IN [01:15:01] FRANCHISE FEES THAT AREN'T BEING COLLECTED BECAUSE OF ILLEGAL HAULING ACTIVITIES HERE. AND I EVEN CAUGHT ONE PARTICULAR VENDOR GOING TO A LOCATION DUMPING TRASH AND SAYING IT WAS WEST COVINA AND, AND CAUSING A PROBLEM FOR YOUR CITY THAT THEY HAD TO REPORT SAYING NO, THAT WASN'T WEST COVINA. THAT HAPPENS A LOT. YOU HAD A QUESTION COVERED? I HAVE ONE. YES. DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION THOUGH, ABOUT THE NOBODY SHOULD TELL YOU NO, I, I I AGREE WITH THAT. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM. OKAY, THAT'S GOOD WITH, WITH HAVING ONE CITY TO DO THAT. CAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT COMES BACK TO WEST. I DO HAVE A PROBLEM. WE CALL UP AND WE SAY, HEY, WE'RE GONNA BE ROOF ON OUR HOUSE. WE SEND US A, A BED AND THEY SAY, OH YEAH, THAT'S GONNA BE HUNDRED DOLLARS. WE, WE SAID, HEY, WE DON'T WANNA BUY THE DAMN THING. WE JUST PUT RENT. THAT'S WHAT IT COSTS A LOW BOY. YEAH. OKAY. YOU GUYS ARE SO EXPENSIVE THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT WE DID? WE TOOK DOWN THE WHOLE HOUSE AND WE PUT IT IN THE BIG PILE AND WE STARTED PUTTING THE BLACK DEAD. TOOK US THREE MONTHS TO GET RID OF IT. THAT'S WHAT DID IT. SO YOU GUYS STILL PAID FOR IT? IT TOOK IT OVER IN THREE MONTHS BECAUSE IT WAS SO EXCESSIVE, THE COST OF IT. OKAY. AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED WHEN I, YOU, THAT'S YOUR RIGHT TO DO THAT. YOU CAN DO THAT. I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT YOU SEE THE, THE RACE HAD TO BE COMPETITIVE WHEN I, I WALKED INTO YOUR, TO YOUR OFFICE IN, IN, UH, IN UH, IRWINDALE AND I SAT DOWN WITH THE WOMAN THERE TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH I GO RENT THEN. AND SHE GAVE ME THIS PRICE. IT WAS HUGE. AND THEN SHE HAD TO, YEAH, $800 IS RIGHT. NO, THAT'S HER, THAT'S HER RIGHT PRICE. SO THEN SHE GOT A PHONE CALL, SHE SAID, EXCUSE ME. SO SHE WALKED AWAY AND LEFT HER BOOK THERE ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES. SO I OPENED IT UP, AND THE CITY OF INDUSTRY WAS HALF OF A COST THAN IT WAS FOR WEST VIRGINIA. WE DON'T HAUL THE CITY OF INDUSTRY, SIR. THEN WHY WOULD YOU HAVE A PRICE ON IT FOR I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING AT. I'M SORRY. WE DON'T, THE INDUSTRY PROBABLY USES, DOES ANYBODY COME IN AND DO IT? YOU CAN GO TO X YC TRASH COMPANY TO HAVE 'EM COME IN AND TAKE UP TRASH. BUT THEY'RE NOT GETTING THE DIVERSION. THEY'RE NOT TAKING IT TO A PLANT. THEY'RE NOT PROCESSING. YEAH. YOURS IS, BUT IT HAS TO BE COST EFFECTIVE. OKAY. FOR US IS THE RESIDENTS HERE. OKAY. BUT YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET A 40 YARD ROLL OFF BIN OTHER THAN THROUGH OUR FRANCHISE AGREEMENT. EXACTLY. THE GUY AT HOME DEPOT FOR TWO BUCKS. YEAH. YOU COULD GO TO HOME DEPOT AND BUY A BAG STORE FOR $200 AND YEAH, IT JUST GUY THE BILL OF HOME DEPOT. YEAH. TWO OR 300 BUCKS. BUT YOU DO HAVE OPTIONS. YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU DID AND PAY NOTHING. SO YOU CAN DO THAT TOO. WE PAID, WE PAID FOR, FOR THE, YOU KNOW, THREE MONTHS. BUT WE HAD TO DO IT. YOU YOU DID. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU DIDN'T PAY IF YOU PUT IT IN YOUR TRASH. YEAH, WE'RE PAYING FOR OUR TRASH. OKAY. YES, SIR. GARY HAPPENS IS A GOLD STANDARD OF, OF THE TRASH. THANK YOU. IF YOU'RE AN HONORABLE MANAM, I'VE KNOWN YOU SINCE YOU WERE A COP IN PASADENA. I KNOW YOU'RE A GOOD DUDE, THANK YOU. YOU'RE NOT GONNA LIE TO ANYBODY. HOWEVER, THE RESIDENTS JUST WANT THE BEST PRICE. LOOK, WE GOT A 25 YEAR CONTRACTOR EVERGREEN, AND WE GOT, WHAT IS IT NOW, 27 YEARS. WE GOT A COUPLE NEXT YEARS WHO WE'RE MARRIED AT THE, ALL THE RESIDENTS WANT IS THE BEST PRICE. AND THAT'S WHY I'M TRYING TO DO THIS. AND THAT'S WHY THE FIRST BULLET POINT SAYS THAT AND AT 1% OVER THE, IT IS ACTUALLY A GOOD DEAL. I THINK SO TOO. AND, AND, AND YOU CAN LOOK AROUND AT THE OTHER CITIES AND THEY DIDN'T GET THAT DEAL OF ZERO. THEY TOOK OTHER OPTIONS. BUT I WANTED, JUST TO SHOW YOU THE LAST ONE. I DON'T LIKE THIS DEAL AT ALL AND I'M NOT ADVOCATING TO DO IT, BUT I WAS ASKED TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU. OKAY? I DON'T LIKE IT. OPTION ONE IS JUST THE ONE TIME 25% INCREASE TO RESIDENTIAL. NO ADJUSTMENT TO THE COMMERCIAL, CHANGING THE COMMERCIAL MATRIX TO MAKE IT RIGHT AND UH, USE THE TRA INDEX. NO 1%. SO 27 YEARS. YEAH. OKAY. BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SAY THAT WE HAVE A2 SEVEN YEAR CONTRACT. THESE ARE THE TERMS FOR 27 YEARS. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. WELL, NO, FOR TW YEAH. YES, RIGHT HERE. BUT IT ONLY HAPPENS ONCE HERE. THAT'S UNDER EACH ONE OF THESE TERMS HAVE A LIMIT. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN FOR, THAT'S NOT A TRUE STATEMENT. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN FOR 27 YEARS. THIS ONE ONLY HAPPENS ONCE . BUT I WOULDN'T SUGGEST DOING THIS BECAUSE YOUR RATES, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE YOUR, YOUR, YOU HAVE A $59 COMMERCIAL, UH, RESIDENTIAL RATE. WE HAVE CITIES THAT HAVE A HIGHER RATE THAN THAT. YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT THE HIGHEST RATE WE HAVE. BUT I WOULD NOT, THIS WOULDN'T BE THE, IF I WAS ONE OF YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OR WHEN I WAS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, I WOULDN'T PICK THIS ONE. BUT IT IS THE TRUE COST PROPOSAL OF WHAT IT IS. AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO SHOW IT TO YOU LAST, BECAUSE I'VE WORKED WITH YOUR [01:20:01] CITY MANAGER IN MANY CITIES, NOT JUST THIS ONE. I MET HIM IN MANHATTAN BEACH. HE'S BEEN AROUND, I USED TO, I DO THAT CITY. AND HE HAD A BEAUTIFUL VIEW FROM HIS OFFICE, LET ME TELL YOU. YEAH. SO I MET, WELL CITY MANAGERS, YOU KNOW, THEY MOVE AROUND HERE AND THERE. BUT MY POINT IS I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR A LONG TIME AND I WANT TO TRY TO GIVE HIM THE BEST PROPOSAL I CAN FOR HIS CITY COUNCIL, FOR THE RESIDENTS, BECAUSE THE RESIDENTS ARE THE ONES THAT PAY AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ELECT THE CITY COUNCIL. SO THIS IS WHAT IT COST US TO DO THE PROGRAM. AND IF YOU HEARD WHAT I SAID EARLIER AND WHY I WANTED TO OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION WHEN I'M DONE, IS I'M TAKING THAT 25% AND MOVING IT OUT OVER 25 YEARS. 1% A YEAR IN ONE OF THEM. THE OTHER ONE, I'M ONLY DOING IT FOR 15 YEARS AND IT TERMINATES IN 15, BUT THE COMMERCIAL GETS A LITTLE HIGHER RATE. THE COMMERCIAL GOES FROM, UH, TO A 15% ONE TIME INSTEAD OF AN 8% ONE TIME. AND THEN YOU HAVE THIS ONE. SO I JUST WANTED YOU TO GET A LITTLE FLAVOR OF HOW THAT LOOKS AND YOUR COMMERCIAL RATE, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS IN, IN, IN THE PERSPECTIVES, THE THE COMMERCIAL RATE, IN MY OPINION IS TOO LOW AND IT'S NOT COVERING ITS FAIR SHARE OF 1383. THAT'S MY OP OPINION, MY PROFESSIONAL TRASH OPINION. YES, SIR. I'M GONNA GO BACK TO THAT ANNUAL PICKUP, IF YOU DON'T MIND. UM, THE ANNUAL WHAT? ANNUAL PICKUP. OH, OKAY. THAT'S WHAT REALLY AFFECTS MY, BUT, BUT WE ALREADY DECIDED WE'RE GONNA PUT THAT BACK IN BASED ON FEET. HOLD ON FROM THE COMMUNITY. HOLD ON, GARY, HOLD ON. I KNOW IF I WAS TO HAVE REDUCED, UH, MY PAYMENTS TO YOU, YOU WOULD'VE CUT ME OFF. YOU NOT PICK OVER TIME. NOT IMMEDIATELY. WHETHER YOU GIVE ME ONE OR THREE CHANCES YOU WOULD EVENTUALLY CUT ME OFF RIGHT AT THE DENISE, WHETHER IT WAS THE CITY ATHENS OR A COMBINATION OF THE TWO, YOU TOOK A BENEFIT THAT I WAS ENTITLED TO. I DID NOT GET ANY SORT OF REFUND. IN FACT, WE DIDN'T EVEN GET NOTIFICATION. A LOT OF EXCUSES FROM FOLKS COMING OUT AND, YOU KNOW, SALVAGING TO HOMELESS, TO CORONA, TO ALL SORTS OF REASONS. BUT I KNOW THE, UH, REMOVAL OF THAT SERVICE PREDATES ALL OF THOSE EXCUSES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MAYBE THOSE THAT GO AROUND PICKING UP THE, UH, RECYCLABLES. IT, WHICH IS NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BE FINED AS A RESULT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CITY TO PROVIDE POLICE ENFORCEMENT. SO IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AND HAVE ATHENS LOSE A PROFIT IN THE RECYCLING BUSINESS AND OF IT. BUT FOR US RESIDENTS, WE'VE LOST THAT SERVICE. NOW FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, WE WERE NOT COMPENSATED. IT SEEMS TO ME, AND I MAY BE ALL WET HERE, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THERE WAS A BREACH OF CONTRACT HERE. AND YOU OWE US A REFUND BECAUSE YOU KEEP COMING BACK WITH PROPOSAL FOR RATE INCREASES, WHETHER DUE TO UNFUNDED MANDATES OR BECAUSE YOUR TIPPING FEES WENT UP. BUT THAT SERVICE THAT YOU TOOK AWAY, AND I SAY YOU TOOK IT AWAY BECAUSE YOU PROVIDED WHETHER IN COLLUSION WITH THE CITY IS A LOSS TO ME. YOU NEED TO MAKE THE RESIDENCE WHOLE IN THAT, AT THAT END OF THIS CONTRACT. DOES THAT, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE OR AM I NO, I, I I THINK IT'S MISGUIDED. I WOULD SAY, I WOULD SAY THE THE ENGLISH WORD YOU'RE USING ARE, ARE OKAY. BUT IT'S A, IT'S NOT CORRECT. IT'S MIS IT'S MISGUIDED AND IT'S NOT CORRECT. FIRST OFF, WE NEVER STOP DOING ANYTHING. WE TAKE DIRECTION FROM THE, FROM THE CITY. AND SECOND, THAT PROGRAM WAS CHANGED BECAUSE OF COVID. IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING ELSE. AND THERE WAS A, THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH IT, WITH HAVING COMMUNAL EVENTS OR WHATEVER. AND DURING THAT WHOLE TIME, WHATEVER WE NEEDED TO DO FOR THE CITY TO MAKE UP FOR THAT, WE DID. I'M JUST TELLING YOU, YOU'RE, I GAVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY, SO GIVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY. ABSOLUTELY. SO THERE IS NO BREACH OF CONTRACT. WE DIDN'T NOT DO SOMETHING WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO. AND IN THE INTERIM, WE'VE BEEN SUPPLYING BINS AND STUFF TO DO OTHER THINGS AND WE'RE IN NEGOTIATIONS TO FIGURE OUT HOW THE CITY WANTS TO IMPLEMENT THAT. AGAIN, WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU IS IF I GO BACK TO OPTION THREE AND IT SAYS NO RATE ADJUSTMENT FOR 1383, I WOULD BE SAYING, THANK YOU GARY. NOT GIVE ME, GIVE ME MONEY BACK FOR SOME, CUZ I'M GIVING YOU MONEY BACK WITH MY PROPOSALS. I'M TAKING ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BOTHERED PEOPLE DURING COVID INTO, I COULD SAY RESIDENTIAL RATES GONNA GO UP 5%, BUT I'M NOT DOING THAT. WE'RE TAKING ALL OF THAT STUFF AND MAKING IT A 0% RESIDENTIAL RATE INCREASE. AND I'M TELLING YOU THAT ALL OF THOSE THINGS, THERE'S OTHER THINGS TOO THAT, THAT HAPPENED. I DISAGREE WITH [01:25:01] YOU ARE OWED ANYTHING BECAUSE YOU MISSED TWO ANNUAL CLEANUPS DURING A TIME. UM, I, I CAN DEMONSTRATE LEGALLY AND ETHICALLY FROM 19 20 19 21 AND 1922. UH, BECAUSE THERE WE SOMETIMES WE DIDN'T EVEN PROCESS TRASH AND THE DIVERSION WENT LOW BECAUSE WE WEREN'T ALLOWED TO PROCESS TRASH BECAUSE PEOPLE COULDN'T STAND NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND THE MURF CUZ THEY WOULD GET SICK. WE DIDN'T TELL YOU, WE DIDN'T COME AND DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT. WE PICKED UP TRASH WHEN OTHER COMPANIES WOULDN'T. IF ANYBODY HAS ANY RELATIVES THAT LIVE IN OTHER CITIES DURING COVID, OUR COMPETITORS DIDN'T PICK UP TRASH EVERY WEEK. THEY PICKED UP TRASH EVERY OTHER WEEK. THEY WOULD GO EVERY OTHER WEEK. THEY SAY, WE DIDN'T, WE DON'T HAVE WORKERS, WE DON'T HAVE THIS. RIGHT. THEY, I MEAN, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THERE'S A CITY THAT IS JUST THE OTHER SIDE OF WHERE I LIVE WHERE THE MAYOR CALLED ME AND SAID, GARY WASTE MANAGEMENT JUST CALLED US AND SAID THEY'RE GONNA PICK UP TRASH EVERY OTHER WEEK AND THEY'RE GONNA ALTERNATE TRASH ONE WEEK RECYCLING ONE WEEK AND GREEN ONE WEEK. AND WE CAN'T DO THAT. WILL YOU GIVE US AN HOURLY RATE TO COME AND PICK UP YOUR TRASH? WE WERE THE ONLY COMPANY DURING COVID THAT NEVER MISSED A WEEK, THAT NEVER MISSED A PICKUP AND DID ALL OF THOSE THINGS. SO I WOULD TELL YOU THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU SAID, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU SAID, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU SAID WAS, GARY, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ANNUAL EVENTS GET BACK TO WHERE THEY WERE. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I WILL GUARANTEE THAT WE WILL WORK WITH THE CITY TO GET THOSE INTO THIS 1383 UPDATE SO THAT THEY GO BACK TO WHERE THEY WERE. NOW THERE'S OPTIONS THE CITY'S BEEN WORKING ON THAT THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA WANT TO TALK ABOUT, BUT THIS IS TAPED AND THEY KNOW THAT YOU WANT THAT ANNUAL CLEANUP BACK. BUT I WOULDN'T SAY THAT YOU MISSED, YOU'RE OWED ANY MONEY BECAUSE THAT HAPPENED. I DISAGREE WITH THAT. I'M SURE YOU DO. UM, IF WE CAN GET BACK TO THAT ANNUAL, YOU KIND OF WENT ALL OVER THE PLACE. BUT IF WE CAN GET BACK TO THAT ANNUAL, IT DOES PREDATE COR, UH, THE, THE, UH, CORONAVIRUS, THE, THE, THE PANDEMIC. I PREDS. THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A FACT. I CARMEN WASN'T HERE. I DON'T THINK CAR WAS KNOWN TO BE A CITY MANAGER AT THE TIME. IT, CITY OF WEST COVINA PREDATES CARMEN. UM, I DON'T SEE HOW YOU JUST MINUTES AGO SAID THAT IT'S IN PLACE. CONTRACT HASN'T CHANGED. IT PREDATES THE VIRUS OR THE, THE PANDEMIC, BUT WE HAVEN'T BEEN RECEIVING IT. AND THIS, THIS CRY HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR FAR MORE THAN TWO YEARS. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF THE PANDEMIC. THIS PREDATES THE PANDEMIC. WE DID NOT RECEIVE A SERVICE THAT YOU ADMIT IS STILL PART OF OUR CONTRACT. STILL A VALID PART OF OUR CONTRACT. WE DID NOT GET A RATE DECREASE IN THE INTERIM. WE DID RECEIVE A, A RATE INCREASE W WITH THE PRE, UH, TWO PREVIOUS COUNCILS WITH REGARDS TO YOUR TIPPING, UH, FEES. YOU TOOK AWAY A, A SERVICE THAT WE WERE RECEIVING AND WE DIDN'T SEE A REFUND. WE DIDN'T EVEN GET NOTIFICATION. MY QUESTION IS, HOW IS IT THAT OUR CITY DROPPED THE BALL AND ALLOWED WHETHER AT THEIR REQUEST OR LIKE I SAID, IT WASN'T, UH, THAT I WAS JUST SAYING ATHENS TOOK IT AWAY FROM US. IT WAS EITHER ATHENS, THE CITY OR COMBINATION OF THE TWO. WHY WAS IT TAKEN AWAY, UH, WITH NO NOTIFICATION AND NO SORT OF, UH, COMPENSATION. I THINK THAT'S A FAIR QUESTION. OKAY. I'LL HAVE TO REFER. I'LL HAVE TO LET I, I'LL PAYING YOU AND CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE SERVICE. I FEEL THAT I'VE ANSWERED THAT ADEQUATELY. BUT IF I HAVEN'T, YOU COULD ASK YOUR CITY MANAGER. OBVIOUSLY I CUZ I, I, I DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I STILL THINK I TRIED TO ANSWER IT. GO AHEAD. THIS MAY HELP, AND I MAY NOT BE A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT I THINK I'M IN THE BALLPARK. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE WITH THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER AND ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER SUSPENDED, TEMPORARY, NOT PERMANENT. THEN WE GOT NEW STAFF AND WE NEVER GOT IT BACK. AND I BELIEVE IT, IT GOT SUSPENDED. ONE OF THE RESIDENTS WHO'S REALLY ON TOP OF THINGS TOLD ME WE HAD IT BRIEFLY ONE YEAR WHEN IT GOT SUSPENDED, WE WERE UPSET AND WE GOT IT FOR THE FALL, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE SPRING CLEANUPS IN THE FALL, BUT WE HAD A SPRING CLEANUP IN THE FALL AND THEN IT WAS SUPPOSED TO COME, I BELIEVE, UM, COVID CAME AND WE'VE NEVER GOTTEN IT BACK. BUT THE ORIGINAL WAS A, A SUSPENSION. I REMEMBER SITTING IN THE COUNCIL, HEARING PEOPLE SITTING THERE . YES. YEAH, I REMEMBER. I REMEMBER THAT. I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS IN 2020 WHEN THAT HAPPENED. I DON'T REMEMBER THE YEAR, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT. BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THESE, THE STAFF IS WORKING DILIGENTLY ON REINSTATING THAT AND I HAVE, I USE THE CALL THING, OKAY, CALL IN AND DO THAT AND MM-HMM. , UM, I HAVEN'T QUITE HAD YOUR EXPERIENCE, BUT I KNOW THAT WHEN THEY COME TO PICK UP, IF I HAVE FOUR ITEMS, THEY [01:30:01] TAKE FOUR. I DON'T ADVERTISE. I THINK I MAY BE TOLD THREE. I HAD FOUR DOORS. THEY TOOK ALL FOUR DOORS. . OKAY. UNDERSTAND THIS. IF, IF, IF WE, IF YOU SAY YOU HAVE THREE, LET'S SAY YOU HAVE FOUR. MM-HMM. , ONE OF 'EM WAS FOR UNCLE JOE. WE WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO PICK IT UP, BUT THREE OF 'EM WERE FOR US AND ONE OF 'EM WERE FOR SOMEONE ELSE. THAT'S WHY WE ASK BECAUSE WE PICK UP WHAT WE'RE TOLD TO PICK UP. IF WE PICK UP SOMETHING THAT BELONGS TO SOMEBODY ELSE, WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. WELL THAT'S, WE, WE DON'T KNOW THAT. ONE OF THE THINGS I REALLY LIKE ABOUT THAT SERVICE, AND I SAID THIS ONE TIME BEFORE WHEN FREELAND WAS, AND YOU HA WE'RE DOING A COMMUNITY MEETING SOMEWHERE MM-HMM. , WHEN PEOPLE ARE DOING WORK AT MY HOUSE AND THEY'RE GONNA CHARGE ME TO PULL, TAKE THOSE DOORS, I ASK THEM, WHAT'S YOUR CHARGE? AND I SAID, NEVERMIND HAVE ATHENS TAKEN. YEAH. THEY'LL SAY IT'S 25 BUCKS OR 45 BUCKS. OR EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE LANDFILL AND WITH A TRAILER ONCE A YEAR, OUR BULKY SERVICE IS WORTH $250 A A YEAR. EASY IF NOT MORE. ABSOLUTELY. IF, IF YOU USE IT AND YOU'LL TAKE, TAKE MATTRESSES, CHANGE THE CUPBOARD, DOORS OUT, YOU, IT'S A GOOD WATER HEATERS. LIKE IF YOU, IF YOU GET A WATER HEATER REPLACED, THEY'LL CHARGE YOU X AMOUNT OF MONEY TO HAUL IT OFF. YOU GET IT FOR FREE HERE. YOU JUST PUT IT OUT ON TRASH DAY, LET 'EM KNOW YOU HAVE A BULKY TO PICK UP. AND WE BRING A SEPARATE TRUCK AND WE PICK IT UP AND WE RECYCLE IT. AND THIS IS FOR THE CITY MANAGER. WE SEE OUR CITY AS ONE CITY. THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS ARE HOW WE ELECT OUR SERVICES. WE WOULD LIKE AS A CITY. PLEASE DON'T TRY AND DO AN ANNUAL PICKUP BY DISTRICT. JERRY, I HEAR YOU AND I AGREE WITH YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IF, IF I COULD SAY JUST ONE THING, I, THIS IS ALWAYS A PERSONAL STORY IN TERMS OF YOUR TRASH AND HOW IT GETS HAUL. I BOUGHT A FIXER UPPER HOUSE IN THIS COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, IN 2019. AND UM, THAT'S HOW I SPENT MY COVID YEARS WAS REMODELING THAT HOUSE. I BOUGHT THE WORST HOUSE I COULD FIND IN A PRETTY GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD AND I'VE HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE CALLING THAT NUMBER AND I ALWAYS WAIT MY PLACE IN LINE. I THINK WE GET EXCELLENT SERVICE AS RESIDENTS FROM THIS HAULER. I'VE JUST HAVE TO SAY, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT A GOOD PARTNERSHIP HERE AND, AND A A SOLID, UH, RELATIONSHIP WITH, WITH, UM, WITH ATHENS. I PROMISE YOU I'LL BRING BACK THAT ANNUAL CLEANUP. I'LL, I'LL I'LL MAKE THAT HAPPEN. I'LL GET THAT BACK UP AND RUNNING AGAIN. WHAT I WAS HOPING WE COULD TALK ABOUT, CAUSE IT'S REALLY THE ESSENCE OF THIS CONVERSATION TONIGHT IS OF THESE OPTIONS, WHICH ONE SEEMS TO MAKE THE MOST SENSE. AND SO I REALLY WANTED TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE, IF WE DON'T ADJUST THE FORMULA, THE RATES ARE GONNA GO UP. RESIDENTIAL RATES, WE'RE ALL GONNA PAY ABOUT $10 MORE A MONTH. IT'S OPTION ONE OF THE THREE HERE. AND, AND I'M NOT A FAN BECAUSE I THINK I WANT TO KEEP THE RESIDENTIAL RATES TO AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM BY DOING SOME SHIFTING WITHIN THE AGREEMENT TO THE COMMERCIAL RATES WHICH ARE TOO LOW. AND BY AMENDING TO USE THE, THE TRASH CPI PLUS ONE FOR 15 YEARS, I THINK WE CAN ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE NEED TO DO AS, AS HOMEOWNERS AND KEEP THE RATES TO AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM. BUT I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE MY OPINION. I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE AS TO WHICH OF THESE OPTIONS YOU THINK MAKES THE MOST SENSE. COULD WE TALK ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE PLEASE? YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION. JUST GO AHEAD SIR. UM, AS A RESIDENT, YES. I LOVE OPTION THREE. OKAY. BUT I DO KNOW THAT A LOT OF OUR BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, SMALL BUSINESSES ARE HURTING. I'M JUST WONDERING YOU MIND USING THE MIC? I MEAN, JD MADE THE POINT EARLIER. I'D LIKE TO. SURE. UH, AGAIN, AS A RESIDENT, I LOVE, YOU KNOW, THE OPTION THREE, BUT I'M CONCERNED FOR THE SMALL BUSINESSES IS HOW BIG OF AN IMPACT. 8%. CAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY ARE HURTING, YOU KNOW, JUST WITH, UH, OPTION THREE. OPTION THREE GIVES THE COMMERCIAL, THE, THE A LOW INCREASE. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE PROJECTED RATE, THERE'S STILL THE LOWEST LOOK AT, LOOK AT THE RATES COMPARED TO THE OTHER RATES. THEY'RE STILL THE LOWEST. COULD YOU FLIP TO TWO? YEAH, BETWEEN TWO. THEY'RE, THEY'RE STILL ONE OF THE LOWER COMMERCIAL RATES. UM, OPTION TWO, THEY, THEY GO UP. OOPS, QUESTION OPTION TWO, IT'S 15%. SO OUT OF ALL OF THEM, I BELIEVE IT'S THE BEST FAIR SHARE DEAL AND GIVES THEM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE FIVE YEAR OUT HERE, 3 92 VERSUS ALL THESE OTHER RATES VERSUS, UH, 360 9 AND THE TWO AND, AND THE 1 31 DOESN'T CHANGE BECAUSE THAT'S NOT PART OF THE MATRIX AND THEY GET THE ORGANIC BARREL STILL. AND THEY ALSO GET THE OPTION OF AT NO COST A BLUE BARREL IF WE INTRODUCE THAT. SO I BELIEVE AS A BUSINESS OWNER THAT THAT IS THE BEST DEAL FOR COMMERCIAL ALSO. THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST BALANCED DEAL OF ALL FOUR. GARY, MY POINT WAS I WANT, WE DIDN'T BRING THE VOTING, WE DIDN'T BRING THE VOTING CARDS TONIGHT LIKE WE DID AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT MAYBE WE COULD JUST HAVE A SHOW OF HANDS, SENSE OF THE ROOM. IS THERE ANYBODY HERE THAT REALLY THINKS OPTION ONE IS THE WAY, WAY TO GO? I'M HEARING, I'M HEARING CRICKETS. SO [01:35:01] ARE WE LOOKING AT BETWEEN OPTION TWO AND THREE IN THE MIND OF THOSE THAT TOOK THE TIME TO COME OUT TONIGHT, WHICH I REALLY APPRECIATE. UH, BETWEEN TWO AND THREE. SHOW OF HANDS IS OPTION TWO YOUR PREFERENCE TONIGHT? WHAT'S YOUR YEAH, THE DIRECTOR. I WANT TO HEAR YOUR OPINION, BUT I MEAN, I LIKE OPTION THREE. I DO, WHAT WAS IT? RAISE? NO ONE RAISED THEIR HANDS, SIR. IF THEY DID, I WOULD TELL YOU OPTION. IT LOOKS LIKE OPTION THREE. LOOK, I'M GETTING THE PHYSICAL GESTURES THAT THAT'S THE ONE THEY LIKE THE MOST. I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY FOR OPTION ONE YET. AND OPTION TWO, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY DELIGHT FOR YET. ROLLING. OPTION THREE, THERE'S A FAILURE HERE. WE GET A SALES TAX FROM OUR BUSINESSES IN THE CITY. SURE. WE HAVE A PROPERTY TAX REVENUE AND WE HAVE A SALES TAX. AND I DON'T SEE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY HERE. THEY'RE HALF THE EQUATION HERE. I'VE DONE, I'VE DONE PROBABLY TWO PRESENTATIONS TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THROUGH THE CHAMBER, THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS AND THEY UNDERSTAND IT AND THEY'RE BEHIND IT. I'M TELLING YOU THAT, I MEAN THEY, THEY WANT 15 OR DO THEY WANT EIGHT? THEY LIKE, THEY LIKE THE FIRST ONE THAT WE DID. OPTION THREE. OKAY. BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S MY CONCERN IS IT'S THE LOWEST COMMERCIAL. IT'S, IT'S THE REVENUE FOR MY CITY I'M CONCERNED WITH. YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD POINT. THANK YOU FOR ANYWAYS. SO WE DID OPTION ONE, OPTION TWO, AND OPTION THREE. IS THERE A SHOW OF HANDS? SO OPTION, LET'S START TAKING 'EM IN ORDER. OPTION ONE, OPTION ONE. SHOW OF HANDS. I DON'T SEE ANY. I SEE NO HANDS FOR OPTION ONE. OPTION TWO, TWO. I SEE NO HANDS. AND OPTION THREE. OPTION THREE. SEE THE ROOM HAS THEIR HANDS OF THE ROOM EXCEPT FOR YOU SIR IS UNANIMOUS. OPTION 3, 2, 3. I, I WOULD, I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR OPINION. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR OPINION PLEASE. NO, ABSOLUTELY. THE ACTUAL CONTRACT COMMUNITY SERVICE. YEAH. THERE YOU'RE, I'M WAITING TO SEE THE STAFF REPORT WITH THE CONTRACT AND THAT COMMUNITY SERVICE FEE AND THE OTHER LITTLE THINGS. IF IT WAS J SO MINE IS A RESERVED BASED ON THIS, IT WOULD BE THAT. BUT THERE'S A BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF IN THE CONTRACT THAT I HEAR YOU. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS JERRY, THAT, THAT I'VE DONE WITH THIS CONTRACT AS I DID FOR EXAMPLE, WITH ALL THE NINE LABOR AGREEMENTS, THEY HAD BEEN AMENDED AND AMENDED AND AMENDED. WE HAD AMENDMENTS TO AMENDMENTS. I, I COMPREHENSIVELY AND HOLISTICALLY REWROTE THEM INTO A SINGLE IN INTEGRATED DOCUMENT THAT'S BEEN DONE HERE. WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR THIS LAST PIECE, WHICH IS THE SB 1 3 83. BUT I'LL GIVE YOU A DOCUMENT THAT REFLECTS ALL THE TERMS. I UNDERSTAND. DO A SINGLE DOCUMENT. YOU SAID THAT AT THE MEETING, THE LAST MEETING YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT. YEAH, BUT IT'S THE WAY THE NUMBERS AND EVERYTHING GET CRUNCHED HERE AND THERE. OKAY. THAT'S FAIR. SO THAT'S FAIR. I'LL, I'LL I'LL SHOW YOU THE FINAL DOCUMENT AND I'LL GET IT TO YOU, UH, IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING. OKAY. WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THIS SURVEY THAT YOU'RE DOING? BECAUSE THIS IS A CITY OF 110,000, NOT 10, 12 PEOPLE IN THE ROOM. WHAT, WHAT IS PURPOSE OTHER THAN TRY TO FIND SUPPORT FOR YOUR CHOICE OF MODEL THREE? JD, IF I COULD ANSWER. I DIDN'T COME HERE TO SELL AN OPTION TONIGHT. I CAME HERE TO LISTEN. SO IT'S A LISTENING POST. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A CHANCE FOR ME TO HEAR FROM RESIDENTS AND I'M ALWAYS HEARTENED WHEN PEOPLE COME. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU GAVE UP AN EVENING TO COME TALK ABOUT TRASH. A LOT OF PEOPLE WON'T. AND SO AM I EVER GONNA GET 110,000 PEOPLE TO SAY, GEE, DAVID, IT'S THE BEST IDEA I'VE EVER HEARD. NO. SO THEN WHY THE PURP WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF, BECAUSE I VALUE THE COMMUNITY INPUT. I REALLY WANT TO HEAR YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE. EVEN I, I BELIEVE GARY, BUT THEY'RE NOT ABOUT, THERE'S SOME, THERE'S NO PLEASING SOME PEOPLE AND I'M, I'M TRYING TO LISTEN TO THOSE THAT CARED ENOUGH TO COME. I REALLY, REALLY DID WANT TO EMPHASIZE. AND THE OTHER THING IS I WANTED, LET ME, LET ME FINISH PLEASE. I, I REALLY WANTED PEOPLE TO SAY IN THEIR OWN VOICE WHAT THEIR ISSUES WERE, WHAT THEIR CONCERNS WERE AND WHAT THEIR PREFERENCES WERE. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. AND IF THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE, OH, THANK YOU FOR COMING. I MOST CERTAINLY AM. AND I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT I WOULD NOT WANT TO CHOOSE ANY OF THESE MODELS RIGHT NOW CAUSE I SEE ONE, TWO, AND THREE AS A MANDATED RATING INCREASE. CAN I SAY SOMETHING? WELL, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA, YOU WERE DONE. OH, GO AHEAD. NO, PLEASE GO AHEAD. BY ALL MEANS, WE'RE BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL HERE IN TERMS OF COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATORY AGENCIES. I'M, I'M, I'M PAST DUE. I HAVE RUN OUT OF THINGS TO TELL CAL RECYCLE AND I NEED TO GET THIS ON A CITY COUNCIL AGENDA AND GET IT CONSIDERED PUBLICLY BY THE BODY AND GET IT ADOPTED AND GET A PROGRAM IN PLACE. SO WE WE'RE DOWN TO THE END [01:40:01] OF A PROCESS WHERE WE GOTTA MAKE SOME HARD CHOICES. IS IT MR WELL, WHEN I WAS, WHEN WE WERE TOLD EARLIER THE EARLIER COUNCIL MEETING THAT THIS WAS ABOUT THE RESIDENT'S CONCERNS, NOT JUST THIS PARTICULAR, UH, ITEM. I, I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO COME HERE AND EXPRESS CONCERNS ACROSS THE BOARD. AND WE HAVE, AND I THINK YOU DID. THANK YOU, SIR. WE HAVE, WE HAVE. BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'VE BEEN A LITTLE RESISTANT TO IT. SO WHAT I'M WONDERING IS WHY DO WE HAVE TO, IF THIS IS A, A, A MANDATE FROM SACRAMENTO AND IT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY COUNCIL, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF US 10 PEOPLE IN HERE SAYING, YEAH, LET'S GO WITH MODEL THREE. NOW I CAN ALMOST SEE YOU GOING BACK TO CITY COUNCIL SAYING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE RESIDENTS, THE RESIDENTS WERE SUPPORTIVE OF MODEL THREE. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WOULD BE TRUE. CAN I SPEAK TO THAT FOR A MINUTE, SIR? MAY I, I I WOULD LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING TO THAT IF I COULD PLEASE. AND, AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I WANNA SAY THIS AS A, UH, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE CONTRACT, AND AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN IN THE CITY OF LONG TIME, I BROUGHT THIS PROPOSAL TO YOUR CITY COUNCIL THREE TIMES. I'VE BEEN IN FRONT OF YOUR CITY COUNCIL AT AN AGENDAS MEETING WHERE EVERYBODY WAS INVITED. E ALL YOU ALL, YOU ALL WERE HERE. AND I WAS BEGGING YOUR CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE FOR A CHEAPER VERSION. A A VERSION I THOUGHT WAS BETTER. AND THEY DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS ADVERTISED. EVERYBODY WAS EDUCATED, NO ONE GOT UP TO SP THEY WERE LIKE TWO OR THREE PEOPLE. BUT THAT NIGHT WHEN I WAS ASKING, I THINK I, I WANT TO THINK THAT IT WAS MAYOR WU THAT ONE TIME AND THEN A COUPLE TIMES BEFORE THAT THEY WERE ASKING FOR PEOPLE, ANYBODY HERE DISAGREE WITH IT? DOES ANYBODY HERE NOT LIKE IT? THERE WAS NOT A SPEAKER. COMMERCIAL WAS HERE, RESIDENTIAL WAS HERE. THIS CITY HAS GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND FROM A STANDPOINT OF REACHING OUT TO ITS COMMUNITIES. MOST CITIES HEAR IT. THEY HAVE IT, THEY HAVE THE MEETING AND IT'S DONE. I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH ABOUT SIX COMMUNITY MEETINGS WHERE I'VE EVEN TRAVELED ON THE ROAD AND GONE TO LIKE THE COMMUNITY CENTER AND OTHER PLACES. I'VE DONE IT HERE THREE TIMES IN FRONT OF YOUR CITY COUNCIL. UH, EDUCATING THEM ON WHAT I BELIEVE THE RIGHT THING TO DO IS, AND THEY WERE, THEY WERE GRAPPLING WITH IT, BUT IN A PUBLIC FORUM THE APPROPRIATE WAY. AND THERE WAS ONE NIGHT WHERE I THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA SAY, OKAY, WE LISTENED TO THE RESIDENTS, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY. LET'S VOTE FOR IT TONIGHT. AND THEY DIDN'T. THEY DECIDED TO WAIT FOR A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND CHALLENGE CAL RECYCLE A LITTLE BIT. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THE CITY MANAGER'S JUST TRYING, HE'S TRYING TO DO HIS BEST TO BRING SOMETHING BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL AGAIN WHERE I'VE GIVEN HIM TWO OTHER PROPOSALS BEFORE THIS THAT THEY SAID NO TO. SO HE, SO SO THEY SAID THAT YOUR CITY COUNCIL VOTED IT DOWN OR THEY DIDN'T VOTE AT ALL. AND SO THIS IS WHAT, UH, I THINK THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY'S TRYING TO DO AND GAIN FEEDBACK. AND I THINK, UM, I'VE MET WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING AND SO THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH THIS. AND I THINK THAT, UH, THE FEEDBACK TONIGHT WAS HELPFUL. I ACTUALLY THINK THAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID TONIGHT WILL HELP ME MO KIND OF, UH, SWEETEN UP THIS PROPOSAL TO MAKE THE THE CONCERNS YOU HAVE GO AWAY AND CONTINUE WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE LIKE WHITE GLOVE CADILLAC SERVICE THAT YOU HAVE IN THIS CITY. BEING ABLE TO THROW OUT BASICALLY WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH A PHONE CALL AND GET IT PICKED UP AND HAVE THIS COMPANY PAY THE FRANCHISE FEES, PAY THE TAXES, AND THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO SO THE CITY GETS COMPENSATED FOR THE WEAR AND TEAR OF US DOING THAT ON YOUR ROADS. YES SIR. THERE'S A TERM THAT EXPLAINS WHAT HE'S ASKING. AND THE TERM IS HIT A NERVE OFF HILL. I HAD A SERGEANT THAT SAW ME TO GO OFF ONE DAY AND I'M THE CALMEST GUY. , YOU'RE DEALING WITH HIT AND HEARD OF. TELL THESE PEOPLE IN THIS CITY THAT YOU'RE GONNA CHARGE PARKING AT NIGHT AND YOU'LL SEE THIS CHAMBER FULL, TAKE AWAY OUR CIVIC CENTER LIKE THEY TRIED TO DO, BUILD A BUILDING, A MEDICAL BUILDING NEXT TO OUR, OUR, UH, , OUR LIBRARY. AND THEN THAT, UH, PROPOSITION NO ONE WAS TOLD WAS THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALL THE PROPERTY ALONG THE FREEWAY THAT HIT A NERVE. THE REASON MR. JEFFERSON, YOU DON'T SEE EVERYBODY HERE. IT'S NOT IMPORTANT TO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE. THEY'RE HAPPY THE SERVICE ARE GETTING, CUZ IF THEY WEREN'T, THEY'D BE HERE IN DROVES. YOU'RE GETTING, THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING AT LEAST THE SERVICE END OF IT. AND I'M, HOPEFULLY YOU'RE ACKNOWLEDGING, I REALLY LISTENED TO YOUR CITY COUNCIL. I MET WITH EACH ONE OF 'EM. THEY'LL TELL YOU I LISTENED TO WHAT THEY SAID. I TOOK COPIOUS NOTES AND I'M BRINGING BACK WHAT I WOULD BRING TO MY FAMILY, WHAT I WOULD BRING TO ANYBODY. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND AT THE OTHER CITIES, NOT ONE CITY HAD NO RESIDENTIAL RATE INCREASE AND EVERY CITY DID THE PLUS ONE AND UH, AND TOOK A RATE INCREASE TOO. BUT I WORKED WITH YOUR [01:45:01] CITY COUNCIL AND WITH YOUR CITY MANAGER TO DEVELOP SOMETHING THAT HELPS BALANCE THIS UNFUNDED MANDATE OUT OVER TIME WITHOUT ADDING TIME TO YOUR CONTRACT, WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING ELSE SPECIAL. JUST PUTTING IT OUT LIKE THIS. AND, AND, AND THAT'S THE REASON THAT WE'RE HERE. AND I WANTED TO TAKE ALL THE TIME AND YOU GUYS KNOW HOW TO GET AHOLD OF ME. I DON'T THINK IF YOU'VE ANYONE WHO'S EVER CALLED ME, I HAVEN'T CALLED YOU BACK OR COME TO PAY YOU A VISIT. YES, YOU DID ONE YOU DID ONE OF THESE MEETINGS ABOUT A YEAR OR SO AGO, AND THERE WAS ABOUT SIX OF US HERE OR SO. YES. I JUST WANT TO TELL THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE HERE THAT WEREN'T AT THAT, AT THAT MEETING. WE WERE TALKING NUMBER OF BARRELS DO YOU WANT AND STUFF. YOU HAVE BEEN LISTENING THESE KI BECAUSE I WORKED WITH MANDATES WHEN I WORKED. YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF WIGGLE ROOM FOR WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO WHEN THE STATE SAYS YOU'RE GONNA DO IT. AND I APPRECIATE, I DON'T WANT THREE BARRELS, . I MEAN, I APPRECIATED THE APPROACH YOU, UH, THAT YOU DID AND YOU LISTENED. AND I'LL CONTINUE TO LISTEN. I TRY TO LISTEN MORE THAN I SPEAK, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. AND MY LAST THING I'M GOING TO TAKE, YOU'LL PROBABLY FIGURE OUT THE TIMEFRAME. I DON'T REMEMBER, BUT YEARS AGO THERE WAS A, UH, PROPOSITION AND I USED TO VOTE ON, I'D READ EVERYTHING IN THE BOOK AND SAY, OH, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA. AND THE MANDATE WAS, SHOULD CITIES REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TRASH GOING INTO THE LANDFILLS? THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. I VOTED FOR IT. IT WAS THE LAST TIME I EVER DID THAT BECAUSE I LEARNED ABOUT UNFUNDED MANDATES. YEAH. THEY SAID THAT'S A GOOD IDEA, BUT THEY FORGOT TO SAY, AND YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR IT AND YOU DON'T KNOW NAME. RIGHT. AND THAT'S NOT, I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY LAWS. IF YOU ASK YOUR CITY COUNCIL, LIKE RIGHT NOW, THERE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER 3,500 LAWS THAT THE ASSEMBLY AND SENATE ARE GONNA PASS WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS IN GOOD FAITH. AND YOU GOTTA LOOK AT 'EM AND THEN GIVE THEM FEEDBACK. THERE'S BEEN A BUNCH OF LAWS THAT HAVE PASSED THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T UNDERSTAND. LIKE IF YOU, YOU KNOW, IF YOU RUN A, UH, A DEL TACO AND YOU'RE PAYING SOMEBODY $15 AN HOUR, NOW YOU HAVE TO PAY 'EM 20. HOW'S THAT GONNA CHANGE THE PRICE OF A BURRITO? YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT HITS EVERYBODY. IT'S JUST THERE'S NOT MUCH WE CAN DO ABOUT IT. AND AGAIN, I I'M, I'M COMPARING A VERY SMALL RATE INCREASE TO YOUR GAS BILLS DOUBLED. NOBODY CARE. I MEAN, ALL THEY'RE GONNA SAY IS LIKE, LIKE MY, MY, UH, ONE OF MY MENTORS TELLS ME WHEN I GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AND I WANT A POUND OF TURKEY, IF I GIVE THEM THE MONEY FOR HALF A POUND, THEY'RE NOT GIVING ME A POUND OF TURKEY. THEY'RE GONNA GIVE ME A HALF A POUND OF TURKEY. AND THEY'RE GONNA SAY, IF YOU WANT A HALF, IF YOU ONLY HAVE MONEY FOR HALF A POUND, YOU'RE GETTING A HALF A POUND. WELL, THAT'S JUST HOW THE WORLD WORKS. AND I'VE TRIED TO TAKE THAT AND, AND, AND ELIMINATE IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE HERE AND CONTINUE THE SERVICE AND LISTEN TO AREAS WHERE I COULD EVEN MAKE THE SERVICE BETTER FOR YOU IN THE FUTURE. YES. I'VE GOT TWO THINGS AND THE SECOND ONE'S A NICE THING. THEY'RE ALL NICE, SIR. I KNOW. GOING BACK TO CALLING WHEN YOU NEED PICK AND THEY ASK YOU HOW MANY PIECES DID YOU DO IN, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE ONLY GONNA PICK THAT UP. I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE IT. WE CAN HAVE IT AS WHATEVER WE PUT OUT. YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ORDER CASE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO CALL 'EM FOR A CERTAIN TIME AND THEN WE'RE STILL WORKING, CLEANING OUT OUR GARAGES OR WHATEVER. WE'RE PUTTING MORE OUT AND NOW THEY COME AND THEY DON'T TAKE IT AND IT SITS THERE. SO IT HAS TO BE A BETTER SYSTEM. THE, THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN US AS THE RESIDENTS AND THE LADY THAT PICKS UP THE PHONE ON A, YOU KNOW, HAVE EXTRA STUFF PICKED UP. THAT'S THE OTHER THING IS OUR, UH, DRIVER THAT COMES AND DOEST, HIS NAME IS RODRIGO. HE'S A GREAT GUY. HE'S BEEN ON THIS FIRM MEETING 15, 20 YEARS OF THIS ROUTE. HE IS A GOOD GUY. I DON'T KNOW IF HE GETS, UH, OUT ON THE BACK THE JOB THAT HE DOES. HE DOES. AND HE IS ALSO REWARDED QUARTERLY FOR SAFE BEHAVIORS AND FOR HIS, UH, CONTRIBUTION TO HOW HE DOES HIS JOB. IN FACT, WHAT THE MATTER IS, WE JUST HAD A RETIREMENT FOR ONE OF YOUR DRIVERS WHO'S BEEN IN THIS CITY FOR 38 YEARS. 38 YEARS. HE WOULDN'T WORK IN ANY OTHER CITY. HE JUST RETIRED AND UH, HE WAS TRAINING SOMEBODY ELSE TO DO HIS JOB. BUT THE PEOPLE THAT WORK IN THIS CITY LOVE WORKING IN THIS CITY. THEY KNOW EACH ONE OF YOU, THEY KNOW YOUR, WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS. IF SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT, THEY CALL US. IF, UH, IF THERE'S A BUMP IN THE ROAD THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED, THEY REPORT THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO. AND IF YOU SEE 'EM, STOP 'EM AND SAY HI TO 'EM, CUZ THEY'LL SAY HI TO YOU AND THEY, THEY'LL, THEY KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR TRASH. BUT, YOU KNOW, I'LL TAKE THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU SAID [01:50:01] ABOUT THE, UM, CALLING IN FOR BULKY AND I'LL TAKE THAT UNDER SUBMISSION AND SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO. BUT WE ALSO HAVE, UH, WE HAVE MEN THAT WORK IN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER TOO. MEN AND WOMEN. SO, UM, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT I WILL MEET WITH OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THEM BECAUSE THERE'S CERTAINLY A CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION PORTION OF THAT. AND THERE'S ALSO A COMMON SENSICAL PORTION OF IT THAT WE CAN WORK ON. EXACTLY. YEAH. ANYONE ELSE NEED A MICROPHONE? I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE RECORDING IT. ROLLING. THANK YOU. UM, MR. CLIFFORD, UH, THE ONE, UM, I, I REALLY ENJOYED VISITING ATHENS A, A SHORT WHILE AGO. UM, BUT JUST, JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE RESIDENTS WHO, WHO SEE THIS ONLINE, CAN YOU TELL PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE OF EXTREME LOW INCOME, WHO JUST, UM, HAVE DIFFICULTY? BECAUSE I REMEMBER LEARNING ABOUT A PROGRAM THAT YOU HAVE TO SUPPORT THEM AND TO HELP SENIOR CITIZENS BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY NOT REALIZE, UH, WHAT YOU DO DO FOR PEOPLE WHO, WHO ARE, ARE A LITTLE BIT, HAVE MORE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES. BECAUSE THE REASON WHY IT'S GOOD TO BRING UP HERE IS SO THAT WAY PEOPLE CAN ALSO SEE HOW YOU DO TAKE DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES INTO ACCOUNT. BECAUSE THAT WAY, UH, PEOPLE WILL REALIZE THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO SERVE ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. WE WE'RE A PRIVATELY HELD COMPANY, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO REPORT TO SHELL SHAREHOLDERS OR THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO WE HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH EVERYBODY. WE HAVE PROGRAMS TO HELP SENIORS IN THIS CITY. WE WILL CARRY A NOTE FOR PEOPLE IF WE HAVE TO. WE HAVE A PROGRAM WHERE IF YOU CAN'T BRING YOUR BARRELS OUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, WE'LL BRING 'EM OUT FOR YOU. WE'LL DUMP 'EM AND WE'LL PUT 'EM BACK FOR YOU. NO CHARGE FOR THAT ALSO. SO WHAT I LIKE ABOUT ATHENS IS THE FACT THAT WE ARE A PRIVATELY HELD COMPANY. THE FACT THAT WE ARE REALLY GOOD IN THE RELATIONAL BUSINESS AND, AND CONNECTING WITH OUR CUSTOMERS, BUT WE REALLY DO WHAT WE SAY. WE TAKE CARE OF OUR SENIORS, WE TAKE CARE OF THE RECYCLING WORLD, AND WE PAY OUR FAIR SHARE. WE PAY OUR CITIES THROUGH THE FRANCHISE SYSTEM FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF COMING TO THEIR CITY. SO THEIR ROADS AND EVERYTHING MAINTAINED. WE PAY YOUR CITY A $300,000 A YEAR BEAUTIFICATION FEE IN ADDITION TO ALL THOSE FRANCHISE FEES THAT THEY CAN USE, LIKE TO BEAUTIFY WHERE YOUR MARQUEE IS, WHERE ALL THOSE, DIDN'T IT LOOK BEAUTIFUL THIS YEAR? DRIVING DOWN SUNSET, SEEING ALL THE BEAUTIFUL C LUMEN AND ALL THOSE PLANTS AROUND THAT NEW MARQUEE THAT YOU PUT UP, THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, SO I DO THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF PROGRAMS AND WH WHAT I, WHAT I FIND CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR STATEMENT ABOUT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS MOST, THERE'S PEOPLE IN WEST COVINA THAT CALL ME DIRECTLY AND THEY'LL CALL ME AND SAY, HEY GARY, I JUST CALLED UP ABOUT MY, MY BULKY CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS SO NICE. THEY CAME DOWN AND PICKED IT UP RIGHT AWAY. UM, IT WASN'T A HASSLE AT ALL. OR HEY, I JUST BO I JUST, UM, THERE WAS A GUY NAMED MIKE MILLER THAT THROWS AWAY, HE CLEANS OUT HIS GARAGE AND YOU REMEMBER MIKE MILLER AND HE, AND HE HAD A BUNCH OF BOOKS AND HE CALLED UP AND HE SAYS, HEY, I HAVE SOME BOOKS AND IT'S REALLY NOT TRASH. AND SO WE PUT OUT FIVE BUNDLES OF BOOKS AND WE WENT AND PICKED THEM UP. SO, UM, WE REALLY FOCUS ON THAT RELATIONSHIP OVER THE PHONE TOO AND PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IT. SO I'M GONNA WORK ON THAT, ON THAT BULKY ITEM THING. BUT REMEMBER TOO, BESIDES THE SENIOR ISSUES AND THE DISCOUNTS AND THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPEN EVERY WEEK, YOU GUYS ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE BARRELS THAT YOU HAVE AND YOU CAN PUT OUT THAT OTHER STUFF AND OTHER CITIES DON'T HAVE THAT BENEFIT. SO WHEN YOU'RE COMPARING RATES WITH OTHER CITIES, YOU REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THE CONTRACT AND SAY, WHAT DOES THIS CITY HAVE? AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU THAT SMALLER HAULERS, THEIR MODEL IS TO PICK UP A BLACK BARREL AND TAKE IT DIRECTLY TO A LANDFILL BECAUSE THERE'S NO MONEY INVOLVED WITH THAT. YOU PICK IT UP, YOU TAKE IT TO THE LANDFILL, YOU DUMP IT, THE BLUE BARREL, YOU GO TAKE IT TO GUESS WHAT? AN ATHENS FACILITY CUZ GUESS WHO RUNS, YOU KNOW WHERE POINTY HILLS IS. GUESS WHO RUNS POINTY HILLS NOW? ATHENS SERVICES. YEAH. THE COUNTY HIRED ATHENS TO RUN PLENTY HILLS FOR 25 YEARS. WE NOW RUN PLENTY HILLS. WE RUN DART. SO THE HAULERS BRING THAT NOW TO ATHENS. THE THE BLUE BARREL AND THEN THE GREEN BARREL THEY HAVE TO TAKE TO AN ORGANIC COMPANY. AND GUESS WHO OWNS AN ORGANIC COMPANY THEMSELVES? ATHENS. SO THAT'S WHY WE CAN INTERNALIZE THIS STUFF. WE DON'T HAVE TO USE A THIRD PARTY. AND SOME OF YOU HAVE TRAVELED ON THOSE, UM, ON THOSE FIELD TRIPS, BRIAN WILL MAKE SURE THAT AS A PART OF OUR 1383 PROGRAM WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, THAT WE HAVE FIELD TRIPS AVAILABLE FOR THE CITIZENS TO COME OVER AND LOOK AT THOSE TWO FACILITIES. BUT I HAVE, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, IF YOU COME TO MY CITY OF INDUSTRY FACILITY WHERE YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER JUST TOLD YOU HE CAME TO, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, THE LARGEST CITY, RIGHT? ARGUABLY THE LARGEST CITY, ISN'T IT? IS IT THE NUMBER ONE IN THE NATION OR [01:55:01] NUMBER TWO, IS NEW YORK BIGGER THAN LA? I DON'T THINK IT IS. OKAY, WE'RE NUMBER TWO. THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES JUST VOTED TO SEND ALL THEIR ORGANIC WASTE TO ATHENS SERVICES AND PAY US MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO PROCESS IT. SO EVERY, EVERY GREEN BARREL IN THE CITY OF LA THAT GETS PICKED UP, GETS PUT IN A GREEN TRUCK IN THAT REGION, BROUGHT TO AN ATHENS FACILITY AND TAKEN EITHER TO VICTORVILLE OR UP NORTH TO UM, UH, PEAR BLOSSOM OR LAMONT, CALIFORNIA. SO NOW WE THE, YOU'LL SEE CITY OF LOS ANGELES TRASH TRUCKS THERE, YOU'LL SEE CITY OF CLAREMONT TRASH TRUCKS THERE. YOU'LL SEE CITY OF SANTA MONICA TRASH TRUCK. AS THEY HAUL THEIR OWN, THEY DRIVE IT TO OUR FACILITIES. YOU'LL SEE CITY OF CULVER CITY TRASH TRUCKS THERE, AND YOU'LL SEE THE SMALL HAULERS BRINGING THEIR COLLECTED WASTE TO ATHENS. AND SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THOSE, THOSE, THOSE, UM, I THINK I CAPTURED 'EM ALL. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE IS LIKE, IF YOU, IF ANYTHING EVER HAPPENS TO YOU AND, AND YOU'RE INJURED OR YOU HAD A SURGERY AND YOU CAN'T DO YOUR TRASH, YOU JUST CALL US UP AND SAY, THE MORE IMPORTANT ONE IS WHAT PROGRAM DO YOU HAVE WITH LOW INCOME FAMILIES THINK YEAH. AND THE LOW INCOME FAMILIES, IF THEY QUALIFY THROUGH THE CITY THERE, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOW INCOME PROCESS THAT YOU HAVE, THEN YOU COME TO ATHENS AND WE FOLLOW THAT SAME METHOD. IT'S IN PLACE NOW. YES. S CAN APPLY TO HAVE THEIR YES. IF THEY'RE LOW INCOME YES. AND IF THEY QUALIFY UNDER THAT, THAT STATE, WHATEVER, THAT IT'S A STATE STANDARD OF THAT. YES. SORRY, IT'S ON, IT'S ON THE WEBPAGE. YEAH. CITY, PERHAPS CITIES. YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL. AND YOU, IF YOU, I HAVE PLENTY OF CARDS. IF YOU NEED MY CARD, MOST OF YOU HAVE IT, BUT IF YOU NEED ONE, I HAVE 'EM HERE. OKAY. GOOD NIGHT. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.