Submitted By
Rob Sproule, Public Works Director
Reviewed By
A.M. Zayyad, Deputy Village Manager
Agenda Item Title
Title
A Motion to Delay the Implementation of the Fall Leaf Collection Program Transition to the Bagging Model from 2024 to 2025 and Directing Staff to Prepare the Necessary Ordinance and Any Related Documents
End
Overview
Overview
Trustee Enyia has brought a motion to delay the implementation of the Fall Leaf Collection Program transition to a bagging model from 2024 to 2025. The motion was seconded by Trustee Parakkat.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
This motion was initiated by the Village Board. Staff has no recommendation.
Background
On April 30, 2024, the Village Board approve ordinance chances and an amendment to the agreement with the Village’s Waste Hauler to change the Fall Leaf Collection Program option from a loose-leaf street-based collection to a bagging program beginning in the Fall of 2024.
The motion presented by Trustee Enyia and seconded by Trustee Parakkat proposed to delay the implementation of the bagging program to the fall of 2025. The fall leaf collection program for the fall of 2024 would return to the historic loose-leaf street-based collection program.
Staff engaged the Village’s waste hauler, Lakeshore Recycling Services (LRS) on the feasibility of an additional contract amendment to revert back to the historic model of leaf collection for 2024. LRS is unable to guarantee that they can provide a fall leaf collection program for 2024 with the historic model. Upon approval of the contract amendment to transition to the bagging model for the 2024 fall leaf collection program in April (RES 24-180), LRS began taking steps to assure they had the equipment and staff in place to meet the new program needs. This included cancelling their special equipment agreement and reallocating resources towards the purchase of an additional collection truck. LRS has also made significant staffing changes to support this programmatic change and brought on additional full-time union CDL drivers in place of their temporary heavy equipment operators. It is not that LRS is unwilling to assist the Village, but they cannot guarantee the Village they can procure the necessary staff and equipment to implement the historic program model for a 6-week period this fall at this time.
In light of this, the Village would need to look for alternative options to support returning to the historic program model. The only guaranteed option that can be presented at this time would be a Public Works lead program utilizing existing staff and resources. This would be a significant undertaking for the department and would require the reallocation of staff and equipment from other core services. Staff would pursue other contract service providers to support the leaf program as an alternative but are not confident of successfully procuring those services.
Staff intend to present a robust communication and engagement plan to the Board on June 18. Staff and the communication consultant are confident that the proposed plan and timeline are more than sufficient to provide the necessary information and education. Staff also intend to present an alternative option to address the financial concerns addressed by residents.
Fiscal Impact
The need to directly support the historic leaf collection model, either through the use of Public Works staff and equipment or directly procured contract services from an alternate provider, would add additional cost to a program the Village may already be contractually obligated to pay LRS to provide for a bagging model program. The potential costs of these options are unknown at this time. Staff need to have further conversations with LRS to determine potential impacts. These costs are currently unbudgeted and would need to come from the Environmental Services Enterprise Fund Balance.
DEI Impact
The historic pile program model was determined to be in conflict with the Village Board Goals related to Community Health & Safety; Vibrant, Diverse, Connected Neighborhoods; and Sustainability & Resiliency. The pile program model was also determined to be unaligned with Climate Ready Oak Park (CROP) or Vision Zero.
The Village acknowledges and values the diverse community in Oak Park and has considered the unique challenges that many residents face in their daily lives. Village staff is performing ongoing engagement with community partners and citizen groups to develop supportive programming for the bagging program transition through an equity lens and ensure that the residents in need have adequate opportunities for assistance.
Alternatives
N/A
Previous Board Action
At the November 20, 2023 meeting, the Board raised multiple safety and sustainability concerns with the existing Fall Leaf Collection Program, including hazards such as: vehicle fires; impaired visibility for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers; flooding events; and greenhouse gas emissions from the heavy equipment required to operationalize the current model. The Board directed Public Works staff to research alternative program models and develop an informational presentation.
Staff returned to present the alternative leaf bagging program on March 12, 2024. The Board approved the change and directed staff to move forward with the transition (ID 24-171).
Staff returned to the Board on April 30, 2024 and presented A Resolution Approving an Amendment to the Independent Contractor Agreement with Lakeshore Recycling Systems, LLC to Change the Fall Leaf Collection Program Option and Authorizing its Execution (RES 24-180).
Staff also presented an Ordinance Amending Chapter 20 ("Public Health"), Article 7 ("Garbage, Weeds and Littering") Section 20-7-1 ("Definitions") and Section 20-7-2 ("Storage and Collection of Garbage, Refuse, Yard Waste and Recyclable Materials for Residential Buildings Containing Five Units or Less; Storage and Collection of Yard Waste for All Buildings") of the Oak Park Village Code Regarding the Village of Oak Park's Annual Fall Leaf Collection (ORD 24-118) at the same meeting. Both items were adopted at the April 30, 2024 Board meeting.
Citizen Advisory Commission Action
Public Works staff attended the Aging in Community Commission meeting on April 11, 2024 and the Disability Access Commission meeting on April 24, 2024 to discuss the anticipated impacts of the bagging program on the Oak Park populations that they represent. Residents in the aging and disability community face a unique variety of challenges in daily life that shall be considered when developing policies and programs. The discussions raised concerns regarding the financial burden of purchasing landscape bags/services, the physical labor needed to bag leaves, and the best methods for communicating the updated requirements and opportunities for assistance.
The commissions provided helpful suggestions for ways in which the Village can support these groups including: implementation of a 24-hour hotline to report leaf bags that are blocking walkways; development of an assistance/volunteer program for those who are unable to achieve compliance; and dissemination of discounted/complimentary landscape bags during the transition. Staff continues to work with these commissions to ensure equitable program design and will return for follow-up discussions at later meetings.
Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
Presentation of an ordinance amending Section 20-7-1 of the Village Code and presentation of any other related documents at a future Board meeting.
Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities
Village staff met with Oak Park Township Senior Services staff on April 23, 2024 to discuss potential partnerships and programs for assisting seniors with Fall Leaf Collection. The Township provided insights into the unique physical and financial challenges that seniors may face with the bagging program and offered to support the Village in the following ways: targeted outreach via ads in their new bi-monthly newsletter with approximately 3,800 subscribers, time slots at their popular Dine-In Lunch Program to deliver presentations on the program regulations and opportunities for assistance, sharing educational materials at tabling events such as the Oak Park Farmers’ Market, and hosting a landscape bag station at their office for low-income seniors.