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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/10/2000 City of Sebastian, Florida 1225 Main Street ~ Sebastian~ Florida 32958 Telephone (561) 589-5330 [] Fax (561~ 589-5570 City Council Information Letter March 10, 2000 Sebastian Police Department- '1999 Annual Report Attached is your personal copy of the Sebastian Police Department's 1999 Annual Report as recently compiled by Chief Randy White. Various information as contained in the report include crime statistics (comparisons and trends), crime clearance rates, community volunteer program summaries and overall accomplishments for the department in 1999. I personally found page 15 of the report to be quite interesting in that both average state and national crime clearance rates are below those of Sebastian, Florida. As such, our position from an administrative standpoint is to "stay the course", as we will work to continue maintaining Iow crime rates in our community. Capital Sanitation In response to my letter to management at Capital Sanitation delivered two weeks ago, company president Ron Rigby delivered the attached correspondence (earlier copies were previously delivered to each of you respectively) in effort to address our inquiries relative to enhanced management practices within the organization. As long as such arrangements are possible, I see no problems with having Capital Sanitation continue operations via the existing franchise agreement. However, please be advised that I have requested a copy of the corporation's most recent audited financial statement (the existing franchise agreement affirms the City's ability to request and access such information), in effort to ascertain both the financial health of the firm, as well as feasibility of funding a new truck to operate in Sebastian, as referenced in Mr. Rigby's letter to be purchased by later this summer. As such, once this information has been City Council Information Letter March t0, 2000 Page 2 received and reviewed by other staff and myself, I will advise all of you relative to any additional concerns. As you likely already realize, this arrangement represents a standard management practice, particularly while enhanced management plans are being considered for adoption. National Lea.que of Cities Just a reminder that I will be in Washington D.C. this weekend to represent our community at this year's National League of Cities conference. I am scheduled to return to Sebastian Monday late afternoon. Should any of you require to speak with me anytime during the conference, I will be staying at the Washington Capital Hilton (202-393-1000) while the conference will be held at the Washington Hilton Hotel and Towers (Registration Center, 888- 200-8477). Otherwise and as always, make it a great weekend. If you can, stop by the Pelican Island ceremony to take place at Riverview Park Sunday, March 12th, to celebrate the Great Floridians Program, as well as have a good time! Martha Campbell It is with some regret to inform you of City Engineer Martha Campbell's resignation from the City of Sebastian to become effective later this month. Fortunately, staff anticipates a rather smooth transition in that projects currently under Ms. Campbell's supervision are towards completion (including other long-range projects that have either been designed and/or conceptualized accordingly). Also fortunate, is that Ms. Campbell will join the City of Melbourne to serve as a project engineer in their utilities department. As such, efforts are being initiated to begin recruitment of applicants to be considered for Sebastian, Florida's next City Engineer. In the coming weeks, my office, in conjunction with the Department of Human Resources will invite and interview respective candidates (via open competitive process of course). Both engineering and public works staff had been directed to coordinate relevant responsibilities so as to maintain continuous productivity. I will keep all of you informed accordingly throughout the transition period, as we have taken the position that an opportunity exists, despite an initial loss. Enclosures: 1999 Sebastian Police Department Annual Report Letter from Ron Rigby, Capital Sanitation My Documents/InfoLetter33 CAPITAL SAhTITATION 661 Fellsmere Road Unit G Sebastian, Florida 32958 ( 61) 388 o 5 March 7, 2000 HAND DELIVERED Terrence Moore City Manager 1225 Main Street Sebastian, Florida 32958 Re: Capital Sanitation; Concerns of Citizens qf the City of Sebastian Dear Mr. Moore: This is in response to your letter dated February 24, 2000, which responded to my letter dated February 21, 2000 regarding the concerns the City of Sebastian has with Capital Sanitation's management of the franchise agreement in the collection of solid waste in Sebastian, Florida. In view of the recent concerns expressed with our company's management of the franchise agreement, effective March 6, 2000, Capital Sanitation implemented changes in its management structure to minimize the concerns cited by the City. A careful review of our route completion schedules for the last six months, revealed that our collection crews completed their scheduled routes within the time frame established by the franchise agreement, with the exception of a very few incidents. But it is our belief that the policy and management changes detailed in this correspondence will minimize even these infrequent exceptions. The top priority of our management team in Sebastian will be to provide the highest quality collection services possible to our customers. Since the last incident cited by the City, which affected our waste collection in early February, we have already modified our management system and observed that our collection crews within the last three weeks have been more consistent in the collection of solid waste in Sebastian. Our collection crews have been completing all routes well within the time flame established in the franchise agreement which is consistent with the route schedules established initially. One change in Capital's company policies which we believe will improve the quality of its collection service is the establishment of an internal tracking mechanism that identifies route completion by sections. The collection crews are required to notify dispatch at the completion of each section. This management tool will enable us to track our performance by section and allow our management staff to make adjustments as needed to address any potential problems. For the last three weeks, we have been utilizing this system and find it to be an effective management tool in tracking performance. "Specializing in Ouali~y Sanffation Services" Terrence Moore March 7, 2000 Page 2 Another change in Capital's company policies that we are now implementing is that the Director of Operations has been assigned to tour the routes daily after the completion of the collection service to evaluate the quality of our services. The evaluation process will also allow us to assess some of the issues which have been raised, including missed garbage collection and late garbage collection. With the new and improved management system and company policies being implemented, it seems that our system of collecting solid waste is working efficiently. But in order to provide even higher quality service to our customers, we are also currently reviewing our management system in relation to preventive maintenance of the collection vehicles. As stated in my February 21st letter, we hired an additional mechanic to work more closely with our vehicles to minimize breakdowns and to ensure that our trucks are route-ready at ail times. As part of our preventive maintenance evaluation process, we have developed a weekly inspection checklist which is prepared by our mechanics formyreview. The checklist willincIude asummaryofall areas that were inspected on each track weekly. This checklist will be forwarded to me on a weekly basis for tracking purposes and to determine the status and condition of all trucks prior to assigning routes. The weekly inspection checklists will be reviewed and compared with the weekly inspections performed by the City for consistency and continuity. Concerns with our collection vehicles that were cited by the City as problems will be addressed immediately. After correction, we will return the vehicle to the City for final approval and clearance to be used on the route. All preventive maintenance performed by our mechanics and drivers will be maintained on file for review. In our responses to Mr. Paul Wagner's memorandum to you, we provided a summary of the status of all vehicles used in the collection of solid waste. Based on the opinion of our mechanics, it has been determined that the refurbishing made to our collection vehicles should enable our company to provide collection services within the time frame .required in the franchise agreement. However, it was recommended that we take a more aggressive approach to our preventive maintenance program. We have already implemented this system and will continue to comply with this requirement in order to maintain good working vehicles. Within the next five months, we anticipate purchasing a new 2000 International 25-cubic yard rear-end loader. The pumhase of a new vehicle should add more reliability in our equipment inventory as well as, minimize recent breakdown concerns. We recognize that occasionally equipment needs to be upgraded and we are taking a positive step in that direction to address this concern. In the event that you find the corrective measures taken to resolve the concerns with the equipment are unsatisfactory, we are willing to work with the City and take every reasonable measure necessary. In the event that there is a problem with the timely collection of the garbage, we will continue to notify the City of the issue and the corrective action our company will implement to resume the collection of the solid waste on a normal collection schedule. Ttfis line of communication will keep the City informed of any changes that may occur in the collection of the solid waste. Based on our revised tracking system, it is anticipated that problems should be at a minimum in our collection of the solid waste. Terrence Moore March 7, 2000 Page 3 It is our understanding that there was an occasion that City officials and citizens were not able to contact our office in Sebastian. We were not aware that this was a pmblem since this issue was never brought to our attention. Currently, we have a listed, local, toll-free line for communicating with Capital Sanitation's office. In the event that all phone lines are in use, we have voice mail where messages can be left. For the most part, on a business day, our staff is required to check for voice messages at 15-minute intervals. In an effort to resolve this issue, we have implemented a new system requiring that if both phone lines are in use at the same time, the voice message will be checked at the next available oppommity and all messages will be responded to promptly. This process will assure that if someone is forced to leave a message, they will receive a response promptly. In your letter, it was indicated that the City had received many valid complaints from citizens in Sebastian. It was my understanding that when the City receives a complaint from our customers, it was agreed that the City would forward the complaints to our office for review and follow-up. A review of our files indicates that in the past four (4) months complaints forwarded from the City have been almost non-existent. In order to establish continuity in the community, we need to communicate effectively in addressing any concerns pertaining to our services. We need to be aware of any customer complaints so that we can respond effectively. It is also our belief that not all of the complaints received by the City are valid and indicative of management or procedural problems within Capital. Many of the complaints of missed pick-ups are a result of the customer not placing waste at curbside prior to the collection crews' arrival in the area. This obviously is not a flaw attributable to Capital. Because of the concerns expressed by our staffin this area, I decided to personally drive the collection trucks on several occasions to evaluate the merit of these types of concerns. I noticed that on three different occasions we received several calls in the office indicating that the routes I had been working had missed garbage. I am deeply concerned with the misrepresentation of the facts in this matter. We continue to experience this problem, and what may be regarded as complaints are revealed, on closer examination, to be beyond the scope of the franchise agreement or Capital Sanitation's responsibilities. With regard to the late pick-up, our records reflect that the vast majority of the times, the collection services provided by our company are timely and properly perforn~ed. In many instances we have taken the liberty to go back after the collection crews have completed the routes to satisfy some customers. This is often necessitated by late put out on the part of the customers who will then call the City and complain that we were late picking up their garbage when, in fact, we are making an accommodation for that customer. Because the franchise agreement failed to provide an opportunity to address this concern, we feel that we are being penalized, in part, for calls of this nature. Also, many complaints about Capital's service are being made by individuals who are not even customers of Capital. Capital has received many of these complaints and we can only assume that some of the complaints which the City has received are also fi'om non-customers. Obviously, Capital is unable to respond to the demands of non-customers and such complaints can not be considered. Terrence Moore March 7, 2000 Page 4 We are concemed with the comment that our company will be unable to fulfill its obligations under the franchise agreement. As stated previously we feel that for the most we have completed the collection process timely and consistently and satisfactorily perforated the services as required in the franchise agreement. We have never been fined for any of the alleged actions, as allowed by the franchise agreement. The officials of Sebastian have by-passed these steps and gone directly to threatening default of the franchise agreement. In our opinion, we feel that the new and improved management and procedural changes which have been implemented will greatly improve our ability to perform the requirements as set forth in the franchise agreement. The identification of customers is a difficult matter to solve without a decal and billing process. The decal and billing system which we have implemented appears to be the best solution to a difficult problc~u. We feel that this system is effective and not unduly burdensome to our customers. While there have been some problems, we feel tkis system is the least problematic but we are open to suggestions or input fi:om the City in addressing this situation. We appreciate the opportunity to present our management plan to the City in terms of improving the quality of collection services in Sebastian. As indicated earlier, our most important goal is to improve the quality of collection services provided in Sebastian. With our collection crews currently completing the majority of the routes daily by mid-afternoon, we feel this is indeed a step in-the right direction, as we strive to provide the citizens of Sebastian with the highest quality service possible. If you feel the above noted changes to Capital Sanitation's policies and procedures do not adequately address the City's concerns, or if you would like to discuss these changes further, we would appreciate an opportunity to meet with you to discuss these matters. Please feel free to contact me at (561) 388-9685 or (850) 877-0302. We have included with this correspondence a response to the memorandun~ which was prepared by Mr. Paul Wagner. After carefully reviewing the incidents cited by Mr. Wagner, we felt it necessary to present our interpretation of the cited incidents. Thank you for your continued cooperation. Sincerely, Enclosure CC: Honorable Mayor and City Council Rich Stringer, City Attorney Paul Wagner, Purchasing and Contract Administrator Igler and Dougherty, P.A. Responses to the Issues in Mr. Wagner's Memorandum Issues #1, 2, 3, and 4: "2-9-00; I was advised that three (3) trucks were down due to maintenance problems, therefore garbage pickup scheduled for 2-8-00 would not be completed until the next day. Many calls were made to my office by irate citizens pertaining to this situation." "2-7-00; I was advised that the collection trucks were running late to finish the assigned route. Many calls were made to my office by irate citizens pertaining to late pick-up and garbage sitting out in the street for to long period time." "2-2-00; I was advised that the garbage was not picked up until late in the night (midnight) on 2-1-00. That the garbage trucks were rumbling down the streets late at night, trash cans were being banged against the tracks to empty them, etc., dogs were barking and such. In addition the animals (dogs, cats, raccoons) were scattering trash while in a feeding frenzy." "2-1-00; Complainant states trash pickup was late last week about 8:30 P.M. and never seems to be the san~e crew on collection trucks, which leads complainants to believe employee turnover could be causing some of the problem of missed streets, late pickup, etc." Capital's Response: In our letter dated February 21, 2000 to Mr. Paul Wagner, we explained the status of our trucks and the circumstances regarding late pickups on January 31 st, February 1 st, 2~d, and 8th. The occurrences of January 31st, February 1~t, and 2nd are not three separate incidents, but rather one incident. Similarly, the occurrences of February 7~ and 8th are not two separate incidents, but rather one i~)cident, which unfortunately took two days to resolve. The circumstances that led directly to these incidents were exceptional and unavoidable (two trucks broke down and several drivers were ill). During these incidents, we still had two trucks operating and collecting solid waste in Sebastian. Although we were able to resume our normal scheduled pick-up after these brief periods of employee illness and mechanical breakdowns, we have taken other preventive measures to ensure that the primary trucks are serviced more frequently and our backup trucks are route ready at all times during operation. Additionally, we have two alternate drivers on standby in case of absenteeism due to illness. Currently, we have three primary trucks designated for collection of solid waste in Sebastian. When we initially commenced with the collection of solid waste under the current franchise agreement, we had two primary trucks to respond to a customer base of 2,000 customers as well as, one backup truck. Since our customer base now exceeds 3,600 customers, we have three primary trucks and five backup trucks collecting solid waste in Sebastian. Prior to the two separate incidents cited above, we have been very effective in the collection of solid waste, completing services within the time frame established by the franchise agreement. Because of the recent mechanical breakdowns with the trucks, we have requested that our mechanics provide us with an expert opinion regarding the condition of the primary trucks and recommended Page 1 of 8 actions or repairs that are needed to prevent or minimize mechanical breakdowns in the future. Our mechanics provided the following information relative to the primary trucks currently assigned to the routes: Truck #350: This is a 1987 Mack DM 350 31 cubic yard packer garbage truck that was purchased in August 1998 from Trucks and Parts of Tampa. According to information received from Trucks and Parts, this vehicle had been refurbished and was equivalent to a 1993 track at the time of purchase. The refurbishing included, but was not limited to, an overhaul of the bearings and rings in the engine, rebuilding the transmission, painting the body, etc. This truck was presented to City officials for review and approval prior to its utilization on the route. City officials (City Manager, Thomas Frame and Assistant City Manager, Paul Wagner) stated satisfaction with the condition of this truck and granted approval for utilization on the route. With the three-truck operation, this truck is used an average of five hours per day, or 30 hours per week. Based on the opinions of our mechanics, the refurbishment to this truck should allow for an average of six tons of garbage to be collected daily without experiencing major problems. We have implemented an improved preventive maintenance program that requires daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly inspections. The new and approved preventive maintenance program should minimize mechanical breakdowns and keep the condition of the tracks operable at all times. Prior to the aforementioned breakdowns, this truck was taken off the route for brake shoes to be installed on all four tandems. Unfortunately, the one mechanic being utilized was inundated with work during this period and could not perform the required work. To offset this concern in the future, we have retained an additional mechanic to work with our primary mechanic in the maintenance of the trucks. Truck #237: This is a 1987 DM 237 Mack with a 31 cubic yard rear-end loader packer that was purchased in August 1998, from Trucks and Parts of Tampa. According to information received from Trucks and Parts, this vehicle had been refm'bished and was equivalent to a 1993 truck at the time of purchase. The refurbishing included, but was not limited to, overhaul of the bearings and rings in the engine, rebuilding the transmission, painting the body, etc. This truck was presented to City officials for review and approval prior to its utilization on the route. City officials (City Manager, Thomas Frame, and Assistant City Manager, Paul Wagner) stated satisfaction with the condition of this truck and granted approval for utilization on the route. This is one of the primary trucks and was taken olT the route on December 20th for the purpose of refurbishing the engine and several parts of the packer. It is anticipated that this truck will be back on the route no later than March 15~. Our mechanic has advised that the modifications to this truck will enable us to collect approximately eight tons of garbage daily without any major problems or down time. Additionally, the improved preventive maintenance program should also minimize mechanical breakdowns and keep the trucks in good working condition at ali times. Truck#737: Thisisa 1981 Ford 8000 with a 25 cubic yard rear end loader packer. This truck was added to our inventory of trucks in November 1999 as backup to assist in the collection of solid waste in Sebastian. This truck has been completely refurbished to include completely rebuilding the engine, overhauling the transmission, new brake chamber, replacement of hydraulic hoses and seals, new paint job, etc. We have incorporated this vehicle as a primary truck on the route. We have not Page 2 of 8 had any mechanical breakdown with this vehicle and it continues to perform exceptionally on the route in carrying out and the collection of solid waste in Sebastian. Truck #131: This is a I984 International with a 31 cubic yard rear end loader packer. This truck is used as a back up vehicle when the primary vehicle is taken off the route for small and/or routine maintenance or repair. The track has been refurbished to include an overhaul of the engine, overhaul of the transmission, overhaul of the rear tandems, as well as replacement of hydraulic hoses. While track #237 is currently undergoing repair, this track performs on the route with minimal problems. Truck #125: This is a I985 International with a 25 cubic yard rear end loader packer. This track is used as backup when the primary vehicle is taken off the route for small and/or routine maintenance or repair. This truck has been refurbished to include an engine overhaul, transmission overhaul, rear tandem overhaul and replacement of various hydraulic hoses. Truck #120: This is a 1987 GMC Track with a 20 cubic yard rear end loader packer. The truck is used as a backup when the primary vehicle is off the mute for small and/or routine maintenance or repair. This truck has been refurbished to include an engine overhaul and paint job. We are in the process of repainting this vehicle to improve its appearance. Truck #669: This is a 1987 DM 237 Mack with a 31 cubic yard front loader packer. This track was added to our inventory as a backup vehicle in the event that a primary track is taken off the route for small and/or routine repair or maintenance. Truck #519: This is a 1987 DM 237 Mack track with a 31 cubic yard front loader packer. This track was added to our inventory as a backup vehicle in the event that a primary truck is taken off the route for small and/or routine repair or maintenance. In an effort to ensure that the trucks are operable at all times, we have strengthened our preventive maintenance program to ensure that trucks are checked thoroughly to minimize the occurrence of b~eakdown on the routes. All tracks will be inspected in accordance with the weekly inspection checklist. In addition to our current inventory of garbage trucks, it is anticipated that in August 2000 our company will obtain a Year 2000 DT466 International rear end loader packer garbage truck. This will add strength to our primary truck operation in the collection of the solid waste in Sebastian. Since the last incident of February 8t~, our collection crews have completed the solid waste collection well in advance of the allotted time daily. In light of our repetitive daily route schedule, we continue to get complaints that our crews miss garbage, even long after we have serviced a particular area. With respect to the comment that "...never seems to be the same crew on the collection truck..." we would like to point out that occasionally drivers are assigned to work different routes as part of our comprehensive training policy. It is company policy to ensure that all drivers are cross-trained and familiar with all collection routes. The hopper personnel are also included in the same type of cross-training concept. Issue #5: "12-7-99, I was advised of a hydraulic/oil spill on Aldea Drive. The spill was as the result of equipment failure on a Capital collection truck. The spill was substantial and tracked throughout Page 3 of 8 the adjoining neighborhood streets. Capital did not take reasonable measures to clean up the initial spill, and was not diligent in follow-up procedures to make sure the spill was moped up properly. To this day Capital has not cleaned up the "oil dry" material used, so the City is performing that task because of continued citizen complaints. In addition, the asphalt will have to be replaced in the area of the spill." Capital Sanitation's Response We met with you and your representatives on January 3~d regarding this issue. At that time we explained the corrective measures implemented by our personnel to resolve this issue. The measures implemented were as follows: On December 7t~, our director of operations visited the site of the oil spill and spread one bag of oil dry on the affected areas. The oil dry was placed in the homeowner's driveway to absorb the spill. On December 8th, our director of operations visited the site again to evaluate the condition of the spill and determine whether or not there was a need to apply additional oil dry. Based on the assessment of the director of operations, it was determined that additional oil dry was needed to absorb the oil spill. At that time, it was also determined that additional time was needed to allow the oil dry to absorb the entire spill. After allowing ten days for the oil dry to absorb the oil spill, our director of operations visited the site again to assess the condition of the site. At that time our director of operations met with the customer at his home and discussed the situation. According to our director o f operations, the customer requested that the oil dry be cleaned up offthe road and the easement. The director of operations honored the customer's request by sweeping the driveway and the street. Prior to the customer's departure fi.om his home on that day, the director of operations asked if the clean up met his satisfaction. It was our understanding that the customer was pleased with the action taken by our staff. During our January 3Td meeting with you and your representatives, the Pubic Works Director advised us that the oil dry should have been swept up right away and he was unsure of any other action we could have taken. We realize that the oil spill has resulted in some damage to the road and we are willing to pay for the liability resulting from this incident. It is our understanding that the City will be issuing our company a fine for the damage associated with the oil spill. As of this writing we have not received a bill or fine from the City. Additionally we spoke with a representative from the Health Department regarding this issue. Based on the Health Department's assessment, it is our understanding that the road in the affected area was fine; however, it was indicated that the grassy areas on the side of the property needed to be removed and new grass planted. We are willing to pay for the replacement of the grass. We have already contacted a landscape company to remove and plant new grass in the area. Based on our actions, we feel that we are working with the customer to address his concerns as well as, taking every measure possible to resolve this issue. If we failed to follow the proper procedures in this regard, we sincerely apologize. We certainly appreciate the advice of the Director of Public Page 4 of 8 Works regarding measures that need to be taken in addressing issues of this magnitude. Issue//6: "12-9-99; I was advised that Capital defaulted on an agreement whereby each week they would bring their tracks by the City Garage for a courtesy check. I was also advised that on prior occasion they would bring the same track back the following week with the same recorded leaks. In other words, no attempt was made by Capital to fix problems called to their attention." Capital Sanitation's Response: The courtesy check was a verbal agreement made in an effort to demonstrate our willingness to ensure that our tmcks were not leaking oil that would result in damaging paved streets in Sebastian. We have never received a written report from the City summarizing their inspections. When verbal information is provided to our dryer concerning a leak, we attempt to correct the problem. When the City's mechanic cites a leak during inspections, the next occurrence with the same vehicle may not necessarily be from the same soume. Please keep in mind that after notification from City, we repair the leak, use the truck, and return the next week after our mechanic advises that the leak has been repaired. In absence of specific documents concerning the City's inspection, we have no record o£the problem and our mechanic cannot sign-off as to whether the specific leak identified by the City has been corrected. In an effort to ensure that trucks on the route are routinely inspected, we have instituted a tracking log to identify all preventive maintenance performed on the trucks. The tracking log includes areas that will be reviewed and inspected by the City. Our mechanics are required to complete the weekly inspection checklist and submit them to the President for review and acceptance. In our opinion, we feel thatj oint inspections by the City's mechanic along with our mechanic, will prove to be a prudent management step in improving the upkeep of the trucks and minimizing mechanical breakdown in the future. We will continue to honor our commitment to weekly inspections by the City in the future. Issue #7: "9-99; I was advised (after the fact) that Capital's phone was disconnected due to nonpayment of the phone bill. Capital never notified me to give me a "heads up" of this problem, instead, I was besieged by calls from citizens trying to call Capital to no avail. This lack of communications on Capital's part shows a very lackadaisical attitude. Capital Sanitation's Response Due to a breakdown in communication, we discovered that our office phone was temporarily disconnected for approximately two hours on September 16, 1999. This ~vas a one-time incident and we have revised our internal controls to prevent reoccurrence ofproblems of this magnitude. With respect to the comment that "Capital never notified me to give me a heads up of this problem", please be assured that had a breakdown in communication not existed, we would have ensured that the bill was paid to avoid this unfortunate situation. Our telephone log reflected that on September 16th we received a total of 4 calls in which all were inquiries. As we stated to Mr. Wagner, we were Page 5 of 8 not aware of this situation and therefore could not advise him in advance. However, in the future, we will take every conceivable measure to prevent this concern in the future. For your information, we have a toll-free number that was published at the time of the incident. Tl:fis line has always been backup in the event that a customer needs to get in contact with a representative after office hours. This line was operable on September 16th and there was no record of any call made to this number. In addition, in spite of the phone being off temporarily, our office was open timely and our collection crews were collecting garbage at 7:00 a.m. on the date in question and completed all routes no later than 3:30 p.m. Issue #8: "Numerous complaints about the billing/sticker system seem to demonstrate some sort of problem or procedure that is not customer friendly." Capital Sanitation's Response According to our records, we have received a minimum of complaints regarding our billing and sticker systems. When we revised our billing system, we issued a survey to all of our customers soliciting their comments on our new billing and sticker systems. The results from the survey reflected that over 93.60% of our customers were satisfied with our billing system, with only 1.8% indicating dissatisfaction. A copy of the survey results was provided to the City Council members and City Manager for informational purposes. Based on the survey results, we did not detect a problem with our billing and sticker systems. Additionally, during each billing cycle, we include a copy of our policy to all customers regarding the services, payment, and stickers (decals). We have made a concerted effort to educate our customers on our policies and procedures. In the past we have approached the City representatives in meetings regarding the multitude of "theft of service" problems that we have experienced and documented. We discovered that many trash bags were curbside for collection service without any visible decal. When our collection crew has called in for x(erification of services, in several instances we discovered that many citizens that put trash curbside xvere not customers. Because of the high rate of non-paying customers, we advised all customers that the current decal must be visible to the collection crew in order for their trash to be picked up. In discussing this concern, Mr. Wagner had indicated that this was part ofnmning a business and this should be factored into our costs as part of running a business. If you will note, however, as required in the franchise agreement, ali decals must be visible to the collection crew in order to recognize our customers. In our opinion, we feel that our management practice in this area is consistent with sound business practices. Issue #9: "8-2-99; I was advised that Capital lost all its drivers, and that the platform on the back of one of the trucks gave way, causing collectors to fall off causing injury. Again, this indicates management problems within Capital's organization, and almost non-existent preventative maintenance procedures." Capital Sanitation's Response This statement is untrue. There is no evidence to support the statement that Capital Sanitation lost Page 6 of 8 all of its drivers on August 2, 1999. Our records reflect that the drivers on that date had been with us at least two years. Additionally, our records indicate that at 9:40 a.m. on that date, an employee was taken to Sebastian Hospital due to heat exhaustion, but not as a result of an injury. We fail to understand how heat exhaustion relates to management problems in our organization or non-existent preventative maintenance procedures. Issue #10: "Constant complaints about missed pickup, late pickup, are prevalent. This may be as a result of reported constant turnover in employees as well as equipment failure." Capital Sanitation's Response For the most part, we have not received many valid complaints either directly from the citizens or through the City of Sebastian. It is our understanding that when the City receives a complaint the complaint is supposed to be forwarded to our office for a response. We have not received many documented complaints from the City of Sebastian. Since we have not been receiving complaints from the City of Sebastian, we have not been offered the opportunity to address the "constant complaints" that the City may have received from customers. Issue #11: "I had been promised by both Ron Rigby and Ardra Rigby that Ardra would activate his cell phone so that we would have good communications to resolve problems that need immediate attention. This still has not been done despite repeated promises, therefore, comanunications with him are still poor at best. Again this shows a lackadaisical attitude by management at Capital Sanitation." Capital Sanitation's Response During our last meeting, Mr. Wagner was advised o fall the communication methods in reaching our director of operations. One method of reaching our director of operations was through a cellular phone. The cellular phone number that was provided to Mr. Wagner was the director of operations personal phone and not provided by the company. Should the director of operations choose to use his personal cellular phone in the performance of his duties with Capital, that decision is solely up to him and we do not have a problem with that decision. However, the company does not provide cellular phones for its employees and this is not a contract requirement. It should be noted that this was not the only alternative number provided. Mr. Wagner was also provided other methods that could be utilized in contacting our director of operations. Those methods were the voice pager numbers, the local office number, and the corporate office number, which we felt were sufficient. Issue #12: "As you know, you and I have held meetings with Capital Sanitation, and made phone calls, in an effort to resolve these problems. Each time Capital promises they will resolve these problems, however, I have noticed no change." Page 7 of 8 Capital Sanitation's Response As part of our joint effort to keep the City informed of our operation in the collection of solid waste, we were of the opinion that periodic meetings with City officials would allow us the opportunity to review and discuss issues/concerns relative to the collection of solid waste in Sebastian. Although we have had several meetings in the past, the intent of the meetings was to discuss issues, as well as ways to resolve concerns from customers. To our knowledge, we have always made an effort to address any concerns raised by the City officials. One of the gray areas that we need clarification on is the definition of a valid complaint. The City has been silent in this area and we continue to struggle with our customers in the area o£policy interpretation. Most of the issues that are difficult to resolve are our policies relating to the following: · Visible decals · Late put outs · "No mail" policy · Yard Debris While it appears to the City that we react negatively upon our policies in the above areas, we still make a concerted effort to establish integrity and consistency in the implementation of our policies. To suggest that we have not addressed problems elevated to our attention by the City seems to distort the real issues. We have always welcomed the opportunity to meet with City officials to discuss our overall operation in the collection of solid waste. We hope that we are able to continue our periodic meetings and dialogues in an effort to ensure that our customers receive the highest quality of solid waste collection services. Page 8 of 8