[Call to Order]
[00:00:07]
GOOD AFTERNOON. WELCOME TO THE COMMITTEE FOR PUBLIC WORKS. I'M YOUR CHAIRPERSON, COUNCILWOMAN DONNA PURVIS, AND I'M JOINED BY MY CO-CHAIR TODAY, COUNCILMAN ANTHONY PIAGENTINI. IN THE
[Roll Call]
CHAMBERS. WE HAVE COUNCILWOMAN MADONNA FLOOD, COUNCILMAN ROBIN ENGEL, COUNCILWOMAN BETSY RUIZ, COUNCILWOMAN JENNIFER CHAPEL, AND COUNCILMAN PHILIP BAKER. WE HAVE JOINING US VIRTUALLY IS COUNCILMAN STEWART BENSON AND COUNCILMAN BRANT ATKINSON. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ THE DISCLAIMER? THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO KRS 61.826 AND COUNCIL RULE FIVE, A READ IN FULL. THANK YOU. WE HAVE ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY AND IT IS AN ORDINANCE AMENDING 51.503 OF THE LOUISVILLE METRO CODE OF ORDINANCES TO EXPAND AND ENHANCE THE ABILITY OF LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT TO REDUCE THE PRESENCE OF LITTER, TRASH AND DEBRIS ALONG OUR ALONG OUR ROADWAYS. WHO DO WE HAVE TO SPEAK TO? THIS TODAY MOTION? OH, SORRY. YEAH, I NEED TO GET A MOTION. MOTION? I NEED A SECOND. SECOND. THANK YOU. PROPERLY MOTION AND SECOND. GOOD AFTERNOON. JENNIFER, OUR CURRENT DIRECTOR, LOUISVILLE METRO PUBLIC WORKS. AND I'M ALSO JOINED BY PETE FLOOD, OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICES. TODA.YES. PETE FLOOD, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, WANT TO SAY THAT WE'RE HAPPY TO BRING THIS BEFORE YOU GUYS. AND LOOK, WE'VE BEEN GETTING CONTINUOUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT LITTER ALONG THE INTERSTATES. A LOT OF THOSE CONCERNS COME IN SPEAKING THAT THIS IS COMING FROM WASTE HAULERS, WHICH WE BELIEVE THAT IT'S TRUE. AND BASICALLY IT'S FOR NOT SECURING THEIR LOADS. SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT METRO COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE IS ACTUALLY FUND EXTRA CLEANUPS ON THE INTERSTATES IN THE TUNE OF ABOUT $580,000 THROUGH THE CLEAN COLLAB. AND DESPITE THIS, WE STILL CONTINUE TO HAVE LITTER PROBLEMS ALONG THE HIGHWAYS. SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS IS WORK TOWARDS SOME SOLUTIONS. WE CONTINUE TO DO SO, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE OUTCOMES FROM OUR WORK. WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS ENSURE THAT CLEAN UP THE LANGUAGE A LITTLE BIT IN THE ORDINANCE, SO IT BETTER ALLOWS US TO ENFORCE THIS, NOT JUST AGAINST THE PERSON, BUT ALSO AGAINST THE BUSINESS. SO YOU MENTIONED. COMPLAINTS ABOUT TRASH ON THE INTERSTATES AND YOU PRETTY MUCH ARE ATTRIBUTING THIS TO TRASH BIN I GUESS BLOWN OUT FROM THESE DUMP TRUCKS AND SO FORTH. THAT WE SEE AROUND TOWN.
CORRECT? YES. AND PARTICULARLY IT'S REGARDING SECURING YOUR LOAD, WHICH MEANS THAT IF IT'S A VEHICLE THAT IS OPEN TOP, THAT IT WOULD HAVE A COVER. IF IT'S A COMPACTOR, THAT IT WOULD HAVE AN ENCLOSURE ON THE BACK OF IT, OR EVEN IF IT'S A KNUCKLE BOOM, IT HAS A COVER THAT KEEPS THE STUFF FROM FLYING OUT. GOTCHA. IN A STATE, AREN'T THEY BANNED BY THE STATE? THE INTERSTATES THEMSELVES? IS THAT NOT THE STATE'S RESPONSIBILITY? YES. SO YOU'RE CORRECT. IT IS THE KENTUCKY TRANSPORTATION CABINET TAKING CARE OF THE INTERSTATES IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. WE ARE.
WE RECOGNIZE IT'S AN ISSUE, AND WE ARE TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM TO CREATIVELY PROBLEM SOLVE, BECAUSE IT'S A PROBLEM FOR ALL OF US. AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE STEPS. OKAY, OKAY. AND I KNOW YOU HAVE THESE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS GOING AROUND MONITORING AND SO FORTH. CAN YOU LET THE PUBLIC KNOW WHAT THEIR ROLE IS? WOULD YOU SAY THE ROLE IN THIS FOR THE OFFICERS THAT GO GOES AROUND AND THEY MONITOR OR THEY OBSERVE THE PRESENCE OF TRASH AND LITTER LEFT BEHIND AS A RESULT OF THESE TRUCKS? I DON'T WANT TO CALL ANY BUSINESS OUT, BUT AS A RESULT OF THESE DUMP TRUCKS THAT YOU SEE DRIVING AROUND TOWN, GARBAGE TRUCKS, SO CAN YOU CAN YOU TELL US EXACTLY
[00:05:05]
WHAT THEIR ROLE IS IN MONITORING THE TRASH AND THE LITTER THAT WE SEE ALONGSIDE THE HIGHWAYS AND THE STREETS THAT WE THAT I SEE A LOT, OF COURSE, IN DISTRICT FIVE, A LOT OF TRASH ON THE STREET THAT'S COMING FROM PEOPLE LITTERING. I SEE TRASH WHEN GARBAGE TIPPERS, EMPTY TRASH, WHATEVER FALLS OUT OF THE TRASH CAN AT THAT TIME STAYS ON THE GROUND. AND SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW, WHAT ARE THESE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS DOING AS THEY GO AROUND AND SURVEY THESE AREAS FOR LITTER AND TRASH? WHAT ARE THEY DOING? WHAT ARE THEY REPORTING BACK TO YOU? IF YOU DRIVE THROUGH A LOT OF ALLEYS, YOU WILL SEE BAGS OF TRASH THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE PUT INTO THE TRASH CARTS, BUT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN THE TRASH COURTS, THEY'RE LEFT ON THE GROUND FOR GOD KNOWS HOW LONG UNTIL YOU BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION, INTO SWIMS, ATTENTION. HEY, THERE'S BAGS OF TRASH LEFT ON THE GROUND. I SEE THIS ALL THE TIME. SO ARE THESE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. ARE THEY RESPONSIBLE FOR GOING OUT AND DISCOVERING THIS? BEFORE I DO AND SAY, HEY, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS? BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW OF ANOTHER ENTITY THAT'S GOING TO COME BEHIND SWIMS AND PICK UP THAT ADDITIONAL TRASH. UNLESS YOU ALL HAVE AN OUTSIDE INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR THAT'S GOING TO DO THAT. I DON'T THINK SO. SO CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS THAT I'M MENTIONING NOW? SURE. THE ROLE OF THE SOLID WASTE OFFICER HAS MANY NUMBER ONE STREET SWEEPING PARKING ENFORCEMENT. THEY DO THE SOLID WASTE VIOLATIONS TO WHICH YOU'RE SPEAKING OF WHICH WOULD INCLUDE GARBAGE OUTSIDE OF CARTS, YARD WASTE VIOLATIONS, PEOPLE NOT HAVING APPOINTMENTS. THEY ALSO DO ILLEGAL DUMPING INVESTIGATIONS. THEY DO SURVEILLANCE CAMERA PROGRAM. THEY DO EDUCATION TO REDUCE CONTAMINATION IN RECYCLING STREAMS. WE ALSO HAVE STARTED DOING TARGET AREAS THAT WE HAVE HIGH RATES OF SOLID WASTE VIOLATIONS, SO THAT WE CAN REDUCE THOSE. WE ALSO DO NOW WE'RE WORKING TO DO SOLID WASTE HAULER SECURING YOUR LOAD INSPECTIONS FOR TO BE ABLE TO WITNESS THEM. WE CAN'T STOP THEM BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO STOP AND DETAIN. BUT WE CAN WITNESS THEM HOPEFULLY AROUND SOME OF THE DISPOSAL FACILITIES TO MAKE THAT EASIER. WE ALSO DO AREAS WHERE PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE TRASH SERVICE WHEN YOU KNOW THEY'RE YOU HAVE TO HAVE TRASH SERVICE IN LOUISVILLE METRO BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, IT ENDS UP SOMEPLACE ELSE THAT IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE. SO TO DO THIS, WE HAVE ACTUALLY SIX SLOTTED POSITIONS. THREE ARE FOR CURBSIDE INSPECTIONS. ONE TWO IS GOING TO BE DEDICATED TO SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS. ONE OF THOSE IS RECENTLY FUNDED AS OF OCTOBER 1ST, WHICH WE HAVE THAT SLOTTED AND WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO HIRE. WE ALSO HAVE ONE SOLID WASTE OFFICERS THAT FUNDED THROUGH THE WASTE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. THEIR ROLE IS BASICALLY CONTAMINATION AND EDUCATION. AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER PERSON BECAUSE WE PROMOTED TO SUPERVISOR, WE HAVE ANOTHER POSITION THAT'S OPEN. SO WE'VE BEEN WE'VE BEEN KIND OF LOW TO LIKE MANY, WE'RE A SMALL SMALL UNIT. WE DO APPROXIMATELY PROBABLY ANYWHERE FROM 5000 TO 6000 INSPECTIONS A YEAR, WHICH FOR A SMALL UNIT THAT'S QUITE A BIT. SO WHEN WE DRIVE AND WE GO TO A COMPLAINT, WHICH WE'RE COMPLAINT DRIVEN FOR THE MOST PART, WE TRY TO ALSO GET ANY OTHER VIOLATIONS THAT WE SEE IN THAT ALLEY. ARE YOU ALL PUTTING CAMERAS ON THE BACK OF THE DUMP TRUCKS? WE ARE LOOKING AT A PROGRAM CALLED RUBICON, WHICH WE'VE STARTED TO INSTALL. IT HAS CAMERAS ON THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN FRONT OF THEM. WE'VE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF ISSUES WITH THAT ROLLOUT, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'RE GOING TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH THE CAMERA. PART OF THAT, WHICH WAS OPEN TO METRO 311 AND FOR SUPERVISORY TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN CASE SOMETHING IS CALLED TO OUR ATTENTION, WE ACTUALLY CAN PUT EYES ON THAT FAIRLY QUICKLY. OKAY. I'M JUST WORRIED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE BACK. LIKE I SAID, WHEN I SEE TRASH BEING EMPTIED AND TRASH FALLS OUT AND IT STAYS ON THE GROUND AND ALSO I'M GETTING A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT COMPACTING THE TRASH AND LEAVING THE TRASH JUICE ON THEIR STREETS, AND IT SMELLS FOREVER. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW CAMERAS ON THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK ARE GOING[00:10:02]
TO CATCH THE ACTIVITY ON THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. THEY DO MAKE THOSE SYSTEMS. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE. TYPICALLY THOSE ARE CAMERAS ARE TO DETECT THE CONTAMINATION. AND WHAT GOES INTO THE CART IS REALLY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WE TELL OUR PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SPILL STUFF ON THE GROUND, YOU SHOULD CLEAN IT UP. DOES IT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME? I'M SURE IT DOESN'T. IF THE WIND IS BLOWING, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO CATCH SOMETHING THAT'S BLOWING 30 MILES AN HOUR. AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT WE COULD PROBABLY DO BETTER. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CONTINUE TO STRIVE AND EDUCATE OUR OUR PEOPLE WITH. OKAY.COUNCILWOMAN FLOOD, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANKS, PETE, FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR, TO HOW MANY HAULERS DO YOU OR DO YOU KNOW THIS THAT COME INTO JEFFERSON COUNTY TO USE THE LANDFILL HERE FROM OTHER COUNTIES? THAT I DON'T I COULDN'T TELL YOU BECAUSE WE DON'T LICENSE OUT OF COUNTY WASTE HAULERS. I WILL SAY THAT WASTE COMES FROM A LARGE REGION, WHICH I BELIEVE IS OVER 100 COUNTIES TO THE OUTER LOOP LANDFILL. SO A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WASTE DOES COME INTO INTO LOUISVILLE METRO FROM OTHER COUNTIES. THE REASON I ASK IS I WAS FOLLOWING A HAULER AND I COULDN'T GET CLOSE ENOUGH BECAUSE HOW FAST HE WAS GOING, I WOULD NOT NEVER TRAVEL AT THAT KIND OF SPEED IN MY CAR, MUCH LESS A GARBAGE TRUCK, AND CAME OUT OF BULLITT COUNTY AND STUFF WAS FLYING EVERYWHERE, BUT I COULDN'T GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO FIND OUT WHO HE WAS OR ANYTHING ELSE. AND THEN HE WENT STRAIGHT INTO DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE. YEAH.
SOME OF ONE OF THE MORE DIFFICULT THINGS TO DO IS TO TRY TO CAPTURE A SOLID WASTE TRUCK THAT HAS STUFF, OR ANY TRUCK THAT HAS STUFF BLOWING OUT OF THE BACK, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST A SOLID WASTE HAULERS, AND IT JUST DOES NOT EVEN SHOW UP ON CAMERA WHEN YOU DO GET A PICTURE OF IT. SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE LEVELS OF PROOF THAT WE NEED TO HAVE, WHICH WOULD ALSO INCLUDE A WITNESS STATEMENT. I WAS JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OUT OF TOWN HAULERS THAT COME IN FROM THERE IS FROM THE SOUTH, AND THEY'RE NOT THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY TO A DEGREE. I WOULD SAY TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, BUT I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY EVEN KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE THAT PROHIBITS THEM FROM COMING IN WITHOUT IT BEING CLOSED UP OR TARPED OVER THE TO. OKAY, COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. I THINK YOU SORT OF HIT ON IT. AND THAT IS, FIRST OF ALL, I FULLY SUPPORT THIS. I THINK IT'S ABSURD HOW PEOPLE AND NOT JUST THE SOLID WASTE HAULERS, BUT ANYBODY THAT LITTERS OR YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED GRAFFITI IS A DIFFERENT ISSUE, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST SORT OF DOESN'T TREAT THE PUBLIC SPACE PROPERLY. AND I'M ALL ABOUT ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THIS IS PUBLIC SPACE AND PEOPLE MUST KEEP IT CLEAN, RIGHT. AND NOT MAKE IT WORSE. MY QUESTION IS, AND AGAIN, I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB OVER THERE, BUT CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT HOW YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY, IF AT ANY TIME WE AND THE PUBLIC AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE AGENCIES THAT ARE DOING SIMILAR WORK THAT WE ARE LEADING BY EXAMPLE. SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING TO ENSURE YOU'RE COMPLIANT WITH THIS AND DOING THE RIGHT THING? AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ALSO WHILE CRACKING DOWN ON ON SOME OF THESE THIRD PARTY PROVIDERS. SURE. AND I AGREE, WE NEED TO BE WE NEED TO SET THE EXAMPLE. WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT WE ARE WORKING TO THAT END. WE ACTUALLY HAVE THREE NEW KNUCKLE BOOMS COMING TO REPLACE OLDER KNUCKLE BOOMS THAT NEVER DESIGNED WITH A WITH A COVER SYSTEM THAT'S TELLS YOU HOW DATED THEY ARE. SO WE'VE GOT THAT AND WE HAVE WENT BACK AND WE'VE GOTTEN WITH OUR FLEET FACILITY TO ENSURE THAT ALL COVERS ARE OPERATING CORRECTLY.
WE'VE NOTIFIED ALL OF OUR DRIVERS THAT IF THEY ARE NOT OPERATING WITH THEIR THEIR COVER IN PLACE LIKE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO, THAT THEY COULD BE SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINARY ACTION. SO THE MESSAGE HAS BEEN GIVEN LOUD AND CLEAR THAT WE NEED TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE. TERRIFIC. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. COUNCILWOMAN RUBY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON FINDING A WORD THAT I'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE. NON PUTRESCIBLE. AS IN, I GUESS IT DOESN'T ROT AND STINK. THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY, WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT WORD. SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE WE OBVIOUSLY WE NEED THIS AND YOU ALL ARE GOING TO ENFORCE IT TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY. OF COURSE WE HAVE TO SEE IT. SO IS THERE ANY WAY FOR THE PUBLIC TO REPORT WHEN THEY SEE INCIDENTS LIKE THIS? AND IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE
[00:15:06]
AT THAT POINT? SURE. IF YOU'RE DRIVING NEXT TO THIS AND YOU WITNESS SOMETHING LIKE THIS, PARTICULARLY IF YOU YOU GET EVIDENCE OF THAT, WE CAN TAKE THAT ALONG WITH A WITNESS STATEMENT. WE WOULD JUDGE HOW POWERFUL IT IS AND WHETHER OR NOT IT IT COMES TO A REASONABLE LEVEL OF PROOF THAT WOULD HOLD UP AT THE CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD. AND WE COULD ISSUE CITATIONS, OR AT LEAST IF IT'S NOT RISING TO THAT LEVEL, WE CAN ISSUE A NOTICE OF VIOLATION THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE A FINE OR EVEN A WARNING. MANY OF THE HAULERS, WHEN WE GET THESE REPORTS, WE TELL THE HAULERS THAT, HEY, SOMEBODY SAW THIS, AND TYPICALLY THEY'RE GOING BACK OUT THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT AREA IS CLEANED UP AND THEY'RE CHECKING THEIR TRUCK. THANK YOU. I HAVE FOND MEMORIES OF GETTING BEHIND A PICKUP TRUCK THAT DUMPED AN ENTIRE LOAD OF PEA GRAVEL IN FRONT OF ME, WHEN THIS HAS BEEN MANY YEARS AGO, AND WHEN I REPORTED IT, I GAVE HIM THE NAME OF THE COMPANY, AND I WAS TOLD THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THE LICENSE PLATE NUMBER. WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING. SO WHAT INFORMATION DO YOU NEED? TYPICALLY? I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO DEPEND UPON THE HOLLER IF YOU HAVE A NAME OF THE HAULER, WHICH IS USUALLY ON THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, THAT'S PRETTY EASY TO SAY THAT THIS IS A BUSINESS AND THAT IS THAT BUSINESS. HAVING A LICENSE PLATE IS ANOTHER LEVEL OF EVIDENCE THAT WE COULD USE. IF YOU GET A UNIT VEHICLE NUMBER, THAT'S ALSO HELPFUL. THE TIME, THE DATE. MANY OF THESE TRUCKS ARE TRACKED BY GPS. AND WE'RE ABLE TO SAY THAT IT WAS ON THIS TIME AND DATE THAT COMPANY CAN LOOK IT UP TO FIND OUT WHICH DRIVER, WHICH TRUCK, AND BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH IT FROM FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW. THANK YOU. SO HOW WOULD I REPORT IT THEN? YOU CAN REPORT IT THROUGH METRO 311. OR AS ALWAYS, YOU CAN SHOOT ME AN EMAIL OR OUR SOLID WASTE TEAM. YOU CAN REPORT IT THROUGH OUR SWITCHBOARD AT AT METRO 311 METRO SOLID WASTE AS WELL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. YEAH. I'M SORRY, I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME. SO THIS IS AN ORDINANCE THAT CALLS FOR A ROLL CALL. VOTE. OF COMMITTEE MEMBER ANDERSON. YES. COMMITTEE MEMBER. VINSON. YES. AND WE WERE ABLE.OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. IT PASSES. IT SHOULD GO ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR. THANK YOU. OUR
[1. O-261-24 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING 51.503 OF THE LOUISVILLE METRO CODE OF ORDINANCES TO EXPAND AND ENHANCE THE ABILITY OF LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT TO REDUCE THE PRESENCE OF LITTER, TRASH, AND DEBRIS ALONG OUR ROADWAYS. Action Required By: May 7, 2024 Sponsors: Paula McCraney (D-7) ]
MEETING IS ADJOURNED.* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.