April 21, 1998

  To:Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee

 From:City Clerk

 Subject:Leaf Pick Up Program in Ward 16

  Recommendations:

 The Budget Committee on April 20, 1998, recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, and Council:

 (1)the re-instatement of the fall leaf vacuum collection in the West Rouge community for 1998;

 (2)that the cost of the re-instatement of this program be absorbed within the Departmental budget; and

 (3)that this program be subject to the service review being carried out on all programs.

 Background:

 The Budget Committee on April 20, 1998, had before it a report (April 16, 1998) from the Interim Functional Lead for Solid Waste Management and the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services regarding the fall leaf vacuum collection.

  The following Members of Council appeared before the Budget Committee in connection with the foregoing matter:

 -Councillor Frank Faubert; Scarborough Highland Creek; and

-Councillor Ron Moeser, Scarborough Highland Creek

 City Clerk

 Barbara Liddiard/rc/kd

Item No. 6

Attachment

 c.Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Chief Administrative Officer

Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services

Interim Functional Lead for Solid Waste Management

(Report dated April 21, 1998, addressed to the

Budget Committee from the

Interim Functional Lead for Solid Waste Management)

  Purpose:

 To provide information as to the cost of reinstating fall leaf vacuum collection in a selected area of Ward 16, in response to a petition from Michael Mackie, 304 Taylor Road, and accompanying letter of support from Councillor Moeser, and further to report on the cost implications of expanding this service.

 Funding Sources:

 The estimated annual cost of providing this service in a defined area of Ward 16 is estimated to be between $20,000 and $40,000 depending upon the tonnage of leaves generated. The provision of the same service level throughout the Scarborough Community Council area is estimated at $1,584,000. No funding is available in the 1998 Current Budget proposal for this service.

 Recommendation:

 That no changes are made in 1998 to the service level or method of collecting leaves throughout the City of Toronto.

 Background:

 Every Fall prior to 1996, for the past 30 or more years, Scarborough=s Works and Environment Department has vacuumed loose leaves from specific older areas of the city, primarily in the areas adjacent to and south of Kingston Rd. This service was intended to prevent the flooding of ditches on ditched roads and to prevent the narrowing of the travelled portion of the curbed roads. Residents were permitted to rake their leaves to the curb or into the ditch on uncurbed roads. The remainder of the city received collection of bagged leaves only.

 During the 1996 current budget process, in an attempt to meet Council=s objective of a 0% mill rate increase, staff proposed and Council adopted a service level reduction for the leaf pick up program. The approved service level required all residents living on curbed streets to bag their leaves. The service level remained unchanged for residents of ditched roads. The saving associated with this change was estimated at $100,000 and the budget was reduced accordingly.

 Between October 1996 and December 1996 this item was debated on several occasions by the Works and Environment Committee and Scarborough Council. Staff was subsequently directed to consider this matter further as part of the 1997 budget deliberations. During this process staff proposed a further service level reduction which would require that all residents bag their leaves for collection. This proposal was adopted by Council and the 1997 budget was reduced by a further $90,000.

Discussion:

 At the special Budget Committee meeting of April 2, 1998 Committee received a petition (copy attached) from Michael Mackie, 304 Taylor Road. A letter of support from Councillor Moeser was also attached. The petitioners are requesting the reinstatement of the annual Fall Leaf Program within much of the West Rouge Community. Budget Committee directed staff to report on this matter.

 While it is acknowledged that the West Rouge Community is heavily treed there are many similar areas within the new city and the former Scarborough. It is the opinion of staff that service levels should be standardized as much as possible and that any new service levels being considered should only be contemplated for introduction on a city wide basis.

 In researching this report each of the former municipalities was contacted to determine their practices in this area. Results of this survey are as follows:

 East York has never had a residential leaf vac collection system and all residents must bag their leaves. Their Parks Department uses a small leaf vacuum for collection in parks only. Front end loaders are used for bulk collection of loose leaves in heavily treed areas, but only on the road.

 Toronto (former) uses a modified hydraulic claw system to pick up loose leaves on municipal property only. Residents are encouraged not to rake their leaves to the curb and are required to bag.

 North York uses a claw system for the removal of leaves on the road in curbed areas only. Residents are not allowed to rake their leaves to the street and must bag to receive municipal collection.

 Etobicoke operates 18 leaf vacuums. Some areas have no leaf vac service, while heavily treed or ditched areas are vacuumed once and in some areas twice during the five-week program. Residents receiving this service are expected to bag their leaves during the balance of the leaf season. This limited program cost Etobicoke $600,000 in 1997.

  York utilizes a front end loader for bulk collection of loose leaves for two heavily treed areas only, during a three-week period starting in early November. During this time only, residents can rake their leaves to curbside. All residents in the remaining areas are required to bag their leaves at all times.

 In the Scarborough district there are currently four surplus leaf vacuums that could be placed into service. It is estimated that approximately 27 units would be required to collect within the entire Scarborough Community district over a six-week period.

 The vacuuming of leaves is an extremely costly and unproductive operation. A typical crew consists of four persons to operate the leaf vac, operate a dump truck, rake leaves and flag vehicles. The hourly cost of $163 is almost double that of two persons collecting bagged leaves on a garbage packer, while the daily tonnage collected is significantly less. During the leaf season the leaf vacs typically operate 10 hours per day six days per week. This equates to a six-week operating cost of $58,680 per unit. The 27 units necessary to service the Scarborough district would cost $1,584,360 annually to operate. A further $460,000 would be required to purchase the additional 23 leaf vac units required.

 In 1997 the cost of Scarborough=s yard waste collection program, which includes bagged leaves, decreased by $5.81 per tonne from $103.74 to $97.93. This decrease is attributed solely to the addition of the leaves formerly collected through the leaf vac program, resulting in improved productivity. The removal of this tonnage would unquestionably increase the cost of providing this program.

 Without an in-depth analysis it is not possible to accurately estimate the cost of providing a leaf vac program across the new City of Toronto. However it is safe to assume that the cost could easily exceed $10,000,000.

 Conclusion:

 In the interest of moving toward standardized service levels across Toronto and in consideration of the tremendous pressure to reduce operating costs, the practice of permitting residents to rake their leaves into the ditch or to the curb for collection should not be reinstated.

 Contact Name and Telephone Number:

 Ron Gordon

Director, Solid Waste, Recycling and Fleet Services

Scarborough Community Council Area

Phone:(416) 396-4771

Fax:(416) 396-4156

E-mail:gordon

Internet:gordon@city.scarborough.on.ca