Trash Pickup Goes Private Starting March 5

JRM Hauling & Recycling will takeover residential curbside trash collection from the City of Melrose beginning March 5, but residents shouldn't notice any change in their service according to the company's officials and Melrose City Engineer John Scenna.

On Tuesday, the Melrose Board of Aldermen unanimously authorized the city to enter a five-year contract with JRM, which has a five-year extension option.

JRM currently serves Saugus, Malden, Reading and other communities in the area. Tom Flanagan, JRM sales manager, told the aldermen that the company is working with the reviewing policies and routes, aiming for a "seamless transition" for residents.

"When we take over, they’re going to see a different color truck and that’s all," Flanagan said.

The current routes and schedule will continue, and Scenna said residents are asked to put out their trash by 7 a.m. on collection day "at least at the beginning," until residents have a feel for when the pickup truck comes to their neighborhood. If a pickup is missed, residents should call the DPW. 

"Because of what JRM is offering, we’re not telling (residents) to call 1-800 JRM," he said. "If you have an issue, you’re still going to call 781-665-0142. We’ll address your issue, and if we can’t solve it ourselves, we’ll call JRM for you."

Same Rules Apply

There are no new rules such as barrel or bag limits with the transition to JRM, Scenna said, while the city's guidelines will remain the same, such as avoiding large 65-80 gallon barrels that are difficult to pickup and put in the back of the truck when full.

Alderman at-Large Don Conn said that Melrose is "incredibly liberal in terms of what we pick up" and that the aldermen have been ensured that liberal policy will continue, which JRM Vice President Jimmy Motzkin confirmed.

"All accepted items now will continue to be accepted," Motzkin said.

The issue of cardboard in residents' trash came up during the public participation portion of the meeting, with resident Joe Pelrine asking if JRM would continue to remove cardboard from the trash and leave it curbside as the city currently does, in order to avoid fines from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Flanagan said that JRM will continue to monitor cardboard in the trash at the curb and leave any found at the curb for residents to recycle properly.

Ward 4 Alderman Bob Boisselle pointed out that the solid waste and recycling page on the city's website contains a letter to residents about the transition and contains all the pertinent info regarding prohibited items, trash and recycling do's and don'ts, more.

Savings for the City?

Pelrine also noted that when Mayor Rob Dolan first announced plans to partially privatize trash pickup—a small city truck will continue to serve businesses, the cemetery and other grounds—and the city touted cost savings.

Since then, the DPW has advertised for a landscaping foreman and two laborers to add to the green team and hire a new director of operations and a coordinator of operations, and Pelrine wondered where the savings would come from, as he hoped to save around $50 on the trash fee in the future.

Scenna said the three advertising positions are due to resignations in the fall that the DPW elected to now fill until now, giving existing employees the flexibility to "go where they want" within the retooled department. Those positions are accounted for in the city's projected costs and savings.

Ward 7 Alderman Bill Forbes said that he also asked Dolan about the trash fee and was told that while the transition won't reduce the trash fee now, the mayor felt with the projected savings that "there won't be an increase for a long time. We'll take the mayor at his word."

Conn said City Hall's previous presentation to the board projected savings of $92,000 a year with the move to JRM and expressed skepticism about that figure, but said he's "cautiously optimistic we will save some money on this."

Kids Learning About Recycling

JRM's new recycling facility under construction on Route 1 in Peabody, home of the company's corporate offices and main operations facility, will also provide a new opportunity for Melrose kids to learn about recycling, Scenna and Flanagan said. Kids will be able to visit the facility, watch a movie about recycling, then go into the facility itself and watch the sorting and recycling live.

Also, JRM staff will be available to visit Melrose schools and teach second and third graders about recycling, Flanagan said.

"We try to effect called trickle up effect," he said. "We teach the school children, they go home to the parents and they teach the parents. It's been successful, a fairly new program over the past couple of years."

Scenna said the addition of JRM's recycling education resources will free up the city's recycling coordinator Jessie Schmitt to focus on other ways to boost residential and commercial recycling.

"To have that expertise on our team is very beneficial," he said. "Also on DPW Day, they’ve (JRM) offered assistance on that."