Suggestions to PMUA for improvement
* Don’t pay supervisors to “follow” workers to make sure they are doing their jobs. If they are not doing their jobs, you will get calls from residents saying that their garbage wasn't picked up. (estimated savings $200,000 per year)
* Is it the bag or the weight? Stop billing people for an extra bag or lid not closed! If you see someone abuse it, deal with them directly - not by imposing a $30 extra bag fee. PMUA's recommendation is for the resident to save the bag for the following pickup, BUT isn’t PMUA still collecting that waste? In addition, many residents don’t even put out garbage twice a week so when they are sent a picture with an extra bag they will be frustrated - and rightly so. More importantly, it costs time and money to “support” the hire of personnel to take pictures, bill residents, and mail citations. (estimated savings $100,000 per year)
* Don't bill residents for solid waste and sewer for two and three family homes if they are only using that home as a one family! Many of these homes only have 1 sewer connection, yet they are being billed as if they had multiple sewer connections.
* Stop mailing 8-page color newsletters to homes. It’s costly and adds additional paper to the environment. Do customers really need to know employees’ favorite movies, books, or subjects? If it’s that important place a profile on the PMUA website. (estimated savings of $300,000 per year which doesn't include page-layout cost savings)
* If the PMUA Board of Commissioners wants to make a recommendation to residents to conserve water in order to cut sewer costs, they should at the very least bill for future sewer use and NOT from previous water usage!
* Use the water bill from winter months in your calculation of sewer charges or allow residents the opportunity to install non-sewer water metering devices. Not all of the water used goes to the sewer system.
* Have bulky waste as a separate service (many neighbors pay for it but never use it); This used to be 6 times per year. Allow customers to schedule it outside of a four hour window.
* Offer residents the option of purchasing Compost (ers); This is done in other municipalities which helps to reduce biodegradable waste.
* Reduce transfer station rates so PMUA can attract other towns or waste providers (most just go to Rahway or Elizabeth because your rates are $40-$50 per ton higher) [PMUA has locked into a $67 per ton rate with the UCUA; this is considerably less per ton than most private haulers - yet the PMUA doesn't pass these savings onto its ratepayers]
* PMUA does not need a sales representative. Since PMUA mandates services to residents, that person can’t really provide good leads, can they? (estimated savings of $60,000 per year)
* Does PMUA need to have personnel to “move” the bins 20 feet? Is this fee authorized by city ordinance? (estimated savings $100,000 per year)
* Limit board of commissioner and executive expense accounts (estimated savings of over $140,000 per year)
* Use mileage reimbursement for employees when they need to go to training rather than lease additional vehicles. (estimated savings of $7,500 per year)
* Respond to your customers/residents concerns - Do not ignore us.
* If PMUA is going to bill a resident extra money for a bulk waste pickup, PMUA should be certain to get the exact weight and not estimate it. It is unacceptable to tell a resident that they are being billed extra $’s but by the way, we estimated how much you put out.
* Is it necessary for PMUA to have a Chief of Staff position (estimated savings of $50,000 per year)