PMUA Looks Ahead

New equipment, new collection strategies and an improved vehicle tracking system are all on tap for the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority four months into its leadership under Executive Director Dan Williamson.

Staff members presented slide shows on initiatives that Williamson said will make the authority, which provides solid waste and sewer services to Plainfield, more efficient.

Larry Chambers, assistant superintendent of the Rock Avenue transfer station, described a plan to replace the current citywide recycling collection of 10 zones each Wednesday. By picking up five zones each in the East and West ends of the city on alternate weeks, he said, wear and tear on the fleet and employee fatigue will be lessened. An analysis of accidents showed that in 2010 the majority took place on Wednesdays, Chambers said.

The authority will also try collecting bottles and cans separately from paper to garner a better payout from recyclers, he said. A special effort will be made to get "premium paper" from schools and offices to increase revenues, Chambers said. The new schedule will be advertised widely in November and December before launching in 2013.

Williamson said he wants to make sure the ratepayers "understand how important they are in this equation."

Staffer Robert Kearney presented information on fleet maintenance, citing the need for five rear loaders, two front loaders, one "Easy Dump" truck, a large excavator and a sweeper/vacuum to replenish the aging stock. The equipment will be leased over three to five years, Williamson said.

The new equipment will increase morale and provide quality service, Kearney said. For example, new front loaders would replace old ones that use cumbersome winches and cables to lift the trash containers and the 4-cubic yard EasyDump trucks could reach "troublesome" spots where large trucks can't fit. Purchase of the excavator would obviate the need to rent one at $6,000 per month, as the authority expects a new lower dumping rate to increase outside business.

The sweeper/vacuum should help the authority avoid water quality violations at the transfer station, which abuts the Green Brook. Kearney said it will help workers be "environmental stewards."

Ragesh Patel of the authority's IT department gave a slide show on a proposed GPS system that would replace one that will become obsolete by June 2013. The new one will enable tracking of all 51 vehicles in the fleet for $16,000 per year, a savings of $35,000. Benefits include greater visibility, improved service levels, instant alerts and "powerful reports" on fleet usage, Patel said. The equipment even allows for "geo-fencing" to keep vehicles within set boundaries. Later in the meeting, commissioners approved a contract with Modus Group LLC for the new GPS system.

Commissioner Malcolm Dunn asked Williamson to include him and Commissioner Carol Brokaw in capital budget discussions for 2013. He said he was impressed by the presentations, but didn't want to have "champagne taste with a beer pocketbook."

"We recognize that there's a tapestry involved," Williamson said of the skeins of activity in the presentations.

Correction: The correct titles for the staff are Larry Chambers-Assistant Superintendent of Collections, Raj Patel-CIO of Information Technology and Robert Kearney-Assistant Superintendent of Transfer Station Operstions/Fleet Operations 

--Bernice