At the January 5, 2022 Board Discussion Session, Jason Temple, Director of Public Services discussed Solid Waste Policy Revisions. (Chapter 4, Article 4, Solid Waste Policy – See below for current policy in effect at the time of this discussion). A vote was not taken on the policy changes Temple proposed as Discussion Sessions do not allow for voting.
Temple said, “We have had a previous discussion about this policy already and we had changes in addition to what we previously submitted to the Board that we wanted to update the Board on.”
Solid Waste Pickup – Proposal that ALL Commercial Businesses, Residences and Rental Facilities Should be Required to Participate in POA Sanitation Pickup (Does NOT Include Townhomes)
Temple stated, “Specifically, in summary, our Waste Management Policy has some basic, hardlines in it and it makes reference to our new rules and regulations that we will get into more details of how our Property Owners should operate in the realms of our Sanitation Program.” This will be regulated by the General Manager. “The changes that we added to this particular policy, in addition to our previous discussion, are as follows:
- Section 3 – added statement, “All HSVPOA places of commercial businesses, residences and rental facilities are required to subscribe to our HSVPOA Solid Waste Services. We’ve come into some information recently that we do have some facilities here in the Village that do not pay for sanitation services. A lot of the time it was just due to new commercial businesses and the processes of getting permitted – they didn’t get set up. For example, they hauled their trash to the Minorca building or did something [else] with it. Our community dumpsters at the Street Department are for paying customers.” The dumpsters are not for contractors or for anybody that does not currently pay HSVPOA for solid waste services. “According to the county ordinance, Hot Springs Village is the responsible party in charge of ALL Solid Waste Managements Programs here inside of our boundary. That statement is in agreement with the county ordinance and it is in agreement with everyone participating in a fair manner.”
Board Director Pam Avila asked, “how does that impact the Townhouse Associations that use a third party?”
Temple responded, “the townhouses are exempted, so to speak, because they are a third party that the Board is required to approve and give them permission to do on an annual basis. That third party can come in and pick up the Townhouse Association, only by your permission [permission from the Board].”
Corry asked, “what other third parties are there?”
Temple said that was the only one that has ever been approved. “Because sanitation is a business that is supported and operated by the POA, it is important that we protect its financial sustainability and that everyone inside the POA participates. That ensures financial stability… Someday, we would love to work with the Townhouse Association to bring them back into our POA facility [trash service]. As you are well aware, the sanitation program does generate some revenues that cover our sanitation programs and it goes into our POA general pot that helps with paying for road repairs and things like that.”
Omohundro asked, “you say for commercial. How is that actually going to work? Commercial vendors are going to pay for sanitation how? What are they going to get for that pay?”
Temple said, “in accordance with your fee schedule, they can have a small residential container or they can have the metal dumpsters and they can be picked up on whatever pay schedule that they subscribe to. What happens is everyone usually becomes a customer at the time a new home is built, or a new commercial business is built and we’ve had a few commercial businesses that have come into the Village that did not get set up appropriately. We just want to back up that process with a policy statement and I’ve already talked with Permitting and Inspection to make sure that all existing and future commercial businesses get into the sanitation program provided by the POA.”
Avila stated the policy sounds like it is all-inclusive, but it’s not. There is an exception and that is the Townhouse Association.
Avilla pointed out that the proposed new Solid Waste Policy states that ALL are required to participate. The statement should state, “all, with the exception of [the Townhouse Association].
Temple agreed. Temple said that in Section 3 it states, “‘Hot Springs Village Property Owners Association (HSVPOA) shall have the exclusive right within the solid-waste service area to collect, dispose and bill for such services. No individual or entity may provide solid waste hauling services for the systematic and routine collection, transportation or disposal of solid waste or trash, without written authorization of HSVPOA.'”
Temple said that the only organization that has been given permission to use an outside solid waste company is the Townhouse Association.
Avila said, “I get that, but they are conflicting statements.” Avila asked the policy to be changed to ‘all with the exception of ‘.”
Omohundro said it could be changed to state, “or noted elsewhere.”
Temple agreed to make this change.
Omohundro said, “I am still back on the commercial deal. I don’t know why. We have retail outlet commercial and we have commercial buildings. Are we saying we are going to pick up their trash at a commercial building?”
Temple responded, “yes.”
Omohundro said, “I have a dumpster for a lot of my property and it is a very expensive process. Some people do not. They actually put their trash out in their buildings. I am talking about in the Gasoline Alley area. They put out, so obviously, they should be paying for sanitation for their building. I guess individuals have their buildings down there, they are going to be required to pay the sanitation bill.”
Temple responded, “if they are paying [for] their own meter [water meter], and they have their own water account, they usually also have a sewer/sanitation bill. That is how I am looking at it.”
Omohundro said, “They don’t right now.”
Temple said, “if they are part of a larger group, like yours and maybe you haven’t [indecipherable] that [indecipherable], then there is just one sanitation bill to that entire entity. And that would be your purview to make sure that you are participating tenants participate in that sanitation coverage.”
Omohundro said, “I don’t pay sanitation bill on all of my water meters, but I pay for a big dumpster, to cover all of that area.”
Temple said, “that covers that whole area.”
Omohundro said, “there are other guys there that have individual buildings that actually don’t even have trash there. But I guess they are going to be paying – an individual person with their own building and own lot there, if you will – then they are going to be paying a sanitation bill so they can put their trash cans out if they want and we’ll pick them up. Is that what we are saying.”
Temple, “you can. Absolutely. They can operate individually or they can operate as a whole. We’re just required under county ordinance to make sure that everybody has sanitation service.”
Corry asked, “Do you have any idea of how many this is going to affect?”
Temple said, “only two folks that I am aware of right now.
Corry asked, “anyone with a water meter is already paying for sanitation?”
Temple, “as far as we know. Everyone is already. There are recent commercial developments that missed getting into the loop here…”
Proposal Requiring the Use of Biodegradable Paper Bags by Leaf Pickup Customers
Temple said the other big item that we added to the policy was about the leaf pickup and biodegradable bags. “Unfortunately the City of Hot Springs will not take cardboard or plastic. They only take leaves or biodegradable paper bags at their compost facility.”
- Temple stated, “In Section 8 we have added, ‘All leaves and yard waste must be placed in biodegradable paper bags. Leaf route pickups will be scheduled to coordinate with your regular trash pickup, per rules and regulations.'”
Temple added, “that is a big change. You can get these paper bags at any of the hardware stores, Lowes, or Walmart and they are not nearly as easy to work with as the plastic bags or the biodegradable plastic bags. The reason why they won’t take the biodegradable plastic bags is they take years to biodegrade.” The biodegradable plastic bags also clog up the processing machines.”
Temple said they are proposing continuation of the leaf pickup service with customers using only biodegradable paper bags.
- Customers will also have the option to hire a landscaping service to collect and remove the leaves. Temple proposed that landscaping companies must be approved by the POA to work in the Village.
Corry said the POA does not have a choice with this policy change because of the City of Hot Springs policy change. [This statement was in reference to the proposed requirement to use biodegradable bags for leaf pickup by the POA.]
Director Gary Belair asked, “How do we authorize a lawn mowing service?”
Omohundro said, “we don’t authorize one.”
Temple said, “what we do is, they come in and they get their work pass and that is our form of authorization.”
Omohundro said, “I think what he is trying to say is that we authorize you to hire somebody else to do the work; which I don’t know if that even needs to be said. It’s like saying, ‘we’ll authorize someone to mow your yard.’ I don’t know that we have to have that as a policy.”
Belair said, “I am quoting section 7. It says, ‘an HSVPOA authorized private contractor’ and I had not noticed that word, ‘authorized private contractor’ before.”
Omohundro said, “really, we don’t authorize. We don’t authorize private contractors.”
Temple asked if he should change the wording to say, “approved.”
Belair said, “I understand what you are saying about a work pass to get into the place.”
Omohundro said, “I actually don’t think we ought to be authorizing people at all because that puts us in a situation of…’well, you authorized them so…’ We don’t need to go there.”
Temple added, “what I am trying to say is, only those that have a work pass to work in the Village, landscape companies or handyman, or private contractors that have the approved access into the Village, can come and do that work. It won’t be any competition to us because we are actually encouraging that is all we are trying to do.”
Avila said, “I don’t think that should be in there at all.”
Omohundro asked, “Do we really want to go there?”
Temple said, “I can take it out – if you are okay [with that]. Less is best sometimes.”
Omohundro said, “we get criticized enough for having our thumb on people. Let’s…”
Temple said, “I am going to take it out.”
Omohundro replied, “I think that is a good idea.”
Temple said this [POA leaf pickup] service does not make any money for the POA and that it actually costs the POA and they want to encourage people to hire a service for leaf removal.
Omohundro said, “we would be money ahead not to offer the [leaf pickup] service.
Solid Waste Management Policy in Effect at Time of This Discussion
Solid-Waste-Management-Policy-as-of-1-5-22-pages-80-81By Cheryl Dowden, January 8, 2022
✺ ✺ ✺ ✺ ✺
Thank you for reading. If you like, please comment below; we love to hear your opinion. Thank you for keeping the comments polite and on topic. Please use your real first and last name. If you are an HSV Property Owner, please join us in our private Facebook Group. Click here to join the group. If you would like to submit an article for publication, please contact us through this website. Be sure to bookmark this website.
Kirk Denger
01/08/2022 — 9:50 pm
This same bunch just borrowed $150,000 to buy a brand new grappling truck specifically for the purpose of picking up leaf bags.
Six months later they’re saying we would be money ahead not to offer the leaf pick up service.
Will the bank forgive the loan to Property Owners if they tell them that the BOD have changed their minds?
I was the only Director to vote no to borrowing money to buy this totally unnecessary method of leaf pick up.
Tucker Omohundro
01/09/2022 — 7:50 pm
No Kirk the truck was bought for all special pickups throughout the year. Leaves are just a small part of what the truck was bought for. You voted no for almost everything the board voted on. Didn’t work good for you last election. Look up the definition of insanity. You may want to change your approach this time.
Kirk Denger
01/11/2022 — 9:18 am
I looked up the definition and found that runaway spending with other people’s money by borrowing with interest, for pieces of equipment that end up at the next POA auction, fits within that definition. Like I told the Board at the time, a large leaf vacuuming rig is the only way to go for POA leaf pickups. The projected cost of borrowing $1.7 million for the 6 garbage trucks was revoted on at least 3 times without Property Owner’s knowledge in unannounced Board meetings with the result jumping to $2.3 million. Each vote was a comedy of errors of unforeseen increases in cost.
My approach will remain the same, truth and transparency are my friends.
Sue Posner
01/11/2022 — 2:38 pm
You are currently a sitting board member Mr. Omohundro and you speak to an owner in good standing like that? Let alone he’s another prior board member who might sit again. You should be removed for those public insults.
Kathryn Paquin
01/08/2022 — 10:22 pm
Is there a place that property owners can take ‘bags full of leaves’ and EMPTY them vs. pick up service or special bags? As in I take my plastic to recycling and dump the items in the bags at the recycling place on Hwy 7. Same with phone books, soda cans, glass, etc. Why not a dumpster to empty leaves into? I’m imagining first thought: leaves will fly everywhere and create a mess. Not necessarily…. Just a thought
LLOYD SHERMAN
01/09/2022 — 8:08 pm
You would think with all the open property we have here in the Village we could open up an area for dumping of only leaves and branches and then let the fire department burn during specified times. As it is now, the only way for property owners to dispose of leaves themselves is take them to the specified in Hot Springs, which is not the dump off 127, Hwy 7, or anywhere else unless you want to pay someone hundreds of dollars to remove them for you. Sad that we can’t provide that type of service to our own property owners.
Tucker Omohundro
01/09/2022 — 8:49 pm
Way to think out of the box Lloyd. That would work for several I am sure. I will start some research tomorrow. The leaves are a big PITA for everyone. Villagers and the POA. Thanks
Tucker Omohundro
01/09/2022 — 8:51 pm
Lloyd we do a burn every year at the old pit area. Maybe we could do it there.
LLOYD SHERMAN
01/09/2022 — 9:45 pm
Sounds like a plan worth exploring. Thanks for responding.
Kirk Denger
01/11/2022 — 2:19 pm
Megatons of carbon are emitted into the atmosphere during forest fires and burning leaves, which contributes to global warming as well as lung functioning problems for our community, the 7 hottest years in history were the last 7. Composting leaves is a possibility which could then be recycled.
Sue Posner
01/11/2022 — 2:42 pm
Now that’s the best solution to leaf problem, thanks Kirk
Tom Blakeman
01/11/2022 — 8:44 am
If the POA has the sole and exclusive right to haul trash inside the village gates then they should be serving everybody directly. This includes the townhomes. There should be no exceptions. POA has just spent millions on new equipment and it should be used across the board.
Lorri Street
01/11/2022 — 4:15 pm
I am one who rakes and bags my leaves from the front and most of the sides of my property. Just recently had 13 bags of leaves sit on my front yard from 12/9-1/7. Called for the pickup on 12/9 and was told the first date available was 1/7/22. Almost a month to have bagged leaves picked up is too long IMHO. Also, to hire people to blow leaves from my entire property is $300.00 annually. I find this an unfair process since many of my neighbors in my surrounding neighborhood have empty lots they can blow their leaves onto. And, please don’t tell me “they’re not supposed too”, because, it’s common practice here in the Village. If the POA decides to take my right as a Property Owner to bag my leaves and have them picked up then they can reimburse me my annual cost to have them removed. The playing field needs to be leveled.
Sue Posner
01/11/2022 — 5:58 pm
Well to make a municipal compost, we have back hoes dig a pit have leaves either vacuumed (most leaf vacs shed leaves not a wood chipper needed) or owners use paper contractor bags put leaves in either pick up or let owners drop off, oh and have them bag grass clipping to add. Leaves in pit then few bags of nitrogen fertilizer. moisture(rain will help) and in short time fall to springtime decomposed leaves/compost soil pit will retain heat enough. It’s too dangerous to burn leaves as wind can blow them and start wildfire and against ordinance to in here anyway. If one has woods next to if they are blown into woods loosely not piled up they will mostly decompose by springtime. That shouldn’t be forbidden, we live in mostly woods around us where trees drop leaves there. I know some parts like that manicured urban look, even sides of roads DOT recommends transition of wild flowers and grasses as transition at edges of woods, they don’t require shaved grass no more than a clear zone 6 feet along road side rest as a transition zone for native grasses and wildflowers crucial to habitat, not to mention deterrent to deer along side road(they like that manicured grass better its more tender. It’s called Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management or wildflower habitat helps cut down on road side maintenance as it promotes wildflower habitats. http://www.ahtd.ar.gov/wildflower_program/wildflower.aspx