Cookeville’s newest residential garbage collection route already approaching capacity as the city manages growth.
Public Works Director Mary Beth Elrod said the recently completed fourth full-time residential route is seventy-five percent full. Elrod said it could be up to four years before another new route is needed.
“The current projection we have right now of the growth,” Elrod said, “If we do any other annexation, like we did this large Dodson Branch area annexation, we may need to look at a fifth route quicker.”
Elrod said the city spent more than a year planning the expansion to ensure the sanitation division could maintain efficient service levels for residents.
Elrod said the city intentionally phased in the new route over time before transitioning it into a dedicated five-day-a-week operation. Elrod said the sanitation division is currently making final adjustments to daily schedules to incorporate the Dodson Branch Road area.
Elrod said the department monitors route capacities daily and utilizes part-time floater trucks to assist crews. Elrod said these additional resources help the city avoid mandatory overtime while ensuring trash carts are collected on schedule.
“We have a great program,” Elrod said. “I’m very impressed with our sanitation superintendent Tony Ray and the men that he oversees. We have about 18 employees in the sanitation division and they run a tight ship. They come in on the nose, they get in their trucks, they get out and service the people as efficiently as possible.”
Elrod said adding a fifth residential route would require the city to invest between $300,000 and $400,000 for a new sanitation truck. Elrod said the annual cost for a new driver’s salary and benefits ranges from $45,000 to $60,000.
“We go by the motto is no news is good news around here,” Elrod said. “If we’re getting your trash and we have no complaints, that is good news. But if there’s some kind of snafu and we miss picking up trash, we do hear about it.”
Elrod said the city currently operates four full-time commercial routes using front-load trucks for large dumpsters. Elrod said the commercial system may require expansion before the residential service needs another route.