GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Board of County Commissioners had a lengthy discussion impacting the resumption of recycling pickup at Tuesday night’s board meeting.

Waste Management Public Sector Services Director Greg Huntington cited a lack of drivers as the primary issue since last spring and said the company offered $10,000 signing bonuses and higher wages in early 2021. However, the county curbside recycling was suspended in July. He said Waste Management has used third party contractors for yard debris.

“Yard debris was a thing that really suffered,” he said.

Huntington added that Waste Management increased wages 15.5% last month. Last August, he said WM had 30 of the 40 drivers it needed for full service. The need has increased to 42 drivers due to two new garbage routes, but now the company has 27 drivers. “We actually fell back three from the 30 we had,” Huntington said.

He proposed a few models where the county could pivot to a citizen recycling drop-off, moving to every other week recycling and yard debris, or different methods using an automated side load trucks to serve about 70% of customers every other week with several conditions.

“(It is) much more efficient than using rear loaders,” Huntington said of the automated side load system. “You can actually cover more ground with an ASL, so thus the amount of routes you need decreases.”

Commissioner Jim Renninger said it was clear ASL is the way of the future. The switch could provide more drivers the county can’t have in the present. Commissioner Mike Cella said the lack of drivers impacted each option. Cella wondered about the cost of switching to ASL trucks.

“Is it realistic that we’re going to move forward with one of these (options) that soon, when you’re still having those hurdles in terms of hiring?” Cella asked.

The ASL trucks require a decreased physical demand of the job, which could attract more female drivers, Commissioner Kristen Burke said. Huntington said women are underrepresented as drivers.

“Driving the ASL truck and staying in a cab and operating a joystick is much easier than driving a rear load truck …,” Huntington said.

Burke added that a major issue in recruiting drivers is a lack of affordable housing.

“People can’t live here because there isn’t a place to live,” she said.

Interim Environmental Services Manager Milton Towns said county staff were waiting on a solid waste management plan to be finished by consultants and it may affect purchasing trash carts or the automated collection. He expected the plan back in April and commissioners asked to review the matter by no later than June 30.

“We want to know what that says before we take a step of $3 million (for carts),” he said.