Surprise, AZ recognizes the importance of reliable garbage collection

Voice of the People Award for Excellence

Surprise, AZ

Garbage Collection Services

City Manager Chris Hillman and Public Works Director Dick McKinley submitted a wonderful story about the work they have done to create a top-notch Sanitation Division. We’re including it below in its entirety and are so pleased to award them the Voice of the People Award for Excellence in Garbage Collection Services.

"Picking up trash is one of the most basic services a city can provide. However, without a reliable collection system in place this can become a city’s worst customer-service nightmare.  In Surprise, Arizona our Sanitation Division of Public Works offers the very best in reliable customer service, but don’t just take our word for it ...

In the 2012 National Citizens Survey (NCS), 91 percent of our residents rated garbage collection as “excellent” or “good.”  In fact, residents rated our trash pick-up service “much above” our peer communities.

Our 21 equipment operators and fleet of 24 trucks are at the ready providing top-notch curbside, bulk pickup and roll off services.

And these same crews are scoring top marks for recycling collection.  In fall 2011, the City expanded its recycling collection program to include glass and plastics numbered 1-7. This service expansion was well-received by our community and there is data to prove it.  In the 2012 NCS 97{7d2d4cb14c544bbeb3cd4763dc2b1aa4e79f5bb51403ad6dac1e84ac9d980b0d} of residents said they recycled over the past 12 months, a seven-percent increase from the 2010 NCS results.

Overcoming some challenges….

City services were stretched to the limits during the hyper-growth years in Surprise, when our population grew from 38,000 in 2000 to over 100,000 by 2006.  The Sanitation Team felt the strain and went to work on creating a more efficient zone-based collection system to meet the growing demand.

The new schedule presented a new challenge, as it changed the trash/recycle collection schedule for more than 70 percent of the community. The goal was to have 100 percent of those affected by the change comply with the new schedule on the February 4, 2008 launch day.

Thanks to a city-generated multi-media marketing campaign the changeover met with 100 percent compliance city wide, and staff received zero phone calls or e-mails from puzzled or angry residents wondering about why their trash wasn’t picked upon their accustomed day.  Our sanitation drivers did not report a drop off in the number of service stops; everyone had their trash and recycling out on the correct days.

This story is a shining example of how good things happen when a city commits to providing exemplary customer service- a commitment made and delivered by the City of Surprise Sanitation Team.