Continuing to look for ways to improve operations and be more proactive, the City of Baltimore’s Department of Public Works has developed comprehensive programs to improve the cleanliness of the city, community outreach and education, and maintain effective enforcement strategies.
The City of Baltimore was founded in 1729 and incorporated in 1797. In1925, the Department of Public Works (DPW) was established in the city’s charter, in reaction to the public health needs of the community. Over the past 40 years, the Department’s mission has been expanded to encompass the broader mission of environmental protection.
As part of the Department of Public Works, the Bureau of Solid Waste’s sanitation responsibilities include weekly curbside trash collection, weekly curbside recycling collection, scheduled bulk trash collection, seasonal leaf collection, mechanical street sweeping operations, graffiti removal, rat abatement, cleaning and boarding vacant properties, collecting solid waste and recycling at special events and festivals, corner can collection, cleaning illegal dumping sites, cleaning the Inner Harbor, and cleaning business districts and parks. In addition, the Bureau operates a City-owned landfill, a transfer station, and eight citizen convenience drop-off centers, as well as maintaining closed landfills. In the winter months, the Department participates in the City snow operations.
The Bureau of Solid Waste has 785 workers (687 permanent positions and 98 seasonal) while its fleet consists of 630 vehicles, including load packers (16 cubic yards and 20 cubic yards), street sweepers, pick-up trucks, dump trucks, tractors, trailers, Bobcats, riding mowers, bulldozers and more. The Bureau also has a small fleet of skimmer boats to collect floating trash from the Harbor, and it services the dumpsters located at the two trash wheels located in the Harbor.
Not only does the Bureau of Solid Waste provide service for the City of Baltimore, which has a population of about 622,000, it also services more than 200,000 residential households, plus tens of thousands of commuters and visitors. The curbside recycling program accepts a wide variety of plastic, paper, metal and glass items. At the public yards, the Bureau accepts hard plastic, electronics and household hazardous waste. Household hazardous waste is accepted at the Sisson Street Citizen Convenience Center the first Friday and Saturday of every month from April to October. Investment in the Sisson Street drop-off center in 2013 created a system of ramps that let citizens easily dump their refuse and recycling from above the roll-off dumpsters, rather than having to lift their debris up and into the large containers. Residents can bring their polystyrene to this Center for recycling, thanks to an initiative that began in the fall of 2011 in which Dart Container Corporation donated a roll-off dumpster for the recycling, providing free removal and repurposing of the material.
Under a similar model, the Bureau started accepting oyster shells in the spring of 2016 at the Sisson Street Citizen Convenience Center in collaboration with the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP), a non-profit that works on oyster restoration and similar projects with the goal of improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay. The organization collects oyster shells from restaurants, businesses and public drop-off locations, and partners with the University of Maryland’s Horn Point Oyster Hatchery to use the shells to grow baby “spat” oysters. The larval oysters attach to the shells and every half shell collected supports the development of up to 10 larval oysters. These oysters filter the water, naturally improving the quality of the Bay.
Improving Efficiencies
Earlier this year, as part of a comprehensive effort to improve the cleanliness of the City, the Bureau of Solid Waste reorganized its divisions to be focused geographically. Divisions are organized based on quadrants of the city—Northwest, Northeast, Southwest and Southeast—with a Quadrant Chief and an average of 111 employees. Each Quadrant chief and staff is responsible for delivering solid waste services within the assigned Quadrant. “Under this organization, crews get to know neighborhoods and the range of challenges within a community, and are responsible for all solid waste services within their quadrant,” says John Chalmers, Bureau Head.
The only real challenge in moving to the Quadrant System was that of shifting personnel and equipment. For the most part, the reorganization was well received by the employees, unions, citizens and City Council members. By reorganizing the Bureau into quadrants, the geographical footprint for each quadrant manager was reduced by three-quarters and at the same time provided each manager with all the tools required to maintain an acceptable level of cleanliness within their Quadrant. Explains Chalmers, “Prior to the change, each manager was responsible for delivering a singular service across the entire city. With the current Quadrant model, external partner citizens and internal partners such as city council members know who to contact to discuss issues of concern and they are confident that they are in a position to address all of the cleaning concerns in a one-stop-shop model.”
The Bureau’s Municipal Trash Can Program was implemented citywide in 2016. Each household received one city-owned trash cart free of charge. “We also sell recycling bins at cost for residents who wish to purchase them, but we will accept recyclable materials in any container except for plastic bags, which clog the machines at the recycling facility,” says Chalmers. In an effort to encourage recycling and the use of recycling bins, the Recycling Office routinely holds recycling bin sales, usually around holidays. The sales are held at various locations throughout the city and are publicized through social media and the DPW website. Recycling bins, cans and lids are sold at discounted prices at these events. The sales are very popular with residents who appreciate the convenient opportunity to purchase bins and cans. “Our residents really respond to the recycling bins sales. We have them around a theme—gifts for the holidays or loving recycling on Valentine’s Day—and we see our sales increase, ” notes Chalmers.
The DPW also has a multi-faceted approach to keeping trash out of the Harbor. Baltimore City has a separate storm drain system, meaning that any trash, sediment or debris that enters the storm drain inlets then continues into the Bay. Upstream efforts to prevent litter from entering the storm drains include community engagement, the use of municipal trash cans, street sweeping, storm drain inlet screens and inlet cleaning. Collection of trash that still ends up in the water is conducted by the Bureau’s skimmer boats and by manual collection for hard-to-access areas. In addition, the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore City, a non-profit organization, owns and operates two sustainably powered trash wheels which intercept the trash that exits in the outfalls. The devices, “Mr. Trash Wheel” and “Professor Trash Wheel”, use solar and hydro power to turn a conveyor that lifts trash from the water as it flows. The trash flows into dumpsters, which are serviced by the Bureau of Solid Waste. The Department of Public Works and the Waterfront Partnership look forward to hosting a ‘mobile session’ tour of these initiatives during the upcoming WASTECON/ISWA World Congress.
Safety and Training
The DPW’s Office of Safety and Training holds training for new employees and specialized training classes. Basic driver class is a required training for any employee who needs access to drive a city vehicle. The Bureau faces pressure for CDL drivers as compensation for these skilled positions increased elsewhere faster than it has for City employees. When hiring, the Bureau casts a wide net for people with CDLs but continues to struggle with recruiting and retaining drivers.
When hired, CDL drivers attend the basic driver course and also undergo a driving test in which they must navigate a course and pass an evaluation. In addition, specific trainings are held for snow operations, which include how to properly use a vehicle equipped with a plow, how to apply salt and how to safely drive in icy/snowy conditions.
The office also ensures that employees have and use all personal protective equipment necessary for the specifications of their position. Safety Officers regularly conduct field visits to do spot checks and to provide support. Safety talks are given on various topics during morning roll call and other scheduled times. In addition, operations are at times adjusted to ensure employee safety. For example, in extreme heat conditions, collection routes may begin earlier in the morning than usual.
Community Outreach
The DPW has a Communications and Community Affairs Division with community liaisons who work with neighborhood associations and other local leaders to help promote programs. Bureau supervisors will also attend community functions in order to answer citizens’ questions. The Recycling Office helps to schedule and run paper shredding and recycling bin sales at various locations around the City. Usually the Recycling Office has bin sales to coincide with holidays and community shredding events are often held once per quarter in rotating quadrants of the city.
Promotional Materials
In an effort to share information about City services and programs and to remind residents about their trash, recycling and street sweeping days, the Communications and Community Affairs Division produces a range of promotional materials. The DPW Web site (http://publicworks.baltimorecity.gov) provides a range of background information about the department and resources for residents, including press releases, important announcements (like service changes), informational flyers and other downloadable materials.
A new DPW calendar is published each year in both English and Spanish; it is provided free of charge to residents via household mailings or a presence at meetings and events. The calendar provides information about household hazardous waste days, make-up collection days, street sweeping days and special events. Each month of the calendar features a different DPW project or initiative, such as alley cleaning or graffiti removal.
In addition, DPW releases educational flyers for its various programs. Some of the flyers provide tips for residents, including “Rat-Proofing Your Home” and “Single-Stream Recycling Guide.” Other promotional materials have been released, such as stickers, magnets, bracelets and coloring books. “An especially popular and comprehensive tool is the Clean Guide, published in cooperation with private agencies and filled with handy tips to help residents work on their own and with the City to promote clean, healthy neighborhoods,” states Chalmers. “These materials are especially important for our residents who do not have computers or who prefer printed materials.”
Social Media
The Communications and Community Affairs Division has become more active on social media in the last few years, keeping pace with the ways in which people choose to receive information. The DPW Facebook and Twitter accounts are updated regularly, sometimes several times a day. These forums allow the Department to quickly release information and to hear directly from residents. DPW also uses YouTube on occasion to share press releases and other informational videos (www.youtube.com/user/BaltimoreDPW). Furthermore, the Division has an active media presence. With 24-hour on-call personnel, the press, the public and elected officials are kept informed of upcoming projects, emergency situations, special events and Departmental initiatives.
Community Liaisons
In 2012, DPW created Community Liaison positions with the goal of improving direct communications between the Department and the communities served. These liaisons attend community association meetings, public information meetings held by DPW and run information tables at special events. They distribute the DPW promotional materials and share information about special projects occurring in neighborhoods. They also respond to questions and concerns from Council members and community residents. Currently, six liaisons serve 14 Councilmanic districts. The liaisons are popular with residents and elected officials, who appreciate the improved access to the Department. The liaisons also provide the Department with more opportunities to share information with residents, especially community associations.
Community Cleanups
DPW and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods work together to hold the Mayor’s Annual Spring Cleanup and the Mayor’s Annual Fall Cleanup. Every year there are many community groups and other organizations that register to hold cleanups on these designated days. The Bureau of Solid Waste provides dumpsters, bags and other materials and arranges for the collection of the waste after the event. These official cleanups, which are greatly publicized, encourage community building and serve to raise awareness of the importance of keeping neighborhoods clean. In addition, any community or group that wishes to hold a cleanup on a day or their choice can call 311 to request a dumpster and equipment to hold a cleanup. The Bureau of Solid Waste will deliver and collect the dumpster the day of the event. Residents who participate in these cleanup events are eligible for credits on their storm water fees. Explains Chalmers, “In order for a cleanup to count for a participation credit, the organizer just needs to register the event ahead of time with 311 as an official event. They receive storm water participation certificates to give to those participating. The credits provide an extra incentive to participate in cleanups and help promote the City’s goals to clean the Harbor.”
Dealing with Ongoing Issues
Cleanliness, proper trash storage and litter have been ongoing issues. The Municipal Trash Can Program was implemented with the intention to remove barriers to proper trash storage for residents. By distributing 65-gallon and 35-gallon trash cans with attached lids to virtually every single-family residence in the city, Chalmers hopes to to give residents an easy means to keep their trash secure from rats and other animals. “However, illegal dumping is a constant challenge in the City and the Bureau of Solid Waste works with the Code Enforcement Division to educate residents and businesses about proper trash disposal,” he stresses. “The Code Enforcement Division uses inspectors and cameras to investigate and pursue egregious cases of illegal dumping.” The Bureau of Solid Waste is in the early stages of creating its own sanitation enforcement division so that it can focus on education and enforcement strategies specific for trash-related offenses. Continues Chalmers, “We strongly believe having code enforcement assigned to each Quadrant, under the direction of the Quadrant manager, will provide a complete tool box. To maintain the cleanliness of our city we must educate, clean and enforce the sanitation code in order to turn the curve. This effort must be achieved in a homogenous manner.”
Beginning April 1, 2017, the Bureau opened up its Northwest Transfer Station to permitted small commercial waste haulers, hoping to make it easier and less expensive for these businesses to drop off a load and get back to work. The first week of the program, about 40 loads were brought in each day by small haulers with valid permits. By May, the Northwest Transfer Station was seeing an average of 67 loads each day from haulers with permits. The Bureau hopes that making it easier for small haulers to properly dispose of trash will reduce instances of illegal dumping and help keep Baltimore cleaner and healthier. “Area residents, sometimes more than 100 of them in a day, continue to use Northwest Transfer Station to dispose of their own bulk trash. The facility is free for residents, and $20 per load for small haulers with a valid permit. Residents may use any of the Citizens Convenience Centers throughout the City without charge to dispose of their own bulk trash,” says Chalmers.
As in many large cities, Chalmers points out that rats are also a constant challenge. “We have made strides recently by switching our rat abatement strategy from strictly reactive to more proactive, where we go into alleys on a 20-day cycle, looking for potential rat burrows.” Combined with the distribution of municipal trash cans to contain the rats’ food sources, this has shown results in reducing the number of rat abatement requests. Early indications have shown a 32 percent decrease in rat rubout complaints city-wide within the first six months of the program compared to the same period before the program was fully implemented.
While many community leaders, residents, and business owners work hard to keep their neighborhoods clean, it is an ongoing struggle to prevent litter and illegal dumping, in addition to the need for more recycling and less waste generation. “One of our biggest challenges is the need for even more actively engaged residents and businesses. Everyone who lives, works and visits the city has a role in keeping it clean and sustainable. The simple actions of residents containing their trash in a trash can with a tight fitting lid, landlords supplying sufficient trash containers to their tenants, and businesses containing trash in dumpsters that are regularly serviced, would greatly reduce rat populations as well as the accumulation of debris in alleys, lots, streets and streams,” says Chalmers. Property owners, by code, must keep exterior areas clean and debris-free, and are also responsible for keeping their portion of sidewalks, street gutters and alleys clean. Littering, dumping of bagged trash, or more intensive illegal dumping is devastating to neighborhoods.
As a result, DPW continues to work towards increasing the city’s recycling rate and encouraging residents and businesses to think about producing less waste. “Working toward a Zero Waste goal requires our citizens to think differently about trash, what they do with their trash, and what they purchase that may end up as trash. Implementing Zero Waste requires a broad based public awareness campaign in addition to the traditional educational outreach on proper trash disposal and recycling,” states Chalmers.
Increasing Collaboration
Despite these challenges, the DPW is finding ways to deliver more service with little or no increase in operating costs, including expanded street sweeping by reworking the routes, switching to proactive rat abatement under the existing budget, distributing municipal trash cans to every customer and expanded dumping options for small commercial waste haulers. They are also currently exploring options around corner can expansions and the role of smart technology in both corner can collection and curbside collection.
In efforts to improve sanitation habits throughout the city, there are several efforts underway to further increase collaboration with community groups and stakeholders. The Mayor’s Bmore Beautiful is a peer-to-peer beautification program that engages not only residents, but also businesses and organizations. The program is currently being piloted in 22 diverse neighborhoods throughout the city with the goal of expanding citywide after an assessment of the pilot. City staff will work with block captains in each neighborhood to implement recruitment of neighbors, organize ongoing activities, lead behavior change, and educate participants on city services and ways to keep their neighborhoods beautiful.
In addition, the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development’s YouthWorks program is an excellent way for the city’s youth to participate in summer jobs with private, public and non-profit partners throughout the city where they gain new skill sets and career readiness. The Bureau of Solid Waste employed 25 youth in the summer of 2017. These youth gained education on waste management and recycling, participated in a tour of the landfill, transfer station and other facilities, and helped to conduct community outreach activities.
Chalmers says, “Our sanitation issues can all be addressed by everyone taking personal responsibility for their sanitation habits, which would result in a much cleaner city without costing city government and taxpayers. We need to think of more creative ways to get people to understand the impacts of improper trash management. There are numerous negative impacts on the city’s health, environment and economy. Every piece of trash that is improperly discarded has a real cost. We will continue to look for ways to improve operations and be more proactive.”
For more information, contact Bureau Head, John Chalmers, at (410) 396-5134.