Greensboro District 2 City Councilmember Goldie Wells has made it a practice to get to the heart of an issue when other councilmembers talk all around it.
This was the case again at the Tuesday, Jan. 2 meeting when the City Council got into a long confusing discussion about ending the loose leaf collection program and going to yard waste carts and biodegradable paper bags.
The two councilmembers opposed to ending loose leaf collection, Councilmembers Zack Matheny and Hugh Holston, made good points about the questionable savings the city is projecting from this change.
The cost savings was, according to city staff, projected to be about $250,000 a year.
Matheny said, “If you’re saving $250,000 a year, if I do my math correctly, over 15 years that’s $3.6 million.”
In April 2023, the City Council was told that by ending loose leaf collection over 15 years the city would save $3.7 million. The reason for the 15-year time frame is that is the expected life of the yard waste carts. However, in August the cost savings was raised to $10 million over $15 years, but the savings was still said to be $250,000 a year. As Matheny noted, that projected cost savings is without taking into consideration the cost of financing the $4.1 million to buy the yard waste cans. City staff could not have considered the cost of financing the debt because it had no estimate of what that cost would be.
But as Wells noted, “It’s not about the dollars and cents.”
Wells said, “Every time you bring up leaf collection people from certain communities come and they do not want us to not pick up their leaves. Now we don’t have a lot of complaints about leaves because as Sharon [District 1 Councilmember Sharon Hightower] said, we don’t have a lot of trees. When they build our houses, they don’t want to put in trees because they say we won’t keep the shrubbery up. And I know that they say it because I was on the committee when we were coming up with the new plan for the people.”
When Matheny was talking about the vast number of emails councilmembers had received opposing ending loose leaf collection, Hightower interrupted him and said, “All from the same zip code 08 and 55.” Those would be zip codes in northwest Greensboro, 27408 and 27455.
Matheny noted that one speaker said ending loose leaf collection was to punish west Greensboro. He said, “Whoever said punish west Greensboro, punish for what? Gahl-dang, why can’t we all just get along.”
Obvious this council has no clue as to what they are doing and how it affects the majority of citizens. I especially like the statement ” it’s not about the dollars and cents”. Once again you prove how reckless you are with taxpayer’s money. Sadly you continue to get voted into office. I did not expect the race card to be thrown in on leaf collection….but that’s the city and county way of doing business. The majority of this council is pitiful and an embarrassment.
I totally agree. The majority of this council is pitiful and an embarrassment.
Whoever had the idea to get these monstrosity containers to put leaves in should be canned. Think of the aging population and getting these leaves up and into the can – raking them to the street is the easiest for them. Clearly you are not being considerate of all the homeowners. And yes, the home is in 27408 zip code. WTH does that have to do with anything? We pay the same tax rate you do!
I live in the 27410 zip code area. The homeowners association has the leaves gotten up and removed. I don’t need a monstrous can for the leaves. I don’t need the can for shrub and tree trimming. The same people that get up leaves take care of shrubs and trees too. I don’t need a can. I don’t have a place to store a can. This is the usual bs that the city and the county officials stick us with. They waste so much money. It should be criminal what they do to us. Please stop voting for any incumbents. It’s the only way we will ever get the attention of the fools.
Can you take this idea to city council and remind them of this. If seniors cant get the leaves up they will find a way to fine them. Not fair
Always the race card is the reason that stupid ideas are allowed to go thru. It is time for the city to follow the will of the people and not according to zip codes. Give us what we the taxpayers are paying for, not what some feel is not fair because of their zip code or type home they have. Look at the tax records and see how many people the questioned areas actually pay tax. This complete idea has no support other than the city councils desire to think they are doing something for Greensboro when the are not.
Maybe the Council should just pick up the leaves from the districts that request pickup and decline to pick up leaves from the districts that don’t. I would like the leaf pickup to continue and I live in Zip Code 27410.
Northwest Greensboro does include a large part of 27410. So not sure why they chose to mention only 27408 and 27455. I have trees and lots of them. My taxes have gone up and the council keeps taking away needs of the city. Just hard to believe. You may have new developments built with no trees but what about those well established areas? Unbelievable.
They’re punishing the white areas of Greensboro – because they’re white. It’s perfectly clear from what they said.
Finally, an honest answer.
Thanks, Joe.
My wife says my candor is often embarrassing in social situations, but I just have to blurt out what’s bleedin’ obvious, even when no-one else will say it.
Goldie spent 5 minutes reshowing the same 4 slides pertaining to the mess and injuries that are incurred at the city landfill because of the use of plastic bags. That seemed to be her main concern. Those of us that live on the west side of town and are inundated with the autumn leaf problems have no issue with banning plastic bags. We’re upset about abruptly stopping the loose leaf pickup. Next year we are to use the city provided 94 gallon plastic carts and paper bags we have to purchase from big box stores.
In the Hamilton/Starmount many of us are senior citizens, often with medical conditions and living on fixed income. Instead of just blowing leaves to the curb we will now have to bag every week or pay a yard service until all the leaves are gone. Jus sayin….
“…or pay a yard service…”
Hmm…I wonder…
Goldie Wells and Sharon Hightower are two absolute hoots. Hightower states “when they build our houses, they don’t want to put in a lot of trees.” First off, who are “they?” Secondly, many trees growing throughout Greensboro were planted by the homeowners. Do Wells’ and Hightower’s constituents not know how to plant trees, or are they averse to the work it takes to beautify property? Thirdly, since the 1960s, 1970s, etc., Blacks can move wherever they aspire to live. If Blacks live in a treeless environment, that is by choice. Therefore, Ms. Wells and Ms. Hightower, your comments are directed at Whites because they choose to have deciduous trees that provide cool shade in the summer, then drop their leaves to let in sunlight during the winter. Rather smart, I would say. Why have your constituents decided to remain treeless? Don’t blame Whites for this. There are several questions that should be answered before making the decision to eliminate leaf collection: What is the real cost of leaf collection, this should include employee costs to do the collecting; if temps are hired, what are those costs? Leaf collection can be fraught with injuries, as the hoses and machinery can be difficult to control and maneuver. All associated leaf collection expenses should be included to arrive at a true cost for leaf collection. What is the cost of the machinery? As far as eliminating the leaf collection program, the true cost should be known. That has not happened because most of the City Council members want to eliminate leaf collection. The members will not say this, but that is just the way it is. The true cost of using yard waste cans should include the cans, the employee costs to collect the cans and dispose of the waste, wear and tear on city trucks, and the cost of borrowed money (interest). Is collecting the facts too much to ask?
Where is the analysis that shows how the savings are expected? How do we know that similar savings could not be gained from better management? What is being done in Winston Salem, Raleigh, etc to effectively collect the leaves?
Sounds like the project needs bond money to proceed. How can the city commit to any capital purchase orders if full project funding has not been obtained and project savings not been verified? Looks like capital project mismanagement and violation of good financial practices. Needs to be investigated by the State.
So what happens if all the leaves in my yard end up in the street? Are they going to just leave them there? Or let them clog up the storm water system? Not that I would blow them there … but like if the wind just happened to blow them all there…
My relatives (and where I grew up) 27403, specifically the Hightower district. Dr. Wells they have trees. But they are the working low income who do not count at all in this town. They do not get handouts, they pay property taxes but also do not receive the attention of those in other zip codes who go to the country club with their city council person. I am glad Dr. Wells was honest-it is not about leaves. If you want a developer to leave trees or plant trees you have the power within zoning negotiations to make it happen. Good grief city council you suck.
Do they not realize 08 & 55 are paying higher tax rates? Don’t they realize they are shooting themselves in the foot? Why hasn’t this conversation / issue and this response from council covered by the media? Mathaney brings up a could point about the cost and math and ROI. At this pace and under this council, GSO is gonna look like a mini Baltimore, Philly, Chicago, etc.
We already do-74 homicides including the murder of a police officer.
Greensboro government is ruled by racism. There is going to be more murders. Evil will prevail and control Greensboro.
The political Left is a mechanism of evil.
Really.
And I have never seen evil so rampant and unbridled.
Just remember that when voting comes around. We are seeing major blue cities ie, New York, Chicago, San Francisco LA you don’t go further they are all running amok we’re not that much further behind them
God save us from this group of idiots on the city council.
God is not going to help. We have to do it.
It’s bad enough that affluent neighborhoods get all the amenities and or safer but there reserved for a certain race as well? I support loose leaf pick up BTW. We gotta do better yall
This is not a race-card issue, and it sickens me to hear people go to this trope – this is about “green waste” collection. Having said that, let me also voice my opposition to this hare-brained, expensive plan the Council has endorsed.
I live in 27405 zip and have many, many mature hardwood trees. We also have ditches, not curbs & guttering out here. Now in our advancing 70s, leaves on our property have never been put down at the street for pick-up. We have always composted and gardened with our leaves.
However, we DO depend on the City Leaf Crew and Vacuum Truck to clear the ditches of the voluminous leaves – without them, these ditches clog up and peoples’ properties erode and driveways can be badly damaged. Putting this job on the taxpayer makes NO sense. The City chose to make us live with ditches for heavy road drainage, and now they are choosing also NOT to maintain these ditches.
If you live with ditches, you should be getting a tax discount beginning next March.
This plan is going to create massive infrastructure damage, like clogged pipes under the driveways where ditches exist. In zip code 27405 these ditches are common.
It is back-breaking labor to hand-clear, remove, and haul away piles of leaves from my ditches (I have done it in emergencies when my pipes were so clogged the street run-off was tearing the end of my driveway to shreds). It is also very physically dangerous because traffic can be very heavy on my street, and drivers are not respectful of people working in the ditch.
Bottom line: this new plan of making individual property owners responsible for keeping the city infrastructure in good shape will never work.
I’m betting that in a couple of years anyone interested will be able to purchase used yard waste carts for a few dollars each from the Greensboro surplus auctions. Possibly the specialty trucks planned for purchase can be converted by the city to a more useful purpose in order to avoid the same auctions. Otherwise, lucky entrepreneurs will be gifted with remarkable purchases (ten cents on the dollar?).
There is no way in h*** the city leaf collection idea will ever work as storm drains will become the new disposal sites for leaf collection. Just rake the leaves to the street and force them into the storm drains under the cover of darkness. Leaf collection solved at no additional cost to the homeowner and minimal labor beyond that expended in years prior to the council’s mandate.
The council’s “no brains” will ultimately turn into a “no brainer” for homeowners looking for a way to rid themselves of leaves.
Did she just say the quiet part out loud?
If the citizens of Greensboro are actually as fed up with the council as the comments here indicate, they should end the district form of representation. I have read that Greensboro is a minority majority city so just let everyone run at large and the chips can fall as they may. Very happy to be on the outside looking in here.
You can’t hide stupid and racism!
You can’t fix stupid either!
Gosh Goldie,I didn’t realize you were as racist as Hightower is but I guess it’s true birds of a feather flock together. I’ve lost respect for you
Just curious. Can the citizens of Greensboro who are against this boondoggle somehow get an injuction to stop this craziness? And, who cleans up the Well’s yard?
I am in ZIP Code 27407 and I can tell you people are totally upset in my neighborhood about trying to put leaves in a huge 90 gallon container. How in the world am I going to do that at age 76? Do I have to lean the can over and rake the leaves into it and then try to up right it?This will never save money and will be known as one of the biggest mistakes Greensboro council ever made
My property tax went up $500 from last year people don’t see this because they’re paying it with their escrow but when you have to pay it out right a $200,000 House cost you $2,700 in taxes.. and you can’t even do leave collection and come up with fairy tail scenarios and comments that don’t make sense… Just another way how the city is doing less and less for individual households while increasing the cost.. I’m on my way out of here to Myrtle Beach in the next year so I will no longer be a Greensboro resident after 61 years. And this is the some of the reason for it.
GSO highest taxes , lowest street paving .