Dear Temple Residents,
It is the responsibility of the City of Temple to consistently deliver basic services to its residents. Unfortunately, the City has not upheld its responsibility to its residents regarding consistent trash and recycling pickup.
As your Mayor, it is important to me to communicate that this challenge is not due to a lack of resources. The City of Temple is financially sound and has the personnel available to perform the work.
The City follows a deliberate process regarding the replacement of all types of equipment. Each piece of equipment is not only properly maintained to maximize its useful life but is also budgeted for replacement. This process includes everything from lawnmowers and chainsaws up to heavy equipment like backhoes and trash trucks.
Currently, the Solid Waste Division has a total of 57 trucks across five specific uses: Residential Garbage and Recycling (19), Brush/Bulk (11), Frontload (12), Commercial Sideload (2), and Roll-Off (13). The industry standard for truck readiness is that on average about 80% of the fleet is available for use while the remainder is not available due to repairs and/or scheduled maintenance. The City’s overall fleet availability meets this industry average, and it is striving to reach this goal for its Solid Waste trucks. This is a major accomplishment given the City’s aging fleet.
Prior to 2020, the typical lead time to receive a trash truck after placing an order was 6-9 months. City staff identified that lead times for heavy equipment were increasing rapidly, so 10 new Residential Garbage and Recycling trucks were ordered in 2022. Unfortunately, lead times have continued to increase since the trucks were ordered to over 24 months. As of today, these trucks still have not arrived in Temple.
During this same time, Temple has experienced unprecedented growth. Weekly residential garbage and recycling pickup has increased from 25,000 households to 32,000 households collected per week—a 28% increase in the number of households that must be serviced by the aging fleet. The City of Temple’s residential trucks are performing almost 1,200 lifts per day, while the industry standard is between 800 and 1,000 lifts per day.
Thankfully, solutions are forthcoming. The City added one new frontload truck in December after another community was unable to take delivery. Additionally, the City has recently secured three residential trucks where after a brief rental period, we have the option to purchase. All these trucks are currently working in Temple. Lastly, between March and September, the City will take delivery of the ten residential trucks that were ordered in 2022. As these new trucks arrive, some of the current fleet will be sent for total refurbishment, while others will be stripped of their useful parts to be held in inventory for future repairs. Additional adjustments to operations and collections are being evaluated that would further improve fleet readiness and, ultimately, the level of service that you experience.
The City Council and I want to thank the residents who have been impacted by this ongoing challenge for their patience. The City Council and City staff are committed to building Temple into the place you love to call home.
Best regards,
Tim Davis
Mayor