Killeen garbage: City to end bulk trash collection, raise employee pay

Killeen garbage workers are getting a raise.

“Pay for City of Killeen equipment operators would go from $15.25 - $22.87 an hour, to $17.35 - $26.03 an hour. Pay for Solid Waste service workers would go from $14.37 - $21.55 an hour to $15.25 - $22.87 an hour. The pay raise is considered an emergency increase and is effective on the first day of the City’s next pay period.” the city said in a news release.

The pay change for drivers and workers in the city’s solid waste department is an attempt to assist what is an overworked and understaffed fleet of employees.

The raise was approved via a motion of direction at the Killeen City Council workshop Tuesday and announced in a news release Thursday.

“This pay bump will help us keep up with a competitive market and retain the quality staffing we have,” said Jeff Reynolds, the city’s executive director of public works. “These are dedicated employees who are going above and beyond to provide residents with an essential service and we want to compensate them appropriately.”

Killeen is experiencing a shortage of 17 drivers and one solid waste worker. According to Reynolds during Tuesday’s workshop, the shortage is due in part to “poaching.” The public works director explained that CDL drivers are in increased demand due to new Texas Department of Transportation requirements, leading an influx in private companies “poaching” drivers.

“It used to be that we would compete against other cities, now that’s not necessarily the case,” he said.

Another factor playing into the shortage is an overworked employee base. According to Reynolds on Tuesday, the national average for residential waste collection per driver is anywhere from 800 to 850 containers a day. Killeen’s drivers pick up around 1,200 to 1,300 containers per day — over 50% more than the national average. Killeen spokesperson Janell Ford said in the news release that solid waste drivers often work 12 hour days.

The reason Killeen’s drivers are so overworked is in large part due to bulk collection. Killeen’s bulk and brush collection policy currently allows residents to simply lay out bulk trash, which will be picked up with their regular trash for an additional fee. Bulk trash could be an old recliner that’s left out on the curb or additional trash beyond what fits in the bin. However, the bulk trash program has contributed to an overabundance of trash which the city has not kept up with, officials said.

To that end, the city will be ending free bulk trash collection, starting May 30. Moving forward, residents will have to call in or schedule online for bulk collection. The difference between the two systems is that the latter allows drivers to plan ahead for excess trash collection.

The city is expected to revisit the topic of bulk collection in October, when the city typically does a fall collection event. Until then, residents have been encouraged to drop off bulk trash at the solid waste transfer station, 12200 State Highway 195. Residents can drop off up to 300 pounds of trash in their first trip every month, but will be charged for every subsequent trip after the first. The transfer station is open to Killeen residents only, who are asked to bring a copy of their latest water bill as proof of residency.

Stacking up

Here is how Killeen stacks up against similar cities like Temple and Copperas Cove in terms of salary and benefits for solid waste workers:

Base Salary

Killeen — $17.35 an hour or $39,520 annually

Temple — $16.22 an hour or $33,737 annually

Copperas Cove — $14 an hour or $29,120 annually

Benefits

Copperas Cove — Offers health, life, dental, vision and other benefits with a total valuation of approximately $16,544 annually.

Killeen — Offers comprehensive life, dental, health and vision insurance, as well as holiday and sick leave and a myriad of other benefits. A full guide can be found online at: https://bit.ly/3Ltu0iE.

Temple — Offers medical, dental and vision care, as well as vacation, holiday and sick leave. Longevity pay, a deferred compensation plan, an employee assistance program, supplemental insurance policies and both short and long term disability pay are also available.