Beginning on June 1, 2021, the Streets Division's large item pickup will change.

Starting on June 1, when residents need large item pickup, they will need to schedule the collection via a work order system that can be accessed on the Streets Division's website.

What will I need to do with the work order system?
In the work order, you will submit information about what items you are setting out for pickup or taking to a drop-off site. For curbside collection, you will also schedule the date when the items will be picked up.

You will also use the work order system to pay recycling fees that are necessary for certain items, like appliances or televisions.

When can I access the work order system?
On May 28, 2021 the online order system will be available for the public to schedule large item pickup for the month of June and beyond.

Also on that date, you can begin using this system to purchase recycling fee stickers for items that will be taken to the drop-off site.

Where can I access the new system to submit work orders on May 28th?
The link to the work order system will be available in multiple locations on the Streets Division's website.

Once the work order system is live on May 28, and if you have trouble completing the forms, please contact the Streets Division office that services your home and staff will be able to help.

If you live east of South Park Street, you should call 608-246-4532. If you live west of South Park Street, you should call 608-266-4681. The office is available to help from 7:30am to 4:00pm Monday to Friday.

Why is this change being made?
The move to the work order system will help collection become more efficient.

Under the current system, large item collection crews rove through streets looking for material to collect. This means crews spend a lot of fuel and time searching for items.

By changing to a work order system, our crews can instead go directly to the homes that have out material, saving fuel and time.

This also allows us to get better data about what we collect. In time, as more recycling opportunities become available locally, work orders allow us to be more intentional with our collection system. For example, when mattress recycling becomes available once again, we can dispatch a truck to specifically pickup mattresses at the stops that have them so we can to deliver them to a recycler. This will make for a better process so the recyclable large items won't have to be separated out from the materials we can't yet reclaim.

And also, the work order system should practically eliminate missed large item collections as crews will know exactly which houses need collection.

Where can I go for more information?
There will be subsequent news releases in the lead-up to the deploying of the work order system that will provide more details.

The Streets Division also has a new webpage dedicated to answering questions about the new system and how it will work.

You can also contact the Streets Division offices.

Survey Open: City Engineering Works to Prioritize Flood Projects

City Engineering invites the public to take a survey to help engineers prioritize flood projects.

Purpose behind the survey
The public asks the Engineering Division often when will certain flood projects happen in the City. The answer: it depends on a number of factors including:

• Flooding improvement projects are very expensive.
• For perspective, some projects could use all parts of Engineering's budget on any given year because some cost millions of dollars.
• Flooding improvement project selection needs to be equitable. Projects should not be prioritized just because one area is more engaged in public process or has wealthier residents.
• There are so many projects and areas in need in the City.
• Flooding improvement projects take a long time and are technically very complicated because they impact more areas than the specific flood project site.

City Engineering wants this survey to open a conversation with the public on how projects get prioritized. Engineering also hopes to be more transparent with how projects get chosen and approved. To be able to share even more, the community is encouraged to complete the survey.

Take the survey
The survey asks for feedback surrounding the following topics:

• Project prioritization
• Project location
• Engagement so far

Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GQWMMQ5 
The survey will remain open until Nov. 1, 2021.

Other resources
Flooding website | Sign up for Flooding Text Alerts
Everyday Engineering Podcast Episode: Before you redo your basement | Everyday Engineering Podcast Episode: What's going on in the watershed? | Everyday Engineering Podcast Episode: Rain, Rain go in my garden | Everyday Engineering Podcast Episode: Historic Flooding

Grow Your Green Thumb This Season

Learn about resources to get involved with Rain Gardens and Adopt-A-Median