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From YouTube: Whats Up AVL – Episode 21
Description
Host Sam Parada talks with Alex Miller, Waste Reduction Program Manager for the City of Asheville’s Sanitation Division, and Sophia Bonilla, Special Projects Coordinator for the Public Works Department. Alex discusses the City’s projects to reduce solid waste through recycling, composting, and overall prevention, partnerships with the Sustainability Department including leaf collection and the City’s plan to reduce single-use plastics, new recycling drop-off locations, and the AVLCollects app. Sophia discusses her work with the Public Works Department and the many different services it offers through its divisions of Street Maintenance, Stormwater, Sanitation, Fleet, and Asset Management.
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So
my
position
is
a
bit
more
all-encompassing,
I'm.
Technically
in
the
admin
division
of
Public
Works,
we
have
six
divisions,
three
that
are
operational
to
the
public.
We
have
Street
Maintenance,
so
I
think
curbs
sidewalks,
anything,
that's
really
not
maintained
by
ncdot
storm
water,
so
helping
clear
flooding,
kind
of
help
them
with
some
projects
and
then
sanitation.
Obviously,
and
then
we
have
two
internal
divisions,
our
Fleet
Department,
our
Fleet
division.
D
B
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B
And
so
I
love
that
you
mentioned
that,
because
a
lot
of
the
times
people
aren't
sure
how
the
City
Works
in
general,
we
are
made
up
of
a
lot
of
departments
and
sometimes
like
with
Public
Works.
The
apartments
are
so
big
that
they
must
be
divided
into
the
smaller
section.
So
how
often
do
you
work
within
each
division
with
each
other.
D
Pretty
often
it's
really
great
to
get
to
understand
and
what
each
division
really
does
so
sometimes
I
update
stormwater
project
pages
I
help
out
with
interviews.
Since
we
do
those
panel
interviews,
you
know
and
I've
had
the
privilege
of
going
on
with
some
ride-alongs
with
some
of
our
folks.
Everyone.
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Not
as
much
anymore
as
when
I
first
started,
but
definitely
they
would
you
know
they
said
I'm
welcome
to
come,
but
it's
I
do
get
to
go
out
with
some
projects
and
get
media
and
like
get
some
photos
to
post
to
our
website.
Things
like
that
and
just
last
month
our
City
Arborist
Mark
Foster,
invited
me
to
just
come
to
a
training
with
them,
as
they
kind
of
scale
a
tree
yeah,
and
it
was
so
much
fun.
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So
this
is
again
sort
of
a
partnership
with
sustainability.
They
are
looking
at
single-use
Plastics.
So
as
phase
one
of
that
city
council
approved
banning
plastic
bags
for
a
leaf
and
brush
collection,
and
that
was
approved
this
January
and
goes
into
effect,
August
1st
so
beginning
August
1st,
you
cannot
put
your
leaves
and
brush
in
plastic
bags.
You'll
have
to
use
another
approved
container.
Okay,.
C
So
we've
actually
started
to
help
ease
residents
into
this
transition.
Sustain
sanitation,
bought
a
bunch
of
paper
bags,
Leaf
yard
waste
paper
bags
and
those
are
available
right
now
for
residents
to
pick
up.
We
ask
residents,
take
one
pack
per
household
and
those
are
available
at
the
Burton
Community
Center
Grant,
Shiloh,
Tempe,
Avery,
Montford
and
Stevens
Lee
for
the
spring
and
then
as
August
comes
around
an
actual
Leaf
season
will
definitely
have
a
bigger
push
and
also
more
bags
to
distribute
sounds.
C
C
So
I'm
almost
positive.
This
is
the
correct
answer:
I'm
still
learning
everything,
but
if
you
just
put
your
bulky
items
out,
our
guys
go
through
their
routes
and
then
so
the
trash
route,
it's
a
set
route
and
then
they'll
see
like
a
couch
on
the
curb
and
they'll
radio,
hey,
there's
bulk
items
to
be
picked
up
and
the
bulky
item
collection.
They
just
follow
the
same
routes
as
the
trash
Guys
each
week
sounds.
B
C
Elaine
recycling
right
in
recycling,
we
have
contamination
and
we
Define
that
as
two
ways
so
putting
items
that
are
recyclable
in
your
bin,
but
it
prepared
incorrectly
so
say
you
put
like
a
can
like
a
food
can
but
there's
still
food
in
it
that
we
would
consider
that
contamination
or
putting
items
you
think,
are
recyclable
in
your
bin
that
aren't
actually
recyclable.
So
that
could
be
like
plastic
bags.
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Yeah,
so
it's
sanitation,
I
also
want
to
plug
the
AVL,
collects
app
very
handy
tool,
so
you
can
download
that
at
the
app
store
or
go
online
to
Asheville,
nc.gov
backslash
avlcollects
and
you
can
get
your
collection
reminders
schedule
alerts
if
we're
having
delays
and
there's
also
a
handy
tool
called
the
waste
wizard.
So
if
there's
an
item
that
you're
not
sure
what
to
do
with
like
a
helium
tank,
you
just
enter
it
in
and
it'll
give
you
the
best
options:
okay,
how
to
deal
with
that.
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Every
October
called
the
snow
Rodeo,
where
all
the
guys
in
public
works
have
to
show
up
in
the
lot,
and
we
have
to
basically
go
through
all
of
the
spreaders
and
plows
and
make
sure
that
they're
all
hooked
up
correctly,
that
they're
working
and
any
maintenance
that
needs
to
be
done
gets
done
before
winter
starts.
So.
B
Yeah
I
remember:
with
the
past
couple
of
times
the
weather
got
really
cold.
The
icy
Road
warnings
came
out
and
I
kept
receiving
photos
of
your
Public
Works
guys
out
in
the
streets.
You
know,
salt
in
the
Rose,
making
sure
that
it's
safe
for
transportation-
and
you
know
the
weather-
can
change
in
an
instance
really
hard
to
predict
and
I'm
really
happy
with
a
bunch
of
emails.
I
get
ahead
of
time,
saying:
hey
we're
ready
if
something
happens,
we'll
be
out
in
the
field,
so
you
know
hats
off
to
you
guys.
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C
Yes,
we're
opening
I,
can't
remember
what
you
discussed
with
Kira
the
last
time.
She
was
here
how
many
drop-offs
we
had,
but
we
have
a
couple
and
we
are
opening
a
couple
more
because
we
partner
with
the
county
so
they'll
be
a
little
bit
further
out
and
I
know
summer.
There's
going
to
be
at
least
one
in
East
Asheville,
which.
C
And
register
and
then
you'll
get
the
additions
basically
about
what
you
can
do,
what
you
shouldn't
do,
it's,
basically
all
food
scraps
can
go,
there's
a
list
on
each
shed
about
what
can
and
can't
go
in
I.
Don't
remember
off
the
top
of
my
head,
but
we
do
ask
that
you
don't
put
any
plastic
bags
in
there,
because,
obviously,
that
is
not
compostable
unless
it
is
a
compostable
bag
bag.
They.
B
C
B
C
Yeah
I
went
to
my
first
community
meeting
last
night
and
that
was
great
meeting.
Some
of
the
community
leaders
and
just
residents
I,
was
sharing
about
the
leaf
bag
collection,
but
there
was
also
questions
about
litter
and
trash
pickup,
and
things
like
that.
So
it
was
just
nice
to
meet
some
of
the
some
of
the
residents
yeah.
B
And
that's
something
that
you
know
working
for
the
city.
Some
positions
never
really
see,
but
you
know
every
now
and
then
you're
gonna
get
pulled
into
hey,
come
talk
to
this
community
or
you
know,
say
an
announcement
or
something
that
matters
for
them
and
really
seeing
that
you
know
the
people
you're
working
for
because
we
don't
work
for
you
know
just
the
city
manager.
We
work
for
the
public,
it's
a
very
interesting
approach
and
I
love.
When
that
happens,
yeah.
B
D
D
That's
a
big
that
was
a
really
fun
project
and
just
seeing
everyone
come
in
and
get
to
interact,
and
probably
my
favorite
thing
about
Public
Works
is
whenever
I
do
go
on
ride-alongs
and
you
see
residents
out
and
about,
and
they
do
look
at
you
a
little
differently.
They're
like
what
are
you
doing
here,
and
so
it's
it's
really
nice
to
interact
with
the
community
yeah.
B
Yeah
I
get
that
I've
heard
the
not
just
from
you
is
just
what
speaking
to
the
public.
You
know
at
first.
It
can
be
a
little
scary
because
you
have
this
little
monster
in
the
back
of
your
head,
saying
oh
they're,
gonna
yell
at
you
or
they're,
going
to
complain
about
something,
and
you
know
that's
fine,
because
we
should
be
held
accountable
to
the
jobs
with
you.
D
D
That
one
yes
HR
business
partner,
more
Foley
I
was
kind
of
working
on
it
and
then
you
know
the
job.
Fair
and
other
things
have
come
up,
but
I'm
excited
to
get
back
into
that
as
well
as
just
kind
of
maintaining
our
website
and
currently
I
would
say,
like
the
next
big
event.
That
we'll
have
is
an
internal
one,
but
it's
a
national
public
works.
Appreciation
Week.
B
D
First
one
is
in
the
Shiloh
Community
trying
to
repair
some
pipes
that
are
starting
to
get
corroded,
underneath
the
ball
field,
and
so
they're
using
this
really
Innovative
technology,
where
a
machine
is
going
to
go
down
those
pipes
and
recast
them
with
like
a
spinning
plastic
materials,
they
can
use
them
as
a
mold,
and
so
when
the
metal
pipes,
eventually
kind
of
get
corroded
and
leave
new
pipes
will
already
be
under
there.
So
they
don't
have
to
tear
up
the
whole
field.
So.
D
Think
so
too,
in
the
city,
that's
cool,
yes
and
then
the
next
one
is
another
storm
water
project,
that's
huge
carteran,
Carter
and
Patton
and
South
End
Street,
and
it's
taking
place
right
on
the
streets.
But
basically
it's
a
whole
new
stormwater
system
and
they
started
construction
and
I.
Believe
construction
should
reach
Patton
Avenue.
It
was
told
by
the
end
of
May,
so
cool
yeah.
B
B
C
D
B
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B
B
B
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D
B
Yeah
yeah,
so
we
don't
spend
you
know
money
on
things
that
we
don't
need,
because
exactly
the
city
needs
it
I
do
so.
You
know,
as
a
final
topic
I
wanted
to
ask
about.
You,
know
the
safety
of
these
trucks,
because
you
both
mentioned
that
you
have
been
able
to
drive
in
them,
but
you
are
not
able
to
Crush
something
in
the
water
in
the
in
the
trash
trucks.
B
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B
B
And
sadly,
that's
all
the
time
we
have
for
today
on
what's
up
Asheville.
Thank
you
so
much
for
listening
and
please
don't
forget
to
participate
in
the
different
projects
that
we
have
at
the
city.
You
can
follow
us
on
public
input.
If
you
go
to
Asheville
and
c.gov
and
click
the
engagement
button,
you
will
get
directed
to
a
page
where
we
have
a
lot
of
projects
listed.
Where
you
can
engage,
you
can
enter
surveys,
you
can,
you
know,
give
us
your
opinion
on
the
work
that
we're
doing.