The Impact of COVID on Capital Costs, Labor Costs, and User Fees

Every solid waste manager throughout Texas (as well as the U.S.) is dealing with increasing labor, operations, and capital costs for collection, disposal, and processing services. Communities and haulers are dealing with a shortage of CDL drivers, helpers, and other essential employees at the same time that supply chain issues are impacting price and availability of equipment and inflation is impacting the price of fuel (and everything else). At the 2022 TxSWANA Annual Conference Dave Yanke presented COVID and Its Impact on Capital Costs, Labor Costs, and User Fees – How Cities are Dealing with These Issues. This presentation provides examples of how cities in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico are dealing with operating and capital cost increases, and presents two recent case studies highlighting communities that were able to successfully address these issues while continuing to provide a high-level of service to their customers. The presentation includes a series of recommendations that communities can utilize to assist in dealing proactively with these issues, which are envisioned to continue for the foreseeable future.