Coronado City Council Approves Automated Green-Waste Collection

EDCO previewed its new automated green-waste collection system at . Soon, the same type of cart residents use for garbage and recyclables will be available for grass, leaves, twigs and any other debris from your garden.

Within the next six months the company said it will replace the round, soft-plastic green-waste cans with sturdier square-shaped carts. EDCO plans to distribute 95-gallon, green containers with wheels and a hinged lid to each residential customer. A 65-gallon container is available for residents who don’t have much yard waste or who aren’t strong enough to push a 95-gallon cart out to the curb. There is also a 35-gallon option available.

EDCO officials said avid gardeners, who might need more than one bin, can request up to three more at no charge. Customers that want more than three will have to pay $2.75 per month for each extra cart requested. Physically disabled residents may also request a courtesy movement service to and from the curb at no charge.  

During the transition phase, EDCO will collect the old green waste containers at no extra charge.

City staff said the new system will allow for more convenient disposal, since EDCO will be able to grab the carts and dump waste into the back of its truck with an automated arm. The company currently uses the same automated system for garbage and recyclables.

The new carts will also “improve aesthetics and reduce litter, debris and vectors,” the city's staff reported.  

“We’re excited about this already,” Mayor Casey Tanaka said. He and Councilwoman Carrie Downey congratulated EDCO on the excellent service the family-owned company has provided for more than 30 years.

The item was originally placed on the City Council’s Consent Calendar, but Councilman Al Ovrom spotted EDCO representatives John Snyder and Scott Huth in attendance. He asked that the item be pulled so Synder and Huth could give the council and public a preview.

The vote to approve the expansion of the automated new system was 4 to1, with Councilwoman Barbara Denny voting no.

On the matters of for the Spreckels Mansion, the council was unanimous in its support. All were subjected to public hearings, but no member of the public stepped forward to object.

Save one man. R.V. Finch, who lives behind the , asked the council to disallow a proposed external staircase at the rear of main house, because “it would result in a major loss of privacy.”

Dale Gardon, the architect for the project, who represented the owner at the meeting, pointed out that the trees at the back of the property provided plenty of privacy. The City Council agreed.