Bulk Pickups Schedule Change
Now also available for business customers
In response to public feedback, the schedule for free monthly pickup of bulk trash items has been simplified. The program, which was originally restricted to residential customers, is now open to business customers, as well. This program replaces annual Spring Cleanup, which will no longer be offered.
Under this program, residential and business customers may dispose of furniture, appliances, and other bulk trash items monthly at no extra charge. Only one item will be accepted per month from each address through this service.
Free bulk-item pickups are provided once per month. The schedule for free bulk-item pickups is based on the day your regular trash is picked up each week. Please consult the table below.
To take advantage of this service, place ONE ITEM for bulk pickup CURBSIDE no later than 6 a.m. on the day indicated below. Items must be placed curbside even if your household trash is normally picked up in an alley. Items may not always be collected on the given day.
| Weekly Trash Pickup | Monthly Bulk Item Pickup |
|---|---|
| Mondays | First Monday |
| Tuesdays | Second Tuesday |
| Wednesdays | Third Wednesday |
| Thursdays | Fourth Thursday |
| Fridays | Fourth Friday |
Acceptable materials for bulk pickups include furniture, appliances, and other large household items. We cannot accept yard waste, chemicals and hazardous materials, or building materials and demolition waste.
Again, this service replaces the annual Spring Cleanup. Bulk pickups are a separate program from special pickups, which are scheduled at customer request, may be used to dispose of multiple items, and incur fees.
For more information about this program: www.cityofelkinswv.com/bulk-pickups.
Contact the Operations Department with any questions: 304-636-1414, ext. 1437 | spoe@cityofelkinswv.com.
2022 Leaf Pickups Begin Oct. 17
Leaf pick up begins Monday, October 17, 2022 and continues for the rest of the fall, until either all leaves have been collected or snow has started falling.
What to do with your leaves
To make use of this service, rake leaves into piles in the grassy area between the curb and the sidewalk or bag up leaves for pick up.
Please do not place leaves in the street, as this causes problems with storm drains as well as parking and traffic concerns. City employees will not go into yards to collect leaves.
Is There a Schedule?
In the interest of efficiency, we do not schedule leaf collection by area but instead target the heaviest concentrations of leaves on any given day.
Customers are encouraged to bag their leaves. We can usually collect bagged leaves within 48 hours. Customers will need to place the bagged leaves at the curb and contact the Operations Division at (304)-636-1414, ext. 1437 to report the location of the bagged leaves for pick up. Bags must contain only leaves and no yard waste or trash.
Other Information
Please remember that this process is weather dependent. For example, we can’t effectively pick up leaves in a pouring rain.
Also, keep in mind that we only have one leaf truck to cover the city. Please be patient—we will get to each property as soon as we can.
Yard-waste drop-off
Residents may drop off yard waste, including leaves, between 6:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays, at the City of Elkins Wastewater Collection Plant located at 31 Jones Drive (adjacent to Robert E. Lee Avenue/Flood Control Road).
Elkins Now Offering Free Bulk Pickups
Last modified on October 10th, 2022 at 05:59 pm
As of the week of October 17, the schedule for free bulk-item pickups has changed, superseding the information in this post. Please see the main Bulk Pickups page for the updated schedule information.
Elkins residents can now dispose of furniture, appliances, and other bulk trash items monthly at no extra charge, thanks to the city’s new bulk pickup service. This service is only available to residential customers. Only one item will be accepted per month through this service.
The bulk pickup service, which relies on a new Sanitation Department grapple truck, is scheduled in connection with when household trash is collected in various parts of the city. During the first week of each month, bulk pickups will be available to households that put regular trash out on Mondays; during the second week, households that put trash out on Tuesdays and households that put trash out on Fridays; during the third week, households that put trash out on Wednesdays; and during the fourth week, households that put trash out on Thursdays.
This service starts in June and will proceed as follows during that month: where household trash is collected Mondays, bulk pickups will occur during the week of June 5; Tuesdays and Fridays, week of June 12; Wednesdays, week of June 19; Thursdays, week of June 26. View the complete 2022 schedule here: www.cityofelkinswv.com/bulk-pickups.
On the week a given area is scheduled for bulk pickups, customers should place items curbside—even if their regular household trash is collected in an alley—no later than 6 a.m. Monday morning. The grapple truck will visit sometime that week, but not necessarily on the same day that household trash is being collected.
Acceptable materials for bulk pickups include furniture, appliances, and other large household items. We cannot accept yard waste, chemicals and hazardous materials, or building materials and demolition waste.
This service replaces the annual Spring Cleanup. Bulk pickups are a separate program from special pickups, which are scheduled at customer request, may be used to dispose of multiple items, and incur fees.
For more information about this program: www.cityofelkinswv.com/bulk-pickups.
Contact the Operations Department with any questions: 304-636-1414, ext. 1437 | spoe@cityofelkinswv.com.
5/5 Paving Plans: First, Fifth, & YMCA Alley
Last modified on May 5th, 2022 at 07:59 pm
On Thursday(5/5), Southern West Virginia Paving plans to pave First Street (Davis to Kerens), Fifth Street (Davis to Railroad), and the alley behind the YMCA (Fourth to Fifth).
The map below indicates all planned paving work in Elkins for spring 2022.
Tree Trimming Starts Monday
Street Department personnel will be trimming trees overhanging the public right-of-way on multiple city streets starting Monday at 7 a.m., weather permitting.
These streets are scheduled for paving work in April. The purpose of the tree trimming is to remove branches that might otherwise become caught on heavy paving equipment and be snapped or torn loose from the tree, causing damage.
We will release additional information about this April’s paving work soon.
Spring Cleanup To Be Offered April 4-15
Last modified on March 15th, 2022 at 01:10 pm
Note: The Elkins City Hall March newsletter printed incorrect dates for Spring Cleanup 2022. The dates in this blog post are correct.
The City of Elkins Operations Department will be offering Spring Cleanup April 5-15. Street Department crews will visit each ward to collect certain categories of bulk refuse items at no charge. This service is for residences only, not businesses. No more than one level pickup-truck load will be accepted from each household, and loose trash will not be collected.
The ward schedule is as follows:
- First Ward: April 4-5
- Second Ward: April 6-7
- Third Ward: April 8 & 11
- Fourth Ward: April 12-13
- Fifth Ward: April 14-15
Not sure what ward you’re in? Use our online Spring Cleanup tool to enter your address and find out what dates we’ll be in your area.
To take advantage of this service, please have all items at the curb in front of your house or building no later than 5:30 a.m. on the first assigned day for your ward. Crews will not return to the part of the ward they visited on the first day, so placing your items out on the second day may result in your items being left behind.
Crews will only accept one level pickup truck load from each residence. The following items will not be accepted: appliances, tires, free flowing liquids, batteries, and yard waste. Please make all items as easy to collect as possible, such as by bagging or boxing smaller items. Crews will not collect loose trash.
Elkins Appoints New Operations Manager
Sanson brings experience with process and operational excellence
The City of Elkins has a new operations manager who says that “a position like this has been a dream of mine for some time.” The Elkins council appointed Joshua Sanson to lead the city’s Operations Department last night in a unanimous vote. Sanson has lived in Elkins and worked at Davis Medical Center since 2007.
Sanson’s appointment as the new operations manager was recommended by council’s ad hoc Special Hiring Committee, which was formed in the wake of the sudden resignation of the former operations manager last August.
Before advertising this position, the committee first recommended restructuring the Operations Department to improve customer service, increase efficiency, and strengthen compliance with relevant laws, rules, and regulations. Among other changes, these recommendations—which council approved in December—included shifting supervision of the city’s water and wastewater utilities from the Operations Department to their respective boards and chief operators. The committee also spent time revising and improving the position’s job description in consultation with AlignHR, the city’s human resources contractor.
The newly appointed Sanson will supervise the city departments responsible for trash collection; street paving and repairs; code enforcement; building permits and inspections; and the maintenance and upkeep of city hall and other city buildings, facilities, and grounds.
Sanson began his career in the healthcare field as a radiology technician at Davis Medical Center. During his time there, he became interested in a set of management concepts known as process and operational excellence, which are used to improve an organization’s effectiveness and efficiency.
“While at DMC, I was invited to join a multidisciplinary team that was redesigning the emergency department’s space and practices,” says Sanson. “That was my first exposure to the concepts of process and operational excellence.”
That initial experience opened the door to a new field.
“After returning to my department, I was chosen to be trained in Lean tools and concepts and selected to help implement a new daily management system called The Davis Way,” says Sanson. “I had the opportunity to teach and coach operational excellence within this new system, all while getting to see the results in concrete improvements to our operations and processes.”
These experiences taught Sanson the value of increased internal communication, including daily “huddles”; problem identification with root-cause analysis; the standardization of processes; and a team approach across departments.
“Coming out of those experiences, I knew I had found my new career,” says Sanson. “I finished my bachelor’s degree and am currently working on a master’s degree in operations and project management.”
Sanson says he can’t wait to put his skills to work as operations manager for the City of Elkins.
“The City of Elkins is one of the most gorgeous towns on the east coast, and it has always held a special place in my heart,” says Sanson, a Webster County native whose family frequently visited Elkins when he was a child. “I’m looking forward to listening and learning from the frontline folks who keep things rolling every day and seeing how I can help the city be the best place it can be.”
Changes to Organizational Structure
Last modified on February 17th, 2022 at 07:13 am
As a result of recent actions by council, the city’s water and sanitary boards are now providing administrative oversight of the city’s water and sewer system operations. See below for more information about this new organizational structure:
- Water Board: Oversees the city’s water treatment and distribution system. Click here for more information.
- Sanitary Board: Oversees the city’s wastewater collection and treatment system. Click here for more information.
- Operations Department: Oversees trash collection, street repair, code enforcement, building permits and inspections, and maintenance and upkeep of city hall and other non-water/non-sewer buildings, facilities, and grounds. Click here for more information.
The city is also actively accepting applications for a new operations manager. Learn more and apply on this page.
Street Paving Wednesday and Thursday
The 2021 street paving season has begun.
Today, contractors are already milling joints at the ends of the following alleys and streets. Parking and traffic will not be significantly disrupted.
- Coca Cola Alley between 11th Street and 10th Street
- 7th Street between Harrison Avenue and Gorman Avenue
- George Street between Maryland Avenue and Heavner Avenue
- Moose Alley between Davis Avenue and Kerens Avenue
- Intermountain Alley between 5th Street and 6th Street
Thursday, contractors will mill the following streets. Streets will be closed with no parking while milling proceeds.
- Main Street between Glendale Avenue and Worth Avenue
- Pleasant Avenue between State Street and Orchard Street
- 3rd Street from Kerens Avenue to Henry Avenue
- Henry Avenue from Randolph Avenue to Second Street
- Railroad Avenue from Sweco Furniture to Wilson Street
- S. Henry Avenue from 10th Street to the dead end at the pedestrian bridge
Learn more about paving and patching in Elkins by clicking here.
Some Elkins Water Customers May See Higher Bills
Accounts with past estimated usage are most likely to see increases
Elkins, W. Va., May 21, 2021: Water meters are being replaced throughout Elkins, and some customers may see higher bills as a result. This is not because of a rate increase or inaccurate meters but because certain customers’ bills were being estimated, and their actual water usage has increased in the meantime.
City of Elkins uses remote-read water meters. Instead of needing to be read manually by city personnel, these meters transmit reading data (i.e., how much water has been used) to be collected by a roving vehicle as it passes each of the city’s approximately 4,400 water-customer locations.
Water meters are being replaced for all 4,400 City of Elkins water customers because they are out of warranty, and their data transmitters were beginning to fail. Approximately half have been replaced already.
When meters stop transmitting, City of Elkins water bills are based on estimated readings. Estimated readings are the average of the most recent 12 months’ bills.
Customers who were receiving estimated bills might see increases once their meter has been replaced and their actual usage is once again being received by the city’s Utility Billing department.
When water bills increase after meter replacement, the usual reason is that water usage was previously being estimated, and it rose during the period of estimation. Such increases could result from the household adding new members or appliances. It could also result from undetected leaks that developed during the period of estimation.
These increased charges do not result from recapturing the entire under-billed amount, which the city does not do. Instead, with the new meters in place, accounts that were being estimated are now being billed based on actual usage data each period. Accounts whose usage increased during the period of estimation will therefore see higher bills going forward.
Paper bills for accounts being estimated indicate this by showing an “e” next to the usage amount. Electronic bills do not indicate whether an account’s charges are being estimated, but customers can call Utility Billing to find out. The W. Va. Public Service Commission (PSC), which regulates water and other utilities in this state, does not specify how long utilities may use estimated readings.
City of Elkins water customers with questions about their bills or who wish to inquire about setting up a payment plan are encouraged to contact Utility Billing.
- cdolly@cityofelkinswv.com; 304-636-1414, ext. 1720
- dstemple@cityofelkinswv.com; 304-636-1414, ext. 1715
Additional information and answers to frequently asked questions about the water meter replacement project may be found here: www.bit.ly/ElkinsWaterMeters
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Alerts
Starting Jan. 1: No more phone payments
Starting Jan. 1, City of Elkins will no longer accept phone payments for any city bills or services. Learn more.
No Spring Cleanup
Because of the city’s monthly bulk-item pickup program, we will no longer be offering Spring Cleanup. Don’t wait until spring, put your items out each month. Find the schedule for pickups here.
Bulk Pickups Schedule Change
As of the week of October 17, the bulk-item pickup schedule is changing. Find the new schedule here.
Water Issues?
Last modified on May 8th, 2022 at 10:51 am
Got a non-emergency water issue? Report it online by clicking here.
