Will you be our partner?
In January 2005, Solid Waste Services partnered with four Charlotte neighborhoods and the City's Neighborhood Development key business unit to address unscheduled bulky item problems in the neighborhoods.  The result was a 39% increase in bulky item scheduling in the neighborhoods. 

The success of the program has prompted Solid Waste Services staff to look at how they can work with others in the community to address the problem of unscheduled bulky items. 

In January 2006, Solid Waste Services will expand its partnership network to incldue the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Authority's Section 8 Division.  We want to include you - the property owner - too!

Click here to download a property owner's manual, which includes information on the benefits of the Call and Send program and what actions you can take to help ensure the success of bulky item scheduling at your property and in your neighborhood.

What is Call and Send?
The Call and Send Program is an innovative partnership between Solid Waste Services, Neighborhood Development and Charlotte neighborhoods.  The program began as a pilot in the Windsor Park neighborhood in January 2004.

At the beginning of the program Windsor Park had approximately 80 weekly unscheduled bulky item violations, but by the end of the program one year later, there was a 19% reduction in unscheduled bulky items (80 per week to 65 per week).  

The success of the Windsor Park pilot prompted Solid Waste staff to implement the program in targeted neighborhoods over a five-year period. In 2005, the program was implemented in Belmont, Lakewood, Plaza/Shamrock and Washington Heights.

As of October 2005, there has been a 39% increase in scheduling of bulky items in Belmont, Lakewood, Plaza/Shamrock and Washington Heights (collectively).  See below for a detailed list for all neighborhoods.

Total (includes all four neighborhoods):

• Identified 423 addresses where there was one pre-collection violation.
• Identified 58 addresses where there were two pre-collection violations.
• Referred 0 addresses to Code Enforcement for violation processing ($50 fine assessed to property owner)

What's next for the program?
The Call and Send program will be implemented in Cherry, Druid Hills, Parkview and Thomasboro/Cheshire in 2006.  Additionally, Solid Waste staff is developing relationships with others in the community, including property owners.