Photo by Becky Thomas
Cheney's new garbage crew—with wastewater collection supervisor Don Mangus, right—stand in front of a new rolloff truck. Harlan Helm, left, will cover the commercial collections, Tom Stern, middle, will complete residential routes, and Tim Reinbold, front, will handle equipment maintenance and serve as a backup driver.
By BECKY THOMAS
Staff Reporter
During the whirlwind of late December, Cheney's Public Works Department hired three people to man the new solid waste collection service.
Harlan Helm, Tim Reinbold and Tom Stern will man the city-run garbage collection.
Helm, who became familiar with Cheney's routes during a stint with former provider Sunshine Disposal and Recycling, will run the commercial side of the garbage collection. Helm began his career in solid waste 27 years ago in California with a small collection business before moving to Washington as an employee of Waste Management. Helm said he decided to leave Sunshine for Cheney's operation because he likes the community, though he currently lives in North Spokane.
“Eventually I will live in Cheney,” he said.
Reinbold, a longtime Cheney resident, will maintain the city's new trucks and drive backup.
“I don't have much garbage experience,” he said. “I'm kind of the maintenance man.”
Reinbold went to school for diesel mechanics and drove a dump truck before joining the Cheney team.
Stern comes to Cheney after 13 years with the city of Spokane's garbage collection service. He said he left Spokane to start a business in Fairfield, an action he later regretted.
“I always liked doing garbage,” he said. “I just went crazy when I quit the city, I should never have left, but this became available and it's something I like to do. It kind of fit me and I fit them.”
Public works director Todd Ableman and wastewater collection supervisor Don Mangus teamed up to get the garbage department up and running. They received over 100 applications for the three positions.
“From a supervisor's standpoint, you know, we had nightmares about how this was actually going to kick off with the time frame and the space, but these guys have made it a cakewalk,” Mangus said.
Helm, Reinbold and Stern said the collection has been going well so far, though a few cans were missed in the first week or so of the service.
“Just remember, everybody has to have their refuse out by 7 (a.m.),” Stern said.
For more information on garbage collection in Cheney, call the Public Works Department at 498-9293.
Becky Thomas can be reached at [email protected].
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