While many continue to raise concerns over costs associated with the switch, administration officials say the city’s new automated trash and recycling pickup system is hitting its stride.

Calls with complaints have “diminished significantly” since the new system began June 30, Mayor Allan Fung said Tuesday while preparing for a ride-along in a Waste Management truck starting on New Hampshire Street. Carlos Lopez, the mayor’s chief of staff, estimated the number of calls has dropped 80 percent since the first week.

Some members of the City Council, meanwhile, continue to criticize the fees associated with the automated system – specifically, the $150 charge for residents to obtain a second 65-gallon trash cart, the $18 fee for bulky item pickup and the $25 cost for mattress or box spring pickup. They say some in the community are already abandoning large items in vacant lots or other areas to avoid the fees, and fear the situation will worsen.

“We really need to look at this before our city looks like a garbage dump,” Ward 3 Councilman Paul Archetto said during the July 17 meeting of the council’s Ordinance Committee, of which he serves as chairman.

The new system utilizes 65-gallon trash and recycling carts, which are picked up and dumped into by Waste Management trucks using an automated mechanical arm. It has been presented as a means to control costs and increase recycling rates.

Ken Mason, the city’s public works director, this week said he feels the rollout of the new system has gone well. He acknowledged some early problems, but questioned the assertion that dumping of bulky items has been widespread, saying residents were aware of the impending shift and many got rid of larger items before the changeover.

“The first couple of weeks were a little bit rocky … it’s starting to settle down,” he said. “Prior to the program starting, everybody had pretty much known what was going on. I don’t see a big issue at the moment. We’re trying to keep on top of this.”

Mason also said residents have started calling Waste Management to schedule mattress or bulky item pickup.

Chris Collins, senior district manager with Waste Management, said prior to Tuesday’s ride-along with Fung that the switch in Cranston has compared favorably with the process in other communities.

“I’ve done a lot of rollouts, and this one is actually going really well,” he said.

Collins also acknowledged some early issues, but noted that it took time for drivers to become fully comfortable with the new vehicles.

“It takes some time and skill to get accustomed to it,” he said.

Fung said despite the “growing pains,” the system will have long-term value to the community in terms of increased efficiency and controlled costs. He defended the decision to use 65-gallon carts, saying it was based on research, consultation with experts and comparisons to other communities. He also noted that the $150 fee associated with an extra cart is meant to offset added tipping fees paid when trash arrives at the landfill.

“We’re always looking for innovation in any of our city departments,” he said. “People have to get used to recycling more, because that’s the big push … It’s going to take time.”

Fung did say officials plan to continue exploring options regarding bulky item disposal, along with other alterations to the program that may be needed based on feedback from both residents and Waste Management.

Mason also said officials are “in the process of looking at alternatives.”

Council members, meanwhile, have kept up their criticism of the program. Ward 4 Councilman Mario Aceto pointed to the issue of abandoned mattresses and other items, and questioned the legality of fees being charged to residents through a third-party service provider.

“It just seems really odd to me,” he said.

Ward 5 Councilman Richard Santamaria said the city should be more forceful in securing terms with Waste Management that meet the needs of residents.

“We’re paying them $4 million a year … We do run the show,” he said, citing the city’s contract with the company.

Council President John Lanni said he believes any cost savings realized through the new contract will be offset by increased overtime for city employees to pick up discarded mattresses and other items.

“To me, it’s a wash,” he said.

Lanni also called for the implementation of changes that would allow for residents to increase their trash volume at times such as the holiday season without paying additional fees.

“There’s got to be amnesty days,” he said.