By Hans Wilder
Editor-in-Chief, The Watertown Post
Sometimes you have to be willing to change your mind.
Anyone who has followed our recent coverage of Watertown’s ongoing garbage saga knows I’ve had more than my share of frustrations with private garbage collection. Like many residents, I’ve experienced damaged totes, confusion over pickup schedules, and the reality that garbage cans seem to line our streets almost every day of the week.
After stepping back and looking at the bigger picture, I’ve done something many people in the media don’t like to admit.
I’ve done a complete 180.
This isn’t really about city garbage versus private garbage. Private haulers absolutely have a place in Watertown. Competition is healthy, and residents should have choices.
What I do think deserves discussion is coordination.
Imagine if the City of Watertown and private haulers worked together so neighborhoods had collection on the same general days. Instead of trash cans sitting at the curb Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday depending on which company services which house, entire neighborhoods could have a cleaner appearance for the rest of the week.
That benefits everyone.
Cleaner streets.
Better curb appeal.
A nicer experience for visitors.
And frankly, a better quality of life for the people who live here.
Keeping a city looking clean isn’t just about collecting garbage. It’s part of how a community presents itself to residents, businesses, and tourists alike.
That got us thinking about another issue.
Finding garbage information on the City’s website.
To be fair, the information is there. This isn’t a criticism of the employees who maintain it. But if you’re a new resident—or someone simply trying to figure out your pickup day or order a garbage tote—you have to know where to look.
So, just as an exercise, we built a prototype homepage concept.
We’re not website designers by trade. We’re consultants. We spend our days studying communication, branding, user experience, and how people naturally search for information online.
Using today’s AI-assisted design tools, we created a concept in literally a matter of minutes.
The idea was simple.
When someone visits the City’s homepage, they immediately see a large, attractive “Garbage & Recycling” section with big buttons like Find My Pickup Day, Order a Garbage Tote, Recycling Guide, and Schedule Bulk Pickup. One click, and residents are exactly where they need to be.
No hunting through menus.
No guessing which department handles what.
Just simple, clear government.
The best part?
Modern AI tools have completely changed how governments, businesses, and organizations can prototype websites. You don’t have to spend weeks sketching layouts anymore. A rough concept can be created in fifteen minutes, reviewed, improved, and refined before a single line of production code is ever written.
Considering the level of talent throughout City Hall—and yes, some pretty respectable salaries—I’d be surprised if someone on staff couldn’t become proficient with these tools in short order. If not, now might be a great time. AI isn’t replacing people; it’s giving them better tools to serve the public.
And let’s be honest…
If AI can help someone find out what day to put out their garbage without calling City Hall, everybody wins.
Mayor Sarah Compo-Pierce, City Manager Eric Wagenaar, department heads, and the City’s communications staff all have the same goal: making Watertown a better place to live. Sometimes the smallest improvements make the biggest difference.
Our prototype isn’t meant to criticize anyone. It’s meant to start a conversation.
How can we make city government easier to use?
How can we make neighborhoods look cleaner?
How can we make everyday tasks less frustrating?
Those are questions worth asking.
If this little garbage saga has taught me anything, it’s that good ideas can come from unexpected places—even from someone who started out simply trying to figure out what happened to a garbage can.
And if we can all laugh a little along the way, that’s probably healthy too.
After all, it’s not every day that garbage inspires a discussion about artificial intelligence, website design, and civic pride.
Only in Watertown.
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