Fayetteville residents would be limited to two carts of household garbage and 10 containers of yard waste each week according to updates to the city’s garbage pickup ordinance given preliminary approval by the City Council last week.
The changes would include new limits on pickup on private streets.
Recycling would continue to be limited to one cart every two weeks in keeping with terms of the recycling contractor, Waste Management.
The council heard a presentation on the recommended changes from city administrations at its Jan. 9 meeting.
Daniel Edwards, assistant director of public services, oversees the solid waste division and gave an overview of the proposed ordinance amendments.
Edwards was asked for approval to go forward with the recommendations. The earliest they would take effect is the start of a new fiscal year in July. In the meantime, the city will implement a plan to inform the public about the new policies.
Edwards said the changes are necessary “so we can become more consistent, more in line with our peers. So, what we did, we updated definitions, we corrected the ambiguity, we updated operational language.”
As part of reviewing the ordinance, city administrators did a “peer review” of garbage ordinances in other cities in the state, including Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro and Winston-Salem.
“Right now, there are no limits in the ordinance,” said Edwards. “And we want to create limits for collection of household carts.”
The city provides 96-gallon rollout carts for waste collection. Household garbage carts are green, yard waste carts are brown and recycling carts are blue.
Yard waste, which is typically collected on a day separate from household garbage routes, can be left for pickup in brown or green carts, in garbage bags or by bundles.
“We’re asking that a combination of those — a maximum of 10 per household — that the city could collect,” Edwards said.
Disposal of tree limbs is currently limited to 20 cubic yards per collection. Under the new rules, it would be limited to 10 cubic yards per week.
The current ordinance has no rules on pickup on private streets, Edwards said. Those may have potholes and overgrown foliage can damage city trucks or injure city employees.
“Right now, we go down any private street or lined driveway,” Edwards said.
For private streets deemed unsafe, the city would determine where carts are left for pickup to avoid hazards, he said. The owner of a private street would have to extend a waiver that would protect the city from liability for damage to the street.
In other cities, he said, garbage crews don’t collect trash on private streets that are not considered safe.
Mayor Pro Tem Johnny Dawkins said he did not recall the council discussing private streets and damage to city trucks previously.
“I’m not prepared to vote on any changes to private streets without more information,” Dawkins said. “I want us to be able to have two green carts and two blue carts. It’s just my wife and I, and we fill up our blue cart and take the rest of the stuff to my office.”
City Manager Doug Hewett said the ordinance changes would not affect private roads that are well-maintained.
Hewett said adding to recycling pickups would require changing the city’s contract with Waste Management and adding to the city’s cost.
Dawkins said he was uncomfortable with changing the ordinance before residents are notified of any changes.
"And, plus, I want to encourage as much recycling as we possibly can,” he added.
Councilwoman Courtney Banks-McLaughlin made a motion to approve the staff-recommended changes, which was seconded by Councilman Deno Hondros.
The council voted 8-1 to approve the motion, with Mayor Mitch Colvin voting against it. Councilwoman Kathy Jensen was not at the meeting.
The council will revisit the issue once the recommended changes are final.
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