Marble Falls trash rate rises 10%
The trash pickup rate in Marble Falls will increase by 10 percent to $23.27 a month starting Oct. 1 after a new contract with Waste Management was approved during a regular meeting of the Marble Falls City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 20.
A bid request for trash services were sent out in July. The city hoped to attract multiple vendors, but Waste Management was the only provider to submit a bid. One vendor appeared interested but later pulled out due to supply chain issues and the lack of a facility in Marble Falls.
Initially, the rate increase was planned to be about 20 percent due to an added $2.43 fee for monthly bulk and brush pickup services.
Councilor Bryan Walker disagreed with the necessity of the monthly fee since the city already offers bulk and brush pickup. An amendment was added to approve the contract without the fee.
“Basically, you’re kind of sticking the bill to everyone rather than the group of people that are actually using it,” Walker told DailyTrib.com after the meeting. “If you live in a regular neighborhood, how many people actually need bulk and brush pickup every month?”
The amended contract passed 5-1 with Councilor Griff Morris siding with city staff’s recommendation of the original contract. Mayor Richard Westerman was absent from the meeting.
Morris spoke about his reasoning behind voting for the additional $2.43 up-charge the following day.
“In my opinion, $2.43 is just not that big of a deal,” he said. “Not to mention, when we rely on the city to do it, it takes our street crew away from fixing streets to go around town once a month picking up brush.”
Walker and other councilors plan to meet with residents to hear their perspectives on the proposed monthly pickup fee.
“We will consider adding the monthly brush and bulk pickup (fee) back in, if that’s what they want,” Walker said.
The next regular meeting of the Marble Falls City Council is 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, in Council Chambers at City Hall, 800 Third St.