July 15, 2004
Public Hearings Scheduled for Bulk Trash Changes

How often do you need a bulk trash or brush pickup? What would you be willing to pay for more frequent service?

City Council wants to hear your comments as it works to improve bulky trash and brush pickup in Fort Worth. Public hearings on big trash and brush service are scheduled July 20 and July 27 during regular City Council meetings that begin at 10 a.m. A final public hearing and vote are scheduled Aug. 5 during the 7 p.m. Council meeting. All hearings are in the City Council Chamber at City Hall, 1000 Throckmorton St.

The city is changing the way it picks up bulky trash and large brush. The city has done away with call-in requests for bulk trash because some residents did not know to call or would not call, leaving uncollected piles in some areas of the city. While officials work to replace the call-in system, a temporary bulk trash and brush pickup schedule is in place. (See details in related story on this page.) Any proposed changes to big trash and brush service would not affect weekly service of garbage, recycling or optional yard carts but would increase residents' monthly sanitation fees.

In the past, residents could call and request up to four big trash and brush pickups per household per year. Under the new proposal, residents could set out bulky trash and brush every week on their regular garbage pickup day. The added service would increase monthly sanitation charges, which appear on the water bill, by $2.21 per month.

Apart from any big trash and brush service change, the city is expected to request up to $1.60 more per month to cover costs that have gone up since the last sanitation rate increase in 2002. The rate increase would cover increased costs for fuel, insurance, salaries and other costs associated with city-provided programs, including illegal dump cleanup, waste disposal, code enforcement, administration, education, drop-off stations and dead animal pickup.

Under the new proposal, residents still would be required to stack bulky trash separately from brush so that brush could be collected separately for mulching. Current size limits and setout rules still would apply. For example, limbs must be cut to no longer than 8 feet, and garbage bags, construction debris and tires are not allowed in bulk or brush piles.

For more information about garbage, recycling, carts, collection schedules > and how to set out materials properly, call 817-392-EASY (3279) or visit www.fortworthgov.org/dem on the Web.